Chapter 512: The Youth's Passion Ends in Failure, But the World Never Lacks Youth

Chapter 512: The Youth's Passion Ends in Failure, But the World Never Lacks Youth

In the inner courtyard of the Nanyang Sect, within a bamboo grove courtyard prepared in advance, a young man wearing the Nanyang Sect's white robe sat on a bed, his eyes half-closed, and his breathing deep and slow.

His eyes dared not close completely, a result of his innate caution, while his prolonged breathing indicated the exhaustion of his spirit.

On his pale face, a hint of coldness had faded, and a rare softness appeared in his handsome features.

It seemed as if he was reminiscing about the pancakes by the road in Baiyun County, a bowl of onion leaf noodles in the Qingzhou Demon Subjugation Office training ground, the lamb soup he had to eat in two separate sittings over a thousand miles apart, and the spicy throat medicine wine in the ruined temple on Xitai Mountain.

After that—

Shen Yi's expression suddenly turned indifferent, and his fingertips twitched unconsciously, reaching for his arm.

There used to be a knife resting there, but now it was gone.

His slow breathing inexplicably quickened, and his clear eyes opened, revealing a cold sharpness within.

"My story is over."

In front of the window where golden sunlight shone, Li Xuan Qing turned his head, revealing a serene smile, then asked curiously, "But it seems like your whole life is a story."

"..."

Shen Yi raised his eyebrows slightly and relaxed his body.

He shifted his gaze away, slightly annoyed.

Because beside Senior Xuan Qing, an elderly woman stood quietly, the two of them side by side, gazing at the setting sun.

No one would want their breakfast to be a bowl of this, and he was no exception.

"Since Sect Master Shen has awakened, we should take our leave now."

It was only at this moment that the Treasure Flower Sect Master truly understood why this Sect Master Shen, after only a brief rest, was worth Senior Xuan Qing's special request for her to come and watch over him. It was clear that the young man truly lacked a sense of security.

"Disciple takes his leave." Xuan Qing bowed respectfully, then pushed open the wooden door.

Telling his story to Sect Master Shen was a show of respect for the sect master's strength and a fulfillment of his earlier promise.

By telling it while the other party slept, he didn't want to continue this grudge any further, especially in the current situation where the Nanyang Sect's pressure rested solely on Sect Master Shen.

"Wait."

Shen Yi sat up with a hint of reluctance, leaning against the wall, and called out to the two of them.

He casually rubbed his temples, glanced sideways, his voice carrying a hint of laziness, but his eyes finally turned serious, "Tell it again."

"..."

The two, who had already taken a step out of the door, slowly came to a stop, turning back with a hint of confusion.

The Treasure Flower Sect Master's eyes flickered uncertainly. As a giant in the Unification Realm, she surprisingly felt like she couldn't see through this young man.

Clearly, he was exhausted to the extreme, and after finally relaxing for a moment, he had just opened his eyes, yet he wanted to take on the matter himself.

She could probably guess that with Xuan Qing's character, if he valued Sect Master Shen so highly, he would undoubtedly offer him a lot of help. But the meaning behind Xuan Qing's earlier actions, if simplified into four words, would be 'a clean slate.'

The current situation was... Sect Master Shen was unwilling to let it go.

Thinking of this, the Treasure Flower Sect Master smiled helplessly and looked at Xuan Qing, "Now I understand why he is the sect master."

Li Xuan Qing silently stared at Shen Yi on the bed.

After a long while, he suddenly laughed, "You're willing to tell us your story?"

Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.

Xuan Qing believed that with his understanding of Shen Yi, the other party was definitely not someone who would willingly share his burdens with those close to him.

However, what Xuan Qing didn't expect was that Shen Yi slowly straightened his body, put on his boots, then gently stepped on the green bricks with them, lifting his eyes, and said calmly, "My stories are now all buried underground."

He spoke in the most peaceful tone, but within these simple words, there was a killing intent that even made the Treasure Flower Sect Master's eyelids twitch.

These words were not something a sect master of an immortal sect should say.

It was almost as if he were a demon cultivator.

Li Xuan Qing was also stunned in place, and after a moment, he finally sighed, "It's just a youth's passion for a moment, but in the end, it's something that cannot be achieved."

Using the word 'youth' to describe a cultivator with a lifespan of over ten thousand years seemed somewhat inappropriate.

In reality, for celestial prodigies, they spent most of their time on tedious and dull cultivation, and they rarely faced setbacks, so it was very normal for them to always carry a youthful passion in their hearts.

Li Xuan Qing took a half-step back and closed the wooden door again.

Under the Treasure Flower Sect Master's gaze, filled with a hint of reminiscence, he turned to look at Shen Yi, "It's common knowledge that Xuan Qing is a top celestial prodigy of Hongze, and among the things he has done in his life, the most beneficial one for the creatures of Hongze was becoming a Dao companion with Zileng Immortal Maiden from Donglong Palace, bringing Hongze thousands of years of peace."

"Later, she had the opportunity to ascend to the Heavenly Court."

"I didn't want to, I wanted to keep her, so I sacrificed the entire Nanyang Sect."

When Li Xuan Qing spoke of this, the Treasure Flower Sect Master suddenly clenched her cane, turning her gaze elsewhere.

It was clear that there were many missing details in this description.

At least up until now, Shen Yi didn't feel that this matter had anything to do with youthful passion, nor did he think that Xuan Qing was the type of person who would be so jealous of his Dao companion that he would do anything to destroy her.

"They exhausted Hongze's precious gold and jade, all kinds of valuable treasures, just to make that fairy look a little more beautiful."

The Treasure Flower Sect Master suddenly continued, staring into the void, "They made hundreds of creatures exhaust Hongze's precious gold and jade, all kinds of valuable treasures, just to make that fairy look a little more beautiful."

Speaking to this point, the Treasure Flower Sect Master suddenly showed a mocking smile, "Using those luxurious items, they made her a saddle that all of Hongze couldn't find a second one to match, and sent her to ascend to heaven... as an immortal's mount."

The Dao companion of a top celestial prodigy finally became a beast under the immortal's mount amidst the envious blessings of others.

No matter what kind of power Hongze had, they fell silent about this matter and stopped mentioning Xuan Qing's name.

In this situation, the youth finally became angry.

He wanted to enter the Heavenly Gate, he wanted to be recorded in the Immortal Scroll, he wanted to leave his name in the heavens for tens of thousands of years.

He didn't want to see his Dao companion as someone else's mount when entering the Heavenly Gate in the future.

So, on that night, Xuan Qing planned everything, comforted the inconsolable Zileng Immortal Maiden, then bid farewell to his master, planning to give up the Unification Realm sacred land, take the fairy, and leave Hongze to find another way to ascend.

If the plan was executed successfully, Hongze would have offered a beautiful purple-bearded white dragon, the seven sons would think that Xuan Qing had suffered a setback and fled, and aside from the heavenly immortals possibly discovering a missing purple-bearded white dragon when choosing their mounts, nothing else would happen.

"How did it fail?

Shen Yi stood up.

The Treasure Flower Sect Master suddenly stopped speaking and turned to Xuan Qing, whose fingertips trembled slightly. Her eyes revealed a hint of pain.

For the young man, this was the biggest blow to his youthful spirit.

Nothing could be more devastating than the sudden realization that being his Dao companion was not as desirable as being the mount of an immortal ascending to heaven. In the final moment, the White Dragon changed his mind.

This was like a complete denial of everything Xuan Qing was.

"He said he would give a minor punishment, and I would take his palm strike. That would be the end of it," Xuan Qing finally spoke, referring to the immortal guarding Hongze.

"Before he raised his palm, I was ninety percent certain of my success."

"But when his palm descended, I had zero confidence."

"I desperately tried to steady my mind, forcing myself to appear calm and accepting of death, so I wouldn't die in a disgraceful manner. I've never lost before, but I'm not someone who can't afford to lose."

Xuan Qing's voice suddenly turned hoarse.

He swallowed hard, trying to hide his emotional turmoil: "My master still came to take his palm strike for me, but that strike changed, attacking my heart instead. And so, my master went mad, using the Sacred Land Refinement Technique."

"It wasn't until I returned to the Nanyang Sect, my soul barely clinging to my body, that I realized I truly couldn't afford to lose... I couldn't bear to lose."

This minor punishment lasted for a full ten million years.

Even if it wasn't intentional, he had left the sect early, bidding farewell to his master, and was willing to accept the consequences.

There were always some who couldn't bear to see him lose and wanted to help him steady his Dao heart.

However, neither master nor disciple had anticipated the price they would have to pay for their loss, a price they couldn't control.

They thought it would only cost them their lives.

But the immortal took away the entire Nanyang Sect. That palm strike to the heart was enough to drive a Unification Realm giant into madness.

The Nanyang Sect Master was prepared to die for his disciple, but he never expected the immortal to force him into demonic cultivation first. In endless agony, he had to refine the creatures he once protected. With eyes wide and a roar that tore his throat, he watched as the Nanyang Sect was destroyed before his very eyes, and then he went to his death.

"..."

Shen Yi pondered for a long time, finally unraveling his previous doubts.

After all, the kind-looking elder in the Treasure Pavilion didn't seem like someone who would sacrifice the lives of the Sacred Land's creatures for his own desires.

So, this was the situation.

"Alright, I understand."

Shen Yi lightly nodded and walked past the two, stretching his arms outside the room.

He didn't offer any consolation or even respond to the other party.

The Treasure Flower Sect Master was taken aback, not quite understanding Shen Yi's reaction. She didn't scold Xuan Qing for his stupidity and immaturity, which had caused such a disaster out of anger, nor did she show disdain for the Purple Beard White Dragon's fickleness. Clearly, she had come to seek Xuan Qing's help, yet she didn't hesitate to betray him.

Nor did she show anger towards the immortal's despicable methods.

Shen Yi's calm demeanor was more puzzling than any of these reactions. He seemed to be merely listening to a story and might not even be paying attention.

The Treasure Flower Sect Master withdrew her gaze but suddenly noticed that Xuan Qing was still standing there in a daze.

She couldn't help but feel a little helpless: "Why are you still standing there? Do you need him to scold you before you feel better?"

"..."

Xuan Qing didn't respond, only taking a deep breath.

If he remembered correctly, he had heard a similar response not long ago.

The result was that hundreds of powerful water demons died, seven White Jade Capital Demon Generals perished, and even the messenger who came to investigate went missing.

Now that he knew... he would take action.

But how?

Xuan Qing felt he had already made his point clear. The immortal's casual palm strike was like an unreachable sky to them, mere mortals.

Youthful spirits would eventually mature and become steady.

But the Nanyang Sect couldn't afford the price of another youth's maturity.

"..."

The Treasure Flower Sect Master slowly reached out to comfort Xuan Qing.

But just as she extended her hand halfway, her expression changed slightly, and she looked down at the White Flower on her waist. Her gaze gradually calmed.

In that instant, the aura around the Treasure Flower Sect Master changed completely from before. Even though she intentionally suppressed her Unification Realm aura, it still caught Shen Yi's attention outside the door, who glanced back curiously.

"The Western Dragon Palace has made a move," she raised her eyes again.

With just those few words, Xuan Qing snapped out of his reverie, his expression growing grave.

As a major sect located at the border of the two Hongs, the Treasure Flower Sect was highly sensitive to any news.

The fact that this information reached the Treasure Flower Sect Master meant it wasn't a simple matter of leading troops on a tour; it was a significant show of force.

The Ke family of the Southern Dragon Palace was still entangled with the Seven Sons.

At this moment, the stronger Western Dragon Palace's Qi family made this move.

It was hard not to suspect a connection between the two.

"Ke Shilin?"

There weren't many who had the qualifications to interact with the Western Dragon Palace. Aside from the Southern Dragon Palace, there was only the Ke Crown Prince.

Xuan Qing turned slightly: "Who is leading the Qi family's troops?"

The Treasure Flower Sect Master replied frankly: "There are many of them, but the leader is still the Qi family's eldest. He and the Dragon Consort have been at odds lately. It's said that the Dragon Consort has marginalized him, even requiring him to submit all messages and affairs of the demon army for her inspection first. With his powerful in-laws, he's been suffocated, yet he still has the mind to get involved in the Southern Flood's affairs."

The Qi family was different from the Ke family, as there was another candidate for the crown prince. So, they called him the eldest instead of the crown prince.

Of course, this situation could still change.

It depended on the attitude of the Dragon Consort's family.

"Tsk."

Hearing this, Xuan Qing suddenly remembered something and looked at Shen Yi with a complex expression: "Sect Master, hold on for a moment. There's no need to get involved in this mess."

This statement was a bit odd.

But based on Xuan Qing's recent understanding of Shen Yi, if he didn't mention it beforehand, Shen Yi might unknowingly offend the Qi family.

The Southern Flood Seven Sons were seven!

And the Nanyang Sect was currently the most downtrodden among them. The six sect masters were idle, leaving the youngest one busy to the point where even a good night's sleep was a luxury. How ridiculous!

"Mhm."

Shen Yi didn't turn back, only giving a light acknowledgment, but his expression became somewhat peculiar.

This matter sounded familiar to him.

Xuan Qing's reminder seemed a bit late.

...

The Southern Flood Seven Sons gave the Treasure Flower Sect such great treatment, almost considering it a half-alliance sect, not only because of Xuan Qing's connection but also due to its unique location.

For example, as soon as the Western Dragon Palace made a move, the seven sect masters gathered together.

The grand display of force clearly indicated the severity of the situation.

For many years, the situation within Southern Flood had remained unchanged, primarily due to the strength of the Southern Flood Seven Sons, who had kept the Southern Dragon Palace in check even after the destruction of the Southern Yang Sect.

However, due to certain past circumstances, the Southern Flood Seven Sons had to keep a low profile, avoiding conflicts and minimizing their presence.

The strong stayed in their corners, while the weak acted without restraint.

This bizarre situation rarely led to conflicts, and peace should have continued.

Unexpectedly, the Ke Family lost their patience first, contacting the Western Dragon Palace, seemingly preparing for a major confrontation.

The Southern Flood Seven Sons had already allowed the Dragon Palace to occupy most of the cultivation resources, and now they wanted to push their luck further. Since they weren't motivated by profit, their intentions were clear.

They even intended to strip the Seven Sons of their meager status.

One couldn't help but wonder what the Southern Dragon Palace Prince was thinking. Was he living too comfortably and seeking excitement?

Regardless, it was always wise to be prepared.

"Thank you, Sect Master Shen and Senior Sister Ji."

The Wushuang Sect Master maintained a calm demeanor, but her voice carried a hint of discomfort.

The Seven Sects were like branches of the same tree, and the relationships between the Sect Masters were typically that of senior and junior disciples or uncles and nephews.

The sudden appearance of such a young junior left them momentarily unsure of how to address him.

"I'm fine. It's up to Sect Master Shen."

The cool-tempered white-robed woman glanced at Shen Yi beside her. Her gaze swept across his black robe, and a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes. His low-key demeanor was a stark contrast to the youth at the Seven Sons Assembly.

"..."

Shen Yi silently scanned the six people before him. Aside from the ancestral statue and the ethereal shadows on the sky curtain, which were somewhat flashy, they didn't seem much different from ordinary cultivators.

Was he asking for her opinion?

What was there to see? These people had made it obvious that they wanted to get rid of him.

The matter they were discussing was straightforward.

Since the Western Dragon Palace had crossed the line, the Southern Flood Seven Sons had to respond.

While human cultivators might not have the same close relationship as the Dragon Palace, they would still maintain unity on important matters.

However, sending a Daoist disciple to ask for help would suffice.

If they were still worried, they could send a true Unification Realm expert to escort them.

From any perspective, there was no reason for Shen Yi to get involved. His status was too high, and his strength was too low.

"..."

The Sect Masters exchanged a glance.

Given Shen Yi's personality, he would likely stir up trouble. If the Western Dragon Palace and the Southern Dragon Palace joined forces, it would be a significant issue. Before making thorough preparations, it would be better to send this young master away.

It would also give him a chance to relax and unwind.

"Then it's settled. Each of you will escort three juniors. Consider it a training for them."

The Lingyue Sect Master slowly stood up and bowed to the two of them. "Be careful on your journey."

"No problem."

Shen Yi had no choice but to return the bow.

To be honest, these Unification Realm cultivators had already given him enough face.

If they couldn't handle a few Daoist disciples, adding Shen Yi probably wouldn't make much difference.

The Sect Master Ji mentioned protecting the juniors, but she also had her own interests in mind.

"Let's go then."

Ji Jingxi stood up and headed outside.

Outside the grand hall, six Daoist disciples were already lined up in two rows.

Just by looking at the three who had been waiting for him, Shen Yi could tell how perfunctory the Wushuang Sect Master's earlier inquiry had been.

Su Hongxiu, Bai Wu, and Wei Yuanzhou.

Bai Wu, who was even Ji Jingxi's disciple, had been assigned to Shen Yi's side. Could it be any more obvious?

"Is the Sect Master dissatisfied with him?" Su Hongxiu glanced at Bai Wu. If Shen Yi had any complaints, it was unlikely to be about her or Wei Yuanzhou.

"Next time you look for reasons, can you start by examining yourself first? When it comes to contacting the Western Flood forces, it doesn't seem to matter whether you're involved or not." Bai Wu's smile was insincere as he glanced back at her.

He quietly looked at his master beside him, gaining confidence. "Oh, there is a difference. At least, I won't offend people."

Even before their departure, the atmosphere had become strange.

Shen Yi glanced at the two of them and suddenly felt like switching places with Ji Jingxi.

"Bai Wu is a bit annoying, but he's more convenient for me to contact. If anything happens, I can rush over quickly. Sect Master Shen, please be a little more tolerant of him." Ji Jingxi nodded apologetically.

She couldn't understand why she had such a disciple.

"I've already discussed the details with Wei Yuanzhou. Sect Master Shen, you can consult him on the way; there shouldn't be any trouble."

In situations like this, the Sect Masters usually didn't need to get involved personally; otherwise, it might make the Southern Flood Seven Sons appear weak to other forces.

Given Wei Yuanzhou's personality, he would likely handle it well.

For the Western Flood forces, the pressure from the Western Dragon Palace's demon army entering Southern Flood had temporarily eased, but it also brought endless troubles. Unless they were truly brainless, they wouldn't dare to make things difficult for these Daoist disciples.

"If there's nothing else, let's depart."

Ji Jingxi took out a luxurious treasure ship and boarded it with the other three Daoist disciples.

"Wait, there's one more thing." Shen Yi suddenly stopped them.

The Sect Master Ji looked at him with a puzzled gaze.

"Lend me a ship." Shen Yi looked back at her without hesitation. The quality of the Southern Yang Sect's Spirit Puppet Lion couldn't compare to a proper Immortal Sect treasure.

Since they were going on a long journey, why make things difficult for himself?

"..."

Ji Jingxi paused for a moment, unable to suppress the slight curl of her lips.

After resting, this Sect Master Shen seemed even more interesting than before.

She extended her hand slightly. "Why don't we travel together?"

"It would be rude to refuse."

Shen Yi didn't mind the awkward silence and directly led the speechless Su Hongxiu and the others onto the ship.

Seeing this, Ji Jingxi gently shook her head.

To be honest, Unification Realm cultivators weren't as unapproachable as others thought. The senior disciples were indeed finding it challenging to deal with Shen Yi.

However, he didn't seem as difficult as they had imagined.

The luxurious Qingyue Treasure Ship slowly rose into the air and transformed into a stream of light, disappearing into the endless sea of clouds, heading west!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end