Chapter 533: Mutual Redemption, Returning to the Beast Mountain Sect (Daily Life)

Chapter 533: Mutual Redemption, Returning to the Beast Mountain Sect (Daily Life)



Xi Hong, Teng Yun Lane Market.

This place was usually a small marketplace where solitary cultivators exchanged goods.

But lately, the influx of people had intensified, including core members of prominent factions.

The recent disturbance, marked by the familiar tiger's roar, likely signaled a confrontation between one of the Three United Demon Tigers of the Hao Yue Frost Tiger clan and a formidable opponent. The identity of the opponent and the reason for the dispute remained unknown.

When two United Demon Realm experts clashed, it often foretold a significant shift in the dynamics of Xi Hong.

Those with the means to flee did so without hesitation, while those who couldn't escape found solace in banding together.

In a room within an inn.

The door was tightly shut.

A cold and elegant woman in white sat at a table, her eyes fixed on the teacup before her.

Behind her stood two young cultivators with exceptional bearing, their strength and attire indicative of their status as core disciples of prominent sects.

"Master Ji, according to our intelligence, the two United Demon Realm experts only clashed briefly and didn't cause any turmoil in Xi Hong. It shouldn't affect our plea for aid," the Lingyue Sect disciple, who appeared more level-headed, reported.

The Wushuang Sect disciple wore a troubled expression as he added, "But it's true that our plea for aid has been politely refused by the local factions of Xi Hong. I just can't understand why, when faced with the threat of Dragon Palace, these cultivators don't unite to resist them but instead continue to attack each other, allowing South Dragon Palace to expand so effortlessly and even have the leisure to meddle in South Hong's affairs."

"I'm seriously worried that if we keep pleading for aid, we might end up alerting them to South Hong's predicament. Forget about them helping us deal with Dragon Palace; they might even take this opportunity to invade South Hong and claim a share for themselves," the Wushuang Sect disciple fretted, his concerns not entirely unfounded.

After all, their presence here was due to the very sects they had approached for aid taking an interest in a newly emerging power with a potential opportunity to form a covenant with the heavens.

A tribe had devoted countless years of effort, only to have their chance at transcending mortality and joining the ranks of immortal sects with United Demon Realm experts likely slipping away.

Becoming a subsidiary sect of one of these immortal sects might now be their best outcome.

These immortal sects had laid bare the ruthless law of the strong preying on the weak.

The two disciples found their behavior reprehensible and couldn't bring themselves to trust them, so they had approached other factions, only to be politely refused and escorted away from their lands.

"The situation with Yunhe Sect is looking positive, but according to Sister Lin, it's not that Yunhe Sect has any particular grievance with Dragon Palace. It's more that the sect's disciple has taken a liking to her..." The Wushuang Sect disciple trailed off, feeling somewhat ashamed.

The once-proud South Hong's Seven had now resorted to using such tactics to solicit aid.

In reality, the situation wasn't entirely dire yet.

The six sect leaders were all formidable United Demon Realm experts, and together with the three major forces, including Baohua Sect, they boasted nine United Demon Realm experts. Even in Xi Hong, this force would be a match for the formidable West Dragon Palace.

In contrast, South Dragon Palace had four Dragon Princes at the United Demon Realm, plus the South Dragon King. Even with the South Dragon King's profound cultivation, capable of taking on two opponents, they only barely matched the South Hong's Seven in terms of numbers.

If it came to a direct confrontation, they had no advantage at all.

The problem lay with the Western Palace.

Qi Jiaolda's invasion of South Hong might not have a significant impact, but it could be a mere probe. If the response from the Seven wasn't strong enough, just the Western Palace alone boasted at least eight demons comparable to the United Demon Realm!

Over these ten thousand years, West Dragon Palace had grown fat and powerful, their strength far surpassing what it had been initially.

Coupled with their revered status in Xi Hong, should they decide to move against South Hong's Seven, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"I understand," Master Ji said calmly as she rose from her seat and moved toward the door. "You two continue. I'll go and have a chat with Zixian."

At her words, the two disciples fell silent.

Having spent some time in Xi Hong, they had gained a preliminary understanding of the local dynamics. While Zixian and Master Ji might have been close in the past, Zixian was now the renowned Jade Dragon Empress, married to none other than Qi Jiaolda, who had led the invasion into South Hong.

"It's just a catch-up between old friends," Master Ji said, shaking her head as she sensed their hesitation. She truly wanted to gauge West Dragon Palace's intentions.

If it came to a desperate fight, South Hong's Seven weren't pushovers.

When it came to battles between United Demon Realm experts, sheer numbers weren't the deciding factor. For instance, the Dragon Princes of South Dragon Palace, while touted as United Demon Realm level, weren't truly on par with the Seven in terms of cultivation.

In the face of these newly ascended United Demon Realm cultivators or demons, the Six could be considered veterans.

Ji Jingxi pushed open the door and stepped out, leaning against the railing as she gazed outward.

Just as she was about to employ her art to leave, her eyes narrowed, and her gaze fell on the young man with attendants leaving the inn below.

"How is he here?"

Ji Jingxi glanced at the few people beside Shen Yi. Although there were still three of them, they were clearly not the same group as Su Hongxiao.

There was a beautiful woman, a python demon, both of whom looked rather peculiar, and also...

The master of Qingyue Sect furrowed her brows slightly, her gaze falling on the last person, a young girl with red lips and white teeth. She wore an exquisite horse-faced skirt, but it was as black as ink, setting off her pale face with a hint of coldness.

What truly puzzled Ji Jingxi was that this well-behaved girl had no trace of cultivation, yet the two young cultivators beside her, with their extraordinary bearing and cultivation, instinctively displayed a wary posture towards her.

After a moment, Ji Jingxi smiled and sighed, teasing, "Still as inscrutable as ever."

Since Shen Zongzhu had left, not only had he not taken care of a few Daoists, but he had also wandered alone and somehow gotten acquainted with such a peculiar group of people.

However, she hadn't expected him to be of much help anyway. As long as he wandered about harmlessly and returned safely, that was all that mattered.

With Shen Zongzhu's talent, even without the support of the South Hong's Seven, he would undoubtedly become a formidable figure in the Hongze realm in the future.

She could only hope that the Seven would overcome this difficulty, giving them, as sect masters, a chance to witness the heights Shen Yi would eventually reach.

"... "

An Yi quietly followed behind Shen Yi. After leaving the inn, she turned her head slightly to look up at the second floor.

Then, she averted her gaze and remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Shen Yi stopped and sighed softly, asking quietly.

"Someone was watching you, but they meant no harm," An Yi replied, keeping her head down and staring at her toes, looking utterly dispirited.

Her form of address for Shen Yi had changed from "you" to "sir" and now to "you."

While it seemed more respectful, it actually conveyed a sense of distance, quite unlike the reverence the other town stone masters or hall masters displayed. It was as if she was deliberately keeping her distance.

In short, she was slacking off.

This was something Shen Yi would never tolerate.

There were only two solutions to this problem.

After all, now that the death tribulation had passed, he could directly annihilate her soul and replace her with a Frost Moon White Tiger as the new Western Hall Master. It would just cost him a million years of demon lifespan to empower the demon soul.

It was a bit expensive, but at least it would be a more pleasant experience.

As for the second option, he could consume a large amount of demon origin energy and let this little girl experience the full extent of her master's grace.

In the midst of that hellish torture, even the most stubborn personality would show some improvement.

Perhaps...

Thinking of the girl's composure during the death tribulation, Shen Yi felt a bit uncertain.

"It's still too expensive."

A hint of imperceptible annoyance flashed across Shen Yi's face.

Even with the frugality of the fourth tribulation, the remaining demon lifespan was only about six to seven million years. For now, he could only make do with what he had.

This caused Yu Lan, who was beside him, to feel rather intrigued. Ever since she had been beheaded, she had never seen such a rich display of emotions on her master's face... It was as if he had transformed from a killing machine back into a living, breathing human.

It was less annoyance and more irritation at being caught.

The fact that he was making all sorts of excuses in his mind to temporarily forgo the idea of disciplining this stubborn little tiger demon was rather amusing.

The reason for this was simply that he felt he was in the wrong but refused to admit it.

It seemed rather entertaining.

"Hehe." Yu Lan covered her mouth and giggled.

"... "

Shen Yi's indifferent glance made the beautiful woman's delicate body tremble, and she felt a bit aggrieved. She almost forgot that the fearsome god before her had never been in the wrong, and not everyone could enjoy this treatment.

Shen Yi half-squatted down, his gaze fixed on the lifeless little face. Using his mind, he said, "Destroying your soul is just a thought away."

"You don't keep your word," An Yi replied without lifting her eyelids.

"Hmm." Shen Yi took a deep breath and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes. "Even if I don't keep my word, what can you do about it?"

"... " An Yi raised her eyes and looked at Shen Yi's seemingly cold face with calm eyes. After a moment, she said quietly, "You don't keep your word."

Under her pure and unwavering gaze, the feigned coldness in Shen Yi's eyes gradually faded, and his eyes flickered. Then, he suddenly stood up and turned to walk towards the street.

Fine, he couldn't explain it, and his usual intimidation tactics weren't working.

Now, Nanyang Baodi was in danger. Among them were his seniors, Jiang Qiuluan, Wu Dao'an, Zhu Jue, Chen Qiankun, the old man, and Lin Baiwei, who had helped him all the way out of Qingzhou.

Even he himself had been targeted by the Hao Hao Frost Tiger clan and had to hide his identity to avoid the edge of the blade.

He didn't have the time to make any gentleman's agreements with a town stone master.

And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any faults in the other party to put himself on a moral high ground.

"..."

An Yi buried her head again.

She had never been to such a bustling place before. Listening to the loud laughter and feeling the crowd around her, she felt her whole body stiffen to the extreme.

So she stared intently at the back of Shen Yi's tall boots, not daring to fall behind even by a step.

Shen Yi glanced sideways at her.

Suddenly, he recalled the time when he had slain the Flood Dragon in Qingfeng Mountain, becoming a close attendant and riding a tall horse through Qingzhou City. He remembered his stiff and numb expression and the sweat-soaked palms as he held the reins.

He didn't stop but only slowed down slightly so that the little thing wouldn't have to rush to keep up.

"Ouch..."

An Yi bumped into the young man's waist and instinctively rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry, sir."

Shen Yi's thin lips pressed tightly together as he felt his vertebrae almost shatter. The fingers hidden in his wide sleeves clenched tightly, and the veins on his palms bulged as he forcibly suppressed the pain.

His expression remained unchanged, and he replied indifferently, "It's fine."

Yu Lan and You Chang, who were following behind, didn't dare to make a sound. A four-cities grand cultivator and a tiger demon comparable to the United Demon Realm were acting like mere mortals on this long street.

An Yi nodded repeatedly to apologize, but her peripheral vision caught the sight of two arguing cultivators in a nearby shop. She unconsciously slowed her steps.

They were holding a bracelet with intricate flower patterns.

"Are you trying to rob me with this price for such a treasure?"

"Taking advantage of the situation with the United Demon Realm giant to jack up the price..."

The two cultivators stopped talking as the bracelet was suddenly snatched away by a surge of qi. They quickly looked towards the side and saw the youth in ink-colored robes casually tossing over a storage bag without even a glance in their direction.

Then, he left without another word.

The two cultivators looked at the blood-stained storage bag in their hands and recalled the other party's sinister aura, causing their bodies to shiver.

The shop owner didn't even dare to open the bag to check its contents and quickly retreated back into the shop.

"I still have use for that item, so you can keep it as a memento for now."

Shen Yi tossed the bracelet to the little girl. This item was far from comparable to the United Demon Realm artifact she had worn before, but at least it looked pretty.

Since acting cold and aloof didn't seem to work with this Western Hall Master, he didn't bother maintaining the pretense anymore. His tone softened slightly as he said, "You shouldn't want to die so badly now."

It was somewhat absurd.

An Yi had wanted to die because of the Hao Yue Frost Tiger Clan Leader, and now, it was also because of that Clan Leader that she finally had a thought other than death in her mind.

At the very least, her desire to kill him was absolutely genuine.

"For now, you're still useful to me. I will return what I promised you later, and we can discuss any compensation you want at that time."

Shen Yi rarely spoke at such length.

Under such immense pressure, he truly didn't have many options left.

"As for now, you have no choice but to follow me."

Shen Yi took a deep breath. He had stayed in this market town for quite some time, and even if the Frost Tiger Clan Leader was still waiting outside, he couldn't afford to linger any longer.

Of course, going out and wandering around to scavenge for demon lifespan now would be no different from seeking death.

Although An Yi was the Western Hall Master, she wouldn't falter when it came to matters of life and death. However, even if she truly was strong and had a strong desire to kill the Clan Leader, she was still no match for him.

Even if their demon lifespan wasn't abundant, for now, they could only return to the Beast Mountain Sect and then go to see that nameless mountain.

"..."

An Yi silently looked at the bracelet in her palm, her eyes suddenly becoming complex as if she was recalling many things.

To her, even though she hated that man to the core, this bracelet had been the only item that accompanied her for these ten thousand years.

For some reason, An Yi felt that Shen Yi truly understood her. Whether it was the exhaustion from being tormented, her attitude towards the Frost Tiger Clan Leader, or the subtle glance he gave the bracelet earlier, Shen Yi seemed to know everything but just didn't bother showing it...

"I—"

Before she could say anything, Shen Yi had already turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the horizon.

An Yi exhaled softly, put on the bracelet, which wasn't of very high quality, on her slender wrist, and then also turned into a stream of light and followed after him.

There were just too many people around here!

...

Xi Hong, Beast Mountain Sect.

Behind the main hall in the inner sect, at the back of the mountain.

The thin and small old man still sat cross-legged by the spring, appearing no different from before. However, he no longer gave off the impression of being a withered, unmoving stone.

For a United Demon Realm giant, there was only one reason for such a change, and that was a disturbed mind.

"Scram!"

How could he know where that Shen guy went, let alone understand why the nameless mountain that he and his companions yearned for was neglected by him and left desolately within the Beast Mountain Sect.

If the man won't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to him... and now, the man is missing.

He's simply a heartless scoundrel.

The Master of Beast Mountain closed his eyes, preparing to calm his emotions, but then he heard those familiar footsteps again.

He slowly clenched his palm.

"Ahem... Master..."

Hearing the cracking of his joints, Yan Chongzhang subconsciously stopped in his tracks and said awkwardly, "Master, I didn't plan on asking about Shen's intentions."

After a month, he could clearly see that his master no longer had any plans and was simply holding on. As for the tasks his master had assigned him before, Yan Chongzhang didn't take them to heart anymore.

As a Daoist, being too close to a giant of the Dao-uniting realm would only make one more aware that they were not the embodiment of heaven and earth as others imagined, but merely a cultivator, just with stronger abilities, and less of an air of mystery.

"Then why are you here?" The Master of Beast Mountain turned his head with an annoyed look.

"I actually hope that Shen will forget about our sect for a while... Pan Boyang from the Immortal Emperor Sect of Infinite Dao has come to visit our sect and is already outside." Yan Chongzhang sighed.

"Pan Boyang?" The Master of Beast Mountain pondered for a moment, then asked, "The guy ranked thirty-ninth on the Daoist Soldier Registry?"

For a white jade mirror cultivator, having a Dao-uniting giant remember one's name is a testament to one's strength.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Master of Beast Mountain was idle.

These talented disciples of the major sects could break through to the Dao-uniting realm at any time, and once they did, their accumulated power would likely surpass that of these old fogies.

"Yes, the same guy Shen offended last time... However, he doesn't know Shen's identity."

Yan Chongzhang frowned, feeling a bit of a headache coming on. "I've already ordered my sect's disciples and elders not to mention anything about Shen. Those three South Hong Daoists are all clever people, so they shouldn't slip up. I'm just afraid..."

"Afraid of what? If he hasn't shown up in thirty days, does he think he can just show up whenever he wants? Let him come if he dares!"

The Master of Beast Mountain was obviously being a bit hypocritical, but as someone who had united with the Dao, he quickly suppressed his emotions and said indifferently, "The Immortal Emperor Sect of Infinite Dao has been making too many waves lately. There are too many forces trying to curry favor with them. Us rushing over there might not be a good thing. You handle the hospitality and just send him off."

"I'm afraid he's here to blame us." Yan Chongzhang said softly.

"Did you offend him?" The Master of Beast Mountain glanced at him.

"Not really—" Before Yan Chongzhang could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by his master's cold laugh.

"So what if you did? To blame our sect, he's just a junior. Disciple, straighten your spine for me. I'm truly embarrassed now."

"I... disciple understands."

Yan Chongzhang hesitated for a moment, a look of helplessness on his face. Everyone praised him for his calmness, to the point that even looking at Shen a few more times would make Elder Yang nervous.

But with calmness comes a loss of sharpness.

Take Tian Jianzong Su Hongxiao, for example. Her strength may not be much stronger than his, but her sharpness pierces him like a thorn.

He rubbed his face vigorously and turned to leave the sect.

Outside the Beast Mountain Sect.

At the top of the giant pillar that connects heaven and earth, a magnificent landscape scroll slowly unfolds.

In the Immortal Emperor Palace, there is also a cushion.

However, compared to before, the figure sitting above it has become extremely solid, and his facial features are clearly visible.

This descendant of a top-tier power in Hongze has finally descended in his true form for the first time to this remote place in West Hong.

The same Immortal Emperor Palace, the same landscape.

But the majestic momentum emanating from it is at least ten times stronger than before!

The man's eyes were cold as he looked down, and his aura was obviously a bit unstable, as if he had suffered some injury.

But his voice was as deep and loud as ever, like a giant bell ringing through the sky: "Immortal Emperor Sect of Infinite Dao, Ninth Branch Sect, direct disciple Pan Boyang, has come to visit the sect!"

"Yan Chongzhang, get out here and greet me quickly!"

This act of calling out his name was obviously not a friendly gesture.

But whether it was his name or the Immortal Emperor Sect behind him, it was enough to support him as he rampaged through West Hong.

For these Northern Hong cultivators, hiding their identities was the most foolish thing to do. If they were assassinated, no one would even know.

Only by flaunting their Immortal Emperor Palaces could they travel unimpeded!

No one would dare to covet even a bit!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end