Chapter 538: If I Don't Take Your Money, Then I'll Use Other Means

Chapter 538: If I Don't Take Your Money, Then I'll Use Other Means

"An Tingfeng's only daughter was abducted, and the young son of the Crystal Azure Phoenix Clan went missing. I thought this was the doing of the Boundless Dao Emperor Sect."

"After all, in the Western Flood Domain, even the Dragon Palace wouldn't need to offend these two powerful demon clans at the same time."

"Until Pan Boyang also perished."

Lu Mingchuan seemed to be smiling as he led the way, but in his mind, he heard the voice of his master.

The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion had spies everywhere in the Western Flood Domain, striving to gather the most information. This was the foundation of their success in seizing a Unification Realm treasure land in the chaotic Western Flood Domain, allowing them to rise among the immortal sects.

Pan Boyang's death was strange in itself, but what was even stranger was the exaggerated speed at which the news spread.

It was clear that someone was stirring the pot.

Perhaps there truly was an extremely powerful unknown force intending to establish itself in the Western Flood Domain. After all, the Heavenly Origin Illusory Thunder Ruler was easily shattered, but from the fact that they still needed to resort to such petty tricks, it was evident that they hadn't reached the level to openly challenge the Boundless Dao Emperor Sect.

The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion had only recently become an immortal sect, and their status was not yet firmly established. They urgently needed a powerful ally, or perhaps a powerful backer.

Their initial thought was to use their network of information to get close to this new and powerful force early on, as they would surely need a competent spy upon their arrival.

However, as the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion's investigation deepened, they discovered something peculiar about the situation.

In recent days, if there was indeed a powerful force involved in the Western Flood Domain, it would undoubtedly be the group from the Southern Flood Domain.

Coincidentally, before An Tingfeng's daughter was abducted, the entire Bright Moon Frost Tiger Clan had offended someone, and that someone was An Tu Xiao, who was on his way to attend the Dragon Consort's birthday banquet in Jade Mountain.

According to the information they received, An Tu Xiao had offended a young and unfamiliar cultivator, who was accompanied by a Crystal Azure Phoenix.

The origin of the incident, as the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion discovered after a long investigation, could be traced back to a similarly unfamiliar woman—Lin You, a cultivator from the Azure Sea Sect, one of the Southern Flood Seven Sons.

Then, the Treasure Moon Great Tomb incident occurred.

The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion started their investigation from the Crystal Azure Phoenix and found that someone had seen the young son of the clan leader visiting the Netherworld Dark Python Clan, who were later annihilated by the Mountain Movers Sect.

Similarly, before the news of Pan Boyang's death spread, the last place the other party had visited was also the Mountain Movers Sect!

If the spy's report was correct, the Southern Flood Seven Sons had split into two groups, and the other group's request for aid seemed to be directed at the Mountain Movers Sect.

At this point, the entire incident seemed to be connected.

Even the Unification Realm expert of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion felt his heart stirring. They seemed to have obtained the most valuable information in the current Western Flood Domain.

The only thing left to consider was to whom they should sell this information.

After careful deliberation, the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion still excluded the seemingly most powerful Boundless Dao Emperor Sect, for the local authority was more influential than the distant emperor... The one who could truly benefit the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion in the Western Flood Domain was the local overlord!

Moreover, not only the Western Dragon Palace but also the Prince of the Ke Clan from the Southern Flood Domain had sent someone to inquire about the "Palace Lord" at the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion.

Were there so many unknown forces, and were they all so arrogant and domineering? The Southern Flood Seven Sons were indeed senile, wanting to return but lacking the courage to do so. They even resorted to such ridiculous tricks, pretending to be powerful.

No wonder the Southern Dragon Palace had kept them suppressed at the border for a full ten million years.

Now, the cowardly turtle couldn't keep its head down any longer and finally decided to resist. Wasn't it a bit too late? With such meager abilities, they still sought aid? Hmph, they should just stay put.

"Please follow me, everyone."

Lu Mingchuan politely nodded and glanced at the silent black-gowned maiden: "May I ask who this is?"

These were all his goods to be sold, so he naturally needed to know their value in advance. That way, when reporting to the Dragon Palace, he would have more to say.

"The daughter of an old friend, who entrusted her to my care."

Shen Yi nodded and casually explained.

As a young cultivator handling matters outside, it was indeed strange to have a little girl with no cultivation following him around.

But there was no other choice. After offending so many powerful demons, especially after witnessing the terrifying abilities of the Frost Tiger Clan leader, it was unsettling not to have a Unification Realm expert by his side.

"She's too young and lacks experience, so she's a bit shy."

Even Dai Jian Shu and Zhong Xiu couldn't help but glance at her curiously from time to time.

To appear more normal, Shen Yi pretended to be older and casually rubbed the little girl's head.

He didn't expect the stubborn Western Palace Lord to react, but An Yi instinctively rubbed her head against Shen Yi's palm.

When she realized what she was doing, her petite body stiffened for a moment: "..."

Shen Yi quietly retracted his hand.

This action also caused a trace of regret to flash in Lu Mingchuan's eyes. She looked so extraordinary, but she was indeed just an ordinary girl, acting coquettish and shy. It seemed there was no unexpected gain.

Dai Jian Shu and Zhong Xiu exchanged a glance, feeling puzzled.

Others might not know, but how could they not be clear about this? Shen Yi was from the Southern Flood Domain, and when she left, there were only eight of them. When did she make a friend in the Western Flood Domain?

However, since she was the Sect Master, and there were outsiders present, the two quietly followed behind Shen Yi.

Led by Lu Mingchuan and the others, the group quickly left the Cloudy Market and traveled through the azure sky and blue sea, far from any human settlements.

"Lu Daozi, may I trouble you for a moment."

The tall and sturdy Zhong Xiu suddenly called out to them, his amiable face still wearing a smile: "This doesn't seem to be the way to the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion?"

"..."

Lu Mingchuan was taken aback. He didn't expect these Southern Flood barbarians to be so meticulous.

However, he wasn't the least bit flustered and instead smiled: "We're just taking a slight detour to gather some information. You know how we make a living. But if you're in a hurry, you can return to your sect first."

If it were someone else, they would feel embarrassed to refuse the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion's help.

Zhong Xiu had never been presumptuous since the beginning, and he refused without hesitation: "We're indeed in a hurry. Please understand, Lu Daozi."

"No problem."

Lu Mingchuan immediately turned around, a playful smile appearing on his lips.

He lowered his gaze, looking down at the boundless clear water beneath him.

Perhaps this group of Southern Hong barbarians had no idea of the status of the Western Flood Dragon Palace in this region.

As long as they were on the water, it didn't really matter where they made their move. After all, no one would dare to interfere.

It was just a little troublesome.

Setting up a trap and catching them like turtles in a jar? These people were thinking too complicatedly. The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion was only responsible for pointing the way for the Dragon Palace, nothing more.

If it were in the past, the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion would never dare to get involved in such matters, but this time was different. Besides the two Dragon Palaces, there were far too many enemies opposing the Southern Hong Seven Sons.

The Crystal Azure Phoenix Clan, the Bright Moon Frost Tiger Clan, and even the Boundless Dao Emperor Sect.

With this piece of information, they could feast on it for many times.

Making enemies everywhere, they were seeking their own demise!

"Huff... We're here."

Lu Mingchuan suddenly stopped in the clouds, not bothering to conceal his action as he took out a conch shell.

He didn't speak to the people behind him, and more accurately, from the moment he spoke, he didn't even spare a single glance at the group of Southern Hong barbarians.

Even the other cultivators from the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion glanced indifferently at the two Southern Hong cultivators, neither showing any intention to attack nor retreating. They just stood there quietly.

"You guys are crazy."

At the appearance of the conch shell, Dai Jian Shu heaved a light sigh and disappeared from his original spot, along with Zhong Xiu.

According to normal logic, they couldn't understand how the Southern Dragon Palace could even think of challenging the Seven Sons, let alone causing them harm. Even in terms of paper strength, the Seven Sons were still far superior to the Southern Dragon Palace.

When two tigers fight, it's hard to tell who will win.

How dare these news peddlers take sides so quickly?

The two didn't need to discuss it; they simply and efficiently blocked all of Lu Mingchuan's escape routes, and they didn't even need to summon their Dao soldiers. Their majestic aura alone was enough to render him helpless.

The strength of a Three-City cultivation might be ordinary among demons who didn't need to undergo tribulations, but among human cultivators, it was absolutely of the Heaven-born Talent caliber, whether it was in the Southern or Northern Flood.

After all, that death tribulation was not easy to pass.

As for the gap in cultivation techniques... Even a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. How dare a small sect like the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion compare themselves to the Southern Hong Seven Sects' cultivators!

"..."

Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from behind him, Lu Mingchuan didn't even turn around, and the other cultivators from the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion also remained unmoved, as if they weren't worried about their fellow sect members' safety.

Only those in the Western Flood understood just how formidable the Western Dragon Palace was.

Just as Zhong Xiu's rough palm was about to touch Lu Mingchuan's shoulder, a layer of translucent white jade shield descended at an imperceptible speed, like an overturned wine cup, with nine lifelike golden dragons in a claw-like posture at the top.

The seemingly thin-as-cicada-wings white jade, after taking Zhong Xiu's palm strike, not only didn't shatter, but didn't even tremble a bit.

Lu Mingchuan's shoulder was within arm's reach, but in the eyes of this Spirit Peak Sect cultivator, it seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

Dai Jian Shu also slammed into the jade wall, his aura dissipating as his eyelids twitched violently, and a look of apprehension appeared in his eyes.

The danger implied by this thing was not something a White Jade Capital cultivator could break through!

"Tsk, the Nine-Dragon White Jade Shield, truly lives up to its reputation."

Lu Mingchuan's face showed admiration, and he respectfully bowed towards the water, "Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion's Lu Mingchuan, along with my fellow sect members, pay our respects to Lord Qi!"

Hearing this name, Zhong Xiu slowly retracted his palm.

There wasn't much to deduce; the Western Dragon Palace had a total of seven Dragon Princes, all of whom were comparable to Unification Realm demons.

Dai Jian Shu rubbed his shoulder and looked at Lu Mingchuan seriously, "Are you sure the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion is ready to bear the retaliation of the Southern Hong Seven Sons? Send someone to deliver a message to my sect's Sect Master. There's still room for discussion, don't make a mistake."

Even the anger of six Unification Realm Sect Masters was something the Western Dragon Palace had to consider carefully.

"Tsk, still pretending..." Lu Mingchuan couldn't hold back his laughter, straightening his body and speaking playfully, "You know how many enemies you've made, and you're well aware of it."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiu and Dai Jian Shu both paused in surprise, then looked at each other in confusion.

The answer to the question that had always puzzled them seemed to be hidden in his previous statement.

But the Southern Hong Seven Sons had always been uninvolved with the world, even maintaining a neutral stance with the Southern Dragon Palace. If it weren't for the sudden madness of the Ke Clan's Crown Prince, there wouldn't even be this dispute. How could they have offended other forces?

"..."

Shen Yi slightly raised his eyebrows, remembering that the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion was renowned for its well-informed network, and suddenly felt a bit reluctant to let them continue.

He glanced at the surrounding jade walls and then raised his palm.

Boom!

Figures suddenly emerged from the water, all of them old demon generals clad in scale armor, some with single horns, some with long beards, more or less, almost all possessing dragon bloodlines.

At least two dozen of them, all exuding an aura surpassing that of the White Jade Capital!

Just this one action required the combined might of the entire Mountain Movers Sect!

It was no less impressive than when they had exterminated the Netherworld Dark Python Clan.

"Huh? Where's Lord Qi?"

Lu Mingchuan, along with the other Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion cultivators, quickly put on respectful expressions, quietly scanning these figures, but their faces showed confusion.

After all, this matter involved many great clans of the Western Flood, including the Boundless Dao Emperor Sect.

Lord Qi shouldn't be stingy about personally coming to this place.

"It's not your place to inquire about Lord Qi's affairs." Among the group of water clan elders, the one who spoke first was the one with the most prominent dragon bloodline, with a hideous and ugly face, complete with horns and scales, and a long beard.

He coldly glanced at the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion group, "Lord Qi is temporarily attending to other matters. We are enough here."

"Oh, I see! I see!"

Lu Mingchuan repeatedly smiled along, but inside, he was seething with anger.

The Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion had put their lives on the line to help the Western Dragon Palace, but they were so indifferent, clearly going back on their previous agreement... What could be more important than the information he had provided?

With the Nine-Dragon White Jade Shield in hand and the support of these numerous aquatic generals, dealing with these Southern Hong barbarians was more than sufficient.

The problem was, where were the rewards from the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion? Where was the promised protection from the Western Dragon Palace?

If Elder Qi didn't show up, who among these aquatic generals could make the decision?

Although he had these thoughts, Lu Mingchuan still spoke politely, "Then please trouble all of you generals to escort these people back to the Dragon Palace. If there are any unclear matters during the interrogation, the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion will be waiting for your letters at any time... If it's convenient, you can also set an appointment, and we will pay a visit to the Seventh Lord."

"Tsk." The leading aquatic general chuckled and said dismissively, "We'll talk about it later. Who knows if what you're saying is true or not."

After speaking, he looked at the Nine-Dragon White Jade Shield again, his gaze falling on the several people trapped within. He clicked his tongue, "The Palace Lord? This doesn't seem right either."

These people all looked so young, and none of them matched the information sent by the Southern Dragon Palace.

There was no arrogant turtle demon or ferocious dragon demon.

If there was anything peculiar, it was that the youth in the ink robe who seemed a bit too calm.

The words of these aquatic demons left Dai Jian Shu and Zhong Xiu bewildered.

However, as Southern Hong disciples, they still had some courage, and they didn't show too much panic. Instead, they turned their gazes towards Master Shen behind them.

But the other party didn't seem to have any intention of revealing their identity. They only extended their hand, and their slender fingers slowly clenched.

"Now..." Dai Jian Shu was getting impatient. No matter what, they had to find a way to send out the message.

Zhong Xiu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his ears twitched as he looked suspiciously to the side.

Just as the slender fingers completely clenched, a crisp sound rang clearly in everyone's ears.

Crack!

Countless thin jade fragments flew out, emitting a crystalline luster under the bright sun. The nine lifelike golden dragons seemed to have their spines crushed by a heavy object, emitting mournful wails.

Then, they turned into a pile of broken metal, carrying the scattered jade fragments, and fell into the water with a clatter.

"..."

Lu Mingchuan's fawning expression gradually stiffened, and his raised palms froze in mid-air.

He stared at the youth in the ink robe, but the other party only glanced casually and then quickly averted his gaze.

But in that fleeting moment of eye contact, Lu Mingchuan's eyes were filled with a dazzling starry sky.

He and the many Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion cultivators behind him all stood like wooden posts, frozen in place.

The Heavenly Transformation Forty-Nine, which had reached the pinnacle of perfection, combined with the cultivation of opening the Fourth City, gave Shen Yi an overwhelming power that was almost on par with the Unification Realm.

Shen Yi didn't even bother to take another glance. He turned around and looked at the group of aquatic generals.

"Huff... Huff..."

Lu Mingchuan wanted to beg for mercy and scold Elder Qi for breaking his promise, but under the gaze of those indifferent eyes, he trembled all over and could only think of bowing down.

However, as a Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion disciple, even this simple action became a luxury at this moment.

As soon as he lowered his head, his head fell into the water. He tried to kneel, but his limbs and torso shattered instantly, and not only him, but the many Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion cultivators behind him also disintegrated into blood and flesh.

The thick bloody smell instantly filled the surroundings.

Dai Jian Shu and Zhong Xiu unconsciously stopped swallowing, recognizing the familiar scene... The same palm strike, but this time it wasn't Elder Liu Xingshan, and it wasn't just one person, but a total of eight Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion cultivators, plus the Nine-Dragon White Jade Shield.

"Huff."

Shen Yi slightly adjusted his breathing. The Mountain-Stabilizing Precious Art, which had reached its pinnacle, had given him power close to the Unification Realm, allowing him to break the jade shield. However, the consumption was also significant.

As for the remaining two dozen aquatic generals...

He lowered his palm and lightly flicked the Yin-Yang Pendant at his waist. With An Yi by his side, this fourth Dao soldier consumed her foundation, so Shen Yi never took it back.

In other words, he had been maintaining the support of the Fourth City.

Ding.

The effect of the Yin-Yang Pendant was quite simple.

White Jade Divine Guardian, Black Jade Soul Wrecker.

That tiger roar was a deadly move aimed directly at the cultivators' divine souls!

"How dare you destroy my Seventh Lord's treasure!"

The fall of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion cultivators clearly stunned the aquatic general, and in an instant, he charged forward with the other demon generals, their Sky-Soaring Demonic Aura sweeping the area. They pounced towards the ink-robed figure.

Their formation was even more terrifying than when the Mountain Movers Sect had emptied their nest! However, as the jade pendant swayed, a roar that was almost tangible echoed, and a ferocious tiger head, nearly a hundred zhang tall, appeared in the void. Its sharp fangs devoured the group of figures into its huge mouth!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

More than twenty figures froze awkwardly in mid-air, staring blankly at Shen Yi in front of them. Their faces still held anger, but their eyes had already dimmed, devoid of any vitality.

They were like stone statues, falling one after another towards the ground.

Amidst this eerie scene, Shen Yi casually waved his sleeve, collecting the intact demon bodies into his ring.

After finishing, he turned to look at the two people beside him, "Are we still going now?"

"..."

Zhong Xiu and Dai Jian Shu instinctively looked left and right. The sea surface, which had been crowded with people just a moment ago, was now eerily empty within a short time.

They swallowed hard and finally returned their gazes to the person in front of them, their voices trembling, "Master... Master Shen?"

Although this face was extremely familiar, and even the expression on his face hadn't changed much from before, at this moment, the two of them truly hesitated.

"If we're not going, let's go back first." Shen Yi nodded slightly.

He felt that through normal means, it would be difficult to get any information from the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion. Moreover, these people seemed to know too much, but if he were to use his own methods, bringing these two along might be a bit inconvenient.

"We'll follow your lead." At this moment, Dai Jian Shu didn't dare to refuse.

It was said that Su Hongxue was extremely ruthless, but compared to the person in front of them, who casually took away nearly forty lives without changing his expression or tone, Shen Yi could be considered a harmless little girl.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end