Chapter 539: A Clear Difference in Strength?

Chapter 539: A Clear Difference in Strength?

"This... what's the difference between this and the Unity Realm?"

After bidding farewell to Shen Zongzhu, Dai Jianshu flew restlessly towards Tengyunfang City, still unable to help but recall the earlier events. He glanced at Zhong Xiu, his lips twitching.

With a casual flick of his hand, the Nine Dragon White Jade Canopy shattered, and with just a glance, he slew the Wanxiang Pavilion cultivator. But the most terrifying part was the jade pendant-like soldier. Under its ravaging tiger roar, countless formidable beasts comparable to White Jade Capital cowered without even a chance to beg for mercy.

If a Unity Realm giant didn't step in, Dai Jianshu couldn't imagine who else in White Jade Capital could possibly defeat Shen Zongzhu.

Could it be that they would have to rely on the legendary immortal techniques?!

"It is indeed a bit frightening."

Zhong Xiu took a deep breath, and even with his composure, his fingertips were trembling slightly at this moment.

This young Zongzhu, could he truly have come from the same place as us in Nan Hong?

Enjoying the same resources... no, Shen Zongzhu didn't even seem to use anything from the Nan Hong Seven. As for that Nanyang treasure land, after being dormant for so many years, there shouldn't be any residual value left.

So, how did he become so terrifying?

Could it be that as long as one's talent is sufficient, they can truly ignore the gap in heavenly treasures and cultivation techniques?

Zhong Xiu shook his head, dismissing this absurd thought. It was more believable that Shen Yi was the reincarnation of Qin Zongzhu than this notion.

A hint of lingering fear flashed in his eyes as he said, "Fortunately, the Qi family's seven dragons were careless. Otherwise, even with Shen Zongzhu's protection, we would have had to retreat today."

"Who knows what these people are thinking!"

When it came to this, Dai Jianshu also felt a surge of anger.

The people from Xi Hong didn't make any sense in their handling of matters. Couldn't they figure out that if they really pushed the Nan Hong Seven into a corner, it wouldn't be a problem to bring a few major forces along with them?

"Do you still remember what Lu Mingchuan said before?" Zhong Xiu slowly raised his eyes, refusing to believe that the Wanxiang Pavilion, a force adept at gathering information, would be so foolish... Even if they were fools, they couldn't be this foolish.

There must be something that the Nan Hong Seven didn't know about that made them so confident that Dragon Palace would win, and even led them to believe that the Seven would not have the spare capacity to set foot in Xi Hong's land and water.

"This is getting serious."

Without waiting for Dai Jianshu's response, Zhong Xiu took out a communication jade slip: "Things are getting too chaotic. Let's gather first, and put the matter of requesting aid on hold for now. Don't act rashly, and wait for Master Jin to return before making a decision."

If the Nan Hong Seven had truly offended another force, they needed to at least find out the reason and whether there was still room for reconciliation.

Otherwise, if they were to engage in war with so many forces at the same time, not only the Nan Hong Seven, but even the Wuliang Dao Emperor's Palace Sect would not be able to handle it.

"Counting the days, Master Jin should also be done chatting with that Yu Mountain Dragon Princess, right?"

Dai Jianshu sighed and looked towards the waters.

Although Master Jin still maintained her usual calm and composed demeanor, the fact that she took the initiative to seek out Elder Zixian seemed to indicate that the lack of progress in requesting aid had put her under significant pressure.

It was because of this that she had used her identity as an old friend to try and find out what Xi Dragon Palace was plotting, and to negotiate with them to stay out of Nan Hong's affairs.

At the same time.

In the Xi Hong waters, at the top of the hundred-layered Jade Mountain.

Outside that quiet boudoir was a luxurious banquet.

A formidable middle-aged demon, clad in thick armor, sat on the floor with an air of majesty. He gripped a wine jar and poured it into his mouth, his expression restless. "Sister-in-law, you sent someone to call me over. Surely it's not just to treat me to a drink?"

The most striking feature of this demon was the pair of crystal-like, lustrous dragon horns on his head.

He was the Jade-Horned Silver Dragon, the ruler of Xi Hong—Qishi, the seventh master of the Qi family, Qi Zhaoping!

However, at this moment, in the face of this terrifying and formidable demon's questioning, the boudoir remained silent.

"...?"

After waiting for a moment, Qi Qiye's eyelids twitched, and he slowly stood up, a playful smile on his face. "Moreover, with my eldest brother not at home, I, as the little brother-in-law, came alone to my sister-in-law's place for a banquet. If word of this got out, it wouldn't sound very good. How about... I go in and talk?"

"Of course, if my sister-in-law is unwilling, then according to Qi Qiye's opinion, it would be better for us to meet another day when it's more convenient."

If it were an ordinary dragon princess, upon hearing such words that overstepped boundaries, she would surely be filled with shame and anger.

Finally, a warm and mellow voice rang out from the boudoir, neither too high nor too low, and straight to the point.

"Sit down."

These two short words caused Qi Qiye's expression to change several times. He placed the wine jar on the table with a thud, his sturdy chest rising and falling, before he finally sat back down.

This stinky woman from Dong Hong, relying on her powerful family background, had come to Xi Hong to show off her might.

Even though she had quite a bit of beauty, what man could tolerate being overshadowed by his own wife? No wonder my eldest brother has been away for so many years, and now he's even gone to Nan Hong.

And according to recent rumors, it seemed that it wasn't just his eldest brother. This stinky woman had also colluded with several other brothers, and there seemed to be a trend of their family monopolizing power.

Of course, there was a reason for this.

After all, she was helping his eldest brother compete for the position of Crown Prince.

But Qi Qiye always felt that something was amiss. Rather than saying she wanted to help his eldest brother ascend the throne of the West Dragon King, he felt that this sister-in-law wanted to take the seat for herself.

Was she trying to pull the strings from behind the scenes here in Xi Hong, too?

"Heh..."

Qi Qiye opened another jar of exquisite wine and suppressed his thoughts. In fact, he wasn't in a hurry. With the provision of treasures and the dispatch of his elite subordinates, there shouldn't be any mistakes.

He just wanted to verify the information provided by the Wanxiang Pavilion as soon as possible.

Everyone thought that his eldest brother was afraid of his wife, but they didn't know that she was just borrowing his strength. Now that this sister-in-law had almost finished handling matters, it was time for a counterattack.

If the information he received was true,

then it would add some leverage for his eldest brother. Whether it was the Wuliang Dao Emperor's Sect or the two major demon clan forces, as long as they were willing to get involved, anything could be discussed.

At this moment, in the depths of the boudoir.

The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess slowly retracted her gaze, looking towards the cold beauty sitting beside her. She lifted her palm, intending to place it on the other woman's pale hand, and said softly, "Jin Xi, your visit comes as a surprise... and a delight."

With just a door between them, Qi Qiye couldn't hear a thing.

This fact alone proved that although they were both comparable to the Unity Realm in terms of dragon clan strength, there was still quite a gap between the Yu Mountain Dragon Princess and Qi Qiye.

"It's been a long time. I came to ask you about some things."

The Clearmoon Sect Master subtly withdrew her hand and slightly raised her eyes, politely asking, "May I ask a few questions?"

"Feel free to ask anything. After all, you came to see me." The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess' hand, which she had initially raised, paused slightly, and she took the opportunity to pick up the wine cup from the table and offer it to the other woman, covering up her previous intention. "I understand what you want to ask, and there's no need to worry. You're always in my thoughts."

"If we continue this conversation, I'll have to take my leave." Finally, a change appeared in the Clearmoon Sect Master's indifferent expression, and she gently sighed, a hint of helplessness touching her lips.

"I just feel indebted to you all, and I want to make it up to you. There's no need to be so guarded against me." The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess shook her head, then finally turned serious. "I've also done quite a few things these years. Since I said there's no need to worry, I have my reasons. Consider this trip to Xi Hong a vacation, and if you're bored... come and visit me often. Stay for a few months, and I have a lot to tell you."

"..."

Although the Clearmoon Sect Master didn't refute, her expression clearly showed that she didn't take the offer too seriously.

It was true that the Eastern Dragon Palace had some connection with the Nan Hong Seven, but as the Clearmoon Sect Master, how could she possibly entrust the lives of the seven sects to them?

"You still don't trust me."

A hint of confidence appeared on the Yu Mountain Dragon Princess' brow, as if she wanted to show off to her beloved. She lightly patted her hand.

Suddenly, a powerful black-backed dragon guard, whose cultivation was no weaker than the tomb-guarding tiger demon, slowly appeared from the corner of the room.

"If you intercept them, send them to a safe place so that Jin Xi won't worry." The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess glanced sideways.

Her influence in the Western Dragon Palace was probably far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Qi Qiye's orders had just been issued when his demon generals under his command had not yet received them, and they were first delivered to her Yu Mountain. That was why she had summoned them here.

Without Qi Qiye's command, those demon generals would definitely not dare to harm the Nan Hong Daoists, and they must be escorted back to the Dragon Palace.

She had already arranged for people to intercept them along the way. If things went according to plan, those Daoists were probably already recuperating in a safe place.

"Once you see your juniors, you will naturally believe what I say."

The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess turned and sat next to the Clearmoon Sect Master, appearing to have everything under control.

"Did the Western Dragon Palace take action against our Nan Hong Daoists?" The Clearmoon Sect Master's brow furrowed slightly, as this matter somewhat exceeded her expectations. After all, the Nan Hong Seven had no grudges with the Western Dragon Palace, and even if they wanted to help, there was no reason to take the lead in front of the Southern Dragon Palace.

"Anyway, it's all over now." The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess smiled faintly and then continued, "Compared to that, it's better to keep an eye on your Shen Zongzhu. Don't let him cause any more trouble."

"He won't." The Clearmoon Sect Master shook her head almost without hesitation.

Although she didn't know Shen Yi well, his recent behavior, though mysterious, had never really caused any major trouble for the Nan Hong Seven.

Moreover, just before she entered the water, she had seen Shen Yi strolling with a few others.

The Clearmoon Sect Master's subconscious reaction caused the Yu Mountain Dragon Princess' expression to stagnate, but she soon regained her smile. "That's good. I'm just reminding you... It seems that you have a good impression of him?"

"I have a very good impression of him." Recalling the young man's astonishing talent, a smile also appeared on the Clearmoon Sect Master's face. After years of silence, the Nan Hong Seven had finally seen a glimmer of hope.

A hint of anxiety flashed across the Yu Mountain Dragon Princess' face, and she was about to ask something indirectly when she was interrupted by the black-backed dragon guard.

"Reporting to the Dragon Princess." The guard's face changed slightly as he stepped forward and whispered, "We didn't intercept them! They all seemed to have disappeared without a trace!"

Even though he deliberately lowered his voice, with the Clearmoon Sect Master's cultivation, how could she not hear him?

The two women's expressions changed simultaneously.

"Keep looking for them!" The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess never expected that despite her careful arrangements, there would still be a mistake.

Remembering her promise, the Dragon Princess even felt her face heating up.

She turned around anxiously, wanting to comfort the other woman, but the Clearmoon Sect Master had already stood up and said softly, "This concerns my sect's juniors. I shall take my leave now, and we can catch up another time, Dragon Princess."

As her words fell, the Sect Master quietly disappeared from the spot.

The Yu Mountain Dragon Princess stood there, her hand suspended in the air, then turned angrily towards the guard, "...!"

"Dragon Princess... I will definitely give you an answer as soon as possible." The guard shuddered, and despite his formidable strength, he felt a sense of suffocation under that gaze.

"The sooner, the better."

After all, as someone who dared to plot against the entire Western Dragon Palace, when it didn't involve Ji Jingxi, Zi Xian quickly regained control of her emotions. She couldn't afford to lose face in front of the Clearmoon Sect Master, not even once.

If she were to find out who exactly ruined this matter...

Zi Xian clenched her teeth, her eyes flashing with a chilling killing intent.

"Sister-in-law, when can I leave?" came a drunken shout from outside the door.

"You can scram now."

Accompanying the cold words, a vigorous aura surged forth, sweeping the seated Qi Laoqi off the Jade Mountain.

"You!"

Qi Laoqi stumbled in the air before stabilizing himself. He looked up, incredulous... This woman dared to treat him like this?!

But his expression soon changed again.

Although she had taken advantage of him when he was off guard, her strength was indeed formidable. Tch, as expected of someone from the Eastern Dragon Palace. He would have to report this matter to his eldest brother. Otherwise, they might end up capsizing the boat.

"Dragon Consort..." The Black-backed Dragon Guard knelt down, drenched in sweat.

"I know."

Zi Xian closed her eyes, once again suppressing the turmoil in her emotions.

Recalling Ji Jingxi's previous words and the additional smile on his face, she had thought that she understood that Shen Zongzhu well enough. But it seemed she didn't know him well enough after all.

Never mind, in matters like these, each had to rely on their own abilities.

At least in the Xi Hong realm, in this whole matter, there was much she could do. As for that young man, he would probably still need her protection.

The difference in their strengths was clear.

After all, Jingxi wasn't blind. There was no need to worry unnecessarily.

...

In the vast expanse of water and land...

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, and in front of him, Ke Shisan's consciousness gradually began to recover.

Seeing a glimmer of light in its eyes, Shen Yi stopped infusing it with the demon essence.

A total of twenty-seven demon essences had finally allowed its demon soul to grow further.

{Remaining Demon Lifespan: 2.07 million years}

Apart from preparing for the next level of enhancement, he was also using the time it took for it to digest the essences to let it rest a little.

That's right... Compared to the torment of the deduction process, the demon essence used to torture the demon soul, which often took over twenty million years, made countless demons wail in pain. For Ke Shisan, this was actually considered a healing process.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Shen Yi glanced at it with a slight sense of pain.

"This one thanks the Master for his gracious gift..." The aged golden dragon emitted a hoarse sound, its eyes filled with gratitude.

For the stingy-natured Master to be willing to spend such a huge price, just to help it recover its consciousness, this was indeed a rare blessing.

"Then let's begin."

Shen Yi took out the more than twenty demon corpses from the finger cot. These bloodline-mixed beings had relied solely on heavenly treasures and long lifespans to reach their current realm.

Individually refining their essence to create a suppressing stone had little effect, as ordinary White Jade Capital demons were now of little help to Shen Yi.

Separately extracting the dragon bloodline from them was somewhat wasteful, but it was necessary.

Shen Yi's ability to act as he pleased in Xi Hong was because they didn't understand his true strength.

It was fine if the Jade Mountain Dragon Consort knew, since she couldn't beat the Western Dragon Palace for now... But for a Wanxiang Pavilion to know so much and even attempt to sell this information, he really wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he didn't keep this information under his control.

Thinking of this, he suddenly clapped his palm.

Amidst the countless demon corpses, a golden river of blood surged forth, converging into one and violently surging into Ke Shisan's body.

During the tribulation it had experienced, it had consumed nearly five million years' worth of demon essence, and its demon body had already grown to its limit. What it lacked was only a higher realm.

At this moment, this pure dragon bloodline was the best pill and tonic for it!

Crack! Crack!

The stone-like body's scales shattered, revealing the more golden scales beneath, and Ke Shisan's entire body no longer appeared aged and frail. Its body was now like a cast of pure gold, and its coiled whiskers fluttered in the wind.

The deer horns on its head looked more like a magnificent crown, making it even more majestic.

"Roar—"

Accompanying a deep dragon's roar, An Yi finally stopped her daze and slowly raised her head.

The East and West Palace Masters rarely made eye contact.

Daring to provoke a Unity Realm-like suppressing stone proved the tremendous growth in the strength of this golden-scaled dragon.

Unfortunately, Ke Shisan still lowered his head slightly in the end.

Although it had earned the right to make eye contact,

the demons it had just devoured were still not as strong as the tomb-guarding tiger demons, and it had only consumed a part of their dragon bloodline, not the whole thing.

"Keep daydreaming."

Shen Yi lightly patted An Yi on the back of her head, giving some face to his East Palace Master.

After all, there were only so many in the Frost Tiger tribe, and behind Ke Shisan were four entire Dragon Palaces that could support and aid it. Its future achievements were most likely going to be the highest among the four Palace Masters.

"...Ke Shisan looked at Shen Yi with a touch of gratitude. Indeed, his Master had seen his struggles and sacrifices over the past few days.

"Alright, it's about time to send them on their way."

Shen Yi stood up and took out a golden book from his embrace. This was the travel permit he had borrowed from those two daoists earlier.

Since he already had the Myriad Demon Hall, he couldn't keep it in his spiritual sea forever.

Since they all had the word 'myriad' in their names.

He might as well let this Wanxiang Pavilion become the first base for these Palace Masters in Xi Hong.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end