Chapter 545: The Third Unity Realm Guardian Stone

Chapter 545: The Third Unity Realm Guardian Stone

Deep into the night, within a courtyard in the Red Maple Valley.

Zilan the Fairy and Yue Tiance sat facing each other across a table, while the Valley Master and several elders waited quietly beside them.

It wasn't that the people from the East Dragon Palace were particularly esteemed—the fact that even their errand boys had to be sect elders—but rather, in the current Red Maple Valley, compared to those disciples busy refining pills, these elders with the strongest cultivation were actually the more dangerous ones.

That was why Zilan the Fairy had invited them over, ostensibly for a casual chat, but in reality, she simply couldn't put her mind at ease.

"Didn't you inform Fellow Shen?"

The downside of having a kind heart was that it often led to trouble, but the upside was that having experienced so much trouble, one could remain calm and collected in almost any situation.

This young lady, clad in a purple skirt, spoke in a gentle voice even though she was badly injured. From start to finish, she never lost her temper, and if not for her exquisite features and formidable cultivation, one would hardly guess that she was a beloved dragon princess of a top power.

"Reporting to Fairy, I've been to Senior Shen's residence to invite him, but he politely declined."

The Master of Red Maple Valley quickly stepped forward and said, "To be honest, that ink-robed senior seems to be the weakest in terms of cultivation among the three, but when it comes to temperament, he's even more proud than the young masters and young ladies of the Yue and East Dragon Palace families. Since he entered the valley, he has mostly kept to himself and rarely interacts with others."

"I see..."

Zilan the Fairy paused, looking a bit troubled: "What about that young girl?"

Senior Shen's abilities were quite good. For him to dare to wander alone in West Hong, he must have some means of self-preservation, and it was understandable that he didn't want to rely on others. Even if he encountered that bear demon, as long as he was still within Red Maple Valley, she and the others would be able to sense it and rush over in time.

But that young girl would be safer if she stayed by her and Yue Tiance's side.

"Haven't seen her." The Master of Red Maple Valley smiled wryly. The reason he felt that Senior Shen was proud was because he hadn't even been allowed to enter the residence. He had been turned away while still standing outside the door.

"Alright." Yue Tiance wanted to complain, but seeing Zilan's expression, he tried to calm himself: "I know you have a soft heart, but everyone has their own fate. Can you protect others for their entire lives? Let it go."

Besides, he didn't think that kid was worth befriending.

"If I see her, I'll take care of it. If I don't, then don't worry. I'll handle this quickly." Zilan the Fairy explained softly, knowing that the other party also had important matters to attend to and was only delayed because of her.

"I've already sent a message to Yunhe Sect, asking their old ancestor to come over temporarily. Once my aunt sends someone, it should be fine."

In this area of West Hong, there were probably very few things that the Jade Mountain Dragon Empress couldn't resolve.

"Alright, I'm going to wash up. You watch over me for a while." Zilan the Fairy stood up.

As everyone knew, this purple-bearded white dragon had a cleanliness obsession. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left so many 'Zilan the Fairy's Bathing Pictures' in Hongze. From the time she was injured a few days ago until now, it had been difficult for her to endure.

"Go ahead." Yue Tiance showed a gentle smile.

In fact, he had no interest in these trivial matters at all. Even if West Hong was turned upside down, it had nothing to do with his Northern Hong's Yue family.

But he had to put on this act of chivalry in front of Zilan to maintain their not-bad relationship and hopefully take it further.

"Please, Fairy. The hot springs here in the valley may not compare to those in East Hong, but they are still quite a beautiful sight." The Master of Red Maple Valley quickly turned and led the way.

"I'll go by myself."

Zilan the Fairy nodded slightly, politely declining the other party's kindness, and then stepped out of the courtyard.

She stretched her body slightly and was about to transform into her true dragon form, but hesitated and retracted her arms, looking in another direction.

She still felt a bit uneasy. Should she go and take another look?

With that thought, she changed her direction and headed towards Shen Yi's residence instead of going to the hot springs.

...

In another courtyard in Red Maple Valley.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged in his room, with demonic souls converging from all directions.

Given his temperament, it was natural that he wouldn't pin all his hopes on the demons coming to him on their own. Whether it was useful or not, it was better to take the initiative than to sit idly by.

Unfortunately, he wasn't familiar with West Hong, so he had found nothing so far.

"Huh."

Shen Yi opened his eyes, and at that moment, he saw An Yi tugging at his sleeve. He turned to look at her: "Hmm?"

The little girl silently pointed outside.

It was clear that her 'playing dead' only applied when she felt no threat from Shen Yi. As soon as she sensed something amiss, she would obediently act as a guardian stone.

Following An Yi's cue, a sinister laugh echoed in Shen Yi's mind.

"With your cultivation, you dare to meddle in anything. Do you really think the East Dragon Palace will clean up your mess for you?"

As the voice faded, a gust of black wind suddenly swept Shen Yi away!

The black bear demon had been prepared for the mad counterattacks of the cultivator. It could sense that this ink-robed youth was much stronger than those worthless cultivators in Red Maple Valley. Moreover, with someone from the East Dragon Palace present, even though there was a huge gap in their realms, it didn't dare to be careless.

However, what surprised the bear demon was that Shen Yi seemed to have been scared witless. Not only did he not summon any weapons or treasures, but his expression didn't change at all, and he was easily wrapped up by its black wind.

"Is someone like this really worth inviting as an ally?"

The bear demon scoffed disdainfully, but at least it saved them some trouble.

It casually tossed the prepared letter onto the table and then quietly left Red Maple Valley with the black wind.

The entire room remained intact, and even the front door was still tightly closed.

After a long while, a figure in a purple skirt finally arrived late, standing outside the courtyard with her hands clasped together. "Forgive the intrusion, but Zilan has come to visit. Is it possible for you to come out and meet with me?"

Time passed slowly, but there was no response from within the courtyard.

Zilan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of anxiety crept into her heart. She hesitated for a moment, then disregarded manners and began to sense the courtyard with her spiritual energy.

In an instant, a faintly detectable familiar aura emerged.

Her expression changed slightly.

Without hesitation, Zilan strode forward, slamming her palm against the door, and the empty room came into view.

She clenched her teeth, and a sense of anger began to well up within her.

Where was the jade dragon scale she had given him?! Where were his life-saving measures? From the faint aura she had sensed earlier, it seemed like the bear demon hadn't even used its full strength.

"I..."

Zilan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Her gaze quickly scanned the room and landed on the letter on the table.

Only then did she feel a slight relief, knowing that there was still room for negotiation.

...

In the west of Hong, a large demon hid in a damp cave.

A gust of black wind swept in, entering the messy cave.

Two bear demons had been waiting there for a long time. When they saw this, they were delighted and cautiously surrounded the newcomer.

What surprised them was that their father actually strolled in from outside very leisurely.

"Dad, your cultivation has improved again?"

"Improvement my foot!" The taller bear demon coldly scoffed. That threshold was not so easy to cross: "Are you sure this is the ally Zilan invited?"

As he spoke, he casually withdrew the black wind, revealing the tall and slender figure standing with his hands behind his back.

The remaining two bear demons followed his gaze. "So it's him... What about it?"

"It's really hard for me to believe that Zilan would change her decision because of someone like this." The taller bear demon couldn't help but sneer again.

"..." The shorter bear demon smiled awkwardly. Judging from their father's expression, this monk's performance was probably very disappointing: "Zilan Xianzi doesn't care about these things. As long as he can help you cross this threshold, it's fine."

"You're right. Tie him up." The taller bear demon waved his hand indifferently.

At this moment, the last bear demon growled lowly: "Why are you staring? Don't you know you're about to die?"

"You'd better pray that you can really help my dad. If Zilan doesn't care about you, heh, just you wait."

The other two bear demons also turned their gazes towards the young man.

To their surprise, he was calmly examining them.

After confirming that the information from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was accurate, Shen Yi sighed slightly. He didn't necessarily have to encounter extremely powerful demons, as his own strength was limited as well. If he came across a tough opponent, the outcome would be uncertain.

However, the strength of these three bear demons did not match Shen Yi's understanding of the deep foundations of the West Dragon Palace.

Even the strongest among them had not truly stepped into the realm of Unity with the Dao.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi patted his sleeve, finally withdrawing his gaze, and said indifferently, "Help them."

Hearing this, the bear demon who had just threatened them was so angry that it took a big step forward and reached for the young monk's shoulder, "You still dare to be arrogant... "

Before it could finish its sentence, a startled cry echoed within the cave.

The fat body of the bear demon was suddenly lifted into the air by a large dragon claw that gripped its head.

Under the elegant dark golden robe, that majestic figure stood tall like a mountain in the cave.

The remaining two bear demons froze for a moment, then sensed the appearance of another aura.

At the entrance of the cave, a figure clad in the same robe but much smaller in stature strolled in, one tall and one short, casually blocking the path of the three bear demons.

From their attire, it was clear that the two newcomers were from the same sect.

However, the taller bear demon thought carefully for a moment but couldn't guess their identities.

It bared its teeth, its voice turning low, "Let go of my son first, or you'll be asking for trouble."

As it spoke, it unleashed its dense demonic energy without restraint, announcing its proximity to the Unity with the Dao realm!

Facing this threat, neither Ke Shisan nor An Yi seemed to notice, as if they were completely oblivious.

The sharp dragon claws tightened with a fierce grip, crushing the bear demon's skull with a loud bang.

An Yi walked up to the other bear demon, reaching out her palm and placing it on its body. The muscular figure was blasted forward with a loud explosion!

Boom—

Before the remaining taller bear demon could fully react to these sudden changes, it was forced to face the mountain-like figure rushing towards it.

The bear demon mobilized all its demonic power, its arms raised high, summoning a ravaging black wind in an attempt to grab its son.

However, as soon as the bear's palm made contact with the figure, its facial features contorted in horror. The vast demonic power it took such pride in seemed insignificant in the face of the approaching figure, like a tiny stream confronting a vast ocean.

That was truly a formidable demonic power comparable to the Unity realm!

Though it was just a hair's breadth away from that realm, it felt like an insurmountable gulf.

The black wind instantly scattered, and the tall bear demon's arms snapped like brittle bamboo. Its chest caved in, and its entire body flew uncontrollably, causing the entire cave to collapse.

If a bear demon of its cultivation level ended up in such a sorry state, what then of its son in its arms? His internal organs had surely been reduced to smithereens, and he had ceased to breathe.

"You... you..."

The tall bear demon lay on the ground, kicking away the corpse on top of it. With all its might, it wriggled its body backward.

Long Ye had instructed them not to cause any trouble, and he had briefed them on the distribution of power in West Hong. Among them was information about the forces that had a Unity realm expert. They were already well-known to the bear demons, and there was no doubt that the figures before them did not belong to any of those forces.

For some reason, a recent rumor flashed through the bear demon's mind.

Its eyes widened in fear.

There really was such a group of fierce gods, and for some unknown reason, they had targeted him.

With this thought, it instinctively looked at the ink-robed youth... No wonder Zilan had invited him over. There was actually such a terrifying force behind this young man!

"Seniors, listen to me—" The bear demon gasped for breath, forcibly enduring the pain in its body. "I... I used to be under the command of Master Qi from the West Dragon Palace... I am willing to pledge allegiance to all of you seniors. I just ask for a way to survive!"

A huge shadow enveloped the bear demon's body. As it stared in a daze, the majestic figure nodded slightly: "Welcome."

Upon hearing this, a look of joy appeared on the bear demon's face as if it had escaped death. It hurriedly said, "Thank you, seniors, thank you..."

"You're welcome."

As the voice trailed off, Ke Shisan lifted his right foot and indifferently crushed the head of the bear demon.

[Kill Bai Yujing Tie Shan Bear Demon, total life span of 390,000 years, remaining life span of 120,000 years, absorption completed]



[Remaining demon life span: 2,390,000 years]



"Let it enter your East Hall."

Seeing that the matter was concluded, Shen Yi waved his hand and put Ke Shisan away. Compared to the Yin Yang Pendant, he used the Golden-Patterned Xuan Knife more often.

The three bear demons together contributed 320,000 years of demon life span. It could be seen that they were indeed under the care of Master Qi, and their cultivation speed was much faster than that of other wild demons.

For the current Shen Yi, the most consuming of demon lifespan was the secret collection of Mount Wumei.

Not to mention that it might not be immortal, even if it was, with a lifespan of over 200,000 years of demons, studying seven or eight books would be enough.

This trip to the West Hong was really profitable, and suddenly he felt much more generous.

Shen Yi gathered a Unity Realm Guardian Stone and then began to refine the demon essence, reshaping the soul of the Iron Mountain Bear Demon.

Perhaps even this bear demon never thought that, in the end, it would be the lives of its two sons that would help it cross that threshold.

The three corpses turned into a river of blood that poured into the Guardian Stone.

Successfully pushing it to a brand new realm!

Finally, after years of spending Master Qi's fortune, a harvest was reaped at this moment!

Not every demon soul can be as economical as An Yi's. To control a Unity realm guardian stone, the strength of the demon soul required is extremely terrifying.

Even for this bear demon, which was just a hair's breadth away from the Unity realm, after more than 20 demon essences were used to reshape its demon soul, Shen Yi still added more than ten, before the guardian stone in front of him came back to life!

"... "

Even though he had already gained two stronger hall masters, Shen Yi's expression still stirred slightly.

The third Unity realm guardian stone meant that, by himself, he had already surpassed the West Hong's first-rate power, the Moving Mountain Sect.

"Xiong Lu, see my master!"

After sensing the tremendous changes in his body, Xiong Lu looked at the figures in front of him and finally recognized who the most terrifying one was.

Especially the small figure that had killed his cub with just one palm and then severely injured him. At this moment, it stood obediently behind the ink-robed figure, like an innocent maid.

A Unity realm expert actually displayed such an attitude. It was appalling!

Those two "seniors" who made his heart chill were not protectors at all but were just like him, beings that had been suppressed and enslaved.

No wonder his master had been so calm. The other party was obviously targeting him, Xiong Lu...

...

In a quiet courtyard in Red Maple Valley.

Even Yue Tiance could sense the anger beneath Zilan the Fairy's calm expression, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do. He could only comfort her, "It's his own doing, and it has nothing to do with you."

"Tiance, I'll trouble you this time, but I don't want to discuss whose responsibility it is for now." Zilan the Fairy forced a slight smile that looked somewhat strained. No matter how powerful Shen Yi was, he was someone she had invited, and he had been abducted by demons.

Instead of blaming herself or the demons, she blamed a passing cultivator, which seemed a bit unreasonable.

Moreover, the most important thing at the moment was how to rescue him, and nothing else mattered.

"..."

Although the young lady's attitude was gentle, Yue Tiance knew he had said something wrong, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Immediately, this annoyance fell on the youth surnamed Shen.

The other party was so proud, and this was all the ability he had... At such a close distance, even the Red Maple Valley Master could have made some noise, yet this kid was taken away without a sound.

He still had to find a way to protect him. What the hell was this!

"I've already sent a message to the Yunhe Sect, asking that elder to come over as soon as possible. When the time comes, I'll trouble you again to look after the Red Maple Valley for me and prevent those demons from causing any more trouble."

Zilan the Fairy quickly adjusted her emotions, skirting around the topic. Yue Tiance had good intentions to help, and she had no reason to blame him for his harsh words.

"Do you not need me to come with you?" Yue Tiance sighed, wanting to persist a little more.

"This is the reply letter from my aunt that I'm giving to you." Zilan the Fairy handed over a jade slip.

Yue Tiance took it and saw that it contained several unfamiliar names.

The destruction of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion... Qi Family's Seventh Master visiting... The Hall of Ten Thousand Demons?

"Your aunt really has a good grasp on the East Dragon Palace. Even the news of the Dragon Prince can be obtained so quickly." Yue Tiance didn't understand her intentions and could only smile and agree.

"This Hall of Ten Thousand Demons is the force that has recently caused quite a stir in West Hong." Zilan's eyebrows furrowed with worry as she shook her head. "They seem to target the younger generation of prominent clans. Even the Boundless Dao Emperor Palace couldn't escape their notice. It would be best if you stayed away from them."

"Do you suspect that the bear demon came from the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons?" Yue Tiance's expression turned grave, and he suddenly remembered something. "It's as if you're not from a prominent clan yourself. How dare you go there?"

"That's why I invited the Yunhe Sect elder to come. I'm worried that we might anger the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, and I alone might not be able to protect Fellow Shen."

Zilan the Fairy stood up, her eyes anxiously scanning the horizon, and she took a slight breath. "I invited Fellow Shen to come, so naturally, I will see him off safely."

"Damn it, I'm really frustrated! What does this have to do with you, that you're willing to take such risks? If he had just come quietly earlier, none of this would have happened. Even if the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons had killed him, you wouldn't have felt bad about it. Our two clans could have joined forces to take revenge for him, but instead..."

Yue Tiance finally lost his temper and cursed, startling the surrounding Red Maple Valley cultivators into silence.

Zilan the Fairy looked at him sideways, intending to say something, but her body paused slightly, and then she turned her gaze toward the courtyard entrance.

"... "

Shen Yi quietly watched the large group of people in his courtyard, raising an eyebrow.

The reason he had returned was that he remembered that Bear Lu had left a letter on the table earlier. He wanted to avoid any misunderstandings, so he came back to retrieve it and casually find an excuse to leave.

After all, although he was unwilling to have anything to do with the East Dragon Palace, this dragon princess had good intentions, and there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble for others.

Unexpectedly, he was still too slow.

"You..." Zilan the Fairy reached out to stop Yue Tiance and hesitated, asking, "Why did you come back?"

Seeing Fellow Shen's neat and tidy appearance, without a single hair out of place, how could he look like someone who had just been abducted?

"I was just strolling around out of boredom." Shen Yi lightly nodded, giving a perfunctory reply.

Hearing this, Zilan the Fairy stood there with a complicated expression. She couldn't understand how someone could speak such blatant lies with such a calm expression.

Under Fellow Shen's neat and tidy ink-colored robe, the blood aura he exuded had become even denser, and one could tell that it was fresh.

What puzzled her was how he had managed to escape from the control of the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

The actions of that force had revealed a strong foundation, which was not something a cultivator from White Jade Capital could resist... Not to mention that bear demon, which could easily kill him.

Could it be that she had misjudged him, and Fellow Shen had some other means?

"Never mind."

Zilan the Fairy shook her head. Since Fellow Shen didn't want to explain, she wasn't the type to pry further.

The lady gently rubbed her temples, smiling wryly, "It's good that you're safe."

Yue Tiance remained silent, his gaze toward Shen Yi filled with hidden hostility. He adjusted his stance, subtly shifting to place Zilan behind him, his sleeves poised for combat.

He didn't have the acute senses of the White Dragon Clan, but when something was amiss, there was definitely a reason.

Yue Tiance couldn't bring himself to trust a stranger so easily, especially since he already had a poor impression of this youth.

If he wasn't worried about upsetting Zilan, he would have taken action already.

Just then, in the distant horizon, a stretch of clouds appeared, starkly visible in the night sky.

Figures with powerful auras stood upon the clouds, led by an elder in magnificent robes, exuding an overwhelming aura that was difficult to face directly.

Behind him were the disciples of the Yunhe Sect, accompanying Lin Daozi of the Bishai Sect, surrounded by elders in their long robes.

For a sect like the Yunhe Sect to send out all their elders, it wasn't out of fear of a top-tier force, but because the East Dragon Palace was truly worthy of their respect.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end