https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-545-The-Third-Unity-Realm-Guardian-Stone/12574849/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-547-Leave-the-Explanation-to-Them/12578041/
Chapter 546: Trouble in Nanyang Sect
Chapter 546: Trouble in Nanyang Sect
As the behemoth that had been entrenched in the land for countless years, Yunhe Zong's power resembled that of an earthly emperor. Moreover, the master of Yunhe Zong, who had founded the sect and remained its leader to this day, was an exceptionally formidable cultivator.
His status was undoubtedly exalted.
However, precisely because of this, any cultivator who had survived the chaotic massacre of ten millennia and remained unscathed had likely received favors from Ziran Bai Long.
"There's no need for pleasantries; saving people is the priority."
The master of Yunhe Zong gently waved his sleeve, stopping Zilan Xianzi from bowing any further. Instead, he returned the greeting with a respectful peer's ritual.
It was already embarrassing enough that something had happened in the waters and lands under their jurisdiction, and Yunhe Zong had been completely unaware of it. And now, one of their friends from Donglong Palace had to come to their rescue.
The crowd of cultivators in the clouds gazed at the renowned Zilan Xianzi of Hongze, their attention drawn by her ethereal beauty. Yet, at the same time, they couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Even their subordinate force, Hongfeng Valley, had needed to be rescued by an outsider like Zilan Xianzi.
It was simply laughable.
"Senior, my fellow Daoist has returned safely."
Zilan Xianzi smiled helplessly and gently assuaged the crowd's anxiety.
Upon hearing this, the master of Yunhe Zong paused slightly, "The letter mentioned a near-Union-with-the-Way realm demon. How could he have returned unharmed?"
Zilan Xianzi glanced at Shen Yi, remaining silent.
Since he refused to speak about it, she had no way of knowing what had transpired. As for the power of the demon, she had experienced it herself, so she knew it wasn't a lie. Even someone like Yuetian Ce, with his exceptional talent and strong bloodline as a descendant of the prestigious Northern Hong Clan, would never have been able to return unscathed.
Following Zilan Xianzi's gaze, the crowd in the clouds also turned their eyes towards the youth in the ink-colored robe.
Upon seeing his youthful appearance, the elders and personal disciples' expressions changed slightly.
"Do you believe it?"
Luo Changchun whispered to the person beside him.
As a Daoist of Yunhe Zong, his strength was not the pinnacle among young cultivators, but it was certainly top-notch. However, the thought of escaping from the clutches of a demon comparable to the Union-with-the-Way realm was something he dared not contemplate.
Soon after, he received an unexpected response.
"I... believe it."
Luo Changchun turned his head in surprise to see Lin Yu staring at the youth in the ink-colored robe with an unusual expression.
"It's nothing."
As if realizing her slip, Lin Yu quickly shook her head and moved on from the topic.
Before coming here, she had been a little annoyed.
It had taken so long to finally convince Yunhe Zong to send aid to the Seven Sects of South Hong, and just when they had agreed, Donglong Palace suddenly appeared, taking precedence.
Compared to this behemoth of East Hong, the prestige of the Seven Sects of South Hong seemed meager.
But now, her thoughts had changed.
Looking at the familiar handsome face and calm expression below, she recognized the master of Nanyang Sect!
So, the friend from Donglong Palace was Master Shen.
However, she couldn't quite understand how Master Shen, on his first trip away from South Hong, had managed to establish a connection with the ruler of East Hong.
"Regardless, it's a good thing that he's back."
The master of Yunhe Zong shook his head. Any cultivator bold enough to venture out and roam the world would surely have some means of self-preservation.
"But," he continued with a serious expression, "Xianzi mentioned the Demon Palace in your previous letter. Coincidentally, I intercepted a message a few days ago that originated from South Hong. I'm wondering if there's any connection between the two."
The master of Yunhe Zong took out a letter from his sleeve and unfolded it, presenting it to Zilan Xianzi.
There were only two words in the letter:
"Come quickly."
Following the words was an abstruse pattern that emitted a faint glow.
Zilan Xianzi furrowed her brows as she examined it for a moment, but still, no thoughts came to mind.
Just then, Shen Yi, who had been silent all this time, finally extended his hand, "May I take a look?"
"Do you understand this, Daoist Shen?" Zilan was taken aback for a moment before handing over the letter. After a while, she asked curiously, "What does it mean?"
"I'm not quite sure." Shen Yi's eyes turned cold, but his expression remained calm as he returned the letter. He then nodded politely and said, "I still have urgent matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
With that, he turned and transformed into a purple and white rainbow, disappearing into the horizon.
"…."
Zilan Xianzi's expression froze, and she finally couldn't help but stamp her foot in frustration, "This weirdo, not a single word he says is truthful. It's as if someone is out to get him."
"It's good that he's left. I don't trust him anyway." Yuetian Ce raised his eyebrows.
In the clouds, Lin Yu's expression suddenly turned solemn.
The letter from South Hong, along with Master Shen's swift and decisive departure, made her wonder if something had happened back home.
Just then, Luo Changchun's slightly stammering voice interrupted her thoughts, "Don't you think…."
"What?" Lin Yu turned to look at him.
Luo Changchun swallowed his dry throat. He had originally been a little jealous because Lin Yu had been staring at the young man, but now he found himself paying more attention to him as well.
Yet in the moment Shen Yi turned around, a sense of familiarity emanated from the coldness in his eyes and his tall, slender figure.
"That person just now, he somewhat resembles the one we saw at the Dragon Empress' banquet, doesn't he?"
"..."
Lin Yu stared blankly at the horizon. While the ink-colored robe without any insignia was a common sight, it was rare to find someone with equally formidable strength and no apparent affiliations...
Especially since the last time that person made a move, it was when she was facing off against the Frost Tiger of Bright Moon Frost Tiger.
Could it be that Sect Master Shen has been secretly protecting us all along?
"If it really was him, then I'd believe he could escape from a demon at the Union-with-the-Way realm." Luo Changchun smiled bitterly. After all, not everyone had the audacity to be so arrogant.
As the two conversed, the Yunhe Zongzhu had already averted his gaze and turned back to Zilan Xianzi, "Speaking of South Hong, I have another request."
"Please speak, Senior," Zilan Xianzi kept the letter, intending to show it to her aunt after the matter was resolved.
"I wish to ask Donglong Palace to mediate in the South Hong matter. From my experience of being dormant for so many years, South Dragon Palace is definitely not just venting their anger. The eldest of the Qi family certainly has more intentions than simply helping the Ke family. These two families must be plotting something."
Yunhe Zongzhu sighed, "The signs of impending chaos are clear, and our sect wishes to remain unaffected, but that is but a pipe dream. With only Yunhe Zong's assistance, we can't make much of a difference. In my opinion, only Donglong Palace can step in and suppress this situation."
Zilan Xianzi nodded after a moment of contemplation, "I understand. I'll send a message home later. Please tell the seven sects on my behalf to refrain from acting impulsively and to remain calm. Donglong Palace will not stand idly by and watch them come to harm."
"Rest assured, Xianzi. Those six seniors are not the type to stir up trouble." Yunhe Zongzhu smiled gently.
"That's good. Coincidentally, I also have business in South Hong. I'll pay a visit to the Ke family later. As for this place, please take care of it first, Senior. My aunt will send someone soon. We'll know whether there's any connection with the Demon Palace with just one investigation."
After speaking, Zilan glanced apologetically at Yue Tiance, "I'm sorry for the trouble, let's go."
"Why are you being so polite with me? My brother may have lost his chance at Union because of that incident, but below the Union-with-the-Way realm, even the top-ranked in the Daoist Weaponry Record, including the likes of Xuyan, wouldn't dare to look down on him. Especially in a small place like South Hong, there won't be any problems." Yue Tiance, in fact, was looking forward to this opportunity to spend more time with Zilan.
The two summoned their artifacts and rose into the air together.
Yunhe Zongzhu watched them leave. With Donglong Palace's promise, at least he could ensure that the situation wouldn't escalate to a life-and-death crisis.
...
In the boundless sea of clouds, Shen Yi stood on the Wu Guang Fei Jian, his expression unreadable as he flew straight towards South Hong.
The moment the letter appeared, Xiong Lu in his sea of consciousness had already reacted.
This letter was a secret letter from the head of the Qi family, and the obscure pattern on it was actually a map, informing them of the meeting place in South Hong.
Shen Yi had originally intended to turn all the demons carefully prepared by Qi Laoda into town stones by surprise.
Unexpectedly, they had entered South Hong first.
There were two extremely powerful demons among them, comparable to the Union-with-the-Way realm. Letting them sneak into South Hong unnoticed... to put it bluntly, they might not be able to deal with the seven sects, but if they targeted a sect like the Bao Hua Zong, they could definitely inflict heavy losses.
Moreover, compared to the two demon beasts themselves, the implications of this incident were even more worrying.
Since they had started gathering their forces, it meant that the two Dragon Palaces were ready to make their move.
Shen Yi didn't place much hope in the Yu Shan Dragon Empress, as the time was too short. Even with preparations, it seemed far from sufficient.
Although there were three Union-with-the-Way realm town stones, it was doubtful if they could collectively overcome someone like An Tingfeng.
With so many heavenly treasures and a conducive living environment, wouldn't the dragon demons of the Dragon Palace, comparable to the Union-with-the-Way realm, be stronger than An Tingfeng?
Moreover, up to this point, apart from the town stones, he had no way to intervene in battles at that level.
"Huu."
Shen Yi closed his eyes, just one tribulation away from attempting the Union.
He hoped there was still time.
He opened his eyes again, a hint of killing intent flashing in his pitch-black pupils.
Day and night passed as the ink-clad figure sped towards the south, never stopping until he crossed an invisible line in the turbulent ocean, and a familiar aura permeated his body.
Following Xiong Lu's guidance, Shen Yi soon arrived at a secluded cave.
He summoned the three Union-with-the-Way town stones and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
In the blink of an eye, Shen Yi's expression turned cold as he swept his gaze across the empty cave, quietly clenching his fists.
Even with his haste, he had still arrived a step too late.
This not only meant that he had lost track of the two powerful demons but also indicated that Xiong Lu's actions had been partially exposed. There was a high probability that he would no longer receive secret letters from Qi Laoda and might even be at risk of being hunted down.
"My lord..."
Xiong Lu looked over cautiously. Although his cultivation was far superior to the young man before him, the other party only needed a single thought to squeeze the life out of him.
Obviously, it was because those few demons had been busy threatening the vassal forces, and their minds were not on Nan Hong at all, that this letter had been intercepted by Yunhe Zong.
With this in mind, Xiong Lu quickly added: "Previously, Qi Laoda also asked me to remember many places in Nan Hong to avoid getting lost. Those two beasts should be hiding in these places."
"Go and find them."
Shen Yi exhaled and, in addition to Xiong Lu, also released Ke Shisan, keeping only An Yi by his side.
"As you command, my lord!" Ke Shisan immediately bowed and, along with the clumsy bear, quickly left the cave.
After they left, Shen Yi turned and walked out of the cave dwelling.
He was not one to be overconfident. Even though he had made great progress on his trip to Xi Hong, when it came to the killing and strife between Nan Long Gong and the Seven Sons, he still had to rely on the other six sect leaders.
He had to send news about Qi Laoda back as soon as possible.
Shen Yi summoned the Wu Guang Fei Jian once again, and as he flew with An Yi for several hundred miles, his figure suddenly stilled.
He lowered his eyes slightly and took out a silver bell from his finger.
After leaving Nanyang Baodi, Shen Yi never expected that he would receive the demon catcher's aura outside.
Soon, the aura in the air entered the silver bell and turned into a familiar, crisp voice, with a hint of sobbing.
"Big Brother Shen, where are you? Something happened to the sect!"
"..."
An Yi suddenly raised her head, looking at the young man before her in astonishment. In all the time she had followed him, she had never seen such pure indifference on his face, not even when the Wanxiang Pavilion sect leader was devouring sentient beings.
The next moment, the black light flashed across the sky, heading in the direction indicated by the aura!
Not long after.
On a Clear Moon treasure boat, Liu Qianyun, who was steering the ship, suddenly shivered and turned to look behind her in horror.
Before she could react, a figure in a fluttering ink-colored robe had already appeared on the boat.
Shen Yi looked at the white-robed girl sitting dumbly on the boat, quickly scanning her over before calmly turning to the side and asking, "You brought her out?"
For some reason, under the gaze of those black eyes, Liu Qianyun stuttered, "She... she..."
Before she could finish, the girl in white suddenly hugged Shen Yi's leg, holding back her sobs as she said, "I begged Sister Qianyun to bring me out. They couldn't find you, so I thought... I thought that if I left more of my aura outside, perhaps you would see it."
Shen Yi exhaled and reached down to grip Lin Baiwei's collar, pulling her up to look into her red-rimmed eyes. He said calmly, "Without my permission, if you dare to come out again, I'll break your legs."
After saying this, he put her back in her original position and frowned slightly. "Now, tell me what happened."
Shen Yi really couldn't understand why, with five sect leaders stationed in the seven sects, even if a fight had broken out, they wouldn't send the inexperienced Nanyang Sect to their deaths first. Li Qingfeng and Xianqing weren't fools; they would definitely know to close the door.
Although Lin Baiwei was young, she wasn't a little girl who had never experienced anything.
She quickly adjusted her emotions and said concisely, "Elder Qingfeng told me that all the executives of the Nanyang Sect who were out on business, including Nie Jun and Lingxi, have been captured. They sent a message to the sect, asking Elder Xianqing to go and exchange people, without informing the other allied sects..."
"He went?"
"He went."
Hearing Lin Baiwei's response, Shen Yi's eyelids twitched.
"Elder Qingfeng said that whether or not to notify the allied sects depends on your decision, Big Brother Shen." Lin Baiwei said softly.
On one side were her own senior martial brothers and sisters, and on the other was Xianqing, who had great kindness to the Nanyang Baodi. Li Qingfeng was racking his brains but couldn't make a decision.
"I understand." Shen Yi nodded slightly. "Do you know the location?"
It was clear that Lin Baiwei had prepared well, and she immediately took out a wisp of aura from the bell.
"Sect Leader Shen, we..." Liu Qianyun suddenly had a bad feeling.
Shen Yi took a slight step forward, and his figure disappeared from the boat, leaving only his voice echoing in the air.
"You take her back first."
Although his tone was the same as always, Liu Qianyun could sense the underlying refusal to be disobeyed, as if it were a true sect leader's decree.
(End of Chapter)
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