https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-548-I-Don-t-Need-Such-Instructions/12578042/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-550-Fragments-of-Immortal-Techniques-The-Five-Palaces-Gather/12583844/
Chapter 549: Watch, and I Will Show You How I Will Punish Him
Chapter 549: Watch, and I Will Show You How I Will Punish Him
"...”
The Master of the Celestial Sword Sect paused, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at his fellow sect leaders beside him.
Shen Yi's cold and unyielding attitude towards Zilan, the Purple Orchid Fairy, was extremely rare, even in the vast Hongze.
It wasn't because of the dragon maiden's ethereal beauty; after all, there were plenty of cultivators who weren't interested in such things.
Instead, it was mainly due to the behavior of the Purple Beard White Dragon clan.
Who would refuse a group of beings who didn't demand offerings or gifts but were always ready to lend a helping hand as long as one had a just cause? They were like living Bodhisattvas.
Perhaps some might mock the East Dragon Palace behind their backs, but at least to their faces, no one would deny them some respect... A few kind words cost nothing.
After all, who knew when this group of Purple Beard White Dragons might save one's life.
Especially when one compared them to Shen Yi's companion, Xuan Qing; the contrast made the absurdity of the situation even more evident to the sect leaders.
They all saw similarities between the two, in both personality and talent, but now it seemed that there were also stark differences.
At least Shen Yi's deeply hidden wariness, as if he trusted no one but himself, was completely unlike Xuan Qing, who once believed that the whole world should favor him.
Such a personality might cause Shen Yi to have fewer friends, but it would also greatly reduce the risk of betrayal.
"Alright."
After a long silence, Zilan finally bowed her head in dejection and whispered, "You're right."
If others didn't trust the East Dragon Palace, she might have argued, but the South Yang Sect had valid reasons for their skepticism, even though her grandfather had stripped Ziling, her aunt, of her identity as an Eastern Palace Dragon maiden. He didn't care for connections with heavenly immortals.
However, the wounds inflicted on the South Yang Sect could never be healed.
Shen Yi didn't turn back. He left the Immortal Cave directly with Xuan Qing and Ling Dang.
He didn't actually hold any ill feelings towards Zilan; on the contrary, he even felt grateful.
If he hadn't returned by coincidence today, Zilan would have been the last line of defense for Xuan Qing's life, even if she might not have been able to protect him. Still, it would have been better than nothing.
The reason for his cold ridicule was partly due to his earlier anger.
Of course, the more important reason was that such a neutral do-gooder, if their strength surpassed all others, would be a living embodiment of a just ruler. But if their strength was insufficient... Well, the outcome usually wasn't pretty.
Helping everyone meant helping no one; it was difficult to gain the sincere support of others, and most would merely use them to solve their problems, creating more enemies with each intervention.
Shen Yi didn't want to be dragged into that quagmire. Taking care of the South Yang treasure land was already exhausting enough.
It was better to stay away from this group of Purple Beard White Dragons.
As the two figures disappeared from the Immortal Cave, the sect leaders finally averted their gazes and turned to look at the dejected purple-clad girl.
"Zilan, why are you wandering around in South Hongze instead of visiting your aunt in West Hongze? This place isn't very stable lately," one of them remarked.
"I came precisely because it's unstable," Zilan replied with a sigh. "But now it seems even more unstable."
Seeing her dejected state, the Master of the Infinite Duality Sect couldn't help but smile wryly. He walked over and gently patted her head, offering comfort. "We'll find a way to resolve this. Go back and give our regards to your grandfather. Tell him not to worry."
In truth, the South Hongze Seven and the East Dragon Palace didn't have any grudges. When the incident occurred, the East Dragon King had even specifically called Xuan Qing over and spent several months analyzing the situation and explaining his bright future, all to prevent the young man from acting impulsively.
However, Ziling had used her tears and flattery to inflame Xuan Qing's pride and ego, causing him to dismiss the East Dragon King's words as nonsense.
The sect leaders knew very well who their enemy was.
And over the years, even the residual anger they felt had slowly dissipated.
"...”
That gentle pat on the head brought Zilan's thoughts back to a time ten thousand years ago when these same elders had treated her kindly.
Biting her lip, she hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. "I'll talk to my grandfather about the Yue family. I hope we can help South Hongze in some way. Seniors, my thoughts are in disarray, so I'll take my leave now!"
With that, she respectfully bid them farewell and turned to leave the Immortal Cave.
She transformed into a Purple Beard White Dragon and flew towards West Hongze.
After a long while, the Master of the Spirit Peak Sect glanced disdainfully at the Infinite Duality Sect Leader. "At your age, you're still pulling the wool over a little girl's eyes with this pity play. I'm surprised you came up with it."
When it came to understanding the nature of the East Dragon Palace, no one in all of Hongze could match the South Hongze Seven, who had once been quite familiar with them.
"What choice do we have now?" the Infinite Duality Sect Leader replied nonchalantly, unperturbed by the criticism.
"It's quite scoundrelly," the Celestial Sword Sect Master commented, his expression cold as he strode towards the cave entrance.
He preferred to solve problems with strength rather than resort to such petty schemes.
But lately, they seemed to be plagued by bad luck.
The South Hongze Seven had been keeping a low profile for years, but suddenly, it was as if they had incurred the wrath of all of Hongze.
First, the South Dragon Palace went crazy, then the West Dragon Palace wanted to get involved, and now even the Yue family's brat was causing trouble, adding another formidable foe to their list.
Any one of these forces was formidable enough that the sect leaders, despite their prowess, would consider it a loss if they had to face them directly... But together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
It was a headache-inducing situation.
And fortunately, there was still that little rascal Shen Yi, who had quietly opened up four cities, which was somewhat comforting. It seemed that it was time for him to achieve Unity, but who knew how many years that would take.
Or perhaps, like Xuan Qing, he would waste many years, attempting to open that fifth city?
"By the way, when he just stretched out his hand to give the order..."
"I think I saw Qin Shi again."
"What, even if Nan Yang Zong makes a comeback, they still want to be the boss?"
The Master of Tian Jian Zong's discontented words echoed in the Immortal Cave, causing the other sect leaders to smile wryly.
...
Nan Yang Zong.
Shen Yi untied the bell, releasing the many executives who had been captured by Yue Tianji, without reminding them of anything. Instead, he asked Li Qingfeng, whom he had picked up on the road, to distribute pills to heal everyone's injuries.
For a Returning Void cultivator, a top-tier White Jade Kingdom demon rushing over from far-north Hongze was a disaster that could not be avoided.
No matter how careful and cautious they were, if they encountered such a being, they could only count themselves unlucky.
Whether it was Nie Jun and the other cultivators from the Nan Yang treasure land, or the loose cultivators that Shen Yi had brought back from outside, they all understood this truth.
Of course, it was also unwise to give up entirely out of fear.
One still needed to go out and gain experience, as cultivation was always a risky endeavor.
In the Ancestral Master Hall.
Shen Yi walked slowly to the edge of the cushion and looked down at the wooden man lying on the ground.
Xuan Qing looked up at the statue of the Ancestral Master, then silently at Shen Yi, his eyes suddenly shifting away, as if he felt a bit guilty.
For some reason, as the once-proud genius who had dominated the younger generation of Hongze, he now felt a strange sense of shame, reminiscent of the time when he had first started cultivating and would sometimes neglect his practice because he was having too much fun, only to feel embarrassed when he inadvertently saw his strict teacher.
"Maybe I didn't consider things thoroughly enough."
Xuan Qing struggled to find the right words, wanting to explain what had happened earlier: "Next time, I..."
Before he could finish, Shen Yi slowly crouched down, not putting on the air of a sect master as Xuan Qing had imagined, attempting to lecture or preach, or planning to use a long-winded speech to change Xuan Qing's suicidal thoughts. Instead, he seemed to want to vent about his own situation.
"Huh."
Shen Yi sighed softly, rubbing his temples with a rare hint of fatigue in his voice: "To be honest, I'm quite annoyed."
Xuan Qing paused, about to apologize.
But Shen Yi waved his hand, interrupting him: "My original plan was to gain the power to protect myself, find a safe place, and marry a few beautiful women... Of course, one would be fine too. Anyway, I just wanted to live comfortably for my three hundred years of lifespan."
"But later, I realized that the idea of 'gaining the power to protect myself' was actually quite unrealistic."
"Because no matter how fast I kill, there are always things above me that threaten me."
Shen Yi pulled at the corners of his lips, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
These things made him restless, causing him to become taciturn and reluctant to waste any time, for fear that something unexpected might happen.
Hearing this, Xuan Qing, the once-proud genius, was stunned into silence. The implications of the young sect master's words even struck a chord of fear in him.
In life, it was impossible to avoid unexpected events.
Even if one ascended to the immortal courts or became a loose cultivator with a realm surpassing all others, there would always be that vast, indifferent sky above, watching over everything.
As if reading Xuan Qing's thoughts, Shen Yi's fierce expression softened into a helpless and lazy smile: "So, I can't help but be restless, and it's my own fault. You don't need to feel that it has anything to do with you."
"If I can survive in the Dragon Palace, I plan to try and visit that immortal. If possible, I'll take you along too."
With that, Shen Yi stood up and turned to leave the Ancestral Master Hall.
Now that it was clear that the immortal had a grudge against the Nan Yang Zong, and he intended to achieve Unity with the Nan Yang treasure land, Shen Yi dared not pin his hopes on the idea that the immortal had let go of the past. Nor could he tolerate living under the other's thumb, enduring constant fear and anxiety, waiting for some unforeseen accident to befall him.
The heavens were too high, so he would first consider slaying the immortals on earth; the future could be dealt with later.
"You... After going to West Hongze, you seem a little different from before."
Xuan Qing remained silent for a long time. This was the first time he had heard Shen Yi speak so candidly.
Hearing this, Shen Yi glanced at An Yi, who was waiting at the door of the Ancestral Master Hall.
Once the floodgates of emotion were opened, it became difficult to hold back.
"That's almost impossible... After what happened to me, that immortal sealed off Hongze even tighter. In this land of water and earth, cultivators simply cannot reach his level."
Xuan Qing finally spoke, referring to the immortal of Hongze.
This was also why he dared not think of revenge.
"You won't know unless you try."
Shen Yi stepped across the threshold, his voice soft: "Anyway, you have nothing to lose. Just watch."
Watch?
Xuan Qing didn't understand what Shen Yi wanted him to watch for.
But soon, he saw Shen Yi transform into a stream of light and fly towards a familiar direction.
Xuan Qing felt that he had experienced something like this many times before.
From the first time Shen Yi condensed his Dao Pillar, to the repeated appearances of the Primordial Purple Qi, and now, the young man had already opened four cities, becoming a top White Jade Kingdom cultivator!
"No, it can't be!"
Xuan Qing finally couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes wide with shock. The next step would be the fifth city! That was a realm that no one in all of Hongze had ever reached!
(End of Chapter)
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