Chapter 552: First Things First

Chapter 552: First Things First

In the Ancestor Hall, Xuan Qing felt the cosmos regaining consciousness, and that trace of breath was approaching him.

He suddenly felt a sense of unease, and with a nervous start, he began to straighten the messy branches and leaves on his body. Then, standing respectfully in place, he spoke in a slightly choked voice, "Disciple Xuan Qing, respectfully greeting the Patriarch."

"..."

Shen Yi slowly landed, looking at Senior Xuan Qing's appearance, and couldn't help but pause slightly in surprise.

Could it be that he, who had managed to remain calm and composed in front of so many powerful seniors, was now crying just because of his breakthrough to Fusion Dao?

Something was amiss.

Shen Yi shook his head, suddenly remembering something. It seemed that Senior Xuan Qing's loss of composure was probably still due to the matter of crossing the Five Tribulations.

This matter might become a lifelong regret for him.

Forget it, it's better to wait until a way is found to compensate for the Dao Mansion before discussing the specifics of the Tribulation.

If Xuan Qing were to find out that he had been just one step away from completing the Five Tribulations, he would either bash his head at the Ancestor's statue or immediately become the second Yue Tianji.

This was like deliberately provoking him.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi gently patted Xuan Qing's shoulder and comforted him, "Now is not the right time, we'll talk about it later."

"..."

Xuan Qing stared blankly at the hand on his shoulder, then turned his gaze back to Shen Yi, standing there like he had been struck by lightning, his expression vacant, without any extra movements.

Not appropriate? What's not appropriate?

It was probably not appropriate to reveal his identity or to disclose his plans to Shen Yi and the others.

So, what was this plan? Could it be... that he was going to take care of a disciple who couldn't make the grade, even if this disciple angered an Immortal and committed a grave mistake, this Master would still return to help him vent his grievances?

"Disciple, I understand."

Xuan Qing suddenly became flustered, wanting to wipe his face, but he only got halfway before stopping, and his words became more disorganized, "Xuan Qing doesn't ask, Xuan Qing knows nothing, and hasn't seen anything."

He just couldn't understand it. Unity of Army and Earth, Unity of Body and Heaven, Unity of Soul and Dao, the Master had once been a Heaven Realm cultivator, and among the best at that. He was just one step away from the Dao Realm.

But even if the Master regained his cultivation and took that final step, how could he possibly offend an Immortal, let alone that Purple Beard White Dragon who had already ascended to the heavens?

Moreover, compared to seeking revenge, he now wanted to be a Daoist disciple, quietly serving by the Master's side.

"..."

Seeing Xuan Qing's strange reaction, Shen Yi raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

What's wrong with him, acting like he wanted to kill someone to silence them?

Shen Yi was well aware of what could be revealed to others, like the Fusion Dao, because there was no hiding it. But for something like using a Stabilizing Stone to cross the Tribulation, it was necessary to conceal it, which was why he went to the Repository of Spells to open the Fifth City.

"Forget it, I have to go out again, and I'm not sure when I'll be back. Pass on a message to the other Patriarchs for me; that old dragon has appeared."

Shen Yi indeed didn't have time to linger, because Ke Shi San had already found those two great demons from Western Hong, and because he had been glanced at by the rhinoceros, he suffered severe injuries, so he had to handle this matter himself.

Of course, before leaving, he still needed to remind the allied sects.

Although he didn't know much about Hong Ze.

But anyone who wasn't a fool would know to whom the deepest palace in Southern Hong belonged, especially since the other party seemed to be taking on some of the responsibilities of guarding Southern Hong for the rhinoceros artifact.

Only after truly breaking through to Fusion Dao did Shen Yi realize the gap between himself and these old generation demon cultivators of Hong Ze.

The Four Tribulations were considered the completion of the Earth Realm, and he had also made up for the final Tribulation, so in terms of cultivation, he surpassed all Earth Realm cultivators. Considering that Hong Ze didn't have a second Five Tribulations cultivator, calling him the first person below the Heaven Realm wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But the disadvantage was that the Nanyang Treasury lacked depth, and compared to other treasuries, it might be slightly inferior. Moreover, Shen Yi's current means were somewhat lacking.

Regarding the Fusion Dao level, the only techniques he could use were the Mountain Stabilizing Technique and the Premium Mountain Stabilizing Technique.

Not only were his means too singular, but the grade also wasn't high enough to completely overwhelm others. The most commendable aspect was the perfection of his technique realm.

Dealing with ordinary Earth Realm cultivators would be more than enough.

But don't forget, although the Southern Dragon Palace had suffered greatly when facing the Seven Sons in their prime, they didn't perish.

According to the records in the treasure orb, Patriarch Qin was a perfect great cultivator of the Heaven Realm, and if he had managed to survive under his nose until now, how weak could the Southern Dragon King be?

Moreover, ten thousand years had passed, and the other party might have made further progress.

Shen Yi's rash actions had startled this old dragon, and he was worried that something might go wrong.

After all, he wasn't even close to surpassing the Southern Dragon King, let alone having any idea about breaking through to the Heaven Realm.

The Unity of Body and Heaven was most crucial in deriving one's own 'Cosmic Rules' within the Treasure Land.

Of course, this could also be called a Divine Ability.

This wasn't something learned through techniques, but it was related to the Dao Law he had comprehended during the Void Transformation Realm. To transform Dao Law into Divine Ability required exceptional talent and unwavering determination to immerse oneself in the experience.

Shen Yi hadn't comprehended any Dao Law, and even the Wuliang Dao Imperial Palace he had cultivated at the time was an incomplete version, which he forcefully modified using the Stabilizing Stone to make it barely usable.

As for the few 'Dao Laws' he had comprehended using the Stabilizing Stone, after coming into contact with the Body Tempering Divine Body Technique, he rarely used them again.

Moving too fast would inevitably lead to many oversights.

Fortunately, Shen Yi was already used to moving forward while simultaneously seeking solutions to these problems, and it was always better than standing in place and worrying.

First, collect the lifespans of demons and beasts, and go to the Mountain Moving Sect to retrieve the final technique before doing anything else.

If it's really impossible, then go find Frost Tiger and Azure Phoenix for help, and try to stack up two Heaven Realm Stabilizing Stones. At least it will help stabilize the situation for Southern Flood first.

"Let's go."

With this thought, Shen Yi lightly nodded and bid farewell to Xuan Qing. His figure then disappeared within the Nanyang Treasury.

...

At the border of Southern Flood, Treasure Flower Sect.

A group of elders stood outside the sect, bowing towards the Clear Moon Treasure Ship and expressing their gratitude, "Then we'll trouble Elder Liu."

Their Patriarch had gone to participate in the Seven Sons Assembly and was still staying at Clear Moon Sect as a guest.

A few days ago, a disciple mentioned seeing Dragon Palace's messenger demon soldiers passing by the area. With the current tense situation, no detail could be overlooked. That's why they sent a message to their Patriarch, wondering if they should investigate.

Unexpectedly, the Seven Sons were so generous that they directly sent two White Jade Capital elders over for such a minor matter.

"No need to be polite, it's all a family matter."

On the treasure ship, a middle-aged man with a slender face shook his head and returned the greeting seriously. It was Elder Liu Shiqian.

Perhaps Treasure Flower Sect didn't know that their Patriarch was staying at Clear Moon Sect because of Ji Zongzhu's visit to Western Flood. Their Patriarch wasn't just a guest there but was actually guarding the city.

In this situation, Clear Moon Sect naturally had to reciprocate and couldn't let any mishaps happen to Treasure Flower Sect.

As his words fell, the Clear Moon Treasure Ship swiftly turned and headed towards the direction where Treasure Flower Sect had previously seen the messenger demon soldiers!

"Tsk tsk, no wonder you've broken through, your words are even more calm and composed now." Chi Yang Elder looked on with a sour expression.

"..." Liu Shiqian glanced at him and smiled helplessly.

He had already wasted many years between the two cities, and after the previous incident at the Immortal Cave, it was indeed a thrilling experience.

After recovering from his injuries, he gained some insights and finally managed to overcome that illness tribulation.

Nowadays, Liu Shiqian's status in Clear Moon Sect was already comparable to Liu Xing Shan's in Celestial Sword Sect back then. If not for his indifferent nature, he would have had the qualifications to compete for the position of Great Elder.

"You know, I don't care about these things."

Liu Shiqian retracted his gaze and opened the third city, which was a mixed blessing for him.

Finally crossing this threshold, he had also reached the end of the road.

With his foundation and talent, when he first ascended to White Jade Capital, he could only see three cities even with all his might.

Now that he had opened them all, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in his heart.

From the beginning of Qi Refinement to this day, his cultivation path had come to a perfect conclusion.

"It's over..."

Liu Shiqian slowly exhaled a long breath.

"You got a good deal and now you're acting cute? Why don't you let Bai Daozi come down, and you can use the Clear Moon Treasury?" Chi Yang was jealous, and the two old friends had almost lived a lifetime together. How could the other suddenly improve so much!

But it was just a joke.

Chi Yang was genuinely happy for Old Liu. With the rising chaos, every bit of cultivation progress increased their chances of survival in this deadly game.

"Mind your own business."

Liu Shiqian glared at his old friend. If he had said this before, everyone would have taken it as a joke, but if Bai Wugaozi heard it now, no matter how magnanimous he was, he would definitely feel some apprehension.

After all, after opening the three cities, he truly had the qualifications to control the treasure land.

It's worth mentioning that even among the current Patriarchs, half of them were Three Tribulations Fusion Dao, and they would never have the chance to reach the Heaven Realm in their entire lives.

"I really hope we'll meet someone from Dragon Palace next, so we can let our Elder Liu test out the third Dao Armament."

Chi Yang laughed. Being able to be ostracized by the other elders of the Seven Sons along with Liu Shiqian was partly due to his personality, but his big mouth was also a major reason.

"..."

Liu Shiqian didn't bother to pay attention to him and instead focused his gaze on the mountain range ahead.

Treasure Flower Sect was located at the border between Southern Flood and Western Flood, a very sensitive position. If there was any situation, it might involve the schemes of Southern Dragon Palace, so they had to be cautious and careful.

With this in mind, he took out a golden platter with a crescent moon and star clusters.

This object was a treasure of Clear Moon Sect, not only capable of detecting demons and discerning energies, but also able to sense the approximate strength of demons in advance. If not for his cultivation progress, he wouldn't have been qualified to take this treasure out of the sect.

Liu Shiqian's fingertips caressed the stars, and his breath flowed into them.

The breath passed through the stars, causing them to flicker, but they soon dimmed again.

"Tsk, a wasted trip."

Chi Yang shifted his gaze away from the golden platter.

However, Liu Shiqian remained focused, continuing to scan the surroundings until all the stars had flickered once. Finally, his breath entered the crescent moon.

According to the previous situation, this crescent moon should have quickly dimmed, but at this moment, Liu Shiqian's slender face was illuminated by the moonlight, making it look a bit pale.

"..."

He seemed calm, but on the hand holding the golden platter, blue veins gradually appeared.

This crescent moon was used to detect demons comparable to Fusion Dao realm.

Both of them fell silent, watching the moon slowly turn, and using the brighter side to face behind them.

"What are you looking at? Let me see too."

A curious voice sounded in their ears, accompanied by a pungent stench.

Liu Shiqian slightly turned his head and noticed a hideous face suddenly appearing next to his own, resembling a deer and a camel with bulging lips revealing yellow teeth.

It smiled at Liu Shiqian and then turned to Chi Yang, "Who are you looking for? I can help you find them."

"Huh."

Chi Yang held his breath, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.

A great demon had appeared in Southern Flood, completely unknown to the Seven Sons. A strange Fusion Dao realm demon had appeared in Southern Flood!

Due to the recent erratic behavior of Southern Dragon Palace, several Patriarchs rarely left their sects, almost all of them guarding the Seven Sects, fearing any mishaps. Even the nearest Treasure Flower Sect didn't have a Fusion Dao realm expert guarding it.

This was indeed a wise decision.

If a fight were to break out, the Southern Dragon Palace must have full knowledge of the movements of the six Patriarchs. If they dared to make a move against the Treasure Flower Sect, aside from alerting the enemy, it would not significantly impact the outcome. It would only expose the emptiness of the Dragon Palace, allowing the Seven Patriarchs to make their judgment in advance.

However, this was considering the overall situation.

When it came to individuals, like himself...

Chi Yang pulled at the corners of his mouth, instantly realizing the fate that awaited the two of them.

"Hehe, it seems you've figured it out."

Sensing the change in Chi Yang's expression, the deer demon smiled, placing his arms on the shoulders of the two men. Then, his face suddenly turned cold, "I'll give you the time of an incense stick. I want to know all of the Southern Flood Seven Patriarchs' arrangements."

"If you satisfy me, perhaps, I might give you a chance to serve the Dragon Palace."

As he spoke, the deer demon exerted a slight force, and under the strength of his near-Fusion Dao Realm demon body, Chi Yang and Liu Shiqian's shoulder bones shattered instantly.

At such close range, the two men didn't even have a chance to summon their Dao Armaments... Even if they had, it wouldn't have made much difference.

"What are you thinking about?"

The deer demon seemed to have figured out who was the leader between the two. He turned his gaze back to the silent Liu Shiqian, taunting him, "Mute? Or scared stupid, forgetting to breathe?"

Liu Shiqian put down the golden platter and stared back, slightly furrowing his brows, "Your breath stinks, I'm holding my breath."

"..."

If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to take some news back to the Dragon Lord for a reward, the deer demon almost couldn't resist crushing the other's Dao body!

He forcefully suppressed his anger and sneered, "Do you need me to remind you that there are seven sects, six Fusion Dao Realm Patriarchs, plus the Treasure Flower Sect Patriarch, which is just enough to keep an eye on."

"Even if you abandon the Nanyang Sect and let the Treasure Flower Sect Patriarch free up her hands, how can she possibly save you from my grasp with just her own strength?"

Two?

Chi Yang instinctively looked forward, and not far away, there appeared a bat demon with a pair of wings on its back. Its equally ugly face looked down indifferently.

Another completely unfamiliar Fusion Dao Realm demon!

"Huff."

Liu Shiqian clenched the golden platter again. The appearance of two demons comparable to the Fusion Dao Realm in the Southern Flood indicated that the Southern Dragon Palace was already preparing to make a move.

However, relying on his own strength, even though he had reached the pinnacle of his cultivation journey, he couldn't even manage to send a message back.

This was undoubtedly a bit disappointing.

"Leave one alive."

Just then, the bat demon seemed to have realized something. It stretched out its hand and pointed at Chi Yang, "Leave him, that's enough."

"No! If you're going to kill, kill us both!"

Chi Yang suddenly panicked. If Old Liu died, he couldn't keep the secret. Damn it, this old demon was quite perceptive.

"Fine."

The deer demon didn't waste any more time and opened its mouth wide, intending to swallow Liu Shiqian whole.

Just then, Liu Shiqian saw the deer demon's yellow teeth shatter instantly, and its entire face seemed to have gained an invisible weight. Its high cheekbones cracked, and its skin became blurred.

Following that, in its eyes filled with shock and confusion, its entire body uncontrollably fell to the ground.

Boom—

Amidst the intense rumbling, the entire mountain ridge suddenly cracked open!

"Who?!"

The bat demon watched as the mountains were suddenly engulfed in shadows, and it immediately looked up and roared.

Then, it saw the sinister black clouds, and within them, a white robe embroidered with golden Nanyang patterns stood out starkly.

The youth stood with his hands hanging by his sides, his fingers slightly bent.

Without any fluctuation in his aura, the bat demon's body underwent the same transformation as the deer demon. The indestructible demon body emitted cracking sounds, and its pair of fleshly wings flapped desperately, but to no avail. Its entire body fell without any resistance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The already cracked mountain ridge now collapsed downward!

The two great demons roared frantically in the abyss, but they couldn't make any movements, as if pinned down by an invisible Divine Mountain. They could only watch helplessly as their bodies were crushed into a pool of flesh.

Shen Yi bent his fingers again, collecting the two pools of flesh into his finger ring. Only then did he retract the black clouds and approached the two elders.

"I'm in a hurry, let's get to the main point."

"..."

Liu Shiqian and Chi Yang hadn't fully recovered from the previous events, and the two great demons comparable to the Fusion Dao Realm completely disappeared from the world.

Even when they were caught by the great demons earlier, they hadn't been so disoriented. They stared at the youth before them, unsure if they were seeing things.

Main point? What could be more important than what just happened... more terrifying?

"Elder Liu, go to Western Hong."

Shen Yi didn't think the previous events were worth explaining. When An Yi killed the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion Master, it wasn't much more difficult than this.

To be honest, an Earth Realm cultivator at the peak of their cultivation fighting these two demons at the initial stage of the Earth Realm was no different from the White Jade Capital killing a Void Transformation Realm cultivator.

Shen Yi took out a golden ledger from his finger ring, "Follow the aura, and someone will explain the situation to you when you arrive... Rest assured, it's good news."

He temporarily didn't plan to reveal his connection with the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, not even to the elders of their allied sect.

"Okay, good news..."

Liu Shiqian was still in a daze. He didn't understand what could be more important than reporting what they had just witnessed to the Patriarchs.

Two great demons, just vanished without a trace, as if they were slaughtered like pigs and dogs, wasting their power.

The one who made the move was the youngest of the Southern Flood Seven Patriarchs.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end