Chapter 552: Let's Talk Business First

Chapter 552: Let's Talk Business First

In the ancestral hall, Xuanqing felt the world regaining consciousness, and that familiar presence was approaching him.

He suddenly felt a sense of apprehension, nervously tidying the disorderly branches on his body before standing respectfully in place. With a slightly choked voice, he said, "Disciple Xuanqing, respectfully welcoming the arrival of the Sect Master."

"…."

Shen Yi descended slowly, observing Xuanqing's behavior and paused slightly, taken aback.

It couldn't be, could it? This senior was someone who could remain calm and composed even in the presence of so many powerful seniors. Could it be that just by achieving the Unity of Self and Heaven, he had brought him to tears?

Something was amiss.

Shen Yi shook his head, suddenly remembering something. The only reason he could think of for Xuanqing's loss of composure was probably related to the matter of transcending the Five Tribulations.

This incident might become a lifelong mental barrier for him.

Never mind, he thought. I'll talk about the specifics of the bitter tribulation after I find a way to make up for his lost dao palace.

If Xuanqing were to find out that he was just one step away from completing the Five Tribulations, he would probably either bash his head against the ancestor's statue in shame or immediately turn into another Yue Tianji.

It would be deliberately cruel to tell him now.

With this in mind, Shen Yi gently patted Xuanqing's shoulder in comfort and said, "Now is not the right time. We'll talk about it later."

"..."

Xuanqing stared blankly at the hand on his shoulder, then shifted his gaze back to Shen Yi. He stood there as if struck by lightning, his expression frozen, without any extra movement.

Not the right time? What did that mean?

Perhaps it wasn't the right time to reveal his identity or share his plans with them.

So, what were those plans? Surely it wasn't to... take care of a disciple who was not doing well, even if that disciple angered an immortal and committed a grave sin. Was this master going to return and vent his anger on his behalf?

"Disciple, I understand," Xuanqing said, suddenly feeling at a loss. He wanted to wipe his face, but halfway through the motion, he lowered his hand again, and his words became incoherent. "Xuanqing won't ask, Xuanqing doesn't know anything, didn't see anything."

He just couldn't understand it. When the body merged with the earth, the soul merged with the heaven, and the spirit merged with the dao, the master was once a Heaven Realm cultivator and one of the best among them, just a step away from the Dao Realm.

But even if the master regained his cultivation or even took that final step, how could he possibly offend an immortal, let alone that purple-bearded white dragon that had ascended to the heavens?

And instead of taking revenge, he now wanted to be a dao acolyte, quietly serving by the master's side.

"..."

Seeing Xuanqing's strange reaction, Shen Yi raised his eyebrows, slightly puzzled.

What's wrong with him? he thought. It's as if I'm about to kill someone with silence.

Shen Yi was well aware of what could be revealed to others. For example, achieving the Unity of Self and Heaven was impossible to hide, but something like using the town stone to transcend the tribulation needed to be kept discreet, which was why he went to the Law Pavilion to open the Fifth City.

"Never mind, I have to go out again and may not be back for a while. Pass on my message to the other Sect Masters—that old dragon has emerged."

Shen Yi indeed didn't have time to linger. Since Ke Shisan had found the two great demons from the Western Flood, and he himself had been severely injured from being glanced at by the rhinoceros, he had to handle this matter personally.

Of course, he would remind the Alliance Sect before leaving.

Although he didn't know much about the Flood, he knew that the deepest palace in the Southern Flood belonged to someone, especially since the rhinoceros artifact seemed to be partly responsible for guarding the Southern Flood.

Only after truly breaking through the Unity of Self and Heaven did Shen Yi realize the gap between himself and the older generation of demon cultivators in the Flood.

The Four Tribulations were considered the perfection of the Earth Realm, and he had also made up for the missing bitter tribulation. In terms of cultivation alone, he surpassed all Earth Realm cultivators. Considering that there was no other Five Tribulations cultivator in the Flood, calling him the first person below the Heaven Realm wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However, the downside was that the foundation of Nanyang Baodi was insufficient compared to other blessed lands, and Shen Yi's current means were somewhat lacking.

When it came to the level of Unity of Self and Heaven, the techniques he could use were the Town Mountain Technique and the rare Divine Mountain Technique.

With such a limited and low-grade repertoire, the only commendable aspect was the perfection of his technique realm.

It would undoubtedly be more than enough to deal with ordinary Earth Realm cultivators.

But don't forget, South Dragon Palace, in its heyday, faced the Seven Sons and suffered greatly, but they didn't perish.

According to the records in the treasure pearl, Qin Zongzhu was a perfect Heaven Realm grand cultivator. The fact that South Dragon King survived under his watchful eye until now meant that he couldn't be that weak.

Moreover, ten thousand years had passed, and the South Dragon King might have made further progress.

Shen Yi's previous rash actions had startled this ancient dragon, and he was worried that it might cause some problems.

After all, he wasn't just talking about defeating the South Dragon King; he hadn't even figured out how to break through the Heaven Realm himself.

When the body merges with heaven, the most crucial aspect is to derive one's own "rules" within the blessed land.

Of course, it could also be called a divine ability.

This wasn't something that could be learned through a technique; it was related to the Daoist law he had comprehended during the Returning Void Realm. One had to use the Daoist law to create divine abilities, requiring exceptional talent and unwavering determination to immerse oneself in the experience.

Shen Yi hadn't comprehended any Daoist law; he had only cultivated the incomplete version of the Infinite Dao Emperor Palace. He had forcefully modified it with the town stone to make it barely usable.

As for the few "Daoist laws" he had comprehended using the town stone, he rarely used them after obtaining the Tempering Body Spirit Technique.

When one advanced too quickly, it was inevitable that many gaps would appear.

Fortunately, Shen Yi was used to moving forward while simultaneously looking for solutions to the problems he encountered along the way. Whether or not he succeeded in the end, it was still better than standing still and worrying.

First, he would collect the lifespan essence of demons and monsters, then head to the Moving Mountain Sect to obtain the final technique.

If all else fails, he could seek help from Frost Tigers and Green Phoenixes, attempting to create two Heaven Realm town stones, which would at least help Nan Hong stabilize the situation for the time being.

"Let's go."

With that in mind, Shen Yi nodded slightly, bidding farewell to Xuanqing, and his figure disappeared within the Nanyang Baodi.

...

At the border of South Hong, Baohua Zong.

A group of elders stood outside the sect, bowing towards the clear moon treasure ship and expressing their gratitude. "Then we shall trouble Elder Liu."

Their sect master had gone to attend the Seven Sons Assembly and was still staying at Qingyue Zong as a guest.

A few days ago, some disciples claimed to have spotted Dragon Palace's messenger demons passing by the area. In the current tense situation, no detail could be overlooked, so they sent a message to their sect master to ask if they should investigate.

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

"There's no need for formality; this concerns all of us."

On the treasure ship, the slender middle-aged man shook his head and returned the salute solemnly. He was Elder Liu Shiqian.

Baohua Zong might not know that their sect master stayed at Qingyue Zong because of the Ji sect master's trip to West Hong. Their sect master was not merely a guest but was fulfilling the duty of guarding the area.

In this situation, Qingyue Zong naturally had to reciprocate and ensure the safety of Baohua Zong.

As his words fell, the Qingyue treasure ship swiftly turned and headed towards the direction where Baohua Zong had spotted the messenger demon!

"Tsk tsk, as expected of someone who has broken through. Your demeanor has become even more calm and composed." Chi Yang glanced over with a hint of sourness.

"..." Liu Shiqian shot him a look and smiled helplessly.

Having lingered at the Two Cities realm for many years and experiencing the life-and-death situation at Xianren Cave, it had indeed been thrilling.

After recovering from his injuries, he had gained new insights and finally managed to overcome the sickness tribulation.

Now, Liu Shiqian's position in Qingyue Zong was comparable to Liu Xing Shan's status in Tianjian Zong back in the day. If not for his indifferent nature, he would have had the qualifications to compete for the position of Grand Elder.

"You know I don't care about those things."

Liu Shiqian retracted his gaze as he opened the third city. This development was a mixed blessing for him.

Finally crossing this threshold, but also reaching the end of the road.

With his foundation and talent, when he first stepped into White Jade Capital, even with his utmost effort, he could only glimpse three cities.

Now that he had opened them all, he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

From the start of his cultivation journey to this day, his path of cultivation could be considered perfectly concluded.

"It's over..."

Liu Shiqian exhaled slowly.

"You're being smug, aren't you? What's the matter? Do you want to bring White Daoist down and use the Qingyue treasure ground yourself?" Chi Yang's teeth itched with jealousy. They had been difficult brothers for almost a lifetime, and now the other had suddenly risen!

But it was all in good fun.

Chi Yang was genuinely happy for Old Liu. In the midst of the rising chaos, every increment in cultivation increased one's chances of survival in this deadly game.

"Watch your mouth."

Liu Shiqian glared at his old friend without any good humor. In the past, when he said such things, everyone would have taken it as a joke, but now, if White Daoist heard it, he would definitely feel apprehensive, no matter how magnanimous he was.

After all, with the opening of the third city, he truly had the qualifications to control the treasure ground.

It must be known that even among the current sect masters, half of them had only achieved the Three Tribulations Unity, never reaching the threshold of the Heaven Realm in their entire lives.

"I really hope we'll encounter someone from Dragon Palace so that Elder Liu can test out the third Taoist weapon."

Chi Yang laughed it off. Being able to be squeezed out with Liu Shiqian by the other Seven Sons elders was partly due to his personality, but his big mouth was also a significant factor.

"..."

Liu Shiqian ignored him and turned his gaze towards the mountain range in the distance.

Baohua Zong was located at the border between South Hong and West Hong, a sensitive position. If there was any situation, it would likely involve the schemes of South Dragon Palace, so they had to be extra cautious.

With this in mind, he took out a heavy golden plate with a crescent moon and a cluster of stars.

This object was a treasure of Qingyue Zong, capable of detecting demons and discerning their energy, and it could even sense the approximate strength of demons and monsters. If not for his improved cultivation, he wouldn't have been qualified to bring this item out of the sect.

Liu Shiqian's fingertips brushed over the stars, infusing his energy into them.

The energy flowed through the stars, causing them to flash before dimming again.

"Tsk, all this running for nothing."

Chi Yang shifted his gaze away from the golden plate.

However, Liu Shiqian remained focused, continuing to scan the surroundings until all the stars had flashed once, and the energy finally flowed into the crescent moon.

According to previous experiences, this crescent moon should have quickly dimmed as well, but at this moment, Liu Shiqian's slender face turned slightly pale under the moonlight.

"..."

He seemed calm, but the veins on the hand holding the golden plate began to bulge.

This crescent moon was used to detect great demons comparable to the Unity realm.

Both men fell silent, watching the moon turn slowly, using the brighter side to point behind them.

"What are you looking at? Let me see as well."

A curious voice rang in their ears, accompanied by a putrid stench.

Liu Shiqian slightly turned his head and found a hideous face pressed right against his own, resembling a deer or a camel. The thick lip was turned outwards, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

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

"Heh."

Chi Yang held his breath, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.

A great demon had appeared in South Hong, and the Seven Sons were completely unaware!

Due to the recent erratic behavior of the South Dragon Palace, the sect masters rarely left their sects, almost always guarding the Seven Sects, worried that something unexpected might happen. As for Baohua Zong, which was closest to this place, there was no Unity realm expert stationed there either.

This was indeed a wise decision.

If a fight were to break out, the South Dragon Palace would have to be aware of the movements of all six Sect Masters. If they dared to make a move on Baohua Zong first, aside from alerting their targets, it wouldn't significantly impact the outcome and would easily expose the Dragon Palace's weakness, causing the Seven Sons Sect Masters to make their move prematurely.

However, this was in terms of the overall situation.

When it came to individuals, like himself...

Chi Yang tugged at the corner of his mouth, instantly realizing the fate that awaited him and his companion.

"Hehe, it looks like you've figured it out."

Sensing the change in Chi Yang's expression, the deer demon smiled slyly, draping his arms over the shoulders of the two men. Then, his face suddenly turned cold, and he said, "Give me a stick of incense's time, and I want to know all of the current arrangements of the South Hong Seven Sons."

"If I'm satisfied, perhaps I can give you an opportunity to serve the Dragon Palace."

As he spoke, the deer demon applied a slight amount of force, and under the might of his quasi-Unity realm body, the shoulder bones of Chi Yang and Liu Shiqian shattered instantly.

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

"What are you thinking about?"

The deer demon seemed to realize which of the two was the decision-maker, and he turned his gaze back to the silent Liu Shiqian, taunting him, "Cat got your tongue? Or are you so scared that you forgot to breathe?"

Liu Shiqian put down the golden plate and met his gaze, furrowing his brows slightly. "Your breath stinks. I'm holding my breath."

"..."

If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to get some information to bring back to the Dragon King for a reward, the deer demon would have lost control and crushed the man's Dao body right then and there!

Suppressing his anger, he snarled, "Do you need me to remind you that there are seven sects, six Unity realm Sect Masters, plus the Baohua Sect Master, which is just enough for us to keep an eye on all of you?"

"Even if you were to abandon Nanyang Zong and let the Baohua Sect Master intervene, with just her alone, how does she plan to save you from the two of us?"

Two?

Chi Yang subconsciously looked forward, and not far away, he saw a bat demon with a pair of wings growing from its back. Its equally ugly face had a pair of eyes that indifferently looked down at them.

Yet another unfamiliar Unity realm demon!

"Huu."

Liu Shiqian clenched the golden plate in his hand again. The presence of two Unity realm demons in South Hong meant that the South Dragon Palace was preparing to make a move.

However, with 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 regrettable.

"Leave one of them."

Just then, the bat demon seemed to realize something, and he pointed at Chi Yang, "Leave him, that should be enough."

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

Chi Yang suddenly panicked. If Elder Liu died, he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut. Damn it, this old demon was good at seeing through people.

"Alright."

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

At that moment, Liu Shiqian saw the deer demon's yellow teeth shatter, and then, as if something invisible weighed down on its face, its high cheekbones cracked inch by inch, and its flesh became a blurry mess.

Following that, as it looked on in shock and confusion, its entire body uncontrollably fell to the ground.

Boom—

Amidst the violent rumbling, the entire ridge suddenly collapsed!

"Who?!"

The bat demon looked up at the mountains, now shrouded in shadows, and roared.

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

The young man stood with his hands hanging by his sides, and with a slight flick of his finger...

Without any fluctuation in his aura, the bat demon's body underwent the same changes as the deer demon. The indestructible demon body creaked and cracked, and its flesh wings flapped desperately, but to no avail. Its body fell to the ground, completely unable to resist.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The already broken ridge continued to collapse downward!

The two great demons roared madly in the abyssal valley, but they couldn't do anything. It was as if they were being pinned down by an invisible divine mountain, and they could only watch helplessly as their bodies were crushed into a pool of bloody mush.

Shen Yi flicked his finger again, collecting the two piles of mush into his thumb ring, before retracting the black clouds and swooping towards the two elders.

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

"..."

Liu Shiqian and Chi Yang hadn't recovered from the shock of what had just happened, and the two Unity realm demons had completely vanished from the face of the earth.

The two men, even when they had been captured by the demons earlier, hadn't been as dazed as they were now. They stared at the young man before them, unsure if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Main point? What could be more important and terrifying than what they had just witnessed...

"Elder Liu, go to West Hong."

Shen Yi didn't think the previous incident was worth explaining. Back then, when An Yi killed the Wanxiang Pavilion Master, it hadn't been much more difficult than this.

To be honest, using an Earth Realm perfect cultivation to defeat these two early-stage Earth Realm demons was no different from White Jade Capital killing a Refining Void cultivator.

Shen Yi took out a golden book from his thumb ring, "Follow the aura and go there. When you arrive, someone will tell you what's going on... Rest assured, it's good news."

He didn't plan on exposing his relationship with the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, not even to an Alliance Sect Elder.

"Okay, good news..."

Liu Shiqian was still in a daze, and he didn't understand. What could be more important than reporting what he had just seen to the Sect Masters?

The two Unity realm demons had just disappeared without a trace, as if their deaths were as insignificant as slaughtering pigs and dogs.

The person who had made his move was none other than the youngest of the South Hong Seven Sons Sect Masters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end