Chapter 561: The Mighty Beast of the War Celestial Realm

Chapter 561: The Mighty Beast of the War Celestial Realm

Outside the towering pillar that held up the sky, the Master of Banshan Zong bid farewell to Yan Chongzhang and the other elders who had accompanied him on their journey.

"To be honest, I thought they looked quite similar before, but now I'm not so sure," said Luo Changchun, standing on the exquisite treasure ship and gazing at the fluttering ink-colored robe in front of him as he spoke softly to Lin Yu.

Although the Shen Zongzhu before him shared some similarities with the mysterious young cultivator who had caused a stir at the Dragon Consort's longevity banquet, there was a world of difference in their personalities—the most crucial aspect.

The person at the banquet was clearly violent and impulsive, while this young Zongzhu before them exuded an air of restraint and gentleness, with a touch of humble gentlemanliness.

No wonder these Daoists were so close to him.

"If there's anything that requires the help of Banshan Zong, just send a message, and we will be there," Huang Zongzhu said with a bow, a hint of complexity in his cheerful smile that went unnoticed by others.

Perhaps even the founder of their sect never imagined that one day, their humble sect would have dealings with the mighty Wuliang Dao Huang Zong. It was truly an unexpected turn of events.

With no other options available, they could only pin their hopes on this Shen Zongzhu.

"Farewell," Shen Yi nodded and waved his hand, piloting the Clear Moon treasure ship in the agreed-upon direction.

As they embarked on their return journey, the Daoists fell silent, each lost in their thoughts. This trip to West Hong had broadened their horizons, exposing them to the diverse forces at play and the concept of the Daoist Soldier Registry, which was something the cultivators of South Hong had never encountered before.

However, their time here had been too short, allowing them only to observe from the sidelines without the opportunity to actively participate, which left them with a sense of regret.

The Yunhe Zong cultivators, on the other hand, were filled with curiosity as they gazed ahead.

To them, South Hong was more like a mythical place, known to all but visited by few.

They also found it hard to imagine that there existed a Xian sect powerful enough to stand against a dragon palace on its own, and that the South Dragon Palace had sought help from the West Dragon Palace to suppress the South Hong Seven.

As everyone's thoughts ran their course, the Clear Moon treasure ship sailed steadily through the sky towards the border between the two Hong regions.

Creeee!

Suddenly, two long and melodious phoenix cries rang out, only to quickly fade away.

The South Hong Daoists looked around in confusion, while Luo Changchun and the others' faces paled. "Liuli Qingfeng? What are they doing here?"

It was well known that while this group of phoenixes was powerful, they kept to themselves on distant and secluded peaks, away from the waters, due to the West Dragon Palace's dislike for them. They rarely involved themselves in the affairs of West Hong.

"Do you think the South Dragon Palace called on them?"

The elders of Yunhe Zong exchanged worried glances. Their greatest fear was that more and more forces with deep-seated grudges would get involved, turning a simple show of strength between two major powers into a chaotic mess. What was initially meant to be a peaceful confrontation might escalate into a deadly battle, or even a slaughter that would engulf all of South and West Hong.

This was why the master of Yunhe Zong wanted to enlist the help of the Purple Beard White Dragon clan to mediate a peace.

"It seems they're just passing by," Luo Changchun said with a slight relief as the phoenix cries faded, a small smile appearing on his face as he turned to Lin Yu. "I don't think so. The Dragon Palace naturally dislikes those phoenixes, so it's already good that they don't cause trouble. Why would they ask for their help?"

Lin Yu forced a smile in return, but her expression soon grew solemn.

It wasn't that she had sensed something, but she had been staring at Shen Zongzhu's back, comparing him to the person she had seen at the longevity banquet.

And in the moment when the phoenix cries faded, she noticed the pale hand protruding from the ink-colored sleeve, clenching slowly.

The next moment, the entire treasure ship seemed to freeze in mid-air, as if trapped in an invisible quagmire, unable to move an inch.

A faint scent of blood permeated the air, tinting the surrounding clouds a dark red.

Despite it being midday, the glaring sunlight was gradually obscured by the gathering crimson clouds, and moonlight shone through the cloud gaps, casting a silvery glow on the dark, undulating waters below like shimmering fragments of silver.

"...'

Shen Yi lowered his gaze to the floating island below, where all these changes were emanating from. A massive, lazy figure had appeared, its snow-white fur sleek and oily, with black stripes twisting and contorting as its muscles rippled.

A mature and powerful tiger slowly opened its eyes, its slit pupils scanning the sky.

In an instant, a sense of suffocation washed over the cultivators on the ship.

"An, Anting Feng!"

Compared to the Liuli Qingfeng clan, this tiger clearly struck more fear into the hearts of the Yunhe Zong cultivators.

It wasn't because the Haoyue Frost Tiger was more powerful, but because they were notoriously domineering and had a better relationship with the Dragon Palace.

Of course, the most important reason was that they had offended this infamous beast clan at the longevity banquet!

"Senior An..."

A few Yunhe Zong elders could sense the malicious intent in the air as they tasted the coppery tang of blood in their noses.

Upon hearing the name An Tingfeng, the South Hong Daoists also reacted with recognition. Even though they had been here for a short time, they had inevitably heard of the infamous Haoyue Frost Tiger clan.

This was a beast comparable to a fully matured Earth Realm cultivator!

However, the tiger clan didn't seem to have any dealings with the South Hong Seven, so why had they suddenly appeared out of nowhere to intercept them, as if they had planned it beforehand?

Was he really going to make a move?

After all, Master Deng of the Wushuang Sect was on his way. Even if he couldn't save them, he could still sense their residual aura and trace the identity of the culprit.

An Tingfeng wasn't some lonely recluse; he wouldn't risk the lives of his entire clan for a group of South Hong cultivators who had nothing to do with him and with whom he had no conflicts of interest.

It wasn't just a matter of following the West Dragon Palace's orders; the West Dragon Palace alone couldn't guarantee the safety of his Haoyue Frost Tiger clan.

After all, annihilating all the cultivators of the South Hong Seven was no small matter; it was equivalent to severing their lineage, something that could drive even a Giant of the Unity Realm insane.

"Sect Master Shen."

Wei Yuanzhou took a slow step forward and stood behind Shen Yi. "Master Deng will be here soon. We can try to stall this fierce tiger or reveal our identities to intimidate him."

"..."

Shen Yi and the pair of tiger eyes below locked gazes, both seeing the murderous intent in each other's eyes.

Intimidation wouldn't work on a madman.

Especially one who was almost a lone wolf, with no concerns holding him back. What could they use to intimidate him?

Moreover, the demonic aura exuding from this tiger was several times more robust and vigorous than the last time they met.

It even led Shen Yi to a heart-pounding conjecture.

A Grand Demon of the Celestial Realm.

With this thought, he retracted his aura and handed control of the Clear Moon treasure ship to Wei Yuanzhou, saying softly, "Take them and leave first."

As soon as these words came out, not only Wei Yuanzhou, who was closest, but even the few standing on the ship, looked at him in astonishment.

Did Sect Master Shen mean to face this mighty demon alone?

What a joke!

But when it came to matters involving the Unity Realm, they, as a group of juniors, couldn't come up with any better ideas.

Just then, the tiger below finally stood up slowly and transformed into a majestic human form. The familiar black and white cloak billowed once again.

"It's nice to see you again."

An Tingfeng adjusted his sleeves and slowly raised his head, a smile on his face. "That despicable creature, where are you hiding her? Or do you no longer need her protection and now have the confidence to keep your life from my hands?"

With just that one term of address, in the seat of honor in the Grand Hall of the Ten Thousand Demons, that petite figure slowly opened her eyes.

She gazed at An Tingfeng through Shen Yi's sea of consciousness, her lips pressed together as she stared at him.

Her pupils narrowed slightly in her moist eyes, and black winds suddenly rose in the Grand Hall, filling it with a sinister and murderous aura.

She didn't care about this man's opinion of her.

What An Yi cared about was his implication that she was hiding... She wasn't hiding; she wanted to pierce this man's chest with her own hands!

"Stay quiet."

Shen Yi's heart-voice was calm as he gave a command without room for discussion.

When faced with a true life-and-death crisis, he didn't hesitate to retract the rare kindness he had shown An Yi. A guardian stone was still a guardian stone and must obey orders without question.

"Keep your life?"

Wei Yuanzhou and Su Hongxiu, among others, keenly caught the implication in An Tingfeng's words.

Their faces changed immediately.

So, Sect Master Shen had already encountered this Earth Realm-perfected fierce tiger before, and that too without the South Hong Seven's knowledge, and managed to keep his life?

"I'll do my best to contact Master Deng."

Wei Yuanzhou no longer hesitated and took control of the Clear Moon treasure ship.

Since Sect Master Shen was aware of this fierce tiger's strength and still made such arrangements, he must have his reasons.

The other cultivators stood silently in their original places, while Luo Changchun and the Yunhe Sect monks forcefully swallowed their saliva. What they feared most was this group staging a life-and-death drama together, leaving a few more White Jade Capital monks behind. To a fully matured Earth Realm beast, that would be nothing more than a few extra snacks.

Passing on the message was the most important thing!

"Leave?"

"Did you let my people go when I asked you to before?"

An Tingfeng seemed to have heard a joke and chuckled twice. As far as he knew, not a single one of his clan members who had come into contact with this young monk had survived.

When it came to ruthlessness, he, An Tingfeng, was second to none.

In an instant, the black and white cloak billowed, and the fierce tiger disappeared from its original spot.

The crimson clouds in the sky scattered, and a tiger's palm the size of the sky pressed down, its claws as sharp as five towering mountains, attempting to envelop the minuscule Clear Moon treasure ship completely.

The vigorous demonic power crashed down, causing the entire body of water to strangely sink!

Under that claw, the White Jade Capital cultivators couldn't even lift their arms or place their fingertips on their brows. They froze, their gazes fixed, their bodies stiff as wood.

In the moment An Tingfeng made his move, Shen Yi finally confirmed his conjecture.

As the tiger's claw pressed down, he took a step forward, leaving the Clear Moon treasure ship. In less than two feet of distance, the figure beneath the ink-colored robe seemed to transform into a different person.

The previous gentleness and calmness disappeared, replaced by intense ferocity! The ink-colored light flowed like stars piercing the sky.

Shen Yi did not evade or yield, instead charging straight at the giant palm. As he lifted his arm, it was as if the entire azure sky responded!

His sleeves and robe billowed as his right arm, like jade, struck the tiger's palm with a force that seemed to suppress the heavens!

Boom—

A thunderous explosion rang out as the demonic power and the power of the heavens collided, causing the cultivators on the Clear Moon treasure ship to feel as if their souls and bodies were about to shatter.

As they watched in awe, two figures retreated from the azure sky above.

The towering figure of An Tingfeng staggered back more than a hundred feet, while Shen Zongzhu was sent flying back, crashing onto the edge of the Clear Moon treasure ship with a loud bang. Under the force of the impact, the entire ship skidded forward until the floating island behind them became an insignificant speck in the distance before it finally came to a halt.

Free from the grasp of the fierce tiger, the cultivators on board finally seemed to come back to life.

"He... He caught it?!"

Bai Wu jumped up from the deck, instinctively crying out in surprise.

Wei Yuanzhou reacted quickly, taking control of the Clear Moon treasure ship and speeding away toward South Hong. At the same time, he took out a jade slip and began urgently trying to contact Master Deng.

However, his mind was still reverberating from the shocking scene that had just unfolded.

Without relying on any external objects, Shen Zongzhu had effortlessly glided away, and with a single punch, he had sent a fully matured Earth Realm grand demon flying!

To this group of Daoists who knew Shen Yi, it seemed like a tale from the Arabian Nights.

"Heh! Heh!"

Su Hongxiu steadied herself and stared intently at the front of the ship, her eyes fixed on the now-empty deck. Suddenly, she murmured, "He's not here..."

Without another word, she turned and grabbed Bai Wu by the collar. "Quickly inform Master Ji! Hurry!"

Although Su Hongxiu's cultivation level was insignificant compared to those in Unity Realm, her perception of auras was more sensitive than the others.

For some reason, she had a feeling that even Master Deng might not be a match for that fierce tiger.

After all, Master Deng was held back by his talent and would never attain the Unity Realm in his lifetime, putting him far behind the sect masters of Tianjian, Qingyue, and Lingyue sects. Over the years, the gap between them had widened to the point where he couldn't even see their backs anymore. However, he had spent those years in the Earth Realm, and he had also honed his skills in Hongze, pushing all the means to enhance his power to their limits.

In theory, even if he couldn't dominate or crush his opponents, he should at least be able to hold his own in a fight.

"Okay, I'll inform Master now." Bai Wu also understood the seriousness of the situation and quickly took out a special artifact used to communicate with his master.

"It's really him... It really is him..." Luo Changchun shakily stood up and walked over to Lin Yu. "Did you see his move just now? The last time..."

That strikingly similar ferocity and decisiveness, especially when faced with a being like An Tingfeng, was something he had rarely seen in any other young cultivator.

"Now isn't the time for that," Lin Yu said, leaning on the ship's railing and anxiously looking into the distance.

Just then, in the spot where the confrontation had taken place, the entire world seemed to separate from the crimson clouds above, and the desolate blue sky suddenly seemed to gain a sense of consciousness!

...

"This shouldn't be," An Tingfeng muttered, steadying himself and curiously examining his right palm before clenching and unclenching it a few times.

After confirming his breakthrough to a new level and reclaiming his precious essence blood, he realized that the changes in Shen Yi seemed even more profound than his own.

"However, your transformation seems even more significant than mine."

An Tingfeng raised his eyes to look at the figure in front of him. When Shen Yi made his move, the aura of someone at the upper limits of the Earth Realm finally emerged without restraint.

It was truly extraordinary, perhaps even beyond the reach of any cultivator in all of Hongze... the true upper limits of the Earth Realm!

He was just a step away from the Unity Realm, and it seemed like he could easily take that step and cross over.

"What the hell are you?"

The fierce tiger finally let out a long sigh. No matter what he tried—setting up the Precious Moon Great Tomb, forcing his clan to accompany him day and night—he hadn't made any substantial progress. Yet, Shen Yi had effortlessly achieved what he desired, even helping An Yi become a grand demon comparable to the Unity Realm.

And now, in just a short time since their last meeting, Shen Yi had transformed from a mere White Jade Capital cultivator to a powerful being at the upper limits of the Earth Realm.

Not only An Tingfeng but even a heretic would be shocked to hear such a tale.

"But fortunately, after a lifetime of hardship, Heaven has finally taken pity on me and allowed me to catch you at this moment."

An Tingfeng's eyes were indifferent, but a sinister smile curled his lips, the juxtaposition making him look even more menacing.

What good was being just a step away from the Unity Realm if he couldn't take that step? Today, he would make sure that Shen Yi never got the chance to take that final step.

"..."

Shen Yi gently waved his sleeve, and the Xuan Armor appeared, tightly enveloping his body.

As he lowered his palm, the Golden Veined Long Saber flashed with a cold light.

Next, he took out the Yin-Yang Xuan Pendant.

He slightly parted his lips and swallowed the Phoenix Yuan, his already pale face taking on an even more sickly hue as his heart fire burned and stimulated the murderous intent within him.

There was a more critical reason for his direct confrontation and punch earlier—to test his strength after gaining the boost from the immortal technique.

He wanted to gauge the gap between himself and the Unity Realm, especially against a newly advanced Unity Realm being like An Tingfeng.

If the gap was too vast, he would have to find a way to escape and save his life.

But from what he could tell so far...

Shen Yi exhaled a scorching breath, his eyes gleaming with unabashed greed and cruelty.

The Immortal Technique, God Subduing the Blue Sky, was a leveraging technique. It involved transforming oneself into a divine mountain that subdues the sky, borrowing the power of the heavens, and then leveraging that power.

Although he had only recently begun practicing it and was far from mastering it, he could already coexist with the blue sky and borrow a portion of the spiritual energy of the heavens to enhance himself.

Shen Yi slightly raised his eyes, his lips curving slightly as he spoke with a hint of mockery in his voice, "Are you trying to stall for time, hoping to prolong your life a little longer?"

"Huh?"

This sound transmitted into An Tingfeng's ears, causing the majestic middle-aged man to involuntarily stiffen.

He even suspected that he had misheard.

But in that moment of distraction, An Tingfeng's vision was obscured by rolling black clouds, as if a giant peng with flapping wings was swooping down!

"You little thief!"

A great demon who had risen from slaughter would not easily lose his composure, even if he was momentarily distracted, especially since he was the one with the higher cultivation.

An Tingfeng was just a bit shocked and, at this level, he rarely encountered such despicable opponents who would use petty tricks to gain the upper hand before engaging in battle.

Wait a minute...

An Tingfeng's eyes shone with a bright white light, almost like moonlight, but he still couldn't see through the black clouds!

This bizarre phenomenon reminded him of a certain Northern Hong great clan's secret technique. Could this kid also have some connection to the Yue family's Huolin?

"Die, you scum!"

When he realized the situation was unfavorable, An Tingfeng reacted swiftly. Since his opponent had made such a move, he would definitely take the opportunity to attack from behind!

With this thought, he turned around and slapped his palm towards the back of his neck, sending his rampant demonic power crashing into the rolling black clouds, as if tearing the sky itself!

However, his palm hit nothing but air.

Under the cover of the remaining black clouds, a pair of deep eyes glinted with cold light.

Sharp, black boots stamped down heavily on An Tingfeng's calf, forcing him to instinctively bend down. At the same time, golden veins rippled like flowing water along the length of the long saber, extending hundreds of feet of black and gold blade aura, carrying an invisible, roaring heart flame, and viciously slashing at the junction between his calf and thigh.

Chi—

The black and gold light of the saber vanished into An Tingfeng's body, then reappeared as a blood-red line that split open with a soft tearing sound.

Shen Yi didn't have full confidence in killing this fierce tiger, so he wanted to cripple its legs first to make it easier to escape if he couldn't win the fight.

However, even with this strategy, the results weren't ideal.

The blood-red line became a deep gash, but the saber blade was blocked by the tiger's bones.

This demonic beast's body, born with such power, actually blocked a strike from a Daoist Soldier that surpassed the power of a Heaven Realm cultivator.

No wonder they were considered comparable to the Heaven Realm.

"Heh!"

An Tingfeng never expected that he would be the one to suffer a sneak attack first.

He staggered back a few steps, bending down to cover the wound with his hand, feeling the wet, crimson blood on his fingertips, and the searing pain as the heart flame burned into his bones.

Under the stimulation of this intense pain, a surge of rage rose from his chest.

An Tingfeng turned abruptly to face Shen Yi, only to see him already disappearing back into the black clouds, like a ghost, leaving no trace.

Within the dense black clouds, it seemed like danger lurked everywhere.

"Show yourself, you trickster!"

An Tingfeng opened his mouth wide, and a deep tiger's roar rumbled out, rolling into the black clouds.

This was the innate divine ability of the Haoyue Frost Tiger clan.

Back then, An Yi had used this move to easily crush the sect master of the Wanxiang Pavilion.

"Master!"

In the Western Palace, An Yi knew better than anyone the power of this technique, and An Tingfeng had guessed Shen Yi's position correctly, but she could only stare blankly at Shen Yi, seeing that he remained calm and had no intention of dodging.

"Release... Release An Yi..."

The next moment, the figure covered in black armor was enveloped by the rolling tiger's roar.

The Yin-Yang Xuan Pendant changed instantly, the white jade expanding to cover the entire surface of the pendant.

Crack! Crack!

Amidst the tiger's roar, the pendant quietly cracked, and the golden light returned to the Nanyang Treasure Land.

But even the residual power caused Shen Yi's eyes to widen slightly, yet he had already activated his heart flame to burn his five viscera, using this method to maintain his clarity.

"Be quiet."

The golden-veined crown sat atop his head, and his once neat hair was now slightly disheveled.

Shen Yi's originally handsome face now appeared sinister, his teeth clenched tightly, and although his teeth were white and neat, they were stained with blood. However, his hands, which tightly gripped the long saber, were steadier than ever.

When it came to killing demons, he only trusted his own judgment.

"Heh—"

An Tingfeng, in his rage, unleashed his divine ability with all his might, but still to no avail.

He glared at the rolling black clouds suspiciously, no longer daring to be careless, and finally turned to face another direction, sneering, "Where's your composure now? Are you trying to stall for time until the South Hong cultivators arrive? With your cultivation compared to mine, are you sure you want to compete in terms of endurance?"

Although his words were mocking, his eyes were filled with moonlight, not missing any changes in the black clouds.

As he finished speaking...

A figure clad in black armor stepped out from the clouds behind the fierce tiger.

The young man moved silently and swiftly.

His indifferent eyes fixed on An Tingfeng's unprotected neck.

In an instant, the azure sky seemed to dim.

All the light converged on the blade of the saber.

Shen Yi held the saber with both hands, and the remaining black clouds seemed to form a great cloak, like black mist, as he cleanly and decisively stabbed the saber forward!

Puchi—

With the power of the azure sky, the saber pierced straight through, specifically avoiding the vertebrae, and ruthlessly penetrated An Tingfeng's neck, the sharp blade emerging from his throat.

In an instant, blood splattered, staining An Tingfeng's clothes and his hands, which had risen instinctively to cover the wound.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end