https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-561-The-Mighty-Beast-of-the-War-Celestial-Realm/12628220/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-563-The-First-Confrontation-in-the-Celestial-Realm/12628237/
Chapter 562: Settling the Score
Chapter 562: Settling the Score
Gulp. Gulp.
The low growl, laced with blood and a hint of trembling, betrayed the rage of the Heavenly Realm demon beast.
Once on par with An Tingfeng, the young cultivator was now utterly powerless against Yu Shan Longfei, a cultivator of the Heavenly Realm. He could only watch helplessly as she effortlessly gripped his throat, his life hanging by a thread at the mercy of the woman.
Now that he had attained the Heavenly Realm, he faced an opponent of the Earth Realm.
He should have been the one looking down on his prey, indifferently watching as his victim scrambled for their life. After toying with them sufficiently, he would then cruelly end their life and swallow them both, along with An Yi.
However, even after using his innate divine ability, An Tingfeng couldn't even touch the corner of the young man's clothes. Instead, he found himself impaled through the throat.
The stark contrast between his imagination and reality was too much to accept.
"Last time, that despicable creature protected you... This time, you're protecting that despicable creature..."
An Tingfeng covered his throat, letting out a muffled laugh. In an instant, he turned his head, his face contorting grotesquely as his eyes turned scarlet. "Can you protect her?!”
As he moved, his towering figure transformed into a robust, fur-covered demon tiger. Its arms bulged with muscle, and its sharp claws tore through the dark clouds, slamming into Shen Yi with immense force!
Among the five Daoist weapons, the Black Armor and the Phoenix Origin were the weakest due to the power gap between the Hall Master and the rest.
The Black Armor was slightly better, as there was a Yin Underworld Mang in the Ten Thousand Demon Northern Hall, but it still hadn't transcended the level of a Chaos Heaven Soldier.
Now, even with the support of Nanyang Treasure Land, the Black Armor, shimmering with cold light, shattered like dry twigs under the palm of the Heavenly Realm demon beast.
The dark golden hair crown, fragile as jade, cracked and dissipated.
Shen Yi's hair was left in disarray.
The entire sky canopy shook violently, as if that palm strike hadn't landed on him but was meant to bring down the heavens themselves!
The effect of the God-Subduing Mountain, stabilizing the sky, reached its peak.
The nameless mountain within Shen Yi's body also stirred, infusing his limbs and bones with vigor.
Beneath the shattered Black Armor, his black-robed sleeves released the knife handle. His sturdy arms, like white jade spears, pierced through, carrying the might of the heavens, and plunged into the body of the massive tiger demon.
Even in his true form, An Tingfeng was still larger than Shen Yi. A minor wound from Shen Yi's arms was nothing compared to the terrifying stream of xuanjing golden light extending from An Tingfeng's slashed neck.
However, as a chill rose in Shen Yi's eyes, he clenched his fingers tightly around An Tingfeng's muscles.
He stood on the clouds at the edge of the sky, an invincible mountain between heaven and earth. In the next moment, a vast force surged from his arms, and he forcibly lifted the tiger demon that blotted out the sky!
"Roar!"
An Tingfeng had never imagined such a turn of events. He roared, struggling to break free from Shen Yi's grip, but as he did so, an indescribable sharp pain emanated from his chest.
His sleek and shiny fur was torn apart, and the flesh and blood underneath randomly separated under the immense force.
Boom—
Shen Yi mercilessly slammed An Tingfeng towards the clouds below.
The tiger demon raised its head, its neck stiff from the xuanjing golden light, unable to lower its head. It fell in an awkward posture, like a falling star, whistling as it plummeted through the clouds.
It stared fixedly at the slender figure, finally noticing a trace of exhaustion on Shen Yi's face.
Stimulated by the intense pain, An Tingfeng let out a manic, muffled laugh. "Heh! Heh!"
Even heavily injured, he still had the strength to gamble with his life.
"It's my turn! Finally, it's my turn! When my family reunites, there will be a place for you too!"
"Huff."
Shen Yi's breathing was erratic, and the darkening sky mirrored his state.
He squatted slightly, his scarlet arms resting on his knees, his dangling fingers trembling.
Beneath his hair, his pitch-black eyes remained calm as he stared back at the tiger demon.
An Tingfeng's words fell on deaf ears; they were like white noise to Shen Yi.
This was because, in the direction where the tiger demon was falling, a killing intent that Shen Yi had been suppressing finally emerged. It manifested in the form of a stone statue that appeared exactly where it was needed.
"...”
An Yi wanted to breathe rapidly, but her entire being was still as stone.
She suppressed her emotions, focusing on hiding herself even better.
A family reunion? Perhaps there was a better way than ending up in that man's stomach.
In an instant, her black horse-face skirt fluttered.
An Yi's eyes turned into vertical pupils, and her petite figure soared into the sky. She rammed into the falling tiger demon, precisely piercing its torn chest.
Like an arrow, she impaled herself into An Tingfeng's heart, causing his expression to freeze.
The body of a Heavenly Realm demon beast was exceptionally robust. Rampant demonic energy and scorching blood raged within, capable of crushing almost anything.
An Yi had reached the peak of the Earth Realm.
However, faced with the rampaging demonic energy, her stone-like body began to crumble, and fine cracks appeared even on her delicate face.
Yet, in her vertical pupils, only one thing remained in focus—the vibrant heart within her reach.
"Despicable creature! Get out of me!"
An Tingfeng roared and thrust his claws into his chest, trying to grab the tiny but lethal figure.
He couldn't understand where he had wronged this ungrateful creature, prompting it to risk its life to exhibit such murderous intent, seemingly willing to trade its life for his.
"Hu—"
An Yi finally exhaled, then raised her palms. Sharp claws extended from her fingertips as she ruthlessly drove them into the heart, unleashing all her demonic power!
Boom!
Accompanying the dull sound of flesh and blood exploding, the robust demonic power surged through the heart, instantly flooding An Tingfeng's viscera. A torrent of blood poured down in a rainstorm, and his muscular demonic body fell powerless onto the floating island.
His eyes bulged as he stared into nothingness, his front claws twitching a few times. Even as his breath ceased, he still seemed to want to grasp something.
After a long while, a petite figure, drenched in blood, staggered to her feet from within the mangled flesh.
An Yi stared blankly at the corpse at her feet, confirming that its temperature was rapidly fading. She stumbled away from the corpse, then raised her blood-red face, cracked with fissures, and gazed blankly at the horizon, her slit pupils regaining their limpid and round appearance, reflecting a hint of bewilderment.
"..."
Shen Yi had no interest in discussing the meaning of life or offering guidance to a young girl who had just avenged her father's death.
Town Stone only needed to follow his orders; there was no need for philosophical complications.
He retracted his arms and slowly stood up, a hint of fatigue in his voice as he said, "We're even now."
Upon hearing this, An Yi remained silent for a long time before bending down and bowing, softly saying, "Thank you, Mister Shen."
"You should change how you address me now."
Now that they were even, Shen Yi saw no need to stand on ceremony with her. He stepped onto the floating island and began inspecting his gains.
In front of the massive tiger's corpse, two figures, one tall and one short, stood side by side. Their black robes and horse-face skirts were soaked in blood, a fearsome sight.
"Hu."
Shen Yi sat cross-legged and turned his gaze towards An Yi.
He had initially been concerned that even with the combined efforts of her entire clan, he wouldn't be able to break through to the Heavenly Realm. Now, it seemed his worries were unfounded.
The gains from this trip to West Hong might prove to be the most useful so far.
A Heavenly Realm Town Stone might not be as powerful as a divine ability, but it could tangibly impact the situation in South Hong.
['Slain Heavenly Realm Demon Beast, Bright Moon Frost Tiger, total lifespan of 670,000 years, remaining lifespan of 460,000 years, absorption complete']
['Remaining demon beast lifespan: 920,000 years']
Shen Yi raised an eyebrow at the prompts that appeared on the panel.
Hmm, judging from the lifespans of the demon beasts he had slain before, this Frost Tiger Clan Leader was surprisingly one of the younger generation.
The longer the demon beast's lifespan, the better.
God-Subduing Mountain's stabilization of the heavens had just begun, and he hadn't even started cultivating the divine ability he obtained from Yue Tianji. These abilities were major consumers of lifespan, not just for him but even for giant cultivators of the Harmonious Realm who would struggle to master them.
Aside from abilities, the blanket suppression of the South Dragon Palace by the Myriad Demon Hall during his breakthrough to the Harmonious Realm also required a large amount of demon lifespan to sustain.
There was also the temporarily missing Great Seal, which might be related to this as well.
However, as his strength increased, Shen Yi found that he was able to absorb the lifespans of these Harmonious Realm demon beasts much faster.
"Come."
Shen Yi nodded slightly, gesturing to An Yi.
Of the four Hall Masters, only Wu Jun was absent, and the remaining three each had their own thoughts as they looked outside.
Among them, Yue Tianji, the newest addition, was the most astonished as he listened to Ke Shisan and Yu Lan's conversation. What did they mean by breaking through to the Heavenly Realm from the Earth Realm was easy? In his many years in North Hong, he had consumed his fair share of pills and elixirs bestowed by immortals, but he had never heard of anything so bizarre.
He felt like the odd one out among his colleagues from West and South Hong.
The next moment, Shen Yi's consciousness stirred, and the massive tiger corpse swiftly transformed into a sea of blood that enveloped An Yi.
The cracks on her body were instantly repaired, and her skin became increasingly supple. Her originally pale lips gradually turned a vibrant red.
It was as if the blood energy had become too rich for her to absorb.
Only when the sea of blood completely permeated her stone body did these changes cease.
An Yi stood quietly, her flushed face returning to its original pallor. Aside from her longer hair, there weren't any noticeable changes. However, the aura she exuded was now even more stable than that of An Tingfeng before.
"Hiss." Yue Tianji, who had occasionally wondered if he was the strongest among the four Hall Masters, immediately retracted his gaze upon sensing this aura, astonishment on his face.
"It's not—"
After processing the shock, he turned to the other two Hall Masters and asked, "Why is she the one absorbing the lifespans every time?"
Ke Shisan raised an eyebrow and reassured him, "Don't worry, your Yue family is also a prominent clan. Since they've offended our master, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. No need to be anxious."
"That sounds a bit strange," Yue Tianji said, his face reflecting his initial expectation, followed by a sense of something amiss. He sat on his throne, deep in thought.
As the Hall Masters conversed...
Shen Yi briefly observed An Yi's current strength and was about to start condensing the demon essence when he noticed her blink.
He remained silent for a moment before asking, "How do you feel?"
"A little uncomfortable, but it's manageable," An Yi replied, her eyes closed as she focused on the sensation.
"..."
Hearing these familiar words, Shen Yi directly closed the panel.
He finally understood. The "uncomfortable" the West Hall Master mentioned was completely different from the other Hall Masters; it likely meant she was just unaccustomed to this newfound power rather than being unable to withstand the Town Stone's realm.
"It must be said that Dong Long Palace has been quite generous in their support, to have nurtured a remnant soul to such a degree."
"I suppose they were trying to win over An Tingfeng."
"Go and slaughter those few Qingfeng, and find out exactly what happened while you're at it."
Shen Yi hadn't forgotten how An Tingfeng had found them. Now that he was here, he might as well stay a while.
"Yes, Master."
An Yi slowly familiarized herself with her new body before gradually disappearing from the spot.
Shen Yi sat down and began to meditate, taking the opportunity to dissipate his fatigue and further refine the two immortal techniques.
...
West Hong Border.
A man with neat attire, even the creases on both sides of his sleeves were symmetrically aligned, arrived riding the clouds.
He was the master of the Wushuang Sect, the one who had neatly arranged the stones under the tree after the Seven Sons Assembly.
Deng Xiangjun made his way towards the agreed-upon location.
Suddenly, he slightly raised his eyes, his keen senses capturing a familiar aura.
His expression immediately turned solemn as he raised his palm, and the clouds beneath his feet violently rolled, bringing him to a damaged treasure boat in just a few breaths.
"Weren't you supposed to wait for me in West Hong? Why did you come here by yourself?"
Deng Xiangjun furrowed his brows and glanced at the boat. He saw his group of disciples, all of them looking disturbed. Even Wei Yuanzhou and Zhong Xiu had lost their usual composure, their breathing uneven and rapid.
He quickly realized something was amiss. "Where's Shen Yi?!"
Su Hongxiu's lips were parched, and she finally released the white witch. The worry on her face didn't lessen as she saw Deng Xiangjun. "Senior Deng, we were intercepted by An Tingfeng of the Radiant Frost Tiger Clan on our way here. Shen Zongzu stayed behind to hold him off. I've already sent a message to Master Ji. Please go and support him quickly!"
The group of disciples remained silent.
But anyone could see the thoughts in their minds.
So much time had passed; it would be more like going to retrieve a body than providing support...
"We're still in time!"
Su Hongxiu rarely roared, "Just before we left, I saw Shen Zongzu exchange a palm strike with An Tingfeng, and he didn't lose!"
Hearing this, which sounded like a fairy tale, Deng Xiangjun didn't ask any further questions. He casually took the boat's controls from them and infused the boat with the might of a Harmonious Realm expert, causing it to surge forward at an unprecedented speed. In fact, the already damaged boat seemed on the verge of complete destruction.
However, just as they neared the agreed-upon location, the entire boat abruptly stopped.
Su Hongxiu frowned and looked up.
She saw Senior Deng knitting his brows as he stood at the bow of the boat, looking down and then back at her, seemingly perplexed.
"...?"
Su Hongxiu hurried over to him, but when she saw the situation below, she froze in place, struck dumb.
There was only one figure sitting cross-legged on the floating island, quietly meditating.
His black robe, soaked in blood, fluttered in the wind, exuding a terrifying murderous aura.
There were no other living beings around, nor was there any trace of a Harmonious Realm beast. Only the dried red-black bloodstains on the ground bore witness to the battle that had taken place here not long ago.
"Are you sure the person you met was An Tingfeng?" Deng Xiangjun asked, knitting his brows.
Judging from the distance between this place and where they had met the others, as well as the dryness of the bloodstains, the fight hadn't lasted more than an incense stick's worth of time.
It could even be described as a one-sided slaughter.
Su Hongxiu stood stiffly at the bow of the boat, one of the first disciples to get to know Shen Yi. She had personally witnessed his changes time and time again.
And it was precisely because of this familiarity that she now found this Shen Zongzu the most unfamiliar... It might sound strange, but it was Su Hongxiu's most genuine thought. She felt she understood him less and less.
"It's fine, Shen Yi is safe."
Deng Xiangjun took out the jade plaque and sent a message to Ji Jingxi.
It sounded a bit perfunctory.
But he himself didn't know what was going on, so he couldn't explain it any clearer.
(End of Chapter)
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