Chapter 568: Who Ate the Pie You Painted, Qi Laoda?

Chapter 568: Who Ate the Pie You Painted, Qi Laoda?

"What's going on here?"

As Ji Jingxi rose into the sky, she felt the intense fluctuations in the energy of the heavens and earth, and looked around in surprise.

As a cultivator at the Heaven Realm, she and Zixian had long sensed the anomaly, but within a short time, the changes in the energy had reached a level that shook the entire Western Flood Domain, indicating that this was not a simple confrontation between Heaven Realm powerhouses.

They were fighting to the death!

This was an obvious fact, and it wasn't what Ji Jingxi wanted to ask about. What she truly sought was the reason and the identities of the two parties involved.

After all, cultivators were still human, and it was impossible to create something out of nothing. To achieve breakthroughs in their cultivation realm, they had to consume vast amounts of heavenly resources and treasures, transforming them into their own formidable power.

This meant that, especially for Heaven Realm powerhouses, each of them undoubtedly had a massive and well-structured power behind them, along with countless vassals providing support.

Every time they took action, they had to consider the life and death of these supporters.

Few could act recklessly and receive support, just as the various Immortal Sects tested their disciples, requiring them to prove their responsibility for the lives of the creatures in the sacred land before truly being given the opportunity to take over that sacred ground.

People like Li Xuanqing were ultimately in the minority.

For two Heaven Realm powerhouses to fight to the death, there must be irreconcilable conflicts, and it had reached a point where it couldn't be dragged on any longer. It was impossible for there to be no signs or warnings.

"..."

But at this moment, facing Ji Jingxi's question, Zixian's face was filled with bewilderment.

She had gathered almost all the information about the Western Flood Domain, yet she had never discovered any signs of such a "conflict" among them.

Moreover, judging from the energy fluctuations, one of the parties involved was Qi Zhaoyang, the Fourth Prince of the Western Dragon Palace.

He wasn't competing or fighting, but instead guarded his own territory and had decent strength, exuding a sense of transcendence from the mortal world. How could he have such a significant grudge with someone?

"No, I have to go and see."

Zixian quickly took out her conch shell, her expression unchanged, but Ji Jingxi still detected a rare sense of panic in her voice.

"..."

Ji Jingxi sighed softly, vaguely understanding the situation.

Although she wasn't clear about the Eastern Dragon Palace's intentions, the Eastern Dragon King sending Zixian over was undoubtedly to gain control of the Western Dragon Palace.

Among the Heaven Realm powerhouses in the Western Flood Domain, more than half were these Dragon Sons, and it was estimated that one of them had taken action today.

If a Dragon Son were truly killed, the Western Dragon King would most likely awaken and regain control of the Western Flood Domain, at least to help his own son avenge his grudge.

This also meant that all of Zixian's efforts might come to nothing.

The Southern Seven Sons didn't have much reliable support in the Western Flood Domain, and Zixian was undoubtedly one of them. If the Western Dragon King took back the resources that the other party had painstakingly accumulated, the Seven Sons would truly have no channels to gather information in the Western Flood Domain.

"Let's go together, I'll feel more at ease with you by my side."

Ji Jingxi turned to look at Shen Yi, and when it came to the battle between Heaven Realm powerhouses, she couldn't help but assume the role of an elder protecting her juniors.

"Alright."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, glancing at the numerous prompts that appeared on the panel, his gaze settling on the most eye-catching one.

[Slain Heaven Realm Jade Horned Silver Dragon, total lifespan of 710,000 years, remaining lifespan of 320,000 years, absorption completed]



There were nearly thirty panel prompts in total, and as Shen Yi prepared to leave the Western Flood Domain, his foundation reached a new peak.

[Remaining Demon Lifespan: 501,000 years]



Indeed, they were the elite under the Dragon Sons.

Not counting the previous 260,000 years, this wave alone was comparable to the entire Crystal Phoenix Clan.

With this unexpected fortune, when the deputy palace lords returned, Shen Yi would have more than enough confidence to return to the Southern Dragon Palace.

The only thing that disappointed him slightly was that there was still no new item on the panel... Could it be that the large seal missing from the throne when the Ten Thousand Demon Hall enveloped the Southern Dragon Palace wasn't formed from demon lifespans?

Or perhaps even such terrifying demon lifespans were still insufficient to form that small seal.

If it were the latter... even Shen Yi's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

Throughout the entire Hongze, there were only a few great demon clans comparable to the Crystal Phoenix Clan and the Frost Tiger Clan. Outside the once-abundant sacred land, under the immense demand for demon lifespans, it now seemed a bit embarrassing.

Even if he could truly gather that many, would the Immortal be blind to let him sweep through Hongze and leave it empty?

"Hmm."

Shen Yi adjusted his thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

Two Jade Horned Silver Dragons had indeed been slain, but he couldn't afford to be careless with the aftermath. Even with many demon lifespans, he still needed to stay alive to use them.

With this in mind, he turned his gaze towards Zixian.

At this moment, the renowned Jade Mountain Dragon Consort was solemnly mobilizing her subordinates, and beneath the seemingly calm waters, more than half of the Western Dragon Palace's spies had been activated within a short time.

The vast land and waters of the Western Flood Domain, coupled with the energy fluctuations from the battle between Heaven Realm powerhouses, already covered an incredibly wide area. To find the specific location quickly, it wasn't an easy task.

Even with Zixian's control over the Western Flood Domain, her eyes still showed a hint of anxiety.

"..."

Shen Yi raised his eyebrows slightly and looked towards the horizon, his entire body exuding a chilling aura.

Upon seeing this, the two women were slightly taken aback and looked in the same direction.

Their eyes narrowed slightly.

Four streams of pitch-black light gracefully swept across the sky, heading north.

"The Demon Mansion."

Ji Jingxi and Zixuan exchanged a glance, both having witnessed a similar escape technique before. Even with their strength, they couldn't stop the black light.

But at this moment, even Shen Yi could trace their movements, indicating how relaxed and arrogant these demons were, not even attempting to conceal their tracks.

Until the black light completely disappeared into the clouds, heading north.

Only then did Shen Yi rein in his aura, furrowing his brows slightly as he glanced in the direction from which the black light had come.

"That's the direction of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion."

Zixuan noticed that this young Sect Master Shen hadn't uttered a word from start to finish, but his thoughts were sharp, and he had come to the same conclusion as her.

"As expected, it's those damnable demons again!"

As the Jade Mountain Dragon Consort, she rarely lost her composure like this, but now she was furious.

She was aware of the cruelty of these demons, but she never imagined they would dare to attack the Dragon Son of the Western Dragon Palace's Heaven Realm, and even succeed!

They had almost ruined her grand plan!

"Follow me."

Zixuan led the way, not wasting energy to stop the black light, something even Ji Jingxi couldn't do. Their cultivation was similar, so the outcome wouldn't be much different.

Soon, under the guidance of the Jade Mountain Dragon Consort...

The three of them quickly arrived at a shocking scene of ruins and broken walls. In the murky waters, a faint fresh blood scent lingered, and as it rippled, a hint of dark red emerged.

The entire Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion, a sacred ground, had its Clan Defense Array shattered by the aftermath of a clash between Heaven Realm powerhouses. The grand welcoming platform was now reduced to ruins, and one could even catch a glimpse of the interior of the sacred ground.

Not a single living being was left inside, making it eerily desolate.

"When gods fight, mortals suffer."

Ji Jingxi closed her eyes, having experienced so much that she didn't feel any particular compassion. Moreover, the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion had a grudge with the Southern Hong Seven Sons, and even if they hadn't been annihilated today, the Seven Sons wouldn't have let these people off.

She was merely sentimental, feeling a bit emotional.

She could guess that the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Pavilion, upon discovering the battle outside the sect, would have tried to protect his sect, even using sacrificial rituals, but ultimately failed to do so in the aftermath.

"Outside the inner gate, there are still many living beings in the sacred ground..."

Ji Jingxi looked at Zixuan.

"I know. Even without them, I must first take control of this place."

Zixuan sighed, accepting the reality.

With the innate talent of the Purple-Bearded White Dragon clan, she clearly sensed that in this area, there was only the blood of Dragon Palace people, and no other traces.

In other words, the Demon Mansion had killed Qi Zhaoyang without even suffering any injuries.

This situation had exceeded her control. She must first appease the Western Dragon Palace, and then quickly seek help from her father.

She never expected that the Eastern Dragon Palace's plan, which had been in the works for a full ten thousand years, would be foiled by a mysterious force.

As she finished speaking, Shen Yi quietly withdrew his gaze. He had brought Zixuan here for this very statement.

Wu Jun had taken Liu Shiqian back to Southern Hong, but this sacred ground couldn't be moved. To prevent the creatures here from bearing the brunt of the Dragon Palace's anger, someone needed to step in.

Not to mention... it was no wonder that in the Immortal Cave, the Sect Master of Nanyang wanted to chat with that Zi Lan.

These Purple-Bearded White Dragons were indeed quite useful.

"I won't keep you any longer."

Zixuan turned to look at Ji Jingxi, and although she was reluctant, she could distinguish the urgency of the matter.

She wanted to avenge the Southern Hong Seven Sons, seek justice for the innocent beings who had died over the past ten thousand years, and prevent similar incidents from happening again. Hongze needed a truly capable Immortal to protect it, not someone who had been banished to the border due to a mistake and only thought about ascending to the heavens and getting rich.

The Immortal of Hongze's thoughts were not with Hongze at all. He had no compassion for this land and water, to be precise; he didn't even acknowledge this land and water in his eyes. Otherwise, how could he have taken the Immortal Court's salary without doing any work?

He used the salaries meant to support Immortal officials to curry favor with various powers and enjoy the rewards they offered.

He possessed the White Rhino Divine Seal but lacked the virtue to wield it.

"Be extra careful."

Ji Jingxi nodded lightly and then added seriously, "If help is needed, the Southern Hong Seven Sons are not ungrateful."

"Take care of yourselves first," Zixuan said with a guilty shake of her head. If the Western Dragon King truly returned to the Dragon Palace, she alone wouldn't have the strength to protect Southern Hong.

"However, the Western Dragon Palace probably doesn't have time to deal with Southern Hong's affairs now."

After saying this, she lifted her head and glanced at Shen Yi with a hint of annoyance. Lowering her voice, she said, "You be careful too. Nanyang Sect doesn't produce good people."

"..."

Shen Yi averted his gaze, pretending not to have heard.

He didn't want to get involved in the jealousy and competition between this peculiar Dragon Consort.

"Nonsense."

Ji Jingxi glared at Zixuan, feeling annoyed. The two of them could have been the closest of sisters, but the other party always wanted to take their relationship further, which was truly vexing.

She waved goodbye to Zixian and then took out another treasure ship, leading Shen Yi back to Southern Hong.

...

"You seemed a little tense just now."

"It's fine, I'll get over it."

The exquisite yet simple Clear Moon treasure ship glided across the vast waters, with two tall figures standing side by side at the bow.

Ji Jingxi gazed at the gradually familiarizing scenery around her, helplessly chuckling, "Now I know what fear is. Why didn't I think things through more carefully before causing trouble?"

It was rare for her to see Sect Master Shen display such a cautious attitude as before.

But it wasn't just Shen Yi; even she herself was now extremely wary of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall.

That Green Phoenix from earlier, even if it needed to be killed, should have been dealt with by her. After witnessing such a ruthless scene, how could one not worry about this young Sect Master?

"Let's head back to the sect first."

Shen Yi swiftly changed the topic, realizing that the Clear Moon Sect Leader's thoughts were indeed sharper than others. Speaking too much might reveal something unintended.

It wasn't that he didn't trust this senior; it was just that the other party had an extremely close relationship with the Eastern Dragon Palace. Regarding the matters of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, there was indeed no need to inform the allied sects.

"Hmm."

Ji Jingxi also retracted her gaze, as she was not someone who particularly enjoyed small talk.

Closing her eyes, she slightly sensed the underwater movements. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, "They've even sent their spies here. It seems they're truly getting anxious."

Crossing that line, they returned to the Southern Flood's land.

With the conch shell's message, the news quickly spread back to the Southern Dragon Palace.

"Brother Qi, they're all back now. What about your people?"

Wearing a crown with pendant and dressed in luxurious attire, the Dragon Demon personally poured a cup of fine wine, giving his opponent ample face. But the subsequent slight push of the wine cup with his fingers revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.

His words were extremely sincere, and the heart-devoted followers he had cultivated for many years were all at the Dao Fusion Realm, ready to die at any moment.

Not to mention dealing with the Southern Hong Seven, using them to harass the Treasure Flower Sect and those powers would definitely not be a problem. It would undoubtedly cause considerable trouble for the Southern Hong Seven.

But until now, not a single bear or bat demon from the Southern Dragon Palace had been seen.

Later, he even mentioned the Frost Tiger of the Heaven Realm and the numerous Green Phoenix Great Demons who had reached the completion of Dao Fusion... The Crown Prince of the Ke family was almost full from eating their food.

Across the square table.

"Tsk."

The aged Jade Horned Silver Dragon slowly raised his eyes, staring at the wine cup. Despite trying to conceal it, a hint of anger flashed in his pupils.

When he first arrived in Southern Hong, even if he had acted extremely decadent and lazy, the Southern Dragon Palace would not dare to show him the slightest disrespect.

Because everyone knew that this seemingly incompetent dragon consort, who was controlled by the Dragon Consort, actually had a temperament that far exceeded people's imagination.

But at this moment, even though he showed anger, the Crown Prince of the Ke family remained quietly waiting for a response.

Whether it was the incompetent fool who boasted or the future Western Palace Crown Prince who had endured for many years, this matter was still up for debate.

What's the point of enduring it alone?

"Old Seven, Old Seven."

The eldest of the Qi family closed his eyes, and a hint of ferocity appeared in his expression.

He truly hadn't expected that his most trusted brother would handle the matter in such a way.

Collecting his thoughts, he sent another secret letter to the Western Flood.

Then, he extended his sharp dragon claws, picked up the wine cup, and drained it in one gulp. Afterward, he exhaled a long breath, reopened his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, "You don't need to worry about my people. When it's time for them to step forward, they will never let you down."

"If you want to fight, then fight."

With a crisp cracking sound, the wine cup in the eldest of the Qi family's palm shattered into pieces.

His eyes revealed a fierce gaze, "We can fight right now!"

"..."

The Crown Prince of the Ke family slightly averted his gaze and said nonchalantly, "That's also true. Including Brother Qi and my brother who just broke through, it's three against three, and the advantage is with us, the Southern Dragon Palace."

Although the number of Heaven Realm powerhouses was the same, the Southern Dragon Palace's greatest advantage was this water domain. Once the numerous formation arrays that had been dormant for countless years were activated, ordinary cultivators would not have the ability to harm their foundation.

On the contrary, the Dragon Palace could slaughter those immortal sects and their vassals without restraint.

"But it's better to find a reason and test the waters first."

"Hmm? Why didn't you include your father? I remember the Southern Dragon King seemed to have come out just a few days ago."

The eldest of the Qi family sensed something amiss.

The Crown Prince of the Ke family glanced at him, smiled, but did not respond.

"So that's how it is."

Qi Zhaoyi lazily leaned back in his throne and self-mockingly smiled, "I'm still thinking about how to secure the Crown Prince's position, and you're already considering how to prove to your father that you have the ability to manage the Dragon Cavern. You've waited too long and are getting anxious."

As his words fell, he yawned, "Speak, what's the reason?"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince of the Ke family poured himself a cup of wine and said calmly, "If I remember correctly, the Southern Dragon Palace also invited a certain sect leader of the Seven Sons to a banquet. Since he's already returned, why not choose a day and make it today? Let's set a date."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end