Chapter 579: The Complex Situation
Chapter 579: The Complex Situation
"Roar!!!"
The deafening roar shook the mountains and seas, causing the azure waves to surge violently and crash against a towering mountain.
On the mountain, panicked cultivators scrambled, their faces contorted with fear. Some maintained their composure, manipulating the great formation in hopes of offering some resistance.
However, most of the cultivators took out their lifesaving artifacts, purchased at great cost, in a desperate attempt to cling to their last shred of life amidst the demon plague. Even those who were stewards or elders of the sect, revered by thousands, and whose entire families resided there, were not exempt from this desperation.
In the face of the terrifying might of a Fusion Realm demon, all rational thought was abandoned.
But what life could there be, and how could they cling to it?
The muddy waves effortlessly shattered the formation on the mountain, sending the cultivators manipulating it flying. Their mouths and noses filled with sweet and pungent blood, and in the blink of an eye, they were on the verge of death, their breaths faint.
Without the protection of the formation, those who had taken to the skies with their artifacts were swept up by the demonic power, their precious artifacts shattering one after another amidst the cracking sounds.
With just one roar, a minor sect, once renowned in Nan Hong and backed by the Seven Sons of Nan Hong, was almost completely annihilated.
This was the overwhelming slaughter of ordinary beings by a Fusion Realm demon.
"What a thrill! What a thrill!"
The demon, only a few dozen feet long, resembling a leopard but with three heads, laughed maniacally, "Delicious medicine! All into my belly!"
In the Western Flood, these sects were backed by Immortal Sects, and their connections were so entangled that it was impossible to untangle them. Even before it could finish devouring the beings here, those old Immortals would arrive on their flying swords, leaving it no chance to act so recklessly.
It had felt wronged by the Western Dragon Palace, which had driven it away without any explanation to this desolate wilderness where even birds didn't relieve themselves.
But this place was not just any wilderness; it was a long-neglected medicinal garden filled with fragrant human-shaped herbs, and not a single guard was in sight!
The leopard demon scanned its surroundings and recalled that there were over a thousand similar sects, not including the unrecorded wild cultivators. Its eyes glistened with greed.
It wasn't just itself who had been driven to Nan Hong; others had too, and it needed to act fast, or others would reap the benefits.
With this thought, the demon leaped into the sky without hesitation. It lowered its heads, opening all three mouths simultaneously, and with a sucking sound, a putrid wind ravaged the land for hundreds of miles, sweeping up mountains and seas along with countless beings, sending them straight into its mouths.
"..."
Amidst the wails filling the sky, the sect leader stumbled to the mountain peak, not daring to intervene. Merely resisting the suction had exhausted his entire cultivation.
With his last ounce of strength, he knelt, raising his palms above his head. In his grip was a small, exquisite token.
The token bore the image of a crescent moon.
The old man abruptly kowtowed, his hoarse voice carrying despair as it echoed across the peak, "Clear Moon's protection! Demons, disperse!"
Upon hearing this, the leopard demon paused, its side heads turning to scan the surroundings, and its devouring momentarily halted.
The old man's plea was quickly swallowed by the raging wind, like the moonlight dissipating from the token, barely escaping before being crushed by the crimson demonic power.
In the face of a Fusion Realm demon, the decree from a White Jade Capital elder seemed so feeble, almost pitiful.
"Hahaha!"
After a brief moment of daze, the leopard demon let out a chilling laugh from its throat, "You Southern barbarians are quite amusing."
"..."
The old man lifted his head slightly, his white hair fluttering, gazing at the moonlight dissipating at his fingertips. The last glimmer in his eyes faded, and his face grew more desolate.
He held no grudge against the Seven Immortal Sects.
Although the Seven Sons of Nan Hong had been reclusive in recent years, they had indeed provided protection under the watchful eyes of the Nan Long Palace.
But now, at a level where they could barely protect themselves, they had no time to spare for these minor branches.
Nan Hong was about to fall—
Just then, as he witnessed countless disciples of the sect being sucked into the gaping maw, the old man, unable to resist the suction, was lifted into the air. Only his lifeless eyes widened slightly.
His gaze was suddenly overtaken by a dark shadow.
In the desolate azure sky, a furry arm slowly emerged, a sight that shook the heavens. The rough hand opened and closed its five fingers, grabbing the leopard demon.
The demon's laughter abruptly stopped, transforming into a piercing shriek under the immense force.
"Old Ape! These are the treasure herbs I found! How dare you shamelessly try to snatch them!"
"Let me go at once!"
As the force intensified, the leopard demon's three heads simultaneously bit and tore at the hand, stripping away the flesh to reveal the white bones beneath.
But as it chewed, it realized the taste was off.
Moreover, the hand, a mix of flesh and bone, seemed impervious to pain. Instead of loosening its grip, it tightened cruelly.
"Brother Ape, I'll leave these treasure herbs to you. I'll go elsewhere... I'll go elsewhere..."
Facing this unusual turn of events, the leopard demon felt a chill down its spine. Its cultivation was already inferior, and now it instinctively retreated.
In response, a disdainful chuckle echoed from the depths of the sky, "Hmph."
At that moment, the leopard demon realized the old ape had no interest in the cultivators; it wanted to take advantage of the chaos to devour it.
"You forced my hand!"
In this situation, where was there any room to think about the human body's treasure herbs? It immediately mobilized its demon power, intending to fight for its life against the old ape demon.
At this grand feast of Nan Hong, if the other party were injured, they would undoubtedly be one step behind.
Only by making this ape demon feel that it wasn't worth the effort could he have a chance to escape with his life.
Before the words had even finished, the leopard demon didn't notice that behind him, a meticulously crafted feather blade was silently stabbing towards him. Even the old ape demon intentionally loosened his finger gaps, leaving space for the feather blade to pass through.
Pfft—
Scalding demon blood splattered onto the furry fingers.
In the moment the leopard demon turned back in shock, the accumulated terrifying demon power within the feather blade finally erupted, and the dense white feathers transformed into countless blades, each with a power not inferior to Dao Armament. They spread within the leopard demon's body, frenziedly stirring its flesh and blood.
The longest feather blade, in particular, cleanly bisected this great demon.
Across the mountains and fields, except for those who had fainted, every cultivator who could maintain consciousness had their gaze drawn to the splattered scarlet blood.
They instinctively swallowed, their faces filled with fear.
As cultivators from Nan Hong, these people had never witnessed a battle between Fusion Realm demons, let alone know why they were fighting...
Now that the leopard demon had died, it seemed even less likely for them to survive. It was just a matter of being swallowed by one belly or another.
"What's happening in this place..."
The old man stumbled back to the mountaintop, his expression turning slightly foolish. He couldn't understand where these terrifying demons had come from.
He watched helplessly as three Fusion Realm demons appeared, and the token tightly clutched in his palm quietly slipped from his grasp.
Just as the Clear Moon Token was about to hit the ground.
In the old ape demon's mind, An Yi's clear voice echoed.
"Pick it up."
"..."
The old ape demon slightly bent his finger, and his demon power stirred, causing the scattered moonlight to return to the token. The once again radiant Clear Moon Token slowly flew back into the old man's palm.
Thud.
The old man held the Clear Moon Token in a daze, watching as the furry giant arm retracted into the clouds. Instantly, the entire sky became incredibly calm, and the dense demon power quickly dissipated, leaving behind a scene of chaos as if nothing had happened.
He lowered his head, staring at the token in his hand, deep in thought for a long time before finally understanding.
They... were alive.
And it was because of this token, or more accurately, because of the seven great sects backing them.
Although the demon immortal who had suddenly attacked remained silent, this sect leader still understood his intentions.
Work hard, and we won't let you down.
Understanding this principle, the old man suddenly felt a surge of emotion, his arms trembling. Even in such a perilous situation, the Seven Sects remained the same!
"Follow me and pay respects to the Immortal Sect!"
With this thought, he raised his arm and called out, leading the numerous surviving cultivators in a collective bow towards the sky.
"Hmm?"
Far away in the sky, a hurriedly approaching figure froze in mid-air.
The Azure Sea Sect Leader looked down at himself in disbelief. To search for Shen Zongzhuang, he had already done his best to conceal his aura.
Could it be that he was getting old, and his cultivation had declined, allowing even these ordinary cultivators to sense his presence?
"Tsk."
The Azure Sea Sect Leader shook his head and continued forward.
The perception range of Earth Realm cultivators was indeed vast, but it also depended on the comparison. In the vast expanse of Nan Hong, it was absolutely impossible to predict crises solely through perception.
Not only Earth Realm, but Heaven Realm cultivators faced the same situation.
For instance, he had indeed sensed the rampage of a Fusion Realm demon here, but by the time he rushed over, it was already too late.
He could only rely on luck, saving those he encountered and leaving the rest to fate.
Moreover, with their intervention and the assistance of the Dragon Palace, the information obtained from those demons would increase, making it easier to avoid the Seven Sons and even set up ambushes to kill them!
But the scene before him didn't seem fake.
These vassals of the Seven Sects had indeed survived, and they seemed to have retained their strength.
There was no way anyone else could have saved them.
"I think I've found Shen Zongzhuang."
The Azure Sea Sect Leader took out his Dao Tablet and began sending messages within the sect, also intending to ask what was happening.
...
The Seven Sects of Nan Hong maintained their standoff with the South Dragon King.
Both sides stared at each other from a distance.
Ye Jiu repeatedly tested the waters, but each time, the old dragon shamelessly reacted immediately, denying him any chance to fight.
This Sky Sword Sect Leader was too sharp.
Compared to a direct confrontation, the South Dragon King preferred a slow and painful approach, even at the cost of his life.
The progress of these cultivators far surpassed that of demons, reaching levels that would take demons tens of thousands of years in just a few tens of thousands of years. As a price, they not only had to endure the trials of heaven and earth but also faced limitations step by step.
More importantly, their strength was closely tied to their Dao Mind.
The old man Qin, aside from matters concerning his beloved disciple, was indeed calm and steady, with a stable and unbreakable Dao Mind.
But not every cultivator had such a temperament.
Like Ye Jiu, his killing intent was fully exposed, and his sharpness was even more pronounced. As a Heavenly Sword, if he were to be constantly restrained and hidden, without being allowed to vent his murderous aura, he would soon be affected.
Therefore, he could only become a sword in Old Man Qin's hand.
Like now, Ye Jiu's cultivation had reached the peak among the Seven Sons, but he was completely unsuitable to take the helm. Qi Yansheng, on the other hand, was stable, but his strength couldn't suppress Ye Jiu.
It wouldn't be long before they started infighting.
"How is it? Have you received any news from your subordinates?"
The South Dragon King opened his eyes and glanced at Qi Zhaoyi beside him. For such a minor matter, the other party actually handled it so poorly that it was unbearable to watch, and it even slightly diminished his confidence in Western Flood.
"I'm still thinking of a way."
Qi Zhaoyi forced a smile and raised his head, explaining, "It should just be an accident. With so many Great Demons gathered, some conflicts are normal. Anyway, there are enough of them, and Elder Cold Mountain is stabilizing the situation. I just need to guide them slightly. Once they discover the richness of Nan Hong, this situation will definitely not happen again."
"Is that so?"
Although Qi Zhaoyi's words were reasonable and well-founded, and indeed, there was nothing to fault.
But the Cole Family Prince still glanced at him with a hint of strangeness in his voice, and then his gaze fell on the conch shell in the other's hand.
If he remembered correctly, this thing hadn't made a sound for several days.
"It's best if there are no accidents." The Cole Family Prince withdrew his gaze.
"You haven't taken your uncle Cole's position yet, so speak a little more politely." Qi Zhaoyi looked at him with a forced smile, but the conch shell in his hand wasn't silent. It was just that the news it conveyed was something he couldn't bring himself to say, so he had to order his subordinates to investigate immediately.
The South Dragon King remained silent and looked into the distance.
Logically, when two sides are in a stalemate, if one side loses ground, the other should be delighted.
But at this moment, the three people guarding outside the Seven Sects had equally complex expressions.
"He said he seems to have found him."
Ji Jing Xi put away her Dao Tablet and finally heaved a sigh of relief. At least she had obtained some news, even though she hadn't truly brought Shen Yi back yet.
It was better for the Seven Sons to receive this news first rather than the South Dragon Palace.
She really couldn't imagine what kind of determination this group of Dragon Demons would have to kill Shen Yi if they knew his true identity.
"That's good."
A faint smile appeared on Qi Yansheng's slightly gloomy face.
This was probably the only piece of joyful news he had heard in recent days.
Just then, his face changed slightly, and he took out his Dao Tablet to listen carefully.
After a moment, Qi Yansheng raised his head, and his eyelids twitched slightly, "You found him too?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Jiu abruptly turned around, full of surprise. Just as he was about to ask something, he realized that his Dao Tablet was also trembling.
He hesitated for a moment, then clenched his palm tightly, forcibly suppressing the impatience in his heart, "Don't tell me you've also found Shen Yi's tracks?"
On the other side of the Dao Tablet, Deng Xiangjun was stunned for a few breaths, "How did you know?"
"I know your grandmother's leg!"
Ye Jiu finally cursed, his three junior brothers had gone in three different directions to search, each separated by thousands of miles, and all of them had found Shen Yi's trail, yet they hadn't even seen a strand of his hair.
A bunch of damned beasts, they obviously knew that Shen Yi had left the sect and were spreading confusion here.
They understood the implications of this better than anyone.
The South Dragon Palace was trying to blind their eyes, and since the opening of the sect, they had encountered countless talented and extraordinary individuals, all of whom were surpassed by that young Sect Leader!
"You can continue to squat here like a tortoise!"
"Ye can't take it anymore!"
"..."
Qi Yansheng was inexplicably scolded, and pointed at, even with a good temper, he felt a surge of anger at this moment.
He was already extremely worried, and now he felt it was absurd.
How could he have predicted that Shen Yi would quietly leave?
"Fine, fine, then let's fight. We'll listen to you, Ye Zongzhu. Qi has been holding back for these years, and I'm sick of it. Fight! Let's put everything on the line for the Seven Sons, whether they live or die!"
Qi Yansheng abruptly stood up, his face darkening.
Watching the sudden outburst between the two senior brothers, Ji Jing Xi had actually expected it. Even without today's events, these two people with completely opposite personalities would still argue.
"All of you, sit back down."
Ji Jing Xi closed her eyes, her voice light but carrying an undeniable tone.
Only when Nan Yang is not around can the brilliance of Clear Moon be revealed.
"What's the matter, aren't you the most worried about Shen Yi? Are you afraid to fight?" Stripped of her Fusion Realm giant's facade, Ye Jiu, who had held back for a long time, was like a mad dog, wanting to bite everyone.
However, Ji Jing Xi remained unmoved and said calmly, "Whether we fight or not, at least let Deng Shixiong finish speaking."
The remaining two finally reacted, realizing that Deng Xiangjun hadn't cut off the connection between the Dao Tablets.
At this moment, the other party was emitting a perplexed voice, "Hmm? I feel like something's not quite right."
"What's going on, don't keep us in suspense." Qi Yansheng adjusted his breathing and said in a deep voice.
"The direction of Xuan Yue City seems off, I need to go take a look... This is Nan Yang Sect's territory, if Sect Leader Shen comes out, he will definitely come here too. Let me take a look first!"
After saying this, Deng Xiangjun directly cut off the Dao Tablet connection, leaving the three with complex expressions staring at each other.
(End of Chapter)
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