Chapter 581: Southern Flood, You Must Follow the Rules

Chapter 581: Southern Flood, You Must Follow the Rules

Xuan Yue City was under the jurisdiction of the Nanyang Sect, one of the few vassal forces willing to provide a haven for mortals.

Precisely because of this, the vast territory under its command, consisting of three hundred cities, led to frequent conflicts with demons. Fortunately, with the protection of the Tian Jian Sect, no major incidents had ever occurred.

The only unexpected event happened when the Tian Jian Sect handed over Xuan Yue City to the Nanyang Sect. Ke Jia's seven dragon grandsons' turtle demon had set his sights on the city lord's daughter, attempting to force her into marriage and nearly turning the city into a demon's lackey.

Fortunately, Shen Zongzhu personally intervened and quelled the storm.

As more news reached him, Yin Qizhang watched as the young sect leader ascended to the heavens, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other sect leaders.

During the Seven Sons Assembly, the young leader demonstrated a shocking ruthlessness, securing his position as sect leader by slaying Tian Jian Sect's Elder Liu Xingshan.

This was a great blessing for Xuan Yue City.

Logically, under the protection of such a young and talented sect leader, Xuan Yue City's future should have been smooth sailing.

However, he never imagined that the Southern Flood would transform so drastically in such a short time.

"Hmm."

In the city lord's mansion, Yin Qizhang leaned back in his chair, his hands repeatedly rubbing the letter from the Immortal Sect. Despite having read it countless times, even to the point of memorization, he still refused to put it down.

Yin Yajun looked at the cold green tea on the table and slowly walked over to replace her father's cup.

"It's not necessary, I'll go out and take a look."

Yin Qizhang slightly raised his palm, closed his eyes, and silently recited the words from the letter: "Be extremely cautious."

He stood up, a hint of bitterness on his face.

As the only White Jade Capital cultivator in this place, Yin Qizhang understood better than anyone the severity of the situation that prompted the seven great sects to send such a message.

These seemingly useless four words were all he could do at the moment.

"Father..."

Yin Yajun hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Can't even Shen Zongzhu protect us?"

When she was carried into the sedan chair by the turtle demon, she caught a glimpse of the ink-clad figure.

Later, she had the fortune of accompanying her father to the Seven Sons Assembly.

At the assembly, the young man's ink-black robe was replaced by a loose Nanyang white robe, sitting majestically on the heavenly stairs, leaving onlookers in a daze.

She found it hard to imagine that there was anything this young sect leader couldn't accomplish.

Upon hearing this, Yin Qizhang's body slightly froze, pondering for a long time without a response, only managing a helpless smile.

This letter represented the intentions of the seven sect leaders, and Shen Zongzhu, whom Xuan Yue City relied on, was the most inexperienced among them. If even the Southern Seven Sons were helpless, Shen Zongzhu would likely be at a loss.

"Let fate take its course."

Yin Qizhang stepped out of the main hall, trying to maintain an optimistic attitude, but the reality was that if a demon plague were to strike, Xuan Yue City, much larger than other vassal forces, would undoubtedly be a juicy target for demons.

Thinking of this, he rose into the air, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

For some reason, perhaps due to the immense pressure he felt, Yin Qizhang, a cultivator of profound cultivation, rarely felt a chill, prompting him to instinctively tighten his robe.

Taking a deep breath, when his palm touched his collar, he finally realized something was amiss.

He bent his fingers and wiped them under his nose, seeing the glaring red on his fingertips, he discovered that due to this inexplicable chill, blood had flowed from his nostrils, freezing into a crystalline state before it could even drip down.

"..."

As one of the four top vassal forces under the Nanyang Sect, Yin Qizhang had encountered countless terrifying demons. But at this moment, he stared blankly at the vast ocean behind Xuan Yue City.

After seeing the endless expanse of empty waters.

His blank stare quickly turned into shock and fear.

Yin Qizhang quickly turned around, looking sadly at the three hundred cities behind him, his body suddenly hunched over.

Apparently, Xuan Yue City had caught the attention of demons, yet they didn't even have the qualification to see them!

"Now... what should I do to be careful..."

Yin Qizhang muttered, his hoarse voice filled with bewilderment and despair.

At the same time, in the vast waters beyond sight, a withered figure descended slowly from the sky, his tattered robe fluttering in the wind. His slightly dirty feet dangled, and his strange toes gently touched the water's surface.

In an instant, an invisible ripple spread across the water, freezing the emerald waves into hideous claws!

In the blink of an eye, a thousand miles were frozen.

Crack, crack, crack—

Accompanied by teeth-chattering sounds, it was as if a Cold Mountain had appeared out of thin air!

As the frosty aura swept across, taking the lives of all aquatic creatures in its path, it headed towards Xuan Yue City at a visible speed.

The ancestor stepped on the ice mountain, walking neither fast nor slow.

The auras of those creatures gathered from the ice, flowing into his feet, infusing his withered body with vitality.

"Let me remind you, the Old Ancestor is truly hungry, don't tempt me further."

He turned his head and looked towards a certain direction, his mouth splitting open to reveal a set of unpleasant teeth, his laughter carrying a hint of sinister glee.

In the direction the Cold Mountain Ancestor was looking, one couldn't tell how far away it was.

Behind Deng Xiangjun, five white flames encircled her in a wheel-like formation, swirling and transforming into a terrifying sea of fire that engulfed everything in sight. Within this sea of fire, the frozen waters beneath her feet quickly melted.

However, she could only affect a range of a few hundred li, providing herself with a safe foothold.

If she went any further, even this white sea of fire would solidify like a solid entity.

"I'll remind you as well, this is the territory of the Southern Seven Sons."

Deng Xiangjun stepped out from the flames, her face contorting into a hideous expression that hadn't been seen in many years: "I am indeed just a casual pill for you to consume, but my senior brother and junior sister are still alive."

She had thought she had already accepted the loss of some vassal forces.

But when she witnessed how efficiently the Heaven Realm Greater Demons slaughtered ordinary creatures, a surge of rage welled up within Deng Xiangjun.

With just this Cold Aura Spell, not to mention Xuan Yue City, if the opponent wanted to devour all the vassals of the Nanyang Sect, nearly a million cultivators, it would be as simple as taking a few more steps forward.

"Then..."

The Cold Mountain Ancestor slowly retracted his smile, speaking calmly: "Let them come over."

After saying this, he gently tugged at the corner of his lips and walked forward quietly.

The Old Ancestor, having descended from Cold Mountain, was determined to devour half the world to dispel the dissatisfaction in his heart.

This strongest Greater Demon of the Western Flood, on his first trip down the mountain, had shown the Southern Flood what true power was.

As for the people Deng Xiangjun mentioned...

Chi—

They were merely prisoners trapped by the Southern Dragon Palace, with no chance of escape. If they had come earlier, they might have had a chance.

Moreover, he had intentionally destroyed the Dao Token on Deng Xiangjun's body, and the time he bought was enough for him to eat and drink his fill.

Within Xuan Yue City.

Under the invasion of the cold aura, Yin Qizhang, who was in the sky horizon, trembled all over but refused to descend to avoid the cold.

He didn't waste any more effort and just stared intently at the vast expanse of water.

At least... at least he could witness with his own eyes how he and the others would die.

Soon, a streak of azure blue entered Yin Qizhang's line of sight, like an enormous beast rushing towards him, engulfing everything around and becoming a part of its body.

A distance of thousands of li was covered in an instant.

This majestic and towering mountain of ice completely filled Yin Qizhang's vision, and in front of it, living beings seemed so insignificant.

And at the foot of the mountain, the emerald waves transformed into claws that finally reached the land!

Like a ferocious beast leaping out of the water, it stepped onto Xuan Yue City, and then, unstoppable, it crushed and devoured everything on the ground.

Yin Qizhang almost saw how they would die.

Under the intense cold aura, his breathing became rapid and he nearly fainted, until a burst of crackling sounds rang out by his ear!

Crack! Crack! Crack! He clenched his neck, his veins popping out, forcing himself to keep his eyes open.

But what he saw was a thin, ragged figure atop the ice mountain, appearing at some unknown time, dressed in tattered clothes, yet his demeanor carried the aura of a king overlooking his domain, dignified and aloof.

As for the cracking sounds, they came from the land's edge, where the ferocious glacier claws, upon climbing onto the land, shattered one after another.

Even the "soldiers" of this Glacier Lord had places they couldn't step on?!

Boom! The next moment, the encroaching cold aura suddenly reversed, and the entire frozen body of water shattered, including the massive and majestic Cold Mountain, which sank downwards! The Cold Mountain Ancestor's body swayed slightly.

This subtle movement caused his aura of ruling over the heavens to dissipate.

Yin Qizhang suddenly felt much better, his hand loosening its grip on his neck as he stared blankly upwards.

He saw a slightly thin figure standing in the air in front of Xuan Yue City and its three hundred subordinate cities... no, to be precise, in front of the Nanyang Sect's numerous vassal forces!

A slightly thin figure stood in the air in front of Xuan Yue City and its three hundred subordinate cities... no, to be precise, in front of the Nanyang Sect's numerous vassal forces!

The body-hugging dark armor he wore emitted a chill more intense than the glacier, and his ornate crown held back his flowing hair. Under his slightly swaying locks, a young and handsome face remained calm, showing neither joy nor anger.

Pitch-black clouds like ink billowed in the wind, resembling a cloud-like cloak! Within a three-hundred-li radius around him, it was as if a separate heaven and earth had formed, impenetrable to demons.

"Sect Leader Shen..."

Yin Qizhang clearly lowered his hand, but suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.

Even though the person had changed their appearance, any cultivator who had attended the Seven Sons Assembly would remember this familiar face.

According to the letters sent by the Southern Seven Great Sects, this person shouldn't be here.

But now, Sect Leader Shen had indeed arrived.

And whether it was an illusion or not, Yin Qizhang always felt...

In front of Sect Leader Shen, the tattered Greater Demon atop the glacier still carried the aura of a king, but even a king would have to bow before the heavens.

"Are you kidding me?"

Deng Xiangjun, who had arrived late, stared in the direction of Xuan Yue City.

Apparently, it was indeed her who had found Sect Leader Shen, not the other two senior brothers.

But when Deng Xiangjun saw him with her own eyes, she began to doubt if she had found the wrong person.

The image he had of Shen Zongzhu was not as intimidating as this, and it gave him the eerie feeling that the other party was subtly suppressing Cold Mountain Ancestor!

Moreover, only a short time had passed since their last parting.

"..."

Cold Mountain Ancestor silently observed the changes in the land where water met land. After confirming that his divine ability was blocked and unable to break through that mysterious barrier, he finally heaved a sigh.

"Little friend, I've come a long way as a guest. Won't you even offer me a bite to eat?"

He lifted his gaze to the indifferent figure above, solemnly cupped his hands, and once again revealed his rotten teeth, "Is it not in accordance with etiquette?"

Cold Mountain Ancestor was indeed unwilling to become the vanguard for Dragon Palace, attracting the majority of the Southern Seven Sons' hatred.

After all, no one wanted to be the last victim of a dying beast's bite; that was a life-threatening matter.

But this didn't mean that, having been sent by Western Dragon Palace, he would just stay put in Southern Flood if he couldn't return. He wasn't going to sit idly and do nothing until a turning point arose in the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, then slink back to Cold Mountain, which had already been destroyed.

To suppress him to such a humiliating extent, at the very least, would require Ye Jiu to personally intervene; even Qi Yan Sheng couldn't do it.

It was definitely not something a young Earth Realm cultivator could achieve by relying solely on profound arts.

"The old ancestor abides by etiquette with you."

Cold Mountain Ancestor slowly clenched his fists, a hoarse laugh escaping his lips, "Does the little friend wish to do the same?"

In just a few words, a chill of killing intent emerged from his laughter.

Apparently, Cold Mountain Ancestor had already made his decision. Whether or not a life-and-death struggle would unfold depended on how the young sect leader responded.

"..."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Yi silently looked down at the hunched figure below.

Under the watchful eyes of Yin Qizhang and Deng Xiangjun.

The dark armor contrasted with Shen Yi's pale face, which suddenly revealed a smile tinged with a hint of murderous intent.

Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, a fat fish on the plate suddenly opened its mouth, seemingly lecturing on etiquette.

Truly... how absurd.

The next moment, Shen Yi casually raised his hand, and with a light flick of his long fingers, the entire sky began to tremble.

Others only felt the world changing color, without any tangible sensation. Only Cold Mountain Ancestor's rotten teeth clenched tightly, his fists trembling slightly, then shaking violently.

His bare, dirty feet sank into the ground, and amidst the deafening roar, the entire glacier suddenly cracked. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed layer by layer, shattering into ice floes.

On the largest ice floe, Cold Mountain Ancestor's knees bent, creaking loudly.

He nearly ground his teeth to dust, his neck veins bulging like coiled dragon, head held high, eyes wide. He stared fixedly at the dark armored figure above.

Bang—

However, despite this ferocious and hideous expression, his body sank inch by inch, accompanied by a muffled thud, and he completely knelt on the ice floe.

Cold Mountain Ancestor released his fists, his expression blank as he stared at his knees.

He truly hadn't anticipated that an Earth Realm cultivator would, with a mere wave of his hand, display a technique comparable to the most advanced divine abilities.

This immortal art had reached perfection!

"Cough, cough—"

Deng Xiangjun stared at the scene before her, suddenly feeling choked up.

The old demon, who had been so arrogant in front of her, had been brought to his knees by Shen Zongzhu in just one encounter. Not to mention, he was indeed very observant of etiquette.

Of course, this was just a side comment.

With Deng Xiangjun's discerning eyes, she could tell that in the initial clash, Shen Zongzhu had employed extremely profound means, and Cold Mountain Demon had merely suffered a sudden setback, far from displaying his true strength.

But for Shen Yi to have truly mastered that immortal art to perfection in such a short time, his comprehension was utterly unreasonable and awe-inspiring.

Furthermore, based solely on this first confrontation.

Deng Xiangjun felt reassured. It was hard to predict the outcome, as Cold Mountain Demon hadn't revealed his true form, and having survived tribulations, he surely had a few secret techniques up his sleeve. But at the very least, Shen Zongzhu's life was secure, and he was likely to protect the countless lives behind him.

It was simply unbelievable; even Ji Shiemei might not have been able to accomplish this, yet Shen Zongzhu had achieved it. Yin Qizhang was merely a White Jade Capital cultivator, lacking Deng Xiangjun's discerning eyes.

He only knew that the slightly frail-looking figure before him seemed to remain an insurmountable mountain, an uncrossable chasm, no matter the challenges he faced.

And it was their good fortune to be able to take shelter behind this mountain, watching the storms rage without getting a single drop of rain on them.

"..."

Shen Yi looked down at Cold Mountain Ancestor, not retracting his hand but instead seizing the moment to summon a thousand-zhang-long dark golden radiance that spanned the land and water, condensing into a straight golden-patterned dark blade in his palm.

This brief encounter had given him a basic understanding of the demon's strength.

Here, etiquette didn't matter; what mattered were the rules.

And at this moment, Shen Yi's rules were the rules of Southern Flood.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end