Chapter 622: Spit It Out

Chapter 622: Spit It Out

A demon's lifespan of 33 million years transformed into a shadow in the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, suppressing the three Dragon Palaces, and then converging into three Demon Emperor Seals.

Earlier, it seemed like a battle between Shen Yi and Shi Ren.

In reality, it was the three Demon Emperor Seals suppressing the White Rhino Divine Seal.

Obviously, the White Rhino, having lost its Northern Flood divine power, was no longer capable of resistance. However, it seemed a bit forced to completely turn it to one's own use at the moment.

But Shen Yi wasn't in a hurry.

The clamor of the Western Flood was gradually obscured by the peach blossoms, and the enormous peach became increasingly alluring, as if it were about to bleed red.

Under its cover, the entire Heavenly Sky appeared more and more demonic, filled with glaring crimson clouds and mist, making people temporarily forget the Immortal Court above the sky.

The cultivators of the remaining three Floods, who had previously been immersed in the despair brought by the White Rhino's giant hoof, then witnessed this slaughter feast with their own eyes.

This terrifying scene had never appeared even during the Slaughter Tribulation ten million years ago.

But even the Purple Beard White Dragons, who had finally arrived with great difficulty, trembled in their hearts at the sight, yet none of them dared to raise any objections.

A celestial was captured.

And in front of him, the cultivators holding sharp blades had their lives taken away the moment he fell, becoming like grasshoppers on a rope.

If the Immortal Court were to find out about this, the remaining living beings in Hongze would likely have the fortune of witnessing the terrifying methods of the heavenly soldiers and generals in suppressing demons.

All Northern Flood people involved in this matter... must not leave this place alive.

In front of countless Fusion Dao demons and the Guardian Boulders, with the existence of the Greedy Wolf Star Chart, this slaughter was quickly brought to an end.

As for the cultivators who knew Shen Yi, they retracted their gazes and chased after the Northern Flood.

'Not a single one left,' four simple words, but the killing intent within them chilled everyone's hearts. However, what made their hearts tremble even more was that after causing such slaughter with numerous great demons, they had also captured the local Immortal Official...

If not handled properly, the title of 'Lord of the Ten Thousand Demons Hall' would likely be added to the Immortal Court's Demon Execution Platform.

"Heh! Heh!"

Zi Yang, who had arrived late, transformed into his true form and flew to the forefront of the crowd.

He anxiously breathed, not daring to slack off for a moment.

The fall of his father was largely due to his unwillingness to see a celestial who had become a progenitor turn into a heretic in the eyes of the Immortal Court, just because of Shi Ren, that good-for-nothing.

But now, it was precisely because his father had been suppressed and killed that Shen Yi was walking further and further down this path!

...

Northern Flood, the Immortal Residence.

Led by Zi Yang, followed by Ye Jiu, Ji Jingxi, and others, even the cultivators from the Seven Sects of Southern Hongze who knew Shen Yi rushed over without rest.

However, as soon as they landed, they all froze in their tracks.

The originally unapproachable Immortal Grand Hall was now eerily quiet, with only three figures inside.

The ten-zhang tall Imprisoning Hell Golden Body was tightly bound to the Coiling Dragon Pillar, covered in cracks, and its chest was pierced by a crimson wooden wedge, causing half of its face to be missing, looking pitiful.

But what truly shocked them was the faint golden light scattering around the Golden Body Incarnation.

"Virtue Power?!"

Qi Yansheng widened his eyes and muttered.

They had seen this golden light once before, originating from Southern Hongze, spanning across Hongze, and reaching the Immortal Court.

Everyone had been speculating about the true identity of this Virtuous Immortal and his destination, but no one dared to imagine that this Virtuous Immortal was being held captive in the Immortal Grand Hall, tortured into this state.

This was not a cultivator who had ascended through his realm, but a senior who had personally eliminated the remnants of the Slaughter Tribulation in Hongze, saving countless lives in this land.

Was Shi Ren still human?

Compared to these powerful cultivators, the one who showed the most change in expression was actually the group from Nanyang Sect on the Treasure Ship.

Especially Li Qingfeng, Jiang Qiulan, and others; when they saw this Golden Body, their pupils trembled slightly.

This person had once protected Great Qian, swept through the Thousand Demons Den, and saved countless lives in the treasure lands. After Shen Yi opened the sect's treasure land, he had disappeared.

Now, they met again, and he was in this state.

"Do you know this Virtuous Immortal senior?"

Zi Yang keenly sensed something amiss, staring at the ink-robed youth at the hall entrance, then turning back to look at the Treasure Ship.

Before the Nanyang Sect cultivators could respond, a weak voice, carrying a hint of grievance, sounded in everyone's ears.

"Master—"

Their expressions froze, and they stared blankly at the Coiling Dragon Pillar.

The Imprisoning Hell Golden Body struggled to lift its head, its gaze fixed on the thin figure. Its body, which had been barely holding on, trembled upon seeing Shen Yi.

The Golden Body, with only half a face remaining, revealed a cold smile, "Meeting again?"

"You... You..." Shi Ren trembled like chaff, looking at the Golden Body, then at Shen Yi beside him, finally reacting to what was happening.

No wonder that Virtuous Immortal had said such words when I left earlier.

Thinking of this, Shi Ren, with his bloodied and disfigured mouth, mumbled incoherently, bowing and shaking as he spoke, "I didn't know that the two of you were old friends. I've gone blind, please forgive me, fellow immortals!"

Upon hearing this, Qinghua Lady showed no change in her expression, only shaking her head lightly, "Wrong, not old friends, this is my master."

These two jarring words rang out again, allowing everyone outside the hall to hear them clearly, no longer doubting that they had misheard earlier.

A Virtuous Immortal, filled with pride and satisfaction, had just called Shen Yi "master."

Ye Jiu, Ji Jingxi, and the others had their eyelids twitching, shocked beyond words. Zi Yang and his sister, who had a deeper understanding of the outside world, had peculiar expressions, their eyes filled with incomprehensible complexity, and even their fingertips were trembling slightly.

The terror of this situation even surpassed Shen Yi's attack on the immortal.

After all, it was common knowledge that immortals only took orders from the Immortal Court.

And the Immortal Court was jointly governed by the Three Teachings, unlike the imperial court, where the Heavenly Emperor reigned. Therefore, immortals had no master and could not have one.

Shi Ren's face also showed the same emotion, but he didn't have the chance to think carefully.

Crack!

The next moment, a long boot stomped on the back of his head, crushing his skull into the floor tiles.

An immortal official, appointed by the Heavenly Court, had just bowed and paid his respects to the Golden Body Incarnation! This kick not only landed on Shi Ren's head but also on the hearts of the people outside the hall, leaving them stunned and shattering their last shred of reverence for the immortals.

"Huff."

Shen Yi exhaled lightly, squatting down and pulling Shi Ren up again.

Then, with a light wave of his sleeve, he loosened the ropes on Qinghua Lady.

With his limited knowledge, he didn't know how to use the immortal treasure.

Shen Yi forcefully pulled out the wooden wedge, watching it return to its normal size and fall into his palm. He weighed it in his hand for a moment.

In an instant, he threw Shi Ren like a sack of rice onto the coiling dragon pillar, and the wooden wedge in his hand ruthlessly pierced the other's heart.

Pfft!

Blood splattered as Shi Ren's eyes widened in anger. His neck was tightly gripped by the slender five fingers.

His neck veins bulged, and he was almost suffocating.

It wasn't until this moment that Shi Ren finally understood why the other party had used a treasure to protect his soul. Under the protection of the White Tiger, his mind was crystal clear, making it impossible for him to faint, and his perception of pain had deepened tenfold!

Shen Yi leaned close to the other's ear, his expression still calm, and whispered gently, "Spit it out."

Shi Ren, of course, knew that the other party was referring to the merit power that he had seized.

But he still shook his head trembling, "Let's... negotiate..."

This merit power was probably the only guarantee for his survival. Once he handed it over—

"Ahhhh!"

In an instant, a shrill and piercing scream echoed through the sky.

Shen Yi casually grabbed Shi Ren's wrist, and the crimson demonic power, like a floodgate opening, surged into his limbs and bones. How could a mere late-stage Earth Realm cultivation withstand such a vast breath?

In just an instant, beneath this seemingly intact immortal's appearance, his flesh, blood, and bones had already turned into mush.

Shen Yi retracted his demonic power and used the Peacock Red Light, a low-level technique he hadn't used in a long time. Although this method was crude, it was sufficient to repair the flesh without addressing the injuries.

"Spit it out."

Before Shi Ren could recover from the warm sensation, the same whisper sounded in his ear again, followed by the same tearing sensation throughout his body.

"I know I was wrong! Immortal! I know I was wrong!"

He tightly closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face, but under the protection of Yin and Yang, he remained conscious, crying like a child, "Please! Give me another chance!"

The same scene began to repeat itself endlessly within the Immortal Hall.

No one knew how long it had been.

Until the wailing gradually became faint.

The onlookers' expressions changed from shock to numbness: "..."

Xuanqing stood quietly outside the hall, his mind filled with the painful howls of his master and Shi Ren's tearful pleas.

Suddenly, he laughed, and tears flowed from his wooden eyes.

The agreement that he had never taken seriously had actually come true in such a short time.

Not only had Shen Zongzhu brought him to the Northern Flood, but he had also allowed him to witness a scene he had yearned for in his heart for ten thousand years.

Finally, a faint golden light emanated from Shi Ren's body, flowing into the Golden Body Incarnation. He stared at the young man before him, and the hatred in his eyes had completely vanished, leaving only pure fear, "It's gone... truly gone..."

Shen Yi, as if he hadn't heard, repeated the same process dozens of times.

Only after confirming that no more merit power could be extracted did he slowly retract his palm and pull out the wooden wedge. In Shi Ren's wide-open eyes, he pierced the other's skull with the wedge.

Blood flowed down the wedge, staining the floor tiles red.

Shen Yi wiped his palm on the Flowing Cloud White Robe, leaving a strand of milky white flame that devoured the corpse.

In just a breath, the Hongze Great Immortal had completely dissipated into the heavens and earth.

"..."

As Shen Yi turned around, the crowd saw the handsome face that was no different from before, but they could no longer detect any trace of restraint.

Although he was only wearing a simple ink-colored robe instead of the sect leader's magnificent robe, it couldn't change the fact that this young man was the master of numerous demons and even immortals.

They had anticipated witnessing a scene of immortal slaying, but never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined it to be so bloody and brutal. The so-called immortals, in Shen Yi's hands, were no better than pigs and dogs.

The stark contrast left an indelible mark in their minds, one that would likely linger for tens of thousands of years.

Only the Nanyang Sect cultivators slowly revealed a hint of a smile. They knew Shen Yi better than anyone.

Whether it was Shen Yi the official, Shen Yi the temple keeper, or Shen Yi the sect leader, when it came to slaying demons and eradicating evil, he always focused on the outcome and never paid attention to the process.

He was always decisive and never hesitated.

But now, it was clear that he was emotional... And that was a good thing. It meant that even though he had reached the peak of Hongze, he was still the same Shen Yi, unchanged.

"Hmm."

Zi Yang's expression was complex as he looked at the empty coiling dragon pillar.

Amidst the satisfaction of avenging his father, a deep sense of regret lingered, refusing to fade away.

He stepped into the hall, turned around, and bowed to the crowd before closing the hall doors.

The hall became dark again, leaving only three figures inside.

Zi Yang first bowed to the golden body incarnation, "Junior greets the Virtuous Immortal."

Then, he turned to Shen Yi, examining the young man before him once more.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Sect Leader Shen, what do you plan to do now?"

"..."

Shen Yi scanned the surroundings and, after a long silence, took out the white rhino jade seal from his sleeve. He stared at the fighting ethereal shadows within the seal and shook his head, "I don't know."

Some believed they were reincarnated immortals, while others thought they were masters of demons and evil spirits.

But only Shen Yi knew that just a few years ago, he was an ordinary officer. Though he had gained some experience along the way, he was still incredibly shallow.

Escaping from the treasure land and successfully slaying an immortal had already exhausted him.

How could he possibly be as cunning and in control as others imagined, with the entire situation under his command?

"I've thought of two paths for you to consider."

Zi Yang seemed to have anticipated this, and when he saw how Shen Yi dealt with Shi Ren, he finally realized that beneath this young exterior, there was no ancient soul hiding. The person was indeed just a young man with youthful vigor, only more capable of enduring than others.

"The first path... Report the truth to the Immortal Residence, and await their decision."

Zi Yang clenched his teeth, and a glimmer of expectation appeared in his eyes. This was probably the only path that would allow Shen Yi to continue walking freely under the heavens, "Shi Ren was already guilty of poor governance. Moreover, he attacked the Virtuous Immortal, and killing him was justified. You are not at fault in the eyes of reason."

"The Immortal Residence is not unreasonable. They will surely... deal with it leniently."

"After washing away the sins, with your talent and nature, you will undoubtedly be valued by the Three Teachings, and your future will be boundless."

As Zi Yang spoke, he became increasingly excited.

However, after listening attentively, Shen Yi looked at the immortal seal in his hand and the three ethereal shadows of demons and evil spirits within it. He slowly turned around, with a hint of sentiment, "And the second path?"

Compared to the theft of the white rhino jade seal by the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, the slaying of an immortal and the slaughter of the Northern Flood's creatures were truly insignificant.

The first path was not impossible to take.

But he genuinely couldn't think of an excuse to use when the Immortal Residence inspected the immortal seal.

If the truth were to be revealed, not only would his life be in danger, but anyone connected to him would also be implicated.

Sigh.

It was strange; he had never harbored any ill intentions, yet he seemed to be drifting further and further away from becoming an immortal and founding a sect.

After hearing Shen Yi's words, the excitement in Zi Yang's eyes gradually faded. He pondered for a long time, then clenched his teeth and lowered his voice, "Please ask this Virtuous Immortal to go to the heavens and investigate the situation. As for you, go to the Divine Dynasty and stay away from the Immortal Residence's spies. Join the Three Teachings in advance, and before this matter is exposed, become a member of the Three Teachings' immortal families, capable of suppressing this incident!"

Hearing this, Shen Yi turned around in surprise.

It was well-known that Zi Yang's father had died due to similar tactics. It was because the Jade Seal was suppressed from above that Shi Ren had the opportunity to act.

"What are the Three Teachings?"

Zi Yang, the Eastern Palace Prince, exhaled and his expression became filled with yearning, "The Righteous God Teaching, the Triad Immortal Sect, and the Bodhi Teaching. Together, they created the Immortal Residence and govern the world, known as the Three Teachings' Joint Governance."

"If you can be accepted as a disciple by one of the great powers, you can directly bypass the normal path and obtain an immortal position within the Immortal Residence. With a master's care, this matter will naturally be resolved."

"But you must act quickly!"

Zi Yang panted, "You don't know how Shi Ren usually interacts with the Immortal Residence. Although he has no parents, he does have a few uncles and aunts..."

If it weren't for the fact that he had a rough idea of Shen Yi's incredible progress after leaving the Nanyang treasure land, Zi Yang wouldn't have suggested the second path.

But if it succeeded...

His lips trembled slightly, and he suddenly knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to the man in the ink-black robe, "I wish to leave Hongze with Sect Leader Shen and save my father's soul. With just one word from you, the entire Eastern Dragon Palace, including my father's old friends in the Divine Dynasty, can become your helpers."

"I only ask that after you join the Three Teachings, if... if I can't save my father... I hope you can put in a good word and relieve him of his eternal suffering."

Before he could finish speaking, the Eastern Palace Prince was already sobbing uncontrollably.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end