Chapter 622: Spit it Out
Chapter 622: Spit it Out
With a lifespan of 33 million years, the Demon Emperor's Ethereal Forms had manifested, suppressing the three Dragon Palaces and converging into three Demon Emperor Seals.
Initially, it seemed like a battle between Shen Yi and Shi Ren.
In reality, it was a suppression of the White Rhino Divine Seal by the three Demon Emperor Seals.
Clearly, the White Rhino, now only possessing the Immortal power of Northern Flood, had lost its ability to resist. However, it still seemed a bit forced to completely subjugate it.
But Shen Yi wasn't in a hurry.
The commotion in Western Flood gradually faded as the enormous peach blossom tree covered it, its vibrant red color becoming more alluring, as if about to drip with blood.
Under its canopy, the entire sky appeared increasingly demonic, filled with dazzling crimson clouds that made one temporarily forget the Immortal Court above the heavens.
The cultivators from the other three Floods, who had been immersed in the despair brought by the White Rhino's giant hooves, now witnessed this slaughter firsthand.
This terrifying scene had never been seen, not even in the slaughter ten thousand years ago.
Even the Purple Beard White Dragons, who had rushed over with great difficulty, trembled at the sight, but not one of them dared to voice any dissent.
An Immortal had been captured.
The cultivators holding sharp blades before him, at the moment of his fall, no longer had control over their lives, becoming like grasshoppers on a rope.
If the Immortal Court were to find out about this, the remaining creatures in the entire Hongze would likely witness the terrifying methods of the Celestial Soldiers and Generals when suppressing demonic forces.
All Northern Flood participants in this matter... must not leave here alive.
With countless Unification of Dao demons and Stone Guardians, along with the presence of the Greedy Wolf Star Chart, this slaughter concluded at an astonishing speed.
Those familiar with Shen Yi, however, retracted their gazes and chased after the Northern Flood.
"Leave none alive," four simple words, yet the killing intent within them chilled everyone's hearts. But what truly made their hearts tremble was that after causing such slaughter with numerous demons, they had also captured the local Immortal Official, the father of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall's Master...
If handled improperly, the title of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall's Master would likely end up on the Immortal Court's Demon Execution Platform.
"Heh! Heh!"
Zi Yang, who had arrived late, transformed into his true form and soared to the front of the crowd.
His anxious breath dared not delay for a moment.
The fall of his father was largely due to his unwillingness to see a Heaven's Pride who had achieved immortality and established a legacy, someone with exceptional talent and temperament, become a heretic in the eyes of the Immortal Court, all because of Shi Ren.
But now, it was precisely because his father had been suppressed and killed that Shen Yi was walking further down this path!
...
Northern Flood, Immortal Residence.
Led by Zi Yang, followed by Ye Jiu and Lady Jingxi, and accompanied by cultivators from the Southern Hong Seven Sects who knew Shen Yi, they all rushed over without rest.
But the moment they landed, they froze in their tracks.
The once unapproachable Immortal Grand Hall was now eerily quiet, with only three figures inside.
A ten-zhang tall Prison Guard Golden Body was tightly bound to the Coiling Dragon Pillar, covered in cracks, and its chest was pierced by a crimson lacquered wedge, leaving only half a face, a pitiful sight.
What truly shocked them was the faint golden glow emanating from the Golden Body Incarnation.
"Virtue Power?!"
Qi Yansheng's eyes widened as he muttered in disbelief.
They had seen this golden glow once before, originating from Southern Flood, spanning across Hongze, and reaching the Immortal Court.
Everyone had speculated about the true identity of this Virtuous Transcendent Immortal and their destination, but no one dared imagine that this Virtuous Transcendent Immortal was being held captive within the Immortal Grand Hall, tortured into this state.
This was not a cultivator who had ascended through their realm, but a revered senior who had personally eliminated the remnants of the slaughter in Hongze, saving countless lives.
Shi Ren... was still a human. Compared to these powerful cultivators, the one with the most noticeable change in expression was the group from Nan Yang Sect on the Treasure Vessel.
Especially Li Qingfeng and Jiang Qiulan, who, upon seeing the Golden Body, had their pupils slightly tremble.
This Golden Body had once protected Da Qian, cleared the Thousand Demon Cave, and saved countless lives within the treasure lands. After Shen Yi opened the sect's treasure land, it had disappeared without a trace.
Now, upon meeting again, it was in this state.
"Do you know this Virtuous Transcendent Immortal?"
Zi Yang, sensing something amiss, fixed his gaze on the black-robed youth at the hall entrance, then turned back to look at the Treasure Vessel.
Before the Nan Yang Sect cultivators could respond, a weak voice carrying a hint of grievance reached their ears.
"Master—"
Their expressions froze, and they stared blankly at the Coiling Dragon Pillar.
The tall Prison Guard Golden Body struggled to lift its head, its gaze fixed on the slender figure. Its body, which had been barely holding on, finally slumped against the pillar upon seeing Shen Yi.
"..."
Shen Yi lightly nodded, his fair face revealing no emotion.
He slowly walked forward and casually tossed Shi Ren, who looked like a dead dog, at the Golden Body's feet.
Bang! Shi Ren rolled over a few times, trembling as he lifted his head, only to find the majestic Golden Body slowly lowering its gaze, its golden eyes casting a cold stare upon him.
On the remaining half of the Golden Body's face, that chilling smile appeared once more, "Meeting again?"
"You... you..." Shi Ren trembled like a sieve, glancing at the Golden Body and then at Shen Yi beside him, finally realizing what had happened.
No wonder when I left earlier, the Virtuous Immortal spoke those words.
Thinking of this, Shi Ren, with his bloodied and mangled mouth, mumbled incoherently, bowing and shaking as he spoke, "I didn't know that you two were old friends. I've been blind, please forgive me, Immortal friend!"
Upon hearing this, Lady Qinghua remained unmoved, merely shaking her head slightly, "You're mistaken, we're not old friends. This is my master."
The grating word 'master' echoed again, leaving no doubt in the minds of those outside the hall that they hadn't misheard earlier.
A Virtuous Transcendent Immortal, brimming with pride and contentment, addressed Shen Yi as 'master'.
Ji Jingxi and the others twitched slightly, stunned beyond words. Zi Yang and his sister, with their deeper understanding of the outside world, wore peculiar expressions, their eyes filled with a complex emotion that was hard to comprehend, their fingertips trembling slightly.
The horror 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 governed by the Three Teachings, not like the imperial court with a Heavenly Emperor as its ruler. Therefore, Immortals had no master, nor could they ever have one.
Shi Ren's face also showed the same emotion, but he didn't have the chance to think it through.
Crack!
The next moment, a long boot stomped down on the back of his head, crushing his skull into the floor tiles.
A Virtuous Immortal, appointed by the Celestial Court, had just bowed in reverence to the Golden Body Incarnation! This kick not only landed on Shi Ren's head but also on the hearts of those outside the hall, leaving them stunned and shattering their last shred of reverence for the Immortals.
"Huff."
Shen Yi exhaled, squatting down and pulling Shi Ren back up.
Then, with a gentle wave of his sleeve, he loosened the ropes on Lady Qinghua.
With his limited knowledge, he didn't know how to use the Immortal treasures.
Shen Yi forcefully pulled out the wooden wedge, watching it shrink to its normal size in his palm. He weighed it in his hand for a moment.
In an instant, he threw Shi Ren like a sack of rags against the Coiling Dragon Pillar, and the wooden wedge in his hand fiercely pierced the other's heart.
Pfft!
Blood splattered as Shi Ren's eyes widened in agony, his wails cut short as his neck was tightly grasped by slender fingers.
His neck veins bulged, and he was almost suffocating.
It was only then that Shi Ren finally understood why the other party had used a treasure to protect his soul. Under the White Tiger's protection, his mind was crystal clear, making it impossible for him to even faint, and his perception of pain had intensified tenfold!
Shen Yi leaned close to Shi Ren'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 Virtue Power he had seized.
But he still shook his head tremblingly, "Let's... talk..."
This Virtue Power was probably his only guarantee of survival, and once he gave it up—
"Ahhhh!"
In an instant, a shrill, piercing scream echoed through the sky.
Shen Yi casually grabbed Shi Ren's wrist, and the scarlet demonic power, like a floodgate opening, surged wildly into his limbs and bones. A mere late-stage Earthly Realm cultivation couldn't withstand such a vast energy.
In just a moment, this Immortal's seemingly intact exterior concealed the fact that his flesh and bones had already been reduced to pulp.
Shen Yi retracted his demonic power and used the Peacock Red Light, a low-level technique, to heal his body, ignoring the wounds. It was sufficient for the task.
"Spit it out."
Before Shi Ren could recover from the warm sensation, he heard the same whisper again, followed by the same tearing sensation throughout his body.
"I know I was wrong! Virtuous Immortal! I know I was wrong!"
He closed his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his face, but under the protection of the Yin-Yang Birth-Death Pendant, he remained conscious, crying like a child in agonizing pain, "Please! Give me another chance!"
The same scene repeated itself in the Immortal Hall.
No one knew how long it had been.
Until the wailing gradually subsided.
The onlookers' expressions changed from shock to numbness.
Xuan Qing stood quietly outside the hall, his mind filled with the mingled sounds of his master's painful howls and Shi Ren's tearful pleas.
Suddenly, he laughed, and tears streaked down his wooden eyes.
The agreement he had never taken seriously had come true in such a short time.
Not only had Master Meng brought him to Northern Hongze, but he had also shown him 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 youth before him, and all the hatred in his eyes was gone, leaving only pure fear, "It's gone... truly gone..."
Shen Yi, as if he hadn't heard, repeated the process dozens of times.
After confirming that no more Virtue Power could be extracted, he slowly retracted his palm, pulled out the wooden wedge, and in Shi Ren's wide-eyed gaze, he impaled the other's head with the wooden wedge.
Blood flowed down the wedge, staining the floor tiles red.
Shen Yi wiped his palm on his white robe, leaving a trail of milky white flames that consumed the corpse.
In the blink of an eye, the Great Immortal Hongze completely dissipated into the heavens and earth.
As Shen Yi turned, the crowd saw his handsome face, no different from before, but now devoid of any restraint.
Although he was dressed in a simple black robe, not the elaborate Patriarch's robe, it couldn't change the fact that this youth was the master of numerous demons and even Immortals.
They had anticipated the 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, seemed no better than pigs and dogs.
This stark contrast would likely be etched in their minds for tens of thousands of years.
Only the Nan Yang Sect cultivators slowly revealed a hint of a smile.
They knew Shen Yi all too well.
Whether it was Shen Yi the official, Shen Yi the temple guardian, or Shen Yi the Patriarch, when it came to slaying demons and exterminating evil, he only cared about results and never bothered with the process.
He was always decisive and efficient, never dragging things out.
But now, it was clear that he was acting on his emotions... Having emotions was a good thing, as it showed that even after reaching the peak of Hongze, he was still the same Shen Yi, unchanged.
"Heh."
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 dissipate.
He took a step into the grand hall, turned to face the crowd, and bowed in greeting. Then, he closed the hall doors.
The hall returned to darkness, leaving only three figures inside.
Zi Yang first bowed to the Golden Body Incarnation: "Junior greets the Virtuous Transcendent Immortal."
Then, he turned to Shen Yi, carefully examining the youth before him.
Zi Yang took a deep breath: "Patriarch Shen, what do you plan to do now?"
"..."
Shen Yi scanned the grand hall and, after a long silence, took out the White Rhino Jade Seal from his sleeve, staring at the still-fighting ethereal forms within. He shook his head: "I don't know."
Some believed they were reincarnated Immortals, while others thought they were masters of demons and evil.
But only Shen Yi knew that just a few years ago, he was an ordinary guard. Though he had gained some insights along the way, he was still incredibly shallow.
Being able to emerge from the treasure land and successfully slay an Immortal had already exhausted him.
How could he possibly be as cunning and in control as others imagined, with a grand plan in mind?
"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. He was just a young man with youthful vigor, perhaps more capable of enduring than others.
"The first path... Report the truth to the Immortal Court and await their judgment."
Zi Yang clenched his teeth, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. This was probably the only path that would allow Shen Yi to continue walking the world with integrity: "Shi Ren was already guilty of poor governance. By attacking the Virtuous Transcendent Immortal, you have no fault in killing him. It is only reasonable."
"The Immortal Court is not unreasonable. They will surely... be lenient."
"After cleansing yourself of this sin, with your talent and nature, you will surely be valued by the Three Teachings. From then on, your future will be boundless."
At this point, Zi Yang, the Prince, became slightly excited.
However, after listening carefully, Shen Yi looked at the Immortal Seal in his hand, at the three demonic beings fighting within, and slowly turned around, sighing: "And the second path?"
Compared to the theft of the White Rhino Seal by the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, the slaying of an Immortal and the slaughter of the Northern Flood's creatures were mere trifles.
The first path was not impossible.
But he couldn't think of an excuse to use when the Immortal Court inspected the Immortal Seal.
If the truth were to be revealed, not only would his life be at stake, but anyone associated with him would also be implicated.
Sigh.
It was strange; he had never harbored ill intentions, yet the path to becoming an Immortal seemed to grow more distant.
Hearing Shen Yi's words, Zi Yang's excitement gradually faded. After a long silence, he clenched his teeth and lowered his voice: "Please, Virtuous Transcendent Immortal, go to the Divine Dynasty to investigate the situation. As for you, head to the Divine Land and infiltrate the Three Teachings before this matter comes to light. Become a member of the Three Teachings who can suppress this incident!"
Hearing this, Shen Yi turned around in surprise.
It was well-known that Zi Yang's father had died due to similar means. It was because the Jade Seal was suppressed that Shi Ren had gotten his chance.
"What are the Three Teachings?"
Zi Yang, the Prince, exhaled and his expression became filled with longing: "The Righteous Deity Sect, the Tri-Immortal Sect, and the Bodhimanda Sect. These three created the Immortal Court to govern the world, and they are known as the Three Teachings."
"If you can be accepted as a disciple by one of their great powers, you can bypass the normal channels and obtain a position in the Immortal Court. With a master's backing, this matter will naturally be resolved."
"But you must act quickly!"
Zi Yang panted: "You don't know how Shi Ren interacts with the Immortal Court. Although he has no parents, he does have some uncles and aunts..."
If it weren't for roughly understanding Shen Yi's terrifying progress after emerging from the Nan Yang treasure land, Zi Yang wouldn't have suggested the second path.
But if it succeeded...
His lips trembled slightly, and he suddenly knelt, bowing deeply to the black-robed youth: "I wish to leave Hongze with Patriarch Shen to save my father's soul. With just a word from you, the entire Eastern Dragon Palace, including my father's friends in the Divine Land, can become your allies."
"I only ask that after you join the Three Teachings, if... if I cannot save my father... I hope you can put in a good word and relieve him of eternal suffering."
Before he finished speaking, the Eastern Palace Prince was already in tears.
(End of Chapter)
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