https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-694-A-Named-General-Let-s-Start-with-Twenty-to-Test-the-Waters/13113434/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-696-Heaven-and-Earth-Conspire-Gathering-a-Plot-for-Shen-/13113452/
Chapter 695: Uncertain Future, The Prodigy's Arrival
Chapter 695: Uncertain Future, The Prodigy's Arrival
It was the peak of summer once again.
Ever since Shen Yi's rescue from Wushan, the Nine Provinces had rarely seen the other two colleagues under the command of the General of the Southern Capital visit again.
It wasn't because of any lingering animosity from the previous incident.
As one of the Named Generals had said, the division was a decision made by the higher-ups, and those below merely followed orders, remaining good brothers in private.
The main situation was as Shen Yi had anticipated—the entire Nan Zhou, with its twenty-seven provinces, was bustling with activity, both in the court and the Dismantling Demon Bureau.
The sudden appearance of demon hordes, although not yet posing a large-scale invasion, was a clear indication of the determination of the powerful demons behind them, as they relentlessly tested the defenses without regard for the cost.
The Nanhuang, a demon who had retreated to a remote island out of fear of the Shengchao and the Celestial Court, was not an isolated case.
There were far too many similar beings.
Now that they had returned to the Shenzhou continent, their first task was to assess the strength of this seemingly unfamiliar and boundless realm.
Once the demons discovered the truth, the consequences were all too predictable.
In this situation, Wushan was anxious and impatient. He communicated daily with the demon slayers under his jurisdiction in the three provinces, hoping to be the first to receive news if anything went wrong.
Thinking of this, he clenched the jade slip and looked again at the tightly closed door.
If it weren't for the fact that Shen Yi was his savior, he wouldn't have hesitated to question him, even if he was at the peak of the Fourth Grade, let alone Old Man Yan.
The reason was simple—it was too absurd! The other Named Generals all wished to station themselves at the borders of Shengchao, fearing the sudden appearance of a powerful demon and the potential chaos it could bring, reminiscent of the Jade Pool Monkey Demon incident.
However, since the last time, Shen Yi had not stepped out of his home, let alone ventured beyond the second gate. Occasionally, he would take a stroll on the streets, but that was the extent of his outings.
He even left the task of communicating with his subordinate Demon-slaying Officials to Yelan, acting like a carefree boss.
That was fine.
After all, everyone had their own way of doing things, and Wushan couldn't say much. But the problem was that Shen Yi wouldn't even let him leave.
In the vast Nine Provinces, only Yelan was left to watch over everything.
Wushan had done something similar in the past and understood the immense pressure. Moreover, even though he was injured, he was a solid Fourth Grade Taiyi True Immortal, while Yelan was only at the Fifth Grade.
If nothing happened under these circumstances, that would be a miracle!
"No! I have to find him!"
Wushan plucked up his courage and strode to the door, hesitating for a long time before raising his hand to knock.
Just as his finger was about to touch the door, a tremor ran through his bulky body due to the movement behind him.
Apparently, the memory of Shen Yi's invincible one-against-two battle had left a deep impression on him.
Wushan wiped away non-existent cold sweat and turned back reluctantly, only to see Yelan's complex expression.
His heart skipped a beat at the sight. "What? Has something happened already?"
This time, Yelan had gone to the vicinity of Jianyang Province, where three Named Generals were stationed. If a disturbance were to occur there, it would be a laughingstock for the entire Nan Zhou.
"It's... it's not exactly that," Yelan rubbed her temples.
"What's going on? Come on, tell me," Wushan urged, not realizing that he, who had initially planned to take it easy, had become the most concerned among the three of them.
"Demon slayers have reported demon calamities, all above the Sixth Grade, and some have even sensed the aura of a Fifth Grade demon," Yelan explained.
Before she could finish, Wushan's face had already changed.
In the past, a demon capable of reaching the Fifth Grade was considered a top-tier existence among the immortal cultivators. Knowing the hardships of cultivation, they cherished their lives and would not dare to venture into Shengchao unless absolutely necessary.
The intrusion of such powerful demons was a significant matter for the Dismantling Demon Bureau.
Yet, from Yelan's words, it seemed like there were multiple cases in the nearby provinces.
"The problem is, every time I arrive, all traces of their auras disappear," Yelan said, pursing her lips in confusion. "This is the sixth time. I didn't believe it at first, thinking the demon slayers wouldn't report false information. So, I followed more closely this time, and outside, I found the remains of Sixth Grade and lower demons. Based on the auras left in the bloodstains, it seems to involve a Fifth Grade demon."
Wushan was perplexed. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Could it be that the cultivators of the Three Teachings have already taken action?"
Yelan gave him a speechless look. As the former peak master of Shenxu, even though she hadn't interacted much with the cultivation world in recent years, she still understood their nature.
"How is that possible? They seek fame and would never engage in such silent demon-slaying and demon-subduing activities," she replied.
Upon hearing this, both of them seemed to have an idea and turned their gazes towards the wooden door.
If they remembered correctly, their Nanyang General had once casually mentioned that they could leave other matters to him.
But clearly, he had been staying inside the residence all this time!
"Now that you mention it, I do recall something.
"Wushan patted his forehead, "These days, there have been occasional visits from Heavenly Soldiers, but they always come alone and rarely stay for long. They usually leave right after a brief encounter."
It wasn't uncommon for cultivators to have connections with the Celestial Court, even those from the Dismantling Demon Bureau. To help their subordinates resolve troubles, who wouldn't get to know a few Immortal Officials? It's just that they all interacted under their official identities.
Moreover, these were just ordinary Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.
But considering the strange occurrences mentioned by Yelan earlier, both of them fell silent.
Could it be... that this Named General has managed to gather a group of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to help garrison the Nine Provinces?! This isn't something that can be achieved solely by having high cultivation.
If Yang Mingli, the General of the Southern Capital, tried, he'd see that not even with their influence could they mobilize a single soldier from the Celestial Court.
Just then, the door suddenly opened from the inside.
Shen Yi strolled out, glanced at the two of them, and said indifferently, "If you're going to discuss others next time, please don't do it at the door. Otherwise, you might as well just open the door and chat."
"Uh..." Wushan scratched his head, and Yelan hurriedly waved her hand.
"I'm going for a walk."
Shen Yi stretched his arms and, instead of stepping into the Taihu, he calmly walked out of the mansion.
When his cultivation was low, he learned those light body movement techniques, always hoping to be a little faster. But now, he suddenly felt that being a bit slower might make things feel more real.
He wasn't the type to feel sentimental for no reason.
This realization mainly came from issues in his cultivation.
Shen Yi had finally gathered enough Demon Lifespan to turn all the Demon corpses sent by Qing Hua into Pillar Stones.
There were twenty-seven 5th-grade Demons in total, and if divided evenly, each province could get three Pillar Stones comparable to Named Generals. Plus, there was the Wolf Demon who had attained the Si Xiang Great Title in his mind.
It could be said that, without considering the General of the Southern Capital, the current garrison strength of the Nine Provinces exceeded that of the entire Dismantling Demon Bureau in Greater Nan Zhou.
And this number was gradually increasing as the Demon incursions continued.
In the past, one Named General oversaw three provinces, but now three of them watched over one. If there were still problems, that would be truly ghostly.
The only thing to be cautious about was the powerful Demons above the 5th grade.
This was also the reason Shen Yi insisted on keeping Wushan to recover from his injuries.
4th-grade Demons were truly scarce.
Apart from the Wolf Demon in his mind, Shen Yi hadn't obtained a second 4th-grade Pillar Stone. Qing Hua, under the leadership of a Righteous Deity, had killed two or three of them, but Demons of that level were wanted by the Celestial Court. Even their corpses had to be sent back to the heavens, and it wasn't something a single Great Immortal General like Qing Hua could interfere with.
Fortunately, the Demon horde was only testing for now, and with this batch of Pillar Stones in place, it was definitely sufficient for the time being.
With the safety of the Nine Provinces temporarily secured, Shen Yi began to consider himself.
He didn't mind being supported by others, as Qing Hua, using the Golden Body transformed from his Yin Spirit, was also considered half of himself. Working to support himself wasn't shameful.
However, the Demon Lifespan sent by Bajigu was like a trickling stream, barely enough to use, and it was difficult to have any surplus.
After such a long time, apart from the expenses for creating Pillar Stones, he had only saved a few hundred kalpas.
Shen Yi wasn't too worried about this.
With the Nine Provinces well-guarded, it was like opening a new channel for Demon Lifespan.
Moreover, he wasn't a cowardly slacker. Whenever he encountered an opportunity, he could go out and make a fortune.
During the division of assets, Yang Mingli didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Nine Provinces, but he never said that Shen Yi couldn't go to the other eighteen provinces. As long as their own affairs were stable, he could spare the time.
The issue of Demon Lifespan could be resolved later.
The problem Shen Yi faced now was that when he continued to invest the saved kalpas into his cultivation, he suddenly discovered something amiss.
The Dragon-subduing Tiger-taming Fruition had reached perfection, and before glimpsing the true Bodhisattva Fruition, it was difficult to make progress solely with Demon Lifespan.
He could only seek a solution from the Taiyu Golden Elixir.
But when Shen Yi infused his Demon Lifespan, he found that the entire process was... too smooth! There were no waves, no need for insight, and his cultivation just rose.
Not a single mistake, a single stroke, a single word, a single line, a single bar, a single book!
After consuming these six hundred kalpas, Shen Yi's Taiyu Golden Elixir had reached three thousand five hundred kalpas.
The Dragon-subduing Tiger-taming Fruition at three thousand kalpas had already attracted the attention of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva. How terrifying would this Taiyu Golden Elixir at three thousand five hundred kalpas be?
Yet, Shen Yi couldn't bring himself to smile.
Although he had successfully advanced to the 4th grade through this deduced path, he never intended to refine himself into a Golden Elixir.
The characteristic of the Taiyu Golden Elixir that allowed for continued growth gave Shen Yi great hope, wondering if he could forge a 3rd-grade path solely with Demon Lifespan, without relying on the Divine Sage's Path Fruition.
Therefore, cultivation progress without insight wasn't a good thing.
What's the use of three thousand five hundred kalpas, or even five thousand or eight thousand? Without reaching the 3rd grade, it would ultimately only serve to benefit the Shenxu Old Ancestor.
Would he be happy because he had become more fragrant and delicious?
As for forcefully infusing Demon Lifespan and rounding it up to a whole number, such as Wan Jie, I wonder if there will be any changes.
Shen Yi felt that at the critical moment, what he would probably face first is not a breakthrough, but the Divine Void Old Ancestor, drooling and ready to swallow the Great Elixir.
"Changes... changes..."
He walked down the long street, his mind blank, silently observing the bustling passersby.
Although the Nine Provinces had not been affected by the calamity, the news of the lockdown in other places had already spread, causing inevitable panic among the people.
Shen Yi recalled the peaceful and prosperous era he had witnessed when he first left Hongze, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. He had once mocked his past life as a struggle, thinking that if he had been born in the Shengchao, he would have possessed from birth the things he had been seeking all along.
Who would have thought that within a few short years, this prosperous era would show signs of impending collapse.
The Shengchao, formed by the condensation of Mortal Emperor Qi, seemed no different from the situation in Hongze when facing the true Yitian Deities and Divine Sages.
Currently, Shen Yi was struggling to ensure his own safety, and taking care of the Nine Provinces was already his limit.
As for other matters, he couldn't afford to pay too much attention.
The youth in the ink-black robe stood in the middle of the street with his hands hanging by his sides, eyes closed, carefully examining the Path Fruition, Fruition Rank, and the Xianyin within the ring on his finger.
Only these things seemed to provide him with a sense of security.
When his divine sense swept across the Dragon-subduing Tiger-taming Fruit Position once again, Shen Yi suddenly froze. Initially, the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva had dropped a dazzling point of light, which merged into the amber-colored sphere and then disappeared, transforming into the four extra arms on the Arhat Body.
But at this moment, he detected a faint trace of something.
Within the amber sphere, Shen Yi found a discordant aura, clearly the one that had been forcibly merged earlier.
His divine sense quickly pursued it.
Finally, inside the bead, he discovered a golden thread as thin as a cow's hair.
"This is it!"
Shen Yi abruptly opened his eyes.
The aura matched that of the power of tribulation, but it was not the same thing, most likely the difference between Fourth and Third Grade.
If he could figure out what this was, his life might be saved.
...
In a certain serene mountain valley in Greater Southzhou, a woman in a light blue dress and white skirt squatted down by a clear pool, cupping the cool spring water to casually wash her face.
Logically, anyone daring to venture into such a remote wilderness would likely be a hidden cultivator, but this carefree action seemed unrelated to cultivation.
After all, with even a hint of cultivation, why would one need to cleanse their face with mortal water?
She smoothed her slightly damp hair, revealing a delicate face, and her moist eyes, filled with curiosity, glanced around. After a moment of hesitation, she remained still, as if waiting for something.
Soon, a golden light descended from the sky, and the dense immortal energy clearly indicated its heavenly origin.
The newcomer wore exquisite armor, signifying an extraordinary status beyond that of ordinary Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. He was undoubtedly a Divine General.
However, upon landing, he sheathed his weapon and respectfully bowed to the young woman, treating her with the deference one would show to an elder.
"Oh! It's Hongjing."
She reached out and patted the Divine General on the back of his head, "I've been in seclusion for years. Have you grown taller?"
"This..."
Hongjing smiled awkwardly, "When you last saw me, I was already a Heavenly Immortal."
They were both old beings whose lifespan was measured in tribulations, yet she still treated him like a child.
"I..." Hongjing felt his tongue twist. What did she mean by 'only a Taiyi Immortal'? Was Fifth Grade low? Countless cultivators struggled their entire lives without reaching this realm.
Hongjing had hoped that she would notice his Fifth Grade Immortal status.
"Master said that a disaster is about to befall the world and ordered me to descend the mountain to save it. Where does this disaster originate?"
"..."
Even now, she still believed that Jade Pool Immortal Gate had sent her down the mountain to save the world.
Her mentality was even simpler than that of the foolish Qingluan.
The sect had already coordinated with all parties and set the stage for her.
Now, with the protagonist's entrance, the show could begin.
(End of Chapter)
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