https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-756-The-Struggle-for-Kaoyuan-Prefecture/13466307/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-758-Tears-Streaming-Down-Both-Cheeks/13466309/
Chapter 757: Fellow Countrymen Meet
Chapter 757: Fellow Countrymen Meet
"Hmm..."
Shen Shan’s whole body trembled slightly. He had just arrived in the North Continent and was fortunate enough to be admitted to the Clear Light Grotto. His life and future depended on the goodwill of his senior disciples, so he dared not offend Senior Disciple Shu Yu.
Facing the icy gaze of his senior, he instinctively swallowed hard.
Why is Yu Chi making things so difficult for herself... It’s not as if it’s a bad thing.
While the Grand Emptiness Alchemy Emperor did show some talent, aside from escaping the clutches of the Dragon Subduing Bodhisattva, there were no other noteworthy achievements after he reached the Third Rank.
Moreover, he had even betrayed his own master, the Old Ancestor of Shen Xu.
The title of "heaven-defying genius" was merely Yu Chi’s speculation. But Senior Disciple Shu Yu was a genuine Great Emptiness Immortal, a direct descendant of the Clear Light Grotto lineage.
If he offended Shu Yu, his future would be anything but smooth.
Besides, this was a daoist ground. By securing even a small piece of it, he would no longer be a rootless wanderer in the North Continent. He would firmly establish himself, with a bright future ahead.
He would take this one gamble, then live a peaceful life on Heavenly Tower Mountain, ignoring all external affairs. The great calamity would have nothing to do with him anymore.
With this thought, Shen Shan glanced at Yu Chi beside him, bit his lip, and clasped his hands in salute. "Thank you, Senior Disciple."
"Once you enter the Clear Light Grotto, we are all one family. You are too polite, Junior Disciple."
Finally hearing the response he wanted, Shu Yu’s expression softened, and he laughed heartily. He cast another cold glance at Yu Chi before sitting back down.
"..."
Yu Chi paid no attention to the threat and slowly withdrew her hands.
She lowered her eyes and sighed inwardly.
Words of advice fall on deaf ears. Shen Shan had clearly been tempted by greed. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t listen.
He had already faced life and death in the South Continent. Why couldn’t he see that the great calamity was not something one could enter or exit at will? Whether it was the Bodhisattvas or the South Emperor and other demon lords, none of them could have imagined their own fates before they were slain.
Their hearts were clouded by the calamity, and they were beyond saving.
"Senior Sister?"
Shu Yu looked ahead.
The woman in the black dress, wearing a jeweled crown, remained with her eyes closed, seemingly uninterested in what was happening in the hall.
Her voice was cold and clear. "Each person’s fate is determined by the calamity. There’s no need to ask me; it has nothing to do with me."
"Understood, Senior Sister."
Shu Yu nodded lightly, a smile on his face, but inwardly he sneered. He had long been annoyed by her self-indulgence, occupying the four regions while completely ignoring the well-being of her junior disciples.
Irrelevant? All the better.
"..."
Yun Yao, of course, knew what these people were thinking. They believed she had taken on the task of investigating the Bodhi Sect to enhance her own reputation, thus blocking their paths to wealth.
She did need a good reputation, but not for trivial matters. She needed to earn the trust of the elders in the sect and the fear of the Bodhi Sect monks.
Combined, these would pave the way for her to become an Immortal Emperor.
If her thoughts were limited to just a few regions, her achievements would be limited. If she could ascend to the position of the ruler of heaven and earth, all the incense offerings in the mortal world would be in her hands.
Even if she had to follow the orders of the Great Teaching, the dignity of an Immortal Emperor would ensure that she was second only to the sect leader, far surpassing other cultivators.
These shortsighted fools were still at the bottom of the well, and she couldn’t be bothered with them.
"Senior Brother Yun Miao, I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you company."
Shu Yu smiled at Yun Miao and then quickly left the hall with Shen Shan.
"..."
Yun Miao merely nodded, remaining silent throughout, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
In the past, even for the sake of appearances, he would have spoken up for the Grand Emptiness Alchemy Emperor. But since the latter had embarrassed him, he now hoped someone would teach the young man a lesson, showing him how deep the waters of the North Continent were and how correct his earlier warnings had been.
...
In a modest immortal mountain near the Kaiyuan Prefecture.
Shen Yi walked slowly and stopped in front of a cave.
Chen Yi, who had been silently observing, was now thoroughly confused. As the rain summoner of the North Continent’s Immortal Department, he had always imagined that the State Protector General would be a person of great strategy and steady mind.
Especially the valiant General who had turned the tide, he should be even more cautious, never revealing his true intentions or depth of strategy.
Yet, throughout this journey, there was not a trace of a "spy" about him.
This General had not yet truly infiltrated the Great Teaching's inner circle. Logically, he should have kept a low profile, reducing his presence until he gained a foothold within the sect before making any further moves.
But his master was either causing trouble or on his way to cause more.
It was as if he feared others wouldn’t notice his issues.
Meanwhile, within the grotto.
Four demon lords, clad in luxurious armor, were seated around a stone table, their toasts and laughter filling the air with a heavy, intoxicating scent of alcohol.
It wasn’t until a young man in a white robe entered the grotto that one of the demon lords, with blurred vision from drink, glanced over.
Shen Yi’s leisurely survey of the surroundings made even this demon lord pause. His demeanor was as if he were strolling through his own garden.
Regaining its composure, the demon lord sneered and grabbed a black trident from the side. "Who are you, coming here to seek excitement?"
Another demon lord, with the head of a sheep, held back its weapon and scrutinized Shen Yi. "Grand Emptiness True Lord of Heavenly Tower Mountain?"
They often stayed in the vicinity, occasionally gathering information about nearby events. The establishment of the Immortal Altar was something they had heard from their lesser demons. Coupled with the unique concealment techniques used to mask his features, it was easy for the sheep-headed demon lord to identify him.
"This is the Daoist Ground of Clear Light Grotto, True Lord Shu Yu. You’ve come to the wrong place, please leave."
Even after recognizing him, the sheep-headed demon lord wasn’t overly concerned. After all, they were of the same realm, and in terms of strength, none of the four were weaker than Shen Yi.
As for background, though they were demons, they had True Lord Shu Yu as their backing. This man, despite his air of a transcendent sage, was not an actual member of the Three Immortal Sect. The hierarchy between them was not so clear-cut.
However, without a True Lord’s command, and with their own duties to attend to, they saw no need to provoke unnecessary trouble. They simply wanted to send him away.
Faced with the demon lord’s polite words, Shen Yi seemed to ignore them, instead using his divine soul to search the surroundings, ensuring no one had escaped his notice. Once satisfied, he refocused his gaze on the four demon lords.
Chen Yi had seen this look before, but mostly on the faces of demons. It was the look of someone viewing their prey, calm yet unsettling.
It could be resentment, or it could be murderous intent, but it was so indifferent, as if it were a well-practiced habit.
How could such a look, one that viewed living beings as food, appear on the face of a General who claimed to care for the people?
"..."
Old Ancestor of Shen Xu glanced at the young white dragon, one of the few in the Ten Thousand Demon Hall who hadn’t offended their master and was thus spared.
Truly, not having experienced a beating, he had no idea how ruthless their master could be. He was quite fortunate.
Shen Yi’s gaze clearly unsettled the demon lords, even the most composed sheep-headed demon lord began to show signs of discomfort, slowly removing his hand from his companion’s weapon.
That is, until he noticed a translucent jade mirror in the young man’s hand.
"A Spirit Treasure?!"
The sheep demon’s eyelids twitched violently, the alcohol instantly clearing from his mind.
Such an item was something even the direct disciples of ordinary Golden Immortals might not possess individually, only to be borrowed from their sect when needed.
How could this half-disciple of Lingxu Cave hold such a precious treasure?
Moreover, the act of summoning a magical artifact was a clear sign of intent to fight.
The grotto, which had been filled with laughter and merriment, suddenly became tense.
"Tch, you’re asking for it!"
The first demon to react, its face twisted with malice, suddenly gripped its trident and feigned a charge, intending to use the opportunity to escape the confined space. Whether to fight or flee would depend on the situation.
But just as it leaped, a pristine long boot appeared on its broad chest.
Boom!
The stone table shattered on impact, and the demon lord was pinned to the ground, its trident falling to the floor. It looked up at the young man with a mix of shock and fear.
"Immortal Master, True Lord Shu Yu never intended to take your Daoist Ground!"
The sheep demon, realizing the situation was dire, hastily tried to explain. But before it could finish, Shen Yi calmly interrupted.
"But I want his Daoist Ground."
With a swift wave of the jade mirror, Shen Yi trapped the confused demon lords inside, then casually tossed the mirror and said, "Deal with them."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, the small Meat Toad had already leaped out with a malicious grin.
Chen Yi knew this "senior" was of high cultivation, but it wasn’t until the indigo skin began to grow wildly, surging into the mirror, that he truly grasped the terrifying power of this demon lord who called himself the South Emperor!
Even among the demons who had once been responsible for the conquest of the North Continent, it was hard to find one that could match the other in power.
This terrifying demon, however, usually only acted obedient and cute in front of its master, putting on a harmless facade.
Shen Yi casually chose a relatively intact stone chair to sit on, paying no attention to the jade mirror floating in mid-air.
Though he was dressed in white robes, looking like a transcendent immortal, in Chen Yi’s eyes, his demeanor and posture carried an aura of sinister power, completely different from the image of a great general of the Divine Dynasty.
Clearly, the master had done this kind of thing countless times, executing it with ease and smoothness.
It didn’t take long.
Soon, the treasure mirror glowed again, and the South Emperor, now in the form of the meat toad, jumped out effortlessly. “Report to my master, everything is done.”
“Mm.”
Shen Yi glanced at the notification that popped up on the interface, then got up and walked out of the grotto.
Compared to scraping Imperial Qi from commoners, harvesting Beastly Lifespan was much more convenient. Four demon lords, and over thirty thousand calamities added to his account.
He led the Old Ancestor of Shen Xu and Chen Yi directly into the Grand Emptiness, but left the South Emperor and the jade mirror behind.
“Tsk tsk.”
Holding the jade mirror, the South Emperor restored the ravaged grotto to its original state. The food was warm and the wine fragrant, making it a perfect place to lure someone in.
“Learn slowly.” The Old Ancestor of Shen Xu patted the white dragon’s head.
When the master was still at the Fifth Rank, he had dared to plan in his heart how to kill this old ancestor of the immortal lineage. Now, having reached the Third Rank perfection, no Golden Immortal could suppress him in this vast North Continent.
…
Outside the Clear Light Grotto.
Shu Yu summoned a treasure carriage, lazily sitting in it and casually waving his sleeve. “What are you waiting for? Get in.”
Shen Shan was a notable figure in the South Continent, having been a patriarch for many years, and naturally had a temper. But now, under the roof, he had no choice but to bow his head.
He remained silent for a moment, then forced a smile and followed.
“You all come from the South Continent, so you’re old acquaintances. What do you plan to do?” Shu Yu’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Not really acquaintances…” Shen Shan quickly shook his head. “Even his master, the Old Ancestor of Shen Xu, had little interaction with me. We were barely acquaintances. Moreover, to protect him, the Old Ancestor of Shen Xu died at the hands of the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Bodhisattva. As for him and me, we’ve never even met.”
“Ha.” Shu Yu originally wasn’t very interested in the affairs of the South Continent.
Even the Bodhisattva that the other party had raved about didn’t impress him much, merely someone with temporarily higher cultivation.
The reason was simple: the entire South Continent had only one Mount Sumeru, while the North Continent was the teaching ground of three sect leaders. To truly compare, one would need to combine the three Mount Sumerus.
But now, he sat up, surprised to find that the Grand Emptiness Alchemy Emperor’s most notable achievement had such a large discrepancy.
The Divine Void path was inherently good at escaping, and his master’s desperate protection… with just these skills, he dared to establish a Daoist ground and an immortal shrine in the North Continent, which was indeed a bit of a laughing matter.
“However, if I were to say it.”
Shen Shan took a deep breath, recalling Yu Chi’s earlier speculation. A fierce look appeared in his eyes. “If we’re going to do it, we should do it thoroughly and root out all traces.”
If there were truly such things as heavenly prodigies, once you offended them, if you couldn’t take their lives, you would surely face great calamity later.
Even Shu Yu hadn’t expected this old man to be so determined, considering they had all escaped from the South Continent together, and should have some mutual respect.
However…
“I like your attitude.”
Shu Yu lightly clapped his hands. He had originally just wanted to use the other party as an excuse to take action, but now, comparing Shen Shan to Yu Chi, he found him to be more useful.
Once he established a large Daoist ground, he could have this person help manage it.
“Alright, let’s do it your way.”
(End of Chapter)
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