Chapter 294: Why Not Ascend the Heavenly Path

Shen Yi lowered his gaze to the three protective arrays on his body.

A strange look appeared in his eyes.

Did this aunt and niece assume he would fight his way in?

His sudden violent attack earlier was merely because he discovered something wrong with the tea; it did not mean Shen Yi was so confident that he believed he could single-handedly sweep away the entire Zheng family.

Just the simplest point.

Up until now, the Zheng family had not activated their mountain-protecting formation.

Just as he had seen back then at the Qi Sect in Lizhou, when a sect or family encountered an unstoppable existence, their first reaction was absolutely to activate the formation to fight.

Given this current posture.

It showed that the strength he had just displayed still did not truly threaten the Zheng family.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi took out the formation diagram Ah Qing had drawn in advance: "If they fully activate this object, what kind of effect would it have?"

This formation was the work of the Xu family, so of course Ah Qing was most familiar with it.

She immediately gave her answer: "Even for a Soul Transformation early-stage cultivator, if it targets only him, it can at least trap him for ten days; if the opponent knows nothing about the formation, there is even a possibility of injuring him."

"Of course, the formation is merely a dead object; as long as the cultivator exits the manor, they can break free."

Having said that, Ah Qing also looked around in confusion.

She saw that the entire manor was deathly quiet; the Zheng family members seemed to have vanished in an instant, leaving no defenses, as if telling the three of them that staying or leaving was up to them.

As if realizing something, she exclaimed softly: "I know. Once the mountain-protecting formation is activated, it means a family-annihilating disaster has occurred; combined with that massive commotion, outsiders would certainly notice."

"After all, the Zheng family backs the Xuan Guang Cave and is not a pushover. Once this matter ends, according to common sense, they will surely denounce the invading enemies; they cannot pretend nothing happened, or it would suggest guilt... They do not want other powers to notice this place."

Ah Qing, holding her aunt, asked in confusion again: "But we have already seen the changes in these people. Dare the Zheng family let us leave?"

Leave?

Shen Yi glanced slightly around.

With the support of the Golden Eagle divine ability, even the slightest rustle of wind or grass could not escape his eyes.

The surroundings were as quiet as death.

It was as if everything had been frozen in place.

Yet it made one feel an immense killing intent for no reason, as if poisonous snakes were lurking, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal strike.

East, west, south, north; up to the sky, down to the earth.

No matter which direction he looked, that feeling of danger did not diminish even slightly.

What enormous monster was hidden within these Qingshan mountains?

"Faster."

Shen Yi issued the command in his heart, then stood firmly in place without hesitation.

Since the opponent refused to move, he had no need to be anxious either.

"Reporting to my master: one shichen." Lady Qinghua's voice carried a cold killing intent; the meaning of "at all costs" was that there was no need to hide, but to directly ride the Golden Body forward.

A Golden Body of Soul Transformation stage rushing at full speed was enough to make all living creatures in the surroundings scatter.

Upon hearing this.

Shen Yi gathered his spirit; the red light of his Dao Infant flickered within his skin.

There was not the slightest slackening.

Just then, he suddenly stamped the ground, and his figure leaped into the air.

Right where Shen Yi had stood previously, a thorn-covered vine burst violently from the earth, its sharp tip piercing straight toward his eyes like a spearhead!

His black robe surged as the youth sidestepped and seized that vine in his hand.

Purple-gold flames surged in his palm, licking at it.

The previous Zheng family members seemed to know no pain, whereas this vine, like a living creature, writhed in agony all over.

Shen Yi's arm suddenly exerted force, yanking the vine out by its roots.

The hundred-zhang-long vine rolled in the air, and the ground of the entire manor cracked open as the youth pulled it with one hand.

What Shen Yi hated most was being ambushed.

Now that he had grasped the true form of the Sui Wood, how could he let go? His entire person seemed as ferocious as a demon; the aura within the Devouring Heaven Dao Infant, through the True Yang Qilin Stone, transformed into purple-gold flames as if money were no object.

It spread along the vine, as if intending to set the entire manor ablaze!

Indeed, though no one seemed to be around.

In reality, he had been watched all along.

That Sui Wood could even see that his reliance was the Golden Eagle's eyes, and it immediately tried to cripple this pair of eyes.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

With successive sounds of breaking earth, more than ten more vines burst from the ground, attacking Shen Yi from all directions!

The figure in the black robe twisted and turned in the air.

His arms were quickly entangled by the vines.

Had it been anyone else, they would probably have already been torn apart into four pieces.

But Shen Yi's face grew even more grim; his arms suddenly swung, and numerous Demon Kings within his body roared together. Dark red patterns erupted with murderous qi reaching the sky, and along with the purple-gold flames, vast power burst forth!

Boom—

The vines were snapped one after another, falling limply, then quickly withdrew underground.

The aunt and niece were buried by the dust kicked up.

Fortunately, the arrays protected them.

"This is too terrifying."

Ah Qing covered her ears and looked at the figure in the air through the dust.

「……」

Xu Wanyun, her soul being gnawed by a hundred ghosts, could only blink.

It was terrifying enough that the vines alone could cover the entire estate, but Shen Yi, who had forcibly wrestled with such a great demon and won with his bare body, was nearly impossible to classify as either cultivator or demon.

There was another problem.

The Zheng family had delayed activating the formation precisely to avoid drawing too much attention.

But if Shen Yi continued fighting like this, the commotion would be no less than that of the mountain-protection formation.

Next, they would either activate the formation to summon aid from Xuan Guang Cave, or they had some other hidden plan…

As if confirming Xu Wanyun's thoughts.

A bizarre figure suddenly sped toward them from afar.

It was emaciated, more like a humanoid log than a person, draped in tattered, shriveled human skin and nearly rotted clothing.

Thick vines grew all over its body, connected to the entire mountain range.

Like a puppet controlled by strings.

Its hollow eye sockets fixed on Shen Yi; its voice, rough as rusted iron scraping, still carried a faint trace of human confusion: "Why… won't you… ascend the Yuan Tongtian?"

"The head of the Zheng family?"

A Qing rubbed her eyes and only after great effort recognized his identity from the rotted garments he wore.

Yuan Tongtian?

As a member of the Xu family, A Qing understood better than anyone else the cultivators' desperate longing to reach the Transformation of Spirit Realm.

Calling it Yuan Tongtian was not unreasonable.

But now that he had become this monstrous thing, who truly ascended? Was it still a Zheng?

"Come up!"

A shrill cry exploded through the air.

The rotted elder opened his arms wide toward Shen Yi, as if welcoming him to join.

As he spoke, his arms rapidly swelled, becoming withered trees that blotted out the sky, engulfing the dark-robed figure entirely.

Among those withered trees, countless tender green sprouts pierced into Shen Yi's body.

Compared to that spiritual tea.

This method was the true invitation for the youth to join—to become, like the elder, the master of the Sui Mu.

(End of Chapter)