Chapter 445: Recruiting the Yu Clan

The radiance of the moon pearls illuminated the damp, muddy cave.

Pale faces, etched with terror, clutched weapons and crowded the cave entrance, shielding the mud bed behind them.

The tremendous commotion and the ferocious aura of Yu Lang that had previously roared from above had left the Yu clan trembling with fear; upon sensing the array's disappearance, they were nearly on the verge of mental collapse.

Could it be that even the intervention of the Seven Disciples of Yu Nanhong could not protect them?

"..."

On the mud bed, unlike the other clan members, the dying white-haired matriarch's face was flushed to an eerie degree, her entire body radiating intense heat.

Just then, as if sensing something, she struggled to pry open her eyelids and looked toward the cave entrance.

Following Yu Zu's movement, the numerous clan members growled to bolster their courage, gripped their weapons tightly, and glared fiercely outward with feigned ferocity: "Roar!"

Amidst the growls,

a figure in black robes slowly strode in.

Upon clearly seeing the youth's handsome face, the Yu clan members all froze for a moment, then, panting and somewhat drained, let their hands drop, exclaiming excitedly: "The High Immortal has returned!"

If they remembered correctly, the great array that had always protected them was indeed crafted by this very person.

They stumbled aside to clear a path, all watching Shen Yi with anxious eyes.

Sensing the thick scent of sparrow demon blood on Shen Yi, Yu Zu was slightly stunned for a moment; she had thought this young brother was merely accompanying his senior brothers and sisters to see the world.

Now it seemed that was not the case.

"Thank you, High Immortal of Qingyue Sect... for saving my Yu clan..."

Yu Zu struggled to rise; as a powerful cultivator at the Third Layer of Killed Fanxu, she actually attempted to perform a deep bow to Shen Yi.

"No need."

Shen Yi glanced sideways at the surrounding moon pearls, then casually waved his hand, using spiritual energy to lift Yu Zu: "I am not a disciple of Qingyue Sect."

"This..." Yu Zu looked up, bewildered once more.

Yet she saw the young man had no intention of speaking further; instead, he reached out again to take down another moon pearl, saying softly: "I have a bit of interest in this."

"High Immortal, please take them all."

Yu Zu did not hesitate for a moment; supported by several clan members, she managed to stay standing: "If these are insufficient for the High Immortal's use, just state a number, and the Yu clan will do our best to gather them for you."

Under everyone's gaze,

Shen Yi, holding a moon pearl, slowly walked to stand before Yu Zu, then uttered words that shocked everyone: "I wish to have a constant supply."

The living beings within the General Nanyang General Nanyang Baodi were likely part of the power of a Dao-Integration Realm cultivator.

He did not have much energy to help others, but moving a foundation like the Yu clan to the General Nanyang Sect by the way would not be bad.

"..."

This time, not only Yu Zu, but everyone else fell into silence.

The Yu clan's situation was actually quite awkward.

They desperately needed protection; after all, possessing the talent to condense moon essence into pearls meant that in the eyes of many cultivators, they were an inexhaustible resource.

However, being half-demons meant that even within the sacred lands of the Immortal Sects, they would hardly be granted the status of "human," and would most likely be kept as livestock.

Being enslaved generation after generation, forcibly compelled to condense moon pearls, was a fate far more terrifying than clan extermination.

If it were a sect like Qingyue Sect, which cared about its reputation and was unwilling to engage in such livestock-keeping, they would simply ignore them, never accepting a group of half-demons into their sect just for a few moon pearls.

Of course, there were those who had thought of recruiting the Yu clan.

But others at least found some excuse, feigned some sincerity... to express one's intentions so blatantly and without concealment, Shen Yi was the first.

"High Immortal..."

Yu Zu slowly spoke, intending to refuse as she had in the past, but suddenly paused.

She was nearing the end.

The entire Yu clan had lost all its Killed Fanxu cultivators; only over a hundred Soul Transformation cultivators and a host of Qi Condensation cultivators remained.

With such meager strength, it would be difficult to maintain a foothold in Hongze.

It was almost certain to foresee how cruelly the remaining clan members would be treated.

"I wonder where the High Immortal wishes to take us?" Yu Zu changed her tone.

If she remembered correctly, the other party had said he was not from Qingyue Sect.

"General Nanyang Sect." Shen Yi nodded his chin slightly.

Hearing this, the other clan members exchanged glances; after a slight pause, Yu Zu's pupils contracted: "May I ask if you refer to the General Nanyang Sect where Senior Xuan Qing, one of the Seven Disciples of Yu Nanhong, resides?"

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow; he did not expect the Yu clan to know that direct disciple.

Yu Zu caught the change in his expression, suddenly exhaled, and looked at the several High Immortals who had just entered the cave entrance; not a single one was injured... was this the gap between an Immortal Sect and scattered cultivators?

The Golden Fire Sparrow, which had nearly caused the extermination of her people, did not even have the ability to injure this group of High Immortals.

"We thank the High Immortal for the invitation; you may discuss it with the elders of your sect, and the Yu clan awaits your good news... however, we must trouble you to act quickly, for the Yu clan may not last much longer."

For the Yu clan, Senior Xuan Qing was the benefactor who had saved the first matriarch of the Yu clan from the Water Clan.

Now, at the brink of extermination, they were saved again by the General Nanyang Sect; it was somewhat miraculous.

Perhaps it truly was the decree of heaven.

"If you have decided, you can leave with me now." Shen Yi nodded.

"Uh?"

Yu Zu and the others looked up anxiously; bringing nearly a thousand half-demons into a Dao-Integration General Nanyang Baodi was not something a mere disciple could decide.

She suddenly felt this young man was not quite as reliable as she had thought.

Thinking of this, Yu Zu instinctively looked toward the High Immortal of Qingyue Sect, hoping to find an excuse to sidestep the topic.

"..."

Zheng Qian, seeing everyone look at her, sighed: "He is the Sect Master; the entire General Nanyang General Nanyang Baodi is his to command. There is no need to consult anyone else."

Even if only temporary, a sect leader is still a sect leader.

As soon as these words were spoken, the mud cave, capable of holding nearly a thousand people, plunged into complete Tianyan Siji.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Liu Qianyun and Yan Wencheng, seeking another answer, but saw the two silent, clearly acknowledging the matter.

The General Nanyang Sect leader…

Yu Zu stared fixedly at Shen Yi.

Although the young man appeared to have just entered Killed Fanxu, the methods of a Hedao giant were terrifyingly potent; if he wished, he could make everything they saw appear illusory.

Suddenly, Yu Zu realized his disrespect and quickly averted his gaze.

Terrified he nearly choked on his breath, Yu Clan—He Deheneng—could ever attract the attention of the Hongqizi Sect leader!

He even personally intervened to save them.

She now felt the stunned awe of a beggar walking down the road, suddenly visited by imperial kin who casually tossed a copper coin into her bowl.

"Yu Clan pledges to serve the General Nanyang Sect leader with dog and horse service, willing to die ten thousand deaths!"

Under Yu Zu's lead, the crowd knelt down en masse with a thud.

"You may have misunderstood."

Shen Yi looked down and said softly: "The General Nanyang Sect may not be what you imagine—it has few powerful cultivators guarding it, perhaps even fewer than your own. But Elder Xuanqing is still here."

He tossed the moon pearl in his hand: "So, are you coming or not?"

Even though he found the Yu Clan useful, Shen Yi never considered deceiving them; those who wished to come, came; those who did not, were free to stay.

Otherwise, bringing back so many Soul Transformation half-beasts might easily spark major chaos if not handled carefully.

His reason for making this proposal was precisely because the Yu Clan preferred annihilation rather than sink into becoming beasts.

"Has he always been like this?" Zheng Qian whispered.

"Probably," Liu Qianyun sighed. She had only just met Shen Yi a few days ago—he was an unspeakably cruel force against demons, yet now spoke with rare gentleness to this group of half-beasts.

The contrast was simply too great.

It was hard to imagine that just moments ago he had punched a Golden Fire Sparrow to death.

"I…"

Yu Zu felt dazed—not because Shen Yi denied being a Hedao giant, but because as General Nanyang Sect leader, his demeanor seemed far too courteous.

Not to mention, that Killed Fanxu third-layer girl alone could wipe out your entire clan.

Even if the General Nanyang Sect had no Hedao cultivators, its sacred land and grand arrays alone could easily protect your group of half-beasts.

"…"

Before Yu Zu could speak, the rest of the clan had already pressed their foreheads so hard against the ground they seemed glued to it.

They were, in fact, the most terrified.

Once captured and enslaved, there would be no hope of redemption.

But Shen Yi's attitude gave them a glimmer of hope.

"Yu Clan is eternally grateful for the Sect Leader's boundless grace—worthless to repay even over ten thousand generations."

Yu Zu took a deep breath; his voice no longer trembled with fear, but grew even more sincere.

"Alright."

Shen Yi nodded, placed his palm on Yu Zu's shoulder, felt the heat within her body, and gently activated the Heavenly Phoenix Imperishable True Body.

As he withdrew his hand, a thread of liquid-like golden fire slowly drew out.

The residue left by a Killed Fanxu fourth-layer Golden Fire Sparrow, combined with over a dozen days of poisoning, was beyond Shen Yi's current ability to fully cleanse.

But he could at least relieve her suffering for now.

"The rest can wait until I break through," Shen Yi said, waving his hand to absorb the golden fire.

"No rush, no rush—thank you, Sect Leader, for saving my life."

Yu Zu could hardly believe it—she had just joined the sect and already received such a great boon; at least her life was saved. As for the rest… she could still endure for another thousand years, enough time to wait for the Sect Leader's breakthrough.

She had others bring fresh red coral and a storage bag: "Sect Leader, these are the treasures and moon pearls we agreed upon."

Shen Yi stood quietly, making no move.

Liu Qianyun sensed his intention and stepped forward quickly to take the items, then retreated.

Zheng Qian now felt awkward and whispered: "You're really taking it?"

She, a Killed Fanxu fourth-layer cultivator, had botched the task so badly, relying entirely on an outsider—she had no face to reach out for it.

"He still needs to trade with Tianjian Sect for Phoenix demon blood—just add it all together later," Liu Qianyun replied.

Seeing the matter settled, Shen Yi finally waved his hand, collecting all remaining moon pearls from the wall into his ring; the entire mud cave plunged into darkness.

"…" Zheng Qian sighed and chanted a spell, illuminating the place with spiritual light.

Liu Qianyun covered her mouth, stifling a laugh—yes, this was the familiar way Shen Zongzhu ate.

The group led the Yu Clan out of the mud cave.

As Liu Qianyun chanted the spell, the pitch-black Qingyue Treasure Ship instantly swelled in size, blotting out the sky and sun.

Shen Zongzhu was bringing people back for the first time—he couldn't let these half-beasts fly slowly.

"Thank you."

Shen Yi led the Yu Clan aboard the treasure ship, already pondering how to replace the Step Treasure.

Even if Qingyue Sect was friendly, it was still a Meng Sect.

He couldn't rely on them for everything—once separated, he'd be stranded… better to just join outright.

But right now, the most urgent matter was digesting the several Golden Fire Sparrows inside the ring, to see how far his cultivation could advance.

He looked down.

As the entire Yu Clan boarded the ship, the treasure vessel instantly shot into the cloud sea, heading toward the General Nanyang Sect.

(End of this chapter)