Chapter 485: Can You Bear This Blame?

【Slain Return-to-Void Realm Golden-Patterned Turtle Demons, Total Lifespan 216,000 Years, Remaining Lifespan 98,000 Years, Absorption Complete】

As the common saying goes, a thousand-year Wang Ba, ten-thousand-year turtle.

Though they are already beings with cultivation and not so obvious, one can still see that this clan's lifespan is slightly higher than other demons.

It is almost catching up to that Dragon Grandson.

Shen Yi tidied up the corpses slightly; there were nineteen demons in total, of which the Golden-Patterned Turtles accounted for eight.

A hint of expectation flashed in his eyes.

At this critical moment when great enemies are present, there is indeed a lack of usable people by his side.

Eight Golden-Patterned Turtles; can they break through the strength level even higher?

Thinking of this, Shen Yi looked at the panel.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 1,221,000 Years. Can be Condensed】

A vast lifespan exceeding a million years; just looking at it feels somewhat terrifying.

But Shen Yi inexplicably felt a sense of poverty in his pocket.

There are already quite a few Stabilizing Stones usable in hand; apart from the Golden-Patterned Turtle Demons of the same bloodline, today alone yielded twelve, plus the two Dragon Grandson guards remaining from before.

Fourteen Stabilizing Stones; the demon lifespan required is simply beyond estimation.

"Huff."

Shen Yi calmed his emotions.

Wanting to reach a realm that even the geniuses need tens of thousands of years to arrive at in an extremely short time, the consumption being huge is to be expected.

He first exchanged twenty Demon Origins, then condensed a Stabilizing Stone.

He began reshaping the Golden Turtle Young Master's demon soul.

The corpses of the eight Golden-Patterned Turtle Demons rushed into the Stabilizing Stone rapidly; the moment the stone skin peeled away, a huge and terrifying demon appeared.

The demon soul swallowed all the origins.

Shen Yi added seven more according to the situation, finally raising it to the Precious Grade.

The next moment, the demon soul surged into the Stabilizing Stone statue.

As that turtle demon opened its eyes, the fine golden patterns on its body nearly merged into one, brilliant and gorgeous; under the blending of bloodlines, the aura surged again!

The slight aura that spilled out made Ke Shisan turn his head in surprise.

"Ho..."

After all, it was under the command of its seventh brother; Ke Shisan had also seen this group of Wang Ba many times.

But when had he ever seen an existence with such astonishing bloodlines?

"Return-to-Void Twelfth Layer?" it subconsciously exclaimed.

"Not yet."

Shen Yi looked at the measuring ruler prepared long ago; he saw that the Jin Guang on it had undoubtedly broken through the First Grade line, exceeding two-thirds of the position, but ultimately failed to fill the entire ruler.

"It's just that I am too young." Ke Shisan felt somewhat bitter.

Otherwise, with the Yellow Fiery Poison Dragon Bloodline on his body, if he could have the same amount of time, he would have long been comparable to Bai Yu Jing.

"..."

Shen Yi did not quite understand what there was to compare here.

However, being able to harvest a Dao Pillar of such high quality, his mood was still quite good.

The previous ascensions to the Palace were all smooth.

But Shen Yi had once heard Senior Li Xuanqing say that for cultivators like him, after Return-to-Void Ninth Layer, is the true trial.

Even with the other party's talent, he missed the Tiangong.

Shen Yi was not so arrogant as to think he was stronger than Li Xuanqing; the Xiangong was also acceptable, but occasionally he would wonder, if he could gather eleven layers of Tiangong, would there be something different?

He must prepare in advance for breaking through to Return-to-Void Perfection.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi gathered his spirit and turned his gaze back to the panel.

There was actually nothing left to pick and choose from among the rest.

They were all Return-to-Void Ninth Layer water-dwelling demons, the strong ones carefully selected; the Dragon Grandson guards might have slightly stronger bloodlines, but not much worse.

Shen Yi began condensing the demon origins again.

As time passed, seven more Stabilizing Stones appeared.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 83,000 Years】

It was exactly the same as before coming to Xuan Yuecheng; not a single bit was left over.

Shen Yi did not rush to ascend the Palace; instead, he summoned all these demon Stabilizing Stones and left them in the courtyard.

Back then, General Nanyang Sect personally cultivated these vassals' strength.

And now, Shen Yi would personally take them back, rather than relying solely on the so-called "righteousness."

The night wind blew.

Two figures disappeared from the City Lord's Mansion.

The next morning.

Nearly half the people in the City Lord's Mansion had an sleepless night.

The sky had not yet brightened.

They had gathered far away outside that courtyard.

However, that group of water-dwellers had left even earlier; by the time someone found an excuse to approach and request an audience, they discovered the courtyard was empty and the people gone.

When the rooster crowed three times.

Above Yuecheng, towering waves rose once more, the two double-winged yellow dragon flags fluttering in the wind.

Within the clouds and mist, several figures appeared and disappeared, all radiating an overwhelmingly powerful aura.

Amidst the surging water sat a brilliant red sedan chair, truly magnificent beyond compare.

Yet it made the common people of Yuecheng feel utterly blinded.

"You expect Young Lady Yin to go there herself?"

"Is this any way to conduct a wedding procession?!"

Resentful murmurs erupted within the Lord's Mansion; the Long Gong was unwilling to leave even a shred of dignity for the City Lord.

Displaying such an aggressive posture, did they not fear provoking the wrath of the Xian Sect?

Even without the Heavenly Sword Sect, they still had the General Nanyang Sect behind them.

Just then, amidst the horrified gazes of everyone in the Lord's Mansion, the City Lord, looking slightly groggy from a hangover, emerged from the depths of the residence, which was a rare sight.

Standing in an open space, he raised his eyes blankly to look at the sky.

After a long silence.

Yin Qizhang actually raised both arms and bowed toward the heavens above.

Seeing this, the remaining people turned deathly pale.

Yesterday, the City Lord's casual attitude toward the dragon flags had at least shown his dissatisfaction; he had only retreated because the situation was stronger than him, considering the people of so many cities.

But this bowing gesture now seemed to represent his complete submission.

Inside the secluded small courtyard.

The Miss, draped in a bright red wedding gown with a red veil over her head, had a slender figure, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Through the hazy veil, she stared blankly at her father's back.

Suddenly, she felt as though she could not breathe.

Yin Yajun pressed her lips together, gently broke free from the support of the two maids, then rode on clouds and soared into the air, never looking back at Yuecheng, diving into the water waves and stepping into that red sedan chair.

Until the water waves rolled back and vanished at the horizon.

Yin Qizhang took out a wine jar, leaped to the highest point of Yuecheng, smashed the seal, and let the people of the entire city see his figure and his despondent expression.

"This..."

The disciples of the Lord's Mansion became even more bewildered.

As a cultivator of Bai Yujing, when had City Lord Yin ever let anyone see his desolation, especially at a time when people were in panic; should he not be stabilizing morale instead?

What exactly was happening today?

The vast water waves moved away from Yuecheng, surging toward the boundless ocean.

Escaping the gaze of others.

Only three figures stood far away in the sky.

"No, was my performance that obvious? Could he really see through that?"

The tall figure, concealed by a hooded robe, looked back at the two people behind him.

City Lord Yin's behavior clearly indicated he had guessed something and deliberately stepped aside to show that this matter had nothing to do with Yuecheng.

Su Yushang felt she had acted quite convincingly yesterday.

"Having governed Yuecheng for so many years, he must have long become a seasoned veteran," two Heavenly Sword Sect guards whispered, advising: "Should the Baohua Xianzi reconsider?"

"Reconsider what?"

Su Yushang withdrew her gaze and took a shallow breath: "Since we are already here."

She stared fiercely at the red sedan chair below.

Even without manifesting her Dao Palace, with her strength at the eleventh layer of Killed Fanxu, dealing with a group of ninth-layer Killed Fanxu guards should not be a major problem.

In the next moment, the Heavenly Sword Fairy suddenly vanished from her spot.

Inside the red sedan chair.

Yin Yajun sat in a daze, feeling the damp scent of the sea breeze on her nose.

She actually hoped something sudden would happen to change things.

But reason told her this was impossible.

Her father's bowing gesture had already announced the outcome of this matter.

Boom—

Just then, she suddenly felt the entire sedan chair shake violently, as if a majestic, cloud-piercing breath had transformed into a force that could overturn mountains and seas, turning the sedan chair into a small boat amidst surging waves.

"..."

The Heavenly Sword Fairy held her palm-striking pose; opposite her, a figure shrouded in black robes held a dragon-scale long spear.

The spear shaft touched his wrist.

The wild roar of the Green Dragon Shattering Star Spear swept across the sea surface, raising waves of dragon roars!

"There is an ambush..."

Su Yushang, feeling the tremendous force transmitted through her wrist, sighed slightly and slapped the long spear away with her other hand.

With her action, the unique aura of the Lingyun Sect finally spilled out!

This was an identity credential that could allow one to walk freely throughout Yu Nanhong, yet under another person's aura, it was slightly inferior.

That was the aura of the Long Gong!

A Dragon Grandson has arrived in person!

"Ke Shisan?"

Su Yushang did not need to probe the face beneath the black robes; relying solely on this spear and the opponent's cultivation, she could identify this person's identity.

"There's something wrong with your brain."

Ke Laoqi had never considered that there would be a change of events.

Originally, he just wanted to make a move, letting these brothers-in-arms act out a play with him, kidnapping the wedding sedan under the identity of a Dragon Grandson; after all, everyone already knew that he and Ke Laoqi were at odds.

Not only could this help Xuan Yuecheng resolve this trouble, preventing City Lord Yin from being trapped by his daughter and held hostage by Ke Laoqi.

It could also create some confusion for the Long Gong, making them unable to distinguish whether he was truly dead or not.

Killing two birds with one stone.

This was what the Master had been thinking about yesterday.

Who could have expected a disciple of the Lingyun Sect to suddenly appear halfway through.

Although the opponent was unwilling to reveal their identity, judging by their cultivation, it was definitely a direct disciple making a move.

"Give the person to him."

Shen Yi's command rang in Ke Laoqi's mind.

He no longer hesitated, kicking the wedding sedan toward that Lingyun Sect disciple with one foot.

Immediately after, he intended to withdraw.

"..."

Su Yushang watched the sedan rushing toward her; on her Bai Xi, jade-like face, her eyelid twitched.

Something was wrong, really wrong.

Although she had met Ke Laoqi only a few times, she knew well his arrogant and willful personality; even if he couldn't win, he would still stand up and complain a bit.

Today, however, he wanted to retreat so easily.

The identity of a mere Lingyun Sect disciple could not intimidate him... There was only one possibility left: she had been exposed!

If City Lord Yin could see through it, these water creatures could naturally see through it as well; then the person inside the sedan had most likely been tampered with.

The Yellow Fiend Poison of the Southern Long Gong; she had long heard of its sinister and evil nature.

Thinking of this, the heart of this Baohua Xianzi suddenly panicked.

She reached out to support the wedding sedan: "Don't think you can escape!"

First, capture these demons.

In an instant, Su Yushang stepped out into the void again, manipulating spiritual techniques in her palms, and fiercely attacked the crowd of demons.

Amidst such commotion, even that precious formation could not conceal the sharp sword intent radiating from her.

"Are you crazy?"

Ke Laoqi had already withdrawn, but seeing the situation was wrong, he smashed his Dragon Spear back down with full force.

However, even with the full support of the Green Dragon Shatters the Stars Spear, the terrifying realm gap could not be ignored; the Dragon Spear was blasted away by the violent sword qi, merely cutting off about half of its momentum.

This was without even manifesting the Dao Palace.

A true genius of the Xian Sect, with just one move, could make the world tremble in fear.

Their unique aura was simply more dazzling than the suspended great sun.

"Su Yushang, what the hell are you pretending to be?"

Ke Laoqi's stone palms were almost shattered by the impact; finally, he grew desperate. The sedan could be given, but these Guardian Stones were the Master's foundation.

They could not be harmed in the slightest.

Having her identity exposed in a single sentence, Su Yushang showed not the slightest panic.

The so-called Sword Dao is to press forward without retreat.

Since she had already made a move, what did it matter?

Her gaze grew even sharper; although she held no sword in her hand, the sound of swords rose to the sky, transforming into a hundred or so zhang of illusory light, slashing down toward the water creatures below!

Clang—

The massive humming sound caused Wang Yang to churn and roll.

Among the water creatures, the one at the very front, Wu Jun, extended his arm; golden patterns surged across his entire body, and he actually blocked this sword strike with sheer force.

On that sturdy arm, there was not even a single scratch.

"Huff."

Su Yushang's face showed surprise.

Although there was no support from the Dao Palace, this was a fully mastered spiritual technique of hers.

When did this Wang Ba acquire such strength?

However, the next moment, she saw the demons swiftly flee, without the slightest hesitation.

"Stop right there!"

Su Yushang signaled to the sky, ordering the two guards to take care of the sedan, and then she actually stepped on her sword to pursue them.

"This..."

The two guards looked grim; they felt the situation was becoming somewhat uncontrollable.

How did it end up with the Tianjian Sect taking responsibility for this matter?

They exchanged a glance, used their qi to lift the wedding sedan, and chased after Baohua Xianzi.

A mere city lord's daughter, how could she compare to the importance of the Xianzi?

Even if she got a single scratch, the entire Yu Nanhong would witness how terrifying Su Hongxiu's anger would be.

Between the chase and the flight.

The boundless water and land swept by below.

Ke Laoqi felt the sword intent attacking from behind, feeling somewhat unable to keep up.

Fighting, she couldn't win; fleeing, she couldn't escape.

What kind of fairy is this? Clearly a madwoman! Relying on her elder sister's fearsome reputation, she doesn't even take a dragon's grandson seriously.

Wu Jun's bloodline had surged; he was no longer the ordinary turtle demon of yesterday at the tenth layer of Killed Fanxu.

Resisting the rampant sword intent alone.

But it was precisely the strength it displayed that made Su Yushang fight in earnest fury.

She hadn't even noticed she had already stepped into the illusion array.

The two guards had long since lost track of her.

She pinched her fingertips, the sword-light at her brow flared mightily, and then a towering Dao Palace straightaway occupied the heavens.

A full eleven stories tall, like a great hall connecting heaven and earth, an ancient, unadorned longsword stood suspended within it; as the sword-tassels swayed, a sharp intent rippled outward.

Four layers of Tiangong, four layers of Xiangong, two layers of Spirit Palace.

Faced with such undisguised killing intent, even Ke Shisan couldn't help his face change drastically.

"Without resolving the Yellow Sha poison, don't think any of you will leave today."

Su Yushang stepped through the air; as her five fingers slowly tightened, Hongmeng purple qi and Qingluan aura intertwined, sparkling with spiritual light, gathering in her palm into a longsword identical to the ancient, unadorned treasure sword seated in the Dao Palace.

Kill the chicken to warn the monkey.

And Wu Jun, the highest in cultivation, was the chicken in her eyes.

The instant she gripped the sword, her eyes turned grey-white, and in her pupils only that brilliantly golden turtle demon remained.

"Slash!"

She brought the sword down in a slash.

And at the same moment, the many demons and monsters locked by her qi vanished from where they stood.

It was neither a teleportation art nor a breath-concealing technique.

Just like that… they vanished, strangely.

Her sword slash cut through empty air; a trace of blankness flashed through Su Yushang's eyes, and then, bolstered by the Dao Palace, her qi swept outward searching once more.

She finally found a trace of aura.

The killing intent had risen; spilt water cannot be retrieved.

Su Yushang raised that longsword again, her grey-white eyes growing sharper; just as she was about to strike, her whole body suddenly stiffened for an instant.

In a flash, that aura was already only a hair's breadth from her.

A black robe brushed lightly; purple-gold eyes looked on, indifferent.

A tall figure loomed over Su Yushang.

A knee strike slammed brutally into her lower abdomen.

Boom!

Caught utterly off guard, Su Yushang felt her Dao Infant and five viscera all thundering; that pretty face that had earned her such great renown in Yu Nanhong now twisted beyond her control.

Purple-gold flames seared her inner organs.

She hunched her body and was sent flying backward with a crash, smashing through several great trees.

The reason she had been ambushed.

The primary cause was that her mind was fixed on that group of demons, worried about being ambushed by their strange methods.

The second was the moment of stupefaction upon seeing that handsome face.

That face — she had seen it with her own eyes not long ago!

Right outside General Nanyang Sect, that young man treading a black-glowing flying sword!

"Pfft."

Su Yushang, suddenly gravely wounded, rolled a few times on the ground; she wanted to call out the other's identity, but her mouth was filled with blood.

When she raised her eyes again, that figure had already vanished from where it stood.

"……"

The bright red great sedan had fallen in the forest, long since abandoned by the two anxious guards.

Yin Yajun lay in a dazed stupor inside the sedan.

Under the surging blast of aura just now, the fact that she hadn't completely passed out already counted as her cultivation foundation being fairly solid.

It seemed she really had encountered a change.

She had even heard Su-jie's name.

She hadn't truly entered the water, but it seemed even more terrifying than entering the water.

She struggled to steady her breathing, took out a magic treasure from her storage pouch, then with trembling arms crawled toward the outside of the sedan.

She had to do something.

Yet the moment Yin Yajun crawled out of the sedan, she saw a pair of clean long boots.

She timidly raised her eyes and met a fair face looking down at her.

The young man's eyes were unlike any mortal's, carrying purple-gold flames, as if an aloof immortal god.

The other glanced at her casually, then extended a hand.

Immediately after, Yin Yajun found herself lifted up like a little chick; her field of vision shifted rapidly, until the wind by her ears stopped.

She was tossed aside carelessly.

She landed right on top of Su Yushang.

"Ouch."

Both women cried out low at the same time, then saw the young man withdraw his gaze, turn around without hesitation, his black robe flaring once more, and cleanly step onto a black-glowing dark sword to flee far away.

"Su-jie, are you alright?" Yin Yajun hurriedly moved aside, her arms weakly trying to help her up; in doing so, she couldn't help glancing once more in the direction the young man had left.

"My problem is a big one."

The grey-white in Su Yushang's eyes faded, and she stared blankly at the Dao Palace in the sky.

It wasn't quite what she had imagined.

Then she withdrew her gaze again, pressed a hand to her lower belly, and said with a mixture of bafflement and grievance: "I just can't figure it out — why did he have to bump me? Did I provoke him?"

"He… who is he?" Yin Yajun looked back again.

Su Yushang opened her mouth, then finally sighed: "No one."

What was the point of saying it now — every living being on that stretch of water and land had seen it. This was a clash between Heavenly Sword Sect and Ke Shisan, and it had nothing to do with his General Nanyang Sect.

Forget it, it wasn't really a big deal anyway.

It's just intercepting a wedding for Wang Ba.

If it weren't for the sake of General Nanyang Sect's face.

She wouldn't have needed her sister to step in at all — she could have taken it on by herself.

But… why was Ke Shisan together with Shen Zongzhu?

(End of chapter)