Chapter 496: Setting Out, to Stand Up for Old Liu

General Nanyang Sect, behind the wooden door of the Scripture Pavilion.

Amid drifting white mist, a young man sat cross-legged, blood staining the corner of his lips, his ink-black robe lifted by golden flames, a faint spiritual light flickering across his skin.

The prompts on the panel accumulated one after another.

【In the 137,000th year, the legendary phoenix of heaven and earth — the male is the Feng, the female is the Huang. You consumed the flesh and blood of this Red-Eyed Xuan Huang, contemplated its divine soul, yin and yang merged, blended as one, and step by step completed the Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body, elevating this art and further raising its upper limit.】

【Killed Fanxu (Precious). Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body: Great Completion】

【In the 240,000th year, with the aid of the Xuan Huang's flesh and blood, you quickly cultivated this precious art to perfection once more. Yet you were not satisfied with a body merely comparable to the ninth layer of Killed Fanxu. The Xuan Huang demon soul roamed within your body, likewise perched upon Mount Wutong, and with the lifetime's worth of insight it possessed, began to tear down and rebuild the entire Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body from the ground up.】

Strictly speaking, the one previously held by General Nanyang Sect was the Red-Eyed Xuan Feng; this blood-master of the Heaven Sword Sect ought to be called the Red-Eyed Xuan Huang.

The two were siblings, their bloodlines exceedingly close.

Now, under Shen Yi's refinement, the essence blood of both demon monsters fused into his body, producing a certain mysterious transformation.

But this was not the most important thing.

Along with the change in bloodline, countless sword manuals suddenly appeared in Shen Yi's mind.

In the panel's deductions, it had always been these demon souls that took proper cultivation methods and scrambled them into demon martial arts — but this time it seemed reversed: the spirit-body art, which had originally been tied to the phoenix demon, was suddenly walking the orthodox path of the Xian Sect.

The Xuan Huang had been held captive in the Heaven Sword Sect for a hundred thousand years.

Though she could not practice cultivation methods, she still had the qualification to merely observe.

Moreover, because of her good relationship with Su Yuchang, even when the latter practiced spirit arts, the Xuan Huang was permitted to watch from the side.

Perhaps she had not been lying — within her clan she truly might have been a prodigy; otherwise, under the constant draining of her essence blood, she could never have broken through to the twelfth layer of Killed Fanxu.

Besides, this realm was most likely the result of deliberate suppression by the Heaven Sword Sect.

Thinking it through carefully, it was indeed terrifying beyond compare.

Without any resources, while continually giving of herself, and being suppressed — relying solely on the rarity of her bloodline, her realm still surpassed that of most cultivators.

One sword manual after another was opened, every single character crystal clear.

Those characters leapt from the pages, merging into a great river that churned within Shen Yi's mind.

【In the 430,000th year, the Xuan Feng had already grown utterly familiar with your body. From that river of text, she would, from time to time, draw out a section and add it into the Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body. This is the foundation of the Heaven Sword Sect — now all of it is yours to wield.】

【Killed Fanxu (Spirit). Divine Phoenix Immortal Sword Body: Not Yet Initiated】

Hiss—

Torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

The Heaven Phoenix within Shen Yi's body was suddenly wrapped in golden flames, transforming once more into a golden egg.

That was the accumulated foundation of Heaven Phoenix Pills, one after another, and of demon-monster flesh and blood, mouthful after mouthful.

And now, they were being reshaped.

The golden flame at Shen Yi's brow suddenly grew solid; compared to its previously light, leaping motion, it now slowly transformed into a sharp golden pattern.

Under the deduction of vast demon-monster lifespans.

An inexpressible vitality burst forth from within the golden egg — the lost realm was swiftly recovering!

Crack!

Accompanied by the cries of phoenix in unison, an ancient, unadorned longsword broke free from its shell, phoenix patterns inscribed upon it, the golden flame upon its guard blindingly bright.

If the Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body leaned more toward defense, its most precious effect being the granting of a second life,

then this sword was the exact opposite.

Shen Yi's ink-black robe flapped violently, as though he sat cross-legged amid raging wind and torrential rain, yet his entire being remained unmoved.

That dazzling edge shot straight up into the heavens!

This was a cultivation method tailor-made for him.

【In the 770,000th year, while other prodigies were still diligently practicing spirit arts, you and the Xuan Huang, aided by a near-eternal stretch of lifespans, actually created an entirely new spirit art. You were not practicing this art — you were merely personally verifying it.】

【Killed Fanxu (Spirit). Divine Phoenix Immortal Sword Body: Great Completion】

Shen Yi opened his eyes, and the towering golden flames suddenly rolled back.

He seemed no longer to need those flashy postures, fusing every wisp of spiritual energy into the meridians throughout his body.

Returning to simplicity, sheathing the sword within its scabbard.

This was not the ultimate limit — it was simply a lack of foundation. The upper limit of this spirit art was a physical body comparable to Bai Yujing.

With so many pills, and the accumulated reserves of having swallowed an entire Red-Eyed Xuan Huang, not a trace wasted, Shen Yi was now only a single step away from the broadest watershed within the Killed Fanxu realm.

A physical body comparable to the twelfth layer of Killed Fanxu.

"..."

The beautiful woman drifted out from the panel, hovering lightly in midair.

Compared to the wretched state of the other demon souls, she was only exhausted to the extreme, but her mind had not been affected.

It was not that the Xuan Huang was so exceptional — the main reason was that she had read through numerous sword manuals, effectively standing upon the shoulders of the Heaven Sword Sect rather than imagining things out of thin air.

Seeing this, Ke Thirteen's heart suddenly gave a sudden lurch.

Sure enough, the master's gaze swept over immediately afterward, and the edge in those eyes, not yet fully withdrawn, made its entire body instinctively tremble.

It was its turn again.

General Nanyang Sect, the Ancestral Master Hall.

Li Qingfeng helplessly rubbed his hands together — his cultivation was still too low; no matter how quick-witted he was, many matters were quite thorny when they arose.

For instance, right now: the white-haired, child-faced old gentleman outside the sect was unmistakably wearing an elder's ceremonial robe of the Qingyue Sect.

Which meant this man was a Bai Yu Jing cultivator.

Who would dare let such a person in?

But if they didn't let him in, the Qingyue Sect and General Nanyang Sect were on fairly good terms, and this old gentleman's status was so high — turning him away at the gate seemed far too discourteous.

In the end, Li Qingfeng decided to leave the sect to negotiate in person.

But after going through the entire sect, it seemed there was no one qualified to chat with an elder.

"Senior Xuanqing, how about…"

He noticed that since the last incident, though the wooden-man senior had become even more silent, there seemed to be some subtle changes — at the very least, the other party had never again fallen into that state of sitting in empty contemplation.

Instead, he quietly swept the hall, lit incense, and occasionally wiped down the ancestor statue.

The very picture of a menial laborer.

"No need."

Li Xuanqing set down the broom in his hand, gave a slight nod of his chin, and said, "Let him in. He can't cause any trouble."

"Hm?"

Li Qingfeng froze for a moment — wait, did the wooden-man senior used to talk like this?

Though his tone was still calm, why had a few traces of wild arrogance inexplicably crept in?

What had set him off?

Still, the Sect Master had given the Dao token to Senior Xuanqing, which meant the power to open the gate had been handed over to the other party.

"I'll arrange for someone to prepare tea right away." Li Qingfeng turned and left the great hall.

As his words fell, several idle stewards had already leapt into the air, leaving the sect to greet him: "General Nanyang Sect respectfully welcomes the Qingyue Elder!"

"No need for such ceremony. The old man is just here to deliver a message — it just has to be handed to Shen Zongzhu personally."

Elder Chiyang had waited quite a while, but he wasn't angry.

He could understand General Nanyang Sect's current predicament, and what they were worried about.

Still, he couldn't help sighing inwardly.

Understanding is one thing, but trouble is indeed trouble.

Enough of that — he's already here.

Elder Chiyang's interest in the General Nanyang treasure land was genuine, but he also knew that with his own strength, he couldn't possibly take part in such an event.

Better not to think about it — his mind would actually be clearer that way.

Instead, he wanted to tour General Nanyang Sect itself. After all, a hidden land of the abyss had somehow produced a figure even Old Liu admired — it was truly intriguing.

But this lofty-immortal-inspecting-the-mortal-world mood of his quickly vanished.

Under the guidance of several General Nanyang Sect stewards,

Elder Chiyang was soon led into a hall. Across the table, a wooden body sat calmly, a tea cup in hand, slightly raising his gaze to glance over, his voice cool and clear: "You're here. Sit."

Through that wooden body, Chiyang suddenly recalled many things.

For instance, in his own youth, when he happened to see that figure streak across the sky — the female disciples of his sect all stopped and looked up, their hearts stirred; the male disciples were full of awe, wishing that one day they too could be like that.

Chiyang had once been one of those insignificant disciples.

It was only when the other changed to a new body and sat in silent meditation outside the General Nanyang relief sculpture that these memories were slowly sealed away.

"This junior, Chiyang, pays respects to Senior Xuanqing."

Elder Chiyang bowed, cupping his hands in salute.

They could ignore the wooden man outside the General Nanyang relief sculpture — that was because the other party hadn't cared about such things back then.

But the current Xuanqing clearly had a change in mindset.

Though he didn't know the reason, the proper courtesies could not be skipped.

"Hiss."

Li Qingfeng, waiting outside the hall with a group of stewards, couldn't help but draw in a breath.

He knew this wooden-man senior's status was very high, but he had never imagined that someone who had been lying on the ground seeking death could actually press a Bai Yujing elder into bowing his head.

And what surprised him even more was Xuanqing's reaction.

The other party still sat quietly, received the full salute, then unhurriedly set down his tea cup: "Speak your business."

"This…"

Elder Chiyang hesitated. Old Liu had said to deliver the letter to Shen Zongzhu's hands, but he didn't dare slight Xuanqing's face either.

God knew who actually called the shots in this General Nanyang Sect.

"If it's inconvenient to say, then wait. The Sect Master is in cultivation." Xuanqing seemed to have guessed something and did not make things difficult for Chiyang.

"Uh, roughly how long?" Only then did Chiyang sit down.

"Soon."

Though Xuanqing didn't know what Shen Yi was cultivating in the Dharma Repository, based on his observations over these past days, there was no technique that could stump this Sect Master.

"Alright."

Hearing this noncommittal reply, Elder Chiyang gave a wry smile and nodded.

He could afford to wait — he was just afraid that the vassal forces of General Nanyang Sect couldn't.

Just then, the sound of footsteps rose outside the door.

Chiyang turned his head in surprise, and saw that figure in a dark robe, under everyone's gaze, slowly step into the great hall.

This was the first time he had seen the famed Shen Zongzhu with his own eyes.

Yet the reality differed greatly from his imagination.

There was no imposing presence, no aura of proud disdain — just a young man of handsome features who seemed somewhat reserved, not even wearing the Sect Master's ceremonial robe.

Placed in Qingyue Sect, one could easily mistake him for an inner disciple.

"Sect Master."

Xuanqing rose and stepped aside.

He spoke up in advance, clearly worried about Shen Yi — afraid the other party would, in front of outsiders, once again call out that baffling form of address.

Xuan Qing's actions were already enough to astonish Chi Yang, but Shen Yi's simple gesture of nodding his chin and then sitting down made him widen his eyes completely.

Just this simple exchange of positions.

Was sufficient to show who the true ruler was within the General Nanyang Sect, and done so smoothly, it was clearly not an act performed for his sake.

To put it bluntly, many Killed Fanxu Perfection cultivators could not withstand the pressure of posturing in front of Xuan Qing.

"Chi Yang of Qingyue Sect pays respects to Shen Zongzhu."

Having witnessed this scene, the title "Zongzhu" that Chi Yang had originally found difficult to say now flowed quite naturally.

Even Xuan Qing had acknowledged the other's identity; could his own face possibly be greater than Xuan Qing's?

"No need for such formalities."

Shen Yi did not particularly like these pleasantries; his interactions with Qingyue Sect were mostly related to Elder Liu.

Now that a strange Elder had arrived, it was highly likely that Elder Liu was unable to come personally.

"This is a letter from Liu Shiqian for Shen Zongzhu; please take a look."

Elder Chi Yang straightened his body and said no more, for as a Bai Yujing Elder, he truly could not bring himself to flatter such a young Killed Fanxu cultivator.

Moreover, after reading the letter, the other likely would have no mind for further small talk.

An opponent who could make Liu Shiqian feel a headache would, for Shen Zongzhu, likely be enough to cause sleepless nights and loss of appetite.

However, Elder Chi Yang did not see the expected alertness on Shen Zongzhu's face.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze slightly and carefully scanned the contents of the letter.

He then looked up and said softly, "Thank you, Elder Chi Yang."

"Uh."

Chi Yang had not intended to get involved in this matter, but seeing how calm he was, he felt Shen Yi might not have understood the letter's contents. Was Old Liu using obscure words out of habit again, or was he deliberately downplaying the situation to spare Shen Zongzhu?

Thinking of this, he could not help adding, "You had best send a message to your vassal forces as soon as possible and make arrangements; otherwise, once that group of demons and monsters frees their hands, unnecessary damage may occur."

"It might be a huge loss that is hard for you to accept." Chi Yang instinctively intensified his tone.

"I know."

Shen Yi stood up and walked toward the hall's exit: "Let's go."

"Go? Go where?" Chi Yang looked at him in shock.

"..."

Shen Yi fell silent for an instant, then turned back in confusion to look at him.

Wasn't Elder Liu's letter saying that the exposure of killing Ke Shisan had caused great trouble?

If trouble is caused, naturally one must resolve the trouble.

Otherwise, where else could one go?

Four eyes met, and Chi Yang froze in place... If he understood correctly, was Shen Zongzhu intending to go find Liu Shiqian?

Only now did he finally understand why Old Liu trusted this young man before him so much.

No wonder the two dared to privately invite such great calamity.

Their boldness was truly one greater than the other!

A Killed Fanxu cultivator now voluntarily participating in a matter that even Bai Yujing found troubling—either Shen Yi was mad, or he himself was mad.

"Old Liu didn't mean that! Don't harm me!"

Chi Yang instinctively wanted to grab the other, but instantly realized the gap in status and quickly withdrew his hand.

"He wants you to hide and first protect the safety of the General Nanyang Sect."

As the words fell, a hint of strangeness rose in Shen Yi's eyes; he did not answer but glanced toward the hall's exit.

The meaning was very clear.

Where could he hide? The matter of slaying two Dragon Grandsons, once exposed, would mean life or death.

Moreover, Shen Yi still intended to continue slaying them.

Ke Shisan was simply too useful; having experienced the aid of such a demon and monster prodigy, he really did not want to listen to that group of ordinary demons and monsters chattering together for a thousand years without producing a single fart.

【Remaining Lifespan of Demons and Monsters: Thirty-Two Thousand Years】

【Killed Fanxu (Spirit) · Return to Ruins Immortal Armor: Perfection】

【Killed Fanxu (Spirit) · Green Dragon Star-Shattering Spear: Perfection】

Rather than watching Liu Shiqian alone endure the Dragon Palace's pressure, it was better to take advantage of the current remaining strength and pull on Qingyue Sect's banner once more.

"No..."

Chi Yang turned back in a daze, looking at the General Nanyang Sect crowd; including Xuan Qing, not a single person questioned Shen Zongzhu's decision.

He seemed to have misunderstood something.

Shen Yi did not seem to be the so-called "Zongzhu"; his status within the General Nanyang Sect was exactly the same as the six Great Expansion Realm giants of the Meng Sect.

(End of Chapter)