Chapter 515: Worship at the Mountain-Moving Sect, the Dao Child's Wrath

The magnificent treasure ship, like a streak of flowing light, swiftly swept across the sky.

Below, the vast ocean rolled as one, green waves curling high before crashing down heavily, with nothing unusual occurring.

Yet Shen Yi, seated cross-legged on the ship, slowly opened his eyes.

Whether it was an illusion or not, he did not know.

Just now, he suddenly felt he had crossed a "line," and immediately the surrounding heaven and earth's spiritual qi underwent subtle changes.

But within his line of sight, there were no arrays or barriers of any kind.

"It is the Long Gong."

Qingyue Sect's Shen Zongzhu, Ji Jingxi, stood with hands at her sides, glanced sideways, and explained softly: "The four Dragon Palaces guard Hongze with strict boundaries; this is because the Dragon Palaces existed first, creating the distinction between Yu Nanhong and West Hong."

The master of Hongze is, literally, the master of the flood.

Ji Jingxi withdrew her gaze: "Having left Yu Nanhong, it is inconvenient for me to appear publicly; Shen Zongzhu, please forgive me."

Having spoken, her form vanished from the spot; had her voice not yet dispersed, one would have noticed nothing, as if no one had ever been present there.

"..."

Shen Yi also knew the movement technique, but even if he exerted his full strength, he would leave traces and a scent.

He could not possibly be as silent as Ji Zongzhu.

The methods of the Dao-Integration realm are truly beyond the comprehension of the Void-Return realm; even in such details the gap is so vast, let alone engaging in direct combat.

Like this, he had offended two such powerful figures at once, and coincidentally both were the Great Dragon Princes of two Dragon Palaces.

Shen Yi felt slightly helpless and rubbed the center of his brow.

To say he was not worried at all would be false; fortunately, these two were being watched by the sect leaders of other Meng Sects, and his own actions had been clean-handed, so the situation was not yet too pressing.

Of course, relying on external aids is ultimately not a long-term solution.

To forge iron, one must first make oneself hard.

Shen Yi's current strength, if fully unleashed, had actually reached a level that was somewhat terrifying.

Judging solely by his own capabilities, having opened two Dacheng cities and obtained a Dao Weapon that vaguely surpassed the Hongmeng Heavenly Soldiers, and judging from his previous clash with Liu Xingshan, at least ordinary Three-City cultivators, even at full strength, should not be his match.

Moreover, the gap was quite obvious.

As for figures like Su Hongxiu, since they had never truly fought, Shen Yi dared not make a rash judgment, but he certainly possessed the strength to fight her.

One must remember, between the two still lay a Dacheng city, a gap of one heavenly tribulation.

Furthermore, Su Hongxiu herself was a top-tier genius among the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong!

Moreover, besides his own strength.

If those two mysterious and eccentric Branch Hall Masters were also counted, Shen Yi even felt like fighting the other six Dao Sons simultaneously.

But it was still not enough.

When facing true Dao-Integration realm experts, these so-called aids appeared far too weak.

He had not forgotten how utterly helpless the Bai Yujing stabilizing stone he had lost back then was when facing the Ke Family's Crown Prince.

To put it bluntly, although Shen Yi's strength was greater, he and that stabilizing stone were actually in the same realm.

He did not believe that facing the same situation, he could perform better.

"Demon geniuses, or vast quantities of demon lifespans."

Shen Yi closed his eyes and silently recited these two things in his heart.

If he could find a demon genius similar to Ke Shisan, that would naturally be best, but he could not pin his hopes on vague luck.

If he could not find one, he would have to follow Wu Jun's path, use ordinary stabilizing stones to cross the tribulation, expend endless demon lifespans, and even face the risk of failure, wasting all the demon lifespans he had painstakingly accumulated.

Just thinking of it made Shen Yi feel slightly startled.

From the situation of opening the second city, it was clear that these heavenly tribulations were becoming increasingly difficult; otherwise, why did Su Hongxiu, who could clearly see the Four Cities, stop at the Third City? This included Senior Li Xuanqing as well; until the incident occurred, he had not been able to cross the final "suffering" tribulation.

Even Senior Li Xuanqing could not cross it.

Shen Yi found it hard to imagine where he could find a demon genius with talent surpassing the other's.

Day and night alternated.

The magnificent treasure ship finally crossed the endless ocean and approached a mountain range.

"Shen Zongzhu, this disciple takes his leave here."

The other three Dao Sons respectfully bowed, then disembarked from the treasure ship, each summoning a treasure to sweep toward the sky.

After they departed.

Wei Yuanzhou, who had been silent and reserved, finally walked lightly to Shen Yi's back: "Shen Zongzhu, do you know why Ji Zongzhu directly suppressed her aura just now?"

It had to be said that among the few sent to Shen Yi by the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, this Dao Son of Lingyun Sect appeared the most reliable.

Rather than saying Shen Yi brought them out to handle affairs, it was more that Wei Yuanzhou came out to handle affairs, using the opportunity to find excuses to move several trouble-prone troublemakers away.

"Why?"

Shen Yi turned to look; in fact, when he had previously heard that phrase "inconvenient," he had vaguely felt some doubt, but it was not appropriate to ask in front of so many people.

"This matter is lengthy and relates to a past event."

Wei Yuanzhou lightly skipped over the specific details, his smile carrying a hint of helplessness: "Actually, the connections between Yu Nanhong and the other regions... are considered relatively distant."

"Why be so euphemistic? There are simply no connections." Bai Wu couldn't help but interject; it was clear that pretending to be quiet before his master was becoming quite uncomfortable for him.

"The powers of the other three Hongs all interact with each other; we are considered an isolated faction." Su Hongxiu gazed quietly into the distance; as a top-tier genius of Yu Nanhong, being unable to compete with the younger generation of the rest of Hongze was a regret hard to let go of.

Wei Yuanzhou glanced at the two, his sense of helplessness growing stronger, and continued looking at Shen Yi: "Rather than isolation, it is more like... not wanting to invite trouble; they maintain an attitude toward Yu Nanhong of neither provoking nor deepening ties, letting it drift."

"..."

Shen Yi lightly nodded his chin, roughly understanding what was going on.

The trouble Wei Yuanzhou spoke of.

Was nothing more than that the General Nanyang Sect had once offended an immortal, was annihilated, yet the remaining Six Sons were still the largest human faction in Yu Nanhong, even surpassing the South Long Gong.

The remaining six sects are still alive, but in the eyes of others, they seem like prisoners awaiting execution after the autumn trials.

Even after a hundred thousand years, the other powers still fear that entanglements with them might provoke the immortals' wrath; so, not to mention the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, they have simply severed all contact with Southern Hong entirely.

"Therefore, we have always been relatively restrained in our actions, at least on the outside."

Wei Yuanzhou put away his smile and continued with a touch of emotion: "It may not go wrong, but it also may not go right; one can only say it is better to prevent trouble before it happens. For a cultivator of your level, Sect Master Shen, leaving Southern Hong, it is best not to attract too much attention, to avoid opportunists taking advantage."

He believed that with Sect Master Shen's great wisdom, he would certainly understand his meaning.

"Good."

Shen Yi stood up and gazed forward.

It's just about killing quietly without making a fuss, right?

This was nothing; it was his usual habit anyway.

Hearing this, Wei Yuanzhou finally sighed in relief and smiled: "We rarely leave Southern Hong; you can take this opportunity to see the splendor of the entire Hongze. As for requesting aid, leave it to me, Yuanzhou, to handle."

"Although we don't usually contact each other, since it involves the Western Long Gong, they will know what's going on; there shouldn't be any major problems."

Saying this, Wei Yuanzhou took out a jade case and gently brushed his palm over it.

Immediately, three large characters shimmering with golden light rose up.

Banshan Sect!

Then those three large characters turned into streaks of light and shot out, guiding the magnificent treasure ship to dash forward again.

"Banshan Sect is a power that maintains a fairly good relationship with the Seven Sons of Southern Hong; their cultivation method is quite special, requiring vast amounts of heavenly treasures and materials, and they have many specific requirements for the types."

Wei Yuanzhou put away the jade case: "If one wants to seek something within Southern Hong, one inevitably has to go through the hands of the Seven Sons, so in earlier years our interactions were quite close. Moreover, their strength is also quite considerable, roughly equivalent to the combined might of our two sects; approaching them first is certainly the right move."

The combined might of two sects?

Shen Yi was slightly surprised; that was far more than "considerable"; judged individually, it was already the largest power he had ever seen.

Thinking of this, a bit of curiosity arose in his heart.

His gaze pierced through the clouds and mist, following that golden streak of light, until his vision was blocked by a stone wall connecting heaven and earth.

Shen Yi's pupils contracted slightly; looking closely, he realized that this pillar-like thing was actually a mountain, and it did not truly connect heaven and earth; it was just so towering that more than half of the mountain body was above the cloud layer.

And in the very center of that high mountain was a palm print of immense size, hundreds of zhang in length and width.

Even though green branches hung high and vines grew thick within it, the two characters "Banshan," outlined as if in gilded gold, made one's heart tremble just at a glance.

"Lingyun Sect's Daozi Wei Yuanzhou, Tianjian Sect's Daozi Su Hongxiu, Qingyue Sect's Daozi Bai Wu, have come to request an audience with the Banshan Immortal Sect!"

Wei Yuanzhou truly lived up to the bearing of the foremost among the Daozi.

He stepped straight out of the treasure ship and stood spanning the long sky; thus, the clouds and mist suddenly ceased, as if the entire heaven and earth had paused for a moment.

At the instant he clasped his hands, his voice rang out, circling the sky pillar without ceasing for a long time.

"Truly restrained enough," Bai Wu said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"The Seven Sons of Southern Hong haven't come out in too long; if not for this, they might not even be able to open this door." Although Su Hongxiu didn't think Wei Yuanzhou was qualified to be the foremost Daozi, she still trusted him quite a bit on matters like this.

The fame of the Seven Sons, once renowned throughout Hongze, mostly stemmed from Senior Li Xuanqing.

Pity that he was like a fleeting flower; even ninety-nine percent of people believed he would certainly merge with the Dao and reach even higher places.

But in the end, he still "perished" in Bai Yujing.

He failed to secure any truly tangible benefits for the Seven Sons of Southern Hong.

Therefore, that fame came quickly and left quickly.

At the level of Hongze, the current Seven Sons of Southern Hong, even if not completely unknown, certainly could no longer possess the glory and grandeur of the past.

About ten breaths later.

That sky pillar finally transmitted a response.

A deep voice, like thunder, resounded across the sky.

"Honored guests have traveled far; please!"

Accompanying that booming sound, the two characters "Banshan" on the sky pillar suddenly blazed with golden light, rapidly extending outward like a golden bridge, landing beneath Wei Yuanzhou's feet.

"Please."

Su Hongxiu did not address him as Sect Master again, but still stood in place, waiting for Shen Yi to go first.

Compared to the disciples and officials of the Seven Sons of Southern Hong before, not addressing him as Sect Master outside was due to concern that this young cultivator might bring shame to the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, making the title "Sect Master" seem ridiculous.

Now, although the action was the same, the meaning contained was completely different.

After all, a cultivator who ascended to Bai Yujing in such a short time, and who had single-handedly suppressed and killed Elder Liu Xingshan of three cities—even if that elder was in a deficient state at the time.

But once this news spread.

Everyone would associate it with the reincarnation of an immortal.

Even the top powers in Hongze would probably not let such a genius slip through their fingers, and would absolutely understand the Seven Sons' move of using the precious land of General Nanyang to keep him.

Su Hongxiu and the other Daozi were simply worried that Shen Yi might lose face; after all, this was not a visit as a guest, but a request for aid.

A Yizun Sect Master personally coming to request aid... not only did it sound bad, but it would also easily lead people to misunderstand that the Seven Sons of Southern Hong had reached a moment of life and death.

"No need."

Shen Yi shook his head; to be honest, if the situation was truly as Wei Yuanzhou said, then the identity of General Nanyang Sect Master outside had absolutely no benefits; it could not achieve the effect of using a tiger's skin to make a big banner, and instead brought nothing but trouble.

"Understood."

Before Bai Wu could react, Su Hongxiu had already remembered the incident last time when she and Shen Yi entered the water together to ransack and exterminate Ke Laoqi's family; with Tianjian Sect backing him, his actions had become even more unrestrained.

The other person seemed to really enjoy this kind of experience...

Bai Wu put away the magnificent treasure ship; under the guidance of the golden light, the four figures simultaneously vanished into the space between the sky pillars.

When they appeared again.

In their vision was an extremely luxurious and magnificent high building, located second only to the main hall of Banshan Sect.

"Several Daozi, please come this way."

A burly man with a somewhat peculiar appearance nodded to the four of them.

It was not some strange or outlandish attire.

Rather, within the prestigious Tangtangxian Sect, the man was dressed like a martial artist from the Jianghu, wearing a hemp-yellow tight-fitting outfit, with leg wraps and wrist bindings.

Wei Yuanzhou, evidently more experienced, quietly glanced at the mountain-shaped golden mark on the man's forehead, then clasped his hands and said, "We owe you a debt of gratitude, Elder."

This burly man, whose aura was unassuming and whose appearance was ordinary, was actually an Elder of Bai Yujing.

"No need for courtesy. Please rest for a moment; I will report to our Sect's Daozi as soon as possible."

The attitude of the Banshan Sect Elder left no room for criticism; if anything had to be said, it was that a faint sense of aloofness lingered in his eyes.

However, considering the reputation of the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, such a reaction was entirely normal.

"We apologize for the disturbance."

Wei Yuanzhou returned the greeting without being humble or arrogant.

After this Banshan Sect Elder turned and walked away along the mountain path.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at the luxurious high tower beside them, then smiled and said, "It is easier than I imagined."

For any Fanxian Sect, the protocols for receiving fellow Daoists are well-established.

This tower stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the main hall, facing it across the mountain.

Treating us as the most honored guests also indirectly indicates that their attitude toward the Seven Sons of Southern Hong has not changed despite the passage of time.

Given that, we are here to discuss the serious matter of jointly resisting the Long Gong.

The result should be reached very easily.

"..."

Su Hongxiu stepped into the high tower with an expression of noncommittal indifference. Her intuition told her that this matter was not as simple as it seemed, yet she truly could not think of any reason to refute him.

Under the guidance of the Banshan Sect's welcoming disciples, the four were led to the most honored rooms in the tower. Apart from the three Daozis, no one even asked about Shen Yi's identity, giving the Seven Sons of Southern Hong all the respect they could ask for.

It seemed there was nothing wrong with this.

Until—

This rest lasted a full thirteen days.

Outside the high tower.

Bai Wu wore a faint smile: "It really is too easy, Daoist Brother Yuanzhou."

For over ten days, the Banshan Sect disciples had done everything possible to satisfy them, with various delicacies and fine wines supplied without interruption.

Except for meeting the Banshan Sect's Daozi... more accurately speaking, no one of any weight within the entire Banshan Sect had appeared to this day.

Under normal circumstances, given Wei Yuanzhou's personality, he would have been too lazy to argue with Bai Wu.

But at this moment, he fell into silence, a few shades of gloom welling up in his eyes.

This move by the Banshan Sect was even more unacceptable to Wei Yuanzhou than simply refusing to give the Seven Sons of Southern Hong face.

If they had bluntly and decisively refused.

At worst, we would just go to the next sect.

But this ambiguous attitude of the Banshan Sect left Wei Yuanzhou unable to fathom the reason; they did not look down on the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, yet they simply refused to appear and discuss the matter.

One must remember that although this journey is named seeking aid, the human factions uniting to resist the Long Gong is a long-standing convention.

Otherwise, on what grounds have the Seven Sons of Southern Hong been able to balance the Southern Long Gong for so many years? Could the Ke family invite the Qi family, but the Qi family cannot invite the Ke family?

If the Southern Palace and Western Palace joined hands, could these Western Hong forces gain any advantage?

Or is it that we have been away for too long, and now in the Western Hong, there is no longer any conflict between the human factions and the Long Gong?

If no reason can be found, it means that... even if we go to the next sect, the result will very likely be the same.

"We have come from Southern Hong with an urgent matter to discuss. Please inform the Daoist again. If you are truly too busy, we are not unreasonable people; give us a specific date, and I, Wei, will visit your sect again next time."

All are Daozis; where would there be no pride?

Wei Yuanzhou had only been holding back his temper because the temperaments of his companions were quite peculiar, and he wished to preserve the overall situation.

Now, he finally looked at the welcoming disciple outside the tower, his expression becoming somewhat more serious.

"Replying to Daozi Lingyun, this junior will go immediately to inform the Elder."

The welcoming disciple quietly curled his lip, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes, but outwardly he still bowed respectfully before turning and leaving.

This action caused Wei Yuanzhou to slowly close his eyes and take a deep breath.

Such a situation had repeated itself several times over the thirteen days.

As a Daozi of the Xian Sect, being looked down upon in the Western Hong while bringing along the Sect Master of General Nanyang was something he could not accept.

"Since your approach does not work, I will make the announcement myself."

Su Hongxiu, sensing the numerous Bai Yu auras within the main hall on the opposite mountain, her expression indifferent, finally took a step forward.

In the next instant, her fingertips quietly touched her forehead.

Boom—

In that instant, a sharp sword intent shot straight up from the spot!

It pierced through the thick clouds, causing the entire sky to tremble; wild winds swept across, making the towering mountains around seem to emit cries of anguish.

"Tianjian Sect, Su Hongxiu."

"Here to pay homage to the Sect."

Her eyes were as calm as an ancient well, and though she spoke words similar to those Wei Yuanzhou had used earlier, her tone was entirely different, carrying boundless sharpness that echoed throughout the entire mountain gate!

Beneath that sword intent shooting toward the sky.

The welcoming disciple, who had just reached the mountain path and was preparing to find a place to sit in meditation for a while, felt a chill crawl up his spine, causing his entire face to go numb.

Although he was also at the mid-stage of the Return to Emptiness realm, he could not even maintain his standing, stumbling and falling to his knees on the ground.

"These southern Hong barbarians..."

The reception disciple turned back in terror, gritting his teeth tightly to prevent soul damage.

From the grand hall across the mountain, a thick aura finally rose.

Clearly, someone had been inside the hall all along—just unwilling to show themselves.

Finally, three figures shot out from the hall.

They did not use teleportation techniques; instead, they relied solely on their physical bodies to reverse the celestial and terrestrial qi, then hovered above the tall tower.

"Comrade, did your elders teach you that this is how the Bai Sect behaves?"

The three coldly barked—they were all young disciples, direct pupils of elders, yet showed not the slightest fear toward the Dao Heir.

Clearly, someone of even higher status remained seated within the grand hall.

"..."

Wei Yuanzhou silently glanced at Shen Yi beside him, then sighed at Su Hongxiu: "Rein in your aura. Let's go."

Even now, under these circumstances, the Banshan Sect still refuses to let anyone truly authoritative step forward. Continuing this entanglement is simply pointless.

Su Hongxiu closed her eyes and carefully adjusted her breathing.

After a long pause, she finally turned slowly around.

The sword intent in the sky dissipated.

She had pride—but she was also the Dao Heir, the one entrusted with the weight of the Heavens-Binding Sacred Land. Controlling her temper was the most basic requirement.

At that moment, the leading elder's direct disciple in the air glanced at the now-calm sky and smirked: "You seem quite confident in your strength?"

"..." Bai Wu's face changed instantly, even forgetting to speak in his usual sarcastic tone.

Indeed, Su Hongxiu slowly clenched her five fingers, and a faint, cold smile curled at the corner of her beautiful face.

The sword intent vanished completely; in the clear sky, three phantom images of Dacheng slowly emerged.

She opened her eyes and gazed back calmly: "Yes."

(End of Chapter)