Chapter 517: A Strange Hongze, A Familiar Sect

Shen Yi did not deliberately go for the kill, but his very nature was that of a lion taking down a rabbit — he still gave it everything he had, cautious to the core.

The three people, Du Weiguang among them, who had struck earlier had kept their lives, but in any other faction it would have amounted to being crippled.

But after they were sent into the great hall.

The group of Bai Yujing cultivators from Banshan Sect did not appear overly worried.

After all, cultivating the Spirit Body Art inevitably involved close-quarters combat, and their usual sparring already resulted in injuries more easily than in other Xian Sects; without some means of healing, probably fewer than one in ten disciples would have survived in the sect.

Of course, besides that.

The body-tempering strength Shen Yi had displayed was also an important reason they could remain so calm now.

As far as they knew, not only the Seven Sons, but the entire Yu Nanhong had no sect that primarily cultivated body tempering.

In other words, this young cultivator had most likely figured it out on his own, and through that had attained a Spirit Body cultivation that could crush these personal disciples of Banshan Sect.

If one were to provide him with a mature cultivation method, and supplement it with so many heavenly materials and earthly treasures from Banshan Sect, his achievements would simply be incalculable.

The Dao Sons of the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong certainly could not switch to another sect — after all, what lure in this world could be greater than a Hedaojing treasure land?

But the problem was… if memory served, when Wei Yuanzhou had previously come to pay his respects and made introductions, this ink-robed young man did not seem to be a Dao Son, and that was a different matter entirely.

Banshan Sect was quite confident it could pay a greater price than any single sect among the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong to recruit this cultivator.

Thinking of this, Yang Yunheng's attitude clearly softened considerably.

He cupped his hands toward Wei Yuanzhou: "This old man knows why Dao Son Lingyun has come on this trip, but our sect's Dao Son is indeed not within the sect at present."

Given Yang Yunheng's status, explaining up to this point amounted to giving a reason and a way out, which was already quite a show of face for Wei Yuanzhou.

Anyone who was not a greenhorn just out of the cradle would not press further about the earlier deliberate cold-shouldering.

After all, although Banshan Sect could not match the combined might of the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, it was not their vassal either; moreover, with the distance between them, and the Seven Sons themselves being rather reluctant to venture out, there was simply no need to appear too humble before them.

A mighty dragon does not oppress a local serpent, let alone an old dragon on its last legs.

A hundred thousand years was enough to change far too many things.

The current state of Hongze had long since become quite different from before.

The Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong were like reclusive martial-world elders — a sliver of face still remained, and when there was no contest of interests, people did not mind humoring them with a few words, but if they truly tried to throw their weight around as elders, it would only bring disgrace upon themselves and nothing else.

As for angering them and fearing they would flip the table…

Don't forget, the matter of sending Princess Ziling Xianzi to the heavens back then was the result of a joint decision between Hongze Daxian and the Northern Long Gong; even the Eastern Palace, where Princess Ziling Xianzi originated, did not have much say in it — otherwise this Xianzi would not have gone crying to Xuanqing to pour out her grievances in the first place.

In other words, both the Daxian and the Northern Long Gong wanted to use this matter to gain some benefit in the heavens.

The Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong had nearly caused trouble and ruined this affair.

If they did not rein themselves in, regardless of what others might do, the Northern Long Gong — the greatest power among them — should not mind stepping in once more to teach them a lesson.

"…"

Bai Wu shifted his gaze away, struggling to hold back his laughter; Yang Yunheng's attitude toward Shen Zongzhu and toward the rest of them was simply two different faces, but he did not feel offended — instead, he worked to rein in his emotions.

Given his keen mind, how could he fail to see what these Banshan Sect elders were thinking?

Sure enough, the moment Shen Yi left Yu Nanhong, he had drawn the attention of these outside powers — like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss; even a casual flash of his scales was enough for others to glimpse his extraordinariness.

But… Shen Yi was indeed not a Dao Son — he was the Sect Master.

They were trying to poach a disciple and had ended up poaching the Sect Master of General Nanyang; Bai Wu was very curious whether these old fellows, upon learning the truth, would want to dig a hole and bury their heads in it.

"May I ask when your esteemed sect's Dao Son will return? Is there a specific date?"

Wei Yuanzhou gave a slight nod of his chin; what he had originally wanted was precisely this answer. If Banshan Sect was unwilling to help, the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong were not the type to shamelessly press the matter.

To put it bluntly, the very worst outcome would simply be the Seven Sons sealing off their sect like they did with the General Nanyang treasure land, letting the floods outside rage as they would.

Having already prepared to leave, he asked the customary question and then stood in place waiting for a response.

But he had not expected this group of Banshan Sect powerhouses to fall silent in unison for a moment.

Including Yang Yunheng, their expressions grew somewhat complicated — perhaps it was not a bad thing, but they were not too willing to elaborate.

"Not sure, depends on luck — perhaps today or tomorrow, or perhaps it will take a long while." The Grand Elder slowly shook his head.

At these words, even Su Hongxiu revealed a measure of surprise.

They were all born of Xian Sects, and all happened to be Dao Sons.

With such matters, they were more than familiar.

A Dao Son who had already grown into his strength was equivalent to half a Sect Master; such an important figure, whenever he left the sect, was always a major event, watched over by the entire sect.

For instance, those of them who had left Yu Nanhong were even escorted by Hedaojing Sect Masters.

Given Yang Yunheng's status as Grand Elder, how could he utter such an unreliable statement… it even gave one the impression that the Banshan Sect Dao Son did not even have the right to decide his own itinerary.

"It's not just our Banshan Sect like this…" Yang Yunheng, feeling his face could not quite hold up, could not help adding: "Even when the few Dao Sons go to other sects to discuss matters, the situation should be little different."

Hearing this, Wei Yuanzhou could not help but knit his brow tightly.

He cast a covert glance at Bai Wu.

Signaling him to contact the other three Dao Sons and find out the situation on their end.

Just at this moment.

The Banshan Sect powerhouses all looked in unison toward one direction.

"Roar!"

The next instant, a piercing beast's howl exploded in the air, carrying a furious bellow like the tolling of a great bell; a yaoguai daring to act so brazenly within Banshan Sect — compared with its attitude, that aura equivalent to only the twelfth layer of Return-to-Void seemed rather strange.

In the clear sky, one figure after another appeared in succession.

Another dozen-plus Bai Yujing powerhouses revealed themselves.

Adding those previously in the great hall, if one did not count the Hedaojing giants, even combining the strongest among the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong — the Heaven Sword Sect and the Peerless Sect — would still appear slightly inferior.

Before so many powerhouses, that yaoguai shaped like a great lion, its body covered in pitch-black long hair, was still continuing to roar.

The reason was that there was not even a single wound on its body — not a drop of blood, and even its fur was sleek and glossy; it did not look like it had been captured at all, but rather like it had been escorted back to Banshan Sect.

A middle-aged man with a resolute face, dressed in a black-and-white close-fitting short outfit, his build merely sturdy and powerful, not appearing especially exaggerated.

But he gripped the demon's flesh and skin with both palms, lifting its dozens-of-zhang body horizontally above his head; under the massive size difference, it was as if he were carrying a mountain on his back!

Moreover, without harming the demon, relying solely on his two fleshly palms, he rendered it unable to struggle, leaving it only able to roar and shout wildly.

"We humbly welcome the Dao Son back to the Sect!"

Led by Yang Yunheng, numerous Banshan Sect cultivators bowed in unison, all wearing expressions of wholehearted submission.

In any Fanxian Sect, regardless of which one, there exists an irreconcilable conflict between Elders and the Dao Son: the struggle for the Dao-Integration Sacred Grounds.

For a sect as massive as Banshan Sect, from the innermost disciples at the bottom to the Great Elder at the top, to all show such respect, there is basically only one reason.

That is, this Banshan Sect Dao Son can fight, and he is very capable of fighting!

"How does it feel?"

Bai Wu withdrew his gaze, very consciously pulling himself out, and looked toward the two Dao Sons beside him.

Wei Yuanzhou pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

He frankly admitted he was inferior to the other party.

There was nothing shameful about this; Lingyun Sect disciples were not even half as strong as those of Banshan Sect. As Dao Sons forged in life-and-death battles, the other party's required strength must be even greater.

Su Hongxiu simply had no patience to answer.

If it were before, this Banshan Sect Dao Son might have stirred her fighting spirit, but now her mind was entirely focused on studying Shen Yi.

Compared to Shen Zongzhu, this Banshan Sect Dao Son's strength might be higher, but it was all written on his face, making him transparent at a glance; truly, it was very uninteresting.

As for victory or defeat... that could only be known after fighting.

Life-and-death clashes are full of variables; how could the result be deduced at a single glance?

By comparison, she was actually more interested in Shen Yi's changes.

At the very moment that demon appeared.

Shen Zongzhu clearly became even less lazy; while everyone else's gaze was on the Banshan Sect Dao Son, only his gaze remained fixed on that black-furred lion.

"Is it really that interesting?"

Su Hongxiu pondered in her heart for a moment; although she was known for her heavy killing nature, she also knew killing was merely a means to an end, and she herself did not enjoy the process.

But Shen Zongzhu seemed different... He could ignore the wealth in Ke Laoqi's palace, appearing purely intent on stabbing that spear into the demon's neck, and he did so with unflagging enthusiasm.

It was truly something difficult to comment on.

"Hah."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing; with his rich experience, he could see the lion's extraordinary nature at a glance, possessing considerable spiritual intelligence.

If he could find its clan and gather the entire clan's strength to nurture a demon, perhaps there would be hope of opening the Third City.

However, this demon was obviously Banshan Sect's harvest, and there was only one; it was not enough to make Shen Yi too excited... He could ask that Dao Son about it later if the opportunity arose.

"You have all worked hard these days; go rest." Yan Chongzhang nodded to those beside him, grabbed that lion, leaped to the guest pavilion nearby, and shook the entire mountain peak with the impact.

He glanced at Yang Yunheng.

This Great Elder immediately introduced: "These are the Dao Sons of Lingyun Sect, Tianjian Sect, and Qingyue Sect from Yu Nanhong, and this young talent came along with the Dao Sons."

Hearing this, Yan Chongzhang slammed the giant lion onto the ground with a backhand, as if dropping a small mountain.

Only then did he cup his hands toward the group and say with slight apology: "Forgive me; Chongzhang has been quite busy these days, keeping you fellow Daoists waiting. Once I handle my current matter, I will immediately set a banquet to share a few drinks with you all."

"Fellow Daoist is too polite." Wei Yuanzhou slightly raised his palm, indicating the other party should attend to his business first.

He made no mention of the previous conflict with Banshan Sect; it was obvious that regardless of how other Elders felt, this Banshan Sect Dao Son was truly busy, and the exhaustion in his eyes was not feigned.

Only the Sect Master and the Dao Son can represent a sect's attitude; no matter what actions others take, they are merely trivial skirmishes.

"Then I trouble you all to wait a little longer."

Yan Chongzhang did not dawdle; he slightly straightened the fatigue in his expression, then took a golden register from his robe.

In the next moment, he slowly unfolded it.

Spiritual light gathered within it, surging straight toward the sky, clearly transmitting something.

Su Hongxiu and the other Dao Sons looked over curiously; a Dao Son seeking someone within his own sect would not need to use any golden register.

Calling external cultivators across the sect's sacred grounds? Such a method was rare in Yu Nanhong.

Wei Yuanzhou was also somewhat puzzled; a dignified Banshan Sect Dao Son, displaying such an attitude now, seemed to have an air of being slightly inferior.

Who exactly was the other party?

By all rights, Shen Yi was the person with the least experience in the scene, and he was not very interested in things other than demons.

But at this moment, he looked seriously toward the sky, his clear gaze gradually flickering.

At the instant the golden register's spiritual light vanished.

A layer of faint golden radiance suddenly covered the clouds filling the sky, then strands wove together.

Finally, it formed a vivid landscape painting spanning heaven and earth.

In the center of the great hall within that painting, there was a golden-threaded cushion, and upon the cushion sat a spiritual light figure whose features were indistinguishable.

He sat within the landscape, yet seemed not to be within the Five Elements.

Everything around him, whether peddlers and laborers, high officials and nobles, or the pot-bellied Monk and the lean Daoist, though equally vivid, remained on a different plane from him.

"What is this?"

Even Wei Yuanzhou, who had the broadest knowledge, was somewhat shocked at this moment.

Yan Chongzhang stared at the sky screen and softly explained: "Wuliang... Dao Emperor Palace."

"Immortal Art?" Bai Wu, though his cultivation was unremarkable, was after all a Dao Son; he could see at a glance this was not a pure Dao Palace. The cultivator should not be here, but had used some method to partially manifest the Dao Palace within Banshan Sect.

Upon mentioning those two words, his voice trembled slightly.

"That is not the case." Yan Chongzhu smiled helplessly and continued: "It has not reached that extent; this is the Dao Method they comprehended, lying between Spiritual Art and Immortal Art."

Speaking to this point, he suddenly fell silent.

Because the spiritual light figure within the cushion slowly opened his eyes and cast his gaze downward.

"This is what your sect requires," Yan Chongzhang said calmly, pointing to the black-furred giant lion beside him.

The moment the Liangdaohuang Palace appeared, the demon that had been roaring moments before suddenly collapsed to the ground, its whole body trembling slightly.

It had long heard of the Liangdaohuang Sect's efforts to gather rare spiritual birds and beasts, a campaign that reached across half of Hongze, with only Yu Nanhong escaping unscathed.

They would exterminate entire clans, leaving only the one with the greatest talent.

Many demonic clans fled to Yu Nanhong upon hearing the news, but very few succeeded—his luck was clearly not that good, and he did not know what cruel methods awaited him inside the Liangdaohuang Sect.

"No."

The luminous figure on the cushion finally spoke, his gaze fixed solely on Yan Chongzhang, ignoring the several Yu Nanhong Daozi beside him entirely.

"What do you mean?" Yan Chongzhang blinked in surprise.

"This is not what we want," the luminous figure shook his head coldly. "You are a Banshan Sect Daozi—you should be more diligent. This thing… is too poor."

As his words faded, a beggar in the Jiangshan painting rose to his feet and pulled from his filthy sleeve a short, ink-green sword.

Then he casually tossed it downward.

Puchī.

A streak of blue light descended from the sky, piercing the black-furred giant lion's crown with perfect precision, silently draining its life.

The blue light remained untainted by crimson, pure and clean, swiftly retreating back into the beggar's sleeve.

He sat back down by the roadside, cradling his broken bowl.

"…"

Wei Yuanzhou's eyelid twitched—the blue light carried the aura of a Dao-Bing. The man had not even arrived, yet he had sent a Dao-Bing here through this strange method, surpassing even Wei Yuanzhou's understanding as a Lingyun Daozi.

"What are your odds?" Bai Wu habitually stoked the fire.

This time, Wei Yuanzhou shot him a cold glare that silenced him.

"It's just a Hongmeng Heaven-Bing, isn't it? Who doesn't have one?" Bai Wu withdrew his gaze, sullen, and turned to Su Hongxiu.

"Showy," Su Hongxiu said coldly, her eyes fixed on the Liangdaohuang Palace above, her fingertip twitching with anticipation.

In life-or-death combat, it's not about who has the grandest display.

What matters is stabbing your Dao-Bing into the enemy's body.

Hearing this, Bai Wu looked astonished.

Given Su Hongxiu's nature, for her to comment on an opponent before even moving was proof enough of how immense her pressure had become.

"Huh."

Yan Chongzhang remained silent for a long while, then slowly clenched his fists and turned away. "Understood. I'll go find something better. You may leave."

For the Banshan Sect, forging ties with the top power of Beihong—the Liangdaohuang Sect—was undoubtedly a good thing.

But for a Daozi, lowering himself before an unknown cultivator was undeniably humiliating.

"Be more diligent."

The luminous figure showed no anger, only offering another reminder in a condescending tone.

Immediately, the entire Jiangshan painting faded away silently.

Yan Chongzhang snapped shut the golden scroll with a sharp crack.

Only now did Yang Yunheng smile helplessly and turned to Bai Wu. "That wasn't an ordinary Hongmeng Heaven-Bing. That was the Bihuo Qinglian Sword—it ranks among the top seventy on the Dao-Bing Register."

"What's the Dao-Bing Register?" Bai Wu's question revealed the current plight of Yu Nanhong—not because he was foolish, but because he saw no point in hiding it anymore.

For the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, who relied on ancient texts to understand the world, Hongze had grown increasingly alien.

"It lists only one hundred Dao-Bings. Today, the bare minimum to be included is a Hongmeng Heaven-Bing. Some hold three slots; others spend their entire lives without making the list."

Yang Yunheng's voice grew proud: "One of our Daozi holds a slot on it—higher than the Bihuo Qinglian Sword."

"Then why—" Bai Wu raised an eyebrow, leaving the rest unsaid.

But the meaning was clear: if your Dao-Bing ranked higher, why bow so low?

"You—"

Yang Yunheng shot him a sharp look. Why? Because the Bihuo Qinglian Sword was merely one of many Dao-Bings displayed by the Liangdaohuang Sect cultivator—while their own Daozi's weapon was already their strongest.

Su Hongxiu withdrew her gaze.

Clearly, the Dao-Bing Register did not count Yu Nanhong cultivators at all.

She was curious—where would her three Hongmeng Heaven-Bings rank?

"…"

Shen Yi still stared at the sky. He was interested in the Dao-Bing Register, but the Liangdaohuang Palace reminded him of something else.

His own Yaohuang Palace had long relied on demonic dao pillars to break through, neglecting true comprehension—so despite using the same scripture, the Liangdaohuang Palace remained like a castle in the air, possessing only realm, nothing more.

A dao art approaching the Immortal Law… could he learn it?

He shook his head, glanced casually at the corpse of the black-furred giant lion, and a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.

Shen Yi truly hated waste.

Especially when it happened right before his eyes.

He suddenly remembered something: the Golden Sparrow Heir and the Green Rhino Brothers he had met in Yu Nanhong had fled with their clans—could this be connected to the Liangdaohuang Sect's actions?

If so, that would be troublesome.

Shen Yi took a deep breath. Now he not only had to fight demons, but also compete with a terrifyingly powerful sect for demonic prodigies?

Fortunately, he had left early—if he had lingered longer in Yu Nanhong,

He might not even have scraps left to eat.

"My fellow Daozi, if you have something to say, say it plainly—I wish to go observe the mountains and cultivate my nature," Yan Chongzhang finally calmed himself and smiled at the group.

"…"

Wei Yuanzhou, however, found himself unsure how to begin.

All of them want the Banshan Sect to help.

Do the Seven Disciples of Yu Nanhong and the Liangdaohuang Sect really have anything comparable?

If Senior Xuanqing had not met with misfortune, if Yu Nanhong had not wasted those hundred thousand years, and if it had developed normally to the present, the two might still have been top-tier existences on the same level... but now, there is clearly already some gap.

Forcing the Banshan Sect to make a choice would only show that one cannot see oneself clearly.

"I will finish the matters in hand as soon as possible." Yan Chongzhang seemed to have seen Wei Yuanzhou's concerns; after a moment of contemplation, he gave a promise as best he could.

"Then many thanks, Daoist friend." Wei Yuanzhou cupped his hands in return.

Yang Yunheng stood silently beside them, seemingly wanting to say something to Yan Chongzhang, but unfortunately never found the opportunity.

Just then, this Daoist from the Banshan Sect smiled: "If you gentlemen are not in a hurry to leave, would you be interested in accompanying me to view that treasure mountain?"

Before the words had even finished, Yang Yunheng's face instantly changed drastically.

He wanted to stop it, but it was already too late.

(End of this chapter)