Chapter 521: The Timing Is Terrible

Yan Chongzhang's palms froze in midair, his gaze flickering with confusion toward the several Yu Nanhong Daozi.

For some reason, he had sensed an odd undertone in Shen Xiao's words.

That is, this young cultivator seemed hardly familiar with this group of Daozi.

Had everyone misunderstood?

A bold suspicion suddenly flashed through Yan Chongzhang's mind: since these people had come together to Bai Sect, he had automatically assumed Shen Yi was one of the Seven Daozi of Yu Nanhong.

Could it be… that this was merely our own preconceived notion?

Perhaps Shen Xiao merely had some loose connection with the Seven Daozi of Yu Nanhong, hence traveled with them—but was not of their sect?

Thinking of this, Yan Chongzhang shook his head; no matter what, this matter was utterly unacceptable.

Given the vastness and peril of Hongze, even a true prodigy, let alone a fully matured He Dao giant, dared not claim to roam unchecked.

So many demons and monsters, countless treacherous lands—one misstep and you'd be swallowed whole.

Even cultivators like us, raised since childhood in Xi Hong, always travel in groups of fellow sect members, watching out for one another; even if disaster strikes, at least someone can send word back, giving our backer forces time to react.

How much more so for a young newcomer like Shen Xiao?

To speak bluntly, he might not even know the roads—and could easily step straight into a trap.

Yet Yan Chongzhang said nothing; such matters were none of the Banshan Sect's business as outsiders. The several Yu Nanhong Daozi all appeared seasoned veterans—they would never let Shen Xiao act recklessly.

Yet what startled the two Banshan Sect members was this:

Wei Yuanzhou and the others wore clear expressions of concern, wanting to speak but exchanging glances, none daring to be first.

Finally, Su Hongxiu frowned and stepped closer; she seemed to have guessed something, struggling to phrase her words before whispering softly: "I'll warn them… it won't interfere with your peculiar tastes."

"…"

The two Banshan Sect members turned back in shock.

Wei Yuanzhou and Bai Wu stood frozen, especially Wei Yuanzhou—his lips twitched twice, eyes filled with utter bewilderment.

He could hardly imagine when Su Hongxiu and Shen Zongzhu had grown so familiar.

Peculiar… tastes?

Shen Yi's temples throbbed twice; slowly, he turned his gaze toward Su Hongxiu. Since leaving General Nanyang Sect, he had long grown accustomed to concealing his emotions, avoiding any hint of General Nanyang's desperation.

But now, he truly could not hold back.

What exactly was this Heavenly Sword Daozi saying? Had open hostility turned straight into slander?

"Uh."

Under Shen Yi's dark gaze, whether due to the pressure of his status as Shen Zongzhu or some other reason, Su Hongxiu suddenly grew flustered.

It was an emotion she rarely experienced.

"That's not what I meant."

Su Hongxiu realized how easily her words could be misinterpreted; her usually cold, sharp features slowly flushed with embarrassment. She turned aside, avoiding the dark-robed youth's stare, waving her hand as if to calm herself: "I merely think it's far too dangerous."

Her demeanor struck the others.

The two Banshan Sect members felt nothing unusual, but Bai Wu's eyes filled with profound shock.

Damn it! He had known Su Hongxiu for years—and this was the first time he'd ever seen her show such an expression.

"…"

Shen Yi gave the woman a withering look, then turned away, nodding slightly: "No need to worry—I have my own plans."

As for actual plans? He had none.

In this unfamiliar land of Xi Hong, the only companions Shen Yi truly trusted were the two vice-prefects of Wan Yao Dian.

But due to the incident with the Nanlong Palace envoys, those two pillars had already drawn the attention of Ke Family's Crown Prince—equivalent to a He Dao giant.

Before Shen Yi was confident he could survive a He Dao demon's hand,

he would never let anyone know those two pillars were tied to him—not even these Daozi, nor any of the Seven Daozi's Zongzhu.

Shen Yi was not accustomed to entrusting matters of life and death to others.

"Fine."

Su Hongxiu nodded as well; for someone who had single-handedly saved General Nanyang Baodi and won the recognition of the Seven Daozi of Yu Nanhong in mere days—true Shen Zongzhu in every sense—this warning was enough.

No matter how uneasy she felt, as a Daozi, she had no right to decide for a Zongzhu; to say more would be overstepping.

Within the Xian Sect, the Zongzhu's word was absolute—though naturally, one must also be prepared to bear the consequences.

"Fine?"

Yan Chongzhang could no longer hold back—what were these Daozi thinking? Was this really the end?

The Seven Daozi of Yu Nanhong might be willing to let Shen Yi risk himself—but the Banshan Sect would never allow it!

Yet before he could speak, the Daozi had already stepped forward: "Yan Daofriend, let's walk and talk."

Wei Yuanzhou set aside his inner disappointment; such trivial matters no longer mattered. The priority was to stop this Banshan Sect Daozi from continuing—otherwise, Shen Yi's title as General Nanyang Zongzhu would soon become Banshan Zongzhu.

"I just don't get you."

Yan Chongzhang gritted his teeth, giving Yang Yunheng a glance.

The Banshan Sect's Grand Elder blinked, then understood; he reached into his storage treasure and withdrew a jade slip: "Shen Xiao, this is a map of the surrounding area. You've just arrived in Xi Hong—even if you plan to leave, you must study this thoroughly first."

As outsiders, they had no right to stop this—but they could at least minimize the risk.

"Thank you."

Shen Yi's expression finally turned serious; given the Banshan Sect's might as a regional overlord, their knowledge of the land far surpassed any other faction's—this jade slip was far more valuable than the previous pills.

He reached out, accepted the jade slip, then bowed respectfully.

Whether the Banshan Sect had ulterior motives didn't matter—he had received many favors. But for now, he himself was barely holding on; repayment would have to wait until he recovered.

Everyone else believed Shen Yi had little loyalty to the Seven Daozi of Yu Nanhong.

Including these Daozi, who knew him best.

After all, with Shen Yi's talent, even if the Seven Sons of Southern Hong were defeated in their struggle with the Long Gong, he would at most lose a Dao-Alliance Treasure Land. Given his unparalleled talent across the ages, other powers would likely be willing to grant such a land, such as the Banshan Sect before him.

Having emerged less than a year ago, he owed no particular gratitude to the Seven Sons of Southern Hong.

Such a person was like a rootless duckweed, giving the impression that they might leave at any moment.

But in reality, only Shen Yi knew how immense his pressure was.

He had crossed over only a few short years ago.

Whether in Outside Qingzhou or among the acquaintances in Great Qian, all needed to rely on Treasure Lands to survive.

If the Long Gong truly flattened General Nanyang.

Then he would truly have nothing left.

Cultivation must have some meaning; the path to immortality also needs some embellishments, otherwise it appears too dull and tasteless.

Moreover, according to Senior Xuan Qing's words.

The greatest opponent in his effort to preserve the General Nanyang Treasure Land might not be the Long Gong... but an even more terrifying existence.

"I take my leave."

Shen Yi put away the jade slip, bid farewell to everyone, turned around, summoned the Black Light Flying Sword, and stepped onto the sword to leave the Banshan Sect along the guiding Jin Guang he had arrived with.

He returned once more before the sky-piercing giant pillar that connected heaven and sea.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze; the boundless Wang Yang beneath his feet seemed identical to Southern Hong, yet the ferocity concealed within the churning waves was far more unfathomable.

He glanced back at the towering Shanfeng shrouded in cloud curtains, his vision falling upon the colossal palm print, feeling the heart-pounding aura that still lingered there after countless ages.

Merely ascending to Bai Yujing was still far from enough.

He closed his eyes and recalled the map in his mind; this panel's deduction had not improved his comprehension at all, but instead had trained his memory.

He then chose a secluded spot, stepped onto the sword, and shot away like a streak of light!

The youth's hair fluttered slightly, his thin black robe rustling loudly in the wind; hundreds of li vanished in an instant, with the blue sky and Bihai interlacing, giving him somewhat the appearance of a Sword Immortal as he had previously imagined.

Yet amidst this graceful scene, he stood silently upon the sword, evoking a sensation as if heaven and earth had overturned while he remained immovably steadfast.

The True Intent of Divine Yue!

This was Shen Yi's gain from that nameless mountain.

This was an understanding of that heavy, oppressive feeling; it could neither increase his cultivation nor be used as a technique, involving matters of the Dao-Alliance realm, clearly precious yet tasteless as chicken ribs.

And the Divine Yue Method was the path to make this True Intent effective.

The reason Shen Yi deliberately left the Banshan Sect was mainly that this cultivation technique was their sect's treasure; aside from anything else, Shen Zongzhu and the Dao Son had certainly practiced it. If any aura leaked out again as before, it would inevitably bring trouble upon him.

The Banshan Sect as a whole had no major issues, but if one were so reckless as to test them with temptations beyond ordinary comprehension, then the outcome would be uncertain.

What slightly surprised Shen Yi was that passing the trial of the nameless mountain required body-refining experience, yet the technique obtained had little relation to the Body-Refining Spirit Body Method.

As for exactly what it was, that would have to wait until the deduction was complete.

Shen Yi sheathed the Black Light Flying Sword and silently landed on a hilltop.

Although the Divine Yue Method was a Dao-Alliance technique he had never touched, the pressure in his heart was not as great as it had been inside the nameless mountain.

After all, the True Intent of Divine Yue paved the way, plus...

Shen Yi closed his eyes and drew out the demon soul of that Eastern Hall Master.

Compared to an even longer span of time, the loneliness of comprehending the Dao alone was more terrifying; only with mutual discussion could one barely prevent the mind from collapsing.

"My Lord... actually, Wu Jun's brain is quite good..."

The yellow dragon with rough, ancient scales, when facing this terrifying youth, displayed the same awkward smile as before.

Before Ke Shisan could finish speaking, he was dragged into the panel, weeping without tears.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 810,000 years】

【Dao-Alliance: Divine Yue Method: Not Entered】

【Year One: You sit cross-legged and begin to orally recite the entire Divine Yue Method to Ke Shisan, letting him carefully experience that Divine Yue True Intent. The demon soul is suppressed on the ground, re-experiencing the ascent path you once experienced...】

As the demon's lifespan poured in endlessly.

Within the vast mountain ranges, another nameless mountain seemed to slowly rise, the heavy oppressive feeling gradually spreading Xu Xu in all directions.

Western Hong, Water Scale Cave Heaven.

Jagged black stones protruded from the water, extending toward the sky with exaggerated arcs; one could not discern their length at a glance. Their breadth was immense, like a snarling evil ghost stretching out its long arms, attempting to grasp something.

Only from a very distant place could one see at one end of the black stones, upon the sharp arm extended by the evil ghost, a clump of remaining green shade clustered together.

Where was this black stone? It was clearly a fallen ancient tree, its upper half exposed while its lower half was buried in water; the entire trunk appeared dead for ten thousand years, its surface resembling stone, covered with deep holes.

A withered tree comparable in size to a giant mountain!

Within those deep holes, occasionally a round, thick body emitting a dim light would writhe; its scales were slick, producing a sound that made one's gums ache as it rubbed against the ancient tree.

Looking across the world, after demons acquired cave heavens, they would all without exception transform into human forms, build tall towers, and establish cave heavens to make their dwellings more respectable.

But the Diming Youmang clan was accustomed to appearing in their true forms, for this demon body was their greatest reliance.

Since being driven out of the waters by the Long Gong, they had been even more cautious, only improving slightly in recent years.

At this moment, inside this ancient tree.

A black snake, noticeably smaller than other Diming Youmang, impatiently flicked its tail, smashing away the other Youmang trying to approach.

"Get lost!"

The Young Master of the Youmang raised his head, looking out toward the cave mouth with a sinister air.

He then immediately lowered his body again.

For demons, especially great demons comparable to Bai Yujing with lifespans of two or three hundred thousand years, sleeping for hundreds of years was perfectly normal.

But voluntary hibernation and being forced to stay within a cave heaven were clearly entirely different feelings.

For the past year or so, Western Hong had been unstable.

The Diming Youmang clan, though formidable in strength, had clearly not yet reached a point where its young master could roam outside at will.

Indeed, the fact that it could lie here in peace and quiet relied entirely on other safeguards.

The Diming Youmang young master felt the restlessness in his heart grow ever more intense, and that sense of unwillingness became even stronger.

He was a figure of some standing in Xihong, and with his extraordinary bloodline, his strength was nothing ordinary.

Yet before the Liangdaohuang Sect, the entire Diming Youmang clan combined did not even amount to a single dish.

For this matter to find a turning point,

either the Liangdaohuang Sect would suddenly capture enough demons and monsters, or abandon the idea altogether; or else a demon clan of equal stature would take offense and step in to intervene.

The former could only be left to fate.

As for the latter... those demon clans truly capable of speaking before the Liangdaohuang Sect were still waiting and watching, after all, the Huang Sect acted with considerable restraint; not only did they not appear in person, letting other powers handle affairs, but they also did not truly offend those great demon clans.

Take the Long Gong, for instance; they had not felt at all the turmoil involving the entire Hongze, and instead, because all the major sects were busy capturing demons and found themselves unable to cope, the Long Gong had become far more domineering and leisurely than ever before.

Thinking of this, the Diming Youmang young master glanced at the several "beloved consorts" around him, and suddenly felt a fresh wave of nausea.

He simply closed his eyes again, forcing himself into slumber.

Just then, a tremendous boom nearly echoed throughout the entire Shuilin Cave Heaven!

Boom-boom-boom—

Beneath the withered tree, as massive as a great mountain, at the section near the water's surface.

A middle-aged man dressed in black-and-white short garments stood upon the water's surface, his rough palm resting quietly against the bark; though his entire arm appeared to exert no force, that ancient tree which had dominated the entire Diming Youmang clan visibly shifted backward by three feet.

"Sss!"

In an instant, countless serpentine bodies of dark light surged from within the tree trunk, all hissing like a chaotic dance of demons!

They glared furiously at the water's surface.

Yan Chongzhang slowly withdrew his palm, leaving a deep golden palm print upon the tree trunk that had endured countless years without decaying.

Behind him, more than a dozen Bai Yujing cultivators, led by Yang Yunheng, stood with arms crossed, their gaze cold as they swept over the hundred-plus-zhang-long hissing giant serpents.

"The Banshan Sect has come to subdue the demons; pray all of you accept your deaths." Yan Chongzhang bowed his hands toward the sky.

Before the many Diming Youmang could react, they saw three figures standing side by side within the clouds once more.

The foremost among them was a woman dressed in a bright red long robe.

Her thin lips pressed lightly together, her eyes holding an unmeltable coldness; her five pale fingers, like scallion stalks, gripped a jade sword of warm luster, as if it were a delicate toy.

In an instant, the jade sword swept across the long sky.

White light gathered, illuminating the entire pitch-black ancient tree, then rapidly condensed.

The demon bodies of the Diming Youmang clan, their greatest pride, quietly melted and fractured beneath that white light; bloody red plasma, like a sudden downpour filling the heavens, splashed noisily all over the great tree and Wang Yang.

"..."

Yan Chongzhang's eyelid twitched; he habitually compared it in his mind, then spat out a nonsensical number: "Sixty?"

Yang Yunheng took a deep breath and shook his head; it was not that he disagreed, but rather that the Heavenly Sword Dao Disciple had only opened two Xiancheng, making the Dao soldiers within the third invisible; judging the ranking of this jade sword in the Dao Soldier Record based on that alone held little meaning.

It was common knowledge that as the opened Dacheng progressed further, under conditions of equal quality, the power of the Dao soldiers grew ever stronger.

Just as this group of cultivators prepared themselves, each summoning their Bai Yu Xiancheng simultaneously.

Within the trembling ancient tree,

the Diming Youmang young master did not emerge; instead, he stared blankly at the white light that flashed and vanished in the sky.

At the very moment his whole body shivered with a chill, an odd expression surged in his eyes.

He did not feel too much sorrow over the fall of several of his fellow great demon clansmen; instead, he slowly writhed his body, directing his gaze toward that patch of green at the very top of the ancient tree...

Could such a coincidence truly exist in the world?

The Banshan Sect has come to subdue demons?

Yan Chongzhang, with what do you intend to subdue them?

(End of this chapter)