Chapter 528: It Does Not Know My Name

Who could have imagined.

In the depths of West Hong, where green waves surge, stands a towering Jade Mountain whose peak cannot be seen even when one looks up.

The mountain body is clear and translucent, layered and shimmering with exquisite beauty, yet orderly, holding rows of glazed pavilions that subtly reveal a strict hierarchy of high and low.

The moment this Jade Mountain came into view, all cultivators and demons fell silent, forming orderly lines to proceed forward.

Shen Yi casually glanced to the side; seeing no one noticed him, the tip of his finger, hidden within his sleeve, flickered slightly, and the Transformation Art he had specially prepared to infiltrate South Hong was put to use once again.

He made no overly exaggerated adjustments, merely causing some subtle changes to his handsome face; his eyebrows and eyes appeared somewhat cold, his lips seemed to hold an unmelting chill, giving quite the impression of keeping strangers at a distance.

Shen Yi was still quite familiar with the matter of changing one's appearance, and he skillfully adjusted his facial expression.

In an instant, he transformed from a seemingly introverted young cultivator into a lone, proud, and cold independent cultivator.

It could be seen that this so-called Dragon Consort's birthday banquet had a scale no less than the previous Assembly of the Seven Sons.

Even cultivators possessing the Three Cities realm, who in South Hong already held the status of top elders of Xian Sects like Liu Xingshan, now had to queue up obediently to approach this Jade Mountain.

The reason Shen Yi made such a move was not only to prepare for possible events to come, but also because he had formed a new judgment regarding the danger level of this matter.

That Dragon Consort... or rather, within this Jade Mountain, there likely exists a presence comparable to the Hedaojing realm holding the fort.

Otherwise, how could such a group of proud and arrogant strong ones be suppressed?

Yu Lan appeared to be lingering far from Shen Yi, making the two seem completely unrelated, but in reality, she maintained a distance that allowed her to rush to his aid immediately should any accident occur.

The queue, like a long dragon, moved forward rapidly.

Beneath the Jade Mountain, a black-backed flood dragon, transformed into human form, loudly announced the names: "Giant Deer Sect, one hundred bottles of True Yang Elixir, one jade hairpin of the Pure King, to congratulate the Dragon Consort! Please proceed to the sixty-sixth floor!"

As soon as the announcement was finished, other black-backed flood dragon guards immediately stepped forward to guide them.

Several Giant Deer Sect cultivators turned back with beaming smiles; it was clear they were quite delighted, bowing and bidding farewell to the many fellow Daoists they had traveled with.

Being able to enter a higher position within this Jade Mountain itself represented the status of one's sect in West Hong.

Amidst the gaze of all, a beautiful matron with a graceful and charming figure, draped in a magnificent long skirt of green feathers, walked slowly; even though her pale, smooth skin was quite eye-catching, under her indifferent expression, neither demons nor cultivators dared to look at her more than once.

Yu Lan ignored the black-backed flood dragon guard beside her and walked straight toward the Jade Mountain.

The guard's eyelid twitched; upon sensing the faint Heart Flame aura on her person, he fell silent for an instant, then whispered an instruction to a colleague nearby: "The ninety-ninth floor."

The Glazed Green Phoenix Clan and the Western Long Gong were naturally at odds; although he did not know this woman's specific honorific name, judging by her demeanor and her profound, unfathomable cultivation realm, her status within her clan must be quite high.

She came alone to the banquet yet wore this expression; she must surely have other intentions.

It would be better to arrange for her to sit closer to the Dragon Consort.

After all, even if the Shenxu Laozu of the Glazed Green Phoenix Clan arrived in person, she might not be able to gain any advantage against the Dragon Consort.

Thinking thus, the black-backed flood dragon guard shifted his gaze back and continued announcing names.

Soon, a figure in a dark robe quietly approached.

Seeing this person about to walk past quietly, the guard's eyelid twitched again, and he forcefully knocked on the gift list on the table twice.

Bang, bang.

What the heck! Really here to eat for free?

"..."

Shen Yi sighed inwardly; it was truly a sin to waste the heavenly treasures he had painstakingly collected on demons.

He immersed his consciousness into the ring, scanned Ke Laoqi's collection, and then picked out an utterly ordinary beaded bracelet to place on the table.

The black-backed flood dragon guard silently glanced at the bracelet, opened his mouth, and seemed unsure whether he should announce it.

To the outside world, this bracelet was indeed extremely rare; obtaining a string would inevitably require a significant price, but the problem was... this damn thing was instantly recognizable as something unique to the Long Gong! Bringing Long Gong items to honor the Dragon Consort?!

Wasn't that a bit too stupid?

The black flood dragon guard looked at the cultivator's faint expression of heartache between his brows, then observed the man's attire, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Where did this bumpkin come from? His luck was simply heaven-defying; he actually possessed such formidable cultivation, not losing much to the famous geniuses of the great sects.

It seemed to suddenly occur to him that a lone cultivator with shallow knowledge, not knowing what to give, would subconsciously think of collecting Long Gong items; while this showed a lack of worldly wisdom, that sincere heart was perfectly clear.

This was obviously a cultivator here to pledge allegiance to the Dragon Consort.

"Take him to the ninety-ninth floor."

Having thought this, the black flood dragon guard whispered another instruction.

Shen Yi's hearing was extremely sharp; hearing this floor number, the expression of heartache in his eyes grew even more intense.

Oh no, I gave too much.

He raised his eyes slightly, looking at the Jade Mountain before him; he must find a way to recover his losses.

A crystal-clear dome, lamps of unique and exquisite craftsmanship.

Even on every single white floor tile, different patterns were painted; combined together, they formed a magnificent scroll.

Within the hall, beauties danced; their rainbow garments brushed lightly, beautiful yet not seductive; though their cultivation was not high, they possessed quite an aura.

It could be seen that the master of these palaces was not merely a rough person who knew only fighting and killing.

Shen Yi entered the hall rather late.

Those who could ascend to this treasure hall held extremely lofty status in West Hong; indeed, most had intricate connections with some Hedaojing realm expert.

Even the arrangement of seating was quite particular.

For instance, the Daozi of Bihai Sect was also in the hall; the sect she had requested aid from must have a Shen Zongzhu of the Hedaojing realm holding the fort, making the relationship with the Hedaojing realm extremely close, hence her position was also very near the front.

Yu Lan, who had been mistaken for a member of the Glazed Green Phoenix Clan, also took her seat in roughly the same area.

In contrast, Shen Yi was quietly led by that black flood dragon guard to a corner: "Please."

Leaving only a single simple word, the creature turned and departed.

"..."

Shen Yi sat cross-legged; although he was not quite accustomed to this atmosphere of strict hierarchy, he was still somewhat satisfied.

After all, apart from cultivators, the demons and monsters able to enter this great hall must certainly possess considerable heritage.

This position was just right for him to observe secretly from the shadows.

Of course, besides that, he truly did not wish anyone to come over and chat, since even now he still did not know the Dragon Consort's name, how old she actually was, or how much lifespan she had left.

Because he had arrived rather late, the cultivators who had come earlier had long since begun chatting with one another.

Shen Yi pretended to admire the beauties dancing, but his mind was elsewhere; before he could listen carefully, he sensed something strange in the atmosphere.

This was also related to the overly chaotic situation in West Hong.

They were all top-tier powers gathered in one hall; conflicts of interest were inevitable, and when they spoke there was inevitably a certain barbed, passive-aggressive tone.

The only cultivators who could stay out of it were probably just Shen Yi and that Dao Child of the Bihai Sect.

Shen Yi did not mind, since he had only just arrived; being able to hear more gossip would make it easier to choose his targets later, and even to leverage one force against another — it was always a good thing.

The Bihai Sect Dao Child, however, had not the slightest interest, sitting with lowered eyes, quietly sipping fine wine.

Yet the next moment, she slightly raised her gaze: "…"

It was only because a great Sea Serpent demon, seemingly unwilling to let the atmosphere remain so awkward, rather stiffly steered the topic elsewhere — to a matter entirely unrelated to West Hong.

"Do you know why the eldest master of the Qi family left West Hong, and where he went?"

Hearing this, the crowd immediately looked over with great interest; after all, this was the Dragon Consort's birthday banquet, yet the eldest master of the Qi family was not at Lady Yushan — with his henpecked temperament, would he not fear offending the Dragon Consort?

The Sea Serpent smiled faintly: "The eldest master of the Qi family led his troops into South Hong for the sake of those South Hong Seven."

The words "South Hong Seven" echoed through the hall; many cultivators and demons showed puzzled expressions, and those who reacted at all were the great powers seated toward the front, where a low murmur of whispered discussion slowly rose.

They pondered for a moment; regarding that power once renowned a hundred thousand years ago, they no longer had a very clear notion in their minds.

Since that incident, let alone the Seven, even the entirety of South Hong seemed to have vanished from Hongze, sinking away without a trace.

The Bihai Sect Dao Child closed her eyes, her expression calm.

Even when these cultivators and demons mentioned her own sect, their words could hardly be called respectful — there was even a hint of mockery and teasing.

But as the Dao Child, she still possessed this much patience.

Besides, the current situation of the South Hong Seven… was itself rather difficult; one could hardly blame others.

"Drink." Beside the Bihai Sect Dao Child, a youth in splendid robes casually raised his cup and offered a soft word of comfort.

They were likewise a great hegemon of West Hong, called the Yunhe Sect; though they did not possess a second Hedao treasure ground, their Sect Master's strength was quite formidable, and they were one of the main targets the Nanyang Sect had invited to seek aid from.

"I understand." The Bihai Sect Dao Child raised her wine cup and replied calmly.

She had come to seek aid, not to cause trouble; moreover, the fact that the Yunhe Sect could bring her here was itself a way to prove to the South Hong Seven that they truly had matters to attend to, and once those matters were dealt with, the probability of going to South Hong to render aid was still quite high.

Yet before the wine cup reached her lips, the light in the Bihai Sect Dao Child's eyes suddenly chilled a little.

"Of course, today is the Dragon Consort's birthday; we shall not speak of those matters of fighting and killing, and besides there is no need to discuss them."

In the mouth of the great Sea Serpent demon, the West Long Gong had already stepped in to meddle in this matter, so the destruction of the South Hong Seven was merely a matter of time.

A hundred thousand years ago, under the leadership of that Qin Sect Master, together with six other Hedaojing Sect Masters of equally formidable strength — seven top-tier experts in total — they had been incomparably majestic within Hongze.

But after that incident, the peace between cultivators and demons was suddenly shattered; setting aside the winds of blood and rain, the swallowing of small powers by great ones became a frequent occurrence, and the demon races also took the opportunity to devour many of the sects' treasured hoards.

In great life-and-death battles, it was easier for over-lords to emerge.

The West Long Gong alone now possessed no fewer than seven Hedaojing great demons; add to that the entire South Long Gong, and the Seven were still missing their strongest, the Qin Sect Master. Without the interference of other powers, the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.

"What I wish to speak of is a joke I heard."

Seeing that he had roused everyone's interest, the great Sea Serpent demon also rose to his feet, then lowered his head with laughter he could barely contain: "Those South Hong Seven you all know about — would you believe they actually have the leisure and elegance to grandly convene some Seven's Assembly? Not content to be a phoenix tail, they switch to being a chicken head, leading those stray soldiers and loose warriors of South Hong — barely enough to get a taste of their former glory."

Hearing this, many demons had already burst into laughter: "Apart from those six of theirs, does South Hong have any other Hedaojing cultivators? And they dare call it some assembly?"

Shen Yi listened quietly, and roughly figured out what was going on.

Although South Hong did not know the outside world well, in truth Hongze's understanding of South Hong was also extremely limited.

For Shen Yi, who had once fought life-and-death battles in Outside Qingzhou alongside a host of Great Demon-Subduing Generals and the Howling Moon Wolf King, he knew all too well how important such an information gap was — the less the other side knew, the more advantageous it was for South Hong.

"…"

The Yunhe Sect Dao Child, listening to the laughter around him, glanced worriedly at the Miss beside him.

Sure enough, a chill had already risen on the Bihai Sect Dao Child's face, and the wine cup she had raised still had not touched her red lips.

He gave a helpless smile and likewise rose to his feet: "Whether they have other Hedaojing cultivators or not has nothing to do with our West Hong; besides, the South Hong Seven are after all our seniors, with incomparably deep foundations. Let us speak less of idle matters, to avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves — let us chat about something else."

Hearing someone urge restraint, the crowd instinctively looked over; upon discerning his identity, though they did not know the reason, they quickly suppressed their laughter and gave the Yunhe Sect face.

Even the few powers at odds with the Yunhe Sect would not trouble themselves over such a small matter by tangling with them.

Sensing the sudden silence around him, the snake demon grew somewhat awkward, bent down to pick up his wine cup and took a sip, explaining: "Hah, how could they possibly have left South Hong — what's there to fear in saying so… Besides, I don't mean to gossip about the South Hong Seven; what I find funny is that Nanyang Sect, which has been destroyed for years."

Hearing this, the crowd's interest was once again piqued.

"I know Dao Child Yang means well, but we're not outsiders here — idle talk won't spread, so why spoil the mood?"

A burly tiger demon seated at the very front of the entire great hall slowly rested his sturdy arms on the table; his fur was unusually white, with black stripes like ink, looking very clean, and his realm was also quite profound — even if not on par with the Glazed Green Phoenix, at least no less than the earlier Diming Youmang Young Master.

He propped up his lazy frame and cast a casual glance at the great Sea Serpent demon: "Speak."

"…"

The Yunhe Sect Dao Child was silent for a moment, sighed, and sat back down.

This great Bai Hu demon might not amount to much in himself, but that was because the power behind him was quite formidable, so there was simply no need to send a true direct-line descendant of the same tier as a Dao Child.

Having received the great Bai Hu demon's permission, the smile returned to the Sea Serpent's face: "The South Hong Seven are a sizable lot, so it really is improper to make fun of them; but the reason I brought up the Seven's Assembly is precisely because this assembly… pfft—"

At this point he actually burst out laughing: "They elected a Bai Yujing cultivator as the Diqiwei Sect Master! Bai Yujing… Sect Master… That's why I suspect South Hong has long since run out of new Hedao cultivators — otherwise how could they have fallen so low? Perhaps if I went to South Hong, I could wangle myself the position of Xian Sect Master too."

"Bai Yujing, Sect Master?"

Those able to enter this great hall and sit in the foremost seats — which of them had not ascended to Bai Yujing? Hearing these words, they too fell into brief astonishment.

One must understand, the words "Xian Sect" were not to be bandied about lightly.

The prerequisite was that there must first be an immortal.

In this land of Hongze, only those of the Hedaojing realm could barely be called Earth Immortals, to distinguish them from true immortals.

Upon hearing this news, even the several elders of Yunhe Sect cast somewhat startled and uncertain gazes toward that Miss.

When the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong came to request aid, they never mentioned having fallen to such a state.

"This matter is absolutely true. I still remember that overreaching cultivator, called something Shen... Shen..." The Sea Serpent great demon scratched its head, then burst into laughter: "My apologies, everyone, I don't remember!"

Bang—

Just then, a muffled sound echoed through the great hall, drawing everyone's gaze.

It was the young Miss who had followed Yunhe Sect here, whose bearing was far from ordinary.

At this moment, her palm rested quietly on the table.

She lifted her gaze indifferently, stared at that serpent demon, slowly withdrew her slender pale hand, fine wine dripping from her fingertips, leaving only the shattered remains of a wine cup on the table.

This matter had already seriously affected the mission she had come to request aid for.

What's more...

As the Dao Child of the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, no one should accept that someone would trample the dignity of their own Shen Zongzhu before a crowd of onlookers.

"Fellow Daoist?" The Sea Serpent was slightly stunned, then smiled: "What is this? Have I offended you somehow?"

"..."

The Bihai Sect Dao Child drew in a deep breath, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips, and unhurriedly rose to her feet. Under the anxious gaze of the Yunhe Sect Dao Child, she crisply extended her palm: "It's not that. It's just that, as fellow cultivators of the Xian Sect, I cannot bear to listen to a demon spouting such nonsense here."

As she spoke, a tiny, almost imperceptible slit suddenly opened at her fingertip, and a drop of crimson blood drifted leisurely to the center of the great hall, appearing somewhat jarring.

Faced with such an invitation to stake one's life in debate of the Dao.

The Sea Serpent clearly had not quite caught on. After several breaths, it furrowed its brow, as though it had heard some utterly absurd joke: "Fellow... fellow cultivators of the Xian Sect?"

The remaining people in the hall also looked over with strange expressions.

The Sea Serpent great demon shook its head, a hint of playfulness entering its voice: "Fellow Daoist, you don't seem to be from Western Hong, do you? Surely you're not..."

Its tone suddenly turned much colder, a cruel glint flickering in its eyes: "From Southern Hong?"

In Western Hong, or rather in this region of Hongze, there was no such thing as "fellow cultivators of the Xian Sect." The relations between many Xian Sects might not even be as harmonious as those with certain tribes of demonkind.

Such rigid words made it hard not to think of that silent land that had been cut off from Hongze for a full hundred thousand years.

(End of chapter)