Chapter 548

Night deepened.

Inside a courtyard of the Red Maple Valley.

Baohua Xianzi and Yue Tiance sat opposite each other across a table, while the Valley Master and several elders waited quietly nearby.

It was not that the people of the Eastern Long Gong were so noble that even the servants they dispatched had to be faction elders; rather, in the current Red Maple Valley, compared to the disciples busy refining pills, these few with the strongest cultivation were actually more dangerous.

Thus, Baohua Xianzi had summoned them over, claiming it was idle chat, but in truth, she simply could not rest easy.

"Did you not go to inform Daoist Shen?"

The downside of a kind heart is that it easily invites trouble; the upside is that, having experienced so much trouble, one can maintain a calm demeanor no matter what situation arises.

This young lady in a purple skirt, even having suffered heavily, spoke in a gentle, soft voice from start to finish without ever losing her temper; if not for her truly exquisite features, combined with her formidable cultivation, it would be very hard to see her as a dragon girl cherished by thousands in a top-tier power.

"Replying to the Immortal Lady, I have already gone to invite Shen Qianbei at his residence, but he politely refused."

The Red Maple Valley Master hurriedly stepped forward; to be honest, that senior in the black robe, though appearing to be the weakest of the three, was actually more arrogant in character than the young masters and young ladies from the Yue family and the Eastern Long Gong; since entering the valley, he had mostly been alone and rarely spoken with others.

"Is that so..."

Baohua Xianzi paused, seeming to feel a bit of a headache: "What about that little girl?"

Daoist Shen's cultivation is still quite good; daring to roam West Hong alone, he must have means to preserve his life; unwilling to rely on others' protection is also normal; even if he truly encounters that bear demon, as long as he is still within the Red Maple Valley, we will surely detect it, and rushing over then will not be too late.

But that little girl is safer staying by my side and Yue Tiance's.

"I have not seen her." The Red Maple Valley Master gave a bitter smile; the reason he felt Shen Qianbei was arrogant was because he couldn't even enter the door, being dismissed while standing outside.

"Enough." Yue Tiance instinctively wanted to complain a couple of times, glanced at Baohua Xianzi, and tried to keep his tone calm: "I know you have a soft heart, but everyone has their own fate; can you protect others for a lifetime? Let him be."

Moreover, he did not think that young man was worth befriending.

"If you see her, manage her; if you don't, let it be; rest assured, I will handle it as soon as possible." Baohua Xianzi explained softly, after all, the other party had official business and had been delayed because of her.

"I have already sent word to the Yunhe Sect, asking their Ancestor to come and protect us briefly; once my aunt sends someone over, it should be mostly settled."

In this land and water of West Hong, there should be very few things Lady Yushan the Dragon Consort cannot resolve.

"Enough, I will go wash my body; you help me watch over things for a while." Baohua Xianzi stood up.

It is common knowledge that this purple-bearded white dragon has a cleanliness obsession; otherwise, so many "Baohua Xianzi Bathing Pictures" would not have been left behind in Hongze; having been injured a few days ago, enduring until now is truly not easy.

"Go ahead and rest assured." Yue Tiance showed a gentle smile.

In fact, he had not the slightest interest in these trivial matters; even if West Hong were slaughtered to its foundations, it had nothing to do with his Northern Hong Yue family.

But he must play the part of a chivalrous heart in front of Baohua to maintain their rather good relationship, so as to advance it further.

"Immortal Lady, please this way; the hot springs behind the valley, though not comparable to East Hong, are still a rather beautiful sight." The Red Maple Valley Master hurriedly turned to lead the way.

"I will go myself."

Baohua Xianzi lightly nodded her chin, politely declined the other's kindness, and then stepped out of the courtyard.

She slightly stretched her body, about to manifest her true form, but suddenly paused, hesitantly withdrew her arms, and looked toward another direction.

Still a bit uneasy; should I go over and take another look?

Thinking thus, she slightly changed her direction underfoot; instead of going to the back of the valley, she walked toward Shen Yi's residence.

Inside another courtyard of the Red Maple Valley.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged in the room, as demon souls converged from all directions.

With his nature, he certainly would not place all hope on demons coming to his door; regardless of whether it was useful, actively searching was better than sitting idly.

Unfortunately, being unfamiliar with West Hong, he had still found nothing until now.

"Hah."

Shen Yi opened his eyes again; just then, he saw An Yi rarely tug at his sleeve, so he turned his gaze: "Hmm?"

The little one silently pointed outside.

It was clear that her slacking was limited to situations posing no threat to Shen Yi; whenever she felt even a slight anomaly, she would still dutifully act as a stabilizing force.

With An Yi's reminder, a sinister laugh echoed in Shen Yi's mind.

"With cultivation this low, you dare meddle in everything; do you truly think you also have the Eastern Long Gong to clean up your messes?"

As the words ended, a black wind suddenly rose, violently sweeping Shen Yi into it!

The black bear demon had long prepared to face this cultivator's frantic counterattack; it could sense that this youth in black robes was far stronger than the rotten fish and shrimp of the Red Maple Valley; plus, with someone from the Eastern Long Gong stationed nearby, even with a huge realm gap, it had not been careless.

However, what left the bear demon somewhat bewildered was that Shen Yi seemed stunned into stupidity; not only did he not summon a Dao weapon or magic treasure, but even his facial expression did not change in the slightest, being so easily wrapped up by his black wind.

"Is such a person worth inviting as some sort of reinforcement?"

The bear demon spat in contempt; this saved trouble.

It casually tossed a letter prepared in advance onto the table, then, carrying the black wind, quietly escaped the Red Maple Valley.

The entire room remained intact, with even the main door still kept tightly shut.

After a long while, a figure in a purple skirt finally arrived slowly, standing outside the courtyard and clasping her hands: "Disturbing Daoist Shen; Baohua Xianzi comes to visit; may I ask if you can come out for a chat?"

Time slowly passed, yet no response came from within the courtyard.

Baohua Xianzi's delicate brows furrowed slightly; feeling a bit uneasy in her heart, she hesitated, then disregarded matters of etiquette and began sensing the courtyard.

In an instant, a faint, almost imperceptible familiar aura surged forth.

Causing her face to change abruptly.

Baohua Xianzi hesitated no longer, flew straight out, slapped the room door open, and then the empty room came into her view.

She bit her jade teeth tightly, feeling anger arise in her heart for the first time.

Where is the jade scale I gave? Where are the means to preserve life?

Judging from the faint aura sensed just now, that bear demon had not even truly exerted effort.

"I..."

Baohua Xianzi took a deep breath, forcibly steadying herself; her gaze quickly swept the room and landed on that letter on the table.

Only then did she feel slightly more at ease; fortunately, there was still room for negotiation.

West Hong, a damp hiding place for great demons.

A black wind swept in, landing within the chaotic cave dwelling.

Two bear demons had already been waiting here for a long time; seeing this, they were both delighted in their hearts, then cautiously surrounded the figure.

What surprised them somewhat was that their father actually strolled in from outside with extreme leisure.

"Father, has your cultivation advanced again?"

"Advance my ass!" the tall bear demon sneered coldly; that threshold was not so easily crossed: "Are you sure this is the reinforcement Zilan invited?"

As the words fell, it casually dispelled the black wind, revealing the tall, slender figure standing there with hands hanging by its sides.

The remaining two bear demons followed suit and looked over: "Is it him... what's wrong?"

"It truly makes it hard for this seat to believe that Zilan would change her decision because of such a cultivator." The tall bear demon couldn't help but snort again.

"..." The slightly shorter bear demon smiled awkwardly; judging by their father's demeanor, this cultivator's performance might have been overly disappointing: "The Baohua Xianzi won't care about these things; as long as it can help you cross this threshold, that's all that matters."

"That's true. Tie him up." The tall bear demon waved his hand listlessly.

At this moment, the last bear demon instead hissed in a low voice: "What are you staring at? Death is at your doorstep and you don't even know it."

"You better pray you can truly help my father; if Zilan that stinking woman doesn't care about you, heh, just wait and see."

The other two great demons both turned their gaze toward him.

Yet they saw that the youth was actually examining them seriously.

After confirming it matched the information from the Wanxiang Pavilion, Shen Yi sighed slightly; he didn't necessarily need to encounter extremely powerful demons, after all, his own strength was limited; if he truly met a hard opponent, the outcome of victory or defeat would be hard to say.

But the strength of these three bear demons indeed did not quite match Shen Yi's understanding of the West Long Gong's profound foundations.

Even the strongest among them had not yet truly stepped into the realm of Dao Integration.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi patted his sleeve, finally withdrew his gaze, and said faintly: "Help them."

Upon hearing this, the bear demon that had just issued the threat was so angered it laughed; it strode forward, reaching out to grab this young cultivator's shoulder: "You're even shouting now, no..."

Before the words finished, a cry of shock erupted from within the cave dwelling.

Only to see this bear demon's fat body suddenly lifted into the air, held by its head by a massive dragon claw and hoisted up.

Under the cover of the magnificent dark-gold long robe, that towering figure stood like a high mountain within the cave.

The remaining two bear demons were stunned for an instant, then immediately sensed the emergence of another aura.

Right at the cave entrance, a figure equally robed but extremely petite walked in slowly; one tall and one short, the two casually blocked the path of these three bear demons.

From their clothing and appearance, it was clear these two obviously came from the same faction.

But the tall bear demon thought carefully for a moment, yet could not guess their identity at all.

It bared its teeth slightly, its voice dropping to a low rumble: "Put my son down first; don't bring trouble upon yourselves."

As the words fell, thick demonic energy poured out without concealment toward these two suddenly appearing figures, proclaiming the bear demon's strength, which was extremely close to the Dao Integration realm!

Facing such a threat, whether Ke Shisan or An Yi, they seemed completely unaware of it.

The sharp dragon claw suddenly clenched, smashing that bear demon's head with a boom.

An Yi walked to the other bear demon, slightly extended a palm, and placed it upon the opponent's body; that muscular body then shot forward with a boom!

Boom—

The remaining tall bear demon had not yet fully reacted to this change, its eyes still dazed, when it was forced to face that figure crashing down like a small mountain.

It mobilized its entire body's demonic energy, its arms bulging high, unleashing a raging black wind, attempting to catch its son.

However, the instant the bear paw touched that body, its facial features instantly became grotesque and twisted; its most proud, vast demonic energy, before this approaching figure, was like a stream meeting the Wang Yang, appearing so insignificant.

That was truly demonic energy comparable to the Dao Integration realm!

Although it was only a hair's breadth away from that realm, it was as if separated by a heavenly chasm.

The black wind instantly scattered; the tall bear demon's arms shattered inch by inch like brittle bamboo, followed by its chest bones; its entire body flew out uncontrollably, smashing the entire cave dwelling into collapse.

If its cultivation was in such a wretched state, let alone the son in its arms, whose internal organs were already completely shattered, with no breath remaining.

"You... you..."

The tall bear demon collapsed to the ground, forcefully kicked off the corpse on its body, and crawled toward the rear with all its remaining strength.

To prevent them from causing trouble, Dragon Ye had already detailed the power distribution of West Hong; among the factions capable of having a Dao Integration realm expert stationed among them, they were already well familiar, and absolutely none of them were the people before them.

For some reason, a recent rumor suddenly flashed through the bear demon's mind.

Fear surged in its eyes.

There really was such a group of fierce gods, and they had inexplicably come after it.

Thinking of this, it instinctively looked toward that ink-robed youth... no wonder Zilan invited him; this kid actually had such a terrifying background behind him!

"Venerable seniors, listen to me—" The bear demon sucked in cold air, enduring the intense pain in its body, and spoke breathlessly: "I... I am originally under the command of Elder Qi of the West Long Gong... I am willing to enter the tutelage of you venerable seniors, only begging for a path to life!"

A huge shadow covered the bear demon's body; under its dazed gaze, that towering figure nodded slightly: "Welcome."

Upon hearing this, the bear demon's face immediately showed the joy of escaping death; it hurriedly said: "Thank you, venerable senior, thank you, venerable senior..."

"You're welcome."

Accompanying the words, Ke Shisan raised his right foot and coldly crushed this bear demon's head.

【Beheading the Bai Yu Jing Iron Mountain Bear Demon, total lifespan 390,000 years, remaining lifespan 120,000 years, absorption complete】

【Remaining demon lifespan: 2,390,000 years】

"Let it enter your Eastern Hall."

Seeing the matter finished, Shen Yi waved his hand to retract Ke Shisan into his sea of consciousness; compared to that Yin-Yang Pendant, the Golden Patterned Black Blade was used much more often.

The three bear demons combined contributed 320,000 years of demon lifespan; it could be seen that, truly worthy of being raised by Elder Qi, their cultivation speed was far stronger than other wild demons.

For the current Shen Yi, the thing consuming the most demon lifespan was none other than the secret treasure of Wuming Mountain.

Don't even say it might not be immortal art—even if it is, with over two million years of demonic lifespan, learning seven or eight volumes would be more than enough.

This trip to Xihong was truly worth it; suddenly, I feel much wealthier.

Shen Yi gathered a Zhen Stone, then began refining the demonic essence to reshape the iron mountain bear demon's soul.

Perhaps even the bear demon hadn't anticipated that the very thing helping it cross that threshold would be the lives of its two sons.

The three corpses simultaneously turned into rivers of blood, pouring into the Zhen Stone.

Successfully pushed it to a new realm!

The wealth Qi Jia's eldest son had spent over the years finally bore fruit at this moment!

Not every demonic soul can be as frugal as An Yi; the demonic soul strength required to control a He Dao realm Zhen Stone is utterly terrifying.

Even this bear demon, just one step away from He Dao, after twenty-plus demonic essences reshaped its soul, Shen Yi added another ten or so before the Zhen Stone before him came back to life!

"…"

Even though he had already acquired two stronger hall masters, Shen Yi's expression still stirred slightly.

The third He Dao realm Zhen Stone—meaning right now, alone, I have surpassed Banshan Sect, a top-tier force in Xihong.

"Xiong Lu, pays homage to my master!"

After sensing the massive changes within himself, Xiong Lu looked at the figures before him and finally recognized who the most terrifying one truly was.

Especially that petite figure who had slain his son with a single palm and then knocked him into serious injury—now she stood meekly behind the figure in the ink-colored robe, like an innocuous maid.

A He Dao realm powerhouse displaying such a posture? Utterly shocking!

Those two "seniors" who inspired dread were not guardians at all—just like him, they were enslaved and suppressed.

No wonder the master was so calm just now—he was clearly after Xiong Lu himself…

…

In the quiet courtyard of Hongfeng Valley.

Even Yue Tiance sensed the anger beneath Baohua Xianzi's calm face, unsure what to say, only offering: "He brought it on himself; it has nothing to do with you."

"Tiance, thank you for this trouble, but I'm not ready to discuss whose fault this is," Baohua Xianzi forced a slightly strained smile; no matter how powerful Shen Daoist is, he was invited by her and abducted by demons.

To blame a passing cultivator instead of oneself or the demons is simply unreasonable.

Besides, at this moment, the urgent priority is rescuing him—everything else is unimportant.

"…"

Though Miss's tone was gentle, Yue Tiance knew he had spoken wrongly and felt a pang of regret.

Immediately, that regret turned toward the young man surnamed Shen.

Such arrogance, yet such pitiful ability… such close proximity—even the Hongfeng Valley Lord would have made some noise; this kid was snatched away without a sound.

Now I have to find a way to protect him—what the hell kind of situation is this!

"I've already sent word to Yunhe Sect, asking that senior to come as soon as possible. I'll need you again to watch over Hongfeng Valley and make sure the demons don't cause more trouble."

Baohua Xianzi quickly adjusted her emotions, moving past the topic; Yue Tiance meant well—how could she blame him for speaking bluntly?

"You don't need to come with me?" Yue Tiance sighed, trying to insist further.

"Here's my aunt's reply—take a look," Baohua Xianzi handed him a jade slip.

Yue Tiance took it and saw only a few unfamiliar names.

Wanxiang Pavilion destroyed… Qi Family's Seventh Elder visited… Wan Yao Dian?

"Your aunt really has Xilong Palace under her thumb—she even learns of the Dragon Prince's movements so swiftly," Yue Tiance didn't understand the implication, so he smiled and agreed.

"Wan Yao Dian is the faction that's recently stirred up great turmoil in Xihong," Baohua's brow furrowed with worry as she shook her head: "They seem to enjoy targeting scions of great clans—even Liangliang Dao Imperial Palace wasn't spared. You'd better stay far away from them."

"You suspect this bear demon came from Wan Yao Dian?" Yue Tiance's expression grew solemn; he suddenly remembered: "Wait—you're from a great clan too. How dare you go near them?"

"That's why I asked Yunhe Sect's senior to come—I fear provoking Wan Yao Dian, and I alone cannot protect Shen Daoist."

Baohua Xianzi stood up, gazing anxiously toward the horizon, taking a slow breath: "I invited Shen Daoist here—I must ensure he departs safely."

"I'm damn well fed up! What does this have to do with you? Why risk so much? If he'd just come quietly in the first place, none of this would've happened—even if Wan Yao Dian killed him, we could've joined forces to avenge him. Why go through all this…"

Yue Tiance finally lost his temper and swore, making all the Hongfeng Valley cultivators hold their breath.

Baohua Xianzi turned her head in surprise, about to speak—when her body froze slightly, then her gaze shifted to the courtyard gate.

"…"

Shen Yi quietly watched the large crowd in his courtyard and raised an eyebrow.

He returned because he remembered Xiong Lu had left a letter on the table—he wanted to retrieve it to avoid misunderstandings, then casually find an excuse to leave.

After all, though he didn't want to be tied to Donglong Palace, this Dragon Princess meant well; there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble for others.

He hadn't expected to be too slow.

"You…" Baohua Xianzi held out a hand to stop Yue Tiance, hesitating: "How did you come back?"

Shen Daoist looks so clean and composed—not a flush, not a breath out of place—how could he possibly have been abducted?

"Bored, took a stroll," Shen Yi nodded slightly, brushing it off.

Hearing this, Baohua Xianzi stood frozen, bewildered—how could anyone speak such blatant lies with such calmness?

Beneath Shen Daoist's pristine ink-colored robe, the blood aura had grown far denser—and unmistakably fresh.

What puzzled her was how he had escaped Wan Yao Dian's control.

The power displayed by that faction was far beyond what a Bai Yujing cultivator could withstand… let alone that bear demon, who could easily kill him.

Could she have misjudged him? Does Shen Daoist have other methods?

"Enough."

Baohua Xianzi shook her head; since Shen Daoist didn't wish to elaborate, she wasn't the type to pry.

Miss gently rubbed her brow and smiled helplessly: "Good that you're unharmed."

Yue Tiance remained silent, his gaze toward Shen Yi now subtly hostile; his palms, hidden in his sleeves, assumed a defensive posture, subtly shifting his stance to shield Baohua to the side.

He did not possess the White Dragon Clan's keen perception, but when something unusual happens, there is surely a trick.

Yue Tiance would not so easily trust a stranger, especially since he already held a very poor impression of this youth.

Had he not feared angering Zilan, he would have already moved to seize the other party.

Just as this slightly stiff atmosphere prevailed, continuous clouds suddenly surged across the distant sky, standing out starkly against the night.

Figures with profound auras stood upon them; the leading elder wore magnificent robes and radiated an immense presence that made one dare not look directly at him.

Behind him, the Dao Son of the Yunhe Sect accompanied the Dao Son of the Bihai Sect, Lin, while around them stood great cultivators all clad in elder's ceremonial robes.

For an Xian Sect to mobilize its entire force, this was no longer merely due to fear of top-tier powers; part of the reason was that the Eastern Long Gong truly deserved such trust.

(End of this chapter)