Chapter 550: Leave the Explanations to Them

Yu Nanhong, Immortal's Cave.

Two figures stood outside the cave, clearly arguing about something.

"No, Zilan, listen to me, I really never thought it would turn out like this, you know my brother's got something wrong in the head!"

Yue Tiance forced a bitter smile, cupped his fists in a pleading gesture, and at the same time used his shoulder to block Baohua Xianzi's path: "Don't rush, or he might fly into a rage and hurt you. Relax, I'll definitely rescue the person for you, just trust me this once."

"..."

Baohua Xianzi glared furiously at the man before her. Recalling how he had previously helped her without regard for the cost, her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she finally steadied her breathing: "One incense stick's time. I'll only wait one incense stick's time."

She truly found it hard to imagine that the Seven Sons of Nanhong had already become this cautious and timid, tucked away in a corner of Nanhong.

Yue Tianji, as the eldest legitimate son of a great clan of Northern Hong, had actually traveled a thousand li to come make trouble, to take advantage of another's peril — it was simply contemptible!

"Don't worry! That's enough! I'll go talk some sense into him right now."

Yue Tiance soothed her, then turned and stepped toward the cave. The moment his figure slipped inside, the apologetic look on his face vanished instantly.

He folded his arms, leaned against the wall, and quietly gazed ahead.

He saw, amid the broken ruins of the great hall, a thick beam slanting at an angle, with a wooden body bound tightly to it by spirit ropes.

In front of the beam, a man whose features resembled Yue Tiance's by seven parts, yet looked far older and more haggard, was half-crouching. His five fingers slowly swept across the wooden figure's body, and a hoarse voice rang out within the Immortal's Cave.

"What an interesting trick. So this is how you've been clinging to life."

"What have you been doing these hundred thousand years, hiding under a woman, trembling?"

"I really can't imagine — the one this sovereign has pined for day and night, now…"

Crack! Crack!

Five fingers suddenly crushed the wooden body, tearing off a large chunk.

"…could be this weak."

The man raised his head, looking as if he were both weeping and laughing. He opened his mouth, saliva stringing into threads, and let out a low growl from deep in his throat: "Where is your foundation? Where is your Hongmeng Chen Ziqi? Tell me you can still bring out your Dao Soldiers, can you?"

With the Hongmeng Chen Ziqi lost and the Dao Palace incomplete, the Xiancheng could not be summoned.

Along with the roar, Yue Tianji threw a violent punch. Before that overbearing demon body, Xuan Qing's form suddenly exploded apart. And in the instant the wood chips flew, the man clenched his palm again, and the sky-filling wood chips instantly gathered, restoring the entire wooden body to its original state.

"See, every technique you know — this sovereign now knows them all too."

Yue Tianji pressed his palm against Xuan Qing's face as if showing off, then broke into a mad, wailing sob: "What's the use! You're nothing but trash now! How could you possibly be worthy of this sovereign's heart's blood and bitter toil!"

Amid the wailing, Xuan Qing watched the other calmly and finally spoke: "That's enough. Release the person."

"Did I give you permission to speak?!"

Yue Tianji suddenly exerted force and crushed Xuan Qing's head once more: "I know you've definitely prepared a backup. Go ahead and try. Even if you invited every Sect Master of your Seven Sons of Nanhong here, I ask you — would they arrive in time to save this little bell from my hand? And after I crush this bell, would they dare, for the sake of a bunch of Return-to-Void minor cultivators, offend my Northern Hong Yue Clan?"

"..."

Xuan Qing closed his eyes. He was no fool; on the contrary, after a hundred thousand years of sitting in stillness, he had grown even more clear-headed.

After what had happened back then, the Sect Masters who had been as close as brothers must have also begun to learn to weigh costs and gains — that was the growth that came from having learned a bitter lesson.

No matter how angry they were, beyond tormenting their own hearts, they would not take any real action.

Because those martial uncles had already taken the General Nanyang Sect as a cautionary tale and learned how to be proper Sect Masters.

In a certain hidden corner outside the Immortal's Cave.

Li Qingfeng curled up, a Dao tablet and a mirror clutched in his hands. Watching the scene within the mirror, he had unconsciously bitten through his lip.

A group of General Nanyang locals, along with a group of attendant loose cultivators the Sect Masters had picked up from outside, had been abducted. Within the entire Seven Sons of Nanhong, only the General Nanyang Sect would lump them together with the great powers of Northern Hong for comparison.

And within that mere handful of people, the reason Senior Xuan Qing cared was simply because he knew Shen Zongzhu cared.

Of course, even though he had long seen things clearly, Senior Xuan Qing still had him bring the Dao tablet. If Yue Tianji truly went back on his word, even if there were only the slightest chance, he had to summon the Sect Masters to come in person.

Before that, the more brutally the other was tormented, the higher the chance the Sect Masters would act.

A sharp sound rang out once more within the Immortal's Cave.

"If you want this sovereign to release the person, then stand up and fight me properly." Yue Tianji loosened the spirit ropes.

Xuan Qing seemed somewhat helpless, but still formed the exact same hand seals the other had used earlier, restoring his head to its original state.

This kind of "duel" had already happened dozens of times in recent days.

The other seemed never to tire of it, endlessly repeating the same thing.

Without Dao Soldiers, there was no Xiancheng's blessing. Added to that, with much of his Hongmeng Chen Ziqi missing, Xuan Qing couldn't even exchange blows with Yue Tianji — any ordinary Bai Yujing cultivator would be more than enough to defeat him.

But he said nothing more. Familiar with the motions, he activated his spirit art, and a Dao sword suddenly transformed into a dense rain of sword shadows that came at him from all directions.

Yue Tianji neither dodged nor avoided, watching indifferently as those Dao swords shattered against his body.

Then he strode forward, slapped Xuan Qing to the ground with one palm, and pinned him firmly underfoot: "Are you joking with me?"

Taking in this scene.

"Heh."

Yue Tiance couldn't hold back a laugh. To see the once-dominant prodigy of Hongze in such a comical, wretched state — that was an exceedingly rare sight.

He shook his head. If the other could let his elder brother vent a little, that would count as playing a decent role.

As long as his brother left him a life, enough for him to answer to Zilan, that would do.

Before that, Yue Tiance had no intention of intervening.

One had to understand — because of Xuan Qing's affair, a once-in-a-generation prodigy of the Yue Clan had fallen and become this mad, raving wreck, with no hope of ever stepping into that realm again. For the clan, what a devastating blow that was.

Compared to that, the price Xuan Qing was paying now was actually already cheap.

"When you can so much as scratch this sovereign's skin, I'll release the person then." Yue Tianji suddenly hauled the wooden body up, then sent it flying back onto the beam with one palm, and bound it once more with spirit ropes.

In a corner some distance from the Immortal's Cave.

Li Qingfeng forced himself to resist the urge to look away from the mirror. Per Senior Xuan Qing's instructions, he had to keep his eyes on the bell at Yue Tianji's waist at all times.

But within the entire General Nanyang Sect, perhaps he was the only one besides Shen Zongzhu who knew that Senior Xuan Qing was not as dead inside as he appeared — at the very least, the man thoroughly hated being called by his Dao title.

In other words, within the heart hidden inside that wooden body, a trace of pride still remained.

And the current Senior Xuanqing was most likely trying his utmost to hide that trace of pride, preferring to be trampled underfoot like a dead dog rather than let anyone see that he still harbored hope in his heart.

And that, presumably, was exactly what Yue Tianji wanted to see.

"Hiss."

Just then, Li Qingfeng couldn't help but let out a sound, momentarily forgetting the risk of being discovered.

He stared fixedly at the mirror's surface, only to see the image within flash and arrive outside the Immortal's Cave.

And within the mirror appeared a jet-black figure he least wished to see… Why has Shen Zongzhu returned at this moment, and alone at that!

In an instant, Li Qingfeng nearly fainted. Without any hesitation, he directly used his qi to activate the dao token Senior Xuanqing had prepared in advance!

If there was anyone in General Nanyang Sect who absolutely could not have any mishaps befall them, then only Shen Yi remained.

"Sect Masters! Help!"

……

Outside the Immortal's Cave.

Baohua Xianzi was waiting anxiously when her expression suddenly shifted slightly, and she swiftly turned her head to look.

Then a familiar face appeared in her line of sight, only that compared to when they were at Red Maple Valley, this young man now had an aura of murderous ferocity that warned all living beings to keep their distance, looking like an entirely different person.

"Fellow Daoist Shen? Why are you here?"

Baohua Xianzi suddenly recalled the earlier letter from Yu Nanhong, and couldn't help but raise her brow tips. Sure enough, this kid had understood it! Otherwise, why would he travel thousands of miles to rush to Yu Nanhong.

However, she had no mood to attend to other matters now, and urged somewhat hastily: "Fellow Daoist Shen, this place is not suitable to enter right now, please leave quickly."

The situation was already chaotic enough, so stop having more people come to add to the mess.

Under Baohua Xianzi's astonished gaze, Shen Yi acted as if he hadn't heard, looking straight ahead as he stepped toward the Immortal's Cave.

She remembered that although this person had been somewhat cold before, it wasn't to the extent of being like this.

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Shen knows the people inside?"

Baohua Xianzi suddenly recalled something and explained: "Don't worry, he promised me the time of one incense stick, and half of it still remains. Once their lives are safe, I will certainly give you all an explanation."

As if hearing the commotion outside.

Yue Tiance slowly stepped out of the cave, and the smile originally on his face visibly faded the instant he saw Shen Yi.

He crossed his arms again and said coldly: "Why are you everywhere? Do you really think the East Long Gong is your family's maid, coming to me with every little trouble?"

"I don't want to lose my temper in front of Zilan. While I'm still in a decent mood, scram on your own."

"……"

Shen Yi slightly raised his eyes, and immediately afterward, he violently kicked Yue Tiance in the lower abdomen.

Without any warning, the surging force seemed to appear out of thin air! Caught off guard, Yue Tiance didn't even have time to change his expression before his entire body crashed thunderously into the cave.

Baohua Xianzi's red lips parted slightly, her pupils contracting sharply.

In that very instant just now, she seemed to have sensed a unique aura… Those who could possess such an aura might not necessarily be stronger than the top-tier great demons below Harmonization, but in terms of fame, each one was more renowned than the last.

That group of people would inevitably reach Harmonization, and barring accidents, could continue all the way to the very forefront of Harmonization cultivators.

But she swore she had absolutely never heard of anyone surnamed Shen among that group, let alone one situated in a barren place like West Hong or South Hong.

The next moment, Shen Yi had already completely stepped into the Immortal's Cave.

Baohua Xianzi no longer hesitated and hurriedly followed. The moment she entered, she was shocked by the scene before her eyes.

She saw Yue Tianji, like a mad dog, viciously tearing at Xuanqing's body, nearly gnawing him into a bare wooden stick.

"……"

Baohua Xianzi found it hard to imagine that this was something the Yue family's legitimate eldest son could do.

Just then, she suddenly noticed Shen Yi turn his head to look back, a faint smile appearing on Bai Xi's handsome face that seemed gentle, yet his voice carried the utmost mockery: "Don't worry?"

"Listen to my explanation." Baohua Xianzi didn't know why she was being so meek toward a cultivator she had only met a few times. Perhaps it was because of the aura the other had just revealed, or perhaps because she had broken faith with him.

"Save your explanation for them."

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze and walked with steady steps toward the ruins.

Sure enough, no matter how decently dressed, a demon is still a demon.

"You lowly thing, how dare you sneak-attack this sovereign!" Yue Tiance endured the pain, staggering to his feet. Provoked time and again by this cultivator, he finally stopped hiding anything in front of Zilan. The fine scales on his face rapidly spread, and then he suddenly charged forward.

Shen Yi brought his sword fingers together and gently placed them at his brow.

In an instant, the dim Immortal's Cave seemed to transform into broad daylight, auspicious clouds dispersed, revealing four majestic Xiancheng in total!

Long Yuetian, Chi Ming, Shang Huang, Kai Huang.

This was the ultimate limit of all Hongze cultivators!

Baohua Xianzi stared blankly upward, and only now did she finally confirm her earlier guess.

This young cultivator had truly opened the fourth city!

Yet the shock in her eyes had just risen when it rapidly intensified several times over.

She saw that within the opened gates of the Xiancheng, there actually emerged Jin Guang never seen before! Before that Jin Guang, the remaining purple radiance that had originally been so awe-inspiring dimmed considerably.

The entire process took only a single breath.

The dark robe on Shen Yi transformed into form-fitting black armor, a dark-gold crown on his head, and a yin-yang jade at his waist.

As his hair swayed, he swallowed a blood-red phoenix essence, and the aura on his body surged once again!

Although Shen Yi's eyes had been fixed on Yue Tianji in the distance, the instant Yue Tiance lunged at him, his slender five fingers landed precisely on the other's forehead.

Blazing heart-flames roared out, directly enveloping Yue Tiance's entire body.

The divine ability of the Glazed Blue Phoenix was inherently vicious and poisonous to begin with. Without spiritual defense, even with the noble bloodline of the Yue family, his eyes instantly bulged, his features contorting as he let out a soundless wail.

His entire body instinctively flipped backward, slapping frantically at his body that showed no abnormality.

Shen Yi didn't pay much attention to the other. Taking another step, he arrived beside the two at the pillar. His right palm gripped Yue Tianji's face, forcibly halting his biting motion, then he swung his palm and shattered the spirit cords on Xuanqing's body.

"……"

Xuan Qing, who had remained calm from beginning to end, closed his eyes for the first time the instant he saw Shen Yi.

He clenched his teeth hard, but quickly opened them again, and said in a barely audible voice: "Let's go… he's a madman… we can't afford to offend him right now."

Xuan Qing was not unaware of the value of a group of Return-to-Void cultivators.

If it had been a hundred thousand years ago, he might have been even more indifferent than the current Shen Zongzhu.

It's just that value is something relative.

Take himself, for example.

Now that the South Long Gong and the Seven Sons were on the verge of tearing each other apart, for the Seven Sons there were only two possible outcomes.

If they lost, the Qi Sect would be destroyed, and he had no intention of surviving in disgrace.

If they won, then the Seven Sons would inevitably have to return once more to the level of Hongze, and for the Seven Sons of that time, he himself—someone who could at any moment attract the attention of an immortal—was not only worthless, but a great liability.

Moreover, Xuan Qing would occasionally recall Shen Yi's response back then; he was truly worried that this young Shen Zongzhu might make some rash decision over those few insignificant wisps of Primordial Violet Qi.

Figuring it this way, no matter what he traded Xuan Qing for—even if he got nothing in return—it would still be a bargain.

"He really is a madman! There's no need to throw away your bright future just to play along with a madman… let's go." Xuan Qing swallowed hard.

Hearing this, Shen Yi pondered for a moment, then suddenly curled his lips, revealing neat, white teeth with a hint of savagery: "So am I."

"Sicheng cultivators… Sicheng cultivators…"

Long Yuetian peered through the gaps between his fingers toward those four Xiancheng, and suddenly burst into wild laughter.

As the laughter grew more and more intense, anyone could hear the mockery in it.

A hundred thousand years ago, Xuan Qing was a Sicheng cultivator who had even mastered ten thousand laws, and he had only been a notch above him.

After so many years, ordinary Sicheng cultivators—no matter how famous their reputations—were really not much to look at in Long Yuetian's eyes.

(End of chapter)