Chapter 557: The First Battle of Returning to Xihong

Shen Yi sat cross-legged atop the withered isle.

Previously, nurturing the sealing stones relied on his own foundation; now, after merging with the Dao, he could use the breath of heaven and earth from the entire General Nanyang treasure land to heal the several branch hall masters, with efficiency increased by an unknown magnitude.

In merely a dozen or so days, even An Yi, who possessed the highest cultivation, had now restored most of the cracks on his stone body.

Shen Yi did not become careless due to his breakthrough in realm.

This place, Xihong, is not like the south; apart from being inherently extremely perilous, forces from Donghong and Beihong also meddle in it, creating a chaotic mess.

The act of hiding one's name and identity must continue for the time being.

Many matters are far more convenient for the several branch hall masters to handle than for him to act personally.

After breaking through to merge with the Dao, Shen Yi also gained a clearer understanding of the strength of the several branch hall masters.

Among them, Wu Jun and Yu Lan from Bai Yujing shall be set aside for now.

For cultivators, every time a Dao weapon is sealed within, the control over the merged Dao treasure land deepens by one layer; the process of consecutively sealing four Dao weapons is the path from the early stage of the Earth realm to its perfection.

Ke Shi truly had only just stepped over the threshold, falling far short even of the early stage of the Earth realm... because the former Sect Master of Wanxiang Pavilion was likely already at the lower limit of the early Earth realm, and within Wanxiang Pavilion, Ke Shi was clearly no match for him.

The bloodlines of the Yuetian brothers were far more pure, and both were top-tier great demons below the level of merging with the Dao.

Now transformed into sealing stones, they had already stepped into the mid-stage of the Earth realm, slightly inferior to An Yi, but the gap was not large; relying on the advantage of Huolin's divine abilities, if the two faced each other, the odds of victory would likely be higher.

As the branch hall master with the highest cultivation, Little Tiger Demon was not far from the late stage of the Earth realm.

One must know that those capable of summoning four weapons are rare throughout Hongze; possessing three Dao weapons is the norm for successors of most sects.

Therefore, the late stage of the Earth realm is actually the upper limit for most cultivators at the realm of merging with the Dao.

But Shen Yi had not forgotten until now the clash between An Yi and the Haoyue Shuanghu clan leader; that ferocious tiger clan leader, aside from being mentally disturbed at the very beginning and sustaining a wound from a surprise attack, once he regained his senses, nearly shattered An Yi's stone body completely with a single palm strike.

To be honest, the reason he could escape smoothly that day was largely because that clan leader was reluctant to kill the Little Tiger Demon, hesitating from the very start with a wavering mind, forcibly restraining his palm force in the end, and also due to a lack of understanding of the Wan Yao Dian.

Such great demons are at the very least at the perfection of the Earth realm... or even higher.

Shen Yi was not one to belittle himself; he had sealed five Dao weapons, a unique feat in Hongze, and his cultivation was even above the perfection of the Earth realm; judging solely by realm, as long as the opponent was not at the Heaven realm, no one could surpass him.

But cultivation is cultivation; when one's realm cannot crush the opponent, then one must compete in methods.

Shen Yi had no Dao techniques available, and the only merging-Dao treasure capable of great use was that single golden bracelet, which he had taken from the Haoyue Shuanghu.

Relying solely on two mountain-cultivation techniques, plus the five Dao weapons, this foundation was truly not considered abundant.

How could he dare to claim certain victory over this group of great demons?

"Hah."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing; the sealing stones of the four branch hall masters were mostly repaired, and the rest would be left for them to heal on their own.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and gazed toward the direction of the Banshan Sect.

Just then, the hem of Shen Yi's ink-black robe fluttered slightly, and a strange, grim killing intent, carried by the salty, damp wind, swept over, brushing his temple hair.

"Sit back down."

A command voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation rang out.

The sky filled with surging white clouds, revealing figures standing with hands hanging by their sides; they all had tiger heads and human bodies, numbering about a dozen, and judging by their momentum, all were high-ranking figures, clearly of extraordinary status within their clan.

At the very front were two elderly tiger demons, one draped in a black robe, the other wearing a white shirt, looking like soul-reaping messengers of death.

The words spoken earlier had come from the mouth of the black-robed tiger demon.

"Before that Glazed Azure Phoenix arrives, you may go nowhere." The white-shirted tiger demon shook its head, extended a tiger claw downward, and spoke with a cold expression: "Or, you could admit the crimes you have committed and choose to summon An Yi; perhaps a whole corpse could be left for you."

It was common knowledge that the Haoyue Shuanghu clan held such a lofty status in Xihong because the clan possessed three great demons comparable to the realm of merging with the Dao.

"Do not argue; the clan leader has already ascertained your identity."

The white-shirted tiger demon shook its head, and its tiger palm suddenly pressed down, intending to suppress the ink-robed youth back down again; its eyes flickered, the corners of its mouth rose with killing intent, and its voice carried a chill: "A distinguished guest from the Seven Sons of Nanhong."

These southern barbarians wanted to enter Xihong, attempting to first step on a stepping stone.

But they had clearly stepped on the wrong person.

The Haoyue Shuanghu clan, in this land and water of Xihong, even had the qualification to participate in the Dragon Palace's selection of the Crown Prince; even Lady Yushan, the Dragon Consort, had to court them; they were a legitimate great demon power!

The south's hand has stretched too far; do they not fear having their fingers chopped off?

"..."

Before the words finished, the corner of its mouth that had risen suddenly dropped again, and that palm capable of moving mountains and shifting seas abruptly froze in mid-air.

Shen Yi stood silently, looking toward the distance; unable to find the trace of that Haoyue Shuanghu clan leader, after hearing the phrase "Seven Sons of Nanhong," he redirected his gaze back to the clouds.

That demonic power, which could have destroyed the entire withered isle in an instant, inexplicably collapsed and scattered in front of the withered isle.

Let alone suppressing him back down, they could not even get close to him.

Conversely, under Shen Yi's casual sweep of his gaze, the many tiger demons in the clouds suddenly felt their hearts beat violently, as if they were about to explode within their bodies!

Only the two old demons at the very front could remain normal.

These were two great demons at the late stage of merging with the Dao.

Had this been before Shen Yi returned to the General Nanyang treasure land, these two could very likely have crushed him with a single finger.

But now.

Under the surprised and uncertain gazes of the two old demons, Shen Yi likewise raised his palm, an identical motion, and slowly pressed it downward.

"You!"

Although the white-shirted tiger demon sensed something was wrong, seeing the youth's current action, which was clearly mocking his previous carelessness, he could not help but be consumed by rage and shout in a low voice: "Presumptuous!"

Before the words finished, its body suddenly hunched, its legs trembled, its shoulders rose high, and its entire body's muscles tightened to the point of shaking, as if carrying some unimaginable heavy weight!

The remaining words were forcibly pressed back into its belly, and its facial features instantly twisted into a grotesque mask.

Even this great demon comparable to the late stage of merging with the Dao was so strained; let alone the Bai Yujing tiger demons behind, who did not even have a chance to react, their strong bodies instantly collapsed and shattered.

Crack-crack—

As Shen Yi's palm pressed down inch by inch, the black-robed tiger demon and the white-shirted tiger demon simultaneously plummeted downward with a thunderous crash,

Boom! Boom!

Both fell to their knees without resistance, kneeling before that tall, slender figure.

They strained to lift their heads, faces twisted as they stared at that pale hand, the crimson blood rune upon it staining their pupils red.

The tiger demon opened its mouth, saliva dripping from its lips, breathing heavily until its voice tore apart.

"…"

Shen Yi watched calmly as the two demons' shoulder bones cracked, then fissures rapidly spread across their bodies; under the vast spiritual energy of General Nanyang Precious Land, the Mountain-Suppressing Art finally manifested the effect befitting a True Dao-level divine technique.

This was no battle of arts—in the face of such a vast realm gap, it was a silent slaughter.

"Stand up!"

The black-robed tiger demon gathered all its strength and finally let out a roar—but in that roar, both its knees exploded completely.

The white-robed tiger demon lay prostrate on the ground, even hearing the sound of its own spine snapping, drenched in sweat, whispering a weak plea: "Clan Chief… Clan Chief…"

"Then stand up."

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in the minds of both tiger demons.

The next instant, the white-robed tiger demon, face contorted with terror, felt its inner strength being swiftly drained; its pupils filled with despair—the Clan Chief had already chosen his candidate… too bad, it wasn't him.

The unnatural gravity it had barely resisted vanished in an instant; its limbs and bones shattered completely, its body collapsing limply onto the ground, then crushed utterly into pulp beneath the invisible mountain.

At the same time.

"Roar!"

The black-robed tiger demon's massive jaws stretched into an absurd arc, fangs protruding beyond its lips, eyeballs nearly bulging from their sockets.

Its body, soaked in sweat and blood, looked utterly broken.

Yet for the first time, its body rose an inch upward!

The blood on its shattered knees was still warm, yet the wounds had healed completely.

The black-robed tiger demon trembled like a sieve, its aura surging like bamboo joints bursting open; it fixed its gaze on Shen Yi's handsome face and slowly, slowly rose from the ground.

Its towering form loomed down upon the youth; though still unable to move a single step beneath the Mountain-Suppressing Art, its ferocity grew even more intense.

Late Earth Realm… Earth Realm peak… its aura still climbed!

The black-robed tiger demon knew well—it was almost its turn to act.

Thus, it finally let out a sinister laugh, transforming all its pent-up frustration and lingering dread into a hoarse roar, unleashing it straight at Shen Yi!

"Roar!"

Everything around them rippled, forming phantom tiger shapes of malevolent energy—the same technique An Yi had used against the Wanxiang Pavilion elder, who, despite sacrificing many lives, was still cleanly slaughtered.

And An Yi's strength was clearly far inferior to this black-robed tiger demon.

At such close range, facing a soul attack head-on, any other cultivator—even one with higher cultivation—would have hesitated.

Shen Yi's expression didn't change; only a yin-yang jade pendant subtly appeared at his waist.

After the Five Dao Artifacts entered the Precious Land, they no longer needed to be retrieved from Xiancheng; moreover, as sacred objects, they now received amplification from General Nanyang Precious Land itself!

The pendant trembled slightly.

Immediately, atop the massive phantom tiger, another terrifying tiger claw appeared, striking down with overwhelming force, tearing the phantom apart!

"This is…"

Feeling the familiar aura, the black-robed tiger demon froze momentarily; before it could comprehend, it sensed its bindings vanish.

The terrifying mountain finally lifted from its shoulders.

As its body felt reborn, a faint unease stirred within—the mountain… where had it gone?

The next instant, it received its answer.

Shen Yi's long fingers clenched into a fist and slammed it into the black-robed tiger demon's cheek.

*Puch—*

The Divine Mountain's essence surged within the fist's peak, unleashing its indescribable power entirely onto this body, comparable to a True Dao-level demon.

Half the black-robed tiger demon's skull exploded instantly; its entire body shot upward like a withered island, landing on the water's surface, sending up two towering waves like endless walls.

"…"

Shen Yi watched its figure; the Mountain-Suppressing Art couldn't kill it outright yet—he wasn't certain how high its realm could climb.

If it broke through again, it might rival him.

At the same realm, victory was truly uncertain.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi casually shook his hand; though the Divine Mountain Art was powerful, his own body was only enhanced by the Divine Phoenix Immortal Sword Body, a mere Bai Yujing body refinement technique—no match for a True Dao-level demon's physique… it hurt.

In an instant, the ink-colored robe flared.

Shen Yi stepped forward fiercely, clenching his fingers again—now a black blade with golden runes rested in his palm.

His form vanished from its spot; when it reappeared, he stood beside the tiger demon.

A brilliant golden-black light, piercing heaven and earth, stabbed into the demon's remaining eye; it forced itself to stabilize, ignoring the agony, its only thought: seize the wrist, block the slashing light.

Facing the sharp tiger claw reaching out.

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow and struck again with a fist—fist against claw; the true intent of the Divine Mountain shattered the demon's arms with unstoppable force.

Then that true intent surged into the black blade with golden runes.

The brilliant golden-black light suddenly grew heavy, as if ready to sever this entire Shanhe.

"It's you!"

Seeing the familiar light, the black-robed tiger demon finally remembered—this boy had slaughtered eighteen of its Haoyue Shuanghu clan's tomb guardians, and had also angered the Liangdaohuang Sect!

*Chilaa—*

The golden-black light vanished in an instant; before the demon felt any pain, it watched helplessly as its lower half fell downward.

The black blade pierced straight into its still-vibrant heart, injecting a sliver of Divine Mountain true intent.

Even a True Dao-level demon's organs couldn't bear the weight of a Divine Mountain.

The tiger demon felt all strength drain from its body; with its last ounce of energy, it gazed forward—only to see the young man in black robes had already turned his gaze toward the horizon, not even sparing it a second glance.

「……」

In the instant before the severed torso plunged into the waters.

Shen Yi drew his long blade in a reverse motion, splashing forth crimson droplets; at last, he withdrew his gaze and sealed the tiger demon's corpse within his ring.

Haoyue Shuanghu had sent such a large force—could it truly be that their chieftain was not here?

Shen Yi did not know where he had gone wrong; how had these tigers guessed his identity? If he failed to exterminate them all, he could not rest easy.

He returned the golden-patterned long blade to General Nanyang Baodi.

Shen Yi shook his head; from the few tiger demons he had just fought, he realized he might have been mistaken about something.

In this land of Xihong, lacking depth and means was probably the norm—his Divine Yue Sacred Art was already quite exceptional.

He must remember: he still had three Dao weapons unused.

If all these were counted, even if the tiger demon had truly broken through to his own level, Shen Yi felt his chances of victory were still high.

Of course, the people he had offended were not limited to the beast clans of Xihong's land.

Not to mention, the dragon princes beneath the waters were surely not on the same level as these tiger demons.

He must retrieve the final technique of Wuming Mountain as soon as possible.

(End of Chapter)