Chapter 568: Once You're Done, Back to South Flood

One after another, black-backed flood-dragon generals climbed Lady Yushan in succession, delivering jade slip after jade slip, piling up on the table like a mountain.

In the vast West Flood, even with the Long Wang slumbering, there were still a full seven dragon sons on par with the Dao Merging realm holding the fort—yet a woman from the east had seized control of the most important intelligence channel.

The Dragon Consort of Lady Yushan lived up to her name.

Zi Xian quietly scanned the jade slip in her hand, then carefully picked out several and held them out to Ji Jingxi: "Take a look."

As she spoke, she channeled her aura to activate the jade slip, and a scene like a round mirror surfaced within the inner chamber.

It showed a certain bustling marketplace somewhere.

A young man in a long robe of green feathers was strolling along, his expression leisurely—yet the next instant, he was sent flying without any reaction at all.

Under the horrified gazes of the watching cultivators, a tall, imposing figure stepped out from the crowd, his entire body shrouded in a dark-gold ritual robe. He walked unhurriedly up to the young man, then raised his foot and, with measured calm, crushed the man's skull beneath it.

From start to finish, the two exchanged no words at all, let alone any grievance.

Even before being sent flying, the young man had deliberately stepped aside to make way for this unusually towering big fellow.

A thick stench of blood spread through the marketplace.

The big man bent slightly, drew a coarse, scale-covered claw from his wide sleeve, gripped the young man by the collar, hoisted the corpse up, and left the marketplace without a word.

Only after his back vanished into the horizon did a piercing scream finally erupt from the marketplace!

"A great demon!"

The crowd scattered in panic in all directions; the long street that had been packed moments ago instantly emptied out.

"…"

Ji Jingxi glanced sideways and exchanged a look with Zi Xian.

The scenes in the other jade slips were much the same as this one.

Outside a treasured ground of a certain Xian Sect, clouds and mists swirled, the place utterly tranquil and serene.

Soon, a sharp, mournful phoenix cry shattered this peace.

In the originally empty heavens above, several enormous shadows suddenly plummeted down, slamming thunderously into the sect-protecting grand formation!

They were several resplendent glazed-green phoenixes, their sturdy bodies covered in wounds, nearly drenched in blood plasma, the horrifying gashes a ghastly sight—through them, one could faintly see their entrails pulsing.

"Aaargh!"

They looked up at the sky in terror, beat their wings desperately, stirring up rolling invisible heart-flames, then turned to flee.

Boom!

Another figure likewise clad in a dark-gold ritual robe dropped down in a flash, ignoring those heart-flames. His long boot slammed ruthlessly into the green phoenix's chest; the vast force crushed every bone in its body like dry weeds, and even cracked the sect-protecting grand formation below with dense fissures.

Amid such a cataclysmic upheaval—

The entire Xian Sect fell deathly silent; even the sect master did not dare step out for even a single glance.

Fortunately, that ample figure had no intention of taking out his wrath on the rest. His target was crystal clear—after swiftly harvesting the lives of several green phoenixes, he waved a hand, swept up their sky-obscuring corpses, and in an instant shot across the long sky and vanished on the spot.

The person in the final jade slip was even more ferocious.

Clearly dressed similarly to the previous two, yet the moment he struck, it was with spiritual arts perfected to the utmost—shockingly, he was no demon, but a cultivator by origin.

Streak after streak of blinding sharp light came pouring down like a torrential downpour, blanketing everything in sight, scouring the murky waters.

That flock of green phoenixes that had been trying to seek rescue at the Long Gong was pierced through and through by the sharp light; their slender green plumes were blasted apart like dead branches and fallen leaves, and in the blink of an eye they were dead, floating pitifully on the dark-red waters.

Right under the very nose of the West Long Gong, such a brutal act was committed.

Yet the cultivator in the dark-gold ritual robe showed not the slightest scruple. Before leaving, he even lowered his gaze slightly to glance at the Long Gong beneath the water—were it not for the hood concealing his face, his contempt would have been written plainly across it.

"Huu."

Zi Xian exhaled softly, murmuring: "Great demons, cultivators—can't make out their backgrounds. Equally ruthless and decisive, with such clear objectives, not a single wasted move… these are no easy opponents."

Even at her realm, she would still betray emotional ripples in her heart during a fight.

Yet this group showed no anger, no resentment, no joy, no grievance. They gave off the feeling of heartless stones, or perhaps blades in another's hand—beyond slaughter, they harbored no thoughts of their own.

What manner of being could gather such a group of powerhouses together, and train them into this shape?

One must remember, the Heavenly realm expert Jingxi encountered wasn't even among them. Who knows how many trump cards Wan Yao Dian is hiding—if what they're showing now is merely the tip of the iceberg… that would be truly terrifying.

Thinking of this, even Zi Xian felt quite stumped.

She had assumed they were mere crayfish muddying the waters, putting on a show, nothing worth making a fuss over—who could have guessed they were a ferocious dragon crossing the river.

Moreover, this band of ruffians seemed to have thoroughly mapped out the details of Hongze in a very short span of time, and finally stopped hiding. Acting cautious and careful no longer, they began to reveal their true colors, baring their fangs at these waters!

"What I'm more curious about is—what exactly do they want?"

Ji Jingxi withdrew her gaze, lowered her head in thought: "First they tried to save the Green Phoenix Matriarch, then they turned around and slaughtered her kin so brutally. Surely it's not just venting their anger because they failed to save her?"

"What they can't subdue, no one else is allowed to touch either?"

"…"

Hearing Ji Jingxi's helpless quip, Zi Xian was briefly stunned, then laughed: "Then we can only hope that's not the case. The current Hongze cannot afford such an overbearing, unreasonable force coming in to stir things up."

"The current Hongze?" Ji Jingxi caught a hint of something off.

"We're in the middle of something big." Zi Xian raised her brows, speaking softly as if half in jest.

But this was also her true thoughts—the East Long Gong's scheme was proceeding steadily; as long as no one came to disrupt it, the rest could simply be left to time.

Before Ji Jingxi could press further, Zi Xian swiftly changed the subject, glancing toward Shen Yi sitting quietly with closed eyes in the distance: "Tsk, is he always like this?"

From the moment he entered Lady Yushan, he had been deep in meditation.

For a cultivator of such a realm, there was no need for rest at all; most of the time was spent comprehending techniques… but still, one had to consider the situation. Someone who refused to waste even a sliver of time, wishing to devote every single moment to cultivation—this was the first time Zi Xian had ever seen such a thing.

Moreover, what they were discussing was Wan Yao Dian. Having offended such ferocious ruffians, this youngster surnamed Shen could still sit so calmly, looking utterly nonchalant as if it had nothing to do with him.

"I don't really know him that well either."

Ji Jingxi looked over as well, her gaze lingering on Shen Yi for a moment, before she suddenly let out a soft sigh.

Their own Shen Zongzhu looked far younger than Dao Sons like Hong Xiu and Wei Yuanzhou, yet he had already shouldered the duties of a sect master, bearing the lives of countless beings across the treasured grounds on his shoulders. Though it was a comfort, it was also truly the failing of her and her fellow disciples.

Just then, another demon soldier waited outside the door. Upon receiving permission, it used demonic power to send a jade slip inside.

Senior Zi Xian took it and glanced at it, giving a soft hum: "What is this Seventh Master up to now? Can't he just stay put in his treasure hall? Wasn't the lesson last time enough?"

"Enough. If it has anything to do with Yu Nanhong, I'll tell you when the time comes."

"Many thanks."

Ji Jingxi nodded gratefully.

The two of them, however, failed to notice that Shen Yi, off to the side, had finally opened his eyes.

Staying at Lady Yushan was truly boring; Long Yuetian and Ke Shisan were not by his side, and forcibly deducing techniques was a pure waste of lifespan. He could only spend a little demon lifespan to familiarize himself with that newly mastered immortal art.

There was plenty of news from Lady Yushan, but very little of it was useful to Shen Yi.

It was just that those branch hall masters were handling matters; staying here also served to clear his own suspicions.

And while he was at it, he could also help his current strongest reliance—that little tiger demon—recover a bit.

Besides, just sitting there, he could watch demon-and-monster lifespan surge wildly; honestly, it felt rather pleasant.

【Remaining demon-and-monster lifespan: 2,670,000 years】

The reason he had Ke Shisan and the others make such a big show of it this time.

Shen Yi had his own considerations at play.

A meal still had to be eaten one bite at a time; the matter of the South Long Gong was pressing and had to be dealt with first.

Not only would it raise Ke Shisan's strength, it would also spare him some worries back home.

Only this way would Shen Yi have enough energy to face those enemies in North Nanhong; he couldn't just pin his hopes on the Liangdaohuang Sect and the Long family never catching on.

Besides, Wan Yao Dian was already stationed above the South Long Gong.

That South Long Wang had already reacted last time; Shen Yi also worried the other side would report the matter to the immortals. If he could find a chance to remove this Long Wang and figure out how to patch the gap in that great seal, then he could take control of the entire South Nanhong water-land.

That would absolutely be a devastating trump card.

He estimated that apart from the immortals, no one in all of Hongze could withstand such a vast, heaven-and-earth aura.

Of course, most likely it could only be used once before the immortals noticed, and then there'd be no place left to hide. But even if Shen Yi didn't use it, he still wanted to master it as much as possible.

If he was to return to Huinan and go all-out against the Long Gong.

Shen Yi didn't want other forces to come in and stir up trouble at this time, causing any variables.

Therefore, he had the branch hall masters act a bit arrogant, to spread the name of Wan Yao Dian—a name that didn't actually exist—and draw the attention of the many forces in West Nanhong, as well as those enemies in North Nanhong.

Let them investigate, let them be wary…

Once he finished dealing with the South Nanhong matter, then he'd consider the rest.

Setting aside everything else, the biggest force in West Nanhong was none other than the West Long Gong. Shen Yi happened not to know how to make the Suppressing Stone feud with them, and to his surprise, they had delivered themselves right to his door.

The news Anyi had obtained from the Green Phoenix.

That An Tingfeng had been able to get together with the Liuli Green Phoenix clan was precisely because that Seventh Prince of the Qi family had been mediating. Now that the other side had made a move, it must be that, after receiving the news and seeing Wan Yao Dian acting so arrogantly, they had been provoked.

If he wasn't mistaken, the other side would most likely also have to make a trip to the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures. Don't forget, Elder Liu was still there, with only Bai Yujing's Wu Jun guarding him nearby.

Having thought it through, Shen Yi gathered his thoughts and began to summon back the branch hall masters.

Several days later.

He finally stood up, and under the astonished gazes of the two women, politely said: "I'm a bit tired. Going out for a walk."

"At a time like this? Have you lost your mind?"

Though Senior Zi Xian was confident, she was not arrogant. She could forcibly protect this Shen Zongzhu from Wan Yao Dian's hands—provided it was within the waters of Lady Yushan, inside the West Long Gong. If Wan Yao Dian truly dared to come and assassinate him, that would be an outright assault on Lady Yushan, and even an outright assault on the West Long Gong; no matter what any dragon prince was thinking, they would all have to step forward and help.

If the other side carelessly wandered about outside, that would be an entirely different matter.

Ji Jingxi was silent for a moment, then reached out to stop Senior Zi Xian from continuing, and said gently and softly: "Don't go too far. Come back soon. We'll be a little worried."

Shen Zongzhu's actions had never disappointed anyone.

Although he had not yet stepped into the Heavenly realm, he was absolutely not a junior who needed coddling—he was meticulous in his thinking, a Shen Zongzhu who was in no way inferior to themselves.

"Don't worry. Very soon."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin, then stepped out and vanished from Lady Yushan.

It was just to elevate Yu Lan once more; it wouldn't take much time.

After putting some distance from the waters.

Three streaks of flowing light swept in from the horizon, plunged into Shen Yi's brow, and returned to the throne of Wan Yao Dian.

At the same time, they handed over a thumb-ring brimming with harvest into his palm.

Inside it lay nearly every clansman of the Green Phoenix clan whose cultivation was above Bai Yujing; at a glance, the number had already exceeded thirty.

Among them were even two old demons of the Dao Merging realm; though their cultivation was not on par with the clan leader, it wasn't far off either.

There was no need for Anyi to act at all. Relying on just these three hall masters, in a short span of time they had cleanly and decisively annihilated a demon faction whose scale was larger than the Banshan Sect.

No wonder so many cultivators in West Nanhong had felt panic.

Shen Yi didn't dawdle either. After Anyi confirmed there was no one spying around, he directly transformed all the green phoenix corpses into a river of blood and poured it into his brow.

"…"

Ke Shisan and Long Yuetian sat upright on the throne, looking incomparably dignified, but in truth their fingertips were trembling.

No matter whether it was their background or their talent, weren't both of them stronger than Yu Lan? Back when the two of them were at the Dao Merging realm, this South Hall Master had only been at Bai Yujing cultivation.

And the result was just because that side's clansmen were more sensible—no, wait, they weren't even her clansmen. He'd almost forgotten: at her core, this woman was a Dark Phoenix.

And just like that, she had shot right past the two of them, about to step into that realm that was so lofty as to be out of reach.

Sure enough.

As the river of blood once again flowed into Yu Lan's body.

Her voluptuous form pressed tightly against the throne, her Bai Xi neck trembling slightly, yet within those narrow, elongated eyes, the heart-fire was so dense it was nearly spilling out.

Her realm surged like bamboo nodes splitting open, until her body gradually dimmed.

A brand-new aura wantonly ran rampant through Wan Yao Dian!

Shen Yi, familiar with the process, gathered the demonic essence and fed nearly twenty more portions into it, finally bringing the Western Hall Master back to life once more.

【Union with the Dao (Spirit): Crimson-Eyed Profound Phoenix】

Looking at the prompt on the panel, Shen Yi felt a slight sigh; perhaps An Yi's arrival had been too easy, for he had thought that with so much demonic essence, he could elevate Yu Lan to the Immortal tier.

"My Lord..."

Yu Lan's voice was hoarse, as if her body had been scorched by inner fire; she looked out toward the Sea of Consciousness, her eyes filled with reverence and gratitude.

"You all go to the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion first."

Shen Yi turned to look, his gaze as still as an ancient well, then quickly drew his eyes back, speaking softly: "Keep your hands clean."

If anyone else had been present and happened to learn of this matter, they would surely have been terrified into numbness all over their bodies.

In this land of water and earth known as Xi Hong, someone could so casually... pronounce the death of a Dragon Son.

"We humbly obey my Lord's decree!"

Ke Shisan had followed Shen Yi for so long that he naturally knew what this meant; "keep your hands clean" meant leaving no one alive.

Had it not been for the other Hall Masters being present, he would have even felt the impulse to burst into tears.

As the first among the Five Hall Masters to successfully undergo the Tribulation Crossing, finally... finally, damn it, it was his turn.

Uncles of the Western Long Gong, Shisan has missed you all so much!!

As Shen Yi turned and headed back toward the waters.

Including An Yi, the four figures shrouded in dark golden ritual robes all bowed in respect, then instantly vanished into the farthest reaches of the sky.

(End of this chapter)