Chapter 578: The Killing Calamity Rises Again

Yu Nanhong, Dragon Palace.

Figures returned one by one to the green stone hall; the Ke family Crown Prince had already shed his ornate robes, donning heavy armor instead.

He stood below the green stone steps, his face somewhat obscured and indistinct.

Qi Zhaoyi concealed the schadenfreude on his expression, walked over, and patted the Ke family Crown Prince's shoulder: "Brother, accept your grief with equanimity. Your younger brother died unjustly, yet it served to reveal the true faces of the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong. As for Jin Guang, do not be overly anxious. This high personage could endure these years and achieve immortality through merit; surely he cares little for such trifles in Hong Ze."

"..."

The Ke family Crown Prince glanced over with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

It is easy to speak while standing; since this merit immortal did not emerge from Xi Hong, how could one not worry given such a great figure has appeared?

Which side does this immortal truly belong to?

If he is related to the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, once he ascends the Immortal Court and receives his immortal title, a single word from him could leave the Southern Dragon Palace with no good outcome.

Setting that aside, let us speak of the banquet.

He had finally secured a brother who reached the Heaven Realm, and his own position as Crown Prince was stable; unlike Xi Hong, this brother could rightly be called his right arm and left hand.

Now that he is gone, how could one not feel heartache?

"It was not your brother who died," the Ke family Crown Prince withdrew his gaze and said with a slightly cold smile.

"Look at what you say... if my brother truly died, I would be delighted." Qi Zhaoyi felt no anger at all; the Western Dragon Palace's control over its domain was something these venomous dragons could never dream of.

"That is good."

In an instant, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the hall.

The next moment, accompanied by heavy footsteps, a towering figure several zhang tall slowly stepped into the green stone hall.

It wore a thin ceremonial robe of exquisite quality, yet extremely old, as if sealed in dust for many years, having lost its original luster; just like this dragon demon itself, it emitted a faint scent of decay.

Yet as it passed through the crowd and sat before the vast throne.

The entire throne seemed tailor-made for it; the height and width were perfectly suited, and even the armrests matched the size of its palms flawlessly.

No need for a crown with hanging beads; the massive dragon horns upon its head were themselves a precious crown.

"Your son pays respects to Father King!"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, every figure in the hall except Qi Zhaoyi quickly knelt toward the main seat, including the Ke family Crown Prince who wore heavy armor.

Prince Nanlong King did not order his offspring to rise; he merely raised a finger slightly, interrupting Qi Zhaoyi's gesture of respect.

A letter, already opened, fell into the hands of this eldest of the Qi family.

"..."

Qi Zhaoyi looked at the seal unique to the Western Dragon Palace on the envelope, forcibly broken, his eyelid twitched, yet he dared not show his anger.

He silently took out the letter paper, expecting it to be from his seventh brother, but after seeing the handwriting above, his breath suddenly stopped; under the violent trembling of his palms, the letter paper fluttered to the ground.

He then raised his head in rage, a low roar already reaching his throat, but upon meeting the Southern Dragon King's gaze, he forcibly swallowed it back: "H-how... how could this be?"

I came to Yu Nanhong, and my seventh and fourth brothers are simply gone?

Among Qi Zhaoyi's brothers, Laoqi was the only one who sided with him, while the fourth was the only one who chose neutrality, and also one of the few existences Qi Zhaoyi could still try to win over.

If not for being in front of outsiders, he would even begin to suspect this matter was carefully plotted by Qi the Second or that woman.

This is not merely having one's right arm and left hand severed; it is as if half his life has been taken.

"Accept your grief with equanimity."

The Ke family Crown Prince glanced at the letter paper on the ground and softly offered this advice.

However, Qi Zhaoyi had no mind for arguing now; recalling that all the great demons who had pledged allegiance to him had lost contact, he felt a chill run through his body. It was clear he had been ambushed; if he did not return immediately, by the time he reached the Western Dragon Palace, he himself would be the one suppressed.

"Southern Dragon King, forgive me; Zhaoyi... Zhaoyi must take his leave."

Qi Zhaoyi clasped his hands and bowed, trembling all over; he never expected his brothers or that woman to be so ruthless, even sparing no one among their own kin.

Forget the Crown Prince position; now, only Father King can protect him.

"Stay."

Prince Nanlong King raised his head succinctly, then took out several more identical letters, placing them gently on the collapsed, blood-stained stone table.

Seeing this, the Ke family Crown Prince suddenly clenched both fists; he knew Father King had awakened some days ago for some reason, but he never expected that after the other party agreed to relinquish power to him, he had already been in contact with the Western Dragon Palace.

And regarding these matters, he knew absolutely nothing.

"You are mistaken; Xi Hong now faces an external calamity, not internal strife." Prince Nanlong King calmly called out to Qi Zhaoyi; before the other could respond, he continued: "Of course, your Father King indeed wishes to summon you back, but I have secured an opportunity for you."

"..."

Qi Zhaoyi slowly turned around, astonished: "What opportunity?"

Prince Nanlong King gazed down calmly: "This external calamity is named Wan Yao Dian; it has designs to gather and utilize the ten thousand demons. Your two brothers died because they clashed with them over the allegiance of great demons, thus provoking your Father King to intervene, searching Xi Hong with all his might, yet still finding nothing."

"This!"

Qi Zhaoyi suddenly looked toward the Ke family Crown Prince beside him; this familiar name, the two had discussed more than once, yet in the other's words, Wan Yao Dian was merely a hollow shell.

The Ke family Crown Prince likewise raised his head in shock.

Could those two arrogant and strange great demons he saw back then possess such power to draw the Western Dragon King's personal attention?

"May I ask, Southern Dragon King, what can Zhaoyi do?" After a brief moment of stunned silence, Qi Zhaoyi lowered his posture even further.

"Remain in my Southern Dragon Palace, lead the great demons your Father King assigned to you, and campaign against the Seven Sons. Once the matter is settled, the Southern Dragon Palace will be the firmest support securing your position as Crown Prince." Prince Nanlong King spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

"Which great demons?" Qi Zhaoyi furrowed his brows.

"All the named great demons of your Xi Hong, including that one, Shenxu Laozu."

"..."

Hearing this, Qi Zhaoyi felt no joy; instead, his expression gradually grew solemn: "These great demons seem to have no subordinate relationship with my Western Dragon Palace."

Prince Nanlong King nodded: "Correct, so they were driven to Yu Nanhong by your Father King and his people."

Rather than leaving these great demons in Xi Hong to be picked off one by one and completely subdued by Wan Yao Dian, it is better to gather these demons together under watch; even if someone truly subdues them, at least the commotion caused will be greater.

"Father King!"

Ke family Crown Prince suddenly raised his head; he keenly heard a hint of something amiss.

The Wan Yao Dian has a habit of subduing great demons; the Xi Long Gong cannot find their tracks. Now all these great demons have come to Nan Hong... does that not mean the Wan Yao Dian is coming too?

Clearly, this is a grudge between the Xi Long Gong and the Wan Yao Dian, yet they chose to fight in Nan Hong?!

This is hardly sending people to help; it is clearly using Nan Hong as bait to draw out the Wan Yao Dian and minimize the Xi Long Gong's losses.

Should conflict arise then, it would give the Xi Long Gong more room to maneuver.

The Prince Nanlong Wang ignored this eldest son and continued staring at Qi Zhaoyi: "This King agrees. Moreover, I can grant you authority, allowing these great demons to eat and drink freely in Nan Hong. As for how many you can subdue, that depends on your own skill."

Qi Zhaoyi's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

Putting aside other matters, that Hanshan Shenxu Laozu is the most powerful great demon on the Xi Hong land, his realm even not inferior to my own.

If I can gain his assistance, plus the full support of the Prince Nanlong Gong, then it seems of little consequence if those two brothers die.

"Zhaoyi will listen entirely to Uncle Ke's arrangements and render dog and horse service!"

Qi Zhaoyi knelt without hesitation, striking his head loudly several times against the stone steps toward the figure above.

He naturally could not fully believe the Prince Nanlong Wang's words, but under the current circumstances, having offended no one, he had inexplicably become a lone man. Unless he abandoned the struggle for the Crown Prince position, it seemed there truly was no other path.

Now a lifeline lay before him; however humiliating, he had to grip it tightly!

"Go."

The Prince Nanlong Wang waved his hand, a hint of warmth appearing on his face.

After Qi Zhaoyi left the hall sensibly, it finally turned its gaze to its own Crown Prince; the warmth instantly turned cold: "What do you wish to say?"

The Ke family Crown Prince quickly stood up, clenching his fist tightly: "Father King, it is easy to invite gods but hard to send them away. Bringing these great demons to our Nan Hong is one thing, but letting them eat and drink as they please? Does that mean we fight to the death for them while all the benefits go to these evil beasts?"

"Furthermore, what exactly does the Xi Long Gong take us for? Ghosts to die in our stead, or dogs to guard the house?"

"If so, it would be better to coexist peacefully with the Nan Hong Seven Sons..."

As the Ke family Crown Prince spoke, he noticed the disappointment in his father's eyes growing ever more intense, and he fell silent, stammering.

"While you are still dreaming of becoming king and ruling supreme."

The Prince Nanlong Wang withdrew his gaze and said indifferently: "This King considers how to preserve life, how to preserve your worthless lives."

The Wan Yao Dian, the Merit Immortal, the previous inexplicable mobilization of Nan Hong's qi, and the sudden rising momentum of the Nan Hong Seven Sons—each of these matters is life-threatening.

It merely found it laughable that in the eyes of this Crown Prince it had chosen, the Prince Nanlong Gong still had a choice, as if it still held the upper hand.

Truly, we have been too comfortable for too long.

"Since we must fight, we must decide life or death."

"Being someone's dog is better than being dead."

The Prince Nanlong Wang slowly stood up: "Those are not food; they are the eyes, ears, and tongues of the Nan Hong Seven Sons."

For instance, why did the Nan Hong Seven Sons receive news as soon as the eldest son of the Qi family arrived? Because there is a Bao Hua Sect on the border. Why can the Dragon Palace not approach the Qi Sect? Because those vassal powers help keep watch.

"Let a pack of hungry wolves in, pull out the Seven Sons' eyes, ears, and tongues, so they cannot see and cannot transmit news. Only then can we invite true experts from the Xi Long Gong, and only then is there a sliver of chance for victory." The Prince Nanlong Wang narrowed his eyes slightly.

It is true that the Xi Long Gong and Prince Nanlong Gong are on good terms, but the other side must now guard against the Wan Yao Dian and also fear the purple-bearded white dragons in the east.

Only if we do the matter cleanly, ensure there is no mistake, fight quickly and decisively, and bear most of the risk for the Xi Long Gong, can we exchange for assistance sufficient to forever eliminate future troubles.

"Can we not do it ourselves?" The Ke family Crown Prince was still somewhat reluctant. If they truly spared no effort to stir up another slaughter, these human medicinal pills might even have a probability of pushing him to the late stage of the Heavenly Realm, which he had long dreamed of.

"We must go and watch those few. Remember to put away your useless pride. When they come out, we retreat to the Dragon Palace; when they return, we continue to clamor. To be a dog, one must be a sufficiently sinister dog."

"Even if they beat us to the Dragon Cave's entrance, we must hide obediently. Only after winning will the face you care about cease to be so ridiculous and absurd."

"..."

The Ke family Crown Prince stood frozen as if struck by lightning. He found it very hard to imagine that these shameful words came from the mouth of this noble and majestic father.

Truly, no wonder he is an old thing who could endure his temper during the last slaughter.

He found it very hard to imagine what event could lure him out of the Dragon Cave to truly fight to the death with someone.

Except for waiting for this old thing to die of old age, it seemed there was no other opportunity for himself to inherit the Dragon Cave.

The precious land of Nan Yang.

Even though the entire Qi Sect was immersed in an atmosphere of excitement, Shen Yi still returned alone to the quiet hall.

In the eyes of other cultivators, this was the Nan Hong Seven Sons reclaiming their former dignity; in reality, in his eyes, it was merely cutting down one Heavenly Realm dragon demon. The Dragon King Crown Prince still lives, so there is actually no great difference from before.

These flashy things cannot kill people.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, adjusting his previously turbulent emotions.

There is no breakthrough yet regarding Lady Qinghua's matter. But looking at the bright side, at least it attracted most of the Immortal's attention. Moreover, although that Immortal seat is not mine, after all, it was Qinghua's demon soul that possessed the Yin God back then.

But I can take over that Golden Body at any time. Thinking carefully, it seems there is no difference.

There is still a chance to glimpse the true form of the Immortal Court early; perhaps I can use this to aid my cultivation then.

"Moreover, an Immortal seat that can be bestowed at will can also be taken back at any time. It is meaningless. It is more reassuring to use one's own cultivation."

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow and, as usual, took out that dragon corpse.

After this banquet, he also gained more understanding of Heavenly Realm cultivators. For instance, Ke Shisan, the strongest among the Hall Masters, was much weaker than that Ke family Crown Prince, clearly still lingering at the early stage of the Heavenly Realm.

This is also why Shen Yi was so determined to cut down this demon.

Once Ke Shisan breaks through to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm, then within the Nan Hong range, except for the Prince Nanlong Wang, or the two eldest sons of the Ke and Qi families joining forces, no one will be able to pose a life-threatening danger to him.

"However, relying solely on the Stabilizing Stone is not a long-term solution."

Shen Yi sighed lightly, summoned Ke Shisan out, and while pouring in the Blood River, fell into deep thought.

My current strength, with the support of two Immortal Arts and five Dao Soldiers, can compare to a cultivator at the early stage of the Heavenly Realm, and it is the kind with a relatively solid foundation, not comparable to the fake product like Second Prince who just broke through a realm.

If I can push the two Immortal Arts further, perhaps I can reach the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm.

But what is most headache-inducing is still one's own realm.

Shen Yi did have a train of thought; it is estimated to be related to the Wan Yao Dian, but involving the level of divine powers, only by sending in a great demon at the Heavens and Dao realm to stabilize the stone can a significant change occur.

Where would one find so many Great Demon beasts of the Dao-Integration Realm?

One can tell from the rapid rise of Wan Yao Dian's reputation; they are not fools. After killing just a couple, they realize something is wrong. Would they flee for their lives, or voluntarily throw themselves into the trap?

"..."

Shen Yi shook his head and turned his gaze to Ke Shisan before him.

This Eastern Hall Master had already absorbed the entire Blood River and consumed seven Demon Origins, yet he still kept his eyes tightly shut.

"If you like playing dead, you can do it slowly inside the Dao Palace. I'll find another Hall Master," Shen Yi said indifferently.

"Hehe... I, Xuan Jian, am grateful to my Lord." Ke Shisan awkwardly opened his eyes. In an instant, a brand-new, thick aura spilled from him. The bottleneck he had been just one step away from clearing had, with the help of the Second Prince, a Heaven-Realm Dragon Demon, been passed without any doubt.

The little Long Sun, originally only at the Return to Emptiness Realm, had in a short time ascended to become a terrifying existence with power equal to the two Dragon Eldest Sons.

Yet, there was no joy on this Eastern Hall Master's face; instead, his eyes were filled entirely with fear.

The Master had temporarily resolved the trouble with the Southern Dragon Palace and slain so many Great Demon beasts; he must be incredibly wealthy in hand.

With money and leisure, and based on Ke Shisan's understanding of the Master, the other party would most likely not choose to wander around, but rather...

In the next moment, Long Yuetian and Ke Shisan were forcibly dragged into the panel!

Shen Yi顺势 closed his eyes, and the vast-as-the-sea lifespans of demons and monsters poured madly into Shen Yue Zhen Qing Tian.

【Year One: You, accompanied by the two Hall Masters, carefully sense the treasure mountain within your body. You increasingly resemble a true Divine Mountain. This blue sky has completely accepted your existence, and now, you finally cannot help but harbor evil intentions toward it.】

(End of this chapter)