Chapter 594: This King Only Counts to Three

"It's time to go."

Outside the Nanhong Qi Sect, Ye Jiu casually set down the Dao token in his hand and gazed toward the dark waters.

Moments later, a towering figure emerged from the sacred grounds of Lingyue Sect.

"You won't say what's happening, won't tell me where we're going, yet you start giving orders. Do you really think you're the Sect Master of General Nanyang?" Qi Yansheng arrived at his side with a gloomy face.

Ever since Shen Zongzhu was welcomed back last time, the man surnamed Ye has become even more abnormal.

Qi Yansheng felt a vague unease in his heart, sensing that something major was about to happen.

"How would I know where we're going?"

Ye Jiu glanced at him, then shifted his gaze past this Sect Master of Lingyue to look behind him.

There, a figure in black robes stood quietly with hands hanging by his sides.

"His divine ability specializes in concealing auras; I feel bringing him along might be safer." Ye Jiu suppressed the restlessness in his heart and explained softly.

"Let's go."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, his form slowly dissipating into the void.

The reason he hadn't notified the Sect Master of Lingyue was that he felt the other party wouldn't agree to something that sounded so crazy at all, but if Senior Ye could persuade him, that would count as a good thing.

Seeing this, Qi Yansheng's already grim expression grew even darker; staring fixedly at Ye Jiu, after a long silence, he finally heaved a heavy sigh: "So originally you hadn't even thought of bringing me along, right?"

"Too much nonsense."

Ye Jiu stepped onto a sword of flowing light and shot straight toward the direction Shen Yi had departed.

Qi Yansheng, though somewhat helpless, could only follow.

The three figures vanished instantly, leaving the scope of the Qi Sect silently and without a sound.

And within the sacred grounds of Qingyue.

Ji Jingxi stood inside the Ancestral Master Hall, eyes closed, the Bai Xi five fingers hidden within her long sleeves already tightly clenched.

The only thing that could make two Senior Brothers from the late Heavenly Realm stage go out together, besides the one I guessed, should be no other possibility.

Back when Zhu Shixiong Qin was still alive, the Nanhong Seven Sons couldn't completely eradicate the Nanlong Palace, yet now, at the most difficult moment, they decided it so lightly and casually.

No, to be precise, it should be that Shen Yi decided it alone.

The other party didn't even count me and Zhu Shixiong Qi; he probably thought the two of us were too nagging and explaining would be troublesome... As for Zhu Shixiong Ye, if he hadn't suddenly thrown a tantrum that day, perhaps even he wouldn't have known Shen Yi's plan.

"You all—"

Ji Jingxi opened her eyes, suddenly feeling somewhat powerless.

In this land and water of Nanhong, there are actually matters she cannot participate in; this feeling of anxious worry hasn't been experienced in many years.

But Shen Yi's strength is similar to mine; where did the courage come from to have such a thought, and to act so decisively?

The direction the three left in doesn't seem to be heading toward the Dragon Lair.

Could my guess be wrong?

"Junior Sister, we feel something is off; has something happened?" Outside the Ancestral Master Hall, the other three Sect Masters gathered together simultaneously.

"..."

Hearing this, Ji Jingxi turned around, pondered for a moment, and forced calmness as she said: "Nothing."

Indeed, there is nothing worth discussing; after all, if Shen Yi and the others fail, the path of the Nanhong Qi Sect is roughly at its end.

Best, best if my guess is wrong.

Nanhong, a hidden place within the waters.

The towering figure wearing a crown with hanging jade pendants and an ancient long robe finally slowly approached Taoyuan Villa.

The Southern Long Wang was actually very unwilling to deal with that group from Beihong.

After all, as one of the Four Great Hongze Dragon Kings, hindered by the poverty of Nanhong, the gap in strength between it and the other three, especially the two in the east and north, was truly too large.

But today's situation is different; only by using their hands to deliver the letter in the sleeve to the Immortal's desk does it have a chance to turn defeat into victory.

The Southern Long Wang imagined the scene of the Qi Sect, just like General Nanyang back then, with all living beings destroyed and wailing everywhere; the slight discomfort in its heart was quickly replaced by a strong sense of satisfaction and relief.

"Fate has run its course; blame your Shen Zongzhu for being too showy; a tall tree invites the wind."

It murmured softly, looking up at the sky, feeling those several mighty auras getting closer and closer to Taoyuan Villa.

In an instant, surging waves rolled in, carrying the Southern Long Wang's towering form, fleeing upward toward the water surface!

After lying dormant for these days, it could finally leave the waters openly and honorably.

The Southern Long Wang could barely suppress the sneer at the corner of its mouth; just as it was about to leap out, its eyelids suddenly twitched rapidly; in its vision, inverted mountains appeared, and in the rippling water waves, it seemed as if heaven and earth had been flipped over, tightly surrounding it within.

"Qi Yansheng—"

The Southern Long Wang slowly bared its fangs, its pair of terrifying eyes filled with bloodshot veins, suddenly looking toward those inverted mountain ranges.

This divine ability that locked down the area like a formation, it was extremely familiar with.

But it still couldn't figure out how the Nanhong Seven Sons knew it was here, where they got the confidence to fight it, and... how dare they act in front of that group from Beihong?!

With so many doubts, after seeing the three figures gradually emerging, the Southern Long Wang vaguely had an answer in its heart.

It coldly watched the figure in black robes at the very front; after a moment, it revealed a ferocious smile: "So... this is your idea again?"

Given this Sect Master of General Nanyang's arrogant and domineering, disdainful conduct, it seemed not strange that the other party would do some outrageous stupid thing.

Without waiting for Shen Yi to answer, the Southern Long Wang quickly shifted its gaze to the other two: "Didn't you tell him that the person in all Hongze who most wishes for your death is right now in the sky?"

"..."

Qi Yansheng silently glanced at the sky; at such a close distance, he too felt those several familiar, powerful auras.

Liangdaohuang Sect, Beilong Palace.

Why would these people suddenly come to Nanhong, what exactly are they after, and how did Shen Zongzhu know the Southern Long Wang left the Dragon Lair, even tracking down the other party's exact location?

Given this old Long Wang's cautious personality, even if it had to come out, there couldn't possibly be a second person in all of Nanhong who knew this news.

Of course, the most important thing is that once war breaks out, no matter how much one pushes their divine arts, given enough time, those people will inevitably sense the change in aura here.

By then, it won't just be a matter of dealing with one Southern Long Wang.

If at the very beginning Qi Yansheng only thought these two were too impulsive but still had a chance to take a gamble, now he feels they have gone mad.

"Don't look at me, I don't know either."

Ye Jiu said indifferently, his gaze never leaving that old dragon from start to finish.

He really wanted to know, after so many years of bitter cultivation, how large the gap between himself and the Southern Long Wang truly remained.

But the arrival of people from the Northern Hong was indeed beyond his expectations.

"Try to stop me, the King?"

The Southern Long Wang withdrew his gaze, sneered, and then did not linger; he rode the surging waves straight up toward the surface of the waters!

Seeing this, Ye Jiu and Qi Yansheng looked forward almost simultaneously. To be honest, the odds of victory against the Southern Long Wang were not high to begin with, let alone slaying him; now with such a huge accident, even Ye Jiu felt the situation was impossible to handle.

Just as the Southern Long Wang said, if these two great powers discovered that the Seven Sons of Southern Hong were actively attacking the Long Gong, it would be equivalent to violating the agreement originally established by the Eastern Long Gong.

Whether it was the Wuliang Dao Emperor Palace or the Northern Long Gong, neither would mind lending a hand to this Long Wang to give the Seven Sons of Southern Hong another painful lesson.

Therefore, the two were merely waiting for an order to retreat.

But in the next moment, the figure in black robes in their eyes instantly vanished from the spot.

Before they could even search for the other's tracks.

A deafening boom exploded right beside their ears!

If not for the shielding of those many inverted hanging treasure mountains, the vast aura stirred up by this alone would have been enough to shock the entire Southern Hong.

Just less than a hundred zhang above the water surface.

The Southern Long Wang crossed his arms, blocking in front of his face; on the dragon arms covered in scales, a slender leg had appeared at some unknown moment, chopping down with immense force, making his whole body tremble violently, the black long boot nearly pressing against the Southern Long Wang's forehead.

"You..."

This old dragon, stationed in Southern Hong for many years, slowly raised his head; his eyes, already filled with bloodshot veins, now turned completely red.

A dragon demon that had settled in the late Heavenly Realm for a full hundred thousand years, further empowered by the Dragon Den, could elevate his strength to the level of the Heavenly Realm's perfection.

His furious gaze was enough to make most living beings feel terrified.

But above the Southern Long Wang, amidst the swaying black robes, the youth's whip-kick pressed him back underwater; his expression was utterly calm, just like those gray pupils, peaceful and dead silent, devoid of any emotion.

Four eyes met.

The Southern Long Wang subconsciously averted his gaze.

It was this subtle movement that simultaneously sparked a trace of astonishment in the hearts of Qi Yansheng and Ye Jiu.

This old dragon, in the first clash, was not only suppressed by Shen Yi but even had his momentum weakened.

Even causing the two to vaguely form an absurd guess.

Could it be that this dragon demon was simply too old, his strength and heart actually regressing rather than advancing, far inferior to before?

However, this thought had just flashed through.

Qi Yansheng realized how absurdly wrong he was.

Because the Southern Long Wang had no intention of grappling with Shen Yi; his sole purpose was to leave the scope of these inverted hanging mountains.

Therefore, the person manipulating the divine arts became his primary target.

The Southern Long Wang used his arms to deflect the force, instantly darting backward; his seemingly robust body was incredibly agile, appearing before Qi Yansheng in a single breath, his thick dragon arm whistling out, pointing directly at the chest of this Lingyue Sect Master!

"Purple Yang Forges the Mountain!"

Qi Yansheng reacted with extreme speed, raising both palms; a small purple-gold mountain gathered in his palms, conveniently blocking in front of the dragon claw.

As a powerhouse of the late Heavenly Realm, even without counting the Immortal Arts, he possessed three divine arts.

And this move was the strongest technique he had evolved from the Dao Art upon breaking through to the late stage.

The moment the purple-gold small mountain appeared, it began to rapidly swell.

However, the Southern Long Wang was unhurried; his dragon claw suddenly grasped at the air, and under those rough claws, this purple-gold mountain was pressed back down; the swelling mountain body fluctuated between large and small, gradually twisting.

With a faint sound, some barely visible cracks appeared on the seemingly invincible purple-gold treasure mountain.

It could be seen that both were powerful beings of the same tier; otherwise, they would not have fallen into a stalemate, but the gap in strength was still very obvious; Qi Yansheng's defeat was merely a matter of time.

Rustle—

Just then, a dazzling streak of light illuminated the Southern Long Wang's eyes; that sword seemed to exist outside the Five Elements, piercing through the green waves without stirring even a ripple.

"Hah."

Facing this streaking long sword, the Southern Long Wang showed fear on his face for the first time; he withdrew his hand without hesitation, his body surged, and he returned to his original position.

His gaze swept over the three people; he adjusted his breathing slightly, yet did not appear panicked, but rather became even more composed: "It has been a long time since I exercised my muscles and bones; I must thank you three."

The strike missed; Ye Jiu caught back that streak of light and felt no surprise; if he could be wounded so easily, then this old dragon had truly lived in vain.

He casually spun a sword flourish, clearly understanding where the other's confidence came from.

Several figures in the sky were drawing ever closer; as long as the Southern Long Wang fought with all his might, in at most half a shichen, Qi Yansheng's inverted hanging mountain would no longer be able to suppress the aura fluctuations here.

"Two old things, led around by the nose by a young upstart, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

The Southern Long Wang smiled indifferently, yet still directed his gaze toward Shen Yi at the very top.

He had roughly figured out who held the authority here.

"I give you one last chance: leave now, and I will pretend nothing happened."

"I give you three counts to consider."

Speaking thus, the Southern Long Wang slowly raised three clawed fingers, then gradually closed them.

Qi Yansheng quickly adjusted his aura; the Southern Long Wang's fierce sudden attack just now, fighting all three of them in succession, had proven that the opponent possessed the strength to fight three at once, impossible to be defeated in a short time.

Even though Shen Zongzhu's previously displayed strength had far exceeded his imagination, it still could not change this outcome.

Whether it was the channels for gathering information or the speed of improving methods, both proved Shen Yi's capability.

It could be said that, with the three gathered together, Qi Yansheng now had at least a ninety percent chance of heavily wounding the South Long Wang, and if they coordinated well, even a thirty percent chance of slaying him.

But accidents are like that — once you run into one, you can only count yourself unlucky.

He raised his eyes and looked upward.

He saw that Shen Yi was still standing with his hands at his sides, quietly looking down at the dragon demon, in no rush to act, as if waiting for something.

"..."

The South Long Wang counted the numbers, but his eyes flickered uncertainly.

This youth was far too calm — calm to a degree that even made him feel a twinge of dread.

But the South Long Wang truly could not figure out what, faced with such a situation, the other party could still possibly do.

"Shen Zongzhu, only one number left."

Thinking of this, he could not help but sneer and offer a reminder: "Don't repeat the mistakes of General Nanyang."

Shen Yi pretended he had not heard, merely turning his gaze to glance at Taoyuan Shanzhuang.

Just then, a dark-golden figure suddenly soared up from within, streaking straight toward the horizon!

When this scene entered his eyes, the South Long Wang's face changed abruptly.

One must understand that the aura throughout this place was all enveloped by the Inverted Mountain. That Golden Body dharma-phase, which he had so casually frightened into not daring to move — why would it, at such a coincidental moment, suddenly ignore the aura he had left on it and make such an abnormal move?

At this moment, the horizon.

The massive black dragon circled unsteadily, while the three from the Liangdaohuang Sect still stood with their hands behind their backs.

"So this is the Yu Nanhong that raised Li Xuanqing?"

Xue Yan swept his gaze over this barren stretch of water and land, and said indifferently, "Nothing more than this."

"Although every land nurtures its own kind of people, it's normal for an occasional good seedling to pop up." The other two branch sect leaders of the Liangdaohuang Sect laughed.

Hearing this, the corner of Xue Yan's lips lifted slightly, and he shook his head: "What I mean is, this place and that person are both nothing more than this — both tedious and disappointing."

Saying so, he lowered his eyes to look below: "But this Merit Immortal is somewhat interesting, actually taking the initiative to come toward us. Does he really think we came to escort him?"

"Shh, say no more."

The elder gave a serious reminder, then took the lead in cupping his fists and bowing toward the ground: "We act under the orders of Hongze Daxian, coming to welcome the Upper Immortal and escort him to the Northern Flood as a guest."

As far as he knew, Hongze Daxian seemed to have other uses for this Merit Immortal, so there was no need to offend him with words.

"Understood. Let's go."

The Golden Body dharma-phase, some ten-odd zhang tall, landed on the clouds and nodded lightly.

Faced with such a slightly arrogant response, and coupled with the negligible aura on this Golden Body, Xue Yan was clearly somewhat displeased, but did not act on it, and mimicked the gesture, cupping his fists in a bow.

Only the black dragon at the very top poked out its head and said in a deep voice: "Where is the Long Wang of this place, responsible for protecting the Upper Immortal? Why has he not shown himself?"

Hearing this, Lady Qinghua stopped in her tracks, and following her master's instructions, cast a cold glance at the black dragon: "If you want to find him, go look yourself. Do not waste this seat's time."

How could the black dragon have expected that a cultivator of such a realm would dare to rebuke it so bluntly.

It froze for a moment, its eyes narrowing slightly: "..."

Only after a pause did it withdraw its head back into the clouds, leaving behind a coarse remark: "The Upper Immortal's rebuke is well taken."

The few from the Liangdaohuang Sect exchanged glances, then raised their brows: "Upper Immortal, please come this way."

In just a few words, these figures swiftly fled northward, and soon vanished without a trace.

And between those waters.

"You bunch of... lowly beasts!"

The South Long Wang stared fixedly at the horizon, finding it almost impossible to imagine that these people had left so easily without even deigning to see him.

As if the vast Yu Nanhong could not stir even the slightest interest in them.

"Come back!"

"Come back to this King at once!"

The South Long Wang let out a frenzied roar, and even the single remaining raised claw trembled violently.

But the next moment, his shocked and furious gaze was blocked by a gently billowing ink-colored robe.

In the South Long Wang's eyes, only a Bai Xi face remained, mere inches away. On that face, a pair of gray eyes gazed calmly at him — without the slightest killing intent, yet somehow making one feel an inexplicable chill all over.

The youth's clean voice echoed slowly through the surroundings, causing the South Long Wang's features to twist.

"Have you... finished counting?"

(End of this chapter)