Chapter 599: Return to the Western Flood, the Palace Lord Descends

Chant my name a thousand times, and in exchange I shall grant you the merit to ascend to the heavens.

Such words, an ordinary person truly could not bring themselves to say.

But hearing this Hongze Daxian's tone, it sounded like a tremendous bestowal.

The two elderly Liangdaohuang Sect masters' expressions did not change as they stared quietly at the Golden Body dharma-form before them, showing not the slightest surprise at the immortal's command, as if they had long grown accustomed to it.

Xue Yan had only recently come into contact with this level, and slightly raised his brows. Recalling the commanding tone this Merit Immortal had previously used toward them, as well as his composure and calm along the way, and now seeing him bound up tightly, he could not help but want to laugh.

Sure enough, bitter cultivation had broken his brain.

Even bearing great merit, before it had been cashed in into proper strength, he still dared to be so careless and negligent, unable to see his own station clearly.

"Mm?"

The smile on Xue Yan's face faded slightly. He discovered this Merit Immortal had not shown the fury and astonishment he had imagined, but instead stood silently in place, seriously observing Hongze Daxian atop the steps.

Something was off.

Beside the Prison-Suppressing Golden Body, the black dragon draped in Bai Shan, expression aloof, gently raised its head. Its lips peeled back slightly, revealing a row of chillingly sharp fangs.

It was as tall as the dharma-form itself, and suddenly reached out to press a hand on the other's shoulder, lowering its voice to coldly rebuke: "How dare you profane immortal dignity — kneel!"

The black dragon clearly hailed from the Northern Long Gong, and its status was no mean one. Even if not a Dragon King, it should be among the elite.

With a slight move, it radiated a terrifying aura that made the heart palpitate.

Pressed down at such close range, let alone the Return-to-Void Prison-Suppressing Golden Body, even if Shen Yi himself came in person, he likely could not break free and would be forced to his knees.

"……"

Shen Yi glanced sideways at it, yet his figure still stood upright in place.

It was not that he was hiding some trick to match the black dragon with a Golden Body.

It was simply because the instant it moved, the immortal on the steps had calmly swept a glance at this black dragon.

Just one glance made this elite of the Northern Long Gong break out in cold all over, freezing in place for a moment before woodenly withdrawing its hand.

"Tch."

The two elderly Liangdaohuang Sect masters quietly averted their gazes, letting out a snicker in their hearts.

True to form for a demonic beast, even its flattery landed on its own hooves.

No matter what, this Golden Body dharma-form had been recognized by the Immortal Court. If Hongze Daxian could humiliate him, did others have that right?

Scorning immortal dignity — was that not scorning Hongze Daxian along with it?

"Shen Xianyou, you shall keep this sovereign company here in the deep palace."

The immortal withdrew his gaze and sat back down in the chair. With a light sweep of his sleeve, a seemingly ordinary dark-red wooden wedge shot out. With a thump, it pierced through the Prison-Suppressing Golden Body's chest, brutally nailing it to the coiled-dragon pillar behind.

Shen Yi lowered his eyes to look at his chest, feeling no pain whatsoever, only gradually losing control of this body.

Even moving a finger was but a fantasy.

Under everyone's gaze, he closed his eyes as if resigned to his fate.

Shen Yi was no masochist. Knowing full well how dangerous this trip was, he would not have taken this suffering in Lady Qinghua's place.

The reason he had taken over this Golden Body dharma-form was simply that he wanted to seize this hard-won opportunity to thoroughly understand what kind of enemy he was about to face.

Until now, he had indeed detected a few things, but they seemed of little use.

For instance, the instant the immortal deployed the wooden wedge, with the help of the Demon Emperor Seal, Shen Yi keenly sensed that the entire Yu Nanhong's qi had been stirred.

This showed that even when acting against a Return-to-Void Golden Body, this immortal had mobilized the power of the Bai Xi treasure.

From this small detail, one could tell that the other party was more accustomed to using external force bestowed by the Immortal Court… Of course, this proved nothing either; after all, having only met once, it was truly difficult to gather enough information.

Besides this, back when he was in Yu Nanhong, the immortal had rather gone to great lengths to have the Southern Dragon King come to Peach Blossom Villa to stand guard than act himself — most likely wary of being discovered by the Immortal Court.

But now, after he had been bound, the other party suddenly seemed not to care about this anymore.

Shen Yi felt the ropes and talismans on his body, and his thoughts grew clearer. In other words, these things could conceal heavenly secrets?

In other words… the Golden Body dharma-form was no longer under the Immortal Court's protection.

The reason his life was still preserved was that the immortal coveted the merit on his body and needed to digest it slowly.

To keep this Merit Immortal avatar alive, it would come down to whether he grew faster, or the immortal digested faster.

"Huu."

Shen Yi gently exhaled. Beneath his seemingly calm face, waves of bone-chilling cold had already risen in his heart.

This kind of race against time, he had done far, far too many times.

And he had never once lost.

Thinking of this, he opened his eyes again and swept a casual glance at the many figures before him.

The things on his body that could conceal heavenly secrets could not possibly have come from Hongze, yet they had been distributed to the Northern Long Gong and the Liangdaohuang Sect to hold.

This confirmed that the earlier guess was correct.

The entire Northern Flood — there was no distinction between demon race and cultivators at all. They were all birds of a feather, the immortal's lapdogs.

If that was the case, things had become much simpler.

……

General Nanyang treasured land, the great hall at the mountain peak.

Shen Yi slowly rose and took a step forward, and his entire person appeared before the Ancestral Master Hall.

As General Nanyang's heaven and earth, he could easily sense that many outsiders had entered the treasured land.

He saw that the Ancestral Master Hall, which usually held only Li Xuanqing, was now packed full. All six sect masters stared at the tall stone statue with complicated expressions, while Sect Master Baohua chatted softly with Li Xuanqing about something.

Seeing Shen Yi enter, Li Xuanqing hurriedly rose and bowed, opened his mouth, but found his voice somewhat hoarse.

Sect Master Baohua gently supported his arm and cast a grateful look toward Shen Yi.

"Huu."

Li Xuanqing clenched his teeth, exhaled, and forcibly swallowed down the choking feeling.

Aside from his master, he had few people he could truly confide in.

This is why Li Xuanqing had been mentally shaken ever since learning that Shen Zongzhu had actually taken those words to heart and taken a concrete step forward—his spirit had not yet settled.

The other had once said he wanted to see the immortals, and if possible, to bring him along.

Li Xuanqing was unsure if he could muster the courage to stand again before that man clad in Bai Shan and flowing cloud robes, for whenever he saw the man, he could not help but recall his master's face—terrified, twisted, streaming with tears.

The old man, whose back had always stood straight and who had never done anything against his conscience, lived up to his name "Proud Sun," yet at the end, he sacrificed every disciple he cared for most.

The immortal knew his master was not afraid of death, nor had he ever truly believed he could save his disciple; his appearance that day was likely born of pity, a desire to do something—perhaps to perish alongside his disciple.

But the immortal still found the one punishment capable of shattering his Dao heart.

"I…"

Li Xuanqing swallowed hard.

Shen Yi passed by his side and lightly patted his shoulder, smoothly shifting the topic: "What business do the elders have?"

"We are not worthy of the title 'elder.'"

Deng Xiangjun smiled bitterly, waved his hand, and rose with his fellow disciples to bow: "We are merely uneasy, unsure what we ought to do, so we came to ask if you, the General Nanyang Zongzhu, have any instructions."

Ye Jiao was clearly impatient and cut straight through Deng's formalities: "Even with Baohua Sect and Banshan Sect helping, the news of Prince Nanlong Wang's death won't stay hidden long. If Qi Zhaoyi continues to delay his return, Xilong Palace will inevitably sense something amiss—should we…?"

As he spoke, he made a slashing motion across his throat.

Since we're going to fight anyway, better to strike first.

If Xilong Palace gets word first, prepares defenses, and gathers allies, won't we be forced back into our old position of passive defense?

We can't keep relying on Shen Zongzhu alone to resolve these demonic calamities.

"Just go straight to Beihong."

Qi Yansheng rolled his eyes—such a frivolous gesture was unlike his usual demeanor, but now that Shen Yi was stationed at Qi Sect, he had no reason to pretend to be composed anymore.

He had been cautious before to hold his fellow disciples in check; now that he couldn't hold them anyway, he might as well give up entirely.

As Ye Jiao said, they should just follow the General Nanyang Zongzhu's lead.

But that didn't mean he could sit idly by while Ye Jiao acted recklessly here.

Xilong Palace is not like the southern Yellow Poison Dragons; aside from strength, they've never sealed themselves off in Yidi—they've maintained ties with both the east and the north.

To move against them won't be easy.

"First, Xihong." Shen Yi paused, then shook his head; based on what he'd seen through the Golden Body manifestation, their current strength was no match for Beihong at all.

Before his words had fully faded, silence fell over the gathering.

Qi Yansheng's lips twitched twice—his joking remark had been taken seriously by Shen Zongzhu.

After a brief shock, the sect leaders turned again to the towering stone statue, their gazes growing more complex.

Who, if they could help it, would willingly huddle in a remote corner?

Just like Ye Jiao—if he hadn't left Beihong, how could he have trained with peers of his realm, sought his own opportunities? Years wasted, still unable to break through a realm; not even the peak of Heaven Realm seemed within reach anymore.

General Nanyang Sect once took them out—could it be possible… to go out again?

The sect leaders did not notice that behind them, Li Xuanqing's pupils were suddenly trembling violently.

He felt these elder uncles might have misunderstood something.

Shen Zongzhu's goal was never to lead the Seven Sons of Nan Hong back to the ranks of top-tier powers; his imagined enemy had always been that immortal!

In other words, his lord's gaze had never been confined to Hongze.

"We three will go with you."

Ji Jingxi noticed Li Xuanqing's unease from the corner of her eye, paused a moment, then looked at Shen Yi and said softly: "Regardless, having a few people beside you always makes things easier."

"As for the sect, leave it to Brother Deng and the others."

As the youngest disciple, Ji Jingxi rarely voiced opinions, but when she did, few ever contradicted her.

The sect leaders paused, then all nodded.

Nan Hong now had all its demons exterminated; with the strength of the Seven Sons of Nan Hong, no problems would arise.

"What you intend to do… cannot avoid Donglong Palace."

Ji Jingxi stepped slowly to Shen Yi's side and asked: "Should we perhaps inform Princess Ziling Xianzi?"

"We'll see."

Shen Yi did not immediately agree.

Of the Four Hongs, the one he found most troublesome was Donglong Palace—not because it was stronger than Beilong Palace.

But because these Purple-Bearded White Dragons and the Seven Sons of Nan Hong… more precisely, because of the delicate relationship between them and Elder Li Xuanqing.

Since Shen Yi left General Nanyang Sacred Land, he had always been cared for by Elder Li Xuanqing—whether it was the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the introduction to Baohua Sect for pills, or even personally going to Qi Sect to knock on their door.

All of it bought him precious time.

This debt must be repaid.

Shen Yi was not indecisive; he intended to claim the Donglong Caves. But these Purple-Bearded White Dragons were truly bizarre—aside from the immortal mount Princess Ziling Xianzi, there was no discernible reason to oppose them.

To put it bluntly, the Yue family hadn't come to Nan Hong to investigate yet, allowing him to eliminate Prince Nanlong Wang smoothly—much of the reason was because Donglong Palace had helped conceal it.

When dealing with Haoyue Shuanghu, it was Lady Yushan who held back An Tingfeng; otherwise, the outcome might have been different.

As for Princess Ziling Xianzi… these sect leaders and even Li Xuanqing himself had clearly separated the immortal's mount from Donglong Palace—keeping them distinct, never conflating them—so where would it be right for him to seek revenge?

If possible, Shen Yi did not wish to repay kindness with betrayal; another solution would be better.

Of course, on the condition that Donglong Palace stood opposed to the immortal.

Shen Yi turned his head toward the west.

Lady Yushan was clearly preparing some plan; if possible, he very much wanted to know how Donglong Palace intended to confront the immortal—having another option couldn't hurt.

"When do we depart?"

Ji Jingxi waited until Shen Yi had finished thinking before asking softly.

Taking in the two standing shoulder to shoulder, several Sect Masters were suddenly filled with emotion—General Nanyang and Qingyue, shining upon each other; how many years had it been since they had seen such a sight?

They only wondered whether the radiance of this sun and moon could once again be freely cast over Hongze one day.

"If there's nothing else, we can set out now."

Shen Yi stepped out of the Patriarch Hall—one had to remember that his Golden Body was still trapped within the Northern Flood Immortal Hall.

From transmigrating until now, he had never suffered this kind of grievance.

If they delayed any longer, the merit Lady Qinghua had earned by dissolving the hundred-thousand-year killing tribulation would become someone else's.

Facing Shen Yi's such hasty decision, not a single person raised an objection.

Ji Jingxi, Ye Jiu, and Qi Yansheng followed along without missing a beat.

Under the gaze of the Dao Sons outside the door, the four figures slowly vanished, leaving the blessed land of General Nanyang, each employing their own divine abilities as they shot off toward the west.

Accompanied by Sect Master Baohua, Li Xuanqing followed them out with a complicated expression.

"I…"

"Don't drag everything onto yourself—are you still that once unrivaled prodigy?"

Sect Master Baohua shot him a reproachful glance, then gestured with her hand.

Li Xuanqing looked over in that direction and discovered that the young Dao Sons led by Su Hongxiu and the others were all staring with burning eyes in the direction the Sect Masters had departed.

Under Shen Yi's influence, how could this younger generation still restrain their restless hearts and contentedly hole up in one corner like their masters had?

"Besides, don't you want to see Shen Zongzhu, like Senior Qin, seated upon the clouds, shoulder to shoulder with those powerhouses?" Sect Master Baohua said with an expectant smile.

"I want to…"

Li Xuanqing withdrew his gaze, his tone shifting, and sighed: "But he doesn't want to."

Under Sect Master Baohua's startled gaze, Li Xuanqing vigorously rubbed his face and muttered: "The Sect Master doesn't want to be shoulder to shoulder with anyone—he can sit anywhere, but no one can be above him."

The moment these words left his mouth, everyone present turned back in astonishment, and the scene fell utterly silent.

(End of Chapter)