Chapter 614: The Talks That Upended All of Hongze

"Fellow disciples… killing each other."

The crowd stared blankly at the blood-red Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains painting hanging in the sky, their expressions a mix of terror and bewilderment.

Crown Prince Ziyang turned his gaze toward the throne set in the heavens, watching the figure in ink-black robes swaying gently, and could roughly understand why Situ Fuhai had been so anguished in his final moments.

The enemy prodigy they had hoped to slay before he could fully grow had turned out to be a fellow disciple of their own Xian Sect.

The terrifying clash everyone had dreaded was, at its core, nothing more than an internal struggle within the Liangdaohuang Sect.

And on that immortal stele, Shen Yi's standing was far above that of Situ Fuhai, a Weifen Sect Master!

"Huh?"

Ye Jiu and Qi Yansheng exchanged a glance. Had they not known this was Shen Yi, just looking at the Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains painting in the sky, they likely would have entertained similar thoughts.

Ji Jingxi's face showed a helpless expression.

They had been calling him Shen Zongzhu all this time, only for outsiders to see him as the Sect Master of the Liangdaohuang Sect.

Of course, these were all trivial matters.

After all, Shen Yi had been through too many bizarre events; leaving his name on this immortal stele hardly seemed strange.

More importantly, the other party had once again proven that his decisions would never go wrong.

Even if those decisions appeared utterly arrogant and absurd, before his overwhelming strength, every obstacle was mere illusion.

To openly slay two Sect Masters of the Liangdaohuang Sect before the eyes of everyone in West Hong—even the former Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong, led by Senior Brother Qin, would have struggled to even entertain such a notion, let alone carry it out.

Any sane person could foresee what terrifying storm the Liangdaohuang Sect would unleash next to reassert its challenged authority.

This newly risen colossus was already no smaller than the two Dragon Palaces to the east and north, and was guarded by a Dao Realm expert.

Once they truly lost their temper and began to retaliate without regard for cost…

Upon seeing Situ Fuhai so easily slain, Ji Jingxi, aside from her shock, with her keen intellect, how could she fail to grasp what it signified?

Yet the heart that should have been trembling with terror was now eerily calm.

Composing herself, Ji Jingxi glanced sideways at the two beside her and found that Ye Jiu and Qi Yansheng also seemed long prepared to face this calamity.

Just as the two had said earlier.

They no longer had any room for choice, nor did they need it—they only had to follow at ease the figure upon that throne.

Shen Zongzhu's deeds had already proven he possessed the ability to lead the Qi Sect… and perhaps even more than that.

"This is Shen Yi?!"

Compared with the silence of the three Sect Masters of Yu Nanhong, Zi Xian rubbed her eyes hard, recalling how, at the banquet that day, when she had first met this youth, a wariness had been hidden beneath his calm expression.

No—if you had the strength to slay Situ Fuhai with a single palm, what on earth were you wary of?

Wary of me, a weak woman at mid-Heavenly Realm with no strength to even truss a chicken?

Zi Xian instinctively pointed at her own nose.

She absolutely refused to believe anyone could leap from Bai Yujing to full Heavenly Realm strength in such a short span of time.

That gulf was even vaster than the distance from mortal to Harmonization with Dao.

"Say something!"

Whenever Zi Xian recalled how she had once pretended to be profound, thinking she had grasped all of Shen Yi's information, and had stood there lecturing him, she felt utterly mortified.

"…"

Yet whether it was the Banshan Sect, the several Sect Masters of Yu Nanhong, or Crown Prince Ziyang himself, all were silent now.

As if, until the figure in the sky made a move, the entire world had fallen into a standstill.

Finally, beneath the gaze of all.

The grey hue in Shen Yi's eyes gradually faded, and emotion returned to his face.

He slowly rose to his feet and walked down the long steps.

Without so much as a sideways glance, he passed by Situ Junrui, whose features were twisted in agony. The instant he took that step, this Sect Master of the Liangdaohuang Sect exploded into fragments.

Shen Yi stood with arms at his sides upon the clouds, gazing straight ahead at the towering phantom of the immortal stele.

After Situ Fuhai's fall, the ancient stone tablet had begun to crumble, its inscriptions growing blurred and indistinct.

Shen Yi made no attempt to preserve the stele.

After all, its true body remained within the Liangdaohuang Sect; these people had controlled the immortal stele for years—how could they lack the means to manipulate it? They would never allow an outsider like himself to make offerings to it.

But should the timing be right, he might well make another trip to North Hong for the sake of this immortal stele.

Until the phantom of the stele vanished completely from the world, as if it had never appeared.

"Huu."

Shen Yi felt the blessing of the Dao Palace recede and let out a soft breath.

He glanced sideways toward Crown Prince Ziyang in the distance: "Got time now? Shall we talk?"

With his full Heavenly Realm strength just now, how could Shen Yi have failed to sense the several elders who had stepped out from the Dragon Pearl's protection, and Zi Xian beside them? Under such circumstances, this stranger willing to step forward and help him—her identity was self-evident.

She must be some lofty figure of the East Long Gong, and one who carried great weight in its councils.

Moreover, she was the Purple-Whiskered White Dragon, whose strength without any external aid was comparable to full Heavenly Realm.

"…"

Crown Prince Ziyang's expression turned strange.

This young man had raised the stele he had wished to raise, slain the man he had wished to slay, and now spoken the words he had wished to speak.

This sense of discomposure—Ziyang had not felt it in many years.

By comparison, it was the other party who seemed more like one in a position of power; this air of commanding the whole situation even surpassed that of Qin Jiaoyang back in the day.

After a long pause, he nodded helplessly: "Very well."

……

West Hong, Banshan Sect.

All the cultivators of the inner sect busied themselves, and under the command of Huang Wenfa and Yan Chongzhang, began transporting precious materials to repair the sect-protecting grand formation.

The broken and collapsed pillar that once propped up the heavens—if it were to return to its former state, it would likely require many years of effort.

But having witnessed the fall of two late Heavenly Realm sect masters, no matter how ravaged the mountain might be, no one would dare entertain thoughts of coveting it again.

Amid this heated atmosphere.

The great hall, however, was utterly silent.

The main seat above sat empty, with no one daring to take it.

Crown Prince Ziyang sat on the right, with Senior Zi Xian beside him, like an obedient little Miss.

On the other side, Shen Yi quietly held a teacup filled with clear, bottomless warm water. He moistened his dry lips with it, using the act to wash away the irritation in his heart.

That damned grand formation had nearly driven him mad inside the ancestral hall.

Fortunately, the outcome was still decent.

Behind Shen Yi, three Heavenly Realm sect masters from Yu Nanhong all stood with their hands at their sides.

Only six people present, yet they possessed the power to overturn all of West Hong.

"If you've come to discuss with me how to deal with South Long Gong and West Long Gong, then there's no need to speak."

Crown Prince Ziyang patiently waited for Shen Yi to finish that sip of water, and finally broke the silence. But out of respect for the other's strength and for stepping forward to help the Banshan Sect, he added an explanation: "Hongze Daxian temporarily does not permit us to participate in these struggles. East Long Gong is currently bearing a crime."

Hearing this, Senior Zi Xian glanced somewhat embarrassedly at the few people opposite.

But even though she was rather willful before her elder brother, she would not throw a tantrum over such a major matter—after all, her elder brother was the true lord of East Hong, the Long Gong Crown Prince.

"……"

Qi Yansheng quietly glanced at the two people beside him.

He could roughly guess Shen Zongzhu's thoughts—the other party likely wanted to use today's events to display his capabilities before East Long Gong, seeking cooperation to jointly resist the pressure from North Hong.

But he hadn't expected Crown Prince Ziyang to refuse so decisively, not even giving them a chance to speak.

The idea was good, but although Shen Zongzhu was incomparably clever and meticulous in thought, he still understood too little about the matters of Hongze.

This was rather ominous.

"I understand."

Shen Yi gently set down the cup, reached out to gather his disheveled hair behind him, and his expression showed no great surprise at Crown Prince Ziyang's response.

Ji Jingxi stepped forward slowly, took out a Bai Yu sash, and simply tied up his hair for him.

"Many thanks."

Shen Yi turned his head, gave a slight nod of his chin, and Ji Jingxi pressed her lips into a smile and shook her head.

"……"

Crown Prince Ziyang raised a brow and glanced at the sister beside him.

Things seemed a little different from what he had imagined.

The next moment, under the puzzled gazes of the few people, Shen Yi stood up, walked to stand before Crown Prince Ziyang, and said softly: "You've misunderstood. I don't need East Long Gong to take action."

"Then what?" Ziyang raised his eyes to look.

"Help me hold West Hong, and don't let the news from here spread." Shen Yi said calmly. He knew East Long Gong was very skilled at this—after all, it was by their delay that the matter of the Yue family had been handled back then.

A group of purple-maned white dragons who possessed formidable strength yet dared not act rashly out of fear of the immortal—if they harbored other intentions, they would inevitably have to spend their resources and effort elsewhere.

Hearing this, a hint of interest rose in Crown Prince Ziyang's eyes: "What news?"

He failed to notice that the expressions of his old friends from South Hong had suddenly changed.

Sure enough, the next moment, Qi Yansheng tightly clenched his fist.

"The news of West Long Wang's fall."

Shen Yi's gaze was calm, as if he were merely mentioning some trivial matter.

Senior Zi Xian's eyelids twitched violently. Even her father's plans had not factored in West Long Wang's life—instead, they had chosen more moderate measures.

What on earth did this young cultivator take the four Dragon Kings of Hong to be?!

Crown Prince Ziyang was also slightly taken aback, but did not show it. After a moment of silence, he frowned and said: "Setting aside whether you can accomplish this, on what grounds?"

On what grounds should East Long Gong take such a great risk.

If he remembered correctly, this seemed to be only the first time the two had met.

"On the grounds of this."

Shen Yi did not waste words. He gently placed the thing in his hand on the table beside the other party.

On the square seal, the faint glow of dragon qi flickered.

The instant this object appeared, the hearts of the several sect masters from South Hong all skipped a beat. They had never imagined that the matter South Hong had risked everything to conceal would now be exposed so casually by Shen Yi.

Even they could not hold back their emotions.

Let alone the brother and sister of East Long Gong.

"You……"

Senior Zi Xian's pupils contracted, her breathing suddenly quickened severalfold, and she looked up at Shen Yi in disbelief.

She did indeed want this dragon seal, but absolutely not in this manner.

Crown Prince Ziyang's expression turned solemn as he reached out to cover the dragon seal in his palm. With his discernment, he needed no careful examination—one glance was enough to tell it was genuine.

But if South Long Wang were truly dead, why had the four Hong sensed nothing, why had the immortal shown no reaction at all?!

One must understand that without the dragon lair being guarded, the overwhelming dragon qi spilling out could absolutely not be concealed by some formation or other means.

Moreover, judging even by the strength Shen Yi had displayed today, he had not slain that old dragon within the dragon lair—how could the news possibly have remained completely unrevealed?

"Once West Long Wang meets his end, the second dragon seal will also be yours."

Shen Yi turned and returned to his own seat. These were all the conditions he could offer—whether to accept or not depended on how the other party thought.

"……"

Ziyang deliberated for a long time, and finally clenched that dragon seal, letting out a long breath: "I have never approved of my father king's plan. To make an enemy of the immortals is to dig one's own grave. What we want, we could have sought by other means entirely, but—"

"He is my father. I can't beat him."

This Crown Prince of lofty status revealed a bitter smile: "Since the South Long Wang is already dead, obtaining the dragon seal by peaceful means has become a bubble. I think I understand their words now—you never give others the chance to choose, do you?"

Having spoken, he slowly rose to his feet: "I can help you conceal the news, but I truly don't dare to lend a hand in the act. This matter, you must handle yourself."

Before outsiders, Zi Xian rarely saw her elder brother yield—precisely speaking, this should be the first time.

She stared blankly toward Shen Yi, even forgetting the matter of Ji Jingxi tying her hair earlier.

How on earth did this young man grow into what he is now?

"Of course, I have conditions too. That is, you must answer a few questions for me."

Crown Prince Ziyang adjusted his breathing, staring fixedly at Shen Yi.

"Ask." Shen Yi nodded slightly. With the East Long Gong's promise, matters had taken an extremely important step forward.

"First, I won't ask how you killed the West Long Wang. After all, if you had failed, I would treat this as if it never happened."

Crown Prince Ziyang narrowed his eyes: "I only want to ask—if you succeed, what is your purpose?"

This question had likewise been lingering in the minds of several Sect Masters of Yu Nanhong.

Shen Zongzhu seemed always to stride forward with a clear goal, but his actions truly left people unable to fathom what he actually intended to do.

Only Ji Jingxi's heart suddenly began to pound.

"To slay the immortal."

Two words, heavy as the collapse of the heavens, emerged from Shen Yi's mouth light as a goose feather, without the slightest hesitation.

"Huh?"

Ye Jiu slowly opened his mouth wide, turning his head to look at Qi Yansheng. In the surnamed Qi's eyes, he himself was always that reckless one, but compared with Shen Zongzhu's thinking, Ye Jiu felt he was actually a bit too conservative.

Ji Jingxi, meanwhile, slowly lowered her head, staring at her heart. Her two tightly clenched palms were already soaked through.

Even though she had long anticipated it, when she truly heard those two words, she still felt her body go a little weak.

Crown Prince Ziyang swallowed, and looking at Shen Yi again, it was as if he were looking at a madman.

"Enough. I don't wish to make any judgment on such a matter." After a long while, he shook his head, his mouth dry and parched: "Second question. Apart from this addle-brained notion, returning to reality—you're trying to stir up chaos in the West Flood. What about Wan Yao Dian? Will these ruffians seize the moment to grow stronger?"

"Wan Yao Dian. I'll handle it."

Shen Yi was always this concise, yet every single matter he spoke of made one's heart tremble with fear.

Apart from the two great enemies, the Liangdaohuang Sect and the West Long Gong, knowing full well the East Long Gong would not act, he still felt it was not enough—so much so that he had factored Wan Yao Dian in as well.

Setting everything else aside, just on the surface, a great demon at the Heavenly Realm Perfection was still stationed inside the Myriad Manifestations Pavilion!

Yet Shen Yi's calm expression gave the few of them an inexplicable illusion, as if he truly could resolve this thorny problem, and without much difficulty.

Crown Prince Ziyang smiled bitterly again and again, unable to utter a word of rebuttal.

He composed his smile: "Last question. You trust me this much? If I didn't agree today, aren't you afraid I'd go and spill everything for you?"

Facing such words, the people of Yu Nanhong all changed color at once.

Though they were old friends, ten thousand years had passed after all. Who knew if some change might have occurred?

Under Ziyang's earnest gaze.

Shen Yi rose and walked toward the door, leaving only a clear voice echoing behind.

"I don't trust you. I only trust my blade."

"If you don't agree, you won't walk out that door today."

Within that seemingly casual posture lay an unimaginable confidence and cruelty.

Bearing on his shoulders the lives of himself and the countless beings of Nanyang, Shen Yi could not afford to lose, and would never gamble.

As his words fell, at the same time, not far from the Banshan Sect, a towering stone figure draped in a black robe slowly opened those eyes, brilliant as flowing gold.

"……"

Crown Prince Ziyang's face flushed a mottled blue and red, completely not expecting such an answer.

The people of Yu Nanhong also exchanged uneasy glances.

Zi Xian, even more indignantly, snapped: "Have you no conscience! Besides, do you really think my elder brother is no match for you?"

Just then, Crown Prince Ziyang slowly held his sister back, sighing with some emotion: "Now I believe what he said earlier is true."

One who wishes to slay the immortal must never be soft-hearted.

This man truly wants to exterminate the immortal of Hongze……

(End of this chapter)