Chapter 641: Listening to Lord Shen

The vast and boundless Jianyang Prefecture seemed less immense beneath the hooves of the Land Temple's immortal carriage.

A clean carriage, using the method of shrinking the earth into inches, quickly drove onto a small path, heading toward the verdant Qingshan Mountains far from human habitation.

Bai Yun Cave's occupation of this immortal treasure land between three prefectures was itself a manifestation of noble status.

What granted them such status was their ancestor who had attained the seventh rank in the Immortal Court.

Seventh rank sounds insignificant, but in reality, it equates to the level of a local parent-ruler, possessing an essential distinction from earth immortals like the Land Gods.

Such immortal officials usually wield actual authority or can mobilize the life force of a region's beings, unlike Land Gods who can only assist celestial court officials in governing the local populace.

When they could play a significant role, forming mutual connections to let this influence grow ever larger became a matter of course.

In short, they were not to be provoked.

If one truly offended the Bai Yun Ancestor, the trouble would not be less than that caused by Master Qingmei, this idle Taiyi Zhenxian.

"..."

Though they had not yet reached Bai Yun Mountain, the carriage slowly came to a halt.

It was because three figures had suddenly appeared ahead on the small path.

"Yo, even the Land God's immortal carriage is being used; Lord Meng is getting better and better."

The leader was a burly woman wearing a purple robe, her belt cinching her into a gourd shape; the most striking feature was the sword scar extending from her brow to her jaw.

Behind her stood two middle-aged men dressed in black and white respectively, looking at first glance like the two Impermanences.

The woman was not polite; taking the two with her, she flipped onto the front of the carriage, grabbed the reins, and said with a smile, "Let me try too."

"My lord Shen, this is Mei Jiyao, a Demon-Slaying Official from Taihang Prefecture."

Meng Xiuwen spread his arms, leaning lazily inside the carriage.

With just that one sentence, the woman surnamed Mei looked curiously into the carriage, first nodding at Ye Jing, then fixing her gaze on the figure in the black robe.

A Bai Xi and handsome face looked no different from a raw young lad just out of his shell.

"Tsk."

Mei Jiyao stared at Shen Yi but did not speak to him, instead chatting with Meng Xiuwen: "I heard you were demoted; I didn't think it was true, but it seems General General Yan Lan treats you quite well."

Having committed a grave error, though demoted, he let a young lad temporarily take this post; it was merely a formality, with the real power still in the hands of the Meng family.

"I knew you would come."

Mei Jiyao withdrew her gaze and leaned against the outside of the carriage: "But this time you have come for nothing. Just received news that the immortal official descending this time is also a seventh-rank immortal like the Bai Yun Ancestor; trying to cause trouble under such a great figure's nose is difficult!"

If a fight truly broke out, neither of the two Demon-Slaying Officials would fear the Bai Xi Seal.

But the problem is that they are legitimate figures registered in the Immortal Register, a completely different matter from us common mortals.

Moreover, an immortal official capable of wielding the seventh-rank Bai Xi Seal, aside from those with connections, mostly possesses cultivation at least comparable to the sixth realm.

"But since we are here, there is no harm in checking; the few from Bishui Prefecture have already moved in, so we just wait for news."

"..."

Meng Xiuwen listened quietly, then cast a slightly apologetic glance at Shen Yi.

Mei Jiyao had not given the other a proper look from start to finish, treating him entirely as a greenhorn just joining the Zhan Yao Si; for someone who was also a Demon-Slaying Official, this behavior was truly somewhat impolite.

But he could not help explain anything.

What kind of power was the Zhan Yao Si? Its threshold was not fearing enmity with the Three Teachings; in other words, everyone daring to join was a desperate man.

Gaining the approval of such people could not be achieved by mere words.

Just like those two middle-aged men in black and white long robes, whose seniority was far greater than Shen Yi's, could only sit obediently with arms crossed on both sides, unable to interject a single word.

Shen Yi shook his head lightly, indicating it was fine.

He originally did not understand these things very well; to put it bluntly, even the names of the two neighboring great prefectures were the first time he had heard them.

On the contrary, the actions of this group of demon-slayers were somewhat beyond his expectations.

Even the Land God of Jianyang Prefecture had said this matter lay outside the three prefectures; for other powers, they would likely shift responsibility, wishing others would manage it.

But these demon-slayers had rushed over immediately and voluntarily.

Even Jianyang Prefecture was considered slow; other prefectures had already infiltrated.

"Brother Ma, hurry up; calculating the days, that immortal official should descend to the mortal world at the Wei hour today."

Mei Jiyao urged softly, but only earned a white eye roll from that black horse.

Even a mount under the Land God's seat had half the word 'immortal' attached; how could common mortals be picky?

At the Wei hour, the scorching sun hung high.

Around Bai Yun Mountain, cultivators from all regions had already gathered, and even ordinary people who received the news had driven horses and carriages, converging here many days ago.

The people of Shenzhou could treat cultivators with a peaceful mindset not only because they lived long but also because broad experience was an important reason.

If lucky, let alone cultivators, one could see real heavenly court immortal officials many times in a lifetime.

Amidst the sea of people, an ordinary carriage that quietly drove in did not attract much attention.

At the appointed hour, without a single second off, pleasant immortal music sounded from behind the clouds, attracting all eyes on the ground.

The great sun hanging above suddenly became much dimmer.

It was because beneath it, a streak of even more brilliant Jin Guang spread out like clouds and mist.

From the towering cloud tops, a majestic figure gradually emerged.

Surrounded by several immortal officials, that figure gradually became clear, fully over ten zhang tall, his whole body shining like flowing gold; he was a true immortal deity!

The instant he looked down upon the mortal world, all beings instinctively bowed in worship.

Included among them were the cultivators with mighty auras atop Bai Yun Mountain; the old Shen Zongzhu, already in the Taiyi Zhenxian realm, now flushed with excitement, lifted his robe hem, and respectfully performed a great bow.

"Bai Yun Cave respectfully welcomes the arrival of the Great Immortal!"

This sentence, bolstered by vast cultivation power, rang like a bronze bell, sweeping across the three prefectures.

Besides expressing reverence for the High Immortal, this was also an opportunity to intimidate the other factions; the White Cloud Cave could still reach the heavens directly and even receive rewards from the Immortal Court.

"This appearance... it is a Righteous God..."

The cultivators lowered their heads and whispered, finding it quite rare.

They say the Three Sects jointly rule the Immortal Court, but in reality, these three great sects do have distinctions.

Among them, the Sanxian Sect and the Puti Sect were both led by predecessors who cultivated step by step from mortal bodies; though called Immortal Gods, in the eyes of these cultivators, they were actually no different from themselves, merely possessing greater cultivation and higher status.

Looking at such an Immortal Official, one could still muster a bit of the heroic spirit that "a great man should be like this."

But the Zhengshen Sect was different.

The existences within this sect were mostly innate divine demons born when heaven and earth first opened; occasionally some were transformed later, to the extent that the Immortal Registry classification from Ninth Rank to First Rank was set according to them.

Even if their bodies were destroyed, as long as their True Spirit remained unextinguished, they could reassemble their Divine Bodies; it would not be an exaggeration to call them incarnations of the Heavenly Dao's laws.

Utmost fairness and uprightness.

The Zhengshen Sect is the most stable component of the Immortal Court.

The so-called Immortal God: cultivators can become Immortals, while they represent the "God" in the first part of the word.

It's just that... there are very few existences at the Seventh Rank level within the Zhengshen Sect.

To witness a Righteous God descend in person is far more exciting than seeing several Immortal Officials.

As this "Righteous God" took out the Jade Edict and began to recite, his deep Immortal sound circled the entire White Yunshan, lingering for a long time without dispersing.

At the same time.

That carriage stopped by the roadside, and the cabin inside was already empty.

In an inconspicuous corner of White Yunshan.

"What, are you envious?"

Mei Jiyao sighed, withdrew his gaze, and said with a smile, "Does your Lord Meng also want to ascend to heaven to secure a position? With your strength, holding the Bai Xi Seal should be no problem."

"Heh."

Meng Xiuwen silently stared at the figure in the sky; saying he wasn't envious would definitely be a lie, but from the moment he stepped through the gates of the Zhan Yao Si, he and his group were destined to be lonely ghosts wandering in the darkness, with no such flashy moments ever again.

The reason he stared was simply because this was a Righteous God, immortal and undying; once the other party discovered any anomaly, there would be no way to hide it by other means.

That would mean his group had likely truly come for nothing today; even if they really found something, aside from stirring up a belly full of anger, there would basically be no other result.

"..."

Although Mei Jiyao was teasing, he had also been quietly observing the young man in the black robe beside him.

Even for an existence like Ye Jing, whose sister was a genuine Immortal who had plucked the Taiyi Dao Fruit, she had only joined the Zhan Yao Si for other reasons.

When facing a Righteous God, she couldn't help but look again and again.

On the contrary, this young man was surprisingly composed, not even glancing up at the sky once from start to finish.

Such a personality strangely fit the Zhan Yao Si.

The group waited for a moment.

Ripples surged upon the sect's formation array before them.

A woman with a tranquil countenance stepped out, nodding to Mei Jiyao and Meng Xiuwen: "The Head has already investigated the general situation; please, my lords, come in together to take a look and discuss how to handle it."

Having spoken, she took out a token, turned around, and opened a path.

"Not bad; you've only been here a few days and have already managed to get hold of the Ru Sect token."

Meng Xiuwen clicked his tongue, looking at the young girl under the other's command; she was far superior to the one he led.

Ye Jing clearly saw Head Meng's implication, pouted, and looked away to the side, somewhat aggrieved.

"..."

Shen Yi stepped forward to follow; judging by the incident at the Jade Dragon Sect last time, he felt that Head Meng should occasionally look for reasons within himself.

That exaggerated acting was really hard to comment on.

The group followed that tranquil woman and entered the White Cloud Cave so easily.

Perhaps everyone's attention was drawn to the towering Golden Body in the sky, and no one thought a fool would cause trouble right under the Righteous God's nose; consequently, the entire defense of the White Cloud Cave had become lax.

Winding around three times and five times.

Finally, they crossed several mountain ridges and arrived at the edge of a deep cliff in the innermost depths of the White Cloud Cave.

A man with a square face and a short, stiff black beard sat expressionlessly on the cliff edge, looking down at the massive ancient Jin Yu tree below, whose monstrous claws and teeth spread out, gripping the cliff face tightly and occupying the entire abyss.

The tree trunk was wrapped in a golden film that looked like sand or mud.

This was the Jin Yu Stone Sand that the White Cloud Cave offered annually to the Divine Dynasty, which could also be exchanged for benefits from the Immortal Court.

When used as medicine, it was excellent material for refining Immortal Pills; it could also be used to refine treasures, yielding good effects.

But the production was not particularly high.

"What exactly is the situation?"

Mei Jiyao quickly walked forward; the black-bearded man silently turned his head, glanced at the group, then stood up and fell straight down the cliff.

As if understanding this person's character, the remaining group members each used their methods and quickly followed.

Upon reaching the bottom of the cliff, they discovered that this huge ancient Jin Yu tree had already been fashioned into something resembling a供奉 Hall, paved with magnificent precious jade bricks to form a luxurious大道.

Perhaps because the Immortal Official had descended today and the doors were temporarily closed, it appeared somewhat desolate.

"What do you want to show us?"

Meng Xiuwen casually looked around, finding nothing extraordinary.

As for this matter, not only the Zhan Yao people, but any cultivator with a certain realm in the Three Prefectures basically knew it inside out.

The White Cloud Cave would invite commoners born with the Yang Fire Constitution to come here and worship the Tree Immortal; while offering benefits, if one was lucky, there was also a chance to enter this sect.

The main purpose was to use this Yang Fire Constitution to help this Jin Yu ancient tree treasure produce stone sand faster.

How to put this matter...

One is willing to strike, the other willing to be struck; the common people may lose some lifespan, yet they receive tangible benefits. If they join this sect, the lifespan lost through the sacrifice of immortal treasures can be effortlessly restored.

Even if the Divine Dynasty intervenes, those common people would not agree.

Moreover, people possessing such a physique are inherently rare.

It has become quite a local curiosity.

"In recent years, the Bai Xi Sect has devised a method: using heavenly treasures and earthly gems to grant mortals a temporary False Yang Fire physique, producing effects identical to the genuine article."

The black-bearded man, having clearly investigated the matter, spoke calmly: "The drawback is that this physique will失效 within three to five months."

He slowly paced forward and reached out to push open the magnificent tree-palace gates.

After hearing these two sentences,

the expressions of everyone present shifted slightly. This method, which costs a great fortune to grant temporary effects, could only be utilized more effectively by taking one single path.

Devouring everything in one go.

The black-bearded man gently rubbed his ten fingers, then raised his gaze to look forward.

Inside the dim, vast tree palace, dense vines covered the entire walls, and hanging from every single vine was a slender mummy.

The faces of the corpses all bore neatly arranged expressions of reverence and狂喜; countless mummies, all with such eerie expressions, stared down in unison, making one feel inexplicably terrified, a chill running down the spine.

Previously, only those with great fortune could possess such a physique and exchange it for benefits and a future with the Immortal Masters of Bai Xi Cave.

Now, they could possess it themselves.

What a tremendous surprise! What a blessing from their ancestors!

Several Demon-Slayers stood silently in the hall, their eyes brimming with surging murderous intent.

But soon, even the most impulsive Meng Xiuwen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The True God still hangs suspended in the sky.

The imperial decree held in his hands is the Jade Edict of the Immortal Court.

Once the other party finishes reading the jade edict, Bai Xi Cave will have received the Immortal Court's grace; this is already a settled matter.

We discovered it too late.

"Notify the Prefects of all regions to post proclamations forbidding further worship of the Tree Immortal. Report to the several generals that the punishment should be handled by those above."

The black-bearded man let out a long sigh, released his palms, turned back to look at the others: "This is my opinion. What do you think?"

Regardless, we must first prevent this matter from continuing and minimize the losses.

"Proceed as you say." Mei Jiyao slowly turned around.

Thus, the gazes of everyone present fell upon Meng Xiuwen.

"..."

Meng Xiuwen opened his eyes, his expression gloomy as he clearly suppressed his anger, then looked toward Shen Yi beside him: "My Lord Shen?"

Upon hearing this, whether it was Mei Jiyao and the other Demon-Slayers, or the black-bearded man, all showed expressions of surprise.

If it is an official removal in name only, merely going through the motions.

Then this statement sounds somewhat off.

So...

Mei Jiyao, with a strange expression, looked again at the youth before him. Is this truly the Demon-Slayer Official of Jianyang Prefecture in the actual sense?!

Under the gaze of everyone, Shen Yi turned his head to look toward the hall's exterior.

He saw a young disciple trembling all over as he peered in, staring死死 at the group. Instinctively, he turned to leave and wanted to shout.

Pfft!

However, just as he took a step, his entire body seemed to be crushed from the head down by an invisible giant hand. Before his foot could land, from the crown of his head to his feet, he turned into a pile of minced flesh in a single breath!

The expressions of the few changed instantly, and their gazes toward the young man in the ink-colored robe held a bit more shock.

Shen Yi slowly withdrew his hand; on his Bai Xi face, no joy or anger could be discerned.

He simply responded to Meng Xiuwen's question with the most decisive and straightforward action.

(End of this chapter)