Chapter 653: Nonsense (A bit stuck, securing a full-attendance bonus first, still)

Then I'll protect you.

Normally speaking, if this sentence were spoken as a question, it would most likely be followed by conditions for an exchange.

Therefore, Shen Yi did not get too worked up. He turned his gaze to look at this beautiful woman and quietly waited for what came next.

If a rogue cultivator from Hongze, bearing the crime of slaying an immortal, was already strange enough,

then a proper immortal sect disciple with the lineage of the Daluo Immortal Venerable joining an organization like Zhan Yao Si was even more absurd beyond words.

Shen Yi was simply too lazy to ask, not stupid.

The matters on this woman were perhaps even more troublesome than his own.

But he truly did covet her Taixu Dao Fruit.

When breaking through to the fifth-grade realm and manifesting an Luo Han true body through the Dragon Tiger Fruit Position, Shen Yi's perception had already reached an extremely formidable level.

But what surprised him most was that whether it was back when he was seventh-grade, or earlier when he had transformed into an Luo Han, his sense of Ye Lan remained exactly the same level of danger.

Neither increased nor decreased.

No change was the most terrifying thing of all.

Shen Yi could only attribute it to the Dao Fruit.

"..."

Ye Lan carefully observed the changes in Shen Yi's expression and for a moment was somewhat speechless.

The decision she had made with great difficulty landed in his ears as calmly as if she had merely asked whether he had eaten.

No, no matter how you look at it, he's still a young man—how can he not look the part in the slightest?

But then again, if Shen Yi had truly been all excited, acting as though he could join the sect of the Daluo Immortal Venerable, she would instead have felt a touch of regret.

After all, this truly was not a good thing.

"Neither my strength nor my position in the Divine Dynasty can protect you from the Immortal Court."

Ye Lan shook her head. Having stepped into the fifth-grade realm, she now possessed the qualification to glimpse the true meaning of the turning of heaven and earth, but in the eyes of the Immortal Court, she had only just barely crossed the threshold.

To challenge the laws of the Immortal Court with this little strength, any few proper gods that came out could suppress you.

As for her position in the Divine Dynasty, it wasn't even part of the same system as the Immortal Court. If she were a high official who could speak before the Human Sovereign, the imperial court could still negotiate with the Immortal Court on their behalf.

But clearly, a titled General of Zhan Yao Si had not yet reached that level.

"Moreover, besides the Immortal Court..."

Ye Lan glanced at Shen Yi. He had already become an Luo Han, yet Puti Sect still refused to step forward to protect him.

Could that Fruit Position have come easily?

"Puti Sect and Sanxian Sect reach the same goal by different paths. An Luo Han Fruit Position is usually inextricably linked with a Venerable Fruit Position. I estimate some Bodhisattva has already begun investigating where this extra Luo Han of yours popped out from."

Moreover, the difference between Puti Sect and Sanxian Sect lay in...

The eminent figures of Sanxian Sect liked to branch out and spread their leaves—perhaps they themselves didn't even remember how many immortal sects worshipped under them, Yulong Sect being an example. But Puti Sect would never let outsiders know about the great scriptures of their Fruit Positions.

"Concealment is impossible. The best solution is to make sure they won't think of you."

"A third-generation disciple under the seat of the Daluo Immortal Venerable of Sanxian Sect, Shenxu Laozu—that is the only identity I can give you."

Speaking to this point, Ye Lan raised her eyes again to meet his gaze: "But you should have guessed it too. Yes, there's a problem with my lineage."

A ripple stirred in her clear eyes: "My master and fellow disciples once numbered six in total, but after a great calamity, only I remain. It has long since withered away, so all I can give you is merely an identity."

"Will that great calamity implicate me?" Shen Yi deliberated for a moment, then asked seriously.

"I—" Ye Lan had just fallen into reminiscence, but never expected that after thinking for so long, the other party was actually worried about this question.

She couldn't help but clench her fists. No—if memory served, hadn't the other party just slaughtered two mounts of immortal generals? Exactly who was implicating whom here?

Ye Lan clenched her teeth: "It won't!"

Hearing this, Shen Yi cupped his hands crisply: "Greetings, Senior Sister Ye."

"But..." Ye Lan sighed softly. Before the words were even out, she was surprised to see the young man before her withdraw his cupped hands—the speed of his reaction could only be called utterly without hesitation.

"Please speak, General." Shen Yi stood with his hands at his sides.

Shenzhou was not like Hongze. The strong were countless, immortal sect giants everywhere, and no carelessness could be afforded.

Ye Lan nearly laughed from anger again. How had she never noticed before that this kid was so slippery? But it was fine too—cautious and careful people were more reassuring: "What I mean is, even after entering Sanxian Sect, don't casually use your Luo Han Golden Body. If you do use it, remember to clean up after yourself."

"Don't worry."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin. This sort of thing he was actually quite skilled at.

"Go back. Once I find the time, I'll take you to attend the entry ceremony. Meng Xiuwen and Jing'er still have many things to do. After returning, don't wander about. I'll trouble you to look after Jianyang Prefecture for now." Ye Lan waved her hand to dismiss the sound-isolating art, then raised her eyes to look up at the sky.

The matter of Qibao Bodhisattva's sermon had not yet concluded.

Since Shen Yi possessed such cultivation, there was no need for her to escort him.

In an instant, this Ancestor Ye Lan transformed back into her identity as General General Yan Lan, becoming a streak of flowing light that swept toward Crane Mountain.

"..."

Shen Yi watched her leave, slowly drawing his gaze back.

Looking at the text that had emerged on the panel, he rubbed his brow with some helplessness.

【Slain sixth-grade Golden Mane Lion-Tiger, total lifespan twenty-four kalpas, remaining lifespan six kalpas, absorption complete】

【Slain sixth-grade Purple-Bearded White Dragon, total lifespan twenty-one kalpas, remaining lifespan nineteen kalpas, absorption complete】

【Remaining demon lifespan: one hundred and eight kalpas】

The vast demon lifespan brought out from Hongze had been consumed by more than half in the blink of an eye.

The speed of this consumption gave Shen Yi, who had only just enjoyed a few good days, several more degrees of unease in his heart.

The quality of the demon beasts outside was indeed high—remaining lifespans often ran into several kalpas, or even close to twenty kalpas like Princess Ziling's—but each and every one had an owner, making them truly troublesome to kill.

Shen Yi had no intention of refining Princess Ziling and the Lion-Tiger Beast into suppression stones and sending them up to the heavens as informants.

Back in Hongze, even the Crown Prince of the South Dragon Palace could tell that there was no life aura on a suppression stone, let alone a true immortal general.

Lady Qinghua, who plays a similar role, is not the same as them.

What the other party used was not a body of stone-suppression, but rather a Golden Body dharma-form they had gradually shaped with incense and votive power; the Yin Spirit within was even reborn from the inner core, merely using a demon soul to control it.

If Princess Ziling were rashly sent back, there would instead be the risk of deceiving oneself and alerting the enemy.

Originally there was still some time to stall, but if that immortal general were truly allowed to see his own mount return as a puppet, under such provocation he might immediately dispatch troops to the mortal realm.

These two demon souls and corpses, Shen Yi has other uses for them.

Although Ye Lan had agreed to let him join her lineage, it was obvious she had no real intention of teaching him anything — she had simply, out of regard for a colleague's face, bestowed him with an identity to deceive the public.

Of course, the Grand Void Dao Fruit that should be contended for still had to be contended for after formally entering the sect.

But Shen Yi would not place all his hopes on someone he had only met a few times; this Dragon-Tiger Great Scripture, he had still not thoroughly figured out.

Earlier, with pressing circumstances justifying expediency, borrowing the strength of Ke Thirteen and An Yi, he had successfully plucked this Luo Han fruit-position.

But these two hall masters were, after all, only at the Dao Merging realm.

Borrowing the two's aura, traversing eighty-one tribulations, he had successfully steeped the flavor of dragon and tiger into the world's spiritual Qi, transforming it into that amber-colored fruit-position.

But where were the dragon and tiger?

Shen Yi clearly remembered that when those two Puti Sect disciples had come to intercept and kill him earlier, the Golden Body in the great hall of the illusionary realm had a dragon and a tiger drawn by chains upon its body.

Those two Monks must certainly have seen other Dragon-Tiger Arhats — they were not fabricated out of thin air.

Why did he himself have none?

Now that he had obtained the sixth-grade dragon-demon and tiger-demon corpses, Shen Yi began considering refining the previously lacking Dragon-Tiger Great Pill.

Enough, let him first return to Jianyang Prefecture.

He raised his head to look at the sky, only to see the imperial Qi still surging across the heavens, indicating the imperial court had not yet withdrawn its hand.

This place was not suitable to linger; in a while he might get taken care of as a Puti Sect disciple.

Shen Yi gathered his spirit, his figure darted forth, leading a group of old friends from Hongze straight toward Jianyang Prefecture!

……

Jianyang Prefecture, a secluded residence in Chengxi.

This residence, whether in size or appearance, was so proper and orderly, with not the slightest outstanding feature, yet likewise no flaw could be found.

Just like the identity of Zhan Yao Si, it emphasized hiding in plain sight, never drawing others' attention.

Led by several constables, Shen Yi slowly stepped into the residence.

The prefecture office had arranged this place, indicating that his appointment process as a Demon-Slaying Officer was finally complete; from now on, he could truly be considered a servant of the imperial court.

Shen Yi had no particular demands regarding his lodging, and was quite satisfied with the seclusion of this place.

He waited until the several constables cupped their fists and took their leave.

He casually chose a courtyard, sat beneath a large tree, first summoned the Spirit Light Mouse demon, and had it stand guard over the area.

Only then did he take out Princess Ziling and part of the corpse of the Lion-Tiger beast, and, following the contents of the first volume of the Dragon-Tiger Great Scripture, began attempting to refine the Dragon-Tiger Great Pill.

Though called pill-refining, it did not actually require a furnace.

According to the scripture's description, this process was called "transcendence."

A practitioner who subdued an evil great demon, though taking its life, could not erase the sins upon its body; one must use the sect's profound methods to let it transform back into the purest primordial power, blessing the practitioner's body, after which the practitioner would bitterly traverse the mortal world, bearing this share of sin.

Shen Yi had no time to bear Princess Ziling's sins; he only wanted her essence.

Now that he was already at the Luo Han realm, doing this was much simpler and easier.

He slightly extended his palm; golden light-pulp surged forth like a great river, seizing the corpse of this purple-maned white dragon, wrapping it within, and beginning to refine it.

Under the crushing weight of his realm, in less than half a month's time, the two enormous corpses were refined by the golden light in successive batches.

When all was done, only two fist-sized glazed pearls remained, suspended within the courtyard, glinting with specks of golden light.

"Is this a pill?"

Shen Yi pondered for a moment — why was it different from what the scripture described? Shouldn't it be the size of a broad bean?

Could it be because these two demon creatures' realms were too high?

He shook his head, casually beckoned them over, and while opening his panel to pour the vast demon-lifespan into the Dragon-Tiger Great Scripture that had already reached perfection, he opened his mouth; the Dragon Pill and Tiger Pill directly transformed into liquid and surged into his mouth.

【First Tribulation: You swallowed the Dragon-Tiger Great Pill, and once again felt that familiar dragon-and-tiger aura…】

Looking at the text emerging on the panel, Shen Yi slightly furrowed his brow, somewhat puzzled.

Still no dragon and tiger?

Could it be because there were no souls?

Shen Yi had long grown accustomed to cultivation going awry; he just hadn't expected the true dharma of the Puti Sect to have problems too.

But it was no matter — he would investigate slowly, and eventually find the cause.

Thinking of this, he decisively condensed out demon-origin and began reshaping demon souls.

Princess Ziling was fine — only two tribulations were needed — but the Lion-Tiger beast required a full eighteen tribulations.

"Such a big difference — there must be a problem."

Shen Yi recalled Ye Lan once more; even though her Dao Fruit ranked in the top ten and his fruit-position ranked thirty-first, there shouldn't be such a huge gap.

Apart from the mightiness of the Grand Void Dao Fruit, his own Dragon-Tiger fruit-position most likely had problems too.

Having spent eighty-one tribulations, he couldn't end up plucking a defective product.

"Huu."

Shen Yi took a deep breath, steeled his heart to shape out two demon souls, and directly sent them into the panel.

【Second Tribulation: You looked at Princess Ziling and the Lion-Tiger beast beside you, recalled the Dragon-Tiger Luo Han Golden Body you had seen back then, no longer hesitated, and directly used magic power as chains to bind the two demon souls to yourself, walking the world together】

"No, what is Master doing?"

In an inconspicuous corner of the courtyard, the Spirit Light Mouse demon, while keeping watch over the surroundings, curiously looked toward Shen Yi.

The other party had clearly already plucked the Dragon-Tiger fruit-position, and had even manifested a Golden Body earlier — why was he refining Dragon Pills and Tiger Pills again? Could it be that his cultivation had run into some problem?

Pity these wanderers had never seen a true Dragon-Tiger Luo Han, nor could they possibly aid the other.

"Tsk, I don't understand, nor dare ask."

The Spirit-Light Rat withdrew its gaze and stared steadily at the surroundings.

"My Lord! This little demon knows its mistake!"

"This little demon acknowledges its guilt!"

Shen Yi closed his eyes to steady his spirit; the lion-tiger beast's wails echoed in his mind. Even he, who had once reached the Fifth Realm, felt this way, let alone Princess Ziling, who could not even utter a complete sentence, reduced to nothing but a mournful shriek.

The reason both suffered so greatly

was that Shen Yi had discovered something quite interesting.

【Third Calamity: You walk the world with Dragon and Tiger companions, finally shedding a bit of loneliness, yet the calamity borne by the fruit seat within your body has reached its limit. Without sudden enlightenment, merely seeking improvement through ascetic practice is harder than climbing to heaven. Yet you suddenly discover that the two demon souls beside you seem able to bear the calamity for you...】

The Dragon-Tiger fruit seat, wielding the power of eighty-one calamities, was as vast as Wang Yang, yet Shen Yi could clearly feel his strength increase by one calamity.

There's hope!

As for the two demon souls lacking a great scripture to protect them, forced to face the calamity directly, one could glimpse the torment they must endure merely from their unceasing wails.

"Princess Ziling knows her mistake! She truly knows her mistake!"

"My Lord! No Dragon! No Tiger! Indeed, there are no Dragon or Tiger!"

In the brief span of time outside, Princess Ziling and the lion-tiger beast had already endured a full two calamities, twenty thousand years of long years.

The original howling had turned into weeping pleas.

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow; he had never experienced such an effortless deduction before.

Yet one could see just how painful this matter truly was.

It even forced the Suppression Stone to learn to lie.

No Dragon or Tiger?

Then what is this increase?

Nonsense.

(End of Chapter)