Chapter 683: Subduing Dragons and Tigers, Attaining the Great Fruit Seat

The scorching sun blazed like fire, baking the desolate land.

A gaunt figure, barefoot, walked alone, measuring this world with his legs.

Chains wrapped around his arms dragged along the ground, making a clattering sound, the only noise in this place.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

The youth seemed somewhat weary and finally stopped, looking up at the sky.

He stared at that great sun, pressed his dry lips together, then reached out to grab the chains on his arm, slowly unfastening the heavy object before tossing it to the ground.

The chains kicked up a wisp of dust, which was gradually blown away like sand.

Originally used to bind dragons and tigers, now that the dragon and tiger had been completely refined, they were naturally no longer needed.

【Fourth Rank: Great Sutra of Subduing Dragons and Tigers: Perfection】

Between the high cliffs of Qingshan, Shen Yi opened his eyes, seemingly still immersed in the deduction just performed, the sharp light in his pupils vanishing in an instant.

Until he came back to his senses.

He saw the characters on the panel, originally written as "Dragon and Tiger Great Sutra," quietly change, and he couldn't help but sigh with relief.

This path stumbled upon by chance had, fortunately, finally been walked to completion.

A full thousand calamity years of demon life were poured in; finally, it was no longer a simple accumulation of calamity power, but caused a earth-shaking change in the amber bead on the lotus throne within his body.

The originally dense patterns on the fruit seat began to reorganize their lines.

They transformed into brand new characters.

Although Shen Yi had never seen this script before, he could somehow pronounce it: "Subduing Dragons and Tigers..."

A Great Fruit Seat of Luo Han, unique to himself!

If the Fifth Realm was the first glimpse of the true meaning of heaven and earth, then after ascending to the Fourth Realm, one possessed one's own understanding of the true meaning of heaven and earth.

Carrying two great demons through the world, using a thousand calamity years to save them, and finally refining the two demons, bearing their sins while simultaneously digesting their power.

One person and two demons walked together for a thousand calamities; now, combining three into one, it was a full three thousand calamity powers!

"Hah."

Shen Yi's originally exhausted body, under the reflection of this Great Fruit Seat, instantly became full of life and vigor.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: Six Hundred and Fifty-Four Calamities】

Calculating by simple addition and subtraction, this remaining demon lifespan was enough to raise the Grand Void Dao Fruit to the Fourth Realm as well.

Unfortunately, the tricks of the Sanxian Sect were far less honest than the cultivation methods of the Puti Sect, often trapping one at a certain point, wasting a great deal of demon lifespan in vain.

But Shen Yi was not very worried; he raised his eyes to look ahead. The demon corpses scattered all over Manshan would certainly exchange for quite a few Imperial Qi Golden Pills; combined with the two, it would be more than enough.

Return first to collect the reward, then we shall see.

Having thought this, he stood up and habitually stepped into the Grand Void.

However, the next moment, he fell out with a face full of helplessness: "..."

The Fourth Realm Luo Han Dharma Body was too powerful; it was no longer something the current Grand Void Dao Fruit could bear.

Never mind; it is better to walk with feet firmly on the ground.

Shen Yi shook his head; at his current Walker realm, even trekking over mountains and rivers, his speed was actually no worse than traveling through the Grand Void.

He soon left Qingshan.

Long after he had departed, a stumbling, fat and stout figure approached the cliff top, looking around in a state of confusion.

On the official road leading straight to Jianyang Prefecture.

Many soldiers still had not withdrawn; they stared straight ahead. Without orders from above, no one could be certain whether those demons had truly scattered.

Finally, living creatures appeared in their line of sight for the first time.

Everyone instantly tightened their grip on their weapons again, their expressions showing a bit more tension; yet, walking from the end of the official road, there was only a single person.

The newcomer wore a plain ink-colored robe; his face looked quite young and unfamiliar. Even the most senior general found it hard to call out the other's name.

But from the direction the person came from, and the fact that the horde of demons had still not been seen, the course of events could be easily deduced.

Under the leadership of several generals, everyone instinctively straightened their bodies, their expressions showing a bit more solemnity.

Of course, respect was one thing; after all, it was only speculation, so necessary questioning could not be skipped.

Just as a general stepped forward, intending to ask questions, many streaks of flowing light suddenly shot up from the sky.

The one at the very front was an old man.

Yan Lanting hovered in the air, looking seriously at the ink-robed youth, then turned his head to glance at Ye Lan, who had stepped out from the void.

He did not intend to blame the young girl for falsely reporting military intelligence.

After all, Da Nanzhou had now split; with nine prefectures in total, there were only three titled generals stationed, and any one of them could not be easily damaged; no amount of caution was excessive.

What Yan Lanting was curious about was: what exactly was the situation?

"..."

Ye Lan opened her mouth; the reason she was so anxious to report to General Yan was not only because she truly worried about Shen Yi, but also because she was the person who knew Shen Yi best.

Although they had known each other for a short time, she had personally witnessed the other party act several times.

Whether in strength or in experience in magical combat, among the younger generation, it was hard to find any fault.

But even counting the Luo Han Fruit Seat, which was best not to use lightly, it was far from enough to solve the trouble of this Demon Suppression Tower.

But now, Shen Yi had returned calmly, and the demons were all gone without a trace...

In an instant, several more streaks of flowing light arrived.

These were demon-slaying officials or titled generals of Da Nanzhou who happened to pass by this place, heard of the matter, and came following the aura to take a look.

Everyone was well aware of the rift between the three Southern Suppression Generals after Da Nanzhou split.

Especially after the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva personally visited Xishan Prefecture, this rift deepened again; almost everyone was waiting for Old Master Yan to bow his head.

The massive mobilization of troops from the three prefectures did not go unnoticed by Generals Feng and Yang.

The reason these people passed through the three prefectures was that they had received orders from the two Southern Pacification Generals, so that if any real trouble arose, the situation could be brought under control.

But at this moment... let alone asking for their help, even the original foundations of the three prefectures had not yet been mobilized, and the imperial court's army formation, bolstered by imperial qi, had not even struck, yet the matter was already over.

Such a bizarre event naturally aroused suspicion in everyone.

They all turned their gaze toward the young man on the official road; such an obscure figure, alone, was very hard for anyone to believe was the bizarre "cause."

Just then, a wisp of auspicious cloud wobbled its way over.

Upon seeing General Wushan's pale face, everyone finally came to their senses: "So that's how it is."

If we count this Fourth-Rank powerhouse, then it is about right.

However, with General Wushan exerting himself so much, does this mean he has firmly decided to stand on General Yan's side?

"How did you end up in such a state?"

Yan Lanting glanced at him with some displeasure: "Now that manpower is insufficient, be more careful when taking action."

A Taiyi Zhenxian of such stature failing to wipe out a horde of demons is understandable, given their sheer numbers, but being injured by such demons is a bit too much.

"Hiss."

General Wushan gave a strange look to the equally severely injured Elder Yan, thinking, Do you have the face to say that?

Unfortunately, even with eight hundred guts, he would not dare.

Having thought this through, General Wushan shook his head: "A private matter; I know what I am doing."

"A private matter?" Yan Lanting raised an eyebrow.

Immediately, General Wushan cupped his hands and recounted exactly what he had seen and heard, omitting only the final conflict with the Great-Pin Luo Han of the Puti Sect.

After all, his relationship with Shen Yi was rather strained; bringing it up now would feel like deliberately seeking credit, and he could not afford to lose face.

Moreover, General Wushan was unwilling to get involved in this muddy water; with so many eyes around, it would be troublesome if the Three Sects viewed him as a thorn in their side.

Of course, he still offered a warning: "There are still members of the Three Sects lurking within the Divine Dynasty; you must be more careful when handling affairs in the future."

Unfortunately, this sentence was ignored by everyone.

Including Yan Lanting and Ye Lan, they were all briefly stunned.

After all, the scene described by General Wushan did not quite match the Shen Yi standing before them.

"When I arrived, I found that the demons had not scattered in defeat, but were all executed, with not a single survivor."

This statement, besides indicating that the disaster of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda had been completely resolved, also revealed an important piece of news: that this matter had absolutely nothing to do with General Wushan, and was indeed the sole doing of this Southern Pacification General.

In an instant, the entire sky fell into silence.

"..."

Feeling the many surprised gazes directed at him, Shen Yi frowned slightly with some discomfort.

Those who hide too many things do not like to be exposed under the scrutiny of the crowd.

He simply cupped his hands and bowed to Elder Yan, then stepped across the army formation and headed back toward Jianyang Prefecture.

Yan Lanting watched Shen Yi leave in silence; after a long pause, his gaze suddenly swept around the surroundings.

After looking, he casually rubbed his shoulders and neck, sighing, "Some people just want to see me, this old thing, bow to him. Tsk."

"Unfortunately..."

On Yan Lanting's withered face, a smile gradually appeared: "I don't know if it's because I'm old and my bones have stiffened, but this head of mine wants to bow but just won't go down."

Upon hearing these words, the several titled generals immediately looked embarrassed.

General Yang had sent them here, yet held back from acting for the time being; the meaning contained therein was too obvious.

Unfortunately, they were not needed at all; even if they were mocked, they could only obediently endure it.

A communication jade slip at someone's waist flickered softly.

Outside the Nine Prefectures.

Inside a pavilion.

Yang Mingli leaned back in his chair, clearly hearing this mockery; he quietly tightened his grip on the cup but had no intention of bringing it to his lips for a long time.

"Having such an excellent general among your subordinates is a good thing for Da Nanzhou; you shouldn't be too petty," Lady Lady Feng Xi said helplessly, glancing at him and speaking softly to advise.

"A good thing..."

Yang Mingli met her gaze, a cold smile on his face: "It is merely a casual act by the Sanxian Sect; the troublemakers were just a group of Fifth-Rank demons. If this little skirmish can make that old thing come to his senses, then that would be a true good thing."

"What if next time, the Three Sects come for real?"

"It is just the foolishness of an old thing who knows not the height of the sky or the depth of the earth, and a little brat!"

"You..." Lady Lady Feng Xi clenched her fist, sighed softly, and shifted her gaze to the side.

"I will not explain to you; one day, you will know that I am the one who is right." Yang Mingli set down the cup and strode out of the pavilion directly.

Jianyang Prefecture, Shen Zhai.

As soon as Shen Yi returned to the courtyard, Ye Lan arrived right behind him.

She stared tightly at the back of this junior brother, her clear eyes flickering uncertainly; even last time at Venerable Bihai, she had discovered that the other party had advanced rapidly, far surpassing ordinary people.

But at this moment, Ye Lan, who knew she absolutely could not resolve the ferocious thugs inside the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, was still filled with shock.

Exactly when had this young man unknowingly walked ahead of her?

So silently, so calmly, to the point that she had not noticed at all; this was hardly the temperament of a young man who should be domineering and soaring to the clouds.

"Is there something?" Shen Yi turned to look back.

"No... nothing." Ye Lan waved her hand, suppressing the turmoil in her heart: "I just want to remind you to set aside some time later to accompany me back to Shenxu Mountain."

"When the Tribulation Pill emerges from the furnace, its medicinal power is at its peak; therefore, the Peak Lord of the Pill Peak must return to the mountain regularly to refine pills for Shenxu Laozu."

"Understood." Shen Yi nodded; he found the title of Peak Lord quite convenient to use, and while deducing the Grand Void Dao of Pill Refining, his own understanding of alchemy had improved greatly; by then, supplementing with three or five demon lifespans would be enough, which was not too expensive.

Moreover, from what he understood.

Once one reached fourth-rank, to break through further, what was needed was a true Great Luo Dao Fruit, or a Bodhisattva Fruit Position.

The chances of getting one's hands on a Bodhisattva Fruit Position weren't great.

After all, something so precious surely wouldn't be smuggled out by a traitor within the sect like the Dragon-Tiger Great Scripture last time, would it?

Even if the Puti Sect did it deliberately, they couldn't possibly toss out such a sect-suppressing treasure so casually.

The Lotus Platform Dharma was the bait, the Luo Han Great Scripture was the hook, and by the time it reached the Bodhisattva Fruit Position, surely the line would be drawn in.

The Puti Sect fished the mortal world.

Shen Yi felt that he was now one of those fish, with the hook already in his mouth.

If not for the panel's Yao Shou supporting his dual cultivation, and his good fortune in joining the Divine Void Immortal Sect, an ordinary cultivator who had reached the Great-rank Luo Han realm would never have been able to resist the temptation of the Great Dao, and would surely have obediently presented himself, willingly entering that Putida Sect.

If he could find another way out within the Divine Void Immortal Sect, that would naturally be the better choice.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi's mood lightened considerably.

If he could raise both the Qi Refining and the Practitioner paths to fourth-rank simultaneously, and even climb toward third-rank, then everything would be settled.

By all rights, the moment he stepped into the fifth-rank Taiyi Immortal realm, the matter of Hongze would be considered resolved.

Normally, no one would, for the sake of a single Purple-Whiskered White Dragon, make things difficult for a Taiyi Immortal — especially one who was a rather renowned Peak Lord of Divine Void.

But the difficulty of this matter lay in the fact that… that Qingluan Immortal General seemed to be sick in the head, and could not be judged by common sense at all.

Shen Yi had to prepare for the possibility of clashing with her.

Relying solely on the Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming Fruit Position, at most he could match her Immortal Seal — and it might not even be enough.

Don't forget, apart from the Immortal Seal, Qingluan herself was still a prodigy of the Immortal Sect!

"Congratulations, General Nanyang!"

Just then, a figure descended from the heavens, and without wasting words, directly handed over five golden pills — all of them Hundred-Kalpa Great Pills!

"So soon?"

Ye Lan was somewhat stunned; one had to know this time was different from last time.

Last time, those Imperial Qi Golden Pills that slew the Luo Han had been provided by General Yan himself, whereas this time it was clearly handled through the Zhan Yao Si.

This titled General who had come to deliver the reward was a subordinate of Lord Feng.

In other words, that Lord Feng had not only been following this matter all along, but had also approved the memorial immediately after the matter concluded, without the slightest intention of obstructing it.

But this was also a good thing.

It showed that, apart from General Yan, there was another General Zhennan who had a rather favorable impression of Shen Yi; if something happened in the future, perhaps he could still seek Lord Feng's help.

Five hundred kalpas?

Shen Yi gripped the heavy golden pills; though he didn't let his joy show on his face, his words of thanks became far more sincere: "Many thanks, Senior."

As long as one was willing to spend money, that was a good superior.

This way, the confidence of breaking through to fourth-rank with the Grand Void Dao Fruit had grown by several degrees!

"Matters above are none of our concern; we are merely acting on orders." The visitor smiled, putting on no airs whatsoever — after all, the matter of the Demon-Suppressing Tower had already proven many things: "General Nanyang is young and promising; let us have more dealings in the future."

On official business, a single order from General Zhennan was something they naturally could not defy; even if the same thing happened next time, there would be no change.

But in private… all were cultivators, and discussing the Dao with one another was a win-win matter.

"Farewell."

This titled General did not linger; after a few brief pleasantries, he rode the clouds and departed.

After the other party left, Shen Yi turned and took out his alchemy furnace, his gaze somewhat fervent.

Those matters that had troubled him for so long ought to come to an end now.

(End of this chapter)