Chapter 697: So You Were Just Watching Me the Whole Time?

"First, tell me exactly what happened."

Feng Xi raised a palm to signal the crowd to be quiet, then sat on the edge of the bed and stared straight at General Wushan.

The other party was a Taiyi Zhenxian, and among all the titled generals of the Zhan Yao Si of Dananzhou, he could be counted among the very top; for him to return now gravely wounded meant he had crossed hands with someone.

When even he, a Taiyi Zhenxian, had fallen into a coma, how had a young cultivator from Nanyang managed to bring him back?

At those words, three towering golden giants rose once more in General Wushan's mind, and among them the figure whose every move was accompanied by dragon roars and tiger howls had left an especially deep impression on him.

The true scriptures of the Puti Sect were already among the foremost Great Daos of this world; those who could cultivate the great scriptures were never frauds filling out the ranks.

That man's bearing as he took on two opponents single-handedly and crushed the other two Great Bodhisattva Arhats with irresistible force could be considered General Wushan's first glimpse of what the absolute pinnacle of the fourth rank truly meant.

Suppressing all in his own realm, his whole body brimming with an aura of invincibility.

General Wushan had only fainted because his old wounds were triggered by the lingering might of the Bodhisattva; it was not amnesia, so he could easily recount the entire process, and could even use immortal force to replay the scene at the time.

But at this moment, he swallowed, and fell silent.

Just before he lost consciousness, that familiar voice that had sounded in his ear made him think of a certain person.

More important still was the content of what that person had said.

I can also discuss it… I can also join the sect…

"Hah."

General Wushan let out a long breath, feeling his whole body trembling.

If he had truly guessed right, then the price paid to save his worthless life was far too great—great enough that he could hardly bring himself to speak of it.

That young man he had always treated as a junior, once he had left the Divine Dynasty and torn off his disguise, those so-called prodigies of the Three Teachings were nothing but a joke before him.

Even more fatal was...

This powerhouse who could turn the tide amid a great tribulation had clearly already joined the Zhan Yao Si, a blessing for the Divine Dynasty, and yet had been forced to submit to the Bodhisattva's control.

"Who brought me back?" General Wushan wanted to confirm once more.

The anxiously waiting crowd was somewhat taken aback; it was Feng Xi who cut off their questions, saying softly, "Nanyang."

At those words, General Wushan's whole face twitched; after a long silence, he said hoarsely, "Where is he? My injuries are too severe, my mind is a little hazy—let him come and explain instead."

After so many years in the Zhan Yao Si, he knew the Divine Dynasty's true nature better than anyone.

Old Man Yan and my lord Feng were fine, but Yang Mingli would absolutely never allow a Bodhisattva's guardian Luo Han to continue serving as a titled general—it might even be worse than that.

"Say whatever you remember."

Yang Mingli had been observing the changes in General Wushan's expression from start to finish; only now did he step forward slowly, clearly having sensed something was off.

"My lord Yang, this subordinate truly cannot remember clearly."

General Wushan gave a bitter smile, yet a flash of stubbornness passed through his eyes.

He knew this matter was of great importance; even though Nanyang was wholeheartedly devoted to the Divine Dynasty, how could an ordinary cultivator defy the Bodhisattva's methods?

But after all, the other party had saved his life!

No matter how cheap his life was, Wushan could not bring himself to betray his savior; since Dananzhou had already split off on its own, even if there was something to discuss, it had to be behind closed doors among themselves.

"…"

Yang Mingli narrowed his eyes slightly, and the other titled generals exchanged uncertain glances.

The very first thing General Wushan had said upon waking did not sound like someone who remembered nothing—was he hiding something?

Just then, a voice accompanied by coughing came from outside the door.

"Summon Nanyang."

The old man's face was pale, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood at the doorway—it was Yan Lanting, who had been in closed-door cultivation to recover from his injuries.

Judging by his weary appearance, he had clearly received the news and forcibly broken out of seclusion, causing his injuries to worsen rather than heal.

Seeing him come in person, Yang Mingli frowned and shifted his gaze aside.

Even though his doubts were many, the words about splitting off had been spoken by his own mouth back then; this was Jin Guang Prefecture, under the Yan family's jurisdiction.

"This subordinate obeys!"

The Zhan Yao official waiting outside the door hurriedly lowered his head and transformed into a streak of light as he departed.

The room fell silent; General Wushan's narrow escape from death should have been an unexpected blessing, yet the atmosphere now carried a faint awkwardness.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Under the gaze of everyone present, that somewhat unfamiliar figure in a dark robe quietly stepped into the room.

"Nanyang pays his respects to the several lords."

Shen Yi stood still, swept a casual glance around the room, and roughly understood what was going on.

"You saved General Wushan; you are a meritorious subject of the Divine Dynasty. There's no need to be so formal—sit."

Feng Xi glanced at her two other colleagues in turn, then gave Shen Yi a gentle smile, settling the nature of the matter in a single sentence.

No matter what, the man had left the Divine Dynasty alone to save someone; how could this group of elders chill his heart?

"We only wish to understand exactly what happened, so we can be prepared in advance."

At those words, the others fell silent one after another and turned their gaze to Shen Yi.

"I received word, sensed something was wrong, and followed them out of the Divine Dynasty. I discovered that old Monk had summoned an Luo Han Golden Body, and the monks had set up the Ten Thousand Staffs Demon-Locking Grand Formation, intending to intercept and kill General Wushan halfway."

"In the final exchange between General Wushan and that Luo Han, one was gravely wounded and fell into a coma, the other died on the spot. I took advantage of the monks' panic, broke through the Ten Thousand Staffs Formation, and brought General Wushan back to Jin Guang Prefecture."

Shen Yi finished his brief account and stood quietly in place.

When others gave their reports, they wished they could describe the situation as a hundred times more dangerous.

The many titled generals, hearing Shen Yi dismiss his own role in a single offhand sentence, all wore strange expressions.

Clearly he had been worried about a colleague, left the Divine Dynasty alone, and in the end, amid the life-and-death struggle of two fourth-rank powerhouses, had still managed to stay calm, seize the right moment, and successfully rescue a Taiyi Zhenxian for the imperial court.

Brave and resourceful, able to break through the Puti Sect's staff formation—his strength was undeniable.

How was it that, in the man's own mouth, it sounded as though it had simply been good luck?

"He... he's dead?"

Wushan clenched his fists tightly. To onlookers, it looked as though he was merely surprised at having narrowly slain the old monk, but only he himself knew clearly what Shen Yi's words just now signified.

One had to remember that before he lost consciousness, the Bodhisattva had already arrived, and at that time... the old monk was not yet dead.

Concealing the details was no problem—after all, whether it was the deliberately overlooked wolf demon, the old monk, or the Ten Thousand Staffs Grand Formation, none of it had anything to do with him. It was all Shen Yi alone who faced them; he could say it however he pleased.

But this matter was different.

That old monk was a Great-rank Luo Han, not some unknown nobody. If he hadn't died, the moment that man reappeared, today's events would be impossible to explain.

So, the other party had truly slain his guardian Luo Han right in front of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva?!

"Your life really is big enough."

A titled General clicked his tongue at Wushan. In a life-and-death struggle like this, that final strike—if the old monk had even one breath left—his colleague here wouldn't have come back at all.

"Uh... lucky, lucky."

Wushan waved his hand sheepishly. Damn luck—his surviving had everything to do with General Nanyang's fists being big enough.

A few people furrowed their brows slightly and exchanged a covert glance.

What Nanyang said sounded barely reasonable, but it couldn't withstand scrutiny.

For instance, the Puti Sect had schemed to ambush and kill a Taiyi Zhenxian—so cautious an undertaking—and yet they had only prepared a formation barely stronger by a hair?

If Wushan had been slightly luckier and slain that Luo Han, even without Nanyang's presence, both being fourth-rank cultivators, a life for a life—what would the other side gain?

But thinking the other way, what reason would Nanyang have to conceal merit? He was precisely at the stage most lacking in Imperial Qi.

Baffling...

"Rest and recover your wounds first."

Yan Lanting nodded at Wushan, turned, and stepped outside the room.

Seeing this, Yang Mingli's five fingers tightened slightly. He cast a deep glance at Shen Yi and Wushan, then likewise strode outward.

Shen Yi quietly followed behind the group and exited the small building.

He actually didn't care whether these people believed him or not; he only needed a passable excuse.

Having simultaneously involved himself with the three Sects and the imperial court, the current Shen Yi was no longer the loose cultivator who could only rely on Zhan Yao Si.

More choices meant more confidence.

However, before the group had even left the government compound, a streak of flowing light descended from the sky.

The Puti Sect's outrageous move this time had clearly enraged Zhan Yao Si. Sending people to investigate and arrest the monks still remaining within the imperial court's jurisdiction was only natural.

But after the titled General in charge of this matter landed, his expression was not very pleasant.

"Reporting to the three lords, news just received..."

"Speak." Yang Mingli nodded his chin. Since that ape demon, the situation across all of Dananzhou had gone straight downhill. The three Sects no longer bothered with appearances and grew increasingly brazen; he felt it was hard to imagine worse news.

"This subordinate just detained a fifth-rank Luo Han at the edge of the Divine Dynasty who was planning to withdraw."

"He happened to receive a Buddhist transmission from within the Sect."

That titled General pressed his lips together and sighed: "It was a decree of investiture, conferring the title of Dragon-Subduing, Tiger-Taming Great Ming Wang, proclaimed directly to Heaven and Earth."

"Continue."

Feng Xi looked up in confusion. The Puti Sect had gained another Ming Wang—though not good news for the Divine Dynasty, it shouldn't warrant such an expression.

"Do you still remember the Taixu Danhuang of the Sanxian Sect from a while back? And Elder Yu Chi's Lady Tiandong has also descended the mountain."

"With these Qi-Refining prodigies appearing one after another, the Puti Sect probably couldn't sit still."

That titled General tugged at the corner of his mouth and gave a bitter smile: "That Ming Wang—three thousand tribulations."

At these words, everyone's expression changed instantly; even Yang Mingli's temple pulsed twice.

One had to know that even the once-arrogant Mount Tianwu's Qingluan had only been at two thousand seven hundred tribulations. A full three thousand tribulations was already the limit of fourth-rank.

Of course, whether three thousand or eight thousand, against true third-rank cultivators, it posed no threat.

But pushing someone whose talent was nearly that of a Buddha Son so brazenly into the open was clearly to prevent the Sanxian Sect from stealing all the spotlight.

This showed the three Sects were ready to start competing.

As for what they were competing for, Yang Mingli raised his eyes to look at the boundless Imperial Qi of the mortal world—the answer was already obvious.

"Put him on the list," he said, staring at the horizon.

"Still... top five?" The titled General hesitated. True to the coming great tribulation, since the Immortal Ranking's creation, it had never seen such an obvious change.

"Tie him with that Taixu Danhuang for now; we'll make adjustments once we have more information." Yang Mingli nodded.

"Since you mention the list," the titled General likewise looked up at the sky:

"Mount Tianwu's Qingluan once served as a fourth-rank Great General of the Immortal Court. After his death, that position seems to have a new arrangement. By rumor, the appointee is of Merit Immortal origin, named Qian Qing... This man started from the seventh-rank Bimawen post and reached the position of Hongze Daxian General in just a few short years—his speed is staggering."

"It's already causing a huge stir in the Immortal Court."

Hearing this, Yang Mingli finally couldn't hold on any longer. He took a deep breath and waved his hand: "Top ten."

These names never heard before, one after another, kept popping up precisely when it was time to carve up the mortal world.

The Immortal Department established by the imperial court—even with the empowerment of Imperial Qi, a divine treasure of this world—appeared weak in foundation compared to the three Sects and the Immortal Court, who had ruled this heaven and earth for countless years.

They had only to reveal a few hidden prodigies, and Zhan Yao Si would be left helpless.

Yang Mingli turned his head and swept his gaze over this pile of imperial court cultivators.

The titled Generals were already outstanding peaks within Zhan Yao Si, but compared to those prodigies, they were simply unbearable to look at... Of course, if the juniors couldn't compare, how much better could the older generation be?

His own self, a Great Luo Immortal who had broken through purely by relying on Imperial Qi, likewise appeared absurd and laughable compared to those Sect Immortal Venerables.

"Sigh!"

He let out a heavy sigh, too lazy to bother with Wushan and Shen Yi's mess any longer, and swept his sleeves away directly.

The remaining titled Generals hurriedly rose and followed.

"Come in for a moment."

Yan Lanting greeted Shen Yi softly, then turned and returned to the small room in the government office.

"Good."

Shen Yi was about to step forward when the beautiful woman beside him stopped him.

"Nanyang, stay."

The other two Southern Pacification Generals had already left; only Feng Xi remained. With just the two of them alone, the beautiful woman's face, still in its prime of charm, finally lost its severity.

"What are your orders, my lord?" Shen Yi stopped, turning back to look.

"It's not an order." Feng Xi smiled faintly. "I said you are a meritorious hero, and no one can change that, so there is no need to be so restrained."

Since Yan Lanting stepped forward, she had hardly spoken a word.

But that did not mean Feng Xi had no thoughts.

From beginning to end, her mind remained fixed on the matter of General Wushan.

Of course, she did not intend to interrogate Shen Yi about anything.

Feng Xi merely recalled the words she had exchanged in idle chat with Yang Mingli last time: chaos in the human world, those cultivators of the Qunsan Sect emerging to train in the world, fighting for the hearts of mortals.

The Zhan Yao Si lacked sufficient foundation; it could not produce anyone capable of countering them.

Three Southern Pacification Generals.

Yan Lanting was too rash, likely to bring ruin upon the entire Da Nanzhou; Yang Mingli was too cautious. If he controlled the whole situation, Da Nanzhou might limp along for a while, but there would absolutely be no chance of victory.

"Actually, I just want to ask you one thing."

Feng Xi walked slowly to Shen Yi's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Gazing into the young man's deep, black eyes, she said softly, "The Sanxian Sect has Elder Yu Chi and Lady Tiandong, has Mount Tianwu's Green Phoenix, has Taixu Danhuang; countless geniuses, too many to count."

"The Puti Sect has Jin Chan the Luo Han, and just now, the Great Ming King who subdued the Dragon and Tamed the Tiger."

"I wonder, why can't the Divine Dynasty have something similar?"

The beautiful woman's red lips parted slightly, speaking with subtle meaning: "For instance... Nanyang of the Divine Dynasty?"

"..."

Shen Yi fell silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze away.

His expression remained calm, but inwardly he was somewhat speechless.

Still saying "for instance"; if she kept saying "for instance," the Immortal List would become a monitor focused solely on him.

"Consider it yourself. At this point, the officers of the Zhan Yao Si do not necessarily have to hide in the shadows."

Feng Xi did not press the matter; a hint of teasing appeared in her smile. "Every time General Wushan spoke just now, he couldn't help but glance at you. You should know, this young man has never been so respectful toward me."

The Monk of the Puti Sect had deep thoughts; to kill a Taiyi Zhenxian, it was impossible for only one Great Grade Luo Han to have been sent.

Now General Wushan had returned severely wounded and unconscious, while Shen Yi was unscathed, even having the mind to refine a healing immortal pill for him.

Recalling General Wushan's shocked expression upon waking, and the disbelief that filled his very first words.

She dared not say more.

This Southern Pacification General Nanyang, whom they had misjudged, might not yet equal those famous young geniuses, but he was certainly not far behind.

Having said that, she put on a serious expression. "Wind destroys beautiful trees; excessive rigidity leads to breaking. Hiding one's edge in the sheath is correct, but as a sharp sword, there must come a day to be drawn."

A barely perceptible sigh of emotion crept into the voice of this Southern Pacification General.

"In the current situation, if you do not emerge now, there will be no more chances..."

(End of this chapter)