Chapter 713: Wait for Shen Mou to Return and Settle Accounts with All of You Immortals and Buddhas!

In the dim Shi Dian, rolling grey fog enveloped the two figures.

Under the gaze of those eyes upon the vermilion gate.

Jin Lei Daoist lifted his robes and knelt on the ground, performing a disciple's bow with utmost reverence.

"Your disciple pays respects to Master."

He knew Ye Lan still could not forget the events of those years, but out of deference to Taixu Danhuang, this old man who valued propriety above all else had not forced the young Miss to bow along with him.

"……"

After a long moment of inner struggle, Ye Lan bent forward and cupped her hands: "Third-generation disciple Ye Lan, pays respects to Laozu."

If both the Subduing Dragon and Subduing Tiger Great Ming Kings and Taixu Danhuang were Shen Yi alone, then what this young Shishu now faced was likely the enmity of all three teachings.

Under such circumstances, any single ally had to be fought for.

As for matters of revenge, that should be considered only after he possessed sufficient strength.

"Speak."

Yet Shenxu Laozu cared nothing for these matters; he only wished to know why he had been disturbed.

"Reporting to Master."

Jin Lei Daoist knelt on the ground, lifted his head slightly, a broad smile spreading across his face, and recounted the matter of transmitting the scriptures in detail.

Having finished, he added with praise: "Although the contest of Dharma saw no victor, the duty of the Subduing Dragon and Subduing Tiger Great Ming King was to transmit the scriptures. Now that the true scriptures of the Puti Sect have failed to reach the Divine Dynasty, in truth he has already lost."

"Tiandan Shidi is truly the foremost of the younger generation of the three teachings!"

Any Laozu, upon learning of such good fortune, would likely feel a surge of pleasant surprise.

Let alone one like Shenxu Laozu, a Da Luo Immortal Venerable who slumbered for long years — it was as if he had woken from a sleep to suddenly discover that his lineage now held the hope of advancing further.

But the smile on Jin Lei Daoist's face gradually froze at the corners of his lips, for he perceived that within his Laozu's eyes there was not the slightest trace of joy; instead, a chill he could not comprehend welled up within them.

"Master……"

"Do you know what happened here back then, when those brats from Dan Peak came?" Though Shenxu Laozu posed the question to his eldest disciple, his gaze slowly drifted toward Ye Lan behind him.

Seeing that Master had suddenly brought up the family scandal of years past, Jin Lei Daoist was briefly stunned, then lowered his head and said: "Shidi brought a group of disciples here to refine a third-rank Tribulation Pill for Master, to help you through the great tribulation of cultivation. Yet the refinement failed, and the accumulated efforts of many years on Shenxu Mountain came to nothing. You had no choice but…… to use the Dan Peak disciples to weather this tribulation."

"Who told you the refinement failed?"

Shenxu Laozu's offhand remark struck Ye Lan's ears like a clap of thunder.

Even she had assumed that back then, the elixir had not been completed, and in the urgency, a second batch of such precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures could not be gathered. Shenxu Laozu, for the sake of his own realm, had been forced to sacrifice the lives of a group of fellow Dan Peak disciples.

If the refinement had not failed, then why……

"That pill was even more perfect than this Venerable had imagined. Not only did it help me weather the great tribulation, but with the residual medicinal force, I am now but a single step away from the number three-three."

"Tell me, should this Venerable take that step?"

Facing Master's inquiry, Jin Lei Daoist was briefly lost in thought.

The so-called number three-three was one of several thresholds within the Da Luo Immortal Venerable realm: ten as the foundation, three-three as the true seat, six-six as the upper seat, and nine-nine as the ultimate of transformation.

"You should take it."

Jin Lei Daoist exhaled forcefully. Under Ye Lan's reddened-eyed, stunned gaze, he gave a slight nod: "Master is the very reason Shenxu Mountain exists; everything on Shenxu Mountain ought to be at Master's disposal."

Hearing these words, Ye Lan abruptly closed her eyes, feeling only dizziness.

She had assumed that these elders of the sect believed her Master had wasted the medicinal ingredients, committed a grave error, and undermined the stability of the entire mountain gate, and that in desperation they could only make amends with their lives.

Never had she expected that even after learning the truth, this man still felt the Dan Peak disciples ought to have died!

On the path of cultivation, one honors Master and reveres the ancestors.

But the premise was that they were disciples and descendants, not the food of those Immortals, Buddhas, and Venerables.

They were the fish and flesh upon the chopping block, and as meat upon the board, they were still expected to bow reverently to the blade.

How absurd, how laughable!

Ye Lan could even imagine it: Master leading a group of fellow disciples, having finally refined a perfect Immortal Pill, exhausted beyond measure, yet still raising his eyes in joy, hoping to receive a word of praise from Shenxu Laozu.

What came in the end was a great hand that gathered them all into the Taixu realm, making them the medicinal guide that fully unleashed the pill's efficacy.

What despair that must have been……

"Since that is so, you fool, do you not know what Tiandan means?" Shenxu Laozu's voice suddenly turned harsh.

"This Venerable is now close to ascending to the upper seat — how dare you let my precious pill stir up storms in the outside world!"

"This disciple knows his fault!"

Jin Lei Daoist kowtowed violently. If Tiandan was the precious medicine Master had prepared for breaking through, now that it was in the limelight, it would inevitably draw the attention of other seniors.

Whether they contested with Master for it, or favored Tiandan and wished to shelter him, either would affect Master's realm.

And Ye Lan, who had been listening at the back, now had no other thought in mind; she turned and fled at once, wanting only to send word to Shen Yi, telling him never to return to Shenxu Mountain in this lifetime.

"This boy's mind is cunning; he is a disloyal sort. Taking advantage of my slumber, he must have grown bold and reckless, seeking a path to survival. Perhaps by now he has already found some so-called backer to evade this Venerable's pursuit."

"Do not let this woman slip away again."

"Take her, along with the Shenxu Immortal Formation, into the mortal world, and seek Tiandan."

The grey fog surged violently, and from those eyes a tribulation-force golden seal suddenly leapt forth, striking Ye Lan's forehead directly.

Then a total of eight formation objects swept out from the fog and landed in Jin Lei Daoist's hands.

The old man gazed silently at the formation objects in his palm, respectfully saw Master off back to Taixu, then led Ye Lan, whose eyes were vacant, as he slowly departed Shenxu Mountain.

He had thought it was a blessing for the sect, that it might emerge triumphant from the great tribulation.

Never had he imagined it was the Immortal Pill that was disloyal, harboring divided intentions — a crime deserving death!

……

Dananzhou had twenty-seven prefectures, of which Linggan Prefecture was the northernmost.

Leaving this place meant heading toward the Imperial Capital.

The scholar in Bai Shan led a black dog as he slowly walked out of Songfeng Fucheng. The robes on his body stirred and gradually transformed into fluttering Buddhist vestments. On his once fair and delicate face, many wrinkles appeared, and the black hair on his head seemed burned away, becoming a gleaming bald pate.

Jin Guang suddenly appeared, transforming into countless arms that spread behind him like a peacock's fanned tail.

Beneath his feet, a lotus platform emerged, lifting him into the air.

The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva revealed his dharma body, yet his eyes held not a trace of compassion; he gazed far ahead and murmured, "Where are you running to?"

Why abandon your rightful title as the Dragon-subduing, Tiger-taming Great Ming King? Why journey north, seeking to join that trembling divine court?

The golden thread he left behind allowed him to constantly sense that person's aura—faint, yet sufficient to indicate their general direction.

Thinking of this, the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva sat cross-legged, gripped the black dog's throat, and curled his lips into a cruel smile: "You were born with heavenly Buddha-nature, yet possess no Buddha-heart. You waste this divine gift—better to become beasts, enduring endless cycles of rebirth, until you understand the majesty of my Puti Sect."

"Whimper…"

The black dog weakly twitched its limbs; along this journey with the Bodhisattva, it had nearly forgotten its true identity, forgotten the sutras it once chanted day and night, and now a strange impulse stirred within—its throat itched, and it couldn't help but let out a sound…

Woof!

It seemed he was truly about to become a dog.

Meanwhile.

Ahead on this northern path.

A beautiful woman stood atop towering flames, the blazing fire resembling a giant phoenix with wings spread; beside her stood a young man in black robes, hands hanging at his sides.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that at the heart of this fire-phoenix lay a small, emerald-green branch.

This object was the fastest travel artifact available across all of Dananzhou; it was precisely because of this Green Phoenix Wood that Lady Lady Feng Xi bore the responsibility of reconnaissance among the Three Southern Commanders.

"Though called the Four Continents, they are merely divisions based on the imperial capital's location—there is no Wang Yang between them, only one continuous landmass, hence the name Shenzhou."

Lady Lady Feng Xi's brief words gave Shen Yi a rough impression in his mind.

Vast and boundless, the Four Continents, with the imperial capital seated at the center of heaven and earth.

Shen Yi had not been to the capital for the first time; once, in Nanyang's fertile land, he had ridden in a carriage to the Great Gan imperial capital, and due to that eccentric crown prince, he and Jiang Qiulan had caused no small amount of amusement.

Now, again heading to the capital for rewards, memories stirred within him.

Shen Yi gazed quietly ahead.

In truth, less than ten years had passed—even for a Qi-refining cultivator, this was no great span of time.

Yet at this moment, it felt as though eons had passed.

"Huh."

He exhaled softly, calming his thoughts.

For a cultivator who had reached third-rank, no matter how vast the land, could be crossed in less than a month.

Soon, a vast city appeared before him, worthy of any praise.

It was far more majestic than the Great Gan capital, yet it could no longer stir the awe Shen Yi once felt.

He was now an immortal, elevated above this mortal world—how could such earthly creations stir the heart of a celestial being?

The instant this thought arose in his heart,

Shen Yi suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.

He had not yet donned his robe, yet already believed himself seated upon the lotus platform, become one of the gods and immortals.

Standing too high is not always a good thing.

Only when Lady Lady Feng Xi led Shen Yi into the imperial city, among the bustling crowd, did the usually quiet Shen Yi finally exhale, the chill along his spine slowly receding.

He had come from the long streets—how could he not belong in this mortal world?

"Follow me."

Lady Lady Feng Xi led the way, clearly having already notified the imperial court.

"The Zhan Yao Si differs from proper court officials."

"After all, we don't receive proper salaries—we feed on the qi of the mortal world."

Seeing the confusion on Shen Yi's face—wondering why they weren't entering the palace to meet the emperor, but instead heading deep into the capital—Lady Lady Feng Xi smiled and explained: "I imagine you dislike such formalities; this saves trouble."

"I see."

Shen Yi remembered when, in Nan Hong, the Eastern Dragon King had told him that cultivators above fifth-rank need not bow before the emperor.

Back then, who could have imagined that when he finally met the emperor, he would possess third-rank Bodhisattva cultivation?

Deep within the imperial city was not, as Shen Yi imagined, a place heavily guarded by troops.

Instead, it was an elegant, secluded courtyard.

Those who greeted them were not armored generals, but a group of beautiful maidservants.

"Get used to it."

Clearly, Lady Lady Feng Xi had come here many times before to report.

She led Shen Yi with the maidservants through the deep courtyard, past winding corridors, and across gardens blooming like seas of flowers.

Light gradually dimmed beneath dense foliage, casting the surroundings in gloom—though seated at the center of heaven and earth, the place deliberately obscured the view of heaven and earth.

When the path ahead suddenly opened up,

Shen Yi still had not seen the emperor's face, but instead saw several other cultivators with equally powerful auras; they dressed differently, even extravagantly, utterly unlike court officials—more like reclusive hermits.

"These are the other continent's commanders."

As Lady Lady Feng Xi finished introducing them, the men turned their gazes toward them, their expressions solemn and grim: "Has Dananzhou also fallen into crisis?"

"Not yet."

Lady Lady Feng Xi bit her lip, unable to suppress a sigh—apparently, Dananzhou, on the verge of collapse, was still the best off among the Four Continents.

Under such circumstances, it was no wonder Yang Mingli was so pessimistic.

With that, she led Shen Yi forward.

Before them appeared a wide pond, devoid of stone sculptures or artificial hills—only a coiled dragon pillar rose from the water, roughly seven or eight zhang tall; the portion exposed above the surface was already a broad enough platform.

Judging by its appearance, this exposed section was less than one percent of its full length.

Only at this moment did Shen Yi finally see the Human Sovereign... or rather, saw part of him.

He saw a figure in the pool draped in a loose, slouching great robe, half his body submerged in the water, his arms lazily propped against the pool's edge, as though soaking in a hot spring.

His back was to the crowd, his features impossible to make out.

But this scene alone could be called utterly uninhibited.

In particular, Shen Yi didn't even need to sniff; the rich aroma of wine assailed him, and the skin exposed on that man's body actually showed the flushed ruddiness of drunkenness.

This enormous pool was clearly a pool of wine!

These cultivators beneath him, who had reached third-rank, were better known to the world as Great Luo Immortal Sovereigns!

Any one of them, if willing to step out, would be a hegemon of a region, a founding patriarch; they fought and bled for the Divine Dynasty, yet the true master of Shenzhou soaked in a wine pool, utterly indifferent to what his subordinates thought.

Moreover, this scene bore no resemblance whatsoever to the restorer-king Shen Yi had heard of before.

As if knowing a newcomer had arrived, the man stretched his arms, still keeping his back to the crowd, and pointed at the coiled-dragon pillar; he seemed utterly drunk, his fingertip unsteady: "Don't be fooled by how plain this thing looks. Standing here, it can suppress the Eight Seas beyond Sizhou."

"Gathering the essence of the Eight Seas... only then... *hic*... can this whole pool of fine wine be brewed."

"Later, take a ladle and have a taste."

"..."

Without needing anyone to tell him, Shen Yi knew these words were meant for him.

He stood quietly in place, his gaze toward the figure in the pool faintly indifferent.

(End of chapter)