Chapter 718

"I have no opinion."

Under the gaze of everyone, Shen Yi gently shook his head.

As for commanding the whole theater, how could a young upstart like me—fresh out of nowhere, unable to even name all twenty-seven prefectures—compare to the three Generals of the South?

Let's skip the meddling in matters I'm not skilled at.

"But for the time being, I may not remain permanently in Dananzhou."

Shen Yi had already warned them in advance; he couldn't have every departure turn into a scene like today's.

Upon hearing this, everyone froze for a moment.

As a Zhan Yao Si officer, leaving post without proper justification was unprecedented in Dananzhou.

Only Feng Xi and Yang Mingli both nodded without hesitation, adding only: "Just be careful yourself."

"Since you've returned, we'll take our leave."

Yang Mingli rose and led the group of titled generals toward the exit; he didn't want to stay a moment longer—just another glance at that old Yan bastard made his heart burn.

That stubborn old mule had nothing going for him but luck—he'd lucked into a powerful ally in the General of Nanyang, who now held up the western nine prefectures for him.

"Thank you all."

Shen Yi stepped forward to see them off.

After all, they had rushed about for his sake; a little courtesy was due.

When the radiant light scattered and vanished swiftly beyond the horizon.

Only then did he turn and reenter the mansion.

But as he stepped into the courtyard, he met Yan Lanting's incredulous gaze; beside him, Wushan wore an expression of pride.

Clearly, the fat man had truthfully reported the transmission matter.

A matter the entire Divine Dynasty found daunting had been resolved by a titled general of Dananzhou; the western nine prefectures, once the laughingstock everyone waited to see collapse, had now quietly become Dananzhou's backbone—these changes had to be told to the old man for his joy.

"No wonder they were so eager to find you…"

Yan Lanting fell silent for a long while, then exhaled deeply.

Now, the odd sensations he'd felt earlier finally made sense—he understood why Yang Mingli had shot him that envious glance as he left.

Yan Lanting simply couldn't figure it out.

Back then, out of curiosity, I followed Ye Lan and happened upon a young man who suited my taste; I had no grand plans—only that I couldn't stand seeing a great demon who had ravaged three prefectures let go, so when someone was willing to act, I stepped in to protect him.

He was never the meticulously cultivated subordinate others imagined.

How did this junior, met purely by chance, suddenly become the peerless genius who crushed the prodigies of the Three Teachings?

"The only titled general who could stir the entire Zhan Yao Si of Dananzhou for months on end is our own."

Wushan couldn't help but sigh—in the time before his return, he'd even glimpsed unmistakable anxiety on Yang's face.

Hearing this, Shen Yi shook his head, slightly lifted his robe, and revealed the jade tablet at his waist, explaining: "I'm not a titled general."

"..."

Yan Lanting and Wushan fell silent together, staring fixedly at the tablet.

Wushan, who had intended to shock the old man, now had his expression frozen on his face.

Dananzhou had produced a fourth General of the South!

If that alone was shocking enough, adding the fact that this man had only joined the Zhan Yao Si a few short years ago made it even more terrifying.

Yan Lanting's hand, which had just lowered, once again pinched his brow: "How long have I been in seclusion?"

He even began to doubt whether he'd lost track of time.

After a long while, the old man slowly rose and walked toward the courtyard gate; as he passed Shen Yi, he lightly patted his shoulder, and the smile of wonder on his face could no longer be contained.

Back then, I casually brushed away the dark clouds above his head—and this young man, in return, held up an entire sky for me.

The words "I'll handle everything" may soon be his to say.

"Are we leaving now?"

Wushan hurriedly rose and followed.

"What else? Stay here and let this kid scare the life out of this old man?"

Yan Lanting joked, and he had to admit that today's revelations had numbed his shock; he doubted anything else could stir his heart further.

Saying this, he hurried out of the mansion.

Just as he was about to summon a cloud to depart, his peripheral vision accidentally swept over the corner by the gate.

Yan Lanting instinctively moved to look away—but froze as if struck by lightning; he turned back, staring fixedly at the utterly ordinary black dog in the corner.

"General Yan, what's wrong?" Wushan, seeing the old man's twitching face, was startled.

"N-nothing."

Yan Lanting felt his throat dry; he remembered where he'd seen this black dog before.

Yet now it stood alone here, the leash once held in someone's hand now vanished.

Coupled with Shen Yi's mysterious disappearance for months and his vague excuse—"delayed on the road"—the so-called matter might be far more terrifying than anyone imagined.

Thinking of this, the old man suddenly turned, his eyes filled with questions.

Shen Yi, though offering no nod of confirmation, also gave no denial, standing silently in place.

The death of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva involved too much.

Shen Yi didn't trust others, but he had no intention of hiding the truth from this old general who had once fought to protect him under the Bodhisattva's hand—he wanted Yan to prepare in advance.

Dananzhou now seems stable only because of the many镇石 guarding it.

But don't forget: the highest-ranked among these镇石 are merely wolf demons who've attained the Great Third-Rank Fruit.

If a third-rank power enters the game, the镇石 are no different from ordinary stones before them.

"Huh…"

Yan Lanting struggled to regulate his breathing, clearly having already anticipated the consequences this matter would trigger.

His expression gradually grew solemn: "You must be extremely cautious! The true Three Sects are far from as simple as you think."

The opponent was able to slay the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva; their strength already surpasses that of us old fellows by several realms.

But if the Three Sects truly turn angry, above the Bodhisattva there are still those of Great Self-Mastery, let alone the True Buddhas seated high upon lotus thrones, draped in kasaya robes.

"This junior understands."

Shen Yi nodded seriously. When a Arhat died back then, the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva came to demand justice; now that the Bodhisattva has fallen, it is equivalent to the destruction of one immortal lineage of the Sanxian Sect. Such a huge matter cannot possibly be concealed.

"Uh."

Wushan had no idea why the atmosphere had suddenly turned like this.

However, he also had no habit of speaking out of turn.

He merely cast a few worried glances, then prepared to leave with Elder Yan.

Just then, Shen Yi suddenly called out to stop him.

"I seem not to have seen Ye Lan?"

"..."

Wushan's steps faltered slightly; after hesitating for a long time, he said, "Long before the transmission of the scriptures, she received a message from her sect and returned to Shenxu Mountain... She has not returned to this day."

The identity of an immortal disciple serves as a convenience within the Zhan Yao Si, allowing one to obtain more imperial qi rewards than one's colleagues.

But at the same time, this is also a huge risk.

After all, once an immortal sect catches a flaw in one's conduct, the outcome might be worse than death.

Hearing this, Shen Yi's face showed no joy or anger; he merely responded softly, "Good."

Having said this, he turned around with that black dog and returned to Shen Zhai.

Yan Lanting helplessly watched the young man's receding figure and could not help but sigh silently in his heart.

Understand? You understand nothing!

Do not look at his normal expression; when they first met, the moment before Shen Yi attacked the ape demon of the Yu Chi Immortal Gate, his expression had not shown the slightest ripple.

Judging by this posture, it would be strange if nothing happened.

Intending to turn back and dissuade him, Yan Lanting had just taken a step when he stopped again, his expression gradually becoming complex.

If it were not for this nature of repaying grudges and repaying kindness, this General of Nanyang would probably not remain in the Divine Dynasty today.

Jianyang Prefecture, Shen Zhai.

Inside the room.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged on the bed, while the black dog lay beside him.

"My lord, has something happened to General Yanlan?"

Master Zhikong had once seen Ye Lan and was well-acquainted with her fame, but now he spoke to advise: "The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva has just fallen; the Puti Sect will surely pursue this with all their might. You carry an aura similar to his, and you are the Great Ming King of Subduing Dragons and Tigers whom he personally introduced into the sect. They will definitely investigate you first..."

"If you leave the Divine Dynasty now, the risk is truly too great."

If anyone else said this, it might be misunderstood; since he was originally saved by Shen Yi, now that he has gained freedom, yet he does not let Shen Yi go save others, it would seem somewhat selfish.

But Master Zhikong is different; after all, he was the truly good man who, when choked by the Bodhisattva while passing through Jianyang Prefecture, saw Shen Yi clearly yet did not utter a single word.

These words can only be spoken by him.

"Master, rest assured; I have my own understanding."

Shen Yi took the shattered fruit seat of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva from his storage ring and gently stroked this emerald ring.

The experience of traveling all the way from the treasure land of Nanyang brought him his most important growth: that he must remain calm no matter what happens.

Actually, some things become clear if one thinks about them carefully.

Ye Lan herself holds no great value to Shenxu Laozu; if something happened to her, the only possibility is... Shenxu Laozu suddenly woke up and learned of Taixu Danhuang's performance in the matter of transmitting the scriptures.

Discovering this heaven-bestowed "immortal pill," it gradually became uncontrollable.

Therefore, he captured Ye Lan to add another constraint.

Only by being alive can she serve her purpose.

In that case, there is no need to be anxious.

Shenxu Laozu is different from the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva; the latter was a wanderer by origin, able only to clash directly with oneself, and moreover bore hidden injuries, which is why he was easily slain.

But the treacherous nature of the Shenxu Dao Fruit, Shen Yi has experienced firsthand.

Cultivators battling magic are far more complex than wanderers; moreover, my understanding of Buddhas, Immortals, and Venerables is scant; if my methods are insufficient, I will easily fall into a passive position.

Let alone defeating the strong with the weak; it is even possible to be played to death by a cultivator whose foundation is weaker than my own.

Putting aside other matters, Shenxu Mountain cultivates a hundred arts; among the eight peaks' techniques, at this current level, I possess only the character of Alchemy.

Improve every aspect; grasp all opportunities for victory.

The one who should be anxious now is Shenxu Laozu.

Having thought this, Shen Yi gathered his spirit, opened the panel, held the shattered fruit seat, and poured demon lifespan into the Spiritual威护道 True Scripture.

【Remaining Demon Lifespan: Four Hundred and Thirty Kalpas】

The remaining demon lifespan from before has not seen major fluctuations for a long time.

In Dananzhou, great demons rarely invade anymore; occasionally, some scouts arrive, mostly at the seventh realm, and even the fifth realm is rare.

As for Bajigu, according to Lady Qinghua, they are preparing for some major move, so there has been no income for a long time.

Spending without gaining, living off savings, is always somewhat worrying.

Fortunately, as long as it does not involve the origin of the Heavenly Dao order, several hundred kalpas of demon lifespan are enough for me to use for a long time.

"Please, Master, tell me about the affairs of the sect."

The shattered fruit seat indeed contains the realizations left by the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, but they are extremely fragmented; for an ordinary person to comprehend even a single complete technique requires bitter meditation and careful contemplation.

But with the help of the vast demon lifespan, Shen Yi could greatly shorten this progress, and even had time to learn about other matters.

As the Great Ming King Who Subdues Dragons and Tames Tigers, he still didn't know which way the temple gate faced.

His understanding of the Puti Sect was not even as good as that of Master Zhikong, this barely sixth-rank Golden Lotus Wanderer.

Perhaps it was because the number of times had increased that he had grown used to it; now when Monk Zhikong "betrayed" the Puti Sect, he no longer had the slightest psychological burden. From the sect's rules to the entire Puti Sect's organizational structure, everything he knew, he shared without holding anything back.

"The Puti Sect is distributed across the Four Continents and Eight Seas, among which Beizhou is where the three lords of the Sanxian Sect debate the Dao, and Buddhist scriptures may not easily enter."

"Therefore, the three lords of the Puti Sect are respectively stationed in the remaining three great continents."

"The one who preaches in Dananzhou is the Future Buddha."

Even now, in such circumstances, when mentioning this title, Zhikong still slightly raised his head.

"As for the other Buddhas, this little monk doesn't know much about them."

He was only a wanderer and couldn't access those things: "But the true Buddhas are all in the Southern Sumeru, and they won't easily reveal their Buddha forms to the world. It is all the Great Freedom Bodhisattva who handles the affairs of the mortal world."

"Great Freedom Bodhisattva, the ultimate of the Ninety-Nine Transformations?" Shen Yi glanced sideways. His understanding of the Wanderer's Dao was limited to the information he had just obtained from General Feng Xi.

"Great Freedom Bodhisattva is not a title for a specific person, but a realm... Outside the sect, it is called second rank, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Slain Hunyuan Daluo Jin Xian of the Sanxian Sect."

Monk Zhikong had long grown accustomed to Lord Shen's knowledge not matching his actual strength.

"The so-called Great Freedom is to leap beyond the Five Phases and Three Realms, transcend life and death, and from then on be indestructible."

"..."

Hearing this description, Shen Yi inexplicably felt it sounded somewhat familiar.

Isn't this just cultivating oneself into a true god?

"The Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva ordinarily obeys his senior brother, that Great Freedom Pure World Bodhisattva." Matters like these were originally not something Monk Zhikong, a mere wanderer, could know.

It just so happened that the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva had always kept him by his side, allowing him to witness and hear some things he previously couldn't access.

"Let's talk about this."

Shen Yi finally heard the most useful information for the present.

Who says guarding the divine dynasty must be done within the four great continents? A truly great Ming King Who Subdues Dragons and Tames Tigers—why couldn't he sit upon a lotus pedestal?

(End of this chapter)