Chapter 725: Return to Baji Valley Once More

"Honored One, how did it go?"

Outside Nanxumi, the young monk had been waiting for a long time.

Compared to when they first met in the Divine Dynasty, Master Zhikong's appearance had barely changed; for a Wanderer, the years find it hard to leave any trace upon them. Only the hint of green innocence that once lingered in his eyes had now quietly vanished.

Shen Yi had grasped the insights left behind by the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, so resolving a single Hua Chu technique was naturally effortless.

Moreover, as a Bodhisattva, having someone by one's side to handle miscellaneous affairs was perfectly normal. The only thing was that other Bodhisattvas all brought Arhats; carrying a sixth-rank Wanderer about one's person like he did was rather rare, but it could just barely pass as an explanation.

The two had agreed that, when out in the open, they would address each other as Honored One, to avoid arousing suspicion.

"Barely, just barely."

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing, his expression gradually growing solemn.

This was the first time he had seen a cultivator who had ascended to the second rank. Merely standing before that Great Self-Composed Pure Jing Jing Shi Pusa—even though the other party showed no emotional ripple at all—one could feel a strange, nameless pressure.

Those fair, beautiful hands seemed as if they needed only the lightest tear to rip apart his Bodhisattva Dharma Aspect, woven as it was from the very origin of the Heavenly Dao's order.

Before such an existence, Shen Yi felt he had already performed about as well as he possibly could.

But even so, the other party could hardly be said to trust him or distrust him; what it amounted to was still indifference.

What truly convinced this Pure Jing Jing Shi Pusa in the end was the six-armed phantom Dharma Aspect he had manifested, which proved the considerable, profound connection between himself and the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva.

"At any rate, I've managed to take part."

Shen Yi gazed far into the distance ahead. Even though he had already had some premonition of it beforehand, when he truly learned that the upper echelons of the Dezhisan Sect intended to step in and meddle with the affairs of the mortal world, an immense pressure still inevitably welled up in his heart.

Setting aside the matter of Imperial Qi.

The Divine Dynasty was, in essence, nothing more than a secular power of somewhat greater size. Throughout all of Dananzhou, the cultivators it could actually put on the field amounted to no more than three Zhennan Generals.

As for those military formations—even with augmentations, they might still serve some purpose in a frontal confrontation, but if it truly came to a magical duel with these old foxes of terrifying cultivation, the soldiers would probably be toyed to death before they could even see a shadow.

By contrast, the Three Teachings.

Also within the bounds of Dananzhou, a third-rank Bodhisattva had been slain, yet it seemed as though their foundations had not been harmed in the slightest. As far as Shen Yi knew, there were at least Jin Chan and Qibao on one side, and on the other, Mount Tianwu Laozu and Yu Chi Laozu.

Add to that the Pure Jing Jing Shi Pusa's word that there would be a Bodhisattva at the foot of the mountain to receive him… the strength on the two sides simply did not exist on the same plane.

In the past, the Immortal Court had kept them restrained; if they truly unleashed themselves for an all-out slaughter, the outcome would most likely be a one-sided affair.

As for why the Three Teachings were still holding back.

It was probably still a matter of the hearts of men.

These gods, Buddhas, and immortal lords were still loath to part with the Imperial Qi of the mortal world; they were unwilling and dared not stand on the opposing side of the mortal realm. Before making a move, they had to first defame the Human Sovereign so that they could uphold the great righteousness of "executing Heaven's will," and only afterward could they use that "Immortal Emperor" to replace the Human Sovereign as a matter of course.

"……"

Shen Yi thought for a moment about that dissolute manner of the Human Sovereign, and it seemed no one really needed to slander him any further.

A brief analysis of the situation made it clear to anyone with half a brain: the fall of the Divine Dynasty was already a foregone conclusion—only the question of sooner or later remained.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi gently exhaled a breath.

To tell the truth, although the time he had spent here was not all that long, this Dananzhou truly was the closest match in his heart to a blessed land of mortals worthy of the word "prosperous age."

The living beings of this place hardly knew how much more at ease they were than those over in Hongze.

Those old friends of his had only just managed to leave Hongze, and had finally laid eyes on the true mortal world spoken of by the Eastern Long Wang—yet in only a handful of years, they were to face an even more brutal age.

If Shenzhou were to simply vanish like this, it would always be a pity.

"Honored One…"

Master Zhikong had noticed that something was off about Shen Yi's mood, and softly called out once.

"It's nothing."

Shen Yi shook his head. The situation he now faced was utterly different from before.

Whether it was Bai Yun County, all of Nanyang, or later Hongze, it had only seemed as though he was playing the role of a savior, but in essence, saving the world had been for the sake of saving himself.

When the Howling Moon Demon King overturned Outside Qingzhou, even a single Zhen Mo General would have found it hard to escape with his life.

The Thousand Demon Cave guarded Nanyang; a Temple Keeper of the Martial Temple could never win his freedom in a lifetime.

Not to mention that the Nanyang Sect itself had long been a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh of the other three Dragon Palaces besides the Eastern Long Wang.

But this time, it truly was different.

Shen Yi suddenly found himself with many choices. Whichever path he chose, he was confident he could ascend to a high position, and in the end become one of those who would divide the world among themselves.

Except for choosing the Divine Dynasty.

One had to remember that the youth who had once woken up one morning to find himself inexplicably become a Yaksha had, at heart, only ever sought a life free of disaster and illness, with his safety secure, and the simple wish to live comfortably for a few more years.

To return to that Divine Dynasty now would be no different from betraying his original intention.

"Tch."

Shen Yi suddenly recalled that night when he had transmigrated here, and the hand he had inexplicably reached out to stop the dog demon.

What his original intention truly was, perhaps even he himself could not say too clearly.

To act in accordance with his heart's desire would, in all likelihood, not be wrong.

Thinking of this, he lowered his gaze slightly and looked at his own palm.

The four characters "immortality, eternal life" were certainly tempting, but how could they ever compare to the joy of a mind unencumbered?

"Wait for me a moment."

Shen Yi sat down cross-legged on the spot. The Six-Winged Soul Worm descended into Wan Yao Dian, its weariness fully on display.

Even an old ancestor who spent his years wandering the Supreme Void could not withstand deductions that ran into thousands of kalpas at a stretch; one had to remember that in this worm's entire life, it had only lived for just over a thousand kalpas.

It even felt a certain terror.

Because the master before it had actually managed to maintain a shocking calm throughout such an immensely long span of time.

That's right—even with the help of Shenxu Laozu, Shen Yi had still been unable to truly pluck the third-rank Dao Fruit.

In this old ancestor's own words, his obsessions weighed too heavily, and his thoughts were too many; he simply could not sense that power of the Void.

As for the solution… Shenxu Laozu did not know either. After all, what had allowed him to ascend to the Great Luo Immortal Lord back then was his birth as a demon; the Six-Winged Soul Worm was innately suited to cultivating this Void-Transformation Dao Art.

Yet Shen Yi's earlier shift in thought had inadvertently aligned with a fraction of the carefree and unfettered intent of the Profound Void.

Relying on this sliver of realization, he decisively poured in the vast longevity of demons.

The eight thousand-plus years of demon longevity harvested when slaying Shenxu Laozu, which now remained at around five thousand years, combined with the six thousand years of power already contained within the Jin Dan, instantly coalesced into a sea of gray mist.

Shen Yi closed his eyes, his divine soul strolling leisurely through the gray mist; with a casual pluck, transparent threads would fall.

They resembled crystal-clear silk, beginning to gradually weave into shape under the guidance of his divine soul.

With the Profound Void Jin Dan as the heart, a transparent little figure sat in meditation, embracing the primal unity.

At the very moment it became complete, it slowly scattered like a pile of sand, as if turning into a sky full of ethereal wind that merged into the gray mist.

Until this moment, the Six-Winged Soul Worm was still merely surprised by Shen Yi's sudden enlightenment, paying no attention to this change.

After all, this was a path it had once walked.

Only by letting the divine soul wander the Profound Void can one form the Profound Void Dao Fruit and ascend to the rank of Great Luo Immortal Venerable!

But immediately following that, the mournful wind sound returned, circling around the Bodhisattva Fruit of the Dao Guardian.

"Can wind also take form?!"

The Six-Winged Soul Worm widened its eyes.

The reason it remained in this state of long-term silence was not voluntary, but due to the special nature of the Profound Void Dao Fruit.

Once the soul merges into the Profound Void realm, how difficult it is to draw it back.

"Carefree freedom does not mean having no self."

"Recognizing one's true heart, being obsessed with eliminating obsessions, is itself a form of obsession."

Shen Yi slowly opened his eyes; just like his current self, he did not necessarily have to hide from the world to avoid calamities, dodging those karmic ties, being unattached like the wind; on the contrary, doing what one wishes to do, staying where one wishes to stay, was also a form of carefree freedom.

"Let us move."

He stood up and dashed forward.

Monk Zhikong, however, stood dazed in the mountains, looking around; he saw that the Shanfeng which had been calm just moments ago now resembled a fairyland, its entire body shimmering with spiritual light, and even the rushing mountain springs overflowed with a fragrant sweetness.

This is... the place of Dao verification!

Did My Lord become a Great Luo Immortal Venerable just by sitting and standing?!

Deep within the Eight Extremes Valley.

Clouds and mist gathered, thick like an undissolvable white river.

Dense figures gathered here; their forms were non-human, yet they bore no demonic qi, instead carrying an inexplicable majesty.

Strictly speaking, they were not living beings, but incarnations of the Heavenly Dao.

Among the gods, Buddhas, and Immortal Venerables spoken of by mortals, they rank first.

"Has everyone finished their investigation?"

At the very front stood two towering figures, their faces dyed like lacquer; one of them vigorously rubbed his knuckles, revealing himself to be Qi Feng Divine General.

The Eight Extremes Valley is guarded by two Divine Lords of the third-rank.

Now, gathering all the gods is to completely seize this valley and forever cut off future troubles.

The one questioned by Qi Feng Divine General was not one of the many True Gods, but an Immortal General mingling among them.

Although people often use the terms 'god' and 'immortal' interchangeably, these are two utterly distinct existences.

Yet within the Eight Extremes Valley, these True Gods cast no strange glances at that Golden Body Immortal General.

Immortal General Qingqing, holding the Leopard Seal at the fourth-rank official position, had successfully earned the recognition of the True Gods through his actual deeds over these days.

After all... among those possessing the divine art of blood-drop rebirth, perhaps no one else in the entire Immortal Court could be found who was more brave and fearless of death.

Moreover, the speed of his rise had long become a strange tale in the heavens.

"Reporting to the Divine Lord, all has been ascertained."

Lady Qinghua respectfully clasped her hands, a slight joy arising in her heart.

She had not offered demon longevity to her master for a long time; she only hoped her luck would be slightly better this time, allowing her to slay a few more great demons.

"If this battle goes smoothly, when you return to the heavens, your position will likely climb even higher."

Once familiar, Qi Feng was no longer as stern as before; he even joked in front of the gods: "So that those in the Immortal Court do not think we have delayed you."

"The Divine Lord speaks in jest."

Amidst waves of friendly laughter, Lady Qinghua responded calmly and withdrew into the crowd with dignity, neither humble nor arrogant.

She knew well why she held her position today, so how could she have the qualification to be arrogant?

Yet it was precisely this demeanor of hers that caused the True God beside her to regard her even more highly.

Just then, the Divine Lord standing beside Qi Feng, who had been silent, slightly raised his eyes, looked at him, and frowned, saying: "Lately, I have always felt my spirit unsettled, my state somewhat off."

"What's wrong? Having stayed too long, are you reluctant to leave this place?"

Qi Feng glanced at this colleague, still joking, not very concerned.

True Gods are nurtured by the Heavenly Dao, their lifespan equal to the heavens, and they require no cultivation; how could any anomaly arise?

"Perhaps I am overthinking it."

Divine Lord Haochuan smiled helplessly, gently rubbing the center of his brow.

He estimated that after guarding the Eight Extremes Valley for too many years, once those great demons were dealt with, it would be time to return to the Immortal Court to rest for a while.

He turned around and walked down the mountain.

No one noticed that on the sturdy back of this Divine Lord, dense golden lines had subtly appeared, forming a face that looked majestic and upright, yet inexplicably carried a hint of eeriness.

The golden lines vanished in an instant, quickly sinking into his divine body.

"By the way, as we are about to part, I, this Lord, must also remind you of one thing."

Qi Feng did not rush to leave; instead, he walked over to Lady Qinghua, gazed seriously at this Immortal General, and said in a low voice: "I, this Lord, am clear that no matter how high one cultivates, everyone still has a few old friends."

"But you were born of Merit Immortal, your disposition is excellent, your future bright—there really is no need to wade into those murky waters for no reason."

"You should know who this sovereign is referring to."

Earlier at the borders of Hongze, Qi Feng had personally witnessed the cultivator from Divine Void Mountain slay the Qingluan of Mount Tianwu.

He did not think Shen Yi was in the wrong.

Even if that boy had not made a move, he himself had intended to capture Qingluan and take her to Mount Tianwu to answer for her crimes.

But this had nothing to do with right or wrong.

Since that young man had involved himself in the affairs of this group of cultivators, no matter what he thought in his heart, it would be very hard to extricate himself now.

The Sanxian Sect and the Puti Sect had been growing increasingly restless of late; their intentions needed no explanation.

Qi Feng did not wish to let this immortal general he so admired be dragged in on account of family and friends.

"..."

Lady Qinghua remained silent.

She knew this god-king meant well, but how could the other party possibly know her relationship with her master.

Seeing this, a hint of helplessness rose in Qi Feng's eyes.

He shook his head.

Enough—being loyal and righteous was also part of that good disposition of hers.

Proper gods do not meddle in the affairs of the mortal world or the cultivation world; at most he could only remind her to this point. As for how to choose, that was up to Qianqing to decide.

"Go. In the battle three days from now, earn more merit. When the time comes, this sovereign will have others assist you—it won't have been for nothing, all the hard labor you've put in these past days."

Qi Feng waved his hand, turned, and left the place.

Yet under such tight watch, even he, as a god-king, failed to notice that several unfamiliar figures had appeared in Baji Valley.

Somewhere in the valley—

Shen Yi followed the aura downward, without informing Lady Qinghua.

This Lady Niu, who had once made Outside Qingzhou tremble, was still rather green before gods, Buddhas, immortals, and honored ones; one could glimpse as much from the matter of Princess Ziling—she was easily seen through by the strong.

And this time, the Puti Sect's movements, from start to finish, reeked of something off.

Sharing the burden of the proper gods.

It sounded as though there was nothing wrong with it, but one had to consider the timing.

They had just performed the scripture-transmission rite, lost a great heap of Arhats, and another Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva had died on top of that.

Setting aside the heavy losses, they ought at least to be feeling anxious.

At a time like this, sending the Bodhisattvas of the sect to meddle in the proper gods' affairs?

"..."

Shen Yi raised his eyes and looked ahead—an old monk sat cross-legged on a treetop, as though he had long been waiting for him.

The man was like a withered stone; not the slightest aura leaked from his entire body.

Suppressing his aura and sneaking in—this hardly seemed like the conduct of one who had come to aid the proper gods.

(End of chapter)