Chapter 751: Who Plays Along With Your Act

Outside Tashan, an idle figure had appeared.

Though everyone here had nothing to do, few could wander about aimlessly like him, squandering their stamina at will.

Moreover, his plain white robe made him stand out conspicuously among the surrounding dust-covered refugees.

He was an immortal — the very immortal who had slain that demon dragon!

Wherever the young man passed, the common folk kowtowed in unison; even though they did not know what he was doing, each time he walked by, they would kowtow once more, never finding it a bother, never harboring a word of complaint.

"..."

Shen Yi strolled forward slowly, suddenly recalling when he had first arrived in Shenzhou — how in Songfeng Fucheng he had once seen a cultivator bump into a child, the child unafraid, the cultivator unannoyed; they simply laughed it off, and the cultivator went on his way.

That was probably when the people of the Divine Dynasty were at their most confident.

It also gave Shen Yi a rather favorable impression of the Divine Dynasty.

In the span of mere days, everything had reverted to the state of Hongze — or even worse.

Perhaps this was the scene the immortals desired: seated high upon the clouds, herding the mortal world like livestock — how delightful.

Shen Yi shook his head lightly, quickened his pace, and headed toward a secluded spot.

He truly was merely strolling, but not without purpose.

As an outsider from Da Nanzhou, his roots in Beizhou were far too shallow — before he formally entered Lingxu Grotto, he had virtually none.

Getting anything done would certainly mean working with hands tied.

Take the white dragon from a few days ago — even though it had only one breath left, do not forget that Shen Yi's current honorific was Taixu Danhuang; crafting a pill to bring the white dragon back to life was no difficult feat.

They were all comrades of the Immortal Department; in his heart, he had wanted to save it.

But he could not.

Once he made a move, Shen Yi would immediately be ostracized by all of Beizhou, with no place left to stand — because he was not yet a recognized member of the Sanxian Sect. Such an act could not be chalked up to internal strife either; it would be a loose cultivator defying the dignity of the entire Sanxian Sect.

So he could only grant the white dragon a swift end, sparing it at least the humiliation.

For an outsider to establish himself in Beizhou, he could not act first — he could only wait for a change.

And every step Shen Yi took around Tashan would sharply sting someone's fragile heart, hastening that change's arrival.

He rounded a corner and stepped straight into Taixu.

"Chenyi pays respects to my lord."

The white dragon coiled down from the stone platform, its bearing and expression utterly reverent — only its eyes, as they looked toward the young man, held a trace of complexity.

It did not know what means its master had used to grant it new life; it only felt a pang — that it had never betrayed the imperial court unto death, and yet in the end had become a hound beneath an immortal's seat.

"What are you gawking at?"

Shenxu Laozu, who had just returned from delivering the letter, took on human form and gave the white dragon's head a hard pat: "This one is not only your master, but also the Immortal Department's General Who Pacifies the South!"

At those words, Chenyi froze for a moment, then a wild joy spread across his face.

He had long heard that Da Nanzhou was the only one of the Divine Dynasty's Sizhou that had not fallen.

"Has my lord come in person because Da Nanzhou has sent aid?"

"There is no more reinforcements."

Though the words were cruel, Shen Yi was unwilling to hide them.

Though he was not conceited, he never thought little of himself either — whether by merit or by strength, Nanyang was absolutely a fierce general.

So long as there remained even a shred of desire to reclaim lost lands, one would spare no effort to keep such a blade.

But from how the Human Emperor had let him go, one could see that the present Divine Dynasty had long lost the will and the strength to resist — like fish and meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of the great sects.

"..."

Chenyi fell silent, the joy draining swiftly from his eyes; even though he had foreseen it, hearing the news for real shattered the last faint hope in his heart.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, letting the other grieve in silence.

Though he was now waiting for a change, he still needed sufficient strength to seize the opportunity when it came.

Being in Beizhou, the Bodhisattva Fruit Position that had reached the pinnacle of the Ninety-Nine Transformations was his hidden trump card for preserving his life; but to put it in the open, to raise his standing within his sect, he still needed the Shenxu Dao Fruit.

【Remaining demon-lifespan: 8,300 kalpas】

The dragon lizard slain when leaving Da Nanzhou, plus the demon-lifespan of the little white dragon before him — that was the entirety of Shen Yi's current reserves.

He closed his eyes and began to draw upon that source of Heavenly Dao order.

"Master, that man spends his days mingling with the refugees, wandering everywhere, as if this stretch of land were his own dao-ground!"

The cultivator in charge of relief hurried over, his face full of righteous indignation.

One had to know — once the Ling Su Zhenjun Shrine was established, on that grand altar, beside Master's statue there would still be room for a few attendant boy-figures.

Now that someone had come to cause trouble, how could he not be anxious.

"..."

Ling Su Zhenjun sat at the peak of Tashan; in truth, she had no need for her disciple to report — she only had to lift her eyelids to see that damned figure, clinging like a tick that would not be shaken off.

She darkened her face and waved her sleeve to dismiss the disciple.

It seemed her warning last time had not been heeded by that worm-demon disciple at all.

Relying on the guilty conscience of some elder in Mouwei Sect, he was so brazen — his very face screamed "seeking death"!

"Zhu Shixiong Brother Mao Feng, could you be quicker?"

Ling Su Zhenjun took out a jade slip and could not help urging him a few times.

If this went on any longer, she truly feared she might lose control of her temper and slap that boy to death.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister — it has been on the road for quite some time now; by the count of days, it should be arriving soon." A man's soothing voice came from the jade slip.

At those words, Ling Su Zhenjun pressed her lips together and forcibly reined in her emotions.

She looked at the refugees below kowtowing to Shen Yi, and a flicker of irritation welled up in her eyes — these fools, bowing to anything that comes; they must all die clean before the displeasure in her heart could be eased.

Just then, Ling Su suddenly sensed a ripple of aura.

She was overjoyed, and instinctively turned her head to look—at last, it had arrived!

"Junior sister thanks Zhu Shixiong first!"

Ling Su gripped the jade slip tightly; she could no longer spare a thought for whether such haste might blunt its effect. So long as enough people died, it would leave a deep enough impression on these refugees.

As her words fell, a deafening roar swept in, nearly visible to the naked eye as a wave of sound.

The voice was heard before its owner was seen.

The refugees on the ground froze as if struck by lightning, every one of them rooted to the spot like wooden chickens. Soon, this wild howl stirred up the deepest terror buried in their minds.

The day the city fell had looked just like this—and what followed was endless slaughter.

In an instant, screams and wails rose like a tsunami, spreading swiftly outward.

The two cultivators who had been distributing grain had clearly received their orders long ago; in a flash they formed hand-seals, summoned their magic treasures, and shot into the air. "Silence! No panic!"

As the treasures blazed with brilliant light, the crowd finally came to their senses a little, watching helplessly as the two immortal masters streaked off into the distance.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the two streaks of light that had just shot forth were sent flying back with brutal efficiency, slamming into a small peak and shattering it with a boom—utterly still.

Along with them, the magic treasures in the sky were all shattered into powder.

"……"

The refugees' pupils went slack; terror had stolen even their screams, leaving them mute.

Under the gaze of every eye present—

A tall, burly figure strolled over unhurriedly from afar. Its tiger-like body was sheathed in fur that gleamed like gold, and it wore an exquisite set of armor, like a divine general descending to the mortal world.

It rested a long spear on one shoulder, and every step it took made the earth shake.

Take the demons of Da Nanzhou—when they breached the city, they had to ambush and divide their attacks; even someone of Nan Huang's caliber had to lay many plans, and in the end still had to transform and infiltrate Song Feng Prefecture.

And here in Beizhou, the Sanxian Sect held the ground, their strength far surpassing that of Nan Xumi.

This tiger demon's swaggering manner, as if the host of immortals were nothing, seizing the initiative with its presence, closing in step by step—the whole routine looked as if it had been rehearsed countless times.

Clearly a seasoned veteran.

"Hoo…"

Watching the tiger demon's utterly domineering air, a smile finally appeared on Ling Su's face. She breathed a slight sigh of relief in her heart—at least there was one who could be relied upon, and had not disappointed her.

She stood where she was, with no intention of making a move.

If she wanted these great demons to serve the Tida Sect wholeheartedly, she could not rely solely on force; every order had to come with a certain promise of reward.

Ling Su had already calculated in her heart: since the relief had only lasted a few months, this time at the very least half of them would have to die before the desired effect could be achieved.

She was preparing to enjoy this grand show properly, when a flicker at the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of that figure in white.

Among the crowd of refugees clutching their heads, curled up and wailing, Shen Yi's upright standing form stood out so conspicuously.

The next instant, Ling Su's eyelid twitched; she watched helplessly as that person stepped into the air, and anger was roused once more in her heart. "He dares to compete even now—doesn't he know death awaits!"

She had never seen such a brazen and shameless person.

She had dispatched so many disciples to dispense relief, pulled strings to find helpers, and painstakingly engineered this whole situation—yet this beast of a man arrives to snatch it all away by force, greedy and insatiable, sickening!

In a flash, Ling Su froze again.

No—wait. A fine show must have its ups and downs. If no one else fell to this tiger demon, how could it showcase the mighty power of she, Ling Su Zhenjun?

She had originally sought out a great demon at the Three-Three Transformation realm to intimidate that worm-demon's disciple; she hadn't expected this unexpected windfall.

Thinking of this, she let out a cold laugh. "This time, I really should thank you."

She had no doubt the tiger demon wouldn't dare to actually slay a disciple of the immortal sects, but if it could grievously wound him, that would vent some of her spite.

"You…"

The tiger demon, seeing this youth who had suddenly blocked its path, was clearly a bit dumbfounded.

The aura spilling from this person clearly showed he had already stepped into the Daluo realm—though his Dao Fruit had only just formed, he was still a proper immortal, not someone to be compared with those two juniors who had been acting along earlier.

No one had said anything about this before coming!

It instinctively looked toward the peak of Tashan, only to see that woman with a cold expression on her face, giving it a slight nod.

"So that's how it is."

The tiger demon immediately understood. It had done work for the Tisanxian Sect more than once or twice, and had long seen clearly that there were rivalries among these immortals as well.

True Person Brother Mao Feng had sent it to assist True Person Ling Su, which meant this lad's strength and background were both inferior to Ling Su's. Whose orders to follow, the tiger demon knew perfectly well.

Kid, blame your own bad luck!

Today's little show isn't being staged for you.

The tiger demon grinned ferociously, leapt into the air, channeled all its demonic power into the spear in its hand, and with a long howl delivered a sweeping strike—one that would not take the opponent's life, yet could still cleanly wound and send him flying back.

A seasoned veteran kept perfect measure in its strike.

Yet this spear thrust, delivered with full confidence, missed right before its very eyes.

Shen Yi's form sank into the Great Void, and when he reappeared, he was already standing behind the tiger demon.

A massive rift split open above the two of them, like the maw of an abyss, filled with a grayish, hazy mist.

The Divine Void lineage was not adept at direct combat; to forcibly drag an opponent into the Great Void required cultivation far surpassing theirs.

By all rights, given the strength Shen Yi had displayed, not only was there no question of surpassing it, there was still a considerable gap between him and the tiger demon.

"Roar!"

The tiger demon's expression shifted slightly, and it sensed a chill.

Its perception could not be wrong—this person could not have crossed the Three-Three Transformation realm. Yet facing the gray, hazy realm of the Great Void above its head, it felt an inexplicable sense of having nowhere to dodge.

"Don't you break the rules," it growled in warning.

In past dealings, whether disciples of the great sects or demons like themselves, everything had to be done in front of those common mortals. What was the meaning of dragging it into that bizarre place?

Even though it had come on orders, the tiger demon still felt a trace of unease in its heart.

But faced with its reminder, the youth behind paid no heed at all. Relying solely on his own Taixu Dao Fruit, of course he couldn't manage that, but who could have guessed that following beside him was also a Six-Winged Silkworm — the two shared the same lineage, so with a slight concealment, how could anyone detect it?

The instant that rift suddenly fell and swallowed both figures whole, the Tiger Yao felt a hand on the back of its neck, and at last began to panic.

Something's wrong! This kid doesn't seem to be putting on an act!

Yet the next moment, the two vanished from the spot together.

"..."

Compared to that group of stupefied refugees, Sister Ling Su — as a Daluo Immortal Venerable — had witnessed the entire process from start to finish, yet the confusion in her eyes was no less than that of the refugees.

She hadn't understood it at all.

Judging from the ten-odd threads of Order Origin aura that person had displayed, he was no match for the Tiger Yao at all.

Why would this Tiger Yao accompany that Nananzhou cultivator into the Taixu realm?

Could it be that it feared heavily wounding the opponent outside would cause a poor impression, hence this superfluous move?

For some unknown reason, Sister Ling Su — who had originally been brimming with confidence — as she gazed at that empty horizon, a hint of agitation gradually appeared on her face.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long.

Soon, the sky split open again, and a massive tiger head thrust out, making Sister Ling Su gently pat her chest — but the next instant, her hand froze.

Because only a tiger head had come out.

*Plop, plop. *

Countless chunks of meat tumbled from the rift, quickly piling up all over the ground.

Shen Yi stepped slowly out of Taixu. Though his face was pale, looking as though he had expended a great deal, his expression was calm, his Bai Shan unstained, and not a single injury could be found on his entire body.

"..."

Sister Ling Su stood silently in place, eyes wide, face utterly expressionless.

Crossing realms to slay a foe — she had only ever seen such a thing done by the most outstanding senior brothers in the Sect.

It was only when a tide of exclamations erupted across the heavens that Sister Ling Su was jolted awake. She stared intently at the refugees below, watching them bow and worship as they gazed up at that Taixu Danhuang, and a thick surge of dread suddenly rose in her heart.

The other party had only been here a short while, yet was truly about to snatch Tashan right out of her hands!

Sister Ling Su hurriedly took out a jade slip, only to find that her entire hand was trembling: "Zhu Shixiong Brother Mao Feng, something's happened."

"What is it?" A man's curious inquiry came from the other end of the jade slip.

"The great Yao you summoned... is dead." Sister Ling Su swallowed hard.

The other end of the jade slip was silent for a long while, then a question rang out, barely suppressed yet still clearly seething with fury: "What exactly happened? That great Yao has followed me for many years — didn't I warn you to be careful when making a move?!"

"It wasn't me... it was that Nananzhou cultivator... I..."

Sister Ling Su bit hard on her red lips, feeling both wronged and chilled to the heart. It was one thing that her Sect didn't side with her, but now even her sole advantage — her cultivation — had been surpassed by that disciple of the Worm Yao.

Recalling the words He Tong had once spoken, she finally saw one thing clearly: relying on herself alone, defending her Dao Ground against that person was almost impossible.

And the longer this person stayed in Beizhou, truly coming into contact with the mysteries of the Sanxian Sect, her hopes would only grow slimmer.

Thinking of this, Sister Ling Su finally let out a low growl:

"I will kill him!"

"Zhu Shixiong, please aid me!"

(End of this chapter)