Chapter 758: The Struggle for Kaiyuan Prefecture

"Zhu Shixiong, we're just going to let it go like this?"

"What else? You want me to bring out a magic artifact in broad daylight and fight him?"

Two figures hurried back to their own sect grounds. Hua Ming's face was full of grievance: "So what if we fight? Zhu Shixiong's cultivation is a full realm above his. If you ask me, we should have stepped in and taught him a lesson, made him lose all face at Tashan, and see if he still has the nerve to keep that immortal shrine."

"Besides, he has no master, so he can't be counted as one of us Sanxian Sect disciples!"

At this point, Hua Ming suddenly froze: "Right, he's not one of our Sanxian Sect, so we don't necessarily have to teach him a lesson in broad daylight. We could just do it behind the scenes…"

What's there to teach him a lesson for? Just kill this madman and be done with it.

But before he could finish speaking, a crisp, clean slap had already landed across his face.

*Slap! *

True Person Haoming stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping over coldly: "If you keep talking nonsense, don't blame your senior brother for not caring about our bond as fellow disciples."

His own progress had been slow but steady, and just because of the other's goading, he had lost a great demon for nothing. He hadn't yet found a place to vent the fury in his chest, and now this little brat actually dared to run his mouth.

That kind of thing—could it really be brought out into the open?

Throughout all of Beizhou, there was no precedent for fellow disciples killing one another.

True, that Taixu Danhuang still has no master, but if it weren't for his connection with Lingxu Cave, then it should have been Zhu Shixiong Master Yun Miao who took over Tashan.

"…"

Hua Ming stood in a daze, covering his face.

They hadn't seized the sect grounds, and he'd gotten slapped for no reason—it was something he really couldn't accept.

He clenched his teeth, took several deep breaths, his face flushing red as he said: "Now that so many prodigies have left Beizhou, and with the Puti Sect sticking their nose in, the situation is long past what it used to be. If Zhu Shixiong still clings to the old way of thinking and acts with hands and feet tied, sooner or later you'll suffer a huge loss!"

Hearing this, True Person Haoming instinctively raised his palm, but in the end did not bring it down again.

Actually, what the other said was not without reason.

In the old Beizhou, because the Sanxian Sect's strength far exceeded the Divine Dynasty's, the entire conquest of Pozhou happened at an extreme pace, and the carving up of sect grounds was mostly a matter of luck.

Quite a few people had ridden that momentum to pick up bargains—for instance, himself…

But with so many prodigies holding things down, the rest dared not act rashly and break the rules they had set.

Now that this group had left, those fellow disciples who had been unlucky back then and hadn't gotten enough sect grounds would surely seize this last chance.

In this situation, how many people would still be willing to keep to the rules—that was hard to say.

If he had never tasted the flavor of imperial qi, then so be it. But once something has already been swallowed, asking someone to spit it back out—others' thoughts were unclear, but True Person Haoming personally wouldn't mind fighting the other to the death over it.

Besides, with the Puti Sect serving as a convenient cover, if someone were so inclined, they could kill a fellow disciple in secret and shift the blame straight onto those monks.

As one of those who were already in the weaker position, how could he not feel his own safety threatened?

"Sigh."

Thinking of this, True Person Haoming let out a long sigh. Just imagining the formerly harmonious fellow disciples likely falling into a scene of mutual slaughter brought several shades of sorrow to his face.

"Rather than sit and wait for death, better to strike first, Zhu Shixiong." Hua Ming lowered the hand covering his face and said through gritted teeth in a low voice.

"Say no more. I know what I'm doing."

True Person Haoming still cut off his junior brother's words, but his voice was no longer so cold and hard—it had softened considerably.

Saying so, he turned his gaze toward the edge of the sect grounds.

After Bai Yuan left, people gradually began looking toward Tashan. Though there was no boundary separating them, the difference between the two sides' sect grounds was glaringly obvious.

On one side was a stinking ruin; on the other, while not exactly splendid, at least they were living something resembling a normal life.

Among the refugees were plenty of wealthy merchants from before the city's fall. They stared longingly at those farmhouses and adobe dwellings they would once have looked down their noses at, their faces blank, their eyes filled with envy.

Everything fears comparison.

These swine-like creatures, who had previously been grateful just to keep their lives and have water and grain to fill their bellies, now actually dared to covet more.

"What a vicious scheme." Hua Ming caught on as well. The person next door seemed to be sitting tight on his little plot without sending out any great demons to act, yet was using this kind of subtle, insidious way to compete for incense and offerings.

"…"

After a long silence, True Person Haoming waved his sleeve and summoned a disciple, instructing in a cold voice: "Whatever they do over at Tashan, you follow suit exactly… no, do even better than them!"

A few adobe farmhouses, plus freely available water and grain—what were such things to immortal cultivators?

But competing for incense and offerings in this way forced everyone to follow suit, which only slowed down the efficiency of all disciples in gathering imperial qi. In the past, that person would long since have been punished by his senior brothers and sisters.

But now no one paid any heed, and True Person Haoming could only resort to this lesser strategy.

First stabilize the hearts of the people within the sect grounds. As for that arrogant, broken-down Da Nanzhou fellow—the grudge of having Bai Yuan slain today would be repaid eventually!

……

Below Tashan.

Ordinary commoners could barely hear the conversation in the heavens above, and even the figures of the immortal cultivators appeared somewhat blurred to them.

They all raised their heads, staring fixedly upward.

Until that Bai Yuan burst apart into pieces, turning into a rain of blood across the sky.

The next moment, no one knew who started it, but stimulated by the demon blood, the cries carried a faint hint of savagery, yet were also full of celebration, finally converging into a tide-like chant of Taixu Zhenjun's name.

Shen Yi felt the imperial qi suddenly thickening.

He lowered his gaze slightly and extended his palm. Soon, more than thirty Hundred Tribulation Golden Pills condensed before him.

This was the first time Shen Yi had laid hands on the Divine Dynasty's imperial qi.

In the old Shenzhou, building temples and shrines was absolutely forbidden. Even someone who had achieved what Nanyang General did—saving a Dazhou single-handedly, and with Zhan Yao Si's help, becoming hugely famous—still held the identity of a divine general of the imperial court, and the归属 of incense and imperial qi would ultimately fall to the Human Emperor.

Even if one could get a small share, it would certainly be only a tiny portion.

Besides, he had done it all to save Da Nanzhou in the first place—how could he possibly touch the imperial qi meant to shelter the common people?

But now the situation was different. Beizhou had already fallen, and even if Shen Yi didn't take the imperial qi here, it would eventually fall into the hands of those immortal cultivators.

Only by experiencing it firsthand could one understand why those immortal cultivators were so frenzied.

When imperial qi was in the imperial court's hands, taken from the people and used for the people, one didn't think much of it. But once it fell into an individual's hands, one realized just how abundant it truly was.

The tiny Tashan Mountain, occupying only one-fifth of a prefecture, has already gathered over three thousand calamities from this single demonic disaster.

Extend the timeline to tens of millions of years—this is no mere cultivation ground; it is plainly an immortal elixir, a divine medicine that grants levitation and transcendence beyond the two realms.

"Huh."

Shen Yi gathered the imperial qi golden pills and floated back to the peak of Tashan Mountain.

His face held little joy.

Coincidentally, it was the aid of the monk from Xumishan, coupled with the suspiciously timed slaying of Sister Ling Su, that caused the change Shen Yi awaited to arrive faster than he anticipated.

The current problem is that he has yet to grasp the strength of this transformation.

Attaining the Bodhisattva Fruit Position of ninety-nine transformations may qualify one as top-tier among Beizhou disciples and grant the power to contend with other prodigies, but under current circumstances, revealing one's Dharma Form would mean certain death—no other outcome possible.

He possesses many Dharma artifacts, yet all are stolen goods.

The cultivation he can openly display… is merely the Divine Void Fruit Position, still unentered into the thirty-three transformations.

To be honest, had it not been for Shenxu Laozu's covert assistance, even this single Bai Yuan alone would have given Shen Yi immense trouble.

【Slayed third-rank Bai Yuan King, total lifespan ten thousand calamities, remaining lifespan eight thousand eight hundred calamities, absorption complete】

【Remaining demonic lifespan: nine thousand one hundred calamities】

When Shen Yi first arrived at Tashan Mountain, he poured all his reserves from Da Nanzhou into the Divine Void Dao Method, allowing this Fruit Position to accumulate a total of eighteen strands of Heavenly Dao Order's primordial essence.

Adding the current demonic lifespan and the newly acquired imperial qi golden pills, it is about time to consider entering the next transformation.

Shen Yi closed his eyes and sank into inner observation.

At the instant he reached third-rank, the Divine Void Fruit Position transformed into tangible wind, swirling around the Bodhisattva Fruit Position, ceaselessly battering the seated Golden Body.

Clearly, the power of etherealization and the power of protective Dao are mutually opposed.

Only because the Golden Body's cultivation far surpasses the Fruit Position's could it remain unaffected.

But as the two advance side by side, the problem will only grow worse.

"I must stop this wind."

Shen Yi pondered for a long while, then plucked invisible threads and slowly infused them into the raging Divine Wind.

As strands of primordial order merged in, the Divine Wind grew denser, the rustling sounds faded away, and it began to take on color.

It became the gray of Tianyan Siji, like the realm of Grand Void.

The wind turned into a thin mist, like a hazy gauze robe, gently draping over the Bodhisattva Dharma Form—just as Shen Yi's current situation demands he conceal this blinding Jin Guang.

He has no clear direction yet for the Divine Void Dao Path, but at least he must alter this mutual opposition.

"…"

Watching the once gleaming Golden Body now draped in a gray cassock-like veil.

Shen Yi, while cultivating, nearly laughed out loud.

It was a silent, bemused laugh.

The Dao Path he stumbled onto by accident seems to be growing increasingly askew.

He is attempting to forcibly merge two utterly opposing Heavenly Dao Orders into a single path—could it be that, in the end… the Fruit Position and the Fruit Position will fuse into one?

Compared to that, the probability of qi deviation seems higher.

But Shen Yi currently has no other options; not only does he lack a master, but even if he truly joined the sect of some Slain Hunyuan Great Luo Jinxian, upon learning of his peculiar condition, the master would likely offer no useful advice.

He opened his eyes and gazed at the small thing bounding toward him—tiny, a lump of rotting flesh with two antennae sprouting from it, antennae resembling tiny short legs, tapping incessantly—where was the former Southern Emperor's dignity?

"My Lord, I found them!"

The Southern Emperor plopped onto the ground, then extended two small antennae, bowing as if to claim credit.

"Rise."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod; he had brought only Shenxu Laozu and the Southern Emperor as his two third-rank stabilizing stones—the former to act on his behalf before others, the latter must not idle.

Tashan Mountain is too small; relying solely on its imperial qi, it would take an eternity to advance the Divine Void Fruit Position to the peak of ninety-nine transformations.

Thus, Shen Yi still focused his attention on demonic lifespan.

Since immortals must harvest imperial qi from great demons, and must also guard against sudden attacks from fellow sect members, these great demons must inevitably remain near the cultivation ground.

For instance, the nearby Qingguang Cave of Master Shu Yu.

The Southern Emperor's methods are less convenient than Shenxu Laozu's, but his cultivation is too high—finding these great demons remains easy.

"How many?" Shen Yi stood up.

"My Lord, exactly four," the Southern Emperor exclaimed excitedly.

Even with his calm nature, Shen Yi's eyelid twitched slightly.

Recall that in Da Nanzhou, so many Bodhisattvas joined forces, even fighting the True Gods for them, and barely gathered eight demon lords.

In Beizhou, a mere disciple keeps half that number under his control?

But upon reflection, it is understandable: the Puti Sect has few rules; many great demons, upon achieving cultivation, directly join and claim a place within Nan Xumí, becoming those Ascetic Bodhisattvas.

In contrast, Beizhou offers great demons far fewer paths—few demons wish to serve as servants, and since they gain no sect membership, they'd rather remain idle demon kings.

Yet even so, someone like Sister Ling Su could not afford such great demons and had to borrow one from Mao Feng—this alone reveals how wealthy Master Shu Yu truly is.

"Let's go take a look."

Shen Yi grew interested, stood, and stepped into Grand Void.

…

Beizhou, Qingguang Cave.

Still the same mist-shrouded hall, yet Master Yun Miao True Person now seemed noticeably more relaxed, no longer so haughty.

After all, he was now something of an insider at Qingguang Cave.

"Master Master Yun Miao, you're not joking, are you?"

Master Shu Yu smiled, raising an eyebrow: "That man occupies Tashan Mountain, yet you now claim he has no connection to Lingxu Cave?"

"I only took him in out of respect for Master Qingguang's sake, never expecting him to be a wolf-hearted schemer, utterly incorrigible and beyond cure."

True Person Yun Miao looked on indifferently: "The news of Lin Shimei Sister Ling Su's demise had just returned, yet he immediately ordered her statue removed and, without a moment's delay, established the Shrine of Taixu Zhenjun. Such conduct is truly chilling."

Upon hearing this, even the crane boy outside the hall, knowing Yun Miao's true nature, dared not say much on the matter.

"He comes from the South, and is a disciple of the Insect Demon; does Zhu Shixiong Yun Miao expect him to possess the refined cultivation of you and me?"

True Person Shu Yu shook his head, though a different expression flickered in his eyes.

He glanced covertly at the Eldest Jiang Shijie before him, who sat with eyes closed in meditation: "To have Tashan fall into his hands is not only a pity, but also something we simply cannot swallow. Even for the sake of Lin Shimei Sister Ling Su, we must reclaim this place."

Halfway through speaking, True Person Shu Yu hurriedly added: "It just so happens that Lin Shimei Elder Yu Chi and Yan Shidi Shen Shan also lack a cultivation ground."

The Eldest Jiang Shijie is currently in charge of investigating the Puti Sect and has yet to make a statement to avoid offending the other party, so he once again brought up the two cultivators from Da Nanzhou.

"Zhu Shixiong Shu Yu, I already stated last time that I truly dare not be greedy."

What True Person Shu Yu did not expect was that Elder Yu Chi, who appeared so humble, was unwilling to grant even a shred of face whenever this matter was involved.

The other party immediately rose, clasped his hands in a bow, and refused him outright.

True Person Shu Yu's expression shifted slightly; when he looked back, a hint of ferocity had appeared in his eyes.

He stared tightly at the old crone, yet saw that although she kept her eyes lowered and her demeanor submissive, she showed not the slightest sign of yielding.

Shu Yu pressed his lips slightly and shifted his gaze to Shen Shan Laozu beside him.

(End of this chapter)