Chapter 760: Eyes brimming with tears

Master Shu Yu settled the matter just like that, with a casual wave of his hand.

Within the Sanxian Sect, his strength was nothing remarkable, but because he had a senior sister like Sister Youyao, he had personally watched how she had risen step by step to her present position, so his understanding of this great tribulation was far clearer than that of his fellow disciples.

Take Yun Miao of the Lingxu Cave as an example.

Master Shu Yu still did not know exactly how strong this person was, but no matter how one put it, anyone who could serve as the senior brother of an entire branch, combined with strength that had reached the extreme of the ninety-nine transformations, how bad could he possibly be?

Yet precisely because of his indecision and hesitation in handling matters, he had now fallen to the point of running errands for disciples of other branches, waiting for them to share the soup.

This great tribulation was a contest for ten thousand generations of incense offerings; the situation changed with every moment, and under the blessing of the imperial qi, the degree to which his fellow disciples' cultivation had risen was something he had never seen in his life.

Seize the initiative, show no mercy, strive to grasp every wisp of incense within one's ability—only then could one ensure in the tribulations to come that one would not be squeezed out.

"You, claiming to both be from Da Nanzhou and wanting to catch up on old times, invite him out."

Master Shu Yu slowly closed his eyes. Now that such a great disturbance had broken out in Beizhou, those elders who idled their days away visiting friends and discussing the Dao ought to be returning as well, and among them was Uncle-Master Lingxu.

He was unwilling to gamble on how this uncle-master would view a Da Nanzhou cultivator temporarily staying at Lingxu Cave.

Besides, immortals not fighting one another in front of mortals was an unwritten rule in Beizhou—doing things required the dignity befitting a great sect.

"Zhu Shixiong..." Shen Shan Laozu moved his lips.

"What, unwilling to go?" Master Shu Yu knitted his brow, his tone turning slightly cold.

"That's not it, I just wanted to say, you must not underestimate this Taixu Danhuang. Though I have never met him, I have personally experienced the methods of that Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Bodhisattva. To escape with one's life from that fierce deity is no easy feat."

Shen Shan Laozu knew these Beizhou cultivators carried many tricks, but he still feared that the other party might be careless for a moment and capsize in a ditch.

"Heh." Master Shu Yu laughed, opened his eyes to look over, and mocked: "Didn't you also escape with your life from under his hand? Could it be that this senior brother's eyes are dull, and I failed to see the extraordinary qualities of Yan Shidi Shen Shan?"

"Th-that's not the same." Shen Shan Laozu stammered and waved his hands, explaining: "It's because we..."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Master Shu Yu stopped teasing, flicked his sleeve to cut the other off.

He never believed in accidents—or rather, if one truly had strength, one ought to be able to resolve those accidents. Say it a thousand ways, a million ways, wasn't it still just that the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Bodhisattva's methods weren't enough?

Committing fratricide among fellow disciples, and even slaying Jin Chan, a disciple of the Future Buddha—and yet he let live witnesses escape, three of them at that.

With that level of skill, it was truly hard to convince anyone.

Of course, Master Shu Yu also understood the severity of the matter. Even though everyone knew that as the situation grew ever more intense, some casualties among fellow disciples were inevitable, he absolutely could not be the one to set that precedent—even if Taixu Danhuang counted as only half a fellow disciple.

If one's reputation were ruined, one would easily become a target for all.

In any case, with Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao above bearing the pressure, it should be the disciples of the other branches who ought to be anxious.

"Enough, go down. After you've invited him out, come find me here."

Master Shu Yu steadied his immortal carriage—he had already arrived at Tashan.

He tossed out a jade slip, watched Shen Shan Laozu sweep down toward the lower reaches, and only then stirred his dharma artifact once more, going to seek out the few great demons stationed near the dao field.

The so-called saying that many hands make light work—calling a few more to hold the array, to guard against disciples of the Taixu branch letting them escape again.

A moment later.

Master Shu Yu retracted his immortal carriage and landed before a cave dwelling.

He frowned slightly.

In the past, the mere detection of his aura would have these great demons coming out respectfully to greet him, but today he had walked all the way to the door, and still there was not the slightest movement.

With a slight shift of his mind, Master Shu Yu flicked his wide sleeve lightly, and a dao sword was already in his palm.

He poured tribulation force into the sword, quietly storing a divine ability within it, and only then stepped into the cave dwelling with an unchanged expression.

"..."

Master Shu Yu slowly came to a halt. Looking at the furnishings around him, which showed nothing out of the ordinary, and after carefully investigating for a long time, he found no traces of a magical battle—yet all four Demon Sovereigns had vanished without a trace.

A hint of confusion finally welled up in his eyes.

He had clearly instructed these great demons that without his decree, they absolutely must not leave this place by so much as half a step.

A trap!

After a moment's thought, Master Shu Yu turned and swept out of the cave dwelling, only to find no formation blocking the way either.

He gripped his dao sword, stared at the empty sky, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

After a long while, his face turned ashen, and he finally cursed aloud: "These wretched beasts!"

With no traces of a magical battle, and not a trap set by someone else, only one possibility remained.

Ever since the tribulation arose in Beizhou, great demons had become hot commodities—everyone wanted to recruit them. As long as one could afford to keep them, no one would think they had too many.

These wretched beasts had most likely grown insatiable and defected to another household!

Master Shu Yu gasped heavily a few times, only then managing to suppress the raging fury in his heart.

No need to panic. Since they had spent so much to recruit these great demons, they couldn't just hide them away and never use them. As long as they were sent out to harvest imperial qi, there would always be traces to follow.

Once he knew which household's disciples they were, he would certainly make them understand the price of stealing demons from Master Qingguang's cave!

Master Shu Yu turned and went back into the cave dwelling, and with a slap, slammed his dao sword onto the table.

Finish the matter at hand first.

Tashan.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged. The lifespan he had previously obtained from slaying those great demons had now been entirely converted into part of his dao fruit.

Divine wind transformed into fog, completely enveloping the bodhisattva's dharma image within.

Adding another thirty-plus strands of the origin of Heaven's Dao order, he had now reached the realm of sixty-four. Shen Yi had finally, like Shenxu Laozu, arrived at the threshold of the next transformation.

His Shenxu Dao path was very pure, existing solely to conceal his Puti Sect cultivation.

Judging by the results so far, the effect was quite good.

To forcibly pry into another's foundation, one's cultivation needed to far surpass the other's. Once he stepped into the realm of Huang Liuliu's transformation, then among those at the third-rank level, there should no longer be any cultivator able to see the golden dharma image within the grey fog.

The matter of slaying Bai Yuan was still fermenting among the common folk of Tashan. Afterwards, although the imperial qi could not compare to that one stroke at the time, it was still very simple to make up the two thousand tribulations still missing.

"..."

Shen Yi sensed the fluctuation of aura, did not raise his head to look, but quietly opened his eyes.

The next moment, a stream of light descended to the ground.

The visitor first looked around somewhat nervously, his gaze falling upon the Immortal Shrine atop the mountain, his eyes flashing with fleeting envy and jealousy.

The old man quickly composed his expression and bowed to the young man in the Bai Shan before him: "This old one is Shen Shan from Da Nanzhou. Hearing that the Taixu Danhuang also encountered that fierce man, I traveled a long distance to Beizhou, always wishing to visit. Now I finally have some free time."

Halfway through speaking, a few traces of sorrow appeared on Shen Shan's face. He smiled helplessly: "The greatest bitterness in the world is leaving one's homeland, never to return in this life. In Beizhou, though I and Elder Yu Chi have cultivated for many years, I still feel a sense of helplessness. Fortunately, now the Taixu Danhuang has joined us; the three of us can rely on one another."

Hearing this, Shen Yi showed no enthusiasm, but simply looked over silently.

"This... Taixu Danhuang, rest assured."

Shen Shan Laozu seemed to sense something and hurriedly explained: "The two of us absolutely do not seek to attach ourselves to a high branch just because the Taixu Danhuang has now achieved some success. Being able to enter Qingguang Cave and preserve our lives is already a great fortune; how dare we ask for more? We merely wish to invite you to chat."

According to the former divisions, he and Shenxu Laozu were of the same generation, technically Shen Yi's senior uncle, yet now he used an honorific title.

The old man portrayed his state of having no support or help to the fullest extent.

Everyone fled from Da Nanzhou; facing discrimination was inevitable. Even this Taixu Danhuang was no exception; otherwise, why would the other party still be a lone cultivator at this moment?

True Person Master Yun Miao ignored the Taixu Danhuang. This young man must be very anxious to find a path to join another sect now; he would most likely not refuse to make friends with the two of us, who have already entered Qingguang Cave and are in the same desperate situation.

Sure enough, Shen Yi hesitated slightly, then finally stood up: "With nothing to do, chatting would be fine."

"Exactly, exactly!"

Shen Shan Laozu rose on clouds, leading the way ahead with a smile on his face.

He had finally completed Master Shu Yu's instruction; a sigh of relief escaped his heart. Yet he failed to notice that while he still needed that jade slip to guide the way ahead, this Taixu Danhuang seemed to know the path already, following behind at a leisurely pace.

The two soon arrived at that unremarkable mountain range.

Shen Shan Laozu first carefully scanned the area. After locating the cave residence, worried the other party might suspect something, he turned back and explained with a smile: "It is a bit humble, but since we are new here, we do not have our own place to receive guests. Please do not despise it, Taixu Danhuang."

Upon reaching the agreed location, the old man unconsciously straightened his back considerably.

He withdrew his gaze and sped down toward the cave residence below.

A few traces of coldness appeared in his eyes.

Shen Shan Laozu could endure the contempt of Beizhou cultivators because he needed to survive; he could bow to this Taixu Danhuang because it was his senior brother's order.

But what he could not accept was that this Taixu Danhuang, as a junior, simply remained silent and accepted his great bow without the slightest intention of politely refusing.

Thinking back to the time at Shenxu Mountain, this master and disciple pair had been utterly unkind to Shen Shan Laozu. After experiencing life and death, they still acted this way, showing not a shred of improvement.

We all came fleeing for our lives; who is nobler than whom? Why does this person maintain his former arrogance and pride, making even Zhu Shixiong Master Yun Miao furious enough?

He deserves it!

Shen Yi leisurely followed the old man into the cave residence.

Shen Shan Laozu silently looked ahead, seeing Master Shu Yu seated around the stone table, with no immediate intention to act.

He hesitated, unsure what the other party intended, but dared not disobey. He could only find another excuse: "Taixu Danhuang, this is True Person Shu Yu of Qingguang Cave. Having heard of your deeds, he is quite interested and wishes to make friends with you, so he came with us... Zhu Shixiong, where is Elder Yu Chi?"

"She has something to attend to and will return soon."

Shu Yu held a smile, showing no sign of the previous rage, and extended his hand in welcome: "Fellow Daoist, please sit."

When something unusual happens, there must be a hidden motive. Several great demons under his seat had disappeared; though they were most likely taken away by others, this Taixu Danhuang was right here at Tashan. Testing the other party would do no harm.

Shen Shan Laozu obediently sat beside the stone table, then looked at Shen Yi beside him. He had thought the excuse he just improvised would be hard to truly fool this person, but unexpectedly, the other party showed no fear at all, instead sitting opposite with composure.

This... is he crazy about wanting to join the Immortal Lineage, thinking this is an opportunity?

"I am an old friend of True Person Master Yun Miao of Lingxu Cave. Recently, he has often mentioned you."

True Person Shu Yu casually sized up the young man before him.

"It probably isn't anything good." Shen Yi met his gaze calmly, and at the same time, with his mind, gave orders for several guardian stones nearby to check thoroughly for any traces of others.

These words made True Person Shu Yu's smile grow even wider. He teased: "So Fellow Daoist also knows clearly; Zhu Shixiong Master Yun Miao is indeed not very generous."

"However..."

He shifted his tone, shaking his head: "My senior sister is responsible for investigating the Puti Sect. As her junior brother, I also wish to contribute my humble strength. Tashan was, after all, something promised to Junior Sister Sister Ling Su by our fellow disciples. Now that she has encountered trouble and the matter remains unresolved, is it not somewhat inappropriate for Fellow Daoist to have established an Immortal Shrine on the mountain?"

Hearing Tashan mentioned, Shen Shan Laozu's eyes inevitably brightened with warmth.

Though he did not know why Zhu Shixiong Shu Yu had changed his mind, if this Taixu Danhuang yielded and handed over Tashan... then he would accept it!

Anyway, once the other party achieved success, even if he planned to return for revenge, Qingguang Cave would still be there to support them.

Even Shen Shan Laozu himself did not realize that, once the cultivation ground was involved, his thoughts kept changing, long since diverging from his original intention of merely wanting to survive.

At this moment, he looked eagerly at the Taixu Danhuang.

"Inappropriate?"

Shen Yi raised his eyes perfunctorily, arching his eyebrows: "Then you go and demolish it?"

This response, full of provocation and surprise, not only stunned Shu Yu but also shocked Shen Shan Laozu.

Since coming to Beizhou, he had grown accustomed to his posture of bowing and submitting. Perhaps Elder Yu Chi was a bit more tough, but only regarding the matter of the Tashan cultivation ground; elsewhere, she was still very humble.

But why did this person dare to retort so decisively?

Under this huge contrast, before True Person Shu Yu could react, a streak of evil fire already surged in Shen Shan Laozu's heart.

We are all kneeling, begging for a path to life; why do you insist on standing tall, even begging for food with such backbone?

"..."

True Person Shu Yu came to his senses, the smile gradually fading from his face.

Only now did he finally understand why even that cowardly Zhu Shixiong Master Yun Miao could not stand the other party.

True Person Shu Yu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his palm: "Fellow Daoist has been in Beizhou for so long yet still dares not show your true face. Talking to me like this is somewhat disrespectful."

Before his words fully left his mouth, a mighty force of tribulation had already surged out.

He had grown somewhat impatient and directly used a more decisive method of testing. If this person truly had the ability, he could naturally block this strike. He merely wanted to see the other's true face. Even if it was somewhat presumptuous, it was not a life-and-death grudge... If the disguise was torn away, revealing someone strong on the outside but weak within, he would simply kill him.

Shen Yi sat quietly; the concealment technique on his face was easily dissolved by the incoming tribulation force.

Master Shu Yu lowered his sleeves, seeing no anger on that Bai Xi, handsome face; just as he felt puzzled, a scream like ghostly wailing suddenly rang in his ears.

"Ah!!"

He turned his gaze and saw Shen Shan Laozu, who had been sitting obediently just moments before, now collapsed on the ground with distorted features, looking as if he had seen a ghost; his palms pressed the floor, his legs kicked desperately, his whole body weak as he tried to get as far from the table as possible.

In an instant, the old man was soaked through, tears and snot streaming down, his voice even cracking.

"It is you—"

Though the cave dwelling was not narrow, Shen Shan Laozu soon squeezed himself into the corner.

Under Master Shu Yu's astonished gaze, he trembled all over, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed with loud thuds: "Venerable One, spare my life! Venerable One, spare my life!"

This bizarre scene was truly enough to send chills down one's spine.

Master Shu Yu turned his gaze back to the opposite side and顺势 gripped the Dao Sword on the table.

Yet whether it was Shen Shan Laozu's outrageous reaction or his own motion of gripping the sword, neither seemed to stir the youth in the slightest.

"..."

Shen Yi, listening to the responses from the镇石，slowly rose to his feet, looked down at this Master Shu Yu, and brushed his sleeve: "Are you satisfied now?"

(End of this chapter)