Chapter 761: The Fool in the Web

「……」

Master Shu Yu's body tensed slightly; the other had just been effortlessly stripped of his disguise, so his realm was certainly far below his own.

But if Shen Shan wasn't suddenly driven mad, his absurd reaction could only mean the situation was more complicated than imagined.

Spare me, Noble One?

Repeating those words in his mind several times, Master Shu Yu knew "Noble One" was a title for a Bodhisattva—but what Bodhisattva could drive Shen Shan into such madness…

He slightly lifted his head: "The Bodhisattva of Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger of the Puti Sect?"

The moment those words echoed through the cave, Shen Shan Laozu finally stopped kowtowing, his whole body trembling violently.

The first time they met in Da Nanzhou, even as he watched a host of Bodhisattvas reduced to dust, he had forced himself to remain calm, summoned his artifacts, and tried to break the formation and escape—that was pure survival instinct.

But after barely escaping with his life, the events of that day had replayed countless times in Shen Shan Laozu's mind, becoming his deepest nightmare.

Meeting again under such sudden circumstances, staring at that pale, handsome face, he lacked even the strength to stand.

This monstrous deity had actually followed him all the way to Beizhou!

Shen Shan Laozu's reaction confirmed Master Shu Yu's suspicions—in an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind; the deaths of Ling Su and Mao Feng gradually linked to the face before him.

The Puti Sect hadn't just entered Beizhou—they had nearly infiltrated the inner ranks of the Sanxian Sect!

"A Bodhisattva of the ultimate Nine-Nine Transformation, yet resorting to such despicable tactics."

Master Shu Yu's face twisted into a ferocious snarl; he swiftly swung his Dao sword, unleashing a dense barrage of Qingguang already stored within it, as if capable of splitting apart everything before him.

Yet these Qingguang failed to spread fully—Shen Yi casually waved his palm, golden paste surging from his fingertips, seizing the countless Qingguang like a tangled knot in his palm.

Merely this sight revealed the truth to Master Shu Yu: regardless of whether the other praises from Da Nanzhou's cultivators held any truth, at least the opponent's third-rank fullness was undeniable.

Between their realms lay a full Transformation—any sane person, no matter how deep their foundation, would not even consider how to win; escaping with his life came first.

"Tè!"

Master Shu Yu reacted instantly, spitting out a jade-green seed.

This was a life-saving artifact, far beyond ordinary tools, already faintly touching the aura of a Spirit Treasure.

Before the seed even touched the ground, it erupted in astonishing radiance, shielding Master Shu Yu's Dao body while rapidly swelling into a thick vine that lifted him into the sky, shooting straight upward!

This colossal vine, transformed into a heavenly pillar, moved like a living serpent, extending toward the distance at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

Master Shu Yu stood solemnly atop the vine, repeatedly flicking his sleeves; instead of summoning other artifacts to fight, he hurled one jade slip after another, channeling all his calamity energy to send them flying.

The true killer of Ling Su and the other disciples had finally appeared—every hero in Beizhou would rush here; besides his sister, famed across Dazhou, perhaps even senior elders from his sect could arrive—these were the only things that could save his life.

After sending off the jade slips, Master Shu Yu finally exhaled.

With the protection of this Azure Water Green Vine, buying some time was certainly possible.

But at that moment, the True Person's expression changed slightly—in his vision, all the jade slips had reached the horizon's edge, yet did not vanish; they froze in place.

Beyond that sky, ripples spread like water.

"The moon in the mirror, the flower in the water…"

Master Shu Yu's heart lurched—he spun around frantically, his pupils trembling, his face turning deathly pale.

This tangible world was fake!

From the moment he stepped into this Xianshan, he had fallen into a trap.

And for someone of his realm to detect nothing, it must be a Buddha artifact comparable to a Spirit Treasure!

If so, then not only Ling Su and the others, but even his own several great demons were likely slain by this fiend.

He had thought he and Shen Shan had accidentally stepped on an iron plate—turns out this Bodhisattva had been watching him long before!

First kill Ling Su, stir up unrest in Beizhou, and make his fellow disciples stir with ambition.

Then erect a shrine to draw attention, and finally set the ambush, waiting for the one closest to Litian Tashan—him—to walk right in. Everything had been meticulously planned by the other.

Once he understood it all, Master Shu Yu finally knew why Shen Shan Laozu had shown such a pitiful state—such cruel, meticulous cunning, even letting those two escape in Da Nanzhou must have been foreseen by this Bodhisattva from the start.

"Even if I die…"

Master Shu Yu's face twitched, his pupils blazing with ferocity like a cornered beast as he glared downward, roaring: "I'll tear off chunks of your flesh!"

He was no Shen Shan—he would never surrender until his final breath.

He refused to believe that Qingguang Cave's ten-thousand-year legacy, the Dao arts bestowed, the artifacts granted, could not bridge the gap between Six-Six and Nine-Nine Transformations.

He possessed seventy-nine strands of Heavenly Dao order—only twenty short of the opponent.

Overcoming a realm gap—Beizhou had precedents!

"Azure Water Green Vine, kill!"

Master Shu Yu slammed both palms onto the vine, pouring all his calamity energy into it, granting this treasure from his master temporary Spirit Treasure-level power.

「……」

Shen Yi stood beneath the green vine; behind his swaying robe, four powerful, muscular arm shadows gradually emerged.

As he was bathed in golden radiance, Shen Shan Laozu's face filled with terror, his breath halting—as if he had returned to that day in Da Nanzhou.

In an instant, the four shadowy arms struck the vine cleanly and powerfully!

Boom!

The earth shook, the heavens trembled.

Amid a deafening roar, Shen Yi brutally ripped out the giant vine and hurled it back with savage force.

That emerald vine, resembling a great serpent, offered not the slightest resistance in the golden four-armed grip—letting out a deep, mournful cry, it cracked against the ground like a whip, shattering the earth's spine.

"Huh! Huh!"

Before Master Shu Yu could react, one moment he had been suspended in the sky, the next he stumbled onto the ground before Shen Yi.

He stared blankly at the opposite figure.

The shock of that moment surpassed even the legend of his sister Sister Youyao, who once single-handedly defeated two peers of her own realm.

Just as cultivators in Da Nanzhou rarely encountered profound Immortal techniques, so too in Beizhou, where the Sanxian Sect reigned supreme, these disciples rarely witnessed the ferocity of a Xingzhe.

Looking at the figure walking slowly toward him, the golden river rippling around, his four-armed phantom shadow slightly stretching out behind him.

Master Shu Yu felt his throat burn, as if all strength had been drained from his limbs and bones.

He stiffened his neck, his face gradually consumed by despair, until his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the ground with a thud, voice hoarse: "Exalted One… Exalted One, spare my life…"

In contrast, Shen Shan Laozu, who had been kneeling silently beside him the whole time, now sat utterly motionless, eyes glazed and vacant.

Anyone who had witnessed the battle in Da Nanzhou knew that after losing a cultivation duel, one no longer held out hope for anything—this master here was the one who had casually crushed Jin Chan Bodhisattva; why would he spare anyone else?

Indeed, Shen Yi said nothing, merely placing his palm upon Shu Yu's trembling forehead.

The next instant, the surging golden river swallowed his entire body whole.

Shen Yi turned and swept his sleeve—the golden river roared and shattered Shen Shan Laozu's entire cultivation body to pieces!

He dismissed his divine form and stepped forward, leaving this realm behind.

"We pay homage to our Lord."

On the true mountain, the Southern Emperor held the jade mirror, watching his Lord emerge from within it, and hurried forward to offer the precious mirror.

"Lord, shall we proceed as before?" Shenxu Laozu also stepped forth from the Grand Void.

"Not this time."

Shen Yi shook his head; previously, he had sought to provoke conflict, but now the conflict had begun, and he had seized Tashan—Shu Yu's death would inevitably draw certain eyes toward him; already suspected, to repeat the same trick would be too deliberate.

Moreover… Shen Yi recalled the woman in black robes who had observed him for a long time atop Tashan.

That senior sister of Qingguang Cave was indeed a clear-headed person who could not be easily deceived.

But chaos had already erupted; she was caught within it, and maintaining such clarity would not be easy.

"…"

Chen Yi's eyes flickered with a glimmer of half-understanding.

He was beginning to grasp why Shenxu Senior had told him to watch quietly.

Merely from the fact that the Southern Emperor had left the precious mirror behind, prompting Shu Yu to come uninvited, one could glimpse the underlying pattern.

Beneath the Lord's seemingly reckless charge lay many hidden intentions.

"Let's return."

Shen Yi had just slain a disciple of a great sect, yet now he returned to Tashan as if nothing had happened.

With his return, the vast Kaiyuan Fucheng suddenly grew strangely tense.

First, the Qingguang Cave immortals stationed in Songfeng Fucheng to manage relief efforts kept vanishing without a trace, one moment gone the next.

Though aided by immortals, most refugees had long ceased to resemble living beings—but now, with water and grain gone, driven by primal survival instinct, they mechanically rose to their feet and began seeking a path to life.

That path was not far—it was, in fact, right before them, just one step away.

They stood at an invisible boundary, gazing at the scattered farmsteads ahead; after a long while, tormented by gnawing hunger, their eyes ignited with wolfish ferocity.

One by one, they dragged their stumbling steps toward a single farmhouse.

Soon, the farmer inside finally reacted, gripping a firewood axe, cautiously appearing behind the flimsy wooden door that barely kept out the wind.

He looked at the expressions on their faces—and suddenly felt a strange familiarity.

Not long ago, he and his own people had looked exactly like this, fighting desperately for a sip of water or grain.

He swallowed hard, hesitated a moment, then pulled a handful of rice grains from his robe—this tiny amount could never feed so many.

The farmer set down his axe and whispered: "The Taixu Zhenjun provided enough grain… after you've eaten, go fetch more yourselves…"

Outside the courtyard, the crowd, standing like wooden stakes, remained frozen after hearing this—not because they didn't understand, but because they could hardly believe it.

"…"

Qingguang Cave, Grand Hall.

Today, several disciples from the main lines were absent, yet a large group of unfamiliar faces had appeared.

Chi Yunzi had returned to this place, yet could only sit in the second seat; the head seat was occupied by the master of Qingguang Mountain, who had not shown his face in ages.

Both were Slain Hunyuan Great Jin Xian, senior elders of great renown within the sect.

All other disciples stood upright below, expressions solemn, not daring to slacken—even Sister Youyao, the senior sister, was among them.

The reason for this gathering was the young disciple kneeling in the center of the hall, who had only reached the Huang Liuliu Transformation realm.

Sanxian Sect had lost a disciple—and this time, not at the hands of the Monk.

"Elders, I cannot accept this judgment!"

The young disciple, bound tightly with immortal ropes, still struggled to crawl forward on his knees, face twisted with grief and outrage.

Qingguang closed his eyes to meditate.

The matter today was simple: with many prodigies departed from Beizhou—including Chi Yunzi's eldest disciple—it was necessary to make the monks in other continents feel the same pain of losing a fellow disciple.

This lineage had already suffered setbacks at the hands of Puti Sect, and without their senior brother's protection, their weakness was only natural.

And this disciple below had seized the opportunity.

He summoned several great beasts to seize the disciple's cultivation ground from Chi Yunzi's sect.

As per tradition, the two sides would test their skills and resources; the loser would withdraw voluntarily.

But this time, Chi Yunzi's disciple chose to fight to the death, determined to slay the great beasts… and was promptly devoured alive by the enraged beasts.

Naturally, all those beasts were exterminated.

But now the question was: how should the mastermind kneeling here be punished?

He was not a disciple of Qingguang Cave, yet he had come here today to attend council—there was another reason behind it.

"…"

Chi Yunzi's face was expressionless as he turned to the woman in black robes: "Were you present?"

Sister Youyao clenched her fists, then nodded softly: "I was."

"As senior sister of this line, even my disciple calls you 'senior sister'—you watched two young ones play recklessly, watched him die, and did nothing?" Chi Yunzi stared into her eyes.

"I never expected it to end up like this." Sister Youyao pressed her lips together, then raised her head to offer a brief explanation.

"Very well."

Chi Yunzi let out a long sigh: "Today, I shall let you deal with him."

Hearing this, Sister Youyao was stunned for a moment.

Last time, when matters concerning Ling Su, Mao Feng, and the others arose, she had stepped forward, earning the favor of this Deng Shibo Chi Yunzi.

But now, the other party was clearly displeased with her standing aside and doing nothing.

Thinking of this, Sister Youyao looked down at the disciple on the ground, who showed not a shred of submission.

"Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao! What crime have I committed!"

That disciple, seeing the woman approaching him, suddenly threw himself forward, crashing to the ground, yet still roared loudly.

Sister Youyao walked up to him and stopped.

Under the tense gazes of numerous disciples, she formed the sword finger with two fingers, and a beam of clear light flickered and danced at her fingertip.

After a long silence, Sister Youyao casually flicked her finger; she did not harm the disciple, but instead severed the immortal bonds binding him.

She took a deep breath, turned back to look at Chi Yunzi, clasped her hands, and said earnestly, "Deng Shibo, this disciple believes he is innocent."

If she killed the other party today, what would become of her Four Prefectures? If everyone chose to fight to the death from now on, how could her plans proceed?

This vast Beizhou must eventually have a master.

This realm of heaven and earth must eventually select an Immortal Emperor.

Before the Great Calamity, one must either step back or die; this is the rule!

"..."

Chi Yunzi slowly rose to his feet, cast a cold glance at this Miss, and finally looked toward Master Qingguang, nodding with a faint smile: "Innocent is good, innocent is good. I only hope you will not regret it."

(End of this chapter)