Chapter 767: Rules That Exist Only in Name

The night was deep, yet the firelight still burned.

The demon calamity that could easily turn an entire prefecture into a dead zone failed to stir even a ripple in Kaoyuan Prefecture.

Shen Yi strolled through the scattered points of light; compared to his first arrival, the stench of blood and rot had lessened, and the faint sobbing in his ears had ceased, making him feel slightly more at ease.

Though he appeared to have an unsociable personality, he oddly loved the scent of this mortal dust.

Walking leisurely like this, before long, Shen Yi returned to the peak of Tashan.

He stood at the cliff edge and lazily stretched his arms.

Although this was only the first wave of assault, after dawn, Beizhou would soon be thrown into an uproar, and Kaoyuan Prefecture would become the target of all, but a good start was always a good thing.

"My Lord, it is all resolved."

Nan Huang returned silently, tossing down four rotting corpses.

It was not at all surprised that its master had returned before it; when the other's cultivation was not yet perfect, he had ruthlessly slain it. Now that he had achieved success on both the Immortal and the Walker paths, that deer demon could count itself lucky to have survived half the night.

"Go rest."

Shen Yi nodded slightly, looking forward at the panel.

The previous four great demons had collectively offered thirty-four thousand kalpas of demon lifespan; combined with the accumulated imperial incense qi stored up during this time, it successfully pushed his Master Master Shenxu Dao Fruit past the number ninety-two.

Adding the eight thousand-plus kalpas from this deer demon, it was enough to complete this path.

The current tranquility was certainly comfortable, but the sky would always brighten; it was time to prepare for the response.

Shen Yi closed his eyes and gazed inward.

The Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Fruit Seat was the most yang, drawing upon the meaning of heaven and earth, stable as a rock, but the Master Master Shenxu Dao Fruit followed a completely opposite path; until now, it did not even have a concrete shape.

The two should have conflicted with each other.

But Shen Yi quietly discovered a sliver of opportunity: using the Master Master Shenxu Dao Fruit to veil the Golden Body Dharma Image, the current thick black clouds resembled the night before his eyes; as threads of Great Void Primordial Origin merged into them, they no longer wrapped around the Golden Body but slowly rose, then rapidly spread out.

Beyond heaven and earth lies the universe.

The black clouds became ever deeper and vast, until they shrouded everything within; from then on, inside was heaven and earth, outside was the star river, clear and turbid separated, yet mutually reinforcing.

Until the final thread of Primordial Origin seeped in, this boundless universe finally took shape.

This was the second time Shen Yi had stepped into this realm, yet he still stared tightly at this change; sure enough, in a flash of lightning, he once again captured that supreme Dao pattern.

"Jade Universe..."

It was equally fleeting; Shen Yi gazed at the endless black clouds, and his heart suddenly felt a bit empty.

What surged forth in its wake was a longing for the Great Dao.

After a long while, Shen Yi finally snapped out of this daze; he lightly clenched his palm. Given his current situation, there was no need to rush anything.

When he re-examined the condition within his body, he discovered another quite absurd matter.

Although he could perceive the Fruit Seat and the Dao Fruit separately, these two paths were now so intertwined that even he could not separate them.

"Merged into one?"

Shen Yi fell silent for an instant, then his face lit up with joy.

In this way, he could simultaneously mobilize two portions of kalpa power, nor did he need to worry about others detecting the anomaly; this would be of immense help for what he was about to do.

He opened his eyes, gazing at the faint white line on the horizon.

Watching the night curtain slowly recede like a tide.

Kaoyuan Prefecture remained as calm as ever.

As if nothing had happened.

But the twenty-eight prefectures of Beizhou outside of it instantly erupted into chaos.

Everyone knew that Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao had made her move; they had even prepared for this senior sister to ascend to the position of First Disciple of the Sanxian Sect today, yet nothing happened this night, and the entire Kaoyuan Prefecture failed to stir even a ripple.

"What is going on..."

"Could it be that Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao has a soft heart?"

The disciples discussed it fervently, and even many elders in the sect were somewhat surprised.

They did not think the matter had failed.

After all, quite a few people had casually flown over Kaoyuan Prefecture, only to find that this vast Songfeng Fucheng had not even left traces of a magical duel, and even those refugees looked normal, not at all as if they had experienced a demon calamity.

"..."

Shiqian Shangren stood in the Temple of the Eastern Pole Emperor, respectfully adding three new sticks of incense to his master's statue, but his mind was clearly not on this place.

He stared at the curling blue smoke, his eyebrows slowly knitting together.

Based on Shiqian's understanding of Sister Youyao, this woman was not the type to speak without basis; on the contrary, she was very clear about what she wanted and would never joke with her reputation.

Compassionate and soft-handed? What a joke.

Someone who wanted to become an Immortal Emperor would exert their utmost effort with every move, allowing no room for even the slightest mistake.

To put it bluntly, in today's Beizhou, cultivators who had reached the extreme of the ninety-nine transformations were not numerous, but they were certainly not just the three of them; yet why could these three occupy four prefectures, while other peers of similar cultivation could only hold one prefecture, or even figures like Lingxu Dong and Master Yun Miao, who still had no dojo to their name?

This reputation was won through hard battles.

If our group suffered even one setback, the minds of the other peers would become active; as the saying goes, two fists cannot fight four hands, and if not necessary, even if one is a fierce tiger, why invite a pack of wolves to surround oneself?

Therefore, the matter was absolutely not as the other disciples imagined.

"There is something strange."

Shiqian Shangren closed his eyes, and the figure sitting quietly on the peak of Tashan yesterday floated into his mind.

This cultivator from Da Nanzhou was probably not as simple as he had imagined.

What was previously thought to be recklessness now appeared to show a certain degree of composure.

The visitor comes with ill intent.

Sister Youyao desired to seize the position of First Disciple of the Sanxian Sect; those watching her were certainly not limited to just Shiqian Shangren.

At the same time, right at the border of the Kaiyuan Prefecture.

A man in a green robe strolled along; though his appearance was plain, standing before several disciples, he naturally possessed an air that made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

"Zhu Shixiong Li Shan, look!"

A disciple spotted the clue, stepped forward a few paces, and pointed his finger at a depression stained a deep red by demon blood.

Clearly, this was not an act of mercy; last night, the Kaiyuan Prefecture had indeed suffered a demon calamity, but it seemed these demons had been cleanly and decisively slain just as they stepped into this place.

Li Shan merely glanced casually, then withdrew his gaze and looked again toward the distant farmhouse.

Compared to this demon calamity, he seemed more concerned with other matters.

"Zhu Shixiong Li Shan?" Seeing him lost in thought, the disciple couldn't help but remind him with a puzzled tone.

"Hah."

Li Shan let out a long sigh and remarked, "If we speak of mental fortitude, I am not as good as this Taixu Zhenjun."

"Why does Zhu Shixiong say such a thing?" Confusion in the disciples' eyes was joined by a measure of astonishment; they knew that the senior brother before them was one of the three most outstanding geniuses within the sect, and even if this Taixu Danhuang truly held off Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao's assault, it was far from enough to elicit such a sigh.

"Look there."

Li Shan looked at the group of refugees carrying water buckets and chatting as they walked, saying calmly, "Throughout the entire Beizhou, all our fellow disciples are exhausting their minds thinking about how to seize the Imperial Qi, and I am no exception."

"Whether controlling water and grain, or sending great demons into the city, it is all to make them live harder, so they will know the Human Emperor is without the Way, while the Xian Sect is benevolent."

"But this person has gone against the grain." Li Shan's smile vanished.

"This... what is the reasoning behind this?" The disciples stood frozen.

"Our eating manner is ugly; whether we admit it or not, there is a reason our hearts feel hollow. As for what makes us hollow, naturally it is the fear that this dojo will be taken by others, so we instinctively want to eat our fill while it is still in our hands."

Li Shan shook his head: "It is no different from these common people fighting over water and grain."

"He can restrain his temper, which shows he is fully confident, believing no one can snatch this Kaiyuan Prefecture from his grasp; with a steady flow of water over the long term, why rush for the moment?"

Upon hearing this, the disciples looked at one another: "Could it be that Zhu Shixiong is overthinking? After all, the Kaiyuan Prefecture was once divided among three people; perhaps he employs these tactics simply because he does not wish to openly tear the face off the others, so he uses this method to compete for incense offerings?"

"That cannot be ruled out."

Li Shan did not speak definitively; smiling, he continued to take his steps.

But would someone daring to contend with Sister Youyao truly care about those unknown names?

However, there is no need to think so much right now.

The matter is far from settled.

After today, the name Taixu Zhenjun will surely resound throughout Beizhou, but it may not last long.

After all, when other disciples compete for dojos, victory or defeat is normal, but Sister Youyao is different; she cannot lose, or rather, all three of us are the same; we truly cannot afford to lose.

Let us see how that woman responds.

Just thinking of her current expression, Li Shan found it quite amusing.

Beizhou, Qingguang Cave.

Amidst the spirituous mountain ranges, a long flight of bluestone steps vanished into the clouds and mist.

A woman in a black skirt, wearing a jeweled crown, did not ride clouds but walked slowly up the stone stairs.

Her expression was normal; no joy or anger could be discerned.

Only when she reached the end of the stone steps and looked up at that quiet small temple did her footsteps finally pause.

It was very clear that Sister Youyao's emotions were not as calm as she appeared on the outside.

Right at the entrance of that small temple, the Crane Boy reached out and grabbed the arm of another boy beside him with red lips and white teeth, narrowing his eyes slightly to remind the other with his gaze.

However, that boy hesitated for a moment, then finally forcefully shook off the Crane Boy's hand, forced a strained smile, and stepped forward to meet her, saying softly, "Jiang Shijie Sister Youyao has returned... I wish to ask where my elder brother is now?"

Under True Person Qingguang served the Crane and Deer Boys.

This youth was none other than the Deer Boy.

At this moment, he was clearly also disordered in mind; even his act of paying respect seemed somewhat absent-minded, as he stared tightly at Sister Youyao's face.

"What did you call me?" Sister Youyao swept her gaze over coldly.

"S-Senior..." The Deer Boy realized something was wrong halfway through his sentence and quickly bowed: "Immortal Master Sister Youyao."

Even though he was only one step away from entering True Person Qingguang's sect, he was still merely a boy; this title of 'Jiang Shijie' could be tacitly accepted as usual, but if faults were truly sought, he would surely not escape the crime of overstepping.

"Remember your status clearly."

Sister Youyao lightly waved her sleeve, stepped past him, and went straight into the small temple.

When her back disappeared from the end of the vision.

The Deer Boy slowly raised his head; his whole body was trembling slightly.

"Sigh."

The Crane Boy quietly approached and gently patted his shoulder; neither spoke, but both understood clearly in their hearts.

If something had not happened, why would Sister Youyao speak of other things to avoid the issue? She appeared majestic, yet actually revealed a trace of guilt; the former Eldest Jiang Shijie would absolutely never respond in such a manner.

Her avoidance of this question was itself an answer.

"Who exactly is governing the Kaiyuan Prefecture?" Hatred welled up in the Deer Boy's eyes.

The Crane Boy remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering a sentence: "Taixu Danhuang."

It was truly hard for him to imagine that the young man who, back in Da Nanzhou, had dared not show his face when targeted by a mere Mount Tianwu, relying only on his master's protection, could actually defend the Kaiyuan Prefecture against that Deer Demon.

And defend it so silently.

Thinking of this, he casually turned his head back to look at the old woman walking out of the small temple.

"..."

Yu Chi Laozu forced a smile and nodded, greeting the two boys.

Immediately afterward, she lowered her head again and quietly headed down the mountain.

No one noticed that her palms, hidden within her sleeves, were already drenched in sweat... her own guess had indeed been correct—there truly was such a thing as a Tribulation-Bearer.

Even though Sister Youyao had not yet reported to her Master.

However—

Yu Chi Laozu swallowed hard, thinking of Master Shu Yu and Shen Shan Laozu, who had yet to return. Those two, most likely, had already returned their souls to heaven and earth by now.

These people looked down on Da Nanzhou, thinking themselves and the like had never seen the world. How could they know that the fear the Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger Bodhisattva had brought her was in no way weaker than even Sister Youyao's.

How could the Taixu Danhuang, who had escaped from that Bodhisattva's hands, possibly be easy to deal with?

Qingguang Cave had offended the Tribulation-Bearer. Yu Chi was now already considering whether to throw in her lot with another sect.

And at this moment, right inside that small temple.

The slender figure, with her back to the kneeling woman, said coolly: "Lost?"

Sister Youyao bit hard on her red lips, and only after a long while said: "This disciple did not lose... and cannot afford to lose..."

"Sophistry."

Master Qingguang glanced back at her indifferently: "What do you wish to do?"

"He killed Yan Shidi Shu Yu..."

Sister Youyao drew a deep breath, but before she could finish, she was cut off by her Master.

"Do you have proof?"

Sister Youyao raised her head, let out a long breath, her pupils trembling slightly, and said resentfully: "No."

Master Qingguang withdrew her gaze. At this point, she had of course guessed that something had happened to her second disciple. The disciple before her, bringing this up now, was simply seeking her permission, nothing more.

The demons had been slain, so what remained could only be handled personally.

But Beizhou had no precedent of cultivators directly engaging in magical combat over a disputed Dao-ground, hence the desire to use the pretext of a private grudge to save face.

"Do you remember what you said when your Senior Uncle Elder Chi Yun asked you last time?"

"This disciple said... that man was innocent." Sister Youyao was momentarily stunned.

"That man was innocent, so naturally the cultivators of Da Nanzhou are also innocent. After all, that junior brother of yours went looking for death on his own. But correspondingly, you too may be innocent."

Master Qingguang's face grew even colder: "So, stop thinking up excuses. You don't have much time—make the most of it."

The Sect Leader was watching the great tribulation closely, and would choose the superior among them. Under such circumstances, the Qingguang Cave lineage absolutely could not fall behind. Since it was a tribulation, when had it ever been the case that no one had to die?

In any case, the storm had already risen—better to make it even greater.

(End of this chapter)