Chapter 773

Tian Tashan.

Many Lingxu Cave disciples had already cleaned up the corpses of the Qunputi Sect bandits; now they finally had concrete proof, and instead of hiding it, they hung the bodies high in the mountains.

"Are you alright?"

Lingxuzi, having arrived upon hearing the news, first surveyed the surroundings, then looked at the dark-gold meditation staff in his hand, and afterward tossed it back to Shen Yi.

Though this object was excellent, and the abundant calamity-force it contained stirred even him, it was still a Buddhist treasure—immortals struggled to activate its divine power, like a chicken rib: tasteless to eat.

But keeping it as a memento isn't bad.

This was likely the most glorious moment for the Lingxu Cave lineage in Beizhou.

"I am unharmed," Shen Yi shook his head and retrieved the meditation staff.

"You were lucky—if those who came weren't this group, but instead the Tianqiao from Puti Sect matching your cultivation, and if they wielded this object, even I might not have reached you in time."

Lingxuzi smiled wistfully; for cultivators, talent was certainly serious, but at their realm, who's talent could truly be weak? Far rarer was the ability to possess even a thread of elusive fortune.

Shen Yi did not deny this.

He had personally experienced the power of this five-refined Buddhist treasure.

He had just emerged in Beizhou when men from Nanxumí spotted him; surviving today was indeed luck—but luck in another way… that Great Freedom Jing Shi Zunzhe had not personally intervened.

Though he didn't know the exact reason—perhaps due to caution over affairs between the great sects—once word of the Kaiyuan Mansion reached the Jing Shi Zunzhe's ears, next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

Seeing Shen Yi remain silent for a long while, Lingxuzi assumed he was frightened by his words, and immediately comforted him: "Don't worry—there likely won't be a next time. There are too many subtleties here."

"Why does Master say that?"

Shen Yi raised his gaze; Lingxuzi knew nothing of his dealings with Nanxumí, and the man's judgment held little value—but Shen Yi would not miss any chance to probe for news about the great sects.

"Do you know who owned that meditation staff?"

Lingxuzi raised an eyebrow and said coolly: "If I didn't misread it just now, it belonged to the Great Freedom Jing Shi Zunzhe of Nanxumí. Since the blow came from the south, no third-rank perfected Bodhisattva would obey his orders—these people who came to assassinate you were likely his strongest possible force."

"Why is that?" Shen Yi genuinely didn't understand the reason.

Lingxuzi had no objection to chatting about such trivial matters; his lips curled slightly: "You're from Da Nanzhou—haven't you noticed something strange? With the Empire's shallow foundations, even if some accidents occurred, if Nanxumí truly committed fully, how could it still fail to breach Da Nanzhou today?"

He didn't tease—he spoke directly: "The outbreak of this calamity was the will of both great sects, but within each sect, two elders have no interest in this great calamity."

"One is the Hou Tu Huang Di Qi among the Five Emperor Lords."

When Lingxuzi mentioned this revered name, though no outsiders were nearby, he still slightly bowed toward the heavens before turning to Shen Yi and asking: "Do you know why?"

"Disciple does not know." Shen Yi had never even seen this Emperor Lord, let alone anything else.

"One day, when you reach my Great Luo Jinxian realm, you'll realize that cultivation alone has reached the end of the Dao path—Jin Xian divide strength not by cultivation level, but by divine arts and spiritual treasures."

"Among second-rank, there is only one threshold."

"This threshold is called Hong Yuan in Puti Sect, and Xian Shi in our sect—but they are the same thing."

"To swear an oath before Heaven, to vow a grand aspiration—if this task is not accomplished, one shall never become Emperor or Buddha."

"By making this Hong Yuan or Xian Shi, one gains power far exceeding ordinary second-rank, but only if the task is significant enough to provoke Heaven's response."

"Upon completing the Xian Shi, one ascends to Emperor or True Buddha."

"Of course, the cost is that the Hong Yuan cannot be changed; and the longer it remains unfulfilled, the more Heaven's backlash will afflict you… perhaps this is the only way Jin Xian and Great Freedom Bodhisattvas can finally end their lives."

"Thus, though there are many second-rank cultivators in both sects, very few dare to take this step—almost all are hoarding calamity-force as foundation, waiting for the day they are fully prepared."

Lingxuzi sighed here, clearly belonging to those who had stalled: "But these matters are not yet relevant to you. What I wish to say is that when the Empress Hou Tu established her Xian Shi to become Emperor, it was to personally assist in the founding of the Empire before you."

"This Empire is deeply entwined with her—though she cannot defy her sect master's will and oppose the great tide of the world, she refuses to join in."

Lingxuzi had clearly gone off-topic, but Shen Yi listened with intense focus.

The old man's tone shifted, finally returning to the matter at hand: "Besides Empress Hou Tu, the other who has no interest in this calamity is the Future Buddha who governs your Da Nanzhou."

"Why is he like that?"

Shen Yi furrowed his brow slightly; the old man was right—even if Nanxumí's foundations were inferior to Beizhou's Zhousanxian Sect, it could still spare a few ninety-transformation Bodhisattvas.

With just us, how could we possibly defend the twenty-seven prefectures of Da Nanzhou?

"Him?" Mentioning the Puti Sect's sect master, Lingxuzi's tone lost some reverence, tinged with mockery: "In the past, present, and future—these three Buddhas each govern one age. If this great calamity succeeds, how long will it take before a new change emerges in this age?"

"Is there any Crown Prince who lasts forever?"

"He's already made a great concession by merely pretending to go along and not causing trouble."

"That foolish monk Jing Shi has failed to understand his own sect master's intent. According to two young men who fled from Da Nanzhou, this monk deliberately stirred internal strife within this act of pretense, burying the Future Jing Shi Zunzhe's disciple—the Jin Chan baldhead—into it. No wonder he risked so much to come to Beizhou; if he can't produce an explanation, he won't dare return to Xumí Mountain."

Lingxuzi turned back to Shen Yi: "Now you understand—because you're from Da Nanzhou, you suffered this undeserved disaster. But now it's better: a misfortune has become your opportunity."

Even he felt a pang of emotion; the cultivator before him had just lost his sect and fled alone to Beizhou—he was utterly wretched.

Yet since arriving, he had continuously encountered good fortune—each time seeming perilous beyond measure, yet always leaving a thread of survival, solidifying his position.

Could this be misfortune turning to fortune?

The deeper one's cultivation, the more one believes in fate; at this moment, Lingxuzi felt a genuine desire to take Shen Yi as his adopted disciple and nurture him well.

But there was no rush—after all, they had only just met. He would wait and see how Shen Yi performed next.

"Just this one meditation staff from the monk Jing Shi is already a major lever—Nanxumi must give an explanation. As for him personally, unless he's gone mad and wants to completely tear apart the face of both sects and be eternally suppressed, as a second-rank powerhouse, he likely won't trouble you further."

"But don't let this make you arrogant—the more your fellow disciples revere you, the greater the risk of being flattered to death. Don't aspire to more than you can handle. Lingxu Cave lacks deep foundations, and your Dao path is ordinary—you're unfit for great positions. The best choice is to remain humble and cautious."

In the end, Lingxuzi still couldn't resist putting the young man down.

After all, under current circumstances, Shen Yi was already Lingxu Cave's best option.

If he took advantage of this momentum to develop other ambitions, or was tempted by other immortal lines and grew overconfident, it would truly trouble Lingxuzi.

After all, this wasn't a disciple he'd raised from childhood—he couldn't fully trust him.

Fortunately, Shen Yi showed no sign of deviation and bowed respectfully: "Disciple understands."

"Master…"

At that moment, a figure hesitantly descended from the sky.

Lingxuzi glanced at the person, dropped his smile, merely nodded, and immediately ascended on clouds and mist, leaving the place.

Seeing this, Master Master Yun Miao's face flushed with embarrassment, and recalling how just moments ago the two had been chatting amicably, that embarrassment now swelled into anger.

It seemed no further waiting was needed—right now, the treatment he received was no longer befitting the eldest disciple of Lingxu Cave.

He had originally come, hoping to remind the other, given Shen Yi's recent improvement, to quickly apologize to Sister Youyao and relinquish the Kaiyuan Mansion, to avoid provoking a Jin Xian who would soon rise—and drag the entire Lingxu Cave into ruin.

If the other obeyed, he would later control the Five Mansions, gain wealth, and wouldn't mind entrusting some of it to this capable little brother for management, thereby demonstrating the elder brother's magnanimity.

Now, it seemed death would be cleaner.

"Brother has come—what advice do you offer?" Shen Yi regarded him with an expression as calm as ever.

"Nothing much. I merely worried for your safety, so I came to check on you. Since you're unharmed, I won't disturb you further." Master Master Yun Miao returned his gaze with a cold, forced smile.

This boy always wore this innocent look, as if nothing had anything to do with him.

If I truly believed this brat was harmless, I'd soon be bowing respectfully and calling him Elder Brother.

Thinking of this, Master Yun Miao resolved to utter not a single word.

Better let this boy keep gloating—until he finally enrages that madwoman who has already abandoned the Great Calamity. Only when the killing calamity clings to him will he regret his past mistakes.

The scenario of the snipe and the clam fighting—how delightful!

"Then I'll take my leave first," Master Master Yun Miao nodded and turned away from Tashan.

Yet he failed to notice that behind him, a slightly blurred spot, which had followed him here, did not follow him away—but remained atop the mountain peak.

Shen Yi watched Master Yun Miao depart, then stepped forward into that blurred Taixu.

Two figures had already been waiting there in respectful silence.

With his cultivation, Shenxu Laozu could hardly track Master Yun Miao, a third-rank perfected cultivator—but with the aid of the Bai Lu, the great beast deeply tied to Qingguang Cave, the task became far easier.

When Shen Yi slew the Puti Sect's patriarch, his mind was entirely focused on searching for the Jing Shi Bodhisattva's presence—how could he have failed to notice the four uninvited guests?

"What's the current situation?"

"Report to my lord: your guess was nearly correct. That Youyao True Person has indeed been neglected by her sect and flew into a rage within the hall," Shenxu Laozu murmured in wonder. As a worm demon cultivator, he could not fathom the mindset of these great sect's true heirs—they possessed so many tangible benefits yet still couldn't let go of even a single empty title.

"Youyao seeks to seize the imperial qi of the Four Mansions, attempting to break through to second-rank," Bai Lu sighed softly. Though transformed into a stone guardian, watching the once-revered senior sister of her lineage being toyed with by the lord, newly arrived in Beizhou, still stirred deep emotion.

"Judging by her demeanor, once she gathers enough imperial qi, before attempting the breakthrough, she'll likely come for you first—kill you outright, then find a secluded place to break through in peace. When she returns, she'll be a Jin Xian—immortal and invincible, beyond anyone's reach," Shenxu Laozu added.

"No."

Bai Lu suddenly contradicted the six-winged silkworm's speculation. Seeing the lord's gaze turn to him, he lowered his head slightly and said seriously: "It's merely a fleeting outburst. After a few days of calm, she'll realize the risk is too great—even with some imperial qi to support her, success in becoming a Jin Xian is far from guaranteed. If she fails, she won't return to Beizhou."

"Based on my understanding of Youyao."

Bai Lu paused, then raised his gaze again: "She'll most likely wait until after she becomes a Jin Xian, when no one suspects, then quietly descend upon Kaiyuan Mansion and finish everything in one stroke."

He wasn't defending Qingguang Cave—he merely wished to warn the lord: if you wait here expecting Youyao to come, what arrives may not be a third-rank perfected cultivator.

Shenxu Laozu resented being upstaged by this newcomer but had no rebuttal, so he stood silently to the side.

"Understood."

Shen Yi lightly swept his sleeve—he didn't care which of the two stone guardians' guesses was more accurate.

Because Youyao could never seize the imperial qi from the Four Mansions.

Years of patient endurance had finally yielded an opportunity.

An opportunity to seize the Dao field outright—without provoking a united assault from Beizhou's cultivators.

The identity of the Sanxian Sect's disciples, the respect of fellow sect members, and the oppression suffered after the Dao field was contested—all of it made his next actions perfectly reasonable.

Having stayed in Kaiyuan Mansion so long, it was time to go out and see the world.

Shen Yi looked toward the panel before him.

He had slain three Bodhisattvas born of demonic clans, gaining over twenty thousand calamity-lifespan; the people of Kaiyuan Mansion witnessed this and transformed into over twenty thousand calamity-lifespan of imperial qi—but still far short of the two hundred thousand needed to rebuild his cultivation.

As he had said before.

Youyao was indeed a formidable opponent.

But since he had already provoked her, he might as well provoke her completely.

The Four Mansions—he would take them without hesitation.

Who said the first disciple of Beizhou's Sanxian Sect must be a Beizhou cultivator?

If others can sit in that seat, so can Shen Mou.

(End of Chapter)