Chapter 787: What If I Insist on My Share?

After speaking, the Cloud Miao True Person smiled gently and quietly regarded the young man before him.

“…”

Shen Yi did not respond immediately, but instead turned his gaze to the clear water in his cup.

These great figures of the Three Teachings always hid hidden meanings in their words.

His manner was exceedingly courteous, leaving no room for criticism, yet the meaning he conveyed was identical to that of the pink-silk woman beside him.

What does “come and go as you please” mean?

That is the privilege of guests, not of the Three Immortals’ disciples, let alone disciples of the Spirit Void Cave.

If you wish to remain in the Spirit Void Cave, fine—but only as a temporary guest. Though there is no time limit, and the Bodhi Sect will never come here to cause trouble, it sounds quite good, at least resolving your immediate survival issue.

But once you accept, Shen Yi will become a lone cultivator, utterly cut off from all matters in the Northern Continent.

After all, once you leave the Spirit Void Cave, the Three Immortals Sect will have no reason to protect you; if you intend to compete for anything, they can simply join forces and kill you, this fallen outsider from the Southern Continent, with no consequence whatsoever.

Moreover, Shen Yi has no right to practice the Dao within the Spirit Void Cave—how could the Immortal Gate transmit its great path to an outsider?

To gain this safe refuge, the price is to remain here forever, spending your final years in peace; if you step outside and anything goes wrong, the Three Immortals Sect bears no responsibility.

The Emperor is truly the Emperor—even amidst his wine pool—he saw your fate at a glance.

That’s why he used those final few words to soothe your restless heart.

Live this quiet life, without participating in the great calamity; as long as you survive to the end, no matter the outcome, your place will be secured.

“…”

Shen Yi closed his eyes and exhaled softly: “Huh.”

This visit has also broadened his horizons.

Since the founding of Great Qian, Shen Yi had often heard the phrase “mass slaughter of living beings,” so he had always been cautious, never daring to take a wrong step; fortunately, his luck held, and until now he had never witnessed a true earthly hell.

Yet this time, he saw it.

The ruined city, the rubble-strewn ground, the scattered corpses—if the Southern Continent fell, it would look no different from the Northern Continent now.

“Not satisfied yet?”

Shen Yi’s prolonged silence, coupled with that sigh, seemed to strike a nerve in Ling Su; her brows shot up, her tone turning sharp and fiery: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming—stop dreaming!”

“Our elders personally fought the Divine Dynasty’s Guardian General, and our fellow disciples expended great effort to secure this favorable situation in the Northern Continent. You, a Southern Continent cultivator, did nothing at all, yet you come here with your hand out, begging for a share—on what grounds?”

“We’ve given you a cave dwelling and protected your life—still not enough?”

“If your insect-demon master ever taught you the meaning of shame, you’d either settle down quietly here, or get the hell back to the Southern Continent!”

Listening to Ling Su’s barrage of bitter, cutting words, Yun Miao True Person unusually made no move to stop her.

He had played the kind face; now it was time for someone to play the stern one, to make this Southern Continent cultivator understand the current situation.

Judging by his conduct since arriving at the Spirit Void Cave, he appears to be a reserved, reasonable man; these words alone should silence the young man.

“…”

Under their gazes, Shen Yi remained silent for a long while—then suddenly smiled.

The sound of his laugh made Yun Miao True Person instinctively frown.

Shen Yi lifted his gaze to the pink-silk woman, his expression calm: “A decree from the Northern Continent summoned us all out of our mountains—at this moment, it was our great sect’s strategy.”

“The Bodhi Sect scattered my sect.”

“That monk slew my master.”

“I fought to escape, and finally reached the Northern Continent.”

“Now it’s become your sect.”

His clear voice echoed through the cave, devoid of accusation or lament; Shen Yi’s face showed no sorrow, even a faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered at his lips.

These painful experiences sounded ordinary—almost terrifyingly so—in his voice.

“You!”

Ling Su opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.

Then she saw the young man set down his teacup, slowly rise, and step before her, looking down from above.

The previously gentle, jade-like features on his face had vanished; in his clear eyes now flickered a sudden, cold ferocity.

“What if I say…”

Shen Yi stared coldly at the girl, his smile now laced with bitter mockery born of heart-chill: “I insist on my share of this soup?”

Under the weight of his gaze, Ling Su trembled; she had not yet formulated a rebuttal, and now her mind went blank, unable to utter a single word.

“Chirp.”

Shen Yi gave her no chance to speak; he stepped past her with effortless ease and strode toward the cave’s exit.

In an instant, his gaze turned grave.

No matter what, even if he abandoned this refuge, he must preserve his identity as a member of the Three Immortals Sect; in this tightly sealed Northern Continent, if branded an outsider, even with three heads and six arms, he would have no chance whatsoever to rise again.

“…”

Yun Miao True Person’s eyelids twitched involuntarily twice.

He had never imagined this seemingly gentle young man possessed such a fierce nature.

If this man walked out that door and his words reached other disciples, not only would he fail to help Qingguang Senior Brother resolve this issue—he might even be suspected of deliberately tarnishing the other’s reputation!

Qingguang Cave doesn’t want to take responsibility, true—but others don’t know that.

This Southern Continent cultivator didn’t go to pay respects to that Senior Brother; he came straight to the Spirit Void Cave. When word spreads, would this junior disciple dare confront Qingguang Senior Brother with mere words from He Tong?

The likely outcome: Senior Brother would simply punish the two of us, to “resolve the misunderstanding.”

Realizing this, he could no longer hold back—he raised his hand: “Wait! Younger brother, stop!”

The term “younger brother” does not mean Shen Yi is being accepted into the Spirit Void Cave—after all, the Three Immortals Sect has many factions, and disciples address each other as brothers; but at least it acknowledges the Shen Xu lineage.

“…”

Shen Yi acted as if he heard nothing, leaving the cave with decisive ease.

Seeing this, Yun Miao True Person panicked and swept his sleeve; a vast force of Tribulation energy gently enveloped the young man, halting him in place.

“Younger brother, hear me out.”

“Our Northern Continent disciples are far from the Bodhi Sect—we truly didn’t realize how fierce the situation was in the other three continents. You’ve contributed to the sect; how could we treat you poorly? Ling Su, my younger sister, rarely leaves the mountain and doesn’t understand propriety—she has no authority to speak for our elders. Don’t take her words to heart.”

Shen Yi stood still, not turning around.

His eyes remained as still as a deep well, yet anyone could see the deep grievance in his posture—he simply refused to dwell further.

Yun Miao True Person stepped forward, dismissed the Tribulation energy, and apologized slightly: “My master hasn’t returned yet. Stay here for now. Don’t worry—I’ll personally see to the compensation you deserve.”

Fearing Shen Yi wouldn’t believe him, he immediately pulled out a jade slip, inscribed a message upon it with a flick of his finger, then transformed the message into a spiritual bird with Tribulation energy, sending it swiftly into the clouds.

Clearly, this True Person of the Spirit Void Pill was no soft target—he was a man of strong will.

To appease such a person, you must offer tangible benefits.

His sect suffered catastrophic losses—effectively annihilated—and he fled all the way here, seeking only his rightful share in the Northern Continent.

Today, I’ll sacrifice my dignity and demand a territory for this Pill Emperor.

Even if no immediate result comes, if my fellow disciples merely soften their stance and give him a glimmer of hope, that’s already good.

“Listen to your elder brother. Stay here in the Spirit Void Cave.”

Yun Miao forced a smile, patted his shoulder, then turned and glared at Ling Su: “Pick a cave on the cliff—place it near ours.”

Living near the direct disciples is nearly equivalent to accepting him into the Spirit Void Cave’s inner circle—only awaiting the master’s final approval.

Benefits and future prospects—all clearly arranged, nothing lacking.

“…”

Shen Yi glanced at Yun Miao True Person, saying nothing.

After a moment, he bowed slightly, then turned and reentered the cave.

Seeing this, Yun Miao stood where he was, slowly erasing his smile, his face darkening as he led Ling Su back to Half-Fallen Cliff.

As soon as they landed.

Ling Su blurted out in resentment: “Brother, why did you act so impulsively? You not only took him in, but now you’re using the Spirit Void Cave’s name to beg for benefits for him… Even if he lost his master, what’s that to us? Why should we bear the responsibility?”

“Then what do you suggest I do?”

Yun Miao True Person glared coldly: “Let him walk out? Then let Qingguang Senior Brother lose face and come here personally to demand justice?”

“But we can’t…” Ling Su was silenced.

Yun Miao sighed, raised his hand to cut her off, and soothed: “When our master returns, report this young man’s background truthfully. If our master refuses to accept him, then it’s none of our concern.”

“Understood.”

Hearing there was still a chance, Ling Su gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger.

She could already imagine how many would laugh if this insect-demon disciple became her younger brother.

“Rumors are just rumors—now that I’ve met him, he’s nothing like He Tong described. I judge his cultivation to be barely third-rank, even inferior to mine… If this is his level, then that so-called Dragon-subduing, Tiger-taming Bodhisattva can’t be that powerful.”

“…”

Yun Miao True Person paused, then nodded slightly.

If even a cultivator of this level could escape from his hands, the Bodhisattva’s true power is evident.

Perhaps my own path lies in the Southern Continent?

Meanwhile.

Inside the mountain cave, Shen Yi sat before the table, pulling out a jade slip of his own.

He pondered, preparing to inscribe a message.

While those two observed him, Shen Yi was observing them too—for instance, the Daoist in the purple-cloud robe, who revealed a cultivation base of the ultimate Nine-Nine Transformations with just a slight gesture.

He still needed to learn slowly about these great sects.

Shen Yi had also been to South Sumeru, though he didn’t stay long.

But like the peak where the Great Freedom Pure World Bodhisattva resides, Sumeru Mountain holds many similar places, their depth truly unsettling.

Only by gathering three Sumeru Mountains could one match the Three Immortal Teachings of the North Zhou.

Even a mere disciple beneath any Golden Immortal could possess cultivation comparable to a Southern Emperor—nothing surprising.

The Emperor of Mortals said the Spirit Void Grotto was merely an unremarkable branch within the Three Immortal Teachings… To establish oneself in the North Zhou was indeed terrifyingly difficult.

“…”

After recording the latest developments, Shen Yi summoned the Spirit Void Ancestor, instructing him to enter the Great Void Realm and return this jade slip to the Imperial City.

The one he had left in the Imperial City was Ye Lan.

They knew each other well, and Shen Yi trusted him enough; leaving him beside the Emperor allowed the Divine Dynasty to protect Ye Lan’s life by default, a two-fold advantage.

As for Master Zhi Kong, who had left South Zhou with him, he had not remained in the Imperial City.

This former Bodhi Sect practitioner, even after enduring the torment of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva, still clung to a sliver of compassion within his heart.

In his own words, though his cultivation was only sixth rank, as long as he entered the world, he could still do something for all living beings—even picking up a few bricks to help rebuild a village was better than sitting idle behind high walls.

Of course, he would not return to South Zhou.

Shen Yi did not press him further; across the world, a trend was emerging where good and evil were hard to distinguish, and every action seemed tied to the Imperial Qi.

Only this practitioner, once stopped by an old mortal woman with a broken wooden door, still kept his heart utterly pure.

“Better to think of yourself first.”

Shen Yi sighed helplessly; though the process had been bumpy, he had ultimately achieved his goal.

With the identity of the Three Immortal Teachings, his actions in the North Zhou would now be far easier.

He closed his eyes and sank into inner observation.

The brilliant golden Bodhisattva seat had reached perfect completion; the characters that had once flickered across it had not appeared again for a long time.

On the other side, the howling Spirit Void winds still retained their nascent form, far from completion.

Yet with the North Zhou in such chaos, earning a bit of demon lifespan should not be difficult.

With only these strengths, rising to prominence was still too hard.

Shen Yi had long seen through the true face of the North Zhou.

With three Sect Masters in residence, every corner teemed with fellow disciples; vines stretched, fruits followed, one branch linked to another.

In such a place, no matter how high one’s cultivation, it could not surpass the Sect Masters—thus, background and lineage mattered more than raw power.

No need to rush; wait until Spirit Void True Person returns.

…

Several more days passed.

A new cave dwelling had been carved into Banluo Cliff.

“Younger Brother Danhuang, is there anything else you need?” Yunmiao True Person stood with his hands behind his back.

“Thank you both,” Shen Yi shook his head; he cared little for such external things.

Lingsu stood beside him, face cold, as if someone owed her silver.

“Good.”

Yunmiao True Person smiled; as long as he could temporarily stabilize this Great Void Danhuang, a mere cave dwelling meant nothing.

At that moment, a celestial bird returned, carrying a jade slip in its beak.

He raised an eyebrow and swept his sleeve to catch it: “Perfect—there’s news regarding your matter, Younger Brother.”

Saying this, Yunmiao True Person directly immersed his spiritual sense into the jade slip.

As he read the reply within, his smile faded quietly, his expression darkening with a touch of embarrassment.

(End of Chapter)