Chapter 800: The Aftermath of Shu Yu

Chi Yunzi walked toward the temple entrance; only two figures stepped forward, their expressions filled with grief and fury, following him out.

The other disciples watched their senior brother’s retreating back, a strange fear rising in their hearts.

The Mixed Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal had attained immortality, seeing all things in the world as trivial—but now, of his seven disciples, four had died in a short span, his closest senior disciple had departed for other continents to lead resistance against the Bodhi Sect, leaving only two young ones behind, with not even one person to offer him counsel.

In that jest just now, everyone had faintly sensed a hint of murderous intent.

“...”

Qingguangzi watched his senior brother depart, offering no words to dissuade him, nor any rebuke for Youyao’s actions.

Chi Yunzi appeared to be speaking through the younger disciples, but in truth, he was seeking his own stance.

After Fang Mao and others perished, Chi Yun Cave still sent its senior disciple away from Beizhou—this proves that, in this senior brother’s eyes, confronting the Bodhi Sect comes first, while the Three Immortals Sect are family, requiring no one to remain behind for defense.

But the reality was the exact opposite.

Your Chi Yun Cave is weak—you ought to surrender your sacred grounds.

It sounds heartless, but Youyao’s reaction just now actually aligned more closely with the sentiments of the younger disciples.

If speaking of this today is wrong, then what is right?

If this precedent is set, will every disciple now dare to cling stubbornly to their sacred grounds, knowing that if you dare reach out, they’ll threaten death—and if you have the guts, come take their lives in return?

The entire Beizhou cannot be decided by who has the thickest skin.

With the people scattered, and each disciple hoarding a portion of the incense offerings, who will ultimately possess the strength and authority to replace the Emperor?

Thinking of this, Qingguangzi withdrew his gaze and fell silent.

On this journey to hear the Dharma, he learned from other senior brothers that the Jade Pure Sect Master intended to select twelve Golden Immortals to oversee the grand affairs, and disciples from any lineage would have a chance.

To rise as the foremost among immortals during the great calamity, ranking only below the Three Pure Ones and Five Sovereigns—after the calamity ends, their status will be self-evident.

Beyond that.

This news also indicates the Sect Master is watching this great calamity closely; selecting the foremost among immortals must involve standards, meaning all immortals within the calamity are being judged.

Qingguangzi quietly scanned Youyao below—so far, Qingguang Cave’s faction had performed exceptionally well; his own chances were considerable.

As his master, how could he drag his disciple down at such a time?

Even if Chi Yun Cave’s disciples’ deaths had nothing to do with Youyao, and she had merely passed by—if she had truly killed them, today he would still stand up for her before Senior Brother Chi Yun.

“Don’t overthink it—your senior brother is merely emotionally shaken; he bears no blame toward you.”

Qingguangzi nodded to his senior disciple and added casually: “Besides diligence, also guide your junior brothers... avoid meddling with outsiders.”

“Disciple understands.”

Youyao bowed deeply.

Behind her, Yunmiao True Person’s face flushed with embarrassment—he had no trouble recognizing who his senior brother meant by “outsiders.”

But having finally clung to such a powerful leg, how could he turn back now?

He could only pretend ignorance, bowing forward with equal reverence, his posture and demeanor even more humble than Youyao’s, the direct disciple.

Beizhou, Kaiyuan Prefecture.

The once desolate Tian Ta Mountain had undergone a dramatic transformation from just months ago; though no city had appeared, with the help of immortal disciples, the growing number of dwellings stood in orderly rows, taking on the appearance of a village.

Of course, beyond this, the greatest change was in population.

Refugees from the prefectural city had recently flooded in en masse, and when Tian Ta Mountain could no longer hold them, they turned their eyes westward.

Because True Person Haoming had issued a divine edict, his sacred grounds were now cleaner and more beautiful than Tian Ta Mountain—his appeal to these refugees was beyond words.

Added to the vast expanse.

As a result, the people under Shu Yu True Person’s domain had been siphoned off by nearly eighty percent; Shen Yi had retained only a mere twenty percent.

“Our lord’s incense offerings have all been swallowed by them.”

Nan Huang was indignant—he knew that to slay Shu Yu, his master had taken great risks.

Shen Yi merely lowered his gaze and smiled.

He looked at the reply from the imperial capital in his hand—the message was simple: it clarified the true identity of the monks who had suddenly appeared in Beizhou.

The title “Great Freedom Pure World Bodhisattva” felt strangely jarring.

Having been in Beizhou so long, Shen Yi still had not truly joined the Three Immortals Sect; when he would die depended entirely on when those monks found him.

This feeling of not knowing if he’d see tomorrow was unbearable.

What mattered most was mastering the great method to reach the second rank—this incense could not save his life.

Before Lingxuzi returned, the only lifeline Shen Yi could grasp was Qingguangzi’s so-called reputation.

In other words, as a fugitive who had served Qingguang Great Immortal and seen his Shenxu lineage wiped out, Qingguang Cave at least could not openly harm him.

They had to follow rules, they needed evidence.

And causing these refugees to flood into Haoming True Person’s grounds was Shen Yi’s deliberate move—even if Youyao True Person was certain he was the killer, she had no proof.

After all, Tai Xu True Lord had never gone anywhere; these people came of their own accord, and they weren’t just arriving at Tian Ta Mountain alone.

“Huh.”

Shen Yi briefly recorded the recent developments and handed them to Shenxu Old Ancestor to deliver back to the Divine Court.

“He won’t be able to hold onto this incense for long.”

Recalling how Haoming True Person, after losing his great demon, had uttered only a meaningless threat before falling silent, Shen Yi suspected he was much like Yunmiao True Person.

Qingguang Cave would soon notice the anomaly in Kaiyuan Prefecture; even if they couldn’t gather evidence yet, normal competition was unavoidable.

“As for how long we can hold on, it depends on our ability.”

Shen Yi closed his eyes and turned inward; with so many refugees flooding into Tian Ta Mountain and witnessing the stark contrast between this place and the prefectural city, the abundant imperial aura pushed his already imminent Shenxu Dao Fruit one step further.

The Six-Six Transformation—the original divine wind had turned to gray mist; now the gray mist coalesced into thick, heavy black clouds, completely obscuring the golden radiance of the Bodhisattva’s form.

“We understand.”

Nan Huang stood silently beside him, a fierce glint in his eyes.

His master had personally stirred chaos in Beizhou; now the changes had come naturally—if they seized them, they would firmly establish themselves in Beizhou; if they failed, only death remained.

As the master and servant chatted, another part of Kaiyuan Prefecture.

“More and more people, Senior Brother!”

Hua Ming excitedly gripped his senior brother’s sleeve; he had once thought himself cursed, yet overnight, everything had changed.

The incense offerings once belonging to Shu Yu True Person had inexplicably flowed toward them—just glancing outside at the sky, they could see the pale yellow mist thickening visibly.

“...”

Haoming True Person sat upright, struggling to suppress the joy curling at his lips.

He had never dreamed he would one day control nearly all the incense of Kaiyuan Prefecture—this was not something a Six-Six Transformation cultivator should possess.

He remained seated only because of a faint unease in his heart.

After a long while, a disciple rushed in, speaking rapidly: “Report, Master—after investigation, we learned the refugees from the prefectural city came here because Qingguang Cave halted relief efforts.”

“Halted relief?” Haoming True Person looked at him, puzzled.

“Yes—the disciples assigned to relief have vanished entirely; perhaps they’ve returned to Qingguang Cave. No edict from Shu Yu True Person has been heard.”

Even the disciple found it unbelievable—in Beizhou, where resources were scarce, someone would voluntarily abandon a sacred domain.

“Master, what should we do now?”

Hearing this, Haoming True Person clenched his fists tightly, took several deep breaths, as if reassuring himself: “This isn’t me seizing it... listen well—don’t be overly deliberate; treat everyone equally.”

Whatever happened to Shu Yu True Person was none of his concern.

Now was the time to repair dwellings, distribute food and water, hold up the statue of Haoming True Lord, and etch this immortal name deep into the refugees’ minds.

Too bad the white ape was dead—he needed to find a fellow disciple to borrow another soon; he must seize this chance to secure this eternal incense.

Thinking of it, Haoming True Person grew angry.

If not for that Nanzhou cultivator, none of this trouble would exist—and this immense fortune had even been partially stolen by him.

Even after absorbing this incense, he still couldn’t claim himself a prodigy of the sect ruling a prefecture—because between them still lay a small patch of Tian Ta Mountain, like a thorn in his eye, truly unbearable.

Never mind—there will be other chances.

Thinking of this, Haoming True Person swept his sleeve, dismissing his disciples to carry out their tasks quickly.

The disciple had barely stepped out when a tall figure walked in slowly.

“I told you to hurry and pacify the refugees—why are you still dawdling here!” Hua Ming turned and snapped, but before his words finished, his senior brother pinned him down.

As he recognized the visitor’s figure.

Hua Ming stared fixedly at the crown atop the visitor’s head, then his gaze slid downward, taking in a pale, exquisite face, utterly expressionless.

His heart suddenly pounded violently, the thudding deafening.

Not from beauty—he was a naturally impulsive youth who dared to argue with his senior brother—but now he was filled with terror, lowering his head like a docile beast.

“Y...Youyao Senior Sister.”

Haoming True Person rose with forced cheer, his palms clenched so tightly inside his sleeves they were soaked in sweat.

He was filled with regret.

He had been just one transformation away—and yet he hadn’t sensed Youyao’s arrival at all; this only deepened his dread—this woman’s power was likely far deeper than rumors suggested.

He only hoped she hadn’t overheard his earlier words...

The moment he saw Youyao, Haoming True Person was certain of his earlier suspicion: Shu Yu True Person hadn’t abandoned Kaiyuan Prefecture—he had likely met his end.

But having done nothing wrong, Haoming True Person quickly suppressed his guilt: “I didn’t know you’d come in person—what is your command?”

Youyao True Person glanced at the two of them, showing no interest in idle talk; she turned slowly, gazing at the sacred grounds outside: “Who told you to do this?”

“Do... do what?” Haoming True Person’s courage vanished under this question; he unconsciously lowered his head.

“These dwellings... and the food and water.”

True Person Youyao had been ordered by her master to offer some guidance to fellow sect members, which is why she remembered Shu Yu had yet to return and came to check on the situation.

But upon arriving at Kaiyuan Prefecture, she witnessed a baffling scene.

Large numbers of refugees had scattered; the vast prefecture city could not produce a single Qingguang Cave disciple to question.

What puzzled her even more was that across the entire Beizhou, Hao Ming’s cultivation ground and the current state of Tian Ta Mountain were utterly unique.

“So that’s what Sister meant.”

True Person Hao Ming exhaled in relief, his face full of grievance: “This wasn’t my doing by choice—it was the Tai Xu Dan Emperor from Nanzhou who acted without so much as a greeting, carrying out all these things on his own. Tell me, if I didn’t follow suit, wouldn’t my followers’ hearts drift entirely to him?”

“I’ve never encountered such a despicable tactic to compete for devotion—I truly had no choice…”

“…”

Youyao listened in silence, then gave a slight nod.

She turned her head sideways and asked suddenly: “Have you seen my younger brother?”

Hao Ming had already suspected something, and under this sudden question, he froze, his face flushing red: “I’ve truly never seen him. Shu Yu’s matter has nothing to do with me.”

Before he finished speaking, even Hua Ming, who had been hunched over, silent and afraid to speak, broke into a cold sweat.

She hadn’t even specified which younger brother—how is this any different from confessing guilt without being asked?

If someone went missing, the one who benefited most would naturally be the prime suspect. Brother, you’ve taken in so many refugees—now you’re covered in mud up to your pants, and no washing can clean you off…

“Hmph.”

Sure enough, True Person Youyao withdrew her gaze and let out a cold laugh she couldn’t suppress.

Anyone else, seeing Hao Ming now trembling with guilt, would have immediately seized and interrogated him.

But she shook her head.

He was indeed guilty of guilt—but the reason was likely that, having guessed Shu Yu was in trouble, he pretended ignorance to seize this opportunity to claim the devotion.

As for harming Qingguang Cave disciples or carrying out underhanded deeds, he lacked both the strength and the courage.

“I see.”

True Person Youyao gave a noncommittal reply, then stepped out of the grand hall.

After she left, Hao Ming remained dazed, unable to recover his composure. Fame didn’t compare to reality—only by standing before this woman could one truly feel the weight of her reputation.

“Brother, are we safe now?” Hua Ming timidly lifted his head.

“Safe? I wish we were!”

True Person Hao Ming swallowed hard, growled, then hurried after her.

He hovered high in the sky, gazing far to the east.

As expected, the figure in the black dress had already sped toward Tian Ta Mountain, heading straight for the young man seated in meditation.

“Besides us, the only one who gained anything was him.”

Hua Ming followed close behind, a sudden gleam of delight appearing on his face. He turned to meet his brother’s gaze—they both understood each other’s thoughts.

That Nanzhou cultivator isn’t like us—he’s not from the same sect as the Three Immortal Teachings.

Sister Youyao has no reason to be polite to him.

And given how he used those despicable tactics toward the refugees, today he’s doomed!

(End of Chapter)