Chapter 814: Again?

The four adjacent prefectures had regained their original clear sky.

Back when we were in Nanzhou, even a fifth-rank Taiyi Immortal-level monkey demon could destroy three prefectural cities, let alone seven great demons who had reached the Six-Six Transformation.

Yet within this vast Dao field, aside from sparking intense panic, not a single life was lost.

Shen Yi’s summoned black clouds were merely a diversion; beneath their shadow, the Southern Emperor and White Deer were able to act freely.

At this moment, statues of the Grand Void True Persons, previously delivered in advance, were surrounded by locals from every corner—whether they had been beneath trees or along field ridges, everyone had spontaneously carried them to the highest point they could reach.

A group of figures swept across the horizon.

As she took in these scenes, You Yao pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

Everything she had ordered Yun Miao to prepare had now become someone else’s reward.

The Grand Void not only devoured all the imperial qi from this demonic calamity, but also planted his own marks within his Dao field—removing them entirely might take countless years.

“Report, Senior Brother: we had just made our arrangements and hadn’t begun action when Yun Miao’s group slipped in ahead of us, spreading heresy and acting with outrageous audacity—they seemed to have timed it perfectly: as the great demons entered the prefectures, the Grand Void True Person appeared precisely at that moment, leaving us no time to react.”

Two disciples knelt on the clouds, trembling as they replied.

Behind You Yao, Lu Tong stepped forward abruptly, seized each of them by the collar, and snarled: “How could such a coincidence occur? Yun Miao must have secretly conspired with Lingxu Cave!”

At these words, You Yao opened her eyes, a flash of unmasked killing intent slicing through her narrow gaze.

The two disciples were forced to stand, though terrified beyond measure, they stammered: “It probably has nothing to do with Senior Yun Miao…”

They swallowed hard, daring not to conceal a single detail, and recounted fully what had transpired in Zhenning Prefecture.

“…“

He Tong raised an eyebrow, his expression complex.

Merely hearing this from others, he could feel how humiliated Yun Miao must have been at the time—even if the Grand Void True Person had been Yun Miao’s own father, no one would sacrifice their future so blatantly for another’s gain.

“You mean he didn’t lift a finger at all—just quietly descended?”

Though Yun Miao’s guilt had been cleared, You Yao’s killing intent did not wane—it burned even hotter.

She surged forward again atop auspicious clouds.

Soon, they found Yun Miao slumped against a mud wall in a village, his gaze vacant; even upon seeing the Qingguang Cave disciples, his face remained utterly numb.

You Yao strode forward, seized his collar with her long fingers, yanked him up, and slammed him hard against the mud wall.

“All your cultivation, all your magic treasures—have you refined them into dog dung?”

She gritted her teeth, desperate to tear this useless waste apart; had he shown even a shred of backbone, even delayed that insect-demon disciple for a moment, she would have reached Zhenning Prefecture in time.

“I… I didn’t have the confidence… to defeat him…” Yun Miao’s head lolled, his voice hoarse.

His future was shattered, his dignity destroyed—he could never remain in Beizhou again.

“Confidence, confidence—you’re obsessed with calculating these things! Since the Tribulation began, when have you ever done a single thing worthy of respect? If there were truly flawless blessings, would they ever fall to a worthless creature like you?”

You Yao contemptuously flung the Daoist onto the ground: “You got what you deserved—don’t blame anyone else.”

Yun Miao sat slumped on the ground, his numbness finally fading slightly; he gazed up at You Yao with a vacant stare, then sneered: “It’s true I’ve become a joke in Beizhou—but You Yao, how much better are you? What’s the difference between us?”

At these words, He Tong’s expression changed abruptly; he tried to silence him.

But You Yao had already coldly lifted her lips: “Difference? The difference is this: anyone who dares provoke me—I’ll sacrifice everything to make them pay.”

“…“

Yun Miao’s pupils flickered slightly, stunned.

You Yao looked down at him: “What do you still have left? What can you possibly lose? You have nothing—yet you hide here like a crying child. How dare you compare yourself to me?”

These words were like a blade, utterly stripping away Yun Miao’s last shred of dignity.

There was no caution here—no matter how many excuses, it was all just cowardice.

Once he could justify himself with endurance; now, there was no chance left. What reason remained for further hiding, other than sheer fear?

“Kill—”

Yun Miao gasped heavily, his features twisting; suddenly he roared: “Kill him!”

He, the senior disciple of Lingxu Cave, had been reduced to mockery—all because of that insect-demon disciple. How could he let the bastard live?

“Shut up!”

He Tong kicked Yun Miao hard, sending him rolling twice across the ground, covered in dirt; yet he paid no heed, eyes blazing with madness like a beast gone insane.

“You Yao, stop.”

He Tong had no time to deal with this fool—he turned, seized the black-robed woman’s arm, and said sternly: “Though you are the senior disciple, if you persist in this reckless madness, even I will have to report to the Qingguang Immortal and ask him to intervene.”

“…“

You Yao stared coldly at He Tong, then swept her sleeve—her torrential pure light blasted him back over a hundred zhang. She arched a brow, her voice icy and violent: “Do as you please.”

As proud as she was, how could she accept becoming a laughingstock among her own sect?

Repeated tolerance had only invited that man’s arrogance—he sought to step over her, inch by inch, toward the position of First Disciple of the Three Immortals Sect.

Today, that insect-demon disciple must die!

“Who will come with me?”

You Yao soared into the sky; below her, Yun Miao’s face twisted in fury, silently summoning auspicious clouds, while Lu Tong followed without hesitation.

The two beside her acted for the sect’s honor; she was no immortal—only a Dao attendant. But even a minor demon attendant, her brother’s death demanded blood in return.

“You’re all mad…”

He Tong watched helplessly as the three flew toward Kaiyuan Prefecture; he dared not delay further, sprouted wings, and shot toward the Dao temple atop Qingguang Mountain.

Openly killing a fellow sect member would utterly corrupt the nature of this great tribulation.

And You Yao, who opened this precedent—how could she possibly escape a terrible fate?

By then, losing a Dao field would be the least of it.

He Tong pushed himself to his limit; as a demon immortal of the same realm as You Yao and the other senior disciples, by the time he reached the cloud-bound temple, he was drenched in sweat—whether from exhaustion or terror, he could not tell.

“Little Tong requests an audience with the Immortal!”

He ignored all formalities, barged into the Qingguang Immortal’s temple, striding forward as he shouted: “Master You Yao has lost her reason—she has taken Yun Miao and Lu Tong toward Kaiyuan Prefecture, intending to commit murder! Please, Immortal, decide!”

The quiet room’s wooden door stood slightly ajar.

Qingguang Zi sat cross-legged on his mat; upon hearing the news, his face twitched involuntarily.

But when he opened his eyes, he gazed calmly at the panicked He Tong, paused a moment, then made no move to rise.

“Immortal…” He Tong looked bewildered, at a loss.

“Sigh… I must intervene, of course.”

Perhaps because no outsiders were present, Qingguang Zi dropped his pretense before this long-serving Dao attendant: he gazed beyond the mountains and sighed: “But since they’ve already gone, there’s no need to rush now.”

Even a Great Luo Immortal who transcends the two realms cannot maintain perfect stillness.

The child he had raised himself, sacrificing his own immortal lineage for a moment’s rage—this was indeed heartbreaking. But putting himself in her place, hadn’t he once been the same, acting on swift vengeance?

The damage was already done; the reputation could not be restored.

Qingguang Zi felt a quiet pang of sorrow: the girl had already prepared herself to bear all punishment. As her master, must he now become another Lingxu Zi—intercepting her again at Tian Ta Mountain, forcing her to repent under suppression while still hating him?

Moreover…

Qingguang Zi exhaled slowly. In Beizhou, when had Qingguang Cave ever been bullied by Lingxu Cave—let alone now, with such repeated audacity and no restraint?

As an elder brother, Qingguang Zi understood Lingxu Zi’s desire not to lose face before the Sect Master; after all, taking in that insect-demon from Nanzhou had eased his burden.

But it was wrong—utterly wrong—to touch Qingguang Cave’s things.

Four entire prefectures’ Dao fields—Lingxu Brother, don’t you fear bursting your stomach?

Last time, injuring You Yao was forgivable—he had reason. But now, this aggressive posture—does he truly think his elder brother has no temper?

This time, I’ll sit for half a day longer—give that girl a chance to vent. It’s only fair, after all we’ve shared.

With this thought, Qingguang Zi slowly closed his eyes, as He Tong stared in stunned disbelief.

…

Kaiyuan Prefecture, Tian Ta Mountain.

Many disciples of the Three Immortals Sect had grown accustomed to this Grand Void Brother’s eccentricities.

He’d rather expend manpower and resources building shelters for refugees than construct a grand hall for himself—even his immortal shrine was, politely put, humble; bluntly put… it reeked of poverty.

This had once been mocked, but when one’s power is great enough, it becomes a mark of refinement.

Clearly, Shen Yi—having just seized a vast amount of imperial qi from You Yao’s Dao field, then withdrawn peacefully to Tian Ta Mountain—had proven his formidable strength through action.

The outcome of this contest was already decided.

Although Grand Void Brother had not yet formally claimed the four prefectures, simply by this act, the statues he placed throughout the Dao field would slowly take root—and the ownership of these four prefectures would become a matter of time.

“Grand Void Brother, I have several skilled Immortal artisans under me. Why not choose a spot? I’ll send them to build you a hall. Though the mountaintop is free and easy, these mortals won’t understand your elegance.”

Among today’s Three Immortals Sect disciples, Shen Yi had already become the peer of those three… no, more accurately—he was now clearly replacing You Yao as the top disciple.

He had only just risen, like a tree newly rooted, with no vines yet clinging to him.

Naturally, everyone rushed to flatter and befriend this prodigy.

“No need, thank you.”

Shen Yi shook his head—it was not polite refusal.

Even back in Nanyang, when he was in Daqian’s Qingzhou, he had already experienced the sensation of being worshipped in temples.

But compared to that, now actively sending his own statues across the land, doing exactly what the other Three Immortals disciples did—still made Shen Yi feel uneasy.

Fortunately, at least he could still feel unease.

It meant that even after tasting imperial qi, he had not sunk to the same level as these people.

If he couldn’t integrate, nothing would change.

It was a simple truth.

Just as Shen Yi preferred solitude, he had not driven away the crowd around him, nor wasted energy pretending to entertain them—because for now, he still needed them to remain on Tian Ta Mountain.

Thinking of this, he fell silent and gazed toward the horizon.

After all this preparation, he only hoped she wouldn’t suddenly change her mind.

As if in response to Shen Yi.

The next moment, a surging, rampant aura rolled in like a tidal wave—moments ago it had been outside Kaiyuan Mansion, and now it had swept across Tian Ta Mountain.

The majestic mountain, before this sea of energy, was like a withered branch trembling in a storm, as if it would shatter at any moment.

The faces of the smiling disciples turned dark in an instant.

Almost everyone had guessed something.

After all… she wasn’t doing this for the first time.

What no one expected was that even after Master Lingxu had scolded her last time, she showed not the slightest remorse.

What the hell kind of rule is this?

Did your Qingguang Cave’s four territories come back to you through sweet words? Why is it fine for you to seize others’ lands, but no one can take yours?

Besides, Master Taixu hasn’t even truly seized a cultivation ground—he merely collected a sum of imperial qi as retaliation for the last dispute over Kaiyuan Mansion.

Always acting like you’re about to kill someone—why not just skip the Tribulation Crossing entirely and have the Emperor appoint you as Immortal Emperor right now?

Before everyone’s eyes.

Three figures slowly converged in the sky.

Her black robe fluttered; the woman wore a jeweled crown. Merely standing with her hands at her sides, she stirred heaven and earth, her aura matching the black clouds that had once engulfed the four territories.

When others saw the two behind her—especially the Daoist in the purple-cloud long robe—a disciple couldn’t help spitting: “What the hell? Yunmiao is siding with outsiders to intimidate her own junior?”

Master Lingxu must’ve gone blind to take such a disciple.

“Sister, don’t go too far…”

When the Puti Sect attacked, many disciples fled in all directions. But this time, though lacking confidence, they still spoke out: “In a dispute over cultivation grounds, no one acts like you—launching such violence before these mortals? You’re just shaming the Immortal Realm.”

Feeling the discontent in their gazes.

Yet Yuanyao’s lips curled into a sneer. How long had it been since these people dared confront her so openly?

This vast disparity coalesced in her mouth into a single cold word.

“Go!”

Her contemptuous voice rang out, making every disciple clench their fists.

They stared fixedly at the black robe in the sky, their eyes holding not a trace of respect—only identical revulsion.

At this moment, a slender figure finally stepped slowly forward, standing at the front of the crowd.

“Everyone, return to your quarters.”

Shen Yi casually swept his sleeve, raised his eyes to the sky, and said softly: “Call it off now, and I’ll act as if nothing happened.”

Hearing this, Yuanyao paused, then suddenly laughed: “Why the sudden politeness? Do you know you’re going to die?”

“What if I don’t call it off?”

The woman suddenly changed her expression, pressing her palm forward with cruel intent—the Qingguang chessboard that had once obscured the sky over Kaiyuan Mansion reappeared.

Ten thousand piercing beams of light descended like a celestial net.

“And what will you do?”

“….”

Shen Yi spread his fingers; a streak of white light silently sliced through the sky, severing every ray of Qingguang light.

The white light settled in his palm, forming an ancient, simple green blade.

His expression unchanged, he stared at the sword in his hand.

After a moment, Shen Yi idly flicked a sword flourish, then looked back to the sky and said calmly:

“Come.”

(End of Chapter)