Chapter 133: Ancient Ferocious Beasts

Shen Yu opened his eyes once more to find himself atop a city wall.

Looking out, the ground and the ramparts were drenched in crimson blood. Debris lay scattered everywhere, corpses littered the fields, and the smoke of battle drifted in the distance. It appeared he had arrived at the ruins of an ancient battlefield.

The surrounding air was thick with the malevolent aura of demons, coalescing into tangible, dense mist that drifted in wisps. On the far horizon, a mass of black fog churned slowly—intangible and elusive, yet emitting cries of agonizing sorrow.

Witnessing this, a look of remembrance crossed Shen Yu’s eyes, and he tilted his head slightly.

Standing on the opposing wall was a woman. The world possessed many words to describe beauty, but none could match those four: peerless in grace and style.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "It has been a long time."

As the words fell, the ground trembled slightly, and the surrounding mist began to rise, swirling around them. The smoke, the corpses, and the blood in the distance vanished, leaving only the two figures on their respective walls and the empty space between them.

With a graceful, fleeting movement, Fairy Linghua—who had vanished from the world a thousand years ago—drifted across on the wind.

Shen Yu rose to meet her.

The two figures exchanged a palm strike in mid-air. The shadows of their strikes danced wantonly, carving countless marks into the walls as dust and grit rained down from the weathered masonry. The strength of the woman’s Dao was, surprisingly, not the least bit inferior to Shen Yu’s.

Moments later, they passed each other. Shen Yu, having fallen into a disadvantage, was the first to land back on the wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The ethereal woman did not pursue. She stood poised in the air, her mist-shrouded eyes devoid of any emotion.

Shen Yu slowly stood up and covered his mouth to cough, his palm stained with deep red. He had already sustained severe injuries in Qianliu City and the Wuwang Sea. A Daoist’s physique was never particularly robust; that he had managed to endure until now was a testament to his formidable willpower.

The palm shadows emerged once more. The woman showed no signs of stopping. Wind and clouds gathered in the sky, and surging spiritual energy instantly spiraled into her hand. The woman in green robes rushed toward Shen Yu, her right palm aimed directly at his chest.

This time, Shen Yu did not resist. With his hands hanging at his sides, he stood on the wall, a smile of unprecedented tenderness on his lips.

*Thump!*

The palm struck his chest.

"Why are you such a fool?"

A woman’s whisper echoed. The palm shadow dissipated, and her entire form turned into a phantom, passing through Shen Yu’s body before vanishing into nothingness.

The next moment, Shen Yu was enveloped in a sphere of white, jade-like light. A gentle, holy aura poured into his Dantian and spiritual sea, flowing through his meridians before merging with the vast spiritual energy already within him. The sensation was soothing, like finding a spring in the desert or basking in the sun on a spring day.

The spiritual energy was peerless in its power, clearing away all of his injuries in an instant. The blade-aura left behind by the Blade Immortal Li Moran encountered this force and was cleansed away without the slightest resistance, and his wounds began to mend.

A breeze brushed by, leaving behind a profound sense of peace.

...

The distant Wuwang Sea never knew the sunlight.

An old man leaning on a wooden cane burst from the sea and landed on a reef, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his expression venomous. The fan held by Xi Jiu of Mount Liubo possessed an intensely masculine and righteous power that acted as a great restraint against the lands of Qianchuan; had it not been for that, he would not have been in such a sorry state.

"Little wench, one day I shall tear you limb from limb!"

A sea breeze swept over him. A hulking man in black robes with an eerie countenance appeared before the old man without warning.

The old man, who had been cursing incessantly, immediately dropped to his knees and whispered, "Greetings, Lord Mingcao."

The man, whose lips remained as scarlet as blood, seemed even younger than before. He looked down at him with a faint smile.

The old man swallowed hard and trembled, saying, "The situation was sudden, and... Shen Yu escaped."

Silence followed, save for the whistling wind. The man said nothing. The old man grew even more anxious, sweat soaking his entire body.

The old man’s name was Duan Wuchang, once a notable figure among the righteous sects. However, having accidentally obtained a cultivation manual from the Demon Realm, he could not resist the temptation of the Great Dao and had murdered several important disciples of major sects to absorb their power. When his deeds were exposed, he was forced into hiding.

It was not until he encountered the forces of the Qianchuan lands that he saw the "true meaning" of life and, without hesitation, became a dog for them. Within Qianchuan, he learned why he had been able to "accidentally" obtain that profound demonic manual, and he understood why his supposedly flawless schemes had failed. Yet, he held no resentment; instead, he grew only more reverent toward the Qianchuan lands.

"I am already aware of this matter. I do not blame you."

Mingcao finally spoke. "It was only an impulsive move to begin with. It matters little if he was not killed, provided you do not forget our true objective."

The old man’s heart settled slightly. "You are referring to that... ancient ferocious beast within the Jade Pool?"

Mingcao replied, "Indeed. Thousands of years have passed, and the seal of the Jade Pool has reached its limit. It is unstable. It is time to set it free."

The old man whispered, "How shall we proceed?"

"The formations of the Jade Pool are ever-changing and unfathomable, and that legendary Fairy Linghua, the second disciple of the Queen Mother of the West, remains in charge. With just our current strength, we are still lacking."

The hulking man continued slowly, "However, since that ancient beast feeds on the malice of the world, we need only provide it with that power, and it will naturally shatter the seal."

The old man appeared to be deep in thought. For some reason, he suddenly lowered his head and asked uncertainly, "The malice of the world..."

Mingcao said with an indifferent expression, "Naturally, it is the Specter you have consumed."

Spiritual energy erupted violently.

The old man’s internal energy surged, and he smashed his green wooden cane directly toward the man’s head. But the next moment, the old man coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, his body limp and powerless.

"After all these years in Qianchuan, you still do not understand our style."

The hulking man did not even glance at the ground.

"You... you lied to me. Consuming the Specter was meant to..."

The old man’s eyes glazed over, and his body began to rot. The blood dripping from his hands hissed as it hit the ground, causing it to bubble—a truly horrific sight.

"Having planned for so long, it is only natural that a submissive Specter is much easier to control than one that is unruly."

Mingcao looked toward the horizon and murmured, "Besides, the Jade Pool has suppressed our Qianchuan divine beast for thousands of years. It is time for that debt to be repaid."

...

When Shen Yu opened his eyes again, his gaze was clear.

A person now sat beside him. The two sat shoulder to shoulder.

Shen Yu did not turn his head, but stared at the black fog in the distance. "Even after death, you are still so weary. Do you not fear trouble?"

The woman in the white dress sat on the wall, her legs dangling in the air. She shook her head. "The source of disaster suppressed by the Jade Pool for a thousand years must be shouldered by someone. Moreover, it is not just me—there are so many of my junior sisters buried here as well."

Shen Yu jumped down from the wall and walked to the front of the black fog.

The fog in the distance suddenly let out a shrill, piercing roar, and the mist began to boil.

"Linghua! Release me, or when the seal breaks, I shall slaughter every last member of your Jade Pool!"

The woman in white stood behind Shen Yu and laughed. "I would actually find it strange if these demonic beasts one day stopped their clamor."

Shen Yu arched an eyebrow, glanced at the fog, and said, "Shut up."

The next moment, the entire world fell silent.