Chapter 155: Shiyao Wants to Ride the Giant Bird Too
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After instructing the two matriarchs to step back, Xu Zhanfeng began channeling his magic. With the cultivation techniques Master Su had imparted, his power had surged dramatically!
At this moment, he truly felt invincible!
He was truly one of the top three… or rather, with Yu Lan included, he ranked among the top four—surpassing ten thousand others!
He nearly forgot about Yu Lan. That woman carried the aura of the dragon clan, her strength unfathomable. Yet Xu Zhanfeng didn't believe he would lose to her.
What was even more unfathomable, however, was the relationship between Elder Yu Lan and the Sect Leader—something that demanded careful observation!
Like Shangguan Rou's Wind-Chanting Blade, a fiery slash erupted from his strike, flames shooting straight into the heavens!
Li Shiyao was stunned!
This guy, who usually seemed so meek and submissive…
…turned out to be this powerful?
Ye Qinghan hadn't expected this strike to surpass even Shangguan Rou's, who had previously matched him blow for blow. And judging by Xu Zhanfeng's expression, this wasn't even his full strength!
Even if his cultivation technique couldn't match the custom-tailored methods of Ye Qinghan's direct disciples, his Union Stage cultivation was no joke!
Moreover, this was far beyond the Fusion Stage!
That single strike shook the earth and mountains, its blazing flames scorching the land as if the fiery inferno that once sealed the Demon Emperor had returned. The towering flames were still clearly visible hundreds of miles away!
With a single strike, he transformed the entire Sacred Domain into a sea of fire.
"Xu Zhanfeng, could you teach this technique to Shiyu?"
Li Shiyu watched Xu Zhanfeng descend slowly, her tone unabashedly direct.
Xu Zhanfeng thought to himself, Second Madam, you really are giving me face…
"Madam, you flatter me. Such petty tricks are scarcely worth mentioning. I hope you won't embarrass me."
Shiyao was straightforward. She didn't understand the concept of embarrassment. She just felt she couldn't keep hiding under the Chaos Bell forever, right?
"You don't want to teach Shiyu?"
"Um… well…"
Truthfully, this wasn't some formidable divine power. The key was Xu Zhanfeng's cultivation level—even if he merely swung his sword in the air, it would achieve the same effect.
Ye Qinghan smiled and patted Li Shiyu's little head.
"Don't put Xu Zhi in a difficult position."
While she wouldn't put Shiyao in a difficult position with Xu, Qinghan had no intention of letting Xu off the hook. Though she couldn't ask directly, she could certainly observe.
"Did our Master ever instruct Xu Zhi to expel us sisters?"
Xu Zhanfeng froze in terror at the suggestion, shaking his head frantically. "No, no! Zhanfeng wouldn't dare!"
Ye Qinghan patted Xu Zhanfeng's shoulder. "Then we sisters shall follow you. How about that?"
"Of course. Should I ever fall short in any way, please feel free to guide me, Madam."
Ye Qinghan was being polite.
"It's nothing to instruct you about. It's all for Master's sake."
"Yes, yes, yes. Grandma is absolutely right."
After a brief inspection to confirm everything had been reduced to ashes, the trio proceeded to the next sacred domain.
Ye Qinghan and Li Shiyao each drew a flying sword, then turned to look at Xu Zhanfeng…
Xu Zhanfeng whistled, and a white crane soared across the sky, diving down to land before him.
Though it appeared small while soaring overhead, the crane's massive form was evident when it landed at his feet.
Xu Zhanfeng leapt onto its back, ready to take flight.
Li Shiyao was displeased!
"Xu Zhanfeng, Shiyu won't let you be cooler than her! Shiyu wants to ride a big bird too!"
Without hesitation, Li Shiyao withdrew her celestial sword and plopped herself onto the crane's back—clearly not open to negotiation.
Xu Zhanfeng chuckled heartily. Compared to the First Lady, he found the Second Lady far more fitting for a direct disciple.
She had a touch of adorable stubbornness, alternately acting spoiled and cute, always bursting with energy.
She was more approachable, with no sense of distance, as if everyone were her little buddy.
"Of course, absolutely~"
But that wasn't enough. Li Shiyao wanted to ride the giant bird with her senior sister—no way was she sharing it with Xu Zhanfeng!
Sure, he was quite handsome now, but remembering that not long ago he’d been nothing but a corpse, she genuinely couldn’t bring herself to like him.
"Xu Zhanfeng, could you please let Shiyu and Senior Sister ride the giant bird?"
Xu Zhanfeng was Second Grandma’s good friend—how could he possibly refuse?
Still, Second Grandma's coldness stung him a little.
"Of course. But might Second Grandma lend Zhanfeng a flying sword?"
Li Shiyu didn't mind either, just reminding him not to damage it. She lent Xu Zhanfeng her sword in exchange for his "big bird" mount.
"Senior Sister, come quickly! Shiyu is here to escort you across the threshold~"
Ye Qinghan didn't mind at all, treating it as indulging Shiyu's whims. With a doting smile, she mounted the immortal crane.
Shortly after the trio departed, the Heavenly Dao Pavilion received word.
In the Main Hall, Cheng Liang looked at the elders and said calmly:
"So you're suggesting this is also the work of Ye Chenmeng?"
"In my view, it's most likely Su Cheng deliberately reorganizing the Northern Domain's forces for his own purposes. The Sect Leader must not overlook this."
"Yes, I foresaw this long ago. Alas, heaven does not always grant our wishes. That fellow has been hiding something."
Leaning back in his chair, Cheng Liang's mind churned with complex thoughts. With factions growing increasingly hostile and the situation unstable, allowing Lingxian Hall to seize the opportunity to expand and challenge his authority would place him at a disadvantage.
"Second Elder, take Rou'er with you and go to the Northern Realm. If the opportunity arises, eliminate that wretch…"
Lu Cheng nodded. Eliminating Ye Qinghan alone wouldn't be difficult, but if Su Cheng was also present, it would prove far more challenging.
Nevertheless, since the Sect Leader had issued the order, he had no grounds to refuse. After informing Shangguan Rou, he led thirty cultivators to the Northern Domain to investigate.
Sailing through the skies on their swords, they occasionally glimpsed scattered wisps of cooking smoke and isolated villages.
The North Domain's bone-chilling cold was unbearable for ordinary people, yet it was not entirely uninhabited.
Though perpetually under the rule of the Demon Clan, other races also made their homes here.
By the time Shangguan Rou and her companions arrived, the Sacred Domain had been reduced to ashes by the conflagration. Not a single trace remained—a destruction surpassing even the devastation wrought upon the demon capital years prior.
Such was the Lingxian Hall's modus operandi: blood for blood, tooth for tooth. Kill one to warn a hundred, cut the grass to eliminate the roots!
The pairing of Ye Yanwang and Xu Zhanfeng was seamless—a cold-blooded duo who viewed everything within sight as mere livestock and ants, unworthy of pity.
Fortunately, the fire had reduced the Sacred Domain to ashes. Otherwise, the sight of mountains of corpses and seas of blood would likely have made some junior cultivators lose their breakfast.
"Second Elder, this…"
Shangguan Rou glanced at the snowman standing perfectly intact at the Sacred Domain's entrance. It wasn't hard to guess this was most likely Ye Qinghan's handiwork.
But why would Ye Qinghan do such a thing?
In her eyes, though Ye Qinghan was notoriously arrogant and tyrannical, he wasn't one to stir trouble for no reason. He wasn't idle enough to slaughter entire families indiscriminately on the streets.
"Ye Qinghan carries the bloodline of the Northern Fox Demon King. This expedition likely holds deeper motives—probably seeking vengeance for past grievances."
Lu Chengwang gazed toward the ruins of the Sacred Domain in the distance, a hint of apprehension creeping into his heart. Without the Sect Master's personal presence, their small group alone would likely be unable to stop Ye Chenmeng, who was determined to seek vengeance.
He dispatched messengers to Cheng Liang while simultaneously assigning others to investigate the surrounding damage.
The snowman at the Sacred Domain's entrance remained almost entirely intact—a fact that spoke volumes.
Yet the Heavenly Dao Pavilion had always upheld its righteous reputation. Even knowing it might be futile, certain actions still had to be taken.
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