Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 837: Punishment

Chapter 837: Punishment

While serving as the guardian celestial beast of the Penglai Supreme Sect, the Azure Dragon had not faced a crisis of this scale in over a thousand years.

Penglai lay far from the mainland, where the nine provinces were located. That allowed it to remain safely out of reach when massive conflicts occurred on the mainland. Moreover, the three islands of Penglai were blessed with natural paradises that were abundant with resources, so the Penglai Supreme Sect had no need to compete with other sects.

The Penglai Supreme Sect's overwhelming power had long deterred others from attacking it. Even during the tense standoff that the Penglai Supreme Sect once had with the Heavenly Star Divine Cult, things had never reached such a dire point.

Had the Penglai Supreme Sect simply kept to itself, it would never have experienced a disaster like this. By swinging both its fists at the Mount Shu Sect, the Penglai Supreme Sect had left its chest wide open to attacks. Ultimately, the Penglai Supreme Sect had brought this disaster upon itself.

Now, faced with the True Form of Ksitigarbha, the Azure Dragon could only brace itself for the worst and struggle to hold on. It relied on the power of its Great Dao to fight against this legendary artifact.

The Azure Dragon controlled the Great Dao of Taiyi. It governed the world's primordial qi and harmonized perfectly with Penglai's Pure Jade Transcendent Form, focusing on restoration. Be it a loss of cultivation power, true essence, or good health due to injury or illness, the Great Dao of Taiyi could restore everything.

As the Azure Dragon shimmered with a jade-green glow, the terrifying True Form of Ksitigarbha slammed it down onto Mirage Mountain again.

Boom!

The mountain had been fortified numerous times, but a large part of it still crumbled under the impact.

Scales fell from the Azure Dragon, and its blood and qi spurted into the air. Nevertheless, with the power of its Great Dao still active, the Azure Dragon quickly recovered and coiled around its opponent once more. Its jade-green scales were razor-sharp, and they scraped along the True Form of Ksitigarbha with a screech, grinding out sparks that fell like rain.

However, the True Form of Ksitigarbha was so incredibly strong and tough that it managed to remain intact. If it were anything else, the Azure Dragon would've already crushed it into a pulp.

The True Form of Ksitigarbha raised a hand and easily grabbed the Azure Dragon yet again, slamming it back down.

Boom!

The Azure Dragon hadn't used its Great Dao to such extremes in many years. Normally, it guarded the Penglai, but who could ever even get to it? And even if there were people who could get past Penglai's Eminent Ones, how many could actually injure it?

Yet, that calamity was precisely what had occurred today.

The last time Lin Poyun, the leader of the Dark King Sect, attacked the Mount Shu Sect, Baize had scared him off. However, it wasn't just Baize that he had been afraid of. What he had feared more was that if Baize managed to hold out, members of other immortal sects might arrive with their legendary artifacts to aid the Mount Shu Sect.

The situation at Penglai was totally different. Like Baize had done during the Mount Shu Sect's battle against the Dark King Sect, the Azure Dragon was trying to buy time.

Nevertheless, Lin Poyun wasn't nearly as afraid. None of the Divine Nine or the Terrestrial Ten would come to save the Penglai Supreme Sect. If any of their members appeared, they were mostly likely there to take a share of the spoils, not to help.

Even the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals, the sect closest to the Penglai Supreme Sect, would love nothing more than to see the Penglai Supreme Sect fall at a time like this. After all, the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals had been dragged along under the Penglai Supreme Sect's dominance for so many years.

Despite not having any conflicts with the other immortal sects, it had been met with the same hostility that the Penglai Supreme Sect received. The Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals had been unable to gain footing in the nine provinces all this time because of the Penglai Supreme Sect and had long harbored resentment toward it.

Unlike Penglai, the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals didn't possess lands that were abundant with treasures of nature. That limited the growth and rise of its disciples. Thus, Immortal Jiuyi, the sect leader of the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals, had no choice but to follow the Penglai Supreme Sect's lead. However, he had to work hard to maintain good relations with the immortal sects in the nine provinces too. He had done all that out of helplessness.

That meant if the Penglai Supreme Sect collapsed now, the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals could dominate the East Sea. It might even gain a share of the three islands' resources in the future. Its members would be delighted to see that happen.

Things played out just as Lin Poyun had expected. As soon as the crisis began, some disciples of the Penglai Supreme Sect sought help from their neighboring sect, the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals. Yet, the reply they received was that Immortal Jiuyi was off wandering the four seas, and all the eighth-realm elders were in closed-door cultivation. None of the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals' most powerful members were available.

As for using their sect's legendary artifact, it wasn't something the disciples could even consider. Without Immortal Jiuyi present, they were powerless even if they wanted to help the Penglai Supreme Sect.

...

Boom!

The chaos at the Penglai Supreme Sect intensified.

As the True Form of Ksitigarbha was brutally beating up the Azure Dragon, it still had time to take out the seventh-realm Eminent Ones that caught its eye. As a result, the Penglai Supreme Sect's Eminent Ones scattered in all directions, dodging and hiding from the legendary artifact. They did not dare to strike back anymore.

Meanwhile, the evildoers and demons rampaged through Mirage Mountain, pillaging, burning, and slaughtering without restraint.

Boom!

Once again, the True Form of Ksitigarbha grabbed the Azure Dragon by the head and the tail, hammering it explosively into the mountain. More of the mountain collapsed, leaving only about half still standing.

Simultaneously, fires broke out on the three islands of Penglai. The tanned disciples of the Penglai Secondary Sect were grabbing spirit plants and fleeing. The few law-enforcing disciples on the islands had been alarmed from the start of the invasion on Mirage Mountain, but now they were completely unable to stop the chaos.

The Penglai Supreme Sect had passed down a new decree allowing the disciples of the Penglai Secondary Sect to exchange years of labor for spirit plants. But how could that ever be better than taking the spirit plants for free? If they didn't take them now, then when?

Groups of disciples from the Penglai Secondary Sect uprooted many spirit plants. After all the mature ones had been taken, they quickly turned their attention to the immature ones. As long as the spirit plants had even a bit of spiritual energy, it was still better than ending up with nothing. They were free anyway. It would be a waste not to take them.

As the three islands descended into utter chaos like a landslide, a firm voice echoed across Mirage Mountain. “All Supreme Sect disciples on Mirage Mountain, retreat to the Secondary Sect's three islands immediately! The chaos on the islands must be stopped first!”

That one shout gave the disciples the direction they needed.

Everyone searched for the source of the voice and found it was Yang Shenlong, whom Daoist Cangsheng had placed under confinement as a punishment!

They were in the midst of a crisis where the sect was missing its leader, and even the Eminent Ones did not dare speak out. Yet, Yang Shenlong had stepped up without hesitation!

Yang Shenlong's order was undoubtedly the correct one. With the True Form of Ksitigarbha rampaging through Mirage Mountain, it was impossible for them to fight back. Instead, they should concentrate all their strength on containing the Secondary Sect. Those islands were where they sourced their treasures of nature; they were the real foundation of the Penglai Supreme Sect!

They could let the attackers take the resources they had accumulated on Mirage Mountain, but the three islands of Penglai were the source of hope for the Penglai Supreme Sect to exist for the next few centuries. They could not lose those three islands!

When the blade is bound to fall, the only thing you can do is make sure your roots survive!

Yang Shenlong's command did more than guide his peers and juniors. It made even the senior Eminent Ones realize the crux of the issue at hand.

Nonetheless, the moment he shouted, Yang Shenlong became the target of the True Form of Ksitigarbha.

Boom!

It pressed downward with one of its fingers, aiming to crush Yang Shenlong to death.

Yang Shenlong had advanced to the seventh realm with the Great Dao of Primordial Chaos. At this moment, he swiftly activated the power of that Great Dao at full force and slipped into another layer of space.

Yet, such tricks were useless before a legendary artifact. That one finger from the True Form of Ksitigarbha crushed through layer after layer of space with ease. It was about to pulverize Penglai's rising star!

Right then, the Azure Dragon opened its massive mouth and released a thunderous dragon roar. It snapped up Yang Shenlong, sending him into its mouth filled with sharp blade-like teeth. The Azure Dragon was shielding him with its own head.

Boom!

The True Form of Ksitigarbha's finger struck the Azure Dragon's head, slamming the Azure Dragon into the mountain yet again. Its fate was unknown.

Following Yang Shenlong's command, the Penglai Supreme Sect disciples withdrew from Mirage Mountain and regrouped on the three islands, preparing to stop the Penglai Secondary Sect disciples from further destroying their natural paradise. As for Mirage Mountain, it was no longer defensible, so they simply abandoned it to the demons and evildoers.

The common trait among the Mount Mang rebels and the Dark King Sect disciples was that they were unruly. Faced with mountains of treasure, they had no desire to pursue the retreating disciples of the Penglai Supreme Sect. In fact, seeing them retreat only made the Mount Mang rebels and the Dark King Sect disciples happier. They could loot freely, and they had no interest in chasing after anyone to fight.

As large numbers of Penglai Supreme Sect disciples landed on the three islands, they immediately suppressed the rioting disciples of the Penglai Secondary Sect. After all, the Penglai Supreme Sect had many seventh-realm Eminent Ones and elite disciples, whereas the impoverished disciples of the Penglai Secondary Sect had long been deprived of resources and were lacking in talented individuals. The disparity between the two sects was immense and could not be overcome by numbers alone.

Thanks to Yang Shenlong's decision to abandon the mountain above and save the islands below instead, the situation gradually began to stabilize.

However, right then, a small boat arrived at the three islands of Penglai. Behind that small boat, there were hundreds of cultivators, each with glowing red eyes.

Du Wuhen looked at the tanned disciples of the Penglai Secondary Sect and instantly felt a sense of kinship.

Raising his hand and pointing to the three islands ahead, he yelled, “Little Second Brother, look!

“The Penglai Supreme Sect has long treated the original owners of these islands like slaves! All their hard work has never been theirs to enjoy. Simply because of their background, they've been oppressed endlessly. How utterly improper!”

Du Wuhen spoke so vehemently that even the elder behind him furrowed his brows.

"So, it really is as I thought..." Grand Ancestor Fuyou's expression darkened. "Back then, I enslaved the sea demon clans and was punished for countless years. These people have enslaved humans, yet they have never been punished at all. This is utterly unjust."

As he spoke, a dense mist filled with countless red starlike specks spread across the three islands.

The mist quickly enshrouded some Penglai Supreme Sect disciples, and their eyes glowed red.

Grand Ancestor Fuyou declared, "I don't wish to kill, but to punish them for what they've done, I will move these three islands away!"