Young Noble Be Monster Slaying
Chapter 966: Me? (I)

At the border between the South Sea and West Sea, where the vast blue waters stretched endlessly, there was an inconspicuous little island. One could see from its eastern end all the way to the west.

At that moment, three figures stood facing each other on the island, their robes fluttering in the biting sea wind.

On the left stood a broad-faced middle-aged man with flaming red hair, a pair of horns on his forehead, and a fierce gleam in his eyes.

On the right was an elderly man with a hunched back and a large pitch-black shell on his shoulders. He looked thin and worn with age, and the way the wind pushed against him made it seem like he might topple over at any moment.

Standing between them was the Celestial Master of the Celestial Charm Sect, smiling as he chatted with the other two.

"This is Mr. Yuan, the envoy of the South Sea's Grand Ancestor Wuchao."

"And this is Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep, under the West Sea’s Divine Phoenix King."

The man on the left was none other than the Phoenix Sheep, the same one the Celestial Charm Sect had once tried to capture. He carried the bloodline of the Divine Phoenix King. After undergoing a mutation, his natural talent for cultivation had risen to astonishing levels.

After the Divine Phoenix King came out of closed-door cultivation to compete for the ninth realm, many phoenix bloodlines from all over the world came to offer their loyalty. But the Phoenix Sheep, a celestial beast, stayed where he was and did nothing.

It was only when the Divine Phoenix King personally visited Phoenix Sheep Mountain and offered him the title of crown prince that they finally managed to bring this former outcast back to Divine Phoenix Island.

Because of that, when it came time to make contact with the South Sea, the Divine Phoenix King sent Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep as the representative.

The elderly man with the shell was Grand Ancestor Wuchao’s most trusted strategist in the South Sea. He was an ancient softshell turtle who was almost as old as Wuchao.

In the Ruins of Return, every demon knew his name. He had long served as Grand Ancestor Wuchao’s voice and was respectfully addressed as Mr. Yuan.

Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep narrowed his eyes at the Celestial Master. "I know that the South Sea demons would be here, but I didn’t expect you to show up. What now? Are you planning to use me to threaten my father?"

"That’s all in the past," the Celestial Master replied with a calm smile. He gave a nod and continued, "Back then, the situation was unclear. I was acting under orders to disrupt those on the brink of ascension. It was just a matter of position. But now, our positions have changed. If we want any chance of success, the three of us must form an alliance."

"An alliance?" Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep gave a cold laugh.

"When the demons of the South Sea caused chaos back then, the righteous factions joined forces to suppress the rebellion. That battle nearly interrupted Lord Wuchao’s breakthrough," Mr. Yuan said quietly. "Looking back, I suppose the Celestial Charm Sect had a role in that. But that was the past. Things are different now. The humans are strong, and if we want to win, we truly need to work together."

"The humans are strong?" The Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep questioned. He shot a glance at the Celestial Master and said, "There are five brink-of-ascension cultivators right now. Three of the brink-of-ascension existences are demons, while only two are humans. How is that a sign of strength?"

"Noble Baize may be a demon[1], but she is a celestial beast of the Mount Shu Sect," Mr. Yuan replied. "She is backed by the human factions and cannot be considered one of our own. Both the Heavenly Star Grand Ancestor and Noble Baize have the support of the human race. Is the Divine Phoenix King of the West Sea not wary of them?"

"What do you intend to do?" Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep asked.

The very fact that he had come today meant the Divine Phoenix King had sensed danger and was willing to consider forming an alliance.

The Divine Phoenix King cultivated in a remote part of the West Sea and held little influence. His presence triggered powerful celestial phenomena, which led many demon clans to rally to his side. Even so, he still could not overpower the sects in the Divine Nine, which possessed legendary artifacts, or the sects in the Terrestrial Ten.

"If the three of us join forces, we’ll take down one of them first," the Celestial Master answered without hesitation.

Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep paused to consider, then asked, "Who do you want to target first?"

This time, Mr. Yuan answered, "Mount Shu is closely connected to the South Sea, and Noble Baize is still a demon after all. If possible, we should strike the Heavenly Star Grand Ancestor first. He leads the Heavenly Star factions and holds two legendary artifacts. Right now, he poses the greatest threat."

"That is doable," Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep replied immediately.

At the moment, heavenly flames were surging in from the west, and it was the Heavenly Star Grand Ancestor who stood in their way. If they could eliminate him first, the biggest obstacle blocking the Divine Phoenix King would be removed.

Since the other two were willing to help, he had no reason to say no.

After agreeing, Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep asked at once, "So, what’s the plan?"

The Celestial Master gave a faint smile and said, "We will… devour the sun and swallow the stars."

…

l

On Mount Shu, Bai Yuxian looked at Chu Liang with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

In just a few days, this young man had managed to push his cultivation of the Great Dao of Creation to the peak of the seventh realm. It was an astonishing feat.

But when she noticed the two old men behind him, both looking completely exhausted as if all their energy had been drained, she figured it out. With the Azure Dragon and Enlightened Jiuyi supporting his cultivation with legendary artifacts, it would have been strange if his progress had been slow.

Still, how many seventh-realm cultivators in this world could afford such a luxury, receiving help from both of them? Probably only Chu Liang.

"You're really going?" Bai Yuxian asked.

"I can’t attain the Heavenly Origin if I rely on my own strength. Who knows how long I’d have to wait for an opportunity," Chu Liang said firmly. "I must borrow the Cauldron of the Great Dao."

He had come this far, and he had to give it a try. Although Tuntun was being kept inside the White Pagoda, her already limited life essence was still growing weaker. He needed to act quickly.

Life essence wasn’t something that could be preserved just by keeping it in a safe place. As long as someone remained alive, their life essence would continue to wear away. This was the unchanging law of the Dao. If it could be stopped, then people would never grow old or die as long as they avoided injury.

"Alright," Bai Yuxian said with a nod. "I’ll take you back for a visit. But borrowing the Cauldron of the Great Dao won’t be easy. I may not be able to help you with that."

"I’ll speak with the monastery overseer myself," Chu Liang replied.

Their last encounter with the monastery overseer hadn’t gone smoothly, so Bai Yuxian was stepping in to help mend the relations. But if Chu Liang wanted to borrow a legendary artifact, he would have to offer something in return. That wasn’t something she could help with.

After letting the higher-up of the Mount Shu Sect know, the Whale-Riding Immortal summoned the black whale and set off once again for the Divine Ruins Monastery with Bai Yuxian and Chu Liang.

It hadn’t been long since the two of them had left, so this visit felt a little like returning to the bride’s family, as if a young couple were paying a visit home.

No one questioned Chu Liang’s decision. It was just like when Jiang Tiankuo set out to search for his wife. Many believed it wasn’t necessary and thought he could have simply lived a peaceful life outside the Divine Ruins.

But there were some things that simply had to be done.

By now, they were already familiar with the path to the Divine Ruins Monastery. They passed through the barriers of the Divine Ruins and soon arrived inside once again.