293: Reason with me? Is this the first day you've known me?

Shen Tianxing chuckled, his gaze falling upon Li Tongshen.

"My Lord, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with me?"

Li Tongshen felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. He carefully checked himself, but found nothing amiss. Yet, that look was like a weasel staring at a chicken, truly chilling.

It was too ill-intentioned!

Even Liu Xianyun and Xing Yao, who were beside them, showed curious expressions.

"This time, after clearing the entire Outer Sea, I've harvested too many Cultivation resources. However, with my current Cultivation Realm, many Cultivation resources are no longer useful to me. I've prepared some Cultivation resources and plan to send them back to the Imperial Dynasty..."

As he spoke, Shen Tianxing looked at Li Tongshen with a beaming smile.

"What! You want me to go back to Great Qi?!"

Li Tongshen jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Bang!

He didn't even care that the chair behind him had been knocked over.

"My Lord, I'm not going back. It wasn't easy for me to escape from there. I never want to go back!"

"Besides, we're about to go to the Inner Sea, and I want to go with you. Please just let me off the hook!"

Li Tongshen's face was full of reluctance!

What a joke! After experiencing several months of excitement in the Outer Sea, what did it mean to send him back to Great Qi?

How could he possibly be willing to go back?

With his current Divine Profound Realm Cultivation, if he went back, would he just look down on all living beings from above?

If it were anyone else, they might be very happy, like returning home in glory.

But he didn't need that!

Li Tongshen was an ambitious man. Returning to Great Qi was like going back to a remote, backward place. How could it compare to the excitement of following Shen Tianxing?

The Inner Sea! That was a place countless Outer Sea Cultivators dreamed of entering. Of course, he wanted to see it too!

"You're really not going?"

Shen Tianxing narrowed his eyes, looking at him with a smile, his thoughts completely unreadable.

"No, absolutely not going back!"

Li Tongshen couldn't care less about anything else, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.

I will absolutely not agree!

"I was in such a good mood today, why do you have to force me?"

Shen Tianxing sighed, shaking his head helplessly.

"???"

Li Tongshen was bewildered, but then he saw Shen Tianxing raise the futuo saber in his hand.

"You, you're being unreasonable..."

He jumped back in fright.

"Is this your first day knowing me?"

Shen Tianxing raised an eyebrow. Had this guy forgotten that when they first met in the Luoying Mountain Range, he had cut down one of his Incarnations?

The second time they met, he snatched the One Qi Incarnation Technique from him.

The third time they met, in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm, he directly tricked him onto his ship.

Now he actually wanted to talk reason with him?

He was truly rebellious!

"...My Lord, I understand now. This return to the Imperial Dynasty is of great importance. Such an important matter certainly requires a very important person to make the trip. Who else but me?"

Li Tongshen said, his face serious.

Liu Yueying chuckled to herself, struggling to hold it in, almost laughing out loud.

"Good attitude!"

Shen Tianxing nodded in satisfaction, putting away his futuo saber.

"Don't do that again next time!"

Sending Li Tongshen back, of course, had his considerations.

There was no way he could let Liu Xianyun and Xing Yao go; it was a joke. Both of them were his people, and he couldn't bear to let them cross the Sea of Buried Demons.

Liu Yueying?

Her strength had improved, and she was quite good, but to cross the Outer Sea, her strength was definitely not enough. If she encountered a master, she wouldn't even have time to run!

Her ability to survive here back then was purely good luck, but she wouldn't be so lucky every time.

But Li Tongshen was different!

This guy was good at hiding himself when he was in the Soul Refining Sect, and he was even better at avoiding danger!

Now, not only had his strength greatly increased, but his Incarnation had also cultivated the fourth Dao again. Even if he really encountered danger, it wouldn't matter.

He could completely use a substitute, and his true body would easily escape.

So, all things considered, Li Tongshen was the most suitable person.

"Take these. Once you return to Great Qi, follow my instructions and first see the Empress, then find the others."

Shen Tianxing took out the spatial rings he had prepared earlier. Each ring corresponded to a person!

Ye Qingyu, Xu Muqing, and Xu Muyan had rings specially prepared for them.

Their Cultivation Realm was still too low. If they relied on themselves to obtain resources, it would take an unknown amount of time for their Cultivation to catch up.

What Shen Tianxing prepared for them was most suitable for their current Cultivation Realm, allowing them to Cultivate to the Soul Palace Realm without any problem!

Cultivation Techniques and insights into Realms were all included.

The one for the Empress was, firstly, to thank her for her repeated assistance, and secondly, to let her know that he was doing well and living a good life now.

Shen Tianxing couldn't return for the time being, so he could only handle things this way.

And after Li Tongshen returned, he could also help the Empress. His strength was already sufficient, making him a top-tier existence in Great Qi and the surrounding dozen or so Imperial Dynasties!

Plus, his deep understanding of demons and the ghostly Dao could be of great help!

Li Tongshen packed the items and accepted the arrangement in his heart.

He knew that resisting was useless. Who made him Shen Tianxing?

He might really get hit if he didn't comply.

"My Lord, rest assured, I will deliver these items safely and soundly."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tianxing smiled in satisfaction.

"Wouldn't it have been better if you were this sensible earlier? You just have to look for trouble, you're asking for it!"

"Come, come, sit down and drink!"

"Don't worry, you won't be short of benefits in the future, but this time when you go back, remember my instructions."

"Do a good job!"

Shen Tianxing gave a few more instructions before stopping.

Li Tongshen was somewhat exasperated, but he had no choice. Whatever his Lord said, he could only do.

Liu Xianyun and Xing Yao didn't interrupt, instead smiling as they watched the good show.

"Li Tongshen, you must do a good job, lest you mess things up and the Lord won't take you to the Inner Sea."

Liu Yueying added insult to injury, saying with a giggle.

Li Tongshen rolled his eyes and stood up to take his leave.

He couldn't stay in this place any longer; he had to leave, immediately!

"Your arrangement this time is very thorough. Li Tongshen is indeed the most suitable candidate."

Liu Xianyun understood his thoughts and knew that Shen Tianxing's urgent arrangement for Li Tongshen to return was because he was worried about Great Qi.

Shen Tianxing nodded and said, "The Holy Heaven Demon Sect's claws have already reached the Sea of Buried Demons. Given their level of animosity towards me, it's hard to guarantee they won't accelerate their actions!"

"Our journey to the Inner Sea is fraught with peril, and Great Qi might also become a target of their attack. I must be on guard!"

Shen Tianxing sending Li Tongshen back was not simply to deliver some resources.

The main reason was the immense threat from the Holy Heaven Demon Sect!

No matter how strong the Empress was, she could only suppress one region. She alone couldn't defend the entire Great Qi!

Shen Tianxing was far away in the Outer Sea, unable to reach, and it wasn't easy to even get information about the situation there.

But after Li Tongshen returned, he would have an extra pair of eyes, able to keep track of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect's movements at all times and respond promptly!

...In Shen Tianxing's view, caution was necessary when facing an existence like the Holy Heaven Demon Sect.

In the battle of Nanyuan Domain, Liu Xianyun and Xing Yao both personally participated and clearly understood that Elder Qiu's escape would definitely be detrimental to the Great Qi Imperial Dynasty.

Now, the Holy Heaven Demon Sect's gaze was fixed on Shen Tianxing, but he was more difficult to deal with than the Great Qi Imperial Dynasty.

If they couldn't defeat him, they could still run, so they couldn't do anything to him for a while.

But the Great Qi Imperial Dynasty was different; it was right there, unable to run away, making it easier to deal with!

With the Holy Heaven Demon Sect's foundation and strength, they had many ways to deal with the Empress!

"The Qi Mo Sect is in the Inner Sea, and people from the Holy Heaven Demon Sect must be there too. If you appear in the Inner Sea, the Holy Heaven Demon Sect will temporarily focus their attention on you, which would be beneficial for the Great Qi Imperial Dynasty."

Liu Xianyun spoke casually, but her words were very reasonable.

Moreover, it was the most suitable approach at the moment. However, this would make Shen Tianxing's situation even more perilous.

"Wouldn't that be too risky?"

Xing Yao's delicate brows furrowed as she couldn't help but look at Shen Tianxing.

Their main purpose for going to the Inner Sea this time was to find Su Mingyue.

Although the Qi Mo Sect was in the Inner Sea, with their current strength, as long as they didn't actively expose their whereabouts, it would be difficult for the Qi Mo Sect to find them.

But if they followed what Liu Xianyun said, the meaning changed.

This was equivalent to actively seeking trouble with the Qi Mo Sect!

Like throwing an egg against a rock?

It wasn't a perfect analogy, but it was close enough!

"It's not that easy for them to deal with me. Besides, with one Saint dead, the Qi Mo Sect will have enough of a headache after getting the news and won't be able to track us down that quickly."

Shen Tianxing shook his head.

"What's more, Mingyue is still in the Inner Sea!"

This trip to the Inner Sea, finding Su Mingyue was the primary objective; seeking trouble with the Qi Mo Sect was secondary.

After all, whether the Holy Heaven Demon Sect would attack the Great Qi Imperial Dynasty was only his speculation, but Su Mingyue being in the Inner Sea was a concrete fact.

To take a step back!

Even if Su Mingyue hadn't come to the Sea of Buried Demons, Shen Tianxing would still go to the Inner Sea!

He had already swept clean the Outer Sea, and the experience points had basically been harvested. Unless he went into the deep sea to find trouble with the deep-sea race.

But the deep-sea race primarily gathered in the Inner Sea. Heavenly Phenomenon Realm powerhouses rarely stayed in the Outer Sea. Both resources and Spiritual Qi were inferior to the Inner Sea, so it was even less likely for them to leave too many powerhouses here.

To improve his Cultivation Realm as quickly as possible, he could only go to the Inner Sea!

So!

This step was essential!

Liu Xianyun and Xing Yao nodded. No matter where Shen Tianxing went, they would follow.

Even Liu Yueying, who was beside them, showed excited eagerness upon hearing they were going to the Inner Sea, not feeling any of the Inner Sea's dangers.

"What are you so excited about? With your Cultivation Realm in the Inner Sea, you probably wouldn't even withstand a single slap. Have you been slacking off recently?"

Shen Tianxing glanced at Liu Yueying.

"Ah? I haven't been slacking off!"

"Yesterday, I even went with that Li Tongshen to the deep sea to dig for snow jade and almost froze to death after being swept into a thousand-year-old ice cave!"

Liu Yueying quickly denied.

She was really afraid that if Shen Tianxing was unhappy, he would send her to dig for deep-sea snow jade again. The training was real, and her Cultivation Realm and Physical Body refinement showed clear improvements.

But it was too torturous!

"Don't bully her anymore. Since we've decided to go, let's set off earlier."

Liu Xianyun patted Shen Tianxing's hand, unable to watch any longer, and said with a charming pout.

Having teased Liu Yueying enough, Shen Tianxing was done playing. He immediately decided that in three days, they would go to a secret place in the Outer Sea and enter the Inner Sea through a teleportation array.

There was a dedicated teleportation array to enter the Inner Sea, the most important place for travel between the Inner and Outer Seas, which had always been controlled by the Two Islands, Five Sects, and Eight Cities. Shen Tianxing had also obtained the map from them.

Once he left, the Outer Sea and Inner Sea would truly be cut off!

...Lingqiao Domain, a famous gathering place for Cultivators in the Inner Sea.

Surrounded by converging mountain ranges, their momentum like a Dragon, it was rich in Spirit Stone mines and connected to various sea regions of the Inner Sea, a place for merchants and Cultivators seeking treasures!

It was rumored that besides Spirit Stones, this place was once an Ancient Battlefield, but for unknown reasons, the Ancient Battlefield transformed into a Secret Realm!

It was controlled by the Vermilion Bird Prefecture, the actual controller of the Lingqiao Domain. Foreign Cultivators, even if they wanted to enter, could not. Only some top Sects and Immortal Caves with significant connections to the Vermilion Bird Prefecture could enter.

Such an important sea city naturally attracted countless people to gather here, coming from various sea regions.

In Gufeng City, where the Lingqiao Domain was located, within the City Lord's Mansion.

Chu Xiao, the City Lord of Gufeng City, was entertaining two guests in the main hall.

These two guests had extraordinary backgrounds. They both came from the Vermilion Bird Prefecture, two of the thirty-six envoys of the Inner Prefecture!

Even within the Vermilion Bird Prefecture, they held a certain status. As a force controlled by the Vermilion Bird Prefecture, when they came here, although their strength was not as high as Chu Xiao's, their status was in no way lower than his!

"Come, come, Brother Li, Brother Wang, you've come all this way to Gufeng City, a hard journey!"

"Normally, you wouldn't be able to invite you, but today, you must drink to your heart's content with me, your brother!"

Chu Xiao's relationship with them was already very familiar; they usually addressed each other as brothers. He knew very well that the Vermilion Bird Prefecture wouldn't easily send people here, and if they did, it must be a major event!

Now that two of the thirty-six envoys had arrived at once, he naturally had to entertain them well and see if he could glean any inside information.

Especially the Forbidden Ground not far from Gufeng City, which had been showing unusual activity recently. Could their arrival be related to this?

"Brother Chu, this wine, we really can't drink too much. We still need to hurry back to the Vermilion Bird Prefecture to report important matters!"

Li Lu and Wang Tiande repeatedly waved their hands in refusal.

If it were normal times, they would definitely drink until they were drunk, but now they really weren't in the mood to drink.

Chu Xiao heard this and couldn't help but say, "Brothers, you came to the Lingqiao Domain in such a hurry this time, with troubled expressions. Has something major happened here?"

"By the way, I recently discovered continuous anomalies in the Divine Fire Secret Realm. Many Cultivators who approached it were swallowed by the divine fire. Has something gone wrong inside this Forbidden Ground?"

Chu Xiao saw that the two didn't continue drinking and could only voice his doubts.

The location of the Divine Fire Secret Realm was too close to Gufeng City. Recently, nine out of ten Cultivators who entered that area had problems. Some saw terrifying flames erupting from the Divine Fire Secret Realm, swallowing many masters!

Coupled with the fact that the Vermilion Bird Prefecture had just sent some Disciples in not long ago, there must have been a problem inside, which was why Li Lu and Wang Tiande were in such a hurry.

They must have come to investigate the cause of the matter.

"Brother Chu, your guess is correct. A change has indeed occurred in the Divine Fire Secret Realm!"

"Moreover, it's not just this one place that has undergone changes, nor is it just our Vermilion Bird Prefecture. Almost all the Forbidden Grounds and Secret Realms controlled by the One Sect, Three Halls, Six Prefectures, and Twelve Caves have experienced problems!"