357: Chapter 357 The Demon Lord Descends

Two months of time—it wasn't long, but it wasn't short either.

Chu Sheng was in no hurry to leave Jinchan Island, and Master Xuandu did not urge him to do so.

Sometimes he would take walks on the island, sometimes he would meditate behind closed doors in the meditation room, and occasionally he would go to the ferry landing to gaze at the water.

Xiaobai had already settled in and was arranged in a side courtyard, where someone brought food every day; although it had not yet officially begun to cultivate, it was already much more stable than when it had been crouching at the ferry landing.

Jiuer stayed by Chu Sheng's side; there were not many words between the two of them, yet they had developed a tacit understanding that required no deliberate conversation.

The monks on the island continued to live their lives in an orderly fashion, with morning bells and evening drums, sweeping and chanting—everything was as usual.

That afternoon, the sunlight was perfect, and a few young monks were sitting under the veranda chatting, their tones relaxed.

"I heard the Yao Race in the north is acting up again, but it has nothing to do with our Jinchan Island."

"In the territory of the Wanfo Sect, who would dare to run wild?"

Another monk chuckled: "That's true. Although we are tucked away in a corner, we aren't someone just anyone can touch."

Their tone carried the relaxation that only comes after being accustomed to stability, as if they were discussing a matter that had nothing to do with them.

When Master Xuandu walked out of the meditation room, his expression was different from usual.

He did not walk slowly along the corridor as he usually did; his pace was noticeably faster than usual.

When he reached the veranda, those few chatting monks were still talking, and someone smiled and pressed their palms together to salute him, but Master Xuandu did not nod in response as he usually did, instead walking straight toward the side courtyard where Chu Sheng lived.

When he raised his hand to knock on the door, his movements were also a bit heavier than usual.

Chu Sheng opened the door, and upon seeing Master Xuandu's expression, he spoke first: "What happened?"

Master Xuandu did not enter the room; he stood at the door, his voice very low but carrying a rare sense of urgency: "The Old Dragon has come."

Chu Sheng's gaze tightened slightly.

He didn't ask more, simply stepping aside to let him in, signaling for Master Xuandu to come inside to talk.

Master Xuandu walked into the room and sat down at the table, taking a deep breath as if he wanted to weigh the gravity of that statement again.

"Just now, news came from the perimeter; the Dragon Palace's procession has already crossed the water defense line outside Jinchan Island. At his speed, he will arrive in front of the island in at most half an hour."

Chu Sheng did not reply immediately, quickly running through the current situation in his mind.

He had not expected that the Old Dragon would come to Jinchan Island in person. Given his apparent injuries and the backlash from the Formation, he had every reason to remain in the Dragon Palace to recuperate.

But he had come.

This in itself meant that the purpose of his trip was by no means as simple as just delivering a message.

Chu Sheng asked: "How many people did he bring?"

Master Xuandu said: "Not many. But he doesn't need many. Him standing there alone is more troublesome than bringing an army."

A moment later, Master Xuandu walked to the front of the main hall and stood still; his voice was not loud, but it was enough to make the monks inside and outside the hall stop what they were doing.

"Everyone, the Yao Sovereign of the Dragon Palace is heading toward this island."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

The monks who had originally been chatting looked up, and someone's teacup remained suspended in mid-air.

A young monk spoke subconsciously: "The Yao Sovereign? From the Dragon Palace?"

His tone carried a hint of incredulous hesitation, as if confirming whether he had misheard.

Another monk put down the wooden fish in his hand, was silent for a moment, and then said: "Why would he come here?"

No one answered him.

Because everyone's attention had already been firmly gripped by Master Xuandu's words.

The atmosphere, which had been calm and breezy just a moment ago, felt as if it had been suddenly pressed down by an invisible hand.

Some people began to put down the things in their hands, and some had already subconsciously stood in positions closer to the hall door.

No one was panicking, but that silence after being disturbed was more tense than panic.

They were not afraid of him alone.

What they feared was what the two words "Yao Sovereign" represented.

Chu Sheng stood at the entrance of the side courtyard, looking at the faces of the monks as they gradually quieted down; he did not offer any evaluation, simply withdrawing his gaze and looking back toward the direction outside Jinchan Island that was gradually approaching.

The water surface in the distance shimmered with fine ripples, as if something was slowly moving beneath that expanse of shimmering light.

He did not say anything, just stood there quietly, as if waiting for that figure to truly appear in his field of vision.

Jiuer stood by his side, also remaining silent.