358: Chapter 358 The Old Dragon Presses In, and They Flee in Panic

On the water surrounding Jinchan Island, that figure was drawing closer and closer.

With every step he took, ripples spread out in a dense circle beneath his feet, as if he were treading upon an invisible path.

He wore a dark gold Dragon robe, the hem trailing to the water's surface without getting wet in the slightest.

His stature was even more upright than when Chu Sheng had last seen him at the Heavenly Pool; the twilight air on his Face had mostly faded, replaced by a steady, cold sense of oppression.

His Qi and blood were abundant.

His movements were composed.

He was in no rush to step onto the shore.

He simply stood there, his gaze slowly sweeping over the contours of the vast Jinchan Island, as if confirming whether what he sought was still in its place.

Chu Sheng did not speak, merely watching the direction of the water quietly.

Jiuer was beside him, also silent, merely narrowing her eyes slightly as if assessing the state of that figure's Qi.

After a moment, she said very softly, "He is... indeed much better than when we last saw him."

Chu Sheng nodded, offering no reply.

The wind above Jinchan Island seemed to soften suddenly at that moment.

Master Xuandu walked out from the main hall, stepping down the stone stairs one by one until he reached the open area in front of the island.

In his hand, he held a dark brown staff, the head carved with simple lotus patterns that shimmered with a gentle luster in the twilight.

He stopped at the top of the steps, neither releasing any pressure nor showing weakness, simply saying calmly, "Your Excellency the Demon Venerable has come from afar, and Jinchan Island is honored by your presence."

The Old Dragon did not acknowledge this polite remark.

His gaze fell upon Master Xuandu, his tone carrying a coldness so flat it was almost imperceptible.

"Your brother prepared a grand gift for me at my birthday banquet. I have come today to return the favor."

His voice was not loud, yet it reached the ears of most people at the island's edge clearly.

Master Xuandu neither denied it nor responded, merely standing there quietly, as if waiting for him to continue.

The Old Dragon spoke again, "Furthermore—"

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over Master Xuandu to scan the houses and tree shadows deeper within Jinchan Island, "There are a few little mice; are they here with you as well?"

His tone remained flat, yet carried a certainty that made it hard for anyone to pretend they hadn't heard.

"Harboring fugitives is not something the Buddhist Sect should do."

Master Xuandu's expression did not change, and he replied in a steady tone, "This poor monk has not seen the 'little mice' the Demon Venerable speaks of."

As his voice fell, the wooden staff in his hand moved slightly, and the lotus pattern on the staff head flashed with a faint light, like a lamp that had just been lit.

He was clearly prepared to respond, but did not make the first Move.

The Old Dragon nodded, as if he had already received the answer he wanted.

"If you haven't seen them, so be it. I will find them myself."

Before his words had even faded, his figure had already moved.

There were no Moves, no buildup of power; he simply turned around and swept his tail across.

That Dragon tail traced a dark gold arc through the air, moving so fast that its trajectory was almost impossible to see.

Master Xuandu raised his staff horizontally to block.

The moment the staff and the Dragon tail collided, a dull, thunderous sound erupted.

The wooden staff cracked the instant they made contact, the fractures spreading rapidly from the center of the staff to both ends.

Master Xuandu's body was like a stone flung from a catapult, flying backward from the top of the steps, passing through a wooden corridor, snapping pillars, and finally landing on the ground of the courtyard behind.

He struggled to prop up his upper body, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth; the wooden staff had already broken into two pieces, scattering beside him.

He did not stand up, but he did not collapse completely either.

The surrounding monks saw this scene; some subconsciously took a half-step forward, then stopped abruptly.

No one attacked, no one retreated; everyone seemed to be nailed to the spot by that sweep of the Dragon tail.

The moment Chu Sheng realized Master Xuandu had been sent flying, his hand had already pressed onto his sword hilt, but then a figure appeared before him, blocking his view.

It was an old monk who had previously gone unnoticed, seemingly one who swept the outer courtyard; he was small and thin, wearing a faded gray monk's robe.

He did not look at Chu Sheng, merely standing sideways to block the entrance to the side courtyard, lowering his voice to say very quickly, "This way."

His tone left no room for negotiation and showed no intention of explaining.

Jiuer followed as well, her steps quiet and swift.

The old monk led them through a hidden door into an underground stone chamber.

The old monk took a pale gold token from his sleeve and handed it to Chu Sheng, his speaking speed still rapid, "This is the token. Take this to the Central Region and tell them about the Glazed Fragments."

Chu Sheng took the token, lowered his head to glance at it, and asked no further questions, only asking, "What about Master Xuandu?"

The old monk said, "He can still hold on for a while."

His tone was not certain, yet not panicked, as if he were stating a fact that had already been confirmed.

Chu Sheng did not press further; just as he was about to step onto the array pattern, he paused and glanced back in the direction they had come.

"Isn't this too rushed?" His voice carried a trace of obvious hesitation.

The old monk did not respond, merely reaching out to press a rune on the edge of the array pattern, activating it completely.

The light of the array pattern flared up suddenly, enveloping the entire floor.

On the ground, Master Xuandu stood up from the rubble and brushed the dust from his monk's robe.

He raised his head, looking at the figure still standing on the water, "Demon Venerable, do you truly intend to act here?"

The Old Dragon looked at him without speaking, as if waiting for him to continue.

Master Xuandu continued, "This poor monk knows why the Demon Venerable has come today, but there is one thing I would ask the Demon Venerable to consider carefully."

"My brother has already paid with his life at the Dragon Palace."

"Although he was not killed by your own hand, it was ultimately because of that birthday banquet."

"If the Demon Venerable insists on pursuing this matter further, it will mean becoming an enemy of the entire Wanfo Sect."

The Old Dragon did not respond, but he did not attack immediately either.

He stood there, as if weighing the gravity of these words.

Master Xuandu added another sentence, "Not just the Wanfo Sect."

"But the entire Central Region."

He paused, as if confirming if his wording was accurate.

"Although the Central Region is not a monolith, there is one rule. If anyone openly attacks the Twelve Upper Sects of the Central Region in other domains, the other Sects will not sit idly by."

"The Demon Venerable should know the weight of this rule better than this poor monk."

The Old Dragon did not answer immediately.

He stood quietly on the water, his gaze falling upon Master Xuandu, as if re-evaluating the monk who had just been knocked to the ground by him.

After a moment, he said, "You are certainly more eloquent than your brother."

His tone held no praise nor anger, sounding more like he was stating a fact he had observed.

Master Xuandu did not respond.

The Old Dragon was silent for another moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze.

He did not walk forward again, nor did he look toward the deeper parts of Jinchan Island.

"I have already given Face today."

He turned around and walked in the direction he had come.

In the underground stone chamber, the light of the array pattern had reached its brightest moment.

Chu Sheng stepped onto the array pattern, holding the token in his hand; a slight vibration came from beneath his feet.

He did not hesitate further, merely glancing back at Jiuer; Jiuer did not speak, simply stepping to his side.

The light of the array pattern engulfed their figures.

The sound of wind rushed past their ears, carrying a sense of silence compressed to the extreme.

Chu Sheng felt his feet lifting off the ground.

In that instant, his Divine Sense felt as though it had been stretched for a beat, before returning to normal.

When he could clearly see the scene before him again, he was no longer on Jinchan Island.

The twilight was replaced by another kind of light; it was not the light of the setting sun, but a brighter, warm color woven from the city gates and lights in the distance.

He lowered his head to look at the ground beneath his feet—a smooth slab of bluestone. The array pattern had faded, like the trace of a spilled cup of water quickly drying.

Jiuer stood by his side, also looking around at the surroundings.

Neither spoke immediately, as if giving each other a moment to adapt to the change in environment.

Chu Sheng reached his hand into his sleeve, touching the token again to confirm it was still there.

He stood there quietly for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, "Let's go."