187: Chapter 187 The Palace Master of Xuanyu Palace personally visits!

Guangnan City, Shen Mansion.

Sunlight filtered through the golden leaves of the wutong treasure tree, casting dappled light and shadows across the courtyard.

Shen Qingyuan lay lazily on a soft couch, pinching a grape in his hand and slowly tossing it into his mouth.

Luo Qingyue knelt to one side, her white clothes like snow, quietly brewing tea.

The aroma of tea curled upwards, mixing with the fresh scent of wutong leaves, refreshing the heart and spirit.

The Phoenix still hung on the highest branch of the wutong treasure tree. The crimson-gold light cocoon was a full circle larger than before, the runes on its surface becoming increasingly clear, and the aura of Nirvana True Fire faintly permeated from within.

Old Turtle squatted in the corner of the courtyard, his murky old eyes half-open and half-closed, appearing as if he were asleep yet not, looking just like an old tortoise sunning itself.

Everything was extremely peaceful.

However—

The Shen Family was exceptionally lively today.

In the front hall of the Shen Mansion, Patriarch Shen Tianze sat upright in the main seat, his expression calm, holding a cup of tea in his hand and sipping it slowly.

Before him, a middle-aged man wearing brocade robes and a fleshy face was sitting on a guest chair with his legs crossed, also holding a cup of tea, but his posture clearly showed he did not consider himself an outsider.

Behind him stood several black-clad Cultivators with steady auras, the weakest of whom had the cultivation of the Void Piercing Realm.

"Family Head Shen, what have you considered regarding what I just said?" The brocade-robed man put down his teacup, a look of certainty curling the corners of his mouth.

Patriarch Shen Tianze took a sip of tea, put down the cup unhurriedly, and looked up at him.

"Elder Jin, your Lieyang Sect wants to annex my Shen Family. Is this not taking Guangnan City too lightly?"

The brocade-robed man was named Jin Dali, an Elder of the Lieyang Sect, with the cultivation of the third level of the Primal Chaos Realm.

The Lieyang Sect, although not one of the Seven Great Sects of the Southern Region, was still a famous large Sect in the Southern Region, with a deep foundation and an Old Ancestor of the Asking Dao Realm sitting in the Sect.

Jin Dali sneered, his tone full of disdain: "Guangnan City? A small place where even a Void Piercing Realm Cultivator can't be found, is it worthy of my Lieyang Sect looking at it?"

He stood up, walked to the center of the hall with his hands behind his back, and looked down at Patriarch Shen Tianze.

"Family Head Shen, it is your good fortune that my Lieyang Sect has taken a fancy to your Shen Family. If you are sensible, obediently hand over the Family's assets, merge into my Lieyang Sect, and accept the protection of my Lieyang Sect from now on. Otherwise—"

He paused, his pressure as a third-level Primal Chaos Realm Cultivator burst forth, like a great mountain, crushing toward Patriarch Shen Tianze.

"Your Shen Family can just wait to disappear from Guangnan City!"

Patriarch Shen Tianze sat in his chair, motionless.

That pressure, which would have been enough to make a Dharma Image Realm Cultivator kneel, felt like a gentle breeze to him.

But he did not reveal his strength, just looking at Jin Dali indifferently, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Elder Jin, is your Lieyang Sect not afraid of kicking an iron plate?"

"An iron plate?" Jin Dali laughed out loud, his laughter full of complacency, "Your Shen Family is just a Dharma Image Family, what kind of iron plate could you possibly have? Even the Three Great Holy Lands would not fall out with my Lieyang Sect for the sake of a small Family like yours!"

He put away his smile, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Family Head Shen, I will give you three more days. After three days, if you still do not agree, don't blame my Lieyang Sect for being impolite."

Before he finished speaking, he turned to leave.

Just at this moment—

"Stop."

An old voice came from outside the hall. The voice was not loud, but it clearly entered the ears of everyone present.

Jin Dali's footsteps paused, his brows furrowed, and he turned his head sharply to look toward the hall door.

He saw an old man with white hair striding in, followed by several attendants with steady auras.

The old man had a thin face, deep eyes, and an aura as deep as an abyss around him; he was clearly a powerhouse of the seventh level of the Asking Dao Realm!

It was none other than the Palace Master of Xuanyu Palace—Palace Master Yu Canglan.

Jin Dali's pupils shrank, and his face instantly turned pale.

"Palace, Palace Master Yu?!"

His voice was trembling.

Xuanyu Palace, one of the Seven Great Sects of the Southern Region; in terms of strength, it was far above the Lieyang Sect!

And Palace Master Yu Canglan was an unparalleled powerhouse of the seventh level of the Asking Dao Realm, a famous figure in the entire Southern Region!

Palace Master Yu Canglan did not look at him, but walked to Patriarch Shen Tianze, bowed, and acted respectfully.

"Family Head Shen, this old man is Palace Master Yu Canglan of Xuanyu Palace. I have visited rashly, I hope you will forgive me."

Patriarch Shen Tianze stood up, returned the bow, his expression calm: "Palace Master Yu is too polite, please sit."

Palace Master Yu Canglan nodded, sat down in the guest seat, and then turned his head to look at Jin Dali.

A trace of coldness flashed in those deep eyes.

"Jin Dali, you just said you wanted the Shen Family to disappear from Guangnan City?"

Jin Dali's whole body stiffened, cold sweat on his forehead sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the floor, making a faint sound.

"Palace, Palace Master Yu, I, I..."

"This seat is asking you a question." Palace Master Yu Canglan's voice was still calm, but the pressure of the seventh level of the Asking Dao Realm was like a great mountain pressing on Jin Dali, making him almost unable to breathe.

Jin Dali swallowed his saliva and said with a stiff scalp: "Palace Master Yu, this is a matter between my Lieyang Sect and the Shen Family, your Xuanyu Palace..."

"The Shen Family's business is my business." Palace Master Yu Canglan interrupted him, his tone unquestionable.

Jin Dali's expression froze.

"Your Lieyang Sect wants to annex the Shen Family? Did you ask me? Did you ask Yinxian Village?"

Jin Dali's pupils shrank.

Yinxian Village?!

Yinxian Village, one of the Three Great Holy Lands of the Southern Region?!

How could the Shen Family be related to Yinxian Village?!

"Palace, Palace Master Yu, what do you mean by this?" Jin Dali's voice was trembling.

Palace Master Yu Canglan did not answer, but took a Jade Slip from his sleeve and threw it to him casually.

"See for yourself."

Jin Dali took the Jade Slip, and his Divine Thought probed into it.

A moment later, his face turned from pale to ashen.

In the Jade Slip was a message from Yinxian Village—the Shen Family of Guangnan City are honored guests of Yinxian Village; whoever dares to move against the Shen Family is an enemy of Yinxian Village.

"This... this is impossible..." Jin Dali muttered to himself, his voice trembling.

The Shen Family is just a Dharma Image Family, how could they become honored guests of Yinxian Village?!

Palace Master Yu Canglan stood up, walked to him with his hands behind his back, and looked down at him.

"Go back and tell your Sect Leader that Guangnan City is not a place he can covet. The Shen Family is even less of something he can provoke."

He paused, and a flash of coldness appeared in his eyes.

"If I find out again that your Lieyang Sect has designs on the Shen Family, I don't mind taking a trip to the Lieyang Sect myself to have a good talk with your Sect Leader."

Jin Dali was trembling all over, his face pale, his lips quivering, and he couldn't say a word.

The Lieyang Sect Disciples behind him were so frightened that their legs went soft; some collapsed directly on the ground, and some hid behind Jin Dali, not daring to even show their heads.

"Get out."

Palace Master Yu Canglan spat out the word indifferently.

Jin Dali felt as if he had been granted amnesty, scrambling out of the Shen Mansion. The Disciples behind him followed in a panic, extremely disheveled—where was there any trace of the prestige of a large Sect Elder?

The hall returned to silence.

Palace Master Yu Canglan turned to look at Patriarch Shen Tianze, the coldness on his face instantly dissipated, replaced by a kind smile.

"Family Head Shen, I've made you laugh."

Patriarch Shen Tianze waved his hand, sat back in the main seat, and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

"Palace Master Yu is too polite. I don't know what brings Palace Master Yu here this time?"

Palace Master Yu Canglan took out a gift list from his bosom and handed it to Patriarch Shen Tianze with both hands.

"Family Head Shen, this is a small token of sincerity from Xuanyu Palace, I hope you will accept it."

Patriarch Shen Tianze took the gift list, scanned it, and his pupils shrank slightly.

Ten ten-thousand-year Ganoderma, ten bottles of ninth-grade Spirit Pill, fifty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, five Heaven-Grade Magic Treasures...

This gift list was worth a fortune!

Even when the Seven Great Sects give gifts to each other, they are not this generous!

"Palace Master Yu, this gift is too heavy." Patriarch Shen Tianze put down the gift list, looked at Palace Master Yu Canglan, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "There is no reward without merit. Palace Master Yu, please speak your mind."