When a creature appears too perfect, even if it’s brimming with life, it seems like a lifeless object.
Above Hongze, the White Rhinoceros was just like that, its massive body casting a shadow over the sun, appeared flawless, its entirety like it was carved from jade, and the aura it emanated commanded an inexplicable, irrefutable majesty.
It awoke once again from its deep slumber, its eyes gleaming as they gazed towards Peach Blossom Villa.
Compared to before, although the White Rhinoceros was still silent, Lady Qinghua heard a gentle voice by her ear.
"I have been offensive before, but it was a misunderstanding. I hope my fellow immortal can forgive me."
The Zhenyu Golden Body, standing about thirty feet tall, slowly lifted its head to meet the White Rhinoceros’s gaze high above the clouds, yet offered no reply.
Lady Qinghua was not entirely sure what the White Rhinoceros was, but she was certain that the voice did not come from the White Rhinoceros itself. It was a conversation of such caliber that she had no right to partake in, and she certainly could not afford to cause any trouble for her master.
"Do not worry, fellow immortal. We are both noted in the Immortal Register. How could I possibly strike against a peer?"
The White Rhinoceros looked down indifferently, yet Lady Qinghua’s mind echoed with a voice as pleasant as a spring breeze.
She quickly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze had become much more serene.
Once more, Shen Yi took control of the Zhenyu Golden Body.
"If that is the case, what is your purpose in imprisoning me here?"
The Golden Body Dharma Identity slowly stood up, its dark golden feathers fluttering slightly as it gravely asked the heavens.
As these words were spoken, the brilliance in the White Rhinoceros’s eyes flickered, its voice remaining tranquil. "Imprisonment? I am merely concerned for your safety and wish to keep an eye on you. I have already sent someone to escort you, and the protective Great Formation will naturally be withdrawn then."
Having said this, it smoothly avoided the subject, laughing, "Of course, since my fellow immortal hails from my jurisdiction, it is both reasonable and proper to invite you over as a guest to catch up properly."
Shen Yi took a deep breath, his head bowed slightly, as a hint of imperceptible ferocity bubbled up in his calm eyes.
In fact, ever since the last incident, he had been pondering what the Hongze Immortal really intended.
First of all, setting his Golden Body free was obviously out of the question.
Judging from the current situation in Hongze, with the Four Hong Dragon Palaces left to manage without concern for the well-being of any other beings, and even leading to a calamitous massacre every ten thousand years, if not for the support of the East Dragon Palace, it would be chaos. It seemed the Immortal had neither management ability nor the intent to govern a domain.
Negligence and dereliction of duty.
At least these two accusations were certain.
Moreover, Southern Hong had some grievances with the Immortal, and a Merit Immortal born from Southern Hong, by normal reasoning, surely could not be unconnected to the local influencers, the Seven Sons of Hong. Perhaps the first thing this Merit Immortal would do upon ascending was to accuse the Hongze Immortal.
With methods incomprehensible to the Mortal Realm, inducing a Heavenly Realm Perfect cultivator’s Dao Heart to fall into demonic influence, personally sacrificing all his sect brothers in the holy land.
Murder is a serious offense that doesn’t simply stop at one’s doorstep; even if someone is condemned as wicked enough to warrant the annihilation of their entire family, there’s no need for the person to do it themselves.
Such actions, carrying a sense of venting, wantonness, far exceed the scope of punishment and seem utterly unrelated to the word "Immortal."
But Shen Yi never expected that the Hongze Immortal, even if he suppressed the Golden Body in Peach Blossom Villa without a sound, could be understandable, but the fact that he openly planned to send people to imprison the Golden Body in Northern Hong was preposterous.
It was clear that the Hongze Immortal regarded this territory as his own backyard garden, completely unworried about leaks, indicating that over the years, the forces of Northern Hong have been very obliging and had obtained the Immortal’s complete trust.
This was not good news for Shen Yi.
His usual tactics involved surviving through the cracks, using a rate of growth difficult for others to imagine to break through the situation.
But obviously, with just an order from the Immortal, Northern Hong would become a solid front, leaving no room for Shen Yi to navigate.
"Yes, just catching up."
Faced with Shen Yi’s probing counter-question, which clearly sensed something amiss, the White Rhinoceros once again let out a laugh from its mouth. The Immortal knew how far-fetched his excuse was but did not care in the slightest.
Before the sound died away, the White Rhinoceros finally lifted a hoof.
At the same time, the massive force that had been suppressing the Dharma Aspect swiftly receded.
Shen Yi casually swept a glance around him, his face showing no joy in regaining his freedom.
Indeed, in just the blink of an eye, a presence surfaced in the waters outside Peach Blossom Villa, decisively locking onto the Zhenyu Golden Body.
"Hongze is too dangerous, even I cannot ensure complete safety. I hope my fellow immortal does not roam around carelessly. Cultivate peacefully here and wait for my subordinates to pick you up. Only then can you be assured of your life."
Finally, the White Rhinoceros withdrew its gaze, leaving behind a sentence thick with threatening intent.
Shen Yi, however, quietly watched the waters.
In these Southern Hong territories, there was only one being capable of such power.
Who else could it be, if not the South Dragon King?
He slowly closed his eyes, recalling the conversation in his mind.
There were many doubts, but Shen Yi soon captured the most crucial one, which had also puzzled him before.
That was whether the Immortal Court truly allowed the Immortal Officials to fight among each other, and how strict was their supervision?
The White Rhinoceros Magic Treasure was certainly a heavenly object, most likely a treasure given by the Immortal Court to the Immortal to garrison a territory. Could such an item really be used against another noted Merit Immortal in the Immortal Register without being discovered?