The anomaly unfolded right before the eyes of the assembled Immortals.
Shen Congsheng approached the mysterious Demonic Immortal, his face alight with excitement.
"Finally… I've finally found you, Ancestor Shen Shang!" Shen Congsheng cried out, his voice trembling.
His true purpose in coming here was to save the ancestor, Shen Shang.
Shen Shang was the most outstanding Gu Immortal of the Shen Family. His talent and aptitude were recognized even in his time. When he was still only a Sixth Transformation Gu Immortal, an Eighth Transformation Wisdom Path powerhouse had remarked that he was "the foremost Eastern Immortal of a century, his talent half that of a Venerable"—meaning that if Shen Shang achieved the Eighth Transformation in a few hundred years, he would surely become the foremost Gu Immortal of the East Sea, his extraordinary talent equivalent to half a Venerable's.
However, Shen Shang's pursuit of power gradually led him to fall into the Demonic Path, committing numerous crimes.
The family cherished his talent. Though they punished him, they always handled it leniently, even covering for him.
Shen Shang repeatedly transgressed without reform, growing ever more brazen. On the surface a Righteous Path Gu Immortal, in truth a demon through and through.
The East Sea Gu Immortal world was kept in the dark, deceived by him and the Shen Family—but they could not hide it from Paradise Immortal Venerable.
Paradise Immortal Venerable intervened and suppressed him, but did not publicly reveal his identity.
The Shen Family did not dare publicize it either, and could only announce that Shen Shang had perished while enduring a tribulation.
After Shen Congsheng captured Gu Yue Fang Zheng, the Heavenly Court took the initiative to contact him, informing him of Shen Shang's whereabouts in exchange for the release of Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
Through this, Shen Congsheng learned that Shen Shang was still alive, sealed within the Azure Dragon Whale Paradise.
To enter the Azure Dragon Whale Paradise, Shen Congsheng secretly mobilized the full strength of the Shen Family, conducting covert investigations and searches.
As it happened, around that time, Ren Xiuping made a covert move against Miao Mingshen's group, leaking traces of the Azure Dragon Whale.
The Shen Family obtained this intelligence, and Shen Congsheng personally mobilized, forcing Ren Xiuping to submit and learning that Miao Mingshen could locate the exact position of the Azure Dragon Whale.
Miao Mingshen assembled a team of eight Immortals and set out for the Azure Dragon Whale to explore the Paradise's true legacy. Shen Congsheng and Ren Xiuping had already caught wind of this and followed in secret.
This was what led to the subsequent chain of events.
After arriving at the Azure Dragon Whale Paradise, Shen Congsheng explored every possible avenue to locate Shen Shang. After several missions, the trail in the Wailing Sea was uncovered by the Shen Family Gu Immortal, Shen Qi.
Shen Congsheng guessed that the Demonic Immortal in the Wailing Sea was very likely Shen Shang!
However, his private rejoicing did not last long before he received shocking news.
Chu Ying had actually accepted the mission and was about to kill Shen Shang!
This terrified Shen Congsheng. He hastily contacted Fang Yuan, pretending he needed to search for the Echo Insect, and sent a large quantity of immortal materials as a show of sincerity.
Fang Yuan thus brought Shen Congsheng to the Wailing Sea as well.
Shen Congsheng lurked in secret, restraining himself, waiting until the final moment before making his move—rescuing Shen Shang in one decisive stroke.
This sudden upheaval left everyone except the Shen Family Gu Immorts stunned.
Soon, Miao Mingshen and the others grew pale, their hearts sinking to the bottom.
Shen Congsheng was already an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal, and now Shen Shang had been added to their ranks. Shen Shang was also an Eighth Transformation cultivator, and in his prime, he had been powerful enough to force Paradise Immortal Venerable to personally intervene and suppress him—his combat strength was extraordinary, to say the least.
With Shen Shang, the Shen Family's strength surged. Not only did this shift the balance of power within the Azure Dragon Whale Paradise, but even across the entire East Sea, it was a startling change.
In the current East Sea Righteous Path, the Shen Family had become the sole superpower possessing two Eighth Transformation Gu Immortals!
The Shen Family instantly rose to become the strongest force in the East Sea.
The implications were enormous, bringing untold benefits to the Shen Family.
When the Heavenly Court had dangled this secret, it was no wonder Shen Congsheng had been tempted—immediately releasing Fang Zheng without a second thought, even ignoring the hints from the Sea Qi Patriarch standing nearby that he should hand Fang Zheng over instead.
"You are a descendant of my Shen Family?" Shen Shang hovered in midair, gazing at Shen Congsheng. A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, and he nodded. "Good. You are of my Shen Family. What year is it now?"
Shen Shang's voice was hoarse, more grating than a crow's cawing.
He wore a tattered grey robe, his face was deathly pale, his hair hung in disarray, and his eyes burned red as blood. The aura of a peak Eighth Transformation powerhouse radiated from his entire body, overwhelmingly oppressive.
Shen Congsheng answered his question, informing him that Paradise Immortal Venerable had long since passed away.
"So much time has already passed." Shen Shang sighed deeply. "Lord Paradise is gone at last… sigh…"
His attitude toward Paradise Immortal Venerable was somewhat strange.
Paradise Immortal Venerable had suppressed him, yet he still respectfully addressed him as "Lord."
After his lament, Shen Shang looked down at Fang Yuan and the other Immortals on the sea's surface.
His gaze swept across them, taking in the entire situation in an instant. He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Good. It seems my Shen Family has produced generation after generation of talent."
Then his eyes settled on Fang Yuan, his tone as gentle as he could manage: "Young friend, my liberation was almost entirely thanks to you. You contributed a great deal and have rendered an immense service to my Shen Family. Would you be willing to join the Shen Family and become a Supreme Guest Elder?"
He was actually trying to recruit Fang Yuan.
And Fang Yuan was indeed worth recruiting.
A mere Formation Path Grandmaster alone was what the Shen Family needed. And given his mastery of formations and his young age, it was not impossible that he might one day break through to become a Formation Path Great Grandmaster.
Shen Congsheng cupped his fists toward Fang Yuan and added: "Friend Chu Ying, Shen's earlier deception was truly a matter of necessity. Rescuing Ancestor Shen Shang is of vital importance to my Shen Family. I hope you can understand."
Fang Yuan nodded, his expression calm, even with a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips: "Of course I understand. If our positions were reversed, I would do the same."
"But the Shen Family recruiting me? Heh heh heh…" Fang Yuan shook his head with a laugh.
Shen Congsheng's voice turned cold: "Friend Chu Ying, what is the meaning of this laugh?"
Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow: "What gives your Shen Family the right to recruit me? You are not worthy."
Shen Congsheng's gaze instantly turned icy.
His Shen Family was a superpower of the East Sea, commanding seven great sea regions and hundreds upon hundreds of smaller ones, now with two Eighth Transformation cultivators to boot. With such strength, they were still not worthy of recruiting a mere independent Immortal?
"Hmph, Chu Ying, don't be so arrogant."
"Our Shen Family's offer to recruit you is a gesture of Ancestor Shen Shang's magnanimity."
"Don't flatter yourself!"
Shen Xiao, Shen Qi, and the others spoke up one after another, flying out from the auxiliary formation to join Shen Shang and Shen Congsheng in midair.
Shen Shang's blood-red eyes blazed with killing intent as he fixed his gaze on Fang Yuan, his voice icy: "Chu Ying, was it? Let me remind you—you came here guided by the Merit Stele, and thus are bound by Paradise's restrictions, unable to attack each other freely. But I have been trapped here for countless ages, unconstrained by the Merit Stele. So any one of you could fall under my attack."
Miao Mingshen and the others' faces changed drastically. Their worst fears had come true!
What were they to do?
Just as they were at their wit's end, they suddenly heard Fang Yuan burst into loud laughter. Then they saw him gently curl his finger at Shen Huai hovering in midair, his taunting intent plain for all to see.
Miao Mingshen and the others were struck dumb.