Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 261

Chapter 261: I Am Fang Xiaotu

It had been months since he last met Xia Xuanji.

Xia Xuanji’s appearance and demeanor had greatly changed from before, but Fang Chen still recognized him in a single glance. He was chatting with the Spirit Heaven Sect’s first elder, with the second elder and the third elder listening in as well.

The other Spirit Heaven Sect’s cultivators stood outside.

“He’s emanating the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator… Could it be that the danger I sensed from the imperial palace back then was from him and not the Spirit Marrow?”

Fang Chen stared intently at Xia Xuanji. He was astonished to learn that the ex-Great Xia emperor was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If he was not mistaken, Xia Xuanji was only 44 years old.

Cultivation was tough, especially if one didn’t have a proper legacy and ample cultivation resources. It was already a formidable feat for a cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment before their first century.

Take the three elders of the Spirit Heaven Sect for example, none of them had reached Foundation Establishment even though they weren’t young anymore. The key hurdle they faced was the lack of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The chances were likely that Xia Xuanji had started cultivating from a young age. His backing must be rather formidable, having a proper legacy and having the means to provide him with a Foundation Establishment Pill.

“The Blood Spirit Cult… Xia Xuanji wasn’t bribed by the Blood Spirit Cult; he has been their disciple all along.” Fang Chen’s eyes turned cold.

Despite being Great Xia’s emperor, Xia Xuanji used the blood of his people to pave his way to immortality. The path he walked was dripping with blood.

The Spirit Heaven Sect must be related to the Blood Spirit Cult too, or else Xia Xuanji wouldn’t have appeared here.

“He visited the Cloudless Monastery, and now he’s with the Spirit Heaven Sect. Is he looking for partners for the Blood Spirit Cult to work with, so that they can do something similar to what they did in Great Xia?” Fang Chen murmured.

There must have been many people like Xia Xuanji in the Blood Spirit Cult. By using other powers to do their dirty work, the Blood Spirit Cult could remain elusive.

“Brother Xia, I’ll leave tomorrow to you,” the first elder said.

“Rest assured.” Xia Xuanji nodded.

Fang Chen took one more look at Xia Xuanji before searching the surrounding area, starting from the courtyard. His aunt, Fang Cangyue, might be here if Xia Xuanji was here.

Hours later, he returned his soul to his body and slowly opened his eyes. He looked exhausted.

Fang Cangyue wasn’t in Spirit Heaven City.

“It isn’t easy for me to find Xia Xuanji. Who knows if I’ll ever find him again if I alarm him and he escapes?”

With such a thought in mind, Fang Chen left the chamber, grabbed a few metal weapons, melted them with his fireball, and forged a mask.

…

The following morning, cultivators began swarming the Spirit Heaven Mountain.

Some were from the City Lord Manor. Some were from Spirit Heaven City’s Three Great Cultivator Clans. Some were from the Spirit Heaven Sect.

The presence of these powerhouses shook the unaffiliated cultivator’s confidence that they could win the auction.

Ye Wenxiu noticed Zi Han walking behind the Flood Dragon Island Master, and that made him feel horrible. The two of them occasionally met gazes, but Zi Han would turn away in a panic, not daring to look him in the eye.

“Zi Han must be under coercion!” Ye Wenxiu’s heart was in pain. He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his flesh, but his mind was too much in turmoil to feel it.

Just the thought of the woman he had grown up with and loved becoming an old thing’s cultivator companion made him feel like someone was plunging a dagger into his heart over and over again, cutting him up inside.

Of the crowd heading up the mountain, the Qing Province Sword Sect’s cultivators were the most conspicuous ones of all. They stood out even more than the City Lord Manor’s procession.

Even the Three Great Cultivator Clans were trailing behind Long Tianxing, making it no secret who they served.

Long Tianxing suddenly slowed his footsteps. Seconds later, the City Lord Manor’s procession caught up with them.

“It’s been a while, Sect Master Long,” the Spirit Heaven City Lord said with a smile.

“Spirit Heaven City Lord, are you aware about the grudge between that person up there and our Qing Province Sword Sect?” Long Tianxing impassively asked.

He glanced at the Flood Dragon Island Master and frowned. He could tell that the latter was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he couldn’t discern his background.

“I have heard.” The Spirit Heaven City Lord nodded.

“And you still helped to transmit his message?” Long Tianxing’s eyes turned cold.

“He’s a sword cultivator, and I’m not the one who has a grudge with him. I don’t plan on getting involved in your business with him,” the Spirit Heaven City Lord calmly replied.

“That would be for the best.” The chill in Long Tianxing’s eyes faded a little.

His final reservations faded with the Spirit Heaven City Lord expressing that he wouldn’t get involved in this matter.

The Spirit Heaven Sect’s cultivators were trailing behind these two groups. Noticing the interaction between Long Tianxing and the Spirit Heaven City Lord, the first elder couldn’t help but glance at Xia Xuanji.

“It’ll be best if someone resolves your problem. Otherwise, I’ll make a move,” Xia Xuanji reassured the first elder.

The first elder clenched his teeth and said with a suppressed voice, “Having others deal with the sword cultivator won’t restore our Spirit Heaven Sect’s honor.”

“I’ll find a suitable opportunity to back your Spirit Heaven Sect.” Xia Xuanji nodded.

The first elder breathed a sigh of relief.

The crowd soon arrived at the Spirit Heaven Sect. A figure was standing at the entrance, but a mask concealed his appearance.

“He must be afraid.” The Spirit Heaven Sect’s cultivators gloated.

He was so arrogant back then, only to put on a mask now. That shows that he’s frightened!

“You are the sword cultivator who took over the Spirit Heaven Sect? How should I address you?” the Spirit Heaven City Lord asked aloud.

The crowd took this chance to assess Fang Chen, especially the patriarchs of Spirit Heaven City’s Three Great Cultivator Clans. They were shocked when they learned from Long Tianxing that this man had killed the Qing Province Sword Sect’s First Elder Yao Dan.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator died just like that? Doesn’t that mean that twelfth stage Ki Refinement cultivators like us are no different from ants to him?

“Brother Xia, that’s the guy. I think he’s wearing a mask because there are too many eyes here,” the first elder said.

Xia Xuanji eyed Fang Chen before nonchalantly nodding. “It doesn’t matter whether he’s masked or not. It won’t change the outcome.”

Those words boosted the first elder’s confidence.

“The rumors are true. He is a sword cultivator!”

“No wonder he’s able to take over the Spirit Heaven Sect! But for the Spirit Heaven Sect Master to not appear despite the uproar, she must be either dead or severely injured…”

“I heard the Spirit Heaven Sect has a 300 meters square huge spirit field and a small spirit spring. That should be worth around 2000 low-grade ki stones. I wonder if we’ll be able to win the auction.”

Such discussions could be heard from the crowd.

Fang Chen looked at the Spirit Heaven City Lord and said, “I am Fang Xiaotu. Pleased to meet you, Spirit Heaven City Lord.”