Chapter 182: One Sword, Three Kills (Congratulations to the Holy Land of the Southern Alliance Leade

Chapter 182: One Sword, Three Kills (Congratulations to the Holy Land of the Southern Alliance Leader!)



In the cultivation world, within a cave mansion, Fang Xing's cultivation doppelganger was deep in thought. "Indeed, the best course of action is to lure Wei Shentong to take action and come to kill me in Blue Sea Area 69. Once the evidence is confirmed, there will be no repercussions if I eliminate him."

"Even if he's already been half-abandoned, it doesn't matter if there are still people from his faction who are unhappy... The Blue Star University and the Xu family will protect me..."

"I'm technically already part of the Blue Star University as a student, so I'm considered part of the academic faction. The academic faction is also quite close to the Xu family. Although Wei Shentong is a faculty member, it would be inconvenient for the university to get directly involved. But the Xu family can..."

"If I can bear the consequences, the next step is to figure out how to lure Wei Shentong to come and kill me... As long as I display my talent in front of him and show that I'm about to breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, it might attract his attention. By now, he probably doesn't have any subordinates left... He'll have to take matters into his own hands if he wants to make a move!"

"Moreover, using high-tech weapons will easily leave behind incriminating evidence... As a high-level warrior, he would trust his martial arts the most. He's currently in a stage of rebuilding his confidence, so he'll definitely rely on his martial arts to come and kill me personally..."

These were the judgments made by Xu Sanyang when he was drunk.

As a top spiritual shaman, his assessments were most likely accurate.

Especially when drunk, people tend to speak the truth more candidly than when they are sober.

"So... the key to this battle lies in Wei Shentong's willingness to act."

Although Fang Xing had previously provoked Wei Shentong and witnessed his embarrassment, Wei Shentong was now more focused on himself. Even if he had murderous intentions, he might not necessarily take action.

"Provoking his inner demons and amplifying his killing intent... I'll have to rely on my demonic path methods from the cultivation world!"

"Next, I'll need to gather related secret techniques, talismans, and treasures... and have my main body use them on Wei Shentong."

"It feels like there should be more of these things in the demonic path. I should quickly go and overthrow the Beast Tamer Sect, and then pay a visit to the land of the Five Sects and Ten Countries?"

Fang Xing smiled faintly and transformed into a sword light, rushing straight towards the Beast Tamer Sect.

Immediately, spies located near the cave mansion frantically sent messages, relaying them with haste to the nation of Zheng and even beyond its borders.

...

"The Heavenly Sword Sect's True Sword Disciple is truly arrogant... Even Chu Kuangtu back then wasn't as outrageous as him!"

"To subdue the Qingxu Zong with a single sword is truly impressive."

"Hmph, he's just relying on the might of the Heavenly Sword Sect, bullying others who dare not take real action against him..."

"Now he dares to go to the Beast Tamer Sect, which has a true Nascent Soul cultivator presiding over it, along with several Core Formation cultivators... Let's see if that brat can still act so arrogantly!"

Such discussions echoed more than once in the various immortal cities and markets.

In the Ziyan Immortal City, Min Yixing looked at the jade slip in his hand, his face filled with disbelief. "Fellow Daoist Fang Xing... Has actually achieved so much?"

He had personally witnessed Fang Xing's Foundation Establishment years ago. When Fang Xing left to venture into the State of Qi, he had thought that the youth had lofty ambitions but might not amount to much.

Now, not only had Fang Xing become a true disciple of a Nascent Soul power, but he had also made a triumphant return, subduing the Qingxu Zong with a single sword. This made Min Yixing feel somewhat ashamed.

"Enforcement Elder, the City Lord requests your presence!"

At this moment, a disciple announced from outside the door.

"I'll be right there," Min Yixing replied hastily as he composed himself and headed towards the City Lord's mansion.

Inside the City Lord's mansion, all the Foundation Establishment elders were gathered, bowing towards the head of the hall. "Greetings, City Lord!"

"You may rise," said the Ziyan Zhenren, dressed in a purple robe, exuding elegance and nobility. However, her face still bore a pale complexion.

She had once been poisoned by the Spirit-Sealing Poison and nearly lost her life. Even now, her condition was not optimal, which was why she had invited a dear friend to preside over the Ziyan Immortal City. With the combined might of two Nascent Soul cultivators and the city's grand formation, they barely managed to deter the Beast Tamer Sect from taking rash actions, resulting in a stalemate that had lasted until now.

While the Beast Tamer Sect could annihilate the Ziyan Immortal City, the cost would far outweigh the gains, so they would undoubtedly hesitate.

"You should all be aware of the matter concerning the Heavenly Sword Sect's Sword Disciple. Although the Sword Disciple has not come to Ziyan Immortal City, we must still conduct a self-inspection..." Ziyan Zhenren looked at Min Yixing.

"Please rest assured, City Lord. I have been rigorously inspecting the city daily, using the 'Demon Qi Talisman' to search for spies. We will not give outsiders any excuse," Min Yixing assured.

"Mmm..." Ziyan Zhenren nodded. She vaguely remembered Fang Xing, as he was the junior of someone she knew.

Back then, that junior had only dared to kill Foundation Establishment cultivators from below and collect their storage bags on the side.

Who would have thought that today, he would have achieved so much?

"In addition, the situation in the State of Zheng is ever-changing lately. You must all be vigilant... As for city defense matters..."

After a thorough discussion, Ziyan Zhenren dismissed the many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In the hall, a flash of blue light revealed a young man with ordinary features.

Surrounded by fake spiritual power, Yuan Wei looked at Ziyan Zhenren with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He was an external aid brought in by Ziyan Zhenren, with the surname Yuan and the given name Wei.

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist Yuan?" Ziyan Zhenren asked.

"I cultivate the 'Three Flames True Pupil,' which has a certain effect on discerning demonic energy, but it may not be entirely accurate. I can only say that there seems to be something amiss with that Wang Elder," Yuan Wei replied cautiously, as he was, after all, an outsider.

To be precise, he was merely an outsider, while those at the Foundation Establishment stage were Ziyan Zhenren's subordinates or even her personal disciples...

"Since Fellow Daoist Yuan has said so, we'd rather err on the side of caution and take action. Let's cripple that person's dantian and throw them into the dungeon," Ziyan Zhenren said calmly.

Only at this moment did she display the domineering aura befitting someone who had single-handedly established an immortal city.

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Ziyan has made your choice," Yuan Wei said with a smile.

"We solitary cultivators don't really hold much weight in the eyes of either the righteous or the demonic paths, and we don't have much qualification to choose sides..." Ziyan Zhenren replied, her eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of killing intent in her eyes. "But how could I possibly let the Wan Shou Zong off the hook when they side with the demonic path and slaughter my people?"

"That's true... While others may not know, you and I are aware that the 'Blood River Palace' and the 'Mu Sha Zong' have high-level cultivators secretly infiltrating the State of Zheng..." Yuan Wei said, "This time, that true disciple of Tian Jian Zong was truly reckless. His journey to the Wan Shou Zong is akin to a nine-deaths-one-life situation. Are we going to lend him a helping hand?"

"If it were just the Wan Shou Zong, we wouldn't intervene... Unless there are demonic cultivators involved," Ziyan Zhenren said with a light laugh. "This time, I'll have to rely on the might of your 'Confusion Banner' once again, Fellow Daoist Yuan."

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Ziyan, you're too kind," Yuan Wei said, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "When do we take action?"

"Why wait? Let's act now," Ziyan Zhenren said indifferently. "As far as I know, there's another Golden Core swordsman from Tian Jian Zong currently operating within the State of Zheng. This time, that Jian Zi might just become the catalyst for a major battle between the righteous and demonic paths, or at the very least, a chaotic upheaval in the State of Zheng..."

...

Wan Shou Zong.

A sword light flew in, revealing Fang Xing's figure.

He was well aware that he had become the center of attention in the State of Zheng, but he was fearless.

Now that his main body had achieved the Golden Core stage in martial arts and transitioned to a [Xian Wuzhe], he was eager to find a suitable target to test his newfound power.

'Moreover... With the mastery of 'Xian Wu Tong Yuan,' my main body no longer needs to worry about being exposed for any flaws.'

'Otherwise, if it were discovered that I'm truly a mortal, yet possess a third-order-comparable refined body and third-order peak combat power... It might attract the attention of numerous major sects in the cultivation world.'

'Perhaps the major sects in this barren land aren't a concern, but Tian Jian Zong has its 'main sect' out there. The wider cultivation world beyond is even more vast, and who knows, there might be Transcendent cultivators as rumored. I can't afford to provoke them just yet...'

'Thankfully, that's no longer an issue now. I am a third-order body cultivator!'

Fang Xing's gaze swept across the Wan Shou Zong's architecture, which was quite crude.

Numerous scattered buildings were nestled among the vast and desolate mountains, with many 'beast pens' enclosed within. A large number of rare birds and exotic beasts were kept there, and their environments had been specially modified to accommodate their needs. There were grasslands, forests, deserts, and snowfields, all designed to facilitate the propagation of various demonic beasts, showing the sect's dedication to their cause.

He summoned the Rusted Sword and gently plucked it, as was his custom.

A clear sword cry rang out, initially soft and inaudible, but gradually growing louder like thunder, startling all the beasts! Accompanying the sword cry was a voice that proclaimed, "I, Fang Xing, true disciple of Tian Jian Zong, have come to inspect the demonic cultivators... Where are the Wan Shou Zong cultivators?!"

Rumble!

Although the sword qi and thunderclap were techniques of the Qi Refining stage, it didn't mean they became useless after reaching the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stages.

On the contrary, the power of this sword technique would continue to increase as the cultivator's realm improved, even at the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stages... It remained a formidable skill.

Rumble!

The mountain gate of Wan Shou Zong shook, and the ground trembled as if a beast tide was approaching.

The sky was filled with a dark mass that rapidly drew closer, only to reveal itself as a cloud of demonic birds.

Thunderwing Birds, Ironfeather Hawks, Murderous Bees, Iron-eating Insects...

All sorts of spirit insects and birds gathered, even those that were naturally hostile to each other. They were now under the control of the Wan Shou Zong disciples, clearly distinguished from each other.

On the ground, various wolves, tigers, and leopards gathered, among them a three-tailed white fox.

Shi Wanwan leaned casually against the massive tail of the white fox, her expression lazy, but her eyes fixed on the sky with a hint of solemnity. "Is it him?"

Cultivators often possessed a photographic memory.

She, of course, remembered this little cultivator whom she had brought out of the barren lands.

The scene of him expressing his gratitude from afar was etched in her memory, and now it overlapped with the image of the young man whose sword aura pierced the heavens and subdued a fake dan sect with a single sword. He would forever be remembered in the State of Zheng.

Shi Wanwan's jade-like face couldn't hide her astonishment.

Uninterested in these insignificant minions, Fang Xing's gaze shifted forward, where he spotted three streams of light approaching, emanating fake Nascent Soul-level magical power fluctuations.

"Fang Xing, you've gone too far!"

Among them was a white-haired fake dan-level cultivator riding a crimson giant python, who had reached the quasi-third-order level.

With his fake dan cultivation, coupled with a quasi-third-order spirit beast, he was undoubtedly among the most powerful even among his peers. Yet, he still looked down on Qingxu Zong's Green Ripples with contempt.

In their eyes, she was intimidated by the reputation of the Heavenly Sword Sect and dared not lay a finger on a mere Foundation Establishment junior. This was an insult to their status as fake dan-level cultivators!

While fake dan cultivators might not be the pinnacle of power, they were still revered as immortals when compared to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Indeed, in their minds, the only reason Qingxu Zong backed down was due to the might of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

But what was Fang Xing, with his mere early Foundation Establishment sword cultivation, worth?

"Hmph, if you think that we will tolerate your behavior like Qingxu Zong and let you boost your reputation unscathed, you are sorely mistaken..."

To his left was a stunningly beautiful woman playing with a second-order top-grade jade scorpion.

The burly man on his right remained silent, but his fake dan aura continued to oppressively bear down on Fang Xing, his malicious intent unconcealed.

"Hmph! Wan Shou Zong, how dare you treat me with such negligence?"

Fang Xing coldly huffed, "This Sword Disciple has arrived personally, yet Elder Lao Gui still hasn't shown himself to greet me?"

Moreover... Previously, the various sects of Zhengguo had been generous in their donations, and even Ziyu Xiancheng secretly gave him spirit stones. How dare Wan Shou Zong withhold their contribution?!

"Hehe... Are you out of your mind, brat? You actually expect a Golden Core immortal to come and greet you?" The voluptuous woman laughed, her ample chest heaving.

"Good, very good!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Fang Xing nodded, "Wan Shou Zong's most senior elder avoids meeting me, clearly feeling guilty. Your sect colludes with the demonic path! I can report this to my sect and have them send troops to raze your sect to the ground, and while we're at it, we might as well take over the cultivation world of Zheng Country..."

"What?!"

The fake dan elder was taken aback.

Although their Wan Shou Zong did have ties to the demonic path, how dare this righteous Sword Disciple make such accusations without any investigation?! Who were the real demons here?

Seeing that Fang Xing intended to leave, he panicked and shouted, "Stop him!"

—Even at this point, he still dared not kill Fang Xing, only wanting to detain him.

Hiss!

As soon as he spoke, the crimson giant python, linked to its master's heart and mind, pounced forward, spewing a large cloud of crimson poison!

"Haha! Wan Shou Zong, you're indeed colluding with the demonic path. Now that I've exposed you, you still try to resist arrest! Your crimes are even more damning!"

Below, the numerous disciples of Wan Shou Zong only heard Fang Xing's loud laughter.

After the laughter, there was a sound of a sword cry.

'As cultivators, you are even worse than solitary cultivators... If you want to kill, then kill. Why overthink it?'

Fang Xing scoffed inwardly, and the Rusty Sword appeared, transforming into a slender thread of platinum light, instantly slaying the three fake dan cultivators!

Whoosh!

First, the giant crimson python was split in two, its body turning into a rain of blood that fell from the sky.

Then... The three fake dan cultivators' faces froze as their heads suddenly rolled off their necks.

The Great Freedom Golden Sword Energy, when unleashed, meant instant death!

This was the prowess of sword cultivators—with a single sword strike, they could take an enemy's life in the blink of an eye!

It wasn't until the three fake dan cultivators, along with the quasi-third-order python and the second-order top-grade jade scorpion, fell from the sky as corpses that the disciples of Wan Shou Zong seemed to realize what had happened. Their faces were filled with extreme shock and terror.

"One sword, three kills? Killing three fake dan cultivators with one strike?"

Shi Wanwan covered her lips, finally understanding that during the incident with Qingxu Zong, it wasn't that Green Ripples was intimidated by the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Someone who dared to risk their lives to attempt to form a Golden Core would not be so cautious!

The truth was that they were simply no match for their opponent!

If they hadn't conceded quickly enough, they might have ended up as headless corpses as well!

"Uncle?!'

"Ancestral Grandmother?!"

Within Wan Shou Zong, many Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples cried out in dismay.

This sect was established by the Lian family, and two of the three fake dan cultivators were descendants of that Golden Core cultivator.

Shi Wanwan's expression was complex as she knew that this incident would have severe repercussions.

Roar!

Just then, a dragon-like, snake-like cry echoed from the depths of Wan Shou Zong, accompanied by a mighty aura reminiscent of a primeval beast.

All the birds and beasts present bowed their heads in submission.

—When a third-order demon king appeared, all demons bowed!

A giant snake, resembling a hornless dragon with cold scales and four claws on its belly, slowly crawled out from the depths of Wan Shou Zong's mountain gate.

Standing on top of its head was a beast-robed man, his anger almost palpable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end