Immortal of the Nine Realms

Seeing that Fang Chen did not move, the Spirit Void Sect Leader lowered her head even further down. ”Please, accept this cup of tea as my token of apology.”

Suddenly, the head of the Ye Family laughed loudly and said, ”I think we can skip the tea. It should be enough as long as he forgives you.” He stepped forward to take the cup of tea from the hands of the Spirit Void Sect Leader.

Fierce killing intent flashed across the Grand Elder’s eyes, which he quickly reined in, fearing that Fang Chen would notice. He cursed the Ye Family Head in his heart and vowed that, once Spirit Void Sect restored itself, he’d annihilate the Ye Family and refine their blood into Spirit Blood Pills!

”Isn’t that too much? She has gone as far as to kowtow to show her sincerity, yet he still refused to drink the tea?”

”Is he afraid that the tea might be poisoned? A powerful cultivator who can kill a late-stage Foundation Building expert can’t have so little guts, right?”

Whispers arose from the crowd.

”It’s alright,” said Fang Chen, smiling at the Ye Family Head. He walked forward and took the cup from the hands of the Spirit Void Sect Master.

The corners of Xia Xuanji’s mouth slightly lifted.

The Grand Elder’s heart pounded fiercely.

The critical moment had arrived!

Holding the cup in his hand, Fang Chen stared at the Spirit Void Sect Master. ”Are you really sincere in your apology?”

A pained expression appeared on the face of the Spirit Void Sect Master. ”Ever since I offended you, I’ve been living in constant fear and anxiety. I couldn’t even sleep, nor could I calm down to cultivate,” she said. “Please accept my apology. I’ll do anything, so please.”

”She really admits her mistakes.”

”With her cultivation level, lowering herself is equivalent to the Buddhist saying of being repentant!”

People whispered among themselves.

”I don’t mind drinking this tea,” said Fang Chen, “but since someone has spiked it with Netherworld Ghost Worm, I can’t. Because if I drink it, I’d have my cultivation sealed for a few days.” Fang Chen let out an audible sigh. “Even a martial artist would be able to take my life away during that period.”

Those words exploded like thunder in the ears of the Spirit Void Sect Master. She staggered back several steps, looking at Fang Chen in disbelief, her complexion deathly pale.

The Grand Elder and company were so shocked, it was as if they had seen a ghost.

How did he know?! Didn’t Xia Xuanji say that even Golden Core Realm cultivators would find it difficult to detect the Netherworld Ghost Worm?!

The crowd erupted with whispers full of confusion and puzzlement.

Netherworld Ghost Worm?

Was the tea really spiked, or was this simply an excuse used by that sword cultivator to not forgive the Spirit Void Sect Master?

Xia Xuanji squinted and started to sink back into the crowd.

The Ye clansmen and the others turned serious. They were pretty sure that Fang Chen wasn’t just saying this, he had to have really sensed something afoot with the drink.

”If you have anything to say for yourself, you can start saying it now,” said Fang Chen offhandedly.

Suddenly, instead of answering Fang Chne, the Spirit Void Sect Master, eyes full of resentment, shouted into the air. “Brother Xia, why haven’t you made your move yet? We might be able to take him down together!”

All hell broke loose in the crowd

So it was true! She had really spiked the tea to create a chance so she could take down the sword cultivator with the help of others!

A chill ran down the spines of everyone present. Who would’ve thought that a Foundation Building expert could stoop so low! They had all almost fallen for her false sincerity!

”If you think that Xia Xuanji would join hands with you to fight me, then you don’t know him very well. He wouldn’t make a move if he wasn’t sure of victory,” said Fang Chen with a smile.

Xia Xuanji, who was preparing to sneak away, paused for a moment at those words. He couldn’t help but stare at Fang Chen’s mask with suspicion. He then opened his mouth. “What do you mean?” he asked. “And how do you know my name?”

”Because my name is Fang Xiaotu,” replied Fang Chen with a chuckle, raising his hand to release a sword light.

Pfft!

The Spirit Void Sect Master mechanically titled her head down to look at her chest, where a deep sword wound had suddenly appeared.

Just as she was about to look at Fang Chen, another streak of sword light flashed.

Pfft!

A hole appeared between her eyebrows and her vision blurred. Even in the face of death, she couldn’t see her enemy’s face as he killed her, behind that mask of his.

The spiritual energy barrier of a Foundation Building Realm cultivator had been effortlessly pierced through, unable to stop the sword.

In the blink of an eye, Spirit Void Sect Master’s body had been perforated hundreds of times by Little Sword. She had turned into a human-shaped sieve.

”My disciple!” The Grand Elder cried out in despair as tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his face. Never did he expect that his disciple would one day fall in such a tragic manner.

There was nothing more painful than the elderly burying the young in this world. This was the utmost of sorrows; the parent outliving the child, how tragic was that?

”I’ll send you with your disciple so you can both cross the Naihe Bridge [1] together. I’ll take it as me doing a good deed,” said Fang Chen with a light laugh.

A dazzling light suddenly filled the area, and the people watching had no choice but to shut their eyes tight. When the light subsided, they opened their eyes to a scene of death—all cultivators of the Spirit Void Sect were sprawled dead.

By now, the cultivators from Qingzhou Sword Sect had arrived at this street and barricaded all directions. They didn’t approach but stood quietly, repeatedly going over what Fang Chen had told them to do in their heads: Be sure to drive people toward the southwest.

Finally, it all hit Xia Xuanji, and his eyes dilated with shock. ”Fang Xiaotu...? Fang... Chen?” he exclaimed.

He couldn’t believe it. How could the swordsman be Fang Chen, the Divine General of Grand Xia, the Duke of Grand Xia!

How is this possible?

While he had always been wary of Fang Chen, he had never once imagined that he’d be this strong! At least, he had always believed that he was stronger than Fang Chen. It was this confidence in his strength that allowed him to come to the decision of leaving Grand Xia. But how wrong he had been! Fang Chen had killed a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator with one strike of his sword before his very eyes! A strike he knew he couldn’t block!

”It’s been several months since we’ve last seen each other, uncle,” said Fang Chen. “You still look as distinguished as ever, but I must ask, where have you hidden my aunt?”

Uncle...?

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The one the Spirit Void Sect Master had invited to help her was the swordsman’s... uncle?

”You want to know where your aunt is?” Xia Xuanji squinted. ”The more you want to know, the less I will tell you. If you have the ability, find her yourself!” With a leap, Xia Xuanji soared into the sky, trying to fly out of Spirit Void City.

Fang Chen moved, and so did hundreds of Qingzhou Sword Sect cultivators. In an instant, the entire sky was filled with sword qi!

Even though they couldn’t pose a threat to Xia Xuanji, they could obstruct his path to retreat.

Xia Xuanji’s body burst forth with an aura far beyond the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm. He controlled his treasure as he flew southwest.

Fang Chen turned into a beam of sword light, following right behind him.

Zhong Yue came to a halt and waved his hand. ”Don’t give chase. It’s alright; since we’ve managed to redirect him southwest, then that’s enough.”

The people around were shocked. These were people from the Qingzhou Sword Sect! To think that the swordsman had been able to beat them into submission in just a couple of days!

”His uncle is at the mid-stage Foundation Building Realm...” muttered the Ye Family Head. “Senior’s family can’t be simple.”

The Xu Family Head and Zhou Family Head were both shocked too. If he had people at the mid-stage Foundation Building in his family, then he most likely had people at the late and grand perfection stages. Or even a Golden Core ancestor, for that matter.

If a Golden Core Realm sword cultivator were to appear, how terrifying would that be?

In the small courtyard of the Ye Family, Abbess Qing He saw two auras flying toward the southwest. She instantly realized who those were.

”I hope Master can help Fang Chen capture him,” murmured Qing He.

1. This refers to the Bridge of Helplessness, which is the bridge that every soul has to cross before it’s reincarnated ☜