Chapter 431 - 58: Lonely at the Top
A beautiful Maid served Spirit Tea, and Fang Cheng received the two of them as if he were the master of this place.
Elder Cen said, "Grand Elder, of the dozen or so Spiritual Medicines you require, we found one in our sect’s Treasure Vault and discovered another in the Zhou Family’s medicine garden. I have brought them both. Please inspect them."
With that, he took out two exquisite jade boxes, opened them slowly, and placed them on the low table in front of Fang Cheng.
These two Spiritual Medicines were some of the rarer ingredients needed for the White Tiger Divine Pill. Fang Cheng had searched for many years without finding even a clue, but unexpectedly, he had now gathered them at the Nine Nether Demon Sect.
Of the twenty-five Spiritual Medicines needed to refine the White Tiger Divine Pill, Fang Cheng had now collected seventeen!
Elder Cen took out another sheet of gold foil with a few lines of text written on it and handed it to Fang Cheng. "Regarding the clues for the remaining Spiritual Medicines, Fellow Daoist Qiu of the Taiyi Sword Sect and I have cross-referenced them. We have leads on five of them. Three still have no news, so we must continue searching."
Fang Cheng took the gold foil, glanced at it, and nodded. "Well done. Write letters on my behalf to these groups to purchase these Spiritual Medicines."
Elder Cen respectfully complied.
Elder Zheng pondered for a moment before speaking, "Grand Elder, of these five Spiritual Medicines, the two from the Celestial Talisman Sect and the Jing Family should be easy enough to acquire. However, the Mengtan from the Nine Truths Sect is a one-of-a-kind specimen. The Nine Truths Sect has always treasured it, and I’m afraid it won’t be easy to purchase."
"Furthermore, the two Spiritual Medicines from the Sea Emperor Hall are also treasures that are extremely precious to the Demon Race. I fear they will be unwilling to sell them to us."
Across the Eastern Wilderness, both the Nine Truths Sect and the Sea Emperor Hall were major powers whose strength and foundations were no less than the Nine Nether Demon Sect’s.
This was especially true for the Nine Truths Sect, which still maintained contact with the Nine Truths Tower in the East Cyan Domain. The sect had an endless stream of top-tier masters and could even invite Dharma Masters from the Nine Truths Tower.
The Sea Emperor Hall was unofficially the number one Sacred Land of the Demon Race. It occupied the boundless waters of the Nuhai and possessed a complete heritage and numerous geniuses. It stood as a rival to the various Human Race sects of the Eastern and Western Wildernesses.
The Sea Emperor’s Cultivation was unfathomably deep. He was also a Tier Three Peak master, a being with the potential to break through to the fourth rank.
Elder Zheng braced himself and voiced the difficulties. Although he felt uneasy, he knew that if he didn’t speak now and he and Elder Cen failed later, they would likely face Fang Cheng’s redirected anger.
Fang Cheng said coolly, "No matter. When the time comes, I will pay those two a visit myself."
Elder Zheng quickly said, "We are willing to accompany you, Grand Elder."
...
Fang Cheng enjoyed a few leisurely days at the Nine Nether Demon Sect. Bing Wuyi attentively accompanied him every day. During the day, they admired the scenery around the Demon Sect, touring its various scenic spots and forbidden grounds, broadening his horizons.
At night, he would return to Bing Wuyi’s Cave Mansion to enjoy her company, living a carefree and pleasant life.
Not long after the Celestial Talisman Sect and the Jing Family received the Immortal Letter from the Nine Nether Demon Sect, they personally delivered the Spiritual Medicines Fang Cheng required. Their attitude was exceedingly friendly. Not only did they refuse any Spirit Stones, but they also presented many other valuable and unique Spiritual Objects for Fang Cheng’s gracious inspection.
As for the Nine Truths Sect, they politely declined.
The Sea Emperor Hall, however, simply ignored the request, not even bothering to reply.
Fang Cheng took five Life Soul Elders from the Nine Nether Demon Sect and set off for the Nine Truths Sect.
Following the Nine Nether Demon Sect’s long-standing customs, Elder Cen and the others summoned a thousand-zhang-long Flying Demon Ship and brought over a hundred Life Talisman Cultivators, creating a massive commotion.
There were over thirty beautiful Maids assigned to Fang Cheng’s side alone, eight of whom were Female Cultivators at the Life Talisman Realm. They were all outstanding in terms of temperament, Cultivation, and bearing.
The grand procession arrived outside the main gates of the Nine Truths Sect and presented a formal visit card.
The Supreme Elder of the Nine Truths Sect came out personally. Without wasting words, he directly challenged Fang Cheng to a duel, wanting to witness his methods firsthand.
This person had clearly made preparations in advance. Using a treasure and a Secret Technique from the Nine Truths Tower, he temporarily boosted his Cultivation to the Dharma Level and brazenly attacked, wanting to crush Fang Cheng’s arrogant demeanor.
Fang Cheng summoned his Feather Divine Soldiers and calmly met the attack. In less than ten moves, he defeated his opponent, leaving the Cultivators from the various sects and Noble Families who had come to watch utterly horrified.
Before, they had only heard of the power of the Feather Divine Soldiers. Now, seeing it with their own eyes was a different kind of shock.
Such a heaven-defying Magical Artifact had already transcended the fourth-rank category. It was even more inconceivable than the Mechanical Battle Armor of the Red Flame Immortal Palace.
This was especially true considering the numerous treasures Elder Demon Fang possessed, such as the Fourth-tier Forbidden Breaking Talisman and the fourth-rank Immortal Binding Rope. Such rare treasures were enough to threaten the very foundation of any sect in the Eastern Wilderness.
In the end, the Nine Truths Sect tacitly conceded. After handing over the Mengtan Elixir, they symbolically accepted a few Spirit Stones, and the matter was closed.
The Life Soul Masters of the two sects also held a dharma conference, sparring and discussing their cultivation insights. It lasted for several days before they dispersed.
After that, the group headed to Nuhai.
The Sea Emperor, the top master of the Sea Emperor Hall, refused to show himself. He merely had his daughter and son-in-law—the Palace Master and Prince Consort of Nuhai—come forward and present the two Spiritual Medicines, claiming they were a congratulatory gift for Fang Cheng becoming the undisputed number one figure in the Eastern Wilderness.
Fang Cheng suddenly felt an immense loneliness, his interest waning.
In the current Wilderness, there was no one left who could be considered his opponent.
Looking around, he couldn’t even find many people like Zhao Wuji, who had dared to plot against him.
Thinking of the famous Dharma Realm masters from the history of the Wilderness, and even a Tribulation Realm Great Power like Ascendant Lingji, Fang Cheng felt a sense of regret, ’like not being born in the time of the ancients.’
He regretted that he could not have been born in the same era as those heaven-gifted prodigies!
He accepted the Spiritual Medicines, left the Cultivators of the Nine Nether Demon Sect behind, and leisurely returned to Taiyue Mountain.
After many days away, his Grand Senior Sister, Cai Li, had finally broken through to the Life Soul Realm, becoming the fifth contemporary Life Soul Cultivator of the Yinluo Sect!
This should have been a major cause for celebration, but Cai Li had a cold personality and disliked commotion. Fang Cheng didn’t press the issue. After a brief chat, he returned to the Abyssal Marsh.
Now that he had subdued all the major powers of the Eastern Wilderness, the Yinluo Villa, with the help of the Nine Nether Demon Sect, the Taiyi Sword Sect, the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, and other Noble Families and Loose Cultivators, was already the number one power in the Eastern Wilderness.
As time went on, these advantages would gradually become apparent.
The Cultivators of the Yinluo Sect would find that obtaining cultivation resources was becoming easier and easier than before, and the number of high-quality Immortal Seeds within the sect would also grow.
The strong grow stronger, and the weak stay weak!
The Yinluo Villa had already become one of Fang Cheng’s trump cards. In the future, with this card to rely on, the descendants of the Fang Family would live very comfortably.
...
「Abyssal Marsh.」
「Primordial Qi Celestial Island.」
After the brothers Jingyuan and Jingxuan returned, they were incredibly excited. They recounted their experiences and what they saw on their trip through the Wilderness to their younger siblings and even gave many precious gifts to everyone in the family, surprising Fang Cheng’s group of Daoist companions.
In the end, Fang Cheng handed over all the gains from his trip to Ye Yan. Ye Yan then gathered her sisters, and together they spent over a month organizing everything before finally sorting it all out.
The Treasure Vault of the entire Qiankun Saint Sect was so rich that even though Ye Yan and the other women were mentally prepared, they were still dazzled by the endless variety of treasures.
Fang Cheng only kept some fourth-rank Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and pills that he could use.
The rest was all added to the Fang Family Treasure Vault!
With this heaven-sent fortune, the Female Cultivators of the Fang Family would see a period of rapid advancement in their future cultivation.
Even Fang Cheng’s children enjoyed a level of luxury unimaginable to their peers, allowing them to build an incomparably solid foundation for their cultivation path.
After instructing Lu Wei to focus on cultivating the Spiritual Medicines for the White Tiger Divine Pill, Fang Cheng entered a secret chamber to begin his secluded cultivation.
After some experimentation, he successfully used a Divine Technique from the Infinite Light Buddha Scripture to refine the Extraterritorial Bodhisattva Statue!
This Bodhisattva Statue could be used as a Magical Artifact or be considered a Divine Soul Formation.
After being refined by Fang Cheng, the Divine Soul Formation within the Bodhisattva Statue could be controlled. Anyone below the Life Soul Realm who approached the statue would have their divine soul drawn into the Grand Array.
Within this array, one could simulate an imaginary enemy and engage in battle to hone their Divine Techniques and skills.
More importantly, one could gain combat experience!
Dying in the simulation would not harm one’s divine soul, but it would greatly enhance one’s ability to react during a real battle.
After Fang Cheng made some minor adjustments to the Divine Soul Formation, Cultivators who entered it could now leave at any time. Thus, he turned the Extraterritorial Bodhisattva Statue into a training Secret Realm for his children, like Jingyuan.
After training here, when they left Primordial Qi Celestial Island to fight others in the outside world, they would definitely not be at a disadvantage or suffer humiliation.
The strength and number of his descendants were related to Fang Cheng’s grand plans for the Tribulation Realm in the future. His tireless efforts to lay a foundation for his family and benefit future generations, though born of selfish motives, were enough to earn the heartfelt respect of his progeny.
After finishing all this, he once again began the tedious process of secluded cultivation.
At the same time, he quietly awaited the arrival of the Ten Thousand Transformations Sect.
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「Several months passed in the blink of an eye.」
Above the Abyssal Marsh, a half-moon hung alone in the sky. The turquoise water and azure sky stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The water and moon reflected each other, the clear waves were vast and misty, and silvery light shimmered across the surface. The view stretched for miles, a scene of serene openness.
「The edge of Huaye Island.」
SPLASH!
A tall figure emerged from the water and transformed into a wisp of black smoke, flying toward a secluded Cave Mansion on the island’s edge.
White funeral couplets hung before the Cave Mansion’s entrance, a clear sign of a recent death.
The black smoke arrived at the entrance, let out a strange bird call, and then the Cave Mansion’s door loosened. The smoke immediately slipped inside.
「A moment later.」
A figure slowly materialized before the Cave Mansion’s entrance.
This person was dressed as a scholar, with a refined and gentle temperament, wearing a wide-robed, long-sleeved garment. His eyes were bright and full of spirit.
He casually activated a Talisman. A stream of light flickered in the air like ripples on water, actually penetrating the Cave Mansion’s restrictions and the rock wall to reveal the scene inside.
"I already told you not to come looking for me these next few days! We have to at least get past the first seven days of that dead man’s passing."
Inside the Cave Mansion was a young woman in her early twenties. She had a charming face, a flirtatious look in her eyes, and a majestic bust that strained against the fabric of her dress.
Before her was a tall, powerfully built man in black with bulging muscles—the one who had transformed from the wisp of black smoke.
The man impatiently wrapped his arms around the young woman, panting, "I’ve held back for days, I can’t take it anymore... Even if the sky falls today, we have to have some fun!"
The two embraced, a pair of tinder and flame. Their clothes fell to the ground, piece by piece.
Suddenly, the young woman let out a soft moan and pushed the man away. Her eyes were silky with desire as she whispered a plea, "No, I just sent his relatives and friends away. If you come over now and someone else from the Li Family finds out, we’ll both be killed! Why don’t you just go back?"
The black-clad man’s large, rough hands were busy exploring her body. Hearing her words, he laughed. "I’m not leaving. No matter what you say, I’m not leaving today. Besides, don’t you like the excitement?"
"Ah~"
The young woman cried out as the black-clad man scooped her up, tossed her onto the table in the center of the Cave Mansion, and then, with a RIP, tore off what little clothing remained. The woman put on a show of resistance, but her face revealed a contradictory mix of excitement and nervousness.
Suddenly, a loud BANG came from outside the Cave Mansion.
The black-clad man was just about to get down to business when the shock sent a layer of cold sweat over his body. He couldn’t help but ask, "What’s going on?"
The young woman was quick-witted and nimble. She rolled off the table, and with a flash of Profound Light, a new set of clothes appeared on her body.
「The next moment.」
The door to the Cave Mansion burst open with a BOOM.
A figure walked in.
"Li Chan... what are you...?" The young woman recognized the newcomer at a glance, her face filled with surprise and confusion as she asked the question.
Li Chan’s voice was cold, laced with killing intent. "So it was you two adulterous bastards who killed my third brother!"
The young woman fell silent.
The black-clad man frowned. ’This is bad,’ he thought.
Not only was this Li Chan a True Disciple of the Yinluo Sect, but he also had a powerful background. His master was a famous Life Soul True Man from the Abyssal Marsh, with connections everywhere.
The young woman’s husband had been a member of a side branch of the Li Family on Huaye Island. But because he had become sworn brothers with Li Chan in his early years, he received his help and was given great responsibilities by the Li Family. He should have had a meteoric rise and had the potential to cultivate to the Life Talisman Realm.
Who would have thought that while in seclusion for his breakthrough, he would suddenly suffer a cultivation deviation and die on the spot.
Today, Li Chan had been extra vigilant, which was how he discovered there was a hidden story behind it all.
...