Immortal of the Nine Realms

"Challenge?" mused Fang Lie. "When I ascended to become a Saint a few days ago, a Saint of the Flame Race led two Saints of our race to come and cause trouble. I was left injured after that battle, and I am still recuperating."

"Ancestor Lie was actually injured!?"

"He indeed faced disruptions during his ascension back then. It seems Ancestor Lie just didn't show it, but in truth, he suffered internal injuries."

Everyone was alarmed.

If that was the case, how could he handle this challenge from the Asura Race?

While worry gripped Fang Ding's face, Fang Chen looked completely calm.

Judging from what happened back then, Fang Lie certainly hadn't looked injured. If he were, how could he have forced two Saints to retreat with a single sword strike?

Saint Fatian's face darkened. "You faced obstacles when ascending to a Saint? Why?"

Fang Lie sighed softly. "Simply because I ascended to become a Saint through a sword divine ability. Outsiders couldn't bear to watch, so they wanted to obstruct me. If you wish to spar with me, you might as well wait until my injuries are completely healed before doing so."

Saint Fatian instantly fell into silence. After a long while, he raised his eyebrows and said impatiently, "Roughly how long will it take?"

"Not that long. An injury like this... I would say about twenty thousand years is enough for me to recover," said Fang Lie.

The members of the Fang Clan showed expressions of worry.

It would actually take that long!

Saint Fatian fell into a prolonged silence. An unknown amount of time passed before he spoke coldly. "Who was the person who caused your injury? This thief deserves to be killed for obstructing my spar with you."

"The Flame Race's Saint Chiyan," answered Fang Lie. "The Flame Race's strength is not weak. I can only swallow this humiliation. After all, no matter how strong a sword divine ability is, it is by no means invincible."

"By no means invincible? What a joke. It seems you understand far too little about sword divine abilities. Then again, you have only just become a Saint and haven't walked far enough along this path. I shall let you see right now what a true sword divine ability is!"

Saint Fatian roared furiously and slashed open the void with a single sword strike.

In an instant, between the two Inner Domains, water-like ripples rose once more, and a blurry portal came into everyone's view.

"Who is it?!" a voice of roaring rage echoed out from within that portal.

The portal quickly became clearer as its owner also opened the entrance to his Inner Domain, linking it to the other two. Saint Chiyan was seen standing within the portal with a group of the Flame Race, staring furiously at both sides.

When he caught sight of Fang Lie, he could not help but laugh out of sheer anger. "Fang Lie, what are you trying to do!? What? Flexing your muscles at me after achieving sainthood? You even dare to bring someone along? I'd like to see just who you found..."

His gaze landed on Saint Fatian, and his eyes suddenly froze. The rage on his face instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by an incredibly cautious expression.

"Are you a Saint of the Asura Race?"

Saint Fatian snorted coldly. "Asura Race, Saint Fatian."

He immediately slashed out with his sword.

Saint Chiyan had never expected a Saint of the Asura Race to come knocking on his door. When that terrifying sword strike fell upon him, he could only scramble to defend himself. Although he was also a Saint and possessed profound seniority, this single sword strike slashed away a large portion of his aura, leaving him visibly severely wounded.

At the same time, the residual shockwaves of this sword strike dispersed from Saint Chiyan's body, sweeping toward the Flame Race members behind him. Streaks of miserable wails echoed out.

Right before everyone's eyes, the Flame Race members behind him all died on the spot. Among them were quite a few Breaking Limit cultivators and numerous ninth transformations!

Saint Chiyan was both shocked and enraged, roaring, "Why are you doing this?! I have no grudge against the Asura Race!"

Saint Fatian did not say a word, slashing out with his sword once more. Saint Chiyan did not dare to resist it head-on and immediately closed the portal of his Inner Domain, blocking this terrifying sword strike.

Ripples rose outside the closed portal, and the obscured Saint Chiyan was still crying out about his innocence, questioning Saint Fatian. After slashing a few more times and seeing that the opposing party simply refused to open the portal, Saint Fatian sneered. "Scram, you coward."

As his words fell, the blurry portal turned into a ripple and vanished into the void.

Watching that scene, the members of the Fang Clan could not help but secretly click their tongues.

Saint Fatian's sword was simply too overbearing. Not only did he wound Saint Chiyan with a single strike, but he also killed many Flame Race members. Saint Chiyan's lineage could be considered to have suffered catastrophic losses this time.

"Did you see that? Sword divine abilities are invincible. Only another sword divine ability can defeat a sword divine ability. You need twenty thousand years to heal your injuries, right? Then twenty thousand years from now, you and I shall spar."

Leaving those words behind, the portal in front of Saint Fatian quickly dissipated.

The members of the Fang Clan instantly breathed a sigh of relief, though their expressions still carried a hint of eccentricity.

They had originally thought that Saint Fatian's appearance would bring significant losses to the Fang Clan. Who would have expected that Saint Fatian would instead help them teach Saint Chiyan a lesson, even killing quite a few Limit Breaking cultivators from his side?

Most crucially, Saint Chiyan had clearly suffered internal injuries, and recovering from them would probably not be that easy. It could be said that this time, the human race had made an absolute killing.

Fang Yan sighed softly as he looked at the portal that had returned to normal. "As expected of one who became a Saint through the sword. He is just so straightforward."

Fang Cangyou could not help but ask in curiosity, "Old Master, are you truly injured?"

"How could the mere likes of Jin Yang and his kind possibly injure me? Those words were nothing more than a pretext. However, I am indeed no match for Saint Fatian at present. I only hope that in our duel twenty thousand years from now, I will be able to fight him to a draw."

Having said his piece, Fang Lie waved his hand. "Go on, get busy. Don't just linger around here."

After speaking, he turned and left.

Seeing that, the crowd also dispersed one after another.

Fang Ding spoke with a face full of emotion. "Today was truly spectacular. Still, that Saint from the Asura Race is simply too strong, handling Saint Chiyan as easily as blowing away dust. No wonder Ancestor Lie believes his current self is no match for him."

Fang Chen murmured softly to himself, "The Asura Race has a profound foundation after all, campaigning all year round in various locations. Unlike us, who are always on defense. Furthermore, Saint Fatian's sword divine ability is not weak either."

When Saint Fatian unleashed his sword just now, he had felt a sense of familiarity from that sword intent more than once.

Heaven Slaying Sword Intent.

He had comprehended it before on the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps, and it was the very sword intent his senior brother, Bai Qingming, had mastered.

Saint Fatian is of the Asura Race, so how could his inheritance have ended up in the Nine Realms? Could it be he once accepted a human cultivator as his disciple?

After thinking for a while, Fang Chen noticed Fang Ding was still standing nearby. He smiled. "Fang Ding, I am preparing to leave."

Fang Ding said, "Leave? To where? I shall accompany you there."

Fang Chen smiled and shook his head. "You won't be able to go to the place I am heading to."

"Is that so..." Fang Ding nodded thoughtfully. "Then let me see you off."

***

The Underworld.

The moment Fang Chen arrived in the Underworld, he immediately saw the invisible barrier that no ordinary person could perceive.

As long as he walked out, he would be able to return to the Nine Realms.

He turned his head to look back at this place. This was the Underworld corresponding to the Nether Ruins, and as far as the eye could see, it was populated entirely by the human race.

"Farewell, Nether Ruins."

Fang Chen smiled slightly and stepped into the barrier.

In the next second, he was repelled by a massive force, taking several steps back.

Amidst his astonishment and uncertainty, he discovered that the History Immortal Book he carried had lost more than half of its pages. Those detached pages glowed with golden light before flying into the barrier.

The remaining half of the book stayed with him.

Fang Chen fell into deep thought. "What is the meaning of this?"