Immortal of the Nine Realms

Fang Qianxue said, "Ever since Ancestor Lie became a Saint, more and more disciples from the various Fang branches in the Mortal Realm have successfully established their foundations. They have all been brought to the major war zones to participate in the conflict between the Human Race and the Flame Race."

Fang Han looked at the approaching young disciples, a look of lamentation on his face. "After a period of honing, if there are any outstanding individuals among them, they will be brought here for further cultivation."

These young disciples came from various war zones. Coming to Xie Zhi for the very first time, they were immensely curious about everything here, looking around in all directions.

They did not recognize Fang Han or Fang Qianxue either, so even when their eyes met, they simply assumed the two were fellow members of the younger generation of divine ability cultivators. It wasn't until Fang Qiurou, Fang Hai, and Fang Ling spotted Fang Chen among them that their faces instantly lit up with pleasant surprise. They hurried over and looked at Fang Chen in sheer disbelief.

"You know each other?" Fang Qianxue asked calmly.

Fang Chen smiled. "They are my juniors."

Fang Qianxue nodded. "Then you should catch up."

After saying that, she led Fang Han a short distance away.

Fang Chen's gaze fell upon the three of them. The two sides had not seen each other for over three hundred years. Fang Hai and Fang Ling had long since shed their past naivety. The auras radiating from both of them were exceptionally condensed, clearly indicating that they had entered the second realm of the Foundation Realm, the Spirit Division Realm.

Fang Qiurou's cultivation was slightly better than theirs, but she had not yet reached the third stage of the Foundation Realm.

For ordinary Fang Clan divine ability cultivators, three hundred years without the help of the Saint Tower and various cultivation resources—relying solely on constant battles with the Flame Race for tempering—was enough to make such achievements truly remarkable.

"Uncle Fang," called out Fang Qiurou, smiling. "Fang Hai and the others were just talking about you a while back. I didn't expect we would meet here in Xie Zhi, though we really should have thought of it sooner."

Fang Hai and Fang Ling hurriedly cupped their hands and bowed. "Uncle."

Fang Chen nodded and then casually chatted with the three about their experiences over the years. He learned that Fang Longshan, as well as Fang Qiurou's father, Fang Yue, had both passed away of old age one after another. Now they were the ones with the highest seniority in the Fang Family.

More than a hundred years earlier, they had been summoned to the Divine Realm's various battlefields to temper their divine abilities, where they achieved further breakthroughs. Because of their outstanding performance, they finally obtained the opportunity to come to Xie Zhi.

Fang Chen smiled. "This place is the core of the Fang Clan. All the major ancestors reside here, including our Saint. If you are confused about anything regarding your divine abilities, you can obtain answers here. If you run into any trouble, look for Fang Ding. Mention my name, and he will lend a helping hand."

Fang Qiurou was slightly startled, but she quickly caught on. "Uncle Fang, are you going out?"

Fang Chen nodded. "Yes, on a long journey."

After saying that, he waved his hand and walked back over to Fang Qianxue's side.

Fang Qiurou and the other two stood in place, watching the three of them recede into the distance, their eyes filled with a touch of emotion.

Fang Hai sighed softly. "Seeing Uncle Fang was quite a pleasant surprise, but it's a pity the timing isn't right. He just happens to be leaving on a long trip."

A trace of worldly wisdom flashed in Fang Ling's eyes. "It doesn't matter. Our lifespans are long, so we can just wait until Uncle Fang returns."

Having lived for several hundred years, they had long since experienced the immense longevity of divine ability users. Compared to ordinary mortals, they were completely two different forms of life altogether.

***

Xie Zhi, in front of the Saint Palace.

When Fang Qianxue and the other two arrived, Fang Chen realized that the number of people heading out to participate in the Saint Battle this time was larger than he had imagined. It must have been a roster finalized over the past few days.

Among them was a batch from the Three Foundation Realms. There were also several people from each transformation of the Nine Transformations. As for the Breaking Limit Realm, Fang Qianxue was the sole participant.

The procession numbered well over a hundred, nearly two hundred people. Upon seeing Fang Qianxue's arrival, everyone bowed respectfully, calling her "Ancestor." Then, they collectively bowed to Fang Chen as well. After all, Fang Chen was a Third Generation Ancestor and carried incredibly high seniority.

When a few individuals in the ninth-transformation realm bowed, their expressions were slightly odd. In their view, although Fang Chen held high seniority, he hadn't displayed anything particularly outstanding. Furthermore, holding the status of a Third Generation Ancestor while only being a sixth-transformation immortal was admittedly rather low, so he really shouldn't be heading out to participate in the Saint Tower Battle. However, since Fang Qianxue and Fang Chen's statuses were prestigious, they naturally dared not voice out their opinions. They could only keep this shred of doubt buried in their hearts.

Facing the crowd, Fang Qianxue spoke in a calm tone. "The Saint Tower Battle occurs once every five hundred years. Of those among you who have already participated in a previous Saint Tower Battle, step forward."

Everyone looked at one another. After a few breaths, four figures stepped forward. They were all at the ninth transformation.

"State your previous rankings," Fang Qianxue directed.

A look of curiosity surfaced in everyone's eyes.

The first person looked embarrassed and lowered his voice. "Reporting to Ancestor, this disciple was at the sixth transformation of the Nine Transformations Realm back then. When participating in the Saint Tower Battle, my ranking was beyond a hundred thousand..."

Fang Qianxue nodded. "Beyond a hundred thousand, there are no detailed rankings provided."

The Fang Clan divinity users present were stunned. The individual before them was absolutely a top-tier talent among all the Nine Transformations cultivators in Xie Zhi. He rarely encountered a rival when heading to the major war zones. Yet, for someone with talent like his, he had still ranked a hundred thousand in the Sacerd Tower Battle.

The second individual looked ashamed. "I also ranked beyond a hundred thousand."

The third and fourth individuals were likewise both beyond a hundred thousand.

The excitement that had filled the group moments earlier vanished almost instantly. A heavy pressure settled over everyone, and their expressions grew solemn.

"Ranking beyond a hundred thousand is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, every single iteration of the Saint Tower Battle gathers the absolute elites from across the entire Divine Realm," said Fang Qianxue.

She swept her gaze across the group. "In the eyes of these foreign races, our human race is still far too young. We are just like toddlers just learning to speak. Having the qualification to head to the Saint Tower Battle is already quite good. As for rankings, you can aim for them, but you must act within your capability. Having a ranking beyond a hundred thousand at least indicates that you survived inside, which is already better than quite a few people."

Surviving?

The crowd gradually came to understand the true meaning behind Fang Qianxue's words just now.

Fang Han asked in a low voice, "Is our goal simply to survive?"

Fang Qianxue nodded, her gaze intentionally sweeping across Fang Chen. "Yes, your goal is to survive. When you first enter the Saint Tower Battle, you will find that the battleground is immensely vast. You might not even encounter an opponent for ten days to half a month. However, as time passes, the battlefield constantly shrinks, and the chances of encountering an opponent skyrocket. You have all been to our Xie Zhi's Saint Tower more than once. The longer you stay, the more exotic beasts you encounter, correct?"

"Yes."

"Every single time the battleground shrinks, you will be asked whether you wish to leave or continue. This is your only chance to leave the Saint Tower alive. If you miss this opportunity, you must wait for the next one, and during this interval, you are not qualified to concede. Many people cannot accurately gauge their own strength and consequently die because of it, which is the most unworthy way to die.

"This time, you will encounter countless peers of the same rank who are stronger than you. They might be incredibly young. I want you to put away the pride you have nurtured over the years, treat yourselves as the most ordinary of mortals, find the feeling from back when you first practiced the Foundation Fist, and do not underestimate the enemy. If arrogance leads you to death, you won't merely become a laughingstock yourselves; you'll make the Fang Clan and the entire Human Race objects of ridicule as well. Do you hear me clearly?"