Immortal of the Nine Realms

Half Saint Zangling's Inner Domain was like a world crafted entirely of paper. The buildings, palaces, bridges, and even the artificial mountains and flowing water within it were made of paper. Most remarkably, the paper water could actually flow and possessed a distinct, chilling coldness.

The crowd of the Wandao Alliance seemed completely unfazed by this, whereas it was a massive eye-opener for the people of the Fang Clan.

As Fang Han sized up the realm, he couldn't help but comment in a low voice, "Ancestor Chen, this kind of divine ability is practically unheard of. I wonder what sort of unique capabilities it holds."

Fang Chen smiled faintly. "I seem to have heard of it before. This should be the Spiritual Attachment Technique of the Wandao Alliance."

"The Spiritual Attachment Technique?"

Fang Han fell into deep thought. It was the first time he realized that the divine abilities of the Wandao Alliance were indeed bizarre and endlessly varied.

If one did not understand the nature of their opponent's divine abilities, an actual battle would inevitably leave them scrambling, making it incredibly difficult to formulate counter-strategies.

Suddenly, the crowd seemed to sense something and turned their gazes toward Half Saint Zangling. They watched as she raised a single hand and tapped it against the void. A ripple instantly rippled outward in all directions.

Fang Qianxue and Qin Baichuan stood directly behind her, quietly observing this scene.

The ripple formed a pathway. Surrounding it were ripples that resembled water patterns. And at the very end of this pathway, the crowd faintly discerned a magnificent Inner Domain gateway.

The next moment, the ground beneath their feet seemed to sway. For a brief instant, everyone felt dizzy, but the sensation quickly vanished.

The crowd faintly sensed that this Inner Domain was constantly drawing closer to the gateway at the end of the pathway.

Traveling using an Inner Domain...

Fang Chen suddenly recalled the day Saint Fatian made his appearance. The opponent had also used an Inner Domain to counter an Inner Domain. It seemed that all Inner Domains existed within the same space.

So, as long as a specific Inner Domain was locked onto, one could approach it? Inner Domains are truly miraculous. I wonder which is faster, this or a Starry Sky Great Transfer Formation.

Fang Chen was incredibly curious about Inner Domains, and his yearning for an Inner Domain of his own grew even stronger. According to the information he had indirectly gathered, the formation of an Inner Domain was intimately linked to one's own divine abilities.

Since the journey required ten years, Half Saint Zangling intentionally opened her Saint Tower free of charge, allowing everyone to enter and cultivate for a few more years to hone their methods. Fang Chen also entered and stayed for a year. Inside was a world of paper dolls, and the opponents he encountered were all paper dolls rather than exotic beasts. Because his realm had already reached a bottleneck and could not be elevated by even a single shred, he left after staying for just a year.

Everyone else stayed inside, seizing this final stretch of time to keep honing their divine abilities.

Fang Chen walked alone within the vast paper world, appearing quite solitary.

"Everyone else is inside the Saint Tower, utilizing this rare opportunity to continue honing their divine abilities. Why have you not entered?"

Fang Chen was slightly startled and turned to look. He saw Half Saint Zangling standing ten feet away from him, her eyes completely devoid of emotion and appearing rigid. If she had not spoken and simply stood there like that, she would have been no different from a common paper doll. No one would ever think this was a Half Saint.

Fang Chen cupped his hands and bowed. "Greetings, Half Saint Zangling. My cultivation has already reached a bottleneck. Staying long in the Saint Tower yields no benefit."

"Staying inside wouldn't yield any results?"

Half Saint Zangling shook her head. "Every second inside can strengthen a divine ability, or at the very least, allow for better mastery over it. I don't know whether to attribute your thought process to arrogance or laziness. With a mindset like yours, what are you even doing at the Saint Tower Battle?"

Her figure flashed, and she appeared right in front of Fang Chen's face. There was barely an inch of distance between them now. Her cheeks almost touched Fang Chen's face. He could even faintly feel her breath brushing against him.

Half Saint Zangling asked in a soft voice, "Your divine soul is stronger than your cultivation. Is this your source of confidence?"

Fang Chen took a step back, putting some distance between them. He then smiled. "I cultivate certain techniques that strengthen the divine soul. That's why mine is somewhat stronger than the ordinary cultivator."

"Techniques?" Half Saint Zangling was slightly taken aback. She then nodded. "You must be talking about the Foundation Fist. It appears the Fang Clan possesses more than just a single set."

With that, she floated away, vanishing from before Fang Chen in the blink of an eye.

Fang Chen stood there pondering for a moment before continuing his leisurely stroll through the paper world.

***

Several years later.

Quite a few people had already stepped out from the Saint Tower, bringing a little more life back into the paper world.

On this particular day, everyone simultaneously felt the same dizziness they had experienced earlier. Just as the crowd was feeling bewildered, another ripple manifested within the void. Behind that ripple, an Inner Domain gateway could vaguely be seen.

A booming voice rang out. "Half Saint Zangling, it has been many years since we last met. Are you also rushing to Longsheng City this time?"

Hearing that, everyone guessed that the newcomer had to be another Half Saint escorting their sect's disciples to Longsheng City for the Saint Tower Battle.

Fang Chen followed the flow of the crowd and arrived beneath that ripple.

Half Saint Zangling appeared silently at some unknown point. Gazing at the indistinct gateway, she frowned and said, "Half Saint Jinwu, we still have a journey to make. I do not have time for idle chat with you."

Half Saint Jinwu?

The expressions of the Fang clan divine ability users darkened. It turned out the opponent was Half Saint Jinwu of the Jinyang Alliance.

Back then, the Jinyang Alliance had wanted to trample over the Fang Clan to climb higher, attempting to use Ancestor Lie's opportunity to ascend to a Saint in exchange for the chance for Half Saint Jinwu and Half Saint Zangxue to advance to Saints.

This single matter had caused both sides to rupture relations completely, with absolutely no possibility of mending it in the short term. The feud would perhaps persist until the current Jinyang Saint passed away and a new one took his place.

"Half Saint Zangling, you are still as cold as ever. However, I didn't stop you merely to reminisce. I figured since the Fang Clan lacks a Half Saint now, they must be relying on your assistance to escort them to the Saint Tower Battle."

The Inner Domain gateway where Half Saint Jinwu resided seemed to draw closer and closer to this side, becoming increasingly clear.

Half Saint Zangling immediately raised her hand and tapped lightly, halting this behavior of continuous approach. Yet by then, Fang Chen and the others could clearly see the situation on that side, and that side could likewise clearly view the scene over here.

Half Saint Jinwu's gaze shifted, locking onto the Fang Clan's divine ability users.

He spoke with a half-smile. "Fang Qianxue, are you also going to participate in this Sacred Tower Battle?"

"What if I am?" replied Fang Qianxue calmly.

"What a coincidence. I have a junior under my command who is participating in this Saint Tower Battle. You two are similarly aged. Her cultivation is also similar to yours. I believe you two will encounter one another very quickly inside the Saint Tower."

His smile grew wolfish. "If the Fang Clan slips away with less than ninety percent of their disciples killed this time, I will consider it my loss."

The moment these words were spoken, rage surfaced on everyone's faces!