Chapter 549 - 239: Battle Gang
Work at sunrise, rest at sunset.
...His perception of time had been in chaos for far too long. He felt it was necessary to fully reclaim it through a structured, routine life.
...And indeed, once his perception of time fully recovered, it felt as if everything had an ’anchor’ again. The occasional sense of mental confusion that had plagued him also gradually vanished during this period.
This secretly alarmed Qin Fang.
’Six years of chaotic time and lonely suppression must have unknowingly damaged my Divine Soul to some extent.’
’Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be zoning out from time to time after coming back.’
’Then again, I even showed signs of self-destruction. It’d be a miracle if my Divine Soul was completely unscathed.’
’But this ’damage’ should still be minor, nowhere near as severe as Senior Brother Yun’s.’
’It should be able to heal on its own.’
’...Even if it can’t, I’ll just eat more honey later.’
He thought.
The honey was gone now.
The big fish had eaten it all...
’...What exactly was that big fish? Does another unknown World exist beneath the Great Abyss?’
Qin Fang occasionally couldn’t help but have such thoughts.
But he would quickly cast them to the back of his mind.
’But without a doubt... I’ve probably only witnessed a mere fraction of the wonders and mysteries this World holds...’
After his injuries healed, Qin Fang naturally went to see his master at the first opportunity.
He spoke with his master for an entire day.
For most of that time, his master asked for more details about the Secret Realm.
But at the same time, his master also mentioned a few things.
"In these past six years, traces of the Three Religions have finally appeared again."
This immediately caused Qin Fang’s gaze to sharpen.
’That Ancient Well, that yet-to-be-found core... it’s a sword hanging over everyone’s head.’
’It could fall at any moment.’
"Unfortunately, we still haven’t found that core."
Before Qin Fang could ask, his master sighed with some regret.
"As of now, the Three Religions have been operating intensively in Canglan for over a decade. Their movements are becoming increasingly secretive, and I have a bad feeling about it."
Even his master spoke with a grave expression.
Only then did Qin Fang press for details.
He learned that about four years ago, after the Sect’s tireless efforts, they finally found a trace of the Three Religions.
This time, it was the Filth Land Sect they found.
And this time, their area of activity wasn’t in Canglan Prefecture, but in Yanfang Prefecture!
...An entire county in Yanfang Prefecture had been turned into Filth Land!
Hundreds of thousands of people had died.
If they hadn’t found a small team that had secretly infiltrated Canglan Prefecture, a team that happened to be discovered by a Sixth Realm Martial Artist from the Bi Luo Cloud Palace... who knows how long it would have taken to realize something had happened to that county.
...Yanfang Prefecture is also very mountainous. That county was located amidst a large mountain range and included over a dozen townships and hundreds of villages.
By the time the Sect’s experts arrived, they discovered that the entire county, practically every inch of land, had been tainted. A foul aura filled the sky.
A great battle ensued, and the Filth Land Sect Cultists gathered there suffered heavy casualties.
"The leader was that Ji Ai Old Ghost you’ve met before."
His master shook his head gently. "I managed to capture a wisp of his True Gang that day, intending to interrogate it for information, but I failed... The True Gang Avatar self-destructed. The fact that Ji Ai Old Ghost went from Canglan to Yanfang shows that their scheme is indeed not limited to a single prefecture."
"Our perspective may have been confined to Canglan Prefecture... The core that we’ve been unable to find is very likely not in Canglan Prefecture, but somewhere much farther away."
Hearing his master’s solemn deduction, Qin Fang’s expression shifted slightly.
"So, the disciples from the other Six Sects have pretty much all returned to their own prefectures to search for traces of the Three Religions or locations similar to the Ancient Well..."
"The news has even reached the Divine Capital... Perhaps soon, more Sects will get involved."
His master’s words left Qin Fang stunned.
Then he nodded slightly...
’The Three Religions are clearly making a big move. Since it’s not just limited to Canglan, it threatens the entire Great Yu Empire.’
’It’s only natural for the other Sects of Great Yu to get involved.’
’...But none of this has anything to do with me right now.’
’I’m just a minor figure at the mere True Essence Fourth Realm.’
’I can’t play any decisive role in such a major affair.’
’Especially after witnessing a terrifying existence like that big fish.’
’I understand now that this World is probably full of powerful beings...’
Just as he thought, his master ended by telling him not to worry about the Three Religions; the Sect still had the elders.
There was no need for a junior like him to trouble himself with such matters.
He told him to focus on his cultivation and step into the Fifth Realm as soon as possible.
He had high hopes for Qin Fang.
Qin Fang accepted the instruction.
Finally, he took his leave from his master and headed for the Scripture Pavilion.
"Senior Brother Qin!"
"It really is Senior Brother Qin..."
"Senior Brother Qin is out!"
This was his first public appearance in the Sect since his return. Many disciples were pleasantly surprised to see him and bowed in greeting one after another.
The bustling atmosphere, which he hadn’t experienced in six years, brought a smile to Qin Fang’s face...
’Humans really are social animals, after all.’
After greeting some fellow disciples he knew, Qin Fang entered the Scripture Pavilion, while the chatter continued outside.
"Senior Brother Qin has broken the record for the longest stay in the Secret Realm... A full five years and nine months, almost six years!"
"Tsk tsk, Senior Brother Qin truly is a heaven-sent genius..."
"I wonder when the Secret Realm will open next. I was ranked ninth back then, and now I’ve reached Condensing Truth... I’m thinking of applying to go train in the Secret Realm!"
The disciples discussed amongst themselves.
They didn’t yet know that the Sect had already decided to temporarily suspend training expeditions to the Secret Realm...
...The Sect Leader had made the decision, so there was naturally no need to inform them specifically.
He didn’t see Master Zhou Xuanmo on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, which was a bit of a shame for Qin Fang... After being away for six years, he actually missed Master Zhou.
This time, it was an Elder from another branch. Qin Fang knew him as well, and the Elder was just as gentle toward him.
After a simple greeting, Qin Fang went up to the fourth floor.
Then, he headed straight for the area with Leaf Skills at the Divine Illumination Realm level.
Before long, he found the Leaf Skill he was looking for.
"War Gang Avatar..."
He licked his lips and looked at the introduction to the Leaf Skill in his hand, titled ’Divine Gang Mysterious Shadow’...
(Woohoo! We’ve hit one million words! It’s been a little over forty days since the novel went premium, and I’ve written 800,000 words in that time. Brothers... you know what to do! *cackles* Phew, I’m exhausted. My Divine Soul has been damaged. I’m off to get some hot pot to heal up... Good night, more to come tomorrow.)