Chapter 2655: White-Haired Fairy
A few hundred years old Immortal Emperor Realm Peak expert is indeed rare in the Immortal Realm, though not unheard of, hence that immortal felt a bit of respect while speaking to Fang Bai.
The Immortal Emperor Realm Peak expert, known as Qingyang Immortal Emperor, was accompanied by three immortals: Fairy Qingxia, White-Haired Fairy, and Leiling Immortal Emperor—all high-rank cultivation level, all loose cultivators.
Logically, their combination of four Immortal Emperor Realm experts is quite powerful, but many of the Immortal Stone Veins were occupied by Immortal Sects, which they cannot compete with in terms of numbers or quality.
As for other immortal groups banding together, they range from seven or eight Immortal Emperor Realm experts to a dozen, equally strong and not to be underestimated.
Therefore, these four immortals, led by Qingyang Immortal Emperor, planned to recruit a few more Immortals with similar cultivation levels to seize the Immortal Stone Vein.
Upon Fang Bai’s arrival, Qingyang Immortal Emperor was the first to notice and approached Fang Bai before any other immortals did.
However, following Qingyang Immortal Emperor, several immortals appeared around Fang Bai, eager to have him join as well.
Immortal Emperor Realm Peak experts like Fang Bai, with their powerful mana, are most welcomed by those immortal groups.
Qingyang Immortal Emperor looked at the many immortals surrounding Fang Bai, who were more eloquent and mostly also Immortal Emperor Realm Peak experts like him, though annoyed, he could not drive them away without mutual harm.
Besides, their team of four immortals was only middle-tier among many immortal teams; if Fang Bai were rational, he would choose to join one of the strongest teams instead of theirs.
So when Qingyang Immortal Emperor exchanged glances with his three immortal friends, they all doubted hope and sighed collectively.
To everyone’s surprise, Fang Bai chose Qingyang Immortal Emperor’s team in the end.
The other immortals were puzzled by Fang Bai’s choice, but Qingyang Immortal Emperor and his three companions were overjoyed.
"It’s truly wonderful to have Immortal Friend Wushuang joining us!"
Upon hearing Fang Bai report his title, Qingyang Immortal Emperor was momentarily surprised but soon accepted.
He thought Fang Bai’s self-proclaimed title "Wushuang" was merely youthful pride and arrogance, common among young immortals.
Regardless of whether Fang Bai was invincible in his realm, he was, after all, an Immortal Emperor Realm Peak expert with sufficiently powerful strength, which was good enough.
"Immortal Emperor Wushuang, please wait. Let me recruit a few more immortals, and we will together delve into the Immortal Stone Vein! Ha ha, let’s see who can stop us then!"
After chatting with Fang Bai for a bit, Qingyang Immortal Emperor left with his sleeves fluttering, heading towards the recently arrived immortals.
Fang Bai watched Qingyang Immortal Emperor leave, then turned to Fairy Qingxia and Leiling Immortal Emperor with a smile, finally resting his gaze on White-Haired Fairy, with her cold demeanor and white hair, and said with a smile, "White-Haired Fairy, I seem to have seen you before."
White-Haired Fairy was startled, closely examining Fang Bai, and frowned, "Oh? Forgive my poor vision. Where and when have we met?"
Fang Bai said, "Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land."
Upon hearing "Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land," White-Haired Fairy’s pupils suddenly contracted, and her facial expression shifted slightly.
Her change in expression did not escape Fang Bai’s eyes.
Fang Bai smiled lightly, kept silent, and quietly observed White-Haired Fairy’s response.
"Immortal Emperor Wushuang... how do you know of Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land?"
White-Haired Fairy quickly calmed down, regaining her serene demeanor, but Fang Bai noticed her clenched fists hidden in her long sleeves.
Fang Bai said, "Well... I’ve been there before!"
White-Haired Fairy asked with a faint tone, "When did you visit?"
Fang Bai said, "A thousand years ago."
White-Haired Fairy said, "Immortal Friend Wushuang’s immortal age is merely five hundred. How could we have met a thousand years ago? This joke is not amusing!"
Fairy Qingxia and Leiling Immortal Emperor heard Fang Bai and White-Haired Fairy mention "Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land," but could not think of any such place in the Immortal Realm, assuming Fang Bai was deliberately trying to chat up White-Haired Fairy, exchanging knowing smiles.
Although White-Haired Fairy had white hair, her skin was like alabaster and jade, presenting an elegant appearance, and she was of high-rank cultivation level. Moreover, without an immortal partner until now, many immortals had pursued her through the years.
Though White-Haired Fairy’s immortal age was notably older than Fang Bai’s, in the long lifespan of immortals, such a gap is insignificant, and within the Immortal Realm, there are countless partnerships where the woman is older than the man.
Therefore, Fairy Qingxia and Leiling Immortal Emperor thought Fang Bai was interested in White-Haired Fairy.
But little did they know, what Fang Bai and White-Haired Fairy were contemplating was entirely different.
At first glance, Fang Bai recognized White-Haired Fairy’s origins, aware that she was disguised and altered in appearance, though her white hair remained unchanged from a thousand years ago.
The reason Fang Bai joined their immortal team was actually because of White-Haired Fairy.
Since Fang Bai mentioned "Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land," White-Haired Fairy became wary of him. If she wasn’t much weaker than Fang Bai, she might have acted against him.
Despite her adept disguise and aura concealment, the techniques she used, the disguise art and Concealment Aura Art, were taught by Fang Bai, and naturally, could not deceive him.
"Is Tianze Immortal Emperor doing well these days?"
Facing White-Haired Fairy’s cold, cautious gaze, Fang Bai used the Thread Condensation Sound Transmission Technique to quietly ask.
White-Haired Fairy’s body visibly trembled upon hearing "Tianze Immortal Emperor," her breathing became hurried and disordered.
Fairy Qingxia and Leiling Immortal Emperor gave White-Haired Fairy a puzzled look, unaware of her sudden loss of composure.
After a few moments, White-Haired Fairy forcibly suppressed her emotional disturbance, and transmitted to Fang Bai, "Who exactly are you?"
Though Fang Bai consistently kept a smile, speaking amicably, seeming not to be an enemy as imagined, White-Haired Fairy had spent a millennium evading the top eight powers’ pursuit, necessitating a hidden identity in the Immortal Realm, revealing herself to no immortal.
Nevertheless, Mystical Heavenly Blessed Land and Tianze Immortal Emperor—one being a Cultivation Holy Land owned by the Emperor’s Palace, and the other one of the thirty-six mighty generals of the Emperor’s Palace—the fact that Fang Bai could mention them indicates he has connections to the Emperor’s Palace.
Yet, if he were a disciple of the Emperor’s Palace, why did he not possess the unique aura of Emperor’s Palace disciples?
This was precisely the source of White-Haired Fairy’s doubts and caution.