Chapter 517 The Restless Curmudgeons
Chen Fan’s battle had far-reaching consequences.
The Curmudgeons who had been hiding behind the curtain for decades were more disturbed by the development than the rest of the world.
The Immortal State Warriors dominated the world and except for the superpowers of the world, no one else could have brought them down. Not even Ye Qincang or Lin Shuming could guarantee to end the life of an Immortal State Warrior without the latter sneaking away.
However, Chen Fan’s performance caught them by surprise. However powerful his opponents were, he had brought them to heel with a single sweep of a blade. It was evident that Chen Fan had dominated the fight.
“This lad reminds me of the Great Magus who lived three hundred years ago, Zhang SanFeng who lived five hundred years ago, and the Exalted Cultivator who lived a thousand years ago.”
One Immortal State Curmudgeon exclaimed.
“Humph! I don’t understand what the big deal is. We will join forces and deal with him the same way we did with Ye Qincang.”
Someone inside the Dragon Tiger Mountain grunted.
“Lin Langya’s death was a huge loss to the Lin Family of Southeastern China. I wonder how Lin Shuming is faring without his most trusted assistant.” Many people focused their attention on the Lin Family and waited expectantly for the hundred-year-old Sword Master to show up.
Lin Shuming was the oldest Immortal State Warrior in the world. He was one of the only people, other than Ye Qincang who could possibly rival Chen Beixuan.
“People told me that they heard the humming of Lin Shuming’s blade a while ago. But the old man faltered in the end. I wager the next time he comes out of hiding, he would have reached the Earth Level Deity Level.”
Someone put in.
“Earth Level Deity. Tsk..tsk..”
The thought made everyone quiet.
Although no one had reached that legendary state for a thousand years, it remained the ultimate goal for generations of Immortal State Warriors. The nuclear powers of the present-day world had forced the Immortal State Warriors into hiding, but it also gave them plenty of time to focus on their cultivation.
Ten days, twenty, thirty…
Chen Beixuan had disappeared for a month ever since he entered the Valley of No Return. Many people started to suspect that he was killed by the divine spells of the Earth Level Deity.
However, they learned their lesson from what happened after the battle of the Warg Valley. Chen Fan had reappeared after he was missing in action for over a year and utterly crushed the Russians.
That being said, Chen Fan’s absence did have some effect on the world.
“Kaboom!”
A crack of lightning erupted at the top of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The legendary Heavenly Master, Yao Daoyi, who had banished the many evil creatures from the world, finally finished his seclusion cultivation.
Yao Daoyi rose to fame during the most tumultuous time in Chinese history around the turn of the 20th century. As war and famine ravaged the land, many sadistic and unscrupulous sects climbed the ladder of chaos and rose to power. As the Bearer of the Thunder Seal, Yao Daoyi had taken upon himself to banish evil from China. In the end, he was forced to retire after being confronted by Ye Qincang with an army of a hundred thousand strong.
However, Yao Daoyi was not the only one.
A few months ago, some tourists had claimed to see a white-haired old man with a surprisingly youthful face walking in the clouds.
Old Taoist monks from the Temple of Violet Cloud claimed the old man had been there when he was a young lad. They insisted that the old man lived somewhere at the side of the mountain and looked just the same as when the monk was a child.
“He is Li Changsheng from the Wu Dang Primordial Dao Sect. He practiced Dharma Spell and Martial Arts dual cultivation and was only a few years younger than Lin Shuming.”
Someone online recognized the old man on the grainy image.
The news had become the flashpoint in Chinese media. Both Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng were legendary warriors active a few decades ago. To everyone’s surprise, they aged exceptionally well and were full of vigor.
“They must have been disturbed by Chen Beixuan’s killing the three Immortal State Warriors.”
Someone on the internet pointed out.
Right after that, many more strange things happened all over the world.
In Thailand, people reported the sightings of an old man riding on a snake-like beast with a large horn sticking out from its scaly forehead.
In Japan, the Ise Grand Shrine’s empty hall was filled with ghastly apparitions and nerve breaking noises.
In India, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, similar events also unfolded.
Many of these strange developments were recorded and that footage and images were uploaded to the internet.
Chen Fan’s battle against the Grand Magus God had shown the Myanmar public his godly power. As a result, the Myanmar public worshipped Chen Fan as a god.
That was only the beginning of a larger awakening of the public to the supernatural elements of the world. More and more videos and images of astonishing sightings spread on the internet like an infectious disease despite the government’s effort to discredit these sightings. More and more people started to take a second look at the reality they knew of and created many websites dedicated to such discussions.
Websites such as the Vampire’s Den, Super Human Forum, Castle Wolfenstein, and the Covenant of the Venerable One were some examples.
Although the sightings of the Super Humans were rare, studies and art projects related to the subject started to garner a cult following. It found its way even into the upper-class society and universities.
Although most people were drawn to the subject by curiosity and participated in the discussion as a way to pass the time, It was not the case for the people in the Dark World.
“Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng, Dharma-rāja Sakya, Gong Tau King and the Demon Gods from the Ise Grand Shrine….”
A list was kept on the CIA’s private server and was updated daily.
The list was then scrutinized by the forum users to root out those names that were made-up.
“What is happening to the world? Why are these Immortal State Warriors exposing themselves like there was no tomorrow? Aren’t they afraid of the American’s nuclear bombs?”
Someone asked.
“They are getting anxious.”
Someone replied.
“Although they had been in hiding, it didn’t mean that the rest of the world, including the United States of America, did not fear them. The balance of power had always been subtle: they had traded their silence for the safety of their friends and families.”
“However, Chen Beixuan’s appearance disturbed this balance and made these Curmudgeons feel insecure. So, they all came out of hiding, and are trying to seek safety in numbers.”
“I agree.” Someone else replied.
“These Immortal Level Overlords had been living in seclusion for way too long and they also eagerly wanted an excuse to come out from their hiding. Chen Beixuan was the perfect excuse. In a way, they are testing the bottom line of the superpowers. If Chen Beixuan is allowed to freely roam the earth, why should they be confined in a hole?”
“You mean Chen Beixuan had become their common enemy?”
Someone asked in surprise.
“Why of course. He is the strongest Immortal State Warrior so he has a target on his back.”
The same person replied.
“If the United States of America would intervene soon and do away with Chen Beixuan to re-exert its dominance, these Immortal State Warriors would also retreat back to their hiding places. Otherwise, these Immortal State Warriors are going to wreak havoc.”
Someone added.
However, most people on the forum were indifferent to politics, and they were more interested in what had become of Chen Beixuan.
One month, two, three…
In the third month, many people started to lose their patience.
Many claimed that Chen Beixuan had died in the Dharma Array in the valley and was gone for good.
“Kaboom!”
On the rainy night of August 3, 2010, a blaring crack of thunder erupted above the Jin City. Many citizens claimed that they had seen an azure dragon amidst the dark clouds. It seemed to be fighting with someone or something.
A few days later, news about a mysterious fight spread all over the forum.
An unheard of Immortal State Warrior had attempted to break into the Chen Family’s residence, but was injured by the Green Dragon Grand Array and escaped.
A few days later, many people in Zhong Hai claimed that they had seen an explosion erupting in the sky. It happened very quickly but was seen by many citizens.
Someone said that it was another Immortal State Warrior who tried to invade the Jin Xiu Group’s headquarters, and was confronted by Hua Yunfeng. As soon as the intruder realized that Hua Yunfeng had reached the Immortal State, he fled the scene in a hurry.
These two developments shocked the Dark World.
“Chen Beixuan had cast an array in East Mountain powerful enough to injure an Immortal State Warrior?”
“Hua Yunfeng had reached Immortal State without anyone knowing it? Why him? He is not even that outstanding among his former peers. Azure Dragon, Ye Nantian and even Odin used to be more powerful than him.”
The members of the dark world were stunned by the developments.
However, as they delved deeper into the news, they became even more shocked.
They learned that Hua Yunfeng had already become Chen Beixuan’s disciple and was an official member of the North Mystic Sect.
Although it was the first time that people ever heard of the North Qiong Sect, they were already impressed by its might.