The disciples of the Cloudstride Sect were filled with fervor as they gazed up at the spectacle unfolding in the sky above Cloudhill. The colossal golden palm ignited a surge of adrenaline within them, stirring their blood.
Across the world, Land Rankers were able to carve out a piece of territory for themselves, ruling over their land. However, the myths of Heavenly Rankers were known to all. These were beings who represented a level of power that dwarfed the mundane.
While the Heavenly Rankers of sects and empires seldom made appearances, their existence served as a deterrent, akin to the steadfast anchors in a tempestuous sea or the pillars supporting the sky.
And today, the Cloudstride Sect boasted their own Heavenly Ranker, one whose strength was proven through the shattered bones and spilled blood of another Heavenly Ranker.
…
He squeezed a Heavenly Ranker to death with his palm? In the night sky, Wu Yuan stared at the resplendent golden palm, his breath taken away.
At close proximity, the sheer power the golden hand emitted threatened to overwhelm him, evoking a sense of incredulity.
Why had Wu Yuan dared to tap into heaven and earth’s power, flying up to face the two unwanted visitors? Was it truly because of courage? No! It was Fang Xia who transmitted his voice to Wu Yuan, assuring him that he need not fear, for he had his back.
And Fang Xia indeed lived up to his word, surprising Wu Yuan with his strength. When the flames shrouding Wu Jianzhong erupted forth, Wu Yuan’s very soul felt as if it were about to explode. His instincts screamed that he could not withstand it. Such strength truly befitted the title of Heavenly Ranker.
Yet, before Fang Xia, the man was rendered helpless, unable to move an inch. The level of shock it instilled within Wu Yuan was beyond comprehension.
From the very beginning to the end, Fang Xia had never revealed himself, until this very moment. A figure draped in flowing white robes emerged silently from behind Wu Yuan. The robes fluttered around him, as if caught in a golden whirlwind, while his demeanor exuded a cold detachment, akin to an emperor surveying the world below. The aura he emitted was truly terrifying, brimming with an overwhelming majesty. It was a stark contrast to the friendly Old Fang that Wu Yuan knew.
Eighth-stage Qi Sea, Domain stage! This is what a cultivator at the Domain stage is like! A single individual can effortlessly overpower a bunch of mid-stage Qi Sea cultivators.
From this encounter alone, Wu Yuan recognized how strong Fang Xia was. No matter how weak Wu Jianzhong may have been, he was still a fourth-stage Qi Sea cultivator. To be killed in a single strike? In Wu Yuan’s eyes, unless a Golden Core Superior descended, nine out of ten Qi Sea phase cultivators would be no match for Fang Xia.
My strength is so far behind compared to transcendent cultivators. I must become an eldritch warrior as soon as possible. Wu Yuan yearned, a spark of desire igniting within him.
Wu Yuan had always been proud. Although Fang Xia was his appointed bodyguard by the realm master, Wu Yuan did not wish to be protected forever. He yearned to participate in battle too.
How terrifying! Meng Cai, who stood a mere hundred meters away from the colossal golden palm, felt a chill run down his spine. This aura, this power! When did such a powerhouse emerge from the thirteen continents of the Middle Land?
In Wu Yuan’s perception, Fang Xia was very strong. Whereas in Meng Cai’s perception, it felt as though a weapon with an unyielding desire to pierce through the heavens and the earth had appeared. The sharpness of this weapon caused Meng Cai’s very soul to tremble in fear.
Gold! This was the type of heaven and earth’s power that Fang Xia specialized in, the Gold Dao. It possessed an unrivaled strength and rigidity, capable of delivering ferocious blows!
Silently, the colossal golden hand dissipated into nothingness. Only the battle armor and storage artifact, both bearing signs of damage, remained. They transformed into several streams of light, landing in Fang Xia’s palm. Meng Cai dared not make a single movement.
Whoosh! Fang Xia took a step forward, traversing hundreds of meters with ease, and stopped before Meng Cai. Wu Yuan followed closely behind.
Fang Xia spoke with an icy tone, “Daoist Meng Cai, what is the meaning of this? Have you forgotten who I am after a century?”
Individuals at the same cultivation phase typically addressed each other as ‘Daoist’.
“More than a century?” Meng Cai was startled at first. As he scrutinized the middle-aged man in white robes, a look of recognition crossed his face. “Fang Xia? You’re alive!”
Wu Yuan immediately understood that Fang Xia and this Heavenly Ranker Meng Cai shared a history.
“Heh, back when I first entered the Land Rankings, you were already famous,” Fang Xia remarked nonchalantly. “Who would have thought that over a hundred years would pass, and now you’re a qi refiner at the fifth-stage Qi Sea phase.”
“Compared to you, Daoist Fang Xia, I am far behind,” Meng Cai forced a smile. “I suspect you’re just a step away from the Golden Core phase.”
Fang Xia smiled faintly, offering no response.
“Given that you dare cause trouble on Cloudhill, I would normally end your life in a single slap,” Fang Xia languidly declared. “However, considering our past relationship and the fact that you did not resort to aggression, I will overlook today’s incident.”
“Thank you, Daoist Fang Xia, for sparing me.” Meng Cai replied, his voice low.
He understood what Fang Xia meant. He and Wu Jianzhong had recklessly intruded into Cloudhill, making outrageous claims and even initiating combat against Wu Yuan. If they were to meet their demise, they had no one to blame but themselves. In the end, it could be said that no one could have anticipated that the seemingly insignificant Cloudstride Sect concealed a powerhouse like Fang Xia.
Meng Cai wished to leave immediately, but he dared not move without Fang Xia’s permission. When one’s very existence was at the mercy of another, was there room for defiance?
“Is Dong Qian still holding the position of hierarch within the Pleiades Guild?” Fang Xia suddenly asked.
“Dong Qian vanished decades ago after embarking on a journey to the Xin Continent,” Meng Cai replied in a hushed tone. “At present, the highest-ranking hierarch in our Pleiades Guild is Daoist Niu Hao.” This information was widely known among the Heavenly Rankers, there was no reason for Meng Cai to conceal it.
“Very well, I won’t make things difficult for you,” Fang Xia said coolly. “But do convey a message to Niu Hao on your return. This is the sole instance of leniency. If he dares to meddle with Cloudhill again, he should be prepared to meet the same fate as Wu Jianzhong.”
“Thank you, Daoist Fang Xia,” Meng Cai finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to survive this ordeal.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Meng Cai asked. “Daoist Fang Xia, I am aware of your immense strength, but Shadow Blade claimed the life of Jin Qing first. This is sure to enrage the Great Jin Empire. The three holy sanctuaries of Great Jin are filled with more than a dozen qi refiners. They are not to be trifled with, especially Jin Quan, who reached the ninth-stage Qi Sea phase decades ago,” Meng Cai added, his tone solemn.
“Furthermore, Yuanxia Palace’s Zhao Xing and Starsea Pavilion’s Hai Feizhang are both late-stage Qi Sea cultivators,” he continued.
“There are so many late-stage Qi Sea cultivators in Great Jin?” A flicker of surprise crossed Fang Xia’s face, mingled with a glint of apprehension in his eyes.
“Indeed! If not for the three holy sanctuaries of Great Jin, our forces in the coastal continents would not have been forced to concede to Great Jin time and time again. They already occupy 40% of the territory in the seven continents of the Central Plains,” Meng Cai lamented, shaking his head. “Great Jin is Cloudstride’s greatest enemy.”
“Daoist Fang Xia, today you have slain Wu Jianzhong. Although his strength is average among the qi refiners of the Starcom Consortium, Wan Xing has established a firm foothold on the Heavenly Rankings for 300 years. His unfathomable power is something even Imperator Jin cannot handle. You have offended two major forces simultaneously, which is quite unwise,” Meng Cai warned.
From his perspective, Fang Xia could have merely intimidated Wu Jianzhong with his strength; there was no need to kill him and make more enemies.
“Daoist Meng Cai, I have only recently emerged from my seclusion and have yet to be informed of these matters. Thank you for enlightening me, your kindness is appreciated,” Fang Xia responded calmly. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
“But as for how I’ll handle these two forces, there is no need for concern.”
“You may be on your way now.” His words were a clear dismissal.
“Pardon my intrusion,” Meng Cai dared not utter another word and respectfully bid farewell with a bow. In a flash of azure light, he swiftly vanished.
“Fret not, Young Master, let us return to the relic,” Fang Xia’s voice echoed in Wu Yuan’s mind.
Wu Yuan nodded slightly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The two of them also disappeared swiftly into the night. The night sky resumed its tranquility. However, Cloudhill was anything but calm.
Soon, the sect’s higher echelons made an announcement: “The Heavenly Ranker who took action today at Cloudhill is Ancestor Fang Xia, who is the world’s number one expert.”
This news sent shockwaves through the sect.
“Ancestor Fang Xia?”
“The greatest ancestor of our Cloudstride Sect is still alive?”
“What’s wrong with calling him the world’s number one expert? He has the strength to defy the heavens, to crush other Heavenly Rankers in a single palm!”
“The world’s number one expert! Ancestor Fang Xia!” The countless disciples of the Cloudstride Sect fervently discussed the news.
Instead of stemming the spread of this news, the Cloudstride Sect covertly fueled it. To bring unity to the Jiang Continent, one must first make the entire world tremble!
…
The jade chamber within the sect’s relic was incredibly vast, with the jade stones on the floor meticulously arranged. A recess at the periphery of the jade chamber remained bathed in an ethereal glow where Grandmaster Bu Yu was in seclusion, unaffected by this monumental conflict.
This place? Wu Yuan surveyed the jade chamber. At first glance, it appeared no different from two days earlier, but as he focused on sensing heaven and earth’s power, he found several differences. The walls of the jade chamber now bore a myriad of strange cryptic patterns, pulsating in harmony.
However, the most significant transformation was at the center of the jade chamber. The colossal cauldron that had been plucked out by Fang Xia was now replaced. Now, its connection to the surrounding jade stones was distinctly different from before. And yet, Wu Yuan perceived a sense of naturalness.
“You truly are my Young Master, detecting the changes so swiftly,” Fang Xia chuckled.
Alone with Wu Yuan, the domineering aura he exuded moments ago completely vanished.
“My vision isn’t that good. I can’t tell what the exact changes are in detail.” Wu Yuan shook his head.
“Haha, once Young Master makes your breakthrough, everything will be made clear,” Fang Xia responded with a smile. “Fear not, Young Master. The monitoring array and mind confusion array will be complete in just two hours. By then, even a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator would not be able to breach Cloudhill as effortlessly as Meng Cai and Wu Jianzhong did,” Fang Xia stated solemnly.
Wu Yuan found himself nodding involuntarily, his faith in Fang Xia bolstered by their recent battle.
“I shall proceed with the establishment of the killing array once these two are in place,” Fang Xia chuckled. “Once the killing array is fully activated, Cloudhill shall become as impregnable as a fortress. By then, the killing array alone will encompass the entirety of Cloudhill City.”
“Oh? Such vast coverage?” Wu Yuan was startled.
“It isn’t unusual for a Golden Core Superior to construct an array capable of spanning thousands of li,” Fang Xia shook his head. “Compared to theirs, this one is nothing, barely covering a few hundred li.”
“Old Fang.” Unable to contain his curiosity, Wu Yuan asked, “According to Meng Cai, it appears that the Great Jin Empire has three late-stage qi sea cultivators in their ranks, and Imperator Jin is still alive.”
Imperator Jin was a living legend throughout the thirteen continents of the Middle Land. Through his own strength, he established the Great Jin Empire and forged a historical legacy. He was a figure that countless martial artists aspired to.
“Can we withstand Imperator Jin?”