Immortal of the Nine Realms
Chapter 1036: Empty Shells

Chapter 1036: Empty Shells

The nineteenth level of the Heavenly Steps.

Fang Chen looked at the Long Family sword cultivators who were resting and asked, "Is Lu Bingbing here?"

Someone pointed upward with a complex expression. "He's already gone up."

"Thank you," replied Fang Chen.

He nodded and walked toward the Sun Family sword cultivator.

"What do you want?" asked a Sun Family sword cultivator fearfully, his complexion turning pale. "We are not from Sun Susu's or Sun Yi's Factions."

"Then you're from the Sun Family, right?"

"Y-yes."

"That's enough."

As Fang Chen continued climbing higher, every time he encountered a Sun Family sword cultivator, he would strike them down. His actions caused the faces of the Loose Immortals from the Sun Family to grow increasingly dark.

The Long Family similarly had a few people who didn't look too good, but they masked their emotions well and didn't show too much.

The twentieth level of the Heavenly Steps.

"Is Lu Bingbing here?"

"He's already gone up."

"Thank you."

The twenty-third level of the Heavenly Steps.

The twenty-eight level of the Heavenly Steps.

The thirtieth level of the Heavenly Steps.

A day had passed, and now it was the evening of the second day since the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps had opened.

After reaching the thirtieth level, Fang Chen felt a heavy weight press on his shoulders as the pressure became increasingly intense.

It suddenly felt like his legs were filled with lead, and each step became increasingly more difficult.

Fang Chen thought, No wonder so few people managed to reach the top after all these years. It's this already intense, yet there are still seventy more levels to climb.

Fortunately, this level of pressure was still bearable. It didn't feel overwhelming.

"I heard it's after level sixty that things start to ramp up," mumbled Fang Chen.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, planning to rest for a little while to recover his strength.

Meanwhile, someone had reached the 33rd level, and they were among the favourites from the major factions.

The remaining sword cultivators were scattered on the 31st and 32nd levels, with a few resting on the 30th level.

The Sun Family sword cultivators had been somewhat panicked earlier. They hadn't had time to recover their strength, and climbing further up now could very well cause them to fall midway. However, seeing that Fang Chen had already killed many of their comrades below, they realized that not climbing would likely result in becoming his next target.

Just as they were unsure what to do, they noticed that Fang Chen had started resting, catching them by surprise.

The Sun Family sword cultivators exchanged glances that were rife with meaning.

"This may be our chance," someone whispered.

The Long Family sword cultivators didn't intend to interfere or warn Fang Chen. To them, the conflict between Fang Chen and the Sun Family sword cultivators had nothing to do with them, like a bunch of dogs fighting.

At that moment, one of the Sun Family sword cultivators approached Fang Chen, stopping about ten paces away with a sincere expression on his face. He said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, let's call a truce. The ones who provoked you are all dead now, and we were merely following orders. There's no need for a life-or-death battle here. We all have the same goal—reaching the top."

Fang Chen did not open his eyes. He simply nodded. "Very well."

In an instant, a chilling aura emanated from the Sun Family sword cultivators' gazes. They exchanged a look and immediately stood up, drawing their swords as they surrounded Fang Chen.

A Long Family sword cultivator gently shook his head. "He's killed so many people and climbed to this point without resting. Clearly, he's exhausted. Showing weakness right now is like offering a flaw for his enemies to exploit."

The others said nothing, simply watching quietly and adjusting their breathing. They were trying to recover their strength as quickly as possible.

Fang Chen opened his eyes, his grayish-white pupils showing no emotion. "Didn't you say you wanted a truce?"

The Sun Family sword cultivators paused in their tracks, staying about ten paces away from Fang Chen. Their gazes shifted back and forth across Fang Chen's figure, silently communicating through their eyes.

The person before them was blind, so as long as they didn't speak and kept their movements quiet, they believed they could avenge their fallen comrades today.

The Sun Family sword cultivators did not respond. After a few breaths, they all struck the ground with their swords, producing a crisp sound.

The strikes varied in intensity—sometimes light, sometimes heavy—masking their footsteps.

In the void, the Sun Family Loose Immortals watching the scene couldn't help but smile in recognition. It seemed these sword cultivators weren't complete idiots. They had thought of a decent method to deal with their enemy..

Suddenly, a sword's edge gleamed as it flew toward Fang Chen.

With a light swing of his sword, Fang Chen deflected the incoming sword, sending it flying like an arrow.

The one who had struck didn't close in but had used the sword as a hidden weapon.

Holding his sword, Fang Chen sighed softly as he walked toward the group. "The sword cultivators from Prison Wind Lands have actually stooped so low. You are nothing but empty shells. You lack the true spirit that defines a sword cultivator."

The sound of the sword strikes didn't hinder him. Instead, they helped him pinpoint the positions of the Sun Family sword cultivators with greater precision.

A few sword cultivators silently advanced toward him, their footsteps nearly imperceptible beneath the cover of the sword strikes.

Soon, they closed in from all directions, preparing to strike. However, in the next instant, they were met with a torrential storm of sword lights.

Several of them couldn't even block a single move and were struck down one after another. One of them, not yet dead, asked bitterly, "How did you know we were—"

"You might think you masked your footsteps because you can't hear them, but I do. To my ears, the blood coursing through your veins roars like a raging river," replied Fang Chen softly.

With a casual thrust, he drove his sword into the man's forehead. He then drew it out and continued walking toward the rest.

It was yet another one-sided slaughter. It didn't matter whether his opponents had been in the Fusion Realm or the Dao Union Realm before they stepped onto Heavenly Steps. None of them could withstand even a single strike from Fang Chen.

The Long Family's sword cultivators were dumbstruck. One of them exclaimed in shock, "Why does it feel like... the Sun Family basically delivered themselves to his sword?"

"I felt that too..."

The crowd was horrified.

Can a mortal's sword technique truly reach such a level?

To the layman, Fang Chen's performance was merely a spectacle. But to the eyes of an expert, it was a revelation. The Loose Immortals merely found Fang Chen's technique formidable, but the sword immortals they brought could glean a deeper profundity hidden within.

Zhu Yunchen suddenly asked, "Kexiu, do you know the capabilities of sword cultivators at the Ascension Realm?"

Zhu Kexiu was momentarily stunned before replying in a low voice. "Father, under normal circumstances, two Ascension Realm sword cultivators working together might be able to retreat unscathed from a fight with a first-transformation Loose Immortal."

"That's right. By common standards, that's how it's calculated."

Zhu Yunchen said calmly, "Although individual Ascension Realm sword cultivators vary in strength, the difference usually isn't that large. However... This young man's grandmaster, Li Jingnian, was different. After advancing to the Ascension Realm, he was able to retreat unscathed from a first-transformation Loose Immortal on his own. In fact, he even had the ability to injure them."

Zhu Kexiu was incredulous. "There was such a thing!?"

He understood how terrifying sword cultivators could be in offense, but no matter how powerful, there had to be a limit.

Zhu Yunchen sighed softly. "If this young man ascends, he'll likely be just like Li Jingnian."

"They were both born for the sword. That kind of talent is something ordinary people can never reach."

Zhu Kexiu drew in a sharp breath. "Father... are you saying... he truly has a chance to reach the top?"

"If no one interferes, he has a ninety percent chance," said Zhu Yunchen. "As for now... forty percent, at best."

Zhu Kexiu's expression turned grim. "Forty percent...."

Ordinary sword cultivators, even with no one standing in their way, had less than one percent chance of reaching the top. Yet this young man, even with people trying to stop him, still had a forty percent chance!

It was hard to believe, but since it came from his father's mouth, Zhu Kexiu had no choice but to believe it. After all, his father's judgment was impeccable when it came to matters like this.