Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 1009 - 865: If Order Returns to Emptiness

Chapter 1009: Chapter 865: If Order Returns to Emptiness

Heaven Origin City.

Zhai Xingzi, wearing a robe embroidered with stars, stood shoulder to shoulder with Sun Respected One from the Pure Yang Demon Refining Sect, gazing at the sky not far away.

"Another Heaven’s Tribulation..."

Sun Respected One’s gaze swept over a patch of thunderclouds and he smiled, "It seems someone is undergoing the Major Heavenly Tribulation for Returning to Emptiness... Sir, your subordinates are indeed numerous, with one advancing just recently and now another is added..."

"Haha, it’s nothing but sheltering under the Immortal Array during the great war and gaining some military exploits..."

Zhai Xingzi replied humbly.

Many Cultivators in the Star Domain were protected by Mr. Qing Hezi and mainly stayed within the city.

Later, as the Monster Clan’s great army entered the city, the Cultivators were forced to battle the enemy. It so happened that the ’Nine Nether Underworld River Mysterious Sand Fairy Array’ was unleashed, leading to the significant annihilation of high-ranking members of the Monster Clan.

Several Transcendent Gods managed to gather enough military exploits in one breath to exchange for precious pills like the ’Biyi Breaking Virtual Pill’!

After consulting among the five sons, Wu Xingzi wanted to directly cut the exploits by tenfold or raise the exchange value by several times, but he was overruled by strong objections from Qing Hezi, who decided to distribute them as originally planned, earning considerable gratitude.

Through the experience of fierce battles, and with no shortage of resources, it was only logical for these Immortal Cultivators to successively advance.

Even Zhai Xingzi exchanged for a bottle of pills greatly beneficial to the Integration cultivation, plotting to break through to the Middle Stage of Integration.

"Indeed, I’ve heard that Lord Qing Hezi, with his noble character, has distributed the military exploits belonging to the Immortal Array amongst the Cultivators..."

Sun Respected One said with a slight smile.

"That’s exactly right..." Zhai Xingzi expressed joy, as serving a generous leader was always better than a stingy one.

"However..." Sun Respected One said, "Although we all know Mr. Qing Hezi’s cultivation is profound and his mastery over arrays is acclaimed as the best among the human race, there are always some who are not convinced..."

"Hehe... Initially fearing responsibility, they did not wish to compete for the position of the Five Sons. Now that Mahayana himself has appointed, who within the human race would dare to be noisy?"

Zhai Xingzi snickered coldly, hoping for Cultivators to make a fool of themselves, which would give him an opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty.

Sun Respected One felt a chill in his heart.

As far as he knew, indeed there were a few hermit Monks at the late stage of Integration coveting the position of the Five Sons of the Human Race.

But now, with Qing Hezi’s strong reputation and having killed both a Monster Clan Saint and a Demon Clan king, and with the support from Mahayana behind him, Cultivators were not fools. They dared only to mutter complaints in their hearts, while outwardly they were extra reverent, waiting for an opportunity to trip Qing Hezi in secret.

"With Lord Qing Hezi’s talent, now that he is wholeheartedly cultivating in seclusion, even the barrier of late-stage Integration should be no difficulty!"

Zhai Xingzi naturally spoke up for his leader, "When that time comes, those people will have a hard time..."

"Exactly..."

Sun Respected One was about to suggest something or subtly bring up an enemy of his own when he saw a ray of light drawing in Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, surging over powerfully.

One of the Cultivators Returning to Emptiness, upon seeing Zhai Xingzi, immediately brought down his Escape Light and bowed, "I’ve seen Mr. Zhai Xingzi!"

"Hmm, you’re Li Ruoling from Moon Invitation Immortal City, right?"

Zhai Xingzi glanced over and said with a slight smile, "Unity of All Things, achieving Returning to Emptiness, not bad, not bad..."

While laughing, he handed over a jade bottle, "You broke through to Returning to Emptiness today, and this old ancestor has nothing much of worth. This bottle of ’Origin Calming Pill’ is very effective in stabilizing the state of those who have just entered Returning to Emptiness. I bestow it to you..."

"Thank you, senior!"

Li Ruoling was overjoyed and hurriedly accepted it.

Zhai Xingzi then gave Sun Respected One a meaningful look.

Sun Respected One inwardly sighed, knowing that Zhai Xingzi, despite being only at the early stage of Integration, was sly as an old fox.

Some of his actions had been seen through, and this was forcing himself to make a sacrifice.

In an instant, he also smiled, a flick of his hand on his Storage Ring and a short, red-gleaming halberd flew out, "This object was acquired by me in some ruins. It can be used after a bit of refining, and once infused with Magic Power, it can summon two Returning to Emptiness level ’Violent Original Monkeys’. Take it as a congratulatory gift from me to the junior..."

"Thank you, senior."

Li Ruoling held the halberd, feeling as if he had been struck by a lucky pie from the sky.

Such treasures are rare even for Integration Cultivators, and he did not expect to be so readily bestowed with one.

At this thought, he felt even more sentimental.

After joining the Wang family, his fortune in cultivation seemed to be getting better and better...

Who in his remote homeland could imagine he would reach the stage of Returning to Emptiness?

"Sir, you are generous!"

Zhai Xingzi chuckled, about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed dramatically!

Sun Respected One’s expression turned extremely grave as he looked up at the sky.

All they could see was the darkened sky, filled with the intense presence of Heavenly Might.

Li Ruoling was a bit slower to realize, and it was only now that his Divine Consciousness sensed the hint. After a brief assessment of the reach and strength of the heavenly catastrophe, he was filled with envy, "A golden and silver colored Heaven’s Tribulation, could it be that one of the Cultivators in the city at the Perfect Stage of Returning to Emptiness is about to advance to Integration?"

"No..."

Zhai Xingzi’s face was solemn, "This is the Minor Heavenly Tribulation! It’s the Minor Heavenly Tribulation for advancing from the Middle Stage to the Late Stage of Integration!"

"Late Stage of Integration?"

Li Ruoling’s eyes widened, "Doesn’t that mean in Heaven Origin City right now..."

Zhai Xingzi let out a sigh, "It should be that Lord Qing Hezi is about to make a breakthrough... After reaching the late stage of Integration, below the Mahayana level, I’m afraid it will be difficult to find a rival."

After all, Qing Hezi was a ruthless person who had once eliminated a Monster Clan Saint during his middle stage of Integration.

Now that he has been promoted to the late stage of Integration, achieving perfect Integration in the future will only be a matter of accumulating more Magic Power.

It can be said that, after ascending to the late stage, the title of one of the Five Sons of the Human Race will definitely be deserved in truth and name. He may even leap beyond the other four to become the foremost among the Five Sons!

"Since that’s the case, let’s go and protect the law for the lord."

The Sun Respected One was eager to curry favor.

"This is not suitable. Since Lord Qing Hezi has not commanded us, it is clear that he does not want us to leave our posts..."

Zhai Xingzi slowly shook his head; he knew that Qing Hezi possessed a Ghost Slave at the peak of perfect Integration.

Protecting the law was but a trivial matter.

Besides, who in the human race would dare to take advantage of the Five Sons of Human Race when they were vulnerable?

Under the gaze of countless Cultivators, a dual-colored gold and silver thunderbolt crashed down with a thunderous roar!

...

Chirp!

Fang Xi waved the "Five Fires Seven Birds Fan" in his hand.

A circle of colorful flames turned into a wave of fire, from which a True Flame Phoenix flew out, carrying an indescribable air of nobility, followed by countless firebirds and birds soaring into the sky.

Billowing!

The blaze rose, actually burning all the thunder and lightning to ashes!

Not only that, the True Flame Phoenix even flew into the midst of the thunderclouds, igniting clusters of them, seemingly intent on burning a hole through the Heaven Tribulation clouds.

Clatter!

The Heaven Tribulation was relentless, with endless lightning and fire entangled, finally turning to ashes.

A moment later, the clouds disappeared and the sky cleared.

Fang Xi gently fluttered the fan, feeling the surging Magic Power within his body, and couldn’t help but smile slightly, "The late stage of Integration, at last, is attained."

As an incarnation of the heterodox path, he cultivated the "Self-Transforming Heavenly Sovereign’s True Demon Art of Controlling All Spirits," an authentic Demon Skill. As long as he had a furnace tripod, his Cultivation could advance by leaps and bounds.

This time, he had returned to Falling Sky Island to send off the Carefree Sky Demon King.

Although the Carefree Sky Demon King was once at the Integration Peak and even had the potential to attempt the Mahayana breakthrough, he later suffered a great loss of Primordial Energy and fell back to the late stage of Integration.

Fang Xi devoured all his Demon Skills, then completely extracted his soul, draining all his value before burying him beneath the Ancestral Demon Tree to serve as fertilizer.

Due to some losses during the conversion of Demon Skills, these Demon powers would support at most one attack on the late stage bottleneck.

Fortunately, his true self had already broken through to the late stage of Integration, so there was no concept of a bottleneck at this time.

The outer path incarnation made a casual attempt and was successful on the first try, calling down the Minor Heavenly Tribulation.

Such a late-stage Integration Heavenly Tribulation, under the "Five Fires Seven Birds Fan," ultimately failed to claim his life. Instead, it allowed him to thoroughly test the power of this Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure replica.

’Indeed, after being refined again, the power of this fan is no longer inferior to some of the damaged Immortal Mansion Rare Treasures.’

The power of damaged Immortal Mansion Rare Treasures is also graded, mainly depending on the extent of damage.

For instance, an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure that is damaged by ninety percent has power barely stronger than just fragments of such treasures.

Among the damaged Immortal Mansion Rare Treasures in Fang Xi’s hands, the strongest naturally is the Green Barley Sword of the fifth generation, mainly because, with the addition of the Flying Sword in Jianzi’s hands, it has been mostly restored.

Next is the "Sky-sealing Tower," with a damage extent of around fifty percent.

After that comes the "Sea-beating Stick"; this stick only retains about thirty to forty percent of its original state, but in the hands of Tungbei Great Saint, due to the great fit with his cultivation, it can exert the power of fifty percent of an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure.

As for so-called replicas of Immortal Mansion Rare Treasures like the "Nine Dragons Cauldron," even with excellent craftsmanship, they can at most compare to those retaining two to three percent of a complete Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure.

And in practical use, even an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure that is more than ninety percent complete, when compared with a genuine Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure, still falls far short.

After all, once an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure is complete, the amplification it provides to the Power of Rules is simply unimaginable, making it a Supreme Treasure that even a Mahayana Monk covets.

However, a damaged Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure, no matter how special its effects, would hardly catch the eye of a Mahayana Monk.

"This ’Five Fires Seven Birds Fan’ should correspond to an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure with one or two percent completeness, right?"

"As for that ’Two-Five Soul-Cutting Gourd,’ it is only made by taking advantage of a rather large fragment of an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure, and at most it could compare with an Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure of one percent completeness."

"Lastly, the ’Mysterious Dark Banner’ is a Quasi-Eight-Level Treasure, and its power is hard to say. If it falls into the hands of someone who is not versed in the array path, it would probably only be equivalent to a Seventh-Level Integration Treasure. But if it is used as it was during the great battle, constructing a multitude of array instruments for assistance, and burning a Fake Immortal Vein to lay down the ’Nine Nether Underworld River Mysterious Sand Fairy Array,’ then its power is unimaginable. Perhaps it could compare with the might of a complete Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure?"

Fang Xi leisurely put away the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan, thinking to himself.

He turned into a demon light and with a beckoning of his sleeves,

a grey-white orb immediately flew into his sleeve from the void.

Although he decided to ascend in the outside world, causing the fact of Qing Hezi’s Integration late stage to become known, Fang Xi naturally had made preparations well in advance.

This Underworld Ghost’s protection was the least of concerns.

Demon Qi surged mightily as he returned to Heaven Origin City.

Many Cultivators had already been alarmed by this great commotion. They were now standing on the roadside under the lead of numerous high-ranking Cultivators. Seeing Fang Xi’s Escape Light, they immediately paid respects. The momentum was immense as they said, "Congratulations to Mr. Qing Hezi on your promotion to the late stage of Integration!"