Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 1107 - 961 Flaw

Chapter 1107: Chapter 961 Flaw

"Yan Jia, what has happened?"

Having achieved Sword Immortal status, Fang Xi emanated an aura of confidence that commanded respect. Yan Jia immediately bowed and presented a red invitation, "The Six-star Sect’s Martial Arts Conference has been set for August 15th at ’Endless Mountain.’ This is the invitation Hero Gong sent for you, young master."

Fang Xi took the invitation and saw that it was bordered with gold, exuding extravagance. The red paper was etched with silver strokes of calligraphy, detailing the time and place of the Central Shu Martial Arts Conference. He let out a cold laugh, "I was just planning to go there and settle some scores!"

The issue with Yan Tie was actually trivial; it seemed just as he had thought—someone else aspired to be the leader of the Martial World.

He intended to knock on their door and let them know what it feels like to achieve nothing despite their efforts!

’However, some swordsmen enjoy meddling in the mortal world, and with this conference involving the struggle between the righteous and the Demon Sect, some highly skilled cultivators might secretly attend... It wouldn’t hurt to join the excitement.’

"Return the message and tell them I will certainly attend."

After his cold laugh, Fang Xi immediately instructed Yan Jia.

This journey would be his first since embarking on the path of cultivation, and it was inevitable that he would encounter other cultivators. He must prepare some handy magical instruments and treasures.

What resonated most with Fang Xi was undoubtedly a Flying Sword.

But, it’s hard for even the most skilled woman to cook without rice!

’In fact, it wouldn’t be impossible to have one sent from the True Immortal Realm, but that would definitely attract unwanted attention from the laws of heaven and earth...’

In this world, the laws were stringent, and as an outsider like Fang Xi, he was considered a foreign body in this realm, which made his presence considerably inconvenient.

If it were only a wisp of an Illusionary Spirit, that would be fine.

But transporting Spirit Stones, magical treasures, or Immortal Weapons from the True Immortal Realm could result in a hundredfold increase in opposition!

Fang Xi even suspected that the very reason he hadn’t become an Immortal over the many years he searched was because of the deliberate obstructions from the laws of this world!

Therefore, he was reluctant to send out an Externalization, and even more so to use objects from another realm, which would needlessly deplete his own fortune and blessings.

"Make do with what’s available... make do with what’s available..."

Fang Xi exhaled a breath of Five Elements True Fire, wrapping around the black dagger. It didn’t take long for him to refine it, reducing it to a puddle of melted iron.

He then took out a small flag that had been infused with the ’Black Wind Crow Blood Evil.’ He dismantled it and drew out the mass of Evil Qi, which he threaded into the iron. He continuously stoked the True Fire to temper the blade until the Millennium Black Iron transformed into a dark sword embryo.

Fang Xi then retrieved several ore pieces from his treasure pouch, along with the flagpole, to forge a hilt. He unwound the silk of golden silkworms, black silkworms, white silkworms, Heavenly Silkworms, and ice silkworms—five types in total—wrapping them around the hilt.

With that, a sword shaped, dark-bladed Flying Sword was barely formed.

But Fang Xi knew that this sort of artifact that only resembled a sword was not a true Flying Sword!

A genuine flying sword from a reputable mystical sect is first and foremost made from exceedingly rare materials such as the essence of five metals, Tai Yi Mystical Gold, or Heavenly River Stardust—materials that must be of the purest quality, spiritually gifted by nature. Various prohibitions would then be embedded inside it using True Fire, such that the sword could be tempered through cycles of existence and nonexistence, form and formlessness. The top creations undergo dozens, if not hundreds, of such cycles to produce a pure sword embryo.

Then, one would need to gather hundreds or even thousands of types of Spirit Medicine to refine the blade’s edge, finally giving shape to the Flying Sword. Afterward, it would be nurtured within one’s body for at least sixty years of hard work to achieve a dual perfection of form and essence in the Flying Sword!

This is the standard procedure of a major sect, where abundant Magic Power can save much time and effort.

If a cultivator from a lesser school attempted this, it would take them at least a few hundred years to refine a Flying Sword. A hastily refined sword embryo would also need to be passed down from master to disciple across generations to barely reach completion.

Fang Xi had neither the secret skill of sword refining nor the intention to weaken his own cultivation for the sake of a single Flying Sword.

Therefore, he casually refined a sword-shaped magical instrument as a makeshift solution.

Even so, there was another thought in his mind.

"This sword... shall be called ’Sky Demon Slayer Sword.’ I’ll let it be known that it’s infused with countless Sky Demon Mysterious Seals and has subjugated an Extra Domain Sky Demon, therefore harnessing its power to be incredibly ferocious!"

He had considered that he might eventually have to summon an Externalization to fight in his stead, so he was creating a backstory for it in advance.

In case someone scrutinized it, at least he would have an excuse!

’Actually, this isn’t just an excuse. Relative to this world, am I not akin to an Extra Domain Sky Demon?’

’Hmm, I also need to use the ’Treasures of All Heavens’ to layer over the previously hidden fate, casting an additional illusion that I am a reincarnation of an ancient Immortal... Otherwise, it might be reasonable for a martial heroic swordsman to suddenly cultivate Magic Power and become a Swordsmen, but to unexpectedly become a Sword Immortal and swiftly develop an Origin Soul later on would be hard to explain...’

’Wait, something seems off...’

As Fang Xi held the shrunken, beggar’s version of the ’Sky Demon Slayer Sword,’ he suddenly felt something was amiss:

"Offbeat Individual Immortals enjoy collecting various types of Flying Swords and the secret skills of sword refinement..."

"Cultivating the ’Mixed Origin Chaos Book’..."

"Holding the ’Sky Demon Slayer Sword,’ subduing Extra Domain Sky Demons for my own use..."

"So it turns out the script I picked up is from some patriarch on the Wutai Mountain?"

"Where is my Flying Lady then?"

...

Several days later.

Fang Xi soared through the sky on a sword light, heading towards the Endless Mountain.

This sword light, originating from a knockoff ’Sky Demon Slayer Sword’, was half-black and half-green, clearly the way of an offbeat path.

In the history of Sword Immortals, pure-colored sword light was considered superior, signifying the orthodox and the authentic, while the mixed sword light was mostly associated with side paths.

Of course, Fang Xi’s sword light was produced by a magical instrument, not a genuine Flying Sword. Even with his deep and pure magic power, he couldn’t avoid the sword light being dim and mixed.

Controlling a sword to fly and traveling through the azure sky was the delight of Sword Immortals.

Although Fang Xi’s sword light was average, it was still much faster than many Martial World grandees riding Night-Seeing Lion Horses or Treasure Horses as their modes of transportation.

He arrived at the territory of Endless Mountain more than ten days before the agreed date of August 15th for the Martial Arts Conference.

"This Martial Arts Conference is actually a play directed and performed by Lei Jie from the Six-star Sect, who wishes to present himself as the junior sect master known as ’Thunder Fire’... For this, they even went so far as to disguise themselves as the Evil Monarch and his gang to wipe out several sects that opposed the Six-star Sect."

"But that’s just the first layer!"

"Within the Six-star Sect, there’s already been a surging undercurrent, with several of the Lei family elders being controlled by the poison of the Gu from Miaojiang, preparing to suggest a competition for leadership during the Martial Arts Conference. They plan to poison Lei Jie beforehand, ensuring his death in the arena, and then have the winner smoothly take over the position of leader of the Six-star Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance!"

"But that’s also just the second layer... The Demon Sect’s Evil Monarch has long received news and is preparing intensively to wipe out the entire Righteous Path of the Martial World!"

"He is the lord of the Demon Sect and has gathered a bunch of unique talents from the Martial World to serve as his wings, among which are several who have cultivated ferocious magic power and vicious spells... Ordinarily, the conflicts and killings among the people of the Martial World are none of the Sword Immortals’ business, but now that there are capable people from evil sects involved, it’s different. It has been tossed out as a trial task for the disciples by several Sword Immortal sects, and quite a few young generations of Sword Immortals and swordsmen from the Righteous Path have mingled among them..."

With his Origin Soul extended into the Void, Fang Xi surveyed past and future, and in the blink of an eye, he understood the ins and outs of this Endless Mountain Martial Arts Conference clearly.

"I was attacked by Yan Tie... Although it was instigated by the Six-star Sect, its true driving force lies with the younger members from the Lei family’s side branches who had poisoned the elders. After all, with their shallow skills, without poisoning or weakening opponents, their chance of winning leadership in a match is slim..."

"If I approach people like Master Gong for this matter, I’d be barking up the wrong tree, and the mastermind behind the scenes would clap and chuckle, watching the play unfold. It’s also his malicious intention; even if the plan leaks, there will be others who suffer along with Master Gong and his people, making it easier for him to control the Six-star Sect... After all, Master Gong is not a member of the Lei family and is not close to him. Since Gong is a Grandmaster with sensitive senses, it would be risky and easily discovered if one were to poison him."

He cast another divination, and the whole truth about the mastermind came into view.

"Lei Juexin, a younger generation member of the Lei family’s sidetrack, has average martial arts and throwing skills... But a fall from a cliff gave him the legacy of a mysterious sect Cultivator from Miaojiang. That Miaojiang Cultivator was a master of poison and Gu, skilled in the art of deploying Gu... Lei Juexin’s talents for Cultivation were average, his magic power superficial, barely reaching the level of a swordsmen..."

"But he is meticulous and managed to scheme against those Lei family elders. The Lei family has always been a major name in the Six-star Sect, inheriting the position of sect leader for generations. Master Gong is from a different surname... Therefore, Lei Juexin could instigate many actions. This time, he even steps forward, wanting to take the position of the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance!"

If it were any other orthodox Sword Immortals, they would surely spit in Lei Juexin’s face for such behavior.

Ordinary people, upon obtaining an Immortal Fate, would work hard in Cultivation to become Immortals as soon as possible. Who in their right mind would actively seek out a position like the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, which is entangled with heavy karmic consequences?

Even the Emperor, if he begged to enter Cultivation, would be considered too burdened with karma to nurture, and cultivators would avoid him at all costs.

For Lei Juexin to do such a thing, it’s a classic case of losing sight of one’s roots.

"As for the Evil Monarch, I need not worry; there will be righteous Sword Immortals who will deal with him..."

"But I might as well kill this Lei Juexin to clear my mind. Otherwise, my thoughts won’t be at peace."

As for those Lei family elders, once Lei Juexin dies, with no antidote for the Gu poison, they will inevitably die horribly, which can be said to indirectly avenge me.

It doesn’t even require dirtying my hands with excessive killing.

Although I don’t care, those in the world of Cultivation do care about this, seeking the perfection of both internal and external practices and accumulating deeds of kindness.

’Actually, this kind of kindness is highly questionable... At most, it counts as virtue within the Human Path. The Heavenly Path is unfeeling; all beings are like sacrificial straw dogs, and the cycles of life and death are all part of the internal cycle of heaven and earth. How can there be a philosophy that saving people equates to gaining virtue? Unless it’s combating another realm, benefiting one’s own realm, and possibly receiving true heavenly virtue as a reward...’

’Hmm? There seems to be a great opportunity in this...’

Fang Xi’s eyes lit up slightly.

Other Cultivators, even if they are Celestial or Gold Immortals, wouldn’t have the means to invade other realms and plunder their essence.

But for me, who holds the Treasures of All Heavens, it’s a piece of cake.

I could become a ruthless machine of accumulating virtue, gaining vast amounts of Heavenly virtue, far more precious than the deeds of kindness in the Human Path!

’By the rules of this world, if I were to do such a deed, I would be considered a son of fortune, successful in all my endeavors!’

’Moreover, whatever techniques or immortal swords and treasures I desire... they will all come into my hands as if by the movements of the heavenly secrets, making me the most beloved child of the Heavens!’