Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 914 - 773: Lure the Snake out of Its Hole (Additional Release, Please Subscribe)

Chapter 914: Chapter 773: Lure the Snake out of Its Hole (Additional Release, Please Subscribe)

Next, Fang Xi took out a set of fine tea ware and discussed the way of cultivation over tea with Luo.

Luo came for two purposes: first, to gauge Fang Xi’s capabilities, and second, to foster good relations with this newly advanced Integration cultivator. Thus, he readily agreed and spoke at length about the points of attention in the initial stage of the Integration cultivation.

Although these were common issues, they still required Integration cultivators to explore slowly to grasp their true meanings.

However, Luo spoke openly about everything, clearly as a gesture of goodwill.

Lady Qin Yin, who was nearby, took the initiative to pour the tea and water, moving with a grace and fluidity as natural as drifting clouds and flowing water, also carrying a dignified and elegant demeanor that revealed she had been specially trained.

As she listened to two Integration cultivators discussing the dao, she naturally benefited greatly as well.

Several months later.

Luo and Lady Qin Yin had both departed.

The news that Fang Xi, the newly advanced Integration cultivator, had no intention of joining any forces spread, significantly quieting down the Penglai Fairy Pavilion.

Of course, this was only on the surface.

By the time the school opened its gates again, Shui Lingxin would most likely find herself in the happy conundrum of being highly sought after.

The cultivators wishing to join an Integration sect were as numerous as carps crossing the river.

By then, there would surely be another bustling scene.

Fang Xi watched Luo leave and thought to himself, "So the news of Fang Immortal Taoist Master’s challenge to Wu Xingzi ending in his demise has already spread among the Integration cultivators?"

From Luo and Lady Qin Yin, he learned many secrets of the higher-ups.

The most crucial was that the position among the Five Sons of Human Race was still vacant!

Initially, after the fall of Fang Immortal Taoist Master, a Mahayana Monk had taken an interest in Divine Calculator.

Yet... the Divine Calculator and the rising star Jianzi both disappeared on Falling Sky Island, and other candidates couldn’t command universal respect. With the mindset of preferring lack over excess, the fifth position remained unfilled...

Fang Xi didn’t take any of it seriously and had no intention of clamoring for the position like Fang Immortal Taoist Master did.

Even if he desired the position, he would wait until his Heterodox incarnation achieved Integration before attempting it...

...

Falling Sky Island.

"How lonely it is to be invincible."

With a flash of silver light, Fang Xi’s figure appeared.

He looked up at the gray sky and murmured to himself.

Yes, even after advancing to Integration, he had no intention of seeking out the Carefree Sky Demon King and Changqingzi immediately.

Time was his friend; just by delaying a bit longer, a thousand years perhaps... he might even reach the Mahayana stage!

What could be better than easily dealing with his enemies then?

To seek revenge now, in the early stages of Integration, would be falling into the same mistake as Fang Immortal Taoist Master.

Changqingzi and Carefree Sky Demon King might not be Fang Xi’s match, but for all he knew, there could be a Mahayana Monk backing them up, right?

If he encountered Mahayana Monks with extraordinarily long lifespans or was ambushed by several at once, even Fang Xi as he was now could be in danger!

Even if he could likely escape by relying on the Treasures of All Heavens, he would inevitably expose his greatest cheater method—a move of unwise choice!

"I’ll let you live for another thousand years!" Fang Xi said coldly, looking in a certain direction.

But, while he had to tread carefully in the Earth Immortal Realm, on Falling Sky Island, he could strike hard!

The highest level of cultivation here was merely the Integration Period!

Even if all Integration cultivators ganged up on him, they could not exhaust Fang Xi’s eighty thousand years of life span...

With that in mind, what was there to worry about?

"I am invincible in this place... forget it, no need to jinx it..."

"Let’s find Jianzi first and settle our debts," Fang Xi thought, then pinched a Magic Spell and used the ’Turtle Breath Secret Skills’ to revert to the image of the Wang Family Ancestor in the middle stage of Returning to Emptiness.

’Jianzi has met the Wang Family Ancestor and confirmed that I have a piece of Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure of the same origin on me...’

’Now that he has advanced to Integration, and is proud and arrogant, if he discovers the Wang Family Ancestor’s whereabouts, he will definitely pursue and attempt to kill, and even due to the Immortal Mansion Rare Treasure, he is unlikely to let anyone else handle it... even if he meets other Integration cultivators, he will likely keep it from them...’

To be extra cautious, Fang Xi decided to use a lure-the-snake-out-of-the-hole strategy.

In a vast sea of people, instead of looking for Jianzi, it would be better to have Jianzi come after him willingly!

’Jianzi, who has mastered the Secretly Transmitted Sword Heart, can conceal his own Heavenly Secret... Besides, his Sword Path is extremely powerful, with impressive sword intent, and he holds a fragmented Immortal sword... Lastly, he also possesses a suspected Immortal object, a fragment of an inkstone...’

All the information about Jianzi surfaced in Fang Xi’s mind.

’Apart from that key suspected Immortal inkstone, everything else is manageable...’

’This battle is winnable...’

...

Above Falling Sky Island, there were large and small gathering points scattered about, where members of the various Alien races could be found, including the human race, demons, and Demon race. The largest of these was naturally the black market.

Apart from that, there were also some large clans that had carved out territories for themselves, such as the Stone Clan.

Heavenly Saint City.

This city was built by high-level Human Cultivators. Although it did not prohibit the presence of Alien races, it was primarily inhabited by Human Cultivators, with only a few friendly Alien races.

That day.

Disguised as the Wang Family Ancestor, Fang Xi entered Heavenly Saint City with grandeur, visited various shops, and collected many rare Spirit Medicine seeds and Secret Skills...

——As far as the Wang Family Ancestor knew, he hadn’t recognized Jianzi nor detected his previously subtle Divine Consciousness.

Therefore, he had no idea that such a terrifying enemy was lurking in the shadows.

In a certain shop.

"This Six-leaf Sword Grass alone contains the true essence of the Sword Path. As it grows, sword patterns form on its surface, usable in the forging of sword artifacts, belonging to the wood category of swords... With a medicine age of a hundred thousand years, it’s truly rare and extraordinary, just for a hundred Immortal Jades, it really isn’t expensive."

An alien shopkeeper wearing a crimson conch hat was opening a box, introducing a particular pale white spirit grass within it.

The spirit grass was pure white and straight as a sword, with golden sword-scar-like patterns on its body.

"It is somewhat expensive, but I do love researching mystical plants. I will take this Six-leaf Sword Grass then..."

Fang Xi frowned slightly, but he still took out the Immortal Jade and completed the transaction, "I am staying at the ’Guest Welcome Building’. Shopkeeper, if you happen to collect some mystical plants or special seeds, you can come to find me there. In terms of Immortal Jade, you will not be disappointed by me."

He put away the box containing the ’Six-leaf Sword Grass’ and headed for the ’Guest Welcome Building’.

This building was specially designed for high-level cultivators to rest in Heavenly Saint City, commanding a hefty price but indeed rich with spiritual energy in its dwellings.

The shopkeeper with the crimson conch hat watched Fang Xi leave and immediately closed the door.

He took out a jade slip from his storage bag, seemingly making a comparison: "Just as expected... Sixth rank, middle grade... The appearance matches too, he’s the one they’ve been looking for."

With that thought, he hesitated no longer and took out a bronze basin-like artifact.

The alien removed the snail hat from his head, pouring out globs of reddish mucus into the bronze basin, muttering incessantly as he did so.

A strange radiance briefly passed, and surprisingly, an image appeared inside the bronze basin.

"You are... the shopkeeper of Heavenly Saint City, why use such urgent means of communication?"

A figure on the other side slowly began to speak.

He appeared middle-aged, with a cultivation that should be in the late stage of Returning to Emptiness.

"To report to the superior, I have discovered the whereabouts of the individual on the ’A No.3’ wanted jade slip in my shop today..."

The shopkeeper said, bowing.

"What? Are you sure?"

The middle-aged man’s expression changed, even showing a bit of excitement.

He of course knew that the Wang Family Ancestor was an important figure of the human Integration Period that they had been commissioned to find.

Their commercial organization was trying to curry favor with that Integration Period sword cultivator, constantly surveilling both openly and secretly, ending up with only the information that the target had appeared in the black market and seemed to have offended its master, and was being hunted by the Black Sky Pavilion in the shadows.

After the opening of the Seven Treasures Secret Realm, there was no further word.

The Wang Family Ancestor seemed to have vanished into thin air.

To have him now moving about was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise.

"I dare not conceal anything; he came to my store today and traded for a ’Six-leaf Sword Grass’..."

The alien shopkeeper immediately recounted the situation.

The middle-aged man decisively said, "You have done well... Since he is looking to acquire mystical plants, it’s clear he won’t leave hastily... I will give you the authority to mobilize the nearby commerce guild’s stockpile, you must use a rare species every so often to keep him interested, waiting for reinforcement to arrive... Assess the situation on your own, make sure it seems natural; after all, he is also a Returning to Emptiness character, and quite a cunning one at that..."

"Yes, please rest assured, superior."

The alien shopkeeper bowed.

...

Unknown to them, beneath the floor tiles of the shop, an insect-like Ominous Worm Puppet lay in silent ambush.

Only after the shopkeeper was done, did it leisurely crawl towards the outside.

Pop!

A layer of azure radiance emerged, clearly the protective array of the shop.

But on the back of the ominous worm, a miniature array with thin and thin strands of silver patterns appeared, reminiscent of a Prohibition-breaking Talisman.

It opened its mouth and bit through a small part of the array’s light barrier, then flew straight out.

The array continued to operate, quickly repairing the minor breach.

Without an Array Master directly controlling the array at the moment, it would be extremely difficult to notice the subtle change in the array’s power.

"So... it was a trap, wasn’t it?"

Shortly thereafter, the Ominous Worm Puppet landed on the shoulder of Fang Xi, who was leisurely strolling through the streets.

He chuckled lightly, "I was only planning to catch one, but it seems the Black Sky Pavilion’s people are eager to step right in..."

For Fang Xi, Jianzi was to be killed, and the Black Sky Pavilion’s earlier invitation to explore the Seven Treasures Secret Realm was clearly ill-intentioned.

Now that so much time had passed since then, he had naturally heard about the heavy losses suffered by the Black Sky Pavilion’s expedition into the Seven Treasures Secret Realm.

If he were truly just the Wang Family Ancestor, his end would definitely not be good.

Now, if the other party was also sending people, it would be time to settle the score.

...

Months later.

Guest Welcome Building.

In a certain luxurious and exquisite dwelling, Fang Xi sat cross-legged, his face showing a hint of a smile.

He was aware of the plans of Black Sky Pavilion and that alien elder, coincidentally similar, using rare and exotic species to entice him to stay.

Fang Xi was more than happy to oblige and play along, occasionally venturing out to collect mystical plants, and incidentally gathering most of the unique species from the two major powers.

’By now, apart from the Integration cultivators’ treasured items, I’ve almost scoured Falling Sky Island clean, haven’t I?’

’If Black Sky Pavilion and Jianzi intend to make a move, the best opportunity would be when I leave Heavenly Saint City... Hmm?’

His Divine Consciousness stirred, and he suddenly sensed a sharp energy approaching rapidly – the visitor clearly meant harm!

"Jianzi truly is Jianzi, coming straight at me with sword in hand... Sword cultivators are indeed straightforward and decisive! They don’t give a damn about rules, either."

Heavenly Saint City, being a human race city, had its laws against fighting and casting spells within its bounds.

But for Jianzi, those rules were worth nothing!

As an Integration cultivator, he had the power to flip the table!

Rules only needed to be followed when they are to one’s advantage – if the Wang Family Ancestor were to be caught off guard due to the city’s prohibitions, it would be an excellent opportunity for the other party to strike!