Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 915 - 774: Competing with Magic

Chapter 915: Chapter 774: Competing with Magic

Heavenly Saint City.

A Dongfu.

The Five-color Koi shimmered with flowing light, soaring through the Void.

A fisherman held a jade fishing rod, sitting alone in the pavilion as if he were fishing.

The jade fishing rod in his hands was warm and translucent, with strands of silver light glistening on the fishing line, clearly not an ordinary item.

The colorful fish swam about freely, comfortably threading through the Void.

Suddenly, a red-and-white koi was flung out, landing in the hands of the fisherman.

"The fish has taken the bait."

He laughed heartily, exuding a profound and majestic demeanor.

Just then, a young attendant came running over and bowed, "Master... Lord Black Flame has arrived."

"Oh? Please invite him in quickly!"

The fisherman’s expression changed as he instructed.

Before long, a cultivator in the Middle Stage of Integration, dressed in a long robe of pitch-black flames, entered the small pavilion.

This man was Lord Black Flame, with handsome features and looking middle-aged, carrying an air of casual elegance.

Upon seeing the koi in the fisherman’s hands, he smiled, "I fancied some fish today, what a coincidence... Prime Taoist Jiang wouldn’t refuse me as a guest, would he?"

"Of course not... This ’Sky Cloud Five Soft Koi’ might be beneficial even for beings like us, but the key point is... it’s delicious!"

Prime Taoist Jiang revealed a hint of a smile and commanded the serving boys and girls to set up cooking utensils, carefully slicing the fish meat for cooking, while the bones and gills were used to prepare a rich broth.

Even the blood of the fish was not wasted, as it was mixed into a pot of white soymilk, giving it streaks of crimson.

"Come... this bite of fish blood tofu, savor the freshness."

Prime Taoist Jiang laughed as he picked up his chopsticks to invite.

Lord Black Flame tasted a bite and said with a laugh, "Indeed, it’s fresh and sweet!"

Prime Taoist Jiang held back, but eventually couldn’t resist asking, "Lord Black Flame wouldn’t have come all this way just for a mere fish soup, would you? As the head of a trading company, earning a fortune daily, you wouldn’t visit without good reason..."

"Haha, Prime Taoist misunderstands me. Today, I simply wanted to taste the Spirit Fish with you, no other intentions," Lord Black Flame said indifferently.

Suddenly!

Inside the pavilion, a series of urgent bell sounds rang out.

An Array materialized out of nowhere, with a red dot emerging, releasing a burst of astonishing Sword Qi!

"Bold! There’s an Integration Sword Cultivator making a move within my city, treating me as if I were nothing?"

Prime Taoist Jiang was furiously enraged and stood up, shouting.

He flicked his fishing rod, ready to invoke the power of the Great Array to suppress the conflict.

Even if the opponent was an Integration Sword Cultivator, within the Array, Prime Taoist Jiang held the advantage of the terrain and was confident he could maintain peace, expelling the unwelcome guest.

But just then, Lord Black Flame leisurely tasted another spoonful of fish soup and smiled, "Why the hurry, Prime Taoist Jiang?"

A surge of Magic Power, far exceeding the Early Stage of Integration, instantly rippled through the pavilion, startling the various Five-color Koi to scatter and flee...

"So it turns out... you came for this?"

"Integration Sword Cultivator... Could it be that the person who took action is the widely known Jianzi?’

Prime Taoist Jiang gave Lord Black Flame a deep look and sat down.

"Indeed... My trading company is very keen on drawing Jianzi to our side; we have been monitoring a rival’s whereabouts, and it took great effort to locate them in Heavenly Saint City... I hope Prime Taoist Jiang will be kind enough to overlook this."

Lord Black Flame bowed his hands, "Besides... having merely offended a Returning to Emptiness cultivator, what could that mean for us? Why should we sour relationships with our peers over such a trifle, both being valuable?"

The status of Integration Cultivators was revered, even more so on Falling Sky Island where they represented the pinnacle of powerful factions; they wouldn’t squabble over small matters to the point of deadly conflict.

Lord Black Flame was well aware of this. He knew that with a little subservience on his part, coupled with offering some benefits, he could easily smooth over the issue.

’Sigh... I hope Jianzi appreciates the great favor I am doing for him this time.’

’I wonder what offense this Returning to Emptiness cultivator caused Jianzi to incur... but they’ve now chosen their own path to death, and can’t blame others.’

Lord Black Flame thought to himself.

Even more, he felt Jianzi was overreacting, having suddenly invited him to assist before departure.

’Jianzi cultivates the supreme Sword Path, with an unobstructed heart for the sword... He can shield from the Heavenly Secret with a whim... Though his Sword Heart had no specific premonitions this time, he still requested my aid, obviously because Prime Taoist Jiang might intervene, potentially complicating matters!’

’The more it seems to matter, the more firmly I’ve sold my favor...’

While Lord Black Flame was feeling pleased, a shrill sound of a bell echoed again within the pavilion!

"Hmm?"

Prime Taoist Jiang suddenly flipped the table, cursing vehemently, "Damn you, Black Flame... calling them merely a minor Returning to Emptiness cultivator when in fact, you’re dealing with another Integration Master... Are you trying to make me incur such a formidable enemy?"

Lord Black Flame’s body surfaced with heads of pitch-black ravens, turning the fish soup and dishes into ash mid-air.

This was his practiced ’Nine Ravens Skills’, providing automatic protection to the master.

Filled with dismay, he said, "What? An Integration Cultivator? This is bad... Jianzi has misled me!"

Offending a Returning to Emptiness cultivator as opposed to an Integration Cultivator was a completely different concept!

After his shock, Lord Black Flame immediately turned into a streak of black flame light, heading towards the Guest Welcome Building!

Prime Taoist Jiang’s expression was somber, yet there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, as he too transformed into Escape Light, following the black flame light.

...

Let’s turn back time slightly.

Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness, after being tempered by the Treasures of All Heavens and enhanced by the breakthrough to the Integration Period, undoubtedly surpassed many Integration Cultivators, including Jianzi.

After sensing the approaching Sword Qi, Fang Xi seemed as if he were oblivious, examining a crimson Spiritual Root in his hand.