Urban Extraordinary Immortal Doctor
Chapter 1046: Purple Flame City

Chapter 1046: Chapter 1046: Purple Flame City

Colluding with other Sect powerhouses to assassinate Fang Bai, secretly harboring the most confidential Martial Arts Techniques stolen from Bitao Martial Academy... These two actions alone are enough to prove that Lei Li and Zhuang Zhi, both high-ranking members of Bitao Martial Academy, are internal traitors planted by other Sects.

Only traitors would have the audacity to commit acts that so severely harm the interests of Bitao Martial Academy.

The evidence that Lei Li and Zhuang Zhi were traitors was irrefutable; Ge Feng and the others believed they deserved to die. There were those who spat in disdain and those who cursed, all consumed by outrage.

Yang Lin also feigned a look of righteous indignation, joining a few Bitao Martial Academy disciples nearby in cursing Lei Li and Zhuang Zhi. He glanced at Fang Bai, thinking to himself, "Surviving an attack by four Desolate Level Martial Artists... this brat has a huge stroke of luck!"

Moments later, Ge Feng directed Yang Lin and the others to bury the corpses of Lei Li and his associates by the roadside. Then, mounting his horse, he continued on the journey.

"The involvement of the higher-ups from Fiery Sect and Cloud Feather Sect in this attempt on Fang Bai’s life is an affront to our Bitao Martial Academy, utterly detestable!"

On the road, Ge Feng spoke aloud to the nine disciples accompanying him, "Although our Bitao Martial Academy may be weaker, we will not be slaughtered at will! Once the Sect conference concludes and we return to the Academy, I will report this incident to the headmaster and demand an explanation from Fiery Sect and Cloud Feather Sect!"

His words were spoken with fervor, but in his heart, he knew full well that in terms of overall strength, neither the Fiery Sect nor the Cloud Feather Sect was weaker than Bitao Martial Academy. Even if Bitao Martial Academy sought redress armed with solid evidence, at most the two parties would engage in a war of words. They would not truly come to blows and fight to the death.

After all, it had become the norm in the True Martial Realm for major Sects to engage in overt and covert struggles for their own interests, utilizing endless tactics. And those involved in these power struggles always maintained a delicate balance, avoiding outright warfare unless a Sect’s very survival was at stake. Otherwise, a fight that left both sides severely weakened would benefit no one and present an opportunity for other Sects to exploit.

After finishing his declaration, Ge Feng gave Fang Bai a meaningful look, wondering if he would harbor resentment if Bitao Martial Academy failed to obtain justice for him. It seemed that upon returning, he and the other Martial Academy seniors would have to take good care to appease him.

Half a day later, Ge Feng and his companions could see the outline of the walls of Purple Flame City in the distance.

As the capital of Thousand Lakes Country, Purple Flame City was vast, with a large population and formidable, sturdy walls. From afar, the city looked like a mountain range stretching across the horizon, exuding a majestic aura.

People from all corners of the land were entering and exiting through the city’s grand gateways. Commoners mostly traveled on foot, while Martial Artists, like Fang Bai and his group, often rode Swiftwind Horses.

Outside the city walls, there were many temporary stalls; commoners peddled everyday items, while Martial Artists offered Cultivation Resources for sale.

Fang Bai and his party were still a distance from the city gate when they could faintly hear the clamor of shouting and hustling, a bustling and lively scene enveloping them as they approached.

"Though Thousand Lakes Country has a ruler, the real power lies with Purple Flame Sect. As a third-tier Sect, Purple Flame Sect may not be considered powerful in the entire True Martial Realm, but in Thousand Lakes Country, it is the strongest. For a fourth-tier Sect like our Bitao Martial Academy, we must pay homage to Purple Flame Sect, offering up a portion of our Cultivation Resources every year; otherwise, we face all sorts of suppression from Purple Flame Sect, even the threat of annihilation..."

Ge Feng mused that Fang Bai and Liu Qingqing were both visiting Purple Flame City for the first time, so he began to introduce them to some aspects of the city.

"In the Thousand Lakes Country, there are twenty or thirty fourth-grade sects, and each one dreams of surpassing the Purple Flame Sect one day. However, small sects lack both cultivation resources as well as the ability to recruit disciples with extraordinary talent, so overtaking the Purple Flame Sect is easier said than done."

Having said this, Ge Feng looked at Fang Bai and Liu Qingqing with satisfaction. "May the ancestors bless us; our Bitao Martial Academy now has you two and Gao Shuxian—three disciples with Innate Spiritual Roots. Perhaps we may fulfill our wish to become a third-grade sect in the future! Fang Bai, Qingqing, you must strive hard to live up to the expectations of all the academy’s disciples!"

Fang Bai and Liu Qingqing nodded in unison.

Upon reaching the south gate of Purple Flame City, Ge Feng and the others paid a low-grade Essence Stone as a city entry fee to the guards and were then permitted to enter the city.

"The guards at the city gates are soldiers under the king’s command, and they hand over the collected Essence Stones to the king. To put it plainly, the king is a Puppet of the Purple Flame Sect, and thus, a significant portion of those Essence Stones ends up in the hands of the Purple Flame Sect. Just the income from the city entry fee is a considerable amount of cultivation resources for the Purple Flame Sect, enabling them to cultivate even more Martial Dao experts. Unlike our fourth-grade sect, we often worry about the lack of cultivation resources!"

After passing through the city gate, Ge Feng sighed with a tone full of envy.

Ge Feng led Fang Bai and ten others, riding on Swiftwind Horses, through bustling streets before finally arriving at a grand and beautifully decorated complex of buildings.

Purple Flame City was a city mingled with mountains and rivers, and this complex was situated right at the heart of Purple Flame City, with an excellent location by the mountain and water, occupying a full quarter of the entire city.

The complex was also surrounded by high walls, isolating it from the outside world and forbidding entry to outsiders, almost like a city within a city.

It was said that this city within a city, known as "Vermilion Bird City," was the headquarters of the Purple Flame Sect, and tens of thousands of Purple Flame Sect disciples lived there.

Following Ge Feng and others, Fang Bai came to the south gate of Vermilion Bird City, where they revealed their identities to the guarding disciples of the Purple Flame Sect. Then, with a disciple leading the way, they settled into a clean and tranquil courtyard.

This courtyard had precisely ten rooms, one for each person in Fang Bai’s party.

What left Fang Bai speechless was that they had traveled thousands of miles to attend the sect conference, and the hosting Purple Flame Sect, despite being wealthy and powerful, not only did not extend a warm reception from higher-ups but also did not provide free accommodation. They had to pay a hefty sum of Essence Stones themselves.

What a stingy approach for a grand third-grade sect—truly a blow to the prestigious sect’s image.

Later, Fang Bai learned from Ge Feng that the courtyard where they were staying was built by the Purple Flame Sect specifically for sects participating in the sect conference. There were dozens more such courtyards nearby. All disciples from sects taking part in the sect conference had to stay in these courtyards upon arrival in Purple Flame City and were required to pay Essence Stones for food and lodging, or they would lose the qualification to participate in the conference.

Although the Purple Flame Sect’s approach seemed overly domineering, causing grumbling among the participating disciples from various sects, none of the sects wanted to offend the Purple Flame Sect and had no choice but to begrudgingly tolerate it.