Chapter 131: The Untouchable, Civil Strife within the Haoqi Sect

Inside the cave dwelling, Fang Wang set down the Yellow-Character Sword Sovereign Token, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

He wondered if the Haoqi Sect would be able to track down any of Ji Rutian's movements.

The Carefree Immortal was supposed to be targeting Ji Rutian, but now that Ji Rutian had gone missing, Fang Wang felt he had to do something. He was hesitant to involve the Taiyuan Gate, fearing it might bring trouble upon them, but the Haoqi Sect was an affiliated force of the Longevity Pavilion, making them the perfect choice for the task.

By virtue of the Yellow-Character Sword Sovereign Token, Fang Wang could communicate directly with the token-bearer of the Haoqi Sect.

It had to be said, in terms of communication through tokens alone, the Longevity Pavilion left the Taiyuan Gate in the dust. While Fang Wang’s own Senior Disciple token allowed him to send messages to his disciples, their tokens lacked the ability to send replies; in the development of magical artifacts, they were far behind the Longevity Pavilion.

However, this was to be expected. In any given world, there are bound to be disparities in developmental levels, much like the technological gaps between nations on Earth in his past life.

Fang Wang stored the Yellow-Character Sword Sovereign Token in his Dragon Jade Ring, then stood up and stretched his limbs.

Calculating the time, the six-month mark was almost upon him.

Fang Wang began to look forward to his journey south.

First, he would seek out the Sword Saint’s cave dwelling, then find an island to establish his own dojo. To dedicate himself to immortality, far removed from the mundane world—the mere thought was exhilarating.

Just then, the sound of a disciple’s footsteps echoed at the entrance of the cave, followed by a voice: "Senior Brother Fang Wang, a letter for you."

Fang Wang immediately signaled to Xiao Zi, who darted out in a flash.

The entrance opened and closed, and this time, the delivering disciple was not startled by it.

Xiao Zi returned with the envelope in its mouth. Fang Wang took it, sat down, and began to open the letter.

Upon opening it, he saw it was another letter from Gu Li. Curious about what she would share this time, he began to read with focus.

Xiao Zi climbed onto his shoulder to read along.

Unlike before, this letter mentioned many old acquaintances from the Great Qi cultivation world, primarily detailing the recent circumstances of the Great Qi cultivators who had traveled south.

She also mentioned Fang Zigeng.

Fang Zigeng had actually carved out a reputation for himself on the high seas. Gu Li had heard that Fang Zigeng had taken a personal envoy of the Longevity Pavilion as his master, which had completely altered his destiny.

Although the entire letter focused on the experiences of others, Fang Wang could sense Gu Li’s intent: she hoped he would head south soon.

"Tsk, tsk, that dull stick Fang Zigeng can actually cut such a dashing figure? It seems survival on the ocean isn't all that difficult," Xiao Zi teased.

Fang Wang folded the letter and remarked casually, "Don't underestimate him. Before heading out to sea, he survived numerous life-or-death crises. His survival might look like luck, but it is actually the result of his own persistence."

He deeply appreciated the resilience in Fang Zigeng—a man truly rooted in his pursuit of immortality, seeking not fame, but the benefits of cultivation.

"Xu Qiuming is also heading out to sea. We shall see if he can keep up with your pace, Young Master. In Great Qi, he is the second in the world. If you become the number one on the ocean while he remains obscure, I doubt he’d believe you even if you tried to comfort him," Xiao Zi chuckled, seemingly eager to see Xu Qiuming suffer a setback.

Fang Wang smiled, thinking to himself that Xu Qiuming was a man destined to reach the pinnacle of the mortal world.

Xu Qiuming was actually very strong; he had simply been overshadowed by Fang Wang and had repeatedly encountered enemies two full realms above his own.

Others might mock Xu Qiuming, but Fang Wang valued him highly and held great expectations for him.

This Brother Xu wasn't weak; he had simply been playing high-stakes games all along.

Afterward, Fang Wang took Xiao Zi and left the cave. He intended to spend his sect contributions and give some items to his clansmen, for who knew when he would return after this departure.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

Fang Hanyu finally came to find Fang Wang, claiming that it was time to set out.

"By the way, Zhou Xue has already made arrangements with the higher-ups. The elders have no objections, but they hope we leave quietly. They don't want the news of your departure from the Taiyuan Gate to spread, so they will pretend you are in seclusion," Fang Hanyu said seriously, standing before Fang Wang.

Fang Wang had thought the same and had no objections, though he did want to see Zhou Xue one last time.

Fang Hanyu seemed to read his mind and said, "Zhou Xue left the Taiyuan Gate again a few days ago. Before she left, she asked me to warn you: if you encounter a man named Yang Du upon reaching the ocean, you must absolutely avoid any interaction with him. The further away you stay, the better."

Yang Du?

Fang Wang raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Why hadn't Zhou Xue mentioned this before?

He noted the name silently and said, "Let's go. We'll return to the Fang family for a month, then head south."

Fang Hanyu agreed, and the two brothers immediately set off.

...

Two months later, the two arrived at Sword Heaven Marsh.

With the spread of the name of the Great Qi Heavenly Saint, the reputation of Sword Heaven Marsh had grown even greater. The number of cultivators residing there far exceeded what it had been before, and Song Jinyuan had recruited even more sword attendants.

Wearing conical hats, the two found Song Jinyuan directly without exposing their identities.

The three met in a pavilion.

Song Jinyuan sighed with emotion, "After all these years, you have already reached the Void Crossing Realm and become the number one cultivator of the Seven Dynasties. Incredible. It is said that the Carefree Immortal possessed a four-layer Golden Body, a strength that would make one a formidable master even on the ocean. Did he really fail to last even a single move against you?"

Before Fang Wang could answer, Xiao Zi on his shoulder laughed smugly, "That goes without saying! My Young Master punched right through his Golden Body, and he fell into despair immediately!"

"A single punch?"

Song Jinyuan frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Fang Wang, why don't you use your sword? You are the successor of the Sword Saint! Why do you always favor long weapons or fists and kicks in battle? It's simply preposterous!"

Xiao Zi glared at him and retorted, "Is the Sword Saint really all that? My Young Master is now also the successor of the Dragon-Subduing Great Saint! Have you heard of the Dragon-Subduing Great Saint? The Great Saint’s Grotto-Heaven and the Sky-Falling Secret Realm are all his legacies!"

Hearing this, Song Jinyuan was moved, and even Fang Hanyu looked at Fang Wang with surprise.

Fang Wang gave a mock cough and said, "Those are all empty titles. Whether it is the Sword Saint or the Dragon-Subduing Great Saint, both are my masters, and both earn my respect. In my heart, there is no hierarchy between them. The reason I don't use a sword is simply that my opponents are too weak to be worth the effort."

These words made Song Jinyuan feel much better.

Song Jinyuan smiled bitterly, "Although I have grasped the Heaven and Earth Sword Intent, I have only scratched the surface. You are not even a hundred years old, yet you have mastered so many ultimate arts. Why is the gap between people so wide?"

Fang Hanyu chuckled, "Senior Brother, don't compare yourself to him. I am still studying the Nine Dragons Divine Transformation Technique, while his has already reached the Black Dragon realm."

The two looked at each other and suddenly felt much better.

Indeed.

As long as they didn't compare themselves to Fang Wang, they were still the cream of the crop.

"By the way, have you heard about the situation with the Haoqi Sect?" Song Jinyuan changed the subject.

As Great Qi transformed into a cultivation dynasty, the interactions between the Seven Dynasties became increasingly close, and the tumultuous events of the other six dynasties inevitably reached Great Qi. Many cultivators in Sword Heaven Marsh hailed from the other six dynasties.

"What happened to the Haoqi Sect?" Fang Hanyu asked curiously.

Song Jinyuan clicked his tongue in wonder, "The Haoqi Sect is in internal turmoil. The entire sect besieged their sect master, causing the Haoqi Sect to suffer severe damage and countless casualties, yet their sect master still managed to escape. Their sect master seems to have been named Ji Rutian, a man with unfathomable power."

Fang Wang's expression turned peculiar.

Ji Rutian had been hiding in the Haoqi Sect, and as the sect master?

Fang Wang couldn't help but marvel inwardly: was the Yellow-Character Sword Sovereign Token really that effective?

He had merely given a casual instruction, not even issuing a kill order, and yet it had caused the Haoqi Sect to turn against their own master.

The Longevity Pavilion—it was truly terrifying!

"The Haoqi Sect has made a fool of itself and become the laughingstock of the Seven Dynasties. It makes one curious as to who this Ji Rutian really is. They say he became the sect master shortly after joining; that was one of the reasons for the internal strife. I had never heard of that name before," Song Jinyuan finished, picking up a cup of hot tea to sip.

Xiao Zi had witnessed Fang Wang using the token to command the Haoqi Sect; at this moment, it merely flicked its tongue, saying nothing.

Fang Wang asked, "Was that Ji Rutian injured?"

Song Jinyuan shook his head, "I wouldn't know, but facing the siege of the entire Haoqi Sect, it would be impossible not to be injured."

That was an Ascendant—a being capable of ruling the upper realms. Fang Wang didn't truly believe the Haoqi Sect could injure Ji Rutian.

Regardless, with such a massive commotion, Zhou Xue would surely know. Could it be that she had left the Taiyuan Gate to hunt down Ji Rutian?

Fang Wang wasn't worried about Zhou Xue. With the advantage of his rebirth, he didn't believe that the Ji Rutian of this life could best her, especially within the first hundred years of cultivation.

"We came here primarily to say goodbye. We are preparing to head south to seek our fortunes," Fang Wang stated, getting to the point.

Upon hearing this, Song Jinyuan asked eagerly, "Do you need me to accompany you? I was born overseas; I am very familiar with it."

Fang Wang shook his head, "No need. You continue to study the Heaven and Earth Sword Intent here. It's not as if we're never coming back. Please don't let the news of our departure spread. If the Fang family encounters any danger, I hope you will lend a hand."

Song Jinyuan immediately agreed, "Rest assured. I have already joined the Fang family, so I will naturally do my part. Even now, there are many Fang family disciples practicing swordsmanship here in Sword Heaven Marsh."

Fang Wang raised his cup, using tea to toast Song Jinyuan.

Song Jinyuan quickly lifted his own cup.

Half an hour later, Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu flew out of Sword Heaven Marsh. Both were dressed in black with conical hats; one had his eyes covered, the other wore a fox mask. They flew on their swords at incredible speeds, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Along the way, Fang Wang took out his Senior Disciple token and channeled his divine sense into it to search for the light point representing Gu Li.

Alas, he could not find it.

It felt as if he had drifted out of signal range.

Fang Wang had intended to ask Gu Li to stop writing letters, but now it seemed there was no need; in any case, the Taiyuan Gate would keep the letters for him, so whether she sent them or not made little difference.

"Fang Wang, shall we race?" Fang Hanyu suddenly suggested.

Fang Wang laughed, "Are you serious?"

Fang Hanyu huffed, "Of course. Zhou Xue taught me a technique called the White Rainbow Evasion. I have mastered it, so you might not be faster than me."

White Rainbow Evasion?

Fang Wang smiled and nodded immediately.

Fang Hanyu instantly transformed into a streak of white light, accelerating forward.

Fang Wang followed closely behind.

Fang Hanyu, racing ahead, felt nervous, wondering if his White Rainbow Evasion could close the speed gap between him and Fang Wang.

No sooner had the thought occurred than a streak of white light surged past him, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.