Chapter 35: You Move, You Die!

Old Man Shen pushed the divine crystal back to Fang Che, only for Fang Che to push it back to him again.

"I have no need for something like this. I'm already progressing really quickly in my cultivation! I'm a second-rank Lord right now! If I progress any faster, my foundation will become unstable. Even now, I'm struggling to keep up with my rate of improvement and have to constantly battle to acclimate to my newfound power."

"You show-off," Old Man Shen scoffed with a doting look in his eyes. "Fine, I'll hold onto this then. Next time you see me, I'll look a little younger."

"Man, I genuinely thought that was a piece of divine power essence. These demonic church members are seriously good for nothing!" Fang Che sighed in a disappointed manner.

"You think divine power essence grows on trees?" Old Man Shen scoffed. "Take it easy. Don't always go around taking risks. You're still at a stage of rapid progression, why constantly put your life on the line? If you keep this up, you're going to become the target of revenge missions!"

Clearly, Old Man Shen had heard about Fang Che's exploits over the past few days, and he was very concerned.

"It's exactly because of these battles that I'm able to progress so quickly. Otherwise, how can I keep up this rate of progress? Don't worry about me, Elder Shen. I know what I'm doing."

After chatting for a while longer, Fang Che departed instead of staying for a meal.

"Be safe out there!" Old Man Shen yelled after him.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh, stop nagging me!" Fang Che grumbled as he departed without so much as a backward glance.

"Stupid brat!"

***

Late that night, Helmsmaster Starlight came out to play.

Upon arriving at the branch helm, Fang Che was instantly struck by the sense that something wasn't right.

There was a sense of danger and malice in the air, and the two Grandmasters stationed at the gates were both looking rather fearful.

Fang Che instantly realized that some guests must've come to visit.

A cold sneer appeared on his face as he strode over to the entrance of the branch helm, and the two Grandmasters were ecstatic to see him.

"Helmsmaster, we have guests from the Divine Heavenly Church."

"How many?"

"Thirteen! Shopkeeper Yan brought them here, and we..."

"It's fine, you're not to blame, nor is Shopkeeper Yan."

"Thank you, Helmsmaster."

As soon as Fang Che made his way into the branch helm, a boisterous voice instantly rang out in greeting.

"You must be Helmsmaster Starlight! It's an honor to make your acquaintance!"

A group of thirteen people gathered at the entrance, led by a man who appeared to be in his forties.

Fang Che could sense that there were no particularly powerful warriors among them, and even their leader was only a cultivation rank or two above him, so he didn't deem them to be a threat at all.

Thus, he gave a cold harrumph as he allowed some of his baleful qi to seep out of his body, and his gaze roamed over the faces of his guests like the cold and malicious eyes of a wolf.

He parted everyone down the middle with his hands, then stepped straight through them without a word.

The thirteen visitors were immediately disgruntled by his cocky display.

Fang Che made his way to his helmsmaster's throne, then sat down at she sneered, "I thought for a second that I had stumbled into a Divine Heavenly Church branch helm, and only after seeing this chair did I realize that this is

my

territory!"

Clearly, he was indirectly reprimanding his guests for their rude intrusion.

With baleful qi pouring out of his body, the nearby Grandmasters that were on duty at the branch helm were trembling uncontrollably.

The guests were still standing, yet Fang Che had already sat down in a display of inhospitable arrogance.

The leader of the group suppressed his fury as he remarked with a faint smile, "You're certainly quite a character, Helmsmaster Starlight!"

"Quite a character? More like a cocky asshole!" a young man beside him scoffed.

"You wanna say that again?!" Fang Che snapped as he immediately launched himself at the young man, who stepped forward to meet Fang Che with a furious expression.

A loud thump rang out as their fists clashed, and the young man shuddered as he stumbled back from the force of the impact.

Fang Che remained airborne as he unleashed Hou Fang's Thirteen Divine Ape Heart Gouging Techniques, throwing seven strikes in rapid succession.

Everyone looked on with grim expressions as the white-robed young man was completely forced onto the back foot, only able to passively defend with all his might.

The speed and power of Starlight's attacks were simply far too much for him to withstand, and this entire time, Fang Che was still suspended in mid-air.

He grabbed onto the young man's right wrist, and when the young man reached out with his left hand to retaliate, he grabbed that as well before locking both of his wrists in the same hand with a vice-like grip.

What followed was a string of loud slaps, followed by a palm strike to the back, one so heavy that the young man's legs gave out from under him, forcing him to his knees.

An agonized wail rang out, accompanied by the clear sound of shattering knee bones, while Fang Che drifted back to his throne, remaining airborne throughout that entire sequence.

In the blink of an eye, a Lord had been completely put out of commission.

His face was a swollen, unrecognizable mess, his arms were bleeding profusely, and hsi knees had been shattered.

His twelve companions immediately drew their weapons with enraged expressions, and Fang Che did the same, with his weapon of choice being a nine ring broadsword that gave off a menacing blue gleam.

He pointed the tip of the broadsword at his twelve visitors, and a burst of violent killing intent instantly washed over them, making the fine hairs on the backs of their necks stand up on end.

A ruthless grin appeared on Fang Che's face as he threatened with a cold chuckle, "You move, you die! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

The nine steel rings on his broadsword were jangling incessantly as his killing intent swept through the entire hall in waves, and the thirteen Lords felt as if they had been plunged collectively into a glacial pit!

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

None of them had anticipated that Starlight would be such a fearsome figure, and not a single one of them dared to move.

Who is this guy? How come I've never heard of him before?

Fang Che made no effort to conceal or temper his killing intent as he glowered disdainfully at his guests and cackled, "What's going on? All of you playing musical statues or something?"

Everyone could sense that Fang Che's saber intent had already locked onto them, and any false move that they made would most likely instantly result in their decapitation.

All of a sudden, Fang Che sprang to his feet as he cackled, "Weren't you all acting really cocky just now?! Why've you suddenly turned into a bunch of tame little bitches?! You thought you could intimidate me with numbers, did you? You thought you could come to

my

territory to intimidate me?! My eyes have truly been opened! Go on then, move! I dare you! Worthless trash!"

The atmosphere in the hall was so heavy that it could almost be cut with a knife.

The helmsmaster from the Divine Heavenly Church hurriedly tried to defuse the situation.

"This is all a misunderstanding, Helmsmaster Starlight! We're all friends here!"

"Friends? I don't make friends with trash!" Fang Che scoffed with a venomous sneer. "After Master Night Demon of our church reigned supreme in the Parasite Ascension Project, our pope was granted the honor of ascending the heavenly staircase, while the pope of your Divine Heavenly Church had to kneel and kowtow!

“Our One Heart Church is a second-rank Church, while your Divine Heavenly Church is nothing more than third-rank scum! You are beneath me, and you better start acting like it! What's your name? Is this how your pope has taught you to treat your superiors?"

The Divine Heavenly Church helmsmaster was barely able to contain his rage, but clearly, Fang Che was trying to provoke a reaction out of him so that he would have an excuse to kill him.

Perhaps everyone with him would be spared, seeing as they were from the main church, but Starlight would certainly have no qualms killing him!

With that in mind, he was sorely regretting his decision to come here.

Who says this is only a temporary branch helm? Where did this bastard come from?!

"Helmsmaster Qiao Yishu of the Divine Heavenly Church's new White Cloud Prefecture branch helm pays his respects to Helmsmaster Starlight."

"Qiao Yishu? Why is your name Qiao Yishu and not Qiao Yishit?" Fang Che scoffed.

Qiao Yishu felt as if he were about to explode with rage, but he continued to restrain himself as he replied, "It was the name given to me by my parents."

"Sounds like your parents are uneducated swine!" Fang Che chortled.

Qiao Yishu was so enraged that he was on the verge of tears, but he knew that he was completely at Fang Che's mercy.

"I'll be sure to tell them to read more books in the future."

"Read more books? You expect me to believe they can read? Can they read?"

"... No."

"Then why are you telling me you'll ask them to read? Are you fucking playing with me?!" Fang Che roared.