Chapter 1076: The Paper Figure, Hong Qing

With Sun Susu's cultivation level, she had long become one of the true disciples of the Thousand Dao Tower's inner sect. She not only had her own cave dwelling, but she also owned the area a hundred miles around it. It had everything one could wish for, spiritual springs, spiritual veins, spiritual fields.

Sun Beiwang and the other young woman from the Sun family had never seen such a sight. They had never even been to the main branch of the Sun family.

Three paper figures slowly walked up to the group and greeted, "Master."

"This is the Spiritual Attachment Technique of the Thousand Dao Tower. You will all learn it in time," Sun Susu said.

Sun Beiwang's eyes flashed with excitement. "So this is the Spiritual Attachment Technique."

"Go with them to your quarters. From now on, you will cultivate here. Do not try to cheat or slack off. I will periodically assess your progress in cultivation," Sun Susu instructed.

"Yes!"

The three of them bowed in unison and then followed the paper men to their respective quarters.

The paper figure leading Fang Chen guided him to a cave dwelling located several dozen miles away. The entrance was in front of a fertile spiritual field.

Nearby, there was a mountain spring with surging water. The spiritual energy emanating from it was so potent that just drinking a mouthful would be no less effective than an ordinary low-grade spirit stone.

If Fang Chen were truly a mortal who had never stepped onto the path of immortality, cultivating in such an environment would likely allow him to complete the Qi Refining Realm within seven or eight years and enter the Foundation Building Realm.

As the paper figure departed, Fang Chen gradually melted into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

The inner sect of the Thousand Dao Tower was vast, and it was unlikely that one could search through the entire area in a short amount of time. Fang Chen specifically targeted places that gave off the aura of forbidden laws, areas where such prohibitions couldn't stop him. He visited several places in succession, some were the cave abodes of Ascension Realm cultivators, while others were retreat sites of first-transformation Loose Immortals.

None of these places yielded any useful clues or information.

***

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

"Why are you so slow? Senior Brother Yan has set up a banquet. If you're late, be careful not to upset him!" one of the cultivators said.

"We came as soon as we received the message. By the way, why is Senior Brother Yan hosting a banquet this time?" another asked.

"You really don't know, or are you pretending?" a third cultivator teased.

"Come on, spill it! I've been in closed-door cultivation for over a century, so I don't know much about what's happening in the outside world."

"Senior Brother Yan broke through..."

"

Hiss...

"

"Wait, Senior Brother Yan broke through...? That means he's now the youngest Loose Immortal in the history of Thousand Dao Tower, right? I heard he's still under a thousand years old!"

"That's right. This time, representatives from the Yin Holy Sect, Great Sun Sect, the Du family, the Qu family, and even the Nine Immortal Mountain Holy Land have come to congratulate him."

"Well... that's fine, but with the Du and Qu families coming, their intentions probably aren't that simple. They must be involved in the matters with the Long and Sun families."

A group of cultivators at the Union Realm stage flew past Fang Chen. With a thought, Fang Chen immediately followed them.

They were flying over a bamboo forest that spanned hundreds of miles, filled with immortal birds and spiritual beasts. The ground was covered with spiritual fields where all kinds of spiritual trees and medicinal plants were growing.

A surging spiritual river ran through the bamboo forest, its spiritual energy abundant, far surpassing the cultivation grounds of Sun Susu by several dozen times! Even the Three Thousand Dao Sect, which housed the Grand Dao White Lotus, was nowhere near as powerful as this place, falling short by a considerable margin.

By the time Fang Chen arrived, there were already hundreds of true disciples of the Thousand Dao Tower seated. The seating arrangement was based on cultivation level, with the highest-ranked cultivators sitting at the front. Most of these disciples were at the Dao Union Realm, though a few were at the Tribulation Realm, and a handful were at the Ascension Realm.

More true disciples were arriving, and Fang Chen even noticed Sun Susu. However, due to her current cultivation level, she was relegated to sitting at the outer edges.

Countless paper figures moved between the crowd, offering spiritual fruits and wines.

At the center of this group of cultivators sat six figures. The six were evenly split between men and women, with one common trait. All of them were first-transformation Loose Immortals.

That person resembles Nangong Yuancheng,

Fang Chen thought as his gaze fell on one of the Loose Immortals.

The immortal in question appeared to be in his early thirties, wearing simple yet elegant robes. His expression was calm and indifferent, carrying a sense of dismissive detachment.

If Fang Chen's guess was correct, this person should be Nangong Yuancheng's older brother, who practiced in the Nine Immortal Mountain Holy Land.

"Brother Nangong, I'm very happy you could make it today. Allow me to toast you," said the young man seated at the center of the six.

However, the other immortal merely glanced at him and said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Yan, there is no need for the drink. I came today not only to congratulate you on your breakthrough to the Loose Immortal stage, but also to ask about the Long Family disciples that Thousand Dao Tower is sheltering. I wonder if I could be given the responsibility of dealing with them?"

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the other Loose Immortals shifted subtly. The Loose Immortals from the Qu family and the Du family clearly looked uncomfortable.

"Nangong Yuanzhen, today is a joyous occasion for Yan Haoran's ascension to Loose Immortal. Why must you bring up such matters?" one of the women said with annoyance.

Nangong Yuanzhen's gaze fell upon the woman, and he spoke coolly, "Qu Ge, my younger brother perished alongside Zhao Mingxuan, and this incident is highly likely to involve the Long Family. I need to get to the bottom of this, unless my investigation hinders the Qu family in some way?"

The true disciples around them noticed the tension rising in the air and pretended not to see. They lowered their heads to continue eating the spiritual fruits and drinking the spiritual wine, speaking in hushed tones. Yet, their eyes never left the scene, watching it unfold from the corners of their eyes.

"The four great families may have disputes, but now that the Long family and the Sun family are facing turmoil, you shouldn't take advantage of this moment to strike at them, even if only out of respect for past relations, " another woman said.

She was from the prestigious Du family, named Du Anxian. She, along with Qu Ge, Yan Haoran, and Nangong Yuanzhen, were the ultimate talents who had managed to survive the trials of the Prison Wind Lands. Figures like Long Ruo, Sun Susu, and even Long Ying could only be considered their juniors.

"This is your perspective. I have no intention of taking advantage of the situation, but I still want to know who killed my younger brother," Nangong Yuanzhen replied, his tone as indifferent as ever.

"Daoist Nangong, the truth behind this matter is actually simple," another voice interjected. "If you think about it carefully, you'll know who did it. Your younger brother must have perished at the hands of the swordsman brought by Li Changsheng. This swordsman possessed a spiritual treasure, and killing Zhao Mingxuan and your younger brother would have been an easy task."

As the conversation continued to swirl around the matter of vengeance and the various sects' political games, a young man with an unusually flushed complexion laughed as he sipped on his wine. He remarked, "Well, if we want to settle this, we should go find Li Changsheng and demand justice. But the question is, are you brave enough? Though those sword cultivators are strong, the Nine Immortal Mountain Holy Land won't flinch either."

Upon hearing this, many true disciples from the Long and Sun families exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with resentment. If it weren't for Li Changsheng and his group of sword cultivators, the Long and Sun families wouldn't have fallen into such dire straits in just under a year. Even their own juniors had been affected, enduring scorn and ridicule within the ranks of the Thousand Dao Tower.

"Isn't it true that some from the Great Sun Sect were humiliated by Li Changsheng? Are you hoping the Nine Immortal Mountain Holy Land will step in for the Great Sun Sect?" Nangong Yuanzhen asked with a mocking tone, making it clear that he wasn't easily deceived.

The flushed young man didn't offer a definitive response. "Oh, that little grudge? It's just a misunderstanding. It all started because one of the Sun Family disciples was killed by someone while distracted. That's how we had that little conflict with Li Changsheng. But now, that's water under the bridge. The Great Sun Sect will no longer involve itself with the Sun family."

As the back-and-forth continued, with the disciples and Loose Immortals talking among themselves, it seemed there were no new revelations or actionable leads to be found. Sensing this, Fang Chen decided to leave.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Just as he turned to walk away, a paper figure holding a tray of fruit appeared in his path. What caught Fang Chen's attention, however, was the figure's face. It bore a striking resemblance to Hong Qing.