Chapter 1124: Xun Huan

Immortal Demonic Sea, Starry Teleportation Formation.

Lu Qingshu's panicked figure emerged from the void and happened to bump directly into Yan Haoran and the others.

The two parties stared at each other, momentarily speechless.

"You... shouldn't be here," Lu Qingshu said, looking confused. "You saw what happened in Grand Xia, didn't you? The old flood dragon showed up and killed several of our first-transformation sword cultivators."

Yan Haoran and the others exchanged a glance before nodding.

"We saw it," said Yan Haoran.

Lu Qingshu suddenly understood. "So you're also returning to Qiufeng for reinforcements? Where is Fang Chen? Why isn't he with you?"

He looked around but saw no sign of Fang Chen.

Yan Haoran paused for a moment before replying, "We ran into... a bit of trouble ourselves."

Lu Qingshu frowned and said, "Impossible. That person from the Desolate Academy has been under constant surveillance. As long as he doesn't act, who else could stop you all when working together?"

The Spirit God Sect and the Heavenly Sword Division had extensive records on the Loose Immortals of Tuxiong Star. Every one of them was catalogued. The old flood dragon's appearance was certainly unexpected, but aside from him, no other Loose Immortal would dare get involved in this matter.

Since that person from the Desolate Academy hadn't made a move, who else could've stopped Yan Haoran and the others?

"You didn't expect the old flood dragon to appear when you went to Grand Xia, did you?" Yan Haoran said. "Likewise, we didn't expect Fang Chen to take action. Turns out, he's a second transformation expert."

"S-Second transformation!?" Lu Qingshu sucked in a sharp breath and exclaimed, "Do you even know what you're saying? There's nothing special about that guy's background. He's been cultivating for less than a hundred years. How could he possibly be a second transformation expert?

"Before Li Changsheng took him to Qiufeng, we had full intel on him!"

"Full intel?"

Everyone silently sneered. If they truly knew everything, they should've known about Fang Chen's abilities in the Underworld.

Cultivating for less than a century? They were beginning to suspect this man was the reincarnation of a true immortal!

So much for having him all figured out.

However, none of them showed their disdain. Instead, they put on serious faces.

"There's no point arguing," one of them said. "His abilities are right there for us to see. One of your Heavenly Sword Division's second-transformation sword cultivators was slain by him."

Lu Qingshu fell into silence. He took out a talisman and tried to contact someone but received no reply. By now, he was almost convinced of what Yan Haoran had told him.

The Heavenly Sword Division only had five second transformation cultivators, assets they had painstakingly built up over the years.

Li Wuwang hadn't come to Qiufeng personally this time. Instead, he had sent that second-transformation sword cultivator to lead the mission.

They were supposed to go to Grand Xia, while the second transformation cultivator was assigned to stay with Yan Haoran's group to personally escort Fang Chen back to Li Wuwang.

"Even if he's a second transformation expert, how could he possibly kill one of our second transformation Sword Cultivators?" Lu Qingshu pressed, hoping for a flaw in their story.

Yan Haoran sighed. "Fang Chen is also a sword cultivator."

"How many moves did our expert last? A hundred?" Lu Qingshu asked, his voice tight.

"Four swords," Yan Haoran answered flatly.

He scoffed, "From start to finish, Fang Chen only struck four times. Was the second transformation sword cultivator that Li Wuwang sent your division's weakest one? Looks like he didn't take my master's words seriously. Your Heavenly Sword Division lacked sincerity. Li Wuwang didn't even come in person. If he had, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out so badly."

"Four swords!?" Lu Qingshu jumped in disbelief. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Our expert was a prodigy. There's no way he lost in just four moves!

"You must've been tricked by an illusion!" accused Lu Qingshu in denial. He glared at Yan Haoran and said, "Ask around, where is Xun Guozhu now?"

Yan Haoran pulled out a communication talisman. After a brief moment, he answered calmly, "Still at the Desolate Academy."

Lu Qingshu's face turned dark, and he fell silent.

"We should head back to Qiufeng," Yan Haoran said. "If Fang Chen comes after us, even combined, we're no match for him.

"Besides, the old flood dragon's appearance must be reported."

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Lu Qingshu had no objections. With so many people sent here, he was the only one who escaped. It made sense to return and report first.

***

Desolate Academy.

The five elusive instructors, rarely seen in public, were now gathered together in one place. Each sat behind a desk, sipping tea and smiling at the two figures standing before them.

One old, one young, and the two looked somewhat alike.

"Grandfather, this tea was found by a royal descendant in the ruins of an immortal. It's said to have been brewed by a true immortal. I've tasted it. It nourishes the soul. You should try it."

The young man poured a cup of tea for the old man. Its fragrance was rich and refreshing; just the aroma alone was enough to uplift a cultivator's mind. For a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, a single sip could easily add years of cultivation.

"Mmm, excellent tea," the old man said after taking a sip. He closed his eyes and savored the taste for a moment before nodding in approval. "How much of this tea do we have left? Get me a hundred or so catties. I want every Desolate Academy disciple to try what true immortals drank."

The young man gave a bitter smile. "Grandfather, that descendant only brought back two jin in total. Since you like it, I've given all of it to you."

"Patriarch, you're making things hard for the emperor," Instructor Lu from the Combat Department chuckled as he drained his cup.

"What a delightful aroma," came a voice from outside the hall.

Everyone's eyes shifted slightly with interest as Elder Lu smiled. "Mister Fang is here. Come join us. This is a rare chance. Tea left behind by a true immortal isn't something just anyone gets to taste."

Instructor Zhao also smiled. "You've been spending all your time recently in the Talisman Department. Any new insights?"

"Nothing I'd call insight," Fang Chen replied with a smile. "Only that the Dao of Talismans is broad and deep. It will take considerable effort to make real progress."

He was just about to sit at an open desk when his gaze swept across the room and landed on the young man. A hint of surprise appeared on his face. "This is...?"

From the moment Fang Chen appeared, the young man had been smiling at him. Now he offered a polite smile and said, "Mister Fang, I am Xun Huan of the imperial family."

The elder chuckled and said, "Little Fang, you've never met my grandson before, have you? He's the current emperor of the Central Continent Empire and the ancestor of the Incense Sect."

Elder Xun gestured warmly. "Come sit over here. The tea is indeed excellent. Since you're in the Nascent Soul Realm, this will benefit your cultivation. Drink more."

"So this is the emperor himself. Forgive me for the oversight," said Fang Chen.

He quickly cupped his hands in salute. He then sat beside the elder and poured himself a cup of tea, drinking it in one go with a look of satisfaction.

Putting down his tea cup, Fang Chen remarked, "It truly is wonderful. It nourishes the soul. This one cup alone feels like it increased my cultivation by a full year."

"In that case, I'll have someone deliver some tea to you," Xun Huan said with a warm smile. "You've only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm, and this tea will help. In the future, the world will be led by young people like you. Building a solid foundation now will benefit you greatly down the road."

Fang Chen looked at Xun Huan, returning the smile. "Many thanks, Your Majesty. I won't hold back then. If you have a hundred or so catties, I'd be deeply grateful."

The others looked visibly amused.

Xun Huan's smile didn't change, but his gaze grew noticeably more profound.