Chapter 1274: Secret Code

A few days later, Xu Guangyuan again visited the Cangyun Sect and completed the transaction. He provided ten thousand high-grade spirit stones and took away ten immortal crystals.

Soon after, a cultivator from the Ice God Sect also came to visit. An Ascension Realm expert brought along with him all the assets of the Duan family, over ten high-grade spirit stones, some mid-grade and low-grade spirit stones, and a report on how the Ice God Sect had dealt with the Duan family.

Duan Feizhan, a Tribulation Realm cultivator, had been executed. The remaining members were disbanded and expelled from Qingyuan Market. As of now, there was no longer any trace of the Duan family on Mount Cang. The reason it took this long was that many Duan family members were scattered throughout Qingyuan Market trying to make a living. The Ice God Sect needed time to track them all down and drive them out.

This decisive action stirred up some speculation among local cultivators on Cang Mountain and even among some powers in Qingyuan Market who caught wind of the matter.

However, Guangyuan Hall and Ice God Sect appeared to share a tacit understanding. They never disclosed that Zhu Tongshu had appeared at the Cangyun Sect.

Top-tier factions in Qingyuan Market who were on equal footing with them didn't know the inside story. But judging from their actions, they began to suspect that the Cangyun Sect had an extraordinary background. They each warned their disciples not to provoke the Cangyun Sect unless absolutely necessary.

The grand Qingyuan Market gathering lasted an entire year. During this time, disciples of the Cangyun Sect would occasionally descend the mountain to shop.

They had money. All the assets confiscated from the Duan family were handed over to Sect Master Li Daoye by Fang Chen to be fairly distributed among disciples based on cultivation level.

For disciples like Zhao Jiaolong and Hua Miaoqing, their cultivation resources were personally arranged by Fang Chen.

Over the next ten or so years, the sect members gradually became familiar with Qingyuan Market. Fang Zhixue and the others began descending the mountain in groups to travel. Sometimes they lingered within Qingyuan Market, sometimes they explored other spiritual mountains—making enemies and friends alike.

Occasionally, they left Qingyuan Market entirely to see the world.

During this time, Fang Zhixue was seriously injured twice, both times by cultivators of the same level. Each time, she returned without informing Fang Chen. She would recover quietly and train diligently, then, upon making a breakthrough, go back to settle the score.

Her cultivation progressed rapidly through these continuous battles, and eventually, she successfully formed her nascent soul.

One day, the Killing Spiritual Division jade token that Fang Chen carried heated up.

"Twenty years already? It passed so quickly," he muttered.

With a thought, a stream of energy flowed from him, condensing into Fang Tianzun.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Handing the jade token to Fang Tianzun, Fang Chen's soul then slowly exited his body and merged with Fang Tianzun.

Immediately, Fang Tianzun's eyes gleamed with life, no longer dull and mechanical.

This was different from body possession—ordinary possession required severing the target's karmic threads.

While Fang Chen could do that, it wasn't something he went around doing. He had no interest in accruing needless karma by killing.

Fang Tianzun was different. His karma was Fang Chen's karma. This avatar was essentially Fang Chen's own physical form. By merging his soul into it, he could activate the body with no cost.

Glancing once at his original body, Fang Chen, now occupying Fang Tianzun's avatar, strode out of the meditation room. He soared into the sky, vanishing in an instant.

Shikong Market, located at the foot of Daotai Mountain, was widely recognized as the number one marketplace in the region. It was guarded by Immortals, the most powerful of whom was rumored to have reached the sixth transformation.

One step further, and they'd reach the rumored Ancient Immortals Realm!

Fang Chen spent nearly half a year traveling from Qingyuan Market to Shikong Market. Along the way, he encountered several dangerous situations and even killed a few Tribulation Realm cultivators of equal rank.

Fang Tianzun's avatar was at the early Tribulation Realm, but under Fang Chen's control, he could easily wield powers like the Frost Water Immortal Flame, Azure Lighting, Corrosive Flame, and more. And with him as the wielder, these powers were amplified several times over.

Killing those in the same realm was easy. He even encountered a mid-stage Tribulation Realm cultivator and repelled him without much effort. However, actually killing such an opponent would take a bit more time.

Following the guidance from the Killing Spiritual Division jade token tucked in his robes, Fang Chen entered Shikong Market and made his way to a particular spirit mountain, finally stopping before a courtyard gate.

This spirit mountain, located within Shikong Market, was rather inconspicuous. Its spiritual energy was only on par with the mid-tier mountains in Qingyuan Market. It was barely passable, and likely among the weakest in the area.

A few moments later, the courtyard gate silently opened, and an expressionless old man looked at Fang Chen.

Fang Chen said nothing and simply revealed his jade token from the Killing Spiritual Division. The old man gave a slight nod and gestured for Fang Chen to follow him inside.

Deeper within the courtyard, several Loose iImmortals were seated and chatted idly. Upon seeing the old man bringing Fang Chen in, they all stood up at once, with alert gazes as they studied Fang Chen.

One of them, a third-transformation Loose Immortal, cupped his fist and said, "I am Ning Beiyou. Greetings, fellow Daoist. May I ask your name?"

"You don't recognize me, Brother Beiyou?" Fang Chen walked forward casually, smiling faintly. "A few years ago, we even went on a mission together."

"A few years ago?"

Ning Beiyou was slightly stunned. The only joint mission he had participated in during that time was with the former head of the Chaotic Star, Fang Chen.

"You're Daoist Fang? But not only do you look completely different, your cultivation... doesn't match either," said Ning Beiyou, looking perplexed.

The other loose immortals present were all also Xie Zhi cultivators. A few years back, they had at least seen Fang Chen once. The reason for their wariness just now was because his cultivation clearly didn't match.

One look and they knew the other party was at the Tribulation Realm, and was different from wandering cultivators like them. Even if he was from Killing Spiritual Division, he shouldn't have known their location unless he held the jade token of a Xie Zhi member.

Fang Chen said with a grin, "I am indeed Fang Chen. How's this puppet body? Exquisite enough?"

What they were seeing was Fang Tianzun's avatar, so their surprise was understandable.

"Exquisite? Exquisite is an understatement," marveled one of the third-transformation Loose Immortals.

He stepped forward to inspect closely, then stared at Fang Chen with a strange look.

"This is a puppet? It has blood and flesh? Don't tell me you possessed a Tribulation Realm cultivator?"

"If you possess such a method, Brother Nan Gui, feel free to teach me." Fang Chen chuckled. "Even in the Upper Three Realms, possession techniques like that are considered forbidden secrets."

He recognized this immortal as one of the twelve Xie Zhi cultivators under Huang Qingque's command. Whether they had met or not, Fang Chen had learned plenty about them already. After all, they were coworkers from now on.

Xu Nangui was from a prominent clan in the True Martial Realm. Many of his clan had joined the Spirit God Sect, but it looked like he had chosen to swim against the tide, joining the Killing Spiritual Division.

The fact that Huang Qingque had chosen him to be among these twelve meant that he had verified his intentions somehow.

Still, Fang Chen's trust toward the Xiezhi remained low. If not, Huang Qingque wouldn't have been backstabbed by one of them before.

Suddenly, Ning Beiyou said, "Hardship strengthens a nation."

Fang Chen responded, "Rest nourishes the spirit."

Ning Beiyou let out a breath of relief and nodded toward the other agents. "The secret phrase set by Daoist Qingque checks out. This should indeed be Daoist Fang."