Chapter 1361: Invitation From The Expedition Team

Fang Chen sighed. "As expected, Immortal Changkong was only one of his Bone Destinies. Wang Chongsong's true body requires 20,000 immortal crystals just to pinpoint his location."

That fellow was indeed slippery. From the very beginning, even with Fang Chen's endless means and the Mirror of the Universe in his possession, locking onto the man's position had been extremely difficult.

If he finally found Immortal Changkong only for Wang Chongsong to discard him, the trail would be lost forever. Unless he could find Wang Chongsong's true body, bring his soul to the Underworld, and have Empress Ci and the others interrogate him, he wouldn't have any concrete answers.

One step at a time

, he thought.

At least there are still a few leads here in the Enlightenment God Palace.

The first was to uncover information about the treasure Wang Chongsong had obtained back then. The second was to find out which faction Immortal Taixu served.

"Junior Brother Fang, are you there?"

A voice suddenly called from outside his cave-dwelling.

Junior Brother?

Fang Chen stepped out of his cave dwelling and saw three figures waiting outside, all at the Tribulation Realm, with one of them already having passed a heavenly tribulation.

Little Immortal Honglian and the others also heard the commotion and came out from their caves.

The woman in the middle, tall and poised, was the one at mid-stage of the Tribulation Realm. She cast a casual glance at Yu Wuxia and the others before her gaze settled upon Fang Chen once again. She smiled and said, "My name is Xu Qian. Like you, I am also Master's disciple. I arrived here a hundred years before you."

Everyone's expressions shifted slightly.

100 years earlier? That means she's three generations their senior!

Fang Chen noticed the jade token hanging from Xu Qian's waist. It shimmered with a bronze radiance similar to his own, signifying that her performance during the assessment had been nearly identical to his.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Xu," said Fang Chen, hands clasped.

Yu Wuxia and the others also caught sight of that jade token, and their eyes showed a hint of solemnity.

"Junior Brother Fang, there's no need to be so formal," said Xu Qiang. "I didn't expect Master to take in another disciple after only a hundred years. Earning a bronze jade token in the assessment means you can be considered an exceptional talent around these parts."

After offering her praise, Xu Qian continued, "I wonder, Junior Brother Fang, when do you plan to collect your Immortal Boat?"

"We've only just arrived and know little about this place," Fang Chen replied. "We intend to wait a while before retrieving it."

Xu Qian smiled faintly. "Then I can offer some advice. Ancient Forbidden Zone No.157 is extremely dangerous. Rather than taking a group of mere Union Realm cultivators there, it would be better for you to join Senior Brother Wang Xuan's team."

She explained, "The three of us are members of his expedition, and Senior Brother Wang Xuan recently advanced to become a first transformation Taiyi Immortal. You should know that a first transformation Taiyi Immortal ranks among the top three in combat strength within all the immortal ranks, correct?"

Meng Qingling's expression darkened instantly.

That damned woman! She's trying to steal our captain!

She subconsciously glanced at Little Immortal Honglian.

Yu Wuxia and the others managed to keep their emotions in check, though anger still simmered beneath their calm expressions.

But all female cultivators present—including Meng Qingling, Little Immortal Honglian, and the other five—could hardly hide their fury at Xu Qian's brazen attempt to poach their leader.

If she wanted to recruit, she could at least recruit their entire team! Why single out only Fang Chen? After all, if he left, their team's strength would plummet to the lowest tier. How were they supposed to survive the dangers of the Ancient Forbidden Zone then?

Before Fang Chen could speak, Xu Qian seemed to sense the women's anger. She looked at them with a light smile and said, "Ladies, there's no need to worry. Here, everyone is free to cultivate in seclusion. As long as you don't venture into the Ancient Forbidden Zone, you'll face no danger. Focus on reaching the Tribulation or Ascension Realms. There will be many opportunities for you in the future. Only geniuses like Junior Brother Fang are suited to explore the Ancient Forbidden Zone right away."

"We don't plan on hiding away in seclusion," Meng Qingling snorted coldly. "Everyone knows treasures litter Forbidden Zones. Finding even one or two of them is far more worthwhile than meditating behind closed doors."

A faint trace of disdain flickered in Xu Qian's eyes, but she ignored the remark and looked back to Fang Chen. "So, Junior Brother Fang, what do you think of my proposal? Why don't I take you to meet Senior Brother Wang Xuan now?"

"Well," Fang Chen mused, "We all come from the same place. If I join Senior Brother Wang's team alone, it wouldn't feel right."

"Junior Brother Fang," Xu Qian said softly, "every expedition our team has made into the Ancient Forbidden Zone has yielded great gains. Rewards are divided equally based on cultivation level and contribution. No one idles in our ranks."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Who are you calling an idler?" Meng Qingling's face darkened. "You just happened to arrive 100 years earlier than us. Give us another 100 years, and our team might surpass yours."

"You're Meng Qingling from the Langgui Constellation's Thunderfire Immortal Sect, right?" Xu Qian looked at her with a mocking smile. "Even if you had 100 years, you'd barely scrape by to the early stage of the Tribulation Realm. As for the others, few would even advance that far. In our team, the Tribulation Realm is merely the entry level. Above that are Ascension Realm cultivators, and Senior Brother Wang Xuan himself, a first transformation Taiyi Immortal."

"Perhaps in another century, some of us might even ascend. What do you have to compare with that?"

"..."

Meng Qingling was struck speechless, her face turning ashen as she ground her teeth.

"Senior Sister Xu," Fang Chen said, "I plan to lead my group to explore the Ancient Forbidden Zone on our own."

Joining Xu Qian's team held no benefit for him, only restrictions. It was far more comfortable to lead his own squad, especially since his true purpose was not to serve as someone else's laborer.

Seeing Fang Chen's refusal, Xu Qian's eyes flashed with genuine surprise.

Logically speaking, how could a mere Tribulation Realm cultivator resist the invitation of an Immortal?

Meng Qingling and the others breathed a sigh of relief, smiles spreading across their faces. They knew it. After all they had endured together in the Langgui Constellation, traveling side by side for more than ten years, there was real camaraderie among them. How could their captain possibly abandon them to join another team?

"Junior Brother Fang, do think this through," Xu Qian advised with a gentle smile. "The Ancient Forbidden Zone is dangerous in countless ways. You're new here. One careless step could cost you your life.

She brushed her fingers over the bronze jade token at her waist and sighed softly. "I was once the same, full of ambition, leading my own team to carve out our path. The result was that we encountered extreme danger in the Ancient Forbidden Zone. My entire team perished, and only I survived. By right, I should have died too, but Senior Brother Wang Xuan saved me. Without him, I wouldn't be standing here speaking with you now."

Fang Chen fell silent for a few breaths before nodding lightly. "I still wish to explore on my own."

"Very well." Xu Qian nodded. "If you ever change your mind, come find me anytime. Our expedition team is called 'Mysterious King.'"

After the three left, Meng Qingling and the others quickly gathered around.

"Senior Sister Xu clearly has ulterior motives. If she'd managed to lure away our captain, our team would've lost its core!"

"She just wants us to stay here, cultivating in seclusion. She doesn't think we're worthy to explore the Ancient Forbidden Zone at all."

Little Immortal Honglian hesitated for a moment before speaking softly. "Fellow Daoist Fang, what do you think? If you stayed for our sake, you don't actually have to do that."

When she said "our," there was a brief, unmistakable pause.