Chapter 228: Farewell, Fellow Cultivator Fang. May We Meet Again

A commotion arose in the Imperial Garden as the hundred-foot-long earth dragons resembling colossal beasts descended from the heavens, exposing half of their monstrous frames to the eyes of the citizens of the capital.

The masses entered into a state of panic; they had never seen such a terrifying sight before!

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the civil and military officials who were carefully watching Zhao Yan and the others transcribe the martial arts scriptures were also startled by the commotion.

A eunuch hurriedly ran into the pavilion, his face full of fear. "Something bad has happened! Four giant dragons have appeared in the Imperial Garden!"

"Xu Ge, Tie Ma, don't get distracted. The lord will handle it," said Zhao Yan in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the two men, who had been about to stand up, repressed their doubts and continued to do their work.

However, the civil and military officials walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony one after another. At a glance, they saw the four hundred-foot-long giant dragons in the direction of the Imperial Garden. It was the first time they had seen such terrifying and majestic creatures, and the invisible pressure made it hard for them to breathe!

"Duke Fang and His Majesty are both in the Imperial Garden!" exclaimed the fifth prince.

"Could this be Duke Fang's doing?" An official couldn't help but speculate.

Jiang Yushu shook his head slightly. "Duke Fang is not someone who enjoys showing off. An immortal master must’ve arrived. We just don't know if they're a friend or a foe."

Among the crowd, Li Guozhu wore a strange expression, seemingly somewhat expectant and worried at the same time.

"No matter what happens, we must protect His Majesty!" said Tao Mingsheng solemnly.

The minister of war, Ye Dongming, immediately led the way toward the Imperial Garden as he ordered the guards to follow him.

When the civil and military officials arrived at the Imperial Garden, they saw scattered corpses everywhere. Some were torn in half, while others were crushed into minced meat. These bodies belonged to palace maids, eunuchs, and Valiant Saber Guards. There were even dead Imperial Garden guards, those who stood watch over this place year-round.

The four massive earth dragons roared and clawed, while beneath them stood a slightly hunched old Daoist, silently facing Fang Chen.

Li Guozhu's expression became even stranger when he saw the old Daoist.

"Don't get any closer. We cannot intervene in a fight between immortal masters," reminded Jiang Yushu.

The civil and military officials had no choice but to halt their steps, their faces somewhat anxious. They didn't know who the old Daoist was, or why he suddenly attacked the Great Xia Imperial Palace.

"Is... is this the power of an immortal master?" muttered Ji Lengxing. He and his Nightmare Knights were left shocked. They had seen immortal masters act before, but compared to this immortal master before them, the others seemed to have only scraped the surface of what it meant to be an immortal master. These four hundred-foot-long earth dragons were terrifying. Perhaps even one of them could easily destroy the capital of the Frost Water Empire!

"D-Duke... Duke Fang... he..." Xia Yuan's eyes were panicked as he subconsciously tucked at the hems of Fang Chen's clothes.

The palace maid Xiangzhen stepped forward, shielding Xia Yuan with her own body, afraid that he might suffer an accident.

The old Daoist observed Fang Chen for a moment before he finally opened his mouth. "Are you... Fang Chen of Great Xia?"

"And who might you be?" asked Fang Chen calmly.

"I am the master of the Clear Sky Monastery. I wonder if you’ve heard of me, Fellow Daoist Fang?" said the old Daoist.

Clear Sky Monastery?

Everyone racked their brains but couldn't figure out what that Clear Sky Monastery was, or where it could be.

Their knowledge was only so little, after all. Clear Sky Monastery aside, they couldn’t have imagined that in the vast overseas regions, there existed countless islands that harbored myriads of creatures.

"So, you are the master of the Clear Sky Monastery." Fang Chen smiled. "I wonder why you've come here? And why you have harmed these innocent mortals. Aren't you afraid of karmic entanglements? Don’t you fear the ‘Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations’?"

"Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations?" The old Daoist sneered. "I haven't even established my foundations. What qualifications do I have to face ‘Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations’? To me, the lives of mortals are as insignificant as the lives of ants. When I'm in a good mood, I might overlook them, but when I'm not, I’ll just crush them with my foot."

A chill rose in everyone's hearts. So, they were as insignificant as ants in the eyes of cultivators, easily crushed at will?

The old Daoist continued, "I didn't come here to waste my words on you. According to my disciple, the martial technique obtained from the Dragon Ridge Lane auction is on you, right?"

"That's correct." Fang Chen nodded lightly. "Do you wish to take it back, Daoist?"

"It belongs to my monsterary. I kindly ask you to return it," said the old Daoist with a faint smile.

"And what If I don't want to hand it to you?" asked Fang Chen.

The corner of the old Daoist's mouth lifted slightly. "Fang Chen, my young friend, do you think that because you’ve defeated the Clear Void Poison King that you are now invincible? Have you ever fought against someone at the twelfth level of Qi Refining? Do you know... that I can kill everyone in this city with just a snap of my fingers?"

The crowd gulped nervously at those words. If things took a wrong turn today, the capital of Great Xia might face utter destruction! If the capital were destroyed, the entire Great Xia would collapse in an instant!

Fang Chen pondered for a moment, then took out a jade slip and threw it to the old Daoist.

"I haven't touched this jade slip. The cultivation technique you’re looking for should be inside," said Fang Chen indifferently.

The expressions of the civil and military officials turned strange, and Ji Lengxing subconsciously glanced at Fang Chen. It seemed that even Fang Chen was wary of the strength of the old Daoist before them!

The old Daoist took the jade slip and slowly infused it with his spiritual power. After a while, he nodded faintly. "This is it,” he said. He then looked at Li Guozhu. "Your son betrayed me, his master, and shamed his ancestors. He’s not dead, but he’ll remain in the Clear Sky Monsterary as a test subject for alchemy. Do you have any words you want me to relay to him? This is your last chance, as the two of you won't see each other again."

The crowd’s attention turned toward Li Guozhu, their eyes full of shock.

"What!?"

Jiang Yushu furrowed his brow slightly.

The fifth prince took in a sharp breath, and a hint of coldness crept into his gaze as he looked at Li Guozhu.

Li Guozhu seemed stunned by the sudden exposure of their relationship. His eyes flashed with astonishment, then he exclaimed, "My son betrayed you and shamed his ancestors? There must be a misunderstanding somewhere. He couldn't have possibly done such a thing!"

"My senior disciple died by his hand." the old Daoist sneered. "No need for excuses. If you have any words for him, I will deliver them."

Li Guozhu's mind was in a whirl, completely muddled.

Seeing that Li Guozhu had sunk into confusion and internal turmoil, the old Daoist decided not to pay him any more heed. He glanced at Fang Chen and said calmly, “May we meet again, friend."

In the next moment, with a thunderous roar, the four earth dragons exploded into dust that scattered in all directions, obscuring everyone’s vision.

By the time the dust settled, the old Daoist had disappeared without a trace.

The Imperial Garden was in ruins, and silence fell over everyone.

Fang Chen looked at Xia Yuan. "Your Majesty, have you witnessed the abilities of these ‘cultivators’?"

"Yes, I have," replied Xia Yuan, gulping.

"So, you must strive. Someday, Great Xia will be strong enough to resist these ‘cultivators’ and their blatant aggression," said Fang Chen, patting Xia Yuan's shoulder gently before leading Liu Mu and the others away.

Leaving the palace, Ji Lengxing gathered his courage and said, "Lord Fang, may I see my brother?"

"No need. You have completed your mission. You can leave now."

Ji Lengxing's expression stiffened, and he immediately nodded. "Yes, then we will take our leave."

After they left, Fang Chen didn’t remain for long, he took Liu Mu and left for the southern region.