Chapter 679: Paths That Do Not Converge

"It seems this is... the end of today's events." Ancestor Qingmu smiled slightly, taking the little girl's hand. He turned to Fang Chen and said, "Junior Brother Fang, you're welcome to visit Greenwood Sect whenever you have the time. Your first tribulation hasn't arrived yet, right? Here's a Vast Origin Fruit for you. If you feel can't pass your tribulation, just eat this."

He handed Fang Chen a Vast Origin Fruit, then smiled at Hong Qing. "Come back with me to Greenwood Sect. Junior Brother Fang has the protection of the Void Immortal Sword Sect to shield him from the Great Expansion Dao Gate. But you don't have anyone; we brothers must look out for each other."

Daoist Hong Qing smiled wryly. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

He nodded at Fang Chen before flying away with Ancestor Qingmu.

Fang Chen had many questions he wanted to ask Ancestor Qingmu but hadn't expected him to leave so abruptly. He could only wait for another opportunity to discuss them later.

When Senior Yun He had nodded at him earlier, a sense of familiarity appeared in his eyes, reminding him of their first meeting back at Grand Xia.

This made him realize that the confusion that Senior Yun He portrayed to the world was likely a facade. Senior Yun He being a residual soul was likely the same too. The complexities and realities behind it all, along with the signs pointing to Yun He's careful maneuvering toward some goal, hinted that there was much more at play.

As for the truth of the matter, he could only speculate. The secrets of the cultivation world were numerous, and he was merely a novice who had just stepped into this path. Those matters were of little relevance to him; all he could do was focus on improving his cultivation and eliminating more Spirit Blood Sect cultivators.

At that moment, an Enlightenment Realm cultivator appeared and cupped his fist, calling out, "Daoist Fang, the Young Master requests your presence."

Not far away, Gai Hong smiled at Fang Chen, while Gai Yunnuo had a sullen expression.

"No need; I've offended quite a few people today. I don't want to cause any trouble for your young master," replied Fang Chen, smiling

With that, he turned and left, flying over to the side of the Void Immortal Sword Sect.

Seeing Fang Chen unwilling to come over, Gai Hong could only sigh helplessly.

The Ninth Young Master chuckled. "Brother Gai, you should not lament over paths that do not converge."

Gai Hong nodded. "Indeed."

When Fang Chen returned to their side, the peak masters and disciples looked at Fang Chen with strange expressions.

It was rare for someone to hold the identities of both the heir of the Heavenly Cloud Emperor and a disciple of the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Not to mention the terrifying abilities that the Heavenly Cloud Emperor had just demonstrated—if that was merely the tip of the iceberg, one could hardly imagine the extent of his power.

"Was the technique you used earlier the Spiritual Attachment Technique, my dear disciple?" Wang Zhenlong asked, smiling at Fang Chen.

Everyone perked up their ears, curious to hear his response.

Fang Chen nodded lightly. "Indeed, it was the Spiritual Attachment Technique."

A bearded sword cultivator furrowed his brows, mumbling to himself. "So Dao techniques are truly as impressive as rumored...."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Exactly, exactly! You used it to question the Dao and made three major Dao Sects make a run for it. Great spirit!" Wang Zhenlong acknowledged Fang Chen, then changed the subject. "But you also need to remember that you are a disciple of the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Since you questioned the Dao, shouldn't you also inquire about the sword?"

Fang Chen was taken aback. "Master, are you saying I should go over to the Great Expansion Dao Gate and question the sword right now?"

"If not, we should also pay a visit. Since we're all out here, it would be a waste of time to just sit around."

The masters of the various peaks brightened at this suggestion, and the disciples showed excited expressions, eager to give it a try.

"Many of them died today. If you go question the sword now, they might act out of desperation. It's better to wait." Wang Zhenlong shook his head. "At least give them three to five months to calm down. Moreover..."

He shifted his gaze in a certain direction and coldly sneered. "The clowns from the Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper sects will also be showing up. You have more important things to attend to."

Fang Chen's thoughts stirred slightly.

Clowns from Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper?!

The peak masters exchanged glances, and their expressions instantly turned serious. Before anyone could respond, Wang Zhenlong had already led them away, transforming into swords as they departed.

The crowd looked at each other in confusion. Eventually, their gazes settled on Qin Hucheng. After all, among the disciples, he was the one with the highest cultivation level.

"Senior Brother Qin, are Supreme Emperor Wang and the others going to stir up trouble with Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper?" asked Jing Xu with uncertainty in his tone.

Qin Hucheng nodded slightly, a smile on his face. "I heard that last time when the two seniors had a duel, Celestial Heaven and Northern ambushed us, taking away the inheritance left behind. We suffered a terrible defeat in that encounter. The sect sustained heavy losses. Back then, Supreme Emperor Wang was not much different in strength from you all, and his father was killed by a sword cultivator from one of the branches of Celestial Heaven."

"This time, it seems that Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper are making their move again. I doubt the seniors will let them off too easily."

After a pause, Qin Hucheng's gaze swept over Fang Chen and the others as he said softly, "You all can't interfere in this kind of duel, so just focus on what you need to do. Be cautious and don't leave any openings for them to exploit."

After giving a few reminders, Qin Hucheng transformed into a sword and departed, clearly keen on becoming a participant in this upcoming confrontation.

"I wonder if Supreme Emperor Wang and the others will be in danger..." asked Langya Wenqiu with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Cheng Yu replied with a furrowed brow, "They should be fine."

Wang Hu seemed hesitant to speak.

Jing Xu let out a soft sigh. "I heard that among the sword cultivators of Celestial Heaven... a true First Rate Sect Leader has emerged."

Someone exclaimed in disbelief. "Is that true? Our lifespan as sword cultivators is only so short. A sword cultivator can really transition into an immortal?"

Jing Xu shook his head. "I don't know whether this news is true or false. Naturally, I hope it's false. But if it's true, it wouldn't be good news for Supreme Emperor Wang and the others."

The atmosphere grew tense.

First Rate Sect Leader....

They all understood that sword cultivators at that level, while not First Rate Sect Leaders themselves, could rival them in power. If one truly entered the ranks of First Rate Sect Leaders, their abilities would be even more unfathomable, and who could say that their swords couldn't cut down anything?

Seeing their solemn faces, Jing Xu comforted them. "You all don't need to worry too much. When facing Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper, the various forces in Central Continent will not stand idly by."

After chatting for a while, he and the others departed, leaving only the cultivators planning to head to the Ancient Immortal Road.

Those cultivators formed a group and flew deeper into the Ancient Demon Wasteland.

The people around watched them as they flew by. There was a mix of envy and apprehension in their eyes as they looked at them. That was particularly the case when looking at Fang Chen, whose presence inspired even greater caution.

In the shadows, several figures stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, retracting their gazes from Fang Chen and the others. One of them turned to his companion, Xu Qingsong, and said, "Are you just going to let him go? He questioned the Great Expansion Dao Gate and killed many of your Enlightenment Realm cultivators, causing significant losses."

Since the incident at Immortal Dynasty Manor, Xu Qingsong's reputation had been tarnished, and he hadn't come down from the mountain for a long time. Now that he saw Fang Chen again, old grudges and new animosities surged within him. Beneath his calm exterior, there was a raging intent to kill.

"Haha, among the Three Great Dao sects, your Great Expansion Dao Sect has suffered the most losses. The Morning Star Sect and the Innate Dao Sect have not been impacted as much. If your sect doesn't make a statement, people might look at you with disdain and contempt," another Daoist said, stroking his beard with a chuckle.

Xu Qingsong's expression darkened. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly took out a transmission talisman, glanced at it, and said faintly to the others, "The Ninth Prince wishes to see us."

The others exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.