Chapter 988: From the Countryside

In front of the Long Family's main gate, a woman dressed in an elegant, plain skirt stood quietly with a group of people. Some of them showed signs of impatience, glancing around and occasionally whispering to each other through voice transmission.

Long Xuan said with a slightly grave expression, "Mother, they're all saying that the bet between our branch and the second branch was too hasty."

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The woman in the plain skirt smiled and gently touched Long Xuan's hair. "Our branch currently only has your father, a Loose Immortal, holding it up. The ancestors above have already passed away. Now that the second branch is pushing us, if we don't respond, it might attract more flies smelling sweetness, swarming in. By then... we won't be able to keep even the last nine cities under our control."

Long Xuan frowned, her words filled with dissatisfaction and confusion. "Why are they so aggressive? Our branch has already declined, and now they're eyeing even the last nine cities and trying to take them away?"

The woman sighed softly. "Ah, you're still young. Only when we lose everything and become useless dependents of the family will they truly feel at ease."

Long Xuan was about to speak again when she suddenly saw a group of cultivators arriving through the air. She quickly closed her mouth and called out joyfully, "Father!"

Li Changsheng nodded with a smile, then walked up to the woman in the plain skirt and said softly, "I'm back."

The woman smiled. "It's good that you're back. Did everything go smoothly? I heard that something happened over there recently. Someone killed Sun Yi from the Sun family and the split souls of several Great Sun Sect disciples. Now the Sun family is furious and says they're going to cause trouble for our Long family."

"Don't worry. As long as the Long family wins the Sword Burial Heavenly Step, what can the Sun family do?" Li Changsheng chuckled. "The one who killed Sun Yi and the other' split souls is this young man I mentioned to you before."

Curiosity appeared on the woman's face as she looked at Fang Chen and the others.

Yan Kun stepped forward respectfully. "I, Yan Kun, pay my respects to you, MadamMaster's wife.."

The group clasped their fist and bowed. "We pay our respects."

The disciples of the main branch examined the sword cultivator before them with an air of arrogance.

Some sword cultivators who worked for the Long family were also observing from a distance.

The woman in the plain skirt nodded with a smile and was about to speak when a group of cultivators approached from behind. The leader was a man in his forties with a goatee. One of his hands was behind his back, while the other was constantly stroking his beard.

His gaze swept over Fang Chen and the others before landing on Li Changsheng and the woman. He couldn't help but laugh.

"Brother-in-law, you're back. Are these the little kids you brought this time to participate in the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps bet?"

Li Changsheng smiled, holding the woman's hand as he looked at the newcomer. "Long Ao, the day of the wager is approaching. How are the sword cultivators from your second branch coming along?"

Fang Chen was observing the scene with his primordial soul.

This person is only an Immortal King, yet he can act so casually in front of Li Changsheng. The disdain in his voice is subtle, but it's there. He must be a direct descendant of the Long Family.

Long Ao said with a laugh, "Don't worry. The second branch has gathered over five hundred talented sword cultivators this time. I heard you also approached them? What a pity. They felt it was more appropriate to work for the second branch, so they didn't accept your invitation."

Bai Qingming and the others were surprised.

So, Li Changsheng couldn't find any sword cultivators here to help, which was why he went back to his hometown to recruit people?

The woman in the plain skirt spoke softly. "My husband has just returned and is tired from the journey. I'm afraid he won't be able to entertain you, Cousin. Please make yourself at home."

Long Ao chuckled. "Cousin, don't be so distant. This is the Long Family. Do I need someone to entertain me?"

He walked up to Fang Chen and the others, clicking his tongue. "These little kids are the ones you brought from the countryside, right? Sword cultivators from the countryside, who don't eat as well as those in the Land of Imprisoned Winds, nor use good resources—do you really think they can achieve outstanding results in the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps?"

Apart from Yan Kun, the expressions of the other sword cultivators darkened. Even Bai Qingming glanced at him, looking somewhat displeased.

"Those from the countryside have their own advantages. In the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps, everyone is equal. It's not about resources," Li Changsheng said with a faint smile. "As my wife just said, I'm tired from the journey. Please make yourself at home."

"Wait." Long Ao waved his hand. "Some time ago, the Sun family sent a letter saying that someone from your place not only killed the split soul of Sun Yi from the Sun family but also humiliated him. Is that true?"

The sword cultivators were slightly stunned.

Yan Kun's expression turned peculiar. He had heard of Sun Yi's reputation—a promising young descendant from the Sun family's main branch with a bright future ahead.

He thought,

Sun Yu has come to our place? And his split soul has apparently died there too?

Even in the Prison Wind Lands, where strong cultivators abound, getting a split soul destroyed at the Soul Splitting Realm would cause significant damage to the foundation, inevitably making the path of cultivation more difficult.

"It's just a misunderstanding among juniors. Besides, the Sun family's descendants shouldn't have been there in the first place." Li Changsheng shook his head with a smile. "You don't need to worry about this matter. It has nothing to do with our Long Family."

Long Ao sighed. "I can't ignore it."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Changsheng's expression changed slightly. He fixed his gaze on Long Ao, as if waiting for what he would say next.

Long Ao said indifferently, "Although our Long Family doesn't get along with the Sun family, we are all descendants of great clans. Even if the Long Family loses this time in the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps, it won't be a devastating blow. The great clans will remain great clans. But a descendant of a great clan was injured and humiliated by a lowly sword cultivator. Tell me, how can we sit back and do nothing? Today he injured Sun Yi; tomorrow, will it be one of our Long family's descendants?"

The disciples of the main branch nearby pondered this, and on this point, they shared Long Ao's opinion.

That... does make some sense...

Even if a descendant of a great clan were to die, they should die at the hands of a worthy opponent, not a lowly sword cultivator who is as insignificant as an ant. Sword cultivators are only fit to charge into battle and serve as cannon fodder. How dare they overstep their bounds and defy the natural order?

Bai Lingyue and the others' expressions grew increasingly grim, but they suppressed their anger.

Lowly sword cultivators... As Ancestor Li said, this place truly has no respect for sword cultivators...

Seeing that Li Changsheng remained silent, Long Ao's gaze shifted and landed on Fang Chen. After scrutinizing him for a moment, he smiled and said, "You can take the others with you, but leave this boy to me."

The Long Family disciples exchanged glances, and the nearby sword cultivators also turned their eyes to Fang Chen, looking visibly surprised.

They had heard about that incident. To be honest, they were actually satisfied with how that matter had been handled, but they wouldn't dare openly voice these thoughts. If any sword cultivator were to do what was rumored, regardless of which family they belonged to, they would surely be crushed to pieces!

Bai Qingming looked stunned, thinking of Wang Zhen Long's earlier instructions. He could feel a headache coming their way. "Junior Brother, it wasn't you, was it?"

Fang Chen had already offended a big shot in the Prison Wind Lands before even arriving? No way right?

Bai Lingyue and the others were also taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes.

Didn't he just mention a split soul?

Could it be that this one from the Void Immortal Sword Sect... is already capable of killing split souls?

Bai Lingyue suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. If this were true, the person before him was undoubtedly a monster.