Chapter 209: Gathering Of Heavenly Rankers (1)

"Hehe, do you fear for my safety, Young Master?" Fang Xia chuckled, "We cannot disregard Meng Cai's words completely, but they may not be entirely trustworthy either."

Wu Yuan nodded. After surviving a brush with death, Meng Cai immediately expressed his goodwill by providing that information? It was uncertain if the news held any truth.

"Considering Imperator Jin's age, it’s not surprising that he still lives," Fang Xia said slowly, "Ninth-stage Qi Sea phase? With his talent and strength, reaching such a level is unsurprising, but Young Master need not worry. Great Jin may be powerful, but my recent elimination of Wu Jianzhong was not just an act of plunder. It was also to make a statement.”

“Great Jin’s three holy sanctuaries seem mighty, but leaving aside the Jin royal family's holy sanctuary, would the Yuanxia Palace and Starsea Pavilion willingly submit to Great Jin's authority?"

"If their loyalty is genuine, there would be no need for them to split into three major forces. When the rewards outweigh the risks, cultivators from the Yuanxia Palace and Starsea Pavilion will naturally align themselves with Great Jin. But when the risks are too great, with a possibility of endangering their lives, they will remain mere spectators."

"As for the Starcom Consortium? Hmph! This faction has maintained its strength for a millennium. Though they claim neutrality, they secretly sow chaos throughout the world. Nevertheless, their strength is genuinely formidable. Wan Xing is the individual I fear the most," Fang Xia said in a low voice, "To my knowledge, even before Imperator Jin's rise, Wan Xing was already hailed as the world's strongest expert. Given his age, he must be nearing 500 years old. He is the most likely person to reach the Golden Core phase," Fang Xia stated.

"The Golden Core phase?" Wu Yuan's pupils constricted.

"It is a possibility," Fang Xia said softly, "However, since he allowed Great Jin to expand repeatedly, the chances of him being a Golden Core Superior are very slim. In the last battle, we asserted our dominance. If the Cloudstride Sect exhibits weakness, these factions will swarm us. If we prove too strong, threatening their lives, it will make them cautious."

"For now, we just need to buy ourselves some time until the killing array is fully set up. Then, we will be invincible on our home turf," Fang Xia said with a grin, "And Young Master will have all the time in the world to cultivate."

Wu Yuan responded with a bitter smile.

"Fang Xia, that may hold true. But if we didn’t kill Wu Jianzhong today, we wouldn’t have made an enemy out of the Starcom Consortium, am I correct?" Wu Yuan questioned, his brow furrowing.

Before the event just now, there weren’t any unforgivable grievances between the Cloudstride Sect and the Starcom Consortium.

"Since he dared to attack Young Master, he deserved to die." Fang Xia chuckled. "If we decide to attack them in the future, it will be hard to argue our case. But this was a case of retaliation in self-defense, no one can fault us."

"Among all the factions in the Middle Land, the Starcom Consortium has amassed the greatest quantity of wealth and treasures!" Fang Xia exclaimed.

"Take Wu Jianzhong, for instance. His storage artifact contains an abundance of valuable materials, sufficient to forge numerous pieces of spirit equipment!"

Wu Yuan gave a resigned smile.

...

After bidding Fang Xia farewell, Wu Yuan made his way back to his own residence. Wu Qiming, his mother Wanqin, his sister Wu Yijun, and a retinue of maidservants and servants awaited him in the courtyard house.

"Heavens Heir." The maidservants and servants greeted Wu Yuan, their relief evident.

Just after Wu Yuan had disappeared, a fierce battle erupted in the sky above Cloudhill. Should any harm have befallen him, it would not bode well for the maidservants and servants.

"You may all leave." Wu Yuan instructed, then returned to the main hall where his family awaited.

"Wu Yuan, what happened just now?" Wu Qiming immediately asked, gesturing upwards.

"It was a skirmish among Heavenly Rankers," Wu Yuan chuckled, “Ancestor Fang Xia protected us.”

Wu Qiming and Wanqin were both taken aback.

"Fang Xia?" Wu Yijun's jaw dropped in astonishment, "Isn't he the legendary ancestor of our Cloudstride Sect? I thought he was dead."

Though martial artists were practitioners of the martial arts, it was important that they didn’t neglect cultural studies either. Educating themselves through literature and cultivating one's moral character was integral to shaping one's perspective and values, greatly enhancing the development of one's martial spirit. Thus, the elementary martial academies under the Cloudstride Sect included requisite cultural subjects in their curriculum. The sect's history was naturally an important component.

"It was reported that the ancestor had passed away," Wu Yuan smiled, "but he lives on, and will continue living for a long time."

Even if he failed to advance to the Golden Core phase, Fang Xia could still enjoy 200 more years of life.

"Alright. Chieftain, Mother, you should consume the Redwood Spirit Fruit." Wu Yuan stated, "Little Yi, come eat this fruit, it’s really sweet."

Without delay, Wu Yuan personally watched over Wu Qiming, his mother Wanqin, and his sister Wu Yijun as they consumed the Redwood Spirit Fruit. Only then did he allow himself to relax.

Digesting the Redwood Spirit Fruit would take several days, hence Wu Yuan allocated a meditation chamber for each family member and instructed the servants to look after them.

Wu Yuan then returned to his own meditation chamber and resumed his cultivation.

Late into the night, in the middle of perceiving the profundity of the land, Wu Yuan abruptly opened his eyes.

Such a fascinating fluctuation—has Old Fang's monitoring array finally been established?

Just now, Wu Yuan’s Soul Force had picked up on a ripple of energy passing through him, then surging into the distance.

Continue.

He didn’t continue paying attention to it.

As the first light of dawn shone, a faint smile appeared on Wu Yuan’s face.

Finally, the amount of heaven and earth's power I can command has reached 120,000 catties.

After reaching Unity, each cultivator faced two major thresholds. The first was to control 120,000 catties of heaven and earth's power. The second was to control 200,000 catties.

Despite years of cultivation, The Sword Hierarch remains stuck at the first step, unable to break through.

On the other hand, with my Terranean Body and the perception of my soul sense, I was able to shatter this bottleneck in a mere few days.

The advantages of his Terranean Body, coupled with a powerful soul, became increasingly apparent to him. The speed at which he comprehended the profundity of the land was nothing short of astonishing.

The profundity of the land.

He sensed its vastness, warmth, and weightiness. It was this process of perception and understanding that fueled his swift mastery of heaven and earth's power.

For Qi Sea phase cultivators, heaven and earth's powers often resembled a vague haze in their perception, hindering their progress.

But compared to Old Fang?

Wu Yuan recalled that massive golden palm, devoid of any spiritual qi fluctuations. It was a pure convergence of heaven and earth's power, the power of a Domain!

To measure it in terms of catties would be an insult.

He sighed inwardly and swallowed his pride.

I still have much to learn.

With that, he refocused his attention on his cultivation.

...

The sun began its ascent over the Yan Continent. Nestled at the northeastern edge of the Central Plains, and the northernmost point of the Middle Land, the Yan Continent earned the nickname: Land of Bitter Cold. Still, its climate was far more hospitable than the vast plains of the Bei Continent. Its unique blend of prairie tribes and agricultural societies gave rise to a culture unlike any other.

Deep within the northern reaches of the Yan Continent stood the Divine Bull Mountain, a modest peak amidst the sprawling expanse of the Northern Mountain Range. Though not a popular tourist spot, hardly anyone would suspect that a Heavenly Ranker resided in secluded cultivation there.

Veiled in perpetual snow and enclosed by treacherous cliffs, an unassuming cave was hollowed out into the mountaintop. Apart from several jade platforms, the space didn’t contain any decorations or furniture.

"Brother," a young man clad in green robes bowed deferentially. If Wu Yuan were present, he would have recognized the young man as Meng Cai. In a matter of hours, he had crossed thousands of li to reach the Divine Bull Mountain.

On the central jade platform sat a bare-chested, unkempt man, his muscles rippling with strength. "Wu Jianzhong is dead?"