Chapter 21: Meeting Zhou Xue Again

After entering the town, Fang Wang and Zhou Xingshi did not immediately seek out anyone to inquire about Fang Hanyu’s whereabouts; instead, they first strolled about, observing their surroundings. Previously, Fang Wang had asked Zhou Xingshi how to discern a demonic cultivator. Zhou Xingshi’s reply was that one should not judge by appearance or aura, but rather by the environment and their actions.

Cultivators of every stripe mingled in this settlement, making it temporarily impossible to determine the town’s allegiance. As they moved along, Fang Wang caught wind of numerous sects and noble families being mentioned. The place truly seemed to be a marketplace where independent cultivators converged—shops for trading cultivation resources lined the streets, and there was no official patrol in sight.

“You stay here. I’ll go investigate alone,” Zhou Xingshi sent his voice to Fang Wang.

Fang Wang replied in the same manner, “How can that be? You’re here to help me—how can I do nothing at all?”

“I may hail from an immortal cultivation family, but I have roamed the world since the age of ten. I know my way around the cultivation realm and am confident I’ll uncover a clue about Fang Hanyu. You’re the stronger one. If danger comes, your intervention may be necessary. With so many cultivators in this town, I suspect something truly significant is afoot. It’s better for us to split up,” Zhou Xingshi explained via voice transmission.

After some thought, Fang Wang agreed. His knowledge of the cultivation world was indeed inferior to Zhou Xingshi’s.

The two soon found an inn, booked a room, and parted ways—Fang Wang went upstairs while Zhou Xingshi left to continue his search.

Inside the guest room, Fang Wang closed the door, sat down on the bed, and began to cultivate. Though only at the third level of the Spirit-Molding Realm, he was confident he could sweep aside others at the same stage. After all, he had mastered so many consummate arts, and he possessed the Celestial Palace Halberd, which was suspected to be a Heaven-Origin Treasure Spirit.

Still, despite his inner confidence, he did not wish to waste time. Even the most formidable inner strength required time to accumulate cultivation.

As the sun set and the moon rose, night fell, and the little town grew silent. Now and then, Fang Wang sensed presences flitting past his window—clearly, the night would not be peaceful. As long as no one disturbed him, he had no desire to venture out.

The night passed.

With sunrise, the town bustled to life once more. The streets were lively and noisy, and with Fang Wang's keen hearing, he caught fragments of conversations:

“A disciple of Green Cicada Valley was found dead on the eastern bridge.”

“Who did it? Could it be Yellow Prison Mountain?”

“Those two sects have been awfully active lately, as if they're searching for something.”

“I heard that the ruins of a grand cultivator from Supreme Vastness Sect were discovered five hundred miles west, in the demon lands.”

“That poor soul died horribly—his eyes were gouged out.”

Within his room, Fang Wang slowly opened his eyes. The news had already spread, which would only complicate finding Fang Hanyu.

He would have to set aside his cultivation of the Heavenly Firmament Sacred Physique for now; it could not be forced.

Fang Wang weighed his options and decided that once he found Fang Hanyu, he would leave immediately.

But Zhou Xingshi had not returned all night—could he have run into trouble?

Fang Wang’s eyes flickered with suspicion. He remained wary of Zhou Xingshi, concerned that Guang Qiuxian and Yang Yuanzi might have designs on him. Yet on second thought, with his meager Spirit-Molding cultivation, if those two truly coveted his treasure spirit, why would they resort to such elaborate schemes?

Suppressing his doubts, he decided to wait. If Zhou Xingshi had not returned by noon, he would act alone.

Fortunately, things were not as dire as he feared. An hour later, Zhou Xingshi returned.

Upon entering, Zhou Xingshi shut all the doors and windows.

“The situation is dire. It seems our disciples really have obtained a legacy. Both Green Cicada Valley and Yellow Prison Mountain are searching for any sign of Taiyuan Sect disciples,” Zhou Xingshi said, seating himself before Fang Wang and still speaking via voice transmission.

Fang Wang asked in the same manner, “Have you learned anything about Fang Hanyu’s whereabouts?”

“Four months ago, Fang Hanyu was indeed seen in this town. He was pursued by Green Cicada Valley and fled into the mountains. Many local merchants witnessed it…”

Zhou Xingshi hesitated for a moment, then continued, “He’s been hunted for four months and still hasn’t returned to the sect. I fear he may be…”

He left the sentence unfinished, but Fang Wang understood—unlikely to have survived.

Fang Wang frowned. He and Fang Hanyu had only been close as children, but regardless, they shared the same surname, and he had promised Zhou Xue to look after their kin.

“By the way, Zhou Xue is one of your clan, isn’t she? Can she be trusted?” Zhou Xingshi suddenly asked.

Fang Wang raised an eyebrow. “Why ask? Have you seen her?”

“I have. She was the one who killed the Green Cicada Valley disciple last night. Her methods were ruthless—she used the sect’s own technique to gouge out both his eyes…”

At this, Zhou Xingshi could not help but shudder, fear filling his eyes.

To Fang Wang’s surprise, he felt rather delighted. If Zhou Xue was here, their chances of finding Fang Hanyu would improve.

He replied by transmission, “She can be trusted. She and I have survived life and death together. When you saw her, did she notice you?”

He was skeptical—no matter how experienced Zhou Xingshi was, could he really compare to Zhou Xue?

Zhou Xingshi shook his head and was about to answer when the door suddenly swung open, startling them both to their feet. They looked up to see a woman in red, wearing a bamboo hat, enter the room. She lifted her head, her gaze supremely confident as she looked down upon them.

Who else could it be but Zhou Xue?

“You—”

Zhou Xingshi was aghast and instinctively shielded Fang Wang.

Zhou Xue laughed. “So, there’s a Taiyuan Sect disciple investigating Fang Hanyu. That boy has some talent, but he started late and needs time to mature. The sect shouldn't care too much about him. So you’re the one behind this? How did you two end up together?”

After months apart, Zhou Xue’s presence was even more imposing. Fang Wang still could not discern her cultivation.

No, he must learn the method by which she concealed her cultivation!

Fang Wang said helplessly, “Could you shut the door before we talk?”

With a wave of her hand, Zhou Xue closed the door behind her from across the room. She sat herself at the table and said impatiently, “Everyone in the inn is out watching the commotion. You two are cautious enough to use voice transmission, but coming here at all is reckless. The Supreme Vastness Sect’s legacy is now public knowledge. Even at the Spirit-Molding Realm, you’re in grave danger.”

Her gaze fell on Fang Wang, intense enough to make him uneasy.

Fang Wang coughed, “I had no choice. Fang Hanyu disappeared, and you asked me to look after them.”

“I asked you to take care of them within the sect. Why run off like this? You’ve been at Taiyuan Sect less than a year and are already at the third level of the Spirit-Molding Realm. You should be focused on cultivation—within ten years, you might reach the Spirit-Pill Realm. Then you could roam the world as you pleased,” Zhou Xue scolded, exasperated.

Zhou Xingshi moved aside, curious about the closeness between Zhou Xue and Fang Wang. What shocked him even more was that Fang Wang had reached the third layer of Spirit-Molding Realm—only one day apart in their breakthroughs, yet he himself had not advanced past the second layer.

Was this the difference between a Profound-Origin Treasure Spirit and a Heaven-Origin Treasure Spirit?

Fang Wang did not mind Zhou Xue’s rebuke. Instead, he felt a warmth within him. In this unfamiliar land, with his kin’s fate uncertain and himself caught in a dilemma, Zhou Xue’s arrival brought hope.

After all, she was the reincarnation of an Immortal Sovereign. With her, his chances of survival were far greater.

“By the way, what grade is your treasure spirit? Have you reached the Earth-Origin level?” Zhou Xue asked.

Life-bound treasure spirits were special; unless one revealed them, outsiders found it nearly impossible to discern their grade. It was said such spirits resided within the soul itself, beyond the reach of even spiritual perception.

Fang Wang nodded. Before wielding the Celestial Palace Halberd, his sword-shaped treasure spirit had indeed reached Earth-Origin grade. Zhou Xue’s sharp eyes had seen right through him.

Inwardly, Zhou Xingshi seethed—Earth-Origin? It was a Heaven-Origin Treasure Spirit, damn it!

It was precisely because Fang Wang’s life-bound treasure spirit was of the highest grade that he now found himself cornered by three people, unable to decide whom to trust.

“Let’s talk about Fang Hanyu. Weren’t you planning to leave for several years? Once we find him, I’ll take him back and you can continue your travels,” Fang Wang said, shifting the topic. The longer they tarried, the greater the risk to Fang Hanyu.

Zhou Xue’s expression sobered. “He’s not dead yet. As for how I know, I can’t tell you for now. I’ll rescue him. You two return to the righteous lands and wait for me.”

Fang Wang frowned. “Zhou Xue, let me help you. No matter what, we started cultivating at the same time—our strengths can’t be that far apart.”

Zhou Xingshi stood aside, unwilling to speak too plainly.

Zhou Xue recalled the night of her clan’s annihilation. That night, her negligence had nearly cost everything; had it not been for Fang Wang’s intervention, she would have had to abandon the Fang family and escape alone, burdened by a blood feud as in her previous life, instead of living so freely as now.

“This mission may pit us against an expert at the ninth layer of Spirit-Molding. Prepare yourselves,” Zhou Xue said gravely.

Zhou Xingshi’s eyelids twitched, and he clenched his fists.

Fang Wang asked in surprise, “Are you sure there won’t be any Spirit-Pill Realm experts?”

Zhou Xue shot him a look. “Based on my investigation, there’s a ninety percent chance.”

Fang Wang immediately understood—Zhou Xue likely had knowledge from her previous life or had participated in the events herself, hence her certainty. The remaining ten percent was the unpredictable; nothing is ever absolute.

“Then let’s go!” Fang Wang said, his voice resolute.

The ninth layer of Spirit-Molding?

Could it withstand a Heaven-Origin Treasure Spirit, the perfected Xuan Yang Divine Art, the consummate Jinghong Divine Sword Technique, the perfected Grand Heaven Lightning Summoning…?

Fang Wang had always been driven to pursue the utmost strength, and he was keen to test his current limits.

If the opponent was at Spirit-Pill Realm, he would run. But if only Spirit-Molding, then sorry—his sword would brook no rival!

“Don’t rush. Wait five more days. You two stay here and cultivate; I have things to attend to,” Zhou Xue said, rising to leave.

“Wait, could you—” Fang Wang began, but Zhou Xue left without turning back.

She came and went as quickly as a breeze.

Fang Wang sighed. Clearly, she had guessed what he wanted to ask.

Zhou Xingshi closed the door and cautiously asked, “Did you really start cultivating at the same time as her? Why did neither of us sense her approach?”

Fang Wang thought, “Could you possibly imagine the methods of an Immortal Sovereign?” But he only replied, “How should I know? Go ask her yourself.”

At the thought of Zhou Xue’s ruthlessness the previous night, Zhou Xingshi immediately shook his head.

Wait!

Zhou Xue seemed like a demonic cultivator…

So Fang Wang—

Realizing this, Zhou Xingshi shuddered and didn’t dare look at Fang Wang again.