Immortality Cultivation

A loud boom suddenly erupted from the swamp below, sending water surging into the sky, accompanied by an angry beast roar and the shouts of several Cultivators.

Immediately after, several rays of light in different colors shot out from the water mist, and one crimson Flying Sword light, in a panic, actually crashed straight toward the azure spirit boat where Fang Hao was located!

Judging by its momentum, it looked like it had been knocked out by someone.

"Bad luck!" Fang Hao cursed inwardly.

With a thought, the azure spirit boat swerved suddenly, narrowly dodging the crimson Flying Sword light.

As the sword light swept past the flying boat, Fang Hao swept his Divine Sense and saw the person within the sword light clearly.

It was a young Cultivator who looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in red, but now his clothes were tattered, stained with mud and blood, his face deathly pale, his Aura chaotic, and his cultivation was likely at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

The Flying Sword beneath his feet had a dim glow, clearly having suffered significant damage.

This young man in red also noticed the azure spirit boat above and the Fang Hao and Lao Jin on the boat; a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, but there was more despair and a hint of... pleading?

"Senior, help me!" The young man in red barely steadied himself and cried out miserably toward Fang Hao’s direction.

Fang Hao remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping down below.

As the water mist dispersed slightly, he saw several mutilated corpses floating in the chaotic swamp waters below; judging by their attire, they were similar to this young man in red.

Not far away, three Black-Clothed Cultivators wearing uniform black tight-fitting clothes and carrying Evil Qi were surrounding a massive Demon Beast in a triangular formation; it resembled a crocodile but had a single horn on its head and was covered in thick mud armor.

That Demon Beast had a violent Aura, shockingly reaching the Early Golden Core Stage!

It was roaring repeatedly, its thick tail sweeping horizontally, stirring up mud waves that filled the sky, as it fought with the three Black-Clothed Cultivators.

The three Black-Clothed Cultivators, two at the Early Golden Core Stage and one at the Middle Golden Core Stage, cooperated tacitly, and the Magical Artifacts in their hands had formidable power; they were clearly not Loose Cultivators but more like Disciples of a certain Sect or Family.

They seemed to be fully focused on besieging the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast, and toward the suddenly intruding Fang Hao and the young man in red, they only spared a trace of Divine Sense to sweep over them; seeing that the azure spirit boat was only a High Grade Spiritual Artifact and that the people on the boat showed no Aura (Fang Hao had deliberately restrained it), they didn’t pay much attention, except for the Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man among them, who glanced coldly at Fang Hao’s side with a warning in his eyes, clearly not wanting Fang Hao to meddle in other people’s business.

And that wretched young man in red seemed to have been chased by these three, fleeing here in a panic, only to unluckily run into this foraging single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast, getting caught in a pincer attack from both sides; his companions were all killed or injured, and he himself was seriously wounded.

"Black Fiend Sect is conducting business, bystanders step aside! Otherwise, death without mercy!" The Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man, while manipulating a black flying fork to stab fiercely at the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast’s eyes, shouted coldly without turning his head, his voice hoarse and carrying an unquestionable tyranny.

Black Fiend Sect?

Fang Hao quickly went through his mind.

It seemed to be a not-so-small Demonic Path Sect within the Great Yan Kingdom, acting ruthlessly, seeking revenge for the smallest grievance, and having a poor reputation.

It seemed that these Black Fiend Sect Disciples were hunting this Golden Core Demon Beast, and this group of young men in red had accidentally run into them, or perhaps they were the prey all along?

Upon hearing the words "Black Fiend Sect", the young man in red’s body trembled visibly, the look of despair in his eyes deepening, but the instinct to survive made him look at Fang Hao again, hissing, "Senior! This Junior is a Disciple of the Red Leaf Valley in the Great Yan Kingdom, and I have a blood feud with these Black Fiend Sect thieves! They killed my fellow Disciples and destroyed my Sect gate to seize the Treasure Trove in our valley! I beg Senior to act righteously; I am willing to offer the map to the secret treasure in the valley, just begging Senior to save my life and avenge my Red Leaf Valley!"

The young man in red spoke extremely fast, his voice shrill, clearly having reached a desperate situation.

Fang Hao’s brows furrowed even tighter.

Damn it, it was trouble indeed.

Black Fiend Sect, Red Leaf Valley, blood feud, secret treasure map... a typical small-power conflict, a scene of killing and treasure seizing.

Such things were played out every day in the cultivation world and were not strange at all.

He just wanted to go to the Xuanfeng Mountain Range quietly now and didn’t want to create extra complications.

Especially this Black Fiend Sect, which didn’t sound like good people; offending a Demonic Path Sect for a Red Leaf Valley Disciple he didn’t know at all did not seem worth it no matter how he looked at it.

As for that so-called secret treasure map... Fang Hao was wealthy now, and he really didn’t look down on ordinary Treasure Troves.

Moreover, this young man in red was just spouting words; who knew if it was true or false?

What if it was a trap?

Below, that Middle Golden Core Stage Cultivator of the Black Fiend Sect saw that Fang Hao’s flying boat did not leave immediately but instead stopped; a cold light flashed in his eyes, and his tone was even more unfriendly: "Fellow Daoist, can you not understand human speech? Leave quickly! Otherwise, don’t blame us for being impolite!"

As he spoke, seemingly to establish his authority, the black flying fork he controlled suddenly glowed brightly, fiercely tearing a gash in the thick mud armor of the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast; the Demon Beast, feeling pain, let out an even more furious roar, its attacks becoming even crazier, leaving it no time to attend to anything else for the moment.

The young man in red saw Fang Hao silent and thought he was unwilling to intervene; the last glimmer of light in his eyes dimmed, and with a miserable laugh, he actually stopped running, instead turning around, driving the Flying Sword with a dim glow under his feet, turning into a resolute crimson ray, rushing toward the three Black Fiend Sect Cultivators, screaming, "Black Fiend Sect scum! I’ll fight you to the death!"

He actually harbored the intention of perishing together.

Fang Hao looked at the resolute back of the young man in red, and then looked at the three Black Fiend Sect Cultivators with cold Auras and ruthless attacks below, as well as the violent single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast.

He rubbed his chin, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Red Leaf Valley... secret treasure map... Black Fiend Sect..." He whispered to himself, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, just as the young man in red was about to rush into the battle, and the Middle Golden Core Stage Cultivator of the Black Fiend Sect also split off a small black sword, carrying sharp killing intent, stabbing toward the back of the young man in red, preparing to kill him in one blow.

Fang Hao suddenly sighed, his voice not loud, but it clearly entered the ears of everyone below.

"Sigh, I originally didn’t want to meddle in other people’s business..."

Before his voice faded, Lao Jin, who had been standing behind him like a statue, had its eyes suddenly flare with bright silver light!

Fang Hao’s not-too-loud sigh, amidst the intense sounds of fighting and beast roars below, appeared exceptionally clear.

The three Cultivators of the Black Fiend Sect, especially the Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man, frowned upon hearing this, a trace of displeasure and vigilance rising in his heart.

This guy driving a High Grade Spiritual Artifact flying boat, whose depth could not be seen, stopped in mid-air and wouldn’t leave, and now had spoken up; did he want to intervene?

While manipulating the black flying fork to circle with the violent single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast, he was distracted, locking onto the young man in red who was rushing toward his companion, preparing to fight to the death, killing intent stern in his eyes.

No matter who the newcomer was, he would slaughter this remnant of the Red Leaf Valley first!

As for the person on the flying boat, if he dared to be ignorant of the situation, he would just kill him too!

In the depths of this Yunmeng Great Marsh, it was perfectly normal for a few people to die.

The young man in red heard Fang Hao sigh, and his heart turned even colder, thinking that the other party was ultimately unwilling to court trouble.

Forget it, his fellow Disciples were all dead, his valley destroyed, and his home gone; rather than being captured and tortured by the Black Fiend Sect scum, it was better to fight to the death, and if he could drag one down with him, so be it!

A trace of madness flashed in his eyes, and the remaining spiritual power in his body poured recklessly into the Flying Sword beneath his feet; although the sword light was dim, it carried a tragic resolution as he stabbed straight toward the nearest Black Fiend Sect Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator.

"Courting death!" The Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man snorted coldly, and the split-off small black sword moved three times faster, arriving first despite starting later, aiming directly at the vital point of the young man in red’s back!

If this sword struck true, the young man in red would undoubtedly die, without even enough time to self-detonate his Golden Core.

Just at this critical moment, Fang Hao spoke again slowly, his tone so flat it was like discussing the nice weather today: "...But, you are disturbing my journey."

The moment his voice fell, Lao Jin, who had been standing behind Fang Hao like a statue, had its pair of silver-white eyes suddenly erupt with blinding light!

It did not even make any obvious movements; it only raised its right arm, and the metal plate on the outside of its arm slid open silently, revealing a pitch-black firing port.

"Hiss!"

A silver beam of light, only as thick as a chopstick and condensed to the extreme, at a speed surpassing lightning, instantly cut through the distance of several hundred zhang and, with supreme precision, struck the small black sword that was about to pierce the young man in red’s back!

There was no earth-shattering boom, only a sound so faint it was almost inaudible, like a red-hot iron rod being inserted into ice and snow—a "hiss."

That small black sword, which was at least at the High Grade Spiritual Artifact level and carried sharp killing intent, had its tip, which was struck by the silver beam, instantly vaporize and disappear like remnant snow meeting the scorching sun!

Immediately following that, a certain destructive energy contained within the silver beam spread along the sword body like a plague, and wherever it passed, the sword body forged from refined gold silently turned into the finest metal powder, drifting away rustlingly!

The entire process was so fast that people couldn’t react.

In just the blink of an eye, that aggressive small black sword was completely reduced to nothing under that inconspicuous silver beam, not even leaving a speck of residue.

"Pfft!" The small black sword was one of the Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man’s Natal Magical Artifacts; connected by mind, with the artifact destroyed, he was struck as if by a heavy blow, his face suddenly turning pale, he groaned, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the look he cast toward Lao Jin was filled with sheer terror.

And the young man in red, having already rushed to the front of that Black Fiend Sect Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator with a heart set on certain death, was just about to self-detonate his Magical Artifact to perish with the enemy, but suddenly discovered that the fatal blow he expected from behind did not arrive.

He turned his head in astonishment, just in time to see the scene of the small black sword turning into fly ash, as well as the silver-white metallic figure standing like a demon god beside the azure flying boat in mid-air.

"This..." The young man in red was stunned, forgetting even to fight for his life.

Not only him, but the other two Black Fiend Sect Cultivators, as well as that violent single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast, seemed to have been pressed with a pause button, their movements all stalling simultaneously, their gazes looking suspiciously and uncertainly toward the sky, toward that inconspicuous azure flying boat, and toward the silver-white Puppet beside the flying boat that had just raised its arm and effortlessly destroyed a High Grade Spiritual Artifact.

"Nascent Soul Stage... Puppet?!" The Middle Golden Core Stage black-clothed middle-aged man was the first to react, his voice changing pitch, carrying undisguised fear.

Being able to so easily destroy his Natal Magical Artifact, it must at least be the power of the Nascent Soul Stage!

And this silver-white Puppet before him showed no Aura, but that cold, dead, and lifeless feeling, as well as that destructive strike just now, all confirmed his guess.

To be able to have a Nascent Soul Stage Puppet as a guard, the identity of that young man in green robes on the flying boat...

Thinking of this, the black-clothed middle-aged man’s scalp went numb.

He had kicked an iron plate! No, he had kicked an iron mountain!