Immortality Cultivation

"Se-Senior, please forgive me!" The middle-aged man in black reacted extremely quickly. Almost instantly, he put on an expression of respectful trepidation, bowing to Fang Hao in the air with the utmost humility. "Junior Li Feng, a deacon of the Black Fiend Sect, did not know that Senior was meditating here. I have disturbed Senior, and my crime is unforgivable! This remnant of the Red Leaf Valley has a deep blood feud with my Black Fiend Sect. We were ordered to hunt them down and had absolutely no intention of offending Senior! I beg Senior to be magnanimous and forgive our disrespect!"

As he spoke, he secretly winked at his two subordinates. The two Early Golden Core Stage Cultivators also realized the situation; their Faces turned pale, and they quickly put away their Magical Artifacts, bowing their heads without daring to look at Fang Hao or Lao Jin again. Even that single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast, which possessed high intelligence, seemed to sense the dangerous aura radiating from Lao Jin that made its Soul tremble. It let out a low growl and slowly retreated, its giant eyes filled with vigilance and fear.

Seeing this, the youth in red felt a surge of wild joy at his narrow escape. He plopped down in mid-air and kowtowed to Fang Hao repeatedly. "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life! Thank you, Senior, for saving my life! Junior Lin Feng of the Red Leaf Valley is willing to work like a beast of burden for Senior to repay this great kindness!"

Fang Hao stood at the bow of the azure spirit boat, looking down at the scene below, his expression remaining unchanged. He had decided to intervene just now not entirely out of soft-heartedness or greed for the so-called secret treasure map. Firstly, the Black Fiend Sect Cultivator was too overbearing. He had not intended to stir up trouble, but the other party was aggressive, and that phrase "kill without mercy" had annoyed him. Secondly, he had no interest in the feud between the Red Leaf Valley and the Black Fiend Sect, but the "secret treasure map" mentioned by the youth in red, combined with the fact that he was a Disciple of the Red Leaf Valley, stirred something in his heart. Red Leaf Valley... he seemed to have seen it in some document. It appeared to be a small sect known for cultivating Spirit Medicine and specializing in wood-element Cultivation Techniques. It was rumored that there was a decent wood-element Spiritual Vein beneath the Red Leaf Valley where the Sect was located, and it produced several kinds of Spirit Medicine rare in the outside world. What kind of "secret treasure" could such a sect have that was worth the Black Fiend Sect going to such great lengths, even risking total annihilation to get it?

Of course, the main reason was that he now had the confidence and strength to meddle in this business. One Middle Golden Core Stage, two Early Golden Core Stage, plus an Early Golden Core Stage Demon Beast—in front of him and Lao Jin, who possessed Late Nascent Soul Stage strength, they were no different from mere weeds. Since it didn’t take much effort, and he could incidentally inquire about some information and obtain a potentially useful "secret treasure map," why not? As for offending the Black Fiend Sect? Heh, by the time he finished exploring the ruins in the Xuanfeng Mountain Range, he might have already left the Western Region for the Eastern Region. Even if the Black Fiend Sect was arrogant, could they chase him to the Eastern Region? Even if they could, it wasn’t certain who would be causing trouble for whom by then.

"Black Fiend Sect?" Fang Hao finally spoke, his voice calm, revealing no joy or anger. "Never heard of it."

Hearing this, Li Feng’s heart sank; he knew that today would likely not end well. The other party didn’t even care about the reputation of the Black Fiend Sect. Either they were powerful with a profound background, or they were a bitter Cultivator who had been in seclusion for years and was ignorant of worldly affairs. Looking at that Nascent Soul Stage Puppet, the former was clearly more likely.

"Senior is joking. My Black Fiend Sect is merely a small sect in the Great Yan Kingdom and naturally cannot enter Senior’s Dharma Eye." Li Feng lowered his posture even further and said cautiously, "Offending Senior today was truly unintentional. This single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast shall serve as an apology to Senior. I ask that Senior be magnanimous and let us leave. The Black Fiend Sect will definitely reward you generously in the future." He decisively abandoned the prey he had in hand, wanting only to escape as quickly as possible. As for the Red Leaf Valley remnant and the secret treasure map, although important, they were not worth mentioning compared to his life.

"Generous reward?" Fang Hao looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. "No need. I am a person who doesn’t like to owe favors, nor do I like others to owe me favors."

Li Feng’s heart skipped a beat, and he inwardly cried out that it was bad.

Sure enough, Fang Hao’s next sentence was: "However, you disturbed my journey just now and were shouting about killing me. This account must be settled."

Li Feng’s expression changed, and he forced a laugh. "Senior is joking. We Juniors were blind and offended Senior. We are willing to offer all our possessions, only begging Senior to spare our lives." As he spoke, he unhesitatingly took off his Storage bag and signaled his two subordinates to do the same, using their Qi to lift the three Storage Pouches and respectfully present them to Fang Hao.

Fang Hao didn’t even look at the three Storage Pouches, his gaze falling on the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast below, which was slowly retreating and trying to sneak away, and then he glanced at the youth in red, Lin Feng, who was kneeling in the air, feeling uneasy.

"The beast, I want it. The person, I am taking him too." Fang Hao pointed at the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast and then at Lin Feng, his tone unquestionable. "As for you three..."

The hearts of Li Feng and the other two tightened abruptly.

"...Sever one of your arms, leave the Storage Pouches, and then, get lost." Fang Hao’s voice remained calm but carried a cold chill.

"What?!" Li Feng’s Face turned incredibly ugly in an instant. Severing one’s own arm for a Cultivator, although it could be reattached using a Medicinal Pill or secret technique, would definitely cause great damage to one’s vitality and lead to a regression in cultivation, which would be difficult to recover from without years of hard work. More importantly, this was simply a great humiliation! He, Li Feng, was at least a deacon of the Black Fiend Sect and a Middle Golden Core Stage Cultivator; he was considered a figure in this Yunmeng Great Swamp. When had he ever received such an insult?

"Senior! We have already apologized and are willing to offer all our possessions. Why must Senior be so aggressive?" Li Feng gritted his teeth, a flash of unwillingness and resentment in his eyes. "Although my Black Fiend Sect is a small sect, our Sect Master is a Middle Nascent Soul Stage great Cultivator. By acting like this, aren’t you afraid of forming a life-and-death feud with my Black Fiend Sect?"

"Life-and-death feud?" Fang Hao chuckled as if he had heard something interesting, but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Is your Black Fiend Sect even worthy?"

Before the words faded, a terrifying pressure, far more majestic, vast, and carrying a sense of Chaos and desolation than before, erupted from Fang Hao like a mountain and pressed down fiercely upon Li Feng and the other two below!

The pressure of the Nascent Soul Stage!

Li Feng and the two others felt their breathing stifle, and the flow of Qi throughout their bodies became sluggish, as if they had fallen into a quagmire, making it difficult to even move. Especially Li Feng, who was at the Middle Golden Core Stage and felt it most clearly; under that pressure, he felt like a small boat in a raging storm, likely to be crushed at any moment! This was definitely not the pressure of an ordinary Early Nascent Soul Stage; its heaviness and ancient feeling far surpassed any Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator he had ever seen!

"Nascent Soul... Senior, please spare me! This Junior knows he was wrong! I will do it right now!" Li Feng finally collapsed completely, no longer harboring any wishful thinking. In front of a true Nascent Soul Cultivator, especially with the other party possessing a Nascent Soul Stage Puppet, their cultivation was simply not enough. No Sect, no Face, was more important than his own life.

He let out a miserable laugh, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. He turned his right hand into a blade, gathered his remaining Qi, and slashed fiercely at his left arm!

"Splurt!" Blood sprayed, and an arm was severed at the shoulder, falling downwards. Li Feng let out a muffled groan, his Face instantly turning pale as paper. He hurriedly pressed his acupoints to stop the bleeding and swallowed a Medicinal Pill, barely managing to steady his figure, but his aura was already listless.

The other two Early Golden Core Stage Cultivators saw this and didn’t dare to hesitate in the slightest. With mournful Faces, they gritted their teeth and severed one of their own arms. For a moment, severed arms and blood rain flew together, and the scene was quite miserable.

Fang Hao watched expressionlessly, his heart not stirred by much. The Cultivation world was ruled by the law of the jungle. If he weren’t powerful today, he and the Red Leaf Valley Disciple would be the ones at a disadvantage, and their fate would only be more miserable. That he didn’t directly take the lives of these three was already showing mercy.

"Leave the Storage Pouches and get lost. Don’t let me see you again." Fang Hao waved his hand as if shooing away a few flies.

Li Feng lowered his head, not daring to let the resentment in his eyes show. With his remaining right hand, he placed the Storage Pouches, along with those of his two subordinates, respectfully on the ground. Then, he bowed deeply to Fang Hao, not daring to say another word. He took his two armless subordinates, raised their escape light, and fled in a panic towards the distance without looking back, not even caring about the valuable single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast.

Not until the three escape lights disappeared into the horizon did Fang Hao withdraw his gaze and look at the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast that had seen the situation was bad and was trying to sink into the swamp to slip away.

"Want to run?" With a thought from Fang Hao, Lao Jin, who had been standing behind him like a guard, flashed silver light in its eyes, and its right arm raised once again.

"Ssh!" Another silver beam of light shot out, fast as lightning, precisely piercing through the hard skull of the single-horned Crocodile Dragon Beast and exiting from the other side. This Golden Core Stage Demon Beast, which had dominated the region and made Li Feng and the other two fight bitterly for a long time, couldn’t even let out a scream. Its huge body stiffened abruptly, then it collapsed with a crash, kicking up mud, and gradually sank into the swamp, leaving only bubbling blood rising to the surface.

Lao Jin moved, turning into a silver light and flying down, quickly flying back. In its hand, it now held a fist-sized, earthy-yellow Demon Beast core with faint lightning flickering on it, as well as the single horn, several of the sharpest teeth, and some intact scale armor Materials. Its movements were clean and efficient, with extremely high efficiency.

Fang Hao nodded and put away these Materials. Although he didn’t think much of the Materials from a Golden Core Stage Demon Beast right now, even a mosquito’s leg was meat; they might be useful for Alchemy or Artifact Refining.

After doing all this, he then cast his gaze towards the youth in red, Lin Feng, who was still kneeling in the air, not daring to let out a breath.

At this moment, Lin Feng felt a mix of shock, joy, and fear. He was shocked that this green-robed Senior’s strength was so terrifying; even the notorious deacon of the Black Fiend Sect was like mere weeds before him, severing his own arm and fleeing in a panic. He was happy because he had survived, and his life was saved. He was afraid because this Senior was fickle and decisive in killing, and he did not know how he would deal with him.

"Red Leaf Valley, Lin Feng?" Fang Hao spoke indifferently.

"Yes! This Junior is indeed Lin Feng of the Red Leaf Valley!" Lin Feng quickly replied, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Speak. Why does the Black Fiend Sect want to destroy your Red Leaf Valley? And what is the secret treasure map you mentioned?" Fang Hao’s tone was calm, but the invisible pressure of a Nascent Soul Cultivator made Lin Feng dare not hide anything.