Immortal of the Nine Realms

Fang Chen walked out of the tea room under the admiring eyes of Xia Ji and followed Master Chanyuan into a meditation room.

”Benefactor Fang, you have sharp insight; you’ve already guessed the connection between Profound Void Temple and your ancestor,” said Master Chanyuan, smiling.

Fang Chen smiled back. ”Xia Ji has also guessed it, he wasn’t just asking.”

Master Chanyuan nodded lightly. ”Xia Ji has an excellent temperament, but unfortunately, I cannot teach him Buddhist teachings.”

”Master, could you please talk about that incident?” requested Fang Chen.

”If it was anyone else, I wouldn’t tell them about it; however, you’re different. That incident happened exactly 394 years ago. I was only six years old at the time, just a novice monk who had recently scaled the mountain.”

Master Chanyuan is four hundred years old?

Fang Chen felt a bit amazed. Despite being only at the Foundation Building Realm, Master Chanyuan was four hundred years old. It seemed that the end of his lifespan had not yet arrived, which explained why various forces had been eyeing this place.

”Profound Void Temple was still flourishing back then, and Buddhism was revered as the religion of the empire. The three Golden Core Realm ancestors in the temple were all national teachers of the empire. Under their leadership, the monks spread the Buddhist teachings, and every household in the Grand Qian Empire worshiped Buddha,” reminisced Master Chanyuan, his eyes nostalgic.

”It was also during that time that the Fang Family produced an extraordinary talent. His cultivation talent was astonishing. He formed his first immortal vein at the age of six, reached the 12th stage of the Qi Refining Realm at thirteen, and entered the Foundation Building Realm at fifteen. Therefore, he was extremely valued by a sect and was recruited under their banner. Everyone guessed that the sect hailed from a first-tier empire.”

First-tier empire? My ancestor was a disciple of a first-tier empire?

Fang Chen was surprised.

”He entered that sect at fifteen. And by the time he returned to the empire, he was already in his early thirties, and by then, he was already a Golden Core Realm powerhouse.

”Even though I have never been to a first-tier empire, I can still conclude that he must’ve been a genius among geniuses over there with his talent.

”If that incident hadn’t happened, then I’d imagine that his cultivation would’ve reached an unimaginable realm after these four hundred years.” Master Chanyuan sighed. ”With regards to this matter, the Profound Void Temple failed him, the Fang Family failed him, the Jue Family failed him, and the Grand Qian Empire failed him.”

”Master Chanyuan, what exactly happened?” asked Fang Chen, unable to hold back his curiosity. Had his ancestor been manipulated by these factions?

But how could mere cultivators from the Grand Qian Empire dare to lay hands on a Golden Core Realm cultivator who was recruited under a sect from a first-tier empire?

”It’s very complicated. So far, I can only guess that he offended a powerful enemy in the first-tier empire. The three Golden Core Realm ancestors of Profound Void Temple were coerced into tricking him into drinking a tea that scattered his cultivation.

”He had sensed that something was wrong back then and burned several Communication Talismans, but neither the Jue Family, the Fang Family, nor even the Grand Qian Empire intervened.”

Fang Chen furrowed his brow.

”In just a dozen breaths of time, his Golden Core cracked, and his cultivation plummeted to the Foundation Building Realm.

”I was young back then, but one of the ancestors had taken me with them, so I witnessed this incident with my own eyes. I remember the three ancestors felt very guilty about it. One of them even passed away on the spot. The other two announced that the Profound Void Temple would close its doors for a thousand years.”

”And what about my ancestor?” asked Fang Chen softly.

”He left the mountain and returned to the Fang Family, only to be expelled by the ancestor of the Fang Family. He left after that, and we didn’t know where he had gone off to for many years,” said Master Chanyuan as he slowly closed his eyes.

”And who was the female cultivator who massacred Profound Void Temple?” asked Fang Chen.

”That female cultivator.... She must’ve known your ancestor. She came demanding an explanation over what had happened to him. When the truth was revealed, she beheaded the two ancestors with a slash of her sword. And as you know, I was the only who managed to survive, all thanks to luck. But from that day, I became unable to pass down the Buddhist teachings to anyone. If I die, the inheritance of Profound Void Temple will die with me,” said Master Chanyuan, sighing softly.

”Didn’t the sect behind my ancestor seek an explanation for this?” pondered Fang Chen.

”They did not. Since then, the female cultivator has not returned, your ancestor has not been seen, and the sect behind your ancestor has not appeared either. It’s as if this incident never happened,” said Master Chanyuan.

Except for the massacre of Profound Void Temple, thought Master Chanyuan.

This entire situation was really strange. If Fang Chen’s ancestor had offended someone, why would that someone act against him in such a roundabout manner? Was it because they feared the sect behind him? But the sect never intervened—which is suspicious in and of itself.

Perhaps one would have to meet that female cultivator if one wanted to understand what had happened clearly.

”Benefactor Fang, the current ancestor of the Fang Family, is the younger brother of your ancestor. The Fang Family had said back then that if a descendent of your ancestor was to step onto the immortal path, then they’d recognize back into the family,” said Master Chanyuan softly. “This is an opportunity for you, Benefactor Fang.”

Fang Chen nodded. His grandfather hoped that he would be recognized by the family, so this could count as him fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes. And, that aside, the Fang Family had to know more about what had happened back then, so this was an opportunity to learn more about it.

I’ll discuss this with Xia Ji, he’s got a knack for figuring out these types of things, thought Fang Chen.

Master Chanyuan stopped speaking and closed his eyes. He began reciting Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

Fang Chen knew that this was Master Chanyuan’s way of bidding him farewell, so he got up to leave. However, as he reached the door, he paused.

Turning around, Fang Chen asked, ”Master Chanyuan, what kind of ’other shore’ did you seek back then?”

Master Chanyuan remained silent for a while without answering.

Fang Chen saw a bitter smile rise on Master Chanyuan’s lips.

”For me to reteach the Buddhist teachings and revitalize Profound Void Temple.”

***

Xia Ji had been waiting outside the courtyard for quite a long time. When he saw Fang Chen step outside the meditation room, he walked over, his eyes urging Fang Chen to spill it all out.

”It’s a bit complicated. Tell me what you think after,” Fang Chen said to Xia Ji as they walked to a nearby ancient tree.

Fang Chen recounted the story to Xia Ji.

After Fang Chen finished speaking, a serious expression appeared on Xia Ji’s face. ”Someone in that first-tier empire aimed to harm your ancestor, but they didn’t dare act directly. They lurked in the shadows, which meant that there was something that they feared.

”Your ancestor’s sect did not send anyone, but instead, a female cultivator appeared and massacred the Profound Void Temple.” Xia Ji looked at Fang Chen. “Is there a possibility that the person who had plotted against your ancestor feared that female cultivator and the sect behind her?”

”You mean...” pondered Fang Chen,”that the one who had plotted against my ancestor was actually someone from the same sect as him?”

Xia Ji nodded slightly. ”Besides that, I can’t think of any other reason as to why your ancestor’s sect would go completely silent regarding this matter. The mastermind must hold a high position and have a certain degree of status. Otherwise, your ancestor would have returned to the sect instead of leaving for a remote place,” said Xia Ji. “I think that this entire situation had been bred from jealousy, and it was an attempt by that person to eliminate dissidents.”

Xia Ji assessed Fang Chen for a moment, then mouthed, ”Fang Da, this happened hundreds of years ago—it’s a grudge of the old. It’s best for you not to get involved. You can’t imagine how powerful these sects in first-tier empires are.”