Immortal of the Nine Realms

”Old man, is this the Wo Long Temple?” inquired a muscular traveler politely to an elder who was sweeping the floor at the gate of Wo Long Temple.

The traveler was holding a simple broadsword while holding the hands of a young boy.

”Can’t you read?” answered the elder rudely, looking indifferent.

The muscular man frowned slightly. He had merely asked out of courtesy. After glancing at the plaque above the door, which bore the three characters ”Wo Long Temple,” he led the boy inside with long strides.

As they passed the elder, the muscular man suddenly noticed the elder’s eyes were a dull gray, as if blind.

”Ah, so it’s a blind man. He didn’t see the broadsword in my hand. No wonder he dared to be so impolite,” mumbled the man.

Without warning, he swung the broadsword at the elder. Just as it was about to land, he stopped the blade right in front of the old man’s face.

Throughout the whole action, the elder showed no reaction.

The muscular man watched the elder quietly, then as the elder began to move forward, the man pulled his broadsword and sheathed it. If he hadn’t done so, the elder would have undoubtedly walked straight into the sword.

”Your Highness, this Wo Long Temple is not at all what I expected. Could it be that the late Emperor’s will was wrong?” muttered the muscular man as he led the boy deeper into the temple.

”It can’t be,” the boy shook his head lightly, wearing a determined expression. ”My father said that when my grandfather was young, he was guided by the experts of Wo Long Temple. It was their advice that helped him build this great empire. Now that the empire has fallen, only Wo Long Temple can help me restore it.”

”But it seems like there are no experts living here. Even the sweeper is a blind man…,” grumbled the muscular man under his breath.

In front of the dao temple gate, Fang Chen swept the fallen leaves into a pile, then collected them into a dustpan. He casually sat on the steps to enjoy the peaceful breeze brushing against his face.

It had been more than two years since he arrived here. When he first came, he quickly understood why the giant crane had brought him to this place and called it a ”reward.” The spiritual energy here was abundant, yet there were no cultivators. The spiritual energy in the vast mountain was only for Fang Chen to use, with no one competing for it.

Moreover, life here was surprisingly peaceful. He mostly interacted with the martial artists in the Dao temple. Over time, Fang Chen even began to enjoy the tranquility, spending his days simply focusing on cultivating the Introduction to the Three Thousand Daos without any other worries.

He had no idea how long he had been sitting when heard a a few people calling out to him from behind.

Several middle-aged Dao cultivators were warmly escorting the muscular man with the simple broadsword out of the temple. One of them, seeing Fang Chen resting on the steps, immediately frowned and said, ”Old Master Fang, have you finished sweeping the area in front of the temple? If so, go check if the kitchen is running low on water and fetch some.”

”I checked, there’s no shortage of water,” answered Fang Chen as he remained seated.

The middle-aged Dao cultivator immediately became angry. He was about to scold Fang Chen but was quickly stopped by a few of his companions.

”Brother Chen, don’t worry. Your son will be staying here to cultivate in Wo Long Temple from now on. Feel free to visit whenever you like,” said one of the Daoists.

”That’s good, that’s good. My son will be in your care from now on,” thanked the muscular man with cupped hands. Then, he glanced at Fang Chen and smirked. ”Wo Long Temple is really kind, taking care of a blind old man like this. He must be quite old by now.”

”Ah, this is the old temple master’s wish. He’s just too kind-hearted,” explained a Daoist.

The muscular man’s eyes shifted. ”The old temple master? He’s still around?”

”The old temple master passed away last year due to old age and illness,” replied one of them.

The muscular man nodded lightly. ”I see….”

He exchanged a few more pleasantries and then turned to leave.

After the muscular man left, the middle-aged Dao cultivator looked at Fang Chen with distaste and berated, ”Old Master Fang, if you want to rest, you should stay in the temple. What if you scare the visitors with your appearance?”

”Forget it, forget it. Old Master Fang is quite old, let’s not hold it against him,” persuaded another cultivator.

The middle-aged Dao cultivator reluctantly shut his mouth and said smugly, ”Didn’t some of the junior disciples worry that Wo Long Temple was lacking business? Well, look, it’s coming right to our door. That Brother Chen was very generous by giving us a hundred taels of silver. It’s enough to keep us well-fed for a whole year.”

As they spoke, they turned to leave.

Fang Chen stood up and patted his bottom. He used the broom as a blind stick before walking off into the distance.

After navigating a rough mountain path, he arrived at a pond. Sensing his presence, Zhu Long emerged from the water and affectionately rubbed its face against Fang Chen’s head.

Fang Chen stroked Zhu Long’s head. ”Tonight could be troublesome. This Wo Long Temple is full of useless people. You’ll need to step in and help out. I should be able to forge my first immortal vein in the next few days.”

”That’s great!” responded Zhu Long cutely.

Although it sounded odd, it was clear and crisp.

Fang Chen smiled.

With his cultivation restored, he would be able to access his storage ring, which contained hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones and tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones. These would be very helpful for his recultivation.

Late at night, several figures dressed in dark clothes quietly infiltrated the Wo Long Temple and stealthily arrived in front of a courtyard.

The courtyard housed around thirty to forty Dao children from six to sixteen years old.

The dark figures quietly stood in the shadows and dared not move. ”Commander Lin, are you sure there’s nothing strange about the Wo Long Temple?” whispered one of them.

Commander Lin replied, ”I observed during the day. They’re all useless. Even the one sweeping outside is a blind man. What could be strange about a place like this?”

”That’s great. The crown prince must know where the treasures of the Tiger Empire are hidden. Once we find out where they are, we’ll be rich,” said the dark figure.

”The big share goes to Young Master Zhao. We’re just getting some scraps, don’t get so excited,” scoffed Commander Lin.

”Commander Lin, without Young Master Zhao, you wouldn’t be able to get the treasure yourself. Don’t try any tricks. Now, it’s the world of the Yue Empire and you’re no longer a commander,” retorted another dark figure coldly.

Commander Lin’s face darkened. He coldly ordered, ”Enough talk. I’ll keep watch here. You guys capture him quickly.”

The others, not wanting to argue with him about the difference in roles, were focused on completing the task so they could return and enjoy their rewards.

They moved forward quietly. Suddenly, they halted and exchanged confused glances.

Under the moonlight, they noticed a figure seemingly sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Commander Lin spotted it too and after staring for a few moments, his expression shifted to one of concern. It was the blind man from the day.

Slowly, Commander Lin approached Fang Chen and said, ”Why are you still sweeping the grounds in the middle of the night?”

”Is that a problem?” answered Fang Chen nonchalantly.

Commander Lin sensed that something was amiss and quickly retreated two steps. Before he could react further, several muffled sounds were heard from the nearby shadows and his companions collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Turning back, Commander Lin was met with the sight of a small face before him, gently breathing at him.

In the next instant, he stiffened and all life was drained from him. His cold corpse fell to the ground.

”Could you kindly dispose of them at the temple gate?” said Fang Chen.

Zhu Long nodded in response. It swiftly moved back and forth, carrying the bodies to the gate.

Once that was done, it returned to the pond and Fang Chen headed back to his room to continue his cultivation.

As the first light of dawn broke, a group of riders in the distance noticed several corpses in front of Wo Long Temple. Their faces immediately froze and they all turned to look towards a handsome young man.