Immortal of the Nine Realms

Years ago, the Qingzhou Sword Sect was quite renowned within the Flame Empire, and an event occurred that shocked the entire cultivation community there.

The former head of the Qingzhou Sword Sect was killed for offending a mysterious cultivator, who then took over as the leader of the Qingzhou Sword Sect and demonstrated extraordinary abilities and a powerful background in the Heavenly Southern Sect.

Even the head of the Sea Dragon Sect, a respected Golden Core Realm cultivator, had failed to gain the upper hand against the mysterious expert.

Since then, the cultivation world of the Flame Empire has been very wary of Patriarch Fang, the new head of the Qingzhou Sword Sect.

However, they later discovered that Patriarch Fang had mysteriously disappeared, and Ye Wenxiu from the Spirit Void City, a member of the Ye Family, had taken over as the new head.

Ye Wenxiu had initially been able to keep the Qingzhou Sword Sect well-organized thanks to the lingering influence of Patriarch Fang and the guidance of elders led by Zhong Yue. The sect had even expanded its territory to include several spiritual mountains and springs.

The Qingzhou Sword Sect had welcomed a period of prosperity, and an increasing number of disciples had joined the sect, including some geniuses.

However, ever since the disappearance of Patriarch Fang decades ago, many started targeting the Qingzhou Sword Sect, hoping to obtain the legacy that he might have left behind. It started with trivial probes but soon intensified. Zhong Yue and others were repeatedly injured, and because they couldn’t obtain Foundation Establishment Pills to progress, they eventually died of old age.

After their deaths, the Qingzhou Sword Sect began to decline, losing many of its spiritual mountains, springs, and fields, and many disciples chose to leave.

A figure walked up the weed-covered mountain path.

This man, who looked to be in his forties, had a determined face and a long, unkempt beard, blown messy by the wind.

He paused and looked up the mountain, where an old man stood halfway up, looking at him with a half-smiling, half-serious expression.

The two stared at each other for a while before the old man let out a laugh. “Mute Liu, I heard you were quite young when you came to the Qingzhou Sword Sect, personally brought here by Patriarch Fang back in the day. Is that true?”

Liu Mu looked at the old man silently.

“That’s right, I almost forgot you can’t speak.” The old man laughed again. “I’m here today on behalf of the young prince, just to collect your Foundation Building Pill. Hand it over. With the Flame Empire’s situation unstable, the royal family may evacuate. They won’t fear Patriarch Fang, who hasn’t appeared for decades. If you remain stubborn, both you and Ye Wenxiu will lose your lives.”

Upon hearing about the Foundation Building Pill, Liu Mu’s usually calm face showed a flicker of panic. However, he quickly suppressed his emotions. He pointed to his heart and stared coldly at the old man.

The old man snickered. “Do you mean that unless you die, I won’t be able to get the Foundation Building Pill?

“Why must it be so? You must have gotten this Foundation Building Pill because Master Fang left you quite a bit of spirit stones, right? These are just material possessions, and you should understand that as long as you live, there will always be opportunities. Don’t lose your life over them. The times are always changing; remember how high and mighty the Flame Empire’s royal family once was? Now they’re packing up to flee. I don’t want to waste my energy fighting for them if I don’t have to; I hope you understand.”

Liu Mu remained silent, staring intently at the old man.

After a moment of silence, the old man sighed softly. “To be honest with you, I haven’t acted because I fear Patriarch Fang. But have you seen the state the Flame Empire is in now? It’s not just the Qingzhou Sword Sect; the royal family has been targeting the Heavenly Southern Sect and the Spirit Beast Valley too.

“The royal family is leaving, and they naturally want to take some things with them. If the Qingzhou Sword Sect doesn’t provide something satisfactory, it might be problematic.”

A flash of sword light was his answer.

The old man moved slightly and dodged the sword attack aimed at him, leaving a deep, long trench where he had been standing.

“Elder Chen, I’ve already told you before, Brother Liu Mu is stubborn; since he couldn’t speak from a young age, only Ye Wenxiu’s words have any influence over him. If you think you can persuade him to hand over the Foundation Building Pill, then I can tell you that is impossible.

“If I’m not wrong, the hard-earned Foundation Establishment Pill that Brother Liu Mu retrieved was specifically for Ye Wenxiu, right? He is now at the twelfth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, and with the Foundation Building Pill, he might break through to establish his foundation, and then perhaps the Qingzhou Sword Sect could see prosperous days again.”

More than a dozen figures appeared behind Liu Mu, led by a man who looked to be about his age.

Seeing the newcomer, Liu Mu’s calm eyes flashed with anger, and he glared without hiding his murderous intent.

That was Feng Feiyang, the traitor of the Qingzhou Sword Sect.

Years ago, when he joined the sect, he was about the same age as Liu Mu, thus becoming a junior brother to him and Ye Wenxiu. Among all the junior brothers, he had been the most talented.

Ye Wenxiu had thus allocated more resources toward him, but when the Qingzhou Sword Sect began to decline, he had been the first to defect.

After leaving the Qingzhou Sword Sect, Feng Feiyang thrived. In recent years, he had successfully established his foundation, becoming the first disciple to advance to the Foundation Building Realm since Ye Wenxiu took over the Qingzhou Sword Sect.

Unfortunately, he no longer cared for the Qingzhou Sword Sect and had repeatedly collaborated with others to attack and pillage it!

The old man chuckled. “Daoist Feng, I still want to try; after all, the Qingzhou Sword Sect and I have some connection. If it’s not absolutely necessary, I don’t want to antagonize them.”

Feng Feiyang laughed lightly. “Are you still wary of that Patriarch Fang, who has been missing for years? I have never seen him return since I joined the sect. Logically, even if he was in closed-door cultivation, he would have emerged by now.

“It has been many years since he left. I reckon he has already died outside. No matter how strong his background was, in the cultivation world, there’s always someone higher. No amount of shrewdness can ensure a smooth path to immortality. What are you wary of, a mere dead man? Quickly finish the task the young prince gave you; we don’t have much time.”

Liu Mu opened his mouth to shout angrily, but being mute, he could only make some sounds.

Although the crowd could feel his rage, they found it amusing, and the cultivators brought by Feng Feiyang couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Feng Feiyang also shook his head slightly. “Brother Liu Mu, I call you ‘brother’ out of respect for old times, but in reality, I’m now at the Foundation Building Realm, and you’re still a Qi Refining Realm weakling; what right do you have to bark at me like a dog?

“Quickly hand over the Foundation Building Pill, and I’ll let you die with some dignity. You need not worry, I will send Ye Wenxiu to join you.”

The old man’s expression shifted. “Daoist Feng, are you planning to—”

Feng Feiyang nodded with a smile. “Yes, since we’re leaving and can’t watch over the Qingzhou Sword Sect every day and night, we might as well completely destroy it to avoid future worries about them seeking revenge.”

Liu Mu’s growls grew louder.

However, after a few moments of contemplation, the old man did not object.

Feng Feiyang looked at Liu Mu with increasing disdain. “Brother Liu, you seem so afraid of death. Stop yelling; if you hand over the Foundation Building Pill, I’ll make it quick for you.”

Liu Mu continued growling, but gradually, people realized that his gaze was not on Feng Feiyang, but... he was looking down the mountain!