Chapter 380: Return to Shrouding Heaven Realm

Shrouding Heaven Realm.

On Zhuofeng, within the Hutaixuan Sect.

The once desolate Zhuofeng now had many disciples—outstanding students from the hundred and eight main peaks of the Hutaixuan Sect, sent to Zhuofeng to cultivate, seeking the natural Great Dao of Zhuofeng and the legendary Nine Secrets.

Ever since Li Ruoyu, the master of Zhuofeng, opened the Zhuofeng inheritance, the peak had become lively; yet no matter how many disciples gathered on Zhuofeng, all were told that there was a senior brother on the peak—his very arrival had triggered the opening of the Zhuofeng inheritance.

"Senior brother, I've been on Zhuofeng for so many days—why have I never seen this senior brother?"

"Not just you—I haven't seen him either. I heard that before the Zhuofeng inheritance opened, the senior brother arrived, and only after his arrival did the inheritance awaken."

"Then where is the senior brother now? What is his cultivation base? I've only heard my master speak of him, never seen him—I'm not convinced."

"Perhaps he's descended the mountain for trials. Since he went down, he'll return someday—then you'll see him naturally."

Just as several disciples were speaking, a figure suddenly appeared in the void.

The figure appeared silently, out of nowhere, startling the disciples.

"How dare you! Who are you? Without notification, how dare you intrude upon Zhuofeng? Do you not know you've broken sect rules?"

"Who are you? If you're from the Hutaixuan Sect, state your identity at once. If you're not, intruding upon our sect—do you know the gravity of your crime?"

The young cultivators fixed their gazes on the sudden figure, their faces tense with caution. Some had already summoned their magic treasures, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

"My identity? I am your senior brother—Fang Yu."

The sudden figure spoke.

It was Fang Yu—and not his avatar, but his true body.

Fang Yu had originally intended to descend into Shrouding Heaven Realm with an avatar to seize advantages, but a sudden inspiration led him to choose his true body instead, leaving his avatar to cultivate in the Eternal Life Realm.

The opportunities ahead in Shrouding Heaven Realm required sufficient strength to claim; an avatar was too weak to unleash full power, while his true body could claim far greater benefits.

His avatar remained in the Eternal Life Realm and needed little cultivation—perhaps merely accompanying Fang Qingxue or Fang Han on trials would grant him ample advantages.

Both were individuals who never lacked miraculous encounters; even if his avatar did nothing, he would still gain opportunities.

Thus, the disciples of Hutaixuan Sect's Zhuofeng beheld Fang Yu's true body—possessing four awakened brains and nearly five million Xuan Huang warhorse strengths.

This true body even brought with him a mid-grade Dao artifact: the Sky-Piercing Divine Spear.

This was a great terror.

"You're our senior brother? Impossible?"

"What proof do you have that you are truly our senior brother of Zhuofeng?"

"If you're an imposter trying to take advantage of us, know the consequences."

The young disciples, upon seeing Fang Yu, had been ready to strike immediately—but when they looked upon him, fear surged within them, as if the man before them wielded boundless power, capable of suppressing them with a single motion.

Even on Zhuofeng, they felt utterly isolated and powerless, their aura drastically weakened; the threats they had intended to hurl were now swallowed, eight-tenths of them gone.

"I have returned, having cultivated to this state—I shall see my master first. You little ones, killing you would be meaningless."

Fang Yu shook his head and strode forward with firm steps. His gaze swept the void, and the disciples there involuntarily felt terror, too frightened to move.

These disciples' strength was truly negligible—their power insignificant. If he wished to kill them, a single glance would suffice.

A glance laced with the sharpness of Bai Di's Golden Emperor Slash could kill through empty space.

"How could this be? I, Zhang Yu, am the son of a peak master—and yet I was frozen in place by his gaze?"

As Fang Yu departed, one young man wore an expression of disbelief.

He was Zhang Yu, son of the master of Musong Peak, accustomed to being treated with utmost respect wherever he went—but now, a single glance from this man had paralyzed him.

It was utterly inconceivable.

Did he lack the courage to even raise a hand against him?

"Terrifying—truly terrifying. I, Liu Zhendong, am the son of a Supreme Elder, have cultivated countless Dao arts, and considered myself a formidable figure—how could I have been frightened today?"

Another young disciple's face was filled with shock; recalling the moment, he felt as if he had seen a ghost.

"Such aura—surely he is truly our senior brother of Zhuofeng. Watch—he's going to seek our master. Whether true or false, we'll know soon enough."

As the disciples stood stunned, Fang Yu had already stepped before the main hall of Zhuofeng.

"Fang Yu, you've come?"

From within the Zhuofeng main hall came a curious voice, and then Li Ruoyu, master of Zhuofeng, stepped out.

He now radiated no aura whatsoever, appearing merely an ordinary old man—but no one in the entire Hutaixuan Sect dared to ignore him.

All knew this elder had received the Zhuofeng inheritance; his rise was inevitable. With continued cultivation, he could reach the elder's realm of a holy sect's Supreme Elder, sufficient to protect the Hutaixuan Sect for a thousand years.

Precisely because of this, more and more disciples now gathered on Zhuofeng.

"Master, I've returned."

Fang Yu gazed at the elder, smiling.

"It's been some time since we last met—you've returned once more. This journey has clearly changed you greatly."