Chapter 353: Iron Sword Sect (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.

"The Federation… has become corrupt again."

Xu Sanyang had dark circles under his eyes, messy hair like a bird's nest, and wore a patient's gown.

Upon seeing Fang Xing, his first words were this.

Decades have passed, yet this Martial Saint remains youthful and vigorous.

After all, Martial Saints live long, and he is still in his youth phase.

But beside him, Director Ye Lingxin wore a pained expression: "Over the years, San Yang's condition has steadily worsened; now he can only stay conscious for about an hour per month. The rest of the time, he either sleeps or descends into madness and delirium… I've poured immense effort into keeping his body from 'demonic transformation,' but his mind… it's beyond my control."

"You brat, showing up via projection like this… do you visit patients empty-handed?" Xu Sanyang glanced at Fang Xing's bare hands and shook his head: "Besides, I'm fine… even if I'm mostly unconscious."

"What did you mean by that remark you made before?"

Fang Xing fell silent for a moment, then asked.

"While I'm awake, I've never stopped investigating… Recently, thanks to the clues you gave, the Federation has traced some individuals—some were dealt with, others weren't…"

Xu Sanyang sighed: "Because of their backgrounds, influence, and political concerns—even my own Xu family won't risk offending too many powerful figures for the sake of a useless old man like me. This isn't like last time—it's the real 'powerful figures'!"

"The Coexistence Faction? The Fleeing Faction?"

Fang Xing immediately thought of the suspects.

Even with the Laplace Demon, corruption must have taken root among the Federation's high ranks.

Yet that Hengdong mech technician mentioned nothing.

It wasn't just caution—it might even be indifference… after all, there were only two Martial Saints.

"You know? What good does it do?" Xu Sanyang's eyes grew dim: "Even if we ascend to Martial Gods… we likely still lack the power to seek revenge."

"Give me a name." Fang Xing's voice was low.

"So many stars… stars are flying…" But Xu Sanyang had fully slipped into delirium, hugging his knees, crouched in the corner of the room, staring into empty space.

"This time, he was conscious for only 59 minutes and 12 seconds…" Ye Lingxin gazed at Xu Sanyang, her face filled with worry.

"Thank you, Director, for continuing to care for him."

Fang Xing's projection vanished.

Star River Island.

"Does Xu Sanyang not know… or can't he say?"

Fang Xing stepped out of the holovirtual pod, lost in thought.

"After all… the virtual network is surely monitored."

"And he's barely holding on… It seems my sect master's disguise must appear soon… whether to save him, or to seek revenge!"

…

Hanhai Immortal Realm, Mingkun Island.

Sea Market Teleport Array.

Hummm!

A flash of light revealed several figures—men and women, old and young, mostly at Golden Core cultivation.

"Greetings, welcome to the Outer Sea Immortal Realm. I am Ni Huolong, steward of Mingkun Island!"

Ni Huolong chuckled as he checked the array, exchanged pleasantries with a few Golden Core cultivators, then handed out several local jade slips containing the island's rules.

These were routine procedures—he'd grown so accustomed to them he was nearly numb.

"So you're Master Ni… The Lord of Mingkun Island is famed throughout the immortal realm, having fought the Peng Demon Lord to a standstill—we deeply admire him and will surely abide by the rules."

The Golden Core cultivators bowed in thanks, then stepped out of the bronze hall, like drops of water merging into the Sea Market.

One Golden Core beginner, accompanied by two Foundation Establishment nephews, wandered the marketplace awhile before entering a cave dwelling.

This was a cave dwelling rented out by Mingkun Island, with up to a third-rank supreme spiritual vein supplying qi.

More than sufficient for Golden Core cultivators.

The Golden Core beginner entered a third-rank middle-grade spiritual vein cave dwelling, surrounded by planted second-rank Ironheart Bamboo—this spiritual plant was black as ink, tall and straight like a pine, growing only on metal mineral veins, an excellent material for forging spiritual weapons and flying swords.

Though flying swords are mostly forged from metal, they're vulnerable to special electromagnetic cultivation methods.

Switching to wooden-element flying swords eliminates this problem.

The Golden Core beginner walked into the bamboo grove, easily passing through a phantom array, arriving at the cave dwelling.

Called a cave dwelling, it was in fact a small palace, its entrance marked by a massive stone arch inscribed with three bold characters: "Iron Sword Sect."

Several streaks of light flew out—all Golden Core cultivators—who, upon seeing the newcomers, smiled slightly: "Brother Zhou, your two nephews have arrived?"

Yes, though our journey had some turbulence—we were attacked by a third-rank "Sea Swallow"… but it wasn't especially dangerous; I slew the beast king with one sword and took its core…

Brother Zhou smiled, producing a gray-white third-rank core: "Perfect—I'll give it to Brother Huolong to refine a few batches of pills to boost our sect members' spiritual power…"

At this, one female Golden Core cultivator hesitated: "Now that our Iron Sword Sect is expanding into the Outer Sea, we're in dire need of personnel—we may have to cut corners and use beast cores to create False Core cultivators…"

"False Core cultivators—do they even count as Golden Core true cultivators?" Brother Zhou sneered.

"Sigh… take your two nephews to settle in first, then go see Brother Huolong."

Moments later, Brother Zhou entered a cave dwelling and immediately felt a scorching heat rushing toward him.

Moments later, Brother Zhou entered a cave dwelling and felt a wave of scorching heat rush at him.

Inside stood a massive Fire Dragon Pill Cauldron, before which sat a bearded giant.

His eyebrows were crimson, his aura sharp as a sword—his cultivation had reached Golden Core late stage, making him a major cultivator in the Outer Sea.

"Brother Huolong."

Brother Zhou bowed immediately.

This man was none other than the highest-cultivation disciple of the Iron Sword Sect in the Outer Sea—Master Huolong!

Master Fire Dragon flicked his fingers, and layer upon layer of sealing arrays enveloped the entire cave dwelling.

Master Huolong flicked his finger, weaving a dense web of sealing formations around the entire cave dwelling.

The technique was astonishingly subtle.

"Brother's 'Wonderful Music Sealing Array' grows ever more profound—even the Lord of Mingkun Island would struggle to probe this place."

The Lord of Mingkun Island is said to be able to fight evenly with a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator, not to mention he has an elder relative who is even more formidable... My seals can at most detect when a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator's spiritual sense tries to eavesdrop, but they are utterly useless against the "Great True Lord's" spiritual sense.

"The Lord of Mingkun Island is said to rival a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator, let alone his elder ancestor, who is even stronger… My seals can only guarantee that even a Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator's spiritual sense will be detected if they eavesdrop—useless against a 'Great True Lord's' spiritual sense."

Nascent Soul late-stage Great True Lords possessed qualitative leaps in both spiritual power and spiritual sense, incomparable to ordinary Nascent Soul True Lords.

He sighed, his expression turning grave as he looked at Brother Zhou: "How is the Inner Sea?"

"Master, I just received word from the Inner Sea—'Xuyun Great True Lord' and 'Thunder Sword True Lord' clashed; the former destroyed the latter's physical body and captured his Nascent Soul… Thunder Sword Line may be extinct."

Brother Zhou's expression turned solemn.

"Damn it!"

Master Huolong's hair bristled with rage: "If our Yuan Shen Sword Sect still existed, how would a mere Great True Lord dare capture and kill one of our Nascent Soul True Lords?"

Brother Zhou fell silent.

Since the Yuan Shen Sword Sect sank, its disciples abroad became targets of greed.

Even Nascent Soul True Lords who happened to be traveling outside met misfortune—it was a grand feast for the immortal realm's predators.

Only a few 'hidden lines' that had never openly affiliated with the Yuan Shen Sword Sect barely survived.

But leaks still occurred constantly.

Master Huolong thought for a moment, then sighed again: "The Thunder Sword Line inherited the 'Thunder and Lightning Sword Scripture'—thunder-element sword arts are already rare in the immortal realm. Even after modifications, they're manageable at Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages—but after Nascent Soul, if one hopes to transform into a Spirit Body, one must return to the true path of the 'Thunder and Lightning Sword Scripture.' In full combat, their roots will inevitably be exposed…"

"Our sect's five lines: the Golden Sword Line vanished into the outer realms, silent. The Killing Sword Line takes only one disciple per generation, most mysterious. The Flying Immortal Line joined the Piaomiao Immortal Palace. Now the Thunder Sword Line is destroyed—our only remaining orthodox lineage in Hanhai is our Wumiao Line."

Brother Zhou nodded, recalling his late master's earnest instructions and his own vows: "Our Wumiao Line inherits the 'Wonderful Music Ten Thousand Forms Sword Scripture,' famed for 'Ten Thousand Transformations, Boundless Forms.' Our ancestor foresaw wisely—using the Five Elements Sword Arts to dominate, since Five Elements sword arts are everywhere in the immortal realm, drawing little suspicion…"

"Our ancestor only hoped our Iron Sword Sect would flourish generation after generation, producing a Great True Lord who could return to our ancestral land, retrieve the 'Spiritual Void Sword Scripture,' and restore the Yuan Shen Sword Sect…"

Master Huolong smiled bitterly: "Yet after our master passed, I proved incapable—the Iron Sword Sect can no longer even remain in the Inner Sea…"

"This is not your fault," Brother Zhou said gently, pulling a jade box from his storage bag: "Sister Yan entrusted me to deliver this to you… She fought countless duels to obtain it, and is now being hunted by the Inner Sea's Yu Huadian—she's likely… already dead."

"Sister Yan…"

Master Huolong felt a surge of sorrow, memories returning to his youth, carefree days in the Iron Sword Sect, sparring with his sister.

He sighed, and blew gently.

A thread of Fire Dragon true qi emerged, sinking into the talisman on the jade box.

The talisman ignited without wind, the jade box slowly opened, revealing a crimson core within.

Inside the core, faintly visible, was a furious monkey, roaring to the heavens.

"A fourth-rank great beast's essence core?"

Brother Zhou stared, eyes wide.

He knew Sister Yan had entrusted something important—but never imagined it was this!

The talisman on the jade box, if opened without Master Huolong's Fire Dragon true qi as a key, would destroy the contents instantly.

"Sister Yan truly thought of us… She must have sold off every last asset our Iron Sword Sect had in the Inner Sea to obtain this essence core."

Master Huolong exhaled slowly.

A fourth-rank essence core has many uses, but for Golden Core cultivators, its greatest function is combining with other spiritual herbs to refine 'Nascent Soul Pills'!

Though using an essence core to refine Nascent Soul Pills usually yields only one pill, wasting many auxiliary herbs and producing inferior results compared to authentic ones,

it remains a rare opportunity for Nascent Soul cultivation in the Hanhai Immortal Realm!

(End of Chapter)