Chapter 383: Alliance

The blue sea was calm, its waves undisturbed.

A streak of light flashed by, revealing an old man with white hair.

His aura was ethereal, lacking the terrifying pressure typical of other Gao Jie cultivators, yet he carried a strange sense of "merging with heaven and earth," in perfect harmony with the cosmos.

"Mingkun Island… lies just ahead."

The old man murmured softly.

Although the island has a teleportation array, what if we teleport directly and fall into a trap?

Even if there's no trap, suddenly appearing on a fellow cultivator's territory is a grave insult.

He raised his hand; silver light flickered in the void, and a transmission talisman shot forth at incredible speed, like a silver streak, flying toward Mingkun Island.

In moments, a young man with sword-like brows and starlit eyes stepped through the air toward them.

His aura was elusive, and as he walked, faint strands of silver spiritual light clung to his body, as if even the void itself were being disturbed.

"Void power!"

The old man, who also wielded Void power, was stunned.

He was Gu Zunzhe, a Huashen elder of Piaomiao Immortal Palace—though Piaomiao Immortal Palace was famed for its mastery of Void Dao, with countless techniques and secrets, he had only barely grasped a trace of Void power after immense effort in the middle stage of Huashen, aided by a supreme treasure.

And yet… this newly ascended Huashen cultivator had mastered it outright?

Mastering even a trace of Void power after Huashen peak grants a chance to break through to Lianxu.

Though the odds of failure are extremely high.

"Are you Gu Zunzhe of Piaomiao Immortal Palace?"

Fang Xing raised an eyebrow.

This man's appearance was deeply etched in Huang Zhu Zhenjun's memories—he was a Huashen cultivator from a rival faction.

"Indeed, it is this old man. Hehe… congratulations on your ascension to Huashen; your flight to the higher realms is now within reach."

Gu Zunzhe smiled and offered a purple jade vial: "Inside this vial are three 'Feng Ming Pills'—they offer modest benefits in enhancing spiritual power. A small token of congratulations!"

"Thank you."

Fang Xing accepted the purple jade vial and sighed inwardly: 'Do you really have to be this courteous? You act like this… I'll feel awkward later.'

'But Piaomiao Immortal Palace has turned the Feixian lineage against my Sword Sect. As the inheritor of the Yuanshen Sword Sect, demanding compensation is justified… these five-grade pills are merely interest.'

Even so, one does not strike a smiling face.

Fang Xing still invited Gu Zunzhe to Mingkun Island for tea.

Gu Zunzhe smiled warmly, showing not a trace of the arrogance befitting a Huashen elder.

After all, they were peers; discussing the subtleties of Yuanshen cultivation and insights into the Dao of heaven and earth, the two soon found themselves in lively conversation.

"Your insights into Void Dao are profoundly enlightening—I've gained much."

Fang Xing smiled pleasantly, yet inwardly affirmed: 'Piaomiao Immortal Palace's Lianxu heritage… their spatial laws seem deeper and broader than those of the Lingkong Sword Scripture… I must see it.'

This was only natural.

Though Lianxu heritage inevitably involves Void Dao, the depth varies greatly.

The Lingkong Sword Scripture emphasizes sword techniques, favoring the fusion of Void Dao with sword art.

The Tianmo Nine Strategies, needless to say, focus on demonic techniques and divine powers…

Only the Piaomiao Void Scripture, named directly after Void, delves deepest into Void research and likely records the most spatial structures among the three.

"Haha… you flatter me. You've mastered a trace of Void power at the early Huashen stage—could it be… you possess a Lianxu heritage?"

Gu Zunzhe suddenly spoke, causing Fang Xing's expression to shift.

But this was precisely what Fang Xing had intended to reveal.

Mastering even a trace of Void power at early Huashen might be explained by extraordinary talent or a Void body.

Yet during their discussion, Fang Xing's understanding of Void Dao was too systematic and comprehensive.

A lone cultivator who learned through self-exploration could never articulate so much.

He merely smiled, sipped his spiritual tea, and assumed an air of profound mystery.

Gu Zunzhe's eyes flashed with sharp light: "... s the scripture you cultivate the Lingkong Sword Scripture?"

"Huh?"

Fang Xing was genuinely surprised: "How do you know?"

Now that his strength was unmatched, he had no qualms about being known.

"Hehe… Piaomiao Immortal Palace is a holy sect; naturally, we have agents within Wuji Hall… Do you know that Meng the Old Devil has already learned your elder's identity?"

If Wuji Hall had spies in Piaomiao Immortal Palace, then Piaomiao Immortal Palace certainly had moles in Wuji Hall.

As Gu Zunzhe spoke these words, he still sounded incredulous.

A tiny island like Mingkun—its chief is a Huashen cultivator, its second chief a fifth-grade body cultivator… truly unimaginable.

Back then, why did Nanhuomen dare to provoke these two?

'Hmm? It seems Meng the Old Devil truly has a secret method—he learned about the siege…'

'Then, my recent ascension to Huashen drew attention; intelligence reports must have reached the desks of high-ranking figures… my face could no longer be hidden… though I have no intention of changing it anyway.'

Fang Xing's mind stirred—he now understood Gu Zunzhe's purpose. An enemy of my enemy is my friend; since Wuji Hall plans to strike Piaomiao Immortal Palace, Piaomiao naturally seeks allies…

'If this were a mere mortal envoy, he'd open with "Your doom draws near!"'

Fang Xing remained silent, waiting for Gu Zunzhe to continue.

Gu Zunzhe said: "Meng the Old Devil will surely move against you. Piaomiao Immortal Palace is willing to ally with you to jointly oppose the demonic sects!"

"Moreover, our sect's master is deeply concerned about the whereabouts of Yu Tianzun. Does your body cultivator elder know anything? Now that you've inherited the Yuanshen Sword Sect's legacy, Piaomiao Immortal Palace will fully support you—even if you someday wish to establish a new holy sect, we can discuss it."

"A holy sect? That requires at least a fifth-grade spiritual vein."

Fang Xing replied calmly.

Now that he had ascended to Huashen, with no pills to aid his cultivation, he had returned to the life of a hard cultivator, drawing spiritual energy directly from veins.

Mingkun Island's spiritual vein was far too weak—he needed at least a fifth-grade one.

Of course, a sixth-grade vein like Piaomiao Immortal Palace's would be even better.

'In the Hanhai Immortal Realm, fourth-grade veins are still relatively abundant, but fifth-grade ones are exceedingly rare—held only by a few Yuan Ying great powers…'

The Yuan Ying great powers of Hanhai had at least several, even dozens, of Yuan Ying Zhenjun, some even Yuan Ying Late-stage Grand Zhenjun, and some boasted ancestral Huashen cultivators, possessing Huashen heritage!

But sixth-grade veins—besides Piaomiao Immortal Palace—were held only by the former mountain gate of Yuanshen Sword Sect and Wuji Hall.

"With your abilities, a fifth-grade vein should be easy."

Gu Zunzhe smiled, for they were two Huashen-level combatants.

Now the terms were laid out—let this Mingkun Zunzhe choose.

"As for Yu Tianzun's whereabouts… my elder doesn't know. He left earlier on urgent business, then discovered a terrifying Void storm behind him…"

Fang Xing sighed, yet his mind stirred.

Though Wuji Hall confirmed Yu Tianzun's death, it might be a deliberate lie by Piaomiao Immortal Palace.

Being swallowed by a Void storm meant near-certain death.

But if one's cultivation was high enough and fortune extremely favorable… survival was not impossible.

For instance, cast into another lower realm or a Void rift.

Like a shipwrecked sailor washed ashore on a deserted island.

The probability is low—but not nonexistent!

'Objects that confirm life or death, like soul lamps, should sense their owner regardless of distance—but if separated by dimensional barriers, and the person is critically wounded, life flickering like a candle in the wind… then it's uncertain whether the lamp will extinguish.'

'Is Piaomiao Immortal Palace deliberately obscuring Yu Tianzun's fate to maintain deterrence—or is this truly what happened?'

Fang Xing thought for a moment, then reached his conclusion: It didn't matter.

At his level, even if Meng the Old Devil and Yu Tianzun attacked together, it would merely mean he donned his armor and fought.

Even if a being from the higher realm descended, bound by dimensional suppression, they might still not be his match!

After all, his cultivation level was still low, so the suppression affected him less…

"As for spiritual veins—fifth-grade is too low. What about sixth-grade?"

Fang Xing smiled.

"Sixth-grade?" Gu Zunzhe's face darkened: "Which location are you referring to?"

"Naturally, Wuji Hall."

Fang Xing answered seriously—he now had the perfect chance to destroy the demonic holy sect, seize the Lianxu heritage, and acquire vast resources to fuel his cultivation avatar.

Rather than kill a chicken to warn the monkeys, he preferred to kill a monkey to warn the chickens.

With this threat, he could likely force Piaomiao Immortal Palace to surrender the Piaomiao Void Scripture without a single drop of blood.

Though some cultivators prized their heritage, most were flexible when faced with life and death.

"Wuji Hall? You intend to ally with Piaomiao Immortal Palace?"

Gu Zunzhe's eyes lit up—though this Huashen cultivator remained secretive about Yuanshen Sword Sect matters, his willingness to join forces against Meng the Old Devil meant half the battle was won!

"Meng the Old Devil—I can handle alone. I only need you to create an opportunity to lure his true body out of Wuji Hall."

Fang Xing said calmly.

This holy sect's formation array was almost certainly sixth-grade, like Yuanshen Sword Sect's.

With a Huashen cultivator commanding a sixth-grade array, it was like a turtle shell—even a Lianxu combatant would struggle to break through.

After all, sixth-grade arrays were on par with Lianxu cultivators.

Piaomiao Immortal Palace had two Huashen elders—even if one was early Huashen and the other mid-Huashen, if they held the array, even Meng the Old Devil could do nothing but slowly erode their outer territories.

Wars between cultivators often lasted decades, even centuries—this was why.

Fang Xing certainly didn't want to make things this complicated, so he needed to divide and conquer.

Fortunately, the Wuji Hall no longer had a second Shen Hua elder; if they could lure and kill Meng Lao the Demon, all problems would be resolved effortlessly.

Without a Shen Hua elder to preside, even with a formation spirit present, facing a Lian Xu-level combatant would lead to a dire outcome.

"Come to think of it… that ancient demon was quite formidable—perhaps when he stormed the Yuan Shen Sword Sect, he had already regained his Lian Xu combat power? Otherwise, he couldn't have achieved such results… but later he was severely wounded, sealed away for years, and fell back again…"

(End of Chapter)