Chapter 471: Fallen

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

A giant of yellowish rock stood towering, its five fingers slightly clenching like five mountains descending—power absolute even in the Spirit Realm.

"So, in the end, cultivation always comes down to principles, doesn't it?"

Fang Xing gazed at this scene, deeply moved: "Combination, combination—it's merging the 'body of principles'…"

At this moment, breaking through the bottleneck of the Combination Stage felt as if it didn't exist at all.

As long as his spiritual energy was sufficient, he could break through immediately!

"But among all principle comprehensions, the most crucial is still the comprehension of principles themselves…"

Fang Xing sneered, and the spacetime realm descended, instantly relocating the Five Sacred Mountains—vanished without a trace.

Principle comprehension!

It was a power that, once the main consciousness unified, became fully shared.

Now, Fang Xing's true body and his cultivation avatar—all shared the same level of principle comprehension as the Black Dragon!

The fusion of spacetime principles was enough to rival a fifth-tier realm of principles, even surpassing it!

With a single thought, principles arose, instantly suppressing the Earth Fragrance Elder's principle body.

"What?"

"This is the rule manipulation of a Great Ascension elder—how could you?"

Seeing this, the Earth Fragrance Elder's massive rocky body trembled with fear…

Without hesitation, he formed hand seals, preparing to flee with a teleportation technique.

But the next instant!

The rusted iron sword, empowered by the power of spacetime, pierced through multiple concentric shields and struck the Earth Fragrance Elder directly.

"Ahh!"

The Earth Fragrance Elder screamed, transforming into a strange doll.

Dozens of zhang away, a flash of light appeared—his form materialized, face twisted with malice as he tore off his left arm.

Blood sprayed across the heavens!

From the blood mist emerged countless spectral figures of gods and demons—clearly a top-tier demonic secret technique!

Those blood-shadow gods and demons lunged at Fang Xing, while the remaining bloodlight wrapped around the Earth Fragrance Elder, preparing for a blood teleportation escape.

"Now you think of running? Isn't it too late?"

Fang Xing raised his rusted iron sword and slashed down.

This slash was neither fast nor sharp—but as it fell, an entire region of space was utterly frozen!

It was spatial stasis, rivaling time stillness!

Under spatial stasis, the panicked Earth Fragrance Elder looked utterly ridiculous.

His once-prized, peerless teleportation light froze mid-air, revealing his horrified face.

The rusted iron sword became a streak of white light, mercilessly circling his neck once.

Puff!

As space resumed its flow, the Earth Fragrance Elder instantly split in two, his nascent soul severely wounded.

"Bind!"

Fang Xing smiled faintly and tossed out the Taiyi Ring.

The ring expanded and contracted at will, suddenly encircling a nascent soul like a collar around a dog's neck.

Inside the collar was none other than the "Earth Fragrance Elder!"

"The Nine Fragrance Palace… will not let you go unpunished."

The Earth Fragrance Elder's nascent soul flickered, transmitting a defiant message.

"Too much talk."

Fang Xing's eyes glowed golden, like two razor-sharp flying swords piercing deep into the Earth Fragrance Elder's nascent soul.

The soul-searching technique from the Pan Wu Scripture entered the soul's depths without resistance, revealing countless secrets of the Nine Fragrance Palace…

"Hmm… a Great Ascension elder… is there really a twelfth realm?"

"If a real fight breaks out, I'll still need my true body's help…"

Fang Xing murmured, picked up the Earth Fragrance Elder's storage treasure, and formed a hand seal.

With the Elder's spiritual essence as key, he immediately opened it—inside lay mountains of resources.

"Your usefulness ends here…"

After completing this, Fang Xing gazed at the Earth Fragrance Elder, and the primordial Taiyi Magnetic Divine Light fell without mercy.

Puff!

…

Nine Fragrance Palace.

A series of bronze bells suddenly boomed.

"Disaster! The Earth Fragrance Elder's 'Life Incense' has been extinguished…"

A young Daoist acolyte ran out of the Ancestral Hall, face pale as death.

"The Earth Fragrance Elder was a mid-Combination expert… Could it be one of the other two factions?"

Streams of teleportation lights arrived at the Council Hall—all were Combination-stage cultivators.

Leading them was a girl in a pink dress, her aura mysterious and profound—she had reached the peak of the Combination Stage.

This woman was the current Mistress of the Nine Fragrance Palace.

"Where was the Earth Fragrance Elder last?"

The Nine Fragrance Palace Mistress spoke, her voice like a clear spring, yet carrying undeniable authority.

"The Earth Fragrance Elder discovered a cultivator ascending from the Qian Yuan Underworld and went to capture him at the Seven Yuan Monastery—resulting in…"

Several elders exchanged glances; an old man with a white beard stepped forward hesitantly.

"A mere ascending cultivator, at the initial Void Refinement stage—how could he kill Earth Fragrance?"

A bearded giant sneered—he clearly belonged to the faction opposed to Earth Fragrance.

"Regardless, Earth Fragrance died for the Nine Fragrance Palace… His disciples and followers must be compensated… But we must also uncover exactly what happened."

The Nine Fragrance Palace Mistress's face was resolute: "The Qian Yuan Underworld concerns treasures from the Immortal Mansion—something even our Ancestral Elder closely watches. Once we uncover the truth, the Ancestral Elder will act personally."

"What? The Ancestral Elder?"

The other Combination elders exchanged glances: "Is it really necessary?" "Heh… if he killed Earth Fragrance, perhaps that Immortal Mansion treasure is on the ascending cultivator."

The Nine Fragrance Palace Mistress said: "Each of these Immortal Mansion treasures possesses unimaginable power—perhaps enough to escape our grasp. Are we to repeat the plot of some novel, sending one after another to die, letting him keep escaping, rising to Combination, even Great Ascension, until he comes to annihilate the Nine Fragrance Palace?"

The other Combination elders grew solemn.

Exactly!

A genius who can reverse-kill a Combination cultivator from Void Refinement—if he grows further, he might truly have a chance at Great Ascension!

Then, it would be the end of the entire Nine Fragrance Palace.

While he's still weak, the Ancestral Elder strikes with overwhelming force—this is truly the strategy of a seasoned ruler!

…

In the Spirit Realm, the Nine Fragrance Palace's actions instantly stirred up a storm.

Even the Eastern Dragon Imperial Court and the Spirit Moon Sect were alarmed by the Nine Fragrance Palace's movements—high-level meetings were held frequently, and even Great Ascension elders appeared.

But all of this was skillfully concealed by the Nine Fragrance Palace.

No faction knew that their grand mobilization was aimed at an ascending cultivator from the Underworld—and one Immortal Mansion treasure!

Not long after, the Nine Fragrance Palace made another major move!

Abandon all affiliated factions!

Abandon everything, concentrate all forces toward the sect's mountain gate!

All protective mountain arrays activated!

Almost all Spirit Realm cultivators believed the Nine Fragrance Palace was preparing for war against the other two major factions.

Only later did they realize: the Nine Fragrance Palace was retreating—unconditionally retreating!

By the time the startled Spirit Realm finally noticed the Nine Fragrance Palace's strategic withdrawal, its forces had already consolidated over half.

At the same time, a shocking rumor spread across the entire cultivation world.

The Nine Fragrance Palace's Great Ascension Ancestral Elder—presumed dead!

…

Main Universe.

Blue Star, Blue Sea District 69.

"That Great Ascension elder of the Twelve Realm Nine Fragrance Palace was far weaker than Chaos Fire—barely comparable to the Flame Luo Emperor at peak transcendence, perhaps just entering the twelfth realm?"

Fang Xing's true body sat cross-legged, then drew a deep breath.

Deep within an unknown star palace inside him, a slowly orbiting planet was "ignited!"

Having finally absorbed sufficient source energy, the planet immediately underwent transformation—from within outward, it ignited into a "star!"

Now, the star palace glowed with a brilliant galaxy—countless stars and stellar debris orbited the central star, like planets circling a sun!

"Broken through… essence, qi, spirit, and my cultivation avatar—all now at the tenth realm."

Fang Xing exhaled slowly.

Though refined in the Qing Yuan Great Realm, his principle comprehension far exceeded what the tenth realm could describe—combined with high-tier legacies and secret techniques, his combat power now neared the thirteenth realm.

But at this moment, his Blue Star martial path was merely an ordinary Ninth Stage...

He still needed the Small Triple Union of essence, qi, and spirit, and the Great Triple Union of heaven, earth, and humanity—inner and outer Liuhe —to break through the Tenth Stage of the martial path and forge the strongest martial foundation!

The reason it was so complicated was naturally to contend with the Creator's Dao!

The stronger the foundation, the greater the advantage in the contest of Dao!

Fang Xing glanced at his attribute panel:

【Star Lord Stage: Stellar Level】

【Star Palace Scroll: 1/200 (Mastery)】

The Star Lord Stage was the source power system of Great Xia; Stellar Level meant a Tenth Stage martial expert!

"Another full-scale boost."

"Before that day arrives, I should still be able to elevate my understanding of the laws further and cultivate more secret arts..."

"Then, strike before the Creator awakens!"

Fang Xing was never one to sit idle; he loved catching his opponents off guard.

Launching a sudden attack just before the Creator awakens was the best choice.

He thought for a moment and made a call.

"Boss..."

On the other side of the projection, Wei Jiali's figure appeared.

"What's happened outside during my seclusion?"

Fang Xing asked.

"Everything is normal, but many people want to visit you, Boss—after all, you're now a Federal Elder..."

Mentioning this, Wei Jiali felt almost disbelieving, wondering if she were dreaming.

Wasn't her boss just a Ninth Stage martial god, at most a Tenth Stage combatant?

How had he suddenly become a Federal Elder?

This honorary title had always been granted only to legendary Eleventh Stage ultimate practitioners!

"Also... Vice Principal Nie Ying wishes to meet with you."

Wei Jiali suppressed her shock and gave a formal report.

"Teacher Nie Ying... I'll see him later; I might as well have him do something."

Fang Xing replied after thinking.

"What task?"

Wei Jiali was curious.

What would this practitioner, already at the pinnacle of the Federation, do?

"I plan to, in Star Calendar 815, emulate former Principal Ye Liuyun and challenge the Tenth Stage of the martial path! At that time, all martial artists of the Federation may come to witness the ceremony."

A faint smile appeared on Fang Xing's lips.

"Boss... challenge the Tenth Stage of the martial path?"

Wei Jiali was startled—wasn't her boss an Eleventh Stage practitioner?

But then she realized: her boss had likely ascended to Eleventh Stage through another path.

And now, he was turning back to break through the martial path's stages!

With his current strength, breaking through the Tenth Stage would be effortless.

If so... would the barrier that had bound all Blue Star martial artists finally be shattered?

(End of Chapter)