Chapter 885: Post-Battle Reckoning (1/2, Requesting Monthly Votes)

However, each sect's hidden treasures vary in power level.

The hidden treasure of the Ice Extreme Sect should have been its protective mountain formation.

Under normal circumstances, even if the Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master received augmentation from the protective formation, he would still be no match for the Jianmu Laoren.

Yet… suddenly, a Supreme Sect Master named Qi Ba Jiu emerged on our side—a terrifying existence from the legends of the previous era.

Before Qi Ba Jiu Daren, even the Jianmu Laoren seemed less fearsome.

"Qi Ba Jiu Daren!"

Fang Yue had only just arrived at the scene and shouted out, only to find the battle already over.

The tail immediately dropped down, landing beside him.

As soon as he touched the ground, the flames and frost in his eyes rapidly faded.

"Yese Liming, this battle has drained her body severely. I need much longer rest before I can reappear. During this time, you must protect her."

Fang Yue nodded, indicating he understood; the tail's eye features fully dissipated, its head tilted slightly, and collapsed onto Fang Yue's shoulder.

This scene naturally reached the eyes of Duan Ju Senior Brother.

On any other day, seeing the tail so close to another man, he would have exploded in rage.

But now, he dared not even twitch.

Because that tail… was the Ice Extreme Sect's Supreme Sect Master—the very being who had just fought the monster above!

That was not a realm he could touch, nor a being someone like him could ever approach!

Quietly, he stepped back, vanishing into the crowd to avoid drawing attention to himself.

The Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master and the remaining elders who maintained the protective formation now arrived as well.

Seeing the unconscious tail, they said nothing, merely ordering the news sealed and the scene cleared.

"It seems the Sect Master no longer needs to sacrifice you as a scapegoat."

Ni Dongmei approached at this moment, smiling bitterly.

"You mean the Heaven Sword Sect is no longer a threat?"

"Yes. The Heaven Sword Sect's greatest strengths were the mysterious Jianmu Laoren and the Sect Master Jian Wufeng, who wielded the Heaven Sword. Jian Wufeng died by your hand, and the Heaven Sword was taken. The Jianmu Laoren also died here. The Heaven Sword Sect is now leaderless—whether they can even defend themselves is uncertain, let alone cause trouble for the Ice Extreme Sect."

Pausing, Ni Dongmei continued: "But this grudge has still been formed. If we don't deal with the Heaven Sword Sect now, when it grows stronger later, the Ice Extreme Sect will still become its target—just like the Flame Fire Sect, becoming its eternal enemy. So if the Sect Master stops harassing you from now on, it's likely he'll send you to annihilate the Heaven Sword Sect."

Fang Yue frowned slightly and shook his head.

"I have no interest in annihilating sects. I have my own matters to attend to."

"Then the elders will act. Eliminating the Heaven Sword Sect is surely a done deal."

Fang Yue hesitated. His conflict with the Heaven Sword Sect had only been with Jian Wufeng, who tried to kill the tail and him—nothing else. He even got along well with Tian Ruichi of the Heaven Sword Sect. Letting the Ice Extreme Sect destroy his friend's sect felt unjust.

But he couldn't bring himself to help either—he had no fondness for Jian Wufeng or the Jianmu Laoren, and thus none for the Heaven Sword Sect either.

As Fang Yue was thinking this, the Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master walked over with a full smile and clasped his hands.

"Brother Ye!"

Fang Yue:???

When this guy needs me, he's damn polite indeed.

"What does the Sect Master require?"

The Sect Master was courteous, so Fang Yue didn't give him a cold shoulder, replying calmly.

The Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master didn't answer immediately, but glanced at Ni Dongmei.

She immediately understood, shrugged, and took the tail from Fang Yue's shoulder.

"I'll take her down to rest. Having Qi Ba Jiu Daren appear for so long has severely strained her body—she'll need a long time to recover."

Pausing, Ni Dongmei whispered in a voice only Fang Yue could hear: "She pushed herself too hard for you. Don't let her down."

Of course not. Qi Ba Jiu told me to protect the tail—I can at least do that.

As Ni Dongmei left, the Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master drew closer to Fang Yue, showing familiarity.

"Brother Ye, your blocking of the Jianmu Laoren's sword just now truly surprised me. Such strength at your age—I clearly misjudged you before."

"Sect Master, no need for roundabout words. Just speak plainly."

"Good, straightforward! To be honest, this battle with the Jianmu Laoren has cost my sect dearly. For safety, we urgently need stronger fighters. Brother Ye, would you consider joining the Ice Extreme Sect? No duties required—just a nominal title, and you'll receive Elder-level benefits."

If this had been before Fang Yue became the Qing Si Red Clothes, before he knew the Ice Extreme Sect, he might have been tempted.

But now…

Fang Yue directly shook his head and refused.

"Not interested."

The Ice Extreme Sect's Sect Master's face froze, his warmth instantly cooling.

"Then what do you think of the Heaven Sword Sect?"

"I'll watch them lie down."

"... Brother Ye, you're being humorous. Why pretend ignorance? Jian Wufeng died by your hand, the Heaven Sword is in your possession, and the Jianmu Laoren died here because of you. Do you think the Heaven Sword Sect will let you go?"

"The Heaven Sword Sect won't let the Ice Extreme Sect go either."

"... Our Ice Extreme Sect is a great sect, with vast resources. The Heaven Sword Sect can't threaten us for another hundred years. But dealing with a lone cultivator like you? That's simple."

"Precisely because you're vast and established—you can't run away from your temple. It makes far more sense for them to seek revenge on the Ice Extreme Sect first."

Seeing Fang Yue's attitude, the Sect Master felt his patience exhausted; his voice turned cold: "... Brother Ye, you may not know—the Heaven Sword Sect's strongest have all died. Those still inside are merely a rabble. If you act, you can easily annihilate them all!"

"But I don't want to act."

"Hmph! Cowardly, not a true man! Since you're this way, fine—we'll handle the Heaven Sword Sect ourselves. When we seize their centuries of accumulated wealth, you won't get a single scrap."

"Do as you please."

Fang Yue shrugged and walked away.

He planned to go check on the tail; once the tail woke up, they would return to Jingcheng.

There were still many matters waiting for him in Jingcheng.

The Sect Master of Ji Bing Zong watched Fang Yue's retreating figure, his expression grim.

After the battle with Jianmu Laoren, Ji Bing Zong had suffered heavy losses.

Leaving aside the ordinary disciples caught in the crossfire, seven or eight Elders had been slain, and five or six seriously wounded.

Though many Elders had foolishly joined battles beyond their level and been crushed effortlessly.

But the dead were dead; Ji Bing Zong's high-end combat strength had indeed suffered another blow from this incident, widening the gap in power between them and Lie Huo Zong.

(End of Chapter)