Immortal of the Nine Realms

Bai Qingming looked at Daoist Ting Bao with a half-smile. "So, how does this count? Am I bullying you or teaching you a lesson?"

"You people from the Void Immortal Sword Sect are going too far…" said Daoist Ting Bao through gritted teeth.

His lips trembled with anger as he glanced at the empty space where his avatar had been standing, feeling a heart-wrenching pain.

It hurt so much; that avatar represented a quarter of his cultivation. After years of hard work, he had hoped to reach the peak of the Fusion Realm one day! Losing an avatar meant losing a significant portion of his cultivation. This was a loss that could never be regained.

Even if he reached the Fusion Realm in the future, his foundation and essence would only be slightly better than those of ordinary loose cultivators.

Bai Qingming's expression darkened. "Are you implying that I'm bullying you? You shouldn't speak carelessly; people die for such words."

The chilling tone made Daoist Ting Bao realize that he was still in danger! He thought for a moment before forcing a smile. "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Bai Qingming of the Void Immortal Sword Sect. You might not have heard of me, but... Xu Qingsong and others should know of me, right?" Bai Qingming said with a smile.

Daoist Ting Bao honestly hadn't heard of Bai Qingming's name, and he wasn't even sure how strong he was. All he could conclude was that Bai Qingming had to be at least a Fusion Realm cultivator to have used the residual force of his sword qi to eliminate one of his clones.

Daoist Ting Bao forced a smile. "Ah, so it's Brother Bai! May I ask what brings you here today?"

Seeing the once-mighty Ting Bao now groveling, both Daoist Qing Kong and the middle-aged Daoist couldn't help but exchange strange glances.

Nearby, those who came up the mountain felt a sense of unease. Was the Innate Dao Sect they aspired to join not as powerful as they had imagined?

"Don't you have eyes? My junior, Little Fang, came to ask for a spar. Shouldn't the Innate Dao Sect show some acknowledgment? You wouldn't want me and Little Fang to just sit at your doorstep for the next ten years, would you?" Bai Qingming said with a smile.

Daoist Ting Bao thought for a moment. He then suddenly turned his gaze toward Daoist Qing Kong. Pointing at him, Daoist Ting Bao said to Bai Qingming, "Brother Bai, your junior can ask him for a spar. Junior Qing Kong's cultivation isn't bad; even the sect master once said he has the potential to become a Profound Immortal."

"Shut your mouth!" Daoist Qing Kong exploded, his long, black hair nearly standing on end. He angrily pointed at Daoist Ting Bao and shouted, "I've always been just a minor character in your eyes. If I can nurture my Nascent Soul, I'll be satisfied working as a steward for the outer sect. When have you ever said that I have the potential to become a Profound Immortal? If you don't clarify what you just said, I won't let you off the hook!"

As the two inner-sect Daoists began to tear into each other, the outer-sect Daoists stood frozen, their minds turning to mush. They had never seen the lofty inner-sect Daoists in such a state!

Daoist Ting Bao's eyes flickered with a dark hue, but instead of getting angry, he smiled and said, "Junior Qing Kong, why don't you want to acknowledge it? We cultivate immortality and also our hearts. If you can't even admit this little bit, how can you expect to walk a long path in the future?"

"If I acknowledge that, today will be the day I die!"

He quickly tossed his head toward Fang Chen and Bai Qingming. "Wait a moment, you two mustn't believe him; I don't possess any potential for becoming a Profound Immortal. Speaking of which, the Innate Dao Sect's standards for selecting disciples are truly lacking. With such a flawed foundation, how can good fruits possibly grow?

"You both should take a look; over the years, the Innate Dao Sect has only produced one Profound Immortal. Now that this ancestor has ascended to become an Immortal King, the Innate Dao Sect doesn't have a semblance of a Profound Immortal. They brought this upon themselves!"

After finishing his words, Daoist Qing Kong cut off his own sleeve in front of everyone and sneered at Daoist Ting Bao. "From today onward, I have nothing to do with your Innate Dao Sect!"

Daoist Ting Bao couldn't quite believe it. "You're betraying the sect?!"

"What of it? Can you bite me? In this vast world, if you have the ability, come mess with me later!" Daoist Qing Kong countered, chuckling coldly.

He bowed to Fang Chen and Bai Qingming before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the void.

Daoist Ting Bao's expression darkened, while Bai Qingming clapped his hands and turned to the void, laughing as he said, "Are you all just going to watch? Your disciples are betraying you, which shows that the Innate Dao Sect's management is severely lacking. You really need to reflect on the reasons for that!"

Fang Chen turned his head to look into the void, his soul slightly stepping forward. Behind layers of formations stood dozens of figures. Among them were cultivators at the Enlightenment Realm, the Soul Splitting Realm, and even a couple at the Fusion Realm.

However, the auras of the two Fusion Realm cultivators were inferior to Bai Qingming, and they currently wore grim expressions, showing no intention of revealing themselves.

Fang Chen's gaze landed on one of the Fusion Realm cultivators, Xu Qingsong, who had previously knelt down and called him "Grandpa" just to leave the Immortal Dynasty Manor.

At this moment, Xu Qingsong's eyes were also fixed on Fang Chen. They seemed to be making eye contact, but Xu Qingsong had no idea that Fang Chen could see him.

From what I can tell, the Innate Dao Sect's foundation appears rather average now. The Profound Immortal lineage has experienced a break, and the Fusion Realm disciples below are far inferior to those of the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Last time, dozens of Enlightenment Realm cultivators died, and now they are utterly helpless against Senior Brother Bai and the others, Fang Chen thought to himself.

In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, the Innate Dao Sect held a significant position in the Central Continent Empire, especially with an Immortal King overseeing it. However, when assessed carefully, it would probably turn out to be the weakest of all factions. Even the slightest mishap could lead to substantial repercussions for them.

At that moment, Xu Qingsong's lips moved slightly, as if he were speaking to the two Fusion Realm cultivators. Fang Chen didn't hesitate and directly let his soul step into the formation, approaching them.

"Don't be angry. If you really leave, then you will have truly fallen into the Void Immortal Sword Sect's trap. Although Bai Qingming's seniority is not high, his cultivation is not weak. When he left to wander, he was already at the first tribulation of the Fusion Realm, and now… he's at least at the fourth tribulation or higher."

"I have a method that can ensure the newly appointed sword leader of the Void Immortal Sword Sect meets an untimely death. Just give me some time. By then, without their sword leader, the Void Immortal Sword Sect will struggle to protect itself. We will have avenged our grievances," Xu Qingsong said softly.

One of the Fusion Realm cultivators shot him a glance, his expression grim. "Are you sure? What method do you have that can ensure this child's death?"

He turned his gaze toward Fang Chen, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"This method is bestowed upon me by the Ninth Prince; it will easily resolve this child," Xu Qingsong replied.

The Ninth Prince?

The expressions of the others shifted slightly. The two Fusion Realm cultivators exchanged glances and then nodded lightly. "As long as you don't get caught and have any leverage over you, we might be able to keep you safe."

"Rest assured, gentlemen," Xu Qingsong said, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, radiating confidence. "As long as I let the first calamity descend upon him, I can easily find a few cultivators to kill him. No one will know that I'm the one behind it."

One of the Fusion Realm cultivators sneered. "Hmph! Back in the day, someone like Bai Qingming would've been easily dealt with using the Sealing Immortal Formation. Too bad we've declined too much."

With that, he turned and left.

As he departed, a large group of people followed him. The other Fusion Realm cultivator also had no intention of staying to endure the humiliation and led the remaining individuals in a different direction.

Bai Qingming waited for a long time, but he didn't sense anyone coming for him even after a while. He could only look angrily at Fang Chen. "These bastards have turned into turtles again, sticking their heads in their shells and refusing to come out."

Fang Chen pondered for a moment before smiling at Daoist Ling Bao. "Since the Innate Dao Sect is too busy today, please convey to them that I will be staying in the capital city for a while. Whenever you have time, feel free to come and seek me out for guidance."