Part Two: Cultivation World, Volume One: The Tianxin Sect at Death's Door, Heavy Profound Armguard
Zhang Xingfeng smiled, a smile that remained unchanged from beginning to end, without any other expression. Even when he received the 'Purple Star Robe' from Wu Tong, Zhang Xingfeng was still smiling. However, at that moment, a mysterious light flashed in Zhang Xingfeng 'Zhang Xingfeng eyes. Perhaps Wu Tong, who observed this scene, could understand what that mysterious light represented.
"Alright, Elders, I'll take my leave now. There are still some matters to attend to at 'Heavenly Peak'!" Zhang Xingfeng smiled and bowed as he departed. Gan Feng and Wu Tong exchanged astonished glances. Today, the two had been secretly scheming against each other for quite some time. For two Nine Heavens Profound Immortal, engaging in such scheming was extremely rare. These two leaders of the Cultivation World, having schemed against each other for so long, couldn't help but feel a bit mentally exhausted.
Zhang Xingfeng drifted with the wind, soaring through the air. Night had fallen, and a bright moon shone silvery in the sky. (Hmm... a bright moon here too, hehe, isn't that a coincidence? But it's just a coincidence, after all, I'm the author, hehe). Moonlight bathed the space, turning the world into a silvery white expanse. The various buildings constructed by cultivators, protected by Law Technique restrictions, emitted dazzling, multicolored lights!
The bustling night market attracted countless cultivators; only the five holy cities could boast such a magnificent scene at night. Zhang Xingfeng was in a very good mood. His trip to the Bright Sun Sect had yielded several significant results. First, he obtained the * Sword Immortal Record *, resolving his brother Lang Feng's problem. Second, he acquired 600,000 drops of Immortal Spirit Water. From now on, disciples of the Tianxin Sect could use this to condense their Immortal Spirit Body, and even Loose Immortal could use it to accelerate Immortal Spirit Water condensation. Third, he became a 'noble' in the Immortal Realm—a 'Purple Star Immortal' among the superior immortals. Thinking of the privileges of nobles on mortal planets, Zhang Xingfeng could imagine the privileges a 'Purple Star Immortal' would enjoy in the Immortal Realm. Becoming a 'Purple Star Immortal' gave Zhang Xingfeng a small plan, but it wasn't time to implement it yet.
"The Cultivation World? Ha... In my previous life, Zhang Xingfeng cultivated diligently for 3600 years, only managing to keep the Tianxin Sect at the level of an ordinary sect. I never imagined that after reincarnation and rebirth, I would return to the Cultivation World in just over a hundred years. Moreover, my power is many times greater than before, and I have cultivated far more powerful Cultivation Method: divine artifacts? Immortal Forging Art? God Forging True Manual? Demon Crystal? Star Brilliance? Six Revolutions Profound Body Art Innate Fire Spirit Body? Haha..." For some reason, Zhang Xingfeng felt an urge to laugh uncontrollably tonight.
"Hahaha... Hahaha..."
That night, almost every cultivator heard endless laughter above the Bright Spirit Holy City. The laughter was filled with joy, madness, struggle, liberation, catharsis, and ethereal peace...
Zhang Xingfeng no longer knew why he was laughing; he only knew that he desperately wanted to laugh, to let out all the emotions in his heart. To release them all...
Unconsciously, Zhang Xingfeng had already flown out of Mingling Star and arrived in the void.
Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng stopped, a look of satisfaction on his face—a sense of relief!
"Success and fame? Dreams fulfilled? How many years? How many years? Over three thousand years of wandering in the dead of night, all for the sake of making the Tianxin Sect a large sect. But now it has been easily achieved. Immortal Spirit Water, just this Immortal Spirit Water! What does it matter if my Tianxin Sect becomes a super-large sect? We have Little Dragon, and the Flood Dragon that Little Dragon just found. That Flood Dragon is only one step away from the Form Transformation Stage. Give it a Dragon Inner Core, and it will probably be reborn immediately. It will completely reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm!"
Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng opened his arms, for the first time unleashing all his power. Heavenly fire surged from Zhang Xingfeng body, burning relentlessly. Limitless Power instantly merged into the heavenly fire, making the fire burn even more fiercely and intensely! The endless starry sky was distorted by the blazing fire!...
"Drink!" Zhang Xingfeng's eyes flashed with divine light, and his powerful body began to unleash tremendous power. With the slightest movement, his body violently rubbed against the air, producing a terrifying "whooshing" sound! Visible 'ripples' formed around Zhang Xingfeng's body!
"Haha... After that dragon transformed, my Tianxin Sect had three Great Luo Golden Immortal, and my strength, Zhang Xingfeng's strength, was completely on par with Nine Heavens Profound Immortal. Tian Nan was the strongest of the seven Nine Heavens Profound Immortal in the Cultivation World, yet he was only evenly matched with me! What do I, Zhang Xingfeng, have to fear? What do I have to fear!" Zhang Xingfeng laughed wildly, his right fist slamming fiercely towards a distant meteorite!
The powerful punch distorted space, and the boundless power of the heavenly fire made the starry sky evade!
"Boom!"
The meteorite groaned in agony, and the area it struck instantly erupted like a violent bolt of lightning! Wherever the celestial fire passed, the stone turned to ash...
"A super-large sect! A super-large sect! Hahaha... The history of the seven super-large sects of the Cultivation World will be rewritten by me, Zhang Xingfeng! Those who stand in my way will die, those who obstruct me will be killed!" Zhang Xingfeng frantically attacked the starry sky...
Suddenly Zhang Xingfeng froze, and two clear tears streamed from his eyes. "Master, Master, your disciple has finally fulfilled the dream of the Tianxin Sect disciples, it's finally done!"
Suddenly, a hint of vulnerability appeared on Zhang Xingfeng's face. "You know, Master, I was terrified, really. When the Purple Cloud Realm attacked my Tianxin Sect, I was terrified. Although I knew the formation I set up was very powerful, I also knew that the Purple Cloud Realm was the number one power in the Immortal Realm. I was worried that they had a way to break the formation, and I was worried that they would kill all the disciples of my Tianxin Sect. So, I could only threaten them by saying I would destroy their branch and kill their core disciples!" Zhang Xingfeng looked quite ferocious!
"Fortunately, this formation is indeed powerful, worthy of being the Blood Kill Gate's secret formation. I also managed to fight Tian Nan to a draw." A hint of pride appeared on Zhang Xingfeng's face!
Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng laughed, "Master, speaking of which, things are really interesting. These Tian Nan all seem to think I'm the disciple of some legendary figure, and they all seem to respect me immensely now. Just now, that Wu Tong, who is the Nine Heavens Profound Immortal of the Tianlong Sect in the Cultivation World, gave me the 'Purple Star Robe.' His Heavenly Emperor also bestowed upon me the title of 'Purple Star Immortal'!" Zhang Xingfeng seemed a little proud.
"However, that's nothing. That Gan Feng is truly ruthless. To curry favor with that fictitious master behind me, he actually traded Immortal Spirit Water with me! Hahaha... Immortal Spirit Water, Master!" Zhang Xingfeng was so happy he almost forgot himself!
"Immortal Spirit Water. With Immortal Spirit Water, it means that even disciples who don't ascend to the Immortal Realm can quickly achieve the Immortal Spirit Body. With Immortal Spirit Water, super-large sects will find it extremely easy! I refuse to believe that the Bright Sun Sect would give me so much Immortal Spirit Water for a mere 100 Top-grade Immortal Artifact. Although Immortal Spirit Water isn't considered precious in the Immortal Realm, and it seems like Gan Feng has made a fortune, this is the Cultivation World! In the Cultivation World, apart from the seven major sects, no other large sect could exchange even a single drop of Immortal Spirit Water for any amount of immortal crystals!"
"This Immortal Spirit Water is the key to the super-large sect, this very key. Now my Tianxin Sect possesses it. With this key, how could my Tianxin Sect not seize the opportunity?" Zhang Xingfeng's expression suddenly turned serious.
"So, I've decided. From today onward, my Tianxin Sect will strive to become a super-large sect. With me, Zhang Xingfeng, in charge, and Little Dragon there, along with that powerful sect-protecting formation, haha... Master, just you wait and see!" A hint of determination, and a touch of coldness, appeared in Zhang Xingfeng's eyes!
On the path to becoming a super-large sect, Zhang Xingfeng will eliminate anything that stands in his way!
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Three days later.
Zhang Xingfeng and Lang Feng were in the valley below the canyon on the Fangyan Mountain.
This valley was where Zhang Xingfeng used to live. Flying down from the canyon behind Fangyan Mountain, you would find a vast valley with a rushing river beside it. This river connected to a lake within the valley. Zhang Xingfeng often fished in this lake back then.
However, the environment here has changed drastically. There are now many more bamboo houses, and Lang Feng and Leyue also live here. Leyue and Yu Yan especially love growing flowers, and many of the fine wines they brew are extracted from various flowers!
The entire valley naturally became a sea of flowers, the abundant Spiritual Qi of Fangyan Mountain causing countless blossoms to bloom in a riot of color.
Planting flowers? Zhang Xingfeng and Lang Feng certainly wouldn't object, unless they didn't want to drink anymore!
Lang Feng smiled more often and became more optimistic, spending all his time lovingly with Leyue. The reason? Needless to say, it was the "Sword Immortal Record" that Zhang Xingfeng brought back.
Zhang Xingfeng suddenly felt the fishing rod in his hand tremble slightly, and he was overjoyed. "Hey, I got it!" Zhang Xingfeng lifted the fishing rod, and there was a plump yellow croaker that was stuck on the hook. Lang Feng was fishing at the same time, immediately helped to put the fish into the bucket.
From beginning to end, the two of them did not use any of the power of cultivators, relying entirely on the strength of ordinary people. Innocent smiles appeared on their faces.
The two placed the fish into the bucket. Lang Feng suddenly paused, looked at Zhang Xingfeng, and said, "Second brother, thank you!"
Zhang Xingfeng was taken aback, then laughed, "You, there's no need for thanks between brothers. Hmm! It seems someone's coming!" Zhang Xingfeng's heart stirred, and he looked up at the sky. Lang Feng followed Zhang Xingfeng's gaze and looked up at the sky.
Tianxin Sect flew over on a sword.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder! This invitation is sent to you in the name of the seven major sects of the Cultivation World!" Wu Hui respectfully said to Zhang Xingfeng Supreme Elder. In Wu Hui's eyes, Zhang Xingfeng was supreme; the current status of the Tianxin Sect was entirely due to Zhang Xingfeng alone. Moreover, this invitation further demonstrated Zhang Xingfeng's status. This was an invitation issued in the name of the seven major sects!
Zhang Xingfeng opened the invitation, and the star and moon patterns on it said it all.
This is a gathering of top-tier immortals. The invitation only features stars and a moon, indicating that only two types of immortals will be attending: Purple Star Immortal and Silver Moon Immortal. Zhang Xingfeng suddenly noticed an item on the list of activities for the gathering—an auction!
The original text reads, "After the gathering, eight major merchants organized an auction, with the final item being the legendary spiritual herb— the Nine-leaf Lingzhi!" The best Lingzhi Zhang Xingfeng had ever seen in the Primordial Era had only six leaves, and in the Cultivation World, the best had only seven. Even in the immortal realm, an eight-leaf Lingzhi was extremely rare, let alone the legendary Nine-leaf Lingzhi! It's called a 'legendary' spirit medicine precisely because it's so rare, appearing only once every million years! That's why it's a legend! But now this legend has become reality; how could it not cause countless immortals to excitedly pursue it?
"And the final item is a divine artifact— the Heavy Profound Armguard. The Heavy Profound Armguard was originally one of the three parts of the top-tier divine artifact—the strongest defensive divine armor, the 'Heavy Profound Chisel'!" This was also a passage from the invitation.
"Go, of course I'll go! How could I miss such a great opportunity? The Heavy Profound Armguard! With the Heavy Profound Armguard, I'll have the complete 'Heavy Profound Chisel.' Once Brother Lang Feng becomes a Sword Immortal, the Sword Immortal with the highest attack power, combined with the 'Heavy Profound Chisel' with the strongest defense, wouldn't that be the strongest combination? An invincible Sword Immortal! An invincible Sword Immortal!" Zhang Xingfeng seemed to already see Lang Feng wearing the 'Heavy Profound Chisel,' unafraid of attacks, while he himself unleashed the fierce sword light of a Sword Immortal, slaughtering enemies...
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On this day, the sky above the Holy City of the Purple Cloud Realm was even more magnificent and colorful. Countless disciples of the Purple Cloud Realm were expending their True Primordial Energy, just to make the sky above Purple Cloud Realm even more attractive and dazzling!
Of course, the Purple Cloud Realm isn't like this every day; this is an opportunity that only comes once every 100 years! Because today, all the superior immortals of the Cultivation World will gather here.
As soon as Zhang Xingfeng entered the Holy City of the Purple Cloud Realm, a cultivator of the 'Wind' generation from the Purple Cloud Realm immediately approached him at the city gate and led Zhang Xingfeng to the Purple Cloud Realm. Cultivators of the 'Wind' generation are the next generation of disciples of the 'Zi' generation. They are extremely revered in the Purple Cloud Realm, such as Feng Tian or even Great Luo Golden Immortal.
The man next to him is Feng Yang, Ji Fang's apprentice.
Feng Yang was a true high-ranking figure in the Purple Cloud Realm and vaguely knew the attitude of the Immortal Realm sect towards Zhang Xingfeng. Therefore, he treated Zhang Xingfeng with utmost respect and answered all his questions along the way.
"Feng Yang, what are these eight merchant organizations? I don't think I've ever heard of them before!" Zhang Xingfeng recalled the auction of the eight merchant organizations. To be able to bring out divine artifacts and Nine-leaf Lingzhi, these eight merchants could not possibly be ordinary people.
As expected, Feng Yang replied, "The gathering that True Person attended was sponsored and supported by these super-rich businessmen. These businessmen are not as simple as True Person imagine; just eight organizations control ninety percent of the business in the Cultivation World. And the business with the City of Heavenly Chasm is almost ninety-nine percent controlled by these eight business Lineage!"
After a pause, Feng Yang continued, "Their foundations are extremely deep, with histories spanning millions, even tens of millions of years! They also have a great many hidden experts. The Zhu Family, the number one Lineage in the Cultivation World, has a level of expertise that is not much weaker than that of a super-large sect! Moreover, they have transactions between the City of Heavenly Chasm and various forces in the Immortal Realm, and even with people in the Demon Realm. Their network of influence is extremely vast, so even the seven major sects would not easily offend these super-large merchant Lineage!"
Zhang Xingfeng was startled. "How come I didn't know about these super-powerful Lineage when I was in the Cultivation World? Was I not qualified to know back then?" Zhang Xingfeng was right; he was indeed not qualified to know back then.
"True Person, the gathering place for today is just ahead. True Person follow me!" Feng Yang said with a smile, pointing to the building that seemed to be made entirely of jade in the distance.
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