After entering the town, Fang Wang and Zhou Xingshi did not immediately ask around for Fang Hanyu's whereabouts. Instead, they first walked around and observed their surroundings.
Fang Wang had previously asked Zhou Xingshi how to distinguish Demonic Path cultivators. Zhou Xingshi's answer had been not to judge whether someone belonged to the Demonic Path by appearance or aura, but by their surroundings and conduct.
The cultivators in this town were a mixed bag of fish and dragons, making it impossible for the time being to discern the town's stance.
As they proceeded, Fang Wang heard the names of many sects and Aristocratic Clans. This truly seemed to be a marketplace where Rogue Cultivators gathered, with shops selling Immortal Cultivation resources everywhere and no dedicated patrols.
"Find a place to stay first. I'll investigate the clues alone," Zhou Xingshi transmitted to Fang Wang.
Fang Wang replied through the Sound Transmission Technique, "How could that be? You came specifically to help me. How can I do nothing?"
"Though I come from an Immortal Cultivation clan, I've traveled the world since I was ten and have long roamed the Immortal Cultivation world. I'm confident I can uncover clues about Fang Hanyu. You're stronger than I am, and if we encounter danger, sooner or later we'll need you to act. There are so many cultivators in this town that something major may truly be happening. It would be better for us to split up," Zhou Xingshi explained through sound transmission.
Fang Wang considered it, then ultimately agreed. His understanding of the Immortal Cultivation world truly did not compare to Zhou Xingshi's.
The two found an inn and booked rooms. Fang Wang went upstairs, while Zhou Xingshi left the inn to continue investigating.
Once inside his room, Fang Wang shut the door, sat on the bed, and began cultivating.
Although he was only at the Third Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm, he was confident he could sweep through the Spirit Sculpting Realm. After all, he had mastered so many ultimate arts to Great Perfection, as well as the Celestial Palace Halberd, which was suspected to be a Heaven Origin Treasure Spirit.
Even with confidence filling his heart, he did not wish to waste time. No matter how powerful an internal cultivation method was, it still required time to accumulate cultivation.
The sun set, and the moon rose.
After night fell, the small town became quiet. Fang Wang occasionally sensed auras flashing past outside his window. It seemed the night would not be peaceful.
As long as no one disturbed him, he could not be bothered to go out and take a look.
A night passed.
As the sun rose, the town became lively again. The streets were exceedingly noisy, and with Fang Wang's sharp hearing, he could make out some voices.
"A Green Cicada Valley disciple died on the bridge to the east."
"Who did it? Could it have been Yellow Prison Mountain?"
"The activity of those two major sects has been so frequent lately. It seems they're searching for something."
"I heard that a cave dwelling ruin left behind by a great cultivator of the Jihao Sect was discovered five hundred li west of here, in the land of demons and monsters."
"That person died horribly. Even his eyes were gouged out."
Fang Wang slowly opened his eyes in the room. It seemed the matter had already spread, making Fang Hanyu even harder to find.
The Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture would have to be set aside for now. He could not force it.
Fang Wang calculated inwardly and decided that once he found Fang Hanyu, he would leave.
But Zhou Xingshi had not returned all night. Could he have encountered trouble?
Fang Wang's gaze flickered. He remained wary of Zhou Xingshi, worried that Guang Qiuxian and Yang Yuanzi wanted to scheme against him. Yet on second thought, he was only in the Spirit Sculpting Realm right now. If Guang Qiuxian and Yang Yuanzi truly wanted to seize his Treasure Spirit, why would they need to go to such lengths?
He suppressed the suspicion in his heart and decided to wait a little longer. If Zhou Xingshi had still not returned by noon, he would act alone.
Fortunately, things were not as bad as he had imagined. An hour later, Zhou Xingshi returned.
After entering the room, Zhou Xingshi shut all the doors and windows.
"The situation is bad. Our disciples may really have obtained an inheritance. Green Cicada Valley and Yellow Prison Mountain are both searching for the whereabouts of Taiyuan Sect disciples." Zhou Xingshi sat before Fang Wang and still communicated through the Sound Transmission Technique.
Fang Wang likewise asked through sound transmission, "Then have you found any trace of Fang Hanyu?"
"Four months ago, Fang Hanyu did indeed appear in this town, but he was pursued by Green Cicada Valley and fled toward the mountains. Many merchants who permanently reside in town witnessed this..."
Zhou Xingshi hesitated for a moment before continuing through sound transmission, "He has been pursued by Green Cicada Valley for four months and still has not returned to the sect. I fear he is..."
He did not finish the rest, but Fang Wang understood.
The odds were stacked against him!
Fang Wang frowned. He and Fang Hanyu had merely been close as children, but no matter what, they both bore the surname Fang. Moreover, he had promised Zhou Xue that he would take good care of these clansmen.
"By the way, Zhou Xue is from your clan, right? Is she trustworthy?" Zhou Xingshi suddenly asked through sound transmission.
Fang Wang raised a brow and asked, "Why do you ask? Have you seen her?"
"That's right. She was the one who killed the Green Cicada Valley disciple last night. Her methods were cruel, and she even used Green Cicada Valley's own methods, gouging that person's eyes out alive..."
Speaking of it, Zhou Xingshi could not help but shudder, his eyes filled with fear.
When Fang Wang heard this, he was instead pleasantly surprised. Zhou Xue had come. The chances of finding Fang Hanyu had just become much greater.
He replied through sound transmission, "She's trustworthy. We have faced life and death together. You saw her, yet she did not discover you?"
He was suspicious. No matter how experienced Zhou Xingshi was at traveling the Immortal Cultivation world, could he compare to Zhou Xue?
Zhou Xingshi shook his head and was about to reply through sound transmission when the door was suddenly pushed open. The two sprang to their feet in alarm and stared over. A woman in red wearing a bamboo hat walked in. She raised her head and looked at Fang Wang and Zhou Xingshi with a lofty, disdainful smile.
If it was not Zhou Xue, who else could it be?
"You..."
Zhou Xingshi's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively stepped in front of Fang Wang.
Zhou Xue smiled. "I was wondering why disciples of the Taiyuan Sect were investigating Fang Hanyu's whereabouts. That boy's talent is not bad, but he started late and needs time to settle and mature. The Taiyuan Sect should not care about him. So it turns out the person behind this is you, brat. How did the two of you end up together?"
Several months had passed, and Zhou Xue's bearing had become even more captivating. Fang Wang still could not see through her cultivation.
No, he had to learn the method she used to conceal her cultivation!
Fang Wang said helplessly, "Could you close the door before talking?"
Zhou Xue raised a hand and beckoned, closing the door behind her through the air. She walked over to the table and sat down on her own, saying irritably, "Everyone in the inn has gone out to watch the excitement. You could call yourselves cautious, since you know to use the Sound Transmission Technique to communicate, yet you dared come here. You are truly reckless and audacious. Word of the Jihao Sect's inheritance has already spread. Even though your Cultivation has already reached the Spirit Sculpting Realm, it is still extremely dangerous."
Her gaze settled on Fang Wang, burning with intensity until his scalp tingled.
Fang Wang gave a false cough and said, "Isn't it because Fang Hanyu went missing? I had no choice but to come. You were the one who entrusted me with taking care of them."
"I told you to take care of them within the sect. Why did you run out here? You have been in the Taiyuan Sect for less than a year, yet you are already at the Third Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm. You should focus on cultivation. Perhaps in ten years, you can reach the Spirit Pill Realm. Then, when you travel the Immortal Cultivation world, you will be able to roam freely in all directions." Zhou Xue glared at Fang Wang as she scolded him, looking as though she hated iron for failing to become steel.
Zhou Xingshi moved to the side. He was curious why Zhou Xue and Fang Wang were so close, but what shocked him even more was that Fang Wang had actually reached the Third Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm.
They had entered Spirit Molding on the same day, yet he had not even broken through to the Second Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm...
Was this the gap between a Mystic Origin Treasure Spirit and a Heaven Origin Treasure Spirit?
Fang Wang was not angry at Zhou Xue's scolding. Instead, warmth rose in his heart.
In this unfamiliar place, with his clansmen's lives and deaths uncertain and himself caught between advancing and retreating, Zhou Xue's appearance gave him hope.
She was an Immortal Venerable reborn. Following her would surely give him a greater chance of survival.
"By the way, what grade is your Treasure Spirit? Has it reached the Earth Origin Treasure Spirit level?" Zhou Xue asked.
Life-Bound Treasure Spirits were special. As long as a cultivator did not reveal one, outsiders found it difficult to spy on it. It was said that a Life-Bound Treasure Spirit was hidden within the soul itself, and even Spiritual Sense could not peer into it from outside.
Fang Wang nodded. Before the Heavenly Palace acted, his sword-shaped Treasure Spirit had indeed been capable of reaching the Earth Origin Treasure Spirit level. It seemed Zhou Xue's eye was truly vicious, for she had seen through it at a glance.
Zhou Xingshi roared inwardly, It's more than an Earth Origin Treasure Spirit! It's a damn Heaven Origin Treasure Spirit!
It was precisely because Fang Wang's Life-Bound Treasure Spirit was a Heaven Origin Treasure Spirit that Zhou Xingshi had ended up in his current awkward predicament, pressured by three people and left wavering back and forth.
"Tell me about Fang Hanyu. Aren't you planning to travel for several years? Once we find Fang Hanyu, I'll take him back, and you can continue roaming the world."
Fang Wang changed the subject. The longer they delayed, the more likely Fang Hanyu was to encounter danger.
Zhou Xue's smile faded as she calmly said, "He is not dead yet. As for how I know, I cannot tell you for now. I will go save him. You two should return to the Righteous Path region, find somewhere to wait for me."
Fang Wang frowned. "Zhou Xue, I can help you. No matter what, we entered the path of Immortal Cultivation at the same time. The gap in our strength cannot be that great."
With Zhou Xingshi nearby, he could not speak too plainly.
Zhou Xue could not help recalling the Night of the Clan Annihilation. That night, she truly had been careless. If Fang Wang had not acted, she would likely have had no choice but to abandon Fang Manor and flee alone. Then, just like in her previous life, she would have entered the Immortal Cultivation world bearing a blood feud as vast as a sea. How could she have been as carefree as she was now?
"This operation may bring us into contact with an expert at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm. You must prepare yourselves mentally," Zhou Xue said solemnly.
Zhou Xingshi's eyelids twitched, and his hands clenched tightly.
Fang Wang asked in surprise, "There definitely will not be any Spirit Pill Realm experts?"
Zhou Xue shot him a glance. "Based on my investigation, there is at least a ninety percent chance."
Fang Wang immediately understood. Zhou Xue in her previous life had certainly participated in this matter, or at least known of it, which was why she dared be so certain. The remaining ten percent was the variable. Nothing in this world was absolute.
"Then let's go!" Fang Wang said in a deep voice.
The Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sculpting Realm?
He wondered whether such an opponent could withstand a Heaven Origin Treasure Spirit, the Grand Perfection Mysterious Sun Scripture, the Grand Perfection Soaring Swan Divine Sword Art, and the Grand Perfection Great Heaven Lightning Summoning Technique...
Deep in Fang Wang's heart, he had always possessed the fighting spirit to pursue the strongest. Thus, he very much wanted to know just how strong he would be if he went all out now.
If the opponent was in the Spirit Pill Realm, then running was the best strategy. But if they were merely in the Spirit Sculpting Realm, then sorry, but his sword had never been anything but sharp!
"No rush. Wait another five days. You two cultivate here first; I have something to do."
With that, Zhou Xue stood and prepared to leave the room.
"Wait, can you..." Fang Wang hurriedly said, but Zhou Xue did not even turn her head before quickly leaving.
She had come swiftly and gone swiftly.
Fang Wang sighed. It seemed she had guessed what he wanted to say.
Zhou Xingshi shut the door and carefully asked, "Did she truly begin Immortal Cultivation at the same time as you? Why did neither of us notice her approach earlier?"
Fang Wang thought, How could you possibly imagine the methods of an Immortal Venerable? Out loud, he brushed it off. "How would I know? Why don't you go ask her?"
Thinking of Zhou Xue's methods from the previous night, Zhou Xingshi immediately shook his head.
Wait!
This Zhou Xue looked like a Demonic Cultivator!
Then Fang Wang...
At that thought, Zhou Xingshi shivered with dread and did not even dare look at Fang Wang.
Before you continue