Visitors from the Immortal Sect

"Brother, did you clear the trial?" Chen Jingjing asked in astonishment when she saw Chen Fan emerge from the room.

Chen Fan noticed Zhang Rumeng had come too. He nodded slightly to her before saying, "I just cleared it. Get ready. We'll head to Heavy Sword Peak in a bit."

"Is it about the inheritance?" Chen Jingjing asked.

"Mm." Chen Fan nodded.

"Okay, I'll go change." At his words, Chen Jingjing immediately ran cheerfully to her room. She was nothing like the Chen Jingjing they had first met.

As outsiders, Chen Fan and Zhang Rumeng could both sense how much Chen Jingjing had changed. It was a good thing, but also a bad one. Chen Jingjing was beginning to depend a little on Chen Fan, her older brother. But on the path of cultivating immortality, one could only rely on oneself. The road to eternal life was a lonely one.

But Zhang Rumeng wasn't thinking as far ahead as Chen Fan. She thought Chen Jingjing was happiest this way.

A faint glimmer flickered in Chen Fan's ink-black eyes, as if he were deep in thought.

A moment later, Chen Jingjing came out of her room wearing a blue-and-white gauzy dress. She looked pure and beautiful. Seeing her, Zhang Rumeng immediately teased, "Our gorgeous Qingqing, are you going to Heavy Sword Peak to find your perfect match?"

"Shut up, Rumeng! You're the one going to find your perfect match." Chen Jingjing's face instantly turned red, and she chased Zhang Rumeng, trying to tickle her.

The two of them messed around for quite a while before finally calling a truce. Then they headed for Heavy Sword Peak with Chen Fan.

As they walked up to the mountainside of Heavy Sword Peak, they encountered several disciples one after another. The moment they saw Chen Fan, each wore an expression of deep reverence and greeted him with, "Greetings, Senior Brother Chen!"

At first, Chen Fan was a little unused to it. Later, he simply nodded in response, though he was puzzled. Even if he had saved Mo Bai's life, surely that wasn't enough to make these disciples revere him so much?

"Chen Fan, did you notice? They suddenly seem to respect you so much," Zhang Rumeng said excitedly.

"Yeah, Brother. They look at you like you're some kind of idol. Did you do something?" Chen Jingjing asked in surprise. The two of them hadn't been up Heavy Sword Peak for several days, so they had no idea what had happened.

"Let's go up first." Chen Fan shook his head, showing that he didn't know either.

"Maybe they heard that Chen Fan saved Senior Brother," Zhang Rumeng guessed. Chen Jingjing nodded too. Thinking about it carefully, that seemed to be the only major thing that had happened recently.

The three continued up the mountain. They encountered more and more disciples, most of whom looked at Chen Fan with deep reverence. Chen Fan nodded in response to each one.

After they passed through the mountain gate, two familiar figures approached them. They were the brothers Mo Bai and Mo Hu.

"Senior Brother," Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng said with a slight smile when they saw Mo Bai.

Mo Bai smiled and nodded, then looked at Chen Fan. "Chen Fan, I'll never forget that you saved my life."

"Senior Brother, you're too kind. You once saved me from Demon King Valley, too. If you hadn't stepped in, there might not be a Chen Fan here today." Chen Fan spoke earnestly. If Mo Bai hadn't pulled him back from the brink of life and death, perhaps he never would have been reborn in this body.

Mo Bai smiled and nodded, then patted Chen Fan on the shoulder. "With talent like yours, you're sure to go far on the path of immortality."

"Chen Fan, I was impulsive at the wooden hut that day. I want to apologize again. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word. Even if you have to climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire, I, Mo Hu, won't even blink." Mo Hu stepped forward and spoke with a determined look. Given his temperament, he truly would do exactly as he promised.

"You're making too much of it. Let's put it behind us," Chen Fan said calmly. He had never taken that little matter to heart.

"But Chen Fan's reputation seems to have soared because he saved Senior Brother. On our way up, a lot of disciples looked at him with deep respect and called him Senior Brother Chen," Zhang Rumeng added, sharing what they had seen.

To her surprise, Mo Bai and Mo Hu both froze. Then they chuckled in unison.

"What's so funny? Was I wrong?" Zhang Rumeng asked, puzzled.

"Of course you were. Chen Fan's reputation on Heavy Sword Peak has probably caught up with mine," Mo Bai said with a slight shake of his head and a smile.

"Then what happened? Senior Brother, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us!" Zhang Rumeng and Chen Jingjing urged him anxiously.

Chen Fan was puzzled too. He remembered doing nothing related to Heavy Sword Peak. Where had this reputation come from?

At that thought, a flash of white suddenly crossed Chen Fan's eyes.

Could word about what happened in Demon King Valley have spread? Chen Fan wondered.

Sure enough, Mo Bai didn't keep them in suspense. He smiled and said, "You haven't been up the mountain these past few days, so naturally you don't know. A few of our Heavy Sword Peak disciples went to Demon King Valley a few days ago, and happened to run into Chen Fan. If they hadn't recognized him, we might never have found out that he's become so powerful. No wonder the Young Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect couldn't do a thing to him that day."

"Demon King Valley? Did something major happen there?" Zhang Rumeng asked, puzzled.

"They saw with their own eyes as Chen Fan walked out unharmed while surrounded by several powerful Qi Refining Layer 6 cultivators. He even killed one of their Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivators with a single strike." Mo Bai looked deeply at Chen Fan and smiled. "What's more, he killed one of their Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators all by himself."

"What?" Zhang Rumeng exclaimed.

"Qi Refining Ninth Layer?" Chen Jingjing stared at Chen Fan in astonishment. When he didn't shake his head or deny it, her heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, pounding wildly in her chest.

"With Chen Fan's strength now, I doubt even I could beat him," Mo Bai sighed. But there was no jealousy in his gaze as he looked at Chen Fan, only overwhelming delight.

He was the Senior Brother of Heavy Sword Peak, the eldest brother to all its disciples. Chen Fan had always been like a younger brother to him, and that hadn't changed.

Zhang Rumeng and Chen Jingjing were both left speechless, their mouths hanging open.

Mo Hu grinned at their reaction. He had worn the same expression when he'd heard the news two days ago.

"By the way, Chen Fan, those disciples left in a hurry and never found out who the other side was. How did you end up fighting them in Demon King Valley?" Mo Bai suddenly asked.

Chen Fan was about to answer when a disciple suddenly rushed through the mountain gate, gasping for breath as he grabbed Mo Bai. "S-Senior Brother, they're here... They're here."

The disciple pointed at the sky beyond the mountain gate, tense and panting.

"Xiao Bai, don't rush. Catch your breath first. Who's here?" Mo Bai patted him on the back and spoke slowly.

"The Immortal Sect! People from the Immortal Sect are here, and they have a Golden Core Realm expert with them. They're riding Magic Tools." The disciple took a moment to catch his breath, then pointed at a tiny black speck in the sky.

"What? The Immortal Sect?" Mo Hu exclaimed. Who in these parts hadn't heard of the Immortal Sect's renown? For thousands of miles around, the Immortal Sect was the greatest righteous sect, on par with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.

"The Immortal Sect has never had much to do with our sect. Why have they come all the way to Heavy Sword Peak, and brought a Golden Core Realm expert with them?" Mo Bai furrowed his brow. His expression turned solemn, and he turned to the disciple. "Xiao Bai, go notify Elder Lin and the others."

The disciple nodded and took off toward the Inner Court.

Chen Fan watched the sky with a dark expression. The black speck was rapidly growing larger. They could just make out several male and female cultivators riding on a huge gourd as they flew toward them.

"Chen Fan, what's wrong?" Zhang Rumeng noticed his expression and immediately asked.

Mo Bai and the others turned to look at Chen Fan as well.

"The people I killed outside Demon King Valley were from the Immortal Sect," Chen Fan said coolly.

"What? You... You killed people from the Immortal Sect?" Chen Jingjing's face instantly went pale with terror. Remembering that a Golden Core Realm expert was aboard that Treasure Gourd, she nearly blacked out. Fortunately, her constitution wasn't weak, but her lips still turned white with fright.

Mo Bai froze too. Seeing Chen Jingjing's expression, he quickly patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Heavy Sword Peak has the Ten Thousand Swords Sect behind it. This concerns their reputation, so I doubt they'll dare go too far."

Then he looked at Chen Fan. "Chen Fan, come with me and hide in the secret chamber for a while. The elders don't know you've been here, and the other disciples probably won't say anything."

But Chen Fan shook his head. "There's no need to hide. Since they've come, I'll face them."

"Chen Fan..."

"Brother..."

Zhang Rumeng and Chen Jingjing voiced their worry. Seeing how resolute Chen Fan was, they knew there was no point in saying more. Chen Fan's word was law now—something Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng knew all too well.

A moment later, Yang Feng, the Vice Peak Master of the Inner Court, and several elders hurried out. Chen Fan frowned slightly. Elder Li was nowhere to be seen among them.

"What happened?" Yang Feng asked when he saw Mo Bai and the others standing there.

Mo Bai shook his head. There was no need for him to say more: the Treasure Gourd in the sky had already whooshed over their heads and come to a halt above the great plaza.

There were three men and two women on the gourd. Chen Fan knew one of them, the white-robed woman, all too well: Mu Yunshui, the Immortal Sect's Senior Martial Sister. Another was an old woman, whose cultivation had reached the early Golden Core Realm. The gourd was her personal Magic Tool, and it was extraordinarily powerful.

The other three were young male disciples. Their expressions were cold, their eyes brimming with arrogance and disdain as they surveyed everyone present.

"Where is this peak's Peak Master?" The old woman stepped down from the Treasure Gourd and demanded an answer. Her voice carried a trace of oppressive force, making everyone's eardrums ache. Even Yang Feng and the elders had to circulate their True Qi to withstand the pressure. The other disciples turned deathly pale, and some Outer Court disciples nearly spat blood.

"Our Peak Master has left the mountain to travel. I am Yang Feng, Vice Peak Master of Heavy Sword Peak. May I ask what brings you here, Senior of the Immortal Sect?" Yang Feng disliked her overbearing manner, but there was nothing he could do. After all, her sect was a great power on par with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.

"Where is your disciple Chen Fan? Tell him to get out here!" The old woman swept a cold gaze over Yang Feng and shouted.