Six Paths Jade Disk

"Bro, let me take you back to heal your wounds first." Chen Jingjing said, holding Chen Fan's arm.

"I'm fine. I've already recovered somewhat. Let's find Elder Li and settle the matter of the inheritance first." Chen Fan shook his head and spoke softly. The broken ribs inside him had been temporarily set back in place by Blazing Heaven True Qi, which continued to nourish the bones without pause.

"But... all right." Chen Jingjing had been about to say something, but when she saw Chen Fan's resolute gaze, she could only nod. She turned to look at Yang Feng and the others, searching among the elders for Elder Li.

"He isn't here." Chen Fan shook his head.

"Are you looking for Elder Li? That's strange. I saw him when I came out to look for you." Mo Bai stood nearby, gazing at the crowd as he muttered.

Chen Fan's expression darkened slightly. He was growing increasingly suspicious of Elder Li.

"Chen Fan, now that you've left Heavy Sword Peak, what are you doing here?" Elder Lin and the others approached, their faces cold.

Chen Fan glanced at him and ignored him.

"Elder Lin, have you seen Elder Li?" Seeing Elder Lin's expression darken as he was about to lash out, Mo Bai hurriedly stepped forward to change the subject, taking the opportunity to ask where Elder Li had gone.

"Elder Li? Why are you looking for him? He just went down the mountain on urgent business." Elder Lin furrowed his brow slightly, then looked at Chen Jingjing. "Chen Jingjing, don't bring irrelevant people to Heavy Sword Peak again. Do you hear me?"

"Vrrng!"

A sword rang out, making everyone's heart on Heavy Sword Peak jolt. They all turned to look at Chen Fan.

Elder Lin's face changed dramatically. He stumbled back several paces. He had long heard that Chen Fan had killed a Qi Refining Ninth Layer disciple of the Immortal Sect. Chen Fan had even dared to kill someone from the Immortal Sect; Elder Lin had no doubt he would kill him here.

"Chen Fan, stop!" Mo Bai hurriedly tried to restrain him. If Chen Fan really attacked, he would become a sworn enemy of Heavy Sword Peak. That might even draw in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, since its Young Sect Master was still on the peak.

Chen Fan gave Elder Lin a cold look, his eyes filled more with warning than anything else. He had no intention of starting a killing spree, after all. Chen Jingjing still needed to keep cultivating here, and compared to other places, Heavy Sword Peak was still the most suitable place for her and Zhang Rumeng—for now.

With a whoosh, Chen Fan returned his sword to its sheath after seeing Elder Lin back down.

Seeing this, Chen Jingjing, Mo Bai, and the others finally breathed a little easier.

Vice Peak Master Yang Feng stood some distance away and gave Chen Fan a long look, but paid him no further attention. In his eyes, this disciple had offended the Immortal Sect and earned the hatred of a Golden Core Realm cultivator. He was probably not long for this world, so Yang Feng couldn't be bothered with him. What occupied his thoughts was the sword Chen Fan had returned to the Immortal Sect. It looked extraordinary.

"Hmph." Elder Lin felt that staying any longer would only cost him face. He wanted to keep taunting Chen Fan, but feared provoking him again, so he snorted and walked toward the Inner Court.

"Jingjing, let's go down the mountain," Chen Fan said mildly.

"Mm." Chen Jingjing nodded, and Zhang Rumeng followed her toward the mountain gate.

"Take care, Chen Fan," Mo Bai said. He was worried that the Immortal Sect wouldn't let the matter rest.

"Chen Fan, just like I said before: if you ever need anything from me, Mo Hu, just ask." Mo Hu thumped his chest and spoke boisterously.

"Mm. Farewell." Chen Fan nodded and turned to head down the mountain.

On an inconspicuous hill in the Inner Court of Heavy Sword Peak, Elder Li stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes half-lidded as he watched Chen Fan and the others leave.

In a guest room in the Inner Court, the Young Sect Master lounged on a rocking chair, leisurely eating fruit.

"Knock, knock!"

Just then, someone knocked on the wooden door. The Young Sect Master lazily called, "Come in."

The wooden door creaked open, and an old woman and an old man entered. They were his two attendants, both powerful cultivators at Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

"How did it go?" the Young Sect Master asked lazily, without even lifting his eyelids.

"The Immortal Sect's people have left. They only took a treasured sword from Chen Fan. It looked to be made of extraordinary material, but we were too far away to get a closer look," the old woman said quietly.

"I heard even a Golden Core Realm expert came out. That sword must be extraordinary. Chen Fan wasn't beaten to death?" The Young Sect Master's brows lifted slightly as he asked.

"He withstood a strike from a Golden Core Realm cultivator. Later, Mu Yunshui stepped forward, and the Golden Core Realm elder didn't attack again," the old man replied.

"Oh? The ice-cold beauty Mu Yunshui actually came too, and even stood up for that brat Chen Fan?" The Young Sect Master sat upright, his eyes suddenly turning cold.

The old woman and old man both nodded. "The two seem to have known each other, but their relationship didn't look friendly."

"How could a country bumpkin like him ever hope to win the favor of a fairy like Mu Yunshui?" the Young Sect Master said, shaking his head.

"I have to admit, Chen Fan's aptitude is truly extraordinary. Give him enough resources and time, and reaching Foundation Establishment won't be difficult. If he's allowed to keep growing, he may become formidable one day. He's a hidden danger." The old woman spoke gravely.

"The solution is to find an opportunity to kill him. But first, we need to complete the task my father assigned me." The Young Sect Master smiled coldly. "A mere Heaven Ghost Sect dares to hide a treasure. If one of their disciples hadn't stumbled across it, their Sect Master would have kept hoarding it in secret. Keep investigating over the next few days. If there's truly a treasure, then order Heavy Sword Peak to wipe out the Heaven Ghost Sect."

"Too bad that Heaven Ghost Sect disciple only caught a fleeting glimpse. Otherwise, we could have learned what sort of treasure let their Sect Master advance from Qi Refining Ninth Layer to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage in just half a year."

"Whatever it is, we'll know in a few days." A trace of chill flashed through the Young Sect Master's eyes.

After nightfall...

A figure silently slipped past the gate of Heavy Sword Peak and headed down the mountain. He moved with the utmost stealth, and no one knew he was there.

Soon after descending, he made straight for the outskirts of Heavy Sword City. In a dark corner far from the city, a man in a black robe was already waiting.

"Sect Master Su." The figure darted before the man in black, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head respectfully.

"Rise. Why have you hurriedly summoned me out here?" the man in black asked coolly.

Only then did the shadow rise. The faint moonlight spilled down, illuminating his face. It was none other than Elder Li of Heavy Sword Peak.

"That boy from Chen Nan's family has somehow come into good fortune. In just a few dozen days, his cultivation has climbed to Qi Refining Layer 6. When Chen Nan entrusted me with the Six Paths Jade Disk and the other inheritances before his death, he told the two siblings to come retrieve them once they reached Qi Refining Layer 6. Now that the Chen boy has reached that level so quickly, he suddenly brought up the inheritance, and I wasn't prepared at all. I nearly gave myself away." Elder Li furrowed his brow.

"Do they know about the Six Paths Jade Disk?" The man in black had a hoarse voice, laced with an icy chill.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out, which is why I've been putting off seeing them. If they don't know about the Six Paths Jade Disk, then it doesn't matter. I can just fob them off with some spirit herbs. But if they know about the disk, I'm worried this will blow up and word will get out."

"That Six Paths Jade Disk helped me break through to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. It's a peerless treasure. If word gets out, the entire Heaven Ghost Sect may be wiped out. No, to be safe, we need to find an opportunity to silence them, whether or not they know about the Six Paths Jade Disk."

"Sect Master Su, this..." A trace of hesitation flashed through Elder Li's eyes.

"You can't bring yourself to do it?"

Elder Li gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I could bring myself to kill Chen Nan back then, so how could I fail to kill his two children? But I heard Chen Fan killed a Qi Refining Ninth Layer disciple of the Immortal Sect a few days ago. I'm afraid I can't carry out this task alone."

"A Qi Refining Layer 6 cultivator killed one at Qi Refining Ninth Layer?" The man in black exclaimed in surprise. As if remembering something, he looked at Elder Li and asked, "What's the Chen boy's name?"

"Chen Fan. Why do you ask, Sect Master Su?" Elder Li was puzzled by the man in black's reaction.

"No wonder. That girl Ziyue just broke through the Second Layer Heavenly Court. She got the Battle of Immortal Qi mission, which should have meant certain death. But she unexpectedly ran into a Qi Refining Layer 4 boy, who advanced to Qi Refining Layer 6 in just one day. With his own strength, he killed five Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivators and one Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator. That girl turned disaster into fortune and cleared the layer."

"What? Such a coincidence?" Elder Li was astonished, though he wasn't as surprised by Chen Fan killing Qi Refining Seventh and Eighth Layer cultivators.

"It seems we need to keep this secret and make sure that girl doesn't find out. The Shushan Sect will be recruiting disciples in a few days. I've already sent people to find a Shushan Token. I'll send her there to cultivate."

"But the Shushan Token is a priceless treasure. They issue only twenty each year..." Elder Li said, eyes wide. The Shushan Sect was one of the leading sects in the Cultivation World. It was said to have been founded by the descendants of several Sword Immortals from the Immortal Realm, and ranked above sects like the Immortal Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. Moreover, anyone who wanted to enter Shushan needed not only exceptional talent but also a Shushan Token.

"Everyone says the Immortal Sect and the Immortal Palace have close ties, but that girl has always wanted to go to the Shushan Sect and cultivate the sword. Since she's set on becoming a sword cultivator, I'll search high and low for a token, even if it costs me everything." After speaking softly, the man in black looked at Elder Li again and said gravely:

"Hall Master Lin recently broke through to Foundation Establishment Early Stage. When the time comes, find an opportunity to lure the two Chen siblings out. I'll have him come help you and root out the Chen family."

"Hall Master Lin has already broken through to Foundation Establishment Early Stage?" A trace of envy flashed through Elder Li's eyes.

"Don't worry. Once you're done at Heavy Sword Peak, you'll have the position of Heaven Ghost Sect's Vice Sect Master. Then I'll make sure to help you break through to Foundation Establishment Realm. You've worked hard all these years." The man in black rested his hand on Elder Li's shoulder and spoke solemnly.

"Thank you, Sect Master Su. After you saved my life back then, I told you that my life belonged to you..."

At that moment, Chen Fan sat quietly in his room. His Divine Sense had entered the Heavenly Court, stirring a Demon Core he had dug out during the trial. Slowly, he drew it away from the body that was meditating there.

This time, the Green-feathered Bird hadn't appeared, so there was no need to worry about it causing trouble. After Chen Fan drew the Demon Core out of the Heavenly Court body, the whole core gave off a faint blue glow in the medicinal field. He wrapped it tightly in his Divine Sense, then suddenly pulled...