"Church Master, do you think I still have a chance?"
Man Tianning muttered from the side.
Everyone else was already safe. At this point, no one was more terrified than he was.
"You should thank Fairy Yun. If she hadn't stopped you last night, you would already be a pile of bones," Fang Ling said with a smile.
"Now that I'm taking charge of the Heavenly Net Church, I'll naturally need your assistance, Python Venerable."
At those words, the Python Venerable felt as though he had been granted a pardon.
He hurriedly rose, then knelt before Fang Ling as well.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Church Master. From now on, I will spare no effort in serving you!"
"And thank you, Enchantment Envoy Yun, for pulling me back from the gates of death last night..."
He had truly thought he would never survive this ordeal. Such a plunge from despair into relief left him dazed.
Fang Ling looked at the six experts of the Heavenly Net Church before him and told them to rise. There was no need to keep kneeling.
"Will you return to Black Mountain with me, Church Master?" the Tiger Venerable stepped forward and asked respectfully.
"Most of our disciples are gathered at the headquarters on Black Mountain."
"I'll send someone back with the news at once and have the brothers stationed there prepare your succession ceremony."
Fang Ling shook his head. "I won't be going back to Black Mountain with you."
"As for the succession ceremony, dispense with that too. I don't like a fuss."
"Recall the church members as soon as possible and accompany me to the Blood Marsh."
"The Blood Marsh?" Yun Shuiqing's delicate brows drew together slightly. "Are you serious, Church Master?"
"Although our Heavenly Net Church is the foremost sect in the Southern Sun Kingdom, we've steadily declined over the past two hundred years. Our strength is no longer what it once was."
"But even at our peak, we never ventured into the Blood Marsh."
"The waters there run far too deep..."
"You think it's a bad idea?" Fang Ling asked.
Yun Shuiqing quickly shook her head. "Not at all. I'm merely a little surprised."
"From now on, we will follow your lead in all matters, Church Master. Everything will be done as you command!"
Fang Ling gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, quite satisfied with her attitude.
He didn't need his subordinates to be exceptionally powerful. He only needed them to obey his orders.
"All right, go and attend to your tasks!"
"I'll wait for you in Dragon City."
Fang Ling patted the Netherworld Beast. With a low rumble, it immediately broke into a wild gallop.
Before long, Fang Ling vanished from their sight...
The remaining six exchanged glances, subtle emotions playing across their faces.
"Just where did this Church Master Fang of ours come from? He's so young, yet so terrifying..." Hu Yue said gravely.
"He must be the heir of a great clan from some prosperous part of the region," Yun Shuiqing said.
"To subdue a Netherworld Beast so effortlessly, he must at least have reached the peak of the Heavenly Balance Realm!"
"Still, this isn't a bad thing. At least our Heavenly Net Church won't have to fall apart anymore," Master Qingmu sighed.
"Which of you will contact the Eagle Venerable and have her return to the church?"
"And the Ghost Envoy-can anyone get in touch with him?"
"That leaves Jin Facai. I know where that fellow is, so I'll go find him now."
"I'll speak to the Eagle Venerable. As for the Ghost Envoy, I haven't heard anything about him in years," Yun Shuiqing said, turning her gaze toward the Tiger Venerable.
Hu Yue shook his head. "I don't know either... I'll set off for Black Mountain now to muster our people."
"Let's move quickly. We mustn't keep the Church Master waiting in Dragon City too long."
Meanwhile, Fang Ling rode on the Netherworld Beast's back, covering a thousand miles in a day.
By dusk, he had reached Dragon City, the largest city in the western Southern Sun Kingdom.
Once he reached Dragon City, the Blood Marsh was close at hand.
Dragon City was vast and magnificent. From its southern towers, one could not see its northern corner, and a carriage setting out from the east at dawn would still not reach the western streets by nightfall.
People from every creed and walk of life came and went.
Even as he rode the Netherworld Beast through the streets, he drew no crowd of onlookers.
There were simply too many people here with beast mounts.
He didn't even have to cross a street to see them; several would come toward him along the same road.
Nor was there any shortage of imposing-looking beast mounts. Though the Netherworld Beast was extraordinary, few had the discerning eye to recognize it.
With the Netherworld Beast completely suppressing its aura as well, it attracted even less attention.
After entering the city, he went straight to an inn and took a room.
He had gained a great many things from the Netherworld Beast's lair.
Now he finally had time to turn those gains into strength of his own.
During the day, he studied the stone tablet inscribed with the Heavenly Net Divine Art. At night, he cultivated using spirit stones.
Several days passed in succession, and he felt that there was never enough time. It flew by far too quickly.
That day, as a purple inner core took shape, Fang Ling finally mastered the first level of the Heavenly Net Divine Art.
This inner core was crucial. Only those who cultivated the primary scripture could condense it.
Once the inner core formed, he could absorb the cultivation of those who practiced the secondary scripture.
The Heavenly Net Divine Art was even more powerful than he had imagined.
Once he mastered the second level, he could even directly raise the cultivation realms of those practicing the secondary scripture without affecting himself at all.
Though the effect was temporary, just like that of the first level, it was still heaven-defying.
Ever since entering Dragon City, he had stayed holed up in the inn, cultivating.
Now that he had mastered the first level of the Heavenly Net Divine Art, he was in the mood to take a leisurely stroll outside.
As luck would have it, the moment he opened the door, he saw a woman with a respectable cultivation level passing in front of him.
She looked dignified and elegant, with an exceptional bearing.
Her red dress was especially striking.
A young girl followed beside her. She looked thirteen or fourteen, her large eyes seemingly curious about everything.
The elegant woman seemed to sense Fang Ling's gaze and suddenly glanced back at him.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and a trace of puzzlement appeared in her eyes. It passed in an instant, and she immediately turned away.
"Master, what's wrong?" asked the girl beside the beautiful woman.
"Nothing. I just thought that man seemed a little strange," the beautiful woman said mildly.
"Hehe, you were clearly stealing looks because that young man was handsome!" the girl teased. "You hardly ever let your gaze linger on a man for so long."
"Hmph! You little imp, now you're making up stories about your master!" the beautiful woman chided, rolling her eyes at her.
"I was just saying," the girl replied sheepishly. "Anyway, back to serious matters. That young lady from the White Family is so pitiful!"
"Master, is there any way you can save her?"
"That poison is too bizarre. Even I can't be completely certain," the beautiful woman said, shaking her head.
"But we have to try. Hurry and pack your things!"
"We'll move into the White Family's residence now. Staying there will let me observe their young lady's symptoms more closely."
Neither of them had brought much, so they finished packing in no time.
Then they left their room and went to the stables in the rear courtyard.
"Master, look! What's wrong with Little Gold?"
"He looks so listless. Is he sick?"
The girl looked at the Flame-Scaled Beast lying in the stable and asked anxiously.
Flame-Scaled Beasts were relatively common demonic creatures. Humans bred them in large numbers because of their exceptional endurance.
But this Flame-Scaled Beast was somewhat different from ordinary members of its kind.
An ordinary Flame-Scaled Beast had scarlet scales, while this one's scales were dark gold.
Dark-gold Flame-Scaled Beasts were the kings of their kind, possessing a purer bloodline.
Such pureblood Flame-Scaled Beasts were rarely seen. Without a powerful background, one could hardly obtain one.
Hearing her, the beautiful woman stepped closer and carefully examined their mount in the stable.
Her previously relaxed brows gradually knitted together. "Something's wrong..." she murmured.
She immediately checked the other stalls. Everyone else's mounts were just as listless.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and stared in astonishment at the demonic beast in one of the stalls.
"This... surely this is impossible?" Shock spread across her face.
"A Netherworld Beast? It's actually a Netherworld Beast!"
"Judging by the markings on its horns, it's already fully grown."
"Who in the world is using an adult Netherworld Beast as a mount?"
The girl beside her asked curiously, "Master, is this Netherworld Beast very powerful?"
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