Contesting for Fame

"Those wild cultivators from the mountains and marshes really don't know what's good for them!"

Outside the city, Fang Yuanfeng gave a cold snort, killing intent already in his eyes.

Did he really think that, just because he knew how to refine Qi Refinement pills, he could disregard their Foundation Establishment clans?

"What do you propose?"

Li Yunche's expression was calm, though stormy waves churned beneath his eyes. He did not mind joining forces with the Fang Household.

The Du Household cultivated a fire-virtue Cultivation Method, augmented by the imagery of active fire-virtue spiritual essence. It suppressed the Li Household's water-virtue cultivators even more than it did the Fang Household's.

If they used Divine Intent Pills to strengthen their Divine Sense, they would likely be even harder to deal with in the future, and the Li Household would surely find itself in a more difficult position.

All three households tacitly agreed that, with no Foundation Establishment cultivators taking action, fighting strength at the Qi Refinement level was vital. They could not allow a Rogue Cultivator Alchemist to upset the balance.

"Devil Cultivators are running rampant, and dragonkind are growing more brazen by the day. They break into markets and devour cultivators; killing people and seizing their souls is commonplace."

"Changxing Market is only thirty li from the South Sea coast. It's not as though Foundation Establishment great demons of dragonkind haven't paid it a visit over the past few decades."

Fang Yuanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the coast. He already had a plan in mind, and he laughed coldly.

"Don't forget, the Demon Race holds considerable power on the South Sea islands. Didn't a Foundation Establishment black flood dragon come out of Rosy Clouds Island not long ago, running wild without restraint?"

"That black flood dragon acts without scruple and never wastes words on people. Everyone who can't escape gets swallowed. It's just the right blade for the job."

Black Sea City, which belonged to Linhai Commandery, was the closest to the South Sea. Its people often fought and killed the Demon Race from the sea, attracting many Rogue Cultivators.

And because the Lu Household had once obtained Great Yin Spiritual Qi in an undersea cave abode in the South Sea, those Rogue Cultivators were even more eager to try their luck.

Over countless years, the cave abodes of Foundation Establishment Ancestors and Purple Mansion True Persons had emerged from time to time when their formations failed, sparking struggles among various factions.

Sometimes, great demons from High Antiquity cave abodes might also be released, throwing the South Sea into chaos for a time, with no one able to kill them.

That was how the Foundation Establishment black flood dragon from Rosy Clouds Island had appeared.

On top of that, its dragonkind bloodline was exceptionally strong, and the water virtue of the sea empowered it. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators were no match for it.

If no True Person intervened, or if it holed up in the sea, they truly had no way to deal with it.

"Indeed."

"When the time comes, our two households can stand by with folded arms, then act in secret. Even if a second-layer Qi Refinement cultivator wants to live, it'll be hard for him not to die."

Hearing this, Li Yunche understood Fang Yuanfeng's plan. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded in agreement.

Their three households had the Red Pine Sect behind them and jointly maintained stability in Black Sea City.

When necessary, Foundation Establishment cultivators had to step in.

Changxing Market was the Du Household's property and lay closest to the South Sea. Wu Song was there as well.

The Du Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator had no reason to stand by and let a Foundation Establishment great demon charge in and slaughter at will.

"This matter needs careful planning. Once we get that Divine Intent Pill, we'll finish him off."

Changxing Market.

"Brother Wu, the Fang and Li households may not be as they claimed. You need to be careful."

"Black Sea City isn't peaceful. There are many Rogue Cultivators, as well as plenty of Bandit Cultivators and Devil Cultivators. On top of that, the Demon Race from the sea runs rampant."

"The market and the city are relatively safe. There are rules, so nothing serious should happen, but it's different once you leave their bounds."

Du Qingluo looked worried.

As a legitimate daughter of the Du Household, she knew the other two households well.

Unless Wu Song was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Fang and Li households were unlikely to behave themselves.

"Thank you. I will."

Xu Fan's eyes flickered, though he did not pay it much mind.

Having mastered Spiritual Radiance Essence Erosion from the Essentials of Spiritual Radiance and Plain Moon, he still had ways to fight back, so long as no Foundation Establishment Ancestor intervened.

At worst, he could trade his life for another's, then return with the excuse that he had escaped by sheer luck. Unless a Purple Mansion True Person was present, probably no one would notice anything amiss.

"Don't worry, Brother Wu. I'll come to the market often. If you need to go out, I can accompany you."

Du Qingluo breathed a small sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on her delicate, pretty face.

She had taken Divine Intent Pills during this period, and the strength of her Divine Sense had clearly increased. It would not be long before she broke through to Qi Refinement Seventh Layer.

Although she could not take too many Divine Intent Pills, they had made her Divine Sense stronger and sped up her breakthroughs.

"All right."

Xu Fan did not refuse and nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll head back first."

"Once I come out of seclusion, I'll come find you again, Brother Wu."

Watching Du Qingluo leave, Xu Fan thought for a moment, then closed the shop again, activated the formation, and returned to the Mystic Yang Sect.

Mystic Yang Sect.

Xu Fan had become the eleventh on the Hidden Dragon Ranking and was also the only Divine Intention Great Grandmaster in the top twenty.

Even though he was suspected of possessing a Celestial Person inheritance, many people remained unconvinced.

It was not just the Primal Core prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Even other peak Great Grandmasters did not consider themselves weaker than a Great Grandmaster who had not passed the third revolution.

Possessing Celestial Person martial arts did not mean one was stronger than someone who cultivated peerless martial arts.

If Xu Fan possessed a Celestial Person Divine Weapon and was a Weapon Lord, they would have accepted it.

After all, a Weapon Lord could draw on the power of a Celestial Person Divine Weapon. The higher their cultivation, the more methods they could use, enough to be invincible within their own realm.

They could even kill beings whose realms were higher than their own.

That was because, when fighting a Weapon Lord, one faced not only a genius but also a Celestial Person Divine Weapon.

Celestial Person Divine Weapons contained Divine Abilities and Dharma Domains.

Although a Celestial Person Dharma Domain could only be activated by a Land Immortal,

a Divine Ability could be used.

Though in an ordinary exchange, a Weapon Lord would not use a Divine Ability lightly; after all, their body would struggle to withstand it.

But a Celestial Person Divine Weapon carried the cultivation insights of its successive Weapon Lords. It was equivalent to having many Weapon Lords as sparring partners, allowing one's strength to advance a thousand li in a day.

Only a Weapon Lord could contend with another Weapon Lord.

Unless one advanced to Celestial Person, seeking one out would only result in a one-sided beating.

They did not dare challenge Liang Chi, who possessed a Celestial Person Divine Weapon, ranked tenth, and was also a Divine Intention Great Grandmaster.

But Xu Fan was different.

A Celestial Person inheritance contained none of the Celestial Person's cultivation insights, nor did it have any Divine Ability methods. One had to rely almost entirely on personal comprehension.

Apart from the Cultivation Method and martial arts, there was not much difference.

Peerless martial arts were no worse than Celestial Person martial arts.

If someone cultivated peerless martial arts and advanced to Celestial Person, those martial arts would become Celestial Person martial arts. There was no fundamental difference.

Only below the level of peerless martial arts was there a vast distinction.

"Brother Xu, you've finally come out of seclusion!"

Xu Fan had only just left his courtyard when Yang Haitian hurried over, his face full of worry.

"Because the Hidden Dragon Ranking put you in eleventh place, too many people lower down the ranking are unhappy with you. They want to step on you to climb higher."

"Fu Yuanwu, who used to be in the top ten but has now been pushed down to twelfth, has declared that he wants a fair fight with you."

"And he's sent his junior brother, Chen Cuo, who ranks twenty-eighth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, to test whether you're qualified first."

Chen Cuo came from the same lineage as Fu Yuanwu. He was the seventh True Disciple of Saber-Nurturing Valley, with Divine Intention Peak cultivation, and his Sea-Overturning Saber Technique had reached a level of divine mastery.

He was said to have few rivals among Great Grandmasters.

Saber-Nurturing Valley's Cultivation Methods and martial arts were overbearing to begin with, not to mention that his cultivation was so much higher.

Last time, Han Tianling had only just entered the Great Grandmaster realm and had used his own weakness to attack his opponent's strength, resulting in his instant suppression. This time was different.

"It's fine. I'll wait for him to come."

Xu Fan waved a hand.

With the current strength of his Divine Sense, combined with his martial cultivation, a Great Grandmaster would not be hard to deal with.

A Primal Core great cultivator would be trickier, as that was a whole major realm higher.

Before reaching Foundation Establishment, he had no confidence either.

Now he also wanted to see how great the gap was between himself and a peak Great Grandmaster.

Yang Haitian did not know how strong Xu Fan really was either, so he could only nod and remind him:

"As long as you're confident."

"Don't forget you still have those tokens."