Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 391 Failure

Chapter 392 Failure (Bonus Chapter, Please Subscribe)

Qi Refining Channel.

The cultivation world of the East Sea.

Merchant Island.

"Alas—a storm is brewing."

Inside the Octagonal Commercial Building, Shang Kongzhen frowned and put down the top-secret jade slip he had just received.

Thinking about the information contained therein, even he, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, felt a chill in his heart.

"The Black Flame Monster and Madam Guo fought a fierce battle in the Orchid Heart Sea, and the aftershocks destroyed seven spirit islands in their wake."

"The Windbreakers have reappeared—they've plundered thirteen ports and a large number of merchant ships—chaos has ensued everywhere, and trade routes have been almost completely cut off except for a few main roads—"

As people who started out as merchants, they naturally abhorred chaos and disorder.

If these were merely minor concerns, the subsequent intelligence reports made Shang Kongzhen extremely uneasy.

"So many years have passed—the Water Moon Palace and the Thunder Sound Temple have finally reached a conclusion. The Grand Palace Master and the Holy Monk Longshu's attempt to reach the Nascent Soul stage should have failed—at least no Nascent Soul tribulation was triggered—"

The Heavenly Tribulation of Nascent Soul is not like the Thunder at the Core Formation stage; even arrays cannot conceal it, so there is no secret way to advance.

"After the fall of Talisman Sword Island, the Heavenly Mystery Sect and the Four Seas Sect were also in turmoil—suspecting that a powerful cultivator had secretly intervened—"

"We must report this to the ancestor."

Holding the jade slip, Shang Kongzhen walked out of the Octagonal Merchant Building and made his way to the depths of Merchant Island.

After passing through numerous restrictions, he arrived at an octagonal building and respectfully bowed: "Kong Zhen requests an audience with the Ancestor—"

After waiting a while, two puppets dressed as maids opened the door and invited Shang Kongzhen inside.

"Our ancestor?"

Upon seeing the old patriarch of the Shang family again, Shang Kongzhen was taken aback: "Your injuries?"

On the main seat, the old patriarch of the merchant family was huddled in a chair covered with the fur of a fourth-tier demonic beast. He looked much older and appeared even more emaciated.

"Having consumed the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill, I have recovered—but the loss of vital energy and lifespan cannot be fully compensated."

The old merchant patriarch chuckled: "Escaping from a Nascent Soul cultivator always comes at a price—I'm already far stronger than the Lord of Talisman Sword Island. What brings you here today?"

"Ancestor Qi, we have the latest intelligence—"

Shang Kongzhen quickly and respectfully handed over the jade slip in his hand.

After reading it, the old merchant fell silent.

After a moment, he gently tapped the jade slip with his fingers.

Rhythmic sounds echoed through the quiet building, carrying with them an indescribable sense of unease.

"Our Shang family has existed for nearly ten thousand years, since our first ancestor started his business in commerce —"

The old merchant patriarch rose, gazing at the rows of memorial tablets in the center of the small building: "I just wonder—will it be ruined in my hands?"

"Ancestor, as long as you are safe and sound, sitting in charge of Shangjia Island and controlling the fourth-grade superior array, who can destroy my Shangjia?"

Shang Kongzhen quickly replied.

"Hehe—wasn't that how the Lord of Talisman Sword Island perished?" The old merchant patriarch chuckled. "I ordered an investigation, and now we have some leads. It shouldn't be revenge from Water Moon Palace and Thunder Sound Temple—nor is it that Fellow Daoist Fang we know—"

"The cultivation world in the East Sea is truly turbulent and unpredictable these days—"

Shang Kongzhen fell silent. He had genuinely suspected Fang Shui, after all, the other party possessed the Void Spirit Root, was more adept at infiltrating the void, and had astonishing combat power; even the ancestor was ashamed of his own fighting ability.

If the other party infiltrated Rune Sword Island and killed a heavily injured late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, that would be understandable.

But if it's not Fangshui, then the problem is even bigger!

"The most crucial piece of information you brought is the news that the two Nascent Soul cultivators from Shuiyue Palace and Leiyin Temple failed to advance to the Divine Transformation stage—"

A rare hint of fear appeared on the merchant patriarch's face: "I'm even thinking about whether I should go into hiding—"

"What does the Ancestor mean?"

Shang Kongzhen's expression also changed.

"Breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is like a mortal climbing a precipice—if one falls at the very beginning, there is still a chance of survival; if one falls halfway up, one may be seriously injured or even die—if one falls just before reaching the summit, one will be shattered to pieces and will surely die—"

The old merchant patriarch said, "I don't know whether the Grand Palace Master and the Holy Monk Longshu failed in their breakthroughs and perished, but I dare not gamble on it."

Shang Kongzhen had some cold sweat on his forehead.

A Nascent Soul cultivator whose lifespan is nearing its end and who has no hope of breaking through to the next level!

It's terrifying to even think about, not to mention that Shangjia Island has a grudge against these two!

The other party will definitely not sit quietly and die; they will surely take action before their lifespan runs out!

Although the primary target might be the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster, the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster's Blood Fiend Island is a moving island, making it difficult to pinpoint his location, and it's not certain that he can be killed successfully!

"If those two were to secretly infiltrate Rune Sword Island with the Zhou Tian Star Palace's secret treasure for breaking formations, and kill the Rune Sword Island Master, then it's quite possible—"

The old merchant patriarch said, "After you go down, have Yuanxin try to inform Fellow Daoist Fang Shui—the cultivation world in the East Sea is already in chaos! Let's make it even more chaotic!"

Taibai Island.

Fang Qing saw the letter that Zhong Lingxiu was reading.

This disciple was quite lucky; at least he survived the siege of Shuiyue.

Otherwise, Shang Yuanxin really wouldn't know who to contact to reach that senior Fang Shui.

"Oh? Two Nascent Soul cultivators at the peak of their cultivation, with the backing of a Nascent Soul sect, both failed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Fang Qing was somewhat surprised by this outcome.

He had initially thought that the two of them were so confident that they were making such a strong push.

But the outcome was far more cruel than I had imagined.

Hmm—if reaching the Nascent Soul Realm were so easy, the cultivation world of the East Sea would have seen no new Nascent Soul Venerables for the past ten thousand years—

It seems that when the Guixu Secret Realm opened last time, the Great Zen Master at most brought out some Nascent Soul experience, not any treasures or elixirs beneficial to the Nascent Soul stage.

Now, with two more Nascent Soul cultivators nearing the end of their lives and with no hope of a future cultivation path, it's no wonder that old ghost Shang is afraid.

Fang Qing chuckled: "Forget it—now that the major issues on the Qi Condensation Path are resolved, it's time to settle things on the Qi Refining Path side."

However, he had no interest in the two Nascent Soul cultivators who were about to die; what truly interested him was the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster!

"The Qi Refining Path is my stronghold. If a Nascent Soul cultivator comes out here, I'll inevitably feel somewhat constrained—"

"Given the current state of the cultivation world in the East Sea—with Shuiyue and Leiyin severely weakened, and the Shang family, Sihaimen, and Tianjimen all struggling to produce Nascent Soul cultivators—the one with the highest probability of truly reaching Nascent Soul is still the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster!"

Of course, there is actually another one, Zhan Hongxiu!

However, this woman is only at the early stage of Nascent Soul, and her Nascent Soul transformation will definitely be later than his, so she is not a threat, but rather an excellent guinea pig.

However, the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster is different. This person has already reached the Nascent Soul stage, has a Heavenly Treasure in hand, and has a strong ambition!

"In the demonic path, there are countless secret techniques and cultivation methods that allow one to break through by absorbing the essence and blood of cultivators of the same level —"

"And the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster had previously refined the Xuan Yan Master of the Xuan Zhong Sect into a fourth-grade high-quality puppet, and then secretly killed the Talisman Sword Island Master—"

For this Nascent Soul cultivator of the Demonic Path, if he couldn't find a supplementary pill like the "Five Sacred Pills of the Primordial Extreme" to aid in breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage, killing a few cultivators of the same level could at least serve as a meal.

Therefore, when the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster launched the war between good and evil, the outcome was not important; what mattered was the process!

If we win, we'll crush Shuiyue and Leiyin—plunder their Nascent Soul cultivation foundation to fund our own Nascent Soul cultivation.

If they lose, they'll target the heavily injured late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, using his Nascent Soul, essence, blood, and magical power—as the means for the demonic path to break through?

I'm afraid one or two won't be enough; he'll continue to target those powerful cultivators.

"Hmm, it seems the key now is to find the whereabouts of the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster first—"

Perhaps for a Nascent Soul cultivator in the Qi Refining Dao, catching the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster's trail is extremely difficult.

But for Fang Qing, it was quite simple.

At this moment, he had several plans in mind: "First, I could divine the most likely outcome among the Four Seas Gate, the Heavenly Mystery Gate, and the Merchant Island, and then lie in wait for the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster to launch a sneak attack?"

"The uncertainty is too great—and it takes too long."

"Secondly, we could go to Blood Fiend Island and obtain the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster's personal belongings as a basis for divination, or we could also consult the Water Moon Palace?"

"Third, should I directly offer sacrifices to ghosts and gods, then wander around the cultivation world of the East Sea, letting the Heavenly Fiend automatically stumble into my hands?"

Fourth, all of the above can be done, and they can be combined.

With this thought in mind, Fang Qing directly tore open the void and stepped into it.

The cultivation world of the East Sea.

Water Moon Palace.

-

Amidst the misty void, Fang Qing, clad in a black robe, emerged.

He gazed at the still somewhat dilapidated island and palaces—his late-stage Nascent Soul divine sense sweeping over them without any politeness: "I am Xia Shui, and I request an audience with all the palace masters!"

Swish!

Streaks of light appeared, emanating powerful magical energy fluctuations.

The two in the lead were actually great cultivators at the late Nascent Soul stage or above!

The one in the lead was an old woman with white hair and wrinkled skin. Although she looked like she was about to die, she gave off a dangerous aura.

Behind her was a female cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage, who appeared to have only recently broken through to that level.

"Fang Shui, a rogue cultivator, greets the Grand Palace Master and the Second Palace Master—"

Fang Qing smiled slightly.

"Fang Shui? You're the Void Spirit Root cultivator who caused such a stir at the Four Seas Sect? You—you've actually reached the late Nascent Soul stage? How is that possible?"

The Second Palace Master of Shuiyue Palace looked surprised, after all, how many years had it been since Fang Shui and Tianfu Shangren fought?

"You flatter me, esteemed guest."

The First Palace Master gestured to stop the astonished Second Palace Master: "I wonder what brings you here today? My palace is in dire need of rebuilding, and I fear I cannot properly entertain such an honored guest—"

"It's alright. I have a grudge against Blood Fiend Island and have come specifically to ask for an item belonging to the Heavenly Fiend Old Monster. He lost a possessed body here, so he should have no shortage of such items, right?"

Fang Qing smiled and said, "I am rather curious as to why that Patriarch Shuiyue did not leave behind that part of the other party's soul—"

He was actually more curious about the state of Master Shuiyue and whether there were any other avatars remaining, but there was no need to ask that.

"That villain's demonic arts are profound. If we destroy his fourth-tier corpse refinement, the part of his soul that possessed the body will instantly return to his original body. This is an extremely profound secret technique. Even the patriarch could only think of temporarily sealing it to resist it."

The Grand Palace Master said, "Unexpectedly, this fiend self-destructed at the very last moment before being sealed—"

"I see, the injury wasn't serious after all."

Fang Qing nodded: "No wonder he launched a sneak attack on the Sword Master Island not long afterward."

"Those wicked demons are indeed selfish and self-serving; killing each other is commonplace for them—"

Upon hearing this, the Second Palace Master's face lit up with delight, clearly pleased with the fate of Talisman Sword Island.