Immortal of the Nine Realms

After the formalities, Ancestor Xia Yu suggested that everyone head to the imperial palace to find accommodations. It was only then that the cultivators realized that he was a member of the imperial family, and they readily accepted his offer.

Selecting disciples was not something that could be done in a short period. In the following days, they would have to continuously screen and find those who had benefited the most from the Spiritual Marrow rain. Having a place to stay was undoubtedly a good thing.

After everyone left, the elderly man with sparse hair and frail appearance murmured to himself, "The signs I saw a few days ago were indeed the manifestation of a Spiritual Marrow. I never expected that such a small ninth-tier empire could have the foundation to nurture a Spiritual Marrow. That is a ranked spiritual object on the list..."

He looked down at the child and smiled. "Little kid, my legs aren’t in too good of a shape, and moving around is a hassle for me. Can I head down to your place for a little rest?”

"Sure." The innocent child nodded.

Before long, the man arrived with the child to a plain courtyard, and after a cup of tea's worth of time, seven or eight dried corpses lay sprawled. They seemed to have experienced a massive fright before their deaths, and they wore terrified expressions on their faces, even in death.

The child plopped on the ground, staring blankly at the scene.

The elderly man wiped the corners of his mouth. His skin had regained a bit of radiance.

Walking up to the child, the man whispered, "Silly child."

He had originally intended to end the child’s life too, but after a moment of thought, he had a different idea. With a thought, he used his spiritual energy to disable the child's vocal cords.

"I won't kill you. Just be my grandson obediently for some time," said the elderly man, gently patting the child's head.

***

"Coming to this place was the right decision. A Spiritual Marrow had been truly birthed here."

Looking at the bustling streets, Abbess Zhu Yue’s lips gradually curved upward. The place where the Spiritual Marrow was nurtured was now rich in spiritual energy in such a short period. A few days ago, shortly after they had set out, she sensed the birth of the Spiritual Marrow, and it pointed toward this place. The signs were a copy of what appeared the day a Spiritual Marrow appeared in the Flame Empire. She never expected such a coincidence—the place she had planned to visit for a different reason had suddenly birthed a Spiritual Marrow.

"You mentioned the birth of the Spiritual Marrow a few days ago, Master. What exactly does the birth of a Spiritual Marrow mean?" asked Abbess Qing He curiously.

Tie Ma also looked curiously at Abbess Zhu Yue.

"It’s hard to explain, but you could say it’s a timely blessing from heaven. Due to this, some people who originally didn’t have talent for cultivation will now do—exceptional talent, too. I estimate that cultivators have already arrived to accept disciples," said Abbess Zhu Yue with a faint smile.

Both Tie Ma and Qing He were somewhat shocked. They had already known that there weren’t many people who were talented enough to cultivate, and each one who could was a rare find. However, having the talent for cultivation alone wasn't enough to gain the recognition of a sect. Even aspiring to join a sect was difficult, as the sects sought individuals with decent innate talents. With spiritual materials being scarce, the sects had no desire to waste them on cultivating individuals who could only reach the third or fourth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, which to these sects was utterly useless. The disciples they aimed to cultivate were those who had the prospects to reach the Foundation Building Realm, those were the ones they were after.

The exceptional talent that Abbess Zhu Yue mentioned was undoubtedly at that level!

"The appearance of the Spiritual Marrow will affect the matter we had at hand,” said Abbess Zhu Yue as she looked at Tie Ma. “First, let's go see your lord and find out what he intends to do now.”

Tie Ma nodded respectfully, then said, "Please follow me.”

Before long, three figures appeared at the entrance of the Fang Manor. Qing He quickly approached and knocked on the door. However, the servant who answered didn't recognize her. Glancing over at the newly arrived party, the servant’s eyes landed on Tie Ma, and she instantly recognized him. She quickly stepped to the side. "Please come in!”

"Abbess Zhu Yue, please," said Tie Ma respectfully as he led the way inside.

Abbess Zhu Yue nodded lightly and, accompanied by Qing He, followed Tie Ma into the Fang Manor.

Fang Chen, upon hearing news of their arrival, rushed over to meet them.

He couldn’t help but smile when he saw them. He turned to the woman at Qing He’s side, who he presumed to be her master. "Greetings, senior."

Li Daoye kept his head down and stood to the side. He dared not look directly at Abbess Zhu Yue. He appeared to be guilty of something.

"Do you have a hidden treasure on you?” wondered Abbess Zhue Yue as she examined Fang Chen. She was sure that he must’ve had some hidden treasure that masked his cultivation, as she was unable to pry into his level. “Hmm. It seems that the inheritance you obtained is not simple. No wonder you can craft the Purple Lightning Talisman."

Without further inquiry, she turned her gaze to Li Daoye, and an ambiguous smile rose on her face. "By the way, your father has sent a lot of people out to drag you back for your marriage.”

Li Daoye sheepishly replied, "They probably learned that I've become enemies with the Spirit Blood Sect by now... They must be pretending not to know me anymore."

Abbess Zhu Yue nodded slightly. "I didn't expect you to have such courage considering how timid you usually are. I have underestimated you."

"Abbess Zhu Yue, you flatter me, haha," responded Li Daoye proudly, his chest buffed. He seemed to have forgotten that he had been forced to stay in Grand Xia by Fang Chen....

Abbess Zhu Yue chuckled, then looked at Fang Chen. "Do you know why I came over?”

Fang Chen thought for a moment, then decided to reply frankly, "Because of the Purple Lightning Talisman?"

Abbess Zhu Yue lightly laughed. "Yes and no." She glanced at Qing He as she spoke. "My disciple is compassionate and has a deep affinity with the lingering souls in the mortal realm, which aligns perfectly with our sect's techniques. She chose to stay here because she couldn’t bear to see the people here suffer because of the Spirit Blood Sect. If I resolve this matter for you, the merit will fall on her and her future path will be smoother.”

Suddenly, Abbess Zhu Yue slowly turned her face toward Fang Chen, her eyes turning extremely frosty and aloof. “If it weren't for her, do you think a mere Purple Lightning Talisman inheritance can make a Foundation Building Realm cultivator obey your commands? Do you think we are so easily manipulated?"

The arrogance in her tone could not be mistaken.

Fang Chen, noticing her change in demeanor, immediately clasped his hands in a respectful salute. "Senior, I have underestimated your wisdom."

Qing He, seeing that her master was angry, tried to calm her down, "Master, Lord Fang is doing this for the people of Grand Xia..."

Abbess Zhu Yue's features softened, and she nodded.

She changed the topic and talked to them about the appearance of the Spiritual Marrow. Finally, she looked at Fang Chen and asked, "What are your plans? Even if their Foundation Building Realm cultivator comes to Grand Xia, he won't act easily once he discovers what has happened. I will step forward to recruit a few disciples for Concealed Moon Hermitage. However, if he learns of my identity, I will prioritize the safety of my sect."

Fang Chen contemplated for a moment and brought up Li Daoye’s suggestion.

Hearing it, Zhu Yue smiled faintly. "What Li Daoye said makes sense. If the Foundation Building cultivator from the Spirit Blood Sect finds out that many people have joined the immortal sects here, he probably won't choose this place as his target to craft pills again. The Spirit Blood Sect have always operated discreetly and won't easily expose themselves in front of other cultivators. After all... in the vast cultivation world, the Spirit Blood Sect is universally condemned. They may not care about us, but they care about those true powerhouses out there." Pausing for a moment, Zhu Yue continued, "However, once you start killing the cultivators of the Spirit Blood Sect, their Foundation Building cultivator will seek revenge for them. Even if he no longer considers Grand Xia as a cauldron, he will attempt to hunt you down. You will always remain in danger if you don’t eliminate him. You will inevitably leave traces when dealing with the members of the Spirit Blood Sect, and it won’t be difficult for them to find out what happened. So, I have a proposal for you."

"What do you propose, senior?" asked Fang Chen respectfully, his hands clasped together.

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