Chapter 539: Chapter 25: Advancing to Martial Sect (Part 2)
"Without my husband, Gu’an County wouldn’t be as stable and prosperous as it is today, and the people’s lives would be difficult."
"But now, with the turmoil in the Imperial Court, even if we want stability, others may not allow it."
"Indeed!" Fang Zheng looked up:
"The mindset of staying secluded in a corner is untenable. In this world, if you don’t have power, you will surely be bullied."
"Enough!"
He shook his head and said:
"When soldiers come, use generals to defend; when water comes, use earth to obstruct."
Speaking, he looked towards several items on the table beside him.
A Flying Sword!
A Long Banner!
A Jade Token full of cracks.
The Cyan Rope Sword, the Wind and Cloud Banner, both are Magical Treasures, especially the Flying Sword, which is exceptionally sharp.
However, Fang Zheng is not skilled in Swordsmanship; even if he refines it, he cannot unleash its power. Instead, it’s the Wind and Cloud Banner...
If it can be refined, even if not a Martial Grandmaster or Master, without relying on the Ghost King’s power, it can still be used to fly.
As for the Jade Token.
This item is a Defensive Magical Artifact, its defensive capability is remarkable, but it was nearly shattered by Close-in Defense Cannon.
It’s estimated that after two or three more uses, it will completely break.
"The Mad Daoist died here, and the news will spread soon, the Song Family likely won’t let me off easily." Fang Zheng spoke:
"Fortunately, Song Ji doesn’t have many Masters or Martial Grandmasters, for the short term, it’s not a concern."
"These days, I will be in Qiaoyun’s room in seclusion; if there’s any news of Fang Heng, inform me promptly."
"Alright."
Linghu Qiuchan nodded.
*
*
*
On the room’s floor, complex lines were drawn with Cinnabar and Cyan Boron, forming an Array.
The frozen Du Qiaoyun lay in the center, with cold air emanating from her body.
Fang Zheng found a cushion, sat cross-legged not far away, checked the Array’s condition, and upon confirming it was fine, he took out a medicine bottle from the Qiankun Bag.
The bottle was opened, containing two Elixir Pills inside.
Three Treasures Pill!
Crafting this pill is not difficult; the challenge lies in finding the Spiritual Medicine; fortunately, he has gathered all three.
And he made two Three Treasures Pills.
This pill assists Cultivators in Opening the Spiritual Aperture, breaking through the Martial Artist or Mage realm; even if the breakthrough fails, it can protect the heart veins from sustaining severe injury.
Staring at the Elixir Pill for a long time, Fang Zheng took out one and placed it in front, then put away the bottle, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Unclear how long it passed.
He opened his eyes, picked up the Three Treasures Pill, and swallowed it.
"Celestial Thunder ominous, enter my Spiritual Aperture!"
His hand formed Seal Technique, his heart turned Secret Spell, the Elemental Thunder Skill operated, heading straight for the Baihui Acupoint at the top of his head.
The acupoints atop the head are considerably significant.
Even with his cultivation base, his mastery over True Qi, this operation carries a substantial risk.
But this step must be taken!
"Hoo..."
Long exhale, Fang Zheng’s mind concentrated, the Divine Thought in his Sea of Consciousness outlined the Yama Dharma Aspect, Essence Qi and spirit suddenly converged.
Simultaneously.
The efficacy of the Three Treasures Pill within transformed into a warm current, flowing into the Sea of Consciousness.
"Boom!"
"Crash..."
In an instant.
The Sea of Consciousness surged with waves, the fragile ’Primordial Spirit’ drowned immediately, sinking into an endless abyss.
Black!
No!
Here, there’s no division between black and white, only chaos.
In the chaos, there’s no time, no space, no consciousness; everything gradually becomes nothingness.
Outside.
Fang Zheng sat cross-legged, his hands forming Seal Technique, first his breath soared, then suddenly plummeted.
This fall,
his breath weakened to the point of near invisibility, even the normal human breathing and heartbeat gradually stalled.
At a certain moment.
"Swish!"
A dim light pierced through the void chaos in the Sea of Consciousness.
"Crack!"
The light twisted and turned, tearing a rift in the chaos.
This is...
"Lightning!"
"Boom!"
As if the sound of heaven and earth first opening resounded, shaking within the Sea of Consciousness, countless thoughts rolled up.
Heaven and earth reconformed, all things nascent.
The ’fresh’ Primordial Spirit, with vigorous energy, boldly broke through the chaos, even leapt out of the Sea of Consciousness.
"Swish!"
An unexpected vision, a familiar yet unfamiliar body appeared before him.
This is...
Myself?
Then what am I now?
Out-of-body experience!
With a thought, the ’vision’ expanded.
The patterns on the ground, the frozen Du Qiaoyun, the seated physical body — everything was in full view.
As the field of view rose.
The Fang Mansion gradually came into ’sight’.
The streets around the Fang Mansion, the busy crowds, and the many families grieving or worrying due to the loss or injury of loved ones in the city.
Not only could he see objects, but he could also clearly perceive the sadness and anxiety.
The range grew ever wider.
Encompassing almost half of Gu’an County.
"Hmm?"
It wasn’t until a sudden sense of fatigue surged in his mind that Fang Zheng snapped back to reality, hastily retracting his divine thought.
"Whish!"
The Primordial Spirit returned to its place, and the physical body suddenly opened its eyes wide.
"Out-of-body experience?"
"That feeling indeed is quite mysterious. Unfortunately, such an opportunity can only be felt right after a breakthrough; otherwise, only by achieving the status of a Rogue Immortal can one truly experience an out-of-body experience, something ordinary Masters cannot achieve."
Stabilizing his spirit, Fang Zheng sighed softly:
"I never thought it would be this easy to break through."
He had anticipated breaking through in his cultivation, given his strong foundation and extraordinary heritage. Failure to do so would be a violation of natural law.
However, this attempt was somewhat rushed, and aside from some slight risk when consciousness was lost, there were no surprises.
With ease, he took a crucial step forward.
The joy of breaking through in his cultivation was suddenly diminished when he saw Du Qiaoyun.
Even achieving the status of a Master, what does it matter?
......
Half a month later.
Gu’an County was still in a process of rebuilding after the disaster, with almost every household in mourning and crying throughout the nights.
Fang Mansion.
"Master."
"Someone seeks an audience!"
Fang Zheng stood up, tidying his clothes.
After advancing to the Martial Arts Grandmaster, other changes would take some time to manifest. Still, the Celestial Secret Compass left by Master Jiuyuan could already be truly activated, and its many profound changes could be used a little.
Master Jiuyuan was a Rogue Immortal.
He was a rare kind of Rogue Immortal well-versed in the arts of divination and prediction.
And the Celestial Secret Compass was the culmination of his lifelong learning. Although not a Magical Treasure, it surpassed one in some respects.
In some ways,
the Celestial Secret Compass can foresee the future.
Previously, due to insufficient cultivation, its powers couldn’t be fully utilized, effective only when dealing with ordinary people, but almost useless against experts.
It was even impossible to spy on Masters or the Martial Sect.
Now it was barely possible.
Before the servant arrived, Fang Zheng had already sensed it.
Not only knowing who the visitor was, but also having some guesses as to why they had come.
"Cough, cough!"
He covered his mouth with one hand, coughing lightly, his complexion instantly turning pale, and his aura appearing visibly weak.
With the concealment of the Celestial Secret Compass, it seemed unlikely that the visitor would see through his current condition.
Upon entering the guest hall, besides Linghu Qiuchan, the mistress of Fang Mansion, two others had been waiting for a long time.
"Commandery Princess."
Fang Zheng lowered his eyes, speaking slowly:
"Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner. Pardon my rudeness!"
"Brother Fang, you’re too kind." Princess Qingyuan, Li Yingxuan, carefully looked him over, her expression solemn as she spoke sternly:
"I didn’t expect that the Mad Daoist of the Song Family would meet his end in Gu’an County. Brother Fang, you truly have great skills!"
"It was out of necessity." Fang Zheng’s voice was low:
"If there had been another choice, why would Fang dare to offend the Song Family and take action against a Magical Sage?"
"Alas!"
He sighed:
"The entire city is now in mourning, with countless civilian casualties. I only regret that my strength was insufficient and I couldn’t slay that madman sooner."
Li Yingxuan raised her eyebrows.
She could discern that Fang Zheng did not regret killing the Mad Daoist, only lamenting the heavy losses incurred.
This person...
What audacity!
Previously, she only knew him as calm and restrained, never realizing he had such a decisive and ruthless side.
She immediately asked:
"Brother Fang, are you injured?"
"Yes."
Fang Zheng nodded:
"I underestimated the Mad Daoist, and despite having an impeccable body, I still couldn’t withstand the aftermath."
"The Mad Daoist was no ordinary Master. For Brother Fang to kill him is already remarkable." Li Yingxuan spoke:
"But the Song Family won’t likely let you off easily."
"..." Fang Zheng’s expression remained unchanged:
"No matter."
"With thousands of private soldiers at your disposal, it wouldn’t be easy for the Song Family to come to Gu’an County and cause trouble for Brother Fang." Li Yingxuan chuckled lightly:
"But there’s a saying, ’There’s no such thing as a thousand days of being a thief but not getting caught, and no one who guards indefinitely.’ Does Brother Fang intend to remain confined in Gu’an County forever?"
"I have a solution."
"That can alleviate Brother Fang’s worries."
