Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Staying in the middle of the hundred thousand Cultivators, Fang Chengzhi echoed with the roars of flattery, but he actually did not think much about it.
His face was somewhat blushing as he was suspicious that the fellow Cultivators around would pat his shoulder from behind and scorn him at any moment. “Well, if this isn’t the renowned ‘Green Willow’ Fang Chengzhi of the Running River State? Why has the magnificent Lord Fang come to this place after such a long journey to bootlick Elder Scorching Sun?”
However, despite all his worries, nobody did laugh at him aloud. He observed the surroundings in secret, only to discover many more high-level Cultivators who were more famous than him, except that the ‘masters’, ‘elders’, and ‘leaders’ were so solemn and concentrated as if they believed from the bottom of their heart that the influence of Elder Scorching Sun would last forever.
Fang Chengzhi coughed for a moment and still felt that he was different from those around him.
The honorable ‘Mr. Green Willow’, whose extraordinary handsomeness was well known, ranked at the top of the Four Princes that were well respected in the Running River State. He was even a minor celebrity in the entire world of Cultivators.
His grandfather had even advanced into the Nascent Soul Stage and founded the Green Cloud Sword Sect. With a Green Cloud Devil Sweeping Sword and the corresponding sword arts, his reputation did not stop in the Running River State. Nobody in the neighboring ten or so states had not heard his father’s name.
Anywhere he went, all the sects must show some respect for him as soon as he showed the token of the Green Cloud Sword Sect.
Besides, his great grandfather was a true disciple of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, known as ‘the best sword sect in the world’. It was with the permission and full support of the Purple Pole Sword Sect that his ancestors had left the sect to found an independent sect.
In other words, the Green Cloud Sword Sect was an offshoot, or rather, a ‘peripheral organization’, of the Purple Pole Sword Sect.
‘Sword Manic’ Yan Liren of the Purple Pole Sword Sect was known as the best expert in the world. In the sword-testing battle years ago, even Qi Zhongdao, the leader of all Cultivators, had been no match for him.
With such an unshakeable mountain supporting them, they were completely different from the small fries who had no backgrounds around him. What was wrong with his father setting foot in such a mess here?
Fang Chengzhi was somewhat dissatisfied with Fang Shiyi, his father and the current leader of the Green Cloud Sword Sect, who was praising Elder Scorching Sun humbly.
It was true that as the unparalleled experts in the old days such as the Three Saints, the Four Rapscallions, and Elder Spiritual Vulture had gone missing, the capabilities of multiple forces, including the Grand Mystery Sect, the Purple Pole Sword Sect, the Great Qian Dynasty, the Dark Cloud Prairies, had greatly weakened. All of them were shrinking.
The ‘Angry Fire Army’ and ‘Scorching Sun Sect’ under the lead of Elder Scorching Sun had risen abruptly and rapidly, showing the momentum of a revolution.
With the excuse that an unprecedently powerful Rising Sun Array had been crafted, Elder Scorching Sun was holding a Rising Sun Ceremony. Invitations had been sent out to all sects in the entire Ancient Sages Sector large and small, asking them to attend the great event. In fact, everybody knew that the real purpose was something else.
The ‘Rising Sun Ceremony’ was a declaration of war that Elder Scorching Sun sent to the entire world of Cultivators and even the entire Ancient Sages Sector, implying that the unparalleled expert who had risen recently was about to compete for the hegemony of the world!
The Cultivators who were willing to attend the Rising Sun Ceremony would be his allies and lackeys. Those who did not show him respect and ignored his invitation would be his foes or the targets to be annihilated by his great army later!
Frankly, it was a meeting to take sides. Elder Scorching Sun would see how many people in the world of Cultivators were on his side and how many opposed him!
The invitations were indeed a shock to the entire Ancient Sages Sector and finally caused the rare turnout that day.
Most of the middle-sized and small sects, awed by the dominance of Elder Scorching Sun, had sent their leaders or elders with great gifts. They were even busy adulating Elder Scorching Sun as much as they could. The shameless exaltations were major eye-openers for Fang Chengzhi.
Even a few deeply-rooted sects that had a long history had at least sent a few elders to attend the ceremony with the replies of their leaders.
However, the six major sects including the Grand Mystery Sect and the Purple Pole Sword Sect, the court of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the Dark Cloud Prairies did not send anybody.
The stances of the two parties were very obvious.
As an offshoot of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, the Green Cloud Sword Sect was supposed to take the Purple Pole Sword Sect’s side and resist Elder Scorching Sun and the Red Sun Sect together.
However, after discussing the issue with the leaders of more than ten peripheral sects, his father had made a shocking decision. None of them considered the attitude of the Purple Pole Sword Sect further. They all went to Angry Fire Mountain together.
Although their excuse was to help the Purple Pole Sword Sect investigate the enemy, anyone who was not an idiot knew how absurd that was.
Their actions were doubtlessly a slap in the face for the Purple Pole Sword Sect.
More strictly speaking, they were even suspected of betrayal.
Fang Chengzhi was young and had a thin face after all. He was both ashamed to change sides so blatantly and frightened by the past reputation of the Purple Pole Sword Sect. He was also very suspicious about Elder Scorching Sun, who had only risen to fame a couple of years ago. Although he had been dragged to Angry Fire Mountain by his father unwillingly, he felt that his father had made a reckless move deep in his heart.
“Is Elder Scorching Sun still not out? A hundred thousand Cultivators are waiting for him alone. How cocky!” Fang Chengzhi mumbled to himself in a very low voice.
He had thought that nobody could hear him, but hardly had he finished his sentence when the center of his eyebrow was poked so hard that he almost burst into tears.
Then, his father’s high-pitched voice echoed in his ears. “Idiot, watch your mouth! You may not only get yourself killed but also involve your family and sect!”
Greatly shocked, Fang Chengzhi raised his head to look, only to discover that his father was still bowing like a tumbler with the most devoted expression while mumbling the adulations such as ‘Elder Scorching Sun is invincible’.
But his father’s private talk was running into his ears incessantly. “What does a little idiot like you know? Have I not told you how tough Elder Scorching Sun is on our way here? Did you not hear any of that?
“He may not have been very famous in the world of Cultivators in the past hundred years, but he was a major celebrity more than a hundred years ago who had advanced to the beginning level of the Nascent Soul Stage!
“At that time, he entered the depths of Angry Fire Mountain when chasing after an animal and went missing. Everybody thought that he was killed in the magma deep inside the underground cracks.
“Nobody knew that, while he was indeed lost beneath the earth, he found something more underground. He discovered a relic of the ‘Saint Fire Dynasty’ from more than seventy thousand years ago and the residences of dozens of ancient masters!
“The relic of the ‘Saint Fire Dynasty’ and the residences of dozens of ancient masters were actually founded on a battlefield of primeval wars from hundreds of thousands of years ago!
“Therefore, the underground relic in Angry Fire Mountain has both the enormous arsenal of the ‘Saint Fire Dynasty’, the lifelong work of the dozens of ancient monsters, and abundant amazing arts and magical equipment. Some of the primeval treasures are even as good as ‘Iron Saint’ Qi Zhongdao’s Heaven Flipping Seal!
“What’s most shocking is that there was actually a Cloud Qin Gold Statue among all the primeval treasures!
“You may not know much about other primeval treasures, but I’m certain that you are fully aware of the ultimate dominance of ‘Cloud Qin Gold Statue’. It was with the help of the twelve Cloud Qin Gold Statues that the great enterprise of the Cloud Qin Dynasty was founded.
“Today, although Elder Scorching Sun has only one Cloud Qin Gold Statue whose arm is broken, so what? Who else in the world can compete with him?”
Fang Shiyi, the leader of the Green Cloud Sword Sect, had indeed repeated it countless times on the road. But Fang Chengzhi was not convinced because he had not seen it with his own eyes. He stood straight and was about to argue.
“Hehe!” Fang Shiyi sniffed and mixed some sharp sword auras in his voice, which scraped Feng Chengzhi’s brains like a dagger. “Do not say anything. Just listen obediently!
“Elder Scorching Sun trained himself hard in the underground residences from the ‘Saint Fire Dynasty’ for a hundred years and finally advanced to the ultimate level at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage, only half a step away from the Divinity Transformation Stage. He also practiced dozens of most dominating arts. Even if he were faced with Meng Chixin and Wu Suiyun, the two legendary Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators from a hundred years ago, he would not necessarily be on the losing side.
“Now that he has broken out of his seclusion after grasping all his arts, he is definitely one of the best experts in the world.
“As it happens, he has ended his seclusion at the perfect time. It is exactly the time when the Three Saints, the Four Rapscallions, the Monk, and the Emperor have all vanished uncannily.
“Regarding the mysterious disappearance of the three Saints, the Four Rapscallions, Elder Spiritual Vulture, and the other experts, there are all kinds of rumors and strange theories. Some say that they died with each other in the depths of the Land of Eternal Night. Some say that they set off to search for the deities’ realm on an enormous divine boat and will return to the Ancient Sages Sector in a year and a half.
“But the journey to divinity is full of perils. Who knows if it is true?
“It was said that they would return in a year and a half, but three years have passed, and there is still no sign of those experts. Perhaps they have already broken the void and forgotten all the affairs of the mortal world. Perhaps they have perished on the way to search for the deities’ realm. Perhaps there has never been a ‘search for the deities’ realm’ in the first place, and they did perish each other in the Land of Eternal Night. Their quest could be a false message released by their subordinates and disciples to stabilize the situation, right?
“All in all, the world cannot function without a ruler. Now that the old experts such as the Three Saints, the Four Rapscallions, the Monk, the Emperor, and Elder Spiritual Vulture are all gone, the Ancient Sages Sector is in dire need of new leadership. At such a moment, Elder Scorching Sun has risen with the Cultivation only half a step away from the Divinity Transformation Stage and a one-armed Gold Statue. Who is the destiny’s son if not him?”