Fang Xing might be young, but he was a crafty person with many years of experience; how would he not know the consequences of flaunting his wealth? When he competed against that Jing-named woman, it was first because he wanted to make things difficult for her after she annoyed him, and second because he specifically wanted to lure out people intending to rob him of his wealth. This was the only method he had to easily gather a large blood sacrifice for the Peng King, and the more the Old Peng was fed, the more powerful he'd become and more useful he'd be inside the Mysterious Domain.
In fact, Fang Xing been pondering on it from the moment he heard about the mysterious coffin's secrets. Since Spirit Stage and Foundation Stage cultivators each had their own separated opportunities, he might not have much of an advantage in the Mysterious Domain since he was only Foundation Stage tier two. Even though he'd mastered the Yin-Yang Sanding Disc, it didn't mean he'd be able to beat everyone within Foundation Stage—his tier was simply too low for that. This made it necessary for him to improve the power of his Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits so he could rely on it more.
When Fang Xing flaunted his wealth, he'd done so with very deliberate calculations. The amount of supreme-grade Spirit Stones he showed off was enough to thoroughly tempt early-Foundation Stage cultivators, mildly tempt those in mid Foundation Stage, and be too little for those in late Foundation Stage. It was unlikely for late-Foundation Stage cultivators to come after an amount like this, which meant most who were drawn in would be in the mid and early stages.
Of course, if his calculations had been off, he would have fled long ago without even bothering to get involved with this battle.
"The little young miss has… gotten herself involved with a devil child…." The grey-robed old servant of the Jing clan was terrified. The little ant he originally thought could be crushed with only a few fingers was actually a devil-like existence that killed others without blinking? With battle prowess like this, could the boy even be considered early-Foundation Stage anymore? Although the old servant had quietly joined in on the earlier encirclement, he decided to flee in the end. Just as he managed to get thirty feet away, however, he suddenly felt a chill along his back as a pair of sharp eyes fixated on him.
Inside the valley painted red with blood, Fang Xing had suddenly turned to look at him. "You came all this way and yet now you want to leave?" Only ten people in Foundation Stage had been drawn here, so how could he let even one escape?
Chills ran down the grey-robed old servant's back. 'I must leave at once….' He hastily activated a dark red Flying Sword and tried to use it to escape while pouring in as much Qi as he could.
"Hmph, you want to run?" Fang Xing coldly laughed before waving a black iron chain towards the fleeing old servant. The chain was precisely the "Overcast Iron Lock" Fang Xing had taken from the Yin Servant of the Chu royal court, and although it wasn't as flexible or agile as the Immortal's Snare, it was able to reach a farther distance.
Woosh….
The Overcast Iron Lock grew in size while shooting out like lightning to chase after and grab the old servant's waist.
The old servant became more confident he'd escaped after getting around three hundred feet away, but he suddenly felt the chain coil around his body. Fang Xing tugged back, causing the old servant to release a cry of despair as he was drawn down towards Fang Xing like a kite with a broken string.
Faced with Fang Xing's chilling gaze, the old servant began to beg and cry in desperation, "Don't… don't kill me…." Despite being a proud fourth-tier Foundation Stage cultivator, in front of this boy's Asurlike blood-covered figure, the old servant lost all courage to fight back.
"Why would I let you live just because you tell me to? You think your little grandpa here is actually your grandson or something?" After killing so many people, why would Fang Xing mind killing just one more? The Flag of Ten Thousand Spirits in his hand rose again, causing black smoke to form and the evil, bloodthirsty laugh of the Peng King to ring out once more….
"You… you… if you spare my life, you'll have a chance to enter the Mysterious Domain. If not… when Grand Elder Jing Guan finds out I've been killed, he will certainly come chase you over tens of thousand of miles to avenge my death!" Already desperate, the old servant suddenly began to yell out in despair, "You're only in Foundation Stage, how could you escape the methods of Grand Elder Jing Guang?"
"Oh?" This left Fang Xing surprised. He temporarily halted the Peng King's skill and looked to the old servant with half a smile. "To enter the Mysterious Domain?"
Seeing Fang Xing seemed to be swayed, the old servant began to yell even louder. "Yes indeed! We who belong to the Jing Guang line of the west desert's Jing clan have already taken the formation pivot, allowing only the disciples from the Jing Guang line to enter. If you spare my life and take me to Grand Elder Jing Guang, it would guarantee you a chance to enter the Mysterious Domain…."
"Taken the formation pivot?" Fang Xing focused his gaze towards where the old servant pointed.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away from the massacre grounds, there was a stone bridge next to a small dark-red stream with the other side adorned in shrines and covered in layers of complex formations. The Qi on the other side was over a hundred times more abundant and dense, making it so crossing the bridge was like stepping into a completely different world.
A Golden Core Stage cultivator sat at the front of the bridge. His hair and beard were white but his age couldn't be determined, and his expression was filled with maliciousness. He was wearing a full hemp robe dotted with specks of blood, imperceptibly making it appear as though he was covered in a murderous aura. Sitting here in front of the stone bridge like this, it was clear that anyone who wished to cross had to have his approval first.
That little stone bridge had originally been plain and regular, yet today it had become the formation pivot that would allow entry into the world across the river. When the sun rose, a gate would open up here allowing people to enter the other side. Guarding this place was to for the sake of ensuring his own youngsters would have a chance to enter the Mysterious Domain.
Of course, this chance wasn't forever, and in fact there had already been numerous Golden Core Stage cultivators who'd arrived already or were on their way to this formation pivot. With his cultivation level, he could only guarantee he'd be able to keep this place secured for today in order to send his youngsters inside. After today had passed, he'd have to step aside and leave it for the other Golden Cores or risk being surrounded and ganged up on.
This simply couldn't be helped. The time the formation opened up was very short, and there were just so many people who were after the same thing coming from all directions. If he couldn't guard this place well enough, all the cultivators would rush forward the instant the gate opened and this place would become a chaotic mess with some possible fights as well. If that happened and this place was filled with blood and sweat, sending others inside would be extraordinarily difficult.
Arriving on horseback, Jing Fu and Yuan Shenglian dismounted hundreds of feet away in a show of respect before moving in front of this Golden Core to bow.
"Great Great Granddaughter Jing Fu is here to greet Esteemed Shifu…."
"Junior Yuan Shenglian is here to greet Esteemed Shifu…."
The elder opened his eyes and looked at the pair before coldly saying, "Good, you've arrived on time!"
Yuang Shenglian had curbed his temperament completely in front of this elder and politely responded, "After receiving word from Esteemed Grand Elder, we traveled all day and night to arrive here."
The elder coldly laughed before growing serious. "This opportunity is once in a million lifetimes. If you are able to gain something, it will be the good luck of your fate. In order to take control of this formation pivot, I took the lives of three Golden Core and ten Foundation Stage cultivators. You must appreciate this chance, and you must do your best to gain as much as you can once inside. Do not damage the grand reputation of our Jing clan of the western deserts!"
The hearts of Yuan Shenglian and Jing Fu shook when they heard such violent, awe-inspiring words and they lowered their heads in agreement.
"Heh, all I can do is help you up to this point; it will be up to you once you are inside. Shenglian, you and Fu'er's marriage will soon be affirmed and I won't see you as an outsider, either. As one of the Four Distinguished Youths and someone deemed invincible among those of the same rank, you are one of the most elite youths of our western deserts. This great great granddaughter of mine is a handful, but I ask you to take care of her…."
Yuan Shenglian quickly bowed. "Of course, Grand Elder. As long as I'm around, I would not allow anyone to harm even a single hair of Little Sister Fu!"
Jing Fu pouted her lips. "Grand Elder, this was the same person who made me angry earlier. When we were inside the City of Appointed General, he even tried to pluck wild flowers right in front of me; isn't that trying to upset me on purpose?"
Yuan Liansheng could only show a bitter smile after she'd revealed such a thing.
"Nn?" Grand Elder Jing Guang stared at Yuan Shenglian, making it so he didn't dare to even raise his head before Jing Guang snorted and continued, "Since he likes to pluck wild flowers, why don't you just weed them out?"
Hearing this, Jing Fu proudly replied, "I've already asked Uncle Hong to kill her!"
Grand Elder Jing Guang nodded with extreme satisfaction at that before looking to Yuan Shenglian with a peculiar gaze and sneer. "For you to enjoy picking wild flowers is natural for a young man like you. I will not blame you for it. But the daughter of my Jing clan cannot be bullied; if you pick one, I will have Fu'er kill one. If you truly appreciate beauty, you'd best curb that temperament of yours!"
"Ye— yes…" Sweat began to wet his back as he thought to himself, 'After the engagement is confirmed, my future days are done for….'
Afterwards, Grand Elder Jing Guang glanced to the distance before speaking to the pair, "You two wait for me over there." Both Yuan Liansheng and Jing Fu moved over to an empty spot around thirty feet away and sat in lotus positions.
The area next to them was already filled with around forty or fifty disciples—most of them in Spirit Stage with only four in Foundation Stage—and some of them who were already acquainted nodded in greeting. The atmosphere was stilled silence and nobody dared to say much; after the greetings, they quietly sat down and waited for the formation to open.
As time passed and the first light of the horizon drew close, all the Jing Guang disciples began to feel a bit excited. It was only Jing Fu who felt somewhat anxious and couldn't help but to look towards the path she'd come from. 'Why is it Uncle Hong hasn't returned yet?'