Free Web NovelChapter 315: Chapter 75: Pole Star Grass, Rakshasa Sect (Part 2)
"I’ll give you one last chance. If you don’t scram now, don’t blame me for taking action!"
"You talk too much." Fang Cheng shook his head, flicked his sleeve, and released a sharp beam of sword light. It instantly tore through the void, accompanied by a rumbling thunder, as it shot toward the old man.
The old man sneered. A golden light flashed before him as he summoned the brilliant Golden Radiance Grand Bell to block the incoming sword light.
CLANG!
The sound of clashing metal resounded through the heavens.
The golden bell shuddered violently, whirling rapidly as it shot out a blinding light.
The old man’s hair and beard whipped about as he laughed in extreme anger. "Good! In all these years, you’re the first Loose Cultivator who has dared to strike at me. I’ll tell you this: even if you escape the Secret Realm today, from this day forward, there will be no place left for you to hide in the Eastern Wilderness."
The Rakshasa Sect was a top sect in the Eastern Wilderness, an Immortal Dao Giant. As a high-ranking Elder in the Life Talisman Realm, not only had his Cultivation reached the Peak of Life Talisman, but he also wielded a Third-tier Magical Artifact. Looking across the entire Eastern Wilderness, he truly had the capital to look down upon all other Cultivators.
But to now be attacked by some unknown Loose Cultivator truly sent him into an uncontrollable rage.
A thought surfaced in his mind. ’Where did this reckless Loose Cultivator pop out from? Has he really never heard of my name?’
Though his thoughts churned, he did not forget to activate his magical artifact to counterattack.
The Golden Radiance Grand Bell before him suddenly expanded, growing to a height of ten zhang. A lion was coiled on the bell’s surface, and a massive Golden Bead hung suspended within it.
The Golden Radiance Grand Bell descended upon Fang Cheng. The Golden Bead struck the inner wall of the bell, and an incredibly resonant sound erupted. GONG! A powerful sonic wave spread out.
Fang Cheng frowned. A circle of flame-like black light—the Li Hen Demon Light—immediately materialized around him, protecting both him and the surrounding Pole Star Grass.
This Golden Radiance Grand Bell was a Third-tier Magical Artifact of immense power. Wherever its toll passed, the entire hillside was violently shaken to rubble. Countless towering trees and massive boulders were vibrated into dust.
Judging from the power of this strike alone, this Rakshasa Sect Elder indeed had the capital to be so arrogant.
Anyone who could represent the Rakshasa Sect in the Sanzong Mountain Secret Realm would certainly not be an ordinary person...
The Demonic Light around Fang Cheng flickered ceaselessly with the bell’s toll, but it firmly protected him and the remaining Pole Star Grass.
The old man pointed a finger, and the Golden Radiance Grand Bell immediately descended to trap Fang Cheng.
Once he was trapped inside, a chaotic tolling would be enough to turn even a Cultivator skilled in Body Refining Divine Techniques into dust, leaving them to die in vain.
A white light flickered between Fang Cheng’s brows. A ghastly white bone pellet flew out, transforming mid-air into a towering Strong Bone Demon that raised its hands and blocked the descending Golden Radiance Grand Bell.
Then, the Youhong Sword suddenly vanished, flying without a trace as it shot toward the old man.
A chill seized the old man’s heart. Seeing Fang Cheng produce two Third-tier Magical Artifacts in a row, he finally realized this person had an extraordinary background.
He waved his hands, shooting out a crisscrossing net of blood-red light in an attempt to intercept Fang Cheng’s sword light.
But the sword light was without shadow or trace, coming and going without a mark. It moved with the ethereal agility of a Celestial Ghost, weaving around the blood-red lines. It broke through the old man’s Protective Spiritual Light several times. If not for his many years of cultivation, his considerable skill, and the Second-Order Top-grade Magical Artifacts he used to defend himself, he would have already fallen to the sword.
In just a few short moments, Fang Cheng had shattered several of his Second-Order Magical Artifacts.
He couldn’t help the chilling sensation that made his scalp tingle.
He channeled his Magical Power, trying to recall his Third-tier Magical Artifact, the Golden Radiance Grand Bell. However, he could sense it being held fast by the Strong Bone Demon. No matter how the bell tolled, the Bone Demon didn’t budge an inch.
What he sensed from the Bone Demon was a vast and terrifyingly tyrannical Magical Power.
’Such tyrannical Magical Power!’
"Just who are you?"
The old man shouted, his face filled with alarm.
He knew that if this continued, his defeat was certain. His opponent’s Magical Power and Swordsmanship were both the most terrifyingly powerful he had ever encountered in his life.
This made him vaguely think of a few Life Talisman Realm masters in the Eastern Wilderness, but unfortunately, he couldn’t match this person to any of them...
He secretly gripped his Talisman Decree, preparing to activate it and escape the Secret Realm the moment he retrieved his Golden Radiance Grand Bell.
He was a veteran, after all. After weighing the pros and cons, he decisively chose to cut his losses.
’I’ll just get my revenge later!’
Fang Cheng’s expression was grim. Seeing the old man open his mouth to speak, revealing an opening, his gaze turned cold as he urged the Youhong Sword onward.
An ethereal, traceless beam of sword light abruptly pierced the old man’s Protective Spiritual Light. At an unbelievable speed, it drilled into his open mouth and exited through the back of his head!
The old man’s eyes went wide, and he died instantly.
The Talisman Decree on his body reacted, flashing with light. It enveloped his corpse, then broke through the void and vanished.
"Tsk, the storage bag!"
Fang Cheng raised a hand and grasped at the empty air, a look of regret on his face.
The Talisman Decrees, crafted back then by the Life Soul Masters of the Ten Great Sects, were not only proof of entry and exit for the Secret Realm but also life-saving treasures.
Any Cultivator holding a Talisman Decree who sensed danger could activate it to escape the Secret Realm.
Unfortunately, Fang Cheng’s sword light had been too fast, and the old man’s reaction was ultimately a beat too slow.
If he had decisively abandoned his Third-tier Magical Artifact and activated the Talisman Decree before revealing an opening, Fang Cheng, relying on a single Flying Sword, might not have been able to slay a veteran Late-Life Talisman Stage master like him.
In the end, he was defeated by a single thing: greed.
...
「Outside the Secret Realm.」
Above the great lake of Sanzong Mountain, many Cultivators still lingered, reluctant to leave.
Suddenly, the iron net sealing the Secret Realm’s entrance in the sky flashed, and a streak of light fell from it.
"It’s Elder Demon Hong of the Rakshasa Sect! Why is he out so soon?!"
Someone immediately recognized the figure within the streak of light.
"Wait, something’s wrong with Elder Demon Hong’s aura..."
On the lake’s surface, the Rakshasa Sect Cultivators waiting to receive their fellow sect members also sensed that something was amiss. An Escape Light shot into the sky and caught the figure mid-air.
"Elder, you...?" The man initially thought Elder Hong was just heavily injured, but upon catching him and getting a closer look, his face drained of all color.
His heart went cold. He immediately carried Honghai River’s corpse back to the large ship on the lake and entered a cabin without a word.
The other Rakshasa Sect Cultivators all followed him inside, looking curiously at Honghai River’s body.
"This..."
Everyone was dumbstruck, staring at Honghai River in disbelief.
"With Elder Hong’s Cultivation and strength, even if he was defeated, he shouldn’t have been killed so completely, should he?"
One of them muttered to himself.
The Rakshasa Sect was one of the top three among the Ten Great Sects of the East Wilderness. When had they ever suffered such a fate?
It was truly difficult for the assembled Rakshasa Sect Elders to accept.
Meanwhile, outside, news that Honghai River had been killed in the Secret Realm before he could even activate his Talisman Decree had already begun to spread quietly.
Everyone began to speculate about who was responsible.
Half a day later, someone learned from a Rakshasa Sect Elder that Elder Demon Hong had died from a sword wound...
Thus, the list of suspects was narrowed down to a few master swordsmen.
The Female Sword Immortal from the West Desolate Spirit Moon Sect was the prime suspect.
Next was Fang Cheng, who had used his sword light to force back over forty Life Talisman Cultivators of the same rank during the scramble for the Talisman Decrees.
Ranked after Fang Cheng was a master from the Taiyi Sword Sect, a major sect of the Eastern Wilderness.
...
Inside the Grotto Heaven Secret Realm, Fang Cheng collected the Golden Radiance Grand Bell, then carefully harvested the protected Pole Star Grass, placing them one by one into a jade box.
Once he was finished, he scanned his surroundings and found that the small mountain had completely collapsed. The vegetation was decimated and the rocks had turned to dust, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
Cang Wuya flew over from a distance, looking pleased. "That Honghai River was a man of grievous sins. By slaying him, my Lord has delivered justice on heaven’s behalf."
His words seemed to imply he had quite a history with this Elder Hong.
Fang Cheng didn’t ask further, only saying flatly, "Let’s continue searching for Spiritual Medicine."
Cang Wuya replied, "My Lord, while you were fighting that Elder Demon Hong, I spotted a Qianling Fruit Tree on a distant mountain peak. Why don’t we go pick those Qian Ling Fruits first?"
Fang Cheng nodded. He immediately summoned his Talisman Beast and rode the giant tiger, following Cang Wuya toward the distant mountain.
Before long, they saw a majestic mountain towering ahead of them.
On the peak grew a towering Treasure Tree, and hanging from its branches were brilliantly glowing fruits. A careful count revealed a total of nineteen.
These nineteen Spirit Fruits were surrounded by an auspicious aura, and a strange fragrance could be smelled from far away. Compared to the ones Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang had picked before, these Qian Ling Fruits had denser Spiritual Qi, a more brilliant glow, and contained a much stronger Spiritual Mechanism.
If he brought these Spirit Fruits back for Ye Yan and the other women, it would surely accelerate their cultivation speed immensely.
Fang Cheng immediately picked all of the Qian Ling Fruits.
...
