Facing the disciples' confusion, Li Yu explained, "This matter concerns the Second Vein, so they naturally have to participate. However, their task differs from ours. They are to confront the Demonic Sect; our mission is to rescue the Second Vein disciples. After being attacked by Demonic Cultivators, that group of Second Vein disciples scattered, hence the tasks assigned to us are quite dispersed."
Zhou Bo asked, "Why did the Second Vein disciples go to the Demonic Dao territory?"
Without hiding anything, Li Yu replied, "They discovered the secret realm of a Great Cultivator from the Ji Hao Sect, so the disciples organized themselves to explore it, only to be ambushed by Demonic Cultivators."
Ji Hao Sect!
The gathered Third Vein disciples at the bottom of the steps were instantly abuzz, all apparently familiar with the name Ji Hao Sect.
Fang Wang asked Gu Li in a low voice beside him, "What is the origin of the Ji Hao Sect?"
At this point, he could be sure that it was Fang Hanyu and his group of disciples that had run into trouble.
"The Ji Hao Sect was a great sect from a thousand years ago. Grand Qi, as well as the surrounding kingdoms, were once under the Ji Hao Sect's domain. But for some unknown reason, the Ji Hao Sect fell apart, and the current Nine Great Sects all rose after its downfall. Everything about the Ji Hao Sect is still pursued by various sects and noble families to this day, especially the heritage of the Ji Hao Sect," Gu Li answered.
Indeed, from a great family, he knew more.
As Fang Wang hesitated internally, Li Yu's voice reached them, "According to intelligence sent back by the Second Vein disciples, they discovered the legendary Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique. The mission to investigate the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique offers the highest reward. Anyone who acquires this Divine Skill can directly advance to become a Direct Disciple. This is a common mission for disciples of all Nine Veins, but the specifics about this Divine Skill are few, so the difficulty of the mission is extremely high."
Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique?
It sounds so domineering!
Since Fang Wang's Lifespirit Treasure was a polearm, he had decided to focus on enhancing his physical strength in the future, and this Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique sounded perfect for that.
He asked Gu Li once more, "Is the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique very strong?"
Gu Li nodded with a look of yearning and said, "According to legend, the Heavenly Body possesses the power to move mountains and overturn seas. In ancient myths, the Heavenly Body is also one of the ancient gods, a symbol of strength, and the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique is the method to cultivate the Heavenly Body, also one of the strongest techniques of the Ji Hao Sect. In the Grand Qi Cultivation Realm, the legend of the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique has been passed down."
Move mountains and overturn seas!
Fang Wang's heart was stirred upon hearing this, and so were the other disciples, though no one stepped forward to take on the mission yet.
After pondering for a moment, Fang Wang stepped forward towards Li Yu.
Hmm, not for Fang Hanyu, but for the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique.
"Big Brother, I want to take on the mission!"
Fang Wang approached Li Yu and said. Hearing this, Li Yu hesitated a bit. Seeing all the disciples looking at him, he had no choice but to use the Sound Transmission Technique to remind him, "Fang Brother, this mission might be simple, but it could also be very dangerous. And that Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique is illusory and ephemeral. As a Direct Disciple, you do not need to take such risks; it's better to let the other disciples gain the experience."
Without using the Sound Transmission Technique, Fang Wang bluntly replied, "I have a clansman in the Second Vein who likely got involved in this matter. His name is Fang Hanyu. I don't know if you have any leads on him, Brother, but I must go and save him."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu could only acquiesce. He projected his divine sense into his storage bag to search and soon raised his right hand, with a piece of Green Jade appearing in his palm.
"The last location that Fang Hanyu's Disciple Token transmitted Spiritual Energy to the Sect is recorded in this Guide Jade. It will lead you to that place; we have no more clues for now," Li Yu announced.
Fang Wang took the Green Jade, expressed his thanks, and then turned to leave.
Seeing Fang Wang join, other disciples immediately rushed forward to receive missions from Li Yu.
Gu Li approached Fang Wang and asked, "Do you need my help?"
Fang Wang shook his head, "I'm not in this purely for the mission; you should stay out of this. Focus on your cultivation, and I will wait for you to challenge me at the ninth level of the Soul Sculpting Realm."
Gu Li nodded and without further ado, both flew back to the cave dwelling.
Once back at the cave dwelling, Fang Wang began to pack his belongings. After he was ready, he probed the Green Jade with his divine sense and immediately found himself in utter darkness. Instinctively, he looked around and saw a bright light far away from him.
This is the direction to follow!
He remembered reading about the Guide Jade in the comprehensive guide to cultivation. It was his first time using it, and he was quite curious.
Not wasting much time, once he had confirmed the direction, he placed the Guide Jade back into his storage bag and stood up to leave.
After leaving the cave dwelling, he didn't immediately depart from Great Abyss Gate but headed towards the Elixir Hall to collect all the Sect elixirs for the past six months and buy some extra healing medicines, just in case.
Half an hour later.
Fang Wang, riding a Flying Sword, left the huge city, ready to head down the mountain.
"Wait! I'll accompany you!"
A voice called out. Fang Wang turned to look, seeing Zhou Xing Shi catching up.
Seeing him appear, Fang Wang knew that he was being watched. Yang Yuanzi had certainly asked other disciples to keep an eye on his movements. It might be out of good intentions, but he had to be careful.
"Who asked you to come?" Fang Wang inquired.
Zhou Xing Shi, flying on his sword alongside Fang Wang, answered, "It was your master. He's worried you'll run into trouble on your first trip down the mountain. If we work together, at least we can look out for each other."
Fang Wang nodded and continued on without further questions, hurrying on his way.
The two sped through the vast white snow, their figures quickly disappearing into the distance.
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In the Grand Qi Western Territory, beneath a blue sky dotted with white clouds, green mountains and clear waters combined to form a picturesque scene.
In a valley, where flowers and plants grew wild and branches and leaves were exceedingly dense, Fang Hanyu leaned against a tree trunk, his body shaded by the canopy. His robes were dirty and tattered; a piece of cloth was tied over his eyes, concealing his vision.
He tried to invoke his inner strength but couldn't help coughing violently, even coughing up blood.
"Don't move around carelessly. You've been poisoned by Green Cicada Valley, and even with my treatment, you need several years to recuperate," a female voice said.
A girl in green clothing and wearing a fox mask was squatting on a neighboring tree. Her figure suggested she was only about fifteen or sixteen years old.
Fang Hanyu, unable to see, asked, "When will I be able to walk?"
"Wait another three months. You were close to breaking every bone in your body. You should be grateful you're still alive. Don't rush it, alright?" The girl in green clothes snapped impatiently.
Fang Hanyu remained silent.
His fists clenched tightly inside his sleeves, feeling incredibly frustrated.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of Fang Wang, Zhou Xue, and other clan members from Great Abyss Gate. His thoughts turned to the Fang Residence in Southern Hills City. He tried to calm his emotions and motivate himself; he couldn't give up here.
A screech swept across the sky, startling the birds in the forest.
The girl in green clothes looked up and saw a giant demon bird flying overhead. She clicked her tongue in wonderment and said, "What on earth is it that's causing so many Demonic Cultivators to mobilize? They seem to be searching for something. Could they be looking for you? Do you have something on you that they want?"
Fang Hanyu didn't answer, appearing to have fallen asleep against the tree trunk.
"Tch, if you won't talk, then forget it. I don't want to invite trouble. Just pray they don't find us here. If they do, I can't guarantee your safety and will definitely abandon you," the girl in green clothes huffed.
Saying so, she, too, lay down on the branch, ready to nap.
Fang Hanyu tilted his head slightly as if longing to see the sky, but it had been a long time since he'd last seen light.
…
Night fell.
In the woods, Fang Wang and Zhou Xing Shi sat in front of a fire, their shadows elongated by the flames.
"The seasons within Great Abyss Gate are so different from in the Mortal Realm," Fang Wang remarked.
It had been five days since they descended the mountain. They were nearing the direction indicated by the Guide Jade. Fang Wang tried not to think about the possibility of Fang Hanyu being dead.
Zhou Xing Shi nodded, "The Nine Great Sects each have their own spiritual arrays. With more of nature's spiritual energy concentrated, their celestial phenomena also tend to last longer than in the Mortal Realm."
Fang Wang asked, "Did you practice the Body-protecting Divine Barrier and the Great Celestial Thunder Technique?"
Hearing this, Zhou Xing Shi revealed a bitter smile, "Those two divine skills are extremely profound. I fear it would take decades of arduous cultivation to master them."
Fang Wang, curious, pressed, "How many spells have you mastered and how many of them have you brought to Great Completion?"
"I have mastered seven spells, but only one truly reaches Great Completion, and even that is a family transmission. The path of cultivation, just gathering Qi to accumulate cultivation, requires a lot of time. It's already quite an achievement for me to bring one spell to Great Completion," Zhou Xing Shi answered honestly, his gaze shifting to Fang Wang.
He couldn't forget the sight of Fang Wang fighting alone against fifty-one cultivators. The sword strike that shocked Gu Li was definitely of Great Completion, and his cultivation technique, that terrifying flame, clearly also reached Great Completion.
Fang Wang felt much more at ease after listening. After all, others didn't have a Heavenly Palace. Even cultivators in the Soul Sculpting Realm could only bring a few spells to Great Completion. Besides his Lifespirit Treasure's grade, he also had an advantage in combat techniques.
He had mastered the Solaris Scripture, Jinghong Divine Sword Art, White Rainbow Evasion Technique, Body-protecting Divine Barrier, and Great Celestial Thunder Technique all at Great Perfection. He could attack, defend, and escape, making him well-rounded.
"According to this direction, we might encounter Green Cicada Valley and Huangyu Mountain. Green Cicada Valley is a Demonic Sect known for using poison, and Huangyu Mountain is more comprehensive. These two sects are neighbors and in constant conflict. We have to be careful and not reveal our identities," Zhou Xing Shi cautioned.
Fang Wang nodded, "I just want to find my clan. I won't act rashly."
I wonder how strong the Heavenly Gang Saint Body Technique is?
The Solaris Scripture could be considered inner strength, and the Heavenly Gang Divine Skill should be external strength. Possessing both, his power would soar.
Zhou Xing Shi said no more and began to sit cross-legged, gathering Qi.
Fang Wang did the same.
As the night deepened, the occasional howl of wolves sounded.
In the blink of an eye.
Three days later, Fang Wang and Zhou Xing Shi arrived at a market town in the wilderness. They changed into their clothes from before entering Great Abyss Gate. Fang Wang wore a well-fitting white robe and a bamboo hat given to him by Zhou Xing Shi, resembling a wandering swordsman.
Zhou Xing Shi transmitted his voice, "The spiritual energy here is richer than other places. It's probably a marketplace built by cultivators. Only mention Fang Hanyu's physical characteristics when inquiring. I have a bad feeling; it's unusually crowded here."
Having already learned the Sound Transmission Technique, Fang Wang replied and began to observe the people they passed.
Nearly everyone in the town had an aura of spiritual power. Most were below the fifth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm and posed no threat.
According to the Guide Jade, the last time Fang Hanyu made contact with the sect using the disciple's token was in this town.
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