Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 280 Nine Tribulations White Sword Sword Battle
Fang Shu gazed at the sky above the golden mountain ahead, staring intently at the flying sword, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He counted carefully and was astonished to find that the restrictive meridians on the flying sword numbered nine!

In other words, this sword is a Nine Tribulations Magic Weapon, only one tribulation away from being able to be reborn as an artifact that only True Immortals who have achieved the Core Formation can wield!
Fang Shu stared for several breaths before coming back to his senses, and exclaimed to himself, "I thought that the blood lotus seeds in the blood lake could elevate a pseudo spiritual root to an earth spiritual root, or even a quasi-heaven spiritual root, which was already quite remarkable."

Unexpectedly, the other traditions here are just as powerful.

Such a flying sword, made of the material of the Ninth Tribulation and seemingly possessing a certain spirituality, inevitably reminded him of the anecdotes of sword immortals told in many stories.

Legend has it that in ancient times, sword immortals would often use flying swords to find their masters.

"There's an 80-90% chance that obtaining this flying sword means acquiring the inheritance of a sword immortal. After refining it, its magical power can rise directly to the level of the Ninth Tribulation!"

Thinking of this, his initial eagerness not only didn't surge even more, but instead suddenly cooled down considerably.

After all, if that were the case, and he failed to obtain the flying sword on this trip, but someone else did, then that person, wielding the sword, could easily slice him down, let alone the patriarch of the Er family and the two immortals of the Longgu family at their peak.

The Nine Tribulations Treasure is wonderful, but it would be terrible to lose one's life for it.

Furthermore, Fang Shu had already spotted figures on the golden mountain. Someone had arrived here before him, and it was very likely that they had been lying in wait for a long time, undergoing many trials, and were just one step away from retrieving the flying sword.

Compared to that, the possibility of this guy, who appeared out of nowhere, obtaining the flying sword and its inheritance is undoubtedly quite small.

However, the next moment, Fang Shu's eyelids twitched slightly.

He suddenly looked up at the sky above the secret realm.

As the golden mountain before them shone brightly, the secret realm also reacted, with rumbling thunder overhead and flashes of lightning like serpents flickering within.

Fang Shu narrowed his eyes slightly: "I almost forgot again, this is a secret realm!"

Whether you're at the seventh or ninth tribulation, whether you're human, a vessel, a dragon, or a tiger, you must lie coiled up.

He dared not provoke a flying sword with the power of a ninth tribulation, but he would still dare to touch a flying sword that could only unleash the power of a quasi-seventh tribulation.

Without further hesitation, Fang Shu immediately leaped into the sky above the golden mountain.

As he set off, many other immortals also rushed over from the vicinity of Jinshan. Some glanced at him and left, while others saw Fang Shu's figure and turned away.

Only a few dark figures dared to climb towards the mountaintop, either casting protective spells or carrying protective artifacts to shield themselves from the overflowing metallic aura.

When everyone arrived at the summit, upon seeing the scenery there, most of them changed their expressions slightly and hurriedly ran back down the mountain without looking back.

Even Fang Shu stopped with a solemn expression, not daring to step forward and get involved.

On the mountaintop, the air roared and hissed, and two people were engaged in a magical duel. Their techniques were both quite remarkable, making the mountaintop a place rife with killing intent and no peaceful place.

Among them was a rogue cultivator. His eyes gleamed, and he immediately sensed an opportunity. He leaped forward and, taking advantage of the two cultivators on the top platform being locked in combat, pounced straight for the flying sword.

Buzzing!
As a result, although he managed to catch the flying sword, with a slight shake, it swiftly broke through his protective aura, severing one of his arms, and then continued to move through the air at varying speeds.

"Ah!" With a scream, the immortal hurriedly tried to pick up his arm back.

But two streaks of light shot out from his left and right, tearing his body apart with incredible speed.

It turned out that the two immortals who had been fighting on the platform had temporarily stopped their battle and joined forces to kill the newcomer.

This outcome, especially considering that the two immortals who had attacked suddenly looked around and seemed to have given up their fight, was quite unexpected.

Several whispers suddenly rang out on the mountain: "Not good! Leave quickly!"

With a whoosh, almost all the immortals in the surrounding area fled down the mountain.

Some of them fell behind and were caught by a male immortal on the platform. He leaped forward and easily took their heads.

Clearly, this male immortal possessed powerful magical abilities and was undoubtedly a potential Foundation Establishment cultivator. Furthermore, the Taoist robe he wore was the attire of the Rongyan Palace, which was quite exquisite and exuded an air of nobility, further highlighting his extraordinary demeanor.

In Fang Shu's opinion, this person was even more formidable than the Foundation Establishment seed of the Rongyan Palace that he had killed some time ago.

As for the female immortal, seeing that the people who wanted to take advantage of the situation had dispersed, she did not chase after them to kill them. She simply glanced around coldly and finally fixed her gaze on Fang Shu.

Although Fang Shu was not wearing the Taoist robes of the Five Internal Organs Temple, the female immortal frowned slightly, vaguely feeling that Fang Shu's face was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but he did not seem to be an enemy or an immortal from another sect.

"Are they disciples from the temple?" Zong Qingxue wondered to herself.

She immediately tried to send a telepathic message to Fang Shu to leave.

Fang Shu, however, smiled and bowed to her, saying, "Fang Shu from Guling Town greets Envoy Zong."

It turns out that although Zong Qingxue did not recognize Fang Shu, Fang Shu did recognize this woman.

This woman is one of the temple's most famous foundation-building seeds recently, and she was the leader of the Five Internal Organs Temple who was in charge of selecting them to go up the mountain when he participated in the spring imperial examination at the foot of the mountain.

Many years have passed since I last saw her, but back then this woman was the center of attention in the whole town, and in the eyes of the townspeople, she was like a god.

Therefore, not only did Fang Shu possess a Daoist talisman and have an unparalleled memory, but even if the other disciples who came up the mountain saw her, they would be able to recognize her at a glance.

With Fang Shu's reminder, Zong Qingxue, being a celestial being, also had a good memory. She quickly recalled the faces of the talented celestial beings from Guling Town whom she had chosen to go up the mountain.

As she checked each item, surprise appeared in her eyes: "It's actually you, young man!"

Seeing that Zong Qingxue recognized him, Fang Shu nodded frankly: "It's been many years since we last met. Seeing you again today, Senior Sister, your charm is as good as ever, even better than before."

Zong Qingxue looked at Fang Shu with surprise on her face.

With her keen eyesight, she could naturally see that the young Taoist boy in front of her was not just trying to stay here by currying favor.

Rather, this person was also definitely at the late stage of Qi Refining, and their foundation might even be no less than hers. They had their own confidence, which is why they were not frightened and forced to retreat down the mountain like the others.

Just as the two were about to reminisce, the male immortal beside them spoke up:

"You lowly servant girl from the Five Stomachs Temple, do you think you have a chance of winning just because you've managed to hook up with a lover?!"

The man raised his voice and shouted, "Junior sister, come and help me too!"

"Senior brother." A figure moved around, but the person did not come forward. After showing their face, they just stared straight at Fang Shu.

Fang Shu noticed the gaze, turned his head to look, and immediately his eyes lit up slightly, a surprised laugh escaping his lips:

"This secret realm is truly small."

It turned out that the figure that had suddenly appeared was another acquaintance of his.

The other person had a youthful appearance. Although she was wearing a magnificent Taoist robe from the Rongyan Palace, the robe could not conceal her vibrant life force. Her every move gave the impression of a forest deer or a girl next door.

And this person was none other than Jiao Lulu, Fang Shu's neighbor's younger sister in Guling Town.

Jiao Lulu herself stared at Fang Shu with surprise. Her cultivation level was not low, and she had a small opportunity in the secret realm. She was now at the late stage of Qi Refining, so she had the insight to see Fang Shu's aura.

The woman thought to herself, "Grandma sent a message, only mentioning that Uncle Yu's nephew is quite promising and has already become an inner disciple of the Five Internal Organs Temple, but she never mentioned that he is actually so remarkable."

Judging from her talent and bearing, she is in no way inferior to those Foundation Establishment seedlings within the palace.

Upon hearing Fang Shu's words, the male immortal frowned and looked at Jiao Lulu beside him.

Under her senior brother's gaze, Jiao Lulu hesitated, but still cupped her hands in greeting to Fang Shu: "Greetings, Brother Fang."

Upon hearing the address "Brother Fang," the male immortal's gaze shifted, becoming suspicious. He secretly scanned his surroundings, fearing that others might be lurking nearby.

Immediately afterwards, to his slight relief, Jiao Lulu spoke up to advise Fang Shu:
"Senior Brother Yan Gou and this fellow Daoist from your sect have been fighting fiercely here for over a month and have been tested repeatedly. Now that their precious swords have flown out and are about to recognize their master, Brother Fang and I would like to avoid them for a while."

Otherwise, it would not only hinder the two of us, but could also bring disaster upon us, or even result in this sword being sacrificed in blood.

As the woman spoke, she pointed to the Nine Tribulations White Sword floating above, clearly telling Fang Shu that this thing was not so easy to obtain.

At this moment, the Rongyan Palace disciple called Yan Gou suppressed the anger in his heart and said calmly:
"Since you have a past with Junior Sister Jiao, please go down the mountain as soon as possible to avoid fighting and needlessly hurting Junior Sister's old friend."

To his displeasure, Fang Shu merely smiled at him upon hearing this, without acknowledging his sentiments.

"Thank you, Sister Jiao. I will remember your words," Fang Shu replied to Jiao Lulu.

"But with such a treasure before us, how can we turn back? We must at least touch it."

Upon hearing this, Jiao Lulu sighed softly.

The immortal Yan Gou could no longer suppress the murderous aura in his eyes and coldly snorted, "You brat! You're courting death."

The young man understood that Fang Shu was determined to get involved in this matter, so he swiftly drew his flying sword and thrust it towards Fang Shu, attempting to pierce him through the heart.

Seeing this, Jiao Lulu was about to speak up to remind them, but then, remembering her family's status, she held back and instead used telepathy to transmit her thoughts:

"Brother Fang, be careful! Senior Brother Yan Gou is a master swordsman. You must not let his flying sword get close. You'd better go down the mountain quickly... or at least stay far away and observe from the sidelines."

But the next moment, there was a clang!
Before Fang Shu could even make a move, a flying sword shot out from beside him, directly striking the swallow-hooked flying sword and sending it flying.

A cold voice rang out:

"I haven't even spoken yet, and Fellow Daoist Yan already wants to send my junior brother away?"

It was Zong Qingxue, dressed in white, who stepped forward and protected Fang Shu.

Swallow's Hook's eyes narrowed instantly, and he rebuked:

"They really are a pair of adulterers! Junior Sister Jiao, why don't you quickly help me kill the enemy?"

A resounding clang echoed across the mountaintop.

Yan Gou and Zong Qingxue were locked in a fierce battle once again, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

This was the first time Fang Shu had ever seen sword cultivators fighting. As he watched the two, he felt that it was quite beautiful to see two clumps of snow rolling around in mid-air.

However, the aura emanating from it was chilling.

Because of these two clumps of snow, whichever one touches a stone, the stone crumbles; whichever touches a brick, the brick crumbles; and whichever touches a spell, the spell is destroyed.

For example, Fang Shu tentatively released a ball of fire magic at the sixth level of the Heavenly Tribulation using a talisman, but before the fire could even enter, it was extinguished by the aura stirred up by the two balls of sword light.

Such a sight amazed him: "Is this the advantage of sword cultivation?"

With these two swords and their swordsmanship, everything else seemed destined to be slaughtered.

Zong Qingxue and Yan Gou, aside from wielding their flying swords, focused solely on themselves, preparing to move at any moment to avoid being caught off guard and struck in the body.

Fang Shu could tell that these two people didn't even have a single protective spell on them, which meant they were at great risk.

The reason for this was not that the two were being arrogant, but that they were completely focused on the sword fight and could not concentrate on casting spells. Moreover, based on their recent studies, they had long known that only by defeating their opponent with swordsmanship could they attract the favor of the Nine Tribulations White Sword above.

However, in such a sword fight, if someone lacks martial ethics and launches a sudden and devastating attack, then being beaten to death is simply a matter of being beaten to death.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shu smiled slightly.

He never talks about martial ethics, only morality!
With a whoosh, he flicked his sleeve, and a nail-headed arrow flew out, striking directly at the body of the Swallow Hook Immortal.

The Swallow Hook Immortal hurriedly dodged and summoned back his flying sword to strike the nail-headed arrow.

"You!" He glared at Fang Shu and shouted again.

"Junior Sister Jiao, I didn't force you to help when you were worried about how fast that Zong guy's sword was. Now that you, a fellow townsman, have come to bother me, why aren't you doing anything!"

In addition, the man secretly transmitted his voice to Jiao Lulu: "This person is from your hometown, he will definitely not do anything to you, junior sister, you just need to keep him in check for me."

Jiao Lulu looked quite conflicted upon seeing this.

She didn't want to get too involved to avoid getting into trouble, but she also didn't want to be branded as someone who stood by and watched his fellow disciples being attacked.

After much deliberation, the woman sighed softly, "So be it. I'll just try my best to keep him in check."

The thought had barely formed in her mind when she resolutely stepped forward, channeling her spiritual energy to force Fang Shu off the stone platform.

But the next moment.

Fang Shu didn't even glance at her. With a flick of his sleeve, swarms of Gu worms flew out, circling around her body and emanating waves of oppression.

Jiao Lulu knew something was wrong and quickly slashed at the Gu worms, trying to break free of the encirclement.

But Fang Shu manipulated the nail-headed arrow, merely pointing it at her, and pressed her into the Gu worms. By the time she freed her hands again, the surrounding Gu worms had already closed in as if no one was there, enveloping her within them.

This left Jiao Lulu completely dumbfounded.

At this moment, her consciousness was restricted and her body was surrounded. Let alone helping Yan Gou, she was already grateful that Fang Shu had spared her from being killed by Fang Shu's nail.

This situation startled the Swallow Hook Immortal for a moment, then filled him with rage:
"Junior Sister Jiao, if you're going to put on an act, at least do it properly! You're just trying to fool someone!"

It turns out that when this boy saw Jiao Lulu's predicament, he immediately assumed that Jiao Lulu was deliberately letting him off the hook and had no intention of helping him at all.

Upon hearing this, Jiao Lulu's face paled with shock, yet a bitter smile played on her lips.

She quickly said in a trembling voice:
"No, no, senior brother, I didn't."

The other three ignored her completely, as they were all focused on their intense sword fight and treated Jiao Lulu as nothing more than a decoration, not worth mentioning.

(End of this chapter)