Chapter 426: Buy a Shop

This city of Yuanwang could truly be considered a haven of tranquility, unlike Jiuhua City, which required sentries to patrol constantly to ensure peace.

In this metropolis, Fang Qi rarely saw any guards at all, yet the standard of public order was remarkably high; he had basically never witnessed anyone daring to resort to violence within the city limits.

Within the city lay the Taiwang Institute, specially designated to receive and accommodate aspiring disciples and their retinues who intended to enter the Haotian Academy, providing them a place to rest and settle down; naturally, the Taiwang Institute was also divided into distinct echelons, with the inner institute hosting the genuine prodigies from the various supreme factions, while the outer institute...

Was precisely where Boss Fang was currently staying.

Yet even though it was only the outer institute, the grounds were paved entirely with jade-like white stone, supported by pillars of profound bronze, featuring painted pavilions and carved corridors amid a courtyard of overflowing elegance, where the youths passing to and fro were all exceptionally gifted young cultivators, far surpassing any ordinary hostel.

That one-armed elder was named Li Wuya, and his wound had only received some rudimentary treatment; although reattaching a severed limb was not a particularly difficult feat for the cultivators of Lingzhou, such an injury still required a period of quiet recuperation.

Therefore, it was perfectly reasonable for the few of them to choose this place to settle down.

"This Haotian Academy is truly rolling in wealth..." Boss Fang remarked in amazement, "Just having a few of you register was enough to arrange accommodations for all of us together?"

One had to realize that these were not yet official disciples, as official disciples would have to wait until after the academy examinations.

Several youths of the Li Clan behaved exactly like country bumpkins entering the city, looking left and right, at one moment watching the passing young cultivators who exuded vibrant spiritual energy, and at another staring at the spiritual flowers vying for brilliance in the courtyard, seemingly never tiring of the sight.

Only Li Lanruo and Elder Li Wuya maintained a better composure, and Li Lanruo spoke up, saying, "The grand scale of the Haotian Academy is indeed beyond what a young woman from a humble household like mine can imagine."

"It is said that someone caught sight of that member of the Xun Clan yesterday." Within the long corridor, several passing cultivators could be seen conversing openly, completely ignoring their surroundings, "That one from the Xun Clan is said to be born with a spiritual fetus within his body, possessing a breath of innate purple qi that keeps all evils at bay; who would have thought he would also come to the Taiwang Institute?"

"It is not just the Xun Clan; word has it that Nangong Zhuo of the Wentian Sword Palace has already taken up residence in the Taiwang Institute."

"The Wentian Sword Palace? Has not the Nangong family of the Wentian Sword Palace always prided themselves on inheriting the ancient Dao of the sword, standing apart in a style of their own? Nangong Zhuo is said to have been born accompanied by auspicious signs, with glorious celestial clouds on the day of his birth, and a sword intent descending from the heavens to transform into a sword core that guards his person; at the age of ten, he was already proficient in all the sword arts of the Wentian Sword Palace, and his talent in the Dao of the sword is said to be unprecedented, making him the Sword Child of this generation for the Wentian Sword Palace, so what is he doing running over to the Haotian Academy now?"

"That is where you lack understanding," another person replied, "The Haotian Academy has always taught without discrimination, widely accepting the talented souls of the world; back then, the fifth palace master of the Wentian Sword Palace himself studied at the Haotian Academy, so this is merely emulating the sages of the past."

"Look over there, why are so many people gathering?" A sudden cry of surprise arose as the long corridor near the entrance was already blocked so tightly that it was impossible to see who exactly had walked past.

"It is Wang Xie!? Another grand figure!" Someone exclaimed in shock, "What is going on with this year's enrollment at the Haotian Academy?"

Curious, Boss Fang stepped forward and asked, "Is this Wang Xie very famous?"

"You do not know?" That person looked at Fang Qi as if looking at a monster.

"...Is it really that strange not to know him?" Fang Qi spoke up.

That cultivator expressed his disdain, saying, "Brother, have you perhaps never stepped outside since you were in your mother's womb? To think you do not even know of Wang Xie?"

"If anyone were to evaluate the peerless geniuses of the younger generation in this world, this Wang Xie is absolutely an existence that could rank in the top ten!"

"That was already ten years ago; the item he obtained within the Golden Palace of Creation is enough to place him in the top three now."

Fang Qi intended to ask further, but then felt someone tugging at the corner of his clothes.

Looking back, he saw a deeply embarrassed Li Lanruo.

"Guild Master... let us talk back inside..."

This was just as awkward as asking a crowd of football fans who Beckham was, or asking a group of basketball players who Jordan was.

Yet Boss Fang was truly completely in the dark, recognizing absolutely no one.

Once the few of them had departed, Fang Qi finally opened his mouth to ask, "What on earth is this Golden Palace of Creation, is it very famous?"

"..." Li Lanruo truly found herself somewhat unable to comprehend the senior guild master before her, wondering where he had come from to not even know of the Golden Palace of Creation, leaving her no choice but to explain simply, "This Wang Xie originally possessed a strength that ranked roughly around the top ten among the younger generation of the great clans; those ahead of him were all geniuses like those of the Nangong and Xun families, born accompanied by great providence, surrounded by countless capable individuals, and possessing innumerable rare treasures upon their persons."

"But that day, Wang Xie obtained a heaven-shaking fortune from within the Golden Palace of Creation, and now he can surpass those geniuses who possess great inherent providence to rank within the top three, do you understand when it is put this way...?"

She added in passing, "The Mystic Jade within my own body also originated from the Golden Palace of Creation, only coming into my possession by mere chance, which is why even a colossus like the Nangong family would flock to pursue it..."

"So it is just the source of that broken treasure of yours..." Boss Fang waved his hand, "Say no more."

Li Lanruo's fair face darkened, making her feel as though she might cough up blood; when others heard of such a fine item, they would step forward to snatch it with flushed faces and green eyes, yet the man before her...

Not only did he refrain from stealing it, but he also called her treasure garbage every single day!?

Had it been anyone else, she might have merely assumed the other party was putting on airs, but having witnessed Fang Qi instantly shatter the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation of the Wentian Sword Palace that day, such thoughts could only be pushed to the back of her mind.

Yet for the first time in her life, she suddenly wished someone would come and try to rob her, for he looked down upon the treasure far too much!

At this moment, Boss Fang was seen turning around, muttering to himself in a low voice, "It sounds like everyone coming to enroll at the Haotian Academy this time is incredibly formidable; I wonder if Xiaoyue will be bullied...?"

"Forget it, I will see when the time comes..." Boss Fang spoke aloud, "Stay right here and do not move, I am going to buy a shop."

...

At the same time, far away at the edge of the Heaven Abyss Sea, a few remnants of dharma vessels could be seen resting upon the ground.

Several cultivators, whose white robes were embroidered with golden patterns of sword clouds, descended from the sky.

The leader among them was an old man with silver hair and a white beard, his gaze cold and sinister.

"Second Elder, it is the dharma vessel of the Li Clan," a cultivator reported to the old man, "It appears to have been split right through the middle by a single strike from a sword core."

"Then where are the people of the Li Clan?!" The old man demanded coldly, "Where is Nangong Jiuwen?! His life tablet shattered, so where is his corpse?!"

"No corpses have been discovered anywhere in the vicinity," a cultivator reported immediately, "There appears to be disrupted spiritual energy in the sky, leading to the preliminary assessment that a battle took place here."

"Do you think that by destroying the corpses and erasing the traces, this old man will not be able to find you?!" The silver-haired old man snorted coldly, "No matter where you flee, the Mystic Jade shall belong to my Nangong family!"

A brilliant light flashed in his eyes as his hands formed incantations, swiftly weaving one profoundly mysterious dharma seal after another.

The spiritual energy in the sky stirred, and subsequently, the originally disrupted spiritual energy suddenly became perfectly orderly.

Within the sky, a strange phenomenon suddenly manifested: Nangong Jiuwen could be seen leading a hundred cultivators of the Wentian Sword Palace, surrounding a young man clad in blue and white robes in the center.

"Is that the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation?! Just who is it that actually prompted the use of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation?!"

Immediately afterward, everyone witnessed a scene where a figure in the sky, just as the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation was about to reach him, was still hooking his finger in a mocking gesture, but in the very next instant.

"Pfft—!" A mouthful of fresh blood was suddenly spat out; the silver-haired old man's face turned contorted, and the vision in the sky dissolved along with it.

Swiftly, two disciples could be seen presenting several fragments of a sword core.

"Who is it! Just who is it?!" The old man stared fixedly at the fragments.

"Good! Good! Good!" His hair was disheveled and his face was as contorted as a ghost's as he uttered the word "good" three times in succession, "To dare massacre the Law Enforcement Hall Chief of my Nangong family along with a hundred elites, no matter who you are, from this day forth, you shall have no peace under the pursuit of the sword slaves of my Wentian Sword Palace, a pursuit that will not cease until death!"

No matter what, uttering a harsh threat beforehand made him appear exceedingly imposing.