"Status: Updated to Chapter 2727: Xie-Zhi Mansion"
"Synopsis:
The path of immortality is treacherous, and human life is lowly. All living things are but ghosts, and the immortal heart is like frost. The young man Fang Chen accidentally gains an immortal opportunity, but he has only one wish in his heart: to use the immortal sword in his hand to bring peace to the world for all eternity!"
Chapter 1: I Once Saw an Immortal
The Daxia Kingdom, a 9th-rank empire, had suffered a crushing, total defeat against the Qingsong Kingdom at the Three Realms Mountain five years ago. Its vitality had been severely damaged, and it was forced to accept numerous unequal treaties, leading to constant vilification within the court and the country over the last five years.
From high-ranking officials and nobles down to commoners, they all cursed one person—the young lord of the Military God Fang's mansion, Fang Chen!
Five years ago, the eighteen-year-old Fang Chen led the army into battle as the strongest figure in Daxia. Skilled in strategy and powerful in assault, he had been undefeated since his debut and was honored by all of Daxia as the Military God.
However, in that battle, six hundred thousand of the eight hundred thousand troops Fang Chen brought perished. Even he, as the commander, was blinded, his Qi Sea was shattered, and he was reduced to a cripple from then on.
In the magnificent Military God's mansion, a young man gazed silently at the sky. His nose was as straight as a gallstone, his brows like sharp swords. Just by standing there quietly, he exuded a faint, ethereal aura, making him difficult to fathom.
But in reality, he could see nothing. His eyes were a strange, ghostly gray-white, the pupils nearly invisible.
Five years ago, he had engaged the First Wolf Marshal of the Qingsong Kingdom. What should have been a certain victory was completely overturned when the Qingsong Kingdom invited a powerhouse from an 8th-rank kingdom to launch a sneak attack!
He lost, his Qi Sea was destroyed, and he became a cripple.
On the verge of death, he had seen, as if in the blazing sun above, a goddess looking down upon the human world. He watched the goddess, and she looked back at him. Then, brilliant, blinding divine light engulfed him, and after that, he became a blind man.
The First Wolf Marshal did not kill him, choosing instead to let him go.
He still vaguely remembered the First Wolf Marshal's parting words:
"Once you return to Daxia, you will learn what it means to wish you were dead. Keeping you alive is, in fact, the greatest torture for you."
Indeed, for these past five years, he had endured constant abuse and insults. Those who once vied to befriend him now avoided him like the plague.
"Second sister, you're eighteen this year, aren't you? Old enough to be wed, yet you still tease your older brother?"
Fang Chen spoke suddenly.
Not far behind him, Fang Zhixue, who had been sneaking along about a dozen paces away, looked unhappy. "Big Brother, why can you always sense me? My cultivation has already reached the Second Stage of the Human Profound Realm—Qi Burst!"
The Human Profound Realm has four stages: Qi Condensation, Qi Burst, Qi Control, and Elixir Qi.
The Qi Burst realm was no longer common in Daxia and could be considered a first-rate expert. As for Qi Control, those were the types who founded sects.
The former Fang Chen had unmatched talent; at eighteen, he had broken through the Qi Control bottleneck to reach the Elixir Qi stage, becoming the only Elixir Qi powerhouse in Daxia!
"Why are you looking for me?" Fang Chen asked calmly.
"Brother, the Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon you..." Fang Zhixue’s eyes dimmed suddenly.
"Bestowed a marriage? Why would the Emperor bestow a marriage on a cripple like me? Which lady would even look at me?" Fang Chen laughed lightly. "What is the trick behind this?"
"The Emperor wants you to marry into the Xiao family as a live-in son-in-law to ease the relationship between Daxia and the Qingsong Kingdom. The Qingsong Kingdom has been stirring again lately, and the Emperor is afraid." Fang Zhixue gripped her fists tightly, her eyes red. "Father... has already agreed..."
"The Xiao family, the top family of the Qingsong Kingdom? The family of Marshal Xiao?" Fang Chen paused slightly, his expression then turning calm. "Why? Even a cripple like me shouldn't catch their eye, especially since I was the mortal enemy of Marshal Xiao."
"It was the eldest daughter of the Xiao family who proposed it. She said she had seen countless men but wanted to know what the former Military God of Daxia tasted like. She used this to threaten the Emperor into submission. If the Emperor refuses, the Qingsong Kingdom will invade again, and this time, they won't stop until they reach the Capital," Fang Zhixue whispered.
"The daughter of my enemy wants me to marry into her family as a servant? Heh..." Fang Chen let out a faint chuckle.
Fang Zhixue's voice suddenly grew urgent. "Big Brother, let me take you away from the Capital. We can flee to the mountains where there's no one else; they definitely won't find us."
"Second sister, if I leave, what kind of treatment do you think the Fang family will suffer? Would the Emperor spare the rest of the family?" Fang Chen shook his head calmly. "I am just a cripple. If I can use this crippled body to delay the Qingsong Kingdom for a few more years, perhaps there will be a turning point, and we might avoid the destruction of our nation."
"Big Brother, don't you know how those officials and those commoners curse you? Why, even now, are you still thinking of them? For the past five years, even street vendors have dared to curse you behind your back. Is it worth it for them?" Fang Zhixue felt rage rising whenever she thought of those scenes.
"Don't I still have you, Father, and Mother? Even if it's just for you, it is worth it. Besides, there are those innocent infants, too young to even speak; they don't know anything. Have they insulted or cursed me?" Fang Chen waved his hand. "You go now. Let me stay here for a while."
Fang Zhixue hesitated, sighed softly in her heart, and turned to leave. She knew her brother's temperament; once he made a decision, he could not be persuaded.
Fang Chen continued to gaze at the horizon, his gray-white pupils dead and dull. Regrettably, apart from that one fleeting glance, he had never seen that goddess again.
He really wanted to figure all of this out. He also wanted to know why, after that day, he had acquired the ability for his soul to ascend.
Without knowing when, Fang Chen's soul had already ascended, flying above the Capital to look down on everything.
The laughter in the palace, the hawking and calling on the streets—everything, down to the smallest detail, was within his view.
He saw the martial artists of the Qingsong Kingdom running wild in the Daxia Capital, beating pedestrians at will. Even when some officials crossed their paths, they were met with a savage beating.
He saw the anger in the eyes of the commoners, the sorrow in the eyes of the soldiers, and the humiliation buried deep within the gaze of the beaten officials.
"Hahaha! Your Daxia Kingdom is just useless! From now on, whenever you see us people from the Qingsong Kingdom, you must call us 'Master,' otherwise, beware the First Wolf Marshal leading his army to raze the Capital and kick your old Emperor off his throne!"
The arrogant, unrestrained laughter was infuriating and heartbreaking, yet filled with helplessness.
"Eh? A small country like this, yet it has a fellow Daoist capable of Soul Ascent?"
Suddenly, a voice of surprise rang in Fang Chen's ears.
Fang Chen was slightly startled. He turned to look and saw a semi-transparent Daoist standing in the void, also looking at him with curiosity.
Fang Chen was shocked. For five years, he had never been seen in his ascended state, let alone spoken to!
Fang Chen remained calm and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. May I ask what to call you?"
Since the other party called him "Fellow Daoist," he would do the same; that could not be wrong.
Chapter 2: Casting an Immortal Meridian in a Day
"This poor Daoist is Yunhe, from the Zhongzhou Kingdom. Is the fellow Daoist also traveling through this place after ascending?"
"Zhongzhou Kingdom!?" Fang Chen felt a jolt in his heart. He had heard of the Zhongzhou Kingdom since he was very small. Legend had it that the Zhongzhou Kingdom had countless powerhouses and vast territories, a truly 1st-rank empire.
But those were just legends; he had never seen anyone from the Zhongzhou Kingdom. Some even said that the Zhongzhou Kingdom did not exist in this world at all!
"Wait, your soul is a bit strange. Eh... you are a soul ascending, not a Nascent Soul ascending?" The Daoist Yunhe suddenly let out a soft exclamation, and the next moment, he raised his hand to strike with a palm.
Fang Chen instinctively wanted to dodge, but after he opened his eyes, he realized his soul had already returned to his physical body.
"Actually a common person!? How strange, how strange. A mere mortal, why is his soul so robust, and how could he ascend on his own?" The voice of Daoist Yunhe rang out again.
Fang Chen calmly cupped his hands and bowed toward a direction. "Senior, this junior is but a martial artist whose Qi Sea has been shattered. I have disappointed you."
"Disappointed? Hahaha, how could I be disappointed? I have been traveling the world for a hundred years and intended to return, but I inadvertently found such an uncut jade in you. I suppose it is fate. Your soul is naturally thick and boundless; you are exactly the right material for cultivating immortality," Daoist Yunhe laughed out loud.
He was currently in his Nascent Soul state, and his laughter could only be heard by Fang Chen; it would not disturb the others in the military mansion.
"Cultivating immortality!? Senior... is there truly an immortal in this world?" Fang Chen paused slightly, the image of the goddess standing in the blazing sun continuously surfacing in his mind.
"You come from a 9th-rank empire, so it is no surprise you haven't seen cultivators. Whether there are immortals in this world, I do not know. I only know that our methods, to you, are like those of gods," Daoist Yunhe laughed lightly. "I intend to take you as my final disciple. Are you willing?"
Fang Chen was silent for a few moments. "This junior's Qi Sea is destroyed; I fear I cannot resume cultivation."
"Qi Sea? That is the terminology of you martial artists. We cultivators do not refine the Qi Sea. As far as I know, you martial artists have three realms: Human Profound, Earth Profound, and Heaven Profound, each divided into four minor stages, correct? But we cultivators don't have such complicated talk. Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul. Your Heaven Profound is barely enough to trade blows with our Peak Qi Refining," Daoist Yunhe said proudly.
Fang Chen was deeply shocked.
"I need to return to the Zhongzhou Kingdom to handle matters. If you are willing to become my disciple, I will take you with me to the Zhongzhou Kingdom," Daoist Yunhe urged.
Go to the Zhongzhou Kingdom?
A bitter smile appeared on Fang Chen's face. He cupped his hands in a salute. "This junior cannot leave."
If he left, who would clean up the mess left behind?
His father's hair had turned gray, his grandfather was in seclusion in a life-and-death struggle with unknown survival, and even his second uncle had worked himself to the bone for the family and Daxia over the past five years, leaving him with incurable hidden injuries that forced him into a wheelchair.
"You are actually unwilling to follow me? What is there in this small place worth lingering for? As long as you come with me, I guarantee you will reach the Golden Core stage within a hundred years. When that time comes, returning will be effortless," Daoist Yunhe was somewhat stunned.
"While parents are alive, one should not travel far. This junior must stay to clean up some messes. I have disappointed you, Senior," Fang Chen sighed softly.
"Tsk tsk." Daoist Yunhe inspected Fang Chen repeatedly. "Everyone in the world yearns for immortality. If people knew they could become my final disciple, even if they had to break their legs, they would crawl to the Zhongzhou Kingdom. Yet you are unwilling to follow me."
"The rules of my sect are such that a final disciple must practice within the sect. Since you are unwilling to go, I cannot take you as my final disciple. But your talent is excellent; it would be a shame to waste it. How about this: I will pass on the introductory method of the Three Thousand Dao Gates. From now on, you are an outer disciple of the Three Thousand Dao Gates in the Zhongzhou Kingdom. You may cultivate here; once you reach Foundation Establishment, you can return to the sect to register."
After saying this, Daoist Yunhe raised his hand and released a beam of spiritual light that merged into Fang Chen's brow.
In an instant, Fang Chen felt many memories that did not belong to him flood his mind. These memories intertwined, converging into a brilliant golden tome: [Three Thousand Dao Methods: Introductory Chapter].
Fang Chen's spirit was lifted. He flipped through it lightly and immediately became immersed in the methods of immortal cultivation.
Unknowingly, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to gather and pour into his body. This energy circulated through his meridians, nourishing his physical body. Having not practiced martial arts for years, his Qi and blood had been deficient, but under the nourishment of this spiritual energy, they began to grow thick and robust again.
Soon, the spiritual energy passed through his broken Qi Sea, but it had no intention of stopping there, continuing its circulation.
The sun set and the moon rose; the moon hid and the sun appeared.
Fang Chen stood motionless in the same spot for an entire day and night.
The servants and maids of the military mansion whispered around him until Fang Zhixue and the others arrived, at which point they quickly shut their mouths.
"Big Brother has been standing here from yesterday until today!?" Fang Zhixue exclaimed.
"Sigh... Perhaps the news of the marriage made him indignant. Your brother's pride is extremely high; how could he accept having to marry into the Xiao family as a live-in son-in-law?" A middle-aged man sighed softly. He looked at Fang Chen's figure, which stood as straight as a peak, and a flicker of heartache passed through his eyes.
He was the head of the Fang family, Fang Canghai.
As a Qi Control expert, he should have known techniques to maintain his youthful appearance, but though he was only in his forties, his temples were gray, and the wrinkles on his face were increasing day by day.
"Father, can't we just refuse the Emperor? If Big Brother goes to the Qingsong Kingdom, he won't even live like a pig or a dog!" Fang Zhixue said with a trembling voice.
"The national power of the Qingsong Kingdom has been growing stronger over these past five years, while our Daxia has been declining. Marshal Xiao spoke on behalf of his daughter, demanding that Wu Dao marry into the Xiao family, or else he would lead his troops to raze the Daxia Capital. This is not a joke, nor is it empty talk. Refuse, and Daxia's destruction is imminent. Agree, and perhaps there is still room for negotiation. We have no choice..." Fang Canghai's eyes were red.
"Is there really no way to go through Aunt?" Fang Zhixue whispered.
"Although your aunt is the Empress, she must also put Daxia first. She understands the logic behind this, too. What other way could there be?" Fang Canghai shook his head slightly. "Tomorrow, the daughter of Marshal Xiao will arrive in the Capital in person. At that time, your brother will need to make an appearance. You go and persuade him to go back and rest."
At the same time.
A crystal-clear immortal meridian was condensing within Fang Chen's body. In an instant, all the spiritual energy seemed to find its home, pouring into this meridian.
The 12th Level of Qi Condensation was the process of refining an immortal meridian.
The first immortal meridian was complete. Fang Chen had once again stepped into the realm of the extraordinary. This time, he was not a martial artist, but a cultivator!
"Casting an immortal meridian in a day? Hahaha, the talent is truly remarkable. Remember, come to the Three Thousand Dao Gates to register after you reach Foundation Establishment!" Daoist Yunhe laughed aloud, turned, and took a single step, vanishing without a trace.
Fang Chen gradually awoke. He bowed toward the direction where Daoist Yunhe had disappeared, his heart filled with gratitude. What Daoist Yunhe had done changed not just him, but the fate of the billions of lives in Daxia!
Chapter 3: The Hidden Guard of Daxia
"What is Big Brother doing!?" Fang Zhixue was stunned. Why was Fang Chen bowing to an empty space?
The servants of the military mansion didn't understand either, and a strange expression gradually appeared on their faces.
"Chen'er." Fang Canghai sighed softly.
"Father, why have you all come?" Fang Chen turned to look at Fang Canghai.
At this moment, everyone felt as if they saw a glimmer of brilliance flickering in Fang Chen's dead, dull eyes. They thought they were mistaken; after all, Fang Chen had been blind for five years.
"You have stood here for a day and a night. Father is worried. If you have any thoughts, tell Father." Fang Canghai gritted his teeth. "No matter what, Father will help you!"
"Does Father think I am worried about the matter of marrying into the Xiao family?" Fang Chen smiled.
"Isn't that why you were troubled enough to stand here for a day and a night?" Fang Canghai paused slightly.
Fang Chen shook his head gently. "It is not that. Your child has understood some things. Father need not worry about this matter; I will handle it properly."
After speaking, Fang Chen cupped his hands. "Your child will take his leave now."
"Father, what do you think Big Brother understood?" Fang Zhixue watched Fang Chen's retreating back, a look of contemplation on her face.
"Your brother was precocious; the things in his mind are different from us ordinary people. Perhaps he already knows how to deal with the current situation." A sharp glint flickered in Fang Canghai's eyes. His son had never been one to act without a plan; if he said he would handle it properly, it would basically not go wrong.
The only time he did go wrong was the battle at Three Realms Mountain five years ago.
But while the commoners did not know, he was well aware that that battle had involved powerhouses from an 8th-rank empire, which was why the situation had spiraled out of control!
"What means does Chen'er still have? Does he intend to rely on those people? But his cultivation is gone, and even if those people were personally trained by him, I fear they lack the ability to turn the tide in this particular matter..." Fang Canghai fell into deep thought. He didn't even react when Fang Zhixue called him several times. Seeing this, Fang Zhixue stomped her foot and turned to leave.
...
...
Fang Chen walked out of the military mansion. Although his eyes were closed, he walked like any other person. His perception of his surroundings was extremely sharp—an ability he had gained after losing his sight.
Or rather, an ability he had gained after seeing that goddess in the blazing sun. Even without his soul ascending, his mind could map out everything around him.
"The Military God is out for a stroll again."
"Heh, for the past five years, our Daxia Kingdom has suffered humiliation from the Qingsong Kingdom, yet only the Military God comes out to stroll and drink tea from time to time, as if this has nothing to do with him. Does he not feel even a shred of shame?"
"Six hundred thousand soldiers are buried at Three Realms Mountain, and he still has the mood to drink tea? I really don't know what to say."
As soon as the passersby saw Fang Chen, they pointed at him, their words laced with reproach and anger.
"Yo, isn't this our Military God? No, no, in a few days, all of us martial artists from the Qingsong Kingdom will have to call you 'son-in-law'!"
Suddenly, several burly men wearing fur coats appeared on the street and blocked Fang Chen's path.
The leader wore a look of contempt, mocking Fang Chen.
Only the martial artists of the Qingsong Kingdom liked to wear these fur coats. The people of Daxia, seeing this, instinctively retreated to the side, their eyes filled with hidden hatred that they dared not reveal.
"What are those Qingsong martial artists saying?"
"Call the Military God 'son-in-law'? What is going on?"
Whispers erupted all around.
The Qingsong martial artist, seeing this, triumphantly shouted: "You people don't know this yet? Marshal Xiao has already proposed a marriage to your Emperor! In a little while, your Military God here will have to marry into the Xiao family and wed the beloved daughter of the First Wolf Marshal, Goddess Xiao!"
Marry... Goddess Xiao?
Boom—
The hearts of the surrounding commoners shook. They looked at Fang Chen in disbelief.
"You are spouting nonsense! How could the Military God marry into the Xiao family!" A scholar suddenly turned bright red with indignation and shouted.
"You corrupt scholar dares to call me a liar? You truly have the guts of a bear!" The Qingsong martial artist walked straight toward the scholar, grabbed him, and slapped him a dozen times on the spot, causing the scholar's head to buzz.