Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 746: Senior Expert (1)

"Void Refiner phase? Not bad, slightly stronger than I expected," Astral Monarch Hou Qu smiled at Fang Xia.

"Senior, you were looking for me?" Fang Xia struggled to his feet and bowed slightly in greeting.

The injuries to his body had fully healed under the effects of the medicinal herbs from the black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal.

Qi refiners could easily recover from physical injuries. However, the numerous punishments he had endured targeted not just his physical body, but also his spirit and soul.

What mortals considered torture was laughable to immortal cultivators with strong Dao Hearts and willpower. Thus, torture methods for immortal cultivators mostly targeted the spirit and soul.

Fang Xia had just regained consciousness from that endless nightmare of spiritual punishment, and was still unsteady on his feet.

"Your injuries are not fully healed. Sit down and take this medicinal pill," Astral Monarch Hou Qu waved his hand, and a spirit pill flew out.

"Thank you, Senior." Although Fang Xia didn't know who Astral Monarch Hou Qu was, he could tell the other party was an important figure.

However, having experienced numerous life-and-death situations, especially having just returned from the brink of death, his mind was now calm, and he accepted his fate.

It was nothing more than death.

He reached out to catch the pill and swallowed it. Immediately, a surge of potent energy rapidly permeated his entire body, and even his soul and spirit. His fractured soul essence began to recover.

What kind of medicinal pill is this? Fang Xia was inwardly shocked as he sat down in lotus position to meditate.

Throughout their exchange, no one else dared to interject.

"Shan Yue." Seeing Fang Xia begin his recovery process, Astral Monarch Hou Qu glanced at the black-robed elderly man behind him and said calmly, "Is this what you meant by just having a good talk with Fang Xia? Do you think you're clever, or that I'm a fool?"

Silence fell!

"Senior Hou Qu." Cold sweat broke out on Astral Lord Shan Yue's forehead as he turned to glare at the black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal and High Immortal Li Guang, feeling the urge to tear them apart.

Yes! He had indeed ordered Fang Xia's imprisonment, intending to wait until Fang Xia had thought things through before giving him the answers he sought. But he never imagined his subordinates would dare to presume his intentions and torture Fang Xia on their own.

However, Astral Lord Shan Yue also felt somewhat wronged. He had already thoroughly investigated Fang Xia's background and found no significant connections other than his close relationship with Wu Yuan, a member of the Origin Eldritch Field.

When Wu Yuan had consecutively requested three Archimmortals to search for Fang Xia, it surprised him, making him realize how extensive Wu Yuan's connections were.

But he never could have imagined it would eventually lead to a visit from Astral Monarch Hou Qu.

He was a super powerhouse at the ninth-stage Astral Monarch phase, and an Astral Monarch of Space at that. It could be said that Astral Monarch Hou Qu's status was absolutely top-tier within the entire Cang Feng Eldritch World.

"No words of explanation?" Astral Monarch Hou Qu asked with a mysterious smile.

"This junior has erred. I was unaware of Fang Xia's relationship with Senior. I humbly seek Senior Hou Qu's punishment," Astral Lord Shan Yue said very honestly.

He understood clearly that there was no need for explanations at this moment.

If Astral Monarch Hou Qu were truly angered, he could kill an Astral Lord like himself with barely a thought. Explanations were useless.

"Since Fang Xia is safe and sound, I won't be too harsh on you," Astral Monarch Hou Qu glanced at him. "Just hand over 100,000 divine crystals to Fang Xia to compensate him a little. That's not too much, is it?"

"Not at all, not at all," Astral Lord Shan Yue said repeatedly, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.

100,000 divine crystals? It was just a fraction of his overall wealth.

He quickly sent a storage artifact over to Fang Xia, forcing a smile onto his face, "Young friend Fang Xia, please have a look. There are definitely 100,000 divine crystals inside. I hope you find it satisfactory."

"This?" Fang Xia opened his eyes and looked up at Astral Monarch Hou Qu in astonishment.

100,000 divine crystals! As a Void Refiner cultivator, all the wealth and treasures he possessed didn't even amount to one divine crystal. This was a huge windfall!

"Just take it," Astral Monarch Hou Qu said with a smile.

"Yes." Fang Xia nodded. He didn't stand on ceremony any longer and reached out to accept it. Having roamed the eldritch continent for many years, he knew that only a fool would pass up such an opportunity.

Chances like this were rare. With 100,000 divine crystals, his future prospects of becoming a High Immortal or even an Archimmortal would greatly improve.

Meanwhile, the black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal and High Immortal Li Guang were dumbfounded. This mysterious powerful figure had made their Sect Master obediently hand over 100,000 divine crystals with just a few sentences?

High Immortal Li Guang’s entire wealth amounted to only one or two thousand divine crystals.

"Very well, Shan Yue. This matter ends here. I'll take Fang Xia with me now," Astral Monarch Hou Qu said. "Handle the rest yourself."

"Yes, this junior understands," Astral Lord Shan Yue said respectfully.

Astral Monarch Hou Qu nodded, disappearing from the temple along with Fang Xia without the slightest spatial fluctuation.

Astral Lord Shan Yue and the other two remained behind.

"Hmph!" Astral Lord Shan Yue's expression darkened as he cast a cold look at High Immortal Li Guang. "So you're Li Guang. You're the one who took it upon yourself to torture and punish Fang Xia? This is blatant defiance of my orders."

"Sect Master, I..." Li Guang began to explain.

"Will you do it yourself, or shall I send you on your way?" Astral Lord Shan Yue's gaze was ice-cold.

High Immortal Li Guang's heart trembled, his eyes filled with a hint of despair. His entire body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

He couldn't believe that the ancestor would execute him over such a small matter.

"Astral Lord." The black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal beside him spoke up, "That senior from earlier didn't actually say anything about punishment..."

"Shut up! The senior didn't mention it because he couldn't be bothered. But we need to understand his intentions and act accordingly. If we wait until the senior gives the order, it will no longer just be the death of one Li Guang. Replacing the entire Shan Yue Sect would only take a single word from him," Astral Lord Shan Yue said coldly.

The black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal was greatly shocked.

A single word? Replace the Shan Yue Sect? He realized what kind of existence that person must be – his status was likely higher than an ordinary Astral Monarch.

"Furthermore, although Li Guang is at fault, you must be punished as well," Astral Lord Shan Yue glanced at him. "You will volunteer to participate in the high-level Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield for 100,000 years. You may only return after this period,"

"100,000 years?" The black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal's expression paled. Participating in the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield carried the risk of perishing. The longer one spent there, the higher the possibility of death.

True, he could send his mana body there first, but once his mana body perished? Unless he could quickly create a new mana body, his true self would have to enter the battlefield.

The only way to nurture a new mana body quickly was with the use of treasures like the Archimmortal Immortal Life Pills, which were extremely expensive. How could an ordinary Archimmortal like him afford them?

"Damn you, Li Guang." The black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal glanced at High Immortal Li Guang, knowing he had been implicated by Li Guang's actions.

Seeing this, High Immortal Li Guang fell into complete despair, but he still clung to a glimmer of hope for survival. "Ancestor, I wish to also go to the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield to atone for my crimes..."

Whoosh! A streak of light flew out, instantly passing through High Immortal Li Guang's body. A flash of terror appeared in his eyes before he turned to ashes.

Almost simultaneously, within a grotto far away on the Shan Lin Eldritch Continent, was a figure that looked identical to High Immortal Li Guang. A trace of fear flashed through his eyes. As it faded, his vital aura completely dissipated.

The one at the sect headquarters was High Immortal Li Guang's true self. With his true self dead, his mana body naturally perished as well.

Time passed.

After ordering the black-robed middle-aged Archimmortal to leave for the Eldritch-Immortal Battlefield, Astral Lord Shan Yue returned alone to his hall.

He actually has the ability to get Astral Monarch Hou Qu to respond to his request?

How could someone of Astral Monarch Hou Qu's status care about Qian She's legacy? [1] He couldn't possibly know Fang Xia, otherwise he could have found Fang Xia directly through karma. Astral Lord Shan Yue pondered. Was it Wu Yuan?

Astral Monarch Hou Qu is the overall supervisor of the Origin Eldritch Field.

Wu Yuan is a member of the Origin Eldritch Field, and reportedly quite talented, but how could he contact Astral Monarch Hou Qu? Astral Lord Shan Yue shook his head slightly.

He was an ex-member of the Origin Eldritch Field. He had even once successfully claimed the earth-tier title in the First Origin Eldritch Field.

He knew very well that even those talents who seemed to shine brilliantly in the Origin Eldritch Fields could hardly catch the eye of an Astral Monarch.

I must find out the reason. Astral Lord Shan Yue immediately began collecting intelligence about Wu Yuan through his network of connections.

Although Wu Yuan had caused a stir in the Origin Eldritch Field, it was brief and the news had yet to spread widely. Most Astral Monarchs and Astral Lords in the eldritch world were unaware of his accomplishment.

But with Astral Lord Shan Yue's deliberate investigation, he quickly learned the details, which gave him a huge shock. Suspected to already possess Archimmortal-level Dao comprehension after only cultivating for a thousand years?

With such talent, there's a great chance of him becoming an Astral Monarch. No wonder he could request the aid of Astral Monarch Hou Qu. Astral Lord Shan Yue was secretly shocked. Fortunately, I didn't completely offend him.

If it were Astral Monarchs from other major factions, he wouldn't care.

As an Astral Lord of the eldritch world, if he managed to offend an Astral Monarch from the Voltari Temple enough to be remembered, it would be considered an honor.

But an Astral Monarch from his own faction? If he offended one too severely, it would be quite troublesome.

This matter must also be kept secret. Astral Lord Shan Yue thought to himself, shaking his head and personally handling some details.

...

In the Vacuum Spatial Layer, Astral Monarch Hou Qu swiftly led Fang Xia forward.

"You received the inheritance of Astral Lord Qian She?" Astral Monarch Hou Qu asked, quite surprised as he listened to Fang Xia's account.

Though he had rescued Fang Xia, he didn't care much about an ordinary Void Refiner cultivator who had only cultivated for a few hundred years; he came because of Wu Yuan. But upon hearing this, he finally took a closer look at Fang Xia.

"Yes, I obtained it by chance," Fang Xia said with a bitter smile. "The Thousand Serpent Forbidden Valley was created by Astral Lord Qian She. I was teleported to a mysterious place... And after experiencing many dangers, I received the inheritance.

But just as I was teleported back to the Thousand Serpent Forbidden Valley, I was captured by an Archimmortal from the Shan Yue Sect, who forced me to hand over many secret arts and teachings from Astral Lord Qian She's inheritance. But I had already sworn an oath, so even if I wanted to speak, I couldn't." Fang Xia sighed, "So, I was imprisoned all this time."

"A small matter," Astral Monarch Hou Qu smiled. "Now, no one will force you to give it up. Since you've received the inheritance, focus on cultivating well.

To catch the eye of an Astral Lord means there’s something special about you. In the future, you might even become an Archimmortal."

"This junior will certainly work hard," Fang Xia said respectfully.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Xia asked curiously, "Senior, your power is immense, but you don't seem to know this junior. Why did you come to rescue me? Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"No need. I’m here at someone’s request," Astral Monarch Hou Qu said.

"Someone’s request?" Fang Xia was stunned. He had made many friends in his years of adventuring, but who could request the aid of such a super powerhouse?

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Was it the young master? Has he returned?"

"Young Master?" Astral Monarch Hou Qu asked, puzzled. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"The young master is Wu Yuan," Fang Xia quickly explained.

"Ah, I see. Yes, it’s him," Astral Monarch Hou Qu smiled. "No need to thank me, thank Wu Yuan instead. Even without me, with young friend Wu Yuan's capabilities, requesting the aid of other Astral Monarchs would be a small matter."

"The young master is that powerful?" Fang Xia was utterly shocked by what he was hearing.

He also realized that the black-armored man before him was one of the legendary Astral Monarchs who could rule vast domains of spacetime.

Such an existence actually referred to Wu Yuan as 'young friend'?

1. Qian She = Thousand Serpents ☜