Chapter 1028: Reconciliation
Chapter 1028: Reconciliation
“Thousandfold Mountains! ”
Within the void, the power of earth-attribute laws surged violently.
From Fang Xi's 'Earth Virtue Sword', an indescribable sword light burst forth, transforming into mountain after mountain that crashed down with a roar.
Amidst the countless mountains, a piercing gleam suddenly appeared.
Pfft!
A resentful dragon's roar echoed, and after all the dust settled, the Long-named Immortal had retreated hundreds of miles away, gazing blankly down at his chest.
A shallow sword mark had visibly appeared on his chest.
Several dragon scales were shattered and fell off, still stained with traces of blood.
Countless azure hurricanes mixed with molten lava swallowed that Immortal whole.
Boom!
Terrifying fluctuations swept across tens of thousands of miles, causing the various Immortals to involuntarily cease their battles.
“Fourth Brother? ”
The Long-named Immortal cried out in alarm.
With a flash of white light, the Immortal's figure reappeared, though his aura was considerably weaker: “No matter. . . I merely used the treasure's last remaining activation. ”
Zheng!
Fang Xi flicked his Earth Virtue Sword, then glanced at his side.
He found that the Shadow Immortal had sustained the heaviest injuries, but he was still in much better shape than his opponent.
“Regarding today's events, we, the Dragon Mountain Five Friends, have fallen short. What do you intend for us to do to settle this? ”
The horns on the Long-named Immortal's head turned entirely crimson, yet he forced himself to suppress his anger and speak.
“Naturally, it would be. . . more money. No, compensation. ”
Fang Xi chuckled, “You came knocking on our door; how could you leave without leaving something behind? If such a precedent were set, it would be detrimental to my Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce. . . ”
As soon as these words were spoken, not only the opposing side but also Xu Qing and the Shadow Immortal breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it seemed the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce held the upper hand in this battle, it would be almost impossible to completely annihilate all five opposing Immortals.
At that point, even if a single one managed to slip away, they would face endless retaliation!
This would be far more destructive than a single Immortal Peng Bo.
The Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce had always prioritized harmony for profit, so naturally, they would endure when they could.
Of course, if Fang Xi were to go all out, he could indeed guarantee leaving behind all five opponents, even slaughtering all their External Avatars without exception.
But he clearly wouldn't exert his full strength for the sake of the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce.
It wasn't just him; even Immortal Peng Bo, Xu Qing, and that Shadow Immortal likely held back, though their degrees of reservation differed.
To Fang Xi, the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce was benevolent, but not to this extent.
He didn't want to show off; it would be better to make the Dragon Mountain Five Friends shed some blood as a warning to others, and then the matter would be settled.
Many Immortal-level forces, when encountering such situations, typically resolved them in this manner.
“How much do you want? ”
The Long-named Immortal said with a grim expression.
“That depends on your sincerity. At the very least, with our strength, leaving behind one or two of your weakest members wouldn't be a problem. . . ”
Fang Xi's gaze swept over them, then fixed on the Immortal heavily wounded by the Myriad-Weight Puppet, and he sneered.
The Long-named Immortal's expression was grim. After a moment of whispered consultation with his four fellow Daoists behind him, he threw out an 'Item-Storing Talisman': “This is all there is, nothing more. . . If you press us further, we'll simply fight to the death! ”
Fang Xi's Divine Consciousness swept over it, then he waved a burst of magic power, tossing the talisman to the Shadow Immortal.
The Shadow Immortal's spiritual sense swept over it, and he pondered for a moment before nodding, “Acceptable! ”
The overall value of the treasures inside certainly couldn't compare to one or two Immortals, but it was enough to make True Immortals' hearts ache terribly.
The Dragon Mountain Five Friends suffering such a defeat here would undoubtedly serve as a deterrent to future aggressors.
“The mountains are high and the road is long; farewell for now, everyone! ”
Fang Xi, a smile gracing his face, cupped his fists.
“Hmph, let's go! ”
A flash of light appeared in the Long-named Immortal's hand, revealing a Xuanhuang Battle Chariot. The five Immortals boarded it, and the chariot immediately transformed into a streak of Xuanhuang light, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
He intentionally displayed this treasure, also implying a show of force to deter others from challenging their trump cards.
“Shopkeeper, how was it? ”
Fang Xi looked at the Myriad-Weight Puppet.
“To resolve it this way is indeed a great good! ”
Yu Xuan's nightingale-like voice emanated from the puppet.
It was clear that she wasn't confident in completely retaining all five Immortals, let alone killing all their hidden External Avatars without leaving a single one.
Since it couldn't be achieved, compromise was the only option.
“For this matter concerning our Chamber of Commerce, I thank the four seniors for their assistance. Our Chamber will not take a single cent of this compensation; we will also present individual gifts of gratitude later. ”
Yu Xuan's sweet voice continued.
“Niece Yu is too courteous. Your father and I are sworn brothers; how could I stand by and watch others bully you? ”
Immortal Peng Bo, with his earlobes like pearls, chuckled.
Despite his words, Fang Xi still opened the Item-Storing Talisman, allowing its contents to be displayed before the four Immortals.
The most abundant among them were mountains of Immortal Jade.
In addition, there were five bottles of Dao Rhyme Pills and two Immortal Artifacts.
Of these two Immortal Artifacts, one was a common flying sword, and the other was a scroll of ink wash painting.
Finally, there were some miscellaneous ores, spirit herbs, and other sundry items. . .
Among the miscellaneous items, there was also a fragmented formation map that looked somewhat familiar to him.
Fang Xi made a quick estimate and knew that its value was equivalent to the entire fortune of an Immortal like Xu Qing.
“Immortal Peng, as a guest, please! ”
“Since that's the case, this old man won't stand on ceremony. ”Immortal Peng Bo, with a sweep of his large hand, took the five bottles of pills and then picked up the Immortal Sword: “Hahaha. . . just a single temporary intervention, and such a generous reward. Truly a huge profit. ”
“Daoist Xu, Daoist Shadow. . . you two choose first. ”
Fang Xi said.
Xu Qing didn't stand on ceremony either, choosing the ink wash painting Immortal Artifact: “This Immortal Artifact is already enough for me. . . ”
The Shadow Immortal's aura was weak; he was the weakest among the Immortals present. Seeing Fang Xi's gaze, he immediately gave a bitter laugh: “This old man will just take these Immortal Jade then. . . ”
With a wave of his hand, the mountain-like pile of Immortal Jade vanished without a trace.
Fang Xi said no more, sweeping his sleeve to collect the remaining miscellaneous items.
That fragmented formation map was naturally among them.
‘How many formation maps did the Thousand Sword Elder leave behind back then? ’
‘This one is clearly different from the one at the auction, but they are obviously the same type of item. . . ’
Fang Xi naturally knew that it was difficult to comprehend anything from such fragmented formation maps, and he wondered where the Dragon Mountain Five Friends had plundered them from.
However, that Illusory Annihilation Dao Monarch had clearly collected multiple fragmented formation maps and even comprehended a complete inheritance of the 'Eight Gates Sword Array' from them.
Later, that inheritance fell into the hands of Celestial Immortal Yuanli and was brought into her secret realm.
‘If I were to comprehend some of the restrictions and sword arts within this fragmented formation map, it should be somewhat helpful in perfecting the Eight Gates Sword Array. . . ’
He thought somewhat indifferently, then immediately led the Immortals back to the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce to attend the celebration banquet specially hosted by Yu Xuan.
The Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce had originally been in a state of unease due to the 'disappearance' of the Old Shopkeeper and others.
Today, witnessing several Immortals take action and secure a resounding victory, everyone was overjoyed, and host and guests alike enjoyed themselves thoroughly. . .
After the lively festivities, Fang Xi was about to return to his own immortal cave when he saw a somewhat familiar maidservant guarding its entrance: “Senior, the Shopkeeper invites you. . . ”
“Lead the way. ”
Fang Xi had the maidservant lead the way, and they arrived at the small pavilion from earlier.
Below, plum blossoms bloomed, a fitting mix of pink and interspersed with pale red petals, presenting another unique scene.
“Many thanks to Senior for your assistance; only then could our Chamber of Commerce turn peril into safety. ”
Yu Xuan, no longer displaying the cheerful confidence from the banquet, still carried a trace of worry between her brows.
“These plum blossoms can manifest destiny. . . but destiny is unpredictable; it's better to not fully believe than to not believe. ”
Fang Xi glanced at them, then spoke indifferently.
Although these plum blossoms had already changed from a blood-like color to pale red after he led the retreat of the Dragon Mountain Five Friends.
This indicated that the great ominous omen for the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce had dissipated, but some dangers still lurked.
Yet, no matter how he looked at it, he felt like a Zhuge Liang after the fact.
At this moment, he felt a slight urge to try casting a 'Fortune-Dispelling, Calamity-Resolving Mystic Light' on these plum blossoms, wondering what sort of scene that would create?
At this point, after much thought, he felt that even if he hadn't intervened, the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce shouldn't have fallen to the fate predicted by the plum blossom divination.
Leaving aside everything else, just that Myriad-Weight Puppet alone would have been enough to protect their core.
Even if the Dragon Mountain Five Friends possessed a war Immortal Artifact, the outcome wouldn't have been too different.
“Many thanks for Senior's guidance. I wonder if Senior would be willing to become an Enforcement Elder of our Chamber of Commerce? ”
Yu Xuan inquired.
At present, with the Chamber in turmoil, Fang Xi, this Earth Immortal, had surprisingly become their highest combat power on the surface.
Of course, only he himself knew that it was also true secretly!
“The Old Shopkeeper is still here; how could I do such a thing? Whatever the Shopkeeper commands, I believe the various Immortals will respectfully obey. ”
Fang Xi smiled.
His actions today could be considered repayment of their favor; at least, there was no longer any grudge in his heart.
Even if he were to leave the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce now, he would not feel the slightest uneasiness.
Yu Xuan, however, said: “Currently, it is a change unseen in eons. . . Although the 'Ascension Alliance' is powerful, it is truly difficult for us natives to join them. Even if we did, we would merely be slightly higher-grade cannon fodder and vassals. . . But if we were to obey the orders of the North Star Immortal Palace and fight to the death with the Ascension Alliance, it would completely go against our Chamber's interests. This junior really doesn't know what to do. ”
She gave a mournful smile, which surprisingly had a touch of pitiful charm.
Fang Xi, however, did not reply. His Divine Consciousness swept out, and he suddenly asked, “Shopkeeper. . . it seems you have abandoned the Earth Immortal Way? ”
Upon becoming the Shopkeeper, Yu Xuan naturally received great cultivation support and was on her way to becoming an Earth Immortal.
But now, Fang Xi's spiritual sense was exquisitely subtle, detecting traces of tribulation aura lingering around her.
This was the manifestation of having just undergone a tribulation.
And. . .
It was not the Earth Immortal tribulation, but a very ordinary Mahayana Immortal Lightning Tribulation!
“Currently, our Chamber is in a precarious state, and with Xuan'er's father in his condition, I truly dared not continue to hope for the Earth Immortal path. I could only pursue the Human Immortal path. . . ”
Yu Xuan replied with a bitter smile.
“Indeed, a wise move. Since the Shopkeeper has made her own choice, why say more? ”
Fang Xi nodded.
With Yu Xuan's aptitude and the support of the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce, she originally had a good several chances of achieving Earth Immortal.
However, the Earth Immortal path places the greatest emphasis on accumulation and foundation. . . making it truly difficult to achieve.
At this juncture, what was needed most was direct power!
Simply put, Yu Xuan couldn't wait that long; she could only walk the Human Immortal path and, with the aid of secret arts, endure several tribulations in quick succession to become an Immortal as soon as possible. This was why the relatively dense remnants of tribulation aura lingered on her, allowing Fang Xi to discover the clue.
He, on the other hand, thought her choice was not bad.
Without sufficient strength, she wouldn't even be able to secure her position as Shopkeeper, let alone aspire to be an Earth Immortal.
Now, settling for the next best option would not only accelerate her cultivation but also slightly increase her chances of achieving True Immortal of the Nascent Soul.
“Many thanks for Senior's guidance, this junior understands. . . ”
Yu Xuan looked thoughtful.
It's the same for individuals; when it comes to the struggles between great powers, relying on mountains will see them fall, and relying on water will see it dry up. One can only rely on oneself!
Second update later.
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