Chapter 104 : Senior Brother Fang as a Person

Chapter 104: Senior Brother Fang as a Person

“Senior Brother Fang, ever since we came back from that Secret Realm, we haven’t seen each other, have we?”

“Yeah. I also heard about what happened to you from the Sect Master and Master. To be honest, this time we were all saved by you… or rather, by that Deification Stage senior attached to you. Otherwise, even if we had managed to deal with those assassins, we would have definitely fallen into the hands of that Golden Core cultivator from the Wuyi Sect who was lying in ambush inside the Secret Realm. Sigh… just thinking about it is frightening.”

Although he said that, Long Tao could not see the slightest trace of fear in Fang Wuqi’s expression or tone.

“And I owe you a separate thanks as well—or that senior. If you hadn’t reminded Fellow Daoist Luo at the time that Junior Brother Nan wasn’t dead, exposing that traitor Chu Yuanbai in advance, I’m afraid his sneak attack would have succeeded. My chances of survival would have been slim.”

This gratitude was something Long Tao could accept with a clear conscience, because it had indeed been his own contribution.

“By the way, what happened to Chu Yuanbai? Has he said anything about his motive for betraying us?”

“Not yet.” Fang Wuqi’s expression carried a trace of disdain. “Spies who hide as deeply as he did usually seal crucial intelligence in the depths of their Sea of Consciousness with secret techniques. Forcibly conducting a Soul Search would only backfire. But we have plenty of time. We can slowly wear him down.”

Looking at the senior before him, whose entire demeanor proclaimed invincibility among his peers, Long Tao suddenly remembered that Fang Wuqi had been the champion of the Sect Grand Competition six years ago.

That meant he could take this opportunity to ask about it.

“It’s rare that we meet. We really shouldn’t bring up someone so unpleasant.” Long Tao smoothly changed the topic. “By the way, Senior Brother Fang, the Grand Competition is about to begin. Are you participating this time?”

“Hahaha, honestly, I really want another fight.” Fang Wuqi spread his hands regretfully. “Unfortunately, the sect has an unwritten rule—those who have taken first place can’t compete again. They say it’s to leave some opportunities for others.”

So that was how it was.

Long Tao truly hadn’t known about such an unspoken rule. No wonder Senior Brother Fang hadn’t participated three years ago either.

Otherwise, he would likely have taken the championship again. Only then did Long Tao continue with what he truly wanted to ask.

“I heard Junior Brother Nan say earlier that he plans to break through to the Foundation Establishment Third Layer before the competition and aims to reach the top four. Do you think he has a chance?”

“Top four?” Fang Wuqi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Junior Brother Nan is more grounded than I was at his age. Back then, I was shouting about taking first place.” He chuckled at the memory. “In the end, I got beaten so badly in the top eight that I couldn’t even tell north from south.”

Long Tao suddenly felt his future grow dim again.

Even someone as strong as Senior Brother Fang had only reached the top eight at Nan Yuchen’s age? Then again, Foundation Establishment Third Layer was indeed somewhat low in terms of realm for the Grand Competition.

“But it’s not entirely without hope.” Fang Wuqi’s tone shifted. “Those at Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer and Ninth Layer won’t participate. Below Seventh Layer, the realm gap isn’t actually that large.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Haha, you probably haven’t paid much attention to the various unwritten rules of the Grand Competition.” Fang Wuqi explained, “After Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, the Golden Core inside the Dantian begins to take shape. It’s generally called Half-Step Golden Core. That creates a qualitative gap from those below Eighth Layer.”

“I see. The strength gap would be too big, and there’d be no suspense, right?”

“That’s one reason. But there’s a more crucial one.” Fang Wuqi grew more serious. “Breaking through to Golden Core doesn’t just require surviving Heavenly Tribulation—it also involves facing External Demons and Inner Demons. And what those two most easily exploit is arrogance. So under normal circumstances, cultivators at Half-Step Golden Core won’t participate in this kind of competition to bully weaker opponents. It’s too easy to breed arrogance and nourish the Inner Demon.”

Long Tao hadn’t expected that reason. Although he knew these concepts to some extent, hearing them spoken directly by such a prodigy made him truly feel the dangers along the Immortal Path.

“In short, if Junior Brother Nan can break through to Foundation Establishment Third Layer and gets a favorable match schedule, the top four isn’t impossible. Like me, he walks the Martial Dao path. During the Foundation Establishment stage, our combat strength is somewhat stronger than traditional Qi Refiners.”

Just as Long Tao was about to continue asking, a gray-haired middle-aged man ambled over from another corridor, holding a fishing rod. Upon seeing the two of them, he greeted them warmly.

“Yo! Wuqi, Long Tao, what are you chatting about here?”

“Sect Master.”

The newcomer was none other than the Sect Master, Zhuge Jingde. Having worked at the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion for over a month, Long Tao had come to understand him somewhat.

Whenever he had free time, the Sect Master would go fish at the large pond behind the main hall—most of the time returning empty-handed.

“Reporting to Sect Master, this disciple has just returned from the front line and is about to submit this report to True Person Shi.”

“Sigh… you’ve worked hard.” Sect Master Zhuge shook his head sympathetically. “Just came back and already have to write this thing. Oh right! Your mother previously sent some items to the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion and entrusted us to pass them on to you. Remember to pick them up from the warehouse.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Sect Master. I’ll go shortly.”

“Mm, then I’ll head off first. Oh, and Long Tao—if you’re free this afternoon after finishing your work, come fish a rod with me.”

“This disciple would love to, but True Person Shi has assigned even more tasks.”

“When you’re at Manyu’s side, the first thing you must learn is how to slack off. Alright, this old man’s leaving.”

As he spoke, the Sect Master gave a sly wink, then hunched his back and slipped down the corridor as if afraid of being caught by someone.

After the old fellow left, the two were silent for a moment. Long Tao spoke first.

“Senior Brother Fang, forgive me for being nosy… but if your mother sent you something, why does it have to be transferred through the sect?”

Fang Wuqi seemed to have anticipated the question. With a bitter smile, he said, “It’s embarrassing to say. I have some conflicts with my family. My mother can only support me this way.”

This was perhaps the most outrageous thing Long Tao had heard recently.

Senior Brother Fang—the sect’s number one prodigy, flawless in every aspect—had conflicts with his family? And it seemed the kind where he couldn’t even go home.

Wasn’t he the archetypal ‘other people’s child’? The type parents would proudly parade everywhere to show off? How could this be the case?

“I… I can’t quite believe it!”

“Haha, most people react just like you when they find out. It’s not entirely my family’s fault. The problem lies with me. I just didn’t want to compromise.”

“Can you satisfy this junior brother’s curiosity?”

Fang Wuqi didn’t refuse. He simply gestured toward the entrance, apparently unwilling to discuss it in the narrow corridor.

The two sat down on stone benches in the garden. Before Long Tao could ask again, Fang Wuqi countered with a question.

“Junior Brother Long, do you know what cultivation method I practice?”

“Of course. The Red Blood Bridal Gown Art. I’ve heard it’s one of the most difficult methods in our sect—the legacy of the Red Blood Great Banner Sect.”

“That’s right.” Fang Wuqi’s gaze grew distant. “Although the sect was formed from the merger of three factions, the Red Blood Great Banner Sect back then was merely a Jianghu sect. It wasn’t on the same level as the other two, which possessed inheritances from ancient Immortal Sects. But the predecessors of the Great Banner Sect exhausted their own bodies generation after generation, refining and improving the Bridal Gown Art, pushing it from the Qi Refining stage into Foundation Establishment.”

Long Tao nodded as he listened. He had learned about these deeds in class, but hearing them from someone who truly practiced the method felt entirely different.

“If that were all, the Great Banner Sect would at most have been an ordinary Martial Dao sect, still unqualified to stand on equal footing with the other two. But at that time… a senior named Yan Nanfei appeared.” When mentioning this name, Fang Wuqi’s tone carried obvious reverence. “He was a true genius. By his own strength, he pushed the Bridal Gown Art—which could only be cultivated to mid–Foundation Establishment at the time—directly into the Golden Core realm. That allowed the Great Banner Sect to touch the threshold of the Immortal Sects.”

“I’ve read that in the records,” Long Tao replied. “But if I remember correctly… the later development of the Red Blood Bridal Gown Art was rather slow? It seems to be stuck around mid-to-late Golden Core now.”

“Yes. And that’s also why I fell out with my family. My father and the others wholeheartedly hoped I would cultivate an orthodox method like the Nine-Xia Profound Art that directly points toward the Deification Stage. After all, in the family’s eyes, I’m the most promising among this generation to break through Golden Core—perhaps even contend for the Nascent Soul Stage.”

“But you still…?”

“Yes. I still stubbornly chose the Red Blood Bridal Gown Art. So you can imagine how furious they were.”

Long Tao nodded.

Putting himself in their shoes, if his own son did something like that, he would probably be furious as well.

It was practically equivalent to scoring high enough on the college entrance exam for Tsinghua University, only to enroll in a vocational school instead.

“Then, Senior Brother Fang, why did you…?”

“Perhaps it’s simply my nature.” Fang Wuqi’s gaze turned toward the distant sea of clouds. “After hearing the stories of the Great Banner Sect and Yan Nanfei, I kept wondering—why couldn’t I continue down Senior Yan’s path? Rather than methodically cultivating those techniques that already lead straight to the Great Dao, I would rather become a member of the Great Banner Sect and continue developing the Bridal Gown Art.”

He smiled faintly.

“Everyone says I’m a genius. But a genius… shouldn’t walk the hardest path?”