Chapter 308: Fated Once Again

Chapter 308: Fated Once Again

Everyone watched as the Sword Pavilion Patriarch’s cultivation surged rapidly, clearly surpassing the Sixth Stage of Void Fusion.

The surrounding air twisted and cracked under the terrifying pressure, letting out loud creaking sounds.

“What kind of cultivation is that?!”

“Hard to say, but judging by the aura, he’s at least at the Eighth Stage of Void Fusion, minimum…”

“As expected of the Patriarch! Absolutely overwhelming!”

The oppressive pressure only lasted for about ten seconds.

Then Chen Huaian’s expression darkened slightly as he deactivated the Eighth Stage and returned to First Stage of Void Fusion.

After all, maintaining these borrowed realms wasn’t cheap—Eighth Stage costs 300 million a minute, plus thirty Spirit Crystals. Seventh Stage? 200 million. Sixth? 150 million. Fifth Stage still burned 80 million per minute.

One interesting point: ever since he achieved Foundation Establishment, the cost of maintaining his default First Stage was halved from 1 million per minute to 500,000. And costs for Stages below Fifth had all dropped to some degree. Perhaps that meant as his real cultivation rose, the expense of sustaining this Cangyun Realm avatar would also decrease.

Otherwise, at this rate, not even being the world’s richest man would be enough to keep up with his energy burn.

But hey, ten seconds of flexing was plenty.

Best to save the big guns for real combat—time to turn off the showboating.

“Why did the Patriarch’s aura suddenly weaken again?”

Some puzzled voices murmured.

“You don’t get it. Patriarch’s holding back to avoid harming us with his aura! That’s Eighth Stage Void Fusion we’re talking about—if he walks around at full power, even the Sword Pavilion might collapse!”

“Ah, so that’s it!” Many cultivators were moved to tears. “Patriarch really does think of us!”

Chen Huaian’s face remained calm, with a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Delightful! Let the scholars keep making his case for him.

“Enough nonsense. Outside lies Lingxi Valley—let This Venerable One go deal with them first.”

He brought two fingers together like a blade and sliced open a rift in space. Turning to the gathered cultivators, he asked, “Anyone care to come watch?”

Everyone exchanged glances and shook their heads.

Sure, watching a Void Fusion realm battle could boost one’s cultivation insights—but it could also cost them their lives.

“Then stay and observe from here.”

With a wave of his sleeve, Chen Huaian summoned a massive crystal mirror in the air. The mirror’s image focused directly on Lingxi Valley, where dark clouds churned and faint silhouettes flickered through them.

He stepped into the spatial rift and immediately appeared within the mirror’s frame.

After all, he’d once dabbled in live-streaming. He knew exactly how to find the best angle—just enough to show the situation up ahead and the way his snowy white hair danced in the wind beside his outrageously handsome profile.

Perfect.

This ought to charm every single sect disciple watching.

Outside Lingxi Valley’s Grand Sect Array.

It had been quite a while since anyone emerged from within. Real Person Qionghua, known as the Flute Fairy, was losing what little patience she had left.

“Yun Baiyu, I’ll give you three more seconds.”

“If you don’t show yourself by then, don’t blame me for destroying your Lingxi Valley’s mountain gate!”

Inside the valley, the female cultivators were all huddled in their respective dwellings, trembling. The suppressive pressure of a Void Fusion Realm cultivator loomed over the entire valley. What should’ve been a place teeming with spiritual energy was now deathly still. The air felt thick, sticky—even the flow of spiritual energy had stalled.

“Three!”

Qionghua drew the long flute from her waist. Spiritual light flared around her, her aura rising another notch. Behind her, a faint manifestation shimmered into view.

“Two—!”

Her gaze locked onto Lingxi Valley.

The flute lifted to her lips, close to the mouthpiece—poised to blow.

“One.”

A cold, smiling voice rang out abruptly behind her.

“Who?!” Qionghua paled, genuinely alarmed. As she cried out, a chill shot up her spine—someone had managed to sneak up behind her without making a sound. What kind of cultivation did that require?

She turned and saw a figure standing beyond the clouds.

That person took a single step—

—and suddenly was standing right in front of her.

Robe dark as ink, hair white as snow, twin swords at his waist.

And a face so devastatingly handsome it made her Dao Heart, untouched for thousands of years, start to stir with a flicker of unease.

The man’s identity was unmistakable.

It was none other than the mysterious Sword Pavilion Patriarch, Chen Huaian.

“So it’s you... the Sword Pavilion Patriarch.” Qionghua’s emotions were a mix of surprise and delight.

Delight, because she’d found the target she’d been searching for with zero effort.

Surprise, because even though he only revealed First Stage Void Fusion, he had still appeared behind her without the slightest warning.

Any other Void Fusion cultivator—even hundreds or thousands of miles away—she would’ve sensed immediately.

Still, Qionghua wasn’t flustered.

Everyone knew the Sword Pavilion Patriarch’s cultivation was only around the Fifth or Sixth Stage of Void Fusion, nowhere near her own Eighth Stage. She could probably deal with him with just a flick of her fingers.

Real Person Yuyao had chosen her and Real Person Red Lotus precisely because of this—making sure they could easily subdue the Lingxi Valley Master and the Dan Sect Master.

Yes, there were rumors that Chen Huaian’s Fifth Stage cultivation was just an avatar and that his real body’s strength was unfathomable—but she didn’t buy it.

Why?

Because the Sword Pavilion had enemies in both Jade Pool and Burning Purification Holy Land. If Chen Huaian were truly a Grand Ascension cultivator, why hide and run? He could declare open war without hesitation.

Therefore, Fifth Stage Void Fusion was definitely his real body!

And if that’s true, there’s no way he could’ve broken through so quickly.

“This Venerable One is the Sword Pavilion Patriarch,” Chen Huaian said with a kindly smile. “I just stepped out today to take a walk… Didn’t expect to run into a fairy of the Jade Pool. Truly, fate has brought us together again.”

The word “fate” didn’t faze Qionghua much.

But back in the Small World, Su Qinian, the Sword Pavilion Master, suddenly slapped his thigh and cackled: “Kekeke! That’s it! Qionghua’s about to get smacked around!”

“Sect Master Su, what makes you say that?” asked the Blade Sect Master, curious. “He sounds pretty polite. Like he’s trying to negotiate.”

“Amitābha,” intoned the Zen Sect Master, Fang Zhi, with palms pressed. “Qionghua is powerful. Perhaps Senior Chen wishes to avoid conflict? To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest form of strategy, after all.”

“No, no, not at all!” Su Qinian shook his head repeatedly, just about to explain—

When someone cut in: “Heh, I know this one!”

The Dan Sect Master snapped his fan shut, swaying his head as he said smugly:

“You guys don’t get it. When the old man says he’s got ‘fate’ with something, that something is usually about to meet a tragic end.”

“For example—he once said he was ‘fated’ with my pill cauldron, and then he just… eh… borrowed it.”

“And, well, my Lingxi Valley too,” Yun Baiyu chimed in, nodding with a sigh. “Last time he said he was ‘fated’ with Lingxi Valley, he raised his hand and split the mountain gate clean down the middle. There’s still a sword mark running through the entire valley.”

“Amitābha... So that’s what he meant by fate...” Monk Fang Zhi smacked his lips. His Zen Sect loved talking about fate, but compared to Sword Master Chen, theirs was mere child’s play.

All the gathered cultivators were speechless.

Meanwhile, the tension between the two Void Fusion Realm powerhouses in the mirror had reached a knife’s edge.