Chapter 991

Chapter 991: It’s Time to Stand Up for the Sect

"I just got a treasure, and now I’m off to show it off," Xu Fan said casually.

At that moment, two puppets carried a massive table, two yards in diameter, into the courtyard.

Over the years, the two Gourmet Disciples in the sect had advanced to the level of true immortals, and the Immortal-grade dishes they crafted were absolutely mesmerizing.

Even Xu Fan was nearly swept away by the allure of those delicacies.

The puppets slowly lifted the lid of the enormous table, revealing 64 Immortal-grade dishes laid out before them.

"Little brother, I’ve got fine wine, and you’ve got exquisite dishes—what a perfect pairing," the elderly man with white hair said, savoring the aroma of the dishes.

"Then let’s drink until we drop," Xu Fan replied with a faint smile.

"Agreed, let’s drink until we drop."

Three days later, the two men woke from their drunken stupor and were sipping tea in the courtyard.

"Big Brother, are your three beloved disciples doing alright in the Outer Regions of the Immortal Realm? Maybe you should consult the divine oracles again," Xu Fan suggested.

"I did some calculations before they left. The odds of finding a Primal Spiritual Treasure are slim, but they can still bring back some other treasures," the elderly man with white hair replied.

"Brother, I can’t help but envy you for having such disciples," Xu Fan said.

"Little brother, don’t say that. I just got a head start. If you’d had as much time as I did, your sect would likely have dominated the surrounding Immortal Realms by now," the elderly man explained.

"Haha, I’ll take your kind words and strive to elevate the Hidden Spirit Sect to that level," Xu Fan laughed.

With a wave of his hand, two cups of tea infused with the essence of the Path of Fate materialized in mid-air and gently settled before them.

"Little brother, earlier, I had the third brother fetch a batch of Time Treasures from the Outer Regions of the Immortal Realm. They’re of no use to me. Would you like them?" the elderly man asked, holding up a space ring.

"Thank you, brother. I’ll pay the market price for them," Xu Fan said casually.

"Between brothers, why talk about money?" the elderly man with white hair said, knowing the right way to offer a favor.

"If you won’t accept payment, then I can’t take them," Xu Fan replied firmly.

"Alright then," the elderly man with white hair conceded.

As they spoke, Xu Fan suddenly froze.

A clone of the Hall of Time appeared in his hand, revealing a branch of the River of Time that shimmered with over thirty thousand points of light.

This meant that more than thirty thousand disciples had perished, meeting the conditions for resurrection through the branch of the River of Time.

"Master, a massive Golden Immortal level battle has broken out on the border front, and even Great Luo level combatants have joined the fray."

"The entire front line of the Immortal Realm has been devastated, with nearly half of the sect’s disciples stationed there lost," Grape’s voice was grave.

Simultaneously, a light curtain appeared before Xu Fan, densely packed with the names of fallen disciples.

Xu Fan took a deep breath as he scanned the list; nearly all the elite disciples at the front line had been wiped out.

"Master Ancestor, half of our brothers and sisters on the front line have fallen. It’s my failure to protect them."

Shortly after, Xu Fan received a message from Han Feiyu, who had survived the combat backlash thanks to a life-saving Postnatal Spiritual Treasure.

"You’re alive, and that’s what matters. Don’t blame yourself; your brothers and sisters can still be brought back," Xu Fan reassured him.

"Little brother, I’ll have them return immediately from the Outer Regions of the Immortal Realm to gather Immortal Jade for you, even if I have to borrow or seize it by force. We must gather enough Immortal Jade to revive the fallen disciples," the elderly man with white hair declared after learning about the state of the branch of the River of Time through the Hall of Time.

“No need, Brother. I have enough Immortal Jade here,” Xu Fan waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t lie to me, little brother. Can you really come up with tens of billions of Immortal Jade?”

“Don’t worry, Brother. Tens of billions of Immortal Jade isn’t a big deal for them. I can gather it by calling in a few personal favors and enduring some hardship,” the elderly man with white hair said, clearly understanding his disciple’s ways.

“Really, Brother, there’s no need. Have you forgotten about my good friend Yulun?” Xu Fan said with a hint of mystery.

“Well, if that’s the case, I won’t interfere.”

“But if you need help later, make sure to tell me!” the elderly man with white hair insisted.

“Thank you, Brother,” Xu Fan nodded gratefully.

With such events unfolding in the sect, the elderly man with white hair felt it was best not to linger. He bid farewell to Xu Fan and left.

Meanwhile, in a Giant City within the Fengwu Immortal Realm, Han Feiyu found himself in a dire situation.

In the Great Luo Golden Immortal level battle, he had only managed to bring back his master and junior brother from the entire squad.

When the teleportation activated in that critical moment, Wang Xiangchi was caught in the aftermath of the Great Luo level battle, leaving him unconscious and barely clinging to life.

“Senior brother, let’s return to the sect,” Jian Wujie suggested.

“We must return to the sect so Master Ancestor can revive our fallen brothers and sisters,” Han Feiyu agreed with a nod.

At that moment, Xu Fan’s message arrived, urging them to return to the sect immediately.

Not just Han Feiyu, but Xu Fan had recalled all disciples from the Boundary Battlefield.

With Great Luo level beings involved, the rules of the battlefield had been broken, and staying any longer would only lead to death.

In the Source Realm, a branch of the River of Time floated in the sky.

Over 34,000 glowing points of light drifted within the River of Time, each representing a fallen disciple of the Hidden Spirit Sect.

“This is the first time we’ve suffered such a heavy loss,” Xu Fan said with a pained expression as he gazed at the points of light in the branch of the River of Time.

“Grape, calculate how much Immortal Jade is needed to revive them all.”

“A total of 5.1 billion Immortal Jade is required. Currently, the sect only has 32 million Immortal Jade,” Grape replied, her tone tinged with sadness.

“This is the risk of not having absolute power—fate is out of our control,” Xu Fan mused upon hearing the number.

Just then, Wang Yulun appeared in the Source Realm.

As soon as he entered, he saw the branch of the River of Time manifesting in the sky.

The dense points of light within the branch made Wang Yulun’s scalp tingle.

“Wang Xiangchi is injured, and your daughter and son-in-law were caught in the battle’s aftermath and perished,” Xu Fan told his good friend.

“Big Brother Xu, how much Immortal Jade is needed to revive them all?” Wang Yulun asked through gritted teeth, knowing revival was possible, so he wasn’t overly worried about their fate.

“5.1 billion Immortal Jade,” Xu Fan stated calmly, showing no sign of pressure.

After all, if he couldn’t gather it, he’d have to resort to extraordinary measures.

“It seems it’s time for me to make a sacrifice for the sect,” Wang Yulun said with a dramatic, almost tragic tone, as if ready to leap into a fire.

“You’d better sell yourself to the Regent Princess; the Da Zhou Celestial Dynasty isn’t short on Immortal Jade,” Xu Fan joked.

“Recently, I discovered I can contact my sister-in-law through the power within me. She’s a being above Great Luo; I should be able to gather 5.1 billion Immortal Jade,” Wang Yulun estimated.

“With me here, how could I let my good brother sell himself?”

“Leave this to me. This Immortal Jade won’t be a problem for me.”