Chapter 635

Chapter 635: Ximen Strikes Back

Ximen Qingdong hurried to seek the help of two Semi-Immortals, only to be turned away. The guards informed him that both Founders had entered closed-door training, devoting themselves entirely to refining Fang Lie’s Netherworld Ghost Fire warship!

Earlier, one of them had contacted Mo Qianxun while the other consulted a friend from the Xuan Sect. From this friend, they learned shocking news: the Xuan Sect had once attempted to trade a Ninth-Rank Treasure—the Black Steel Mountain Seal—for the warship, but Fang Lie refused!

Under normal circumstances, the Black Steel Mountain Seal’s value exceeded a Peak Eighth-Rank large treasure weapon by tenfold. Yet even such an offer was rejected, proving the warship harbored extraordinary secrets.

Though their Xuan Sect contact lacked access to deeper classified information, this revelation alone drove the two Founders to act.

Without hesitation, they began closed-door training to refine the treasure and uncover its mysteries. If the gains proved substantial, they would keep it. Otherwise, returning it to Fang Lie later remained an option.

They callously ignored how forced refinement would damage the original owner’s soul—viewing this as a fitting lesson for Fang Lie.

Their training wouldn’t conclude quickly. Severing Fang Lie’s connection to the Peak Eighth-Rank treasure required months of effort from both Semi-Immortals, followed by specialized methods to claim ownership.

Typically, Eighth-Rank Treasures possessed strong spiritual allegiance to their Sects, making them incompatible with opposing factions like the Demonic Path.

However, with sufficient sacrifice, even these could be subjugated. A Semi-Immortal could expend Original Essence Blood and primordial purple energy from their Purple Palace to force ownership—though at great cost. An ordinary Eighth-Rank Treasure might drain a century of cultivation, while a Peak Eighth-Rank large treasure like the Netherworld Ghost Fire could devour millennia.

Fortunately, the Ximen family clan possessed secret techniques to mitigate losses. Working together, the two Founders split the toll, each sacrificing only three to five hundred years of cultivation—a severe but acceptable price for a potential Ninth-Rank Treasure.

Lost cultivation could be replenished with spirit pills, but Ninth-Rank Treasures were irreplaceable. Greed thus blinded them completely.

With both Founders secluded, Ximen Qingdong faced dire straits. Without Semi-Immortal intervention, Fang Lie posed an insurmountable threat. Qingdong knew ordinary Thunder Tribulation Immortals stood no chance against a hundred Fang Lies.

Twenty-five years prior, Fang Lie had clashed with Zhu Xian and slain three Thunder Tribulation Immortals single-handedly. Though two fell to disposable treasures, the third died by Fang Lie’s own hand—a feat demanding respect, even if achieved through ambush.

After a quarter-century of growth, Fang Lie’s current strength was unimaginable. Qingdong dared not confront him alone.

Unable to rouse the Founders or tolerate Fang Lie’s rampage, Qingdong resolved to deploy Ninth-Rank Treasures—the only means to counter Fang Lie’s invincibility.

But Ninth-Rank Treasures were clan lifelines, requiring collective approval. Qingdong urgently summoned all Thunder Tribulation Elders for deliberation.

The crisis spurred swift action. Nearly all Thunder Tribulation Elders gathered promptly, approving the deployment of two Ninth-Rank Treasures. Two late-stage Thunder Tribulation experts were tasked with hunting Fang Lie at the trading town.

Despite their haste, bureaucratic delays consumed half an hour. By their arrival, Fang Lie had long fled, leaving devastation in his wake.

The once-thriving town now lay in ruins. Devoid of protective Formations, it had been easy prey. Dozens of Fang Lies summoned tens of thousands of Fire Birds, engulfing the settlement in a sea of flames.

With his partial innate Five Elements Dao Body, Fang Lie’s fire-element spells reached monstrous potency. Flames reduced everything—plants, wooden structures, even stone walls—to molten sludge.

When the Ximen Elders arrived, only a smoldering magma pit remained. The sight horrified them.

Establishing such a town demanded a Spiritual Vein’s energy eye, fortified foundations, Formations, Divine Lightning Towers, and structures built from low-grade spiritual materials. The investment spanned millennia, accumulating priceless value.

Overnight, Fang Lie erased ten thousand years of effort—a loss rivaling the destruction of an Eighth-Rank Treasure.

The black-robed Elder trembled with rage. "Curse Fang Lie! The Ximen clan will never rest until he’s dead!"

His companion sighed bitterly. "Qingdong seized his treasures and killed him once. Even if we sought peace now, Fang Lie would refuse. Was humiliating ourselves by bullying a junior worth this catastrophe?"

"Qingdong’s actions were dishonorable," the black-robed Elder snapped, "but Fang Lie went too far! Theft and murder are one thing—why burn everything? This town took ten millennia to build!"

"Fang Lie knew its value," the other replied. "By destroying it, he declares total war. There’s no turning back."

"Let him try!" the black-robed Elder roared. "We’ll split up and slaughter every Fang Lie we find. Let’s see how he dares challenge the Ximen clan!"

The pair separated to search.

Their strategy bore fruit when the black-robed Elder recalled a renowned celestial peach orchard nearby—a sprawling grove of ten thousand fifth-rank spirit peach trees, prized for alchemy and trade.

He arrived to find two Fang Lies torching the land after uprooting every tree. Spirit-rich soil, worth fortunes per mu, crackled under infernal flames.

Spotting the Elder through his Twin Eyes of Heaven and Earth, Fang Lie charged recklessly. Without a word, he unleashed a green Sword Ray—Mo Qianxun’s Semi-Immortal Sword Energy!

Knowing he couldn’t match a late-stage Thunder Tribulation Immortal alone, Fang Lie led with his ultimate move. Yet the Elder smirked, summoning an azure mirror. A blue flash erased the Sword Ray and shattered both Fang Lies instantly—proof of the Ninth-Rank Treasure’s might.

"Arrogant brat!" the Elder sneered. "Mo Qianxun’s Sword Energy is nothing before the Azure Ancient Mirror!"

As he prepared to depart triumphant, a message Sword Ray pierced his complacency. Reading it, his triumph twisted into fury.

"The bastard’s attacking our spirit stone mines now?! I’ll slaughter every last clone!" Howling, he vanished in a streak of teleportation light.