Chapter 1663: The Despicable Villain
The cultivators who handed invitation letters to Gongzi Yan were not limited to Li Miaohan alone; there were dozens of them, each backed by significant origins.
A Golden Armored Imperial Guard held a black box and presented it forward, saying, "The Crown Prince of the Imperial Ancestor has prepared a banquet and invites you for a meeting. This is a gift of introduction, and we hope you will accept it."
Gongzi Yan did not take the black box. Smiling, he replied, "I have long admired the Crown Prince of the Imperial Ancestor. There is no need for a gift. In the future, Yan will surely visit in person."
Other outstanding talents from top-tier powerful realms stepped forward to offer invitation letters, but Gongzi Yan politely declined each one.
Just as all the cultivators assumed Gongzi Yan would accept Li Miaohan's invitation, the appearance of Wang Xu and Qing Liaoya stirred another wave of commotion in the area.
From a distance, Wang Xu laughed loudly, "Brother Yan, why are you so late? Zi and the others have been waiting for you for a long time."
Qing Liaoya slightly cupped his hands and smiled, "Brother Yan, you really are too slow this time. Wang Tian and Qiong Lin arrived before you, and even Da Xi Wang, who is never punctual, is already seated at the banquet. If you don't come soon, the wine will go cold!"
Seeing Wang Xu and Qing Liaoya, Gongzi Yan cupped his hands in apology to Li Miaohan and the others, then walked over, saying, "I received the news and came immediately, but I ran into some small troubles on the way, which delayed me. Let's go. If I don't hurry, fellows like Shang Zi and Wang Tian will probably fine me at least three cups."
The Heavenly Beginning Fairy had sent her proud disciple to invite Gongzi Yan for a gathering, yet he had refused. Watching Gongzi Yan's retreating figure, countless cultivators found it unbelievable.
But when they considered that those inviting Gongzi Yan were figures like Shang Zi, Wang Tian, Qiong Lin, and Da Xi Wang, everyone understood.
Zhang Ruochen stood in the distance, inconspicuous, gazing at Wang Xu and Qing Liaoya. He noticed that the auras emanating from them were extremely powerful, surpassing his own, and they had likely both reached the Three-Step Saint King realm.
"Their rate of improvement is astonishingly fast?" Zhang Ruochen felt some pressure.
In the competition with top-tier prodigies, it truly was a case of not advancing meaning regression.
While you progress, others progress too. If you fall behind by even one step, others will surpass you.
However, there was no helping it. Wang Xu and Qing Liaoya could both enter the Inner Four Courtyards, where the sacred fruits and herbs they picked were certainly more precious, allowing their cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. Moreover, given their identities, if they wanted sacred fruits and herbs to boost their cultivation, they didn't necessarily have to pick them personally.
The Fengshen Platform Assembly was filled with countless opportunities. The lower one's cultivation realm, the greater the improvement.
Conversely, those with higher cultivation realms found it more difficult to advance.
For example:
A powerhouse at the Five-Step Saint King realm had hundreds of thousands of sacred dao rules within them. Swallowing a sacred fruit like the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit would only add a few hundred sacred fruit rules, making the improvement negligible.
Only sacred herbs with an age of fifty thousand years or more could stir their interest.
The Eight-Armed Spider King said, "Now do you understand the power of the Heavenly Realm Faction? Even the leader of the Space Divine Temple must maintain good relations with them. Although the Heavenly Track Realm is at the bottom of the Heavenly Realm Faction, one must consider the master before striking the dog. How could the Heavenly Realm not stand up for him?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Spider King, there's no need to persuade us further. No matter how great the power of the Heavenly Realm Faction, they cannot cover the sky with one hand. This is the Fengshen Platform; everything must follow the rules of the Truth Divine Temple."
The Eight-Armed Spider King knew he couldn't afford to provoke the Heavenly Realm Faction. He sighed lightly, stopped trying to persuade them, and took his leave.
Zhang Ruochen did not fight battles without certainty. Since he intended to sell those Saint King prisoners from the Heavenly Realm Faction, he naturally had to make some preparations.
First, Zhang Ruochen used spatial distortion to set up a small spatial maze formation around the stall. Then, he carved spatial inscriptions at specific locations, setting up one spatial trap after another.
He had studied the technique of creating spatial traps before, but at that time, his cultivation was too low to set them up.
After making the necessary preparations, Zhang Ruochen also set up a small spatial teleportation array beneath the stall. This way, they could advance or retreat, ensuring they remained in an invincible position.
Of course, before selling those Saint King prisoners, they first needed to trade for the sacred fruits and herbs they required.
Xiang Chunan sorted through the treasures left behind by the vendor from the Heavenly Track Realm and sighed, "What a bunch of junk. Apart from that forty-thousand-year-old Jianglan Grass, there's nothing worth mentioning."
He bundled up the cloth mat and tossed it aside.
Then, Xiang Chunan took out the treasures he had picked from the Fengshen Platform, one by one, and placed them on the stall. He also set up a sign that read: "Exchange for body-tempering sacred fruits and herbs."
Zhang Ruochen took out one-third of the sacred herbs he had picked from the underground cave and gave them to Xiang Chunan.
Next, he laid out a cloth mat beside Xiang Chunan and placed some of his sacred herbs and fruits on it.
Xiang Chunan glanced over and immediately changed his expression. "Brother Ruochen, how did you pick so many sacred fruits?"
In truth, the sacred fruits Zhang Ruochen had put out for sale were only one-fifth of what he had on him.
If he had taken out everything, Xiang Chunan would probably have felt despair.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "I have a few types of sacred fruits here that can temper the body. Do you want me, as your big brother, to give them to you?"
Xiang Chunan was tempted, but since he also wanted to be the big brother, he had to act with some backbone. "No need. The gains from this Fengshen Platform Assembly will determine the rankings of us three brothers. If you end up losing to me, you'll definitely use this as an excuse to renege. Let's trade fairly. As it happens, your big brother here has a few sacred herbs for boosting cultivation."
After Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan exchanged sacred fruits and herbs, they sat cross-legged, refining and absorbing them while waiting for other cultivators to come and trade.
The vendor from the Heavenly Track Realm, Yang Xu, returned.
Behind Yang Xu was a group of formidable young men and women, all with sharp eyes, causing the cultivators setting up stalls nearby to feel uneasy.
"It's them. They violated the rules of the Truth Divine Temple, not only severely injuring me but also stealing my treasures."
Yang Xu pointed at the cloth mat beside Xiang Chunan's left leg and said, "That cloth mat contains all my treasures."
One of the top powerhouses of the Heavenly Track Realm, Fang Lingqian, had clearly come to stand up for Yang Xu. He said coldly, "You two are truly audacious, disregarding the rules of the Truth Divine Temple. Do you know what the consequences will be?"
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged, still refining the medicinal power of the sacred herbs.
Xiang Chunan, however, had a fiery temper. He glared at Yang Xu and roared, "What kind of bullshit are you spouting? You were the one who left this junk here. I didn't steal anything from you. Besides, with your meager possessions, I, Grandpa Xiang, wouldn't even bother with them."
This time, Yang Xu was not afraid of Xiang Chunan, because behind him stood a group of powerhouses from the Heavenly Realm Faction, giving him confidence. "So you're a coward who bullies the weak. You stole it, but you don't dare admit it."
"Coward?"
Xiang Chunan was furious, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking.
Behind Yang Xu and Fang Lingqian, a Saint King from the Angel Clan with four white wings saw the sacred herbs and fruits on Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan's stall and was very tempted. He said, "This is, after all, the Free Trade Zone. I think it's best to settle this privately. We're not unreasonable people; we'll give you a way out. How about this: you two hand over the sacred fruits and herbs on the cloth mat and kneel to apologize to Yang Xu, and this matter will be over."
Yang Xu's emotions were volatile. "We can't let them off so easily."
That Angel Clan Saint King said, "Forget it. One must learn to forgive and forget."
Fang Lingqian calmed Yang Xu's emotions and said, "This is, after all, the Fengshen Platform, under the jurisdiction of the Truth Divine Temple. Let's not go too far."
Since even Fang Lingqian and that Angel Clan Saint King said so, Yang Xu had no choice but to endure his resentment. "Aren't you two going to come up and kneel to apologize?"
"You people are truly arrogant. Kneel and apologize? Let me tell you, you've already angered Grandpa Xiang."
Xiang Chunan stepped on the safe point of the spatial maze formation and walked toward Yang Xu, extending a large hand through the air, ready to capture him.
Once he caught him, he wouldn't let him off as easily as last time.
This man was too treacherous, making Xiang Chunan feel extreme disgust.
Moreover, the conduct of this group from the Heavenly Realm Faction deeply repulsed Xiang Chunan. Even allowing them to kneel and apologize was considered a mercy, showing just how domineering and overbearing they usually were.
It was a pride ingrained in their bones, looking down on beings from other major worlds as if they were lowly insects.
"How dare you! You still dare to strike?"
Fang Lingqian roared, his arm covered in scales, his five fingers transforming into five ferocious and powerful sacred beasts, extending claws to form a storm of sacred power.
Among the cultivators of the Heavenly Track Realm in the Truth Heaven Domain, Fang Lingqian's strength was enough to rank in the top three. Only the leader of the Heavenly Track Realm could suppress him.
With his Five-Step Saint King realm cultivation, he truly didn't take a reckless fool like this seriously.
But when Xiang Chunan's large hand struck, Fang Lingqian's expression changed drastically. He immediately struck out with his other hand, sending five more giant beasts flying from his fingertips.
"Roar!"
Ten sacred beasts hovered in the void, each with the power of a Five-Step Saint King, radiating a sacred dao might that seemed capable of suppressing all directions of heaven and earth.
This showed that although Fang Lingqian was at the Five-Step Saint King realm, with his formidable strength, even if he fought ten Five-Step Saint Kings, he might not necessarily lose.
At the same realm, one person could fight a group.
Just as Yang Xu sneered inwardly, thinking Xiang Chunan would be suppressed—
The ten sacred beasts hovering in midair were all shattered by a single palm strike from Xiang Chunan. Even Fang Lingqian was caught by his large hand and dragged into the spatial maze formation.
Xiang Chunan grabbed Fang Lingqian's body with one hand and mocked, "With such weak cultivation, you didn't even think to weigh yourself first before standing up for others?"