As the young master stepped higher onto the ceremonial platform, Fang Xing raised his head ever so slightly and carefully observed him. It was indeed a very young-looking man with a lotus flower between his brows wearing a robe adorned in a blue pattern that looked like stars had been woven into his clothing. He also didn’t look thirty-five years old, either, seemingly no more than three or four older than Fang Xing himself. He was expressionless but extremely handsome, with a physique that was slender and tall and movements that were filled with elegance and grace.

　　‘So this is the young master of the hidden royal Huangfu clan from the Blackwater Lakeside? The number one top elite of Jambu, the person who left his name on the Monument Slab with a rank within the Big Dipper? The perfect man in the eyes of countless women, the idol of countless men, and the person I need to kill!’

　　As the young master moved closer, Fang Xing took a deep breath. When the young master had nearly arrived, he suddenly put down his grapes, took the plate holding a jar of wine from the maid beside him, and walked up with a light smile.

　　The smile on Fang Xing’s face was so natural and innocent, his gaze filled with nothing but joy and excitement. “You must have been tired, Young Master. Please, enjoy this glass of wine….” Fang Xing held the plate above his head while half-kneeling in front of the young master. The action had been so completely unexpected the maid who’d originally been in charge of this wine was so terrified her face began to pale.

　　Even the protocol officer and the head maids in charge of training were all quietly surprised. These maids with fresh flowers, rare fruits, and fine wine had only been intended as a demonstration while the young master made the rounds as ancient custom. In such a short distance and time from the bottom of the platform to the top, the young master certainly wouldn’t be so hungry as to have some grapes or glass of wine, and he’d be even less likely to behave like one of those people from the ordinary realm by drawing a flower beneath his nose to smell it and show off his romantic side.

　　Despite all of this, Fang Xing stepping forward in such a manner didn’t seem strange at all. The soldiers and servants were full of smiles and excitement right now, and with such an innocent smile and look of joy on Fang Xing’s face and eyes, it didn’t seem fake whatsoever—as though it had all been planned in advance. It was so natural even Huangfu Qielan on the ceremonial platform believed it had been specifically organized by the protocol officer and didn’t feel any concern.

　　“Huangfu’s young master is indeed a dragon amongst us ordinary men….”

　　“We shall congratulate the young master ahead of time for his great future prospects and potential in Videha….”

　　There were plenty of cultivators in the crowd sucking up to him with loud voices. In mere moments, everything seemed to be extremely lively and even the soldiers of the Huangfu clan could not help but to wear proud smiles on their faces. While everyone was smiling, the young master bowed in all directions with a smile of his own before taking up the glass of wine. “Let us drink for the victory!” The young master raised the glass to his lips with both hands and tilted back his head to empty the glass of wine.

　　Everyone in the the crowd shouted their approval, and the atmosphere seemingly reached a great peak. Even Huangfu Qielan let out a long sigh while thinking how much more graceful this generation’s young master was compared to how he’d been in his youth. This child’s fortune was perhaps even more so; not only had he attained such an amazing cultivation level at such a young age, he’d even been able to come across such a great event as the Mysterious Coffin. Perhaps he really would achieve something great in Videha and help the Huangfu clan achieve their long-term wish of returning there as well….

　　Some dozens of miles away from the temporary palace, four grand elders of the Snowy Mountains were watching from afar in the air. After a long time had passed, they shook their heads and wondered at such a great talent that had appeared in the current generation of the Huangfu clan; not only was the Huangfu clan’s good fortune not going to end, but it was going to prosper even more going forward. It would still be very difficult for the Jambu cultivators to escape the control of the Huangfu clan….

　　Fang Xing continued to half-kneel in front of the Huangfu clan’s young master. He watched the young master hold up his wine glass, revealing the clean, ivory-white bare neck beneath his long sleeves. A murderous look appeared in Fang Xing’s gaze, and the Qi that he’d been suppressing this entire time to avoid the notice of the Golden Core masters like Huangfu Qielan began to rise like crazy.

　　Tchh ….

　　As the Qi flowed out with such crazy movements, the disguise on Fang Xing’s head immediately tore open and exploded, sending the pieces out into the surroundings. Fang Xing’s true appearance was revealed as he jumped up and instantly flourished his hands, causing a giant black longsword three times the length and width of an ordinary one to appear. Its appearance was extremely ugly and old, but the malice it gave off was unusually heavy….

　　Fang Xing let out a loud shout and struck out with the giant black sword, aiming right for the young master’s neck. At this moment, his Qi was burning ten times faster than usual, akin to using up all of his power for a single sword strike. There was even a tint of black demonic Qi that would appear from time to time above his head—the materialization of the demonic spirit that had contaminated his foundation—as well as an abundance of purple within the blackness….

　　Mid-quality Purple Foundation! Peak of mid-Foundation Stage!

　　The sword strike’s enormous power sucked up all of his Qi in an instant. Within this attack was the nameless skill the giant black Sword Embryo had given to him, one he’d been studying day in and day out. It was a technique specifically designed for close-range attacks, similar to the martial arts found in the ordinary realm.

　　After studying it for several days, Fang Xing had started to realize how difficult it truly was. He studied it day and night, yet it had simply been too difficult and there wasn’t much progress. At a time like this, however, he couldn’t care anymore; for the fight of his life, he had to perform this technique at all costs

　　At this moment, he was completely focused on killing, and his heart and mind were one. It was the most perfect strike he’d ever executed since the day he started studying this technique. The amount of power contained within this strike had already surpassed any attack that could be performed by a Foundation Stage cultivator.

　　There was nearly no moment of time between when Fang Xing decided to act and when the sword landed—within a flash, the sword struck flesh and the blade’s sharp chill seeped into that neck.

　　It was only at this time that the young master began to show surprise. Since when had his own maid become such a strange person trying to kill him with a sword, even though people with power like his couldn’t be harmed from such an attack? Even if someone was going to try to assassinate him, was this really the right time….? It was even less likely someone would be able to pretend to be another person without him noticing in the first place! However, he didn’t have much time to think about such things.

　　The young master let out a loud growl, and the wine glass in his hands was thrown at Fang Xing while his left hand formed a seal. The shape of a Black Tortoise ¹ appeared in his palm and he moved it so its sturdy shell could block the giant black sword aiming towards his neck. The index and middle finger on his right hand closed into the shape of a sword and pointed at Fang Xing’s chest while filling with sword intent, as though it was an actual real and sharp sword.

　　Even in such a dire situation like this, he was still able to perform two extremely powerful spells simultaneously, defending and attacking at the same time while showing off his great battle prowess without holding back. In his mind, even one of these two techniques would be enough to resolve the current situation, but he was facing against a maddened Fang Xing with the singular goal of removing his head….

　　Boom ….

　　Fang Xing didn’t care at all even when that sharp finger sword pierced towards his chest, and his eyes were round as he continued to gather Qi into the giant black sword heading towards the young master’s neck. Fang Xing poured all of his anger and hatred as it struck, the power so great it was as though it could slay the gods and Buddha of the upper realm.

　　Bang ….

　　The Black Tortoise’s shell shattered without even delaying Fang Xing’s sword.

　　The giant sword continued without pausing after breaking the shell. It sliced through half of the young master’s hand before sliding directly into his neck. The young master’s attack pierced through Fang Xing’s chest and left a bloodied hole at the same time, yet such a terrifying wound didn’t even cause Fang Xing to twitch his eyebrows—his face was filled with nothing but viciousness and excitement.

　　Pfff ….

　　The giant black sword swept past the young master’s neck, forever freezing his gaze and expression….

　　“Don’t mess with me!”

　　Fang Xing let out a loud shout once his attacked finished, his voice ringing out like a grand bell filled with unmatched power. He didn’t delay for even a second and—before landing after his attack—he grabbed the hair of the young master before taking off into the sky with a flash of golden wings on his back. A giant crow suddenly dashed out from within the crowd and the two of them flew up alongside a black flag.

　　The entire scene was simply too astonishing, and all of the surrounding cultivators were frozen stiff with shock as though being grasped by an invisible and terrifyingly large hand. Even the Golden Core guardian Huangfu Qielan who’d been overlooking all of this was frozen for two breaths of time; it wasn’t until blood began to spray up into the sky from the young master’s neck like some kind of fountain that he realized what had happened….

　　The young master’s blood splashed all over the red carpet, making it extremely unsightly, all while that loud voice continued to echo off the surrounding mountains….

　　“Don’t mess with me….”

　　“Don’t mess with me….”

　　“Don’t mess with me….”