Chapter 966: Storm Winds Gather!
The main hall in the Fang Clan’s ancestral mansion on Planet East Victory was packed tightly with members of the Fang Clan. Virtually all areas of the ancestral mansion were occupied, and there were even some who could not squeeze in and were left outside.
All of the alchemists in the Dao of Alchemy Division, and all of the apprentice alchemists, were all staring intently.
In addition to the Fang Clan, other powerful factions and cultivators on Planet East Victory had learned of Meng Hao and were now waiting.
In fact, in virtually all of the various sects and clans in the Ninth Mountain and Sea, people were looking on, waiting to find out exactly what kind of person could so capture the attention and estimation of all the famous, newly ascended true Immortals.
Meng Hao hadn’t even emerged yet, but his fame had already spread throughout all of the Ninth Mountain and Sea.
People watched closely as Fang Wei sat cross-legged outside the main temple. Finally, he slowly raised his head, and his eyes gleamed with incredible coldness as he looked at the temple hall.
It was at this point that the Grand Elder, after a long moment of silence, resolutely waved his right hand. Rumbling sounds could be heard as a huge vortex appeared.
The vortex spun and then rose higher, rising up out of the main temple hall, high up into the air to where everyone could see it.
“The ancestral land is opening! Fang Hao is going to come out!”
“What’s the point of him even coming out? Prince Wei wants him dead, so he’ll die for sure!”
“It’s too bad. His bloodline is stronger than Fang Wei’s, and their latent talent is about the same, but in terms of reaching true Immortality, he was just a bit too slow…. Once you fall behind even one bit, you’ll be left behind at every step. And that’s not even to mention advancing from true Immortality into the Ancient Realm in the future.”
The crowds were abuzz, and Fang Xi stood among them, fists clenched, expression anxious as he panted. However, he continued to have faith that Meng Hao would pull off a miracle!
“Fang Hao, Coz, you have to win!”
Fang Wei’s expression was calm, but his eyes flickered with killing intent, and his desire to do battle grew stronger. Everyone could see as his gaze shifted over to the vortex like a drawn dagger.
He had waited for this day for a long time, and it was finally here. He was going to make sure that the whole Fang Clan, and all of the sects and clans of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, knew that Fang Wei was the Chosen of this generation! He, Fang Wei, was the future pillar of the Fang Clan!
The humiliation he had endured during the rise of the East Ascension Sun would now be thoroughly avenged!
“Fang Hao, you are merely a stepping stone beneath my feet. Your only function is for me to step upon you as I climb to the top!” His expression was one of arrogance, and his heart filled with coldness. His killing intent grew only more intense, and he looked like a sharp, glinting sword!
At this point, time seemed to have frozen, and the entire world grew silent. Innumerable gazes were fixed upon the exit to the ancestral land!
As the vortex up in midair slowly rotated, it suddenly began to gleam with brilliant light like a sparkling body of water, and a figure appeared in the shimmering depths.
As soon as the figure appeared, countless eyes went wide, and people began to hold their breaths. Fang Wei’s killing intent reached a pinnacle, causing rumbling to fill the sky. It almost seemed as if the temperature had instantly dropped!
Soon everyone began to gape. The person they were all looking at, the person emerging from the vortex… was an old man with long gray hair. He walked out excitedly, as if he had just emerged unscathed from a deadly crisis. He was trembling, as if he had experienced untold terrors in the ancestral land. He looked as though he had been holding innumerable anxieties within him, but was now able to relax. At the same time, he seemed slightly uneasy, as if he held a gloomy outlook on his own future.
“That’s not Fang Hao, that’s….”
“That’s Elder Fang Shuiyun!”
“Why is he walking out of the ancestral land!?”
The Fang Clan members gaped in shock.
When Fang Xiushan saw the old man, he stared in shock. Then his face flickered slightly. The Grand Elder’s brow suddenly furrowed.
After the old man appeared, he looked around at the crowds of clan members, and gaped. Then he saw Fang Wei sitting there cross-legged, and instantly sensed his true Immortality.
“He… reached true Immortal Ascension. Ah, Fang Xiushan… now I understand!” The old man’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared fiercely at Fang Xiushan.
“Fang Xiushan,” he barked, “things aren’t finished between us! I won’t rest until one of us is dead!” His words caused a collective gasp to rise up from the crowds. Nobody could figure out exactly what Elder Fang Shuiyun was talking about.
However, before any of them could begin to discuss the matter, the vortex behind the old man rippled, and other figures emerged. Three people walked out amidst glittering light.
None of them were Meng Hao!
The appearance of these three men resulted in further astonishment on the part of the surrounding clan members. They were also clan Elders! Everyone was bewildered, and thoughtful looks began to appear in their eyes as they began to speculate why all of these Elders would emerge from the ancestral land. Everyone had assumed that it would be Meng Hao who came out.
As soon as the three men emerged, they looked at Fang Wei, now clearly in the Immortal Realm, and then turned angrily toward Fang Xiushan. Voices icy, they spoke wrathfully, in much the same manner as the first old man, as if their resentment was now carved into their hearts, and even into their bones.
“Fang Xiushan! You deserve to die a horrible death!”
“You had better give us a good explanation, Fang Xiushan, otherwise you’re finished!”
“Fang Xiushan, how could you con us in this way!? I will never forget this enmity!”
It wasn’t that they couldn’t hold their tongues. However, everything that had happened with Meng Hao had left them completely shaken. Based on their cultivation bases and levels of wisdom, it was obvious to them that that if they made too much of this matter, the result would be unfavorable to them.
And yet… after the ancestral land had reopened, they had planned to use a special method prepared for them by Fang Xiushan to secretly make their escape. That method was not one that utilized the main exit. Imagine their rage when they found out that Fang Xiushan’s special method… didn’t work at all!
They immediately realized that Fang Xiushan had planned for them to die all along. Whether or not they succeeded in killing Meng Hao, when they emerged from the vortex, their punishment for entering the ancestral land without authorization should be death.
In their minds, Fang Xiushan had certainly thought of some way to escape responsibility. At first, none of them were sure exactly how he planned to do it. However, after bracing themselves and emerging through the exit, they sensed that Fang Wei had reached the Immortal Realm, and then everything became clear.
Because of Fang Wei becoming a true Immortal, Fang Xiushan, being his father, would definitely be able to extricate himself from any punishment.
Therefore, all of them spontaneously decided to wholeheartedly denounce Fang Xiushan!
This was why all of them emerged from the vortex, looked at Fang Wei, then turned and spoke wrathful words to Fang Xiushan.
Fang Xiushan’s face flickered yet again. He had personally requested assistance from all of these men in his efforts to kill Meng Hao. According to his original plan, when the ancestral land reopened, they should have been able to use his special method to successfully leave without going through the exit.
However, things had progressed beyond his control. Then these newly emerged Elders suddenly said what they did. Fang Xiushan’s face darkened, and his eyes narrowed coldly.
It was at this point that the Grand Elder flicked his sleeve.
“Enough. The clan will handle this matter later. Stand down, all of you!” The Elders who had just emerged from the vortex looked hatefully over at Fang Xiushan. However, fearful of the Grand Elder, all of them backed down.
In the same moment that the four of them stepped back, the vortex glittered once again, and all eyes once again swiveled over. Fang Wei also frowned and looked over.
However… as the vortex swirled, two figures emerged. Yet again, neither of them were Meng Hao. Instead, they were Fang Daohong and Fang Linhe. Originally, they had planned to wait for Meng Hao inside of the ancestral land. However, once the exit opened, and before either of them could react, a powerful wind had sprung up and swept them out of the Misty Heaven Vault. When they emerged, they found themselves directly in front of the exit.
As soon as they emerged, all eyes were fixed upon them.
“I can’t believe it’s not Fang Hao!”
“Interesting. There were actually six clan Elders in the ancestral land. How did they get in? And… what exactly was their purpose inside?!”
“Fang Hao was also in the ancestral land. Could it be… that these elders were there to harm him in some way?”
Of course, many of the clan members were intelligent people, and it didn’t take long for them to analyze the situation and come to an approximately correct conclusion.
That was especially true of the members of the direct bloodline, who were furious. Many of their Elders stepped forward, including Meng Hao’s 19th Uncle. All of them were enraged, and a rare killing intent toward their own clan members could be seen in their eyes.
Fang Xiushan smiled coldly, as if he didn’t care about what was happening at all. If Fang Wei hadn’t become a true Immortal, then all of these things would result in a heavy punishment for him. However, considering things had turned out the way they had, it was a different matter.
“Considering I’m being protected by the Sixth Patriarch, what can a single, piddling Fang Hao possibly count for!?” thought Fang Xiushan, calming his heart. Standing next to him was Fang Wei’s grandfather, who frowned slightly but said nothing.
Fang Daohong and Fang Linhe scanned the crowd silently. They did not berate Fang Xiushan, but rather, sat down cross-legged just outside the vortex, completely ignoring everyone.
This scene filled quite a few hearts with shock. The Grand Elder’s eyes widened; even he felt as if something strange was going on.
Time passed, enough for an incense stick to burn.
Suddenly, the vortex spun once again. This time, it was completely different from the previous times. Rumbling like thunder could be heard as a tall, slender figure slowly began to step out.
Before he could completely emerge, the sky above Planet East Victory filled with tempestuous lightning. Roaring sounds echoed out, as clouds piled on top of each other. Massive Tribulation Clouds had appeared in the blink of an eye.
These Tribulation Clouds were shocking to the extreme. Anyone who looked at them couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed with disbelief and shock. The reason was that these Tribulation Clouds were simply gargantuan!
They covered all of Planet East Victory!
From out in the starry sky, it looked as if Planet East Victory had turned into one giant mass of clouds. All of the Ninth Mountain and Sea was shaken as… the area covered by the Tribulation Clouds… continued to grow!
Fan Dong’er. Fang Wei. All of the other Chosen who had just stepped into true Immortality had never provoked Heaven-shattering, Earth-shaking Tribulation Clouds like this!
Compared to these Tribulation Clouds, the Tribulation Clouds they had faced were like childrens’ toys!
“W-w-what kind of Tribulation is that!?!?”
That was the question running through the trembling minds of all the observing cultivators.