Plundering the Heavens

Fang Xing urgently flew away without any willingness to turn back, as though unable to bear the red dragon’s pained cries. His expression was filled with anxiousness, and he flew faster and faster to leave the Hentian clan’s gathering location without a care for anything else. Just as he was about to leave the entrance gate, however, a cloud hurriedly flew up from below, and the person standing on that cloud with a dark expression was none other than Hentian Qing.

“Xing Fang! Stop! I have something to speak to you about!” Hentian Qing had lost the arrogance she showed during their first meeting and was no longer filled with hatred towards him either. She had a dark expression on her slightly pale face and was wearing female clothing now, and she quietly stood atop the cloud while waiting for Fang Xing to turn around.

Her mind was filled with great complexity and all manner of ideas, such that she didn’t even know where to begin except to wait for Fang Xing to turn. Unexpectedly, however, Fang Xing didn’t even seem to hear her; he continued to ride his cloud like a bolt of lightning and was five miles away in mere moments.

“How dare you ignore me!” Hentian Qing received a huge blow when she realized this, and she abruptly began chasing after him atop her own cloud. “Bastard, I’m talking to you! Stop now!”

“What has happened, Eldest Young Master?”

A Golden Core wearing a yellow robe came up from the side—the mid-tier Exalt, Huang Yan. He’d watched over Hentian Qing while she was growing up and could even be considered her guardian, and he’d also been at her side during her first meeting with Fang Xing. He’d received orders to stand guard ten miles out from the clan’s gathering spot to prevent any unexpected problems at the moment, and he just happened to see this scene.

“Come and help me, Exalt Huang! Chase after that bastard!” Hentian Qing immediately called out with great urgency. She might not be able to catch up by herself, but Exalt Huang with his Golden Core Stage cultivation certainly could.

Exalt Huang had also seen Fang Xing flying away earlier, but he felt rather troubled when he realized Hentian Qing wanted him to give chase. He’d heard about the matter between Hentian Qing and Fang Xing, so he showed a troubled expression and replied, “Don’t fault me for speaking too freely, Eldest Young Master. This Exalt Xing has contributed greatly to the clan and also unveiled the Vermillion Bird’s disguise, contributing a great meritorious service. He has been granted great status by the Head Exalt; Young Master, it is best you don’t… quarrel with him!”

Hentian Qing stomped her foot. “Who said I’m going to quarrel with him? I wanted to catch up to that bastard and ask something, yet after I took the initiative to speak with him, he showed such arrogance as to dare not to respond. Hurry and go help me catch up to him!”

Exalt Huang was a little taken aback, but he was able to hear something a bit different in her words so he quickly nodded. “I understand.” With a wave of his sleeve, a cloud formed within the clear sky and picked up Hentian Qing as well before they took off towards where Fang Xing had gone.

Fang Xing was focused on his own problems and flying atop his cloud at an extraordinary speed. When he suddenly felt something, he turned around to look and saw a cloud quickly gaining on him from behind with two people standing on top—Exalt Huang Yan from the clan and Eldest Young Miss Hentian Qing, who was wearing female attire today. They were closing in quite quickly, and there was already less than a dozen miles apart.

“Exalt Xing, please wait. Eldest Young Master has something to say!” the Golden Core Stage cultivator called out from the cloud, his voice traveling over ten miles in the process. Fang Xing’s gaze only chilled, however, and he increased his speed while coldly retorting, “I’m busy; I have no time to listen to you talk!”

“Bastard, you stop right there!” Hentian Qing couldn’t help but to yell out again when he didn’t yield. “Aren’t you just so impressive you even dared to make Daddy force me to marry you? Why do you not have the courage to speak to me today? Unless you don’t even dare to see me without your red dragon? Exalt Huang, help me catch him; I’ve got things to ask!”

Hentian Qing’s words were anxious and filled with complex emotions. Exalt Huang understood, so he flew out without refusing. “Exalt Xing, my apologies in advance. You and the eldest young master are young people, so it’s best to talk things out!” With this, his body flickered and he crossed the skies in a flash to arrive behind Fang Xing. With a swing of his palm, a giant hand appeared nearly covering the entire sky as it swept towards Fang Xing, and although the tiny cloud Fang Xing was riding on looked to have nowhere to escape, the giant hand didn’t contain any killing intent whatsoever and only intended to pull Fang Xing back.

Fang Xing didn’t show any fear even now. “What’s done has been done. What else is there to say?” A long pair of golden wings ten or so feet long appeared on his back, causing the sky to shake. His body dashed forward like passing light at a speed ten times greater than when he was on his cloud; when Exalt Huang closed his palm, the only thing he managed to grasp was some clouds while Fang Xing’s body flashed over four miles away.

“Nn? Exalt Xing is so fast. What secret flying spell did he just use?” Exalt Huang was a bit surprised and somewhat concerned, and he quickly began chasing atop his cloud once more. Hentian Qing also became more anxious when she saw this and began to yell even louder, “Xing Fang, I dare you not to flee! I have something to ask of you!”

‘Why does Exalt Xing seem to be a bit peculiar? Did the couple have some arguments?’ 

Exalt Huang’s expression was filled with confusion and he increased his speed once more. As an early-stage Golden Core, his battle prowess was considered on the lower end of the clan, but he wouldn’t be willing to listen to Hentian Qing’s orders if this wasn’t the case. Golden Cores were still Golden Cores, after all, and their existence was already above and beyond in comparison to a Foundation Stage. If Fang Xing in Foundation Stage managed to escape despite him going as fast as he could, wouldn’t this become the biggest joke ever?

Fang Xing no longer used a cloud and relied upon his golden wings to travel, while Exalt Huang did his best to catch up. The distance between the two didn’t decrease even after an hour had passed; in fact, it had even increased. Exalt Huang started to worry and feel concerned, but just at that moment, the golden light ahead suddenly slowed down and flew to the ground.

“Although Exalt Xing’s speed is extraordinary, he is still in Foundation Stage; his Qi must be nearly used up….” Exalt Huang let out a sigh of relief before loudly asking, “Exalt Xing, let’s sit down and talk it out. What’s the need in running away?” As he spoke, he lowered his cloud towards Fang Xing’s landing spot.

Fang Xing had landed next to a stone wall near a pool of water so clear it was possible to see the bottom. It was precisely the same location he first met Hentian Qing, and once he arrived, he headed straight towards a moss-covered stone as large as an entire room. He abruptly raised a hand and struck it, and after a few cracking sounds rang out, the giant stone was reduced to shards and smoke began billowing all around. Fang Xing clenched his hand into the smoke, and several storage sacks flew into his grip before he turned around.

“Nn? He hid something here?” Exalt Huang only needed to activate Mystic Eye from afar to see the things Fang Xing held in his hand, and he was immediately astonished when he realized they were storage sacks. This Xing Fang’s valuables were well known within the clan and the sheer number of treasures he’d been able to take out had left everyone in shock, yet he’d actually hid over half a dozen storage sacks here? Could there perhaps be even more valuable treasures inside?

Such a thought left Exalt Huang even more shocked. Based on the clan’s rules, when an Exalt joined, they would need to hand over the resources they brought into the Guixu Ruins from outside based on their tier. Hiding resources in secret would result in a heavy punishment without exception, and he hadn’t expected to unintentionally discover Exalt Xing’s secret. Exalt Huang was confused, though; why had Exalt Xing not avoided him at all? Why had he taken them out so directly right in front of him?

“Xing Fang, you actually hid things here….” Hentian Qing spoke harshly in shock. “You… are you not afraid the elders would punish you?”

“What about the elders? What about your Hentian clan? How dare you try to take your little grandpa’s stuff?” After taking out the storage sacks, Fang Xing flew back up and sat in the lotus position atop a large round stone over seven feet away. He lowered his head and began rummaging through his storage sack to find something, and it was only now that he actually spoke towards Hentian Qing. His voice was wholly indifferent and cold, however, and the words he spoke were also extremely outrageous and shocking.

Hentian Qing was even more dumbstruck. After she regained her senses, her anger grew further and she even forgot the things she wanted to discuss with Fang Xing in the first place. “You… how dare you! Exalt Huang, go and slap his face! Teach him there are some words he shouldn’t say!”

Exalt Huang was similarly shocked. He felt this Exalt Xing was acting quite abnormal, and he slowly walked closer with a darkening expression. “Exalt Xing, please don’t fault me for speaking too much, but secretly hiding resources is one of the biggest taboos within all of the Guixu Ruins. Your status might be special, but you still shouldn’t have done this. Please listen and return to the clan with me immediately and give the secret resources you’ve been hiding to the clan. Perhaps then the punishment won’t be too severe—”

“And if I don’t go?” Fang Xing interrupted without even raising his head.

Exalt Huang’s face chilled. “Then please don’t fault me for offending you!”

Fang Xing reached into his storage sack and pulled out a black sword three times longer, wider, and thicker than an ordinary longsword. He placed it on his back before finally raising his head and looking at Exalt Huang with half a smile. “What abilities do you have to offend me?”

Such disdain left Exalt Huang a bit angry and he coldly replied, “Exalt Xing, I have said all these nice words because the clan master places great importance on you, but you shouldn’t push your luck and force me to attack. I have observed your techniques, and although they seem to be that of the beast kind and are indeed filled with many unexpected changes that make them difficult to predict, I am still a Golden Core. With your battle prowess, you would not be able to stop me if I were to attack!”

“Hahaha….” Fang Xing began to let out a mad laugh when he heard this. He slowly stood up from the stone and tucked all of the storage sacks into his robe before looking towards Exalt Huang with disdain. “Your little grandpa here has studied the path of a Battle Cultivator, and we Battle Cultivators are most proficient in fighting the strong with weaker cultivations. When I was seventh-tier Spirit Stage, I killed someone in Spirit Stage tier nine. When I was in mid-Foundation Stage, I killed someone in late-Foundation Stage and tricked nearly a dozen Golden Cores to their deaths…. And today, your little grandpa here has already mastered Foundation Stage and my strength has increased by who knows how many times. With such an impure golden core like yours, who gave you the courage to dare play mighty in front of me?”

At the end of his speech, Fang Xing’s body suddenly released a murderous aura. “Your little grandpa will wipe out the entire Hentian clan today. Your golden core will be the first sacrifice!”