Chapter 173: The Future of Cultivation in the Eastern Domain

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Future of Cultivation in the Eastern Domain

Many people were speculating about the identities of the young man and woman.

Chu Fan nodded at Jing’an and Lan Bing, then supported Yun Xi as they walked to the head of the hall. Behind him, Liu Yisheng and Che Dagui quickly brought out two chairs.

After helping Yun Xi to her seat, Chu Fan stood before his own chair, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"I’m sure everyone is very curious about my identity. I can say that every single sect present has some grievance with me. As for who I am, I’ll get to that in a moment. Sect Leader Li, to save time, please summon all the Elders from every sect currently in the Cyan Cloud Sect to this hall. Let’s put our heads together and have a proper discussion about the future of Cultivation in the Eastern Domain."

"You’re just a boy! What gives you the right to sit in the seat of honor and order us around?" Hu Jishan pointed at Chu Fan and demanded angrily.

"Sect Leader Hu, don’t be so impatient. In a moment, I’ll show you exactly what right I have," Chu Fan said with a smile.

Aside from a select few, no one recognized Chu Fan or Yun Xi. However, the five people standing behind him were recognized by most of the crowd.

This was especially true for Liu Yicai of the auction house.

As for Liu Yisheng and Qi Biao, quite a few people had dealt with them before.

If people like them could only serve as subordinates walking behind this young man, then what was his true identity?

When had such a person appeared in the Eastern Domain?

Many began to wonder if Chu Fan was a representative propped up by some major power. After all, they couldn’t sense any flow of True Qi from him, yet he had decisively defeated Master Ni just yesterday.

Meanwhile, the woman beside him possessed a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, and she looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

Li Qingyuan immediately instructed his men to follow Chu Fan’s request and summon everyone.

Before long, a total of eighty-five Elders from thirty-nine sects (nine from the Cyan Cloud Sect, and two from each of the others) arrived at the main hall, their faces filled with confusion.

These Elders had seen Chu Fan defeat an Elder from the Celestial Derivation Sect with a single move. They had witnessed with their own eyes as he challenged fifty prodigies by himself. Now, seeing him seated in the place of honor, they were even more bewildered.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chu Fan announced in a clear voice, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Chu Fan. Zhu Pingyong was merely an alias."

As he spoke, Chu Fan reverted to his original appearance, and Yun Xi did the same.

Now at the Nascent Soul Realm, Yun Xi’s aura was even more otherworldly, her beauty beyond description.

However, Yun Xi was no longer the focus of everyone’s attention. Instead, all eyes were on Chu Fan.

’Zhu Pingyong... Chu Fan... "Mediocre"... "Ordinary"... How did we not see it?’

"Chu Fan, die!" The moment Shui Zebo saw Chu Fan’s true face, he launched himself toward him.

Before anyone could react, they saw Shui Zebo get knocked back by a single palm strike from Chu Fan.

"Sect Leader Shui, your temper is as foul as ever," Chu Fan remarked with a faint smile.

"Chu Fan, you slaughtered so many disciples of my sect on Zao Ying Mountain and Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, and you still dare to show your face here?" Yu Haiyuan of the Wuji Sect also roared in anger.

Hu Jishan smirked wickedly. "Chu Fan, you’ve refused the open road to heaven and instead chosen to break down the door to a gateless hell."

Chu Fan smiled back at him and said, "Sect Leader Hu, no need to rush. We’ll settle our accounts one by one."

"I knew it was him. That sword technique he just used on Elder Fan of the Celestial Derivation Sect... he used it at the Celestial Derivation Sect all those years ago," one of the Elders suddenly realized.

The Elder from the Celestial Derivation Sect who had been defeated by Chu Fan now stared with eyes full of terror and hatred, muttering, "It’s really him... It’s really him."

Of everyone present, the three from the Lingyun Sect were perhaps the most stunned.

How could they have ever imagined that the disciple whose meridians had been destroyed, the one they had thrown out, would reach such heights in just a few short years? That he would be able to sway the entire Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm?

Yun Keji, in particular, stared intently at Yun Xi, who was seated beside Chu Fan. But from beginning to end, Yun Xi never once glanced his way.

"If you want the Celestial Derivation Sect to support the unification under the Great Xia, you must first kill Chu Fan. Otherwise, the Celestial Derivation Sect will withdraw immediately," Shui Zebo declared.

Instead of getting angry, Chu Fan laughed. He looked toward the other sects and asked, "And what are your thoughts?"

"The Celestial Sect feels the same!"

"That’s right! Kill Chu Fan, then we can talk about other matters!" Hu Jishan also shouted.

"Kill me? With your strength? Do you really think I’m the same person I was three years ago? Since you don’t approve of the Great Xia unifying the Eastern Domain, then you can leave Taiyue Mountain. There are countless Cultivators in the Eastern Domain. Losing a few of you is of no great consequence," Chu Fan said languidly.

"You insolent whelp! Do you think a disgraced disciple who was cast out has any right to speak on an occasion like this?" Li Mosheng stepped forward, pointing at Chu Fan as he berated him.

SLAP!

In a flash, Liu Yisheng, who had been standing at the very edge of the group, appeared before Li Mosheng and struck him across the face.

At only Soul Emergence Realm Tier Eight, Li Mosheng didn’t dare to voice his anger. He clutched his cheek, glaring viciously at Chu Fan.

"Li Mosheng, don’t be in such a hurry. You and I have a long list of debts to settle. Consider that slap a small price to pay to shut your foul-smelling mouth for a moment. Its stench disgusts me," Chu Fan said, his gaze flashing toward Li Mosheng like lightning.

He then turned his attention to Hu Jishan and Shui Zebo. "Well? Are you still not leaving? Do I need to have my men throw you out?"

Hu Jishan glared back at Chu Fan before turning to the few sect leaders who had remained silent. "What is the meaning of this? Nearly every one of your sects has a grudge against Chu Fan. Are you just going to stand by and watch this monkey wear a crown?"

Shi Yindi replied mockingly, "Hu Jishan, don’t try to muddy the waters. What are personal grudges compared to the future of the entire Eastern Domain? Besides, life-and-death battles while fighting for treasures are common. If our disciples couldn’t compete with Chu Fan, that was due to their own lack of ability. It’s not enough to make him an enemy of our entire sect."

"If that’s the case, then our paths diverge. The Celestial Sect will withdraw from Taiyue Mountain," Hu Jishan said resentfully.

"Indeed. We, the Celestial Derivation Sect, will also withdraw from Taiyue Mountain," Shui Zebo said angrily.

He was self-aware enough to know that he couldn’t possibly incite the other sects to join him. Moreover, the people behind Chu Fan were all at the Divine Separation Realm. How could he possibly kill Chu Fan on his own?

"The Wuji Sect withdraws from Taiyue Mountain," Yu Haiyuan said as well.

"In that case, take your disciples and leave. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. With the Tengxing Grand Assembly making such a commotion, it’s impossible that the Red Blood Mansion hasn’t made preparations. I hope you can make it back to your respective sects safely," Chu Fan said, watching them with a cold smile.

"You’d better worry about yourself! Hmph!" With a flick of his voluminous sleeves, Hu Jishan immediately left the main hall with his two Elders.

"Chu Fan, the Celestial Derivation Sect will not rest until one of us is dead!" Shui Zebo added coldly.

Chu Fan simply waved a hand at him. "Let’s see if you can even make it back to Nanling Mountain alive first."

It wasn’t just the Celestial Derivation Sect, Wuji Sect, and Celestial Sect; four other Minor Sects also left the main hall.

In truth, among the remaining sects of the Six Sects and Eight Gates, aside from those who already knew Chu Fan’s identity, the members of the Lingyun Sect, Xuanming Sect, Purple Gold Sect, Mixed Element Sect, Zi Wu Gate, and Chenqing Sect had only just learned the truth.

Chu Fan’s gaze fell upon those sects. "Let me first answer a question you must have. The establishment of the Great Xia and its desire to unify the Eastern Domain—it’s true that I am the one pushing for it. And I’ve done quite a lot to that end."

Chu Fan then turned his gaze to Yu Zongding and the others. "Back when I was forced into Dingfeng Slope, I had already started laying my plans the moment I got out. I’d like to ask Sect Leader Yu and Elder Li, are you happy now?"

Killing a man is one thing; slaying his spirit is another. This, right here, was the very definition of slaying the spirit.