Traversing 04

"Fang Zhiyi! And you still claim you aren't a demonic cultivator! How do you explain a mere Out-of-Body stage cultivator like yourself blocking the attacks of three other Out-of-Body experts!" the Sect Master demanded.

Fang Zhiyi turned to look at him, pondered for a moment, and said, "Well, I can't explain it."

"So you admit it, don't you?" Perfected Jingyun had already put his guard up. This Fang Zhiyi usually kept a low profile and was incredibly wooden, yet now he actually couldn't see through his cultivation level.

"Is there any need to admit it?" Fang Zhiyi suddenly smiled. With just a stomp of his foot, the three swords still suspended in the air shattered into pieces. While the others were still dazed, Fang Zhiyi's figure vanished from his spot, appearing right in front of him the very next moment.

"Watch out!" Perfected Jingyun immediately grew anxious.

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

Three resounding slaps landed consecutively on the faces of his three disciples, each strike carrying abundant true qi.

All three of them were sent flying.

"Trying to hack me with your swords, you must be crazy." Fang Zhiyi shook his hand and turned to look at Perfected Jingyun to the side. "Old geezer, do you want a couple of slaps too?"

Cultivating immortality? I started way earlier than any of you!

Perfected Jingyun was both shocked and furious. "Insubordination and assaulting your fellow disciples, your crimes are unforgivable!"

Fang Zhiyi suddenly paused. A person slowly emerged from behind him, except his face was being gripped by Fang Zhiyi's hand. "Elder Kong of the Law Enforcement Hall, you don't like to talk, but you love sneak attacks, huh?"

Elder Kong, who was usually expressionless, had now sensed a massive threat, and a look of terror appeared on his face.

"Dead men can't become immortals, you know." Fang Zhiyi flashed a toothy grin.

But right at that moment, Perfected Jingyun made his move. With just a wave of his hand, a flying sword rapidly approached, multiplying into two, then four, right before Fang Zhiyi's eyes...

Startled, Fang Zhiyi instinctively raised the Law Enforcement Hall elder in his hand to shield himself.

"Ahhhhh!" Elder Kong screamed miserably.

The Sect Master watched with a twitching face.

"Shameless brat!" Perfected Jingyun cursed. "To actually use another person's body as a shield!"

"Who's the shameless one here? You're the one who sneak-attacked me, damn it!" Fang Zhiyi casually tossed aside the now-unconscious Elder Kong and darted straight toward Perfected Jingyun.

His current strength hadn't fully recovered. Even with his foundation, it would take time. He might not win a magical duel against this old monster, so there was only one way: force him into hand-to-hand combat!

Perfected Jingyun didn't expect Fang Zhiyi to be so bold as to charge straight at him. He coldly snorted, put away his flying swords, and formed hand seals. A faint blue light shimmered around his body, actually intending to resist the physical blow head-on.

Fang Zhiyi rushed up close and viciously threw a punch at Perfected Jingyun's chest. Perfected Jingyun dodged sideways while simultaneously swinging a palm strike toward Fang Zhiyi's shoulder. Fang Zhiyi nimbly evaded it, grabbed Perfected Jingyun's arm in the process, and pulled forcefully, trying to yank him to the ground.

He hadn't expected that despite Perfected Jingyun looking old, his reflexes were extremely fast. Stabilizing his posture, the elder formed a claw with his other hand and swiped at Fang Zhiyi's throat. Fang Zhiyi tilted his head, dodging the lethal strike, and immediately drove his knee hard into Perfected Jingyun's lower abdomen.

Perfected Jingyun truly hadn't expected that a high-level cultivator like Fang Zhiyi would not only resort to brawling but also fight so shamelessly. Failing to block the blow, he let out a muffled groan, his face flushing bright red.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, the Sect Master shouted, "Enough! Stop this at once!"

Fang Zhiyi stopped and retreated several steps, watching Perfected Jingyun warily. Perfected Jingyun wanted to rub his sore spot but, for the sake of his dignity, could only grit his teeth and endure it.

The Sect Master stepped forward, his face dark. "There must be some hidden circumstances behind today's events..." He was the Sect Master after all, not a fool. By now, he had figured it out. The strength Fang Zhiyi displayed today had already reached the Body Integration stage, even allowing him to subdue Elder Kong of the Law Enforcement Hall barehanded. Whether he was right or wrong, the sect couldn't possibly abandon such a promising talent over a lowly Spiritual Solitude stage disciple. In the cultivation world, if you didn't value strength, what else was there?

"Hidden circumstances? What hidden circumstances?" Fang Zhiyi asked.

Perfected Jingyun clenched his teeth tightly. The pain of having a cultivator strike his vulnerable area made him afraid to open his mouth, lest he cry out and embarrass himself.

The Sect Master paused. "Well, that is..." He suddenly looked toward the unconscious Miao Yunxi nearby. "Junior Brother! Your young disciple has been spreading rumors and causing trouble. She has learned her lesson today. Take her back and discipline her well!"

Perfected Jingyun's face was full of indignation, but he couldn't speak. His mind was consumed by the long-forgotten sensation of pain. With a flushed red face, he simply clamped his legs together, turned, and walked away. His three disciples glanced at Fang Zhiyi; though resentful, they were terrified by those slaps, so they could only carry their unconscious junior sister and follow closely behind.

"Leaving just like that? Old geezer! What about you injuring Elder Kong?"

Perfected Jingyun's figure stiffened for a moment, and then he sped up his departure.

Fang Zhiyi turned to look at the Sect Master. The Sect Master looked at him somewhat hesitantly. "Zhiyi, tell your master now, have you been practicing demonic arts?"

"Does it matter?" Fang Zhiyi suddenly asked. "Whether it's demonic arts or orthodox cultivation, isn't it all for..." He pointed at the sky. "Hmm?"

The Sect Master looked him up and down, then shook his head. "I blame myself for not paying enough attention to you normally. I didn't expect you to have grown to this level. Are you at the Body Integration stage now?"

Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "Out-of-Body stage."

"Hmm?" The Sect Master was a bit puzzled. "Could you allow your master to probe your cultivation?"

Little Hei laughed. "This is what strength gets you. You beat up the Jingyun Peak lineage right to his face, and now he even has to ask for your permission to check your cultivation."

Fang Zhiyi was quite generous. "Go ahead!"

The Sect Master was also bewildered. After a thorough probe, Fang Zhiyi really was at the Out-of-Body stage, and only the early Out-of-Body stage at that. "Today, you..."

"Ah, you wouldn't understand. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving first. Contact me if you need anything!" He waved his hand, turned around, and walked off, not even pausing when he passed by Elder Kong.

"Just what are you hiding..." The Sect Master looked at Fang Zhiyi's retreating back in confusion. His gaze shifted downward, and only then did he notice Elder Kong. "Oh my, this is bad, I forgot about Old Kong! Someone come here!"

"Out-of-Body stage? My realm isn't increasing anymore?" Fang Zhiyi was a bit puzzled.

Little Hei said, "After all, this cultivation world is different from the one you were in before..."

"And here I thought all cultivation was universal..." Fang Zhiyi said, shifting his body slightly to the side.

Lan Chengyue, who had been about to crash straight into him, lunged at thin air and almost fell to the ground. "Ah!"

"So many transmigrators... and they actually coexist peacefully, just focusing on exploiting the original host?" Fang Zhiyi didn't stop walking.

Little Hei laughed. "Because in the earliest plotline, the original host eventually took the position of Sect Master... It's understandable that they're targeting him."

Watching the man walk away, Lan Chengyue's face twisted in anger. "System, is there something wrong with this guy's head?"