Chapter 504: (2): Sword Immortal In A Sword Immortal's Hand

Afterward, at the bottom of the lake...

It was as if the muffled rumble of winter thunder were rippling through Verdant Bamboo Lake.

The lake water churned violently.

However, it was as if the huge waves were stopped by a towering city wall when they neared the golden maidservant holding the immortal canopy, with the countless layers of waves shattering apart and transforming into countless beads of chaotic and snow-white water once they slammed into the golden treasure light.

Fan Weiran smiled and said, "Let's observe the battle from the shore."

The sheet of ice holding the cultivators of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm rose into the sky and rapidly flew toward the dock.

Old Ancestor Fan Weiran was the paramount leader of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm, so the cultivators standing behind her naturally didn't have any complaints.

Only the eccentric second ancestor, the esteemed master of Celestial Maiden Yan Qing, dared to talk back to Old Ancestor Fan Weiran.

After they arrived near the dock, the sheet of ice silently melted back into the lake once it lost the support of Fan Weiran's spiritual energy.

Following behind their old ancestor, the cultivators of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm gracefully hovered down to the dock that was almost completely in ruins.

When these immortals arrived near the dock, Du Yu gritted his teeth and dashed over to the bamboo case and the hiking pole, placing his hand on the hilt of his saber as he did so.

Fan Weiran simply took a glance at the Militarian disciple from the Ghost Axe Palace before brushing past him with the other cultivators.

As if sharing a mental link with the old ancestor, the golden maidservant holding the immortal canopy also took a glance at Du Yu.

Du Yu's teeth were chattering, with his body tense as he resolutely remained standing beside the bamboo case and the hiking pole.

This was understandable as the tall and sturdy woman was the second most influential cultivator in the dozen or so nations.

Moreover, her strength was only very slightly weaker than the city lord of Yellow Axe City, the most influential cultivator in the region.

At the same time, Fan Weiran was also renowned for her short temper. She had initially failed to become the leader of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm in the past, and as a result, several cultivators of the immortal sect would die every time she led them on a training journey in the cultivation world. Of course, there were even more martial artists in the cultivation world who were unfortunate enough to suffer her wrath.

Fan Weiran was a violent and bloodthirsty person, and she had once traveled to the residence of a sixth tier martial arts grandmaster who had offended a disciple of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm in the cultivation world. After knocking the martial arts grandmaster to the ground with an immortal treasure, Fan Weiran had stood beside him and stomped on him again and again, making her way from his feet to his head and crushing him into minced meat.

Fan Weiran raised a finger and lightly tapped the golden crown on her head, causing all of the golden light to flow back into the crown. The golden maidservant and the immortal canopy in her hand naturally vanished as a result.

Yan Qing bowed and said, "Yan Qing pays her respects to Old Ancestor."

There was a kindly expression on Fan Weiran's face as she gently poked Yan Qing in the forehead and said in mock anger, "You're quite courageous, Little Yan, actually daring to travel together with this kind of extremely wicked outsider."

Yan Qing was embarrassed and speechless as she stood there with her hands in front of her body.

Fan Weiran turned around to face Verdant Bamboo Lake, using her mind's voice to tell Yan Qing, "A good show is about to begin. This person has managed to completely destroy Yin Hou's projection and force him to show his true body, so there's no doubt that he's a Vajra Body Tier martial arts grandmaster. This is indeed quite rare and remarkable. Casting one's gaze over the cultivation world outside the mountains of the dozen or so nations, it's already been two hundred years since the last appearance of a legendary Vajra Body Tier martial artist.

"Little Yan, you definitely need to be careful when fighting against such a foe. You mustn't let him get close to you, and you shouldn't be too overconfident like Lake Lord Yin Hou, or else you'll suffer as a result. Is it not foolish not to use one's trove of immortal treasures and immortal techniques and rely on one's bare fists alone to have a contest of raw strength with that martial artist?"

Yan Qing nodded in response.

"In any case, the lake lord has an innately powerful physique, something that Qi refiners like us can't hope to match. He's fundamentally a beast, after all, so it's only natural that he has very thick and rough skin," Fan Weiran continued.

A colossal python measuring three hundred meters in length suddenly appeared above the lake, brandishing its four claws and rearing its head as it widened its maws and spat a ray of turquoise light at the surface of the lake.

The figure in azure raised a palm and surprisingly blocked the formidable ray of light head-on.

This was a dazzling scene, and it looked as if a full moon were rising from the lake.

Yan Qing quietly took in this stunning scene.

Fan Weiran snickered and remarked, "A Vajra Body Tier martial artist engaging in a big battle against the godly body of a lake lord? Not bad, not bad at all. This trip has been quite worthwhile."

At this moment, three water dragons each measuring more than one hundred meters in length appeared at the two river entrances and the one canal entrance of the lake. The two yellow water dragons were quite large in appearance, while the ink-black water dragon appeared much more slender and graceful.

These three water dragons were being controlled by the three water deities, and only in the eyes of these dragons was there a faint sheen of gold.

Not only did three water dragons arrive to reinforce Lake Lord Yin Hou, but all of the large and small water veins in the jurisdiction of Verdant Bamboo Lake started to tremble and turn as well, providing their power to Lake Lord Yin Hou and the three water deities.

It was night at Verdant Bamboo Lake, and only now did colossal waves start to soar into the sky and crash onto the shores.

The magnificent battle gradually shifted away from the dock and toward the center of Verdant Bamboo Lake.

A female direct disciple of Fan Weiran chuckled softly and said, "Master, this person in azure is quite understanding and tactful, knowing to run further away lest he cause any splash to land on Master."

A tall and burly male cultivator concurred with her, saying, "Those who understand the situation are wise people. He's already angered Lake Lord Yin Hou, meaning that his life and death hang in the balance right now. To further anger Old Ancestor would be to seek certain death."

It was as if the gazes of the cultivators from the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm were piercing through Du Yu's soul, yet he still remained standing at the forefront of the dock like a wooden post.

He appeared even more like a hiking pole than Chen Ping'an's verdant green hiking pole.

Even Celestial Maiden Yan Qing, someone who was beyond Du Yu's reach, could cause him to suffer greatly, so it went without saying that he would fare much worse against someone like Fan Weiran, a peerless cultivator from the pinnacle of the mountains.

If the old woman placed a foot on top of the Ghost Axe Palace, that would truly be a case of the towering mountains bearing down on the immortal force.

Fan Weiran turned around and chuckled, "There's no need to feel so tense, Little Yan. Feel free to take a step forward."

Only after hearing this did Yan Qing, who had been observing the rules and regulations regarding seniority and status, take a step forward and stand shoulder to shoulder with Old Ancestor Fan Weiran.

Fan Weiran appeared relaxed as she observed the battle, but her mind was nowhere near as relaxed as her expression let on.

Lake Lord Yin Hou's cultivation base was already quite high, but there were still some matters that one would remain oblivious to unless one possessed a high enough position and status.

Fan Weiran looked up at the night sky.

Only she and City Lord Ye Han of Yellow Axe City could see that extremely vague hint of peculiar light in the sky.

As a result, Fan Weiran's junior sister was always worried that she would bear ill feelings toward Yan Qing, her prized disciple. In fact, she was worried that Fan Weiran might even go as far as to secretly inhibit Yan Qing's pursuit of the Great Dao. Because of this, she was always extremely on guard against Fan Weiran as if she were guarding against a thief.

Fan Weiran found this slightly laughable.

A young girl with an innocent demeanor suddenly said in a soft voice, "Old Ancestor, it looks like that person is simply practicing his fist techniques and using those pythons and snakes to temper his physique."

Fan Weiran beckoned with her hand, and the young girl skipped over to her side before looking up and saying in an innocent voice, "It's true, Old Ancestor. I'm not lying to you."

The tall and sturdy Fan Weiran bent down slightly, patting the young girl's head and gazing down at her beautiful and glistening eyes. "My Little Cui also has extraordinary talent and is quite impressive, so perhaps you'll be just as successful as your Aunt Master Yan when you grow up. When you leave the mountains to train in the cultivation world, you'll be a celestial maiden who attracts the gazes of everyone no matter where you go."

Yan Qing smiled faintly at the young girl.

The young girl glanced at Yan Qing before twisting her hands together and lowering her head, saying in embarrassment, "I'm nowhere near as good looking as Aunt Master Yan."

Fan Weiran roared with hearty laughter.

This caused the young girl to feel even more embarrassed.

Yan Qing lightly twisted the young girl's ears.

This was a rare display of intimacy from Yan Qing.

When she finished laughing, Fan Weiran gazed at the distant center of Verdant Bamboo Lake, with a look of killing intent in her eyes as she said in a solemn voice, "In that case, we need to spend some time planning our next move."

The decline of an immortal force often started with one generation being inferior to the previous.

Yellow Axe City was doing quite well in this regard, as they had He Lu to lead the next generation. However, the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm was doing even better.

Apart from Yan Qing and Little Cui, there was also Fan Weiran's first disciple who had already been cultivating in seclusion for ten years. These three young cultivators were the future pillars of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm.

Yan Qing's heart shuddered violently.

That person had clearly concealed his shortcomings already, and Old Ancestor Fan Weiran had initially decided to observe the battle from the sidelines, so why was she suddenly developing killing intent now?

Above the surface of Verdant Bamboo Lake, a huge python — the true body of Lake Lord Yin Hou — thumped an island with its large tail and created a gigantic ravine.

The young man in azure merely launched his fists to push his opponent back.

He was more than capable enough to defend himself, but he was definitely quite lacking when it came to offensive abilities.

By the looks of it, he was already unable to muster any counterattacks against Lake Lord Yin Hou. After shattering the godly body of the Twilight Cold River's river god and forcing Lake Lord Yin Hou to show his true body, he had seemingly exhausted his power already and was only able to defend himself but not attack.

This caused the initially timid water dragons from the two rivers and one canal to become increasingly satisfied and ferocious as they fought.

Lake Lord Yin Hou's loud bellow traveled over from the distant region of Verdant Bamboo Lake, saying, "Old Ancestor Fan, I'm willing to gift the purple Dao robe to the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm as long as you assist me in killing this ferocious foe!"

Fan Weiran smiled faintly and didn't say anything.

Yan Qing looked over, and even though she was already channeling an immortal technique and circulating the spiritual energy in her acupoints, causing a purple glow to appear in her eyes and display the sign of great accomplishment with "sun and moon illuminating, eyes producing purple smoke," she was still unable to see the battle in the distance clearly. The battle was taking place too far away from the dock, after all, so she could only see the fierce silhouettes of the lunging pythons and snakes.

Even though Little Cui was naturally able to detect some extremely mystical and fuzzy truths, Yan Qing still didn't dare to believe what she was hearing. A Vajra Body Tier martial artist from the cultivation world was actually able to withstand the full power attacks of several deities in Lake Lord Yin Hou's territory? Not only that, but he was also able to do so with ease? Yan Qing would have found this slightly more believable if the battle were taking place on dry land instead of in Verdant Bamboo Lake, where the water deities naturally enjoyed a huge geographic advantage.

In any case, if the True Qi of a pure martial artist were depleted, and if they were deprived of the opportunity to quickly replenish their True Qi, then it was almost certain that they would face a swift and violent death.

However, just how long had the two sides been fighting for already?

Perhaps Vajra Body Tier martial artists enjoyed more than just a long-lasting breath of True Qi, and they also possessed the indomitable Vajra Bodies of the Buddhist Sect, a physique that could easily withstand the head-on attacks of the lake lord and the three water dragons?

The dull and thunderous voice of Lake Lord Yin Hou boomed over from the distance again, exclaiming, "Fan Weiran! I'll also gift the position of the Twilight Cold River's river god to the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm!"

"If my old eyes don't deceive me, I remember seeing the canal master of Algae Stream die as well?" Fan Weiran replied loudly.

Apart from the earth-shattering crashes of the colossal waves, no further response traveled to the dock from the battlefield in the distance.

Even though Yan Qing didn't pay any heed to mortal matters, she was aware that the only subordinates of Verdant Bamboo Lake were the three rivers and two canals. With this in mind, handing over the position of a single river god to the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm was already an act of extreme sincerity. If Lake Lord Yin Hou truly handed over the position of Algae Stream's canal master as well, taking into account the fact that Peony Stream was essentially neglected and derelict already, then he would genuinely be impaling himself with two large and troublesome thorns.

If Lake Lord Yin Hou handed over one river and one canal, giving them the backing of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm as well, then he would completely lose his power to kill people as he pleased. As such, how could he possibly accept handing over his power just like this? Lake Lord Yin Hou naturally understood the implications, and this matter further pertained to the foundations of his Great Dao as well. Even if it were Yan Qing in his position, she most definitely wouldn't dare to carelessly give up a significant portion of Verdant Bamboo Lake's water fortune just like this.

"Old Ancestor, are we truly going to ask for two deity positions of Verdant Bamboo Lake in a single breath?" Yan Qing asked using her mind's voice.

Fan Weiran smiled faintly and replied, "If we don't bump up our asking price like this, Yin Hou will feel extremely resentful afterward even if he's willing to obediently hand over the river god position of the Twilight Cold River. With Yin Hou's shrewdness and abilities, he'll definitely target and suppress the new river god until they become nothing more than a useless deity. However, the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm doesn't have the time and the patience to listen to the complaints of a subordinate river god from a foreign nation. At that time, should we deal with the matter or choose to ignore it?"

"Old Ancestor truly has good foresight," Yan Qing said with a nod.

Fan Weiran grabbed one of Yan Qing's smooth and jade-like hands, lightly patting the back of it with her other hand as she remarked with emotion, "Little Yan, you don't need to dwell on these mortal matters after hearing about them and understanding them. You should focus on cultivating in peace and nurturing your soul to attain the Great Dao."

Yan Qing nodded in response.

Fan Weiran let go of Yan Qing's hand and said with confidence, "Perhaps we'll obtain an even more bountiful yield than I anticipated."

Sure enough...

Less than ten minutes later, Lake Lord Yin Hou once again bellowed in a loud voice, "Old Ancestor Fan, I'll give you the position of Algae Stream's canal master as well! If you still don't accept this offer and try to ask for more, then this will be the end of the friendship between Verdant Bamboo Lake and the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm!"

The lake lord's voice was no longer as calm and composed as before, and it was clear that he was gritting his teeth in frustration and fury.

Fan Weiran smiled faintly and said to Yan Qing in a low voice, "What do you think?"

There was a complicated expression on Yan Qing's face as she said, "Be careful, Old Ancestor."

"Little Yan, you probably don't know how the final Vajra Body Tier martial artist in the history of the dozen or so nations died, right? You can ask your master when we return to the mountains. That was the battle that allowed my junior sister and the city lord of Yellow Axe City to rise to fame."

Fan Weiran laughed loudly as she transformed into a streak of brilliant light that shot toward the center of Verdant Bamboo Lake.

Yan Qing furrowed her brows.

Meanwhile, Du Yu remained obediently standing in the same spot, silently praying to the gods and bodhisattvas in his mind.

However, he felt like his prayers would most likely go unanswered when he saw the old ancestor of the Treasure Basin Immortal Realm shoot toward Verdant Bamboo Lake.