Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 373: Confrontation with a Martial Emperor

This was the first time Nong Guiquan had ever lost confidence in the Shadow Buddha Technique. Ever since he mastered this technique, he had been able to easily escape the pursuit of Golden Core Realm cultivators after his assassinations. He was both elusive and mysterious, and no one could catch him. But this time, he felt fear and panic, along with a trace of unwillingness.

"You're trembling," said Fang Chen. "Are you afraid?"

These words made Nong Guiquan certain that Fang Chen could definitely see him. He didn't dare to stay here for long, so he clasped his fists and slipped away from the shadow.

Fang Chen chuckled and shook his head.

At that moment, Li Cang came over, leading a middle-aged woman. He respectfully said, "Young Master, she's a fourth-stage Martial Emperor who's from the third branch, just like us. She has been following Madam all along. Would it be alright for her to take care of the young lady?"

The middle-aged woman was graceful and charming. Upon seeing Fang Chen, she immediately bowed respectfully. "I am Chang Feilan, Sir. Greetings."

Fang Chen glanced at Li Cang. "You brought over someone from the Madam's side. Is she okay with this?"

Chang Feilan respectfully said, "Please rest assured, Young Master. The Madam is aware of your request for a woman to take care of the young lady and specially arranged for me to come."

Li Cang forced a bitter smile on his face. He didn't intend for this to happen. He was supposed to pick someone from the Internal Affairs Hall, but after Madam Fang Ao caught wind of what he was after, she quickly sent Chang Feilan to him. With his status, what qualifications did he have to refuse her?

"Very well." Fang Chen nodded lightly. "From now on, taking care of that lass will be your responsibility."

Chang Feilan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Thank you, Young Master. I will do my best!"

A piece of news had spread through the Fang Family not too long ago, causing the young masters and young ladies of the family to feel excitement and thrill toward not only Fang Chen but also Li Cang, who followed Fang Chen.

Chang Feilan was no exception.

Who would have thought that she would be able to follow Fang Chen all of a sudden too? Every martial artist in the Fang Family wished to step onto the cultivation path one way or the other. It was extremely difficult to obtain that opportunity, but if they had the chance to follow a young master with limitless prospects like Fang Chen, their chances would skyrocket!

Fang Chen suddenly said, "You're a fourth-level Martial Emperor in the Heaven Profound Stage?"

Chang Feilan nodded. "Yes."

"A long time ago, I was also interested in martial arts," said Fang Chen, chuckling. He stood up and looked at Chang Feilan.

Li Cang was stunned.

Chang Feilan looked surprised at first, but she quickly bowed with respect and said, "Please forgive me, Young Master. What qualifications do I have to teach you? How would I dare spar with you?"

"In the Heaven Profound Stage, starting from the Fatal Qi, martial arts can influence spiritual energy. Following that, Profound Qi, Royal Qi, and Imperial Qi, each level is stronger than the previous one." Fang Chen smiled. "To be honest, I have never fought against a Martial Emperor. If you demonstrate your skills, I'll be able to learn more about Martial Emperors, which would be helpful when I encounter ones in the future."

Chang Feilan looked at Li Cang, then back at Fang Chen. Her eyes were flickering with hesitation.

In the end, she nodded lightly. "In that case, I will try to demonstrate the methods of a Martial Emperor. Please don't take offense."

"Just come at me." Fang Chen nodded. "Don't hold back, give it your all. If you can injure me, I'll reward you with a hundred low-grade spirit stones."

Chang Feilan gasped in shock, her eyes widening.

One hundred low-grade spirit stones!?

That was an unimaginable sum of money for any martial artist. With those one hundred low-grade spirit stones, she could further improve her martial cultivation and reach the grand completion level of the Martial Emperor Stage!

"I apologize for any offense," exclaimed Chang Feilan. In the next moment, her figure blurred into a phantom, swiftly closing in on Fang Chen with lightning speed.

Judging by her speed, even a cultivator enhanced by Divine Movement Talismans might not be as fast as her. Chang Feilan's blood and qi were rich and powerful, far surpassing ordinary cultivators in the 12th stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

When she appeared in front of Fang Chen, a surge of Imperial Qi erupted from her body, and her fist smashed toward Fang Chen's chest. Even before her fist reached him, the earth beneath them had begun to tremble and crack in all directions.

Fang Chen could feel that her punch was able to affect the surrounding spiritual energy, turning it into giant mountains that pressed down on him from all directions.

Li Cang paled. "Chang Feilan, you're being reckless!"

Chang Feilan was really using all her strength in that strike. If she truly injured Fang Chen, the matter wouldn't be so easily resolved!

This manipulation of spiritual energy is done passively. She doesn't truly control it; otherwise, it would be similar to the Five Element Controlling Technique.

With that in mind, Fang lifted his hand and met Chang Feilan's punch with one of his own.

Bang!

Chang Feilan felt a terrifying force travel through her from Fang Chen's fist. It was as if a huge wave in a stormy sea had clashed against her. The color drained from her face, and she staggered back seven or eight steps before she could stabilize herself.

Fang Chen remained motionless. He didn't budge from his place. Only, the blue bricks around him had cracked.

"How is this possible!?" Chang Feilan couldn't believe it.

Fang Chen didn't use spiritual energy and relied solely on his physical body to receive her punch?

Not only that, but in this exchange, she ended up on the losing side. Her arm was aching, and she could feel that it was broken. As a Martial Emperor, she constantly refined her physical body with Imperial Qi, strengthening her organs, bones, and overall constitution significantly.

That was the reason why the blood qi of martial artists like them far surpassed ordinary cultivators who were at the 12th stage of the Qi Refining Realm. In terms of lifespan, martial artists at that level were not necessarily inferior to cultivators of the same level! But now, there was a cultivator with a terrifying physical body capable of facing a Martial Emperor head-on!

Fang Chen chuckled. "Come again."

Without much thought, Chang Feilan struck out with a palm imprint. "Heaven Shaking Imprint!"

The surrounding spiritual energy trembled even more violently, and Li Cang saw a terrifying giant hand imprint descend from the void, smashing toward Fang Chen.

Even a spiritual energy barrier would find it difficult to block this strike, much less a body made of flesh and blood!

Fang Chen raised his hand once again. Just then, a water dragon emerged and rushed toward the Heaven Shaking Imprint.

Boom!

The two attacks canceled each other out.

Fang Chen used less than ten percent of his power in that move. His water dragon alone could match a full-force strike from an ordinary cultivator at the 12th stage of the Qi Refining Realm. This indirectly confirmed that martial artists like Chang Feilan who were at the level of a Martial Emperor, indeed possessed attack power comparable to cultivators at the 12th stage of Qi Refining Realm.

However, martial artists couldn't cultivate techniques. In a life-and-death battle with cultivators, unless a martial artist was able to close the gap between them and the cultivator and enter close combat, they would slowly be worn down by various mysterious methods.

The water dragon transformed into a shower of rain and poured down. Chang Feilan's figure suddenly shot out from the rain and appeared in front of Fang Chen.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Her fists were like flashes of lightning as she attempted to break through at close range. However, Fang Chen countered each of her punches effortlessly.

Li Cang was dumbfounded. He could barely keep up. The speed of their exchanges was too fast even for a Martial King like him to see.

They had exchanged hundreds of moves in just a few breaths, and by now, Chang Feilan's aura clearly began to decline.

On the contrary, Fang Chen remained calm and composed as he stood in his original spot—he hadn't moved a single step since the start of the fight!

Suddenly, Chang Feilan took a few quick steps back and respectfully bowed. "Young master, I have lost."