Gathering From All Directions

“What do you know about Immortal Divine Medicine?”

Chen Fan turned around, eyes glinting.

The brawny man seemed embarrassed by the slip of the tongue. The manager in a golden outfit said in a placating tone, “You might not know him. This is Captain Xue. He is one of Lady Zi’s personal guards. Lady Zi is from the Dragon Burial Region. Legend has it that one of the Zi family’s ancestors claimed that they had found a Divine Treasure Cove in the deepest parts of the Ancient Demons Loch.”

“The cove was surrounded by marvelous herbs and beasts. However, it was guarded by a nine-headed phoenix. The Zi family Lord was convinced that he had hit the jackpot, and commissioned many expeditions to retrieve the treasures, but their attempts had all but failed. The Treasure Cove had become a joke.”

“My friend, let that be a lesson to you. Think twice before you venture out to seek treasure.”

Captain Xue was embarrassed by the manager’s jeering stab. He hurried to explain, “Don’t you worry about that. Even if you can’t find anything, we will still reward you handsomely.” Unfortunately, his voice lacked any confidence.

He knew that his master was asking too much from the prospective cultivators, like Chen Fan.

However, Chen Fan was exhilarated when he heard the word “Nine-headed Phoenix.”

“Very well, we are in if the price is right.” Chen Fan’s words surprised everyone.

“Really?”

Captain Xue was taken aback.

“I promise, our price won’t disappoint you. Although the Zi family is going down hill, they are a Heavenly Lord Family after all. There will be plenty of spirit treasures for you to choose at the end,” Captain Xue said.

Chen Fan nooded. Their Spirit Treasures were of no interest to him. He then purchased some elixirs from the Brahma Palace and headed to the Zi family estate.

The manager shook his head as he watched Chen Fan disappear into the distance. He lamented how easily Chen Fan had been overtaken by greed, readily putting his own life at risk.

Even as he was about to start off, he suddenly noticed that the girl in the purple outfit looked familiar.

There was a hint of a dragon’s majesty about the girl’s demeanor. Her blond hair and tall stature matched the description of the True Dragon Goddess from the Reincarnation Sect. If she really was the True Dragon, that young man must be...

Shocked by his own conclusion, he ran to the chief manager to report his findings.

The Zi family residence was located in a quiet corner of the region. The residence had a modest courtyard decorated with elegant pavilions. The autumn wind picked up the golden leaves on the lawn, creating an almost poetic scene.

When Chen Fan entered the courtyard, he found out that a group of people had already gathered there.

Each of them were of Golden Core Level or above. Some of them had attained a peak superior-grade Golden Core. These were all members of the expedition hired by the Zi family. Chen Fan’s appearance caught the crowd’s attention, however, they all looked away with disdain after realizing that he was only a Connate Cultivator.

A servant girl came closer and said, “Captain Xue, you’re back. Our lady is expecting you.”

Captain Xue gave Chen Fan an apologetic smile and hurried away.

Chen Fan then led Xiao Mang and Zhao Juexian to a corner of the courtyard to rest a while.

“Brother, why do we need to come here?”

Xiao Mang asked using Divine Will.

“We need them to lead us to the Treasure Cove. We will ditch them as soon as we get there,” Chen Fan said.

He kept the real reason to himself, fearing that it would scare the girl.

The Zi family’s Ancestral Chief was right in thinking that there was a Divine Medicine. However, the phoenix was not a guard. It was the medicine itself. The medicine was called Divine Medicine of Nine Phoenix. It only grew in the untouched cultivation sacred land. Therefore, it was unknown to the residents of Tianhuang. Chen Fan had read all the documents at the Alchemy Guild, and found no mention of it.

“If it really is the Divine Medicine of Nine Phoenix, it can complete the seventh transmutation of the Deity Wheel.”

Chen Fan pondered.

Meanwhile, a commotion began among the crowd.

“Do you really think there will be any Divine Treasures?” a young cultivator asked curiously.

“That’s all bulls**t! They have been saying it for a thousand years, but still had nothing to show for it. Their obsession finally got the better of them. Look at the miserable state of the Zi family. I doubt they will find anything,” a brawny man said with laughter.

“It doesn’t matter if we can find anything or not, as long as the pay is good,” a Black-robed elder said.

“That’s right.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The group of people chattered away as if they had already forgotten about Chen Fan.

These were renowned Golden Core Cultivators in the city. Since Chen Fan was only a Connate Cultivator, they naturally excluded Chen Fan in their discussion.

“The Lady is here.”

Lady Zi had arrived.

She was in her late thirties, but still kept a youthful appearance. Her dress was formal and stately, and her makeup was tidy. However, her eyes were flirtatious, constantly inviting attention. To Chen Fan’s surprise, Lady Zi was not only a much stronger Golden Core Cultivator than anyone in the crowd. However, she had masked her true power and appeared to the public as an early-stage Golden Core Cultivator.

“Welcome everyone. I am sure you know the purpose of the expedition, so I will be quick. I want you to know that the reward for escorting me to the planned destination is a million spirit stones for each of you.” Lady Zi’s voice was ice cold.

“What if we encounter any dangers on the way?” someone shouted.

Lady Zi’s brow tightened a little as a flicker of displeasure flashed in her eyes.

“I will bring the family treasure with me. It should ward off any Fiend Generals. However, If we are unlucky and encounter a Demon Commander, all bets are off. Just run for your life.”

“Haha!”

The cultivators laughed.

They didn’t think that they would encounter any tough enemies, they were just bargaining. Demon Commanders were Nascent Soul Ancient Demons that presided in the deepthest level of the Ancient Demons Loch. It was unlikely that they would encounter any.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man pointed a finger at Chen Fan and said, “My lady, what is up with these three? A bad teammate is much worse than a horde of deadly enemies. Are you sure they have what it takes to follow us to level thirty?”

Everyone, including Lady Zi gave Chen Fan a questioning look. After realizing that Chen Fan was only a Connate Cultivator, she shook her head.

Captain Xue stepped forward and said, “My lady, I invited Cultivator Chen here. I believe they are much more powerful than the visible Connate Level. It’s all on me if I were wrong.”

Lady Zi hesitated and wore a troubled look. Captain Xue was her most trusted confidant, so she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of everyone. However, the other cultivators were insistent about removing Chen Fan from the team.

Chen Fan looked up and locked his gaze with the middle-aged man.

“Why? Are you not satisfied with my abilities?”

“I just want to make sure you can hold your own well,” the middle-aged man said curtly. He was one of the strongest members of the team and had a level six Golden Core. His name was Heavenly General Hu, an outcast from the Demon-suppressing Heavenly Sect.

“Do you want to test me?”

Chen Fan thinned his lips to form a smile.

Suddenly, six black holes appeared behind Chen Fan, unleashing belligerent forces that rushed past everyone. It was apparent that the force had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core.

“Ah, another fellow cultivator of the Demon School! I am sorry.”

Heavenly General Hu was shocked and hurried to apologize.

The other cultivators gave Chen Fan a fearful glance. Although the Demon School Cultivation was not uncommon in Tianhuang, the environment in the Ancient Demons Loch would lend Chen Fan great power, and improve his level of attainment to the peak of the Golden Core. No one would want to be on his bad side.

“Very well, we will leave tonight,” Lady Zi announced.

Everyone cupped their hands and left to prepare for the expedition.

The moment Chen Fan entered the Ancient Demons Loch, a piece of news was spread among the elites of Tianhuang: Chen Beixuan had entered the Ancient Demons Loch!

The next day...

The center gate of the Ancestral Temple inside the Medicine God Sect was wide open.

A shriveled old man shambled through the gate. Despite his form, powerful energy coursed in his veins. His skin was suffused with a golden glow, making him look like a buddha statue. It was the result of a powerful Body tempering Art: the Arhat Golden Body.

Behind him, a column of Medicine God Sect cultivators kneeled on the ground.

“We will wait for your good news, Ancestral Patriarch. Please kill the fake Elixir Monarch and avenge our heir.”

The old man nodded. His body turned into a wash of golden glow and flew toward the Ancient Demons Loch.

The same scene happened not only in the Medicine God Sect, but also in the Gongsun Family territory, the Heavenly Jade Institute, the Gongsun Family estate and the Reincarnation Sect. Some people even claimed that a light flew out of the Elixir Peak where the Alchemy King cultivated in isolation.

Meanwhile, at an unknown location, an old cultivator with a sly looking face shook his head. He held a compass in one hand and a young girl in the other.

“Retrogression seems to be the main theme on this planet. A mortal could achieve immortality ten thousand years ago, but now a Nascent Soul Cultivator couldn’t even defend against a Golden Core Cultivator. What a shame! Where are their dignity and honor? I don’t think I would ever find the Grand Opportune Moment on this sodding planet!”

“Grandpa, what is the Grand Opportune Moment?” the girl asked.

She was only seven or eight and was wearing a red padded jacket, making her look like a doll. However, her level of attainment had already reached the Connate Spirit realm.

“Why, I can’t tell you that! It’s top secret. Only the Major sects at the Sacred ground know of it. Bah! Those who knew about it are all but gone to the Heartlands to seek the real Grand Opportune Moment. I am the only one remaining in this forsaken place!”

The old cultivator shook his head.

If someone was watching him, he would have been shocked to find that each of the old man’s strides covered over a thousand kilometers.

From time to time, he would consult the compass and adjust his direction. It was apparent that he had heard of the Ancient Demons Loch.