Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Immortal Han Xuan

After Fang Lie achieved his thousand-man slaughter, his fearsome reputation spread across the seas. Cultivators now equated him with notorious Demonic Path fiends, fleeing at the sight of him. No one dared seek bounties by challenging him anymore.

Fang Lie became an exception in every town. Even when killing and looting openly, none protested. Normally, shops paid tributes for protection, with Powerful Beings stationed to maintain order—some even Wind Tribulation Immortals.

Yet against Fang Lie, every guardian chose inaction. None intervened or revealed themselves. They knew confronting him was futile—Fang Lie’s undying nature meant he’d resurrect unscathed, while their towns faced destruction.

Fang Lei showed restraint, targeting only Four Seas Alliance shops while sparing others. Fearing collateral damage, the guardians stayed passive. Ordinarily, such negligence would spark outrage among shopkeepers. But now, when hotheaded cultivators sought to act, others blocked them forcibly.

This reversal defied Wanxing Sea’s history—a mere Qi Sea cultivator had shattered age-old unspoken rules through sheer ferocity and immortality.

Unhindered, Fang Lie raided freely. He’d storm any town, slay scoundrels, seize treasures, wreck shops, then depart amid stunned onlookers. Within days, he’d plundered four medium-sized shops, amassing enough loot to fill a ship.

The sole disappointment: medium shops lacked fifth-rank treasures, each holding only dozens of lower-tier items. Fire-element treasures numbered barely ten across five shops—suppressed by the sea’s moisture weakening fire element Spiritual Energy. Ocean battles favored water defenses against fire element Dao magic, making such treasures undesirable.

Other spoils proved ample: piles of pills, spirit talismans, and materials—including rare sixth and seventh-rank minerals. Most remarkable was a Sea Spirit Pearl from a sea abyss’s depths. Forged over eons under crushing pressure and violent tides, it began as irregular Spirit Marrow polished into perfect roundness.

Such pearls rarely surfaced—harvesting them required eighth-rank treasures to endure abyssal pressures, even for Thunder Tribulation Immortals. Yet this Tide Pearl, egg-sized and azure, emitted tidal murmurs when moved—a supreme-grade treasure for crafting eighth-rank water-element treasures.

Some clueless cultivator had traded this pearl for third-tier magical items to a Four Seas Alliance Purple Palace realm cultivator, who’d gleefully reported it for a fifth-rank treasure reward. His triumph lasted mere hours before Fang Lie struck.

Puzzled by the cultivator’s deathly Hatred, Fang Lie understood upon finding the pearl in his Sumeru Bag.

When someone had just found such a treasured item and gotten robbed, they would surely feel extreme unwillingness.

But Fang Lie was thrilled. With this single treasure, his shop’s losses were completely recovered.

Fang Lie suddenly realized robbery could be so enjoyable. Cheerfully, he continued toward his next target.

This time, Fang Lie aimed for a massive sea island spanning a hundred thousand miles, hosting several large cities. The largest one housed over a hundred thousand Cultivators year-round, making it the biggest Cultivator hub in the region.

The Four Seas Alliance operated a major shop there, guarded by a Nascent Soul True Immortal.

Having tasted success, Fang Lie aimed higher. Raiding a large shop promised greater rewards than plundering dozens of medium ones. Here, fifth-rank treasures and materials were stocked, alongside higher-grade spirit pills and spirit talismans.

But as Fang Lie stored his black awning boat and flew confidently toward the city, he suddenly sensed something amiss—a looming danger.

Though his cultivation wasn’t exceptional, surviving multiple life-and-death battles had honed his battle instincts and granted him a faint precognition of threats.

Most would retreat upon sensing peril, avoiding potential catastrophe. But Fang Lie, relying on his undying nature, dismissed caution.

He simply heightened his vigilance and pressed onward.

Mid-flight, a bone-chilling cold pierced his back. Alarmed, he tried activating his protective treasure and turning to look.

Too late. His head barely turned halfway before terrifying frost encased his entire body.

In an instant, he became trapped within a foot-thick ice block.

Like an insect preserved in amber, Fang Lie couldn’t twitch a muscle.

The cold penetrated beyond flesh—freezing his blood, breath, Magic, even his divine sense. Paralyzed, he couldn’t blink or cast Dao magic. Treasures within his Qi Sea lay frozen, useless.

The ice-clad Fang Lie plummeted skyward.

Before crashing down, a white-robed beauty intercepted him.

Snow-white garments, pale hair and brows, her flawless skin tinged blueish-purple. Her beauty carried an icy, unsettling aura.

Seizing Fang Lie, she scoffed, "Dao Brother East Sea, this is your formidable foe? Ridiculous."

A blue-robed elder materialized beside her—Immortal East Sea. He sighed, "He seems harmless now, but when enraged? Days ago, he slaughtered a thousand Cultivators in battle, including dozens of Nascent Soul True Immortals! Even fought a Wind Tribulation Dao friend to a draw."

"Truly?" The woman chuckled lightly. "He appears unremarkable."

"Only because Immortal Han Xuan’s Magic knows no bounds!" Immortal East Sea fawned.

"A mere Qi Sea cultivator posed no challenge." Immortal Han Xuan stated flatly. "When will you honor our agreement?"

"Immediately!" Immortal East Sea vowed. "I’ll dispatch a thousand sea vessels to your command upon returning."

To secure Immortal Han Xuan’s aid, the Four Seas Alliance had bartered a thousand ships.

"Satisfactory." Immortal Han Xuan nodded. "I’ll take my leave then."

She turned to depart with Fang Lie.

"Wait!" Immortal East Sea interjected. "Might we claim Fang Lie afterward?"

"After I extract his secrets via soul confusion magic." Her smile chilled. "His undying nature intrigues me."

"Naturally, none resist your soul confusion magic. But afterward, we require custody of him." Immortal East Sea pressed. "Our feud runs too deep to risk others holding him."

He distrusted her—Immortal Han Xuan, despite her beauty, was notorious. Using soul confusion magic, she trafficked demon beasts and Cultivators alike, her crimes legendary.

Who’d trust such venom?

Immortal Han Xuan side-eyed him. "Wait your turn."

She flew off without another glance.

Immortal East Sea recognized the dismissal. Powerless to object, he stomped bitterly and followed.

Regardless, Fang Lie’s capture eliminated a major threat.