In the Jianghai Palace, Yin Shishi still raised his head, gazing at the sky. His face held a lingering expression of reluctance, murmuring, "The anomaly has vanished..."
"Tsk tsk, such a terrifying celestial phenomenon, Lord Fang's future is brilliant!"
Qin Hai sighed, "In the blink of an eye, he ascended to the Fifth Realm. Such terrifying talent, it's truly out of our reach."
Qin Hai still remembered how many times he had tried to break through to the Fifth Realm, using every method he could, but the spiritual energy of the world simply remained unaffected.
It was like a middle-aged office worker who leaves home early and returns late, unmoved by his wife's passionate advances.
"Lord Qin, when Lord Chongwu Hou ascended to the Fifth Realm, did it cause such a spectacle?" Yin Shishi asked again.
"You ask me, who should I ask?" Qin Hai replied irritably. When he followed Lord Chongwu Hou, the latter was already a well-known marquis.
"That's right, I never heard Lord Chongwu Hou talk about his past..." Yin Shishi muttered, "By the way, how's Junior Sister Duan Shuang doing?"
After Ye Chuan's betrayal and his subsequent death at Lord Fang's hands, it must have been very hard for Junior Sister.
"She's been crying ever since." Qin Hai shook his head. "I sent her back to her room to cry so she wouldn't disturb Lord Fang."
Yin Shishi immediately gave Qin Hai a thumbs-up.
"You did the right thing. I was worried that if our little Junior Sister suddenly went mad and confronted Lord Fang, that would be troublesome."
"Tsk tsk, with Lord Fang's temperament..."
Before he finished, another voice naturally followed up, "The crime doesn't warrant death. I'd only give her a beating at most."
Yin Shishi and Qin Hai turned to look and saw Fang Yuan, dressed in white, descending from the sky like an immortal.
"Lord Fang!"
The two hurriedly bowed, their astonishment impossible to hide.
Didn't he just enter the Fifth Realm? How could he fly?
"Hmm..." Fang Yuan nodded slightly in return. He wasn't quite used to the feeling of being above others.
Yin Shishi looked confused. "Lord Fang, weren't you meditating in the hall? Why are you coming from the sky?"
"Oh, I went out for a meal," Fang Yuan replied casually.
"A meal?"
Before Yin Shishi could react, Fang Yuan asked, "By the way, are there any unruly demons like the Crocodile Demon in Jianghai Prefecture?"
"Uh..."
"This question is better answered by me." Qin Hai stepped forward:
"Under Lord Chongwu Hou's command, Jianghai Prefecture has rarely faced major demon disasters in the past century."
"But there are indeed a few large demons lurking here, like a chronic illness that is difficult to eradicate."
"However, Lord Chongwu Hou has sent the Chongwu Guard to keep an eye on them, to prevent these demons from getting any more out of hand."
"For example, I've been responsible for watching over the Crocodile Demon in the Henglin Mountains."
"I see..." Fang Yuan nodded. Qin Hai's words surprised him a bit because he knew that Lord Chongwu Hou had lost his power many years ago, a shell of his former self.
Yet, despite that, Jianghai Prefecture had not descended into chaos, probably because the title of 'Lord Chongwu Hou' was so powerful, it kept many demons in check.
"However, Lord Qin, this task wasn't handled too well. Since you were responsible for guarding that four-legged serpent, how did you not notice that it grew new legs?"
Fang Yuan teased.
Qin Hai's face immediately showed a look of shame. "That was indeed my oversight."
Fang Yuan waved his hand, comforting him, "It's not your fault. After all, it wasn't negligence; you just didn't have the strength. Don't take it to heart."
At his words, Qin Hai felt even more depressed, his face full of frustration.
Fang Yuan clicked his tongue. He knew he wasn't good at comforting people!
Previously, Lord Chongwu Hou had told him that someone had secretly contacted the Crocodile Demon, helping it heal and then sending it to wreak havoc in the Henglin Mountains.
Since Qin Hai was already at the peak of the Fourth Realm, it was likely that this person's strength had reached the Spiritual River Realm.
When Lord Chongwu Hou was around, this person was cautious and stayed hidden, but now that Lord Chongwu Hou was gone, they would likely reveal themselves.
Fang Yuan thought about it with some anticipation. If this person were to show up like Zuo Cang, bringing himself right to his doorstep, that would be even better.
Clearing his thoughts, Fang Yuan instructed:
"Then, Lord Qin, please gather all the information about the major demons in Jianghai Prefecture and bring it to me."
Lord Chongwu Hou had been sealed, so he had no choice but to stay on guard, but Fang Yuan wasn't the same. He planned to wipe out all these demons.
"Yes," Qin Hai responded, and Yin Shishi immediately guessed Fang Yuan's intentions.
The new officer always starts with a fiery passion, and Lord Fang's fire was clearly aimed at burning the major demons!
Tsk tsk, just imagining it was exciting!
After giving his instructions to Qin Hai, Fang Yuan headed toward the Treasure Pavilion.
The two Chongwu Guards stationed there immediately bowed to Fang Yuan, "Greetings, Lord Fang."
Fang Yuan nodded in return. Now that he was the master here, he could move freely within the palace, and the guards had to salute him. This was the taste of power.
He arrived at the core of the Treasure Pavilion, the little dark room, which used to require a token to enter. It was even monitored by Lord Chongwu Hou, who wouldn't allow him to sneak any learning.
But now, everything here belonged to Fang Yuan! Hehe!
"So much stuff here, all just gathering dust. When it's time to use it, it's time to use it..."
Fang Yuan was not polite at all. With a sweep of his storage pouch, he packed everything in the room into it, not leaving a single item behind.
...
In the Tianjiao Camp of Jianghai Palace, many of the Tianjiao were restless, with no heart for cultivation.
They had witnessed the majestic flying ship in the sky and heard the decree read by Liu Dong.
Lord Chongwu Hou was to go to the Northern Border to defend it, and refusing would mean defying the order.
But if he went, what would happen to Jianghai Palace?
The most likely scenario was that the court would send someone to take over, Jianghai Prefecture would change hands, and Jianghai Palace would be disbanded.
What would happen to them, the Tianjiao Camp disciples?
The thought of this outcome filled them with a sense of aimlessness and confusion about the future.
Especially Mo Wuhen and Bai Feng. Lord Chongwu Hou had promised to take them as nominal disciples, but now it seemed not only would they not become nominal disciples, but they might even lose their status as Tianjiao Camp disciples.
Just as they were feeling lost, they suddenly saw a dark silver figure appear at the entrance of the Tianjiao Camp—Master Shi had returned.
They quickly gathered around, eager to ask about the future situation, but before they could speak, Shi Mo spoke first:
"Lord Fang is cultivating. There may be another celestial phenomenon soon, don't be surprised!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud rumbling sound came from the sky, and a spectacular celestial phenomenon appeared!
The group of Tianjiao looked up, their anxiety immediately turning into shock, and then into admiration.
"My heavens, Lord Chongwu Hou's cultivation alone can cause such a grand spectacle?!!"
"Yeah, this is what a true powerhouse looks like! This is the goal we should strive for!"
"Lord Chongwu Hou is so powerful..."
...
"Lord Chongwu Hou has left," Shi Mo swallowed dryly and explained, "And didn't you hear? I said 'Lord Fang,' didn't I?"
Only then did the Tianjiao realize that he indeed said Lord Fang!
But... which Lord Fang? Could there be another powerful figure in Jianghai Palace?
"Fang Yuan, Lord Fang," Shi Mo slowly revealed the answer.
"From now on, Lord Fang is the master of Jianghai Palace, and he is also the new ruler of all of Jianghai Prefecture!"
In an instant, all the Tianjiao were frozen in shock. They couldn't have heard that correctly, could they?
Wasn't Fang Yuan just like them, a Tianjiao Camp disciple yesterday?
How did he become Lord Fang all of a sudden?
How did he become the new ruler of Jianghai Prefecture?
Bai Feng clutched his chest, Mo Wuhen's mouth was wide open, even Lin Jing's beautiful eyes were filled with confusion.
She thought she already knew how monstrous Fang Yuan was, but at this moment...
She couldn't hold it in, she couldn't hold it in at all!
This promotion speed was like riding a rocket... Had she missed part of the plot again?