Chapter 214: Forbidden Arts?

Young Master Bai did not follow the others to deal with the appearance of the Ghost Official; he had stayed back at Lingwu Sect specifically to handle matters here. The Qi Refiners of the Seven Clans, together with Lingwu Sect, had sought friendly ties with this Second Young Master Fang, originally to resolve the trade route issue. But who would have thought that not only was the trade route matter unresolved, that Second Young Master Fang had already swallowed a significant share of the benefits? And how could he be willing to accept that? He had stayed precisely to watch Lingwu Sect expel Second Young Master Fang in disgrace, and even to consider how to teach this Second Young Master a lesson…

But he never imagined that the spectacle had taken on an increasingly strange turn. Far from seeing the scene he desired – Second Young Master Fang being chased out ignominiously – he instead witnessed such audacity: allowing his underlings to forcibly barge through the Lingwu Sect’s mountain gate…

Especially facing such a blatant provocation, the Lingwu Sect Leader and the Elders actually showed no reaction?

The more he watched, the more furious he became. Unable to contain himself, he finally spoke up with a sneer.

Hearing this, the Lingwu Sect Leader and the Elders immediately turned ashen, yet none uttered a word.

They naturally knew what this Bai Family’s young master was hinting at, but their minds were in turmoil. Who dared rashly take action?

At the very least, they needed the Sect Leader to give the order before moving, right?

But when they turned to look at the Sect Leader—ah, he too was currently overwhelmed with chaotic thoughts!

Seeing that his words were met with complete silence, that Young Master Bai’s expression also twisted with fury. The anger inside him seemed unable to be suppressed any longer. He understood that the Lingwu Sect Leader and Elders had all been intimidated by Fang Cun’s words. Knowing was one thing, but accepting it was another! So what if you are Second Young Master Fang? So what if you yourself are difficult to deal with?

Did that mean everyone had to back down just for the people around you?

In his view, precisely because Fang Cun was openly mocking him and the Qi Refiners of the Seven Clans, they absolutely must retaliate in kind. All the rare treasures and profound scriptures given to him by the Seven Clans must be demanded back. And since he wanted that woman from Lingwu Sect, she should be withheld all the more stubbornly. Cause him as much misery as possible—otherwise, what would happen to their reputation if word got out?

Filled with this resentment, and seeing Lingwu Sect acting contrary to his wishes—even seeming somewhat wavering in their resolve—his temper finally flared.

His gaze turned icy, and he suddenly strode forward. He sneered, “Having trained at Lingwu Sect myself, how can I stand by and see you so utterly disregard our sect? Mere juniors, so arrogant and domineering! You—come back here now!”

“You—”

The Lingwu Sect Leader’s expression changed drastically upon seeing Young Master Bai launch his attack without any warning.

“Disaster!”

“Does Young Master Bai intend to push our Lingwu Sect into a dead end?”

Observing Fang Cun’s demeanor moments before, the Lingwu Sect Leader and the Elders had already realized that this situation would be difficult to resolve peacefully. Especially suspecting that the Seven Clans’ scheme was likely far more complex than their claims about Crow Mountain, Lingwu Sect had become unwilling to sink any deeper. After all, acting as a bridge between the Seven Clans and Second Young Master Fang would be tremendously beneficial for Lingwu Sect. Resolving the threat on Elder Xue’s side while simultaneously gaining the goodwill of both the Seven Clans and Second Young Master Fang—why would they refuse?

But if Lingwu Sect was forced to choose one side and go to war against the other? Then, deep down, they were very reluctant.

And if, within Lingwu Sect, someone directly attacked Fang Cun? That wouldn’t just be choosing a side; it would be outright becoming the Seven Clans’ sword thrust at Fang Cun. Lingwu Sect wasn’t stupid—how could they possibly agree to bear that responsibility?

Therefore, the Sect Leader’s silence itself carried a subtle refusal to implicitly endorse any such action.

He had also been waiting, hoping for a better opportunity to resolve this without losing face.

However, what they hadn’t anticipated was that the Bai Family’s young master was brazen enough to strike directly—and worse, doing so under the banner of defending Lingwu Sect! This now created a terrible problem. If he attacked within Lingwu Sect’s grounds, how could the sect possibly distance itself from responsibility? More crucially, if his assault actually injured people from Shoushan Sect, wouldn’t Lingwu Sect be firmly saddled with the blame for a feud they never sought?

Panicking inwardly, they couldn’t readily stop Young Master Bai either…

…because forcibly restraining him would not only humiliate Lingwu Sect but also completely alienate the Seven Clans!

This truly felt like being stuck in a quagmire, torn between two equally terrible choices.

The Lingwu Sect Leader was deeply regretting ever boarding this pirate ship.

…

In the flash of a single thought, they saw that Young Master Bai—or Bai Huaiyu—sweep his sleeves and soar into the air. Magical Power surged around him; sword intent vibrated fiercely. An intense dragon-roar sound echoed as three Flying Swords whistled out from the sword pouch at his waist. Transforming into three streaks of light, they tore through the air, instantly crossing over a hundred feet, aiming squarely at Yu Qingli, Meng Qing’er, and He Zhenzhang.

The sword intent surged forth, almost drowning the three!

The Condensed Radiance Realm!

As a fourth-generation direct descendant of the Bai Family, one of the youngest Qi Refiners in all of Qingjiang City to break through into the Condensed Radiance Realm.

This Young Master Bai was no embroidered pillow.

His cultivation level and strength far surpassed even most Core Disciples of formal sects!

Even in the Nine Immortals Sect, Core Disciples who broke through to the Condensed Radiance Realm were usually around thirty years old on average.

But this Young Master, Bai Huaiyu, had broken through five years ago… at the age of twenty!

The moment he made a move, how could this possibly end peacefully?

Would Lingwu Sect really be forced to intervene forcefully to prevent a major catastrophe?

Just as the Lingwu Sect Leader and Elders were gripped by this chaotic dread, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind them:

“Divine Nether Hundred Arms!”

The Lingwu Sect Leader and several Elders jumped in shock, turning sharply to look.

They saw Fang Cun, clad in white robes, his expression icy. His movement didn’t seem fast, yet in an instant, he burst forward. It felt like he traversed the dozens of yards between the guest hall and the outer sky in a single step, arriving in mid-air in the blink of an eye. Even before his figure fully left the hall, Magical Power already surged violently around him, an intense, bone-chilling aura enveloping the area…

“Whoosh…”

The sky was suddenly filled with dense shadows of phantom swords and spears. It was as if dozens of different weapons materialized instantly, viciously slashing towards Young Master Bai!

“This…”

The hearts of the Lingwu Sect Leader and the Elders skipped a beat, feeling half dead.

This Young Master Bai was already wild enough to act without warning, moving to intercept others on a mere whim.

But this Second Young Master Fang was more audacious still—he didn’t hesitate for a word before intending to inflict harm!

The key problem was… wasn’t there a realm difference between you and him?

…

Their thoughts raced. But then, suddenly, they realized something was wrong.

They witnessed countless visions of broken swords and shattered blades materializing around Fang Cun—seemingly dropping from the sky and sprouting from the earth—appearing abruptly and terrifyingly beside Bai Huaiyu. Bai Huaiyu naturally sensed this assault. However, he didn’t pay it much heed. With a mere flick of his sleeve, he intended to dissipate the magical energy stirred by Fang Cun. His three Flying Swords remained steadfastly aimed at Yu Qingli and the others: Meng Qing’er and He Zhenzhang.

He divided his focus with calm confidence.

But this composure vanished the instant his sleeve brushed against the edges of those phantom blades. His face contorted with shock. Forgetting everything else instantly, he whipped around violently. Not only did he completely disregard the Flying Swords about to strike Yu Qingli and his companions in the distance, but he also unleashed a frantic torrent of his own Magical Power, desperately pushing it outwards around him…

“Whoosh…”

The flickering blades vanished. But both his sleeves had been utterly shredded to fragments!

“How… is this possible?”

The Lingwu Sect Leader and two Elders stared, dumbfounded.

At first glance, wasn’t it Young Master Bai of the Bai Family who came off worse in this exchange?

“Forbidden Arts?!”

The same realization struck Young Master Bai, painting his face with startled fury: “He actually used Forbidden Arts immediately?!”

If it weren’t Forbidden Arts, how could it possess such terrifying, lethally destructive power that directly threatened him?

But these Forbidden Techniques…

…they were used for desperate, life-or-death struggles! Who employed them from the very first move?!

“You… You really think everyone else fears you?!”

Shock turning to rage, he let out a furious roar. He spun fully towards Fang Cun, unleashing a Thunder Seal technique.

“You brought this shame upon yourself! Don’t blame me!”

CRACK! CRACK!

Lightning filled the sky—like clouds and cascades—instantly enveloping Fang Cun!

These bolts of lightning seemed to burst into existence from the void—some like branches, some like forks; some roaring with violent, dreadful power, others oppressive and menacing. Though merely a single spell, it simultaneously encompassed a vast area. It gave an impression of being unstoppable and impossible to evade. Like when this technique struck forward, one could only accept being hit; all defense was futile!

Condensed Radiance Realm Technique!

In the Foundation Establishment Realm, once one’s techniques truly touch the ‘Spirit’ or achieve profound mastery, a breakthrough to the Condensed Radiance Realm becomes achievable. Moreover, the realm itself involved a somewhat illogical phenomenon: once a technique achieved this profound mastery, practicing any other technique afterwards became significantly easier. A single technique cast by a Condensed Radiance Realm cultivator became ten times mightier and ten times more complex in its variations. It was like an inexplicable divine essence infused the technique at that exact moment…

That was precisely the case with the current Young Master Bai. A single technique unleashed, carrying the momentum to defeat Fang Cun instantly in one strike.

Even a furious internal shout echoed in his mind: ‘So many constantly mention you, this Second Young Master Fang from Willow Lake. You’re all reputation, built solely on having an impressive elder brother! What gives you the nerve to flaunt this insolence? Others fear you? I don’t! Others are intimidated by your threats? I’m going to force you into public, miserable defeat here before everyone today! I’m going to make them all see this pathetic, undignified state of yours!’

Losing as an ordinary Foundation Establishment Qi Refiner to a Condensed Radiance cultivator? That wasn’t humiliating in itself.

But Fang Cun couldn’t afford to lose!

In much the same way a Golden Core cultivator wouldn’t fear the anger of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Qi Refiner, Fang Cun commanded caution because he was Immortal Master Fang Chi’s brother. Yet, if he were defeated by a Condensed Radiance cultivator, he would become a laughingstock in the eyes of the world…

Because he was Immortal Master Fang Chi’s brother!

It was precisely because Young Master Bai understood this that he abandoned his focus on Yu Qingli and the others, turning all his power against Fang Cun.

Defeat you publicly? That settled it. There were no explanations needed!

Facing that technique saturated with divine radiance, seemingly utterly unstoppable, Fang Cun remained expressionless. One wide sleeve swept out abruptly. Though it seemed like nothing more than a movement, at that critical moment, the fabric bulged as if swirling into a vortex. It intercepted the lightning squarely—whether forked or jagged—swallowing it entirely into the sleeve. The boundless Magical Power within churned like a bottomless pit, grinding the surging lightning into nothingness.

At this very moment, He Zhenzhang sensed something amiss and glanced back.

Witnessing Fang Cun unleash this sleeve technique, he cried out in startled recognition: “Great Cloud Enveloping Sleeves?!”

A faint smile touched Fang Cun’s lips: “Cosmos within the Sleeve!”