Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 543: Adding Fuel to the Fire?

The old woman proposed a contest of strength, and the nearly ten thousand cultivators present had varied feelings toward this. Some were eager, others apprehensive. They faced risks without seeing immediate benefits, causing many to resist the idea.

However, since the opponent was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, and the other three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators seemed to tacitly approve of this arrangement, there was no room for objections.

Fang Chen, in his divine soul form, looked fixedly at the old woman and the group of cultivators she brought, scrutinizing them. The old woman had already stirred up resentment and opposition among the crowd. After the competition, those who didn't secure a place would surely feel aggrieved. If more treasures appeared in the Immortal Tomb, it could easily spark a chaotic struggle.

Could this old woman be a member of the Spirit Blood Sect?

"Even normal cultivators would act similarly; they wouldn't let everyone present today enter the Immortal Tomb, as that would cause chaos. So, this request is reasonable..."

Suddenly, Fang Chen's thoughts shifted. Even without the Spirit Blood Sect's involvement, everything was likely to descend into a chaotic battle. Perhaps the Spirit Blood Sect cultivators hadn't acted yet and were merely waiting.

"Adding fuel to the fire..." muttered Fang Chen.

With this in mind, Fang Chen shifted his attention to the various cultivators of different levels and strengths around him. If he were a member of the Spirit Blood Sect, he definitely wouldn't want to be the instigator of chaos as that would expose his identity.

Adding fuel to the fire was both simple and highly covert. If the information received by Fang Chen's colleague from the Killing Spiritual Division was true, then there were indeed Spirit Blood Sect cultivators present today. They were likely waiting for the situation to escalate sufficiently before discreetly exacerbating tensions to incite a fierce battle.

If the Killing Spiritual Division didn't intervene, the conflict might end without anyone suspecting the Spirit Blood Sect's involvement. While Fang Chen observed the various cultivators for any signs, they had already begun preparing for the contest.

Only Qi Refining Realm cultivators were eligible for the contest; Foundation Building Realm and Golden Core Realm cultivators were excluded and had the qualifications to enter the Immortal Tomb directly.

Despite the abundance of Qi Refining Realm cultivators present, those at or above the tenth level numbered close to three to five hundred. Unless unexpected circumstances arose, the two hundred spots would likely be selected from this group, effectively excluding Qi Refining Realm cultivators below the tenth level from competitive eligibility.

At this moment, a Golden Core Realm cultivator proposed a suggestion; those willing to participate in the contest should engage in an all-out brawl. The final two hundred standing would earn the qualification to enter.

This proposal garnered both support and opposition. Figures like Elder Chai vehemently opposed it. Given that, among his disciples, only one was at the tenth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, a brawl was highly disadvantageous.

On the other hand, the supporters were from sects boasting multiple Qi Refining Realm cultivators, some even at the eleventh or twelfth stages. To them, a chaotic battle had its advantages and merits.

The old woman spoke slowly. "I think this method is appropriate and won't waste time."

The other three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators nodded lightly in agreement.

Now that the four Nascent Soul Realms had agreed, even if anyone had objections, they could only swallow them.

Chi Chong chuckled. “Elder Chai, if your disciples and mine join forces and watch out for each other, perhaps we can secure a few spots.”

Elder Chai's eyes brightened slightly as he scanned Chi Chong's disciples. Chi Chong had brought seven or eight disciples. The weakest of them was at the ninth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. There were even several of them at the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth stages! Their overall strength surpassed that of Elder Chai's disciples by a wide margin.

If our two families can cooperate, my family will definitely gain an advantage!

Elder Chai agreed immediately.

He stroked his beard, smiling. "That sounds excellent, that’s great! We're fortunate to have met you, Daoist Chi; otherwise, today's trip might have been in vain."

The Chai Family’s disciples were very social and immediately struck up conversations with Chi Chong's disciples, trying to build familiarity so they could cooperate better during the upcoming contest.

"Our luck is really something else… With Senior Chi's senior brothers and sisters looking out for us, who knows, maybe we'll be lucky enough to secure a spot," Chai Shun said excitedly, tugging at Fang Chen's sleeve. "You see, it wasn't wrong of me to invite you to travel with us. Since you can't see, you can stick close to me during the contest, and I'll look out for you."

Fang Chen nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Brother Chai."

Chai Shun chuckled. "Don't mention it. If not for you, we might have taken a few wrong turns on our way here. Let's help each other out."

A tenth-stage Qi Refining Realm young man from the Chai Family overheard Fang Chen and Chai Shun's conversation. He immediately stopped talking with the other disciples, turned to Elder Chai, bowed respectfully, and then said, "Elder, I have a suggestion. I see that Chai Shun and his group are only at the fifth or sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

"During the fight, they may not contribute much, and we would have to divert our attention to look after them. It might be better to have them observe from the sidelines."

He paused and then looked towards Fang Chen. "As for Brother Dongfang, although his cultivation is higher, he is visually impaired, which could naturally put him at a disadvantage in the contest. It's best if he doesn't participate either."

Chai Shun and several other Chai disciples were astounded. Was this person trying to deprive them of their chance to obtain their immortal fortune?

Chai Shun exclaimed angrily, "Chai Long, it's a brawl. What's wrong with us participating? It could also increase our family's chances of winning. The four Nascent Soul elders haven't limited the number of participants, so why shouldn't we be allowed to join?"

"Yeah, Chai Long, this may be the only chance we will ever have in our life to obtain an opportunity like this. Don't stop us," a few other Chai Family disciples chimed in.

Chai Long replied calmly, "I'm not stopping you from obtaining immortal fortune. If I enter the Immortal Tomb this time and acquire anything, the Elder will distribute it among us fairly."

Fair distribution?

The few who had agreed with that suggestion immediately fell silent.

However, Chai Shun knew Chai Long's temperament and was aware of the rules of the Chai Family. If Chai Long really obtained any benefits, he certainly wouldn't share even a bit with them!

A female cultivator under Chi Chong’s tutelage slowly clasped her fist in respect. She was the highest-ranked among them, at the twelfth stage of the Qi Refining Realm. "Master, Senior Chai, I think what Brother Chai Long said makes some sense. We're going to be facing many Qi Refining Realm cultivators, so it's best not to reveal any weaknesses. Only then do we have a chance of surviving until the end."

Chai Long smiled slightly at her words, clasped his fists in return, and said, "Senior Sister Mo Chou understands where I am coming from."

Seeing that the highest-ranked Qi Refining Realm cultivators on both sides were in agreement, Chai Shun's expression turned quite unpleasant. He suddenly pointed at Fang Chen and said, "If we aren't allowed to participate, then fine. But Brother Dongfang is at the ninth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, and he isn't part of the Chai Family. You have no right to stop him."

"If he insists on participating, we won't stop him. But... he can't expect us to protect him amidst the chaos," replied Chai Long softly.

The Chai family elder exchanged a glance with Chi Chong before nodding slightly. "Chai Long makes a good point. This is a chaotic battle, and it isn't suitable for everyone to participate."

With that, he made the final decision. Chai Shun fell silent, his expression becoming even more unsightly.

Suddenly, Chai Shun clenched his teeth and said, "Elder, what if I insist on participating?"

Chai Long frowned slightly.

The Chai family elder looked at Chai Shun and said calmly, "Are you sure you want to go against our decision?"

Chai Shun nodded. "This kind of opportunity for immortality… If there's even the slightest chance, I can't afford to miss it."