Chapter 86

"Hey, you got it wrong, I'm just here to watch the show," Gui Bu Gui made a face at Huoshan and then ignored him. He directly addressed Guangren's position and said, "Why don't you do it? Huoshan is a fellow townsman, I watched him grow up. Beating him would not be a good show for me, the old man."

At this point, the old man paused, grinned, and continued, "It's different for you. Although you've called me 'elder' for hundreds of years, you were the first to join the sect. In terms of seniority, I should call you 'elder brother.' Compared to little Huoshan, beating the Great Fangshi would still be somewhat impressive."

"Then wouldn't it be even more impressive to beat my uncle!" As he shouted this, a layer of red, flame-like energy appeared around Huoshan. He took a half-step back, dodging Gui Bu Gui's finger, and then his palms released two flame-covered measuring rods, striking down at Gui Bu Gui's head.

As the two measuring rods were about to hit Gui Bu Gui, the old man showed no intention of dodging and punched Huoshan's head directly.

With a "bang," just before the measuring rods hit Gui Bu Gui's head, the old man's fist had already struck Huoshan's cheek. The red-haired man was instantly sent flying, crashing into the hall and falling to the ground after flying about twenty to thirty zhang.

"I already said beating you wouldn't be a good show, yet you still close your eyes and rush forward." Although he was speaking to the flying Huoshan, Gui Bu Gui's shifty eyes were fixed on the Great Fangshi, who had lost his smile. At this moment, half of Guangren's disciples had already reached where Huoshan had fallen. After checking his injuries, one of the older disciples turned to his master and said, "Elder Brother Huoshan is fine, just unconscious."

Hearing his disciple's words, Guangren's expression finally returned to normal. He ignored Gui Bu Gui and Wu Mian, turned to his three junior brothers and sisters, and said, "Mr. Wu Mian is determined not to join the sect, so we cannot force him. The matter I discussed with the three of you is hereby canceled. Since there is no longer any bond of the same sect, if the three of you want to do anything to him, I, as the Great Fangshi, cannot interfere."

Everyone thought Guangren would personally take action, but unexpectedly, he acted as if nothing had happened and pushed the matter onto Guangxiao and the other three.

At this moment, Guangren's disciples had already carried the still unconscious Wu Mian back. After a glance at his senior disciple, Guangren said, "Get up, Huoshan. How long are you going to sleep?"

As the last word left his lips, Huoshan, who was lying on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. His face was ashen, like a corpse. He stared at his master for a moment, then suddenly "ah!" and spat out a mouthful of blood. After spitting out the blood, Huoshan's face regained some color. He struggled to stand up and stood behind Guangren.

Seeing Huoshan wake up, Guangren smiled faintly and continued to the other three of the Guang generation, "Mr. Wu Mian's refusal to join the sect is my failure as the Great Fangshi. I will take my disciples back to reflect. The three of you, let's part ways here." After saying this, Guangren ignored the three Guang generation disciples, who were somewhat stunned, and led his disciples and the Baekje corpse out of the hall.

None of the three Guangxiao expected Guangren to leave so suddenly. However, with the biggest competitor gone, the three of them just exchanged glances silently, and no one tried to stop the Great Fangshi from leaving. Just as the Great Fangshi was about to leave, someone behind Wu Mian sighed, and then a faint voice sounded, "Leaving already? It seems after Xu Fu, there is no one to revive the Fangshi sect. What a pity, after more than two thousand years since Qiankeng founded the Fangshi art, the Fangshi sect still cannot escape its fate of extinction."

Before the words were finished, Guangren, standing at the hall's entrance, turned around and fixed his gaze on the speaker. The speaker was an unremarkable middle-aged man, holding a naked baby. Guangren had no memory of such a person, but he smiled and said slowly, "So, did you see the Fangshi sect's decline when you were the Great Fangshi?"

In the surprised looks of the three Guangxiao, Guangren's smile faded, and he continued to look at the first Great Fangshi, Ji Ai, who had transformed into Qiu Biao, "I had some suspicions when I learned this was the place where the first Great Fangshi ascended. Seeing this divine and unpredictable transference technique just now, I can confirm that you are of the Ji family. According to the Fangshi sect's rules, everyone present should pay respects to the first Great Fangshi. However, it's a pity."

"Guangren, you say he is the first Great Fangshi?" Before the Great Fangshi could finish, Guangyi couldn't help but call him by name, took two steps back, and stared at the unremarkable middle-aged man, saying to Guangren, "No! If he is the first Great Fangshi, Yan Aihou, then who is the one who ascended?"

"It is also Yan Aihou, the Great Fangshi," Guangren was not bothered by his junior brother's rudeness. He smiled faintly and continued to look at the first Great Fangshi, "The one who ascended is the true self. The one giving us guidance is a wisp of his soul hidden in a mortal's body before his ascension. If I'm not mistaken, there should be a treasure here that needs to be personally guarded by our former Great Fangshi."

As the successor to the Great Fangshi after Xu Fu, what Guangren said was even unexpected by Wu Mian. He turned to look at Gui Bu Gui, who was still grinning, and said in a cold tone, "It seems you still have something to tell me. I wondered why you were so curious about this place. It turns out you were hiding something."

Gui Bu Gui laughed awkwardly and said to Wu Mian, "You misunderstand me, old brother. This is a secret of the Fangshi sect that is not passed down. How could a kicked-out old man like me know?" Wu Mian could guess that the old man was still hiding something, but the current situation was not conducive to an outburst.

Just as Wu Mian glared at Gui Bu Gui, Guangxiao suddenly laughed strangely. Like Guangti, he no longer called him the Great Fangshi and directly named him, "Elder Brother Guangren, knowing the founder of the Fangshi sect is here, you still want us to cover your back? What a cunning plan. By the time we and the first Great Fangshi are both exhausted—"

"Who said a soul in a mortal's body can still be called a Great Fangshi?" Before Guangxiao could finish, Guangren, who rarely interrupted, cut him off. The Great Fangshi stared at Yan Aihou and continued with a faint smile, "A soul no longer has its former position. This is a rule established by the first Great Fangshi. Since Yan Aihou is only a soul, there is only one Great Fangshi here. We are reclaiming the sect's lost treasures, which is not excessive, right?"

At this point, Guangren shifted his gaze to Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui and continued, "To put it bluntly, today there is only one Great Fangshi here, and I am the highest authority in the Fangshi sect. Even if the true self of Yan Aihou were to descend, he could not interfere with this matter. Since Mr. Wu Mian refuses to join the sect, please return the sect's lost treasures. And since we, the younger generation, have arrived, the treasures here should naturally be guarded by us. Yan Aihou can also withdraw this wisp of soul and achieve the great merit of the immortal realm."

Guangren's words were clear. This time, he not only wanted the Fangshi treasures that Wu Mian obtained from Xu Fu but also the treasure that Yan Aihou's soul was guarding. Moreover, according to the Fangshi sect's rules, even a former Great Fangshi like Yan Aihou could not oppose the current Great Fangshi's decree. The transference technique given to Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui could have been covered up, but now that his identity was revealed, even as the soul of the first Great Fangshi, he could not interfere.

"You are the second person to use the title of Great Fangshi to pressure me, but you are more repulsive than little Xu Fu." Yan Aihou's smile was half-mocking as he scanned everyone's faces, then suddenly laughed strangely and continued, "What a pity, in terms of cunning, you are not a match for the first Great Fangshi. Little Wu Mian, come, bow to me. Today, the Great Fangshi is in a good mood and will take you as a little disciple to guard the door."