Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 764: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey

The previously quiet courtyard quickly became bustling with life as the Three Immortal Kings, various Dao sect patriarchs, and clan leaders took their seats. The cultivators accompanying them naturally dared not remain on their Immortal Boats, instead descending and gathering around the stone steps.

Qin Feng and his sister approached Fang Chen with flushed faces, looking uneasy. "Lord Fang, we..."

Fang Chen said nothing, merely giving a slight nod of acknowledgment, motioning them to stand with Li Daoye and his group.

Relieved as if pardoned, the siblings let out a silent breath and quickly joined the others.

Fang Chen then strolled to the empty plaque at the entrance. Picking up a calligraphy brush, he seemed ready to inscribe something. Yet, just as everyone anticipated his next move, he paused abruptly and turned to face the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, with the re-establishment of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, some things must no longer be done according to the old ways. I ask you, could those of you who are spies who are planted here from other factions kindly step forward and leave?"

This declaration sent ripples of shock through the assembly.

Li Daoye subtly scanned the reactions. While most elders remained impassive, their disciples betrayed unease, some clearly faltering under the weight of Fang Chen's words.

After a tense silence that lasted about three breaths, a Dao patriarch finally broke it with a warm smile. "Naturally, that is the proper way of doing things."

He gestured slightly, signaling for an elder of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. The elder, looking deeply ashamed, brought over a group of ten or so disciples, who returned to the patriarch's side.

Elder Xu and Guan E were left dumbfounded.

Elder Xu gritted his teeth, trembling with rage. "You treacherous scoundrel, Old Wu!"

One incident led to another. The spies that had infiltrated the Grand Thousand Dao Sect were recalled one by one, and by the end, only Elder Xu and Guan'e remained among the senior members.

Out of nearly 400 disciples, almost 200 left.

There were likely still hidden spies among the remaining members, but Fang Chen had no intention of dealing with them further. He left the task of rooting them out to Li Daoye.

Fang Chen smiled faintly and turned to look at the plaque. At that moment, the transcendent aura surrounding him completely disappeared. He now appeared like an ordinary mortal, plain and unremarkable, standing before everyone.

Most of the cultivators present failed to notice this change, as it seemed so natural that their minds did not register it at all.

Only the three Immortal Kings, particularly Gu Xi, sensed something unusual.

Gu Xi furrowed his brows slightly, carefully observing Fang Chen with a trace of contemplation flickering in his eyes.

Then, Fang Chen picked up the brush.

Although the four characters for the Three Thousand Dao Sect were not particularly complex, Fang Chen wrote them with great care, pouring his heart into every stroke.

When he finished, the onlookers found the characters seemingly ordinary. However, as they continued to look, they became involuntarily entranced, feeling as though their spiritual energy momentarily disappeared, leaving them as mere mortals.

Seeing this, the other clan leaders realized they couldn’t leave without offering gifts. They feared being remembered for their lack of courtesy, especially since they had delayed stepping forward and only showed up alongside the three Immortal Kings, thereby already offending the Three Thousand Dao Sect.

While the Immortal Kings could walk away without concern, these clan leaders couldn’t afford to be so reckless. The thought of Fang Chen being highly regarded by a First Rate Sect Leader struck fear into their hearts. Even cultivators in the Middle Three Realms were wary of him.

After several hours, the courtyard of Three Thousand Dao Sect was left with only scattered rogue cultivators hoping to pledge allegiance.

The heads of major clans, including Prefect Qi Jian, had long since departed. The Ancestor of the Langya Clan also left without lingering further, although he did leave Langya Wenxia behind.

Among the top clan leaders, a few offered some mid-grade spirit stones, while the rest, constrained by their resources, only gave a token offering of a dozen or so stones. With their cultivation typically capped at the Fusion Realm, they simply couldn’t afford to part with hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones.

After tallying the gifts, Fang Chen estimated he had received 730,000 low-grade spirit stones and over 400 mid-grade spirit stones.

For the now-weakened Three Thousand Dao Sect, with only a few hundred disciples remaining, these resources would suffice for many years.

The greatest gain from today was not the spirit stones but the Great Dao White Lotus. Its transformative impact extended beyond the outer halls to the inner sanctuary.

From now on, cultivators practicing here could absorb abundant spiritual energy, elevating the entire grounds of the Three Thousand Dao Sect into a veritable spiritual mountain.

With the formalities for pledging allegiance handed over to Pei Qingfeng, Li Daoye, and others, Fang Chen approached Daoist Yuanju, smiling faintly as he asked, "Daoist Yuanju, how has my Three Thousand Dao Sect's hospitality been today?"

Daoist Yuanju wore a beaming smile. "It has been nothing short of exceptional. My thanks to Fellow Daoist Fang for the warm reception."

"If you ever wish to visit again, you are always welcome. However, as most guests have now departed, my Three Thousand Dao Sect will no longer impose on you and your disciples."

Fang Chen's words were laced with subtle dismissal. Suppressing his inner joy, Daoist Yuanju immediately bowed alongside his disciples and hurried away, completely ignoring Zhou Bufan, who had been sending him urgent transmissions.

Zhou Bufan’s expression turned bitter as he watched Yuanju and his group leave. He looked up at Fang Chen tentatively. "Fellow Daoist Fang, we..."

Fang Chen smiled serenely. "All of you have ample longevity and nothing pressing to attend to. Stay for a while and enjoy yourselves here. Let the world see the hospitality of my Three Thousand Dao Sect."

Satisfied, he turned and left.

Despair gripped Zhou Bufan and the others.

This was a classic case of 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey,' and they were the chickens.

Just then, a seemingly ordinary Daoist hurried over, carrying an enormous vat. He placed it with a loud thud before the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Purple Sun Dao Sect who had smashed a teacup earlier.

"The patriarch said that from now on, you’ll use this vat to drink. Make sure to finish every drop, or the patriarch will be unhappy."

Leaving this message, the ordinary Daoist swiftly departed.

The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator stared at the massive vat, far larger than anyone else's cup, and trembled slightly, his face turning deathly pale.