Chapter 127: The Manifestation of the Spirit (Part 2)

The night wind howled, and the waves churned. By the ferry landing, Fang Baoliang was locked in a fierce, life-and-death struggle with several ghostly bailiffs, every strike of their blades carving into flesh.

Magistrate Wen and Fang Yue, who remained hidden, stood to the side watching the commotion, neither intervening. The magistrate, mindful of his dignity and official standing, left the fighting to his subordinates. Fang Yue, however, stood with a furrowed brow, contemplating the conversation he had just overheard between the magistrate and Fang Baoliang.

The remark that "the world will soon fall into chaos, and the imperial court, along with the noble clans behind it, will be unable to protect themselves" weighed heavily on him. From Yutou Town to Longchong Prefecture, and during his time at the Fengyang Martial Arts Hall in Longchong, everything he had witnessed gave him a profound understanding of the terrifying power wielded by the imperial court.

It was unfathomable.

Yet, his conclusion differed from Fang Baoliang’s. While Fang Baoliang believed the court’s rule was stable and that chaos was impossible, Fang Yue had seen the horrors of high-level transcendent power. He understood that in a world where such great might resided within individuals, nothing was truly stable. If a single entity of higher or comparable transcendent power were to strike, the seemingly solid order could collapse in an instant, plunging the world into turmoil.

Based on the information available to him, the most potent transcendent force in this world appeared to be the noble clans backing the imperial court. As for ghosts and monsters, their ability to wreak havoc relied on their endless numbers, sustained by the lingering resentment and malice in the world. In reality, however, they were generally suppressed.

If Magistrate Wen’s words were true and the world was destined for chaos, who would be the architect? The common people, in this world of transcendent power, were as insignificant as ants, incapable of stirring up any real waves. Martial artists and cultivators, though numerous, had a ceiling to their power; in the eyes of certain beings, they were merely slightly more formidable ants. Ghosts were kept in check unless a major catastrophe occurred.

That left only the master behind Magistrate Wen—the so-called "Enlightened Lord"—and other evil deities of similar ilk.

Of course, one could not blindly trust the magistrate. In life, he had been a county magistrate of the Great Qi Dynasty who worshipped evil gods and was executed by the court for treason, along with many of his clerks and bailiffs. In the eyes of such a traitor, the world was always on the verge of collapse.

As Fang Yue pondered these questions, the battle between Fang Baoliang and the ghostly bailiffs—led by Chief Bailiff Sun—was nearing its end. Though Fang Baoliang’s martial cultivation was only at the late stage of the Houtian realm, his body had mutated, and having consumed several spectral entities, his true strength had reached the peak of the Houtian realm, bordering on the Xiantian. Furthermore, his blade, wreathed in black mist, could restrain the ghosts, whereas their weapons only inflicted superficial wounds upon him.

Moreover, because these bailiffs had been beheaded in life, their spectral forms retained that fatal vulnerability. The outcome was predictable. After a few exchanges, Fang Baoliang severed the head of one bailiff, and the headless body immediately froze. Only the head, rolling on the ground, shrieked in agony. Realizing this, Fang Baoliang focused his strikes on their necks, swiftly dispatching the others.

When only Chief Bailiff Sun remained, Magistrate Wen could no longer restrain himself.

"Audacious wretch! You are incorrigible to dare resist!"

His roar sounded like thunder, buzzing in their ears. He stepped forward, black mist surging from his body, causing even the sea breeze to stall.

Fang Baoliang stood with his blade in hand, his clothes tattered, drawing a deep breath. He knew this was the critical moment. He realized he might not be a match for this colossal spirit, yet he had come regardless. He did not fear death, for he could not truly die. As long as the dormant deep-sea creature that granted him resurrection remained, he was tethered to this cycle. Fang Yue trusted him, had taught him martial arts, provided for his family, and entrusted him with the protection of Yutou Town. Fang Baoliang felt he had to live up to that trust. Even if he were to die, it was a price he was willing to pay.

Facing the magistrate’s overwhelming pressure, Fang Baoliang did not speak; he simply raised his blade, signaling his defiance.

Magistrate Wen, incensed, took another step forward. Fang Baoliang broke into a cold sweat; the magistrate stood three zhang tall, wreathed in chilling yin energy, his mere presence suffocating. Fang Baoliang gritted his teeth, preparing to fight to the death, when suddenly, the pressure vanished.

Stunned, he looked up to see the three-zhang-tall magistrate being hoisted into the air by his collar, as if he were a mere chick. A giant figure radiating golden light had appeared at the ferry. Standing nearly four or five zhang tall, he looked like a small hill, making the magistrate seem like a child in comparison.

It was Fang Yue, who had revealed his form and invoked his divine power to enlarge his body. The magistrate was backed by an evil deity, which was a significant problem, but in the struggle for incense and willpower, it was a battle of life and death. If the "Enlightened Lord" were to act personally, Fang Yue would have to concede Yutou Town, but he would be pathetic to let a mere lackey scare him away.

"Having luckily ascended to godhood this time, it will not be easy to replicate," Fang Yue thought, his expression grim. "I must suppress this magistrate, but I must also ensure this divine avatar is sufficiently distanced from my physical body to avoid any backlash."

Though he was now a god, he was but a minor one; he needed time to grow and remained wary of evil deities. Fortunately, it was not easy for such entities to manifest in the world.

With this thought, he struck without mercy. He held the magistrate in his left hand and, with his right hand glowing with golden light, brought it down in a crushing blow. The yin energy surrounding the magistrate scattered, and the spirit shrieked. The magistrate struggled violently, attempting to break free, but as both were at the peak of the Xiantian level, a god was naturally superior to a ghost. Furthermore, they were within Fang Yue's divine domain, where his power was inexhaustible. The magistrate and his men had walked straight into a trap.

Fang Yue did not hold back. Blow after blow rained down, purging the yin energy from the magistrate’s body. As the energy dissipated, the magistrate’s three-zhang-tall form began to shrink.

Fang Baoliang stared in astonishment. The golden radiance and the figure’s appearance were identical to the Sea God in the nearby temple. And the face...

"Scholar?" he ventured tentatively.

Fang Yue did not stop his assault, but he lowered his head to look at Fang Baoliang. The expression and the gaze confirmed it: it was indeed Fang Yue. And that, to Fang Baoliang, was even more shocking.