Extreme Almightiest Young Master-Chapter 2013 - 1995: Have You Gone Broke?

Xiao Tianrong’s face grew somber after listening to the Great Elder’s words. His intuition told him that this matter was far from simple. To kill someone at the Human Immortal Realm Peak in an instant meant that only someone at the Earth Immortal Realm Middle Stage or above could have done it. This suggested that there might be a loose cultivator above the Earth Immortal Realm Middle Stage secretly assassinating the expedition force members within the Divine Origin Cultivation World!

As he thought about it, Xiao Tianrong became increasingly convinced that this was quite likely. In a medium-power Divine Origin Cultivation World, the Sect Ancestor was at most at the Earth Immortal Realm Middle Stage. But the problem was, in any cultivation world, the strong figures of the Earth Immortal Realm were the most important people within the sect and generally wouldn’t leave their sect.

However, for a loose cultivator without sect support to break into the Earth Immortal Realm was basically impossible, and as far as he knew, there wasn’t a single loose cultivator who had reached the Earth Immortal Realm Middle Stage. Therefore, this situation was suspicious; he even suspected now that a certain sect was targeting the Holy Soul Sect!

"Great Elder, you should go down and take a rest for now. Here’s how we’ll proceed: once we enter the next cultivation world, people from the Holy Soul Sect and the three major sects should not be dispersed. We’ll divide into four teams, each led by you and the two Supreme Elders. If anything happens again, we can pinpoint the problem. To prevent potential issues, notify the three major sects to send an Earth Immortal Realm Elder to oversee each of their teams to prevent unexpected incidents."

Looking at the Great Elder, Xiao Tianrong gave a specific handling plan, which would help determine who exactly was stirring trouble in the background. As long as they could catch the perpetrator, they’d understand what was really happening. The sect elite couldn’t continue to suffer these losses; they still needed to conquer Earth in the future. How could they conquer Earth if everyone died?

"Sect Master, but if we proceed like this, the pace of the expedition will surely slow down. After all, the area of a medium-power cultivation world is extremely large..." Upon hearing Sect Master Xiao Tianrong’s words, the Great Elder immediately responded. He had considered this method, but had dismissed it, because executing it would undoubtedly slow the expedition significantly. If this continued, gathering enough Black Spirit Stones would take a very long time...

"This expedition will proceed like this for now. We’ll see the specific situation and decide," Xiao Tianrong replied upon hearing the Great Elder. He knew it would slow down the expedition, but if they didn’t root out the mastermind, the losses would be too great, causing far more harm than help. So, for now, they would implement this change and observe the situation.

"Alright, I understand what to do, Sect Master." The Great Elder, hearing Xiao Tianrong’s arrangement, had no choice but to agree and immediately left to organize the related matters...

......

Meanwhile, after the Great Elder left, the people from the three major sects dispersed to rest. Some were busy organizing a visit to the Holy Soul Sect’s market to see if they could acquire something useful, which many agreed with. Consequently, numerous disciples grouped together and headed for the Holy Soul Sect’s market.

At this time, the leading elders of the three major sects were busy reporting the expedition’s events back to their sects. The three major sects had lost disciples, but only five in total—two from one sect and one from each of the others. Yet this was already a very serious matter for the three major sects.

"Boss, what do you think the Holy Soul Sect means by not letting us leave?"

"Yeah, in three days, what can we do here at the Holy Soul Sect?"

Qin Kun and Wu Shan, following Fang Yan and the other disciples to the market, couldn’t help but curiously ask on the way. It was very strange to them, and they couldn’t comprehend why the Holy Soul Sect made this decision.

"You two have seen too little," Fang Yan said to them, "haven’t many people died during this expedition? Doesn’t anything seem off to you?"

"Off, what do you mean?"

"Yeah, wasn’t it normal for the storm to be that terrifying?"

...

Listening to Fang Yan’s words, the two were immediately puzzled. They truly didn’t understand what Fang Yan meant. During this expedition, the Divine Sword Sect had the fewest casualties, losing only one person, but what was the problem? If they hadn’t been with Fang Yan, they would surely have perished in the storm. Hearing Fang Yan say this now made them more curious.

"You two..." Fang Yan, hearing their words, was speechless, understanding their thinking, and continued, "didn’t you notice that all the losses from the three major sects were due to that terrifying storm, while the Holy Soul Sect lost two because of the storm and had eight others mysteriously disappear? If they weren’t confirmed dead, would the Great Elder have brought everyone back to the Holy Soul Sect?"

The two, hearing Fang Yan’s words, were stunned. Only then did they realize what Fang Yan meant. If things were as Fang Yan said, the situation wouldn’t be as simple, and as Fang Yan suggested, it could indeed escalate significantly.

Counting the Holy Soul Sect’s ten dead, and considering that these were all elite disciples at the Human Immortal Realm Peak, the loss was indeed substantial. With the Holy Soul Sect not letting them leave, it was clear they had suspicions but had found no evidence.

"Now you understand!" said Fang Yan with a smile, seeing their expressions. "But it’s not as bad as it seems. After all, for someone to kill a Human Immortal Realm Peak disciple silently, no one in the expedition force could do it. So, they suspect someone among us is in contact with outsiders, rather than directly suspecting us of killing those Holy Soul Sect elite disciples."

Fang Yan’s analysis was thorough, immediately calming Qin Kun and Wu Shan. Indeed, as Fang Yan said, their abilities didn’t allow them to kill a Human Immortal Realm Peak disciple without anyone noticing, let alone eight of them, so the suspicion couldn’t fall on them.

Yet, for some reason, the two suddenly turned their gaze to Fang Yan. After all, they had spent a full seven days in Fang Yan’s space ring, during which anything could have happened. If Fang Yan had killed those people, it was indeed possible...

"Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not the one who killed him," Boss said calmly as he glanced at his two underlings. He indeed hadn’t killed the person, but he had directed Li Xing to do it. However, he wouldn’t let that slip out, as long as no one suspected him, especially since he and the Holy Soul Sect seemed to have no conflicts in the eyes of others. Even if he had the power, others wouldn’t think it was him who acted.

"Yeah, it definitely couldn’t be Boss who killed him!"

"I think so too, Boss wouldn’t kill anyone!"

Qin Kun and Wu Shan looked at Fang Yan at this moment with very earnest expressions. However, their words might easily be misunderstood, as if they firmly believed it was Fang Yan who did it. In the face of such a situation, Fang Yan was speechless and gave each of them a knock on the head!

"Don’t overthink it, the two of you, or else others might misunderstand, and I, your Boss, don’t want to attract trouble," Fang Yan said to the duo with a frown, then quickly moved forward to join the people ahead, not bothering to talk further with his two underlings.

Upon hearing Fang Yan’s words, Qin Kun and Wu Shan snapped out of their daze. From Fang Yan’s attitude, it indeed seemed like he wasn’t the one behind it. But this wasn’t a place for such talk. If the Holy Soul Sect noticed and misunderstood, thinking it was Boss who did it, wouldn’t they be bringing trouble upon themselves?

With that thought, they wasted no more words, taking a few steps to catch up with Fang Yan and the others, heading to the market.

The Holy Soul Sect, being a super sect, had a remarkably large market, at least ten times bigger than the Divine Sword Sect’s. There were numerous shops, a variety of ingredients, all sorts of Spiritual Medicine, even Dharma Treasures and Divine Weapons, and finished Elixirs, practically everything one could want.

Once the group entered the market, they dispersed immediately, each going off to find what they needed.

Meanwhile, Fang Yan parted ways with the group, leading Qin Kun and Wu Shan to the deepest part of the market because they all noticed many people seemingly in a heated dispute over something in the distance.

"How can you do this? We agreed on twenty Spirit Stones, why raise the price all of a sudden?"

"It was twenty before, but now I’m in debt too, I need to make money somehow, can’t just swallow the mortgage for this house."

"That’s not how business works..."

The crowd surrounding them was genuinely angry. This was clearly bullying. Even if the Holy Soul Sect was powerful, they couldn’t bully people like this. Such an increase in price made them feel like fat sheep from legend! How could they agree to this?

Seeing this, Fang Yan, with curiosity, also approached the stall with Qin Kun and Wu Shan. Only then did they learn what had happened. Apparently, an item was being sold, and the price was almost settled when the vendor suddenly raised it, leading to the dispute.

Curious, Fang Yan began examining the item in the vendor’s hand. He was stunned when he realized what it was—a rare Refining Material known as Ink Heart Rock, essential for crafting the highest-grade Dharma Treasures.

After a brief thought, Fang Yan walked through the crowd and spoke to the vendor, "How much for this black stone in Spirit Stones?"

Fang Yan’s question immediately provoked the other buyers’ ire. They thought Fang Yan was crazy for even asking the price when it was clear the vendor was gouging. Did he have a screw loose?

But the vendor didn’t care about that, smiling at Fang Yan’s inquiry and then declaring before everyone, "Forty Spirit Stones!"

This price was double the previous one, infuriating those around who pointed fingers at the vendor.

"That’s outrageous!"

"Yeah, don’t even know what it is, but it’s so expensive!"

"Forty Spirit Stones, are you crazy?"

...