Immortal of the Nine Realms

Xia Ji waved his hand with a smile. "This kid is coming to bother me again. I won't see him! Tell him to get lost; I'm not in the mood to deal with him today."

The maidservant nodded lightly and turned to leave.

"Who is Feng Ya?" Fang Chen casually asked.

Xia Ji chuckled. "He's one of my sworn brothers. Although I was adopted after him, my adoptive father has placed my status above his, so he has to call me 'big brother.' Because of this, he's always been a bit dissatisfied with me. I guess he's been listening to others and has been looking for trouble lately.

"Now that I think about it, he's actually older than me, and he has to call me 'big brother.' If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be frustrated too."

Fang Chen nodded lightly, not too worried about how Xia Ji would handle the situation.

From what he knew of Xia Ji, it would be easy for him to manage this relationship unless someone touched his sensitive spot, which would truly throw him off balance.

The three continued their meal and casual conversation, reminiscing from their childhood to the time Fang Chen had spent his lifespan to save everyone.

Xia Ji suddenly paused and glanced at Wu Ruochou. "How many years has it been?"

"Right, thirty-four years have passed just like that. Back then, I was just in my teens, and now... I'm almost sixty." Xia Ji smiled and turned to Fang Chen. "Fang Da, if we hadn't tread this path, what do you think we'd be doing now?"

"You'd probably be wandering around still, perhaps traveling across various empires. You wouldn't reach a sixth-tier empire though." Fang Chen smiled and said, "As for me, I would've found a way to regain my former position and become entangled with Qingsong. I might very well have never learned about the Spirit Blood Sect."

"I don't think you would've regained your former position. With my father's secret plots, you might've ended up a pawn." Xia Ji shook his head gently. "Perhaps you can utilize the Grand Xia Hidden Guards to do something, but that won't change the overall situation."

A hint of confusion flashed in Wu Ruochou's eyes as she glanced at the two. She suddenly asked, "Young Master Fang, why is it that both you and my junior brother have been cultivating for so many years but still can't sever your worldly ties?"

Fang Chen and Xia Ji exchanged a smile but did not respond.

Wu Ruochou frowned slightly and gave Xia Ji a gentle kick.

Helpless, Xia Ji chuckled and said, "Senior sister, it's still the same old saying. The world is the greatest trial for the heart. I don't want to sever my worldly ties because I fear becoming a hardened lump of iron. When that time comes... will I still be myself? Just thinking about it frightens me."

"As for why Fang Da hasn't severed his worldly ties, he certainly has his reasons. After all, why must a cultivator be so obsessed with cutting off worldly ties? Some people cultivate in this world to experience its various forms, aiming to reach a perfect state of mind..." Xia Ji concluded.

Wu Ruochou frowned. "But that's only temporary. Once you achieve a perfect state of mind, you'll feel like your soul would have left the world. You can't just enter the world without leaving, can you? There are too many causes and effects within worldly ties. Being trapped in it for a short time may not matter, but what will you do about the tribulations that come later?"

Xia Ji gritted his teeth. He said with a look of determination, "Just go with the flow! If I really can't get through this, Senior Sister, just remarry! I won't blame you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Ruochou kicked him again. Although it didn't hurt, he still grimaced and sucked in a breath, which made the somewhat annoyed Wu Ruochou laugh instead.

Fang Chen lifted his cup and took a sip, unable to help but mutter in his heart that this kid was getting better at it.

"Prince Feng Ya, Young Master Xia has stated that he has something to attend to today, and you really can't come in. This makes it difficult for us servants…."

"Get lost."

"Ah!"

A maid outside let out a startled scream, and then a large group of people entered the guest hall. The young man at the forefront looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, but he emanated the aura of a Golden Core Realm expert at the grand completion stage.

Xia Ji put away his smile and looked at Feng Ya coldly. "If you want to find me, just find me. What's with the display? You're still a prince; can't you handle this much?"

Being reprimanded by Xia Ji upon their first meeting, especially in front of his friends, made Feng Ya's anger rise uncontrollably. Suppressing his fury, he coldly replied, "Xia Ji, we agreed a few days ago that today is the day of the Dragon Vein Pill's completion. We need to accompany the Fourth Princess; have you forgotten?"

"Oh, it seems I really did forget. How about this? You go back and inform them that I won't be attending today; I have friends to entertain," Xia Ji said with a grin. "Sorry for the trouble, little brother Feng Ya."

Hearing the words 'little brother Feng Ya', Feng Ya nearly lost his temper right then and there.

Someone frowned and remarked, "Xia Ji, you can't possibly be completely ignorant of etiquette, can you? Since this matter was agreed upon in advance, and many important figures are attending today, if you suddenly don't go, won't that lead to criticisms of the Corrosive Dragon King Manor's decorum?"

Xia Ji looked at the person with curiosity. "Oh? And who might you be? It seems little brother Feng Ya has a wide circle of friends; why are you bringing some strangers to see me?"

Seeing that Xia Ji didn't recognize him, a flash of embarrassment and anger crossed the man's eyes. He solemnly replied, "I am Zhao Bei, from the Morning Star Dao Sect."

Fang Chen glanced at him.

Feng Ya said coldly, "Xia Ji, don't concern yourself with such trivial matters. My adoptive father has instructed me to keep a close eye on you. You'd better not offend the Fourth Princess. If it weren't for my adoptive father's orders, I wouldn't bother with this at all. Come with me quickly; don't let others gossip about the Corrosive Dragon King Manor!"

"Junior Brother, you should go after all. I'll wait for you here with Young Master Fang," Wu Ruochou urged softly.

"Since you're the one telling me to go, Senior Sister, I have to go. But Fang Da must come with me. Leaving him in the manor would be a waste."

Xia Ji chuckled, pulling Fang Chen toward the door. "Today, I'll show you the world. Have you heard of the Dragon Vein Pill? It's a legendary saint-grade pill. Only the Era Immortal King in the Central Continent Empire knows how to refine it. It's said that taking this pill can turn a chicken into a phoenix."

"Wait! You're going to take him with you? The ceremonial event isn't for just anyone to attend. Don't embarrass the Corrosive Dragon King Manor!" Feng Ya exclaimed angrily.

"This is my brother; it doesn't matter that you don't recognize him. Why can he not go? You can bring a bunch of friends, but I, the adoptive son of the Corrosive Dragon King, your brother, can only bring one person, and you're making a fuss? How ridiculous."

Xia Ji laughed and ignored Feng Ya, dragging Fang Chen along.

Seeing Feng Ya about to explode, Zhao Bei immediately sent a sound transmission, "Brother Feng Ya, it doesn't matter if he wants to bring someone along. As long as he's willing to attend the ceremony, we can execute our plan to make him embarrass himself in front of the Fourth Princess and all the nobles. At that time, you'll have vented your anger, and your brother will have a good excuse. Why not?"

Feng Ya felt this made sense and forcibly suppressed his anger while following the two.

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