Chapter 973: Heavenly Lord Chen?

“Is this some kind of trick?” Xu Rou said in a daze.

The sight was miraculous. How could there be a Deity Land tucked away deep inside the lifeless world of the Ancient Demons Loch?

Everyone looked into the distance and saw a marvelous scenery.

White cranes glided across the sky as numerous Spirit Beasts roamed the ground. Countless divine mountains dotted the landscape. Some mountains had silvery waterfalls draping the scenery from top to bottom. On the mountain were countless glowing Spirit Medicines. Suddenly, a Golden Hawk soared into the sky and then swooped down to snatch a large Spirit Beast.

The ground was teeming with Spirit Qi that rose into the sky to make a magnificent sky glow. The land looked like the home of an immortal.

“This place is more incredible than the Central Sacred Land. How is it possible?” Zhao Juexian was shocked.

Golden Core Cultivators among the survivors greedily gawked at the scene and said, “This must be the Treasure Cove that the Zi family’s Ancestral Patriarch had mentioned. There are countless Treasure Medicines and Spirit Treasures. If we can get our hands on one or two of them, we could be Heavenly Lords as well.”

Even Sima Tai was tempted by the reward.

The place fitted the description. If it really was what they were looking for, it would certainly be the opportunity of a lifetime. The Ancestral Patriarch of the Zi family rose to power and became a dominant force in the Dragon Burial Region because he had obtained half of a Heavenly Manual from this Treasure Cove.

“However, such a great blessing might only be bestowed on one of us. The Ancestral Patriarch of the Zi family wasn’t alone when he discovered this place,” someone pointed out.

Suddenly, the Golden Core Cultivators looked at Chen Fan with a sinister glare. They hugged Chen Fan’s leg when they were in great danger, but when they realized that Chen Fan could be their roadblock to success, they opted to treat him with hostility.

“Hm.”

Everyone grew silent as reality set in.

Even Xiao Mang was able to notice the growing hostility in the air. She couldn’t believe that they would turn on Chen Fan right after he had saved their lives.

However, Chen Fan remained calm.

He had lived five hundred years and it wasn’t the first time for him to be betrayed.

Among the surviving Golden Core Cultivators, an elder with a golden robe stepped forward and was about to say something to Chen Fan, but then a familiar voice was heard behind them.

“You guys are still alive?”

They looked back and saw the Zi family’s elite fighters along with Heavenly General Hu standing not far from them.

The battle had done a number on them and by then, only twenty or so of the warriors were still alive. But they were all in bad shape. All of them looked at Chen Fan incredulously.

They couldn’t believe that this group of low level cultivators had pulled through the deadly onslaught.

Heavenly General Hu cupped his hand and said with a fake smile, “Cultivator Chen, you are quite a fighter!”

“Cultivator Chen, I…”

Captain Xue looked embarrassed.

It was their plan to use the low level cultivators as bait from the outset. When Captain Xue met the survivors, he couldn’t bring himself to face them directly. He wanted to disclose the plan to Chen Fan ahead of time, but Heavenly General Hu had made it impossible.

Meanwhile, Lady Zi’s face was cold and aloof as usual.

She couldn’t care less about Chen Fan. What was a lowly Connate Cultivator to her? He was at best expendable cannon fodder; his only purpose was to become a sacrifice for her. With her goal right before her, she had no time to waste on a pawn while in the middle of undertaking her master plan.

“You were just doing your job,” Chen Fan said.

Although Chen Fan didn’t hold a grudge against the Zi family for abandoning him, he wouldn’t let the Zi family touch the Treasures.

“Lady Zi, this is the Treasure Cove. We are your loyal servants and followed you here. Please be sure to spare some of the treasures for us, ” the cultivator in the golden robe said.

“Just so, our swords are yours,” a few other Golden Core Cultivators also chimed in.

Compared to Chen Fan, Heavenly General Hu was a much more reliable benefactor and protector.

“You…”

Xiao Mang was speechless.

Chen Fan had saved their lives, but they turned their backs on Chen Fan as soon as they were out of danger.

“Very good!”

Heavenly General Hu nodded approvingly.

He gave Chen Fan a malicious glance. Chen Fan’s aloof expression didn’t sit well with him. However, he let it roll off his back since victory was already in sight.

“My lady, are we still good with fifty-fifty?” Heavenly General Hu asked.

“Of course!”

Lady Zi nodded without any hesitation.

Heavenly General Hu was the most powerful warrior among them; adding in the dozen or so Golden Core Cultivators under his command, he wielded significant power. As for Chen Fan and the other low level cultivators, they were of no concern.

“Follow me if you want the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Heavenly General Hu strided into the Deity Land with many others in tow.

In a blink, only Sima Tai, the senior Cultivator and the Xu Sisters remained beside Chen Fan.

However, even the senior cultivator was unable to resist the temptation and followed the large group into the Deity Land.

“Cultivator Chen, I…”

Sima Tai cupped his hands and hesitated.

“It’s your opportunity, go. Just be careful,” Chen Fan said calmly.

“I… I am sorry.”

Sima Tai heaved a sigh and left Chen Fan.

Xu Na also wanted to follow the large group, but Xu Rou refused to go with her.

“Sister, what are you doing? Our opportunity is right in front of us,” Xu Na complained.

Although Heavenly General Hu didn’t say it out loud, everyone knew that he didn’t like Chen Fan.

That was why the other cultivators had abandoned Chen Fan to follow Heavenly General Hu. Although Chen Fan had saved their lives, in order to keep living and thrive, they need to follow Heavenly General Hu.

Xu Na dragged Xu Rou to Chen Fan’s side and bowed.

“Hail to you, Heavenly Lord Chen!”

“What? Heavenly Lord Chen?”

Xu Na was floored.

She examined Chen Fan again from head to toe and only saw a Golden Core Cultivator. Even though Chen Fan’s energy was strengthened by the Fiend Qi in the Ancient Demons Loch, he was far from being a Heavenly Lord.

Heavenly Lords were mighty beings that could overpower the combined force of all Tianhuang cultivators. They were worshipped as gods. How could Chen Fan, a lowly golden core cultivator, be a Heavenly Lord?

“You remember me?”

Chen Fan was caught by surprise.

Although his name was well known in Tianhuang, not a lot of people had seen his face. Plus, there were over a hundred thousand cultivators who practiced Demon School Cultivations.

“I had never met you, but I know a lot about the True Dragon Goddess. I had even met the Goddess a few times when she was little,” Xu Rou said.

“I see.”

Chen Fan nodded.

He gave Xiao Mang an amused glance. Xiao Mang looked nothing like when she was a little girl. However, the True Dragon energy emanating from her body was easy to recognize. It was a give-away to Chen Fan’s identity.

“The True Dragon Goddess from the Reincarnation Sect, then you must be…”

Xu Na was speechless.

Even as Xu Na was going to speak Chen Fan’s name, Xu Rou covered her mouth and chided, “Insolence. Heavenly Lord’s name is not for you to say aloud.”

Xu Na’s face paled and kneeled down before Chen Fan to apologize.

“It’s fine. Since you have already recognized me, you might as well follow me.”

Chen Fan waved his sleeve and started off toward the Deity ground with the Xu Sisters in tow.

Xu Na thought that her thumping heart was going to leap out of her chest. She had met Chen Beixuan, the Elixir Monarch who had killed Ancestral Patriarch Hongyang!

With such a powerful benefactor, she wouldn’t even look at Heavenly General Hu or the Zi family.

Heavenly General Hu was an outcast of the Demon-suppressing Heavenly Sect: a sect that had been brought to heel by Chen Fan.

“Does it mean that we’ll obtain treasures if we follow Heavenly Lord Chen?”

Xu Na was overtaken by joy and excitement.

The Deity ground looked close from a distance, but it took them half an hour to reach. When they were close, they saw that Lady Zi and Heavenly General Hu had been stopped by another group of cultivators.

One of the cultivators was surprised to see Chen Fan.

“Cultivator Chen! What a small world.”

Chen Fan looked at the speaker.

It was Luo Changshen.