The Elder Fumo, who currently ranks sixth on the Demon Sealing List, resides on this island year-round.
He is a reclusive powerhouse with a mysterious background. Wang Zhifan has collaborated with him several tis in group battles and knows that he is not a common Daoist, Buddhist, or Confucian cultivator, but rather soone who incorporates a wide range of peculiar skills.
As Wang Zhifan’s Dream Avatar crossed the bitterly cold North Sea and stepped onto the warm shores of Fire Spirit Island, a figure resembling a peach tree began to approach him slowly.
"May I ask if you are here at the invitation of the master?"
The figure, with limbs adorned with vibrant peach blossoms, appeared like a humanoid tree trunk. It walked with steady steps toward Wang Zhifan’s avatar, emitting a voice indistinguishable as either male or female.
"Indeed."
Wang Zhifan, controlling his avatar from thousands of miles away, imdiately responded.
"Please follow , esteed guest."
The peach tree figure then led Wang Zhifan’s avatar deep into the island, along a smooth gravel road, into a dense forest located at the foot of a hundred-zhang high hill.
As rumored, Fire Spirit Island’s temperature was vastly different from the surrounding North Sea, feeling at least twenty degrees warr, likely due to a peculiar volcanic hill on the island.
In the lush forest, the peach tree figure soon guided Wang Zhifan’s avatar to a small wooden hut.
The hut appeared very simple, resembling an ordinary dwelling. It was hard to imagine that the renowned Elder Fumo of the Calamity Realm lived here.
Creak!
As the peach tree figure led Wang Zhifan’s avatar to the hut, the door opened by itself, but Elder Fumo was not in sight. Instead, his raspy voice emanated from within.
"Lord Martial Honor, you have arrived at the perfect ti. Please pass through the passage and et in the underground palace."
"Goodness, this old fellow is hosting a secretive gathering and isn’t even concerned people might suspect ulterior motives."
Far away, Wang Zhifan’s true self was sowhat speechless at the sight.
He originally planned to visit Elder Fumo personally, but using his avatar as a substitute turned out to be a wise choice, as he wouldn’t have to worry about what this secretive person was up to.
Controlling the avatar to enter the hut, stepping into the open entrance to the underground passage, Wang Zhifan quickly observed the scenery beneath Fire Spirit Island through his avatar.
Unlike the island’s pristine and scenic surface, after passing through a long, narrow underground passage, the underground palace ca into view, filled with stones, tal, and furnaces.
The entire underground palace was enormous, possibly exceeding the surface area of Fire Spirit Island, presumably hollowing out the underground and supporting the island with a man-made palace.
In the underground palace, the guide was no longer the peach tree figure from the island’s surface but an odd, vicious-looking old man standing nine feet tall.
The old man’s body wasn’t human, covered in black scales and bristling with spikes, indicating it was a demon’s body, yet a genuine human head was connected to it. It was hard to imagine what thod Elder Fumo used to create such a bizarre entity.
"The master is receiving guests in the hall. Please enter, honored guest."
Shortly after, passing through the spacious yet complex underground palace, the attendant old man with a bearing befitting a man-eating monster, slightly bowed and led Wang Zhifan’s avatar into a spacious living room.
This living room was perhaps the most conventional area within the entire underground palace, deliberately designed in a familiar style to the outside world.
The yellow-brown wooden floor, redwood square table, exquisitely crafted chairs with backrests, plain prayer mats, burning incense burner, and ink paintings on the walls filled the room with a human touch distinct from the rest of the underground palace.
As Wang Zhifan controlled his avatar to enter, he noticed Elder Fumo, always with a silver face mask, conversing with a thin, blue-robed old Daoist.
Wang Zhifan also recognized this old Daoist, known as No Heaven No Earth Daoist, who ranked fourth on the Demon Sealing List, just behind him.
As a fellow of the Daoist community, the self-proclaid No Heaven No Earth Daoist was naturally distinguished.
It was said that before the great war, he was mostly itinerant and hard to find, only appearing frequently in the Calamity Realm after the war began, focusing on fighting the invasion from the Demon Realm.
"Hehe, old friend, wasn’t I right? It’s indeed not the original person as the second one arrived."
Elder Fumo, with his silver face mask, let out two light laughs and spoke to the No Heaven No Earth Daoist beside him, simultaneously standing up from the prayer mat.
"Does it matter if it’s not the original person? As long as we’re gathered, we can discuss and plan."
The slim, seemingly eighty-so old No Heaven No Earth Daoist promptly responded, also standing up from the prayer mat.
Then, Elder Fumo approached the newly entered Wang Zhifan’s avatar and bowed to him, saying:
"Martial Lord’s esteed presence brings great honor to my humble abode!"
"Elder Fumo, you’re far too kind! I am preoccupied with matters, so I could only send my avatar. I hope you won’t take offense!"
"Fellow Martial Lord, I had only heard of your unparalleled combat prowess, but who knew your Clone Skill was so unique? If not careful, even I would have been deceived."
"Daoist No Heaven, you overpraise ! It’s rely a minor skill, nothing worth ntioning!"
After so pleasantries, Wang Zhifan formally t them through his avatar and inquired about the upcoming schedule.
Elder Fumo, wearing his silver face mask, followed by telling him that once all the guests arrived, he would share precious intelligence from Extre Origin Mountain, allowing everyone to analyze and discuss strategies together.
Wang Zhifan naturally had no objection to this, as it was rely a matter of waiting, and since he had only sent an avatar, whatever happened next would not affect his true self in any way.
Thus, the three chatted in the living room, discussing various matters encountered recently.
For instance, Wang Zhifan recounted his battle experiences in the Ancient Cyan Sea, sharing his experience with magic artifacts against the Demon Marquis.
During this ti, other guests gradually arrived, each one a renowned figure on the Demon Sealing List, particularly with the top ten ranking masters still alive all in attendance.
However, like Wang Zhifan, most sent their avatars instead of personally attending, showing they, too, were cautious of potential mishaps on Fire Spirit Island and intentionally took an extra precaution.
In detail, besides the previously ntioned third, fourth, and sixth ranks, the attendees included the seventh-ranked "Carefree Roaming Dragon," eighth-ranked "Monarch Tianhua," ninth-ranked "Golden Lotus Seed," tenth-ranked "Ten Thousand Sword Lord," and other top thirty masters. Before the eting comnced, a total of twenty-one people had arrived.
Among them, Carefree Roaming Dragon was a middle-aged scholar from the Calamity Realm, with handso and noble features, and his Saint’s Gifted Jade Dragon Folding Fan was his trademark.
Monarch Tianhua was a rare "Imperial Domineering" cultivator, and was the monarch of a large nation called "Tianhua" in the Calamity Realm. The country supposedly existed well before the Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian families took charge, with a long history.
From his na, one could guess that Golden Lotus Seed was a Buddhist master, appearing very young and handso, much like Wang Zhifan, but being bald with a golden lotus tattooed on his head ant he couldn’t truly rival Wang Zhifan’s appearance.
The tenth-ranked Ten Thousand Sword Lord was a dignified middle-aged Daoist, practicing a Sword Path combining the Dao’s flavor and martial intent. As a fellow Daoist martial cultivator, he held Wang Zhifan in high regard and discussed much with him during the wait.
As the two dozen top-ranking figures gathered, the ti reached that day’s evening.
Then, Elder Fumo, always with a silver mask, began to display precious intelligence for everyone.
The intelligence presented as a segnt of mory; each attendee only needed to view a specially-made jade slip to know what Elder Fumo’s avatar experienced on its journey to Extre Origin Mountain the previous day.
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