The city lordâs estate, a huge structure, had disintegrated under Jian Chenâs sword Qi.
The surroundings around the city lordâs estate had already become packed. The disturbance there was just too great, so it had alarmed the entire city. All the cultivators with a certain level of strength had gathered around. They stood far away as they blankly stared at the structure that had vanished. They were in emotional turmoil.
Not only was the city lordâs estate the existence that controlled the entire city, but it was also the representative of the Gloomwater sect established here. It possessed a tremendous background.
However, the entire place had actually been flattened. People could not be more shocked right now.
Everyoneâs gaze gathered on the young man in white, fluttering robes. Admiration, shock, fear, and dread all appeared in their eyes.
âFang Jingâer, you donât need to worry about the people of the city lordâs estate causing you any more trouble.â Jian Chenâs face did not change. He remained calm and composed. He turned around and spoke to the young lady behind him.
However, Fang Jingâer did not seem to hear Jian Chenâs words. Wide-eyed, she stared straight at the city lordâs estate that had been reduced to open ground. Disbelief filled her face.
The city lordâs estate was an indomitable, holy place in Fang Jingâer eyes. They were the absolute ruler of Scarlet Water City, and no one dared to defy their orders.
But now, the god-like city lordâs estate had vanished completely right before her; this left Fang Jingâer dazed for quite some time.
She had never expected that the âyoung seniorâ who had just bought a crude map from her was actually a terrifyingly powerful expert.
However, at this moment, Jian Chenâs eyes suddenly narrowed. He stared straight at Fang Jingâer.
He saw strands and strands of karma on Fang Jingâer. Every single thread led off into a different direction.
Though this was nothing. Karma was everywhere in the world. All cultivators would be bound by karma to a certain degree. However, aside from supreme experts who had reached an exceptional level of cultivation, only those who had comprehended the Way of Karma could see these threads.
Jian Chen had comprehended the Way of Karma from the Samsaric Immortal Exalt in the Neptunean Divine Palace, so he was able to see these threads.
First, he had bought a map from Fang Jingâer, and then he saved her from the people of the city lordâs estate. Now that he had destroyed the city lordâs estate in a single stroke because of what happened with Fang Jingâer, there was karma between the two of them.
But to Jian Chenâs surprise, the thread of karma between him and Fang Jingâer was extremely thick. From how strong the thread appeared, it seemed to greatly exceed the level of acquaintances. It was thousands of times more than that.
âThis...â Jian Chen was stunned and bewildered. Why was his thread of karma with Fang Jingâer so strong?
Jian Chen looked at Fang Jingâer deeply. The light in his eyes flickered; he felt uncertain.
A while later, he said, âFang Jingâer, letâs go to see your grandfather.â With that, Jian Chen waved his hand, and the Laws of Space permeated his surroundings. He had already vanished with Fang Jingâer.
He could see Fang Jingâerâs threads of karma, so he already knew exactly where her grandfather stayed in Scarlet Water City.
âSigh,â Xu Ran sighed gently as she looked in the direction that Jian Chen and Fang Jingâer had vanished in. Afterwards, she vanished as well.
In an extremely quiet place within Scarlet Water City, there was a small stone hut constructed from a messy pile of rocks. It was gloomy inside, and the place had a slight stench.
At this moment, the space before the stone hut suddenly pulsed, and Jian Chen and Fang Jingâer appeared there silently.
âAh!â Only now did Fang Jingâer return to her senses. She looked at the stone hut she had lived in for over a decade, and she could not help but cry out.
Was she not at the city lordâs estate earlier? How had she suddenly returned home?
Fang Jingâer felt like she was dreaming.
âLetâs go in and see your grandfather,â said Jian Chen. His thread of karma with Fang Jingâer was so thick, so he began to treat Fang Jingâer differently as well.
Although he had no idea why his thread of karma with her was so thick, he did understand that his relationship with her was not as simple as mere acquaintances.
Fang Jingâer glanced at Jian Chen fearfully. After hesitating slightly, she pushed open the small, damaged, wooden door and entered.
The stone hut was very small and very dim. Close to a corner, a pale old man lay on a stone bed powerlessly. The floor beside him was covered with dried blood. The stench came from the blood.
Fang Jingâer seemed to have grown accustomed to the stench, so she did not show any disgust at all. She arrived beside the old man as soon as she entered the stone hut, and she showed deep care and sorrow.
âGrandfather, grandfather, Iâm back...â Fang Jingâer called out softly as if she was afraid of scaring the old man by being too loud.
The old manâs eyelids trembled gently from the voice. Finally, he opened them with great difficulty, revealing a pair of gloomy eyes.
Jian Chen stared at the old man. He wanted to see whether his thread of karma with Fang Jingâer was related to the old man or not.
However, in the end, he was disappointed. He had no threads of karma with the old man at all.
In other words, the old man had nothing to do with him before he had come here.
âJingâer, youâre back. You havenât been abused these days you spent outside, right...â said the old man weakly. His eyes were filled with love and shame.
Fang Jingâer shook her head. âGrandfather, Iâve already sold nine maps this month. I only need to sell one more map, and Iâll be able to buy a pill for you so that you can live another month. Donât worry, grandfather. I will definitely work hard on selling maps. Once I make enough divine crystals, Iâll buy the better pills so that grandfather can completely recover.â
âLet your grandfather ingest this pill. Not only can this pill completely heal your grandfatherâs wounds, it can also let your grandfather make great progress in his cultivation,â said Jian Chen. He passed a thumb-sized pill to Fang Jingâer.
âYouâre actually giving a God Tier pill to a cultivator whoâs only a Saint Emperor. You sure are wasteful,â Xu Ran could not help but mutter from outside the stone hut.
âT- thank you, senior!â Fang Jingâer accepted the pill from Jian Chen in surprise and joy before feeding it to her grandfather excitedly.
Immediately, surging energy enveloped the old man. The effects of the God Tier pill kicked in, wrapping around the old man as a faint mist.
âItâll only take a few seconds for your grandfather to make a complete recovery. However, the pill is very powerful, so the remaining power will increase your grandfatherâs cultivation. As a result, not only will your grandfather will not awaken immediately after recovering. Heâll spend some time cultivating,â Jian Chen said to Fang Jingâer. After a moment of hesitation, he took out a cultivation method and a few cultivation resources from his Space Ring and passed it to Fang Jingâer. He said, âFrom today onwards, donât sell maps anymore. Find a quiet place and cultivate. Only by becoming powerful can you survive in this world.â
âT- thank you, senior. I will definitely return seniorâs kindness in the future...â Fang Jingâer teared up in gratitude.