Immortal of the Nine Realms

“You don’t need to worry about that. Just tell me if you will stop the war,” the young girl said calmly.

The Immortal Qin Clan ancestor looked conflicted. He quietly replied, “The war has already begun. It’s not possible to call it off even if I want to. Please forgive me, Goddess Shen Ji.”

Fang Chen could clearly sense that the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor was wary of the mysterious woman, but he was still unwilling to stop the war, indicating a deep-seated obsession.

“Old Qin, you need to prepare yourself. This battle won’t end in a year or two. If it truly starts, it may last eighty or ninety years.” The young girl shook her head. “By then, how much will be left of the Azure Dao Manor? How many cultivators from your Immortal Immortal Qin Clan will remain? It will only result in both sides suffering heavy losses.”

“Goddess Shen Ji, I have spent many years in the Azure Dao Manor. I don’t spend all my time in seclusion but often discuss and debate with friends from various factions,” the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor said with a hint of confidence. “I have a clear understanding of this war. Even if the Spirit Blood Sect tries to scheme from behind the scenes, it will only have a minor impact on the war.

“The Spirit Blood Sect is everywhere; avoiding them at every turn is not a path to survival. If the Immortal Qin Clan wants to make progress, this battle is unavoidable.”

The young girl’s brows furrowed slightly. “Is there no room for negotiation?”

The Immortal Qin Clan ancestor smiled. “You haven’t visited my clan for so long. How about I have my disciples show you around?”

“There is no need for that. Farewell.”

The young girl remained expressionless. She clasped her hands in a brief bow and turned to leave.

As the young girl departed, the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor’s expression grew extremely somber, as if deep in thought. After a few moments, he took out a Heaven Profound Mirror and infused it with several low-grade spirit stones.

Fang Chen initially intended to follow the young girl to see where she might go, but upon witnessing the scene, he decided to stay put.

Soon, a figure appeared within the Heaven Profound Mirror, obscured by a mist that made the image unclear.

“Brother Qin, haven’t you already made your decision? Why contact me now?”

The figure in the mirror spoke with a hint of impatience.

Elder Qin clasped his hands in a bow, his expression grave. “Your Excellency Prefect, I’ve been informed that there are Spirit Blood Sect cultivators behind this affair.”

“Spirit Blood Sect?”

The figure stayed silent for a while, seemingly contemplating the significance of the words.

Fang Chen furrowed his brows. He had assumed that the Azure Dao Manor’s master, or the Prefect, was merely bribed to ignore the situation. However, it seemed there was more to the story.

After a pause, the figure finally responded, “Are you sure? Is the informant reliable?”

“It is Goddess Shen Ji of the Divine Dao Sect.”

“No matter. The Spirit Blood Sect’s operatives are nothing more than hidden pests. Let them gain a little advantage if they can. Once the war starts, they won’t have the ability to control the situation. You quickly conquer the Langya Clan and secure your benefits, while I will secure mine.”

Qin Lao appeared concerned. “But... Goddess Shen Ji advised me to halt the war, and I refused. Will this not lead to dissatisfaction from the Divine Dao Sect?”

The figure in the mirror didn’t seem to care. “The Divine Dao Sect’s displeasure is of no consequence. The war’s outcome is what matters. Ensure your victory, and all will be well.”

Elder Qin’s face grew even more somber. He seemed to be deep in thought, grappling with the implications of the conversation.

Fang Chen watched quietly, piecing together the complexity of the situation. The interactions suggested that the Spirit Blood Sect’s influence was significant, but their ability to directly impact the war was limited. Meanwhile, the Divine Dao Sect’s interest in the conflict was also evident, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding events.

”Just a mere Goddess Shen Ji. She can’t represent the entire Divine Dao Sect. If it were an elder, that would be another matter, but why should you fear her? Even if the Divine Dao Sect is powerful, they still have to bow to the Central Continent Empire. The Ninth Generation King, who’s behind me, does not fear the Divine Dao Sect.”

When the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor heard the words ”Ninth Generation King,” he immediately felt a sense of relief, as if he had been given a dose of reassurance. After chatting a bit more, he put away the Heaven Profound Mirror and turned to retreat for secluded cultivation.

”Divine Dao Sect... Ninth Generation King...”

A trace of contemplation flashed in Fang Chen’s eyes. This situation was far more complex than it seemed. The Ninth Generation King mentioned by the Azure Dao Manor Prefect was likely on the same level as Heavenly King Zhen, a cultivator of the Ascension Realm, a powerful Immortal King!

Perhaps this murky situation had some connection with the Ninth Generation King. What might he be trying to gain from the Langya Clan? Could it be that he found it inconvenient to take action directly, thus prompting the Azure Dao Manor Prefect and the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor to collaborate and find an excuse to crush the Langya Clan?

If that were the case, the Spirit Blood Sect might not even be aware of the true details behind this matter.

”They don’t need to know. They only want the Spirit Blood Pill; they may not be interested in the deeper details behind this.”

A hint of faint derision flashed in Fang Chen’s eyes as he pursued the young girl with his divine soul. However, he could not find her; she had vanished without a trace.

Returning to his physical form, Fang Chen opened his eyes to see the young woman standing before him.

”How is your practice of the Primordial Immortal Eye coming along?” the young woman asked calmly as she saw Fang Chen open his eyes.

“I might have reached the beginner level now.”

A flicker of golden lines appeared in Fang Chen’s eyes. At this moment, the contours and features of the young woman before him seemed to constantly shimmer. Curiously, the lines that should have been clear now appeared chaotic and could not form a true outline of the young woman.

“Indeed, it’s at the beginner level. It seems your talent is not weak. How long have you been with the Killing Spiritual Division?” the young woman asked calmly.

A trace of confusion surfaced on Fang Chen’s face. “Killing Spiritual Division?”

The young woman frowned. “Didn’t you call me here to persuade the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor? You were also present when I was trying to persuade him just now.”

A wry smile appeared on Fang Chen’s lips. Another old monster....

His divine soul had only been detected by three individuals. The first was Supreme Immortal Pudu, the second was the ancestor of the Greenwood Sect, and the one before him was the third.

The Void Immortal Sword Sect seemed to hold Supreme Immortal Pudu in disdain, indirectly suggesting that he could not be a Profound Immortal. Thus, Supreme Immortal Pudu’s ability to detect his divine soul might not be related to cultivation level but could involve other factors.

The ancestor of the Greenwood Sect, on the other hand, could detect his divine soul due to being a Profound Immortal, a straightforward matter of cultivation superiority.

As for the young woman in front of him, Fang Chen was uncertain of the exact reason for her detection of his divine soul. However, it was highly likely she, like Supreme Immortal Pudu, possessed some special means to find his divine soul.

“Senior, I am the Eternity Heavenly Sage from the Killing Spiritual Division. May I ask for your esteemed name?”

Fang Chen’s expression turned serious as he rose and performed a respectful bow.

“You are rather lazy, using a name like that,” the young woman replied, “My title is Shen Ji.”

Fang Chen raised his eyebrows. “Shen Ji?”

Immortal Qin Clan ancestor had referred to her as Shen Ji. Is she actually using her real name?

“Yes, I am using my true name,” the young woman said, as if she guessed Fang Chen’s thoughts, and nodded calmly. “Since the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor refused to heed my advice, this battle is bound to happen. He must have some confidence and reasons for it. You stayed there a bit longer, did you gather any information?”

Fang Chen thought for a moment and then recounted the conversation between the Immortal Qin Clan ancestor and the Azure Dao Manor Prefect.

“I believe this matter may involve the Ninth Generation King,” Fang Chen added.

Shen Ji frowned in contemplation for a while, and then a look of realization appeared on her face. She nodded slightly. “You guessed correctly. The Ninth Generation King is indeed involved in this matter. However, it’s not directly related to him. It should be a decision made by certain individuals within the Ninth Generation King Manor.

“They are interested in the inheritance of the Langya Clan, possibly because they need it to perform a certain ancient technique. As far as I know, the ninth son of the Ninth Generation King is very fond of studying Daoist techniques. He once ordered his subordinates to search everywhere and even found some secrets related to the Three Thousand Dao Sect.”