Immortal of the Nine Realms

Beside the burly middle-aged man stood a small, thin old Daoist priest. The triumphant laughter earlier had come from his mouth. The old Daoist had small, beady eyes, no eyebrows, and a sharp, monkey-like face, resembling a monkey dressed in Daoist robes. His eyes were fixed firmly on Fang Chen, filled with pride and excitement.

Fang Chen remained calm. ”The Fusion Realm...”

Since the person was from the Great Expansion Dao Sect, it was only natural that he recognized him. However, Fang Chen had not expected to encounter cultivators from the Great Expansion Dao Sect in this place. It seemed the cooperation between the Forbidden Demon Island and the Great Expansion Dao Sect was much closer than he had imagined.

Wu Tai was slightly taken aback. ”Sword Leader Fang of the Void Immortal Sword Sect?”

He turned to Fang Chen and burst out laughing. ”Brother Dongfang, not only is your origin fake, but you even lied about your name. You’ve truly let me down. I never thought your background was so unusual. If we’re talking about origins, the title of the Void Immortal Sword Sect’s Sword Leader is far more impressive than that of the Forbidden Demon Island. I can’t compare to you.”

The Nascent Soul cultivators were taken aback, though they realized this wasn’t something they should focus on right now.

Aside from the burly middle-aged man and the old Daoist priest, the other cultivators were all bound by golden ropes, immobilized and unable to move a single inch.

Remembering Wu Tai’s earlier words, the cultivators realized what was happening, they were being used as bait to lure the Profound Mother Yin Beast!

”Uncle Wu, not only is he the Void Immortal Sword Sect’s Sword Leader, but he is also the ancestor of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, a disciple of the Heavenly Cloud Emperor, and a master of Dao techniques.”

The old Daoist wore a cold smile, one even more chilling than the air around them. ”When he came to question my Great Expansion Dao Sect’s teachings, he killed dozens of our cultivators at the Enlightenment Realm.”

Wu Tai and the burly middle-aged man were both taken aback, their brows furrowing involuntarily.

”Sword Leader Fang, didn’t expect to meet you here. We ran into each other, huh?” The old Daoist chuckled eerily. ”If it were anywhere else, I might still respect the old men behind you. But this is the Pitu Ruins. Not even the Sovereign Emperor has the right to reach his hand in here.”

”Um, Senior Xu, if we make a move on this person... Will it cause any trouble for us on the Forbidden Demon Island?” The burly middle-aged man asked quietly.

”Big Brother, the bigger his background, the more he should die here.” Wu Tai sneered. ”If we let him go, can the Forbidden Demon Island handle the craziness of the Void Immortal Sword Sect?”

”Indeed,” the old Daoist said coldly. ”He won’t live to see another day. I’ll be the first to use him as bait for the Profound Mother Yin Beast.”

Hearing this, Fang Chen prepared to take out the two Five Elements Armored Talismans.

”Senior Xu, perhaps we don’t need to rush. We can start with these Nascent Soul Realm cultivators first,” Wu Tai suggested, pointing at the others. ”Since Sword Leader Fang’s identity is so special, he can stay alive for a while longer. I have some questions for him, anyway.”

The old Daoist grinned sadistically and nodded. ”Waiting for death is, after all, a kind of torment.”

”You also have the surname Xu. Looking at you, if Xu Qingsong had aged, you two do resemble each other a bit,” Fang Chen said. ”What’s your relationship with Xu Qingsong?”

”Xu Qingsong is my son.” The old Daoist laughed heartily. ”I wasn’t able to protect him, and he lost face under your hands several times. He even drank that vile liquid of the mortal world. I thought there was no way to deal with you, but it seems I’ve hit the jackpot. When he finds out you were used as bait for the Profound Mother Yin Beast, he’ll definitely be pleased.”

Fang Chen chuckled. ”Xu Qingsong is your son? It seems your talent and aptitude are far inferior to his. He’s at least close to the peak of Fusion Realm, yet you’re only... in the mid stage of the Fusion Realm?”

The old Daoist didn’t seem to mind, his smile becoming even more ferocious. ”So what if that’s the case? My son, Qingsong, has been extraordinary since childhood. He’ll undoubtedly rise to prominence in the future. It’s not a bad thing for him to suffer a few setbacks at your hands. After you die, his cultivation will greatly increase, and reaching the Upper Three Realms will be within his grasp.

”As for you, you’ll only be able to stand in the Underworld, looking up at us. No, if you die in the jaws of the Profound Mother Yin Beast, you may not even be qualified to become a wandering soul in the Yellow Springs.”

Fang Chen quietly observed the old Daoist. This was a father who wished for his child to succeed, or rather, someone who had pinned all his hopes on Xu Qingsong. As an older generation cultivator, he was watching as even his son had reached the Fusion Realm and stagnated, possibly due to an incident or catastrophe.

Something had impaired his foundation, much like what had happened to the once-powerful Qian Wuji.

The burly middle-aged man cupped his fists. ”Senior Xu, time is of the essence. Shall we begin?”

The old Daoist put away his smile, his expression becoming cold as he nodded slightly.

***

By the banks of the Yin River, a Golden Core cultivator was the first to be used as bait. A hook and chain pierced through his chest, and blood gushed out.

The Golden Core Realm cultivator’s face was filled with despair. He barked, ”How dare you do this! Aren’t you afraid of karmic retribution? If my sect elders learn of what you’ve done, they’ll avenge me!”

Wu Tai laughed. ”Retribution? You jest. Deaths and injuries are commonplace in the Pitu Ruins. Do you think your elders will fault us for it?”

Nearby, Xu Chenfeng had already regained consciousness. Like Fang Chen and the others, he was tightly bound by golden ropes, unable to move. Upon hearing Wu Tai’s words, his face darkened, as if water could drip from it.

Xu Chenfeng snarled. ”We’ve served the Forbidden Demon Island loyally, and this is how you treat your own people?”

”Loyalty? Don’t make me laugh. You work for my father because you’re after the resources we offer. It’s just business, don’t romanticize it,” Wu Tai replied mockingly.

With a flick of his wrist, the old Daoist threw the Golden Core Realm cultivator into the Yin River. The cultivator initially struggled, but as his blood came into contact with the Yin River’s water, it gushed out uncontrollably. He eventually sank beneath the surface, leaving behind only a trail of bubbles.

”You of the Great Expansion Dao Sect are trying to capture the Profound Mother Yin Beast, what for?” Fang Chen asked coolly. ”From what I know, this was once the Guardian Beast of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. Isn’t your sect known for denouncing the Three Thousand Dao Sect and refusing to even acknowledge the Three Divine Beasts?”

The old Daoist’s expression twisted into a sneer. ”You’re curious? Didn’t that old lunatic, the Heavenly Cloud Emperor, tell you?”

The old Daoist let out a sinister laugh. ”Indeed, he’s just a lunatic. Even if he managed to sever a First Rate Sect Leader’s arm through scheming, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a lunatic, he’s not even truly alive.”

After speaking, he instructed the burly middle-aged man to keep an eye on Fang Chen, then focused intently on the river’s surface, waiting for the Profound Mother Yin Beast to take the bait.

Wu Tai glanced at Fang Chen with a smile, transmitting his voice secretly. ”Sword Leader Fang, I could satisfy your curiosity... but what will you give me in exchange?”

”You want my eye technique?” Fang Chen responded in kind.

”Not just the eye technique. Could you also teach me your swordsmanship methods? You’re going to die anyway, so why waste them? Better to face death as an informed ghost than an ignorant one, don’t you think?” Wu Tai transmitted with a tone of mockery.

”I can teach you the eye technique, but as for swordsmanship, it’s useless to you. If you dare to practice it, you’ll only bring annihilation upon your faction,” Fang Chen said, casting a sideways glance at him.

”Fair enough. You go first, then,” Wu Tai transmitted back.

A flicker of cold ridicule flashed through Fang Chen’s eyes before he turned his gaze to the river and remained silent.

Wu Tai thought for a moment and transmitted again, ”Alright, alright, I’ll go first. But don’t go back on your word. Otherwise, your death later might be even more miserable.”

”The Great Expansion Dao Sect wants to capture the Profound Mother Yin Beast because the Dao Child of the Central Continent Empire intends to perform a soul-crossing ritual.”

A soul-crossing ritual!?

Fang Chen’s expression turned peculiar. What kind of technique was this, and why had he never heard of it before?