Immortal of the Nine Realms

”Dongfang Haojie? What a good name. I am Ji Liang, a Yin Walker from the Ancient Desolate City. May I ask where you are from, Brother Dongfang?” Ji Liang asked with a faint smile.

The Yin Walkers from the three Great Dao Sects couldn’t help but wonder why Ji Liang wanted to befriend this seemingly ordinary Yin Walker.

”The Ancient Desolate City? Yin Walkers from there are rare. I come from the True Martial Realm,” Fang Chen replied.

Ji Liang nodded. He was aware that the True Martial Realm had the means to enter the Underworld. Among the Nine Realms, only the True Martial Realm allowed mortals to undergo the soul-crossing ritual. No other place allowed this.

”You must be visiting the Floating Pagoda Realm for the first time, then, Brother Dongfang?” Ji Liang casually asked.

Fang Chen looked at him with surprise and said, ”Brother Ji, the Floating Pagoda Realm has not opened for thousands of years. I’ve only done these a few dozen times. How could I have had the opportunity to visit the Floating Pagoda Realm before?”

”Oh, please forgive me, Brother Dongfang. I forgot to mention this but, this is my first time undergoing the soul-crossing ritual,” Ji Liang said with a smile.

Looking nonchalant, Ji Liang asked, ”Brother Dongfang, did you ever tread the Ancient Immortal Road in the mortal world?”

Fang Chen nodded. ”I was fortunate enough to do so.”

Ji Liang cupped his hands. ”Indeed. I could tell from your remarkable demeanor that you’re an Immortal Seedling too. My apologies for not recognizing it sooner.”

Fang Chen smiled wryly. ”Brother Ji, you’re too kind. Here in the Underworld, an Immortal Seedling isn’t anything.”

Ji Liang snickered coldly, thinking, That may not be the case.

However, he naturally didn’t let any of that show outwardly. He smiled warmly as he continued to chat with Fang Chen, subtly building rapport.

Meanwhile, the other Yin Walkers were focused on the end of the bridge, occasionally glancing over at the blood paper figure. They didn’t consider anyone else a threat, only the blood paper figure.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the group finally arrived at the end of the bridge. What lay before them was a desolate landscape, with a dark brown wasteland and a grey-white sky. The world here seemed almost colorless, dominated by black and white.

Suddenly, a noise came from behind. The group turned to see a black mist approaching, resembling a giant black serpent, swallowing the bridge they had crossed.

”Since you all dared to come here today, I suppose you must have some preparation. How about we exchange some information?” one of the Yin Walkers suggested.

However, his proposal was not well received, as the other Yin Walkers’ faces grew grim. They all dispersed.

The Yin Walker could only laugh awkwardly before approaching the blood paper figure and cupping his hands in greeting. ”Sir...”

The blood paper figure smiled and shared, ”I am accompanying my young master to the Floating Pagoda Realm for a trial.

”I see... No wonder,” mumbled the Yin Walker.

He glanced at Ji Liang and the others before lightly nodding and turning to leave. To him, the blood paper figure didn’t seem like someone who had prepared in advance for a specific opportunity if it had brought with it a bunch of burdens

The blood paper figure surveyed the surroundings, its gaze growing complex. It seemed to be recalling something, perhaps feeling a touch of nostalgia.

Ji Liang smiled and addressed Fang Chen and the others. ”We don’t have much time. How about we head out?”

As he spoke, he kept an eye on the blood paper figure.

”Young Master, take this path.”

The blood paper figure chose a path completely different from the others. At the end of this path, jagged mountain ranges could be seen in the distance. Along the way, the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from the three Great Dao Sects started to feel bored and struck up a conversation with Fang Chen, hoping to learn more about the True Martial Realm.

If it weren’t for their journey to the Underworld, these cultivators wouldn’t have known that eight other realms existed besides the one that housed the Central Continent, Northern Dipper, and Celestial Heaven.

This realization made them believe that the Dao Sects decisions were incredibly insightful. If they could secure a foothold in the Underworld, they could leverage its power to influence the mortal realm!

Gazing at Fang Chen’s back, Ji Liang transmitted to the blood paper figure, ”You said some Yin Demons can smell the aura of an Immortal Seedling. If a Yin Demon attacks, it would be difficult to resist. Perhaps we could use him to delay time?”

The blood paper figure was curious. ”How did you determine that he is an Immortal Seedling?”

Since entering the underworld, some auras had become difficult to discern for him. At least, he hadn’t sensed that Fang Chen was an Immortal Seedling.

”His cultivation is not high, but he can walk through the Underworld and afford the fee to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm. I am almost certain he’s an Immortal Seedling with an influential background in the living realm. Even if he’s not useful right now, it’s still worth it to befriend him. He comes from the True Martial Realm. One day, he will be of use.”

At that moment, a Nascent Soul Realm from the Great Expansion Dao Sect asked Fang Chen curiously, ”Brother Dongfang, you must’ve paid a hefty fee to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm, right?”

”Yes, I paid a full 100 years of Yin Lifespan,” Fang Chen replied.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, and everyone’s footsteps halted.

Fang Chen turned his head back and looked at them. ”Why aren’t you guys moving?”

After a while, Ji Liang said, ”Brother Dongfang, did you really pay 100 years of Yin Lifespan?”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Yes, did you not need to pay 100 years of Yin Lifespan?”

Hearing that, Ji Liang glanced at the blood paper figure and transmitted, ”If I become Monarch Yan, that Day Walker Monarch will definitely not be keeping his position.”

The blood paper figure nodded slightly in agreement.

They had paid a heavy price to enter the Floating Pagoda Realm, yet these people had only spent 100 Yin Lifespan.

They couldn’t help but feel like they were being treated as easy pickings since they weren’t frequent travelers of the Underworld.

The group changed the topic and continued on their way. However, they soon noticed their surroundings becoming much livelier. A wedding procession had appeared a hundred yards ahead of them at some point. 32 bearers were carrying a large sedan chair. Behind them, more than 100 people carried various items, likely wedding gifts.

”There are Yin Demons getting married,” the blood paper figure muttered coldly. ”Let’s take another route.”

The group did not object and followed the blood paper figure as they moved off to the side, intending to avoid the procession.

Fang Chen also observed the procession. The bearers carrying the sedan chair looked different from typical wandering souls; they had a strange and eerie aura about them.

Just as the procession was about to move further away from them, it suddenly halted. Some of the bearers, who had just lifted their feet, seemed to freeze in mid-air, unable to take another step.

Immediately, the procession changed direction and headed toward Fang Chen and the others.

The blood paper figure snorted coldly. ”Let’s go.”

He grabbed Ji Liang and quickly took off at an incredible speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Fang Chen also quickened his pace, maintaining a speed faster than the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators of the three Great Dao Sects. However, he didn’t catch up to the blood paper figure and Ji Liang.

The Nascent Soul Realm experts from the three Great Dao Sects were starting to panic and tried to flee desperately. However, when they turned around, they found that the wedding procession was still trailing behind them and gradually closing the distance.

Soon, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Great Expansion Dao Sect, who had fallen behind, was overtaken by the procession.

Fang Chen and the others stopped, their expressions grave as they watched the unfolding scene.

The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Great Expansion Dao Sect stood frozen in place, not daring to move or make a sound, hoping that the wedding procession would ignore him. To his surprise, one of the bearers lowered the sedan chair.

The sedan’s curtain was lifted, and a tall woman stepped out, smiling as she walked toward him.

The eyes of the Nascent Soul expert beside Fang Chen widened in shock as he saw the woman. She was a paper figure too, like the blood paper figure.

”Hubby,” the woman called out.

She curtsied to the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Great Expansion Dao Sect and then took his arm.

The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator’s expression became dazed, and he stepped into the sedan with the woman.

The procession changed direction once again and, not long after, disappeared from their sight.

The Nascent Soul Realm expert from the Innate Dao Sect gulped. ”What... What is this?”

”They’re getting married,” Fang Chen replied quietly.