Immortal of the Nine Realms

A few days later, Fang Chen and the other two arrived at a city that looked abandoned. The city gate appeared to have been removed, and even the area where the signboard once hung was now empty, making it impossible to tell the name of the city.

A group of Yin Demons stood at the foot of the city gate, laughing wildly.

”Hahaha!”

One of them said, ”That old witch, Empress Ci, has done so many evil deeds. She thought no one could deal with her, but she offended the Taiyin Dragon King this time. She was stripped and hanged in Jiangguang City. Hahaha!”

”I remember she was from Jiangguang City, right? The Yin Demons there have been enslaved by her for years, beaten until their souls were shattered. Who would’ve thought she’d get what she deserved this time!”

”Have you guys heard? That group of Yin Soldiers who entered the Lesser Underworld, one of them has finally returned to our Greater Underworld realm. Can you guess why he’s back?”

”Isn’t it obvious? He must have found a successor to Monarch Yan’s inheritance. Otherwise, why would a Yin Soldier leave the Mortal Realm and come back? Unlike us, they have a choice.”

”That makes sense. I’ve heard that many powerful Yin Demons, equal in stature to the Taiyin Dragon King, are now searching for some people. They’re probably looking for that Yin Soldier and the Yin Walker he brought back.”

As they spoke, their eyes turned toward Fang Chen and his group, watching them enter the city with a scrutinizing gaze and an inexplicable malice.

Unexpectedly, Xing Xian suddenly looked at them. His lips curled into a cold, sinister smile that made the Yin Demons visibly upset.

”What are you laughing at?” One of the Yin Demons walked toward Xing Xian and sneered. ”Want to me eat you? How dare you show such a smile, you are courting death.”

Xing Xian reached out and grabbed him. The Yin Demon immediately froze in place. In the next moment, he let out a scream before turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.

The group of Yin Demons, who had been smirking moments ago, immediately turned and entered the city, choosing to ignore what had just happened.

”Are you not afraid of raising suspicion? It seems many people already know of our presence,” Fang Chen remarked with a faint smile.

Xing Xian smiled lightly. ”Young Master Fang, in a place like this, keeping a low profile is more likely to draw suspicion.”

Fang Chen thought for a moment and agreed with Xing Xian. After all, as a Yin Soldier from the Greater Underworld, Xing Xian was much more familiar with the rules of this place than he was as a newcomer.

”I overheard their conversation earlier. It seems Empress Ci is in a dire situation,” Fang Chen said.

Xing Xian nodded slightly. ”Perhaps the Taiyin Dragon King is doing this to force us to reveal ourselves. As long as we don’t show up, Empress Ci’s soul won’t scatter. A little humiliation is nothing to a Yin Demon.”

”That may not be the case. A Yin Demon aside, she’s still a woman,” Fang Chen said thoughtfully. ”If I inherit Monarch Yan’s inheritance, would there be a chance to save Empress Ci from the Taiyin Dragon King?”

Xing Xian furrowed his brows. ”Young Master Fang, I advise you to abandon this thought. If you inherit Monarch Yan’s inheritance, the first thing you must do is leave the Greater Underworld. Don’t even stay in the Lesser Underworld. You should return to the Mortal Realm, and wait until you have enough strength before coming back.

”Otherwise, you’ll attract even more attention than immortal souls, drawing Yin Demons and wandering souls. Even the Yin Lords working with you in the Lesser Underworld cannot be trusted. The blood and flesh of Monarch Yan are like a great supplement to them.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Empress Ci is in trouble because of us. You were once a Yin Soldier. Don’t you know any Yin Demons more powerful than the Taiyin Dragon King in the Greater Underworld?”

”There are, but I couldn’t dare seek them out. Who can guarantee they won’t act like the Taiyin Dragon King? Yin Demons like Empress Ci are rare; most of them are trying to become Monarch Yan themselves. If they can’t succeed, they wouldn’t want to see a new Monarch Yan rise to power. It would affect their plans,” Xing Xian said. He paused for a moment and then added, ”But there is one way.”

”What way?” Fang Chen asked.

”When it happens... You can leave a decree for me. You go ahead, and I’ll use the decree to rescue Empress Ci. But... the decree must be powerful enough to command a Greater Underworld Yin Demon. With your current cultivation, it might be difficult to accomplish.”

”I’ll give it a try when the time comes,” Fang Chen said, nodding lightly.

***

A month passed.

After passing through several massive Yin Demon cities and traversing mountain ranges that stretched for hundreds of miles, the three of them finally arrived at a magnificent city—Shaohua.

Curious, Fang Chen asked, ”Isn’t it supposed to be God Burial Valley?”

Xing Xian said, ”I don’t know if those sedan bearers can be trusted.”

”This Shaohua City looks very prosperous. Would Monarch Yan’s final resting place be here? But why does no one know about it?” Fang Chen wondered aloud.

”The most dangerous place is usually the safest,” Xing Xian replied.

His lips curled into a slight smile. ”Before we entered the Lesser Underworld, I had no idea that Monarch Yan would pass away here. At that time, in my group, only I had the chance to reach the Mortal Realm. Officials informed me about this matter. Like you, I was also quite surprised.”

”Shaohua City must also have powerful Yin Demons guarding it, right?” Fang Chen asked.

Xing Xian nodded, his expression becoming somewhat serious. ”This city has existed for many years. During Monarch Yan’s rule over both the Greater and Lesser Underworlds, it was known for its prosperity. The number of Greater Underworld Yin Demons gathered here is always no less than a hundred. Among them, there are those who can rival immortals in strength.”

Fang Chen couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. These Greater Underworld demons were all at the level of First Rate Sect Leaders. There were only five such figures in all of the Central Continent Empire. Yet, here in Shaohua City, there were over a hundred, some even on par with true immortals.

Fang Chen’s expression grew more serious. ”If I obtain Monarch Yan’s inheritance, could it cause any strange phenomena?”

”Well... I don’t know...” Xing Xian looked uncertain. He shook his head lightly. ”Normally, such matters aren’t for a small Yin Soldier like me to interfere with. It should be up to those officials leading the successors to handle it.”

”So, it comes down to luck? If any strange phenomena do happen, we might be suppressed the moment they happen,” Fang Chen said.

”Even if there’s a slim chance, it’s worth fighting for.” Xing Xian’s gaze was resolute as he looked at Fang Chen. ”We’ve come this far; you can’t be thinking of giving up now, can you?”

Fang Chen remained silent for a long while, then he looked at Ji Liang. ”I think Ji Liang has considerable talent and the potential to become a great emperor. Why don’t you have him try? If he truly inherits Monarch Yan’s inheritance, make sure he helps Empress Ci. As for this matter... I won’t interfere anymore.”

Xing Xian furrowed his brows. Before he could speak, Fang Chen had already turned and started walking away.

Xing Xian had originally wanted Ji Liang to inherit the title of Monarch Yan, but he had gradually come to think that Fang Chen was more suited for the position. However, Fang Chen seemed to be abandoning the idea.

After a few moments, Fang Chen, who had intended to leave, stopped and turned back to Xing Xian.

”Let’s go, enter the city.”

”Why?” Xing Xian looked puzzled. ”Didn’t you just say you were afraid?”

Fang Chen sighed helplessly. ”I’m not afraid; I was just weighing the pros and cons. But after thinking about it, I remembered that a senior brother of mine managed to crawl out of the underworld and gave me some advice. This situation is likely more complicated than it seems. After thinking it through, I can’t let him down. It’s not too late to take a look first and then make a decision.”