Immortal of the Nine Realms

On the Yellow Springs Road, three Nascent Souls led the procession, followed by hundreds of cultivators from the Spirit God Sect, both weak and strong. They became a significant sight along the Yellow Springs Road.

Nearby wandering souls seemed to sense the extraordinary nature of their group, and they quickly moved aside, unwilling to approach.

The three Nascent Souls wore grim expressions, their anger growing with each passing moment. Curses could be heard occasionally from behind them.

Originally, they had been impressive Yin Walkers, but now they were truly dead. They would only become wandering souls in the afterlife, a fate no one would accept willingly.

Soon, the group of souls arrived at the Forgotten River.

Although they were Yin Walkers, the Yin Lifespan Coins they carried during their return to life would fuse with their souls, transforming into cultivation power in the Mortal Realm.

Thus, every time a Yin Walker arrived, someone had to ferry them across the river. Before crossing the Forgotten Riven, no soul could use their Yin Lifespan Coins.

This was a strict rule of the Underworld, ancient and unbreakable. However, people with certain special positions in the government could bend these rules, like Day and Night Walker Monarchs.

At the Forgotten River, small and large boats appeared, ferrying the souls of mortal relatives and friends across.

The three Nascent Soul Realm waited for some time until a large boat approached them. There was a figure perched up on the boat, looking down at the three. The figure appeared indifferent, but there was a hint of anger in his eyes that couldn’t be denied.

He asked, ”You three, how did you die?”

The figure was dressed in the official robe of a Day Walker Lieutenant from the Nether Guards Division.

Normal Day Walkers were in the Qi Refining and Foundation Building Realm, and those who served as Day Walkers Lieutenants had to have a cultivation level of at least the Golden Core or Nascent Soul Realm.

The figure before the three exuded an impressive aura. He likely had a higher cultivation than the three early-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

One of the Nascent Soul cultivators said, ”Fellow Daoist Wang, this matter is a long story. We’ll talk in detail once we enter the city.”

The Day Walker Lieutenant snorted. ”Hmph, come aboard.”

The three Nascent Souls, along with the group of wandering souls, boarded the massive boat.

Some wandering souls, with no one to ferry them across the river, tried to board the large boat. However, they were directly tossed into the Forgotten River, sinking beneath the waters in terror.

The giant boat gradually sailed into the dense mist.

Countless souls stood dazed, staring as the boats departed, unsure of what to do.

Fang Chen withdrew his gaze from the giant boat. With a thought, a small boat appeared before him. He boarded it, and the boat sped away at an incredible pace, cutting through the waves.

It was his first time carrying out the soul-crossing ritual with his physical body.

Fang Chen discovered that traveling with his physical body and not with his soul restricted his cultivation. Right now, he was about as strong as an ordinary mortal. Back when he had crossed with his soul, he had had the strength of an Immortal King.

Thankfully, he also discovered that he could still separate his soul from his physical body even in the Underworld. Once in his soul form, he would regain his abilities. However, he had to be careful and keep an eye on his body, as it would be defenseless and susceptible to sneak attacks.

Xing Xian had mentioned before that an undeveloped Monarch Yan would be considered a delicious prize for many Yin Demons and wandering souls. Consuming a Monarch Yan would provide tremendous benefits.

At the Unreturning City, in a teahouse’s quiet room, Wang Rulong poured tea for the three Nascent Souls. After setting the teapot down, he said faintly, ”Now, tell me. With your cultivation in the mortal realm, why were you all caught in one fell swoop? And you didn’t even see what the attacker looked like?”

The three Nascent Souls exchanged looks.

One of them furrowed his brows and said, ”When the incident occurred, there was no sign in the temple. It happened so suddenly. By the time we realized what happened, our physical bodies were destroyed, our Nascent Soul shattered, and only our wandering souls remained.”

”Could it be that you offended a Yin Walker, which led to your misfortune?” Wang Rulong asked coldly.

The three Nascent Souls looked at each other, seeming to ponder the question. After a long pause, they shook their heads. ”The Yin Walkers we offended were all aware of our backgrounds. Based on our understanding of them, even if they had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn’t dare to act against the Spirit God Sect. They don’t have the power to kill us instantly like that, either.”

Wang Rulong’s brows furrowed slightly. ”So, you mean... someone is deliberately targeting the Spirit God Sect?”

”While it’s true that there are many sects in the True Martial Realm that could rival the Spirit God Sect, why would they suddenly provoke us for no reason?” Wang Rulong continued, his tone thoughtful. ”This matter, in my opinion, is rooted in your own actions. You must have unknowingly offended a Middle Three Realms cultivator in the mortal realm, leading to this calamity.”

The three Nascent Souls frowned, and one of them said, ”Does that mean we’re just going to die without a reason?”

”Are you aware that some situations in the Underworld have changed recently?” Wang Rulong glanced at the three Nascent Souls, his eyes cold. ”Many high-ranking figures within your sect, at the level of Spirit Monarchs, have been quite troubled by this. Right now, they don’t have the time to care about you. From now on, stay quietly in Unreturning City. Don’t think about anything else.”

The three Nascent Souls quickly inquired, and upon learning that someone had taken the long-vacant position of the Day Walker Monarch in the Underworld, they all gasped. The Day Walker lineage held immense power, and the newly appointed Day Walker Monarch was undoubtedly a formidable figure.

”Daoist Wang, we were all in the Nascent Soul Realm in our past lives. Is there any vacant position that we could fill?” one of the Nascent Souls suddenly asked with a smile. ”If we succeed, I will definitely show my gratitude.”

In the Underworld, one could either be a Yin Walker or work in the official divisions. Being a common wandering soul was far from satisfying for them.

”If this were before, there wouldn’t have been many vacancies,” Wang Rulong said with a faint smile. ”However, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. Several dozen Day Walker Gods were recently affected and temporarily stripped of their positions. This has caused some turmoil. If you play your cards right, there are definitely positions available, but what are you willing to offer in return?”

Wang Rulong continued with a smile, ”Take the position of a Day Walker Lieutenant in the Unreturning City, for instance. You’ll need to provide at least 300 years’ worth of Yin Lifespan Coins to have a chance at securing it.”

”300 years...” One of the Nascent Souls mumbled, his face thoughtful. ”We’ve accumulated quite a few Yin Lifespan Coins over the years. If we tighten our belts, we should be able to gather that amount. But... I hope Wang Daoist can give us a clear answer. If things don’t work out, would the money be refunded?”

Wang Rulong smiled slightly.”Naturally, there are no refunds. However, if you’re willing to settle for a position as a Day Walker Guard, I can lower the price a bit,”

The three Nascent Souls exchanged glances, clearly hesitant.

”We... will need some time to consider,” one of them replied.

Realizing that these individuals were merely small players within the Spirit God Sect and couldn’t provide him with any critical information, Fang Chen turned and left. He had grown increasingly suspicious that the Shadow Buddha Technique was something created by Monarch Yan to ensure his own safety.

The Underworld was dominated by shadows, unlike the mortal realm, where there were places where shadow manipulation was difficult. As he left Unreturning City, a bridge appeared in front of him on the banks of the Forgotten River. This bridge didn’t lead to the Unreturning Mountain region but instead to Qing Sui’s former hometown.

Crossing the bridge and traveling through the Yellow Springs took less time than it took to drink a cup of tea. In an instant, Fang Chen found himself in the small town that was the location of the Qing Manor.

Since learning that Monarch Yan could travel through the Underworld with his physical body, Fang Chen had been eager to test whether he could use the Underworld as a transit point to teleport his physical form. Now it seemed that the Underworld was like a massive spatial transfer array, one that only Monarch Yan could control.

Fang Chen took out Monarch Yan’s Seal and glanced at it. The longevity mark on it had not changed, which meant that no matter where he went in the Underworld, even while traveling with his physical body, he would not consume any Yin Lifespan. As long as he knew where he was going, he could travel anywhere in the Nine Realms, with the Underworld acting as a transit point. The key requirement was knowing in advance where he wanted to go.