Immortal of the Nine Realms

Xing Xian looked at Fang Chen, awaiting his instructions. ”Lord, how should we handle this?”

Fang Chen set down his teacup, glanced at Supreme Immortal Pudu, and chuckled. ”It’s been years since we last met; it wouldn’t be right to resort to violence when dealing with an old acquaintance. Let him go. There are a few questions I’d like to ask him.”

Xing Xian nodded slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, he released his restraint. Supreme Immortal Pudu immediately collapsed to the ground and gasped for air. His spiritual energy circulated wildly within him as the sensation of life finally returned.

He had been on the brink of death. After cultivating for centuries, this was the first time he had truly faced the threat of death. His mind had involuntarily replayed countless moments from his past.

Regaining his composure, Supreme Immortal Pudu cast a wary glance at Fang Chen and Xing Xian. He respectfully bowed and said, ”It was my impudence that offended you. Please forgive me. I was unaware of your noble background. Had I known, I would have stayed far away and not dared to disturb you.”

Fang Chen shook his head and said, ”Why are you kneeling? You’re far too polite.”

Kneeling?

Supreme Immortal Pudu froze for a moment before hurriedly nodding. He quickly knelt before Fang Chen.

”Please forgive me,” he said.

”I have a question for you,” Fang Chen said casually, summoning Little Sword to his hand and playing with it idly. ”Tell me, how did you steal the sword embryo from the Void Immortal Sword Sect?”

Little Sword curiously examined Supreme Immortal Pudu. ”So, this is the guy who ended up delivering me to Little Chen.”

Supreme Immortal Pudu respectfully explained, ”It’s quite a strange story. During my travels in the Central Continent, I encountered a senior. He mentioned that within the Void Immortal Sword Sect, there was a sword embryo capable of nurturing an immortal sword.

”Initially, I didn’t want anything to do with this. After all, the Void Immortal Sword Sect is a colossal force in the Central Continent. With my abilities, I couldn’t even approach their gates, let alone steal the sword embryo.”

He paused. ”But that senior merely patted me lightly on the shoulder and said that no one would be able to see me anymore. He claimed I could boldly steal the sword embryo without worry.”

Fang Chen raised his brow. ”And you believed such nonsense?”

If it were him, he certainly wouldn’t have believed it.

Supreme Immortal Pudu said with a complicated expression, ”I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. At worst, if I approached their gates, the sword cultivators of the Void Immortal Sword Sect wouldn’t attack me outright. Later, when I arrived at the sect, I discovered they truly couldn’t see me. It only took me half a day to steal that sword embryo.”

Fang Chen asked indifferently, ”Why didn’t you take the other sword embryos?”

Supreme Immortal Pudu answered, ”The senior instructed me to take only that particular sword embryo. He warned that if I touched any of the others, the sword immortals of the Void Immortal Sword Sect would notice.”

Fang Chen pondered for a moment, then instructed Xu Ge to bring him ink and paper. He quickly sketched a portrait and handed it to the Supreme Immortal Pudu. ”Take a look. Is this the senior you met?”

Supreme Immortal Pudu glanced at the drawing. The moment he saw it, his eyes widened in shock, and he stammered, ”It’s him! How did you know...?”

Fang Chen sighed deeply.

Supreme Immortal Pudu had turned out to be nothing but a pawn in someone else’s game.

Fang Chen tucked away the portrait and said calmly, ”That senior happens to be my grandfather.”

Supreme Immortal Pudu’s thoughts raced, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. ”So... I was just an errand boy, delivering the sword embryo to you....”

Huang Sihai and the others were utterly stunned. They had met Fang Chen’s grandfather before. When had he become so formidable? Even someone as powerful as Supreme Immortal Pudu was unknowingly used as his pawn?

After a few moments of silence, Supreme Immortal Pudu adjusted his demeanor and cautiously asked, ”Young Master, now that our misunderstanding is resolved, may I take my leave?”

Fang Chen glanced at Xing Xian.

Understanding the signal, Xing Xian stepped forward and struck Supreme Immortal Pudu dead with a single palm. The attack was so swift that he didn’t even have time for any last words. His nascent soul was obliterated, leaving only a dazed, wandering soul behind.

Fang Chen said softly, ”I just wanted you to throw him out.”

Xing Xian’s expression flickered, and he nodded gently. ”Lord, I’ll confirm next time before acting.”

Supreme Immortal Pudu’s soul roared at Fang Chen, ”You bastard, Fang Chen! If you want to kill me, just do it! Why act so hypocritical? Mark my words, I’ll haunt you even as a ghost! Ahhh!”

Huangfu Jie sighed and reminded him, ”Brother, he can hear you. You might want to stop yelling, or you might not even get to remain a ghost.”

Supreme Immortal Pudu looked at Huangfu Jie and his wife in astonishment. ”There are two more wandering souls here? What’s going on?”

”He can hear me? What do you mean?”

He instinctively turned to look at Fang Chen, who was gazing at him with a faint smile. A chill ran down his spectral spine as he felt a cold, creeping dread envelop him.

Fang Chen said with a faint smile, ”Still not leaving? What, you don’t want to live even as a ghost?”

Supreme Immortal Pudu gasped in disbelief. ”You can actually see me!? Just who are you?!”

After cultivating for so many years, he had only ever heard rumors of people with innate Yin Yang Eyes capable of seeing wandering spirits. He had never actually met anyone who had that sort of ability.

”My lord, perhaps we should toss him into the Forgotten River,” suggested Xing Xian softly.

”That works.” Fang Chen nodded lightly. ”It’ll save us trouble if he stirs things up in the Underworld.”

Supreme Immortal Pudu paled at the mention of the legendary river. ”The Forgotten River!?”

He had heard about that river, tales of a place tied to the Underworld where even souls could be obliterated. Could such a place truly exist in the mortal realm?

Wait!

He instinctively turned his gaze toward the blood paper figure in the corner, his expression filled with mounting terror.

Could it be...? Was this person before him one of the Underworld’s ghostly deities?

Fang Chen bid farewell to Huang Sihai and his companions before departing with Huangfu Jie, his wife, and Supreme Immortal Pudu, tearing through the void as they left the scene.

As Fang Chen disappeared into the distance, Huang Sihai gazed skyward with a wistful expression. ”What kind of place do you suppose the Underworld is?”

”I don’t know,” replied Xu Ge. ”But I do know this—our Lord is short of capable people right now.”

Tie Ma spoke calmly and turned to Xu Ge, ”While the Lord is away, the Grand Xia Hidden Guards will be under your command. It’s time to summon them for a gathering.”

Xu Ge thought for a moment, then said, ”Call the elders. Let the younger ones remain in the mortal realm for now.”

Huang Sihai and Tie Ma nodded slightly in agreement.

***

Grand Xia, Capital City, Eternal Cemetery

Fang Chen and the blood paper figure had just entered the cemetery when they noticed the figures—some old, some young—pausing their tasks to look toward them.

”Divine General Fang has come to visit.”

”It must have been decades since he was last here. What’s he been busy with all this time?”

”Your humble servant greets you!”

The wandering souls within Eternal Cemetery were all soldiers. Some were aged veterans, while others were younger recruits. Some stood in the distance, gazing at Fang Chen with wistful eyes, while others stepped forward to salute him.

They all knew Fang Chen couldn’t see them—at least, that’s what they thought.

Fang Chen cupped his hands in greeting. ”Everyone, it has been years. How are you all faring?”

”...”

For a moment, the cemetery was silent. Then, a deafening clamor erupted as countless military spirits surged forward, disbelief etched on their faces.

”General, you can see us?”

”Are we dreaming?”

Before anyone realized it, tens of thousands of military spirits had gathered around him, their eyes filled with hope and awe.

Seeing that, Fang Chen smiled warmly and said, ”Brothers, shall we fight together once more in this lifetime?”