Immortal of the Nine Realms

From the boundless white mist, figures slowly emerged. They were wandering souls who had been fortunate enough to find the path to the Yellow Springs after death. Their eyes were filled with confusion and unwillingness, though a few showed curiosity as they glanced around.

Following closely behind them, Fang Chen stepped out of the mist, accompanied by Stone Dragon and Xing Xian.

Sensing the particularly soothing atmosphere, Candle Dragon slithered out from Fang Chen’s shoulder.

In the Mortal Realm, she spent most of her time sleeping within Fang Chen’s arm, uninterested in the outside world. Yet, upon arriving in the Underworld, she suddenly became energetic.

Xing Xian and Stone Dragon exchanged glances, unsure why Fang Chen had suddenly chosen to enter the Underworld physically. A hint of worry flickered in their eyes.

Given Fang Chen’s strength, it was best to avoid venturing into the Underworld unless absolutely necessary. The last thing he needed was to attract unwanted attention.

Stone Dragon advised in a hushed voice, ”Young Lord, the vastness of the Underworld is beyond comprehension. Even in the Lesser Underworld, there could be beings that I might not be able to contend with. Unless necessary, it’s best to avoid coming here too often. If there’s anything that needs to be done, just order me to handle it.”

Fang Chen smiled, retrieving the Pifu Sand and Little Sword. ”This is something that you wouldn’t be able to do on my behalf, so I had to come in person.”

Stone Dragon’s expression shifted in surprise. ”Young Lord, do you intend to collect some of the Forgotten River’s Water?”

Fang Chen chuckled. ”You said that the Forgotten Water becomes invisible and intangible upon entering the Mortal World. If that’s the case, what use would there be in collecting it?”

He explained, ”I plan to feed the Pifu Sand to my immortal sword.”

Little Sword quickly grinned. ”Little Chen, I love you the most!”

It had waited for years. Finally, the time had come for it to ascend to the fifth level. All those years of patience had not been in vain!

The Mirror of the Universe seemed a bit envious. ”Little brother, I haven’t absorbed any spirit stones in a long time. The ink on my pages is starting to fade.”

Stone Dragon took a closer look at the sword, sensing something extraordinary about it. However, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made it special.

”Little Sword, before you ascend to the fifth level, the evil entities within you must first be dealt with,” Fang Chen said with a smile.

Little Sword was curious. ”How do we deal with them? Right now, I can only trap them. I don’t have the ability to eliminate them.”

Fang Chen revealed, ”In the past, I wasn’t sure what they were, but now... I suspect they aren’t even complete immortal souls.”

With a faint smile, Fang Chen carried the sword across the Forgotten River, leading the group into the Floating Pagoda Realm.

Stone Dragon’s gaze flickered as he looked at the mottled bloodstains on Little Sword. ”Immortal souls?”

A faint smirk crept across his face. ”Young Lord, even in the Greater Underworld, immortal souls are valuable. If you allow me to devour them, I might be able to gain some power.”

Xing Xian gulped, but he knew that such a treasure was beyond his reach.

Even if Fang Chen were to give it away, it would go to Stone Dragon first. There was no way he, a mere Yin Soldier, would get a share.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure flew out from the sword and glared angrily at Stone Dragon. ”Do you dare devour me?! You’re seeking death! If I were still alive, I could easily kill a Yin Demon like you!”

As the figure emerged, the mottled bloodstains on the sword seemed to fade slightly, becoming less prominent.

Fang Chen glanced at the figure. It appeared to be about twenty years old, with a rather thin frame, a gloomy expression, and eyes that constantly held a hint of malice.

Back in the Immortal Dynasty Manor, the figure had likely been the one to possess him the longest and taken the lead in slapping everyone around.

Fang Chen asked with a faint smile, ”Are the others not coming out?”

”They don’t dare to,” said the shadowy figure, sneering. ”They’re afraid that if they come out, they’ll either be devoured by this person, turned into Yin Demons, or be refined by your Spirit Attachment Technique. Hmph, Dragon Emperor, Misty Female Sovereign, Great Thunder Monk King... They’re all jokes. Cowardly as mice, and they think they deserve to share a space with me, the great Evil Monarch Beiling?”

The shadowy figure laughed wickedly as it cursed at the mottled bloodstains on the sword.

”Evil Monarch Beiling, do you really think I, the Dragon Emperor, am afraid to slay you?”

Another shadowy figure flew out from the sword. It transformed into a massive dragon, over a hundred feet long. The terrifying dragon was covered in cold, sharp scales, and its imposing head stared fiercely at the first shadow.

Then, a woman appeared, draped in light silk and barefoot. She did not argue with the Evil Monarch Beiling but instead walked toward Fang Chen, bowing respectfully.

”Misty Immortal Valley’s Li Yilian. Greetings, Young Master.”

Following her, a solemn white-robed monk emerged. As he walked, the sound of thunder seemed to resonate with his every step. His appearance flickered between male and female, reminding Fang Chen of Sir Zhao from the Desolate Academy.

Another disheveled Daoist priest stepped forward. As soon as he appeared, he cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Fang Chen. He tried to immediately establish rapport with Fang Chen, adopting a flattering expression.

”Ah, Daoist brother, I too am a disciple of the Dao Sect! I was fortunate to have heard a senior from the Three Qing Supreme Sect give a lecture on the Five Element Realm. It’s said that all Daoist sects are part of the same family... Surely, we are fellow sect members! Please, don’t let these demons devour my soul!”

”Three Qing Supreme Sect, you say...” Fang Chen mused. ”It seems that the Carefree Immortal Monarch and the others might not know that the Three Thousand Dao Sect is actually the Three Qing Supreme Sect. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to call the Central Continent Empire, Celestial Heaven, and the Northern Dipper a wasteland!”

Fang Chen’s thoughts moved quickly. If not for what Empress Ci had told him before, he wouldn’t have known that the Three Thousand Dao Sect had another name.

Originally, Fang Chen had thought that once the five figures emerged, the mottled bloodstains would disappear completely. However, to his surprise, the bloodstains on the sword remained, albeit faint.

In the next moment, numerous shadowy figures flew out from the sword, quickly filling the surrounding area.

Unlike Evil Monarch Beiling and the others, these souls of immortals appeared dazed and seemed to have no idea what was happening.

Stone Dragon and Xing Xian wore expressions not just of solemnity, but of shock as well. Stone Dragon even had a hint of fear in his eyes.

Several hundred thousand immortal souls stood before them. While their strength was not as formidable as the first five figures, these were still immortals. Even the weakest among them would be stronger than first tribulation Loose Immortals. They were true immortals!

Someone had killed hundreds of thousands of immortals and trapped their souls in the seemingly ordinary flying sword!?

Stone Dragon grew visibly worried. ”This is bad. With so many immortal souls manifesting in the Underworld, their auras cannot be hidden.”

He pulled Fang Chen’s sleeve and whispered urgently, ”We must leave immediately!”

As he spoke, he waved his hand to stir the surrounding Yin energy, attempting to cover the aura of the immortal souls beneath it. However, the energy was too thick and intense, and even Stone Dragon cultivation couldn’t conceal it for long. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

Xing Xian was already stunned, too shocked to remind Fang Chen of the urgency. It wasn’t until Stone Dragon spoke that he realized something was wrong. He couldn’t help but wonder, Who was the previous owner of this sword? How could it contain over a hundred thousand immortal souls? Was this intended as a gift for some great Yin Demon?

”Where... where are we?” One of the immortal souls asked in confusion.

The disheveled old Daoist saw this and immediately smiled, saying, ”This is the Underworld. We’ve all died. Come now, plead with this young master. Whether you survive or vanish into the void depends on his will!”

The Dragon Emperor and Evil Monarch Beiling, who had been arguing, suddenly fell silent. Their gazes turned toward Fang Chen, their expressions complex.