Immortal of the Nine Realms

For a long while after, all sides remained quiet with no unusual movements. Even the Heavenly Demon Empire had yet to dispatch its troops.

After Yan Haoran left the Void Immortal Sword Sect, he disappeared without a trace. No one knew where he went, but the occasional news suggested that he was sometimes spotted in Celestial Heaven or Northern Dipper.

All of that was merely a facade of calm. Beneath the still surface, a giant fish lurked in the dark depths, ready to devour its prey at any moment.

Things remained peaceful among the Heavenly Empire, Holy Puppet, and Flying Star because Wang Chongsong intended to test things out first.

Thus, one day, the long-absent Fairy Yu returned once again to the Void Immortal Sword Sect. All the peak masters rushed over upon hearing the news, casting her strange looks.

Only the disciples of the Extreme Sword Peak didn’t mind that Fairy Yu had condensed the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo and warmly asked how she had been all these years.

”Thank you all for your concern.” Fairy Yu smiled and cupped her hands in greeting. ”I’ve spent these years suppressing the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo. Now that I’ve seen some results, I thought I’d come back and take a look.”

Jing Yuehan’s eyes reddened slightly as she gently patted Fairy Yu’s shoulder. ”It’s good that you’re back.”

Fairy Yu scanned the crowd but didn’t see Fang Chen. ”Senior Sister, where is the lord?”

Jing Yuehan had already guessed that Fairy Yu’s return was not to see them but to meet the lord who occupied her heart.

Jing Yuehan replied, ”I’ve already sent someone to inform him.”

Zhang Ling slowly walked up to Fairy Yu, looked her up and down, and frowned. ”Has the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo in your body really been suppressed?”

Fairy Yu replied with a smile, ”Peak Master, would I be able to stand here before you unharmed otherwise?”

The peak masters looked at her suspiciously.

Years ago, there had been another sword cultivator who had condensed the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo. He lost his mind and went on a killing spree within the Void Immortal Sword Sect. That incident served as a warning to all, so the peak masters were extremely cautious.

Several peak masters exchanged a few words among themselves and sent a message to Wang Chongsong. Upon receiving his instruction to disregard the matter, they refrained from pressing further. From what they could see, Fairy Yu truly did not appear to be affected by the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo.

Before long, a streak of sword light tore through the sky.

Fairy Yu immediately rushed toward it, throwing herself into the arms of the sword rider as he landed.

Seeing the beautiful couple together, many of those present couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

”Come on, let’s not disturb them any further,” said Zhang Ling with a light smile.

Once everyone left, Fairy Yu began telling Fang Chen what she had been up to during the past few years. As they talked, they flew in the direction of his cultivation dwelling.

High in the sky, Wang Chongsong stood silently, watching the scene unfold with a faint smile.

A few days later, Fairy Yu said she wanted to go out and explore, and so she left the Void Immortal Sword Sect with Fang Chen.

They spent the next two and a half years traveling through mountains and rivers, enjoying the world. Such simple, peaceful days were enough to make them forget their worries.

Fairy Yu and Fang Chen were walking along a dirt path in a rural area, taking in the scenery around them.

”My lord, where are we now? The spiritual energy here feels so sparse... Can such a place really exist in the Central Continent?” asked Fairy Yu.

Fang Chen beamed and replied, ”Even in Central Continent, not every place is a land of abundance. Where there are rich veins of spiritual energy, there will naturally also be barren areas. I don’t know exactly where we are either. Since we’re out wandering the mortal world, there’s no need to worry about the details. Wherever we end up, that’s where we are.”

Fairy Yu looked at Fang Chen, her face lighting up with a blissful smile. She clung to his arm, hopping along like a carefree young girl.

A group of wandering martial artists on horses rode toward the couple. Seeing the couple’s unusually refined demeanor, they couldn’t help but stop and strike up a conversation.

”Young man, are you two also on your way to congratulate Master Xing on his birthday?”

The lead rider looked to be in his thirties. Since Fang Chen and Fairy Yu appeared to be only in their early twenties, he assumed they were newcomers to the martial world.

Fang Chen smiled. ”We’re just traveling around, doing some sightseeing. Is Master Xing a martial arts grandmaster of this region?”

The lead rider possessed the cultivation of a Human Profound Stage, which was already quite impressive in the mortal world.

Given how sparse the spiritual energy was there, they were likely in a place where martial arts cultivation thrived over immortal cultivation.

Someone behind urged, ”Big bro, they haven’t even heard of Master Xing. Doesn’t seem like they’re part of the martial world. Let’s go, being late wouldn’t look good.”

The lead rider glanced at the sky and nodded. Then he smiled at Fang Chen and said, ”The two of you are traveling alone without any guards. You’d better be careful that you don’t run into bandits. If you get into trouble, just mention my name: Raging Sword Song Chang.”

With that, the group spurred their horses and quickly disappeared down the road.

”Martial arts cultivation...” Fairy Yu muttered as she watched the group of martial wanderers leave, her gaze softening with emotion. She said softly, ”My lord, if you never stepped onto the path of immortality, do you think... the two of us might already have had many children by now?”

Fang Chen thought seriously for a moment, then he nodded gently. ”It’s certainly possible. Or perhaps we’d already be nothing but dust in the earth... No wonder people chase immortality. How could they bear to part from the beauty and splendor of the mortal world... and the ones they love?”

Fairy Yu giggled. ”But if they knew they could still reunite in the afterlife, maybe they wouldn’t have so many regrets.”

”You never know. Compared to the living world, it’s actually even harder to live well in the underworld,” said Fang Chen with a small smile. ”Let’s join the crowd ahead and take a break.”

Fairy Yu was a bit surprised but didn’t refuse. Smiling brightly, she nodded.

The Master Xing that Song Chang had mentioned lived in a small town not far from here. Normally, the town wasn’t very lively, but in recent days, martial artists from across the land had gathered there, filling the air with the vibe of the martial world.

Fairy Yu asked curiously, ”My lord, you wouldn’t randomly join such a gathering for no reason. Do you know someone here?”

Fang Chen replied, ”I once knew a cultivator surnamed Xing. He received a body-refinement inheritance on the Ancient Immortal Road. It seemed he wanted to take the path of the martial artists.”

He smiled as he spoke, ”I thought of him and had someone look into his whereabouts. Apparently, he settled here many years ago. Perhaps he’s walked a path we never have... So I came to see for myself.”

The couple arrived at a residence. Someone was registering visitors at the gate. After giving their names, Fang Chen and Fairy Yu weren’t questioned any further. An enthusiastic attendant quickly led them into the main hall.

An extremely old man was sitting in the seat reserved for the head of the household. He had a neatly cropped hairstyle, and though his face was deeply lined with age, he was very well-built. Even while seated, he was taller than the average person standing.

The martial artists in the hall looked at this elder with deep respect and admiration.

Fairy Yu asked curiously, ”My lord, is that him?”

Fang Chen observed Xing Jintuo and nodded. ”It’s him. It seems his immortal cultivation has completely faded away. The qi in his body is quite strange. It’s not weak, but his lifespan... is nearing its end.”

Then, Fang Chen turned to look behind him and gave a subtle nod.

Two wandering souls, invisible to normal eyes, bowed respectfully and turned to walk down the path to the afterlife, disappearing into the Yellow Springs.