Immortal of the Nine Realms

”It was nothing more than a petty trick of sowing discord. If Monarch Qi weren’t one of my trusted followers, perhaps I would have hesitated. But now that he walks the path of Ghost Gods, schemes like yours are meaningless,” Fang Chen said with a faint smile.

Ghost Gods?

Zhang Gao and Liu Xuan looked confused hearing the term.

Qi Tianran found himself both angry and amused as he stared mockingly at Zhang Gao. ”There’s a lot you don’t understand. If you had hidden yourself just a little deeper... perhaps in a few more years, you would’ve understood. Do you really think the Lesser Underworld is still in the same state as before? Where we all guarded our little patch of land and fought tooth and nail over scraps?”

”Isn’t it still like that?” Zhang Gao asked instinctively.

Liu Xuan looked puzzled.

That kind of situation... had lasted for many years. Wasn’t everyone always struggling over their tiny territory?

Qi Tianran sneered coldly. ”This is no longer an era of guarding borders. It is an era of expansion! That’s why I told you before, what you deserve, you’ll get. The various departments of the Underworld... will no longer tear each other apart like before!”

Zhang Gao and Liu Xuan weren’t fools. Naturally, they picked up on the implication in his words. Connecting it to the term ”Ghost Gods,” their hearts skipped a beat.

Could the Lesser Underworld... be preparing to move against the Floating Pagoda Realm!?

The idea struck them as absurd yet oddly aligned with the current situation.

If that were true, then it truly wasn’t about maintaining the status quo. And in such a case, the various divisions would indeed unite under a common cause.

Zhang Gao seemed to give up all pretense and snapped. ”If you really are Monarch Yan, then the Underworld is doomed to chaos. You want to target the Floating Pagoda Realm? That’s pure fantasy. You’re treating the Lesser Underworld as if it were some grand power!

”If not for your innate advantage in occupying this space, the grand Underworld would be nothing but chickens and dogs before the Spirit God Sect. They will all be easily crushed! You’re only standing here now, talking so boldly, because of time and circumstance. And now you want to annex the Floating Pagoda Realm? When the true elites come to invade, you’ll all be dragged into the Forgotten River and become nothing but worms and vermin.”

Qi Tianran’s expression turned so dark it looked like it could drip water. ”Zhang Gao, do you truly have a death wish?”

”Qi Tianran, Monarch Fang... I have a proposal. Rather than killing an insignificant pawn like me, why not listen to what I have to say?” Zhang Gao offered.

Fang Chen smiled. ”Go ahead.”

”Cooperate with us, the Spirit God Sect!” Zhang Gao’s eyes gleamed. ”That’s the only path that makes sense. You have no idea how much power the Spirit God Sect commands in the Nine Mortal Realms!”

He paused. ”If I die here, it won’t be long before word gets out. When that happens, you won’t be able to bear the retaliation from the Spirit God Sect.”

Qi Tianran’s expression held a trace of pity. ”My lord, I believe this one’s truly gone mad.”

Fang Chen nodded. ”Not truly mad, he’s just using this moment to signal us that the Spirit God Sect is willing to cooperate, but refuses to lower themselves or lose face. It’s a classic bluff.”

Zhang Gao’s expression turned taut. He tried to compose himself. ”Bluff? Do you really think the Spirit God Sect needs to resort to such tricks?!”

Fang Chen smiled and said, ”The Spirit God Sect... is indeed powerful. But at this level, no one can manage everything. Maybe you have a first-transformation Loose Immortal backing you. Maybe even a second or third transformation....

”However, they have far too much to handle—the Floating Pagoda Realm, the Nine Mortal Realms.... Like you said, they don’t care about us personally. What they want... is the Lesser Underworld. And let’s be honest. For my information to spread across the Spirit God Sect, how many years would that take? How vast is the Ancient Desolate Realm? How expansive are the Nine Realms? The key issue is convenient communication.

”If a Loose Immortal sends a message, they must rely on the Floating Pagoda Realm. Below that, they must rely on the Lesser Underworld. That’s the most efficient, right?”

Zhang Gao’s face grew increasingly pale.

Qi Tianran sighed, looking thoughtful. ”So what they really value... Isn’t the Yin Lifespan Coins.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Not quite. The coins can help with cultivation, so of course they like them. But what’s more important is that the Lesser Underworld serves as a signal relay outpost. No matter where it is, as long as something is seen in the Lesser Underworld, it can be passed on quickly.

”The Lesser Underworld is your eyes and ears. That’s why you root yourselves here and plant your people everywhere. Lose your eyes and ears, and you’re like travelers stranded on an island. Everything becomes inconvenient. Strategic coordination becomes impossible.”

”You really deserve to die,” said Zhang Gao through gritted teeth as he stared hard at Fang Chen.

He had never imagined someone would actually uncover the true purpose behind the Spirit God Sect’s occupation of the Lesser Underworld. Even within the sect, no one spoke of it openly. Everyone simply accepted that this place made communication easier. It was never addressed outright.

”No wonder the Young Mountain Lord of Dangyin Mountain recently asked me to plant more people. So it was the founding of the Yin Walker Division and the Killing Spiritual Division that disrupted your messaging routes. Now you have to embed operatives within the official system,” Liu Xuan said, his face ashen.

Fang Chen cast a glance at Liu Xuan. ”You can go. Your matter isn’t settled yet.”

With that, Fang Chen started walking out of the hall. As he passed Zhang Gao, he patted him on the shoulder but said nothing.

Zhang Gao’s face twisted with terror. ”I still know many things. You can’t kill me....”

Qi Tianran seemed to catch on to something. He gave Zhang Gao a cold, mocking glance, then turned and walked away.

In the next moment, the Yin energy surrounding Zhang Gao began to rapidly dissipate.

Panicked, he tried to clutch at the vanishing energy with his hands, as though trying to hold it in place, but it was all futile. Within a few breaths, the vast Yin energy had already dispersed into the Underworld’s void, merging with the endless river of karma.

***

Floating Pagoda Realm, Dangyin Mountain.

It was a cacophony of ghostly wails and flickering phantoms, far more chaotic than Jiangguang City. The Yin Demons here were much fiercer than those of Jiangguang. Few maintained a humanoid form. Most bore savage, tusked faces full of malice, their murderous aura overwhelming their reason.

There were no laws in the Floating Pagoda Realm. Some wandering souls, just to survive, would plunder others’ Yin lifespan, eventually becoming like this.

Creatures like Xing Xian and Stone Dragon weren’t true Yin Demons, but had been tainted by the realm’s aura. Though slightly different from those of the Lesser Underworld, the latter still classified them all as Yin Demons without exception.

Liu Xuan walked without expression. Before long, he arrived at a private room inside a teahouse. After waiting a moment, a Yin Demon pushed the door open and sat across from him.

Liu Xuan stared coldly at the Yin Demon and said, ”Zhang Gao was exposed as a Spirit God Sect cultivator. Qi Tianran executed him. I want an explanation.”

This Yin Demon appeared refined and elegant, devoid of murderous aura. He was clearly a privileged figure who never needed to steal Yin lifespan himself.