Immortal of the Nine Realms

”The upper three realms and the lower six realms?”

”The Huang Family is all-seeing and all-knowing in the True Martial Realm? Are they borrowing the power of the Killing Spiritual Division, or is the Killing Spiritual Division relying on them?”

”Of course, they are borrowing the power of the Killing Spiritual Division.” Pu Yuanzhu smiled. ”The Huang family might be strong, but their roots lie in the True Martial Realm, one of the lower six realms. As for the Killing Spiritual Division, their roots run in the upper three realms. Even then, you cannot underestimate the Huang family.”

Fang Chen pondered, ”So what does Huang Qingque want from me this time? How does such a powerful figure even know of my existence?”

”He originally didn’t know, but someone came knocking, so naturally he found out. I heard the visitor was from the Minor Immortal Realm,” Pu Yuanzhu replied. ”You probably don’t even know the Minor Immortal Realm exists.”

Fang Chen shook his head. ”I don’t, never heard of it.”

”It’s also in the upper three realms.” Pu Yuanzhu sighed softly. ”They’re all remarkable figures.”

Fang Chen asked, ”Do you know the specific reason Huang Qingque wants to meet me?”

Pu Yuanzhu shook his head. ”I truly don’t know. Huang Qingque holds a mid-level position in the Killing Spiritual Division of the True Martial Realm. With the deep-rooted backing of the Huang Clan, like an ancient tree with tangled roots, he doesn’t need to explain his words or actions to small players like us. He just speaks, and we run errands for him.”

Fang Chen nodded. ”I see...”

With that, Fang Chen didn’t dwell on the subject. He talked with Pu Yuanzhu for several more hours before Pu Yuanzhu finally took his leave.

Before coming, he was a first-transformation Loose Immortal of the Killing Spiritual Division; when he left, his public identity remained the same, but behind the scenes, he had become a first transformation Ghost God, a righteous spirit of the Underworld. Even he felt the rapid changes of fate were like a dream.

Fang Chen’s expression grew serious. ”Huang Qingque, Minor Immortal Realm... They’ve come because of two Anomalies. It seems the people behind Song Zhili are getting anxious.”

In these ten years, no matter which faction the Spirit God Sect cultivators on Tuxiong Star belonged to, he suppressed them all. Song Zhili’s influence on Tuxiong Star had gradually weakened, but he never showed himself personally. He had pressed Li Wuwang a few times, but their talks apparently broke down, ending unhappily. Li Wuwang didn’t want to come to Tuxiong Star, and Song Zhili himself didn’t dare to take risks, clearly wary of Fang Chen and also the old flood dragon.

Because of that, his dealings with the Minor Immortal Realm had been stalled for ten years with no progress.

His senior brother, the old eccentric Yuanhua, was probably anxious and also somewhat aware of the situation on Tuxiong Star. He passed this information back to the Minor Immortal Realm, and since the big shot there might have some connection to Huang Qingque, they asked Huang Qingque of the Killing Spiritual Division to step in and try to mediate.

The Minor Immortal Realm, the Spirit God Sect, and the Killing Spiritual Sect. Two of these factions were originally sworn enemies, ready to draw blades and cut each other down on sight. Yet now, the Minor Immortal Realm has managed to bring them together, and they’re about to sit at the same table to negotiate.

”The purpose of this negotiation is simply to get me to ease my grip and cooperate with them to draw out those two Anomalies. If I refuse to loosen my hold, it won’t be the Spirit God Sect coming after me next, but the Killing Spiritual Division.”

Fang Chen smiled and lightly tapped the table. Seeing this, Shentu Cang stepped forward to refill their tea and softly said, ”Lord, we have the escape route of the Minor Underworld. Even if the Killing Spiritual Division in the Mortal Realm wants to come after you, as long as you retreat to the Underworld, they can do nothing. No matter how strong the Loose Immortals behind them are, they can only rampage in the Floating Pagoda Realm, but they can’t come into the Minor Underworld.”

”I understand all that, but if I retreat, what will become of Tuxiong Star?” Fang Chen smiled. ”You’re still focusing on those two Anomalies? Can’t tolerate it, huh?”

Shentu Cang said, ”My lord, you simply don’t go meet that Huang Qingque. As a Killing Spiritual Division cultivator, he can’t just attack us without reason.”

Fang Chen replied, ”I’ve realized there’s a certain balance at play here. In these ten years, the struggles on Tuxiong Star have only been petty quarrels among the lower players, nothing that shakes the foundation of the Spirit God Sect. If they really wanted to use Tuxiong Star to draw out the two Anomalies, they could have sent people to start massacres outright.

”It wouldn’t be hard for Song Zhili and his backers to bring in a fourth-transformation Loose Immortal. But they didn’t do that. Instead, the Minor Immortal Realm notified the important figures of the Killing Spiritual Division.”

Shentu Cang murmured softly, ”There really is some kind of balance here. It seems they don’t dare to truly harm Tuxiong Star. Maybe the cost of breaking this balance is too great for them to bear, so they chose to take a roundabout way, trying to pressure you through the Killing Spiritual Division’s big shots.”

Fang Chen nodded. ”That possibility is about seventy or eighty percent. If this guess is correct, then this matter is not as difficult to handle as it seems.”

Over the years, he has been recruiting righteous souls of the Underworld, conferring titles on mortal cultivators mainly to keep an escape route. He feared that one day, Song Zhili might go mad and order the Spirit God Sect to destroy Tuxiong Star outright.

His worries might be groundless, but as long as he can withstand Huang Qingque’s pressure, the deal between the True Immortal of the Minor Immortal Realm and Song Zhili will still be on hold for the time being. What he needed now was time. If he could delay for a few more years, handling this matter later will be much easier.

”I’ll make a trip to the Floating Pagoda Realm,” said Fang Chen.

***

Floating Pagoda Realm, Dangyin Mountain.

Chen Lingding was brewing tea when suddenly the door to the quiet chamber opened, and a figure entered and sat opposite him.

Chen Lingding remained calm and poured a cup of tea for the visitor before quietly asking, ”What’s the matter?”

Fang Chen asked, ”Have you found any leads on the matter I asked you to investigate?”

Chen Lingding said nothing. Instead, he went to the door and stood silently for a while, making sure there were no spies from the Dangyin Mountain nearby. Only after confirming that did he return to his seat. He replied in a low voice, ”I found some information. The Song Zhili you mentioned is a disciple of the Heavenly Saint Sect in the Ancient Desolate Realm. The Heavenly Saint Sect is a major Dao Sect, holding great prestige within the Ancient Desolate Realm.

”According to your instructions, I used my connections to dig into Song Zhili’s details. He has a senior brother named Yuanhua, who is a cultivator of the Spirit God Sect. He also has another senior brother named Wang Chongsong.”

”Tell me more about Wang Chongsong first.”

”Wang Chongsong...” Chen Lingding sighed a little. ”I specifically ordered people to investigate him because I didn’t realize the Ancient Desolate Realm had such a figure. He nearly caused upheaval across the Upper Three Realms back then.

”It was because of him that Heavenly Saint Sect cultivators were exiled to various places. Otherwise, with the sect’s power, its status in the Ancient Desolate Realm would not be weaker than my Chen Family’s standing in the Five Elements Realm.”

”Stop talking in circles.”

”Wang Chongsong was once the top disciple personally trained by the sect leader of Heavenly Saint Sect. He was gifted beyond comparison, with outstanding fortune and potential. After becoming a third-transformation Loose Immortal, he consumed an immortal medicine and became a Taiyi Immortal.”

”The path of a Taiyi Immortal is far more difficult than that of common Loose Immortals, Corpse Immortals, Earthly Immortals, Heavenly Immortals, or Great Luo Immortals. Yet he managed to find the corresponding divine medicine, progressed to the fifth transformation, then the sixth transformation. On this Taiyi path, he created a grand vision unseen for many years...”ℴℴ𝘮