Immortal of the Nine Realms

Xu Changshi’s eyes lit up. He quickly said, ”These men are all my trusted aides. This second-transformation senior is surnamed Xu and is a clansman of mine. If they can also become Underworld True Gods, they would undoubtedly pledge their lives to serve you!”

”Unfortunately, I don’t have enough Yin Lifespan left,” replied Fang Chen.

He glanced at the five men—four first-transformations and one second-transformation Loose Immortals.

Conferring them as Yin Soldiers would cost 10,000 years of Yin Lifespan for the four and another 5,000 years for the second transformation expert.

Right now, the Monarch Yan’s Seal only held a pitiful few decades of remaining lifespan.

However....

Fang Chen turned to the Dangyin Mountain Lord. ”Has the matter I entrusted you with earlier been settled?”

A flash of pain crossed the Mountain Lord’s eyes before he hurriedly replied, ”I’ve already ordered the ledgers to be examined. Dangyin Mountain generates a surplus of 4,000 years of Yin Lifespan annually. At present, we can mobilize 40,000 years.”

”Have it delivered.”

The Mountain Lord nodded. ”At once!”

Fang Chen then looked back at Xu Changshi and his men. ”Though I am Monarch Yan, I am also a cultivator of the Killing Spiritual Division. From now on... do you all understand what must be done?”

”Naturally, we do. But... if you could offer some guidance, it would be most appreciated.”

Xu Changshi’s gaze flickered shrewdly.

”All operations under your command in the Spirit God Sect are to cease immediately. I will personally retrieve the Blood Spirit Pills in your ledgers.”

Fang Chen’s tone was indifferent. ”You’ve overseen Longdan Star for years. As long as nothing changes on the surface, your superiors won’t suspect anything. Your positions within the sect will remain unaffected.”

”Understood.” Xu Changshi immediately nodded. He already knew what to do next.

As for the Blood Spirit Pills, they were utterly useless to him in his current realm. What truly mattered now was the path that lay ahead.

Working for the Spirit God Sect was merely a way for him to accumulate merits so he could exchange them for an immortal herb that would help him advance to the fourth transformation.

But now, since he cultivated both Immortal and Ghost God paths—Immortal Dao in the Mortal realm and the Ghost God Dao in the Underworld—the value of the immortal herb to him had significantly declined.

According to ancient legends, advancement on the Ghost God path was rather special and did not rely mainly on immortal herbs.

With that, the things the Spirit God Sect could offer him were limited. How to choose from what remained was a decision a smart person could make on their own.

Fang Chen said, ”There’s also the reason for summoning you this time, which is indeed related to Song Zhili, Wang Chongsong, and the rest.”

Xu Changshi was slightly startled, instinctively thinking Fang Chen was deceiving him. However, after careful thought, he concluded that Fang Chen had no reason to lie to him. He had already received a decree and was now under Fang Chen’s command.

”Lord, has Song Zhili provoked you? I can use my clan connections and my ties within the Spirit God Sect to suppress him!” said Xu Changshi.

Fang Chen smiled. ”Song Zhili indeed has cooperated with the Minor Immortal Realm, scheming over the Anomalies of Tuxiong Star. But all his moves were intercepted by me. So, in desperation, he somehow connected with the Killing Spiritual Division cultivator Huang Qingque from the True Martial Region.”

”He’s probably trying to use Huang Qingque’s connections to pressure me into holding back for the time being. We agreed to meet on Yuxu Star in the True Martial Region. When the time comes, you bring people over, capture Song Zhili, and after that, the Minor Immortal Realm might approach you for cooperation. You just need to help me probe their background.”

”Capture him?” Xu Changshi’s expression grew a bit awkward. ”With my authority... I might not be able to capture Song Zhili without a proper reason.”

”He lost the Frost Water Immortal Flame from Creation Star,” said Fang Chen with a smile.

Xu Changshi’s pupils dilated, and his face turned an unusually dark shade. ”No wonder I’ve not been able to allocate the Immortal Flame to Longdan Star even though I have been applying for so long. It turns out this guy lost it!”

”Why? You don’t have your own Immortal Flame on Longdan Star?” asked Fang Chen with a smile.

Xu Changshi bitterly smiled. ”Immortal Flames are rare. They can’t possibly be everywhere. The Frost Water Immortal Flame is shared and allocated according to a schedule. When he finishes using it, it’s my turn. When I’m done, it goes to someone else.”

Fang Chen had originally thought that if Longdan Star had its own Immortal Flame, he could take it all at once. Now it seemed like his luck played a big part in obtaining the Frost Water Immortal Flame this time, as it just happened to be assigned to Creation Star.

Xu Changshi explained slowly, ”The Frost Water Immortal Flame is used to refine pills. To make first-grade pills, or even superior-grade pills, you need this kind of Immortal Flame for purification.

”Blood Spirit Pills might not be that important to people like us, but they are still the foundation of the Spirit God Sect. Without them, there wouldn’t be the Spirit God Sect as it is today. Losing the Frost Water Immortal Flame is enough reason to request the arrest and interrogation of Song Zhili.

”If I pull some strings behind the scenes, the Creation Star he guards might even fall under my control.”

”Then I’ll leave this matter to you,” said Fang Chen with a smile.

Xu Changshi said respectfully, ”Rest assured, I will handle this perfectly and won’t let you down.”

While they were talking, the Dangyin Mountain Lord hurriedly entered from outside the hall and handed over the surplus accumulated over the years to Fang Chen. He added more than 40,000 years of Yin Lifespan to Monarch Yan Seal, and Fang Chen spent another 15,000 years to confer those people that Xu Changshi had brought.

After Xu Changshi and the others left, only the Dangyin Mountain Lord and Yu Tingzhai remained in the hall.

Fang Chen said, ”There might be immortal herbs emerging in the Nine Star Realm. You two go check it out for me.”

The Dangyin Mountain Lord and Yu Tingzhai’s eyes brightened. Immortal herbs were useless to the Dangyin Mountain Lord, but being able to leave the Floating Pagoda Realm and visit the Mortal Realm was naturally a good thing.

Since Yu Tingzhai cultivated both Immortal and God paths, immortal herbs were still useful to him as a third-transformation Loose Immortal.

He knew very well that if they got the immortal medicine this time, it likely wouldn’t fall into his hands. But after becoming a Ghost God, he realized how much easier it was to travel through the Underworld.

In the past, such news, be it true or false, would never reach him. Even if someone told him where the immortal herb had appeared, he probably wouldn’t be able to go.

In the past, even rumors of immortal medicine rarely reached him. Even if someone told him where it appeared, he likely couldn’t get there. The Mortal Realm’s Nine Realms were too vast, and a third-transformation Loose Immortal’s activity range was limited.

But now that he was a Ghost God, he could go to places thousands of times more than before by traveling through the Underworld.

Even if he couldn’t get the immortal herb this time, he could get it next time, or the time after that. In conclusion, it was only a matter of time before he would get some.

Fang Chen said, ”I’ll have Qi Tianran liaise with you about the specific information.”

The two nodded and left.

Stone Dragon quietly approached Fang Chen and whispered, ”If we get immortal herbs this time, are you planning to give them to Huang Qingque?”

”That’s the last resort. The best plan is naturally to lure him into the Underworld and make him one of us.” Fang Chen smiled. ”But just in case, we have to prepare for multiple scenarios. Not everyone is like Xu Changshi. Some cultivators are too cautious about their lives, and coming to the Underworld is dangerous for them, so they wouldn’t do it lightly.”

”And if the immortal herbs aren’t obtained, and Huang Qingque doesn’t come to the Underworld?”

”Then we take it step by step. Without pressure from Song Zhili’s side, and giving Huang Qingque enough respect, he has no reason to make enemies with his Killing Spiritual Division’s colleagues for no reason. If we really become enemies, then we should just kill him.”