Immortal of the Nine Realms

”The path to fourth transformation for sword cultivators?”

Li Wuwang appeared calm, yet the teacup in his hand had already shattered under the tension of his grip.

”You’re bluffing,” he said, his gaze turning icy. ”Even that old bastard back then didn’t know the path to the fourth transformation for sword cultivators. Why would you?”

”Master Yunhe has a name. If you continue referring to him as an old bastard, then I won’t care whether your sword cultivators can live with dignity or not. From here on out, the Killing Spiritual Division won’t strike the Spirit Blood Sect—they’ll strike the Heavenly Sword Division.” Fang Chen put down his teacup. ”In three years, we can grind you back down to what you were.”

Li Wuwang fell silent. Several breaths later, a sneer finally tugged at his lips. ”Fine, I’ll call him Senior Yunhe for now. He was an Anomaly, roaming the Nine Realms for decades. If even he didn’t know the way to the fourth transformation, why would you?”

”You should’ve figured it out long ago,” Fang Chen said, disappointment in his tone. ”Was that sword strike I used against you back then something a third-transformation sword cultivator could create?”

”...”

Li Wuwang silently grabbed a new teacup, poured himself a drink, downed it in one go, then poured another, and another.

After three cups, he finally muttered, ”I’ve heard that a true sword immortal once existed in the Nine Realms; there’s no doubt about that. But the path forward was severed, the inheritance lost. Even with the Spirit Blood Sect’s vast reach across the Nine Realms, not a single fourth-transformation sword cultivator has been found. We had no signs, no clues, that one would exist. Why should I believe you have the answer?”

Fang Chen replied calmly. ”Do you even have another choice? I already told you, your partnership with the Spirit Blood Sect is finished. I’m the only one left for you to work with. If I weren’t walking the path of a sword cultivator myself, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. I’d have flipped this place upside down and dealt with you all like the rest of the sect’s loyal hounds.”

”Wait,” said Li Wuwant, taking out a transmission talisman and attempting to contact someone.

He waited for some time, but the talisman remained dim and silent.

He finally put it away and looked toward Fang Chen. ”What do you want the Heavenly Sword Division to do?”

”Here’s a list,” Fang Chen said, handing over a name registry. ”Some are in Longyuan, some in Sihui, some in Minghu. Send them off. Once this is done, we’ll be partners. I’ll show you the path toward the fourth transformation.”

Fang Chen’s eyes narrowed. ”You should understand what that means.”

Li Wuwang stared at the list, eyes flickering. ”Inheritance...”

He absolutely understood what that meant. If it truly existed, it would spark an unprecedented revolution for sword cultivators.

Whatever benefits they gained from partnering with the Spirit Blood Sect would pale in comparison.

”You’d better not be lying,” he warned. ”You know I’m not afraid to die for this.”

He looked at Fang Chen with a grin and tucked the list away. ”You’ll see them gone within half a year.”

Fang Chen cupped his hands and turned to leave.

At the same time, he instructed Du Yunxu to keep a close eye on everyone listed. If anyone caught wind of the plan and tried to flee, they were not to act hastily. All they would do was follow them.

After leaving the Heavenly Sword Division, Fang Chen stood on the shoulder of the Dangyin Mountain Lord. With a single step, they arrived thousands of miles away.

A few days later, following the registry from Huang Qingque, Fang Chen sought out one of the six Loose Immortals the Killing Spiritual Division stationed on Creation Star.

After the previous leader had departed, the division was left with two second-transformation and four first-transformation Loose Immortals. They were its core strength. Compared to the Spirit Blood Sect, it was pitifully underpowered.

The one Fang Chen came to meet had recently broken through, now a third-transformation Loose Immortal.

***

Yunlu City.

The last time Fang Chen had come here, it was with Long Ruoyi. That was also when he sent off Zhao Mingxuan, Sun Gu, and Nangong Yuancheng.

It had led to the city lord of Yunlu pursuing him relentlessly after his own breakthrough, chasing all the way to the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps.

”You came to Yunlu City just to give me a treasure? Or are you here to tell me where my son is?” Zhao Yunlu stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Fang Chen.

”Zhao Yunlu, Killing Spiritual Division cultivator, report for duty,” called Fang Chen, his voice calm.

Zhao Yunlu, trembling, turned and locked eyes with Fang Chen. His gaze dropped immediately to the waist token in Fang Chen’s hand.

Fang Chen held up the token. ”You recognize this item. I shouldn’t need to explain it.”

Zhao Yunlu’s expression darkened. ”Why do you have the leader’s token of the Killing Spiritual Division of Creation Star?”

”I’m the new leader,” Fang Chen replied.

The gloom on Zhao Yunlu’s face instantly vanished. He burst out laughing.

”You? The new leader? Do you even know what kind of cultivation it takes to serve as the leader of the Killing Spiritual Division on Creation Star? Even I lack the depth to take that position. You’re just a kid. Come on, tell me. Where did you get that token?”

”Huang Qingque of the True Martial Region gave it to me.” Fang Chen smiled. ”It’s not fake, is it?”

At the mention of Huang Qingque, Zhao Yunlu’s pupils dilated with shock. His laughter vanished completely as a look of uncertainty spread across his face.

His hand, hidden in his sleeve, curled tightly into a fist.

The royal Huang Clan of the True Martial Region. Anyone who knew that name was no ordinary figure. And here in the Ancient Desolate Realm, someone unfamiliar with them would never have heard of the Huang Clan unless they had actually met someone from it.

Even Zhao Yunlu himself had only learned of them through a casual comment made by the former division leader.

His expression returned to normal. He stepped forward quickly and bowed deeply. ”Greetings, Leader.”

Fang Chen smiled and turned to leave. ”Let’s go. There are others to visit. This division has been dormant for years. Let’s see if it’s rusted shut or still functional.”

Zhao Yunlu hesitated only for a moment, then quickly followed.

After they left Yunlu City, one flew ahead on a sword, and the other followed close behind. During their flight, Zhao Yunlu gradually realized that this younger man’s strength far exceeded expectations.

”At least a second transformation... and a sword cultivator at that...” he muttered silently.

A few days later, the two arrived at the ruins of what had once been a major sect. Now, it had been reduced to a market for wandering cultivators.

On one broken building hung a tattered plaque with two words roughly carved in large characters—Songling Sect.

”Fellow Daoist Songling should’ve been a second-transformation Loose Immortal. Why has his sect fallen to this state?” Fang Chen asked, frowning at the worn plaque.

Zhao Yunlu also frowned. ”Because of his... special background, I haven’t contacted him in years. I didn’t expect things to become like this.”

With that, he waved over a passing cultivator. ”You there, young man. What happened to the Songling Sect?”

A Lower Four Realms cultivator noticed Zhao Yunlu’s imposing presence and didn’t dare be disrespectful, answering, ”Senior, the Songling Sect was destroyed more than 800 years ago.”