Immortal of the Nine Realms

”Leader Fang, was your journey... smooth?” Chu Jia looked Fang Chen up and down, her expression a little odd.

Being targeted by someone like the Great Desolate Immortal, a fifth transformation immortal, and still managing to return safely to the Central Continent Empire?

In her mind, even if Fang Chen had survived, he should have been in a miserable state.

Fang Chen nodded. ”Not bad. The Great Desolate Immortal is a bit straightforward, not too difficult to handle.”

He accepted the Golden Soul Flower Chu Jia handed him, offering a word of thanks.

”No need to be so polite. If not for your warning back then, we would’ve all perished on Xianxu Star Star,” said Chu Jia, a lingering sense of luck and dread still in her heart.

She wasn’t afraid of dying in a battle against the Spirit God Sect. What she feared was a meaningless death, a death without a trace, so that even the Killing Spiritual Division wouldn’t know where they had gone or how they had died.

After a moment’s hesitation, Chu Jia asked softly, ”Leader Fang, what about Fellow Daoist Yang...?”

”He was already beyond saving at the time. Looking back now, he’s most likely dead,” Fang Chen replied.

”What a pity for Fellow Daoist Yang.” Chu Jia sighed. ”He worked tirelessly in the Killing Spiritual Division for years, surviving many close calls against the Spirit God Sect. Who would’ve thought a single Immortal Exchange would cost him his life? The news that the Great Desolate Immortal is part of the Spirit God Sect has already spread within the Killing Spiritual Division. I believe no more colleagues will fall to similar schemes.”

”Will the Killing Spiritual Division offer compensation to Fellow Cultivator Yang’s family?” Fang Chen asked.

Chu Jia nodded slightly. ”Of course. His immediate family will be taken care of. If they wish to join the Killing Spiritual Division, they’ll receive more resources and support than ordinary cultivators and have an easier time advancing.”

”By the way, regarding what happened this time, the two Directors have already gone to Yuxu Star to inform Young Lord Qingque. He said if you return safely, he’d like to meet you in person and ask about what happened,” Chu Jia added.

”Young Lord Qingque has returned to Yuxu Star?”

”Yes.”

”Alright. I’ll take care of a few things, then head over.”

”Then I’ll wait for you on Fenghai Star.”

***

After Chu Jia left, Fang Chen lightly stomped the ground.

In the Floating Pagoda Realm, Yang Yuanwu, who had been waiting anxiously, suddenly found mist swirling around him. When the fog cleared, he was already in the Mortal Realm.

Yang Yuanwu looked puzzled. ”Fellow Fang, this is...?”

Fang Chen smiled and explained, ”I’m Monarch Yan. You’re a Ghost God of the Underworld. Finding you is easy for me. I simply call, and you come. Let’s go. I’ll take you to Jiangguang City.”

Understanding dawned on Yang Yuanwu. He asked, ”What about Leader Chu and the others...?”

”They’re fine. Young Lord Qingque knows about it, too. He wants to meet me.”

Yang Yuanwu nodded. ”Good.”

”Fellow Cultivator Yang, you should know, your identity now is that of a dead man. It’s not appropriate for you to appear before them. Otherwise, my identity could be exposed,” Fang Chen said.

”Understood. I’ll avoid them from now on,” Yang Yuanwu replied.

Fang Chen took Yang Yuanwu to Jiangguang City in the Floating Pagoda Realm and had Stone Dragon familiarize him with the situation. He himself went to Creation Star for a brief meeting with Li Wuwang.

***

In the Heavenly Sword Division.

They were still drinking the same cheap spiritual tea.

”The hundred years aren’t up yet. Why have you come again? Most of the Spirit God Sect cultivators on Creation Star are already dead. What else could you possibly need the Heavenly Sword Division for?” said Li Wuwang blandly, pouring Fang Chen a cup of tea.

”There’s something you need to know. I’m not even sure if it affects the Heavenly Sword Division, but you should be aware of it,” Fang Chen replied after a pause.

Li Wuwang gave Fang Chen a sidelong glance. ”Just say it. I can judge for myself.”

”Have you heard of the Myriad Immortal Palace?” Fang Chen asked.

He figured Li Wuwang had likely heard at least something about them. As a third-transformation Loose Immortal, he had to have traveled beyond this realm.

Li Wuwang frowned. ”Myriad Immortal Palace? Never heard of it. There’s no such sect on Creation Star. What’s it got to do with the Heavenly Sword Division?”

”Originally, nothing. But the last time you accompanied me to Nine Immortal Mountain, they found out, and now it might be something,” Fang Chen said.

Li Wuwang’s eyes sharpened. ”Please be direct.”

Fang Chen recounted the grudge between the Myriad Immortal Palace and the Grand Elder of Nine Immortal Mountain, and their operating methods.

He also shared part of the intel he had extracted from Gong Tianxin.

After listening, Li Wuwang silently drank over a dozen cups of tea, then said indifferently, ”You’re saying... just because I accompanied you to Nine Immortal Mountain, now we’ve provoked a bunch of lunatics? And when they destroy the Holy Land, they might take the Heavenly Sword Division down with it?”

”It’s possible, but not certain. It depends on whether that fellow Immortal Xingyu decides your visit to Nine Immortal Mountain makes you worth eliminating. In my view, they might act on impulse. In their eyes, sword cultivators are just crippled immortals,” Fang Chen said.

”A fifth-transformation Loose Immortal... To them, we’re no different from ants. One finger and we’re crushed into dust and ash.” Li Wuwang gave a faint laugh. ”All these years, I’ve endured disgrace and hardship, just to win a small foothold for sword cultivators. A place to survive. What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?”

He looked at Fang Chen. The last two lines clearly carried a deeper meaning.

”The Heavenly Sword Killing Spiritual Division’s roots are on Fortune Star. If we leave now, we’ll become wanderers. And worse, Myriad Immortal Palace would take it as a sign of guilt and cowardice, leading to relentless pursuit. So we can’t run.”

”But if you stay, when that finger finally falls upon us, what do we use to stop it?” Li Wuwang smiled coldly. ”I should never have worked with you. Shouldn’t have gone with you to Nine Immortal Mountain.”

”Even if it’s not the Myriad Immortal Palace, one day you might have a Thousand Immortal Palace or the Heaven Palace coming after you....” Fang Chen set down his teacup. ”You still have one option left. Think it over. The Myriad Immortal Palace hasn’t acted yet, but I can’t guarantee they won’t. We don’t have much time.”

Fang Chen rose and walked away from the Heavenly Sword Division.

Li Wuwang remained silent until Fang Chen’s silhouette was nearly out of sight. Then, as if muttering to himself, he asked. ”What option?”

As Fang Chen’s figure started fading into the mist, his voice echoed one last time, ”Enter the Underworld.”

”Enter the Underworld...” Li Wuwang repeated the words.

At that moment, he had already guessed—Yun He had to have entrusted something to Fang Chen.

To snatch it from him? There was neither the time, nor the opportunity, nor the support.

”Enter the Underworld... heh.” Li Wuwang smiled and shook his head, letting out a soft sigh. ”What a hard decision...”

Perhaps this path could indeed avert disaster. But perhaps, it was a road of no return.

The Heavenly Sword Division now stood before a fateful choice.