Immortal of the Nine Realms

Fang Chen smiled. ”Send you to Myriad Immortal City? And how am I supposed to live in peace again when you go and report me?”

”Why would I report you? This matter has nothing to do with you,” Xie Zian exclaimed angrily.

Fang Chen let out a soft sigh. ”A dignified fourth-transformation Immortal who could even lead his clan out of a place so barren in spiritual energy, there are few in the world who could match such ability.”

He meant those words sincerely. Xie Zian had started from a low position; to reach his current accomplishments, he could not have been a dullard and had surely already guessed the truth.

”I just hadn’t expected you to be an official from the Day Walker lineage of the Lesser Underworld,” Xie Zian said, calming down. ”I was a fourth-transformation Immortal in life. Could you at least let me speak while standing?”

Xie Zian felt he deserved at least this much courtesy. Since he was ready to talk properly, the other party should not humiliate him in this way.

”This is fine. Just speak like this,” Fang Chen said.

Xie Zian froze for a moment. After a few breaths of silence, he explained, ”There were two Immortals who attacked just now. One of them revealed himself openly, while the other remained hidden. You invited them, didn’t you? Why? There’s no enmity between us. You not only invited Immortals to strike me down but even came here yourself to wait for my wandering soul?”

He was right. If the other party sent him to Myriad Immortal City, then from that point on, Creation Star would never know peace. The Myriad Immortal Palace would begin retaliating against the Killing Spiritual Division. The identity of the fourth-transformation Immortals who struck was no longer important. They were nothing but mercenaries, a tool to be used.

In addition, he had gained a critical piece of information that day. The Killing Spiritual Division in the Lesser Underworld was indeed unlike other factions. Its Division Chief could hold an official post within the Day Walker lineage, whereas Yin Walkers from other factions were heavily monitored and not allowed to hold office.

This alone was enough to prove the Killing Spiritual Division had a close relationship with Monarch Fang of the Lesser Underworld.

Wait, Monarch Fang? Fang, Fang.... This man is also surnamed ”Fang.” Could it be? But no, that’s impossible.

Xie Zian immediately rejected his own guess. The other man was only a second-transformation Loose Immortal; he could not even enter the Underworld, so how could he be Monarch Fang?

Suddenly, Xie Zian’s face turned deathly pale.

A second-transformation Loose Immortal... Yes, how could a second-transformation Loose Immortal be of the Day Walker lineage!?

He had assumed the man could walk the Mortal Realm only because of the Day Walker’s special privileges.

But....

”Looks like you’ve thought of something, Fellow Daoist Xie,” Fang Chen said.

”How can you appear in the Mortal Realm? Even if you’re a Yin Walker, you should be confined to the Floating Pagoda Realm. How did you come from the Floating Pagoda Realm to the Mortal Realm!?”

Xie Zian’s feigned composure broke down, fear flashing in his eyes. He was a clever man and had almost immediately realized what such an ability could mean, for the Mortal Realm and for all factions.

Everyone else could only send souls into the Floating Paogda Realm, yet one person could enter the Mortal Realm itself in soul form. How terrifying was that!?

Ordinary mortals could not perceive a wandering soul at all, and even someone like him, a fourth-transformation Loose Immortal in life, could not sense the slightest trace of a soul in the Nine Realms.

If the other had stood at his side watching him all this time, he would have had no idea, and every secret would be laid bare! It was too frightening!

Xie Zian’s face twisted. The Day Walker lineage’s ability to enter the Mortal Realm was well-known, but Loose Immortals didn’t fear them. Their cultivation was far too low to understand the power of a Loose Immortal.

But if a Loose Immortal’s own soul could roam the Mortal Realm... what chaos would that bring?

Xie Zian dared not think further.

”You have two choices. Either you exchange the fourth-transformation immortal medicine in your position for a reduced sentence of a hundred years,” Fang Chen said with a smile.

”Reducing my sentence by a hundred years...?”

Xie Zian fell silent for a long time. In the end, he asked, ”Why did you target me? Was it only for the fourth-transformation immortal medicine? But if that’s all you want, it’s already in your hands. And I was the one who was robbed. What are you sentencing me for?”

”Nine Immortal Mountain,” Fang Chen said.

A spark flashed through Xie Zian’s mind. He stared blankly at Fang Chen, incredulous. ”You hired fourth-transformation Immortals to kill me because of the matter of Nine Immortal Mountain’s mortals!?”

He suddenly found it all ridiculous, recalling when Huang Qingque had deliberately invited this man to meet him. At that meeting, he had not taken the Killing Spiritual Division Chief of Creation Star seriously at all. He had only agreed to appear because of Huang Qingque’s special status.

Later, he had scoffed at their request—when the Myriad Immortal Palace acted, it was always with full force. Huang Qingque had clearly understood, yet still came to see him. For appearances, he had casually agreed.

Afterward, hadn’t he still slaughtered them all? And the Killing Spiritual Division had made no move. He had been certain beforehand that the division would not sour relations with Myriad Immortal Palace over such a matter.

After all, they had not allowed Spirit God Sect cultivators to act behind the scenes either. There was a balance, an unspoken mutual understanding.

Thinking of this, Xie Zian did not believe it. ”Fang Daoist, I am dead now. Even if you’re after the fourth-transformation immortal medicine, there’s no shame in being straightforward about it. I’d understand. Were I in your place, I’d scheme as well. No need to mock me with such flimsy excuses. I was a fourth-transformation Immortal in life. Even in death, I don’t deserve this humiliation.”

Fang Chen only smiled without speaking.

After a moment, Xie Zian tested him. ”Is it truly because of Nine Immortal Mountain that you’d go to such lengths against me? The price of hiring two fourth-transformation Immortals is astronomical. How is it worth it?”

”Very worth it. If it makes you and the Great Desolate Immortal tear at each other, what’s a little cost?” Fang Chen said with a smile.

Xi Zian suddenly understood. Nine Immortal Mountain was just a pretext. What they were after was not the immortal medicine, but to sow enmity between the Myriad Immortal Palace and the Great Desolate Immortal.

But... why? No, how?! How could they even pin my death on the Great Desolate Immortal?!

He thought he’d solved one mystery, only to face another he couldn’t untangle.

”When you die, Myriad Immortal Palace’s Immortal Xingyu will likely come here in person, right?” Fang Chen said. ”After all, you were a Guardian True Immortal, and her disciple. Your identity is special.”

”Yes, Master will come here herself. With her methods, no petty trick could fool her. Even if she doesn’t know the Killing Spiritual Division was behind this, she won’t be provoked into making an enemy of the Great Desolate Immortal,” Xie Zian said gravely.

”How long until she arrives?”

”Ten days at most.”

***

Ten days later.

Immortal Xingyu arrived in the void with a group of Myriad Immortal Palace Loose Immortals, her cold gaze overlooking Xie Luo and the others.

At her side stood a fourth-transformation Loose Immortal, also a Guardian True Immortal of Myriad Immortal Palace. This person suddenly opened his eyes and said, ”Palace Master, the attacker has long since left. There is no ambush nearby.”

”Good. Let’s go down and take a look,” Immortal Xingyu said, her face expressionless, showing no joy or anger.