Immortal of the Nine Realms

Hearing Xia Ji’s question, Fang Chen could only smile, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

Because of that devious spell that sealed away everyone’s cognition, he couldn’t tell Xia Ji about what he knew. He could only keep it to himself.

Only he knew a portion of the truth; only he could travel to the Upper Three Realms. Anyone else would struggle to even approach Wang Chongsong.

His soul was unique. The only way he had a chance of planning for what was coming was by relying on the ability of his soul to leave the body and the part of the truth he had grasped.

Xia Ji gleaned something from Fang Chen’s smile. He gave a slight nod and did not pursue the subject further. Instead, he said, ”Traversing the Underworld from the Nanqing Constellation is not doable. There must be some hidden reason behind it. The reason you can’t go to the Underworld from the Upper Three Realms should be the same.

”If you can pinpoint what’s preventing this and break that restriction, with the entire Underworld as your foundation, you’d have far more means at your disposal in the Upper Three Realms. It’d also make communication and travel much easier.”

Fang Chen replied, ”I’ve already thought about this matter in detail. You can have the Hidden Guards collect information relating to it. When I am in the Upper Three Realms, I will look into it.”

A smile flickered across his lips. ”You’ll be the one in charge from now on. The guys here will be counting on you. If things ever turn dangerous, don’t hesitate. Just call upon Yuting Zhai’s people and let them handle it.”

”I understand,” said Xia Ji.

Then, he asked, ”Who will you bring with you this time? Why not bring a few more? I think Huang Wuji would be well-suited. He is a fourth-transformation Sword Immortal, and his sword itself is a spiritual treasure. When it comes to combat power, even fourth-transformation immortals who had lived for thousands of years aren’t his match.”

Xia Ji considered for a moment, then added, ”Aside from Huang Wuji, perhaps bringing several third-transformation immortals would also be wise. Even some first or second transformations to help you gather information.”

Fang Chen replied calmly, ”Just Huang Wuji is enough. As for Tuxiong Star, let Daoist Yu keep watch there.”

He smiled. ”I’m not heading to the Upper Three Realms to wage war. What would I bring so many people for? Since they cannot traverse the Underworld, they hold no advantage in intelligence collection. Too many people simply raises the chance of complications.

”Besides, the Immortal Worshipping Palace has extensive business spread across the Upper Three Realms. Should I need information in that regard, I can simply buy it. At worst, I’ll just spend some money.”

”That’s true enough,” said Xia Ji with a nod.

”Has there been any movement from the Minor Immortal Realm?” asked Fang Chen.

”Nothing,” answered Xia Ji.

He elaborated, ”At least, none of my people have discovered signs of Minor Immortal Realm cultivators operating within the Lower Six Realms. Tell me, do you think the existence of the Minor Immortal Realm relies on the Lower Six Realms or the Upper Three Realms? If it is situated in the Upper Three Realms, then it would be hard for the Hidden Guards to obtain any useful intelligence under normal circumstances.”

Fang Chen chuckled and said, ”No rush. At the very least, Ji Tianjun’s own situation can’t be too favorable. He won’t be sending people to Tuxiong Star anytime soon.”

As for Ji Tianjun, his opinion of him differed from Xia Ji’s. He felt that he wasn’t so simple. Perhaps it was like Fairy Yu’s case, where his memories as a Demon had awakened.

Back in Daotai Mountain, Ji Tianjun’s methods appeared strikingly similar to Wang Chongsong’s Thirty-Six Bone Destinies. The Crimson Fiend Demonic Sovereign, Wang Chongsong, and Ji Tianjun all possessed similar techniques. This indicated that such methods were very likely a trait or inheritance specific to the Demons.

Judging from the fact that Ji Tianjun had sent Ji Tiandu and Lady Suya to handle matters in his stead, it could be deduced that his position within the Minor Immortal Realm’s Ji Family was far from ideal, perhaps even extremely difficult.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shifted targets just from suffering two setbacks on the issue of Tuxiong Star. This showed that his means were limited, and the number of cultivators he could command was few.

For the moment, he posed no significant threat.

***

Several months later.

Floating Pagoda Realm, Jiangguang City.

Before Fang Chen stood three trembling wandering souls—Ji Tiandu, Lady Suya, and Wei Wuxian.

Among the three, only Wei Wuxian looked somewhat composed. On the other hand, Ji Tiandu and Lady Suya were like startled birds. Their eyes darted anxiously in every direction, and their bodies shook uncontrollably.

No one could have imagined that after they died, Fang Chen hadn’t even bothered to question them at first and instead immediately subjected them to a series of inhuman, merciless tortures.

At the beginning, Ji Tiandu had managed to endure. But when he could no longer bear it, even before Empress Ci and the others questioned him, he spilled all of his secrets himself. Yet, Empress Ci and the others did not stop. They continued torturing him and Lady Suya until their minds nearly collapsed.

”Is the entrance to the Minor Immortal Realm in the Upper Three Realms or Lower Six Realms?” asked Fang Chen.

”Neither,” Ji Tiandu answered hastily. ”The Minor Immortal Realm exists outside of the Nine Mortal Realms, independent, like the Underworld itself. The Minor Immortal Realm has always lain within the Immortal World!”

Wei Wuxian’s heart skipped a beat. This guy is actually an immortal from the Minor Immortal Realm?How could he have ended up like this?!

Wei Wuxian was deeply shaken, his gaze at Fang Chen growing thick with fear and dread.

Fang Chen’s means were just too uncanny. What was even more terrifying was that the Floating Pagoda Realm housed so many powerful yin spirits that obeyed his commands.

Wei Wuxian had thought Fang Chen had been extremely bold to capture him, a Spirit God Sect member. But the man had even dared to lay hands on people from the Minor Immortal Realm.

The Spirit God Sect might be strong, but it was only a second-tier power within the Nine Mortal Realms. In both foundation and strength, it was utterly inferior to the Minor Immortal Realm.

”I see.... The so-called ’Minor Immortal Realm’ must indeed be dependent upon the true Immortal Realm,” murmured Fang Chen. He glanced at Ji Tiandu with curiosity. ”So tell me, what has become of the Immortal Realm itself? The gate between the Immortal Realm and the Nine Mortal Realms has been closed for many years now. What is the Immortal Realm’s situation like now?”

Lady Suya quickly answered before Ji Tiandu could speak. ”Honored one, the Minor Immortal Realm, like the Nine Mortal Realms, has been cut off from the Immortal Realm. The passage has long been sealed. We only know from ancient records that a catastrophe struck the Immortal Realm long ago. For reasons unknown, all of the great immortal sects began to turn upon each other. In the blink of an eye, war spread across the entire Immortal Realm.”

”Later, some predecessors discovered a region untouched by the chaos, and within that sanctuary carved out the Minor Immortal Realm, which endured to this day.”

Fang Chen looked back at Ji Tiandu.

Ji Tiandu gave a deep nod and said, ”She speaks the truth. We don’t know the Immortal Realm’s current state. The elders of the Minor Immortal Realm have long sought to reopen the sealed passage, desperate to return and see for themselves, but they have never succeeded.”

Hearing that, Wei Wuxian could not suppress his astonishment. As a second-transformation Loose Immortal of the Spirit God Sect, this was the first time he had learned such secrets about the Immortal Realm.

So the Immortal World was destroyed by civil war?

A strange expression crossed his face. This method sounded uncomfortably similar to how the Spirit God Sect operated these days.

”So, according to you, the fall of the Immortal Realm resulted from internal strife? Was there any third party involved?” mused Fang Chen.

Ji Tiandu shook his head desperately.

”According to the ancient records, neither the Nine Mortal Realms nor the Underworld had a hand in this. It was entirely an internal matter within the Immortal Realm.”