Immortal of the Nine Realms

Li Shanzi’s Black Dragon Formation did not hesitate in the slightest, diving straight into the grand battle along with the massive fleet.

Fang Chen’s role in it was insignificant. All he did was channel spiritual energy into the core, providing an endless stream of energy to sustain the formation.

There were tens of thousands of cultivators like him, including experts such as Lin Dong.

In a clash between Immortal Boat Formations, even immortals played little roles. The true protagonists were the few who could control the Immortal Boat formations—the core disciples.

”Fellow Daoist Honglian, do you think we’ll ever have the chance to become one of those main figures?” Fang Chen asked with a smile while channeling spiritual power beside Little Immortal Honglian.

”You’ll have a chance, and so will I,” she replied without hesitation.

Lin Yuan chuckled. ”That’d be best. If both Captain and Fellow Daoist Honglian become core disciples, we could switch to the Black Dragon to channel spiritual energy, instead of being one of the many ”scales” on this dragon.”

”No, we’re not even a scale,” Yu Wuxia said softly, his expression complicated.

***

Li Shanzi’s Black Dragon Formation had been locked in a stalemate with its opponent for ten days now. The two sides even began trading taunts, but neither could gain the upper hand.

The opposing formation bore a resemblance to the Black Dragon Formation, but its shape was more akin to a gigantic python.

Fang Chen had already inquired about this faction. They were from the Blood and Flesh Divine Palace, one of the top forces in the Fangcun Realm, founded jointly by human and demon cultivators.

Its core disciples cultivated along two immortal paths, the Blood Flesh Demon Immortal and the Essence Soul Demon Immortal.

The core disciple commanding their Star Python Formation was nearly equal in power to Li Shanzi. Yet after more than ten days of deadlock, Li Shanzi’s Black Dragon Formation suddenly transformed into a gleaming sword.

Fang Chen and the others felt it most vividly—half of their spiritual energy had been drained in an instant.

Then, the Star Python Formation was cleaved cleanly in two with a single strike.

”It’s Formation Immortal Arts! That’s Li Shanzi of the Enlightenment God Palace, he’s achieved Formation Immortal Arts!”

”Damn it! How did he break through right in the middle of battle?!”

”Hurry! Form up with Junior Brother Li!”

Li Shanzi’s face lit with joy. Before he could even savor the thrill of his breakthrough, he saw several of his fellow disciples steering their formations toward him. He immediately understood that, in the battles to come, he would be the central spearhead, and they would serve as his escort.

As an observer, Fang Chen couldn’t help feeling a ripple of emotion.

”Formation Immortal Arts...”

Li Shanzi had broken through.

The might unleashed when the Black Dragon Formation turned into a sword far surpassed everything that came before. If his control of the formation had previously been comparable to a half-step Ancient Immortal, now he truly possessed the offensive power of one.

”It may look like an Immortal Boat Formation versus another,” Fang Chen thought, ”but in truth, it’s a duel between a half-step Ancient Immortal and an Ancient Immortal.”

Watching the stellar battlefield, he finally began to understand this level of combat.

No wonder, by the time one reached the level of Immortal Taixu, one could no longer fight on land. Their blows would destroy entire worlds. The true battlefield of such beings was the stars themselves.

From then on, Li Shanzi fought with even greater ferocity, coordinating seamlessly with Nanming Ruyue as they advanced toward the largest of the Black Dragon Formations.

Fang Chen observed that, counting Li Shanzi, there were four Black Dragon Formations among the Enlightenment God Palace’s fleet capable of casting Formation Immortal Arts. Their combat strength was without question at the very pinnacle; they were the true cores of the battle formation.

Once these four achieved full synchrony in attack and defense, and linked up with the rest of the formations, the tide of the battle began to turn.

The war raged for more than a decade.

The Blood and Flesh Divine Palace, the Rulai Monastery, the Taiyi Immortal Sect, the Ten Thousand Star Palace, the Killing Spiritual Division, and the Spirit God Sect—the top powers of the Fangcun Realm—all had many of their core disciples captured by the Enlightenment God Palace.

And then, one day, the fighting stopped.

Lin Yuan and the others were utterly exhausted. They had rarely, if ever, endured such a grueling stalemate.

Day after day, year after year of channeling spiritual energy. Even if their bodies didn’t tire, their minds were already weary beyond belief.

When they saw members of all the great factions leave their formations and meet in the center for negotiations, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

”No matter the outcome, this battle must finally be over,” Lin Yuan muttered. ”Once we’re back, I’m going into seclusion for a long while. No more missions for me anytime soon.”

Yu Wuxia and Meng Qingling both nodded with lingering dread. This kind of battle was both exhausting and stifling.

They had heard from everyone since childhood that they were geniuses, but it wasn’t until recently that there were tiers to being a genius. Before true prodigies, they were no more than spiritual energy funnels—a role granted for merely being better than average.

Ordinary cultivators didn’t even have the chance to participate in such a battle.

The negotiations lasted several days, after which all sides began exchanging prisoners.

The Enlightenment God Palace had captured far more enemies, so they released them in batches, while also taking back their own captives. Then, the various factions gradually withdrew.

Ancient Forbidden Zone No. 157, and the Formless Purgatory, was now left solely under the control of the Enlightenment God Palace’s Immortal Boat formations.

”We won. This Ancient Forbidden Zone now belongs to the Enlightenment God Palace,” Lin Yuan said with a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.

”The real show might just be starting,” Yu Wuxia murmured, sensing the fleet’s formations resting while advancing toward the Formless Purgatory.

”The time for spoils has come,” Meng Qingling said eagerly. ”I wonder how much we’ll get, and how much we’ll have to hand over afterward. Seventy percent, maybe?”

”This place hasn’t been deeply explored before its ownership was decided,” Little Immortal Honglian said, glancing at Fang Chen and then at the others. ”That means we might face danger, or strike it rich overnight. If our luck holds, we might even have a chance to ascend directly into the Enlightenment God Palace’s core ranks.”

”What!?” Yu Wuxia and the others were stunned, staring blankly at her.

”Fellow Daoist Hong, what do you mean? No, wait, what do you know?” Lin Yuan asked urgently.

”I’ve only heard some rumors,” Little Immortal Honglian said lightly. ”Don’t know if they’re true or not, just something I mentioned offhand. Opportunities like that almost never fall to people like us anyway.”

She shook her head and said nothing more.

Though everyone suspected she was keeping secrets, they were also certain that the Formless Purgatory held something worth risking everything for.

Soon, one after another, the Immortal Boat Formations descended onto the surface of the Formless Purgatory.

Li Shanzi’s voice echoed in everyone’s ears, ”From here on, you’ll have thirty years to roam freely across the Formless Purgatory. Whatever you find is yours to keep, just remember to turn in seventy percent when you return.”