Immortal of the Nine Realms

As soon as the Black Dragon Boat made contact with the Formation Heart, it immediately began to establish a connection with Fang Chen. It was somewhat similar to when he refined a spiritual treasure before, but there was a subtle difference in the feeling.

Fang Chen quietly observed the scene in front of him, carefully feeling that odd sensation.

After about an hour, he finally realized what felt strange. It seemed that the Black Dragon Boat wasn’t truly establishing a connection with him directly, but rather with the Formation Heart.

Fang Chen’s mind raced. If every core disciple’s connection to the Black Dragon Boat works this way, it means the Formation Heart is the one truly controlling the ship, not the core disciple themselves.

Several hours later, Fang Chen completed the refinement, and the Black Dragon Boat was fully under his control. With just a thought, he could manipulate any formation on the ship.

Elder Chen Yuan smiled and said, “It will take you some time to fully familiarize yourself with the Black Dragon Boat, such as refining the formation and learning the subsequent Formation Immortal Techniques.

“Since you have a special constitution, the time needed to connect with the Formation Heart is minimal. You might be able to grasp Immortal Formation Techniques in a very short time. But even with that considered, it will likely take you at least a hundred and two hundred to truly master them. Let’s not discuss this for now, there’s another inheritance that I need to give you. Come with us to walk the Path of Yin.”

The senior sister smiled and said, “Last time you entered the Underworld, you ended up in a dangerous situation on your own. You probably haven’t truly explored it yet. This time, I’ll take you along with Elder Chen Yuan and show you around. We’ll also figure out which position suits you best.”

“Thank you,” said Fang Chen as he cupped his hand with a smile.

He had been wanting to visit the Underworld and take a look at how the Ghost Immortal Path of Enlightenment God Palace operated.

The three of them soon entered the Underworld together. They quickly arrived at the shore, where nearby figures in black robes showed expressions of disbelief upon seeing Elder Chen Yuan and the senior sister.

One of them hurriedly walked up to the trio and respectfully bowed. “Greetings, Elder Yuan, Senior Xie.”

It was a familiar face. Fang Chen recognized the black-robed man. It was Ji Sheng, the one who had been in charge of receiving him during his previous visit to the Underworld.

The senior sister said indifferently, “Mm, prepare a light boat.”

The black-robed man immediately nodded. His gaze then subconsciously drifted toward Fang Chen, and he froze. He recognized Fang Chen.

Isn’t this the guy who recklessly entered the Underworld a few years ago?

He remembered Fang Chen as the person who got chased by a Great Yin Demon and later disappeared without a trace.

Because of Fang Chen’s reckless behavior, he had been interrogated by the Nether Guard Division and Judgement Division and was even punished by losing several decades of Yin Lifespan.

He had cussed out Fang Chen so many times in his head during that period that he had even planned out how he’d go off on him when they met again. He had been looking forward to venting his frustrations out on Fang Chen.

Who would have thought that the next time he met the guy he’d be walking around with an Elder and the core disciples’ leader!

Who exactly is this guy?

The senior sister furrowed her brows slightly. “Hmm? Why haven’t you gone to prepare yet?”

The black-robed man snapped out of his daze, nodded repeatedly, then gestured for the light boat to be brought.

Elder Chen Yuan seemed to have noticed the black-robed man’s shock. He smiled and said, “Have you met Core Disciple Fang before?”

Core... Disciple?

“Oh heavens...”

The black-robed man shuddered. He quickly nodded. “Reporting, the last time Core Disciple Fang entered the Underworld, I was the one who had received him.”

“Well, it seems you two are quite fated. Not long after he joined Enlightenment God Palace, you two met again, and now he’s a core disciple.”

“Ah, yes...”

The black-robed man forced a smile, but his heart was full of frustration.

If a newcomer could ascend to the core this quickly, how many more years would he have to endure before he could achieve anything?

The light boat arrived, and the three of them boarded. They set off toward the Enlightenment Underworld, leaving behind a crowd of envious wandering souls watching them depart.

”Junior Brother Fang, let me tell you something in private,” whispered the senior sister to Fang Chen. ”If you want, you can follow the Ghost Immortal Path. If not, just go through the motions. Otherwise, it will drain too much of your time and energy. Focus on improving your immortal cultivation, it will help you understand the Immortal Formation Techniques more quickly.”

Elder Chen Yuan gave a wry smile. “You and your useless advice...”

Before she could respond, Elder Chen Yuan turned to Fang Chen and said seriously, “I’ll first explain the Ghost Immortal Path to you. This path cultivates your divine soul. If your divine soul reaches the Ghost Immortal Realm, even if you die, you can still travel between the Mortal Realm and the Underworld, living as if you were still alive.”

“Not quite,” Senior Sister interjected, rolling her eyes. “You’ll be living off Yin Lifespan. Everything in the Mortal Realm will become meaningless to you.”

Elder Chen Yuan shot her a glare. “When our time comes, who will care about those mundane things?”

He looked at Fang Chen and explained, “Once you become a Ghost Immortal, you can continue to cultivate in the Enlightenment Underworld. As long as you have sufficient Yin Lifespan, you can technically live forever. Do you understand what this means?”

“Live forever? Like actual immortality?” asked Fang Chen with feigned surprise.

“Exactly!” Elder Chen Yuan smiled and nodded. ”This is what we seek—immortality. Isn’t that what we’re all after?”

The senior sister gently shook her head. ”The Underworld’s ’immortality’ is different. You can’t have children in the Mortal Realm. Besides, immortality here isn’t necessarily a blessing. Some of the Ghost Immortals who’ve lived for centuries are neither human nor ghost. For example—”

”There are some things Core Disciple Fang is not yet ready to hear,” interrupted Elder Chen Yuan.

Fang Chen’s mind stirred.

Could it be that the Ghost Immortal Path has some inherent flaw, which causes Senior Sister to resist it so much?

The two fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense.

Fang Chen, sensing their reluctance to speak further, kept quiet as well. He waited until the light boat reached the shore, and then followed them into the Enlightenment Underworld

This time, the two headed directly for the center, not lingering in the outer areas. They brought Fang Chen to a building.

The guards standing at the entrance were surprised upon seeing them. They immediately turned their gaze to Fang Chen.

It was not hard to piece together who Fang Chen was, as new core disciples would always be accompanied by high-ranking officials.

The guards were shocked. Just recently, a female cultivator had been promoted, and now a male cultivator.

Why does it seem easier to become a core disciple these days?

Elder Qin’s voice rang out coolly. “Is Old Snake here?”

“Yin Monarch Tuo is currently in seclusion at the Ghost Immortal Tower. Please follow me,” replied one of the guards respectfully.

He led the three of them inside.

Before long, they arrived before the door of a meditation room. The guard knocked lightly on the door.

Soon, the door opened, revealing an elderly man with a grim expression. He wore a plain robe, and his cloudy eyes looked dull and lifeless. There was no trace of Yin Lifespan on him.

Fang Chen frowned. “He’s dead.”

The elder was indeed dead, but he was neither a Great Yin Demon nor an Underworld True God. His aura was somewhat strange. There was a trace of the Underworld True Gods in it, but it was not pure.

The elder scanned Fang Chen with his dull eyes, then spoke in a hoarse voice, “Old Chen, more new arrivals?”

“Indeed. We’ve come to leave his name on the board,” said Elder Chen Yuan, nodding.

”Come in.”

The elder turned and walked back into the meditation room.

Elder Chen Yuan and Senior Sister exchanged a brief glance, then led Fang Chen inside.

The moment they stepped into the room, the space around them seemed to shift. It felt as though they were standing in the cosmos itself. Before them, a massive object resembling a book page made from some kind of beast hide floated slowly in the air, its size overwhelming.