Immortal of the Nine Realms

The purple-robed fat man remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.

”Why do you think I can swim across the Forgotten River? Do you really take me for a fool?” He paused, then added, ”However, with this, I can indeed cross.”

Having said that, he pulled out a miniature boat and tossed it into the Forgotten River. Upon touching the water, the boat expanded until it was about ten feet long. The fat man leaped onto it, landing steadily, and gave Fang Chen a triumphant grin.

”This boat only holds one person. You just stay there on the bank. I’m off!”

The calm surface of the water began to ripple as the boat sailed toward the depths of the river.

Fang Chen’s eyes flickered as he examined the boat beneath the fat man’s feet. Any treasure that could be brought into the Underworld and used to cross the Forgotten River couldn’t be an ordinary item. It seemed this fat man was no small fry in the Underworld. He had likely spent years lingering in the Floating Pagoda Realm to acquire such a treasure, one that even many Great Yin Demons couldn’t find.

Fang Chen mused, That boat is made up of pure karma, that is to say, it’s manifested from Yin Lifespan. It follows the same principle of condensing lifespan into a boat, but it can be carried around and brought here while walking the Path of Yin. It must be a Yin Artifact.

The fat man drifted further and further from the shore. Seeing Fang Chen staring intently at his boat, his smugness grew. Gradually, the shore vanished from sight, replaced by a thick, swirling white mist.

”It should be this direction, no doubt about it,” muttered the fat man to himself as he steered the boat straight ahead.

Suddenly, he heard a massive splash behind him. He spun around in shock, only to see another boat surging past him at an even greater speed.

Standing atop that boat was none other than Fang Chen.

”Daoist, your boat is a bit on the slow side. I’ll take my leave first,” said Fang Chen, waving his hand.

He quickly disappeared within the mist.

The fat man was stunned. ”How is that possible!?”

He immediately erupted with Yin energy, frantically driving his boat forward. The two boats occasionally drew close and then pulled apart, but Fang Chen’s boat remained consistently in the lead. Even when the fat man managed to close the gap, a ten-yard lead he couldn’t overcome remained. The purple-robed fat man was so angry his teeth itched, but he was utterly helpless to change the situation.

Before long, the two arrived at the bridge, one after the other. The moment Fang Chen stepped onto the bridge, his boat instantly dissipated into nothingness.

The purple-robed fat man followed close behind. Upon seeing Fang Chen’s boat dissipate, he immediately demanded, ”What the hell is up with that boat? How were you able to condense it from Yin Lifespan? Aren’t you a Yin Walker?”

Normally, when a Path of Yin Walker acquired Yin Lifespan, it would merge into their soul upon returning to the Mortal Realm, nourishing their original soul and increasing their cultivation. This was precisely why so many people in the Lower Six Realms were obsessed with walking the Path of Yin. It was a shortcut to power.

”Why should I tell you?” replied Fang Chen casually, walking along the bridge toward the distant city.

The fat man immediately scrambled to keep up. Along the way, he tried to probe Fang Chen with more questions, but Fang Chen simply ignored him. Gradually, the sounds of a bustling crowd reached their ears.

Fang Chen paused, muttering, ”Strange.”

The purple-robed fat man looked equally suspicious. He turned to Fang Chen. ”You hear that? This ghost city actually has wandering souls living in it?”

”The Linglong Constellation couldn’t connect to the Underworld before, meaning souls couldn’t enter after death. Over time, this place should have become a wasteland,” mused Fang Chen aloud. ”Perhaps this place has remained connected to the outside, and souls from other regions have migrated here, creating a sustainable cycle.”

His gaze pierced through layers of void, looking down at the city from above. Compared to the other Underworld regions he had unsealed, this place was worlds apart. Not only was it prosperous and bustling, but it was also orderly. The auras of the souls were relatively peaceful, suggesting they rarely preyed on one another for lifespan.

Furthermore, there were several Great Yin Demons in this city. The strongest among them had an aura that rivaled the Ancient Tree, a sixth-transformation Great Yin Demon!

This city isn’t surrounded by the Forgotten River. No wonder it kept its prosperity. The Linglong Constellation was sealed, but the Pagoda Realm still exists. It’s highly likely that the Floating Pagoda Realm corresponds to the vast majority of the Upper Three Realms.

At that moment, the fat man sped past him, rushing toward the city while Fang Chen followed right behind.

The city gates stood unguarded. That was likely a consequence of the Linglong Constellation’s long-term isolation. Without a steady stream of wandering souls entering from the living world, there was simply no need for a standing military presence at the gates.

”So it’s Zuwu City, under the banner of the Ten Thousand Star Palace! I wondered why it looked so familiar. I’ve actually been here before,” remarked the purple-robed fat man.

Ten Thousand Star Palace?

Fang Chen’s mind raced. It was one of the top-tier factions in the Fangcun Realm. Since joining the Enlightenment God Palace, he had dealt most frequently with the Rulai Monastery. He’d had very little contact with the likes of Ten Thousand Star Palace, the Taiyi Immortal Sect, or the Blood and Flesh Divine Palace

His earliest memory of the Ten Thousand Star Palace involved the contract signed between Grand Desolate Immortal, Lady Suya, and Ji Tiandu. Later, during the battle for the Great Thunder Sound, he had encountered their core disciple, Leng Buqi. His Eldest Senior Sister, Xie Aman, had seemed rather disdainful of the man and hadn’t bothered with much conversation.

The fat man looked at Fang Chen with a slight smirk. ”What? Brother Zhenlong, you don’t recognize Zuwu City?”

”The Floating Pagoda Realm is vast. One usually only sticks to familiar territories. Is it so strange not to have visited this specific place?” replied Fang Chen casually.

He merged into the crowd and began observing the city closely. He wanted to see if there were any remnants of the former Nine Realms Immortal Alliance here. Perhaps someone like Zhou Huaiyu from the Five Elements Grand Sect.

”I thought there might be some treasure hidden here, but it’s just Zuwu City. Seems this trip was a waste of time,” the fat man grumbled, trailing alongside Fang Chen. ”Brother, I suggest you stop wandering aimlessly. There are no benefits to be had here. Just return to the living world.”

Fang Chen replied, ”Since I’m already here, there’s no harm in looking around. And stop following me. You go your way, I’ll go mine.”

”Suit yourself, then.”

The fat man turned on his heel and vanished into the crowd.

Not long after he left, Fang Chen melded into the shadows and began tailing him. As expected, the purple-robed fat man headed straight back to the banks of the Forgotten River. He summoned his boat and sailed out to the area directly above where countless human souls should have been submerged.

He pulled out a gourd that was identical in appearance to a Yin Gourd and aimed it at the depths of the river, attempting to collect the human souls below. He sucked for a long time, but aside from some rotten branches, dead roots, snakes, and insects, he didn’t see a single human soul.

The fat man stared blankly at the gourd in his hand. ”What’s going on?”

Is this thing broken?

Not far away, Candle Dragon watched him silently from the shadows beneath the water. Resting upon the dragon’s back were all the wandering souls that had been submerged there for countless years. The number here was smaller than in other regions because Zuwu City was still thriving, and souls were occasionally fished out by the locals.

”Which bastard beat me to it?” cursed the fat man under his breath.

He began steering back toward the shore, looking ready to return to the world of the living.