Immortal of the Nine Realms

Fang Chen smiled and said, ”Qing Sui is the one getting married. He’s the new Day Walker soldier of Youhuan City. The relatives of both the groom and bride are behind me. If you have time, come over later and have a drink at the wedding.”

Xu Baizhou nodded repeatedly. ”Of course, of course!”

Fang Chen’s own invitation aside, the groom’s identity was more than enough to have him attend the wedding and even offer him generous gifts.

The giant boat soon docked. Along with Qing Sui, there was also the old temple master, dressed in the uniform of a Nether Guard, followed by several other Nether Guards. It seemed that he had successfully become the captain of the Nether Guard Division.

Qing Sui, visibly excited, gestured to the others with his eyes before jumping onto the shore. He cupped his hands toward Fang Chen and said, ”Greetings lord!”

Xu Baizhou waved his hands repeatedly. ”You must have mistaken me for someone else; I am no lord.”

A few Nether Guards in the distance exchanged glances, their expressions growing stranger.

The group froze for a moment and looked at Xu Baizhou with strange expressions.

The old temple master shouted, ”Hey! The one Lord Qing Sui is greeting is Lord Fang, what does it have to do with you!”

Lord Fang!?

Xu Baizhou was stunned for a few moments before turning to look at Fang Chen in shock. ”Daoist Fang, you aren’t a member of the government, are you?”

He couldn’t help but gasp.

Since the Day Walkers were bowing to Fang Chen, he had to be a Day Walker Lieutenant at the very least. This was no ordinary role. The officer had to be at the Golden Core Realm or the Nascent Soul Realm in the mortal world to fill it.

Fang Chen smiled faintly. ”Do I not look the part?”

Xu Baizhou forced a bitter smile and said, ”Lord Fang has such dignity. I never expected my wife could invite someone of your caliber to offer assistance...”

”It’s fate,” Fang Chen responded. ”Let’s board the ship first.”

”However, remember to pay for the boat fare when you come to drink at the wedding,” added Fang Chen casually.

Xu Baizhou nodded repeatedly. ”Of course, of course!”

It was a custom, and he certainly understood it.

The group quickly boarded the giant boat, and soon, they arrived at the gates of Youhuan City.

Seeing the bustling scene with people coming and going, surrounded by wandering souls, the people from the Qing Manor and the Zhang Family couldn’t help but express their awe.

The idea of this trip had scared them, but they gradually got used to it. They realized that the Underworld and the mortal realm weren’t as different as they had imagined. There were no frightening ghosts like those described in old stories—hanging ghosts, starving ghosts, or vicious spirits.

Most souls still maintained their appearance from life, although those who had met violent deaths still carried the marks of their injuries, which was a chilling sight.

As soon as Fang Chen and the others arrived at the city gates, they saw Li Badao and Wang Hu leading a group of Nether Guards approaching them.

”Lord Fang, Day Walker Lieutenant of Bi Jiang City, Wang Hu, greets you!”

”Lord Fang, Day Walker General of Zhai Zhou City, Li Ba Dao, greets you!”

The Nether Guards Division of Youhuan City had hundreds of Yin soldiers, all of whom saluted in unison. The grandness of the scene attracted the attention of surrounding souls, who looked on with reverence. Even many Yin Walkers paused to observe and pay their respects from a distance.

After seeing the fate of Ma Minlong and his disciples, the group couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as they realized they hadn’t been dealt with in the same manner. They were unsure of the stance of this mysterious figure in front of them. They didn’t dare approach but also didn’t want to ignore him.

Xu Baizhou exclaimed in surprise, ”Day Walker Lieutenant of Bi Jiang City, Wang Hu!? So, he’s been promoted. But what’s this about the Day Walker General of Zhai Zhou City?”

This time, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to assume the greeting was a mistake. It was clear that the Day Walkers were addressing Fang Chen as ”Lord.”

If even a Dao Walker General was addressing Fang Chen as ”Lord,” he had to have taken up an impressive post.

Only a cultivator in the Middle Three Realms could hold the title of Day Walker General. Although Day Walker General of Zhai Zhou City might not be as high-ranking as other positions, it was still equivalent to a cultivator at the Enlightenment Realm.

There were no ranks among Day Walker Generals, but calling someone ”Lord” could only mean they were addressing a higher-ranking officer, such as a Day Walker Commander. That was already a cultivator at the Upper Three Realm —an official rank that only a Dao Union Realm cultivator could possess.

Behind Wang Hu and Li Badao were three more souls, who appeared to be of high status.

Fang Chen asked casually and the three souls immediately stepped forward to offer their greetings. They were the Division God of the Nether Guards Division of Youhuan City, the Night Walker, and the City Lord.

Fang Chen said with a faint smile, ”Stop blocking the way. Enter the city.”

Li Badao immediately waved his hand. ”Enter the city!”

Originally, the group from the Qing Manor and Zhang Family numbered around 150 people, but with the addition of several hundred Nether Guards, the procession grew even more imposing. It looked as though the Nether Guards Division was heading out to suppress some Yin demons.

The head of the Zhang Family had been conversing with his daughter along the way, his face betraying an undeniable sense of reluctance and regret.

Xu Baizhou noticed this and was about to comment when he saw a figure in the crowd by the roadside, staring intently at him.

Xu Baizhou excitedly waved. ”Dear!”

Wen Fan immediately ran into his arms, tears formed from Yin energy streaming down her face.

The woman in black looked relieved. She looked at Fang Chen, at the helm of the procession, with eyes full of awe and gratitude.

Qing Sui had never imagined that his wedding would turn into such a grand affair. Even the prearranged feast had been expanded with dozens more tables to accommodate the guests. The City Lord’s mansion, the Nether Guard Division, and the Yin Walkers of Youhuan City all came to offer their congratulations with gifts.

The gifts varied from two or three months of Yin lifespan coins to one or two years’ worth. When combined, the total sum became an overwhelming figure. After accounting for expenses, there would be a surplus of a hundred years’ worth of Yin life.

Several days later, the Qing and Zhang families were sent back to the mortal realm, and Youhuan City gradually returned to its usual quietness.

Fang Chen stood in the courtyard before the Soul Binding Willow, with a Zhu Long coiling around his right arm, its head resting on his shoulder.

The aura in the Underworld, much like the river it had once inhabited, was more suitable for the Zhu Long. After the previous drain on its vitality, its spirit had gradually recovered since arriving in the Underworld. However, while suitable for recovery, the Underworld couldn’t serve as a permanent residence for the Zhu Long.

The Zhu Long needed to feed on flesh with sufficient Yang Qi.

Mirror of the Universe asked curiously, ”Brother, I didn’t expect you to thrive so well in the Underworld. Did you come across some great opportunity?”

Fang Chen responded with a faint smile, ”Little Mirror, it seems you know very little about the Underworld?”

Mirror of the Universe was silent for a few moments, then let out an awkward laugh and changed the subject.

That only confirmed Fang Chen’s suspicion: Mirror of the Universe’s knowledge and information were limited to the Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm. The Underworld was not a place it was familiar with.

No wonder Mirror of the Universe had been so concerned about his journey through the Underworld earlier; clearly, the matters here were beyond its understanding.

”Brother, now that you’re at the grand completion stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, you should be preparing for your breakthrough into the Enlightenment Realm, right? Are you planning to return to the Mortal Realm for a period of seclusion?”

Fang Chen casually replied, ”Seclusion won’t do much for my cultivation progress. I have a plan.”

At that moment, Du Yunxu, dressed in golden-red battle armor, walked in.

Upon seeing the Zhu Long on Fang Chen’s shoulder, Du Yunxu paused for a moment. He then clasped his hands and greeted, ”My lord, we’ve hit a few roadblocks during the restructuring. However, we’ve managed to clear them with collective effort. At least thirty percent of the Yin Walkers are willing to cooperate with us, collecting ten percent in taxes.”

Du Yunxu pulled out several pouches, each containing two thousand Yin Lifespan Coins. There were five pouches in total. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

That was the result of Fang Chen’s restructuring of the Day Walker Division. The Yin Lifespan Coins inside had originally been meant for the various Yin Monarchs, but Fang Chen had taken them.