Immortal of the Nine Realms

Fang Chen did not answer Marshall Xiao Lang’s question.

Several days later, Fang Chen personally witnessed people arriving one after the other to take away groups of wandering souls.

Du Yunxu said respectfully, ”My Lord, these wandering souls are of ordinary cultivation. If they wish to have any combat capability, it will likely take many years of training.”

Although Jiang Yushu and the others didn’t know Du Yunxu’s exact position in the Underworld, they felt an overwhelming sense of pressure just from the Day Walker God armor he was donning. It was clear to them that Du Yunxu was no ordinary figure.

Fang Chen nodded lightly. ”They won’t find gaining Yin Lifespan difficult. With its support, their cultivation will naturally grow day by day.”

The Grand Xia army souls were still lacking in cultivation, but they were sharpening their skills. Once they were fully prepared, they would become the core of Fang Chen’s future operations in the Underworld.

Fang Chen introduced Du Yunxu to Jiang Yushu and the others and asked him to take them to the capital, where they would serve as guest officials in the Nether Guard Division and oversee the affairs of the Day Walkers.

Jiang Yushu frowned. ”My Lord, this is our first time in the Underworld. To be in charge of such an important task may be too much for us.”

Tao Mingsheng and the others shared the same concerns. Although everyone desired power, they were new to the Underworld. They feared taking on such high positions from the get-go might attract unnecessary troubles.

Fang Chen smiled and explained, ”You’ll just observe for now. When the time comes, Du Yunxu will assist you in handling matters, and you can provide your suggestions at the right time. The Underworld is full of factions, and you all have experience in factional struggles.”

The group immediately understood, and they agreed.

If Fang Chen wanted them to govern the Underworld, they might have hesitated. However, if all he wanted was help with the factional struggles of the Underworld, that was certainly within their capabilities. After all, even the most intelligent ghosts were once humans, weren’t they? Moreover, now they themselves were ghosts.

Fang Chen then gave a few more instructions.

Jiang Yushu and the others understood what they had to do next: continuously place their own people in various cities and divisions throughout the Underworld.

Tao Mingsheng suddenly spoke up, ”My Lord, there’s something... I’ve always wanted to ask you....”

Ye Dongming quickly turned to Fang Chen as well. ”I also have something to ask!”

Fang Chen smiled lightly. ”You want to know where Tao Yu and Ye Qinghe are now? I haven’t seen Tao Yu in recent years. He’s probably either still in seclusion or already perished. Neither scenario matters much. As for Ye Qinghe, he has his own opportunities. Once he completes his cultivation, he will likely return, and you can meet him then.”

Ye Dongming was pleased to hear about his son’s situation, while Tao Mingsheng could only sigh lightly.

However, he didn’t feel too sad. Even if his son had died, so what? He, his father, was now a high-ranking official in the Underworld!

Jiang Yushu cupped his fist and bowed. ”My Lord, we will take our leave now.”

Fang Chen nodded, watching them leave with Du Yunxu.

Once everyone’s arrangements were settled, Fang Chen suddenly noticed Xing Xian, looking hesitant. He smiled at him and said, ”If you have something to say, say it. Why hesitate?”

Xing Xian cautiously glanced at Fang Chen. ”My Lord, earlier when I saw that portrait, the person in it seemed to resemble an elder I once encountered in the Ancient Desolate Region....”

Earlier, he had glanced at the portrait and was deeply shocked. He had hesitated until now before speaking up.

Fang Chen replied, ”To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. The old man has not shown himself yet, and I haven’t had the opportunity to ask anyone about it.”

Xing Xian sighed. ”It seems it’s related to that elder. If that’s the case, many things would indeed make sense.”

The Three Thousand Dao Sect’s Heavenly Cloud Emperor, and that peculiar individual with the surname Fang — these two figures were so elusive that not even the former officials of the Greater Underworld could have known much about them.

Thinking of this, Xing Xian realized that it only made sense that Fang Chen had a deeper background than Ji Liang.

Ordinary people might hold Ji Liang in high regard because his father was an Immortal King. However, compared to these two extraordinary individuals whom Fang Chen was connected to, how could Ji Liang even be mentioned in the same sentence as Fang Chen?

Fang Chen asked, ”Ji Liang is still in the Greater Underworld, right?”

Xing Xian nodded lightly. ”He hasn’t had the chance to be sent back to the mortal realm yet.”

”Then it’s perfect. I’ll go with you to the Greater Underworld and send him back,” said Fang Chen.

Xing Xian’s heart eased up slightly. As long as Ji Liang was sent back to the mortal realm, his last lingering concern would be gone.

With the Yan Monarch’s Seal under his command, Fang Chen could open the Floating Pagoda Bridge whenever and wherever he wanted.

Not long after they arrived in the Greater Underworld, they saw a wedding procession approaching, with drums and gongs echoing.

In the blink of an eye, the procession stopped right in front of Fang Chen and Xing Xian. The Empress, dressed in red wedding attire, lifted the curtain and quickly brought Ji Liang, who appeared like a Walking Corpse, toward Fang Chen.

At the same time, Stone Dragon appeared from an unknown place, silently standing behind Fang Chen.

Empress Ci no longer dared to behave in the same playful manner as before. She bowed respectfully to Fang Chen. ”Yan Monarch.”

Fang Chen smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. ”Empress, I heard that you have suffered recently.”

Empress Ci’s expression slightly changed. She immediately responded, ”It is only my duty. As long as your great matters are accomplished, a bit of humiliation is nothing.”

Then, a hint of urgency flashed in Empress Ci’s eyes. She cautiously added, ”I wonder... if it would be possible for me to receive an official decree from you?”

At this point, Stone Dragon smiled faintly and interjected, ”It is the Yan Monarch’s own decision whether or not to issue a decree. If a subject asks for a decree on their own, then the rules have been disrupted.”

Empress Ci quickly nodded. ”I was being too forward.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Currently, Lord Stone Dragon is a Day Walker. How about you become a Night Walker, Empress Ci?”

Day and Night Walkers indeed had their restrictions. Unless summoned directly by him, Day Walker could only appear in the mortal realm during the day, while Night Walker could only appear at night. These were not rules, but limitations.

Empress Ci’s face lit up with joy. ”A Night Walker? Thank you, Yan Monarch!”

She had originally expected to become part of the Nether Division. A Night Walker position was better than anything she had hoped for.

Fang Chen nodded.

In the void, he wrote a decree. Once the decree fell upon Empress Ci, the Yin energy surrounding her gradually began to change.

This change was what would allow her to fully exert the power she was supposed to have in the mortal realm during the night. Without it, she would only be a wandering soul with no tangible effect on the world.

The lifespan within Monarch Yan’s Seal was reduced by 4,000 years, 1,000 years less than when Stone Dragon was granted his decree, reflecting the difference in their cultivation levels.

At present, the remaining Yin lifespan within the Monarch Yan’s Seal was enough to confer positions to two more powerful figures like Empress Ci, who was a true great Yin demon.

Empress Ci’s cultivation was equivalent to a first-stage Loose Immortal. Even though she wasn’t as strong as figures like Shi Long or the Taiyin Dragon King, she was still a legitimate, high-level figure, on par with a First Rate Sect Leader expert.

However, Fang Chen now had a wealth of Yin lifespan but no suitable candidates to issue decrees to.

Feeling the change in her aura, Empress Ci’s mood shifted. She murmured, her voice carrying a trace of sadness, ”I am now a Night Walker... I can return to the mortal realm.”

Fang Chen said, ”Keep an eye out for an immortal soul named Pitu while you’re in the Greater Underworld.”

Shi Long and Empress Ci exchanged a glance and nodded lightly.

Empress Ci asked respectfully, ”Monarch Yan, when you return to the Lesser Underworld, may I accompany you? I wish to visit my old homeland.”

The road to the human world, the Yellow Springs, lay through the Lesser Underworld. Even a powerful Yin demon like her could not easily travel there even as a Night Walker.

Fang Chen asked, ”Are you going for revenge?”

Empress Ci nodded softly. ”To put an end to my obsession.”

Stone Dragon reminded her coolly, ”Killing will consume our Yin life.”

Empress Ci gritted her teeth. She looked at Fang Chen earnestly and said, ”I will only slay the main offender.”