Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 919: Heaven’s Will

Bai Jinfan!

Lin Hao was momentarily stunned.

He looked at his own corpse, then turned his gaze to Bai Jinfan, a trace of despair flashing in his eyes.

It turned out that people really did turn into wandering souls and restless ghosts after death! Bai Jinfan had been like that, and now... he was the same.

The mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, now a spirit, spoke in a deep voice. ”Elder Lin, Prince Bai says you ambushed and killed him in Liufeng Valley. There must be some misunderstanding. Could you explain?”

Lin Hao gave a bitter smile. ”There’s nothing to explain. I’m dead now... What’s there left to say? It’s just a pity I didn’t get to live long enough to enjoy my good days.”

He slowly turned his gaze to Fang Chen, his eyes filled with hatred. ”You damned brat, you have no idea who you’ve offended.”

The three Nascent Soul Realm wandering souls were visibly furious. Lin Hao’s attitude had indirectly confirmed that Bai Jinfan’s words were true.

However, what they couldn’t understand was what kind of grudge could there be between Lin Hao and Bai Jinfan that would compel him to do this. What would make him take such a great risk to go to Liufeng Valley to ambush and kill him? And what did he mean by ”good days”?

”Who else could it be? Just some scum from the Spirit Blood Sect,” Fang Chen smiled faintly. ”Tell me, is the Great Expansion Dao Sect also involved in this? What’s your plan? Are you trying to use a fourth-tier empire as a pawn to start a war with a third-grade empire?”

The Spirit Blood Sect!?

Bai Jinfan immediately became furious. ”So it’s true, Lin Hao! I calculated everything, but I never expected you to be a cultivator of the Spirit Blood Sect! Everything’s clear now. You’re planning to drag Zixu Empire into this mess, aren’t you!”

”How could Elder Lin be involved with the Blood Spirit Sect...?”

The three Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged looks of shock. Even though they were Nascent Soul cultivators, they had never even seen a member of the Spirit Blood Sect with their own eyes.

Perhaps the other party had appeared in front of them before, but they simply didn’t recognize them. They never even considered that they might be involved with the Spirit Blood Sect.

”Are you from the Killing Spiritual Division?” Lin Hao chuckled. ”Heh, even if the Killing Spiritual Division intervenes now, it’s already too late. We came to Yun Cang and You Xian as the final step. The thirteen third-grade empires have already started fighting amongst themselves, battling fiercely. Hahaha!”

Lin Hao laughed proudly. ”In the process, we’ve also captured over a hundred Killing Spiritual Division cultivators, ranging from Qi Refining Realm Enlightenment Realm. I have to say, even though you guys are enemies of my Spirit Blood Sect, you do have some skills. You can find your filthy presence everywhere.”

Bai Jinfan shouted angrily, ”Lin Hao, you’re irredeemable! Zixu Empire is your homeland! How dare you drag Zixu Empire into this mess! Do you have any idea how many cultivators and mortals will die if a third-tier empire goes to war?!”

Lin Hao grinned. ”Rest assured, Prince Bai, not many cultivators will die. It will mostly be some insignificant mortals. Using their lives to forge a ladder to immortality—that is the true path of the world.

”When this is over, many in the Zixu Empire will have their cultivation greatly increased. Over time, Zixu Empire may even be able to ascend to a second-tier empire.”

Lin Hao smiled with confidence. ”Prince Bai, you need to think long-term. Don’t focus on these minor gains and losses right now.”

Ascend to a second-tier empire?

Bai Jinfan was momentarily stunned, while the three Nascent Soul Realm wandering souls exchanged looks. One of them hesitated and asked, ”Elder Lin, doesn’t the Spirit Blood Sect fear accumulating great karma retribution for such actions?”

Lin Hao sneered. ”Karma? Naturally, it’s not my problem. All I did was take you around a bit, and I didn’t kill that many people. How could there be karma?”

Laughing coldly, Lin Hao turned to Fang Chen. ”I don’t care who you are, what your origins are, or how you can see wandering souls. All I know is that you’ll soon be like me—a lonely ghost, wandering in this world.”

Li Pin replied, ”You’re so sure of yourself? A mere third-tier empire. It’s unlikely they can hold me back.”

Lin Hao’s expression grew even more smug. ”Third-tier empire? You’re mistaken. This mission involves far more than you can imagine. Our target... you wouldn’t even dare to think about it, let alone guess.”

Fang Chen paused for a moment, then turned to Bai Jinfan. ”Which second-tier empire does the Zixu Empire belong to?”

Bai Jinfan answered, ”We belong to the Li Xiao Empire.”

Lin Hao’s eyes flickered with a strange light.

Fang Chen smiled faintly and said, ”So it’s Li Xiao. I suppose the ’big move’ you mentioned refers to the old ancestor of Li Xiao preparing to ascend to the position of an Immortal King. Does that mean there will be two, or even more, second-tier empires going to war next?”

Lin Hao froze for a moment, not understanding how Fang Chen knew so much.

Bai Jinfan’s face turned pale in fear. ”Li Xiao is about to go to war?! Is what you’re saying true? Li Xiao is already one of the top-ranking empires in the second tier... If even Li Xiao is about to fight, what does that make Zixu? Will it just become cannon fodder?”

He couldn’t imagine what it would be like if the Li Xiao Empire, with its Profound Immortal, went to war. Empires like Zixu would be reduced to mere cannon fodder, with no other choice.

The three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators exchanged looks and saw fear in each other’s eyes.

”Li Xiao’s Profound Immortal plans to ascend to Immortal King....”

They were only at the last step of the Lower Four Realms, not even reaching the Middle Three Realms. They couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of power Upper Three Realms cultivators possessed.

However, they understood very well what Immortal Kings represented. Those were top-tier existences in the world, the ultimate goal that ordinary cultivators could reach.

Lin Hao sneered and asked, ”You got this information from the Killing Spiritual Division? Even if you know all this, what does it matter to you? The Killing Spiritual Division you’re behind won’t be able to intervene if they force their way in. Let’s see who dies in greater numbers this time.”

Lin Hao took a deep breath, his face full of mockery as he looked at Fang Chen. After all, he was already dead and had nothing to fear. Nothing could hurt a lonely soul with nothing left to lose.

Fang Chen let out a small sigh.

He had known about Li Xiao’s ancestor planning to ascend to the Immortal King long ago. However, at the time, he had become slightly suspicious of Goddess Shen Ji due to the matter with Qin Hucheng. He had only told her the news about the Radiant Sun Spirit Lord.

Now, thinking back, with such a huge movement by Li Xiao’s ancestor, the Killing Spiritual Division had likely already learned about it.

”Fate seems to have led me to this point again.” Fang Chen chuckled lightly, glancing at Lin Hao. ”The Spirit Blood Sect keeps causing trouble everywhere, and it’s really annoying. I didn’t recognize you before, so I guess you’re not from the Radiant Sun Spirit Lord’s faction. Why don’t you tell me which Spirit Lord you follow?”

”You even know about the Radiant Sun Spirit Lord?” Lin Hao narrowed his eyes, his expression one of arrogance. ”I’m a Spirit Lord myself. I would never be under the Radiant Sun Spirit Lord. Don’t waste your time thinking about it. Do you really think I’ll tell you the Spirit Blood Sect’s secrets just because I’m dead?”

”I don’t need you to tell me willingly. After some persuasion, you’ll talk; there’s no rush,” said Fang Chen with a faint smile.

He lightly stomped his foot.

”Officer Li Baodao, reporting!”

Li Badao seemed to be accustomed to Fang Chen’s summons, performing a set of gestures smoothly, bowing with clasped hands.

Fang Chen coldly smiled. ”Take these five wandering souls back. Torture the other four, but treat this one with special care. Ask him everything—who he once liked, whether he had any dreams when he was younger, who appeared in those dreams, whether they were men or women, every detail—make sure to ask it all.”

Li Baodao grinned sinisterly, his gaze turning dark as he looked at Lin Hao. ”I understand.”

Lin Hao and the others were completely stunned. The wandering soul before them emanated such terrifying, oppressive energy that they felt it could threaten them...