Immortal of the Nine Realms

A look of joy appeared on Bai Qingming’s face as he felt his cultivation returning to him. ”Junior Brother, I feel my cultivation gradually recovering!”

Fang Chen nodded. ”My cultivation is recovering too.”

He then walked up to the mortal swordsman in front of him and asked, ”Who are you?”

The mortal swordsman’s eyelids twitched a few times before slowly opening. Yawning, he looked up at Fang Chen before shaking his head.

He said, ”Took you long enough to get up here. I almost died from waiting.”

Fang Chen asked in curiosity, ”You’ve been waiting for us? Why?”

The swordsman stood up and lazily stretched. He said, ”I wanted to remind you two that something big is going to happen here. If you don’t want to get dragged into it, you should quickly leave while you still can.”

”Something big is happening?” asked Bai Qingming, looking perplexed. ”When did you reach the top? Have you been here for many years?”

”It’s because of Li Changsheng and his people.” The mortal swordsman sneered. ”They’ve been preparing for years, and recently, they finally moved. Since you’re disciples of the Void Immortal Sword Sect, you shouldn’t get involved in their schemes. For the sake of what’s coming, they’ve become unscrupulous.”

Fang Chen and Bai Qingming’s expressions grew exceptionally grave.

”Who exactly are you?” asked Fang Chen.

The mortal swordsman replied flatly, ”I am Li Jingnian.”

”Li Jingnian!?” repeated Bai Qingming, gasping in shock. He angrily said, ”Are you playing with us? My ancestor has already passed away years ago.”

Fang Chen looked uneasy. This swordsman had reached the summit way ahead of them and waited for them. Furthermore, he was claiming to be Li Jingnian and was openly stating that Li Changsheng and his group were planning something big.

He had been hoping to obtain answers by reaching the summit, but this left him with more questions than answers.

Is he toying with us? Fang Chen thought.

Li Jingnian gave Bai Qingming a quick glance. He then turned to Fang Chen with a playful smile tugging at his lips. He said, ”What, don’t tell me you forgot I received a bit of guidance from a certain anomaly?

”This inheritance... well, it’s not unrelated to you. I essentially traded it for that sword embryo. How’s that sword working for you?”

Fang Chen gave a nod. ”It’s... good.”

He finally connected the dots. He understood why, during that game of chess between the two anomalies, the old man had chosen to guide the elder of the Void Immortal Sword Sect. The fact that this man knew of it confirmed his identity.

”Junior Brother, do you really believe he’s the Ancestor? The ancestor has already passed away. Even if he reincarnated, he couldn’t have grown up so quickly.”

Bai Qingming’s expression was solemn, his eyes fixed warily on Li Jingnian. ”Tell us, what exactly are you?”

”Now... I suppose I am one of the anomalies.” Li Jingnian smiled faintly. ”In the end, I’m not the same as you. I can’t help you this time. There are too many restrictions.”

Li Jingnian pointed to a nearby sword monument. ”See that sword monument? I’ve investigated it. The sword scripture hidden within is unfathomable, far beyond the other sword scriptures. Go and study it.”

Fang Chen and Bai Qingming turned to look at the sword monument. When they snapped back to reality, Li Jingnian had already disappeared without a trace.

Bai Qingming felt a chill run down his spine. He muttered in a low voice, ”Junior Brother, could that really have been our old sword immortal? He said he’s become an anomaly... Doesn’t that mean he has become immortal, like that person from the Three Thousand Dao Sect?”

”Senior Brother, what exactly is an anomaly?” pondered Fang Chen deeply.

”How would I know?” Bai Qingming grumbled. ”Just now, he said that Li Changsheng and the others are planning something big and that something major is about to happen here. What do you think?”

Fang Chen shook his head. He didn’t know what Li Changsheng was planning.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Chen led Bai Qingming toward the sword monument.

”Try touching it,” said Bai Qingming.

Fang Chen placed his hand on the monument. At first, both of them thought nothing had happened, but then cracks began to spread from Fang Chen’s palm, causing the monument to tremble.

If this continued, the entire sword monument would soon disintegrate into dust.

Fang Chen quickly pulled his hand away, and the cracks stopped spreading.

Fang Chen couldn’t make out what was happening. He grabbed Bai Qingming’s palm and placed it on the monument, saying, ”Senior Brother, you try.”

As Bai Qingming’s hand touched the sword monument, it didn’t crack this time. Instead, a faint white light rose. It passed through his palm and travelled up his arm before reaching his brow.

Fang Chen guessed that Bai Qingming had likely gained the monument’s recognition and was now receiving its inheritance, so he moved to the other monuments to test them.

The results were the same. Every monument left an imprint of his palm as soon as his hand touched it.

Days later, Fang Chen returned to Bai Qingming’s side. Bai Qingming was still receiving the sword scripture’s inheritance.

Fang Chen had a complicated expression. He had tried every monument, and each one had left a palm imprint.

”Could it be because of the Eight Desolation Sword Scripture?”

After considering all possibilities, Fang Chen felt this explanation was the most reasonable. Perhaps it was because he had already obtained this sword scripture from Little Sword, and its level might far surpass any sword scripture in this place, which caused such a strange phenomenon.

In the void, Zhao Yunlu stood quietly. The end of the Burial Sword Heavenly Steps was shrouded in mist, and even an existence like him could not clearly see what was happening above.

After waiting for several days, he suddenly appeared in front of Li Changsheng.

Lu Qingshu and the others furrowed their brows, their expressions grave as they looked at Zhao Yunlu with a hint of caution in their eyes.

”Senior Zhao,” greeted Li Changsheng with a smile, cupping his fist in respect.

Zhao Yunlu gave a casual nod. ”So, you are the one in charge here now, right?”

Li Changsheng nodded. ”That’s right.”

Zhao Yunlu said, ”There’s been a huge change in the Long Family. The words of the Heaven Calamity Dragoness no longer hold. Although that brat has reached the top, this old man still wants to search his soul to see who killed my useless son.”

Lu Qingshu and the others breathed a sigh of relief. This goal didn’t pose any harm to them.

Lu Qingshu replied, ”That makes sense, Senior Zhao. That brat Li Changsheng brought killed my son, too. An explanation is indeed needed.”

Li Changsheng wore a casual smile. ”Senior, please feel free.”

Zhao Yunlu smiled slightly, his expression carrying a profound meaning. ”If you have time in the future, feel free to visit Yunlu City.”

Li Changsheng’s wife looked at him in disbelief, staring blankly at him for a while. In the end, with a tremble in her voice, she said, ”H-he is the one you brought from your homeland?”

Li Changsheng’s expression remained indifferent as he replied, ”He has lost his value.”

Long Xuan’s eyes filled with confusion as she looked at her father. He almost felt like a stranger, as if she was seeing him for the first time.

Chen Qingtai and the others exchanged silent glances but said nothing. They didn’t want to get involved in such matters. They were only focused on how to escape unscathed.

Days passed.

At the end of the Burial Sword Heavenly Steps, a beam of light suddenly shot up into the sky, signaling that someone had obtained a sword scripture’s inheritance.

”Two people have gone up. It should be Fang Chen who obtained the sword scripture inheritance,” Li Changsheng murmured softly.

He then glanced at Zhao Yunlu and said, ”Senior Zhao, we need to retrieve the sword scripture before handing this person over to you.”

Zhao Yunlu nodded. He didn’t mind the delay. ”It’s no problem.”

On the vine, Yan Kun and the others saw the light pillar, and their expressions became complicated. Not only did those two reach the top, but they also received the sword scripture’s inheritance.

Yan Kun sighed lightly. ”Only one light pillar.... it should be Fang Chen.”

He then gritted his teeth. It was only a little further. He too could reach the top!