Immortal of the Nine Realms

The talismans Fang Chen had inscribed this time were different from the previous ones. They did not belong to the lineages of Day Walkers or Night Walkers but rather to the lineage of Underworld Soldiers. This type of appointment... was slightly more affordable.

For example, Yan Haoran, Qu Ge, Du Anxian, Nie Yunqian, and Nangong Yuanzhen were all first-transformation Loose Immortals. Their cultivation levels varied, generally just a notch below that of the True Monarch of Pan Mountain and roughly equivalent to that of Empress Ci. By normal standards, appointing them as Day Walkers or Night Walkers would have required at least 4,000 to 5,000 Yin Lifespan Coins each.

However, after writing up the official appointments, Fang Chen realized it only cost half as much. Each person consumed just over 2,000 Yin Lifespan Coins on average.

Of course, with benefits came drawbacks. Those with an official status, like Du Yunxu, could move freely within the Lesser Underworld and travel between cities. Underworld Soldiers had no such rights. They had a slightly lower degree of freedom, and their future cultivation speed would also lag behind other lineages.

Now that they had been appointed as Underworld Soldiers, Yan Haoran and the others would have to start their path at the bottom, far beneath beings like the Tai Yin Dragon King. To Fang Chen, this wasn’t a drawback at all; it was a benefit. He never expected this group to be of great help in the future.

It was enough that they served as another force under his command. They would give the Spirit God Sect a headache just by existing.

Soon after, the runes faded from their bodies. The group looked puzzled as they quietly examined their internal state, only to find no noticeable difference from before.

Nevertheless, they weren’t fools. Fang Chen wouldn’t have gone through all that just to scare them for fun. Those runes had likely contained some special significance.

”The Ghost God Dao... It really is the Ghost God Dao...” Nie Yunqian suddenly muttered, trembling with excitement.

The Ghost God Dao?

Startled, the others turned to look at her. As a prodigy of the Yin Holy Sect and the youngest of all the Loose Immortals present, Nie Yunqian’s understanding of the underworld undoubtedly surpassed theirs.

What did she mean by the Ghost God Dao?

Suddenly, the surrounding underworld energy surged violently, continuously flooding into Nie Yunqian’s body.

She looked at Fang Chen with bright eyes. ”This is the Ghost God Dao! I can cultivate in the underworld now!”

For Yin Walkers, cultivation in the underworld had always been impossible. To improve their cultivation, all they could do was obtain some Yin Lifespan Coins and absorb the energy contained within them the moment they returned to the world of the living. That had always been her understanding of the underworld and the common path for all Yin Walkers.

Only true Yin Spirits and Yin Demons recognized by the underworld could absorb the vast karmic power. Karma was Yin Lifespan! It could infinitely strengthen the soul and increase cultivation.

”We can cultivate in the underworld?”

Yan Haoran and Nangong Yuanzhen exchanged a look and immediately tried it themselves, only to find that they truly could.

”This...”

Everyone looked around at each other. They couldn’t quite tell if this was a punishment or a reward.

As Loose Immortals, they immediately realized the benefits of cultivating in the underworld. This was, of course, an immense advantage for their souls. After all, souls were of the yin attribute.

”You seem rather happy,” Fang Chen said, frowning slightly at Nie Yunqian.

Nie Yunqian replied excitedly, ”For countless generations, the Yin Holy Sect has searched for a method to cultivate in the underworld. Many brilliant ancestors died of old age without success. But if we can cultivate in the underworld, it would mean true longevity. That is what our sect has always sought, the true path to immortality!”

”...”

Yan Haoran and the others drew a sharp breath.

True immortality!?

If Nie Yunqian wasn’t lying, then they had just achieved what countless ancestors of the Yin Holy Sect had failed to accomplish.

The Yin Holy Sect was one of the three great sects in Qiufeng. Their ambitions were never simple. The fact that even they had sought the ability to cultivate in the underworld proved this was an extraordinary opportunity, an unimaginably great one.

”Then you’re all quite lucky to have met our lord,” Xing Xian sneered. ”Aside from him, there’s no one else in the world who can grant you such a method. The Yin Holy Sect? Perhaps the founder of that sect also walked out from the underworld, many years ago.”

”Wait a moment...” Yan Haoran suddenly raised his hand, his expression serious as he frowned in deep thought. ”Let me work through this.”

The others looked at him.

”I’m a cultivator of the Spirit God Sect, and I came to the Central Continent Empire this time to help my master draw out the anomaly of Tuxiong Star,” Yan Haoran explained. He looked at Fang Chen. ”During this mission, I had to oppose you. I even hoped to use you to achieve my goal more quickly, to force the anomaly into the open.”

Everyone nodded. That was indeed how things had happened.

Yan Haoran then shifted to another line of thought. ”But you refrained from killing us... and even gave us the path to true immortality? Why?”

Yes... Why?

Even Nangong Yuanzhen found it strange. Did they have some past relationship with this man?

However, none of them remembered having a connection with Fang Chen. In fact, right before they entered the underworld, he had clearly intended to strip them of all their belongings and kill them. He had simply changed his mind.

Fang Chen almost felt a little dizzy trying to follow Yan Haoran’s logic. After a few moments of silence, he said calmly, ”You are now Underworld Soldiers. Your life and death rest in my hands. Nie Yunqian is right. If you can cultivate in the underworld, you’ll have an endless lifespan at your disposal. But that doesn’t mean you will truly live forever. I gave you this role because I expect you to be useful.”

”Fair enough!” Yan Haoran suddenly clapped his hands. ”Very fair! My master gave me cultivation methods when he took me as a disciple, so I work for him. That makes sense. If you grant us the path to immortality, then working for you is also reasonable!”

”You’re quite self-aware,” Fang Chen remarked, scanning him from head to toe.

”This isn’t self-awareness. It’s just that what you’re offering is far greater than what Song Zhili ever gave me,” Yan Haoran replied, looking deeply at Fang Chen. ”If I followed Song Zhili and the Spirit God Sect, I’d probably never rise beyond a third-transformation Loose Immortal. But now I’ve received what even the Yin Holy Sect has yearned for and failed to obtain. As long as I don’t die in battle, I have limitless potential.”

Fang Chen nodded. ”That makes sense.”

Qu Ge asked, ”Does this mean we’ll only be able to cultivate in the underworld from now on? Is it impossible for us to return to the world of the living?”

”You’ve only carried out the Soul Crossing Ritual,” Fang Chen replied. ”You can still return to the world of the living.”

Everyone exchanged glances, unable to hide the excitement in their eyes. By some unexpected luck, they had acquired an extraordinary new cultivation method.

Fang Chen muttered, ”So it seems your only stance now... is to become stronger?”

The Spirit God Sect had their Blood Spirit Pills to ensure loyalty, making people willingly serve them. Fang Chen could use the path to immortality to win over cultivators from all sides. In the end, it would come down to who had better outreach. Who could win more people over would be the real key.

That said, today it had been Nie Yunqian who served as the mediator. It was thanks to her that Yan Haoran and the others quickly grasped their situation. Other cultivators might not believe that becoming Underworld Soldiers and cultivating the Ghost God Dao was better than pursuing the orthodox immortal path.

”A bit of promotion might be needed,” Fang Chen murmured to himself.