Immortal of the Nine Realms

Zhou Bufan stood up in excitement, his gaze blazing. It was as if he were looking at the first woman he’d ever loved. He gushed, ”The three great Immortal Kings have arrived!”

Everyone quickly set down their teacups, suppressing their excitement as they stared intently at the Immortal Kings.

They would not have come together without reason. Since they were here, it had to be about the matter everyone had been imagining.

As the Immortal Kings drew nearer, Zhou Bufan quickly cupped his hands and bowed. ”Greetings—”

Ouyang Xuanzhen casually waved a hand. ”Sit down and have your tea. This has nothing to do with you all.”

With that, the trio passed them by and walked straight to Li Daoye and the others, who had clearly received word of their arrival. The group exchanged warm words and then disappeared beyond the mountain gate, vanishing from sight.

Everyone looked at one another, their expressions filled with confusion.

”Why... why do those three seem so close to the Three Thousand Dao Sect? Did I remember something wrong?” asked the Daoist beggar, not believing his eyes.

He looked around, hoping someone could clear his doubts.

However, no one could, because they were just as confused.

Their eyes fell on Zhou Bufan, puzzled and lost.

Zhou Bufan sat back down in silence, deep in thought.

About half an hour later, the three Immortal Kings emerged once more from the Three Thousand Dao Sect. As they walked, they spoke politely with Li Daoye. ”Patriarch, there’s no need to see us off. From now on, the Dao Palaces will heed your command. Wherever you point, we’ll strike.”

”You’re all too kind,” Li Daoye replied, his face beaming as he escorted them away with a smile.

After seeing them off, Li Daoye hummed a cheerful tune as he turned and went back inside the mountain gate.

”I...” The Daoist beggar dug at his ears. ”Did I hear that right?”

Seeing that Li Daoye was about to disappear into the mountain gate, Zhou Bufan summoned his courage and called out to him while bowing. ”Pat... Patriarch, please wait!”

Li Daoye stopped and glanced at them. He flatly asked, ”What is it?”

”Patriarch... those three Immortal Kings just now...” said Zhou Bufan, picking his words carefully.

He was afraid that one wrong word might earn him another punishment in the form of a giant vat of tea.

However, he could not hold himself back from asking. If he didn’t, the unease in his heart would never settle down.

”Oh, you mean those three. They came to deliver cultivation manuals. From now on, the Great Expansion Dao Sect, the Innate Dao Sect, and the Morning Star Dao Sect will all be merged into the Three Thousand Dao Sect,” Li Daoye said with a smile, pointing first to the sky, then the earth. ”In all heaven and earth, no other Dao Sect shall exist, only the Three Thousand Dao Sect.”

With that, Li Daoye walked off.

The three remained rooted in place, as if their souls had been taken from their bodies. The news Li Daoye had delivered was simply too shocking, wrapped in heavy fog.

Why had the three great Dao Sects bowed their heads to the Three Thousand Dao Sect in such a short time?

Could the Desolate Academy have intervened in this matter?

”This... may be the place where we all perish,” someone lamented with a bitter laugh, staring madly toward the sect gates. ”I won’t continue suffering humiliation. Even if I die, I won’t spend my life being insulted like this.”

”Don’t be rash. Where there’s life, there’s hope,” Zhou Bufan said coldly. ”As long as we live, there’s still a chance. Are you really willing to let all your years of hard work go to waste?”

The deathly resolve that had just flared up was snuffed out by Zhou Bufan’s words.

Everyone sat back down as if nothing had happened, sipping tea and discussing the Dao as usual, showing no sign of discomfort.

***

The imperial palace of the Grand Xia Empire.

The old flood dragon sat with his legs crossed, sipping tea brewed personally by Xia Xuanji. He was eyeing Fang Chen and the two figures behind him, Qi Tianran and Shen Tucang.

”Brother Fang, I’ve been feeling off lately. Did something happen the last time we ventured into the Underworld together?” the old dragon asked casually.

Xia Xuanji’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sat back on the dragon throne, deep in thought. Venturing into the Underworld?

”Senior, have you ever heard of the Path of Ghost Gods?” Fang Chen asked.

”The Path of Ghost Gods... I’ve heard ancient rumors. It’s said to be a path opposite to that of true immortality. They are two different routes to defy the heavens,” the old flood dragon mused. ”Then... When I entered the Underworld back then, did I enter the Path of Ghost Gods?”

Fang Chen nodded.

”Are there any restrictions on that path?” the old dragon asked solemnly.

Having walked the path of true immortality, he was naturally worried that stepping into another path might hinder his future cultivation.

”Not many. Actually, there are benefits. If your mortal body’s lifespan runs out and you pass on, your soul won’t be extinguished. You can continue along the Path of Ghost Gods,” Fang Chen said with a smile.

The old flood dragon sighed softly. ”Very well then. If it weren’t for your help, I wouldn’t have reached the fourth transformation this time. I likely would’ve suffered disaster the moment I left the mountain.”

”I held back a lot during the last battle. Li Wuwang and the others surely believe I’m still a third transformation Loose Immortal, vulnerable to heavenly tribulation at any time.”

The old flood dragon asked, ”What’s your next move? Lure them here so I can finish them off? Or shall I go pay them a visit?”

Fang Chen gave it some thought before replying, ”Besides Li Wuwang, there’s a third transformation sword cultivator and Song Zhili. All three must be present for your intervention to be worthwhile. Given how cautious they are, they won’t set foot here for a long while. Even if they do, they won’t come together.”

The old flood dragon’s brows creased. ”You mean to say...”

”Senior, we wait. The longer they delay, the better it is for us,” Fang Chen replied.

The old flood dragon nodded. ”Understood.”

”Thank you, Senior,” said Fang Chen, smiling and giving a bow.

With the old flood dragon guarding Grand Xia, even if Song Zhili and the others came together, they’d gain nothing.

After exchanging pleasantries, the old flood dragon took his leave. He now lived at the Fang Manor in the capital.

”Fang Chen, that group that came the other day... who were they?” Xia Xuanji asked with a serious expression.

”Sword cultivators from Prison Wind. They shouldn’t appear again anytime soon. They suffered heavy losses this time,” Fang Chen replied.

”Sword cultivators from Prison Wind.... They are coming one wave after another...” Xia Xuanji muttered with a frown.

What he was dealing with now was already on a completely different level from Fang Chen’s affairs. He only hoped they wouldn’t see another day like that one.

Fang Chen turned to Shen Tucang and Qi Tianran and said, ”With the old flood dragon here, the two of you should regroup with the others. Within six months, I want Heavenly Demon, Flying Star, and Holy Puppet to lose their qualifications to be promoted to first-tier empires.”

Shen Tucang and Qi Tianran nodded, a cold gleam in their eyes.

”Understood.”

These qualifications didn’t pertain to the empires themselves, but rather the First Rate Sect Leaders standing behind them. Remove these First Rate Sect Leaders, and these second-tier empires would never cause waves again.

”Your Highness, Du Yunxu came by earlier. He said he’s found the wandering soul you asked him to look for,” reported Shen Tucang.

”He found it?” Fang Chen nodded with a smile. ”Then I’ll go in person.”

***

In the capital of the Underworld.

A wandering soul stood before Du Yunxu, looking nervous. He had no idea why a figure of such power had summoned a nobody like him to this place.

By rights, their paths should never have crossed.