Immortal of the Nine Realms

Qiu Jing looked at the hundred thousand demon clans led by the Mountain Breaking King with a smile in his eyes. He asked, ”Lord, since the main character has already left today, how should we handle the current situation?”

He was a first-transformation Ghost God and possessed an orthodox status in the Underworld. His foundation far surpassed that of an ordinary Loose Immortal of the same level.

Swept by his gaze, all the demon clans of the Heavenly Demon Empire, including the Mountain Breaking King, felt a chill run down their spines.

Only then did they realize that the two individuals beside Fang Chen were likely also legendary figures.

Fang Chen calmly called out, ”Mountain Breaking King from the Heavenly Demon Empire?”

”This lowly one is here!”

Mountain Breaking King stepped forward. As he did so, he shrank down from his massive size to just over ten zhang tall before saluting and kneeling down respectfully to Fang Chen.

The millions of demon clans knew the situation was hopeless the moment they saw that. Whether they lived or died today depended entirely on the whim of that human cultivator.

Fang Chen asked with a faint smile, ”Where is your Heavenly Demon Empire’s First Rate Sect Leader now?”

Mountain Breaking King’s expression was complicated. ”Reporting to Senior. He has just left.”

The human cultivators present gasped.

He just left?

Could it be that the sect founder of the Heavenly Demon Empire had been observing in secret all along?

”You mean...” Fang Chen sized up the Mountain Breaking King. ”The Corrosive Dragon King?”

”Exactly,” replied the Mountain Breaking King in a low voice. “The Corrosive Dragon King has long since ascended to become a First Rate Sect Leader. He is the true pillar of our Heavenly Demon Empire. Without him, how would we dare to even take half a step in the forbidden boundary?”

Fang Chen chuckled. ”Interesting.”

No one knew what method the Corrosive Dragon King had used. Even Fang Chen hadn’t noticed that his cultivation had already reached the level of a Loose Immortal.

Perhaps from the very day he arrived here, he had already been a Loose Immortal? He had hidden it extremely well. It was truly a skill the Spirit God Sect was known for.

“The Corrosive Dragon King is the First Rate Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon Empire!?”

“First Rate Sect Leader? How is that possible?”

“No wonder those two Immortal Kings in the Corrosive Dragon King’s manor willingly followed his commands...”

Everyone looked at each other, and many of their doubts were answered and confirmed.

Normally, once someone became an Immortal King, even if they were a cultivator with no backing and no resources, they still wouldn’t have to bow to someone of the same level. Cultivators at the Ascension Realm were all proud and arrogant. In ancient times, such beings could enter the Immortal Realm as true immortals at any time. Unless the gap in power was overwhelming, they would never willingly serve another.

Fang Chen asked with a smile, “There are quite a few Spirit Blood Sect cultivators in your Heavenly Demon Empire, aren’t there?”

The Mountain Breaking King was silent for a few breaths, then lightly nodded. “There are quite a few, but many are also innocent.”

“I can see you’re clear-headed and know how to assess the situation. A rough gem,” Fang Chen praised.

A rough gem?

Everyone had strange looks on their faces. It was the first time they’d heard someone call an Immortal King a “rough gem.” It sounded odd, but coming from a First Rate Sect Leader, it somehow felt entirely appropriate. Before a First Rate Sect Leader, an Immortal King was indeed no more than a junior.

The Mountain Breaking King opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond. His daughter and subordinates looked on, their expressions increasingly strange.

Fang Chen asked calmly, “Do you know the Path of Yin Technique?”

***

An hour later, the Mountain Breaking King’s divine soul returned to his body. The way he looked at Fang Chen was completely different from before. When the Corrosive Dragon King and the others had left earlier, there had still been a hint of confusion in his eyes. Now, that confusion was gone. He understood what he needed to do going forward and what path he had to take.

Fang Chen said, “From now on, without my explicit instruction, no cultivator from the Heavenly Demon Empire is to take a single step past the Northern Heavenly Gate. Even if there’s something that must be done, it has to be reported to the newly appointed Northern Continent King first.”

The Mountain Breaking King lowered his head and replied softly, “I understand.”

Seeing that Fang Chen had no further instructions, the Mountain Breaking King respectfully bowed, then turned and led the million demon race army away.

Fang Chen turned to the old Profound Immortal and said, “Mister, shall we pay a visit to the Corrosive Dragon King’s manor?”

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!” replied the old Profound Immortal, jumping in shock and waving his hands incessantly, clearly flustered by being addressed as a mister.

He had witnessed everything Fang Chen had done from start to finish, and the shock in his heart was beyond words. He even suspected that this Eternity Heavenly Sage might be the legendary Division Head of the Killing Spiritual Division.

“Choosing to come with your colleagues even though you knew that the Killing Spiritual Division had withdrawn, earns my deep respect.” Fang Chen cupped his hands in salute.

The old Profound Immortal was momentarily stunned. A subtle pride began to surface on the faces of the nearby Killing Spiritual Division cultivators.

Corrosive Dragon King’s Manor.

The Corrosive Dragon King had left in a hurry, leaving many matters unfinished. Many of the adopted sons and daughters he had taken in were still in the manor. When they saw Fang Chen and his group walk in as if no one could stop them, they were immediately enraged.

But then, they noticed several elders who had accompanied the Corrosive Dragon King on the campaign now standing beside Fang Chen. And from the look in those elders’ eyes, there was something... Deeply thought-provoking.

“Big Brother...” Everyone turned to Chen Mang. With the Corrosive Dragon King and the two retainers gone, he was the most powerful among them and naturally had to step forward.

“Everyone... Why are you with Sword Chief Fang? Where is our foster father? Now that the Heavenly Demon Empire’s troops have marched to the border, why are you all returning here? Has the army already retreated?” Chen Mang cupped his fists, but did not greet Fang Chen, instead addressing the older, Northern Continent cultivators.

“The Corrosive Dragon King has betrayed the Central Continent. He’s a cultivator of the Spirit Blood Sect. He’s already fled.” One of the elders sighed softly, looking at Chen Mang and the others with a trace of pity.

As the Corrosive Dragon King’s adopted children, it would be hard for them to distance themselves from what had happened. If he had merely been working with the Spirit God Sect, it might not have been a big deal. But this time, too many eyes had seen it. He had intended to lead the Heavenly Demon Empire to invade Central Continent.

The Emperor of Central Continent would not let this go and would surely launch a sweeping purge of everything the Corrosive Dragon King left behind.

“What are you saying!? My foster father is a Spirit Blood Sect cultivator? Betrayed Central Continent? Do you know what your words mean? How dare you slander him like this!?” Chen Mang’s voice was fierce and shaking with rage, heaving his chest in fury.

Someone turned to Fang Chen and asked, “Senior Fang... How should we handle these people?”

“Detain them first. If they’re involved, leave it to the Central Continent Emperor to decide.” Fang Chen waved his hand, then walked past Chen Mang and the others with the old Profound Immortal and his group, heading toward the distant main hall.

Before Chen Mang and the rest could react, a Profound Immortal moved in and subdued them all, imprisoning them in the dungeons of the Corrosive Dragon King’s manor.

Main hall. Fang Chen and the others sat down for an hour, during which he learned their names and backgrounds.

The old Profound Immortal’s surname was Niu, with the single given name Chen. As he had said, he was indeed a rogue cultivator by origin. But he had joined the Killing Spiritual Division very early on, back when he was only at the Nascent Soul Realm, he was a young, prominent talent with a brilliant future ahead. At the time, he had been considered a prodigy of his generation.

After joining the Killing Spiritual Division, he deliberately kept a low profile, and over time, his name faded from attention. Eventually, he reached his current level as a Profound Immortal.

“Sword Chief Fang, may I be so bold as to ask... Are you the Division Head of the Killing Spiritual Division?” Niu Chen hesitated for a moment, then voiced the question that everyone from the Killing Spiritual Division in the hall had been dying to ask.