Immortal of the Nine Realms

Yang Yuanwu was a second-transformation Loose Immortal. With his lifespan, he should have had a long life ahead of him. Yet now, his face was deathly pale. His vitality was fading away at an alarming rate.

For a Loose Immortal, an injury of this degree shouldn’t be fatal. He might have been perforated with hundreds of holes, but those should’ve healed up right away as long as his foundation wasn’t harmed.

Alas, the shards from that shattered treasure carried not just brute force, but a trace of fierce and domineering immortal essence. That essence didn’t merely ravage Yang Yuanwu’s flesh—it had instantly crippled his very foundation.

”A mere second-transformation Loose Immortal, thinking you could buy some time for your comrades?” The Great Desolate Immortal looked at Yang Yuanwu with mockery in his eyes. ”Do you know why the Killing Spiritual Division has always lost to the Spirit God Sect? It’s because of pathetic thoughts like yours. I only have these two hands; if you had fled right away, I would only be able to kill two of you at most, none of whom could’ve been you.”

After saying this, he no longer paid attention to the dying insect before him and turned his gaze to Fang Chen. ”Why aren’t you leaving? Are you staying to accompany him?”

Yang Yuanwu weakly glanced at Fang Chen, a bitter smile on his face. This newly appointed Killing Spiritual Division Head of Creation Star was about to be dragged down with him.

”I thought Yang Yuanwu was the traitor who betrayed us.” Fang Chen glanced at Yang Yuanwu. ”Looks like he’s not.”

Yang Yuanwu was momentarily stunned but understood. After all, their identities had been exposed this time, and the responsibility lay with him. Doubt was natural.

Yet, doubt aside, why isn’t this person leaving?

The Great Desolate Immortal wasted no more words. With a light gesture, he aimed to pursue the other three.

For three first-transformation Loose Immortals to escape from a fifth-transformation Blood Flesh Demon Immortal was an arduous task.

A terrifying force detonated where Fang Chen had just been standing. The Great Desolate Immortal was about to depart, but then something felt wrong. He looked at the empty crater and frowned.

Fang Chen stood a hundred feet away from the deep pit. ”Great Desolate Immortal, have you grown old and your eyesight blurred that you still can’t hit me?”

Great Desolate Immortal raised his hand and flicked his finger again.

Another deep pit appeared, but this time he saw Fang Chen’s figure vanish in an instant, as if using some kind of divine escape technique.

”Insect,” spat the Great Desolate Immortal coldly, flicking his finger again.

Back and forth, they exchanged more than ten moves, and one deep pit after another appeared nearby.

Great Desolate Immortal vaguely felt that Fang Chen was toying with him. ”This escape technique is interesting. Let me see how long you can hold out.”

They gradually moved farther apart. Amidst the swirling yellow sand, only Yang Yuanwu remained, sitting cross-legged on the ground. His vitality was steadily fading; he could only wait despondently for death.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Yang Yuanwu and arranged four Soul Guiding Lanterns for him. ”These are Soul Guiding Lanterns. The Path of Yin Technique I passed to you just now—do you remember it?”

Yang Yuanwu looked at Fang Chen with an odd expression. ”The Path of Yin Technique is indeed miraculous, but... my vitality is gone. In a moment’s time, I’ll completely pass on. Even the Path of Yin Technique can’t change that.”

He restrained himself from asking about Fang Chen’s mysterious escape technique that had bewildered a fifth-transformation Immortal and allowed him to return so effortlessly.

”The Path of Yin Technique is your only chance. The death of your fleshly body doesn’t matter. You can switch to cultivating the Path of Ghost Gods. The Great Desolate Immortal is coming after you; you don’t have much time,” Fang Chen said.

Yang Yuanwu immediately closed his eyes and started employing the Path of Yin Technique. His body was riddled with wounds and still bore the immortal energy left by the Great Desolate Immortal, which severely obstructed his own immortal energy circulation. Fortunately, the Path of Yin Technique was not difficult. For Loose Immortals, it was actually fairly simple.

After about five or six breaths, Yang Yuanwu succeeded, and his soul separated from his body, entering the domain corresponding to the Huangsha Star.

”This is a decree. Do not resist.”

Before Yang Yuanwu could react, a seal struck him.

Instinctively, he wanted to resist the invading force, but recalling Fang Chen’s words, he endured it.

Soon, Yang Yuanwu noticed his soul had become somewhat special. He could vaguely see a golden light flowing over him.

”Wait here for me a moment. I’ll take the Great Desolate Immortal on a tour of Huangsha Star,” Fang Chen instructed, then vanished with the Shadow Buddha Technique.

”Chief Fang... seems to have some unfathomable mystical techniques,” Yang Yuanwu murmured, quietly waiting in place.

He tried not to think about anything right now, but in his heart, he believed that once his body died, he would become nothing more than a wandering soul.

What could an ordinary wandering soul do in the Underworld?

He would be no more than a speck of dust in the eyes of the strong, just a tiny insect like the mortals in the Nine Realms.

Yet as he waited, he suddenly sensed the last tether binding him to his body snap. His mortal shell had perished. But his cultivation... hadn’t fallen!

”Chief Fang just mentioned the Path of Ghost Gods...” Yang Yuanwu muttered to himself, pondering the meaning of those words.

***

The Great Desolate Immortal’s face darkened. Several li away from Fang Chen, he was not pursuing further. Fang Chen stood quietly, neither fleeing nor hiding.

Five days had passed. For five whole days, he had been chasing this insect!

At first, he thought it would be an easy catch, but after five days with no progress, his patience had run thin.

”Your escape technique... does it not consume immortal energy?” Great Desolate Immortal slowly asked.

Each time Fang Chen vanished, there was no ripple of immortal power. That was the most terrifying and helpless aspect. Without sensing fluctuations, he could never predict or intercept the move.

He could only watch helplessly as this little insect jumped around before him. What should have been an easy strike was now very difficult.

”You think it mysterious? Of course it requires no immortal essence.” Fang Chen smiled. ”My three friends should have already left Huangsha Star. Elder, aren’t you going to chase after them? Well, even if you do now, you won’t catch them.”

”Three little insects... whether killed or not doesn’t matter. But you, this little insect, are somewhat interesting.” Great Desolate Immortal’s eyes flickered. ”How about a deal? I think you have talent. Join me, and I’ll help you rise to a high position within the Killing Spiritual Division.”

”How would you help?”

”Simple. I can leak some of the Spirit God Sect’s plans to you, and you handle them. Naturally, you’d gain a high status in the Killing Spiritual Division. Many chiefs like you have cooperated with me this way,” Great Desolate Immortal said casually.

Fang Chen shook his head. ”You’re lying, trying to sow discord. How could our Killing Spiritual Division chiefs ever cooperate with the trash of the Spirit God Sect? That’s impossible.”

Hearing how Fang Chen called him, Great Desolate Immortal’s brows twitched.

”By the way, do you know why we received the news early?” Fang Chen asked.

Great Desolate Immortal’s eyes shifted. ”Why?”

”Lesser Immortal Realm.”

Leaving those three words, Fang Chen vanished again.

This time, Great Desolate Immortal waited for a very long time but never felt Fang Chen’s aura appear again on Huangsha Star.