Immortal of the Nine Realms

From Lin Bao’s words, Fang Chen gained a bit of insight into Wang Chongsong. However, when it came to the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo, Lin Bao didn’t seem to know anything at all.

“The item you mentioned sounds like something that corrodes the mind, my lord,” said Lin Bao. “Things like that are fairly common in the Nine Mortal Realms.”

He pondered before replying, “My senior brother always liked researching obscure matters that others found meaningless. Perhaps the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo is one of them.”

He paused, then suddenly recalled something. “Ah, right. I suspect Senior Brother will soon obtain an invitation to the Upper Three Realms. Before long, he will be leaving.”

Fang Chen glanced at him. “Is it from Yan Tong of the Taiyi Immortal Sect?”

Lin Bao was not surprised. By now, he had accepted that everything he and Wang Chongsong did in Daotai Mountain had been under Fang Chen’s watchful eye.

He nodded. “Yes. My senior brother must have been the one who sent Yan Tong the two taels of Immortal Marrow. Those two taels are worth far more than a simple invitation.

“The fact that Senior Brother did not bid for the invitation in the first auction proves he already knew about this beforehand. He likely prepared those two taels specifically for Yan Tong.”

“He is for sure aiming to strike at Li Shanzi of the Enlightenment God Palace. My senior brother has harbored deep hatred toward the Enlightenment God Palace ever since that disaster.”

“If your senior brother does go to the Upper Three Realms, he’ll most likely join the Taiyi Immortal Sect,” Fang Chen said.

Lin Bao nodded. “That’s my guess as well. My senior brother’s network is vast, sometimes even our master would marvel at it.”

Fang Chen said no more. When they returned to Jiangguang City, he released Pitu from the miniature structure that stored immortal souls.

The other immortal souls, seeing this, clamored to be freed as well, but Fang Chen ignored them for the moment.

He handed the Soul Restoring Grass to Pitu.

“This is indeed Soul Restoring Grass.” Pitu examined it carefully and nodded. “In the Immortal Realm, only Immortal Monarchs would know that such a herb exists in the Floating Pagoda Realm and that it is able to briefly dispel the Great Enigma Art.

“Whoever told you must have been an Immortal Monarch in life. Or he could have used some kind of method to wring it from an immortal soul that had once been one. He should have another method of dispelling the Great Enigma Art as well.”

“Most likely,” replied Fang Chen, nodding.

He did not believe Wang Chongsong would so easily teach this method to Lin Bao if he didn’t know a better method—perhaps a permanent one.

The Soul Restoring Grass only offered temporary reprieve. Clearly, Wang Chongsong held a true means of breaking the Great Enigma Art.

Whether for Fairy Yu’s sake or for Pitu, Fang Chen needed to find a way to extract that knowledge from him.

But it was troublesome. Back on Tuxiong Star, Wang Chongsong’s death had left no soul behind, a testament to how peculiar the Thirty-Six Bone Destiny Art was.

He could not be sure if “Immortal Changkong” was Wang Chongsong’s true body, nor whether he would leave a soul behind after death.

If Fang Chen acted rashly, he could alarm Wang Chongsong, and that would make catching him ten times as hard.

“This stalk of Soul Restoring Grass should restore my memories for about fifteen minutes. But I don’t think it will unlock all my memories. Some will remain sealed. Remember to note down everything I say.”

With that, Pitu swallowed the herb in one bite.

Moments later, he began to change. A strange power surged through him, and he strangely turned semi-transparent.

Within his transparent form appeared a boundless starry sky, within which Fang Chen saw many sealed gates.

The seals on some of those gates began to loosen. After a while, the seals fell away and doors opened one after another.

Pitu’s gaze deepened, no longer ordinary. His eyes shimmered like stars at the edge of the cosmos.

“Finally, I can breathe again.” He smiled at Fang Chen. “The herb won’t last long, so I’ll be brief. At the Reincarnation Immortal Sect, I cultivated the Future Immortal Will. I met you many times in the future. You should know that not only the Immortal Realm, but the Underworld and the Nine Mortal Realms too, all face a great enemy.”

“What kind of enemy?” Fang Chen asked.

Old Master Fang and the others no longer remembered such matters. If he could learn who the enemy was from Pitu, it would be invaluable.

Pitu frowned. “I don’t remember. That seal... isn’t part of the Great Enigma Art. Someone else tampered with it. Soul Restoring Grass cannot undo it.”

Fang Chen looked and seemed to see, in the depths of the cosmic void, a colossal bronze gate covered in layers of seals. The herb’s power could not shake it at all.

“Just remember this: whoever tampered with it may be our common enemy. If you get the chance, you must find them. Even if we lose, we cannot lose without knowing why, can we?”

Pitu’s gaze was heavy on Fang Chen. As he spoke, he traced his finger through the void, conjuring glowing runes in the air.

“My time is short. I’ll tell you only useful things, and record them as well.”

“The Reincarnation Immortal Sect has three Immortal Wills. The Past, Future, and the Mortal World. You grasp the Will of the Mortal World. Do not give it up. If you can forge a Dao from it, it will bring great fortune, perhaps enough to resist the unknown enemy. As for the other two—Past and Future—they are useless! Completely useless!”

“The True Immortal Path:

The first transformation—Yuan Yang Vine.

The second transformation—Purple Flame Buddha Scale.

The third transformation—Giant Spirit Ginseng.

The fourth transformation—Five Containment Mysterious Wings.

The fifth transformation—Illusory Mysterious Blood.

The sixth transformation—Red Sun True Leaf.

The seventh transformation—Primal Beginning Origin Milk.

The eighth transformation—Grand Azure Dragon Pearl.”

He continued, “In the Upper Three Realms, I left behind a cave dwelling. I don’t know if anyone has found it. If it’s still there, you may find useful things inside, though I can’t remember exactly what.”

“I nearly found the Grand Azure Dragon Pearl before I fell. But I never reached the eighth transformation before death. As for the medicine for the ninth transformation, I don’t know. You’ll have to seek it yourself.”

“If you wish to walk the True Immortal Path, even if you can’t find the first three, you must find the fourth one, the Five Containment Mysterious Wings. Without it, you cannot walk this path. Missing the first three will only weaken your foundation slightly. You can make up for it later.”

“Alright, these are the most important points. The rest is not worth mentioning. Any questions?”

Pitu looked intently at Fang Chen and sighed, “In another moment, the herb’s effect will be gone.”

“Do you know the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo?” Fang Chen asked.

“The Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo? Never heard of it.”

“Do you know the Thirty-Six Bone Destiny Art?”

“Never heard of it.”

Pitu’s expression shifted, and he smiled faintly. “The herb’s effect is gone.”

His eyes were changing, losing their cosmic depth. But just before the end, he suddenly gripped Fang Chen’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “There’s something I can’t quite remember. But people are important. You must remember that.”

Then he went blank, turned to Fang Chen with a smile. “The effect has worn off. Even what I just told you... I’ve forgotten it all.”