Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 1531: Someone We Can’t Provoke

The moment they arrived at Renzu Mountain, Fang Chen had detected a familiar scent emanating from the old eunuch. It was a scent he had first encountered in Xing Jintuo, that martial arts maniac who, with the body of a mere ant, had forcibly shattered the void to draw upon Void Power, a feat rarely seen in the world.

Compared to Xing Jintuo, this old eunuch’s foundation and natural talent were somewhat lacking, but in terms of his dedication to martial arts, he far surpassed ninety-nine percent of the martial artists in existence. His power had long since broken through the peak of the Heavenly Profound Stage. In that sudden burst of strength just now, a trace of Void Power had condensed within him.

If Xing Jintuo were to give him a few pointers, it probably wouldn’t be long before this old eunuch’s strength ranked second in the Martial God Division, Fang Chen thought to himself.

Below, the tide of battle had shifted in the blink of an eye. The little emperor, who should have been the prey, had instantly become the supreme hunter after the old eunuch defeated the four great masters in a single stroke. As the situation settled, figures knelt across the ground in despair, bowing their heads as they awaited their judgment.

”You old eunuch, just what level has your martial cultivation reached!?” Qi Beixiang demanded through coughs of blood.

He was indignant. He had thought that even if he wasn’t a match for the eunuch alone, the combined forces of all factions would surely suppress him. He never expected that he wouldn’t last even a single move. His internal organs were shattered, and he didn’t have long to live.

”What level?” The old eunuch let out a cold sneer. ”Let us call it... Zhi Ge [1].”

”Zhi Ge?”

Qi Beixiang and the others seemed to understand the meaning behind his words and burst into hysterical laughter. The more they laughed, the more blood they coughed up.

”Dongsheng has run out of destiny!”

”The dynasty is bound to change! Do you, a mere eunuch, think you can stop the conflict? What a joke!”

”You are eighty years old this year; how many more years can you live? Hahaha! We’ll just wait for you at the Yellow Springs Road!”

One by one, the four men succumbed to their injuries. Even in death, none of them begged the old eunuch for mercy. The old eunuch’s expression remained unchanged, though a faint, lingering sorrow flickered in his eyes. Indeed, how many more years could he live? If he had reached this stage forty-five years earlier, everything would have been so much easier.

”Eunuch Zhang, how should we handle these rebels?” asked the child, pointing to the nearby insurgents kneeling on the ground.

”Your Majesty, they have disturbed the peace of Renzu Mountain. That crime alone is punishable by death,” replied the old eunuch.

The child said with a slight nod, ”Then... kill them all.”

At his command, countless heads rolled, and the scent of blood on Renzu Mountain grew even more pungent. Once the young child completed the final steps of the ritual, he offered a distant bow toward the mountain and departed from the area.

Aboard the Black Dragon Boat, Fang Xiaohua clicked her tongue at the sight. ”When I was his age, I wasn’t nearly that decisive...”

Fang Chen smiled. ”Let’s go.”

The Black Dragon Boat slowly sailed into Renzu Mountain. When the mountain’s restrictive formations encountered the ship, they automatically parted, revealing the true scenery of Renzu Mountain for the first time.

What appeared to the outside world as a simple, lush green peak was, in reality, a magnificent and ethereal fairyland. Immortal birds and exotic beasts were too numerous to count, and waterfalls plunged down from ten thousand feet. Mountains of varying heights were saturated with thick, rich spiritual energy.

Detecting the arrival of the Black Dragon Boat, several immortal birds and beasts streaked through the air to greet them, kneeling in the void. A crane spoke in human tongue, ”Are you the immortals from the Enlightenment God Palace?”

”Indeed.” Fang Chen nodded with a smile. ”Is this place under your jurisdiction?”

The crane quickly replied, ”Please do not misunderstand. I am merely responsible for maintaining order here, to prevent these beasts from despoiling the land while it was without a master.”

”Do you have a name?”

”Immortal, I was once bestowed the name Long He by an immortal of the Enlightenment God Palace.”

Fang Chen gave a slight nod. ”Long He, then. In the future, the trivial matters of this place will remain under your management. Continue as you have been.”

Long He nodded happily. He then personally led a flock of cranes to escort the Black Dragon Boat to the Dao Domain.

Fang Chen said, ”There are plenty of cultivation chambers here. Feel free to choose as you like. Unless necessary, do not meddle in the affairs of the mortals outside. However, if you are curious, you may disguise yourselves as mortals and travel among them.”

Everyone responded in unison, ”Yes, sir.”

After arranging cultivation rooms for Fang Tianzun and Fang Xuanyang, Fang Chen called over Fang Xiaotian and Fang Xiaohua, preparing to take them on a journey to the Underworld.

”This is the World Gourd. You two will stay inside it for a while. There are Five Elements Origin Qi within. Remember, do not attempt to absorb it, or you will harm yourselves,” warned Fang Chen.

Their cultivation was not high enough to absorb such pure Origin Qi. It would only damage their foundations.

The two nodded solemnly, though they were still filled with questions.

Fang Xiaotian asked, ”Big Brother, where are we going?”

Fang Chen gave a faint smile. ”You’ll know once we arrive.”

He used the World Gourd to collect the two of them. Carrying the gourd, he turned and stepped into the vast white mist.

This time, he was walking the Path of Yin in his physical body, so it was inconvenient for him to encounter certain core figures of the Enlightenment Underworld lest they notice something unusual. Fortunately, his status as a core disciple allowed him a smooth passage. He exited the Enlightenment Underworld without a hitch and flew toward the Forgotten River.

On his way, he passed through a city to check on the several dozen Grand Xia veterans he had previously stationed there. To his surprise, a few were missing. Upon questioning the rest, he learned that the missing veterans had found their own ways to slip into the Enlightenment Underworld. Those who remained had simply not found an opportunity yet, and they were clearly quite ashamed of that. Fang Chen offered them some words of encouragement and continued on his way.

The moment he arrived at the Forgotten River, a bridge extended from the void. As he stepped onto it, the bridge instantly vanished into the depths of the river.

***

Lesser Underworld, Baiyue City.

This place corresponded to the Grand Xia in the mortal realm. It had been many years since Fang Chen last set foot here. He remembered that this was where he had first met the Goddess Xiao and Xia Yu.

Compared to before, Baiyue City appeared significantly more prosperous. The streets were no longer filled with beggar ghosts starving for lack of Yin Lifespan. Since the various divisions of the Lesser Underworld had become operational, order had grown increasingly stable, lacking the slight sense of chaos that had characterized its early days. Soldiers from the Nether Guards Division patrolled the streets from time to time to maintain peace.

”What is wrong with you? We agreed on five years of Yin Lifespan for this job, so why did you take away two years and only give me three? Don’t forget, I am a Yin Walker. Why should I take this from you!?”

”So what if you’re a Yin Walker? Do you have any idea who I am? I am of the Grand Xia Royal Bloodline. My surname is Xia!”

”You... your surname is Xia? I can’t provoke you, I can’t provoke you! My apologies for the offense just now. Farewell!”

A Yin Walker brushed past Fang Chen, his departing figure looking somewhat panicked. On the other side, a plump youth was laughing triumphantly, surrounded by a crowd of wandering souls shamelessly flattering him. An official from the Yin Walker Division happened to pass by, saw the scene, and immediately turned his head away, having no intention of interfering.

Fang Chen smiled. His figure vanished from the spot and reappeared directly in front of the panicked Yin Walker.

”Fine, I don’t want those two years of lifespan anymore, okay? Why are you still looking for trouble? Here, take these three years of lifespan back as well!”

Thinking that Fang Chen had been sent by that Grand Xia royal, the man reluctantly pulled out three Yin Lifespan coins and held them out to him.

1. This means to stop the conflict. Or to bring an end to the fighting ☜