Immortal Paladin

I settled into the throne.

Before me stood Hei Mao, Hei Mei, Gu Jie, Alice, Jiang Zhen, Fan Shi, Wei Bao, Zhu Chin, and then there was one more presence lingering at the edge of perception. My gaze shifted, narrowing slightly as I fixed onto the guard standing by the pillar.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice carrying across the hall without effort.

He appeared ordinary by the standards of this place, hovering at the threshold of Ascended Soul, just enough to avoid suspicion. His disguise was meticulous, his aura faint and ghostlike, slipping past conventional senses with practiced ease. Yet through my Ophanim, the truth unraveled itself without resistance. Beneath the illusion stood something grotesque, an infernal hellspawn wrapped in borrowed flesh.

“My lord, I’m sorry, but—”

I did not allow him to finish.

Divine Smite descended through my Divine Zone in an instant, a silent judgment that tore through his body without obstruction. His abdomen ruptured violently, the illusion collapsing as his true form surfaced in jagged fragments. He tried to flee, desperation overtaking whatever discipline he had, but Hei Mao was already there, appearing before him as though space itself had yielded.

Hei Mao’s finger tapped lightly against the creature’s head.

“Divine Word: Rest.”

The effect was immediate and absolute. The hellspawn’s struggle ceased, its body going limp as it fell into an unnatural sleep. Hei Mao wasted no time, drawing the creature into his scarf as though feeding it to a living void. For a brief moment, the demon’s sleeping face surfaced along the fabric before vanishing entirely.

I watched that with mild interest. That was new.

“Apologies, master,” Hei Mao said, bowing his head slightly. “It seems I’ve underestimated the spies of other forces at work. I ask that you send someone who can handle the intelligence side of things here in Luminary’s Rest. While I have experience over the world of shadows and the intelligence underside, I believe my knowledge is lacking.”

“Suggestions?” I asked.

“Liang Na had proven her ability in unifying and creating the intelligence division network we relied on during the recent war against the Heavenly Temple. Something of that scale will be the best bet we’ll have, since the Greater Universe at large is far bigger than the Hollowed World.”

That aligned with my own thoughts. Fewer moving pieces meant fewer points of failure, especially in a place like this where chaos was not an exception but the norm. Even in the short time since my arrival, I had already extended Ophanim across layered realities, inspecting the underworld from multiple angles. Despite the passage of time, the core of it remained unchanged, festering in its own predictable disorder.

“The place really had lots of renovation, huh?” I muttered. “How long has it been?”

“Almost a century, father,” Gu Jie answered.

I let out a quiet breath. “Yeah, not really much time by cultivator standards, and the time ahead will be just as arduous. Alright, let’s hear it. What have you all been up to?”

I could have simply accessed the Ezekiels I left behind, or sifted through everything with Ophanim in a fraction of a second. Efficiency had its place, but rulership demanded something else. Nongmin had made that clear. People needed to be heard, even if I already knew what they would say.

“Then I shall begin,” Hei Mao said.

He straightened slightly, his tone steady.

“I’ve guarded Luminary’s Rest as you’ve ordered, master. I’ve engaged a few initiatives myself, gathering information about the underworld at large. My familiars will provide you with the complete details, but there are a few points of interest.”

I leaned back slightly, letting him continue.

“Pestilence has maintained regular communication with me, sending letters intermittently. We can expect her return in a few more centuries. It appears she has been caught in something beyond her immediate control.”

That was expected. The Four Horsemen rarely moved without consequence.

“As for your bounties, master, and Ru Qiu’s, they have suddenly vanished. I imagine this will allow you greater freedom of movement.”

That, however, was not expected. Bounties did not simply disappear without reason. Someone had intervened, or something had shifted.

“I also attempted to investigate Supreme Death,” Hei Mao continued, “but information is scarce. The general consensus is that only the Four Horsemen have any knowledge of his whereabouts. I asked Pestilence during one of our correspondences, but according to her, she has no idea. This makes the lead from the Four Horsemen uncertain at best.”

My fingers tapped once against the armrest, the motion subtle but deliberate.

“Lastly, outsiders. There has been a sudden influx from realms beyond the underworld. Famine has been observed raising an army, while War has begun recruiting external forces. The Celestial Circle may also become involved at any given time.

“You did good,” I said.

“That’s all I have to say, master.”

That was a considerable amount of information to take in, and most of it leaned toward the unfavorable side. We were still a nascent force within the underworld, barely rooted compared to the ancient powers circling around us, and the idea of being dragged into a large-scale conflict this early was far from appealing.

My priorities remained elsewhere. I wanted a conversation with Supreme Death, not a battlefield drenched in the ambitions of the Four Horsemen or whatever schemes the Celestial Circle was weaving.

There was a reason why I wanted to have that talk with the Supreme Death so much.

I had heard the same expectation repeated too many times already. Every powerful existence around me seemed convinced that I would inevitably clash with the so-called Supreme Beings, that it would spiral into a decisive and catastrophic confrontation. Even Ru Qiu had grown increasingly vocal about it, which was understandable given his history with them. His cult had been erased by their hands long ago, and grudges like that did not fade with time.

Hei Mei’s voice pulled me away from those thoughts as she made her report.

“Your Holy Majesty, I’ve been cultivating, but progress has been slow. I will strive to make use of the knowledge I’ve inherited and gained from Yuan Shun.”

I shifted my gaze toward her, noting the hesitation in her posture and the slight tremble in her voice.

“Don’t feel so burdened about your cultivation,” I said evenly. “These things take time. Move at your own pace, Hei Mei, and focus on what you want to achieve rather than how fast you get there.”

Out of the corner of my perception, Wei Bao and Zhu Chin exchanged looks, their expressions tightening as they muttered under their breath. It did not escape me. By most standards, Hei Mei’s progress was anything but slow. Her constitution alone placed her far ahead of others, and my Supremacy Trait likely influenced her growth in ways even I had not fully quantified yet.

I turned my attention to Gu Jie.

“If you don’t mind, can you look into my Supremacy Trait?”

Her eyes lit up slightly, though she maintained composure.

“I’ve been meaning to ask for your permission, father. By studying it, we may uncover what truly makes these traits so distinct.”

“I know you’ve been busy,” I replied. “There’s a lot on your plate. How are your clones holding up, and your cultivation as well? You’ve already reached the Tenth Realm. That’s fast.”

“I am progressing well,” she said. “Recently, I’ve been focusing on research regarding the Source, the Origin, Immortal Arts, Origin Art, Shén, and related systems. Lady Joan has been assisting me, and I’ve also consulted Nongmin, Zai Ai, and Sikao Biaoji. Shouquan contributes where he can. I have not neglected my cultivation, of course. If permitted, I will begin my report.”

For a brief moment, I considered handing her the Records of the Age of Divinity. The thought lingered longer than it should have. That artifact was dangerous even to me, its contents carrying a weight that could fracture comprehension itself. In the end, I dismissed the idea and simply nodded.

“Proceed.”

She inhaled softly before speaking again.

“First, I must confess to crimes I have committed. When I accompanied you to Losten, it was not a clone but my true self. That alone is one offense. The second was when I secretly went to the Mighty Duck during the earlier stage of the expedition. The third…” She paused, then revealed her fangs. “During the Origin-Hollowed War against the Origin King, I used the vampiric traits inherited from mother. I drained the blood of our enemies, devoured their essence, and used it to rapidly increase my cultivation. I have no excuse.”

“I am already aware,” I said.

Her gaze flickered immediately toward Alice.

“I am sorry, daughter,” Alice said calmly. “He needed to know. You underestimate the bloodlust that rests within your blood.”

Gu Jie’s expression tightened, a rare crack in her usual composure.

“I could have handled it. I endured the insanity curse from Supreme Void when I challenged the Eleventh Realm against Yuan Shun. A mere blood curse would not affect me.”

“You know you are lying, right?” I said plainly.

My Divine Sense did not waver on matters like this. Truth and falsehood separated themselves cleanly under its scrutiny.

The shift in her was immediate.

Bloodlust surged outward from her small frame, thick and violent, distorting the air around her. She stomped the ground, cracking the floor beneath her feet before turning and running out of the hall without another word.

Alice watched her leave, then sighed faintly.

“I will speak with her.”

She vanished just as abruptly, leaving the space quieter than before.

I exhaled slowly, letting the moment pass without further comment.

“Let’s continue,” I said. “Jiang Zhen, anything worth mentioning?”

He stepped forward with a respectful bow.

“I thank you for your magnanimity, Your Holy Majesty, for allowing me and my disciple to cultivate here—”

“There is no need for pleasantries,” I interrupted. “Speak candidly, you old fuck.”

He lifted his head immediately, irritation flashing across his face.

“You are older than me, you old fuck!”

That was better.

Jiang Zhen stroked his beard slowly, the earlier flare of irritation fading as he composed himself. His posture relaxed, though there was still a trace of defiance in his eyes that refused to completely settle.

“Anyway,” he began, “my disciple and I have established ourselves within the city. You already know how it works. Cultivators come and go, chasing opportunity or fleeing consequences. We offer assistance where we can. Some of it is given freely, while other services come at a cost. Disciple, explain.”

Fan Shi stepped forward, her expression sharp and unyielding.

“My sect’s transposition technique allows us to correct flawed or demonic cultivation methods that would otherwise harm their practitioners. This is not limited to demonic or dark paths. However, the process reduces raw power in exchange for stability and longevity. Because of that, many refuse our help. Some have gone further, taking aggressive measures to obstruct our work.”

Her gaze shifted deliberately toward Wei Bao and Zhu Chin, her hostility undisguised.

Wei Bao inhaled, preparing to speak. “If I may—”

“No, you may not,” I said.

Zhu Chin stepped forward instead, her tone controlled but strained as she addressed Hei Mao. “Lord Hei Mao, surely you understand why we must defend the interests of our cult. This transposition technique undermines the essence of our arts. It erodes our identity as followers of the eternal path.”

“Did I permit you to speak?” I asked.

Hei Mao’s voice followed immediately, calm and cold. “I apologize, master. Allow me to strike her down. She has become an eyesore.”

Zhu Chin stiffened, her composure fracturing. “M-My lord—”

“There is no need,” I said. “No one has to be hurt over something so trivial.”

At least, not physically.

I let Ophanim unfold.

The shift was imperceptible to most, but Zhu Chin’s world fractured instantly. I cast Divine Possession upon her, forcing her consciousness into an alternate reality shaped entirely by my will. In that space, I killed her once, then again, then again without pause or variation. Each death carried its own texture, its own sensation, its own inevitability. Time stretched, distorted, repeated until the concept of escape dissolved.

In reality, only a moment passed.

Zhu Chin collapsed to her knees, her body trembling violently as sweat poured down her face. Her breathing became erratic, her eyes unfocused as fragments of that experience clung to her mind.

“The demonic path twists rationality,” I said, my voice steady. “It strips away fragments of humanity and reshapes the practitioner into something else entirely. Why cling to that when the divine path exists as an alternative? Your predecessors understood this. It was called the Heavenly Divine Cult, not whatever distortion you have turned it into. If Ru Qiu were here, he would have ground you into paste for what you have done to his legacy, Wei Bao.”

Wei Bao dropped immediately, his forehead striking the ground.

“A thousand apologies, Your Holy Majesty.”

I shifted my gaze back to Zhu Chin.

“And you,” I continued, “your dark arts desecrate everything they touch. Whether it is corpses, fragments of the self, or the natural right of existence, you reduce them into tools. Darkness is not separate from the divine. It is merely another aspect of it. Light casts shadows, and shadows give meaning to light. What you practice is not balance. It is excess.”

I paused briefly, letting my Divine Sense expand outward.

“I can sense one hundred thirty-seven undead abominations from here,” I said. “Tell me, Hei Mao, were you aware of this?”

“I was not, master,” he replied. “Allow me to correct it.”

“There is no need.”

I turned my gaze slightly, aligning it with the distant location where those undead resided, likely within the territory controlled by Zhu Chin’s faction. Without moving from the throne, I released Divine Smite through my Divine Zone. The distance meant nothing. The connection was already established.

One hundred thirty-seven presences vanished at once.

No resistance. No delay.

“Listen carefully,” I continued. “I do not tolerate the excesses you have indulged in up until now. Wei Bao, I do not know the full extent of how your faction ended up in the Greater Universe, but I do know the legacy of the Eternal Undeath Cult. Zhu Chin, you stood against the Great Enemy that once threatened the Hollowed World. And yet, in desperation, you abandoned it.”

Silence filled the hall as I leaned slightly forward.

“Things are different now. Both of your factions are free to return. You may rebuild your foundations in the Hollowed World instead of rotting in this place. Whether you realize it or not, that world is at peace now because of me. I intend to carve that same peace here in the underworld.”

My fingers tapped lightly against the armrest, once.

“To achieve that, I will use force when necessary. Preferably, I will not. Your rivalry is insignificant. When my army arrives, the balance here will shift beyond your ability to control. You will lose your influence if you remain stagnant.”

I let my gaze settle on both of them.

“While your voices still carry weight, decide. If you wish to return, I will open the path. If you wish to remain, then observe what I build and decide whether you will stand under it. If you find me unworthy, then leave. It is that simple.”

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.

Zhu Chin lowered herself fully, her voice unsteady. “I offer my loyalty to you.”

Wei Bao followed without hesitation. “The same goes for me.”

I studied them for a moment longer before shifting my attention to Hei Mao.

“Disciple, I will continue to rely on you,” I said. “I intend to enter secluded cultivation soon. The Ezekiels will remain here. Coordinate with them to keep me informed, and use them if necessary to reach me.”

Hei Mao bowed his head. “I understand, master. Leave it to me.”

“I may travel for a time as well,” I added. “There are still aspects of my immortality that require refinement. Governance is part of my role as Holy Emperor, but strength remains the foundation of everything.”

I rose from the throne without another word and left the hall behind, the weight of everything discussed still lingering but already settling into place within my mind. My presence stretched outward as I moved, Divine Sense and Ophanim weaving together until I found them on the far end of this fractured world.

Alice and Gu Jie were fighting.

I arrived without announcing myself, standing at a distance as I observed. The land around them had already been reshaped by their clash, torn earth suspended midair and space itself threaded with faint golden lines that shimmered like a web spun across reality.

Gu Jie moved first, her small frame darting forward with unnatural precision. Golden threads burst from her fingertips, weaving through the air in intricate patterns, each strand humming with intent as they curved toward Alice from multiple angles. They did not simply attack; they predicted, adjusted, and converged, cutting off every conventional escape.

“Mother, you promised me!” she shouted, her voice trembling with restrained anger.

Alice did not retreat. She stepped forward instead, her expression calm, almost detached, as she raised a hand and traced a sigil in the air.

“You told me about the Origin,” she replied, her tone steady. “You told me how it might have changed you. Tell me, do you truly trust yourself now?”

A pulse of divine energy erupted outward, colliding with the incoming threads. Several strands snapped instantly, dissolving into fragments of light, while others twisted around the force, slipping through gaps that should not have existed.

Alice’s other hand moved, this time forming a darker construct. Warlock sigils layered over divine geometry, forming a contradiction that should not have coexisted. A spear of condensed force shot forward, tearing through the web of threads and aiming directly at Gu Jie.

“I am preventing what you already fear,” Alice continued.

Gu Jie’s eyes gleamed.

She tilted her head slightly, and the world seemed to slow.

The spear shifted its trajectory before it could reach her, redirected by threads that had not yet fully formed. She stepped aside with minimal movement, as though she had already seen the attack long before it was launched. Her fingers flicked, and the threads tightened, forming a cage around Alice that collapsed inward from all directions.

Alice responded instantly. A layered barrier formed around her, divine light interwoven with darker energy, resisting the crushing force. The threads screeched against it, carving shallow lines but failing to fully break through.

Then Alice moved.

She vanished from within the cage, reappearing above Gu Jie with a downward strike, her hand wrapped in compressed energy that distorted the space around it. Gu Jie raised her arm, threads condensing into a shield that met the blow.

The impact cracked the ground beneath her feet.

She slid back, her small form carving a trench across the earth, yet she did not fall. Instead, more threads erupted outward, lashing at Alice in rapid succession, each strike calculated, each angle refined.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were trying to kill each other.

Alice deflected, countered, and advanced, her movements efficient and practiced. Divine spells burst and faded in rapid sequence, while warlock constructs filled the gaps, forcing Gu Jie to constantly adjust. Where Gu Jie predicted, Alice compensated. Where Gu Jie refined, Alice overwhelmed.

They were evenly matched.

That alone said enough.

For someone of Gu Jie’s size and age, standing on equal footing with Alice was already an absurdity. Her Origin Art was the deciding factor, her eyes dissecting every movement, every intent, and feeding it back into her threads.

Still, I could feel it.

The instability beneath her control.

At some point, her patience fractured.

The threads recoiled, gathering behind her as her expression twisted with frustration. Without hesitation, she reached into her pocket dimension and summoned it.

Wen Yuhan’s corpse.

The puppet emerged, its presence heavy and wrong, carrying a silent weight that did not belong in this exchange.

I exhaled.

Then I moved.

Divine Speed layered with Zealot’s Stride carried me across the distance instantly. Space folded, and I appeared directly in front of Gu Jie before the puppet could fully act. With a single motion, I severed the connection and returned Wen Yuhan’s corpse back into her pocket dimension, cutting off that path entirely.

At the same time, I reached down and lifted her effortlessly.

“Let me down! Let me down!” she shouted, struggling in my grasp. “This is humiliating!”

Alice lowered her stance, the tension around her dissipating as she watched.

I held Gu Jie firmly, ignoring her protests.

“Do you know what we need?” I said, my tone even. “A vacation. Or something close to it.”

She continued to squirm, her anger not yet spent, but I could already feel the shift beginning beneath it.

“Calm down, my beautiful daughter. Do you want me to send you back to the Hollowed World and let your Da Ji and Wu Chen babysit you?”

“...”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”