Immortal of the Nine Realms

"You are simply dead. Now, you have been decreed as an Underworld True God. When Monarch Fang questions you, see that you answer truthfully," Yu Jingming said flatly.

An Underworld True God...

A look of utter despair flickered in Qu Wanli's eyes. It was as if something deep within his heart had been thoroughly shattered beyond any hope of repair.

"Which side do you serve?" Fang Chen asked.

The moment a thought of resistance rose in Qu Wanli's mind, he felt the searing agony of his soul being scorched. He held out for only a few breaths before blurting out, "I am working for the God Dao Sect!"

The onlookers exchanged glances. The answer was unexpected, yet entirely logical.

"Working for the God Dao Sect... then your goal is the God Decree Ranking and the divine path," Yu Jingming murmured to himself.

Qu Wanli sneered. "Correct! The God Dao Sect promised me that if the demon race wins the Taicang battle, they would allow me to walk the divine path. My cultivation would immediately break through to the eighth transformation realm, and I would even have a chance to aim for the ninth transformation in the future!"

Li Yanjun wore a complicated expression. "So your obsession has already reached such a level, Elder Qu... "

He could understand a cultivator's obsession with power, as every cultivator wants to climb to the peak. But to betray one's own race for it? That was beyond his comprehension.

"Elder Qu, you came from a humble background. Reaching your current level was no small feat. To choose the wrong path at such a critical juncture is truly a pity," Li Wanshan said, shaking his head. "Your promotion to the eighth transformation had already been finalised. Once the Taicang battle concluded, Elder Pei was set to pass away, and you were meant to take his seat."

"What did you say?!"

Disbelief flashed in Qu Wanli's eyes as he stared deathly at Li Wanshan. Before Li Wanshan could speak again, Qu Wanli let out a mocking laugh. "Trying to deceive me? I have waited for that seat for thousands of years! If I hadn't been using immortal crystals to hang onto my life, I would have passed away long ago. And now, at this exact moment, you tell me my eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal position was finalised? Why wasn't I informed sooner?!"

Li Wanshan wore a cold expression. "Why would I lie to you? As for why we didn't tell you sooner, the passing of an eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal is a matter of grave importance. How could it be announced prematurely? If the news leaked and drew rivals to stir up trouble, wouldn't that cause unnecessary complications?"

Qu Wanli's expression shifted rapidly, then he mumbled to himself, "So what? Even with an eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal seat, a ninth-transformation seat would never be vacated for me in the future. It would always be one of you selected to inherit the ninth-transformation immortal legacy. An eighth transformation is ultimately still an ant. Only at the ninth transformation can one climb to the supreme heights of this realm, aiming for the Half-Step Heavenly Dao, or even becoming the Heavenly Dao itself—the co-lord of the Nine Realms!"

The expressions of the crowd grew complicated. Someone sighed softly, "When ambition does not match one's ability, calamity follows."

"What other orders did the God Dao Sect give you? Are there others of yours still within Wangyue Tower?" Fang Chen asked calmly.

The crowd's focus shifted back with eyes fixed on Qu Wanli. This was a crucial question. If they could use Qu Wanli to root out the remaining traitors, it would save them a massive amount of trouble.

Qu Wanli was not a suicide soldier. His relationship with the God Dao Sect was merely transactional. Having lost his chance at the divine path, his will to resist had evaporated.

He said indifferently, "I don't know much. Even if there are other spies, I don't know who they are. As for the tasks assigned to me, they were quite ambiguous. I only needed to exert enough influence to ensure the cultivators of the Three Realms were defeated by the demon race."

Fang Chen asked a few more questions. After determining that Qu Wanli knew nothing more of value, his intent shifted. A terrifying flame erupted from within Qu Wanli's soul, swallowing him in an instant.

"Monarch Fang, what are you doing?!" Li Wanshan cried out in shock and anger.

The crowd looked on with mixed feelings. Qu Wanli's soul was being scattered and had lost any chance of reincarnation.

Fang Chen looked at Li Wanshan coldly. "Daoist Li, if he doesn't die, who could be satisfied?"

Li Wanshan was speechless. After a moment of silence, he turned and walked away.

Yu Jingming laughed. "It's over, disperse."

He cupped his hands toward Fang Chen and led his people away.

Lady Shi, who had been quiet all this time, looked at Fang Chen and said, "Monarch Fang, you might want to consider my previous offer. My True King Clans has many eligible young ladies who would make fine matches."

After saying that, she nodded to Xie Aman and departed.

Once everyone had left, Xie Aman and Fang Chen re-entered the secluded chamber.

"When Li Wanshan said he didn't trust you, the expressions of those from Xianyue Guan, Wang Ye, and Ye Qingqiu were a bit strange. Did something happen on the road that you haven't told me about?" Xie Aman enquired with a smile.

"Indeed," Fang Chen nodded. "On the way, we encountered an outsider."

Xie Aman's expression sharpened. "An outsider? Did you suppress him, or did he escape?"

"The outsider was an Ancient Demonic Beast."

Fang Chen selected the vital parts of Gu Yueling's revelations and gave a summary. He spoke of the Seeking Dao Faction and the Conservative Faction of the Ancient Demonic Beast race, as well as the current plight of the Seeking Dao Faction. He described the situation beyond the Qingming, which was led by the Supreme Qingming Alliance. He also explained the crucial distinction between a Realm Lord and the Heavenly Dao.

"Ancient Demonic Beast ancestors... Supreme Qingming Alliance... the Heavenly Dao representing the end of transcendant..."

Even though Xie Aman was a battle-hardened veteran and a high-ranking figure in the Nine Realms who was destined to become a ninth-transformation immortal of the Enlightenment God Palace, she was shaken by this news.

"The theory of the 'Ant Nest'...actually, our seniors in the Nine Realms have always had such conjectures. After the Three Realms Upheaval, we were able to confirm that many outsiders like the demon race truly exist. We even indirectly determined that our human race was once an outsider as well, having migrated from elsewhere long ago. That is why we insisted on creating Expedition Teams to explore Qingming. It was also fortunate that when the Heavenly Dao died, the blood it left behind possessed unfathomable power. Through the joint research of various sects, we found the best use for it: transforming it into the Immortal Boat Formations we use today."

Speaking to this point, Xie Aman sighed softly.

"However, limited by our lifespans, we cannot travel too far. To this day, the furthest we've gone is just some Ancient Forbidden Zones. According to our theories, those zones were likely once regions just like our Nine Realms, only they died many years ago and became what they are now."

She looked at Fang Chen. "This Ancient Demonic Beast ancestor is vital. The information she brought validates many of our guesses over the years and is far more important than the data we've spent so much effort trying to find."

Fang Chen said, "There is only one problem. According to her, the demonic beast from the Conservative Faction of the God Dao Sect has already sent out an external transmission. If another Ancient Demonic Beast ancestor receives it, the Nine Realms might be sold off like a commodity. I fear people like Qu Wanli are not few in number. Even among the ninth transformation Immortals of the Nine Realms, I cannot trust them all, as I have met very few of them."

Fang Chen cupped his hands in a respectful salute. "Therefore, Gu Yueling cannot officially meet with any of you for now. I must consult my Master and the Old Man before making a decision. In this, I hope you won't blame me, Eldest Senior Sister. I hope you will support me."