Immortal of the Nine Realms

Watching the scene unfold in the sky, Fang Chen let out a soft, silent sigh. He knew that for Half Saint Fang to ascend to a Saint, it would never be as simple as a straightforward breakthrough. However, he was equally certain that Half Saint Fang was fully aware of exactly what would happen today. In fact, Saint Jinyang and Saint Luoxue likely knew it too.

These two Saints might be just like me. They want to see exactly how Half Saint Fang breaks through this deadlock today. Fang Chen mused inwardly.

Compared to the grim and solemn expressions on the faces of those around the Chaoxian Tower, the powerful experts hidden in the surrounding mist were thoroughly delighted, watching the spectacle with malicious amusement.

The blinding white light enveloping Half Saint Fang slowly dimmed. His ascending aura remained perfectly suspended halfway through the ascension process, neither continuing to rise nor collapsing backward.

He looked toward the two true Saints and suddenly smiled. "Honored Saints, you block my path to becoming a Saint. Is it because you believe our Human Race has too many Supreme Bones already?"

The divine ability experts of the Fang Clan could not help but curse out loud.

"As Saints of the realm, your personal selfishness is so immense that you would actively obstruct a powerful cultivator of our race from ascending! You are the true sinners of our people!"

Such angry shouts echoed across Zanglong City one after another. Yet, the two true Saints remained entirely unfazed.

Saint Jinyang smiled faintly and spoke. "Fang Lie, your ascension to the Saint seat is a matter that still requires deliberation. Allow us to discuss this for a few more years. Once a consensus is reached, it will not be too late for you to ascend."

"Old Fang, listen to how utterly shameless that is!" Wang Chongsong couldn't resist transmitting his voice, his tone dripping with indignation. "Ancestor Fang is currently halfway through his breakthrough. If they suppress him like this, his Saint Heart will be permanently fractured. He might never have another hope of becoming a Saint in his lifetime!"

Fang Chen replied with a calm smile, "Ancestor Lie naturally has his own ways of handling this. Let's just watch."

Wang Chongsong nodded silently. The reason no panic had broken out around the Chaoxian Tower was precisely that everyone implicitly believed that Half Saint Fang still held a countermeasure up his sleeve. After all, Saint Wandao and Saint Wanqing had yet to show themselves.

"Deliberation? Since you speak of deliberation, you should also understand that this must be a discussion among all nine Saints, not just the two of you," Half Saint Fang countered with a relaxed smile. "What the two of you say simply does not carry the final weight."

Saint Jinyang nodded. "Naturally."

Right at that moment, Saint Luoxue, who had been completely silent until now, spoke coldly, "Give me the Eighteen Heavens Prison Tower, and I can choose to stand on your side."

Hearing that, Half Saint Zhangxue's face turned incredibly unsightly. The experts from the various Half Saint Clans hidden in the mist were also caught off guard. Only Saint Jinyang showed zero surprise, as if he was entirely certain that Half Saint Fang would never hand over the tower so easily.

"This Eighteen Heavens Prison Tower is merely an object entrusted to me for safekeeping by a certain senior. I am meant to return it eventually. How can I gift it away?" Half Saint Fang let out a light chuckle. "I ask that you refrain from making things difficult for me."

Saint Luoxue instantly ceased talking, merely watching Half Saint Fang with an utterly detached gaze.

At the same time, Saint Jinyang gave a soft laugh. "Everyone, if you do not step forward to join the deliberation, then this matter will be decided by Saint Luoxue and myself."

This is...

The crowd's hearts skipped a beat. It was glaringly obvious that Saint Jinyang was speaking to the remaining Saints of the realm. Could it be that the other supreme arbiters had already arrived?

As everyone scanned the area intently, two more figures slowly materialized in the void. One of them was a woman, just like Saint Luoxue. She wore a dark, profound Daoist robe that perfectly outlined a voluptuous figure. Her face was completely obscured by a shifting layer of faint black mist, rendering her true appearance invisible.

"That is Saint Wanqing!" the crowd whispered excitedly.

The other figure possessed an even grander reputation. He was Saint Wandao. The moment he manifested, his sheer presence alone subtly suppressed the combined auras of both Saint Jinyang and Saint Luoxue.

Meanwhile, Fang Chen was astounded, his expression a storm of shifting emotions.

Holy crap... isn't that Master?!

Saint Wandao wore an immaculate Daoist robe. Embroidered on the front was a celestial crane treading upon the shifting mists of Yin and Yang. The mist seemed alive, flowing continuously across the fabric, and the crane itself appeared to possess a profound, spiritual sentience as its eyes silently scanned the massive crowd below.

His appearance was exactly the same as Yun He in Fang Chen's memories. That was absolutely no coincidence!

Fang Chen's gaze instinctively darted back toward Saint Wanqing, his heart churning with sudden realization and suspicion.

If Saint Wandao is Master Yun He... could Saint Wangqing be the Twilight Solar God Beast, the legendary Monarch Yan who held absolute authority during the Nine Realms Era?

No wonder Master always seemed to have such an incredibly tight relationship with the Old Man. It turns out that as early as the Nether Ruin Era, they were already part of the exact same gang!

Fang Chen suppressed the wild shock in his chest, a genuine smile gradually gracing his eyes. The grander the origins of his seniors, the more secure he felt.

Wang Chongsong transmitted excitedly, "Old Fang, that's Saint Wandao and Saint Wanqing! Although their seniority is only comparable to Saint Luoxue and cannot match Saint Jinyang, their methods and status are completely transcendent.

"Leaving aside Saint Wandao's peerless, unmatched combat prowess, to the point where the Flame Race even refers to him as the God of War, just look at Saint Wanqing! Whatever she says, the other Saints must ponder thrice before acting. Who would dare rashly contradict her? After all, every living being must eventually die. And once they die, they belong to the jurisdiction of the Ghost Race. Whether one can successfully transition into a Ghost Race to obtain nearly infinite longevity depends entirely on strict regulations enforced by the grand figures of the Underworld!"

"Why are you getting so worked up?" Fang Chen shot a side glance at Wang Chongsong. "You aren't even remotely related to them. If anyone should be celebrating, it's me."

"Hey, what's yours is mine!" Wang Chongsong grinned broadly. "Our two families are currently riding in the same boat. The stronger your family becomes, the brighter the future is for my family"

"Saint Jinyang, Saint Luoxue," the Saint Wandao spoke up, his tone carrying a light, scoffing laugh. "You both knew perfectly well that Fang Lie's ascension to become a Saint was explicitly greenlit by myself and Saint Wanqing. Why have you still come out to disrupt it? Isn't this a bit indiscreet?"

Seeing the younger Saint Wandao lecture the much older Saint Jinyang as though he was an elder scolding juniors, the expressions of the onlookers became incredibly strange.

Saint Jinyang's seniority ranked among the top three of all nine current Saints. Rumor had it that when he became a Saint, Saint Wandao was nothing more than a minor cultivator navigating the Three Foundation Realms.

Yet, Saint Jinyang did not display a shred of anger. He merely smiled warmly. "Saint Wandao, there is no need to be impatient. A matter of this magnitude must still be put forward for all of us to deliberate together before a final decision can be set in stone."

"And why is that? Does the human race gaining an extra Saint pose a threat to our people?" Saint Wandao asked flatly. "Or is it simply your own selfishness at play? You fear that once Fang Lie becomes a Saint, he will actively oppose you and Saint Luoxue?"

Saint Jinyang replied with a smooth smile, "Selfishness exists within every heart, and Saints are no exception. However, my intentions are never deployed for personal gain. They are rooted entirely in the overarching destiny of our race."

A flash of dangerous chill pierced Saint Wandao's eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Saint Jinyang completely ignored his glare, instead looking toward an empty patch of the void. "What do the five of you think?"

Everyone suddenly noticed the spatial energies in that direction beginning to fluctuate rapidly. It felt as though a massive, invisible curtain had been drawn across the sky. Because the curtain separated them from everyone else, only their indistinct silhouettes could be seen. No one could make out their true appearances.