Immortal of the Nine Realms

Surnamed Jiang? A Great Heavenly Sovereign? The former owner of the Mirror of the Universe?

Fang Chen asked calmly, "Where is this Fellow Daoist Jiang now?"

"He's dead. Died on the battlefield." Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "He was too foolish. He actually trusted his comrades and thought he could seize an opening in the enemy's defenses. He rushed over excitedly, only to fall straight into an ambush and die.

"At the time, I should have died with him. But before dying, he transformed himself into a Heavenly Sovereign Pill and insisted I consume him. Then he died, and I lived. So in my life, I encountered death twice. The first time, it was mortal bandits. My elder brother saved me. The second time, I was betrayed by my comrades, and Big Brother Jiang saved me. From that point onward, whether demons, mortals, or cultivators, all of them became equally disgusting in my eyes."

Fang Chen looked at her. "So mortals reincarnated from the demon race became so worthless in your eyes that they were only fit to be refined into pills... And the Spirit Blood Pill was something you comprehended after consuming the Heavenly Sovereign Pill?"

Lu Yuan nodded. "More or less. The Spirit Blood Pill is far inferior to the Heavenly Sovereign Pill, but using it to raise the cultivation of my subordinates and make them serve me is more than enough."

"So your position as a ninth-transformation immortal did not actually originate from an Immortal Path. You are the new Heavenly Sovereign," Fang Chen said.

"Every immortal path lineage is monopolized by someone. Even during the chaos of the Three Realms Upheaval, it was difficult for anyone to bite off a piece of their flesh. Many people have guessed which Immortal Path I walk."

A trace of mockery flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes. "Unfortunately, they never guessed correctly before they died."

Fang Chen nodded. "Alright then. Go back into the coffin and continue healing. I'll be leaving first as well."

He had already learned everything he needed to know. He simply had not expected matters to align so coincidentally. The founder of the Spirit God Sect had actually been brought up by the former owner of the Mirror of the Universe.

Kong Lin was sent back by Fang Chen, and Lu Yuan reentered the black jade coffin after returning to the Mortal Realm.

"I'm afraid no one would imagine that such a tiny place could still be hiding a ninth-transformation cultivator," muttered Fang Chen.

Watching the black jade coffin sink back underground, Fang Chen turned and stepped into the endless white mist.

***

Enlightenment Star.

"Little Mirror, you heard my conversation with Lu Yuan, right? Anything missing that you want to add?"

"My dear brother, it's not that I refused to tell you before. The rules were simply the rules. But now that you already know of this matter, the karmic burden has lessened. I can tell you a few more things."

"Lu Yuan truly did become a new Heavenly Sovereign. And this path... can actually break past limits."

"Break past limits? You mean... the Heavenly Sovereign path is the same limit-breaking path Gu Yueling mentioned?"

"It's not exactly the same, but it does ultimately lead to the same destination. In the current Nine Mortal Realms, I'm afraid she's the only one capable of walking that path now. The rest can only retrace the old paths"

"So the Heavenly Supreme Pill Technique is similar to the Saint Canon? We don't necessarily need the Saint Canon. Through the former, we can also forge a new path?"

"Mmm... it still cannot compare to the Saint Canon. Based on my calculations, the Saint Canon has existed even longer than the Nine Mortal Realms themselves. After countless years of development, it has naturally become extremely mature. The Great Heavenly Sovereign Pill Dao, in comparison, is merely a babbling infant. As for whether it can eventually break through to the Three Breaking Limit Steps breaking and advance into the Half Saint realm... that remains unknown."

"Who researched and created the Great Heavenly Sovereign Pill Dao? You? Or the Heavenly Dao?"

"Uh... I cannot say that unless you give me a huge amount of immortal crystals."

"How many?"

"At least 10 million? That should be about enough."

10 million?

Fang Chen instantly abandoned the thought. Even at the point in his life when he possessed the most immortal crystals, he had never surpassed 50,000. How could he ever obtain 10 million? Only if the Enlightenment God Palace halted all operations and concentrated every resource into one place would they perhaps... maybe... possibly... be able to gather such a terrifying amount.

Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Fang Chen poured Old Sheng and Daoist Miyu out of the Yang Gourd.

Fang Chen smiled. "Fellow Daoist Miyu, this is Enlightenment Star. For now, don't spread news of my return."

Mi Yu's eyes were a little dazed as she glanced around. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Then I'll head to Bug Valley first."

Fang Chen waved his hand. "Go ahead."

After Daoist Miyu left, Old Sheng spoke up. "Core Disciple Fang, then I'll head to Renzu Mountain to cultivate in seclusion. It'll also help stabilize my current realm."

Fang Chen nodded.

After Old Sheng departed, Fang Chen's thoughts stirred, and he instantly arrived in the Dongsheng Empire.

Fang Zhixue and Fang Xiaohua stood in midair, observing a residence below. Inside, an elderly woman at death's door was surrounded by many descendants, all staring at her sorrowfully as they listened to her repeatedly explain her final arrangements.

A middle-aged man held a bowl of medicine, his eyes red. "Auntie, we all understand already. Please stop talking and drink some medicine first."

The old woman turned her head away. "It's bitter. I'm not drinking."

The crowd could only sigh softly. This elder had always been stubborn her entire life. Once she decided something, no one could change her mind. She had already refused medicine for more than ten days, and her condition worsened daily, yet no one could do anything about it.

Fang Zhixue sighed. "Even after reincarnating, Fairy Yu is still this stubborn."

Fang Xiaohua blinked. "Should we reveal ourselves and try persuading her?"

Fang Zhixue smiled. "Big Brother already said we shouldn't interfere in matters like this."

"Besides, after she dies, she'll reincarnate again anyway."

As they spoke, both suddenly saw a blur before their eyes, and a figure had already appeared before them.

The two women cried out in delight. "Big Brother!"

Fang Chen sighed softly. "Little Yu's lifespan in this life has already come to an end. Fortunately, we can still make it in time to receive her."

Worry appeared on Fang Zhixue's face. "Big Brother, has the battle in the Taicang Realm already ended? The strange phenomena in the sky several years ago... your affairs have already been..."

Fang Chen smiled faintly. "It's fine. No one can hide in the shadows forever. In the past, I feared exposure because I lacked the means to deal with the dangers that would follow. But now, I have enough power to handle what's thrown my way."

What that false Heavenly Dao exposed was only his identity. It had absolutely failed to calculate that he would be able to mobilize two existences at the ninth transformation. And if he prepared in advance, he could even add the Ghost Mother of Self Transformation to the mix. As for eighth-transformation Immortals, he possessed even more—Venerable Fatian, Venerable Yunfu, Venerable Zuimeng, and Venerable Feishe. These four from the Motian Division each commanded a million yin soldiers.

There were also the Ghost Infant, Kong Lin, and Wang Er.

The forces under his command, purely in terms of peak combat strength, had already far surpassed any super first-rate faction. And if one also counted the powerful backers behind him, he now possessed enough influence to affect the overall situation of the Nine Mortal Realms at certain critical moments. At present, only that peerless Motian Dizang still made him feel wary.

At that moment, a young girl suddenly ran out from the courtyard below. As she ran, she rose into the sky, arriving before the three of them.

She looked at Fang Zhixue and Fang Xiaohua with surprise and delight. "Big Sisters, did you die too?"

At that moment, loud wailing cries erupted from the courtyard below.