Immortal of the Nine Realms-Chapter 1227: A Breakthrough

As Gong Tianxin spoke, his eyes occasionally drifted toward Fang Chen. Gradually, his throat felt as though it had clogged, his words lodged there, unable to come out, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.

The Immortal Worshipping Sect on Tuxiong Star was, naturally, also dedicated to gathering intelligence from various factions. They simply avoided direct involvement in conflicts.

With Immortal Worshipping Palace as its backing, and himself as the mastermind behind the scenes, it could be said that within every major power, there were one or two hidden Immortal Worshipping Sect cultivators.

Normally, these individuals had no apparent connection to the sect. Their identities remained secret, often for their entire lives, even until their deaths. As long as they passed along information and fulfilled their role, they were rewarded.

Years ago, Fang Chen had been one of the more dazzling figures on Tuxiong Star. Later, as news of that chess game spread, his status was further elevated, prompting the Immortal Worshipping Sect to prioritize gathering intel on him as a top-tier task.

Unfortunately, the information they were able to collect was severely limited. Worse yet, much of the intel was contradictory, making it nearly impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood.

For example, within the Three Thousand Dao Sect, a certain "Fang Chen" had continued cultivating over the years. The same was true for the Desolate Academy.

But Fang Chen's true cultivation had already reached the level of a First Rate Sect Leader. His avatars had to have long since rejoined into one.

So what was going on? Was it all an illusion? Or some external avatar technique? If it was just illusion magic, what was the purpose behind it?

The Immortal Worshipping Sect had no answers. Eventually, they shifted focus away from these likely decoys and turned their attention to the new division head of the Killing Spiritual Division on the Chaotic Star.

Based on intel gathered from multiple sources, they confirmed that this division head was none other than Fang Chen, the former Sword Leader of the Void Immortal Sword Sect.

In recent years, the Killing Spiritual Division, once weak and stagnant on both the Chaotic and Tuxiong Stars, had suddenly become aggressive and relentless. They dealt devastating blows to the Spirit God Sect, forcing them into one defeat after another.

This rapid shift in momentum made intelligence on the new division head even more urgent. Gong Tianxin had personally conducted an analysis of Fang Chen's strength and sold that report to the Spirit God Sect.

Back then, Gong Tianxin's assessment had concluded that that person's origins were mysterious. His cultivation was deeply hidden, and his movements were discreet. What could be confirmed from the very beginning was that he was a cultivator of the Killing Spiritual Division. His cultivation was suspected to be at the second transformation, taking the path of a remnant sword immortal. In terms of combat strength, he might be at the peak of the second transformation.

Battle record: he once repelled Li Wuwang of the Heavenly Sword Division with a single strike. By sheer technique, he was considered first rate. However, he had once walked the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps with his golden body. It was a reckless act seen as brute bravado.

In the end, his conclusion was that Fang Chen wasn't worth worrying about.

Wrong. Wrong. Everyone is wrong, Gong Tianxin thought in horror. His foundation isn't even in the Mortal Realm; it's in the Underworld! Conferring True Gods in the Underworld.... That's something only the ancient Monarch Yan could use!

The Floating Pagoda Realm and the Lesser Underworld were originally one realm. But at one point in ancient times, they had split into two for some unknown reason. Ever since then, neither side has possessed the true legacy of Monarch Yan.

The title of Monarch Yan became just that—a title. But now, the true Monarch Yan inheritance had resurfaced in the world. Even fourth-transformation immortals served him. At this rate, it wouldn't take many years before he ascended into the upper echelons of the Nine Mortal Realms.

"Daoist Gong, it seems you've recognized my background," said Fang Chen with a smile.

Gong Tianxin snapped back to reality. He hurriedly bowed respectfully. "You are among the highest tiers of the Mortal Realm. I had heard of you before, but meeting you in person surpasses the rumors."

Fang Chen said, "In a few days, Song Zhili will bring Xu Changshi to find you. They'll want to discuss how to deal with the Killing Spiritual Division. I was worried you might not know how to respond on the spot, so I had Daoist Yu bring you here ahead of time."

"I completely understand," Gong Tianxin replied quickly. "Please rest assured, Lord—I know what to do."

"Daoist Xu, have a chat with Daoist Gong so the meeting won't feel too abrupt when the time comes," Fang Chen said.

Daoist Xu?

Gong Tianxin instinctively looked toward the hall's entrance, just in time to see Xu Changshi walking in slowly.

Xu Changshi cupped his hands and said with a friendly smile, "Daoist Gong, I am Xu Changshi. A pleasure."

"Ah! A pleasure, a pleasure indeed!" Gong Tianxin hurriedly returned the gesture.

Now he finally understood why the Spirit God Sect had been unable to gain the upper hand against the Killing Spiritual Division on the Chaotic Star. Yu Tingzhai of the Yin Holy Sect. Xu Changshi of the Thousand Dao Tower. They were all his people.

What did the Spirit God Sect have to compete with that?

At least on this stretch of land, they had no chance whatsoever.

Gong Tianxin couldn't help but wonder. Just how many cultivators on the Chaotic Star had been conferred as True Gods of the underworld like them?

"The Hidden Guard, the Killing Spiritual Division, the Yin Walker Division, the Martial God Division..."

The entire Lesser Underworld had clearly been unified under him.

Wait... can he read my mind?

Gong Tianxin's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He quickly looked over at Fang Chen, only to see him watching him with a serene smile.

A chill ran straight up Gong Tianxin's spine.

"You two go ahead and talk," said Fang Chen with a smile, then turned and left with Li Wuwang.

Instead of returning to the Mortal Realm, he made his way to the back hall.

Although Xia Ji had previously taken his leave, he had suddenly arrived again in Jiangguang City. Clearly, the Hidden Guard had made progress on a particular matter.

Li Wuwang didn't follow him in. Fang Chen went alone to meet with Xia Ji. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Fang Da."

Seeing there was no one else around, Xia Ji reverted to his old form of address and spoke in a low voice, "We can't get our people into the Lesser Immortal Realm. Only living beings, meaning the living, can enter. But now, we've found a possible breakthrough."

Fang Chen asked, "How so?"

Xia Ji said, "There is news that some sects within the Lesser Immortal Realm are recruiting disciples from various places in the Nine Mortal Realms. If we can get a few people selected, we'll have a chance to track the whereabouts of Heavenly Monarch Ji. If we can confirm Heavenly Monarch Ji is coming to the Nine Realms, we can simply decapitate him on arrival."

He paused, then showed a bitter smile. "But the problem is finding the right candidates. I've thought it over and still can't come up with anyone suitable."

Fang Chen asked after a moment's thought, "What about me?"

Xia Ji immediately shook his head. "Not possible. Your cultivation is too high. They're only recruiting those who haven't even formed their foundation yet. Once someone reaches Foundation Building, they lose interest. Moreover, they demand a completely clean background. They'll investigate several generations back. If someone appears out of nowhere without a clear origin, they won't be let in."

He paused again before continuing, "The Lesser Immortal Realm is also on guard against the Spirit God Sect, the Killing Spiritual Division, and all the major factions. So when they select disciples, they do it with extreme caution, ruling out anyone with ties to those powers."

"How much time do we have?"

"There's plenty. Each sect selects disciples at different times, but the general window is within the next thirty years or so."

Fang Chen said, "I'll think of a way. In the meantime, have your people closely monitor any news related to this, especially cultivators from the Lesser Immortal Realm with the surname 'Ji.'"

"Understood."

After a pause, Xia Ji suddenly looked curious. "I heard from Empress Ci that you brought several cultivators with the surname Fang to Jiangguang City? Including a child?"

"It's not what you're thinking," Fang Chen said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Their existence is... special. They're avatars I condensed."

"Avatars... damn, that's impressive."

Xia Ji gave a thumbs-up, then quickly took his leave from Jiangguang City.

Afterward, Fang Chen exited the rear hall and gave Li Wuwang a look. "Let's go back to the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Let's see how that deputy division head managed to stay hidden there all these years."