Immortal of the Nine Realms-Chapter 1407: Ghost Immortals
Lin Yuan looked confused. "Cultivating after death? What does that even mean? And those Yin Demons, the Demon Refining Tower..."
He suddenly realized there were many things he hadn't heard of before. If he hadn't become an Enlightenment God Palace cultivator and been insanely lucky to arrive at Enlightenment Star, he probably would never have learned any of this.
Nanming Shaoze said lightly, "You sure ask a lot of questions. Don't think that death means the end. But we unofficial disciples are different from core disciples. When we die, we have to start over. Having past life experience, connections, and resources makes cultivation easier, but it still takes time to see results."
"This path is called the Ghost Immortal Path in the Enlightenment Underworld, and it's roughly the same as the immortal path you imagine," said Nanming Shaoze's friend, Du Rufeng.
He was someone with decent talent and powerful connections, hence his presence on Enlightenment Star.
Du Rufeng glanced at Lin Yuan. "The only difference is, we start over after death, while the core disciples can follow the Ghost Immortal path while still alive."
"What...?"
Lin Yuan and the others grew even more confused.
Fang Chen, however, picked out key information from their words.
Ghost Immortal Path? Underworld True Gods?
How come it sounds like the Enlightenment Underworld also had the power to confer official decrees? Or perhaps the Ghost Immortal Path is a path the Enlightenment Underworld discovered themselves, similar to the path of the Underworld True God?
Fang Chen cupped his hands politely. "Daoist Shaoze, could you please explain the Ghost Immortal Path in more detail?"
"You'll understand in time. Since you want to hear about it, I'll explain, though it's not especially important for us right now," said Nanming Shaoze with a faint smile.
He explained, "The so-called Ghost Immortal path is naturally the path that wandering souls take. Nowadays, within the Enlightenment Underworld, there are quite a few who have reached the seventh transformation on this path. Don't underestimate them just because they walk the Ghost Immortal Path. In fact, their lifespan far exceeds what we imagine. Many of them were once core disciples or even elders. So if you are fortunate enough to meet one someday, remember not to offend them and show due respect."
Lin Yuan and the others immediately drew a sharp breath.
Nanming Shaoze continued, "The path is similar to the Immortal Paths in the living world. Upon reaching the first transformation, one must consume immortal herbs, but the herbs for the Ghost Immortal Path exist only in the Underworld. They cannot be found in the living world.
"As Brother Du just mentioned, the difference between us and the core disciples is that they can already walk the Ghost Immortal Path while alive. The Immortal Paths of the living world and the Ghost Immortal Path don't conflict. Instead, they complement each other. Some core disciples might only be third-transformation immortals in the living world, but in the Underworld, they could possess the cultivation of a fifth-transformation Ghost Immortal."
He paused, then smiled slyly. "A brother from my clan is well-versed in this path. His Ghost Immortal cultivation is not inferior to the senior sister among the core disciples."
Du Rufeng and the others' eyes lit up with hope. "Brother Shaoze, do we have a chance to meet Senior Brother Nanming this time?"
Nanming Shaoze's expression darkened. "Even if he comes, he wouldn't look for me. You all don't have any chance to meet him."
Fang Chen asked with a strange expression, "Brother Shaoze, does the Ghost Immortal Path have any remarkable features? If someone cultivates both paths, wouldn't that require double the resources? Without some benefit, that doesn't seem like a good choice for us."
Nanming Shaoze nodded with a smile. "Daoist Fang, that is exactly the case. Walking two paths often results in mediocre progress in both, which happens often among core disciples. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
"But do you know, as long as there is a continuous supply of Yin Lifespan, one can truly achieve longevity in the underworld. Just this advantage alone attracts countless people to the Ghost Immortal Path. Different major Underworlds in the Upper Three Realms have fought for the Ghost Immortal herbs for countless years."
He paused, then continued, "Besides, even if a Ghost Immortal loses their physical body, they can easily travel between the living world and the Underworld."
Hearing that Ghost Immortals could achieve longevity and travel freely between worlds, Lin Yuan and the others were stunned.
Hadn't longevity always been their pursuit ever since treading on the path of immortality? To live carefree and unrestrained?
Fang Chen was almost certain that what they called Ghost Immortals were likely Underworld True Gods. But from Nanming Shaoze's words, he sensed something was off.
Ghost Immortals must consume immortal herbs?
Underworld True Gods do not need to consume such herbs. That marked an essential difference between the two. But in other aspects, they were very similar. To truly understand the difference between the two, he'd need to see one in person.
Nanming Shaoze smiled faintly and said, "So, if you want to surpass others, the best way is to advance to the core and become a core disciple. Only then do you qualify to take the immortal herb and follow the Ghost Immortal Path."
As he spoke, the group had already left the Enlightenment Underworld, heading south. The Enlightenment Underworld didn't seem to restrict the freedom of wandering souls here. Outside, there were countless residences where many wandering souls lived.
Fang Chen asked, "Daoist Shaoze, what exactly is this Refining Demon Tower you mentioned earlier? When I was walking the Path of Yin in the Lower Six Realms, I heard some rumors that those Yin Demons... are actually ordinary wandering souls that have transformed due to excessively plundering Yin Lifespan. Could those Yin Demons really be refined?"
Nanming Shaoze said, "I don't know the details either, just that the core of the Refining Demon Tower is extremely hard to obtain. Places like the Blood and Flesh Divine Palace, Taiyi Immortal Sect, all have their own Refining Demon Towers.
"As long as you throw the captured Yin Demons in there, they can be refined into pure Yin Lifespan. I've heard that the guardian of the Refining Demon Tower is a Ghost Immortal who has lived for at least fifty thousand years, with an unfathomable cultivation level."
"Fifty thousand years... that's practically immortality..."
A trace of shock flashed in Lin Yuan and the others' eyes.
Although Du Rufeng and the others had known about this for a while, hearing Nanming Shaoze mention it still made them show some reverence.
Nanming Shaoze said, "By the way, Ghost Immortals are different from the Great Yin Demons here. Ghost Immortals can travel to the Mortal Realm. Whenever a major event happens in the Upper Three Realms, our Enlightenment God Palace can dispatch more Ghost Immortals than you could imagine. But these Great Yin Demons here are truly indigenous. Although their abilities are strong, they are far less noble than Ghost Immortals. Still... best not to offend them if possible. Some of these Great Yin Demons have lived a long time and are quite formidable."
Along the way, Lin Yuan and the others' understanding of this place deepened significantly, and Nan Ming Shaoze answered almost every question patiently.
At the same time, they also vaguely sensed fierce competition between the Fangcun Realm and the other two realms, with the source of the competition being the immortal herbs of the Ghost Immortal Path. Within the Fangcun Realm, many top powers have fought viciously over this item. But aside from these top powers, no other groups have the capability to walk the Path of Yin, nor do they have a Refining Demon Tower or the ability to set up a Yin Division.
Several days later, the group suddenly arrived at a desolate valley ahead.
Du Rufeng's expression grew solemn as he said, "This is it. I recently received news that a Yin Demon broke into this area and killed hundreds of wandering souls. This Yin Demon is very close to being a Great Yin Demon, so it must carry a huge amount of Yin Lifespan!"
