Immortal of the Nine Realms-Chapter 1439: Everyones Here

"We'll speak when everyone is here," Elder Chen said, glancing first at Li Shanzi, then at Nanming Ruyue. He frowned. "The rest aren't here yet? Send word to them immediately. Their senior sister is dead. No matter what they're doing, they must return at once."

The gathered core disciples understood at once and began transmitting messages to the senior figures they followed.

The ones Elder Chen referred to were the few who, like Li Shanzi and Nanming Ruyue, possessed the ability to wield Formation Immortal Arts. Although all of them were core disciples, the difference between Formation Immortal Arts wielders and the rest was vast.

Among the thousand-odd core disciples, only a handful could use the Formation Immortal Arts. Among them were Xie Aman, the former chief core disciple, and their Fifth Senior Sister, Nanming Ruyue.

Previously, there had only been seven such individuals, but now that Li Shanzi had mastered the Formation Immortal Arts, he had naturally become the eighth.

"Elder Chen," Hundred Battle Immortal Sovereign spoke up suddenly. "Senior Sister brought Little Immortal Honglian with her to the Lower Six Realms. I wonder... has her life-lamp been extinguished as well?"

Li Shanzi and Nanming Ruyue both looked startled. They had personally witnessed Little Immortal Honglian's promotion to core disciple. Could she have died too?

"Hong Zhi's life-lamp still burns," Elder Chen said coldly. "That means she's alive. Once we find her, we'll know the truth of what happened."

His voice turned sharper. "The death of the chief core disciple in the Lower Six Realms, if word of this spreads, it will shake every Ancient Forbidden Zone. You'd all better be prepared for war."

"Yes!"

The assembled disciples grew graver still.

Without their chief core disciple to lead them, the Enlightenment God Palace would likely lose its edge in the coming conflicts over the Ancient Forbidden Zones. Out of more than twenty such domains, who knew how many they could still hold?

After some time, several elders arrived, their auras splitting the sky. Among them was Elder Jiang.

An old crone leaning on a dragon-headed cane croaked hoarsely the moment she appeared. "Elder Chen, are your old eyes failing you? Are you certain the chief core disciple has died?"

"See for yourself," Elder Chen snapped impatiently.

The old woman scowled but entered the hall along with several other elders. When they emerged some time later, each wore a darker expression than the last.

"Where is the body now?" one asked quietly.

"In the Langgui Constellation," Elder Chen replied.

***

The cultivators of the Enlightenment God Palace would need time to reach the Langgui Constellation, but the message reached the Ancient Immortals stationed there first. That very day, three Ancient Immortals ascended aboard the Black Dragon Immortal Boat, two men and one woman, the strongest in the constellation.

Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian recognized them immediately. They were the same three who had presided over their assessment years ago.

The three made no polite greetings. Their eyes went straight to the ice coffin that held Senior Sister's body, and their faces turned grave.

One of them bowed his head slightly. "There is indeed no trace of life left."

Another looked toward Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian. "Tell us what happened."

"Honored seniors," Little Immortal Honglian said, cupping her hands respectfully, "We should wait for the elders' arrival before giving details."

The three Ancient Immortals exchanged a glance but did not press further. Their minds were already turning over the implications, and their expressions grew darker by the moment.

Even recognizing that Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian were both natives of the Langgui Constellation, the latter even a core disciple, they had no mood for conversation.

After a brief discussion among themselves, one of them turned to Little Immortal Honglian and said, "The elders of the palace have ordered us to guard this place. The three of us will remain here for now."

"Thank you, seniors," she said.

"No need for thanks," the elder replied. "It's our duty."

***

Half a year later, several Black Dragon Immortal Boats emerged from Qingming, descending into the void above the Langgui Constellation.

Elder Chen arrived first, leading several elders and hundreds of core disciples straight to the ice coffin.

"She's dead," Elder Chen declared after a careful inspection, his face utterly grim.

The hundreds of cores trembled inwardly at his words.

She's really dead? The chief core disciple of the mighty Enlightenment God Palace has fallen just like that, in the Lower Six Realms?

The crowd couldn't help but wonder if an eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal was lurking down here. To them, that was the only explanation. No ordinary seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal, not even two working together, could have taken Xie Aman's life so easily.

Li Shanzi immediately turned his gaze to Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian.

Nanming Ruyue, Ji Sheng, and several others also looked them over, thoughtful and wary.

"Hong Zhi," Elder Chen said, his cold eyes fixing on Little Immortal Honglian, "I am Elder Chen. We've met before, do you remember me?"

"I do, Elder Chen," she said, bowing respectfully.

"Then tell us what happened," he said flatly. "Why did she perish in the Lower Six Realms? Leave nothing out, every detail must be accounted for."

Following Xie Aman's prior instructions, Little Immortal Honglian recounted the entire event from beginning to end.

As for how they had survived, she explained that in her final moments, Senior Sister had used her last strength to push them away from the ambush and return them to the Upper Three Realms.

"So," Elder Chen said, narrowing his eyes, "she went searching for something... and someone used that as bait to lure her into a trap?"

The elders exchanged glances. They seemed to have a good idea of what that thing was. Their eyes swept subtly across the gathered cores, as though probing their reactions.

Very few people knew what Xie Aman had been looking for, only a handful, in fact.

"Three of you," Elder Chen said, turning to the Ancient Immortals of the Langgui Constellation, "What have you discovered?"

Though they were equals in cultivation, the three showed deference toward him, their postures cautious and respectful. One of them spoke. "We have guarded this place for over half a year. No one has approached or attempted to disturb it."

"Hmm," Elder Chen said quietly. "Then those who struck must be confident she's truly dead; otherwise, they would have come to confirm it themselves."

His gaze swept once more over the gathered core disciples.

Nanming Ruyue suddenly said, "Elder Chen, could it be that we have a traitor among the core disciples?"

None of the elders answered, but faint, cold smiles crept across their faces.

Elder Chen finally spoke, his tone indifferent. "There's no other explanation. Someone among you used a certain matter to bait her. Had she not been burdened by guilt, she would never have been deceived so easily."

He paused. "You all heard what Hong Zhi just said, the attackers were two Ancient Immortals, one likely from the Rulai Monastery, the other Chen Sansui of the Five Poison Sect."

Immediately, a core disciple stepped forward. "Elder Chen, allow me to go to the Five Poison Sect and bring back Chen Sansui."

"No need to rush things," Elder Chen said with a cold snort. "The Five Poison Sect is in the Fangcun Realm. They won't escape."

He glanced toward the horizon, his eyes hard. "And why haven't the others arrived yet? With a matter this serious, they should be crawling here if they have to."

As soon as his words fell, several more Black Dragon Immortal Boats emerged from the heavens.

"Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, Fourth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, Seventh Senior Sister..."

"They're all here now..."