Immortal of the Nine Realms-Chapter 1494: Whats There To Kill?!

The two of them looked in the direction Xie Aman pointed and saw sprawling clusters of buildings at the far end of the sea. The once-empty ocean now had scattered boats drifting upon it.

When the fishermen spotted the great Black Dragon Ship, they froze in awe, then dropped to their knees on the decks, bowing repeatedly as if they had just witnessed the descent of gods.

Fang Chen, Little Immortal Hongliang, and Xie Aman sized up the fishermen.

"They should be wandering souls," she murmured, her brows furrowing in thought. "But I don't possess Yin Yang Eyes. I shouldn't be able to see them at all."

"Neither do I," said Little Immortal Honglian.

"They are indeed wandering souls," Fang Chen said after careful observation.

The fishermen looked exactly like living people, but not a trace of life force stirred in them, only an aura of death and gloom.

Just the fact that Xie Aman and Little Immortal Honglian could see them at all meant that this place wasn't ordinary.

"I'll go talk to them," said Fang Chen, leaping down toward one of the boats.

The fishermen on the boat, young and old, immediately fell to their knees, trembling with excitement.

"Immortal! Immortal!" they cried.

Fang Chen smiled. "Stand up so we can talk properly."

The fishermen rose timidly. They dared not meet Fang Chen's gaze, only sneaking glances from the corners of their eyes.

Fang Chen turned to the strongest-looking man among them and asked, "What is this place, Brother?"

The man's legs nearly gave out at that form of address. Forcing down his awe, he stammered, "Immortal Lord, this is the Drowned Sea. We're fishermen from Huang Village."

"Drowned Sea?" Fang Chen murmured thoughtfully.

He asked a few more questions, trying to learn more about this so-called Buddhist Kingdom.

Unfortunately, the fishermen didn't know much. They didn't know if other immortals like Fang Chen existed in this place, nor did they seem to understand what "Buddhist Kingdom" even was. It was clear that they had been simple mortals before death.

Back aboard the Black Dragon Ship, Fang Chen shook his head and said, "These fishermen know almost nothing about this place."

"It's fine," said Xie Aman with a smile. "We'll look around ourselves. If there really were ancient masters of the Buddhist Path here, perhaps we can learn something about the lost Immortal Path from them."

She steered the ship onward, leaving behind a trail of fishermen kneeling and worshipping in their wake.

They flew for years after that. With the Back Dragon's speed, during that time, they could have travelled across unimaginable distances in the Qingming. But the sea seemed to have no end, stretching seemingly forever.

"They're all ordinary souls," Xie Aman said eventually. "None of them cultivate at all. The temples here are few, and those that exist are little more than ruins. Even the monks we've met have no cultivation whatsoever. If this is supposed to be a Buddhist Kingdom, it's a poor imitation."

One day, the Black Dragon Ship slowed to a halt over a bustling city. Below, two monks were debating Buddhist scripture before a crowd of onlookers.

The three watched for a while before shaking their heads.

"Ordinary monks," Xie Aman said calmly. "Their sutra debate is mildly interesting, but that's all."

They were about to leave when the losing monk suddenly convulsed in pain and dissolved into a wisp of black smoke. The people around him immediately knelt and bowed to the victorious monk in reverence.

Upon seeing that, the three exchanged puzzled looks.

"Interesting," Xie Aman said with a faint smile. "They're clearly wandering souls, yet the one who lost the debate scattered completely. And the others act as if this is perfectly normal, still unaware that they themselves are dead."

"Senior Sister," Fang Chen said, "why don't we stay here for a while and observe?"

"Good idea." Xie Aman nodded. "Let's see if these souls ever age. If they did, this place would have long become desolate."

So the three of them settled in the city.

Whenever Fang Chen walked through the alleys with the two women, the neighbors would greet them warmly. A few idle men even cast them lecherous glances, snickering among themselves.

"We've been here five years now, haven't we?" Xie Aman stood at the window, watching the lively street below. "In all that time, not a single person has aged. But even souls have a lifespan. They should grow old and fade, just like the living."

"These souls don't need Yin Lifespan to live forever... That's really weird," said Little Immortal Honglian. "Perhaps there truly is a Buddhist treasure protecting this realm."

"Finding the source of that power is exactly why we're here," Xie Aman said. "The opportunity hidden here must be significant. But if it takes too long, we might be stuck here until the next contest for the Great Thunder Sound Temple."

The next contest?

Fang Chen and Little Immortal Honglian calculated the time. That was only ninety years away. No one knew how the Rulai Monastery would reclaim this place then, or whether forces like the Blood and Flesh Divine Palace would interfere.

"Hey, boy—yes, you! Don't just stand there. Come here!"

A shout rang out from a roadside teahouse.

Fang Chen looked up to see a shabby old Daoist waving at him.

A Daoist?

Xie Aman immediately led Little Immortal Honglian toward him.

In all the years they had spent here, they had never seen a single Daoist priest, so the sudden appearance of one instantly raised suspicion.

Xie Aman sat down heavily across from him, staring him up and down. "Who are you calling, boy?"

The scruffy Daoist rolled his eyes. "Not you!"

He looked Fang Chen up and down, then nodded repeatedly. "Yes... that's the aura. You're the disciple of that old rascal Yun He, aren't you?"

Yunhe!?

Xie Aman and Little Immortal Honglian both blinked, glancing at Fang Chen.

Fang Chen remained composed and smiled at them. "My Daoist inheritance in the Lower Six Realms was indeed taught to me by Master Yunhe."

Knowing Fang Chen practiced Daoist arts, the two women did not doubt him and instead grew more interested in the Daoist before them. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Xie Aman smiled and said, "If you can say that, then you're not from this place either. But Great Thunder Sound Temple is an Ancient Forbidden Zone guarded by the Enlightenment God Palace. How did you sneak in? You'd better explain yourself clearly. If you can't, I'll kill you right here."

"My, such a fiery lass," the shabby Daoist muttered, frowning. "I've never heard of any Great Thunder Sound Temple. I've been here for years. You're the newcomers."

"For years?" Xie Aman's expression sharpened. "Were you invited here by Rulai Monastery?"

"Rulai Monastery? Never heard of it," the Daoist said, shaking his head.

Then he grinned at Fang Chen. "Little brat, how's that old rascal doing these days?"

"Insult my master again, and my senior sister will kill you," Fang Chen warned coldly.

Xie Aman nodded. "That's right, I'll kill you for him."

"Kill, kill, kill! Kill, what? You're all dead already and don't even know it!" The Daoist snorted. "You're wandering souls, still bouncing around like idiots. Keep it up, and I'll smack you myself."

Dead?

The three of them were briefly stunned, then burst into laughter.

At the same time, when Nanming Ruyue's Black Dragon Ship passed over a certain region, he suddenly froze.

"Those three figures ahead... is that Senior Sister, Junior Brother Fang, and Junior Sister Hong?" he asked the person beside him, as if doubting his own eyes.