Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 1658: Flying Immortal Star, Broken Ruins

After leaving Chen Enxue, Fang Chen navigated through several corridors and soon arrived at a building with a plaque reading "storehouse."Bronze puppets stood guard inside. Upon learning that Fang Chen was looking for Daoist Que, a puppet led him to the fifth row of shelves. There, a figure wearing a bronze ghost mask was meticulously examining a set of official documents.

"Daoist Que, I am Eternity Heavenly Sage," said Fang Chen, cupping his fists as he walked forward.

Daoist Que glanced at Fang Chen puzzledly. "I am Daoist Que, but I don't believe we've—"

Fang Chen stepped forward to glance at the documents. "Like you, I've accepted the mission to the True Martial Realm."

He spotted a familiar name—a high-ranking official of the Killing Spiritual Division in the True Martial Realm. He had extracted this name from Xin Zong but hadn't had the time to seek the man out. The fact that the Xie Zhi Division already had data on him indicated that their intelligence gathering was well on track.

Daoist Que hesitated for a moment, then said, "Like me? Well... I was hoping to complete this mission alone. Perhaps you would like to choose another?"

"Blade Carrier of the Battle Readiness Hall sent me. He said this mission would be a good way for me to gain experience. Perhaps you'd like to take it up with him?" replied Fang Chen with a smile.

"Blade Carrier? He personally arranged a mission for you? Do you know each other outside?" wondered Daoist Que, his tone growing solemn.

Seeing that Fang Chen remained silent, he sighed and handed over the documents. "Take a look. If there are no issues, we can depart for the True Martial Realm immediately. Our target is Division Head Huang Dengdao from the Killing Spiritual Division on Flying Immortal Star. He is a fourth-transformation Immortal, not easy to deal with. What is your cultivation level?"

Fang Chen scanned the documents and replied casually, "I am a third-transformation immortal. However, our mission is merely surveillance. We need to monitor who interacts closely with Huang Dengdao over the next three years and report the name list to our superiors. No direct combat is required."

Daoist Que glanced at Fang Chen. "I suspect the Xie Zhi Division has key information suggesting a pivotal figure will contact him within these three years. This figure will likely be linked to the strange occurrences in the Taicang Realm and the Lower Six Realms. Eternity Heavenly Sage, what do you think?"

"I think you're right. Let's head out now."

Fang Chen was eager to see if the bronze ghost mask's door was as miraculous as Chen Enxue had described. Could he really reach Flying Immortal Star just by opening a door with these documents? If so, the origins of these masks were worth investigating. They likely had a connection to one of the top ten spiritual treasures on the Spiritual Treasure Ranking.

As the two men prepared to leave the storehouse, the bronze puppet stopped them. It used an immortal spell to create an identical copy of the documents and placed it in a drawer.

"This is the rule of the storehouse, for tracking purposes," explained the puppet flatly before moving to assist the other Xiezhi.

Fang Chen and Daoist Que exchanged a glance but said nothing. Once they left the Xie Zhi Division, Daoist Que hesitated and uttered, "Who shall open the door?"

Fang Chen found it amusing. His partner seemed rather afraid of failing to conjure a door and losing face.

"I'll do it," offered Fang Chen.

Holding the documents, Fang Chen focused. A bronze door slowly materialised before him. The documents in his hand dissolved into a green light and sank through the door. He pushed it open to find the same hazy green light inside with an obscured view. As he stepped through the door, Daoist Que followed closely behind.

***

Flying Immortal Star, True Martial Realm.

With a flash of light, a door appeared in the void. Two figures stepped out. Fang Chen surveyed the surroundings. Endless mountain ranges stretched out before him, dense with spiritual energy that condensed into mist drifting through the valleys.

"How do you know for sure this is Flying Immortal Star?" asked Fang Chen.

"This is definitely it," answered Daoist Que confidently. Sensing Fang Chen's dubious look, he added, "I traveled through the Lower Six Realms in the past and have been here before."

"I see. This mask is truly extraordinary. In the blink of an eye, we've traveled from the Upper Three Realms to the Lower Six Realms."

Fang Chen was impressed. He filtered through various spiritual treasures on the list but couldn't find a match. He surmised that the masks were likely granted this power by a high-ranking spiritual treasure.

I used to look down on the Spiritual Treasure Ranking, thinking they were merely external tools, inferior to one's own cultivation. Now I see I underestimated them. Especially those treasures in the top ten; their power is likely enough to make even a ninth-transformation immortal wary.

***

Half a month later, they arrived at a settlement named "Broken Ruins". It was a well-known place on Flying Immortal Star where cultivators gathered from all directions. It looked like a city, yet functioned like a market.

Fang Chen and Daoist Que checked into an inn that had a hundred floors. Their room on the 60th floor provided a perfect vantage point of Huang Dengdao's residence. Huang Dengdao's background had been thoroughly vetted by the Xie Zhi Division. Despite being a fourth-transformation immortal, he chose to live in the Broken Ruins, a place where even Dao Union Realm and Tribulation Realm cultivators were rare. His living conditions were modest, showing how far he had gone to hide his identity.

Daoist Que stood by the window. He used his peripheral vision to monitor the target to avoid detection, appearing as if he were simply admiring the scenery. Fang Chen sat in a chair with his eyes closed. His divine soul had already hovered above Huang Dengdao, watching him closely.

Despite being a disciple of the Huang Clan and a Division Head, Huang Dengdao dressed very plainly. His robe was of mediocre quality, equivalent to a mere Profound Grade spiritual treasure, making him unremarkable in the Broken Ruins. He kept an elegant long beard and greeted local shopkeepers warmly as he walked. He clearly knew the neighborhood well.

Fang Chen wondered. What kind of intel does the Xie Zhi Division have to send two agents to tail him? Is the demon race planning another demonic calamity here?

Huang Dengdao browsed the shops briefly before returning to his estate. The large residence housed only him and thirteen servants and maids. These servants had low cultivation levels and were likely locals rather than Killing Spiritual Division cultivators.

"You beggar! You dare touch my new boots with your filthy hands? Do you want to die?"

"Come on, kneel and slap your own face. Bark like a dog, and I might give you a scrap to eat. Since when did the Broken Ruins let mortals like this crawl in?"

Fang Chen looked toward the commotion nearby. Several Foundation Building Realm cultivators were surrounding an old beggar. The beggar was giggling as he slapped his own face and barked.

Fang Chen was left stunned after giving the beggar another look. The wine gourd hanging from the old beggar's waist was identical to the one he had seen on Li Jingnian at the Sword Burial Heavenly Steps long ago.

This was indeed an aged Li Jingnian.