Immortal of the Nine Realms

Before Fang Chen even reached the Void Immortal Sword Sect, news of him becoming the Sword Leader had already spread far and wide. First, it reached all the major sword sects of the Central Continent, followed by the four great manors, the immortal courts, the immortal manors, and finally the capital.

By the time the imperial decree arrived at the Void Immortal Sword Sect, the sects of both Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper had received the news.

Many had almost forgotten about this individual. When they heard the news, they were surprised—a guy who had been trapped in the Ancient Immortal Road for several years had suddenly reappeared?

In the bustling capital, Ji Liang was enjoying tea and discussing the Dao with a group of friends. Among those seated around him were Han Linqiu from the Dao Academy, Wang Yi from the Lingyun Sword Sect, Xu Peng from the Green Elephant Sect, and Su Lingzhu from the Giant Immortal Sect.

Everyone present had strong backing, either from immortal courts or, at the very least, from the Immortal Palace. Cultivators with lesser backgrounds simply had no place in this circle.

"By the Emperor's command, I hereby decree that Fang Chen be conferred as the Sword Leader Of the Void Immortal Sword Sect…!"

A resonant voice echoed in the sky above the capital.

"The Void Immortal Sword Sect has a new Sword Leader?" said Xu Peng, his hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment.

He soon recovered and took a sip, a trace of doubt in his eyes.

"Who is this Fang Chen? How is he qualified to be Sword Leader? That title is a hundred times more important than being a mere Immortal Seedling."

"He does sound familiar," Su Lingzhu mused, a look of contemplation in her eyes.

As the group continued discussing Fang Chen, several moments passed before a young man, his expression somewhat insincere, suddenly sneered. "Have you all forgotten? He's with Demoness Yu."

Everyone instinctively turned to look at the young man—it was Gai Wu, heir to the Heavenly King Zhen Manor.

"Now I remember."

Gai Wu's reminder triggered many others to recall Fang Chen as well.

Ji Liang glanced at the group, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It's only been a few short years, yet we've all forgotten about him. Something feels off."

"There's nothing off about it. He was just a minor character from an ordinary background. He's merely lucky enough to grasp a couple of ancient Dao techniques," Xu Peng sneered. "I think he may have left the Ancient Immortal Road much earlier than us, making us believe he was still trapped there."

Han Linqiu nodded slightly. "That could be the case."

Xu Peng's eyes held a trace of ridicule. "He's probably hiding because he was too embarrassed to show his face. Sword cultivators are all prideful like that. They care more about temporary glory than the pursuit of immortality. He won't get far on this path."

"The Void Immortal Sword Sect rush to appoint a Sword Leader may have something to do with that battle from back then," Su Lingzhu said softly. "It seems the rumors were true—Old Sword Immortal was indeed injured, and probably quite seriously."

"My mother said that in recent years, the sword sects of Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper have been itching to divide the immortal relics guarded by the Void Immortal Sword Sect. Apparently, there's an agreement among the sword sects—any sect without a Sword Leader is considered to have no future. Those without a future have no right to claim immortal relics."

"That's not all," Han Linqiu added with a light laugh, casting a glance at Wang Yi. "The various sword sects of the Central Continent are also eyeing those ruins. Even though they haven't produced a figure like Old Sword Immortal, they still have Immortal Kings overseeing them, giving them the right to stake a claim."

"Wang Yi, what do you think?" Ji Liang turned to Wang Yi.

Everyone turned their gaze towards Wang Yi. After all, he was the only one present who was both a sword cultivator and an Immortal Seedling.

Though the Lingyun Sword Sect couldn't quite compare to the Void Immortal Sword Sect, it was part of the Divine Dao Sect, alongside the Green Elephant Sect, Giant Immortal Sect, and Grand Dao Library. Due to this background, the sect's standing in the Central Continent, was, in some ways, even higher than that of the Void Immortal Sword Sect.

Many influential figures were actually hoping that the Lingyun Sword Sect could replace the Void Immortal Sword Sect as the top sword cultivation sect in the Central Continent. After all, Lingyun's sword cultivators were seen as more approachable compared to the more reclusive Void Immortal Sword Sect.

Wang Yi pondered for a moment before speaking calmly. "He's just a scapegoat being pushed into the spotlight. You might not understand how sword sects work, but being a Sword Leader isn't as simple as receiving an imperial decree.

"He must first undergo the Central Continent's sword cultivators' sword questioning, earning the acknowledgment of the other sword sects before he is even qualified to head to Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper for sword questioning there.

"Years ago, the Void Immortal Sword Sect's Supreme Emperor Wang had two disciples, both sword geniuses no weaker than Qin Hucheng, yet both died during the sword questioning of Celestial Heaven."

"That's why the Void Immortal Sword Sect hasn't had a Sword Leader for so many years. Now they've nominated this person simply to quiet the rumors and buy Old Sword Immortal more time to heal."

The group nodded in agreement. As a disciple of a sword sect, Wang Yi's words carried significant weight and credibility.

"But don't forget," someone else mused, "his ancient Dao techniques are rather remarkable. His Spiritual Attachment Technique alone can suppress Nascent Soul Realm cultivators."

Wang Yi smiled faintly. "Sword questioning is not about techniques unrelated to sword cultivators. Using such methods would violate the rules."

"In terms of pure swordsmanship, Fang Chen does have some skill. He might not have any rivals among those of the same rank in the Central Continent, but Celestial Heaven and Northern Dipper are different stories," Wang Yi continued. "The sword cultivators there have far deeper foundations than ours. Besides that, I've also heard that he's condensed a White Core."

"To vie for the Sword Leader title, one must at least be at the Nascent Soul Realm. The other sects won't give the Void Immortal Sword Sect much time. If he doesn't reach Nascent Soul Realm within a limited period, he won't even qualify for the sword questioning."

The group fell into contemplation, their expressions tinged with a hint of disdain. They couldn't deny that Fang Chen had some skill, but with the Void Immortal Sword Sect's anchor—Old Sword Immortal—injured, the sect's dominant position was in jeopardy.

In comparison, the people present had backgrounds that were only becoming more formidable. Some even had the power to command cultivators in the Middle Three Realms. Naturally, they didn't see Fang Chen as a threat.

"Gai Wu," Xu Peng suddenly turned to him with a smile. "I remember trying to mediate the conflict between you and Fang Chen back then, but he didn't give you any face. Clearly, he was determined to cause you trouble. What do you think about that?"

Gai Wu's expression darkened. His father, Heavenly King Zhen, had spent several years helping him recover enough to recover his cultivation, but some damage could never be fully healed. Only by undergoing a complete transformation and rebuilding from the ground up by becoming a Loose Immortal would his body be fully restored to its former state.

Because of this, Gai Wu harbored a deep hatred for the Fairy Yu. If Fang Chen hadn't intervened back then, Fairy Yu would have long been killed by Heavenly King Zhen's Manor soldiers, and she wouldn't have disappeared without a trace. No matter how many people his mother sent, they still couldn't find her.

"What else can I say? My father told me not to stir up trouble these past few years," Gai Wu sneered, his tone cold, and then fell silent.

The group knew Gai Wu well enough to understand that he wouldn't let things go easily. He was probably already plotting his revenge in secret, though he had to keep a low profile when dealing with the Void Immortal Sword Sect.

"Let's not dwell on this matter. I've heard that the Corrosive Dragon King of the Northern Continent has recently adopted a new foster son, and he's said to be in the capital these days," said Ji Liang.

He suddenly turned to a young man in the group. "Feng Ya, you're also a foster son of the Corrosive Dragon King. What can you tell us about this new foster brother? What makes him special enough to catch the Corrosive Dragon King's eye?"

Everyone's curiosity was piqued. It was well known that the Corrosive Dragon King had a habit of adopting foster sons, which had led many cultivators to flock to the Northern Continent, hoping to be chosen. However, no one had yet figured out the criteria for becoming one of his foster children.

The young man, Feng Ya, was another foster son of the Corrosive Dragon King. He had originally come from a humble background but had risen to prominence after being adopted, turning his fortunes around overnight.

Feng Ya's expression shifted slightly before he fell silent for several moments. Finally, he said slowly, "I can't see anything special about him. He's just a lazy fellow."

At that moment, a surprised voice rang out from nearby.

"Feng Ya, little brother! You're here too?"

Everyone turned to see a man and a woman approaching. Their cultivation levels were unremarkable and were both merely at the Foundation Building Realm.

Feng Ya gave them an annoyed glance and responded coolly, "Xia Ji, is it strange for me to be here?"