Chapter 1325: Mutual Protection

Xu Nangui gave a cold laugh, his eyes defiant, and said lightly, "I refuse."

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Fang Chen didn't say another word. He raised his hand, created a Yin Soldier decree, and sent it straight into Xu Nangui's body.

"What is this!?" Xu Nangui cried out in fury and shock.

The old flood dragon stepped forward with practiced ease, pinning Xu Nangui down so he could absorb the decree faster and more effectively.

Ning Beiyou and Lin Anlan had not expected Fang Chen to act so suddenly, and both showed grave expressions.

Before long, Xu Nangui's edict had been completed.

"What have you done to me?!" Xu Nangui growled, eyes blazing with anger.

What had been done was already done. Now Xu Nangui only wanted to know what had happened to him and if there was any way to undo it.

That mysterious, unfathomable force from earlier seemed to have fused completely with his soul.

At that moment, Ning Beiyou stopped Xu Nangui from speaking further. "Wait."

He turned his shock-filled gaze toward Fang Chen. "That decree you just wrote... was it that decree that only Monarch Yan can inscribe?"

"Monarch Yan?"

Xu Nangui's expression shifted. Countless fragments of information he had collected over the years surfaced in his mind.

Filtering for anything related to Monarch Yan, and combining it with Fang Chen's earlier mention of Underworld True Gods, a chilling conclusion suddenly formed.

Fang Chen nodded. "You clearly understand this path, Daoist Ning. Yes, what I wrote just now was indeed a decree."

Ning Beiyou's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you know how many Yin Walkers in the Nine Mortal Realms have tried to find Monarch Yan's legacy in the Floating Pagoda Realm?"

"Quite a lot, I presume," Fang Chen replied.

Ning Beiyou corrected, "More than just a lot. In the Nine Mortal Realms, this is regarded as one of the greatest immortal fortunes of all. In the Lower Six Realms, countless top sects have poured countless manpower and resources into this.

"Do you know why many Yin Walkers enter the Floating Pagoda Realm? Aside from the Yin Lifespan being beneficial to cultivation and serving as a replacement for immortal crystals, it is Monarch Yan's inheritance that we value most.

"In the Upper Three Realms, certain sects have pursued this for dozens of millennia. Many cultivators from the Lower Six Realms act under their orders, seeking traces of Monarch Yan's inheritance in the Floating Pagoda Realm."

Ning Beiyou's tone was heavy, his gaze at Fang Chen now carrying not only astonishment, but curiosity and delight. He continued, "Not only is the Spirit God Sect invested in this, but even the Killing Spiritual Division has cultivators dedicated to it."

"Why haven't I ever heard of that?" Xu Nangui asked instinctively.

He was gradually understanding what this decree on his soul represented, though he still wasn't fully certain.

Fang Chen smiled. "Because your position in the division wasn't as high as Daoist Ning's. I think Daoist Ning may have obeyed Daoist Qingque's orders and, like us, was a member of Xiezhi, but his true identity should be higher. He probably knew more details about the Nanqing Constellation mission than we did."

Xu Nangui looked instinctively at Ning Beiyou. "No way? Really?"

"My status isn't that high either. It's just that I come from the Upper Three Realms, and I've been tempering myself in the Lower Six Realms. Because of that, I know a bit more," Ning Beiyou replied casually.

Xu Nangui immediately fell silent. Coming from the Upper Three Realms already meant this man's background was extraordinary. To be recruited as a Xie Zhi member by Huang Qingque only reinforced that.

He was very likely a descendant of the Killing Spiritual Division's true high command.

"Underworld True God... Rumor has it they are undying. As long as they have enough Yin Lifespan, they can live for eternity," Ning Beiyou muttered. "And more than that, they can walk freely in the Nine Mortal Realms. Apart from their roots being in the Underworld, in every other way they are no different from Immortals."

He looked at Fang Chen before speaking again. "Am I right?"

Fang Chen nodded. "You could put it that way."

Ning Beiyou cupped his hands. "Daoist Fang, please give me the decree. I am willing to join the Underworld's Killing Spiritual Division."

Ning Beiyou's decree went smoothly. Since he didn't resist, it succeeded swiftly.

As he compared the changes in his soul, Fang Chen's gaze fell on Lin Anlan.

"I suppose I have no choice, do I?" Lin Anlan smiled gently. "Please give me the decree, Daoist Fang."

Half an hour later, the three had all come to new understandings of what it meant to be an Underworld True God.

When Xu Nangui learned that the decree would not harm his cultivation, and that even after death he could continue cultivation as a Ghost God, all his resentment dissipated.

Though the decree was like an extra shackle, compared with the benefits, it was insignificant.

Xu Nangui sighed softly. "This is essentially... a disguised form of attaining longevity. It's like in ancient times, ascending to the Immortal Realm! There is no more worrying over immortal essence."

Fang Chen looked at Ning Beiyou with a smile. "Daoist Ning, introduce yourself."

Ning Beiyou was still savoring the comfort of yin energy flooding his body. Hearing this, he nodded. "Ning Beiyou, of the Ning clan of 'Fangcun' in the Upper Three Realms. My clan is guarded by a ninth-transformation ancestor."

"A ninth transformation ancestor?!" Xu Nangui gasped, staring blankly at Ning Beiyou as if seeing him for the first time.

Lin Anlan also looked shocked.

They had not expected Ning Beiyou's background to be so terrifying, that behind him stood a ninth transformation Immortal.

How many of them were there in the Nine Mortal Realms?

Forget the ninth transformation! In the Lower Six Realms, even an eighth transformation expert could not be found.

The True Martial Realm's Huang Clan was already powerful and vastly renowned, controlling its Killing Spiritual Division, yet even they had only a seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal.

Xu Nangui gulped. "No wonder the lord said your identity was extraordinary, and you knew more than us."

"This time in the Nanqing Constellation, what went wrong? Who was our true target?" Fang Chen asked Ning Beiyou.

Ning Beiyou replied, "We were split in pairs, watching Immortal Dayu, Immortal Longfu, Di Du Kongyuan, Immortal Feilu, and Immortal Changkong. The extra expert was Division Master Duan Yuan, and his target was Immortal Taixu. In fact, Immortal Taixu was Daoist Qingque's true objective this time."

"Immortal Taixu?!" Xu Nangui gasped.

He exchanged a look with Lin Anlan. Both saw astonishment in the other's eyes.

So the half-step Ancient Immortal of the Nanqing Constellation, Immortal Taixu, was also tied to the Killing Spiritual Division?

Was he their division master there?

"The Killing Spiritual Division in the Ancient Desolate Realm has been in chaos for many years. This is closely related to the sudden disappearance of the division's seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal."

"According to clues found by Daoist Qingque, he deduced this matter might involve Immortal Taixu," said Ning Beiyou gravely.

He continued, "But to investigate a half-step Ancient Immortal... our authority as Xiezhi was far from sufficient. That is why I sought help from Immortal Dayu. Through him, I linked with the Upper Three Realms and gained this opportunity.

"But the Upper Three Realms already made themselves clear: if this operation fails, if we gain no evidence, they will not acknowledge any involvement. All consequences must be borne by Xie Zhi alone."

"Immortal Taixu, as a half-step Ancient Immortal with close ties to the Enlightenment God Palace, holds far greater importance in the Upper Three Realms than us."

"And here I thought Immortal Dayu was the mole..." Xu Nangui muttered.

So in the end, dissolving Xiezhi and stripping them of office had been a form of protection?