The appearance of Abbess Qing He sent waves of chill through the hearts of Venerable Jinglan and the old man. Both of them were eighth transformation Ancient Immortals, yet their cultivation had been effortlessly suppressed.

Only a ninth transformation immortal could manage such a thing.

Suddenly, Venerable Jinglan spotted Peng Xingwu, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Peng Xingwu!?"

First, her imperial decree had been undone, and now a ninth transformation immortal had appeared alongside him. She could almost be certain that the other party had come for her!

A ninth-transformation Ghost Immortal!?

Why would such a being appear in the Floating Pagoda Realm and target her? Did these Ghost Immortals not understand what the name Motian Division represented?

The old man suppressed the shock in his heart. He judged that the other party had come for Venerable Jinglan. As long as they hadn't overheard the earlier conversation between the two of them, he might still avoid danger today.

Peng Xingwu sighed. "So it really is the ninth transformation..."

Only a ninth-transformation immortal could suppress two eighth-transformation immortals in an instant.

Fang Chen pulled over a stone stool and sat in front of them. He looked at the old man and questioned him first.

"May I ask how to address you?"

The old man suddenly realized he could move his mouth again and hurriedly replied with caution, "My name is Kong Lin. And you are...?"

"So it's Elder Kong." Fang Chen nodded. "I just heard that your sect's patriarch is in slumber somewhere. May I ask, is this information accurate?"

Kong Lin fell silent. The very thing he feared most had happened.

His mind was a storm of shifting emotions. Even as a powerful eighth-transformation Ancient Immortal who had lived for countless years, he nearly went mad. He had pondered that matter for so long, only for it now to be overheard by an unknown figure. What would happen next was completely beyond his control.

"Elder Kong?" called Fang Chen again.

Kong Lin answered dejectedly, "This matter is absolutely true. Our sect's patriarch was injured by the Fallen Immortal Emperor and has been asleep for four thousand years..."

"Just now, I heard the two of you discussing a plan to seize your sect patriarch's ninth transformation. I don't quite understand. The ninth transformation is the pinnacle of the immortal path. Each path can only have one ninth transformation cultivator. Only when that ninth transformation dies can the position be freed."

Fang Chen pondered aloud, "If you and your sect's patriarch walk the same immortal path, then after his death, you would indeed have a chance to advance to the ninth transformation. But I've never heard of this half-step ninth transformation. Could you explain it?"

Kong Lin immediately fell silent.

Venerable Jinglan's expression shifted slightly.

Seeing that neither of them was willing to speak, Fang Chen didn't press further. Instead, he glanced at Abbess Qing He.

Understanding immediately, Abbess Qing He glared fiercely at Kong Lin. "Speak quickly, or you are going to die."

Kong Lin was momentarily stunned. The way this ninth transformation immortal spoke felt... somewhat off to him. But what puzzled him even more was the identity of the person before him. What kind of background did he have, that even a ninth transformation Ghost Immortal would obey his commands? As far as he knew, among the Nine Mortal Realms, there weren't many young people with such capabilities.

Venerable Jinglan suddenly asked, "Was Venerable Dizang killed by you?"

Peng Xingwu's eyes narrowed. Venerable Dizang?

He had also heard of this incident. Now that he thought about it...It was almost certainly the case.

Venerable Jinglan didn't need Fang Chen to answer. She had already gotten her answer from the way he was looking at her.

"As expected..." Her face grew solemn. "I don't know what conflict occurred between you and Venerable Dizang. But this matter has nothing to do with the Motian Division itself. I hope you will carefully consider whether you truly wish to make an enemy of us."

Fang Chen suddenly asked, "What benefits did the one behind you give you, that you're willing to serve him like this?"

A trace of reverence appeared in Venerable Jinglan's eyes. "Without that lord, I would never have reached my current level of cultivation. When I was still just an ordinary first-transformation immortal, I encountered him in the Floating Pagoda Realm. It was through his years of careful guidance that I became who I am today."

Fang Chen said, "He gave you an imperial decree, didn't he? But that decree is not orthodox. If I were to make you a True Underworld God, would you be willing to serve me?"

A True Underworld God!?

In that instant, both Venerable Jinglan and Kong Lin thought of the same thing. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Venerable Jinglan murmured, "So... you are a successor of Monarch Yan... As expected, aside from Monarch Yan, what other legacy could possess such a foundation? It seems this ninth-transformation Ghost Immortal was also left behind by Monarch Yan for his successors..."

A storm surged in Kong Lin's heart. The appearance of a successor of Monarch Yan was enough to prove that the surface calm of the Floating Pagoda Realm would soon be shattered.

After a few breaths, Venerable Jinglan nodded. "I am willing to serve you."

Fang Chen let out a soft sigh. "I don't believe you."

This eighth transformation Ghost Immortal was already beyond redemption. Even if forcibly bound by a decree, she would be like Wang Zhanqi, unwilling to obey, and in the end it would only waste his Yin Lifespan.

Venerable Jinglan dropped all pretense, her gaze turning icy. "If you don't believe me, then why keep me alive? The lineage of Monarch Yan is long gone. Why return to the Floating Pagoda Realm? Our Motian Division is working to restore order here. Your appearance will only plunge it back into the chaos of the past."

"The one you speak of is nothing more than a former rebel leader," said Fang Chen. "When turmoil engulfed the Three Realms, everyone else was striving to resist external enemies, yet he chose to bide his time and build strength. And now, he's even joined forces with those outsiders to conquer the Taicang Realm."

He smiled faintly. "If the Underworld falls under the rule of such a person, the chaos that follows will be a hundred. No, a thousand times worse than it is now."

"You don't understand. Besides, that lord is already half a step into the Heavenly Dao. Before him, all ninth-transformation beings are nothing but ants."

Venerable Jinglan no longer concealed anything, her face filled with fervent pride.

"How could someone like you insult such a figure? If my lord advances one step further, he will become the true Heavenly Dao! Not just the Underworld. Even the Nine Mortal Realms would fall under its rule."

The fanaticism and faith on her face made it even clearer. There was no way she would submit to a mere decree.

Fang Chen stopped paying attention to her for the moment and instead looked at Kong Lin. "Elder Kong, I have some ties with your sect. I hope you can answer my earlier question. Don't delay any longer."

"Half-step ninth transformation... actually does not follow the Immortal Dao, but the God Dao." Kong Lin sighed. "As long as I can obtain the Immortal Register that separates from a ninth-transformation immortal's body and devour and refine it, then regardless of which immortal path I cultivate, I have a chance to take half a step beyond the eighth transformation, becoming second only to the ninth-transformation immortals."

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed. "And what does that have to do with the God Dao?"

For a moment, he almost thought the other party was referring to becoming a Yang God. But that didn't seem right. Anyone who knew the history of Yang Gods would never choose that path.

"Anything that does not belong to the Immortal Dao is considered the God Dao." Kong Lin's thoughts stirred as he looked at Fang Chen. "Fellow Daoist... you didn't know this?"