Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Enlightenment Heaven Supreme

Of the southern region’s Nine Commanderies, the South Halberd Commandery was the toughest place to live in. Its climate was worse than the South Immortal Commandery, with furious gale raging now and then on already scarce farmlands.

It wouldn’t have been suited for anyone to live in if not for a Great Xia River’s fork flowing into the South Halberd Commandery.

“Young master, the Carefree Palace resides in the South Halberd Commandery. Does the Carefree Palace really have a hand in Xian Wuchang’s rebellion? Could the Auspicious King simply be looking for a scapegoat to push away his responsibility in the matter?” Jue Panshi wiped off his sweat as he asked.

The climate here was difficult for even a Ki Explosion martial artist like him to bear. It seemed unlikely for someone who resided in such a difficult place to harbor wild ambitions.

“There’s no reason for the Auspicious King to look for a scapegoat. It doesn’t matter to him whether he outed the Carefree Palace at all. He only revealed their involvement because he wanted a conclusion for this matter, lest they wreak havoc in the future,” Fang Chen said.

“My grandfather already knew that something was off about the Carefree Palace back then, and through years of investigation, he was able to figure out bits and pieces about its history.”

The Carefree Palace’s history?

Jue Panshi looked at the mountainous path they were treading on. At the end of this path was the Carefree Palace. Ordinary people wouldn’t even find it.

What history does the Carefree Palace have?

“They are the remnants of an empire that wandered into Great Xia. They lay low for many years, hoping to make use of us to avenge them,” Fang Chen replied as he scaled the mountain.

Jue Panshi and the others were taken aback. Does the Carefree Palace have such a background?

Moments later, the group arrived before a massive monastery that gave off a dignified air.

“I’ll knock on the door,” Jue Panshi said as he stepped forward.

However, Fang Chen waved his hand and said, “Don’t bother. There’s no one here. Let’s head in to take a look.”

There’s no one here? Have the members of the Carefree Palace fled?

Jue Panshi was perplexed. He didn’t think that the Carefree Palace could have reacted that fast. Even if they had a spy, it should take some time for the news to reach them.

With a doubtful heart, he smashed the monastery gate and entered with his men. They combed the area, but there was not a person to be seen. The place was desolate aside from occasional bird calls.

Some of the Valiant Defenders looked at Fang Chen with respectful eyes. The latter was able to tell the Carefree Palace was empty just by standing outside. His means far surpassed that of mortals like them.

“Young master, there’s really not a single person in the Carefree Palace. They have escaped…” Jue Panshi headed to the main hall, where he found Fang Chen quietly standing before the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme’s divine idol, and reported his finding.

He waited seconds, but Fang Chen was so focused on the divine idol that he didn’t reply. Scratching his head sheepishly, he ordered his subordinates to stand guard at every corner of the hall while he quietly waited.

What he didn’t know was that Fang Chen had drawn out his soul and was staring at the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme’s divine idol in astonishment.

This seemingly ordinary divine idol looked extraordinary in his eyes. It emanated a faint golden glow, and white smoke could be seen flowing from the surroundings into the divine idol.

“Could this be the incense from Great Xia’s people? It is… true?” Fang Chen was astonished.

If the white smoke is incense offered by the people, does it mean that Enlightenment Heaven Supreme truly exists in this world, and that there is such an immortal in the world?

While he was processing the situation, the eyes of the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme suddenly turned and fell on him.

“An astral projecting daoist?” the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme said. “No, you only have five immortal veins in you. You’re at fifth stage Ki Refinement?”

It eyed Fang Chen intently as it remarked, “Your soul is exceptionally condensed. Have you consumed any of the Saint-tier spirit medicine on the Spirit Medicine Ranking in your younger years?”

Fang Chen suppressed his astonishment to appear as calm as possible. This was not the first time he had encountered such a situation. Elder Cloudcrane had also noticed the same about his back then.

“You are… Enlightenment Heaven Supreme?” Fang Chen asked with a respectful voice.

“Yes, that’s me.” The Enlightenment Heaven Supreme’s voice became ethereal and lofty, as he assessed Fang Chen from head to toe. “I never thought an anomaly like you would be born in a country worshiping me. Tell me, what kind of spirit medicine did you consume?”

“I have never consumed any spirit medicine.” Fang Chen clasped his fist.

“No?” The Enlightenment Heaven Supreme’s voice carried a hint of doubt, but he chose not to pursue this matter. “You’re in a grade-9 state? It’s rare for a cultivator to be born in such a place. You are one of my people, since you were born in a place that worships me. Since fate brought us together, I’ll bestow you with a cultivation manual.”

The Enlightenment Heaven Supreme slowly raised his hand and created an invisible imprint, which gave rise to a cultivation method in Fang Chen’s head. It was a Ki Refinement cultivation method, covering from the first stage to the twelfth stage.

“I’ll also bestow you with a hundred low-grade ki stones.” It formed another hand seal, and a map surfaced in Fang Chen’s head. “Head to the location. You will find a hundred low-grade ki stones there. However, it might be difficult for you to head there right now. You should wait till you reach twelfth stage Ki Refinement first.”

Fang Chen looked at the map in his head. It was incomplete, but it had a location indicated on it. However, he had never heard of this place before: Coldreturn.

When he inspected the nearby geography, he was shocked to notice that this ‘Coldreturn’ was located near Chillwater.

“All right, I can’t stay in the mortal world for too long, so I’ll bid you farewell now. If you face problems in your cultivation, you may astral project and seek my divine idols for advice,” the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme said before the divine idol slowly reverted to normal.

Fang Chen knew what he had just experienced wasn’t just a hallucination. He returned his soul into his body before turning to Jue Panshi. “Let’s go.”

We’re leaving just like that?

Jue Panshi was stunned, but he obediently left the area with Fang Chen.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, Fang Chen suddenly turned around to look at the Carefree Palace with grim and fearful eyes. A cultivator pretending to be an immortal is likely to be anything but trustworthy.

Daoist Cloudcrane had once told him that even he didn’t know whether immortals truly existed in the world or not, and Enlightenment Heaven Supreme calling him an ‘astral projecting daoist’ had already inadvertently exposed his identity.

Unlike Daoist Cloudcrane, this Enlightenment Heaven Supreme looked like an evil cultist!

As for the Enlightenment Ki Refinement Formula that he had imparted to him, Fang Chen had no intention of practicing it, and he wasn’t planning to let anyone else practice it either. He feared that practicing this skill would leave something on them, and the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme might just be able to do something to them through it.

Shortly after Fang Chen left, the Enlightenment Heaven Supreme’s divine idol moved once more. “A Saint-tier spirit medicine from the Spirit Medicine Ranking… As long as he practices the Enlightenment Ki Refinement Formula, I’d be able to keep track of his location. I might just be able to find where the Saint-tier spirit medicine grows through that.”