"The Mother is observing who has fallen again."
The woman in the purple dress spoke softly, her ethereal voice echoing within the hall like the gentle bubbling of a mountain spring.
The boy perched on her shoulder asked curiously, "What's so interesting about that? People die all the time, don't they? As long as less than half the lamps on this wall are extinguished, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's fortune won't run out."
The purple-dressed woman responded, "Three Wandering Immortals have died recently, all from the same place. It's near the Star Sea Sect's territory. I don't know if it's the Star Sea Sect plotting something or someone else working in the shadows."
The boy turned to look at the wall of oil lamps, his expression contemplative.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the darkness behind them, accompanied by an elderly voice:
"Cave Master, the spirit mirror is showing signs of consciousness."
The woman's eyes sharpened. Without a word, she turned and walked into the shadows.
The boy on her shoulder twisted his neck to look back, his clear eyes drawn to the flickering lamps on the wall.
…
Under the cover of night, in the ruins of a crumbling city.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord sat cross-legged by a campfire, with Chu Jingfeng seated nearby.
Chu Jingfeng occasionally glanced into the distance, where thick mist swirled under the moonlight, faintly revealing the shadows of terrifying ghosts.
"Do you feel it?" The Nine-Finger Divine Lord suddenly asked.
Chu Jingfeng's thoughts snapped back to reality. He asked cautiously, "Master, feel what?"
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord's voice was calm as he replied, "It's approaching."
"What is?"
"The Celestial Spirit of The Mysterious Divine City."
Chu Jingfeng's eyes widened in shock, and his breathing quickened.
Ever since coming to The Mysterious Divine City, he had learned about the Celestial Spirit from his master.
If one could win the Celestial Spirit's recognition, they could wield the immense power of The Mysterious Divine City.
But being chosen by the Celestial Spirit wasn't just about cultivation—it also depended on fate. That was why so many cultivators, not yet at the Immortal Dao realm, dared to venture here.
Chu Jingfeng didn't dare to hope he could claim The Mysterious Divine City's power. Instead, he fervently wished for his master's success.
The stronger his master became, the greater the benefits for him. In his heart, Chu Jingfeng was deeply grateful to the Nine-Finger Divine Lord for giving him a second chance at life.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord fell silent and resumed his breathing exercises. Meanwhile, Chu Jingfeng let his imagination run wild, fantasizing about what might happen next.
Since entering the city with his master, he had witnessed countless battles. No matter how strong the demons or ghosts, they crumbled before his master. He firmly believed that if the Celestial Spirit appeared, his master would claim it and gain control of The Mysterious Divine City.
The moon set, and the sun rose.
At dawn, outside the eastern city gates, the sunlight illuminated the ruins.
Chu Jingfeng was in the middle of his cultivation when he felt the ground tremble. Startled, he opened his eyes to find the surrounding buildings quaking.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord stood up slowly. Before Chu Jingfeng could ask anything, his master raised a hand, and the two ascended into the air.
Looking down, Chu Jingfeng's eyes widened in fear.
From every direction, countless demonic and ghostly creatures surged like a black tide, swallowing the city's buildings in their wake. The sight was both chaotic and mesmerizing.
"This is The Mysterious Divine City's true power—its ghostly spirits. Over countless ages, this place has accumulated an endless horde of these entities. Together, they represent a force capable of overturning the mortal realm," the Nine-Finger Divine Lord said calmly, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Before Chu Jingfeng could respond, his master raised his right hand and pressed downward.
Boom—
The city below instantly collapsed. Countless ghostly spirits disintegrated into mist, dissipating into the air. Dust and debris rose, clouding the atmosphere and turning the sky murky.
Chu Jingfeng thought he heard a faint, childlike laugh echo through the air. The eerie sound sent shivers down his spine.
…
At The Mysterious Divine City's eastern gate.
The massive gates stood wide open, revealing an empty street within.
Suddenly, ripples distorted the air beyond the gate, and three figures emerged—Chi Bei, Chi Jiuxiao, and An Hao.
The trio walked ten paces forward before An Hao turned back to glance at the towering city gate. He let out a breath of relief.
Finally, we're out!
"An Hao?"
A voice called out from afar. An Hao squinted and saw a group of cultivators in the distance, among them Lü Baitian.
"Master!" An Hao exclaimed, ready to rush toward him, but Chi Bei blocked his path.
"From now on, do not acknowledge your connection to the Tai Xuan Sect," Chi Bei said sternly, his gaze fixed on the distant group.
An Hao frowned and asked, "Why?"
"They're here!"
Chi Bei's face turned grim as he raised a magical artifact, preparing for battle.
Chi Jiuxiao gripped his Dragon-Slaying Spear tightly, cursing under his breath, "It's always a hassle dealing with these people in the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's territory. These guys sure move fast."
"After all, it's already been seven days. With two Wandering Immortals dead, it's impossible for the Seven Stars Spirit Realm not to notice," Chi Bei replied calmly.
Chi Jiuxiao turned to him and asked, "Master, what's our plan?"
Chi Bei sneered, "If the Seven Stars Spirit Realm is making a move, the Star Sea Sect won't sit idly by."
Hearing this, Chi Jiuxiao's face lit up with excitement. He glanced toward the horizon, a gleeful smile spreading across his face.
"Well, well, look who it is. So, it's Chi Bei from the Star Sea Sect. You dare to kill our disciples in the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's territory? Do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
A chilling voice resounded across the sky, filled with murderous intent so intense that all living beings outside the city shuddered.
The Tai Xuan Sect disciples quickly rose to their feet, their faces tense as they looked into the distance.
From every direction, terrifying auras erupted, causing the mountains and earth to tremble.
An Hao raised his gaze and saw that they were surrounded.
Such overwhelming energy—could it also be Wandering Immortals? He felt a chill run down his spine as his eyes turned to Chi Bei, wondering if this senior could handle the situation.
And when would reinforcements from the Star Sea Sect arrive?
"Oh? So this land belongs to the Seven Stars Spirit Realm? I thought your sect had already abandoned it," a domineering voice retorted, directly opposing the Wandering Immortal from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
Chi Bei's expression shifted subtly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He recognized the voice immediately.
The true clash of Wandering Immortals was about to begin!
…
The world lay barren, shrouded in rolling ghostly mist. Chu Jingfeng stood atop a gourd, his figure enveloped in a faint protective light.
His eyes were fixed on the scene ahead.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord stood bare-chested, his emaciated figure surrounded by a fiery aura. His hair whipped wildly, and his stance radiated unbridled power, like that of a battle-hardened war god.
Before him hovered a massive, fiery-red phoenix with wings spanning a thousand feet. As it flapped its wings, blazing flames surged like torrents, sweeping toward the Nine-Finger Divine Lord like fiery dragons.
"Hmph! Since you refuse to submit, I'll have to subdue you!" the Nine-Finger Divine Lord declared coldly. His gaze was icy, and his body was covered in writhing black runes that gave him an ominous and terrifying appearance.
With those words, he suddenly launched himself toward the phoenix.
The phoenix let out a piercing cry and flapped its massive wings once more. The shockwave of its movement scattered dust and debris in all directions, revealing ghostly shadows emerging from the mist. These figures were clad in ancient armor, wielding long weapons, and radiating a majestic and unyielding aura, as if they were divine generals from a bygone era.
In an instant, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord was engulfed by these terrifying ghostly apparitions.
Boom—
A violent shockwave burst forth, scattering the ghostly figures like smoke. The Nine-Finger Divine Lord surged forward, appearing before the phoenix in a single step. With a powerful punch, the mountains and rivers trembled.
This punch shattered the space itself, and from the resulting crack emerged an ancient bell, seemingly pulled from the river of time itself. It charged straight at the phoenix.
In front of the ancient bell, the massive phoenix seemed as small as a sparrow before a towering tree.
The phoenix let out a mournful cry as chains materialized on the surface of the ancient bell, quickly ensnaring its body.
No matter how much the phoenix struggled, it couldn't break free from the chains.
The air was filled with chaotic energy as more ghostly spirits emerged from all directions. They varied in size and shape, with some towering as high as a thousand feet. One massive figure descended from the heavens, its imposing form darkening the sky.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord faced the endless onslaught of ghostly spirits alone, his punches and kicks moving with the force of hurricanes. His overwhelming strength was unstoppable.
Chu Jingfeng, standing on his gourd, was filled with fervor. Though he couldn't clearly see the details of the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's movements, the way the ghostly spirits disintegrated one after another left him in awe.
He's so powerful!
For the first time, Chu Jingfeng doubted his commitment to the sword path. Perhaps the path of physical cultivation was the ultimate way to supreme power!
The earth quaked, and the sky roared as dust and debris continuously filled the air. No matter how many ghostly spirits the Nine-Finger Divine Lord annihilated, more kept coming.
Boom—
A massive shadow rose from the edge of the horizon, its size like a mountain emerging from the earth. It was a sight so colossal it left one's heart trembling.
Chu Jingfeng stared in terror at the figure in the distance, a sense of dread washing over him.
"What is that…" he muttered to himself in fear.
Before he could process the scene, the giant shadow stepped through the dust storm, revealing itself as a figure ten thousand feet tall. Its muscular body seemed to be carved from mountain rock, exuding a terrifying sense of strength that made the heavens and earth tremble.
The figure was entirely pitch-black, with unkempt hair cascading down its back. It wore only a pair of armored pants, and in its hands, it held an enormous axe.
The giant gripped the axe with both hands and swung it horizontally. Even before the blade reached, the sheer force of the swing sent a gale ripping through the surroundings, toppling everything in its path. Even Chu Jingfeng's gourd was sent tumbling.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord appeared before the gourd in a flash, blocking the incoming gale with a punch.
Boom—
The deafening sound of the impact reverberated through the air as the Nine-Finger Divine Lord met the giant's axe head-on with his bare fists. Both combatants were forced to retreat, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord shaking his right hand slightly, feeling a numbness creeping up his arm.
The giant, regaining its balance after a few steps, raised its axe once more. This time, a mysterious force from the heavens gathered around the blade. As the axe swung down, it seemed to carry the power to split the heavens and earth in two.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord raised his four-fingered hand. Two of his fingers pointed outward, unleashing a golden beam of light. The beam tore through the chaos in the air, obliterating everything in its path.
Boom—
The ten-thousand-foot-tall figure was engulfed by the golden light, its form disintegrating into nothingness. The clash left a massive vacuum in the air, and below, the ground split into an enormous canyon, leaving Chu Jingfeng completely stunned.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord turned and flew toward the phoenix.
The phoenix, still trapped by the ancient bell's chains, struggled weakly, unable to escape.
Just as the Nine-Finger Divine Lord was about to approach it, a figure appeared out of thin air. The newcomer raised a hand, and the phoenix, wings spanning a thousand feet moments ago, shrank to the size of a palm and landed in their grasp.
"Who are you?" the Nine-Finger Divine Lord demanded, his voice cold. He didn't dare to act rashly; he couldn't gauge the strength of this newcomer.
The figure turned, revealing themselves as Gu An. With an air of nonchalance, he declared, "The Celestial Spirit, it's mine."
Hearing those words, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's expression twisted in rage. His voice thundered as he roared, "Arrogant fool!"