The Human Race's Body Cultivation Path.
Weaving the rules of the physical body through the river of rules.
"Whoosh."
The river surged like a great wave.
The Body Cultivation Path, once again strengthened.
Chen Fan waited quietly, for what, only he knew.
A long time passed, without movement.
The shattered wall bricks were about to heal.
Bang.
A fist landed on them, stopping their healing.
"Senior."
Chen Fan spoke, "Can you hear me?"
He needed to confirm if that person was still alive, be it friend or foe.
Unfortunately, the figure was as still as death.
Unmoving.
"Is he dead?"
Chen Fan could not fathom what kind of existence the other party was.
Perhaps dead, perhaps alive.
In the Immortal Realm, apart from one of the Five Great Heavenly Emperors, the Black Emperor, no one cultivated the Body Cultivation Path.
Where was the Human Race's Body Cultivation Path?
As the foundation of a path, it could not simply not exist.
And here, in this dry riverbed, lay the dormant Body Cultivation Path.
"Is the Body Cultivation Path of the Immortal Realm hidden here by you?" Chen Fan pondered.
Many things could not withstand scrutiny.
He guessed that this riverbed was the Body Cultivation Path of the Immortal Realm.
It had merely become his backyard now.
"Hmph."
After a long pause, Chen Fan let out a breath.
His body had once again turned into withered white bones.
The Human Race's Body Cultivation Path was too potent. To persevere further would damage his great Dao foundation.
He had no choice but to retreat.
Since the other party was behind the stone wall, he would be able to completely pierce through and connect the riverbed once he became stronger.
Stepping back, his flesh and blood rapidly reappeared.
...
At this moment.
Within Sword City.
The legacy left by the giant Xi had yet to dissipate above Sword City.
On this day, the Angler, the Overlord, and the Dream Monk arrived together.
"Do the three of you have business?"
Chen Fan personally received the trio.
Although Old Demon Chu could have, since the Angler had come, Chen Fan had to receive them himself.
He still owed the Angler a favor.
The Overlord, being forthright, spoke directly, "We've come to discuss something with City Lord."
"What is it?"
"To kill Qingdi."
Crash.
The teacup he had just lifted fell to the ground and shattered.
Chen Fan was stunned, "What did you say?"
The Overlord's expression was stern, "We've come to discuss with City Lord how to fight Qingdi."
"..." Chen Fan.
He glanced at the Dream Monk and the Angler.
Did you know the Overlord was so rash?
The Dream Monk gave a bitter smile, "City Lord, please don't mind, the Overlord has always been like this. Perhaps I should explain..."
The Overlord glared at the Dream Monk.
The Dream Monk pretended not to see it and said, "The three of us, plus the Ninth Sword Cultivator who hasn't arrived yet, and one more person whom City Lord Chen needs to help summon back... the five of us intended to fight Qingdi."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Fighting Qingdi was their business.
He held no grudge against him.
Even if he did, it was against Qingdi's descendants.
If Qingdi deigned to deal with him, he would accept it.
"City Lord, please let me finish."
"..."
Chen Fan quickly shut his mouth.
Fine, you explain.
"Let me first tell City Lord about the Immortal Realm."
The Dream Monk stated directly, "The Immortal Realm itself was the Imperial Palace of a powerful expert. Legend has it that this expert was at the Great Emperor realm. As for why the Immortal Realm was abandoned, no one knows.
City Lord is likely aware of the matter of the Immortal Lords. The Immortal Lords disappeared while fighting against outsiders."
"Mm."
Chen Fan nodded.
He knew about the disappearance of the Immortal Lords.
He also knew that the Immortal Lords were visitors from the lower realms, who, with their immensely powerful cultivation, had subjugated various factions in the Immortal Realm.
The Dream Monk continued, "The Immortal Realm faced an unprecedented crisis back then..."
"What crisis?"
"Outsiders."
"Mm?"
The Dream Monk explained, "City Lord should know that an Imperial Palace can transform into a world. Even an Emperor can achieve this. For example, the Immortal Realm... is a world drifting in the chaos.
In the chaos, powerful Emperor realm experts are everywhere, and there are naturally many Imperial Palaces."
Chen Fan nodded, "So, an expert set their sights on the Immortal Realm?"
"That's right."
At this point, the Dream Monk's expression grew more solemn, "The collision of two Imperial Palaces, the contention of two worlds!"
"The Immortal Realm lost?" This was Chen Fan's guess.
"No."
This time, it was the Angler who spoke.
He rarely spoke, but now he took the initiative, "Neither won nor lost. No one knows the specific details of that battle. Perhaps Mad Emperor knows something. The result was the disappearance of the Immortal Lords, while the Immortal Realm was preserved intact."
Not a victory, nor a defeat.
The Dream Monk continued, "After that world war, the Five Great Heavenly Emperors rose to power."
Chen Fan listened quietly.
He was unaware of what happened afterwards.
"The world that clashed with the Immortal Realm back then was called the Dark Realm. After the great battle, a force was left behind in the Immortal Realm."
Chen Fan frowned, "So, Qingdi he..."
"Precisely."
No one was foolish.
A hint was enough, and all three believed Chen Fan could infer this.
The Dream Monk said, "The force left behind by the Dark Realm back then, after a long period of nurturing, gave birth to an expert."
"Qingdi?"
If that were the case, the matter was serious.
"Qingdi is the only one confirmed."
This time, it was the Overlord who spoke.
He was as reckless as ever, nodding, "Whether the other four Heavenly Emperors have been corrupted by the Dark Realm is unknown, but Qingdi has definitely been corrupted by the power of the Dark Realm."
Chen Fan nodded.
He didn't ask how they confirmed it; it must have been no simple feat.
After a long period of contemplation, he finally said, "So you intend to kill Qingdi to resolve the troubles of the Immortal Realm."
"That's right."
"But Qingdi hasn't caused any harm to the Immortal Realm?" Chen Fan asked.
Logically, even if Qingdi was contaminated by the residual power of the Dark Realm, after so many years, and judging from the current situation, he hadn't inflicted any damage on the Immortal Realm.
There was never absolute good or evil in this world.
Even if Qingdi was corrupted, as long as he didn't harm the Immortal Realm, he wasn't an evil person.
One couldn't just kill him for becoming an Emperor with the power of the Dark Realm, could they?
"I understand your meaning."
The Dream Monk nodded, "We initially thought the same. But later we discovered that Qingdi had secretly killed countless monstrous talents in the Immortal Realm.
He is restricting the development of the Immortal Realm. As for his motive, I believe you can understand."
"..."
Chen Fan remained silent for a long time.
To be honest, he truly didn't want to confront the Five Great Heavenly Emperors.
Not out of fear, but because it was unnecessary.
Now that he had news of the Space Boots, he was more inclined to become stronger and seize the Space Boots.
As for the grievances between the Immortal Realm and the Dark Realm, he wasn't particularly willing to meddle.
His hesitation was noticed by the three opposite him.
The Angler suddenly spoke, "The lower realm and the Immortal Realm are part of the same world, divided like yin and yang. If the Immortal Realm falls, the lower realm will inevitably be implicated."
"..."
Fine.
Chen Fan spoke immediately.
If it were just the Immortal Realm, he might not care.
But if it involved the lower realm, it was a different story.