Chapter 200: I'm Still an Infant

“That fellow in the imperial palace dwells in the forbidden depths and rarely takes action; the likelihood is small. Could it be Yun Zhi of the Single Quest Sect?”

“That is not right either. My avatar was concealed right beside the Immortal; the Immortal Sect has always been exceedingly prudent. How could someone have traced their way to their very doorstep?”

“Could it be that the Immortal has awakened a long-lost conscience, turned over a new leaf, and voluntarily surrendered to the Great Xia Dynasty or the Single Quest Sect to plead for leniency?”

The mere mention of those few individuals in the Central Continent filled the dark figure with a sense of profound vexation.

Since the conclusion of the ancient era, he had begun orchestrating his grand design, planning every detail flawlessly, such that, by all reason, no complications should have arisen.

Neither the Great Qian nor the Great Yu eras had transcended the bounds of his design; he had proclaimed that the future would harbor opportunities for ascension, luring men into deep slumbers to awaken them only during the great clash of eras to confound all perceptions.

Yet, upon the arrival of the Great Xia Dynasty, figures beyond his calculations began to appear one after another, and with them, those who achieved immortality. An immortal was no longer a mere chess piece, but a player equal in standing to himself, forcing him to alter his stratagems time and time again.

“Especially that Yun Zhi—so young, yet possessed of a talent that crowns both past and present.”

“My Lord, if I may ask, who exactly is this Yun Zhi...?” The attendant mentally reviewed the prominent figures of the Central Continent, yet among those mighty sovereigns who swayed the continent's tides, none bore the name Yun Zhi.

His Lord rarely bestowed praise, and to do so with such unreserved admiration was unprecedented; how staggeringly wondrous must this Yun Zhi’s talent be?

The dark shadow let out a cold sneer. “Nothing more than a young girl from the Single Quest Sect. A century ago, when I journeyed to the Central Continent, she came forth in person to receive me, warmly inquiring where my homeland lay. I did not deign to pay her any mind, and she, in turn, found it difficult to object.”

“Subsequently, seeing that she possessed some modicum of skill, I exchanged blows with her to offer a word or two of guidance. After our clash, when I sought to depart, she pursued me relentlessly, begging for further instruction. I reflected that the fellowship of cultivators should be as pure as water, so why force what was not meant to be? It was best for the affinity between us to end there; excessive guidance would only impede her path.”

“Thus, I employed an evasion art and departed straight away, unwilling to become further entangled with her.”

“My Lord’s cultivation is supreme across all epochs,” the attendant praised, bowing with clasped hands, which drew a hearty laugh from the dark figure.

The attendant felt a surge of relief; entangled in the clash of eras, a single misstep could plunge one into an abyss of eternal damnation. It was far safer to follow his Lord.

His Lord possessed world-shaking cultivation and calculations spanning epochs; he would surely claim every advantage in this monumental struggle. By merely following in his Lord’s wake to gather the crumbs, the attendant would have enough to live joyously for a lifetime, and with a stroke of further fortune, immortality itself might be within reach.

Yet, as the dark shadow recalled that encounter with Yun Zhi a century ago, he felt a sting of deep embarrassment.

Naturally, he could not admit that he had seen the young girl, initiated the strike, and subsequently been thoroughly beaten to a pulp, forced to flee in utter disarray. Having lived through uncounted eons, to be defeated and driven to flight by a mere child was nothing short of an absolute disgrace.

Such words could never be spoken to a subordinate, lest his authority be undermined.

The dark shadow cast his mind back to the events of a century past. At that time, he had merely intended to visit the Immortal Sect to ascertain how much remained before the prototype of the Dao Fruit would manifest. Yet, before he could even locate the sect’s stronghold, he had chanced upon Yun Zhi, and an apocalyptic battle had instantly erupted.

Recalling the sheer might Yun Zhi had displayed, the dark shadow concluded that she could well be deemed the foremost figure of the Central Continent, the greatest obstacle in the clash of eras.

Consequently, since that fateful day, he had dispatched only avatars to the Central Continent, lest his true form be ensnared. “Could it be that the Great Xia Dynasty is uniquely favored by destiny?”

The concept of destiny was ethereal and formless; to achieve immortality, one required not only talent and strength, but also luck.

Take, for instance, that cultivator at the Tribulation Transmutation stage who had mastered the art of manifesting reality through speech; he too had possessed the potential for immortality, yet his fortune proved dismal. He crossed paths with Huang Doudou and suffered an untimely demise.

The dark figure pondered for a long while without arriving at any conclusion, so he simply cast the question aside.

“Ah, well, no matter. Since the avatar has been destroyed, it signifies that the matter of the Immortal Dao Fruit’s prototype has been discovered by others. The denizens of the Central Continent will be vigilant against immortals infiltrating their lands, and being discovered would only breed needless complications. I shall simply refrain from visiting the Central Continent for a brief period. When the Immortal Dao Fruit nears maturity, I shall step forth once more to claim it!”

“If I can secure the Immortal Dao Fruit, I shall command an absolute advantage in the clash of eras!”

“It is merely a pity for the Immortal Fairy; she is destined never to be resurrected. Who told her to hold dominion over the Immortal Dao Fruit? If she does not die, no one else can ever obtain it.”

“Truly, it was beyond all expectation back then that the one capable of bearing the Immortal Dao Fruit would be her. How enviable indeed...” The dark figure drifted further away, his voice fading into nothingness, leaving behind only a field of withered bones.

“How should we deal with the Immortal Sect?”

Lu Yang raised the question. The objective of their journey had already been fulfilled: they had located the Immortal Sect's headquarters, captured the Immortal, and forced an avatar of the mastermind behind the scenes to detonate itself.

Now, only a single question remained—how to handle the Immortal Sect.

If they dealt with the sect rashly, would it startle the snake in the grass and alert the mastermind to something amiss? Could they perhaps use the Immortal Sect as bait to lure the mastermind out?

Yun Zhi looked at Lu Yang with mild astonishment, failing to comprehend why he would ask such a thing. “By reporting it to the authorities, of course.”

“Ah?”

“With so many people, our Single Quest Sect would not even have the capacity to interrogate them all. It is far better to let the Great Xia Dynasty come and handle it.” Lu Yang nearly blurted out, “Does our Single Quest Sect actually employ such legitimate methods?”

In Lu Yang’s memory, extracting confessions through torture, coercion and bribery, infiltrating demonic sects, and rising to the top of demonic sect competitions—were these not the very things the Single Quest Sect excelled at?

Oh, right, half of those were actually done by me.

“When shall we report it?” Lu Yang asked, brimming with anticipation. The sensation of uprooting a massive syndicate nest felt rather exhilarating.

Yun Zhi pondered for a moment. “Four days ago?”

“What?”

Yun Zhi explained, “Just after we entered the headquarters four days ago, my divine soul left my body to report the matter to the Great Xia Dynasty. The reason I did not strike immediately was that I wished to wait until those at the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stages had all gathered before drawing the net.”

“Of course, the Immortal was an unexpected harvest, entirely beyond my calculations.”

The Immortal felt that he had simply brought this upon himself by meddling in things he shouldn't have; why did he insist on attempting a soul possession? As long as he had not voluntarily emerged, even if the entire Immortal Sect were annihilated, the Great Xia Dynasty would never have found him.

Yun Zhi fixed her gaze upon the Immortal. “As for you...”

The Immortal hastily pleaded, “My soul possession was unsuccessful, which can be likened to attempted murder—it surely does not warrant the death penalty!”

“I have always been a law-abiding citizen and have never committed a single illegal act! Look, even the statue is holding the penal code.” Lu Yang looked over, and indeed, the statue of the Immortal was holding a volume of the penal code.

The sect master had moved swiftly; the design of the Immortal's statue had already been altered to one holding the penal code, aiming to encourage the congregation to study the law.

“Furthermore, my soul only became whole the very moment I obtained my name. Only five days have passed from the moment I received my name until now. I am a mere five days old, practically an infant! According to the Great Xia penal code, I fall under the age of absolute criminal irresponsibility; I bear no criminal liability and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment.”

“I am still just a baby! I beg your ladyship to display grand magnanimity, stay your noble hand, and spare this lowly one!”

Lu Yang stared at the Immortal’s ancient countenance, which looked as though it belonged in a grave, and thought to himself that the name had truly not been given in vain. How could anyone utter such utterly shameless words?

Some are dead, yet not completely dead...