The Old Immortal came out of seclusion. This was shocking news to the whole world. Upon receiving the news, the imperial court immediately sent the highest ranking local official to congratulate the Old Immortal at his abode. The official brought lavish gifts, but did not get to see the Old Immortal. He only received a disdainful sentence, "Let the current emperor come see me."
Song Nan sat anxiously in the palace after hearing these words. He did not dare to go, wanting to wake up Chen Xia, but also afraid of incurring Chen Xia's wrath. That would leave him in a quandary.
So Song Nan made preparations and hurried to the Old Immortal's abode. But he still did not get to see the Old Immortal. He only received hospitality from an elder of the immortal sect.
This elder sat at a table. He glanced indifferently at Song Nan who arrived, not taking him seriously at all. He did not ask Song Nan to sit down either. He just casually said,
"The Patriarch told me to tell you that if Great Song wants to continue existing, you must make all people in the country worship his idol."
Song Nan was taken aback. His expression was very awkward. He cupped his fists towards the elder and said, "But there are already statues of the National Teacher in Great Song now."
"Humph." The elder sneered coldly. "I won't bother with that. If you want Great Song to continue existing, just obediently do as told."
"Otherwise, we don't mind finding a more obedient dog to replace you."
The elder's words were full of contempt. He did not take Song Nan seriously at all.
Song Nan's expression was gloomy, but he did not dare to talk back.
The elder glanced at him disdainfully and sneered again, "What National Teacher? If you want to venerate him, I advise you to give up that laughable idea early."
"The current Patriarch has reached the Golden Core realm. He is unmatched in the world. Even immortals descending from the Upper Realm are not the Patriarch's match. A mere mortal like you still dares to resist? Utterly laughable!"
"Go back and think about it carefully! I'll give you three days. If you still haven't made a decision after three days, you won't be talking to me here anymore."
"Instead, the Patriarch will be talking to you in the imperial city."
Song Nan's expression was solemn. Head lowered, he gritted his teeth and replied.
"Yes."
"Mm." The elder casually waved his hand. "Go back and think about it carefully."
Song Nan did not say anything more. He turned around and strode back to the imperial city.
He wanted to wake up Chen Xia, but there was no way. One hundred meters of earth muted all sounds. The only way was to dig down, but how could he finish digging in just three days?
The only person who could possibly wake up Chen Xia, Huang Qingyue, did not agree either. She worriedly said,
"Big Brother Chen is at a critical juncture in his seclusion. If you disturb him now, what if he gets injured?"
Song Nan was now completely out of options. He sat in the imperial city, not going anywhere, waiting for the Old Immortal to come find him so they could discuss when the time comes.
If it really came down to it, he could only switch the worship to the Old Immortal for now and figure things out after Chen Xia finished his seclusion.
He was extremely conflicted, thinking about his worries every day.
The three days passed quickly.
People saw a sword shoot out from the immortal sect. Then a figure rode the sword, travelling a hundred miles in just thirty breaths, hovering above the imperial city. An indifferent voice spread throughout the entire imperial city.
"Which ever is the current emperor, come out and see me."
Song Nan had not gone out yet when Jiuxiaosui already faced the Old Immortal first.
The Old Immortal stood on his flying sword, expression indifferent. He casually said, "You dare come out again this time. Are you looking to die?"
Jiuxiaosui clasped his sleeves. His shrill voice laughed, "As a servant of the imperial household, I naturally must perform my duties properly."
"Forget it." The Old Immortal waved his hand. His aged but majestic face revealed contempt. He said,
"Don't speak anymore. Just hearing your voice disgusts me. I can't believe someone like you still has the nerve to call yourself a cultivator. There is no such shameless dao of cultivation."
Jiuxiaosui smiled. "The world is vast. Nothing is too bizarre."
"Bizarre enough to block a sword strike from me?" The Old Immortal coldly humphed. His flying sword beneath his feet thrummed.
Jiuxiaosui laughed. "Let's see."
"You think you're worthy?" The Old Immortal let out a cold humph. He did not actually draw his sword, only pointing out a finger.
Jiuxiaosui instantly fell from the highest point of the imperial city, penetrating the walls and crashing into the rubble. His life or death unknown.
The Old Immortal stood in midair. His tone was icy cold. "Emperor of Great Song, I give you three more breaths of time."
One breath.
Song Nan had already come out, standing on the ground. Under the gaze of the Imperial Guards and civil and military officials, he cupped his fists towards the Old Immortal and said,
"Song Nan pays his respects to the Old Immortal."
The Old Immortal glanced at him disdainfully. "You think you're worthy of standing and talking to me?"
"Kneel!"
This one word was like divine might, shaking Song Nan's face pale. His entire body involuntarily knelt to the ground.
Only then did the Old Immortal slowly say, "You Great Song emperors really have no manners. You don't even kneel when you see me. You can't possibly think this world is really yours, right?"
Song Nan gritted his teeth and knelt on the ground, head lowered. He opened his mouth to reply.
"The Old Immortal teaches rightly."
The observing Imperial Guards and civil and military officials had looks of shock on their faces. It was hard to imagine the lofty emperor would show such a pathetic sight.
"Have you thought about what my elder told you three days ago?" The Old Immortal asked again.
Song Nan nodded and agreed, "As the Old Immortal wishes."
"Mm." The Old Immortal nodded slightly, then casually said, "If you get it done, I'll let you rule this land. Otherwise, I'll just find someone else. After all, I'm looking for an obedient dog."
Song Nan gritted his teeth and did not dare refute. He could only nod.
The Old Immortal glanced down casually. His flying sword suddenly plunged down to hover a hundred meters up. He continued asking,
"I heard in the last hundred years, another immortal has appeared in this world. He is even your Great Song's National Teacher. His statues are the ones worshipped now."
"That's right." Song Nan nodded.
The Old Immortal raised his brows and waved his hand. "Have him come out and see me. To avenge my disciple he killed eighty years ago, a life for a life."
Song Nan gave a wry laugh. "The National Teacher is in secluded cultivation. I'm afraid I cannot call him out."
"A mere cultivator needs seclusion?" The Old Immortal disdainfully laughed. His flying sword thrummed beneath him. In a flash, he neared the sealed chamber and sneered coldly,
"It's here, isn't it?"
The sword beneath his feet condensed sword qi, about to slash down.
"Stop!" A clear cry rang out. A girl in a goose-yellow skirt held a sword, glaring at him furiously.
The Old Immortal raised a brow. He did not even glance at Huang Qingyue, only looking at the sword in her hand. He asked,
"You are also a sword cultivator?"
The sword beneath him was still condensing sword qi, ready to fall at any moment.
Huang Qingyue's elegant brows furrowed in anger. She was extremely furious. She shouted again, "I'm telling you to stop!"
"What will you do if I don't stop?" The Old Immortal disdainfully sneered.
Suddenly, the sword hummed!
Huang Qingyue's figure instantly flashed over, her sword slashing straight for the Old Immortal's head.
The corners of the Old Immortal's mouth lifted in contempt. He didn't even bother to draw his sword. With a single finger, he blocked the incoming blade and flicked it away with ease.
The sword blade shattered. Huang Qingyue's figure was forced back a hundred steps. Her charming face was pale. Blood seeped from the corners of her mouth.
The Old Immortal sneered disdainfully, "An ant like you dares to take out a sword before me? I can destroy you with a single finger."
He really stretched out a finger. Sword qi swirled around it, pointing at the space between Huang Qingyue's brows.
"Old Immortal, wait a moment!" Someone flashed out from the imperial city. It was a gaunt old man in white clothes. He was fawningly looking at the Old Immortal and said,
"This young lady has some talent in cultivation. We can take her soul and find her a new body to possess in the future."
The Old Immortal glanced at him but did not reply to those words. Instead, he asked, "Is the method you told me about, cultivating by absorbing the faith incense offerings, really feasible?"
The gaunt old man quickly nodded and said, "This is the secret art of us Haiwai Liangqi Practitioners. It will definitely work. If it ends up useless, the Old Immortal may take my head. I absolutely have no complaints."
Huang Qingyue looked at the two. She gritted her silver teeth. Profound energy in her body instantly circulated. She actually formed an extremely simple Dao chapter symbol. The broken sword in her hand suddenly shone radiantly. Sword qi overflowed as she slashed towards the gaunt old man.
The swirling sword qi drew an arc in the air.
The gaunt old man's expression changed. He was just about to dodge.
The Old Immortal put his fingers together. Sword qi rolled as his fingers became a sword, utterly shattering Huang Qingyue's thrown short sword.
The gaunt old man let out a breath. He hurriedly cupped his fists towards the Old Immortal and said, "Many thanks to the Old Immortal for saving me."
The Old Immortal didn't even look at him. He disdainfully said, "You Haiwai Liangqi Practitioners, other than some strange techniques, are really useless."
The emaciated old man dared not talk back, and just glared at Huang Qingyue, gnashing his teeth and saying, "You actually dare to use such ruthless means against me. When I get back, I will definitely whip your soul!"
Huang Qingyue's mouth still had traces of blood. She clenched her silver teeth tightly, and her goose-yellow skirt was stained with quite a bit of blood. Her eyes were full of fierce, hateful intent.
The old immortal looked at her and found it somewhat interesting. He grinned and said, "In a moment, I will pull out the person in seclusion and chop him into pieces with my sword, one slice at a time. Let's see what expression you'll have then. Will you kneel down and beg me?"
The old immortal's grin grew wider and wider. He mocked, "Perhaps if you kneel down and beg me now, if I'm in a good mood later, I'll only half-kill him and let you talk a little longer."
Huang Qingyue gritted her teeth. She sensed the same primordial chaos energy vibrating as herself, meaning Chen Xia was about to emerge from seclusion.
The old immortal stood on his flying sword, the sword energy on it surging and swirling, spilling out in all directions. He said to Huang Qingyue one word at a time, "I want you to kneel down and beg me right now, otherwise I'll kill this person immediately."
He was used to being arrogant.
A hundred meters deep underground. Chen Xia's body kept trembling, shaking the entire ground. Then in a flash he opened his eyes, a dazzling golden light shining in them, bright as a god!
He grabbed a nearby iron pillar and instantly pulled it out. Golden light covered the iron pillar as he threw it straight ahead!
The soil collapsed instantly with no resistance.
The iron pillar flew out like the most lethal flying sword in the world.
The ground collapsed for a hundred meters!
The old immortal retreated instantly, suspended in midair.
The emaciated old man was pierced through half his body by the golden iron pillar, pinned to the ground. Blood spilled out and he could not move, half-dead.
Chen Xia was somehow already standing on top of the iron pillar, looking coldly down at the half-dead emaciated old man below. In a low voice he said,
"The officers of Great Song have plenty of ways to make you enjoy yourself."
The emaciated old man's mouth kept bleeding. He could no longer speak.
Chen Xia looked up at the old immortal in the sky, his expression gloomy.
"I haven't gone looking for you yet, but you dared to come to me first."
The old immortal said coldly, "There is only so much fortune in the world, not enough for two immortals to ascend. I can only pursue the Great Dao by killing you."
Chen Xia glanced at the injured Huang Qingyue, his expression growing even darker. He scolded the old immortal, "You old fool, you came looking for death!"
The old immortal's expression was icy cold. His flying sword beneath his feet shuddered as killing intent permeated his tone. "Taking your head will forge my supreme immortal path!"
A transparent light shone between Chen Xia's eyes, covering his black pupils. He held out a finger to his mouth, making a "shush" gesture, and responded,
"You can only take your own head."
At this moment...
The birds stopped moving.
Everyone's expressions froze.
Even the dust remained still in place, the flow of time halted.
Chen Xia moved within it, adding all 30 years of accrued power to his strength, gathering 115 power into one fist.
Aimed at the old immortal's head.
He threw a punch.
The birds moved, the dust fell.
This punch landed.
The old immortal's eyebrows were filled with shock. From his perspective, Chen Xia's speed was now too fast for him to comprehend.
Apart from speed, there was also terrifying power.
The space around the old immortal's body exploded outwards for a hundred meters, all the air shattered. His body was sent flying instantly, piercing through the thick clouds and stopping thousands of meters away, colliding with the void, blood spilling all over!
Blood flowers fell.
Chen Xia stood in midair, expression cold and aloof, holding his fist and walking on air towards the old immortal once more.
He wanted to show the world.
What invincibility was!