Immortal of the Ages

"Oh?" Moon Fairy remarked, recalling when he was offered up as a tribute to the Great Mother. She had treated him as nothing more than a prized son. His experience had not been as revolting as the rumors suggested.

Now, Yun Xiao had cleansed the Great Mother thoroughly. Once the stench of death was removed, she looked as pale and ethereal as any human Martial Immortal much like Pale Revenant.

"Squat down," Moon Fairy commanded.

"Um..." The Great Mother crouched, her long legs bending slightly to level her eyes with Moon Fairy, who seemed but a child in size.

Yet, this child commanded only awe from her gaze.

Up close, the Moon Fairy examined her face—a delicate and cold visage that gave even the undead demons a vacant, almost foolish look.

Moon Fairy pinched the Great Mother's cheek and said, "It's fine. No need to linger in the past. Just follow me like my little maid does."

At these words, clear tears welled up in the Great Mother’s vacant eyes.

Though the one making this promise had changed his form, Moon Fairy's tone and demeanor were unmistakably those of Yun Xiao. It was as if a different hand was pinching her.

The Great Mother knelt deeply, bowing her head with a choked and heartfelt, "Thank you, Immortal Yun."

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Inside the Azure Rain Sword Vessel, a tall, striking Yin Devil maiden with dragon horns and clad in tight leather, watched the Great Mother kneel outside. Biting her red lip, she remarked, "Congratulations, another fierce warrior joins your harem. Eight feet tall—that should be quite enough for your exploits."

Yun Xiao, who was thinking about how to break through to the Night God Realm, nearly choked at her words.

"Shut it," he snapped. "You don’t understand what a corpse demon is. Don’t be so narrow-minded, always dragging gender into this."

"Who knows the limits of your tastes?" the War Princess huffed, arms crossed and clearly displeased.

"Enough with the jealousy," Yun Xiao retorted.

"Jealous of you?" the War Princess pursed her lips. "I’m just venting a bit of pent-up frustration."

"Still uncomfortable?" Yun Xiao rose and leaned next to her, asking.

"Can I speak frankly?" she asked.

"Of course. I am generous and never exploit my own. Speak freely," Yun Xiao encouraged.

Her crimson eyes trembled slightly as she whispered, "If possible, I’d like to fight alongside you, not be treated like a draft ox, dragged everywhere—it's degrading!"

Yun Xiao couldn't help but smile. "You’ve been winning all along without moving an inch, and now you want to work?"

"Why not? I'm tired of lying down; isn’t it right that I wish to try now?" The War Princess gritted her teeth.

"Are you serious?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Mhm." She nodded, turning her pretty face aside, muttering under her breath, "Always turning into a dry corpse, my figure has shrunk. I'm not standing for it."

Yun Xiao looked up at the stern-faced Yin Devil before him and smirked, "I haven't noticed any change."

"What do you know? I'm still young; I need to keep growing. Not growing is as good as shrinking," the War Princess retorted sharply.

Yun Xiao was silent. He knew this girl brought up her losses

to gain some autonomy. Did he care? It seemed he did, after all.

"So," Yun Xiao said, "from now on, whether in cultivation or battle, I'll take you along more often."

"Really?" The War Princess's blood-red eyes sparkled.

"A man's promise is his bond."

"That's wonderful!"

She beamed joyfully, hugging Yun Xiao tightly enough to squeeze the breath from him, whispering, "Thank you on behalf of my sisters too!"

Yun Xiao, catching his breath, took a moment to understand the sisters she referred to.

By then, the War Princess had already dashed out of the Azure Rain Sword Vessel, to relish the sweet air of freedom.

"She truly is a feisty young lady—mature in all ways but her mind..."

However, her style had certainly become more fiery. It was in keeping with the nature of a devil—direct, unrestrained, fierce, with clear lines between love and hate, harboring no secrets.

Watching her lithe figure disappear, Yun Xiao was reminded of a certain term—forbidden delicacy. There was nothing wrong with that. It was the essence of their relationship, established the moment the Blood Base was formed.

And the corpse demons were just fervent followers, willing to die for him. Fundamentally, these relationships were different.

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"Gate of Death."

Stripping away all else, returning to his true form, and nurturing the Buddha's Treasure Spirit, Yun Xiao aimed for the heavens.

And Yun Xiao, with the eyes of his spirit, finally beheld the Gate of Death!

"The Death and Life Realm, the last two realms of the Third Dao Tribulation. But I guess Night and Dawn God Realm sounds more palatable…"

A change of name often implied no real change at all.

Yun Xiao was now ascending to the Night God Realm, which truly meant his spirit was to enter the Gate of Death and proceed into the realm of death!

BOOM! His Buddha's Treasure Spirit, as regal as any Emperor of Spirits, blasted open the Gate of Death and plunged through.

FWOOM! As his spirit entered, the dense fog within the Gate of Death seemed to boil up, swirling violently.

"What's going on here?"

"I don't know!"

From within the Gate of Death, two female voices echoed.

The voices sounded familiar to Yun Xiao. His spirit had just stabilized, accustomed to the purging mists of the Gate of Death, and he moved toward the source of the sounds.

The two female spirits, curious about the disturbance, approached as well.

WHOOSH!

The parties met amidst the thick fog.

Yun Xiao squinted into the fog and saw two figures; one dignified and majestic, commanding awe and reverence—it was none other than the Empress Zhao. The other, a charming female celestial maiden with rabbit ears, was Saintess Yao Xi, the Princess Consort.

The spirit of Yao Xi was flushed, hinting at what her physical self was doing.

"Young man, who are you?" Empress Zhao eyed the ordinary looking spirit from above, her tone questioning.

"Strange, I don't recall such a figure in the Celestial Court," Yao Xi remarked.

Yun Xiao was equally surprised; he knew the Princess Consort was young, but he hadn't expected her to reach the exalted level of the Night God Realm so soon!

It seemed she, too, had just broken through the Gate of Death.

Yun Xiao looked at them both, saying nothing, his mind vibrating.

"No response, is it? No matter who you are, once you're in our domain, you must immediately report to the Lord of this realm," Yao Xi declared coldly.

"And who might that be?" Yun Xiao asked.

"That would naturally be Lu—"

Yao Xi had not finished speaking when Empress Zhao interrupted her. She gazed at Yun Xiao and said, "Head outside the Great Dao Celestial Realm's Ascension Pool, and wait for the descent of the Western Kunlun Palace."

Yun Xiao smiled and said, "I see, Lu Fan is it?"

"You know him?" Yao Xi looked at Yun Xiao with a sneer.

"I do. He’s a scoundrel," Yun Xiao replied.

"Insolence!"

Already high and mighty, Yao Xi was particularly incensed to hear her revered being slandered. Her spirit instantly whipped up a pink storm that bore down on Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao's eyes narrowed, and a golden spirit sword materialized in his hand, exploding into a Flying Sword.

"Emperor Proliferation, performed by a spirit?!" Empress Zhao, initially calm, was visibly shaken.

As she spoke, an Emperor sword formationenveloped Yao Xi’s spirit.

"What?" Yao Xi was stunned, then let out a heart-wrenching scream as her spirit was torn to shreds in a flash of light!

POOF! She was gone in an instant.

Empress Zhao, breaking out in a cold sweat, quickly recalled her spirit.

"My lord..."

In the Peach Blossom Villa, Empress Zhao's face was pale as she turned to see the disheveled middle-aged man. In his embrace was a twitching young woman with rabbit ears, who suddenly spat a mouthful of black blood and then slumped lifelessly in his arms.

The disheveled middle-aged man picked up the lifeless body, dressed her, and looked at Empress Zhao. "What happened?"

"A stranger appeared in the Gate of Death and executed the Emperor Proliferation Sword Technique," Empress Zhao said with a trembling voice.

Lu Fan's expression flickered with uncertainty. Around him, hundreds of voluptuous celestial maidens, seeing the dead gaze of the Princess Consort, shuddered in fear.

"My lord, it is necessary..."

Empress Zhao had barely started speaking when Lu Fan looked outward, toying with the All-Life Empress Gu in his hand, his lips curling slightly as he whispered ominously, "More and more people are popping out of the shadows. No matter, let’s first feed ourselves well; whoever comes, dies."