Free Web NovelChapter 621: Chapter 619: Sparing You, the Favor Is Settled
"Could it be the Immortal Soldier Order?"
Xu Yang approached in astonishment and doubt, sweeping his sleeve with a flourish.
The dust covering the token dispersed, revealing its true form.
It was an utterly ancient, jade-like token, its surface crisscrossed with mottled lines and scars, giving off an aged, profound aura—even the Immortal Soldier Order paled in comparison to it.
It was not the Immortal Soldier Order!
The crucial thing was, it was utterly unharmed.
Xu Yang was exceedingly amazed. One must know that even powerful Immortal Treasures in this place had shattered and dissipated, leaving only residual energies. Of what material was this token forged, to remain not only intact, but still exuding ancient charm?
He stamped his foot lightly.
An invisible force sent the token rising, spinning over in mid-air.
On its reverse side was emblazoned the vast heavens and boundless earth, carved simply upon the token, yet imposing in an unparalleled, magnificent manner.
At the center, a towering monument stood erect, as if propping up the sky!
It was more like a divine mountain, impossible to put into words.
Xu Yang even felt that the great stele on the back of this token surpassed the Beili Immortal Mountain before him in grandeur and height.
Just a carving on a token, yet it could evoke such a sensation—truly unbelievable!
Just as he was about to take it, a sudden wave of nausea overcame him.
A kind of instinctive and spiritual repulsion welled up within him.
As though this token were an unspeakably filthy thing.
Xu Yang instinctively paused, eyes fixed, as the token drifted down from mid-air.
"How could a mere token give me such a feeling?"
"Is this token of extraordinary origin?"
He could not make sense of it.
At that moment, a howling wind arose.
Swoosh!
Out of the corner of Xu Yang’s eye, a figure appeared several zhang away.
The other raised his hand in a clawing gesture, and the token fell directly into his grasp.
"Elder Yun Zheng...!"
Xu Yang’s pupils contracted, bracing himself as if facing a formidable enemy.
Yun Zheng Elder!
Yun Zheng acted as if he didn’t even notice Xu Yang, lowered his head and gently stroked the token: "What a strange token—after so many years, it still has such astonishing ancient aura."
"A great stele~~"
Flipping to the back, he gazed upon the stele, shock clearly painted across his face.
Xu Yang’s brow knitted slightly. Did Yun Zheng Elder not feel that same sense of revulsion and rejection?
He scrutinized the elder, but apart from astonishment, detected nothing unusual on his face!
This left Xu Yang puzzled.
Was it only me who felt this way?
His gaze swept over the area where he had first seen the token. The corpses there...
Damn it, he couldn’t tell anymore.
"The inheritance I received is, in all probability, from the Demon Immortal faction!"
"That makes me repelled by...objects of the Ancient Immortal faction?"
At present, this was Xu Yang’s only explanation.
Yun Zheng Elder finally lifted his head, fixing his gaze upon Xu Yang.
Xu Yang’s entire body tensed.
But soon he offered a faint smile: "Elder Yun Zheng, since you are fond of this token, I’ll offer it to you."
Though Yun Zheng Elder was merged with his true body and was a first-class Immortal Soldier, his strength far surpassed Xu Yang’s.
Even so, Xu Yang was not without means to resist.
Seeing Xu Yang so unafraid, Yun Zheng Elder was quite surprised, letting a smile surface.
Then he replied indifferently: "I won’t kill you. Consider this as the repayment for sending the Immortal Coffin. Henceforth, the favor is settled!"
With those words, Yun Zheng Elder flew upward, vanishing in a few blinks of an eye.
Xu Yang stood in a daze, suddenly feeling suffocated, "Wait, hold on, this isn’t a fair deal."
"Spare me? My will is comparable to a first-class Immortal Soldier, and I possess ancient Evil Qi as well as Calamity Ghost Wind. Even if you wanted to kill me, you couldn’t. Saying this settles our debt is just—"
Yun Zheng Elder was already gone.
Even if he weren’t, he likely wouldn’t believe Xu Yang’s words anyway.
As for tracking him down to argue that this didn’t settle the favor...that was simply unrealistic.
Xu Yang shook his head with a wry chuckle. Yun Zheng Elder certainly did keep his word.
Well, settled is settled.
Even if it came to blows, Xu Yang felt no fear.
As to the loss of the token, Xu Yang was mostly curious about what manner of token it actually was.
Yet given his instinctive aversion and repulsion toward it, there was little to regret.
He swept his gaze around meticulously and, finding nothing else, finally took his leave.
Elsewhere—
Having obtained the token, Yun Zheng Elder swiftly arrived at a secluded platform on the side of the immortal mountain.
He caressed the token, comparing it with the information in his possession, a look of irrepressible excitement and elation flooding his eyes.
"Though Gou Mu’s information was incomplete, I can be certain—this is exactly the Ancient Immortal Order from his memory, incomparably rare and precious!"
"With this token in hand, one may ascend directly to the realm of True Immortal!"
"Moreover, the one who gains the Ancient Immortal Order, in time, can soar straight up the Immortal Path—the potential is limitless!"
This item is a peerless treasure, even within the Immortal Domain!
However, using the Ancient Immortal Order means binding oneself entirely to the Ancient Immortal faction.
But for Yun Zheng Elder, such considerations were trivial—becoming immortal was all that truly mattered.
Besides, the Ancient Immortal faction seemed vastly powerful as well.
Within the fragmented memories of Gou Mu, there seemed to be two paths to achieve True Immortal status via the Ancient Immortals—the Ancient Immortal Order was one, but much else was already lost to time.
"To ascend as True Immortal—there will be no more turbulence ahead!"
"Xu Yang, you have no idea what kind of opportunity you have just let slip."
Yun Zheng Elder grinned, departing like a flash of lightning.
Dozens of breaths later—
He found Xiao Ming.
"Ancestor."
Xiao Ming’s tone was utterly reverent.
Yun Zheng Elder produced the Ancient Immortal Order and recounted the story.
Xiao Ming was overwhelmed, eyes burning with fervor.
"I intend to use the Ancient Immortal Order right away and attempt to ascend as True Immortal. Do not inform Nan Tian, Jun Wuji, or the others. In your ongoing exploration, if you find another such token, you must exhaust all means to secure it."
"Since one Ancient Immortal Order has appeared on this mountain, there must surely be a second!"
Especially considering this token was discovered below the mountainside—there may be more higher up.
Xiao Ming’s expression grew solemn as he replied, "Rest assured, Ancestor."
Although he desired it too, the ancestor becoming True Immortal took precedence.
As things stood, his own foundation was still lacking!
Besides, if anything amiss occurred, there would still be opportunity to alter the course.
"Until my return, do not act rashly!"
After a few more instructions, Yun Zheng Elder drifted away, seeking a hidden place for secluded cultivation.
Watching Yun Zheng Elder depart, Xiao Ming could not help but feel a swell of exhilaration.
No matter whether ancient immortal or demon immortal—so long as he became True Immortal, everything would be settled.
By normal means, even with ample resources, achieving True Immortal status was still exceedingly difficult and time-consuming.
But the Ancient Immortal Order was different.
"Once Ancestor becomes True Immortal, Can Sutian, Shi Feng, Zuo Shenzong, Xu Yang—all of you will be corpses beneath our feet!"
Xiao Ming smiled coldly.
...
"Another Immortal Seed!"
Xu Yang retrieved an Immortal Seed from the remnants of a corpse before him.
All around lay a broad, flat expanse, strewn with dozens of cadavers—both ancient immortals and demon immortals alike.
Yet the earlier strange shock from the mountain hollow had not reappeared.
Perhaps that gully was unique, or perhaps one of the fallen demon immortals there had been particularly special, thus triggering the phenomenon.
As for the Ancient Immortal Order, no second token had appeared!
Having taken the Immortal Seed, Xu Yang continued ascending.
With each step, the pressure from the summit intensified.
It unconsciously slowed his pace.
At a certain instant—
Dozens of figures came into view, all seated cross-legged in various places above, as though in cultivation.
Xu Yang was somewhat taken aback by the sight, then swiftly moved upward.
He glanced over them, discovering martial artists from all major powers—yet, with tacit understanding, none engaged in conflict.
"Senior Xueming."
Xu Yang spotted Xueming, approached, and called out.
