Chapter 235: Turns out he's an injured Immortal King!

Sanqian Zhou, the North Pole Province.

This is the region where the world's laws are weakest.

Year after year it is eroded by chaotic currents, the space riddled with holes, so even sect leader-level experts dare not approach.

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone infiltrated from these spatial rifts.

His technique was extremely exquisite.

The clone turned into a wisp of near-nothingness spiritual fluctuation, seeping along the edge of the spatial rift, trying as much as possible not to touch the Immortal King's domain that enshrouded Sanqian Zhou.

In fact, he passed through the first three layers of rifts very smoothly.

When it came to the fourth layer, he sensed something was off.

The strength of that layer's domain had become thin here.

It was so thin that he could almost pass through without expending any effort.

Too easy.

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone's footsteps paused for an instant.

He hesitated.

Was this an oversight by the one who set up the domain, or… a deliberately exposed flaw?

After hesitating for only half a breath, he chose to continue.

Even if the Immortal King's clone suffered damage, the impact on its true body would be no more than a recovery period of tens of thousands of years.

He could afford it.

A deep blue gloomy light pierced the final layer of rift and sank into the Arctic wasteland of Sanqian Zhou.

Success!

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone stood on the frozen earth, the deep blue glow converging, disguising its aura as that of an ordinary cultivator.

He looked around; the surroundings were an endless icy plain, with no trace of any living beings.

Good!

He began moving toward Zhongzhou.

According to information sent by the Huangquan Sect Leader, the opponent's core base is in Yunzhou.

And the Zhongzhou Altar is a critical node anchoring the world's origin.

Regardless of which one he goes to, he can obtain valuable information.

He chose Zhongzhou.

The Immortal King's clone's speed was extremely fast.

Even if he deliberately suppressed his aura, his speed crossing the void far exceeded the limit of sect leader-level experts.

From the North Pole to Zhongzhou, for him it was only a matter of a few hours.

However.

He flew for about ten breaths.

In the void ahead, there was a person.

A gaunt old man wearing a gray cloth short jacket, straw sandals on his feet, and twirling two walnuts in his hand.

The old man stood on the path he must take, cocking his head to size him up, just like looking at a stray cat that had mistakenly wandered into a courtyard.

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone abruptly came to a halt.

His first reaction was not to fight, but to judge.

Who is this old man?

His aura…… could not be sensed at all.

It wasn't weakness.

It was too strong.

So strong that his sensory means failed before the opponent, and the feedback he received was——blank.

It was no different from looking at an ordinary mortal.

But the Immortal King's intuition screamed: This is not an ordinary mortal.

"You are the master of that outer layer domain."

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone opened his mouth in a deep voice.

He did not use a question.

The old man smiled, revealing a mouthful of aged, missing teeth, looking no different from a sunbathing farmer at the village entrance.

"Young fellow, your eyesight is not bad."

Young fellow.

The Zhenyuan Immortal King has lived for over three million years.

Being called 'young fellow' was the first time.

"Sir, where do you hail from as an expert?"

The Zhenyuan Immortal King's clone suppressed his unease, trying to gain more information through dialogue,

"I am Zhenyuan of the Immortal Realm, tasked with overseeing Sanqian Zhou; this time I entered merely for inspection, harboring no ill intent."

He invoked the name of the Immortal Realm.

In his view, the two words 'Immortal Realm' were the best talisman.

Even if the opponent were truly the Jue Dian Immortal King observed, he would still have to weigh the consequences of offending the Immortal Realm.

Gu Cangsheng looked at him for a while.

"Immortal Realm?"

Exactly.

Zhenyuan Immortal King, I have a slight impression of you.

Gu Cangsheng stroked his chin, "You're from the Immortal Realm, what rank are you?"

What rank?

The avatar of Zhenyuan Immortal King furrowed his brows slightly.

The tone of that question didn't sound like a casual cultivator; it sounded more like an official flipping through a roster.

I am unworthy, my rank on the Immortal Realm Immortal King list is one hundred thirty-seven.

He suppressed his inner irritation and answered truthfully.

Zhenyuan Immortal King's ranking in the Immortal Realm is upper-middle, not top-tier, but certainly not ordinary.

One hundred thirty-seven.

Gu Cangsheng muttered the number, then nodded.

He didn't even know what the Immortal Realm Immortal King list was, but that didn't stop him from continuing to fish.

Too weak. Let's go.

Let's go?

What does "let's go" mean? Let him go? Or dislike his weakness and tell him to scram?

Your words are rather presumptuous.

The tone of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar grew a bit colder,

Although I am merely an avatar descended, I am not a dough to be kneaded at will. Even if your strength surpasses mine, the rules of the Immortal Realm cannot be broken by a single person.

His words carried a threat.

The meaning was clear: if you can beat me, can you beat the whole Immortal Realm?

Gu Cangsheng wasn't angry; he even cocked the corner of his mouth.

Young man, you've gotten something wrong.

The old man rolled a walnut in his hand, then slowly stepped forward.

Just one step.

In the pupil of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar reflected a scene that made his liver and gall feel like they were about to burst.

Behind that withered old man, the void shattered and a massive gray-purple figure emerged.

It was a Dharma Manifestation condensed from primordial chaos—entirely gray-purple, bones jagged like mountain ranges, and every inch of skin flowed with inscriptions of chaos laws.

The Dharma Manifestation's eyes opened.

Inside were no pupils.

Only two slowly rotating miniature chaos.

The aura of the Jue Dian Immortal King came like a bursting flood, silently crushing over.

Immortal King aura.

Undoubtedly Immortal King aura.

The complexion of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar turned grave.

Yet at the same time, a fleeting gleam of extreme subtlety flashed in his deep blue pupils.

Because he noticed something.

That aura, though overbearing, was not stable.

Like a storm forcibly compressed, it looked terrifying in momentum, yet the internal operation of its laws showed several obvious sluggishness.

Such sluggishness is imperceptible to ordinary cultivators.

But he is an Immortal King; even as an avatar, his perception of the laws far surpasses that of a true immortal.

Injured.

This was the conclusion Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar reached in an instant.

And the injury was not light.

He recalled the fragments mentioned in the intelligence sent by the Yellow Springs Sect Leader—on the eve of the Lightning and Fire Provinces' disappearance, multiple Immortal King–level forces had collided above Sanqian Zhou.

The Heaven-Hating Sword King was wounded, the Crimson Sky Immortal King fled in fury.

If the old man before him were that third party who thrust himself into the battle between those two Immortal Kings…

…then his injury would make sense.

Snatching food from a tiger's mouth—how could one not break one's teeth?

The breath of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar involuntarily grew hurried.

Not out of fear.

But because of… greed.

A heavily injured Jue Dian Immortal King who has not yet recovered, alone, far from the Immortal Realm's main battlefield, occupying an entire world filled with immortal substance.

What is this?

This is a heaven-sent opportunity!

You cultivate the Dao of Chaos.

Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar did not rush to attack, but slowly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of probing.

May I ask your esteemed name? In the Immortal Realm, Immortal Kings who cultivate the Grand Dao of Chaos can be counted on one's fingers, yet I have never heard of your name.

He was buying time.

At the same time, deep in his sea of consciousness, an extremely hidden divine sense was frantically transmitting along the invisible karma thread linking his avatar to his main body toward the Immortal Realm.

Name? Gu Cangsheng grinned, showing a mouthful of chipped old teeth, "I am who I am, I do not change my name when walking or sitting—Gu Cangsheng."

Gu Cangsheng.

The Immortal Realm's Immortal King ranking has no such name.

The speculation in the mind of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar grew even more certain…… This person is not from the Immortal Realm, but a wandering Immortal King of unknown origin.

Wandering Immortal King.

No sect, no backing, no allies.

Solitary and alone.

Moreover, he is wounded.

"Gu Dao friend."

The address of Zhenyuan Immortal King's avatar changed, from "your excellency" to "Dao friend", and the tone became much more peaceful.

"We are both Immortal Kings; why harm harmony? Sanqian Zhou is merely a minor region under the Immortal Realm's jurisdiction. If you have any requests, you can simply negotiate with the Immortal Realm—why go to such great trouble?"

He wore a smile on his face and spoke harmonious words.

But that thread of divine sense in his sea of consciousness had successfully pierced the Boundary Wall and reached the Immortal Realm.

"You also think you're worthy."

Gu Cangsheng gave a light laugh, and the avatar of Zhenyuan Immortal King instantly shattered.

Although it was shattered, it made the Zhenyuan Immortal King all the more certain of one thing.

This scoundrel, fierce outwardly but weak within!