Chapter 396: Barbecue Party

Above the nine heavens.

The news that Huang had not yet been nullified by the Zhe Xian Curse had spread everywhere; those who knew him celebrated, even eager to descend to the mortal realm to meet him.

But the news that followed stunned everyone.

"Huang found a Lord of a Forbidden Zone in the mortal realm! He has joined the Life Forbidden Zone!"

"The Supreme Being of the Immortal Palace, the Sect Masters, the Envoys from the Immortal Realm, and the clans of Jin and Wang have all been captured and dragged into that unknown Forbidden Zone!"

"Ye Fan! That is the name of the Lord of the Forbidden Zone!"

One after another, the revelations left everyone utterly unprepared; they had speculated that the mortal realm harbored secrets, otherwise how could it have birthed several peerless geniuses—but none had imagined an unknown Forbidden Zone still existed.

It was a taboo land from which no life, not even a Ruyi Zhenxian, could freely enter or exit—a place that had endured through countless eons, even the Alien Realms dared not provoke.

Yes, it was a curse that could break even immortals—yet Huang had survived; had it not been for the intervention of some terrifying, unfathomable Forbidden Zone, he should have become an ordinary mortal by now.

"Joining a Forbidden Zone cannot come without a price."

"I don't care—I'm going to see him!"

Taiyin Jade Rabbit, Cao Yusheng, and others didn't care about the details—they all prepared to depart.

In an immortal pavilion, Ye Qianxian stood motionless, her snow-white robes and black silken hair fluttering, her eyes wide with disbelief for a long while before she regained her composure.

"Ye Fan? Lord of the Forbidden Zone?!"

"Same name? But… how could such a coincidence exist in this world?"

Finally, her eyes shimmered with divine radiance as she vanished toward the path to the mortal realm.

Inside a spring gushing with essence of the immortal path, the Remnant Immortal lay in a state of false slumber.

He slightly opened his eyes, an ethereal aura seeping out; white mist rose and churned from the immortal spring.

"Who is it?!"

The Remnant Immortal stared at the returning immortal artifact, his gaze brimming with uncontainable killing intent—he was gravely wounded and could only sustain his primordial essence by soaking in the immortal spring; many matters still required the Supreme Being of the Immortal Palace to handle.

"You severed my arm—I will kill you!"

He seized the shrunken bronze palace and, from the blood left upon it, extracted the lingering information embedded there.

"Whoever you are—I will find you, even if you hide at the ends of the earth!"

Even this man, who cherished his reputation, planned to act personally; otherwise, after this incident, the Immortal Palace's influence would be greatly diminished—though merely a tool, it was not yet time to discard it.

At the very least, he must know the identity of his opponent!

He slapped the void along the trail of information, and Shi Hao's figure suddenly manifested; as he was startled, two arms appeared beside Shi Hao, with no trace of origin.

The Remnant Immortal's expression flickered between fury and disbelief—could that grasslike cultivator still be alive? He had personally planted the Zhe Xian Curse; it was impossible for him to survive.

And what were those two arms?

At that moment, the Remnant Immortal saw a spectral figure of a purple-robed man appear—he immediately initiated divination, attempting to trace the man's origins through karmic threads.

He was a Ruyi Zhenxian; even reduced to this state, he was no being a mortal of this world could dare provoke.

"Coward hiding behind shadows! Reveal yourself!"

The Remnant Immortal's furious roar echoed throughout the entire Immortal Palace's sacred grounds—even servants arriving to report news outside heard it.

Amid countless threads of Dao traces, the purple-robed man's form seemed shielded by some supreme treasure, making his origin unseeable; he reluctantly shifted focus to the owner of the hand gripping the chain of cosmic order.

Again, he could not trace its origin—only the hand's characteristics were visible.

In a realm of Dao scriptures, a place saturated with all cosmic laws, he obtained a method to repair his own deficiencies, opening his innate spiritual light to perceive the flood of information from past and future timelines.

This was a stroke of fortune.

"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao—no!"

The instant he awoke, he felt an itching sensation at his eyes.

Gently touching it, the orderly Dao principles, as soft as feathers, concretized into something growing from beneath his eyelids.

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Amid the Remnant Immortal's terrified cries and leaking power, some lifeforms exploded instantly.

The ever-flowing immortal spring first oozed immortal blood, then violently erupted.

Boom—

The Remnant Immortal soared into the high heavens, gripping the sacred feathers growing from his eyes and tearing them outward with all his strength.

"Ahh—"

With flesh and blood attached, the feathers were forcibly ripped from his eye sockets; the eyeballs transformed into blood-feathers writhed in his palm, and in localized space, the torn-off parts began reversing time, inch by inch, trying to return to his body.

"What is this…"

In terror and panic, immortal energy erupted like towering mountains; his own Dao principles interwove to tear apart the suddenly appearing temporal laws, while the blood-feathers simultaneously emitted identical immortal power and laws to interfere.

After all, they had once been part of himself.

Like a demonic possession, a strange craving rose in his heart—as if merging with them would grant him knowledge of all Dao and principle in the universe.

"Evil! Monstrous evil!"

On this day, the Remnant Immortal, who had long cowered within the Immortal Palace, revealed his true power to the beings of this world for the first time since the Ancient Immortal Era.

Yet, to outsiders unaware, he appeared mad.

"JARVIS, how is my physical condition?"

When Su Su Tuoni Stark came to his senses, he realized his palm was drenched in cold sweat; he exhaled deeply and nearly collapsed into his office chair.

He glanced at the scenery beyond the glass wall, then instinctively propped his head in one hand and rubbed his temples.

"Sir, your vital signs are all normal—including your brain, the key focus—but your mental fluctuations are extreme. According to analysis, this is the second occurrence today. I recommend a cup of hot cocoa." JARVIS's voice sounded.

"Could it be a mental illness?" Su Su Tuoni Stark said: "Bring me a cup of hot cocoa."

"That possibility cannot be ruled out," JARVIS replied. "After all, you've never experienced anything like this before."

"Uhh—" Su Su Tuoni Stark exhaled, rose, and walked toward the window ledge; the building stood in Manhattan, at the heart of New York City.

Not long ago, he had been here leading a group of avengers in a counterattack against alien invaders; logically, he should have been swamped with tasks right now.

Like analyzing seized alien equipment, designing new Iron Man armor models, troubleshooting issues with related data modules, plus company matters—okay, company matters could go to Pepper, but there was simply too much to do.

But now, his mind wasn't on any of those things.

"Do you know what I saw, JARVIS? You'd think I've lost my mind."

"Hard to describe, but under that kind of attack, not just Earth—the entire Solar System would be destroyed effortlessly."

"God, what kind of monsters did I see?"

Su Su Tuoni Stark stared at the chat group's messages, especially terms like "cultivator," "soul," "physical body," and "spell"—his mind, slowly calming, began automatically processing thoughts.

"Create file lronts001, set security level: maximum."

"Voiceprint, facial, and blood recognition set to Steve Rogers."

"Manual capsicle."

"If I die or disappear, submit all information in this folder to Captain America; if I'm still alive, I'll update its contents regularly."

"Damn, maybe I should get some blood from that big guy with the hammer to ward off evil—does divine blood have that effect?"

Su Su Tuoni Stark took the hot cocoa the robot handed him; the rich aroma of chocolate and milk rising from the white porcelain handle cup eased his nerves considerably.

After thanking JARVIS, he resumed his screen-staring research.

As a modern man, he could use this chat tool effortlessly—but suddenly he remembered something: someone had once said his story was portrayed as movies in other worlds.

The superhero movie series?

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt, but did anyone say they knew me?"

Lu Mingfei: "Of course, Mr. Iron Man! By the way, do you look like Robert Downey Jr.?"

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "Who is Robert Downey Jr.?"

Lu Mingfei: "Your actor."

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "... How the hell should I know?!"

What kind of nonsense literature is this guy performing?

Su Lin: "You're a world-famous figure, Mr. Stark."

Su Su Tuoni Stark, startled by this message, asked with a hint of delight: "Really? Could you tell me what kind of person I am in the works of other worlds?"

He wanted to gather information from others to verify the chat group's authenticity.

Su Lin replied: "In many Parallel Worlds, you've joined different chat groups. You're ranked number one among the ten NPCs every transmigrator must connect with, the key figure in the Marvel newbie quest 'Save Soldier Su Su Tuoni,' the distributor of starter gear, the top-ranked transmigrator for popularity, and the only one in the Ten Thousand Worlds who can match you is a Maoshan Daoist named Jiushu."

Lu Mingfei: "???"

Su Lin: "Oh, I forgot—maybe add one more: Zhang Sanfeng, the Wudang Daoist."

Zhongli: "Is Zhang Sanfeng that historical figure from Earth?"

Xiao Yan: "???"

Yi Leina: "???"

Zhang Chuyan: "Big Shot, I'm a college student—I've read plenty. Don't lie to me!"

Li Huowang: "This doesn't match what I've seen in Marvel…"

Su Lin: "This is the 2023 update—after Marvel's universe rebooted, everything follows this setting."

Li Huowang: "So that's how it is."

Kleine: "You'd better not believe him."

Kleine uploaded "Iron Man 1," "The Avengers 1," "The Avengers 3."

Kleine: "There are many comics, many TV shows—after all, you're a major IP over there."

Kleine: "Mr. Stark, you should take some time to watch the movies. Later, find a timeline further ahead, like Su Lin's or Song Shuhang's world, and check out the related films."

Su Su Tuoni Stark: "Cool! Looks about the scale of DC?"

That Eastern guy named Su Lin seemed unreliable, but this member named Kleine was quite decent.

Su Lin: "Anyone up for barbecue at lunch? We've got a White Zunzhe-level Xuan Rhino and a Dunyi-level demonic bird."

Luffy: "MEAT!!!"

Ye Fan: "Su, wait till we get back from the Wind Clan's Divine Island before you grill, okay?!"

Su Lin: "I can wait, but I want to eat now—when you show off, remember to livestream. Might make the meal even better."

Ye Fan: "Forget it—tell the dead dog to open the Star Shuttle. I'm coming over to eat, then I'll go back!"

Purple Golden Divine Dragon: "Aowu! Grilled chicken wings—Dragon Grandpa loves them!"

Xing: "Is there an Animal Protection Association? If not, I'll have some too."

Weigong Shilang: "Xiao Yan, pass me a flame."

This time, Shi Hao didn't hesitate; in the stunned gazes of Bird Elder and Jingbi Elder, his Nascent Soul immediately returned to his physical body in Shicun, preventing those two old men from questioning him.

Eagerly, he activated the Cross-World Rune and stepped straight through.

With one step, Shi Hao arrived in a star-strewn region.

On one of the planets, all the abducted cultivators were bound, their souls separated from their physical bodies.

A strange Daoist with streaks of gray at his temples had a row of glowing orbs—each containing a divine technique—before him, inspecting and counting his haul. Seeing Shi Hao, he raised his hand in greeting: "Meng Qi."

"Shi Hao," he replied in kind, his eyes shifting to Meng Qi's waist—the weapon, suspected to be a Xian Artifact, had last been seen in the hands of Tianyi Sect Sect's leader, Su Lin.

Meng Qi was also a group member, though he didn't know when he'd joined; he hadn't encountered him before in another realm.

"Elder! Please spare us! We come from the Immortal Realm—our elders will reward you handsomely!"

"Yes, Elder! That Huang is inherently unruly and full of evil deeds—please don't be deceived by him!"

"Huang! You little monster! I should've killed you outright back then! I should've begged Ruyi Zhenxian to erase you completely! Our mercy brought this disaster—I refuse to accept it!"

Various voices poured from the souls; Shi Hao smiled broadly, laughing at the Xiandian Sect's leader whose body had transformed into a golden crane:

"I remember once a golden crane attacked me and cursed me with bronze rust—was that one of your people?"

"The soup tastes excellent."

"How dare you insult me?!" roared the Lord of Xiandian Sect.

"Yes, yes, I not only insult you—I'll insult your Supreme too." Shi Hao glanced at the Xiandian Supreme and shook his head:

"Pity—he's human-shaped too. I'll just have to bury him later."

"Little brat!" The Xiandian Supreme's soul glared at Shi Hao as if wanting to swallow him alive—then he saw Su Lin step out from the void beside him and cried out:

"Elder! Our Xiandian Sect has no feud with you—please don't be deceived by this wretch!"

"The Forbidden Zone should not meddle lightly in the mortal world. This true immortal's karmic debt is too great—even for you, please reconsider, lest you harm yourself!"

His final words carried a hint of warning; this ancient Supreme, who had lived for countless eons, had once been a peak powerhouse, nearly capable of challenging the number-one position under heaven—but he was too old, aged to the point his vital energy had withered and his strength greatly diminished.

Yet he knew many secrets, and he knew that if the Forbidden Zone interfered recklessly in the mortal world, even its masters would be dragged down when retribution came.

"Karma? I overlook ten thousand eons—who is cause, and who is effect?" Su Lin said coldly: "Even if all karmic debts were heaped upon me, they'd weigh no more than a drop of water."

"Seven points." Meng Qi commented: "The cause of your death bears your consequence. Your karmic debts are heavy, tangled like cocoons. The mortal realm is a hell—better to be freed now."

"Amitabha, Master, I understand." Su Lin clasped his hands together.

Seeing the two mock him with such flippant words, the Xiandian Supreme's fury surged:

"Aren't you afraid?! He's merely a criminal—what benefit do you gain by aiding him?!"

Shi Hao sneered, ready to confront the Supreme and curse him till his face turned purple—but then Su Lin spoke.

He said:

"At seventeen, you spied on the Snow Sculpture Clan's clan flower bathing; at thirty-three, after failing to force a marriage, you fabricated an excuse to severely injure her childhood friend; at forty-seven, you ambushed your senior brother and stole the secret manual he cherished; at two hundred one, upon emerging from seclusion and joining a faction, you engaged in 1,031 dual-cultivation sessions with your sworn brother's wife."

"At four thousand nine hundred seventy-one years and seven days, when your crimes were exposed, you, who had once sought the title of number one under heaven, were nearly killed by your sworn brother using a divine artifact and barely escaped."

"Later, you joined the Xiandian Sect; during your time there, directly or indirectly, one million seven hundred sixty-two thousand innocent cultivators and mortals died at the hands of your faction."

As Su Lin exposed each of his past crimes, the Xiandian Supreme did not look ashamed—he looked terrified. Some of these things he had never told anyone, not even remembered himself!

"So—you are guilty." Su Lin waved to Xiao Yan and Weigong Shilang, who had just arrived:

"Take this one to bury as fertilizer for flowers; the incomplete divine herb might still be salvaged."

"These two are innocent—let them go later. If you want to kill them, that's your business."

Su Lin's final words were directed at Shi Hao; he dragged over the two young cultivators, sealed their soul cores inside, and blocked their consciousness and perception.

"I'll let them go." Shi Hao glanced at the two cultivators with surprise—they looked young and immature: "How do you know all this?"

"Omniscient." Su Lin glanced at Shi Hao, making him break out in goosebumps: "I just look, and I know."

Hearing this, Shi Hao instantly felt ill—he wanted to leave right away. The feeling of having no secrets left was unbearable.

"Don't worry—I usually turn this ability off, and it doesn't work on you." Su Lin's "you" referred to the members of the chat group.

". " Shi Hao fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

Since he was already here, he might as well eat the barbecue before leaving—otherwise it'd be wasted.

"Hello, I'm Weigong Shilang." Weigong Shilang smiled.

"Hello." Shi Hao gave a slight nod—he recognized this man.

This man had once attacked him with many artifacts, seemingly possessing a unique technique to create endless fake artifacts indistinguishable from the real ones—but he hadn't expected this man to be a spirit chef.

The other one...

"I am Xiao Yan." Xiao Yan bowed with a smile as the other looked his way: "Pleasure to meet you, Huang Tian Di."

"Your name sounds better than mine... want to use my blood to refine pills," Shi Hao muttered.

Xiao Yan blinked: "What?!"

(End of Chapter)