Chapter 9: All Parties

So most people gave up one after another, after all, although they were interested in the truth, they also had a detached, aloof attitude toward matters that didn't concern them.

Soon, as officials appeared one after another to dispel rumors, the previous claims were quickly denied and questioned by the majority.

Of course, not everyone was like that; some were obsessively attached to the truth and headed for Luoxian Shan.

Three hours later, the foot of Luoxian Shan was already packed to the brim; many police had sealed off all mountain entrances, while outside the gates people brandished phones and cameras, shouting about getting in, and the officers at the entrance were straining to keep order.

Those who arrived at the base were not only ordinary people seeking the truth; there were also some self‑interested groups and official staff.

But due to the tremor, many roads collapsed or sank, and some paths were blocked by fallen boulders; after clearing a passage, a long time had already passed.

A massive film crew, escorted by police, had already entered Luoxian Shan early with equipment, looking as if they were truly filming "Above the Nine Heavens".

The barren mountain split in two showed the same; someone slowed the video a hundredfold and finally saw what the white shadow was—a Flying Sword‑shaped object.

They were very curious about that mysterious Flying Sword, so after the barren mountain split, many rushed there to investigate.

However, police kept them dozens of meters away, citing that the quake had just ended and aftershocks were possible, to protect everyone's safety.

At this moment, the black hole about a zhang in diameter had begun to shrink, and it seemed it would vanish completely soon.

……

In the Eternal Azure Immortal Realm, a powerful Demon Emperor of the demon race stood in the void with his arms crossed, gazing at the fortified domain wall before him, his thoughts unknown.

In front of him, a Demon‑King‑level strongman knelt anxiously, while behind him, a number of weary strongmen from other races stood at a distance, all looking at the two demons with fear and bitterness.

"Your Majesty the Demon Emperor, these are all the people I have found throughout most of the Immortal Realm who are proficient in space, formations, and forbidden arts."

Having said that, he cast a glance at the soulless members of the various races behind him.

"According to them, if the materials are sufficient, they can repair this Immortal Realm passage within thirty years, and then my demon army can easily step into this brand‑new realm, and your ascension to Demon Sovereign will be imminent!"

The Demon‑King strongman spoke respectfully, and by the end a hint of zeal and expectation showed.

When the Demon Emperor heard "thirty years", his expression darkened instantly: "Thirty years is too long; ten years, I'll give you only ten years."

After saying that, he gave the Demon King no chance to speak and vanished silently on the spot,

The Demon King, upon hearing this, rose, his face hostile as he looked at the several people of various races behind him, his threatening intent obvious.

One human formation master, quick‑witted, pounded his chest and said, "If you can gather the materials promptly, we can guarantee to open the passage for you within ten years…"

After speaking, he quickly signaled the other races; they exchanged glances and finally gritted their teeth and agreed.

Seeing this, the Demon King's expression softened, and with a smile he said, "As long as you cooperate, you, your families or sect members will be spared, and I guarantee you will thrive in this Immortal Realm."

……

South of the Hua Kingdom, at Dragon‑Tiger Mountain, a middle‑aged Taoist in a blue robe and a nine‑beam headscarf sat cross‑legged on the ground, his long face and big eyes exuding the aura of a hermit master.

However, what he was doing hardly matched his demeanor,

At this moment he was intently watching his phone. The video showed the anomaly that occurred at Luoxian Shan.

Seeing this, his face filled with excitement: "It's… it's Spiritual Qi, it must be Spiritual Qi…"

Before he finished speaking, a solemn look crossed his eyes; he drew a Flying Sword from his sleeve and, muttering incantations, launched it toward the distance.

Kunlun Mountain, an elderly man with all white hair, wearing a red Taoist robe adorned with a lifelike crane, looked decidedly ethereal.

He opened his eyes from his seated posture, gazed far toward Luoxian Shan, and smiled slightly: "So it's Immortal Qi!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure vanished from the spot; looking closely, he was already a thousand zhang above the sky, standing on void, flying hands‑free, clearly a Golden Core Stage strongman.

Similar events occurred almost simultaneously in many places across the Hua Kingdom.

Among them were men and women, old and young; some flew, some ran, others rode vehicles, all heading straight for Luoxian Shan.

Upon close inspection, every one of their eyes held an unmistakable excitement.

……

About three more hours passed, and Su Chen finally opened his eyes; the grime on his body had dried, clinging to him like sun‑hardened mud, emitting a foul stench.

He looked at the sleeping Pang Jinlong, and with a thought a layer of water film appeared on his body, washing him clean.

Then he retrieved a pre‑prepared set of clothes from System Space and quickly changed.

Without hesitation, the next moment a phone materialized in his hand; he dialed Su Mother, and before he could speak, her anxious voice came through.

"Chen'er, I heard there was an earthquake over there. I called you so many times, why didn't you answer? Mom was scared to death, I thought…"

Su Chen listened to Su Mother's complaints, and as if sensing something, looked down; his spiritual sense detected a massive wave of people rushing toward the summit.

He immediately interrupted, "Mom, I'm fine, don't worry. However, the quake has blocked many roads here, so I might not return for a few more days…"

Su Mother, relieved that her son was okay, insisted on video‑calling Su Chen, but he brushed her off, saying there was no signal.

The instant the call ended, a helpless look flashed in Su Chen's eyes; he could already hear footsteps from below drawing nearer.

"Traverse!"

Su Chen said to the system in his mind without hesitation.

As Su Chen's words finished, a man lugging a camera arrived at the summit, panting, and his camera captured the instant Su Chen vanished from the boulder; not only him, about twenty others also witnessed the absurd scene.

After invoking the traverse, Su Chen opened his eyes, looked around, and found himself in a black, eerie space where the surroundings were hard to discern, yet he was moving forward in an indescribable form and speed.

The system continuously prompted: "Matching based on host's cultivation; host currently at Qi‑refining Tier 1, matching world tier: lower world, ID 96841. Planet ID 14349752."

"Since this is the host's first traverse, first‑traverse protection is activated; the host has been transferred to the safest location, hair and attire are changing, the host's cultivation will be concealed for one month. The host has also learned the local language of the traversal point…"

The system's voice kept echoing in his mind, and Su Chen listened intently, daring not to slack.

In Su Chen's perception, only five minutes seemed to have passed, and he felt the darkness lift, noticing a flash of light ahead.

He opened his eyes, looked around, and found himself leaning on a wheat stack in a most ungraceful posture.