Immortal Divine Tribulation

Chapter 168: A Ghost!

The breeze stirred, carrying drifting yellow leaves that lifted the long hair at Tian Fan’s forehead. A faint sorrow lingered in his eyes. Setting foot on this land once more, he couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

“Oh, Northern Region, I’ve returned as well…”

The little violet-gold dragon lay on the chest of the yellow-clad young woman, speaking in a tender voice. Its bright watery eyes sparkled as it gazed at the vast land, excitement welling within it. Its two tiny golden claws clutched the young woman’s hand tightly.

“So cute!”

Stars lit up in the young woman’s eyes as she hugged the little dragon even closer. The little one was half-dazed, completely unaware of how fatally irresistible it was to a maiden in her prime.

She hugged the little dragon and spun in circles like a fairy, her beauty undeniable. 

Once upon a time, Tian Fan might have had a nosebleed at such a sight.

“All right, I’ll be leaving now. Take care, all of you.” He spoke to the three of them. 

The little dragon obediently flew from the girl’s embrace and landed back atop Tian Fan’s head. Waving its claws, it chirped in its childish voice: “Goodbye, see you again…”

Seeing this strange “little snake” without wings actually fly, the yellow-clad girl grew even fonder of it. She hesitated, then said softly to Tian Fan:

“Um… since you’re going to watch the battle between the Sword Immortal Sect and the Shangguan Clan anyway, why don’t we go together?”

Although she said that, her eyes never left the violet-gold dragon on Tian Fan’s head. Her hands itched, tempted to snatch it away.

“The battle between the Sword Immortal Sect and the Shangguan Clan? What’s going on? Is it happening today? Do you know where?”

He asked several questions in quick succession.

“You don’t know? Then why did you come here?”

The three looked at him in surprise. Tian Fan felt awkward. He really wanted to say, ‘It was you who dragged me into the teleportation array,’ but that sounded impolite.

“I know where it is. Just come with us. Your cultivation’s weak anyway—we can protect you. See, I’m pretty nice, right?”

The yellow-clad girl pouted and thumped her chest. Her ample curves bounced with the motion, quite distracting. Because Tian Fan had deliberately suppressed his aura to avoid drawing attention, they believed he was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Tian Fan dazed for a moment. That pout was just like Zi Ying’s. Unconsciously, he took a step forward.

“What are you doing!?”

The two men instantly pulled him back, their expressions unfriendly.

“Oh, sorry. She just looked a lot like a friend of mine for a moment. I didn’t mean anything.”

“Forget it, I didn’t say anything bad. So… why not come with us?” the yellow-clad girl invited again, eyes still fixed on the little dragon above his head.

The two men, seeing Tian Fan’s sorrowful look, felt he wasn’t lying. He clearly seemed like someone with a story.

“Very well. I’ll come along with you.”

Tian Fan agreed. He honestly didn’t know where the Shangguan Clan was at the moment. While finding them with his current strength wouldn’t be difficult, it would still take time—and the Northern Region was vast.

“Really? Great!” The girl was overjoyed, instantly scooping the little dragon from his head. Smiling sweetly at him, she said, “Nice to meet you. My name is Murong Qiu. Don’t forget it!”

Her smile was serene as she bounced ahead, hugging the dragon.

“Hey, brother, sorry about earlier. We didn’t mean anything by it, just…”

The two men walking with him apologized. 

Tian Fan shook his head lightly, showing he understood. From their behavior, it was obvious Murong Qiu’s background wasn’t ordinary.

As they hurried along, Tian Fan asked them about what had happened over the past three months. He hadn’t realized he’d spent so much time beneath the Dark Abyss.

The two men explained warmly. 

In these three months, the Sword Immortal Sect had been in utter chaos. For reasons unknown, the Shangguan Clan had mobilized in full force, ignoring the risk of triggering a dark upheaval. Their top heirs and several powerful elders had entered the Northern Region, murderous intent overflowing. They had clearly come for blood.

“There’s one person in particular who’s been hounding the Sword Immortal Sect. For the past three months, any Sword Immortal Sect disciples training outside were all killed without exception. Because of him, the sect’s disciples are no longer so arrogant. They’ve become far more restrained, terrified of running into that killer.”

“Oh? And who is this person?”

“He’s always shrouded in thick black mist, extremely powerful. No one knows his face or identity. The only thing is… he always has a broken blade of grass between his lips. Every time he kills, he tosses it to the ground. So people call him the Grassroot Killer.”

Tian Fan froze. That description was all too familiar. The habit of chewing a broken blade of grass—wasn’t that the Holy Son of the Demon Saint Palace? His heart warmed. Though he hadn’t known that unruly man for long, the other had treated him sincerely as a friend. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be doing this.

Boom!

The four of them moved swiftly. With their cultivation and magical tools, a hundred miles was nothing. Soon they crossed mountains and rivers, the land gradually opening ahead. Explosions rumbled in the distance.

“We’re here—it’s just up ahead!”

Murong Qiu’s voice was full of excitement. A fierce battle raged ahead, terrifying waves of energy surging outward. 

A dense crowd encircled the battlefield—people from all five regions had gathered. This was no trivial matter.

From afar, Tian Fan saw two young men locked in combat. 

One was the divine son of the Sword Immortal Sect, radiant like an immortal. The other made Tian Fan’s eyes widen in surprise—it was Shangguan Yunfeng. To think he was this powerful, fighting evenly against the Sword Immortal Sect’s future heir.

“Shangguan Yu! You would truly start a war with my Sword Immortal Sect over that already-dead demon spawn? Aren’t you afraid of plunging the world into chaos?”

An elder of the Sword Immortal Sect glared at an old man among the Shangguan forces. Though his hair was white, his cultivation was terrifying—at the mid Primordial Unity Realm.

“Afraid of your grandmother! Either your Sword Immortal Sect is destroyed, or my Shangguan Clan perishes!”

Before Shangguan Yu could speak, the man beside him roared in fury. Killing intent poured from Shangguan Jingyi as he glared at the enemy, itching to tear them apart.

“Youngster, this isn’t your place to speak!”

The Sword Immortal elder’s face darkened as his pressure bore down on Shangguan Jingyi. But Shangguan Yu blocked it instantly.

“What is your Sword Immortal Sect worth? My Shangguan Clan has never put you in our eyes. Dark upheaval? If that youth cannot walk out of the Dark Abyss alive, then my Shangguan Clan will overturn the entire Divine Martial Continent!”

Shangguan Yu’s killing intent was overwhelming, dissolving the elder’s aura on the spot. Back then, the Shangguan Clan had taken a drop of Tian Fan’s blood and placed it in a clan treasure, confirming he was still alive. Otherwise, Yunfeng and the others would have personally taken action long ago.

“No way… could someone really come out of the Dark Abyss alive?”

Murong Qiu gasped, her mouth wide open. Tugging Tian Fan’s sleeve, she asked, “Hey, do you think anyone could survive the Dark Abyss? That’s impossible, right?”

Tian Fan gave her a light nod. But when he looked up again, he froze. Among the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure—the Demon Saint Palace’s Holy Son. 

Clad in white, he strolled casually through the crowd, sending flirtatious looks everywhere. Suddenly, his eyes landed on Murong Qiu, and they lit up. He leapt over at once.

“Beauty, what an honor to meet you! I am the dashing, refined, and…”

His sudden move startled everyone, who quickly backed away. Tian Fan only smiled. This fellow hadn’t changed one bit—still the same shameless flirt.

“Holy Son, it’s been a long time. How have you been?”

“You brat, who the hell are—wait… ahhh! A ghost!”

The Demon Saint Palace’s Holy Son lifted his head, puzzled. But when he saw Tian Fan, his pupils shrank, and he screamed in terror, leaping backward.