Immortal Road.

Lin Shan turned his head left and right, as if searching for the source of the sound.

The voice was almost crying with anxiety, and the tone trembled involuntarily, as if afraid that the brat would throw it out to feed the true spirit.

"Stop looking around, it's on you."

After finally circling around, his gaze returned to the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl of the Breath of Earth, and he took a liking to the redwood vine planted in the soil.

It was brought back from the twilight universe not long ago, and now there is no sign of it coming to life. Something seems wrong.

You must know that this is a gift from Heaven, containing the precious soil of the Breath Soil, which can accelerate the growth cycle of plants.

Compared to the small sapling of the Phantom Tree next to it, which was planted a month or two ago and was just a sapling, it has now grown into a towering tree!
The rate of development is faster than in the past few hundred years!

Even if you are a celestial vine, you should at least give some feedback. You're always listless and sickly. Keeping you taking up space is worse than offering you to the true spirit.

Lin Shan immediately roared:
"Hey, who are you, scoundrel, daring to hide on my person? Get out of here at once!"

The voice was helpless, revealing weakness and exhaustion.

"Alright, let's stop pretending. You just want to force me to show myself, so be it."

This person was clearly a sensible individual; knowing that the truth couldn't be hidden any longer, he simply spoke frankly.

“The true spirit outside feeds on souls and is extremely sensitive to the aura of souls. I can’t reveal too much of my fluctuations, lest I be discovered. Be careful.”

Lin Shan turned around and glanced back in surprise.

Amidst the throngs of people, the True Spirit Locust strides confidently through the middle of the river, constantly accepting various offerings, occasionally pausing to reciprocate with a reward.

With hundreds of thousands of people, there's bound to be something that catches the eye.

"What those people gave us didn't seem to be entirely spirit essence, did it?"

His eyes sparkled with starlight, and his demonic pupils could see through things. Although he dared not act rashly in front of the true spirit, he could still roughly guess some of the clues.

This gentleman seems to have different tastes; he's not limited to any particular type. There's a wide variety of people here, not as monotonous as you're making it out to be.

"Ahem, do you see it has six heads?"

The presence of the Immortal Vine subtly hints at something:

"The terrifying thing about the roc is that its six heads correspond to six different laws, namely the five basic elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, plus a soul law, forming the True Spirit Ring. When combined, they form the legendary and famous Limitless Immortal Technique - the Five Qi Soul Refining Ring!"

"Limitless Immortal Technique?"

Lin Shan heard this term for the first time, and his heart stirred slightly. There are different levels of immortal techniques. Which level does the Limitless Immortal Technique correspond to?
"This is too far removed from your life, and knowing it won't do you any good. Just remember that even at my peak, I could handle some True Spirits ranked lower on the list, but I was helpless against a formidable opponent like the Green Bird."

The other party's tone subtly conveyed the perspective of someone in a superior position, as if they were accustomed to having the power of life and death, and always explained things from the perspective of whether or not they could suppress others.

Lin Shan didn't waste any time and nodded directly, asking:
"Now that you're staying here, can you reveal your identity?"

The other person's voice was deep, and at this moment, they exuded an air of authority without being angry.

"Don't you understand?"

This sentence leaves much to the imagination, as if it knows you already have an answer in your heart, but is not sure whether it is or is not.

"I want you to tell me that yourself."

Lin Shan refused to budge an inch, staring intently at the immortal vine!

The atmosphere froze instantly.

His own guesses are ultimately just his imagination, and in the end, he will have to bear all the consequences.

Even with an enhanced panel verification, the other party must personally acknowledge it to prevent them from reneging on their promise later!

Ultimately, it boils down to who takes the initiative.

Previously, the opponent would hide inside the Spirit Nourishing Pearl, and could simply play dead. No matter how you tried to probe, they wouldn't come out, allowing you to safely recover.

Lin Shan was completely helpless.

But now, with the threat of the external true spirit, we can force this guy to show himself, relinquish the initiative, and cooperate with us obediently.

You're just a guest staying here, why are you eating and drinking for free all day long? I'm not a charity, how long am I going to let you take advantage of me like this?
The other party was clearly caught off guard and forced to show themselves under threat, but they hadn't changed their stance and started lecturing him instead.

"Young man, don't think that just because you've learned a bit of strategy, you can try to outmaneuver the strong. I've eaten more salt than you've walked roads. Save your petty thoughts. You'll understand in time what a tremendous opportunity it is simply to get close to me."

Lin Shan almost laughed in anger when he heard that!

Trying to fool me?
Do I look like the kind of person who would fall for that?
He discovered that the people in the Immortal Realm were different. The White Whale Ancestor had only ascended to heaven a hundred years ago, yet he acted all high and mighty, as if everyone was a chosen one of destiny.

You've all taken all the show, what's there for me to do?
"If that's the case, then we have nothing more to say."

The Redwood Immortal Vine was taken out of the Spirit-Nourishing Pearl and immediately exposed to reality, where it was covered with a red cloth.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

The being inside was in a great hurry and was handed over on a tray before it could even speak!
Meanwhile, the true spirit birds that were being worshipped on both banks behind them suddenly paused. One of their six heads seemed to sense something and began to look in that direction with suspicion.

"Quick, put it away! Are you out of your mind?!"

The immortal vine in his hand actually twitched on its own, trying to break free from his grasp and return to the Spirit Nourishing Pearl to hide.

But Lin Shan held him firmly in place, preventing him from moving at all.

"Are you courting death? What makes you say that?"

With a puzzled look on his face, he looked up at the distant spirit.

"I offered treasures to the true spirit, and the other party is so grateful that they should reward me. Why would I risk my life?"

The vine tried to contract forcefully, but the thin strand couldn't be pulled out at all.

The being inside finally panicked. Being exposed to the outside for so long had increased its risk of being targeted to the maximum, and had even attracted the attention of the true spirit!
"Okay, let's be frank. Let me go back first, and we can talk things out slowly."

"No, I want you to tell me now."

Lin Shan was unusually tough and refused to budge an inch!
Chu Feng and his younger brothers, stacked on top of each other, peered out of the river, eagerly waving to the True Spirit.

Even now, I don't forget to remind him:

"Brother Zhong, stop standing there! What are you muttering to yourself about? The True Spirit is coming this way! It really is coming for us! Quickly raise the offerings high!" Wow~~~
The crowd of cultivators around them were all incredibly excited, pushing and shoving each other forward, shouting and stretching their arms out. They were so excited to see the True Spirit notice them that they thought they had finally been blessed by the heavens.

Lin Shan remained calm amidst the crowd, slowly raising the tray in his hand as if he didn't care what was inside.

The river began to surge with waves, crashing against the banks with increasing force, as the oppressive power of the true spirit drew ever closer.

I could feel the ground beneath my feet trembling violently.
In this crucial moment of the game, the other side finally backed down.

"Alright, I'll tell you. I am the Old Man of Dongting! The luminous universe guided you all the way to the Kongtong Realm, and I was the one who secretly orchestrated the ambush on the Star Refiner to help you escape. Now you understand?"

The Old Man of Dongting?

Lin Shan grinned and couldn't help but laugh on the spot.

The enhancement panel clearly states it all there; do you think I'm stupid?

"I do not believe."

"???"

This has left the people inside completely bewildered.

Young people these days don't follow the rules. If you have questions, you can ask them. What does it mean to just say "I don't believe it"?
To be honest, the Old Man of Dongting's move, from guiding the Immortal Alliance to focus on Kongtong to finally seriously injuring the Star Refiner to help them escape, is plausible no matter how you look at it. No matter how much you question him, he can always find a way to justify himself.

But the other party simply didn't believe him, leaving him completely bewildered.

As the pressure from the external true spirit drew ever closer, the sixth head among the birds began to hiss, defying the discontent of the other five heads, and propelled its body toward this side.

Faced with overwhelming pressure, the beings within the Immortal Vine grew increasingly panicked and began to eagerly prove themselves.

"I am truly the Old Man of Dongting. I can show you how, over the past tens of thousands of years, the Immortal Alliance has grown step by step under my leadership, dodging one encirclement after another, and how we planned our next moves, outwitting and outmaneuvering the Star Warriors and the technological world."

Images flooded his mind, presented in a very sophisticated manner. They contained various technological weapons and vivid depictions of the Star Martial Emperor, and even familiar faces from his memory, such as Ancestor Yanling, Ancestor Xuling, and Ancestor Yuling, had appeared before.

However, Lin Shan remained unmoved!

If it weren't for the introduction of the enhancement panel, I really wouldn't be sure. But because of the panel's identification, it's my innate advantage. Which one should I believe?
"Forget it, you have no sincerity at all. Go talk to the true spirit directly. Believe that it is the one worthy of equal dialogue."

The tray was held high, not very conspicuous among the crowd, but it had a fatal attraction!
Lin Shan seemed to have given up and was just waiting for the outcome.

"Why won't you believe me? I really am the Old Man of Dongting Lake!!!"

The immortal vine trembled violently; the being inside was truly enraged, shoving all sorts of evidence and images into Lin Shan's sea of ​​consciousness without restraint, but he rejected them all.

I'm not watching!
Anyway, for immortals, all sorts of illusions are just a piece of cake. As a mere Void Realm cultivator, I can't distinguish between the real and the fake. No matter how much I look, it's all just illusion. I might as well just close my eyes.

This attitude is simply cheating; no matter how the other party tries to prove themselves, it's all in vain.

As Zhen Lingchao approached step by step, if it weren't for the other five heads still picking and choosing along the way, and the other head already impatiently wanting to come over with its hiss, the person inside would finally be unable to hold back!

"Fine, you win. Now, tell me, what do you want?"

"First, let me state your identity."

"No. Didn't I already tell you? I really am the Old Man of Dongting! Why won't you believe me???"

Keep pretending.

Lin Shan couldn't help but sigh. He also felt the increasing pressure from the true spirit. Even if someone else had a strong mentality, they might have believed it after being repeatedly confirmed.

But he has an enhanced panel for identification. He can tell at a glance that Ding Zhen, you're still arguing with me. This means you really don't want to cooperate with me on an equal footing. So what are we waiting for?
It's better to give it to the true spirit; perhaps in return, it will bring a decent reward.

Seeing that the situation was becoming increasingly critical, and finally confirming that the kid intended to hand him over, the immortal vines finally quieted down.

The voice, now weary, reluctantly conceded:

"Good lad, it seems you already knew my identity all along, so why bother testing me?"
Listen carefully! I am the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of War, appointed by the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court in the 180,000-year reign of Emperor Bing, and concurrently the Commander of the Xuanwu Camp. I am ordered to lead the sixth army to conquer the extraterrestrial demons, and to oversee all battles on the front lines of the Gloomy World Group. I am also the elder brother of Consort Li, the Empress's concubine.
"This is Immortal Lord Xuheng!"

This long list of titles left Lin Shan completely stunned!
Wow, that's amazing?

The being inside the Immortal Vine is probably laughing smugly right now. You little brat, you're not going to be scared to death. Not only do you not obediently worship me, but you also dare to offend me. You should realize your mistake now and quickly repent, or you'll never expect my help again.

Do you know what the consequences would be for a powerful being at the level of a Celestial Lord who threatens a high-ranking official?

"Oh, that's it."

Lin Shan uttered a single, casual remark, and the immortal aura within him froze!
"You should have said so earlier! 'Old Man of Dongting Lake,' who are you trying to fool?"

"."

Immortal Lord Xuheng was feeling very frustrated, but since he was under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to lower his head. Seeing that this kid was unyielding, he could only soften his tone.

"Alright, I've told you my true identity. Quickly release me. Help me restore my cultivation and rebuild my golden body, and I'll promote you when we return to the court."

"To mentor me?"

You've drawn such a big pie in the sky, do you think I'm a three-year-old?

"My Lord, your army was wiped out in the Microcosm, and the elite of the Xuanwu Camp was lost. If you don't get dismissed and punished by the Heavenly Court when you return, how can you possibly help me?"

"Young friend, you've misunderstood. I was framed by a villain and had my escape route cut off. Otherwise, how could I have suffered a defeat when the situation on the front lines was so favorable? Besides, don't forget, I'm related to the emperor by marriage, and I have a younger sister who is an imperial concubine in the palace. It doesn't matter if I'm dismissed from my post; my sister can just lift a finger and bring you into the palace as her personal eunuch."

puff--

Lin Shan almost bit his tongue off. "Sending me into the palace to become a eunuch? Is that how you promise me?"
"Look at your expression, kid. Do you know how many people in the Immortal Realm want to enter the palace but can't? Having the chance to personally witness the true face of the Heavenly Emperor is a blessing you can't earn even after a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation!"
If you feel that your troubles have lingered for so long, you can simply have a fairy maiden found for you by the Pure Yang True Immortal, marry her first, have a child outside the palace, and then enter the palace. What's wrong with that?"

Immortal Lord Xuheng, in his old-fashioned manner, berated him, saying that young people always care too much about such things, not knowing that some things are useless to keep and are better off being cut off to secure a better future!

For the older generation, striving to climb the social ladder is the right path.

But Lin Shan said, "There are some things I may not need, but I can't live without."

Born with all five limbs intact, why would someone want to become disabled? It's just wishful thinking!
Besides, hundreds of thousands of years have passed, the world has changed, times have changed, and the past is like smoke. Power has been reshuffled so many times, and the Immortal Realm has been in chaos for many times. Who can say for sure what the current situation is?

At this point, he vaguely recalled that in the Purple Cloud Sect in the lower realm, Lin Fan had shown him records in ancient books:
"As far as I know, the Heavenly Emperor Bing disappeared a long time ago. Now it is the 130,000th year of the Empress Bing's reign. Who is in charge of the Heavenly Court now? Are you sure that no one in the court still remembers you, and that your sister in the harem is still alive?"

"What? The Emperor and Empress have taken power!"

Immortal Lord Xuheng was completely dumbfounded, his tone icy cold, like a plucked quail.

"Oh no, my sister, Consort Li, is doomed!" (End of Chapter)