The power of the immortal realm nourished all things, allowing tree spirits transformed into tree demons to gradually evolve toward becoming demon immortals.
Tens of thousands of tree demons received this immortal energy, and their cultivation rapidly advanced.
Huide, who was meditating nearby, also benefited greatly, his cultivation surging forward.
The immortal energy also transformed Shuimiao’s realm planet into a place brimming with immortal aura. Vast expanses of immortal clouds gathered, and even the mountains, rivers, and the planet’s core were undergoing profound transformation!
This transformation was incredibly wondrous, although not particularly fast—it was, after all, only the beginning.
If this continued for a long time, Shuimiao could hardly imagine whether his realm planet might one day become an independent immortal realm.
Of course, Shuimiao’s own immortal energy was also increasing—constantly rising.
Before long, Shuimiao withdrew his physical body into his realm space with a mere thought, and then directly entered the Immortal Realm through the Realm Gate.
The Immortal Realm appeared just as it always had.
After entering, Shuimiao suddenly felt a surge of curiosity—where exactly was his Realm Gate drawing its immortal energy from? There were no fluctuations of immortal energy around him, so it clearly wasn’t drawing from his immediate surroundings. Then where was it coming from? Puzzled, Shuimiao extended his divine consciousness, carefully sensing the surroundings.
He still remembered that during his first arrival in the Immortal Realm through the Realm Gate, the apprentice guardian Li Muzi had stolen some of his Purple Fortune Qi. Fortunately, he had managed to repel him using his Spirit-Devouring Force.
Based on that, there should be some kind of hidden mechanism here.
Now at the cultivation level of an Immortal Lord, Shuimiao’s divine sense gradually detected that deep beneath the clouds below was an endless expanse of stone stretching for countless miles. On the surface of one stone was a tiny, translucent crystal shaped like a droplet of water. On the crystal were his birth details inscribed in glowing characters, and there was a tiny hole, no bigger than an ant’s nest entrance, from which thin strands of immortal energy were flowing into his realm space.
“Haha, this small crystal is actually your immortal realm birth talisman.”
Suddenly, a man’s authoritative voice rang out beside Shuimiao.
Startled, Shuimiao quickly turned around and saw that the speaker was none other than Fang Zhentian, the commanding general of the Fire and Thunder Division of the Immortal Capital, accompanied by his deputy, Fang Ze.
Both Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze had changed into new attire, their hair tied into topknots adorned with crimson jade hairpins. They wore deep blue robes resembling ancient Han dynasty clothing. In addition to their attire, the items they carried had also changed—Fang Zhentian now held a gourd, while Fang Ze carried three neatly wrapped, auspicious-looking gift boxes.
Both men wore wide smiles as they looked at Shuimiao, as if greeting an old friend.
Such unexpected smiles and warm greetings—could they possibly have something they needed from him?
Shuimiao’s mind stirred. He quickly grabbed the crystal and bowed respectfully, “General, are you here because of the Ten Sacred Divine Thunder matter?” He had sensed their conversation in the storm clouds before, so he cut straight to the point.
But his words immediately startled both Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze.
Fang Zhentian quickly replied with an apologetic smile, “Honored Immortal Lord, I truly meant no offense earlier. It was merely a mistaken command from above. I was only following orders, and I never expected that it would nearly cost your life. Our superiors feel deeply remorseful, and that’s why they’ve sent us here to welcome you. If there’s anything you need from us, please don’t hesitate to ask—we will do our utmost.”
In the Immortal Realm, one must always be cautious.
Fang Zhentian, as the head of the Fire and Thunder Bureau, might be considered an official among ordinary immortals, but among the Immortal Realm’s mighty experts, he was merely an ant.
When a higher-up made a mistake, he was the one forced to apologize.
With such a low rank and little influence, what could he do?
This Immortal Lord had cultivated in the mortal world, cultivating both orthodox and heterodox paths—how could such a person lack powerful backing?
Offending him could lead to unimaginable consequences.
Earlier, when Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze saw how powerful Shuimiao was and how he had known their identities, they were terrified, fearing he might seek revenge. Hence, they hurriedly spoke with utmost courtesy, willing to humble themselves if it meant resolving the matter peacefully.
“…”
Shuimiao sensed their thoughts and felt a pang of sympathy. Sighing softly, he said, “You don’t need to worry so much. I have no powerful backing. Even if I did, I wouldn’t hold a grudge. I’m merely a newly ascended demon immortal. If you can, please tell me something about this Immortal Realm so I can understand my way forward.”
“…”
Upon hearing this, Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze were both stunned.
They had never heard of a demon immortal ascending directly to the rank of Immortal Lord. This was clearly a lie.
Yet they were puzzled—why would this Immortal Lord lie if he was so sincere in saying he wouldn’t hold a grudge?
After a pause, Fang Zhentian carefully replied, “Honored Immortal Lord, with all due respect, in general, ordinary immortals, demon immortals, or ghost immortals from the lower realms do not ascend directly as Immortal Lords unless they have powerful patrons. Hehe…”
Shuimiao immediately understood what Fang Zhentian meant. He smiled faintly and said, “Fine, I do have a master—his name is Luotong. He’s a master craftsman who forges immortal artifacts.”
“Ahhh! You mean the Divine Artisan Immortal Luotong!”
“No wonder you’re so formidable—being a disciple of Immortal Luotong!”
Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze were both shocked.
“What? You’re saying you’re Luotong’s disciple?”
Suddenly, a celestial official in official robes appeared before Shuimiao.
“Who are you?” Shuimiao frowned.
The official had a small frame, tiny eyes, a small mouth, and a little goatee.
At first glance, Shuimiao found him despicable and untrustworthy.
Seeing Shuimiao’s unfriendly tone, the official stroked his goatee smugly.
Fang Zhentian quickly stepped forward to introduce him, “Ah, this is our superior, Master Jiao Gong of the Fire and Thunder Bureau.”
“Master?”
Shuimiao glanced at Jiao Gong twice, then coldly smiled, “So it was you who ordered your men to kill me?”
“What…?”
Jiao Gong was taken aback. He had expected flattery and respect from Shuimiao, not a cold accusation. The emotional whiplash left him visibly embarrassed.
Shuimiao sneered again, “No matter. I just want to ask Master Jiao Gong—on what grounds did you try to kill me? From what I know, the Immortal Realm isn’t supposed to be lawless.”
The atmosphere grew tense.
Shuimiao deeply despised this Jiao Gong, who had hidden himself away and only emerged when he heard Shuimiao was a disciple of Immortal Luotong. To think that Shuimiao would fawn over him—what a shameless, opportunistic sycophant! He despised such people with all his heart.
“This…”
Jiao Gong was momentarily stunned. It was common knowledge that immortals looked down on demon immortals. However, the Thunder Bureau had strict rules forbidding such discrimination. In fact, Jiao Gong had violated the celestial laws. Moreover, Shuimiao had the backing of Immortal Luotong. An Immortal Lord with such powerful backing was not someone even a Celestial Sage, let alone a mere Celestial Elder, could afford to offend.
Seeing Jiao Gong embarrassed and at a loss for words, Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze secretly relished his discomfort.
Still, they needed to maintain appearances. Fang Zhentian stepped forward with a forced smile and said, “Honored Immortal Lord, it was a misunderstanding—a complete misunderstanding. Our master has a Mirror of Spiritual Insight that reflects those in the lower realms who are about to undergo tribulation. Unfortunately, the mirror has been neglected for years and malfunctioned, mistaking you for a demon. That’s why this misunderstanding occurred!”
“Yes, yes! I can vouch for that!” Fang Ze chimed in, shamelessly lying.
Jiao Gong, unwilling to provoke Shuimiao, awkwardly echoed the “misunderstanding.”
“…”
Seeing Jiao Gong’s pitiful state, Shuimiao’s mind quickly hatched a clever plan.
Hmph! The moment I ascended to the Immortal Realm, you tried to kill me. Do you think I’d let that slide?
You think you can challenge me? You’re far too inexperienced!
After all, I’ve cultivated for over six thousand years. I’ll make you regret ever crossing me!
Since you admire Luotong so much, perhaps I can use immortal forging to ruin you financially, leaving you penniless!
With this thought, Shuimiao suddenly grinned and said cheerfully, “Ah, so that’s it! By the way, Master Jiao Gong, I happen to be quite skilled in immortal artifact formations and forging techniques. Why don’t I take a look at your Mirror of Spiritual Insight for free? If it can be repaired, I’ll fix it. If not, you just provide the materials, and I’ll forge a new one for you.”
“Excellent! Wonderful!” Jiao Gong’s face lit up with excitement as he eagerly bowed, “Brother! If I had known it was you, I would never have let you suffer tribulation! It was all that broken mirror’s fault. I’ll smash it the moment I get back. Brother, you’re so magnanimous—we really hit it off. Let me treat you to a feast at the Joyful Palace today, and we can talk about forging later.”
Jiao Gong was skilled at feigned sincerity, even addressing Shuimiao as “brother.”
But it was understandable—among the Immortal Realm’s treasures, besides immortal pills, the most valuable and difficult to obtain were immortal artifacts.
Forging a high-quality immortal artifact required an immense amount of wealth—thousands of years’ worth of savings. Even a Celestial Elder might not possess a decent top-tier immortal artifact, which showed just how sought-after immortal artifact forgers were.
“Brother Jiao, you’re far too kind! We’re like the saying goes—’no fight, no friendship.’ Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, we’re brothers. Whatever I can do to help, I’ll do without hesitation. As long as you have the materials, I can even forge a supreme immortal artifact for you!” Shuimiao was no pushover either—he had watched plenty of movies and TV shows and knew how to flatter, bluff, and pretend with the best of them.
“R-really!?”
“Ah! Brother! You truly are my dearest brother!” Jiao Gong was so excited he hugged Shuimiao tightly, then suddenly whispered mentally, “Little brother, today I’ll treat you to some top-tier celestial maidens to help you unwind!”
“Eh? Celestial maidens!?”
Shuimiao was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Immortal Realm to have such vulgar practices!
“Ahem, Honored Immortal Lord, would you also be so kind as to forge me a mid-tier immortal artifact?”
“Your Lordship, please, please forge one for me too—even a high-tier one would be fine!”
Fang Zhentian and Fang Ze seized the opportunity.
Shuimiao nodded cheerfully, his heart brimming with satisfaction. He hadn’t expected his skill in forging immortal artifacts to be so popular here in the Immortal Realm! Perhaps he could make forging his livelihood here, make many friends, and cultivate connections with powerful experts. And if one day he encountered the Grand Elder Zhenren…
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