Chapter 112: The Aloof Immortal and the Wealthy Prince 01

Outside the city of Jin in the mortal realm.

A cold and aloof immortal leaned against a tree, panting heavily. His meridians were pulsing with streaks of lightning, bringing him enduring and unbearable pain.

He was Lu Yan from the new world, also the early-deceased senior uncle of the female protagonist in this cultivation novel.

The original host, Zhongli Mingji, hailed from the Zhongli Clan of the Eastern Extremity in the immortal realm. He later joined the Lingxiao Sect to cultivate and seek the Dao. By the age of two hundred, he had become the strongest cultivator in the Lingxiao Sect, his Frost Sword Technique astonishing the entire immortal world.

After the death of the old sect master, Zhongli Mingji, as the eldest disciple, became the Grand Elder of the Lingxiao Sect, though he did not inherit the position of sect master.

As the young master of the Zhongli Clan, the foremost family in the immortal realm, he was in no way inferior to the top sects. The Zhongli Clan needed their heir, and thus would not allow their young master to take over the Lingxiao Sect. Zhongli Mingji naturally stepped aside.

The new sect master was his second junior brother, the most composed and dignified among the old sect master’s five disciples.

After the new sect master ascended, Zhongli Mingji became the Guardian Grand Elder of the Lingxiao Sect, residing year-round on Liuhua Peak, his strength growing ever more formidable.

By the age of three hundred, he had cultivated to the Jade Balance Realm, becoming the youngest Xuan Shuang Immortal Lord in the immortal realm.

His future was bright, full of promise.

But he had a mortal enemy: the fallen monk Fan Ti, who had turned from a Buddhist cultivator into a demon.

Before his fall, Fan Ti was a revered monk from the Formless Temple in the immortal realm. However, after failing to advance to the Jade Balance Realm, he succumbed to demonic influences and eventually rose to the position of Demon Lord.

His greatest joy in life was to duel with Zhongli Mingji, seeking to truly defeat him.

Thus, he repeatedly challenged Zhongli Mingji, finally engaging in a fair duel half a month ago. Both suffered severe injuries and withdrew.

A temporary draw, with no clear victor.

Heavily injured and unable to continue fighting, Zhongli Mingji and Fan Ti called a truce, agreeing to meet again in three years on the Western Pasture Continent for another battle.

Thus, the immortal and the demon returned to their respective territories to heal. But no one could have anticipated that while Fan Ti remained unscathed, Zhongli Mingji would meet with disaster.

A few days ago, Zhongli Mingji was in seclusion on Liuhua Peak, both healing his wounds and strategizing for the upcoming battle three years later.

Unexpectedly, he was suddenly struck by the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation of the Fuyao Realm. Everything happened so abruptly that Zhongli Mingji was completely unprepared.

Moreover, the lightning that struck him was the Five-Colored Heavenly Thunder, seemingly intent on taking his life.

The heavenly tribulation had arrived; there was no escape.

Zhongli Mingji could only rely on his heavily injured body to endure the majority of the tribulation. By then, he was already at his limit.

But the tribulation did not cease. Fearing it would harm the sect’s disciples, he fled from the Lingxiao Sect to a desolate area.

The last dozen bolts of heavenly thunder grew increasingly vicious, leaving the already battered Zhongli Mingji powerless to resist, at the mercy of the tribulation.

After enduring all eighty-one bolts of heavenly thunder, Zhongli Mingji perished on the spot.

He died completely, his soul scattered by the lightning.

When the Fast Transmigration Bureau approached him for a deal, he willingly relinquished his body in exchange for a chance at reincarnation. He had no other desires, only hoping that the one who took his body would fulfill his promise to Fan Ti.

Three years later, the decisive battle on the Western Pasture Continent!

To this end, Zhongli Mingji offered all his accumulated merit.

Zhongli Mingji had always valued his promises and integrity.

He offered up all the merit he had accumulated over centuries of good deeds, just to keep his word, even if it was to his mortal enemy.

Lu Yan naturally agreed. Free merit was not something to pass up!

When he first arrived in this world, he found himself on this desolate, uninhabited mountain, his immortal meridians blocked, unable to use even a trace of immortal power.

His entire body was riddled with the remnants of the heavenly thunder, which continued to erode his meridians and already broken body.

Even after immediately consuming a Rejuvenation Purple Pill, the effects were minimal.

The pill allowed him to stand, but it could not expel the residual heavenly thunder from his body.

In other words, Lu Yan was now using a battle-damaged version of Xuan Shuang Immortal Lord’s body, with a combat effectiveness near zero. Any demonic cultivator could easily overpower him.

Lu Yan was grateful that the original host had fallen in this remote corner of the mortal realm. Otherwise, he would have faced a life-or-death test the moment he woke up.

After opening his eyes and absorbing the original host’s memories, he walked for a long time before reaching the foot of the mountain.

It was truly no easy feat.

Leaning against a tree, he caught his breath and said, “System, point me in the right direction.”

System 729: “After descending the mountain, walk for half an hour, and you’ll reach the city of Jin in the mortal realm. There are disciples from the Lingxiao Sect stationed there.”

“You can go and check it out.”

Given his current physical condition, flying back to the immortal realm was unrealistic.

He would have to rely on external help.

Lu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I’ll rest a bit before heading into the city to find someone.”

System 729: “Perfect timing. You can also review the plotline while you’re at it.”

It quickly transmitted the main storyline of this world into the host’s consciousness, then silently monitored the quiet surroundings.

The plot flashed through Lu Yan’s mind. To summarize it simply:

A prodigious female cultivator pursued strength while also falling in love. Her love interest was none other than Zhongli Mingji’s mortal enemy, the fallen monk Fan Ti, now the supreme ruler of the demonic realm.

The story began with Zhongli Mingji failing to overcome the heavenly tribulation and missing the scheduled duel, prompting Demon Lord Fan Ti to attack the Lingxiao Sect, intent on annihilating it.

At the critical moment, it was the sect master’s first disciple, the female protagonist Lin Qianxue, who stepped forward, proposing to take her senior uncle’s place in the duel ten years later. This temporarily averted a sect-wide massacre.

From then on, the female protagonist grew stronger, repeatedly encountering the male protagonist Fan Ti. Over time, their perceptions of each other changed.

Later, they traveled together, braving many perilous secret realms. Through their prolonged companionship, feelings gradually developed.

In the end, they married, and the immortal and demonic realms formed an alliance, temporarily ceasing hostilities and governing independently without interference.

This was the original story’s conclusion—a happy and harmonious ending.

But this happy ending would have been better if it hadn’t started with Zhongli Mingji’s death.

The original host had lived for five hundred years, never making a single mistake. He was cold and powerful, always extending a helping hand to the weak.

He accumulated merit through good deeds, always ready to help.

He kept his promises, always true to his word.

If not for this, Zhongli Mingji would never have amassed so much merit.

Yet he became a pawn of the world’s will, manipulated into becoming a tool for the plot.

Lu Yan pinched his fingertip, his clear phoenix eyes reflecting wisdom and depth.

“System, what’s the mission?”

System 729: “Break free from a life as a tool, and make the name of Xuan Shuang Immortal Lord resound across the three realms.”

It reminded him: “Host, your opponent this time is not the male or female protagonist, but the world’s will, which seeks your death to advance the plot.”

“Simply put, it’s the Heavenly Dao.”

If not for the world’s will wanting the original host dead, how could Zhongli Mingji, one of the top combatants in the immortal realm, have fallen so quickly?

Clearly, the world’s will, as the manipulator, took advantage of Zhongli Mingji’s injuries to end his life, causing his Fuyao Realm tribulation to arrive prematurely.

It had also secretly increased the intensity of the tribulation, a truly shameless act.

Lu Yan sighed softly. “Understood. I’ll proceed carefully this time.”