Unrivaled Comprehension: From Mortal to Immortal King

Lin Jiufeng gazed at Sword God Di Liu standing in the distance. His injuries had completely healed, though his figure flickered between reality and illusion—he was still adjusting.

At this moment, Sword God Di Liu had lost his physical body, leaving only his primordial spirit. He had now stepped onto the path of ghost cultivation, which required time to adapt.

Lin Jiufeng praised, "You're truly incredible. Looking at him now, no one would believe that his primordial spirit was once reduced to the brink of annihilation. Keeping you around was definitely a wise decision."

Taiyuan Immortal humbly replied, "I merely borrowed the knowledge of Taiyuan Immortal Emperor and exhausted all the energy within Taiyuan Immortal Palace to restore his primordial spirit to this level. As long as he adjusts, his formidable strength will remain intact—perhaps even grow stronger."

"That's great news," Lin Jiufeng said with joy. The fact that Sword God Di Liu was not only alive but also retained his strength, with the potential to surpass his past self, was a major victory for the human race in this time of crisis.

Sword God Di Liu was a formidable figure. Though he had been grievously injured in his incursion into the Yaksha Clan's territory, one had to consider who had struck him down—it was the Yaksha Ancestor himself. The fact that he had forced such a powerful entity to personally intervene was proof of his strength.

Now, as humanity stood on the brink of destruction, a warrior of Di Liu's caliber was an invaluable asset. Lin Jiufeng did not regret expending the energy of Taiyuan Immortal Palace to save him.

At that moment, Sword God Di Liu approached, bowing deeply toward Lin Jiufeng and Taiyuan Immortal. "I sincerely thank you both for saving my life."

Taiyuan Immortal stroked his beard with a smile, graciously accepting the gratitude. He had indeed gone to great lengths to ensure Di Liu's complete recovery.

Lin Jiufeng asked with concern, "Di Liu, how are you feeling? Are you adjusting well?"

Sword God Di Liu smiled wryly. "It's strange, but I'll manage."

"You suffered grave injuries—too severe to recover from. Reviving your physical body was impossible. If we tried transferring you into another body, the mismatch between your primordial spirit and the new vessel would have caused rejection. With your primordial spirit already so fragile, there was no other choice. You had to take the path of ghost cultivation," Taiyuan Immortal explained.

"Thank you—I understand. I'm grateful just to be alive. Walking the ghost cultivation path isn't an issue. I can still practice my swordsmanship. Before, I wielded my sword with my body; now, I will wield it with my primordial spirit, with my very soul. In the face of life and death, there is both great terror and great opportunity. Though my primordial spirit was nearly extinguished, I remained conscious of what was happening in the outside world. Lin Jiufeng, thank you for saving me."

Lin Jiufeng said solemnly, "Humanity stands on the precipice of extinction. Every powerful warrior we have is another glimmer of hope."

"What exactly is happening?" Sword God Di Liu's expression darkened.

Lin Jiufeng recounted how three major clans had united and called upon the hundred races to exterminate humanity.

Sword God Di Liu's brows furrowed deeply upon hearing this. The aura around him solidified into countless floating swords, their edges flickering with deadly brilliance. "Unforgivable! The human race has already fallen to such dire straits, and yet they still seek to annihilate us? Outrageous!"

Taiyuan Immortal, perplexed, asked, "I remember that humanity once thrived on the Dimensional Battlefield. What happened?"

Lin Jiufeng smiled bitterly. "That was a long time ago. Now, we can't even manage to carve out a stable foothold. If you're weak, others will step on you as they please."

"Are you in a human city now?" Sword God Di Liu suddenly asked.

Lin Jiufeng nodded.

"Where is the Painted-Skin Scholar?"

"We met once. I informed him of the situation, and then he left—likely to discuss countermeasures," Lin Jiufeng replied.

"I must find him. Humanity must not fall!" Sword God Di Liu declared resolutely, turning to leave.

Lin Jiufeng immediately opened Taiyuan Immortal Palace, allowing Di Liu to exit. He followed closely behind, eager to learn more about humanity's predicament.

Back in the serene courtyard, Sword God Di Liu moved his body, adjusting to his new form, then said, "I'm going to find the Painted-Skin Scholar."

"I'll go with you," Lin Jiufeng offered. He deeply cared about humanity's fate and wanted to understand the current situation.

"Alright, come with me." Sword God Di Liu nodded before transforming into a streak of sword light, vanishing into the heavy snowfall outside.

Lin Jiufeng followed swiftly, his raw physical power propelling him through the air. Protective energy radiated from his body, shielding him from the biting wind and snow.

He soon realized that Sword God Di Liu was extremely familiar with the layout of the human territories. With unwavering certainty, he flew toward the towering mountains behind the ancient human city.

Whoosh!

Sword God Di Liu, now a streak of black sword energy, shot through the snow-covered expanse, leaving a trail of churning white waves in his wake—a breathtaking sight.

Lin Jiufeng followed closely as they ascended the grand mountain range. At its peak stood a solemn temple, square and stately, resembling a shrine of worship.

Sword God Di Liu landed and pushed open the temple doors.

Lin Jiufeng entered as well, his gaze sweeping across the interior. As he had suspected, the space was filled with ancestral tablets, a place of reverence for the departed.

Inside, the Painted-Skin Scholar was paying respects when he turned around and saw Sword God Di Liu. His expression was one of utter shock.

The next moment, however, he noticed the anomaly—Sword God Di Liu's body was gone, leaving only his primordial spirit.

"What happened to you? How did you end up like this?" the Painted-Skin Scholar asked in astonishment.

"I was severely wounded by the Yaksha Ancestor. My body perished, leaving only my primordial spirit. With no other choice, I took the path of ghost cultivation," Di Liu explained.

He deliberately left out Lin Jiufeng and Taiyuan Immortal's role in saving him, ensuring their secrets remained undisclosed.

"You were reckless. The Yaksha Clan's stronghold is unfathomably deep, yet you dared to infiltrate it? Were you courting death?" the Painted-Skin Scholar reprimanded.

Sword God Di Liu admitted his mistake. "I underestimated the dangers. I thought I could sneak in, retrieve the key to Taiyuan Immortal Palace, and leave. I never expected the Yaksha Ancestor to notice me. I barely survived."

"Why are you with Lin Jiufeng?" the Painted-Skin Scholar asked, puzzled.

"Lin Jiufeng told me humanity is facing an unprecedented crisis, so I came to confirm the situation. Are the three clans truly conspiring to annihilate us?" Di Liu asked grimly.

The Painted-Skin Scholar nodded solemnly. "It's true—but it's not just three clans."

"They've allied with more races?" Lin Jiufeng's expression darkened as he caught the scholar's helpless fury.

"Yes. I sent people to investigate—three major clans have joined forces with ten others. They have officially declared their intent to destroy humanity," the scholar said gravely.

"Ten more races..." Sword God Di Liu inhaled sharply.

"Which ones?" Lin Jiufeng asked.

"Lizard Clan, Ancient Barbarian Ox Clan, Asura Clan, Ancient Royal Clan, Stone Clan, Tyrant Body Clan, Witch Clan, Elf Clan, Ancient Tree Clan, and Divine Silkworm Clan," the Painted-Skin Scholar listed.

Di Liu was stunned. "These are among the top-ranked races! Why have they allied against us?"

Lin Jiufeng frowned. "Humanity hasn't provoked them, have we?"

The Painted-Skin Scholar took a deep breath. "No—but humanity possesses something they desire."

"You mean...?" Sword God Di Liu's expression turned grim.

Lin Jiufeng, still in the dark, asked, "What is it?"

"A lantern," the Painted-Skin Scholar said.

"A lantern tied to the very essence of the Nine Provinces," Di Liu added.