The bronze ghost mask gradually melted away in Fang Chen's eyes. Beneath it was a somewhat gloomy-looking young man.

His features were not particularly striking, but between his brows was the commanding presence of someone who had wielded power for many years. Even when facing Chen Enxue, his tone carried the stern authority of a superior addressing a subordinate.

Fang Chen had always known Chen Enxue as someone who didn't know the meaning of fear. Within the Enlightenment God Palace, she almost never acted with deference toward anyone. She would even talk back to Xie Aman on occasion. Yet even she dared not refute this man. She merely nodded and said, "I'll find an opportunity to take him to the underworld to see you."

The young man nodded. His gaze suddenly pierced through layers of void and landed on Fang Chen, who stood outside the Xie Zhi Division.

"He hasn't left yet."

"He's probably thinking about something. This junior brother of mine is sharper than the other core disciples," Chen Enxue said.

The young man nodded. "That makes sense. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a core disciple in just a few hundred years, nor comprehended two Formation Immortal Arts."

Fang Chen's gaze shifted back and forth between Chen Enxue and the young man.

He could now be certain that aside from Enlightenment God Palace and the Xie Zhi Division, Chen Enxue had another background. But whether it was related to the demon race could not yet be determined.

"Oh, right. If I bring him to the underworld, it might be somewhat inconvenient. Could we meet in the Mortal Realm instead?" Chen Enxue asked.

The young man glanced at her and said flatly, "No need. Either we meet in the Xie Zhi Division or in the Underworld."

After a pause, he added, "I'll wait for you in the Underworld. Bring this boy to me as soon as possible. I want to know exactly what his origins are."

With that, the young man opened a bronze door and disappeared into the vast expanse of the Qingmeng.

Ordinary Xie Zhi members can only open doors at the entrance. He can open one within the Xiezhi Division itself. His rank should be similar to Third Senior Sister. Which Hall Master is he? Drunken Spring Wind... Quite an interesting name.

"Dizang Immortal... still unwilling to reveal his identity in the Mortal Realm..." Chen Enxue suddenly murmured softly to herself.

A faint glimmer flickered in her eyes, as if she were pondering something.

Her voice interrupted Fang Chen's thoughts.

Dizang?

Fang Chen fell into thought. The name felt strangely familiar. It was as though he had heard it somewhere before.

Suddenly, the image of the Ghost Mother of Self Transformation surfaced in his mind.

That's right! She had once mentioned that in the ancient Underworld, there had been a peerless Heavenly Demon who had carved out his own path and was even somewhat capable of contending with Monarch Yan at the height of his power.

His title was Motian Dizang!

A trace of shock flashed through Fang Chen's eyes. Could there be a connection between Immortal Dizang and Motian Dizang?

If Motian Dizang is still alive today, his divine abilities would likely surpass those of ordinary ninth-transformation Immortals. The Ghost Mother of Self Transformation once said that during the turmoil of the Three Realms, he vanished without a trace and did not intervene. It almost seems as if he deliberately preserved his strength, waiting for all sides to exhaust themselves before stepping in to clean up.

If he's really lurking somewhere in the Floating Pagoda Realm....

Fang Chen's mind immediately conjured Monarch Yan's Palace, and the ghostly shadows beyond the barrier between realms.

At present, the origins of those ghostly figures likely fell into one of three possibilities:

First, Motian Dizang.

Second, the Demon Race.

Third, the Demonic Beast Race.

There are too many possibilities. To determine which force it is, we need more clues. At least for now, we can rule out the Fallen Immortals....

Fang Chen glanced at Chen Enxue. She was receiving another bronze-masked figure.

Leaving the Battle Readiness Hall, he happened to see Daoist Que approaching. Fang Chen's gaze sharpened as the bronze ghost mask on the man's face gradually dissolved.

The face behind it was heroic in bearing, with a trace of determination adorning the brows. It was a face Fang Chen was very familiar with.

This bronze-masked figure was none other than Huang Qingque, whom Fang Chen had seen not long ago at Ning Beiyou's wedding.

So it's you, Fellow Daoist Qingque...

Fang Chen smiled helplessly. His soul returned to his body, and he opened the bronze gate to return to Enlightenment Star.

***

Enlightenment God Palace.

Fang Chen arrived at the Hall of Merits just in time to see Elder Qin scolding a group of newly recruited external cultivators.

The moment Elder Qin saw Fang Chen, he revealed a delighted smile and cupped his fist. "Core Disciple Fang."

Core disciple?

The newly recruited external cultivators nearby immediately showed respectful expressions and stepped aside, only daring to glance at Fang Chen from the corners of their eyes. Their gazes were filled with awe.

"Let's sit inside for a bit," Fang Chen said with a smile. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Elder Qin's expression shifted slightly. He instructed the nearby external cultivators to seek other elders or deacons, then led Fang Chen into a private room.

"Elder Qin, you've been in the Enlightenment God Palace for quite some years now, haven't you?" Fang Chen asked.

Elder Qin nodded. "It has been some time indeed. What do you wish to ask, Core Disciple Fang?"

Fang Chen fell silent for a few breaths, and then said, "What I'm about to ask, I hope you won't spread it. Just pretend I was never here. Is that possible?"

The smile on Elder Qin's face gradually faded. He nodded solemnly. "Core Disciple Fang, ask away. Not another soul will learn about this conversation."

Fang Chen nodded. He trusted Old Qin's character. "Elder Qin, have you ever heard of Dizang Immortal?"

"Immortal Dizang?"

Elder Qin looked puzzled. He tried to recall but the name didn't ring any bells. He smiled and shook his head. "I have not heard of anyone named Immortal Dizang."

A trace of disappointment surfaced in Fang Chen's heart.

Old Qin worked in the Hall of Merits and had been at Enlightenment God Palace for many years. His sources of information should have been extensive. If even he had never heard of Immortal Dizang, then Fang Chen could only choose to ask Nanming Ruyue and the others. But he could not be certain whether Nanming Ruyue and her group had any connection to Immortal Dizang.

At that moment, Mirror of the Universe's voice rang in Fang Chen's ear. "Kid, you could ask me. You've got enough immortal crystals now to cover the consultation fee. Just twenty thousand immortal crystals. You won't make a loss!"

Fang Chen pretended to be deaf. What a joke. Paying twenty thousand immortal crystals for some information? Not a chance.

"Forget it. The Underworld is practically my territory. As long as I don't run into someone like Motian Dizang, I can handle most situations. I'll just wait for Third Senior Sister to take me there. When the time comes, everything will become clear."

With that thought, Fang Chen stopped dwelling on the matter.

After chatting with Elder Qin for a while, a fourth-transformation Immortal from Chen Enxue's exploration team arrived to look for Fang Chen.

Fang Chen nodded. "Third Senior Sister wants to see me? Very well, lead the way."

The man led him to Chen Enxue's Dao Domain. It was his first time setting foot there. The entire place was blanketed in thick snow, giving the impression of a frozen world stretching thousands of miles.

Chen Enxue walked over slowly and smiled at Fang Chen. "Ninth Brother, what do you think of my Dao Domain? There is no spring, summer, or autumn here, only winter."

"Third Senior Sister, so you prefer winter," remarked Fang Chen.

Snowflakes drifted onto his face, melting instantly into faint traces of coolness.

Fang Chen sighed to himself. Perhaps soon, the Enlightenment God Palace would lose its third-ranked core disciple.