Chapter 176: The Involution of the Immortals

“It is strange, why hasn’t this body structure changed? What is this Ninth Sequence? And what is the Root Immortality?”

Chen Xiyi reassembled the disassembled Nalan Yao. After repeatedly taking her apart and putting her back together, Chen Xiyi became very familiar with every part of Nalan Yao’s body structure, possibly even more familiar than she was herself.

Yet, many questions followed, which confused Chen Xiyi for a moment.

He had considered interrogation, but the problem was Nalan Yao refused to talk. Moreover, the Chang Ghost ability of the human shadow failed and had no effect on Nalan Yao.

As soon as the human shadow entered Nalan Yao’s body, it was annihilated by counterforce, preventing Chen Xiyi from gaining any control.

“It still needs optimization,” Chen Xiyi sighed. Nalan Yao in front of him slowly regained consciousness, looking at him with fear in her eyes.

When Chen Xiyi had disassembled and reassembled her earlier, he hadn’t used any anesthesia. She had watched him take her apart.

Because of this, Chen Xiyi also discovered a problem: this Nalan Yao didn’t seem like someone with thirty thousand years of life experience at all. Instead, she acted more like a spoiled little girl, self-centered and looking down on everyone. When Chen Xiyi started working on her, she even tried to shout threats.

He had never met the original Nalan Yao, but this Nalan Yao, the Ninth Sequence Immortal from the future, possessed a temperament completely unfit for her age, not even comparable to an ordinary person.

After undergoing Chen Xiyi’s repeated disassemblies and assemblies, Nalan Yao developed a considerable fear of him. However, relying on her immortality, she continued to act willfully.

After wiping the bloodstains from his hands, Chen Xiyi lifted the seal on her voice.

“Now, can you tell me what your situation is?” Chen Xiyi asked slowly.

“Pah! You vile Immortal who hasn’t even ascended to the Sequence, how dare you treat me like this! When the future arrives, even if you kneel and beg me, I will make your life worse than death.” Nalan Yao continued to threaten Chen Xiyi.

This made Chen Xiyi frown. “A tough nut to crack. Although her personality is foolish, it’s fine if she doesn’t talk. I’ll figure it out slowly myself. As for the remaining ten Sequence holders who came to this point in history, they will come to keep you company eventually.”

“But on second thought, if the other ten Temporal Immortals complete their tasks and return, will you go back with them?”

“After they return, they resume their high-status lives, while you stay here suffering endless torment. Tch, such broad-mindedness.”

Chen Xiyi’s attempt to provoke her was very clumsy but quite effective.

First, Chen Xiyi speculated that the eleven Temporal Immortals were Wandering Light’s harem. If the other ten returned after completing their tasks to be intimate with their husband, while she remained here suffering, it would be like the lawful wife serving the mistress. Who could endure that?

Thinking that having a harem meant everything was harmonious, with phrases like ‘No matter how many women you have, as long as there’s a place for me in your heart,’ was merely dealing with emotions superficially.

Over thirty thousand years, if eleven powerful harem members fought, it would likely be a life-and-death struggle.

On the surface, they might maintain the appearance of good sisters, but in reality, wouldn’t they fight to the point of breaking heads, especially someone like Nalan Yao with her personality and Miao heritage. If there was a chance to kill off the other ten women, she would probably strike without hesitation.

Nalan Yao pressed her lips together and remained silent. Stirred by Chen Xiyi’s words, her already poor temperament naturally made her feel unfairly treated.

After all, she considered herself the primary wife. Watching the mistresses enjoy themselves while she unfairly suffered torment here—just as Chen Xiyi said—if that were the case, wouldn’t she be at a great loss?

After she replaced the Nalan Yao of this time, to return, she needed to find Lin Feng, who hadn’t yet become Wandering Light. Only during his Ascension Ritual could she sense the future again and return.

If she failed to return by the end of Lin Feng’s Ascension Ritual, she would forever become the Nalan Yao of this time, remaining in this historical period as a puppet of history. The future Ninth Sequence would also change, likely no longer being her, and she would be eliminated due to this historical correction.

In other words, if she didn’t return after Lin Feng completed his Ascension Ritual, everything would vanish. She would become the Body Forging Warrior Nalan Yao due to historical correction, not the Ninth Sequence Temporal Immortal Nalan Yao.

Unless she could climb back into Wandering Light’s favor, everything would end for her.

“The Second Sequence Immortal, Tiger Might Emperor Tang Jing; the Third Sequence Immortal, Pure Maiden Flying Swallow Yan Guilai; the Fourth Sequence…”

Nalan Yao slowly spoke, naming the remaining ten Temporal Immortals one by one. After hearing them, Chen Xiyi felt a headache coming on.

These eleven Temporal Immortals were indeed all women. More importantly, he actually knew both the Second and Third Sequence holders. Fortunately, White Sun Master and Blood Shadow Phoenix, the leaders of the righteous and evil paths, weren’t among them, suggesting they were probably men.

“What about your master? Your master actually didn’t enter the ranks of the Temporal Immortals?” Chen Xiyi couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Nalan Yao, however, looked gloomy. “Hmph, if it weren’t for your meddling, how could that wretched woman have this opportunity?”

At this, Chen Xiyi understood. Originally, Mei Yu had no connection with Lin Feng. Lin Feng attended the Miaojiang Feast and caught Nalan Yao’s eye, not her master’s. But because of Chen Xiyi’s interference, he ended up interested in her master instead.

If Lin Feng still became Wandering Light this time, it was highly likely a Thirteenth Sequence Immortal would emerge.

“Good grief, she’s your master. Oh, right, a master from thirty thousand years ago—even her ashes are gone.” Chen Xiyi couldn’t help but laugh. It felt quite like the bitterness of a neglected palace wife.

“Aren’t you going to say anything else? Like ascending the Sequence, immortality, or Wandering Light’s follow-up plans, for example?” Chen Xiyi asked.

“Sure. Erase one Temporal Immortal, and I’ll answer one of your questions,” Nalan Yao said mockingly.

“That could work, but you have to tell me first how to erase an Immortal.”

Chen Xiyi wouldn’t fall for such a simple attempt at using him to kill others. There were only eleven Temporal Immortals total; they were precious. How could they just be erased arbitrarily?

Of course, if Nalan Yao told him, that would be fine. But clearly, Nalan Yao wasn’t stupid either. Why would she reveal that and hand Chen Xiyi the weapon to kill herself?

“Hah, it’s simple. Once you also ascend to the Sequence, you can erase other Temporal Immortals,” Nalan Yao said in a teasing tone.

Chen Xiyi didn’t ask further. She definitely wouldn’t reveal what ascending the Sequence meant now, but that might change later.

They would see how things played out.

Once she was in Chen Xiyi’s hands, did she really think he had no means?

Even if he couldn’t get the information by asking, a few more days of research would surely yield results.

“Tch, it’s fine. You’re not the only one; there are ten other Temporal Immortals. Surely one of them will be willing to talk. I just hope you won’t regret it then.” After saying that, Chen Xiyi resealed Nalan Yao.

Then he promptly wrote a letter to Lin Feng, informing him of the situation.

As of now, Lin Feng’s prefix was still ‘Jianghu Practitioner,’ indicating he was still Lin Feng, not Wandering Light.

If he turned into Wandering Light, his prefix would certainly change, most likely to ‘Immortal.’

“No wonder I suddenly met Yan Guilai. I thought it was fate, but it turns out it was a scheme. Yet, Yan Guilai is actually the Third Sequence Immortal? This is really…”

Chen Xiyi found it both funny and frustrating. He suspected it might also be because of him that Lin Feng and Yan Guilai missed each other completely.

As for Tang Jing, it seemed it was also because of him.

“Tch, then wouldn’t Mei Yu be in a terrible situation? Surrounded by ten ancient monsters targeting her; she might accidentally drown one day.”

Chen Xiyi couldn’t help but sigh. That was entirely possible.

After all, if Mei Yu succeeded in rising to prominence, there was a ninety-nine percent chance a Thirteenth Sequence Immortal would appear.

So they would definitely try every means to exclude Mei Yu.

Not long after Chen Xiyi sent his letter, Lin Feng replied. In his letter, he expressed extreme shock and told Chen Xiyi he was rushing to Miaojiang, asking him to prepare to capture them all in one net.

Regarding this, Chen Xiyi could only think it saved time.

He had directly turned Lin Feng, Wandering Light’s past self, against them. With the enemy leader on their side, how could they lose?

Lin Feng knew one thing: these people were all replacements, not the original individuals.

Even if it was a harem, it was Wandering Light’s harem, not his, Lin Feng’s.

He didn’t believe these Temporal Immortals would focus on him. They only wanted him to become the First Sequence Immortal, Wandering Light.

Fundamentally, the one they loved desperately was Wandering Light, not him, Lin Feng.

Even though Wandering Light might be his future, it wasn’t his present self. There was an essential difference.

From the moment he met Chen Xiyi, the future and present had already diverged. He was himself; Wandering Light was Wandering Light.

Especially after hearing that his wife Mei Yu might accidentally drown because of these people, Lin Feng grew even more anxious. He still had feelings for Mei Yu. All these people suddenly gathering around him were problematic. Lin Feng could judge whom to trust.

As for taking these people as his harem?

Lin Feng wasn’t a fool; how could he possibly do that?

“Tch, Wandering Light might have realized that history changed because of me, but he completely didn’t consider that the Home Game could increase Favorability.”

With 4.5 stars of Favorability, Lin Feng regarded Chen Xiyi as an extremely trusted close friend. Because of Chen Xiyi, Lin Feng also didn’t succumb to the Peach Blossom Destiny’s influence and become obsessed with women. Instead, he advanced further, saw through the illusions, and achieved divine sword mastery.

“It seems Wandering Light cannot directly interfere with history, so for now, he’s not a major concern. As for the other eleven Temporal Immortals, analyzing from Nalan Yao’s situation, they aren’t that strong either. Outside, I might need to expend some effort, but inside the Miaojiang Five Immortals Cave, it’s just a matter of using the Innate Gang Qi.”

“The method of traversing time and history is mysterious, but that should be Wandering Light’s ability, not the ability of the other eleven Temporal Immortals. They were all sent here by Wandering Light.”

“So, the two elements for Wandering Light’s Ascension Ritual are probably complete.”

The concept was the sword, and the two elements: one might be related to Peach Blossom Luck, the other naturally related to Time or history.

This led to a question: how did Wandering Light originally find these two related elements?

The sword concept was the Wandering Light Sword; Chen Xiyi knew that.

But what represented the other two elements?

“There’s no use guessing blindly. Once Lin Feng lures the remaining ten Temporal Immortals here, everything will become clear.”

Making wild guesses might sometimes hit the mark, but having a better way to verify things surely saved more time and effort.

“I wonder if Wandering Light will act desperately next? After all, these events are pushing him toward his doom.”