Chapter 528: Chapter 528

Lin Fan and his companions blended into the crowd, appearing completely ordinary and drawing no attention. If you tried to act high-end, of course you’d attract others’ notice.

The Immortals who came here to participate in the recruitment understood this principle deeply. Each one put on airs, exuding a remarkably unique Immortal aura. Their sideways glances seemed to say to others: don’t make me look at you directly, or you might die.

One Daoist held a horsetail whisk, his expression calm as he pretended to wave it casually, as if he were a high-level hidden master who seldom emerged from seclusion.

Another, a monk, held prayer beads in his hand while chanting scripture, looking every bit the enlightened holy man.

Everyone’s performance was quite convincing.

"Form a line, one by one! Those under the Heavenly Immortal Realm, don’t bother joining the fun. Be conscious enough to leave the queue on your own, so we don’t have to single you out."

"Don’t feel bad about it—we’re saving your lives. Living is always better than dying."

A middle-aged man, dressed like a housekeeper, stepped through the courtyard gate.

He knew many Immortals came with dreams of earning the reward promised by the Wang Family, but the reward required appropriate strength; it wasn’t something anyone could acquire.

This individual was Wang Xiang, the Wang Family’s housekeeper.

Having grown up in the Wang Family, he eventually rose to the position of Elder Wang due to his outstanding capabilities, and now managed all the affairs within the household.

He scanned the crowd lining up.

Disappointment flashed across his face.

The prospects weren’t looking good.

He walked over to the attendants recording the names of recruits. "Pay attention and be strict about their cultivation level. Don’t accept anyone with insufficient attainment."

A dissatisfied voice rang out: "What’s wrong with my Earth Immortal Realm? I can suppress the Heavenly Immortal Realm! Why won’t you let me join?"

Wang Xiang, upon noticing this Immortal causing a disturbance, didn’t bother arguing. He spread his fingers wide. Instantly, mana rippled at the tips, and a terrifying suction force burst forth. The man couldn’t resist and was pulled into Wang Xiang’s grasp.

"You claim you can suppress the Heavenly Immortal Realm? Yet I’m at the Heavenly Immortal Realm. You’re just blowing hot air."

The man’s face turned beet red. Can’t even tell a good tall tale without being exposed? To have this humiliation revealed in front of so many people, without even a shred of dignity left, was infuriating.

Following the incident with the man, many Immortals in the crowd who planned to sneak through the recruitment process reluctantly withdrew. Making a living off rewards wasn’t easy.

We weren’t afraid of dying.

You’re the one worried we’ll die because of our low cultivation level. Should we thank you for being kind? Or curse you for discriminating against us?

It’s really frustrating.

"I never expected the Wang Family to be this considerate," Qin Yang chuckled, watching the dejected Immortals retreat. "They actually care whether people are strong enough, not just sending them off to die. This really emphasizes the importance of cultivation. Without a certain level, you don’t even qualify to join the recruitment."

Of course, Qin Yang and his companions were well aware that their own status made participating in such a recruitment unimaginable.

If you wanted to recruit Noble Family Young Masters to act as your enforcers, what reward could you possibly offer?

Lin Fan advised, "Keep your voice down. If others hear you, they might cause us trouble."

When Wang Xiang passed by Lin Fan, he lingered for a few extra moments. Not because Lin Fan stood out in any particularly impressive way, but because, given his youth, what kind of strength could he possibly have? Surely he wasn’t trying to sneak in and pass himself off.

After giving him another look, however, Wang Xiang concluded Lin Fan didn’t seem suspicious and paid him no further attention.

"Does this old man need to queue up?"

A voice suddenly resounded.

Wang Xiang frowned, initially intending to respond sharply—who dared to be so bold, and what qualifications did they have to speak this way? But as he turned to see who it was.

The severe expression on his face immediately softened to one of deference.

"Immortal Chen, you’re here. Naturally, there’s no need for you to queue. For our Wang Family, your presence is a tremendous honor. Please, come inside."

Wang Xiang’s demeanor shifted dramatically upon seeing the visitor.

The man in question was none other than Immortal Chen, a powerful Immortal Monarch and an elder. His arrival was nothing short of an honor for the Wang Family—they certainly couldn’t treat him like the others standing in line.

"If our family master learns Immortal Chen has arrived, he’ll surely be overjoyed," Wang Xiang remarked.

The surrounding Immortals standing in line eyed Immortal Chen with envy.

Comparing yourself to others can truly enrage you.

When others arrive, they’re welcomed as esteemed guests, while we’re left waiting in the sun at the door. Why the stark difference? It’s truly infuriating.

But there’s nothing to be done.

Their ears rang loud and clear with the words: this was an Immortal Monarch, a major figure, utterly beyond their league.

If you wanted the respect others received, you had to work harder to improve your own strength.

Qin Yang whispered, "Brother Lin, shall we show off your strength? If you do, they’ll definitely treat us as honored guests and invite us inside."

"No need. We didn’t come here for show. Stay low-key; low-key is the key," Lin Fan replied. He didn’t know what Qin Yang was thinking. Considering their current circumstances, being too blatant was unsafe. Steadiness was the safest route.

Being overly conspicuous.

Would only make them the center of attention, which would hinder their plans.

"Hmm, you have a point. I was just asking—but if you’d said yes, I would’ve stopped you anyway," Qin Yang commented.

Lin Fan glanced at Qin Yang but decided against saying anything further.

For now, I’ll tolerate you greatly; your moments of foolishness I’ll chalk up to untarnished naivety.

Lin Fan and his companions passed the recruitment process, blending into the crowd as ordinary, unremarkable participants undetected by anyone. No one recognized these three figures as famed prodigies.

Two Noble Family Young Masters.

The other, the infamous Hand Demon Madman, Lin Fan, who was capable of crushing the calmest of heavenly prodigies.

If the Wang Family discovered their identities, they’d undoubtedly be treated as honored guests and seated at the head table.

"Master, Immortal Chen has traveled from afar and is now seated in the grand hall," Wang Xiang reported.

"Cough, cough!" The Wang Family Master let out an uneasy cough. His face was pale, lined, and aged, with strands of white streaking his hair. Slowly rising from his chair, he said, "Let’s go and meet him."

Wang Xiang watched his master, deeply concerned. He wasn’t sure if this venture would succeed; he could only hope it would. Otherwise, the consequences for the Wang Family would be catastrophic.

Immortal Chen observed the Wang Family Master as he approached, his expression subtly shifting. He quickly stood and asked, "Brother Wang, we haven’t seen each other in over ten years. How did you end up ?"

Brother Wang’s state shocked him.

To Immortal Chen, this was almost inconceivable.

Brother Wang had once been a dominating figure in the realm, dazzling and unstoppable. Never would Immortal Chen have expected that, upon meeting again, he’d see Brother Wang in such a condition. When word of Brother Wang’s misfortune had initially reached him, Chen had imagined possibilities.

But none were as grave as this.

"Cough, cough!" The Wang Family Master let out another light cough, his frail body appearing weak, his aura tenuous as though it might evaporate at any moment. "Brother Chen, you don’t understand. This happened during my breakthrough attempt to the Immortal King Realm. I ran into trouble and failed to pass the Heavenly Person Five Decays tribulation. This is the result—I acted too hastily, unprepared for the ordeal, and now I’m paying the price."

"What?" Immortal Chen stared in disbelief, exclaiming, "Brother Wang, what were you thinking?! I’ve been an Immortal Monarch for over a century, and I’ve never dared to challenge the Immortal King Realm yet, but you... Sigh."

He shook his head regretfully, unable to understand why Brother Wang would have acted so rashly.

It was too impulsive, far too impulsive.

Attempting the tribulation unprepared was a death sentence!

"Sigh, Brother Chen. There’s no use regretting it now." The Wang Family Master sighed bitterly, his voice laced with pain. "The reason I’m recruiting strong allies is to search for an Immortal Elixir to extend my life and recreate vitality. Otherwise, I won’t last much longer."

"At most, I’ll only survive another thirty to fifty years." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novelFirｅ.net

His situation was dire; if he couldn’t locate and obtain an Immortal Elixir to restore his life force, his remaining time was grimly finite.

Immortal Chen felt deeply sorrowful hearing this.

"Brother Wang, don’t worry—I’ll help you with this matter. I heard you’re targeting the Forbidden Land for this endeavor. That place is highly dangerous. How many high-level experts have you recruited so far? On my own, I may not be able to handle it," Immortal Chen inquired.

Wang Family Master replied, "Over the past decade, I’ve recruited six masters who, like you, are Immortal Monarchs. I’ve kept them within the family estate waiting for your arrival so we could go together."

"Hmm, six Immortal Monarchs along with me make seven. That should be sufficient to make an attempt. However, on my way here, I noticed you were recruiting other Immortals whose cultivation is rather low. They don’t seem very useful," Immortal Chen remarked skeptically. It wasn’t that he underestimated these Immortals; their abilities truly paled in comparison.

Heavenly Immortal Realm?

Even those at the Golden Immortal Realm weren’t much better.

Of course, if they were heavenly prodigies at the Golden Immortal Realm, they might have some utility. But these individuals were merely average Golden Immortals, cultivated slowly with time—what good could they be?

When faced with prodigy-level Golden Immortals, regular Golden Immortals were essentially crushed outright. Even the tougher ones might only survive two or three moves.

Wang Family Master explained, "To be honest, Brother Chen, those Immortals are merely meant to scout the way. The Forbidden Land is exceedingly dangerous, as you already know, so..."

"Say no more." Immortal Chen raised his hand, cutting off the explanation. He already understood the implications. "I get it. Rest assured, I’ll do my utmost to help you retrieve the Immortal Elixir this time."

"Thank you, Brother Chen." The Wang Family Master expressed his gratitude. Though he knew many powerful figures, most were unwilling even to visit him, let alone offer help after his downfall.

The only one who came, willing to offer aid, was Brother Chen.

It was an eye-opener, indeed.

As for the weaker Immortals, Wang Family Master surmised Immortal Chen must have misunderstood. He wasn’t recruiting these individuals with the intent of sacrificing them—it was simply that finding an Immortal Elixir wasn’t easy. Numbers might improve their odds.

In the Forbidden Land, however, once danger strikes, abundant cannon fodder wouldn’t help.

Lin Fan and his companions were assigned to a residential area.

"The Wang Family isn’t half bad—it arranged rather decent accommodations," Lin Fan remarked.

Xiang Fei added, "The Wang Family has a good reputation around here. They treat guests well. Still, I wonder what they’re seeking in the Forbidden Land. That place can be quite dangerous."

Lin Fan chuckled. Danger was good—it meant there was something worth finding. They were keeping a low profile, blending into the crowd precisely to avoid exposing themselves.

Better to quietly reap the rewards.