Chapter 1143: Chapter 1143

"Don't bring any more of those so-called Immortal Kings next time. They're a waste of decrees."

At Dangyin Mountain, Chen Lingding brought several people to meet a second-transformation great Yin Demon under the Mountain Lord and shared all the intelligence he had gathered.

He then summoned a few first-transformation Loose Immortals stationed alongside him. They were Yin Walkers, and their auras were slightly different from his own.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, we heard you went to Jiangguang City yourself? How was it?"

There was a trace of eager curiosity in their eyes.

"The situation there isn't a big problem. Those rumors were probably just baseless gossip," Chen Lingding replied while preparing to jot something down on paper.

However, just as he was about to move his pen, he felt his yin energy become unstable, threatening to dissipate.

He immediately set the brush down and glanced at the Yin Walkers with a slightly odd expression.

"Gossip? Yeah... probably. That rumor didn't sound all that credible anyway," one of them muttered, shaking his head.

"But... Monarch Yan's legacy is a major matter for our Spirit God Sect in the Floating Pagoda Realm. The higher-ups have been searching for years without giving up."

"We've poured manpower and resources into it, but nothing came of it. I wonder... maybe there's no such thing as Monarch Yan's legacy to begin with?"

"You'd best keep that thought to yourself. Don't spread it. A lot of big names up there are convinced the legacy is real. If they hear you saying this, you might get reassigned to some rural wasteland."

"What, you guys gonna report me? We've all been stationed here for over eight hundred years. Don't we have a bit of camaraderie by now? Hahaha."

Listening to their chatter, Chen Lingding murmured to himself, "Camaraderie indeed. And as brothers... we share blessings and hardships alike."

"That's why you're so admirable, Brother Chen. Don't worry, we'll visit the Chen family more often once we return to the Mortal Realm."

Chen Lingding nodded. "Yes, please help keep an eye on the younger Chen disciples."

"No need to be so polite. The Chen Family needs no help from us. As long as your father remains in place, they're solid as a pine tree."

"Speaking of that, I had a brief conversation with Empress Ci from Jiangguang City. She seems interested in joining the Spirit God Sect. Would you all help me assess her?"

"Empress Ci? I've heard of that madwoman. Supposedly a resentful widow who roams around with a ghost bridal procession."

"Right. She grabs any man she fancies and drags him away by force! Haha!"

"Brother Chen, she's just a mere first-transformation Great Yin Demon. She isn't really worth recruiting. We don't even know her background."

"A mere first-transformation Great Yin Demon?" Chen Lingding glanced at the three, whose cultivation was on par with his own. "I'm a first-transformation Great Yin Demon too."

The one who spoke realized he had offended Chen Lingding and quickly laughed it off, explaining he meant no disrespect.

Another tried to smooth things over. "If Brother Chen sees potential in Empress Ci, then we might as well go take a look. No harm in checking her out. I agree we need more hands, and it's just a matter of reallocating some Yin Lifespan Coins."

"Indeed. The situation is becoming more intense across various fronts. The few of us alone can't easily gather intel."

"Then let's take a trip to Jiangguang City together."

"We'll trouble Brother Chen to lead the way."

Three Yin Walker Loose Immortals knelt on the ground, eyes fixed with venomous hatred on Chen Lingding nearby.

"Chen Lingding, this is what you meant by sharing blessings and hardships?"

One of them glared at him with seething resentment.

None of them had expected Chen Lingding to betray them.

Chen Lingding replied coldly, "Of course it is. Weren't you the ones who looked down on me as a mere Yin Demon? Now I've been made a proper Ghost God, and soon you will be too. We'll still be colleagues in the future."

Three Yin Soldier decrees surged into their bodies. They instinctively tried to resist.

"Lord, these three have rebellious thoughts. It may be better to kill them now. Once they're dead, the Spirit God Sect will only send more men to Dangyin Mountain anyway," Chen Lingding said with a bow.

The moment they heard that, the three stopped resisting and allowed the decrees to flood into their bodies.

Not long after, Chen Lingding pulled them up with a smile.

"Fellow cultivators, my apologies, but from now on, we're still comrades. Don't take it personally, alright?"

Their faces turned ashen. None of them looked at him. One glanced at Fang Chen suspiciously, asking, "Those three earlier, were they Ghost God decrees? Is that what made Chen Lingding follow your every word?"

The other two had been skeptical, but after witnessing Chen Lingding's betrayal firsthand, their doubts quickly faded.

If even someone like Chen Lingding was so obedient to this man, selling them out without hesitation, then the decrees must truly control their life and death.

"You've studied the path of Ghost Gods before. You should know exactly what I meant by 'sharing blessings and hardships.'" Chen Lingding sneered. "To you, this is a great fortune. Even if you die in the human world, your cultivation will remain intact in the Underworld, as Ghost Gods."

"Unlike me, who had to claw my way up from a mere wandering soul."

"Spare us the persuasion. We'll weigh the benefits ourselves," one of them huffed coldly, though a flicker of thought passed through his eyes.

Chen Lingding and the three left Jiangguang City together.

Chen Lingding smiled. "Fellow cultivators, surely you're not still mad at me? There's no need. I've merely pointed out a brighter road for you."

The three remained silent. Their resentment hadn't yet faded.

Chen Lingding chuckled. "You joined the Spirit God Sect for your own sake. But in all these years, have you ever seen an opportunity to advance to the second transformation?

"We're stationed in backwater regions. No one favors us, no one promotes us. Even when something good happens, we get scraps. The best we can do is place a few agents for the Little Underworld. Isn't that just a waste of our years?"

Someone sneered. "And becoming a Ghost God means those years won't be wasted?"

"Once you become a Ghost God, as long as you have a steady supply of Yin Lifespan Coins, what difference is there from immortality? Time becomes meaningless," Chen Lingding answered.

The three paused, deeply reflecting. Their expressions shifted from bitterness to surprise.

It seemed they had overlooked the true essence of the Ghost God path.

With Chen Lingding's reminder, they suddenly realized this path was far better than the one they were currently on.

"Brother Chen, you really did show us the right way!"

"You weren't lying! This truly is sharing blessings and hardships!"

Their attitudes changed instantly.

Chen Lingding nodded with a smile.

"And the lord has more than just us under his banner. You all should understand what comes next, right?"

"Of course, of course, we should bring more of our brothers over to share in this fortune."