Immortal Road.

Full of confidence, Youmeiji invited Qinglian Fairy to give a detailed account of her great victory and to take credit for her followers.

After hearing this, Fairy Qinglian was indeed delighted. She greatly appreciated the victory achieved at the cost of the other two routes' crushing defeats and sacrifices, and she especially commended the two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, Old Ghost of the Scattered Demon and Water Demon of the Qinghe River.

"You two have worked hard. Since the start of the war, you have killed the Northern Star God of the Alien Clan and the Heavenly Scorpion Venerable of the Demon Clan, causing the opposing camp to lose two armies and severely dampening their morale. You are truly the backbone of our Black Lotus camp."

"Now all that's left is the final battle, which will take place at Blackwater Cliff. We'll wait for them to break through!"

"If anyone has more Yuan Nian avatars, send them all over to increase our chances of winning this decisive battle. Every additional person increases our chances of victory, not for others but for ourselves."

The old demon and the Qinghe River demon thanked them and surprisingly said they would send another avatar to join the battle.

This surprised everyone!

Could it be that he and Fairy Qinglian were arranging a double act?

Two Yuan Nian avatars are something only veteran Yuan Shen can boast about; newcomers like Chi Hong simply can't offer them.

What benefits did Fairy Qinglian give to these two? A powerful being in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, knowing the danger, was willing to send an additional avatar to increase the stake. The support she provided was considerable!

However, these two are the most powerful among all the people, and they originally had the ability to ascend on their own. Their demands are definitely different from those of ordinary people, and there must be another unknown deal hidden between them.

However, most Nascent Soul stage cultivators remained unmoved and did not express their opinion on whether to send more avatars to reinforce them. After all, promises are invisible and intangible, and who would be willing to gamble everything just because of empty promises?
There might even be people in the crowd who bet on both sides, with the Black Lotus Cult sending avatars and the Immortal Envoy Cult also having avatars!
Everyone knows the truth, but they just turn a blind eye.

There are only so many people in the Nascent Soul stage in this world. The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has ranked them all in the Origin Realm. You can count how many people there are if you really want to, but the total number of people in the battle between the two sides definitely exceeds that number!
This shows that there are quite a few people betting on both sides!
Half of those who had previously perished sent word that they would send new avatars to join the war. This was a sunk cost, and there was no way to avoid death in war.

Several people in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm died; this strength is much greater than the Wan Hui Nian Spirit Tide.

"Your Majesty, there is more news. Protector Yin, who was in charge of the route to the Vast Holy Land, has perished."

The Black Lotus Sect's four protectors have been reduced to three. Originally, they had always followed Fairy Qinglian, accompanying her from the planning of her resurrection to the present day. Protector Yin and Protector Feng are the most senior members, while Youmeiji and Chihong joined later. Now, the new members are sending off the old ones, and Fairy Qinglian sighed slightly upon hearing this.

"It's a pity about Protector Yin. He worked diligently for half his life, but he didn't get to live to enjoy the blessings of the Upper Realm with me. He perished in the great battle. May he rest in peace."

Judging from her words, it seemed that she only felt regret and did not blame You Meiji for making such an arrangement. It is clear that Qinglian Fairy only cares about the result and does not care about the process or the sacrifices. Her cold-hearted nature is evident.

Then, Protector Feng stepped forward at the opportune moment to report on the battle situation along his route.

When it was mentioned that the Supreme Elder of the Shangxiao Sword Sect had perished and that the Shangxiao Sword Sect had also suffered heavy losses, everyone present was clearly shocked and looked over in disbelief, especially at Lin Shan, who remained silent in the crowd!
You Meiji's expression was not good. She had already learned the news in advance and originally thought that Lin Shan would pretend to comply but then go against her and ruin the arrangements that Fairy Qinglian had specially left behind, so that she could take the opportunity to make trouble after the battle.

Surely we're not in the wrong here?
Who knew this kid wouldn't give him a chance!

The Azure Lotus Fairy was also surprised.

What surprised her was not the fall of the Sword Daoist, but that Lin Shan, after that confrontation, still followed orders and did his best to help the Black Lotus Sect win this battle.

"Master Lin, you've worked hard. You've done a great service by defeating a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. I'll remember that."

His tone then softened slightly:
"Don't take that incident from a while ago to heart. It's normal for there to be disagreements among staff occasionally. As long as we work together and get through this together, we will definitely keep our promises to you."

The meaning behind Fairy Qinglian's words was quite clear. Although she did not apologize proactively, her words were meant to appease him. If Lin Shan was sensible enough to back down and reach a mutual understanding, then everyone would be happy!

But Lin Shan deliberately avoided the topic, as if he didn't want to talk about the past.

"There's no need to argue about right or wrong in that matter. As someone in a position of authority, I should do my best. Since I accepted the mission, I should do my utmost. How could I let personal matters interfere with my duties or try to take advantage of the situation? Killing Yuan Jian Dao Ren was just a matter of taking advantage of the location of Lingbao. It was just something I did on the side!"

These words clearly displayed a dignified and righteous spirit, and their unyielding integrity inspired admiration in everyone present.

Having gone through that internal strife crisis, few would have the courage to face a life-or-death situation and launch a sneak attack on the Supreme Elder of the Shangxiao Sword Sect.

Lin Shan's actions made Fairy Qinglian feel even more at ease with him.

His image of clearly distinguishing between gratitude and resentment was immediately established!
Upon seeing this, Protector Feng quickly came out to flatter him:
"I see. Leader Lin is magnanimous and trustworthy. He truly deserves to be called a renowned young powerhouse on the continent, setting a good example for everyone!"

Everyone showered him with praise; after all, saying nice things wouldn't hurt, and there was no harm in praising him more.

Chi Hong looked up from the crowd and received Lin Shan's secret instruction. He felt a little bitter but forced himself to step forward.

"Your Majesty, this time, not only did Sect Leader Lin kill Yuan Jian Dao Ren, but more importantly, he detonated hundreds of spiritual veins in the Jade Creek Holy Land, including that super-grade spiritual vein! This act has damaged the harmony of heaven and earth, destroyed the earth's veins, and even dug up the foundation of the world, severely damaging its fortune. Therefore, I propose that Sect Leader Lin be given additional compensation."

These weren't actually his own words; Lin Shan had secretly instructed him to say them so that Lin Shan could use him to demand benefits. Chi Hong was, after all, a member of the Black Lotus Cult, and this was done in front of everyone. It would be unreasonable for Fairy Qinglian not to offer any reward.

As expected, Fairy Qinglian had no choice but to take the initiative to show concern after hearing about it.

"Is there anything unusual about Leader Lin's luck? Is there anything that feels off?"

"Ugh!"

Lin Shan's face turned bitter; this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

He shook his head and waved his sleeve, revealing a huge black chimney reaching the sky above his head, billowing black smoke that directly polluted half of the Blackwater Cliff cave!
In an instant, dark clouds loomed over the city, as if it were the end of the world.

"Scare, scare, scare!"

Everyone was startled and quickly hid, afraid of being cursed with bad luck. It was obvious that this was no good thing.

"No, you."

Qinglian Fairy opened her eyes wide and carefully examined the large black chimney. However, because she was still in the Nascent Soul stage and had not yet recovered to the True Immortal realm, she could not tell Lin Shan's origins at all, let alone that it was just a wisp of primordial thought.

Lin Shan smiled bitterly and unconsciously exhaled a few breaths of stale air, startling Protector Feng who was standing next to him!
"Perhaps he is burdened by karmic obstacles, and the resulting negative karma is too great for Heaven and Earth to tolerate."

hiss~~~
Many high-ranking officials felt a chill run through their bodies, as if a cold air had risen from their tailbone to the top of their head!
Who among us hasn't fought our way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood since childhood?
Even an elephant can accidentally crush a group of ants. In their lifetime, a mere wave of their hand can affect many innocent lives. Not to mention the Nascent Soul stage cultivators who use the Heaven and Earth Technique to shatter the void. Once their supernatural powers fall, a large number of low-level cultivators will die.

But none of them can compare to the essence of a dragon that destroys the earth's veins!
This is a monstrous disaster, a crime that the world has abandoned and despised. No matter how great the demon is, they are all child's play in front of it!
"This seems to be a sign of the five signs of decay, no, it seems like misfortune isfalling. But that's not right either."

Qinglian Fairy's eyes showed a look of doubt. Although she was very knowledgeable, she had never seen such a jinx in her life.

This huge black chimney is as black as ink, and you can smell the bad odor from afar. Once you get close to it, you will definitely be contaminated and there's no escaping it!
"Oh dear, Master Lin, why didn't you tell me about such a big incident? You just told me that everything was fine."

Protector Feng groaned incessantly, and he meant it. "You're already in such a sorry state, why are you hiding it? Keeping someone by your side is just asking for trouble!" Venerable Hanhai and Divine Lord Yuming, unaware of the truth, silently took a few steps back, their faces showing sympathy.

Others avoided them like the plague, their eyes filled with mockery.

Everyone here was invited, why are you risking your life?
In order to defeat the Shangxiao Sword Sect and kill the Supreme Elder Yuanjian Daoren, they were willing to pay such a price.
Is it worth it?
The original Sword Daoist only lost one Yuan Nian avatar, but he immediately sent down a second avatar. But you, you've been tainted by such a terrible calamity, and you'll never be able to wash it away.

Karmic retribution doesn't just affect your clones; whatever you do, your original self will also be affected in the same way.

Chi Hong was clearly quite frightened. He had originally received Lin Shan's instruction to take the lead, thinking it was just to gain some advantage and benefits, but who knew that he would have to make such a big sacrifice!
"Venerable One, Master Lin has become like this in order to carry out the contingency plan you left behind. Is there any way to remedy this situation?"

Qinglian Fairy was also a bit of a headache. Her first thought was that this kid was probably trying to take advantage of the situation to ask her for favors again, so she would just make up an excuse to get rid of him.

But who knew it would be this serious!

She observed it repeatedly, and it was clear that the aura was indeed severely polluted, with no trace of forgery; anyone with eyes could see that.

"Well, actually, there is a way."

There was really no way to save her, even though she was once a true immortal. How could she save herself from such an unlucky thing?

She really wanted to tell Lin Shan that his life was over, but she couldn't say it in front of everyone. After all, he was in this situation because of her, and she couldn't shirk her responsibility. So she coughed a few times and tried to comfort him.

"Well, fortune is fluid, not static; it often comes and goes. As the saying goes, there's always a way out. There's always a chance to make amends, such as doing more good deeds to accumulate merit, and one day you'll be able to balance things out."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh!

Do good deeds?
How many good deeds would it take to make amends? The world's consciousness will care about your little bit of good deeds.

To balance the accounts?

How much merit do you need to accumulate to balance your debts? That's a joke!

Lin Shan's face was ashen. He had been perfectly fine just moments before, but suddenly he became sickly and waved his hand weakly.

"The concept of destiny is ethereal and unreliable. I, Lin, have never believed in fate. Since I promised the fairy, I must fulfill my promise. This little sacrifice is nothing. Cough cough cough."

He suddenly coughed as he spoke, and quickly wiped away the black blood at the corner of his mouth, but many people in the audience still noticed this detail.

Everyone looked at each other differently, and no one spoke.

Chi Hong knew it was his turn again. Remembering that Lin Shan had just saved Yuxi Holy Land's life, he felt it would be a shame not to speak up for him now.

"Your Majesty, Master Lin has made great contributions in this battle and sacrificed so much, leaving behind such a difficult problem. Shouldn't we make amends to him?"

Venerable Hanhai and Divine Lord Yuming understood each other perfectly, and stepped forward simultaneously, speaking in unison:
"Master Lin has made great contributions and deserves to be commended!"

Protector Feng remembered the promise he made at the Jade River Holy Land, and since he had just been rescued by Lin Shan, he naturally had to speak in his favor.

"I think so too. Since the problem of damaged fortune cannot be solved, how about making some compensation?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Even the old demon and the Qinghe River demon understood. This time, the disaster had affected their true bodies, and it was far more than just losing a primordial avatar.

Fairy Qinglian should have intervened to help, both morally and logically. If she couldn't cure him, she should have provided additional compensation.

"Alright, put away your chimney aura first, don't scare the other cultivators."

With things having been said to this extent, the atmosphere on the field had unknowingly reached this point.

Even a fool like Fairy Qinglian could see that Lin Shan was using the fact that he had saved those people's lives to play the good cop/bad cop in front of everyone, and was actually asking her for a kickback!

It was clearly just a backup plan she left behind when she destroyed the Jade Creek Holy Land, but it has turned out like this in the end, which is something she never expected.

The problem is, can't we settle the accounts together later? Why do we always have to force you to pay at this critical juncture? Do you even want the final payment?

Lin Shan had long since given up hope of receiving the final payment.

If Fairy Qinglian dared to blackmail me with the final payment, it means she already had the idea of ​​defaulting on the debt. There's no need for me to be a fool and fall into her trap. It would be a coward not to take advantage of a free lunch!
Let's get the incense out of this woman's pockets step by step first!

According to his estimate, the Black Lotus Sect's incense offerings should be at least a thousand times, which means there are thousands of ancient charms!
He thought it would be too difficult and risky to snatch it directly, so he could only try to use external pressure to squeeze it out, like squeezing toothpaste.

"Tell me, how much do you want?"

The Azure Lotus Fairy didn't even ask him what compensation he wanted, but directly asked how much he wanted. Clearly, she had already seen through Lin Shan's true colors, and at this moment she felt somewhat powerless.

"Five hundred days! On-the-spot delivery."

Lin Shan suddenly perked up, no longer sleepy or tired, and stared intently at the stage.

"How much? Impossible!"

Qinglian Fairy refused without even thinking, not expecting the other party to make such an outrageous demand.

"Five hundred days is enough to make up for what happened back then. This is the final payment for your full support in this battle!"

"Then why don't you give me the remaining payment in advance, fairy?"

Lin Shan responded sharply, refusing to give an inch!
Qinglian Fairy suddenly laughed: "Master Lin, you wouldn't be thinking of taking the final payment and leaving, then turning around and going to join the Immortal Envoy, would you?"

"No, I am a man of my word and I keep my promises. As long as the compensation is sufficient, I will risk my life to help you kill the Immortal Envoy Jinglian Jushi from beyond the heavens!"

"Okay, I do have a task for you. If you can complete it, it's not impossible to settle the final payment ahead of schedule."

Ignoring the curious gazes of the crowd, Fairy Qinglian secretly transmitted her voice to Lin Shan:

"This mission is not located here. You need to secretly leave Blackwater Cliff and even Yunnan while the two major factions are waiting for reinforcements, and go to the mainland to do something for me. After the mission is accomplished, this compensation plus the final payment will be settled with you in person."

How about it? (End of this chapter)