This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Immortal Lord Wisteria—no, Monarch Wisteria’s Dao Manifestation only lasted a single day and night. It was not as short as the average length of Dao Manifestation from those outside the Numinous Sword Sect, nor did it break any records of the longest Dao Manifestation within the sect, either. It was just above average.

After the Dao Manifestation ended, an air of festivity filled the Numinous Sword Sect. Many members came and congratulated Monarch Wisteria. Simultaneously, the number of invitations Ding Mian received increased exponentially.

As part of the custom, Monarch Wisteria held a sermon to explain his comprehension of the worldly law and enlighten those who have not yet mastered a worldly law. During these times, the core members would sit closest to the center, followed by the ordinary members, and only then would the external members, like guest elders, sit. However, Ding Mian was invited to sit in the second row, demonstrating the importance the Numinous Sword Sect attached to him.

Once the sermon ended, the Numinous Sword Sect invited the other sects to celebrate the birth of a new monarch. No matter what would happen in the future, the Numinous Sword Sect was still the hegemon of the Numinous Realm on the surface. So, the invited sects all sent representatives.

Only the first-rate forces had been invited. The second-rate forces and below did not have the qualifications.

Ding Mian also attended the celebration, expecting to see some excitement. But to his disappointment, everything ended peacefully. The first-rate force representatives didn’t even try to cause trouble or make the host lose face. Although they brought some rare gifts to congratulate Monarch Wisteria, it was nothing the Numinous Sword Sect did not have ample reserves of.

Rather, they also gifted Ding Mian with many rare and exotic materials. Compared to Monarch Wisteria’s gifts, the value only barely exceeded his. It was obvious that the first-rate forces wanted to establish a close relationship with this new alchemy lord. They also requested of him to concoct pills for generous rewards, but Ding Mian rejected on the basis that his current capacity couldn’t fulfill all the obligations he already had.

His attitude satisfied the Numinous Sword Sect elders, but the first-rate forces didn’t become mad. They accepted it rather kindly, even inviting him to visit them once he had time. After the celebration ended, Ding Mian discovered that his treatment also increased. It exceeded the standard of what he should have received.

Although he could concoct an eighth-rank pill, he only had one success. His treatment would naturally increase, but the rewards and privileges the sect gave him were that of a seasoned eighth-rank alchemist, not a new eighth-rank alchemist.

Ding Mian soon speculated on the true reason. They wanted to bind him closer to the Numinous Sword Sect and not allow the other first-rate forces to poach him. He didn’t reject their advances. Even if the Numinous Sword Sect was on the decline, it was still much more attractive to him than the other first-rate forces. None of them had a better foundation or heritage.

For the next few years, he did not leave the Numinous Sword Sect, nor did he contact any other forces. Even if they sent invitations or secretly met with him, he simply rejected them. His actions greatly eased the Numinous Sword Sect’s worry toward him. Although it could be acting, his actions of decisively rejecting the other first-rate forces were undoubtedly a sign.

In turn, they treated him even better. Although he was still an immortal lord, his treatment was no different from an immortal monarch guest elder. Of course, that could also be due to the fact that he could consistently concoct eighth-rank pills. Though he could only output one or two pills a year, the Numinous Sword Sect was already very satisfied.

Thirty-seven years later, Ding Mian heard a piece of information that aroused his excitement. On a small island south of the realm, a Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus had appeared. He immediately submitted his application to join the acquisition team.

Originally, the Numinous Sword Sect rejected his application, but he submitted it again and expressed that he would leave for the southern island even if they rejected him. Faced with Ding Mian’s stubbornness, the Numinous Sword Sect agreed to his participation. After all, this was the first request he put forward, and they attributed it to his nature as an alchemist. He wasn’t the only alchemist that wanted to participate, but the others were all rejected for their own safety.

The turning vote was Meng Tingfeng’s guarantee. He joined in order to protect Ding Mian, and besides, Emperor Wujian was going to lead the team.

The mode of transportation wasn’t an immortal boat, but a giant sword. The one standing at the front was Emperor Wujian. At first glance, he appeared like a hunchbacked man in his ailing years. Although he did not exude an aura of decay or death, he would likely only have a thousand years left at most.

Suddenly, he looked back. His cloudy eyes connected with Ding Mian’s clear eyes for a split second.

“What a sharp sense, or maybe it’s intuition?” Ding muttered after Emperor Wujian looked away.

“Were you surprised, Ding Mian?” Meng Tingfeng asked, walking up to him. “This should be your first time seeing an immortal emperor. Not as oppressive as you thought, almost like a mortal, right?”

Ding Mian played along. He looked at the other people on the sword. There weren’t many, just six more. Each one was an immortal monarch. The team to secure the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus had one immortal emperor and seven immortal monarchs. He was the only true immortal on board.

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Meng Tingfeng chuckled. “Actually, the more powerful one is, the more they restrain themselves. To those weaker, they appear like mortals, but if you underestimate them, you will pay a heavy price.”

“If I can’t sense their cultivation base, then it only means that they are far above me. How can I possibly underestimate them?” Ding Mian asked.

“It’s good you can think like that. That means you’re likely to live longer,” Meng Tingfeng said.

The two didn’t talk for long, because the sword underneath them moved. It shot southward at a dizzying speed. Even a true immortal would find themselves unable to capture anything but a blur.

“Surprised?” Meng Tingfeng asked. “The gulf between an immortal emperor and a true immortal is wider than a mortal and a saint.”

Ding Mian only nodded.

Meng Tingfeng didn’t find it strange. Ding Mian had always been taciturn. In fact, one of the greatest sources of curiosity people had about him was his true appearance. The mask he wore could block out immortal sense, and he had never taken it off.

“When we arrive, just stay back and don’t do anything. If you are caught in the crossfire between immortal emperors, it’ll be too dangerous,” Meng Tingfeng said.

Ding Mian nodded, and the two sank into silence. The flying sword reached the edge of the continent in an hour and soon flew above the sea. A few days later, the sea’s color changed from deep blue to flowing gold. The source of the golden water was an island with a surface area of almost eight million square kilometers. The closer the sword came to the island, the stronger the lotus fragrance.

Unlike the Sovereign Nine Yin Lotus, which had a subtle and ephemeral beauty, the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus had a radiant and gorgeous beauty. Its mere presence changed the valley that it was born in.

The Numinous Sword Sect wasn’t the first force to arrive. They were the third, neither early nor late. The Myriad Saber Alliance and the Twin Moon Sect had already arrived. Like the Numinous Sword Sect, the one leading them were immortal emperors.

Ding Mian observed the two emperors carefully. The one from the Twin Moon Sect wore a dazzling red robe. On his forehead was a crescent moon mark. He was known as the Redmoon Emperor.

The emperor from the Myriad Saber Alliance had a sleeveless robe, which exposed his thick arms. His hair was in disarray and he had a saber slung over his back. He was the Threeslash Emperor.

Unlike Emperor Wujian, the two emperors did not notice Ding Mian’s gaze. Or perhaps they didn’t care, so they ignored him. After all, Ding Mian was hardly the first, nor would he be the last to observe them.

All of them kept a certain distance from the unripe lotus. They only waited and did not interact. The Moment the lotus bloomed, a battle would undoubtedly erupt.

Three days later, the final sect arrived. They didn’t fly like the other forces already present. Instead, they appeared from a ripple in the sky. They did not have a vehicle to carry them. Instead, they just calmly walked out of the ripple.

Each one wore a robe so black it appeared like a hole in reality. The one leading was an elder that looked older than Emperor Wujian. He had specks on his face, but his eyes were bright. He was this generation’s Ripple Emperor of the Void Ripple Sect. In terms of age, he was even older than Emperor Wujian by over ten thousand years.

The two oldest emperors of the Numinous Realm shared a glance, but quickly looked away. Then, a peace filled the area, but everyone knew that it was only the calm before the storm.

“What’s wrong?” Ding Mian asked when he saw Meng Tingfeng’s grave expression.

Meng Tingfeng showed a look of surprise when he saw Ding Mian actually strike a conversation with him. However, he quickly calmed down and explained. “I remember telling you about the number of immortal emperors. It’s not wrong to call this the largest gathering of immortal emperors in the Numinous Realm. But an emperor’s departure means that the defense of the headquarters would be weakened. No matter how attractive the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus is, they shouldn’t dispatch all the emperors.”

“Ah.” Ding Mian understood. Although the first-rate forces treated the Numinous Sword Sect as its greatest foe, they shouldn’t lower their guard against the other first-rate forces. For three emperors to arrive, did it mean that they secretly formed an alliance? Even a child would know who the alliance was formed for.

However, instead of being worried, he was secretly excited. The more chaotic the Numinous Realm was in and the more danger the Numinous Sword Sect was under, the more benefits he could reap.

The peace lasted for twenty-seven days. On the twenty-eighth day, countless dazzling motes of golden light filled the air, and the lotus fragrance intensified. Anyone who inhaled it, even immortal monarchs, would feel their body fill with endless energy. It could even extend a mortal’s lifespan depending on the amount smelled. More than that, it could even strengthen an ordinary mortal’s body to the peak of the Body Transformation Realm and even Acupoint Opening Realm.

The first to react was the Ripple Emperor. He disappeared in a flash and reappeared a thousand meters away from the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus. He frowned. Although he expected the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus to influence the surrounding region, he still expected to teleport within a hundred meters.

He didn’t have time to ponder any longer as a sword light and saber light stabbed toward him. Both Emperor Wujian and Threeslash Emperor unsheathed their weapons and attacked at nearly the same time.

Taking this chance, the Redmoon Emperor turned into a streak of moonlight and flew toward the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus.

The Ripple Emperor stretched his hand out toward the Redmoon Emperor and formed a hand seal. The space in front of the Redmoon Emperor distorted, causing him to veer off course. He ignored the sword and saber lights that reached him. Instead of damaging him, they just sank into his body, leaving only ripples.

The Threeslash Emperor didn’t continue to attack the Ripple Emperor. Instead, he turned his attention toward Emperor Wujian. “I’ve always wanted a chance to fight you. Now that you are here, let’s have a hearty battle and show the world which is superior, the saber or the sword!”

Emperor Wujian did not back down and engaged with the Threeslash Emperor.

While emperors fought against emperors, the monarchs and true immortals present didn’t take action. In the high-intensity battle between immortal emperors, they had no place. They weren’t required to participate, at least not now, but many of them still looked tense as the immortal emperors fought.

There was only one that wasn’t tense. Ding Mian stared at the Sovereign Nine Yang Lotus with narrowed eyes behind his mask.