The Last Immortal

Chapter 26

The young man’s voice was steady, neither arrogant nor impatient, and showed no trace of indignation. San Huo’s lips curled into a smile, feeling quite satisfied with Gu Jin in his heart. With his hands clasped behind his back, he said, “Good, you Immortal Tribe lad are straightforward enough. This old dragon won’t beat around the bush either. I can let you enter the Nine Nether Purgatory, but when you retrieve the soul for the little phoenix, you must also bring back the heartwood of the phoenix tree in the purgatory for me.”

Gu Jin was taken aback, not expecting that the Three-Headed Fire Dragon had set his sights on that phoenix tree.

San Huo had long cultivated to the Half-God Peak and was about to face the Thunder Tribulation for Divine Attainment. However, Demon Beasts were unlike the Immortal Tribe and immortal beasts; they carried too heavy a burden of slaughter. Since ancient times, most who attempted to transcend the tribulation and attain divinity ended up scattered to ashes. Even with the Primordial Spirit Pill given by Bi Bo, it only offered a slim chance of survival.

The phoenix tree was a divine wood passed down from ancient times, remaining unscathed even under Thunder Tribulation. If the heartwood of the phoenix tree were fused with the primordial core, even if the physical body perished in the Thunder Tribulation, the primordial core could be preserved. Unlike Dong Hua, who was more experienced, San Huo did not know that there were other phoenix trees hidden in the world besides those on Phoenix Tree Island. Gu Jin’s arrival at Purple Moon Mountain to search for Feng Yin’s soul made him feel as though he had stumbled upon a great bargain.

Bringing back the phoenix tree heartwood was merely a convenient task, not particularly troublesome. Moreover, when Gu Jin was young and entered the Vault of Heaven, he had received San Huo’s care. For a Demon Beast, Divine Attainment was a perilous endeavor with little chance of survival, and Gu Jin did not wish to see San Huo perish in the tribulation. Thus, he nodded and said, “Very well, I promise you, Dragon Lord, that I will bring back the phoenix tree heartwood for you.”

Seeing the determination in Gu Jin’s eyes, San Huo felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with this Immortal Tribe youth. Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, he sighed in relief. “Good, this old dragon believes you are not a man who breaks his word.”

“Dragon Lord, where exactly did Divine Lord Tian Qi place the Nine Nether Purgatory?”

San Huo raised his eyes and looked upward, pointing with a finger. “The Divine Lord is meticulous. The Nine Nether Purgatory is the most malevolent place in the world; naturally, he would not place it carelessly.”

Following San Huo’s gesture, Gu Jin looked up. Above the hall, the purple moon aligned with the sky was enchanting and mysterious, radiating immense power.

“Did the Divine Lord actually hide the Nine Nether Purgatory inside the purple moon?” Gu Jin’s eyes were filled with astonishment, finally understanding why Tian Qi had left half of his True God essence, the purple moon, at Purple Moon Mountain.

The Nine Nether Purgatory was too evil, and only the purple moon could completely conceal its aura.

“Dragon Lord, please open the purgatory and allow me to enter.” Gu Jin took out the Celestial Shuttle Robe from his Cosmic Bag and put it on.

“What? Aren’t you going to wait for your junior sister to return? Are you planning to go in alone?”

“I alone can enter the purgatory—”

“No, A Jin, you cannot go in alone.” Before Gu Jin could finish his sentence, Ayin’s voice rang out at the courtyard gate. She rushed in like a gust of wind, stopping breathlessly in front of Gu Jin, her face filled with urgency. “Even Dragon Lord said the Nine Nether Purgatory is the most malevolent place in the Three Realms. How can you go in alone?”

Fortunately, she had declined Bi Bo’s invitation to eat another box of pastries. Otherwise, by the time she finished and returned, Gu Jin would have already entered the purgatory alone.

Gu Jin patted Ayin’s head reassuringly and patiently explained, “Ayin, I have the Celestial Shuttle Robe, which allows me to move freely within the purgatory. Those Demons and evil spirits won’t harm me. The Celestial Shuttle Robe can only protect one person. You stay outside and wait for me. I’ll be back within an hour.”Ayin glanced at the Heavenly Shuttle Robe on Gu Jin and, before either of them could react, transformed into a palm-sized Water Condensation Beast, flying right up to Gu Jin. "No way! We agreed to search for Feng Yin’s soul together—wherever you go, I go. Now that I’m small, you can take me inside. I won’t let you enter the Nine Nether Purgatory alone. If you can’t come out, I’ll stay in there with you. If you’re eaten by a Demon Beast, then I’ll be eaten too."

Ayin’s words were both childish and resolute, leaving the two in the courtyard momentarily stunned.

Gu Jin, held firmly by Ayin’s dark, determined gaze, gradually softened his expression. He reached out, picked her up, and gently rubbed her little head, sighing helplessly. "I never said I’d leave you behind. Fine, I’ll take you in. But you must stay inside the Heavenly Shuttle Robe and not come out."

Ayin nodded eagerly, burrowing into Gu Jin’s chest. Her two tiny wings clung to the collar of the robe, as if ready for battle.

Gu Jin recited an Immortal Incantation, and a green light swept over the Heavenly Shuttle Robe. His figure slowly began to fade. He turned to San Huo. "Dragon Lord, open the Purgatory."

San Huo nodded, pulling a purple jade pendant from his robe and tossing it into the air. With a wave of his hand, he traced intricate runes above the jade. As if guided by a will of their own, the runes drew the jade toward the purple moon. The moment the jade touched the moon, a magnificent violet light shone down upon the ground.

When the three opened their eyes again, a pillar of purple light descended from the moon into the courtyard. A savage aura, as if from primordial times, seeped out along with the light, and the faint roars of Demon Beasts echoed from the depths of hell—the Nine Nether Purgatory had been opened.

This was San Huo’s first time opening the Purgatory. Even with his current strength at the Half-God Peak, the aura of the Nine Nether Purgatory sent a chill through his heart. Frowning, he glanced at Gu Jin and only relaxed when he saw that Gu Jin and Ayin, clad in the Heavenly Shuttle Robe, showed no reaction at all.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Gu Jin strode straight toward the purple light pillar. Just as he took his first step, San Huo’s voice called out from behind.

"Kid, my Divine Power can only keep the Purgatory open for an hour and a half. After that, the Demons and God-Slaying Flowers inside might break through the seal’s Barrier. So, whether you come out or not, I’ll close the Purgatory in an hour and a half. Be careful—retrieve the little phoenix’s soul and the heart of the phoenix tree, then get out as soon as you can. Don’t stir up trouble and risk your life."

With the Purgatory gate opened, San Huo lacked Tian Qi’s Divine Power and could only hold the Barrier against the Demon Beasts for an hour and a half. Originally, he thought there was no need to tell Gu Jin about the time limit, since the Heavenly Shuttle Robe would only last an hour anyway. Yet, for some reason, as Gu Jin was about to enter, he still called out to remind him.

Perhaps it was rare to see such a determined young man. Even if he was of the Immortal Tribe, San Huo didn’t want Gu Jin to die needlessly inside.

Gu Jin paused slightly, then nodded in understanding after grasping San Huo’s meaning. He took another step into the light pillar. Just before disappearing, he suddenly turned back toward San Huo, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Don’t worry, Uncle San Huo. I’ll protect my life and return safely from the Purgatory."

The young man’s voice faded in the courtyard. San Huo stared at the spot where Gu Jin had vanished, lost in thought for a moment.Uncle San Huo? Why would this Immortal Tribe youth call him that? No, wait, it seems someone else has called him that before...

As the most ferocious and aloof demon beast in the Demon Realm, San Huo had lived his tens of thousands of years with awe-inspiring majesty and dominance. Everyone respectfully addressed him as Dragon Lord. Such an affectionate nickname had only been used back in the days within the Vault of Heaven...

San Huo shook his head vigorously, muttering to himself in self-reassurance: "Impossible, impossible. The Little Divine Lord is in the Ancient Realm. Besides, this Immortal Tribe youth's Immortal Power is so pure and righteous. How could he possibly be..."

"A Jin! Ayin! I brought you peach blossom cakes steamed by the peach tree spirit from the back mountain!" Bi Bo's crisp and cheerful voice rang out from outside the courtyard. A greenish blob flew in from beyond the wall, huffing and puffing. It carried a large food box in its claws, its chubby wings flapping vigorously as its small eyes scanned the courtyard, clearly searching for Gu Jin.

"Stinky dragon, what are you doing here? Where are A Jin and Ayin?" Bi Bo spotted the purple light pillar in the courtyard. "Huh? What's this?" Just then, the furious roars of demon beasts from the Purgatory echoed, startling Bi Bo so much it trembled. It craned its neck, looking utterly terrified, and cried out, "What's inside there? All that wailing and howling—it scared me to death!"

San Huo lifted his gaze toward Bi Bo, waiting until the little creature was thoroughly unnerved before speaking: "This is the Nine Nether Purgatory that Divine Lord Tian Qi entrusted to my care. Gu Jin and his junior sister have entered the Purgatory to retrieve Feng Yin's soul."

Bi Bo's round eyes widened in shock. The food box in its claws fell to the ground with a clatter. "Ahhhh!" it screamed, charging toward the light pillar, only to have its wings firmly seized by San Huo right before it reached the column.

"Stinky dragon, let me go! I have to save A Jin!"

"What are you panicking for, Bi Bo? Who exactly is Gu Jin?"

Startled by San Huo's stern tone, Bi Bo rolled its eyes and quickly raised its head, shouting, "What do you mean who he is? I already told you—he's the cousin of the neighbor of my seventh aunt's distant nephew!"

San Huo narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. "I've known you for a hundred years. Your courage is smaller than that of the rabbit spirit from the back mountain. Would you really risk your life charging into the lair of the God-Slaying Flower for the cousin of the neighbor of your seventh aunt's distant nephew? Tell me the truth now—who is Gu Jin really?"

"Waaahhh, you stinky dragon!" Bi Bo flapped its short little legs, tears instantly streaming down from its large eyes like a waterfall. "How dare you let A Qi enter the Nine Nether Purgatory! If he gets eaten by demon beasts or the God-Slaying Flower, Divine Lord Tian Qi will skin your dragon tendons for sure!"

The name "A Qi" shattered San Huo's last shred of hope. He stared with dragon eyes at the wailing, tear-soaked Bi Bo, feeling as bitter as if he had swallowed a hundred pounds of coptis root.

After a long moment, the backyard of the Purple Moon Hall echoed with the heart-wrenching, sky-rending cries of the three-headed fire dragon.

"Waaahhh, this old dragon must have had the worst luck for eight lifetimes! Of all the people to scheme against, why did it have to be the Little Divine Lord? My Little Divine Lord, why didn't you stay in the Ancient Realm and enjoy a life of leisure? Why did you come to this old dragon disguised as an Immortal Tribe youth?!"

The distraught Water Condensation Divine Beast and the frantic three-headed fire dragon huddled together in a ball outside the Nine Nether Purgatory, wiping away their tears. Meanwhile, inside the Purgatory, the scene was far calmer than the chaos outside.Gu Jin stood at the entrance of Purgatory, holding Ayin in his arms. Inside, everything was a bloody red, and only the surroundings within ten meters could be clearly seen. Apart from the roars of Demon Beasts echoing from the distance, it was eerily quiet. Yet this silence was not peaceful but rather a strange, suffocating sensation, as if a deadly threat lurked in the darkness, waiting to strike. It felt as though a single misstep would lead to being devoured by this chilling malevolence.