Chapter Four: The Invincible Zhang Sanfeng

In the Immortal Realm lies the planet Qijie. Composed of six continents separated by vast oceans, it is one of the nine celestial planets designated for the ascension of mortals. With the sole exception of Tang Yi, every individual who ascends from the lower realms is destined to arrive on one of these nine planets. Consequently, sects of all sizes from across the Immortal Realm station personnel here, hoping to recruit the newly ascended immortals.

However, a strange incident occurred today on the northwestern continent of Qijie.

"Watch yourselves! This newcomer has a peculiar stealth technique; I cannot detect him at all," commanded Qian Ren, the leader of the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect’s station on Qijie, as his men darted through the woods.

Qian Ren was deeply frustrated. His sect was ranked among the top hundred in the Immortal Realm—admittedly toward the lower end—but they held significant influence on this continent. Typically, those who ascend are inferior in both technique and equipment. For years, Qian Ren had been one of the most successful recruiters in the region. Yet, this newcomer showed him no respect. When Qian Ren ordered his men to teach the fellow a lesson, three of them were struck down instantly. Most infuriatingly, the moment the newcomer realized he was no match for Qian Ren himself, he turned and fled without a word. Throughout the pursuit, not only had Qian Ren failed to lay a hand on him, but his own men had suffered casualties. Worst of all, whenever the fugitive vanished, he became impossible to track until he chose to reappear—at which point he would immediately slaughter more of Qian Ren’s men. Such an occurrence was unheard of in millions of years.

"Hmph, trying to find me? Keep dreaming," Zhang Sanfeng muttered from within an alternate dimension, watching the group scramble about. He chuckled, then drifted toward a man trailing behind the main party. A white light flashed from the ring on his left hand, and Zhang Sanfeng slipped out of the alternate dimension. With a stroke of his Taiji Sword, he shattered the man’s Dantian, killing him instantly before his immortal soul could escape.

"He's over there! Quick!" Qian Ren roared, enraged by the loss of another subordinate. But before the words left his mouth, Zhang Sanfeng had used his stealth ability to vanish once more.

"It’s just his minor stealth technique. Follow me, I’ve locked onto his aura!" After multiple skirmishes, Qian Ren had learned to distinguish between what he called "minor stealth" and "major stealth" (hiding in an alternate dimension). If Zhang Sanfeng knew of these labels, he might have laughed himself to tears.

"The ocean? I won't be able to shake them off this time," Zhang Sanfeng thought, flying desperately until he reached the coastline. Qian Ren’s group was closing in, so without hesitation, he plunged into the sea.

"Damn it! This is problematic," Qian Ren cursed as he watched Zhang Sanfeng disappear into the waves.

"Commander, do not be angry. Look at where this is—this is the infamous Cape of Death," one of his men said, stepping forward.

"The Cape of Death? Yes... that’s right. Ha! You bastard, you’re finally dead! Hahaha... Very well, even though I didn't kill him myself, he is as good as dead. Let’s head back. We’ve wasted two days; we might have missed out on other promising recruits." Relieved, Qian Ren assumed Zhang Sanfeng was doomed.

***

Immortal Cage—

"Brother Tang, what are you busy with now?" Xiao Feng and the other two arrived from afar. Passing through a stone archway, they entered a space that felt like a hidden paradise. The circular structure spanned about a thousand square meters, its walls constructed from massive boulders excavated from the surrounding area.

This was a facility Tang Yi had spent over a year building, situated between the small village and the Stone Forest.

Eighteen months ago, when Xiao Feng had brought Tang Yi to the Stone Forest northeast of the village, Tang Yi discovered that the stones were a mineral he had never seen before. Through his analysis, he realized these stones were extraordinary: they automatically absorbed ambient energy of any form, size, or quality, converting it to harden themselves. However, each stone had an energy capacity limit and a fixed volume. Another property was that the stone transferred a portion of its stored energy to any object it touched. It functioned much like a capacitor. Thus, anyone sleeping on these stones in the forest would never suffer from energy depletion.

Tang Yi wondered if, since these stones could convert energy so universally, they could also perform an energy reversal. If so, that would be a breakthrough—with enough of these stones, he could generate any form of energy he desired.

He built the enclosure accordingly. Experiments showed that the circular shape amplified the attraction and conversion of energy within, causing it to pool in the center. Tang Yi dubbed them "Universal Stones." As a result, the air inside felt exceptionally crisp and revitalizing.

"Wow, it feels even better in here than it did a few days ago!" Duan Yu exclaimed after taking a deep, satisfied breath upon entering.

"Heh, it hasn't reached its peak potential yet. In a couple of days, once I finish the remote control and seal the two stone gates, then—heh heh..." Tang Yi said, tinkering with a device.

"Brother Tang, can you tell us now what this thing you’ve built is? You’ve been so mysterious for so long," Xuzhu asked, patting a massive, disc-shaped object nearby.

"Heh, today is the day I show you my latest grand invention. Come on in!" Tang Yi installed the component into the large disc and led his three brothers inside.

"Wow, it’s beautiful in here! Brother Tang, how did you pull this off? Tell us!" Duan Yu cried out, his voice echoing continuously. Tang Yi sighed, helpless, and activated the life-support system to dampen the echoes caused by Duan Yu’s booming voice.

"Alright, I shall satisfy your curiosity." Tang Yi led them to a lounge area and gestured for them to sit on the sofas.

The three brothers sat, finding the cushions remarkably soft and springy. They leaned in, ears perked, to listen to Tang Yi.

It turned out that this massive circular structure was a spacecraft built from the local minerals. Tang Yi had modeled it after his original Jette spacecraft. However, having arrived in the Immortal Realm with nothing, this version was purely mechanical, lacking any software or artificial intelligence. Its only true value lay in its material: the Universal Stones, smelted by the purple flames of Tang Yi’s special abilities, had become an incredibly sturdy substance he called "Exo-Solid Steel." Tang Yi envisioned that when his AI, Jette, eventually arrived in the Immortal Realm, he would transfer her into this vessel, creating perfection.

"...So, once we collect enough Universal Stones, we will have a chance to leave this godforsaken place," Tang Yi declared enthusiastically.

"Really?" The three brothers jumped up in unison. For them, this was the best news they had heard in centuries.