Chapter 541: Shield

The atmosphere in the fairyland instantly grew tense as they sensed someone peering at them across time.

"Could the Time Immortal be trying to see how long we'll play chess before we finally use the Time Dao Fruit?" Qilin Immortal's expression was peculiar, even though he himself thought taking months for a single move in Gomoku was a bit much.

The three immortals fell silent for a moment, all agreeing that it was indeed a possibility.

"Immortal, did they see us?" Lu Yang was truly startled. He was 300,000 years removed from the three immortals, only seeing a historical reflection. For them to sense his presence under such circumstances seemed a bit too terrifying.

Immortal Indestructible shot a glance at Lu Yang. "Don't flatter yourself," she said. "They sensed my presence."

If Lu Yang's cultivation was enough for the three immortals to detect him, they would have sensed him from the very start of the historical reflection.

Moreover, Mr. Tian Kui, whose cultivation was far superior to Lu Yang's, had been there without any reaction from the three immortals.

"When it comes to 'seeing,' only the Time Immortal can truly see us from the past into the future. Immortal Ying Tian and the others merely had a vague sense of it; they couldn't even tell who was looking at them."

Even so, Lu Yang found immortals terrifying enough.

So not all immortals were like Immortal Indestructible.

Immortal Indestructible suspected Lu Yang harbored disrespectful thoughts about her, but she had no proof.

Immortal Ninefold pondered for a moment and then considered another possibility.

"It might not necessarily be the Time Immortal. It's possible that a future immortal, eons from now, saw us. After all, at your chess-playing pace, the three of us will be here for a hundred years, which is certainly enough time to create a historical reflection."

"Are you saying an immortal saw our historical reflection?"

"Indeed, that's a possibility. Currently, there are only four immortals, and a host of half-immortals, none of whom are progressing, not a single one becoming a true immortal. It's perfectly normal for a few immortals to emerge in the long ages to come."

The three chuckled, thinking that if a few more immortals appeared in the future, perhaps they could share the burden of suffering caused by Immortal Indestructible.

"Hey, Ninefold, Ying Tian, Qilin, can you hear me?" Immortal Indestructible called out, releasing her aura, attempting to transmit her presence.

When she had first observed the historical reflection, Immortal Ying Tian hadn't noticed her. It was only when she spoke of punishing the mastermind that her aura unconsciously leaked, allowing Immortal Ying Tian to sense her presence.

"This aura..."

Immortal Ying Tian and the other two instantly grew wary. The aura was indistinct, like a nearly extinguished incense stick, almost imperceptible, yet they could still sense the other's presence from this faint trace.

"This aura is [CENSORED]!"

The three reacted simultaneously.

Immortal Indestructible had been beating them since childhood; after they became immortals, she'd been bombing them constantly. They were even hiding here now because of her.

They were all too familiar with this aura!

Huang Dou Dou, it was definitely Huang Dou Dou!

Immediately, cold sweat trickled down their spines. They hadn't just spoken ill of Huang Dou Dou, had they?

Phew, they must not have.

"Can you three hear me?"

Immortal Indestructible tried several times, but seeing no reaction from Immortal Ninefold and the others, she shook her head and regretfully gave up.

It seemed they couldn't hear her.

Lu Yang frowned. When Immortal Ninefold and the others noticed the future Immortal Indestructible, they should have spoken her name. Yet, he only saw Immortal Ninefold open his mouth, with no sound, and the mouth shape didn't even match "Immortal Indestructible."

"The censorship is truly severe."

"Don't you find it strange that [CENSORED] has been continuously releasing her aura? Is there something she's trying to convey to us?"

Immortal Ying Tian frowned, idly toying with a chess piece in his hand. He had initially assumed Immortal Indestructible had accidentally seen their historical reflection and, in a playful mood, had started releasing her aura.

If that were the case, a single release would have been enough. Why so many repeated releases?

Was she merely addicted to the game, or was she attempting to transmit information that couldn't fully pass through due to the immense time difference?

If it's the latter, why would Immortal Indestructible be the one to convey it? Wouldn't it be more effective for the Time Immortal to do so?

Wait, could an unforeseen event have occurred in the future, preventing the Time Immortal from transmitting messages?

"Ninefold, go fetch Time Immortal. Let him assess the situation. I suspect [CENSORED] needs something from us!"

"And don't let [CENSORED] know about this," Qilin Immortal added. No one knew what might happen if the ancient and present Immortal Indestructibles met – whether it would open a time tunnel or simply result in mutual annihilation and a massive explosion.

"Understood."

Immortal Ninefold didn't need Immortal Ying Tian or Qilin Immortal to elaborate; he had already considered these possibilities himself.

Immortal Ninefold transformed into a streak of light, tearing through space. A single step spanned tens of thousands of light-years. He traversed countless galaxies, arriving at Polaris, which was governed by Immortal Indestructible.

On Polaris, immortal qi swirled. Mortals who inhaled a single breath could extend their lifespan and be cured of all ailments.

He saw countless cultivators kneeling by the river, performing three kowtows and nine prostrations before the Immortal Indestructible statue erected by the river. Only then would they respectfully scoop out a bowl of the river water.

This was a specialty of Polaris: the Mother-Child River and the Twin River.

When he arrived at Immortal Indestructible's immortal abode, he saw her in the kitchen, exchanging cooking tips with Qilin Immortal's two wives. The Time Immortal, meanwhile, sat restlessly, likely searching for an excuse to escape.

"Oh, Ninefold, you're back! Did you finish chopping the phoenix tree wood?" Immortal Indestructible, her face dusted with flour, poked her head out from the kitchen, grinning.

Immortal Ninefold instantly froze in place, startled.

He had tried his best to conceal his aura, but to his surprise, Immortal Indestructible had still discovered him.

"Yes, I finished, but it took a considerable amount of effort." Having weathered many storms himself, he quickly reacted, setting down the phoenix tree wood he had been carrying on his shoulder.

"Brother Ninefold, you've worked hard," the Phoenix clan's prodigy said with a grin, carrying the phoenix tree wood into the kitchen. Soon after, continuous dragon roars and phoenix cries emanated from the kitchen, making it unclear what kind of meal they were preparing.

Immortal Ninefold spoke loudly, "Ying Tian and Qilin, those two terrible chess players, I don't know who cheated during their game, stubbornly insisting they didn't make a certain move just now. Time, go over there and help arbitrate."

The Time Immortal looked at Immortal Ninefold gratefully. "Good brother," he thought, "it wasn't in vain that I ceded the honor of being the first to become an immortal to you."

"Alright, I'm going."

Immediately, the Time Immortal noticed something amiss. He saw Immortal Ninefold's solemn expression; it didn't look like he was merely helping him escape, but rather that there was something else he needed his help with.

What kind of matter would require his help and specifically bypass Immortal Indestructible?

The Time Immortal vaguely realized something significant had occurred.

The two immortals who had first attained immortality traversed countless galaxies, returning the way they came at a speed even faster than Immortal Ninefold traveling alone.

Along the way, the Time Immortal listened to Immortal Ninefold's account, his expression solemn and silent.