69: Enlightened Immortal

Thump, thump, thump.

Chen Heng opened his eyes, looking at Steward Li who was sprawled by the door.

"Vice Envoy Chen, the villagers go to the Immortal of Enlightenment every day at this time to worship."

"How about you come with me to meet the Immortal of Enlightenment now?"

"Maybe you can also achieve Immortal Ascension like us."

Chen Heng glanced at Steward Li, said nothing, and just nodded, signaling him to lead the way.

Li Zhensheng was still following behind Chen Heng, staring at the back of Chen Heng's head.

But when Chen Heng and Steward Li reached the door, Li Zhensheng stopped moving.

He stood at the door, watching Chen Heng disappear into the distance.

Chen Heng didn't pay attention to these details, just followed the throng of monsters forward.

These monsters, once villagers, uttered low murmurs, their expressions devout, crawling on the ground like snakes.

Soon, Chen Heng arrived at the riverside, led by Steward Li.

"Please." Steward Li pointed to the clear riverbed, then plunged in.

Chen Heng followed without a second thought, not at all worried about these monsters suddenly attacking.

With Chen Heng's current Profound Strength, it would be easy to kill all these villagers who had turned into monsters.

But he didn't do so for now, as he hadn't yet found the culprit who transformed the villagers.

Following the river downstream, he soon saw a spring constantly gushing water.

"Lord Immortal of Enlightenment is meditating in the cave ahead; please wait, Vice Envoy Chen, while I go report."

Steward Li, with his agile body, swiftly swam into the cave.

Chen Heng twisted his neck, stretched his limbs, and followed him in.

He didn't care about such things; what Immortal of Enlightenment? It was just an Anomaly.

Chen Heng had smelled the Anomaly's unique stench as soon as he entered the river; following Steward Li was just a convenient coincidence.

Now that he had found the Anomaly, what was there to talk about?

Just kill it!

Seeing Chen Heng enter by himself, Steward Li shrieked and lunged at him.

"You must not be disrespectful to Lord Immortal of Enlightenment!"

Although Chen Heng was grateful to the old geezer for leading him to this so-called Immortal of Enlightenment, he would not hold back when it was time to act.

"Get lost!" Chen Heng slapped Steward Li's twisted face with a loud smack.

The fish face, one of Steward Li's three faces, instantly exploded, scales scattering.

The surrounding villagers, now monsters, also pounced on Chen Heng like mad, trying to stop him from advancing.

But their weak strength was completely unable to stop Chen Heng, not even slowing his pace.

Chen Heng walked into the cave, carrying hundreds of villagers, following the Anomaly's unique stench.

Initially, the cave was very narrow, but this also helped Chen Heng push down the villagers.

After about thirty meters, the scene before him suddenly opened up.

Sunlight streamed through a crack in the cave ceiling, illuminating the surroundings.

A monster with a fish head, human body, and snake tail was sitting cross-legged on a giant rock, meditating with its eyes closed.

Well, at least it looked like it was meditating.

However, Chen Heng couldn't help but feel that this image resembled a dish from a certain culinary desert nation: 'Stargazy Pie'.

"Are you also here to seek Immortal Destiny?"

The monster opened its eyes and looked at Chen Heng as he walked in.

"You can speak?" Chen Heng was a little surprised.

So far, this was the first time he had encountered an Anomaly that could speak.

"Why wouldn't I speak?" The monster retorted, somewhat puzzled.

"Rather, you, why do you trespass upon my place of pure cultivation?"

"Good heavens, an Anomaly is talking about pure cultivation." Chen Heng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But the next moment, Chen Heng's entire body surged with Qi and blood, and the black fiend blade, imbued with eleven times the Dragon Tiger Strength, cleaved towards the monster's crown.

What exactly was going on had nothing to do with Chen Heng.

He only knew that killing this Anomaly would earn him Optimization attempts.

Clang!

The Anomaly flashed, narrowly dodging the strike.

But the giant rock it sat on was split in half.

"Don't dodge, it won't hurt at all if I strike you with one blow."

Chen Heng rested the black fiend blade on his shoulder, then took a step and charged at the Anomaly.

"Who exactly are you, and why do you trespass upon my place of pure cultivation!"

The monster's movements were exceptionally agile; for a moment, it was in a stalemate with Chen Heng.

"Who exactly are you, and why do you trespass upon my place of pure cultivation!"

The monster seemed to only know this one sentence, repeating it endlessly.

Chen Heng got a headache from listening, and increased the force in his hands.

"Who exactly are you, and why do you trespass upon my place of pure cultivation!"

It wasn't until the sixteenth repetition that Chen Heng finally couldn't take it anymore.

"I am your grandfather, and I'm here to kill you!"

It was fine if he didn't answer, but as soon as he spoke that sentence, Chen Heng felt that something was wrong.

A strange smile appeared on the monster's fish face, and it made a hand seal.

"It seems you are a fated person seeking Immortal Destiny; then let me help you achieve Immortal Ascension."

As if reciting pre-set lines, the monster continued to chant.

"It seems you are a fated person seeking Immortal Destiny; then let me help you achieve Immortal Ascension."

As the monster chanted faster and faster, Chen Heng's body became heavier and heavier.

Looking down, a thin layer of scales had actually appeared on his body!

"You have achieved Immortal Ascension, you have achieved Immortal Ascension, you have achieved Immortal Ascension!"

The monster's voice grew more frantic, and the scales on Chen Heng's body grew more numerous.

"Noisy!"

Chen Heng roared in anger, fully unleashing his compressed muscles.

The scales on his body instantly shattered, and blood flowed profusely.

But Chen Heng seemed to feel no pain, and the speed at which he wielded the black fiend blade grew faster and faster.

The blade light flashed, and the monster was split in half by Chen Heng's strike.

Foul-smelling green blood gushed out, and the monster, lying on the ground, was still muttering.

"You have achieved Immortal Ascension..."

"Immortal Ascension my ass."

Chen Heng stomped on the ugly fish head, then spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the pile of rotten flesh.

After a while, Chen Heng realized something was wrong.

The System didn't give a kill notification!

Suddenly, Chen Heng felt an itch in his chest.

"Hehe, you have achieved Immortal Ascension."

Looking down, a fish face had actually grown out of his chest, occupying his entire right chest.

A violent dizzy spell came over him, and Chen Heng, unable to stand steadily, half-knelt on the ground.

"You are an Immortal."

"I am an Immortal?" Chen Heng's eyes held a hint of confusion, his mind already unclear.

Slowly, Chen Heng sat on the ground, making the same movements as the monster before.

"I have achieved Immortal Ascension..."

Just as Chen Heng was about to truly lose himself, a roar suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Kill!"

Instantly, Chen Heng's scattered consciousness re-gathered, and his body immediately turned pitch black.

Zombie Body, unleashed!

"Get out!"

Chen Heng's right hand transformed into a sharp claw, and he plunged it directly into his own right chest.