Jiang Bai was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
What's happening? Is this immortal about to meet his end?
As he watched the numbers fluctuate, Jiang Bai couldn't help but want to slap himself.
"Damn it! They're on the verge of dying, and I'm still trying to take advantage!"
Yet, recalling how aggressive the immortal had been—how he might have even threatened Jiang Bai's life—he quickly dismissed any lingering guilt.
"Forget it, I need to wrap this up!"
Noticing Jiang Bai's daze, the immortal, Pao Longtao, grew impatient and clapped his hands.
"Hey, kid, have you figured it out? Don't think you can stall me; that won't work here!"
Jiang Bai snapped back to reality, his eyes filled with sympathy for the once-mighty immortal, now reduced to having less than thirty seconds to live.
Pao Longtao thought he might be seeing things; had he just detected a hint of sympathy in Jiang Bai's gaze? But it vanished almost instantly.
"Reporting to the immortal, I've done the calculations," Jiang Bai said, bowing slightly.
"Then speak quickly!"
"Well, it's complicated!"
Pao Longtao's aura flickered ominously as he stepped closer, his tone firm: "I said, say it!"
Jiang Bai thought, "I'm not telling you anything!"
However, the pressure from Pao Longtao was immense.
Standing before this formidable figure felt like staring up at an insurmountable mountain, leaving him no room for rebellion.
Under the oppressive weight of Pao Longtao's presence, Jiang Bai glanced at the information floating above him and raised a fist.
Pao Longtao noticed Jiang Bai's gesture and suddenly chuckled. "A hundred thousand years? Not impossible! I didn't expect you to flatter me."
Once a cultivator ascends to immortality, they can live for thirty thousand years. But a century of life would require reaching the Celestial Immortal realm.
In Pao Longtao's eyes, Jiang Bai was clearly fearful and merely trying to curry favor.
While Pao Longtao enjoyed the flattery, he had no intention of sparing Jiang Bai.
He held no personal grudge; recent events had put him in a foul mood, and Jiang Bai was just the unfortunate outlet for his frustrations.
Jiang Bai felt awkward as he watched the smug Pao Longtao and changed his gesture to a "nine."
Pao Longtao frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Such audacity, cursing an immortal! You'll pay for this!" he roared.
Those behind him immediately joined in, condemning Jiang Bai.
Without the immortal present, they would have torn him apart in an instant.
But time wouldn't stop for their threats.
Jiang Bai's gesture shifted to a "six."
"Ha! It's been ages since anyone dared to be so bold in front of me. Kid, you've really gotten under my skin!"
Pao Longtao stared at this fearless young man, feeling an unexpected sense of admiration.
If they were in the Immortal Realm, he might have rewarded Jiang Bai for his audacity. But in the mortal realm, he could only express his disdain.
Once Jiang Bai made his first gesture, Pao Longtao had decided that once the countdown was over, he would crush Jiang Bai to release his pent-up anger.
What others didn't know was that Pao Longtao had come to this lower realm to escape danger.
He had offended a powerful faction in the Immortal Realm and was marked for assassination, forced to hide away in this forsaken place.
With his temper already frayed, encountering Jiang Bai's fortune-telling stall had dredged up some unwelcome memories.
That faction was also infamous for its divination prowess in the Immortal Realm.
Meanwhile, Jiang Bai was feeling anxious, but he had to maintain his bravado in the face of danger.
Not to mention the immortal before him; even those behind him were formidable cultivators.
Having just crossed over days ago, he was no match for any of them.
He hoped desperately that the system would give him enough power to drag a celestial being down with him when his time came.
He wished for a dignified death, not wanting to embarrass fellow travelers.
Watching the countdown above Pao Longtao's head, he shifted his gesture to a "five!"
Suddenly, Pao Longtao felt an inexplicable chill as he watched Jiang Bai's hand.
It was as if Jiang Bai was truly counting down to his demise.
Responding to this feeling, a black hole suddenly appeared above the Immortal Ascension City, radiating an indescribable energy.
Everyone noticed the black hole.
Jiang Bai stared at it, a realization dawning upon him—this might just be Pao Longtao's fate.
As expected, the sight of the black hole filled Pao Longtao's eyes with fear, his imposing aura crumbling.
He wanted to flee, but his legs wouldn't cooperate.
A sound like chains scraping echoed from the black hole, resonating deep within everyone's souls.
Regardless of their power, all present trembled at that sound, even Pao Longtao.
It was unfathomable what kind of force could instill such fear in an immortal.
As the countdown hit three, a figure emerged from the black hole.
When the figure appeared, everyone felt an overwhelming sensation: "The sky is falling."
It was as if the very heavens were about to collapse under the weight of this presence.
An oppressive aura forced everyone to kneel.
Pao Longtao, along with everyone else, bowed their heads, unable to face the figure.
Pao Longtao trembled in terror, muttering to himself.
Jiang Bai, nearest to him, faintly heard a single word: "Immortal King!"
Could it be...
Fighting against his own fear, Jiang Bai dared to look up at the figure in the sky.
Surrounded by starlight, the figure's face was obscured, but it appeared to be a man!
Was this the Immortal King?
In that moment, time itself seemed to freeze, suspended by the figure's arrival.
Jiang Bai stared in awe as the figure descended slowly.
As he approached, endless black chains shot from the black hole, wrapping around him tightly.
The chains sparkled with shifting runes, seemingly able to suppress everything!
Yet they couldn't restrain the figure at all!
Suddenly, he locked eyes with Jiang Bai, as if he had discovered something intriguing.
Jiang Bai found himself captivated by the vast starry cosmos reflected in the figure's gaze.
"You've managed to escape quite far, hiding in the lower realm!" a voice of authority rang out.
The words, though soft, resonated deeply within everyone like a mighty bell.
Clearly, this was aimed at Pao Longtao.
Only he fit the description the voice conveyed.
"What? This exalted immortal has actually fled to the lower realm?"
At that moment, the powerful cultivators surrounding Pao Longtao looked at him in disbelief, shocked to see the once-mighty immortal trembling on the ground.