"Spare me, Immortal King! I was just confused for a moment!"
Pao Longtao lay flat on the ground, trembling with fear and too terrified to lift his head.
The figure showed no interest in his excuses, simply pointing at him.
In an instant, a force filled with the essence of laws shot from his finger, striking Pao Longtao.
The onlookers gasped in horror as they saw the once youthful immortal rapidly age, his thirty-thousand-year lifespan seemingly speeding away.
In moments, his face became lined with wrinkles, his hair turned gray, and he disintegrated into bones, which turned to dust and scattered in the wind.
At that moment, the countdown came to a stop.
Jiang Bai felt torn between excitement and fear.
The system was impressively efficient, executing the death sentence without delay.
He had barely escaped one danger only to find himself facing another.
The pressure from the figure before him was immense.
With just a single gesture, a true immortal had perished.
It had been years since a major cultivator had ascended in the Tianling Realm.
Fortunately, the figure seemed not to take out his anger on anyone else, indicating he wasn't one for indiscriminate killing.
Jiang Bai huddled close to the ground, afraid to move.
All he hoped for was that the figure would kill Pao Longtao and leave, allowing him to slip away in the ensuing chaos.
From this incident, he realized an important lesson.
Until he gained absolute power, it was wiser to stay low-key; otherwise, he could easily become a target for someone else's frustrations.
Initially, he planned to read fortunes everywhere to quickly accumulate luck points and reach the peak of success.
But today's events made him see that it might be safer to build wealth quietly, even if it meant progressing slowly—better than losing his life without cause.
However, his fears soon materialized.
The figure, showing genuine interest, descended before Jiang Bai, saying gently, "Lift your head."
Jiang Bai realized he was being addressed.
He was uncertain why this apparent Immortal King focused on him, but he complied and raised his head.
He still couldn't see the figure's face clearly.
Despite his lofty title, the figure had no arrogance about him.
Instead, he exuded a warmth that made Jiang Bai feel at ease.
"Are you a diviner?" the figure asked.
His voice was surprisingly gentle, lacking the earlier coldness when he dealt with Pao Longtao.
"Sort of," Jiang Bai replied, uncertain if a diviner was the same as a fortune teller, but it seemed appropriate.
With the system, he could calculate anything as long as the price was right.
"Did you just read a fortune for him?" the figure asked, intending to gesture toward Pao Longtao but realizing there was nothing left of him.
Jiang Bai understood what was meant.
"Yes, I read his fortune regarding his lifespan."
"Just as I thought," the figure replied, as if he already knew.
But Jiang Bai felt confused.
It seemed that his reading for Pao Longtao involved other matters as well.
Seeing Jiang Bai's perplexed expression, the figure chuckled and revealed a token.
"If you are fortunate enough to ascend to the Immortal Realm, bring this token to the Tianji Academy in the Xuanwu Region and seek me out!"
Jiang Bai took the token.
It was unrecognizable in material—neither metal nor wood.
It felt light in his hand, yet he was acutely aware of its presence.
The front bore the words "Tianji," while the back displayed a prominent character for "Order."
He stored it carefully, sensing it would be a crucial asset when he eventually ascended.
"This lower realm is too restrictive; I cannot remain long. I have many questions for you, but alas!"
The figure shook his head, appearing regretful.
As he finished speaking, a multitude of dark chains erupted from the black hole above, swiftly binding him and pulling him back.
He made no attempt to resist, allowing the chains to draw him into the darkness.
Just before vanishing, he whispered to Jiang Bai: "I am Lin Xiao! When you reach the Immortal Realm, you must seek me at the Tianji Academy."
It was only after a quarter of an hour that anyone dared to stand after Lin Xiao disappeared.
The weight of his presence had been overwhelming, even without him exerting it.
Just being an Immortal King was beyond the imagination of those present.
After an unknown amount of time, the commotion in Immortal Ascension City began to resume.
"Is the immortal dead?"
"I saw it clearly; his soul has perished!"
"That figure was an Immortal King?"
"It can't be mistaken; I heard the immortal call him 'Immortal King' before he fell!"
The prominent cultivators who had followed Pao Longtao were still in shock.
Even Jiang Bai felt disoriented.
Having just crossed over, he had witnessed the death of an immortal—what an impressive feat.
Though he had merely read a fortune, predicting an immortal's death down to the second felt surreal.
"Damn, I should have charged more!" he suddenly regretted.
Had he known Pao Longtao was doomed, he would have asked for a higher fee.
Clearly, one hundred fifty thousand spirit stones was not much for someone facing death.
After the moment of regret, he needed to assess his current situation.
Having just arrived and bonded with the system, he felt like the destined protagonist, ready to defeat any enemy.
But reality had taught him a harsh lesson.
Life was filled with dangers; it wasn't a straightforward tale of heroism.
This world was perilous, and he might face crises like today's again.
He couldn't always rely on luck to meet dying immortals or powerful strangers willing to save him.
He had been too careless!
As he surveyed the crowd of cultivators, preparing to slip away, a voice called out.
"Sir, please wait!"
The speaker was a dark-featured middle-aged man.
This was Dugu Qing, the city lord of Immortal Ascension City.
He was also the head of the Dugu family.
The others present were similarly important figures from notable families within the city.
"What does this esteemed elder wish?" Jiang Bai asked, steeling himself.
Though he lacked the power of an immortal, he knew this figure was not someone he could face lightly.
Not everyone would suffer misfortune or have a short lifespan.
He had to tread carefully to find a way out.