Chapter 2203.1: Hadal Fire

With the cessation of the heavenly book’s power, Jade Ruins Realm was as if an unlocked vault. Anyone could come and go and take whatever they wished.

Worlds of cultivation were nothing worthy of note and the Jade Ruins Realm ranked very much at the bottom. They were also regarded as a lower world of cultivation.

Yet it was precisely this world that’d seen the appearance of Immortal Burial Valley. It shook the realm when it first appeared, but none of the other worlds—including Great Xia—thought much of it.

The only thing worth taking note of by some factions was that an immortal seemed to be buried there. However, nothing came of it.

But then the Human Emperor of Great Xia took up arms and led his eight titled kings and thirty-six marquises into the Celestial Realm Battlefront. He disturbed the heavenly book to negate its influence over this world.

That was when everyone realized Immortal Burial Valley was no ordinary place, so activity arose all over the world as people focused on the valley. None of it had anything to do with Lu Yun since he couldn’t run fast enough from what was buried within. Why would he draw closer to the hubbub?

There would be many immortals who would die in the coming disturbance—thus fulfilling the geographic location’s name. It was a nightmare for him, as well as despair. He even felt that he’d come to this world because of what was buried beneath the valley.

....

Sui Ge arriving at Dark City was both unexpected and entirely within reason. Dark Orchid needed a legitimate reason if it wished to move against Darklake. Their representatives to the Darklake capital would encounter certain friction, which would make a perfect pretext for war. In fact, it was highly likely that the entire delegation would be lost.

Sui Ge was Prince Sui’s most beloved grandson, and Prince Sui’s status in Dark Orchid was as if a god. Even the emperor needed to show him respect. Thus, this delegation of cannon fodder should not be led by someone so important to Prince Sui.

Given the prince’s background, he wouldn’t be oblivious about the Origin Sect’s matters.

Lu Yun’s eyes glinted as he watched Ouyang Shengtian depart.

“We can’t let them into the city,” he took a deep breath. “It looks like the true immortal from before was just cannon fodder to test grandfather’s trump cards..”

Lu Youya had been a threat to the Lu Clan whether alive or dead. If he died, the Origin Sect would understand Lu Tianling’s current level of strength. They would know that true immortals were insufficient to match the Lus and prepare accordingly. If he didn’t die, then a true immortal located in Dark City was a latent Detonation Talisman. He would destroy the entire nation when activated.

The only thing they didn’t know was that it wasn’t Lu Tianling, but Lu Yun who’d destroyed the true immortal.

There were certainly immortals mixed in with Sui Ge’s delegation. Letting them into the city would be giving the wolf access to the flock. But if they were denied entry, that gave them an ideal excuse to attack Darklake.

For something as massive as the Origin Sect, all they needed was a simple excuse to march on the Lu Clan.

....

Dark City’s walls were roughly one hundred meters tall. Lu Tianling, Situ Wenxian, Lu Xiaochi, and a host of officials stood on the ramparts.

For cultivators, city walls were decorations since they could fly right over obstacles. But for higher level cultivation empires or Great Xia, city walls were a boundary.

Once someone entered the city walls, they were subject to its control. Some cities possessed formations that could kill any cultivator or immortal within its walls at any time. Such defensive formations depended on the definition of city walls and helped the city fend off external attacks—such as Dark City.

It’d been roughly a year since Terra Demon joined. With his presence, it was much more convenient for Lu Yun to set up various preparations. After all, he was able to create any higher level material that he needed.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Rays of brilliant sword light broke through the northern sky. They were obnoxiously resplendent and several dozen meters long each. It was plain to see that the ones riding the flying swords were all greater than nascent soul.

A massive golden war chariot led the rays—a flying treasure. A young man dressed in opulent robes stood on it. He was handsome, grace defined, and looked out over the world with a hint of unbridled pride.

“The Dark Orchid delegation has arrived! The emperor of Darklake Empire will come out in welcome!” A resounding voice boomed when the sword light was fifty kilometers away from Dark City. When it finished, the delegation was less than twenty-five meters away.

“Ignore them.” Lu Yun curled his lip and took a bite out of a spirit fruit.

Cheeks spasmed from the officials standing beneath Situ Wenxian. Only the Lu young master would dare be so impudent to the emperor!

After Situ Wenxian displayed power beyond the limits of a third rank empire, he thoroughly subdued his subjects. Combined with several days of bloody reckoning through the capital, Dark City was finally one one heart through and through.

Situ Wenxian then declared that he would lead Darklake beyond the shackles of a third rank empire. It was a bold announcement that met with widespread support. He now commanded utmost authority and respect in Darklake. Despite Lu Yun’s blatant lack of courtesy, no one dared say anything. The incredibly prejudiced Marshal Lu Tianling stood off to the side, merrily looking at his grandson with a benevolent expression.

Naturally, Situ Wenxian decided that he hadn’t seen anything.

“Smack them all to pieces, those Dark Orchid little shits! They bullied us for hundreds of years, so let’s not even allow them to go back this time!” Lu Yun complained as he crunched through the spirit fruit.

More than one eye roll occurred in the crowd, but people didn’t dare say anything all the same. There were more than three hundred in the Dark Orchid delegation, all of them stronger than nascent soul. The leading two dozen were soul projection powerhouses. If in any other third rank empire, this force would immediately sweep through the entire nation.

“Well, Situ Wenxian? Why haven’t you opened the city gates in welcome?” shouted an elder standing next to Sui Ge in the chariot.

“How dare you use the emperor’s name!” roared back a tyrannical voice. A fruit pit shot out from the city walls and landed in the elder’s mouth.

Clink!

The elder cried out with pain and fell off the chariot. His teeth were bloody nubs as he spat them out from his mouth.

“How dare you!” The development completely took the delegation off guard. “How dare you attack representatives from your superior nation!”

Sui Ge remained unmoved, but the other soul projection powerhouses brought out their treasures to rush forward.

“Wait.” Sui Ge waved his hand. “So it’s someone who tasted defeat at my hands!”

He easily recognized Lu Yun after the young man threw the fruit pit out. Although Lu Yun looked different from before, Sui Ge still recognized him.

“Tasted defeat at your hands?” Lu Yun raised a brow and jumped up to a part of the city walls that jutted out before anyone could react. He smirked at the other. “I wonder who it was that ran away with their tail between their legs in Ashflame City? And you have the nerve to say I lost to you?”

Denizens of Dark City took a sharp breath when they heard Lu Yun’s words. They all knew who it was that stood on the chariot—first among the Dark Orchid younger generation, Prince Sui’s grandson!

Darklake’s number one prodigal had sent Dark Orchid’s greatest genius running with his tail between his legs?

Based on what Sui Ge said, the two did seem to share a feud. When connected to how Lu Yun had forced down a Dark Orchid elder with a single fruit pit, the people understood that the famed Lu Tianling’s grandson was likely very different from what rumors made him out to be.

On the city walls, the group of youngsters standing with Situ Yun felt their faces burn with mortification. They’d all looked down on Lu Yun before and even felt that he was a disgrace to Lu Tianling’s name. Yet somehow, the young man had overtaken them at some point.

No one was surprised by Lu Yun’s attitude. He was arrogant, overbearing, pompous, and completely out of control save for Lu Tianling’s influence. This was Lu Yun, an absolute good-for-nothing.

Since Situ Wenxian didn’t say anything, none of the other officials dared utter a word.

“Hmph!” Sui Ge’s face darkened. “Dare you fight me, Lu Yun?”

Losing at Ashflame had become the greatest dishonor of his life. His greatest goal in coming to Dark City was Lu Yun. He wanted to triumph over Lu Yun and wash away his humiliation.

As for genius and prodigal.. those were the appraisals of others. If Lu Yun didn’t care about the titles, neither did he.

“Not interested,” Lu Yun sneered from up high. “I’m not interested in stepping on someone I’ve already stepped on before.”

Sui Ge glowered at the response.

“Who would think that Lu Tianling’s grandson is a spineless coward!” he sniffed with a vicious smile.nov????????????????????.????\o/????

“It’s not up to you to decide if I’m spineless or not.” Lu Yun yawned and stretched lazily. “What, is stepping on a loser the courageous thing to do?”

“Hahahaha!!” Sui Ge roared with laughter. “If I really had engaged you in combat in Ashflame, that would’ve leveled the city. I did not wish to damage Ashflame, which gave you an opening. Do you honestly think you can defeat me?”