Tyrannical!

  Utterly tyrannical!

  From far away, the cultivators of the Five Phoenixes watched three consecutive pillars of light smash down, forcing the old monk who had stood tall like an ancient pine to kneel on the seafloor.

  It looked as though the entire seabed might crack under the impact.

  Everyone’s tongues went dry, yet exhilaration surged through their chests.

  Du Longyang, black robes fluttering, broken spear on his back, sat cross-legged in midair. Gazing into the distance, he inhaled deeply.

  “Young Master Lu… still as domineering as ever.”

  One-armed Ye Shoudao’s eyes flickered. “Same old temper.”

  Ni Chunqiu’s eyes sparkled like stars. She could barely contain her excitement.

  “That’s my Brother Lu! So domineering you can’t even hate him for it!”

  Du Longyang and Ye Shoudao felt their hair stand on end. They glanced at the fangirl practically glowing beside them and pursed their lips.

  This woman… was beyond saving.

  Countless cultivators turned to watch.

  The Joyful Venerable’s face was ashen.

  He was now terrified—because the spirit pressure he had endured was nothing compared to what the Great Venerable had just suffered.

  If Lu Ping’an had hit him that hard from the start, he would have been crushed into paste instantly.

  Of course, he was also worried.

  The Great Venerable was pride incarnate, the supreme Buddha Lord of an entire realm. When had he ever knelt to anyone?

  Yet now, two casually tossed Go stones had forced him to his knees in the mud of the deep sea. The humiliation was unimaginable.

  The Joyful Venerable feared the Great Venerable’s pride would snap and he would lash out at Lu Ping’an in fury.

  Waves towered like an inverted bowl, water forced aside in all directions.

  At the bottom of the sea, the Great Venerable’s knees sank into the silt.

  Feeling countless gazes upon him, the muscles in his face twitched.

  But after a long moment, he calmed.

  He pressed his palms together, then extended them flat.

  And solemnly kowtowed toward Lu Ping’an.

  BOOM!

  The impact shook mountains and seas; it felt as though the entire seafloor might shatter.

  A realm’s supreme lord had truly swallowed his pride and bowed his head.

  The cultivators of the Five Phoenixes didn’t find it strange at all. Plenty of people had kowtowed to Lu Ping’an—what was one more bald donkey?

  But to the Joyful Venerable, this was earth-shattering.

  Even Lu Ping’an, seated on his Thousand-Bladed Chair, raised an eyebrow.

  This Great Venerable of the Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm… was a ruthless man indeed.

  “Holy Lord Lu, everything was the fault of our Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm. Your magnanimity is as towering as the mountains. On behalf of all realms of Pingyang Heaven, this monk offers due recompense for our past transgressions.”

  His grand voice rolled across heaven and earth.

  The cultivators of the Five Phoenixes watched calmly, but their blood boiled.

  Lu Ping’an smiled.

  He had no idea what the old monk was really thinking.

  But since they had come to apologize, he couldn’t very well kill them outright.

  He, Lu Ping’an, wasn’t that kind of villain.

  He lifted a finger and flicked lightly.

  The straight pillars of spirit pressure instantly dispersed. The crushing weight on both the Joyful Venerable and the Great Venerable vanished.

  Mist once again shrouded the island at the lake’s heart.

  The terrifying oppression was gone.

  Jing Yue, white dress fluttering, stepped across the sea and spoke coolly.

  “Follow me onto the island.”

  “Thank you.”

  The Joyful Venerable gave his trademark honest grin.

  The Great Venerable inclined his head slightly.

  The two monks followed Jing Yue onto the island.

  The island overflowed with dense spiritual energy and drifting origin qi.

  Heaven-reaching chrysanthemums swayed, peach blossoms bloomed brilliantly, and bamboo groves rustled softly.

  Amid the peach grove sat a white-robed youth in his chair, idly twirling a peach blossom between his fingers.

  “Let’s be direct.”

  “I was planning to settle accounts with every realm in the lower three heavens that once bullied the Five Phoenixes. Since you came on your own initiative, show me your sincerity.”

  He never looked up, just continued playing with the blossom.

  The Joyful Venerable’s face instantly lit up with a wide smile.

  He produced a yellow cloth pouch—a spatial treasure.

  “As expected of Holy Lord Lu, a man of great wisdom and generosity. These gifts are only proper.”

  The pouch floated toward Lu Ping’an.

  His primordial spirit swept inside and saw everything clearly with a single glance.

  Ten low-grade earth-tier spiritual tools, one mid-grade earth-tier tool.

  Nine types of fifth-grade pills, one bottle each, nine pills per bottle.

  Plus a pile of Buddhist scriptures and texts.

  Lu Ping’an withdrew his spirit, momentarily speechless.

  Were they trying to send a beggar away?

  This was their sincerity?

  Gongshu Yu and Aru could forge mid- and low-grade earth-tier tools. Ni Yu could refine more fifth-grade pills in a single cauldron than this.

  And Buddhist scriptures? What use were those?

  In short, the Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm’s apology gifts were utterly worthless to him.

  The smile on Lu Ping’an’s face gradually faded.

  He looked at the two monks.

  Clang-clang-clang!

  Sharp metallic rings filled the air as every silver blade of the Thousand-Bladed Chair shot out, transforming into thousands of hovering silver glints.

  “Allow me to introduce you. Each of these blades is a mid-grade earth-tier spiritual tool—what you call a sacred-tier artifact.”

  “Little Ni.”

  From behind a large boulder, Ni Yu—who had been secretly watching with Little Yinglong on her head and a black cauldron on her back—jumped in fright and bolted out, standing ramrod straight, face red.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Ni Yu present!”

  “Have a midnight snack for the Great Venerable to see.”

  Lu Ping’an’s fingers drummed rhythmically on the armrest.

  Ni Yu flushed with embarrassment.

  Young Master… so mean!

  But her chubby little hand was already reaching into the pouch at her waist.

  She pulled out a huge handful of sugar-coated pills—every single one fifth-grade!

  She opened her mouth wide and stuffed in twenty or thirty at once, crunching loudly.

  Little Yinglong perched on her head stared with round eyes, practically drooling.

  While chewing, she mumbled unclearly, “Young Master! Want another round?”

  Lu Ping’an’s drumming stopped.

  The Joyful Venerable and Great Venerable wore extremely complicated expressions.

  They had seen clearly—every pill Ni Yu shoved into her mouth was fourth- or fifth-grade.

  “Holy Lord Lu… there’s no need to say more.”

  The Great Venerable’s old face twitched.

  He understood. Lu Ping’an thought their compensation was insultingly low.

  Their maid ate fifth-grade pills like candy—one handful nearly equaled everything they had offered.

  The message was clear: You have the nerve to bring this garbage?

  The Great Venerable pressed his palms together.

  “Amitabha. Those gifts were merely a token of our intent.”

  He raised his hand. In his palm floated a replicated formation inscription.

  Silver-gray light bloomed, causing space itself to crack inch by inch.

  Strange ripples pulsed outward.

  “I’m sure Holy Lord Lu recognizes this.”

  “The ‘Travel’ character inscription from the Nine Secret Words of the Qi Liujia Sect?” Lu Ping’an frowned. “No—this one is fake.”

  He controlled the genuine “Approach” inscription and saw through it instantly.

  The Great Venerable gave a wry smile. “Indeed, it is a replica I created myself. Though inferior to the true ‘Travel’ inscription, it still allows one to glimpse some mysteries of space.”

  “Let this serve as compensation.”

  He flicked his finger.

  The inscription floated toward Lu Ping’an.

  “But Holy Lord Lu must be cautious when using it. The true master of the ‘Travel’ inscription—Sect Leader Qi’s eldest disciple—has been taken in by a great sacred clan of the upper realms. Should you encounter the genuine inscription, this replica will instantly fail.”

  Lu Ping’an caught it and scanned it.

  A simplified replica, but still extraordinarily valuable.

  “Acceptable.”

  “But… not enough.”

  He stored the inscription in the preaching platform and spoke indifferently.

  The two monks froze again.

  Still not enough?!

  A replicated “Travel” inscription was already priceless!

  The Great Venerable took a deep breath, bowed slightly, and looked Lu Ping’an in the eye.

  “Holy Lord Lu, name your price directly.”

  “Pingyang Heaven is one of the Nine Heavens and home to many High Martial worlds. I remember every single one that once wronged the Five Phoenixes. My demands are modest: every offending world shall voluntarily offer one top-grade spirit stone vein and one hundred spiritual herbs—no low-grade trash.”

  Lu Ping’an smiled brightly, fingers interlaced over his knees.

  “Not too excessive, right?”

  The Great Venerable was stunned.

  The Joyful Venerable nearly choked.

  Excessive? Not excessive my foot!

  Top-grade spirit stone veins? High-grade spiritual herbs?

  Knowing Lu Ping’an’s temper, they would have to err on the side of the very best.

  Spirit stone veins and spiritual herbs were the lifeblood of any High Martial world!

  “N-not excessive at all,” the Joyful Venerable forced a pained smile.

  The Great Venerable pressed his palms together. “This monk accepts on behalf of all High Martial worlds in Pingyang Heaven.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Jing Yue, see the guests out.”

  With a flash of silver-gray light and a ripple of spatial fluctuation, the two monks vanished as though teleported.

  The Great Venerable’s body shook.

  In the brief time they had spoken, Lu Ping’an had already mastered the replicated “Travel” inscription?!

  Monster!

  A true heaven-defying monster!

  The Great Venerable and Joyful Venerable left the Five Phoenixes and soon disappeared.

  …

  On the White Jade Capital pavilion, Lu Ping’an raised his hand. The “Travel” inscription floated above his palm.

  “A replica that touches the mysteries of space…”

  “That old bald donkey gave me this as compensation—does he want me to personally go collect from Blood Fiend Heaven and Yuan Magnet Heaven?”

  Lu Ping’an narrowed his eyes.

  “A fake inscription?”

  He chuckled.

  “Sometimes… a fake can become real.”

  Wrapping the inscription, he entered the preaching platform.

  He sat cross-legged on the Eight Trigrams Array Platform. The eight trigrams runes drifted around him, radiating profound mysteries.

  The stronger he grew, the more unfathomable these runes seemed—almost as if they held the secrets of the universe itself.

  Of course, that was still far beyond him.

  In truth, this Eight Trigrams Array Platform and its runes were his greatest trump card all along.

  He had simply never used it.

  The cost was too high. He had once tested moving the platform out of the preaching platform.

  It was possible—but the price he would pay might be more than he could bear.

  Seated atop the platform, his mind stirred.

  The “Approach” inscription appeared in sundial form—his first true Nine Secret Word.

  Another was the “Stabilize” inscription, stripped long ago from Zuo Xu, Qi Liujia’s disciple. He had never activated or studied it.

  Now… it was time.

  “The ‘Approach’ inscription holds the mysteries of time. ‘Travel’ holds space. What does ‘Stabilize’ hold?”

  After a moment’s thought, he stopped guessing and let his mind surge.

  The eight trigrams—Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Kun—orbited his body.

  His white robes billowed as qi filled them.

  “The ‘Stabilize’ inscription… seems to contain the profound truth of ‘stability,’ allowing different energies to coexist without exploding.”

  His eyes lit up.

  He hadn’t activated it yet, but he already understood its essence.

  This was exactly what he had been searching for.

  This inscription might be the key to creating a true superweapon.

  If he could compress spiritual qi, origin qi, primordial spirit energy—energies that naturally repelled each other—and use the “Stabilize” inscription to hold them together…

  Then, in battle, simply remove the stabilizing inscription.

  The resulting collision of violent energies would unleash unimaginable destruction.

  A transcendent nuclear weapon suddenly seemed very feasible.

  Of course, it was still just an idea. Execution would be difficult.

  Once everything was settled, he could drag Gongshu Yu into the research.

  There was also the “Suppressor” inscription—a terrifying trapping array. He set it aside for now and turned his full attention to the newly acquired “Travel” inscription.

  It was only a replica.

  Yet using the runes on the Eight Trigrams Platform to deduce and refine it, he actually managed to complete it—its power now rivaled the genuine Nine Secret Words.

  Lu Ping’an smiled, quite satisfied.

  If he ever met the true holder of the “Travel” inscription, who could say which one was real?

  …

  The Great Venerable and Joyful Venerable returned to Pingyang Heaven.

  Hovering in the Void Heaven, the Great Venerable looked back at the Five Phoenixes, a trace of emotion in his eyes.

  “Like a great peng rising with the wind in a single day.”

  The rise of the Five Phoenixes Continent could no longer be stopped.

  But he quickly shook his head. It was still too early to say such things. Compared to the overwhelmingly powerful upper realms, the Five Phoenixes were still far too weak.

  Though they had gained a small advantage against the Yun Clan by exploiting the Void Heaven’s restrictions, once those restrictions vanished, the Five Phoenixes would be flattened in an instant.

  The upper realms could truly assemble armies of mighty experts.

  Back in the Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm, ancient bells tolled, their sound waves spreading across Pingyang Heaven.

  A colossal Buddha projection appeared, radiating Immortal Transformation aura.

  The Great Venerable announced Lu Ping’an’s demands to every High Martial world in Pingyang Heaven.

  Holy Lord projections gathered above their respective worlds, faces paling as they listened.

  “This is outright robbery! Top-grade spirit stone veins are priceless!”

  “They are the foundation for nurturing experts!”

  “A ninth-grade High Martial world needs ten thousand years to produce just one!”

  Many Holy Lords raged.

  But none dared voice their anger.

  The image of Lu Ping’an punching the upper-realm Divine Son into paste and hammering an imperial weapon until it roared with heavenly flames was still seared into their minds.

  Even the Great Venerable had submitted and personally delivered gifts.

  What right did they have to resist?

  Thus, every offending world, hearts bleeding, prepared one top-grade spirit stone vein and a hundred high-grade spiritual herbs.

  Envoys were dispatched into the Void Heaven, bearing treasures to the Five Phoenixes.

  …

  The great time array activated once more.

  A massive sundial hung in the sky.

  The River of Time swept around the borders of the Five Phoenixes like a dutiful guardian moat.

  Within the continent, time accelerated.

  Yet Lu Ping’an maintained only a 10:1 ratio.

  His calculations showed this was the optimal speed. Any faster and the origin might collapse—growth at the expense of the foundation.

  Great Xuan Calendar, Year 100, Spring.

  Five years after the new emperor’s ascension, the Five Phoenixes flourished. The common people lived in peace and prosperity.

  Compared to the previous emperor Tantai Xuan, the new emperor Tantai He had his own vision for governance.

  Tantai Xuan had strictly separated the cultivation world from mortal affairs, forbidding cultivators from meddling in politics and focusing on developing the mortal realm.

  Tantai He, having witnessed the horrors of the upper-realm invasion, believed cultivating strength was paramount.

  For the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty to last eternally, it could not rely solely on mortal nations—cultivator armies were essential.

  Thus he poured resources into building cultivation legions, even facing remonstrance from many Confucian scholars.

  But the first century came full circle.

  On this day, the spiritual energy of the Five Phoenixes suddenly thickened.

  Brilliant clouds blanketed the sky. Countless radiant beams shot upward.

  Huge golden scriptures emerged, dazzling and majestic.

  The Eastern Emperor Sutra had descended!

  Immense fortune enveloped every corner of the Five Phoenixes.

  Countless cultivators stared at the scriptures in the heavens, entranced.

  Mysterious runes floated, shaking souls.

  Many who had been stuck at bottlenecks broke through just by gazing upon them.

  The first scripture, the Northern Emperor Sutra, had allowed cultivators to reach the Three Gods Realm. Over the past century, countless had entered the Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit realms thanks to it.

  Now, with the Eastern Emperor Sutra’s emergence, many felt enlightenment pour over them like sacred ghee. Bottlenecks crumbled. Some even comprehended Dao Intents.

  It was a grand event.

  Tantai He could faintly see the scriptures too. Overjoyed, he declared this day a national celebration.

  Half a month after the Eastern Emperor Sutra vanished…

  Beyond the Five Phoenixes, the River of Time parted.

  One warship after another, spirit vessels gleaming, sailed proudly into the continent.

  When Tantai He received word of the visitors, his entire body trembled.

  He led his hundred officials to the summit of Mount Tai Ling, the peak that asked the heavens.

  Warship after warship hovered above.

  Envoys from every sacred ground of Pingyang Heaven stepped forth.

  None dared show arrogance.

  Even though the emperor before them was a mortal with no cultivation aura, they remained all smiles and courtesy.

  Because they knew—the mysterious Holy Lord Lu of the Five Phoenixes was watching.

  These were the envoys sent by Pingyang Heaven’s many sacred grounds—to deliver tribute.

  The envoys descended from their ships onto the peak and waved toward the vessels.

  The next moment, they activated their spatial artifacts.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The sky blazed with blinding light.

  One after another, dragon-like veins of top-grade spirit stones appeared, glittering brilliantly under the sun.

  The sight was breathtaking.

  Countless top-grade spirit stone veins densely filled the heavens.

  Tantai He trembled from head to toe.

  The officials of the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty stood with mouths agape.

  “As requested by Holy Lord Lu, these top-grade spirit stone veins are our tribute of atonement.”

  The Joyful Venerable smiled warmly.

  Then, every mighty envoy who had stepped off the warships bowed deeply.

  Each one represented a High Martial world of Pingyang Heaven.

  Tantai He felt hot blood surging in his chest.

  How magnificent were the Five Phoenixes—ten thousand realms coming to pay homage!