Martial Emperor City had become the epicenter of a vortex of overwhelming auras.

  Whistling sounds filled the air as figures streaked upward, one after another.

  Some drifted through the sky in flowing robes, soaring horizontally.

  The blind elder hovered mid-air, his body wrapped in thunderous energy whips that cracked the atmosphere with mournful wails.

  Lu's strand of spiritual sense, attached to Feng Yilou, stood atop the roof.

  He eyed the elder—whose aura had utterly transformed—and raised a brow.

  He'd only come to borrow books from the Scripture Pavilion. No intent to stir trouble. Yet he'd stumbled on a world-shaking secret and drawn out its apex powerhouse.

  Instantly erasing a Nascent Soul's soul to seize the body? Even Lu couldn't pull that off.

  He doubted the occupier could either.

  "A wisp of spiritual imprint planted long ago in the elder's soul, enslaving him. That's how it crushed the original and took over."

  "No wonder he felt off from the start."

  Lu, in Feng Yilou's purple-robed form, robes snapping in the wind atop the pavilion.

  Elsewhere.

  Du Longyang's terrifying aura detonated. He crashed onto the roof like a blazing mini-sun, dominance incarnate.

  He cultivated the Martial Emperor Scripture—utmost yang, utmost rigidity.

  He squinted at the blind elder, a glint flashing deep in his eyes.

  "Old blind man?"

  No response. The elder stood hands clasped, ignoring the world's top spearman entirely.

  In his eyes, Du Longyang was beneath notice.

  From afar.

  Martial Emperor City's Nascent Souls flew out, hovering around the roof.

  They formed seals; the city's grand array activated.

  Rumbling—like an ancient horror awakening.

  The city quaked.

  Energy surged from every disciple, funneling into a golden-armored war god atop the formation.

  The god's eyes blazed; it roared to the heavens.

  Lu glanced over, intrigued.

  "A composite array in the path of formations?"

  Worthy of a millennia-old top power.

  The war god finally elicited a reaction. The elder smirked oddly.

  Du Longyang gripped his spear one-handed, scanning the Nascent Souls and disciples.

  "Hold!"

  Then, eyes blazing with pressure, he stared at the elder.

  "Senior... are you an immortal?!"

  His lips trembled as he fixed on the man.

  Lu, controlling Feng Yilou from afar, shot Du Longyang a pitying look.

  The whole world, kept in the dark.

  Raised like pigs—growing, strengthening—then, at tribulation success, leaving Tianyuan Continent's "pen" for the "immortal realm."

  Fattened swine heading to slaughter.

  "Immortal?"

  The elder finally acknowledged him, nodding slightly.

  Robes billowing with ethereal grace.

  Feng Yilou, under Lu, snorted and laughed.

  He saw his old self in this poser—conning others.

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  Whoosh!

  The elder vanished, teleport-like, appearing beside Lu—speed's illusion at extremes.

  Lu's Feng Yilou stomped; thunder boomed as he vanished too.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  They clashed in the void, shockwaves rippling.

  Evenly matched.

  Du Longyang's eyes narrowed—their speed blurred even for him.

  "And you?"

  He turned to Feng Yilou, no longer fooled.

  He knew the real one's limits.

  Suddenly, realization dawned.

  Murderous light exploded in his gaze!

  "You?!"

  "The tribulation thief!"

  He roared, spear rising.

  A strand of qi surged from his dantian, through meridians, into the black spear.

  A strike laced with potent heavenly dao aura!

  Lu smiled in Feng Yilou.

  Boom!

  Du Longyang lunged.

  One step shattered roof tiles skyward.

  Oppressive air cracked under the strain!

  Black light radiated, void humming.

  The world's top spear—full power, no joke.

  The array-fueled golden war god moved too.

  Golden brilliance flared.

  It drew an energy blade, slashing toward Lu's vessel.

  Lu abandoned Feng Yilou instantly.

  Above the body's head, his spiritual phantom emerged—white robes, seated on the Thousand Blades Chair.

  A spirit fluid droplet burst into myriad silver blades.

  He dared not underestimate Martial Emperor City's combined assault.

  In the city.

  Mo Tianyu, in scholar's robes, held three copper coins, mid-fortune for a customer.

  He looked up in shock at Lu's phantom over the city.

  "Heavens... Young Lord Lu from Beiluo—omnipresent?"

  He inhaled deeply.

  And causing quite the ruckus.

  Who pissed off the petty-hearted Young Lord to dismantle Martial Emperor City?

  Aura laced with intent and heavenly source threatened to pierce the firmament.

  Lu's phantom narrowed eyes, raised a hand—pinching like a lotus.

  Flicked.

  The Thousand Blades Lotus Sword Array from the spirit fluid howled out.

  Like a blooming silver lotus, spinning before him.

  Hm?

  Lu's face turned odd, ready for the onslaught.

  Because...

  Du Longyang's full-power Hunyuan Unity Spear—fueled by rage over stolen tribulation—thrust not at him, but the blind elder.

  Lu wasn't the only stunned one.

  Nascent Souls controlling the war god froze.

  What was Du Longyang doing?

  The elder, caught off-guard, countered hastily.

  Dong!

  Energy waves erupted, blasting the pavilion roof to rubble. The entire structure collapsed!

  "Immortal?!"

  "I'm slaying an immortal!"

  Du Longyang's icy voice thundered.

  "Shame it's not your true body—or today, I, Du Longyang, would slaughter a god!"

  He stood amid debris, spear pointed at the elder's gaping wound.

  "Why."

  The elder spoke at last—aloof, cold, puzzled.

  "So-called immortality... just a scam! The first Martial Emperor's warning—you thought sealing it with your dog would hide the truth, toy with the world?"

  Du Longyang's robes and hair whipped, unwilling yet resolute to shatter fate.

  Lu, afar, smirked knowingly.

  Tianyuan's powerhouses weren't fools. They'd suspected.

  Plotting against the "immortals" all along?

  Schemes and counterschemes.

  Bunch of cunning old foxes.

  Lu chuckled.

  From possessing Young Master Tianxu to watch Du Longyang's tribulation—they'd been laying traps.

  Why else would the yin-cultivating, yang-fearing Young Master Tianxu brave discomfort to watch his rival?

  Not worried about a post-breakthrough spear through the heart?

  Lu smiled. The one-armed swordsman, Young Master Tianxu, the Empress... and that ascetic monk.

  They'd allied with Du Longyang.

  To strike the "immortal" during ascension.

  To shatter the lie.

  Even to slay gods.

  Pity...

  Lu sighed regretfully. His possession had unwittingly disrupted their plan.

  He felt a twinge of awkwardness.

  Not intentional—just spectating, learning from the lightning punishment.

  "Martial Emperor City elders—activate the Golden Geng Shuo Armor Array! Slay him!"

  Du Longyang roared, spear aloft.

  The elder's face chilled.

  "Mortals daring immortals—death sentence."

  He opened his mouth; sword qi erupted!

  Immense, spanning the sky, brimming with source energy.

  Boom!

  The war god's blade clashed—shredded instantly.

  Array shattered.

  Disciples coughed blood, pale.

  Elders plummeted, spewing crimson.

  Du Longyang roared.

  Martial Emperor Scripture surged; Hunyuan Unity Spear met the qi—but pinned to the roof.

  One slash would bisect the city!

  In desperation, he eyed Lu's phantom.

  "Request your aid for Martial Emperor City—the tribulation theft is forgiven!"

  Lu, amid lotus petals, deadpanned: "This young master didn't steal it. The lightning bent toward me uninvited."

  Du Longyang nearly spat blood.

  "Fine. Aid us—and void gate intruders? We won't block, capture, or kill!"

  He barred the spear; robes tore, body lacerated by sword qi.

  "Deal."

  Lu agreed.

  Seated on the Thousand Blades Chair, he pinched like plucking a lotus.

  Flicked.

  The sword array engulfed the elder.

  His body exploded into shreds.

  A white figure of pure source energy emerged, facing Lu—carving isolated space from the world.

  "You shouldn't interfere... Your frail plane source will suffer calamity for this, marked."

  The white figure intoned emotionlessly.

  Lu, white-robed on the chair, smiled.

  "Threatening me?"

  "I remember you."

  All vanished.

  The lotus array tore it apart.

  The dao-source sword qi crumbled.

  Du Longyang's spear clanged into the roof; he panted heavily.

  Fist clenched at the fading white light.

  "Immortal!"

  Deep breath.

  He turned to Lu's fading phantom, eyes gleaming.

  Who was this man?

  What lay beyond the void gate?

  He'd tried entering—infant transformation pinnacle barred by plane source.

  Curious.

  Thought Lu allied with immortals—ruining their god-slay plan.

  Yet now, Lu exposed the pawn.

  Unreadable motives.

  A shit-stirrer muddying Tianyuan.

  Lu's strand exhausted; phantom turned transparent.

  Facing Du Longyang, he smiled, hands behind back—casual, enigmatic—fading away.

  Mystery and flair above all.

  In the city.

  Citizens terrified by the battle.

  Mo Tianyu thrilled, coins clenched red.

  Young Lord Lu's glory—from the same origins, pride swelled!

  His shaken customer glared: "Still reading fortunes?"

  Mo Tianyu laughed, waving off: "Lucky you! Good mood—no charge today."

  The man huffed, disgusted, and fled.

  Outside the city.

  A figure drifted in, treading air like wind-riding.

  Nascent Soul—thousands of li a day.

  Above the ruined pavilion.

  He arrived on the breeze.

  "Amitabha, City Lord Du, this monk is late."

  The ascetic from the western peaks.

  "Sudden eruption—normal you couldn't make it from afar..."

  Du Longyang waved.

  "Our 'god-slay' plan proceeds. Just the immortal's dog-imprint died—unreturned, the immortal knows nothing."

  "We continue."

  The monk pressed palms, bowed.

  Du Longyang gazed outward, eyes flickering: "But this time... we need an ally..."