Chapter 1446: Juncture

“There’s a tomb in the Azure Dragon Lake?” The Azure Dragon city lord was dumbfounded by Lu Yun’s proclamation.

The art of burial and feng shui had never been lost in the Hongmeng. Powerhouses of the city lord’s level were almost all feng shui masters. Thus, it was incredibly shocking to have been in such close proximity to the lake for so long, and having personally explored it himself, but never discovering there was a tomb inside it.

“No.” Lu Yun shook his head. “The lake itself is the tomb.”

The city lord didn’t know what to say.

“The demon of the immortal dao—heh, who knows if he did it or purpose or not… compelled Miao to display her true strength. This means that whether it’s Hopeless Major or the Immortal Pagoda, both have the right to occupy a place among the top factions of the realm,” Lu Yun changed the topic.

A true king had emerged from Dragonhollow Mountain, thereby drawing back the curtain on the era of true kings. Likewise, news of the Intrance King of the Immortal Pagoda being a true king had undoubtedly spread throughout the Hongmeng.

There were certainly many people already regretting many things.

……

Lu Yun successfully obtained the Hongmeng Pearl. Though it was called a pearl, it was actually a ball of qi around the size of a fist. Hazy purple energy wrapped around it—a miniature Hongmeng world.

The Azure Dragon city lord mournfully watched Lu Yun swallow and refine it with the flame of order.

“You said that you’d help us conquer Azure Dragon Region…” raised the city lord when Lu Yun expressed no further sentiments.

“Help you? Why should I help you?” asked a confused Lu Yun. “You and the Coiling Dragon city lord are both ninth step kings. Isn’t it a walk in the park for you to conquer the region?”

“But Dragonhollow Mountain…” the city lord paused.

“And what will Dragonhollow Mountain dare do?” Lu Yun snorted with laughter.

Realization struck the city lord like a bolt of lightning. Prior to the events of the Dragonling Assembly, the mountain would’ve absolutely prevented the two cities from conquering the region. Now that the Intrance King of the Immortal Pagoda had revealed her true strength, there was likely no one who dared stand in the brothers’ way.

The awakening will of the azure dragon wouldn’t become enemies with Lu Yun—his vision stretched much further.

Lu Yun and the others left Azure Dragon Region soon after obtaining the Hongmeng Pearl. Upon taking their leave of Qing Ting, Qing Di, and the Azureclad Duke, they returned to Multitude City.

……

Time passed, as it always did.

The citizens of Multitude City showed proper respect to the Immortal Pagoda, afraid that the faction would suddenly want to dominate all of Multitude Region.

Though he could easily accomplish that, Lu Yun refrained from doing so.

The Immortal King was known throughout the land and his disciples a source of great awe and shock. Though they were only half step kings, they would become a force to change the layout of the realm once they ascended.

……

“And where are you going now?” grumbled the little fox when she saw that Lu Yun was about to leave again.

Qing Yu had glimpsed the path to true kinghood and entered seclusion to make her breakthrough—dao rule fusion. A successful attempt would make her a true king.

Everyone in the Immortal Pagoda was extraordinarily busy, apart from Lu Yun and Miao. He was the only one who had time to chat with her. But now he was planning to leave? And without her?

“To Azure Dragon Lake!” he said.

“The lake? You’re going to dig up the tomb?” Miao brightened as eagerness spread across her face.

“No no, you can’t go!” Lu Yun jumped and quickly quashed her burgeoning hope. “The fire virtue expert buried in the lake is an existence that defies order. If I refine it with the hellfire of order, that will raise the fire to the level of great perfection and it will ignite for real. I’ll be a titled king then.

“If you go and smack it to death with one hit, all of my plans will go up in smoke.”

The little fox looked at him skeptically. “Are you taking Qing Ting with you?”

“Ahem!” Lu Yun coughed awkwardly. “Qing Ting, Qing Di, and Qing Yan…”

“Fine, fine, I see now.” She curled her lip and protested no more.

“Wait, I can explain…” Tongue-tied, Lu Yun hastened to flounder out of a hole he’d suddenly found himself in.

“Nah, it’s fine.” She waved a hand and vanished on the spot.

“Does she think I’m going on a date?” Lu Yun grinned ruefully. “Qing Ting, Qing Di, and Qing Yan possess pure azure dragon bloodlines and the tomb is sealed with the ancestor dragon’s power. Only with their help will I be able to enter it…”

“Yes yes I know already, you don’t need to justify it. Yup, you can explain yourself to Little Yu when you come back!” Miao’s voice drifted out of an unknown spot.

Lu Yun nodded wryly. He’d formed certain designs on the lake after discovering it was a tomb. The flame of order in his body had instantly sensed the power from the expert that violated order.

There were currently one hundred and fifty tendrils of flame in his body—he’d reached a bottleneck. No matter how many ghost crystals he refined, even ones from high level kings, they no longer coalesced into flames of order.

He had to think of something else, and the Azure Dragon Lake might be his turning point.

……

“What, what are you doing here?” Qing Ting started when she saw Lu Yun suddenly appear in front of her. She’d reaped tremendous gains from the Dragonling Assembly and was in seclusion to digest it all, but her friend had suddenly appeared in her meditation chamber!

The gathering was over and the Hongmeng’s various factions on their way out of Dragonhollow Mountain and Azure Dragon Region. The city lords of Azure Dragon and Coiling Dragon had suddenly joined hands to sweep through the region; they seemed poised to conquer it entirely.

However, Azure Dragon was one of the strongest regions in the realm. Though the city lords were ninth step kings, the various factions of the Hongmeng wouldn’t let them succeed so easily. Overt and hidden obstacles abounded in their path.

These days, Coiling Dragon City was under heavy guard. As its foremost genius, Qing Ting’s meditation chamber was inaccessible to even high level kings. Thus, Lu Yun’s sudden appearance was an alarming surprise.

“Ahem, don’t forget that I’m a supplemental king! The formations here are the same as paper to me,” Lu Yun grinned. “I’m here to ask for help from you guys.”

"You guys?” Qing Ting blinked.

“You, your brother Qing Yan, and cousin Qing Di. I want to go to Azure Dragon Lake, but there’s a seal from the azure dragon over it. I need your bloodlines to break it.”

“Alright!” Qing Ting agreed without thinking twice. “Ah, by the way, Li Zhen is being chased by Li kings. The Li Clan has broken free from our control and formed their own faction.”

“Grasshoppers at the end of autumn—they won’t last long.” Lu Yun shook his head when he thought of the clan.