Bam!

Something seemed to wash over the sky, leaving it a deep blue without a trace of clouds or impurity. The patch of sky within a dozen kilometer radius was even bluer than the surrounding air.

There was no sign of Lü Guhong, nor the peerless immortal who didn’t lift his cultivation seal in time, but no one had any doubts about their fate.

Lu Yun’s attack just now had contained the absolute determination to kill. Any impediment, even from gods and immortals, would fall beneath his sword and be rendered unto dust.

……

Hell.

Lu Yun lay prone on the ground, panting heavily. He’d exhausted all of his strength and mystic force with that attack. If he hadn’t activated the realms of yin and yang and entered the Gates of the Abyss at the last second, he would’ve fallen out of the sky and been smashed to his death.

Yuying meekly placed energy-replenishing pills into Lu Yun’s mouth, helping him digest them. After a long while, he exhaled all of the impurities in his body.

“It seems that hell has regained some life since I refined my nascent spirit.” A smile tugged at Lu Yun’s lips. Hell was still dark and oppressive, but it was much more lively than before.

While Lu Yun’s envoys could come and go freely, the Infernum could only leave with his permission. They also couldn’t stray too far from him. Therefore, Infernum like Zhao Dianliang, the rimesnake king, Lau Nuo, and Beigong Yu had settled down and built a small village.

“Uh, I killed a peerless immortal by accident when I took down Lü Guhong?” Lu Yun saw two men in some distance watching him with uneasy looks.

“Lü Biao greets the master!” The green-haired peerless immortal was the one who’d tried to save Lü Guhong at the last second. Both of them were now Lu Yun’s Infernum after dying at his hand.

“Well, I didn’t expect this.” It was quite a pleasant surprise to gain a peerless immortal as his Infernum. This one would be a powerful bodyguard.

Although Lü Biao couldn’t deploy his full power in Dusk Province, Lu Yun wouldn’t stay there forever. After gaining the heritage of the ancient lord, he would have to make his way to the Nephrite Capital to be confirmed as the governor.

That was when the real trial would begin.

“Where’s the Poison Fiend?” Lu Yun levelled a piercing gaze at Lü Guhong.

The young man hurriedly hauled out a wheel-like treasure. “Master, this is the Wheel of Poison, a ninth-rank treasure. The fiend is within the wheel.”

“A ninth-rank treasure… but it’s more valuable than that.” Lu Yun nodded and took the wheel. “I don’t want your treasure. Besides, only you can tap into its full power, I’m just borrowing it to save a friend.”

“The Poison Fiend can consume all poisons in the world,” said Yuying. “We can save Sir Qing Han now.” She sighed with relief at the development. She’d continuously been studying how to cure Qing Han, but to no avail.

Between Qing Han and Lu Yun lay a bond forged through life and death. Lu Yun cared deeply about Qing Han, and had even revealed his secrets to him. Therefore, Yuying and the other envoys considered Qing Han second only to Lu Yun.

……

“Is that the true power of the Vast Dragon Seaturner?” Horror flickered through Wu Tulong’s face. “I think an august immortal rushed in at the last moment and died along with Lü Guhong!”

Mo Qitian’s face paled. “So cultivators really can kill august immortals!”

“That wasn’t a regular august immortal!” Dongfang Hao’s teeth chattered. “That was monster spirit king Lü Biao, a peerless immortal with his cultivation sealed!”

“But....” Zi Chen shuddered as his gaze settled on Lu Yun, who remained quietly in midair. “Why hasn’t he consumed any energy after killing Lü Guhong? That monster spirit could rival us, and there was also a sealed peerless immortal?!”

Although Lu Yun was a little unkempt, he seemed perfectly fine. Everyone could tell that his mental strength and mystical force were still at their peak!

Was he even human?!

“Do you have any complaints, Emperor of Mist?” asked the Nephrite celestial emperor.

“Lü Biao deserved death for breaking the rules and intervening in a fight between cultivators,” echoed a lilting, female voice, sounding perfectly unruffled. “He received his just desserts when he was caught up in the aftermath. Mist Land has no complaints.”

……

“Who’s next?” Lu Yun asked after the emperors fell silent.

It was the same two words. Violetgrave burst with light again, the shadow of a violet dragon coiling around him.

“Lü Guhong killed the august immortal with a forbidden method,” he remarked faintly. “He himself wasn’t all that powerful. In fact, he was no match for senior brother Wu Tulong. The top genius of Mist didn’t quite live up to his reputation.”

He hadn’t yet fought Wu Tulong and the other youths, but they’d tested each other with their presence. Thus, Lu Yun had a basic understanding of their level of power and knew that Lü Guhong fell short in comparison.

“The top genius of Mist may not have lived up to his reputation, but monster spirit king Lü Biao was no joke, even with his cultivation sealed to the level of an august immortal. Yet you slew him with a single blow....” Dongfang Hao’s eyes shone with an eager will to fight. “Not even peerless immortals will have the courage to challenge you now. It’s our turn.”

Although Lu Yun had killed the monster king, the will of Dongfang Hao and the others hadn’t dimmed at all. To cultivate was to sail against the current. One had to brave all challenges and never cower in fear. No matter how impressive a demonstration of power the young governor had made, it wouldn’t deter the top geniuses.

“Senior brother Dongfang, after you,” Lu Yun said seriously.

“After you!” With an intense shout, Dongfang Hao’s presence surged exponentially, fluttering his white robes and hair.

Wu Tulong and the others backed away of their own accord, clearing away a vast battlefield. Everyone watched with bated breath. Anticipation thickened as the crowd’s eagerness exceeded their expectations for the match earlier!

……

Swoosh!

A sword manifested in Dongfang Hao’s hand. “Take this! Skyrending Sword!” His sword burst with prodigious luminescence, threatening to cut down the sky.

Immortals will fall if they dare stop me, the heavens will fall if they dare obstruct me!

Unstoppable sword aura flared from Dongfang Hao, connecting heaven and earth like a rainbow and becoming the only locus of power. The magnificent attack reached a purity that was infinitely close to the purest of dao.

The governor’s expression turned grave. Dongfang Hao was significantly more than just a little stronger than Lü Guhong.

“Cleaving the skies with one stroke! Such fearsome sword aura!” exclaimed Lu Yun. He didn’t dare use his Vast Dragon Seaturner, because Dongfang Hao’s sword aura was too powerful. It’d cut straight through Lu Yun’s sword ocean, without which the sword dragon would be a rootless duckweed, weak and vulnerable.

Hum!

Clusters of tombs manifested in Violetgrave’s sword light. The will to bury heaven, earth, and all living things rippled through the blade. Lu Yun towered as the overlord of death and channeled the power of the mausoleum.

His sword aura was no match for Dongfang Hao’s, so he wouldn’t win no matter how impressive a sword technique he used. Therefore, he channeled Violetgrave’s innate power as a ninth-rank sword to counter Dongfang Hao’s sword aura.