The auction was to take place in three months. In the interim, Lu Yun wanted to take care of Qing Han’s longstanding problem.

Xing Chen and Qing Yu were headed to the Endless Desert in western Nephrite in search of their long lost friends, while Lu Yun and Qing Han dove into the North Sea. Dusk Province was empty right now, anyway. Even the Lu and Chen clans were slowly migrating out and taking refuge elsewhere.

The Star Demon Sect provided a great deal of aid in the process. Neither clan particularly wanted to build a connection with a demonic sect, but it was still better than staying put. They weren’t brave enough to try putting down roots in Dusk Province anymore.

……

Coast of the East Sea, Azure Province.

Similar to Dusk Province, there was an ancient immortal tomb beyond emperor-grade at this province’s center as well.

Unlike Dusk Province, though, Azure Province hadn’t undergone any decline whatsoever in the last five thousand years. It bustled with prosperity and activity and was one of the wealthiest aside from Life Province.

East Sea monsters invaded from time to time, since the province bordered that body of water, but there were no large-scale battles beset with bloodshed and strife like with the North Sea monsters.

After all, the East Sea heritage hailed from the Monster Celestial Master of the ancient court. They considered themselves the right and proper extension of immortal dao. Any clashes with Nephrite or the other majors were minor scuffles at best, unlike the feud between the North Sea and Nephrite Major.

Lu Yun and Qing Han disguised themselves and obscured their cultivation levels. After transforming into two spirit realm cultivators, they headed toward the tomb at the province’s heart.

Lu Yun opened his Spectral Eye and perused the tomb more closely.

“This tomb has died,” he sighed suddenly.

“Died?” Qing Han was rather amazed by the descriptor.

“Its formations and layouts are completely destroyed and the tomb qi is entirely discharged. Whoever was buried here is probably gone… and it happened not too long ago.” Lu Yun was taken aback himself as he mused over the facts. “Are the four tombs really related somehow? Wait, we need to hurry to the Azure capital!”

He tugged urgently at Qing Han and the two youths shot toward the city as fast as they could.

“What’s wrong?” Qing Han’s heart sank a little at her friend’s sombre demeanor. It was rare for him to be so unnerved. Even during Scarlet Ape’s invasion, complete equanimity had remained in Lu Yun’s bearing.

“A flood of evil is coming…” Lu Yun replied soberly. “If it’s not dealt with, they’ll destroy Azure Province in its entirety.”

They reached the Azure capital in nearly the blink of an eye. Aged walls evoking an ancient grandeur and dark blue bricks weathered by the passage of time came into view. About a hundred kilometers across, the city was one of the greatest in all of Nephrite Major.

Cultivators and immortals came and went with remarkable frequency. The level of activity here was every bit Xiankan’s equal. Everyone who came here voluntarily landed before entering through the gates—a sign of considerable respect for the city lord.

It was the same at places like Destiny City and Xiankan.

……

“Stop right there!” When the guards saw Lu Yun and Qing Han attempting to fly over the city walls, they immediately moved to block the rude interlopers.

“Out of my way!” Lu Yun sent the two true immortal guards flying with a burst of sword aura.

“How dare you force your way into Azure City! You court death!” Before the guards could react, other nearby immortals leaped to their defense.

An array of sword light poured in from every direction, interposing itself between Lu Yun and the inner city.

“Scram!” Lu Yun was growing impatient. Dusk Province may not be at risk, but billions of innocent lives were!

As the commandant of tomb raiders, he had no desire to see an ancient tomb’s restless dead wreak havoc in the world of the living… the world of immortals! He shunted the attacks aside with tremendous force.

“A great flood of evil spirits is coming, why do you not prepare?!” Qing Han took the opportunity to shout as loud as she could. Bolstered by her internal energy, a wave of sound rolled through the city in mere moments.

“A flood of evil?” Numerous immortals blinked before roaring in laughter. “Don’t try stirring up trouble in the city with your lies… get out!”

A golden immortal came forth from the city, clad in an official’s robes and holding an azure seal. The seal allowed him to make use of the power of the city, which he blasted in Lu Yun and Qing Han’s direction.

This man was an official of the Nephrite court. Though his was no governor’s seal, it could still borrow the city’s might.

Azure City’s wealth meant the imperial court wouldn’t possibly allow the governor to reign unchecked. Sending officials to counterbalance his faction was completely understandable, and this golden immortal was one of them.

Tremendous energy flowed in from every direction, forming a fanged beast.

Lu Yun’s face colored with anger and impending violence.

Whoosh!

A blast of terrifying void realm qi burst from his body, then—

The power of the land answered his call, smashing down against the attack as a large millstone shaped by the six strands of his nascent spirit.

Boom!

The power of the city gathered by the azure seal instantly dispersed upon impact.

“Void realm?!” The golden immortal official paled.

Void realm cultivators breathed with the rhythm of nature. Having refined heaven and earth, they could borrow its power for their own use. However, most void realm cultivators right now used their old arts and methods; wielding heavenly energy was too stressful for them to maintain for too long.

“Move!” Lu Yun waved a hand, gathering the purest energy of the land a second time and sending the golden immortal flying. The seal in the immortal’s hand shattered.

“Void realm really is stronger than golden immortality! It’s true! He’s a void realm cultivator, but he’s defeated a golden immortal!” gasped countless people in- and outside the city.

It’d always been rumored that a void realm expert could defeat golden immortals and match arcane immortals. Some even said that they were as strong as peerless ones. However, those rumors had been nothing more than hearsay… until today.

Today, a golden immortal official wielding a city seal had been sent flying by a void realm cultivator in a single blow. His seal had shattered, too!

“Governor of Azure Province!” Lu Yun didn’t want to go through the process to be granted an audience. "There will be a huge outbreak of the undead tide in twenty minutes. You’d better prepare for it right now!"

"The Azure Governor's seal always warns me of such an event." A coolly collected voice sounded from the governor's residence, but its owner sounded hesitant. There had to be a genuine reason for this void realm genius to barge his way into the Azure capital so hastily.

However, the governor's seal provided no information whatsoever that any doom was impending.

"Are you sure that an undead tide is coming so soon?" the Azure governor pressed again.