Soon enough, the immortals of Dusk Province answered the formation’s signal. When everyone was accounted for, Lin Yu wore a dark expression, Lin Xuan’s eyes belched fire, and Lu Yun’s expression was inscrutable.

“There’s only three hundred of you left?!” Lin Yu clenched his fists and ground his teeth. Though he’d asked the question aloud, it was more rhetorical than anything.

A thousand or so immortals had set out from Dusk Province. Among them, some possessed formations of heaven and earth, while others were void-ascended immortals.

Lin Yu and Lin Xuan had led a small group to occupy an altar after setting foot in the central world, but the rest had gone their separate ways to explore tombs and burial mounds, hunting for treasures and inheritances. However… only roughly three hundred had arrived in Lin Yu’s formation. That meant everyone else was dead!

Lin Yu’s nascent spirit was connected to his formation disk. Those who’d left their imprint on their own disks could sense his “mother formation”, and Lin Yu could likewise determine their positions and whether they were dead or alive.

Based on the feedback from the formation disks, apart from the three hundred who’d made it here, everyone else was dead.

“Yes.” Yin Qingran nodded. “I think they have a special method to determine where we come from. Anyone from Dusk Province… They’ve issued an order to kill us on sight.”

“They?” Lu Yun frowned.

“A loose alliance formed by a dozen major clans around the world. Their only goal is to deal with Dusk and counter the alliance you’ve created, milord.” Yin Qingran heaved a heavy sigh. Had he not been an outstanding genius of the Yin Clan with the ability to hide inside the void… he would’ve died several times over to said alliance.

“Lin Xuan, we’re going back!” Clenching his jaw, Lin Yu turned to face his brother. Everyone’s eyes snapped to him.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Yin Qingran frowned slightly. After joining Dusk Province, the five great clans had developed an inexplicable sense of belonging to their new home. While the feeling wasn’t that deeply-rooted yet, he was displeased, even disappointed, by Lin Yu’s sudden desire to withdraw.

“Very well!” Lin Xuan nodded. “Undo the seal, we’re going to trigger our tribulations!”

Lin Yu and Lin Xuan hadn’t ascended to immortality yet!

In terms of cultivation, they’d become void-realm immortals a long time ago. In fact, they could already sense their tribulations. They’d used formations to break the connection between themselves and the world in order to postpone the date.

They’d wanted to strengthen themselves as much as possible beforehand in order to build the staunchest of foundations. However, taking it slow and steady was no longer possible. They’d joined Dusk Province earlier than folks like Yin Qingran, so their sense of belonging was even greater.

“Yes, it’s high time for you two.” With a flip of his hand, Lu Yun sent two golden lights into Lin Yu and Lin Xuan. The two brothers’ cheeks flushed bright red and their entire beings felt like they’d been set afire.

Karmic fruits.

At this juncture, Lu Yun had injected them with two karmic fruits.

“Now go and face your tribulations… Return to Dusk Province and have Lu Feng stand guard over you.” Lu Yun nodded.

“Let’s go!” Lin Yu hastily pulled his younger brother along, his seal threatening to break loose at any second. There was an immortal restriction in the central world, so they couldn’t undergo their tribulations there.

“Once we become immortals, we’ll come back and teach them a lesson!” Lin Xuan’s voice came from afar; they’d already vanished from sight.

……

“Now then, I’m going to teach you all a battle formation called the ‘Eradication Formation,’” Lu Yun announced to the remaining three hundred immortals once the two brothers left.

Like everyone else, Yin Qingran’s pulse quickened. Although they’d joined Dusk Province, they hadn’t obtained any unique benefits other than a formation of heaven and earth. There were all kinds of methods, combat arts, and formations of heaven and earth flowing out of Dao City. While they could obtain those, the same goods were accessible to other immortals as well, easily purchasable as long as one met the retail price.

However, the formation Lu Yun now spoke of was something they’d never heard of. Without a doubt, it was on an entirely different level compared to the goods for sale in Dao City. At the very least, it ought to be higher grade than formations of heaven of earth, crystal cannons, or lord-grade fortress ships.

Lu Yun immediately passed along the theory for the formation.

“Alright, I don’t have time to guide you step-by-step through things. How far you can take this will depend on you. I hope that in the seventeen days to come, you can use this formation to slay every member of their so-called alliance,” Lu Yun explained, his voice low and grave.

“With this formation, it’ll be child’s play to kill those mere true immortals!” Yin Qingran proclaimed loudly, his confidence at an all-time high.

Although they weren’t yet familiar with their new knowledge, they could keenly sense how powerful it was. Compared to the battle formations they’d come across before, this was on an entirely different level.

This formation was a brand new one that Qing Yu had derived from Lu Yun’s Formation of Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Demons. Through her calculations, she’d made many alterations, and she’d also integrated the strong points of the Kunpeng Battle Formation, Scaled-Dragon Battle Formation, Formation of the Black Tortoise, and a dozen other war formations of varying strength.

Alas, it was only half complete in its current state, due to a lack of time. In its complete form, the Battle Formation of Yin and Yang would be able to project its own world and use its energy to kill enemies. However, it required every participant to be at least an aether dao immortal.

Lu Yun took his leave after imparting the battle formation. He hadn’t planned on competing for the various finds and treasures in the realm, but he was absolutely furious that they’d allied for the sole purpose of uniting against him.

He’d learned the identity of the alliance’s members from Yin Qingran and the other three hundred immortals. It would be one thing if he’d somehow offended them in the past, but as far as he knew, there were so many clans involved that he’d never even come across, to say nothing of possible enmity.

By teaming up against him, they simply wanted to weaken Dusk Province’s influence and prevent it from ever truly becoming a sacred land!

In the past, it would’ve been understandable for people to see him as a helpless lamb to the slaughter, given that a weakling like him dared rule over a potential future sacred land. But he’d filled out his wings now and had demonstrated multiple times in broad daylight a strength that could shake the world.

Yet some still thought him a pushover...

He’d always played a passive defense, content to keep his head down and not offend anyone unless they provoked him first. But that was to be no longer! Today marked the moment he officially bared his fangs, showing the world what he was made of and striking out on the offensive!

“Thundergale Major, Zi Clan!” he muttered while traveling with the Wandering Step. “After I warned you out of the kindness of my heart that Dongfang Hao had seized control of Zi Chen, and your guardian spirit had turned traitor? This is how you repay me, by stabbing me in the back?

“Sorry, Brother Zi Chen. I’m afraid I’ll have to reap your clansmen.” With a casual backhand, he landed a heavy blow on a burial mound below and instantly killed the eight immortals foraging within it.

These immortals hailed from the Zi Clan, one of the first clans to participate in the alliance in its infancy. Once dead, those immortals immediately entered hell and became Lu Yun’s ghostly soldiers.

His first move complete, he continued on his way, hunting for his next target. Even so, the route he chose was one that still led straight to the heart of the central world. Despite these distractions, he hadn’t forgotten his most important goal.