A tiny, imperceptible ripple undulated through the pristine currents of the chaos. Every particle within the realm began trembling and rubbed against each other, imitating the movements of the chaos sun and moon.

Purest black oozed throughout the chaos and countless creatures gave way to panic. A chaos tribulation had descended upon them without any warning!

……

“What is happening?!” The sovereigns of the six palaces greeted the change with frantic confusion.

Their monarchs constantly kept a close eye on the chaos sun and moon. If either of the two treasures exhibited strange behavior or showed signs of saturation, the monarchs would issue warnings and try to protect as many mortal beings as they could.

Prior to the battle between the palaces and sacred lands, they’d made certain calculations that showed the chaos sun and moon were a ways from reaching capacity. A chaos tribulation wasn’t imminent.

Though the tribulations were an established pattern and their regular cleansing a part of life in the chaos, emotions still assailed the heart. The six sacred palaces could never bear to idly sit by and watch countless beings die on their watch!

However, there was nothing they could do about what was playing out in front of them.

“Why is a chaos tribulation occurring ahead of schedule?!”

“All sovereigns are to leave the palace and save as many as possible!”

“Your Highness, please return immediately!”

Orderly reconstruction efforts at the sacred palaces were immediately abandoned as the six exploded into hotspots of activity. Sovereigns streamed out of the palaces, urgently dashing to other locales in the chaos to save the mortal creatures already struggling in the impending tribulation.

All mortal realm palace disciples swiftly found shelter in nearby palace halls. Any mortal realm being exposed to the chaos currents when the tribulation arrived would be disintegrated without mercy.

“Your Highness, this is a chaos tribulation. Please return to the sacred palace at once!” A sovereign had arrived by Lu Yun’s side, one who most respectfully urged his immediate return to safety.

The chaos was still beginning to turn black, an indication that the chaos tribulation wasn’t upon them in full. When pitch black covered the realm, that was when the full fury of the tribulation arrived.

“To think that they’d ignite a chaos tribulation ahead of schedule to take me out.” Lu Yun slowly stood up with a grave expression.

“Your Highness…” The Inception sovereign had thought that Lu Yun was going to head back with him, but the young man waved him off instead.

“Tell the monarchs to be ready for battle. The nine sacred lands will come again when the tribulation descends in truth.” Lu Yun looked deep into the void, considering it with frightening killing intent.

“But Your Highness…”

“Go!” Lu Yun roared.

“…understood!” The sovereign set his jaw and left with a turn. If his prince had sent even a heavyweight of the Hongmeng packing, then he wouldn’t be afraid of a chaos tribulation, right?

Above the sacred palaces, the six monarchs had formed the Thousand Obliteration Formation of the Six Royals and kept a wary eye on the surroundings. This was the strongest power they could bring to bear. While it would also interfere with their own dao, they had no other choice when disaster stared at them in the eye.

“All of you should go back,” Lu Yun said without turning around. Ying Luo and the others had already gathered behind him to form their formation of the Six Royals with him. They’d all made tremendous progress and broken through to chaos realm. It was Lu Yun who lagged behind them now.

“No!” The look in Ying Luo’s eyes was resolute. “We are the Six Royals! We are of one mind and one heart. We face this disaster together!”

“That’s right!” chorused the others.

Lu Yun fell silent and remained still, unmoving.

Black was still creeping into the chaos, until all of it turned the purest of black. The moment it did so, tiny crackles of black electricity formed in the darkened chaos. They sizzled in all directions, reaping the lives of any mortal beings they came across.

This black electricity almost seemed as if alive. They permeated every inch of the chaos, dying black even the polluted chaos currents outside the worlds.

When they approached Lu Yun, however, a bizarre strength swallowed them all. The void around him was darker than even the pure black of the chaos—it was like a black hole surrounded him.

Ying Luo, Li Xue, Wang Shu, You Huoran, and Wei Yuan looked at Lu Yun with pounding hearts. His presence was inordinately terrifying at the moment; it’d exceeded the chaos and reached a level that they couldn’t comprehend.

This was the strength of the abyss.

Multiple figures appeared in the far reaches of the chaos and swiftly approached the Six Royals—the experts of the sacred lands.

“Bastards, they’re really here!” Ying Luo’s nails dug into her palm as she glared at the multitude of beings. More than half of the sovereigns in the sacred palaces had gone to save others in the chaos, but those of the nine sacred lands had chosen this moment to launch a fresh offensive!

“Stay behind me and don’t move.” Lu Yun’s lips curved upwards. “They won’t dare approach as long as I’m still here.”

Indeed, they didn’t. When the sacred land armies drew near them, they came to a united halt upon seeing Lu Yun.

“What is this?!” Fear visited the faces of Huo Zongxing and his brethren.

Sixth level mortal realm! The Lu Yun in front of them was still sixth level mortal realm, yet there he stood, completely unharmed in the chaos tribulation!

The even more profound darkness around him had vanished as he’d retracted the abyss. He stood quietly among the tribulation, the tiny threads of lightning striking his body, but immediately dispersing like a breeze had blown them away.

Huo Zongxing and the others narrowed their eyes.

“Are you also a being from the Hongmeng reincarnated into the chaos?!” Huo Zongxing stepped forward and shouted at Lu Yun.

“All of you deserve to die.” Lu Yun’s chest heaved slightly as he forced out these words through grit teeth.

“Deserve to die?” Huo Zongxing snorted. “Do you mean the chaos tribulation? Indeed, we caused it to happen, but it was going to happen sooner or later. For these insignificant ants, it’s just a matter of dying earlier or later.”

“You likely don’t understand the intent behind the chaos tribulations since you’ve just been reincarnated into the realm.” Lu Yun shook his head to hear this response. “Chaos tribulations follow an established rhythm, yes, but the mortal beings of the chaos don’t necessarily have to die in them!

“Each time one is about to descend, the sovereigns of the six palaces travel the realm to protect others, so that seeds of life will remain in the chaos after the tribulation!

“With it occurring ahead of schedule, they won’t have time to save too many. This isn’t the accustomed pattern of cleansing, but a manmade disaster, an extinction event! You’re going to turn the chaos into a barren desert!”

It was mortal beings who were the main force behind reproduction. Any cultivators who reached the chaos realm possessed limited desires. Even if they did come together in passion and desire, it was very hard for them to create children.

In all their years of partnership, Leize and Huaxu’s union resulted in only one son and daughter. Neither did other chaos realm masters boast of fruitful descendants.

“Those who perish under this chaos tribulation die an unwarranted death. Their souls must be released from purgatory and this injustice righted. If not, the chaos will turn into a domain of absolute death and all of you as the chief offenders.” Lu Yun delivered his words with the finality of proclaiming judgment on the nine.

Color drained from Huo Zongxing’s face and he stumbled a few steps backward. The rest of the sacred lands and those they’d recruited panicked as well. Experts of the six palaces glared wrathfully at the offenders, itching to tear them apart.

“Oh shut up!” Someone behind Huo Zongxing took a step forward. “Even if we’re the offenders, it’s all because of you! Would we have ignited the tribulation ahead of time if it wasn’t for you blocking our way?”

“Such magnificently twisted logic,” sneered Lu Yun.

“Cut the bullshit! All of this will be over if you’re dead and the six palaces gone! The kings of the Hongmeng will naturally descend upon the chaos to take care of everything here!” shouted the man. “Come on, show me the art of Words from the third realm that you command!”

“You’re absolutely covered in retribution. Do I need a butcher’s knife to kill you?” Two black flames blazed to life in Lu Yun’s eyes and he pointed at the man. “Die!!”