“What fools they are to beat up the god’s men just because their cultivation is superior. Do they have a death wish?” Immortals passing by hunched in on themselves when they saw Aoxue delivering a furious beating.

That gang had been demanding road tolls for about a year. Everyone visiting Levitating Island knew the rules. At first, a good number of immortals had leveraged their superior cultivation and refused to pay, but after their patron, the Monster God, had shown up and killed a number of golden immortals, no one dared resist since.

The Monster God had gained control over the seven cities on the outskirts of the island and became a local overlord. All seven of the cities had checkpoints like this one, forcing anyone who wished to pass to hand over a certain number of immortal crystals.

After a while, the thugs lay prone on the ground, their faces battered and bruised. Aoxue hadn’t killed them, despite her anger. She’d merely planted them into the earth head-down, their limbs protruding like saplings.

“Who dares challenge the authority of the Monster God!” A tremendous aura descended from the sky as an august immortal emerged, walking on air. “Die!” He extended a hand and slashed at Aoxue’s head.

“Oh, do you want to be planted here as well?” A dangerous curve crossed her lips.

…...

To no one’s surprise, the august immortal also ended up buried headfirst in the ground as a human tree. Since Aoxue was disguising herself as a regular august immortal, she’d accomplished the feat with Beigong Yu’s help.

Color drained from her face as Xing Mou trembled uncontrollably, too afraid to say anything. The Monster God ruled over the outskirts of Levitating Island, which made him a veritable god in the heavens in the eyes of lower level cultivators like Xing Mou. Death was the only punishment for anyone who offended the heavens.

“You should, you should leave now,” Xing Mou said tearfully. “The Monster God will kill you once he comes.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Qing Han patted her head.

“Monster God… I’ve never heard of such a figure on the island before.” Frowning, Beigong Yu cocked his head and listened to the chatter around him. “An expert who’s risen in power in the past year… he must have an impressive background.”

Levitating Island was divided into different territories, and even the overlord of the outskirts must be from a powerful faction. This Monster God must be something else, if he could take over seven cities in only a year.

“What overlord? He’s nothing but the leader of a bunch of thugs,” Qing Han snorted, eyes gleaming with eagerness. “Why don’t we establish a base here and collect treasures from the North Sea?”

The aces up his sleeves emboldened him. Besides, even Qing dao immortals would think twice before making a move on this island.

“Let’s find the dragon tomb and the Skydragon Pearl first.” Lu Yun smiled wryly at Qing Han. He knew Qing Han was thinking of him.

Dusk Province was only just beginning to heal. Although its ambient qi was recovering, and immortal qi had even returned to some areas, the province remained impoverished with no veins of immortal crystals or spirit stones.

It would take time for such things to form.

Therefore, Lu Yun needed money! The crystals that the Feng Clan had accumulated over the past year were depleted after the few shots Li Youcai had taken with the weapon of war.

Levitating Island lay between the North Sea and Nephrite Major, which made it a strategic chokepoint and a bustling trade hub. All kinds of ingredients and treasures were exchanged here, and the amount of crystals flowing into the island was tremendous. If Lu Yun gained ownership of a few cities, he would never have to worry about crystals again.

Still, first things first. Qing Han pursed his lips and didn’t push.

……

“The Monster God’s army is here!” shouted a terrified immortal passing by.

Rumble.

A tremor passed through the land as a great puff of smoke rose from the horizon, heralding the arrival of a great army. Before them, Tidesong City began trembling as well. Countless immortals screamed and scattered like a stampeding herd.

“Run! The Monster God’s ruthless army doesn’t discriminate between friend and foe!” In an instant, the bustling area was emptied and quieted down. Xing Mou’s dirty face paled until it was as white as a sheet.

“Dead, dead. We’re really all dead!” Her lips trembled faintly and her brown eyes shone with fear.

“This… is a bit of overkill, isn’t it?” Beigong Yu was caught off guard by the incoming army as well.

It was a group of heavy cavalry clad in black armor and riding exceptionally fierce beasts as their mounts. The dust they kicked up threatened to obscure the entire horizon as they charged at Lu Yun and the others. There were at least three hundred thousand of them!

It was ludicrous that the Monster God would send such a large army just because Aoxue had bullied a few toll-takers. Even Lu Yun was flabbergasted. What was this Monster God thinking?

Silver starlight sparkled from Qing Han as he readied for a fight.

“Surrender, blasphemers against the Monster God!” the leading black-armored rider bellowed upon halting the army three hundred meters away from them. “Surrender at once!”

“I wish to speak with the Monster God,” Lu Yun said coldly and took a step forward.

“A mere cultivator,” scoffed the leading rider, “and you have the audacity to demand an audience with His Holiness?”

“Oh? Do you think I’m not good enough?” Lu Yun chortled and walked toward the imposing army on his own. Wising up to the truth, Qing Han retracted his starlight aura and quietly watched Lu Yun.

“Stop!!” shouted the leading rider. “I ordered you to stop!!”

“Why should I?” Lu Yun asked with a supercilious smile.

“Stop at once, or I’ll, I’ll...” panic colored the rider’s voice.

“Or what?” Lu Yun cracked a smile. “Or you’ll bite me?” His voice focused into a straight line that zipped into the army. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Mo Yi, little thing? How did you end up here?”

“It really is you, Lu Yun!” said a childlike voice. “If you don’t expose me, we can still be friends!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t,” Lu Yun transmitted to her with resignation. “Just dispel your illusions, first.”

Swoosh!

All three hundred thousand soldiers vanished in the next moment, but to others, it’d leisurely retreated after capturing Lu Yun and the others.

A pretty little girl of about nine years old appeared before Lu Yun. She was simply too exquisitely pretty and had big eyes, a small mouth, delicate nose, and fair skin. Dressed in white, one could see what a great beauty she would grow into.

It was Miao, the little fox Lu Yun had discovered in the burial mound under the Myriad Formation Summit. She’d disguised herself as a beautiful man, then, but had ended up exposed by Mo Yi. Although she lacked raw power, she was a master of illusions who could fool almost everyone. Lu Yun was an exception, since he was an expert of feng shui and knowledgeable in many other fields.

“Rumors have been flying for the past couple of days that you were coming to the island. I didn’t expect you to actually come here and undermine my authority!” Both her voice and face were childlike, but she affected a mature tone when she spoke.

“There were rumors about my arrival?” Lu Yun’s face clouded over. “Have the old men from the Qing Clan come already?”

There was no question that Lun Yun would make a stop at Levitating Island first after entering the North Sea. Thus, a few Qing dao immortals had come to the island ahead of him to announce his arrival. Lu Yun was a public enemy of the North Sea, after two monster kings had died at his hands.

Once the news reached the North Sea Court, there really would be three hundred thousand soldiers coming after him.

“What about you?” Lu Yun asked in bafflement. “How did you become this Monster God? And you’ve almost gained human form already. Didn’t you say it’s only possible after ascending to peerless immortal realm?”

He only realized now that Miao had truly transformed into a human, rather than create the form from illusions.