Oppressive killing intent weighed heavily on everyone’s chest. Eighty percent of all immortals in the tomb lost their mobility and many more were crawling on the ground, shaking in fear.

“What… what’s going on here?!” Beigong Xuan blanched hard. A natural helplessness rose from his heart; this was a power he couldn’t resist!

He’d once met a celestial emperor in person, but even their presence didn’t compare. This power exceeded the celestial emperors’! Were there such beings in the world of immortals?

……

A storm brewed on the surface of the North Sea as an arcane dao immortal from the Zhu Clan roared with rage. His body crashed onto the water’s surface and stilled after a few twitches.

“Granduncle!” Zhu Yan threw herself to his side and bawled.

“If you’d just come with me, none of this would’ve happened.” A young man in his twenties dressed in black and gold robes stood over the ocean, holding the head of another Zhu aether dao immortal.

Hatred flooded Zhu Yan’s big black eyes, glaring deadly at the young man who dared reach out with his left hand and grab at her.

Hum.

Suddenly, seven blinding stars exploded out of the air, circling the young girl.

Bam!

The young man staggered back, rebuffed by the ring of cosmic brilliance.

“Who is it?!” The young man looked up with a glower, seeing a woman dressed in men’s clothes approaching Zhu Yan with graceful steps. “...Mo Yi!”

The youth, also an arcane dao immortal, recognized the newcomer immediately. The day she’d ascended to the void realm, the Dao Flower had shown her image to everyone in the world.

“Aether, aether dao immortal?! How are you improving so quickly?!” Momentarily dumbfounded by her cultivation level, the youth quickly recovered. “So what if you’ve ascended to the aether dao immortal realm in an unusually short time? You’re just an ant when facing the arcane dao realm!”

Greed flashed through his face; Mo Yi was an unrivalled genius who’d invented the void method! Her reputation exceeded those of Qing Han, Wu Tulong, Zi Chen, and Mo Qitian. After all, Qing Han and the sovereign youths had only shown the way to the void realm, but Mo Yi had singlehandedly forged a path to the new realm, benefiting all cultivators in the world.

Capturing her would place her void realm method in his hands, enabling the cultivators of an entire sect or faction to ascend to the void realm.

“You aren’t from Truespirit Major, and you’re not a disciple of the Corpse Refiners,” Mo Yi looked lazily at the youth. “Who are you?”

The other stilled.

“That’s not important, though.” Mo Yi extended a hand. “Brightstar... Snowrend.”

Wham!

The silver starlight drifting around them shattered into sharp, sword-like snowflakes. Color rapidly drained from the youth’s face.

Thud!

His body fell bonelessly into the ocean and slowly sank underwater.

“With your natural-born immortal constitution, you’re more of a target than even void realm cultivators,” Mo Yi calmly turned to Zhu Yan. “You shouldn’t be running around like this.”

“I....” Zhu Yan lowered her head and clung tightly onto the body of her dead granduncle, her expression lost and forlorn.

“Come with me,” Mo Yi offered, looking in another direction. “There are more than a few people who’re after you. If you stay in the North Sea, it’s only a matter of time before you’re captured.”

Zhu Yan nodded.

……

Once Zhu Yan departed with Mo Yi, a pale figure leapt out of the ocean.

“She saw me...” an arcane dao immortal from the Corpse Refiners gasped, panting heavily. “Terrifying, utterly terrifying! That man possessed at least six arcane dao fruit, but she killed him with only one move!”

“Thankfully, he made a move before I did, or I’d be the one dead! Who was he, though? Since when was there such an elite in the world of immortals?”

……

Skydragon Tomb, North Sea.

The terrifying killing intent disappeared as abruptly as it emerged.

“It’s, it’s alive again… What’s going on?” Shock flashed across the pair of faint silver eyes. She had clearly felt the young dragon’s death, but after less than the span of a breath, the dragon had come back to life with its broken soul completely restored.

“That kid is quite resourceful.” Empress Myrtlestar formed from the starlight of the Big Dipper Starstone. “However, the only person in the world that he trusts is Qing Han. I wanted to see what he was going to do, but Qing Han stopped me.”

It was obvious from the smile on her face that she didn’t mind the secrecy. In fact, she was happy for Qing Han and Lu Yun. Too much secrecy would pull someone down, sooner or later. Lu Yun had many secrets, but he was willing to share them with Qing Han. It was a demonstration of trust, but also a way to share his burdens.

In her time, Empress Myrtlestar had needed someone to confide in as well, but she’d never found such a person. Loneliness had cast a pall over her heart until it finally grew so heavy that it halted her progress at peak emperor realm.

……

“This...” Qing Han gaped at the lively dragon, unable to believe what her eyes were telling her. She’d just killed it, but it’d immediately come back to life right after!

Lu Yun stuffed the medicine he’d used to knock Situ Zong out into the dragon’s mouth. Its eyes rolled backward in its skull before falling into deep slumber. He then placed the dragon, only three feet long, on his shoulder.

“I can resurrect those who have died in the ancient tombs and make them my subordinates,” Lu Yun slowly repeated what he’d once told Qing Han. “Yuying, Feinie, Xuanxi, Aoxue, Huangqing, and Su Xiaoxiao all became my followers that way.

“Similarly, I can resurrect those who’ve died in less than seven days. They will come back to life as their own being, rather than as my subordinate.”

Qing Han worried his lip between his teeth. This time, he didn’t destroy his own memories, but instead looked intently at Lu Yun with bright eyes.

“I’d originally wanted to save you this way.” Lu Yun smiled wryly. “But then I found out that the poison in your body would remain even after you came back to life.”

Resurrection had once been a method he didn’t even dare think about, but now, he had nothing to fear. Despite his lacking cultivation, his wings were slowly filling out and he’d grasped many great forces in his hands. When he’d said, “supplemental paths as king,” it hadn’t been a complete fabrication.

That was why he dared use his death art to resurrect the young dragon.

“Xing Mou needs a companion,” Qing Han said, changing the subject considerately. “This little dragon will make a good friend.”

Lu Yun nodded with a wry smile. Little girl Xing Mou had remained under Feinie’s protection, along with the fox. She hadn’t entered the tomb with them.

“Let’s go. The Treasurefall Coin found what we’re looking for. This North Sea really is a treasure trove!” A delighted smile tugged at Lu Yun’s lips; he knew what that thing was now. There was only one item that would compel both the elites of House Donglin and Beigong Xuan to give up on the connate-grade Cosmic Sea.