The seaside stronghold had been destroyed by the North Sea monster spirits. Once they retreated, Lu Yun took over the ruins of the fortress.

Several major construction projects commenced all over Dusk Province, raising city after large-scale city. Lu Yun even buried a hundred billion premium immortal crystals to bolster the land’s damaged underground vein and network of spirit veins.

Su Xiaoxiao revitalized the seed of the Violet Orchid Fruit she’d obtained from the vault of the North Sea Palace and planted it in the province. Soon, tiny violet flowers bloomed one after another across the lands of Dusk.

In only a few short months, Dusk Province became a true land of fantasies and fairytales, rivaling even Xiankan of Nephrite Major.

Nevertheless, there were still only a few million people in a province that was forty thousand kilometers across, and all of the inhabitants lived within, or near, Dusk City. The other parts of the province could only be described as completely barren and desolate; immortals and cultivators from outside the province didn’t dare visit anymore.

While Dusk Province rebuilt over the next few months, the North Sea monster spirits didn’t give up their plans for invading.

Gone was the seaside stronghold, along with the barrier protecting the northern point of Nephrite Major. Meanwhile, countless monster spirits called the marine waters home. Although Lu Yun had captured several million soldiers, and hundreds of millions more had died in Dusk, there was still no shortage of oceanic inhabitants.

North Sea monster spirits who hadn’t thrown themselves under the banner of the North Sea court responded to Scarlet Ape’s call to action. They gathered on Levitating Island and slavered over Dusk Province. Worse yet, groups of them frequently came ashore to wreak havoc on land.

However, they were merely pests that didn’t warrant concern in Lu Yun’s eyes. What he really cared about was the Skyqilin Pearl, and Beigong Yu knew where it was.

The kunpeng nest!

The Scaled-Dragon King verified the location; back in the day, he’d immediately raided the nest with his troops after Beigong Yu’s death. The many layers of real and illusory traps and barriers within had claimed many monster immortals before they were able to break the outer layer of energy guarding the nest.

There, the Scaled-Dragon King found the Skyqilin Pearl and the unhatched kunpeng egg. However, he didn’t actually acquire the egg. As soon as he touched it, the kunpeng nest kicked all living souls out, almost like it was a living being, and disappeared without a trace.

It’d been the traces of energy left on the scaled-dragon that’d misled Beigong Yu into thinking his erstwhile colleague had acquired a kunpeng egg.

……

“Is the nest still in the North Sea?” Lu Yun frowned. To be honest, he was very reluctant to travel to the North Sea now; that big monkey was too much of a threat. If the human demon hadn’t trapped it, Divine Glory’s cannon wouldn’t have been able to hit it. Even with half of its body blasted away, it’d fled Dusk Province with great agility.

Moreover, Scarlet Ape had only just broken its seal then, and hadn’t yet recovered from the month-long battle it’d fought over the sea. There was no telling how powerful the primeval ape would be after having recovered some of its energy.

However, Lu Yun would still risk his life without hesitation if he crossed paths again with the monkey, for Qing Han’s sake if nothing else.

Qing Han’s disguise might still be impenetrable to him, but he was no fool. Various nudges from his intuition had constantly filtered through to his mind all this time, leading to a dawning conclusion of crystal clear clarity. However, if his friend insisted on keeping his secrets, Lu Yun wasn’t going to point them out. He so looked forward to the day he ascended to immortality.

“It’s not in the North Sea, but in the east!” Beigong Yu declared with great certainty. “I recently sensed the reappearance of the kunpeng nest—it’s now somewhere to the east of us, most likely the heart of the East Sea.”

“The East Sea!” Lu Yun’s eyes shone with intent.

“The Sovereign Meet will commence a month from now, sir,” Yuying reminded him. “That will have many implications.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Then we’ll go to the East Sea after the Sovereign Meet.” He couldn’t not participate in the tournament.

Three years ago, the five youth sovereigns had ambitiously declared that they would ascend to immortality in Dusk Province after three years. Much had happened during the intervening years.

The path of cultivation had been restored, and the void realm recovered. Four of the five youth sovereigns were youth dao sovereigns. However, Qing Han later discovered that the other three had been killed. Yet, the three factions they belonged to didn’t show any signs of their losses. It was as if the three of them yet lived on.

That just didn’t make any sense. Lu Yun had to plumb the depths of their current situation for the matter of Qing Han’s safety.

“Immortals and cultivators may not dare enter Dusk Province now, sir,” Yuying said with some hesitation.

“Oh, don’t worry, they’ll come.” Lu Yun smiled. “That monkey will be courting death if it dares stir up trouble during the tournament.”

“Lu Yun, Lu Yun… Fairy Ruyan is giving birth, but something’s wrong!” Qing Han’s urgent call came from outside the door.

“What? She’s delivering now? Ahead of her due date?” Lu Yun was caught off guard.

Qing Ruyan had elected to stay and deliver her child in Dusk after coming to the province’s aid with the immortals of the Panorama Pavilion a few months ago.

After consuming the Heaven Descent Pill, her child was bound to be a powerful figure rivaling the celestial emperors. However, the peak factions of the world would never tolerate that possibility coming to pass. If Qing Ruyan had remained in the pavilion’s headquarters, some old heavyweights would’ve made a move to kill her.

That was why she’d temporarily moved to Dusk Province under the guise of aiding them in battle against Scarlet Ape, then stayed afterward.

According to the calculations of the pavilion head, Qing Ruyan should give birth in three months, not now! It was clear from Qing Han’s anxious look that something was gravely wrong.

“Xiaoxiao, Xingzi, go check on her!” Lu Yun summoned two of his envoys and made his way to Qing Ruyan’s residence.

……

Qing Ruyan resided in a manor in the southeast of the governor residence complex. Surrounded by nature, the manor was peaceful and tranquil. Lu Yun had even set up a placid feng shui layout to create the perfect environment for a pregnant woman.

However, the manor of ten kilometers wide was currently enveloped by roiling darkness. Strange shrieks and howls echoed from the depths of the black smoke, and Qing Ruyan’s impressive presence had already weakened considerably.

“Demon fetus!!” Su Xiaoxiao and Xingzi exclaimed when they saw the dense, black smoke.

“Why would the fairy be pregnant with a demon fetus? What is going on?!” Su Xiaoxiao blanched.