That battle marked the final curtain call of everything and the retreat of Yu Wenteng with his great army of Primus heavenly soldiers.

Empress Myrtlestar’s punch was a terrifying demonstration of force, punching a hole in the sky that led to the cosmos outside the realm. Even the nine celestial emperors would’ve had trouble doing that. It required tremendous raw power and an unimaginable mastery over heaven and earth to do something like that.

Soon, Empress Myrtlestar’s identity was revealed and shared throughout the world. That graceful woman who’d dominated Scarlet Ape was Empress Myrtlestar, one of the emperors of four cardinal directions from the Primordial Era! Only the immortal emperor held a higher rank than they!

The news took the world of immortals by storm.

With an era of chaos on the horizon, it was unthinkable that a primordial empress would descend upon the world and... support Dusk Province.

……

“Outside of me and Little Yu, very few knew about Empress Myrtlestar’s identity. How did information get out?” Lu Yun and Qing Yu shared a dumbfounded look.

Empress Myrtlestar was an enigma and a secret weapon, her origins not to be speculated upon, but she’d now been casually revealed to the world.

Scarlet Ape was from an era before hers, a senior to Empress Myrtlestar. It couldn’t have known who she was. As for the fur seals, they were wild beasts who had never seen an emperor in the Primordial Era. They wouldn’t recognize her even if she stood right before them.

“No need to guess.” Empress Myrtlestar manifested and handed the Cosmic Eyes back to Qing Yu. “I know how the news got out. Heavyweights from my time have come back to this world. I demonstrated my power to the world of immortals to see if there are any other survivors from my time. It would seem that the answer is in the affirmative.”

Qing Yu fell silent.

“That explains it.” Lu Yun nodded. “The ancient immortal court foresaw the great war fifty thousand years before it broke out and made preparations accordingly to sustain the dynasty. If the court noticed beforehand, then other heavyweights of the world of immortals must have as well.”

He was reminded of what Fengbo had mentioned about signs before the great calamity.

During those ten thousand years, numerous heavyweights around the world of immortals had either gone missing or died. But perhaps they hadn’t died, just simply sealed themselves in some special environment instead, waiting to awaken after the calamity passed.

Not even the immortal court, the greatest faction in the Primordial Era, had been confident in their ability to survive the great calamity. They’d resorted to refining living souls into bone bricks to build the celestial master tomb.

The elites of the time surely would’ve done something as well.

Empress Myrtlestar being known to the world would do much more harm than good to her and Lu Yun. It was very likely that someone from her time had awakened. She was an incomplete soul, able to deploy her power only through the Cosmic Eyes, a primordial connate-grade treasure. This was also her weakness.

If exploited, she might be in grave danger. If the elites from her time could recognize her, they must be able to see through her current condition as well.

As expected, news then spread that Empress Myrtlestar had died in the Primordial Era. The manifestation in Dusk Province was merely her lingering soul fragment.

The world of immortals erupted again.

Scarlet Ape grabbed its iron rod and was about to head to Dusk to stir up trouble, but its silver dao partner swept it to the ground with the whirl of a staff.

A sense of apprehension permeated Dusk Province; the clans worried that the elites of the world would invade again.

To establish a sacred land, Lu Yun had to teach them a lesson so thorough that they wouldn’t dare make a move against Dusk. Otherwise, the sacred land would be a poor imitation of the real thing with the entire world of immortals opposing it.

“I’ll teach them a painful lesson if they dare invade again.” Lu Yun’s lips twisted into a cold sneer. By his side was a faint golden figure.

“They’re unlikely to invade again, but what you have revealed to the world is too alluring.” The figure shook his head. “If I hadn’t decided to join you, I might not be able to stop myself from attempting to rob you.”

The figure was the Azure Dragon King. He’d refined five dragon veins—including the ancestral vein—which fully restored his tattered body. Although his strength hadn’t yet returned to its peak, he was now more powerful than Empress Myrtlestar.

Dusk Province didn’t need additional dragon veins, or an ancestral vein. With Su Xiaoxiao planting Violet Orchids and Hell Flowers all over Dusk Province and Lu Yun transforming its feng shui, a few great dragons were being fostered underground. They would be dragon veins as soon as they matured.

Lu Yun had obtained the dragon veins and accepted Nephrite’s ancestral vein for the Azure Dragon King. Once recovered, he would be a tremendous asset in battles.

Besides, he had Kui, now residing in hell, and his last chance to wield the power of peak origin dao immortal realm. He really didn’t fear anyone.

Empress Myrtlestar had returned to the Scroll of Shepherding Immortals to rest. Having parted with the Cosmic Eyes, her soul was a little brittle.

Lu Yun, Qing Yu, and their followers had moved out of Dusk City into the unnamed great city at the center of Dusk Province. Matters of the capital and the province at large were entrusted to Zhao Zhicheng.

The man had earned Lu Yun’s great approval. The last time the Exalted Immortal Sect had invaded Dusk, he’d chosen to try to stop the sect, rather than join them.

The central city was now densely populated, even more so than Xiankan. Judging by nothing but the state of this city, Dusk was already shaping up to be the future sacred land.

What could be found in the marketplace were things that many could only dream about having—void realm methods, ancient talismans, ancient formations, even some flawless primordial combat arts. Whatever one sought, one could find.

The Azure Dragon King stood by Lu Yun and Qing Yu’s side, marvelling at the scene.

“How much longer will it take for the Dao Flower to heal?” Qing Yu asked with a frown, staring at the Dao Flower from the top of the city wall. The flower’s recovery was slow, and it was floating northward.

“About a month and a half.” Lu Yun’s expression was dark as well. It seemed that the Dao Flower’s complete recovery would coincide with his tribulation.

More alarmingly, the Dao Flower would have drifted out of Dusk Province then. Once it crossed the border and reached the North Sea, it would be even more difficult for Lu Yun to refine it.

The restriction in Dusk prevented many immortals from entering, but they wouldn’t have anything to worry about once the flower exited Dusk’s borders.

The projection of the Dao Flower was a great treasure, and just because it was a projection didn’t mean it didn’t share properties with the real thing. Acquiring the flower would enable one to further comprehend the immortal dao and make a great leap in strength.

Even immortals who hadn’t experienced the void realm would be as powerful as void-ascended immortals after refining it.

All eyes in the world were now on the slowly healing projection.

……

“Sir,” Zhao Zhicheng transmitted to Lu Yun’s mind. “Yellow Springs Land has sent a messenger. You are invited to the Yellow Springs Court.”

Lu Yun’s eyebrow arched. As expected.