The Pelagic World. The Pelagic Orb contained a real minor world!

Situ Zong could unleash it right after completing an initial refinement of the treasure. The power of a standalone world rendered even arcane dao immortals helpless, and the treasure seized them without difficulty.

Nevertheless, Situ Zong hadn’t fully refined the Pelagic Orb yet. He could trap the Witherdew immortals, but not kill them. After all, there were still two arcane dao immortals among them.

Initial arcane dao immortal came right after peak aether dao immortal realm, but the differences between the two were night and day. Only by fully refining the Pelagic Orb could Situ Zong kill arcane dao immortals.

“Young lords!” With a wave of his hand, Situ Zong scattered the world of pure water and handed the greyish orb back to Qing Han with both hands, his longing gaze firmly glued to the treasure.

“Keep it,” Qing Han said with a smile when he noted Situ Zong’s expression. “I’m not taking the Cosmic Skycarver from you without giving you something back.”

Situ Zong then glanced at Lu Yun. Only when he received a nod of approval did he put the orb away with great delight.

“Don’t use it in public, though,” Lu Yun cautioned solemnly, “or you’ll be in a world of trouble.”

“Hahaha!” Situ Zong laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, young lord. We of the Star Demon Sect fear no trouble!”

He was a peak aether dao immortal and he’d gained a treasure that perfectly fit his abilities. He’d never felt more confident than he was now. A little trouble didn’t seem to warrant any consideration at all.

“Was the treasure acquired through unscrupulous means?” he asked in sudden realization.

Lu Yun and Qing Han shrugged in unison.

“Hehehe, the young lords worry too much. The Star Demon Sect is the greatest demon sect in the world of immortals. Not even the leaders of the nine majors, ten lands, and four immortal seas can do anything to us!”

Self-satisfaction percolated through his expression. He’d even just kidnapped the two arcane dao immortals from Witherdew Major without hesitation. Once they left the dragon tomb, he planned to make the Witherdew court ransom the two of them.

The sect was currently the greatest demon faction in the world. Even the Skandha Range, the so-called demon sacred land, paled in comparison.

The Skandha Range was a loosely-organized group, with the mountain range in Dusk Province being its only semblance of a homebase. It wasn’t a sect, per se. Despite the great solidarity it inspired, it wasn’t as powerful as the Star Demon Sect.

That was, of course, if one didn’t consider the fact that the sect was actually part of the Skandha Range itself.

“That’s good.” Lu Yun nodded. “It seems that I’ve worried too much. Considering the sect’s power, you aren’t going to fear the North Sea court, are you?”

“That’s right. Just a North Sea—” Situ Zong widened his eyes and turned to Situ Yun in confusion. “Wait, the North Sea court?!”

Situ Yun and the other disciples exchanged befuddled glances as well. A bad feeling about all this was creeping up on them.

“Did you take the Pelagic Orb from elites of the North Sea court, young lord?” Situ Zong asked delicately, pushing aside baseless speculation.

“I raided the North Sea palace,” Lu Yun said bluntly, “and found it in their vault.”

Situ Zong and the others felt as if the rug had been pulled out from beneath their feet.

The Pelagic Orb suddenly felt scorching hot in Situ Zong’s hand. He wanted to thrust the treasure back to Qing Han, but the perfect match between the treasure and his own power made him more than a bit reluctant. Conflicted emotions clashed against each other in his chest as his heart pounded in involuntary excitement.

Meanwhile, Situ Yun and other younger immortals looked at Lu Yun with strange expressions. Though they’d been exploring the dragon tomb, they weren’t completely cut off from the outside world. Communication talismans still maintained a connection with those outside, and news about the North Sea Palace happenings had reached them over the past few days.

The plaque that read ‘North Sea, Home of Worms’, the raid on the North Sea palace… and then the theft of the entire palace itself.

Emperor Beigong Xuan, who’d reached the heart of the dragon tomb, had just about lost his mind. He’d sent his trusted subordinate Bing Xuan to deal with the issue, but the arcane dao immortal had then gone missing as well.

Hearing the two youths admit to their crime, Situ Zong could barely keep himself upright.

“Are you really responsible for that, young lords?” Situ Yun’s eyes lit up.

“Why should we lie?” Qing Han understood Lu Yun’s intentions. When Witherdew Major asked Situ Zong for the Cosmic Skycarver in exchange for leniency, he’d agreed immediately. It wasn’t that he feared death, but that he wanted to protect Lu Yun and Qing Han.

Therefore, it wouldn’t do them any harm to tell Situ Zong and the others the truth. In fact, it would enable Situ Zong to have the sect prepare for coming danger.

Lu Yun didn’t think he’d be able to keep the secret for very long. The North Sea court would find clues leading them to him, sooner or later. Even if Beigong Xuan couldn’t find the real perpetrators, he’d pin the blame on Lu Yun anyway, using it as an excuse to invade Dusk Province.

There were signs that the North Sea was already prepared for such an invasion. Even Ingress Island and the Dark North Sword Sect had similar plans.

……

The sudden emergence of the two young lords had been met with skepticism from some of the disciples of the Star Demon Sect, but now all skeptics were looking at Lu Yun and Qing Han with eyes shining of hero worship.

Only now did they truly accept the two youths. They were no regular young lords, but their most venerated masters, their most revered on high! They had the grit and strength to raid the North Sea court!

The Star Demon Sect venerated the powerful. Even though Qing Han had restored the Dao Flower, and Lu Yun had protected it, they considered it blind luck for the two to have stumbled upon the flower.

Lu Yun being the top youth sovereign meant nothing to them. Without ascending to immortality, all cultivators were mere ants.

Now, their attitudes went through a complete reversal. No one questioned Lu Yun’s words. What they’d just admitted to would make them an enemy of all the North Sea monster spirits! No one would touch the crime with a ten-foot pole, let alone admit to being the ones responsible.

“Where else in the North Sea are you going to find such connate-grade treasures?” Qing Han remarked with a smile. “Alright, refine the Pelagic Orb. You’ll be of use later!”