Lu Yun ignored Ge Yanxia. The old hag was covered in so much retribution that it would be child’s play for him to kill her.

Who knew what she’d done to accumulate so much of it so quickly? It’d only been a day since he’d seen her last, but she’d almost condensed retribution fruits from all the bad karma about her! In fact, if she underwent her tribulation right now, Lu Yun was certain of a nasty and grisly death. 

Lu Yun and Qing Yu were standing shoulder to shoulder, while Li Youcai, the Lin brothers, and the others lined up behind them. The little fox lazed comfortably on Lin Xuan’s head. For whatever reason, she found the top of his head safer than Qing Yu’s bosom.

Qi Hai had brought several dozen people as well. Lu Yun recognized nearly all of them—elites of Destiny City. A familiar face—the city lord’s first disciple, Xi Yingchen, was among them.

Exalted Major had sent far more people, with a full contingent of thirty thousand immortals. Since they were mobilizing in order to slay the demon fetus, the Exalted celestial emperor wouldn’t hold back here.

Over the last three days, he’d reformed his entire domain. Every faction in the major, including the Exalted Immortal Sect, was brought to heel—at least on the surface. This time, however, the emperor wasn’t placing all of his trust in the old guard. Most of the immortals he’d secretly trained since ascending to the throne had turned out as well. Of the thirty thousand, more than two-thirds were unquestionably loyal to him.

……

“Why are so few of you here?” Donglin Taihuang colored when he saw Lu Yun’s entourage. He’d planned to use this opportunity to secretly assassinate some of Dusk Province’s true elites… but none of them were here.

Among the people before him, the strongest was a strange fatty… an arcane immortal?

Sure, he had the power of heaven and earth about him, which meant he had the appropriate formation etched within, but considering his foundation, it was obvious that someone had used special methods to raise him to his current level. What point was there in taking out trash like him?

The other two were even worse. Two void realm cultivators! What good were cultivators for? Was every cultivator in the world as absurdly strong as Lu Yun or Sword Divine?

And the one with the fox on top of his head, what in the heavens was he holding? A book??

Although it looked like a treasure, it was no more than a spirit weapon. In Donglin Taihuang’s opinion, the tiniest flare of immortal energy would utterly destroy it. Why was the kid reading a book, anyway?

Immortals and cultivators only needed to extend their consciousnesses into jade slips to learn their contents. What need was there for books?

Only mortals used such baubles. Had Lu Yun recruited these two handsome cultivators from... the mortal world?!

Normally, Donglin Taihuang would’ve recognized the two formation geniuses of the Lin clan, but Lu Yun had altered their appearances and auras with Shapeshifting Talismans. Despite his nearly origin dao cultivation, Donglin Taihuang couldn’t see through the veil.

“What, was I supposed to bring an army?” Lu Yun looked curiously at his rival and seemed to remember something. “I still haven’t canceled the hundred billion bounty on you from Destiny City, have I? It’s in effect even now.”

As soon as his words fell, the atmosphere stretched taut.

Many immortals locked on to Donglin Taihuang, who immediately started sweating profusely. He was incredibly strong, and had many trump cards up his sleeve, but who knew what dangers the divine tomb held? Anything could happen in there. If someone wanted to stab him in the back, he had little defense against it.

Donglin Taihuang was sure that plenty would be moved by such an incredible sum. The only question was a matter of who.

“Hmph! Mind your own business.” He swept Lu Yun and Qing Yu with a murderous glare, then focused on Qing Yu. “I know that you’re that Qing woman with the cosmic constitution… you’ll be mine, sooner or later.”

Having said his piece, Donglin Taihuang peered at Qing Yu with undisguised perversion before turning to leave.

“One trillion immortal crystals. Ten lord-grade fortress ships. Whoever kills Donglin Taihuang and delivers his nascent spirit to me will receive these rewards.” Lu Yun’s voice cut through the air.

Boom—

Mass chaos now reigned at the foot of Mount Exalted.

Donglin Taihuang stopped sharply in his tracks. His face flickered between bleakness and pallor while fury burned in his eyes. How… how was he supposed to survive this?!

A trillion crystals? Ten lord-grade ships? That was enough to have the entire world baying for his blood!

He deeply regretted upsetting the madman here, of all places. Yes, Lu Yun was a madman! He was perfectly willing and capable of absolutely anything!

However, what happened next plunged Donglin Taihuang deeper into despair.

“From this moment forth, Dusk Province breaks all ties with House Donglin. Every Donglin beneath the sun is our enemy!

“As lord of Dusk Province, I hereby proclaim bounties for clan extermination. Anyone who slays a member of House Donglin may bring their nascent spirit or head back to Dusk Province for a reward!” Lu Yun called out into the dazed crowd.

“The life of a Donglin cultivator merits ten thousand premium crystals! The life of a Donglin void-realm immortal, one hundred million!”

“For ordinary immortals: a hundred thousand for true, two hundred for empyrean, five hundred for august, a million for golden, five million for arcane, and ten million for peerless!

“Void-ascended immortals will fetch one billion premium crystals! Any aether dao immortal will be compensated with crystal cannons according to the number of their dao fruits! Any arcane dao immortal, lord-grade ships for the same!

“For the head of Donglin Taihuang, ten lord-grade ships and one trillion premium crystals! The bounty is effective from this day forth, lasting unto perpetuity! Even if I die, as long as Dusk Province remains, it will be valid forever. One of us will be annihilated in this feud, there is no other resolution.”

As he reached the end, Lu Yun gradually calmed down. He was truly furious this time. If he hadn’t unleashed his anger like this, he didn’t know what he would’ve done instead. His emotions were being swayed by something indescribable.

All color vanished from Donglin Taihuang’s face. Lu Yun must die, Dusk Province must be razed to the ground! Hysteria flashed through his eyes.

“Even if Dusk Province falls, the bounty shall remain valid for as long as the Panorama Pavilion exists,” a different voice suddenly boomed through heaven and earth.

“The Merchants of Creation as well!”

“The Starcatch Atelier...”

……

All thirteen masters of the merchant guilds that’d worked with Dusk Province in the past joined in on issuing the bounty.

“Anyone who wishes to collect need not visit Dusk Province. You may receive the same reward from any of our branches.”

“Many thanks, my friends.” Lu Yun cupped his fists to salute the empty air. He’d guessed the masters of the thirteen guilds would follow him to Exalted Major very quickly.

Their influence was felt all over the world, and they had smokescreens available everywhere. Moreover, all thirteen were nine-fruit arcane dao experts with innumerable treasures. Even the Exalted celestial emperor would be hard-pressed to notice them without being informed beforehand.