Chapter 50: The Tyrannical Luohe Shenjun

Members of the Six Lords Alliance, through the ruined buildings, could barely make out the figures of Luo Feng, Baiwu Jun, and Qiu Feng Jun; these ordinary members trembled with fear and dared not approach.

Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun were filled with terror, fearing they would meet the same fate as Qianyan Jun.

“It has nothing to do with us,” Baiwu Jun hurriedly said.

“That was Qianyan Jun’s prey; she would never allow us to interfere,” Qiu Feng Jun added. “Besides, we warned her—after all, it’s the family of an Eternal True God who died. We shouldn’t make it look too brutal. She wouldn’t listen!”

Baiwu Jun also said: “Most of the Eternal True Gods in Huyang City know each other. We must restrain ourselves. But Qianyan Jun was insane, acting recklessly…”

Luo Feng slightly frowned.

Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun immediately fell silent.

“My intelligence also confirms Qianyan Jun was responsible. So you’ve escaped death,” Luo Feng said coldly.

Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun secretly exhaled in relief; only when facing this Luohe Shenjun did they feel suffocating pressure. They had no doubt that if he so much as disagreed, he would crush them.

“I killed Qianyan Jun, the one who directly acted. As for you five, fine—I’ll spare your lives on the condition you pay 300,000 Cosmic Sands.” Luo Feng said calmly.

“300,000 Cosmic Sands?” Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun exchanged glances, then immediately used their communication tokens to contact the other three companions.

They feared Luohe Shenjun.

But 300,000 Cosmic Sands was indeed a massive fortune—each of the five of them would have to contribute 60,000 Cosmic Sands! They themselves consumed vast resources for cultivation, needed to buy lineages and secret treasures and weapons; most couldn’t afford this much.

“Luohe Shenjun, we’ve already contacted the other three companions,” Baiwu Jun said flatteringly. “But we’ve spent heavily on our own cultivation and can’t spare much Cosmic Sands.”

“If you can’t pay, you can die,” Luo Feng said, looking at them. He felt no sympathy whatsoever for the Eternal True Gods of the Dark Forces.

“No, no…” Qiu Feng Jun explained. “We could sell our secret treasures and weapons to gather some Cosmic Sands, but in the past twenty-plus eons, we’ve never offended you, Shenjun. We had no part in the Qi Feng family affair—we’re innocent! Could you pity us and reduce the penalty? 300,000 Cosmic Sands is a crushing burden.”

“Now the Dark Forces are talking reason?” Luo Feng smiled faintly at them. “Aren’t you always hunting? Don’t you freely choose countless prey within your own territories and slaughter them at will? Did those prey ever wrong you?”

Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun fell silent.

“You kill and plunder all life for your own gain. Every last one of you deserves death—none are innocent! But the Origin Continent is full of you; I’m just a minor Eternal True God and can’t control it all. Yet when you cross my path, I kill you or punish you—and now you dare complain?” Luo Feng looked at them. “Since you’re haggling, your price for survival has changed—it’s now 500,000 Cosmic Sands.”

“Your six Six Lords Alliance Eternal True Gods must pay 500,000 Cosmic Sands to live. If you can’t pay, die,” Luo Feng said calmly. “I give you one day to prepare.”

“500,000 Cosmic Sands?” Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun trembled.

“Any objections?” Luo Feng looked at them.

“No objections, none at all,” Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun immediately shook their heads, no longer daring to argue.

“By the way, please deliver a message to the three Eternal True Gods of Yunbao Tower,” Luo Feng instructed. “Tell them that since Yunbao Tower seized the resources of two major families, and since they didn’t slaughter indiscriminately, their penalty is the same as yours—500,000 Cosmic Sands. They have one day to prepare.”

“Yunbao Tower’s penalty is also 500,000 Cosmic Sands?” Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun suddenly felt somewhat better.

It seemed misfortune wasn’t limited to the Six Lords Alliance.

“We’ll deliver the message,” Baiwu Jun and the other replied at once.

“You have only one day.”

Luo Feng finished speaking, gathered the Qi Feng siblings—who had been trembling in the corner—and left with Mo Luo Sa.

Whoosh.

In a few steps, they were already beyond the Six Lords Alliance headquarters, then boarded a flying vessel and soared into the sky.

Baiwu Jun and Qiu Feng Jun watched silently.

“Even the City Lord’s mansion bowed before this Luohe Shenjun. We can’t resist,” Qiu Feng Jun sighed.

“That fool Qianyan Jun—I told you before, don’t hunt Eternal True God factions. It brings endless trouble. She’s dead, fine—but now each of us must pay 100,000 Cosmic Sands.”

“Liu’an Jun is also a fool—he told us to negotiate with Luohe Shenjun. That negotiation raised the price from 300,000 to 500,000 Cosmic Sands,” Qiu Feng Jun growled in rage.

“Since Luohe Shenjun told us to deliver the message, we’ll pass it on to Yunbao Tower,” Baiwu Jun immediately pulled out his communication token and sent the message.

…

Yunbao Tower’s branch in Huyang City was guarded by three Eternal True Gods.

Yunbao Tower was backed by a Chaos Dominator, so even its branch was respected in Huyang City; no one dared provoke it lightly. Even the Shiguo forces avoided conflict with such a major faction’s branch.

“What?” The head of Yunbao Tower and his two deputy heads were stunned upon hearing the news.

“This Luohe Shenjun has audacity! He dares demand 500,000 Cosmic Sands from us?”

“Yunbao Tower was founded by Lord Tianbao! How dare he insult us so?”

Who in Huyang City didn’t give them some respect?

Major faction branches were relatively aloof; though inferior to the Yanfeng Guild branch, they still mingled regularly with the Five Great Families.

“What do we do?” The Yunbao Tower head’s body was wreathed in black mist; a massive single eye glowed with fury.

“This Luohe Shenjun is too much. But we can’t report this to the Marquis. First, this was us profiting privately—he’d punish us severely if he found out. Second, Yunbao Tower operates in nearly every city of the Yu Kingdom; the volume of affairs is countless—he won’t bother with such trivial matters.”

Because the Marquis was too lazy to care, only monitoring final accounts, they dared to profit under the Yunbao Tower name.

If three ordinary Eternal True Gods forcibly seized the resources of two expert array masters’ families, they’d suffer heavy backlash. Even Qianyan Jun had to kill to force resource transfers.

But with the Yunbao Tower name, they could intimidate all sides and clean up the matter silently.

Over long ages, they’d grown expert at such things.

The income issued by Yunbao Tower was too meager. This kind of profiteering was where they truly made their fortune.

“500,000 Cosmic Sands is too much,” the head said. “I’ll visit Wei Shenjun. If he’s willing to help, he can resolve this.”

The two deputy heads nodded. “Yes, Wei Shenjun.”

“If Wei Shenjun helps, this is just a minor matter.”

500,000 Cosmic Sands meant they’d have to sell their armor and weapons—half their lives would be drained. Naturally, they wanted to delay.

Lord Tianbao wouldn’t care about such trifles, and they dared not tell him, so they had to solve it themselves.

After much thought, the Five Great Families wouldn’t dare anger Luohe Shenjun—they could only rely on Wei Shenjun.

“I’m going now,” the Yunbao Tower head said without delay and immediately visited Wei Shenjun.

…

Not long after.

The Yunbao Tower head returned.

“How did it go?” The two deputy heads sensed something was wrong—if there’d been good news, he’d have sent a message already.

!

The Yunbao Tower head’s massive single eye was filled with humiliation: “Wei Shenjun refused. She scolded us and ordered us to hand over the 500,000 Cosmic Sands. According to her judgment of Luohe Shenjun, if we don’t pay, he’ll act.”

“Would Luohe dare kill us?” One deputy head panicked.

“He killed the Five Great Families—do you think he’d hesitate to kill us? Alas, the Marquis won’t interfere in our Eternal True God disputes,” the Yunbao Tower head shook his head. “Fine. We’ll endure Luohe. He’s so arrogant—he’ll have his comeuppance.”

“Killing the Five Great Families, threatening us—this arrogance will bring backlash,” the two deputy heads lamented, heartbroken over the Cosmic Sands.

“We three will each contribute part,” the Yunbao Tower head said.

“Before, you took half the profits, we split the rest. This time, same deal—you pay 250,000 Cosmic Sands, we two together pay 250,000,” the two deputy heads stood together; they were far poorer than the head.

“I can’t afford 250,000 Cosmic Sands now.”

“Sell your treasures. Borrow if you must.”

…

“This Luohe Shenjun is ruthless—he demands a full 500,000 Cosmic Sands from the Six Lords Alliance?” The Six Lords Alliance was also struggling to gather the sum.

That day.

Luo Feng’s forced intrusion into the Six Lords Alliance headquarters wasn’t hidden; the news naturally spread through Huyang City. Both the Six Lords Alliance and Yunbao Tower’s heads and deputies scrambled to sell treasures for Cosmic Sands, and the news slowly leaked out.

Killing Qianyan Jun, demanding 500,000 Cosmic Sands each from the Six Lords Alliance and Yunbao Tower?

The news drew sidelong glances from all factions in Huyang City. After twenty-plus eons of silence, Luohe Shenjun remained as tyrannical as ever.

“Luohe Shenjun.”

Baiwu Jun and the Yunbao Tower head came together to Tianyan Gate to visit Luo Feng!

Luo Feng’s temporary stay at Tianyan Gate was no secret to Huyang City’s Eternal True Gods.

“They came within a day,” Luo Feng rose, Shentian Yan and Mo Luo Sa following close behind.

“We were reckless and angered Shenjun. Please forgive us,” Baiwu Jun respectfully offered a jade vial. “Here is the full 500,000 Cosmic Sands.”

“Forgive us, Shenjun,” the Yunbao Tower head now dared no arrogance, offering his own jade vial. “Here is 500,000 Cosmic Sands. We’ve also properly relocated the two families’ descendants.”

Shentian Yan watched this scene, silently moved.

Shentian Yan’s disciples, and the rescued Qi Feng siblings, all watched from afar.

Two major factions of Huyang City bowed respectfully, handed over 500,000 Cosmic Sands, and dared not utter a single complaint. This scene deeply impacted the disciples and the Qi Feng siblings.

“That’s enough. You may leave,” Luo Feng took the two jade vials, his spiritual power sweeping through them to confirm not a single Cosmic Sand was missing.

Baiwu Jun and the Yunbao Tower head bowed and departed.

After they left, the distant disciples began whispering.

“Did you see Luohe Shenjun’s might?” A woman beside Moyu Liuxing exclaimed. “Liuxing, I heard you once had the chance to follow Luohe Shenjun? You turned it down?”

“I was unwilling to take the risk,” Moyu Liuxing smiled at his wife. “I gave it up, but eventually, it was my second brother who followed the Shenjun—and I came to Tianyan Gate and met you, my senior sister.”

The woman smiled, sighing. “But you truly missed a great opportunity.” She felt sorry for her husband.

She knew well how vital a great opportunity was on the path of cultivation.

…

Shentian Yan walked beside Luo Feng within Tianyan Gate.

“In one day, a million Cosmic Sands—paid willingly. I’ve learned something today,” Shentian Yan sighed.

“The three dead Eternal True Gods—their families must be suffering now,” Luo Feng said. “I know you’ll care for them. But since I gained wealth from them, I should offer something.”

Luo Feng handed Shentian Yan a jade vial. “It’s not much—only 30,000 Cosmic Sands. Use it to care for those three families.”

“30,000 Cosmic Sands is plenty. Most Eternal True Gods couldn’t gather this much even if they sold everything,” Shentian Yan said. “Just relocating descendants—it doesn’t require so much.”

“Arrange it as you see fit,” Luo Feng placed the jade vial in Shentian Yan’s hand.

Shentian Yan no longer refused.

Luo Feng looked at the night sky in the distance: “I’m going to enter seclusion for a while; you must be careful.”

I’ve accumulated enough wealth; it’s time for the third body refinement.

——

Thank you to the new Patron: Mahuan de Rensheng Tuzao

(End of chapter)