Chapter 264: You All, Come Together!

Compared to the shock and suspicion of Zhulong Heavenly Monarch, his disciples, and the others.

At this moment, Lu Yuan stood quietly in the void, calm and composed.

He naturally had not used his full strength in the exchange just now, but even so, it was enough to present an overwhelming advantage over Zhulong Heavenly Monarch.

In fact, had the other party's Profound Insight True Eye not possessed the ability to perceive the Nine Netherworlds and see through the void, he would have been invincible using only the Supernatural Power of Flying Body and Tracing Tracks.

Furthermore, the foundation of the life-bound Sword Pill condensed by his 【Sword Technique】 Supernatural Power was still somewhat lacking; after all, the Seven Star Dragon Abyss sword used as the embryo was, at best, a material from the Lower Realm. Even though he later added many high-quality metal Spirit Materials from the Upper Realm to smelt it, the time spent refining the Sword Pill was truly too short, resulting in the Sword Pill being only at the level of a high-grade Fourth-Rank Spirit Treasure, and even with the enhancement of his Supernatural Power, its might could not be fully unleashed.

Otherwise, with that sword strike just now, he should have directly pierced through Zhulong Heavenly Monarch's protective Dharma robe and physical body, rather than just leaving a shallow sword mark.

At this time, Zhulong Heavenly Monarch was also sending a Divine Sense transmission to Kong Linsen and Wei Bufan:

"Have either of you been controlled by him through secret restrictions?"

The two responded simultaneously via telepathy:

"We have not."

"For some reason, this person seems to have deliberately triggered the Lingxiao Spirit Protecting Talisman in the disciple's mind to let you know..."

Zhulong Heavenly Monarch became even more solemn:

"I have never heard of such astonishing Supernatural Power and methods; could this person have just popped out of a crack in a rock?"

As a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he was not only well-versed in the top-tier cultivators of the Xiyanzhou but also had sufficient understanding of the other two major continents.

Zhongtian, Nanchan, and Xiyan—these three continents have a total of thirty-four Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Apart from the eleven Heavenly Monarchs in the Xiyanzhou, the relatively barren Nanchan Continent possesses eight, while the Zhongtian Continent, with the vastest territory and richest resources, has a full fifteen.

Yet, among all these Heavenly Monarchs from other regions, Lu Yuan did not fit the characteristics of any of them; it was as if he had appeared out of thin air, which was undoubtedly a bizarre matter.

After all, when a Nascent Soul cultivator breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, they must endure the Lightning Tribulation and Heart Demon Tribulation, requiring vast resources and Spirit Pulse Dao sites to support them. For these thousands or tens of thousands of years, no matter which Heavenly Monarch broke through, there were traces to follow; there is no such thing as breaking through in some desolate mountain or wild ridge.

Then, when and where did this mysterious and formidable Heavenly Monarch ascend to the Nascent Soul stage?

While his thoughts flashed like lightning and he felt as if facing a great enemy, at this very moment, within the range of his Divine Sense, two powerful surges of Dharma Power were suddenly approaching rapidly from different directions in the far distance.

Lu Yuan, too, instantly sensed the appearance of these two auras and immediately laughed:

"Fellow Daoist Zhulong, your reinforcements have arrived."

These two Dharma Power auras were also quite familiar to him; they were none other than Lingjian Tianjun, whom he had met once ten years ago, and Douzhan Tianjun, who had severely wounded and repelled Shi Mingkong!

Also sensing the rapid approach of these Dharma Power auras, Zhulong Heavenly Monarch instead increased his vigilance to a greater degree:

"Although your Excellency's Supernatural Power is astonishing, you seem to be a bit too arrogant. I will not hide it from you: before I came, I also notified Douzhan Tianjun and Lingjian Tianjun, who are stationed in the outer regions. If you do not provide a reasonable explanation, it is absolutely impossible for you to leave here safely."

Lu Yuan, however, smiled without a word, waiting quietly.

Before long, two beams of immortal light appeared on the horizon, crossing hundreds or thousands of miles at an astonishing speed, descending upon the scene like a white rainbow piercing the sun.

When the immortal light dissipated, Douzhan Tianjun, standing like a mountain and looking like a god, and Lingjian Tianjun, with Sword Qi soaring to the heavens and cutting through the sky, formed a pincer formation to surround Lu Yuan. The former's gaze was cold and stern as he cast it upon Lu Yuan:

"Fellow Daoist Zhulong, is this the person who seized the body of the Longshan Immortal City Lord and held your disciple hostage?"

Zhulong Heavenly Monarch responded with a grave telepathic message:

"It is indeed this person. Two Heavenly Monarchs, be careful; this person's Supernatural Power is astonishing. I do not know why, but he has mastered the power of the void and can merge his physical body into it to traverse the void. If I had not activated my Profound Insight True Eye, it would have been difficult to detect his movements!

I fought a few rounds with this person just now and was at a disadvantage from beginning to end. Two fellow Daoists, do not be careless!"

Merging into the void and putting Zhulong Heavenly Monarch at a disadvantage?

Upon hearing this, Douzhan Tianjun's brows furrowed sharply, and Lingjian Tianjun's expression turned stern.

The former was fine, being a late-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch and one of the top-ranked Heavenly Monarchs of the Xiyanzhou Immortal Alliance. As for Lingjian Tianjun, he was still in the early stage of Nascent Soul, with a cultivation level even inferior to Zhulong Heavenly Monarch, so he naturally could not take this lightly.

Douzhan Tianjun confirmed the target but did not rush to act, instead saying in a low voice:

"My Daoist name is Douzhan. With the catastrophe at hand, Nascent Soul True Monarchs are the pillars supporting the cultivation world. A person like you is likely no nameless figure; why not report your name?"

Surrounded by the three Heavenly Monarchs, Lu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent:

"I am Lu Yuan, a loose cultivator from the mountains and wilds with no Daoist name. I was once a cultivator from the Beihao Continent."

"Beihao Continent?"

Lingjian Tianjun could not help but speak up:

"Among the current Heavenly Monarchs of the Immortal Alliance, there are three who came from the Beihao Continent, but it seems I have never heard of a figure like your Excellency."

Lu Yuan smiled indifferently:

"I have long been hidden in the mountains and forests, so it is only natural that you have not heard of me. There is no need for you all to get to the bottom of my origins; you only need to know that I am a human cultivator and not something transformed from demons, monsters, or evil corpses. What do you all think?"

Douzhan Tianjun's expression was stern and murderous:

"Indeed, with the world-ending catastrophe at hand, we human cultivators should work together and unite all forces that can be united to resist the disaster. However, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, you are harboring evil intentions; not only did you lurk in Longshan Immortal City, but you also refined a Nascent Soul True Monarch into a clone. This is a naked act of the demonic path. How do you explain this?"

Lu Yuan did not say much; he raised his hand and flicked it, and an Image Stone displayed a scene in the void.

The content of the image was exactly the entire process of him exterminating Corpse Demons alone in the Yin Corpse Mountain Range, only for True Monarch Huanglong to secretly follow him and spy on his origins and Supernatural Power!

As the image on the Image Stone played, he explained nonchalantly:

"True Monarch Huanglong being refined into my clone was his own doing. I am accustomed to hiding my name, and my main purpose in hiding my cultivation and coming to Longshan Immortal City was to experiment with my Supernatural Power, while also contributing to resisting the catastrophe. I never expected that True Monarch Huanglong would suspect my origins, spy on me in secret, and even harbor evil intentions. What is wrong with me taking action to exterminate him?"

The image on the Image Stone was vivid, completely restoring True Monarch Huanglong's expression and tone at the time, causing the three Heavenly Monarchs to furrow their brows slightly.

After the image finished playing, Douzhan Tianjun did not get to the bottom of it, but only said slowly:

"Even if the recording is true, given your cultivation and status, you should not have killed him so brutally. Even capturing him and handing him over to the Immortal Alliance would have been acceptable. However, not only did you exterminate him, but you also refined him into your own clone. Such handling is truly lacking in propriety and violates the rules of the Immortal Alliance."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan was not surprised:

"I wonder what you intend to do?"

Douzhan Tianjun's expression was as calm as an ancient well:

"It is very simple. Please trouble yourself to return to the Immortal Alliance with us. After we investigate the situation clearly, the Heavenly Monarchs will decide together whether you have committed any faults and how to deal with them."

Lu Yuan smiled half-heartedly:

"In that case, wouldn't I be the fish on the chopping block? If the Immortal Alliance Heavenly Monarchs are wary and decide to execute me, a person of unknown origin, am I just supposed to stretch out my neck and accept it?"

Because Zhulong Heavenly Monarch had fought Lu Yuan, he knew very well what a thorny existence the other party was, so he immediately said in a deep voice:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you jest. With the catastrophe at hand, the Heavenly Monarchs of the Immortal Alliance are certainly not people who lack a sense of the big picture. A person like you is extremely important in any continent; as long as you are not an evil cultivator or demonic cultivator who has committed heinous crimes and stained your hands with countless blood, the Immortal Alliance would never truly do anything to you."

Lu Yuan still shook his head and said lightly:

"My apologies, even so, I am afraid I cannot comply."

Douzhan Tianjun narrowed his eyes, and an indescribable baleful aura and sense of oppression sealed the void like a vast ocean:

"Your conduct is perverse, treating the Immortal Alliance as nothing, and even turning a deaf ear to our well-intentioned advice and acting willfully. Could it be that you truly think your Supernatural Power and methods are invincible in the world? I have already shown you respect; if you remain stubborn—"

"And what if I turn a deaf ear?"

Hearing this, Lu Yuan laughed heartily and no longer concealed his intent:

"If you want me to go to the Immortal Alliance, that is fine, provided you can defeat me."

"Enough nonsense, all of you, come at me together!"

Boom—!

Before the words had faded, his figure instantly merged into the void. At the same time, pitch-black thunderclouds spread wildly above the heads of Douzhan Tianjun and the other two. Deep within the thunderclouds appeared a scene that was unfathomable and indescribable, as if it had connected to the endless void. Violent, unimaginable thunder was brewing within, and everything was shaking violently. The sound of cracking and shattering was incessant, as if the entire Heaven and Earth were splitting and collapsing!

Having been prepared, Zhulong Heavenly Monarch operated his Dongxuan Sun and Moon True Pupil to the limit, and at the first moment, he vaguely glimpsed Lu Yuan's figure merging into the void:

"He is there!"

At this moment, the Divine Sense of Douzhan Tianjun and Lingjian Tianjun had completely lost Lu Yuan's aura and trail. Even with the reminder from Zhulong Heavenly Monarch, they could not attend to it, because they—and Zhulong Heavenly Monarch himself—first had to face the sky-filling wild thunder tearing through the firmament from the thunderclouds above!

Boom—!

The firmament was blindingly bright. The violent, wild thunder, comparable to Heavenly Thunder, descended like angry dragons. Zhulong and Lingjian, the two Heavenly Monarchs who had perceived or even personally experienced the terrifying power of this thunder, immediately deployed their protective Dharma Artifacts, Talismans, and techniques, assuming a defensive posture.

As for Douzhan Tianjun, his gaze was cold and sharp. He raised his sleeve and waved, and a radiant Eight-Part Pagoda flew out.

All the light in the surroundings collapsed and gathered toward the pagoda in the void, changing from quantitative to qualitative, and from qualitative to fusion in the blink of an eye. In an instant, it rose into the sky like a scorching sun of immense brilliance, its surface burning with vast light and flames, thunder rumbling, brewing an explosion that could shatter Heaven and Earth at every moment. It pressed down so hard that the surrounding void bent and swayed, and an immense, boundless aura of destruction shrouded the entire Heaven and Earth.

Boom!

The next moment, everyone's vision went brilliantly dark, and all phenomena collapsed. Scenes shifted and changed frequently. A loud noise, a hundred or even a thousand times louder than thunder and lightning, crashed between Heaven and Earth. Bolts of angry thunder descended, striking the Dharma Artifacts in front of the three Heavenly Monarchs at a speed that even Divine Sense could not react to. An immeasurable power of destruction immediately caused that area of the void to severely cave in, twist, and distort, like a shattered mirror!

Every bolt of wild thunder caused the void to twist and rupture, sucking in all nearby flames and light. At the same time, countless void cracks like black electricity spread and expanded wildly in all directions, resembling a pitch-black sun, radiating billions of sharp, pitch-black light shuttles capable of slicing through everything in the world.

Under such terrifying power, the protective Dharma Artifacts and protective spiritual light of Lingjian Tianjun and Zhulong Heavenly Monarch began to tremble and wail after only a few strikes, and their expressions changed drastically:

"Careful, this is not ordinary thunder magic!"

"This is the power of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder!?"

"Absurd, how can a Nascent Soul cultivator wield the power of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder!"

The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder is the Heavenly Thunder that Nascent Soul and Spirit Severing cultivators only face when breaking through a major realm; there is not a single cultivator who does not fear it like a tiger.

This kind of destructive power representing the universe of Heaven and Earth is normally something no cultivator can master. Seeing it in Lu Yuan's hands at this moment was simply inconceivable. In just a few breaths, the destructive power under the bombardment of the Heavenly Thunder caused the Dharma Artifacts to wail incessantly, unable to bear it. The high-grade Talismans used for protection were torn to shreds layer by layer. While Zhulong and Lingjian were shocked and furious, their Primordial Spirits also felt intense pain from the connection, and it seemed they would soon be unable to hold on.

Compared to the difficult defense of Zhulong and Lingjian, Douzhan Tianjun's situation was much better. The pagoda he controlled seemed to prop up a piece of Heaven and Earth under the world-destroying thunder, and he immediately shouted:

"Although this Supernatural Power is powerful, it must consume a massive amount of Dharma Power! The two of you, come here and assist me!"

Saying "assist me" was clearly a polite way of putting it. The two Heavenly Monarchs, unable to withstand the wild bombardment of the Heavenly Thunder, shrieked as they flew to the side of Douzhan Tianjun to resist the Heavenly Thunder together with him.

The three Heavenly Monarchs gathered in one place. By joining forces, they barely managed to block the sky-tearing and earth-shattering Heavenly Thunder. However, after a full ten breaths or more, the sky-filling thunderclouds and wild thunder had still not stopped; instead, their momentum grew even more vast, causing Douzhan Tianjun, a late-stage Spirit Severing cultivator, to turn ashen-faced and find himself unable to keep up!

"This person's Dharma Power is unfathomable. We cannot continue to be beaten passively! To capture the bandits, first capture the king!"

Zhulong Heavenly Monarch, who had never been so disheveled, gritted his teeth and suddenly tapped his brow. Then, his left eye became deep and heavy, flames rising, light and fire boundless, forming a scorching sun; his right eye became light and ethereal, frost condensing, clear light flowing, forming a bright moon.

With the formation of this sun and moon, as far as his gaze reached, there was sky-filling true fire of the bright sun, light and magnetism surging, burning Heaven and scorching Earth, illuminating the Great Thousand Worlds, containing vitality within destruction, with bright moonlight and clear radiance everywhere, tides rising and falling, the universe clear, tending toward dead silence in the coldness.

In the void, the power of Yin and Yang acted like two millstones, repeatedly grinding and crushing the real world in opposite directions, converging into the fusion of the sun and moon. Even the void changed color because of it, turning from blindingly bright to a dull, silent black and white.

And in such a scene, even Douzhan Tianjun and Lingjian Tianjun, who had not mastered pupil-based Supernatural Powers, felt that there was vaguely a human figure composed of black and white colors in the void several miles away under the thunderclouds!

"Hah!"

Douzhan Tianjun let out a sharp shout, and the Eight-Part Pagoda above his head shot out a dazzling, majestic, and vast scorching divine light! The divine light was like a thousand suns, burning Heaven and clouds, burning the Great Thousand Worlds, and instantly blasted toward that figure from across the air!