Chapter 99: Tian Shang Appears in the World

The others glared angrily, having just been rebuked by the Elder; their shame had nowhere to vent, and when they saw Lu Fan strolling over, they instantly turned on him, their true qi surging and locking onto his aura, as if a single command from the Elder would tear Lu Fan to pieces.

"Heaven and Earth Pavilion? So you are people of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion!"

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, as if saying "I see," then laughed and said, "The appearance of Tian Shang should be merely accidental, but judging by your demeanor, it seems you were prepared. A blood sacrifice of a nation? Divining the heavens? That's what you just mentioned, right? I wonder if those divinations contain any other information?"

He was absolutely certain that Tian Shang's appearance was summoned by the willpower of his original body's magical image, but the people before him must have obtained some foreknowledge from the divination, likely related to him, and he was intrigued.

Nalan Zhenghong's aged face suddenly grew solemn, his expression one of disbelief, "What are you saying, this blood disc is called Tian Shang? Have you ever seen it?" He, too, wore a startled look, but he did not bring up Lu Fan's issue, clearly unwilling to reveal the divine insight obtained from the divination.

Lu Fan instantly saw through the other's scheming, shook his head slightly, and said, "I already told you! This thing is mine; I naturally know what it's called."

He paused briefly, then earnestly warned, "Tian Shang is a world‑ending divine artifact, its power boundless; not just anyone can subdue it. I advise you to return it now, lest your Heaven and Earth Pavilion invite disaster!"

But those words sounded like a colossal joke to the other; his complexion instantly turned cold, and he snorted, "Pretending to be divine! A true artifact would never belong to a nameless youngster like you. You seem young; you must have used some treasure to get here! Hand it over, and I'll spare your life!"

He said so, yet his brows showed no hint of contempt. The other's cultivation appeared ordinary, seemingly that of a Fourth‑Stage Bone‑Tempering Great Martial Master. Yet his aura was exceedingly strange, and his presence here meant he could not be treated as an ordinary youth.

Everyone around was extraordinary and found Lu Fan extremely odd. In their hearts they silently speculated: perhaps he was possessed by the spirit of a legendary old monster, or perhaps he practiced a special technique, rendering his outward aura and cultivation irrelevant.

Lu Fan smiled lightly, seeing through the thoughts of those before him. The more abnormal, the more inscrutable, and the more hesitant they became to act.

If it were someone like Radi, a Martial Sovereign, they would surely act without hesitation and seize him at once. In his current state he could not possibly be a match. He arrived through empty space, a mere illusion; though bolstered by massive willpower, he was still rootless driftweed, unable to wield many techniques.

"Old man, I have no time for idle talk," he shouted, lightly slapping the blood‑colored wheel, and surprisingly took the first move before the gathering Martial Emperors.

It was merely a light, airy palm strike with little force, yet once released it formed in mid‑air and shot rapidly toward the blood‑colored wheel.

"Stop him!"

Nalan Zhenghong let out a sharp command, and two Martial Emperors instantly sprang out, one on each side, flying toward the palm shadow.

The two Seventh‑Stage Martial Emperors, such esteemed figures, joining forces against a Fourth‑Stage Great Martial Master—if word got out, it would be a joke no one would believe.

"Thump"—two booming sounds rang out, and the two Martial Emperors could not block Lu Fan's palm strike; they staggered and were thrown away.

"What? What's happening? He's only a Great Martial Master, yet his power is so overwhelming!"

"Impossible—could I have misread? This kid truly has only Great Martial Master cultivation, yet the force of that palm, even a peak Martial Emperor might not easily wield!"

The crowd was stunned into silence, while Nalan Zhenghong's gaze shifted to the blood‑light wheel.

The palm shadow struck it, yet blood‑light swirled, misting and steaming, with not a trace of force dissipating; instead it seemed to be absorbed.

"Wait, so you were manipulating that blood disc. The force of that palm was actually the artifact's lethal aura erupting, condensing in mid‑air onto your palm shadow, just enough to wound the two Seventh‑Stage Martial Emperors!"

Nalan Zhenghong suddenly understood, staring at Lu Fan with an incredulous, horrified look, as if something had occurred to him.

Lu Fan gave a meaning‑laden glance and said, "Your insight is sharp; you must have thought of that divination! Speak it out! No more concealment!"

As soon as his words fell, the elder's face turned pale, staring at Lu Fan as if to see through his true form, snarling, "The divination was indeed accurate; you are that Outer Realm Demon, the calamity of my Tian Yuan Realm!"

Lu Fan's gaze hardened, his whole demeanor suddenly sharp, and in a cold voice he asked, "Outer Realm Demon? What do you mean? Does the divination contain any other information?"

He is not a native of the Tian Yuan Realm; he merely inhabited this body by chance. Calling him an outsider fits, but the label "demon" is beyond discussion.

Of course, he cared little for that. It was problematic, however, that the opponent's divination could discern his origin and had even pre‑set a formation here to seize Tian Shang.

Nalan Zhenghong stared at Lu Fan with a grave expression, growing increasingly uneasy. The other's cultivation was so weak it could be ignored, yet his aura was extraordinary. In a hazy way he could not see clearly. More importantly, the blood‑colored wheel continuously emitted a mysterious aura that seemed to interact with him.

This was significant. The opponent's earlier words might not have been idle; the artifact truly belonged to him. Coupled with the divination, it became even more astonishing.

He seemed to recall something terrifying, his complexion turning horrified, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your own identity, do I need to elaborate?" He turned his head slightly, glanced at the Tian Shang Blood Wheel, and growled:

"We of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion spent a huge price to barely capture this artifact from the chaotic void currents; we will never hand it to you—give up your hopes!"

The others also glared angrily, seeming to sense the Elder's resolve; each again circulated their true qi, ready to strike. Should any situation turn unfavorable, they would immediately attack Lu Fan.

Although the opponent appeared inscrutable, even lightly striking the two Seventh‑Stage Martial Emperors, he was borrowing the artifact's power; his own strength was likely ordinary.

Lu Fan's gaze roamed, observing everyone's expressions, moods, and movements, yet he remained indifferent, smiling faintly:

"Whether you reveal the divination or not matters little; such celestial mysteries are inherently elusive. The wondrous fate of the void is not predetermined, and I don't care!"

Nalan Zhenghong and the others were slightly stunned, not expecting the youth before them to speak so. The other was likely the master of the Tian Shang Blood Wheel, and anyone who possesses such an artifact is a peak powerhouse; yet he was so easy‑going, which was abnormal.

Considering Lu Fan's displayed cultivation, the group suddenly realized. He must have endured great tribulation, which is why the artifact ended up here.

"No more waiting; everyone, strike together and seize him!"

The Elder's expression hardened viciously; though he was already seventy‑or‑eighty percent sure of Lu Fan's weakness, he still ordered all the sect's masters to give their all. He himself also unleashed his full force, condensing massive spiritual energy into a hurricane that surged toward Lu Fan.

Seeing the scene, Lu Fan nodded and praised, "Not bad! Very cautious! With your peak Seal Emperor cultivation, your temperament can still be like this; before your limit, you might still ascend to the Eighth‑Stage Seal Sect and revive your vitality!"

Nalan Zhenghong sneered, treating the other's words as a disturbance to his mind. The spiritual vortex not only remained unmoved but grew several times stronger.

"Bang!"

Without any hindrance, the vortex swept around Lu Fan, its momentum surging and exploding. Though the void had been sealed by a formation as solid as rock, it shattered, space ripples flaring, terrifying turbulence erupting.

"Boom—boom—boom!"

Another dozen attacks followed in succession, each with terrifying force, the pinnacle strikes of Martial Emperors. The space ripples merged, amplifying the power, turning the void here into chaotic spatial turbulence, colliding repeatedly.

"Is he dead? He looks like his cultivation is modest, yet he gives me a terrifying vibe I've never seen even on the Pavilion Master!"

"He appears only a Great Martial Master, but seems to have some attainment in spiritual power, likely a third‑ or fourth‑stage Seal cultivator. Yet the method that injured me just now was terrifying. Though it was the lethal aura of that blood disc artifact, there was no sign at all; if not for the Elder's words, it would be sheer miracle!"

The Martial Emperors debated wildly, faces astonished, staring fixedly at the spatial turbulence. If they fell into it, there would be no burial ground. Reason told them the opponent couldn't survive, yet a vague premonition suggested it wasn't that simple.

Nalan Zhenghong's expression grew especially solemn; he was certain the opponent was the one described in the blood‑sacrifice divination. Though he now seemed powerless, his methods could not be so simple. To resolve it so easily must hide something.

"Hehe, everyone stop looking! I'm right here!"

A light laugh rang out; everyone turned pale and spun around. On the blood‑colored wheel, Lu Fan stood proudly, hands behind his back, his posture unchanged, as if he had teleported out of thin air.

"Spatial divine skill? That's impossible; this void has already been sealed by my great formation. Even if you possess a Great Mage's teleportation ability, you cannot use it!"

Nalan Zhenghong wore a face of disbelief, but more so bewilderment.

He himself was a peak Seal Emperor, a Seventh‑Stage Great Mage. He had seen countless wondrous divine skills, yet none compared to the scene before him.