Three terrifying auras erupted at once, threatening to pierce the very fabric of the Void Heaven.

  One came from the Buddha Realm Venerable inside the ancient temple, golden Buddha-light shining everywhere, as if trying to melt away the darkness and cold of the void.

  The other two belonged to the Northern Palace Holy Lord and the Tuoba Holy Lord.

  The combined pressure of Holy Lords and a Venerable seemed capable of annihilating every continent in the Void Heaven.

  Countless living beings trembled beneath the horrifying auras.

  Far away, the hidden wanderers who had been watching were now paralyzed with fear.

  The Black-White Holy Lord and Azure Spirit Holy Lord glanced over in confusion. Why were the Northern Palace and Tuoba Holy Lords—who had come merely to observe—so suddenly agitated?

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord had only just regrown his body and was far from peak condition. His aura flickered unstably.

  He stared at the white-robed youth seated calmly in the Thousand Blades Chair, lips trembling as terrible memories resurfaced.

  Without hesitation—

  He moved.

  The nightmare of being obliterated by a single punch still haunted him.

  Why the hell was he running into this monster again?!

  His face turned ice-cold.

  Last time, he had been unprepared…

  This time, he would run fast enough!

  His primordial spirit seized control of the warship and fled into the distance.

  He had never expected to encounter Lu Ping’an here.

  Something was wrong…

  Hadn’t this youth uprooted the Ancient Emperor’s tomb and taken it back to his top-tier High Martial world?

  Why was he here?

  BOOM!

  The warship roared, crushing frozen continents beneath it. Deeming even that too slow, the Northern Palace Holy Lord abandoned the ship entirely, shouldering it as he fled at full speed.

  Truly, once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of ropes.

  The ferocious bird spread its wings, blotting out the sky.

  Tuoba Holy Lord, seated atop it, let his aura rise and fall.

  Shock gave way to calm.

  He had considered fleeing too, but then realized—he had never offended this white-robed youth. Why run?

  So he stayed.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord’s headlong flight left the others momentarily stunned.

  Especially the Buddha Realm Venerable inside the temple.

  “Amitabha…”

  The Venerable’s expression darkened slightly.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord had agreed to join the expedition—yet before the fight even began, he had fled carrying his warship.

  The Venerable looked toward Tuoba Holy Lord, about to speak.

  But Tuoba said nothing, only giving Lu a deep, meaningful glance.

  Qi Liujia, standing behind Lu, wore a bitter expression.

  Looking at the lonely figure seated in the wheelchair, he sighed.

  That back looked so isolated—as though the weight of the entire world rested on this youth’s shoulders.

  One lonely young man facing a Venerable and multiple Holy Lords.

  How tragic.

  Was the Void Heaven truly forbidden from birthing a High Martial world?

  After endless ages of silence, could it not be granted even a sliver of hope to rise?

  The calamity that felled the Ancient Emperor so long ago—why must the descendants still bear its consequences?

  Unwillingness surged in Qi Liujia’s old heart.

  Could Young Master Lu withstand this lineup?

  Qi Liujia had little confidence—only deep pessimism.

  One Buddha Realm Venerable might be manageable.

  But four Holy Lords? No hope at all.

  Even though the Northern Palace Holy Lord had fled, did losing one really matter?

  Three Holy Lords remained—an infernal difficulty.

  If Young Master Lu fell, the newly ascended Five Phoenix would collapse completely.

  Yet Qi Liujia was powerless.

  With the world’s protective barrier gone, Lu could no longer hide inside Five Phoenix. If the barrier still stood, these experts would never dare descend—the backlash would weaken them drastically, and Lu could slay them easily.

  “Young Master Lu, run.”

  “While the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Preserve your life, and one day you can return as a king.”

  Qi Liujia spoke with resolve.

  Yet even as he said it, despair crept in—he could not hold these Venerables and Holy Lords for long.

  And where could Lu even flee to?

  Lu leaned back in his chair and waved dismissively with a smile.

  “No need to worry.”

  His tone was relaxed.

  He spotted a few familiar faces.

  The fleeing Northern Palace Holy Lord, and Tuoba Holy Lord seated atop his bird.

  Lu’s deep gaze settled on Tuoba.

  Tuoba Holy Lord sat cross-legged on the bird’s back, towering and powerful. Meeting Lu’s eyes, he smiled and cupped his fists.

  “We meet again.”

  He glanced at Five Phoenix, a guess forming.

  Perhaps Lu was not a Holy Son from a top-tier High Martial world after all.

  Maybe he was this newborn world’s… plane lord?

  But how could he possess such terrifying power?

  Tuoba’s eyes flickered.

  Such heaven-defying talent…

  Could the Ancient Emperor of the Void Heaven stand behind this youth?

  Or… was this youth the Emperor’s inheritor?!

  No ordinary backgroundless boy could punch a Holy Lord’s body to pieces.

  This youth definitely had a colossal backer.

  Lu returned the smile with a gentle nod.

  Hm?

  The atmosphere in the void suddenly grew strange.

  Inside the ancient temple, the Venerable stared at Tuoba Holy Lord.

  “Tuoba Holy Lord, what is the meaning of this?”

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  “Too much talk!”

  The Black-White Holy Lord said coldly.

  The main target had appeared—why waste words?

  A mere newborn Derivation Nine High Martial world. Crush it and be done.

  One less Holy Lord made no difference.

  BOOM!

  The Black-White Holy Lord attacked Lu.

  His immortal crane transformed into a razor-sharp sword beam, slicing through the void like lightning toward Lu.

  Killing intent caused the void to collapse continuously.

  He struck without warning!

  The Black-White Holy Lord hated Lu to the bone.

  His wife had died here, his children were imprisoned, and even Zuo Xu—the array master he had pinned his hopes on—had perished.

  “Die!”

  His sword slashed through the emptiness toward Lu.

  BOOM!

  Sword qi rampaged everywhere.

  Yet to everyone’s shock—

  The ferocious bird cried out.

  A colossal claw descended like a peng soaring across the heavens.

  The immortal crane wailed. Sword light shattered with a metallic clang. Blood sprayed as the crane was sent tumbling through the void.

  The Black-White Holy Lord’s eyes exploded with fury.

  “Tuoba?! What are you doing?!”

  BOOM!

  His black-and-white robes whipped wildly, hair standing on end, face twisted with rage.

  Tuoba Holy Lord merely smiled, standing calmly in the void.

  Azure Spirit Holy Lord was dumbfounded. The situation had turned too quickly.

  What was going on?

  Why had Tuoba Holy Lord attacked the Black-White Holy Lord?

  Weren’t they here to suppress this world together?

  One look from the white-robed youth and he switched sides?

  Azure Spirit Holy Lord was no fool. After a moment’s thought, he quietly retreated, signaling he wanted no part in this chaos.

  Inside the ancient temple, Buddhist chants rang out.

  The Buddha Realm Venerable, now in wrathful form, roared in fury.

  His tongue bloomed with golden lotuses as he bellowed,

  “Tuoba Holy Lord, what is the meaning of this?! Betraying us mid-battle—you would be scorned by all of Pingyang Heaven!”

  Tuoba Holy Lord shook his head and flicked his wrist.

  A heavy, dark halberd appeared in his hand. Though dark, it radiated boundless energy, as though it could crush the void itself.

  The distant wanderers were stunned.

  This reversal left them utterly bewildered.

  Even Qi Liujia stood frozen.

  “This…”

  Tuoba Holy Lord—one of the strongest Holy Lords in Pingyang Heaven, from a Derivation Seven High Martial world—was turning against his allies to help Lu?

  Did Tuoba and Lu have some secret connection?

  Lu himself was slightly surprised—he hadn’t expected Tuoba to intervene.

  He gave Tuoba a meaningful look.

  Interesting fellow.

  At least some people in this world still knew right from wrong.

  “You all bully Five Phoenix for being a newborn High Martial…”

  “But has Five Phoenix ever bullied any of you?”

  Lu asked calmly.

  “You killed my wife, imprisoned my children, murdered my loyal subordinate—and you claim you never bullied me?!”

  The Black-White Holy Lord snarled.

  The smile faded from Lu’s face.

  He looked coldly at the Black-White Holy Lord.

  “The killer is always killed in turn. Your wife tried to slaughter every soul in Five Phoenix. Your children tried to steal our world’s origin. And your subordinate—even tried to murder his own master…”

  “Scum like that—I was merely cleaning house for you.”

  Lu said.

  The Black-White Holy Lord nearly exploded with rage.

  He was supposed to thank him?!

  “Tuoba, step aside… or I will no longer hold back!”

  Yet Tuoba only smiled wider.

  He had made up his mind.

  Setting aside the possibility that the Ancient Emperor stood behind Lu, just the youth’s terrifying potential—the special physique that had obliterated the Northern Palace Holy Lord’s body with one punch—was rare even among top-tier High Martial worlds.

  Worth investing in.

  Offending the powers of Pingyang Heaven? So be it.

  The Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm might be Derivation Six, but Tuoba Holy Lord feared them not.

  Most importantly—the outcome of this battle was far from certain.

  This white-robed youth had blown apart a Holy Lord’s body with a single punch. His true strength was unfathomable.

  And he possessed an immortal-tier artifact.

  The Venerable’s karma with him was deep. Victory was not guaranteed.

  BOOM!

  Tuoba Holy Lord swept his dark halberd, unleashing mountain-shaking force that suppressed countless sword beams from the Black-White Holy Lord.

  “Azure Spirit! Help me!”

  The Black-White Holy Lord shattered the halberd’s pressure with a sword strike and roared toward Azure Spirit Holy Lord.

  To his fury, Azure Spirit merely lay on his spirit boat with a look that said, “What did you say?”

  He had clearly decided to sit this one out!

  “Very well…”

  Inside the ancient temple, the Venerable laughed.

  He had invited these Holy Lords to assist—only to be betrayed.

  He gave Tuoba Holy Lord a cold stare.

  “From this day forward, the Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm and the Tuoba small world… are irreconcilable enemies.”

  “This monk is not to be trifled with.”

  The Venerable declared.

  The next instant, Buddhist chants exploded from the temple.

  A golden lotus bloomed into a lotus platform.

  The Venerable sat atop it. The ancient temple shot forth as a golden beam straight toward Lu.

  BOOM!

  He struck with a palm. A colossal Buddha palm blotted out the sky, countless rays of Buddha-light raining down.

  Terrifying pressure spread.

  Wherever the light touched, worlds withered.

  A heavenly Buddha palm descended, aiming to reduce Lu to ash.

  Qi Liujia’s body trembled.

  Blood sprayed from his mouth as he formed seals to weave a formation against the enemy.

  But Lu stopped him.

  “No need.”

  Lu said calmly.

  With a light tap on the armrest—

  Silver light blazed.

  Countless silver beams formed a sword formation in the void.

  The Buddha palm slammed into the sword array. Shockwaves exploded, shaking the void.

  Hm?

  The Venerable atop the lotus platform frowned.

  This child… had grown stronger again.

  The sword formation stood unscathed, radiating brilliant silver light.

  Lu smiled.

  He tapped the armrest again.

  Every silver beam shot forth.

  The Venerable struck several more palms—each met with ringing clashes.

  Yet he could not break the formation.

  “Bald donkey, you disappoint me.”

  Lu shook his head.

  Beneath him, crimson sword light coalesced into a throne-like shape.

  He raised a hand and pointed forward.

  The crimson sword light moved.

  A phoenix cry pierced the heavens.

  The Venerable’s face darkened with anger.

  “This child already possesses Venerable-level strength?”

  “A mere newborn High Martial…”

  He flung out his golden alms bowl. His kasaya robe spun rapidly overhead.

  The bowl released pillars of golden light, attempting to shatter the sword formation.

  A top-grade sacred-tier artifact—immensely powerful.

  The kasaya descended, its interior forming a separate space to capture Lu.

  Lu chuckled softly.

  He slowly rose to his feet.

  “The little ones are still exploring the tomb. I need to watch over them… I have no time to play with you.”

  “You said the day Five Phoenix became High Martial would be the day you destroyed it. This young master remembers those words well.”

  “I usually don’t hold grudges… Unfortunately, you crossed my bottom line.”

  Lu spoke calmly.

  His hair whipped wildly.

  Specks of demonic qi began to spread.

  Then, like a dam bursting, demonic qi flooded forth.

  His presence became utterly terrifying—like a god or demon standing in place.

  His white robes turned pitch black.

  Seated, he was an immortal.

  Standing, he became a demon.

  Demonic qi rolled like a tide—an apocalyptic great demon.

  The pressure was suffocating.

  Even Qi Liujia trembled uncontrollably.

  He stared at the black-robed figure who had risen, utterly stunned.

  “This… is Young Master Lu?”

  He had always thought Lu used the wheelchair because of some strange illness.

  Only now did he realize—Lu sat to suppress his own aura.

  When Young Master Lu stood…

  He was this terrifying!

  “Demon?”

  The Venerable atop the lotus laughed.

  “Buddha subduing demons is the natural order.”

  He declared.

  A golden monk’s staff appeared in his hand, ringing like bells.

  Far away, Tuoba—who was suppressing the Black-White Holy Lord—narrowed his eyes at the sight of Lu’s towering demonic qi.

  A terrifying special physique had appeared!

  Demon Lord Lu.

  He took a step forward.

  Each step in the void caused tremors.

  Thousands of silver beams wrapped in black demonic qi formed silver wings at his back.

  The wings flapped—sword qi erupted.

  The Venerable focused.

  He formed a flower-pinching gesture. Buddha-light condensed into a shield, blocking countless sword beams.

  He remained calm. Lu’s growth had exceeded expectations. His reincarnations had once suppressed this youth, yet now the boy possessed Venerable-level combat power.

  Such terrifying speed.

  “The secret of the Void Heaven?”

  The Venerable’s gaze flickered.

  His eyes passed Lu and fell on Five Phoenix Continent.

  Perhaps…

  The Void Heaven’s sole High Martial world held secrets.

  His karma with Lu ran too deep—from the Tianyuan domain onward, it could not be severed.

  But now, with his true body here, all karma would end.

  Five Phoenix would fall under his control. Its secrets would become his fortune…

  The Phoenix Feather Swords merged.

  Nine swords became one—a gorgeous crimson blade like a true phoenix tail feather, blazing with fire that seemed to burn the void itself.

  Demonic qi stained the flames black.

  Lu looked like a demon lord striding out of the abyss.

  “Seal the demon!”

  The Venerable pressed his palms together, forming Buddhist seals.

  He flung his staff. It followed the seals, descending to suppress Lu.

  Terrifying pressure cracked the void.

  Traces of rule power seemed to emerge, ready to annihilate everything.

  The distant watching wanderers were already frozen with fear.

  Demon Lord Lu gripped the Phoenix Feather Sword.

  His expression was cold as he regarded the Venerable’s techniques.

  He did nothing fancy—just raised the demon-stained Phoenix Feather Sword.

  One slash pointed forward.

  Then the silver wings beat.

  Sword qi formed shockwaves, propelling him forward like a streak of light.

  The Phoenix Feather Sword grew enormous—large enough to blot out the heavens.

  He held the massive blade and slashed at the Venerable.

  “Come! Today this monk shall subdue you, great demon!”

  “And deliver this corrupted world from suffering!”

  The Venerable declared.

  The lotus platform blazed with light.

  Golden bowl, staff, and kasaya spun rapidly.

  Pfft!

  Yet—

  Demon Lord Lu’s face remained cold.

  One slash.

  The golden bowl shattered.

  The kasaya tore apart.

  Cracks spiderwebbed across the staff…

  In a single strike, all three sacred artifacts exploded!

  Hm?

  The Venerable felt his hair stand on end.

  Without hesitation, he shot upward.

  The sword beam sliced past—the lotus platform was cleaved in half, leaving a deep scar across the void.

  “Immortal-tier artifact?!”

  The Venerable stared in horror at the Phoenix Feather Sword in Lu’s hand.

  He fled into the ancient temple.

  Sitting cross-legged, he chanted Buddhist scriptures.

  A colossal golden Buddha body manifested outside the temple.

  Demon Lord Lu, however, kept it simple.

  One more slash.

  Sword qi streaked across the sky, descending upon the temple from above.

  Crack…

  The golden Buddha shattered.

  Tiles exploded outward. Walls collapsed.

  With unstoppable momentum, the slash cleaved the ancient temple in two.

  “How is this possible?!”

  The Venerable was horrified beyond belief.

  The temple exploded.

  He shot out like a golden beam streaking across the sky.

  As a Venerable, he should have remained calm—but at this moment, he could not.

  He had imagined countless scenarios for his arrival in Five Phoenix.

  He had believed he could destroy the continent with one palm.

  He had pictured all its beings kneeling and converting at his chants.

  He had even fantasized about taking Lu as a little monk under his wing.

  Yet every fantasy shattered against reality.

  Demon Lord Lu walked through the void, dark lightning coiling around him. Thunder Movement Body Technique combined with the silver wings formed from Thousand Blades granted him near-instantaneous speed.

  He easily caught up to the fleeing Venerable.

  Turning sideways, he brought the sword down.

  In the Venerable’s pupils, there was only the black-and-crimson flaming blade.

  The Venerable pressed his palms together, trying to catch the strike.

  Yet his palms grasped nothing.

  They were sliced in half…

  Even his golden Buddha body could not withstand the devastating slash.

  Demon Lord Lu’s expression remained cold.

  First sword shattered the artifacts.

  Second sword cleaved the temple.

  Third sword slew the Buddha.

  With a flick of the wrist, the Venerable’s body cracked.

  Blood poured like a collapsing dam.

  Demon Lord Lu’s silver wings gleamed.

  He spoke slowly, using the Venerable’s own words against him.

  “Demons slaying Buddhas… is also the natural order.”