“Golden Crow Immortal King, Lu Xuan…”
The Soul Lord’s icy voice drifted out from the shadows, carrying a trace of probing.
“According to the scattered information brought back by the routed troops, that Golden Crow Immortal King is not only unmatched in strength himself, but also wields an ancient bell of boundless might—one capable of defeating the Blade King head-on… When did such a figure appear in the Immortal Domain? His origins must be thoroughly investigated!”
“Investigate? How?”
The Red King growled in irritation.
“The Immortal Domain is now protecting him closely, and the Golden Crow clan has been made as impenetrable as an iron plate! The agents we planted were almost completely uprooted in the postwar purge!”
“That Golden Crow Immortal King has already become a grave threat.”
Wushang summarized, his tone heavy.
“His appearance has completely disrupted our plans. His potential is limitless. If he is allowed to grow, he will surely become the greatest obstacle on our realm’s path of conquest!”
“And that bell!”
Kundi added through labored breaths, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.
“The Blade King was determined to obtain it, and was even gravely wounded and forced to flee because of it. It is absolutely not any supreme treasure known to the Immortal Domain. Its might… may well exceed even our deductions.”
The hall fell into silence once more.
The five giants were all digesting this painful defeat, as well as the enormous, sudden variable that was Lu Xuan.
“The responsibility for this defeat lies with us.”
After a long while, the Blood Fiend King said in a deep voice.
“We underestimated the resilience of the Immortal Domain, and even less did we expect a variable like Lu Xuan to emerge. Now, our realm’s vitality has been greatly damaged. In the short term, I fear we will be unable to organize another two-front campaign of such scale.”
“Contract our defensive lines and stabilize our territory.”
The Soul Lord proposed sinisterly.
“At the same time, spare no cost in investigating Lu Xuan’s origins and the source of that bell. The Realm Sea… perhaps the answer can be found there. The Blade King came from the Realm Sea. He may know something. If we can find him…”
“The Realm Sea is vast beyond measure. Finding a powerful being who is deliberately hiding is easier said than done.”
Wushang shook his head. “But it is indeed one possible direction. In addition, we must strengthen our connection with ‘that side’…”
He did not finish his words, but the other giants present all understood what “that side” referred to, and their gazes flickered faintly.
“The Origin Ancient Artifact…” Kundi clutched his chest, his eyes filled with unwillingness. “This time, we fell short at the very end. Next time, seizing it will be difficult.”
“Not necessarily.”
A ruthless light flashed in the Red King’s eyes.
“After this battle, the Immortal Domain and the Ancient Realm may seem to have formed a tighter alliance, but they will inevitably lower their guard as well. We can wait, or we can… seek opportunities from within. The Immortal Domain is not truly an iron plate either.”
“The most urgent matter is to recover our strength and determine the nature of the threat.”
Wushang delivered the conclusion.
“Suspend all large-scale military operations and shift into concealment and reconnaissance. Lu Xuan… is to be placed on the highest threat list, with priority above Wuzhong and the Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit! Find his weaknesses and study methods to counter his Daos of Chaos and the Sun.”
“Agreed.”
“I second it.”
“Acceptable.”
The several giants reached a consensus.
Although their hearts were filled with rage and unwillingness, they were all existences who had lived through countless eras and knew how to judge the situation.
A single crushing defeat was not enough to break them. On the contrary, it would only make them more cautious.
The Origin Flame within the Dark Divine Hall burned quietly, illuminating the obscure faces of the five giants.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of years had gone by since that earth-shaking war that swept through the Immortal Domain, the Ancient Realm, and the Realm Sea.
During this relatively peaceful period, the Golden Crow ancestral land ushered in a golden age in the truest sense.
The Fusang Divine Tree grew ever more towering. The solar essence flowing between its branches and leaves had nearly transformed into liquid rivers, nourishing the entire clan.
The vast resources obtained from the three great Immortal Kings and the foreign realm were completely digested, turning into genuine foundations for the clan.
And the most eye-catching of all was the Ten-Sun Golden Crow Grand Array!
On Radiant Sun Terrace, ten dazzling divine suns could often be seen revolving according to profound trajectories. Their light interwove, evolving into a golden world of flames that could burn the heavens and boil the seas.
Compared with when it had first taken shape tens of thousands of years ago, these ten divine suns were even more solid. Their radiance was restrained, yet contained an even more terrifying power of destruction.
Within the divine suns, the illusory forms of the ten three-legged Golden Crows were already clearly visible, every feather distinct. They were divine and extraordinary, and their cries could stir resonance throughout the heavens.
The ten True Immortal Golden Crows presiding over the grand array were no longer what they had once been.
Under Lu Xuan’s continuous guidance and the array’s feedback, they had not only practiced the formation to a state of flawless harmony, their minds linked as though they were one person, but their own cultivation had also advanced another step. Though they had yet to break through to the Immortal King realm, the depth of their magic power far surpassed that of others at the same level. They could be called top-tier existences among quasi-Immortal Kings!
On this day, the ten were carrying out their routine drill. As the array revolved, the ten suns cycled, burning faint marks into the void, while even the Great Dao hummed.
A terrifying pressure spread out, causing the clansmen watching from afar to feel their hearts sway and their spirits tremble.
“Condense!”
Following a low shout from the leading Grand Elder, the ten suns abruptly contracted, gathering into a single point of ultimate golden light. Then, with a thunderous eruption, they transformed into a destructive ring of golden ripples that spread outward. Wherever it passed, all laws retreated!
Although they immediately restrained their power, the might that erupted in that instant had already faintly touched the threshold of the Immortal King domain!
“Good.”
A calm voice rang out. At some point, Lu Xuan had appeared at the edge of Radiant Sun Terrace.
He still had that youthful appearance, but his aura was even deeper and more restrained, as if he had become one with the solar origin of the entire Golden Crow ancestral land. When his gaze opened and closed, a fleeting scene of chaos being born and destroyed flashed within.
After tens of thousands of years of accumulation, his cultivation had grown increasingly unfathomable.
“Immortal King!”
The ten True Immortals hurriedly withdrew their power and bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with reverence.
Lu Xuan nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the progress of the Ten-Sun Golden Crow Grand Array.
This array had already become another powerful pillar of the Golden Crow clan aside from himself.
Just then, the figure of the clan leader, Jin Qing, hurried over, holding in his hands a cross-realm message-transmitting jade talisman branded with ancient spacetime runes and emanating faint traces of reincarnation and dragon qi.
“Immortal King, an envoy from the Primordial Ancient Realm, sent by Immortal King Wuzhong, has delivered an urgent jade talisman.”
“Oh?” Lu Xuan accepted the jade talisman and sent his divine sense into it.
Within the jade talisman was not writing, but a condensed strand of intent bearing Immortal King Wuzhong’s unique Dao charm of spacetime:
“Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan, it has been tens of thousands of years since we last met. I trust you have been well? The Ancient Realm has obtained a clue to an ancient ruin of great significance, suspected to be related to the Emperor’s Fall Era and even the secret of the Realm Sea’s origin. The depths of the ruin are filled with layers of prohibitions, and cannot be broken by one person alone. After much thought, only Fellow Daoist’s divine abilities may be able to attempt it. If Fellow Daoist has leisure, I earnestly request that you come to the Ancient Realm for a discussion, that we may explore this secret together. —Wuzhong.”
The message was brief, yet it contained an enormous amount of information!
The Emperor’s Fall Era!
The origin of the Realm Sea!
Either of these two phrases was enough to raise monstrous waves throughout all the heavens and myriad realms!
That was a domain even more ancient than Immortal Kings. According to legend, it involved the fall of “Emperors” and the formation of the Realm Sea!
Immortal King Wuzhong had actually discovered clues to ruins connected to this, and had specifically invited him to go!
A sharp light flashed through Lu Xuan’s eyes.