He looked at the patriarch and the elders, at the expectation and grief mingled in their eyes, and understood in his heart that this legend had long since become one of the beliefs supporting the Golden Crow Clan through those difficult years, keeping them from yielding.
He did not directly puncture this illusion. He merely spoke in an indifferent tone, carrying a detached certainty that stood above worldly things:
“To break through from King and become Emperor—if that could be achieved with a single secret manual, then the Emperors of the Immortal Domain would be far too worthless.”
His voice was not loud, yet it was like a basin of cold water poured down, causing the excited patriarch and elders to freeze slightly.
Lu Xuan continued, his gaze profound, as though he had seen through the ages.
“On the path of the Great Dao, only oneself is the foundation. External things may be borrowed, but not relied upon. That Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor never reached the legendary Emperor Realm either. His inheritance may serve as reference, but it is by no means a key that allows one to simply follow a map and replicate his path.”
His tone shifted, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
“As for Ao Sheng and the other two, their true purpose may not necessarily have been that they fully believed the secret manual could make them Emperors. More likely, they coveted the divine artifacts and resources the Heavenly Emperor might have left behind, as well as… an excuse to eliminate our Golden Crow Clan as a potential threat.”
“No matter what their purpose was, those who offended our clan have already paid the price.”
Lu Xuan rose to his feet, and a vast, majestic aura naturally emanated from him.
“Now that I have returned, the Golden Crow Clan no longer needs to place its hopes in illusory legends.”
His gaze swept across everyone, carrying immense confidence.
“I am the future hope of the Golden Crow Clan. Integrate the clan, restore the ancestral land, and raise our strength. When the time is ripe, everything that belongs to our clan—whether dignity or resources—will be taken back by our own hands!”
He did not deny the existence of the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor, but he reduced the importance of that inheritance to something that “could serve as reference.” At the same time, he guided the expectations of his clansmen toward himself, toward tangible recovery and development.
When Patriarch Jin Qing and the elders heard this, they first felt a slight sense of loss. But as they looked at Lu Xuan’s unfathomable aura, the doubts in their hearts were swiftly replaced by new hope.
That was right!
The Immortal King before them was an invincible existence who had saved the clan from a desperate situation and counter-killed three veteran Immortal Kings!
The power he possessed had even exceeded the limits of their understanding!
“We respectfully obey the Immortal King’s decree!”
Patriarch Jin Qing was the first to bow, the flames of fighting spirit rekindling in his eyes.
“We respectfully obey the Immortal King’s decree!” the elders echoed in unison.
For the first time, the future of the Golden Crow Clan was tied so clearly and firmly to one person.
And Lu Xuan, in this newly reborn ancestral land, began to truly lay the cornerstone of his rule.
As for the hidden treasury of the “Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor,” in his heart, it was merely a piece of the past yet to be verified. Perhaps, if there was a chance, he could go and investigate it, but it was by no means something his path depended on.
His true goal had long since surpassed this Immortal Domain, turning toward the vaster and more mysterious Realm Sea, and beyond it… Above the Heavens.
Lu Xuan stood atop the crown of the tree, the chaotic qi and True Solar Flame around him slowly withdrawing/
Yet that supreme majesty that looked down upon all beneath heaven was like an invisible field, enveloping this territory, proclaiming the rise of an unquestionable king and warning all the hidden gazes prying from throughout the Immortal Domain.
Just as his mind grew calm and he prepared to sort through the gains of this breakthrough, while also considering how to thoroughly consolidate the clan land and face the possible storms of the future—
His thoughts stirred slightly. He sensed a distinctive aura lingering in the void outside the Golden Crow Ancestral Court.
This aura was vast and boundless, carrying a unique Dao rhythm related to time and space. It was tranquil yet powerful, far surpassing Immortal King Qingmu and the others who had come earlier to “mediate.”
More importantly, within this aura, there was no malice. Instead, it carried a kind of curiosity, and… a trace of brightness.
Lu Xuan’s gaze pierced through the void and looked over.
He saw a man standing quietly beneath the starlight.
He wore a plain gray robe, his black hair loose over his shoulders. His appearance seemed ordinary, yet he possessed a pair of eyes that seemed capable of seeing through the reincarnation of countless ages.
There was no oppressive pressure around him.
But standing there, he seemed like the origin point of all space and time.
The lights and shadows of past, present, and future faintly distorted and flowed around him.
He held no weapon in his hand. Merely standing there casually, he gave others a profound and mysterious feeling of having neither beginning nor end.
“Fellow Daoist’s divine abilities have shone brilliantly through the ages. To sweep away petty villains with thunderous momentum—how satisfying!”
The gray-robed man spoke, his voice calm, transmitting directly into Lu Xuan’s mind without disturbing any of the clansmen below.
Lu Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the identity of the newcomer.
This powerful force of time—apart from that Immortal King giant of the Primordial Ancient Realm, no one else could accomplish such a thing.
The person before him was none other than a leader of the Primordial Ancient Realm—Immortal King Wuzhong!
“Fellow Daoist Wuzhong.”
Lu Xuan nodded slightly in return, his tone calm, neither intimate nor distant.
In his heart, he rapidly pondered the other party’s intentions.
Immortal King Wuzhong was not surprised that Lu Xuan had recognized him.
A kindly smile appeared on his face. His gaze swept over the aura of the Chaos Bell concealed within Lu Xuan’s body, which still caused his heart to palpitate in waves, and he spoke frankly.
“Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan has only just stepped into the King Realm, yet you already command such a supreme treasure. You kill decisively and possess an unyielding will. You are truly a model among cultivators of our generation. From what I have observed of your conduct, you are not one of those petty people who scheme for trifling gains and care only for their own freedom.”
He paused briefly, and his gaze became solemn as he looked into the depths of the void, as though seeing that broader and more dangerous world beyond the Immortal Domain.
“Though the Immortal Domain is vast, it has gradually lost its spirit of expansion. Many Immortal Kings are immersed in internal strife, fighting for power and profit, their vision as short as frogs at the bottom of a well. If this continues, it will certainly not be a good thing.”
His gaze returned to Lu Xuan, carrying a sincere invitation.
“The Primordial Ancient Realm where I reside may not possess foundations as deep as the Immortal Domain, but its people are united in purpose. We face the waves of the Realm Sea directly and resist the erosion of darkness, preserving an unyielding fighting spirit and a flame of hope for all the heavens and myriad worlds.”
“Fellow Daoist, your cultivation can be said to reach heaven and earth, and you hold in your hand an artifact capable of stabilizing the world. Why limit your gaze to this increasingly rotten corner of the Immortal Domain?”
Immortal King Wuzhong took a step forward, his voice clear and powerful:
“I, Wuzhong, on behalf of the Primordial Ancient Realm, sincerely invite Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan to join us!”
“There, there are fellow travelers like you and me, willing to wield halberds for all living beings and raise blades against the darkness! There, your power can truly bloom with the radiance it deserves, protecting what is truly worth protecting!”
“The threat on the other side of the Realm Sea is far beyond what the likes of Ao Sheng can compare to. That is the true battlefield of us Immortal Kings!”
His words were like the tolling of a great bell, carrying a peculiar infectious force as they struck Lu Xuan’s heart.
They did not merely describe a stage filled with greater challenges; they also directly pointed out the immense latent threat of the “darkness of the Realm Sea.”
Lu Xuan was silent for a moment. In the depths of his eyes, chaos arose and perished, and great suns rose and sank.
He looked at the clansmen below, busy upon the newly reborn ancestral land, hope once again ignited in their eyes. Then he sensed those divine senses throughout the Immortal Domain, still cold or wary.