Chapter 1304: Metal Potentate

“Are we really letting them off the hook just like this?” The Acclaim King was rather disgruntled. Though no tangible or lasting damage had resulted from the massive commotion, every step had been fraught with danger. The slightest misstep would’ve doomed them all—not just Qing Yu, but all of Hopeless Major had teetered on the brink.

The Yin Yang King tugged on her sleeve and shook his head, signaling for her not to speak.

“Your Eminence, though you have left, your chosen successor is not someone we can fathom. I… yield.” The Profound King suddenly deflated and sat on the ground with his knees bent. All of his lofty aspirations and ambitions melted into the air in this moment.

Resentment would’ve brewed if Qing Yu had killed or punished him. He was the foremost king of the major, after all, and had fought side by side with Violetgrave. A touch of haughtiness and conviction had always lingered at the bottom of his heart.

Even if Qing Yu possessed the absolute strength to defeat him, she never would’ve won him over.

But after all was said and done, she neither killed nor punished him, merely saying that they should all “go back to whatever you should be doing.”

That smashed his last bit of pride and assurance.

He yielded, he ceded control, he accepted her rule.

The domineering momentum that’d draped around him broke apart, nothing worth considering in front of the magnanimity that Qing Yu displayed.

……

Origin World.

Heavily injured after Qing Yu cut off three of his limbs, the World King threw down the Kaleidoscopic King upon returning to his territory and shut himself away. He would attempt to regain his lost legs and arm.

All of Origin World grieved.

They’d thought that this was the best timing to annex Hopeless Major, but their eminent ruler had somehow burst forth with the might of a ninth step king. Not only did she suppress the rebellion, but she struck back at the World King as well!

The Kaleidoscopic King regarded his master’s closed door cultivation locale with an ominous expression.

“Sire.” A third step king approached him and said hesitantly, “I recognized the two children that were at the Empyrean King’s side today.”

“Oh?” Kaleidoscopic came back to his senses with a blink and regarded a young man in white robes.

“Though they changed their appearances, the gifts of my race can see through to their soul. They’re the Immortal King and Intrance King of Multitude City!”

The young man in white was the Windcall King!

“My duplicate of lust died to the Immortal King’s order of time, and my duplicate of wrath died from anger after repeated humiliation by the Immortal Pagoda. I would recognize them anywhere.”

The Windcall King’s race was quite extraordinary; being extremely sensitive to the ripples of souls was one of their innate gifts. Therefore, he’d recognized Lu Yun and the little fox even though they were disguised by Shapeshifiting Talismans refined from karmic fruits.

His duplicate of greed had joined the Origin World and was his only remaining self. He used to possess other duplicates of wrath, fixation, and lust.

“Immortal King? The one who refined creation?” The Kaleidoscopic King frowned. “No wonder the Empyrean King suddenly ascended to ninth step kinghood. If she took all eighteen Pills of Creation, that could indeed elevate her to ninth step king overnight.”

“Sire, we can use this!” the Windcall King pressed. “The Immortal King is at odds with the Supplemental Dao Alliance…”

“No need.” The Kaleidoscopic King shot his head. “Hopeless Major will suffer heavy losses after today and fall immensely from grace. Though my master is gravely injured, the overall strength of Origin World remains intact.”

The Windcall King looked on with wordless surprise.

“Hopeless Major has always been the weakest of the ten valleys because it does not have an eminent ruler. The Profound King is the closest to being one, he is highly respected and well beloved. After his failed coup, the Empyrean King will kill or imprison him!” A cold smile played on the Kaleidoscopic King’s lips. “With the standings of the Profound and Ruin Kings, the consequences will be great once they suffer punishment. Other kings will sympathize with one of their own and Hopeless Major will dissolve in complete disorder after multiple sides pull away at it!

“That Empyrean King is strong enough, but she lacks a worthy reputation for acception by the entire faction. Heh heh heh, a girl still growing her hair out dares step into the shoes of an eminent ruler? Her death wish wasn’t an ordinary one!”

In the Kaleidoscopic King’s eyes, it was inevitable that Qing Yu would face insurrection after assuming the position and that Origin World would march on them. Her reckoning after the fact was sure to be swift and furious. Why, if he were in her shoes, he wouldn’t tolerate recent happenings either!

The Empyrean King was too young, and as the ringleader, the Profound King would certainly die.

“All we need to do is sit here and wait.” Kaleidoscopic sneered. “Of course, we should also look into the Immortal King. The Colosseum is still in Multitude City, correct? Tell them to investigate whether the Immortal King and Intrance King are still in the city.”

……

“That’s it? That’s seriously it??” Miao paced in irate circles. She couldn’t understand why Qing Yu had so easily let all the instigators off the hook. The Profound King had almost ended Hopeless Major today!

“What else can we do?” Lu Yun smiled. “We didn’t lose anything and actually walked away with the primary body of the Scroll of Shepherding Immortals.”

He materialized the three sections of the ruined scroll with a wave of his hand. Though Qing Yu had hacked it to pieces, the little fox possessed a copy as well. Hers was a hundred million times weaker, but if they incorporated it with these ruined fragments, they would be able to restore the scroll to heights greater than its former glory.

There were countless ties between the two Scrolls of Shepherding Immortals.

Qing Yu nodded. She’d wanted to kill the Profound and Ruin Kings at first, but stopped at the last possible second when Lu Yun transmitted his objection.

He’d begun living his second life after arriving at the world of immortals, and it was now his third life after reabsorbing his past self. Though no one he’d encountered in any life rivaled the old farts of the Hongmeng, multiple experiences of life, death, and reincarnation bestowed a particular clarity to his thoughts.

They came together as many opinions on numerous matters—something that the ancient fossils who sought to stay alive at all costs lacked. There was tremendous terror between life and death, but also tremendous fortune. He’d absorbed both instances of this fortune.

He materialized a pill cauldron the size of a world with another wave of his hand; it was the Truefire World that he’d won from the Alchemist King. Lu Yun had tempered it anew with the fires of the five hells and baptized it with power of virtue and the Tome of Life and Death. The Alchemist King’s nascent spirit brand on the treasure was thoroughly washed away, and now it belonged to Lu Yun.

“Miao, give me your scroll. I’m going to see if I can combine the two and return them to their true form.”

The Scroll of Shepherding Immortals had originally belonged to Qing Yu, but after her curse was broken and she became the dao sovereign, the scroll was given to the little fox. Lu Yun and Qing Yu had both discovered that only when Miao used the scroll could it be deployed to its greatest power.

“Alright!” The little fox lit up and fished out the dust-laden scroll, handing it to Lu Yun.

He threw both of them into the pill cauldron without hesitation and used its power to refine them.

……

Multitude City.

A man of indeterminable age strolled down the streets wearing loose long robes of pale gold. He was tall and lanky, both of his arms casually tucked behind his back. He drifted rapidly down the streets, seemingly part of this world, but also very distinct from the creatures that inhabited it.

“Immortal Pagoda? This is the place.” He stopped in front of the pagoda’s doors and smiled meaningfully at the signboard overhead.

He vanished on the spot, reappearing on the ninth floor of the pagoda.

Jin Naluo was overseeing Jin Gushen’s cultivation. The former realized that Lu Yun was in trouble when the Bridge of Forgetfulness abruptly separated from him, but he wasn’t unduly concerned. He’d fully refined the tenth key of the Hongmeng Tower and no one could take it from him by any means possible. It wouldn’t make a difference even if he was killed.

Thus, the bridge didn’t matter to him anymore.

He spent his days summoning his confidantes to the Immortal Pagoda and integrating them into the pagoda’s staff. When Lu Yun was absent, this building was Jin Naluo’s!

Jin Gushen occupied a special position among the staff as Jin Naluo knew that Lu Yun had overthrown the Colosseum for his friend. That once great faction had been razed to the ground for Jin Gushen, so Jin Naluo made sure to give him pointers in moments of free time.

“Hmm?” Jin Naluo raised a brow at the pale golden shadow that’d suddenly appeared in front of him.

A terrifying presence weighed down on him before he could speak; he felt like a fly caught in amber. Thick, cloying fear rose from his heart.

A ninth step king?

Only ninth step kings could exert this kind of pressure.

“Little fellow, are you willing to take me as your master?” The gold-clad man chuckled merrily at the terrified Jin Gushen.

“Release Senior Jin Naluo first!” Jin Gushen shouted instead. This stranger was here for him!

Jin Naluo felt the weight lighten and he sagged bonelessly to the ground.

“Senior, are you a ninth step king?” Jin Naluo asked gingerly after swallowing noisily.

“A ninth step king?” The stranger smiled. “You could say that.” He turned to Jin Gushen again. “My name is the Metal Potentate, and you and I have a shared affinity. Are you willing to take me for your master?”

Jin Gushen looked at Jin Naluo for guidance; the latter thought rapidly—I’ve never heard of this name before, but he’s definitely a ninth step king!

“This is your fortuitous opportunity, what are you looking at me for?” Jin Naluo forced some bravado into his voice and laughed awkwardly. “This senior is a ninth step king, the strongest of the Hongmeng! If the Immortal King was here, he’d raise both hands in support for him to be the senior’s disciple!”

The Metal Potentate inclined his head. “If that Immortal King refuses, I’ll beat him to death.”

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