Jiang Feng raised cupped fists at the two and left with his men. Qin Qianxue left as well, after taking another look at Lu Yun.
Although the two left, Lu Yun knew that a greater storm brewed.
A victor was determined between the combination cultivators up in the sky. A latter combination cultivator won the dao treasure and threw his head back with laughter. The treasure was a flag six meters across and bestrewn with starlight. Three hundred and sixty-five rays of starlight were a clear nod to the major cycle, and it seemed that the strength of the cosmos could be deployed with a slight wave.
âThe Cosmic Flag? Itâs the real thing, not an imitation!â Lu Yun happened to lift his head and saw the cultivator happily waving the flag around. âIt was a king grade immortal treasure that belonged to Celestial Empress Myrtlestar of the East⊠Whatâs it doingâŠâ
âYoung master, that is the Cosmic Flag.â Terra Demon also recognized the treasure. There were nine grades to immortal rank treasures and king grade sat over all of them. The Cosmic Flag was the highest level of existence among king grade immortal treasures.
âHey you, combination cultivator! Get down here!â Lu Yun couldnât help but yell at the sky.
Gui Xie was still celebrating his new acquisition when he saw one of the untouchable young masters on the ground address him. He immediately landed without hesitation.
Gui Xie was a wandering cultivator with no home base, but heâd heard of some of the mysterious factions in the world. If he offended someone like this, the three ninth rank empires would quickly issue an arrest warrant for him. Survival would be nigh impossible then even if he fled to the corners of the world.
Thus, Gui Xie presented himself in front of Lu Yun without another word. He glanced at the tribulation cultivator standing behind Mo Qiyue.
This cultivator was from the Xuanhuang Empire. He was in charge of investigating Iron Pagoda Mountain and protecting these young masters. Since Qin Qianxue and Jiang Feng had returned to Great Xia, the cultivator remained to protect Mo Qiyue.
Lu Yun was not under his protection, but that didnât stop Lu Yun from swaggering around in borrowed influence.
âWhat orders might the gentleman have?â Gui Xie asked respectfully. The tribulation cultivator hadnât taken action earlierâthe upper dao rank treasure wouldnât have fallen into his hands if the powerhouse had. Therefore, Gui Xie wasnât worried that Lu Yun would seize his treasure.
âI see that your methods are a mess and your true origin is much less than pure. Youâre a wandering cultivator and Iâm officially extending an opportunity for you to join me.â Lu Yun cut straight to the chase. While the Cosmic Flag was so tattered that itâd fallen to an upper rank dao treasure, it was still the treasure of Celestial Empress Myrtlestar. It wasnât something that any random cultivator could claim.
Since the combination cultivator had easily directed the flag to recognize a new master, he must be far from ordinary. In that case, it would be helpful for Lu Yun to add the guy to his troops.
âAhâŠâ Gui Xie hesitated. With his cultivation level, heâd immediately receive a high position if he joined a cultivation empire, sect, or clan. He remained a wandering cultivator because he was used to freedom.
The world was his oyster so long as he didnât violate the rules set by the ninth rank empires.
The tribulation cultivator behind Mo Qiyue frowned. He was well aware that Lu Yun was just the young master of a minor clan from a third rank empire. The young man wanted to recruit a combination level cultivator? Utterly preposterous!
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But since Lu Yun was friends with Mo Qiyue, there was nothing the cultivator could say.
âGui Xie thanks the young master for your kind intentions, but Gui Xie is used to freedom and cannot stand fetters. I am willing to leave behind this treasure in exchange for my freedom.â Gui Xie was roughly thirty years old and looked very ordinary. His worn blue robes werenât a powerful treasure. As he spoke, he offered up the Cosmic Flag.
âYou can go.â Lu Yun shook his head instead of taking the flag. âI hope you treat this treasure well and do not tarnish its name. If anything happens, you can find me at the Lu Clan in Darklake Empire.â
He took out a blank jade slip from his storage ring and etched certain things in it. Tossing it to Gui Xie, Lu Yun turned around and left.
Terra Demon looked intently at Gui Xie and snorted, âYou have absolutely no idea whatâs good for you. Be careful with my young masterâs gift!â
The tribulation cultivator behind Mo Qiyue blinked, heâd thought that Lu Yun would make use of his presence to seize the treasure. How was this the scene playing out instead? What was in the jade slip that a good-for-nothing prodigal of a third rank empire had thrown to a latter combination cultivator? As confused as the tribulation cultivator was, he couldnât be bothered to think things further.
There was one thing he overlooked the entire time, however, and that was the silver haired, silver eyed soul projection cultivator next to Lu Yun called him young master. Could a noble scion from a third rank empire possibly have a soul projection servant?
Gui Xie watched them leave with a complicated expression and scanned the jade slip with his consciousness.
âHeir to Celestial Empress Myrtlestarâs legacy, do not tarnish her name.â Lu Yunâs voice sounded as soon as the mind entered the jade slip. A surge of will burst out of it as a complete cultivation method emerged.
The Immortal Canon of Life and Death!
An immortal level cultivation method!
Gui Xieâs mouth dropped with shock. What kind of background did that young master have to pull out an immortal method without second thought!
Unbeknownst to him that this Immortal Canon of Life and Death wasnât an ordinary level immortal method. It was the personal method of the Celestial Empress Myrtlestar of the East, one that reigned supreme in the world of immortals.
When Lu Yun was the High Lord of the Northern Sky, he was good friends with the High Lady of the Eastern Sky. Their friendship was forged through life and death. When he reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, Celestial Empress Myrtlestar lent him the Immortal Canon of Life and Death to help him break through to peak immortal emperor.
Nothing was known about Celestial Empress Myrtlestarâs current condition and her personal treasure had been demoted to an upper dao rank treasure. Lu Yun didnât force the issue when Gui Xie proved unwilling to follow him. He handed over the Immortal Canon of Life and Death instead.
The jade slip reduced itself into dust after conveying the full contents of the method into Gui Xieâs mind.
âCelestial Empress MyrtlestarâŠâ Gui Xie came to a decision as he looked in the direction of Lu Yunâs departure.
Some combination cultivators waited in the shadows, hoping for the site of Iron Pagoda Mountain to spew out more dao treasures. Some weaker cultivars such as golden core, foundation establishment, and even qi refinement were present as well.
News of the crater shooting out tens of thousands of treasures became widely known and many cultivators gathered their courage to explore it. However, no one ever came back out.
âLu Yun, your reaction earlier was a bit odd.â Mo Qiyue raised after they left Profound Wing Empire, thereby prompting the departure of the tribulation cultivation and associated six combination cultivators.
âOdd?â Lu Yun asked curiously.
âBased on your typical style, you wouldâve robbed that Gui Xie blind,â Mo Qiyue cracked a rare joke.
âHe didnât offend me, what would I rob him for?â Lu Yun shook his head. That was the heir to his dead sister-in-arms. It was right and proper that he help Gui Xie.
Mo Qiyue didnât believe anything that Lu Yun said; he saw things clearly. The Lu young master hadnât said a word of truth from beginning to end. He couldnât even be bothered to explain why there was a soul projection servant by his side!
âIf you take him back to Darklake, his name and information will immediately appear in the heavenly book of the Celestial Realm Battlefront. Those from Dark Orchid will immediately be on your doorstep then,â Mo Qiyue said solemnly.
âAre you afraid of Dark Orchid?â Lu Yun curled his lip.
âThe world of cultivation has its own rules, itâs not a matter of whether Iâm afraid or not.â Mo Qiyue slowly shook his head.
Terra Demon also curled his lip with contempt. He had the consciousness of an immortal king! Even Lu Tianling could evade the heavenly bookâs detection, to say nothing of him.
âThe rules of the world of cultivationâŠâ Lu Yun looked up at the sky.
âThe rules arenât set by a person or a faction.â Mo Qiyue pointed upward.
âThe sky? Thatâs my senior brotherâŠâ Lu Yun mumbled to himself in a volume that only he could hear. âThe one above him is also my master.â
The heavenly dao established rules on behalf of all and for the benefit of all. The sky existed to maintain the balance of the rules. Their existence was to represent all of life and contend against the will of the nothing.
It was why this civilization of immortal dao could expand to these heights. But now⊠the world of immortals was no more.
The three entered the perimeter of Darklake as they conversed. Lu Tianling used a certain treasure to evade the heavenly book, whereas Terra Demon used his immense consciousness to forcefully beat back the rules of the heavenly book.
Therefore, his name didnât appear in its pages either.
âInteresting.â Terra Demon closed his eyes and carefully sensed his surroundings. âYoung master, this world is more than it looks.â
âOh? What have you discovered?â Lu Yun asked.
âThat so-called heavenly book is a powerful immortal treasure that covers the boundless domain.â Terra Demon frowned. âThankfully, we are on its fringes. If we were in its core, I would not be able to withstand it with my strength.â