Chapter 819: The Provocation and the Storm

True Lord Pinghai gazed into the distance at the majestic, radiant Immortal City of Damengze. His eyes, deep and penetrating, remarked, “Or rather, he has sensed that Yanhai’s defiance is nothing more than a test.”

“Hence, he resorts to intimidation, all for show,”

“But the more you act this way, the more hollow and timid you seem beneath that facade!”

With that, a wry, contemptuous smirk played on True Lord Pinghai’s lips.

Were he not so wary of the enemy’s Solar Divine Light—and of their paltry Three-Rank Immortal City treasure—he would have led his men to storm the gates and break it down.

Yet, seeing his foe continually cowering indoors, he realized that this Immortal City was not to be taken lightly.

Aside from the Solar Profound Light, they very likely had other backup plans.

So to force their hand, they must be driven out! After days of probing and confirming his suspicions, True Lord Pinghai had devised a rough strategy.

“Back when the Beast Tide struck and the Dragon Whale was imperiled, this man chose to intervene,”

“Thus, if we can again endanger that Dragon Whale, he will surely come to its rescue!”

True Lord Pinghai’s deep eyes glimmered with a bluish light as he gazed back toward the depths of Da Mengze.

As one of the Nascent Soul True Lords of the Starry Sea and a member of the Zhenhai Seven Sects,

they possessed an uncanny sensitivity to the energy currents of the Great Sea and the Demon King.

Otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible to locate the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale.

When he came this way, he had sensed the aura of the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale deep within Da Mengze.

Yet, fearing to alert the enemy, he had refrained from action.

Now he planned to send in his men to engage the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale, and then ambush them on the way!

The moment Lu Changsheng stormed out to rescue, they’d be caught off guard! These two Core Formation cultivators, relying merely on their paltry treasures and bluster,

would be slashed like dogs by True Lord Pinghai—even if his cultivation were not yet truly Core Formation but still Nascent Soul.

But as long as his foe couldn’t activate their treasure immediately, True Lord Pinghai remained unafraid, confident in his own might.

Even if outmatched, he was sure of a safe retreat! After long observation, he had become certain that the dreaded Solar Divine Light could not be unleashed at will.

It required the power of a spirit vein array to trigger.

Moreover, the Solar Divine Light is limited by range.

Otherwise, the light that once lashed out at True Lord Fuhai would have come not from the Sea Eye of Da Mengze but right from this Immortal City.

“Buzz!”

Having made up his mind, True Lord Pinghai seemed to meld with the void of the Great Void and vanished without a trace.

On the endless, azure sea, the sunlight danced on the water in shimmering waves, utterly calm.

No one suspected that hidden here was a Nascent Soul True Lord, a force capable of steering the tides of the cultivation world.

It can only be said that a Nascent Soul True Lord using mystical secret techniques to lurk in the shadows can easily evade detection—even from his peers.

Moreover, in Da Mengze, aside from Lu Quanzhen, there were scarcely any Core Formation cultivators.

In such circumstances, how could anyone notice this Nascent Soul True Lord? Meanwhile, at the City Lord’s Mansion, Lu Quanzhen watched a sword beam tear through the backyard, instantly decapitating Yanhai Shangren, and felt a surge of shock.

He thought, ‘The Nines-Leaf Elder in the backyard is undoubtedly a Nascent Soul-level powerhouse.’

That voice was far from human.

It made him wonder if perhaps it belonged to a Fourth-Rank Demon King as well.

After all, his own forces already boasted a Golden-Winged Roc and an Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale—both Fourth-Rank Demon Kings.

Adding one more would hardly be surprising.

“Apologies for the trouble, Nines-Leaf Elder.”

Lu Quanzhen respectfully clasped his hands and bowed toward the backyard.

Then he ordered the City Lord’s enforcers to gather Yanhai Shangren’s body, to demonstrate that the authority of the City Lord’s Mansion is not to be challenged—this is the fate for daring to provoke our Immortal City!

“Yes!”

The Immortal City patrol, filled with cautious dread, hurried outside the city without a moment’s delay.

Soon, amid looks of reverence and fear, they collected Yanhai Shangren’s remains and delivered them to the City Lord’s Mansion.

They broadcast the City Lord’s decree: “Our Immortal City’s might brooks no challenge. This is your fate!” followed by a chorus of hissing sounds.

The Immortal City erupted in chaos as countless cultivators gasped in astonishment.

Overbearing!

It was simply too domineering! ‘Our Immortal City’s might brooks no challenge. This is your fate!’ And the City Lord’s Mansion had every right to say so.

A lofty Core Formation True Cultivator once challenged, only to be effortlessly decimated by a single sword beam from the City Lord’s Mansion.

Such ruthless methods were truly terrifying.

Who else but a Nascent Soul True Lord, standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, could achieve this?

“For a Core Formation True Cultivator to challenge a Nascent Soul True Lord is to lower oneself in status!”

“A Core Formation True Cultivator daring to challenge a Nascent Soul True Lord is nothing but provocation and insult—a death warrant in itself!”

“I never imagined the rumors were true—the City Lord has already broken through to Nascent Soul!”

“I expected an exhilarating battle of sorcery, but it ended just like that.”

Cultivators across the city marveled, their faces etched with awe as they looked toward the heart of the Immortal City, as if it were an imperial palace in the heavens.

Though the City Lord rarely appeared in public,

each move over the decades had proven his absolute, unquestionable power—truly, insiders see the nuances while outsiders merely watch the spectacle.

Most in the Immortal City merely murmured in astonishment and then carried on as if nothing had occurred.

But those with deep experience or from influential families sensed that this was a test.

Some faction was testing the Dameng Immortal City and its lord.

Just as Real Lord Qingluan was often challenged before he ascended to True Lord status.

However, this Dameng Lord’s display was much stronger and more domineering than that of Real Lord Qingluan in the past.

In the City Lord’s Mansion, Lu Quanzhen took Yanhai Shangren’s body and examined the Storage Ring, hoping to find clues

that might reveal which faction from the Starry Sea this man belonged to.

But Yanhai Shangren had long prepared himself—he carried no identifying tokens.

Even the Storage Ring held almost no wealth.

Apart from his Life-Bound Treasure, all he had was a torn set of robes and a few pills and talismans.

Days later, news of Yanhai Shangren’s challenge to the Dameng Lord—and his subsequent execution by a sword beam—spread rapidly throughout the cultivation world of Jiang Kingdom.

Most factions were unmoved by the news.

After all, they had long heard of the Dameng Lord’s might.

They thought a Nascent Soul True Lord casually dispatching a Core Formation cultivator was no unusual event.

And any faction testing the Immortal City was none of their business.

Only the Four Great Immortal Sects found themselves thrown into a state of suspicion.

Half a month earlier, when Yanhai Shangren had issued his challenge to the City Lord’s Mansion, the Azure Cloud Sect, the Luoxia Sect, and the Beast Spirit Sect had secretly speculated,

believing it to be a test by the Heavenly Sword Sect against the Dameng Immortal City.

Now, upon learning that the Dameng Immortal City had decisively executed Yanhai Shangren, they feigned ignorance.

Such matters, they felt, were best left unspoken even among themselves.

Yet at this moment the Heavenly Sword Sect Master looked utterly perplexed.

When he had first received news of Yanhai Shangren’s challenge to the City Lord’s Mansion, he was filled with doubts.

He did not know the true origins of this Yanhai Shangren.

Now, hearing that a sword beam had severed his head, a foreboding chill gripped him.

Could it be that the Dameng Immortal City suspected this act came from the Heavenly Sword Sect?

The enemy had not even revealed themselves, yet a single sword had executed Yanhai Shangren—no doubt a warning, a deterrent.

“Could it be the work of the Liang or Jin Kingdom?”

The Heavenly Sword Sect Master knew well that his sect was not to blame.

Though his sect had long criticized the Dameng Immortal City for its inaction during the Liang-Yue War,

at such a critical moment, they would not act rashly.

Thus he immediately speculated that some force from the Liang or Jin Kingdom was meddling behind the scenes, trying to sow discord between the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Dameng Immortal City.

He ordered his men to visit the Dameng Immortal City and report the news to True Lord Juejian.

“Sword beam?”

True Lord Juejian’s brow furrowed like a sharpened blade upon hearing the report.

In earlier times, if the Dameng Lord had decapitated a Core Formation cultivator, he would not have paid much mind.

After all, at the early Whale Banquet, the enemy had subdued a Core Formation True Cultivator from the Shadow Sect with nothing more than brute strength.

He knew well that a Nascent Soul cultivator like the Dameng Lord could easily dispatch a Core Formation cultivator, even if grievously injured as suspected.

Yet the unknown “Yanhai Shangren” and that lethal sword beam reminded him of a message True Lord Xuanjian had relayed months ago,

urging him to pay closer attention to all matters concerning the sword.

He even had his sect’s Sword Mountain and the Flying Swords of the Respectful Sword Hall reexamined.

Now, that mysterious Dameng Lord was also wielding a sword? “Tie Jian, gather all available intel on this Yanhai Shangren. Check if this interference is the work of forces from the Liang, Yuan, or Jin Kingdom.”

“I’ll visit the Dameng Immortal City later,”

replied True Lord Juejian in a tone of resolute authority.

Long ago, he had journeyed to the Dameng Immortal City to invite Dameng Lord Wang Lin to join the Liang-Yue War.

But the City Lord’s wife, Li Muwan, had claimed her husband was in seclusion.

Now that he had emerged, there was no reason to refuse, especially given my Senior Brother’s encouragement to meet this Dameng Lord.

He needed to see if the rumors in my Senior Brother’s letter were true.

“Yes, True Lord,”

the Heavenly Sword Sect Master responded respectfully, then recalled the cultivators sent to the Dameng Immortal City to investigate Yanhai Shangren’s background.

High above in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, a golden divine rainbow cut through the air like lightning.

Any soaring beast that strayed too close would be torn to shreds by the fierce, golden winds.

Yet this golden rainbow exuded the formidable aura of a Demon King—such that not only common beasts, but even Demon Kings, trembled before it.

When Lu Changsheng first ventured into the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, he had been extremely cautious to avoid attracting a Demon King’s attention.

Now, he was bold indeed; if any Demon King dared to block his path, he would reduce them to mere fuel!

In just one month, propelled by the swift Golden-Winged Roc, Lu Changsheng had reached this part of the Jiang Kingdom’s Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

“I’m back!”

Lu Changsheng looked upon the now-familiar Starry Mountains with a surge of nostalgia.

Though the journey had lasted barely a year,

in that time he transformed beyond recognition.

From a mere Core Formation cultivator, he had become a Nascent Soul True Lord—almost worlds apart! Ling Zixiao, viewing the familiar mountains, felt the same stirring.

He vaguely recalled that he and Lu Changsheng had once come here together.

Back then, as Foundation Establishment cultivators, they had come to tap the spirit veins and original essence—only to attract a Three-Rank Wind-Thunder Beast.

It was the first time she had seen her young master suffer defeat.

Time flew—over seventy years had passed.

That Foundation Establishment cultivator, who once faltered before a Three-Rank Demon King, had now risen to become a Nascent Soul True Lord, even keeping a Fourth-Tier Shapeshifting Demon King as his spirit pet and mount! After the Golden-Winged Roc soared awhile longer, Lu Changsheng’s thoughts stirred as his Misty Dust Banner materialized.

Here, he could sense the subtle auras of both his Misty Dust Banner and the deputy banner of the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain.

Had he expended full effort, he could simply activate the Misty Dust Banner for immediate teleportation.

But considering the distance would drain all his magical energy, he decided to wait until the Golden-Winged Roc made another day’s journey before using it.

“Buzz!”

In that instant, the palm-sized Misty Dust Banner in Lu Changsheng’s hand sprang to life under his Nascent Soul magical energy, transforming into a vast multicolored cloud.

Immediately, ripples spread through the void as the cloud engulfed his companions and propelled them toward the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain.

In a moment, the world spun wildly.

It felt like a blink of an eye—or perhaps the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Lu Changsheng and his companions reappeared atop Biyun Peak.

Everyone present knew well the prowess of Lu Changsheng’s Misty Dust Banner.

Yet they marveled that, having traversed such a vast distance, he showed hardly any sign of depletion—much to the amazement of the maidens.

“Is this Bihu Mountain?”

Yun Wanshang’s beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings as she asked softly.

She had never been to Bihu Mountain, only gazing at it from afar.

“Yes, this is Bihu Mountain,” Lu Changsheng replied with a gentle smile.

“Since you’ve broken through to Nascent Soul, I’ll take my leave now.”

Yun Wanshang showed little interest in staying at Bihu Mountain.

Especially after their previous visit to the Dameng Immortal City, where they had met Hong Lian, Ling Zixiao, and Lu Lingxiao.

If she lingered, would she also have to meet his entire household? Yun Wanshang felt nothing but indifference and even repulsion.

“Aren’t you going to rest for a bit?”

Lu Changsheng asked instinctively.

Knowing her delicate feelings regarding his matters at home, he did not press her. “Alright, I’ll see you off,” he added.

Then, holding Yun Wanshang’s fair, jade hand, he teleported her in just a few breaths to a place a thousand miles away from the Azure Cloud Sect.

Having broken through to Nascent Soul and wielding the Misty Dust Banner, Lu Changsheng now could vanish at will over great distances.

Even though Yun Wanshang was herself a Nascent Soul True Lord, witnessing Lu Changsheng’s instantaneous movement filled her with awe—it was simply extraordinary.

In his presence, she felt utterly outclassed.

After all, her own Nascent Soul body had already reached the pinnacle of genuine Nascent Soul status, surpassing countless others.

“Caiyun, thank you for your help on this trip. Once I finish my affairs at home, I’ll visit you and Yunxiao,”

Lu Changsheng said tenderly, gazing at the beautiful woman who still looked a bit pale and fragile, holding her hand, “If you have anything on your mind, just send me a message.”

He added, “I am now the Qilin Sword Lord.”

At these words, Yun Wanshang felt a warm smile spread across her heart.

Yet she had never responded warmly to Lu Changsheng’s tender advances.

Especially knowing that she would soon have to return to attend to those who flitted about like birds.

“Understood. Now, go about your business,”

Yun Wanshang replied coolly before breaking his grip and heading back to visit her son at the Azure Cloud Sect.

But she soon felt his hand tighten, preventing her from escaping.

At that moment, a handsome young man stepped forward, his voice warm and magnetic: “Now that your husband has broken through to Nascent Soul, Caiyun, do you not recognize him as your husband?”

At his words, Yun Wanshang blushed furiously; just as she was about to protest, Lu Changsheng leaned in and stole a kiss, as if to take a taste of her sweetness.

Yun Wanshang was struck like a bolt of lightning.

She had never expected Lu Changsheng to be so overbearing all of a sudden.

She tried to push him away,

but she was too weak at that moment.

Even in the prime of a Core Formation cultivator, being so close to a dual-cultivating Nascent Soul True Lord rendered one helpless.

For a moment, Yun Wanshang was at a loss.

It was as if she recalled the time when she had pinned Lu Changsheng beneath her.

After a brief pause, noticing his hand growing more insistent, her eyes turned icy as she summoned her Nascent Soul magical energy.

Seeing her resistance, Lu Changsheng immediately released her.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he remarked casually, “Facing Caiyun, I simply couldn’t help myself.”

Yun Wanshang’s pale, porcelain face flushed slightly, and her heart pounded wildly under his forceful kiss.

“Save your sweet talk,”

she replied coolly, her tone devoid of emotion.

No sooner had the words left her lips than she transformed into a burst of multicolored light and dashed off toward the Azure Cloud Sect.

Yet Lu Changsheng could clearly see that she was not only disoriented and emotionally unsettled but even fled in haste;

as if in a panic.

“Hehe,”

Lu Changsheng chuckled softly, gently shaking his Misty Dust Banner in his hand.

The colorful radiance rippled through space, and in an instant, he reappeared atop Biyun Peak.

“Does your husband not often exchange sweet words with the Caiyun True Lord—oh no, with the Yun Ji True Lord? I see she clearly harbors feelings for you,”

Ling Zixiao remarked with a warm smile upon Lu Changsheng’s return.

If before she had any doubt that the Yun Ji True Lord from the Azure Cloud Sect was indeed the Caiyun True Lord,

her departure now confirmed it beyond all doubt.

“Feelings? There are none,”

Lu Changsheng retorted, giving her a light pat on her ample rear as if to remind her of his authority.

At that moment, Lu Miaoyun arrived, and upon seeing him, she exclaimed joyfully, “Husband, you’ve broken through to Nascent Soul!?”

Although breakthroughs like this were highly secret,

Lu Changsheng always kept nothing from his wife—so he had never hidden his achievement from Lu Miaoge when they went out together.

“That’s right,”

Lu Changsheng said with a smile as he held her hand and demonstrated a soul departure.

Not only Lu Miaoyun,

but Lu Miaoge, Ling Zixiao, and even Hong Lian watched in astonishment at his Nascent Soul body.

This Nascent Soul body—regardless of its size, density, or energy—resembled nothing like that of a typical newly-broken-through cultivator.

“Could it be that your soul is a Great Dao Nascent Soul unlike any seen before?”

Although Hong Lian had once been a Nascent Soul True Lord, she had only reached the sixth level.

Through later opportunities, her Nascent Soul had barely edged into mid-tier Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul.

Thus, it was impossible to tell whether Lu Changsheng’s soul was truly top-tier Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul or a miraculous Great Dao Nascent Soul.

“So this is the Nascent Soul body,”

“This little soul is truly adorable—just like you, husband.”

The maidens appraised the Nascent Soul body with amused curiosity.

Ling Zixiao even reached out to touch it, finding it as smooth as the finest jade.

“Be careful,” Lu Changsheng cautioned his wife—not that she might injure his Nascent Soul, but that its uncontrolled energy might harm her.

Though his Nascent Soul body was average compared to those of his peers, it could easily intimidate Core Formation cultivators—capable of seizing their bodies with little effort.

After a bit of teasing, Lu Changsheng retracted his Nascent Soul into his Zifu dantian and asked his wife, Lu Miaoyun, about any news concerning home or the Dameng Immortal City.

“Husband, there’s news: a Core Formation cultivator called ‘Yanhai Shangren’ challenged the Dameng Lord and was decapitated by a sword beam.”

Bihu Mountain, being the top Core Formation family in the Jiang Kingdom—even without the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror for video calls—had excellent intel.

They had long received word from the Dameng Immortal City.

At that time, she had thought that her husband, Lu Changsheng, had returned in his Nascent Soul state; clearly, the Sun-Moon Token showed no reaction, proving that it was not him who acted.

“Sword beam!?”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed as he instantly realized that the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass had been involved.

Under ordinary circumstances, his son Lu Quanzhen could have handled it—but the need for the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass to act meant the situation was dire.

Without delay, Lu Changsheng calculated the situation at the Dameng Immortal City with his fingers.

The Immortal City was intact, yet shrouded in an overwhelming aura of ominous misfortune—a crisis was brewing.

Lu Changsheng’s face darkened further as he also calculated the situation concerning Lu Lingjing.

The heavenly secrets were muddled, as if someone were interfering.

Frowning, he tossed three Divination Copper Coins from his Divination Tool to further discern the situation. In that instant, he realized that a diviner was masking Lu Lingjing’s fate.

“We must not alert the enemy!”

A scale appeared in Lu Changsheng’s hand.

It was from the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale—a perfect tool for divination.

Oh no!

The Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale was currently beset by a catastrophic calamity—a dire omen indeed!

Lu Changsheng’s expression changed as he spoke to his wife, “Lu Lingjing is in danger. I must now head to the Dameng Immortal City!”

“Husband, I will go with you,”

Hong Lian declared, instantly realizing from his expression that Lu Lingjing was in grave peril—surely an attack by a Nascent Soul True Lord from the Starry Sea.

Although Lu Changsheng had broken through to Nascent Soul and his soul far surpassed those of other Nascent Soul cultivators,

his Life-Bound Treasure, the Yin-Yang Diagram, was damaged and he had not yet mastered the Divine Abilities technique. Confronted by multiple Nascent Soul True Lords, the danger would be immense.

“Miaoge, Ling Zixiao, you both stay here. Hong Lian and I will go ahead,”

Lu Changsheng ordered without delay, setting off with Hong Lian, the Golden-Winged Roc, and his Misty Dust Banner in hand.

However, he chose not to expend further magical energy—instead, he used spirit stones to conserve power for battle.

In a dizzying swirl, Lu Changsheng and Hong Lian arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion in the Dameng Immortal City.

Yet at that moment, an inexplicable impulse suddenly surged within him.