On the east bank of the Spirit River, atop the highest beacon tower, the angel-like girl, the ant-like old man, and the red-haired half-man half-beast remained standing.
They gazed into the dark sky beyond the Spirit River.
Their perspective was different from others; they could sense that a battle had broken out deep within the Grey Realm.
And it was a fierce one.
The wind blowing toward them carried the residual power of five Immortal King powerhouses.
Five Immortal Kings!
“A civil war?”
“Doesn't look like it.”
“One is heading this way...”
“But among these auras, there is no breath of a living soul.”
Beyond their confusion, they couldn't help but feel curious about what was happening there.
Reason told them that the Ancestral Spirit old monsters of the dark creatures must be fighting among themselves. It couldn't be that an Immortal King from the 3,000 provinces had awakened and was charging over, right?
Well...
Perhaps...
It wasn't entirely impossible!
Maintaining their spectator mindset, they watched from the sidelines, happy to see the dark creatures in trouble.
On the west bank of the Spirit River, within that Hunting Ground, a hundred thousand Blood Spirit Guards were arrayed in formation, waiting with weapons at the ready. They had constructed a crimson line of defense, blocking the way before the Spirit River Crossing.
Their battle intent surged into the sky, causing the heavens to change color. The defense was so tight that not even a mosquito could hope to fly through.
Spirit Sequence Seven stood in her chilling blood-armor, the red tassel on her helmet held high.
Standing before the vast army, she was as steady as Mount Tai. Beside her stood a young general in silver robes and silver armor with short silver hair. He was full of spirit—the very same Little Sequence Ning who had requested to fight alongside Spirit Sequence Five that day.
Ahead, the conflict began, and reports were sent back to Spirit Sequence Seven one after another.
“Report! A battle has broken out ahead...”
“Report! Third Adult, Fifth Adult, and Eighteenth Adult are locked in combat with an Immortal King and cannot break away.”
“Report! The first line of defense has collapsed; the enemy is charging toward us.”
“Report! The intruder has drawn a sword and broken through thirty formations, crossing the Far East Army camp.”
“Report! The opponent has entered the Hunting Ground alone with a sword...”
Every battle report was a report of defeat. The intruder had cut a path through, breaking through layers of obstruction in less than the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, crossing hundreds of thousands of miles of territory to enter the Hunting Ground.
The expressions of the hundred thousand Blood Spirit Guards shifted, looking extremely grim. They all knew the newcomer meant trouble and was undoubtedly powerful.
Spirit Sequence Seven, who had remained as calm as a deep well, finally moved. She let out a cold snort. “A bunch of useless trash!”
Then, she issued an order.
“All troops, stand by. I will go meet this fellow myself!”
“As you command!”
Little Sequence Ning volunteered, smiling sinisterly. “Aunt Seven, I’ll go with you.”
Spirit Sequence Seven gave him a deep look. Naturally, she understood his thoughts. Out of confidence in her own strength, she didn't refuse but nodded in agreement.
“Fine!”
Leaving the army in formation, Spirit Sequence Seven took Little Sequence Ning and turned back to intercept the outlier who was coming with irresistible force.
...
In the Immortal City on the east bank of the Spirit River, the trio atop the mountain saw Spirit Sequence Seven, the commander of the Blood Spirit Army, move out. The amusement and mockery in their eyes grew even stronger.
The red-haired half-man half-beast man teased, “Heh, even Lady Seven can’t sit still anymore. It seems this is no small matter.”
The ant-like old man was drinking and smoking at the same time. Stroking his long beard, he said cheerfully, “Let them fight, let them fight. It would be best if they all end up dead or crippled. When the time comes, this old man will go and pick up a bargain. The dark breath of a Spirit Sequence should be worth at least a hundred million spirit crystals from the River Herder, hahaha...”
The angel-like girl said with a beaming smile, “Then everyone present should get a share.”
The ant-like old man said heartily, “Haha, don't worry. I could cheat anyone, but I’d never cheat you...”
Right then, a rainbow light shot from the Immortal City's teleportation formation toward the beacon tower, landing behind the three of them in an instant.
The three of them sensed it immediately and glanced back from the corners of their eyes.
The newcomer looked hurried but still bowed respectfully and greeted them.
“Junior greets the three Immortal Kings!”
The three remained unmoved. The angel-like girl said playfully, “Is that your family's little fellow?”
The red-haired half-man half-beast man smiled without losing his composure. He turned around and said gently, “Xiao Sen, why have you come?”
The newcomer hesitated. “Uncle Bai, Great-Grandfather has words...”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted silently toward the other two.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The other two said nothing, their smiles unchanged.
The red-haired man, Lu Bai, walked back nonchalantly. Reaching the newcomer's side, he used his Immortal King divine sense to isolate the surroundings.
He said to the newcomer, “Speak.”
The newcomer stepped forward and whispered in his ear.
The other two couldn't hear what was being said, but seeing their secretive behavior, they couldn't help but feel curious.
They wondered if it was related to what they were seeing before them.
“Quite mysterious, isn't it?” the angel-like girl remarked.
The ant-like old man said slowly, “I recognize that youngster. He’s Lu Sen, the top person below the four Immortal Kings of Myriad Beast City. He’s quite a remarkable youth. For him to come personally means this is no small matter. And being so mysterious, as if afraid the two of us would hear—this likely has something to do with the Immortal City as well.”
As he spoke, he looked toward the distance intentionally or otherwise. Hearing the booming sounds of battle, he joked, “Perhaps it’s even related to that side...”
The angel-like girl was startled. She hesitated, “You mean?”
The ant-like old man narrowed his eyes. “I heard that the Lu family has an Immortal King whose life lamp remains brightly lit, but who has been wandering the heavens and hasn't returned for a long time.”
He didn't finish, leaving the implication clear. The girl understood his meaning immediately.
The angel-like girl remained calm, her voice equally intriguing. “In the Immortal Land, there are currently three cities: Wan Mountain, Dawn, and Insect Land. Each has four Immortal Kings, so they are evenly matched. If Beast Mountain adds another Immortal King, wouldn't it become the leader of the three cities?”
The ant-like old man exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked instead, “From what we’re seeing, there’s likely more than just one Immortal King involved, right?”
The angel-like girl looked thoughtful. “If you put it that way, this is indeed very interesting...”
The ant-like old man added meaningfully, “Don't get any crooked ideas. Be careful not to lose your life.”
The angel-like girl said with a smile, “I’m just afraid that you, old man, aren't being honest yourself...”
The two looked at each other and smiled, each harboring their own ulterior motives.
On the other side, after hearing the newcomer's words, the expression in Lu Bai's eyes shifted, yet he forced himself to stay calm. He nodded without showing any emotion. “I understand. You go back first.”
“Understood!”
Lu Sen didn't ask why and followed orders. Once the divine sense barrier was lifted, he bowed to the two Immortal Kings again, bid them a respectful farewell, and vanished.
Lu Bai returned to his original spot as if nothing had happened, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other two to watch the scene beyond the heavens.
“What did the youngster tell you?” the ant-like old man asked casually.
Lu Bai brushed it off. “Family matters, not worth mentioning.”
“Don't you need to go back and check?” the two prodded.
Lu Bai waved his hand. “No matter, I can deal with it later. A show like this is a once-in-a-millennium event; how could I miss it for nothing...”
The two tactfully shut their mouths and stopped asking.
Lu Bai stared beyond the heavens, his thoughts deep.
The three of them seemed to be together as close friends and life-and-death comrades, yet they belonged to three different cities, each with their own stance.
Restraint.
Balance.
Each with their own agenda.
What Lu Sen had just told him was a major event for Beast Mountain. Combined with what he was seeing, even if the explanation sounded absurd, he was basically certain that it was true.
It was very important.
But he couldn't rush.
He needed to see how things played out, also fearing that the two beside him might have ill intentions.
After all, his grandfather was coming from Beast Mountain and couldn't use the teleportation formation. At the earliest, he would only arrive tomorrow...
Lu Bai watched the distant explosions and the baleful qi rising into the sky. He murmured in his heart, pondering silently, “Great-Grandfather, is it really you?”
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