Return! Get me out of here—now!

  Terrifying auras clashed and crisscrossed, flooding the entire starry void.

  Though these were soul storms, the soul was the most vital part of any living being. Once annihilated, death was not far behind.

  Lu’s soul was incredibly strong, but right now he was surrounded by the majority of the ancient starry void’s top powerhouses.

  If they ganged up on him, even he would be in serious trouble.

  So the moment the system gave him the option to return—

  Lu chose without the slightest hesitation.

  If he didn’t leave now, he’d be an idiot.

  Show off, then run. That was the rule.

  Lu understood exactly what was happening.

  The statue’s importance was obvious. A treasure capable of aiding comprehension of the Gold Origin mysteries—how priceless was that?

  The beings seated on those stars comprehending the mysteries were all top-tier existences: immortal-rank powerhouses, even some who surpassed that level.

  That alone showed how valuable the statue truly was.

  Now that Lu had taken it, how could the others not go insane?

  How could they not try to do something to him?

  He had enough self-awareness to know that if he lingered, he might never leave.

  Still, even though his heart was racing, on the surface he maintained perfect calm and composure.

  Beneath the black robe, his eyes shone with serene light.

  The fierce winds formed by the soul storms whipped his robes wildly.

  Boom!

  Space tore open again and again, as though stars were being crushed by overwhelming force.

  The first to arrive were the five prized disciples of the Elemental Gods.

  Their strength far exceeded the immortal rank, sending a shiver down even Lu’s spine.

  “Return initiated.”

  The system prompt appeared before him.

  The instant Lu selected return, the system responded immediately.

  Boom!

  An invisible wave of energy surged around Lu’s body.

  In that moment, the space sealed by the Elemental Gods began to fracture like shattered glass.

  “This human… is trying to escape?!”

  “Impossible! The Elemental Gods have completely locked down this space—how can he still leave?!”

  “Who the hell is this human? Does humanity still have such a hidden powerhouse?”

  Though everything happened in the blink of an eye,

  the weakest beings present were already at the Great Emperor level. Their vision was sharp enough to see everything clearly.

  This human was actually breaking through the Elemental Gods’ spatial lockdown!

  “Stay!!!”

  One of the Elemental Gods roared in fury.

  The sound was like it could annihilate an entire star domain.

  Many felt their breath catch.

  Yet it was like the rage of the powerless.

  Lu’s figure began to blur!

  Boom boom boom!

  The attacks of the Elemental Gods’ disciples—and even the gods themselves—landed.

  The area where Lu had stood exploded. Layers of space shattered, chaotic spatial currents raging wildly within.

  But…

  Every powerhouse present widened their eyes in disbelief.

  Lu’s body flickered. Every attack passed straight through him.

  Beneath the black robe, his calm gaze swept across the crowd—as though memorizing every Elemental God and disciple who had attacked him, etching them deep into his memory.

  Then, like a thread of light compressed to the extreme, with a soft chime—

  He vanished.

  The entire ancient starry void fell silent.

  Deathly silent.

  A slap in the face.

  Brutal and straightforward.

  The five Elemental Gods—rulers of the Elemental Realm, supremely powerful beings—had failed to stop this human.

  For them, it was an utterly humiliating blow. Even they felt the sting.

  But most importantly… the Beast Ancestor statue was gone!

  That was the real disaster.

  What kind of treasure was the Beast Ancestor statue?

  It contained the primordial chaos mysteries of the ancient starry void—the very essence from which gods and demons were born.

  And yet…

  Such an ancient supreme treasure had been taken away right in front of the Elemental Gods.

  And they couldn’t even stop him.

  After a long silence, the void began to boil like heated water.

  The terrifying auras radiating from the five Elemental Gods filled the air with dread and coldness.

  “Humans!”

  The next moment, their gazes shifted toward Tonggu.

  Tonggu was stunned as well.

  The moment Lu safely escaped with the statue, he felt his scalp go numb.

  This guy… was way too flashy!

  What kind of background did he have?

  The black robe already made him unreadable, but now, even under the combined assault of the Elemental Gods, he had broken through space and left.

  That meant this human’s mastery of spatial mysteries surpassed even the Elemental Gods!

  To leave so effortlessly, his spatial attainments must have reached a terrifying level!

  But Tonggu quickly snapped back to reality.

  The instant Lu disappeared, he moved—sweeping his hand and enveloping the nine human prodigies, turning into a streak of light as he fled the area.

  If he didn’t leave now, he’d become the target of the Elemental Gods’ rage.

  And then he’d be in for a beating.

  Of course, Tonggu was delighted.

  Humanity had finally held its head high this time—at least they’d given these gods and demons a solid slap. He felt incredibly refreshed.

  He could almost picture the dark, gloomy expressions on the Elemental Gods’ true forms.

  Boom!

  Tonggu’s strength was no joke. Even with nine prodigies in tow, he forced his way out. Even the Elemental Gods couldn’t stop him if he was determined to leave.

  Of course, if they had sealed the space around him from the beginning, he wouldn’t have escaped.

  Unfortunately, their main target was Lu—so Tonggu slipped away cleanly.

  The ancient starry void fell quiet again.

  After Tonggu left, one god-demons and star-race beings after another began to depart.

  The Elemental Gods were furious. Lingering here risked becoming targets of their wrath.

  The disciples of the Elemental Gods wore looks of deep shame.

  Not only had they failed to obtain the inheritance, they hadn’t even managed to stop the black-robed human. They’d been shown up, slapped in the face, and then watched him escape.

  “Humanity only had nine comprehension slots. When Tonggu left, he took all nine human prodigies… which means this human wasn’t brought by Tonggu…”

  Powerful soul fluctuations turned into terrifying storms.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  The Elemental Gods hovered above the now-empty spot where the statue had stood.

  Their emotions churned.

  How could such a massive Beast Ancestor statue just… disappear?

  “Who exactly was that human? To break our spatial lockdown—could there be a starry saint behind him?”

  “Could this be a scheme by a starry saint? Trying to steal all the Beast Ancestor statues?!”

  “It seems we need to guard the remaining four statues much more carefully!”

  “Also… that human’s aura carried traces of the elemental god-demons we raised…”

  “That guy must have tampered with our bred elemental god-demons!”

  The wills of the Elemental Gods surged. Their disciples didn’t dare breathe too loudly.

  “Investigate!”

  “Find out if any of our bred elemental god-demons have died recently. Whoever touched them must be connected to this human!”

  The cold command echoed.

  The five disciples bowed deeply, then turned into streaks of light and departed.

  …

  Tonggu, carrying the nine human prodigies, escaped far from the storm’s center.

  Only after reaching a safe distance did he stop and hover in the starry void.

  “A Beast Ancestor statue was taken… which powerhouse from humanity did this?”

  “The aura was completely unfamiliar. Could it be someone from a newly born immortal-martial world?”

  “In the future, the gods and demons’ encirclement of humanity will probably become even fiercer…”

  Tonggu’s eyes flickered. He wasn’t sure whether this incident was a blessing or a curse for humanity.

  But humanity had been oppressed by gods and demons in the ancient starry void for far too long.

  Even without this event, an explosion was inevitable!

  “Still… we need to find that black-robed human first.”

  After thinking for a moment, Tonggu raised his hand and began divining in the void.

  …

  Lakeheart Island.

  Lu suddenly opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

  His soul returned to his body. His form trembled lightly before he regained full control.

  “The Elemental Gods… are terrifyingly strong.”

  “Definitely beyond immortal rank—Great Luo Immortal level?”

  Lu fell into thought.

  But he faintly felt that even a Great Luo Immortal might not necessarily be a match for these Elemental Gods.

  “This is going to be troublesome.”

  “I accidentally provoked some really difficult enemies.”

  Lu stretched lazily.

  The spiritual energy blanket slipped off his body.

  He smiled, feeling a trace of warmth in his heart.

  “Hm… a whole century passed in the blink of an eye. I didn’t expect comprehending the Gold Origin mysteries would take so long.”

  Lu was surprised.

  With a thought, a golden Beast Ancestor statue appeared in his hand.

  “One adorable little Beast Ancestor statue…”

  Remembering the system’s description, Lu was speechless.

  Where exactly was it adorable?

  Still, seeing the originally colossal statue reduced to the size of a small trophy did make it strangely pleasing to the eye.

  “System, what level of spiritual treasure is this statue?”

  Lu asked curiously.

  Soon, the system prompt appeared before him.

  “This is simply one adorable little Beast Ancestor statue.”

  Lu: “…”

  So simple it could only be used as a decoration?

  Lu had hoped it might have special functions—like killing enemies or suppressing foes.

  Of course, he also knew the statue’s aura of mysteries was incredible.

  At least for cultivators of the Five Phoenix Continent, this statue could assist in comprehending mysteries. Once comprehended, it would greatly enhance the offensive power of divine abilities—and might even open the path to the Great Luo Immortal realm.

  So Lu already had plans for this little Beast Ancestor statue.

  “This Gold Origin Beast Ancestor statue corresponds to the Indestructible Golden Body… which means… there might be a Fire Origin Beast Ancestor statue for the Indestructible Fire Body?”

  Lu’s eyes lit up as the thought struck him.

  By his reasoning, the Indestructible Body should have five attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, earth.

  If the statues were truly connected to the Indestructible Body, then there should be five in total.

  If he collected them all… could he summon something incredible?

  He put the thought aside.

  Lu first stored the statue away.

  Because the moment he awoke, three streaks of light shot toward him at high speed.

  “Young Master!”

  Ning Zhao, Ni Yu, and Yi Yue floated over, delighted.

  “Young Master, you’re finally awake!”

  They looked at Lu with joy.

  Lu nodded slightly.

  During the century he had been asleep, it seemed Ning Zhao and the others had managed the Fortune Tower perfectly. No major issues had arisen.

  Seeing Lu awake, they visibly relaxed.

  Then they began reporting their work in an orderly manner.

  After listening for a while, Lu waved his hand with a slight headache.

  “Young Master, there was a mysterious powerhouse outside Lakeheart Island who wished to see you. But since you were sleeping, we refused him.”

  “He even tried to force his way in… but we suppressed him with the power of the Fortune Tower.”

  Ning Zhao said.

  Lu raised an eyebrow. Force his way into Lakeheart Island?

  His divine sense swept out like a blazing sun and quickly locked onto the black-robed figure seated outside the island.

  “Emperor Tianling?”

  Lu’s expression immediately turned strange.

  Boom!

  The next moment, Lu extended a hand.

  …

  Emperor Tianling had been sitting cross-legged on his lone boat, bobbing on the vast sea for dozens of days.

  His expression was calm. Though anxious inside, he knew some things couldn’t be rushed.

  He had already caused such a commotion. Given Lu Ping’an’s infamous temper, he should have acted long ago.

  But since Lu hadn’t, it meant the maidservants were telling the truth—he really was sleeping.

  So Emperor Tianling could only wait.

  Right now, he wasn’t in a hurry.

  Though the seal in his mind continued to compress, as long as he didn’t force it open, there was no immediate danger to his life.

  Suddenly.

  A heart-pounding sense of danger surged in Emperor Tianling’s chest.

  He opened his eyes abruptly.

  His black robes whipped wildly.

  Boom!

  His aura erupted like a rainbow piercing the sun, fortune surging into the sky.

  An invisible pressure descended, making even breathing difficult.

  “Lu Ping’an?!”

  Emperor Tianling shouted.

  Boom!

  The vast sea churned, mountains and rivers darkened, and the heavens dimmed in an instant!

  Emperor Tianling’s face darkened as a massive hand appeared out of nowhere and slapped down!

  The aura radiating from that hand was unmistakably Lu Ping’an’s—Emperor Tianling recognized it immediately!

  So Lu Ping’an had finally woken up!

  And this aura had already alarmed the entire Five Phoenix Continent.

  On the vast sea.

  Gu Mangran shook his head with a sigh—partly for the mysterious powerhouse, partly in admiration.

  The colossal hand radiated terrifying power, pressing down like an entire world.

  Emperor Tianling suddenly felt like a lone boat in a storm.

  Even with his peak sixth-turn Golden Immortal strength, he felt himself swaying, as though he might be destroyed at any moment!

  “Forcing your way into Lakeheart Island comes at a price.”

  A calm voice rang out.

  Emperor Tianling resisted with difficulty, his face turning black.

  That was ages ago! He’d already been slapped away by the whale’s tail—wasn’t that enough of a price?

  Lu Ping’an really was as petty as ever. The moment he woke up, he came to mess with him!

  Boom!

  The hand slammed down!

  Soon, a massive handprint cratered the vast sea.

  Many sensed the disturbance here.

  They clicked their tongues in awe.

  That was a peak sixth-turn Golden Immortal powerhouse!

  Completely powerless against Young Master Lu.

  White Jade Capital… truly White Jade Capital.

  Young Master Lu… still the same Young Master Lu.

  …

  Emperor Tianling was dragged by Lu onto Lakeheart Island.

  He was drenched, looking quite disheveled. This time, he had truly experienced Lu Ping’an’s pettiness firsthand.

  Before, he had only known Lu’s talent for messing with people’s heads. Now he realized Lu’s pettiness was even more terrifying.

  Ning Zhao, Ni Yu, and Yi Yue stood quietly behind Lu.

  Lu, dressed in snow-white robes, sat on the Thousand-Blade Chair, leaning against the railing and listening to the wind. He held a cup in his hand, the wine inside gently swaying.

  The atmosphere remained silent for a long time.

  “You want this Young Master to help you break the seal in your mind?”

  Lu smiled lightly, finally breaking the silence.

  He took a sip of wine and glanced at Emperor Tianling.

  Emperor Tianling froze. Though disheveled, Lu hadn’t truly harmed him—just taught him a lesson.

  He stood up, eyes narrowing slightly. “You knew?”

  “This Young Master knows everything.”

  Lu’s lips curved as he toyed with the wine cup.

  Emperor Tianling took a deep breath, then gave a wry smile.

  Of course. With Lu Ping’an’s control over the Five Phoenix Continent, how could his presence possibly go unnoticed?

  Though he had suspected it, hearing Lu say it still left him somewhat helpless.

  He had thought he was hiding well.

  Turns out everyone already knew.

  “Then why didn’t you kill me?”

  “We were enemies.”

  Emperor Tianling said.

  Lu waved his hand dismissively. “This Young Master isn’t bloodthirsty.”

  “Besides, you acted during a crisis in the Five Phoenix Continent. You rendered a service. Naturally, this Young Master won’t kill you.”

  Emperor Tianling felt a surge of emotion.

  This was the difference between Lu Ping’an and the ancient emperors of the Nine Heavens.

  Lu Ping’an might have a bad temper, be petty, and love messing with people’s heads…

  But everything he did was for the Five Phoenix Continent.

  The Nine Heavens… had long since gone rotten.

  While the Five Phoenix Continent remained a place worth yearning for.

  Sometimes, Emperor Tianling really felt the urge to stop digging, to let the secrets in his mind sink into oblivion forever.

  To live peacefully in the Five Phoenix Continent, cultivate, and protect the little princess.

  Now, the Heavenly Spirit Clan had already been relocated to the Five Phoenix Continent by Mi Jia. There was no longer any connection between Emperor Tianling and the Nine Heavens.

  But he couldn’t do it.

  Simply put…

  He wanted revenge.

  His entire life had been one tragedy after another—schemed against, left sitting in a passage star for hundreds of thousands of years, only to return and be schemed against again, and finally hunted down by ancient emperors.

  He was unwilling.

  So he wanted revenge. He wanted to fight for his dignity. He wanted to shatter the plans of the Nine Heavens’ ancient emperors—and shatter Hao’s plans!

  But with his own strength, he couldn’t break the seal in his mind.

  So he had come to Lu Ping’an.

  Lu looked at Emperor Tianling and raised an eyebrow.

  Just to fight for a breath of pride?

  The atmosphere on the island grew somewhat grave.

  The wind howled past.

  Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu stood behind Lu, slightly confused.

  They couldn’t understand a word of the conversation between Young Master and this man.

  After a long silence,

  Emperor Tianling removed his hood, revealing an ordinary yet profound face.

  “I am Tianling. I beseech Young Master Lu to assist me in breaking the memory seal…”

  Emperor Tianling bowed deeply.

  Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu were stunned. They finally realized who this person was!

  “Emperor Tianling?”

  “Wasn’t he dead? I never imagined he was reborn in the Five Phoenix Continent and recovered to such strength…”

  “Didn’t Emperor Tianling have enmity with Young Master?”

  The three exchanged glances, shock in their eyes.

  This melon… was huge!

  If the world knew Emperor Tianling was still alive, they’d be terrified. Back then, the greatest threat to the Five Phoenix Continent from the Nine Heavens had been this very man.

  “A life lived only for joy, enmity, and revenge… this Young Master will help you.”

  “But what price are you willing to pay?”

  Lu’s lips curved as he drained his cup and spoke calmly.

  Asking him to act always came with conditions.

  Tianling froze, falling into thought as he considered what he could offer.

  “The passage connecting the Five Phoenix Continent to the ancient starry void needs a guardian. If this matter is settled, you will become that guardian and watch over the passage for the Five Phoenix Continent…”

  “No need for too long. Ten thousand years will do.”

  Lu leaned against the railing and spoke lightly.

  Tianling was stunned. He hadn’t expected such a condition.

  To him, what kind of price was this?

  Compared to guarding a passage in the Nine Heavens for hundreds of thousands of years, this was nothing.

  The only hardship was being separated from the little princess for ten thousand years.

  For a True Immortal powerhouse, ten thousand years wasn’t much—but still, ten thousand years was a long time.

  “As for your little sweetheart, whether you bring her along is up to you.”

  “That’s your private matter. This Young Master won’t interfere too much.”

  Lu seemed to know exactly what Tianling was hesitating over and spoke pointedly. Then he couldn’t help but chuckle.

  An ancient emperor of the Nine Heavens, falling for a mere mortal. Interesting.

  Tianling froze, then his old face reddened slightly.

  “Let’s begin. This Young Master has many things to attend to next…”

  Lu said.

  As his words fell, the atmosphere on the island grew grave.

  “We will guard the law for Young Master.”

  Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu bowed, then transformed into streaks of white light and scattered to the four corners of the island, sitting cross-legged. Their souls intertwined.

  Tianling had just reacted when—

  A massive suction force pulled at his body, drawing him toward Lu.

  His figure hovered before the pavilion.

  Lu held the cup in one hand and slowly raised the other, pointing at the center of Tianling’s brow.

  “I’ve long wanted to see what the ancient emperors of the Nine Heavens were doing deep in the rift that made you collapse mentally and choose to self-destruct…”

  Lu smiled lightly.

  Tianling’s pupils shrank.

  His heart pounded violently.

  Boom!

  The next moment,

  their consciousnesses appeared in the depths of memory.

  Array runes interwove, forming a “Myriad Rune Cauldron” that suppressed the depths of Emperor Tianling’s memory.

  Tianling’s expression was grave. The Myriad Rune Cauldron brought immense pressure to his soul. One misstep, and his soul might be crushed to ashes.

  Lu’s white robes fluttered.

  With a thought, array runes formed a preaching platform.

  Since he had shattered the Myriad Rune Cauldron once, he could do it again…

  Boom!

  The two forces collided.

  An invisible clash of formations erupted in the depths of Tianling’s soul.

  Tianling felt a faint pain.

  But the pain didn’t last long.

  Crack…

  The Myriad Rune Cauldron formed by Ancient Emperor Hao’s array words began to fracture. The pressure on Tianling’s soul shattered instantly!

  It was as though the massive stone blocking the gate of memory had been smashed open.

  The gate of memory swung wide.

  Vast waves of memory surged out.

  Lu narrowed his eyes. Tianling tensed, staring at the memory images.

  The images went from blurry to clear.

  Revealing scenes from deep within the rift.

  Scenes that made one’s blood run cold.