The Skybearer Gates!
Lu Qishan had brought the door to Dusk Province with the goal of capturing Diexi, but ended up dying to the concerted attack from the Black Tortoise image that was formed by the juba and blackwater snake.
The black dragonguard that’d collected them at the end had also snagged the Skybearer Gates and delivered it to Qing Han. Since it belonged to the Lu Clan, the imperial envoy gave the dao-grade treasure to Lu Yun.
The gates cast a jade sheen over all of Dusk City, replacing even the blazing sun in the sky, and instantly blocked the golden bell’s attack.
Within the Gates of the Abyss, Beigong Yu and Lü Biao channeled all of their energy into Lu Yun, supplying him with enough power to activate the gates, a treasure that could counter all things yin in the world.
The two dao-grade treasures came to a standstill after clashing against each other, neither able to gain the upper hand. The Qing dao immortal could only exert the power of an august immortal, while Lü Biao and Beigong Yu could call upon their full power as peerless immortals. Moreover, Beigong Yu’s cultivation was only a hair’s breadth away from the dao immortal realm. They were the ones giving Lu Yun the ability to channel the true power of their side’s treasure.
“How is this possible?! It’s completely impossible!” Dao immortal Qing Quan looked on incredulously. “Why is Skybearer in your hand? Didn’t that old monster from the Lu Clan refine it? How are you able to use it?”
Most dao-grade treasures in the world were already refined and branded by dao immortals, making it impossible for other immortals to use the treasures without their permission.
To control the gates, Lu Yun would need the permission of a Lu dao immortal. However, the governor had fallen out with his clan after humiliating the faction and killing the genius Lu Yuanhou. Thus, Qing Quan couldn’t wrap his head around the unbelievable sight in front of him.
That’s because the brand on the treasure has been removed, Lu Yun thought calmly.
After Empress Myrtlestar came to, she’d removed the ownership brand on the treasure with the Scroll of Shepherding Immortals, turning it into an unclaimed treasure. Even if the Lu clan’s dao immortal came himself, he wouldn’t have a hope of taking the treasure back.
That was precisely the reason why the Lu Clan didn’t dare come after Lu Yun again. They didn’t even have the courage to demand the clan’s ultimate treasure back. Only the top heavyweights of the world would be able to remove the brand. They’d just recovered from a calamity and didn’t dare provoke such a powerful being at the moment.
Lu Yun was having a very rough time. The power of two peerless immortals was flowing into his body through the realms of yin and yang, which he was in turn sending into Skybearer. If he didn’t have a daily regime of refining his constitution with connate elemental power, he would’ve broken under the pressure. Even so, strands of bloody mist furled out of his pores and stained his clothes, collecting into droplets of blood and dripping onto the ground.
“You’ve reached your limit, haven’t you?” Qing Quan regained his calm and manifested clothes with his inner energy. “Then shatter!”
He swallowed a pill that increased his power by thirty percent, increasing the golden bell’s size by a similar amount and firmly suppressing Skybearer, even threatening to take it away.
Wham!!
An incredible explosion of sound rang out as a snow-white path emerged beneath Lu Yun’s feet. It expanded forward and slammed right into Skybearer and the golden bell, eliciting dramatic trembles from both dao-grade treasures.
Pah!
Qing Quan threw up a mouthful of blood and his clothes disintegrated yet again. The collision caught the immortals behind him, flinging them backward.
“The Path of Ingress!!” screamed the dao immortal, his expression colored by fear. That was the most important treasure of the Nephrite Court! Neither him, nor any of the onlookers had expected Lu Yun to bring it out. Was the celestial emperor truly the governor’s patron?
Qing Quan was starting to regret his actions now. He’d reached an agreement with Zhao Changkong that the crown prince would help the Qing Clan gain the heritage of the ancient lord, as long as Qing Quan killed Lu Yun and gained the Formation Orb for the prince.
This was why he’d shown up and openly threatened Lu Yun with a frankly laughable excuse. Zhao Changkong would soon assume the celestial throne. His every word and action represented the Nephrite Court, so Qing Quan had no reason to turn him down. However, Lu Yun had the Path of Ingress!
Zhao Changkong would never give the treasure to Lu Yun. It must have been the celestial emperor.
……
“Those three pieces of trash are still making trouble for me even after death!” Enraged, Zhao Changkong made a hand seal to collect the replica of the Path of Ingress. Before the seal could shoot out from the verdant hilltop, however, Chen Xiao’s chilling voice sounded in the air.
“We’re keeping you company here instead of intervening in the Dusk City battle out of respect for your rules. If you dare violate them, I will immediately kill you.”
Zhao Changkong trembled, the seal in his hand dissipating. This was Dusk Province. He’d sealed his cultivation before coming in, and wasn’t powerful enough to ignore the restriction here even if his cultivation weren’t sealed.
More than a dozen years ago, Qing Buyi and Chen Xiao had gone on a rampage and slaughtered numerous subsidiary houses of the Qing Clan. At that time, Zhao Changkong had wanted to arrest them to do the clan a favor, but his father stopped him.
“Don’t provoke those two devils, or even I won’t be able to save you,” he’d said.
The crown prince was already starting to grasp the reins of power in Nephrite Major and would soon become the celestial emperor. How dare these two warn of preventing his ascension and even threaten to kill him?! It instilled an inexplicable fear in his heart.
What a pity that Wayfarer was unwilling to come to the province....
He ground his teeth, making plans to deal with the two irreverent men. He had no choice other than to stay put for now, but he transmitted a message to Qing Quan to assure the immortal that his concerns were unfounded.
……
The Path of Ingress sent the Qing dao immortal flying.
The tremendous counterforce left Lu Yun bleeding from his seven orifices. However, he ignored his injuries and sent out a winged golden coin with a wave of his hand. “Fall!”
The hole at the center of the coin exerted great suction force on the golden bell.
“That’s the Treasurefall Coin! It’s Hongchen’s!” Qing Quan yelled furiously, his eyes widened. “Why is it in your hand?! Where is he?! It can only collect treasures up to the ninth-rank, how naive of you to try it on my Arcane Golden Bell.” Paying no mind to his nakedness, Qing Quan extended his arms and poured all his power into the golden bell, blocking both the Skybearer Gates and the Path of Ingress.
“Die!” Receiving Zhao Changkong’s message had left him with no further reservations. He abandoned the bell and attacked Lu Yun himself.
“Nothing is impossible.” Lu Yun was at his limits, but his lips curved into a mocking smile.
Buzz!
The coin hummed and landed on the Skybearer Gates, becoming one with it.
Rumble!
The gates opened wide and swallowed the sparkling bell with the assistance of the Path of Ingress. But at the same time, Qing Quan arrived next to Lu Yun and smashed down with a punch at the young governor’s head.