Wei Yang Palace Master’s cave mansion.
“This Luo Feng is extremely arrogant. Master, you personally invited him, yet he claimed to be too busy. He even said he would visit you only after screening tens of thousands of cultivators and finishing numerous affairs,” reported the Shadow Tower Master’s apparition.
“Does he think that with Yuan Xiang’s support, he can ignore me as well?” Wei Yang Palace Master’s sculpted face revealed a faint smile. “Then let him wait. Wait until he comes knocking on my door.”
The Shadow Tower Master bowed slightly and vanished in an instant.
Among the elders of Yulan City, the majority followed Wei Yang Palace Master! The most fundamental reason was… Wei Yang Palace Master’s overwhelming strength! His expertise in formation techniques was integral to Yulan City’s defensive system!
Before Luo Feng arrived, Yuan Xiang Palace Master had already planned to transfer the ‘City Builder’ authority to Wei Yang Palace Master. Wei Yang Palace Master was naturally the first choice! But when Luo Feng arrived, Yuan Xiang Palace Master was astonished.
Luo Feng’s talent and potential far surpassed Wei Yang Palace Master!
Even so, Luo Feng would first need to master two Half Primordial Level Paths before Yuan Xiang Palace Master could grant him the City Builder authority! Achieving such power meant absolute superiority, capable of sweeping away all dissenters.
However, if Luo Feng’s cultivation realm was equivalent to Wei Yang Palace Master’s or Master Gai Tao’s, the former’s mastery in formations was still the most crucial factor for Yulan City’s defenses.
“Luo Feng, even Yuan Xiang values you?” Wei Yang Palace Master confronted Luo Feng with the same condescension that a stronger individual would wield.
He was, after all, the number one Divine Emperor in Yulan City, a Half Primordial Level Enlightened One!
His physical body had been cultivated to a frightening degree; one-on-one, he could outright annihilate a Divine Emperor Perfection Level Low Level Primordial Life purely with physical strength! This feat alone underscored his unparalleled physical achievements.
But his most terrifying strength lay in his mastery of formations!
A formation of supreme terror, coupled with his formidable physical body, and supplemented by the powerful Secret Treasures he held due to his lofty status, firmly anchored him as the first in Yulan City.
When Low Level Primordial Life groups sought to attack Yulan City, Wei Yang Palace Master was always regarded as the biggest threat!
“I’m eager to see just how strong you truly are, daring to disregard me.” Wei Yang Palace Master’s tone was laced with anticipation.
“I’ll teach you a lesson.”
“No matter who supports you, personal strength is the foundation of authority! Even Yuan Xiang Palace Master must rely on me to guard Yulan City!” Wei Yang Palace Master resolved that this time, he would make sure Luo Feng understood once and for all who truly reigned supreme in Yulan City!
…
In the core area of Yulan City, within a towering hall in the Heaven Patrol Palace.
Luo Feng sat high atop his throne, flanked on each side by rows of guards.
“How many suspicious cultivators have been captured in total?” Luo Feng inquired.
“Reporting to Commander, we’ve captured a total of 53,622 cultivators.” A patrol team captain reported back with deference.
Luo Feng nodded. “Bring them into the hall in batches, and have each of them walk past me.”
“Walk past you?”
The guards in the hall were taken aback.
“No more than one thousand cultivators per batch,” Luo Feng instructed. “All they need to do is walk past me. Anyone who is possessed will not escape my detection.”
“Understood.” The guards were startled but followed the orders dutifully.
Very quickly—
Large groups of suspicious cultivators filed into the hall through the main gate and exited promptly through the side door.
Oversight from the patrol team ensured that these cultivators behaved properly, none daring to disrupt order. They also noticed the black-haired, black-cloaked man seated high on the throne in the hall.
Between the man’s brows, a third eye—the Biomimetic Destruction Eye—opened, silently observing them.
“Buzz.”
An invisible force cloaked the entire hall, permeating deep into the bodies of the cultivators.
Not a single one dared to resist!
Under the force’s penetration, Luo Feng’s Biomimetic Destruction Eye discerned each cultivator’s deep soul structure, perceiving even the subtlest details.
In this state, Luo Feng deemed it impossible for anyone to evade his scrutiny!
“Commander, during the capture of suspects, seven cultivators committed suicide,” the patrol team captain reported reverently. “We unanimously determined that they were likely possessed, so we apprehended those who had been in contact with them as well.”
Luo Feng nodded slightly. “Any cultivator who walks out of the hall is free to leave.”
“Free to leave?” The patrol team captain and several guards around him were visibly shocked.
Was it really going to be this simple to let them go?
Based on past practice, suspects would be relentlessly extorted!
But no matter how severe the extortion, these ordinary guards would see none of the benefits. All profits invariably went to Wei Yang Palace Master and certain elders.
“My screening process is already underway. Any cultivator leaving the hall signifies that their screening has ended and they may be released,” Luo Feng cast a cold glance at the patrol team captain. “Do you have any objections to my decision?”
“None, none at all.” The captain was frightened into immediate compliance. After all, this Commander wasn’t even afraid of the Shadow Tower Master or Wei Yang Palace Master; what significance did a lowly captain like him have?
Luo Feng gave him one last glance and said nothing further.
The deputy commanders of Heaven Patrol Palace, along with its many captains, were figures Luo Feng hadn’t bothered to engage with deeply. He had no interest in dissecting the web of selfish gains within their ranks, but if anyone dared to defy his commands, Luo Feng would immediately enforce the rules, killing ruthlessly as an example!
“Hm?”
Luo Feng suddenly detected an anomaly within the soul of one particular cultivator entering the hall—a lurking Enchanting Heart Worm.
“Even now, someone tries their luck, thinking I won’t discover it?” With a mere thought, a beam of blood light enveloped the cultivator, causing him to collapse instantly.
An Enchanting Heart Worm fell directly into Luo Feng’s hands.
“Squish.” The worm was crushed effortlessly in his grip. Luo Feng’s Biomimetic Destruction Eye examined the Causality Line, making it more distinct, allowing him to pinpoint the whereabouts of other avatars of the Enchanting Heart Worm within this chain.
From his cave mansion, Luo Feng immediately dispatched avatars to capture the remaining worm fragments.
“Still other worm fragments exist?” The guards around him were astonished, while the suspicious cultivators visibly paled.
Luo Feng continued his screening uninterrupted.
Of the tens of thousands of cultivators gathered, groups of several hundred passed through the hall at a time. Within moments, the process was completed.
…
Upon discovering additional avatars of the Enchanting Heart Worm, a significant number of patrol team members mobilized yet again, capturing over ten thousand more suspicious cultivators. These captives were promptly escorted to Heaven Patrol Palace, where Luo Feng methodically screened and released them all.
“Are we really being released just like that?”
“Did we just leave Heaven Patrol Palace?”
Some cultivators, having been detained for less than a day, were freed without losing any Primordial Crystals.
“Not a single extortion attempt?”
“This… this is unbelievable!”
As they glanced back at the imposing Heaven Patrol Palace, the cultivators felt stunned. They had mentally prepared themselves for prolonged imprisonment and relentless exploitation.
“Leave quickly!”
“Why, are you hoping to go back in?”
The palace guards barked commands to usher them away.
The cultivators heaved sighs of relief, swiftly retreating, each feeling deeply fortunate.
“Phew.”
Only after this arduous process did Luo Feng finally find a moment to rest. Leaving Heaven Patrol Palace, he flew outward.
“Commander.” The guards stationed at the entrance saluted with utmost reverence, watching Luo Feng as he departed.
“The Heaven Patrol Palace Commander used to be the Shadow Tower Master, but now it’s Luo Feng Divine Emperor! Luo Feng Divine Emperor merely had us walk through the hall, then released us!”
“Luo Feng Divine Emperor is far superior to the Shadow Tower Master in both investigative Secret Techniques and execution methods. He has no interest in exploiting us even slightly!”
“If only figures like Luo Feng Divine Emperor could rise to power!”
The cultivators exchanged whispered discussions.
Their hearts were aflame with admiration.
With leaders like Luo Feng, common cultivators could enjoy far better days.
However…
The cultivation world was one of survival of the fittest! Those in positions of power who were compassionate remained the exception. Far more common were individuals like Wei Yang Palace Master, Shadow Tower Master, or Insect Nest Master.
…
Once Luo Feng completed his work, he headed to Wei Yang Palace Master’s cave mansion.
“Luo Feng Divine Emperor?” The guards at the mansion smirked mockingly. “Our master has been waiting for you for quite some time. Please, come in.”
Luo Feng nodded and strode inside.
Within the largest cave mansion in the city, Luo Feng followed the guards for quite some time before reaching a vast courtyard. There, only one figure stood.
Wei Yang Palace Master’s form resembled a statue, emotionless. His entire demeanor was akin to a puppet, save for a pair of profound eyes that seemed to encompass infinite worlds, giving Luo Feng a sense of the master’s extraordinary nature.
“Luo Feng.” Wei Yang Palace Master’s gaze landed on Luo Feng, and his emotionless face unfurled into a faint smile. “You, too, are a Source World expert, possess avatars galore, yet couldn’t spare a single avatar to meet me earlier. Instead, you had me wait until you finished screening tens of thousands of cultivators. Were you deliberately trying to humiliate me?”
“Screening tens of thousands of cultivators requires full focus and can’t be done with distractions,” Luo Feng replied calmly, “Meeting the Palace Master deserves my wholehearted sincerity.”
“Sincerity?”
Wei Yang Palace Master nodded slightly. “Now that you’re done screening, here’s my condition: resign as ‘Commander of Heaven Patrol Palace,’ and I’ll consider you a friend.”
“Resigning isn’t an option.” Luo Feng shook his head.
Wei Yang Palace Master froze momentarily, then spoke coldly again, “I am telling you—resign as Commander!”
Luo Feng looked at him in surprise, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter, “Hahaha, hahaha… amusing, truly amusing!”
Wei Yang Palace Master’s face darkened. “Is this funny to you?”
“Of course it’s funny.” Luo Feng fixed his gaze on him. “Today marks our first meeting, and you dare demand I relinquish my position as Commander? Isn’t it the grandest jest imaginable? What arrogance drives you to think you can make such demands of me?”
Wei Yang Palace Master stared back at Luo Feng.
“Hmph.”
He snorted coldly.
Black flames ignited out of thin air, encircling Luo Feng’s body. The terrifying flames carried power so overwhelming that even a Divine Emperor Perfection Level Low Level Primordial Life would likely suffer serious damage under them.
However, Luo Feng, equipped with his perfected ‘Undying Blood Sea Body,’ bolstered further by his ‘Undying Heart,’ had reached a level of physical prowess no lesser than that of a Divine Emperor Perfection Level Low Level Primordial Life—his resilience was undoubtedly astonishing.
“Is this all you’ve got?” Luo Feng smiled, standing unfazed. “Not even a hair out of place.”
Wei Yang Palace Master observed this, smiling faintly. “You do have some talent.”
Bound by city laws, direct confrontations couldn’t escalate, leaving him to resort to subtle demonstrations to intimidate Luo Feng. Yet, his flames had proven ineffective, as if Luo Feng regarded them no more than air.
“Luo Feng, in Yulan City, it would be wise to listen to me.” Wei Yang Palace Master addressed him coldly. “Follow my lead, and I can help make you a Palace Master in the future.”
Luo Feng stared back, chuckling, “In Yulan City, your word holds no weight!”
With that, Luo Feng turned and walked away.
Watching Luo Feng’s retreating figure, Wei Yang Palace Master sneered.
“Resisting a mere thread of ‘Black Sun Fire,’ and you think you can contend with me? Ridiculous!” Wei Yang Palace Master simmered in anger—those bold enough to disrespect him in all of Yulan City were few and far between.
Today, Luo Feng joined their ranks!