“My current strength is roughly equivalent to Wei Yang Palace Master and Master Gai Tao,” Luo Feng replied briefly. At this moment, nearly all his focus was devoted to comprehending the Life and Death Dao. At his level, he could divide his thoughts into billions! Especially after ingesting the ‘Hundred Tribulations Heart Essence,’ his comprehension had greatly increased, and his mental processing speed had skyrocketed three thousandfold.
The conversation with Yuan Xiang Palace Master, including his earlier move to annihilate an elite squad of Lurkers, impacted his focus by less than one-thousandth.
“Equivalent to Wei Yang Palace Master and Master Gai Tao?” Yuan Xiang Palace Master was overjoyed.
“Such strength is not enough to change the situation.” Luo Feng showed no excitement.
“Luo Feng!”
Yuan Xiang Palace Master spoke urgently, “I’ve already requested reinforcements from the Dark Sacred Realm. A team of Cultivators from the Dark Sacred Realm is on its way and will arrive in a little over a day. Our priority is to hold out until this team arrives.”
Under the assault of the Low Level Primordial Life Army, Nine Rivers Sacred Realm had no internal capacity to provide support.
Although Nine Rivers Sacred Realm contained two entities who had mastered the ‘Two Half Primordial Level Paths,’ these individuals only dispatched Avatars, while their most crucial Secret Treasure was stationed in the Dark Sacred Realm, leaving them unable to break into Yulan City.
“Luo Feng, I hope you’ll accept the ‘City Builder’ authority,” Yuan Xiang Palace Master transmitted. “Ever since establishing Yulan City, I’ve never regarded myself as the City Lord. I understand my severe contamination issues, and I’ve been waiting for an appropriate successor. You are that ideal successor.”
Luo Feng was stunned.
The City Builder authority, handed over to him?
“My strength hasn’t thoroughly surpassed that of Wei Yang Palace Master and Master Gai Tao yet,” Luo Feng transmitted. “After the war, Wei Yang Palace Master’s Avatar is likely to return to Yulan City.”
“Don’t worry about him; the most critical matter for Yulan City right now is holding its ground!” Yuan Xiang Palace Master communicated urgently. “You’ve only been in Nine Rivers Sacred Realm for just over 2,500 eras and have already reached the strength of a Half Primordial Level Enlightened one. Your talent far exceeds mine. You taking charge of Yulan City would only be to Yulan City’s benefit!”
“Luo Feng, the situation is dire. There’s no room for hesitation!” Yuan Xiang Palace Master pleaded.
“Very well, I will accept the City Builder authority,” Luo Feng finally agreed without further hesitation.
On one hand, he was confident in himself, believing his strength would quickly surpass Wei Yang Palace Master and the others, sweeping away all opposition.
On the other hand, the stakes were indeed critical at present, affecting the lives of billions of Cultivators in Yulan City. Assuming the responsibilities of City Builder would grant him access to various city benefits and allow him to exert greater power.
“Excellent!”
Yuan Xiang Palace Master transmitted, “Immediately dispatch an Avatar to the Outer City District. I’ll provide the detailed address. Come here, and I will hand over the ‘City Building Seal.'”
It was only after receiving the exact location that Luo Feng realized where Yuan Xiang Palace Master had been hiding.
“Your appointment as the leader of Yulan City must remain confidential. No third party may learn of it,” Yuan Xiang Palace Master warned. “If word leaks out, the Low Level Primordial Life Lurkers will stop at nothing to hunt you down.”
“Understood.” Luo Feng acknowledged.
Faced with the unrelenting attacks from King and the True Body leaders, Luo Feng knew he wasn’t yet confident enough to withstand such an assault.
Luo Feng made a decision.
His strongest Avatar, stationed outside the Quiet Room as a guardian, waved his hand and retrieved a Void Netherworld Pupil Ship within the Quiet Room. After ingesting the ‘Hundred Tribulations Heart Essence,’ this Avatar entered the ship for Cultivation.
“With the Low Level Primordial Life Army besieging the city, I cannot fully immerse myself in cultivating.” Luo Feng had no choice but to divert some of his attention to managing numerous actions.
At this moment, he had to participate in the city defense efforts.
If he didn’t, Yulan City’s fall would come even faster, leaving less time for his breakthrough in the Life and Death Dao.
Despite external chaos, the ingestion of the Hundred Tribulations Heart Essence ensured his efficiency in Dao comprehension remained extraordinarily high, continually enhancing his mastery of the Life and Death Dao.
“Hah.”
The strongest Avatar quietly departed, leaving only one ordinary Avatar with energy reserves a hundred times that of a Perfect Divine Body stationed at the Quiet Room, fortified by the Dan Tower Formation.
Given Luo Feng’s current realm, even an ordinary Avatar boasted strength surpassing masters like the Deceit Workshop Lord. Combined with the Dan Tower Formation, its power was formidable enough.
…
“King, we pursued Changqing Building Owner at Dan Tower. Unexpectedly, in Dan Tower, we encountered the terrifying Blood Sea Formation, which annihilated our elite Lurker squad entirely,” a True Body leader immediately transmitted.
This elite squad included eight Leader Level Avatars. After the Avatars perished, their True Bodies naturally perceived all events.
“The Blood Sea Formation? Dan Tower? That’s Cultivator Luo Feng!” King immediately identified. Before launching the war, they had infiltrated well in advance, acquiring detailed intelligence.
“Do we target Luo Feng and attempt to eliminate him?” a leader transmitted, seeking instructions.
“No.”
King’s gaze turned icy. “At this critical juncture, every bit of our Lurker squad’s strength is indispensable! Cultivator Luo Feng is comparable to the Insect Nest Master and the Shadow Tower Owner. This tier of Cultivators possesses numerous Avatars, making them incredibly challenging to kill. With the help of Dan Tower’s formations, his strength may even rival the Three Hall Masters.”
“During the siege, our priority is eliminating weaker Elders.”
“Weak Elders are easier to kill. With each Elder’s death, Yulan City’s defensive system weakens incrementally.” King ordered decisively, “Luo Feng isn’t an Elder. Don’t waste energy targeting him.”
“Understood,” the leader complied.
Based on available intelligence, killing Luo Feng would demand more effort than eliminating twenty ordinary Elders combined.
Yulan City harbored over 300 Elders, plus approximately 400 Elder-level figures who hadn’t officially assumed the Elder title. These stronger individuals were not priorities for the Lurkers to target.
…
“Haha, no wonder they call him Luo Feng Divine Emperor!”
“Remarkable!”
“In a single move, he annihilated an elite Lurker squad.”
Elders overseeing Yulan City’s defense system were keenly aware of city-wide developments. Observing the confrontation at Dan Tower, where an elite Lurker squad had been utterly wiped out, they felt elated and rejuvenated.
Reason being: these Lurkers were exceedingly difficult to kill.
They were Low Level Primordial Life forms specialized in mind-based capabilities, with extraordinary agility! While capable of easily hunting Elders, the Elders found it incredibly challenging to counter them.
“To obliterate an elite Lurker squad in one swoop, Luo Feng Divine Emperor’s strength should be on par with Wei Yang Palace Master and Master Gai Tao.”
“Luo Feng Divine Emperor, if strong enough, should immediately assume the mantle of Hall Master.”
“Indeed, with sufficient power, he should be the new Hall Master. Having one more Hall Master would significantly ease our city’s defense.”
“But his power is likely insufficient. The extensive and intricate formations he deployed at Dan Tower enabled him to vanquish the elite Lurker squad. Outside Dan Tower, it’s doubtful he could wield such power.” Another Elder disagreed.
“Don’t argue, everyone.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master transmitted. “At present, I’m being hunted by a Lurker squad and can only remain hidden. I’m unable to reach Elder Hall, unlock its defenses, and preside over either the Elder or Hall Master trials.”
The Elders understood.
Indeed.
Previously, even the most fearsome Lurker squad, led by the Super Limit Level Enchanting Heart Worm, had invaded Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s cave mansion, forcing him to hide.
Without the City Builder authority, Elder Hall couldn’t be opened, nor could its ‘Elder Trial’ or ‘Hall Master Trial’ be initiated. Only by passing these trials could one earn the titles of Elder or Hall Master.
“Palace Master, you must be extremely cautious not to be discovered by the Lurkers. If you’re found, Yulan City’s defensive system will weaken further, and total defeat will become inevitable.” The Elders couldn’t bear another blow.
Among the Three Hall Masters, only Yuan Xiang Palace Master still held the line. Without him, Yulan City’s defense would fall further.
…
Inside Yulan City.
The Elders, while leveraging the city’s defensive systems to fend off external assaults, also devised strategies to intercept and eliminate the Lurker squads.
The Lurker squads, in turn, devised their strategies to hunt down individual Elders.
Both sides fought tooth and nail.
“Enclose them!”
Teams comprising Elder-level Avatars collaborated, while those within the city possessing Elder-level strength but without the Elder title also joined. These individuals hadn’t become Elders primarily due to lacking Avatars; their True Bodies resided in the city, and they had more to lose.
Elder-level teams, using Yulan City’s defensive systems, could trace Lurker squads’ movements, enabling preemptive strikes and encirclement.
Meanwhile, the Lurker squads leveraged their extraordinary speed!
Both sides possessed unique advantages.
“They’re too slippery!”
Elder-level teams repeatedly attempted to encircle the Lurker squads, but the Lurker squads’ superior speed allowed them to escape effortlessly. Only high-altitude attacks from Yulan City’s formations could hit them; evasion was impossible, so they were forced to counter defensively.
“Huh?”
An elite Lurker squad flying mid-air suddenly noticed surrounding trees and plants shaking while a terrifying toxic mist began spreading everywhere.
Under the toxic fog’s pervasive influence, the elite squad lost almost all its members in an instant, leaving the survivors heavily poisoned.
“Such terrifying poison.”
“It’s Elder Xingyi!”
The squad immediately identified the attacker.
A massive tree suddenly stood up, its trunk bearing a face. Numerous surrounding trees and plants frantically attacked the Lurker squad.
“You despicable Lurkers, all of you deserve death.” The tree’s visage seethed with murderous intent. The tree was one of Elder Xingyi’s puppets devoid of any vital life force, rendering it imperceptible to the Lurkers.
A powerful puppet coupled with a pre-arranged formation at the core area of the city’s defenses laid in wait! Finally, they ensnared a passing Lurker squad.
Using the poison mist formation in conjunction with tree and plant attacks, the squad was annihilated within seconds, leaving none alive.
“Well done, Elder Xingyi.”
“Another elite Lurker squad has been wiped out.” The Elders expressed their excitement.
Up until now, only Luo Feng and Elder Xingyi had eliminated entire elite Lurker squads. These Lurkers were incredibly devious, deliberately avoiding confrontation with top-tier Elders and targeting weaker ones instead.
“Hmph.”
King sat inside a cave mansion. Another Elder had perished, causing all corresponding Avatars in Nine Rivers Sacred Realm to vanish.
“Elder Xingyi? Top-tier Elders are indeed troublesome.” King’s power certainly allowed him to go against top-tier Elders. However, doing so proved inefficient.
Exhaling sharply.
King focused on hunting weaker Elders. Targeting them meant the Elders couldn’t self-destruct their own Avatars in time.
…
Fueled by Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s directions, Luo Feng’s most potent Avatar traveled swiftly while cautiously observing with the Biomimetic Destruction Eye to avoid Lurker squads and unnecessary conflict.
Exhaling softly, Luo Feng entered a seemingly ordinary cave mansion.
“Yuan Xiang Palace Master, I’ve arrived.”
Luo Feng scrutinized the seemingly mundane cave mansion, finding no traces of life or unusual features.
Suddenly, Yuan Xiang Palace Master’s figure materialized from the void nearby.
“Luo Feng.” Yuan Xiang Palace Master smiled faintly, nodding slightly.