"Insolent words, unrestrained slander against me, the First Imperial Heir of the Burning Sky Lu Family, the future Emperor Lord. How dare you expect to walk away unharmed?"
It was the Lu Family, then.
Zong Shou experienced a moment of clarity, followed by a slight furrowing of his brow.
Why had someone from the Lu Family arrived with such precise timing, and what exactly were their intentions?
Who was this person before him, exactly?
Lu Wubing, sensing his thoughts, lowered his voice to convey sound: "This is Tan Kongbian, the Hall Master of Desolate Flame. His stance has always been neutral, leaning neither way."
Zong Shou's tightly knit brow finally smoothed out, but the situation only gave him a greater headache.
What did neutral mean? Naturally, it meant not siding with the Lord of Xuanhua Nation or the Lord of Xuanye Nation, and equally, not aligning with the Burning Sky Saint Emperor Lu Beiwu.
But precisely because his position was undecided, it was impossible to fathom what this person truly desired.
As he pondered this, Li Wuque was equally taken aback, and Liu Muchen was utterly bewildered.
Insulting the First Imperial Heir of the Burning Sky Lu Family, the future Emperor Lord? What nonsense was this? As arrogant as Liu Muchen might be, he wasn't foolish enough to provoke the Burning Sky Lu Family—
Li Wuque frowned, preparing to interject.
Tan Kongbian didn't spare the Venerable Saint even a glance. Instead, he walked directly up to Liu Muchen and spoke in a calm tone.
"—Monstrous madness! To demand that my Nine Capitals Saint Court cede territory, to give up five Lesser Thousand Worlds. Such words are truly the height of absurdity! You, a nation of mere ants, with scarcely a million troops and only a handful of immortal cultivators. And yet you dare to speak such nonsense, coercing my grand state of the Nine Capitals to surrender land? You are clearly blinded by avarice and have made yourself a laughingstock! Were these words truly yours?"
Liu Muchen froze for a moment. He had indeed spoken those words. However, they were written in a state missive sent to the Burning Sky Lu Family. How could this possibly be linked to insulting the First Imperial Heir of the Burning Sky Lu Family, the future Emperor Lord?
He recalled that the Lu Family's current primary heir, Lu Huanxiao, should be engaged in battles thousands of worlds away. Had this person somehow arrived under the jurisdiction of his Nine Capitals Immortal Court without his knowledge?
The future Emperor Lord—had this woman already secured the position of the next Burning Sky Saint Emperor so swiftly?
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Tan Kongbian let out a cold sneer. He suddenly drew the long sword at his waist and, with extreme abruptness, swung it, severing Liu Muchen’s other arm just as swiftly.
Using some inexplicable divine technique, he rendered Liu Muchen completely immobile, unable to resist.
Zong Shou, watching from a distance, discerned a slight clue. Tan Kongbian must possess a rare treasure that granted him divine methods comparable to those of the Venerable Realm.
Lu Wubing stood nearby and explained: "When our five Hall Masters of the Lu Family are engaged in matters of utmost importance, each is temporarily granted control of a Divine-rank ultimate treasure. While they cannot wield the full strength of the Venerable Realm like the Eight Nation Lords, their combat power far surpasses that of the Saint Realm—"
Zong Shou nodded gravely. He had heard whispers of these Five Great Halls and their Five Divine Treasures.
A wave of powerlessness washed over him.
They truly deserved their reputation as rulers of tens of thousands of years; their foundations were astonishingly deep.
Tan Kongbian's voice continued, cold and chilling, making everyone’s bones ache.
"Let me ask plainly, Little King Zong Shou of Great Qian, have you gone utterly mad? Or perhaps you are simply tired of living? Or is it true, as the rumors suggest, that you are an imbecile—were these words also uttered by your mouth, Liu Muchen?"
Liu Muchen listened in a stunned daze, his eyes wide with confusion.
He had indeed spoken those words, and they were recorded in the imperial decree issued to Great Qian.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
Zong Shou?
He remembered that Zong Shou’s mother was said to be a former Lu Family princess, the only descendant of the Burning Sky Saint Emperor Lu Beiwu.
It was rumored she had consorted with a mere fox demon and given birth to Zong Shou, leading the entire Lu Family to regard them as failures and abandon them in the Cloud Realm.
Could it be that Zong Shou was now the First Heir of the Lu Family, perhaps even designated as the next Burning Sky Saint Emperor long ago?
The moment this notion surfaced, Liu Muchen found it utterly absurd.
He had some understanding of the internal affairs of the Lu Clan. As long as that Lord of Xuanhua remained, this descendant of Beiwu could never return to the Lu Clan.
Before he could fully process this, Tan Kongbian let out another cold laugh. He swiftly drew his sword again, and with a sharp crack, mercilessly severed Liu Muchen’s left leg below the knee, cutting it clean off!
"And I also hear there is a minor immortal cultivator named Hong Jiuchen under your Nine Capitals Immortal Court who repeatedly spoke of our Young Master as a bastard cast out by the Lu Clan, slandering and plotting against him. And you, Liu Muchen, not only failed to punish him but protected him? Is this true?"
Liu Muchen’s pupils abruptly contracted into pinpricks. Pale with horror, he looked towards Zong Shou in the distance.
Was this person truly the First Imperial Heir of the Burning Sky Lu Clan?
Li Wuque’s eyes also flashed with surprise, and he directly inquired, "Hall Master Tan, the First Imperial Heir of the Burning Sky Lu Clan you speak of—is it this Immortal Lord Zong Shou of Great Qian beside you?"
"Precisely!"
Tan Kongbian ultimately could not entirely disregard the Venerable Saint. He spoke faintly, "About three months ago, the Young Master's bloodline underwent sublimation, awakening the World-Burning Blood Pupils. He is the unique and sole pure-blooded imperial descendant within our Lu Family. He has been confirmed by the Burning Sky Ancestral Court as the First Imperial Heir of our Lu Family. Therefore, every word uttered by this person is an unforgivable sin—"
Li Wuque’s face flushed and paled in quick succession. The look in his eyes toward Zong Shou grew increasingly stunned.
He naturally understood what the bloodline sublimation and the World-Burning Blood Pupils meant.
This development would boost the entire strength of the Lu Family by at least ten to twenty percent!
The three Venerables, one Saint Emperor, eight Nation Lords, and fifty-nine Saint Realm Elders would all benefit immensely from the elevation of their bloodline power. Furthermore, the pure-blooded imperial status meant that once this person entered the Venerable Realm, the Lu Family's Burning Sky Bloodline would advance even further.
Unless this individual voluntarily renounced his right to succession, no one else in the Lu Clan could possibly contend with him!
Taking a deep breath, Li Wuque calmed his emotions before speaking again: "There is a saying: an offense committed in ignorance is not criminal. Liu Muchen was unaware of this matter beforehand. He has already suffered his punishment—"
Before he finished speaking, Tan Kongbian forcefully interrupted: "That is precisely why this Hall Venerable did not subject him to a thousand cuts!"
His tone was harsh and offered no mercy, effectively shutting down Li Wuque's trailing words.
Li Wuque should indeed be grateful. According to Lu Clan custom, any outsider who insulted a Holy Sovereign would have their soul bound and placed upon the Burning Sky Lamp Stand, to be incinerated for ten days and ten nights.
Although Zong Shou had not ascended the throne, his status as the Heir Apparent granted him the authority of the Saint Emperor.
Li Wuque frowned once more, then turned his gaze back to Zong Shou. Liu Muchen, realizing the situation, also looked over with an expression of grief.
He knew that at this moment, the only person who could save his life was Zong Shou.
Even Li Wuque could not manage it—
Zong Shou felt helpless but genuinely did not want Liu Muchen to die just like that.
He thought, Why must this be? He had long suspected the Burning Sky Lu Family might use this man’s words to make a major issue, but he hadn't anticipated such swift action from the Lu Family.
The decree from the Nine Capitals Immortal Court had only been issued half a day ago, yet this person already knew.
He must have been lurking nearby, ready to intervene at any moment.
"Hall Master Tan, this matter concerning Liu Muchen and myself is something I can resolve on my own; the Lu Family need not interfere."
After saying this, Zong Shou carefully weighed his next words: "The severe punishment he has already received is sufficient—"
To be fair, he didn't hold much affection for Liu Muchen, but even if he deserved death, it shouldn't be by this hand, at this moment.
Hearing this, Tan Kongbian inclined his body toward Zong Shou, showing extraordinary deference.
However, he did not entirely agree with Zong Shou's statement.
"Young Master speaks wrongly. This is absolutely not a private matter for the Young Master alone, but one that concerns the prestige and honor of our entire Lu Family. Since the Young Master is the future Emperor Lord, every action is inextricably linked to our Lu Family and cannot be treated lightly. The Imperial House has no private affairs!"
Then, his tone shifted: "Naturally, if the Young Master were to command as the Lu Family's Imperial Heir, then this subject would not dare disobey. However, I implore the Young Master to reconsider. If this person is released now, it will only lead others to look down upon and mock our Lu Family’s new master as being too undisciplined and overly benevolent. Palace Mistress Hanyan would also be subject to ridicule from the clan members."
Zong Shou was momentarily stunned; Tan Kongbian had truly managed to intimidate him.
Despite being prepared, according to his father's words, to accept the identity of the 'First Heir of the Lu Clan,' he still felt resistance. He couldn't be sure if this affair would truly affect Lu Hanyan.
However, at this moment, Lu Wubing behind him tugged at his sleeve.
He was signaling that there was no need for further argument.
Zong Shou could only fall silent. On one side was a person he held animosity toward, whose life he wished to spare only to stabilize Great Qian and continue the conquest of the outer domains; on the other side was his biological mother. The relative importance of the two was clear.
Li Wuque, merely by observing Zong Shou’s expression, understood his intent and realized there was no hope left on Zong Shou’s side.
He sighed faintly, without any trace of resentment. He saw that this young man was truly cornered and powerless.
His gaze grew distant and cold.
"Is there truly no room for negotiation? If you feel these punishments are insufficient, Muchen can offer compensation in other ways. Your Lu Family is powerful, certainly, but there is no need to be so tyrannical! To seek a man's life over a few mere words."
Tan Kongbian offered no reply. The sword light stirred, flashing out with a swift, searing arc toward Liu Muchen’s neck.
He clearly found further talk tiresome and moved to end Liu Muchen's life directly.
Li Wuque immediately extended his hand, and sword and hand clashed several times in an instant.
Though the exchange appeared calm, moments later, Li Wuque's hand retracted.
He then watched with a face like iron as Tan Kongbian cleanly severed Liu Muchen’s head with a single sword stroke, spraying blood into the void.
The entire expanse fell into silence. After a long pause, Li Wuque’s voice broke through in a chilling laugh: "Good! Excellent! A fine Hall Master of Desolate Flame, a magnificent Desolate Flame Saint Armor. Li Wuque has seen true power—"
Then followed by a cold snort: "I only hope your Burning Sky Lu Family remains this prosperous and this tyrannical for ages to come!"
His voice sounded as if it issued from the deepest abyss. As the words faded, Li Wuque flicked his sleeve, no longer willing to speak another word, and stepped into the void, departing.
At that moment, the voice of the Dragon Shadow sounded again within Zong Shou’s mind.
"It is not just the Desolate Flame Saint Armor; there should be more than just the Hall Master of Desolate Flame among the Lu Family's (Hall Venerables) present here."
For more novels, visit storyread.net.