Boom—
In the shattered heavens above Qingzhou, Qin Lu stood drenched in blood, his Immortal War Weapon trembling in his hands. The spear's shaft pulsed with killing intent, and the air around it bent beneath the pressure of its unleashed might. Spiritual energy from a thousand miles surged toward it, like rivers drawn to the sea.
"Not good! Lord Tianfeng, retreat—!" shouted the King of the Sky Martial Dynasty, panic flashing across his eyes.
The ruler of the Tianfeng Dynasty turned pale. A chill ran down his spine as every hair on his body stood upright. The spear in Qin Lu's grip glowed a blinding silver—then thrust forward.
"Die!"
The word exploded like thunder.
The spear ripped through space, the void cracking open like shattered glass. The strike came down upon the Tianfeng King with unstoppable might.
"Block it—!" he roared, weaving layers of divine seals before him. But the power of an Immortal War Weapon was beyond mortal defense.
Boom—
The light of destruction tore through the golden barrier as if through thin paper.
The spear impaled the Tianfeng King through the chest.
"Ahhh!"
A dull explosion followed. His body fell from the sky like a meteor, slamming into the earth and leaving behind a massive crater. Dust and blood mist rose into the air. The once-majestic ruler lay broken, a gaping hole through his chest, his aura fading into nothingness.
"K-King Tianfeng!"
"Damn you, Qin Lu!"
The other monarchs of the allied dynasties roared in fury. The King of the Sky Martial Dynasty, his golden armor flickering with cracks, shouted coldly, "Qin Lu! You dare to harm one of us!"
What a shameless declaration.
Five dynasties had descended upon one kingdom, yet they still feigned indignation. The gathered cultivators below exchanged uneasy glances—no one dared to speak, but contempt gleamed in their eyes.
Even so, they were all deeply shaken. To kill a Half-Step Immortal King with a single blow—what kind of monster was Qin Lu?
In the sky, the rift left by the strike hissed, reality itself struggling to mend. The edges of the crack glowed and slowly knit back together. Even witnessing it from afar, everyone felt their spirits quiver.
So this was the power of the Half-Step Immortal King Realm.
Qin Lu hovered in the air, his breath uneven, the silver spear trembling as blood ran down its length. Across from him, the surviving rulers of the invading dynasties gathered with dark, hateful expressions.
"Qin Lu," growled Jiang Taixu, the Sky Martial Dynasty's prince and foremost general. "Hand over the Ancient Token, and we'll withdraw immediately. Resist, and not even your Great Qin will escape annihilation."
Before Qin Lu could respond, a strange ripple of fear crossed the faces of the other monarchs, as if they had sensed something even greater.
But the moment passed in silence.
Down below, whispers spread rapidly among the cultivators.
"Did he say—Ancient Token?"
"Could it be that token? The one said to open the Ancient Secret Realm?"
"The same one that appears only once every hundred thousand years!"
"It's said countless ancient emperors fell within that realm! There are divine inheritances, spirit medicines—even the legacies of the Immortal Kings!"
The air grew feverish with excitement and terror alike.
Among the watchers stood Wei Zhongtian of the God King Pavilion. His eyes gleamed faintly. "So it truly exists," he murmured. "The Ancient Secret Realm of legend… about to awaken once more."
The great sects hovering in the sky immediately took notice. One by one, their envoys tore open the air to send spiritual messages.
"Notify the clan patriarch!"
"Report this to the Pavilion Lord immediately—!"
The skies above Qingzhou filled with streaks of light as communication talismans shot away in every direction.
If the Ancient Token had resurfaced, then all of Zhongzhou and beyond would soon descend upon this place.
In the heavens, the remaining four monarchs—Jiang Taixu of Sky Martial, and the kings of Cangwu, Hongyuan, and Jingtu—exchanged grim looks. Even the wounded Tianfeng ruler, coughing blood in his crater, forced himself upright, fury and fear mingling in his eyes.
"Now we must end this," Jiang Taixu muttered. "If the powers of the other states arrive, even victory will mean nothing."
The others nodded solemnly.
And then, all five spoke as one—voices trembling with reverence:
"We beseech you, my lord… please, take action."
Buzz—
The void trembled. Ripples spread outward, distorting the fabric of space. Then—he descended.
A figure cloaked in golden radiance stepped forth from the rift. Each footfall resonated like a divine drum. His face was obscured by blinding light, but the pressure that poured from him was suffocating.
Boom—
In an instant, an overwhelming force blanketed the sky.
The world seemed to bow.
Below, mountains groaned and rivers reversed course. Countless cultivators cried out as they were crushed to their knees.
"Urgh—!"
Blood spattered across the walls of the ancient city as even Soul Transformation Realm experts collapsed.
The golden figure merely exhaled.
And dozens of lesser cultivators spat blood and fainted.
Qin Lu's face turned pale; the spear in his hand thrummed violently, resisting the oppressive aura.
This presence… it was no ordinary Immortal King.
Elsewhere, on the city's outer ramparts, Qin Wucheng stood beside Zhao Han and Luo Xueyao, watching the golden figure's descent. His expression was calm, but the light in his eyes deepened.
Zhao Han could barely breathe. His knees bent under the crushing pressure. Beside him, Luo Xueyao bit her lip, her aura flickering as cracks spread in the air around her spiritual shield.
Then—
Snort.
A cold sound swept through their minds, crisp and commanding. Instantly, the pressure vanished from their bodies like mist before the sun.
They both gasped for air.
Zhao Han turned to his master in shock. "Sect Master—?"
Before he could ask, Qin Wucheng spoke faintly, voice carrying across the winds.
"You dare lay a hand on my Lingxiao Sect disciples?"
His tone was light, yet it struck like thunder. "You're courting death."
The golden figure in the sky seemed momentarily puzzled—but in that single breath of confusion, Qin Wucheng had already marked him in silence.
Below, the spectators were in turmoil.
"The golden figure… who is that?"
"Could it be a hidden ancestor of the five dynasties?"
"Even Qin Lu can't withstand that pressure…"
At the heart of the storm, the golden figure's eyes—unseen behind the radiance—narrowed. He looked down upon the gathered monarchs.
"Five wastes," he said coldly.
The words echoed like a divine verdict.
"You failed to subdue a mere border dynasty. I should erase you all where you stand."
The five monarchs turned ashen. Their arrogance from moments ago vanished like smoke.
"Lord, please spare us!" cried Jiang Taixu, bowing so low his armor scraped against the void.
"Forgive us, My Lord! Qin Lu wields an Immortal War Weapon—we could not contend against it in a short time!" added the King of Hongyuan desperately.
The others echoed in trembling voices: "Had he not held that artifact, the Ancient Token would already be ours!"
Their fear was palpable.
In the eyes of the watching cultivators, these were supreme figures—the rulers of five mighty dynasties that dominated regions of the Southern Wilderness. Yet here they were, groveling like frightened children before the golden figure.
Even the proud Qin Lu stared at them in disbelief.
The void shimmered with silence.
Everyone below—disciples, envoys, merchants, and soldiers alike—could hear their own hearts beating.
The golden figure's aura dimmed slightly, though his voice remained cold.
"Remember this," he said, every syllable like a decree from heaven. "The Ancient Token must not fall into the hands of outsiders. Fail me again, and your bloodlines will be erased from the annals of Zhongzhou."
The rulers bowed until their foreheads nearly struck the clouds.
"Yes, My Lord!"
The figure said nothing more. With a flick of his sleeve, the skies rippled—and his golden light dissolved into the horizon.
As the oppressive aura faded, everyone gasped for breath. Even Qin Lu staggered, his blood dripping freely, yet his eyes burned brighter than ever.
In the ruins below, silence reigned for several heartbeats.
Then, slowly, terrified murmurs rose through the devastated city.
"Did you see… how they knelt?"
"Those were the monarchs of the five dynasties!"
"To think even they would bow like servants…"