Volume 1, Chapter 129: Spiritual Energy Tide
Above the imperial city, a group of warriors in cyan robes stood proudly between heaven and earth.
Each exuded an aura that warned "stay away," looking down on all below as ants. The leading cyan-robed warrior sneered at Lin Yu and the others below, his voice cold: "I've confirmed Qu Lingxian is hiding here. Surrender her immediately. Resist, and you'll face punishment—we will reduce this place to scorched earth!"
"Take our advice: do not resist futilely. Spiritual energy is ebbing in the Divine Continent; you cannot withstand the Qu Clan's wrath!"
"Such arrogance! This is the Great Han Dynasty! Let's see how powerful this Penglai Qu Clan really is!"
"Where are the Imperial Guards? Shoot them down from the sky! How can we let them continue to flaunt themselves?"
"Penglai Continent and the Divine Continent have no conflict. Why do Penglai warriors think they're superior? Do they really think we're easy to bully?"
The cyan-robed warriors' words incited the Han ministers. Squads of Imperial Guards rushed forward, raising crossbows—ready to fire at the emperor's command.
"Cauldron Lord, what do they mean by 'spiritual energy ebbing' in the Divine Continent?" Lin Yu frowned, calling out to Cauldron Lord in his mind.
"Spiritual energy between heaven and earth ebbs and flows. During a tide, it's dense, turning the world into blessed lands with countless powerhouses. During an ebb, it depletes, bottlenecking even peerless prodigies. Thus, an ordinary person from a tidal era might surpass a prodigy from an ebbing era!" Cauldron Lord chuckled, continuing, "The Divine Continent has suffered demon invasions and demon cultivator rampages—akin to a heavenly upheaval. Spiritual energy is ebbing, so in recent years, the bottleneck for powerhouses has been Ninth Rank Myriad Realms. Advancing further is extremely difficult."
"I see." Lin Yu nodded. No wonder the remaining Void Transformation experts were all ancient monsters from hidden sects—they hadn't achieved Void Transformation during the ebb but maintained their strength using spiritual energy from blessed lands.
"Precisely. Heaven's way reduces the excess to replenish the deficient! Without dense spiritual energy from a blessed land, a Void Transformation warrior can only strike once. After that, their energy depletes, and they die." As if guessing Lin Yu's thoughts, Cauldron Lord explained with a laugh.
"Cauldron Lord, what if I advance to Void Transformation?" Lin Yu pressed.
"After advancing, the spiritual energy you absorb won't keep up with daily损耗 (losses), and your cultivation will fall back to Ninth Rank Myriad Realms. But with me, don't worry. By devouring rare treasures, monsters, and demon cultivators, I can not only keep you at Void Transformation but help you advance further!" Cauldron Lord boasted—devouring and refining all things was no joke.
Lin Yu nodded, then looked at the Han Emperor, whose face was铁青 (livid). "You claim to be from the Penglai Qu Clan—what proof do you have?" he demanded of the cyan-robed warriors.
"Proof?" The leading warrior snorted, waving a hand at the emperor.
A golden light flashed, followed by a boom. A palm-length golden order sword embedded itself in the steps at the emperor's feet, leaving only a short hilt quivering.
"Ninth Rank Myriad Realms?" Lin Yu frowned—he alone saw the sword's trajectory. The moment the cyan-robed warrior attacked, Lin Yu confirmed he was Ninth Rank Myriad Realms.
"Your Majesty!" The Imperial Guards Commander pulled the sword from the steps and presented it to the emperor. Inscribed on the sword were the words "Luoshui Qu Clan."
"See? The Luoshui Qu Clan, genuine. No one dares counterfeit our order sword!" The leading warrior, Wu Jing, a Qu Clan steward, declared proudly. "I am Wu Jing, ordered by our clan leader to bring Qu Lingxian back for punishment. Anyone who obstructs us dies!"
"Hehe! This is Han, not Penglai or your Luoshui Qu Clan's territory. You have no right to be arrogant before me!" The Han Emperor seethed—he had never suffered such humiliation since ascending the throne.
"I only wanted to take Qu Lingxian and avoid bloodshed. Since you're stubborn, let me enlighten you." Wu Jing sneered, waving to his men. "Chen Xuan, teach them a lesson. Spare the emperor, but kill a few ministers or princes."
"Yes!" Chen Xuan, a burly warrior with a long knife on his back, laughed wildly and fell like a meteor.
Boom! When Chen Xuan landed, the stone slabs cracked, spreading into a spiderweb across dozens of zhang.
"Who to kill first? Which of you shouted the loudest? Step forward!" Chen Xuan drew his knife, eyeing the ministers behind the emperor like a hell判官 (judge), ready to decide their fates.
"Wait!" Lin Yu suddenly spoke, drawing all eyes.
"Boy, tired of living? Want to die sooner?" Chen Xuan grinned evilly, a cyan light flashing on his blade.
"I just want to know: What is my mother Qu Lingxian's relationship with you? Why did she leave Penglai and come here?" Lin Yu looked up at Wu Jing, ignoring Chen Xuan's provocation. He would ask the Luoshui Qu Clan since the Han Emperor refused to speak—he would uncover the truth.
"So you're the wretch!" Wu Jing paused, looking at Lin Yu with disgust. "Qu Lingxian was a天之骄女 (favored daughter) of our clan, but she stole a treasure to avoid a political marriage—unforgivable! She once sent word that she'd found a husband and borne a son, telling us to stop searching. The clan leader ordered me to kill her 'wretch' son to prevent inferior Divine Continent blood from tainting our noble Luoshui Qu bloodline. I was wondering where to find you, and here you are—heaven helps me!"