Instantaneously, a terrifying, murderous aura blanketed the entire Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Inside the auction hall, the cultivators who had been bidding rose in alarm, their eyes fixed on Private Chamber No. 4, where Ji Fuyao was located.
Within the chamber, the Dragon Guards tensed, immediately forming a protective cordon around Ji Fuyao. Qing Yan frowned, her voice sharp with cold fury. "Empress Fuyao, we've been played! The entire auction was a sham!"
The realization hit the loyalists like a physical blow: they had been lured into a trap. The entire city of Liucheng was controlled by the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and their Empress had been designated the final, most valuable 'treasure' for auction. The traitor, Wei Yan, had finally made his move.
Ji Fuyao’s eyes, however, remained serene, the divine light within them betraying no emotion.
Suddenly, outside the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, the sky wept a torrential downpour, punctuated by deafening thunder. Wang Man's rage was a palpable force, his voice a thunderous roar that shook the heavens. "Wei Yan! Get your ass out here and face death!"
He drew his Spirit Weapon, the Blood Axe, and unleashed the horrifying pressure of a Nine-star Quasi-Emperor. With a mighty swing, the Blood Axe descended, a blow of immense, unyielding force that instantly tore a massive hole through the roof of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, shattering countless seals and dazzling spirit formations.
Wang Man, followed by the Dragon Guards, stepped through the gaping hole. Behind them, the massive rain poured into the Pavilion like a river falling from the sky.
Before Wang Man could strike again, a cold sneer echoed from the sky. Hmph!
A black shadow descended through the lightning-streaked rain, expanding rapidly. It was an Ancient Supreme Artifact—a token inscribed with two primordial characters: 'Heaven' on one side, 'Net' on the other. The Heaven-Net Token swelled from palm-size to the size of a carriage, then to a small mountain.
Crack!
The Heaven-Net Token slammed down with the crushing weight of the heavens, accompanied by rolling thunder, instantly overpowering Wang Man's attack. Boom! Wang Man, a Nine-star Quasi-Emperor, was instantly suppressed, spitting out mouthfuls of vital blood as the Heaven-Net Token drove him deep into the earth.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
The token embedded itself into the ground of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, pinning Wang Man beneath it. He roared, struggling in vain against the overwhelming, foreign power.
The Dragon Guards watched in horror, remembering the terror of the Tianluo Hall from three millennia ago. It was the same night the Fuyao Dynasty fell—a Heaven-Net Token had descended, crushing their empire's territory.
"Run! Get out of here!" Wang Man roared from the depths of the earth, his eyes bloodshot with desperation.
The remaining Dragon Guards encircled Ji Fuyao, ready to sacrifice themselves. They were surrounded. The Drunken Immortal Pavilion had not only betrayed the Empress but had allied with the Tianluo Hall, their ancient enemy. Even Commander Wang Man had been crushed with a single casual blow, indicating the immense power of their foe.
A sinister voice cut through the downpour. "Gentlemen, if not now, then when will you show yourselves?"
Following the command, dazzling divine light erupted in the sky. Thirty figures, each radiating the terrifying presence of a high-star Quasi-Emperor, descended like rain through the hole Wang Man had created. Ten of them were Nine-star Quasi-Emperors.
The Dragon Guards’ faces turned ashen. Could they possibly escape this encirclement?
But the true horror followed.
An overwhelming Emperor-level aura saturated the air. A gray-robed elder, wreathed in brilliant Great Emperor Dao patterns, materialized above the fray, followed by a second One-star Great Emperor. Both wore the Tianluo insignia on their chests.
Two Great Emperors! Thirty Quasi-Emperors!
They looked down on Ji Fuyao and her loyalists with utter contempt, as if viewing corpses. "Relics of the Fuyao Dynasty! To think you managed to hide for three thousand years! If not for Wei Yan pledging allegiance to my Tianluo Hall, we might never have found you!"
The entire space fell silent. The Dragon Guards were filled with despair.
Furthermore, the auras of every cultivator in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and the entire city of Liucheng suddenly changed. Saint, Saint King, and Half-Emperor auras erupted one after another. Saints were as common as dogs, and Saint Kings walked everywhere!
The Gray-robed Great Emperor chuckled, then addressed a corner of the Pavilion. "Wei Yan, you've done well. Come out."
A black-robed elder, Wei Yan, emerged from a hidden chamber. He immediately bowed low to the two Great Emperors, almost prostrating himself in the air, his posture utterly servile. "My Lords of Tianluo Hall!"
The Gray-robed Great Emperor nodded. "Wei Yan, you have sworn an oath of loyalty. Once these Fuyao relics are exterminated, my Tianluo Hall will ensure the Drunken Immortal Pavilion rises again, establishing itself as a major power in the Three Thousand Wilds of the South."
Wei Yan trembled with excitement. To dominate the Southern Wilds! He bowed again, overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you, my Lords, for this opportunity!"
"Rise," the Gray-robed Great Emperor commanded.
Wei Yan slowly stood up, the servile look vanishing, replaced by a malicious, triumphant smirk as he faced Ji Fuyao. "Empress Fuyao, how do you like my arrangements? Was the auction... to your satisfaction? Hahahaha!"
Qing Yan was livid, her chest heaving with fury. She pointed a trembling finger at Wei Yan. "You traitor! You set this trap to murder the Empress! If you intended to betray us, why make us wait in Cangcheng for ten days with your false promises?"
Wei Yan merely shrugged, his expression smug. "Heh. When you arrived in Cangzhou, I was still negotiating with the Lords of Tianluo Hall. They are extremely secretive, and it took a great price for me to meet their Emperor-realm experts. How could I meet you in Cangcheng, which is full of other major powers? Liucheng, however, is the birthplace of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, entirely under our control."
He gloated. "My Lords found my idea of an auction rather amusing, so they allowed me to lure you here. If not for this fictitious auction, you would never have gathered in one place! Hahahaha!"
Wei Yan now spoke with the arrogance of a Tianluo Hall member, watching Ji Fuyao with a cruel, playful gaze.
The Gray-robed Great Emperor smiled faintly. "Wei Yan, killing a group of ants is indeed boring. Your arrangement has made it much more interesting."
Ji Fuyao's expression was icy. The Dragon Guards were consumed by murderous intent.
Wei Yan continued, "Empress Fuyao, knowing you, even if you suspected my betrayal, you would still have come to Liucheng, wouldn't you? But the moment you and your loyalists stepped into Cangzhou, your fate as relics of the Fuyao Dynasty was sealed."
Wang Man, still pinned beneath the token, roared, "You dog! You exposed the Empress's greatest secret!" Wei Yan laughed maniacally. "A dog? So what? I live, and you die."
"But I have good news!" Wei Yan added, his voice dripping with malice. "You won't die immediately. Empress Fuyao, I've already shared your Ancient Reincarnation Secret Art with my two Lords of Tianluo Hall!"
The Gray-robed Great Emperor licked his lips, a predatory hunger in his eyes. "Ji Fuyao, you possess a supreme secret art and such peerless beauty. This old man will certainly not mistreat you."
The second Great Emperor leered. "Once you fall into the hands of the Tianluo Hall, your secrets become ours! Don't even think about self-detonation or escape. This entire space is sealed by my boundless formations—it is a Heaven-Net trap!"
Ji Fuyao's face finally darkened. Her Reincarnation Secret Art was an ultimate mystery, a treasure that could draw the attention of supreme magnates and even the most secluded Great Emperors from the forbidden zones.
The Dragon Guards clenched their fists, their nails digging into their palms as they glared at Wei Yan.
The Gray-robed Great Emperor sneered. "Ji Fuyao, make your move! Since you dared to enter Liucheng, you must have some cards left. Show me what gives you such confidence!"
At that moment, Qing Yan gritted her teeth and cried out, "Who dares to lay a hand on her today?! Empress Fuyao is a top True Disciple of the Grand Dao Sect! Who dares to attack?!"
The atmosphere froze. Everyone knew the Grand Dao Sect was aloof from power struggles, yet fiercely protective of its disciples. Legend had it that the Cangxuan Old Ancestor once annihilated an Emperor-tier lineage overnight for killing a top True Disciple.
Wei Yan was stunned, his smugness momentarily shattered. "A Grand Dao Sect disciple?! Qing Yan, Wang Man, why didn't you tell me this crucial information earlier?!"
The Drunken Immortal Pavilion, even as a Tianluo Hall vassal, was nothing compared to the Grand Dao Sect. The Grand Dao Sect could wipe out the entirety of Cangzhou with a flick of a finger! Wei Yan turned to the Gray-robed Great Emperor, his voice trembling with terror. "My Lord, what should we do...?"
The Gray-robed Great Emperor cut him off with a cold laugh, his eyes full of disdain. "Heh. What is a mere Grand Dao Sect? My Tianluo Hall is also a hegemon-level force in the Southern Wilds!"