Necropolis Immortal

But on second thought, it made sense since Fengxian Wu resided at the Lus.

“I am.” Although Helian Shan didn’t know who Terra Demon was, the cold look in the other’s eyes irked him.

“How does a mere awakened cultivator have the right to be the second master’s teacher?” Terra Demon was a lofty immortal king, after all. He naturally wouldn’t give face to a tiny awakened cultivator.

Helian Shan stared in a daze, Lu Tianling’s smile froze, and Lu Xiaochi suddenly found the scene surreal. Ouyang Shengtian’s mind abruptly stopped working.

“Lan’er, you are dismissed.” Lu Yun patted Lan’er’s shoulder and pulled her back to her senses. She quickly took her leave and fled back to her room.

“Long time no see, Senior Helian.” Lu Yun nodded smilingly at Helian Shan.

“Hmph.” Helian Shan was an exalted law enforcer—even an emperor of a ninth rank emperor would treat him with respect. Who would’ve thought that he’d find such irreverence in a minor third rank empire?

“You do indeed lack the right to be my second uncle’s master,” Lu Yun continued with the same smile.

Helian Shan remained expressionless. He was an awakened cultivator with extreme mental fortitude. A few ants wouldn’t cause him to lose his composure, not to mention that Fengxian Wu was still in residence at the Lu Clan.

“Does Xiaochi have another master?” There was no emotion in Helian Shan’s voice.

“Yun’er!” Lu Tianling interrupted. “I know your master is an immortal, but immortals are hobbled by numerous rules in a world of cultivation…”

“Don’t worry, milord, the young master has his own plans in mind,” Terra Demon assured. He was particularly respectful to the Lu clan members as they were the high lord’s family in this life.

“Your master is an immortal? A wandering immortal or empyrean immortal?” Helian Shan blinked, understanding what Lu Yun meant. If Lu Xiaochi had the option of learning from an immortal instead, then he did indeed lack the right to teach the man.

But this realm had become off limits to immortals due to Immortal Burial Valley. If any immortal dared trespass without permission from Great Xia, they would be immediately obliterated upon discovery.

“Young master, this person’s potential is promising and he is suited to walk my path.” Terra Demon suddenly looked Helian Shan up and down.

“You want to take him as a disciple?” Lu Yun’s eyes widened with astonishment.

Terra Demon was very strict about who he took for his disciples. He’d only had two back in the world of immortals. Any other immortal king would have at least one hundred true or nominal disciples.

Terra Demon nodded while everyone found their conversation beyond comprehension. A soul projection cultivator wanted to take an awakened cultivator as his disciple? Had the world gone completely insane??

Lu Tianling felt his heart spasm painfully. He didn’t dare think about what was to come, just that it was now out of the question for Helian Shan to take Lu Xiaochi as his disciple.

“Hahahahah!!” Helian Shan finally broke out in furious laughter. “A soul projection ant wishes to be my master?!”

He was truly angry as this had gone beyond the limits of face slapping. It was pointed humiliation!

BOOM!

Raging aura exploded from his body. He punched straight forward without any bells and whistles, aiming for Terra Demon’s chest.

Ouyang Shengtian, Lu Tianling, and Lu Xiaochi paled with horror. Even the complex’s Major Cycle Nebula Formation shook from the blow. A furious blow from an awakened cultivator was too terrifying to endure!

“Your true origin is powerful and your strength is decent enough, but you utilize them in such a crude way. His… the young master once said that the times advance with progress, that the present is always stronger than the past. So why do you…” Terra Demon sighed as he watched the frightening blow. “You commit a sin for not respecting your master, and you commit a greater sin for being disrespectful in front of the young master! On your knees!”

Something flashed in front of the group and a thump rang out. Helian Shan suddenly knelt in front of Lu Yun while Terra Demon stood expressionlessly behind him!

Lu Tianling, Lu Xiaochi, and Ouyang Shengtian were too stunned to know how to react.

Terra Demon differed from Lu Yun in that the young man’s experiences were just a dream. They were gone after he woke up, leaving only the experiences of his memories. Terra Demon, however, was a bonafide immortal king. Despite possessing only a soul projection body, he didn’t need to exert any effort to manhandle an awakened cultivator.

Immortal kings were the peak of the world of immortals, second to only the five immortal emperors! [1]

No one below an immortal was a threat to Terra Demon, not even some of the weaker immortals. Since his nascent soul was damaged, he wouldn’t be able to contend against a truly strong immortal without absolute strength.

Helian Shan’s heart shook with shock; he’d clearly seen every move that the other had made. It was like Terra Demon had strolled through a garden, casually circling around him and kicking his knees down. A massive surge of strength had reared its head to force Helian Shan into his current position.

Although he’d seen the other’s moves and captured his footsteps with his consciousness, his body hadn’t been able to react. It was like the silver-haired young man in front of him didn’t come from the real world. He came from another, crossing through endless space and layers of planes to arrive behind him and kick him.

“Are you willing to recognize me as your master?” Terra Demon asked without the arrogance or contempt of someone in a superior position.

“Are you, are you an immortal?” Helian Shan asked in a shaking voice.

“An immortal? I guess you could say that,” Terra Demon replied noncommittally.

“Are you… Yun’er’s master?” Lu Tianling finally found his voice again.

“The young master’s teacher?” Terra Demon’s face flickered through a variety of expressions. Everything I know comes from His Grace’s hands. Although we weren’t formally master and disciple, our relationship was that of one. When did I become His Grace’s master?

He thought of the young man in blue who’d appeared within the sword pagoda one year ago—the high lord’s senior brother. His aura and presence had been as vast as the seas. It was something he hadn’t sensed even in the high lord back in his time.

What kind of existence would the high lord’s master be?

But Terra Demon knew that Lu Yun respected Lu Tianling immensely, so he simply shook his head and didn’t respond with any unpleasantry.

“The young master’s teacher is a domineering powerhouse of the realms. I am just the young master’s servant. There is no need to think more on that, milord.”

Helian Shan sucked in a sharp breath. This silver-haired young man who looked to be only soul projection, but was in reality unfathomably strong… was just a servant? Then how enormous was the faction behind Lu Yun?

It doesn’t seem impossible to stand up to the Origin Sect if he has this kind of background and power. Ouyang Shengtian was starting to care less about being tied to Lu Yun’s ship. An imperceptible light flashed through his eyes—he wouldn’t be able to fend off Terra Demon even in his prime. What the silver-haired young man displayed moments ago was the methods of an empyrean immortal.

Ouyang Shengtian was even more keenly aware that having seen some of Lu Yun’s trump cars, he only had two options left to him now. One, he could be utterly loyal to Lu Yun or two, Terra Demon could smash him to death on the spot.

He also finally understood what Lu Yun meant by the Origin Sect not being a threat as long as immortals didn’t come. With someone like Terra Demon holding down the fort, no one below immortal was a threat to the Lus!

Lu Tianling and Lu Xiaochi raised their brows at each other. It looked like the sudden addition of this incredible powerhouse was the work of Lu Yun’s master. Did his master not come from Great Xia? Or was he so strong that he could overlook all of the worlds of cultivation and the rules set by the heavenly book?

Great Xia powerhouses could not easily enter a world of cultivation without approval, but neither were they so bored that they would do so without reason. This particular world was protected by the heavenly book, but also curtailed by it. Qi was so sparse here that it was an impoverished backwater.

“Are you willing to accept me as your master?” An aloof Terra Demon circled around Helian Shan.

“My master is the chief enforcer for the Jade Ruins Realm and an immortal immortal. As strong as you are, you are far from him.” Helian Shan’s eyes were red from force of effort. He was trying to struggle to his feet, but an unknown method kept him kneeling at Lu Yun’s feet.

“An immortal immortal?” Terra Demon blinked and swept a gaze over Helian Shan. He shook his head. “You are not the disciple of an empyrean immortal—a nominal one at best. I do not sense the presence of an empyrean immortal on you and you’ve probably never even met your so-called master.”

Helian Shan’s heart shook, incredulity filling his eyes. How was the young man correct about even that?

“Kowtow to your master,” Lu Yun interjected. “You’re just a nominal disciple, your old master won’t mind.”

When he built a relationship with Helian Shan through Fengxian Wu, he’d done so with the intent of forging some sort of bond. But bringing the man under his banner would be even better.

1. I don’t know if the author is conflating immortal potentate and immortal emperor here, because Lu Yun was his liege lord back in the day. However, we’ve also seen mention of the central immortal emperor, so it stands to reason that there are indeed five immortal emperors. Yet Lu Yun was called an immortal potentate so… cue question marks? ☜