Settling Things, The Whole Story / Returning to the Ancient Capital

But he didn't leave. After a moment of contemplation, the black and red Curse Element star sea in his Spiritual World began to boil the moment he stepped into the Divine Wood Well, and the Heavenly-level Curse Substance Blood Abyss Dark Judgment stirring restlessly.

He felt a strange unease. This was a situation Mo Fan had never encountered in the original story, perhaps because the other party had neither Curse Element nor Undead Element.

"Wait, could the hell that's been passed down in the world be the origin of the Divine Wood Well?"

Lu Jun seemed to be deep in thought, then he released the Curse Element tremor.

Buzz buzz buzz!

In an instant, a strange black and white book appeared above Lu Jun's head, its pages unfolding one by one, and a vast expanse of black and red cursed magic surged out, instantly filling this vast world of giant trees.

The dark, colossal tree world shook violently. Countless vines, branches, and ghostly tree trunks writhed as if startled, stretching out countless ghostly hands to frantically attack Lu Jun.

Rumble!

The black and white Book of Life and Death accepts all comers, unleashing a terrifying devouring power that engulfs all the vines, trees, and ghost trees that fill the sky.

Lu Jun slowly rose up. Although the Book of Life and Death was extremely small, like a black dot in the Divine Wood Well, it pulled the world into it.

Unable to resist the draining, the entire lake rose from the ground, rapidly shrinking to the Size Change, a shimmering pool of water, deeply imprinted on the second page of the Book of Life and Death.

As dawn broke, the Dark Giant Tree Forest vanished.

Lu Jun manifested in the outside world, looking down at the devastated land, the remnants of the great battle between the two, the Zhao Clan Family Manor razed to the ground.

He took a deep breath; Zhao Capital City posed any threat to him from beginning to end.

Lu Jun then closed his eyes and silently sensed the changes in the Book of Life and Death Super Rank. The second-level effect of the curse materialized, named [Reincarnation Lake].

Once the battle begins, the enemy's death will be reflected in the image, and the opponent will then proceed according to the process of dying.

For example, if someone drowns, the enemy will be extremely unlucky; they could even drown while showering or drinking water at home. Or they could die from being struck by a meteorite, as if a meteor were to fall from the sky and hit them.

The specific influence is linked to cultivation level, reflecting the outcome of death. Even forbidden spells must be avoided at all times, otherwise one might unexpectedly meet a tragic end.

Lu Jun found it a bit terrifying, like a curse of Karma.

In addition, the Curse Star Sea absorbed the curse of the Divine Wood Well and made considerable progress, taking another step closer to level three.

"Indeed, the Curse Element lives up to its name."

He nodded in satisfaction, his thoughts spreading out and covering an area of a hundred miles. He couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. "Huh, is this Zhao Jing? Is he still alive?"

Somewhere on the ground, Zhao Jing lay disheveled, staring blankly in terror, his body motionless, clearly having suffered a devastating blow to his spirit.

Chapter 548 The End, the Whole Story

The territory of the Zhao Clan.

Lu Jun glanced at the other party. Although he hadn't been taken away by the Divine Wood Well, he had lost his mind and become a useless person.

However, it's hard to say whether Zhao Jing is faking madness or trying to fool himself.

Just in case, Lu Jun showed no mercy. With a thought, a three-foot-long sword light shot out from his body, and the weapon spirit manipulated the Tai'a Sword to slash down fiercely.

Pfft!

Faced with the fatal blow, Zhao Jing's face remained blank, neither dodging nor avoiding. His body trembled, and his head was tossed high into the air before falling back down, blood splattering three feet.

"Shoot!"

Immediately afterwards, Lu Jun controlled the Star Track, and the Death Element Undead Space opened up. A dark gray, deathly vortex appeared, taking away Zhao Jing's corpse and soul.

"Good, nip it in the bud."

He felt at ease and released his divine sense to perceive Zhao Jing's aura and sense the powerful lightning fluctuations on his corpse. If he were to refine it into an undead, it might have a cultivation level of at least Mid-level Monarch.

It is also an extremely rare Lightning Element Humanoid Undead, fierce and powerful, unafraid of Light Element magic that it can counter.

However, Lu Jun's initial- Death Element Primary Magic, Flesh Stitching, combined with the Intermediate Level Soul Summoning, might give him the confidence to split off the opponent's Lightning Element Heavenly Bell [Scarlet Mountain Red Thunder], which could then be sold for a considerable price.

If you split the body and then refine the remains into undead, you're at most at the Monarch Level, with only average combat power.

Should we go for it or not?

Lu Jun was conflicted. The Elemental Sky Seed was related to the advancement to a forbidden spell, and its value was higher than that of Mid-level Monarch. To be honest, with his strength, he looked down on the combat power of a mere Mid-level Monarch.

Once he returns to the Ancient Capital and reclaims the entire Undead Empire, will the eight Great Undead Monarch not have enough henchmen?

But Lu Jun was reluctant to simply trade them away, especially since none of his three wives cultivated Lightning Element.

Wait... Mo Fan cultivates Lightning Element.

"We'll see when the time comes. We'll sell it to him cheaply once he's raised enough funds to reach the 10 billion and advanced to the Lightning Element Super Rank."

Lu Jun shook his head, not in a hurry to make a decision. Mo Fan his friend, and selling him to him would not be a loss. At that time, with the blessing of the Lightning Element Divine Seal Praise and the enhancement of the Scarlet Mountain Red Thunder, a twenty-fold increase in killing Lightning Element unprecedented in the Original Timeline would be born.

Tsk tsk tsk, probably not much weaker than my own Metal Element.

He suppressed his aura, and Feng Zhoulong and the others in the distance noticed that the battle fluctuations had dissipated, so they all gathered together.

Lu Mei approached with light, graceful steps, her red dress fluttering in the wind. She reached out her fair, jade-like hand and grasped her younger brother's, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"

She observed from the edge of the battlefield, witnessing the terrifying battle between the two; even the Supreme Monarch was probably no more formidable.

"It's nothing," Lu Jun said casually. "I've even killed Emperor, so Zhao Jing is nothing to me."

Only Feng Zhoulong worriedly said, "I've heard that Zhao Jing is a rare forbidden curse seed in the Nine Provinces, with many powerful figures supporting him. If you kill him, won't the Nine Provinces hold you accountable? Also, the Zhao Corporation has close ties with several forbidden curse experts; what will their attitude be..."

"Don't worry, even if I'm wrong, so what? No one will question me over such a trivial matter, and the Zhao Clan is even less important."

Lu Jun's calm demeanor and his assistance to Zhao Manyan in correcting the wrongs could easily be explained as an internal power struggle.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of the Zhao Clan Manor in the distance, the two ordinary Super Rank guards who were watching over Old Zhao had already fled, along with hundreds of the Zhao Clan members, who dared not return even after the battle was over.

"Old Zhao, Old Zhao, are you still alive?"

Mo Fan stood on the ruins and shouted.

No matter how much he shouted, no one answered.

Then Mo Fan said with a sorrowful expression, "Old Zhao, you died a terrible death. I will take care of your beauty."

"Cough cough cough..."

Just then, a coughing sound came from beneath Mo Fan's feet, startling him so much that he quickly moved away, staring at the ruins with suspicion and uncertainty.

Zhao Manyan's hoarse voice rang out. "Damn it Mo Fan, get the hell out of here! You stepped on me!"

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Mo Fan was shocked and quickly backed away, saying, "Oh, oh, I'm sorry."

A moment later, a blond youth, covered in grime, emerged from the depths of the ruins. He glared at Mo Fan, coughed a few times, still shaken. If he hadn't used the Turtle Shell Magic during the battle, he would have been annihilated in the aftershocks.

Mid-air, Lu Jun witnessed this, slowly descended, and went to greet him with a smile, "Old Zhao, are you alright?"

Zhao Manyan showed gratitude, patted Lu Jun on the shoulder, and solemnly said, "Including the assassination attempt in Venice, you have helped me twice. I am deeply grateful and will never thank you. As long as I, Zhao, am in charge of the Zhao family, you will always be a friend of the Zhao Clan."

"Whatever you want, I can find it for you."

Hearing Zhao Manyan's boastful words, Lu Jun smiled and shook his head, not paying much attention, and asked in a low voice, "What happened to you? How did the head of a noble family fall to such a sorry state?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhao sighed and explained the whole story.

It turned out that several years ago, he decisively took his brother Zhao Yougan and returned to the family, confirming the matter in front of his father and elders, which naturally enraged the family's higher-ups.

However, his father was seriously ill, and after much deliberation, he could not bring himself to kill his own son. So he imprisoned Zhao Yougan forever in the family's forbidden area, never to be released again.

Zhao Manyan had mixed feelings, but he could accept it. He also couldn't bring himself to kill his own brother. This was the most painful situation in any family, and even the Tang Emperor a thousand years ago harbored a deep-seated resentment towards it.

Old Zhao said sadly, "Moreover, my mother is just an ordinary woman. If something like this happens in our family and my brother is executed, she will probably feel guilty to death, depressed and unhappy, feeling that she didn't raise him well."

Everything went smoothly after that; his father died of illness, and he inherited the family business directly.

However, not long ago, Zhao Manyan made many mistakes due to insufficient prestige. At this time, the dormant opposition began to make trouble, especially the people under his brother's command, mainly the older generation such as Zhao Jing. Then, gradually, his orders did not extend beyond the clan's territory.

Lu Jun frowned slightly, it seemed that his idea of forcibly supporting Zhao Manyan to take the throne was not mature enough.

Ultimately, Lao Zhao lacked experience and was inexperienced in handling matters. He didn't have the depth of experience from the Original Timeline, so it was too forced.

"However, you don't need to worry." Lu Jun smiled gently. "I have a super Da Sheng that I want to discuss with your Zhao Corporation. If you manage it well, you will gain unprecedented prestige, boost morale, and secure your position as head of the family."

Zhao Manyan asked in confusion, "What kind of business?"

"Stardust Magic Tool!"

Lu Jun uttered only one word, and Old Zhao, this wealthy young man, immediately changed his expression, realizing the potential benefits—an industry powerful enough to shake up the international situation.

"But..." Lu Jun's tone shifted, and he smiled, "Our Bing Ce Fu doesn't have enough funding for setting up production lines and conducting research. We need a little support from President Zhao."

"Okay, okay! No problem!"

Zhao Manyan agreed. Let alone the Stardust Magic Tool, given Lu Jun's kindness, what's wrong with him simply giving it to him?

Now that Zhao Jing's faction has completely fallen, and he has now aligned himself with the powerful figure Lu Jun, the situation within the clan is likely to change. He will regain control of the power and be able to mobilize hundreds of billions of funds. If he dares to take a gamble, he will surely achieve great success.

Chapter 549 Returning to the Ancient Capital

Faced with Zhao Manyan's assurance, Lu Jun nodded.

Having made some mistakes, the other party has now been given another chance and has become much more mature and stable. With the resources of the Stardust Magic Tool, he should be able to secure his position in the family.

After catching up with old friends for a while, Old Zhao took his leave. He had many things to do: appease the Zhao Clan members who had fled the territory, explain the cause and effect, and seize the opportunity to usurp power.

He promised to immediately mobilize family resources and head to the Ancient Capital, assuring everyone there was nothing to worry about.

Lu Jun expressed his understanding, saying that he was supposed to go to the Ancient Capital, but this little incident had delayed him, and now it was time to set off again.

In addition, Magic City also urgently dispatched personnel to investigate the situation.

Located in the suburbs of Magic City, the area is often shrouded in lightning, starry skies, and ancient trees, making it hard to miss the attention of the entire city's residents.

The Super Rank- ups were even more tense; this battle fluctuation was comparable to that of Supreme Monarch, and they almost thought it was an invasion by the Demonic Beast Empire.

Fortunately, Lu Jun finished the battle quickly, without causing much of a commotion.

Afterwards, there's no need for him to personally intervene; simply sending Jun Yaojin to respond to Magic City will suffice.

Two or three hours later, the two said goodbye. Zhao Manyan looked at his two friends, Lu Jun and Mo Fan, and said with emotion, "Take care on your journey. It's a pity that if it weren't for the responsibility of the Zhao family patriarch, I would have liked to accompany you on your adventure."

Upon hearing this, Mo Fan didn't seem to react much, and laughed, "I'm risking my life because I'm all alone, without power or resources. You're taking your blessings for granted; once you reach a certain level, you'll have everything you need, like Star Sea Vein."

"Damn it, I remember before the trip to the National Government, you used several portions of Star River Vein to break through to the advanced level. If it weren't for the fact that one person can only consume one portion of the Super Rank Star Sea Vein in their lifetime, you probably would have reached the Super Rank a step ahead of schedule."

He grumbled enviously, "If only we could switch places! If I were the head of a powerful family, the first thing I'd do upon taking office would be to recruit beauties from all over the world."

Having said that, Mo Fan felt an increasing sense of urgency. Of the former five giants of the National Government, wouldn't he be the last to advance to the Super Rank?

Zhao Manyan said disdainfully, "Go away, go away. I'll wait for you to come back from the Qinling Mountains, and I'll personally give you a Star Sea Vein."

Upon hearing this, Mo Fan was overjoyed and said with a grin, "Old Zhao, you really are a brother!"

Listening to their conversation, Lu Jun seemed to be deep in thought. The three of them had taken completely different paths in life, which might not be the best route for them.

A moment later, a large plane took off from the wilderness, and Lu Jun and his group boarded the luxury plane and headed to the Ancient Capital.

On the plane, Lu Jun didn't waste any time. He closed his eyes to cultivate and examine the changes in the Curse Element star sea.

When he refined the curse of the Divine Wood Well using the Super Rank Magic Book of Life and Death, a strange connection was formed, seemingly originating from the direction of the Kunlun Mountains in the west.

This mysterious connection is more like a kind of gaze...

"The Forbidden Area of Divine Wood Well"

Lu Jun pondered, "The Ancient Capital is adjacent to the Kunlun Mountains. Perhaps one day I can go and explore it."

Among all the lands of the Nine Provinces, Kunlun is the most mysterious, one of the origins of mythological lineages. Its great empire is surprisingly uninterested in humans, and the two do not invade each other's territory.

The opportunity to Curse Element might just fall into the Divine Wood Well.

He shook his head, deciding to wait until he reached the Super Rank of cultivation before discussing it further.

During the next few hours of travel, Lu Jun focused his energy on the Life and Death systems, no longer deliberately suppressing them.

Buzz buzz buzz!

As the plane landed at the Ancient Capital airport, an aura rose from Lu Jun's body, with black and white rays of light flowing through him, exuding both vitality and the desolation of death.

At the same time, everyone on the plane awoke from their meditation and were astonished to sense the surge of magical energy.

Mo Fan swallowed hard and said, "Did that freak Lao Lu eat some kind of magic fertilizer? He breaks through his cultivation level just by walking and drinking water."