Pressing Them into Submission

"You two, stay your hands!"

Deep within a valley on Feixian Ancient Star, stretching for untold tens of thousands of miles, a brilliant shaft of heavenly light suddenly burst forth. An aged, hoarse sigh accompanied it, drawing the attention of Yuangeng and the Qiongqi Emperor.

The heavenly light came from none other than a blood-red mass of Dao Fire, clinging to a heavenly lamp forged from refined chaos stone. It seemed to sway in the wind, yet remained dazzling enough to illuminate all thirty-three layers of heaven.

Another supreme being!

Yuangeng was astonished. He did not recognize that heavenly lamp, but he sensed it clearly: a supreme divine consciousness clung to the lamp, using it to convey its will.

"Are you the Torch Dragon Venerable?"

He spoke in a low voice, recalling that the original story had mentioned an ancient supreme being of the Torch Dragon lineage among the Kunlun Remnant Clan during the Mythological Era. According to legend, that supreme being had wielded a heavenly lamp.

"No. That old friend is dead. He died in the battle that brought down the Heavenly Court. This is merely his weapon."

Unexpectedly, these fluctuations of divine consciousness came from deep within the heavenly lamp. Another mountain-sized mass of immortal source flew out of the secluded valley. Inside was not a Torch Dragon, but a divine bird, its heavenly feathers scarlet all over, as though shrouded within the depths of an eternally undying blaze.

"I am the Vermilion Luan Venerable!"

As those words fell, heavenly fire surged atop the chaos stone lamp. The Extreme Dao Weapon awakened, and a supreme power enveloped all of Feixian Ancient Star, shielding it from the innocent suffering brought by an Extreme Dao battle.

As expected of a lineage descended from the Kunlun Remnant Clan-they really could produce two supreme beings.

"I told you, I came for the Human Emperor Seal."

But even two supreme beings could not make Yuangeng back down. With his hands behind his back, he had no fear of fighting two Extreme Dao supreme beings at once. Still, he gave the Vermilion Luan Venerable some face and reiterated the purpose of his visit.

At the same time, he was studying this newly appeared supreme being. The Vermilion Luan Venerable was clearly far older than the Qiongqi Emperor, with much weaker blood vitality. Yet the weight of ages in the bird's gaze was terrifying, bearing witness to far too many rising and falling tides.

"I understand. This old one will take responsibility and give you an explanation, fellow Daoist. Fellow Daoist Qiongqi, come back as well. There is no need to waste your lifespan meaninglessly. We have more important matters."

The Vermilion Luan Venerable showed little emotional reaction to Yuangeng's stance. The bird spoke slowly and summoned a Perfect Treasure Vase forged from phoenix blood red gold. Blood-red luan phoenix fire streamed in and out of it, rapidly healing the cracks in the mountain-sized immortal source around the Qiongqi Venerable.

Luan birds belonged to the phoenix kind. This Vermilion Luan Venerable had traveled far along the path of Nirvana into a phoenix. Its Dao Fire surged to the heavens, nurturing boundless life.

"Roar!"

The Qiongqi Emperor's displeasure at the Vermilion Luan Venerable's arrangements was practically written across its face. It growled at Yuangeng, yet retreated to the luan bird's side without hesitation. Though its blood vitality was clearly far more abundant than the Vermilion Luan Venerable's, it still showed ample respect.

"Fellow Daoist Vermilion Luan is quite reasonable."

Seeing this, Yuangeng withdrew the Extreme Dao heavenly might that filled the sky, and his aura settled into calm. Yet he still held the Eternal Ancient Ruler. They were only two supreme beings; even with his Sea of Bitterness not yet perfected, he could ensure he would not suffer a loss.

"After all, you are very powerful, fellow Daoist, and an ancient being returned from before the Mythological Era. You are no enemy of the Kunlun Tribe."

The treasure vase above the Vermilion Luan Venerable's head hummed softly, seemingly conveying some supreme will. A moment later, a tall, middle-aged Quasi-Emperor with a pitch-black vertical eye on his forehead flew out from the mountains, carrying a stone platform. Enshrined upon it was a square, dimly glowing great seal.

"The Human Emperor Seal!"

At the sight, the Lunar Essence Quasi-Emperor Si Qi immediately looked toward Yuangeng. Receiving his assent, he strode forward and took the pitch-black great seal from the Kunlun Quasi-Emperor.

The Human Emperor Seal looked just as it had in the vision of the past. One corner was missing, and a deep crack ran through its body, nearly splitting the great seal down the middle.

"The Lunar Essence Human Emperor was a truly extraordinary man. His seal was gravely damaged. Our descendants happened to pick it up and have expended many treasures helping your Human Race nourish the divine spirit within. Should it awaken one day, returning it to the Lunar Essence Divine Church would not be impossible..."

The Vermilion Luan Venerable's divine consciousness betrayed not the slightest fluctuation. The bird intended to ease the conflict with Yuangeng, but upon noticing that his expression grew uglier with every word, decisively chose to fall silent.

When the upheaval had struck the Primordial Ancient Mine earlier, this old Vermilion Luan had awakened and watched Yuangeng's battle with Emperor Jun from afar. The bird could not see through Yuangeng. This ancient being excavated from the depths of the Primordial Mine District seemed to have no limits. In the old Vermilion Luan's memory, only a scant few individuals could stand against him.

Rumble!

Suddenly, without the slightest warning, Yuangeng struck again. Before the Vermilion Luan Venerable and the Qiongqi Ancient Emperor could react, one of his hands expanded to span tens of millions of miles and plunged into the earth of Feixian Ancient Star. He seized a vast earth vein and instantly drew it into his Bitter Sea.

This was an earth vein of immense grandeur. Though not enormous, it was exceedingly precious—one of the "dragon children" of Kunlun Immortal Mountain in years past. Ever since the Kunlun Tribe lost Kunlun Immortal Mountain, these "dragon children" had gained great importance. The remnant clan regarded them as its lifeblood.

"You!"

The Qiongqi Emperor growled, but did nothing. Savage and cruel though it was, it had not previously known that the Human Emperor Seal was in the hands of the clan's descendants. After their brief exchange, the emperor could plainly see that the Kunlun Remnant Clan was in the wrong. Its juniors had hidden another lineage's Emperor Weapon, only for the owners to come knocking at their door. It was utterly disgraceful.

Had their positions been reversed, and someone hidden the Kunlun Remnant Clan's Torch Dragon Lamp, the old Qiongqi would never have let the matter rest.

"This is the interest."

Yuangeng ignored the attitudes of the Kunlun Remnant Clan's two supreme beings. Pitch-black immortal light flashed within his Bitter Sea, sealing the earth vein. Only then did much of the killing intent in his eyes dissipate.

Then he turned without hesitation. Heaven and earth laws surged beneath his feet as he prepared to leave Feixian Ancient Star.

"Would you care to learn something about the origins of the God War, fellow Daoist?"

Just as the figures of Yuangeng and the two Quasi-Emperors began to turn insubstantial, these fluctuations of divine consciousness suddenly came from the Vermilion Luan Venerable. The ripples of laws were lightly disrupted, then dissipated on the spot.

"What do you wish to say, fellow Daoist Vermilion Luan?"

Yuangeng looked back. He did not believe the Kunlun Remnant Clan harbored any goodwill toward him, but he did not mind hearing a few more words. His tone was indifferent.

"During that great melee, our Kunlun Immortal Bell appeared. There were also disturbances suspected to come from the Road to Immortality. They were connected to an 'old acquaintance' of our clan. That person may well have been the chief culprit behind the turmoil."

The voice of the Vermilion Luan Venerable's divine consciousness had held no fluctuations at all, but when the bird spoke the words "old acquaintance," an inexplicable surge of emotion clearly entered it.

"The Undying Heavenly Emperor?!"

Beside Yuangeng, the Lunar Essence Quasi-Emperor Si Qi suddenly picked up the Vermilion Luan Venerable's words. He recalled a certain legend. According to it, when the Heavenly Court attempted to ascend to immortality, the Undying Heavenly Emperor had struck with the Kunlun Immortal Bell, one of the three great Immortal Artifacts of all time, dealing the Heavenly Court an irreparable blow.

"Indeed-

it was the Undying Heavenly Emperor! Back then, it was I, Torch Dragon, and several others who took the lead in lending the Immortal Bell and kunlun blood to that little bastard. He left and never returned!"

At this point, the Vermilion Luan Venerable could no longer suppress its emotions. The hatred in its voice was so thick it would not dissolve, turning even the skies of Flying Immortal Star cold and sinister.

"What are you trying to say?"

Yuangeng did not believe the Vermilion Luan Venerable would be so kindhearted. He thought little of this pack of dogs that had lost their home, and they likewise found him, a meddlesome supreme being, an eyesore. They had only just tied a knot of enmity between them. How could it possibly be undone so easily?

"Beyond Emperor Venerable's Homeworld, in the old homeland of Mars, the Immortal Bell is there. Do you dare go, fellow Daoist?"

Hearing this, the Vermilion Luan Venerable no longer concealed its purpose and spoke in a grave voice.