The Celebration Begins

"Oh, Flying Flower Sect," Lu Yiping said, surprised.

The Flying Flower Sect was a very powerful force within the Baihua Empire.

It was far stronger than the Thunder Sparrow Sword Sect, and its current sect leader was the sister of Empress Baihua.

Empress Baihua's sister had joined the Flying Flower Sect in her youth, later becoming a disciple of the sect's ancestor. Through her own efforts, she had risen step by step to the position of sect leader.

"Yes, it's the Grand Elder of the Flying Flower Sect, Ke Jie," Song Ning said. "As for whether she was acting under the orders of the Flying Flower Sect leader, we don't know yet."

"However, we discovered that this Ke Jie has a rather unclear relationship with the ancestor of the Dark Demon Sect, Yang Siyuan."

"Dark Demon Sect, Yang Siyuan," Lu Yiping mused.

Just as Lu Yiping was asking Song Ning about the investigation into the Asura Gate, in a mansion within the imperial capital, Hao Dan, the young sect leader of the Yin Ghost Sect, dressed in a spotless white robe and with skin softer than a woman's, was reclining in the arms of a voluptuous maid, eating peeled spiritual fruits.

"Has that Lu Yiping been staying in his mansion recently?" he asked elegantly.

His subordinate quickly replied, "No, ever since he went to the Heavenly Machine Merchant Guild, he's been staying in his mansion and hasn't seen anyone."

"What do you think Lu Yiping's strength is?" Hao Dan asked unhurriedly.

The subordinate pondered, "It's hard to say, but everyone who has seen Lu Yiping says he has no True Essence or internal energy, nor any Divine Power."

"I suspect, could it be that he's using a Divine Artifact to conceal his cultivation?"

Hao Dan mused, "Three thousand years ago, that Tang Xiaobai wore the Void Robe to conceal his cultivation. Could he have obtained Tang Xiaobai's Void Robe?"

Upon hearing Hao Dan mention Tang Xiaobai, Hao Dan's several subordinates looked shocked.

Three thousand years ago, Tang Xiaobai emerged, neither good nor evil. Clad in the Void Robe, no one could discern his cultivation. He acted entirely on whim, possessed extremely high cultivation, and countless sect masters had died by his hand, with even disciples from the Ten Great Superforces being killed.

Later, Tang Xiaobai was besieged and killed by experts from the Taiyi Sect at Burial Soul Cliff.

Suddenly, Hao Dan chuckled and said, "Tell me, if I were to kill Lu Yiping at the Big Dipper Empire's celebration, would the old demon Su Xiu go mad?"

Kill Lu Yiping?!

Several subordinates stammered, "Young Sect Leader, isn't that a bit...?"

"Lu Yiping has a token from the Yellow Springs Old Demon Su Xiu, and he's currently staying at Su Xiu's residence. This shows that Lu Yiping is highly valued by Su Xiu; otherwise, he wouldn't possess Su Xiu's token."

"If we kill him, Su Xiu will likely be furious!"

Hao Dan sneered, "So what if he's furious? Are our Yin Ghost Sect afraid of him and the Yellow Springs Demonic Sect? Back then, the old demon Su Xiu killed hundreds of my Yin Ghost Sect's disciples and experts! Killing one of his kin now is just collecting a little interest!"

"These years, the old demon Su Xiu has been hiding in the Battlefield of the Gods cultivating. No one knows where he's hiding."

"I want to make the old demon Su Xiu furious and lure him out!"

"I want to slaughter this Lu Yiping and cut his flesh, piece by piece!"

Several subordinates were struck dumb with fear.

No one dared to respond.

Among the hundreds of Yin Ghost Sect experts killed by the old demon Su Xiu was a close relative of their Young Sect Leader.

"Alright, you may go," Hao Dan said.

After his subordinates retreated, he suddenly grabbed the maid beside him and bit down on her neck.

Terrified screams erupted.

The subordinates, hearing the sounds behind them, felt a chill run down their spines. Their Young Sect Leader cultivated the Blood Demon Divine Skill and often needed to drink fresh, hot human blood.

Meanwhile, in the Wan Family, Wan Hong was also asking his subordinates about Lu Yiping's movements.

"Young Master, are we really going to deal with this Lu Yiping? I heard that his four guards are all very powerful, in the God Realm!" one of the Wan Family experts hesitated. "Should we report to the Family Head first?"

Wan Hong stood with his hands behind his back, his broad shoulders powerful. He said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I have a plan. Besides, even if we don't make a move, the Yin Ghost Sect's Hao Dan won't let him go."

Inside the Big Dipper Imperial Palace.

Tomorrow was the empire's ten-thousand-year celebration, but the Big Dipper Emperor Zhou Ding Tian's brows were tightly furrowed.

Lu Yiping's identity had been leaked, and unexpectedly, it had drawn the attention of both the Yin Ghost Sect's Young Sect Leader Hao Dan and the Wan Family's Young Master Wan Hong.

Not only that, but in recent days, the number of experts from evil sects and demonic cults in the imperial capital had surged.

The imperial capital was rife with hidden dangers.

And General Chen Yuan was kneeling in the great hall, his forehead covered in sweat, because Lu Yiping's identity had been leaked by him to the Yun Family's Yun Haitian.

"Your Majesty, this minister deserves death!" Chen Yuan, seeing that Zhou Ding Tian had been silent for a long time, felt his heart clench and prostrated himself further, speaking.

Zhou Ding Tian said in a deep voice, "Rise."

After Chen Yuan cautiously stood up, he said, "Tomorrow, during the celebration, double the number of troops guarding all entrances and exits of the Imperial Palace!"

Double the troops?

Chen Yuan was stunned.

Considering that, not counting the troops within the imperial city, the Imperial Palace alone already had a million soldiers, all of them the empire's elite royal army.

However, he dared not question Zhou Ding Tian's orders. He respectfully accepted the command and withdrew.

The next day.

The sun rose.

The entire Big Dipper Imperial Capital became lively.

Crowds surged.

Wave after wave of fireworks sounded in unison high above the Imperial Palace, blooming brilliantly and illuminating the entire capital in a riot of colors.

The Big Dipper Imperial Capital, from its streets to its alleys, was filled with an atmosphere of celebration.

"Young Master, the celebration has begun." Lu Peng looked at the brilliant Imperial Palace high above, smiling happily at Lu Yiping.

The Wuji Dynasty was an Imperial Dynasty under the Big Dipper Empire, so Lu Peng and the others could be considered half citizens of the Big Dipper Empire. They were genuinely happy about the Big Dipper Empire's ten-thousand-year anniversary celebration.

Lu Yiping smiled and stood up. "Let's go."

Thus, Lu Yiping and the others left the mansion and set off in their carriage.

Lu Yiping also had Lu Peng and Lu Xiaoyu get into the chariot, with Zhang Jin and the other three leading the way, while Song Ning and the experts from the Thunder Que Sword Sect followed behind.

"It's Lu Yiping!"

The streets were crowded, almost impassable, but upon seeing the Golden Ox Chariot, everyone spontaneously cleared a wide path.

"Is that Lu Yiping? Didn't they say he looked like a green-faced, fanged demon?"

"I heard he obtained Tang Xiaobai's Void Robe, which conceals his cultivation. He truly has no True Essence or internal energy on him."

Various whispers could be heard from the crowd.

On the chariot, Lu Yiping frowned. Green-faced, fanged, like a demon? Void Robe? Who deliberately spread these rumors?

The Dragon Horn Golden Ox, hearing the noisy sounds from all around, snorted coldly like divine thunder exploding. Instantly, everyone who had been discussing them felt their minds buzz, and the surrounding area fell into silence.

The chariot moved slowly.

In a short while, the Imperial Palace was visible in the distance.

At this moment, a white war chariot drove in from another street. It was the war chariot of the Young Sect Master of the Yin Ghost Sect.