Chapter 216: The Decision of the Emperors

This task offered 50 million merits, which was rather little. The task had a high threshold and was extremely laborious—was it only worth this small amount of merit after three thousand eras of toil? In the Dream Domain, casually picking a few treasures could already earn that much.

“This task was arranged after discussion by several Emperors, and they designated me? Which Emperors?” Luo Feng slightly frowned..

Before perfecting the Twenty-Four Phases Form of the World Life Form, he did not wish to have major conflicts with the Emperors.

“Master, I’ve received a task assignment.” Luo Feng immediately transmitted the message, sending the complete details to his master.

“Reject it,” instructed Emperor Chu immediately. “Cultivating the Primordial Bloodline Beast Egg is extremely troublesome. You need to divide your mind 192 ways to care for it meticulously, and all the while you’ll be under puppet surveillance. You cannot slack off for even a moment. Three thousand eras… will significantly hinder your cultivation.”

“This is grueling work meant for those at a standstill in the Second Stage Divine King realm, especially those skilled in creating clones. To curry favor with some Emperor, they might take on this task. You have no need to accept it,” Emperor Chu instructed.

“Yes, Master.” Luo Feng had no intention of accepting it either.

He had already acquired the Primordial Bloodline materials for the Twenty-Four Phases Form. If he wanted stronger ones, he would need materials from ‘Ultimate Realm-level Primordial Bloodline’ lifeforms, which were strictly forbidden from being shared outside the royal clans of the Two Ancient Kingdoms.

As Luo Feng understood, even the incarnations of Ancestors kept watch. Even if someone were just a guard, there would be no chance to exploit the role for personal gain.

“Based on what I know of them, once you refuse, they will still have a backup plan,” Emperor Chu warned. “No matter how they threaten or entice you, just refuse. Leave everything else to me.”

“Understood, Master,” Luo Feng murmured. Refuse, and still there would be a follow-up?

...

Huyang City, City Lord’s Mansion.

Luo Feng sat atop a tall pavilion, sipping fruit wine.

“The Path of Life has finally reached Second Stage Divine King.” Luo Feng felt rather relaxed. Ever since the Lotus of Life had taken root within his Inner World, he had become deeply in tune with the Origin Path of Life. Studying the Secret Patterns of Life from the Star Tower had also greatly benefited him.

The Secret Patterns related to life made up the largest portion within the Star Tower.

Tonight, the three branches—Spirit Branch, Body of Life, and Source of Life—had perfectly fused. His cultivation advanced further, and his comprehension of the Twenty-Four Phases Form would now progress more smoothly.

“Just by revealing some power of the Second Stage Divine King, the Emperors started to take notice.” Luo Feng lifted his cup. Before, he had only publicly revealed himself as an invincible First Stage Divine King. Though he could entangle the Heavenly Kun Ruler with multiple clones, the Emperors had paid him no mind.

Now, they were each taking notice of him—and some were even scheming against him.

Luo Feng could sense faint causal threads beginning to entangle him. These threads were subtle, but obscure and deep. He couldn’t even detect to whom these threads were connected.

It was precisely because he couldn’t detect the connections that he could deduce the result.

“With my level of cultivation and mental will, if I still can’t probe the connections of these obscure causal threads, then they must be linked to Emperors or Monarchs. Ultimate Realm lifeforms are complete and can block all causal probing. Naturally, I can’t perceive them.”

Suddenly—

The surrounding temperature rose, and formless white flames began to emerge.

“Hmm?” Luo Feng’s expression shifted slightly.

The surrounding laws of Heaven and Earth transformed into the laws of flame operation. Within the white flames spreading through the surroundings, a woman’s face appeared—coldly staring at Luo Feng.

Upon seeing her, Luo Feng immediately stood up and respectfully saluted. “Luo He greets the Emperor.”

Only one woman on the Origin Continent wielded such terrifying flames—‘Emperor Wu’ of the thirteen Emperors from the Ancient Flame Kingdom, and a mortal enemy of his master, Emperor Chu.

“Accept the task of cultivating the Primordial Bloodline Beast Egg—at once,” ordered the female face coldly.

“Emperor, I cannot accept it,” Luo Feng shook his head.

Her gaze instantly turned colder. The formless white flames invaded Luo Feng’s body. His World Life Form felt intense pain. Sss sss sss—his body was almost immediately scorched into illusion, but then it began to recover.

These terrifying flames were deliberately restrained to burn Luo Feng’s body to the brink of annihilation—but not destroy it entirely.

“A mere entry-level World Life Form is still far too weak before an Emperor.” At that moment, Luo Feng could feel the massive gap between them.

“Just because you became Emperor Chu’s disciple, you dare to defy me?” Her icy face stared at Luo Feng. “You must accept this task. If you dare refuse... every disciple of your Blade River Sect will be reduced to ash.”

Luo Feng’s expression changed. “Emperor!”

An Emperor actually threatened him with the lives of his entire sect?

“Speak. Will you accept, or refuse?” The female face stared coldly at Luo Feng.

“Emperor Wu, are you threatening my disciple?” A dark, terrifying aura descended, devouring the surrounding white flames. A massive figure formed from the dark aura, glaring at the woman’s face. “If you dare wipe out every disciple of the Blade River Sect, I’ll kill one more of your children. Guess—who will I kill this time?”

The female face glared back, thick with killing intent.

She had five children in total.

Two had already been completely destroyed by Emperor Chu in the past, with no chance of reincarnation. Now, only three remained.

If all her children died, she would have no attachments left and would fight Emperor Chu to the death. But because three still remained… she had to proceed with extreme caution.

“You threaten me… for the sake of a single disciple?” Her face was full of anger.

“Yes. I am threatening you.” Emperor Chu stared at her. With his Origin Path of Destruction and his Ultimate Realm World Life Form, plus powerful secret treasures, he could curse and kill her children at will. They had no way to survive.

Even hiding within the Emperor Wu Palace wouldn’t save them from Emperor Chu’s personal curse. Emperor Wu wouldn’t be able to protect them.

“Good. Very good.” The female face sneered. Then the white flames all dispersed, and she vanished entirely.

“Master.” Luo Feng looked to Emperor Chu.

“Now you’ve seen how shameless they are?” Emperor Chu’s terrifying figure smiled.

“To think an Emperor would threaten me with my entire sect… Just for a task?” Luo Feng was indeed shocked. He could understand using extreme means for the sake of a Beyond Divine King-level secret treasure.

But for a mere task, to threaten an entire sect’s lives?

Luo Feng felt these so-called Emperors acted with less honor than even ordinary Divine Kings or Chaos Realm beings.

Emperor Chu said, “When there’s no restraint on power, one must have enough strength of mind to restrain oneself.”

Luo Feng nodded.

Invincible power in the hands of a madman—truly terrifying.

“Refining the Primordial Bloodline will corrupt one’s bloodline and will. That’s why they act without inhibition,” Emperor Chu shook his head. “I must keep her three children alive to restrain her. If anything involves Emperors or Monarchs in the future, contact me immediately. I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you, Master.” Luo Feng was quite grateful.

“Of course, the best solution is for you to grow strong yourself.” Emperor Chu smiled lightly, then departed.

Luo Feng nodded.

He was already doing everything he could to comprehend the Twenty-Four Phases Form.

...

A vast space.

Twelve thoughts gathered here, manifesting twelve towering and indistinct figures—the twelve Emperors of the Ancient Flame Kingdom, excluding Emperor Qing!

Each exuded an unimaginably terrifying aura, like complete Origin Paths incarnate—some capable of destroying worlds, others like bottomless abysses, or brimming with infinite vitality...

“This meeting was proposed by Emperor Yan,” said Emperor Fu. “He suggests... stripping Luo He of his guest status. According to royal rules, revoking guest status requires the agreement of at least half the Emperors present.”

The guest system was established by the Ancestor.

Revoking guest status wasn’t a decision a few Emperors could make on their own.

“Revoke guest status?” Emperor Chu laughed. “My disciple Luo He has extraordinary talent. As soon as he became a Divine King, he was already invincible at First Stage. Now he’s reached Second Stage... That blade strike he unleashed was already top-tier even among Second Stage Divine Kings.”

“With such talent, Emperor Yan, and you want to revoke his guest status?” Emperor Chu shook his head.

“Does our royal family need to care about the talent of a wandering cultivator? Even the Ruler of the Myriad Realms dares not defy the Ancient Flame Kingdom!” Emperor Yan sneered. “The dignity of the Ancient Flame Kingdom is paramount.”

“What did that little guy do to offend the dignity of the Ancient Flame Kingdom?” Emperor Chu asked.

Emperor Yan replied coldly, “Since Luo He became a Divine King, he has rejected every task given to him! Not once has he accepted. Yet he has taken over 200 million merits’ worth of inheritance by leveraging his identity as an Emperor’s disciple. A guest who only takes and never contributes... Our royal clan doesn’t need such a guest!”

“The inheritance he received was a gift from me,” said Emperor Chu. “It’s customary for an Emperor to bestow inheritance on their disciple.”

“It may be customary, but he refuses to take on any tasks,” Emperor Yan responded.

“I personally met with him to assign a task... but he ignored me, even as an Emperor,” said the flame-faced Emperor Wu with a soft laugh. “He doesn’t heed an Emperor’s orders—what good is such a guest?”

“You personally ordered him, and he still refused?” A dim figure spoke. “If an Emperor gives an order, it should be followed. Without proper respect, I also agree to strip him of guest status.”

“What? Just because you’re nobility, he has to obey you? He has no right to refuse?” Emperor Ming laughed lightly. “The Ancestor set the rule that guests have the right to refuse. But in front of you, Emperor Yuan, I guess that right doesn’t exist.”

“In the eyes of people like you, even the disciple of an Emperor should be under your complete control—subject to your whims, even execution,” Emperor Xuan said coldly.

Emperor Fu looked at the scene before him, clearly troubled.

“Everyone, regarding Emperor Yan’s proposal—make your decision,” Emperor Fu urged.

Soon, the results came in.

In favor of stripping Luo He’s guest status: Emperor Yan, Emperor Xi, Emperor Wu, Emperor Yuan, and Emperor Wu.

In truth, Emperor Wu’s visit to Luo Feng and his continued refusal had angered several Emperors. Some placed great importance on status. A mere wandering cultivator showing no respect to an Emperor warranted punishment in their eyes. That was why Emperor Yan dared to propose stripping Luo He of guest status.

However, Emperor Yan and his allies had offended several other Emperors too deeply over the ages.

For instance, Emperor Xuan—who also valued status—stood firmly against Emperor Yan’s faction. His disciple, Emperor Guixu, had been pushed to a desperate state. Emperor Xuan viewed that as an unbearable humiliation. Emperor Yan’s faction had shown no respect for Emperor Xuan’s pride.

Emperor Kong also voted against them—he always opposed Emperor Yan’s faction in these matters.

Thus, in the end, the votes against revocation were: Emperor Chu, Emperor Ming, Emperor Xuan, Emperor Kong, Emperor Jiufeng, and Emperor You.

Emperor Fu abstained.

“Emperor Fu, you abstained?” Emperor Yan was furious. Before proposing this vote, he had estimated a high chance of success. He hadn’t expected that Emperor Fu—on whom he had bestowed many favors—would abstain.