Chapter 552 550: Facing Qiu Yue Alone

The state banquet ended.

Everything that had happened before the banquet spread, shaking the court and the entire kingdom.

The return of the Azure Cloud Kingdom's First Supreme Elder, his slaying of an enemy assassin, and his expulsion of the Black Wind Demon King—his fame spread throughout the world!

For a time, the entire Azure Cloud Kingdom buzzed with talk of the First Supreme Elder's deeds.

Night fell. A bright moon hung high in the sky as a cool breeze rustled through.

Luo Tian and Li Yunxiu strolled through the Imperial Garden.

"You've changed so much every time we meet."

Li Yunxiu lamented.

She had always felt she knew Luo Tian intimately, yet she often found him shrouded in mist, unfathomable and impossible to truly see.

"You've changed a lot, too," Luo Tian remarked with a sigh.

After a few moments of small talk, Li Yunxiu asked gravely, "Brother Luo, do you know who sent the assassins?"

"Not yet, but I will find out."

Luo Tian's words left Li Yunxiu confused.

Before the state banquet, Luo Tian had been swift and merciless, yet he hadn't extracted any useful information. This left Li Yunxiu unsure of what strategy to adopt.

"It doesn't matter who sent them. I will eliminate every threat, every enemy!"

Luo Tian's gaze was cold, his tone absolute!

Li Yunxiu froze, finally understanding what Luo Tian had meant earlier.

'If he eradicates all his enemies, then he naturally won't need to care about a trivial matter like the origins of a few minor assassins.'

"When do you plan to make your move?"

Li Yunxiu asked, wanting to prepare and join Luo Tian in eliminating their enemies.

"You should just stay here in the Imperial Palace. More people would just be a hassle. I alone... am enough."

Luo Tian's words were utterly domineering, yet he spoke with perfect calm, as if discussing some trivial matter.

Li Yunxiu's heart trembled. After pondering for a few breaths, she said, "Alright. If anything unexpected happens, come back immediately."

After staying in the Imperial Palace for a few days, Luo Tian set out.

His first stop: the Qiu Yue Kingdom.

Currently, the Azure Cloud Kingdom was being oppressed by many of its neighbors, and the most rampant among them was the Qiu Yue Kingdom.

Besides, Luo Tian still had a score to settle with the Qiu Yue Kingdom.

When he had fled the Azure Cloud Kingdom, he was personally hunted by the Qiu Yue Kingdom's Dark Thunder Celestial King. The slightest misstep could have been the end of everything.

...

The Qiu Yue Kingdom learned of the return of Luo Tian, the First Supreme Elder of the Azure Cloud Kingdom.

The Qiu Yue Monarch immediately issued an order for the soldiers stationed at the border to retreat three hundred li!

「In the military camp.」

Several generals were drinking and talking.

"The Monarch is being too cautious. So what if Luo Tian is back? Is the Qiu Yue Kingdom supposed to be afraid of him?" a burly, bearded man shouted.

"You don't know the whole story. When Luo Tian returned to the Azure Cloud Kingdom back then, he directly deposed the Monarch and his entire family, then installed Li Yunxiu as the new ruler. He's not someone to be underestimated!" an old man said.

"General Chen, you're overthinking it. Our Qiu Yue Kingdom has now reached a joint agreement with five other kingdoms and is backed by the Chilong Dynasty. As long as we don't give them any clear leverage against us, Luo Tian can't do anything to us," another man said dismissively.

But suddenly, the high-ranking officers felt a powerful and dangerous aura approaching rapidly. They immediately rushed out of the tent.

In the distance, they saw a white figure streaking through the air, heading straight for the Qiu Yue Kingdom's Royal Capital!

"Luo Tian!"

"What is he doing?"

They were all in a panic.

They scanned the area but saw no one else from the Azure Cloud Kingdom—only Luo Tian!

Traveling to the Qiu Yue Kingdom all by himself... this Luo Tian was truly audacious. What on earth was he planning to do?

"Hold it, sir! This is the border of the Qiu Yue Kingdom! Please state your purpose, or we cannot let you pass!"

The burly, bearded man stepped forward and shouted!

Luo Tian slowed slightly and glanced at the burly, bearded man!

That single glance sent a terrifying, mountain-like pressure crashing down on the man. His body froze in place, and a cold sweat broke out all over him!

"I wish to pass. What can you do about it?"

Luo Tian said flatly, ignoring the group and continuing on his straight path!

Once Luo Tian had completely disappeared from sight, the burly, bearded man suddenly let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The pressure was gone.

But he discovered he was soaked through with sweat, his face was deathly pale, and his heart was still pounding violently!

'How terrifying!'

'A single look scared me this badly!'

'This Luo Tian is practically a Ghost God!'

At the same time, the burly, bearded man felt a strong sense of humiliation.

He had just been boasting, only to be terrified by a single glance from Luo Tian. He was a Grand General, yet he had been disgraced in front of so many people.

"Quick! Send a message to the Monarch! Luo Tian is coming to kill!"

the burly, bearded man yelled!

In the past, even before breaking into the Earth Element Realm, Luo Tian had the power to slay those within it.

Years had passed; who knew what level Luo Tian's strength had reached now.

With his Half-step Earth Element Realm cultivation, the burly, bearded man didn't even dare to breathe heavily in front of Luo Tian. He didn't dare provoke him and obediently let him pass.

Luo Tian's journey was unimpeded; he encountered no further obstacles.

「A few days later.」

He arrived at the Royal Capital of the Qiu Yue Kingdom!

"We welcome Lord Luo!"

The guards outside the Royal Capital all bowed.

Luo Tian remained expressionless as he went straight to the Imperial Palace of the Qiu Yue Kingdom!

「Inside the Imperial Palace.」

The Monarch and his ministers, who seemed to have been waiting for some time, all came out.

"May I ask what business brings you to the Qiu Yue Kingdom, sir?" the Qiu Yue Monarch asked coolly.

"It was you who sent people to assassinate the Azure Cloud Monarch, Li Yunxiu, wasn't it?"

Luo Tian got straight to the point.

The Qiu Yue Monarch and his many ministers looked shocked and uncertain, their composure faltering.

Luo Tian's directness was far beyond his expectations.

"Luo Tian, you have no proof. You cannot slander our kingdom."

The Qiu Yue Monarch shook his head in denial.

"I think you did it. If you disagree, then prove your own innocence," Luo Tian continued.

The Qiu Yue Monarch's expression froze, and his ministers' faces grew stiff!

This was too aggressive, too tyrannical.

Luo Tian clearly had no evidence, but he had decided they were guilty. If they wanted to clear their names, they had to be the ones to provide the proof!

"Luo Tian, you're being utterly unreasonable!"

The Qiu Yue Monarch's face darkened.

In reality, they had indeed sent that cold-faced middle-aged man.

But they would never admit it.

"I'm being very reasonable. I'm giving you a chance to prove your innocence," Luo Tian said dismissively.

The Qiu Yue Monarch's expression grew even more grim!

He, the dignified monarch of a kingdom, had come out personally to negotiate in good faith, but who would have thought Luo Tian would be so irrational, so high-handed and despotic!

"Luo Tian, watch yourself! This is the Qiu Yue Kingdom, not the Azure Cloud Kingdom!"

the Monarch bellowed with authority.

He had originally planned to stall until reinforcements arrived to surround and kill Luo Tian.

But Luo Tian was too arrogant; it was impossible to negotiate with him.

And besides, Luo Tian hadn't brought anyone with him.

Under these circumstances, what did the Qiu Yue Monarch have to fear?

How could an entire kingdom be afraid of a single man!

SWISH! SWISH!

In an instant, neat formations of soldiers emerged from all corners of the Imperial Palace, radiating a murderous aura.

Several auras of the Earth Element Realm shot out, gathering around the Monarch!

A total of four Earth Element Realm experts.

They were either Royal Elders or Tributors who served the Royal Family.

Luo Tian's gaze fell on a dark-skinned, middle-aged man among them. This was the Dark Thunder Celestial King who had once pursued him!

When the Dark Thunder Celestial King noticed Luo Tian's gaze, he couldn't help but flinch in panic!

But he forced himself to calm down!

'At this moment, the strongest forces of the entire Qiu Yue Kingdom are gathered here. Luo Tian is all alone. What is there to be afraid of?'

"Luo Tian, now... do you want to talk things out properly? Or continue your senseless pestering?"

A smile appeared on the corners of the Qiu Yue Monarch's lips!

Surrounding the Imperial Palace were ten thousand soldiers, all of the Qiu Yue Kingdom's top experts, four Earth Element Realm masters, and the Royal Family's many mysterious trump cards!

With this force, they could even repel, or even wear down and kill, a Third or Fourth Layer Earth Element Realm expert!

Luo Tian was far too arrogant, coming to the Qiu Yue Kingdom alone to die!

"It seems the assassins were sent by you after all. And now you want to kill me to silence me!"

Luo Tian said calmly.

Throughout the Imperial Palace, the experts of the Qiu Yue Kingdom all looked confused.

'Is Luo Tian blind? Can't he see the situation he's in? He's still spouting nonsense!'

"Enough nonsense! We were the ones who sent the assassins, so what can you do about it?"

the Monarch shouted impatiently!

"Kill him for me!"

The Monarch gave the direct order!

RUMBLE! WHOOSH!

The clang of metal echoed throughout the Imperial Palace as a terrifying, tsunami-like momentum surged into the sky!

In an instant, dark clouds roiled and the winds howled!

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The four Earth Element Realm experts soared into the air. In their hands, each held a broken, black Ancient Stone.

This was a treasure left by the founding monarch of the Qiu Yue Kingdom. When controlled by four Earth Element Realm experts, it could unleash an incomparably terrifying power!

"Seven hundred years ago, an enemy army was at our gates. Our kingdom relied on the four Ancient Stones left by our founding monarch to heavily wound the enemy and survive a desperate situation!"

"Today, you too will die beneath these four Ancient Stones!"

one of the four Earth Element Realm experts, a withered, white-haired old man, declared!

BOOM!

The four Earth Element Realm experts activated the Ancient Stones in their hands. In an instant, a purple flash of lightning erupted, shooting swiftly toward Luo Tian.

The four flashes of purple lightning formed a circular lightning shield around Luo Tian, trapping him within it as it continuously shrank!

"As the Purple Thunder Prison shrinks, everything inside will be turned to ash," the withered old man said with a laugh.

BZZZT! BZZZT!

The lightning shield around Luo Tian slowly shrank, and terrifying Thunder Power assaulted him from all directions!

But Luo Tian wasn't the least bit nervous. Instead, he asked in a relaxed and casual tone, "I'm curious. You know who I am, yet you still dare to kill me? Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Yunxiao Sect?"

"The Yunxiao Sect?"

The Qiu Yue Monarch's brow furrowed, and the other high-ranking officials' expressions darkened.

They were clearly terrified of the Yunxiao Sect!

'However, the Yunxiao Sect can barely protect itself right now. How could they have the time or resources to spare for one disciple and come all this way to deal with us!'

Besides, the Qiu Yue Monarch knew which side he had already chosen!

"Kill him!"

the Qiu Yue Monarch barked again!

BZZZT! BZZZT!

The lightning around Luo Tian flashed with purple sparks and began to shrink even faster!

"Don't waste your effort. We can trap even a Middle Tier Earth Element Realm expert for some time," the withered old man sneered.

"Is that so?"

Luo Tian raised his hand, extended his middle finger, and gave it a gentle poke.

POP!

The Purple Thunder Light Shield, like a piece of paper, was easily pierced, a hole appearing in it!

The smile on the withered old man's face instantly froze, replaced by a look of utter shock and terror!