Jin Naluo couldn’t help a shudder. He’d witnessed the power of the stone bridge for himself in the Tomb of Heaven and Earth. Things would be just like Lu Yun said if it was fully released—simple beyond belief to kill a few sixth step kings.
However, Lu Yun would then have to bear the consequences of the entire Hongmeng hunting him down.
The stone bridge was a potent treasure and Lu Yun just a tiny common realm cultivator. He didn’t have the right to possess such a treasure! Though the bridge was very powerful, Lu Yun was weak. The kings of the Hongmeng had more than a hundred ways to kill him and take the Bridge of Forgetfulness from him.
If the bridge ever appeared out in the open of the third realm, that would either be when Lu Yun had decided to return to the chaos or world of immortals, or when he was strong enough to dominate the Hongmeng.
For now, the bridge’s power would spill over to the rest of the Multitude Region, including Jin Naluo’s hideaway, if Lu Yun brought it out. Jin Naluo might even be crushed beneath the indiscriminate attack.
“Fine, fine.” He gnashed his teeth. “This seat holds the key to the Hongmeng Tower. Come to me if you want it!”
His voice rolled out as rumbling echoes and swiftly traveled through the City of Immortals. The various kings present all looked at each other, particularly the Nightglow King. He hadn’t thought that Jin Naluo would so readily admit to this.
“Now that’s more like it,” Lu Yun chuckled. “You can borrow this bridge for now. Remember to return it after you take care of everything.”
He placed a miniature Bridge of Forgetfulness in Jin Naluo’s hand. The two shared a smile of common understanding, not needing to say anything.
“Remember, that bridge can only be used for self defense. You can’t use it to attack. Don’t lose your head and challenge the entire Hongmeng or the eleven supreme heavyweights with it. You’ll die in a very, very bad way if you do that,” Lu Yun reminded solemnly.
“Self defense? That’s enough.” Jin Naluo swiftly put the bridge away before a hue of purple light appeared around him. He rose into the air and hurtled toward the inner reaches of the Multitude Region.
“A key to the Hongmeng Tower! That’s the light that the keys release! After him!” The fifth and sixth step kings outside of the City of Immortals all rose into the air and chased after Jin Naluo.
……
“So that unreliable ally is just taking this hit for us?” A dumbfounded little fox walked out and stared in the direction of where Jin Naluo had gone.
“He’s a cultivator at heart, not an arcane beast king.” Lu Yun sat in a nearby reclining chair and indulged in a good stretch. “The bridge is a treasure of the fourth realm and might be very beneficial to him. If he can comprehend even a little bit of the meaning within, he might be able to break through to seven step kinghood.
“That’s why he spent so much time talking with me.”
Lu Yun had understood what Jin Naluo wanted and the latter had also grasped Lu Yun’s intentions. No words needed to be said and both parties took what they needed.
Lu Yun would’ve never lent out the bridge if it’d been an ordinary treasure of the fourth realm. But since it was a living creature at the heart of things, he didn’t need to worry about what Jin Naluo might do after getting it.
“That Purecloud King is going to be trouble sooner or later. This huge deviation from the plan almost took me down in the most unexpected way possible. I’m not letting her off the hook for this.” Lu Yun’s mood darkened when he thought of the Purecloud King.
More trouble would follow as long as she remained alive. He had to figure out how to locate her.
……
Newly in possession of the Bridge of Forgetfulness and a key to the Hongmeng Tower, Jin Naluo created a huge uproar in the heartland of the region. However, none of that had anything to do with Lu Yun.
The fifth and sixth step kings of Multitude Region only cared about the key. They couldn’t even be bothered to cast a second look at someone like Lu Yun.
A year passed as the Tiger Butcher King conquered all hundred and eight cities in the Multitude southern fringe. A hundred and eight cities represented a hundred and eight city lords. All of them were second step kings apart from Tiger Butcher at third step. Under his careful manipulation, they all became Lu Yun’s Infernum.
“This is finally our territory.” Lu Yun stood on the walls of the City of Immortals, looking over the entire southern belt with a content smile.
He now had a hundred and nine kings under his command—a terrifying force in any part of the Hongmeng. After all, the vaunted Enforcer Alliance was comprised of only a hundred and eight kings!
Naturally, numbers weren’t everything. There were more than a dozen sixth step kings in the alliance, while the strongest he had in the form of Tiger Butcher was but third step. Regardless, he was the undisputed ruler of the local area and could fully display his talents and ambitions in the Hongmeng!
All had not been calm in the Multitude Region over the past year. Formidable kings constantly poured into the area to vie for the tenth key to the Hongmeng Tower. Lu Yun was entirely in the dark as to Jin Naluo’s current situation.
The Redbud Region also suffered attacks from an unknown source during this time, but the Redbud King was almost invincible when she was in her territory. Utilizing the one hundred and eight thousand layouts, she killed at least ten sixth step kings!
Her name and reputation once more spread throughout the Hongmeng.
With all the action going on, Lu Yun and the little fox kept themselves in peak condition. Lu Yun set up a spacetime formation for the two to cultivate and they made great strides in knowledge and strength.
……
“The Treasurehunter Rat’s found something valuable!” Lu Yun brightened from his position on the city walls. The rat had learned from his previous shortcomings and leveraged the Tome of Life and Death to convey his findings to Lu Yun.
“The eleventh key to the tower?” The little fox drew near with hope.
“No.” Lu Yun frowned and created a water curtain with a wave of his hand, showing a majestic mountain without an end in sight.
Hongmeng qi coalesced around it as clouds, creating a striking atmosphere. This mountain was what the rat was seeing. Currently, he was rolling around the foot of the mountain trying to get inside, but stymied at every turn.
“This is Mount Cloudcover!” The little fox identified with a glower. “A dangerous area to the extreme east of the Multitude Region… what’s he doing there?”
“It’s a tomb.” Lu Yun’s frown deepened. “An incredibly illustrious personage was buried in a tomb and that tomb gradually turned into Mount Cloudcover. The rat is almost a king at the moment… there must be a great treasure inside!”
Excitement mounted when he noted the rat’s current cultivation level. The rat’s strength increased when he neared a treasure, becoming stronger the greater the treasure was. Lu Yun didn’t dare imagine how wondrous the treasure inside the mountain must be, given that the rat had ballooned from common realm to half step king.
