Qing Yu blinked at the Soulmask King’s words.
“Though the Ten Valleys of Evil are birds of a feather in opposing the Immortal Region, the other nine have watched us covetously since our last eminent ruler fell. They seek to devour us at any possible moment.
“If it wasn’t for you appearing out of thin air, Hopeless Major would be in real danger! We also have the matter of the previous eminent one’s death to avenge as well!” Deep hatred seeped into Soulmask’s tones.
Prior to Violetgrave’s disappearance, she’d appointed one person to be her successor—the first eminent ruler of Hopeless Major. He had been an exceedingly powerful individual, stronger than the current World King and the undisputed strongest heavyweight in the valleys. His vision had been ahead of his time and he’d wanted to consolidate the ten valleys into one.
Though that would enable them to fight the Immortal Region as a single coordinated entity, none of the other nine wanted to lose their autonomy or be at the behest of others. Thus, they hatched a plot to lure the Hopeless Major ruler into an Immortal Region besiegement.
Their age-old enemy was of a similar mindset and sent out ninety-nine ninth step kings to meet them in battle. Assembled in a grand formation, they targeted only Hopeless Major’s ruler and ultimately refined him alive.
The harrowing battle resulted in the Immortal Region losing a dozen kings and the precipitous fall of Hopeless Major’s status after it. Though the other nine didn’t trouble them on the surface post engagement, they constantly suppressed their peer from the shadows.
If it wasn’t for the incredible resources left by their late ruler, Hopeless Major would’ve ceased to exist a long time ago.
When he walked among the living, there’d been thirty ninth step kings among the major’s ranks. Only thirteen existed in the present day as the rest had either died or fled. Those who were left were staunchly loyal to the major, even the Profound and Ruin Kings.
The Profound King had welcomed the World King only because he wanted to use the other to eliminate Qing Yu. Once he grasped the reins of power and held the command seal, he would use it to defy the World King and expel the outsider.
It was a plan to set his enemies upon each other and then emerge victorious over them all. Instead of the World King arriving as a regular tiger, however, he came as a crazed one!
Lu Yun had monitored everyone’s emotions earlier through the Karmic Tree, which was why he’d directed Qing Yu to show mercy.
If the Profound King and his cohorts had been beyond redemption, Lu Yun wouldn’t mind gaining a few ninth step king Infernum. However, thwarting his considerations was the Soul Light Palace in Hopeless Major.
A king’s passing extinguished their soul light. Hopeless Major would no longer trust them after they died, even if the light flared back to life. This was to prevent outsiders from controlling their kings and inflicting heavy losses on the major.
It was for this reason that Jinse remained by Lu Yun’s side since becoming an Infernum and didn’t consider returning home to help Qing Yu. That possibility was out of the question because her former peers would no longer trust her.
……
“You’re right.” Qing Yu nodded. “I should pay a visit to Origin World. Their ruler showed up uninvited with the Nineworld Origin Diagram and fired off the Nineworld Origin Cannon in the center of the major. Now they ride roughshod over us in our own home? If I continue to remain unmoved, they’ll be emboldened by my reaction.
“Send their representatives away however you can. After I take care of the Autumn King, I’ll make my way to Origin World. Here’s a hundred thousand half step king puppets—go set them up in secret.”
She placed a tiny ball of light in the Soulmask King’s hands; it contained the puppets that Lu Yun had prepared for her.
“This is…” Soulmask’s eyes widened. These were the half step king puppets assembled in formation that day! They’d forced the Nineworld Origin Diagram apart from the void of Hopeless Major so the eminent ruler could strike back.
Of those in the major, Qing Yu was closest to the Soulmask King. While they didn’t share all of their thoughts with each other, they were close confidantes. Qing Yu had given her the supplemental treasures she’d received from Lu Yun and in return, Soulmask had never let her down.
Now that Soulmask received the hundred thousand half step king puppets, she was almost overwhelmed with bliss. With this army in hand, Hopeless Major had the capacity to counter attack the Immortal Region!
Though kings abounded on both sides, it was cultivators beneath kinghood that fought on the battlefield.
“Alright, you are dismissed.” Qing Yu waved at Soulmask.
“Understood!” Soulmask cupped her hands around the ball of light with glee, thinking nothing of the Origin World representatives.
They were here only because they thought the situation was unstable in Hopeless Major, that as domineering as the Empyrean King was, she was deserted by all of her followers. They didn’t consider that she might have pardoned the rebels, or that the Profound King had lost all of his influence due to various factors.
……
A king with black hair and a black beard snarled with outrage in the middle of green soulfire. He was the Autumn King from Origin World.
“Daredevil King, I came to save you out of the goodness of my heart, but you ambushed me instead! You’re an ungrateful and heartless snake!” Grief-stricken fury filled his tones.
“Autumn King, you came to Hopeless Major to sow discord. Keeping you here and not killing you on the spot is already a show of extreme mercy,” snorted the Daredevil King.
Daredevil was a young man who looked very uncanny. His two eyes glittered like emeralds and an eerie light twinkled out of them. This was plainly an exceedingly evil king, one who lived up to the major’s name.
“Daredevil King, do you think I don’t know the limits of your abilities? You would’ve killed me a long time ago if you could manage it! Heh, I’ll have you begging for death when I get out of here!” A scholarly air exuded from the Autumn King and a bamboo scroll hovered over his head, cocooning him in safety from the terrifying soulfire.
“You should quickly defect to Origin World if you know what’s good for you! That Empyrean King is just a girl wet behind the ears and doesn’t know how to read a situation. If she can execute the Profound King for insurrection, she’ll do the same to all of you who defied her. It’s just a matter of degree and time!” the Autumn King roared with laughter. “Daredevil, don’t you know that the hour of your death is staring you in the face? Hopeless Major will be breached sooner or later, and you’ll die first to your half-baked eminent little girl!”
“Shut up, bastard! Keep your mouth clean about Her Eminence!” Daredevil cursed and stoked soulfire to greater heights with a wave of his hand. However, the Autumn King’s book was too strong for the fire to touch him.
It wasn’t just empty talk when he said that he could get out.
Hummm.
The Nethersoul Formation trembled as jade green soulfire leapt with newfound passion, purple radiance peeking out within it.
Rumble!
The scroll over the Autumn King’s head was sent flying by the purple-green mixture, and soulfire flooded into his body.
