The Great Ruler

The ancient and dappled golden token amulet floated silently in front of Mu Chen’s eyes. When bright light shined on it, most of it was not refracted. It felt as if the amulet were a black hole and rather mysterious.

Mu Chen stared closely at the golden amulet. He stretched out his arm, allowing the amulet to fall into his palm. His fingers ran over the amulet’s surface. While the writing that read, “Second” seemed ancient and faded, it still exuded a sense of indescribable majesty.

Mu Chen concentrated his spiritual energy flow upon the amulet, attempting to examine it more deeply. However, his efforts did not pay off. The amulet did not react even slightly to his examination. It was as if it were just a common object.

“Let’s see if I can refine it…” After a soft grunt, he spilled a few drops of his blood on it, and his spiritual energy seemed to turn into flames, enveloping it, trying to refine it. Lying in the flames of spiritual energy, the golden amulet still did not budge. Mu Chen’s blood droplets only rolled on its surface, unable to penetrate it. It was as if there were an indescribably strong yet unfathomably difficult to detect barrier blocking everything that tried to infiltrate the amulet.

After the spiritual flames burned awhile to no avail, Mu Chen let out a disappointed sigh. As expected, it was not that easy to pry into its secrets. Although the investigation was fruitless, Mu Chen was not dismayed by the great price he had paid to obtain it. The difficulty in deciphering it showed its mysteriousness and importance. If he really could extract its mysteries, it would definitely be worth much more than the 45,000,000 drops of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid.

As the spiritual flame faded away, the golden amulet descended. Mu Chen received it with his hands and gently ran his fingers over it. He could faintly feel a very thin and obscure wave emanating from the amulet. However, the feeling was so weak that he could not pinpoint its origin.

However, Mu Chen could confirm that this item must have belonged to the second hall master of the Ancient Celestial Palace because it was emitting an ancient and powerful pressure. Although it was just a remnant from several thousand years ago, it was like a shadow following its object, and it terrified Mu Chen in his heart. The only one who could do this in the entire Ancient Celestial Palace would be those at the level of Hall Master.

“It seems like I can only keep trying…” Mu Chen ultimately decided to give it up for the time being. It was no urgent matter, anyway. Perhaps he should wait until entering the ruins of the Ancient Celestial Palace. At that time, he might understand exactly how this object worked. He suspected that it would not disappoint him.

Now, let us first focus on this Nine Dragon Devouring Fairy Array… At this thought, Mu Chen stopped worrying. He stowed the golden amulet and took out the tattered scroll containing the Nine Dragon Devouring Fairy Array. He started to research it, attempting to be enlightened as quickly as possible so that he could employ this incomplete Master Grade Spiritual Array.

The following day, Mu Chen stayed in the garden, focusing his mind completely on performing the array. He was not anxious to leave the West City in a sneaky manner. He understood that it was impossible to sneak under the surveillance of so many people. Furthermore, he did not wish to do it that way.

Other than Bai Lao and Lin Jing, none of the others went out. Bai Lao had received Mu Chen’s orders to procure some dragon bones from the antique shops around the city, and Lin Jing could not stay put. She ignored the fact that she was a moving vault of gold in the covetous eyes of others. She continued to skip around, following her whims and fancies. Surprisingly, although many powerful individuals were eyeing her, none of them dared to actually act against her. Ostensibly, they were wary of her mysterious background.

The peace lasted until the second day.

As the sun was setting on the second day, Mu Chen and Nine Nether sat in the stone garden within the courtyard. There was a chessboard on the stone table, and they were casually playing a game.

“Now that we are here, we have become the talk of West City.” Nine Nether swept a look beyond the courtyard. The past two days had seemed peaceful, but everyone could feel the treacherous waves raging beneath the calm. The covetous eyes were multiplying each day.

Mu Chen nodded, and then he said with a laugh, “If they are willing to drag this out, let them be. That will give me more time to perform the Nine Dragon Devouring Fairy Array and more time for our reinforcements from Daluo Territory to arrive!”

Nine Nether nodded.

Playing with a spiritual rabbit from who-knows-where, Lin Jing suddenly raised her heart-tugging, pretty face and said with a smile, “Your subordinate is not back yet, it seems.”

Nine Nether was startled for a moment. She just remembered that Bai Lao should’ve been back long ago. He was not a procrastinator. She raised her head and looked at Mu Chen. The latter had a calm expression, but his eyes were slightly squinted, as if a glint of danger had appeared.

“It seems like somebody can’t hold back anymore,” he mumbled. As he finished mumbling, laughter wrapped in a ferocious spiritual energy penetrated the air like thunder rumbling through the entire city, and resonated in the courtyard surrounded by the spiritual array.

“Haha, ladies and gentlemen from Daluo Territory, your subordinate is now a guest of mine. Why don’t we have a reunion?” The voice boomed and echoed through the heavens and the earth. It was the voice of Xia Hong, the Fourth Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty.

His voice was not disguised, so the entire city could identify it clearly. Immediately, people from every force were alerted. Could Xia Hong no longer resist attacking Daluo Territory?

“What a detestable fellow!” Nine Nether had a tense expression.

“He is a careful guy,” Mu Chen said plainly. He thought that Xia Hong would come directly to them, and did not expect him to use such a dirty trick. Obviously, Xia Hong was aware that Mu Chen had been there for a few days, and there might be spiritual arrays set up to give the Daluo forces a geographical edge against him.

“Master… what should we do?” Tan Qiu looked at Mu Chen, awaiting his orders.

Mu Chen stood up, his slender body as straight as a spear. He raised his head and faced the origin of the voice. With a smile, he said, “The chicken I have be waiting two days for is finally here. Without this chicken’s head, how can we frighten the others? Let’s first use this guy to bolster the reputation of Daluo Territory in the Tianluo Continent…”

As he finished speaking, his body transformed into a stream of light and rushed into the sky. Nine Nether, Tan Qiu, and Lord Stone followed after him closely, all fuming with killing intent.

“How interesting! I wanna see how this half Grade Nine will fight against that Nine Grade Sovereign fellow!” Lin Jing grinned ear to ear watching this. A glint of expectation shined in her eyes, and she, too, turned into a stream of light and followed.

When Mu Chen and his party rushed out of the courtyard as streams of light, counteless shadows leaped up in West City as well. The shadows covered the earth and the sky, all heading towards Xia Hong. It was obvious that the hidden forces of light and dark in West City would finally erupt into battle today. However, could the party from Daluo Territory keep that mysterious amulet?

In three other places within the city, Qin Ya, the Young Mistress of House Tianya, Mu Shan, the Young Pavillion Master of the Hidden Dragon Pavillion, and Jiang Lin of the Sword Deity Sect looked on at the countless streams of light coming from Mu Chen’s place as their eyes shined.

“Mu Chen from Daluo Territory truly has the skills and the guts, daring to go there personally. However, while Xia Hong is quite a nuisance, he is not a weakling. Today’s events will definitely be interesting.”

The three of them smiled, and with a wave of their sleeves, they took off into the air in a rush. Behind them, shadows followed suit one by one like lightning, every one of them exuding immense spiritual energy.

Therefore, the entire West City exploded at that moment.

In the middle of West City, within a heavily guarded courtyard on one of the huge practice stadiums, Xia Hong was seated upon a throne. At his side were two beautiful ladies serving him wine, depicting an envious scene. Behind him, a dozen figures stood straight in the shadows. They exuded immense spiritual energy that faintly vibrated the air.

Among the figures, one of them was the most noticeable. He was an elderly man clad in gray robes. His entire body emitted a cold aura, and even the spiritual energy within his body was extremely dark and cold.

A chain extended from the top of a pillar in the stadium to its bottom. A person was chained on that pillar. It was Bai Lao. Runes with spiritual energy were shining on his body like a seal, trapping his inner spiritual energies.

Xia Hong swirled the wine in the crystal goblet he was holding and asked jokingly, “Wang Gong, do you think that boy will come?”

The elderly man behind him laughed softly and said, “To come or not, the ending has been decided. That amulet is not something that petty Daluo Territory can keep.”

Hearing this, Xia Hong laughed with satisfaction and finished the drink in his hand. As he raised his head, he could see the horizon starting to crowd. Many figures were standing in the sky, awaiting the start of the show.

Xia Hong stared into the horizon, then he laughed and said, “He is here as expected… such bravery.”

As his voice fell, bright lights appeared in the stadium. Under uncountable gazes, several figures appeared. The one leading them was none other than Mu Chen.

When he appeared, he glanced at Xia Hong. Then, he immediately flicked his fingers, sending a spiritual rainbow toward Bai Lao, cutting him free from the chains and then grabbing him back.

Seeing this, Xia Hong did not stop him. Only after Mu Chen had rescued Bai Lao, did he slowly speak. “Leave the amulet and the two beauties, and I will assure that you can leave this city.”

Hearing this, Mu Chen laughed lightly as he looked at Xia Hong. “May I borrow your chicken head?”