First Encounter

“Impudent!” the Yan God Clan Immortal roared, a long spear suddenly appearing in his palm, its tip pointing at Luo Feng. “Human, how dare you think His Majesty Blaze Emperor is someone you can just meet?”

Blaze Emperor was the absolute leader of the Yan God Clan. Although Luo Feng displayed immense power, the Yan God Clan warrior showed no sign of backing down.

Luo Feng glanced at the Yan God Clan Immortal. To still be so full of fighting spirit under his divine pressure was surprising. Immediately, his divine power spread out, directly engulfing the Yan God Clan Immortal. Under absolute power... the Yan God Clan Immortal’s angry eyes seemed to spit fire, but he could no longer utter a sound.

Luo Feng looked at the distant void palace complex and spoke, “Blaze Emperor, even this ordinary Immortal warrior dares to roar at me. Are you afraid to show yourself? This is your clan’s stronghold, a space-time you control. Don’t pretend you didn’t hear what I said!”

After speaking, Luo Feng waited silently.

...

No one was a fool. This was the Yan God Clan’s stronghold, and Blaze Emperor surely had absolute surveillance methods.

If Blaze Emperor pretended not to hear, he would be treating Luo Feng like a fool.

Just a moment later—

“Boom~~” The main hall of the distant void palace complex erupted with powerful divine energy fluctuations, and immediately after, the previous spatial blockade completely closed.

A figure flashed and appeared before Luo Feng.

“Is this the human Daohe King Luo Feng?” said the burly, single-horned bald man wearing dark combat armor. He was about ten meters tall, his skin covered in scales like a snake’s, even his face. Only the top of his head was bald and shiny.

“Yes,” Luo Feng nodded. This burly, single-horned bald man was a Yan God Clan Universe Venerable.

“I am Bingdao Venerable,” the bald, single-horned Venerable said with a smile. “Blaze Emperor instructed me to wait here for Daohe King, and I’ve finally met you. The moment I knew you arrived, Daohe King, I immediately closed the spatial blockade protecting our clan.”

Luo Feng scoffed inwardly.

Closed?

More likely, the spatial blockade was specifically prepared for him.

As the two conversed, the Yan God Clan Immortal suppressed by Luo Feng’s divine power nearby couldn’t hear a sound.

“Daohe King, could you release my clansman?” the single-horned Venerable asked.

Luo Feng immediately withdrew his divine power.

The single-horned Venerable immediately turned to look at his clansman and barked, “Retreat at once.”

“Yes, Venerable,” the Immortal warrior respectfully saluted, then vanished with a teleport.

The single-horned Venerable then smiled and looked at Luo Feng, “Daohe King, please follow me.”

Luo Feng nodded, not refusing.

He wasn’t afraid of Blaze Emperor playing tricks. Before he even arrived, encountering some obstacles was nothing. But now that he had reached the Yan God Clan’s stronghold... if Blaze Emperor still played tricks, it would be an insult to Luo Feng, and an insult to his teacher Zuoshanke!

...

The two teleported forward, arriving directly at the void palace complex. The endless flames surrounding the palaces parted, creating a void path. At the end of the path, several Yan God Clan Immortal warriors stood respectfully on either side.

Luo Feng and the single-horned Venerable walked side by side.

“Where is Blaze Emperor?” Luo Feng asked.

“That is the main hall,” the single-horned Venerable pointed to the highest palace in the distance. “It’s also Blaze Emperor’s residence. The two palaces beside it are side halls, where ordinary guests temporarily stay. Daohe King, please wait in a side hall for now... Blaze Emperor will meet you when he arrives.”

Luo Feng’s expression changed.

“Stalling for time?” Luo Feng stared at the single-horned Venerable. “Did Blaze Emperor order you to do this? Have you informed him of my arrival? Don’t tell me you couldn’t. Hmph, Blaze Emperor is the only Universe Master of the entire Yan God Clan. He must be aware of the information here at all times, right?”

“Don’t be impatient, Daohe King,” the single-horned Venerable said, unfazed by Luo Feng’s anger. “I just sent the message to Blaze Emperor, but he is currently on Original Star, so—”

“Returning from Original Star via God Kingdom teleportation would only take a moment.”

Luo Feng said coldly, “Lead the way. I will temporarily follow your arrangements and wait in that side hall. I want to see just when Blaze Emperor will appear.”

“Please follow me,” the single-horned Venerable said coldly, walking ahead.

The two, one after the other... entered the side hall. After the single-horned Venerable instructed servants to prepare some delicacies, he left directly.

“Such a young one, daring to be so arrogant!”

The single-horned Venerable stood in the distance, looking at the side hall, sneering. “Even if he’s an Immortal life defying the heavens, he’s only at the combat power of a mid-tier Universe Venerable, at most skilled in escape! To dare disrespect His Majesty Blaze Emperor of my clan... Hmph, if His Majesty Blaze Emperor hadn’t ordered me not to cause trouble, I would certainly make you understand the consequences of disrespecting His Majesty!”

“Hmph!”

The single-horned Venerable turned and left, not bothering to pay any more attention to Luo Feng.

...

Inside the side hall.

A table was laden with rare delicacies from across the cosmos, along with several kinds of fine wine. Just these provisions alone would be enough to deplete all the wealth of a Sector Lord Immortal.

“My second senior brother certainly puts on a grand show,” Luo Feng said, sitting there. “The leak of my whereabouts... it’s almost certain he secretly released it. He clearly knew I was coming, yet he deliberately stalled. I came here... by Zuoshanke’s command, to retrieve the Jie Jia once my strength was sufficient to wield it!”

“This was Teacher Zuoshanke’s instruction, yet he’s still putting on airs as a Universe Master,” Luo Feng shook his head inwardly.

The Jie Jia originally belonged to Luo Feng.

Blaze Emperor had used it for countless years. Now that Luo Feng, its rightful owner, had appeared, Blaze Emperor not only wasn’t eager to return it... but instead had his subordinates temporarily deal with Luo Feng.

“I’ll wait.”

“Let’s see how long I have to wait,” Luo Feng thought to himself. “This matter has already blown up. A large number of cosmic powerhouses are hunting me... news is flying everywhere. Teacher Zuoshanke must know and is paying attention here. Second senior brother, oh second senior brother, Teacher Zuoshanke is watching. I’ll see how far you can take this pretense!”

One day, two days, three days...

One month, two months...

There was no news; Blaze Emperor simply didn’t appear.

“Stall, keep stalling,” Luo Feng closed his eyes, meditating in the Virtual Universe while silently waiting.

With his strength inferior, he could only wait.

...

“Third junior brother, let senior brother first curb your arrogance. A peerless genius of the human race? Hmph, senior brother was stronger than you back then. I will make you understand, junior brother, that you should respect your senior brother!” Blaze Emperor, however, was sitting cross-legged in an ancient forest on Original Star, carefully sensing some fluctuations in the distance. If any precious treasures were about to appear, there would be special movements.

...

Luo Feng had already waited for over a year in the side hall. During this time, he had remained calm and patiently waited.

Suddenly, on this day, Luo Feng was meditating cross-legged.

“Boom!”

A powerful pressure permeated, enveloping the entire void palace complex, causing countless servants and Immortal warriors within it to immediately bow respectfully.

Luo Feng also opened his eyes: “He’s finally here.”

“Rumble~~” The surrounding space-time instantly shifted. Luo Feng felt a blur before his eyes, and he was already in a vast grand hall. On the throne in the hall sat a towering, majestic figure. His entire body was covered in dense scales, and his massive single horn... was exactly the appearance of a Yan God Clan member.

His eyes overlooked Luo Feng below, and under the invisible pressure, Luo Feng felt as if he had fallen into a fiery furnace.

“Second senior brother,” Luo Feng looked up at Blaze Emperor, a smile on his face. “Second senior brother, you’ve finally arrived. Junior brother has been waiting for a long time.”

Boom!

The majestic figure rose, then descended step by step. As he walked down the layers of stairs, his divine body continuously shrank. By the time he reached the bottom, he was the same height as Luo Feng. From an Earthling’s perspective... Blaze Emperor exuded an overwhelming aura of dominance, a tyrannical presence that seemed to declare, ‘Who else but me? I alone am supreme.’

That dominance radiated naturally from his bones and soul, without any pretense.

This was different from the arrogance of some tyrannical powerhouses that made them detestable.

Blaze Emperor’s dominance and supreme self-regard... only made people marvel, recognizing him as a true overlord.

“Third junior brother,” Blaze Emperor looked at Luo Feng, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Senior brother was on Original Star, contending for treasures with countless other clan powerhouses. It happened to be a crucial moment for a treasure’s emergence, so I was delayed a bit. I trust you don’t mind, third junior brother.”

“Of course, junior brother doesn’t mind,” Luo Feng said.

“Mm.”

Blaze Emperor nodded. “I’ve also spoken with Puti, and Teacher Zuoshanke has given me some instructions. Regarding you... I’ve also deliberately gathered some information. You are indeed a rare and peerless genius of the human race today. However, you should also know that all of this was bestowed upon you by Teacher Zuoshanke! So, you must not be arrogant. You must cultivate humbly and strive to become a Universe Venerable, and even a Universe Master, as soon as possible. Your senior brother and I... are both waiting for that day.”

Luo Feng frowned slightly. He disliked Blaze Emperor’s condescending attitude, but still replied, “Junior brother will naturally strive hard.”

“You’re fortunate to have endured the Star Tower’s life-and-death inheritance and become Teacher Zuoshanke’s third disciple!” Blaze Emperor looked at Luo Feng. “Therefore, you should cherish this opportunity even more and not disappoint Teacher Zuoshanke.”

“Second senior brother.”

Luo Feng said directly, “I believe second senior brother knows the purpose of my visit.”

“Haha, for the Jie Jia, of course I know,” Blaze Emperor smiled, looking at Luo Feng. He instinctively felt a sense of aversion towards this third junior brother... because Zuoshanke had fully nurtured him back then, making Blaze Emperor one of the top peerless geniuses in the cosmos. Now, Luo Feng was no less impressive.

Blaze Emperor even knew... that this third junior brother would one day possess the ultimate supreme treasure, the Star Tower! Blaze Emperor saw a huge threat in Luo Feng! Yet, Luo Feng was Zuoshanke’s third disciple, nurtured with all his might... there was simply no way for him to stop it.

As for his senior brother Puti, Blaze Emperor dismissed him. He was merely a servant of Teacher Zuoshanke... his strength was far inferior to his own.

But towards his third junior brother...

Blaze Emperor was extremely wary.

“Yes, I came for the Jie Jia,” Luo Feng said. “Teacher Zuoshanke instructed me to come to second senior brother to retrieve it once I could wield it, so here I am.”

“The Jie Jia is a super supreme treasure in the vast cosmos,” Blaze Emperor looked at Luo Feng. “Its power is boundless. You are merely an Immortal now, too weak to unleash much of its might. It’s even possible that the Jie Jia could be lost in your hands. I think, for the sake of the Jie Jia, and for your own sake, junior brother, you should cultivate more, improve your strength, and only come to retrieve the Jie Jia after you’ve advanced to Universe Venerable. Senior brother will temporarily continue to safeguard the Jie Jia for you, and once you become a Universe Venerable, I will personally deliver it to you.”