Within Wanqing Prefecture City, inside the City Lord's Mansion, a slightly plump man with thinning hair, resembling a middle-aged merchant who'd indulged in too many fine meals, raised a wine glass before Han Jue with an enthusiastic smile.
"Young friend, you saved my daughter's life. Allow me to toast you!" Du Lan Changwen declared cheerfully.
The indigenous humans of the Seven Flames Palace bore striking resemblance to Earthlings, with only subtle physiological differences that Han Jue's Six Eyes could detect. This fortunate similarity meant he required no disguise to blend in with the local population.
If Han Jue hadn't known that the jovial man before him was the City Lord of this prefecture and the only peak Domain Lord within its borders, he would have assumed Du Lanque had led him into some elaborate trap.
"City Lord Du Lan, you're too kind. It was merely a casual gesture," Han Jue replied calmly, not touching the offered wine. His tone remained polite but distant, creating an invisible barrier between them.
"What should I call you, young friend?" Du Lan Changwen asked, maintaining his affable smile despite Han Jue's cold reception.
"You may call me Wu," Han Jue said after a brief pause.
"Friend Wu, my daughter informed me that you plan to compete for the Void Emperor Treasury." Du Lan Changwen's eyes gleamed with interest. "Is there anything my Dulan family might assist you with?"
"City Lord," Han Jue said with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes, "why don't you first explain what your Blood Orchid Vine is doing?"
From the moment he'd entered the mansion, Han Jue's Six Eyes had detected something watching him. After a thorough scan, he discovered that the underground beneath Wanqing City had been completely hollowed out and transformed into a massive nest for plant life. The Blood Orchid Vine's root system permeated the entire foundation of the city like a spider's web.
Du Lan Changwen's expression remained impassive. Without missing a beat, he gestured subtly with his hand behind his back, causing the underground Blood Orchid Vine to retreat into dormancy once more.
"My friend, you jest," Du Lan Changwen said smoothly, his prepared explanation flowing naturally. "The Blood Orchid Vine maintains a defensive posture to protect Wanqing City from invasion by hostile divine kingdoms. Perhaps your aura is exceptionally strong, causing the Blood Orchid Vine to mistake you for a potential enemy."
"As you may know," he continued, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness, "wars periodically erupt among the seven divine kingdoms of the Land of Order. We must remain constantly vigilant."
Han Jue shook his head slightly, seeing through the transparent lie. If he hadn't noticed the Blood Orchid Vine's hostile intent, Du Lan Changwen and his parasitic plant would have attacked without hesitation. The City Lord's words were nothing more than face-saving theater.
Seeing that his probing had failed, Du Lan Changwen immediately changed tactics and patted his chest with exaggerated confidence. "Don't worry, my friend. The Dulan family will exert every effort to help you locate the other two Void Emperor Tokens. Please, stay in the city as our honored guest."
"Three days," Han Jue said flatly, his tone brooking no negotiation.
A single day in the Seven Flames Palace equaled roughly ten days on Earth, making three days equivalent to a month in Earth-time, more than generous for such a simple task.
"No problem!" Du Lan Changwen agreed immediately, then gestured to his daughter. "Que'er, escort Lord Wu to his accommodations and ensure he wants for nothing!"
"Yes, Father," Du Lanque said respectfully, bowing to both men.
Du Lanque led Han Jue from the City Lord's Mansion to the most luxurious residence in Wanqing City, a palatial estate called Cangyun Pavilion that normally housed only the most distinguished visitors.
Once her guest was settled, Du Lanque made the long journey back to the City Lord's Mansion, where she found her father standing alone in his private chambers, staring thoughtfully into the distance.
"Father, are you truly going to help this 'Wu' obtain the Void Emperor Treasury?" she asked carefully.
"The main family refuses to send anyone to assist us," Du Lan Changwen said heavily, taking a deep breath. "And even with the Blood Orchid Vine at my command, I'm not confident I can capture that Wu fellow."
Du Lanque's expression fell. "But we finally wiped out the Kai family completely, and we're still in the process of eroding the Yu family's assets. It seems, "
"Don't say 'but,'" Du Lan Changwen interrupted sternly. "I was only able to secure this position as City Lord thanks to the support of the main family. We owe them loyalty."
"Besides," he continued, his tone becoming more calculated, "we're not the only ones in Wanqing City who possess Void Emperor Tokens. The Void Emperor was once renowned throughout the world for his mastery of puppetry and mechanical engineering. Do you really think the treasures he left behind can be obtained easily? Let Wu explore the dangers first. We might even be able to reap the benefits once he's done the hard work."
Understanding dawned in Du Lanque's eyes. "You want me to..."
"Give Wu the Void Emperor Token you possess," Du Lan Changwen instructed. "Tell him the final token is with Yu Jinchen, the head of the Yu family. Let those two fight each other. Either outcome benefits us."
"Yes, Father!" Du Lanque said respectfully, finally understanding the full scope of her father's scheme.
At Cangyun Pavilion, Han Jue reclined in his room while a young attendant provided a massage. He flipped through a book Du Lanque had thoughtfully provided, a comprehensive guide to the Seven Flames Palace and its unique phenomena.
The book contained extensive information about the palace's most precious resource: the Sacred Flame Sparkles.
The Seven Flames Palace, as its name suggested, housed seven distinct types of flames known collectively as the "Sacred Flames." Sacred Flame Sparkles were small fragments separated from these seven sacred flames, each carrying a fraction of the parent flame's power.
These Sacred Flame Sparkles could be absorbed into the body to strengthen physical constitution and enhance natural talent. More remarkably, they could be forcibly activated in critical moments, granting the user a temporary surge of immense power equivalent to a peak Realm Lord's strength.
However, this power came with severe risks. A single Sacred Flame Sparkle, when activated as a consumable, could grant brief access to peak Realm Lord power, but if the user's body couldn't withstand this explosive energy, the Sacred Flame would backfire and consume the user as fuel for its flames.
Therefore, Sacred Flame Sparkles were typically used as cultivation resources rather than combat consumables. Only the desperate or foolhardy would risk activation in battle.
The text also noted that combining multiple Sacred Flame Sparkles simultaneously could amplify power dozens of times beyond the effect of a single sparkle. However, obtaining even one Sacred Flame Sparkle represented a significant achievement. Acquiring multiple sparkles with different elemental properties seemed nearly impossible for most cultivators.
"Master," Rimuru's voice echoed in Han Jue's mind, "this Sacred Flame appears to be connected to the Law of Fusion, doesn't it?"
"Indeed," Han Jue murmured, surprise and excitement flickering across his features.
This must be the opportunity Venerable Nine Swords had cryptically mentioned, the one perfectly suited to his unique abilities and cultivation path.
The Water-Sky Sacred Flame symbolized the fusion of the Laws of Water and Space, exactly the two laws Han Jue had been comprehending since choosing the Ice Peak Chaos Monument.
"The seven great divine kingdoms, each ruled by a Holy Spirit who controls one Sacred Flame," Han Jue read aloud. "But according to these records, none of these seven Immortals has ever obtained a complete Sacred Flame. They rely solely on Sacred Flame Sparkles for their cultivation."
The King Flame Phoenix had advised him to enter the Seven Flames Palace from the northeastern direction, and now he understood why. This was the territory of the Mirror Lake Divine Kingdom, corresponding to the location of the Water-Sky Sacred Flame. Obtaining even a single sparkle of the Water-Sky Sacred Flame would be easiest from this approach.
However, now that he understood the existence and function of the Sacred Flame system, Han Jue's ambitions had expanded considerably. He didn't want merely a single sparkle.
He wanted at least the source fire of the Water-Sky Sacred Flame itself.
Sacred Flame Sparkles were auctioned at joint auctions hosted by major cities, accessible to anyone with sufficient wealth. But the source fire could only be obtained by city lords of major cities or direct disciples of the seven Holy Spirits. The difficulty of acquiring source fire was hundreds of times greater than obtaining a simple sparkle.
City lords of major cities were typically powerful among Realm Masters, normally requiring cultivation at the fifth level or above. The challenge was formidable.
"Master Wu, Commander Que has arrived to see you," a lightly dressed servant announced, entering the room with a respectful bow.
"Let her in," Han Jue said, waving his hand dismissively.
A moment later, Du Lanque entered and found Han Jue lounging comfortably on the bed, his posture deliberately casual to maintain the facade of a traveling young master.
"Master Wu, this is one of the Void Emperor Tokens," Du Lanque said respectfully, presenting the silver token with both hands.
Han Jue accepted the token, his fingers tracing the "Xu" character engraved on its surface. "Good. What else?"
"According to my investigation, the last Void Emperor Token is with Yu Jinchen, head of the Yu family," Du Lanque reported. "The Yu family controls the mineral industry in Wanqing Prefecture City and has the backing of another main city. It's difficult for the Dulan family to act against them directly..."
"Understood," Han Jue interrupted, not interested in the political complexities. "Where is Yu Jinchen now?"
Du Lanque barely concealed her satisfaction. "He should still be in Yaoguang Main City, but he'll be returning here tomorrow with a trade caravan."
"Good," Han Jue nodded.
Mining in the Seven Flames Palace was effectively a license to print money. Spark Coins, white, combustible crystals mined from deep beneath the palace, functioned like Cosmic Crystals, aiding cultivation while serving as currency. A Universe-level cultivator's total assets typically ranged from a few dozen to a few thousand Spark Coins.
Any power capable of controlling such an industry possessed formidable resources. Du Lan Changwen had long sought to eliminate the Yu family and claim this lucrative business for himself.
However, Yu Jinchen was no pushover. As an eighth-level Domain Lord, his strength matched Du Lan Changwen's own. Only Du Lan Changwen's peak Domain Lord-level Blood Orchid Vine gave him the edge that had allowed him to secure the City Lord position.
But Yu Jinchen wasn't one to accept defeat passively. His current trip to Yaoguang Main City was clearly an attempt to secure powerful allies for the coming confrontation.
Meanwhile, aboard an airship traveling toward Wanqing City, two middle-aged men sat across from each other in comfortable conversation.
"President Fang, I must thank you again for your assistance," Yu Jinchen said warmly.
"Not at all!" Chairman Fang replied with a broad smile. "If it weren't for Patriarch Yu's appreciation, our Fang Clan Chamber of Commerce wouldn't have received this opportunity."
"President Fang, rest assured," Yu Jinchen said confidently. "Once we eliminate Du Lan Changwen, our two families will control Wanqing City completely. We'll even receive rewards from the main city for resolving this situation."
The Fang Clan Chamber of Commerce ranked among the lowest-tier guilds within Yaoguang City, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. This desperate situation was precisely why Fang Hai had accepted Yu Jinchen's invitation to relocate the entire organization to Wanqing City.
Otherwise, even as a minor force within the main city, the Fang Clan Chamber of Commerce could have earned far greater profits than any operation in a smaller prefecture city.
Furthermore, the higher-ups in Yaoguang City were reluctant to see the Dulan Clan expand their influence further. The three parties had reached an agreement: Yaoguang City would provide funding, while the Fang Clan Chamber of Commerce and the Yu Clan would provide manpower. Together, they would eliminate Du Lan Changwen, a troublesome tentacle of the Dulan Clan's expanding power.
"Speaking of which, the Dulan Clan's power is truly formidable," Fang Hai admitted. "That parasitic plant they cultivated, the Blood Orchid Vine, is so powerful that no one in the entire Mirror Lake Divine Kingdom can surpass them in that particular field."
"Indeed," Yu Jinchen agreed. "The Blood Orchid Vine is notorious for its blood-consuming nature and deadly poison. Fortunately, President Fang specializes in the Law of Fire, which perfectly counters the Blood Orchid Vine's strengths."
"Haha!" Fang Hai laughed confidently. "As long as it hasn't reached Realm Lord level, I'm certain I can destroy it! Patriarch Yu, I'll leave Du Lan Changwen himself to you."
"No problem!" Yu Jinchen nodded firmly.
This division of responsibilities had been agreed upon from the beginning, each man would handle one primary threat. Fang Hai's strength stood at the ninth level of Domain Lord, just one step away from breaking through to Realm Lord. He could serve as City Lord in some remote prefectures.
Yaoguang Main City's funding had provided the catalyst for this venture, but Fang Hai also saw it as an opportunity to escape the main city's overwhelming competition and establish his own domain where development would be possible.
With their plans laid and their alliance solidified, the airship continued its journey toward Wanqing City, where multiple forces would soon collide in a struggle for power, treasures, and survival.
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