Chapter 1955 – Protection Fee  

Lu Yun continued to advance, meeting an increasing amount of disordered ghosts along the way. Given his previous experience, he called upon order in his greatest capacity as soon as they appeared and obliterated them from existence. He wouldn’t give them a chance to immolate themselves and manifest a land of darkness.

Corpses of those who’d died crossing the bridge slowly came into view. Resumption of normal spatial law operation marked the end of the structure. It wasn’t long until Lu Yun could see numerous shapes leap off and rush into the depths of the divine mountain.

Miao was long gone, probably having entered the burial mound already.

Lu Yun heaved a sigh of relief when he reached this point. Living presences were abundant here, leaving no room for the terrifying ghosts.

“Master!” Aoxue’s voice traveled into his ears.

“Don’t approach me. Head inside and explore the burial mound by yourself. Take action as you see fit,” Lu Yun quickly transmitted back.

“I hear and obey.” Aoxue vanished.

“Huangqing, Cangyin, and Luli, you guys should come as well.” Lu Yun summoned the other three of the four blood demons—the blood phoenix, blood qilin, and blood turtle respectively. Since the primordial heavenly emperor had said that the other three evil coffins were here, then let the other blood demons seek them out as well.

For some reason, Lu Yun suddenly thought of Daoist Yuyu. As opposed to saying that the original blood demon had created Aoxue and the others, it would be more accurate to say that Daoist Yuyu and his companions had borrowed the blood demon’s hand to nurture the four.

They’d done so for the secrets inside the tomb of the empyrean supreme, but none of them thought that Lu Yun would subdue the blood demons and turn them into his Yama Kings. Despite the unexpected development, the four became grand supremes in the shortest amount of time possible and arrived at the tomb. The plan was still in motion.

While Yun Yi had her arrangements in mind, she wasn’t the only one in the chief worlds setting up her plots. Daoist Yuyu, Hongjun, and the others were also laying their plans from the shadows while they recovered in the World of Immortals.

“Let’s find the god of Mount Tai first. The Disordered Empyrean Supreme isn’t a fool, she must be aware by now that her disciple has betrayed the chief worlds.” Lu Yun picked up the pace when his thoughts traveled here. He didn’t see Cen Sui—the man had likely already entered the burial mound.

“Halt!” A shout rang out before Lu Yun set foot off the bridge. “High supremes must hand over a protection fee if they wish to disembark from the golden bridge and enter the tomb of the empyrean supreme.”

Roughly one hundred people descended from the sky. Their leader was a middle-aged man in a black combat uniform. He spun a pike in one hand and blocked the way for Lu Yun and a few others who’d also reached the end of the bridge at this time.

There were high supremes and grand supremes in his group, but they seemed to be a temporary grouping and not from a common faction. They looked at their leader with a hint of admiration, but he was only a high supreme!

With the golden bridge of heaven and earth still repairing itself, it couldn’t fully suppress the burial mound. Any high supreme that could make their way here was a true powerhouse among high supremes. Even someone like Miao, however, wouldn’t be able to command respect from grand supremes and make them his subordinates!

Identity!

Lu Yun suddenly realized the crux of the issue. Apart from strength being of paramount importance in the chief worlds, so were identity and status equally important. This high supreme likely had a powerful grand supreme behind him—someone on the level of Cen Sui or the nine clawed golden dragon, or one of their confidantes.

He was only a mouthpiece. Was he one of Cen Sui’s, a void robber?

But Yun Yi had just warned the man, so he wouldn’t dare do anything out of line here.

“Don’t presume that you can defy us, this is a rule set by three hundred and sixty venerable grand supremes. If you’re strong enough to defeat me, you can enter the tomb.

“But if not, you must pay a protection fee and have a venerable grand supreme escort you in. Otherwise, you head in to your death.” The high supreme delivered his spiel without waiting for anyone’s response.

“A rule set by three hundred and sixty grand supremes?” The crowd looked at each other with astonishment. Most of the cultivators that’d just crossed the bridge were high supremes. Grand supremes would’ve entered the tomb at first light, they wouldn’t be as tardy as this.

“Correct,” the man responded. “I am Luo Qin, disciple of the Effortless Grand Supreme who is master of the Effortless major world. I guard this place with the grand supreme’s orders!”

As a hostile atmosphere began to develop, Luo Qin quickly realized that his words had been misinterpreted and explained himself more thoroughly. He wasn’t running an extortion racket. The last thing he wanted was to give rise to unwanted karmic repercussions and bring disaster down on his head.

The Effortless Grand Supreme was a heavyweight among grand supremes. On par with the likes of Cen Sui and the nine clawed golden dragon, his words carried weight.

“Grand supremes can pass, of course, and strong high supremes can pass as well. But those who are too weak will either pay the protection fee and be escorted in or leave!” Luo Qin shouted. “Too many have died inside already, there can be no more unwarranted deaths in the tomb of the empyrean supreme!

“You need to either defeat me or pay ten ancestral veins of heaven and earth. If neither of those are to your liking, you can get lost!”

Humm!

Jade-green light blossomed from his pike as his authority on the scene rose to a peak. He was the standard by which adventurers needed to measure themselves against for the qualification to enter the tomb. Only when they triumphed over him could they ensure their own survival inside.

As for the other detail… There were always plenty of grand supremes happy to make a bit of pocket money. Ancestral veins of heaven and earth could only be found in major worlds and one could never have too many of them.

Quite a few high supremes were here not for treasure, but to undergo trial and tempering in preparation for becoming a grand supreme.

“Also, don’t think of using a Lifeline Talisman or Resurrection Talisman in the tomb. What comes back to life won’t be you.” Luo Qin’s last word of caution sent shivers of fear down everyone’s back.

Too many had died inside and they’d all become ghosts. It made the tomb much more horrifying than it needed to be. The grand supremes inside wouldn’t have created this blockade if not for that. Tombs nurtured zombies and burial mounds bred ghosts… Everyone who died inside became a ghost!

“Luo Qin of the Effortless major world, is it? I’ll fight you!” A muscular man wielding a massive ax jumped out, swinging it at Luo Qin.

“Hmph!” Luo Qin sneered and put his pike away, sending his would-be challenger flying with a kick. “Someone of your caliber doesn’t even count as cannon fodder inside the tomb. Are you that eager to go to your death? Next!”