Chapter 1966 – Bait and Trap  

If they were simply waiting for treasure to appear, then grand supremes such as Cen Sui would already be killing their competition or chasing off weaklings. Some of the strongest grand supremes might even work together to clear the field. Only the mightiest were worthy of vying for treasure of this caliber. There was no place for the weak but to watch from a distance and die if they dared approach.

Accidents happened with decent frequency during struggles such as these, such as an ant slipping through the cracks when a group of peak powerhouses fought. They profited handsomely from the efforts of others and made off with the treasure instead.

Therefore, another common sight in the chief worlds was grand supremes sealing off a locality when a treasure they deeply desired appeared. Weaklings were forbidden from entering. It was acceptable for a fellow powerhouse to win on the basis of strength—but an ant opportunistically stealing the goods? That’d be so enraging that their orifices would run with blood!

Lu Yun’s familiarity with the chief worlds didn’t run too deep, so apart from finding the atmosphere strange when he first arrived, he didn’t think much about anything else. He didn’t realize what the situation was until Cen Sui reached out with a transmission.

However, neither did he immediately retreat despite being armed with knowledge. Instead, he decided to stay and observe.

There was still a long time until the fruit matured. It might lead to unwanted consequences if he left now. The grand supremes of the chief worlds were lying in wait here for the giants, but so were the giants keeping a close eye on this space.

Both sides might even already know what the other was up to. All sorts of arrangements and contingencies were ready. The only possible outcome was a determination of who was stronger and more prepared.

Seeing that Lu Yun remained standing beneath the tree with an unfamiliar girl in his arms, Cen Sui knew that the young man had some ideas of his own in mind. He ceased transmission as there were a few peers of his level present. Exposure was very possible whenever he transmitted a message.

To be honest, it didn’t matter to Cen Sui if he was found out, but Lu Yun’s identity was too sensitive. Many grand supremes were already drawing up plans to eradicate the entire World of Immortals when they left the tomb of the empyrean supreme and summarily seize the world of sequence.

True, immortal dao had taken root among them, but that great dao and the wondrous formula dao within it had to be firmly grasped by the known heavyweights of the chief worlds. Any of them would do, so long as their master wasn’t a denizen of the Land of Reincarnation.

The grand supremes were unaware of the arrangements by the peak grand supremes, but they wouldn’t care if they knew. They would form a collective against the peak grand supremes all the same if the issue affected their profits. The peak grand supremes couldn’t set themselves against the entire chief worlds.

Not to mention, it was just one tiny Lu Yun. If he was gone, they could just create a Lu Yu or a Lu Lei. [1]

Lu Yun also knew that there was no other possible ending for him apart from death if his presence was revealed here. Thus, he stood quietly beneath the giant tree, seemingly deep in thought.

“Big brother, are we going to try to take the treasure?” Chu Xun mumbled softly.

“Yes, of course, whyever not? A treasure that grand supremes don’t dare claim has my name on it!” Lu Yun suddenly thought of something and threw his head back with laughter. He strode up to the exposed roots of the towering tree—they crossed each other like numerous mountain ranges. Although the mountain ranges were made of wood, they were more durable than any mountain Lu Yun had ever seen before.

“The grand supremes have probably already investigated this area.” Lu Yun saw that passages that led to the interior had been carved into the roots of the tree.

Since grand supremes were also restricted from flying, they had to proceed on foot. The young man understood certain things when he reached this spot. It wasn’t due to layouts or some sort of forcefield that flight was forbidden, but the presence of the dao bones.

Perished great daos exuded an overwhelming aura that formed a massive vacuum that restricted flight. No one, not even peak grand supremes, were able to fly in the burial mound. Of course, there were plenty of other methods that cultivators could use to travel, such as moving through the void through the use of spatial laws. Lu Yun had the death art Boundless Step to call upon.

“I can’t fly inside the tree either, I can only use my hands and feet to climb…” He shuddered at the thought since the tree was absolutely gigantic. It was bigger than a major world, so although the supremes had discovered what was amiss with the area, they couldn’t solve the problem with force.

They could only wait for the giants to spring their trap and then duel with their would-be captors. However, Lu Yun had seen the giants already and the carcasses they’d left behind. Based on the teeth marks on the skeletons, he could speculate how many there were.

Tribe.

If he was to specify terminology, this would be the most accurate. Just like tribes of primordial humans, there were at least several hundred in each tribe. There were certainly more than a handful of tribes in this tomb of the empyrean supreme.

In fact, Lu Yun was beginning to wonder what this burial mound’s true nature was. Why were there bones of great daos gone by and why were these terrifying giants here?

More importantly, who did the empyrean supremes kill and why did they section him to bury in the four evil coffins?

Although this was none of his business for the moment, it would become his business sooner or later. He didn’t believe that with great power came great responsibility, he only wanted to protect those he cared about. But when he grew stronger and had more meat on him, the giants would come for him.

He took a deep breath and, still holding Chu Xun in his arms, carefully followed the passage in.

“Do you think my mom and dad know that there are these giants here?” Chu Xun knew what the big brother was worried about, she had a lot on her mind too. She was worried about Miao and her other senior brothers and sisters. They were here on behalf of the peak grand supremes’ orders to explore the tomb.

“They do,” Lu Yun nodded. “Perhaps they have other plans in mind.”

Chu Xun nodded with half understanding while her caretaker sighed inwardly. Whatever the peak grand supremes had set up, it was down to strength that would decide the ultimate victor. All of these arrangements and plans were predicated on the basis of strength. The additional preparations were to ensure that everything proceeded as if it were the natural course of things.

Hunters set traps to capture prey, but if the prey was stronger than the trap could bear, then they could turn on the hunters. These arrangements were traps, but the giants also possessed their own.

It was another game taking place on the chessboard, yet this time, the grand supremes in the tomb of the empyrean supreme were very possibly the pawns and bait.

Yun Yi had sacrificed one hundred thousand grand supremes in order to resurrect the Disordered Empyrean Supreme. Since precedent had been set with one hundred thousand already gone, what did another million matter?

They were flowers in a greenhouse if they never became a peak grand supreme. Lu Yun even suspected that Miao had been purposefully sent here to be the vessel for a perished heavyweight to come back to life in. It might be the person sealed in the dark wind, it might be someone else.

Maybe Chu Xun is also meant to meet with the same fate.

. Yun is the character for wind, Yu for rain, and Lei for Thunder. ?