Fate-Defying Demon Emperor
Chapter 539: Saint Heir Emerges from Retreat
The Tian Luo Net Holy Land was located within Luo Province in the northern part of the Eastern Region. Using Tian Luo City as its entrance, it was a vast Saint Secret Realm situated in an alternate dimension.
The land was tranquil, with lush trees and verdant greenery. Pavilions and buildings dotted the landscape, interspersed with flowing springs and cascading waterfalls. Cranes danced in the air, creating a scene brimming with life and nature.
The Spiritual Energy here was far denser than in the outside world—ten times richer, to be precise. As a result, the vegetation was exceptionally vibrant, as if carved from jade. A glance around revealed fragrant herbs, soaring spiritual birds, prowling rare beasts, and gurgling Divine Springs—truly a vision of paradise.
Not every Saint Secret Realm could be called a Holy Land. Only those blessed by successive generations of Saints, continuously expanded and managed until they reached a certain standard, could eventually attain that status. As the premier among the Ten Great Holy Lands of the Eastern Region, the sights and grandeur of the Tian Luo Net Holy Land were second only to those of the Four Great Imperial Clans.
At the center of the Tian Luo Net Holy Land stood a resplendent palace shimmering with gold and jade. This palace was suspended 10,000 meters high in the sky, wreathed in swirling clouds. Rainbows formed bridges to it, and auspicious beasts presented tributes. The entire place was suffused with a sacred, divine aura. This was Cloud Mist Hall, the most important place in the Tian Luo Net Holy Land. It was not a residence but the great council hall where all major affairs of the Holy Land were discussed and decided upon, actions with far-reaching consequences.
Inside Cloud Mist Hall, there were nine figures. Each one radiated light, their presence as vast as the sea, and their Holy Might overwhelming.
The one seated at the head was an old man dressed in golden finery. He held an air of innate authority and was enveloped by a dragon shadow that circled him, making him resemble a powerful dragon-taming saint. This man was the current Holy Master of the Tian Luo Net Holy Land: the Heavenly Dragon Saint!
"Has Hao’er not yet emerged from seclusion?" the Heavenly Dragon Saint was the first to speak. The "Hao’er" he referred to was the Tian Lou Saint.
Tian Lou Saint was merely a title. His real name was Nangong Hao. Spurred on by Su Han, he had long since entered a secret area for intensive cultivation and had yet to emerge.
"The Saint Heir’s aura has been fluctuating violently these past few days. I believe he is on the verge of emerging from his seclusion!" a grey-robed old crone sitting beside him spoke. She was the Great Elder of the Tian Luo Net Holy Land, second only to the Heavenly Dragon Saint in status and power.
The Heavenly Dragon Saint nodded slightly, signaling that he understood, but his expression was grim. This time, not only had they lost a Saint, but they had also been brought to account by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, which had cost them dearly.
Just moments ago, Yun Chang, wielding the Heaven-Shaking Sacred Hammer, had smashed several of the Holy Land’s Spiritual Mountains to dust and had pointed straight at his nose while screaming curses. The Heavenly Dragon Saint had even battled Yun Chang. Although he was powerful, Yun Chang was not weak either. Moreover, the formidable Empress Duobao backing her made him exceedingly wary, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept the loss.
Eventually, he agreed to some of Yun Chang’s conditions and paid a heavy price to settle the matter. It was only after Yun Chang left that he summoned the various elders to discuss the issue.
"That Su Han is simply too monstrous. If he’s allowed to continue growing, he will surely become a great calamity in the future. Saint Hu Li was not wrong to try and kill him. His mistake was not only failing to kill him, but dying himself and causing our Holy Land so much trouble!" the Heavenly Dragon Saint said with a grim expression.
Ever since the incident at the Dragon Palace Ruins, he had wanted to kill Su Han. This was partly because of the Tian Lou Saint and partly because Su Han had disrupted the True Dragon Soul Emperor’s plans at the Dragon Transformation Pool. Although Su Han had devoured and subjected the True Dragon Soul Emperor to Refinement, the emperor had previously planted a strand of his Divine Sense within the Heavenly Dragon Saint’s body, turning him into a puppet. Because of this influence, the Heavenly Dragon Saint was consumed by a burning hatred that made him want to flay Su Han a thousand times over.
Regrettably, before he could lay out his plans, the Demon Slayer Sect had already made its move. To his utter astonishment, the Demon Slayer Sect also failed. Not only was Gold Ingot killed, but even the Swordsaint was unable to escape death. After that, war broke out between the Myriad Treasures Pavilion and the Demon Slayer Sect, and he no longer had the time to concern himself with Su Han. Now that the war had ended, he hadn’t even had the chance to devise a new plan before another piece of terrible news arrived—Saint Hu Li was dead.
Although the Tian Luo Net Holy Land had a total of ten Saints, the death of Saint Hu Li was still a heavy blow. Combined with the price paid to appease Yun Chang, their losses were even greater. The most crucial point was that Su Han had not only survived, but now the Myriad Treasures Pavilion had them in its sights. Attempting to move against Su Han anytime soon had become impossible.
"More of a hindrance than a help!" The Heavenly Dragon Saint ground his teeth, wishing he could exhume Saint Hu Li’s corpse and whip it.
Saint Hu Li had followed the Tian Lou Saint’s command, acting on his own without reporting to the Heavenly Dragon Saint. Perhaps in his mind, executing a mere Su Han seemed simple. But now, the entire Tian Luo Net Holy Land had been forced into a passive position because of his carelessness.
"This Su Han must be killed. Many of our Tian Luo Net Holy Land’s own prodigies have died at his hands, and he even stole the opportunity in the Dragon Transformation Pool that should have belonged to the Saint Heir. Now that he has broken through to the Supreme Realm, he is a huge threat to the Saint Heir," the grey-robed old crone spoke up, agreeing with the Heavenly Dragon Saint’s viewpoint.
The grey-robed crone’s title was the Bloodsaint. She was anything but compassionate. Her hands were stained with blood, and she once set a record for slaughtering one hundred cities in a single day, an exceedingly bloody deed.
"Su Han must die, but the problem now is how to kill him. We’ve already lost Saint Hu Li. If we are not careful, we might lose a second Saint. I do not think it is worth trading a Saint’s life for his. Besides, although he has not clearly indicated he is joining the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, his relationship with it is extremely close. After what just happened, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion will definitely be watching us like a hawk."
A one-eyed man spoke up in a deep voice. He was the One-Eyed Scorpion Saint, who was similarly ruthless and merciless in his actions.
The Su Han of today was no longer an ant that could be easily crushed. Ordinary methods were now completely useless against him. Considering Su Han’s string of glorious achievements, it would be harder than ascending to heaven for a Supreme Realm Martial Artist to kill him. Any Saint who tried to make a move would be watched by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and Saint You Heng from Yun Province would certainly not stand idly by.
Given such harsh conditions, dealing with Su Han had become an extremely thorny matter. The Heavenly Dragon Saint frowned slightly, the Bloodsaint remained expressionless, the One-Eyed Scorpion Saint’s gaze was dark, and the other Saints all wore somber expressions. That a single individual like Su Han could render them—a hall full of Saints—completely helpless was a truly unprecedented situation.
WHOOSH!
Just as everyone was agonizing over how to deal with Su Han, a golden pillar of light suddenly shot up from the depths of the Tian Luo Net Holy Land.
The pillar pierced the heavens. Upon reaching its apex, it scattered like a celestial maiden scattering blossoms, transforming into a giant golden parasol that covered the sky. In an instant, an invincible and immortal Vajra Dao Rhyme enveloped the entire Tian Luo Net Holy Land.
Seeing the giant golden parasol and the Vajra Dao Rhyme, the Saints in Cloud Mist Hall shot to their feet, their eyes filled with joyous surprise.
"The Saint Heir has emerged from seclusion!"