The closer one drew to the heavenly book, the more prosperous the Celestial Realm Battlefront became. When Lu Yun came within five thousand kilometers of the treasure, he saw numerous marketplaces and temporary villages. There were even some rudimentary cities in the surroundings.
Cultivators who did not find success in the outside world chose to stay in the battlefront and operate businesses to maintain their livelihoods outside.
The War Gods Ranking wasn’t the heart of the realm. The area roughly five hundred kilometers around the heavenly book was the true core. Newcomers first arrived inside the core, so Lu Yun didn’t spend much time traveling to the stone tablet.
“A newcomer?” When other cultivators saw an empty-handed young man dressed in plain white robes, they immediately knew him to be someone on their first trip to the Celestial Realm Battlefront. Only rookies were dressed like this.
Those who frequently entered the battlefront retained flying swords and treasures for use in the realm. The rest they put into their rings for transport out. Whatever they kept on their bodies was present the next time they entered, but whatever they sent through the rings could never enter this world again.
“Mmhmm.” Lu Yun nodded without saying anything else. It was indeed the first time he entered the battlefront after his three thousand lifetimes.
“Tsk tsk, little guy, are your elders this at ease to let you enter the realm for the first time like this?” cackled a man with a heavy beard.
“Oh?” Lu Yun raised an eyebrow.
“While we do not truly die in the battlefront, we do experience a feeling that is even more harrowing than death.” The man looked at Lu Yun with evil intentions.
“Is that so?” Lu Yun asked innocently.
“Enough, Tiger, don’t scare the child.” A curvaceous woman with alluring features rolled her eyes at the bearded man. “Child, you don’t seem that old given the looks of you. The human heart is malicious and brutal on the battlefield. You need to be careful.”
Someone this young who’d reached nascent soul or above was someone who possessed a bit of talent. But it was also proof that he lacked experience in the world. That would prove the most fatal in the Celestial Realm Battlefront.
“Thank you for your words of caution, big sis.” Lu Yun smiled radiantly.
“The realm isn’t too peaceful as of late,” grumbled Tiger. “Don’t go running around on your own. Hurry up and go home after you open your eyes a bit.”
“Why isn’t it too peaceful? Is it because of the war outside?” Lu Yun asked curiously. With his understanding of the battlefront, this place would never be described as peaceful.
“The war outside? Bah, what does that count for? Since when is there no war in the Jade Ruins Realm? It’s our own matter if we destroy our home!” snorted the beguiling woman, her tone taking on a hard edge.
Lu Yun frowned, seeming to understand something.
“A group of outsiders have come to the battlefront lately and kill whoever they see. Even Sword First and Ying Kongkong have died a few times at their hands,” sighed Tiger. “They seem to be immortals as their methods are completely beyond the scope of our abilities.”
“They’re so damn shameless,” another cultivator spat. “They’re no match for Sir Heaven in the outside world and got sent running for their lives, so they come to the Jade Ruins Celestial Realm Battlefront to stir up trouble.”
“Sir Heaven?” Lu Yun blinked. “Who is Sir Heaven?”
“You don’t even know Sir Heaven?” the woman stared incredulous at him. “If I hadn’t seen you transport in with the ring myself, I would think you’re also from another world. How do you not know Sir Heaven of the Jade Ruins Realm??”
“I really haven’t, who is he?” Lu Yun was truly curious as it had to take someone cocky to adopt such a title.
“Hmph, outsiders bullied those of our realm at the formation array of Immortal Burial Valley and stole our fortunes and opportunities. It was then that Sir Heaven stepped forward and sent them all crying for their mothers. He struck back for the Jade Ruins Realm and even set himself against the Human Emperor for us.” The woman explained with a cold snort and flicked a dismissive glance at Lu Yun, plainly finding the young man ungrateful.
“That’s right, who is the great personage if not our heaven to stick up for ants like us? I saw it with my own eyes how young he was—he’s definitely not more than twenty. Is it wrong to call such a marvelously talented, magnanimous young man our Sir Heaven??” Tiger gesticulated; he’d been present outside the formation array that day!
“Sir Heaven’s cries of ‘No Mercy’ were really something to hear!” someone piped up.
Sir Heaven!
“Sir Heaven said it well—Jade Ruins Realm belongs to Jade Ruins denizens. This part of the Celestial Realm Battlefront is ours as well!”
“Although war rages through our home, it is fine if it's our people against ourselves. But outsiders wanting to move against us? Never!” Nearby cultivators passionately added to the conversation, some rolling up their sleeves to take the fight to these outsiders.
Lu Yun rubbed his nose self-consciously. This Sir Heaven… was him. Who would’ve thought that a moment of righteous indignation would lead to this kind of effect?
“Little brother!” Tiger smacked Lu Yun on the shoulder. “It’s alright if you haven’t heard of Sir Heaven before, that just means you’re clueless. You seem to be a similar age to the noble gentleman. Being able to enter the battlefront means that your potential is extraordinary too. So you should look up to Sir Heaven as your goal and strive for getting better!”
“Um… alright.” Lu Yun subconsciously rubbed his nose again.
Whether it was Immortal Burial Valley or the Celestial Realm Battlefront, he’d slightly altered his appearance in both places. Thus, no one here recognized that he was the Sir Heaven they were lauding. Given their direct and effusive praise, even Lu Yun felt embarrassed despite his thick skin of three thousand lifetimes.
“Hahahaha, Sir Heaven? Don’t make me laugh!” Piercing laughter rang from the sky. “Your Sir Heaven is just a sanctimonious hypocrite. He was able to threaten the immortals only because he had some powerful treasures on him. If he’s so wonderful, why isn’t he listed on your War Gods Ranking?”
“Or is that Sir Heaven actually Sword First or Ying Kongkong?”
“Didn’t you kill Sword First with one stroke?”
“Number two on the list couldn’t even take one blow from me!”
“Hahahaha!!” Five youngsters dressed in the same robes roared with laughter from above.
“It’s you!” Tiger, the alluring woman, and other cultivators on the ground reacted with dismay.
“Indeed it is us,” sneered the only woman among them. “I’ll kill your Sir Heaven if he dares put a toe in the battlefront. Jade Ruins Realm may be yours, but the Jade Ruins battlefront is ours from now on!”
Another dozen figures appeared in the sky and stood behind the five youngsters.
“If there are any Jade Ruins cultivators to be found in your battlefront after a day, we will show you no mercy!”
“The Jade Ruins battlefront? How about the battlefronts of all other worlds! Any Jade Ruins cultivator who dares show their face in the Celestial Realm Battlefront will die!”
“No mercy!”
The crowd in the sky grew as several hundred outsiders gathered from all directions, shouting at the Jade Ruins cultivators beneath.
There were more than one hundred thousand people on the ground, all looking back at them with incredibly unpleasant expressions. They were being humiliated in their own home!
The atmosphere froze.
“Ah… can I ask something?” came a weak voice. “Um… which Great Xia faction are you guys from?”
“What, do you want to tell your Sir Heaven so he can take revenge?” snorted the woman.
“It doesn’t matter if we tell you!” A man with a remote expression declared proudly. “We answer to Marquis Skyglory of Great Xia!”
Marquis Skyglory… No wonder these people were so brazen. Gasps of shock rose from the crowd.
“Marquis Skyglory? I’ll remember that.” The young man nodded.
“You have one day to get out. If there are Jade Ruins cultivators left in the Celestial Realm Battlefront after a day, we will commence a slaughter the likes of which you’ve never seen!” The announcement roiled to all corners of the land. Marquis Skyglory’s cultivators stood in the air, watching the cultivators beneath as they would prancing clowns.
“Actually, you don’t have a chance to leave anymore even if you wish to. I won’t give you the time to run.” The young man who’d just spoken—Lu Yun—raised his head. “I’ll. Commence. The. Slaughter. Now!”
HUM!
A black sun slowly rose into the air.
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