As years went by, Di Chu Yu seemed to maintain a much lower profile when the seven First-Class Marquises of the Di Chu lineage were allocating tasks.

In the blink of an eye, more than half an epoch had passed again.

“Finally, it’s my turn for priority again,” Di Chu Yu thought, as he used his First-Class Marquis token to find a newly appeared King-level mission.

Even for First-Class Marquises, King-level missions were only encountered occasionally, and the seven Marquises had to make their selections in sequence.

“Guard of the Netherfire World?” Di Chu Yu’s eyes burned with eagerness as he looked at the mission. “The value of this mission is likely even higher than that of the ‘North Sea Beast Forest’ one.”

“My priority…”

Di Chu Yu smirked and unhesitatingly claimed the mission for himself.

After being taught a lesson last time and keeping a low profile for more than half an epoch, Di Chu Yu made his move again at a crucial moment. The instant he snatched this mission, the other six First-Class Marquises were all simultaneously aware.

“Hmm? Interesting.”

“It seems we underestimated this Chu Yu; he’s quite daring.”

“He actually dared to snatch it directly? He’s courting death!”

“No rush, Marquis Chu Yuan will surely make the first move.”

The other First-Class Marquises had their own thoughts.

Indeed, when Marquis Chu Yuan discovered that Di Chu Yu had dared to use his priority again to claim this King-level mission first, an unidentifiable rage instantly burned through his entire body, even scorching his soul.

“A newly ascended Chaos Realm cultivator, weak in power, should just endure it! How dare he snatch from me?” Marquis Chu Yuan was furious.

In his opinion, only those at the peak of the Chaos Realm were qualified for fair competition! A newly ascended Chaos Realm cultivator, even with an infinite divine body and the resources of a First-Class Marquis, would still have vastly inferior strength and was not qualified to contend with them!

“Di Chu Yu!” Marquis Chu Yuan contacted him, sending a direct telepathic message. “You have great nerve, daring to snatch a King-level mission?”

“What? Do you mean I, a First-Class Marquis, am not qualified to snatch a King-level mission?” Di Chu Yu responded calmly.

Sending a telepathic message from a great distance, he had no reason to fear that madman.

“It seems the lesson you received last time was useless,” Marquis Chu Yuan’s voice came through, laced with killing intent.

“I hear you, Marquis Chu Yuan, are very formidable, the strongest among the seven First-Class Marquises? And that you’ve fought against many peak Chaos Realm cultivators without encountering a match?” Di Chu Yu said with interest. “I am in my residence right now; if you dare, come and kill me!”

Marquis Chu Yuan was startled.

Charge into a First-Class Marquis’s residence? Even a guest elder’s dwelling could draw upon a trace of the Chu Imperial City’s power! Even Transcendent Chaos Realm entities were extremely wary of it.

As for a First-Class Marquis’s residence, it could mobilize even more of the Chu Imperial City’s power! Even some ancient God-Kings wouldn’t dare to barge in so recklessly.

“You only dare to hide in your residence?” Marquis Chu Yuan said.

“You guessed right. Before the protection period ends, I have no mandatory missions! So during the protection period… I will remain in my Marquis residence,” Di Chu Yu responded leisurely. “I won’t step out of the Marquis residence by even a single step. What can you do to me?”

Marquis Chu Yuan was enraged.

“I will not yield on any mission,” Di Chu Yu said coldly. “You and I are both First-Class Marquises. Do you wish to suppress me? Pipe dream!”

“Very well, very well!” Marquis Chu Yuan’s face contorted.

Di Chu Yu instantly cut off the communication, too lazy to bother with the madman anymore. Inside his own Marquis residence, Di Chu Yu felt no fear.

After cutting off the communication, Di Chu Yu thought for a moment. He immediately contacted Luo Feng: “Guest Elder Luo He, I have some conflict with other First-Class Marquises. It would be best if your disciples didn’t go out recently.”

“Oh?” Luo Feng, who was in seclusion, received the message. “Don’t worry, I’ll instruct them.”

Luo Feng had given instructions to Moluoshu, Moyu Qingyan, and Yuan Zu.

“Aaaargh!”

Marquis Chu Yuan was utterly enraged; bolts of lightning flashed, instantly tearing apart the pavilion building he was in. Even two maids outside the pavilion were affected, instantly turning to dust in terror and despair.

“Damn it, damn it,” Marquis Chu Yuan muttered, his eyes completely filled with lightning.

At this moment, a figure appeared high in the sky; it was Marquis Chu Ji.

“Chu Yuan!” Marquis Chu Ji reprimanded him, the sound even impacting his soul, causing Marquis Chu Yuan’s eyes to regain some clarity. He looked up and saw Marquis Chu Ji descending.

“Elder Brother,” Marquis Chu Yuan gritted his teeth, “This Di Chu Yu is doing this on purpose; he’s deliberately provoking me.”

“Yes, he is deliberately provoking you,” Marquis Chu Ji rebuked, “to make you go mad again, to make you violate the laws set by the Old Ancestor. By then, you’ll be imprisoned in the Netherfire World for ten thousand epochs.”

Marquis Chu Yuan was startled, looking at his only trusted elder brother.

“You’ve endured many hardships to reach where you are today and become a First-Class Marquis,” Marquis Chu Ji said. “Your talent is exceptional, and you even have the potential to transcend the Chaos Realm! At this critical moment, do not fall into their trap. If you go mad and act recklessly… you’ll only become a laughingstock for Di Chu Yu.”

Marquis Chu Yuan nodded.

“In all matters, you must pay attention to the regulations. As long as you don’t break any prohibitions,” Marquis Chu Ji said, feeling helpless. His brother had originally been quite rational, but as he cultivated the Primordial Secret Art inheritance, his temper became increasingly uncontrollable.

“Many members of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom’s royal family have uncontrollable tempers, often falling out with God-Kings when they erupt. My brother, it seems, has inherited some traits of the Thunder Ancient Kingdom’s royal family,” Marquis Chu Ji thought to himself.

Because he possessed the bloodlines of two great royal families, after becoming a Chaos Realm cultivator, Old Ancestor Di Chu personally guided Marquis Chu Yuan’s cultivation, causing him to advance by leaps and bounds.

“Summon a few guest elders, and let’s discuss a solution together,” Marquis Chu Ji said.

“Alright,” Marquis Chu Yuan nodded, reining in his temper.

A moment later.

Marquis Chu Ji, Marquis Chu Yuan, and three guest elders gathered. These five peak Chaos Realm entities discussed the matter, primarily to allow Marquis Chu Yuan to vent his frustrations! Given Marquis Chu Yuan’s temper, if he didn’t vent, he would only become more enraged and maddened the more he suppressed it!

“This Di Chu Yu said he’d stay in his Marquis residence throughout the protection period, not taking even half a step out,” Marquis Chu Yuan said, his ugly, black-furred face filled with rage. “I truly wish I could smash him into a pulp! Fine, if he doesn’t leave, I refuse to believe his wife and children won’t leave!”

“Harming a First-Class Marquis’s direct kin is equivalent to attacking the First-Class Marquis himself,” Marquis Chu Ji said from the side.

“I won’t kill them, just torment them a bit,” Marquis Chu Yuan said, black mist rising from his body. “As long as they don’t die, it’s just a minor punishment at most.”

“Attacking family members is taboo,” Marquis Chu Ji shook his head.

“This isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed, then what can be done?” Marquis Chu Yuan asked, annoyed.

A man in green robes beside him smiled: “Marquis Chu Yuan, there’s no need to rush. The reason Di Chu Yu isn’t yielding is because he wants to contend for resources… So we just need to target what he cares about most. Isn’t his biggest helper right now that Guest Elder Luo He? Teaching a guest elder a lesson has no legal restrictions; even killing them won’t be investigated.”

The Ancient Kingdom of Yanfeng had many guest elders, and conflicts among them were common; the Ancient Kingdom of Yanfeng had no way to regulate them.

“Yes, the most powerful person around him is that Luo He,” Marquis Chu Yuan nodded. “But Luo He is at the peak of the Chaos Realm and must have cultivated many life-saving techniques; it would be too difficult to completely kill him.”

He wasn’t confident.

“Although we can’t completely kill him, if we defeat him once and take his personal treasures, he will surely feel immense pain,” the man in green robes said.

“Such a powerful being carries all the treasures accumulated over long years with him,” an old woman beside them also said. “If he dies once, all his treasures are lost. Even if he can revive using life-saving techniques, he’d probably suffer immensely.”

“With our methods, although we cannot completely kill him, taking his treasures is not difficult,” an old man with golden bands on his left arm said leisurely.

“Good.”

Marquis Chu Yuan nodded. “Since he’s hiding, we’ll target his guest elder! Let’s see if this Guest Elder Luo He still dares to help Di Chu Yu!”

Luo Feng had indeed given instructions to Moluoshu, Moyu Qingyan, and Yuan Zu, so even if they went out, it would be their divine power avatars that went out for a stroll.

Chu Imperial City, Thousand Stars Tower.

“I was once suppressed by the primal universe for more than half a reincarnation era, observing the myriad forms of life and the workings of all things in the primal universe,” Yuan Zu said, sitting in a small building within the Thousand Stars Tower, drinking wine and observing the myriad beings outside. “However, the myriad forms of life and operational rules of the Origin Continent… are much more profound.”

After receiving a large number of inheritances from the Heart-Shadow Gate, Yuan Zu absorbed the experiences of many predecessors, fusing them into one to create the Eternal-level technique of the ‘Virtual Universe’.

As soon as the technique showed initial success, Yuan Zu’s strength greatly advanced.

“Sometimes, reality is also illusion, and illusion is also reality,” Yuan Zu smiled.

“My technique, having achieved initial success, can now form a ‘phantom avatar’,” Yuan Zu said, quite satisfied. “This avatar possesses thirty percent of my true body’s strength. I hear even Chaos Realm entities rarely possess avatar techniques.”

Suddenly—

A ripple descended.

Yuan Zu saw a figure in green robes standing nearby. Invisible power had already completely bound Yuan Zu.

At this moment, Yuan Zu felt as if the green-robed figure before him was an endless expanse of heaven and earth. He was utterly unable to resist; the disparity was so vast as to be inconceivable.

“You are Yuan?” The green-robed figure looked at him. This was indeed an Eternal True God-level physical body, not some divine power avatar.

“May I know what instructions the Great Sage has?” Yuan Zu rose and bowed.

“I hear Guest Elder Luo He went to considerable trouble to bring you to Chu Imperial City,” the green-robed figure said leisurely. “Quickly send a message to Luo He, and tell him… if he doesn’t come, you’ll lose your life.”

Yuan Zu was slightly startled.

“Yes, I will send the message now,” Yuan Zu replied, maintaining a very humble posture.

Inside Luo Feng’s dwelling.

Luo Feng, who was in seclusion, was summoned.

“Yuan Zu, is there something urgent?” Luo Feng asked, looking at Yuan Zu.

“Luo Feng, my phantom avatar is in the Thousand Stars Tower within the city, and it encountered Marquis Chu Yuan’s guest elder, ‘Great Sage Tian Yu’,” Yuan Zu said. “He wants you to go there immediately, or he will kill me. But don’t worry, he only captured my phantom avatar.”

“A phantom avatar? And Great Sage Tian Yu couldn’t recognize it?” Luo Feng asked, surprised.

He himself hadn’t even cultivated an avatar.

The Heart-Shadow Gate inheritances didn’t include any avatar secret techniques. How could Yuan Zu have cultivated a phantom avatar?

“A phantom avatar is also a real physical body,” Yuan Zu said, “it’s just that its strength is a bit weaker than my main body.”

Luo Feng nodded slightly. If Yuan Zu were truly captured, he would have a headache.

Now?

Luo Feng was filled with nothing but rage.

They’ve started targeting people close to him? Luo Feng’s killing intent intensified.

“You should be careful,” Yuan Zu reminded him. “Since they want you to go, there might be an ambush.”

“Don’t worry.”

Luo Feng nodded, and with a single step, he traversed space and vanished.