Chapter 2281 Storm in Imperial City

Outside the Divine Forge Workshop, Emperors could be seen everywhere. Ordinary cultivators had no place to stand and could only watch from afar.

There were simply too many Emperors, and the sheer pressure of their auras was suffocating. Who would dare to approach?

Someone secretly counted and found that, in just four days, a staggering forty-five Emperor-level figures had gathered here!

Among them were five old antiques who had reached the ninth realm Emperor Stage, beings rarely seen in the world.

Such an assembly was enough to shake the entire world. It was a scene worthy of being called the ‘Gathering of all Emperors.’

Yet, despite the presence of so many powerhouses, not a single person showed impatience. All of them waited in silence.

In the past four days, news had spread like wildfire. Lin Daoyuan had crafted twelve Emperor-grade weapons, causing an uproar across the city. However, what really sent shockwaves through the world was that every single one of those twelve weapons was of the supreme grade!

Everyone began to understand why the arrogant Divine Forge Imperial Clan had been utterly humbled by Lin Daoyuan.

To wield such an unfathomable mastery over the art of runes, who wouldn’t be in awe?

For the cultivators of Thousand Flame Imperial City, the events of the past few days felt like witnessing the birth of an unprecedented legend.

And Lin Daoyuan was that legend!

Now, the Emperors gathered outside the Divine Forge Workshop were not just here to spectate, but their hearts had been stirred and they had decided to commission Lin Xun to forge weapons for them!

More than that, they were lining up in an orderly fashion, each one eager to have their own custom-made Emperor-grade weapon.

Upon learning this, Huang Cangtian, the patriarch of the Celestial Phoenix Lineage who had been observing in the shadows, could no longer remain still. He stepped forward personally to oversee the situation.

With his transcendent ruler-like status, even those at the Emperor Ancestor Stage would have to show him respect and dared not act recklessly.

Thus, despite the growing number of formidable figures surrounding the Divine Forge Workshop, order remained and there was no chaos or disturbances.

Huang Cangtian was naturally happy and satisfied to see this.

“Patriarch, over the past few days, we have captured and executed thirty-seven experts from the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Lineage in the city. Unfortunately, they were all insignificant figures and none had reached the Emperor Stage.” An old man in a black robe stepped forward and reported to Huang Cangtian through voice transmission.

“Additionally, within our clan, we found thirty-nine members who had fallen under the control of the Spiritbinder Parasite. Among them, four were elders, while sixteen others have mysteriously disappeared. Nine more are under suspicion...”

As he spoke, he handed a jade slip to Huang Cangtian. “This is the full list, Patriarch.”

Huang Cangtian opened the jade slip, scanning its contents before speaking in a calm, authoritative tone, “Detain and suppress everyone on this list. Have the enforcement elders personally interrogate them. We must uncover the culprit behind this and determine their current whereabouts.”

The black-robed old man nodded before hesitating momentarily, “Patriarch, should we...also conduct an investigation on the Emperors within the clan?”

Huang Cangtian narrowed his eyes slightly, falling silent in deep thought. A moment later, a resolute glint flashed across his eyes as he made his decision, “The Grand Elder will oversee this matter. Remember, the investigation must remain discreet and no information must be leaked.”

The black-robed old man bowed solemnly.

“If we find that any of the Emperor elders are involved...” Huang Cangtian paused, taking a deep breath.

A trace of ruthlessness flickered in his eyes. “Tell the Grand Elder to detain them immediately. If they resist, execute them without hesitation!”

Trembling inwardly, the black-robed old man accepted the command and left to carry it out.

“If we don’t root out the internal threats, if we allow them to work with outside forces, the Celestial Phoenix Lineage...will be doomed... I can only pray that...there aren’t too many traitors among us...”

Huang Cangtian’s eyes were deep and unfathomable.

Thousand Flame Imperial City was prosperous and bustling, and with Lin Xun’s appearance, it had drawn the attention of all corners of the world.

Despite that, Huang Cangtian knew very well that beneath the surface, dark currents were swirling and storms were brewing!

The White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans had yet to truly bare their sharp fangs, but Huang Cangtian had no doubt that they were planning something.

Perhaps, as soon as the powerful figure of the Luo Clan from the other side of the cosmos arrived, the hidden forces of those two clans would strike with devastating force!

However, that wasn’t Huang Cangtian’s greatest worry. His deepest concern was the possibility of something going wrong when the Progenitor Ancestor finally awakened.

This was also the fundamental reason why he felt the need to oversee everything personally.

......

Time slipped by unnoticed. Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Atop the highest floor of a thousand-foot-tall restaurant, far away from the Divine Forge Workshop, two figures arrived in Thousand Flame Imperial City.

One was a man in a red robe and the other was an old man with snow-white hair and beard.

The red-robed man was Emperor Ancestor Wanliu of the White Tiger Lineage, a figure of immense power and status.

The old man with white hair and beard was Emperor Ancestor Qianyin, a revered ancient figure from the Black Tortoise Lineage.

These two old antiques were the masterminds behind the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans invasion of the Celestial Phoenix Clan.

“Have you found out the background of that Lin Daoyuan?” Emperor Ancestor Wanliu asked.

Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes reflected apocalyptic visions such as skies collapsing, earth splitting, and all things withering into dust.

An old man in a gray robe stood respectfully to the side and reported, “Old Ancestor, the only thing we can confirm now is that Lin Daoyuan came from outside the Celestial Phoenix World.”

“So, he is most likely from the Ancient Nebula Road?” Emperor Ancestor Wanliu’s eyes flickered.

No one answered.

“Huang Cangtian is quite calculating.” Emperor Ancestor Wanliu mused, “He used Lin Daoyuan’s reputation to draw nearly all the Emperors of the Celestial Phoenix World to the Divine Forge Workshop, turning them into an unintentional barrier.”

Emperor Ancestor Qianyin, standing beside him, spoke in a deep voice, “Fellow Daoist Wanliu, what do you suggest we do next?”

Emperor Wanliu frowned, sinking into thought.

According to their original plan, the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans were to move in the shadows, gradually taking control of the Celestial Phoenix Lineage’s core figures.

Then, once the powerful figure from the Luo Clan arrived, they would launch a coordinated strike, using the Celestial Phoenix Lineage experts already under their control to destroy the Celestial Phoenix Clan from within in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, an unforeseen variable had disrupted their scheme now.

Two months ago, the Celestial Phoenix Clan launched a sudden and decisive operation, sweeping through Thousand Flame Imperial City with thunderous force to hunt down cultivators of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans.

To make matters worse, the ‘chess pieces’ in the Celestial Phoenix Clan that the two clans had planted were also being eliminated one by one!

That alone was a devastating setback.

That was not all.

The White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans had already fully mobilized their forces and were ready for battle, confident that, once battle erupted, they could crush the Celestial Phoenix Clan.

In other words, even in a direct confrontation, the two clans believed that they held the absolute advantage.

Now, they had encountered a tricky problem—

Lin Daoyuan!

He was a dao rune founder who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. His mastery in the art of runes was so profound that even the Divine Forge Imperial Clan had bowed in acknowledgment!

Over the past two months, as Lin Daoyuan began crafting weapons, it sent shockwaves throughout the Celestial Phoenix World, igniting an unprecedented uproar.

Upon learning this, Emperor Ancestor Wanliu and Qianyin could not hide their shock, their expressions darkened, and even their hands trembled slightly.

This was a dao rune founder capable of forging three supreme-grade Emperor-grade weapons a day. A talent like him was enough to shake the world and was rarely seen in tens of thousands of years.

However, the tricky problem before Emperor Ancestor Wanliu was precisely caused by Lin Daoyuan.

Over the past two months, Emperors from all over the Celestial Phoenix World had flocked to the city in staggering numbers!

Normally, Emperors were elusive beings, their movements as unpredictable as a hidden dragon’s.

Yet now, over a hundred had gathered in front of Divine Forge Workshop A1. This was unheard of in all of history!

All of this was because of Lin Daoyuan.

For the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clan, this posed a grave dilemma. Their true target lay within the very area where Divine Forge Workshop A1 stood.

Even a fool could see that as long as Lin Daoyuan remained, anyone attempting to attack the workshop would first have to contend with the gathered Emperors.

This was exactly the tricky problem that Emperor Ancestor Wanliu and Qianyin had encountered.

There were over a hundred Emperors!

This was a force strong enough to shake even primordial clans such as the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans!

“This proves that Huang Cangtian has already seen through our plans and made thorough preparations.” Emperor Ancestor Wanliu finally spoke, “This means that no matter what move we make, they will be ready to counter it.”

After a pause, coldness flashed across his eyes. “However, I doubt these gathered Emperors will dare to stay once they learn of the Celestial Phoenix Lineage’s impending fate!”

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Emperor Ancestors Qianyin pondered for a moment and nodded, “So, are we making our intention to attack the Celestial Phoenix Clan public now?”

“We have no other choice. If we wait until the powerful figure from the Luo Clan arrives, it will be too late...” Emperor Ancestor Wanliu said coldly.

Emperor Ancestor Qianliu nodded.

On the same day, a shocking announcement spread:

“The White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans, under orders of the Luo Clan from the other side of the cosmos, will soon descend upon Thousand Flame Imperial City to annihilate the Celestial Phoenix Clan!”

As soon as the news came out, the city erupted into chaos.

Before anyone could verify the truth, more messages followed:

“On the day of the assault, anyone aiding the Celestial Phoenix Clan will be slaughtered along with their entire clan!”

“Any forces that fail to evacuate the Thousand Flame Imperial City before the invasion will also be executed!”

“Those willing to serve the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Clans will be rewarded generously once the Celestial Phoenix Clan is wiped out!”

Those announcements spread like a tidal wave, plunging Thousand Flame Imperial City into turmoil.

Everyone realized that an unprecedented catastrophe was about to descend and sweep through Thousand Flame Imperial City like a storm!