Immortal of the Ages

It was Lu Fan, or rather the Chaos Emperor Lotus! He'd arrived even faster than Yun Xiao expected.

When Yun Xiao turned around, the skies above the Taiwei Imperial Palace were filled with endless petals of black and gold. Amid these petals, one could faintly discern flashes of blood and flesh.

Under Yun Xiao's watchful eyes, these petals, blood, and flesh slowly converged together.

Amidst the turmoil, a figure in a disheveled golden robe appeared, twisting into form. His flippant gaze, his unkempt beard, and the slight upturn of his lips were all signature traits of his.

The moment his murky, mocking eyes collided with Yun Xiao's clear, bright ones, the entire Heavenly Palace, now a ruin, fell into a profound silence.

After the departure of Heavenly Monarch Mu, the ban on entering the Heavenly Palace had been lifted, and many Immortals had arrived to see what was going on. But now, they were all overwhelmed by the clash between Yun Xiao and Lu Fan, too intimidated even to breathe.

One in the air, one on the ground, their gazes locked in a stormy standoff.

Behind them, figures of women began to appear.

On Yun Xiao's side, there was only a captivating blood shadow, her body exquisitely powerful and perfect, crowned with two dragon horns that commanded respect yet were intricately crafted.

Of course, this was the War Princess. The other women, like Cao Shuo, Gu Suwan, and Yue Yin, were also stirred, though Yun Xiao kept them at bay.

In contrast, behind Lu Fan stood a procession of celestial maidens, each proudly aloof and dignified, their faces marked with an air of inviolability.

It was one against hundreds! In the matter of a female backing, Yun Xiao indeed felt inferior.

However, in terms of quality, apart from the Empress Zhao, who could somewhat hold her own, the rest were hardly worthy to even carry the War Princess’ shoes.

So, it was because of the War Princess that Lu Fan's gaze shifted away from Yun Xiao.

It was his first time seeing her!

As his gaze swept over her form—the Mortal Dust Devil incarnate—it traced from her ears to her lips, down her graceful neck, over peaks and into valleys... He seemed intent on engraving every detail into his eyes.

When Lu Fan caught sight of the War Princess’ ankle, he swallowed hard, nearly forgetting Yun Xiao in his awe.

“These divine peaks and the sacred cave, so perfect and yet still sealed, what a waste of heavenly beauty…” Lu Fan’s throat grew hot, and he found himself at a loss for words to speak further to Yun Xiao, his head shaking in dismay.

All these thoughts hidden in his heart were plain to see for Yun Xiao. It was too obvious, and far too crude!

Yun Xiao was surprised, his gaze piercing as he asked, "Lu Fan, you're back? Impressive, for just a wandering soul from another world."

The Chaos Soul was chilling and merciless. Though not averse to feminine charm, it was never this base.

“Huh, why are you so surprised?” Lu Fan frowned in irritation.

He was the protagonist who had crossed over, destined to conquer!

Turning his steely gaze back to Yun Xiao, the last boss, he spoke, "You should know that if it weren't for that ambush and that Heavenly Monarch, I’d slay you as easily as a chicken." His tone was indifferent.

"That was the Chaos Soul, your System or whatever, not you. Even then, I'm pretty sure I'm still 2-0 over you," Yun Xiao replied, just as calmly.

“Hah…” Lu Fan laughed coldly. “Then tell me, who's speaking with you now? The System or me? Can't you tell I'm the real master!”

Yun Xiao smiled too, retorting, “You popping back in again can only mean that the Chaos Soul is gravely wounded, leaving just enough time for a pathetic creature like you to struggle.”

At these words, Lu Fan’s strategizing facade momentarily crumpled.

Yun Xiao's words had struck a fatal blow to his core!

However, Lu Fan quickly suppressed his inner turmoil, laughing again, “In the game of thrones, the process doesn't matter, only who holds the crown. The Ancestral Land intervening provided both you and me an opportunity. The fact remains that I overthrew the System and became King.”

“That’s good news then; you're a lot easier to deal with than the System,” Yun Xiao commented.

Lu Fan grinned. “You play the villain well, riling people up effortlessly. If my story were a novel, my readers would surely share in this outrage.”

“If they resonate with this, your readers’ tastes must be as shallow and trashy as you,” Yun Xiao chuckled.

“Heh, then does that make you deep and sophisticated? Junk food is junk food. No need to differentiate!" Lu Fan laughed again.

Yun Xiao shook his head and chuckled. Then, he looked at Lu Fan again and asked, "So, what now?"

Lu Fan glanced at the celestial maidens behind him, all brimming with fury, and smiled, “Well, let’s not keep the audience waiting. Back when I was reading novels, the main characters who acted first and slaughtered entire families were the most popular. We can’t dally any longer; the audience might leave.”

"A true scholar, I see," Yun Xiao said.

He wondered how a visitor from another world could be so selfish. In Lu Fan’s worldview, there was no one but himself. He didn’t even care about the incense offerings and magnified his sins by devouring the souls of all beings.

It turned out Lu Fan was already twisted.

"To read ten thousand tales is to travel far and free. My vision knows no bounds, as far as eyes can see. Crossing time and space with ease, I'll slaughter all as I please!"

As Lu Fan spoke, his eyes locked onto Yun Xiao, seeing him as a peculiar opponent—not the strongest compared to the Heavenly Monarch, but certainly the strangest.

"A heroic villain, incredible!" Lu Fan finally burst into laughter. And in that moment of laughter, he struck! Like a storm unleashed, he swung his hand toward Yun Xiao’s face.

This slap was like their first meeting!

Back then, Yun Xiao had impersonated Lu Yao, and Lu Fan had played Lu Bufan, pretending to be father and son. At their first encounter, Lu Fan had slapped Yun Xiao squarely, nearly taking his life!

And now, with deliberate insult, he aimed to deliver the same slap again...

BOOM! In a flash, the slap roared towards Yun Xiao’s face!

Before the palm reached him, the fierce shock wave stirred up a mighty storm, blasting the remains of the pavilion on Yun Xiao’s right into dust, whipping up a storm of debris.

BUZZ! Throughout, Yun Xiao did not move an inch. It seemed he would be shattered!

However, unseen by all, a single strand of Yun Xiao’s hair suddenly sprang up, surging with the power of the primordial void, forming a vortex in front of Lu Fan’s palm.

As the stormy palm struck, upon colliding with this strand of hair, it exploded with a thunderous vibration.

SPLATTER! The moment Lu Fan's palm swept past that strand of hair, a burst of blood sprayed forth. His hand was instantly shredded into a gory mess that splattered in the air without a single drop touching Yun Xiao.

"What?" Lu Fan felt like he'd stuck his hand into a blender. His eyes widened as he staggered back, pain shooting through his arm.

Glancing down, he saw his palm cleanly severed at the wrist, as if sliced by the sharpest blade in the world.

The bone-deep agony confirmed the grim reality.

Lu Fan's heart raced as he looked up to see the young man in white, his robe billowing, hair flying, a deadly strand of hair gently falling, resting against his divine visage...

It was impossibly cool! Even Lu Fan felt a twinge of envy for such a façade. But he knew this was no time for envying appearances.

"Just days ago, he used that coffin to desperately block my slap. Now, without lifting a finger, he counters my strike with a single hair!"

Accustomed to playing the fool only to strike fiercely, Lu Fan felt a bizarre jolt in his heart.

In his eyes, their previous encounters were not Yun Xiao's strength, but that of the coffin!

Yet this time, it was truly Yun Xiao shaking the heart of this transmigrator from another world...

Such a scene deepened the silence over the Heavenly Palace. Even the faith of the celestial maidens behind Lu Fan was shaken, their faces grimacing slightly.

"Heh." Yun Xiao looked at Lu Fan, whose hand was severed, and chuckled. "Your physical body was completely destroyed. So, I was wondering where did this new one come from? Turns out, you've cobbled together a temporary shell from the remains of those people from the Ancestral Land. I understand wanting to experience the pleasures of the flesh again, but to be willing to even become half a corpse demon? Sadly, your skills are too shallow, and that shell of yours is as fragile as tofu."

That was the real reason why Lu Fan's slap couldn’t withstand a single hair!

Suppressed and exposed, Lu Fan’s expression turned colder, clearly stung by the revelation.

"As an otherworldly spirit without a body, you must have felt quite desperate to cobble together a makeshift one from tofu. You probably even fooled yourself into thinking it's a real body," Yun Xiao remarked, an eyebrow raised as he scrutinized the true nature of Lu Fan.

He knew Lu Fan's past life was marked by failure, timidity, delusions, and an inferiority complex. He could only envision himself commanding armies and amassing concubines in a fantasy world…

However, Lu Fan was lucky enough to be chosen by the Chaos Soul, which allowed him to freely pursue his darkest desires. He became hedonism incarnate, exploiting his newfound talents to propel him to where he was today.

Yet, deep down, he was still that small and cowardly kid. The personality formed in childhood was hard to change.

Just as a poor man who came into wealth might splurge, Lu Fan could hardly hide the chips on his shoulder.

Why did Lu Fan delight in stealing others' women? Because the ones he coveted in his original world had always been taken from him. The more he lacked, the more vengefully he plundered!

And Yun Xiao aimed to target just that—Lu Fan's true nature! That small, insecure, timid spirit, unassimilated, yet ruling supreme in his fantasies!

Every word Yun Xiao spoke was a hook tugging at Lu Fan's nature, stripping away his pretense to reveal the desperate scramble beneath.

Lu Fan remained trapped in his pride as a chosen one of the heavenly path! Yet, his rage had peaked!

"Even with this temporary body, I will crush you!" Lu Fan declared, his voice thick with fury as he regenerated his severed hand with a flourish.

He was steadied again, his malicious intent even stronger!

However, none of this surprised Yun Xiao. He chuckled lightly and turned to the War Princess, saying, "Here’s your chance to shine."

"Me?" The War Princess blinked, taken aback.

"Be confident," Yun Xiao encouraged.

"Okay!" With those words, her blood surged, her skin flushed like a ripe peach, all the more enticing.

"Hoh?" Lu Fan caught Yun Xiao's words. He felt no insult, only amusement. He was laughing. "Ah, these dumbass villains are all the same. You'll regret it for not finishing me off instantly, when you had the chance…"

JustLivingJL's Thoughts