The Steward Demonic Emperor

Divine Eye of the Void's 3rd stage, Mirage World!

As he said this in his mind, the halos took a bizarre glow.

The world around Elder Lu was shaking as the bright sky turned dark and a blood moon like a huge eye crept higher and higher. It released an eerie glow as it overlooked all creation.

Elder Lu gasped, his heart tensing, "T-this is an illusion! You mean to tell me I was the one who fell for it?!"

"Hi-hi-hi, you guessed it, old coot."

A sinister cackle came from above the clouds, "Even before you unleashed your nightmare, I caught you in my illusion. Just like you said, this is my world, and the one to die is you, ha-ha-ha…"

Elder Lu exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible, when did you find out I was hiding?"

"You don't need to know."

Zhuo Fan watched the panicking butterfly from afar with a twisted smile. The Blood Infant let out some creepy and sharp giggle as well as it floated down on his shoulder and the two snickered together.

To be fair, when Yongning pointed out this place, Zhuo Fan had sent Blood Infant ahead to scout, and lo and behold, Elder Lu lay in wait.

So he set up his own snare, using his power of Mirage World to create an illusion there so that it only looked like he arrived there, while in fact, he was over here.

Elder Lu took it as if his prey bought the bait and sprung the trap, never realizing Mirage World had taken hold of him in his moment of elation.

From the start, everything went as Zhuo Fan planned. Elder Lu only lived a fantasy in his illusion.

Roar!

The earth shook violently and draconic roars broke the tranquility of the forest. With a loud explosion, the earth was torn apart as hundreds of dragons shot into the sky.

Elder Lu was overwhelmed, trembling in fear.

Zhuo Fan taunted, "Elder Lu, no matter how great your nightmare is, it's damn useless without a target! While in my Mirage World, it's nigh impossible to escape it, ha-ha-ha…"

"W-what do you want?" Elder Lu tensed, flustered and cornered.

Zhuo Fan snickered, "Picking up where you left off, only this time, to you. Didn't you say something like any that died in a dream or illusion died in the real world as well? You best hold on tight and try to hold on through the torture, or your soul would just… fly away. Wouldn't that be funny? Ha-ha-ha…"

"You'd dare?"

The soul shook as he cursed, "You dare kill someone in the Double Dragon Manor?"

"Humph, since you could, why can't I? If you wanted me dead, I can't very well not return the favor, now can I?"

Zhuo Fan's tone grew louder, "Old coot, have a taste of being gnawed at by thousands of dragons for a change!"

Roar!

Inside the illusion, the countless dragons roared at the sky as they converged on Elder Lu.

Elder Lu gasped and turned to run away, but where? He only got three meters away as a dragon took a large bite out of his wing.

Next came the others, biting from all over, and tearing his soul to pieces.

Elder Lu felt his end was nigh, howling in pain.

"Ah!"

The Dream Butterfly shook harder and harder and let out a wail of despair and agony. Zhuo Fan just kept on watching with a vile smile plastered on his face.

Having formed the heaven dragon soul, his soul was stronger than when he was in Tianyu.

The last time he pulled this off on a peak Radiant Stage, all he managed to do was to trap him. While now he was actually having an easy time destroying an Ethereal Stage expert.

Looking closer, he could tell based on soul strength alone that Elder Lu was in the 4th layer Ethereal Stage, who could do nothing against him, as helpless as a babe.

He was confident this power would let him have an easy time around the average experts, despite still not being quite there to go wherever he wanted through the western lands. At the very least, the common elders and venerables of a sect could do nothing to him.

Zhuo Fan laughed at that. [Aren't I perhaps a little too strong for my age? Those old geezers can't hold a candle to me, ha-ha-ha…]

In his narcissistic moment of vanity, a voice came from behind, "Oh, you caught Lu so easy? Ha-ha-ha, he got what was coming to him. Kid, you got some skills. I see now how you wiped out his sect's team. By the looks of it, the lower three sects stage is too small for you to show your stuff."

Zhuo Fan squinted and cried. Whipping around, he saw an old man with black hair.

Those deep eyes were fixed on him, bearing a faint smile.

Whoosh~

The shock had broken Zhuo Fan's concentration on the illusion and Elder Lu's soul was left gasping on the ground from that endless torture.

Zhuo Fan had no time to mind a nobody, getting his guard up around this old man. [To come at me from behind yet still not notice him speaks volumes of his power.]

The vibe he got from him was the same way he felt around Danqing Shen. They had to be on the same level.

To be on the same ground as the best in western lands told Zhuo Fan he wasn't one to mess around with. So he cupped his hands, "May I ask senior-"

"Exalted Hei Ran…" Exalted Hei Ran barely lifted his weary head and lit up seeing the old man, "Exalted, you arrived in the nick of time. This boy dared to attempt murder in the Double Dragon Manor. Please exact punishment, Exalted!"

Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow, "Exalted Hei Ran?"

"Ha-ha-ha, correct." Elder Lu mocked, finding a shoulder to lean on, "Damn kid, you're finished. You don't even know the great Exalted Hei Ran? Then let me put it another way so that your puny mind can understand. He is one of the Exalted Double Dragons, the peak of demonic cultivation in western lands, Exalted Hei Ran!"

[Exalted Double Dragon?!]

Zhuo Fan squinted and gasped, looking at the old man in shock. He was one of the two Exalted Double Dragons the western lands saw as the strongest after Danqing Shen left?

Exalted Hei Ran chuckled and waved it off, "Kid, there's no need to panic, I did not come for you. In fact, I came to help you. But from what I saw, my help wasn't required, ha-ha-ha…"

"What?!"

Elder Lu gasped, "Exalted sir, he broke Double Dragon Manor's rules, how can…"

"Shut it!"

Exalted Hei Ran's eyes turned sharp as he stared him down, "Elder Lu, you take me for a fool? Why did you kidnap those girls then?"

He pointed at the unconscious Shuang'er and Yongning leaning on a tree. Exalted Hei Ran snorted, "We have come to a decision regarding yesterday's incident at the lower three sects stage, yet you dare disobey Double Dragon Manor's rules just to pursue some petty vendetta? Ignorant mongrel, we treat the sects with courtesy out of respect, not trample them for their weaknesses."

Exalted Hei Ran snapped at Elder Lu, who shook and stammered, "But…"

Whoosh~

Exalted Hei Ran merely flicked and a ball of air shot at Elder Lu's soul, bursting it to pieces, now gone from this world.

That was all it took for Exalted Hei Ran to kill Elder Lu. It was so fast that not even Zhuo Fan could react.

"I thought I told you to shut up, yet you still go on yapping?" His cold eyes roamed over the soul wisps.

Zhuo Fan felt a shiver down his back. Facing this Exalted Double Dragon left him feeling meek and powerless.

Exalted Hei Ran turned a bright smile to him after sizing him up, "You truly are a marvel. So much power for someone so young. How fortunate for western lands. You're even better than that disciple we had to expel."

"Senior, you're too kind." Zhuo Fan's eyes darted everywhere. [Expelled disciple? Is that Danqing Shen? It has to be.]

Though the question was, did Exalted Hei Ran say that with joy or anger? If it was the latter, would it not mean the exalted would take it out on him? Though if he was still fond of the old master and disciple bond, the joy might be greater and Zhuo Fan could keep his poor little life.

[So which is it?]

Looking straight at Exalted Hei Ran, he was feeling anxiety, unable to discern if the smile was a sneer or one of cherishing…