Faced with Baihua's interrogation, Sun Luyuan was powerless to answer.
Dark golden, glazed light swirled all around him. A might surpassing Dao Integration sent frantic warnings blaring through his spiritual senses, yet he dared not make the slightest move.
"Junior... This junior..."
Before Baihua's almost tangible killing intent, Sun Luyuan, usually so glib and eloquent, could not even form a complete sentence.
The truth was, to cultivators of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, the Longevity realm was a concept far too distant.
"Hmph, exactly as Xiao Tian said. Sneaking around, clearly harboring evil intentions." A cold glint flashed in Daoist Baihua's eyes.
The dark golden light enveloping Sun Luyuan acted as if it possessed sentience, beginning to corrode inward.
*Don't worry. With your brother's strength, even if Great Qi is a dragon's pool or tiger's den, I can still retreat in one piece.*
For some reason, the boastful words he had spoken to his younger brother before coming here suddenly echoed in Sun Luyuan's mind.
A profound sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.
*Could it be that I'm going to die here?*
Just as all hope turned to ashes and Sun Luyuan waited in despair for death, a voice rang out like heavenly music, halting Daoist Baihua's movements.
"Bring him before me."
Though spoken in a flat tone, it carried boundless majesty.
The wicked youth's expression shifted at the sound; his mocking grin vanished in an instant, and he bowed respectfully toward the distance.
Daoist Baihua also moved at the command.
The aggressive glazed light transformed into several cords, binding Sun Luyuan securely.
Following the two, Sun Luyuan was brought into the tallest spire-like palace within the Daqi pocket world.
The grand hall was vast and solemn.
A figure sat upright upon the dais above.
Enveloped in a mysterious glow, the figure's face was impossible for Sun Luyuan to discern clearly.
"Kneel!" the wicked youth barked coldly.
Sun Luyuan was a Dao Integration cultivator holding an important post in the Protector Hall. Aside from supreme beings like the Dharma Transmitters and Mirror Keepers, he was already at the pinnacle of power within the Alliance.
Yet before the sovereign of this pocket world, he showed not the slightest hesitation, dropping decisively to his knees.
If this master could command even the Longevity realm, what did a mere Dao Integration cultivator like him count for?
"Greetings... Sacred Emperor," Sun Luyuan stammered, prompted by the wicked youth.
"Sun Luyuan," the Sacred Emperor stated, identifying him in a single word.
Then, in just a few brief sentences, he laid bare Sun Luyuan's entire background.
Sun Luyuan went cold all over, trembling uncontrollably.
Yet the Sacred Emperor's next words dispelled the chill in his heart, replacing it with overwhelming joy: "I already know why you have come. The Sacred Dynasty does not object to defectors from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
"Less bloodshed is always for the best."
The Sacred Emperor's profoundly majestic voice resonated throughout the palace.
"As the first to defect to our Sacred Dynasty, it is only right that you receive a reward."
A clear, frigid flash of light appeared beside the Sacred Emperor and shot instantly toward Sun Luyuan, coming to a steady halt before him.
*Hiss...*
An intense chill washed over him, causing a layer of frost to form across Sun Luyuan's face.
Only by circulating his spiritual energy at top speed was he able to dispel the frigid chill.
Sun Luyuan looked closely and saw a pale blue sword hovering before his eyes.
"This is the Ten-Thousand-Year Icebound Sword. When the chill within it is unleashed, it can freeze an entire province of Xuanhuang in an instant. Though you possess the cultivation realm, your combat prowess is truly too weak. You might be adequate at running away, but in a true fight to the death, you likely wouldn't even defeat my disciples," the Sacred Emperor remarked.
How could Sun Luyuan dare to argue? He could only nod repeatedly in agreement.
"Take this sword for self-defense."
Only after the Sacred Emperor spoke these words did Sun Luyuan, feeling as though in a dream under the wicked youth's somewhat hostile gaze, refine and stow away the Ten-Thousand-Year Icebound Sword.
"This subordinate thanks the Sacred Emperor for his grace!" Sun Luyuan said, overjoyed.
"Now that you have entered our Sacred Dynasty, you must not harbor two minds. Tian'er, I leave him to you."
The wicked youth bowed his head. "This disciple understands."
"You may go," the Sacred Emperor dismissed them casually.
Baihua was the first to depart, flying off as a streak of light.
Sun Luyuan followed behind Ou Shangtian, stepping slowly out.
"You, follow me," Ou Shangtian said with a cold huff after sizing up Sun Luyuan.
"May I ask how I should address you?" Having received a treasure, Sun Luyuan paid no heed to the youth's attitude and asked with a brazen smile.
"Just call me General Ou."
Ou Shangtian said no more, first bringing Sun Luyuan into the Sacred Heart Hall within Shengjing.
Standing only slightly shorter than the Sacred Emperor Throne, the grand hall had gathered tens of thousands of people.
Young and old alike, all wore pious expressions as they prayed toward a statue at the center of the hall.
The statue's face was obscure, but its figure matched the Sacred Emperor whom Sun Luyuan had just seen.
The subjects of the Sacred Dynasty praying here all possessed cultivation.
Yet the aura of a Dao Integration cultivator, which Sun Luyuan had not yet had time to deliberately restrain, had not affected these people in the slightest.
With unwavering expressions, they all gazed intently at the statue of the Sacred Emperor, devoted body and soul.
Their minds and spirits seemed connected into a vast web; the mere might of a Dao Integration expert could not shake it in the least.
Ou Shangtian led Sun Luyuan all the way inside to a secret chamber within the Sacred Heart Hall.
Inside the room knelt dozens of the Sacred Emperor's devotees.
Every one of them had reached the Golden Core realm, and their faith in the Sacred Emperor was even firmer than that of the people outside.
Within the secret chamber stood another faceless statue of the Sacred Emperor.
"You take the oath and pray as well," Ou Shangtian instructed after transmitting a vow to him.
Sun Luyuan naturally had no reason to refuse.
Imitating the other devotees, he knelt before the statue of the Sacred Emperor, murmuring the words.
And as Sun Luyuan did so, the towering, sacred figure of the Sacred Emperor seemed to truly appear before his eyes.
What alarmed him even more was an invisible power that sprang from the void.
It slowly adhered to his body, binding him to the Sacred Emperor.
Sun Luyuan felt as though he were an insect that had accidentally fallen into a spiderweb; even without struggling, he was sinking deeper and deeper.
*What kind of technique is this?*
Sun Luyuan was inwardly appalled. Even the Mirror Keepers required secret techniques to control their subordinates.
To achieve such deep control with merely a few spoken words...
It was simply unheard of!
Yet Sun Luyuan also knew there was no turning back now.
Once the recitation of the oath was complete, Ou Shangtian's attitude visibly softened.
He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something.
Then he said to Sun Luyuan, "There is a restriction placed inside you by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. If we remove it rashly, it might alert them. We'll leave it in place for now.
"Rest assured, however. With Master's power protecting you, the restriction cannot harm you either."
Ou Shangtian's words put Sun Luyuan considerably at ease.
"Now that you have joined our Sacred Dynasty, you can't just take the benefits without doing any work. Here is a list of names..."
Chapter 1224