Joe Di instantly realized that Radiant Lake was the heart of this deadly trap array, and his heart surged with joy. What a stroke of luck—who would have thought that such a vast lake was actually a natural array flag?
The moment he destroyed the heart of the trap array, Joe Di reached out and swept away Nate Shee’s genuine Azure Lotus Banner. With his law array flags scattered everywhere, now that the trap array was useless to him, he was the undisputed master of this space.
With the Azure Lotus Banner taken by Joe Di, the deadly trap array collapsed completely.
Zhong Ao was the first to sense the weakening of the trap array holding them. Without hesitation, he lunged at Nate Shee, his domain aura completely enveloping him.
Nate Shee had already expended tremendous energy to activate this top-tier trap array, and his strength was far inferior to Zhong Ao’s. Now, with Zhong Ao attacking at full force, Nate Shee was left powerless to resist and was seized by the throat.
Not only that, but with a flick of Zhong Ao’s hand, several blade lights exploded, instantly killing the three Immortal Emperors who had been following Nate Shee.
Immortal Emperor Rongxue, who already regretted getting involved in this mess, also sensed the weakening of the trap array. She hurriedly fed several pills to her disciple Ai Qingbing, then dashed toward another sixth-level Immortal Emperor near Nate Shee.
Master Bowie Zhou and Yin Wushang needed no prompting; both had set their sights on only one target—Jed Carey.
Zhong Ao was simply too ruthless—he single-handedly took down four Immortal Emperors, including Nate Shee.
Both Master Bowie Zhou and Yin Wushang were stronger than Jed Carey. Now, joining forces, Jed Carey didn’t even have the strength to fight back before being slain by Yin Wushang.
Sam Shen, the First Deputy Guildmaster of the Alchemist Guild, was weaker in cultivation and hadn't managed to face a single opponent.
Joe Di glanced at Ai Qingbing, whose cultivation was the weakest among them. Fortunately, with Empress Rona Snow by her side, she suffered even fewer injuries than he did.
It was a pity that Frankie Fang and Vivian Ho, trapped by his killing array, had no chance to struggle before being crushed by Nate Shee's formation.
Originally, Joe Di intended to capture Vivian Ho and present her to Quinn Windflower. Now, he could only inform Quinn Windflower that he had avenged him.
Perhaps this was for the best. Given Quinn Windflower's temperament, he might have hesitated to kill Vivian Ho.
Joe Di seized several rings and landed on Radiant Lake Peak, where the others soon gathered as well.
Aside from Zhong Ao, who subdued Nate Shee without killing him, everyone else had been slain.
Of all present, Yin Wushang was the most affected. Trapped by Nate Shee's killing array, he had nearly lost hope, believing his worst fears had come true. Yet in a blink, Joe Di reversed the situation, shattering Nate Shee's supreme formation—a feat that seemed almost dreamlike.
Had he not chosen to join Joe Di at Radiant Lake Palace, how could he have exacted such swift and satisfying vengeance? With this grudge settled, Yin Wushang felt his cultivation state ascend to a new level.
On Radiant Lake Peak, more than twenty powerful cultivators remained. They had witnessed the battle clearly. Though brief, it saw the balance of power shift multiple times.
None of them dared to step forward. Joe Di, Zhong Ao, Yin Wushang, Master Bowie Zhou, Sam Shen, Ai Qingbing, Empress Rona Snow—these names alone were enough to deter any reckless moves.
Especially since even the mighty Jed Carey and Nate Shee had been defeated here, the crowd was even more cautious.
Joe Di looked down at the devastated Radiant Lake below. The lake, once the pride of Radiant Lake Palace, was now a ruined array flag, its waters drained and its spiritual energy dissipated.
He took a deep breath and said, "From this day forward, Radiant Lake Palace is no more. The Alchemist Hall beneath the lake has been liberated—all imprisoned alchemists are now free. Nate Shee, the former palace lord, is at my mercy."
The cultivators on Radiant Lake Peak exchanged glances. The legendary Alchemist Hall, rumored to be beneath the lake, had actually existed—and now, it was under Joe Di's control.
Yet his powerful survival instinct forced him to speak, "Emperor Di, our conflict was only over the whereabouts of the Guildmaster..."
Joe Di cut him off. "Nate Shee, it's not your turn to speak now."
With that, Joe Di cast out several array flags once more.
Radiant Lake Peak trembled beneath their feet, and the protective array vanished. Joe Di’s divine sense swept out unhindered.
In the next moment, Joe Di saw a vast underground alchemy hall beneath Radiant Lake Palace, where at least a dozen people were refining pills.
"It's Guildmaster Qu! And Master Pingjiang, the Immortal Pill Sovereign..." Sam Shen's voice trembled, his eyes rimmed red.
Joe Di destroyed every restriction and protective array here, allowing everyone to see the alchemy hall beneath Radiant Lake Palace with their divine sense.
"No wonder Daoist He vanished all those years ago—he was captured by Nate Shee and forced to refine pills here..."
"And Elder Hu Heng from the Myriad Pill Sect..."
Nate Shee grew even paler, knowing his fate was sealed.
Every alchemist in the hall was mechanically refining all sorts of immortal pills, as if devoid of soul and will.
A seventh-level Immortal Emperor sighed, "No wonder the pills sold at Immortal Radiance Pill Tower seem soulless—the truth is, they were made this way."
With a gesture, Joe Di used his immortal essence hand seal to pull all the alchemists from the hall and fed each one a pill.
The crowd trembled inwardly. Such a divine sense hand seal required ninth-level immortal sense at minimum. How could Joe Di, an Immortal King, possess such power?
These alchemists were simply numbed, going through the motions of pill refinement mechanically.
Guildmaster Qu, the strongest among them, was the first to awaken. He looked around in confusion, then spotted Sam Shen, whose eyes were bloodshot. "Sam, did Nate Shee capture you too?" he asked.
Sam Shen replied excitedly, "No, Guildmaster. Our Alchemist Guild’s Emperor Di saved you. Look—"
Guildmaster Qu turned and saw Nate Shee lying where Zhong Ao had thrown him. But he seemed unconcerned with Nate Shee, his attention fixed on Sam Shen. "You said Emperor Di of the Alchemist Guild? We have an Immortal Pill Emperor? Impossible! Who is Emperor Di?"
This chapter is not finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting content!
By now, the other alchemists had all regained their senses, quickly piecing together what had happened.
They had been captured by Nate Shee to refine pills, and Emperor Di of the Alchemist Guild had rescued them.
After learning who Joe Di was, all the rescued alchemists stepped forward to thank and greet him.
Joe Di clasped his fists and said, "Fellow Daoists, Nate Shee’s selfish and depraved acts are a lesson to us all. Cultivation is also cultivation of the heart—commit too many heinous deeds, and retribution will surely follow. There’s no reason for Radiant Lake Palace to remain. I will destroy it now; please leave first."
Regardless of Joe Di’s cultivation level, after this incident, even the most elite Immortal Emperors dared not provoke him.
Not to mention that Joe Di was accompanied by the unfathomable Zhong Ao. Even earlier, it seemed Joe Di had personally broken Nate Shee’s supreme killing array.
Unconsciously, Joe Di had set up various grand arrays—the mere thought sent chills down one's spine.
Many suspected that a supreme treasure lay beneath Radiant Lake, for when Nate Shee activated his formation, the surge of immortal energy was overwhelming.
But so what if they guessed? Who dared contest Joe Di for these treasures?
A group of Immortal Emperors cupped their fists to Joe Di and then withdrew from Radiant Lake Palace.
"Brother Di, thank you for saving my life. Otherwise, I, Guildmaster Qu, would have perished beneath Radiant Lake Palace. Also, are you truly an Immortal Pill Emperor?" Guildmaster Qu, calming from his excitement, greeted Joe Di, his first words still questioning Joe Di’s title.
Joe Di smiled and replied, "Guildmaster Qu, I am one of the Alchemist Guild. You may simply call me by name. As for whether I am a Pill Emperor, let us discuss that in Cauldron Haven. For now, I will destroy Radiant Lake Palace—this place is not fit to remain."
"Good, good, good..." Guildmaster Qu repeated, finally leaving Radiant Lake Peak with Zhong Ao, Sam Shen, and the others.
Everyone knew Joe Di was about to claim the riches here, but it was clear that only he could take them.
Joe Di swept the area with his divine sense. When he shattered Radiant Lake, most of the palace’s people had already fled. Only a handful remained, hiding in corners, but Joe Di didn’t bother letting them escape—he threw dozens of array flags down.
A violent explosion and thunderous roar followed as Radiant Lake Peak shattered, crumbling into fragments.
Only a small section of Radiant Lake remained, and it too collapsed completely.
A stretch of azure immortal vein was revealed, its dense primordial energy making Joe Di’s eyes blaze red.
Earlier, when Nate Shee activated his killing array, Joe Di had sensed a surge of primordial energy—this was the source, the azure immortal vein.
No, this wasn’t merely an immortal vein; it was likely a treasure surpassing even that. Though he possessed supreme immortal veins, he’d never felt such primordial energy. The dozens of azure grains he obtained in Moon Immortal Sea bore a similar aura.
A true treasure. Joe Di reached out and sent the several-zhang-long azure vein into his True Spirit World, then tossed a blaze onto Nate Shee. No matter how strong Nate Shee was, with his meridians sealed, he stood no chance against the ninth-level immortal flame of the Starry Sky. He was utterly powerless.