Chapter 30: Yes, It Was All Me, Luo Chen

The heart of the secret realm fell into silence, everyone staring at one another in disbelief.

They thought Luo Jiutian had truly surrendered—only to realize, once again, that they had misjudged how this guy’s brain worked.

“What are you all standing around for? Chase him!”
Luo Chen’s furious roar snapped them out of their daze.

He was the first to charge off in the direction Luo Jiutian had fled.

Su Zimo’s brows arched, and he quickly gestured to the Su family disciples behind him.
“After them.”

In an instant, the forces of the Luo and Su families surged forward like a tidal wave, following Luo Chen into the depths of the mystic realm.

Soon, only the Li and Xiao clans remained standing there in a daze.

“Uh… Big Brother, should we… chase too?” one Li disciple asked tentatively.

Li Daming shot him a glance.
“No need to bother with them.”

Then he lowered his gaze, falling into deep thought as his mind raced at lightning speed.

He knew he had been framed—but the question was, by whom?

The first suspect that came to mind was Luo Jiutian.
But almost immediately, he dismissed the idea.

Luo Jiutian was the man who could beat Luo Chen—who normally tied with him—into the ground like it was nothing.

With that kind of power, in this mystic realm he could act however he pleased.
If he really wanted to deal with Li Daming, he’d have no need to waste time weaving conspiracies.

But if it wasn’t Luo Jiutian… then who?

Li Daming’s mind spun through possibilities, but every thread was too vague, too blurred to grasp.

Just as he was about to probe deeper, someone cut into his thoughts.

“Brother Li.”

Xiao Yan had stepped forward at some point, smiling cheerfully.
“Your Li clan just fought the Luo and Su clans to the death. Looks like you’ve taken quite the hit.”

Li Daming’s eyes narrowed in displeasure.
“What are you trying to say?”

Xiao Yan pointed at the cluster of Quenching Spirit Persimmons hanging from a branch nearby.
“My meaning’s simple. Since the Li clan has already been badly battered, why not let our Xiao clan take those persimmons instead?”

The words made Li disciples bristle with fury.

Li Daming frowned deeply.
“Xiao Yan, that’s some nerve.”

Xiao Yan only shrugged casually.
“Brother Li misunderstands. I was merely being considerate. I don’t want the Li clan to suffer any more unnecessary casualties.”

Li Daming laughed coldly, his eyes turning sharp.
“Considerate? If you were truly considerate, how about this—you Xiao clan back off entirely, and let my Li clan handle the persimmons instead?”

Xiao Yan’s laugh rang loud, but when it cut off, his expression hardened.
“So Brother Li insists on refusing the toast only to drink the punishment?”

Li Daming’s face darkened to pitch black.
“You want the persimmons? Fine. Let’s see if you have what it takes.”

With that, the Li and Xiao clans once again clashed in battle.

Meanwhile, Luo Jiutian had fled all the way across the Qingyun Mystic Realm, weaving through valleys and ridges, until he suddenly found himself before a familiar cavern deep within a mountain.

“This place is…”

His eyes narrowed as he studied the ruin before him.

The entrance was shaped like a half-moon, the shattered stone doors etched with faint, ancient runes—lines twisting like a beast devouring all creation.

Yes.
This was the place he had once explored in the simulation together with Su Wan’er.
The very site where the Calamity-Severing Stone had been sealed.

Luo Jiutian slowed to a halt at the threshold, exhaling lightly.

Behind him came the sound of space splitting, the surge of spiritual power drawing near.

Luo Chen arrived first, followed closely by Luo Yuanshan, Luo Yan, Su Zimo, Su Xinyuan, and the combined disciples of the Luo and Su clans.

As soon as Luo Chen steadied himself, his eyes locked onto Luo Jiutian standing calmly before the ruin.

A cold sneer curled his lips.
“What, done running? Why stop now? Or is it because—”

Before he could finish his line, Luo Jiutian stepped forward and strode directly into the ruin.

The words caught in Luo Chen’s throat.
His face darkened.
“Damn it, can’t you let me finish a line just once?”

He stormed in after without hesitation.

Su Zimo’s eyes flicked to the ruin’s entrance, a flicker of doubt crossing his face.
But in the end, he gave the order coldly:
“Follow.”

The rest trailed inside.

The ruin’s passage was clear, no obstructions in their way.
Luo Jiutian sped ahead, the others in relentless pursuit.

Moments later, they burst into a wide stone chamber.

At its center stood a lone stone platform, upon which floated a pitch-black boulder.
Its surface was riddled with cracks, black mist seeping and rolling from within.

Luo Jiutian stopped before the platform, turned, and faced them calmly.

The others caught up quickly, fanning out and encircling him in tight formation.

Luo Chen sneered.
“This is a dead end, Luo Jiutian. Best surrender quietly.”

But Luo Jiutian ignored him.
Instead, he glanced toward the Su clan and let out a sudden chuckle.

“Little Lord, now that you’ve lured them all here, no need to keep pretending, is there?”

The words froze the room.

Even the Luo clan disciples exchanged baffled looks.

Su Zimo’s eyes fixed sharply on Luo Chen, his expression darkening.
“Luo Young Master, what does that mean?”

Luo Chen was utterly at a loss—until his gaze accidentally met Luo Jiutian’s.

In that instant, a strange crimson flickered in Luo Jiutian’s eyes, lines coiling faintly across the surface before vanishing.

Luo Chen’s heart jolted.
No—!

His thoughts twisted.
His mind fogged over.
His eyes lost focus.

And then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, Luo Chen opened his mouth and spoke:

“Fine. Since you wish to die knowing, I’ll grant it.

From the moment this mystic realm opened, everything has been my plan.

Every step that brought you here was orchestrated by me, Luo Chen.

From beginning to end, this was nothing but a Luo clan scheme—designed to lure the Su clan here and slaughter you all.”

The stone chamber went utterly silent.

Luo Yuanshan, Luo Yan, and the other two Luo disciples stared at each other, dumbfounded.

Su Zimo’s expression sank like stone, his voice trembling.
“You… why would you do this?”

Luo Chen’s face was cold, his tone detached.
“I’ve long despised the Su clan. Especially your patriarch, Su Wenlin.

Even after I became the Luo clan’s young master, he didn’t bother showing his face at my recognition banquet.

Not only that, he refused to acknowledge me, and delayed transferring Su Wan’er’s engagement to me from Luo Jiutian.

That wasn’t just a slap to my face—it was an insult to the entire Luo clan.”

Su Zimo’s face twisted with rage, yet he swallowed it down.

“Luo Chen!” His voice was low and hard.
“Do you understand what your words mean?”

Beside him, Su Xinyuan’s eyes brimmed red as she bit out through clenched teeth:
“All this… just because the Su clan wouldn’t stroke your ego?

Just because the patriarch didn’t acknowledge you?

You’d kill us all?

And Su Wan’er—she openly chose Luo Jiutian! How can you still covet her?”

But Luo Chen’s face remained expressionless, ignoring the fury in the Su clan’s eyes.

Instead, he turned back to Luo Jiutian and said coolly:
“Brother Jiutian, you’ve done well. Now, you can rest in peace.”

At that, Luo Jiutian frowned slightly, his eyes flashing three parts surprise, three parts confusion, and four parts disbelief.
“Young Master… are you really planning to burn the bridge now that the donkey’s out of the mill?”

Just then, the haze clouding Luo Chen’s mind abruptly lifted.
His sea of consciousness snapped clear once more.

The first thing he saw was the recording stone clutched in Luo Jiutian’s hand.

Ice shot down his spine.

His pupils contracted.
His face went deathly pale.

“Don’t—”