Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3493: Machinations Of The Indigo World Hegemony

Lin Mu was silent for a moment, processing that.

”In raw political power,” Meng Bai continued, ”the three clans aren’t absolute rulers. They don’t sit on thrones or command armies openly. But culturally...”

He spread his hands.

”They’re everywhere. Names, techniques, crafts, bloodlines. It’s estimated that around fifty percent of the world’s population has some connection to at least one of the three clans.”

Lin Mu exhaled slowly.

”That’s not just influence,” he said. ”That’s foundation.”

”Exactly,” Meng Bai replied. ”They didn’t rule by force. They became the world.”

Daoist Chu smiled faintly. ”And such roots are the hardest to uproot.”

Lin Mu leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting upward toward the sky above the courtyard.

No wonder this world felt so cohesive, so interconnected despite its size and complexity.

It had not been built by conquerors who imposed order from above, but by pioneers who wove themselves into every layer of existence.

”Interesting,” Lin Mu murmured.

And somewhere in the city beyond, the echoes of that ancient decision still shaped every life that walked its streets.

Far away from the Khwanzim World, far beyond the reach of mortal skies and spirit realms, drifted a small, desolate world within the Immortal Realm.

It was not a world meant for life.

Its surface was cracked and dark, its atmosphere thin and perpetually shrouded in ash colored clouds. Massive scars ran across its landmasses, as if the world itself had once been flayed and never fully healed. Floating beside this wounded sphere, partially embedded into its crust like a parasite, was a colossal fortress.

The fortress was ancient.

Its walls were built from blackened stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

Layers upon layers of defensive formations crawled across its surface like veins, pulsing faintly with restrained power. Eighteen towering watchtowers rose from its structure, each one positioned with meticulous precision. From their peaks, cold lights glowed steadily, scanning the surrounding void without pause.

Carved into the walls, the towers, and even the floating platforms surrounding the fortress was a single sigil.

A stylized indigo eye encircled by a hexagon.

If Lin Mu were present, he would recognize it instantly.

The symbol of the Indigo World Hegemony. It was the bigger version of the one he had on his old ring.

This was not merely an outpost.

The entire small world served as one.

Within the fortress, corridors stretched endlessly, lit by dim formation lights that cast long, warped shadows. The air was heavy with oppressive immortal pressure, making even breathing feel like a burden to anyone below the Immortal Ascension Realm.

Deep within the inner sanctum of the fortress, behind multiple layers of restrictions and seals, lay a chamber devoid of windows.

The room was vast and circular, its floor etched with a massive formation diagram that slowly rotated, lines of light shifting like a living thing. At the far end of the chamber sat two figures on elevated stone thrones.

Both were elders of the Indigo World Hegemony.

They wore dark robes that seemed woven from shadow and darkness, their sleeves embroidered with subtle indigo threads that moved on their own. Their faces were old, not in appearance but in presence, carrying the weight of countless years.

Present between them was a single man.

He was kneeling.

Sweat soaked through his robes as he kept his head lowered, his back bent slightly under the invisible pressure filling the room. His cultivation was not weak. In fact, he was a Fifth Tribulation Stage Immortal Realm expert.

Yet before the two elders, he looked like an insect struggling beneath a mountain.

The elder seated on the left moved first.

This was the Left Emissary.

His eyes opened slowly, revealing pupils that shimmered like deep water under moonlight.

”Speak,” he said calmly. ”Report the state of the mission.”

The kneeling man swallowed hard and forced himself to speak.

”The mission,” he said, his voice strained, ”has failed.”

The moment the word left his mouth, the temperature of the room dropped.

The Right Emissary’s aura flared violently.

The stone beneath the kneeling man cracked as pressure slammed down on him, forcing him to cough blood. His body trembled, but he did not dare cry out.

”Failure?” the Right Emissary roared. ”It took you over ten years just to find a lead. And when you finally begin the mission years after that, it ends in failure?”

His voice echoed through the chamber like thunder.

”Fifteen years,” he continued, fury bleeding into every word. ”It has been over fifteen years since this mission was issued. Do you have any idea what we will say to the sponsors?”

The kneeling man shuddered violently, his forehead pressing against the cold stone floor.

”T-This subordinate understands,” he said quickly. ”The target has been exceptionally difficult to deal with.”

”Explain,” the Left Emissary said, his tone still calm, but now carrying an edge that cut deeper than anger.

The man took a deep breath, gathering what little composure he had left.

”The target has been moving constantly from world to world,” he said. ”Although we managed to track him intermittently, the worlds he passed through were extremely difficult for us to act within.”

He paused, then continued.

”Several of those worlds are under the influence of strong orthodox forces. By the time we finally confirmed his location, he had entered the Silent Lotus World.”

At that name, both elders frowned.

”We could not act there,” the man said hurriedly. ”The Silent Lotus Temple and the Xian Sword Sect both maintain heavy oversight. Any movement from us would have drawn immediate retaliation.”

The Right Emissary snorted coldly but did not interrupt.

”After that,” the man went on, ”tracking the target became even harder. He left the Silent Lotus World without a trace and later passed through the Western Immortal Court’s territory. Our presence there is limited, and we could not take direct action.”

The Left Emissary tapped a finger against the arm of his throne.

”And yet,” he said, ”you eventually found him again.”

”Yes,” the man replied. ”Our spies within the Western Immortal Court eventually learned of his destination since he passed through an outpost. He was heading to the Martial Fist King World.”