After hearing You Susu's explanation, the tension in the room thickened. Tracking marks? The thought of their Lord being entangled in such a mess troubled everyone.
Marks like these weren't just simple annoyances—they could lie dormant, seemingly harmless, until one day the enemy shows up, drawn to their prey like moths to a flame. And once that happened, removing the mark would be no small task. It clung to its target like a parasite, impossible to shake off without immense power.
Xu Chu, always one to worry, looked gravely at You Susu and asked, "Susu, are you sure it's a tracking mark on the Lord? Could it be something else?"
With a solemn nod, You Susu responded, "If the memories I accessed from the black-robed man are accurate, then yes, it's definitely the mark of an imperial army. There's no mistake."
Silence followed her words, an unsettling quiet that wrapped around them like a heavy blanket.
Trying to lighten the mood, Orion forced a smile. "Come on, it's just a mark, right? How hard can it be to remove?"
You Susu shook her head, sighing. "My Lord… this isn't just any mark. The one who placed it is far beyond our power, beyond anything we can handle with our current strength."
Orion's smile faded. "Well, I feel fine now, so maybe we have more time than we think."
Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief at that. At least for now, their Lord wasn't in immediate danger.
But the unease still lingered. What would they do next?
One by one, they turned to You Susu, Xu Chu, and the other powerful figures in the room, hoping for answers. Finally, Emperor Qingyun spoke up, his voice weary. "This could turn into something bigger than any of us realize. We must stay vigilant."
The problem with such marks wasn't their immediate threat—it was the uncertainty of when, or how, the enemy would strike. When these upper-realm forces set their sights on someone, there was little room for error.
Then, You Susu revealed even worse news. "This black-robed man wasn't working alone. There's a whole group—at least a dozen powerful warriors from the upper realms. And now that the Lord is marked, they'll be coming for him."
A chill swept through the room. More than a dozen superpowered enemies? The faces of those around Orion turned grim. Even suppressed by the lower realm's rules, those upper-realm fighters would be terrifying adversaries. Each one could rival an emperor at their peak, and they were coming. No wonder the black-robed man had warned that death would knock at their door soon.
"What? A dozen accomplices?" one of the gathered emperors muttered in disbelief. "This situation just went from bad to worse."
Orion clenched his fists. He had gathered five great warriors, each one capable of immense power. But even with the combined strength of his Dragon Cavalry, Black Armor Army, Shadow Guards, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, their forces only equaled five great emperors at best. Against a dozen enemies of that caliber, they would be hard-pressed to hold their ground, and the cost would be catastrophic.
Frustrated, Xu Chu stomped his foot. "If I had known, I would have killed that black-robed scum slowly! Damn it!" His anger boiled over, wishing he could drag the man back from the dead just to punish him more.
Sensing the mounting tension, You Susu tried to calm them. "Don't lose hope. Those from the upper realms have their own tasks to complete. I don't think they'll come for us right away… probably."
But even she sounded unsure. No one could predict when these foes might strike—or how mercilessly.
Orion, deep in thought, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "It's always one problem after another," he muttered. "A dozen peak emperors... this is going to be rough."
With that thought, any joy Orion had felt after their victory was crushed by the reality of the looming threat. It wasn't just about survival anymore—this was about preparation, about gathering the strength to stand against such overwhelming odds.
"Luck points…" Orion whispered to himself. "I need more luck points. That's the only way to even the playing field. More draws, more strength… I can't let this go wrong."
The path forward was clear. Orion would need to act fast, summon allies stronger than ever before, or risk being consumed by the powerful forces closing in.
He sighed, his eyes narrowing in resolve. "I'll need to make sacrifices. Zhou Linglong can't be spared any longer—her time has come."
Torturing her had been a distraction, a cruel indulgence. But now, faced with a greater enemy, Orion saw the need for her death as a means to an end: gaining the power he desperately needed. Better to use her demise to fuel his rise than to let her continue living, drawing breath in his presence.
Whatever it took, Orion would amass the fortune and strength needed to survive the storm ahead. The time for hesitation was over.