"Wait." Lu Yuan stood in midair, his eyes fixed on Zhou Yunqiong not far away. His gaze remained calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Yet everyone present—whether the four Beast Kings or the Zhou family members led by Uncle Zuo—sensed that these words were far from ordinary.
It was deliberate. Jiang Ningxian stood beside him with a faint smile, having already guessed what would happen next.
"Is there anything else?" Zhou Yunqiong was a clever woman. Knowing he must have a purpose, her tone carried a hint of vigilance.
She could not quite understand. She had barely done anything, had held back during her clash with the four Beast Kings, and had shown Lu Yuan great face in every respect. Why was he still acting like this?
"What just happened is settled," Lu Yuan said. "Now, it is time to address what lies between the two of us."
Lu Yuan looked at Zhou Yunqiong, his gaze sharpening. "Regarding that Winged Celestial, who came from the Celestial Clan... just because certain things were never stated outright does not mean they do not exist."
Uncle Zuo stepped forward warily. He had thought the matter was behind them, never expecting it to be brought up again. His reaction was born of guilt: "What do you mean? Winged Celestial apologized and yielded to you back then, yet you still killed him. What does that have to do with our Eldest Miss?"
Lu Yuan did not speak, but Jiang Ningxian chimed in with a smile: "Wasn't it simply an attempt to use him to sow enmity between King Lu and the Celestial Clan? Eldest Miss Zhou, you wouldn't deny that little scheme, would you?"
She had witnessed the whole affair back then, and knowing Lu Yuan wanted it settled now, she spoke out plainly.
Uncle Zuo tried to argue, "I only wanted to ease relations with him; I never thought of that layer."
Jiang Ningxian shook her head. "Truly laughable. There was originally no grievance between King Lu and the Celestial Clan, yet at the critical moment, Eldest Miss Zhou sent that man. For what purpose? Do you really think a few casual words can resolve everything?" She found Zhou Yunqiong's side utterly shameless.
Realizing there was no escaping it, Zhou Yunqiong furrowed her brow. "Indeed, I harbored some designs regarding you, but that is already in the past. As you can see, I wish to make amends with you. What do you say we smile and let old scores dissolve?"
Since she could not dodge it, she chose to admit it directly. In her view, Lu Yuan merely harbored some lingering resentment. If she admitted her fault, adopted a humbler attitude, and invoked their past ties from their university days, that resentment would surely disperse. Back in front of the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum, she hadn't even pursued the matter of her sister being killed. She had been the one scheming, and now she was the one trying to smooth things over.
"Things have come to this; one must always pay the price for their actions," Lu Yuan said. He would never forgive her over a few words. She had already plotted against him once, and there was no guarantee she wouldn't do so again. Lu Yuan would not let Zhou Yunqiong leave safely; she had schemed against him long ago. Having made his decision, he would not stop.
He was not afraid of the Celestial Clan, but having someone scheme against him was something he would never let slide.
Zhou Yunqiong still doubted he would actually strike at her. She immediately said, "Lu Yuan, you should know that for me to reach this point, there is a great figure backing me—someone you cannot contend against. It was indeed my fault before, but now I can guarantee that if we let bygones be bygones, all grudges with the Celestial Clan or other great clans can be settled." She weighed the pros and cons for him, attempting to repair relations: "Having evolved to your current height, you surely don't wish to become enemies with the entire world in the future, do you?"
She brought out the figure behind her, knowing it would be hard to intimidate Lu Yuan, which was why she explained the stakes while lowering her stance. Her backer was an existence ranked among the top ten in the entire starry sky, carrying the bloodline of the Five Emperors.
"No one can stop what I set out to do. What if I make enemies of the whole world?" Lu Yuan replied placidly, his aura growing heavier. "The reason I had you stay is precisely to resolve this. The grudges between you and me end here today." He had no fear even toward those extraterrestrial beings.
Zhou Yunqiong's face finally changed, completely abandoning any hope of further discussion. Could words change his decision? Deep down, she knew she was no match for Lu Yuan, but at such a critical juncture, she still had a trump card. She intended to rely on the various divine treasures obtained from the Ji clan to fight him. Her current strength was indeed formidable—at the peak of the Sovereign King Realm, just a step away from the Saint Realm.
She waved her hand, and a jade hairpin appeared, radiating layers of Saint intent. "In that case, Lu Yuan, let me test your mettle!"
A powerful energy surged outward, encircling the surrounding area.
"Test my mettle? You lack the ability."
Those were Lu Yuan's final words.
Rumbling resounded.
Golden vitality raged violently as an immense pressure manifested. Lu Yuan stepped forward, appearing directly before Zhou Yunqiong. The majesty he exuded was overwhelming.
Under that crushing pressure, Zhou Yunqiong retreated repeatedly, filled with shock and fury. "Lu Yuan, do you really want to kill me?!"
"I always have!"
The moment his words fell, Lu Yuan took another step forward. Golden energy surged, sending shockwaves rippling out in waves.
He seemed to transform into a primordial beast, carrying insurmountable power with a posture that looked down upon the world. His eyes were calm as water, yet brimming with chilling killing intent.
Then, he threw a punch straight out!
Chapter 185