At the foot of Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum.
In the middle of a clearing.
The gazes of numerous Awakened were drawn toward the confrontation.
Yet the atmosphere was taut, and every face showed shock.
Judging by what had just occurred, someone was brazenly provoking Wuzhou Group with utter arrogance.
More importantly, that person showed no fear whatsoever.
Standing right at the front, Zhou Biqiong stared straight at Lu Yuan, her eyes narrowing with pride.
She was furious, thinking this man was far too insolent. He had merely gotten lucky, consumed some spirit fruits or extraordinary herbs, and had the fortune to become an Awakened—yet he had no sense of perspective and dared to display such an attitude.
Especially with so many people watching, she had to step forward.
She had to defend Wuzhou Group, and even more, defend Brother Yi.
Brother Yi possessed an extraordinary bloodline.
He was a true god descended to the mortal realm; no one was permitted to treat him like this.
After a brief thought, Zhou Biqiong took another step forward, her tone carrying an air of charity. "Apologize right now, and I might consider letting bygones be bygones."
She recalled that he had ties to her sister after all, so she could afford to be magnanimous for the moment.
This was already a great act of mercy.
The moment she spoke, countless eyes turned toward Lu Yuan, waiting for his reaction.
They assumed he would yield, for he was facing Wuzhou Group.
Offending them would make surviving in the New Era exceedingly difficult.
Their influence was simply too massive.
"Apologize?"
Lu Yuan finally spoke, a faint smile in his eyes.
Yet in the very next moment, his figure shifted. He moved so fast that no one present had time to react.
He appeared before Zhou Biqiong in an instant. Raising his palm without the slightest hesitation, he struck straight across.
*Smack!*
A crisp, resonant slap rang out.
Zhou Biqiong naturally could not react. She felt only a tremendous weight crashing into the left side of her face.
Under that tremendous force, her entire body spun a full circle in midair before collapsing hard onto the ground. Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and her fair face instantly swelled into a massive patch of crimson.
Naturally, this was the result of Lu Yuan holding back his strength; otherwise, that single slap would have claimed her life on the spot.
"That is my apology. How is it?"
Lu Yuan stepped back and lightly dusted his hands.
He glanced down at Zhou Biqiong sprawling on the ground, then turned his gaze toward Zhou Yunqiong and Yi, his expression indifferent.
He had never been one to swallow insults; he repaid malice with direct confrontation.
He had intended to ignore them, unwilling to become entangled.
Yet what was the result?
They were aggressive and demanded an apology, their tone dripping with condescension as if granting a favor upon deliberation.
Since that was the case, why should Lu Yuan show any courtesy? With his strength, he had no need for restraint or polite pretenses.
If they truly wanted to make a move, fine.
He would gladly accompany them to the end—though by then, it would not be a mere matter of a slap.
"Y-You..." Sprawled on the ground, Zhou Biqiong trembled from head to toe, her rage boiling over into extreme shame and indignation.
She had been pampered all her life.
No one had ever dared speak to her in a raised voice.
Now she had been slapped across the face in front of so many people, accompanied by such humiliating words.
Zhou Biqiong could not bear the disgrace. Spitting out another mouthful of blood, she screamed, "Kill him! Kill him!"
She barked the order directly, demanding Lu Yuan's death.
*He's finished!*
*This man is dead.*
The surrounding Awakened saw this and thought Lu Yuan had brought catastrophe upon himself.
Sure enough, in the next instant, several dozen members of Wuzhou Group charged forward upon receiving the command, showing virtually no hesitation.
Every one of them was an Awakened, possessing strength superior to many in the crowd, and a radiant glow emanated from each of them.
In particular, an old man among them stepped forward and immediately unleashed Xingyi Quan.
His left hand formed a dragon, and his right transformed into a tiger.
*Roar!*
A formidable aura surged, coalescing into the shapes of a dragon and a tiger.
At that moment, the old man resembled an enraged lion, his momentum terrifying to the extreme.
The surrounding Awakened could hardly endure the pressure, stumbling backward with pale faces.
"It's the ultimate technique of Xingyi Quan—the Dragon and Tiger Forms!"
"I know who that is. His name is Duan Kun, a contemporary successor of Xingyi Quan with profound foundations. He's an expert belonging to Wuzhou Group!"
"Heavens, I heard Wuzhou Group recruited him long ago. He's already reached the sixth stage of the Initial Realm!"
Nearby spectators recognized the old man's background, their eyes filled with shock.
Xingyi Quan was an ancient Huaxia martial art and a type of visualization method; those who cultivated it possessed immense power.
Now that this man had made his move, the Awakened believed Lu Yuan had incurred disaster and would die a violent death.
At that moment, five or six members of Wuzhou Group swarmed in unison, cutting off all exits as they launched their strikes.
"Ignorant."
Lu Yuan uttered only a single word.
Facing these assailants, he did not even move his feet; he merely lifted his palm slightly.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
In an instant, a crisp sword hum rang out, accompanied by cascading sword intent.
Everyone felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end. Even those standing far away could not escape the sensation; it felt like plunging into an icy cellar, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as if locked upon by some terrifying entity. Their very souls seemed frozen, facing imminent death in the next heartbeat.
*Squelch! Squelch!*
All they saw was a streak of black lightning suddenly materializing beside Lu Yuan.
It shot forth toward the Wuzhou Group assailants and the old man executing Xingyi Quan.
Blooms of blood promptly burst open, splashing across the ground in vibrant crimson.
Immediately after, that black electric arc returned to Lu Yuan's hand, stained with fresh blood. It was none other than the Daluo sword core!
Even so, he had not even activated the sword core's inner power.
Otherwise, the result would have been far more shocking.
After all, these few were hardly worthy.
No one knew what had transpired, but soon, everyone present wore expressions of utter disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
The Wuzhou Group members who had just attacked, including the old man, had had their chests pierced through. They stood frozen in place for a fraction of a second, then collapsed stiffly to the ground, bereft of breath—dead beyond dead!
*Hiss—*
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Their faces turned pale, their bodies shivering.
Dead.
The people from Wuzhou Group were dead, killed in a single instant.
Backing away continuously, the onlookers looked at Lu Yuan as though gazing upon a god of slaughter.
*How could this be?*
Zhou Yunqiong was equally stunned.
Everyone she had brought was an elite, yet five or six of them had vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Kill him! Kill him again—" Having just struggled to her feet, Zhou Biqiong recovered from her brief stupor and once again issued a kill order. She was bordering on hysteria, driven wild by the humiliation and the slap across her face.
Naturally, a trace of fear lingered deep inside her.
A person she had considered nothing more than an ordinary Awakened had suddenly erupted with such terrifying power.
Zhou Biqiong knew this man could not be allowed to live; he had to be slain immediately.
She shrieked in frenzy, determined to make the one who had disgraced her pay the price!
"My patience has run out."
Before she could finish, Lu Yuan spoke, his gaze sharp as a blade.
Taking a step, he appeared before Zhou Biqiong in an instant, seizing her neck with one hand.
At the same time, an intimidating killing intent erupted from his body.
"Since you refuse to accept my apology,"
"then die!"
Lu Yuan's voice was calm, as if taking a life were the simplest matter.
He was no softhearted saint. Since someone had demonstrated clear murderous intent, he would not stay his hand.
No matter who it was, none could obstruct his will!
At that moment, everyone froze.
Including Zhou Yunqiong, shock was written across every face.
Everything had happened too fast; no one had anticipated this outcome.
Arrogant!
Far too arrogant!
He had struck someone, mocked them, and now—possessing such monstrous strength—he was going to kill her on the spot!
Such were the thoughts of the surrounding Awakened, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
"Let her go!"
The man named Yi stepped forward.
Wisps of golden radiance swirled within his golden pupils.
His aura violently surged, as if a volcano were erupting inside his body.
Without hesitation, Yi struck. His frame blurred into an afterimage, appearing before Lu Yuan in a flash as his right palm formed a hand-blade, slicing downward.
"Noisy!"
Lu Yuan did not even glance at him.
He raised his foot and stomped toward the man's chest.
Seeing this, Yi did not dodge; instead, a smile touched his face.
He was supremely confident in his physique, which was harder than steel even in his ordinary state.
Yet the moment he made contact with Lu Yuan's kick, Yi felt as though he had collided with a primordial mountain. His internal organs violently convulsed, and blood sprayed from his mouth.
Like a kite with a severed string, his entire person was sent hurtling hundreds of meters away at blinding speed, halting only when he slammed into a ridge. He was embedded deep into the stone, his survival uncertain.
"And here I thought you were impressive."
Lu Yuan shook his head. He had used merely ten percent of his strength; had he been slightly more serious, he would have kicked the man to death.
*Gulp.*
The clash had unfolded in a flash, but every detail had been captured by the onlookers.
Now, their mouths went dry and their limbs grew cold.
Just who was this man? He was so overwhelmingly powerful that he defeated everyone in a single strike.
A moment ago, they had assumed he would meet a grisly end, yet the situation had completely reversed. Facing several experts of Wuzhou Group, he had not suffered in the slightest; instead, he had unleashed terrifying strength.
Too powerful!
Many Awakened searched their memories for Lu Yuan's identity, yet for some reason, they could recall nothing about him.
"Lu Yuan."
Finally, Zhou Yunqiong, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
She looked at the corpses on the ground, then at her sister being held by the throat.
Lu Yuan's current demeanor felt utterly alien to her. Was this truly the same person?
The man she once knew had been sensitive, considerate, and gentle.
What about now?
Wild.
Unruly.
Dominant to the absolute extreme!
Yet Zhou Yunqiong was no ordinary woman. Taking a deep breath, she quickly calmed herself. "Lu Yuan, give me some face. Don't lower yourself to my sister's level, all right?"
Her tone softened considerably, carrying a pleading undertone. Coupled with her peerless beauty, it naturally stirred pity.
Seeing this, the spectating Awakened felt their hearts soften; none of them could have brought themselves to refuse.
"Sorry, your face means nothing to me."
Lu Yuan responded faintly.
His voice was light and entirely unaffected by her appeal, his expression tranquil.
In the next instant, he looked at Zhou Biqiong and applied a light pressure.
*Snap!*
Her neck was crushed.
The Third Young Mistress of Wuzhou Group, who had been shrieking madly just moments before, was dead.
Effortlessly, simply.
Having done this, Lu Yuan dusted his hands as if he had merely completed a routine chore. He then turned his gaze toward Zhou Yunqiong.
"What, do you want an apology from me too?"
Chapter 44