Perhaps because they had met before, Zhu Qingyu couldn't help thinking of him from time to time.
Especially earlier, when Lu Yuan had decisively and forcefully struck down Zhou Biqiong. Confronting Wuzhou Group without backing down in the slightest had only made her feel even more strongly that there was something extraordinary about him.
Yet ever since the main gate opened, he had remained completely still. She had found it strange, so the moment he moved, she watched him with heightened attention.
"So that's how it is," Lu Yuan murmured to himself.
Just now, he had been paying close attention to the terracotta warriors, wondering why they caused the sword core to vibrate. Now, connecting it with the memories of his past life, he understood completely.
Within those terracotta warriors lay a certain special substance.
The Daluo sword core was an otherworldly relic, deeply enigmatic, capable of fusing with various materials akin to divine gold to undergo continuous metamorphosis. And the terracotta warriors contained just such a substance, which was why they could repeatedly reassemble and revive, growing stronger each time.
Though he did not know the exact reason, now that he had discovered it, Lu Yuan naturally had no intention of letting the opportunity slip away.
Taking a step forward, he felt the vibrations of the sword core grow increasingly pronounced.
On the other side, led by the Winged Celestial, the vanguard had already carved out a path and was pressing forward. However, because the terracotta warriors kept reviving, they had to remain cautious and gather power for their next strike. Even so, it was no great matter—at most, it meant striking once more. As long as they kept at it, they would inevitably succeed in entering the imperial mausoleum.
The Winged Celestial, in particular, felt everyone's eyes upon him. His vanity thoroughly satisfied, he stood at the very forefront and spoke once more: "Everyone, follow me and strike again!"
Yet no sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized fewer gazes were fixed on him; their attention seemed to have shifted elsewhere.
Over there, Lu Yuan gripped the Daluo sword core. Having picked out a specific spot, he came to a halt.
No one stood before him—only densely packed terracotta warriors. Sensing Lu Yuan's presence, they were charging his way.
In his hand, streams of sword radiance began to cascade from the sword core.
In truth, with his current strength, there was no need to resort to the Daluo sword core at all. What if there were ten thousand terracotta warriors? The moment his Blood-Qi Pagoda manifested, they would be instantly crushed. No matter how many came, it would be futile; he could reach the imperial mausoleum's gate in no time at all.
However, the sword core needed to evolve. In the early stages of the global mutation, materials resembling divine gold were exceedingly rare. And for materials capable of being integrated into the Daluo sword core, the standards were even higher. Thus, this was the only way: slay those terracotta warriors with the sword and absorb the essence into the core.
"It's that Lu Yuan! What's he doing over there?"
"Looks like he's about to make a move. Is he trying to forge a path of his own?"
"How could that be possible? Even with the Five Great Sovereigns joining forces, they could only barely manage it. How could one person do it alone?"
"He's being far too arrogant."
"Exactly. Does he really think he's on the same level as the Winged Celestial?"
The surrounding Awakened all looked over, their eyes full of doubt and sheer incomprehension. Lu Yuan's killing of Zhou Biqiong earlier had certainly caught many people's attention, and they acknowledged that he was powerful, but that was all. But now? He was all on his own, yet he planned to take on the terracotta army by himself? How could that be possible?
Even so, many still wanted to see what he would actually do.
The Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the others also turned their gaze toward him, intending to gauge his strength against their own.
"That should be enough."
Watching the terracotta warriors draw closer, Lu Yuan considered his angle, then glanced toward the imperial mausoleum's great gate.
Good.
Without another word, he slowly raised the Daluo sword core.
He did not mobilize the powers within his body, merely stimulating the sword core itself.
This strike would be nothing like the ones before.
"Slash!"
Finally, Lu Yuan spoke, lightly swinging down the Daluo sword core.
In an instant, every strand of sword radiance converged into a single unified whole.
At that moment, everyone present could feel a terrifying sword intent coalescing. So overwhelming was this sword intent that it bore straight down onto their hearts, instantly freezing their very souls. Whoever they were, a bone-chilling cold washed over them, as if they themselves were the target.
In the very next instant, a brilliance dazzling to the extreme erupted from the Daluo sword core. The light was so blinding that no one could keep their eyes open; it was impossible to see anything clearly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amid a surging crescendo of sword hums, the sword light finally fell.
Boom!
A colossal aura surged forth, causing the earth to tremble violently. One terracotta warrior after another was pulverized in an instant, utterly devoid of any power to resist.
At the same time, a shockwave rippled through the heart of every onlooker.
Buzz...
Soon, the blinding light faded.
The crowd looked over one by one, only to be struck with utter disbelief.
They saw Lu Yuan still standing in place, sword in hand. Then he began to stroll forward, calm and composed.
Beneath his feet, a chasm several meters deep had appeared, stretching all the way to the imperial mausoleum's great gate. Around it, every single terracotta warrior had vanished, reduced to dust.
Under that single strike, fully ten thousand terracotta warriors had been shattered. Nearly half of the entire terracotta army had been wiped out with one slash!
"Heavens... A single slash wiped out over ten thousand terracotta warriors?!"
"Th-This... This is terrifying! Was that his own power? Wouldn't that surpass all Five Great Sovereigns combined?"
"That can't be right. It must be because of that sword. Among current Awakened, almost no one can surpass the Winged Celestial."
Everyone was stunned, their faces painted with utter disbelief, as though witnessing something monstrous that completely upended their worldview. That slash had truly exceeded all expectations—it was terrifying beyond measure.
Wasn't this level of power practically equivalent to a human missile?
Involuntarily, they thought back to how they had fared against the terracotta warriors, unable to make headway even with everything they had. Even when the Five Great Sovereigns joined forces, they hadn't produced a result like this.
The contrast was far too stark.
How could this be... They simply could not accept it.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Even in the Awakening Realm, one shouldn't possess such power—could he have surpassed the Awakening Realm?"
Witnessing this, the Winged Celestial was equally shocked and incredulous; even he could never accomplish such a feat.
"It's that sword. It has to be that sword!"
He knew it. It had to be because of that sword that the man was so formidable. Otherwise, there was no explaining it.
Rage involuntarily surged within the Winged Celestial's chest. He was supposed to be at the very front; he was supposed to be the most dazzling figure here today. Yet now, it was Lu Yuan again, directly surpassing him! In less than an hour, he had been overshadowed by this man twice!
This was intolerable to the Winged Celestial, and he wanted to march over. But almost immediately, hundreds upon thousands of terracotta warriors swarmed him again, leaving him with no breathing room whatsoever. He had no choice but to keep fighting.
After their brief shock, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the others also had to deal with the terracotta warriors around them, unable to keep watching. After all, Lu Yuan's strike had only wiped out nearly half of the warriors; the other half was right in front of them, and the slightest carelessness would spell serious trouble.
"A divine object! An absolute, heaven-defying divine relic—it must have come from the fallen meteorites! Forget whatever fortunes lie in the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum, I want that sword!"
Wang Tao had noticed as well, his entire body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes filled with burning desire. He knew that if that sword were in his hands, surpassing his elder brother would only be a matter of time.
Thus, Wang Tao ultimately decided not to enter the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum. Even if there were opportunities inside, they would hardly fall to him anyway.
Better to wait right here, gather his forces, and figure out a way to seize that sword.
And to be safe, when the time came, he would definitely employ firearms and heavy weaponry.
A powerful sword did not mean the wielder was just as strong.
"Could it truly... be that sword?"
Seeing this, Dean Zheng was thoroughly stunned as well. However, his thoughts aligned with the general consensus: Lu Yuan's display owed entirely to that sword. Otherwise, the truth would be far too terrifying.
"Why does that silhouette look so familiar?" Zhu Qingyu murmured, gazing at his figure.
She remembered that the person who had fired that arrow back in Qingyang City seemed to possess an identical overawing majesty.
Could they be the same person?
A daring thought suddenly crossed Zhu Qingyu's mind.
Chapter 47