Crushing

Lu Yang paid no mind to Zhu Yunwu's nonsense. Lifting his sword with a smile, he said, "What an arrogant junior. If you're not convinced, why don't we have a match to settle it?" "Fine!" What did Zhu Yunwu have to fear? Setting aside that this Young Cult Master Lu was an imposter, even if the real Young Cult Master Lu had come in person, he wouldn't feel the slightest fear! Zhu Yunwu was dignified and remarkably handsome. His robes were so brilliantly clean they gleamed white, and he was meticulously groomed from head to toe, with even his fingernails trimmed neatly. Demon maidens who admired Zhu Yunwu let out shrieks of excitement at the sight of their idol. "Brother Zhu is here!" The prodigies of the Demon Clan Alliance grew ecstatic seeing Zhu Yunwu's imposing entrance, his aura holding its own against the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Court Cult. "Zhu Yunwu... tsk, why did he show up?" Ao Yue clicked his tongue, none too eager to face him. "Is this guy named Zhu Yunwu really that formidable?" Meng Jingzhou asked Jiang Shishi via voice transmission. This was the crucial moment that would decide the Phoenix Clan's fate. Jiang Shishi watched the Altar of Heaven with nervous, sweating palms, but Meng Jingzhou's question temporarily diverted her attention. "Extremely formidable. He's stronger than both me and Ao Yue!" "When Zhu Yunwu first emerged, he wasn't particularly incredible—at most around Qin Feng's level, completely incomparable to me and Ao Yue. "Yet half a year ago, Zhu Yunwu suddenly appeared and challenged the geniuses of every clan one after another. Even Ao Yue and I ended up defeated by his hand." "He suddenly became that strong?" Jiang Shishi shook her head. "It wasn't a sudden surge. Only after that did I find out he had been taken as a disciple by Supreme Zhu Tian since childhood. He was formidable all along; previously, losing to me and Ao Yue was just him biding his time and hiding his light under a bushel. "Half a year ago, when Supreme Zhu Tian emerged and began covertly operating in the Demon Domain to unify the demon race, Zhu Yunwu finally revealed his true strength!" Jiang Shishi sighed. "The personal disciple of a half-immortal is truly terrifying. When it comes to foundational talent, Ao Yue and I aren't inferior to Zhu Yunwu. But Zhu Yunwu's master is Supreme Zhu Tian—that's where the gap lies. That is a terrifying being who rose during the glorious ancient era of prodigies and lived all the way to the present day. His knowledge and breadth of experience probably surpass my master's and Ao Yue's master's combined!" …… Zhu Tian was more than willing to let Young Cult Master Lu duel his disciple. Only through such a match could he showcase the superb caliber of his mentorship. The battle to establish his prestige was right now! Zhu Tian took the initiative to step back, ceding the stage of the Altar of Heaven to Lu Yang and Zhu Yunwu. The Dragon and Phoenix Clans did the same, as did Jiang Lianyi. On the bustling Altar of Heaven, only two people now remained. All eyes were fixed on them. Everyone wanted to know which of these two peerless prodigies was superior. Lu Yang drew his sword. It was the Yaoguang Sword, one of the Seven Stars Sword Set. Three feet four inches long, it glistened with shimmering light and radiated an inherent sword glare. With a low roar, Zhu Yunwu assumed his true form: six legs and four wings. His footwork was light and his movements remarkably agile, almost like a dance, leaving countless afterimages in his wake. "That is the Dijiang Clan's Jinghong Footwork—moving like a startled swan, stirring the world like dragons and serpents!" An old fossil among the demons recognized Zhu Yunwu's technique. Word had it that this footwork had been lost long ago, and not a soul within the Dijiang Clan knew how to perform it. For the young Zhu Yunwu to execute such steps, it had to have been taught directly by Supreme Zhu Tian! Hundreds upon thousands of sword qi arcs surged from both sides of Lu Yang's body, swirling with five-colored radiance. It was a breathtaking spectacle that illuminated the entire Altar of Heaven. "Let me see just how capable a sword cultivator—reputed to possess the fiercest offensive power—truly is!" Zhu Yunwu's voice was frigid, cold indifference tinged with a hint of mockery. His footwork shifted once more, incorporating wing movements into his already nimble steps. His four wings acted as four swords, slicing through space and sweeping across the ninth tier of the Altar of Heaven as though a myth had come alive again! Lu Yang answered with his blade. Hundreds upon thousands of sword qi arcs transformed into surging, tempestuous waves. As wave crashed upon wave, layer upon layer, they blossomed into a magnificent, sprawling lotus! Boom—! The two powerhouses clashed. Zhu Yunwu proved no match, hurtling backward through the air and slamming straight into the carved balustrade of the Altar of Heaven! "What?!" The crowd gasped in shock. Defeated after a single exchange? Meng Jingzhou looked silently at Jiang Shishi. "This is that terrifying Zhu Yunwu you were talking about?" Jiang Shishi was dumbfounded, never expecting Zhu Yunwu to lose so quickly. Zhu Tian was furious. What kind of joke was this? This wasn't how he had arranged things! With Zhu Yunwu losing face like this, how was this battle supposed to establish his prestige?! He mobilized his rudimentary Dao fruit, attempting to forcibly seize control of Lu Yang. To his astonishment, however, no matter how he tried to exert control, his target acted as if he felt nothing at all, completely unmoved. This kid wasn't under his control whatsoever! How on earth had his subordinates handled this? Controlling a Golden Core stage cultivator with the Dijiang Order to impersonate Young Cult Master Lu—how could they bungle such a simple task?! The Dijiang Clan elder broke out in a cold sweat. He drove the Dijiang Order so furiously that smoke nearly rose from it, yet Lu Yang remained entirely unaffected. Pressing his advantage, Lu Yang executed a sword technique. The Yaoguang Sword shone with dazzling starlight, turning into a shooting star that pierced toward Zhu Yunwu, who lay slumped near the edge. Lu Yang held nothing back, fighting with full force right from the start! Zhu Yunwu had taken a severe beating from that earlier strike, his head spinning. Sensing mortal peril, he rolled over on instinct. The Yaoguang Sword grazed past his shoulder in a hairsbreadth escape! Zhu Yunwu snapped back to his senses, yet he still couldn't comprehend what was happening. Hadn't they agreed to just put on a show? Wasn't the guy an imposter who couldn't possibly defeat him? What was with that sword technique just now? Damn it all, even if the real Young Cult Master Lu had shown up, this was the absolute peak of what he could do! Zhu Yunwu was no ornamental vase; his track record had been earned through real, hard-fought victories. Although the current situation had derailed from the plan, things had already come to this—he would have to fight for real with drawn blades! Knowing he could no longer afford to hold back, Zhu Yunwu unleashed his full might. "Sky-Treading Stride!" His six legs sprinted furiously, treading through the sky. Every step fell with terrifying weight, causing even space itself to shudder. This was his trump card, the ultimate technique that had secured his victory over Ao Yue. He had realized the terrifying strength of his opponent; any further testing or reservation would only work to his detriment. Thus, he made a split-second decision to deploy his definitive move. Taking two steps, Zhu Yunwu actually floated in midair, as though ascending an invisible staircase before him. This was not accomplished through spells or his wings, but because those two steps were so swift and forceful that they momentarily compressed the air itself into a solid substance! Lu Yang recalled the Yaoguang Sword. His sword qi rang out sharply with brilliant, kaleidoscopic colors as he brought forth all manner of sword forms with effortless mastery—a display that would make even renowned grandmasters of the Sword Dao feel ashamed of their own inadequacy. The peerless prodigies of the human and demon races collided once again. The clash was earth-shattering, ablaze with searing radiance like an exploding sun! In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged hundreds of blows, their techniques unfolding too fast for the eye to follow. Their peers marveled at how terrifying both fighters were. Yet only those Body Integration stage experts who could clearly follow the clash realized that, while Zhu Yunwu was formidable as the disciple of a half-immortal, Young Cult Master Lu was far more terrifying! This battle was by no means a back-and-forth contest; Young Cult Master Lu was completely overwhelming Zhu Yunwu in a one-sided beatdown! What terrifying combat prowess! Hundreds upon thousands of sword qi arcs proved utterly invincible, sweeping away everything in their path. Zhu Yunwu unleashed multiple ultimate techniques, yet none availed him; he simply could not withstand Lu Yang's sword forms! Even Jiang Lianyi marveled silently to herself. Lu Yang's talent in the Sword Dao was frighteningly monstrous. Elder Sister Immortal didn't know swordsmanship, which meant Lu Yang's sword skills were either entirely self-taught or guided by some other hidden master. If it were the latter, it would be understandable. If it were the former, it was simply terrifying beyond belief.