Chapter 2173.2: Challenge

Lu Yun didn’t care that trouble was incoming after today. The Nineheavens Pagoda had plainly come to Dark City to eliminate the Lu Clan. Since there were open hostilities between the two, there was no need for any restraint in his actions.

Fights within the Beast Colosseum were unusually brutal. As human and beast grappled with each other, Li Wei paid the price of an arm to crush the blaze lion’s head.

It was a pyrrhic victory made possible through the physique of a nascent soul cultivator.

Emotion flickered over Fengxian Wu’s face—she couldn’t bear the sight.

“Aiyaya, Brother Jiang, it looks like I’ve won,” Lu Yun said merrily.

“Ole brother Lu’s human pet is extraordinary indeed. I wholeheartedly accept my defeat.” Jiang Feng and Lu Yun’s honorifics for each other had changed at some point in time. “This Riversurge is my dear younger brother’s.” Jiang Feng casually handed the sword to Lu Yun.

Off to the side, Lin Qi and the other noble sons swallowed hard. A mid spirit rank weapon was exceedingly rare even in fourth rank empires. It was typically wielded only by the various patriarchs and sect leaders of the major factions.

“Brother Jiang, Brother Mo, I see that it’s almost noon. Why don’t I prepare a banquet at my residence and invite the two brothers for a visit?” Lu Yun looked around and addressed Mo Qiyue and Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng nodded with a faint smile while Mo Qiyue first blinked with astonishment, then nodded as well.

“Yu Shuai, Chenguang, c’mon. We’re drinking at my place,” Lu Yun called out to his friends. He always included them as they were his brothers for life.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan and Lan’er recovered through Fengxian Wu’s efforts. Lu Xuan was once more expressionless as he marched the one-armed Li Wei and Xu Chuyun’s other guard, Cheng You, back to the Lu residence.

....

“Eldest senior brother, you must uphold justice for me!” Xu Chuyun had fully recovered in a Dark City inn. Apart from his hair needing time to grow back, all was as it should be with him.

A handsome young man in pale blue robes sat in front of him. Naturally graceful, he emanated an ethereal air. He was much weaker than Xu Lang at only latter nascent soul, but as the senior disciple of the Nineheavens Pagoda, his methods were much superior to Xu Lang’s.

“You can ignore the Lu Clan going forward. Our mission centers on the dao weapon,” Xu Youyuan said faintly.

“But..”

“There are no buts.” Xu Youyuan flicked a glance at the young lord. “Nothing is an issue so long as you are alive. We only had one chance to eliminate the Lu Clan. Things are over since we missed it.”

Enormous reluctance colored Xu Chuyun’s face, but he didn’t dare protest.

Xu Youyuan and Xu Lang were the senior and second disciples of the Nineheavens Pagoda. They stood head and shoulders above their peers in the younger generation of Dark Orchid Empire; someone as useless as Xu Chuyun couldn’t begin to measure up to them.

His father had raised them from youth and they occupied the same status as Xu Chuyun in the sect. However, since it was a law enforcer from the ninth rank empires that’d kill Xu Lang, there was nothing that anyone dared say. They would have to accept it if even their emperor was executed by a law enforcer.

“Li Jian, have you determined where that Yong Heyu is yet?” Xu Youyuan asked another disciple who’d walked through the door.

“Yes,” Li Jian smiled faintly. “He was at the Iron Pagoda Mountain in the western territory of the Profound Wing Empire three days ago. He left ripples of a spirit weapon behind—it seems likely that he fought someone there.”

“Profound Wing Empire, the Iron Pagoda Mountain.” Xu Youyuan shot to his feet. “We go to the Profound Wing Empire!”

....

All of the factions in a holding position at Dark City mobilized for the mountain in the western quadrant of Profound Wing Empire. Many of Darklake’s own factions joined the hustle and bustle as well.

The Lu residence.

“Are you going to Iron Pagoda Mountain as well, Brother Jiang?” Lu Yun looked curiously at Jiang Feng, easily discerning that the young man possessed an incredible background. He was most probably from an upper rank cultivation empire, so why did he care about the dao weapon?

“Ask Mo the Second. I go if he goes, I won’t go if he doesn’t.” Jiang Feng used his chin to point at a Mo Qiyue sipping tea.

Lu Yun had been very surprised to find out that the two knew each other. He already knew that the Mo Clan wasn’t as simple as it appeared and that Mo Qiyue hid his strength deep, but who would’ve thought that he’d have a relationship with someone like Jiang Feng?

Jiang Feng had stayed at the Lu residence ever since their meeting at the Beast Colosseum, which often brought Mo Qiyue to the complex.

What stoked Lu Yun’s curiosity was that Mo Qiyue was an only child. So why did Jiang Feng call him “the second” in a way that indicated he was the second child of his family?

“It’ll be interesting to watch the proceedings.” Mo Qiyue put down his teacup with a smack of his lips. “Ole brother Lu, your tea tastes very special. I wonder what kind of tea leaves are these.”

“They’re just some trifles. I’ll give Brother Mo a few kilograms if you like it,” Lu Yun smiled. He’d concocted this tea with the medicinal properties of numerous spirit herbs, it wasn’t the tea leaf that he’d obtained from his senior brother. That leaf was too potent—Lu Yun could drink it at will because he was protected by the laws of heavenly dao. But here, even a tea leaf the size of a fingernail needed to be brewed with hundreds of liters of water.

“That would be wonderful.” A faint smile spread across Mo Qiyue’s face.

“Honestly, he needs to do a better job of showing his emotions.” Jiang Feng rolled his eyes.

Humm!

A sharp sword whistle echoed from the depths of the Lu residence, followed shortly by vast sword qi that shot into the clouds. The whistle shocked the city.

“This is.. the ripples of latter nascent soul! Most of the foreigners have left Dusk City, so who do these belong to??” Within the Ouyang residence, Ouyang Zhen rose with a start and looked to the east.

Many nascent soul cultivators within the Yu, Zhao, Mo, Yuwen, Ling Clans, and even the palace, opened their eyes to look to the east.

“Another latter nascent soul powerhouse has appeared in Darklake Empire!” Emperor Situ Wenxian smiled from his throne.

The air over the Lu residence.

Lu Xiaochi stood proudly in the air with sword qi raging around him. Undeniably glorious, he wore a black combat outfit and seemed like a sharp sword that’d shot out of its scabbard.

“This is..” Jiang Feng stood up. “Such incredible sword intent! An incredible sword immortal has appeared in this nation!”

Fervor flashed through Jiang Feng’s eyes. Mo Qiyue glanced at his friend and shook his head.

“Ah, it’s the Lu second master. Has your cultivation recovered?” An elder with graying hair appeared in the skies outside the complex with a flash of sword light. He was very startled by what he found.

“Hahaha, greetings to Senior Zhao Xuanfeng, senior elder of the Zhao Clan.” Lu Xiaochi held himself with confidence and assurance. Not only had his cultivation fully recovered, but it’d taken a step forward and reached latter nascent soul.

The Major Five Elements Demolition Godslayer Record that Lu Yun had given him was a premier sword method recorded in the world of immortals. Combined with the tea leaves that Lu Yun had taken from his senior brother, it ensured that Lu Xiaochi easily returned to a nascent soul cultivation level.

“Pity, I need a decent weapon,” Lu Xiaochi found this sole lacking regretful. His personal treasure had been a flying sword before he was crippled, but enemies had shattered it.

“Second uncle, catch!” Lu Yun took out the Riversurge that he’d just won from Jiang Feng and threw it to Lu Xiaochi.

“A mid spirit rank weapon!” Eyes brightening, Lu Xiaochi laughed happily. “What a fine sword! Senior Zhao, dare you spar with me?” He pointed the sword at Zhao Xuanfeng.

The elder smiled ruefully.

“How do the Lus have a mid spirit rank weapon? When did they become as common as cabbages?” Zhao Xuanfeng could fight Lu Xiaochi if the latter didn’t have his new weapon, but the emergence of the mid spirit rank weapon meant that his own upper fine rank weapon would be ruined after one blow.

“So it was the Lu second master who broke through to latter nascent soul after recovering his cultivation. This unaccomplished junior would be happy to spar!” Sword light flashed through the sky as a young man in long green robes arrived atop a flying sword.

“You are the current foremost genius of the capital, Ouyang Shengtian?” Lu Xiaochi looked at the newcomer.

“Indeed, that is this junior!” A keen light glinted in Ouyang Shengtian’s eyes.

“Didn’t you defeat this guy? How dare he challenge your second uncle?” A surprised Jiang Feng gazed at the young man in the sky.

“The Ouyang Shengtian in front of us is more than what he seems.” Lu Yun shook his head. He, too, rose into the air with a flash of sword light beneath his feet.

“Ouyang Shengtian, my vanquished opponent—how does trash like you want to challenge my second uncle? Come come, this young master will meet you in battle,” Lu Yun roared with laughter as he soared on the back of Arcturus.

Ouyang Shengtian looked at him unpleasantly.

Lu Xiaochi paused, turned his head stiltedly, and almost had his eyeballs fall out to see his nephew join him with a lower spirit rank weapon.

“Did you just say.. Ouyang Shengtian is your vanquished opponent?” he asked hesitantly.

“Heh heh heh heh heh,” Lu Yun cackled.

There were numerous people gathered below; all of them rolled their eyes when they heard Lu Yun. You’re just a handful of dog shit, Lu Yun. How dare you shamelessly boast that one of the three gentlemen lost to you? You’ve lost your mind!

The four gentlemen from the Dark Orchid Empire had locked down the happenings at the Beast Colosseum. No one dared speak about it, and although some rumors circulated, most dismissed the hearsay as jokes.

Initial nascent spirit Ouyang Shengtian losing to Lu Yun? Never. No one paid any attention to the Lu young master’s cultivation. What difference was there between foundation establishment and qi refinement to a nascent soul powerhouse?

“Ouyang Shengtian, you’ll have to get through me first if you want to challenge my second uncle. Don’t even think of fighting my uncle if you can’t defeat me.” Killing intent shimmered in Lu Yun’s eyes. Ouyang Shengtian gave him a very strange feeling—a very uncomfortable feeling. Thus, he’d changed his mind. He was going to send Ouyang Shengtian to the afterlife as soon as possible.

The Ouyangs had undoubtedly been infiltrated by the enemy. Judging from the Ouyang young master’s performance at the Beast Colosseum, he’d coordinated his actions with the real enemy.

Since Lu Yun was just foundation establishment, he couldn’t fly through the air. He had to use Arcturus to face Ouyang Shengtian in the sky. A fiery light flashed by when he assembled his hands into a seal and a miniature pill cauldron appeared in his dantian.

“Then I will help you along since you wish to die so badly,” Ouyang Shengtian said woodenly as his expression returned to normal.