“Junior Brother Ye Chen, is it too late for me to join Azure Mystery Peak now?”
Before Fang Yan could finish, the Body Tempering Peak Master delivered a swift kick to his backside. “Fang Yan! You little brat, you like Azure Mystery Peak that much, do you? Go back, and I’ll personally toss you over to Lu Xuan. Let him be the one to teach you!”
Fang Yan’s expression instantly crumpled. “Master, I am fiercely loyal to Body Tempering Peak! How could I possibly leave your side?”
A ripple of laughter went through the crowd.
Lu Xuan nodded. “Alright, let’s go. Next stop: the Ten Luo Hall branch in Yunzhou!”
With a casual wave, Lu Xuan activated the Supreme Great Emperor Formation Pattern. The group vanished from their spot, instantly descending upon the location of the Ten Luo Hall branch in Yunzhou.
***
Boom! The void tore open. Space twisted violently. Lu Xuan and his companions stepped out of the spatial rift.
He surveyed his surroundings. The Yunzhou Ten Luo Hall branch stood atop a high ridge, commanding the surrounding mountains. Towers and pavilions rose grandly, exuding a faint, chilling aura. Brilliant formation patterns pulsed around the complex, cascading like a river of stars, creating a magnificent, yet ominous, sight.
Above the branch, dense, flickering seal formations were visible. Some areas were already shattered, showing signs of countless bombardments by terrifying offensive power. These were Emperor-tier seals and restrictions secretly laid down by the major Yunzhou powers to prevent the branch members from escaping.
In the distant sky, countless spiritual boats belonging to the great Yunzhou powers hovered. The air was thick with people, a chaotic, deafening roar of anticipation. Lu Xuan was momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected so many major Yunzhou forces to gather, all waiting to witness the annihilation of this branch.
Looks like this Ten Luo Hall branch was truly rotten to the core, Lu Xuan mused internally. After all, he had destroyed nine branches so far, and everywhere he went, he was met with profuse thanks from local powers, who hailed him for removing a malignant tumor.
From afar, numerous banners fluttered in the wind:
“Yunzhou, Xue Family!”
“Yunzhou, Nalan Family!”
“Yunzhou, Cangyun Manor!”
“...”
These major Yunzhou powers were ecstatic to see Lu Xuan and his group arrive.
Elder Mu observed the scene and sighed with deep emotion. “The righteous cause gains help from many, while the unrighteous gains little from few. The Ten Luo Hall is now a wall falling, with everyone pushing, and it is entirely due to the karma they sowed over the past millennia. Today, they reap the bitter fruit. Yunzhou is a vast state, several times stronger than the Nine Provinces. Naturally, Ten Luo Hall destroyed many more great powers here over the years. Thus, as the Ten Luo Hall collapses, Yunzhou’s reaction is the most intense.”
Among the assisting crowd, Chen Changsheng had dispatched a wooden puppet disguised as a gray-robed elder to observe in secret. Ever since Lu Xuan killed Luo Yangtian, he had vanished right in front of him. When Lu Xuan later declared his intent to destroy the ten Ten Luo Hall branches across the Southern Wilds, with Yunzhou being the last, Chen Changsheng decided to come to Yunzhou and wait for Lu Xuan to appear.
“In less than a day, Fellow Daoist Lu Xuan has wiped out nine branches,” Chen Changsheng murmured. “To traverse ten states in such a short time, coming and going like the wind, his mastery of spatial formation patterns is absolutely terrifying.”
At that moment, Lu Xuan, clad in his white robe, his face obscured by divine light, flicked his sleeve, signaling Elder Mu and the others to retreat.
Elder Mu hesitated slightly, reminding him, “Fellow Daoist, there is a Seven-star Great Emperor and an Eight-star Great Emperor inside. Are you sure…”
Lu Xuan’s face was placid. “Elder Mu, it’s fine. They are merely ants.”
He knew he held a Seven-star Great Emperor Experience Card in his hand. Activating it would be enough to instantly kill the 13th Elder.
Elder Mu, after a moment of doubt, slowly retreated with Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen to a distant location.
Lu Xuan stood tall in the void, his back to the heavens, his eyes calm and unperturbed. He slowly stepped toward the high ridge where the Ten Luo Hall branch stood. With every step, Great Emperor Dao Patterns surged beneath his feet, like a brilliant river of stars.
Seeing this, the Ten Luo Hall members frowned. The Grand Dao Sect sent only a Five-star Great Emperor? Were they looking down on them?
The 14th Elder’s face was grim with anger, feeling immensely insulted. “Is Your Excellency here to commit suicide?” he sneered. He was a Seven-star Great Emperor; killing this person would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken!
In a flash, the 13th Elder flicked his sleeve, activating the Ten Luo Hall’s formation. Obscure, ancient fluctuations appeared, and complex formation patterns, like ripples, surged directly toward Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan was instantly swallowed by the formation, placing him right near the 13th and 14th Elders.
Outside the hall, everyone was stunned. What? Was this white-robed Great Emperor too arrogant? Now he was trapped in the formation, facing a Seven-star and an Eight-star Great Emperor head-on!
Lu Xuan remained perfectly composed, his expression utterly nonchalant. He crushed the Seven-star Great Emperor Experience Card.
Crack!
Instantly, the aura around him surged wildly!
Five-star Great Emperor!
Initial Six-star Great Emperor!
Mid-stage Six-star Great Emperor!
... It finally settled at Late-stage Seven-star Great Emperor!
The 13th and 14th Elders stared intently at Lu Xuan. Seeing that Lu Xuan was only a Seven-star Great Emperor, their initial tension eased. That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?
The 14th Elder’s face twisted into a ferocious grin. “Since we cannot escape death, killing a few Grand Dao Sect ancestors to accompany us on the Yellow Springs Road is a worthy trade! A mere Seven-star Great Emperor, die for me—”
He was cut off. Lu Xuan simply flicked his sleeve, and a streak of divine light shot out. “What about a Seven-star Great Emperor?”
Whoosh!
The celestial ribbon of divine light, carrying an unstoppable, overwhelming momentum, instantly appeared before the 14th Elder. A mortal chill of death seized the 14th Elder. He tried to block it, but it was too late. His head was cleanly sliced off by the divine light, flying high into the air!
Blood splattered everywhere. Instant kill!
Boom! The 14th Elder’s body crashed backward, his life force extinguished. The 13th Elder stared blankly at the body of the 14th Elder.
Gulp! The 14th Elder’s bloody head tumbled down from the sky and rolled to a stop right at the 13th Elder’s feet. The 13th Elder’s face turned ashen. The 14th Elder’s eyes were wide open, filled with endless terror—he had died in sheer shock.
Seeing the gruesome state of the head, the 13th Elder suddenly threw his head back and let out a piercing wail. Two streams of blood mixed with tears ran down his face as he screamed.
“Ah! Aaaahhhh!”
His beloved was dead! The 13th Elder looked utterly devastated, as if struck by an immense blow. A trickle of blood escaped his lips, and his black hair instantly turned white!
After a moment of silence, the 13th Elder raised his head, fixing his gaze on Lu Xuan. The boundless grief transformed into a murderous intent that surged toward the heavens.
Kill!
The 13th Elder’s face was contorted in a snarl as he charged toward Lu Xuan. “I will have your life!”
Lu Xuan remained calm and expressionless.
The 13th Elder clenched his fists and unleashed a torrential storm of attacks against Lu Xuan’s chest. Boom! Boom! Boom! Terrifying Emperor-realm Dao Patterns manifested, and the supreme destructive power of an Eight-star Great Emperor surged like a tidal wave. Brilliant divine light, like countless stars, hammered down on Lu Xuan. Each punch unleashed a terrifying fist imprint, manifesting illusory visions of a hundred thousand mountains and supreme palaces, shaking the very firmament.
Yet, Lu Xuan did not move a single step. He allowed the 13th Elder’s fist imprints to crash against him.
Brilliant divine light completely engulfed Lu Xuan, obscuring his form. All that could be seen was the 13th Elder’s terrifying Emperor-realm attacks transforming into dazzling divine radiance, surging toward the white light that enveloped Lu Xuan.
The 13th Elder continued to vent his killing intent and rage, growing more and more frantic.
“You dared to kill my beloved! I! Will! Kill! You!”
Outside, everyone was stunned by the sight. The white-robed Great Emperor was finally going to perish! After all, he was only a Seven-star Great Emperor. One star is one world! And this wasn't the Grand Dao Sect, where he could use the Grand Dao Scripture to bridge the chasm between the realms.
A collective sigh of regret went through the crowd.
Chen Changsheng, however, smiled almost imperceptibly, waiting for Lu Xuan’s inevitable counter-attack.
Inside the formation, the 13th Elder was still savagely attacking Lu Xuan. The boundless power surged toward Lu Xuan, but the white divine light protecting him remained unyielding.
The 13th Elder’s face grew increasingly ugly. He finally realized something was terribly wrong. He had unleashed his strongest killing moves, striking this Seven-star Great Emperor countless times, yet the man was completely unharmed. How was this possible? He was a Late-stage Eight-star Great Emperor at Great Perfection!
The 13th Elder froze, staring at Lu Xuan in disbelief. “How? How did you do that?”
Lu Xuan’s lips curled into a faint smile. He lightly brushed a speck of dust from his pristine robe, ignoring the 13th Elder. He turned his head to look at Ye Chen.
“Ye Chen, watch closely.” His voice resonated like a great bell.
In the distance, Ye Chen looked up, his face flushed with excitement. “Master is going to demonstrate the Desolate Heaven Art for me!”
The Desolate Heaven Art!
Instantly, Lu Xuan’s martial will surged like a torrent. Behind him, a towering Martial Dao Furnace manifested, emitting profound Daoist chants. A mighty hymn echoed between heaven and earth.
Ye Chen excitedly turned to Ji Fuyao. “Senior Sister, everything we know, Master knows too!”
Ji Fuyao’s starry eyes twinkled, and she parted her lips slightly. “Master is omnipotent.”
At that moment, Lu Xuan threw a punch!
The punch was like a falling star, carrying supreme power. His martial will soared to the firmament, and boundless energy poured out like a vast ocean. The fist imprint was dazzling, erupting with an unstoppable momentum capable of sweeping aside all of history.
This was pure martial power, containing nothing but raw, fundamental force—a single punch that could Suppress all enemies in the world!
The 13th Elder was horrified. He immediately summoned his Great Emperor Dao Patterns and defensive Emperor Artifacts to block the strike.
It was useless!
The Great Emperor Dao Patterns shattered!
The defensive Emperor Artifacts crumbled into dust!
The 13th Elder’s scalp crawled. Terrifying flames erupted on his body, burning his soul and flesh.
It was useless!
The punch instantly pulverized his soul and annihilated his physical body!
Pfft!
The 13th Elder exploded into a cloud of blood mist! Instant kill! His body and spirit were utterly destroyed.
The 13th Elder’s agonizing scream echoed in the air.
“You! How could this be?… You are dead! Duan Hunsheng is already on his way to Yunzhou…”
His voice faded, and the final Ten Luo Hall branch was silenced.