Chapter 838
The Facts
"I've heard you're quite formidable, having defeated my uncle," Lu Xuanfeng sneered. "But in my eyes, you're nothing but a fame-seeker. Today, I'll show you what true strength is."
He drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at Zheng Yi.
"Dark Night, do you dare come down and fight me?"
"A war?" Zheng Yi smiled slightly. "What's there to be afraid of?"
“Sir.” Wang Tianhai tried to stop him.
"It's nothing," Zheng Yi waved his hand. "Let me meet this prodigy from the Lu family."
He leaped off the city wall and landed lightly on the open ground in front of the city gate.
Lu Xuanfeng also dismounted and walked up to Zheng Yi.
The two men stood facing each other, about ten feet apart.
Lu Xuanfeng looked Zheng Yi up and down, his eyes flashing with mockery.
"Your cultivation level is at the late stage of the Mahayana realm?" he asked.
“That’s right.” Zheng Yi nodded.
"What a coincidence, me too," Lu Xuanfeng sneered. "However, I am the pride of the Lu family, having cultivated the Lu family's secret techniques since childhood. My strength far surpasses that of cultivators at the same level. You are no match for me."
"Is that so?" Zheng Yi said calmly. "Then let's give it a try."
Lu Xuanfeng's face darkened, and he suddenly thrust out his sword.
The sword light flashed like a rainbow, carrying a sharp and fierce force, aiming straight for Zheng Yi's throat.
This sword strike was both fast and ruthless; an ordinary late-stage Mahayana cultivator simply couldn't dodge it.
But Zheng Yi simply turned slightly to the side and dodged the sword.
"The speed is good," he commented, "but not enough."
Lu Xuanfeng's expression changed, and his sword moves changed rapidly, transforming into a blur of sword shadows that enveloped Zheng Yi.
His swordsmanship was indeed superb, each move deadly and fraught with danger. The sword shadows were like a net, seemingly trying to trap Zheng Yi within them.
But Zheng Yi remained calm and composed, dodging left and right with ease, avoiding all the attacks.
"How could you possibly dodge it?" Lu Xuanfeng exclaimed in shock.
His swordsmanship was a closely guarded secret of the Lu family, possessing immense power; even a peak-stage Mahayana realm expert would have to contend with it with their full strength. How could this Dark Night dodge so easily?
"Your swordsmanship is indeed impressive," Zheng Yi said, "but you lack practical combat experience. While your moves are flashy, they lack variation. To a true master, there are too many openings."
"Enough with the nonsense!" Lu Xuanfeng was enraged and embarrassed. Suddenly, the sword in his hand grew three times larger, transforming into an astonishing sword beam that slashed towards Zheng Yi.
This is the Lu family's ultimate move—the Heaven-Splitting Sword!
It is said that this sword can split the heavens and the earth, possessing boundless power.
On the city wall, everyone watched the battlefield with tension.
"This is the Lu family's Heaven-Splitting Sword!" Feng Ling's expression changed slightly. "It's very powerful; Mr. Dark Night, you must be careful!"
But Zheng Yi did not dodge.
He simply raised his right hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.
A sharp aura erupted from him; it was the Heavenly Qi he had condensed through his cultivation of the Heavenly Qi Technique over the past few days.
"Thunderous Heavenly Fist!"
He threw a punch, and purple lightning and golden celestial energy intertwined on his fist, forming an astonishing attack.
boom!
The fist and sword clashed, producing a deafening roar.
The sword light was instantly shattered, and Zheng Yi's fist continued forward, carrying destructive power as it slammed towards Lu Xuanfeng.
Lu Xuanfeng's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but it was too late.
He could only barely hold his sword horizontally in front of him, trying to block the punch.
But Zheng Yi's power was too great.
boom!
The sword was shattered by a single punch, shards flying everywhere. Zheng Yi's fist continued forward, striking Lu Xuanfeng squarely in the chest.
Lu Xuanfeng's eyes widened suddenly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a cannonball, rolling several times on the ground before barely coming to a stop.
"Xuanfeng!" Lu Tianming was shocked and immediately spurred his horse forward.
But when he arrived at Lu Xuanfeng's side, he found that Lu Xuanfeng was already lifeless.
A large section of his chest caved in, his heart was shattered, and he died on the spot.
"No, impossible!" Lu Tianming's face turned deathly pale. "Xuan Feng... Xuan Feng!"
He raised his head and stared intently at Zheng Yi, his eyes filled with resentment and murderous intent.
"Dark Night! How dare you kill my son! I'll make you pay with your life!"
The spiritual power within his body began to surge violently, and a terrifying aura erupted from him.
The oppressive aura of the late-stage Mahayana realm swept towards Zheng Yi like a violent storm.
But Zheng Yi simply stood still, without moving an inch.
He also unleashed an aura that clashed with Lu Tianming's. The two auras collided in the air, producing a series of buzzing sounds.
“Lu Tianming, you want revenge for your son?” Zheng Yi said coldly. “Fine, come on then. But I advise you to think carefully; you are no match for me.”
"You!" Lu Tianming gritted his teeth, but did not make a move immediately.
He had just witnessed Zheng Yi kill Lu Xuanfeng with a single punch. Lu Xuanfeng was the pride of the Lu family, a top-tier expert in the late-stage Mahayana realm, yet he couldn't even withstand a single punch.
This Dark Night's strength is probably close to the peak of the Mahayana realm.
Although he was furious, he still retained a sliver of reason. Acting rashly would only lead to the same fate as his son.
"Elder Lu, calm down." The elder of the Sun family rode forward and said in a low voice, "Dark Night's strength is indeed formidable; we cannot act rashly."
The black-armored man from the Zhao family also approached. "Elder Sun is right. Although we have several thousand men, only a few of us are truly capable of fighting Dark Night. A rash attack would result in heavy losses."
Lu Tianming gritted his teeth and remained silent, his expression shifting constantly.
Zheng Yi looked at them, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"What, is this all the courage the three great families have in their allied forces?" he sneered. "Weren't you so arrogant just now? Why are you silent now?"
"Dark Night! Don't be so smug!" Lu Tianming roared, "My Lu family will remember this grudge! Sooner or later, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!"
"I'm available anytime," Zheng Yi said calmly. He turned and walked towards the city wall.
After taking a few steps, he stopped and looked back at the allied forces of the three great families.
“I’ll say it again.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly, “Qingyun City is not a place you can set your sights on. Leave now before I change my mind. Otherwise, you’ll be next to die.”
After saying that, he leaped back onto the city wall.
Beneath the city walls, the troops of the three great families remained completely silent.
Everyone witnessed what just happened. Lu Xuanfeng, the prodigy of the Lu family and a late-stage Mahayana Realm expert, was actually killed by Dark Night with a single punch.
This terrifying power chilled everyone to the bone.
"Elder Lu, what should we do?" a guard from the Lu family asked in a trembling voice.
Lu Tianming remained silent, his face terribly gloomy.
He looked down at his son's body, his eyes filled with grief and anger.
Xuanfeng was his most beloved son and the most outstanding genius among the younger generation of the Lu family. He originally thought that Xuanfeng could easily defeat An Ye and give Qingyun City a warning.
Unexpectedly, Xuanfeng died.
"Elder Lu, please accept my condolences." The elder from the Sun family approached and comforted him. "The strength of Dark Night was indeed beyond our expectations, but we haven't lost yet. As long as we join forces, we might be able to take Qingyun City."
"A combined attack?" Lu Tianming looked up at the elder of the Sun family. "Elder Sun, do you think we can defeat that Dark Night?"
“If one person can’t defeat them, three of us together might not be able to,” said the elder of the Sun family. “Besides, we have several thousand men. Even if Dark Night is strong, he can’t possibly fight thousands of people alone.”
“Elder Sun is right,” the black-armored man from the Zhao family also spoke up. “Although Dark Night is powerful, he is only one person. As long as we divide our forces to attack, he will be unable to defend both sides, and Qingyun City will fall sooner or later.”
Lu Tianming pondered for a moment, then finally shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Today’s situation has exceeded my expectations. I need to go back and report to the head of the family so that he can decide what to do next.”
"Elder Lu." The elder from the Sun family wanted to say something more.
"Elder Sun, let's leave it at that for today," Lu Tianming interrupted him. "My son has just died; I have no mood to continue fighting. Let's retreat first, and make a decision after reporting to the patriarch."
After saying that, he bent down, picked up Lu Xuanfeng's body, and placed it on the horse's back.
"Retreat!" he shouted.
The allied forces of the three great families began to retreat slowly and soon disappeared on the distant official road.
On the city wall, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"They've retreated!" Tieshan shouted excitedly. "The allied forces of the three great families were scared away by the leader of the Dark Night Clan!"
"Mr. Dark Night is truly amazing!" Wang Tianhai exclaimed excitedly. "He killed the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch, and intimidated the allied forces of the three great families!"
Zheng Yi, however, was not as optimistic as they were.
“Don’t be too happy yet,” he said. “I’ve killed the young master of the Lu family, and Lu Tianming certainly won’t let this go. Their retreat this time is only temporary. Once they report to the Lu family head, they’ll definitely have bigger plans.”
"Then what should we do?" Wang Tianhai asked.
“Strengthen our defenses and prepare,” Zheng Yi said. “At the same time, we need to find more allies. We can’t fight the three great families alone.”
"Allies?" Wang Tianhai asked, somewhat puzzled. "Where are we going to find allies?"
“The Town Commandery,” Zheng Yi said, “and there are other forces that might be willing to help. While the three great families are powerful, they are not monolithic. As long as we can find allies willing to help, we have a chance to overcome this crisis.”
“Alright, I’ll contact the Town Administration Bureau right away,” Wang Tianhai said.
Zheng Yi nodded and turned to look into the distance.
The sun had begun to set in the west, and the horizon was tinged with a blood-red glow.
The storm had temporarily passed, but he knew the real tempest was yet to come.
The Lu family won't let this go so easily. He killed the young master of the Lu family, and the Lu family will definitely settle this score.
But he doesn't regret it.
In some situations, backing down will only embolden the other party. Only by retaliating in kind can you show your enemy that you are not someone to be trifled with.
“Come on,” he murmured. “Whether it’s the Lu family or the nine great families, as long as they dare to come, I’ll fight them to the bitter end.”
The allied forces of the three great families retreated to a dense forest thirty miles outside Qingyun City.
The location here is secluded, surrounded by tall, ancient trees whose branches and leaves block out the sun, forming a natural barrier. There is a clearing in the forest large enough to accommodate thousands of people and horses for encampment.
The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the scent of pine resin and earth, and the occasional bird call broke the tranquility of the dense forest.
Lu Tianming returned to the camp with Lu Xuanfeng's body, his face terribly gloomy.
He placed his son's body on a flat rock and stared at it for a long time. Lu Xuanfeng's face still held the shock and resentment of his dying moments, his eyes wide open, unable to close in death.
“Xuanfeng,” Lu Tianming’s voice was hoarse, filled with suppressed grief, “Father will definitely avenge you.”
He reached out and gently closed his son's eyes.
“Elder Lu, please accept our condolences.” The elder from the Sun family approached, his face filled with sympathy. “We are all deeply saddened by Young Master Lu’s death. But now is not the time for grief; we need to discuss what to do next.”
Lu Tianming took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the grief in his heart, and turned around.
"Alright, let's discuss it then." His voice returned to calm, but the resentment in his eyes intensified.
The three arrived at a large tent in the center of the camp and took their seats as host and guest.
Several oil lamps were lit inside the large tent, their dim light illuminating the faces of the three men. Outside, the sounds of soldiers moving about and horses neighing occasionally drifted in, making the dense forest anything but quiet.
“You both witnessed what happened today,” Lu Tianming said. “That Dark Night’s strength is far greater than we anticipated. Xuan Feng, the most outstanding genius among the younger generation of the Lu family, with his late-stage Mahayana Realm cultivation, couldn’t even withstand a single punch from him.”
"Indeed, this is unexpected." The elder of the Sun family nodded. "In all my years, I, Sun Wanli, have never seen such a young late-stage Mahayana Realm expert. Moreover, his strength seems to extend beyond this. I sensed a trace of Heavenly Qi in that punch just now. If I'm not mistaken, he must have cultivated some kind of profound cultivation technique."
"Celestial Qi?" Lu Tianming frowned. "What is that?"
"The Heavenly Qi is an extremely rare power," Sun Wanli explained. "Cultivating the Heavenly Qi requires special techniques and talent; ordinary people simply cannot comprehend it. Once mastered, one's attack power will experience a qualitative leap. No wonder Young Master Lu suffered such a crushing defeat."
Lu Tianming's face grew even more gloomy.
"No matter what kind of cultivation technique he practiced, I will kill him!" he said through gritted teeth. "Xuanfeng is my only son. He killed Xuanfeng, and I will never let him go!"
“I understand Elder Lu’s feelings,” said the black-armored man from the Zhao family. His name was Zhao Tiefeng, and he was the second elder of the Zhao family. “But we need to analyze the situation calmly now and not act impulsively.”
"What insightful opinion does Elder Zhao have?" Lu Tianming asked.
"Dark Night's strength is formidable, that's a fact," Zhao Tiefeng said. "But he's only one person. No matter how strong he is, he can't possibly fight against the combined forces of our three great families alone. As long as we work together and launch a full-scale attack, Qingyun City will fall sooner or later." (End of Chapter)