Chapter 36: Something Is Wrong!
Lu Qingyang thought for a long while, but could not figure it out.
Still, he felt that the disciple named Li Buqun was not simple.
Even the name carried a hint of something extraordinary…
And as time passed minute by minute, Lu Qingyang once again “painstakingly” knocked out several disciples who came up to poach an easy win.
At this moment, his win count had finally reached the ninth victory!
“Phew… one more win, and I’ll have one foot in the Inner Gate.”
Lu Qingyang let out a long breath of turbid qi, his heart surging with excitement.
But just then, a sharp aura pressed straight into his vision.
“Hm?”
Lu Qingyang’s expression shifted slightly, vigilance instantly rising in his heart.
He looked up, and saw a figure slowly walking to the opposite side.
He wore a white Dharma robe, his face pale, his expression cold, his eyes black as ink.
“Deacon Lu, I have long heard of your great name.”
The white-robed man smiled.
His figure was tall and straight, a white robe fluttering in the wind, as if an exiled immortal had descended to the mortal dust.
“Who are you?”
Lu Qingyang narrowed his eyes, sizing up the young man before him.
“Heh heh, who I am is not actually important. I originally had no desire to be used as a gun by others.”
“But watching you toy with your fellow disciples like monkeys, I grew a little curious.”
“Curious about what?”
“Curious… how strong you are?”
The white-robed man spoke faintly.
His voice was extremely soft, and did not carry beyond the chaotic arena.
Thus, none of the Qi Refinement cultivators watching the battle could hear it.
Only the True Persons hovering in mid-air wore somewhat strange expressions.
“You… can actually see through it.”
Lu Qingyang began to take this young man seriously.
He could sense that this person… was very strong.
“Law Enforcement Bureau, Lin Xiao. Please grant me instruction!”
Lin Xiao cupped his hands in salute.
“Spirit Field Bureau, Lu Qingyang. Please grant me instruction.”
The two clasped fists toward each other, a sharp light flickering in both their eyes.
The crowd below saw someone else challenge Lu Qingyang, and all turned their gazes over.
Some seemed expectant, others seemed vexed that the one who stepped up was not themselves.
As if afraid the nearly ripened fruit would be plucked by another…
“Boom!”
In the next instant, Lin Xiao raised his hand and formed a seal, brilliant radiance bursting from his fingertips.
A massive saber wreathed in dazzling golden light appeared within his grasp.
“Vajra Slash!”
His arm exerted force, and the blade edge slashed down diagonally.
Instantly, the air trembled, emitting a piercing hum.
Lu Qingyang’s pupils abruptly constricted.
A first-tier high-grade spell. Well come.
He inwardly praised, and his body shook.
He likewise formed a seal.
A thick earthen shield appeared out of thin air before him, blocking the Vajra Slash.
Clang…
At the collision, two wild surges of qi violently blasted outward.
The earthen shield shook violently, emitting muffled thuds again and again.
But it did not shatter.
“Oh…”
“Another first-tier high-grade spell. Counting this Earth Shield Technique, you have already cast no fewer than six high-grade spells today, and one top-grade spell.”
Lin Xiao glanced at the earthen shield in surprise, somewhat astonished.
“However, I wonder if Deacon Lu can receive this next blade of mine?”
The corner of his mouth curved upward, and he waved his right hand.
As his fingers flipped, a pitch-black, gleaming long saber appeared in his hand.
“This blade is named Skyrend. It has followed me for many years. Its rank is not high, but it is extremely handy.”
Lin Xiao gently stroked the blade, his gaze burning.
“Deacon Lu, please receive this blade!”
Before his words finished, his wrist turned, and the long saber chopped down toward Lu Qingyang.
A wild saber intent spread out, and the surrounding air seemed to distort.
“Saber intent!”
“Hisss! Look, isn’t that the Lin Clan kid!”
“That’s him all right. Rumor has it this kid observed mortals fighting and deduced saber intent from it!”
“I just never imagined that mortal saber intent combined with a cultivator’s Dharma Artifact would have such remarkable power.”
In mid-air, the True Persons discussed animatedly.
Lu Qingyang watched the incoming blade, a sense of danger rising in his heart.
He held nothing back. His wrists flew, his palm seals churned, and one dharma formula after another was cast.
One dharma seal after another condensed into form.
Under Lu Qingyang’s control, the earthen shield, fire shield, wind shield, wood shield, and more all emerged, forming a solid defense.
“Come.”
Lu Qingyang’s eyes went wide, his hand seals even faster.
As the seals completed, the various defensive spells stacked together, firm as gold and soup.
And this sudden turn of events left everyone below dumbstruck.
“No… something’s wrong. Wasn’t Deacon Lu exhausted just now?”
A Qi Refinement disciple turned his head in confusion, looking at the companion beside him. “Why do I feel like Deacon Lu just ate and drank his fill and only now stepped onto the stage?”
Looking at the tiger-fierce Lu Qingyang on the platform.
The faces of the Qi Refinement disciples stiffened.
And while everyone was stunned, Lin Xiao’s unremarkable first-tier low-grade Dharma Artifact long saber had already viciously chopped onto the various spell shields.
“Rumble!”
A muffled sound abruptly exploded, rings of ripples spreading outward.
“Crack!”
“Crack!”
Then a series of crisp sounds rang out.
The earthen shield shattered, the water shield shattered, the wood shield shattered, the fire shield shattered, the wind shield shattered…
One spell after another collapsed, turning into specks of starlight and vanishing.
In mere blinks, the thick spell defense was utterly pulverized.
The long saber’s momentum did not fade, continuing its vertical chop.
“Break for me!”
Lin Xiao bellowed, his eyes full of madness.
“Not good!”
“Deacon Lu is going to lose!”
The Qi Refinement disciples watched the approaching blade peak, horror in their hearts.
No one could have imagined that someone could combine mortal saber intent with Dharma Artifact spells in a single strike.
This Lin Xiao was not simple!
On the platform, Lin Xiao wore a savage grin.
The long saber chopped heavily down, kicking up waves of wind.
Mixed with spell residue, it raised a thick mist in the air, obscuring everyone’s vision.
Below the platform, the crowd stared wide-eyed at the situation on stage, their heartbeats involuntarily accelerating.
No one could have imagined that Lu Qingyang would actually lose!
He had clearly been fierce as a monster just moments ago!
But on the platform, Lin Xiao’s eyes suddenly focused, the sensation transmitted from the blade tip making him feel something was wrong.
He wiped the excitement from his face, frowning as he carefully studied the mist.
As if wanting to see clearly what was inside.
“H-how could that be!?”
A cry of surprise came abruptly from the air, carrying a note of disbelief.
Lin Xiao whipped his head around, and saw that the Foundation Establishment True Persons in mid-air had somehow already drawn close.
Every face had become astonished.
Every pair of eyes was fixed dead on the stage, full of disbelief.
Finally, a cool breeze drifted past.
The mist gradually dispersed, revealing the scene on the platform.
“This…”
Lin Xiao’s pupils constricted, terror flowing from his gaze.
He saw Lu Qingyang, bare-chested, gripping the blade tip with one hand, his body tall and straight, a pair of cold eyes fixed tightly on him.
A thread of fresh blood dripped from his palm.
It fell to the ground, like a peal of thunder…