Chapter 106: The Strong Arrive! A Fierce Duel!

Then Lu Zhangsheng strode to the center of the courtyard and began testing his power after the breakthrough.

He gently summoned his Qi and blood, and a continuous stream of force surged from deep within his body, flowing to his limbs and bones.

He clenched his fist, as if feeling he could punch through the void.

This illusion was also caused by the excessive increase in strength.

After this breakthrough, his power rose more than double, and even his physical defense, speed, and sword technique improved considerably.

Afterwards, Lu Zhangsheng drew his long sword and slashed toward the empty air ahead.

"Sss—"

Endless cold light flickered uncertainly in the void, and the force whistled with a sharp, piercing scream.

Soon, only countless intersecting blade lights remained in the courtyard's center, forming a massive net with a terrifying aura.

Gradually, afterimages darted across the courtyard, his long sword swinging nonstop, like a dancing spirit.

"Hoo—"

After a moment.

Lu Zhangsheng stopped, slowly exhaling a puff of foul air.

The surrounding afterimages returned to their bodies, looking rather uncanny.

After this breakthrough, his sword technique and speed increased by about thirty percent.

His current strength is no longer weak even at the peak of Blood Transmutation.

At this moment, Lu Zhangsheng felt a faint confidence in defending the city.

…………

Day three, dawn.

The rising sun warmed the whole town, yet it could not dispel the gloom in everyone's hearts.

Even the smoke over the city had not cleared.

Almost every household hung white silk, and the town was immersed in a sorrowful atmosphere.

The cave by the city wall had long been sealed, and a handful of remaining city guards patrolled the ramparts anxiously.

Everyone knew that the next two days would be the most critical.

If cult strongmen attacked, Lord Ye could not hold them back, and they would have no chance of survival.

A group of people looked at the man in white on the rampart with reverent awe.

At this moment, he seemed to become the town's sole guardian deity.

Even many civilian homes secretly carved a Longevity Stele in his likeness and bowed to it daily.

Lu Zhangsheng sat silently on the rampart, eyes half‑closed, his mouth opening and closing as he exhaled strands of foul air.

As if he were drawing the sunrise's violet qi into his body.

Legend says that innate warriors who inhale and exhale the sunrise's violet qi each day gain great benefit to their cultivation.

Lu Zhangsheng has also cultivated the habit of meditating each morning.

It both calms the mind and smooths the flow of Qi and blood throughout his body, which is quite beneficial.

At that moment, he suddenly sensed a terrifying murderous aura rapidly charging toward the town from the distant mountain forests.

Lu Zhangsheng's face hardened, and he stared fixedly at the forest ahead.

Soon.

A blood‑red figure suddenly burst out from the woods.

The person wore a blood‑colored robe, wielded a long sword, had an eagle‑hooked nose, eyes as sharp as knives, and radiated overwhelming murderous aura.

Behind him followed several cult strongmen, including Xie Liufeng.

His gaze toward Lu Zhangsheng carried a hint of fear.

That battle directly shattered his spirit.

"Bad, it's the cult's top expert Mo Xueyou."

Han Bingwu's face was full of terror.

"He ranks high on the official wanted list; aside from the Blood Transmutation cultivators of the cult, he is the one."

"It is said he has killed several officials who had achieved Blood Transmutation Perfection, which is extremely terrifying."

He explained while looking at Lu Zhangsheng with great worry.

In his view, even Lord Ye, though possessing Blood Transmutation Perfection, would find it hard to defeat him.

This person is far beyond the three cultists who teamed up last time.

Lu Zhangsheng's eyes locked onto Mo Xueyou, and a warning thread echoed from deep within his spirit altar.

The opponent's strength is the strongest enemy he has encountered in years.

The warning in his heart is something Lu Zhangsheng has never experienced before.

This person likely hides a great killing weapon deep inside his body.

Such speculation made Lu Zhangsheng extremely vigilant.

Mo Xueyou led several cult strongmen and strode toward the city wall.

They soon arrived at an open space.

"You killed several of my Holy Sect's strongmen? You are young, yet your strength is decent; dying at my hands will be your honor…"

Mo Xueyou said it lightly, showing no regard for Lu Zhangsheng.

He has slaughtered countless strongmen in his life and has no need to pay much attention to a rising official talent.

Hearing this, Lu Zhangsheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

He said nothing, patted his white robe, and stepped toward the city wall.

He came to the wall, leapt up, and landed on an open space.

"Kid, you have courage, you didn't even run away; I underestimated you a bit."

Mo Xueyou saw this, licked the corner of his mouth, and revealed a hint of a cruel smile.

The surrounding cultists all looked at Lu Zhangsheng with the gaze of someone looking at a dead person.

Offending this madman Mo Xueyou, no one can survive unless they are a reborn expert.

But that is obviously impossible for him.

"Die for me."

Mo Xueyou suddenly slashed forward with a knife.

A blood-colored blade aura flashed in the void, carrying a powerful killing intent, as if it could cut through everything, its momentum astonishing.

Even the air carried waves of bloody stench.

This strike, he exerted all his strength, aiming to blast the opponent with a single move.

As for his hidden trump card inside, he would not use it unless absolutely necessary.

Lu Zhangsheng's face was extremely solemn, and the hairs on his body stood up.

From that strike, he sensed an enormous threat.

He dared not delay, fully activating the secret art Three Fold Wave, his qi and blood rising steadily.

Then he likewise slashed forward with a blade.

"Whoosh..."

Accompanied by waves of howling sounds.

Snow-white blade aura darted through the void, carrying threads of fierce killing intent.

"Boom..."

The two sides violently collided, the intense impact echoing to the clouds.

Surrounding energy surged wildly, cutting the nearby walls, stirring up clouds of dust and smoke, the whole battlefield in disarray.

After that strike.

Lu Zhangsheng felt an astonishing force transmitted from the Pig Slaughter Knife.

He fully exerted the Traceless Snow Step, his steps light and agile, channeling all the force into the ground.

Then, his surrounding aura burst forth, blocking the splashing blade auras from all sides.

"Sizzle..."

The blade aura cut through the pure white aura shield, emitting a piercing screech.

In this battle, Lu Zhangsheng showed no arrogance; before knowing the opponent's trump card, he was extremely cautious.

If he were careless and rash, he might fall into the opponent's trap.

Seeing that a single strike did not fell Lu Zhangsheng, Mo Xueyou looked astonished.

Such a strike, few at the Blood Exchange Perfection stage could withstand it.

Unexpectedly, a mere government martial artist could block his full-force strike, leaving him somewhat incredulous.

A group of cult strongmen, seeing this, were also filled with astonishment.

Being able to block this madman Mo Xueyou's full-force strike, his strength is not weak even among Blood Exchange Perfection cultivators.

Duan Changhe and the others' deaths were not unjust.

On the city wall, a group of city guards clenched their fists, faces exhilarated.

At this moment, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

Even if Lord Ye cannot win, preserving their lives is still possible.

"Boom..."

Just as everyone's thoughts diverged.

The two rushed at each other again, engaging in fierce combat on the open ground.

The violent impact echoed across the whole battlefield, kicking up clouds of dust, blade marks covering the ground as if it had been plowed.

Lu Zhangsheng relied on his supreme lightness skill, the Traceless Snow Step, to roam freely around Mo Xueyou.

Each of his strikes hit the opponent's weak points, the blade aura weaving through the void to form a great net.

He seemed like a top-tier assassin, never clashing head-on; if a strike failed, he immediately withdrew, then cautiously waited for an opportunity.

He gave himself no chance to make a mistake.

Before uncovering the opponent's details, Lu Zhangsheng would never easily engage in a direct clash.

Mo Xueyou saw the opponent as a slippery old loach and also felt it somewhat troublesome.

Although his own strength is strong, he has not cultivated any body-protecting technique, and his lightness skill is far inferior to the opponent's; with blade auras weaving around, if he were hit by a strike, he would also suffer badly.

If the opponent were to clash head-on with him, he would have great confidence in slaying this person.

Unfortunately, this person is meticulous as a hair, giving him no opportunity at all.

For a moment, Mo Xueyou, while waving his knife to block the surrounding blade auras, also felt at a loss as to how to proceed.

"Bang bang bang..."

The two sides continued their bloody battle on the open ground without cease.

Dust gradually rose around, making things hard to see clearly.

Seeing that the opponent could actually drive this madman Mo Xueyou to such a point, the cultists all wore looks of shock.

In their hearts, it seemed as if a towering wave surged upward.

Mo Xueyou's strength, even within the Holy Sect, belongs to the upper echelon.

Unexpectedly, today he suffered a setback in this small town.

"Ten thousand victories, ten thousand victories."

On the city wall, a group of city defense troops flushed with excitement shouted loudly.

This small town held firm once again.

Moments later.

On the battlefield.

Mo Xueyou's face was filled with killing intent, and he felt somewhat ashamed and angry.

If this continues, he simply cannot overcome his opponent.

A top-tier turtle shell combined with movement techniques on par with a top-tier assassin makes any Blood Exchange expert who encounters it feel their scalp go numb.

"Do we need to activate that thing?"

With a turn of thought, he directly rejected it.

He still had an important mission ahead; exposing himself here would not be worthwhile.

Moreover, even if he were to unleash his trump card, he might not necessarily be able to catch up to this person.

Thinking this, Mo Xueyou slashed forward with all his strength in a single blade.

The fierce blade aura surged in the void, as if it would tear everything apart.

Seeing this, Lu Zhangsheng did not clash head-on with his opponent; he forcefully kicked off his foot and swiftly retreated, like a thunderclap.

After a few flashes, he stopped at the edge of the city wall, on an open space.

His gaze locked firmly on Mo Xueyou.

"Your strength has my acknowledgment; we will surely meet again soon..."

Mo Xueyou stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm, and chose not to continue attacking.

He has always respected the strong; evidently, Lu Zhangsheng's strength earned his acknowledgment.

In his creed, the strong must not be lightly insulted.

As for those weak ants, they are not even considered human.

They are merely a batch of leeks that can be freely harvested for their essence and blood to refine pills.

Having said that, Mo Xueyou turned and walked away directly.

After a few paces, he vanished near the city wall.

Around them, a group of cultists exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe.

Mo Xueyou actually just retreated like that.

This mysterious expert from the government, who could make Mo Xueyou so wary, must have some astonishing trump card.

Immediately afterward, a group of cultists hurriedly fled toward the rear.

After a few breaths, they disappeared without a trace.

Lu Zhangsheng silently watched Mo Xueyou's retreating back, also choosing not to pursue.

Although he had the speed advantage, he lacked confidence in killing his opponent.

This person is clearly not an ordinary Blood Exchange Perfection; he possesses some kind of power that makes even himself tremble.

That power is extremely evil, filling him with disgust.

If unleashed, it would surely shock the heavens and shake the earth.

At this moment, a sense of urgency rose in Lu Zhangsheng's heart.

Before he fully understands his opponent's details, he must proceed with extreme caution.

"It seems the speed of mining spirit jade still needs to be increased."

As long as he raises several top-tier cultivation techniques to Minor Accomplishment, his strength will surely increase further.

By then, when he encounters this person again, his confidence will also grow considerably.

Afterwards, Lu Zhangsheng gathered his thoughts, leapt up, and jumped onto the city wall.

Around them, a group of city defense troops looked at Lu Zhangsheng with faces full of awe.

"Congratulations, Sir, for repelling the powerful foe."

Everyone hurriedly clasped their fists in salute, their voices echoing throughout the area.

"Everyone, no need for excessive courtesy."

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile, turned, and walked toward his own residence.

Time flowed slowly.

Another day passed.

This day was very peaceful, with no cultists coming to besiege the town.

Until evening approached.

Not far away on the official road, a large convoy slowly drove toward the town.

Ahead, four men with imposing auras sat on several fine horses.

The four wore azure official robes; they were Blood Exchange Perfection experts sent as reinforcements by the Demon Subduing Office.

Behind them followed many ordinary ZhenYaosi and Mystic Armor Army experts.

Yue Shulan, Xiao Chao, and several others were among them, though a hint of worry showed on their faces.

The procession marched forward in grand fashion.

Soon, they arrived at the city gate.

After Han Bingwu confirmed it, he greeted them with a delighted expression and led them into the city.

Inside the city, a separate estate.

"You say, will Lord Lu encounter any trouble?"

Yue Shulan's eyes were full of worry.

After they returned to the county town, they immediately reported this matter to Qin Ruobing.

The three FuduDianZhu swiftly dispatched strong cultivators to come reinforce.

However, several people still did not see Lu Zhangsheng return to the county town.

Their hearts were filled with worry.

Tong Yuhua beside also remained silent.

Hall Master Xiao's two Patrol Envoys were slain again; only he, Chen Zhanpeng, and three other Patrol Envoys managed to escape.

"With Lord Lu Zhangsheng's speed, he should be fine……"

Xiao Chao spoke up to comfort them.

"Sigh…… I hope so."

Lu Xue let out a soft sigh.

……

Lu Zhangsheng was practicing martial arts in the courtyard when he suddenly sensed footsteps approaching from outside.

He turned his head to look.

He saw an armored man stride over, his face full of respect: "Lord Ye, the four lords invite you to come over."

"Lead the way."

Lu Zhangsheng gave a faint smile, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked forward.

The two walked along the streets on either side.

In the central part of the town, inside a great hall.

Four figures sat upright in chairs, their faces solemn.

Among them were two elders, one fat and one thin, a middle-aged man with a square face, and a middle-aged man of portly appearance.

These four were the leaders of this reinforcement force.

"This time, the cultists have sent many strong cultivators, likely hoping to clash with us here."

"That Mo Xueyou is no pushover; somehow someone managed to hold him back……"

The portly middle-aged Zhang Yonghang's eyes flickered.

"Blood-exchange cultivators from both sides are still arriving continuously; the great battle will likely escalate all the way."

The thin elder Zhao Changyun let out a soft sigh.

"This town has clearly become a battlefield where the two sides contend for power."

Since they arrived to reinforce, several Hall Masters have been relaying the intelligence to everyone.

Large numbers of cultist bandits have been converging on Wuqiong Town.

Both sides, without prior agreement, want to fight a major battle here.

However, they tacitly agreed not to dispatch any Embryonic Transformation-level fighters.

The highest realm among them is only Blood Exchange cultivators.

Among these four, although all have attained Blood Exchange perfection, Zhao Changyun is the strongest.

(End of chapter)