Chapter 106: Annihilating the Martial King

Rows of corpses emitted a strong stench of decay, but their attire did not match the Lu family's martial master servants; instead, they were very similar to the ten or so martial master guards beside Qin Feng.

Deeper inside the Lu family mansion, within a misty, hazy array of formation light, there was clamor—calls for help, wails of grief, and faintly the voice of martial master leader Li Bokang directing a rescue.

Lu Fan saw the scene and let out a sigh of relief, about to slip into the formation to investigate the casualties, when a robust figure burst out—it was the Lu family's second uncle, Lu Guocheng.

Lu Fan's expression changed, his spiritual power recoiled, and he focused his gaze. He saw Second Uncle Lu already standing before him, weary‑faced, but with a distinctly urgent look in his eyes.

"Lu Fan, something terrible has happened—Grand Lady and Qiuxiang are missing!"

It struck Lu Fan like a bolt of thunder on a clear day, smashing into his heart. His face froze, then turned completely cold, his expression snarling as he said:

"What did you say? Grandmother and Qiuxiang are missing? How can you, the head of the family, be like this!"

He looked manic, his eyes blood‑red, on the brink of a rampage. His sense of belonging to the clan stemmed from the loving old woman's affection for "himself"; now hearing that Grand Lady is gone, the joy of the surviving Lu family members instantly faded.

Second Uncle lowered his head; Grand Lady was his mother, and he had always been filial. His own mother disappearing without reason hurt him more than anyone else.

Lu Fan shook his head slightly, shifted his gaze, and coldly stared at Nie Xing, deadpan saying: "Hmph! If my grandmother and Qiuxiang were missing a single hair, I'd wipe out the entire Nie family!"

While speaking, he stepped forward, chest out, his spiritual power activating the Rune War Chariot; the crystal bow rune re‑coalesced, flashing brilliance, locking onto Nie Xing and the others.

If he could take down Nie Xing and his companions now, he could follow the trail, find the one behind the mysterious formation, and rescue the grandmother and Qiuxiang.

Nie Xing and the others' expressions changed; in their eyes, Lu Fan's methods were unfathomably profound. Now that the Rune War Chariot was present, they had no confidence in confronting him. Their earlier casual demeanor had merely been a feigned calm; now their true colors were revealed.

One Martial‑Respect Master, three Martial Kings, and a self‑satisfied Great Martial Master who had just advanced to the Refining Bone Realm faced a teenager and became flustered.

Zuo Lao, after all, was a Martial‑Respect Master, so he first steadied himself. With a wary look at the Rune War Chariot, he then turned his gaze to Lu Fan. Capture the king first; as long as Lu Fan is taken, even a fifth‑tier Rune War Chariot would be of little use.

His true qi surged, and a pair of claw‑like palms swung out, revealing a massive, jet‑black great axe. Its aura was rich, sigils swirling, clearly a powerful mysterious weapon.

"Hmph! Old relic, you have to wield a mysterious weapon even against a junior, how shameless!"

Light and shadow scattered before Lu Fan, and a graceful figure slowly materialized.

The newcomer was Ling Yao, her face angry, a pair of supple wrists gently flicking, a brocade handkerchief fluttering out. Painted on it were two strange birds; as the light shifted, they chirped and flew out, swooping toward Zuo Lao.

Zuo Lao's expression changed, and the mysterious weapon great axe twisted, striking at the two strange birds.

"Cheep!"

The two birds exhaled mysterious light—one red, one white—that turned into ice and fire auras, instantly coiling around the mysterious weapon great axe.

"Squeak!" A strange sound rang; the ice‑type aura surged, solidifying into a ribbon that trapped the mysterious weapon great axe. At the same time, the fire‑type aura coiled in, slipping through gaps. The two scorching auras clashed, instantly shattering the weapon's radiant aura.

Zuo Lao's face turned pale with terror; his true qi erupted, pouring into the mysterious weapon great axe. A ferocious aura burst forth, breaking free from the confinement. He then swiftly retreated, landing beside Nie Xing, his expression wary as he stared at Ling Yao.

"Instructor Ling has hidden it well! It's probably more than just a Kaiyuan Realm Martial King, right?"

Nie Xing was also stunned, his face unpleasant, but he muttered in a sarcastic tone.

Ling Yao pursed a smile, flicked her wrist, summoned the bird back into the brocade handkerchief, then slowly turned her head, fixing her gaze on Lu Fan's eyes as if trying to see through him.

"If we're talking about depth of concealment, no one hides as deeply as you do, right?"

Her bright eyes glittered like a pool of autumn water—joy, surprise, and an inscrutable quality.

Lu Fan's gaze hardened, a faint chill in his eyes, and in a neutral tone he said, "Instructor Ling, please step aside; once I subdue Nie Xing, we can talk later!"

Ling Yao was momentarily startled, then furrowed her elegant brows, resentfully saying, "You brat, what's with that attitude? How can you speak to a teacher like that?"

She was clearly angry, but Lu Fan seemed oblivious, his gaze passing her figure, coldly staring at Nie Xing and the others, and said:

"You all have such nerve, daring to strike at my Lu family. If you honestly release my grandmother and Qiuxiang, I, Lu Fan, can set aside past grievances and grant you a full corpse!"

Those words were addressed to Nie Xing and his companions, but Ling Yao heard them and felt uneasy. Speaking with him, his cold words were tolerable, but now his indifference stung. She had always been formidable, able to toy with men with a smile or frown, and had never endured such disrespect.

"Hmph! You infuriate me; you dare ignore the teacher's words. If I don't punish you today, how will I, Ling Yao, command the masses at Tianyuan Academy?"

She didn't know why she was so agitated today, forgetting her purpose, the brocade handkerchief whirled, ready to strike at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan gave a cold smile, leapt forward in a swift step, timing perfectly as the handkerchief's mysterious weapon power was about to unleash, and pointed a finger at Ling Yao's chest.

Ling Yao's delicate body trembled, her strength instantly dissipated, her whole form went limp, unable to muster any force, and she was about to collapse.

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, gently supporting Ling Yao's shoulder, then looked at her with deep meaning and said, "Your matter, I'll settle with you later!"

As soon as his words ended, his body twisted, a palm struck Ling Yao's shoulder, a surge of force instantly pushed her, sending her toward the Rune War Chariot.

This situation was troublesome, yet it lasted only an instant. Even Lu Fan's earlier threats to Nie Xing and the others were still ringing in their ears when this moment occurred, and they only then reacted.

"Hmph! How audacious. Now that Instructor Ling's protection is gone, I wonder what you have to fight me with!"

Nie Xing let out a cold snort, battle intent flaring in his eyes. Lu Fan's threat, showing complete disregard for Nie Xing, contemptuous and dismissive, was intolerable for him as the legitimate heir of the Nie family.

"Young master, your status is noble; leave this kid to me. The elite within the Dragon Tower are the ones you should confront!"

Zuo Lao Da shouted, brandishing the mysterious weapon great axe, lunging at Lu Fan. His hatred toward Lu Fan was no less than Nie Xing's. Moreover, Lu Fan's techniques were subtle; although Nie Xing's strength had surged these past days, he likely couldn't defeat Lu Fan, especially with the Rune War Chariot in his hand, so a swift resolution was needed.

With that resolve, he held nothing back, unleashing the pinnacle strength of a Martial‑Respect Master. His entire body surged with power, true qi rippling, forming a soaring, radiant energy rainbow.

"Hmph! Old thief, if you want to deal with Lu Fan, you must first get past me!"

Second Uncle Lu Guocheng, seeing the situation go awry, leapt forward, shielding Lu Fan. Though he was clearly exhausted, he forced his spirit, draining every filament of true qi from his dantian, mustering the vigor to contend with a Refining Bone Realm Martial‑Respect strength.

The mysterious weapon great axe surged with mountain‑splitting, sea‑cleaving force, cutting through the void and striking down. Second Uncle, already in poor condition and a realm behind his opponent, could not withstand it. He was shattered in one blow, staggered back, spitting blood continuously.

Lu Fan frowned, shook his head, and said, "Letting you rise like this is just inviting trouble!"

His words carried a slight rebuke, yet he stepped forward, placing a palm on Lu Guocheng's back, pouring massive true qi into him.

Second Uncle felt a great force envelop him, the turbulent true qi within him instantly steadied. In disbelief, he stared at Lu Fan, murmuring:

"What's happening with your cultivation? Have you truly advanced to the Refining Bone Realm?"

Only now did he notice Lu Fan's aura, deep as the sea, stronger than three days ago by more than a step. He seemed to be a Refining Bone Realm Great Martial Master now, perhaps also having refined his rune path.

Lu Fan lightly nodded and reassured, "With the formation's augmentation, there have been some breakthroughs; you need not worry!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "formation's augmentation," and the other instantly understood, staring in shock at the Rune War Chariot behind Lu Fan, seeming slightly enlightened.

"Hmph! No one will stand up for you now! I want to see just how powerful this external force from the formation's augmentation is! You three, strike together, help Zuo Lao take down Lu Fan!"

Nie Xing wore a mocking expression, loudly ordering the three figures behind him. He then fixed his gaze on the Rune War Chariot behind Lu Fan, as if finally recognizing its value, his eyes burning with greed.

As soon as he finished speaking, three black silhouettes leapt out, tightly following behind Zuo Lao, lunging at Lu Fan.

Lu Guocheng's face turned pale with alarm, he grabbed Lu Fan's arm urgently, saying, "You hurry and leave; don't fight them head‑on!"

Even though he saw that Lu Fan's strength had greatly advanced, he did not think the other side had the power to contend with a Martial Sovereign.

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, gently patted Lu Gucheng's shoulder, and said, "Second Uncle, there's no need to panic; dealing with these leaping clowns is a matter of moments!"

As soon as his words finished, he swung a single hand, pointing through the air at Zuo Lao and the others who leapt forward. A mysterious force surged forth, activating the Rune War Chariot; four brilliant rays flickered, instantly solidified, forming a rune crystal crossbow that continued to fire.

"The true meaning of the Rune Dao, the original form separates!"

Zuo Lao's face was shocked, incredulous. His body in the air involuntarily halted, his eyes filled with unspeakable panic. The three men in black rushed forward, barely aware of the danger, and were already struck by the crystal crossbow.

Three dazzling rune formations erupted, enveloping the three figures. Three streams of chilling aura burst forth, the seal formulas circulated, and radiant light clouds blazed.

In an instant, the light and shadow faded, leaving the void empty. The crystal crossbow became formless, and the three Martial Kings vanished into thin air, leaving only lingering traces.

Lu Gucheng was stunned, his face shocked. Though he couldn't grasp what had happened, those three men in black—Martial Kings of his own rank—had now been completely erased, dying without a clear cause.

"Is this really the Rune War Chariot? That's impossible; how could you possess such a treasure?"

Nie Xing was so startled he nearly jumped up; the three Martial Kings' subordinates were dead, yet he paid them no mind, focusing all his attention on Lu Fan and the Rune War Chariot.

The final crystal crossbow reached Zuo Lao's front; with a single hand he swung it horizontally, the mysterious cutting blade whirled like a massive hammer, smashing outward.

With a "Bang!" a burst rang out, the crystal crossbow shattered, turning into a series of rune seals that swirled upward, about to entangle Zuo Lao.

Zuo Lao's face turned solemn, the mysterious cutting blade in his hand swung erratically, striking the surrounding void; overwhelming force protected his sides, keeping the rune seals at bay.

The seal formula seemed almost sentient, darting left and right, yet Zuo Lao's strength was truly extraordinary; he appeared to understand the formula's power, his defense flawless. He even had surplus strength, dispersing the seal that was about to solidify into a rune formation.