Chapter 94: Treating with Courtesy

Before his words fell, the thunderous great hand churned wind and clouds, and a powerful upright figure emerged—it was a middle‑aged Taoist in a cloud shirt and thunder robe, eyes flashing with electric light, looking down with a scornful gaze.

"Hmph! Just two petty great sigil masters dare to act reckless before me; don't you know death? Yin‑evil dark thunder, strike for me!"

He let out a cold snort, his sleeves and robe flipping, and the thunderous great hand beneath his feet instantly burst open, turning into countless bolts of lightning that crashed down with a roar.

Wind and thunder swirled; moments ago it resembled the hexagonal star‑ray array spanning the star‑filled sky, but in an instant it wavered and became unstable. Streams of electric fire and thunder light also scattered down, striking the crowd below.

"Ah! Don't burn me—"

A martial artist, careless, became enshrouded by thunder‑fire; in an instant he was covered, and in the blink of an eye turned to ash.

The ground shook and mountains trembled all around, with thunder‑fire still falling intermittently. The watching martial artists, even the sigil cultivators who had come to listen, were horrified, panicking and fleeing.

Yet the plaza was already enveloped by the hexagonal star‑ray array; this group's chaotic, reckless rush greatly hindered the array's operation.

Zhao Zhenchuan and Zu Qing Tan's faces changed dramatically, terrified beyond measure. The hexagonal star‑ray array that had just a moment ago been stably maintained now erupted with countless gaps.

How could this be? With their knowledge, they could not comprehend it at all.

"Yin‑evil dark thunder, a celestial force, is also a law of heaven and earth, similar to sigil‑path divine abilities. Your combat experience is lacking; quickly dismantle this formation and let me handle it!"

Lu Fan saw their confusion, offered a few off‑hand pointers, then calmly stepped forward, lightly rolling up his sleeves, looking ready to act.

Zhao Zhenchuan and Zu Qing Tan's faces changed, worry evident, and they said, "Young Lu, this man is a Qi‑refining realm Martial Sovereign, not an ordinary person; we should join forces, otherwise…"

In their eyes, Lu Fan was always immensely powerful, yet he was still young. Moreover, his past deeds relied on formation power, acting with the flow. Now the hexagonal star‑ray array was about to collapse, and he could not lend his strength—like a clever housewife unable to cook without rice—so Zhao and Zu's worry was understandable.

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, waved his hand, and casually said, "No problem! At that palace banquet, Old Zuo was a sixth‑rank Martial Sovereign and still couldn't get the better of me!"

Zhao and Zu suddenly understood; given Lu Fan's way, he never does anything without certainty. He has always been mysterious, with powerful masters hidden in the shadows, so even if a crisis arose, they need not worry.

In their minds, today's preaching summit was organized for Lu Fan's fictitious "master"; that senior must be hidden somewhere in the void, silently watching.

Thinking this, Zhao and Zu's furrowed brows relaxed instantly, even showing a hint of delight. As long as Lu Fan acts, even if not the aerial Martial Sovereign opponent, the masters behind him will assist, and today's crisis will be easily resolved.

"Begin!"

They each waved a hand, each driving half a compass, scattering several seal incantations. The hexagonal star‑ray array above the void instantly shattered, turning into countless sigils that pierced the void, vanishing like smoke, leaving no trace.

Without the star‑ray array's barrier, the electric fire and thunder light streamed down unimpeded, like a waterfall.

The people below turned pale; the scene of the unlucky martial artist turning to ash resurfaced, and they feared the same fate could befall them next. No one could stay calm.

"Ah! No! I don't want to die!"

"I just advanced to martial artist; my future is limitless, I can't die here."

"Damn! What a lousy gathering, I'm done attending, let me go!"

Various shrieks and wails rose and fell, unbearably chaotic. At the brink of death, most had lost reason; the remaining sliver of survival instinct was of little use, only adding to the misery.

"Hahaha! Die! All of you die!"

The thunder‑robe man licked his lips, a ferocious grin on his face. Watching the desperate struggles of those below, he felt delighted.

"Heh! That's all your skill is; I'm truly disappointed. A Martial Sovereign conjuring celestial Yin‑thunder seems merely the external force of a tool or treasure," Lu Fan shook his head slightly, looking dissatisfied, and said coolly:

"Heaven‑and‑earth treasures belong to the virtuous. Such items should be entrusted to me; you've been wastefully squandering a celestial artifact!"

As soon as his words ended, his gaze hardened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes; his body instantly leapt upward, thrusting himself toward the torrent of thunder‑fire and lightning.

"Seeking death! A petty martial artist dares to be reckless before me!"

The thunder‑robe man's eyes narrowed, seeing Lu Fan's appearance, and he was utterly disdainful.

Yet before his voice finished, under the proud thunder‑fire and lightning, an anomaly appeared: a vague shadow dozens of yards wide materialized, faintly exuding an indescribable aura.

"Rune‑car? How could such a remote backwater have a rune‑car?"

The thunder‑robe man wore a baffled expression; he had already scouted the entire Bright Moon Empire, its highest cultivators only on his level, never comparable in strength. As for treasured mystic artifacts and sealing formations, they were even more insignificant.

The guildmaster of the sigil cultivators before him was only a fourth‑rank Great Sigil Master, naturally possessing no valuable treasures. He was confident that few in the Bright Moon Empire could spar with him; rivals were virtually nonexistent.

Yet in this despised place, a rune‑car appeared; even the lowest‑grade fifth‑rank car was beyond his ability to handle.

"Though the Bright Moon is small, we are ever hospitable; for scoundrels like you, we shall extend the highest courtesy."

Lu Fan stood steadily atop the car, a light smile on his face, slowly waving his hand; a restraining radiance rose, blasting toward the electric fire and thunder light pouring from above.

The restraining radiance seemed ethereal, as if a gentle breeze could disperse it; in terms of momentum and power, it was countless times weaker than the thunder‑fire and lightning.

Yet when they struck, they were evenly matched, equally powerful, barely tearing at each other in the void.

Boom! Crack!

A series of heart‑pounding, startling explosions rang out; many martial artists below, caught off guard, felt dizzy, clutching their ears with grim faces. The weaker ones rolled on the ground in agony.

"A rune‑car, and it really is a rune‑car—unbelievable!"

Ke Ke Da Shi Shi's expression changed, his face blazing as he stared at the massive shadow overhead, his body trembling with excitement.

This is a fifth‑rank mystic artifact, a rune‑car. For someone obsessed with the sigil path like him, it is the greatest treasure in the world. Now that it appears before him, he doesn't wail or howl, but looks up and sighs, his temperament already quite good.

Huff! Huff!

Zhao Zhenchuan and Zu Qing Tan slowly exhaled a cloud of foul breath, their worried expressions cleared. Having witnessed many of Lu Fan's incredible feats before, the appearance of this rune‑car before them stirred little excitement.

In their minds, Lu Fan's methods were profound and unpredictable; a rune‑car, though rare, was a peerless treasure to them. Yet on Lu Fan, it caused little surprise.

"Hmph! Even if you have a rune‑car, its fifth‑rank power would only be at most a few percent; I, Lei Di, don't even bother with it!"

The thunder‑robe man's gaze narrowed slightly; after watching the restraining light of Yin‑evil dark thunder strike for a moment, he showed a disdainful expression, let out a fierce shout, and slammed his massive hand down.

"Rumble"—the shockwave tore through the void, supreme power instantly pouring into the liquid flow formed by thunder‑fire and lightning.

In an instant, the torrent flipped, condensing into a golden fist that, with earth‑shattering force, instantly shattered the restraining light and slammed toward Lu Fan's head.

"What? How is this possible! A rune‑car of such mystic power could found a sect, and no matter how mighty a Martial Sovereign, bare‑handed and alone, cannot resist it!"

Zu Qing Tan was stunned, never having expected such a scene.

"Even the weakest rune‑car is a fifth‑rank mystic artifact, comparable to a fifth‑rank sealing array. A Martial Sovereign cannot possibly overcome it—could this not be a rune‑car, or merely a defective piece?"

Zhao Zhenchuan was also speechless with shock; the relaxed expression on his face hardened once more.

The golden fist, like a meteor from the heavens, descended, its indescribable aura locking onto Lu Fan, about to strike his head.

Yet he remained calm, expression unchanged, merely squinting slightly as he stared toward Lei Di's direction. It seemed everything before him was ordinary and unrelated to him.

Lei Di's expression shifted faintly, as if he had thought of something, his pupils dilated, and he looked toward Lu Fan's surroundings.

The leading wave of force from the Golden Thunder Fist already surged forward, but the airflow around Lu Fan remained unusually steady; the breeze did not stir, and no ripples arose.

"Damn! Got duped, this is an illusion!"

Before his words fell, the golden fist slammed onto Lu Fan's head, and in an instant a flash of light burst, causing Lu Fan's form to dissipate. Yet the golden fist was unstoppable, crashing onto the Rune War Chariot.

"Boom!"

An earth‑shaking explosion erupted, yet the Rune War Chariot stood as steady as Mount Tai, only trembling slightly. Immediately, runes around it coalesced, mysterious light flashed, forming rippling waves that gathered toward the Golden Thunder Fist.

"Crack!" With a sound, the rune ripples entwined and covered the golden fist, showing no change at all, yet the Golden Thunder Fist that moments before was unrivaled in might shattered and dispersed, turning in an instant into a chaotic surge of force that vanished without cause.

"Ah! I'm furious! You brat, you dare fool me, I want you dead!"

Lei Di erupted in fury, his fists dancing in the air, and a golden‑glowing Thunder Hammer materialized out of thin air. Lightning crackled around it, and a phantom dragon silhouette lingered, roaring and snarling.

"This Thunder Hammer's fine, you a Martial Sovereign can condense Yinsha Dark Thunder; looks like you rely on this artifact!"

Where the Golden Thunder Fist shattered, Lu Fan's form reappeared, fixing his gaze on the golden hammer in Lei Di's hand, and said.

The people below were shocked and dumbfounded. Lu Fan had originally been standing there, then was struck by the thunder fist and turned into a phantom; now he reappeared at the same spot, and no one noticed any hidden mechanism, not even a hint of abnormality.

"Is this truly just an illusion? How does it resemble the Spatial Translocation Technique described in the classics?"

Ke Da Shi muttered to himself, his face full of bewilderment, incomprehensible.

"Young Lu used this move against Qin Town as well; I originally thought it was a Spatial Technique, then dismissed it because such techniques belong to the domain of Grand Magus, but now it seems…"

Zhao Zhenchuan wore a wry smile; he could not bring himself to say that Lu Fan could wield the introductory divine art of a Seventh Rank Grand Magus, even he himself did not believe it. Yet the facts told him, perhaps that is indeed the case!

Floating in the void, Lei Di wore an expression of utter disbelief, his mood as dark as the sea. If it were an illusion, it could deceive him once, but never a second time. The brat before him stood solidly there, not even shifting his posture, as if he had never moved.

"Illusionary Seal, Spatial Technique—I've seen them before. Yet compared with the bizarre scene before me, they seem trivial. The key is the opponent's age; such methods are simply monstrous!"

He shook his head slightly, suppressed the thoughts in his heart, then gripped the Thunder Hammer in his hand tightly, his gaze hardening, as if gaining confidence.

"Hmph, I don't care what tricks you have. Under my Yinsha Dark Hammer, you all will die!"