Chapter 138: Lord Lu

The next day.

When the news spread that the Four Great Families had been ordered slaughtered to the last by Lu Zhangsheng, countless people in the city were stunned.

Many even secretly clapped in approval.

The Four Great Families had long ruled the County City with overbearing tyranny, making many enemies.

Who could have imagined they would meet Lu Zhangsheng, this omen of doom, and have their entire families bloodily purged?

Of course, this was also tied to their attempt to flee the County City—they were caught red-handed at this critical moment.

Yet Lu Zhangsheng's cruel and bloody methods delivered a powerful deterrent to those with ulterior motives.

Those who wished to slip out of the city at night to join the Evil Cult would now have to think twice.

At noon.

The warm sun shone brightly.

Lu Zhangsheng arrived at the entrance of Qin Ruobing's Office Hall as invited.

He stepped inside.

Qin Ruobing wore a purple long dress, her demeanor serene and elegant, frowning as she studied the intelligence in her hands.

Seeing Lu Zhangsheng arrive, Qin Ruobing smiled sweetly: "You were quite formidable last night, slaughtering those family youths without hesitation."

"But these people have deep ties to the Prefecture City's noble families—Changping County cannot hold onto you, a dragon crossing the river. When that time comes…"

She too held deep resentment toward the Four Great Families' youths, who at the moment of crisis thought only of fleeing.

"That's just the way of the martial Dao—when soldiers come, send generals to meet them."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled faintly.

He understood her meaning: the County City families were entangled through countless marital alliances with the Prefecture City clans; when he went to the Prefecture City, certain people would secretly move against him.

But his appointment as Deputy Hall Master would be issued soon—he had no reason to fear the major families of the Prefecture City on the surface.

As for covert attacks, each side would have to rely on their own methods.

"In a few days, those Evil Cult bandits may launch an assault on the city."

"The Prefecture City has only sent one Tuotai Perfection martial artist, and he's still on the way."

Qin Ruobing's expression grew uneasy.

After she reported Changping County's situation and begged for aid multiple times, only one Strong Person came to reinforce them—leaving her deeply frustrated.

"Has Qingning Prefecture really deteriorated this badly?"

Lu Zhangsheng frowned.

He had studied the overall situation of Qingning Prefecture.

Aside from Changping County, the surrounding counties were much the same—warfare raging across all borders, as if the Great Xia were about to collapse.

For now, it's already good that the Prefecture City sent one Strong Person.

"With one additional reinforcement, we several have a strong chance of holding the city."

Qin Ruobing sighed softly.

Even she didn't know how much longer the Imperial Court could hold out under this pace.

If Dazhou collapsed entirely, billions of miles of land would become a hell on earth.

Lu Zhangsheng also had little faith in the future.

He must gather sufficient strength before the Imperial Court collapses, or he won't survive in this chaotic age.

"Do you know any specific details about the Tianyao Sect?"

He asked again, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

The chaos across all of Dazhou clearly ties back to the Tianyao Sect.

Even the Wenxiang Sect is merely a subordinate force of the Tianyao Sect.

Those Tianyao Sect disciples have been stirring up trouble across the entire human territory, hiding in the shadows.

They've caused the Imperial Court immense trouble.

Hearing this, Qin Ruobing's eyes flared with killing intent: "This infamous organization has existed for thousands of years."

"According to ancient records, there were no Meridian in the remote past—until one day, when the anomaly of two suns crossed the sky, a massive fissure suddenly opened in the heavens, and a great horde of Meridian descended, thus beginning the bloody, tear-filled history of countless human clans…"

"The ancient Longting also perished in that war, and only afterward did successive dynasties rise."

"As for the Tianyao Sect—they are all human traitors, unable to resist the temptation of the Demonic Energy…"

Her voice grew soft, tinged with sorrow.

Hearing this, Lu Zhangsheng's heart tightened.

This world concealed too many dangers—he had yet to encounter true Meridian.

Even just the Demon Servants were troublesome enough.

But the fact that she knew so many secrets clearly meant her status was far from ordinary.

He guessed Qin Ruobing might be a Shunu of some prince in the Capital.

A legitimate daughter was impossible—royal legitimate daughters enjoyed the best cultivation resources; no one would come to this godforsaken frontier.

"Work hard in your cultivation. With your talent, you have even a slim chance of becoming a Heavenly Pride, or even reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Dao."

Qin Ruobing smiled gracefully, radiating charm.

Since learning of Lu Zhangsheng's genius-level talent, she had grown much closer to him.

Geniuses born among Commoners were especially precious—many Capital Heavenly Pride had achieved their talent only through the best cultivation resources.

Had Lu Zhangsheng been raised from birth according to royal standards, he too would have been a Top Heaven's Proud Son.

It's not impossible that Lu Zhangsheng will one day become a true Heavenly Pride.

"Thank you, Sister Qin, for your explanation."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled slightly, his face full of kindness.

As for the Heavenly Pride the other had mentioned, he paid it little mind.

As long as his own resources were sufficient, any Capital Heavenly Pride would be crushed.

His talent was merely average; only through the Attribute Panel had he reached genius level in just a few years.

In just a few more years, his strength would inevitably reach a terrifying level.

After exchanging a few more words, Lu Zhangsheng rose and left.

……

At the very moment Changping County was actively preparing for war.

Beneath the city's outskirts, inside a massive Blood Pool.

"Gurgle… gurgle… gurgle…"

The entire Blood Pool churned violently, countless blood bubbles bursting and reforming, a thick stench of blood spreading throughout the area.

The surroundings were filled with an extremely eerie atmosphere.

At that very moment.

A woman with snow-white skin slowly rose from the bottom of the Blood Pool.

The woman sat cross-legged, her skin like congealed fat, her face exquisitely alluring.

One could not help but be drawn deep into her allure.

"Sigh… I failed to break through."

Zhao Yuanjing let out a soft sigh, her face brimming with resentment.

With the aid of the Blood Pool's power, she barely preserved her life and reached Pseudo-Innate level.

That is, her Flesh Body had broken through to Innate, but she had not yet opened the Heaven and Earth Bridge, so she was not a true Innate Strength.

Martial Artists seeking to become powerful Innate Strengths must face three trials.

They are "Flesh Body," "Qi and Blood," and "Martial Dao True Intent."

Only by linking Martial Dao True Intent with Qi and Blood can one unleash maximum power.

Open the Baihui acupoint's Heaven and Earth Bridge, and from then on, one can absorb the "Qi" drifting through heaven and earth.

Any Tuotai Perfection Martial Artist with even one-tenth True Intent may attempt to break through to Innate.

But such Martial Artists, even if they succeed by luck, are the weakest.

Some Heavenly Pride-level Strong Persons wait until Ten Layers True Intent before attempting breakthrough.

It is said that when breaking through to Innate, "Dao Essence" descends, greatly benefiting Martial Dao True Intent.

"It is time to settle accounts with that one."

Zhao Yuanjing's eyes brimmed with murderous intent.

Her breakthrough failed because the mysterious Martial Artist stole her treasure; otherwise, she would have already broken through to Innate.

Right now, she only wanted to beat him into a dead dog and grind his bones to dust.

"This Seat will perform a Blood Sacrifice on the entire Changping County—see how you hide then."

An icy voice echoed all around.

……

In the following days.

The situation around Changping County grew increasingly tense; each day saw large numbers of Heretic Cultivators gathering.

The entire County City was completely surrounded.

Meanwhile, Strong Persons sent as reinforcements from Qingning Prefecture arrived.

That day, at dawn.

The Main Hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Many Martial Artists stood silently in the center of the hall, watching the three figures on the dais.

One of them, a middle-aged man in yellow robes, was the Strong Person from the Prefecture City.

His name was Feng Tianrui; his strength was Mortal Shedding Perfection, and he had officially assumed the post of Deputy Hall Master of Changping County, the third such position.

"This Seat has received intelligence—the Heretic Cultivators are preparing to assault the city."

"Everyone, form five-person squads and begin patrolling the city walls day and night."

Qin Ruobing's gaze flashed like lightning, sweeping across the hall, her expression stern and commanding.

"We obey your command."

All bowed deeply, their voices ringing loudly through the Main Hall.

Afterwards, everyone formed teams and rushed toward the four city gates.

Lu Zhangsheng was assigned to the largest eastern gate.

The number of Heretic Cultivators there was the greatest. The next day, at dawn.

Black clouds loomed overhead, icy winds howled.

"Woo… woo…"

Deep, resonant horn blasts echoed across the sky as countless Heretic Cultivators converged toward the City Gate.

All Martial Artists within the city received the alert and scrambled up the city walls.

Everyone knew—the enemy was about to begin their assault.

A tense atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire Changping County.

Lu Zhangsheng stood silently atop the city wall, gazing ahead.

He saw countless Heretic Cultivators, like ants, swarming around the City Gate.

The leading black-clad men were all old acquaintances, including Wei Shaoxuan and Ye Yunze.

Even the three Bandit Leaders of Black Mountain had arrived here.

But their faces were grim, strangely so.

Zhao Yuanjing, the Demon Witch, was not among the crowd, raising a flicker of doubt in Lu Zhangsheng's heart.

At this moment, Qin Ruobing led a large group of Strong Persons from the Demon Suppression Office to the city wall.

Xiao Tianci and the other were among them.

Everyone stared at the five Tuotai Perfection Strong Persons of the Evil Cult, their expressions grim.

Seeing this, Qin Ruobing's heart tightened.

Including Lu Zhangsheng hidden in the shadows, they had only four Tuotai Perfection.

Worse still, the Heretic Cult's Venerable Lord had not yet appeared—the gap between both sides was too great.

This filled the hearts of many ordinary Martial Artists on the field with despair.

Many glared angrily at Wei Shaoxuan.

This former guardian of Changping County had defected to the Meridian.

It was a great irony indeed.

"Open the city gate and surrender immediately—This Seat may consider granting you a path to life."

Outside the city, Ye Yunze's face was icy, his tone full of disdain.

To him, this city was already a fish in a barrel, easily crushed.

On the city wall, some Martial Artists' eyes flickered uncertainly, as if swayed.

Facing certain death, many had grown fearful.

"Hmph… A pack of evil devils dares demand our surrender?"

Qin Ruobing snorted, her eyes blazing with killing intent.

She would never believe their lies.

Once the gate opened, not a single person inside would escape.

"Hehehehe… After the city falls, This Seat shall personally feast upon you…"

Ye Yunze leered freely over Qin Ruobing's body, his eyes filled with lewd desire.

"Lord Lu, if things turn dire, let's flee together."

Tong Yuhua and the others beside him all wore worried expressions.

Fang Qing and her brother were also on the city wall, clinging tightly to Lu Zhangsheng.

Under the current situation, in their eyes, the County City could no longer be held.

Once the gate fell, they planned to follow behind Lu Zhangsheng and begin their escape.

Lu Zhangsheng merely smiled faintly, offering no explanation.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his entire body radiating a mountain-like aura.

"Kill."

At that moment, Ye Yunze waved his hand and ordered the assault.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

A large group of Heretic Cultivators surged forward like a tide toward the City Gate.

Each wielded weapons, faces filled with murderous intent; a powerful murderous aura intertwined, crushing the Martial Artists on the wall, making it hard to breathe.

High above, countless Arrow Rain streaked down toward the wall, as if blotting out the sky.

Some weak Martial Artists trembled in terror.

Meanwhile,

The five Heretic Cult Strong Persons, led by Ye Yunze, leapt forward, striking toward Qin Ruobing and the others on the wall.

Qin Ruobing and the others forced up a sliver of aura and charged head-on.

"Bang—bang—bang…"

The two sides clashed fiercely before the City Gate.

The five Heretic Cult Strong Persons tightly surrounded Qin Ruobing and the two others.

The shockwaves from their battle splashed wildly, cracking the ground's bricks and stones, filling the air with swirling dust and chaos.

In just moments,

Qin Ruobing and the two others fell into disadvantage.

The five Heretic Cult Strong Persons matched Qin Ruobing's group evenly, and with their numerical superiority, the County City side would inevitably lose.

Seeing this, the many Martial Artists on the wall sank into despair.

A grim, bloody atmosphere hung over the entire city.

The Heretic Cultists outside all wore ecstatic expressions.

They had won this battle for sure.

Once they stormed in, they would enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Even Yue Shulan and the others looked hopeless, scanning the surroundings, ready to flee at any moment.

Just as the people inside the city fell into panic, a sudden change occurred.

"Shiiii…"

A brilliant Blade Light flashed through the void, as if capable of severing all things, its aura ferocious and unmatched.

The Blade Light arrived instantly before Liu Shiqi.

"Crack…"

Before he could react, under Liu Shiqi's gaze full of terror, his entire body was cleaved clean in two, fresh blood spraying across the void.

One slash — a Tuotai Perfection strongman, dead.

All of this happened in an instant; even the many Martial Artists on the field had no time to react.

They all stared, faces full of shock, at the one who had struck.

There stood Lu Zhangsheng, blade in his right hand, near the City Gate, his expression as calm as still water.

The breeze stirred his White Long Robe, and the man looked like a "Saintly Mortal Exile" descended upon the mortal world.

Once Martial Arts and Skills had all reached Perfection, their terrifying might was finally revealed.

At this moment, he had already begun to show a hint of an Innate Strength's imposing presence.

"It was Lord Lu who struck."

The many Martial Artists atop the city wall all goggled, faces full of disbelief.

Even Qin Ruobing and the others were utterly horrified.

No one had expected Lu Zhangsheng to possess such power.

Just a few months ago, Qin Ruobing had clearly seen Lu Zhangsheng fight, and he had been nowhere near this strong.

Slaying a Tuotai Perfection in a single strike was truly terrifying — clearly his Cultivation Realm had advanced again.

Although Lu Zhangsheng had only struck by ambush.

At this moment, the people on the city wall also realized one by one that Lu Zhangsheng was the Mysterious Strongman who had been hiding in the shadows all along.

The genius Martial Artist undergoing trials in the Prefecture City was also Lu Zhangsheng.

This realization struck the people on the wall with even greater shock, as if a towering tidal wave had risen in their hearts.

"Lord Lu's divine might!"

A ringing cheer soared to the heavens, and the morale of the crowd surged.

With a top-tier expert like Lu Zhangsheng, this city was now absolutely impregnable.

Fang Qing and her brother stared at Lu Zhangsheng, faces bright with pleasant surprise.

The two had been ready to flee at any moment, never expecting their own Brother Changsheng to deliver them such an earth-shaking surprise.

With this kind of strength, so long as no Xiantian Warrior stepped in, he could roam unchecked across all of Qingning Prefecture.

In the eyes of Yue Wanting and her mother, reverence only deepened, and in their hearts they felt ever more fortunate to have clung to this towering great tree.

On the Evil Cult strongmen's side, however, there was utter silence.

They all stopped in their tracks, faces full of dread, staring at Lu Zhangsheng.

What had just happened completely overturned everything they knew.

Liu Shiqi's corpse was still warm, sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

It left many Low-rank Martial Artists trembling in terror, not daring to meet the eyes of this fiend.

Even Ye Yunze, Wei Shaoxuan, and the others wore faces of pure fear.

Their bodies were taut, as if pinned beneath the gaze of some natural predator.

They did not dare to move a muscle, terrified of facing Lu Zhangsheng's thunderous strike.

If Lu Zhangsheng could cut down Liu Shiqi in one slash, he could cut them down too — that was beyond doubt.

"Run!"

At that moment, Wei Shaoxuan shattered the stalemate, whirling around and fleeing toward the rear.

In a blink he was several meters away, swift as a thunderclap.

That flight seemed to serve as some kind of signal.

Su Qilong and the others all whipped around and fled toward the rear, utterly abandoning their opponents.

The group wished they had a few more legs.

The many Evil Cult Martial Artists near the City Gate also retreated en masse, like a receding tide.

(End of Chapter)