A voice rang out, and Lu Chao seemed to rise on the clouds, his form in mid-air ethereal and dreamlike...
He effortlessly dodged the surrounding attack from Nan Ke and the others, then instantly appeared above Lu Hanyan’s head. He said softly, "Little Sister Hanyan, Lu Dingtian’s rules state that no one can leave the stage for the first quarter of an hour."
As his words fell, with all eyes upon him, Lu Chao grabbed Lu Hanyan’s clothes with one hand and flung her back onto the stage.
He threw her toward Nan Ke and his men, who caught her.
But Lu Chao said coolly, "Lu Dingtian, take a look. Has my Thousand Illusions Cloud-Stepping Leg improved?"
The Thousand Illusions Cloud-Stepping Leg, one of the top ten Martial Techniques in the Great Wu Empire, was an extremely famous Body and Footwork Technique.
The instant his voice fell, Lu Chao reversed his direction and charged back, launching an attack on Nan Ke and all the others.
While still in the air, he asked again with a light laugh, "Lu Dingtian, in the time since you had me killed, I’ve cultivated a new Martial Technique. What do you think of it... Slaughter Sword, Thousand Kills!"
As he spoke, he was already upon Nan Ke and the others, and he drew his sword with a sudden flourish.
The Slaughter Sword Bone’s Thousand Kills Slaughter Sword flashed among Nan Ke and his men. It was a sword of impossible speed, a sword intent heavy with killing aura. Lu Chao seemed to transform into a demon of slaughter, weaving through them.
AAAAAHHHHH...
Screams of agony rang out from among the Nanye Dynasty’s students. No one could block a single one of Lu Chao’s strikes.
Even Nan Ke, it seemed, could not track Lu Chao’s movements.
In the eyes of the experts present, however...
Although Lu Chao’s killing intent was overwhelmingly intense, his movements seemed effortless, like drifting smoke weaving between the Nanye students.
Everywhere he went, his path was marked by screams and the thud of falling bodies.
"Die, Lu Chao!"
At last, Nan Ke caught sight of Lu Chao and thrust his sword forward.
However, Lu Chao just gave a small smile. "So you’ve reached the True Fate Realm Third Layer. You improve quickly. But I’m already at the Ninth Layer of Transformation Realm. Before, I might have had a tough fight on my hands against you. But now... Break!"
As he spoke, Lu Chao didn’t even use his sword, striking out directly at Nan Ke with his palm.
Instantly, with a BOOM...
Nan Ke’s expression changed drastically. The True Qi throughout his body was shattered by the blow, and he was sent flying backward, vomiting blood on the spot.
He staggered back several steps across the stage before spitting out another mouthful of blood and collapsing to the ground, unable to support himself.
"Impossible... Impossible..."
Nan Ke roared from the ground, unable to accept it. ’I can’t believe it... I couldn’t even withstand a single one of his palm strikes.’
As Nan Ke fell, Lu Chao ignored him and swept past once more, felling the remaining Nanye students with his sword. In the end, not a single one of the one hundred and eight Nanye students was left standing.
They all lay on the stage, their wails of agony unending.
Below the stage, everyone—from the most important figures to the common folk, and all the ordinary spectators in between—stared with their mouths agape.
It was terrifying. Simply terrifying.
With just one sword, Lu Chao had single-handedly defeated all the geniuses of the Nanye Dynasty.
It was insane. Absolutely insane.
Then, ignoring everyone else, Lu Chao walked step by step toward Lu Hanyan. She had been caught by Nan Ke and his men earlier, so when they all collapsed, she had naturally fallen with them, landing amidst the other Nanye students.
"Little Sister Hanyan..."
"I’ll ask you one more time. Will you return the Water Chant Saint Bone to me, or must I take it myself?"
Lu Chao’s ice-cold voice swept across the arena.
CLICK. CLACK. CLICK.
Lu Hanyan’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. She scooted backward on the ground, shaking her head desperately. "Daddy, save me!"
Below the stage, still surrounded, Lu Dingtian roared, "You treacherous beast! I’ll kill you!"
With that, he erupted forward to attack.
But Dongfang Ren immediately blocked him again. Lu Chao merely chuckled. "Violent Saint Bone, respond!"
Instantly, Lu Dingtian, who had just barely recovered, was once again assaulted by the Violent Saint Bone within his body.
His True Qi immediately fell into chaos, and Dongfang Ren easily blocked his charge, forcing him back.
But he wouldn’t give up on saving his daughter. He turned to Nan Zhuiming again. "Patriarch Nan, charge with me! Afterward, I will defer to you."
Hearing this, a violent tremor ran through Nan Zhuiming!
’Lu Dingtian meant that when it comes to the matter of the Cyan Sword Great Empire, he’ll let me take the lead.’
At this thought, Nan Zhuiming was about to make his move, but then Lu Chao’s voice rang out...
"Nan Zhuiming, I haven’t killed a single student from your Nanye Dynasty. If you dare to move, I won’t leave any of them alive."
Nan Zhuiming froze.
He glanced at Nan Ke and the others. Although they were all on the stage, wailing in agony, it was true that Lu Chao hadn’t killed any of them.
"Patriarch Nan..." Lu Dingtian urged frantically.
Nan Zhuiming’s expression shifted constantly. He glanced again at the archers aiming at him and his men, and finally, he restrained himself. "My apologies, Marshal Lu. I must first ensure our own survival."
Lu Dingtian trembled with rage...
Just then, a shrill scream erupted from the stage. "Lu Chao, you miserable wretch, I’ll—AH!"
The voice belonged to Lu Hanyan. She was now held aloft by Lu Chao, and just as she was speaking, his hand had plunged viciously into her body, right where the Water Chant Saint Bone was located.
Lu Dingtian went berserk. He ordered all his men to fight their way to the stage, no matter the cost.
But they were blocked again and again by Dongfang Ren, Sun Shijin, and the others.
"Little Sister Hanyan, the Water Chant Saint Bone is eager to return to me. Since you won’t give it back, I’ll take it myself."
Lu Chao’s voice was calm and cold. He pinched the bone between two fingers, slowly digging it out of Lu Hanyan’s body.
At that moment, Lu Hanyan finally accepted her reality.
She no longer dared to curse him. Her eyes suddenly turned pitiful as she begged, "Brother Chao, I was wrong! You said you’d forgive me no matter what I did. You can’t go back on your word!"
At her words, Lu Chao’s heart trembled violently.
Those were words Lu Chao had spoken to Lu Hanyan several years ago, back when they were still in the Grand Marshal’s Mansion.
Back then, looking at the young, girlish Lu Hanyan, Lu Chao had promised to forgive her no matter what she did wrong. She had been so lively then, her laughter like silver bells echoing through the Grand Marshal’s Mansion.
"Brother Chao, do you remember when we were children? The three of us, lying in the flowerbeds outside the Great Wu Imperial City."
"We swore we would become the greatest fighters in the world. Have you forgotten?"
Lu Hanyan’s voice was soft, pleading, and laced with sweet memories.
Lu Chao’s fingers slowly came to a halt. Without him even realizing it, tears were streaming down his face. He replied, his voice trembling, "I remember."
His voice was utterly hoarse.
Just then, a triumphant glint flashed in Lu Hanyan’s eyes. She asked again, softly, "Brother Chao, can we go back to how things were before?"
"Okay," Lu Chao said, his voice still hoarse.
Lu Hanyan’s heart hammered wildly in her chest. The look of triumph in her eyes deepened, though she frantically tried to conceal it.
The crowd below the stage exchanged uncertain glances. Even Lu Dingtian paused his charge.
’Has Lu Chao gone soft?’ they all wondered.
But in the next instant... AH!
Lu Hanyan let out another bloodcurdling scream. Lu Chao, pinching a small piece of bone between his two fingers, had ripped it from her body.
Instantly, everyone in the arena who thought Lu Chao had gone soft stared with wide eyes.