BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
All ten of these subordinates unleashed their True Qi. Every one of them was a Peak Realm expert.
Yan Mu’s guards, of course, had to ensure their young master’s safety and be on guard against any possible sneak attacks.
At that moment, Niu Dong was standing beside a female guard...
She suddenly asked in a low voice, "Commander Niu, will the young master be alright?"
Niu Dong gently shook his head and replied in a low voice...
"It shouldn’t be a problem. The young master is at the Peak Realm Third Layer."
"He’s eight layers higher than that country bumpkin. His True Qi alone could kill him instantly..."
"Luckily, he didn’t break through any further to the True Fate Eighth or Ninth Layer. That would have been a bit troublesome."
Hearing this, the female guard nodded to herself, her doubts dispelled.
They were speaking very quietly. If Yan Mu were to hear them, he would surely fly into a rage.
If Lu Dingtian and the others were to hear them, they would probably be dumbfounded that these guards had so little confidence in Yan Mu.
Niu Dong then asked the female guard, "Has there been any reply from Lord Mo Jing?"
"No, but I expect he’s already on his way here. The young master insisted on coming to this tournament battlefield in the Azure Flame Domain. We couldn’t stop him no matter what we did. Lord Mo Jing is probably going to be furious."
The female guard spoke softly, a look of fear on her face.
The next moment, a carrier pigeon landed on the female guard’s hand. She quickly announced, "A reply from Lord Mo Jing."
As she spoke, she quickly opened the letter, glanced at it, and continued, "Commander Niu, Lord Mo Jing says we must ensure the young master wins in style. He also said that Lu Dingtian and Nan Zhuiming are our people, but the young master must not know."
"We are to contact them in secret and have them arrange the Azure Flame Domain’s lineup of geniuses..."
"...and ensure the young master has the most impressive fight possible."
This Mo Jing was the very same Lord Cyan Sword Shadow who had approached Lu Dingtian and Nan Zhuiming...
Their conversation went unheard. On the stage, Yan Mu and Lu Chao had already assumed their stances.
At that moment, Yan Mu spoke condescendingly, "Country bumpkin, my cultivation realm is higher than yours. I’ll give you a three-move head start."
As soon as he said this, Niu Dong and the female guard, who were whispering, immediately looked toward the stage.
Niu Dong whispered back, "Lord Mo Jing’s letter came too late. Now we can only wait for the young master to defeat this bumpkin, and then have Lu Dingtian and Nan Zhuiming arrange another match."
"Stay on high alert. If the young master runs into any trouble, be ready to intervene from the shadows."
On the stage...
Lu Chao stared gravely at Yan Mu, the True Qi throughout his body already stirring. Gripping his long spear, he replied, "In that case, I won’t hold back."
The words were barely out of his mouth... BOOM!
His Water Chant and Fire Roaring Saint Bones vibrated. As the aura of his Violent Bone erupted, Lu Chao instantly unleashed the Violent Celestial Soldier Slash...
The long spear struck like a dragon, aimed straight for Yan Mu’s head.
Seeing this, Yan Mu gave a malevolent laugh and unleashed a wave of True Qi. "Bone Soaking... Celestial Shield!"
An ice-blue shield of True Qi formed before him!
It instantly blocked Lu Chao’s Violent Celestial Soldier Slash. The powerful True Qi of the Peak Realm Third Layer completely neutralized the attack, even forcing Lu Chao back step by step.
The crowd below the stage burst into discussion...
"The Peak Third Layer... He’s so strong!"
"Lu Chao is finished. Even a slash that violent couldn’t break through his opponent’s shield."
"What an incredible Martial Technique! Forming a True Qi Shield directly... I’ve never seen or heard of anything like it."
Voices of praise rang out continuously. Everyone felt that Lu Chao was completely out of his league; the difference in their strength was obvious from that single exchange.
"So much for the Great Martial Emperor Star, the Azure Flame Sect disciple, the real or fake Lu Chao nonsense..."
"In the face of a true genius, he’s nothing but trash!"
Zheng Zhuhe added his own sinister voice to the mix, his heart brimming with endless hatred. He was filled with envy, jealousy, and hate for Yan Mu as well.
Meanwhile, Dragon Flame and the contingent from the Hundred Countries began to worry again.
But no one knew...
At that moment, Lu Chao stood dazed on the stage, staring at Yan Mu as he retracted his shield. A strange expression crept onto Lu Chao’s face. The power of his Star Bright Eyes Bone gradually coalesced in his eyes as he observed Yan Mu.
Yan Mu continued to mock him. "That’s one move. You have two left. After those two moves, I’m going to kill you."
Lu Chao didn’t answer. Instead, suddenly... THUD!
He dropped the spear in his hand, suddenly drew his sword, and went right into a technique. "Slaughter Sword, Thousand Kills!"
As he spoke, Lu Chao flashed forward, his sword streaking toward Yan Mu’s head.
Yan Mu roared with laughter. "Bone Soaking Celestial Shield! Block it..."
The words had just left his lips and the shield had reappeared, but Yan Mu was suddenly stunned. "Where did he go?"
"I’m over here... on your left..."
Lu Chao’s voice suddenly rang out. "That was the second move. And now, the third! Take this!"
As he spoke... PFFT!
The sword stabbed directly toward Yan Mu’s left shoulder. Flustered, he tried to conjure his shield again to block, but in his haste, the True Qi Shield was nowhere near as strong as before. Lu Chao’s blade pierced it instantly.
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP...
Yan Mu stumbled back several steps in a frenzy, his face a mask of shock.
The expressions on the faces of Niu Dong and the other guards changed drastically as well. Before they could react, Lu Chao spoke again, "Three moves are up. You can attack for real now. But I don’t think you’ll get the chance."
As he spoke, Lu Chao’s figure appeared in front of Yan Mu, the blur of his sword arriving with him.
In that instant, Niu Dong roared, "Stop!"
But Lu Chao paid him no mind, unleashing the Thousand Kills Slaughter Sword on Yan Mu.
He moved like a phantom around Yan Mu’s body as a continuous SHING SHING SHING SHING sound rang out.
It was the sound of Yan Mu’s blue robes.
In an instant, Yan Mu’s robes were reduced to tatters, the shredded cloth dancing in the air around Lu Chao’s sword.
Yan Mu, meanwhile, was like a chicken with its head cut off, completely bewildered.
Until...
A violent aura suddenly erupted. A terrifying fist smashed toward Lu Chao, but he grabbed Yan Mu and used him to block the blow. The Fist Force was instantly recalled, and its owner materialized into a figure on the ground.
The owner of the Fist Force was, of course, Niu Dong.
Immediately after... SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Yan Mu’s ten guards flashed into view, landing simultaneously to surround Lu Chao.
By then, Lu Chao’s sword was already pressed against Yan Mu’s neck. He casually glanced around at them. "Your young master and I were having a fair duel. What’s the meaning of you all coming up on stage?"
Lu Chao’s voice was light, laced with a faint, mocking smile.
Below the stage...
Lu Dingtian, Nan Zhuiming, Zheng Liling, and the others were all completely stunned. ’What is happening?’
On the side of Dragon Flame and the Hundred Countries, Yin Ye and the others were also dumbfounded.
They all stared at the stage, mouths agape. Someone even managed to stammer, "Am... am I dreaming?"
Dongfang Ren, ever the experienced one, spoke in his aged voice...
"This is no dream. It’s reality."
"This young master from the Cyan Sword Great Empire seems powerful, but in truth, only his True Qi Realm is strong. In every other respect, he’s utterly useless—all flash and no substance."
"If he’d faced anyone else, he could have overwhelmed them with his higher realm. But of all people, he had to run into... Lu Chao!"
Hearing this, Sun Shijin and the others blinked.
Only one thought ran through their minds: ’Yan Mu put on such a big show, but he’s actually a complete pushover.’