Chapter 26: The Defeat of Luo Sheng

Luo Sheng’s aura surged, his eyes locked firmly onto Lu Changfeng before him.

Lu Changfeng did not hesitate. His own energy erupted, venting outward.

"Boom!"

Amidst the roar, the pressure of the ninth stage of the Pulse-Opening realm radiated forth.

"What? The ninth stage of the Pulse-Opening realm?!"
"How is this possible? It has only been three months!"
"To think that someone with the Nine-Star Convergence talent could progress so rapidly!"

The disciples were in an uproar. Luo Yun, sprawled on the ground, clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with icy malice. "The ninth stage of the Pulse-Opening realm? So what?! I refuse to believe he can survive against a master of the Zhoutian realm! Luo Sheng, kill him for me!"

Luo Yun had completely lost all restraint, ignoring even the presence of Yue Qingshuang hovering in the air.

"Shut up!" Yue Qingshuang said coldly.

Luo Yun instinctively pulled his head back, finally realizing the gravity of the situation, yet even this could not extinguish the murderous intent in his heart.

Luo Sheng took a deep breath, and the pressure of the Zhoutian realm exploded outward. His body transformed into a sharp blade, hurtling toward Lu Changfeng. The ground trembled, and a deep pit appeared in his wake, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading across the earth. The terrifying pressure descended upon Lu Changfeng in an instant.

In a flash, Luo Sheng closed the distance and threw a punch aimed directly at Lu Changfeng’s head. The wind from his strike whistled, causing the very air to vibrate violently.

Lu Changfeng shifted his stance, narrowly dodging the blow. With a sudden torque of his waist, he swung his right arm and punched toward his opponent’s face.

Boom!

Amidst the thunderous impact, Luo Sheng forced his body to spin in mid-air, crossing his arms to protect his face.

Crack!

A dull, heavy thud echoed across the field. Luo Sheng’s body spun uncontrollably in the air before being sent flying into the distance. As he landed, his eyes flickered, and his arms trembled imperceptibly.

"A body cultivator?"

Lu Changfeng did not answer. He charged forward, leaving behind a trail of afterimages, and collided with his opponent once more. Although Lu Changfeng’s internal cultivation was inferior to Luo Sheng’s, his physical body was genuinely in the Bone-Forging realm!

For a time, Luo Sheng was suppressed by Lu Changfeng, his body covered in purple-red bruises from the relentless barrage of punches.

"Damn it!"

Luo Sheng’s energy roared, his cultivation fluctuating violently as he finally managed to break away from Lu Changfeng. The moment they stood apart, he slammed his hand against his spatial ring.

Hum—!

With a flash of spiritual light, a pair of heavy hammers appeared in his hands. Intricate formations were etched into the metal, causing the surrounding air to hum incessantly under their weight.

"You are no simple opponent!" He looked at Lu Changfeng with a manic expression, licking his lips. "I have never encountered a genius like you before! Today, I shall see exactly what you are capable of! Die!"

As he spoke, the spiritual energy within him surged, pouring entirely into the twin hammers. The dark gray metal began to glow brightly under the infusion of energy, and a towering pressure rose to the heavens.

Rumble!

Luo Sheng flashed forward, his face twisted in a ferocious sneer as he charged at Lu Changfeng. This was no longer a spar; it was a fight to the death.

Standing to the side, Ye Yunlan frowned. A sense of annoyance welled up within her—not toward Lu Changfeng, but toward Luo Yun. Although she was furious that the quota for a direct disciple had been snatched by Lu Changfeng, she had never intended for him to be killed. She was headstrong, but her heart was fundamentally kind. She had thought a lesson would suffice, but looking at Luo Sheng’s actions, it was clear he was intent on murder.

In the center of the battlefield, it took only two breaths for Luo Sheng to reach Lu Changfeng. The surrounding gale roared, stinging the faces of onlookers. Yet, Lu Changfeng stood his ground, motionless.

Just as everyone thought he had been paralyzed by fear, he moved.

Lu Changfeng tapped his spatial ring and drew a profound iron sword—the standard weapon issued to every sect disciple. As he gripped the hilt, his gaze became even more steady and sharp.

"Heavenly Derivation Sword Art, First Form: Cloud-Splitting!"

Lu Changfeng’s body trembled, and his sword danced, weaving a flurry of light. The blade in his hand flared with brilliance, and an immense sword aura formed before him, surging toward the twin hammers.

In mid-air, ripples of energy radiated outward. To the eyes of the onlookers, it appeared as if the sword aura had cleaved the very air in two. The sword light and the twin hammers collided with a deafening crash.

The sky trembled, and the disciples watching from the sidelines clutched their ears to block out the thunderous noise. Many of the weaker disciples began to bleed from their ears.

In the eyes of the outsiders, Lu Changfeng was only at the ninth stage of the Pulse-Opening realm. To not only face a Zhoutian-stage cultivator but to actively charge toward him was nothing short of suicide! Although the two realms seemed only one step apart, the difference between them was as vast as clouds and mud.

Rumble—!

The entire ground cracked open, and sand and stones flew in every direction. Everyone present widened their eyes, straining to see through the dust and haze, desperate to know what had occurred in the center of the fray.

"He could actually contend with him? Is Lu Changfeng’s cultivation actually at the Zhoutian level?"
"That’s impossible, he only entered the sect three months ago!"
"Hmph, whatever the case, Brother Luo must be the one who won!"

As the dust began to settle, Lu Changfeng stood exactly where he had been, his sword humming softly. Luo Sheng, however, lay sprawled on the ground, his fate unknown.

"What! Lu Changfeng won??"
"In just three months! How can this be?!"
"Is Lu Changfeng truly only at the Pulse-Opening realm?!"

The crowd stared at the figure in the center of the field, gasping in disbelief. What they had deemed impossible was unfolding right before their eyes.

Luo Sheng gritted his teeth and slowly climbed to his feet. He had lost! A Zhoutian-stage cultivator, thoroughly mauled by a Pulse-Opening disciple—no one would believe it if they were told. His eyes bloodshot, he stared at Lu Changfeng and roared, "Damn you! Lu Changfeng! I will kill you!"

In his heart, a Pulse-Opening cultivator was no more than an ant, and to be defeated by one made him lose his sanity.

In the next moment, Luo Sheng screamed, ignoring his injuries as his spiritual energy surged once more. A flame of spiritual energy seemed to ignite around him. He charged at Lu Changfeng again in a frenzy. He had lost one of his hammers, and the remaining one was now wreathed in scorching crimson spiritual flames.

Faced with this desperate, reckless assault, Lu Changfeng’s expression remained indifferent as he shifted his stance. However, as the moments dragged on, Luo Sheng’s momentum began to wither.