Chapter 300: The Third Holy Lord, Shen Rong Tian Di!

“Hmm?”

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. His Sword Qi had been blocked—something he hadn’t expected.

Following the direction from which the energy had come, he turned to see a white-clad figure standing calmly atop a distant rooftop.

The man was young in face, yet his hair was pure white.

He stood with hands clasped behind his back, his aura so restrained it seemed ordinary—like that of an ordinary man.

Yet no one dared treat him as such.

To conceal one’s presence so completely, to slip past the awareness of even the strongest cultivators and ascend onto the roof without a sound—this was no mere mortal.

Even more, as the crowd got a clearer look at the figure, someone gasped aloud:

“The Third Holy Lord!”

“What? That’s one of the Holy Lords?”

“Of course! I knew it—such a commotion in the city couldn’t go unnoticed by the Three Holy Lords.”

“It seems Master Xuan Ming might just escape this time.”

“The Third Holy Lord intervenes—he’s always hated evil. That young man’s in trouble.”

Among the onlookers, several cultivators who had once met the Three Holy Lords of Sheng Shan immediately recognized the figure.

In the shadows, An Ying’s heart jolted. His eyes flickered with uncertainty.

This is one of the three Holy Lords? But… something’s off about him.

Why is the Third Holy Lord here?

On the high tower, Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou froze at the sight of the white-robed figure. His shock was palpable.

At the same time, a wave of anxiety washed over him.

The Third Holy Lord is known for his firm demeanor. Lu Xiao Langjun mustn’t provoke him.

Even with that fear, Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou dared not send a mental transmission to Lu Qing.

Though he had reached the peak of Xian Tian Jing Mastery—only one step from perfection—and possessed deep insight into Spirit Soul Power—

he still couldn’t perform Spirit Soul Transmission across a hundred zhang through the invisible pressure of Sheng Cheng.

And the Third Holy Lord’s cultivation realm was unfathomable. Every time Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou had met him, he felt utterly insignificant.

Even if he tried to transmit a thought, the Third Holy Lord would surely detect it.

“Holy Lord?”

Lu Qing murmured, his mind stirring.

So this is one of the three mysterious Holy Lords of Sheng Shan?

At that moment, golden light flared around the white-robed man’s body, and several words appeared in his vision:

【Bai Qingfeng: Third Holy Lord of Sheng Shan. Temperament rigid, willpower strong.】

【Cultivation: Peak Zhu Ji level. Gained recognition from the Sheng Shan Yi Zhi by chance, greatly amplified within Sheng Shan’s domain—comparable to a Golden Core cultivator.】

【The one before you is not his true body, but a puppet form. Can unleash up to full Xian Tian Jing Mastery power.】

【Though the Three Holy Lords were granted recognition by the Sheng Shan Yi Zhi and received great blessings, they are bound—until they achieve transcendence, their true forms cannot leave the Sheng Shan region.】

…

Puppet body?

Lu Qing understood at once.

No wonder he hadn’t sensed the man’s arrival. The figure before him wasn’t alive—just a puppet.

With a Zhu Ji-level spirit soul, suppressing his aura was effortless.

Lu Qing had some knowledge of puppet bodies.

The Lihuo Sect’s inheritance contained records on the subject.

In the previous cultivation era, there had been a sect called the Heavenly Puppet Sect—masters of this art.

They were said to craft puppets so lifelike they were indistinguishable from real people.

Even the most advanced among them could cultivate independently—truly miraculous.

But puppets capable of independent cultivation were incredibly rare—rarer even than Spirit Artifacts.

Even the Heavenly Puppet Sect had managed to create only one such masterpiece—accidentally, by chance.

Afterward, despite endless efforts, they never succeeded again.

The puppet body currently inhabited by the Third Holy Lord was clearly not the legendary masterpiece.

It was a standard-issue construct.

“Respectfully, I greet the Third Holy Lord!”

As the truth sank in, the surrounding Xian Tian cultivators bowed in unison.

The surviving monks of Xuan Kong Shan shouted even louder:

“Holy Lord, this man is a demon! Kill him at once!”

But the Third Holy Lord ignored their pleas.

He didn’t even glance at the monks.

Instead, his eyes locked onto Lu Qing.

“Give me this one favor,” he said softly. “Let Xuan Ming live this time.”

All eyes turned to Lu Qing.

The Third Holy Lord had personally intervened—how would the young man respond?

Xuan Ming’s eyes sparkled with hope.

Is the Holy Lord truly stepping in between me and Xuan Kong Shan?

They say Sheng Shan only cares for the fate of the world, never meddling in personal grudges. Is that just an empty claim?

Lu Qing didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he asked, “So you’re saying you’re willing to interfere in my personal matter with Xuan Kong Shan?”

The crowd gasped.

No one expected him to challenge the Third Holy Lord so boldly.

“Trouble,” Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou muttered, dread rising in his chest.

The Third Holy Lord is uncompromising. Challenging him like this will only provoke him.

Just as he braced for disaster, he saw something unexpected.

The Third Holy Lord paused.

Then, slowly:

“I once owed the Xuan Kong Shan Fang Zhang a favor. I cannot allow Xuan Ming to die here. If you grant me this request, that favor becomes yours.”

The crowd was stunned.

Even Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou, who knew the man’s character, felt shaken.

When did he become this… reasonable?

Is this really the same rigid, unyielding Third Holy Lord we know?

All eyes returned to Lu Qing.

The boy had already shown arrogance and strength.

Now, the Third Holy Lord had lowered his pride.

They wanted to see if the young man would accept the face-saving gesture.

But Lu Qing remained calm, his expression unchanged.

“So you’re determined to interfere in my quarrel with Xuan Kong Shan?”

“Think carefully,” the Third Holy Lord said. “You’re talented, yes—but Xuan Kong Shan’s foundation is beyond your imagining. If you make them your enemies, you’ll regret it someday.”

Lu Qing smiled.

“Do you really think I haven’t already made them my enemies?”

The Third Holy Lord glanced at the corpses of the Xuan Kong Shan elders scattered nearby.

Then, meeting Lu Qing’s smirk, he fell silent.

“So there’s no way to negotiate?”

“I respect you, Holy Lord,” Lu Qing said firmly. “But I also ask you to uphold Sheng Shan’s principles—don’t interfere in my personal affairs with Xuan Kong Shan.”

The surrounding Xian Tian Jing cultivators stood frozen.

They were shocked—but somehow, not surprised.

Given Lu Qing’s past conduct, to yield now would have been unnatural.

The Third Holy Lord studied him, his expression hardening.

“If I insist on taking them with me?”

Lu Qing’s hand flicked out.

Zhen Qi surged, swirling air drawing the War Blade from the ground.

“Then I’ll have to test your strength, Elder.”

With the blade in hand, an overwhelming aura erupted from him—so intense it made the air crackle.

The chilling Sword Intent lashed out like ice needles, pricking the skin of every cultivator, freezing their hearts.

They stared in awe.

This power… it feels stronger than before.

“Looks like we’ve reached this point,” Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou sighed.

My instincts were right.

The Third Holy Lord was fierce.

But Lu Qing’s spirit was just as unyielding.

These two would never back down.

“Master Lou,” Ma Gu whispered, anxious. “That white-robed elder looks terrifying. Will Lu Qing be hurt?”

Others shared the same worry.

“Don’t worry,” Tian Ji Lou Zhu Lou reassured them. “The Third Holy Lord may be stern, but he’s honorable. He’ll only make Lu Xiao Langjun suffer a little—he won’t kill him.”

“Want to fight me?” The Third Holy Lord sounded genuinely surprised.

“Please, Elder. Honor me with your techniques.”

The Third Holy Lord felt Lu Qing’s battle intent.

He paused, then said:

“Fine. If I don’t fight you, I can’t take them. But I dislike fighting beneath my level. Let’s say three moves. If you force me to retreat even half a step in three exchanges, I’ll walk away.”

With that, he vanished from the rooftop.

A moment later, he reappeared—standing protectively before Xuan Ming, only three zhang away from Lu Qing.

“Then I’ll have to be bold,” Lu Qing said, eyes sharpening.

With a sudden motion, his War Blade transformed into a blinding flash of white light—

a storm of countless sword slashes, a torrent of Sword Qi, surging toward the Third Holy Lord.

The sheer fury and speed of the attack left every Xian Tian cultivator breathless.

“Interesting,” the Third Holy Lord murmured, impressed. “Your sword art has finally grasped the true essence of Yi.”

“But this won’t work on me.”

He didn’t even draw a weapon.

Just extended one finger—lightly, almost casually—toward the storm.

And then, the impossible happened.

Lu Qing’s torrent of Sword Qi—so fierce, so overwhelming—was suddenly frozen in midair, as if time itself had stopped.

“Disperse!”

The Third Holy Lord spoke one word.

Instantly, an invisible wave swept across the battlefield, dissolving the Sword Qi storm into nothingness.

The crowd stood frozen.

They couldn’t believe what they’d just seen.

Lu Qing’s devastating attack—gone.

And the Third Holy Lord hadn’t even moved.

No one could tell how he’d done it.

The elders of the world looked on in awe.

This is the power of the Holy Lord—the ruler of Sheng Shan, feared for a thousand years by all sects!

Only a few from hidden sects, with deep knowledge, sensed the secret.

Shen Rong Tian Di—the domain of creation. The Third Holy Lord’s cultivation has reached a realm beyond comprehension!

Yang Ming Dao Ren watched, stunned.

Shen Rong Tian Di… The Third Holy Lord has truly reached this level? No wonder my master always spoke of them with admiration.

The Senior Brother of Yun Shui Mi Jing exhaled in disbelief.

In the darkness, a black shadow trembled.

Shen Rong Tian Di… How could his spirit soul cultivation be this high? He just revived his Spirit Artifact—how is this possible?

Domain?

Lu Qing watched the Sword Qi vanish, unshaken.

He wasn’t surprised.

In high-level combat, raw Sword Qi wasn’t the decisive factor.

He never expected to defeat the Third Holy Lord with a single attack.

Instead, he studied the aftermath.

The method used—though mysterious—felt strangely familiar.

It reminded him of his Master’s Xian Tian Ling Yu.

But the Third Holy Lord’s mastery of the domain was even more refined—effortless, seamless, without a trace of effort.

“Still want to continue?”

The Third Holy Lord stood calmly, hands behind his back.

“Of course,” Lu Qing smiled. “It’s rare to face a master of such caliber. I won’t give up so easily.”

“Then go ahead,” the Third Holy Lord said. “But this time, I won’t hold back.”

“Go ahead, Elder,” Lu Qing said, unfazed. “I’m quite skilled at surviving.”

He twisted his blade in hand.

Then, with a thunderous crack, he shattered the earth beneath him—

and launched forward like a bolt of lightning.

A killing intent surged from him, his blade a streak of lightning, slashing toward the Third Holy Lord.

For the first time, the Third Holy Lord’s expression shifted.

He felt it—the raw power of that strike.

It was no less than that of a true Xian Tian Jing Wan Man cultivator.

That move alone… I can’t block it so easily this time.

After all, the Spirit Soul Power he poured into this puppet body was limited.

Even with the ability to wield Shen Rong Tian Di, without sufficient power, he couldn’t restrain Lu Qing.

Realizing this, the Third Holy Lord’s gaze hardened.

In his hand, a long sword suddenly appeared.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end