Chapter 301: Battle, the Third Holy Lord's Shock

With his long sword drawn, the Third Holy Lord’s aura suddenly sharpened, turning ferocious and intense.

Facing Lu Qing’s War Blade, he thrust forward with a single, precise strike.

As the blade moved, the very sky trembled.

Everyone present gasped in shock—around them, the Heavenly and Earthly Qi surged violently, swirling and converging into a massive, overwhelming sword aura that roared toward Lu Qing like a collapsing mountain.

Invisible yet undeniable, the sheer force of it made even the strongest cultivators feel as if they were staring at a colossal cliff bearing down upon them.

One sword, a storm of heaven and earth—this was the true mastery of the Third Holy Lord’s sword art.

“Amazing sword technique!”

Lu Qing’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Not a trace of fear crossed his face. Instead, he accelerated his War Blade even further, meeting the attack in a flash of lightning and fire.

Boom!

The clash of blade against blade unleashed unimaginable force.

A violent shockwave erupted, tearing through the air and radiating outward in all directions.

Had it not been for the fact that those watching were all Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe, the sheer power of that single clash would have caused mass casualties.

After the impact, one figure staggered backward over ten steps before regaining balance—Lu Qing, of course.

But the Third Holy Lord remained perfectly still, not a single step backward.

Even better—he still had the strength to activate the Shen Rong Tian Di technique, channeling the chaotic air currents to dissipate the shockwave and protect the injured Xuan Ming and the other Xuan Kong Shan monks.

Yet, a keen observer noticed something subtle:

Though he hadn’t stepped back, the ground beneath his feet had sunk slightly, as if the earth itself had bowed under his weight.

“Truly, the Holy Lord’s mastery is incomparable,” Lu Qing said calmly, his breath steady, his aura unruffled. “Each movement commands the Heavenly and Earthly Qi, shaping the battlefield with effortless grandeur.”

His eyes gleamed with quiet awe.

The Third Holy Lord’s sword art had revealed a glimpse of the Yi principle—the next level beyond what he had known.

“Your body… after surviving the tribulation, is this strong?”

The Third Holy Lord’s voice carried genuine surprise.

He knew the power of that strike.

It was nearly the absolute limit of his Puppet Body’s normal form—save for his ultimate secret technique, which he had not yet used.

Even a true Xian Tian Jing Wan Man would have been shattered by such a blow.

And yet, Lu Qing had taken it head-on—only stepping back ten paces, with not a single scratch.

This left the Third Holy Lord shaken, his spirit stirred.

He knew that only someone who could trigger Jie Yun could be this extraordinary.

But Lu Qing was only just entering the Xian Tian Jing realm.

To match him in strength… this was beyond belief.

His words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

Everyone froze, eyes wide, staring at Lu Qing in disbelief.

Could it be… the one who triggered the Jie Yun wasn’t that mysterious talisman after all?

Was it actually this young man?

“Indeed, the Holy Lord sees clearly,” Lu Qing thought to himself, realizing the Third Holy Lord had sensed the truth—he had been the one to undergo the tribulation, not some treasure.

Seeing no denial from Lu Qing, the Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe all fell silent, mouths agape.

The truth was undeniable.

The one who had summoned the Jie Yun… was this boy.

In the shadows, a dark figure trembled, eyes wide with disbelief.

The one who passed the tribulation… was this kid? What kind of monster is he?

A stunned silence gripped the entire gathering.

After long moments, someone finally spoke.

“Now I understand why his strength has grown so rapidly,” Yang Ming Dao Ren murmured. “No wonder even Jiang Mo Jin Gang Chu couldn’t defeat him.”

“The first tribulation survivor since the world’s transformation,” the Senior Brother of Yun Shui Mi Jing whispered, realization dawning.

Ever since the Jie Yun appeared, he had felt a deep unease.

Now he knew—the tribulation wasn’t caused by some artifact.

It was this strange youth before them.

And he felt a surge of relief.

Thankfully, he had restrained his disciples earlier.

Otherwise, the fate of Xuan Ming and the others would have been their own.

“Wait… you’re the one who passed the tribulation?”

Xuan Ming’s voice cracked with horror.

He had never imagined the one who summoned the Jie Yun was Lu Qing.

If he’d known, he would never have dared provoke him.

This was the first person to pass through the tribulation since the world’s rebirth—a celestial anomaly, blessed by heaven and earth.

No Xian Tian Jing should dare to challenge such a being.

“The first tribulation survivor… truly extraordinary,” the Third Holy Lord sighed.

“Your body, forged by the Heavenly Tribulation, is stronger than any ordinary Xian Tian Jing Wan Man.

In time, your achievements will be limitless.

Even we old ones may one day be surpassed.”

“Holy Lord flatters me,” Lu Qing replied, bowing slightly.

“But…”

The Third Holy Lord’s gaze hardened.

“Though you’ve passed the tribulation, your cultivation has not yet settled.

Even if you surpass us someday, that will only be in the future.

Right now, your strength is still too young to stop me from taking my target.”

“Then why are you so certain, Holy Lord, that I cannot repel you?”

Lu Qing smiled faintly.

“The third move of our agreement has not yet been made.”

“Ah… yes,” the Third Holy Lord nodded slowly, his expression turning cold.

“True spirit, the fire of youth. A young bull unafraid of tigers.”

He raised his sword.

“Then let us see your third move.”

The air grew still.

A chilling silence fell.

Everyone felt it—Lu Qing had defied the Third Holy Lord again, and this time, the man was truly enraged.

The next clash would not be like the last.

“Then please, Holy Lord, be prepared,” Lu Qing said, assuming a stance—but not attacking immediately.

Instead, he closed his eyes, sinking into his inner world, meticulously sensing the currents within his body.

Ten breaths passed.

Then twenty.

At first, the onlookers were puzzled.

But as time stretched, a creeping dread began to rise in their hearts.

For suddenly, an unnatural aura rose from Lu Qing’s body—something terrifying, ancient, and utterly dark.

It was as if some primordial force was awakening inside him, prickling the skin of every watcher, chilling their souls.

Had he hidden this all along?

Even the Third Holy Lord felt his expression harden.

He could sense the danger in Lu Qing’s aura—something he himself could not ignore.

This meant one thing:

Lu Qing was now a genuine threat.

The Third Holy Lord instinctively tightened his grip on his sword, spirit soul power surging from his mind into the surrounding space, weaving the laws of the world into a restraining force meant to crush Lu Qing’s speed.

Lu Qing’s aura grew heavier, more oppressive.

Some weaker Xian Tian Jing cultivators trembled, their instincts screaming to flee.

Finally, Lu Qing opened his eyes.

His gaze burned with an unearthly light—like a spirit from beyond the veil, haunting and mesmerizing.

“Holy Lord,” he said, voice like jade falling into a crystal bowl—smooth, resonant, and strangely musical.

The Third Holy Lord’s heart tightened.

But he kept his composure.

“Unexpected… you still have more power hidden. Let us see it.”

Boom!

As the words left his mouth, Lu Qing vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared—right in front of the Third Holy Lord.

His War Blade, now seemingly in mid-air, hovered just three inches from the Third Holy Lord’s throat.

The Third Holy Lord’s pupils contracted.

Even with his divine soul mastery, he hadn’t seen it coming.

Lu Qing had closed the distance in an instant—too fast for reaction.

Just as the blade’s tip neared his skin…

The Third Holy Lord exploded backward, foot striking the ground, his body rocketing away in a flash.

At the same time, his spirit soul power surged through the air, manipulating the very laws of space, binding Lu Qing’s movement with invisible chains.

It worked.

Lu Qing’s speed slowed dramatically—just enough to miss.

But only by a hair.

The roar of air tearing open came afterward, a long white mist trailing behind Lu Qing’s form.

The entire battlefield froze.

Not just because of Lu Qing’s inhuman speed—but because the Third Holy Lord had retreated.

For the first time since his arrival, the Third Holy Lord had been forced back.

And by the terms of their agreement, that meant he could no longer stop Lu Qing from killing Xuan Ming.

The match—was won by Lu Qing.

Xuan Ming’s face twisted in terror.

But then, as all eyes expected the battle to end, Lu Qing did not stop.

He sensed the lingering pressure of the spatial restrictions.

With a cold glint in his eyes, he shook his body violently—shattering the bindings in an instant.

He regained full control.

Then, with a thunderous step, he launched forward, tearing the ground asunder, breaking through the air once more—pursuing the retreating Third Holy Lord.

But the Third Holy Lord had caught his breath.

Spirit soul power surged again, weaving the heavens and earth into a cage.

And his sword, now a storm of its own, stirred the air, gathering Heavenly and Earthly Qi from dozens of meters around, forming a crushing wave of energy that roared toward Lu Qing.

This time, no mercy.

No holding back.

The Third Holy Lord had seen the danger in Lu Qing’s earlier strike.

If he held back now, he would lose.

A Xian Tian Jing—no, a mere boy—defeating a Holy Lord?

Even if the boy was a celestial anomaly, the Third Holy Lord would not allow it.

All thoughts of Xuan Ming, of Xuan Kong Shan, vanished.

His pride as a Holy Lord would not permit defeat.

With eyes like steel, he struck his sword against Lu Qing’s blade.

Boom!

The clash detonated.

A shockwave, stronger than before by several orders of magnitude, erupted outward.

The air shattered.

The ground cracked.

Trees, buildings, stone—everything in their path was obliterated.

The two figures separated, each stepping back ten paces.

Equal.

Even.

But the moment they paused, they charged again—locked in a furious, unrelenting duel.

Blade clashed against sword.

Energy erupted in every direction.

Sword Qi rained like blades of wind, carving deep gashes into the earth, slicing through everything in their path.

“Danger! Retreat!”

The surrounding Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe screamed, scrambling back.

They didn’t stop until they were over a hundred meters away, hearts pounding, staring at the storm at the center.

But Lu Qing and the Third Holy Lord were already lost in their battle—driven by pure instinct, fury, and the will to win.

Wherever they moved, nothing remained untouched.

Was this truly a battle between Xian Tian Jing?

One of the watchers whispered, voice trembling.

Can they still be considered ordinary cultivators?

His companion stared at him, speechless.

The others fell silent.

No.

Neither of them could be measured by ordinary standards.

The Third Holy Lord—leader of the Three Holy Lords of Sheng Shan—was no mere Xian Tian Jing.

Legends said the Three Holy Lords were beyond the realm of mortal cultivation.

One of them had lived for over a thousand years.

The Third Holy Lord, though younger, was still over three hundred years old—far older than any recorded Xian Tian Jing.

And Lu Qing?

The first person to pass through the Heavenly Tribulation since the world’s rebirth.

Just that title alone made him a phenomenon.

Yet, even knowing this in their minds, the sheer power of their clash left everyone breathless.

Same cultivation path… but such a chasm between them.

How far apart are we, truly?

Suddenly—within the storm of smoke and dust—a figure shot out, flying through the air and crashing through a house.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end