Chapter 302: The Outcome, Searching the Corpse, and a Sinister Shadow

Chapter 302: The Outcome, Searching the Corpse, and a Sinister Shadow

"Is it over? Who won?"

As the figure flew out, crashing into a house and causing it to crumble, everyone gasped in astonishment.

However, the smoke and dust obscured their vision, preventing them from immediately identifying who had been struck down.

When the dust finally settled, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

There stood Lu Qing, calm and composed, while the Third Sage Lord stood amidst the rubble of the collapsed house, a prominent sword mark glowing with a silvery light across his chest.

It seemed he had an incredibly resilient inner armor on.

"The Third Sage Lord...lost?"

Everyone stared, astonished, at the sword mark on the Third Sage Lord's chest.

They had never expected such an outcome.

Lu Qing and the Third Sage Lord faced each other, neither speaking a word.

After a long silence, the Third Sage Lord finally spoke, his tone laced with disbelief, "How has your power increased so drastically?"

The Third Sage Lord was truly baffled. How could Lu Qing, who had just entered the Innate Realm, continue to unleash such bursts of power, growing stronger with no apparent limit?

Even if he was an anomaly capable of invoking tribulation clouds, this defied all logic.

After all, he was merely at the initial stage of the Innate Realm.

Even with the tempering of heavenly tribulation, he shouldn't be this formidable.

Yet, during their clash, he had felt Lu Qing's power, which was astonishingly strong, especially the might of his physical body.

Even his puppet-like physical body, crafted from countless precious materials, was completely suppressed in terms of pure physical strength.

"It's merely a secret technique I've cultivated, a bit esoteric, that's all," Lu Qing replied nonchalantly. "Now, Sage Lord, do we continue?"

Hearing this, the Third Sage Lord realized that Lu Qing was unwilling to divulge his secrets.

He wasn't surprised; after all, no one would readily reveal their cultivation secrets to others.

He glanced around and shook his head. "No need. Since you were able to wound me, this battle is yours.

However, there is one thing I must advise you on. Xuan Ming holds a significant position in Xuankong Mountain, and if you truly intend to kill him, you must be prepared to face their wrath."

With that, the Third Sage Lord's figure suddenly shot up, lightly touching the roofs of several houses before disappearing into the distance.

He left without another word, abandoning the remaining members of Xuankong Mountain.

Lu Qing's eyebrows rose slightly as he witnessed the Third Sage Lord's decisive departure, gaining some insight into his character.

As for the other party's warning, he didn't take it to heart.

At this point, the enmity between him and Xuankong Mountain was irreconcilable.

Even if Xuan Ming held a special position, or if the master of Xuankong Mountain himself were here, Lu Qing would dare to strike them down.

Lu Qing stood silently, his thoughts unknown, and no one dared to disturb him at that moment.

After a while, Lu Qing turned and slowly approached Xuan Ming, who was still half-buried in the earth.

Xuan Ming could be considered lucky.

During the intense clash between Lu Qing and the Third Sage Lord, powerful sword and knife energies had erupted, yet most of them hadn't landed on Xuan Ming. Even when a stray strike or two grazed him, his red cassock had blocked the attacks.

However, the other monks of Xuankong Mountain weren't so fortunate.

They had all perished in the aftermath of Lu Qing and the Third Sage Lord's battle.

This was also one of the reasons why the Third Sage Lord had left abruptly.

Some of the Xuankong Mountain monks had died by his hand as well.

Xuan Ming's face was ashen, devoid of blood.

When the Third Sage Lord had left, he knew his fate was sealed.

So, when Lu Qing approached, he didn't beg for mercy. He simply glared at Lu Qing, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.

"Evil demon, don't gloat. One day, Xuankong Mountain will avenge us and eradicate you, the evil demon!"

Lu Qing remained silent, his expression unreadable as he lightly swung the battle knife in his hand.

Xuan Ming's red cassock glowed once more, but it was of no use.

It couldn't withstand the might of the battle knife and was easily sliced apart.

In the next moment, a head flew through the air, and Xuan Ming, the high monk of Xuankong Mountain, perished.

After beheading Xuan Ming, Lu Qing stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake and Xuan Ming's corpse to be dislodged from the earth.

With a light stroke of his long knife, he lifted the red cassock off Xuan Ming's body and began to search through his belongings.

He brazenly searched the corpse in front of the many powerful beings present.

The Innate Realm cultivators around him involuntarily twitched their eyelids, surprised by Lu Qing's blatant disregard for their status.

Some of those with hidden agendas even showed disappointment on their faces.

After the previous display, everyone knew that the red cassock on Xuan Ming's body was a rare treasure.

"Not only did it automatically protect his body with a treasure light, but the material itself was even able to withstand Lu Qing's chopping with his long sword."

"They had originally thought that after Lu Qing left, they could take advantage of the chaos and fish in muddy waters."

"Little did they expect that Lu Qing would be so disregarding of his identity and search the corpse right there."

"However, although Lu Qing's actions were unbecoming of a master, no one dared to say anything about it."

"Even Yangming Daoist, a powerful figure from a secret realm, remained silent."

"After all, this young man had just defeated the Third Sage Lord in direct combat."

"Whether he relied on secret techniques or other means, just based on this feat alone, Lu Qing had earned his place among the top experts in the world."

"At the very least, none of the powerful beings present could stand against his long knife."

After searching through Xuan Ming's body and the bodies of several other Xuankong Mountain elders, Lu Qing obtained quite a few items.

Among them, he valued the red cassock, the golden alms bowl, and a white jade bottle that emanated a mysterious aura the most.

Lu Qing wrapped everything up in the red cassock and then casually walked away.

From start to finish, he didn't exchange a single word with anyone else.

And none of the Innate Realm cultivators dared to stop him.

After what had happened, everyone knew that this young man was extremely proud, and no one wanted to risk provoking him.

So, Lu Qing continued on his way out.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a surrounding wall and curiously looked towards a dark corner.

The figure hidden in the shadows was startled, and his heart skipped a beat. "Did he discover me? Impossible! My stealth technique is so advanced that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have difficulty detecting me, let alone a mere Innate Realm brat!"

However, as Lu Qing continued to stare in his direction, the figure's anxiety gradually increased.

Finally, he saw a look of realization appear on Lu Qing's face.

"I knew it. Ever since earlier, I felt like something was watching us from the side, and it turns out it was you."

"He really discovered me!"

The figure in the shadows was shocked. How could he not know that he had been exposed?

He didn't have time to think about how Lu Qing had detected him because a fierce blade aura was already slicing towards him.

Boom! With Lu Qing's current cultivation, his strength was incredible. Even a single blade aura was extremely powerful.

In an instant, the corner where the figure was hiding was shattered, forcing out a figure in black robes.

"What's going on?"

"Who is that?"

"There was actually someone hiding there, and we didn't notice at all?"

"It's someone from the Demon Path!"

This sudden turn of events startled all the Innate Realm cultivators once again.

Especially when they saw Lu Qing casually sweeping out a blade aura and forcing out a strange figure in black robes from a corner, they were astonished.

Only Yangming Daoist's eyes lit up with a sharp gleam as he sensed the aura of the black-robed figure.

He immediately shouted, "Young Master Lu, that's someone from the Demon Path! Don't let him escape!"

At the same time, he rushed forward as well.

"Demon Path!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone present was startled and looked towards the black-robed figure who was already fleeing.

And when they saw his face, they were shocked once again.

"What incredible speed!"

The black-robed figure left behind numerous afterimages as he fled, and his speed was astonishing.

Even some of the Innate Realm cultivators present who specialized in movement techniques felt that they couldn't compare.

"Can he get away?"

After forcing out the black-robed figure, Lu Qing immediately recognized him as the person who had been secretly spying on them on the street a few days ago.

He was also the one responsible for Hu Zezhi's predicament.

Without hesitation, Lu Qing slashed out with his blade aura, aiming at the black-robed figure.

At the same time, he stomped his foot, and his body shot forward in pursuit.

No matter how fast the black-robed figure was, he couldn't outrun the speed of the blade aura.

In almost an instant, the blade aura caught up to him.

Sensing the terrifying power contained within the blade aura, a trace of fear flashed in the eyes of the black-robed figure.

He knew that with Lu Qing's strength, if he was caught, he would definitely perish here.

After all, although he had also stepped into the Innate Realm, his demonic body was not yet complete, and his true strength was equivalent to a peak Innate Realm cultivator at best.

Facing Lu Qing, a monstrous genius who could defeat a Sage Lord, he knew he stood no chance.

Thinking of this, the black-robed figure knew that he couldn't hold back anymore, or he would surely be finished.

He gritted his teeth, and the demonic energy within his body surged as his figure trembled and split into three identical figures.

In this split second, he barely avoided Lu Qing's blade aura.

"Hm?"

Seeing the black-robed figure's extraordinary movement technique, Lu Qing didn't hesitate at all. He manipulated his blade light and slashed out dozens of blade auras, enveloping the area around the figure.

The blade auras that Lu Qing unleashed this time were extremely powerful and covered a wide area, completely sealing off a radius of ten meters around the black-robed figure.

"He won't get away this time, even if he transforms into ten different figures!"

"Damn it!"

As the black-robed figure sensed the impending death behind him, his eyes turned a fierce red.

He knew he had to fight for his life, and without hesitation, he unleashed the demonic energy within him.

Boom! Just as Lu Qing's blade aura was about to tear the figure into pieces, a thick mist of blood suddenly burst from his body.

Not only did it deflect the surrounding blade auras, but his speed also increased tenfold in an instant! In the blink of an eye, he fled beyond Lu Qing's blade aura, reaching the end of the street and vanishing from Lu Qing's sight.

He left behind only some debris and a venomous voice echoing in the air, "You mark my words, brat! This grudge will be avenged, or I won't be a true demon!"

"What?!"

This sudden turn of events even took Lu Qing by surprise.

He hadn't expected his opponent to possess such a mysterious secret technique, allowing him to explosively increase his speed in an instant.

Even Lu Qing couldn't catch up immediately.

However, the secret technique seemed to have extracted a heavy price from its user.

Just now, Lu Qing had caught a glimpse of blood mist erupting from the figure's body, and even one of his arms had exploded.

It was evident that the technique he had used was some sort of self-mutilation method to gain power.

Nonetheless, the speed was astonishing, and unless Lu Qing used his divine ability again, he wouldn't be able to catch up.

But he had already used his divine ability once, and using it again so soon would place a tremendous strain on his body, possibly damaging his foundation.

After some consideration, Lu Qing ultimately decided against pursuing his opponent.

Unfortunately, the brief moment earlier wasn't enough for him to use his ability to probe the black-robed figure's identity.

It was clear that his opponent's background was not ordinary.

"Hmm?"

After deciding not to give chase, Lu Qing's attention turned to the items the black-robed figure had left behind, hoping to find some clues that would lead him to the figure's identity.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he spotted a small and exquisite ink jade bottle among the debris, its presence quite eye-catching.

Sensing the peculiar aura emanating from the bottle, Lu Qing's interest was piqued. With the tip of his blade, he carefully picked it up and silently stored it away in his Qiankun Bag.

"Damn it! This evil demon is truly extraordinary, and he even knows the Heaven-Defying Demon's Disintegration Technique!"

Master Yangming finally arrived beside Lu Qing, his face grim as he gazed in the direction of the black-robed figure's escape.

"The Heaven-Defying Demon's Disintegration Technique?"

Lu Qing's expression shifted slightly as he turned to Master Yangming.

"Young Master Lu, this technique is one of the most profound escape methods in the Demon Path, and only those who cultivate the purest form of demonic energy can master it," Master Yangming explained.

"This demon must be a true disciple of the Demon Path to be able to use it. It's a pity he got away."

"I apologize, Senior. It was my negligence," Lu Qing said with a hint of regret.

"There's no need for you to blame yourself, Young Master Lu. Who would've thought that this demon would know such a technique? This escape method, once activated, boosts both defense and speed tenfold. It's understandable that you couldn't stop him," Master Yangming consoled.

"Moreover, the Heaven-Defying Demon's Disintegration Technique demands a hefty price. This demon's vitality must be severely damaged, and he probably won't dare to show his face for several years."

Lu Qing recalled the scene of the black-robed figure's arm exploding and silently nodded in agreement.

The cost was indeed substantial.

"If I encounter him again, I will make sure he won't get away a second time," Lu Qing vowed.

"Haha, I certainly believe you, Young Master Lu! You are the first person in the history of the world to have survived a heavenly tribulation, and your future achievements will be limitless. How could a mere demon brat be your match?" Master Yangming laughed heartily, his praise for Lu Qing unreserved.

Lu Qing could only humbly respond, "Senior Master Yangming, you flatter me."

"There's no flattery here!" Master Yangming said with a hearty laugh. "By the way, my name is Yangming, and I'm from the Qingyang Temple. If you have time in the future, Young Master Lu, please come and visit our temple. Your actions today have dealt a heavy blow to Xuankong Mountain's prestige, and our temple master will surely appreciate you."

"Thank you, Senior Master Yangming, for your earlier warning, which allowed me to be prepared," Lu Qing said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Young Master Lu. It was nothing," Master Yangming waved off the thanks. "By the way, Xuankong Mountain and our Qingyang Temple have never seen eye to eye. I'm glad to have helped you teach them a lesson. If you're interested, Young Master Lu, we can further our relationship."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end