Chapter 107

The sudden voice startled both Mago and the youth in leather armor.Neither of them had realized that someone else was present in the valley. The two of them quickly turned their heads and saw a figure standing with hands behind his back on a large rock beside the waterfall. "Brother Lu Qing?" Mago's eyes filled with disbelief when he saw the figure. "What are you doing here?" Could it be that in his desperate escape, he had inadvertently fled near Jiuli Village? The thought flashed through Mago’s mind involuntarily. But there was no time to ponder whether this made sense. Seeing that Lu Qing hadn’t realized the severity of the situation, Mago urgently shouted: "Brother Lu Qing, run! This man is vicious, not someone you can provoke!" Mago felt no joy upon seeing Lu Qing. He knew that Lu Qing’s martial strength was merely at the Qi and Blood Realm. He was no match for the leather-armored youth in front of him, not even for a single strike. If Lu Qing intervened recklessly, it wouldn’t help but would only cost him his life. "Can you really escape?" the leather-armored youth said coldly. "You fool, now not only will you fail to escape, but you'll drag your friend to his death as well. Doesn’t that feel worse than dying yourself?" "Brother Lu Qing, run! I’ll hold him off as long as I can; you look for a chance to escape!" Mago ignored the leather-armored youth’s words, struggling to his feet. He gripped his knife tightly with one hand, glaring at the youth with fierce determination. "Surprising, you actually have some loyalty for a coward," the leather-armored youth remarked, slightly surprised by Mago’s desperate stance. "But with just you, do you really think you can stop me?" Mago said nothing, staring intently at his opponent, searching for an opportunity to strike. "Hey, shouldn’t you both ask for my opinion first?" Lu Qing, watching them talk as if he wasn’t there, spoke up helplessly. Both Mago and the leather-armored youth froze and looked toward Lu Qing. The leather-armored youth, in particular, couldn’t believe this kid had the nerve to interrupt him. A hint of wariness flickered in his heart, and he began to carefully observe Lu Qing. But Lu Qing was standing too far away for the leather-armored youth to sense his Qi and Blood strength. For the moment, he couldn’t gauge Lu Qing’s true power. "Master Mago, care to explain what’s going on?" Lu Qing asked with a slight smile. "Brother Lu Qing, you…" Mago, seeing Lu Qing’s calm demeanor, was suddenly struck by a thought. In his impression, Lu Qing had always been clever. His earlier words should have already made Lu Qing realize the gravity of the situation. But now, Lu Qing didn’t seem concerned at all, which made Mago uncertain of his intentions. "Let me explain it for you," the leather-armored youth suddenly said. "This fool overestimates himself. He hid the wife and son of the Wei family, making an enemy of us. Kid, are you sure you want to get involved in this mess?" Lu Qing looked at Mago in surprise. He hadn’t expected Mago to be so bold, daring to meddle in the affairs between the Wei family and those mysterious martial artists. "Don’t talk nonsense! I know nothing about the Wei family’s wife and son. I was just hunting in the mountains, and you attacked me without any reason. No matter how you spin it, you’re in the wrong!" Mago firmly denied the accusation. "Keep up the lies if you want. I just hope your mouth stays as tough when I break your limbs and slowly torture you." The leather-armored youth didn’t care about Mago’s denial. At this point, even if Mago had nothing to do with the Wei family, he had to die. The moment Mago dodged his kill shot, the leather-armored youth had already decided to torture him to death. Lu Qing, however, could see that Mago had indeed gotten himself into this mess. Although he didn’t know why Mago, usually so cautious, had gotten involved in such a deadly matter, since they knew each other, Lu Qing couldn’t just stand by and watch him die. More importantly, Lu Qing’s eyes revealed a strange glint as he looked at the information the leather-armored youth was emitting in his vision. At this moment, the leather-armored youth was glowing with a strong white light in Lu Qing’s sight. [Tong Canglang: Disciple of the Northern Border’s Tian Cang Sect, student of Xiantian realm warrior Wang Cangyi, cruel and bloodthirsty, prone to mood swings, enjoys torturing opponents.] [Cultivation: Houtian Tendon and Bone Realm, minor achievement. Due to recently using a secret technique, his strength has dropped to less than seventy percent of his usual power.] This time, the information Lu Qing gleaned was more detailed than usual. It was something he had only discovered after recently breaking through to the Tendon and Bone Realm. As his cultivation advanced, his abilities seemed to strengthen as well. Not only could he gather information faster than before, but the details he obtained were also more comprehensive. Staring at the message floating above the leather-armored youth, Lu Qing’s mind raced with many thoughts. The details provided crucial information—everything from the youth’s background to his current physical condition gave Lu Qing valuable insights. "Hey kid, for some reason, I find your gaze really annoying." As Lu Qing pondered, the leather-armored youth felt increasingly uncomfortable. Lu Qing’s gaze made him very uneasy. "I’ve decided, I’ll take care of you first!" Mago was already heavily injured and posed no threat, but the leather-armored youth still couldn’t figure out Lu Qing’s strength. Yet, he wasn’t overly concerned. Judging by Lu Qing’s age, which was younger than his own, even if Lu Qing was a prodigy who had trained since childhood, he couldn’t be that formidable. Moreover, the leather-armored youth didn’t believe that someone in such a remote place could possess martial talent surpassing his own as a Tian Cang Sect inner disciple. So, seeing Lu Qing standing there calmly with his hands behind his back, giving him that infuriating gaze, the leather-armored youth moved. Not good! Mago, who had been watching the leather-armored youth closely, was the first to notice his movement. But before he could react, the leather-armored youth was already rushing at Lu Qing. Already injured and weaker, Mago couldn’t stop him. All he could do was shout anxiously, "Brother Lu Qing, run!" But it was too late. Before Mago’s words even finished, the leather-armored youth had closed the distance to Lu Qing in just a few steps. His hand formed a claw, and the force of his strike whipped the air as he aimed for Lu Qing’s throat. Mago watched in horror, his eyes wide, seemingly able to see the gruesome scene of Lu Qing’s neck snapping and his windpipe tearing in the next moment. Even the leather-armored youth believed that his strike was unstoppable. The [Splitting Wind Claw] was one of his signature techniques, one that few even among the inner disciples could execute as skillfully as he could. Against a rural nobody like Lu Qing, it would be an easy kill. Just as his claws were about to tear into Lu Qing’s throat, a flash of blade light appeared before him, slicing toward his head. This blade light was sharp, filled with killing intent, and, more importantly, incredibly fast. Though it was a late strike, it reached him before his own attack could land. "What?" The leather-armored youth was caught completely off-guard and shocked. He had assumed Lu Qing was standing empty-handed, but it turned out Lu Qing had been holding a war blade behind his back the entire time! What a crafty kid! At the critical moment, the leather-armored youth tilted his head back, barely dodging the fatal strike. But his body couldn’t fully evade. Boom! The blade light struck his chest, sending him flying backward under its tremendous force. "Hmm?" As the blade made contact, Lu Qing sensed something off. The impact didn’t feel like he had struck a person, but something incredibly tough, like hardened leather. He quickly realized it was the armor the youth was wearing. Without wasting a moment, Lu Qing unleashed his full Qi and Blood power, leaping off the rock and kicking up dirt and debris as he chased after the airborne youth. With another slash, he struck down. Clang! The sharp sound of collision rang out. The leather-armored youth had drawn a short blade from his waist and managed to block the strike. However, blocking the attack while airborne meant he couldn’t brace himself. Lu Qing’s slash sent him crashing to the ground, rolling over in the dirt and scattering stones everywhere. But Lu Qing didn’t let up. He pressed his advantage, stepping forward and delivering yet another slash. Damn it! Does it ever end? The leather-armored youth hadn’t expected to be pushed into such a disadvantage. Furious, he was filled with anger. Since when had Tong Canglang suffered such a loss? Boom! In his rage, the leather-armored youth stopped caring about anything else, forcibly circulating his Qi and Blood along a strange path within his body. Instantly, a powerful force surged within him. "Get lost!" Empowered by this force, when Lu Qing’s next strike came, the leather-armored youth shouted and swung his short blade, directly blocking Lu Qing’s war blade. This time, the strength behind his block was immense, even surprising Lu Qing. The force numbed Lu Qing’s arms, and he nearly dropped his blade. Alarmed, he used the recoil to step back a few paces, putting some distance between himself and the leather-armored youth. The skirmish paused, with Lu Qing holding the upper hand for now. Mago, standing aside, was already dumbfounded. From the moment the leather-armored youth rushed at Lu Qing, to Lu Qing’s quick response and counterattack, to the leather-armored youth being forced back—everything had happened within just a few breaths. By the time Lu Qing retreated, Mago was still staring in shock, his mouth hanging open. seaʀᴄh thё novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He had never expected that Lu Qing, whom he thought was about to die, would instead almost kill the leather-armored youth. The contrast was too great. Had he not witnessed it himself, Mago wouldn’t have believed it. At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind. When did Lu Qing break through to the Tendon and Bone Realm? Indeed, after seeing Lu Qing’s powerful display, if Mago still couldn’t tell that Lu Qing had reached the Tendon and Bone Realm, then all his years of cultivation would have been in vain. Yet, it was precisely because he realized this that his shock was even greater. He knew full well that from the time Lu Qing first started practicing martial arts until now, it had only been a few months at most. In just a few months, Lu Qing had gone from a martial novice to a Tendon and Bone Realm expert. Such a cultivation speed—he had never seen or even heard of anything like it! Even in the provincial capital, he had never heard of a young genius like this! What kind of monstrous talent is Brother Lu Qing? Mago stared at Lu Qing’s figure in utter disbelief, even forgetting the pain in his shoulder. Mago was not the only one in shock. The leather-armored youth was also filled with disbelief. He looked at Lu Qing, still holding his war blade, with wide eyes. "Tendon and Bone Realm? You’re actually a Tendon and Bone Realm warrior?" And not just that—Lu Qing seemed to be on the verge of achieving minor success in the Tendon and Bone Realm. The leather-armored youth recalled Lu Qing’s earlier dominance. The power Lu Qing had shown far exceeded that of a mere newcomer to the Tendon and Bone Realm. It wasn’t much weaker than his own. The fact that such formidable power was being wielded by a boy younger than himself was unbelievable to the leather-armored youth. "That’s some impressive armor," Lu Qing remarked, not answering the youth’s question. His eyes were fixed on the crack in the leather-armored youth’s chest, where faint traces of blood seeped through. Clearly, although the armor had blocked Lu Qing’s attack, it hadn’t been able to fully prevent injury. Lu Qing marveled at the strength of the armor, which had withstood his full-force strike as a Tendon and Bone Realm warrior. Although his words were meant as praise, to the leather-armored youth, they sounded incredibly mocking. How could he not hear the sarcasm in Lu Qing’s tone? Yet, he couldn’t help feeling a bit fortunate. If not for the armor his master had given him, he would have been cleaved in two. This kid is terrifying. Despite being so young, this Tendon and Bone Realm warrior had already shown such cunning. Truly ruthless for his age. "Kid, don’t get cocky. That last strike was your best chance. Since you failed to kill me, now it’s your turn to die!" The leather-armored youth’s eyes glinted with cruelty. At the same time, his heart filled with killing intent. Upon realizing that Lu Qing was a Tendon and Bone Realm warrior, his desire to kill Lu Qing far surpassed his desire to kill Mago. So young, and already in the Tendon and Bone Realm, nearing minor success. If given more time, what would this kid become? The leather-armored youth, once considering himself a genius, was filled with jealousy and fear after realizing Lu Qing’s martial talent. At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind. This kid cannot be allowed to live! If he does, not only I but even Tian Cang Sect will face great danger in the future! Table of content