“Oh?”
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of interest showing on his face, as if he were carefully mulling over what Wu Jiu had just said.
The Wu family?
They’d actually sent someone to negotiate with him?
He mused inwardly. It seemed this must be the person who had entrusted his origin spirit power to Wu Jiu.
Lu Xuan’s gaze slowly fell on Wu Jiu’s forehead, where a strand of divine sense origin spirit power lay hidden.
Based on Lu Xuan’s estimation, this power had already far surpassed that of an Origin Spirit True Person at the Great Accomplishment stage of the Divine Manor realm—nearly infinitely close to a martial artist at the Perfect Divine Manor realm.
The purple pattern on Wu Jiu’s forehead—every time its light flowed—carried with it a mighty, heavy heaven-and-earth force, as if it could crush mountains and rivers, and make the sun and moon lose their luster.
Such vast heaven-and-earth power—even Lu Xuan couldn’t help but feel a jolt in his heart, a flicker of unconcealable surprise passing through his eyes.
Clearly, the person who wanted to negotiate with him had an unfathomable martial realm.
Most likely a top-tier martial artist at the Perfect Divine Manor realm—or perhaps an unparalleled old monster who had surpassed the Perfect Divine Manor realm.
Lu Xuan’s eyes seemed to hold endless mysteries, the colors shifting rapidly in their deep, dark depths—as if he were weighing pros and cons, or pondering something.
Then, Lu Xuan’s right hand suddenly reached forward. In an instant, vast, abyss-like divine sense origin spirit power poured down like a raging flood bursting through a dam.
“Hmph!”
A cold snort came from Lu Xuan’s throat, carrying unquestionable authority. “Come with me, Director!” His voice was like a great bell, reverberating in all directions.
Before the words had even faded from the air, Lu Xuan’s right hand had already reached out and precisely grabbed the panic-stricken Wu Jiu.
Lu Xuan’s movements were clean and efficient, like lifting a helpless chick, hoisting Wu Jiu’s body steadily into the air.
At that very moment, from Lu Xuan’s right palm surged a terrifying heaven-and-earth force, pinning Wu Jiu down completely.
This heaven-and-earth force was too overbearing—it didn’t consider at all whether Wu Jiu could withstand it.
Wu Jiu felt every bone in his body creaking, the powerful gang essence within him frozen solid, unable to circulate even a fraction.
Even the mysterious, light-flowing purple pattern on Wu Jiu’s forehead—
At this moment, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it. It instantly dimmed, losing all its momentum.
After Lu Xuan successfully broke through to the Perfect Divine Manor realm, he had vaguely touched the bottleneck of the Cave Void realm.
This breakthrough had brought earth-shattering changes to his strength.
Just how strong he was now—even he himself found it hard to estimate.
Under Lu Xuan’s divine sense origin spirit perception, endless power seemed to surge around him—a deeper understanding and control of heaven-and-earth force.
The current Lu Xuan had reached a level of control over heaven-and-earth power that other Divine Manor realm martial artists could hardly hope to achieve.
Lu Xuan could now freely mobilize the vast power between heaven and earth.
Every time he circulated his divine sense origin spirit to invoke heaven-and-earth force, his every move could trigger winds and clouds to shift.
Clearly, Lu Xuan had cultivated the heaven-and-earth power available at the Divine Manor realm to the point of perfection—the absolute pinnacle.
With a raise of his hand, endless heaven-and-earth power served him.
So the only thing Lu Xuan could be certain of now was that within the scope of the Divine Manor realm, and below the Cave Void realm, he already stood at the peak of power.
Lu Xuan had absolute confidence—below the Cave Void realm, he was invincible, able to crush everything with absolute strength!
It was precisely by relying on such astonishing power that Lu Xuan could completely suppress the origin spirit power entrusted on Wu Jiu’s forehead.
Immediately after, under the collective gaze of everyone present, Lu Xuan calmly raised his other hand and gently flicked his sleeve toward the empty space ahead.
This movement seemed extremely gentle, yet it seemed to contain the mighty power to tear heaven and earth apart.
In the very next instant, the empty space ahead was forcibly sliced open by Lu Xuan.
Then, under everyone’s disbelieving eyes, a pitch-black, endlessly deep rift suddenly yawned open.
That spatial rift was like a black abyss leading straight to the netherworld, bottomless.
It constantly emitted a chilling aura, as if it could devour everything around it completely.
Lu Xuan glanced at that deep spatial rift, his expression unchanged, and directly lifted Wu Jiu.
After just one step, their two figures disappeared from the sight of Mu Yun and the others.
And that spatial rift, several meters tall, healed at extreme speed after Lu Xuan stepped into it, leaving not a trace behind.
Time passed in a flash. On a flat clearing surrounded by mountains, dozens of miles away.
In the originally calm midair, a huge spatial rift suddenly split open without warning, like a hideous wound torn into heaven and earth.
Immediately after, an object—as if hurled by a powerful force—was violently flung out from that spatial rift.
Then, this object heavily crashed onto the ground, splashing up a large cloud of dust.
Looking closely, that bedraggled object that crashed down—who else could it be but Wu Jiu?
For someone like Wu Jiu, Lu Xuan felt not a shred of pity in his heart.
He knew that if he hadn’t appeared in time, Mu Yun would likely have already fallen victim to Wu Jiu’s cruelty.
A lifetime of painstakingly cultivated martial arts would have turned into a dreamy bubble, instantly lost, reduced to nothing.
Just based on Wu Jiu’s intention to cripple Mu Yun’s cultivation, Lu Xuan was completely justified—killing him would be fully warranted and legitimate.
Whether it was the Wu family or anyone else, none could find fault with Lu Xuan.
After all, according to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, daring to lay a hand on a Xuan Niao Guard had only one outcome.
Death without mercy!
However, Lu Xuan didn’t immediately strike to kill. He knew well that this Wu Jiu was merely a small fry.
The Wu family behind him was the real trouble.
Lu Xuan wanted to see just what the Wu family wanted to discuss with him.
If Lu Xuan hadn’t had this intention, then the earlier Wu Jiu wouldn’t have just lost an arm.
His worthless life wouldn’t even have had the qualification to meet Lu Xuan—he would have been crushed to dust by Lu Xuan’s divine sense origin spirit power!
It was just that, at this moment, Wu Jiu’s face was written with humiliation, that extremely venomous expression seeming to freeze the very air around him.
He was, after all, a member of one of the Eight Great Families. How dare this wretched Lu Xuan humiliate him like this!
Just as Wu Jiu couldn’t hold back anymore and was about to lash out regardless of everything, the purple pattern on his forehead—like a mysterious rune ignited—
In an instant, the purple pattern blazed with light, so dazzling it nearly made one dizzy.
Then, a bizarre scene occurred. The purple pattern seemed to gain its own consciousness, nimbly peeling and detaching from Wu Jiu’s forehead.
The purple pattern that detached from Wu Jiu’s forehead floated in the air.
After a moment, it gradually transformed into a clear, enormous face phantom.
This face phantom was several zhang tall, taking the form of an extremely aged old man.
The old man had white hair and beard, like frost and snow, his features deep and profound, exuding an indescribable majesty and mystery.
The moment Wu Jiu saw the old man’s phantom face emerge in midair, his previously bedraggled appearance from the fall instantly gained him a surge of energy.
Wu Jiu scrambled up from the ground using both hands and feet, his face carrying a trace of resentment, and shouted at the top of his lungs: “Ancestor, that wretched brat is Lu Xuan!
And that Lu Xuan, whom Wu Jiu resented so deeply, was at this moment standing quietly ten meters away.
However, Wu Jiu’s complaint didn’t earn him the old man’s protection—instead, it was like lighting a powder keg.
“Shut up!” The old man roared, his voice like a great bell, as if it could shatter the heavens. “You good-for-nothing waste who can’t accomplish anything but ruin everything—get out of my sight!”
The old man’s voice was full of furious disappointment.
Under this pressure, Wu Jiu froze in place, his face alternating white and red, full of pent-up frustration yet not daring to say another word.
Because this Wu family ancestor was the Wu family’s Third Ancestor—Wu Sheng!
A Half-Step Cave Void realm existence.
So even if Wu Jiu were given ten thousand times the courage, he absolutely would not dare defy Ancestor Wu Sheng!
The reason Wu Sheng reprimanded Wu Jiu so harshly ran deep.
Just moments ago, his divine sense—even stronger than that of an Origin Spirit True Person—had been forcibly suppressed by this seemingly extremely young Lu Xuan before him.
With just one hand, Lu Xuan could render his divine sense origin spirit powerless to resist.
If this Lu Xuan before him hadn’t withdrawn that terrifying heaven-and-earth force—
Wu Sheng even suspected that his divine sense origin spirit would have been completely obliterated by this Lu Xuan in an instant—reduced to ashes, leaving not a trace.
This Lu Xuan possessed such terrifying strength, shocking and enraging Wu Sheng.
In all the world, a martial artist who could so easily suppress his divine sense origin spirit could only mean one thing.
This Lu Xuan was either a martial artist at the Perfect Divine Manor realm, or—like him—a Half-Step Cave Void realm existence!
“Hiss!” Wu Sheng sucked in a breath of cold air, monstrous waves surging in his heart, his gaze locked dead onto Lu Xuan.
This brat was actually powerful to such a degree—truly terrifying beyond words!
His mind churned with thoughts, countless ideas flashing by in an instant.
Right now, the Wu family faced only two choices.
First: cast aside past grievances, turn enemies into friends, and proactively befriend this martial arts monster Lu Xuan.
Befriending Lu Xuan would not only dissolve the misunderstanding between him and the Wu family.
Perhaps they could even borrow his power—and his position as Vice Director of the Xuan Niao Guard—to let the Wu family control a portion of the Xuan Niao Guard’s strength.
Second: at any cost, mobilize the Wu family’s full power and find a way to completely eradicate this Lu Xuan before them, to eliminate future troubles.
But this was undoubtedly an extremely thorny matter.
The strength this Lu Xuan displayed before them was simply too astonishing.
As Wu Sheng thought to this point, a kind smile quickly piled onto his aged face.
As if he had become a different person—so amiable it was almost jarring.
“Fellow Daoist Lu,” Wu Sheng said in a calm tone, carrying a note of warmth, “I’ve given it some thought. Perhaps there are some small misunderstandings between us.”
“How about, for my sake, the grievances between you and the Wu family be wiped clean—let bygones be bygones. What do you say?”
Wu Sheng paused, a flash of sharp light passing through his eyes, then said steadily: “That Four-Pattern Star Artifact, the Moon-Chasing Staff, that was previously in your hands, Fellow Daoist Lu—it was originally our Wu family’s possession.”
“But now, let it be considered a gift from our Wu family to you, Fellow Daoist Lu, as an apology.”
After stating this condition, Wu Sheng looked at Lu Xuan expectantly, as if awaiting his reply. “Fellow Daoist Lu, what do you think?”
Wu Sheng wore a look of complete confidence. He believed the conditions he’d offered Lu Xuan were already full of sincerity—a rare and generous offer.
After all, on this land of the Great Xia Dynasty, those who could make the Wu family—one of the Eight Great Families—bow their heads and concede were few and far between.
As a Half-Step Cave Void realm powerhouse and the Wu family’s Third Ancestor, being able to lower himself to say such words already showed great regard for Lu Xuan.
This junior Lu Xuan was a smart man. He would know how to choose.
As Wu Sheng expected, Lu Xuan indeed agreed to his conditions.
“Fine!”
Lu Xuan answered crisply.
After all, for himself, without paying any price, he could gain a precious Four-Pattern Star Artifact for free.
Such a sure-profit deal—why wouldn’t he take it?
“Very good!”
Seeing Lu Xuan agree, Wu Sheng smiled, his old face creasing, and hurriedly spoke.
“Fellow Daoist Lu, then from now on, the grievances between you and our Wu family shall be wiped clean.”
As he spoke, Wu Sheng’s smile grew even broader, and he warmly invited: “In the future, if Fellow Daoist Lu returns to the Heavenly Capital, I hope you’ll come visit the Wu family.”
“Let me have the opportunity to witness your magnificent bearing with my own eyes, Fellow Daoist Lu.”
Below, Wu Jiu—upon seeing his own ancestor chatting and laughing with Lu Xuan—
Stood frozen in place, eyes bulging round, face full of disbelief.
This… what was going on?
Ancestor, why did you change your mind!
Wu Jiu screamed inwardly, his hatred for Lu Xuan burning.
He didn’t want to see that junior Lu Xuan alive in this world for even a moment.
Hadn’t they agreed before?
They were going to make that arrogant junior Lu Xuan bow his head, admit his mistakes to the Wu family, and then naturally take back his Four-Pattern Star Artifact, the Moon-Chasing Staff.
But this scene before him—how had it turned into the Wu family bowing to that wretched junior Lu Xuan?
Damned Lu Xuan!
Wu Jiu felt like his lungs were about to explode, the fury in his chest burning fiercely, almost consuming him whole.
This wretched Lu Xuan had nearly taken his life earlier and even snatched his sacrificial artifact.
And now it had become his fault instead?
Was there any justice left in this world?
But before Wu Jiu could open his mouth to object, Lu Xuan’s low voice drifted over unhurriedly.
“Today, Wu Jiu openly attacked and attempted to kill the Vice Director of the Xuan Niao Guard. According to the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty, he shall be executed immediately!”
Lu Xuan’s expression was cold and stern as he spoke calmly.
“You can leave, but Wu Jiu must stay and die!” As the words fell, Lu Xuan didn’t even raise his eyelids, casually waving his hand toward Wu Sheng in midair.
This gesture was like swatting away an insignificant fly, signaling him to leave quickly.
