Night Raid on the Mo Family, Defeating a Dou Ling Against the Odds!

The next day, at noon.

Salt City.

As the largest city in the Eastern Province, Salt City ranked among the most prosperous cities in the entire Jia Ma Empire. Its broad streets teemed with people, while the shops lining both sides glittered magnificently and colorful banners snapped in the wind.

Amid the bustling crowd, two figures draped in oversized black robes walked along. The loose robes completely concealed their builds, while the black veiled hats hanging low made it impossible to glimpse their true faces.

"Let's gather some information first," the leading cloaked figure said quietly.

"We move tonight?" another hoarse voice came from beneath a black robe.

Lu Yu, who led the way, slightly raised his head. A Bronze Mask flickered into view beneath his veil. "That's right. A dark and windy night is the perfect time for murder."

Late at night.

Inside the inn.

Lu Yu lightly tapped the table with his fingers and said in a deep voice, "Old Hai, we only need to get rid of Mo Cheng, the Mo Family's Grand Elder, during this trip to Salt City."

"I'll make the first move." He looked up at Hai Bodong. "If anything goes wrong, I'll have to trouble Old Hai to help."

"Only killing Mo Cheng?" Hai Bodong toyed with an Ice Crystal in his hand.

"That will be enough." Lu Yu nodded and said gravely, "The Mo Family has been able to dominate Salt City entirely because Mo Cheng, a five-star Dou Ling, stands behind them, along with his position as an Outer Sect Steward of the Misty Cloud Sect. Once he dies..."

He paused meaningfully. "The other Three Major Families in Salt City are no pushovers. They have endured the Mo Family for a long time. Given this opportunity, they will naturally clean up the aftermath for us."

"Do as you see fit. I'm only acting as a guard this once, anyway."

Hai Bodong shrugged indifferently as the Ice Crystal in his hand turned into powder and drifted away.

At the third watch of midnight, two shadows slipped silently into the Mo Family estate like ghosts.

At that moment, groups of guards were patrolling the Mo Family compound in an orderly manner.

Under the cold moonlight, Lu Yu and Hai Bodong quickly exchanged a glance. Relying on the information they had painstakingly gathered during the day, they soon precisely located the main courtyard where Mo Cheng resided.

Within the Mo Family, the Grand Elder held the highest status. Mo Cheng's courtyard was naturally the most luxurious and imposing, so they found it with ease.

Just as the two cautiously approached the study, a concealed energy fluctuation suddenly spread out.

"This is... the aura of a Fifth-tier Magical Beast?" Hai Bodong's brow instantly furrowed.

The two exchanged another glance, then silently crept up to the window crack like hunting cheetahs. Inside the study, Mo Cheng was trembling as he slowly pushed open a Secret Door with both hands. Within the Secret Chamber rested a pitch-black Magical Beast Forelimb, wreathed in faint reddish flames.

"This is actually the forelimb of a Blazing Flame Mountain-Breaking Rhinoceros..." Lu Yu's pupils contracted slightly. "This old bastard is probably planning to transplant a Magical Beast organ!"

At the instant Mo Cheng became fully absorbed in admiring the Magical Beast Forelimb with infatuated eyes, a cold glint flashed through Lu Yu's gaze. Cyan-red flames burst forth in his palm.

Guardian Trigram Palm!

"Who goes there?!"

Mo Cheng abruptly turned around, his eyes blazing. His body shot forward like lightning as he stomped heavily on the ground, charging toward the window like an arrow released from a bow.

Boom!

But he was still half a step too late!

The Cyan-Red Palm Print, carrying violent Dou Qi, slammed solidly into Mo Cheng's chest. With a sharp crack, the old man's breastbone caved in, and his entire body was sent flying like a torn sack.

"Puh—"

Mo Cheng violently spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of organs. Yet the instant he landed, he braced himself against the ground and twisted upright in an eerie motion.

His aged face was now as ferocious as a ghost's. Dark-red Dou Qi erupted like flames, turning into blazing fire that engulfed his entire body.

"Brat, you're courting death!"

With that hoarse roar, Mo Cheng advanced rather than retreating. Veins bulged across his shriveled right hand, and his sharp nails gleamed coldly as they shot toward Lu Yu's throat with a piercing whistle.

Lu Yu's expression turned solemn as he drifted backward, rapidly forming hand seals. A Cyan-Red Snake Seal condensed in midair, faintly entwined with black Xuan Guang, before finally transforming into a pitch-black snake seal that lunged at Mo Cheng!

"Hmph, you've run out of tricks..."

Sensing the snake seal's weak Dou Qi fluctuations, Mo Cheng's eyes revealed a trace of disdain. He clenched both fists as dark-red Dou Qi gathered wildly, preparing to kill this Da Dou Shi-level brat with a single punch.

Roar!

At that moment, an earth-shaking lion's roar suddenly exploded!

Violent sound waves rippled through the air almost tangibly. Countless buildings shook fiercely under the roar, and roof tiles fell in torrents.

Mo Cheng's body suddenly froze. The roar aggravated his internal injuries, and pain immediately appeared on his wrinkled old face.

In the instant he lost focus, the snake seal entwined with black Xuan Guang shot into his chest like lightning!

"Argh—"

Mo Cheng's eyes suddenly widened. His gaunt body began to tremble violently as he lowered his head in terror to look at his hands.

His once-surging dark-red Dou Qi was rapidly dissipating like a receding tide, while his cultivation realm plummeted at a visible rate!

Four-star Dou Ling!

Three-star Dou Ling!

Two-star Dou Spirit!

One-star Dou Ling!

"Snake Seal Curse?!"

All at once, Mo Cheng seemed to remember something. His face drained of color as he cried out in horror, "Are you an expert of the Snake-human Race?"

Lu Yu remained silent. Chaotic footsteps were already approaching from afar—clearly, the commotion had alerted the Mo Family guards. His gaze sharpened as he pressed two fingers together on his right hand, cyan-red flames gathering frantically at his fingertips.

Roaaar—

Accompanied by a thunderous dragon's roar, the scorching flames abruptly transformed into a lifelike fire dragon coiling around Lu Yu's fingertips. It had crimson scales, cyan claws, and dragon eyes filled with world-destroying might.

Earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique, Heavenly Dragon Flame Finger!

With the enhancement of the Earth Core Flame, the power of this strike was already close to that of an Earth-tier mid-grade technique!

The fire dragon howled through the air. Wherever it passed, the air twisted violently and explosions rang out without end. Like a crimson Fire Thread, it pierced through heaven and earth!

"No... don't kill me! I'm willing to serve the Snake-human Race!"

Mo Cheng screamed himself hoarse, desperately circulating all the Dou Qi in his body. Yet doing so only aggravated his injuries further. Countless cyan-red flames rampaged within him, wreaking havoc without restraint.

It turned out that Lu Yu's earlier palm strike had already silently sent the Earth Core Flame into his body.

Now, Mo Cheng was restrained by a seal from without and ravaged by Heavenly Flames from within. This once-powerful Dou Ling expert had already lost sixty to seventy percent of his combat strength!

A six-star Great Dou Master against a one-star Dou Ling!

The advantage was mine!

Boom—

The fire dragon struck Mo Cheng squarely in the chest and instantly swallowed him whole. Amid the scorching flames, the Mo Family's Grand Elder let out one final shriek: "Snake-human Race... I will never forgive you!"

In the blazing firelight, his body carbonized and crumbled at a visible rate. In the end, it became a pile of blackened ashes that scattered in the night wind.

"Grand Elder!"

At that moment, dozens of Mo Family guards finally arrived. They stared in horror at the devastation around them and the pile of ashes that was still burning.

"Go!"

Lu Yu gave a low shout and exchanged a glance with Hai Bodong. The two rose into the air like ghosts, vanishing into the night after only a few leaps.

Only the guards remained standing there in a daze, Mo Cheng's final cries still echoing in their ears...