Wind Thunder

Chapter 48: Wind and Thunder

The palm print, like a towering mountain, descended upon Lu Zhaojin with world-ending force.

A sword light suddenly flashed, like a fleeting spark of lightning, followed closely by a deafening thunderclap.

BOOM!

At this moment, it was as if a bright lamp was lit, its illumination spreading outwards like ripples.

Inside Yuanyang City.

The martial artists who sensed the energy fluctuations were awakened from their sleep or cultivation. They either walked or used their movement techniques, choosing spots with clear views. They all looked towards the outside of the city, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.

Subsequently, they all rushed towards the source of the energy fluctuations, eager to see what had happened.

The light began to recede.

The residual energy formed a terrifying gale, scattering the disciples of White Cloud Villa haphazardly.

On the city wall.

With Elder Tian Geng, a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, present, the True Martial Guards appeared relatively calm. However, each of them wore a different expression: fear, panic, solemnity, apprehension, and more.

But one thing they all shared was regret.

They regretted participating in the plan to apprehend Lu Zhaojin. Judging by the strength Lu Zhaojin had just displayed, and considering he was a sword cultivator with devastating offensive power, they knew that many would die if they attempted to capture him.

Tian Geng pondered for a long time, not rushing to act.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

Tian Geng watched the two evenly matched combatants, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He was waiting for a chance to kill them both.

As the light completely dissipated, another sword energy shot towards Duan Xuan.

Duan Xuan, with his profound True Qi, could hover in the air briefly. Though only for two breaths, he managed to dodge the sword energy without any danger. He retaliated fiercely, striking down with another palm, creating a heavy aura that made Lu Zhaojin feel as if he were sinking in mud. His sword strikes faced resistance, slowing their speed slightly.

However, an even more potent Sword Intent erupted from Lu Zhaojin. The intangible aura was like cloth, and the Gale Sword Intent was the sharp tool that sliced it into shreds with crisscrossing sword lights.

Lu Zhaojin's eyes were indifferent as he looked at Duan Xuan, who had landed. He thought that any Martial Artist who could break through to the Sixth-Rank Realm was not to be trifled with, and tonight's battle was no exaggeration.

Duan Xuan became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, realizing he couldn't hold Lu Zhaojin. "Disciples, heed my command! Quickly form the Heavenly Net Sword Formation and assist this elder in killing this scoundrel."

He abandoned any thought of having the young man join White Cloud Villa.

Duan Xuan knew that such a talented young person either had a powerful background or was a ruthless individual with high aspirations, determined to forge an invincible spirit.

Lu Zhaojin certainly didn't possess a powerful background, as his origins were clearly stated on the Dragon Ranking.

A youth from Mount Qi, seeking to forge his own path in the world. He was much like a certain Sword Saint of the past, though that one's ending was not a happy one... The Great Ding Dynasty was vast, with eleven commanderies... no, now twelve. Martial artists were as numerous as carp crossing a river, countless. But the dominant forces were always the few, let alone the Imperial Dynasty itself, which was a behemoth.

Duan Xuan looked at the young man surrounded by the sword formation. To reach the Sixth-Rank at such a young age was extraordinary, even in the imperial capital. He wasn't a monster, but he was certainly someone White Cloud Villa had to take seriously. Since a peaceful resolution was impossible, he had to be eliminated.

The Heavenly Net would leave him nowhere to escape.

Lu Zhaojin hadn't actually intended to flee.

He stood perfectly straight, holding his Autumn Equinox Sword pointed at the ground, his imposing sword momentum growing stronger and stronger.

All the disciples of White Cloud Villa were at the Eighth-Rank Realm. Facing the mountain-like pressure, they felt immense strain, but with the sword formation complete, they seemed to gain some confidence. As they moved and interchanged positions, they unleashed countless sword energies, sealing off Lu Zhaojin's vital points, like weaving a net to catch him, the fish.

Elder Duan Xuan knew the power of the sword formation.

For Eighth-Rank disciples like them, the sword formation could be surprisingly effective against Seventh-Rank Martial Artists, but it was rather lackluster against Sixth-Rank Martial Artists.

This formation emphasized entanglement.

Simply put, it was a tactic of using numbers to overwhelm a single opponent. The difference in cultivation realms was compensated for by sheer numbers, aiming to deplete the opponent's True Qi or True Essence reserves.

Lu Zhaojin had likely only recently broken through to the Sixth-Rank and hadn't cultivated more advanced techniques, so his True Essence reserves were probably not abundant.

Therefore, even though Duan Xuan knew these disciples would be cut down like vegetables by Lu Zhaojin, as long as they could deplete Lu Zhaojin's True Essence, he would have a chance to kill him with a single palm strike.

Just as Duan Xuan had anticipated, the sword formation couldn't stop Lu Zhaojin. An invisible greatsword formed by the convergence of infinite sharpness cut through the sky, tearing apart the net woven from sword energies. The scattered Sword Intent also struck down the disciples, cutting each one into several pieces. Blood flowed everywhere, a brutal and gory scene.

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist EXP +500]

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist EXP +500]

[...]

[EXP: 35078]

Duan Xuan, watching from the rear, saw Lu Zhaojin's face pale slightly and felt a surge of joy, knowing his chance had arrived.

"Nine Layered Wave Palm."

He stomped his foot, charging towards Lu Zhaojin like a fired cannonball. His True Essence circulated madly, and the palm he struck out glowed with a sapphire hue. It seemed to carry the sound of surging ocean waves, layer upon layer, finally forming a tsunami that connected heaven and earth, intending to utterly annihilate Lu Zhaojin.

Elder Duan Xuan's face contorted into a sinister grin, already imagining the scene of this palm strike landing on Lu Zhaojin and crushing him to pieces.

However, a smile of a plan succeeding suddenly appeared on Lu Zhaojin's face, causing Elder Duan Xuan to feel a sudden pang of unease. A whistling wind suddenly sounded in his ears. Not only that, a spark of electricity flashed before his eyes, followed by a searing pain on his cheek as if slashed by a sharp blade, and blood began to flow.

"Wind Thunder Slash."

A sword technique created by combining Gale Sword Intent with Lightning Sword Intent, possessing both the formless speed of Gale Sword Intent and the destructive power of Lightning Sword Intent's overwhelming force.

This sword strike, like the first glimmer of dawn breaking through the horizon, flashed from the edge of the sky to Duan Xuan's face in an instant. He could see nothing else; only the whistling wind and the roaring thunder were perceived by his consciousness.

[Killed Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +50000]

[EXP: 85078]

Elder Duan Xuan remained in his palm-striking posture, his hand only an inch away from Lu Zhaojin. Even with the Golden Body Technique protecting him, he would find it difficult to withstand such a blow. Even if he didn't die, he would be severely injured.

There were others observing nearby, so he couldn't afford to be injured easily. Otherwise, he would become the cicada's prey, with the oriole waiting behind.

Therefore, Lu Zhaojin deliberately exposed a weakness to Duan Xuan, luring him into attacking, and then revealing his trump card, the Wind Thunder Slash.

Lu Zhaojin had originally intended to use this move against Zhao Jinzhi. However, after killing Ye Hao, the more potent Thirteen Swords of Life-Taking had been dropped. Thus, whether this trump card was revealed or not no longer mattered.

The fifty thousand EXP gained from killing a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist provided Lu Zhaojin with some breathing room, but it was still insufficient for the EXP required to upgrade the Thirteen Swords of Life-Taking.

He would have to obtain it from those other people.

Tian Geng descended from the sky. Seeing the situation was dire, he had intended to rescue Duan Xuan but was, unexpectedly, too late.

He landed behind Duan Xuan, exchanged a glance with Lu Zhaojin over Duan Xuan's shoulder, and then looked at Duan Xuan. He noticed a red line encircling Duan Xuan's neck, causing his eyes to narrow and his gaze towards Lu Zhaojin to become very serious.