Vajra Subdues Demons

"Reporting to the Patriarch, this is Wuji Sect inner disciple, Young Hero Lu Ming."

After leading him in, the servant reported.

The newcomer was Lu Ming, who had hurried here all the way. Since the Wuji Sect was quite far from this place, he had only just arrived.

"Patriarch Liu, my apologies for arriving late."

"So you are an outstanding disciple of the Wuji Sect. Please, come inside."

Old Patriarch Liu had initially been delighted to hear that the seventh-rank Wuji Sect had also sent a disciple.

But the moment he saw that Lu Ming was merely in the Early True Qi Realm, he was greatly disappointed.

After all, Lan Wuying possessed exceptional lightness skill and cultivation at the Mid True Qi Realm. The disciples sent by the other sects were all at that level as well.

Yet Lu Ming was the only exception. He feared the young man would be of little use.

Still, he showed no hint of it, instead putting on a very welcoming expression as he invited him in.

Having lived two lives, Lu Ming naturally saw through some of it, but he did not take it to heart.

The other party was the client paying him. It was only natural for him to have doubts about Lu Ming's ability to get the job done.

Lu Ming cupped his hands and was about to step forward when a derisive snort came from beside him.

"Who did I think it was? So it's a disciple of the Wuji Sect."

"What? Is your sect about to collapse? You actually sent an Early True Qi Realm cultivator like you to make up the numbers."

Hearing this, everyone involuntarily stopped walking, wearing expressions of anticipation as they watched the show unfold.

It was well known that the two sects in the entire Zhao Kingdom that got along the worst were the Nine Heavens Sect and the Wuji Sect.

One was playing catch-up, while the other was suppressing it.

As a result, whenever disciples of the two sects met, friction often erupted.

Sure enough, it had happened again this time.

"That Wuji Sect fellow is only in the Early True Qi Realm. I hope he doesn't act like a hotheaded fool in the face of provocation. Otherwise, just like the past clashes between disciples of the two sects, he could end up crippled."

"Exactly."

Some people whispered among themselves.

Jiang Ruoshui, the Jade Luo Sect disciple, showed no expression. Holding her sword, she watched quietly.

Old Patriarch Liu, meanwhile, had a terrible headache. He had not expected that after barely extinguishing one conflict, the smoke of battle would rise again.

He wanted to stop it, but he feared offending that Nine Heavens Sect disciple. After all, that disciple was the strongest one here, and they would still need him to deal with Lan Wuying.

Thus, he could only wait for Lu Ming to lower his head before stepping in to smooth things over.

But to his surprise, Lu Ming seemed to have no intention of bowing his head. He merely turned his cold gaze and asked:

"Who are you?"

"Chen Jiang of the Nine Heavens Sect."

Seeing Lu Ming's look, the Nine Heavens Sect disciple became interested instead. "What? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"There is a great deal wrong with it."

Lu Ming snorted coldly. He could tolerate doubt, but never provocation. He said in an icy voice:

"First, this is not your Nine Heavens Sect. It is not your place to wag your tongue; second, the Wuji Sect is not without capable people. It is simply that for the likes of Lan Wuying, I alone am enough."

Hiss!

Hearing this, everyone immediately sensed the arrogance in Lu Ming's words.

He was not only looking down on them—he was also looking down on Lan Wuying.

This caused one of them to flare with anger. "What a shameless braggart. But forget it, the proper matter comes first. So long as I complete this trial, Master will pass down his true ultimate art to me."

At that thought, the anger in his eyes receded, and he sat atop the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

"So you alone are enough? Let's see if I don't cripple you!"

"Take a palm strike from me!"

It was not only the hidden man who was enraged. Chen Jiang of the Nine Heavens Sect was already burning with fury. Thick true qi surged from his body once more as he condensed palm force and struck at Lu Ming.

He attacked in anger, making his palm force exceptionally terrifying. It carried the force of ten thousand thunderbolts and the might of Mount Tai crashing down overhead.

It would crush everything.

The air itself was forced away by that palm strike, erupting with a sharp explosion.

"The Nine Heavens Sect's Human-grade Peak Stage palm technique—the Thunder God Palm!"

Someone recognized it.

"Then come!"

Lu Ming was utterly fearless. This time, he did not use his blade technique, choosing instead to meet force with force as he struck out with his own palm.

It was none other than [Great Demon Punishing Palm].

This palm technique was supremely hard and supremely yang, so its might was equally astonishing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, the two streams of Palm Force collided in midair. Chaotic true qi immediately exploded outward, unleashing an endless series of blasts.

The crowd was so startled that they retreated again and again. They had never expected an Early True Qi Realm cultivator and a Mid True Qi Realm cultivator to produce such a terrifying clash head-on.

Even ordinary Late True Qi Realm cultivators might not have been capable of it.

Once they had steadied themselves, they hurriedly looked toward the center of the collision. After the two palms struck, Lu Ming's robes fluttered wildly under the surging force, yet his body remained utterly motionless.

Chen Jiang, however, lost his footing and staggered back a step.

In that exchange of palms, the difference between them was immediately clear.

"Again!"

Lu Ming intended to teach the other man a lesson. After that palm strike, he unleashed a move from Whirlwind Sweeping Leaf Leg—Wind Sweeping Clouds.

Leg shadows filled the sky as they swept toward Chen Jiang.

"What a fierce leg technique!"

The crowd was stunned once more.

"Who's afraid of whom? Watch my Primordial Qi Shield!"

Having been forced back a step by that palm strike, Chen Jiang was inwardly horrified. Then, seeing countless leg shadows rushing toward him, he refused to be outdone. With a loud roar, he condensed a yellow true qi barrier around himself.

It was precisely the unique defensive ability of the Primordial Gold Jade Art.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The true qi shield had only just formed when, in the blink of an eye, the leg shadows came crashing down. Kick after kick slammed into the yellow barrier, producing dull, heavy impacts.

Yet although the true qi shield flickered unstably beneath the barrage, there was no sign of it breaking.

This made Chen Jiang inside rather pleased with himself. "Haha, even Late True Qi Realm cultivators would find it difficult to break my Primordial Qi Shield. Once your true qi is exhausted, it'll be time for me to strike back!"

He seemed to see hope of victory.

"Not necessarily. Take this move of mine—Vajra Subdues Demons!"

Lu Ming's expression did not change. As his body flipped through the air, his aura abruptly shifted from sharp and fierce to violently domineering. Carrying Palm Force that seemed capable of crushing mountains, he struck down at the shield from above.

It was the third deadly move of the Great Demon Punishing Palm.

This move was hard and powerful to the extreme. Once unleashed, it was incomparably forceful and capable of shattering anything in its path, especially suited for breaking fortified defenses.

It was as though nothing could remain intact beneath this palm.

Feeling the momentum of that strike, Chen Jiang's face changed drastically. He hurriedly circulated his true qi with all his strength while retreating at the same time.

But he was one step too late. That supremely hard and powerful palm had already descended.

Bang! Crack!

In an instant, after a tremendous explosion, the gleaming true qi shield shattered like crystal.

But it was not over yet. A palm passed through the fragments of the shield and struck Chen Jiang squarely in the chest.

"Ah!"

His entire body jolted as he spat out blood and flew backward. Along the way, he smashed through a wall before falling motionless.

Silence. The scene fell deathly quiet.

No one had expected the battle to end in just a few moves.

When they looked at Lu Ming again, their gazes had completely changed.

An Early True Qi Realm cultivator had matched a Mid True Qi Realm cultivator in a direct palm clash without falling behind, then had even tyrannically shattered the opponent's formidable defense and defeated him.

It was simply unbelievable.

"Quick, carry Young Hero Chen away for treatment! Use the best medicine!"

Old Patriarch Liu was the first to recover his senses. Pale with shock, he hurriedly ordered the servants.

At once, everything became a frantic mess.

Liu Qing, his son standing beside him, also seemed to awaken from a dream. He had never imagined that disciples of these sects could be so formidable.

"Y-Young Hero Lu."

Old Patriarch Liu called out hesitantly. Lu Ming now frightened him somewhat; after all, he was a ruthless man who could break someone's true qi shield with his bare hands.

Lu Ming casually cupped his hands. "Old Patriarch Liu, there's no need to thank me for clearing out a piece of trash for you and saving you some money."

He would not show mercy to someone who had opened his mouth by demanding that he be crippled.

Old Patriarch Liu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. After all, this would only cost him more money—first, to treat the man's injuries;

second, to placate him and make sure he did not bear a grudge against them.

The second point was the truly difficult one.

Yet Old Patriarch Liu did not dare refute him now. Instead, he smiled and said, "With an expert like Young Hero Lu joining us, I suppose Lan Wuying is no longer any cause for concern."

"Yes."

At that moment, disciples from the other sects came over one after another. One of them said, "I am Yu Shan of the Nine Tripod Sect. Greetings, Brother Lu."

"I am Wu Yong of Kaishanmen. Greetings, Brother Lu."

"I am Zhou Heng of the Seven Fragrance Sect."

"Jiang Ruoshui of the Jade Luo Sect."

Lu Ming nodded to each of them in turn, though his gaze lingered a moment longer on Jiang Ruoshui. She gave him a different feeling; her strength was likely a notch above the others'.

About the same as that Chen Jiang.

"Everyone, please follow me to the banquet. We can discuss how to deal with Lan Wuying afterward," Old Patriarch Liu said hurriedly after seeing that they were no longer causing conflict, letting out a sigh of relief.

"No need."

Yet Lu Ming suddenly refused.

Everyone looked at him again, their expressions filled with confusion.

"Lan Wuying is here," he said.