The Price!

Lu Jue finally looked up, calmly meeting the other's gaze.

His eyes were as deep as an ancient well, undisturbed by any ripple, yet they caused Jiang Youwei's gathered momentum to falter.

"Finished speaking?"

Lu Jue's voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly into the other's ears. Jiang Youwei's smile visibly stiffened.

"Your sword is shaking."

"Using strength gained through flattery, speaking words you don't mean—someone like you doesn't even qualify to make me serious!"

"Tell Zhao He—"

"His money can't buy my path, and his walls can't block my fist."

"Arrogant!"

The composure on Jiang Youwei's face instantly froze. He said no more, lunging forward abruptly. The expensive synthetic training sword let out a sharp hiss, transforming into an icy blue lightning bolt, striking directly at Lu Jue's face!

The strike was fast, fierce, and accurate, condensing all his power. The sword wind was sharp, carving clear ripples in the air.

Lu Jue's eyes narrowed slightly. Facing the sword aimed directly at his face, his mind raced.

His head was by no means his weakness, but revealing this trump card too early to the prying eyes below, especially to Zhao He, was hardly wise.

In a flash, he made his decision.

Just as the sword tip was about to touch his forehead, he suddenly raised his left fist. Instead of meeting the blade, he used the back of his fist to smash the side of the sword.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of metal striking metal erupted, and a few sparks flew where fist and sword met.

"Just as I thought, your weakness is your head!" Jiang Youwei shouted, his heart instantly filled with arrogance.

He twisted his wrist, and his swordplay unleashed like a storm. The synthetic training sword became streaks of blue arcs, attacking Lu Jue's face.

Lu Jue blocked again, seizing an opening. He launched a swift straight punch towards Jiang Youwei's center.

However, Jiang Youwei's footwork was incredibly nimble, like willow catkins in the wind. With a slight, agile spin, he evaded the punch that was meant to be a sure hit, the blow grazing Lu Jue's clothes.

"Hmph, how could you easily touch my Returning Snow Steps?" Jiang Youwei sneered, his long sword smoothly flicking upwards, forcing Lu Jue to retreat half a step.

Lu Jue had never tangled with a Sword Dao genius like Jiang Youwei before. With his short reach and the opponent's long sword, coupled with that exquisite footwork, he found himself in a passive position.

Several probing attacks were dodged by a hair's breadth, while the training sword, like a venomous snake, always found an opening to threaten his lines of movement.

"Swish!"

A tearing sound echoed as the tip of the sword sliced open Lu Jue's left shoulder, tearing his clothes.

The smug smile on Jiang Youwei's lips had just begun to form when it froze completely the next instant.

Beneath the torn fabric, Lu Jue's skin showed only a faint white mark, which quietly faded moments later, not even breaking the skin!

What kind of Hardening Kung Fu is this!?

Jiang Youwei's heart trembled violently. Although his synthetic training sword wasn't sharpened, its penetration power, when fully activated, was enough to shatter bricks. Yet now, it couldn't even leave a scratch on the opponent's skin?

The sharp-eyed students below also noticed this bizarre scene, and waves of suppressed gasps spread like a tide.

"See that? Jiang Youwei's Qi and Blood Value is already over ten thousand, right? That kind of power can't even break the skin!"

"I fought Jiang Youwei before, and one sword strike sent me to the ICU!"

"Impossible! Jiang Youwei was holding back!"

"Absolutely no way he was holding back! Jiang Youwei is signed with the Li family!"

"It's Lu Jue's Hardening Kung Fu! I was there when he challenged Li Zhanting before! Lu Jue's only weakness is his head!"

"Again! I want to see just how hard you really are!?" Jiang Youwei laughed in anger, his footwork suddenly shifting. His figure flickered left and right like an afterimage in the wind, his sword tip pointing vaguely at Lu Jue's chest and abdomen, feigning an attempt to probe his body's defenses further.

Just as everyone thought he would continue to fight cautiously, he abruptly flicked his wrist. The sword tip, originally aimed at the chest, bizarrely traced an arc, darting like a viper's tongue towards Lu Jue's temple. This strike was vicious and tricky, completely deviating from the trajectory of his previous attack!

However—

"Snap!"

Lu Jue's left hand, appearing from nowhere, shot out like a vise, his five fingers precisely gripping the sharp sword tip. The blade, capable of piercing bricks, was firmly locked by his bare hand, unable to advance further!

Jiang Youwei's pupils constricted. Before he could change his move, a tremendous force struck his chest.

"Bang!"

Lu Jue's right fist landed on his chest like a cannonball.

Jiang Youwei flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena with a dull thud.

"Cough..." He knelt on one knee, coughed up a mouthful of blood, his sword-wielding right hand trembling violently, his face instantly turning as pale as paper.

The power of that punch was far beyond his comprehension!

In that split second, if he hadn't forcefully twisted his body with his Returning Snow Steps at the last moment to diffuse some of the force, he would have been crippled or worse!

Even so, the violent fist energy still caused his internal organs to shift, nearly incapacitating him.

"W-what kind of monster are you?" Jiang Youwei propped himself up with his sword, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, each word laced with blood.

Lu Jue calmly looked at him. "Surrender, or I'll make you surrender!"

A flicker of struggle crossed Jiang Youwei's face.

He knew he had no chance of winning, yet the moment his resolve weakened, the lower half of his body stiffened abruptly and began to tremble violently, beyond his control. Lu Jue, standing opposite him, could even hear faint mechanical whirring sounds.

"You're not injured yet! I can't surrender!"

Jiang Youwei's voice suddenly rose, tinged with a near-breakdown sob. His eyes, bloodshot, stared fixedly at Lu Jue.

"Please! Please!"

"Let me swing my sword once! Just once! As long as it draws blood!"

As he spoke, he charged forward again in an extremely bizarre posture, swinging his sword. His movements were stiff and twisted, the blade tracing messy arcs through the air, completely devoid of its previous form. All that remained was an instinctual flailing driven by despair.

Lu Jue keenly noticed that Jiang Youwei's pupils seemed to lose focus in that instant, his gaze becoming hollow and frenzied. The faint mechanical whirring grew clearer as the latter approached.

Is this mechanical sound some kind of hidden trump card?

Lu Jue's eyes turned icy.

Although he didn't know what strange transformation had befallen the other man, he had never shown mercy to an enemy.

This time, he didn't even need to anticipate the opponent's footwork. He lunged forward, precisely cutting into the center amidst the chaotic sword shadows. His right fist, carrying a sharp gust of wind, slammed heavily into Jiang Youwei's chest!

"Bang!"

Jiang Youwei flew backward through the air like a kite with a broken string.

But at that very instant—

Jiang Youwei, mid-air, suddenly convulsed, and a foul-smelling substance spewed out!

Simultaneously, a metal object the size of an egg landed on the stage with a "thud." It rolled a few times before emitting a faint crackling sound of electricity.

Lu Jue's brow furrowed. His palm, which had just struck the opponent's chest, felt a tingling numbness—a clear sign of electricity coursing through him!

As his gaze shifted slightly and he saw what lay on the ground, even with his composure, his heart couldn't help but tremble!

So this is the price for being a dog to the powerful?