Vajra Subdues Demons

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

After the servant led him inside, he reported this.

"Patriarch Liu, sorry for the wait. I'm late."

The newcomer was none other than Lu Ming, who had hurried all the way here. Since Wuji Sect was some distance away, he had only just arrived.

"So you're a distinguished disciple of Wuji Sect. Please, come in."

Old Patriarch Liu had been delighted when he heard that a disciple of the Seventh-Rank Sect, Wuji Sect, was coming.

But the moment he saw that Lu Ming was only at the Early Zhen Qi Realm, disappointment washed over him.

After all, Lan Wuying was at the mid-stage of the Zhen Qi Realm, with astonishing lightness skills. The disciples sent by the other sects were also at that level.

And now, Lu Ming was the odd one out. He probably wouldn't be of much use.

However, Old Patriarch Liu showed none of this on his face. Instead, he pretended to be extremely pleased and invited Lu Ming in.

Having lived two lifetimes, Lu Ming naturally noticed the subtle discrepancy, but he paid it no mind.

The other party was the one paying him. It was perfectly normal for them to doubt his ability.

He cupped his hands and was about to step forward when a mocking laugh came from the side.

"Well, who might this be? So you're a disciple of Wuji Sect."

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

At those words, everyone stopped in their tracks and looked as though they were watching a good show.

It was common knowledge that the two most hostile sects in the entire Zhao Kingdom were Nine Heavens Sect and Wuji Sect.

One sect pursued, while the other suppressed.

As a result, whenever disciples from the two sects met, friction often broke out.

And this time was no exception.

"This Wuji Sect fellow is only at the Early Zhen Qi Realm. Hopefully, he won't act like a hotheaded fool when provoked. Otherwise, he'll probably end up crippled or cripple someone else, just like the disciples from those two sects had in the past."

"Exactly."

Some people whispered among themselves.

Jiang Ruoshui, the disciple of Jade Luo Sect, showed no reaction. She simply watched in silence with her sword in her arms.

Old Patriarch Liu, meanwhile, felt a headache coming on. He had just defused one conflict, yet the air was already thick with the scent of gunpowder again.

He wanted to stop it, but he was afraid of offending that Nine Heavens Sect disciple. After all, that person was the strongest one here, and they would still need his help to deal with Lan Wuying later.

So he could only wait until Lu Ming lowered his head before stepping in to smooth things over.

To his surprise, however, Lu Ming seemed to have no intention of backing down. He merely turned his head and asked coldly:

"Who are you?"

"Chen Jiang of Nine Heavens Sect."

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

"There's a lot wrong with it."

Lu Ming snorted. He could tolerate being doubted, but he would not tolerate provocation. Thus, he said coldly:

"First, this isn't your Nine Heavens Sect. You're in no position to criticize others here. Second, Wuji Sect isn't lacking in people. It's just that dealing with a mere Lan Wuying is something I can handle alone."

Hiss!

At his words, everyone immediately sensed the arrogance in Lu Ming's voice.

He wasn't merely disregarding them—he wasn't even taking Lan Wuying seriously.

This caused one of them to flare up in anger. "What an arrogant fool. But forget it. Business comes first. Once I complete this trial, Master will pass on his true ultimate art to me."

At that thought, the anger in his eyes receded, and he sat back to watch the tigers fight from the safety of the mountain.

"Look at you, saying you can handle it alone. I'll cripple you right now!"

"Take my palm!"

The one who had concealed his anger wasn't the only one enraged. Chen Jiang of Nine Heavens Sect was already blazing with fury. His thick true qi surged once more, gathering force in his palm before he struck toward Lu Ming.

He had attacked in anger, so the force of his palm was extraordinarily frightening, carrying the might of thunder and the weight of Mount Tai pressing down.

It crushed everything before it.

The air itself was driven away beneath this palm, erupting with a series of explosive cracks.

"Nine Heavens Sect's Human-grade, peak-stage palm technique—Thunder God Palm!"

Someone recognized it.

"Bring it on!"

Lu Ming remained utterly fearless. This time, he did not use a blade technique. Instead, he chose to meet force with force and struck out with his own palm.

It was none other than Great Demon Execution Palm.

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

Boom, boom, boom!

In an instant, the two palm forces collided in midair. Chaotic true qi exploded outward, accompanied by a continuous chain of thunderous blasts.

The crowd retreated again and again in shock. They had never expected an Early Zhen Qi Realm cultivator and a mid-stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivator to clash with such overwhelming force.

Even an ordinary late-stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivator might not have been capable of this.

Once they steadied themselves, they hurriedly looked toward the center of the collision. After the two palms met and a surge of force erupted, Lu Ming's robes billowed wildly, but his body remained perfectly still.

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

The difference in strength was immediately clear.

"Again!"

Lu Ming wanted to teach him a lesson. After that palm strike, he used one of the moves from Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg—Wind Sweeps Away the Clouds.

Countless leg shadows swept toward Chen Jiang.

"What a fierce leg technique!"

The crowd was stunned once more.

"Who's afraid of whom? Primal Chaos Qi Shield!"

Chen Jiang had been forced back a step by the palm, and his heart was already pounding with alarm. Then, seeing the countless leg shadows rushing toward him, he refused to back down. With a loud shout, he condensed a yellow true qi barrier around his body.

It was the unique defensive ability of Primal Chaos Golden Jade Art.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The moment the true qi barrier finished forming, the leg shadows crashed down in the blink of an eye. Each kick slammed into the yellow barrier, producing one muffled impact after another.

However, despite flickering violently beneath the barrage, the true qi barrier showed no sign of breaking.

Chen Jiang inside could not help feeling pleased. "Hahaha, even a late-stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivator would have a hard time breaking my Primal Chaos Qi Shield. Once your true qi is exhausted, it'll be my turn to strike back!"

He seemed to see victory within reach.

"Not necessarily. Vajra Subdues Demons!"

Lu Ming's expression did not change. As his body flipped through the air, his aura suddenly transformed from sharp and fierce to brutally powerful. Carrying palm force as heavy as ten thousand jun, he struck down at the barrier from above.

It was the third killing move of Great Demon Execution Palm.

This move was supremely firm and powerful. Once unleashed, it was peerlessly fierce and capable of smashing through anything. It was best suited for breaking defenses.

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

Sensing the might of the strike, Chen Jiang's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly circulated his true qi with all his strength while retreating.

But he was a step too slow. That supremely firm and powerful palm had already descended.

Bang! Crack!

In an instant, following a deafening boom, the bright true qi barrier shattered like crystal.

But the attack was not over. A palm pierced through the fragments of the barrier and landed solidly on Chen Jiang's chest.

"Argh!"

His entire body shook violently. He spat blood and was sent flying backward, smashing through a wall along the way before falling still.

Silence. The entire scene fell deathly silent.

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

When they looked at Lu Ming again, their eyes were completely different.

He had met a mid-stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivator's palm head-on while at the Early Zhen Qi Realm without falling behind. Then he had domineeringly shattered the other man's powerful defense and defeated him.

It was simply inconceivable.

"Quick! Carry Young Hero Chen away and treat him! Use the best medicine!"

The first to recover was Old Patriarch Liu. Still pale with shock, he hurriedly ordered the servants around.

Chaos immediately erupted.

Beside him, his son Liu Qing also seemed to awaken from a dream. He had never imagined that these sect disciples could be so powerful.

"Y-Young Hero Lu."

Old Patriarch Liu called out hesitantly. The Lu Ming before him now made him somewhat afraid. After all, this was a ruthless man who had broken through another person's true qi barrier with his bare hands.

Lu Ming casually cupped his hands. "Old Patriarch Liu, there's no need to thank me for eliminating a useless fool and saving you some money."

He would never show mercy to someone who had opened his mouth and threatened to cripple him.

Old Patriarch Liu opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. This would only cost him more money—first, he had to pay for the man's treatment;

second, he had to appease him so that he would not hold a grudge against the Liu Family.

The second matter was the most difficult.

But he did not dare refute Lu Ming now. Instead, he smiled and said, "With a master like Young Hero Lu joining us, Lan Wuying should be completely harmless."

"Indeed."

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

"I'm Wu Yong of Kaishan Gate. Greetings, Brother Lu."

"I'm Zhou Heng of Seven Fragrance Gate."

"Jiang Ruoshui of Jade Luo Sect."

Lu Ming nodded to each of them in turn, though his gaze lingered on Jiang Ruoshui a little longer. She gave him a different feeling. Her strength should be slightly greater than the others'.

About the same as Chen Jiang's.

"Come, young heroes, follow me inside and take your seats. We can discuss how to deal with Lan Wuying afterward."

Seeing that no more conflicts had broken out among them, Old Patriarch Liu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly spoke.

"No need."

Lu Ming suddenly refused.

Everyone turned toward him again, their expressions filled with confusion.

"Lan Wuying is here," he said.