Kill Zhang Ruoxu, Alerting a Terrifying Great Power

Seeing Lin Hao and the other man, a smile curled at the corner of Lu Yuan's lips.

"Two Children of Destiny. Lin Hao, Lin Hao, you really are my lucky charm. Pity, I can't kill you just yet."

"But the other one... I won't let him off."

The moment Lin Hao laid eyes on Lu Yuan, terror surged to its peak within him. His entire body broke out in goosebumps, and a great dread flooded his heart.

Scenes of being crushed like an ant by Lu Yuan kept flashing before his eyes.

"Run!"

Without a second thought, Lin Hao roared and turned, fleeing desperately toward the horizon.

Before Zhang Ruoxu could even react, Lin Hao had already escaped a thousand li away.

And by the time Zhang Ruoxu did react, Lu Yuan had somehow already appeared before him, a faint smile on his face as he quietly watched him.

"You're Lu Yuan."

Zhang Ruoxu asked in a low voice. He wasn't stupid—seeing Lin Hao's reaction, he guessed Lu Yuan's identity.

"Lin Hao mentioned me to you?" Lu Yuan tilted his head and smiled. "No matter. Since he told you about me, will you surrender with your hands tied, or do I have to make a move?"

Zhang Ruoxu's expression turned grim. "Lu Yuan, I may not be your match, but wanting me to surrender without a fight is nothing but a fool's dream!"

"Spatial Cutting Technique!"

Zhang Ruoxu roared, raising his hand and slashing through the air. A slice of space seemed to be cut away, like a mirror, hurtling toward Lu Yuan.

Hope flickered in Zhang Ruoxu's eyes. Though his words admitted inferiority to Lu Yuan, his heart refused to yield. This Spatial Cutting Technique was a spatial combat skill he had only recently comprehended—his strongest offensive move.

He hoped that the Spatial Cutting Technique could defeat Lu Yuan.

Yet Lu Yuan merely waved his hand casually, extinguishing the attack, and said flatly, "You call this a Spatial Cutting Technique? The biggest joke under heaven."

"No, that's impossible?!"

Zhang Ruoxu's eyes bulged, as if struck by a devastating blow.

But Lu Yuan didn't want to waste time. He reached out and clenched his hand through the air, intending to crush Zhang Ruoxu from a distance.

Just then, a power suddenly erupted from Zhang Ruoxu's brow—a twisted, prismatic crystal containing the force of space-time.

"A Spatial-Temporal Crystal?" Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

In that instant of distraction, the prismatic crystal hummed and burst forth with power, attempting to teleport Zhang Ruoxu out of this realm.

Lu Yuan reacted swiftly and shouted, "Great Binding Technique!"

Chi!

Zhang Ruoxu's body, on the verge of being teleported, was forcibly halted. Seizing the moment, Lu Yuan clenched his fingers into a fist and punched!

Boom!

Zhang Ruoxu's head exploded.

His lifeless body plummeted to the ground.

In that instant, the prismatic crystal seemed to have a will of its own, trying to flee. But Lu Yuan reached out and grabbed it, leaving it no escape.

At the same time, several voices rang out in Lu Yuan's mind, but he didn't rush to check them.

Lu Yuan looked up, as if sensing something, and gazed beyond the Tianxiao Continent.

Just now, the moment he killed Zhang Ruoxu—

Outside the Tianxiao Continent, some unknown existence had cast a gaze upon him.

But for some reason, perhaps out of caution, it did not make a move.

Still, Lu Yuan was certain that the unknown existence was not wary of him because of him.

Lu Yuan raised a middle finger toward the sky in provocation, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

Beyond the heavens, that nameless existence was likely a big shot behind Zhang Ruoxu.

Maybe one of many, maybe the only one.

Either way, it didn't matter. Lu Yuan wasn't afraid.

The sky churned once more as Tribulation Clouds gathered. This time, the Tribulation Clouds were several times larger than before—nearly covering an area several times that of the First Central Empire.

But this time, Lu Yuan didn't test the power of the Tribulation Clouds.

"Elder You, make your move."

Lu Yuan called out softly.

"Yes, Young Master."

The next moment, a sword light streaked across the sky, simultaneously slicing through the terrifying Tribulation Clouds that spanned nearly ten million li.

Lu Yuan glanced at it, then lowered his head, looking at the prismatic crystal in his palm.

This prismatic crystal—Lu Yuan didn't yet know exactly what it was. But he guessed it was one of Zhang Ruoxu's golden fingers.

Just now, the power the prismatic crystal had erupted with reached the limit of a Sealed Emperor, but bound by the world's rules, it had not exceeded that limit.

From this, it could be judged that the being behind this prismatic crystal had likely surpassed the Emperor-Sealing Immortal realm.

However, Lu Yuan was not afraid.

Across the entire Tianxiao Continent, only three people currently possessed power that transcended the rules.

And all three were known existences to Lu Yuan.

Two of them were Elder You and Elder Ming.

The last one was the most ancient powerhouse on the Tianxiao Continent, now hiding who knows where.

Casually stowing the prismatic crystal back into his storage space, Lu Yuan turned around.

Behind him, Dongfang Baitian and a group of Dongfang Family elders stood dumbfounded.

Dongfang Baitian was so excited he could barely speak. He rushed impatiently to Lu Yuan and said with admiration, "Young Master, you're incredible. That Lin Hao ran off the moment he saw you, like he'd met his natural enemy."

Dongfang Baitian couldn't even describe what he felt inside. Who knew how miserable he'd been these past days, holed up in the Dongfang Family, too afraid to go out?

Lu Yuan smiled. Natural enemy? That description seemed about right.

After all, Lin Hao had died at his hands more than once, so he was indeed a natural enemy.

"Young Master, is Zhang Ruoxu also a Child of Destiny?"

Dongfang Baitian was very curious. Zhang Ruoxu was a renowned prodigy of the First Central Empire, on par with him, but he had never considered that Zhang Ruoxu might be a Child of Destiny.

Lu Yuan nodded. "That's right. He's also a Child of Destiny."

"You did well this time. I've recorded twenty thousand merits for you. If there's anything on the Merit Monument that catches your eye, you can go exchange for it."

Dongfang Baitian instantly became excited and quickly nodded. "Thank you, Young Master."

"Mm."

Lu Yuan gave a slight nod. "Go handle your own affairs. I'll take a stroll."

"Young Master, how about I accompany you?" Dongfang Baitian's face was full of anticipation.

Lu Yuan glanced at him and smiled. "No need. If you have the time, help me look into where the Nine Killers Palace headquarters is."

Nine Killers Palace?

Dongfang Baitian's expression stiffened, then he seemed to understand something. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Young Master, I understand. I'll mobilize all the connections and power the Dongfang Family can muster to find the Nine Killers Palace headquarters!"

"Mm."

Lu Yuan gave a soft hum, took a step forward, and his figure vanished without a trace.

A million li outside the First Imperial City, in a lush mountain stream where a brook babbled, hidden and secluded.

Lin Hao cowered in a cave, his heart still pounding, his face pale and bloodless.

"Lu Yuan... how could he appear in the First Imperial City? In all my past lives' memories, Lu Yuan never came here. What the hell is going on?"

Lin Hao's expression was extremely grim.

He had calculated everything except for Lu Yuan's arrival.

Hearing the thunder outside, Lin Hao felt a pang of guilt. He understood that Zhang Ruoxu had fallen because of him.

"Brother Ruoxu, I've failed you."

Lin Hao punched the cave wall in utter frustration.

"The plan has to be moved up. Lu Yuan, you forced my hand!"

Lin Hao's eyes turned sinister.

Reborn nine times, he knew that soon the Chaos Sacred Land would launch a Holy War, declaring war on all forces across the Tianxiao Continent.

And what he had to do was strike first.

"I refuse to believe that gathering the full strength of the Tianxiao Continent still won't be enough to deal with you, Lu Yuan."