The Weak Dragon Subdued in Shallow Waters, The Mighty Dragon Leaps into the Abyss

Lu Yang slowly walked out of the secret chamber. He cupped his fists with a smile, then headed toward the door.

"Young Master." Xu Ya called him to a stop once more.

"Does the lady need something else?" After meeting several times, Lu Yang's impression of Xu Ya was fairly good, and he asked with a smile.

Xu Ya said softly, "Young Master must have had his trail discovered that day. They didn't dare force their way into the Qianfeng Merchant Association, so they set an ambush outside. If Young Master trusts me, why not leave through the association's back door?"

Lu Yang was first startled when he heard this, then gave an easy smile and said, "I will remember the Qianfeng Merchant Association's goodwill. However, since those people are so eager to see me, how could I let them down?"

Now that things had come to this, Lu Yang naturally knew that since his little disguise had failed to fool the Qianfeng Merchant Association, it had probably failed to fool the County Lieutenant and the County Assistant Magistrate as well.

The Qianfeng Merchant Association had extraordinary foundations. Lu Yang was not at all surprised that they could see through his disguise.

As for how Lu Jue and the others had done it, Lu Yang was somewhat curious.

After all, when he had entered the city earlier, he had not crossed paths with any martial artists of the Xiantian Realm.

Those Body Tempering Realm soldiers guarding the city should, in theory, have been unable to see through him.

However, as far as Lu Yang was concerned, these matters would soon have answers.

"Young Master, do you know what you're truly about to face?" Xu Ya asked with a frown.

Lu Yang replied, "Clearer than anyone."

"Even so, Young Master still insists on going through the front door?" Xu Ya said.

Lu Yang chuckled. "A great man born between heaven and earth—why should he fear chimei and wangliang?"

"Besides, when one's strength has yet to grow, one may still lie hidden like a coiled dragon dormant in the abyss, waiting for the right moment. But when one's strength is already complete, a martial artist ought to advance in an open and majestic tide, sweeping all away with power!"

"In that case, Young Master, please!" Xu Ya's expression turned solemn, and she immediately opened a path for Lu Yang.

And so Lu Yang passed through numerous formation protections, walked along the long corridor, and exited the Qianfeng Merchant Association through the main entrance.

After Lu Yang left, an aged voice quietly sounded behind Xu Ya.

"Relying on talent and looking down on others, not knowing how to adapt—people like that don't live long. Ya'er, why are you so concerned about him?" the cane-bearing Old Woman asked.

Xu Ya shook her head and said with a soft laugh, "Quite the opposite. I find him very interesting. Granny, why don't we make a wager? I bet he will turn misfortune into fortune today."

The Old Woman said helplessly, "You girl, that thing cannot be given to you for the time being."

Xu Ya smiled, leaned closer, and said in a mosquito-thin voice, "What I want isn't that. If I win, Granny, you'll do this..."

The Old Woman smiled and said, "Very well. But if you lose, you must return to the royal capital at once and obey the family head's arrangements."

"It's a deal!" Xu Ya smiled sweetly and looked toward Lu Yang's departing figure outside the door.

Rustle, rustle!

Swish, swish, swish!

Not long after he had walked out of the Qianfeng Merchant Association, dense ranks of spearmen emerged from the shadows, sealing off the roads on three sides.

The street outside had long since been cleared of people. Aside from Lu Yang, there was no one else.

At the sound of a single command, several hundred stray arrows came falling from the sky.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Sharp arrowheads tore through the air, pressing straight toward Lu Yang!

The metal arrowheads reflected a pale blue light beneath the sun—clearly, they had been tempered with poison!

The ones who attacked had never intended to leave him even the slightest chance to speak.

Lu Yang lightly stamped his foot, and thick Xiantian True Qi rolled up dozens of stone slabs from the ground, easily blocking that round of arrow rain.

At the same time, his long saber seemed to carry wind and thunder. The instant he struck, a violent wave of air directly sent the spearmen in the front ranks and the archers behind them flying.

With only one move, more than half of Black Mountain County's hundred-plus elites instantly fell.

Those who had not entered the Third Realm were all small fry; none could contend against Xiantian!

Lu Yang gave an unrestrained smile and pointed his long saber straight ahead.

"These people alone can't take me down. Qian Yikang, Lu Jue, show yourselves!"

Whoosh, whoosh.

Two figures suddenly appeared, one before him and one behind him, once again trapping Lu Yang in the center.

Lu Jue's expression was calm as he said indifferently, "Brat Lu Yang, cease your arrogance! You colluded with the Demon Race, killed Sheng San in Baoping Workshop, and dumped his corpse in the river. The evidence is conclusive. According to Great Jun Law, you should be executed. Why have you not yet submitted to death?"

Qian Yikang was also looking at Lu Yang with a smile that was not quite a smile, as if he were looking at a dead man.

"Lu Yang, for the County Yamen to produce scum like you is truly the shame of our Black Mountain County. Today, this official shall clean house and uphold the law for our Black Mountain County!"

From his body, the powerful aura of the sixth level of the Xiantian Realm instantly erupted, leaving even Lu Yang slightly astonished.

For many years, Qian Yikang had always displayed the cultivation of the Xiantian Fourth Level to the outside world. Even though Lu Yang believed he had been holding something back, he had not expected him to have actually broken through to the Xiantian Sixth Level.

It could be seen that during this period, Qian Yikang had received no small number of benefits from the Demon Race.

As for Lu Jue, Lu Yang had been on guard against him long ago.

Although everyone in all of Black Mountain County thought he was only at the Xiantian Third Level, Lu Yang had seen early on that he was at the Xiantian Fifth Level!

"If you want to condemn someone, you'll never lack a pretext!" Lu Yang sneered. "So many constables have died in Black Mountain County in recent years. Qian Yikang, Lu Jue—if the two of you hadn't sold out your own kind as blood food for the Demon Race and reaped benefits from it, how could your cultivation have climbed so quickly these past two years?"

When the two heard this, their expressions changed.

At the same time, after hearing this, those spearmen and archers inexplicably began to hesitate as well.

Qian Yikang and Lu Jue had both served in Black Mountain County for over twenty years. As early as more than ten years ago, the two had exhausted their talent and their cultivation had stagnated.

Now, both of their cultivations had improved by a large margin. It was indeed somewhat unreasonable.

The moment Lu Yang said this, everyone cast suspicious looks at them.

After a martial artist's potential was exhausted, without the support of external objects, trying to rely on oneself to break through in cultivation was harder than climbing to the heavens.

"Heh. If we're talking about how quickly cultivation has climbed, a few months ago you were nothing more than in the Body Tempering Realm, yet now you've suddenly stepped into the Xiantian Realm. If you say you haven't colluded with the Demon Race, who would believe it?" Lu Jue said mildly, a few traces of cunning light showing in the depths of his eyes.

The people who had just been suspicious of them once again shifted their doubtful gazes onto Lu Yang.

Just as Lu Jue had said, if one was talking about the speed of cultivation improvement, for Lu Yang to step from Body Tempering into the Xiantian Realm in the short span of a few months could be called a miracle when looking across all of Black Mountain County.

Seeing that Lu Jue had turned the tables on him, not only was Lu Yang not angered, he instead burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! If I had really gotten benefits from the Demon Race, I would have already ranked among the Fourth Realm by now. How could I be like the two of you, who got so many spiritual medicines and only made this tiny bit of progress? You really lived all those years into a dog's belly!"

Qian Yikang's gaze chilled slightly. "Sharp-tongued brat. You've only just entered the Xiantian Realm, yet you dare spout such wild words. Today, I'll let you experience just how vast the gap is between each level when we are both in the Xiantian Realm!"

With a wave of his feather fan, Qian Yikang immediately flung out several Wind Blades of true qi, forcing straight toward Lu Yang.

Lu Yang's feet moved in rapid succession, avoiding seven or eight Wind Blades. His long saber traced an arc, flinging out several streaks of sharp light that shattered all the Wind Blades before him.

Clang, clang, clang!

Bang, bang!

The two exchanged more than a dozen moves from a distance, yet Qian Yikang still failed to gain the upper hand. The pressure of the sixth level of the Xiantian Realm was utterly useless against Lu Yang.

There were more and more Wind Blades before him, but Lu Yang's expression did not change. Every slash of his saber struck true, and he actually seemed increasingly at ease.

"Heh. Your sixth level of the Xiantian Realm amounts to no more than this."