A Shocking Strike

Though they were both using mid-grade Spirit Skills, their cultivation levels were worlds apart. Yan Gaojin had no hope of withstanding his opponent's attack; he only hoped to slow the assault a little and hold out until his father arrived.

He kept muttering to himself, "Father, if you don't show up soon, I'm done for."

With a bang, Luo Caiyang was driven back five full steps before he barely managed to steady himself. When he looked up, a white-haired old man with a stern face had appeared before him. It was none other than Yan Huishan, head of the Yan Clan.

At this critical moment, the Yan Clan head had set all thought of appearances aside. He had emerged from hiding and struck Caiyang by surprise, knocking him back.

Yan Huishan was a five-star peak Spirit Commander and the Yan Clan's greatest expert. No wonder Caiyang had been unable to hold his own.

"Brother Luo, can't we discuss this properly? Why trade blows in front of these commoners? Wouldn't that diminish the prestige of our great clans?"

Although Yan Huishan had knocked Luo Caiyang back with a single palm strike, he didn't dare show the slightest arrogance. Instead, he spoke with a genial smile.

After all, the Luo Clan had only sent members of its third generation today. None of the great experts above them had appeared. Who knew if they might be hiding nearby, waiting to strike him with a devastating blow?

"Clan Head Yan, unless Yan Wuhua's feet are chopped off today, I, Luo, will not let this go!" Luo Caiyang said in a low voice after calming the spiritual energy in his body somewhat.

"Brother Luo, my child Wuhua didn't mean any harm. How about the Yan Clan compensates—"

"Enough. Yan Wuhua—are you handing him over or not?" Luo Caiyang had no interest in talking further with the Yan Clan. He cut Yan Huishan off at once.

"Luo Caiyang, do you really think my Yan Clan is afraid of you? My child Wuji is a core disciple of the Hundred Leaf Sect, and he's highly valued there. If you want to fight today, this old man will gladly oblige!"

Yan Huishan was, after all, the head of a clan and one of Lushan Town's most powerful figures. After being insulted by Luo Caiyang several times in front of everyone, he could no longer keep his temper in check. He glared and shouted angrily.

"Then let's fight. I'll show you that all those years of yours have gone to the dogs!"

Though Luo Caiyang had only just reached the four-star Spirit Commander level, he possessed an innate bloodline. As long as his opponent wasn't a Spirit King, he had little to fear.

Just as the two were about to fight, a cold voice drifted out from the crowd.

"Some people really have no shame. They don't even know their place or their seniority. Since that's how it is, how about I trade a few moves with you?"

As the words rang out, a tall young man emerged from the crowd. It was Luo Kaiyu, the Luo Clan's second son.

Perhaps worried that Caiyang would be outmatched by the crafty old Yan Huishan, Luo Kaiyu had stepped forward.

"Second Master's here!" "Second Uncle!" "Second Brother!"

Sanbao and the others greeted him one after another.

When Luo Kaiyu appeared, the people of Lushan Town hurriedly made way for him. The handsome Luo Kaiyu strolled out through the gap.

Although Luo Kaiyu was over forty, his profound cultivation made him look remarkably young. With his refined features and extraordinary bearing, at first glance he seemed like an elegant young nobleman.

Luo Kaiyu's arrival caused an immediate commotion. In Lushan Town, the Luo Clan's most prominent figures had always been the eldest son, Luo Kaifeng, and his family. As for the second son, Luo Kaiyu, and the clan head, Luo Dingyi, they rarely appeared in public. No one had expected them to show up today. It seemed the two great clans of Lushan Town were truly about to clash.

Most of the onlookers were troublemakers, and at the sight of this, they grew even more excited, shouting at the tops of their lungs.

They couldn't help yelling, "Fight! Hurry up and fight! Show the Yan Clan what you're made of! Let's see who's really the greatest clan in Lushan Town!"

At the sight of Luo Kaiyu, the Yan Clan members—including their head, Yan Huishan—turned deathly pale. They knew this matter would be hard to settle. They didn't know Luo Kaiyu's strength, but judging by his calm expression and imposing aura, he was very likely another Spirit King.

"What sort of clan is this Luo Clan, anyway? How can they have two Spirit Kings?"

Yan Huishan cursed the Luo Clan inwardly, but his face was all smiles as he said, "I never expected such a small matter to bring Brother Kaiyu out as well. I'm truly ashamed. It's just that my child Wuhua really has gone to the Hundred Leaf Sect. How about I send someone to fetch him home right away, and then let the Luo Mansion deal with him? What do you think?"

As soon as Luo Kaiyu stepped in, the Yan Clan's attitude changed completely. No one had expected such a sudden reversal.

The Luo Clan's strength was clearly far greater than the Yan Clan's. Otherwise, why would they be so quick to back down?

The onlookers weren't the only ones surprised; even the Luo Clan members were a little taken aback. Luo Kaiyu hadn't expected the Yan Clan to be so quick to read the situation. He was about to answer when Sanbao gave him a gentle tug.

"Second Brother, don't fall for his delaying tactic. What if they later claim the Hundred Leaf Sect won't release him? Are we really supposed to march on Lishan?" Sanbao quietly reminded him.

Luo Kaiyu's cultivation was high, but when it came to reading people, he was no match for Sanbao, a man who had lived two lives.

As soon as Yan Huishan finished speaking, Sanbao had realized the Yan Clan was using a delaying tactic. If the Luo Clan kept pressing the matter later, they would simply shift the blame onto the Hundred Leaf Sect. That would play right into the Yan Clan's scheme to sow discord. They would not only resolve the immediate crisis but also set the Luo Clan against the Hundred Leaf Sect—a clever move that killed two birds with one stone.

Sanbao's reminder made Luo Kaiyu see through it at once. No wonder Yan Huishan's attitude had changed so quickly. The crafty old fox had been playing tricks! He had nearly been taken in, and anger surged through him.

"Clan Head Yan, as the saying goes, debts pass from father to son. Since Yan Wuhua isn't here today, his father can take his place." Luo Kaiyu gave a cold laugh. If I don't show your Yan Clan what we're capable of today, how will you ever learn to fear the Luo Clan?

Without waiting for Yan Huishan to explain, Luo Kaiyu suddenly turned into a blur. After several flickers, he was standing in front of Yan Gaojin.

"Ah!"

With a scream, Yan Gaojin's feet were both severed before the crowd could even understand what had happened. Blood poured from beneath him.

The Yan Clan members' faces changed dramatically. What kind of technique was that? How could it be so fast? Dozens of Yan Clan members had been present, yet not one had managed to stop Luo Kaiyu for even an instant. By the time they reacted, he had already returned to the Luo Clan's side as calmly as if nothing had happened.

Only then did Yan Huishan fully understand that Luo Kaiyu was no ordinary Spirit King. His cultivation might even surpass that of his elder brother.

"If you dare lay a finger on the Luo Clan again, you'll end up like him." Luo Kaiyu tossed out the warning, then departed with effortless grace.

The thousand-strong crowd fell into an unusual silence. They weren't stunned by Luo Kaiyu's bloody methods, but by his bizarre movement technique.

A few breaths later, the scene erupted like a pot coming to a boil, and countless cries of astonishment rang out.

"Heavens! Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or am I dreaming? How can anyone move like that? I bet it's a heaven-grade Spirit Skill!"

"Heaven-grade? That's a supreme Spirit Skill capable of moving mountains and overturning seas! Impossible. I'd say it's earth-grade at most!"

"You two have lost your minds. Earth-grade? Heaven-grade? Do you think Lushan Town is the imperial capital of the Desolate God Empire? How could a Spirit Skill like that show up here? I say it's at most—"

"Get lost! Who do you think you are? If I say it's heaven-grade, then it's heaven-grade! What, you want to fight? I may not have Second Master Luo's movement technique, but I can still make you eat shit!"

"The Luo Clan is mighty! The Yan Clan has finally picked a fight with the wrong people!"

"The Luo Clan is incredible!"

"I never would've believed it!"

The scene remained a tumult of commotion and astonished shouts for a full quarter of an hour.

After Luo Kaiyu left beneath countless admiring and envious gazes, Luo Caiyang once again became the crowd's leader. Seeing his second uncle's display had left him delighted. And when he saw the Yan Clan in such a sorry state, it took him a long while before he finally shouted over his shoulder, "All right, that's enough for today. Everyone, go home!"

"You see that? Anyone who dares provoke the Luo Clan will end up like Yan Gaojin. Third Uncle, let's go!" Caiguang was just as pleased. He shouted loudly and tugged at Sanbao, who stood beside him, still frozen in shock.

Sanbao seemed to be several beats slower than everyone else. Even now, he was still immersed in the astonishing movement technique Luo Kaiyu had displayed.

To pluck the enemy's commanding general from amid a million troops as easily as reaching into a bag—that man truly is a god! The words kept circling through Sanbao's mind.

"Oh."

Only when Luo Caiguang tugged at him did Sanbao realize the show was over. He followed the Luo Clan members as they left the Yan Mansion.

"Send someone to find out who that scrawny fellow beside the Luo brothers is. If not for him today, how could this have happened to Jin'er? Hmph. Anyone who dares oppose the Yan Clan—I'll make him wish he were dead!" A vicious gaze fixed on Sanbao's departing figure. It belonged to Yan Huishan, head of the Yan Clan.