Too weak.
Those two words were like a resounding slap, fiercely striking Zhou Qingyun across the face.
He had been famous for decades and commanded the Diancang Sect. When had he ever suffered such utter humiliation?
After his shock came towering shame and rage.
"Good! Good! Good!" Zhou Qingyun laughed in extreme fury, his face flushing liver-red. "You arrogant brat! If I do not cut you down beneath my sword today, I, Zhou Qingyun, swear I am not a man!"
He held nothing back any longer, unleashing all his innate true energy.
In an instant, a wave of green energy swept out from around him, making it impossible for people to keep their eyes open.
"Take the Diancang Sect's supreme art—the Thirteen Swords of Cangshan!"
Zhou Qingyun's figure flickered, and his whole body seemed to turn into a wisp of green smoke. Though he held no sword, the sword light pulsing from his fingertips was sharper than any divine weapon.
"First sword, Tianlan Peak!"
"Second sword, Water Moon Peak!"
"..."
He shouted as his figure darted swiftly across the arena, trailing afterimages behind him.
Streams of green sword energy came from all directions at strange and tricky angles, weaving into an airtight net of swords that completely enveloped Lu Shaoyou.
Every strand of sword energy contained the full power of an innate master, enough to slice through gold and iron with ease.
All thirteen swords emerged at once, their might shaking heaven and earth!
The crowd below watched in rapt fascination, bursting into applause.
"This is Sect Leader Zhou's true strength! What exquisite swordsmanship!"
"That devil is trapped within the sword net like a turtle in a jar. He is certainly dead!"
Yet Lu Shaoyou, standing at the center of the sword net, did not even furrow his brow.
"Trifling tricks."
He murmured softly. Facing the sword net that blotted out the sky and covered the earth, he neither dodged nor evaded. He simply took one step forward and threw a punch.
There was no flashy technique in that punch, only pure power.
As he punched, the air itself seemed to be instantly vacuumed away, producing a dull explosive boom.
"Boom—!"
Golden fist force, like a blazing, resplendent sun, crashed brutally into the green sword net.
There was no stalemate as imagined.
The sword net formed from thirteen fierce streams of sword energy was like paper the instant it touched the golden fist force, ripped apart and crushed with the force of withered branches before a gale!
Zhou Qingyun only felt an irresistible, terrifying force rushing straight at him. His protective Inner Force shattered at once.
It was as if his entire body had been struck by a ten-thousand-jun hammer. Blood sprayed wildly from his mouth as he flew backward like a kite with its string cut, smashing heavily into the edge of the arena. He struggled for a long while, yet could not get back up.
One punch!
Another single punch!
Zhou Qingyun, the Diancang Sect's leader and an innate master, had been severely injured along with his ultimate art by one punch!
The entire venue fell into dead silence once more.
If they could still explain Wang Meng's instant defeat by saying Wang Meng was merely a brute, then Lu Shaoyou's punch that shattered Zhou Qingyun had utterly overturned everything they knew.
Zhou Qingyun lay on the ground, shocked and enraged, but what he felt most was fear born from the depths of his soul. He knew that he and his opponent were not on the same level at all.
Seeing Lu Shaoyou walk toward him step by step, his calm eyes devoid of even the slightest emotion, as though he were looking at a dead man—
The intense desire to survive made Zhou Qingyun completely abandon the dignity of a sect leader.
A trace of venom and madness flashed through his eyes. As Lu Shaoyou approached, he abruptly pulled a small cloth pouch from his robes and, using the last of his strength, hurled it forward!
"Devil! Go die!"
"Crash!"
A cloud of purplish-black smoke mixed with countless steel needles as fine as ox hairs scattered like celestial maidens strewing flowers, shooting straight at Lu Shaoyou.
"It's Purple Smoke Divine Sand!"
Someone below the stage cried out in alarm.
"Th-this is the Diancang Sect's unique deadly poison! It seals the throat upon drawing blood—vicious beyond compare!"
"Sect Leader Zhou actually used poison for a sneak attack! Th-this is simply too..."
Some who styled themselves righteous martial artists revealed looks of disdain.
Using poison, especially to launch a surprise attack in such a public setting before countless eyes, was undoubtedly one of the most contemptible and despicable acts in the martial world.
Yet more people showed a flicker of satisfaction in their eyes.
Who cared what methods were used? So long as this devil could be killed!
On the high platform, a meaningful smile curved Xue Yutang's lips.
True Man Songyue, however, frowned deeply, clearly holding Zhou Qingyun's actions in considerable contempt as well.
When Zhou Qingyun saw that his Purple Smoke Divine Sand had completely engulfed Lu Shaoyou, he could not help breaking into wild, triumphant laughter.
"Hahaha! No matter how high your martial arts are, once you have been struck by my Purple Smoke Divine Sand, within three breaths you will turn into a puddle of pus and blood! I..."
His laughter came to an abrupt stop.
Because he saw that as the smoke and dust dispersed, Lu Shaoyou was still standing quietly where he had been, completely unharmed.
Those poisoned divine sand needles, enough to pierce iron armor, had indeed shot through his green robe. Yet they were all lodged against the surface of his skin, making faint ding-ding-dang-dang sounds. They had not even pierced a layer of skin, much less entered his flesh.
The evolved Dragon-Elephant Prajna had long since tempered his body to an inconceivable realm.
Ordinary blades and weapons could not break his defense at all!
"So this is your so-called righteous sect?" A trace of undisguised mockery and contempt appeared on Lu Shaoyou's face. "When you cannot win, you use poison for a sneak attack?"
He looked at Zhou Qingyun's face, twisted by extreme shock and terror, and suddenly smiled.
"Fine. Let you taste the bitter fruit you planted yourself."
Before his words had faded, the true energy around Lu Shaoyou's body abruptly shuddered!
"Buzz!"
A powerful burst of energy erupted outward from his body.
The next moment, a scene that made everyone's scalps go numb unfolded.
The thousands of Purple Smoke Divine Sand needles lodged against his skin were all blasted back by that surge of energy! They were even faster and fiercer than when they had come!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Dense sounds of air splitting rang out as countless purplish-black needles turned into a torrent of death and swept back in reverse.
Zhou Qingyun's mouth was still wide open from his triumph. He had no time to make any response before the torrent poured entirely into him.
"Ugh... urgh..."
Several meaningless choking sounds came from his throat. His eyes bulged wide, and an eerie layer of purplish-black rapidly spread across his face.
In merely one breath, his body began to rot, releasing waves of foul-smelling green smoke. Finally, with a plop, he turned into a pool of stinking pus and blood, not even leaving behind bones.
Slaughter Value +5000.
Silence. A terrifying silence.
Everyone had been stunned senseless by that bizarre and gruesome sight.
"Sect Leader!"
At that moment, seven grief-stricken, furious roars rang out from the Diancang Sect's camp.
Seven figures shot onto the arena like seven bolts of lightning.
They were the Diancang Sect's seven strongest elders apart from the sect leader, known as the Diancang Seven.
Looking at the pool of pus and blood on the ground, every one of them was so enraged their eyes were split wide, grief and fury driving them nearly mad.
"Devil! Give us your life!"
The lead elder roared, "Form the Seven Absolute Sword Formation!"
The seven instantly spread out and occupied seven positions. Their longswords left their sheaths, sword light gleaming as they answered one another from afar.
A terrifying sword momentum, far surpassing the combined strength of the seven men, took shape with a thunderous roar and locked firmly onto Lu Shaoyou.
"Another formation?" Lu Shaoyou shook his head impatiently and directly pulled out the Qi Mei Cudgel from beside him.
His figure flashed. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging straight into the sword formation.
"Dragon-Elephant Demon Suppressing Cudgel!"
The Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand seemed to come alive, transforming into shadows of cudgels that filled the sky.
Every swing carried the force of ten thousand jun, battering the air into a continuous series of explosions.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The Seven Absolute Sword Formation had only just formed and had not yet displayed its power before this utterly unreasonable cudgel art smashed it into complete disarray.
"Pfft!"
One elder's sword was smashed apart directly. Man and sword alike were sent flying, his chest caving in as he died on the spot.
"Ah!"
Another elder was swept by the cudgel shadows, and half his body turned into a pulp of flesh.
Lu Shaoyou was like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep. The Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand was the most terrifying instrument of slaughter.
In the blink of an eye, of the Diancang Seven, six were dead and one was wounded!
Only the lead elder remained, drenched in blood and staring in despair at this man who was like one of the Gods and Devils.
Expressionless, Lu Shaoyou raised the Qi Mei Cudgel, about to bring it down and finish the last man.
Just then—
"Stop!"
A furious shout that split stone and shattered heaven came from the high platform.
Along with the shout came an incomparably brilliant sword energy, like condensed moonlight. At a speed beyond lightning, it tore through the air and struck Lu Shaoyou's Qi Mei Cudgel with perfect precision.
"Clang!"
A tremendous crash rang out, sparks flying in every direction.
Lu Shaoyou felt an incomparably sharp true energy travel up the cudgel. It actually made his arm go slightly numb, and the descending force of his cudgel stalled involuntarily.
He raised his head and looked toward the high platform.
True Man Songyue had finally made his move.
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