"Haha! The tea served by this Deep Flavor Restaurant is truly heavenly! I think I will pay this place a daily visit."
Dao Se and Lu Zu sat in opposite buildings across the street, but Dao Se’s voice was clear for everyone to hear.
"You better hold that thought, brother Dao Se." Lu Zu’s voice similarly reached everyone there. "Because after tonight, it will not be so convenient for you to come and go from this district."
Dao Se laughed. "Why is it so, brother Lu Zu?"
"Because this district will return to its rightful owner, of course," Lu Zu answered.
"Well, I have a different opinion on that matter. I say this district will be mine for a very, very long time."
"A dreamer can dream, but that’s all they do, dream. I think it is time for you to wake up from your dream. Here, let me offer you a drink of wake-up call."
Lu Zu flicked the cup in his hand. The cup flew in a straight line like a bullet toward Dao Se across the street.
Dao Se placed a hand in the cup’s path. The speeding cup slowed once it came near his hand. By the time it reached Dao Se’s hand, the cup had slowed to a stop. The tea inside didn’t spill.
"I thank you for your offer, brother Lu Zu. However, I’m afraid I must decline. You see, for us, dreamers, waking up is akin to death. So, please take this tea back."
It was Dao Se, who now flicked the cup back in Lu Zu’s direction.
"It is not polite to reject someone’s kindness, Brother Dao Se," Lu Zu said while thrusting his hand forward.
The cup that was speeding back abruptly stopped. It was stuck in the air in the middle of the two restaurants.
"I’m afraid I must insist," Lu Zu added. The force he exuded increased. The cup in the air slowly moved in Dao Se’s direction.
"Hehe. It seems Brother Lu Zu’s cultivation is still as powerful as before. Nothing has changed," Dao Se said.
Lu Zu’s cultivation was one-third of a stage higher than Dao Se, so it wasn’t surprising for Lu Zu to win this contest. Dao Se’s words might sound like praise, but Lu Zu’s expression turned ugly after hearing it. The fact that his power was still the same as before implied that he had no improvement. In comparison, he could sense from the exchange that Dao Se’s power had improved since their last encounter.
"F*ck you!" Lu Zu cursed. He was no longer in the mood to drag this out. The cup in the air suddenly experienced a tremendous push. It skidded a few feet in Dao Se’s direction before exploding.
Lu Zu stood. "You, piece of a lowly nobody. Enough with this farce! I will give you a chance. Give up this district! Hand over the ones who are called the Demon Gang! Otherwise, you and your people will get hurt!"
"Hahaha!" Dao Se stood as well. He walked to the balcony’s fence and looked down at the crowd assembling below. He then shouted, "My brothers and sisters! Are you afraid of getting hurt?"
The members of the Sewer Snakes shouted in unison, "We are not afraid...!"
"Do you think we should give this district back to them?"
"Over our dead bodies...!!"
"They think they are stronger than us. What should we do?"
"Beat them to a pulp...!!!"
Dao Se shrugged in Lu Zu’s direction. He said, "You hear that, brother Lu Zu? As a responsible leader, I can’t let my people down."
Lu Zu slammed his hand into the wooden fence on his side. The fence disintegrated into dust. He yelled, "If that is the case, let’s get this over with! Everyone, attacckkk...!!!"
Upon the command, the members of the Street Aristocrats lunged forward. The Sewer Snakes didn’t take it sitting down. They also charged into their opponents. Within a heartbeat, the street was filled with people scuffling. Most fought without using weapons. They were mostly poor cultivators, after all. It was poverty that drove them to join the underworld.
Lu Zu and Dao Se didn’t stay idle. The two shot into the air and crashed into one another. Their impact caused a loud booming sound. The two couldn’t fly. Only those who entered the Spirit Stage could do so, but Mystic Stage cultivators like them could glide. The two descended very slowly as they exchanged strikes.
Neither could hit their opponents, but Lu Zu’s cultivation was still higher. Dao Se was forced to glide backward as they slowly fell. When they almost reached the ground, Lu Zu concentrated his power on his hand, which formed into a claw. White smoke oozed from that claw.
Dao Se didn’t face the smoking claw with brute force. He turned and used the head of a nearby person as a stepping stone. He moved away as Lu Zu’s claw missed him. The white smoke from the claw continued onward. One could see a ghostly face and heard a shrill cry from the smoke as it flew past. The white smoke crashed into the wall. The wall was torn apart, leaving a large hole.
"Haha! Brother Lu Zu’s Ghost Bone Claw is still so fearsome," Dao Se said as he jumped back onto the second floor.
"Do not think you can flee!" Lu Zu jumped up, chasing after Dao Se.
The two resumed their fight on the second floor. Gao Lan was also fighting Lu Zu’s aide on the second floor, but they were in the opposite building.
Lu Zu continued to chase after Dao Se using his Ghost Bone Claw. Dao Se fought back with a confusing flurry of fists, where some were real while the rest were illusory.
"Your mastery of the Changing Fate Fists has improved," Lu Zu praised.
"Thank you for your praise, brother Lu Zu," Dao Se said. As he spoke, a water needle shot out from his flurry of fists.
The water needle almost pierced Lu Zu’s head. He barely swayed away and dodged the attack.
"Bastard! Don’t get carried away!" Lu Zu’s two hands burst into flames.
"Haha! That’s more like it," Dao Se laughed. A stream of water materialized beside him. This stream revolved around him.
"Come!" He told Lu Zu.