Ren Qian was thrown to the ground, disoriented and dazed. When he turned to look back, his mind shattered in terror.
Luo Cheng was closing in at an incredible speed. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com
Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Ren Qian scrambled to his feet and fled desperately!
"Do you think you can escape?"
With Mist Shadow Step unleashed, Luo Cheng’s figure accelerated abruptly, closing the distance in an instant as he swung the Flame Trace Sword.
Blood light burst forth as Ren Qian’s legs were severed clean off, his body rolling forward for several meters. The intense pain wracked his body, leaving him twitching on the ground like a dying shrimp.
Seeing Luo Cheng approach step by step, Ren Qian immediately broke down in tears and snot, enduring the excruciating pain as he begged repeatedly:
"Luo Cheng, don’t kill me! Please, don’t kill me!"
Luo Cheng sneered coldly: "Weren’t you the one who wanted me to suffer worse than death?"
Ren Qian shook his head frantically: "No, no, no! That was because I was blind and foolish! I beg you, have mercy and spare me!"
Ren Qian prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing incessantly.
Luo Cheng couldn’t help but shake his head. Compared to Qin Ming, Ren Qian was simply pathetic.
Seeing that Luo Cheng remained unmoved, Ren Qian suddenly switched his tone, his voice trembling with concealed desperation:
"Luo Cheng, if you kill me, my elder brother will never let you go! This will bring you no benefit! Spare me, and I can tell you something—something tied to your very life! If you don’t know this, you’ll be dead within half a month!"
Luo Cheng replied indifferently: "Are you trying to tell me that Qi Guyun has issued orders for the Crown Prince Hall disciples to kill me on sight in the Outer Sect Competition?"
Ren Qian’s eyes went wide with disbelief: "You! You! How do you know?"
"That’s not something you need to know."
Luo Cheng smiled faintly, revealing a set of pristine white teeth: "But I can tell you one thing. It won’t be long before I personally send your brother Ren Xiaoguang to join you! Allowing the two of you to be reunited in the netherworld."
"You’re planning to kill my brother?"
Ren Qian’s expression froze for a moment before twisting into a sinister laugh: "Luo Cheng, you may be strong, but you could never defeat my elder brother! Spare me now and escape far from the Great Yue Dynasty! That’s your best option. Otherwise, you’ll only ruin your bright future!"
"If my elder brother finds out you’ve killed me, it won’t just be you—your family, friends, everyone connected to you will be buried alongside me..."
Before Ren Qian could finish speaking, the point of Luo Cheng’s sword suddenly pierced into his mouth and emerged from the back of his skull.
"Such needless chatter!"
Luo Cheng withdrew his sword and sheathed it.
Ren Qian twitched briefly before collapsing straight to the ground, his eyes wide open.
In his final moments, he regretted everything. He regretted coming after Luo Cheng!
He didn’t want to die; he still had a magnificent life ahead...
Luo Cheng stood motionless, his sword returned to its scabbard, as he surveyed his surroundings.
Around him lay nothing but corpses.
In the span of just twenty to thirty breaths, over thirty Tongxuan Realm Martial Artists had perished at his hands!
Among them were several top-tier experts who had reached the Third Layer Peak of the Tongxuan Realm!
Luo Cheng estimated that, having grasped Human Sword Integration, his current strength was enough to place him among the top twenty of the Xuanyuan Sect Outer Sect. Ready to challenge both Ren Xiaoguang and Senior Sister Chen Lingyu!
But this was far from enough!
His goal was to seize first place in the Outer Sect Competition!
To reign supreme in the Outer Sect!
Ren Xiaoguang, Qi Guyun—he wouldn’t spare either of them!
"This place is too close to Linjiang City. Prolonged delay only invites trouble. I’d better leave quickly!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Cheng wasted no time and swiftly plundered the belongings of all the corpses. Then, releasing his Martial Soul, he began to devour.
As flashes of nine-colored mysterious light illuminated the scene, the Martial Soul Essence from the surrounding corpses was extracted and drawn into Luo Cheng’s body.
Finishing one area, Luo Cheng moved to another, continuing his devouring process at a relentless pace.
These individuals were all Tongxuan Realm Martial Artists, their Martial Soul Essence incredibly potent. Luo Cheng devoured the essence of over ten people in one go, feeling an immense torrent of Essence Qi surge wildly within his body, his face slightly flushed.
However, he didn’t have time to refine this Qi; he could only suppress it in his dantian.
Luckily, his physique and meridians had strengthened considerably with his recent breakthroughs.
Otherwise, his body wouldn’t have been able to withstand such overwhelming Martial Soul Essence.
In just a few moments, Luo Cheng had devoured the Martial Soul Essence of nearly thirty individuals, leaving only a few remaining.
Suddenly, his senses tingled. He paused, alert.
Casting a glance toward Linjiang City, Luo Cheng shifted his focus and abandoned the thought of further devouring.
With a swift leap, he landed atop the Flame Jade Lion and pressed his legs against its flanks.
Having consumed a Detoxification Pill, the Flame Jade Lion had regained a trace of vitality. Letting out a wild roar, it carried Luo Cheng away in a cloud of dust.
Luo Cheng had just left the canyon.
Two faint sounds pierced through the air. Amid the night’s shadow, two graceful figures swiftly approached—it was Luo Yao and Amu.
With Amu alongside her and aiming to conceal their presence, Luo Yao had deliberately slowed her pace, arriving only at this moment.
As she neared the canyon, a flicker of surprise crossed Luo Yao’s eyes. Looking toward the direction of Luo Cheng’s departure, a hint of doubt appeared on her face.
She had just detected Luo Cheng’s presence, but he had abruptly ridden away.
This sparked a thought in her mind—had Luo Cheng sensed her arrival?
But it seemed improbable.
After all, as a Tongxuan Realm Second Layer Martial Artist who had yet to open the three gates or establish his Sea of Consciousness Soul Palace, no matter how strong Luo Cheng’s abilities were, his perception couldn’t possibly rival hers.
Take Amu, for instance, who was already at the Half-step Awakening Vein Realm, yet hadn’t sensed a thing about Luo Cheng’s departure.
"Could it just be a coincidence?"
The thought flickered through Luo Yao’s mind.
"Miss! Such thick bloodlust!"
Suddenly, Amu’s startled cry interrupted Luo Yao’s musings.
At this point, the two had entered the canyon. The cool night breeze carried an overwhelming stench of blood, making it nauseating!
Luo Yao lifted her gaze, her beautiful eyes rippling with emotion.
What lay before her was a scene of carnage—a field littered with severed limbs and corpses. Two-thirds of them had been cleaved cleanly in half, while the remaining bodies resembled wreckage struck by a mountain, mangled beyond recognition, with bloody scraps strewn across the ground!
Amu was visibly shaken, her complexion pale as she swallowed nervously and said:
"These are the ones who chased after Luo Cheng. Even those Sect disciples are among them! All dead! And their deaths are so fresh, yet their bodies have completely lost all Essence Blood—it’s as if they’ve been dead for days! Too bizarre!"
Without speaking, Luo Yao surveyed the scene, then smiled faintly and asked:
"Amu, what do you make of this?"
Amu scrutinized the corpses carefully and said gravely, "From their wounds and combat traces, it seems all of them were killed by a single person! Whomever this individual is, their swordsmanship is exceedingly refined! It appears someone intervened to save Luo Cheng! He’s truly lucky—to escape death against all odds!"
Hearing this, Luo Yao let out a gentle laugh, "You’re only half correct."
Amu raised her head in confusion.
Luo Yao spoke slowly, "Indeed, these people were killed by one person. But that person... was Luo Cheng himself."
Amu’s brows furrowed deeply as she protested: "Miss, I know you hold high regard for Luo Cheng! But these individuals weren’t ordinary—they included several Sect disciples who should have begun Condensing Divine Bridge. They could enhance their combat prowess with their Martial Souls! Their strength far exceeds ordinary Tongxuan Realm Third Layer Peak Martial Artists!"
"And Luo Cheng is only at the Middle Stage of the Tongxuan Realm Second Layer! He couldn’t even deal with one of them, let alone slaughter everyone here in such a short time!"
"This defies all logic!"
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