Almost all of the Lu younger generation had gathered in the core area of Mauve Peace Paradise, giving full vent to their fury and anger.
News of a Lu clansman wanting to make Lu Yun into a puppet had spread throughout Nephrite Major, but in the eyes of some Lu members, Lu Yun should’ve accepted his fate, if that was what the clan wanted. There was no place for right and wrong here. Anyone who dared offend the clan must die!
……
“Lu Yun, you claim to be the top cultivator in the world, capable of felling august immortals!” exclaimed a girl in a white dress at the head of a group. “Dare you accept my challenge?!”
She was a charmingly beautiful girl, but her expression overflowed with killing intent and her eyes spat almost palpable flames. “There is no peace to be had between us after you murdered my brother! If you don’t accept my challenge today, I will detonate myself in the clan hall!”
Silence descended after this strident declaration, the gauntlet thrown at Lu Yun on his way to said building. Revered by the dozen major aristocratic houses making up the Lu Clan, the clan hall was the most important location within clan territory. It was placed on ancestral land, making the girl’s fury and hatred evident.
None of the high council had intervened when the younger generation agitated with hostility. In fact, some had even secretly stoked the fires. What the girl said, however, made faces cloud over.
“Enough of that, Qingshuang!” snapped a middle-aged man with a commanding presence, but the girl remained stubbornly glaring at Lu Yun.
Lu Yun halted one step away from entering the meeting hall and turned to look at the girl. “Lu Yuanhou’s younger sister?”
Lu Daoling had left, having done all that he could by safeguarding Lu Yun in cultivation and escorting the young man here. The youngster would have to take on the clan by himself now.
The girl in white stared back in silent hostility.
“Your brother Lu Yuanhou, top genius of the Lu younger generation, died at my hands,” Lu Yun continued faintly. “Are you sure you’d like to challenge me?”
“My brother died at the hands of your arcane immortal zombie!” The girl clearly enunciated every syllable with an unforgiving expression. “If you’d fought fairly and killed my brother yourself, I would’ve accepted that.”
“Do you think he’d be my opponent if he lived?” Lu Yun asked.
Swoosh!
A flash of sword energy shot out of her hand. “I, Lu Qingshuang of the Lu Clan, hereby challenge you!”
Hum.
Green energy flashed across Lu Qingshuang’s body as she spoke, heralding the release of her full strength as a refined spirit realm cultivator. However, her cultivation level was unstable and her mystic force had yet to be consolidated. It was clear she’d made her breakthrough in a hurry.
“Why go to all this effort?” Lu Yun shook his head slightly. “Since I must, I’ll make one attack.” He wiggled a finger before himself. “If any of you can take one attack from me, I’ll do whatever you want me to.”
“Lu Yun!!” an indignant voice cried out. “Are you insulting us?!”
“Insult?” Lu Yun scoffed. “I’ve fought numerous geniuses from around the world and even killed peerless immortals. The nine celestial emperors have personally titled me as the top youth sovereign. What right do you have to be insulted by me?”
Teeth gnashed and ground together, emotions running high to the point of madness. Lu Yun had prohibited the Lu Clan from setting foot in Dusk Province, which had naturally prevented them from attending the tournament!
“Deal!” exclaimed Lu Qingshuang. “If I can take one hit from you, there’s only one thing I want: Kneel before my brother’s tomb and kowtow to him nine times!”
“Alright.” Lu Yun nodded.
The other cultivators backed some distance away, glares fixated unblinkingly on Lu Yun. Even the immortals in the vicinity looked on with great interest. They wouldn’t do anything to Lu Yun, of course; at least not openly. The Lu ancestor had brought Lu Yun here himself. If the clan seniors attacked Lu Yun, their ancestor would crush them.
But the younger generation was different. They were supposedly Lu Yun’s peers.
Lu Qingshuang’s sword glowed with an increasingly bright radiance, a weighty sword intent brewing within her.
“The nascent form of sword intent. That makes you stronger than your brother.” Lu Yun nodded after taking a closer look at her sword aura. “You should go observe the swords by the Sword Lake in Dusk Province some time. It’ll be good for you.”
“The Sword Lake?” Lu Qingshuang scoffed. “You’ve prohibited the Lu Clan from entering Dusk Province, Your Excellency.”
“I also stated that anyone in the world, be they immortal, monster spirit, divine, or demon, may enter the Sword Tower for training,” Lu Yun responded matter-of-factly. “The Lu Clan is no exception.”
“Cut the nonsense and make your move!” Lu Qingshuang spat out.
Lu Yun nodded. “Watch carefully.” He placed his right index finger and thumb together and pointed straight at her.
In that instant, the air in front of Lu Qingshaung seemed to transform into a river of stars suffused with sword energy. She could do nothing but stare at it, captivated. Half a strand of hair whispered past her cheek while she remained unmoving.
“What’s going on?” a baffled voice sounded.
Another shouted excitedly, “Lu Yun failed to hurt Qingshuang with that point. He’s lost!”
“She seems to have lost a strand of hair...”
“But she hasn’t moved at all! Lu Yun lost!“
“That’s right. He has to kowtow before Yuanhou’s tomb!”
“Shut up!” hectored a golden immortal. He tamped down his anger and huffed, “Thank you for your mercy, Your Excellency. Qingshuang is defeated!”
“What was that?” Lu Qingshuang’s eyes gleamed with a strange light as she looked at Lu Yun.
“That is the third sword technique that I invented,” Lu Yun answered with a smile. “I call it the Starstream Stroke.”
He’d already invented two techniques—Vast Dragon Seaturner and Peng of Kun. Back in Cloudwater Lake, he’d comprehended the intent of the water and completed his sword intent, thus creating his third technique, the Starstream Stroke.
“Thank you for your instruction!” Lu Qingshuang took a deep breath and cupped her hands at him before leaving. She hadn’t even had a chance to react before Lu Yun had defeated her merely by pointing at her. She knew full well just how much of a gap existed between them.
“Who’s next? Or would you rather all come at me at once?” Hands behind his back, Lu Yun looked at the youths around him, a bit of pride creeping into his expression. “If all of you together can take a single hit from me, I will admit defeat.”