Chapter 84: Another Martial Spirit

The gaze of the Liu Clan Ancestor fell upon Lu Yan and the strange old man, cold murderous intent laid bare without the slightest pretense.

“This is bad, we’ve been discovered.”

Lu Yan’s expression changed dramatically.

Suddenly, he felt a tremendous force on his shoulder—the bizarre elder seized him and flung him straight toward the Liu Clan Ancestor, while himself quickly retreating.

“That old fox…”

Lu Yan cursed inwardly. The world truly was merciless; just moments ago, the old man had praised his talent and said he wanted to bring him back to some Holy Sect, yet now that danger had arrived, he made Lu Yan his scapegoat to cover his own escape.

There was no time for further thought. If he crashed directly into the Liu Clan Ancestor, he would surely die. While still airborne, Lu Yan summoned all his strength, activating both his Diamond Body and Savage Elephant Form. With a low shout, he twisted his waist and abdomen, his body becoming as heavy as a thousand pounds, forcing himself to drop straight down and land on the ground.

“Ancestor, I’m with the Crimson Guards—I’m one of your own! That old man was invited by the Wu Clan and his strength is unfathomable!”

Even before he landed, Lu Yan shouted at the top of his lungs.

In truth, there was little need for Lu Yan to speak; the Liu Clan Ancestor had already sensed the old man’s terrifying power and fixed his attention on him. Leaping high, he surged toward the strange elder.

Yet he had no intention of letting Lu Yan off so easily. Striking out mid-air, he unleashed a palm filled with chilling, tyrannical inner force aimed straight at Lu Yan.

This was the blow of an Inner Force Grandmaster—far from something Lu Yan could withstand head-on. He pushed his Wind-Chasing Steps to the limit, retreating at lightning speed, narrowly evading the force of the palm.

He then dashed straight for the forest, fleeing desperately down the mountain.

“That brat is yours. Catch up and bring me his head.”

The Liu Clan Ancestor instructed his martial marquis.

The Liu Clan martial marquis did not hesitate, immediately giving chase.

Lu Yan ran at full speed, quickly weaving through the trees. He stole a glance backward, and his pupils contracted sharply.

By now, the Liu Clan Ancestor had already caught up with the bizarre old man.

Facing an Inner Force Grandmaster, the old man had no choice but to fight for his life. His body underwent a strange transformation—his white hair stood on end, revealing the ghastly pale face on the back of his head.

From his shoulders sprouted two new arms.

With two faces and four arms, shrouded in black mist, a towering, shadowy figure emerged from his body—a wraithlike form overlapping his own, unleashing immense power.

Even the formidable Liu Clan Ancestor had to muster all his strength to face him.

Black mist billowed from the Ancestor’s body, his eyes widened, and fleshy tendrils extended from his mouth—then, astonishingly, seven more sprouted from his abdomen.

Each tendril wrapped around and pierced the old man, who let out agonized howls.

A chill gripped Lu Yan’s entire being, cold sweat streaming down his back.

A Martial Spirit—yet again, a Martial Spirit.

There could be no doubt; the bizarre old man was also a Martial Spirit.

With two Martial Spirits locked in combat, it was clear that the Liu Clan Ancestor, as an Inner Force Grandmaster, held the upper hand, completely suppressing his opponent.

There was no time to watch; Lu Yan ran with all his might, for the Liu Clan martial marquis was hot on his heels.

Lu Yan’s Wind-Chasing Steps were indeed swift, but the distance between him and the marquis continued to close.

The marquis had also trained in speed-based martial arts, though not to Lu Yan’s level.

Yet his explosive power was overwhelming—body hard as steel, bones reinforced with energy, his legs propelled him forward like twin jet engines, each stride covering dozens of meters.

Before he even reached the foot of the mountain, the distance between them had shrunk to a few dozen meters.

With a whistling sound, the marquis’s fingers, like iron hooks, gripped two massive boulders mid-run and hurled them at Lu Yan’s back.

Lu Yan dodged desperately.

But the marquis immediately grabbed two more boulders and threw them, each one infused with bone force. If struck, Lu Yan would be seriously injured, if not worse.

Unable to dodge them all, Lu Yan had no choice but to turn and punch, shattering the stones.

The marquis seized the opportunity to close the gap. His hands were covered in crimson scales as he leapt high, chopping down at Lu Yan’s head.

Lu Yan raised his fists to block.

With a heavy impact, Lu Yan was sent flying back five meters, his fists numb from the blow.

The marquis stomped the ground, shattering the rocks beneath his feet as his burly form lunged again, crimson palms carrying the force to crush gold and shatter iron, striking repeatedly at Lu Yan’s head and chest.

Lu Yan retreated rapidly, drawing his Crimson Blood Sabre and slashing twice at the marquis’s legs.

Sparks flew—his blade, sharp enough to cut iron like mud, could not pierce the scales, leaving only faint white marks.

Lu Yan himself was blasted back five or six meters, crushing bushes and stones in his wake.

“It’s still no use—my life force is too scattered. Against bone force, it shatters in a single blow.”

Lu Yan’s mind raced.

Aside from his life force, he was not weak at all—especially when using Diamond Body and Savage Elephant Form, which further enhanced his sabre techniques.

It was obvious—using the same technique, a strike with ten pounds of force was nothing like one with a hundred pounds.

But even so, in a direct confrontation, he was no match. He was being completely suppressed; his life force was simply too weak.

“Boy, I remember you. You’re with the Crimson Guards—so young and yet with such strength, hidden so deeply. You fooled everyone.”

The marquis was secretly astonished, but his killing intent only intensified, his gaze as sharp as blades.

To think Lu Yan could withstand several exchanges without injury—such a fivefold limit breaker, he had never encountered before.

He must not be allowed to live.

Yet a smile appeared on his face. “Boy, since you’re so gifted, I’ll give you one chance. Swear loyalty to the Liu Clan and vow never to reveal what happened today, and I’ll spare your life. What do you say?”

“Agreed.”

Lu Yan answered readily, but his guard was not lowered in the slightest. He kept his stance defensive, seizing the chance to regulate his life force and return to peak condition.

Old fox—who would trust you?

He knew clearly that the other party would never let him go. The Liu Clan Ancestor’s status as a Martial Spirit was a tremendous secret; if it ever got out, the entire Liu Clan would be annihilated.

Probably only a handful in the Liu Clan knew the truth.

Earlier, in the presence of many, the Ancestor dared not show his true strength, for fear of exposing himself. Only after luring the Bei brothers and the Wu Clan Ancestor to a secluded spot did he reveal his true cultivation.

Would they let an outsider who’d witnessed the truth live?

Impossible. Only the dead keep secrets.

Today, only a desperate fight offered the slimmest hope of survival.

“Good, you know your place, so—”

Bang!

The marquis launched a sudden attack, his palm slicing toward Lu Yan like a blade.

Lu Yan was ready. His feet stamped the ground, his form shifting like the wind as he dodged the blow and slashed at the marquis’s legs.

The marquis, having trained the Ironwall Crimson Scale Palm, had focused most of his skill on his hands—his legs were his weakness.

He sneered, flipping in the air, head down and feet up, his palms raining blows.

Lu Yan retreated, evading, but the marquis pressed the attack relentlessly, giving him no chance to counter.

His hands were too fast—scarlet flashes in the darkness, whistling through the air, leaving Lu Yan nowhere to dodge and forcing him into head-on battle.

With a resounding clang, Lu Yan’s Crimson Blood Sabre clashed with the marquis’s palms, the blade quivering violently as Lu Yan was sent flying, crashing through a large tree.

“Die!”

The marquis roared, his voice thunderous, pouncing like a fierce eagle.

Lu Yan could only muster all his strength, dodging and blocking as best he could, with no chance to strike back.

(End of chapter)