Chapter 407

“What’s going on?”

Lu Qing jolted awake from his cultivation state, sensing an incredibly dangerous aura.

He immediately dashed out of the house, looking toward the direction of the aura.

There, not far from the village, a figure hovered mid-air in the sky.

In front of him, a massive hand formed of spiritual power loomed, its palm holding a patch of crimson.

“A Golden Core cultivator... they’ve finally come.”

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the figure and recalling the news Lin Zhirui had brought some time ago, Lu Qing instantly deduced the person’s identity.

It was undoubtedly one of the two mysterious powerhouses from Zhongzhou.

Though he wasn’t sure how they’d found this place, Lu Qing knew trouble had arrived.

“Who is that?”

“What a terrifying aura!”

In the Half-Mountain Courtyard and the Wei Manor, the elderly doctor, Wei Shanhai, and others also sensed the white-robed youth’s presence in the sky, their expressions changing drastically.

Lin Zhirui’s face, in particular, became exceptionally grim in an instant. “It’s one of those two mysterious powerhouses! How did they appear here?”

“Roar!”

In one of the courtyards, Xiao Li’s fur bristled. It leapt to position itself in front of Xiao Yan and Wei Furen, shielding them and glaring intently at the figure in the sky.

“Hm?”

The moment Lu Qing spotted him, the white-robed youth also seemed to sense something.

Turning toward the direction of Jiuli Village, his eyes briefly widened.

“Such a remote place, yet the spiritual energy here is so dense? No... it’s the work of a formation!”

With his cultivation at the Golden Core Realm, the white-robed youth easily saw through the illusions around Jiuli Village.

The seemingly unremarkable rural village was actually surrounded by a protective array.

His gaze pierced through the concealment array, landing directly on Lu Qing standing in the courtyard.

“Peak Foundation Establishment?” The youth’s eyes lit up with excitement, and a cruel smile appeared on his face. “Boy, it was you who took the treasure from the mystic realm, wasn’t it? Hand it over!”

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand. The spiritual power hand hovering in front of him immediately expanded as it reached toward Jiuli Village.

By the time it arrived above the village, it had grown more than tenfold, fully covering the area below.

The massive shadow plunged the entire village into darkness.

“What’s happening? Why did it suddenly turn dark?”

The villagers of Jiuli Village looked up in confusion.

“This is bad!”

Lu Qing, standing in the courtyard, felt the overwhelming might emanating from the massive spiritual hand. He immediately determined that the formation he had set up wouldn’t be enough to withstand the attack.

Without hesitation, he summoned a long blade into his hand with a thought.

Then, stepping forward with such force that the formation-enhanced courtyard floor sank slightly underfoot, he shot skyward like a blur, heading straight toward the descending spiritual hand.

“Break for me!”

A radiant glow erupted around Lu Qing. In an instant, the stored power of a talisman in his brow acupoint activated, enhancing him.

With a sweep of his mind, an enormous blade energy burst forth, slicing toward the spiritual power hand.

Swish!

The blade forged from Heaven’s Meteorite Iron unleashed unparalleled sharpness.

Coupled with Lu Qing’s Golden Core-level physical strength and the power of multiple talismans, the blade energy’s might reached an unimaginable level.

The massive spiritual power hand was cleaved in two!

Boom!

The spiritual power hand shattered, and the energy contained within it erupted in a series of explosions.

A golden boat materialized beneath Lu Qing’s feet, and a faint crimson radiance enveloped him, shielding him from the blasts as he stood unwavering in mid-air.

Below, however, Jiuli Village was nearly engulfed by the explosion’s aftermath.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the light of the protective formation flared to life. Though it trembled violently, it managed to shield the village from harm.

“Huff!”

In the Half-Mountain Courtyard, the elderly doctor let out a heavy breath. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his face filled with grave concern.

He hadn’t expected the intruder to be so powerful. The residual force of the attack alone had nearly made it impossible for him to maintain the formation.

“Ah Qing…”

He looked up at Lu Qing in the sky, worry gleaming in his eyes.

This enemy was far too strong. Despite his usual confidence in his disciple, the elderly doctor couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Yet he also understood that he was powerless to assist Lu Qing in this battle.

All he could do was try to maintain the formation and protect the villagers.

“What?”

Not far away, the white-robed youth was stunned.

He hadn’t expected his prized technique to be so easily destroyed.

Although he hadn’t used his full strength earlier, the fact that a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator could break his

Ten Thousand Arts Palm

felt absurd.

“A body cultivator? Interesting.”

After his initial shock, the white-robed youth quickly regained his composure. Seeing the golden flying boat beneath Lu Qing and the faint aura of body radiance around him, the youth’s expression turned gleeful.

“So it really is you, thief. I hadn’t expected you to break my technique—it seems you have some talent for cultivation.

In light of this, I’ll offer you a chance to live.

Hand over the treasure you stole from the mystic realm.

Swear your allegiance to me by offering your soul and serve me as my slave.

Do this, and I’ll mercifully spare your life. What say you?”

Upon seeing Lu Qing’s strength, the youth decided to delay killing him.

“Swear allegiance to you? Such arrogance! A mere Golden Core cultivator dares to spout such nonsense. Look at yourself—do you think you’re worthy?”

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with scorn.

“You insolent—!”

The youth froze momentarily before flying into a rage.

As a Golden Core master, he had never been insulted to his face, let alone with such vulgar words.

His earlier intention to recruit Lu Qing vanished instantly, replaced by an intense killing intent.

“A wretched ant who refuses to appreciate kindness! I’ve changed my mind—I’ll extract your soul and use it as a lamp wick, tormenting you for a hundred years so you’ll beg for life and death alike!”

With a wave of his hand, another spiritual power hand formed, this time smaller—only ten meters across—but far more condensed, its translucent surface shimmering with blue light.

The aura it exuded was even more terrifying, and its speed increased dramatically, appearing before Lu Qing in an instant.

Lu Qing’s expression hardened as he swung his blade once more.

Boom!

This time, the blade energy shattered on impact.

The spiritual power hand struck Lu Qing directly, sending him and his blade hurtling into a nearby mountain, collapsing half the peak.

“Ah Qing!”

“Lu Xiaolangjun!”

The sight caused Lin Zhirui and the others to cry out in alarm.