Chapter 630

Chapter 630

I Can See Through Everything

The Li Huo Cauldron surged upstream with an unstoppable force, smashing the dragon-shaped sword qi to pieces.

Without slowing in the slightest, it hurtled toward Elder Xuanjian’s position.

Earlier, in an effort to guard against a sneak attack from Lu Qing, Elder Xuanjian had made himself the core of a defensive sword formation. Though powerful, this also restricted his movements.

Moreover, the Li Huo Cauldron possessed immense Spatial Suppression, and although Lu Qing's current cultivation wasn’t enough to completely suppress a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was enough to delay Elder Xuanjian for a single crucial moment.

And that moment was all it took. Elder Xuanjian was unable to dodge in time, forced to watch helplessly as the Li Huo Cauldron—like a falling star from beyond the heavens—smashed into his sword formation.

In an instant, sword light scattered in all directions.

No matter how hard Elder Xuanjian tried to maintain it, the massive cauldron—like a mountain—shattered the sword formation on impact, reducing it to rubble.

The backlash from the broken formation rippled through his body, shaking his soul and forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips. He was already seriously injured.

Fortunately, with the formation destroyed, his bindings were lifted. Just before the Li Huo Cauldron could crush him completely, he merged with his sword in a last-second escape, transforming into a streak of sword light.

Yet before he could even sigh in relief, a sudden stagnation seized his soul. His vision blurred with countless illusions.

"An illusion technique? Impossible!"

Elder Xuanjian was both shocked and furious. Shocked that his Nascent Soul cultivation could be affected by illusion at all. Furious that he had been bested again and again by a mere Golden Core junior. It was a humiliation beyond words!

“Break!”

With a roar, his soul surged, shattering the illusion cast by Lu Qing’s Phantasm (Technique). Though it only trapped him for the span of a breath, it was enough.

Just as Elder Xuanjian dispersed the illusion, a chill ran through his heart.

The next instant, a monstrous force slammed into him, knocking him out of his sword light form and disrupting his body-soul fusion.

The immense power even penetrated into his soul body, worsening his injuries.

More critically, one of his arms was now caught.

He turned in disbelief—Lu Qing was gripping his arm, flashing a wicked grin. “Got you.”

That grin—twisted and fierce—reminded him of the moment the Lanhai Sect’s Supreme Elder had his head obliterated by a single punch. A shiver of dread ran down Elder Xuanjian's spine.

He frantically roused his Nascent Soul energy, trying to shake Lu Qing off.

But Lu Qing’s arm was like a pillar holding up the heavens. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t budge it, let alone break free.

“Old man... have you decided how you want to die?”

The words fell like a death sentence in Elder Xuanjian’s ears.

Lu Qing’s other hand was already forming a fist.

“No!”

An overwhelming fear surged in Elder Xuanjian’s heart. His Nascent Soul energy churned wildly. Sword qi burst from every aperture on his body, slashing at Lu Qing in a last-ditch effort to force him to let go.

But it was useless. Wounded as he was, his sword qi posed no threat to Lu Qing.

A phantom of an ancient cauldron shimmered around Lu Qing’s body, dispersing all the sword qi in a flash.

And then—the flame-wreathed fist descended.

Its target: Elder Xuanjian’s skull.

At such close range, bound as he was, there was no room to dodge.

All he could do was stare in terror as the fist closed in.

Then, darkness.

Boom!

To the spectators, it was a different scene entirely.

Lu Qing, wreathed in blood-red flames, held Elder Xuanjian like a helpless chick in one hand.

With the other, he unleashed a punch so powerful it shattered the very air, blowing apart Elder Xuanjian’s upper body.

“Foul creature! I’ll kill you!”

A shrill cry rang out as a spectral figure burst from Elder Xuanjian’s ruined body.

It was a miniature figure in his likeness, radiating hatred, riding a tiny white sword straight toward Lu Qing’s head.

Its speed was so great that Lu Qing barely reacted in time, managing only to tilt his head aside.

Even so, the little sword grazed him—obliterating half his skull.

After releasing this final strike by burning his soul, Elder Xuanjian's remnant spirit began to fade into transparency and dissipate into the wind.

The white sword, now without a master, tumbled from the sky and was caught by Lu Qing, who calmly stored it away.

As Elder Xuanjian’s soul vanished, the sky fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared in disbelief.

None could have foreseen such a brutal outcome.

A battle between a Golden Core cultivator and a Nascent Soul expert had ended with one dead and the other gravely wounded.

And the one who died—was the Nascent Soul!

“Elder Xuanjian… is dead?”

“He even burned his soul for a final strike… and still failed to kill that monster?”

“What... what kind of creature is this Lu Qing?!”

The Nascent Soul cultivators were shaken to their cores. They had never imagined such an ending.

Elder Xuanjian, easily ranked in the top five among them, had fallen to Lu Qing.

Even his soul-burning deathblow—meant to take the enemy down with him—had failed. Lu Qing, though heavily injured, had survived.

They stared at Lu Qing like he was some inhuman aberration.

Incredulity gave way to fear.

Some even felt grateful—thankful they hadn't acted against Lu Qing earlier. If they had, they might be the one lying dead now.

Lu Qing had slain two Nascent Soul cultivators.

One was arguably an ambush, catching the Lanhai Sect elder off-guard.

But Elder Xuanjian’s death had been a head-on battle.

Lu Qing had utterly overpowered him.

In other words, although still in the Golden Core Realm, Lu Qing’s actual combat strength had reached, if not surpassed, the Nascent Soul Realm.

Some even began to question whether he truly was just Golden Core.

“Elder Xuanjian was careless.”

From the Overlord Clan’s ranks, Ba Chunqiu finally spoke after a long silence.

“As a sword cultivator, his greatest strengths are speed and lethality.

But wary of Lu Qing’s terrifying physique—afraid he’d end up like that old man Qiu—he chose to focus on defense and formed a sword-light formation.

By doing so, he restricted himself and couldn’t fully utilize his sword arts.

So when the cauldron came, he couldn't dodge in time.

He was caught in a fatal chain—one misstep leading to another.

He gave up his strength for caution... and lost because of fear. His defeat was not unjust.”

The surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators nodded in somber agreement.

Ba Chunqiu was right.

Elder Xuanjian had fought too cautiously, suppressing the very strengths that made sword cultivators so fearsome.

But in their hearts, they knew—if it had been them, they likely would have made the same choice.

Lu Qing’s body was too terrifying. Stronger even than their soul bodies.

Getting too close could mean instant death.

It was not a risk anyone would take lightly.

“Fellow Daoist Chen…”

Qin Zheng and Ye Qingzhu stared ahead, caught between awe and worry.

Awe, that Lu Qing had slain yet another Nascent Soul cultivator.

Worry, that Lu Qing was now gravely wounded—and surrounded by so many watching enemies. What would happen next?

As for the other Golden Core cultivators, they were dumbfounded.

Their gazes toward Lu Qing were now filled with reverence.

No one could have imagined that the one already so formidable in the secret realm would emerge even fiercer.

Even Nascent Soul experts had fallen to him—two now.

Those who once had designs on Lu Qing, like Gongshu Yu and his kin, were now deeply relieved they hadn’t acted.

Otherwise, they'd already be corpses in that realm.

Those who had attacked Lu Qing—disciples of the Lanhai and Xuanyuan Sects—were pale as ash.

They trembled as they looked at him—like seeing a devil.

Their hearts were heavy with regret.

Just what kind of monster had they provoked?

“Nascent Soul cultivators… really aren’t so easy to kill.”

In midair, Lu Qing also felt a twinge of fear.

That final strike from Elder Xuanjian had been beyond his expectations.

A soul-burning attack, driving a sword with all the power of death.

Had it been anyone else—even another Nascent Soul expert—they would likely have perished on the spot.

It was only because of Lu Qing’s overwhelming vitality that he had survived, even with half his head blown apart.

He focused, and a torrent of Life Force surged within him.

The shattered half of his skull rapidly regenerated.

Within ten breaths, his head was fully restored—without a trace of injury.

This sight struck fear into the hearts of every cultivator present.

Lu Qing gathered Elder Xuanjian’s remains, along with the white sword.

Then he stood tall in the sky, gazing down at the other Nascent Soul cultivators.

“Is there anyone else… who wishes to offer instruction?”

Seeing his wounds healed, his aura undiminished, their expressions darkened.

He had slain two Nascent Soul experts, yet still seemed untouched.

How powerful was his body?

What kind of fortune had he gained in the secret realm, that it could elevate a Golden Core cultivator to such terrifying heights?

“Fellow cultivators,”

A voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.

Everyone turned to look.

The speaker was none other than Gongshu Zheng—the Gongshu Clan’s newly advanced Nascent Soul genius.

“Elder cousin!”

Gongshu Yu and the others were alarmed.

That devil was far too dangerous. Even Elder Xuanjian had been slain—why provoke him now?

But they dared not speak.

They knew Gongshu Zheng’s temperament—once decided, no one could change his mind.

“A spy from the Demonic Path?”

Upon hearing Gongshu Zheng’s words, the Nascent Soul cultivators stirred.

Though they sensed no demonic aura on Lu Qing, his strange and powerful body did resemble the practices of the Demonic Path.

And if they labeled him a demonic spy—then everything changed.

They could attack without hesitation. Righteous cause would be on their side.

Several began to waver.

Soon, one stood forth: “Indeed! His techniques are suspicious—clearly of demonic origin. He even called himself a devil just now!”

“Fellow Daoists Qiu and Xuanjian were heroes of the righteous path, defenders of our realm. For this devil to slay them—this is treason. Even if he is not a demon, he must be handed to the Holy Assembly!”

“Let’s not waste time. His arts are strange and deadly—if we let him escape, it will be a disaster!”

“Slaying evil and demons is our sacred duty!”

More and more voices joined in.

A dozen Nascent Soul cultivators stepped forward, surrounding Lu Qing.

Their combined aura bore down like a mountain, causing the wind to howl, the air to distort.

They aimed to suppress him completely.

“Devil, is it?”

Lu Qing felt the pressure closing in.

He listened to their self-righteous voices.

And laughed.

He looked at Gongshu Zheng.

“The Gongshu Clan… still the same old tricks. Round and round, never changes.”

Gongshu Zheng’s pupils shrank. “You… you really are—”

“A devil, is it?” Lu Qing said softly. “Didn’t I say earlier? Since you all love slaying devils so much—then today, let me play that role for you.”

Without warning, he activated the Divine Ability: Great Strength, which he had refined to perfection during his secluded cultivation in the secret realm.

His already titanic power multiplied once more.

The red flames burning around him surged, nearly solidifying.

Boom!

With a slight flex of his arms, Lu Qing shattered the suppression around him.

He stepped forward—thunder cracking beneath his feet—and vanished.

“Not good! His strength… it increased again?!”

“Attack—everyone, suppress him!”

“Careful!”

But it was too late.

Having activated the Divine Ability: Great Strength, Lu Qing’s power and speed had reached unimaginable heights.

Before they could react, he appeared.

Right above the Gongshu Clan’s position.

Gongshu Zheng’s face turned pale. Behind him, his clan members were terrified.

Lu Qing’s expression didn’t change.

He threw a punch.

Blood rained from the sky.

The slaughter had begun.