Chapter 483 - 13: Sheathing the Blade, Gathering Momentum

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Blood splattered as black blade lights shattered the sky, crisscrossing in the air.

A warlord commander at the Peak of the Limit-Breaking Level had his robes shredded, the fabric falling like floating catkins. Blood sprayed wildly all over his body, from his blocking shoulders and elbows to his chest, abdomen, and legs. In just a fleeting moment, over a dozen deep gashes—cutting straight down to the bone—were left on him. Within a single breath, the man staggered to his knees, falling into a state of critical injury and near death, just like the others.

"Don’t let him dodge!"

"Attack together!"

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

The remaining warlords were both shocked and enraged, unleashing their full strength. Brown and white Qi Flames struck like falling meteors. The two remaining Exploration Level commanders attacked from the front—one throwing an explosive punch aimed directly at his heart, and the other diving in for the kill, throwing his arms wide like a Giant Bear to tackle him by the waist.

Meanwhile, on the flank.

THUD!

Another person’s body rapidly expanded and grew taller. Tough black fur sprouted from his pores as he beastified into a werewolf state, swiping forward with deadly steel claws. At the same time, someone else plunged their hands into the ground, manipulating the rock and soil layers. They turned the ground into a sinkhole of quicksand before rapidly solidifying it back into rock, binding Lu Chao’s legs in an attempt to imprison him.

In a mere instant, Lu Chao seemed to fall into a crisis once again, deeply trapped in the center of their siege.

However—

"Scram!"

BUZZ!

His cold shout echoed, and his eyes burned with Crimson Fire. The Crimson Fire sun in his mind abruptly expanded, and the planetary rings orbiting it flared with brilliant light. Channeled through his cold shout, this transformed into an imposing aura, manifesting as an indiscriminate Spiritual Shock that ravaged outward.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Everyone present felt their eardrums ring and their heads jolt. The invisible Spiritual Shock crashed into their spiritual consciousness like a violent tempest, shaking them frantically. At that moment, everyone’s movements stiffened, falling into a momentary halt.

And it was in this very split second...

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Lu Chao’s power erupted, blasting apart the rock and soil beneath his feet. All the restraints and bindings were completely swept away. In the next instant, he swung his blade once more.

Wind-Splitting Skill!

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

Fierce blade lights crisscrossed outward. In a single breath, over a dozen flashes of blade light flew out like black crescents, cleaving through the air with devastating force. The three warlord commanders at the front were struck simultaneously; not a single one was spared.

In the blink of an eye.

SLASH, SLASH, SLASH!

Blood sprayed, splattering across the sky. The werewolf-like warlord commander was sent flying backward, a cross-shaped blade wound on his chest exposing the bone. He crashed into an armored vehicle behind him, his body visibly shrinking and shifting back to its human form. The military-green steel body of the vehicle twisted and caved in, its heavy frame skidding sideways and plowing the ground for several meters. Two other figures successively smashed through the concrete walls of the shacks on either side of the street, producing a series of heavy THUDS as they fell, kicking up clouds of dust and smoke.

"You..."

The Exploration Level warlord commander standing behind Lu Chao finally snapped back to his senses, breaking free from the Spiritual Shock. The momentary shift in the tide of battle caused his eyes to widen in shock. His arms, still suspended mid-air from his tackle attempt, instinctively tried to change their movement into a defensive stance. White Qi Flame covered his body like a suit of armor, while a look of bewildered terror crawled across his entire face.

As their eyes met, right when he was about to retreat and dodge, Lu Chao’s gaze remained perfectly calm. He planted his left foot firmly into the ground, twisted his waist, and spun around.

BANG!

A fierce kick, swinging horizontally like a battleaxe, accurately struck the head of the Exploration Level White Bone Army commander, stripping him of his center of gravity and sending him crashing to the ground.

Before he could even resist...

SWISH!

The black blade plunged straight down, instantly tearing apart his Qi Flame defense. The so-called solid armor was as fragile as torn paper. Immediately after, Lu Chao gripped the blade with both hands, his strength exploding again as he thrust it downward.

SQUELCH!

The black blade pierced straight through the flesh of the commander’s lower abdomen, pinning him completely to the ground. Beneath him, the stone slab floor CRACKED, fissures rapidly spreading outward.

"Guh... guh..."

The atmosphere fell dead silent. Only the drifting dust remained. Blood gushed out from the White Bone Army commander’s abdomen like a spring, dyeing his military-green camouflage and the shattered stone slabs red.

Not a single warlord commander present was left unscathed. They were all either missing limbs or severely injured, their bodies spattered with blood. This scene caused the nearly one hundred warlord soldiers in the surroundings to widen their eyes, the arms holding their guns trembling slightly. Even Yan Zhengfeng and his people secretly swallowed hard, clearly not expecting Lu Chao to be this overwhelmingly powerful.

"Tran... Transcendence Level?" Commander Ma, missing an arm, stared in horror. He staggered as he stood in place, speaking with a trembling voice.

Their combined strength was far greater than that of Yan Xiong at the Peak Exploration Level. Yet, even so, they were easily crushed. Not to mention, the opponent was obviously holding back, only severely injuring them instead of going in for the kill—something much more difficult to accomplish than simply executing them. Such combat prowess had undoubtedly exceeded the scope of the Exploration Level.

"Continue," Lu Chao said calmly, standing in place.

The black blade was still embedded in the White Bone Army warlord commander. Lu Chao gripped the hilt with one hand, locking eyes with Lu Weilong in the distance.

[Barbarian] was activated, doubling his damage output with Weakness Insight. Not to mention, with the buffs of the Focused State and a High-Level Martial Skill, his current state was truly no different from a Transcendence Level Martial Artist—save for some lingering disparities in his Qi Manipulation Skill.

"Guh... guh..."

Sensing Lu Chao’s absolute confidence, the warlord commander beneath his feet trembled as waves of excruciating pain surged into his heart. Yet, even so, the man could only widen his eyes, not daring to make the slightest sound or movement to struggle.

For a time, the atmosphere was dead silent, and everyone’s gaze fell on Lu Weilong.

A silver Qi Flame that resembled liquid alloy circulated across Lu Weilong’s entire body. Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone detected a hint of astonishment on his face. It was as if even he hadn’t expected Lu Chao’s strength to reach such a level.

"Continue," Lu Chao repeated, staring at him. "Let me see just how much stronger Chief Lu is compared to them."

As his calm words landed, the atmosphere turned heavy once again. Lu Weilong’s face darkened. Murderous intent surfaced in his heart, yet at the same time, he felt that this situation was quite thorny. With only the body of an Exploration Level, this man had erupted with destructive power comparable to a Transcendence Level. Such a confident posture didn’t seem like a facade. If he made a move and failed to take the man down, then...

"Chief, wait!"

Suddenly, a vibrant and powerful shout rang out from afar, interrupting everyone present.

From the corner of his eye, Lu Chao saw another motorcade approaching. Lu Weilong and the others also frowned in unison, turning their heads to look. A camouflaged off-road vehicle sped all the way over. Chen Junhao, wearing a black general’s overcoat, opened the door and walked to Lu Weilong’s side, followed by two Red Flame Army commanders.

"Third Brother?"

"Chief, the Second Chief’s death is far too suspicious," Chen Junhao said with a serious expression and a solemn tone. "The Alliance Country is eager to negotiate. They shouldn’t be so ruthless as to make themselves our enemy.

"I think someone else might be pulling the strings, hoping to provoke infighting between us so both sides suffer heavy casualties."

This...

Everyone was stunned, gradually realizing the implications behind his words. The expressions of several White Bone Army warlord commanders shifted. As they helped each other up, stumbling and sharing glances, a hint of doubt arose among them. Their earlier charge had been driven largely by a thirst for revenge and impulsiveness; they hadn’t taken the time to think things through. The Second Chief’s death was indeed somewhat bizarre, and the reactions of the Alliance Country’s negotiation team didn’t seem faked.

Amidst their pondering, countless gazes turned toward Lu Weilong.

"Third Brother, what are you suggesting?" he asked in a deep voice, his face betraying no emotion.

Chen Junhao’s expression remained neutral as he proposed, "I think we should investigate this thoroughly before coming to any conclusions."

"Is that so..."

There was no objection, nor was there any agreement. The Qi Flame around Lu Weilong continued to flow. He raised his eyes to look across at his opponent. The surrounding gazes followed his line of sight, landing on the black-clad figure still standing firmly in place with a single hand resting on his blade.

CLANG!

Lu Chao sheathed his black blade. His expression serene, he turned and walked straight toward Yan Zhengfeng and the others without uttering a single word. This action served as an answer of sorts, proving once again that the negotiation team had nothing to do with this matter.

CRUNCH... CRUNCH...

Amidst the crunching footsteps, his back was entirely exposed and full of openings, as if he could be easily and severely wounded. Yet, as everyone present exchanged glances, their expressions were complicated, mixed with traces of powerlessness and bitterness. Whether or not this man was a true Transcendence Level Martial Artist didn’t matter. The key was that he could unleash combat power at that level, which was more than enough.

Witnessing this scene, a flash of wariness and difficulty flickered through Lu Weilong’s eyes. It seemed he was weighing the risks of making a move.

One second, three seconds, five seconds...

Ultimately, he let out a cold snort. The Qi Flame surrounding his body dissipated, and he ordered everyone to stand down. Then, he glanced at Commander Ma, who was clutching his severed arm with a wretched face, and the other heavily injured, blade-scarred Superpower Level experts.

"Third Brother, since this is your suggestion... I will leave this matter to you," Lu Weilong said, his face cold, seemingly restraining his anger.

Hearing this, Chen Junhao pondered for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Half a month. Within half a month, you must find the killer for me!"

Glancing around the crowd, Lu Weilong’s gaze swept past Yan Zhengfeng’s group, finally landing on Lu Chao’s back as he reached the entrance of the concrete building across from them. Retracting his gaze, he looked at Chen Junhao and issued a commanding order. "When the time comes, if you fail... you will take the blame yourself!"

...

VROOM!

The convoy of armored vehicles hurried away, kicking up a cloud of brown dust. Amidst the humming of the engines, all the warlord soldiers remained silent, their heads lowered in defeat. Their sluggish morale was a stark contrast to the excitement they had arrived with. Even the warlord commanders looked somewhat pathetic, covered in blood and having to be supported by others.

Witnessing this scene, the residents of Mountain City hiding in the surrounding buildings were left with expressions of amazement and utter surprise. Were these really the same warlord lords who ruled Mountain City and set the rules?

Some deeply ingrained beliefs quietly began to waver. Even Yan Zhengfeng and the others, who had previously been highly vigilant and pale-faced, were now bewildered and uncertain. They couldn’t help but look back at the black-clad figure walking into the concrete building.

Relief, awe, admiration...

Whether it was the Superpower Chief or the accompanying expert assistants, everyone felt the overwhelming relief of having survived a disaster. They had no doubt that they could have died at any moment just now. It was only at this moment they realized that their combat uniforms and suits had somehow been drenched in cold sweat, sending chills down their spines.

"Special Commissioner Chen..." Yan Zhengfeng hurriedly walked over, wanting to ask for instructions on their next move.

"Look into Xiao Chen’s situation," Lu Chao briefly instructed as he stepped inside the building.

Xiao Chen’s cause of death naturally had to be investigated. He felt that this matter wasn’t so simple, and Lu Weilong’s final concession was also somewhat abnormal. It looked as if he had chosen to back down out of intimidation from Lu Chao’s strength, but the man was, after all, a genuine Transcendence Level expert.

Furthermore, thinking of Lu Weilong’s final order—having Brother Hao thoroughly investigate the matter and setting down a military pledge—Lu Chao’s eyes flashed as a suspicion arose in his heart.

He thought, "If that’s really the case... then this is quite a clever trick."

As the thought settled, he walked into the second-floor room. Outside the window, Mountain City seemed to be surging with undercurrents, the armored convoys from the major armies growing increasingly distant.

Soon after, just as he was pondering his plan and preparing to recall Ghost Element...

"Hmm?"

A peculiar sensation suddenly transmitted through their Spiritual Link. Lu Chao’s heart stirred; he had actually received news from Ghost Element a step ahead of time.