Chapter 95: This Is the Surprise

Smoke and dust billowed from the crash site of the flying boat. Helmsman Chu’s mask was shattered, and he could no longer maintain his transformation spell, revealing his true identity: Magistrate Li. His left arm hung limp and bloody, clearly rendered useless.

Meng Jingzhou landed, dissatisfied with the outcome. "If only we had another flying boat," he muttered.

Helmsman Chu took a deep breath, about to utter some dignified words, but instead erupted into a violent cough, his eyes bloodshot. "This smoke is poisonous!" he exclaimed. He quickly held his breath, a furious rage boiling within him.

This was truly the combined work of the innate demon seed and the descending demonic cultivator. First, they used a spirit-suppressing formation to trap him, then they smashed him with a flying boat loaded with mountain-clearing explosives, and to top it all off, the lingering smoke was poisoned! "You two certainly have a lot of tricks up your sleeves!" he fumed.

Originally, Helmsman Chu had suspected Lu Yang was an undercover agent sent by the righteous path. He had believed Lu Yang only destroyed the reverse lifespan formation because it was detrimental to others and self-serving, and that the Sect Master had misjudged him. But now, seeing this intricate chain of schemes, even if Lu Yang claimed to be a righteous path spy, Helmsman Chu wouldn't believe him!

The crashed flying boat had destroyed the spirit-suppressing formation, allowing Helmsman Chu to recover his spiritual power. However, he had to divert a portion of it to suppress the poison seeping into his body. Normally, he could expel the poison within a few breaths, but Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou gave him no such luxury.

Meng Jingzhou activated his cultivation technique, his body turning bronze, like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, roaring through the forest. "Six Tremors of Heaven!" This was the Third Elder's unique skill, of which Meng Jingzhou had only grasped the basic principles. His blood and qi surged, his fists swinging out with explosive force, one after another, creating booming gusts of air, all aimed directly at Helmsman Chu’s face.

No matter how injured Helmsman Chu was, he remained a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. With just one hand, he managed to block Meng Jingzhou's flurry of punches. Lu Yang, like an assassin, appeared silently behind Helmsman Chu, holding his Azure Edge Sword. Helmsman Chu’s reaction was incredibly swift; he kicked back with his right foot, sending Lu Yang flying once more.

As Lu Yang was sent flying, Mang Gu appeared in his path, caught Lu Yang's feet, spun around, and hurled him back towards Helmsman Chu. Lu Yang himself became a living projectile, his Azure Edge Sword slicing through the air as he thrust towards Helmsman Chu’s neck! Helmsman Chu smacked Meng Jingzhou away with a palm, then spun abruptly, trapping the unstoppable Azure Edge Sword between his elbow and knee.

A trace of ancient barbarian bloodline activated within Mang Gu, making his body noticeably larger. His bones and muscles vibrated, and his sinews bulged with raw power. Like a wild elephant, he charged forward with overwhelming force, as if capable of overturning mountains and seas! Helmsman Chu sneered. No matter how strong his opponents were, could they truly overpower a late-stage Golden Core cultivator like him?

Unexpectedly, just as Mang Gu was about to collide with Helmsman Chu, he flipped his wrist, sending several sharp bamboo skewers flying towards Helmsman Chu’s eyes. Helmsman Chu closed his eyes and turned his head, dodging the bamboo skewers. Another volley of bamboo skewers appeared from behind. Hearing them, he activated his Golden Core, forming a golden film on his body to block the surprise attack. He looked back, realizing the bamboo skewers were not thrown by a person, but automatically launched by a formation. It was Lan Ting's "Automatic Skewer Array," operating at maximum power. Lu Yang had arranged for Lan Ting to assist in secret, creating both psychological and physical pressure on Helmsman Chu.

"You will all die!" Helmsman Chu roared, pulling a bright red banner from his storage ring. It seemed soaked in fresh blood, exuding an exceptionally sinister aura. As it appeared, the surrounding temperature noticeably dropped. Helmsman Chu spat out a mouthful of blood, which stained the bright red banner, making it even more eerie. Lu Yang and the other three vaguely heard ghostly wails!

"Can't you use some decent weapons? Always resorting to such wicked artifacts!" Lu Yang spat out bloody phlegm. His sword light flickered, and like a dragon returning to the sea, he used the "Ground Shrink" spell, traveling rapidly underground, then suddenly burst forth from beneath Helmsman Chu! Helmsman Chu took a step back as his banner and the sharp sword collided with a metallic clang. Lu Yang danced his sword, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, displaying incredible agility.

The Six Tremors of Heaven reappeared as Meng Jingzhou rushed to assist. His fist strikes shook the heavens, landing several booming blows on the flagpole, almost throwing Helmsman Chu off balance. A thick tree crashed down. Mang Gu let out a furious roar, hoisting the massive log and smashing it towards Helmsman Chu!

"Fire Dragon Talisman!" a soft shout echoed from the woods. Lan Ting, using blood as ink, swiftly drew a talisman. A scarlet fire dragon, baring its fangs and claws, emerged, scorching the air and dissipating the eerie atmosphere cast by the bright red banner.

"A fourth person!" Helmsman Chu’s eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth. Lu Yang, that treacherous scoundrel, was indeed thoroughly prepared. "Still the Winds!" Helmsman Chu bellowed, gripping the flagpole with both hands and slamming it into the ground. Sound waves and air currents surged forth, knocking down the three and scattering the fire dragon!

Helmsman Chu had gone berserk, his eyes bloodshot. If he hadn't been initially struck by the flying boat and then forced to divert spiritual power to suppress the potent poison, he wouldn't have been so disadvantaged! He leaped up violently, thrusting the flagpole towards the prone Mang Gu. Mang Gu hastily dodged, but it was too late; he only managed to move half his body before the flagpole pierced his shoulder blade. Mang Gu gritted his teeth until they bled, but he didn't cry out in pain. Ancient barbarians feared neither pain nor death!

Helmsman Chu was relentless, intending to follow up with a kick to crush Mang Gu's head. Seizing the opportunity, Meng Jingzhou hurled a magical artifact, which exploded with a roar. Helmsman Chu, unbalanced on one leg, was blasted away, while Mang Gu, though impaled, was surprisingly unharmed. Meng Jingzhou possessed many treasures, but their grade was too high for him to either activate or self-detonate them.

Helmsman Chu kicked and shattered a large rock, using the rebound force to propel himself back. On his return, he pulled out his banner, intending to sweep it at Meng Jingzhou. The Azure Edge Sword appeared directly in front of Helmsman Chu, diverting the banner, and Lu Yang once again engaged him in fierce combat. Lu Yang had mastered the "Inch-Length" spell to perfection. Whenever Helmsman Chu was about to strike him, he would instantly shrink, dodging the attack, a tactic that made Helmsman Chu grind his teeth in frustration.

Meng Jingzhou and Mang Gu regrouped and launched another attack. Simultaneously, Lan Ting drew talismans with both hands, causing two dragons, one of water and one of fire, to soar into the sky and intertwine as they pounced on Helmsman Chu.

Helmsman Chu could no longer endure this humiliation. He slammed the flagpole into the ground, its banner fluttering in the wind like waves on the sea. Ghastly wails emanated from the banner, unsettling the minds of all who heard them. "Ghostly Mind-Disruption!" The ghostly sounds possessed an indescribable magical power, instantly freezing all four in place. They felt as though their bodies were entangled by phantoms, rendering them immobile.

Meng Jingzhou's heart tightened. He wanted to shout, to tell everyone it was merely an illusion, but he couldn't move, nor could he utter a single word. Helmsman Chu laughed loudly. This was his ultimate move, one he was normally reluctant to use, as he felt it was beneath him. But these four youngsters had pushed him to his limit, forcing him to abandon all pretense and use his trump card. He would kill them all and reclaim his honor!

"Break," a voice commanded. The Azure Edge Sword descended from the sky, swift as lightning. Before Helmsman Chu could even react, it pierced through his head. Helmsman Chu looked at Lu Yang in disbelief. He saw Lu Yang's clear eyes and a mocking smile playing on his lips, completely unaffected by the illusion!

"How can you still move... How is this possible..." Helmsman Chu collapsed backward, bleeding from all seven orifices. Lu Yang delivered another sword strike directly to Helmsman Chu’s dantian, shattering his Golden Core, only then ensuring his death. Lu Yang had no interest in explaining to a dead man that this was "Clarity of Mind and Insight into Nature," a cultivation technique he had developed under his senior sister's guidance. It allowed one to maintain their true self and perceive the essence of things. His cultivation of the technique was still in its early stages, so he couldn't yet perceive the essence of things, but being unaffected by the illusions and dreams of cultivators one stage higher was well within its capabilities.

The Inspector, delayed by other matters, had only just arrived from the neighboring prefecture. As he crested the Songshan mountain peak and stood at the edge of the battlefield, he witnessed Lu Yang kill Helmsman Chu with a single sword strike. He recalled Helmsman Chu's words: "I have a surprise for you," and "The newly recruited Lu Yang is a rare talent who will surely shine brightly during the Spring Gathering Festival."

"...Is this the surprise Little Chu was talking about?" The Inspector, having lived for a hundred years, had never before encountered such a "surprise."