Chapter Forty-One: The Great Battle Begins

The leader gazed at Qi Lingxuan, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
“No wonder you’re Meng Liangchen’s fiancée.”
Qi Lingxuan had grown up in a prominent family, accustomed to affairs such as these; she had witnessed many similar scenes.
She continued, “The Lord of Tianlan City must have some grievance with the Meng family, correct? I don’t know where you got your information, but you want me to return here, invite me to the city lord’s residence, so that the Meng family is forced to hold back?”
Qi Lingxuan caught a flash of panic in the leader’s eyes, knowing her guess was almost entirely accurate.
“Wei Steward, we have to find a way to break through. If I’m captured, it’ll be bad for both Brother Chen and the Meng family,” Qi Lingxuan whispered softly to Wei Steward beside her.
“Miss, rest assured—even if I lose my old life, I won’t let them take you,” Wei Steward replied, his aura suddenly surging forth. Centered on him, a powerful force swept up the dust around them; the overwhelming presence of a peak Ninth Heaven postnatal cultivator was unmistakable.
Lu Han looked toward Wei Steward in the distance. Usually, Wei Steward kept a low profile, but now that his aura was unleashed, he was indeed at the peak of Ninth Heaven postnatal; his force was even stronger than Zheng Qi from Qingshi Town back then.
Of course, though Wei Steward hadn’t yet stepped into the innate realm, he’d lingered at the peak for decades, almost half a foot into the next stage.
“Draw!”
The others swiftly unsheathed their long blades.
Chen Jun and his companions gathered around Qi Lingxuan, their backs to each other, forming a protective circle.
The city lord’s men slowly pressed closer.
“Though you have two at Ninth Heaven postnatal and three at Eighth Heaven postnatal, all of us are at least Eighth Heaven. You stand no chance,” the leader said, his face sinister.
As for Lu Han and Qi Lingxuan, he dismissed them directly. Lu Han, though talented, was only at the peak of Seventh Heaven postnatal, not worth his attention.
Qi Lingxuan had just broken through to Seventh Heaven postnatal as well.
“Um… Sister Lingxuan, may I ask you something?” Lu Han said with a somewhat odd expression.
He’d gotten along with Qi Lingxuan recently, and since she was older, she let him call her ‘sister’.
“The ‘Brother Chen’ you mentioned—is he Meng Liangchen of the Meng family?” Lu Han continued.
At that moment, no one noticed Cao Dong’s face suddenly change, as though he’d made up his mind about something.
Qi Lingxuan was about to respond.
“Brother Chen, watch out!”
Bang!
Cao Dong struck at Chen Jun’s back with a palm, but Lu Han quickly shoved him aside.
Still, he was a step too slow; Cao Dong managed to hit Chen Jun’s left arm.
“Cao Dong, are you insane?” Niu Gao glared at him.
Cao Dong ignored Niu Gao and slowly stepped before the leader.
“Honorable lord of the city, they’re courting death—I want no part of it. I can help you deal with them; that palm just now was my token of allegiance,” Cao Dong said, his voice cold and vicious.
The leader examined Cao Dong and nodded in satisfaction.
Though they were confident in capturing Qi Lingxuan’s group, two peak Ninth Heaven postnatal cultivators, one nearly stepping into the innate realm, could go berserk and cause heavy losses.
Cao Dong’s attack had wounded Chen Jun, a Ninth Heaven postnatal, making the city lord’s casualties even fewer.
“Why?” Chen Jun, clutching his left arm with Hong Banmei’s support, stared at Cao Dong. If not for Lu Han pushing him aside, he might have been crippled.

“Why, you ask? Ha…” Cao Dong laughed, refusing to answer Chen Jun.
Instead, he addressed the leader: “Once this battle ends, I want to deal with him—and that little brat.”
He pointed at Chen Jun and Lu Han.
“Cao Dong, I truly regret saving you back then!” Hong Banmei ground her teeth.
“Regret? Sister Hong, I’ll beg them to spare you after this. Then you can do as you please—why act so coy? How am I worse than that useless Chen Jun?” Cao Dong asked, his eyes bloodshot.
“Sister Hong, don’t waste your breath on him,” Lu Han said calmly.
Lu Han had been composed from the start, confident in his master’s presence.
Sadly, this time he was mistaken.
“Brother Chen, are you alright? Here’s the plan: I’ll take on the leader at Ninth Heaven postnatal, you all protect Miss Qi. I’ll defeat him as quickly as possible,” Wei Steward said, clenching his fist as emerald inner force surged in his palm.
“Kill!”
With the leader’s cold shout, the attackers wasted no time, inner force erupting as they charged at Lu Han’s group.
Wei Steward rushed straight for the leader, legs pushing off, body soaring into the air.
The leader saw a figure darting overhead, the powerful energy making his expression shift.
Wei Steward brought both palms down, the emerald light blazing.
Bang!
The leader met him with both palms.
At the instant their hands met, the leader’s face turned pale, and cracks appeared beneath his feet.
Wei Steward pushed again, and the leader finally faltered, letting out a muffled groan.
With half a foot into the innate realm, Wei Steward’s full-force attack gave him an immediate advantage.
Meanwhile, Niu Gao was in peril, surrounded by four opponents.
Clang, clang, clang…
The sound of steel striking steel echoed.
Hong Banmei, wielding two willow-leaf blades, managed to hold out for a time, but was gradually falling behind.
Despite his injury, Chen Jun, as a Ninth Heaven postnatal, fought five or six at once.
Luckily, Wei Steward’s pressure forced some to aid the leader; otherwise, defeat would have come sooner.
Lu Han had been calling for his master from the start, but Old Man Ling seemed to be asleep—no response from the deep blue ring.
Lu Han was locked in battle with a postnatal city lord’s man.
Suddenly, he saw Cao Dong sneaking behind Chen Jun with a longsword.
Lu Han’s Biluo Sword surged with icy energy.
Clang!
He shoved aside his opponent, channeling inner force into his legs, dashing forward.
“Dark Crow Finger!”
Lu Han had been practicing the “Ten Absolute Dark Crow Finger” daily, though it was incomplete.

Still, it possessed the power of a mid-tier profound martial art—Lu Han called it the “Dark Crow Finger.”
A grayish-white crow, about a foot long, shot toward Cao Dong.
Cao Dong turned and, at the sight, felt as if the gray-white energy bird had frozen his soul.
Lu Han saw Cao Dong stunned for a moment, not giving him any chance.
He unleashed his inner force, charging like a leopard toward its prey.
“Star-Shattering Palm!”
Cao Dong had just regained his senses, dodging the “Dark Crow Finger.”
But Lu Han’s palm was already upon him.
Cao Dong gritted his teeth and hastily met it with his own palm.
Boom!
Cao Dong felt the intense chill radiate through his hand, swiftly spreading throughout his body.
He spat blood, his body flying backward to collapse unconscious on the ground, white frost forming on his lips.
This was the effect of Lu Han’s “Heaven Frost Chill.”
By now, Niu Gao’s group was struggling; even Qi Lingxuan was wounded. Had the attackers not wanted her alive, she would already have met a grisly end.
Lu Han gripped the Biluo Sword, rushing toward the four city lord’s men attacking Niu Gao, his body a streak of white.
Clang clang clang!
The four tightened their grip on their weapons; at the instant they clashed with the Biluo Sword, their hands were struck by intense cold, almost dropping their weapons—but only for a moment.
Lu Han flashed a cold smile.
The Biluo Sword pulsed with frosty white energy.
“Brother Niu, strike!”
“Wild Ox Force!”
“Dark Crow Finger!”
As the four were dazed by the gray-white crow, Niu Gao swung his fists, each manifesting a yellow-black ox head, charging forward.
Two failed to dodge and were knocked to the ground.
At the same time, Lu Han’s sword, carrying air-shredding force, stabbed fiercely at two others.
Squelch, squelch—
Both were slain on the spot.
Lu Han and Niu Gao exchanged weary smiles.
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