Mysterious World: I Have a Lost Heavenly Court

"Lu Changqing!?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhou Wu looked surprised: "What are you doing here?"

The next instant, his expression shifted from shock to hope and worry, and he immediately shouted, "Quick! Run!"

"I'll hold him off for you. You hurry to the county government office and ask the garrison captain to bring men here!"

"This thing in front of us is too powerful for you to defeat with your help!"

In the county town, the main institutions for maintaining public order and administration were the county magistrate, the county assistant magistrate, and the head constable.

However, there is also an independent military organization outside the civil service system.

Troops stationed.

The people inside are all very strong, and they even have combined formations to kill enemies.

Zhou Wu said this because he had witnessed Lu Changqing's strength.

It has indeed become very powerful! Completely different from before!

But the strength of this sorcerer before me...

He tried it himself...

The opponent's strange physical strength was something that a single Blood Exchange Realm cultivator and a Bone Refining Realm cultivator could not possibly handle.

His two subordinates, who were no longer able to fight, are a case in point.

"laugh--"

The gaunt man couldn't help but sneer at Lu Changqing's words.

At the same time, his eyes began to turn bloodshot, revealing a longing and drooling look, like that of a starving person seeing a feast.

"I'd been looking for you, but then the eagle pecked at my eye, and some of my good men died."

"I was originally planning to wait a bit longer, lure that troublesome monster from your house away before making my move."

"I never imagined you'd offer yourself up so readily..."

"How can I let you leave?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of scarlet blood energy erupted from the gaunt man, instantly enveloping the surrounding space.

In the narrow alley, a blood mist suddenly filled the air, accompanied by howls like those of a vengeful ghost, disturbing the mind.

"What?!" Zhou Wu's expression changed in shock.

Because after the gaunt man used this technique, he suddenly felt a pressure.

That instinctive inner turmoil and anger became somewhat uncontrollable.

As a martial artist at the Blood Exchange Realm, he naturally knew what this ability was: a demon's self-created domain!

It disturbs people's minds.

Staying inside for too long will also affect your martial arts skills!

This... this is clearly a skill only a demonic being at the Gang Jin level could possess...

"No! This guy definitely doesn't use internal energy!"

Zhou Wu suddenly realized.

If it were a powerful demon, the expansion of this domain would likely weaken him, and if he stayed there for even a few more breaths, he might become a spineless weakling.

But right now, he only felt strange emotions and a little tired, but he didn't feel the oppressive feeling he had when facing the powerful demon.

"So, this guy is just a bit special...he has some unusual abilities."

But even so.

A sense of despair still rose in Zhou Wu's heart.

Grass!

I'm going to die for nothing...

As a martial artist who had always opposed the sorcerers, Zhou Wu had naturally long harbored the thought that he would die and could not retire peacefully.

But he never imagined he would die such a humiliating death...

Based on the current situation...

After he, Lu Changqing, and two of his brothers were killed, this monstrous man in front of them would most likely escape unscathed...

Damn it—!

...

The gaunt man stood in the center of the blood mist, his arms slowly spreading out. His fingernails grew longer and sharper at a visible speed, turning a dark red color as if they had been soaked in blood.

Blood mist churned around him.

He looked at Lu Changqing, his smile growing wider and wider on his thin face, his mouth almost stretching to his ears.

"To be honest, I thought I'd only get one constable's head tonight." His voice sounded somewhat ethereal in the blood mist, tinged with undisguised smugness. "But guess what? Buy one get one free."

He took a step forward, and the bluestone slabs beneath his feet began to bubble finely under the corrosive influence of the blood mist, emitting a hissing sound of corrosion.

"Do you know how much effort I put into luring you away from that one-armed monster?"

He tilted his head, his scarlet eyes gleaming eerily in the blood mist. "That piece of trash Zheng Xiuming couldn't even scratch you, and he got himself killed in the process."

He shook his head, his tone filled with genuine regret, like a hunter lamenting that his trap had been avoided by his prey.

"I was originally planning to wait a little longer."

"Wait until the plan works, lure that one-armed old man out, and then make your move... but you actually came by yourself."

He stopped, standing no more than five steps away from Lu Changqing, licked his lips, and stretched out his right hand with his five fingers spread.

"Zhou Wu told you to go get reinforcements. Do you think I'd let you leave?"

Lu Changqing did not respond.

The small sword in his hand stopped spinning and he grasped it firmly.

The palm-sized sword blade suddenly lengthened in his hand, transforming into a three-foot-long green blade.

Dark light flowed along the sword's blade, and pure yang white smoke and yin evil black energy intertwined on the sword's spine, drawing a scorching trail in the blood-mist-shrouded alley.

"nonsense!"

The gaunt man's smile froze.

Then he scoffed, "Still being stubborn even when death is imminent..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Lu Changqing made a move.

In an instant, the blood and qi in his body surged to their maximum, his tendons, veins, and bones vibrated, and he even emitted a faint roar like a tiger or leopard!

With the dual enhancement of his Condensation Realm divine sense and Blood Exchange Realm physique, the Hundred Ghosts Illuminating God Step was so fast that even afterimages couldn't remain.

Zhou Wu only felt a blur before his eyes, and Lu Changqing's figure disappeared from the spot.

The gaunt man's pupils suddenly contracted.

So fast!

No, it's too fast!

The intelligence report stated that this kid was a martial artist at the Bone Refining Realm and a Daoist cultivator at the Qi Refining Realm. He managed to kill the Right Protector by relying on a spiritual sword and several surgical techniques.

But this speed, this explosive power, where is this Bone Refining Realm? Where is this Qi Refining Realm?

As these thoughts flashed through the gaunt man's mind, his body reacted instinctively.

He crossed his arms in front of him, and the blood mist frantically gathered in front of him, condensing into a blood shield about the thickness of a palm in front of his chest.

In an instant, the surrounding blood mist coalesced to form a defense, which even a full-force attack from an ordinary Blood Exchange Realm martial artist could not break through...

"Click."

The blood shield shattered.

A flash of sword light, a shadow of a fist.

The sword light sliced ​​through the blood shield as easily as a knife cutting through tofu.

A fist followed closely, slamming into the gaunt man's crossed arms.

He felt a tremendous force travel from his arm through his entire body, and he was blasted backward, his back hitting the rammed earth wall at the end of the alley, creating a dented, human-shaped hole, with gravel falling down in a flurry.

He looked down at his arm.

On those arms that had withstood Zhou Wu's blade strikes with only white marks, two finger-deep wounds had now appeared.

Blood is gushing out.

But what horrified him even more was that there was a very faint layer of white smoke clinging to the edges of the wound.

The smoke made a slight sizzling sound as soon as it came into contact with his bloodlust, like hot oil being poured onto ice.

The word "impossible" flashed through the thin man's mind for the first time.

What material is that guy's sword made of?

And this energy... why is it so harmful to me?

Lu Changqing gave him no time to think, took a step forward with his sword in hand, and once again lunged forward!

The gaunt man no longer dared to be arrogant. He spread his fingers wide, his fingernails gleaming with blood, and actually used his bare hands to meet Lu Changqing's sword blade head-on.

Sparks flew as fingernails collided with the blade, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound.

His fingernails were weapons he forged day and night with his lifeblood; their hardness was comparable to refined iron, and ordinary swords and knives would break at the slightest touch.

But Lu Changqing's sword was unharmed.

Not only was he unharmed, but the pure white smoke on the blade also spread upwards along his fingernails, making the blood on his fingertips hiss.

The gaunt man was shocked and quickly took a step back to create distance.

But Lu Changqing was faster than him.

The Hundred Ghosts Illuminate the God Step left an afterimage in place, while the real body had already circled around to his side.

"You're asking for death!" the gaunt man roared, his right fist, imbued with solidified blood energy, slamming towards Lu Changqing's temple.

Lu Changqing did not dodge.

He clenched his left fist, and the dark golden light on his arm shone through his skin, as pure Yang energy enveloped his fist like a raging fire.

With the support of the intense blood and qi of the Blood Exchange Realm, the power of this punch was completely different from before!

Before the punch even landed, the gaunt man felt his face being scraped painfully by the strong wind!

The two fists collided.

boom--!

Centered on the two people, a shockwave exploded outwards, directly blowing away the dilapidated wooden doors on both sides of the alley, and tearing a gash in the blood mist as well.

He heard the sound of his finger bone cracking.

"Click."

It was extremely faint, but perfectly clear under the divine sense of a liquid-condensing realm cultivator.

The gaunt man was both shocked and furious. He scratched Lu Changqing's shoulder with his left fingernails, as if trying to tear off a piece of flesh.

The moment his fingernail touched his clothes, he felt as if he were scratching an extremely tough layer of leather armor.

The robe was torn, revealing the skin underneath, where only a very faint white mark remained.

Water and Fire Fairy Robes.

But it's not just the Water and Fire Immortal Robes!

This resilience, this force of recoil, and the golden skin and jade-like texture!

This guy's body refinement realm is actually the Blood Exchange Realm, which is based on the dual perfection of Water and Fire Immortal Robe and Golden Skin Jade Meridian!

The skinny man's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets.

The kid in front of him, he had heard Zheng Xiuming say before, was nothing but a lazy good-for-nothing.

But now, it's nothing like the description.

This is clearly a martial arts genius!

He's not even an ordinary genius!

But at this moment, there was no time for him to be shocked.

Lu Changqing's offensive was like a storm, one sword strike followed by one punch, and one punch followed by one sword strike.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than ten blows.

The gaunt man had four sword wounds and three fist marks on his body.

The deepest sword wound on his chest, with residual pure Yang energy at its edge, was constantly burning away his blood essence.

His breathing became rapid, sweat began to bead on his forehead, and the smugness and arrogance that had filled his bloodshot eyes were replaced by uncontrollable horror.

How could this kid be so strong?

Zhou Wu leaned against the wall, his left hand still gripping the hilt of the knife, but the tip of the knife was already hanging naturally to the ground.

His mouth gaped open, his eyes wide, staring at the figure in the middle of the alley, fiercely attacking the skinny man, his mind buzzing.

Is this really the Lu family's third daughter, whom he used to look down on?

He knew that Lu Changqing had become stronger.

The night before last, in the slums, he witnessed Lu Changqing kill the Right Protector and then finish off the Left Protector.

But in that battle, Lu Changqing relied on surprise attacks and talismans.

In a head-on one-on-one fight, Zhou Wu didn't think Lu Changqing had the ability to win.

But now, he doesn't think that way anymore.

The gaunt man who had cornered him and his two men was now being beaten back by Lu Changqing!

He looked down at his cracked tiger's mouth, then looked up at the figure that had forced the gaunt man to retreat.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

What will this kid be like in the future?!

In the few breaths that Zhou Wu was stunned into, Lu Changqing and the gaunt man exchanged dozens more blows.

The skinny man finally learned his lesson.

He no longer tried to confront Lu Changqing head-on, but instead used the narrow alleyways to move around constantly, his fingernails waving like a net, trying to force Lu Changqing back with a dense offensive.

However, Lu Changqing's footwork was too unpredictable. Every time he was about to be scratched by the fingernails, he would dodge at an unbelievable angle.

The skinny man grew increasingly terrified as the fight progressed.

His body was covered in wounds, the deepest one being on his left rib.

Lu Changqing's sword pierced through the gap between his ribs, nearly puncturing his lung.

After that sword strike, he knew he couldn't win.

This guy's strength, speed, reaction, and defense are all superior to his.

Add to that the damned spirit sword and the energy that kills the Blood Fiend, and he has no chance of winning.

"If we keep fighting, we'll only end up dying."

His eyes finally shifted from surprise and doubt to fear.

This gaunt man, who had been so at ease when facing Zhou Wu, now had only one thought on his mind.

escape!!

With this thought in mind, the gaunt man no longer hesitated.

He suddenly took a step back, and the fingernails of all ten fingers broke off at the root, turning into ten streaks of blood that shot towards Lu Changqing.

These ten fingernails are his signature weapons, each one having been tempered for years and possessing enough power to pierce through metal.

He's reluctant to use it, but now is not the time to be reluctant.

At the same time, he stomped his feet hard, and the bluestone slab beneath his feet shattered, sending up a cloud of stone chips and dust.

Taking advantage of the opening, his gaunt figure turned and ran wildly towards the other end of the alley.

Blood mist surged behind him, obscuring his tracks.

"Hmph, trying to escape?!"

Lu Changqing's eyes narrowed, and with a hand seal, he unleashed a powerful gust of wind that deflected all the bloody fingernails that were shooting towards him.

With his right hand, the spirit sword danced, a white light flashing as it cleaved through the blood mist blocking his path, creating a passage.

With a push of his toes on the broken bluestone slab, he unleashed the Hundred Ghosts Illumination Step, his entire body following closely like a shadow!

Two figures, one after the other, disappeared into the alleyway in an instant.

The alleyway quieted down.

Zhou Wu leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

He stared in the direction where the two had disappeared, his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter a single word.

His subordinate, who was still able to stand, limped forward, clutching his right arm, his voice trembling: "Officer Zhou, this...this Young Master Lu is too strong...what do we do?"

Zhou Wu swallowed hard and straightened his body by bracing himself against the hilt of the knife.

He didn't answer his subordinate's question, but gritted his teeth and stared intently in the direction where the two had disappeared.

"Xiao Zhang is still lying against the wall. You need to get him to the clinic right away. His injuries are too severe; we can't afford any delay." Zhou Wu's voice was hoarse, and he was panting as he spoke.

"I'll go back to the county office and call for help."

The subordinate was taken aback: "Captain, you're going to chase after them too?"

Zhou Wu shook his head.

He stared at the end of the dark alley, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

There was resentment, there was shock...

There was also a sense of powerlessness that he himself was reluctant to admit...

"Given the strength they just displayed, I would only be a hindrance if I went there."

"Turning back and calling for help is the best course of action."

"Take Xiao Zhang to the doctor! Quickly!"

He gripped the hilt of his knife, turned quickly, and ran towards the county government office.