Chapter 470 - 262: Returning Fully Loaded
"Then bring it on!"
Lü Zhong pointed his sword forward.
At the same time, a figure shot out from his side.
In silence, the Incarnation transformed into a red meteor and charged toward the five people opposite them.
It shot further and further away...
Suddenly, its body collapsed inward as blinding white lights flared up all over it.
It self-destructed without a word!
Xuyin had never seen such a ruthless person.
The intense light enveloped everything. The grass and trees on the ground turned to ash in an instant, and then even the stubborn rocks could not withstand it, blown away by the shockwave.
Immediately after, the shockwave swept over everything like a sledgehammer, followed by a thunderous BOOM that continued to ravage their eardrums.
Lü Zhong immediately protected Yu Feng’Er, but he was still sent flying.
If even he was affected like this, the five people on the other side were naturally faring no better.
Although the Incarnation wasn’t a normal Core Formation cultivator, the self-destruction of its Incarnation Body could still unleash terrifying power, enough to destroy heaven and earth.
The light lasted for a few moments before gradually dissipating.
Only four of the five opponents remained, and every one of them was injured.
The gazes they directed at Lü Zhong were now filled with terror, their previous confidence gone. Their eyes darted around nervously, terrified that another person would charge out from somewhere and self-destruct without a word.
"Good, good, good! It seems this old Daoist has miscalculated!" Xuyin was so furious he laughed, repeating the word "good" three times. The rage in his heart had already reached its peak.
He looked at the remaining three Core Formation cultivators and laughed loudly. "This old Daoist will hold back that whelp Lü Zhong! The three of you, if you don’t want the families you protect to be annihilated, then charge in with your lives on the line and destroy Shuini, who is Crossing her Tribulation!"
’You killed my beloved disciple.’
’So I’ll destroy your revered master.’
’How satisfying.’
’Could anything be more satisfying!’
"Yes!" The three of them had conflicted expressions, but they ultimately yielded.
The next moment, they scattered in three different directions.
Lü Zhong’s expression didn’t change. He only glanced at his left hand, where starlight was gathering.
A figure flew out from his sleeve. It was a Spirit-Hosted Puppet controlled by a Soul Splinter. It desperately unleashed the power of an Early-stage Core Formation cultivator to intercept and tie down one of the men.
Yu Feng’Er acted as well, stopping another one.
As for Lü Zhong himself, he had already charged in front of the last person.
The next moment.
One slash, another slash, and another.
To buy time, he completely disregarded whether his meridians would shatter and pushed his Magical Power output to the maximum. The power of his Late Sun Sword Skill surged, and he instantly shattered his opponent’s Protective Gang Qi.
"No, I don’t want to—"
The voice stopped abruptly.
A head with wide, staring eyes flew into the air as a headless body fell from the sky.
But it wasn’t over.
The Soul Splinter’s burst of power only lasted for a single breath before reaching its limit.
When that man saw Lü Zhong cut down one person and charge toward him, he was terrified. But his will to survive flared up, and with a fierce, savage expression, he spat out a Flying Sword that erupted with brilliant light.
The self-destruction of a Lifebound Treasure!
Even in death, he wouldn’t let Lü Zhong have it easy.
BOOM!
A dazzling ball of light appeared in the sky.
Lü Zhong charged out of the ball of light, a rare trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. The Protective Gang Qi around his body had long since vanished. He immediately shattered his opponent’s Golden Core with a single slash.
Just as he was about to behead him, his expression suddenly changed drastically.
In the distance, Xuyin had used some unknown method. With nine Thunder Banners, he had drawn down the Tribulation Thunder from the sky, condensing it into a hundred-zhang-long thunder dragon that let out a long cry before roaring toward him.
Lightning flashed, and the color of the sky and earth changed!
Seeing this, he brought out the Thunder-Attracting Needle.
The thunder dragon roared past!
The newly-restored Star Yang Gang was instantly shattered. Then, the Thunder-Attracting Needle absorbed its fill of lightning, and the vast, torrential power of the thunder dragon poured down, slamming forcefully into Lü Zhong.
When the lightning dissipated, Lü Zhong was still standing in mid-air, though his entire body was smoking.
Xuyin, panting for breath, saw this scene, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"H-how is that possible?"
One had to know that this move of his had been unleashed at the cost of damaging the Spiritual Attribute of his Nine Heavens Thunder Banners, drawing upon Nascent Soul Tribulation Thunder, and consuming more than half of his Magical Power.
Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would be injured if they took that hit head-on.
But Lü Zhong was a mere Core Formation cultivator.
’How could he possibly...?’
"Hahaha, who told you to specialize in Thunder Skills!" Lü Zhong couldn’t help but mock, unable to stop laughing even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and there wasn’t a single patch of unscathed skin on his body.
It was just as he said; if Xuyin’s attack had been any other type of Magic Skill, he certainly would not have been able to withstand it.
But Thunder Skills were different.
First, the Thunder-Attracting Needle had absorbed most of the thunder dragon’s power. Added to that was Lü Zhong’s own Body Refining, the fact that his Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra had already reached Small Success, and the resistance granted by his Wood Thunder Seal.
With all these factors combined, he was able to endure the blow.
"Don’t get cocky, you whelp!" Xuyin refused to believe it. With a furious roar, he thrust his hands out, and the last of his Magical Power poured forth. The nine Thunder Banners immediately shot into the sky.
With the Thunder Tribulation imminent, he easily drew down the Tribulation Thunder from the sky, which converged into a Thunder Pillar and struck the Thunder Banners.
This posture...
Xuyin was clearly prepared to die, just to take Lü Zhong down with him.
’This old bastard!’
Lü Zhong cursed inwardly. More blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his every breath burned.
’I absolutely cannot let Xuyin succeed!’
He glanced at the Thunder-Attracting Needle. The latter seemed to sense Lü Zhong’s thoughts and let out a series of mournful wails, as if begging for mercy.
’Sorry, but I have no choice!’
A tool was ultimately just a tool. If Lü Zhong wanted to use force, the Thunder-Attracting Needle could not resist. He brutally forced a stream of his Divine Sense into it, and the needle’s resistance instantly crumbled as it completely lost its self-awareness.
Then, he pointed a Sword Gesture at the heavens!
A Thunder Pillar surged out, instantly connecting heaven and earth.
When it came to drawing lightning, the Thunder-Attracting Needle was far superior to the Nine Heavens Thunder Banners. The Thunder Pillar it drew down cascaded like a waterfall, in no way inferior to the main bolt of a Six-Nine Great Celestial Tribulation.
"The... Thunder... Attracting... Needle!"
Xuyin finally saw clearly the sword Lü Zhong held, and his expression became incredibly complex.
Alas!
A faint sigh echoed...
Seeing that enough lightning had gathered, Lü Zhong swung his sword toward Xuyin. Before the vast Thunder Pillar he had summoned, the protective shield condensed by the nine Thunder Banners was instantly destroyed, and Xuyin, who was inside, was naturally blasted to dust.