Chapter 160: Chapter 137: Lu Wuqiang: Hand Over the Wind and Thunder Dual Swords, and I’ll Spare Your Life

Xiao Chen nodded and returned to the volcano’s crater above.

The place was utterly desolate—not a person, not even a bird, in sight. All he could do was stare blankly at the plumes of smoke in the distance.

Xiao Chen diligently stood guard for four hours, growing quite bored. "Junior Brother Lin, are you done yet?"

"Xiao, it’s a bit tricky. I need a little more time."

...

The last time, in the Flame Pool Secret Realm, Lin Ping’an had also taken longer than expected to crack open that great gate.

’Is this restriction just too difficult, or is he just not skilled enough?’

’Then again, things like this fall under the Array Dao, which is admittedly the most difficult of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.’

Out of sheer boredom, Xiao Chen scanned his surroundings.

Suddenly, a streak of Sword Light tore across the distant sky, heading in his direction.

?

’Who’d have thought I’d run into someone in a godforsaken place like this?’

As the Sword Light grew clearer, Xiao Chen mounted his own sword, rising into the air to get a better look at the newcomer.

The man looked vaguely familiar. Xiao Chen dimly recalled seeing him with the cultivators from the Azure Flame Sect.

The newcomer was none other than Lu Wuqiang, an Elder from the Azure Flame Sect’s Dark Hall.

Ever since returning from the Thousand Bamboo Tower, he had dispatched numerous subordinates to closely monitor the movements of cultivators entering and leaving the Li Huo Sect.

Lu Wuqiang had originally assumed that as a manager in the Demon Extermination Hall, Xiao Chen would frequently be out on missions to investigate and combat Demon Cultivators.

He had even ordered his subordinates to fabricate signs of Demon Cultivator activity in several locations, attempting to lure Xiao Chen into taking action.

Unfortunately, he waited for over a month without seeing Xiao Chen leave on any business, almost as if the Demon Extermination Hall only had three Foundation Establishment cultivators to its name.

Lu Wuqiang was so furious he even considered going to Mei Yong to report Xiao Chen for dereliction of duty.

Finally, eight days ago, he had returned to the Azure Flame Sect to handle some internal affairs.

But the day after he arrived back at the Azure Flame Sect, he received a report from his men: Xiao Chen had departed, flying west on his sword.

Lu Wuqiang smashed three chairs on the spot.

He had no choice but to hastily set out once more in pursuit of Xiao Chen.

Because of the suddenness of the situation and his intent to ambush and kill a fellow cultivator, Lu Wuqiang had not brought his other Foundation Establishment subordinates along.

Instead, he brought his own Top Grade Magical Artifacts and pursued him deep into the volcanic range.

Now, seeing Xiao Chen, a fervent gleam flashed in his eyes.

"Fellow cultivator, this area is not safe to approach. I must ask you to take a detour!"

Hearing Xiao Chen’s shout from afar, Lu Wuqiang paid it no mind and continued to close the distance rapidly.

At the same time, he secretly began to form a Spell in the palm of his hand.

Seeing the man remain unresponsive, Xiao Chen drew his Donghua Wind Sword.

He shouted a warning, "If you insist on coming closer, don’t blame me for getting rough!"

.

Hearing Xiao Chen’s warning, Lu Wuqiang wanted to laugh.

"I’d love to see just how ’rough’ you can get."

He halted his Sword Light and raised a hand, summoning a brilliant Treasure Pearl to block any attempt by Xiao Chen to flee.

Only then did he speak, attempting to deceive him. "You little brat, Xiao Chen,"

"Hand over the Wind and Thunder Dual Swords now, and I’ll spare your life."

"If you refuse, then a year from today will be the anniversary of your death."

Of course, even if Xiao Chen actually believed his lies and obediently handed over the Wind and Thunder Dual Swords, Lu Wuqiang would still kill him without hesitation to silence him.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Ping’an shouted, "Xiao, what’s wrong?"

Xiao Chen replied in a steady voice, "Nothing. Just someone with a death wish."

Lu Wuqiang raised a hand to swallow a Spring Pill, then hurled the Magic Power Ball from his palm.

The Magic Power Ball instantly transformed into a large mass of blue Spiritual Fire, pouncing toward Xiao Chen like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen first deployed the Fringed Tassel Brocade Handkerchief to shield himself from above, then summoned his Golden Armor to block the Spiritual Fire.

Lu Wuqiang burst out laughing. "HAHAHA! I thought you were something special, but it turns out you’re just a Silver-Like Lead Gunhead."

This defensive response was exactly what he had been hoping for. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

His Spiritual Fire technique had only one special property: it could ignite another cultivator’s Magical Power, using it as fuel to burn ever more fiercely.

Once it latched onto a cultivator, it could not be extinguished by wind or doused with water.

"Aren’t you speaking a bit too soon?"

Xiao Chen immediately felt his Magical Power being rapidly consumed, while the Spiritual Fire outside his Golden Armor only grew more intense.

But he remained calm, retrieving the Fire-Storage Treasure Gourd with a flick of his wrist.

The palm-sized Treasure Gourd spun in the air, instantly growing as large as a man.

"Absorb!"

At Xiao Chen’s command, the Fire-Storage Treasure Gourd sucked all the blue Spiritual Fire surrounding his body into its belly.

Lu Wuqiang’s eyes narrowed. "A Top Grade Magical Artifact!"

Instead of anger, he laughed. "Excellent, excellent! To think you have another Top Grade Magical Artifact. You truly are full of surprises."

’Once I kill Xiao Chen, this Treasure Gourd will be mine, too.’

Seeing his Spiritual Fire absorbed, Lu Wuqiang made a gesture with his hand, and a special Treasure Talisman floated out from within his spleen.

He simultaneously chanted a rapid Mantra: "By cosmic law, hear my decree! Yellow Turban Warrior, manifest for me!"

As the Treasure Talisman hit the ground, a thirty-foot-tall, powerfully built Yellow Turban Warrior instantly rose to its feet.

Lu Wuqiang commanded the Yellow Turban Warrior, "Seize him!"

The thirty-foot-tall warrior immediately charged forward, its massive hand reaching out to grab him.

This was the first time Xiao Chen had ever seen such a technique.

After a moment’s thought, he decided against a direct confrontation. Instead, he slapped his Storage Bag, pulled out a Jade Bowl, and tossed it forward, shouting, "Suppress!"

The bowl instantly slammed down, trapping the Yellow Turban Warrior underneath it on the ground.

This Jade Bowl had, after all, once been a Top Grade Magical Artifact, and it was incredibly sturdy.

Though a furious CLANGING and BANGING echoed from within, it was clear the Yellow Turban Warrior wasn’t getting out anytime soon.

Lu Wuqiang’s brow furrowed. "Another Top Grade Magical Artifact?"

"I’d like to see just how many Top Grade Magical Artifacts you have."