Chapter 27: The Black Stone Shatters, Blood Stains the Broken Body

At these words, Luo Shuyao was left completely stunned, forgetting even to feel regret. Her mind went blank, with only a single thought circling in her head:

Could this man… be an idiot?

The thought that she had just been about to settle scores with him filled her with a sudden sense of shame.

As for Lu Mingchuan, the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. The flicker of lecherous desire in his eyes vanished entirely, replaced by cold, murderous intent.

This was an insult! A blatant, humiliating insult!

"You're courting death!"

Enraged beyond measure, Lu Mingchuan cast aside all pretense of decorum. He transformed his other hand into a claw, and with a chilling gust of wind, struck directly at Chu Xing’s face!

Luo Shuyao let out an involuntary cry of alarm. She knew all too well that although Lu Mingchuan usually neglected his cultivation, his status as a first-stage Qi Gathering Realm practitioner was genuine.

This claw strike, though seemingly casual, contained a level of vital energy that an ordinary warrior could hardly withstand. This idiot was finished.

Yet, the scene that followed made her spirited eyes widen in shock.

Facing this ferocious claw, Chu Xing did not retreat but instead stepped forward. His lean frame sank slightly, his feet rooted to the ground like iron nails. He assumed a perfect horse stance, clenched his fist, and met the strike head-on!

There were no flashy moves—only something simple and direct!

Lu Mingchuan sneered internally. He wanted to counter the vital energy of a Qi Gathering Realm expert with such a simple move? He was asking for death!

He could already imagine the bones of this arrogant brat’s hand shattering into pieces.

*Bang!*

The fist and claw collided with a dull thud of flesh and bone.

Chu Xing’s body swayed violently. He retreated three steps, leaving a clear, shallow depression in the ground with each stride before he finally steadied himself. The arm he had used to strike hung unnaturally at his side, trembling slightly.

He felt a chill in his heart. As expected of a first-stage Qi Gathering Realm expert; this force was several times stronger than the likes of Zhao Hu. Had his body not been tempered, this single blow would have shattered his entire arm.

Meanwhile, Lu Mingchuan was also staggered by the force of that punch. He felt as though his claw had struck a piece of tough oxhide, and a strange, rebounding force sent a numbness through his palm.

"How is this possible!?" The murderous intent in Lu Mingchuan’s eyes gave way to a hint of suspicion.

He had not used his full strength in that move, expecting to crush his opponent with a single claw. To his surprise, it had been blocked head-on.

There was something strange about this brat’s strength.

Luo Shuyao was equally dumbfounded.

He… he actually blocked it?

Although he clearly suffered, that was still a strike from Lu Mingchuan! As a seventh-stage Body Tempering practitioner, how could he possibly…

"Interesting."

Lu Mingchuan’s expression turned grim. No longer underestimating him, he shifted his footwork, unleashing a movement technique!

His entire figure became elusive, darting around Chu Xing with blinding speed and leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

Luo Shuyao’s heart sank as she recognized the technique.

The Phantasmagoric Flowing Wind Steps! This was considered a respectable martial art even within the Azure Cloud Sect. She had not expected Lu Mingchuan to have mastered it.

In an instant, Chu Xing felt as though attacks were coming from every direction. The cunning, sharp gusts of wind began to leave shallow lacerations all over his body.

Furrowing his brows, Chu Xing centered his focus and stopped trying to track the elusive figure. With a flick of his intent, the black stone bead in his dantian trembled slightly, and a pure, warm current flooded his entire body.

In that instant, Chu Xing’s perception became extraordinarily clear.

His body, refined by countless medicinal mists, now played its part. Every muscle in his seemingly lean frame was filled with contained, dense power.

*Bang!*

Lu Mingchuan’s claw struck again. This time, Chu Xing did not block it head-on; instead, he shifted his body by a hair’s breadth and took the blow squarely on his shoulder.

The force, sufficient to crack solid rock, landed on Chu Xing, causing his body to sink slightly with a dull thud.

Chu Xing felt his blood churn and a metallic, fishy taste rise in his throat, but he swallowed it down by force.

Lu Mingchuan was growing increasingly shocked. How was this brat’s body like a lump of iron?

Unable to secure a quick victory and losing his patience, a flicker of viciousness crossed his eyes. He finally drew the ornate longsword from his waist.

*Clang!*

The blade shimmered like water, and a bone-chilling coldness instantly filled the air.

"To die under my sword is your honor!"

With a weapon in hand and his movement technique as support, Lu Mingchuan’s offensive became several times more lethal. Sword light flickered like a dense web, completely enveloping Chu Xing.

The pressure on the unarmed Chu Xing increased sharply.

Unable to close the distance, he could only rely on his tough physique and keen perception to dodge and parry. However, the sharpness of the blade was ultimately something a flesh-and-blood body could not fully withstand.

*Pfft!*

A spray of blood flashed as a deep gash was carved into Chu Xing’s arm, his sleeve instantly stained red.

Next came his shoulder, then his thigh.

Within a dozen breaths, Chu Xing had sustained several sword wounds of varying depths, looking utterly wretched.

Just as Chu Xing was struck in the chest by a sword sweep and fell backward with a groan, the tattered cloth bag he kept close to his body fell out, rolling onto the ground nearby.

The pitch-black stone tumbled out of the bag. Due to the impact, a hairline fracture had appeared on its surface.

Seeing this, Lu Mingchuan sneered. As if kicking a pebble by the roadside, he casually lashed out with his foot.

The stone flew through the air toward Chu Xing.

Chu Xing reached out instinctively to catch it.

The moment his fingertips touched the cracked stone, a sudden metamorphosis occurred!

An indescribable, immense suction force erupted from his palm!

The stone seemed to contain some profound, vast energy that, having found an outlet, surged madly into Chu Xing’s body and flowed into the stone bead in his dantian!

The stone in his hand, drained of all its energy, shattered with a "crack" and crumbled into a pile of lifeless gray dust, slipping through his fingers.

Lu Mingchuan assumed his kick had simply shattered the stone and noticed nothing amiss.

But Chu Xing clearly heard a faint "tick" sound from within his own dantian.

Immediately following, that cold and domineering energy condensed into a single drop of liquid within the stone bead in his dantian!

Seeing that Chu Xing was at the end of his rope, Lu Mingchuan grinned savagely. He flicked his longsword, and it transformed into a ray of cold light, striking directly toward Chu Xing’s heart!

At the critical moment, Chu Xing’s mind raced. The cold droplet in his dantian trembled slightly, and an indescribable power surged forth!

His body seemed to break free from some restraint, and he forced a twist at an impossible angle.

*Squelch!*

The sword failed to pierce his heart, but it drove deep into his left shoulder, pinning him firmly against a tree.

"It’s over!" Lu Mingchuan laughed wildly in victory, exerting force to twist the blade and shred Chu Xing’s internal organs.

But the next moment, his smile froze on his face.

Instead of screaming, Chu Xing raised his head. In his eyes, there was no pain—only a madness that chilled Lu Mingchuan to the core.

"You..."

Before Lu Mingchuan could react, Chu Xing reached out with his left hand and grabbed the blade that had pierced his body, letting the sharp edge cut into his palm, blood dripping freely.