The forest was deathly quiet.
Moments ago, it had been filled with the low hum of insects and the distant rustling of leaves. Now, that natural rhythm had been completely crushed beneath an overwhelming pressure.
Two forces stood facing each other.
On one side—the Lu clan hunting team.
Though fewer in number, they stood tightly grouped, weapons drawn, spirit beasts crouched low with bared fangs. Their eyes were sharp, but beneath that sharpness lay something deeper—
Preparedness.
They knew what this was.
A killing field.
On the other side—the Mei clan.
They spread out loosely, confident, almost casual. Their formation wasn't defensive—it was predatory. Like hunters surrounding prey.
At the center of them stood a young man in fine robes.
Young Master Mei.
His expression carried faint amusement as his gaze swept across the Lu clan disciples.
"So this is all?" he said lightly. "A small hunting team… and you dare step into contested territory?"
No one answered.
The tension thickened.
Then—
A step forward.
Lu Chanki.
His movements were unhurried, calm in a way that felt out of place.
Young Master Mei's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You must be their leader."
Lu Chanki didn't deny it.
Instead, he spoke in a flat, almost bored tone.
"You followed us for three li," he said. "Set up an ambush. Blocked the rear path."
His gaze lifted.
"So stop wasting time."
A faint smile tugged at Young Master Mei's lips.
"Direct," he said. "I like that."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"Then I'll be just as direct."
His voice turned cold.
"Leave everything behind—beast materials, space bags, weapons—and cripple your own cultivation."
A pause.
"Do that, and I might let you crawl away alive."
Behind him, the Mei clan members chuckled softly.
To them, this outcome was already decided.
But the Lu clan side—
Remained silent.
Still.
Unmoving.
Young Master Mei's smile slowly faded.
"…What?"
That was when he noticed it.
Lu Chanki hadn't drawn his weapon.
Hadn't given an order.
Hadn't even shifted his stance.
Instead—
He slipped his hand into his robe.
The Shift
It was a small movement.
But something about it—
Made the air tighten.
One of the Mei clan Foundation Establishment experts suddenly frowned.
"…Young Master. Something's off."
Lu Chanki's hand emerged.
Between his fingers—
A talisman.
At first glance, it seemed unremarkable.
But then—
The surrounding spiritual qi trembled.
A faint purple glow seeped from its surface, runes igniting one by one like embers waking from slumber.
The forest wind stilled.
The temperature subtly rose.
And in that moment—
Every experienced cultivator present felt it.
Danger.
Real danger.
The expressions of the two Mei clan experts changed instantly.
"That aura—" one muttered.
"High-grade…" the other finished, his voice dropping.
Young Master Mei's pupils shrank.
"…No."
Dialogue Before Destruction
"Wait."
His voice cut through the tension sharply.
Everyone paused.
Young Master Mei stepped forward, his earlier arrogance gone, replaced by something far more cautious.
His eyes locked onto the talisman.
Then onto Lu Chanki.
"You're not planning to use that," he said slowly.
Lu Chanki didn't answer.
He simply began channeling spiritual qi into it.
The purple glow intensified.
"You're insane," Young Master Mei snapped, taking another step forward. "That's a high-grade talisman! Do you even understand what that means?!"
Lu Chanki's voice was calm.
"It means you die faster."
The words hit like a hammer.
Young Master Mei's composure cracked.
"You think you can kill me?" he said, anger rising to mask fear. "I am the direct heir of the Mei clan! If I die here, do you know what will happen to you?!"
Lu Chanki finally looked at him properly.
His gaze was cold.
Sharp.
Unmoved.
"You think," he said, "you're leaving?"
Silence.
That single sentence—
Was heavier than any threat.
Young Master Mei's throat tightened.
"Listen carefully," he said quickly, voice lowering. "We don't need to do this. I can forget today ever happened."
No response.
"I can even compensate you," he continued, urgency creeping in. "Spirit stones, rare herbs, techniques—name your price!"
Still nothing.
The talisman's glow grew brighter.
The air around it began to distort.
Young Master Mei's heartbeat spiked.
"STOP!" he shouted.
For the first time—
There was real fear in his voice.
But Lu Chanki raised the talisman.
"You chose to stand in our path."
His spiritual qi surged.
"So bear the consequence."
The Sky Ignites
"Tier 2 Talisman — Hundred Flames Arrow."
The talisman shattered.
And the sky… burned.
Hundreds of flaming arrows materialized above them in an instant, each one blazing with destructive power. The forest canopy was illuminated in searing orange and violent purple, shadows stretching and twisting across the ground like fleeing ghosts.
Heat crashed down like a wave.
The Mei clan formation broke instantly.
"DEFEND!" one expert roared.
Last Line of Defense
"Earth Art — Iron Bastion Wall!"
The ground exploded upward, forming a massive wall reinforced with condensed qi, thick and dense like forged metal.
Beside him—
"Water Art — Rotating Tide Barrier!"
A spiraling shield of water rose, wrapping around the group, steam already beginning to hiss from its surface.
Two techniques.
Layered.
Powerful.
But—
Too late.
Cataclysm
The arrows fell.
Not one.
Not ten.
Hundreds.
Like divine punishment.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each impact tore into the defenses, sending shockwaves through the forest. Trees shattered. The ground split. Flames spread violently.
Cracks spread across the earthen wall.
The water barrier evaporated in bursts of steam.
"Hold it!" one expert roared, forcing more qi into the defense.
Another volley struck.
The wall collapsed.
The barrier shattered.
The arrows rained through.
Shielding the Heir
"Protect the Young Master!"
Without hesitation, both Foundation Establishment experts abandoned everything else.
They moved like lightning, placing themselves in front of Young Master Mei.
Their qi erupted violently as they raised what little defense they had left.
Arrows pierced through them.
One after another.
Blood sprayed.
Their bodies shook violently under the impact.
But they did not move.
Behind them—
Young Master Mei collapsed.
His legs gave out completely.
His mind went blank.
"I… I…"
His voice trembled.
For the first time in his life—
He felt how fragile he truly was.
The End Begins
The flames faded.
Smoke rose.
The battlefield was ruined.
And through that smoke—
A figure stepped forward.
Lu Chanki.
Unharmed.
Untouched.
His saber slid from its sheath with a cold metallic whisper.
"Finish it," he said.
Then—
He disappeared.
First Kill — Overlord Slash
He reappeared instantly before one of the injured experts.
The man's eyes widened—
Too slow.
Golden qi erupted along the blade.
"Overlord Slash!"
The saber descended.
A massive arc of golden energy tore forward, splitting the earth and air alike. Trees behind the target exploded apart as the slash carved a path through the forest.
"NO—!"
The expert activated multiple talismans at once.
Layers of light formed.
Weak.
Fragile.
They shattered instantly.
The golden arc passed through him—
Cleanly.
His body split in two.
Second Clash — Desperate Resistance
The remaining expert roared in fury and desperation.
"You think we'll die so easily?!"
Before Lu Chanki could follow—
A blur of motion struck from the side.
The Wind-Grazing Wolf.
Beast Technique — Wind Severing Fang
Wind condensed violently within its jaws, forming a razor-sharp crescent blade.
It fired.
The expert reacted instantly.
"Cyclone Defense!"
His blade spun rapidly, forming a rotating barrier.
CLANG!
The attack deflected—
But the force drove him back, his arms trembling violently.
His breathing became unstable.
His qi reserves—
Nearly empty.
Encirclement
Before he could regain footing—
Lu Chanki's voice came from behind him.
"Still standing?"
The expert turned—
Just in time to see the blade move.
Second Technique — Overlord Saber Sweep
"Overlord Saber Sweep!"
Multiple arcs of golden light burst outward, forming a cage of death.
"No—!"
The expert roared, pushing his body beyond its limits.
"Gale Break Slash!"
He swung wildly, colliding with the incoming attacks.
One.
Two.
Three.
He blocked them.
Barely.
His stance broke.
His breathing collapsed.
His vision blurred.
Final Strike
Everything slowed.
The expert felt it.
The end.
A shadow appeared beside him.
The Wind-Grazing Wolf.
A single claw—
SHRHK!
His head fell.
Total Collapse
Silence.
Then—
Panic.
The remaining Mei clan members froze, unable to process what had just happened.
Their strongest protectors—
Gone.
"Kill!"
The Lu clan surged forward.
Slaughter Unleashed
Spirit beasts attacked first.
Claws tore into flesh.
Fangs crushed bone.
Wind blades sliced through the air.
The Mei clan, already shaken, couldn't respond.
They fell—
One after another.
Lu Yanshi's Rampage
Lu Yanshi moved like a storm.
"Tiger Fang Assault!"
Her strikes were fast, precise, deadly.
She tore through one opponent's defense, her claw strike ripping across his chest.
Another tried to flee—
She intercepted instantly, sweeping his legs before finishing him with a downward slash.
Her movements were clean.
Efficient.
Merciless.
End of the Battlefield
Within minutes—
It was over.
The forest returned to silence.
Only flames remained.
Aftermath
Lu Chanki stood at the center.
Calm.
Unshaken.
He wiped his blade.
"Search everything," he ordered.
"Take all valuables."
A pause.
"Burn the rest."
Flames rose.
Bodies turned to ash.
No trace left.
Departure
"Move."
The Wind-Grazing Wolf howled, summoning wind currents that accelerated the group.
They left quickly.
Silently.
No one spoke.
Because what they had witnessed—
Was not a battle.
It was absolute domination.
Return to the Lu Clan
When the mountain finally appeared, relief spread through the group.
Lu Chanki dismounted.
"Submit reports. Rest."
He turned.
"I'll summon you later."
Then walked away.
Straight toward—
Grand Elder Lu Maxi.
Because this incident—
Was only the beginning.