Mandong... is dead??
A wave of shock washed over Wu Shangpin. He knew very well Mandong's strength—second only to his father in the Crocodile Sect, the top among the martial elites!
And now... he was dead.
Chills surged from Wu Shangpin's spine, spreading through his body, while Wu Jinlu suddenly looked up, fury bubbling beneath the surface.
"Good, good, good... Li Dongyun, your methods are impressive!"
The latter raised his hands innocently.
"Hey, this really has nothing to do with me."
Chen Xiang observed the trio quietly, a thought sparking in his mind—Li Dongyun? The Fire Gate's leader?
Realizing the reason for his presence, he clasped his fists in gratitude:
"Thank you for coming to help, Sect Master Li."
"No need for thanks; I'm not here to intervene yet. It seems... you don't really need my help," Li Dongyun replied with a smile, genuinely intrigued by the unfolding scene.
"Since I'm here, just do what you need. Little Shaoyan's brother is my brother too."
"Thanks, Sect Master Li."
"Just call me Dongyun."
"Alright."
Chen Xiang then turned to the increasingly grim Wu Jinlu, who seemed rattled by Mandong's death.
"Are you Wu Jinlu?"
Snapped back to reality, Wu Jinlu's eyes darkened, hinting at the unraveling of his plans.
"Chen Xiang, what do you want?"
An overwhelming pressure surged toward Chen Xiang, making it hard to breathe, yet he smiled.
"Of course, to return the favor..."
"Isn't that improper?"
He sincerely stated before launching his attack—not at Wu Jinlu, but at Wu Shangpin.
With a surge of power and speed that surpassed even the Mystic Arts masters, he became a whirlwind!
Wu Shangpin stood frozen, while Wu Jinlu's expression changed, rushing to intervene. Li Dongyun took the opportunity to rise, cheerfully saying,
"Sect Master Wu, why intervene in the younger generation's affairs?"
He too moved to block Wu Jinlu, but the latter's form shimmered, causing Li Dongyun's hand to pass through him!
"You!" Li Dongyun exclaimed, taken aback.
In an instant,
Wu Jinlu's ephemeral form solidified, a large hand blocking Chen Xiang.
"Now's the time."
Chen Xiang narrowed his eyes, muscles tensing, body coiling like a bow!
With the force of a drawn arrow, he unleashed several times the strength he had before. Wu Jinlu was unprepared; his blocking palm was pushed aside, and before he could react further,
Chen Xiang was upon Wu Shangpin, seizing his limbs:
"This was... truly just a misunderstanding."
With that, he exerted force, ripping Wu Shangpin's left hand off, blood gushing forth as bones shattered under the immense pressure!
This all happened in the blink of an eye; by the time Wu Jinlu and Li Dongyun realized, Wu Shangpin, now missing his left hand, collapsed like a broken doll, crying out in agony...
"Dad, it hurts, it hurts..."
Wu Jinlu's earlier anger seemed to evaporate, his demeanor now cool as he observed.
"Chen Xiang, are you calm now?"
Chen Xiang crushed Wu Shangpin's severed hand into a bloody mist, glancing deeply at Wu Jinlu:
"If there are no further consequences, let's consider this matter settled."
Saying this, he bowed to Li Dongyun, who now appeared serious, glancing warily at Wu Jinlu before leading Chen Xiang away swiftly.
Wu Jinlu stood beside the moaning Wu Shangpin, smiling as he watched the two leave, remaining silent.
Once outside the Wu estate, Li Dongyun exhaled deeply:
"You acted impulsively back there. If I hadn't been here, and if Wu Jinlu hadn't held back... if he'd truly gone all out..."
Carrying the wooden box, Chen Xiang smiled without replying.
Li Dongyun pondered:
"You must be nearing the extraordinary level, right? I sensed a trace of that aura earlier... Did you kill Mandong?"
"Indeed." Chen Xiang answered plainly, not bothering to conceal anything. The source of his power didn't require extensive explanation.
The likes of his sister and brother would naturally attribute it all to the Giant Academy, while outsiders would assume he had hidden his abilities.
Lin the lecturer would believe he'd previously concealed his strength...
After all, who could leap from an ordinary person to rivaling top martial artists in just a couple of days?
The only one who might know the truth was Wei Qingqiu.
Thinking about this, Chen Xiang asked,
"Dongyun, why did Wu Jinlu's form suddenly shimmer? Is that also an extraordinary technique?"
"No."
Li Dongyun replied calmly.
"That's a power of an extraordinary being."
Chen Xiang's pupils contracted.
Li Dongyun patiently explained:
"Taking the first step on the path to the extraordinary involves choosing a route. There are ten divine sequences, including the nine Outer Gods and our revered Death Titan..."
Chen Xiang's brow furrowed, keying in on something vital: the Death Titan was comparable to the Outer Gods? He thought of the Dusk Titan.
"Titan... Dongyun, what's the difference between a Titan and an Outer God?"
Li Dongyun paused, gazing at Chen Xiang as if weighing his words. Finally, he spoke:
"Listen closely, kid. Since you're Shaoyan's brother, I'll share a secret—don't let this get out!"
Chen Xiang leaned in, attentive.
"Everyone knows there are nine Outer Gods, but in reality, there are eighteen beings at that level. The other nine are the Titans."
"And they're known as..."
"Ancient Rulers."
"Each corresponds to an Outer God, sharing powers. Rumor has it, the Outer Gods stole their authority!"
"Furthermore!"
Before Chen Xiang could digest this, Li Dongyun's voice rose, laced with awe and persuasion:
"I've heard a legend: above the nine Ancient Rulers, there's a Creator Titan—He is the origin, the essence of all things..."
Watching Li Dongyun's fervent expression, Chen Xiang felt something strange stir within him. Could this guy be affiliated with the Old Council?
He remembered Wei Qingqiu's words, connecting the dots about the Outer Gods and Ancient Rulers.
Li Dongyun continued, almost preaching, extolling the virtues of the Ancient Rulers, leaving Chen Xiang bemused—did Li Dongyun want him as a follower?
Growing tired of the topic, he shifted gears:
"Dongyun, are you suggesting that Wu Jinlu is extraordinary? How could he..."
Li Dongyun clicked his tongue, momentarily disappointed but quickly retorted:
"He hides it. I don't know the specifics, but I've battled him for years—he's a sly old fox..."
Chen Xiang's eyes sparkled with insight. If Li Dongyun could contend with Wu Jinlu for so long, then... perhaps he too was hiding something?
Not asking directly, he instead said:
"He hides well, but what worries me is that he can go from furious to eerily calm in an instant..."
"That's why he's an old fox. No one knows what he's thinking. Be careful; I'll keep an eye on your sister and brother too."
"Thanks, Dongyun... I'm almost home, so I'll head back now."
"Alright, here's my number. Contact me if you need anything."
After bidding farewell, Chen Xiang stood at the base of Building 47, watching Li Dongyun's imposing figure fade away.
He silently returned home, placing the wooden box down and gently patting it, murmuring:
"If Wu Jinlu kept raging, it would be one thing... but he ended up smiling."
"That's the kind of person who's terrifying."
"What do you think?" Chen Xiang asked the box.
A muffled voice responded:
"Whatever you say goes."
"You agree with me, right?"
Entering his sister's room, he opened the secret chamber, applying a fake mustache and drawing eyebrows, before affixing a high-tech skin mask to his face.
"Let's go."