C23 That Elegant Style!!

Otherwise, he could've easily killed such a worthless opponent with just a flick of his little finger.

After two years at the Heavenly Martial Sect, he was back to remind everyone in North Cloud City of his brilliance. He intended to dazzle the entire city with his radiance once more.

"Whoosh!"

As his words trailed off, Su Tianci's spear thrust sharply toward Du Shaomu's shoulder blade, unleashing a terrifying surge of metallic energy.

Du Shaomu didn't even flinch, but the murderous look in his eyes intensified.

He sensed that Su Tianci didn't aim to kill him, but the malice behind the attack was chillingly clear. It was meant to cripple him thoroughly.

So much for enduring three moves. The Su Family had never intended to spare him; it was a venomous scheme from the start.

The spear's tip was razor-sharp, unmatched in ferocity as it targeted the shoulder blade, making everyone around gasp in horror for Du Shaomu.

Yet, no one was truly surprised; Du Shaomu was never expected to be a match for Su Tianci.

"Not good!"

In the crowd, Liu Tong's expression turned grave as he burst through the onlookers, racing toward the Battlestage.

The two Su Family Elders had kept their eyes on Liu Tong the whole time, fully aware of his presence and not about to let him intervene.

"Commander Liu, please refrain from interfering with a fair duel on the Battlestage!"

Liu Tong had barely approached the Battlestage when he was immediately repelled by the overwhelming presence of the two Su Family Elders.

"Puff..."

In an instant, the Battlestage was splattered with blood, a vivid red staining its expanse.

The Su Family Elders smirked, joined by the laughter of their kin. That so-called trash was just that, and now he was doomed to be beaten down to nothing.

Shock rippled through the spectators surrounding the Battlestage.

No one was taken aback; how could Du Shaomu possibly stand up to Su Tianci? There was no comparison.

"No, that's not Du Shaomu's blood. He's unharmed!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd, quivering with the shock of an electrifying revelation.

Every gaze snapped to the Battlestage, where the blood that was spurting forth was unmistakably not that of Du Shaomu.

Blood erupted from Su Tianci's neck in a vivid, bright red, lending a ghastly beauty to the scene.

In that moment, Su Tianci stood frozen, spear in hand, his once lively eyes now replaced with terror. His pupils were dilated; he seemed desperate to speak, but his mouth was choked with blood, rendering him speechless.

"Bang!"

Su Tianci's head parted from his body, rolling across the Battlestage until it came to rest beside the two Su Family Elders. His eyes, still wide with fear, seemed to deny the reality of his own death.

"Tianci!"

The two Su Family Elders cried out in anguish. A prodigy seen but once in a century, the future of the Su Family, lay dead before them, his head severed from his body.

Su Tianci's torso remained upright on the Battlestage, blood spurting wildly as his head lay distant.

The outcome was a stark contrast to what all had envisioned.

The scene was as if frozen in time, the entire arena engulfed in a profound silence.

Eyes widened in disbelief, the crowd trembled with shock. Su Tianci, the Su Family's genius, disciple of the Heavenly Martial Sect, a figure once radiant and peerless, was extinguished in an instant.

All eyes then turned to Du Shaomu as if struck by lightning.

No one in the stadium had seen the precise moment Du Shaomu had made his move.

With a single strike, he had decapitated Su Tianci—clean, precise, and utterly chilling.

The sight of the blood jetting out and the head rolling on the ground sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers.

Mouths agape, the crowd, including Liu Tong and Du Xiaohou, stared in horror.

Their attention remained glued to Du Shaomu on the Battlestage.

The slender youth stood amidst the spray of his opponent's blood, his black hair slightly disheveled, his gaze deep and resolute.

His demeanor was like the calm before a storm, seemingly unremarkable at first glance.

Yet, it is only when you stand amidst the vastness of the sea that you truly understand its overwhelming power and majesty.

In that moment, everyone felt a profound shock, their souls quivering without explanation.

Could this be the same boy from the rumors, the son of a servant girl, once deemed worthless?

No, before them stood a young war god, exuding a commanding presence that swept across the lands and gazed down upon the heavens and earth!

"Su Family genius? More like a fool who overestimates his own abilities!" Du Shaomu dismissed without a glance at Su Tianci's lifeless body. He knew well that Su Tianci had only reached the First Empyrean of the Martial Spiritual Stage. Though he himself had just entered the Martial Master Stage, he possessed countless techniques to dispatch such a fool with ease.

"Du Shaomu, you little wretch, you're a dead man!" The two Su Family Elders bellowed in unison, their vital energy bursting forth as they lunged at Du Shaomu with murderous rage.

"Back off!" Liu Tong's voice thundered as he surged forward, reaching Du Shaomu first. His essence unfurled, forming a tide of light that repelled the two charging Su Family Elders.

The elders, though at the Martial General Stage, were merely at the third and fourth levels—not a match for Liu Tong.

"I'll be away for a few days; my mother's safety is in your hands!" Du Shaomu said, unfazed by the elders' assault, his tone as serene as before. With those words, he stepped off the Battlestage.

"Young master, are you okay?" Du Xiaohou, having just climbed onto the Battlestage, was still trembling and struggling to grasp the situation.

"While I'm gone, you'll handle the move. Anything you need, just consult with my mother," Du Shaomu instructed, giving Du Xiaohou's shoulder a reassuring pat before mounting his Black Scaled Horse and riding away.

A path cleared amidst the astounded onlookers as they continued to gaze at Du Shaomu's retreating figure, their minds reeling with shock.

A Su Family prodigy, a disciple of the Heavenly Martial Sect, had perished at his hands so abruptly.

Before they could even comprehend Du Shaomu's technique, Su Tianci's head had already rolled to the ground.

Soon after, the area around the Battlestage erupted into a frenzy, the clamor reaching skyward!

The recent turn of events was utterly breathtaking.

On the Battlestage, Su Tianci's body was still bleeding profusely, the ground stained with vivid splashes of red, and his severed head rolling aside sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Actually, Du Shaomu is quite handsome. The more you look at him, the more his looks grow on you!"

"He carries himself with pride, yet without arrogance, exuding a certain gravitas."

Among the crowd, some girls suddenly found themselves admiring Du Shaomu's striking presence and impressive demeanor.

"Du Shaomu, you little bastard, our Su Family will never forgive you!"

On the Battlestage, it was clear to the two Su Family Elders that even together, they were no match for Liu Tong. They could only watch in fury and despair as Du Shaomu walked away, their cries of rage mingling with tears of defeat.

"Is this really our young master?!"

Du Xiaohou couldn't help but let tears fall. He had feared the worst for his young master, never imagining that he would emerge so valiantly, defeating Su Tianci, the Su Family's once-in-a-century prodigy, with a single move.

The news of Su Tianci's demise at the hands of Du Shaomu spread like wildfire throughout North Cloud City.

The entire city was abuzz, everyone reeling from the shock.

...

"What? Du Shaomu, that son of a maidservant, killed Su Tianci in one move?!"

Tian Gui from the Tian Clan was visibly shaken, struggling to accept the news.

...

"It can't be true, it simply can't be. How could that nobody have the power to kill Su Tianci?!"

"Dark magic? Could that nobody have resorted to dark magic?!"

"He must have had some treasure or secret weapon from the Lee Family of Fengling City!"

"We must avenge the future of our Su Family; we cannot let this nobody go unpunished!"

Chaos reigned within the Su Family, the higher ranks consumed by sorrow and anger.

Su Yuetong sat with poise, her gaze sweeping over the mournful assembly of her kin. The white of her dress reflected her cool, plum-like elegance, her stunning visage stern yet beautiful. Her eyes, deep and enigmatic, betrayed her inner turmoil as she whispered to herself, "Have you always been concealing your true strength? And if so, to what end?"

As North Cloud City buzzed with activity, Du Shaomu was already galloping on his journey, arriving at Dreamy Cloud City by dusk.

Dreamy Cloud City led the Dreamy Cloud Ninth City in strength and prestige.

It was also the most vibrant and prosperous metropolis among the nine cities, teeming with life. The streets were alive with an endless throng of people, their voices blending into a cacophony of hawkers and the hum of excitement.

The city's grand and imposing walls rose like a dragon coiling skyward, with a vast array of buildings stretching as far as the eye could see, a testament to Dreamy Cloud City's grandeur and eminence.