C10 Entering the Azure Abyss Mountain Range

After a prolonged silence, Tang Ming gave Lu Chen a penetrating look. Without a word, he turned and left with Tang Mei'er. To the two guards outside, he commanded, "Keep a close eye on him. Lu Chen is not to step foot outside this courtyard."

As they departed, a smirk played at the corner of Lu Chen's mouth.

The alliance with the Tang family to annihilate the Lu family was a spur-of-the-moment strategy to ensure his own survival. Yet, upon reflection, he found the plan quite appealing.

The night sky was pitch-black, devoid of even the faintest starlight.

In his room, Lu Chen's eyes snapped open as he stepped onto the bed, a fleeting spark of determination passing through them like a fleeting glimmer.

"The time has come to leave."

He straightened his clothes and made his way to the courtyard entrance.

"Even if Tang Ming accepts my terms, the journey to the Deep Blue Mountain Range is inevitable."

Lu Chen knew that with his current level of strength, he wasn't in a position to negotiate with Tang Ming on equal terms.

In a world where power is paramount, the weak have no place at the table with the strong. Thus, he was determined to grow stronger, to at least secure his life after the downfall of the Lu family.

Lost in these thoughts,

Lu Chen approached the courtyard gate and noticed the two guards still on duty. Additionally, three covert presences had immediately fixed their attention on him as he emerged.

One guard, with a knife in hand, addressed him icily, "Young Master Lu Chen, I must ask you to return."

Lu Chen bowed his head, his senses rapidly expanding to pinpoint the sources of the three concealed auras.

The other guard, unimpressed by Lu Chen's resolve, stepped forward and said coldly, "Didn't you hear? Go back!"

"Are you addressing me?" Lu Chen looked up, his eyes icy.

His chilling stare was so sharp it momentarily intimidated the guard, who quickly recovered, flashing a vicious grin. "Since you're asking for it, don't blame me for what comes next."

With that, he lunged without drawing his sword, his fist aimed squarely at Lu Chen's face.

"Heh... You think you can talk big in front of me, you piece of trash? Let's see how you handle this." The guard's grin was menacing as he tightened his grip with malicious intent.

Lu Chen's reflexes were lightning-fast. As the guard made his move, Lu Chen swung a punch that landed with a resounding thud on the guard's chest, sending him flying backward, knocked out cold.

He refrained from delivering a killing blow, knowing that now was not the time to irreparably sever ties with the Tang Clan. At least, not until after they had united to take down the Lu family.

"You..." The second guard's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively reached for his sword.

Whoosh!

Having already initiated the confrontation, Lu Chen wasn't about to allow any further reaction. With swift footwork, he appeared in front of the second guard, pressing down with his hand, the sheer force rendering the guard unconscious.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Simultaneously, from the shadows, three figures burst forth, charging at Lu Chen like fleeting phantoms.

Licking his lips, a thrill in his eyes, Lu Chen whispered excitedly, "Three martial artists at Layer Eight of the Body Tempering Realm, perfect for gauging my current strength. Don't disappoint me."

His voice was soft, yet it carried clearly to the ears of the three assailants.

An instant later, angry retorts echoed from three directions.

"This youngster is too arrogant..."

"Seeking your own death!"

"So ignorant!"

With a cold smirk, Lu Chen's body vibrated as power surged from within him like a mighty river. He turned and launched a devastating blow at the first attacker.

His punch was mountainous, its momentum grand, bearing down like a torrential flood.

Against an opponent at Layer Eight, Lu Chen didn't even need to exert his full power!

"Boom!"

The punch collided brutally with the first assailant, and a deep, thunderous blast rang out. A scream of agony followed as a figure was sent hurtling back, blood spewing from his mouth, crashing into a wall. His fate, alive or dead, remained uncertain.

Lu Chen barely wavered as he regained his footing. He pivoted, and his second punch was as straightforward and unadorned as the first, meeting his opponent head-on.

Bang!

The sound of another heavy collision echoed, and the man was sent hurtling through the air with a cry of agony, crashing into the wall and losing consciousness.

Unfazed by the successive encounters, Lu Chen turned to face the last adversary.

"You're the only one left. I hope you're up for taking one of my punches."

His voice carried a hint of eagerness as he stood tall, his right fist clenched and ready.

"Run!"

The last man, already ashen-faced from witnessing Lu Chen's formidable strength, halted abruptly and fled.

"Boring," Lu Chen muttered, retracting his fist. He stomped the ground, propelling himself forward like a shot from a cannon, and in a blink, he was upon the fleeing man, his fist poised to strike.

But at the last moment, Lu Chen had a change of heart and transformed his punch into a claw, seizing the man by the neck and hoisting him into the air.

"Don't... please don't kill me..." the man pleaded, his face ghostly pale with terror, fearing for his life.

"Shut up!" Lu Chen's fierce gaze silenced him. "Remember, tell Tang Ming to treat Uncle Mo well. I'll return in a month. If even a hair on Uncle Mo's head is harmed by then, he can forget about ever getting that item."

With those final words, Lu Chen's left hand, swift as a blade, struck the man's neck, rendering him unconscious.

The commotion had undoubtedly attracted attention within the estate.

Without hesitation, Lu Chen vanished from the scene.

Eventually, after incapacitating several guards, he left the Tang Residence without further incident.

Lu Chen didn't immediately depart River City; instead, he made his way towards the mountain at the city's edge.

"We've arrived," he noted silently upon spotting the mountain's entrance, and he quickened his pace.

The back mountain of River City was part of a spur of the Deep Blue Mountain Range.

...

As dawn broke, the first light of morning pierced the sky, rousing the slumbering earth. A new day had dawned.

Lu Chen made his way through the back mountain and into the outskirts of the Deep Blue Mountain Range, following his memories to the spot where the herb-picking stall owner had been.

Initially, he encountered some early-stage Rank One Demon Beasts. Such perilous areas were rarely frequented by martial cultivators, prompting Lu Chen to proceed with increased caution. He extended his senses in all directions, methodically searching the surroundings.

Before he knew it, three days had passed.

"It's been three days, and I've combed through every inch of land within dozens of miles, yet I've found nothing."

"Could the stall owner have deceived me?"

This thought barely surfaced before he dismissed it. The stall owner's demeanor at the time showed no indication of understanding the Divine Weapon Fragment's worth. Besides, deceiving him would benefit the stall owner in no way.

Lu Chen pressed on with his search. His main reliance on this journey was the Heaven Splitting Axe within his mind. Should he draw near to the Divine Weapon Fragment, the Artifact Spirit of the Heaven Splitting Axe would surely detect its presence.