C20 Killing One after Another

As Lu Chen emerged from the dungeon, he was immediately confronted by a group of people who had effectively blocked his way. At the forefront stood seven middle-aged men exuding formidable auras, none other than the seven elders of the Lu family.

"Little trash, you actually dare to return," the Third Elder stepped forward, fixing Lu Chen with a steely gaze, his voice a low, icy growl that was heavy with murderous intent.

The thought of avenging his son's death was something he could never dismiss.

Lu Chen gave the Third Elder a brief, indifferent look before shifting his attention away. "Today, I've come solely to kill two people: the Third Elder and the Lu family's Patriarch, Lu Hong. The rest of you, if you step aside now, I will overlook past offenses and spare your lives."

Lu Chen's calm declaration dropped like a stone into a pond, sending ripples of shock through the crowd, which quickly erupted into a cacophony of noise.

"You've got quite the nerve! Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue with such big talk?"

"A loser will always be a loser. I think he's been scared witless and is just babbling."

"Haha, this is the best joke I've heard all year. That nobody is actually threatening to kill the head of the family... Haha..."

"I reckon this fool's cultivation is as broken as his sense of reason."

Despite the crowd's insults and laughter, Lu Chen remained unflappably serene, his eyes scanning the crowd, taking mental note of the loudest hecklers.

"It seems no one wishes to step aside," Lu Chen remarked, shaking his head with a quiet sigh.

One of the Lu family guards, unable to tolerate Lu Chen's apparent arrogance any longer, barked out, "Trash, stop your charade and die!"

With that, he drew his sword and swung it down at Lu Chen's head. "Ding!" In a swift motion, Lu Chen raised his hand and effortlessly caught the blade. Applying a slight pressure with his fingertips, the sword snapped in two with a resounding crack.

The shockwave from the broken blade surged towards the guard, causing him to shudder and spew a mouthful of blood. But in the blink of an eye, a flash of cold steel followed by a piercing sound, and half of the blade had thrust through the void, impaling his chest and pinning him against a massive tree behind.

The entire ordeal unfolded with such speed and suddenness that from the moment the guard drew his sword to the moment of his demise, only a single breath had passed.

As the guard fell, the mocking laughter that once filled the sky ceased abruptly. Everyone stood with their mouths agape, attempting to speak, yet only managing to emit a feeble "hehehe," as if an invisible hand was choking them.

The seven leading elders' pupils constricted, particularly the Third Elder, who was overwhelmed by a surge of irrepressible fear.

The reason for their alarm was clear: the fallen guard was no ordinary man. He was the captain of the Lu family's guard team, a formidable practitioner at Layer Nine of Body Tempering. And yet, he had been effortlessly slain by Lu Chen with a mere flick of the wrist.

As the crowd reeled in shock, Lu Chen's voice pierced the silence, "My offer still stands. Withdraw now, and I will hold no grudges."

In the wake of his words, the previous jeers and curses were replaced by an eerie stillness. Doubt crept into the minds of those present.

The Third Elder, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, stepped forward with a chilling command, "Humph! Pay him no mind. Our patriarch has ascended to Essence Gathering Layer Two. Once he emerges from seclusion, this nobody will be easily crushed."

At the mention of the "Patriarch," a spark of hope flickered in the eyes of the onlookers. Those wavering on the brink of retreat found their resolve.

They remembered well the battle from ten days prior, where they had witnessed Lu Hong's might firsthand. He had single-handedly overpowered the heads of the Tang and Chen families, leaving one dead and the other gravely wounded.

"Trash, you're on death's doorstep and still dare to sway our spirits? To arms!" The Great Elder of the Lu family bellowed. With his command, he charged forward, the six other elders at his heels, all converging on Lu Chen.

In a flash, the sky was awash with the gleam of blades and the shadows of swords. A barrage of punches and palm strikes came from all directions, their combined force distorting the air within a hundred-meter radius.

At the epicenter of the encircling horde, Lu Chen stood unflinching, his eyes radiating an icy resolve against the onslaught.

Most of these individuals harbored no personal vendettas against him, yet they launched their attacks with full force, intent on taking his life.

"If you're so eager to meet your end, I'll be the one to grant it!"

Lu Chen's Pure Yuan inner Qi whirled within him, bursting forth like the mighty currents of a great river, wrapping around his entire form.

With a single step, a surge of energy exploded beneath his foot. The ground shattered with a thunderous crash, sending clouds of dust into the air and shards of rock hurtling in every direction. Centered around him, a visible shockwave expanded outward like a deluge, engulfing everything within a ten-meter radius.

"Puff, puff, puff..."

"Screams of agony..."

All those who had rushed at him were struck as though by a massive blow. Their garments shredded, they were hurled backward, screaming in torment. Some were impaled by the airborne debris and perished instantly.

The seven elders at the forefront staggered back, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, their faces etched with terror. They had never anticipated Lu Chen to be this formidable.

The might unleashed by his mere step was truly fearsome!

"Swoosh!"

With a cold smirk, Lu Chen's figure blurred, shooting forward and leaving a trail in the sky. When he reemerged, he was already standing before one of the elders.

Before the elder could even react, Lu Chen's palm descended. With a sickening pop, the elder's head burst open, and with a forceful expulsion from Lu Chen's palm, the headless corpse was reduced to a pulp.

"Ah!"

Witnessing this gruesome spectacle, the faint-hearted among the onlookers had already turned deathly pale, some even screaming in horror.

The man before them was no pushover; he was a fiend from the depths of hell, set on ripping them to shreds and devouring them.

Lu Chen channeled the Yuan Qi into his palm, giving it a slight tremor to shake off the remnants of flesh. He then turned his chilling gaze to the remaining individuals. Those caught in his line of sight felt a bone-deep coldness, a sense of dread creeping over them.

Finally, Lu Chen fixed his eyes on an elder who was nearest to him. He stepped forward, his right fist thundering down.

"Boom..."

The air erupted in front of him, unleashing a powerful current that coursed down his arm. The elder targeted by this devastating punch had his face contorted in terror. He let out a desperate roar, attempting to fend off the attack, but to no avail. The punch pierced through his chest, his internal organs pulverized by the shockwave.

The second elder, dead.

Lu Chen, having dispatched another elder, showed no signs of relenting. If these people sought his life, kinship with the Lu family be damned, they had to be eliminated.

"Crash!"

A mist of blood burst forth as Lu Chen's kick struck another elder at the waist, cleaving his body in two. The upper half, still clinging to life, writhed in agony on the blood-soaked ground, hands clawing frantically at the earth.

The spectacle struck onlookers like a thunderclap, obliterating any last vestige of defiance in their hearts.

"Ah!"

At last, a young man could bear no more. With a loud cry, he turned and fled in a frenzy.

"Thud!"

He had barely taken a few steps when his body seized up and he collapsed, a gleaming, frosty broadsword protruding from his back as hot blood spurted from the wound.

"Monster, your brutality knows no bounds, you're not human! Today, even if it costs me my life, I will take you down!"

The Great Elder's face twisted with rage as he bellowed. The youth Lu Chen had just dispatched was his own progeny!

Overcoming his fear, the Great Elder lifted his palm, unleashing a scorching assault towards Lu Chen.

"Blazing Palm!"

Lu Chen harbored no fondness for the Great Elder.

After his father's disappearance, the Great Elder had been the first to side with Lu Hong, casting him out of the family.

"Old fool, if you're so eager to meet your end, I'll gladly oblige and send you to join your son!"

Lu Chen's voice was icy as he struck out with his palm.

"Boom!"

Their palms met mid-air, sending a blast of heat swirling around them. The Great Elder's clothes shredded to pieces as he was violently hurled away, a bloodcurdling scream escaping his lips before life left him, suspended in midair.

With a resounding thud, the lifeless body of the First Elder crashed to the ground. A collective shock seized those present. To date, Lu Chen had claimed the lives of four elders. Even if the Lu family managed to avoid total ruin at his hands today, it was destined to fall into decline.

Could the Lu family truly survive this ordeal? Doubt clouded their hearts.

"Lu Chen, you vile creature! For the sin of slaughtering your kin, you must be punished!" bellowed the last remaining elder of the Lu family, his eyes nearly bursting with fury.

No sooner had his words echoed than Lu Chen spun around, stepped forward, and unleashed a devastating punch.

"Pfft!"

The elder's chest collapsed instantly, a gory mix of blood and viscera erupting forth as his life force vanished in the blink of an eye.

The fifth elder was dead.

Now, of the seven Lu family elders, five lay dead, leaving only two, including the Third Elder.

The Third Elder stood, stripped of his former authority, his face deathly pale with fear. Sweat poured down his face, and his legs shook uncontrollably, betraying his terror.