C5 Lu Wu You Are Courting Death!

Under the soft glow of candlelight, Lu Chen sat cross-legged on his bed in quiet contemplation.

After some time, he opened his eyes, which had been tightly closed, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"I'm still too weak," he muttered to himself.

Lu Chen clenched his fists, his brow furrowing slightly as he recalled the day's events at the tavern. He could sense the impending danger; it wouldn't be long before the Lu family would openly confront him for the coveted Divine Weapon Fragment.

Next time, the adversaries wouldn't be as easily handled as Lu Tiancheng had been.

Thus, he was in dire need of more power.

The only way for Lu Chen to rapidly enhance his strength was to gather a substantial number of mysterious fragments like the one he had discovered at the marketplace. Feeding these fragments to the Heaven Splitting Axe's Artifact Spirit would yield immense benefits, making a swift breakthrough in his cultivation entirely feasible.

However, acquiring such mysterious fragments was far from easy, a thought that brought on a wave of frustration.

*Knock, knock, knock...*

A gentle rapping at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Young Master, are you asleep?" Uncle Mo's raspy voice filtered through the door.

"What could Uncle Mo want at this late hour?" Lu Chen wondered, yet he promptly replied, "Uncle Mo, just a moment, please."

He leaped from his bed and strode to the door, which he opened with a gentle creak.

"Please, come in, Uncle Mo," he said, stepping aside to welcome his visitor.

As he did so, Lu Chen's body tensed imperceptibly, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes.

Inhaling deeply, the dim candlelight revealed that Uncle Mo was holding a dark iron box in his hands.

Unaware of Lu Chen's brief moment of stiffness, Uncle Mo looked at him with a gravity Lu Chen had never seen before.

Lu Chen's own expression grew solemn in response.

Uncle Mo, running his hand over the surface of the box, spoke with measured gravity, "Before the old master left, he entrusted this to me. Now that you are sixteen, Young Master, it is time for you to have it."

Lu Chen's curiosity was piqued, yet he remained silent.

Uncle Mo exhaled deeply before continuing, "Inside the iron box is a Divine Weapon Fragment."

The words "Divine Weapon Fragment" caused Lu Chen's eyebrows to twitch subtly, but he masked his reaction perfectly, continuing to listen with rapt attention.

"Divine weapons are born of heaven and earth, each possessing unique powers."

"Divine Weapons are enigmatic and formidable, endowed with the terrifying power to obliterate the heavens and the earth..."

The aged voice eventually trailed off into silence.

Lu Chen was deeply moved. Now, he understood the Lu family's relentless pursuit of the Divine Weapon Fragment.

Divine weapons, the marvels of heaven and earth, wield the power to ravage the cosmos. Yet, even they can be shattered by greater forces, leaving behind these fragments.

Though a Divine Weapon Fragment's might pales in comparison to that of a whole divine weapon, its power is still formidable and not to be underestimated.

Any warrior fortunate enough to acquire even a fragment the size of a fingernail could see their strength surge, making it possible to defeat opponents of a higher caliber with ease.

In River City, the three major families maintained a delicate balance of power, each one keeping the others in check.

One could easily envision the upheaval if Lu Tiancheng, the patriarch of the Lu family, were to secure a Divine Weapon Fragment. The balance would shatter overnight, catapulting the Lu family to supremacy over River City with little effort.

After a prolonged silence, Lu Chen let out a slow breath and turned his head, only to find that Uncle Mo had already departed.

With a creak, he gingerly opened the iron box.

A smile played at the corners of Lu Chen's mouth as he took in the contents of the box—a bronze fragment the size of an infant's palm, its surface etched with intricate, arcane patterns.

Drawing from past experiences, Lu Chen knew that if the Artifact Spirit of the Heaven Splitting Axe were to consume this Divine Weapon Fragment, he would reap benefits beyond his wildest dreams.

His lips dry, Lu Chen's gaze flickered with intense covetousness.

At that moment, the Divine Weapon Fragment in his eyes had transformed into an unparalleled spiritual elixir.

Thoughts of immense destructive power and the prosperity of the Lu family were cast aside. His sole focus was to feed the Divine Weapon Fragment to the Heaven Splitting Axe and harness the resultant energy.

He wouldn't let any opportunity to enhance his own strength slip by.

Feeding the Divine Weapon Fragment to the Heaven Splitting Axe was clearly the most straightforward and effective approach.

There was a fleeting thought for Lu Chen to keep the Divine Weapon Fragment for himself, but he quickly dismissed it.

In his view, relying on a Divine Weapon was merely an external aid; true strength had to come from within.

Besides, given Lu Chen's cultivation at the Body Refining Stage, it seemed somewhat unrealistic to expect to wield the full power of the Divine Weapon Fragment.

With this in mind, Lu Chen no longer hesitated. He extended his hand and firmly grasped the Divine Weapon Fragment from the box.

"Buzz!"

With a mere thought, a flash of divine light vanished as quickly as it appeared in his hand, followed by a surge of overwhelming energy that coursed through his body like a mighty river, cleansing every inch of his muscles and veins...

In River City, on the back mountain.

A young man in black sat cross-legged atop a massive black rock. After some time, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Three days have passed, and I've finally reached the Peak of Layer Eight in the Body Tempering Realm!"

Excitement sparkled in Lu Chen's eyes as he spoke. He clenched his fist, his voice tinged with exhilaration, "With enough Divine Weapon Fragments, my cultivation could soar to staggering heights!"

The thought of such rapid advancement made Lu Chen's grip tighten in anticipation.

But his excitement quickly faded. Over the past few days, he had scoured every major shop, stall, weapon store, and antique shop in River City...

Sadly, he hadn't come across another Divine Weapon Fragment. Its rarity was evident.

Acquiring one was no simple feat.

Lu Chen shrugged and glanced at the sky, "The day is waning; it's time to head back."

Back in the small courtyard.

Uncle Mo was slumped on the ground, his body drenched in blood.

"Old man, if you value your life, you'd better tell me where Lu Chen is," Lu Wu demanded, brandishing his blood-stained whip with a cruel smirk. "I'm not known for my patience!"

His face hardened with resolve, and he lashed out with the whip.

A sharp crack echoed as Uncle Mo's clothes ripped open, revealing a deep, merciless gash left by the iron whip on his aged body, blood splattering in all directions.

In the courtyard, three onlookers sneered coldly, their gazes icy as they towered over Uncle Mo.

"If you dare harm the young master, you'll face dire consequences... The old master will return, and he will certainly... not spare any of you," Uncle Mo gasped in agony, blood spilling from his lips between his labored breaths.

Lu Hu's face twitched at the memory of that towering figure from six years ago, who alone had subdued the mighty Tang and Chen families, catapulting the Lu family to the pinnacle of power in River City.

Back then, even the City Lord's Mansion had given way to the Lu family's influence.

With such a person at their helm, the Lu family had been truly formidable!

Shaken from his reverie, Lu Hu's expression twisted into one of savagery. "Old fool, that man has vanished... been gone for six years. He's long dead..."

Driven by a need to quell his inner fears, Lu Hu lifted his whip and brought it down once more.

The whip cut through the air, its faint whistle foretelling the impending impact.

The destructive force behind the blow was unmistakable; if it were to land, Uncle Mo would surely not survive.

But in the nick of time, a thunderous crash resounded as the wooden door shattered, sending splinters flying. A figure burst into the courtyard.

Upon entering, Lu Chen's gaze immediately fell upon Uncle Mo, lying bloodied on the ground.

"Lu Wu, you're asking for death!"

Lu Chen's eyes blazed with fury, and his murderous intent surged like an erupting volcano.

With a resounding "Bang!" he stamped his foot on the ground, propelling his body forward with explosive force. His Origin Power surged to its peak as he clenched his right fist and hammered it down with all his might.

He struck with a vengeance, showing no mercy whatsoever.

"Heh heh, you're just in time, you piece of trash. Let's go to our graves together!"

Upon seeing Lu Chen, Lu Wu was momentarily taken aback, then let out a cold laugh. With a flick of his wrist, the whip that had been aimed at Uncle Mo suddenly twisted in midair like a viper, changing direction and lashing out towards Lu Chen with cunning precision.

"Die! Trash, once I kill you and seize the Divine Weapon Fragment, I'll be hailed as a hero by our family." Lu Wu's inner roar was filled with malice.

"He's so blinded by rage. If that waste of space, Lu Chen, had just handed over the Divine Weapon Fragment willingly, the family might have honored him with a lifetime of wealth for his efforts. Sadly, he's destined to fall here and now."

"Hehe, exactly. The family gave him his chance. Alas, he squandered it."

"Ah! Such a shame, such a shame..."

The other three onlookers reveled in schadenfreude, their taunts unrelenting.

They were aware that Lu Chen had disabled Lu Yu, who had reached Layer Five of the Body Tempering Realm.

Yet, they remained confident that Lu Wu, at Layer Six with his deadly whip in hand, could easily snuff out Lu Chen with a single strike.