C7 Tang Ming

"Haha, old dog, let's go again!"

Lu Chen locked eyes with the Third Elder, completely unafraid, and openly taunted him.

"Tscht!"

Yuan Power surged around Lu Chen's right foot, and with a sharp sound, it pierced the ground, dislodging a large chunk of rock debris, which he then swept across with a whip kick.

A barrage of stone fragments flew out like a hail of bullets, overwhelming the Third Elder and throwing him into disarray.

"Now's my chance!"

Seizing the moment, Lu Chen lunged forward, his palm as sharp as a knife or axe, carrying an unstoppable momentum as he viciously aimed for the Third Elder's neck.

The strike was swift, precise, and fierce!

On the sidelines, Lu Tiancheng and the other members of the Lu family watched with bated breath, silently fearing for the Third Elder.

Just as the blow was about to land, the Third Elder managed to react, throwing a punch toward Lu Chen's chest.

Lu Chen's eyes flashed with a blood-red gleam as he steeled his heart and, without flinching, continued his downward slash.

"Thud! Splurt!"

In almost the same instant, both men staggered, each taking a step back.

Lu Chen's chest had taken a direct hit, while a long, bloody gash appeared on the Third Elder's chest, spilling blood.

Lu Chen hit the ground but didn't pause for a second. With an internal roar of rage, he sprung forward, his muscles writhing as he clenched his right hand, turning his palm into a fist. He channeled a terrifying amount of Origin Power into his fist, ready to launch it at the Third Elder's face.

If this punch landed, the Third Elder would be gravely injured, if not dead!

The Lu family members were on edge. If the Third Elder were to die, they knew well that with Lu Chen's temperament, none of them would make it out of this courtyard alive.

"Lu Chen, stop, or I'll kill this old man!"

At that moment, Lu Tiancheng's chilling voice echoed from another corner of the courtyard.

Lu Chen froze, quickly glancing over to see Lu Tiancheng had somehow reached Uncle Mo's side, his hand gripping Uncle Mo's neck.

Lu Chen's expression darkened, his knuckles turning white from the tension. Reluctantly, he held back the punch he was about to unleash.

"Lu Tiancheng, if you dare harm a hair on Uncle Mo's head, I swear I'll kill you today!" The voice was icy, laden with boundless murderous intent.

"Crash!"

Distracted, Lu Chen didn't see the Third Elder's swift reaction. A powerful palm strike to his chest sent him hurtling through the air.

"Thud!"

He crashed to the ground with force, skidding several meters before coming to a stop.

Without missing a beat, Lu Chen somersaulted back to his feet.

"You wretched creature, die!"

The Third Elder, seizing the moment, lunged forward, materializing before Lu Chen without giving him a moment's respite.

With a swift palm strike to the ground, Lu Chen rolled to the right, narrowly evading the deadly blow.

Lu Tiancheng's taunting voice cut through the tension once more, "Lu Chen, I warned you to stay still. Move again, and I can't promise I won't lose my temper and slaughter this old man."

His words dripped with sarcasm as he gripped Uncle Mo's neck with his right hand, lifting him slowly, then began to squeeze.

"Ah!" Uncle Mo's agonized scream pierced the air as he regained consciousness in a world of pain.

"Master... don't worry about me, get out of here..."

Lu Chen's eyes were red with fury, his teeth clenched in resolve. How could he possibly leave Uncle Mo behind?

"Crash!"

Another palm strike to the chest sent Lu Chen reeling, his body tumbling across the ground like a kite severed from its string, rolling directly toward Lu Tiancheng.

By the time Lu Tiancheng realized what was happening, it was too late to escape.

Lu Chen sprang to his feet, his palm slicing through the air like a blade, and with a sickening sound, severed Lu Tiancheng's arm, causing blood to spurt like a fountain.

"Ah!"

The excruciating pain twisted Lu Tiancheng's features into a grimace as he howled.

A shadow flickered beside him, and with a thunderous kick, he was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud, his fate uncertain.

Having kicked Lu Tiancheng away, Lu Chen reached his breaking point. His legs gave out, and he knelt on the ground, gasping for air.

Behind him was Uncle Mo, teetering on the brink of death.

The silence was profound, akin to that of the grave.

In the courtyard, everyone stared at the young man half-kneeling on the ground, momentarily frozen, the only sound their heavy breaths.

It took a few moments for the Third Elder to snap out of it. Glancing at Lu Tiancheng, whose life hung in the balance in the distance, his expression darkened further.

Without a word, he radiated an icy murderous intent as he closed in on Lu Chen.

"Heh, is this the end? I just can't come to terms with it!" Lu Chen chuckled ruefully.

His injuries were critical, pushing him to the edge. Even the slightest movement was a struggle, let alone mounting a defense.

At this point, even an average person could take his life.

"You little beast..."

"Old dog, just kill me if you're going to, enough with your yapping!" Lu Chen spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, cutting off the Third Elder's venomous tirade.

The Third Elder, infuriated yet laughing, retorted, "Fine, fine... If you're so eager to die, then to hell with you!"

With those words, he thrust out his palm, bringing it down with ferocious force.

The palm strike roared through the air, heat billowing around, as the temperature surged. He had unleashed the Blazing Flame Palm.

"So this is death? Heh, well... I just wish it were otherwise!"

Lu Chen slowly closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate.

"Heh, the third son of the Lu family sure has made a name for himself, attacking his own kin."

In this critical moment, a voice echoed from beyond the courtyard. Instantly, a blur interposed itself before Lu Chen.

Boom!

"Ah!"

The Third Elder was sent hurtling back, his scream trailing behind him as he smashed through the dilapidated courtyard wall.

"Good thing I made it in time!"

The newcomer glanced at Lu Chen, and upon seeing him unharmed, appeared to relax.

"Tang Ming?" The Third Elder emerged from the debris, his expression a mix of surprise and fury.

"Yes, it's me." Tang Ming stood calmly, hands behind his back, giving a slight nod.

"This is an internal matter of the Lu family. Patriarch Tang, I'd advise against your involvement. It would be unfortunate to spark a feud between our families."

The Third Elder spoke with caution, careful not to anger Tang Ming, yet his words carried an undertone of threat, hoping the other would back down in the face of difficulty.

Tang Ming's eyebrows quirked up. "Haha, are you threatening me?"

"When has the Tang family ever feared the Lu family?"

His smile vanished, and suddenly, an immense and forceful aura overwhelmed the Third Elder.

"Puff!"

Already gravely injured, the Third Elder crumbled under the oppressive aura, his knees buckling before he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Lu Wuya once saved my life. I cannot stand by while his descendant is in peril. If the Lu family has no use for this child, then I shall take him with me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's heart, which had been wound tight, finally eased, and he passed out cold.

In the Lu family estate, a grand hall was filled with seven or eight silent figures, creating a suffocating and somber atmosphere.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, Lu Hong, seated at the head of the hall, stood up violently, his palm crashing down and splintering the ironwood table before him.

His expression darkened as he fixed a cold glare on the person below him and bellowed with a raspy voice, "Third Elder, do you not owe us an explanation?"

This expedition, led by the Third Elder, had not only failed to secure the Divine Weapon Fragment but had also resulted in severe casualties among the family's disciples. Most grievous of all, his son, Lu Tiancheng, had lost an arm.

How could he contain his fury?

The Lu family's senior members all bowed their heads in the presence of the enraged patriarch, Lu Hong. The room fell into a tense silence, none daring to provoke him further.

They cast sympathetic glances at the man seated to the left, his body swathed in bandages.

This man was the Lu family's Third Elder.

Feeling the icy stare of Lu Hong, the Third Elder shuddered. He quickly rose from his seat and recounted the events that had unfolded in the courtyard: his son's death at the hands of Lu Chen, his subsequent retaliation against Lu Chen, and finally, just as he was close to triumph, the arrival of the Tang family patriarch...

After listening, Lu Hong's face eased somewhat as he turned to the Third Elder and inquired, "So, Tang Ming intervened solely to honor the debt of gratitude owed to Lu Wuya for saving his life all those years ago?"

"Yes," the Third Elder affirmed, nodding vigorously.

"That suggests Tang Ming is likely unaware of the Divine Weapon Fragment matter," the Great Elder interjected.

Lu Hong paused briefly, then nodded in agreement before issuing a command: "Seal off all intelligence pertaining to the Divine Weapon Fragment immediately. We must not let even a whisper reach Tang Ming."

"Furthermore, keep the Tang Residence under constant surveillance. The moment that young troublemaker steps out, act without delay..."

...