Lu Chengzhao was infuriated, but he didn’t dare to actually confront Lu Chengsha. Not only did he refrain from causing trouble, but when he glanced over, Lu Chengsha deliberately turned away, as if protecting the packet of candy in his hand.
Was it necessary? It was just a packet of candy!
Could he really snatch it away? No, could he even manage to snatch it?
The more Lu Chengzhao thought about it, the angrier he got. He took a fierce bite of his dry food. At that moment, he suddenly saw a plume of smoke rising from the south.
It was a signal smoke.
Everyone couldn’t help but look over, their expressions changing slightly.
Ling Tianxiao had explained in advance that each sect’s disciple in the Sect Battle would carry a signal smoke. When severely injured and unable to fight, they would launch it both to seek help from nearby martial uncles and to indicate their elimination, so the remaining disciples could roughly gauge the number left. But no one expected the first elimination to happen so quickly.
It was absurdly fast.
Some disciples might not even have entered yet.
However, following that plume of smoke, four more plumes quickly rose into the sky.
An entire sect’s disciples were wiped out.
Everyone’s expressions, including Lu Chengzhao’s, became tense.
The number of participants in the Sect War far exceeded that of the Disciple War. Only forty-eight elites, filtered through the Disciple War, entered the latter, whereas more than twenty sects participated in the Sect War. These included both large and small sects, even organizations like Cixin Valley and Seven Qins World that weren’t adept at martial arts. Along with some small sects like Youwei Heaven that merged with others, more than a hundred people had entered.
Yet, one sect was eliminated right at the start, indicating someone had ruthlessly attacked from the beginning.
“Is it Chu Jun?”
As the host, Dangshan Sect naturally wanted to showcase themselves through this Sword Tournament. That’s why they allowed two young disciples to issue challenges during the martial competition, though the results were unsatisfactory. Chu Jun, harboring anger, was forced to participate in the Sect Battle. It was understandable that he might vent his frustration on a weaker sect.
Meanwhile, a few people secretly glanced at Lu Chengsha.
They themselves were from Tingjian Manor, so they knew it wasn’t him. But others… many would probably suspect Lu Chengsha.
Lu Chengsha remained calm, eating his candy.
Although they were on the same team, the others still kept a certain distance from Lu Chengsha, a habit that had already formed.
Earlier, while they were being cautious, Lu Chengsha remained calm, walking with the wind, completely fearless—as expected, unless it was Chu Jun, no one would be foolish enough to attack Lu Chengsha.
The events of the previous Sect Battle were still fresh in their minds.
The format of that Sect Battle was somewhat similar to this one. Back then, another martial uncle from Tingjian Manor was leading, without giving any specific instructions to Lu Chengsha. While other sect disciples were cautiously hiding, Lu Chengsha boldly walked down the main road, making himself a conspicuous target.
This target was too tempting. Even knowing they were outmatched, many disciples still tried to take down this formidable opponent through ambushes or other means.
Without exception, they were all eliminated by Lu Chengsha.
Eventually, several sects’ disciples teamed up, hoping to defeat Lu Chengsha through sheer numbers. However, they still couldn’t overcome him, resulting in a continuous stream of disciples being sent out—of course, Lu Chengsha didn’t kill them, but left them severely injured.
From dawn till dusk, Lu Chengsha fought non-stop. There were so many participants that, after dispatching thirty-odd disciples, Lu Chengsha stood still, his expression unwavering, while signal smokes burst like fireworks in the sky behind him.
Lu Chengsha stood in the midst of it all, his face cold, his long sword a mere shadow, framed by the dazzling fireworks behind him. He exuded an air of invincibility and loneliness.
All were martial artists, and young heroes at that, in their prime, unwilling to admit defeat. Many disciples from other sects were inspired, determined to defeat Lu Chengsha no matter what.
Surely, so many of them couldn’t lose to just one person!
Thus, what should have been a proper Sect Battle turned into a “Beat Lu Chengsha” event.
They didn’t think about survival, only about how to take him down—for real, winning against Lu Chengsha would greatly boost their sect’s reputation!
Since Lu Chengsha wouldn’t go for the kill like he would against demonic sects, many strong and resilient disciples refused to light their signal smokes, opting to treat their injuries on the spot and rise again for another fight.
The entire Tingjian Manor team had no peace during the latter half of the event.
Remembering that Sect Battle gave Lu Chengzhao a headache. Lu Chengsha might have enjoyed the fights, but what about the rest of them?
Three days!
Three whole days without proper sleep or meals, always on guard for ambushes!
Lu Chengzhao considered himself a skilled fighter, capable of handling any ordinary sect disciple one-on-one. But apart from Lu Chengsha, who could endure fighting without sleep? He barely made it to the last day, while other sect disciples’ ambushes became increasingly reckless.
In the end, he got knocked out while squatting in the bushes, unable to even pull up his pants in time!
Damn it!
Thinking about it made him furious!
After that competition, both the disciples from other sects and those from Tingjian Manor were almost equally battered and exhausted, allowing Qingcheng Sect to seize the opportunity. Victory was, after all, determined by the number of disciples who still had fighting strength.
Having learned from the previous experience, no one would likely make the same mistake this year.
Everyone was fully aware of Lu Chengsha’s formidable strength. They knew better than to harbor any illusions or waste their energy.
Lu Chengzhao suspected that for the next three days, no one would dare to provoke Lu Chengsha. They might even go out of their way to avoid him, allowing Lu Chengsha to stay safe and sound here for three days, and then return to his ferocious and mischievous little lover—a fool who was bound to get his heart broken!
But the rest of them might not be so lucky.
Lu Chengsha wasn’t going to play bodyguard for them.
Unexpectedly, not long after, another signal smoke was launched, with five fireworks rising into the sky.
Another sect’s disciples were completely wiped out.
Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions growing more solemn.
At that moment, they had just left the river—while the river provided a wide view, it was also dangerous, offering no cover in case of an ambush. They moved into a small forest, with crows and birds circling overhead. Though they hadn’t encountered anyone yet, the situation was tense enough to keep them on edge.
Everyone had already drawn their swords, holding them ready for combat.
Before long, they saw a small slope among the trees, a spot seemingly ideal for an ambush.
“How about we wait here for a bit? Wandering like this isn’t going to work,” someone suggested.
Lu Chengzhao, already exhausted, agreed, “Fine, fine, let’s rest quickly!”
Before he finished speaking, shadows appeared in the distance. The group immediately fell silent, cautiously hiding behind the slope to observe.
“That was too bizarre just now! Good thing I ran fast… Which sect’s disciples did that? So despicable!”
“I saw it too. How could there suddenly be a trap there? And arrows… weren’t arrows forbidden?”
“Junior Brothers Lin and Zhang were really unlucky. They didn’t even have time to launch their signal smokes. Later, let’s see if there’s a martial uncle nearby to rescue them. That trap looked pretty deep…”
“Be careful.”
Listening to their conversation, the group found it strange.
Then they saw Lu Chengsha already holding his sword, heading down.
“Hey, wait…”
The remaining three disciples from the other sect looked stunned when they saw Lu Chengsha. One of them quickly shouted, “Young Hero Lu! Don’t attack! We have something to say!”
Lu Chengsha’s sword was already at the disciple’s throat.
The disciple started sweating profusely. With just one strike from Lu Chengsha’s sword, he could be severely injured and forced out of the competition. Nervously, he said, “I am Yu Qingshan from the Lei Sect. I once sparred with Young Hero Lu in Lishan City. I wonder if Young Hero Lu still…”
Lu Chengzhao, having come down as well, impatiently interrupted, “Get to the point!”
Ordinary sect disciples naturally felt a bit intimidated when encountering disciples from Tingjian Manor.
Yu Qingshan, even more nervous now, continued, “We just discovered a trap right behind here. Two of our junior brothers are trapped in it. The trap is quite peculiar. Could the two Young Heroes Lu… come and take a look?”
Lu Chengsha was indifferent.
Lu Chengzhao found it troublesome.
Lu Chengyang, descending from above and caught between his two older brothers, also felt awkward. Trying to appear approachable, he said, “Brother, shall we go have a look?”
***
The trap Yu Qingshan mentioned wasn’t far. On the ground was a deep pit covered with leaves, revealing two unconscious figures inside and several broken arrows scattered around.
“Two of our junior brothers tried their best to avoid the arrows, but still fell into the trap,” Yu Qingshan said with lingering fear. “Do the young heroes from Tingjian Manor think it could have been set by disciples from another sect?”
“Wait…” Lu Chengyang suddenly said, “There seems to be something else in there.”
Everyone looked closely. The pit was dark and murky, but after a while, they noticed something moving inside.
It looked like… insects or centipedes.
This discovery sent chills down everyone’s spine.
Gu insects—Demonic Sect!
How could there be something from the Demonic Sect here?
“Junior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Zhang…” Yu Qingshan called out loudly. He initially thought the two junior brothers had just fainted, but now it seemed like more than that.
Sure enough, no matter how loudly he called, there was no response from inside.
At this point, no one dared to go down. Who knew what other traps or tricks might be waiting below?
Yu Qingshan’s face turned pale with fear. There had been injuries in past Sect Wars, but senior martial uncles had always arrived in time to rescue them. Disciples from various sects usually held back to avoid serious harm. This situation was unprecedented.
Lu Chengzhao thought for a moment, then raised his Bilu Sword and pointed it at Yu Qingshan. “You, light the signal smoke.”
Yu Qingshan hesitated, “This…”
“Now. I don’t want to repeat myself! Or do you want me to beat you into a state of near death right here?”
Yu Qingshan, trembling, reluctantly took out the signal smoke and lit it.
Time passed slowly.
After a moment, the surroundings remained silent, with no martial uncles arriving, as if they had been abandoned.
This realization made everyone even more uneasy. If the signal smoke had no effect, then no one would have gone to rescue the previous disciples who had lit their signal smokes either. In this situation…
The sunlight began to fade, the sky slowly darkening, and more signal smokes were lit. As night fell, who knew what else might happen?
One of the Lei Sect disciples whispered, “Should we head back now…”
Lu Chengzhao, with a mocking tone, said, “You can go back on your own. Be careful on the way.”
“But…” Yu Qingshan, looking distressed, said, “Our two junior brothers… we need to at least find out if they are…” alive or dead.
With no other options, Yu Qingshan turned to Lu Chengsha with hope. “Young Hero Lu, could you…”
Lu Chengsha glanced at him.
Yu Qingshan immediately looked like he was about to cry.
Lu Chengzhao found it amusing. What made Yu Qingshan think Lu Chengsha would bother with such trivial matters? This guy only knew how to kill!
The next moment, Lu Chengsha had already leaped into the pit.
Lu Chengzhao was taken aback. Did his little lover really turn him into a fool?
Lu Chengsha’s toes lightly touched the ground, his figure as graceful as a cloud, landing gently. Almost simultaneously, a huge stone fell from the shadowy tree leaves above, aiming straight for the people in the pit.
Lu Chengsha casually flung his bladeless sword, and the blade cleaved through the stone, shattering it instantly.
Everyone was stunned.
The Gu insects at the bottom of the pit quickly crawled towards him. With a slight swipe of his long sword, Lu Chengsha’s sword energy instantly killed all the creatures in the pit.
Everyone was speechless.
Lu Chengzhao couldn’t help but curse inwardly, “Damn, you’re amazing, okay!”
Lu Chengsha checked the pulses of the two fallen disciples and then jumped back up the pit wall.
“They’re dead.”
The three disciples from the Lei Sect couldn’t help but show some sorrowful expressions.
Leaving the trap behind, they followed the Tingjian Manor group in silence.
Lu Chengzhao didn’t bother with them. They needed to find a place to spend the night. By this time, all the sect’s disciples had probably entered the competition; in reality, the Sect Battle was just beginning.
As night fell, the forest grew eerier in its silence.
Suddenly, a thick fog rolled in.
Encountering fog at this critical moment was like adding insult to injury.
The fog came swiftly, covering everyone’s vision in an instant. Lu Chengzhao struggled to hold his sword upright when suddenly, the two Lei Sect disciples behind him started shouting.
“Damn! What’s with all the yelling?” He had barely finished speaking when a strange scene appeared before his eyes.
Lu Chengsha also sensed something was wrong.
He remained silent. In the dense fog, he simply closed his eyes, making the sounds around him extraordinarily clear. He could hear almost everything, including the shouting behind him and the sound of leaves falling to the ground.
There were footsteps.
Approaching from a distance.
Someone reached out to him.
Lu Chengsha had already swung his sword, but suddenly, he heard a very soft voice.
“It’s me!”
He forcibly held back his sword.
But he thought it might be an illusion.
While hesitating, his hand was grasped by that hand.
The hand was much smaller than his, soft, with a faint, delicate fragrance.
It smelled like flower petals wet with morning dew.
The voice continued, so light it seemed to whisper in his ear, like a dream, extremely alluring: “Come with me.”
The surroundings were eerily quiet, so quiet that Lu Chengsha could hear his own heartbeat.
It felt strange.
Then, that hand pulled him along, twisting and turning, smoothly leading him out of the fog.
But Lu Chengsha still felt like he was in a dream.
Until he opened his eyes and saw the girl’s extremely bright, sun-like smile, he finally felt like he had woken from a dream.
Hua Yan stood with one hand on her hip, very pleased with herself: “Great Hero Lu! Surprised? Unexpected?”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Hua Yan asked, “What’s wrong?”
She thought Great Hero Lu looked a bit dazed. No way! Hadn’t he closed his eyes? Could he still be bewitched?
Hua Yan felt a bit worried.
Unexpectedly, as she leaned closer, Lu Chengsha turned his face away.
After a moment, he turned back, as if coming to his senses, and said, “You…”
“Want to ask how I got in here? I’ll tell you later. For now, we need to find a safe place. This adventure ground of yours has a lot of problems!” Hua Yan released his hand. “But just follow me, and you’ll be fine!”
Lu Chengsha glanced down at his hand, then looked up at her, suddenly frowning.
“It’s very dangerous here.”
Hua Yan was about to say it wasn’t dangerous at all, since she was very familiar with all the traps, but she felt a bit guilty.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “Anyway, you’ll protect me, right?”
Lu Chengsha was silent for a while, then nodded solemnly. “Yes.”