Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Top-Grade Magical Artifact?

At the moment the Lu Family brothers vanished, Zhou Luo followed closely behind.

"Where are they?"

A cultivator sensed something amiss.

The cultivators who had just finished fighting looked back and saw no trace of the three men, all turning pale with fright.

"Damn it, we’ve been tricked," cursed the burly man wielding a large knife.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been wary of the two brothers, but throughout the journey, Lu Ming had truly performed convincingly enough.

Moreover, he had suffered significant injuries to break the formation.

It was precisely because of this that everyone slightly let their guard down.

And at the final step, everyone was blinded by the joy of victory, so how could they care about these things?

Little did they realize they would still fall for it.

Panic appeared on everyone’s faces, someone immediately charged towards the direction they vanished and plunged into the mist.

But without the guidance of a formation master, how could they escape?

On the other side, Zhou Luo kept a distance neither too close nor too far from the Lu Family brothers.

The two ahead noticed but didn’t care.

Holding the formation disks, they continuously released their mental strength, striving to leave this place as fast as possible.

Otherwise, if the group of cultivators caught up, they wouldn’t be able to handle the situation easily.

After about half an hour, a smile appeared on Lu Ming’s pale face; looking at the dense fog ahead, his eyes brightened, and he stepped forward confidently.

In the next second, he emerged from the mist and saw a vast, green valley.

In the valley, dense trees intertwined into a green ocean; a breeze brushed by, leaves fluttering gently, emitting rustling sounds.

The fresh, pleasant air mingled with the fragrances of soil and green leaves, refreshing the soul.

Lu Ming and Lu Chou looked exhilarated, their faces beaming with joy.

Just then, Zhou Luo slowly emerged behind them.

"So, the Lu Family is so hypocritical all along."

Lu Ming and Lu Chou turned around simultaneously, their eyes fixed sharply on him.

"Kid, do you really think we let you follow intending to spare you?" said Lu Chou coldly, holding the white jade formation disk.

Zhou Luo stood still, a smile at the corner of his mouth: "So what?"

"So… you can die."

Before his voice faded, the formation disk in Lu Chou’s hand flashed and vanished into his palm, replaced by a blue long sword.

The long sword whistled out, mixed with sword light, carrying a powerful aura.

Lu Chou’s sixth layer of Qi Refinement cultivation also erupted.

Whoosh—

The sword light was fierce, its sword intent surging directly toward Zhou Luo.

Zhou Luo remained calm and composed. He grasped the Xuan Sky Sword with his right hand, channeling golden spiritual energy into the blade.

Golden Rainbow Piercing the Sun!

He swung the sword, a blinding golden radiance burst forth, a massive golden sun rolling fiercely toward his foe.

Boom—

The two collided, unleashing immense power, stirring up a hurricane-force gale.

Lu Chou’s powerful sword momentum shattered instantly, forcing him back several steps.

He stared at his opponent in shock, eyes filled with profound dread.

This man’s technique was far mightier than he had imagined.

At this moment, Lu Ming quickly stepped in with a smile, attempting to mediate, "A misunderstanding, it’s all just a misunderstanding."

"Hypocrite, don’t stall to set up your formation. Just come at me together." Zhou Luo narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

Lu Ming’s smile froze; he hadn’t expected his plan to be so easily seen through.

He immediately stored his formation plate. A white feathered fan appeared in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"A mere fifth layer of Qi Refinement practitioner—how could you possibly turn the world upside down?"

With those words, he lunged forward, gently waved the white feathered fan, and simultaneously flung out three mid-grade spiritual symbols.

Instantly, fierce winds arose as verdant spiritual energy surged wildly.

Simultaneously, the three mid-grade spiritual symbols erupted with intense light. Three fireballs, wreathed in scorching heat, shot forward.

Wind Moves Without a Trace.

A surge of rushing wind surrounded Zhou Luo. With a sidestep, he darted aside like a gust of wind while sweeping his blade anew.

Lu Chou, having just been forced back, struck again immediately. He too flung out several spiritual symbols to block Zhou Luo’s escape routes, his entire body transforming into a streak of light as he charged straight ahead.

Watching spiritual symbols being thrown out one after another, Zhou Luo felt his heart bleed.

These were his treasures!

He couldn’t let these bastards ruin them.

Swiftly, he popped a Superior Rank Spirit Surge Pill into his mouth. His inner spiritual energy erupted violently.

As Lu Chou closed in for the kill, Zhou Luo delivered another slash, unleashing Golden Rainbow Piercing the Sun once more.

The massive golden sun pulsed with an overwhelmingly powerful aura. Lu Chou’s eyes darkened as he released a torrent of mental strength.

Earlier, he had deliberately held back, letting Lu Ming calculate their escape route while reserving his strength for this very moment.

As a high-tier formation master, his mental strength far surpassed ordinary cultivators. Now it crashed down like an unstoppable river.

That colossal wave of mental strength surrounded Zhou Luo in an instant, binding him firmly in place.

A flicker of disdain crossed Lu Chou’s face. Bathed in shining spirit glow, he narrowly avoided the golden sun. His blue long sword drove straight toward Zhou Luo’s chest.

"Just die."

He brimmed with confidence, already closing in at this close distance.

However, at that moment, Zhou Luo lifted the corners of his mouth. His originally restrained body suddenly moved, releasing all his spiritual energy without the slightest hesitation.

Bolstered by the spiritual energy, the Xuan Sky Sword surged with power, unleashing several sword auras.

Lu Chou’s face paled in terror. He hastily raised his sword to block.

Just then, Zhou Luo charged straight toward him, his sword aimed directly at Lu Chou’s head.

He was on the verge of succeeding when Lu Ming arrived abruptly.

Wielding his White Feather Fan, Lu Ming stirred fierce gusts of wind to slow Zhou Luo’s advance while dashing over at full speed.

Clang—

As the Xuan Sky Sword was about to strike Lu Chou down, Lu Ming finally reached the spot. He thrust his White Feather Fan forward, barely parrying the deadly blow.

Shaken to his core, Lu Chou frantically counterattacked with his sword.

But at that instant, Zhou Luo sent a high-grade spiritual symbol flying toward them while leaping backward.

The spiritual symbol exploded mid-air, releasing razor-sharp golden light rays that scattered in all directions.

Terrified, the two immediately summoned defensive measures.

Boom—Boom—Boom—

Deafening explosions erupted across the ground in rapid succession, kicking up thick clouds of dust.

As the smoke cleared, the figures of Lu Ming and Lu Chou became visible once more.

Floating before them was a small tower-shaped artifact radiating an intense Xuan Huang spiritual glow.

Zhou Luo’s eyes lit up.

The aura emanating from this small tower felt even more potent than the Golden Bell’s.

Could it be a top-grade magical artifact?

No wonder the Lu Family dared to send only these two high-tier formation masters! They must possess such a trump card.

Already injured, both men now appeared quite disheveled.

Their eyes fixed fiercely on Zhou Luo, faces filled with caution.

"How is this guy’s mental strength so formidable?" Lu Chou transmitted his voice secretly.

The opponent had just broken free from his mental restraints.

Is he truly not a middle-tier formation master?

Or does he carry some treasure that shields him from mental assaults?

"Stay alert. Retreat first," Lu Ming urged under his breath.

With the Xuanying Tower shielding them, the enemy stood no chance.

Their priority now was to gain distance and prepare a formation for a counterattack.

After all, they were high-tier formation masters.

Once their formation was complete, Si Wu was absolutely certain.

No sooner had they decided than Lu Ming maneuvered the small Xuan Huang tower to cover their retreat.

"Running away already?"

Zhou Luo hadn’t expected such cautious opponents, yet he’d already taken a liking to that small tower and couldn’t let them escape.

He produced wind under his feet and swiftly followed.