The spear intent was like countless tiny ice needles, instantly piercing his meridians and tearing his flesh apart—
"ah--!"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the arena. Zhao Lie's right hand twisted and shattered at a speed visible to the naked eye, blood mixed with bone fragments splattering out, leaving only a bloody severed arm hanging limply at his side.
Without pausing, Xiao Chen flicked his wrist slightly, and the shaft of the Dragon Spear gently struck Zhao Lie's chest.
"puff!"
Zhao Lie spat out a mouthful of blood, and his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, over the edge of the arena, and crashed heavily onto the gravel ground below, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He struggled to get up, but could only support himself on his severed arm, his whole body trembling, his face ashen, his eyes filled with unbelievable despair—
He lost!
He, a core disciple of the Yuan Yang Sect and a cultivator at the half-step Tai Xu Realm, actually lost to a Nirvana Realm "native of the realm"!
And he even lost an arm!
Compared to the excruciating pain of losing his arm, the mental breakdown was even more suffocating for him.
His pride in his cultivation and the glory of his sect were shattered by Xiao Chen at this moment!
The entire place was deathly silent; even the sound of the wind could be clearly heard.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Zhao Lie, who had fallen to the ground, and then at Xiao Chen, who stood on the stage with a gun, their faces filled with shock.
The faces of the He family members turned ashen. He Xiong staggered back a step, muttering, "We lost... we really lost..."
He couldn't believe that Zhao Lie, on whom he had placed such high hopes, would suffer such a crushing defeat.
The Lu family erupted in earth-shattering cheers!
Lu Duxian jumped up excitedly, while Lu Yuexi's eyes glistened with tears as she ran quickly toward the arena.
Looking at Xiao Chen's retreating figure, Lu Zhenhai's eyes were filled with admiration. This young foreign aid not only saved the Lu family but also created a miracle!
Xiao Chen stood on the arena, looking at the devastated Zhao Lie below, and slowly put away the Dragon Spear.
The feeling of rejection lingered within him, and his internal injuries still throbbed, but a faint smile finally appeared on his face.
He won this round.
In the deathly silent arena, the city lord's voice, somewhat hoarse, finally rang out: "In the third round, Xiao Chen, the Lu family's outside aid, wins! Best of three, the Lu family... wins!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the Lu family erupted in thunderous cheers, and the disciples brandished their weapons.
The elders' tense faces finally broke into smiles, and even Lu Zhenhai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.
The surrounding audience also erupted in cheers, discussing this unexpected and surprising competition.
No one expected that Xiao Chen, who was not favored by the He family and the city lord, would actually defeat Zhao Lie, who was at the half-step Tai Xu realm, with his Nirvana realm cultivation!
He Xiong stood below the stage, his face ashen, staring intently at Xiao Chen on the platform.
His teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding, but he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal. The result of the contest was clear: Zhao Lie had lost an arm and fallen from the platform.
The He family had no room for further explanation. In the end, he could only let out a cold snort, his voice like ice, filled with resentment and anger, and flung his sleeve, saying, "Let's go!"
The He family members followed him dejectedly, not even bothering to help Zhao Lie up from the ground. They scrambled through the crowd and hurriedly left the arena.
Today's humiliation is enough to make the He family unable to hold their heads high in Yong'an City.
Lu Zhenhai strode onto the arena, bowed deeply to Xiao Chen, and said with deep gratitude, "Young friend, I am deeply grateful!"
"If it weren't for your intervention today, my Lu family would have truly fallen into ruin in Yong'an City, and the Yunlan Mountains would have fallen into the hands of the He family!"
When he said this, his eyes were sincere, without the slightest air of someone in a superior position.
Xiao Chen sheathed the Dragon Spear, waved his hand lightly, and said in a calm tone, "Lord Lu, you are too kind. I was just repaying Miss Lu for saving my life. It was nothing more than a small favor."
Lu Zhenhai shook his head, his smile deepening. He then changed the subject, lowering his voice, and said, "Young friend, there's something I've never told you. The Yunlan Mountains, which our Lu family protects, might hold some treasures."
"Oh?" Xiao Chen finally showed a hint of curiosity in his eyes and raised an eyebrow at Lu Zhenhai.
Lu Zhenhai explained, "About three months ago, there were several faint fluctuations of spiritual energy deep within the Yunlan Mountains."
"The spiritual energy there was far purer than the mountain's own spiritual veins. I wanted to take people in to investigate, but we discovered an invisible barrier deep inside."
"That barrier was incredibly sturdy; even the Grand Elder and I, working together, couldn't break it. We could only vaguely sense something emanating spiritual energy behind it. We suspect that there are probably extraordinary treasures hidden inside."
He paused, then added, "This news wasn't kept secret for long; it soon reached the City Lord's Mansion and the He family."
"The city lord's mansion is cunning; fearing danger behind the barrier, they have remained inactive. But the He family is ambitious, eager to seize the treasure, and afraid that forcing their way through the barrier would allow the city lord's mansion to take advantage."
"They had just come up with the idea of a best-of-three contest for the mountain range, thinking they could easily win the match, but they never expected that you, young friend, would appear out of nowhere and ruin their plans."
"Clan leader!" The elders behind Lu Zhenhai's faces changed drastically, and they hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. The first elder said urgently, "This is a secret of our Lu family. How can we easily tell outsiders..."
"shut up!"
Lu Zhenhai interrupted the Grand Elder directly, his tone stern, "If it weren't for you, young friend, the Yunlan Mountains would have already fallen into the hands of the He family. What would be the point of this 'secret' then?"
"Besides, the He family and the city lord's mansion already knew this news, so it's hardly a secret!"
"Young friend has done the Lu family such a great favor; it is only right that we inform him of this matter!"
The elders were rendered speechless by the rebuttal and could only retreat to the side, their eyes filled with gratitude but also a complex mix of emotions as they looked at Xiao Chen.
After all, it's a treasure that the family might possess, so telling an outsider about it would inevitably cause them some concerns.
As Xiao Chen listened to Lu Zhenhai's words, he seemed to be deep in thought. Perhaps the barrier and treasures deep in the Yunlan Mountains were an opportunity in this realm.
His purpose in this training was to broaden his horizons and seek opportunities, so what lies behind this barrier is certainly worth seeing.
Seeing Xiao Chen's expression, Lu Zhenhai quickly said, "If you are interested, young friend, we can go to explore the depths of the mountains together when the time is right."
"If we can truly break through the barrier, you may choose any treasures inside!"
He knew that Xiao Chen's strength far surpassed that of the Lu family. If he could win over this powerful figure, the Lu family's position in Yong'an City would only become more secure in the future.
Moreover, he knew that even if there were treasures, the Lu family couldn't keep them all to themselves; others would still covet them.
Xiao Chen is so strong, his background must be extraordinary.
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