Chapter 147: The Cotton Tree Melting Force

Although Uncle Fu's cultivation technique was merely of the Yellow-tier High Grade, which was indeed vastly inferior to Lu Hui's Golden Sun Art, he was, after all, at the fifth layer of the Xiantian realm. Furthermore, in terms of combat experience, he far surpassed Lu Hui.

Lu Hui suddenly lashed out with a palm toward Uncle Fu.

A foot-sized golden palm print projected from Lu Hui's hand, flying fiercely toward Uncle Fu.

The wrinkles at the corners of Uncle Fu's eyes scrunched tightly together.

Throughout his countless battles over a lifetime, this was the first time Uncle Fu had ever witnessed someone at the second layer of the Xiantian realm unleash a palm strike of such immense power. Even an ordinary practitioner at the third layer of the Xiantian realm would struggle to match this might.

"Oh no! I never expected Hui'er to have progressed by leaps and bounds over these past few years!"

Although Lu Tianhong was currently unable to mobilize his Xiantian energy, he was, after all, an eighth-layer Xiantian expert, and his discernment was naturally far from ordinary. He could clearly perceive that the power of Lu Hui's palm strike was by no means negligible. If Uncle Fu were to receive it carelessly, he might well suffer a disastrous defeat.

At this moment, Uncle Fu's aged physique seemed to straighten considerably as his hands formed a peculiar seal.

Then, with a seemingly gentle push forward—a movement that appeared utterly soft and without force—

A visible pale-green surge of vital energy formed a circular barrier, intercepting the path directly before him.

A sneer crept onto the corners of Lu Hui's lips as he watched.

"Does he seriously think this can block my Golden Light Palm?"

Immediately afterward, Lu Hui froze.

His Golden Light Palm collided directly against the pale-green energy barrier enveloping Uncle Fu.

"Bang!"

The golden palm print seemed to melt into the pale-green energy wall, until both forces mutually neutralized one another and finally vanished completely.

"Phew, it seems I was worrying needlessly. How could I have forgotten about that?" Lu Tianhong breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Although the Lu family possesses only a single Black-tier Low-Grade cultivation technique—which can only be practiced by successive heads of the family—and the martial art practiced by the commander of the Lu Family Guard is merely a Yellow-tier High-Grade technique, the defense of that Cottonwood Melting Qi is something even Father used to praise endlessly," Lu Tianhong thought to himself.

The former patriarch of the Lu family and Uncle Fu had grown up together since childhood, sharing a bond as close as brothers.

In his youth, the former patriarch had also been a restless soul who traveled extensively across many regions of the Great Xia Empire. This Cottonwood Melting Qi was something he had accidentally stumbled upon during his early years, and even the old master had never known its exact grade.

Successive generations of the Lu family possessed exclusively Metal, Water, and Fire attributes, making the Cottonwood Melting Qi entirely unsuitable for them to practice.

Uncle Fu possessed mediocre talent, yet he happened to possess the Wood attribute, so the former patriarch had handed the Cottonwood Melting Qi over to him. Back then, the old master had even suppressed his own cultivation realm to match Uncle Fu's and engaged him in combat using the Lu family's strongest Black-tier Low-Grade martial art, the Great Spirit Golden Saber.

To everyone's astonishment, Uncle Fu easily blocked the onslaught relying solely on the Cottonwood Melting Qi. One had to remember that the old master had been considered a prodigy back in Maple Leaf City; otherwise, he would never have attained the status of a profound monarch realm expert today. Moreover, his cultivation technique was a tier higher than Uncle Fu's, yet he was still successfully repelled by Uncle Fu.

Consequently, it was conjectured at the time that this Cottonwood Melting Qi was very likely a formidable Black-tier Low-Grade martial art.

Indeed, the Cottonwood Melting Qi had saved Uncle Fu's life on several occasions.

After all, Lu Hui was still young and had spent these past few years cultivating within the Golden Sun Sect, leaving him lacking in practical combat experience. Even though he had sparred with various inner-disciple peers, considering Lu Hui's identity—as the personal disciple of the Fourth Elder of the Golden Sun Sect—no one dared to unleash their full strength against him, rendering those sparring sessions largely devoid of true efficacy.

Lu Hui simply could not comprehend why his ultimate strike had been neutralized with such effortless ease.

Just as Lu Hui stood momentarily stunned,

Uncle Fu thought to himself, "An opening!"

Ginger was, after all, spicier the older it got. Uncle Fu had experienced countless battles of all scales throughout his life, and he instantly seized this optimal opportunity without a moment's hesitation.

Targeting Lu Hui's flaw, he lunged fiercely right before him.

"Fire Luo Fist."

This was a Yellow-tier Mid-Grade martial art that any disciple of the Lu family could practice, but Uncle Fu had immersed himself in it for decades, executing it in the blink of an eye.

His fist, glowing with a reddish hue, gradually expanded within Lu Hui's field of vision.

Retreat!

This was Lu Hui's primary instinct.

Lu Hui slammed his foot down hard against the ground.

Yet, at such close quarters, how could he possibly manage to retreat in time?

Just as Uncle Fu was about to land the blow on Lu Hui, Tian Heng, who had been sitting calmly, flashed a cold look in his eyes and fixed his gaze straight upon Uncle Fu.

"Humph!"

With a soft grunt, the oppressive aura of a sixth-layer profound monarch realm expert bore directly down upon Uncle Fu. Instantly, Uncle Fu felt as though a mountain of crushing weight pressed upon him. Cold sweat poured down his body like rain, and his movements slowed down by a beat.

The disparity between their realms was simply too vast!

"That pale-green curtain of light from earlier was rather interesting," Tian Heng mused.

Seeing Uncle Fu's movements slow down, Lu Hui's face twisted with wild delight. He scrambled backward in a frenzy, halting two meters away from Uncle Fu as he panted heavily for breath.

"That was truly perilous; I was a hair's breadth away from being hit. If I had taken that blow head-on, I fear... Fortunately, Master intervened from the shadows." Lu Hui was naturally well aware that Tian Heng had secretly stepped in just moments ago.

"Hui'er's talent is commendable, but his practical combat experience is indeed rather lacking. Combat techniques are precisely where the gap between the two lies. It seems I truly overlooked this aspect in the past,"

Tian Heng reflected inwardly.

At this moment, Uncle Fu broke out in a cold sweat. The oppressive aura of a sixth-layer profound monarch realm expert made him feel as though he had been struck by lightning.

Although the Cottonwood Melting Qi was immensely powerful, it had drained the vast majority of the Xiantian energy within Uncle Fu's body. Combined with the energy consumed in the preceding clashes, he had almost nothing left in reserve.

"Hui'er, this is the prime opportunity. With your Master here to back you up, the mere trifle of a Lu family cannot possibly stir up any storms," Tian Heng's voice echoed directly in Lu Hui's ears.

Lu Hui's spirits surged. He understood his master's intent; Uncle Fu was indeed an optimal target right now, and with his master overseeing the situation, nothing could possibly go wrong for him.

"You old bastard, you cannot absolve yourself of the blame for the deaths of my father and my younger brother!"

Lu Hui declared.

Without a second thought, Lu Hui lunged forward and threw a punch. Deserving of his reputation as the former supreme prodigy of the Lu family, he instantly adjusted his combat technique. With each punch he threw, he deliberately exerted only half of his full power, waiting patiently for the definitive opening to defeat Uncle Fu in one fell swoop.

Uncle Fu was plunged into a desperate struggle. Although Lu Hui was only outputting half his strength with each strike, Uncle Fu was forced to parry every single one. Given Lu Hui's current cultivation realm, even half his strength was something Uncle Fu could no longer afford to take head-on.

Gradually, the rhythm of the battle shifted entirely into Lu Hui's hands.

Standing on the sidelines, Lu Tianhong could only watch with mounting anxiety. He could sense that Uncle Fu's aura had already grown chaotic, while Tian Heng deliberately kept his pressure locked onto Lu Tianhong to prevent him from rendering any assistance.

Beside them, Tian Heng could not help stroking his beard as a satisfied smile surfaced on his face.

The technique Lu Hui practiced was the Golden Sun Art, a Black-tier Mid-Grade cultivation method. Both in terms of Xiantian energy reserves and recovery rate, he far outstripped Uncle Fu. As the attrition wore on, Uncle Fu grew increasingly unable to sustain himself.

Sure enough, Uncle Fu stumbled heavily.

"Hui'er, right now!"

Lu Hui caught the cue, slamming the toe of his boot fiercely into the ground as golden radiance poured forth from his palm.

"Bang!"

He drove his palm straight toward Uncle Fu.

Uncle Fu crossed his arms defensively, but he was still knocked back several paces before a mouthful of blood sprayed uncontrollably from his lips.

"Did you really think you could ever be a match for me? Old bastard, I'll send you straight to hell right now!" Lu Hui laughed with a savage expression.

"Clack, clack, clack!" Lu Hui strode toward Uncle Fu step by step.

"Stop!" Lu Tianhong roared. However, he remained pinned under Tian Heng's locking aura and was utterly powerless to intervene.

"Old bastard, I originally intended to deal with you a little later. Since you're so eager to die, I'll just have to grant your wish. Today, it won't just be the two of you—the entire Lu family shall run with rivers of blood! I'm going to make all of you pay with your lives as a burial sacrifice for my father and my brother!"

Lu Hui bellowed, releasing a towering wave of killing intent.