Chapter 149: The Golden Sun Sword Formula

Lu Tianhong acted thus for the sake of the Lu family. Standing before them was an elder of the Golden Sun Sect, a mighty cultivator at the sixth level of the Profound Realm. Even if the elderly patriarch of the Lu family could hold him off for a short while, he was certainly no match for him in the end. A full-scale battle would only bring disaster down upon the Lu family, which had just weathered a great conflict and could no longer withstand such turmoil.

"If my death alone can trade for the safety of the entire Lu family, it will at least minimize the bloodshed. But my son, Han'er, I wonder where you are now?" Lu Tianhong thought with his eyes closed.

What kind of place was the Soul-Disarray Plain? Lu Tianhong had never truly expected Lu Han to capture the Soul-Consuming Marten. However, as the elderly patriarch had said, with Lu Tianlin dead and a vast array of family businesses needing management, the family had to rely on Lu Tianlin's third brother, though Lu Tianhong was poisoned and the elderly patriarch had lost his left arm.

At that time, Lu Han was the only one in the Lu family capable of going to the Soul-Disarray Plain. Both Lu Tianhong and Meng Wan'er had strongly opposed taking such a massive risk, but as the elderly patriarch pointed out, forcing Lu Han to stay would leave him living in perpetual guilt, unable to make any progress. In this regard, Meng Wan'er saw things more clearly than Lu Tianhong, knowing that Lu Han's stubborn temperament mirrored his father's—once a decision was made, it was nearly impossible to change.

Originally, Lu Tianhong did not expect Lu Han to capture the Soul-Consuming Marten, obtain its blood, and cure his toad venom. He only wanted his son to return safely.

Now that the toad venom within him had been cured, he had foolishly believed that once Lu Han returned, the family could finally reunite and live as they once did. Little did he know that Lu Hui would return triumphantly with his master from the Golden Sun Sect, driven solely by a thirst for vengeance.

"Ha! Second Uncle, how naive you are! The power is in my hands now. Forget the entire Lu family—oh, no, it should be called the City Lord's Mansion now, Lord City Lord. Even if I were to massacre the entire Maple Leaf City, do you truly think you could stop me? You are in no position to negotiate with me," Lu Hui said with a crazed expression, his eyes burning red.

In the past, both Elder Li of the Maple Leaf City Li family and City Lord Wen Hao were powerhouses of the Profound Realm, but Elder Li and Wen Hao had already perished. Currently, the sole surviving Profound Realm expert in Maple Leaf City was the elderly patriarch of the Lu family.

Just as Lu Hui claimed, his master alone possessed the power to sweep through the entirety of Maple Leaf City. Such was the terrifying deterrence of a sixth-level Profound Realm cultivator!

After Lu Hui rushed out and spoke those words, his master, Tian Heng, furrowed his brows. Even he felt that his disciple's murderous intent was somewhat excessive.

Yet, upon second thought, he dismissed the notion. Maple Leaf City was merely a small town; to him, an exalted elder of the Golden Sun Sect, deciding the life or death of a local populace was effortless.

When he first brought Lu Hui away from the Golden Sun Sect, Tian Heng had already remarked that Lu Tianlin was bound to rise in status thanks to his son, and that Lu Ran would likewise be inducted into the Golden Sun Sect once he stepped into the Innate Realm.

To his dismay, upon emerging from secluded cultivation, he learned of these tragic events, which left Tian Heng deeply displeased.

If Lu Hui truly desired it, what harm was there in slaughtering the entire City Lord's Mansion?

Even though news of this incident reaching the Great Xia Imperial Capital might cause considerable trouble, this was a matter concerning his disciple, and his intervention would be entirely justifiable. Ultimately, the affair would surely be swept under the rug and forgotten.

Tian Heng had no way of knowing that this single decision today would cause him regret for the rest of his life!

Upon hearing these words, the elderly patriarch of the Lu family was consumed by fury, his tiger-like eyes widening fiercely.

"To think you share the exact same nature as your father! You are truly rotten wood that cannot be carved! Today, I shall execute justice on behalf of the family and eliminate this scourge!" The elderly patriarch's figure flashed as though by teleportation, instantly closing the distance to Lu Hui.

Suddenly appearing right before him, the old man reached out a powerful hand, aiming straight for Lu Hui's throat.

Yet at that exact moment, an aged hand intercepted his, gripping the patriarch's wrist so tightly that he could not advance a single inch further.

A leisurely voice echoed through the grand hall: "Did you take this elder for mere air?"

Cold sweat streamed down Lu Hui's cheeks. Just a moment ago, he had felt the chilling brush of death. Had his master not intervened to block the blow, he surely would have been slain on the spot.

"That old monster genuinely intended to kill me!" Lu Hui thought with a shudder.

With a flick of his wrist, Tian Heng gave a sudden push. The elderly patriarch emitted a muffled grunt and stumbled backward several steps before regaining his footing.

"I respect you as an elder of the Golden Sun Sect, but this is a private matter concerning my Lu family. I earnestly request that you do not interfere," the elderly patriarch said in a deep, grave voice.

"Heh, you truly grow more foolish with age. Lu Hui is my only beloved disciple, and his affairs are naturally my affairs," Tian Heng replied coldly.

The elderly patriarch's heart sank. The outcome he dreaded most had finally come to pass.

"Hui'er, are you truly determined to leave no room for reconciliation?" the elderly patriarch asked.

"No room for reconciliation? You old bastard! If not for my master's intervention, I would be lying dead on the floor right now! Today, this City Lord's Mansion shall be wiped from existence! I will use your blood to honor the spirits of my father and younger brother!" A monstrous, soaring malice erupted from Lu Hui. Unbeknownst to anyone—even Lu Hui himself—a flash of crimson light flickered briefly across his eyes.

"Master, I am confident that I can surpass the Young Sect Master within three years. Once I surpass and defeat him, I will become the Young Sect Master of the Golden Sun Sect. When I ascend to the position of Sect Master, you shall become the Supreme Elder. By then, the Golden Sun Sword Technique will naturally be open for you to study. With its aid, breaking through to even greater heights may not be impossible. I will dedicate the entire resources of the Golden Sun Sect to support your breakthrough; becoming an Earth Monarch expert is well within reach," Lu Hui said fervently.

"What?" Tian Heng exclaimed in profound shock.

"Actually, Master, before you entered secluded cultivation, I had already broken through to the second level of the Innate Realm, but I chose not to inform you. During these past days, I have been diligently cultivating the Golden Sun Palm, which is why my cultivation realm showed no outward progress. Three years! Given three years, I have absolute confidence in defeating the Young Sect Master!" Lu Hui declared with utter conviction.

These words left the elderly patriarch, Lu Tianhong, and Steward Fu, who were present in the hall, completely bewildered.

However, hearing them in Tian Heng's ears produced an entirely different reaction. The outside world only knew that the Golden Sun Art was the foundational technique of the Golden Sun Sect, completely unaware of the existence of the Golden Sun Sword Technique.

The Golden Sun Sword Technique was the closely guarded secret of the Golden Sun Sect, accessible only to the lineage of the Sect Master. Legend had it that past Sect Masters had relied precisely upon the Golden Sun Sword Technique to break through to the Earth Monarch Realm.

Long ago, the founding patriarch of the Golden Sun Sect, armed with the Golden Sun Sword Technique, was revered as a supreme expert throughout the entire Great Xia Imperial Capital, and the sect's influence was then unrivaled.

It was only due to the incompetence of later generations that the Golden Sun Sect had fallen from a first-tier sect of the Great Xia Empire to a second-tier one, a decline further exacerbated by the loss of the final stance of the Golden Sun Sword Technique.

Yet, even with this incomplete version of the sword technique, the Golden Sun Sect had managed to firmly plant its roots in the Great Xia Empire. Although not as formidable as the Heavenly Steel Sect, few dared to provoke them lightly.

This alone demonstrated the terrifying might of the Golden Sun Sword Technique. However, because it could only be practiced by the Sect Master's lineage, Tian Heng—despite holding the esteemed position of the Fourth Elder of the Golden Sun Sect—had never been granted the right to study it.