Chapter 157: The Duel

"Killing a Qian Santong this time means the next time will not be quite so simple. I, Lu Hui, swear to turn the Lu family into a river of blood. However, leaving them with an unforgettable lesson before I depart sounds quite pleasant. The Qian family, hmph!"

Lu Hui was proud; every genius was proud. Lu Hui's talent was top-tier even within the vast Great Xia Empire. His ambitions extended far beyond the Golden Sun Sect, which was also the reason he had no interest in the position of the Lu family head. A fledgling tiger, though not yet fully grown, could never be content ruling over a pack of cats.

"The Qian family, too, shall one day be trampled beneath my feet!"

Lu Hui thought, with a hint of bloodlust.

Two wisps of uncontrollable, crimson vital energy overflowed once more, flashing and vanishing instantly, causing even Tian Heng beside him to feel a trace of palpitations.

"What was that just now? Why did I feel as though I were plunged into a sea of corpses and a mountain of blood?" Tian Heng wondered.

"Hui'er, what are you..." Tian Heng asked, puzzled.

Ever since he became an elder of the Golden Sun Sect, this was the first time Tian Heng had encountered such an awkward situation, and worse yet, right in front of his beloved disciple, making him lose a bit of face.

"Master, although I am confident I can defeat the young sect master in three years, theoretically speaking, you are still not qualified to study the *Golden Sun Sword Art*."

Lu Hui reminded him.

"You..."

Tian Heng was taken aback. It was not that he was unaware of this; he knew it better than anyone. But he never expected Lu Hui to utter such words. Was this still the raw, naive youth he had brought back to Golden Sun Mountain from Maple Leaf City?

However, the mere mention of the *Golden Sun Sword Art* made Tian Heng breathe heavily. While obstructing Qian Santong might offend him, it wouldn't necessarily lead to a life-and-death struggle. As long as he obtained the *Golden Sun Sword Art*, coupled with the resources of the Golden Sun Sect, even the Earth King realm would not be out of reach.

Reaching the Earth King realm would at least allow him to walk sideways across the Great Xia Empire. That was a true powerhouse, and the realm Tian Heng had been chasing all his life.

"Offend him if I must! For the *Golden Sun Sword Art*, it is worth it!" Tian Heng gritted his teeth.

"Hui'er, this master knows what you want to do, but a gentleman takes his revenge ten years later. Do not act rashly. As for anyone else intervening, your master will step in," Tian Heng said via voice transmission.

"Master, rest assured, I know my limits," Lu Hui replied.

With that, Lu Hui slowly walked toward Qian Santong, Lu Tianhong, and the others.

Suddenly, Lu Hui tilted his head and fixed his gaze on Lu Hai.

"Lu Hai, based on what you just said, you even dared to accuse me and my father? You are nothing more than a bastard. Did you really think you were a true member of the Lu family?" Lu Hui sneered wickedly.

"Lu Hui, you..." Lu Hai pointed at Lu Hui, trembling.

Before Lu Hai could finish, Lu Hui cut him off. "What? Did I hit a nerve? With just a single finger, I could crush you to death!"

Lu Hai was, after all, a sixteen-year-old youth; how could he withstand such provocation?

"Ah! Lu Hui, you go too far!"

Lu Hai's talent was ordinary, and he had only just leaped over the Dragon Gate not long ago. Upon learning of this, Lu Tianhong was overjoyed and gave him the Yellow-grade intermediate martial art, the *Fiery Luo Fist*, which Lu Tianbei had previously prepared for Lu Hai.

It was only recently that Lu Hai had barely managed to master the *Fiery Luo Fist*.

At this moment, Lu Hai's mind was completely consumed by rage. That he was merely Lu Tianbei's adopted son was no secret within the Lu family. Although Lu Hai never spoke of it, he still harbored some lingering resentment, especially given the occasional gossipy whispers among clan members.

With faint red lights flickering across his palms, Lu Hai charged at Lu Hui, raising his fists.

"Hmph, foolish!" Lu Hui muttered. His exact purpose had been to provoke Lu Hai into doing this; otherwise, how could he find an excuse to strike?

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Hui's eyes turned sharp. He stomped his feet, using the momentum to hurl himself toward Lu Hai.

"Lu Hai, stop!"

"Hui'er, show mercy!"

The old head of the Lu family and Lu Tianhong cried out simultaneously.

Lu Hai had only just leaped over the Dragon Gate and barely reached the sixth layer of the Post-Heaven realm.

"Bang!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a flash of golden light erupted from Lu Hui's hand, landing heavily on Lu Hai's chest. The ferocious and formidable power of the Pre-Heaven realm exploded within Lu Hai's body. Like a kite with a snapped string, Lu Hai's body flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Refusing to let up after gaining the upper hand, Lu Hui exerted force through his feet once more, rushed over to Lu Hai, and slammed his foot down onto Lu Hai's chest.

"Puff."

Unable to hold it in any longer, Lu Hai spat out a mouthful of blood, his hands clawing desperately at Lu Hui's foot in an attempt to push it away. Yet, Lu Hui's foot remained as heavy and unyielding as an immense pillar, completely motionless.

"You..." Lu Tianhong and the old patriarch of the Lu family made to intervene immediately.

Without changing his expression, Tian Heng stepped in to block their path, saying coldly and indifferently, "You two, it is best not to interfere in the affairs of the younger generation. Let the youths resolve it themselves."

The oppressive aura of the sixth layer of the Profound Sovereign realm radiated from Tian Heng, causing the already severely injured old patriarch and Lu Tianhong to turn even paler.

Qian Santong took a slight step forward, placing himself before them to shield them from the crushing pressure.

"Young Master Qian, this currently appears to be a matter concerning the younger generation of the Lu family. There is no need for you to interfere, is there?"

Tian Heng said with a faint smile.

Seeing Tian Heng blocking his way, Qian Santong furrowed his brow. After all, he had indeed stated earlier that he would not meddle in the internal affairs of the Lu family.

Moreover, judging by the situation, if he were to forcibly step in, he would undoubtedly be intercepted by Tian Heng. While Qian Santong was certain Tian Heng would not dare to harm him, blocking him was well within Tian Heng's capability.

"Let Lu Hai go!"

"Let Cousin Lu Hai go!"

Cried a chorus of Lu family disciples.

"Lu Hui, you are already in the Pre-Heaven realm. Bullying a fellow clansman like this will only make others despise you."

Said an older Lu family disciple.

"Despise me?" Lu Hui sneer-laughed.

"Then I'll beat them until they respect me! Lu Ting, might makes right! That is an eternal truth across the Firmament Continent!"

"The Pre-Heaven realm? So Lu Hui has already reached the Pre-Heaven realm!"

"That's only natural. With Lu Hui's talent, coupled with having a Golden Sun Sect elder as his master—"

The onlookers murmured among themselves.

"Don't come over!"

Lu Hui applied more pressure with his foot, causing cold sweat to bead on Lu Hai's forehead from the excruciating pain, yet Lu Hai refused to utter a single cry.

"What will it take for you to let Lu Hai go?"

Asked Lu Ting, the leading disciple, in a deep voice.

Lu Ting was a few years older than Lu Hui and possessed decent talent, having already reached the first layer of the Pre-Heaven realm, though he was still a full realm behind Lu Hui.

"Lu Ting, if I recall correctly, you are the Great Elder's grandson, aren't you? The Great Elder had a hand in my father's death back then. If you agree to a duel with me, I will let this bastard go," Lu Hui said with a ferocious grin.

"Brother Lu Ting, don't agree to it!" Lu Hai urged anxiously.

Lu Ting was the eldest among their group and had always looked after them well. Usually, everyone respectfully called him Brother Lu Ting, though in recent years, due to frequent family missions, Lu Ting had spent less time at the Lu estate.

"Fine! Release Lu Hai first!" Lu Ting said without a moment's hesitation.

"Bang!"

Lu Hai was kicked aside by Lu Hui, sliding across the ground until he came to a stop right in front of the others.