Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Fiery Red Lingzhi

In the distance, the elderly man who had been preparing to strike paused, his hand withdrawing as he witnessed the unfolding scene. His eyes shone with excitement as he gazed at Sha Wei. "The same constitution as the ancestor—it's awakened!"

At that moment, the one-eyed dragon looked at Sha Wei with a hint of confusion. The power Sha Wei now displayed posed a significant threat to him. Dazzling golden points of light radiated from Sha Wei's arm.

Lu Han didn’t know why Sha Wei suddenly revealed such astonishing strength, but there was no time to question it. The one-eyed dragon was caught off guard—this was the opportunity. Forcing himself upright, Lu Han quickly formed seals with his hands. A frigid power emanated from his palms, a cold so biting it seemed to freeze the soul itself.

In a blink, Lu Han thrust two fingers forward and shouted, "Underworld Crow Strike!"

A half-meter-tall crow of swirling gray and white energy shot toward the one-eyed dragon. Lu Han’s shout startled the one-eyed dragon, who turned his head in haste—only to find the Underworld Crow Strike already upon him.

With a piercing sound, the energy collided with the one-eyed dragon and vanished. "Brother Sha, now!" Lu Han called out loudly. The recent battle had nearly depleted his inner strength, and he was wounded as well. After unleashing the Underworld Crow Strike, Lu Han could hold on no longer. He slumped to the ground, face pale as paper, gasping for breath, teetering on the edge of his limits.

The one-eyed dragon had seen only a bird-shaped energy coming at him and wasn’t concerned, trusting in the resilience of his body. Yet, the energy tore through his defenses and surged into his core, and for a moment, he felt as if his very soul had been frozen solid. Biting his tongue to stay conscious, he opened his eyes just in time to see a golden fist hurtling toward him.

Heeding Lu Han’s cue, Sha Wei surged forward in a flash, reaching the one-eyed dragon with a swiftness far beyond anything he’d shown before. At that moment, Sha Wei felt boundless strength flooding his body, greater than at any time in his life.

The Furious Power Technique roared within him.

"Bear Lord Fist!"

A yellow bear-shaped shadow flickered behind Sha Wei and vanished.

With a thunderous boom, torrents of earthen-yellow energy erupted in waves from the impact.

"Aaah!" the one-eyed dragon howled in agony as he was blasted more than ten meters away, crashing to the ground. "Cough… Impossible, it makes no sense!" Blood gushed from his lips, mingled with fragments of shattered organs—his heart had been pulverized by the blow. "It’s impossible… A postnatal realm cultivator cannot possess such terrifying power… Impossible!" he muttered, eyes wide.

His pupils dilated. He toppled over, dead with his eyes wide open, unable to find peace.

All this happened so quickly that the surrounding bandits were left stunned. A moment ago, their leader held the upper hand, poised to finish off the two youths—and in the next instant, the sturdier young man’s aura transformed, the other youth unleashed some unknown martial art, leaving the leader dazed just long enough for the burly youth to strike him dead. Even Sha Wei himself was momentarily dumbfounded, staring at his own hands in disbelief.

"When did I ever have such strength?"

Then Sha Wei turned to the remaining bandits. They recoiled in terror, legs trembling uncontrollably. This was no joke—their leader was a pre-birth realm cultivator who practiced defensive arts, yet he hadn’t survived a single punch.

A clattering sound echoed as one man dropped his saber and bolted down the mountain. With one fleeing, the rest quickly followed, scattering in all directions until not a soul remained.

Sha Wei was not a bloodthirsty man; seeing them flee, he made no move to pursue. The golden points of light on his arm gradually faded, vanishing completely.

"Brother Lu," Sha Wei said, extending his right hand.

Lu Han took it, and Sha Wei helped him to his feet.

"Brother Sha, what… what happened just now?" Lu Han was dumbstruck. He’d always known Sha Wei was stronger than most, but the power he’d just displayed seemed to surpass even the first layer of the innate realm.

"Don’t ask me—I don’t know either," Sha Wei replied, scratching his head. "I just saw you in danger, panicked, and this happened."

"Uh…" Lu Han could see Sha Wei was telling the truth and decided not to press further. He’d ask his master about it later.

"Brother Sha, I overheard them saying there are still women held captive in the stronghold—let’s go free them," Lu Han suggested.

"Yes," Sha Wei rumbled.

In the distance, the old man was still watching, deeply moved but choosing not to reveal himself. Quietly, he watched Lu Han and Sha Wei enter the bandits’ lair.

"I’ll take on the role of villain myself," he murmured, vanishing in a flash.

Deep in the forest—

"Brother He, what do we do now?" one of the bandits asked He Yong.

"What do you think? We run! The chief is dead—what else can we do?"

"Hmph, run? None of you are getting away!"

A massive golden palm, dozens of meters wide, descended from the sky. The bandits looked up in horror as the hand crashed down upon them.

With a deafening crash, a swath of the forest was flattened—such was the terror of a single strike!

…

An elderly woman, seeing Lu Han and Sha Wei approach, shrank behind a water jar in fear.

"Please don’t kill me—I only cook for them," she whimpered.

Lu Han exchanged a glance with Sha Wei.

"Ma’am, the bandits have fled. We heard there are still many captives here—can you show us where?" Lu Han asked gently, crouching beside her.

The old woman was pitiable enough; she had once enjoyed a happy family, until the bandits descended from the sky and took her captive, forcing her to cook for them day after day.

The creaking door opened.

Inside, more than twenty women huddled together—some no older than Lu Han himself.

"Those beasts!" Sha Wei muttered through clenched fists.

The women, hearing the door open, didn’t even look up. They were numb, expecting yet another sister to be dragged out and abused. Their eyes were empty, their hope long since extinguished.

"Ladies, we’re here to rescue you. The bandits are either dead or have fled," Lu Han announced.

They all turned, seeing two young men before them. An older woman among them stepped forward, voice trembling, "Is… is it true?"

"If you don’t believe me, ask the elder here," Lu Han replied with a shrug.

Sobs broke out among the women.

Lu Han and Sha Wei sighed and stepped outside.

"They’re a pitiful lot," Sha Wei said.

"Brat, there’s something good here, useful to you. Go to the council hall, the room on the right," Old Man Ling’s voice sounded in Lu Han’s mind.

"Brother Sha, this way," Lu Han said, following Ling’s instructions to the designated room. The door was locked.

With a click, the Bi Luo Sword flashed, and the lock fell to the floor.

"These must be stolen goods," Sha Wei remarked.

The room was filled mostly with gold coins and some treasures.

"Brat, with this you’ll have another layer of security for the Soul Chaos Plains. See that lingzhi in the corner?" Ling said.

A fiery red lingzhi sat in the corner, its vivid color its only distinguishing feature.

"Brother Sha, may I discuss something with you? I don’t need any of these things—just that lingzhi, which is important to me," Lu Han said.

"Brother Lu, what are you talking about? Take what you want; no need to fuss," Sha Wei replied with a wave.

"This Sha Wei is no ordinary man," Lu Han thought. "He claims to come from a village, yet owns a storage ring—a rarity even in Maple Leaf City."

As the two emerged, they found the women kneeling before them.

"Our benefactors," they intoned.

"You… you should go home. There are no more bandits here," Lu Han said softly.

"Home? We have none. Our village was burned, our husbands killed," one woman replied.

Lu Han touched his nose, thinking for a moment. Suddenly, he took out a pile of gold and treasures from his ring.

"Share these among yourselves, and find a place to live in peace," he said.

Clinking sounds echoed as Sha Wei added his own share of gold—mere numbers to him.

...

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