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Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Unparalleled Beauty, Mine!
Boom!
As Elder He launched his claw strike, dark cyan Essence Energy surged forth, instantly condensing into a house-sized cyan eagle claw.
The claw’s talons were as sharp as swords, emanating a terrifying edge that could pierce anything!
"No!"
Elder Qin Mei had already developed some appreciation for Luo Cheng’s talent and was pondering how to stop the battle. She hadn’t anticipated Elder He would act so suddenly and reflexively struck out with a palm.
Buzz!
Essence Energy surged like a tidal flood, condensing into a giant handprint that collided with the eagle claw’s claw force!
Unfortunately, Elder Qin Mei’s response was half a beat too slow—the handprint only struck the latter half of the eagle claw.
Boom!
With a resounding explosion, a hurricane-like Qi Force raged wildly. The vast eagle claw disintegrated by more than half, leaving only three razor-sharp talons shimmering like swords!
Shrrrip!
Though weakened considerably, the talons’ Qi Force remained unparalleled. They tore through the air with a deafening noise and instantly reached Luo Cheng, causing the white jade-paved ground to crack silently!
Thud!
Some nearby servant disciples, merely affected by the Qi Force’s aura, began bleeding profusely from their nose and mouth, their hearts filled with terror.
Such a powerful strike—if it landed on someone, surely not even their bones would remain!
"Come out!"
Luo Cheng, sensing the stench of death, furiously activated his Essence Energy Vortex.
At the brink of disaster!
Buzz!
The dormant Nine-colored Scale within the Essence Energy Vortex trembled slightly, sweeping out a wisp of Essence Energy.
"Break for me!"
Luo Cheng was ecstatic, letting out a furious roar as the Meteor Sword in his hand buzzed lightly!
Electric Passage, the second form of Heavenly Fall Three Forms!
He poured all his Essence Qi into the strike, boosting its edge to the utmost, and slashed wildly at the incoming claw force!
Boom!
An earth-shaking explosion erupted as Qi Force surged wildly—countless cracks were ripped across the ground around Luo Cheng, while his entire body was sent hurtling backward uncontrollably!
"Is he dead?"
"He must be dead!"
Everyone’s attention fixated on Luo Cheng, eyes widened in shock.
Almost no one believed Luo Cheng could survive that attack.
Bang!
Suddenly, Luo Cheng stomped down hard, causing the ground to shatter, before coughing out a mouthful of blood.
Though his body bore several bloody wounds, he stood tall like a Divine Sword of unmatched brilliance.
"No way! He survived!"
"Elder He couldn’t even kill him with one strike! Is he even human?"
"No! Elder Qin Mei intervened and neutralized the majority of the claw strike’s power. Without her, ten Luo Chengs, a hundred Luo Chengs, would all be dust!"
"That must be it!"
The servant disciples present were utterly stunned by the scene.
A servant disciple had survived a strike from an Elder!
Even if the strike’s power had been greatly diminished, it was still jaw-dropping!
Even Sha Qi stood frozen in shock, staring at Luo Cheng in disbelief.
"Impossible!"
No one was more astonished than Elder He.
He could not believe that his strike had failed to kill Luo Cheng!
The boy was merely a Fifth Layer Transcendence Realm Martial Artist!
Even with Qin Mei’s intervention reducing the strike to less than ten percent of its power, this outcome still shouldn’t have happened!
"This boy must die!"
Elder He’s eyes burned with killing intent, tinged with madness.
The stronger Luo Cheng demonstrated himself to be, the more unnerved Elder He became!
Essence Energy surged as Elder He prepared to strike again.
At that moment, a figure stepped in front of him.
"Elder He, I must ask you to stop!"
Elder Qin Mei intercepted Elder He, saying, "Luo Cheng emerged first in the Green Cloud Trial and is already a provisional Outer Disciple. His strength speaks for itself."
"In my opinion, this matter should be set aside for the moment. If action must be taken, it should be handled at the Punishment Hall, decided by the Elders there!"
Humph!
Elder He snorted harshly, scoffing, "A useless fool who awakened a Wasted Martial Soul has no right to join our Xuanyuan Sect! Especially a brutish, murderous character like him!"
"Today, he openly disrespected me, defied me multiple times, and killed in front of us all. If I don’t punish him, where is my dignity? Where is the dignity of Xuanyuan Sect?"
Qin Mei furrowed her brows and replied, "Elder He, though Luo Cheng’s Martial Soul may be deemed ’wasted,’ his abilities are undeniable. If you insist on killing him, are you not afraid of Yun Mengli’s wrath?"
At the mention of ’Yun Mengli,’ Elder He’s expression darkened immediately.
"Yun Mengli may be a True Disciple and highly esteemed, but she is not above the sect rules! Establishing order and eliminating evildoers—even in the Punishment Hall, my reasoning stands firm!"
"Elder Qin Mei, a savage like Luo Cheng—who dares to kill Outer Disciples in front of us—is no different from the demons we hunt. Why do you defend him?"
"Indeed! Such a rebellious character will only sully the reputation of Xuanyuan Sect in the future!"
"A Wasted Martial Soul fool may have fleeting strength now, but it’s nothing more than an ephemeral bloom. What better example to establish the rules?"
Several elders came forward to support Elder He, their killing intent thick in the air.
These elders, like Elder He, had long exploited servant disciples for their own gain. Their intertwined interests naturally aligned them with Elder He.
Bam!
Elder He took a firm stride forward, forcing Elder Qin Mei to retreat several steps. With icy indifference, he declared:
"Today, Luo Cheng must die. I will bear full responsibility! Step aside, or don’t blame me for being merciless!"
Elder Qin Mei racked her brain, desperate for a solution.
Suddenly.
"Bear full responsibility! What bold words! But I wonder if you’re capable of bearing it?"
A cold voice drifted in from the horizon.
Upon hearing the voice, the expressions of the elders changed drastically.
Luo Cheng’s heart jolted sharply as he turned toward the direction of the voice.
In the distance, beneath radiant clouds, an ethereal beauty walked toward the scene.
The woman wore a plain dress, her dark brows perfectly arched, her eyes like shimmering stars. She strolled across the clouds as though meandering through a tranquil garden, exuding an aura of heavenly grace—like a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace or a dragon princess from the depths of the ocean, untouched by mortal dust, a being of unparalleled elegance.
It was none other than Yun Mengli!
"Senior Sister Yun..."
At the sight of Yun Mengli, Luo Cheng’s taut nerves finally relaxed, his body nearly giving out.
The earlier sword strike had drained him completely, leaving him barely able to speak.
Yun Mengli landed beside Luo Cheng, casting him a deep glance. Her gaze flickered with a strange light before she nodded slightly and turned to face Elder He and the others.
Elder He’s heart sank as he steeled himself to speak:
"Luo Cheng killed in front of everyone and disregarded the rules. We were just about to mete out punishment according to sect law."
Unmoved, Yun Mengli replied coldly, "Are you aware that it was I who recommended Luo Cheng to the sect?"
Elder He swallowed hard, his voice dry, "I...have heard about this."
"If that’s the case, I have only one question: when did it become your place to discipline my people?"
As she spoke, Yun Mengli’s gaze locked onto Elder He, and a blue flame ignited in her eyes.
Instantly, an oppressive aura swept across the square, causing many of the servant disciples to collapse to the ground in fear.
Thud!
Elder He bore the brunt of the pressure, feeling an overwhelming, irresistible force crush down upon him. His face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!
