42: Chenyang Chujia

The boy hadn't taken it seriously at first, believing that someone like Chu Yuan, who came from a small place, couldn't be that strong even if he had some talent.

Only a disciple like Li Hong, whose status in the Li Family was low, would think to befriend him...

But in that fleeting glance, he knew he had been terribly wrong!

The mockery and composure previously on his face vanished entirely, replaced by panic!

His aura surged violently as he desperately tried to move his body to dodge that soul-reaping green light.

Fortunately, he succeeded, but not entirely...

As the green light grazed past, he felt a chill in his left arm and could no longer sense its existence!

"Stop..."

The boy didn't have time to feel relieved and hurriedly shouted.

At the cost of an arm, he realized that he could not possibly be Chu Yuan's match!

But before he could finish his words, he heard the sound of wind behind him...

The green light crisscrossed, flashing through his body several times in an instant!

His right arm and both legs were severed simultaneously!

He fell heavily to the ground...

In a flash, he seemed to realize that he hadn't luckily dodged Chu Yuan's attack just now;

Instead, the other party hadn't intended to kill him with a single strike from the start...

But why?

Chu Yuan had already thrown his weapon like a concealed projectile, so why did this sword come from behind him?

Excruciating pain surged like a tide, and panic and confusion filled his heart...

Chu Yuan walked over at this moment, and the wind slasher seemed to have a spirit of its own, automatically returning to the scabbard at his waist.

The boy had guessed correctly; he indeed hadn't intended to kill him with a single strike.

Because he still had some questions to ask.

"Did Li Ji tell you to ambush me here?"

The boy screamed, ignoring the pain of losing his limbs: "You can't kill me! I am from the Prefectural Capital Wang Family!"

"I'm from the Chenyang Chu Family myself, so don't make me ask a second time." Chu Yuan felt a bit impatient; he didn't know why there were always people from this Family or that Family.

Arrogant and overbearing, thinking themselves noble; only allowing themselves to kill others, but not allowing others to resist?

But in truth, he could understand it to some extent.

If one day he achieved the Nascent Soul Stage, or even the Soul Transformation Stage;

Perhaps he, too, would become the background that others used to act recklessly...

When the boy first heard the words 'Chenyang Chu Family', he was momentarily stunned.

Chenyang City was just a small city with few martial arts resources; there shouldn't be any Martial Arts Family there at all!

But he instantly realized that Chu Yuan was toying with him.

Yet he also understood even more clearly that Chu Yuan didn't take his Wang Family seriously at all...

This realization filled him with immense anger, and even though he was lying in a pool of blood, he still looked at Chu Yuan stubbornly.

"Yes! It was Brother Ji... It was Li Ji who sent me! The grudge between you and them has nothing to do with me!" he said sincerely.

If his Family was looked down upon, so be it; as long as he could survive, anything was fine...

"Nothing to do with you? Then why did you come here to seek death?" Chu Yuan's brow twitched; this kid didn't seem to be telling the truth.

"Li Ji's Family is stronger than mine! He himself has already reached the Inner Breath Realm. He told me to come and cause you trouble, and I didn't dare to disobey him..."

"Which direction did Li Ji go? And how did you know I would pass through here?" Chu Yuan continued to ask.

"He went in this direction!" The boy raised his head and struggled to 'point' in a direction, then answered: "I didn't know you would pass through here either. But this route is the one with the most resources and is also the most dangerous.

Martial Arts Geniuses who are confident in themselves basically all choose this route...

Anyway, I... anyway, Li Ji just told me to wait here for a while. If I could catch you, great; if not, then so be it."

Chu Yuan immediately laughed: "Genius? How did you know I was a Genius?"

"Because Li Hong wants to recruit you..."

Chu Yuan nodded; so it was because of the 'Family Disciple Certification'...

"What is your name?"

"Wang Cheng! My name is Wang Cheng! My grandfather is a Sixth Realm Martial Artist! Don't kill me, I promise I won't take revenge..." Wang Cheng seemed to see a hope of survival and said urgently: "You have already offended the Li Family; if you kill me too, you will face the hostility of two Martial Arts Families! Even if someone protects you, you will be in big trouble!"

He spoke in a tone as if he were considering things for Chu Yuan, which made Chu Yuan nod inwardly. Unfortunately, it would have been better if the trace of malice in his eyes could have been hidden a bit more discreetly...

"I have one more question. If you attack me, won't the terminal record it?"

Wang Cheng blurted out: "Of course not..."

But the next instant, his expression froze, and he met Chu Yuan's icy gaze in terror.

A trace of spiritual power spread, instantly piercing his heart...

In fact, Chu Yuan's last question was just for reference; regardless of whether the terminal would record it or not, Wang Cheng wouldn't be able to survive.

Wang Cheng attacked him first; surely he was allowed to kill him back?

As for his grandfather, the Sixth Realm Martial Artist... things were different now. The Principal's background seemed quite profound, and the Principal was his backer; although the two had never explicitly stated this, they both tacitly believed it.

Although the Sixth Realm was not bad... in higher circles, it was just so-so; otherwise, Wang Cheng wouldn't be hovering around Li Ji like a lackey...

Chu Yuan glanced up at the direction Wang Cheng had pointed out to him and activated the Luo Yan Step to leave.

Yet he didn't know that about a dozen seconds after he left, several figures arrived together. One with sharp eyes discovered the severed limbs on the ground.

"What is that?"

"It seems... to be a person?"

"Good heavens! Someone was attacked so quickly!? Didn't they say there were no Blood Beasts nearby?"

"The cuts on the limbs are smooth... this wasn't done by a Blood Beast! Someone did this!"

"How deranged!"

"You can't say that, what if it was..."

"I recognize him! He is Wang Cheng! He is a disciple of the Prefectural Capital Wang Family!"

The group exchanged glances, their understanding of the dangers of this trial once again deepened...

...

In a valley, Li Ji wiped his long saber clean and casually kicked the corpse of a Blood Beast at his feet into the stream.

"Let's go."

"Li Ji, aren't we going to wait for Wang Cheng?" the accompanying girl asked.

"No."

"Heh~ You are truly heartless; he went there to work for your Li Family, after all."

"I didn't ask him to go." Li Ji's expression did not change.

"If you hadn't shown disgust toward that kid, Wang Cheng wouldn't have done something so unnecessary. Are you trying to ditch him because you think his combat power isn't enough?"

"...Boring."

"Pretentious..."