190: Skills are the fig leaf for the weak!

West Slope, the base of the Ancient Martial Arts Family Alliance.

Unlike the North Slope, which is filled with fortifications, this place retains a large number of ancient architectural styles.

With blue bricks, dark tiles, and upturned eaves, if it weren't for the towering mutant trees around looking so out of place, one would really think they had experienced a Transmigration back to ancient times.

There were no guards in front of the mountain gate.

Instead, it was filled with plum blossom stakes stuck into the ground.

Each wooden stake was carved from the mutant ironwood of Gongga Mountain, hard as iron, uneven in height, with traps filled with spikes underneath.

"Is this supposed to be an intimidation tactic?"

Lu Sheng stood before the mountain gate, looking at this formation that was clearly intended to test one's footwork, and a cold smile curled the corner of his mouth.

The Old General did not accompany them this time because he had to oversee the central command.

Following behind Lu Sheng was only Zhou Hai, who had an expression of watching a show.

"Little Lu, these martial arts practitioners love to play these fancy, meaningless games."

Zhou Hai spat on the ground, "How about I just burn it all down with a fire?"

"Forget it, haven't you heard that if you set fire to the mountains, you'll end up in prison for life?"

Lu Sheng's mouth twitched, "Aren't you afraid of setting the entire forest ablaze?"

Zhou Hai scratched his head, looking embarrassed: "Hehe, Little Lu is right."

Lu Sheng put his hands in his pockets and took a step forward.

"Since they don't want to open the gate properly, I'll help them... dismantle it."

As his words fell.

Lu Sheng lifted his right foot and stomped heavily onto the ground.

"Boom——!!!"

It wasn't aimed at any specific stake, but at the entire earth!

The terrifying power erupted instantly along the ley lines, as if triggering a magnitude 7 earthquake.

The ground within a hundred meters in front of him instantly rose and fell like waves, soil churning and rocks shattering.

Those carefully arranged plum blossom stakes, amidst a teeth-grinding "crack" sound, all shattered and collapsed simultaneously, even the traps underneath were forcibly filled in.

Amidst the rolling dust, a wide road was forcibly stomped out.

"Let's go."

Lu Sheng's expression was calm as he stepped over the debris and walked straight toward the most magnificent martial arts hall.

Inside the hall.

The atmosphere was heavy as water.

The heads of the seven great ancient martial arts families of Shudu sat on both sides. In the central seat sat an old man wearing a white martial arts uniform with white hair and beard.

His eyes were slightly closed, his breathing long and steady, and a stream of Qi was faintly rotating around him, as if forming an invisible force field.

The Alliance leader, Level 8 Spirit Source Practitioner, Zhang Daoxuan.

"Bang!"

The heavy door was violently burst open by a gust of wind.

Lu Sheng walked in, silhouetted against the light.

"It seems everyone is waiting for me."

Lu Sheng scanned the room, finally letting his gaze land on Zhang Daoxuan. He pulled over a chair and sat down imposingly, "Then let's stop the nonsense. I want West Slope. Who approves, and who opposes?"

Simple, direct, brutal.

The expressions of the family heads present instantly turned incredibly ugly.

"Young man, don't be so hot-headed."

Zhang Daoxuan slowly opened his eyes, his turbid pupils glinting with sharpness. His tone was unhurried: "The Butcher was a barbarian who didn't understand the rules, so killing him was fine, but my Alliance has a Legacy of a thousand years, and we value harmony above all else."

"You destroyed my mountain gate the moment you arrived; this is not the way of a guest."

Lu Sheng laughed.

"This is the Apocalypse; we all crawled out of piles of dead bodies, and you want me to be polite?"

Lu Sheng leaned forward, his dark golden vertical pupils staring fixedly at Zhang Daoxuan: "I'm in a hurry. Either submit and join the United Army, or I will beat you until you submit."

"Arrogant!"

A burly family head slammed the table and stood up: "Lu Sheng! Don't think you're invincible just because you killed the Butcher! He was just stupid and only knew how to use brute force! My ancient martial arts lineage is profound and extensive; don't you understand the principle of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds?"

Zhang Daoxuan raised his hand, stopping the commotion of his subordinates.

He stood up, slowly walked to the center of the hall, and assumed an opening stance.

His movements were like flowing water, natural and seamless.

"Since Young Friend Lu is obsessed with power, this old man will spar with you."

Zhang Daoxuan stepped into a Taiji circle, the Qi around his body accelerating, forming a visible air vortex.

【Saint-rank Sequence — Martial Arts Great Master】

【Special Skill: Rotating Force Discharge — Can discharge 30% of the physical impact received into the earth or the Void Realm, and borrow the force to strike back!】

"This old man won't bully you," Zhang Daoxuan said calmly. "If you can force me to retreat half a step, this West Slope will be yours."

"Half a step?"

Lu Sheng stood up and loosened his neck, making a crisp "crack" sound.

"You know nothing about true power."

Lu Sheng didn't assume any stance.

He just raised his right arm.

"Hum——!!!"

Dragon Claw skill activated!

Although he didn't transform, the muscles in his right arm tightened instantly, and dark golden Dragon scale patterns faintly appeared under his skin.

Over twenty thousand jin of base strength were gathered on his fist at this moment without reservation.

"Get ready."

Lu Sheng kicked off the ground, and his entire body shot out like a cannonball.

A simple, unadorned straight punch!

A trace of contempt flashed in Zhang Daoxuan's eyes.

Just brute force after all.

He drew a circle with both hands, and that layer of air vortex instantly became incredibly viscous, attempting to entangle Lu Sheng's fist and guide his power to the side.

"Discharge... for me!!!"

Zhang Daoxuan let out a low shout, his hands meeting Lu Sheng's wrist.

However.

The next second, his expression changed.

That was not a simple impact force.

That was an erupting volcano! That was a falling meteorite!

That power was too vast, too concentrated; it was not something his "Rotating Force Discharge" could shake!

"Crack!!!"

The so-called air vortex, the moment it touched the fist, was like a rag caught in a meat grinder, shattering instantly!

"What?!"

Zhang Daoxuan's pupils contracted violently; he wanted to retreat, but it was already too late.

"Fists fear the young and strong?"

Lu Sheng's icy voice exploded in his ears.

"That's just because you're too weak!"

"Bang————!!!"

The fist blasted through Zhang Daoxuan's defensive stance without obstruction, slamming heavily into his chest.

Zhang Daoxuan, like a baseball hit, flew backward instantly, smashing through the back wall of the hall, and finally embedded himself deeply into the rock wall of the mountain behind it!

Spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly on the rock wall, and gravel tumbled down.

The whole place was deathly silent.

Those family heads who had been so arrogant just a moment ago now had their mouths wide open, their jaws almost hitting the floor.

One move?

Even the Taiji Grandmaster Zhang Daoxuan was taken out in one move?!

Is this what they call... overwhelming power defeating all techniques?

Lu Sheng retracted his fist.

He turned around, looking at the group of trembling ancient martial arts descendants, his tone indifferent.

"Technique is the fig leaf of the weak."

"In the face of absolute power, those fancy moves of yours..."

"Are nothing but crap."

"Thump!"

One family head knelt down first, followed by the second, the third...

West Slope, secured!

Just as Lu Sheng was about to arrange for Zhou Hai to take over the territory.

"Zheng——!!!"

A clear, sonorous sword hum suddenly soared into the sky from the direction of the South Slope.

Immediately after, a cyan sword light tore through the clouds, carving a kilometer-long trail in the sky that lingered for a long time.

That was a provocation.

It was also a warning.

Lu Sheng looked up, watching the sword light, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"A bit interesting."

"It seems this Daoist nun... is trying to teach me how to do things?"