261: Lu Xuan, please don't mess around!

Hearing Mu Yun’s impolite words, Wu Jiu didn’t get as furious as he usually would.

Instead, he caught the key information Mu Yun mentioned.

Lu Xuan, that bastard junior, actually left Mingxin Prefecture, and his whereabouts were unknown.

This damned junior has provoked this Old fellow time and again, he’s simply infuriating me!

Wu Jiu was filled with indignation and couldn't help but curse under his breath.

Previously, Lu Xuan had clearly sent a message to Li Chengxing, telling him to come to Mingxin Prefecture to find him.

But now, this bastard junior had left him hanging here, waiting.

Wu Jiu often wondered if Lu Xuan was deliberately playing tricks on him.

At this moment, Wu Jiu felt a surge of evil fire rush to his head, and his entire being was almost consumed by the flames of anger.

His eyes were bloodshot, like two burning blood-flames, staring venomously at Mu Yun, squeezing out words one by one through gritted teeth.

“Mu Yun, you’d best quickly tell this Old fellow truthfully when that Lu Xuan will return.”

At this point, his chest heaved violently, and he added fiercely, “I don’t have that much spare time to keep waiting for him here!”

Seeing this, Mu Yun had no intention of being polite to Wu Jiu; as the Mystic Guard Deputy Director of the Blackbird Guard, he had the Empress’s backing.

In his opinion, the Wu Family wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on him.

Mu Yun’s eyes were filled with undisguised indifference, completely disregarding Wu Jiu’s anger.

“What, Wu Jiu, are you perhaps thinking of making a move?”

Mu Yun’s lips curled into a provocative arc, his eyes full of disdain.

As soon as his words fell, Mu Yun’s Qi surged from his body, spreading out like a mighty tide.

In an instant, rolling gales howled and swept up, like countless sharp blades, wantonly blowing around Wu Jiu, making his clothes flap loudly.

At the same time, three ghost-like red afterimages streaked across the sky, flying towards Wu Jiu.

In the blink of an eye, these three figures tightly surrounded Wu Jiu.

If one looked closely, they would discover that these three red afterimages were all Earth Rank Xuan Bird Guard.

Each of them was a Peak Martial Artist of the Outer Strength Grandmaster Realm, exuding a chilling murderous Aura.

Wu Jiu, seeing himself surrounded by the Blackbird Guard, remained calm and showed no sign of panic.

He let out a cold snort, his voice chilling, as if wrapped in bone-piercing frost: “Mu Yun, since you are so persistent.”

“Then don’t blame my Wu Family for being impolite!”

At this moment, Wu Jiu had already discarded all his concerns. He would temporarily tolerate Li Chengxing, that Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), as he was from the Li Family, one of the Eight Great Families.

But now, he was determined to make Mu Yun understand that provoking the Eight Great Families would incur a heavy price.

Wu Jiu’s Qi surged around him, emanating a ruthless Aura.

A mere Martial Artist of the Half-step Divine Palace Realm dared to repeatedly refuse the Wu Family.

“Old Ancestor!” Wu Jiu shouted, his voice cutting through the tense air.

As these two words fell, everything around Wu Jiu seemed to have a “distortion” switch pressed.

The invisible space around Wu Jiu churned violently like boiling lake water.

The originally calm Qi currents of heaven and earth became chaotic, forming visible small vortices that emitted sharp whistling sounds.

The vortices spun faster and faster, pulling and distorting the surrounding light, as if space itself was being torn apart by this force.

Immediately after, a mesmerizing and mysterious purple pattern slowly emerged on Wu Jiu’s forehead, like an ancient heavenly rune, carrying an indescribable strangeness.

The next second, wisps of Qi emanated from the purple pattern, seemingly faint, yet carrying an infinite, tangible pressure.

Mu Yun and the Blackbird Guard instantly turned pale, and their internal power was also suppressed.

“What terrifying Qi!”

Mu Yun couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart.

Almost at the same instant, the space around Wu Jiu seemed to be clenched tightly by an invisible giant hand.

Then, a powerful and suffocating force surged over.

The Blackbird Guard close to Wu Jiu were unable to resist, falling to the ground like withered leaves swept by a strong wind, letting out painful groans.

Mu Yun’s situation seemed slightly better, but he was only barely holding on.

His legs trembled slightly, and he finally knelt heavily on one knee, his knee hitting the ground with a dull thud.

The ground beneath Mu Yun groaned under the pressure, and small cracks began to appear, spreading rapidly like a hideous spiderweb.

After a few breaths, Mu Yun’s body, along with the collapsing ground, slowly sank a few inches.

Every inch of air seemed to transform into heavy shackles, tightly binding Mu Yun.

Mu Yun slowly raised his head unwillingly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

That cold killing intent, like a poisoned sharp blade, pierced straight into Wu Jiu, as if to engrave his face deep into his heart.

He stared intently at Wu Jiu, his gaze seeming to say:

Wu Jiu, you damned Lao Jiahuo (Old fellow), just you wait for this Lord.

Don’t let me catch an opportunity, otherwise, this Lord will definitely make you, this old good-for-nothing, pay a heavy price for today’s events!

And Wu Jiu on the opposite side did not hesitate at all; his right hand under his sleeve instantly clenched into a fist, instantly crushing the invisible air.

In an instant, a purple light burst forth from his right palm.

That dense purple Gale Force, like a nimble small Dragon, danced and coiled in Wu Jiu’s right palm, emitting a chilling Aura.

Before Mu Yun could react, Wu Jiu had already swung his right arm fiercely, his movement as fast as lightning.

In a flash, that streak of purple Gale Force, condensed with terrifying power, broke free from Wu Jiu’s right palm with an unstoppable Aura, whistling as it went.

Wherever the purple Gale Force streak passed, thick smoke billowed, surging towards Mu Yun.

At this moment, Mu Yun exerted all his strength, forcefully resisting the terrifying heavenly pressure of the Ancestor of the Wu Family.

Mu Yun’s face turned red, veins popped out, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans continuously rolled down his forehead.

Every inch of his flesh was taut, as if he had expended all his strength.

Suddenly, a very subtle, almost imperceptible wisp of Gale Force quietly overflowed from Mu Yun’s body.

This wisp of Gale Force, like a nimble thread, instantly merged into the sword behind him.

This sword was precisely Mu Yun’s inseparable weapon—the Six-Pattern Star-Grade Sacrificial Artifact, Qingming Sword.

As this wisp of Mu Yun’s Gale Force surged into the Qingming Sword, a dazzling blue light suddenly burst forth in an instant.

The next second, the Qingming Sword moved without wind, emitting a soft hum, and swiftly flew in front of Mu Yun, then quietly floated in the air.

Immediately after, the Qingming Sword’s body trembled slightly, as if accumulating power.

Then, it swung forward vigorously in mid-air, and a dazzling blue Sword Qi shot out from the Void Realm.

This Sword Qi, carrying a fierce Sword Qi, directly collided with the purple Gale Force streak released by Wu Jiu.

However, the Sword Qi hastily released by Mu Yun ultimately suffered a significant reduction in its power to draw upon the Origin of heaven and earth due to insufficient Gale Force injection.

In mid-air, the blue Sword Qi collided with Wu Jiu’s purple Gale Force streak, which was imbued with immense power.

In just an instant, the blue Sword Qi quickly dimmed under the surging impact of the purple Gale Force, and then was mercilessly annihilated by it.

Without the obstruction of the blue Sword Qi, the purple Gale Force streak’s momentum did not diminish, carrying a powerful residual force like an overwhelming mountain, directly striking Mu Yun.

Mu Yun had no time to react, only feeling an irresistible immense force violently crashing into him.

His entire body was struck by lightning, and he uncontrollably shot backward at high speed.

Mu Yun’s body, like a meteor, carved a deep gully on the ground, forcefully tearing through the thick surface of the earth.

For a moment, dust flew and broken stones scattered.

Wu Jiu’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes before swiftly disappearing, slowly reining in the overwhelming killing intent in his heart.

“Hmph!”

He let out a cold snort, feeling somewhat regretful.

Originally, Wu Jiu had planned to severely injure Mu Yun, this arrogant fellow, to make him understand the consequences of offending the Wu Family.

But who could have predicted that Mu Yun would seize such a fleeting opportunity at the last moment?

By temporarily utilizing the Origin power of the sacrificial artifact, he significantly reduced the power of the attack he had unleashed with all his might.

“Is this a Martial Artist of the Half-step Divine Palace Realm?”

Wu Jiu mused to himself, his heart filled with both unwillingness and a hint of apprehension.

He now had to admit that the Half-step Divine Palace Realm indeed possessed a power far surpassing that of an Outer Strength Grandmaster.

If it weren’t for Mu Yun being in the Half-step Divine Palace Realm just now,

Under the overwhelming and terrifying heavenly pressure of the Ancestor of the Wu Family,

A Martial Artist of the Outer Strength Grandmaster Realm, no matter how much they struggled, would only be futile, and in the end, could only obediently surrender to their fate.

Alas!

It’s a pity. If Mu Yun didn’t have this Blackbird Guard identity, Wu Jiu would have really wanted to strike again and kill Mu Yun with a palm strike.

Alas!

After all, letting a Half-step Divine Palace Realm Blackbird Guard, who secretly harbored resentment towards him, remain alive...

Even as a member of the Wu Family, one of the Eight Great Families, and confident in their profound heritage, Wu Jiu couldn’t help but feel lingering fear.

Who knew what methods this resentful Mu Yun would use in the shadows to retaliate against him in the future?

As Wu Jiu’s thoughts churned, he gently raised the cane in his left hand, his figure shifting and moving like a ghost.

In just a few movements, Wu Jiu had already arrived beside Mu Yun.

He lowered his gaze to Mu Yun, only to see that the other party was covered in blood, looking utterly disheveled.

Seeing this, a look of satisfaction appeared on Wu Jiu’s face, “Hehehe!”

A burst of extremely joyous laughter escaped his mouth, the laughter sharp and tinged with a twisted pleasure, spreading wantonly through the surrounding air.

“Director Mu,” Wu Jiu deliberately drew out the last syllable, his tone chilling, “You’d best obediently tell me where that bastard Lu Xuan is, otherwise…”

Wu Jiu didn’t finish his sentence.

But the cold killing intent in his words, like a tangible presence, permeated the air, allowing anyone to hear the threat in his voice.

However, the only response Wu Jiu received was a deathly silence.

Mu Yun was still firmly suppressed to the ground by that powerful force, unable to move.

His eyes were wide open, the killing intent in them so dense it seemed to solidify.

Seeing this, a hint of determination flashed in Wu Jiu’s eyes.

He knew deeply that when dealing with an opponent like Mu Yun, who was in the Half-step Divine Palace Realm and harbored resentment, he absolutely could not be soft-hearted; he had to strike first and gain the upper hand.

“It seems I cannot let you live!”

Wu Jiu squeezed out this sentence through gritted teeth.

In his view, if he didn’t deal with Mu Yun early, he might indeed stumble at the hands of this troublesome fellow in the future, suffering a disastrous defeat in an unexpected place.

Wu Jiu’s eyes revealed a fierce glint, and his right hand’s five fingers were instantly enveloped in a rich purple light, like five evil pythons spitting purple Qi, emitting a chilling and dangerous Aura.

Immediately after, his arm, carrying a gust of wind, struck swiftly towards Mu Yun’s face like a black lightning bolt.

The speed was so fast it almost cut through the air, without the slightest hesitation.

Because, in Wu Jiu’s heart, he had already weighed the pros and cons and made up his mind.

His strike this time was only to cripple Mu Yun’s cultivation, making him a cripple, leaving him to linger on in this world like a dog.

After all, killing a Blackbird Guard and merely crippling their cultivation were two completely different matters.

In the former case, Wu Jiu would undoubtedly die afterwards; in the latter, there was still a slight chance for negotiation.

Wu Jiu knew perfectly well that the Blackbird Guard, as the Empress’s direct elite force, was highly valued by the Empress.

If he truly killed Mu Yun regardless of the consequences, with the Empress’s swift and decisive methods, she would absolutely not let the Wu Family off easily.

At that time, the entire Wu Family might be embroiled in this monstrous disaster.

By then, perhaps the Empress wouldn’t even need to inflict punishment.

His own Old Ancestor, to quell the Empress’s wrath, would undoubtedly strike him down with a single palm, without hesitation.

Sacrificing his own life as a scapegoat to quell this storm.

However, just as Wu Jiu’s right palm was about to touch Mu Yun’s face,

An unexpected change occurred!

Wu Jiu felt his right arm suddenly halt, as if it had instantly plunged into extremely hot, boiling lava.

An indescribable burning pain surged wildly along the Meridians of his right arm, causing Wu Jiu immense suffering.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Jiu’s entire right arm, at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye,

Inch by inch, bit by bit, turned into flying ash.

Fine, charred black powder drifted gently in the air, and some even fell onto Wu Jiu’s old face.

In an instant, a deep, dark shadow, as if capable of devouring everything, silently enveloped Wu Jiu, completely covering his slightly hunched body.

Wu Jiu’s heart jolted, his hair stood on end, and he almost instinctively raised his head instantly, gazing towards the source of this shadow.

“Lu Xuan!”

The moment he clearly saw the newcomer, Wu Jiu’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief and rage.

He gnashed his teeth and roared furiously, “It’s you again, you bastard junior, causing trouble!”

Lu Xuan seemed not to have heard Wu Jiu’s furious roar; his expression was stern, and his gaze went straight past the other party.

Then, his gaze focused firmly on Wu Jiu’s forehead, where there was an eerie purple pattern.

“Is it Primordial Spirit power again?”

Lu Xuan murmured softly, his voice not loud, but filled with absolute certainty.

As Lu Xuan’s voice still echoed in the air, a vast and terrifying Divine Thought Primordial Spirit power surged out from his body.

Wherever this Divine Thought Primordial Spirit power reached, the air churned violently.

That mysterious heavenly pressure that had originally permeated the surroundings, almost suffocating the Blackbird Guard,

Actually collapsed rapidly under the impact of Lu Xuan’s Divine Thought.

All the Blackbird Guard present, including Mu Yun, had their full power restored to its Peak state at this moment.

Upon sensing countless murderous gazes piercing towards him, the color drained from Wu Jiu’s face, and a wave of panic rose in his heart.

At this moment, Wu Jiu no longer had his previous arrogance; he hastily spoke, his voice unconsciously trembling slightly: “Lu Xuan, don’t mess around!”

As he spoke, he unconsciously took half a step back, his eyes filled with terror and unease.

“This Old fellow represents the Wu Family, and I’m here to discuss with you!”

Wu Jiu tried to stabilize the situation with words, but his feigned calm tone could not conceal the fear in his heart.