Chapter 578 - 576: Be My Sparring Partner

"Life-taking Dual Swords? Never heard of them."

Luo Tian glanced at the man and woman cloaked in dark shadows, his expression unmoved.

"It’s fine if you haven’t. By the end of today, you’ll have them seared into your memory!"

A wry smile spread across Ju Huan’s face.

Then, he ordered, "Take him alive. Don’t kill him."

The Life-taking Dual Swords were former assassins who had spent their entire lives studying the art of killing. To them, killing was simpler than any other task.

But Ju Huan wanted Luo Tian alive so he could torture him at his leisure.

And the bounty was higher for capturing him alive.

"You handle it," said the male member of the Life-taking Dual Swords.

He disdained to make a move against a mere junior.

"I think it’s better if you both attack at once."

Before the female member of the Life-taking Dual Swords could even respond, Luo Tian spoke up.

"You’ve got a lot of nerve. I’m more than enough to handle you on my own!" the female member of the Life-taking Dual Swords said, her gaze cold and filled with faint contempt.

"No, I meant it’s more convenient to get rid of you both at once. Taking you on one by one would be a hassle."

Luo Tian shook his head.

"Insolent!"

A fierce glint flashed in the woman’s pupils.

Luo Tian’s arrogance infuriated her.

Her body moved like a bolt of black lightning, and in an instant, she was behind Luo Tian.

SWISH!

A jet-black blade, radiating a cold, eerie light, thrust toward Luo Tian’s chest.

Usually, she would go for the throat, but this time, her orders were to take him alive.

"So fast!"

The young people in the crowd couldn’t react. All they saw was the woman in black suddenly appear behind Luo Tian and unleash a powerful attack!

This was the true power of the Life-taking Dual Swords—it was absolutely terrifying!

The broad-faced man and his companions felt their hearts leap into their throats.

Until now, no other experts from the Tai Yuan Sect had appeared. It seemed Luo Tian had really come alone.

If Luo Tian died here, they would be finished too!

SWISH!

The jet-black blade pierced through, but Luo Tian’s figure instantly vanished.

At the same time, a sickening THUD echoed as the woman’s neck snapped, her body crashing hard onto the floor.

Behind her, another figure had appeared out of nowhere, one hand slightly raised.

It was Luo Tian!

"What happened?"

"How did Luo Tian get behind one of the Life-taking Dual Swords? When did that happen?"

A wave of shock washed over the crowd. No one understood what had just happened; they all thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.

"Help..."

The woman lay paralyzed on the ground. Her body was face-down, but her head was twisted impossibly upward as she let out a pained cry.

"Junior Sister!"

A murderous glint erupted in the eyes of the male member of the Life-taking Dual Swords as he flew over.

He had just reached her side when her eyes rolled back, and she breathed her last.

"Courting death!"

A frenzied killing intent contorted the man’s face. His eyes turned bloodshot, a sight chilling enough to freeze one’s soul.

Overwhelming rage and murderous intent clouded his judgment, making him forget a crucial fact: if Luo Tian could slay his junior sister so easily, then her killer’s power was far beyond what he could handle.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The man’s figure flickered, and in an instant, nine identical versions of him appeared throughout the main hall!

This was his Ultimate Skill, a Body Technique that could create nine clones simultaneously. These clones even had some resistance to Spiritual Sense, making the skill tremendously effective for both assassination and escape.

"But... which one is the real killer?"

"That’s *Shadow Clone*! It’s the Life-taking Dual Swords’ Ultimate Body Technique. A Celestial Level Upper Grade Body Technique they supposedly found in some Ancient Ruins!"

The surrounding youths gasped in awe and backed away.

WHOOSH...

The nine figures of the man in black suddenly sprang into action, charging toward Luo Tian as one.

But just as suddenly, Luo Tian’s own figure dissolved into a blur of light and vanished with a flicker.

The nine figures of the man scanned the area, searching for any sign of Luo Tian.

"What are you all looking for?" an overlapping, multiplied voice echoed.

The nine men whirled around, only to find Luo Tian standing right beside them!

"Nine... Luo Tians?"

Not only was the man in black stunned.

Everyone in the crowd was completely dumbfounded!

’Could it be that Luo Tian also practiced *Shadow Clone*?’

All nine Luo Tians attacked at once, striking out with their palms.

BOOM...

A series of explosions echoed through the main hall, and tables and chairs were blasted to pieces.

Figure after figure dissipated until only one Luo Tian and one man in black remained: their real bodies.

The man in black was slammed into the ground by Luo Tian’s palm, where he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

His mind finally cleared, and he realized just how terrifying Luo Tian was.

’I’m sure he hasn’t cultivated *Shadow Clone*,’ he thought, ’but his Body Technique is far more profound than mine!’

’Both my junior sister and I were defeated by his Body Technique.’ He felt an overwhelming sense of indignation.

"Spare me! I’ll leave at once and never work for the Sea Demon Palace aga—" the man begged.

SPLAT!

Luo Tian sent a kick flying. The man in black smashed right through the wall and flew a hundred meters, as dead as could be.

The Body Technique he had just used was *Moon Traces and Illusions*, a Secret Skill from the Second-Layer of *Moon Shadow Escape Heaven*. It was a cloning-type Secret Skill far superior to the *Moon Shadow Step Technique*.

Luo Tian had only just reached the entry level, yet it had completely crushed the man’s *Shadow Clone*.

The main hall fell silent once more.

Everyone stared at Luo Tian with gazes full of boundless terror, as if they were looking at a Demon.

’He’s too terrifying. He crushed the Absolute Killing Dual Swords with ease!’

’In just a few short years, the peerless genius of the Tai Yuan Sect has grown this powerful!’

At this moment, they finally understood.

When Luo Tian told the Life-taking Dual Swords to attack him together, it hadn’t been arrogance at all!

Even if the Life-taking Dual Swords had another chance and attacked together, they probably wouldn’t have lasted more than a few moments against Luo Tian!

The broad-faced man and the gentle-looking woman, however, were ecstatic. They were saved!

But suddenly!

WHOOSH!

All around the main hall, several heart-stopping auras erupted into the sky, causing the very clouds to churn and roil!

"Audacious!"

"Who dares act so wantonly on the grounds of the Cyan Armor Race!"

Majestic roars of fury thundered through the heavens. The sky above the Cyan Armor Race’s domain darkened ominously as sinister bolts of lightning flashed across it.

In a flash, the ruined main hall was completely surrounded by experts from the Cyan Armor Race.

High in the sky, two Celestial Level members of the Cyan Armor Race floated, looking down upon the mortals below.

"Is the Cyan Armor Race down to only two Celestial Level members?" Luo Tian spoke with a faint smile.

Most of the Cyan Armor Race’s Celestial Level Martial Artists had gone to the Dongchen Continent, but they never returned.

Now, the Cyan Armor Race had only two Celestial Level Martial Artists left to guard their territory.

The Cyan Armor Race was worried about their position, so they had spared no expense to invite Ju Huan from the Sea Demon Palace as a guest, hoping to intimidate other powers who had their eyes on the Cyan Armor Race’s territory.

"Seniors of the Cyan Armor Race, please capture this brat at once!" Ju Huan said coldly.

Luo Tian had killed his two personal Guards, a heavy loss. He couldn’t possibly let him off easy!

"Very well. This boy trespassed on the grounds of the Cyan Armor Race and killed indiscriminately. I shall apprehend him now!" shouted a long-bearded old man, one of the two Celestial Level Martial Artists from the Cyan Armor Race.

Normally, capturing Luo Tian would fetch a bounty of one million Spiritual Essence Coins, but he was willing to simply hand Luo Tian over to Ju Huan.

’As long as we handle this well, no one will dare to move against the Cyan Armor Race, even with only two Celestial Level masters remaining!’

"Audacious cur, surrender now!"

With a cold roar from the long-bearded old man, a terrifying, mountain-like pressure descended, and the entire main hall collapsed with a deafening crash!

His Cultivation was at the Celestial Pool Realm Second Layer!

He was the strongest member currently guarding the Cyan Armor Race.

"Perfect timing. You can help me warm up."

Luo Tian let out a light laugh and shot into the sky!

CRACK-BOOM!

In an instant, the two clashed palms, setting off a heaven-shaking explosion.

Amid the roiling clouds of dust, one figure stood firm while the other was forced back a dozen steps!

A closer look revealed that the one who had been pushed back was the long-bearded old man, the expert at the Celestial Pool Realm Second Layer!

"Heavens, how is that possible?"

The crowd couldn’t believe it.

At the same time, they also finally confirmed that Luo Tian had broken through to the Celestial Pool Realm!

But even so, Luo Tian had only just broken through to the Celestial Level. How could a veteran expert at the Celestial Pool Realm Second Layer from the Cyan Armor Race be outmatched?

"Your power...?"

The long-bearded old man’s face was a mask of astonishment.

’I didn’t hold back at all just now, yet I was only evenly matched with Luo Tian. No, that’s not right. I was actually at a slight disadvantage.’

"Your strength... is weaker than I imagined," Luo Tian stated matter-of-factly.

’Right now, I can match a Celestial Pool Realm Second Layer expert using only my True Essence. In that last clash, I also activated my Celestial Furnace Treasure Body, so of course I had the upper hand.’

"You brat! Don’t get too full of yourself!"

The old man’s face flushed red as fury surged within him.

’If I can’t take down Luo Tian today, what will become of my reputation? What will become of the Cyan Armor Race’s honor?’

"If you won’t admit it, then prove me wrong with your actions. Stop wasting your breath!"

Luo Tian scoffed and launched an attack of his own.

’Having just broken through to the Celestial Pool Realm, I’m eager to find someone to test my new strength on. The Absolute Killing Dual Swords were too weak. This old man from the Cyan Armor Race, however, will do.’

BOOM! BOOM! KABOOM!

A series of explosions rocked the sky.

With every punch and kick from Luo Tian, a torrent of powerful attacks, infused with an icy Cold Power, surged toward the long-bearded old man.

The long-bearded old man was immediately put on the defensive, forced back again and again by Luo Tian’s onslaught!

"Idiots! What are you all gawking at? Attack him!"

The long-bearded old man, feeling utterly humiliated, bellowed at his fellow clansmen.

’If I can’t win in a duel, we’ll swarm him. We must take down Luo Tian!’

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

One after another, figures from the Cyan Armor Race shot into the sky.

The other Celestial Level Cyan Armor Race member also made a move, but he was only at the Celestial Pool Realm First Layer.

Luo Tian’s gaze swept over them, and he couldn’t help but laugh, "Is this all that’s left of the Cyan Armor Race’s upper echelon?"

’There are a few more than I expected, but they’re no threat. This will just waste a bit more of my time. Once I eliminate these leaders, my objective will be complete.’

But suddenly!

Another new Celestial Level aura burst forth!

"That’s coming from Young Master Ju Huan’s residence?" the long-bearded old man cried in alarm.

WHOOSH!

A dim shadow of light shot toward Luo Tian, exuding an aura so powerful that even the long-bearded old man’s heart pounded in terror!

"Luo Tian, you’re coming back to the Sea Demon Palace with me, one way or another!" a cold, abrupt voice rang out.

"Elder Hu, is that you?"

Ju Huan recognized the voice, and his face lit up with delight.

’I get it now! The Life-taking Dual Swords were just the overt bodyguards, while this Elder Hu has been protecting me from the shadows!’

The members of the Cyan Armor Race also realized this and couldn’t help but marvel at the Sea Demon Palace’s resources.

’But doesn’t this just go to show how important Ju Huan is? If we can capture Luo Tian today and curry favor with Ju Huan, we’ll gain the favor and protection of the Sea Demon Palace!’

WHOOSH!

Elder Hu thrust out his palm, and a monstrous, jet-black claw materialized. At that moment, every living creature in the vicinity trembled with a bone-chilling terror!

"Celestial Pool Realm Third Layer!" the long-bearded old man instantly determined.

His shock was quickly replaced by delight.

’With Elder Hu, a Celestial Pool Realm Third Layer master from the Sea Demon Palace, launching a surprise attack, and with the two Celestial Level Martial Artists of the Cyan Armor Race as support, how could Luo Tian possibly survive?’