Chapter 127: Overwhelming Gap

The five dark robed cultivators stared at the masked young man before them.

For a moment, the alley fell silent.

They had been moving through the streets for some time, and their destination was already close. None of them had expected someone to suddenly appear behind them, much less approach without making the slightest sound.

The leading man narrowed his eyes.

He tried to sense the other party’s cultivation, but he could not detect anything, as though the young man standing before him was just an ordinary mortal.

He did not dare to believe such a thing for even a moment.

A person capable of approaching five late stage Body Tempering cultivators without being noticed was unlikely to be an ordinary mortal.

The man exchanged a brief glance with his companions.

All five immediately spread out, retreating several steps while maintaining a vigilant distance from Lu Yang.

Their movements were practiced, suggesting that they had considerable experience working together.

Lu Yang observed them quietly before repeating his question.

"Friends, where are you going at such a late hour?"

His voice remained calm, almost friendly, yet for some reason, the five cultivators felt an inexplicable chill creeping up their backs.

The leading man forced himself to stay composed and spoke.

"That is none of your concern."

Lu Yang tilted his head slightly, "Is that so?"

He looked at the dark robes covering their bodies, then glanced towards the street behind them.

"Then let me ask another question. Why are five cultivators traveling together in the middle of the night, dressed like this, towards the residence of a government official?"

The expressions of the five men changed as the leading man’s pupils contracted.

He had not expected the other party to identify their destination so quickly.

At the same time, the masked cultivator had apparently been following them for some time.

Had he already discovered their intentions?

The man exchanged another glance with his companions.

They had come prepared for this operation. Their identities were concealed, their route was carefully selected, and they had deliberately avoided attracting attention, yet someone still managed to discover them.

The situation was no longer as simple as they had expected.

"Friend, you seem to have misunderstood something."

The leading man slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"We are merely passing through. If our destination happens to be the same as someone you know, that is only a coincidence."

Lu Yang listened without interrupting.

When the man finished speaking, he nodded slightly.

"That sounds reasonable."

The five cultivators relaxed a fraction at these words.

However, before they could react, Lu Yang voice continued.

"Unfortunately, I don’t believe you."

The atmosphere stiffened instantly.

The leading man’s expression darkened.

"Since you insist on interfering, then don’t blame us for being impolite!"

The moment his voice fell, a cold glint flashed through the darkness, a flying knife appearing directly before Lu Yang’s face.

Its speed was astonishing, and even an ordinary absolute pinnacle Ninth Stage Body Tempering cultivator might suffer a serious injury if caught off guard by such an attack.

The knife had been launched at an extremely close distance, leaving almost no time for an ordinary cultivator to react.

However, Lu Yang just raised his hand.

*Clang!*

With a light flick of his fingers, the flying knife was sent spinning away. It struck the stone wall beside the alley and disappeared into the darkness.

Lu Yang lowered his hand, his expression unchanged beneath the mask.

The action in itself was no different from swatting away a mosquito.

The five cultivators stared at him in disbelief.

Their expressions changed drastically as they finally understood that they had encountered someone far beyond their expectations.

They had kicked an iron plate and run into a Spirit Awakening expert.

Before they could decide whether to flee together or in different directions, Lu Yang moved.

His figure disappeared from where he stood, and the next instant, he was already standing before one of the dark robed cultivators.

The man barely had time to widen his eyes before Lu Yang’s right hand reached towards his head, spreading open his five fingers.

*Bang!*

A terrifying surge of Blood Qi erupted.

The cultivator’s head burst apart under the tremendous force, his body collapsing before he could even utter a scream.

However, Lu Yang’s clothes were still immaculate, not a single drop of blood landing on him.

He withdrew his hand and turned towards the next target.

The remaining four cultivators had not even finished processing what had just happened, and their companion was already dead.

"Run!"

Someone finally screamed.

Unfortunately, the warning came too late.

Lu Yang appeared beside another cultivator, a palm striking his chest.

The man’s protective Blood Qi shielding his internal body shattered instantly, and the force penetrated his body before he could gather his strength to resist.

His figure flew backwards, crashing into the wall with a dull impact.

He slid to the ground and didn’t move again.

The third cultivator attempted to retreat into the alley.

He had barely taken two steps when a hand closed around his neck.

Lu Yang pulled him back effortlessly.

A moment later, the other party’s headless corpse fell to the ground with dull thud.

The fourth cultivator had just taken a step beyond the alley when Lu Yang glanced at him.

The man felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon his body. His movements slowed for a fraction of an instant, and in that instant, Lu Yang crossed the distance between them.

A single swipe of his hand split the person’s body apart, an extremely gruesome sight.

The entire exchange only lasted a moment, yet three late stage Body Tempering cultivators who could usually dominate a county town died in that short time frame.

The remaining man stood frozen, his eyes widened in disbelief.

He had reached the absolute pinnacle of Ninth Stage Body Tempering Realm, and among ordinary cultivators, he could be considered a formidable expert.

Having participated in numerous fights and assassinations, he had personally killed more than a hundred cultivators.

Yet, he had never witnessed anything like this.

Four cultivators had died before he could even react.

The masked young man did not even use any elaborate martial technique, nor did he reveal the slightest trace of Blood Qi.

Is this a Spirit Awakening Realm powerhouse?

The man felt his limbs grow numb.

He wanted to flee, but when he looked at the narrow alley behind him, he realized that he had no confidence in escaping.

A mere Body Tempering cultivator, how could he escape right under the gaze of a Spirit Awakening expert?

If he turned around, he might die before taking his first step.

Lu Yang slowly turned towards him.

The man’s body stiffened.

"Y-you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Yang had already appeared beside him.

A hand seized the man’s head, and without changing his expression, Lu Yang slammed him against the nearby wall.

*Bam!*

The wall shook violently, spiderweb-like cracks spreading across its surface. Bricks and dust scattered across the ground as the man’s head struck the stone with tremendous force.

He groaned in pain, his consciousness nearly slipping away before being pulled back by the tremendous vitality of a peak Body Tempering cultivator.

Lu Yang held him in place with one hand, his voice as calm as before.

"Now, let us try this again."

He slightly tightened his grip on the man’s head.

"Who sent you, and what is your purpose?"