Chapter 289: Ripping Apart, Shock-Killing

From the moment the man and the demon began to fight, Lu Bai hadn’t used his full strength. He hadn’t even released his Blood Qi.

But the moment its forked tongue made contact with Lu Bai, the snake sensed something was terribly wrong.

For the first time since it had appeared, a look of terror filled the Snake Demon’s scarlet eyes.

It no longer wanted to linger. It wanted to escape this place as fast as possible, to get as far away from this man as it could!

But its upper and lower jaws were clamped shut by Lu Bai’s hands. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t break free.

“What is going on?”

The numerous academy disciples watching from a distance stared wide-eyed at the scene.

The Snake Demon thrashed and rolled in mid-air, letting out a series of hisses as it tried to shake Lu Bai off.

Yet Lu Bai stood suspended in the air, his figure as steady as a mountain. His hands held a death grip on the Snake Demon’s massive mouth, and his arms were steadily forcing it wider.

The Snake Demon’s jaws were being pried apart.

As Lu Bai exerted his strength, they opened wider and wider!

Then, with a sickening RIP, the academy disciples witnessed a sight that would be seared into their memories for the rest of their lives.

Lu Bai, gripping the edges of its mouth, tore the Snake Demon’s entire head in two!

Blood sprayed through the sky.

Having suffered such a grievous wound, the Snake Demon died on the spot!

Its massive serpentine corpse crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Is… is he even human?”

“Can human strength really do that? Fighting a Demon Beast to the death with bare hands?”

“Forget about striking a snake’s vital point. In the face of absolute power, the entire Snake Demon is a vital point!”

A thousand thoughts flashed through the minds of the disciples. Their gazes, fixed on Lu Bai, were filled with a mixture of admiration, shock, and terror.

A True Master Martial Dao under the age of twenty!

Tearing a Fierce Beast Remnant apart with his bare hands!

Before the crowd could recover from their shock, Lu Bai’s figure flickered, crossing the void and quickly disappearing into the night, his destination unknown.

—————–

「Before a peak in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground」

Three men stood side-by-side, their expressions relaxed.

One of them was none other than Jiang Tao, who had abruptly left earlier.

The other two were older men. One wore gray robes, while the other wore black robes with the unique embroidery of Mo Country on his cuffs.

Both of their Cultivations had reached the Golden Core Realm.

The gray-robed elder was one of Marquis Jingzhong’s men, Wu Qi.

The other, a Mo Country native, was surnamed Ji.

Wu Qi said, “Lu Bai coming along this time has saved us a lot of trouble.”

Jiang Tao chuckled. “The original plan was to make Luo Qing disappear in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground to lure Lu Bai out of the Capital City. I never expected the brat to serve himself up on a platter, heh heh.”

The elder surnamed Ji asked, “Dean Jiang, if several of your Jingwu Academy disciples die during this Cyan Mountain Hunting, how will you explain it when you return?”

“Don’t worry, Elder Ji.”

Jiang Tao smiled faintly. “The Academy always has a certain quota for casualties during the Cyan Mountain Hunting. Besides, Lu Bai isn’t a disciple of my Jingwu Academy. If he dies in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground, he can only blame himself for being unlucky and unskilled.”

“Indeed.”

Wu Qi continued, “We have Elder Ji’s Snake Demon to thank for this. Otherwise, killing Lu Bai in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground would have taken a lot more effort.”

“Heh heh.”

Elder Ji gave a light chuckle. “I’m just an old servant temporarily raising a Demon Beast here for my Young Master. Given the friendship between my master and Marquis Jingzhong, a small matter like this is nothing but a simple favor.”

Jiang Tao pondered for a moment. “However, if word of the Snake Demon harming people gets back to the Capital City, and someone finds out it was the Demon Beast raised by Young Master Mo, it might cause some trouble.”

“Rest assured.”

Wu Qi waved his hand dismissively. “Marquis Jingzhong has already made arrangements for such troubles. With the Duke of Zhong overseeing the Capital City, no major waves can be stirred up. As for what happens after the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, heh heh…”

Wu Qi let out a strange laugh and didn’t continue.

Jiang Tao vaguely sensed an underlying meaning and was about to ask, his curiosity piqued, when a sharp hiss suddenly echoed from the direction of the academy disciples.

It was the cry of that very Snake Demon.

“Something’s not right!”

Elder Ji’s brow furrowed suddenly.

“What is it?”

Jiang Tao and Wu Qi asked in unison.

“I’ve raised this Snake Demon for my Young Master for many years. That hiss… it doesn’t sound right.”

His brows knitted tightly, Elder Ji looked at Jiang Tao and Wu Qi. “Are you certain that Lu Bai is an Innate Martial Artist?”

“Certain!”

Jiang Tao nodded. “Half a year ago, he was merely at the Innate Seven Meridians. It’s only been six months. It’s impossible for him to have entered the Alchemy Dao.”

“True.”

Elder Ji nodded and muttered, ‘Even if he did step into the Alchemy Dao, he couldn’t be a match for the Snake Demon. After all, it contains the Fei Yi Bloodline.’

Despite saying this, Elder Ji’s expression remained grave. He asked again, “Besides you all, are there any other masters on this trip?”

“No.”

Jiang Tao shook his head. “I observed carefully after we entered the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground. I didn’t see anyone following us.”

“This is strange.”

Elder Ji’s expression was one of bewildered suspicion. After a moment of thought, he said abruptly, “I’m going over there to take a look. We can’t have any mishaps.”

“There’s no need to go.”

Just then, a voice drifted over from the distance.

When the first word was spoken, the voice was still far away.

By the time the last word fell, a tall, imposing, blood-drenched figure had already appeared before Jiang Tao and the other two!

The man held a gleaming longsword. He stood like a deity in the night, his gaze a burning torch, his body seething with killing intent. The Demon Qi had not yet dissipated from the fresh blood that coated him, which still emanated a faint warmth.

“Lu Bai!”

Jiang Tao cried out in alarm upon seeing the newcomer.

Elder Ji’s face darkened as he growled, “What did you do to my Young Master’s Snake Demon?”

“That beast?”

Lu Bai grinned. “I’ve already slaughtered it!”

Before his voice had even faded, Lu Bai dove down, charging straight for Jiang Tao and the other two!

“You’re courting death!”

Elder Ji roared in fury.

Just as Lu Bai closed in, Wu Qi and Jiang Tao also drew their weapons. Their Blood Qi surged, and with a WHOOSH, two massive flames seemed to ignite around their bodies!

“ROAR!”

At that moment, Lu Bai suddenly opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar.

In an instant, throughout the entire Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground, a hundred beasts took cover, and a dead silence fell over everything!

The strongest Demon Beasts in the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground were merely Tier Three, equivalent to a True Master Martial Dao.

And as Lu Bai’s Cultivation had increased, the power of his Silent Shock Secret Technique had risen with it.

This roar was like the advent of the sacred White Tiger, its cry shaking Heaven and Earth!

The three men closest to him bore the brunt of the impact.

Although Elder Ji and Wu Qi were both True Masters of the Martial Dao—the latter even at Golden Core Realm Perfection…

…they were, after all, advanced in age. Their Blood Qi was in decay, and they had long since entered their twilight years.

This single cry of Silent Shock not only scattered their Blood Qi but nearly shattered their very souls!

Elder Ji was at the Mid Stage of the Golden Core Realm, and his Blood Qi extended less than two feet.

Once his Blood Qi was scattered and its protection gone, the Silent Shock Secret Technique flooded directly into his mind.

In an instant, Elder Ji looked as if he had been struck by lightning. Blood poured from his Seven Acupoints, his eyes bulged wide with a horrific expression, and without making a sound, he fell stiffly to the ground.

A single use of the Silent Shock Secret Technique had shaken him to death!