"Heaven Water Style: Snakes and Cranes Warring!"

Cai Huazhang, driven to desperation by dozens of Master Liudao Yuan's nuclear light beams, erupted with unprecedented potential.

An inexplicable aura surged from him, manifesting in the air as an illusion of a black snake and a white crane circling him.

The Grandmaster's Power Field spread, and the large net formed by dozens of nuclear light beams twisted and shattered around him.

At this moment, Cai Huazhang's Grandmaster Level combat power was fully displayed.

His eyes were ice-cold as he rushed toward Master Liudao Yuan with murderous intent, seemingly having made preparations for a desperate, all-in gamble.

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, but his body remained still. At least half of the eight Law Enforcers of the Evil Martial Association surrounding the battle were ready to act at any moment. It wasn't his turn to make a move. Before Cai Huazhang's attack landed on Liu, someone would naturally teach him a lesson. However, if others intervened, it would also mean Liu had lost this battle, which would likely become another unresolved issue for the proud Liu.

Just as Lu Yuan was mulling this over, he suddenly saw Master Liudao Yuan's body, facing Cai Huazhang's ultimate attack, blaze with brilliant white light.

The weapon emplacements of his Modification System all simultaneously burst forth with energy, engulfing Master Liudao Yuan entirely.

Accompanied by an extremely intense spiritual fluctuation, this white light erupted violently, then just as suddenly dissipated.

During the process, Lu Yuan thought he saw a mechanical white crane with glowing blue eyes shoot out like an arrow. It instantly pierced the illusion of the circling snake and crane, then vanished with a long, shrill cry.

"Er..."

Lu Yuan was slightly startled, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

The battle on the field had ended.

Master Liudao Yuan and Cai Huazhang had almost swapped positions, now standing back-to-back in silence.

Master Liudao Yuan's expression was very calm, faint blue smoke wisped from his entire body.

Cai Huazhang, however, stared in disbelief at the fist-sized bloody hole that pierced through the center of his chest.

Then, he slowly collapsed.

"Light of Spirit!"

Lu Yuan's eyes brightened with an inexplicable sense of joyful surprise. It turned out Liu hadn't come away empty-handed from his two failed attempts to reach the Grandmaster Level. Although he hadn't successfully advanced to the Pure Martial Grandmaster Realm, his spirit domain had condensed the first-grade Light of Spirit. He could control energy to a great extent as he pleased. No wonder Liu chose the modification route. Indeed, this path was undoubtedly ten times more suitable for him. He was now truly a Grandmaster of the Modification System with SS-Level combat power. Liu's battle with Cai Huazhang wasn't a matter of impulse; he was determined to win. To increase his chances of winning, he'd even kept this hidden until the battle was almost over—truly cunning of him. Classic Liu!

Lu Yuan proactively stepped forward to greet Liu as he left the arena.

He unreservedly gave him a thumbs-up—a commendation from an Extraordinary Grandmaster, the strongest God Emperor of the War God Alliance, the Yellow Bear Flying Bear General!

Liu, clearly oblivious to the true weight of this praise, snorted haughtily.

Lu Yuan paid it no mind and presented Liu with his "prize" for winning—a vial of life-extending serum procured from Wu Chao.

Then, he added, "Liu, you fought beautifully just now. It's just that your modification equipment was a bit lacking, which affected your performance. Later, I'll have someone tailor a Modification System for you; it will definitely increase your combat power severalfold."

Lu Yuan had thought Liu would at least be a little pleased. Unexpectedly, Liu seemed indifferent to the offer, casually stating, "Once I return this time, I'll probably hang up my gloves for good. I don't need to go to the battlefield, so why would I get such advanced modification equipment? Are you going to pay the annual maintenance fees for me?"

Lu Yuan considered it. Liu was quite old and didn't need to venture into replicate fields daily. Living in the Old City Circle, his current modifications seemed more than sufficient.

So, he didn't insist. His gaze swept over Cai Huazhang, who lay on the ground gasping like a dying fish.

Although Liu had blasted a large hole in his chest, Cai Huazhang was a Grandmaster, after all, with a tenacious life force; he wouldn't die so easily.

But Cai Huazhang looked utterly despondent.

Mainly because before his battle with Liu had even concluded, all the disciples of the Heaven Water Sect on the island had fled.

As for those from other sects who were on good terms with him, they had either run off long ago or were too intimidated by Lu Yuan's power to approach him.

Consequently, Cai Huazhang lay on the ground for a long time, and not only did no one come to take him to a hospital, but there wasn't even anyone preparing to collect his body.

It was a truly cold and heartless world.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to ask Liu how to deal with the man, Liu himself spoke up, telling Lu Yuan to find someone to take Cai Huazhang for medical treatment.

Lu Yuan was slightly surprised. Liu really seemed to have changed. In the past, in such situations, he would have been the first to rush in for the finishing blow.

Perhaps sensing Lu Yuan's confusion, Liu explained calmly, "The enmity between us, in the end, is merely a difference in ideals. Besides..."

Liu paused, then continued, "His Cai family has produced Grandmasters for generations, Sect Leaders for generations... Back when I was able to join the Crane Sect, I could be said to have received a favor from the Cai family."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan sensed there was a story there and was about to inquire curiously when his expression suddenly shifted.

The ease on his face gradually faded, and he sighed softly.

"Teacher, I originally wanted to take you for a tour of Heaven Lord Wu Chao's private quarters. But now it seems... that will have to wait for next time."

"Huh?"

「Sum Nation.」

On an expansive, shallow blue expanse of water grew a lush and vibrant ancient tree.

Bright red fruits continuously grew on the tree, then fell, splashing into the water and exploding into radiating streaks of light.

Not far from the tree, two people sat around a small table.

One was a woman in a silver battle suit with delicate features. She had creamy white skin, a graceful figure, and her pupils were an unusually beautiful light purple. She was presently concentrating on cutting a deep-red steak.

Opposite the woman sat a middle-aged man with a dignified posture and graying hair.

There was no tea or food in front of the man. He sat upright, his posture carrying a touch of reverence, yet he couldn't hide the aura of a superior in his every move.

"...Our performance in this interstellar exercise was poor. Even though all sides held back, we still fell short, and shockingly, even Havel outperformed us. It was an outcome none of us saw coming..."

"Havel has been catching up rapidly these past few years. Now, the pressure isn't just from Distant Star... They are secretly uniting the remaining qualified nations, showing signs of wanting to break away from the alliance... Perhaps they're also observing our performance..."

The man continued speaking in a low voice, but the woman merely kept slicing the steak before her without taking a single bite, seemingly lacking any appetite.

"So, what's your point?" the woman asked casually.

The man quickly replied, "We want to confirm whether you've truly broken through, or how far you are from it. Regarding resources, we will certainly provide you with maximum support..."

The woman paused, resting her chin on the hand that held her knife and fork, thinking for a moment before speaking, "A Phoenix Feather, or a Moon Eating Fang. If I have either of these, I should be able to break through."

"Do you need these two items for your practice?" A look of confusion appeared on the man's face.

"Yes." The woman nodded, her expression natural, but she offered no further explanation.

The man frowned, remaining silent for a moment before replying, "The Phoenix Feather might be impossible; it concerns the secrets of immortality. Even if I agree, the others will definitely not be willing to part with it. As for the Moon Eating Fang, I can try to secure it for you, but I can't give you a definite answer right now."

The woman shook her head without saying a word.

The man seemed a bit embarrassed but quickly steeled himself and continued, "Aside from these two items, please feel free to request anything else; we will do our utmost to satisfy you. There's one more matter. You hold the title of Chief Instructor for 'Supernova.' This time, the entire 'Supernova' team will return from the interstellar mission to participate in the Legendary Level Secret Realm exploration... You should take the time to meet them once. Consider it preparation for the upcoming final trial..."

"We can't count on them for the final trial."

"Yes, but they are, after all, the 'children of hope,' each selected from tens of millions..."

The man went on, a hint of helplessness and an almost pleading tone in his voice.

The woman's attention, however, had drifted from the conversation. A subtle light flickered in her beautiful, pale purple pupils, as if she were reading some information.

Suddenly, she chuckled for no apparent reason.

The man across from her paused, looking at her with surprise and curiosity.

The woman waved her hand, signaling that it was nothing, then asked, "Where is Wu Hao now? I want to talk to him."

The man was taken aback, lowered his head for a moment, then replied, "The Legendary Secret Realm is about to open. Lord Wu Hao already took some people and set off yesterday... Do you need him for something?"

"He left yesterday?" The woman blinked, then smiled. "Never mind then, it wasn't important. I'll talk to him when he returns."

Saying this, her eyes sparkled, and her fair fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, a hint of cheerful mischief in her demeanor. As if she had thought of an amusing idea, the corners of her eyes slowly crinkled into a smile.

The vast Penglai Martial Saint Island gradually grew quiet, its earlier clamor fading.

At the top of the Heaven Climbing Ladder, by the entrance to the Pot Heaven Secret Realm, Lu Yuan sat on the chair that had once belonged to Heaven Lord Wu Chao. His expression was calm, yet it couldn't conceal a deep tension and solemnity, as if he were awaiting the arrival of something... or someone.

The sky and sea were azure, white clouds drifted leisurely. Seagulls skimmed the horizon, and the sea breeze carried the fresh, salty tang of the ocean from afar.

Time seemed to crawl with particular slowness here.

But Lu Yuan had no appreciation for the scenery before him. His gaze was fixed on several messages Yu Wentong had sent twenty minutes ago—

"'Good job!'"

This was the first message. Though only three short words, the exclamation mark at the end sufficiently conveyed Lord Tong's approval and appreciation for Lu Yuan's success in dismantling Penglai.

When he saw this message, Lu Yuan could almost imagine the items in his Merit Shop shopping cart waving at him.

However, the subsequent messages caused Lu Yuan's heart to plummet.

The messages stated that the old man in black robes from the Penglai Wu Chao whom Lu Yuan had killed, as well as Heaven Lord Wu Chao, had both previously imparted martial arts skills to an individual of a level comparable to Yu Wentong's, making them nominal teachers to this person.

This individual had been secretly backing Penglai.

Now, upon hearing the news, this individual was furious and had sworn to kill him.

This person might even be on their way right now.

But Yu Wentong had reassured Lu Yuan not to be afraid, because she was also on her way.

The uncertainty was... who would arrive first.

Lu Yuan read and reread the messages, his palms sweating, his expression shifting constantly.

Damn it! Wasn't it said that everyone in Yellow Bear's top brass wanted Penglai to fall? Now that Penglai has fallen, why is someone going back on their word? Isn't this setting me up?

Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, his only hope now that Yu Wentong would arrive first.

Otherwise, a Yellow Bear dignitary of the same level as Yu Wentong... could probably kill me with a flick of their finger!

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