Chapter 393 - 68: I Will Send the Tan Family to Accompany You (Part 2)

Furthermore, the convoy had already sent out a call for backup. Reinforcements would arrive in a few minutes at most.

"This guy certainly picked a good time to show up."

"This is our chance! Should we give it a shot?"

Iron Arrow asked, licking his lips.

If this person could keep the Superpower Armor User occupied, the two of them might just be able to kill Tan Yue before reinforcements arrived.

Raccoon Cat’s heart stirred at the words, his eyes beginning to gleam.

He was about to nod in agreement, ready to seize the opportunity to complete their mission.

But in the next instant...

BOOM!!

A muffled explosion erupted from the center of the road.

The two of them flinched, their train of thought broken as they whipped their heads around to look.

"HRAAAGH!!"

Amid the furious roar, two Fist Seals collided head-on, striking each other like cannonballs.

The Superpower Armor User from the City Lord’s Mansion patrol chose to take the initiative. With a fierce shout, he shot forward like a rocket, charging right at Lu Chao.

It looked like an even match, intended to pin him down.

However...

BANG!!

His right arm exploded, and the arcs of light around his body vanished in an instant.

Shrapnel from his armor flew through the air, stunning the onlookers.

"This..."

Before anyone could process what had happened...

WHOOSH!!!

A figure went flying!

The Superpower Armor User from the City Lord’s Mansion was sent flying, crashing through two black sedans before smashing into the patrol convoy on the other side of the intersection.

The glowing patterns on his neck, visible to the naked eye, rapidly dimmed. He had been grievously wounded in a single blow. His body was embedded in a patrol car, limbs splayed out, as he hovered on the brink of death, the whites of his eyes showing as he lost consciousness.

The patrol members in his path were all pale-faced, their hair standing on end from the shockwave, frozen in place with horrified stares.

In stark contrast,

Lu Chao, an invisible aura swirling around him, remained standing firmly in place. The fist he had thrown hung in the air like the muzzle of a cannon.

He wasn’t moving at all.

And yet, watching this, a chill ran down the spines of Iron Arrow and Raccoon Cat. They felt as if their feet were nailed to the ground, too scared to move a muscle.

’Exploration Level.’

’Or... Transcendence Level?’

The same thought seemed to occur to both of them, a hint of shocked disbelief flashing in their eyes.

’To reach this level with pure physical strength... most at the Exploration Level can’t do that.’

But before they could think on it further...

BOOM!!

A fierce wind kicked up.

Lu Chao, dressed in a black hoodie, suddenly erupted with power. He stomped the ground and charged.

The CLANGING of bullets grew fainter as he transformed into a pale gold streak of light, pushing through the hail of gunfire straight for the commercial van on the side of the street.

Wisps of gray smoke drifted out from the van. Tan Yue, having just crawled out, planted his feet on the ground, sending shattered glass scattering.

He clutched his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He coughed twice, steadying himself.

And soon,

a chill crept into his heart. His expression turned to one of furious shock as he saw Lu Chao closing in at incredible speed.

Fifty meters, thirty meters, ten meters...

"GET AWAY!!"

Tan Yue roared, a silvery-white Qi Flame erupting violently around him.

Bloodshot veins bulged in his eyes. For the first time, he felt the true threat of death and hastily unleashed his Martial Skill and Secret Technique.

His aura surged, approaching the Peak of Limit-Breaking. His right fist, like a silvery-white cannonball, was imbued with a cutting edge that amplified its power significantly as he punched forward.

BOOM!!

The roar of a cannonball echoed through the block!

But the dull thud of impact lasted only for an instant.

A Palm Seal, devoid of any Qi Flame, materialized like a shield and met his punch head-on.

The shockwave from the impact billowed the black hoodie, dispersing as rings of white vapor around the two men.

With a CRACK-CRACK-CRACK,

the ground beneath their feet shattered, a shallow crater forming.

And yet, despite all this, Lu Chao stood his ground, not moving an inch. His aura alone seemed to make the earth tremble, forcing all the swirling dust and air currents back down.

’Dammit...’

Tan Yue’s eyes were filled with furious disbelief. He couldn’t fathom when such a powerful expert had emerged in the Red Maple City Circle.

Before he could react,

Lu Chao’s fingers closed around his fist, gripping it tightly.

In the next instant.

CRACK!

Lu Chao unleashed his strength, snapping Tan Yue’s right arm.

Tan Yue grunted, his face draining of color.

He tried to strike with the left palm he’d been charging at his waist, struggling to force Lu Chao back.

However,

THUD!!

A mighty arm struck out!

Going all out, Lu Chao slammed a palm onto Tan Yue’s head, violently shattering his Qi Flame and forcing him to his knees.

The pavement cracked again. Any passersby near the high-rises had long since fled.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Meeting Lu Chao’s cold, indifferent eyes, which were filled with killing intent, terror flooded Tan Yue’s heart. He had no idea when he could have possibly offended such an expert.

’Peak of the Exploration Level?’

’No, Transcendence Level!’

’Could this be the Transcendence Level expert the Patriarch offended?!’

"S-Senior."

"Let’s talk about this, we can talk this out..."

"Oh?"

Lu Chao narrowed his eyes.

’This was the first time he’d ever seen such a terrified, pleading expression on Tan Yue’s face.’

He paused.

Mistaking the pause for hesitation, Tan Yue felt a surge of joy, as if he’d seen a sliver of hope. He forced a hideous smile. "Senior, as long as you’re willing to spare me..."

"Whatever you ask, the Tan family will definitely..."

CRUNCH!!

Lu Chao cut his plea short.

An immense physical force shattered his skull. Blood streamed from Tan Yue’s eyes, nose, and ears.

"Ghhk..."

Tan Yue’s eyes went wide, bloodshot and filled with disbelief, as if he couldn’t understand why his attacker hadn’t let him finish.

One last flicker of confusion arose. He clung to his last moment of life, sustained only by the powerful Life Energy of his Superpower Level.

And in that moment,

facing Tan Yue’s face, which was bleeding from every orifice, Lu Chao slowly released his grip and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don’t worry."

"I’ll send the entire Tan family to join you."

As his words faded, he turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.

The familiar voice echoed in his ears, causing the bloodshot veins in Tan Yue’s eyes to bulge violently.

Faces flashed through his mind, and he finally recalled the figure from the Superpower Bureau he had been so eager to kill in retaliation.

"It’s... you."

His memory fixed on that point, his eyes locked on the departing figure’s back.

With a thud, his pupils lost focus, and his kneeling body slumped forward.

His shattered skull turned completely to dust. More blood poured from his mangled head, staining the ground red. Not a single breath or spark of life remained.

A Superpower Level expert had died, just like that. Killed in an instant, without so much as a ripple.

The air fell silent. Not a sound could be heard throughout the entire block.

The men in the convoy, who had been about to open fire, were now scared witless. They stood frozen, eyes wide with terror, not daring to pull their triggers and draw his attention.

The patrol members were busy calling for backup and dragging the heavily injured Superpower Armor User away from the scene.

The few remaining passersby hid in high-rises and shops, doors shut tight, watching in shock as the figure in black strode away.

For a moment, the street was silent.

Only a gentle breeze continued to blow.

An April wind should have been warm, but this one felt chilling.

Especially for Iron Arrow, who stood outside the coffee shop in his gray baseball jacket.

He stared in horror across the road.

Lu Chao, in his black hoodie, was on the opposite side of the street, about to turn into a corner alley.

But, as if sensing something,

he paused just before turning and cast a look in Iron Arrow’s direction.

*Gulp...*

As their eyes met, Iron Arrow swallowed hard. For the first time, he felt an inexplicable terror, and goosebumps erupted all over his skin.

’He suspected the man had seen right through his cover, had even seen his earlier intention to interfere.’

His comms earpiece was dead silent. Raccoon Cat seemed to be holding his breath, too.

’They couldn’t be sure if an expert like this would turn on them. After all, their earlier plan had been to take advantage of the situation—a big taboo among their kind.’

As he hesitated,

"You were smart to stay out of it."

A calm, slightly world-weary voice drifted over on the wind.

Iron Arrow’s heart jolted. He watched as Lu Chao walked into the alley and vanished from sight.

A silence lasting for several long breaths followed.

Only then did he feel like the air was moving again, as if he could finally breathe.

*Phew...*

Letting out a breath of relief, Iron Arrow realized his back was soaked in a cold sweat.

He took a few greedy breaths.

"Raccoon Cat..."

"I’m here."

A voice, equally relieved, came through the comms.

It wasn’t just Iron Arrow. Raccoon Cat finally felt like he was alive again, too.