Chapter 472: I Have Reached the Peak Ninth Layer

As he spoke, the corner of the Creation Realm Yan Soul Guard’s mouth twitched uncontrollably...

Their earlier ambush had been an attempt to reclaim the Blue Dew Fruit, and now he couldn’t help but think about how it was gone.

Ultimately, they had no choice. They had to ambush and kill the Thunder Leopard. Otherwise, they would be next after Lu Chao was dead.

BOOM...

Just as they made their decision, the Thunder Leopard shot toward Lu Chao like a bolt of lightning.

True Qi erupted from Lu Chao’s body. He knew full well he was no match for the Thunder Leopard, but he was certain the Yan Soul Guards would make their move. So, gripping his longspear, he charged forward to meet it.

In an instant, an explosive bang echoed as True Qi and Demonic Power collided, and Lu Chao was sent flying.

He nearly lost his grip on his longspear, and the Thunder Leopard was still charging.

In response, Lu Chao could only call out, "Blood Sword, Thousand Kills Slaughter Sword."

As he flew backward, Lu Chao condensed a flurry of Blood Swords, sending them stabbing viciously at the Thunder Leopard to impede its terrifying speed.

At that same moment, the Yan Soul Guards finally roared, "Attack! Slay the leopard!"

The eleven men flashed out from all directions. Some fired arrows from the air, others closed in with heavy hammers to deliver crushing blows, and still others drew their swords to stab at the Thunder Leopard’s weak points... In an instant, True Qi ran rampant and Demonic Power raged.

"GRAAAH..."

The constant pain only made the Thunder Leopard more furious. The ambush had drawn blood.

With another roar, it charged toward one of the Yan Soul Guards.

The Yan Soul Guards had no choice but to continue their joint defense. A Thunder Leopard at the Creation Peak Eighth Layer was still too powerful for them. They could only fight defensively, retreating and using the surrounding trees for both offense and cover.

Lu Chao, meanwhile, had landed. He gripped his longspear, watching the intense battle between the Thunder Leopard and the Yan Soul Guards.

He continued to frantically absorb the medicinal power of the Blue Dew Fruit coursing through his body.

Suddenly... BANG! BANG!

His Fire Roaring and Water Chant Star Divine Bones had actually advanced, transforming from Star-level Divine Bones into Moon-level Mortal Bones! Lu Chao was overcome with joy. The strength of his True Qi also surged to a new level.

At the same time, his True Qi continued to roil, charging toward the Peak Ninth Layer.

Just then... AARGH!

With another cry of agony, one more Yan Soul Guard was mauled to death by the Thunder Leopard. Only ten remained.

The Creation Realm Yan Soul Guard couldn’t help but roar again, "Lu Chao, you whelp! If you’re not dead, hurry up and make your move! It’s the only way to dissipate the medicinal power, or you’ll explode and die!"

He was still trying to coax Lu Chao into fighting with the same excuse.

Lu Chao did not disappoint them. Gripping his longspear, he shot forward with Wind Manipulation’s Swift Flash. He used his Bright Eyes and Clear Wind Guide to search for an opportunity, a weakness in the Thunder Leopard. Suddenly, in a flash, he slid under the beast’s abdomen...

He thrust his spear upward.

Seizing the moment the Thunder Leopard was occupied by the Yan Soul Guards’ siege, he drove the spear deep into its abdomen.

"SKREEE..."

With another shrill cry of pain, the Thunder Leopard’s entire body leaped up, shaking Lu Chao’s longspear loose. Then, it lunged at Lu Chao with its claws.

Lu Chao again condensed his Blood Swords, firing a volley at the Thunder Leopard.

He rolled away, then sprang high into the air to dodge the Thunder Leopard’s deadly claw.

Just then, the Yan Soul Guards continued their coordinated attack...

They unleashed a frenzied assault on the Thunder Leopard. Because of the longspear wound Lu Chao had inflicted on its abdomen, the beast was no longer as fast. Its Demonic Power, though still terrifying, was no longer enough to easily kill the Yan Soul Guards.

Lu Chao, perched in a tree, continued to watch for another opportunity, his eyes locked on the battle below.

Slowly, however, Lu Chao made a quiet assessment. ’I don’t need to make a move. The Thunder Leopard can’t hold out for much longer.’

It was because of his longspear strike. After a frenzied burst, the Thunder Leopard gradually weakened. As it lost more and more blood, its fighting strength waned.

The Yan Soul Guards, conversely, grew more and more confident, constantly circling and attacking.

「Ten minutes later...」

The Thunder Leopard collapsed, dead. The ten remaining Yan Soul Guards were gasping for breath.

Letting out a long breath, one of them said, "We finally won. We finally killed it."

"Good thing that whelp Lu Chao landed that fatal blow," a Yan Soul Guard said in a low voice. "Otherwise, we would’ve all been done for."

Then, another Yan Soul Guard asked, "So, what about the whelp, Lu Chao?"

"He must have exploded and died by now. A good ten minutes have passed. There’s absolutely no way he’s still alive."

They had been focused on their fierce battle with the Thunder Leopard and certainly didn’t have time to check on Lu Chao’s condition. However, the Creation Realm Yan Soul Guard was adamant that Lu Chao was surely dead.

He added, "Find the whelp’s corpse. We’ll bring it back to Lord Mo Jing and report our success."

Hearing this, the Yan Soul Guards immediately began scanning the area, searching for what was left of Lu Chao’s body after it had supposedly exploded.

But in the next moment, when they saw Lu Chao standing atop a large nearby tree with a broad smile on his face, they were completely stunned.

"Y-y-you... How are you still alive?" several of the Yan Soul Guards stammered in unison.

Lu Chao smiled faintly, hopped down from the tree, and began walking toward them slowly. "It’s just as you said. Fighting the Thunder Leopard helped me burn off a lot of that medicinal power, so naturally, I didn’t die."

"And even though I’ve burned off some of the power, I still..."

After a brief pause, True Qi suddenly exploded from Lu Chao’s body, and the aura of the Peak Ninth Layer was abruptly revealed.

As the Yan Soul Guards stared, frozen, Lu Chao grinned. "Thanks to you all, I really have reached the Peak Ninth Layer. The Blue Dew Fruit is truly amazing, and you all are so very generous."

The scene, along with the True Qi Lu Chao was now exuding, froze completely at his words.

Every one of the Yan Soul Guards was dumbstruck. They desperately wanted to say that they had just made up the part about dissipating the medicinal power. ’How did it actually come true? And he really reached the Peak Ninth Layer... Damn it all!’

’This country bumpkin... Is this just a case of a fool’s luck?’ the Yan Soul Guards roared in their minds.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...

Lu Chao continued walking toward them. He smiled again and said, "It’s also as you said. Once I reached the Peak Ninth Layer, killing you would be easy. And right now, you’re all considerably weakened."

The moment he spoke... WHOOSH!

To the Yan Soul Guards, it felt as if a cold wind was howling around them, chilling them to the absolute extreme.

A Lu Chao at the Peak Ninth Layer was likely no weaker than the Thunder Leopard had been. This time, they were really and truly dead.

"Run..."

The Creation Realm Yan Soul Guard wasted no time on words and gave the direct order to escape.

All the Yan Soul Guards turned and ran.

But Lu Chao, of course, was not going to show them any mercy just because he’d taken their Blue Dew Fruit. Nor would he feel any sentimentality over their brief alliance. The Yan Soul Guards had been trying to kill him from the very beginning.

He gave chase at once, but... ROAR!

Suddenly, another roar thundered from that direction, making Lu Chao freeze. ’Another Creation Realm Demon Beast.’

At the same time, the fleeing Yan Soul Guards’ panic turned to joy. They shouted, "It’s the Little Sword-Winged Ice Wolf..."

At their words, Lu Chao froze. The Little Sword-Winged Ice Wolf had actually tracked them here.

Ordinary Demon Wolves wouldn’t dare venture so deep into the Nether Spring Mountain Range, but the Little Sword-Winged Ice Wolf was a Creation Realm Demon Beast.

And its arrival likely meant that more Yan Soul Guards were coming as well...