After asking his question, King Zhenwu locked his gaze tightly on Lu Qing.

The immense force of his divine soul blanketed the surroundings, pressing down like a mountain, as if to strip away every falsehood from Lu Qing.

Yet beneath such crushing pressure, Lu Qing’s expression remained utterly calm, as if he hadn’t felt a thing.

“You’re talking to me?”

“Of course it’s you, boy. Do you realize you’ve committed a grave crime? You dared to take a spirit beast of our Demon Clan’s royal bloodline as your pet. That is a taboo—one that violates the pact between your human race and my Demon Clan.”

King Zhenwu bared his teeth in a grin, his voice dripping with menace.

“Is that so? Then when those two Myriad Beasts Sect disciples tried to cripple Xiaoli and drag them away, why didn’t your Demon Clan step forward to accuse them?” Lu Qing said coldly.

King Zhenwu froze for a moment. Before he could retort, Lu Qing continued, “Besides, the so-called pact between humans and demons in the Tianyuan Great World—what does that have to do with me?”

Hearing this, the gazes of the gathered Nascent Soul experts all narrowed.

“Evil demon, so you really are—”

“Enough. No need to waste your breath. In the end, you’re all just coveting the secrets within me. Stop posturing with excuses.”

Lu Qing sneered. “If you want my secrets, then fight me. All of you—come at once.”

His words stunned every Nascent Soul expert present. They stared at him in disbelief, doubting their own ears.

Did this kid know what he was saying? He actually dared to tell them to attack together?

There were more than twenty Nascent Soul cultivators here, most of them second- or third-tribulation, plus a sword cultivator at the peak of the fourth tribulation, and a demon king who had one foot already into the fifth tribulation.

Such a lineup could even make a true five-tribulation cultivator who had mastered the power of space think twice.

And yet this youth told them to attack together?

King Zhenwu burst into loud laughter.

“Arrogant brat! Bold indeed, but also ignorant. You think just because you’ve stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm you can claim to be invincible?”

“Not invincible,” Lu Qing said evenly. “But to deal with the likes of you—that much should be enough.”

King Zhenwu’s face went cold.

Never in his life had he thought that a newly ascended Nascent Soul junior would dare to look down on him.

“Very good. You’ve successfully angered me. Next, I’ll break your bones one by one, so you understand that such wild words always come with a price.”

“You talk too much.” Lu Qing’s voice was calm.

With a thought, Xiaoli, Wuxing, and the White Flood Dragon all vanished, drawn into the Li Huo Cauldron.

Then, with a single step, Lu Qing appeared before King Zhenwu. His hand clenched into a fist, which he drove straight toward the demon king’s face.

As his fist descended, heaven and earth quaked. The surrounding space rippled and trembled, converging boundless power into Lu Qing’s strike.

“What?!”

King Zhenwu had been standing at ease, mocking the boy for daring to fight him barehanded.

His own body was so tough that even Xuanjian’s sword, without the aid of secret arts, could barely scratch him. Against this brat, newly ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm, the gap was worlds apart.

To him, Lu Qing’s punch was no different from smashing an egg against a boulder—only one outcome was possible.

But when he saw Lu Qing’s strike distort the very fabric of space, his expression changed in an instant.

A look of horror flickered in his eyes as he crossed his arms to block.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

Lu Qing’s jade-white fist smashed against the demon king’s arms.

The explosion of power shook heaven and earth. Space warped violently between them, threatening to collapse entirely.

Within that violent storm of space, King Zhenwu’s body was blasted backward, smashing through layers of atmosphere as he was hurled into the distance.

“What?! King Zhenwu was sent flying by one punch?”

“He twisted space with a fist—don’t tell me this brat has grasped the power of space?”

“This is bad! Retreat!”

The other Nascent Soul experts were dumbfounded. Fear replaced disbelief as the spreading space ripples surged outward from Lu Qing’s strike.

Sensing the devastating force within, they scattered in panic, fleeing back just in time to escape being swallowed.

Even Elder Xuanjian’s pupils shrank to slits.

Earlier, Lu Qing had killed two Myriad Beasts Sect disciples before he could react, and though it startled him, he hadn’t truly believed this youth could rival him in strength.

But now, watching King Zhenwu—who had half a foot in the fifth tribulation—sent flying with a single punch, a warning bell screamed in Xuanjian’s heart.

…

King Zhenwu crashed through the air for dozens of miles before he finally halted, his chest heaving and arms throbbing with pain.

He coughed, tasting blood. Cracks had even formed in his bones.

“This… impossible.”

He was the pinnacle of the fourth tribulation, already beginning to refine his true blood to return toward his ancient ancestors. His body was tougher than most artifacts, impervious to common weapons.

Yet this boy had cracked his bones with a single punch?

For a moment, he wondered if he had fallen into an illusion.

But the pain in his arms and the clarity of his mind told him otherwise.

It was real.

With a deep breath, he circulated his demonic power. Within a blink, his injuries mended.

The Demon Clan was famed for their vitality, and King Zhenwu was a peerless powerhouse. Even decapitation would not end him so long as his soul remained.

“Not bad,” Lu Qing remarked, sensing his recovery. “No wonder your tone was so lofty.”

His calm, almost condescending words made King Zhenwu’s face darken further.

He swallowed his fury, but his voice thundered like a war drum.

“Boy, I admit I underestimated you. No wonder you stirred such chaos in the Sacred Tianxu Mountain back then. But if you think that hurting me once means you can boast without restraint—you are gravely mistaken. Now, I’ll show you the true power of my Demon Clan!”

With that roar, his aura surged violently.

His massive frame swelled further, black-gold fur bristling, fangs lengthening. In moments, he loomed three zhang tall.

“The Demon Ape’s true body—he’s revealed his true form!”

“This is the strongest combat state of the Demon Ape clan. King Zhenwu must be truly enraged!”

“With this, his strength multiplies several times over. That brat is finished!”

The demon cultivators cried out in excitement. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Even Elder Xuanjian was shaken. He had fought King Zhenwu before and knew just how terrifying this transformation was. Once the Demon Ape revealed his true body, even Xuanjian at full power could barely scratch him.

Now, after his recent breakthrough, even Xuanjian’s sword qi might not pierce his defenses.

And yet—King Zhenwu had been forced to reveal this ultimate trump card against Lu Qing.

…

“Boy, feel honored. Few of my peers could make me use my true body. To die beneath this form will be your greatest glory!”

His voice boomed like thunder. His breath steamed out in white clouds, shaking the air into chaos.

“Do you think getting bigger makes you stronger?”

Lu Qing shook his head lightly. “I already gave you all a chance to attack together. Since you didn’t take it, don’t regret it when you die.”

“Arrogant whelp!”

King Zhenwu vanished. In less than a breath, his towering form crossed dozens of miles and appeared before Lu Qing.

His colossal fist, like a falling meteor, smashed downward.

The force was several times greater than Lu Qing’s previous strike. If it landed, there would be nothing left of him but blood mist.

Everyone thought it was over.

But in the next instant, their eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

For Lu Qing did not dodge.

He drew back his own fist and struck upward to meet the demon king’s blow.

At that moment, heaven and earth changed color. Though he floated in the sky, two ripples spread beneath his feet as if he stood upon solid ground.

And from his fist’s path tore open a yawning black crack.

“A spatial rift?!”

All the Nascent Soul experts trembled violently at the sight.

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