Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two clumps of blazing, domineering flames emerged from Luo An's hands. The flames leaped violently, producing terrifying popping sounds as they scorched the air.
With a ferocious look in his eyes, Luo An unleashed all the primordial energy within his body.
The two clumps of flames on his palms roared, their light gradually drawing inward and compressing. As the light shrank, the temperature radiating from the flames became increasingly terrifying. A faint, thin trace of bloody light even appeared deep within the fire.
Consequently, the flames gradually took on a dark, crimson hue.
On the second floor, Zhu Lian of the Red Sand Hall couldn't help but smile upon seeing this. This Luo An was quite decent; his mastery of the Flame-Kindling Palm was already on the verge of reaching Great Success.
Such strength made him a standout even among the Red Sand Hall disciples who had completed their second bone-refining.
“Very well. That's exactly how it should be—cripple that kid in a single strike!” A sinister glint flashed in Zhu Lian's eyes. A High-grade Divine Ability Bone indeed posed a massive threat to Divine Ability Halls like theirs. Two years ago, Zhang Yue of the Thunderfire Hall had suppressed them so heavily they could barely breathe. Now that Zhang Yue had finally left the Thunderfire Hall, who would have thought another Lu Ming would emerge?
Thus, Zhu Lian intended to take this opportunity to severely injure Lu Ming. Although he couldn't kill him, he could at least disrupt his divine ability cultivation and delay his growth.
At this moment, Luo An lunged forward, his palms whipping up billowing waves of scorching heat as he charged at Lu Ming.
Boom!
Faced with Luo An's aggressive attack, a faint flash of lightning appeared beneath Lu Ming's feet. With a light tap of his toes, he leaped backward with agility, avoiding the reach of the flaming palms.
“So you've mastered the Thunderfire Hall's Lesser Lightning Flash?”
Luo An sneered at the sight. He immediately took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing out enormously as faint sparks flickered inside his mouth.
Whoosh!
In the next instant, Luo An opened his mouth and spat, unleashing a cloud of dark red sand that swept forward. This sand radiated intense heat and glowed with flowing fire, enveloping the rapidly retreating Lu Ming like a shroud of smoke.
This was the Red Sand Hall's Lower Divine Ability, the Flying Sand Technique!
This technique contained fire poison, capable of blinding eyes and corroding flesh.
With such a wide area of effect, it was perfect for countering Lu Ming's speed from the Lesser Lightning Flash.
Seeing the massive wave of red sand rushing toward him, Lu Ming knew he couldn't dodge its range. He simply stopped retreating and extended his hand. His Divine Ability Bone hummed as billowing primordial energy surged out.
A fiery blade of light extended from his right palm, transforming into a blazing, crimson Flame Blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Lu Ming swung the Flame Blade, slashing apart the oncoming red sand while the lightning beneath his feet continuously flashed, helping him evade the rest of the sand's assault.
However, his movements were inevitably slowed down by this.
As Lu Ming cleaved through a section of the red sand, his vision suddenly turned entirely red. A wave of scorching heat swept over him, causing his skin to sting with pain.
“Take this!”
Crimson flames filled his vision, followed by Luo An's fierce, roaring cry. With his palms stacked, the blood-red flames whipped up a scorching, violent wind, striking directly at Lu Ming's chest.
At such close range, even the Lesser Lightning Flash would not be fast enough to dodge.
“That Lu Ming will probably be bedridden for quite a few days,” Yan Zhizhi said with a sweet smile in the private room on the top floor.
Zhou Fuling stood with her arms crossed, a trace of disappointment flitting across her beautiful eyes.
Li Shuang frowned slightly, unable to comprehend why Lu Ming would dare to duel when he only possessed this level of strength. Wasn't this just foolish? She had occasionally heard Jing Yi mention him in the past, and in her cousin's words, Lu Ming was clearly a brave and resourceful youth.
In the span of a single spark, everyone harbored different thoughts.
As the flaming palms swept in like a prairie fire, Lu Ming's face remained exceptionally calm, showing not a single trace of panic. This exact distance was also where the Flame Blade's power would be at its peak.
Thus, without the slightest hesitation, he willed it so. His Divine Ability Bone hummed as he channeled all his primordial energy into the Fire Lotus imprint, transforming it into profound and pure Fire Lotus primordial energy.
Whew.
A hot breath was slowly exhaled from Lu Ming's mouth.
Raising the burning Flame Blade on his palm, he did not retreat. Instead, he took a step forward and slashed directly at Luo An, who was lunging at him with flaming palms.
“Just you?! A mere Initial Success Flame Blade thinks it can withstand my well-honed Flame-Kindling Palm?!”
Seeing this, the cruel smile on Luo An's face grew even more vicious. Lu Ming's primordial energy strength was inferior to his, and his divine ability mastery was also a level lower. Such a glaring gap was not something that sheer courage could bridge.
But in the next instant, Luo An's pupils suddenly contracted.
For the crimson Flame Blade reflected in his eyes suddenly underwent a bizarre transformation. Green flames erupted from within the blade, and in just a breath, the originally crimson fire turned entirely green.
A green Flame Blade... That was a Great Success Flame Blade!
How was this possible?! How long had Lu Ming even cultivated? How could he have already mastered the Flame Blade to Great Success?!
Horror welled up in Luo An's eyes like a rising tide.
However, at this distance, it was already too late to retreat!
Rip!
The blood-red flaming palm imprint was torn apart by the edge of the Flame Blade. The instant blood splattered, it was vaporized by the heat. However, three fingers severed cleanly from their roots were charred black by the flames as they tumbled to the ground.
Lu Ming's figure appeared behind Luo An, the green Flame Blade in his hand slowly dispersing.
Ah!
A shrill scream rang out behind him. Luo An clutched his bloody hand, his face pale as he rolled on the ground in agony.
The surrounding onlookers fell dead silent.
Even the three young women in the private room on the top floor—Zhou Fuling, Yan Zhizhi, and Li Shuang—widened their beautiful eyes, expressions of utter shock appearing on their lovely faces.
No one had expected that Luo An, who clearly held the upper hand, would be defeated so thoroughly in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, Lu Ming's bone-refining progress was clearly behind Luo An's, yet the result was...
“That is a Great Success Flame Blade,” Li Shuang murmured, her lips parting slightly, a hint of surprise in her voice for the first time.
“Didn't he just undergo Bone-Opening not long ago? How could he have already mastered a Lower Divine Ability to Great Success?” Yan Zhizhi exclaimed in shock. How could such talent and comprehension belong to a mere disciple of a Divine Ability Hall?
Zhou Fuling chuckled softly and looked at the two girls. “It seems you both are unaware.”
“Unaware of what?” The two girls looked over in confusion.
Zhou Fuling smiled and said, “This Lu Ming has awakened a High-grade Divine Ability Bone.”
At these words, expressions of genuine shock finally surfaced on the faces of Yan Zhizhi and Li Shuang.
A High-grade Divine Ability Bone, even within Divine Ability Clans like theirs, would be treated as a seed for the family's future prosperity and nurtured with every resource available.
“No wonder he could master the Flame Blade to Great Success in such a short time... Such comprehension of divine abilities indeed requires at least a High-grade Divine Ability Bone,” Li Shuang muttered.
Yan Zhizhi dithered for a few seconds before speaking in a sour tone, “Having a High-grade Divine Ability Bone in a Grade 3 Divine Ability Hall is such a waste. The Thunderfire Hall's foundation was completely drained by that Zhang Yue before. Can they even afford to raise a second High-grade Divine Ability Bone?”
“Without sufficient cultivation resources to support him, his High-grade Divine Ability Bone will only overdraw his potential early on. He won't be able to go very far on the Grand Path of Divine Abilities.”
Despite saying this, both Li Shuang and Yan Zhizhi began to look at the youth below with a touch of genuine respect. After all, regardless of whether the Thunderfire Hall could support a High-grade Divine Ability Bone, Lu Ming, who possessed such talent, was no longer ordinary.
While their minds were filled with complex emotions, Zhu Lian on the second floor stared in utter disbelief at Luo An, who was clutching his severed fingers and wailing on the ground.
The turn of events had happened too quickly. Before he could even react, Luo An, who clearly held the advantage, had been instantly defeated by Lu Ming's sudden burst of Flame Blade.
“A Great Success Flame Blade?! Good, Lu Qingyan, you certainly hid this well!” Zhu Lian's face was incredibly dark. Gritting his teeth, he glared intently at Lu Qingyan.
Lu Qingyan was also staring blankly at Lu Ming's right palm. He was clearly shocked to the core. Just yesterday, he had seen Lu Ming practicing the Flame Blade, and he had clearly been stuck at the peak of the Initial Success stage, unable to break through to Great Success.
Yet what he had just witnessed—the green Flame Blade—was undeniably at Great Success!
“What a kid, actually keeping a card up his sleeve! No wonder he dared to volunteer.”
Though Lu Qingyan was overjoyed internally, his face remained calm and indifferent. He smiled faintly at Zhu Lian and said, “Is your Red Sand Hall the only one allowed to bully the weak, while our Thunderfire Hall isn't permitted to overcome a superior opponent?”
Beside them, Manager Xu was also stunned by the result for a long moment. According to his information, Lu Ming had only undergone Bone-Opening recently... As if realizing something, his eyes shifted slightly, and his voice became more cautious. “Brother Qingyan, your son's Divine Ability Bone...”
Lu Qingyan cupped his hands and said, “Manager Xu, your guess is correct. Lu Ming was fortunate enough to awaken a High-grade Divine Ability Bone.”
Manager Xu took a soft breath, and a warm smile immediately broke across his face. “My, oh my, the Thunderfire Hall is truly blessed with immense fortune! Although one High-grade Divine Ability Bone left, an even closer one has emerged. It seems your future promotion to a Grade 4 Divine Ability Hall is just around the corner. Congratulations, congratulations!”
Manager Xu's attitude was noticeably different from before. Although Lu Ming's High-grade Divine Ability Bone was still weak and his future remained uncertain, it was nonetheless a source of great hope. There was no need to offend them.
Lu Qingyan sighed. “Manager Xu is well aware of our Thunderfire Hall's situation. That is why I had to shamelessly come here to gather cultivation resources for my son.”
Manager Xu said solemnly, “Do not say such things. Since Lu Ming has won this duel, we shall naturally proceed as previously discussed. The cooperation between the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce and the Thunderfire Hall will remain unchanged.”
“Then I must thank Manager Xu,” Lu Qingyan said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
Zhu Lian's expression shifted between dark and light as he listened to their conversation. He grunted inwardly, knowing that his attempt to steal the business had failed. Without a word, he shifted his body and appeared beside Luo An.
With an expressionless face, he grabbed Luo An's collar, waved his sleeve to sweep up the charred severed fingers on the ground, and left the Qingchuan Chamber of Commerce in disgrace.
Lu Qingyan paid him no mind. After finalizing the escort details for the merchant caravan with Manager Xu, he finally walked over to Lu Ming, who was still standing in a daze, and asked with concern, “Are you hurt?”
Lu Ming finally snapped out of his daze and shook his head.
Lu Qingyan assumed his son was feeling unsettled because it was his first real battle and he had severed someone's fingers. Thus, he comforted him, “Spells and techniques in combat have no eyes. There is no harm in striking a bit heavily.”
Lu Ming was stunned upon hearing this. “Did I strike heavily?”
He felt quite innocent. Luo An had clearly intended to cripple him just now, yet he had only severed a few of his fingers. In truth, he had been extremely restrained.
Lu Qingyan was speechless. He stared at the innocent-looking youth before him and couldn't help but chuckle. This boy usually seemed quite gentle and resembled him, but looking at him now, there was a certain ruthlessness deep in his bones that his father lacked.
He was actually quite like Lu Jin in his youth.
“It's good that you're fine.”
“Go ahead and browse around on your own first. I still need to purchase some materials. In a few days, we'll be leaving the ward city to go to the medicinal garden to repair the Divine Ability Restriction.”
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