Capítulo 21: O Assassino da Lista de Prodígios, Mais um Prodígio Executado

A colossal phantom of a golden spear erupted with blinding radiance!

Chu Luo, having closed the distance to the spear’s phantom, instantly raised his blood-stained sword.

"Forbidden Art: Blood Fiend Sword Massacre!"

Boom!

Chu Luo unleashed his strike! In an instant, the heavens and earth lost their color as a beam of blood-red light, bridging the sky and the ground, surged forward!

Boom...

The golden spear phantom, brimming with formidable power, was cleaved in two by this terrifying crimson blade.

Hum...

It dissolved into specks of dazzling golden starlight, fading away between heaven and earth. The terrifying sword energy, its speed undiminished, shot forth like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, growing larger in Luo Yu’s terrified gaze until it finally flashed past him, slicing a distant mountain in half.

In that moment, silence fell upon the world. Everyone stared at the two figures suspended in the void.

Several disciples of the Forbidden Sect gazed at Chu Luo, whose blood-red aura was gradually fading. Their eyes sparkled with awe and shock. Their Senior Brother Chu was truly a reaper of the Prodigy Rankings! He had slain yet another elite from the list. Moreover, it was another forbidden art they had never seen before. They wondered just how many of the sect’s forbidden techniques he had truly mastered. It was no wonder he was always consuming medicinal pills and frequenting the Second Elder’s herb garden; the truth was finally clear to everyone.

"So powerful..." Yun Qianqian murmured, her beautiful eyes shimmering. She knew that if she had been the target of that strike, she could never have survived it. Now, she finally understood why the disciples of the Forbidden Sect held such unwavering faith in Chu Luo.

Hum...

Above the void, the divine aura surrounding Luo Yu dissipated completely. The long spear in his hand clattered to the ground, and a vertical bloodstain appeared between his brows. His life force vanished rapidly. As he closed his eyes, looking at the blurred figure of Chu Luo, his heart was filled with boundless regret. The prodigy ranked one hundred and twenty-third on the list had fallen.

Seeing his opponent collapse, Chu Luo finally relaxed. This forbidden art had cost him another three hundred years of his lifespan. Every time he used it, it took a heavy toll on his life. It seemed he would have to master a few ordinary techniques in the future. Until he could obtain the Immortal Body, his life was simply not enough to sustain the constant use of forbidden arts.

"Senior Brother Luo!"
"Senior Brother Luo is... dead..."

The remaining disciples of the Lingqing Sect, who had retreated to a safe distance, stood pale-faced, unable to believe what they were witnessing. They never imagined that Senior Brother Luo would be defeated by this Chu Luo. Panic set in, and they immediately fled the scene.

Chu Luo noticed the fleeing disciples but did not pursue them. Since he had already slain a ranked prodigy of the Lingqing Sect, he had inevitably made an enemy of them. The Lingqing Sect would not let this slide. Letting these people live would ensure they knew exactly who had killed their prodigy. When the old monsters of the Lingqing Sect came looking for trouble, he would be able to harvest even more "Protective Value."

Thinking this, Chu Luo smiled with satisfaction, withdrew his aura, and returned to his companions.

"Those scoundrels from the Lingqing Sect ran away fast; I suspect they’ve trained for it."
"Hahaha, that must be it!"

The Forbidden Sect disciples laughed. Seeing Chu Luo return, the core disciples began rummaging through their storage rings. They pulled out one or two medicinal herbs capable of restoring life force and handed them to him.

"Senior Brother Chu, here. These are the herbs we gathered earlier. Go ahead and eat them; we understand..." they said, winking at him.

Chu Luo was stunned; the look in their eyes seemed a bit off. Yet, a warmth spread through his chest, and he grinned. "Oh, I couldn't possibly! These should be handed over to the sect..." Despite his words, he took the herbs and began chewing them to restore his lost lifespan. The others twitched their lips—it didn't look like he felt bad at all.

Watching the harmony among the Forbidden Sect disciples, Yun Qianqian couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she coughed up blood.

"Senior Sister!" The disciples of the Yunmiao Sacred Ground cried out in alarm.

"Miss Yun, are you alright?" Chu Luo asked with genuine concern. If things went as expected, she might well become their future Senior Sister. The Forbidden Sect disciples immediately offered her a pile of healing pills.

Yun Qianqian waved her hand and offered a gentle smile. "Do not worry, Young Master Chu, I am fine. It is just an old ailment."

Chu Luo’s divine sense swept over her, and he realized her soul had been damaged. Yun Qianqian seemed to notice and continued, "It seems you have discovered it. Not long ago, I was too eager for success and tried to force a breakthrough in my cultivation, but I failed and injured my soul. I came here today and discovered the Soul-Nurturing Flower, but I didn't expect the people from the Lingqing Sect to be here as well." She hesitated, looking embarrassed, "Young Master Chu, may I trade for the Soul-Nurturing Flower with something of equal value?"

Chu Luo and his sect brothers realized then that she had been injured all along, which explained why she had struggled against Luo Yu.

"Since Miss Yun..." Chu Luo began, but before he could finish, Yun Qianqian flipped her hand to reveal a jade bottle.

"Young Master Chu, this is a Breakthrough Pill, a high-grade earthly tier medicinal pill. While it may not fully match the value of the Soul-Nurturing Flower, I will certainly compensate you with other herbs or pills once I return. Would you be willing...?"

Chu Luo looked at the pill. He had intended to give the flower to her for free, but he swallowed his words and changed his tone. "Miss Yun, you are too polite! While the Breakthrough Pill might not be equal to the flower, you are, after all, the person our Senior Brother Bai holds dear! Very well, I agree to the trade!" He snatched the pill quickly, fearing she might change her mind, and handed her the flower.

At the mention of Bai Yun, Yun Qianqian blushed, offering her sincere thanks. She immediately consumed the flower to refine its power and repair her soul. As the others stood guard, Chu Luo took the opportunity to consume the Breakthrough Pill to bolster his own strength.

Meanwhile, outside the entrance to the secret realm, the Prodigy Ranking appeared once more. The crowd gasped in shock as they saw the name of Luo Yu, ranked one hundred and twenty-third, vanish.

On the side of the Lingqing Sect, the Ancient Saint Lan Qing’s expression shifted violently. He flipped his hand to reveal a shattered life tablet, his heart filled with agony.

"My disciple!"
"Who?! Who killed my disciple?!"

His furious voice roared across the heavens. The rolling holy pressure, laced with murderous intent, chilled everyone to the bone. Many powerful figures instinctively turned their gaze toward Zhao Sheng and Qin Yi of the Forbidden Sect.