Chapter 296 – Supernova

“Sky Water. Serpent-Crane Duel!”

Forced to a dead end by dozens of nuclear energy beams from Liu Daoyuan, Cai Huazhang unexpectedly unleashed unprecedented potential.

An inexplicable aura suddenly surged from his body, manifesting in the air as a spectacle of a black snake and a white crane spiraling around him.

The Grandmaster Field spread out, distorting and shattering the web of nuclear beams surrounding him.

At this moment, Cai Huazhang’s Grandmaster-level combat power was fully unveiled.

His eyes were icy, filled with a murderous intent as he quickly charged toward Liu Daoyuan, appearing to be ready to go all in, with no retreat in mind.

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly, but he did not move.

Of the eight Protectors from the evil martial alliance surrounding the battle group, at least half were already prepared to intervene at any moment.

It was not necessary for him to take action; before Cai Huazhang’s ultimate move could land on Old Liu, someone would naturally step in to teach him a lesson.

However, having others interfere would mean that Old Liu would lose this fight, which would undoubtedly leave a scar on Old Liu’s prideful heart.

As Lu Yuan pondered this, he suddenly saw Liu Daoyuan, facing Cai Huazhang’s ultimate move, radiate intensely with white light.

The modified gun barrels and muzzles on Liu Daoyuan’s body simultaneously erupted with energy, enveloping him entirely.

Accompanied by extremely intense mental waves, the white light suddenly burst forth and then faded just as quickly.

During this moment, Lu Yuan seemed to see a mechanical white crane with blue glowing eyes shoot out like an arrow, instantly piercing through the spectacle of the snake and crane, before disappearing with a long, shrilling cry.

“Uh…”

Lu Yuan was slightly stunned, feeling surprised.

The battle on the field had already concluded.

Liu Daoyuan and Cai Huazhang had almost swapped positions, standing back to back in silence.

Liu Daoyuan’s expression was very calm, with faint blue smoke emitting from his entire body.

Cai Huazhang, on the other hand, looked down in disbelief at a fist-sized, through-and-through blood hole in the center of his chest.

Then, he slowly collapsed.

“Mental Light!”

Lu Yuan’s eyes shone brightly, filled with an inexplicable excitement.

It turned out that Old Liu’s two failed attempts at advancing to Grandmaster were not without any gain.

Though Old Liu did not succeed in advancing to the Pure Martial Grandmaster Realm, his Mental Domain had already condensed a first-stage Mental Light.

This allowed him to control energy almost at will.

No wonder Old Liu chose to follow the path of modification.

Indeed, this route was undoubtedly ten times more suitable for him than pure martial arts. He now genuinely possessed SS-level combat capability within the modification system.

In the battle against Cai Huazhang, Old Liu was not acting on impulse; he was determined to win.

To increase his chances of victory, he kept this hidden until the very end of the fight, revealing it only when the battle was almost over. It was indeed quite sly of him.

Typical Old Liu!

Lu Yuan rose to greet Old Liu off the battlefield.

He didn’t hesitate to give him a thumbs-up-a recognition from an extraordinary Grandmaster, the strongest God Emperor of the Deity Martial Alliance, the Flying Bear General Yellow Bear!

Old Liu clearly didn’t grasp the significance of this acknowledgment, responding with a somewhat smug humph.

Lu Yuan didn’t mind at all and promptly handed Old Liu his “prize” for winning-a vial of longevity reagent collected from Wu Chao.

He then added, “Old Liu, that last fight you had was amazing.

But your modification equipment was a bit lacking, which affected your performance. I’ll have someone custom-make a set of modification systems for you, absolutely boosting your combat power several times over.”

One would think that Old Liu would at least be pleased, but he seemed rather uninterested, replying mildly, “After we go back this time, I might as well hang up my boots.

I don’t need good modification equipment since I’m not going to the battlefield. Are you going to cover the annual maintenance fees for me?”

Lu Yuan thought about it and agreed. Given Old Liu’s age and the fact that he didn’t have to go on daily missions, living in the old city circle, his current modifications seemed more than sufficient.

So he didn’t push further, his eyes scanning Cai Huazhang, who lay on the ground, gasping like a dying fish.

Despite having a large hole in his chest from Old Liu, Cai Huazhang was still a Grandmaster, with tenacious vitality that kept him from dying.

However, he appeared utterly dejected.

The main issue was that before his battle with Old Liu had even concluded, the disciples of the Sky Water Stream had already fled the island.

Those from other allied sects, either left early or were too intimidated by Lu Yuan’s presence to approach him.

As a result, Cai Huazhang lay on the ground for quite some time. Not a single person came to carry him to a hospital, nor was there anyone around to prepare his remains.

Such was the coldness of the world.

Lu Yuan was just about to ask Old Liu how they should handle Cai Huazhang when Old Liu took the initiative and asked him to find someone to send Cai Huazhang for treatment.

Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised, feeling that Old Liu had softened a bit.

In the past, Old Liu would have been the first to rush in and finish him off.

Perhaps seeing Lu Yuan’s confusion, Old Liu calmly explained, “The grudge between him and me ultimately boils down to a difference in ideology. Moreover…”

Old Liu paused, then said, “His Cai family has produced generations of Grandmasters and sect leaders… If it weren’t for the Cai family’s favor, I wouldn’t have been able to join the Crane Style sect back in the day.”

“Oh?”

Lu Yuan sensed there was a story here and was about to inquire further.

His expression suddenly changed.

Then, the relaxed look on his face gradually faded, and he sighed lightly.

“Teacher, I had planned to take you to visit Lord of Heaven Wu Chao’s private quarters. But it seems… it will have to wait until next time.”

“Mm?”

…

Xiabang.

On an expansive, light blue water surface, there stood a lush, vibrant ancient tree.

Bright red fruits constantly grew on the tree, dropping one by one onto the water, where they exploded into dazzling streams of light.

Not far from the tree, two people sat around a small table.

One was a woman in a silver combat suit, with exquisitely delicate features.

Her skin was fair, her figure enchanting, and her eyes were a striking shade of light purple.

At this moment, she was focused on cutting a piece of deep red steak.

Opposite the woman sat a middle-aged man with white hair, his posture straight as an arrow.

There were no drinks or food in front of him. He sat very upright, with a slightly respectful demeanor, but his every movement unmistakably exuded the aura of someone in a high position.

“… Our performance in this Extraterrestrial exercise was dismal.

Although everyone was holding back to some degree, no one expected us to lose even to Javier in the end…”

“Javier has been pushing us relentlessly these past few years. The pressure is no longer solely from Distant Star… They secretly colluded with the remaining qualifying countries, hinting at seceding from the alliance.

Perhaps they’re watching our performance as well…”

The man continued to speak in a low voice. The woman, however, merely kept cutting the steak in front of her, without tasting a single bite, seemingly lacking any appetite.

“So, what is it that you want?”

The woman spoke casually.

The man replied quickly, “We want to know if you’ve truly made a breakthrough, or at least how close you are to it. In terms of resources, we will provide you with the utmost support…”

The woman paused her actions, resting her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment before saying, “One Phoenix Feather, or a Moon-Eating Fang. With either of those, I should be able to make a breakthrough.”

“Does your Cultivation require one of these items?”

The man showed a look of confusion.

“Yes.”

The woman nodded naturally, without offering any further explanation.

The man furrowed his brows, staying silent for a while, and then responded, “The Phoenix Feather might be out of the question. It holds the secret to immortality; even if I agreed, the others would never part with it.

As for the Moon-Eating Fang, I can try to secure it for you, but I can’t give you a definitive answer now.”

The woman shook her head without speaking.

The man looked somewhat awkward, but quickly steeled himself to continue, “Apart from these two items, please make any other requests, and we will do our best to fulfill them.

There’s one more thing. You still hold the title of ‘Supernova’ Chief Instructor.

The entire ‘Supernova’ team has returned from their Extraterrestrial mission to take part in the legendary level secret realm exploration… You should spare some time to meet with them, if only to prepare for the upcoming final trial…”

“The final trial won’t be counting on them.”

“Yes, but each one was chosen as the hope of a million others…”

The man kept speaking, a trace of helplessness and near pleading in his voice.

The woman’s attention drifted away from the conversation. A faint glimmer flashed in her beautiful light purple pupils, as if she were reading some information.

Suddenly, she smiled for no apparent reason.

The man sitting opposite her paused in his speech, casting a look of confusion and curiosity her way.

She waved her hand, indicating it was nothing, then asked, “Where is Wu Hao right now? I’d like to talk to him.”

The man was taken aback. He bowed his head for a moment and then replied, “The legendary secret realm is about to open. Lord Wu Hao already departed with part of the team yesterday… Do you need something from him?”

“He left yesterday?”

She blinked and then smiled, “Well, never mind. It’s nothing urgent; I’ll talk to him when he gets back.”

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, and her fair fingers tapped lightly on the table, giving off a playful and cheerful vibe.

It seemed she had thought of something amusing, and the corners of her eyes slowly curved into a smile.

…

The large Martial Saint Island of Penglai was gradually quieting down.

At the top of the Ascend the Heavenly Ladder, near the entrance of the Hutian secret realm.

Lu Yuan sat on the chair that originally belonged to Lord of Heaven Wu Chao, his expression calm yet tinged with deep tension and gravity.

It seemed he was waiting for something to arrive.

The sky and sea were a clear, vibrant blue, with white clouds drifting lazily.

Seagulls flew across the horizon, and the sea breeze carried a fresh salty scent from afar.

Time seemed to move more slowly in this place.

Yet Lu Yuan had no interest in the scenery before him. His focus was fixed on a series of messages sent by Yuwen Tong twenty minutes ago.

[Good job!]

That was the first message.

Though it was just four words, the exclamation mark at the end vividly conveyed Lord Tong’s affirmation and appreciation for his success in taking Penglai.

Upon reading this message, Lu Yuan could almost see the items in his merit shop’s shopping cart beckoning to him.

However.

The subsequent messages sent Lu Yuan’s heart plummeting.

The messages read.

Lu Yuan had killed one of Penglai’s Five Elders, the old man in black, and also Lord of Heaven Wu Chao. Both had once imparted their martial arts skills to someone who was roughly on the same level as Yuwen Tong, essentially making them that person’s teacher.

This individual had been supporting Penglai from the shadows all along.

Now, after hearing the news, this individual was enraged, threatening that they would come to kill him.

It was even possible that they were already on their way.

However, Yuwen Tong reassured Lu Yuan not to be afraid because she was also coming.

The only uncertain factor was… who would arrive first.

Lu Yuan read these messages over and over, feeling the sweat forming in his palms, his expression constantly shifting.

Damn it, wasn’t it said that everyone in the Yellow Bear leadership wanted Penglai taken down?

So how come, now that Penglai has fallen, someone wants to renege?

This was really putting him in a bind!

Gritting his teeth, Lu Yuan now earnestly hoped that Yuwen Tong would arrive first.

Otherwise, facing a big shot from Yellow Bear who was on the same level as Yuwen Tong…

They could probably crush him with just one finger!