"Su Han!"
Lu Mingxuan gripped the Cold Light Sword, his face a mask of shock and fear as he stared at Su Han.
He had assumed that with his personal intervention, along with the four elders, success was all but guaranteed. He never imagined that Su Han would be so terrifyingly powerful, not only having recovered his strength but having grown even stronger than before.
Yet, there was not a hint of regret in his heart. If a man doesn't look out for himself, he will be destroyed by the heavens and the earth. Everything I did was right. The only mistake was not killing Su Han when he was unconscious, which led to this disaster.
"Su Han, do you realize the grave mistake you've made? It's not too late to turn back!" Lu Mingxuan threatened. He knew he was no match for Su Han but was desperate to avoid dying here. His only options were to threaten and run.
Unfortunately for him, Su Han seemed deaf to his threats, advancing step by step with the blood-dripping Fire-Patterned Blade in hand.
"If you dare to kill me, you'll be committing an act of monstrous rebellion! And since you've cultivated Demonic Techniques, you'll be marked for death by all. You will surely die," Lu Mingxuan continued, his eyes flickering toward the exit, searching for a chance to flee. "If you run now, I can turn a blind eye, for your mother's sake."
As long as I can escape, I'll survive. Then I can ask the Empress to send men to hunt Su Han down. No matter how strong he is, he'll die.
But Su Han had already seen through his plan. With a single step, he sealed off all of Lu Mingxuan's escape routes. At that moment, Su Han stood holding the Fire-Patterned Blade, his icy gaze piercing through the Ghostly Face Mask to land on Lu Mingxuan.
"You don't deserve to be my uncle!"
As the words fell, the blade swung, slashing toward Lu Mingxuan. The strike was not only as fast as lightning but also carried a resolute intent to kill. Su Han had been able to defeat Lu Mingxuan before. Now, wearing the Ghostly Face Mask, his strength had surged to the Third Layer of the Divine Sea Realm. Combined with the Character Technique of Motion, Lu Mingxuan stood no chance.
Still, he refused to die. He wouldn't just sit and wait for death.
"Su Han, I'll fight you to the death!"
Steeling himself, Lu Mingxuan decided to risk everything. He retrieved a Fury Pill from his Storage Ring and shoved it into his mouth. Instantly, his aura skyrocketed and turned violent. The Fury Pill was a Superior Grade Elixir that could throw a person into a berserk state, vastly enhancing all aspects of their strength at a great cost to their body.
Lu Mingxuan's eyes turned blood-red. He gripped the Cold Light Sword, pouring all his Spiritual Energy into it and rapidly executing the Gale Sword Technique.
But in front of Su Han, it was all for naught.
Flashes of the blade crisscrossed, parrying the Cold Light Sword and landing on Lu Mingxuan's body, carving one deep wound after another.
SLICE!
A slash severed his left arm. A second slash fell, and his right hand, still clutching the sword, was also sent flying.
Now without his hands, Lu Mingxuan was even less of a match for Su Han. Seeing the Fire-Patterned Blade descending again, the fear of death finally overwhelmed his Heart Spirit, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.
"Su Han, I'm your own uncle! Blood is thicker than water; you can't kill me!" he pleaded frantically, all pretense gone. "I was forced by the Empress! I had no choice. If you have a grudge, take it to her! I'm innocent! Please don't kill me, spare my life!"
If this had been the old Su Han, he might have softened and let Lu Mingxuan go.
But having experienced the cold reality of human nature, he now saw the world for what it was. Kinship, family—it was all fake. Only the power held in one's own hands was real.
In response to Lu Mingxuan's begging, not a single ripple of emotion showed in Su Han's eyes. The Fire-Patterned Blade swung down without hesitation.
With a flicker of the blade, Lu Mingxuan's head flew high into the air, his face still twisted with terror and resentment.
He couldn't accept it. He had been one step away from killing Su Han and completing his plan, only to die here.
With a dull thud, Lu Mingxuan's corpse fell to the ground, blood spraying out to form a spreading pool.
Su Han withdrew his blade, removed the Ghostly Face Mask, and without a single glance at the body, turned and walked toward Lu Yunxian.
"Fairy Sister Yun Xian!"
Su Han held Lu Yunxian in his arms, the coldness in his eyes replaced by raw urgency. She was unconscious, her breath as faint as a silk thread, hovering between life and death. Though his combat power was unmatched, Su Han knew nothing of the healing arts and could not save her. Without another thought, he lifted her into his arms and strode quickly toward the exit. This place could be dealt with later.
"Someone's coming out!"
Outside the storeroom, a crowd had already gathered. Seeing a figure emerge from the doorway, all eyes immediately locked onto it. When they saw it was Su Han, they were utterly shocked and filled with disbelief.
"How could it be Su Han? Where is the Clan Head? The elders?"
"Look at him, covered in blood and wounded. He must have just been through a fierce battle. Could the Clan Head and the elders have met with misfortune?"
"Impossible! The Clan Head and the elders are all Divine Sea Realm experts. He's just a cripple. Even if he regained some strength, how could he possibly defeat them? This can't be real!"
The crowd was astounded, unable to accept this reality. In their minds, Su Han was useless trash, while their Clan Head and elders were impossibly powerful masters. But now, Su Han had walked out carrying Lu Yunxian, while the Clan Head and elders were nowhere to be seen. A seed of panic began to sprout in their hearts.
"Doctor Liao, please take a look at Fairy Sister Yun Xian," Su Han said, ignoring the crowd's murmurs. His gaze scanned the faces and found Doctor Liao, the Lu Family's most skilled physician, hoping he could treat Lu Yunxian.
But with the situation so uncertain, Doctor Liao hesitated.
Just then, Lu Yunxian suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood that stained her clothes. The blood was an unnervingly vibrant red.
"Her heart meridian is damaged! She doesn't have long to live!" Doctor Liao cried out in alarm.
The words sent Su Han's heart plunging into an abyss. He clutched Lu Yunxian tighter, his own heart feeling as if it were being torn to shreds. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Su Han, how can you possibly be alive... Where is my father?!"
At that moment, Lu Xiaoqing pushed her way forward, her face a picture of astonishment as she loudly questioned Su Han. She couldn't have cared less whether Lu Yunxian lived or died.
As Lu Xiaoqing's sharp voice cut through the air, Su Han looked down at the dying Fairy Sister Yun Xian, and a terrifying surge of murderous intent erupted from him.
"You deserve to die!"
WHOOSH!
With the Fire-Patterned Blade in hand, he channeled his Demonic Qi and slashed out.
A blade flashed, and blood splattered. Lu Xiaoqing's imperious expression froze on her face. Her eyes widened as she stared at Su Han, clearly in disbelief that he would dare to kill her in public.
THUD!
Lu Xiaoqing's body fell to the ground. A dead silence descended upon the entire area. No one dared to question Su Han again.
"After today, I rule the Lu Family. Anyone who rebels will be shown no mercy!" Su Han declared, his blade still in hand, his voice sending a chill through everyone's hearts.
"Doctor Liao, treat Fairy Sister Yun Xian now!"
The skies over the Lu Family had changed.