Chapter 78

The sky was filled with a red glow, like flames pouring down from heaven. The beautiful red hue dyed most of Wushuang City a deep crimson, and countless residents of Wushuang City looked up at the strange phenomenon in the sky. This unusual sight naturally drew the attention of many martial artists, who all moved toward the direction where the red clouds were most intense. The closer they got, the more they felt a powerful force erupting, causing a flurry of activity in Wushuang City.

The city lord frowned, sensing the crowds gathering from all directions. He suddenly rose into the air, holding a square seal that seemed neither gold nor jade, and shouted sternly, "Fearless Army, listen to my command! By the Blood Order, anyone who approaches within ten kilometers of the city lord's residence shall be killed! Any provocateurs shall be killed! Any dissenters shall be killed! Any who incite or stir up trouble shall be killed! After the incident, their three generations will be held accountable and executed!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! The rolling shouts echoed like thunder throughout Wushuang City. The seal seemed to amplify the city lord's voice, giving it a commanding and authoritative tone!

Upon hearing this, the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle stopped in their tracks, gazing from a distance at the city lord's residence, which was enveloped in a red waterfall. Two figures appeared faintly within the red waterfall. Could they be in a duel? Who were these two people who dared to fight so fiercely within the city lord's residence?

Before they could ponder further, the sound of hooves pounding the ground in unison echoed, causing the entire ground to tremble! Two black streams of soldiers quickly circled the city lord's residence and stopped, separating the crowd from the residence. Several people who had inadvertently entered the ten-kilometer range were beheaded by two small squads from the black streams, their bodies trampled into pulp! This scene left a chilling impression on the crowd, and no one dared to approach again, even though they couldn't see the exact situation at the city lord's residence.

The red waterfall at the city lord's residence lasted for a long time, until Lin Zheng was completely engulfed in it, even the mighty war god was submerged in the torrent! However, this time, the crowd was not worried. A strange thought arose in everyone's mind: Lin Zheng would not perish in this sea of fire!

Inside the red waterfall, Lin Zheng clearly realized that this was not a sea of fire. Although it was extremely hot, this strange energy was more powerful than fire. Lin Zheng squinted his eyes and looked at the old man in the distance. It seemed the old man had held back. If not for that moment of hesitation, Lin Zheng would have been unable to counterattack. Since that was the case, the old man must want to see how Lin Zheng would counterattack. "I'll show you my strongest ability!"

"Secret Technique: Nine-Form Battle!" Lin Zheng quickly formed seals with his hands, and the divine general swung his massive sword toward the sky with a fierce slash. Sizzling sounds echoed as the giant sword clashed with the fiery sky, causing the space to distort. Suddenly, a violent explosion erupted, and the red torrent instantly engulfed Lin Zheng again. As the Three Lives Stone in Lin Zheng's chest greedily absorbed the energy, the massive wave continued. Lin Zheng barely managed to withdraw the war general, using his last bit of strength to protect himself. He then pushed his hands forward and was swept away by a powerful current!

Boom! Boom! Boom! The massive shockwave shook the protective barrier set up by the city lord and his companions, causing the ice layers to crack. After a while, the shockwave gradually dissipated, and the trembling protective barrier finally disappeared!

What met the eyes of the crowd was a massive crater. The bottom of the crater, crystallized by the intense impact, sparkled beautifully under the sunlight. However, no one in the crowd found the scene beautiful; they only felt a bone-chilling cold. If that strike had hit them? Sigh! The crowd's faces turned pale, and they didn't dare to speculate further!

Where was Lin Zheng? Where was the old man? Why couldn't they be seen?

Li Ruoshui felt a pain in her heart and was about to jump into the crater, but Lin Qin caught her in mid-air and whispered, "Don't worry, Third Brother is fine. Look, the necklace he gave you is still intact. You don't need to worry!" Lin Zheng had attached a divine thought to the necklace he gave Li Ruoshui, which would send a message if he was in danger. Seeing the intact necklace, Li Ruoshui's heart calmed slightly.

At that moment, a disheveled figure suddenly appeared in the air!

"Haha, indeed, heroes emerge from the young. Boy, I, Kuang Laofu, dare not say, but among the young of the same rank in this world, no one can match you!" The old man laughed heartily, not caring about his disheveled appearance. "Hey? Boy, why don't you come out?"

"Bang! Bang!" A large hole suddenly appeared at the bottom of the crater, and Lin Zheng emerged from the dirt, bare-chested, his body sculpted like a statue, every line perfect! However, Lin Zheng's face was pale, and a trickle of blood hung from his mouth. He paused for a moment and then leaped out of the crater.

Li Ruoshui, for the first time in front of the crowd, threw herself into Lin Zheng's arms, her face full of worry. Lin Zheng, with a pale but smiling face, affectionately pinched Li Ruoshui's nose and then put on a piece of clothing. He then turned to the old man in the air and said, "Senior, thank you for holding back. If we continue, I might lose badly. I need to enjoy my two-month leave!"

"You boy, you really..." The old man landed from the air, sighing helplessly. Only through combat did he realize how terrifying Lin Zheng was, not just in strength but in potential, unprecedented and unparalleled!

"City Lord!" Lin Zheng turned and bowed to City Lord Kou.

"You boy, you almost destroyed my city lord's residence!" City Lord Kou smiled, not regretting that Lin Zheng couldn't stay. His face showed genuine happiness as he congratulated Lin Zheng, "Boy, you did well, very well!"

The way he addressed Lin Zheng had changed from "Lin Xiaoyou" and "Lin Xiaoxiong" to "boy," seemingly teasing but also showing concern and affection.

"Come on, City Lord, isn't it just a matter of a few minutes to repair your residence?" Lin Zheng joked.

"Looks like you're not seriously injured? Still have the energy to joke?"

"I owe that to Senior's restraint!"

"Alright, alright, the ten moves are over. I will fulfill my promise. As long as you return before the assessment, you can come and go freely in Wushuang Peak!" The city lord said loudly.

Lin Zheng bowed to the city lord, the old man, and the other elders behind him and said, "Thank you very much!"

"You few, I am Fu Yewu. If you encounter any problems outside, just mention the name of the five elders of the Fu family, and they will usually give you some face!" The old man said to Lin Zheng and the others. The crowd was stunned, and a murmur of excitement spread!

"The five elders of Tiancang Dao Wutu?"

"Wow, it's actually the fifth elder of Tiancang Dao Wutu? Are they the teachers who have been guiding us these days?"

"Long famous, long absent, I didn't expect them to appear today?"

The crowd was in an uproar. Lin Zheng, looking at Li Ruoshui's enlightened expression, realized that he would need to ask about the details of these elders when he returned.

"Everyone here, you have all seen and heard what happened today. If anyone has any objections, speak up now and come forward for a battle. However, this battle will still be with me, and you only need to last ten moves!" Fu Yewu said calmly to the crowd.

The crowd was silent. Fu Yewu had been famous for many years, but his most notorious trait was his unpredictable temper. Jumping out to object now would only bring trouble. Moreover, who among the young generation here could claim to last ten moves against Fu Yewu like Lin Zheng? No one in the crowd stepped forward, even the few forces that had provoked Lin Zheng and his companions remained silent in the crowd!

To be the first to speak up, one must have the strength. Without strength, one should remain silent. The treatment and privileges Lin Zheng had earned through his strength were undeniable. Even if you were unhappy, you had to admit it. Jumping out to object now would be foolish!

The Tang family members felt a mix of emotions. They had unintentionally provoked such a terrifying person. If he continued to develop at this rate, the Tang family would live in constant fear. However, Lin Zheng didn't seem petty; otherwise, he wouldn't have initiated a friendly gesture that day! The relationship between the two families, though not friendly, had no new irreconcilable conflicts. Such a person should be befriended, even if not a friend, he must not be an enemy!

Wen Tianqing and Tiejian were extremely happy, as if they had passed the assessment themselves. Given their friendship, it was only natural. However, the other members of the Wen and Tie families looked somewhat strange, but at least they were still friends. Having such a friend with immense potential was a great asset.

The several major families of Wushuang City began to calculate their relationships with Lin Zheng, and other forces did the same, planning how to establish initial friendships. Only the few forces that had offended Lin Zheng and his companions looked bitter.

Outside the ten-kilometer radius of the city lord's residence, the crowd watched the massive shockwave and felt an intense itch, eager to investigate. However, seeing the cold expressions of the Wushuang Army, they suppressed their curiosity and waited quietly for someone to bring news.

However, they didn't know that the people inside the residence were still in shock from Lin Zheng's performance. Looking at the destroyed part of the city lord's residence and recalling the previous scenes, the crowd's expressions toward Lin Zheng began to change, showing respect and a hint of awe.

Lin Zheng didn't care and continued talking to the crowd. Li Ruoshui gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and the dust from his face with a silk handkerchief. Lin Qin proudly hugged Lin Zheng's arm, her face beaming with happiness, like a peacock!

This was strength! The strength to enjoy privileges!