Chapter 53

"Stop!"

Seeing Luo Xiu's life in danger, Lu Mengyao's face changed color, and she immediately shouted.

"Lin Jingyun, if you dare to harm Luo Xiu, I will kill you!"

Although she was a woman, Lu Mengyao's words were filled with a chilling killing intent.

Lu Mengyao's special status made Lin Jingyun wary, and he hesitated, stopping his steps towards Luo Xiu.

He looked at Zhang Luliang, the external gate overseer responsible for overseeing the duel, who was standing not far away on a balcony. He heard Zhang Luliang's voice in his ear, "You can rest assured and kill Luo Xiu. With my protection, that Lu girl won't be able to kill you, but if you don't kill Luo Xiu, I will kill you!"

Hearing these words, Lin Jingyun's body trembled. Zhang Luliang was notorious for his cunning and ruthlessness in the external gate. Now, whether he killed Luo Xiu or not, he was in a difficult position.

"The life-or-death duel was my proposal. If I don't kill Luo Xiu, not only will Zhang Overseer kill me to vent his anger, but Luo Xiu will definitely not let me off."

With this thought, Lin Jingyun steeled his resolve, raised his sword, and quickly walked towards Luo Xiu.

"Lin Jingyun!"

Lu Mengyao was immediately anxious and immediately used her agility to leap up, ready to rush onto the life-or-death platform.

However, Zhang Luliang would not allow her to do so. His figure flashed, and he blocked her.

"Miss Lu, I am responsible for overseeing the life-or-death duel, and no one else can interfere," Zhang Luliang said expressionlessly.

"Zhang Luliang! Don't think I don't know you're up to something. Get out of my way!" Lu Mengyao's face was cold, and a slender sword appeared in her hand.

Zhang Luliang was not afraid of Lu Mengyao's threats and said calmly, "As an external gate overseer, it is my duty to uphold the rules. I hope Miss Lu will not act rashly!"

"You!..."

Lu Mengyao snorted in anger and swung her sword at Zhang Luliang.

"Miss Lu, you are being too impulsive."

Zhang Luliang's face turned cold, and he slowly raised a finger, gathering innate true qi.

With a clang, his fingertip collided with Lu Mengyao's sword. Zhang Luliang remained unmoved, but Lu Mengyao was sent flying backward by the shock.

At that moment, a strong arm caught Lu Mengyao in mid-air.

"Father?" Lu Mengyao turned her head and said anxiously, "Quick, save Luo Xiu!"

The person who caught Lu Mengyao was none other than the head of the external gate, Lu Feichen.

Lu Feichen frowned and said, "Have you forgotten the rules of the life-or-death platform? As the head of the external gate, I must set an example and cannot arbitrarily break the rules set by our ancestors."

"Father, you..."

Lu Mengyao was stunned. She never expected her father to stand by and watch Luo Xiu die.

"Luo Xiu, die!"

On the life-or-death platform, Lin Jingyun had already reached Luo Xiu. He swung his sword, aiming to cut off Luo Xiu's head.

Lu Mengyao saw this and felt her heart turn to ashes. She closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Just as everyone thought Luo Xiu had lost the ability to resist and was certain to die, Luo Xiu, with his head lowered, flashed a cold, lethal intent in his eyes.

At the critical moment, Luo Xiu suddenly raised his head, and a black lightning bolt seemed to flash through the air, disappearing in an instant.

With a thud, Lin Jingyun's body fell to the ground, his eyes wide open in shock. In his last moments, he saw a sword light that was impossibly fast.

"The one who dies is you!"

Luo Xiu slowly said these words. The final blow had exhausted all his strength, and he coughed up two mouthfuls of blood due to the strain on his injuries.

Everyone was stunned. No one had expected Luo Xiu to have the strength to strike back at the last moment. His sword was so fast that Lin Jingyun didn't even have time to react before being killed on the spot.

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into a frenzy, discussing Luo Xiu's final, incredibly fast sword strike.

Luo Xiu's sword was already very fast, but some martial artists at the seventh level of the Qi Sea realm could still faintly see the trace of his sword.

However, the final strike was so fast that many people couldn't even see what it was, only a black lightning bolt.

Without a doubt, this battle would make Luo Xiu's name known throughout the entire external gate of the Free and Easy Sect.

Considering he was only at the third level of the Qi Sea realm, if he advanced to the fourth or seventh level, he would be unmatched below the innate realm.

Not only the spectators, but Luo Xiu himself was reflecting on his final, all-out strike.

Because of the three golden sword auras, he was almost exhausted, and the remaining strength was enough for only one strike. If he failed to kill Lin Jingyun, he would certainly die.

Under the pressure of life and death, that strike clearly exceeded the scope of the Small Success of the Fast Sword Technique, reaching the level of the Great Success of the Fast Sword Technique!

Indeed, the trials of life and death are the best means to improve one's strength.

The scene on the life-or-death platform made Zhang Luliang's old face turn even more difficult. He thought he had everything planned, but the result was...

Lu Mengyao heard the crowd's noise and slowly opened her eyes. She saw that the person lying on the ground on the life-or-death platform was not Luo Xiu, but Lin Jingyun.

In an instant, the dramatic change in her emotions made her cry with excitement. She struggled free from her father's arm and leaped onto the life-or-death platform.

Approaching Luo Xiu, she took out a healing pill and fed it to him.

Luo Xiu opened his mouth without hesitation. He trusted that Lu Mengyao would not harm him. At that moment, he had no strength left, and after taking the pill, he closed his eyes and began to recover his injuries using the Pure Yang Technique and the Cycle of Life and Death.

A moment later, although Luo Xiu's injuries were not fully healed, he had regained the ability to move, albeit feeling weak.

"Thank you, Mengyao."

Luo Xiu was deeply moved by everything Lu Mengyao had done for him in that life-or-death moment.

In contrast, her father, Lu Feichen, seemed somewhat cold and unfeeling.

While it was true that Lu Feichen did not intervene due to the rules of the external gate, and he had not done anything wrong, Luo Xiu, who valued loyalty and righteousness, felt that the rules were not unbreakable. Lu Feichen was unwilling to break them, or he thought Luo Xiu was not worth it.

Looking at Lin Jingyun's body lying in a pool of blood, Luo Xiu took his storage bracelet and sword.

On the life-or-death platform, killing the opponent meant gaining all their possessions, which was also a rule.

With Lu Mengyao's support, Luo Xiu walked off the life-or-death platform, and the crowd automatically made way for him.

As soon as Luo Xiu returned to his residence, Lu Feichen also arrived.

"Mengyao, go out for a moment. I have something to discuss with Luo Xiu alone," Lu Feichen said upon entering.

Lu Mengyao said nothing, looked at Luo Xiu, then at her father, nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

In the simple, clean room, Lu Feichen looked at Luo Xiu and said calmly, "You were almost killed on the life-or-death platform, and I did not save you. Do you feel uncomfortable about it?"

Luo Xiu did not expect Lu Feichen to be so straightforward.

To Lu Feichen's surprise, Luo Xiu shook his head and said, "Head of the gate, you acted according to the rules. It was right not to save me. Besides, I am just a new disciple, and you have no familial ties with me. Why should you save me?"

Lu Feichen was indeed uncomfortable with his inaction, but the words Luo Xiu spoke were also his true feelings.

Lu Feichen frowned, "Don't you think, as the one who saved my daughter's life, I should have saved you?"

Luo Xiu still shook his head, "Head of the gate, you misunderstand. I never thought that curing Mengyao's Fire Yang Pulse was for any reward."

"Without seeking a reward?" Lu Feichen snorted, "I, Lu Feichen, have met countless people in my life. If you say you don't seek a reward, it means you have even greater ambitions!"

"I can see that Mengyao likes you, but if you think that makes me your backing in the external gate, you are wrong!"

Lu Feichen's words were harsh, giving Luo Xiu no chance to argue.

"Regardless, you did cure Mengyao's Fire Yang Pulse. I can give you what you want, and from now on, you and Mengyao will have no further connection, and we will be even."

As he spoke, Lu Feichen produced a storage ring and placed it on the table. "The pills and essence stones in this storage ring are enough for you to cultivate to the innate realm."

Lu Feichen knew that this wealth would even tempt innate martial artists, and no Qi Sea realm martial artist would refuse it.

However, when he noticed Luo Xiu's expression, he saw that Luo Xiu remained calm, even when he mentioned the value of the resources in the storage ring.

"What? Do you think it's not enough?" Lu Feichen frowned again, thinking Luo Xiu was too greedy.

Luo Xiu looked at Lu Feichen. He knew that even if he said he didn't seek a reward, Lu Feichen wouldn't believe him. Perhaps to someone like Lu Feichen, everyone in the world was driven by self-interest.

The more he claimed not to seek a reward, the more suspicious Lu Feichen became.

"Head of the gate, Elder Zhao Qiyuan told me that you said if I could become the top disciple of the external gate before I turn eighteen, you would not interfere with my relationship with Mengyao. Is that true?" Luo Xiu asked.

"That's correct. I did say that," Lu Feichen admitted but then added, "But the situation is special now. There is no possibility between you and Mengyao, so I advise you to give up."

With that, Lu Feichen seemed to have nothing more to say and turned to leave.

"Special situation? What does that mean?" Luo Xiu frowned, not even glancing at the storage ring on the table.

Luo Xiu felt that with Lu Feichen's status, he would not go back on his word. His sudden change in behavior was likely due to the special situation he mentioned.

He truly liked Lu Mengyao, not the immature infatuation he had for Liu Yuxin in the Green Cloud Martial Hall.

"Father..."

Lu Mengyao, who had been listening outside the door, couldn't help but step forward as Lu Feichen walked out.

She didn't understand why her father was so resolute. Luo Xiu's performance was outstanding, and even the core disciples in the inner gate might not be better. Why wouldn't he give Luo Xiu, and herself, a chance?

"Follow me, I will explain," Lu Feichen sighed.

Lu Mengyao looked at Luo Xiu's room, also eager to understand the special situation her father mentioned.