Chapter 128: One Man, One Spear, On a Stormy Night at Deer Ridge

Ning Tai rested his longsword on the Xiezhi's back. "Gang Zheng, greet them. They are all our friends."

The Xiezhi shook its head and released a thunderous roar.

That roar carried divine energy that pierced the heavens, sweeping away every trace of evil around the platform.

"A Sacred Roar... It truly is a Xiezhi, and one with the purest bloodline." Wind Dragon urged the others forward. "This is a rare opportunity. Absorb its energy. It will help cleanse the distractions in your hearts."

"Quite the insight," Ning Tai patted the Xiezhi's side and said softly, "Gang Zheng, face the center and offer another Sacred Roar as a greeting gift for my junior brothers."

The Xiezhi bellowed again, "

Mm... Roar!

"

Golden ripples spread outward, surging directly toward Lu Chen.

The obsessions weighing on Lu Chen's heart were gradually subdued, his mind calming. "

Mm...

what's happening to me? Who are you?"

"Me? I am Ning Tai, chief disciple of the Guardian Capital Academy." Ning Tai leapt onto the Xiezhi's back and spoke quietly. "I know you are Lu Chen. Your obsession runs too deep. I will wait for you at the mountain gate. I look forward to the day you rise as chief of the Serene Void Academy.

"With your talent and strength, that day won't be far. When it comes, perhaps I will seek you out for a battle. As for Lei Bao, he has broken sect laws, so I'll take him back first."

Ning Tai gave Lu Chen one last look, tapped Gang Zheng's horn, and departed swiftly.

Watching Ning Tai leave, Nantian Yijian whispered, "He's the Guardian Capital Academy's chief? Why didn't he harm us? Didn't the Discipline Court want to deal with us?"

Wind Dragon retorted, "What nonsense are you saying? Anyone could be corrupt, but Ning Tai absolutely wouldn't."

He walked closer to Lu Chen and explained gently, "That was a Xiezhi, the embodiment of absolute fairness. Since ancient times, they've been incredibly rare, almost unimaginably so, and they never show bias toward anyone."

"I see... doesn't that make it the god of prisons?" Nantian Yijian muttered, then asked, "Boss, what should we do now?"

"For now, I'll rest for a bit, then we'll keep moving," Lu Chen said as he gazed at Ning Tai leaving. "That man is terrifyingly strong. If every chief disciple is at that level, we'll have to tread carefully once we enter the inner sect."

"Little Lu, once we pass the gates, I'll still act as the sect's chief disciple," Song Ping said. "But you must quickly raise your cultivation to meet the standard of Serene Void's chief disciple. Otherwise, trouble will keep following us."

"That seems the only way. Best avoid trouble where we can." Lu Chen sat cross-legged, steadying his state of mind. "In any case, I'll have to visit the Scripture Hall sooner or later. Let the outside world make noise. Once my cultivation is complete, I'll deal with them."

"Little Lu, someone's coming from above. Be careful."

Wind Dragon coiled protectively around Lu Chen and the others, waiting quietly.

Seven figures descended swiftly from the stairway. The leader called out, "So it's the Serene Void Academy... Who gave you the courage to storm the mountain gate together? And which of you is Lu Chen?"

Song Ping stomped his foot, breaking free from Wind Dragon's protection and landing on the steps. "If you want to bully disciples of the Serene Void Academy, you'll have to get through me first."

"So it's you, the useless chief disciple of the Serene Void Academy."

Song Ping clenched his right hand, and the Frost Dragon circling him condensed into a long spear. "Wang Long, what are you scheming?"

"Take a guess," the leader said as he sneered at Song Ping. "Who would've thought the useless chief disciple finally broke through to the Qi Condensation Realm. You even managed to grab hold of something extraordinary."

"Brothers, they must be carrying plenty of treasures. Kill them, and everything will be ours. Charge!"

"Wang Long, killing fellow sect brothers is a grave crime," Song Ping leveled his longspear, blocking Wang Long's spirit qi strike. "You're the leader of the Discipline Court. Don't tell me you don't know that."

"

Heh...

sect laws? The strong decide what they are."

With a sharp order to his men, Wang Long stomped down the steps and shot into the air. "With a useless academy head like yours, even if we slaughter you all, he won't dare seek revenge. At most, we'll be locked in seclusion for a few days. A few days in exchange for countless resources, now that's a bargain."

Drawing his longsword in midair, he sneered, "Blame your worthless academy head, Jun Wudi."

Jun Laoye's face twisted with rage at the insult. He summoned his divine spear and lunged upward. "How dare you insult my Second Uncle? Die, mongrel!"

"

Oh?

Another brat in the Qi Regulation Realm?" Wang Long laughed mockingly, swinging his sword with ease. "And you dare charge at me with mere level-one Qi Regulation cultivation? You're rushing to your death. As expected, a useless master breeds useless disciples."

"You! Heavenly Dao Command, Heavenly Lightning Second Form: Azure Lightning Eye!"

In his fury, Jun Laoye went all out and released the Heavenly Lightning Second Form. His divine spear blazed skyward as a massive blue eye took shape above the stairway.

"Wang Long, you cur! I will never let you insult my Second Uncle!" Jun Laoye roared.

The blue eye snapped open, and the lightning giant behind him opened its eyes in unison.

It was Jun Laoye's first time using the Heavenly Lightning Second Form. Though still far from Jun Wudi's in power, his rage allowed him to unleash a force strong enough to shake the entire Heavenly Mandate Hall's mountain gate.

"A high-grade lightning art?" Wang Long stared at the spear of lightning forming above and exclaimed in shock. "You... are you Lu Chen?"

Jun Laoye bellowed, "Brat, listen well! I am Jun Laoye!"

He then shut his eyes and focused, directing the Azure Lightning Eye.

The towering lightning giant behind him pressed its palms together, holding Jun Laoye steady in its hands. As he circulated his spirit qi, the Azure Lightning Eye gathered blue lightning, roiling and surging as if ready to strike at any moment.

"Command!"[1]

The moment the eye on Jun Laoye's forehead opened, the Azure Lightning Eye in the sky released a barrage of lightning spears.

***

Shan Long, who was still sitting next to Jun Wudi, fixed his gaze on Jun Laoye and asked, "Is this your Heavenly Lightning Second Form? If I recall, you only mastered it gradually, long after your name spread. That nephew of yours can't be more than twenty. His talent seems to outshine even yours,

hahaha.

"

Jun Wudi chuckled at the praise. "Little Jun's gift is indeed far greater than mine ever was."

He then added, "But he's too hot-headed. No matter what I say, he won't change. Sooner or later, he'll pay for it."

"Young men ought to have fire in their blood. Or do you want him as stiff and old as me?" Shan Long shot him a look, then said softly. "Besides, speaking of recklessness... could he truly be more reckless than you in your youth?

"One man, one spear, on a stormy night at Deer Ridge."

Shan Long laughed aloud, his voice pitched for Huo Shan and the others nearby. "Other than you, I've never heard of anyone daring to challenge the Su Clan of Deer Ridge alone."

Jun Wudi smiled bitterly. "Heh, that's long past. And in the end, wasn't it still a failure?"

He seemed unwilling to say more.

"Deer Ridge? The Deer Ridge of the Western Mountain?" Huo Shan and the others were shaken to the core. "Could it be... that man from back then?"

Seeing their anxious faces, Zhou Chang quickly pressed, "What are you talking about? Who was that man from back then?"

Bai Rufeng gave him a bitter smile. "If he's the one who, a hundred years ago, faced the Twelve Talisman War Gods and a hundred thousand sect disciples with nothing but a single spear at Deer Ridge of the Western Mountain... If it's him, it seems we really are doomed this time."

"I've heard that tale. But wasn't the man said to have died?" Zhao Wunian, the head of the Tranquil Mind Academy, asked softly. "If Jun Wudi is truly that man, then why is he alive now? Did he never die at all?"

"Ridiculous. Do you think someone who forced the Western Mountain to send out a hundred thousand disciples could die so easily? Forget scheming against Jun Wudi for now. Send your disciples to stir up trouble at the Serene Void Academy instead. Let's test his intentions first."

Huo Shan's gaze swept the group. "There must be a reason he endured our suppression until now. Either way, I won't abandon our plan."

With that, he flung his sleeve and departed.

Watching him storm off, Zhou Chang called out, "Lord Huo, aren't you going to stay? The duel at the gate isn't over yet!"

Huo Shan shot Zhou Chang a glare, his temper flaring at the man's fawning expression. "What's the point in staying here to watch? Look down there yourself. Even Wang Long doesn't dare face those lightning arts head-on. With the leader being that scared, do you think the rest will stand any chance?"

With that, Zhou Chang turned his sight toward the mountain gate.

***

Despite not being able to fully control the spears' power, Jun Laoye knew how to draw out their might to the fullest.

Spirit qi from his Heavenly Pool surged into the dark clouds, and countless lightning spears poured down from above. Some were large, some small, but every one of them struck straight at Wang Long. Having cultivated lightning arts himself, Wang Long knew well the devastating force of divine lightning drawn from heaven and earth.

Not daring to meet the barrage directly, he darted frantically around the platform to evade.

The other cultivators on the steps saw him struggling and immediately tried to rush forward to help resist the Azure Lightning Eye.

Song Ping glanced back at Jun Laoye, then leapt onto the steps, blocking their way. "If you want to help, you'll have to get through me."

He understood Jun Laoye's cultivation clearly. The Azure Lightning Eye might look overwhelming, but its force was mostly for show and couldn't truly wound these cultivators.

Lu Chen was still recovering, unable to fight. If the others realized the spears weren't as powerful as they seemed, all seven would charge together. If that happened, they wouldn't stand a chance at all.

Each time the cultivators tried to break through, Song Ping met them strike for strike, forcing them back, determined to buy Lu Chen more time.

Frustrated, one cultivator shouted, "Senior Martial Brother Wang Long, don't be fooled! That kid's only at the first level of the Qi Regulation Realm. Even if he summons divine lightning, it won't be that strong!"

"

Hm?

"

Wang Long's eyes narrowed as he looked at Jun Laoye again, quickly realizing he had been misled. He had assumed the lightning arts carried overwhelming power, but now he saw the truth. His face darkened. "Trash! How dare you make a fool of me?"

With a snarl, he brandished his longsword and charged straight through the storm of lightning.

"

Heh

, acting so arrogant with nothing more than first-level Qi Regulation Realm strength? You've wasted enough of my time, and that's unforgivable!"

His sword shone with translucent white light, carrying a killing edge as it slashed upward at Jun Laoye

1. The word 敕 (chì) is an archaic command term that originally meant an imperial edict or decree, carrying the sense of an order backed by unquestionable authority. In Daoist rituals and cultivation contexts, it evolved into a spell word used to activate or seal a technique. When shouted aloud, "敕" serves as a forceful declaration that channels willpower into action, similar to saying "By decree!" or "Command!", imbuing the spell with authority and effect. In battle, cultivators often use it as a spoken command to unleash or empower their techniques. ☜