CHAPTER 64: 64 VERSUS CAO LUO

Tan Yun was completely unprepared for Cao Luo’s sudden attack, and by the time she reacted, it was too late to dodge. She could only muster all the Meridian Qi in her body in hopes of withstanding this powerful strike.

However, Tan Yun was not Yun Xiao; she only possessed the combat strength of the late stage of Meridian Introduction Realm. Facing Cao Luo, who was at the early stage of Meridian Gathering Realm, she had no chance of resisting.

Bang!

All everyone heard was a loud noise, under which Tan Yun was sent flying back more than a dozen steps by Cao Luo’s palm. Had it not been for some life-saving measures of her own, this strike might have left her severely injured.

A chaotic breath enveloped Tan Yun, who was struck by a moment of panic. She was truly fearful that Cao Luo would take advantage of the situation to strike again; if that were the case, she would have no way of withstanding the second blow.

It turned out Tan Yun’s worries were not unfounded; Cao Luo, never one to forego an advantage, however, directed his next move not towards Tan Yun, who he had just knocked back, but towards a chubby young boy closest to him.

This chubby young boy was none other than Ling Wan, whose Meridian Qi Cultivation was even less than that of Tan Yun. Therefore it was likely that he wouldn’t survive Cao Luo’s palm strike.

Cao Luo’s actions showed just how arrogant and despotic he could be. Here, with so many witnesses. Executing someone in such a public manner would definitely attract punishment from the Jade Pot Sect.

But Cao Luo was confident, being a low-level Mortal Rank Meridian Refining Master. Even in the Jade Pot Sect, which had many Meridian Refining Masters, someone with his talents was still highly valued.

Merely killing a mere cultivator in the middle stage of Meridian Introduction Realm seemed inconsequential to him. He believed that the Jade Pot Sect, considering his status as a Meridian Refining Master, would turn a blind eye.

Seeing Cao Luo’s strike, everyone present nearly concluded that the chubby boy had no chance of surviving. Notably, the Zhao brothers, upon witnessing this scene, didn’t lift a finger to help, as if he wasn’t their own brother at all.

"Tsk tsk, it seems that Cao Luo’s move has saved us a lot of trouble!" Zhao Ningshu’s face even showed a sigh of relief. Killing a brother by one’s own hand would always invite criticism, and they would not perform such an act unless absolutely necessary.

It is often said that blood is thicker than water, but such familial bonds seemed fundamentally altered in the Zhao Family. From the moment of Ling Wan’s birth, everyone in the Zhao Family saw him as a monster, a creature that could morph into a ball of flesh at any time.

Even the Family Head of Zhao Family believed that Ling Wan’s existence would bring disaster to the Zhao Family, deemed a freak that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. Thus, he had sent Ling Wan to participate in the Jade Pot Sect’s examination, instructing his eldest and second sons to eliminate this monster during the examination.

Having someone else do the dirty work was obviously preferable. Zhao Ningshu had previously faced Cao Luo and knew deeply about the talent of this Cao Family genius. He believed that with Ling Wan’s cultivation at the middle stage of Meridian Introduction Realm, he stood no chance against Cao Luo.

Boom!

At the critical moment when Cao Luo’s palm nearly reached Ling Wan’s chest, a fine trace of blood-red flames suddenly burst forth.

"Big brother, be careful!"

Seeing the flames, while Cao Luo had yet to sense the threat, Cao Ju, who was not far away, couldn’t help but shout loudly. His voice contained a trace of fear and apprehension.

Because it was Cao Ju’s right palm that had been burned by these blood-red flames, and he had been forced to amputate it. Although he had great confidence in his elder brother’s strength, that strange blood-red flame had truly left a psychological shadow on him.

The difference between the peak of Meridian Introduction Realm and the early stage of Meridian Gathering Realm might seem like a big step, but Cao Ju was not completely sure that his elder brother could withstand the blood-red flames, especially since Yun Xiao’s current strength was not what it had been when they had first confronted each other.

Although Cao Luo was a cautious person, he was confident that even if touched by the blood-red flames, he could easily dispel them. However, to be safe, he withdrew his hand at that moment, and naturally, his palm did not connect with Ling Wan.

In these fleeting moments, some cultivators at the middle stage of Meridian Introduction Realm felt that it happened in the blink of an eye—Cao Luo had retracted his palm and withdrawn, an act that truly defied common sense.

"Brother Yun Xiao, thank you!"

At this moment, Ling Wan seemed to have just regained his senses. Although simple-minded, he was not a fool. He understood immediately that he had just walked on the edge of Ghost Gate, and if Yun Xiao had not made a move in time, he might have already gone to meet King Yan.

Yun Xiao waved his hand and turned around with a frown, saying, "Wasn’t your action just now a bit too ruthless? Are you aware that during the Jade Pot Sect’s disciple selection, it is forbidden to harm someone’s life?"

When Yun Xiao first met the Cao brothers, he had asked this question, but at that time, everyone looked strange. Later, Yun Xiao understood that without outsiders present, killing someone leaves no evidence for anyone to hold the murderer accountable.

But the current situation was different. There were hundreds of participants for the Jade Pot Sect’s assessment here, and killing someone in such a public setting would force the Jade Pot Sect to pursue accountability due to concerns about losing face, not to mention that the families of those talented individuals who were killed would not be easy to appease.

In response to Yun Xiao’s questioning, Cao Luo’s face revealed a cold smile, showing no concern at all, but instead pointed to someone else and said, "Was it you who burned off my younger brother’s right palm?"

The moment Yun Xiao saw Cao Luo, he felt no fondness, so his expression turned cold instantly and he replied, "Indeed, it was me. It’s just unfortunate that killing is not allowed within the Yulin Mountain Range, otherwise, you would never see your younger brother again!"

"Boy, I have seen arrogant people, but never someone as arrogant as you. Since you admitted it, then let’s use your life to compensate for my brother’s right palm!"

Cao Luo was clearly infuriated by Yun Xiao’s indifferent and cold voice, a hint of murderous intent emerging, and at the same time, strong Meridian Gathering Realm Meridian Qi burst forth from his body.

Everyone watching knew that the head of the Cao family was genuinely angered. What would probably follow, was a dangerous outcome for that roughly dressed boy who appeared out of nowhere.

However, what nobody noticed was that when Cao Luo was launching his Meridian Qi towards Yun Xiao, the Zhao brothers and some others with deep schemes were discreetly glancing towards the entrance of Medicine Valley, seemingly finding a good opportunity.

Particularly Zhao Ningshu, always known for his cunning and strategic mind, seeing that Cao Luo had made his move, he immediately gestured to his younger brother beside him, and then the two brothers quickly headed towards the Medicine Valley entrance.

While some might have noticed the Zhao brothers’ actions, Cao Luo, who was facing the other way, was oblivious. At this moment, his eyes only saw the audacious and insignificant young man in front of him, swearing to crush him with one palm.

In Cao Luo’s view, Yun Xiao’s strength at the late stage of Meridian Introduction Realm was only peculiar due to the blood-red flames, which probably caught his younger brother Cao Ju off guard and inflicted serious injury.

Cao Luo thought as long as he was cautious not to let the blood-red flames touch him, with Yun Xiao’s late Meridian Introduction Realm strength, he would absolutely be no match even for a few exchanges, and then let the onlookers see who was the most dazzling talent in this entry assessment for Jade Pot Sect’s outer disciples.

Faced with an attack from a Meridian Gathering Realm talent like Cao Luo, Yun Xiao dared not be negligent. He knew this represented another level of Meridian Qi Cultivation, far beyond Cao Ju’s strength at the peak of Meridian Introduction Realm, where one misstep could result in severe injury.

Thus, Yun Xiao promptly acted, activating his Ancient Dragon Taming Technique, channeling vast amounts of Meridian Qi into the Ancestor Vein. If anyone could see through the sleeve of his right arm, they would notice a blood-red meridian running from his right shoulder to the tip of his middle finger, which appeared abnormally blood-red.

The power of the Ancestor Vein triggered by Yun Xiao had already reached the peak of the Meridian Introduction Realm in that instant, making dealing with Cao Luo’s attack seem less troublesome.

Thump!

A loud noise erupted. Cao Luo, who intended his palm strike to, at the very least, repel Yun Xiao like he had repelled that woman earlier by pushing him back more than ten steps, entirely missed his mark.

That boy, who was at the late stage of Meridian Introduction Realm just before, somehow only took one small step back, a step so negligible that it could almost be ignored.

This time, Yun Xiao’s activation of the Ancestor Vein’s power was much better controlled than several days ago, without the previous drain of strength, as this activation was just a momentary burst, so quick even Cao Luo might not have realized that his opponent had reached the peak of the Meridian Introduction Realm in that instant.

But how could Cao Luo accept such an outcome? This was far too deviant from his expected target, and in the eyes of the bystanders, where could he put his face now?

Originally, Cao Luo intended to effortlessly kill Yun Xiao on the spot, but now it seemed this young man was indeed peculiar, no wonder his younger brother suffered such a great loss at his hands. It looked like he would have to reveal some real skill.

The stronger Yun Xiao was, the greater the jealousy in Cao Luo’s heart grew. He also had a premonition that if Yun Xiao indeed entered the Jade Pot Sect and obtained the same resources, it might not be long before Yun Xiao surpassed him.

Such a potential enemy must be eradicated in its infancy. If previously Cao Luo had some different thoughts, now, he truly harbored a killing intent towards Yun Xiao.