Chapter 53: Unbound by Taboo, Ruthlessly Crushing the Southern Emperor!

Lu Yuan's voice was utterly calm, his tone admitting no argument.

The Ice Fairy felt even more helpless.

She had already realized this man’s unyielding nature when he had so decisively killed Zhou Biqiong before. Otherwise, he would never have acted without hesitation, even at the risk of offending his former classmate Zhou Yunqiong.

Now, Wang Tao’s greed for the divine sword had led him to mobilize heavy weaponry, making Longevity Genetics and Lu Yuan irrevocable enemies. Retaliation, in these circumstances, was only natural.

She had no rebuttal for this, yet the problem was that Longevity Genetics wielded immense power. If things were allowed to escalate, the situation would only grow more dire.

So, she wished to say something more, hoping to persuade him to change his mind.

But before she could, the middle-aged man in the suit beside her shook his head.

The Ice Fairy was puzzled, not understanding his meaning.

“Lu Yuan!”

Suddenly, an enraged voice rang out.

From afar, a new group appeared—dozens strong. At their head stood none other than the Southern Emperor, one of the Five Supremes.

He approached swiftly, his face cold as ice. “Lu Yuan, you killed my brother. Are you aware that this is a capital offense?”

The Southern Emperor had received word of the incident earlier, but he hadn’t set out at once. Instead, he gathered his forces first, knowing well the strength of that sword—otherwise, several teams of Awakened armed with advanced weaponry would never have failed to stop Lu Yuan.

Now, behind him, stood all the elite of Longevity Genetics in Chang’an City, including many at the sixth and seventh rank of the Initial Realm.

All of them faced Lu Yuan, eyes sharp and brimming with killing intent.

The newcomers to the city, drawn by the commotion, gathered around as well. They didn’t know exactly what had happened, but it was clear that Longevity Genetics was about to strike at someone.

Even the Southern Emperor had arrived in person.

Lu Yuan smiled at the sight. He’d been thinking it might be troublesome to seek out his foes after entering the city—yet here they were, delivering themselves to his doorstep. This was convenient; he wouldn’t waste any time.

Of course, he appreciated the goodwill of the Ice Fairy and Beidou Bio as well.

“The Southern Emperor has reached the Awakening Realm,” the middle-aged man from Beidou Bio spoke up, his expression grave. Of the Five Supremes, two—Winged Sky God and Asura—had already withdrawn for secluded cultivation, according to reports. It was unexpected that the Southern Emperor would be the first to reach the Awakening Realm.

“All the elites are here. This will be difficult to clean up,” the Ice Fairy murmured, realizing how dire things had become. She whispered, “Mr. Lu, rest assured, Beidou Bio will stand with you.”

With that, she stepped forward, intending to negotiate with the Southern Emperor.

“Ice Fairy,” the Southern Emperor abruptly spoke. “Though Wang Tao was not my blood brother, he was still a scion of the Wang family, of my bloodline. His death is a grave insult—a provocation. Today, the culprit must pay with his life!”

He knew full well what the Ice Fairy intended, and that Beidou Bio sought to shield Lu Yuan. So he spoke directly, forcefully, cutting off any hope of negotiation.

“To kill a child of Longevity Genetics is a death sentence,” he declared. “Wang Tao’s life must be repaid in blood!”

His voice was haughty, carrying the weight of authority.

Even if Wang Tao had brought disaster on himself, what did that matter? He didn’t care, nor was there any need to investigate further. All that mattered was that the culprit was clear. The bloodline of Longevity Genetics killed by an outsider—this was humiliation, a slap in the face.

He also knew he couldn’t give Lu Yuan time to draw that divine sword, or things would get out of hand. Even now, with his own Awakening Realm power, he felt unstable. In this situation, he must end things quickly.

He raised his voice further, “If anyone dares to intervene, you will be making an enemy of Longevity Genetics. Consider your choices carefully.”

His words rang out, echoing all around—a warning to everyone present not to meddle, especially Beidou Bio. Both organizations were great powers in the nation, and under normal circumstances would never come to open conflict. He was counting on this.

Yet because of this, the crowd grew ever larger, drawing in Awakened and various factions.

“What? That man killed Wang Tao of Longevity Genetics?”

“That’s Lu Yuan—the one who displayed such might outside the imperial mausoleum. How has he crossed Longevity Genetics again?”

“I don’t know, but this is going to be a spectacle. That sword of Lu Yuan’s is a true artifact. Can the Southern Emperor defeat him?”

“Not certain. Rumor has it the Southern Emperor has reached the Awakening Realm.”

The crowd was utterly engrossed, even those inside the city catching word and hurrying out to witness the drama.

“See?” Lu Yuan chuckled, glancing at the Ice Fairy. “It’s not me stirring up trouble. Someone else has set their sights on me.”

He stepped out to the front line.

“Wait for now. If Mr. Lu is in danger, we’ll intervene and protect him,” the middle-aged man said softly, signaling the Ice Fairy not to speak further, for a great battle was inevitable. But as he watched Lu Yuan’s confident bearing, a suspicion grew in his heart—perhaps things would not be so simple.

The Ice Fairy said nothing, only nodded.

“So you’re not hiding behind a woman. I have to give you that,” the Southern Emperor sneered. “But even so, you’ll die all the same.”

He narrowed his eyes, then gave the order. “Kill him!”

At his command, the Longevity Genetics elites sprang into action without hesitation, marshaling their inner power.

They were formidable—each above the fifth rank of the Initial Realm, many practiced in ancient martial arts. Such individuals were even more dangerous than typical Awakened, for ancient martial arts often included special breathing and visualization techniques, offering many means of attack.

“So noisy,” Lu Yuan muttered softly.

At that moment, his patience was nearly spent. He took a step forward, his aura shuddering outward.

He had come today with one goal—to kill. He had no desire for wasted words.

In the next instant, he appeared before the Longevity Genetics elites. So swift was his movement that almost no one could react. A mighty pressure filled the air.

The Ice Fairy and the middle-aged man were both shocked. Lu Yuan had not even drawn his sword.

But what happened next left them even more dumbfounded, their understanding completely overturned.

Lu Yuan stood unmoving, not even raising a hand. Within him, an eleven-tiered blood-colored pagoda faintly appeared, resonating with his organs.

A thunderous rumble echoed.

In that moment, almost everyone felt a pressure beyond words; their very blood seemed to freeze.

The Longevity Genetics elites—dozens, all fifth rank or higher—had no chance to resist. Their bodies shattered, bones splintered, and they were crushed to the ground.

In but an instant, all were dead.

The Southern Emperor, who was a little farther away, was blown back before he could react. A sudden radiance flared from his body, blocking most of the pagoda’s force.

Even so, he suffered heavy injuries, unable to muster his Awakening Realm strength.

“What—what just happened?!”

“Wiped out in a single blow? Impossible!”

The onlookers were stunned; everything had happened too quickly.

Had they misseen? But it was real.

“He’s that powerful, even without the sword?”

The Ice Fairy was shaken, her face pale.

That power—though not directed at her—still filled her with boundless dread.

The middle-aged man was even more terrified. Too strong, unimaginably strong.

“Hm?”

But Lu Yuan paid them no mind. He only gave a slight exclamation, noticing the sudden radiance on the Southern Emperor.

He had only used twenty percent of his strength, yet ordinarily not even someone at the Awakening Realm could have withstood it.

“How is this possible?” The Southern Emperor was quaking, eyes wide with fear.

Just now, he had felt as if he faced a terrible demon king, utterly unable to resist. Were it not for the family’s life-saving treasure, he would certainly be dead.

Run!

At this moment, only one thought filled his mind.

He scrambled up, fleeing toward Chang’an without hesitation.

There had long been agreements among the great factions and the authorities: within the super-cities, private duels between Awakened were strictly forbidden, with severe punishment for violators.

In other words, the law.

“You won’t get the chance.”

Lu Yuan smiled, taking a step.

The Southern Emperor instantly sensed a nameless, overwhelming danger, his very pores tightening.

He knew he had to act, or the consequences would be unthinkable.

Quickly, he drew a red furnace from his robes and hurled it forth.

The furnace was only the size of a fist, but as it flew out, it unleashed a sky-filling blue flame. The temperature was so high the very air warped, capable of melting steel.

“Be careful, Mr. Lu!” the Ice Fairy cried instinctively. “That’s the ancestral artifact of the Wang family—Longevity Genetics’ Lihuo Furnace. It can unleash terrifying flames—extremely dangerous!”

The Five Supremes, after all, were not only powerful themselves; each also possessed a trump card, a life-saving artifact—these were all formidable treasures.

The Ice Fairy knew more than most, so she gave warning.

But Lu Yuan? He was utterly unconcerned.

He strode directly into the inferno and seized the Lihuo Furnace in his hand.

Primal Qi radiated from him, forming a protective barrier from head to toe.

The flames, hot enough to melt steel, burned all around, yet he remained completely unscathed.

“I thought it was some kind of artifact, but it’s really not much at all,” Lu Yuan remarked, glancing at the furnace. It was certainly a threat to those at the Awakening Realm, but to him, it was far from enough. Without another word, he squeezed.

Crack!

Bang!

In the next instant, the Lihuo Furnace shattered to pieces, its flames vanishing in a blink.

He—he crushed the Lihuo Furnace with one hand?

Everyone was once again astounded. What kind of being was this?

Lu Yuan, having finished with the furnace, wasted no time and resumed his pursuit.

But by now, the Southern Emperor had reached the city gates of Chang’an. Reinforcements from the Longevity Genetics branch had arrived as well, but none were strong—his true elites had all perished moments before.

Lu Yuan was struck by the thought: the Southern Emperor’s power was unimpressive, but his speed in fleeing was remarkable.

But—could he escape?

“Not good,” the Ice Fairy gasped, realizing Lu Yuan had no intention of letting anyone go.

Meanwhile, the Southern Emperor, having crossed into Chang’an’s boundaries, halted and turned, voice venomous. “Lu Yuan, this is Chang’an! If you attack here, you’ll face joint retribution from the authorities and all the great factions!”

He threatened, confident his opponent would not dare act.

“So much pointless talk,” Lu Yuan replied softly.

The next instant, he appeared within the city’s bounds.

He raised his foot and stomped down on the Southern Emperor’s chest.

The latter was helpless before the blow, collapsing instantly. He tried to fight back, but a titanic force pinned him as if a mountain pressed upon his body—he could not move a finger.

“Mr. Lu, stop!”

“Mr. Lu, you mustn’t!”

The Beidou Bio executive and the Ice Fairy both called out.

Everything they had witnessed convinced them: Beidou Bio needed such a powerhouse. But they knew that if the Southern Emperor died, Longevity Genetics would stop at nothing for revenge.

Humanity’s true enemy now was the alien beasts—balance must be maintained; internal strife should be avoided.

Most crucially, Lu Yuan’s actions violated the Awakened’s code!

“What I hate most is being threatened. Longevity Genetics has provoked me three times—this time, I’m merely collecting a little interest.” Lu Yuan ignored their pleas, speaking quietly as he pressed down with his foot.

A sickening tear—blood spurted from the Southern Emperor’s chest.

His unusual bloodline was no help; he could not withstand such force.

After a brief struggle, his head lolled to the side, breath extinguished—dead.

This scene played out before everyone’s eyes.

One of the Five Supremes, the eldest son of the Longevity Genetics patriarch, the man called the Southern Emperor—dead, just like that.

And he had died within the strictly law-bound confines of Chang’an City.

Silence.

Utter silence.

No one spoke a word; not a breath was heard.

Trouble—immense trouble—was brewing.

“Overbearing, utterly domineering, without scruple—without scruple!” the senior figure from Beidou Bio murmured.

At this moment, in everyone’s eyes, Lu Yuan was a lawless demon king—one who defied all rules, uncaring of the disaster he might bring. He simply followed his own will.

Of course, Lu Yuan himself was indifferent to the crowd’s reaction. Having slain the Southern Emperor, he turned his gaze to the other members of Longevity Genetics.

Feeling the oppressive force of his stare, they all fell back in terror.

Fight? Avenge their young master?

Impossible—they would die.

“Tell the Wang family of Longevity Genetics that today, I’ve collected some interest. In the future, I’ll pay a visit in person. For now—get lost!”

Lu Yuan spoke coldly. The feud was now irreconcilable; there was no need for courtesy.

Besides, he had planned on this all along.

As for those before him—they were mere lackeys, not worth his attention.

Once the Wang family was wiped out, all their followers would scatter.

If any harbored hesitation, Lu Yuan would not hesitate to act again. He was no saint; he had no qualms.

The law of the new era: the strong prey on the weak.

If he did not possess such strength, everything would be reversed. That was the survival rule now.

The Longevity Genetics members glanced at one another, then fled in a panic.

Everyone knew—if they stayed, they would die.

And after this, whether they would remain with Longevity Genetics was another matter. There was no point in throwing away their lives.

Once they were gone, Lu Yuan glanced at the corpse of the Southern Emperor, suppressed his aura, and appeared as an ordinary man.

He turned to the middle-aged man from Beidou Bio and the Ice Fairy, smiling. “Now, what was it you wished to say?”

The two exchanged glances.

What was there left to say, with the deed already done?

Moreover, his words had been a public declaration of war on Longevity Genetics.

Where did his confidence come from?

That was the question in their hearts, but suddenly, they felt—it was obvious. With such strength, what more confidence did he need?

Just as the Ice Fairy was about to speak, her gaze shifted toward the city.

Lu Yuan turned as well.

There, the president of Zhendan Academy, Zheng Wenyuan, was approaching with a group of uniformed soldiers.

They represented the authorities.

Thank you to [Eyes Shut-ED] for the 500 book coin reward!
Thank you to [.278] for the 100 book coin reward!
Thank you to [Forgotten Mortal] for the 200 book coin reward!
My deepest gratitude!

P.S.: If the protagonist were to receive a title, what would you suggest, brothers?

(End of chapter)