Chapter 72: Western Divine Arts? Heavenly Thunder Strikes Instantly!

The Golden-Winged Roc was only the size of a palm, yet its eyes were sharp and its senses acutely attuned. It belonged to the ranks of the kingly beasts, its bloodline formidable. Among humans, it would be a master few could rival. So it instantly detected the abnormality, even in a place as wild as Shennongjia.

“I know,” Lu Yuan replied, his expression unchanged. He was stronger than the Roc, and had sensed it even earlier. The newcomer’s identity was clear, but so what? He signaled the Roc to continue.

Without hesitation, the Roc soared over and picked three strange herbs. Once done, it perched on Lu Yuan’s shoulder. He stowed the herbs in the Meridian-Nourishing Furnace, turned, and prepared to leave. He had his own purpose here and did not wish to entangle himself with others.

“Stop, Oriental!” At that moment, a stern voice called out. It was Hans, with Jennifer and the other Western Church followers behind him. They appeared, standing not far away.

Jennifer, seeing no spiritual fruits or rare herbs around, furrowed her brows and looked at Lu Yuan. “Did you take all the things?”

Her voice was as arrogant as ever, her emerald eyes filled with superiority. There was no one else here but her party and this Eastern man, so she concluded he had taken the spiritual fruits and herbs.

Lu Yuan gave no answer, his gaze calm, unmoving.

“It’s Lu Yuan! He’s here in Shennongjia too?” Not far away, members of Beidou Bio, who had followed, watched from a distance. Seeing Lu Yuan, they were all shocked. The Ice Fairy’s eyes shone with surprise, for she had not heard news of him in some time, and now encountered him here.

“What should we do?” someone asked, wondering if they should reveal themselves.

“No hurry,” the Ice Fairy shook her head, curiosity on her face. She considered herself familiar with Lu Yuan’s temperament—uncompromising and forceful. Now, he faced these haughty Western Church followers. Of course, Jennifer wielded a Vatican sacred relic, which made things tricky, but Lu Yuan’s strength was unfathomable. She decided to observe longer, and if necessary, would ally with him. She had been intercepted several times along the way, and could endure no more. Previously, she had yielded because of Shura and the lack of reinforcements, knowing she would suffer if she acted alone.

On the other side, seeing Lu Yuan remain silent, Hans’s face darkened. His group was being ignored by this Oriental. He stepped forward, about to speak.

“Mr. Hans, please calm yourself.” Quickly, a figure appeared before him. It was Shura, cloaked head to toe, blocking Hans’s path. He looked at Hans, his gaze severe. “Since the items are gone, we should move elsewhere. There’s no need for further conflict.”

His tone was serious, his stance firm, unsettling Hans and Jennifer. But Shura cared not; his attention was on Lu Yuan. If the spiritual fruits and herbs were unclaimed, it would be nothing. But seeing Lu Yuan, his expression changed drastically, and he hurried over to intervene, his mind tense.

Others were less concerned, but he hadn’t expected to encounter such a god of slaughter in Shennongjia. Lu Yuan seemed to be his equal, but Shura knew well—Lu Yuan was a ruthless figure. At the imperial tombs of Li Mountain, he had slain Zhou Biqiong, ignored the rules for awakened ones, and crushed the Southern Emperor of the Longevity Gene. This was a lawless, taboo-breaking existence, whose comprehension was peerless and had likely grown even stronger in the past months. Lu Yuan was too forceful, not one to suffer loss. Should he be provoked, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thus, Shura had to intervene.

“Shura, are you unclear about your position?” Hans spoke impatiently. “What we seek is God’s guidance!”

“Regardless, you must stop this time,” Shura replied firmly. He stepped forward, bowing deeply to Lu Yuan, his posture humble. “Mr. Lu, these are Western followers from the Vatican, new to this land and ignorant. Please, do not take offense.”

His tone was sincere, apologizing for the arrogance of his group, knowing conflict would be inevitable otherwise. His eyes revealed genuine concern—he was truly afraid that a fight would erupt, ending disastrously. In Shura’s mind, Lu Yuan was far too strong for the situation to end well.

“I understand,” Lu Yuan replied, turning away. Not because of Shura’s words, but because nothing had been lost to him. If the Westerners pressed further, he had no qualms about acting. As for Shura’s backing—Divine Technology—Lu Yuan had killed people from Wu Zhou Group and Longevity Gene; why fear offending another?

“Thank you!” Shura breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat shaken, but glad no trouble had erupted. He turned to Jennifer. “Miss Jennifer, let’s take another path. Any further delay will waste precious time; the company wants the task completed promptly.”

He had suppressed the situation with difficulty and wished for no further surprises, hoping not to encounter Lu Yuan again. The Western Church followers were too arrogant; they couldn’t withstand another confrontation. He also reminded Jennifer of their true mission, to divert her attention, since Lu Yuan had not yet departed. Others from Divine Technology came forward, agreeing with Shura.

But Jennifer, holding her cross staff, seemed not to hear, her gaze locked on Lu Yuan—or more precisely, on the Golden-Winged Roc on his shoulder, an unusual expression on her face. She could tell this beast was extraordinary, small but covered in golden feathers. Her cross staff glowed faintly, clearly reacting to its rare bloodline. The spiritual fruits and herbs could be abandoned for now, but the beast must be claimed.

Without hesitation, Jennifer stepped forward. “You may leave, but the beast must stay.”

As soon as she spoke, pure, sacred white light surged around her, her powerful aura emerging. The fallen leaves at her feet were instantly pulverized. As one of the Twelve Apostles, her strength was indeed formidable, at the awakened realm. This was the source of her confidence. Even seeing Shura intervene, she was unconcerned; she still held the sacred relic.

“Oh? You mean this?” Not far away, Lu Yuan, who was about to leave, paused. He slowly turned, pointing at the Golden-Winged Roc beside him, his expression calm.

“That’s right,” Jennifer replied, still domineering. “Leave it behind, and you may leave safely. God will bless you!” As she spoke, her cross staff released a terrifying power, enveloping her. Clearly, this was not a negotiation, but a threat.

Meanwhile, Hans and the others moved forward, encircling her, ready for battle.

“As you see, I’m not seeking trouble,” Lu Yuan said blandly. He disliked their arrogance.

“Enough talk!” Jennifer said, her patience spent. “Hand over the beast! I’ll say it only once!”

At her words, Shura’s expression changed dramatically. He realized his efforts were wasted; conflict was now inevitable. He wanted to step forward and say more, but ultimately did not move. On the journey to Shennongjia, Shura had endured enough. If these Western followers insisted on trouble, let them bear the consequences.

He could almost foresee the battle to come.

Indeed, in the next moment, Lu Yuan turned and said indifferently, “Fine, but I fear you lack the skill.”

“Foolish!” Jennifer snapped, “Hans, attack!”

At her command, Hans and the others laughed, their auras surging. As followers of the Western Church, they believed in the light; when they acted, holy radiance enveloped them, power emanating from their bodies as they eyed the Roc. With the apostle’s order, none hesitated.

Lu Yuan remained motionless, standing as before. He merely nodded to the Roc, as these were not worthy of his intervention.

The Roc understood instantly. At Jennifer’s first words, it was already angry, but had waited for its master’s signal. Now permitted, its eyes flashed with killing intent. Was its mythic bloodline something any random person could covet?

Without hesitation, as Hans and the Westerners charged, the Roc vibrated its wings, transforming into a golden bolt of lightning.

Pfft—pfft—

In a flash, it pierced the foreheads of five men. Its speed was too great; by the time anyone reacted, the Roc had returned to Lu Yuan’s shoulder, its golden wings aglow.

To it, these foes were weak, no threat at all. It hadn’t even needed to revert to its normal form.

At that moment, Shura and the Ice Fairy were stunned. They turned to look, their hearts shaken. They saw Hans and four others, each with their foreheads penetrated, collapsing limply, faces still frozen in their prior expressions.

It was clear they had been killed instantly. None had seen how the golden raptor struck.

They had expected a fierce battle, but it ended in one side being annihilated in a blink.

“This—” The Ice Fairy’s eyes widened. She had thought it just an ordinary beast, but now her opinion changed. Glancing at Lu Yuan, she swallowed. Every encounter brought a fresh shock. How many secrets did he have? She also wondered what the golden raptor really was.

“You killed God’s followers? You deserve death! I will execute you on behalf of God, on behalf of the holy angels!” On the other side, Jennifer reacted, seeing Hans and the others dead. Rage flooded her mind. She stepped forward and swung her cross staff.

“Almighty God, most high, grant me strength to destroy heretic cults!”

Jennifer was furious, but not reckless. She now invoked the Church’s divine arts, similar to Eastern mystic powers.

Instantly, her cross staff emitted a dazzling white light that descended upon her, and a pair of wings of light appeared behind her, like an angel’s descent. She gazed coldly at Lu Yuan.

“Oriental, receive God’s judgment!”

After casting her divine art, Jennifer’s aura soared, empowered by a mysterious force. Her sacred relic glowed, releasing formidable power. A storm formed around her, countless streams of white light surging. Any giant tree struck by the light instantly crumbled.

This scene made Shura and the Ice Fairy change expression. As they had predicted, that sacred relic was formidable—a peerless treasure in the East. Both realized that even with their strength, facing Jennifer now would mean disaster, even mortal risk.

“Come, help Mr. Lu,” the Ice Fairy decided instantly. No matter what, Lu Yuan was a fellow countryman, and she should act.

But in the next moment, as she and her party approached, a bolt of lightning suddenly appeared, carrying a destructive force, descending directly onto Jennifer.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Lightning and white light intertwined, but soon, the white light was overwhelmed and crushed.

When all the energy faded, the area fell silent. Everyone present saw that Jennifer, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church and bearer of the Western sacred relic, hadn’t even launched an attack before being struck by lightning and reduced to a charred corpse.

Her body fell to the ground, flesh indistinct, killed instantly.

On the other side, Lu Yuan clapped his hands, his expression calm. “Too noisy.”

He truly had no patience to waste time with her.

This scene left the Ice Fairy and others speechless. They had intended to help, but clearly it was unnecessary, a redundant gesture.

Shura and his group had yet to recover, stunned by how quickly everything had unfolded. In their eyes, the powerful apostle Jennifer had died so easily?

Lu Yuan said nothing more, glanced at the Ice Fairy and her party, and nodded. He had sensed them nearby, surprised they would choose to intervene at such a critical moment. Though he did not need help, their good intentions could not be ignored.

Having done so, he turned to Shura and the Divine Technology group. “If you wish to act, I am happy to oblige.”

Oblige? How could they fight?

Shura’s body trembled; he was once again shocked by Lu Yuan’s strength, knowing the gulf between them was vast. Hearing those words, he shook his head with a bitter smile. “I have already advised them—it was their own path to death. No others are to blame.”

Jennifer and her group had tried to seize what belonged to others, and now killed, it was simply retribution. He who kills will be killed.

Lu Yuan frowned, finding Shura’s behavior odd—on one hand, he seemed to protect the Church followers; on the other, he had hoped they would die. Contradictory. Why, then, bring them into Shennongjia in the first place?

“Shura is a Divine Technology experiment. His life is controlled by others; sometimes he has no choice,” the Ice Fairy explained, watching Shura’s departing figure.

“I see.” Lu Yuan nodded. “You may report truthfully to Divine Technology what happened here.”

With the Ice Fairy’s explanation, he knew Shura and his group were compelled, innocent. He had no wish for others to be punished because of him.

“No need to worry, Mr. Lu,” Shura said. “We know how to explain to the higher-ups.”

The events had passed; words were useless, and the key was how to handle the aftermath. In his heart, Jennifer and the Western Church followers deserved their fate.

After speaking, Shura bowed again to Lu Yuan, expressing his apology, then ordered his men to leave. With the deaths, their mission could not continue. They had no intention of taking the corpses, having suffered all the way; it was better to leave them for the beasts as food.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan thought no more, turning with a smile. “I did not expect to meet the Ice Fairy here—it must be fate.”

“What Ice Fairy? Just call me Ji Rou,” she replied, shaking her head and giving her real name.

She knew now that the gap between herself and Lu Yuan was growing, and soon they might not be on the same level. Perhaps it was already so. Thus, revealing her name might draw them closer.

“Mr. Lu, as the ancients said, ‘After three days, one should look anew upon a friend.’ How true it is.” The Ice Fairy smiled and continued, her tone filled with admiration. She felt the man before her was increasingly unfathomable, wondering if Lu Yuan had reached the Lock Realm. But so little time had passed. She had many thoughts. He had no background, no support, yet every time she saw him, there was a new surprise.

Especially that lightning just now—it was astonishing. Was it some sort of divine art?

She pondered, but soon recalled the human king in Chang'an during the beast tide, who had also displayed lightning powers. Could it be the same person? Or were they connected?

Of course, she was discreet. Even if she had doubts, she would not voice them. Everyone had their secrets; too many questions would be annoying.

“Your praise is too generous,” Lu Yuan replied, offering no explanation.

“Well then, Mr. Lu, we have corporate tasks in Shennongjia. If fate allows, we will meet again.” The Ice Fairy spoke once more, not intending to join him; with the Western Church dead, they could freely search for spiritual fruits and herbs.

With that, she led the Beidou Bio group away.

Soon, only Lu Yuan and the Golden-Winged Roc remained.

Saying nothing more, he prepared to leave.

“Master,” the Roc spoke, gazing at Jennifer’s corpse, “There seems to be something over there.”

Lu Yuan raised a brow and walked over. There were some spiritual fruits and herbs—not unusual. Still, he collected them.

Beside him, the Roc pawed at Jennifer’s corpse. “It’s this.”

“Oh?” Lu Yuan murmured, his eyes flickering. He found the cross staff intact, undamaged. Without hesitation, he picked it up and examined it. It seemed forged from rare divine metal. No wonder even the Thunder Jade Emperor’s Lightning Law couldn’t destroy it outright. This item was useful—it could nourish the Da Luo Sword Embryo.

“Well done. You’ve earned merit,” Lu Yuan said, stowing the staff. “It’s time—let’s go find the Dragon-Blooded Flood Serpent.”

“Yes, Master!” The Roc replied excitedly, transforming to several meters in size. Carrying Lu Yuan, it soared into the sky.

These past days, it had almost fully recovered. From tomorrow onward, they would accelerate their progress.

(End of chapter)