Chapter 6462 Fei Shuang vs. Lu Ze
No one had expected Lu Ze to track them down so precisely, let alone appear at this critical moment.
After all, Long Chen had set up countless diversions along the way, erasing their true trail. Yet, Lu Ze still found them.
At this point, Long Chen was inside the Earth Cauldron, his condition still frail from his previous injuries. The last time they’d seen him, he could barely stand, much less fight.
Huo Linger, Lei Linger, and Cang Lu appeared around the Earth Cauldron. The air trembled as vines surged through space. The moment Long Chen faced danger, they unleashed their full power. But instead of counterattacking the descending astral hand, they stood guard.
Suddenly, that enormous hand exploded.
A black-robed figure stepped out of the dissipating light—Fei Shuang.
Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail. Her once-white robes were now black, and a silver belt cinched around her waist.
A massive broadsword hung across her back, and starlight shimmered faintly around her. With her new arm, Fei Shuang seemed like an entirely different person. She had blown apart Lu Ze’s astral hand with a single palm strike.
Lu Ze’s pupils shrank. “Astral energy? Who are you?”
He immediately sensed it—the distinct fluctuation of astral energy. Since when had the nine star line produced such a terrifying expert he didn’t know about?
But the moment his eyes locked onto Fei Shuang’s Astral Arm, he roared, “Bing Yi’s arm! You dare to blaspheme the great nine star line?!”
Fei Shuang snorted. “The nine star line has long since stopped being great. With despicable trash like you polluting it, it isn’t worth reverence. Long Chen already knew our formation eyes could deceive others but not your kind. You used Bing Yi’s astral fluctuations to trace us here. But once her discarnate soul is gone, even that advantage will disappear. So tell me, why are you here? To save her soul? To seize the Earth Cauldron? To suppress my original devil race? Or to challenge Long Chen himself?”
Fei Shuang stood in front of Lu Ze like an immovable wall. In terms of aura, she absolutely did not lose out to him.
Yue Xiaoqian and the others formed a wall behind Fei Shuang, becoming the second line of defense.
Seeing Fei Shuang’s figure, the original devil race’s experts felt a wave of emotion. Their own Fei Shuang had returned. And this time, she was stronger than ever.
“Hahaha!” Lu Ze laughed furiously. “You think refining Bing Yi’s Astral Arm means you can command our nine star line’s astral energy? What a joke! You’re far too naive. Even Bing Yi herself wouldn’t be your match. I’ll answer your question—besides Bing Yi’s soul, I’ll be taking everything!”
Fei Shuang’s lips curled coldly. “What a joke. No wonder Long Chen calls you all trash. Since when did astral energy become your nine star line’s exclusive right? Long Chen already told me—astral energy is like the light of the sun and moon. It illuminates the world and supports all beings; it belongs to all life under heaven, not just to you. If astral energy could only be used by the nine star line, what am I?”
Astral energy slowly flowed out of Fei Shuang, looking like a holy starlight that made her seem like a goddess.
The astral energy was no longer foreign to her; it was part of her. At first, she too had believed that only the nine star line could truly control it. But Long Chen had shown her the truth: the sun, the moon, and the stars had never belonged to anyone. Wherever their light reached, their power could be harnessed.
Lu Ze shouted, “Nonsense. Since ancient times, only the Star Master has truly controlled the power of the stars. He created the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art and opened an unprecedented path. Your so-called astral energy is nothing but stolen power! The original devil race has always been our slaves! To steal your masters’ power and then boast of it—shameless!”
The nine star line’s experts were all exceedingly arrogant, viewing themselves as unique existences—the only ones in this world who could control astral energy. Now that Fei Shuang could also wield astral energy, Lu Ze was shocked and enraged. This completely toppled his view of the world.
Fei Shuang sneered. “You speak of shame? Our original devil race may have originated from another world, but we never harmed the lifeforms of the nine heavens. On the contrary, we were loyal to our conscience and fought to protect the nine heavens. The Star Master himself granted us the Devil Suppressing Divine Rune. We were grateful and served him faithfully.
“Even if the Star Master didn’t give us this power, we still would have followed our hearts and fought for what was right. The Star Master has long since fallen. Yet, his so-called descendants have inherited none of his will. You betray his legacy, turn on your allies, and wield his name as a weapon. How dare you call yourselves his heirs?
“Our hearts may be soft, but our spines are harder than steel. We will never bow. Even if our entire race is annihilated, we will not regret it. If anyone believes they can enslave us, they are gravely mistaken. Our original devil race is not afraid of annihilation. Do you think we will surrender to scums like you?”
Fei Shuang’s words struck like thunder, leaving Lu Ze speechless. He was gnashing his teeth furiously. Then, his killing intent erupted.
Behind Fei Shuang, Yue Xiaoqian and the others trembled with exhilaration. Her words echoed their conviction. In fact, Yue Xiaoqian thought wryly that Fei Shuang’s tongue had grown as sharp as her blade after getting Long Chen’s help.
Lu Ze roared, “You twist the truth! It was you who stole what belongs to the nine star line! How dare you argue with your betters?! As expected from slaves, go to hell!”
Unable to find a moral high ground, Lu Ze directly lashed out. Astral light blazed around him as flames surged skyward, crushing pressure sweeping across the land. His aura was sharper and stronger than Bing Yi’s.
Lu Ze said, “You think you can match me just because you stole some astral energy? Today, I’ll show you what true astral—”
BOOM!
Before he could finish, a fist cloaked in starlight slammed into his chest. The explosion sent him hurtling backward, blood spraying through the air as his chest collapsed inward.
“The Star Cloud Steps...?!”
He gasped between mouthfuls of blood, disbelief twisting his face.