Chapter 416: The Might of the Luo Water Shield
"If you can survive one move from me, I'll overlook the matter of you killing my disciples from Tianxuan Sect," Huang Wuzi declared, his voice echoing like a thunderclap.
The crowd fell silent, every gaze fixed on Lin Langtian with shock. No one expected Huang Wuzi to offer such a deal. Considering that Huang Wuzi was a powerhouse in the Revolving Wheel Realm, while Lin Langtian was only in the initial stages of the Shengxuan Realm, the difference in strength was like heaven and earth.
And with Huang Wuzi's deep resentment over the massacre of his disciples, it was clear that he wouldn't hold back. This one move would be unleashed with lethal intent.
Seeing Lin Langtian's hesitation, Huang Wuzi smirked coldly and looked towards Tianyuanzi in the battle circle, calling out, "One move. If he survives, I'll let it go. I think this wager is more than fair to Yuan Gate. What do you say, Tianyuanzi? Or perhaps Yuan Gate would prefer we fight it out, with your sect dragged into a full-scale war?"
Tianyuanzi narrowed his eyes, halting his mock battle with Tianxuan's other three leaders. He shot a glance at Wu Xuan before looking at Lin Langtian with a measured gaze. "This wager is acceptable," he replied calmly.
An uproar broke out among the spectators. No one had anticipated that Tianyuanzi would agree to such a wager—it was effectively a death sentence for Lin Langtian. Surviving a direct attack from a Revolving Wheel Realm powerhouse was nearly impossible for someone at Lin Langtian's level.
"Lin Langtian," Tianyuanzi intoned, his voice impartial, "your excessive actions in eradicating the disciples of Tianxuan Sect were severe, with an unrestrained thirst for blood. Whether you return to Yuan Gate or not, punishment awaits. However, this wager will serve as your punishment. If you survive this move, we'll consider it settled. If you don't, let it be a lesson in the costs of your recklessness."
The other two elders, Diyuanzi and Renyuanzi, remained silent. They didn't believe Lin Langtian could withstand such an attack, but the one-move wager aligned perfectly with their intent. This way, Yuan Gate wouldn't lose face, while relations with Tianxuan Sect could also be smoothed over.
Though Lin Langtian was exceptionally talented, his impulsive slaughter of so many Tianxuan disciples over the deaths of a few insignificant sectmates had been, in their view, utterly foolish. If he couldn't see beyond such matters, he was expendable. In their eyes, everyone but themselves was merely a pawn.
Lin Langtian's face darkened as he listened to Tianyuanzi's words. He knew that Tianyuanzi had likely reached an understanding with Huang Wuzi. He had been sold out yet again. Though he had expected this, he cursed inwardly, vowing that someday he would make these three "old dogs" pay.
Nearby, Jinwu anxiously urged him, "Big brother, don't agree to this wager! Huang Wuzi won't go easy."
The gray-robed Wu Xuan's eyes also narrowed. "I'll do my best to get you out. I'd say we have about a thirty percent chance of escape."
Lin Langtian shook his head with a slight smile. "Thank you, Senior Wu Xuan, but that won't be necessary," he said calmly. Turning to Huang Wuzi, he raised his voice. "I accept the wager."
He understood that refusal would bring Tianxuan's wrath, and even Yuan Gate's elders would likely expel him on the grounds of rebellion. Without Yuan Gate's nominal protection, the four giants of Tianxuan would relentlessly pursue him, and even with Wu Xuan's aid, survival would be tenuous.
If forced to wager his life, he thought, he'd rather face it head-on. He still had an ace up his sleeve.
The crowd fell into a stunned silence. Lin Langtian had actually accepted. No one could believe he'd agreed to take a Revolving Wheel Realm strike head-on, an attack that even a Death Wheel Realm expert wouldn't dare confront directly.
"Big brother, you—" Jinwu protested, face pale with worry.
"Trust me. I can do this," Lin Langtian said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Jinwu hesitated but nodded, knowing his brother well enough to believe him. If Lin Langtian said he had a plan, he would have a way through this.
Watching the two, Wu Xuan felt a touch of admiration for Lin Langtian's confidence. As a Revolving Wheel expert himself, he understood the enormous gap between them and wondered where Lin Langtian's assurance came from.
"Oh, so you agreed…" Huang Wuzi's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he chuckled darkly. "Bold. Very well. I'll give you a moment to prepare."
"No need," Lin Langtian replied. He stepped forward, his expression unwavering as he stood before Huang Wuzi.
Huang Wuzi's smirk turned cold. Unknown to others, Lin Langtian had killed Huang Wuzi's own son, Xuantian. His thirst for vengeance had only grown, and he would ensure that this strike would obliterate Lin Langtian.
"Taking a single blow won't be easy…" Elder Qian from Dao Sect observed, concerned. "Huang Wuzi is a true Revolving Wheel powerhouse, and his abilities pose a threat to even entry-level Revolving Wheel cultivators. Lin Langtian's odds are infinitesimal."
"There's no absolute fairness in this world," Ying Xuanzi responded. "Yuan Gate's three elders have shown little interest in protecting Lin Langtian. If he'd held out longer, they might have cast him out directly to appease Tianxuan. Lin Langtian likely saw this coming, which is why he chose to take this chance. As slim as it is, it's up to him to make the most of it."
"You'll face a single move from me. Survive it, and the matter of killing my disciples will be forgotten. What do you say?" Huang Wuzi's voice rang out as he stared down at Lin Langtian.
His proposal stunned the crowd, and everyone looked on in shock. No one had expected such an offer. Huang Wuzi was a Revolving Wheel Realm powerhouse, while Lin Langtian was only in the early Shengxuan Realm—their strength was worlds apart. Considering Huang Wuzi's anger over his disciples' massacre, this single strike would be a full-force attack, one that could easily end Lin Langtian's life.
"Is he seriously going to fight him directly? A Revolving Wheel Realm powerhouse attacking a younger Shengxuan cultivator feels too one-sided," Elder Qian murmured, shaking his head.
"Big brother, can Brother Langtian handle Huang Wuzi's attack?" Xiao Yan asked, his rough face filled with concern as he looked up at the two figures facing off in the sky.
"We have to trust him," Lin Dong replied, clenching his jaw.
"Yes, trust Brother Langtian," Xiao Yan echoed.
In response, Xiao Diao simply chuckled and added, "Don't worry. If anyone can handle this, it's Langtian. I don't know his limits, but I trust he has a plan. Besides, we need to stay alert. Once the Yuan Gate elders finish their charade, we'll be next. So, I have an idea…" Xiao Diao leaned in, whispering his plan.
Qingtan, overhearing, narrowed her eyes and looked upward, her expression deadly serious. "If anything happens to Brother Langtian, Tianxuan Sect will have to deal with me," she said coldly.
"Lin Langtian, to think that you, at a minor Shengxuan level, could kill nearly six hundred disciples of my Tianxuan Sect," Huang Wuzi sneered, floating in the air as he stared menacingly at Lin Langtian. "It's impressive."
"Not bad," Lin Langtian replied, a faint smirk on his lips.
Huang Wuzi's expression grew darker at Lin Langtian's indifference. "Did you know that Xuantian, the one you killed, was my only son? My only child!"
"What? Xuantian was his son?" Gasps and whispers filled the crowd as the realization struck: Xuantian, Tianxuan Sect's most talented disciple, was also the sect leader's son. This personal stake explained Huang Wuzi's relentless drive for vengeance against Lin Langtian.
"And?" Lin Langtian sneered. "Your son killed my fellow Fire Division disciples. Those deaths were deserved. Anyone who kills must be prepared to pay with their own life."
Hearing this, Huang Wuzi's eyes turned blood-red with rage, and his voice erupted with fury. "You're looking to die!"
The entire battlefield felt the sudden surge of Huang Wuzi's powerful aura. The weight of his Revolving Wheel Realm strength bore down, making the spectators feel as though mountains pressed on their chests.
"Today, you die to avenge my son." Huang Wuzi's voice, as he raised his finger to strike, was icy and sinister. He gathered his energy, forming an immense wave of black-and-white power, like a long dragon rearing to strike.
"Perish!"
In an instant, the energy around Huang Wuzi condensed into a thousand-foot-long streak, rippling with a deadly intent that shattered the very space around it.
Ying Xuanzi's eyes narrowed as he watched Huang Wuzi unleash his full strength against a Shengxuan disciple. "Shameless! He's not holding back in the least!"
Ren Yuanzi, observing nearby, coldly ordered his followers, "Prepare to collect his remains. He was one of our talented disciples, after all, and it would be unseemly to leave him out in the wilderness."
"There may not be any remains," Tian Yuanzi commented. "Not even I could block that strike so easily."
Even as some prepared for Lin Langtian's defeat, a sudden shift occurred.
"Breathe…" Lin Langtian exhaled deeply, feeling the intense pressure radiating from Huang Wuzi's attack. But instead of panicking, his gaze sharpened as he pulled out a small blue orb.
"The Luo Water Bead… Luo Water Shield!"
As he spoke, an enormous shield of radiant blue light appeared in front of him. The shield seemed simple, even ancient, but it was engraved with intricate symbols that emanated a potent energy even a Revolving Wheel master couldn't ignore.
The spectators were spellbound, watching as the fearsome black-and-white energy, Huang Wuzi's full attack, closed in on Lin Langtian and his mystical water shield.
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