Lu Yu’s face darkened as he spoke, “Cao Ting, Xu Yi, don’t be fooled by this kid. He is indeed our Lu family’s fifth-tier Martial Lord elder, hiding in the auction hall. When I left, I handed the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill to him. I came out boldly to divert your attention. Otherwise, why would I linger with you so recklessly?”
“Also, it wasn’t our Lu family who auctioned your two families’ martial techniques. Our great Lu family could borrow over a hundred Cyan Spirit Stones at some cost, not impossible. But them, with over three hundred Cyan Spirit Stones? Which is more believable?”
Suppressing his anger, Lu Yu explained to the two. If not wary of Cao Ting and Xu Yi, he would have unleashed his formation disk and attacked Lin Xiao and Mei Tianmo already.
Hearing Lu Yu’s explanation, Cao Ting and the others paused to consider. His words held some logic.
But at that moment, Cao Dong pointed at Lin Xiao and said to Cao Ting, “Fifth Elder, he’s the genius from the Chaotic Lands who killed three of our Cao family’s Martial Lord elders, Lin Xiao!”
“What, it’s him?” Cao Ting’s heart jolted. The youth from the Chaotic Lands, who fused with a Martial Emperor’s blood seal and killed three Cao family Martial Lords, with all those rumours, was here?
“The Cao family secretly built strength and went to the distant Chaotic Lands?” Hearing Cao Dong, Xu Yi frowned, guessing the Cao family’s intentions.
Fortunately, the Cao family’s Martial Lords sent there seemed to have perished, linked to this youth.
After a moment’s thought, Cao Ting’s eyes gleamed as he said to Lu Yu, “Lu Yu, I must say, you’re clever, trying to distract us. But your lies have too many flaws.”
“First, your Lu family’s fifth-tier Martial Lord elders, shouldn’t we recognise them? Why is this man so unfamiliar? And why would a fifth-tier Martial Lord fall into their hands, powerless?”
“Second, them having over three hundred Cyan Spirit Stones is hard to believe. But them obtaining our families’ core martial techniques, compared to your Lu family doing so, isn’t that even less believable?”
Lu Yu’s brows furrowed. He knew no explanation would clear things today.
And from Cao Ting’s demeanor, it seemed intentional. With more Cao family members, even stalling him would let them deal with Mei Tianmo and Lin Xiao.
Then, the storage ring in Mei Tianmo’s hands would fall to the Cao family.
Xu Yi would also be dragged by Cao Ting to tangle with him, benefiting the Cao family. “To secretly obtain the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill, we only sent Elder Lu Yuan, who rarely appears. Using special means, Lu Yuan could conceal his aura. Mei Tianmo, a powerful spirit beast, capturing him is reasonable. As for how they got your core martial techniques, why not ask them?”
Lu Yu frowned, saying gravely, “Cao Ting, don’t think I can’t see your plan. You want Xu Yi to help you stall me, then have your Cao family seize the storage ring from Mei Tianmo, don’t you?”
“Then, whether the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill is inside or not, it’s all yours.”
Cao Ting and Xu Yi both frowned at Lu Yu’s words.
For Cao Ting, Lu Yu had hit his plan. For Xu Yi, it sparked concern.
If the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill was indeed with Mei Tianmo, attacking Lu Yu would make him a pawn for the Cao family, gaining nothing.
But he wasn’t sure who truly held the pill.
After a moment’s thought, the silent Xu Yi spoke, “I have a suggestion. Why not have them hand over the storage ring first?”
“These three old foxes!” Hearing their words, Lin Xiao cursed inwardly. The three were scheming, each distrusting the others.
In the end, they targeted him.
“Even if we hand over the storage ring, who do we give it to?” Lin Xiao said to the three.
“Hmph, no need for such petty tricks before us. Naturally, we three will inspect it together,” Xu Yi snorted coldly. “If you’re wise, hand over the ring. Otherwise, you’ll barely have bones left.”
As he spoke, a powerful seventh-tier Martial Lord pressure surged from Xu Yi, ready to strike Lin Xiao and Mei Tianmo. “Elder Lu Yu, if he’s truly your Lu family’s elder, you wouldn’t want him dead, right? If you attack, he dies. If you block these two, I’ll spare him. But if you don’t care about a fifth-tier Martial Lord’s life, perhaps he isn’t your Lu family’s, proving we don’t have the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill.” Lin Xiao quickly challenged Lu Yu, tightening his grip on the elder’s neck, leaving him speechless and grimacing.
Simultaneously, he commanded the blue corpse puppet to fly to his side, ready to draw the Void Heavenly Phoenix Wings.
Three seventh-tier Martial Lords and four other Martial Lords—whatever they did, they couldn’t win.
“Stop!” Lu Yu frowned, shouting angrily at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao’s words trapped him. Attacking or not, he was in a dilemma.
Losing a fifth-tier Martial Lord would be a huge blow to the Lu family.
To save him, he’d have to confront Cao Ting and Xu Yi.
Cao Ting and Xu Yi’s expressions shifted. The youth’s words made sense.
They hoped the Dragon Saliva Heavenly Pill was with Mei Tianmo and the elder was a Lu family fifth-tier Martial Lord, ripe for killing.
That would weaken the Lu family, and the pill with Mei Tianmo would be easier to seize than from Lu Yu.
But if Lu Yu intervened, one of them would be stalled, and neither wanted to be that one.
Still, it had an upside: Lu Yu would need to deactivate his defensive formation disk to fight, making him easier to handle.
For Xu Yi, though, it put him at a disadvantage, with five Cao family Martial Lords present.
Xu Yi hesitated, waiting for Lu Yu’s stance. If Cao Ting acted first and the elder was truly a Lu family elder, Lu Yu would likely confront Cao Ting.
Then Xu Yi could target Mei Tianmo, seizing the ring.
If Lu Yu didn’t act, the elder might not be Lu family’s, and the pill might not be with Mei Tianmo, so he could consider attacking Lu Yu.
Cao Ting paused, guessing Xu Yi’s thoughts.
“Kid, you’d better release Lu Yuan, or with three seventh-tier Martial Lords against you, you have no chance,” Lu Yu shouted at Lin Xiao.
“Two or three seventh-tier Martial Lords, we’re dead either way. Might as well take someone down with us,” Lin Xiao replied calmly, unfazed by Lu Yu’s threat.
During their hesitation, the blue corpse puppet reached Lin Xiao’s side, poised for battle.
Though the group was surprised by the puppet, its mere first-tier Martial Lord aura didn’t concern them. The situation was tense; one word from Lu Yu could spark a fight, with each side scheming against the others.
