MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 212
Despite her relatively low strength, Roxin was quite intelligent.
"I sensed something might be wrong with my brother and the others when Evil Spirit appeared," she explained as they hurried towards the Imperial City District.
On their way, Roxin shared her family's history with Lu Ming.
Roda and Roxin were Aeonians, and Uncle Lu was their loyal family servant.
However, over forty years ago, the Ro family had been annihilated by their enemies. Roda and Uncle Lu managed to escape with Roxin, who was just an infant at the time.
"Wait, you're already in your forties?" Lu Ming asked, surprised by Roxin's youthful appearance.
Roxin looked puzzled. "We Aeonians only reach adulthood at the age of fifty..."
Lu Ming couldn't help but marvel at the longevity of other races in the Black Mist Zone. It seemed humans were relatively short-lived here. Moreover, as cultivation progressed and bodies grew stronger, lifespans increased accordingly.
Roxin quickly moved on from the topic of age, continuing her story.
"Our Ro family once held a position of some standing in Tianyuan City, within the Aeonian territory. As a result, we had access to many ancient books."
"When my brother was young, he read an ancient text that chronicled the history of the Flame Clan."
The author of this text was unknown.
Not only did it predict the approximate time when the Flame Clan Ruin would reappear, but it also provided its exact location.
After the Ro family's destruction, Roda was consumed by a desire for revenge. And to achieve that revenge, he needed power.
He, along with Roxin and Uncle Lu, journeyed through the Hundred Thousand Mountains, eventually finding refuge in Archean City. His Spirit Realm strength propelled him to the position of City Lord.
"As I mentioned before, Mr. Lu, King Lin's inheritance is the true goal of my brother's quest," Roxin explained.
"Both my brother and I know its location. But with the recent rise of the Divine Dao Alliance, we couldn't discreetly enter the Imperial City District to claim the inheritance. In desperation, my brother had to reach out to the Alliance's enemies, hoping to weaken them and reduce the competition."
To ensure a stable supply line, Roda had chosen King Lin's secret residence as their hideout.
But now, with Evil Spirit's intrusion, it seemed their secret was out. Someone might have betrayed Roda's plan.
Roxin's pace quickened as a sense of urgency washed over her. "My brother's plan is to lure most of the Spirit Realm experts in the ruin to the ancestral hall in the Imperial City. There's a deadly array formation restriction there."
"He wants to use it to cripple the Divine Dao Alliance. But with our hideout compromised, I fear his plan might be in jeopardy. I don't know how things are going over there."
As they spoke, they reached the checkpoint between the Inner City and the Imperial City District.
Members of the Divine Dao Alliance patrolled the area in large numbers, and a Spirit Realm expert soared overhead, keeping a watchful eye on the ground below.
His sharp eyes quickly spotted Lu Ming and Roxin.
With a sonic boom, he descended before them.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.
Before the Spirit Realm expert could utter another word, Lu Ming spoke in a low, steady voice. "This is Roda's sister. I was ordered by Li De to capture her."
He paused, then added, "Take me to Li De."
It was a spontaneous decision, a gamble born from necessity.
Pretend to be Evil Spirit and avoid a fight.
Whether it would work or not... he had to try.
Li De's plan to have Evil Spirit capture Roxin was likely confidential information.
At the very least, the Spirit Realm expert in front of Lu Ming seemed unaware of it.
He scrutinized Lu Ming, then Roxin, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"Give me the token first," he finally demanded.
Lu Ming fell silent.
After a moment, he offered a bitter smile and shook his head. "I was too clever for my own good."
The Divine Dao Alliance's dominance over the Flame Clan Ruin was evident.
Such control implied a certain level of organization and discipline.
Checkpoints like this one in the Imperial City District required tokens for passage. If anyone could claim a secret mission and roam freely, chaos would ensue.
The Spirit Realm expert's expression darkened upon hearing Lu Ming's muttered admission.
"You little punk, how dare you try to deceive me!"
His Spiritual Pressure erupted, and Roxin's legs buckled beneath her, but Lu Ming caught her, his grip firm and reassuring.
Even in his Self-Limitation state, the Spiritual Pressure of a Level One Spirit Realm expert had no effect on Lu Ming anymore.
He looked at the enraged expert, his voice calm.
"I don't quite understand your way of doing things," he said, a hint of defiance in his tone.
"When I first entered this ruin," Lu Ming continued, his voice steady despite the mounting tension, "I heard someone say that this ruin is vast, and there are many treasures inside. No matter how many people enter, everyone will be able to gain something. It's just a matter of how much."
"But then you formed an alliance and eliminated the other explorers," he said, his gaze unwavering. "I truly don't understand why you're so overbearing, unreasonable, and greedy."
"This ruin is massive. It would take your Divine Dao Alliance years to explore it all. So why make rules to eliminate others and create enemies?"
Lu Ming's words struck a chord, leaving the Spirit Realm expert speechless.
After a moment of silence, the expert burst into laughter.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"Make enemies?!"
"Not only do we make enemies, but we can also kill you right here and now!"
Origin Power surged around him, coalescing into a giant hand that reached out to crush Lu Ming.
Lu Ming shook his head, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
"No way to reason, no way to communicate," he murmured.
"To deal with such arrogant and selfish people, I can only respond in an even more overbearing and selfish manner!"
Lu Ming was not one to back down from a fight.
When friends come, there is fine wine; when enemies come, there are bayonets.
And the Divine Dao Alliance had firmly placed themselves in the latter category.
There was no more room for words.
Lu Ming clenched his fists and crouched, his body coiled like a spring.
It was a simple punch.
But the speed and power behind it were anything but ordinary.
The speed was so blindingly fast that it was invisible to the naked eye—even the Spirit Realm experts couldn't track Lu Ming's punching motion.
And the power behind it was simply devastating.
The Micro-Level Explosive Fist, amplified by Lu Ming's monstrous attributes, unleashed a spectacle of destruction.
A concentrated column of fist force erupted, a blinding beam of light that effortlessly shattered the Origin Power giant hand and pierced through the Spirit Realm expert's head.
The remaining force of the punch continued its trajectory, slamming into the Divine Dao Alliance's checkpoint.
There were no flashy explosions or ear-splitting shockwaves.
But wherever the beam of light passed, matter seemed to dissolve, leaving behind a smooth, transparent hole about half a meter in diameter—whether it was flesh or stone.
The residual energy finally impacted the towering wall of the Imperial City District.
With a screech of tortured metal, the restrictions on the city wall crumbled, taking a considerable amount of time to absorb the sheer force of Lu Ming's punch.
Everyone present was frozen in shock.
They looked at the fallen Spirit Realm expert, then at Lu Ming, who was slowly retracting his fist.
For a long, tense moment, no one spoke.
Lu Ming gently clenched his fists and turned to Roxin.
"Let's go straight to Roda," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
"You lead the way."
"Don't worry about anything else."
End of Chapter 212