First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

The painting that had spread across ten thousand waters shattered into dust the moment Lu Feng’s words fell.

The anomalous phenomena manifested by Literary Energy all stirred in unison.

The tranquil waters of Clear Bright Lake churned with surging waves. Lu Feng’s three innate golden characters came whistling forth like flying mountains crashing down: ”Strive,” ”Scheme,” ”Decide.”

The mountain that had hung inverted from the vast sky transformed into a paperweight and plummeted down towards Lu Ding’s head.

The three attacks came in a sequential, ordered assault, each extraordinary in its own right. Linked together, they conjured a phenomenal, swan-song spectacle.

Literary Energy fell like golden rain; wind, snow, and a man who would not return.

Three attacks, a triangular offensive, pouncing to slaughter Lu Ding!

Facing such an assault.

Lu Ding retracted the [Torture-Crushing Great Rotation] and stood in place, his hand resting on the blade at his waist.

[Stinger] activated silently in the background, awaiting the opportune moment.Seeing him act this way, as if abandoning all resistance, the Qi Refiners of the Great Jing world present were utterly bewildered.

”Has Lu Ding resigned himself to fate?”

”Gathering the worthy as a spearhead, the nation’s sharp weapon, the Confucian master’s innate essence expended in a final strike, plus the paperweight embodying mountains and rivers... Master Lu has played all three of his trump cards at once. Even if he hasn’t resigned himself, what else can he do?”

”Brother, did you suffer a head injury as a child? Otherwise, how could you say such a thing? Who is Lu Ding? The Great Han’s Corpse-Shattering Taishui. The words ’arrogant’ and ’proud’ define his lifelong conduct. You’re telling me a man like that would resign himself and just wait for the attack? Are you alright?”

”Compared to resignation, I’m more inclined to believe he still has an even more formidable hidden move.”

”An even more formidable hidden move? Master Lu’s desperate combo strike is executed with his very life as the brush. Even a God Ascension cultivator would be wounded by it. You’re saying Lu Ding still has a hidden move?”

”Then let me ask you, if he doesn’t have a hidden move, why is Lu Ding touching his blade? If this blade is useless, why does he carry it at all? From Laicheng to Clear Bright Lake, when has he ever drawn his sword?”

”You all might not know, but one of Lu Ding’s killing moves lies in his blade.”

”A killing move? What killing move?”

Everyone turned to look at the speaker. It was a youth with delicate, almost feminine features. Behind him stood another whose bone structure revealed a coquettish charm that shouldn’t appear on a man.

These two were precisely Princess An Ning of Great Jing, who had ridden hard and hurried frantically to get here, and the Saintess of the Great Jing branch of the Yellow Heaven Sect, hiding as her maidservant.

Although they arrived a bit late, they had at least caught up in time for this grand spectacle.

Since such a prominent princess had arrived, she naturally had to steer the conversation’s focus towards herself.

Seizing the brief gap as the attacks descended, An Ning sped up her speech: ”No one knows what that killing move is. Because everyone who has seen it... is dead.”

”It’s been widely rumored throughout Great Han: if Lu Ding draws his blade, there’s only one word—run. Otherwise, the result is also one word—die!”

As her words fell.

Before anyone else could question or refute.

High in the sky.

Lu Ding moved!!

With a single draw of his blade, the long-accumulated [Way of the Jinche] erupted alongside Blood Frost’s unsheathing, unleashing its unrivaled, ultimate slaughter!!!

The crimson blade tore through space, revealing a horrifying, gaping cavity. A torrent of slash attacks, a surge of blade energy, poured violently from the shattered space’s dark cavity, displaying its brutality to the world!!!

Dark red blade energy shot forth, shattering space along its path, distorting the very scenery. This caused the straightforward slash to appear like rolling waves, a tide of dark red, swallowing lives.

With just one slash, it cleaved through the short-sightedness of Great Jing’s Qi Refiners.

The paperweight shattered!

With just one slash, it cleaved through the frog-in-the-well perspective of Great Jing’s Qi Refiners!

The colossal sword point descending through the clouds shattered inch by inch!

With just one slash, it carved out Lu Ding’s future, fearsome reputation that would resound throughout the Great Jing world!

The deity dissolved. The Literary Sea, nearing exhaustion, welcomed the final blow.

When the blade energy swept before Lu Feng—now a flickering candle in the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse—Boom!!!

It exploded!!!

Transforming into dancing flower petals, they blew against his face like a farewell gift, a curtain call.

Devoid of any offensive power, yet carrying Lu Feng’s body, now riddled with cracks, they transformed into gilded stardust clinging to the petals, scattering into the distance.

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, his body carried away by the petals, the smile on his face frozen in place.

”Lu Ding, I’ve often begged others in my life. But this time, it’s my last request. I beg you to spare the Listening Rain Pavilion. They are not evil; they are merely pedantic. They sink with the times; whatever the era is like, they become like that...”

”Don’t leave the scholars of the Great Jing world homeless. I beg you...”

His figure drifted away with the scattering petals, no longer whole.

The moniker ’Corpse-Shattering Taishui’ resonated at this moment, expected, yet also unexpected.

Everyone stood stunned on the spot... staring dumbfounded at the scene in the sky.

Until cries began to ring out.

”Master Lu!!!!”

”Master Lu, don’t go!!!”

”Master Lu........”

”Ah, Lu Ding!!! Kill me along with him!!!!!”

The grief of the Listening Rain Pavilion members infected the atmosphere. Raindrops began to fall, striking Blood Frost.

Lu Ding twirled his blade in a flowing, circular flourish and sheathed it, reattaching it to his waist.

God Ascension, Ninth Restriction... it truly had some merit.

But that merit belonged to Lu Feng, not to all God Ascension, Ninth Restriction cultivators.

As for his final request.

Lu Ding loosened the cufflink on his sleeve: ”I can agree, but only halfway. Environment determines growth. You and I think from different angles.”

”I can select the best among them, but I absolutely cannot allow the Listening Rain Pavilion to become a petri dish for bacteria.”

Emotion is impulse; reason is restraint.

Lu Ding is also human; he has feelings. So, emotion tells him to kill fewer. But reason tells him that not eliminating fools ultimately breeds future trouble. The saying ’the dragon-slayer eventually becomes the dragon’ holds true in any world!

He turned, facing the crowd, and issued his command.

”749 Bureau conducting official business. Uninvolved personnel, withdraw. All members of the Listening Rain Pavilion, surrender on the spot. Those who disobey, die!!!!”

In principle, since Lu Feng had gone to such lengths, members of other forces should have, by all rights, made a move.

But the problem was, principles were in Lu Ding’s hands.

To be precise, principles were hanging at his waist.

That single slash just now made the other forces present understand: what talent, what cultivation, what fighting above one’s level... compared to Lu Ding, they were merely struggling to survive.

If they didn’t cooperate now, if Lu Ding exerted force, they simply wouldn’t survive.

Lu Feng, at God Ascension Ninth Restriction, had been forced to exhaust all his trump cards and burn his life force to the dregs. If Lu Ding hadn’t held back on that final slash, his exit would have been undignified.

And precisely because Lu Ding reined in the power of that slash.

These Jianghu figures raised in a feudal society felt a sense of romance and dignity belonging to this Corpse-Shattering Taishui.

Now they too had a chance for a dignified exit. They couldn’t possibly not cherish it.

If they didn’t cherish it.

Lu Ding would help them achieve dignity.

They weren’t even worthy of making Lu Ding draw his blade again...

One by one, they lowered their heads and departed.

As for the Listening Rain Pavilion, it wasn’t that they wouldn’t protect it, but that they would protect it slowly, gradually. They would first think of a proper plan and then come back to protect it!

After all, this Corpse-Shattering Taishui didn’t say he would kill them immediately.

Wasn’t there room for maneuver?

You hold on first; we’ll go think of a way.