Tian Boguang was utterly shocked.

Many days ago, at the River City martial tournament, Lin Mu had warned that if Tian Boguang dared to set foot in River City, he would bring his sword north and raze Jiangling to the ground. That resounding warning still rang in his ears, and Tian Boguang's face instantly turned ashen.

He hadn't forgotten about it. He had only dismissed the threat because he had been suddenly recruited into the Martial Alliance and believed he had Lu Tong's backing. Besides, the strength Lin Mu had displayed back then wasn't particularly impressive, so Tian Boguang had treated it as a joke.

However, the news of Lin Mu's deeds in Wufeng Town had already spread throughout the Three Rivers Area. They had been on the road to River City and heard the news late. Still, with three Inner Strength experts in their party, they theoretically shouldn't have been afraid of a mere Lin Mu.

But when he saw Elders Zhou and Chen kneeling on the ground, their faces pale and their bodies trembling, Tian Boguang seemed to understand.

"I..." Tian Boguang opened his mouth, wanting to offer an explanation.

However, a grim aura instantly enveloped him.

"Since you're here, don't even think about leaving!"

As his words fell, Lin Mu flicked his wrist. The teacup in his hand shot toward Tian Boguang like a laser beam.

WHOOSH!

The teacup moved with incredible speed, its immense force generating a whistling sound. Not only did Tian Boguang's expression change, but Zhuang Yu's face also paled in shock. In that brief delay, the teacup whistled toward its target.

"How dare you!" Zhuang Yu roared, his aura flaring. He stepped forward, crossed his hands before his chest, and pushed.

BANG!

The moment he made his move, Zhuang Yu regretted it. An unbelievably powerful force erupted from the teacup, sending him flying backward.

COUGH, COUGH!

Zhuang Yu stumbled back several steps as the qi and blood roiled within him. His True Qi surged chaotically, causing immense discomfort. What was even more shocking was that the seemingly fragile teacup, having lost none of its momentum, spun and shot toward Tian Boguang once more.

Murderous intent surged!

"Boy, if you kill a member of the Martial Alliance, I will annihilate your entire family!" Zhuang Yu shouted, his face contorted and his eyes filled with rage.

Yet Lin Mu seemed unfazed. He just snorted lightly, and the teacup sped toward Tian Boguang even faster.

PFFT!

Tian Boguang felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a teacup-sized, bloody hole. Fresh blood poured from the wound, carrying his life force with it.

A chill ran through Tian Boguang as an overwhelming sense of pain and despair flooded his mind.

With a thud, he fell to the ground, dead.

Wang Wu was dead. Now, Tian Boguang was dead too.

More than a dozen members of the Martial Alliance had come, but at this moment, no one dared to step forward or utter a single word.

Zhuang Yu was also silent. He was drenched in sweat, his legs shaking uncontrollably. He stiffly turned his neck and saw a teacup embedded deep in the wall, less than three inches from his head. The tea inside was still steaming, without the slightest ripple on its surface.

Zhuang Yu swallowed hard. This technique of killing with a teacup was similar to a Martial Arts Grandmaster injuring someone with a plucked flower, but it was several orders of magnitude more difficult. For one, the force behind the teacup hadn't diminished in the slightest after he blocked it. More impressively, after killing a man, it still had enough power to embed itself in the wall without spilling a single drop of tea.

This level of control was something not even a typical Martial Arts Grandmaster could achieve!

Martial Arts Grandmasters are also divided into realms: Early Stage, Middle Stage, and the Perfection Stage. Grasping the true meaning of the Martial Way and achieving Qi Release marks one as an Early-Stage Grandmaster. Those whose Internal Energy is as dense as a wall and can be manipulated at will are considered Middle-Stage. The Perfection Stage is reached when one's Internal Energy becomes imperceptible, controlled as if it were one's own limbs, returning to a state of simplicity and flawlessness. People who reach this realm are indistinguishable from ordinary folk unless they choose to display their Grandmaster techniques.

This Lin Mu, if not a Perfection-Stage Martial Arts Grandmaster, had to be at least Middle-Stage. He was several tiers above Senior Brother Lu Tong! How could River City produce such a powerful figure!

The shock in Zhuang Yu's heart was plain on his face. He looked at Lin Mu, swallowed again, and asked cautiously, "Lin... Lin Mu, what are you going to do? We're from the Martial Alliance."

Lin Mu rose to his feet and looked down at Zhuang Yu and the others from the steps. "I've said it before. In my eyes, the Martial Alliance is nothing."

He glanced at Tian Boguang's corpse. "I warned him that if he dared to set foot in River City, he would receive no mercy. He simply reaped what he sowed."

Zhuang Yu suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "But he was still a member of our Martial Alliance. Now that you've killed him, surely you owe the Martial Alliance an explanation?"

Lin Mu laughed. "An explanation?"

His eyes glinted with a sharp light. "Do you think I'm good-tempered or easy to bully? You invade my home, yet you demand an explanation from me? What, has the Martial Alliance gotten so used to its lofty position that it thinks everyone should kneel and grovel before you?"

Lin Mu's tone was indifferent as he said, "If you truly believe that, then perhaps I should pick a day to pay a visit to your Jiangling Martial Alliance Branch!"

"You... How dare you!" Zhuang Yu burned with anger, pointing at Lin Mu. "So what if you're a Martial Arts Grandmaster? All land under heaven belongs to the sovereign! The Martial Alliance has been tasked with leading the entire Martial Arts World. Do you intend to defy that mandate?"

"TSK, TSK. Since when did the Martial Alliance have such authority?"

Just then, a mocking voice drifted in. "If I recall correctly, since its founding, the Martial Alliance has only ever had managerial rights, not any sort of commanding authority. Or has your Jiangling Martial Alliance Branch been granted such power?"

As the voice faded, a group of men and women in matching uniforms entered the villa. Most of them were young, each with an extraordinary temperament and an arrogant expression. They looked around with eyes full of disdain and contempt.

The leader was a woman in a cyan robe with a longsword strapped to her back. The moment she appeared, the entire villa was filled with a bone-chilling cold, as if she herself were its source.

"The Crane Immortal Sect's Ice Heart Sword, Liu Su!" Zhuang Yu sucked in a sharp breath. "What are you doing here?"

Liu Su cast a dismissive glance at Zhuang Yu, her eyes filled with disdain, before turning her gaze to Lin Mu. "I'm here for him," she said. "It has nothing to do with you."

Zhuang Yu's expression shifted, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

Ice Heart Sword Liu Su… she might look young, but she's nearly forty. She only looks like she's in her twenties because of youth-preserving techniques and meticulous care. But what's truly stunning isn't her age, it's her identity. She's the only daughter of Liu Qingshan, the Sect Leader of the Crane Immortal Sect. She began the Martial Way at five, reached External Strength at ten, Inner Strength at sixteen, and achieved Internal Energy Mastery by twenty. Decades have passed, and her current Cultivation Level is unknown. But what she's most famous for in the Martial Arts World is her swordsmanship, which is said to be unparalleled across three continents! When she draws her Ice Heart Sword, no one below the Grandmaster realm is her match! Her fame was sealed in a battle in Jiangling, where she single-handedly swept through the entire province. When she left, she uttered a line that is still remembered to this day: "There are no men in Jiangling!" That remark is considered a great humiliation by the entire Jiangling Martial Arts World!

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