Just as Chu Fu's pressure surged across the hall, two elegant figures stepped forward from behind Lu Chen. They wore simple robes, but their eyes were sharp, and their presence—unmistakable.
Yun Li and Yun Mu—Lu Chen's personal maids.
With a silent glance between them, the two girls released their cultivation at once.
Boom!
A pair of crushing auras burst forth like twin tidal waves—both at the peak of the fourth level. Their spiritual pressure collided with Chu Fu's, neutralizing it in an instant and sending ripples through the grand hall.
The Chu family members who had risen in anger just moments ago were now forced to their knees, their faces pale with shock. Their bodies trembled, unable to withstand the invisible weight pressing down on them.
"What… What is this strength?!"
"They're just maids…!"
But before anyone could react further, the temperature of the room dropped, and a suffocating silence fell over everything.
From behind Lu Chen, a shadow began to form—silent, ominous, and deadly.
Out of that shadow stepped a woman clad in black, her aura calm yet immeasurably deep. She stood just behind Lu Chen, her gaze sweeping over the Chu family like a predator among prey.
Then, without a word, she released her power.
BOOM!
A terrifying force exploded outward as the pressure of a mid-stage eighth-level warrior filled the hall. Walls groaned. Candles flickered out. The very air seemed to freeze.
The Chu family members collapsed fully to the ground, gasping for breath. Even Chu Fu's face turned ashen, sweat trailing down his brow as he struggled to stay on his feet.
"Daring to threaten Young Master Lu…" the woman spoke quietly, but her voice echoed like thunder. "You should be grateful he even stepped foot in this crumbling house."
Lu Chen stood calmly amidst the chaos, eyes half-lidded, arms behind his back, as if he hadn't even noticed the pressure around him.
He didn't need to fight.
He only needed to arrive—and the world would kneel.
---
As the oppressive aura continued to weigh down on the Chu family, Lu Chen's voice rang out, calm and cold like winter frost.
"Chu Fu," he said, his eyes sweeping over the kneeling figures before him, "return my belongings. Or face the consequences — and believe me, they won't just end with embarrassment."
His words struck like a hammer.
Chu Fu, still barely standing, felt his knees weaken. His heart pounded with regret, bitterness twisting deep within his chest.
This was their last chance.
With the Lu family's elixirs, he had hoped to break through to the eighth level, elevating himself—and the entire Chu clan—into the ranks of true powerhouses. It would have been a turning point. A rebirth.
But now… everything was gone.
All because he had spoiled his foolish, arrogant daughter. He had indulged her pride, protected her ego, and turned a blind eye to her cruelty — and now, the heavens were collecting the price.
Chu Fu's eyes dimmed as he looked at Lu Chen, who stood like a sovereign with his loyal shadows flanking him.
The disparity between their families had been exposed in a single moment.
Slowly, trembling, Chu Fu reached into his robes and took out a delicate jade vial, glowing faintly with golden light — eighth-grade spirit elixir.
With a shaking hand, he held it out.
"Here," he said bitterly. "Take it. Take everything."
Lu Chen didn't even reach for it. Yun Li stepped forward instead, accepting the vial with grace and stepping back without a word.
Lu Chen simply turned, his gaze never once resting on Chu Fu again.
"This," he said, his voice echoing as he strode out, "was your only chance."
And with that, the doors to the Chu family hall slowly closed behind him — leaving behind silence, shame, and the bitter taste of ruin.