Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 450 - 448: Schemes on All Sides

Chapter 450: Chapter 448: Schemes on All Sides
Upon Luo Xiao’s command, the nearby Luo family martial artists, along with Floating Snow School students and elders, over a hundred strong, immediately charged like a pack of wolves toward the fleeing members of the Duanmu family.
"Run!"
With the death of Duanmu Xiao, these members of the Duanmu family had completely lost the courage to resist, all howling in terror as they fled towards the outskirts of the square. To gain more speed, some even discarded their weapons, focusing solely on escaping for their lives.
"Kill!"
Luo Xiao took the lead in the chase. In an instant, screams filled the square as Duanmu family members were cut down one after another.
Luo Feng stood his ground, not planning to lift a finger.
Most of the Duanmu family’s experts had already been killed in the earlier battle. Now, having lost their fighting spirit, they no longer posed a threat.
Averting his gaze, Luo Feng looked towards the center of the square, where dozens of Duanmu family guards still stood encircled.
"Feng Er, let’s go over there."
Luotian spoke, heading towards the center of the square with Luo Feng following behind him.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG...
In the center of the square stood about sixty to seventy Duanmu family guards. Spotting Luo Feng and Luotian approaching, their faces paled, and they frantically dropped their longswords, crossbows, and spears onto the ground, kneeling simultaneously.
"Sir, please spare us! We’re not from the Duanmu family, merely hired guards."
"I don’t want to die! As long as you spare my life, I’m willing to serve you tirelessly!"
One by one, the Duanmu family guards knelt on the ground, looking at Luo Feng as they pleaded for mercy.
"Feng Er, what do you think?" Luo Tian wanted to see how Luo Feng would handle this situation and turned to ask him.
Luo Feng’s gaze turned to the martial artists before him.
These men were not weak; among them, a few even possessed cultivation at the eighth level of the Hell Realm.
Our family has just defeated the Duanmu family; we’re bound to be viewed with apprehension by many other forces. This is precisely the right time to expand our strength.
Luo Feng rubbed his nose, exhaled, and said aloud, "I can spare your lives. However, you must swear undying loyalty to the Luo family! Otherwise, no mercy will be shown!"
Luo Feng had directly borrowed the words of the beautiful Chief Escort Yao Qing.
"Thank you, sir! I swear to follow you faithfully until death from this day onwards!"
"Me too!"
...
They had initially assumed their deaths were certain. Upon hearing Luo Feng’s words, they nearly wept with joy, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing with such force that their foreheads made thudding sounds against the floor.
"As long as you are loyal to the Luo family and work for the family, I will certainly not treat you unfairly."
Luo Feng waved his hand, instructing a Luo family martial artist to begin incorporating these men.
Having dealt with all this, Luo Feng turned to Luotian and said, "Father, the family needs to expand its strength. Recruiting these men kills two birds with one stone."
Luotian looked at Luo Feng, a bit dazed. Only after a moment did he recover from his shock, then he laughed heartily and said, "Excellent. Feng Er, you’ve grown up."
Luo Feng had never concerned himself with family affairs, so Luotian hadn’t held much hope. He was greatly surprised by how cleanly and decisively Luo Feng handled matters, far exceeding his expectations.
Meanwhile, most of the Duanmu family members had been killed in the square. A few experts managed to cross the bridge and were fleeing towards Green Wood Peak, but with an inescapable net laid out, there was no escape.
With the dust settled, the leaders of the other major forces in the square could only sigh with complex emotions.
With the deaths of Duanmuya and Duanmu Xiao, the entire Duanmu family had been utterly annihilated. From this day forward, the Duanmu family could be considered removed from the ranks of the six major families of the Flowing Cloud Region.
The architect of all this was just a young man, not yet sixteen. Even witnessing this firsthand, these leaders found it somewhat hard to believe.
"City Master Luo! Congratulations, congratulations! Today, your Luo family’s decisive defeat of the Duanmu family will undoubtedly reverberate throughout the entire Flowing Cloud Region. Given time, the Luo family will surely replace the Duanmu family, becoming one of the six major families in the Flowing Cloud Region."
"City Master Luo, your son possesses such formidable abilities at such a young age and has even grasped the Grand Momentum that every martial artist dreams of. He is truly a dragon among men, destined to soar to great heights and become a regional overlord."
"In a few days, I will definitely bring my son to Panlong City, hoping Young Master Luo Feng might offer him some guidance."
Seeing that the situation was settled, the nearby leaders of the major forces all came forward to congratulate Luotian.
Many of these people were leaders of prominent forces in the Flowing Cloud Region. While they couldn’t compare to the Duanmu family, one of the six major families, they were certainly superior to a small place like Panlong City. Under normal circumstances, these leaders wouldn’t have given a second thought to the City Lord of a minor city like Panlong City. However, times had changed. The Luo family’s defeat of the Duanmu family was bound to make waves, and what concerned these leaders of major forces the most was Luo Feng.
He was not yet sixteen but had already grasped the Grand Momentum. Furthermore, with a cultivation at the late-stage of the ninth level of the Heavenly Court Realm, he had repeatedly defeated peak experts of the ninth level of the Heavenly Court Realm! Such potential was undoubtedly rare throughout the entire Flowing Cloud Region.
These leaders of major forces recognized Luo Feng’s potential and wanted to establish good relations with the Luo family now, hoping to reap some benefits once Luo Feng became a powerful figure in the future.
Hearing others praise Luo Feng, Luotian was overjoyed and laughed heartily, "Today is not convenient. If you all have time, please visit Panlong City in a few days. I, Luotian, will certainly prepare a warm welcome."
"Excellent! Since City Master Luo has so graciously invited us, how could we refuse?"
"In a few days, I will certainly pay you a visit."
The leaders of the surrounding major forces all cupped their fists towards Luotian.
While some hoped Luo Feng would rise to power, others, harboring malicious intent, wished to eliminate his potential as soon as possible.
"Blood Cloud Team Leader, is that the Luo Feng whom Lord Blood Saber Demon General wants us to find?" In a corner of the square, two figures shrouded in black cloaks stood together, secretly observing Luo Feng.
Both individuals had their faces hidden within their cloaks, their features obscured. Only their eyes were visible, sharp and concealing murderous intent.
The person on the left glanced at Luo Feng, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes. He nodded, and a hoarse voice came from within his cloak, "This man has comprehended the Grand Momentum and is a Saber man. It must be him."
"Blood Cloud Team Leader, what should we do now? Lord Blood Saber Demon General specifically wants Luo Feng’s head. But with just the two of us, I’m afraid we’re no match for him," the other person said in a low voice, still shaken by the display of Luo Feng’s power he had just witnessed.
If anyone were to overhear these two talking, they would undoubtedly be scared out of their wits.
This was because these two individuals were not from the Flowing Cloud Region; they were disciples of the Blood Demon Sect, part of the Western Region’s Demon Sect. The one referred to as Blood Cloud Team Leader was Blood Cloud himself—one of the 108 Blood Demon Generals in the Blood Demon Sect and one of the ten captains under the Blood Saber Demon General!
Blood Cloud watched Luo Feng, pondering for a moment. His hoarse voice, filled with murderous intent, then drifted from beneath his cloak, "Luo Feng killed Captain Xuejiu. Lord Demon General will definitely not let him go. You set off immediately. Follow the others down Green Wood Peak, and then summon three Blood Saber Guard captains to join us. I will track Luo Feng, leaving markers along the way, and find an opportunity to kill him."
"Understood!"
The person beside him nodded. Then, as if remembering something, he paused and said, "Lord Blood Cloud, please be careful."
A trace of disdain flashed in Blood Cloud’s eyes, and an eerie laugh echoed from beneath his cloak, "He is indeed formidable. However, I am Blood Cloud of the Traceless Blood Shadow! Unless it’s a Spiritual Rotation Realm expert, no one can even dream of detecting my movements."
The person next to him nodded and quietly moved to the side, soon disappearing into the crowd.
「A little while later」
All members of the Duanmu family had been killed; not a single one escaped the net.
After such a major incident, the leaders of the other forces were eager to return to their respective families. After exchanging some pleasantries with Luotian, they cupped their fists in farewell and began their descent from Green Wood Peak.
Only after they had all left did Luo Feng breathe a sigh of relief.
He’d rather fight another fierce battle with Duanmuya than deal with these people.
As everyone was heading towards the exit of the square, a figure suddenly walked straight towards Luo Feng and Luotian.
Luo Feng was discussing matters with Luotian when he spotted the approaching figure. His brow tightened, and in a flash, he moved to stand in front of Luotian.
"Who are you?"
Looking at the approaching figure, Luo Feng squinted, his Rage Flame Knife already in his hand.
"Feng Er, what’s wrong?"
Luotian found Luo Feng’s demeanor, as if facing a great enemy, somewhat strange and also looked ahead.
The newcomer was an elderly man with graying white hair and a slight stoop. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and a kindly smile adorned his wrinkled face, making him appear benevolent and harmless.
"Father, be careful. This man is an expert!" Luo Feng quickly transmitted his voice, his gaze never leaving the old man.
I can’t sense any Yuan Qi fluctuations from him at all!
This means one of two things: either he’s an ordinary old man with no cultivation, or he’s an expert so profound that even I can’t see through him.
Given the fierce and bloody battle that just occurred, for this old man to still be standing here with a smile, he definitely isn’t ordinary. So, it must be the second possibility.
This man is incredibly strong!
The old man halted five paces in front of Luo Feng.
"Who are you? If you don’t answer, don’t blame me for being impolite." Luo Feng had no intention of playing guessing games. He tightened his grip on the Rage Flame Knife, his internal Yuan Qi surging, ready to unleash a full-power strike at any moment.
Luotian also sensed that the atmosphere was amiss and secretly signaled the nearby Luo family martial artists with his eyes.
The surrounding Luo family martial artists gradually closed in, forming an encirclement.
"Heh heh, no need to be so tense. I have no ill intentions." The old man remained standing in place, speaking lightheartedly. Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and for an instant, his feet lifted off the ground.
Luo Feng’s gaze flickered. He frowned, suppressed his aura, and looked at the old man. "What business do you have with me?"
Perhaps others hadn’t seen it, but Luo Feng had seen it clearly. For that brief instant, the old man had enveloped his body with Yuan Qi to make himself levitate.
Void flight! That was a technique only Spiritual Rotation Realm experts could perform. I’m not yet arrogant enough to believe I can defeat a Spiritual Rotation Realm expert.
Seeing Luo Feng’s reaction, the old man nodded slightly and smiled. "Not bad, not bad at all. Courageous, and you know when to advance and when to retreat. No wonder the young master has taken an interest in you."
As he spoke, he flipped his palm, and a black wooden box suddenly appeared in his hand. He handed it to Luo Feng, saying, "Take this. It’s a small gift for our first meeting. I hope you can break through to the Spiritual Rotation Realm soon."
Luo Feng took the wooden box and felt his right hand sink; it was surprisingly heavy, even more so than steel.
Mysterious Hard Wood!
Luo Feng was astonished.
Mysterious Hard Wood is an extremely precious type of wood. This small piece alone is worth over a hundred taels of gold!
"Who are you, really?"
The old man maintained his characteristic amiable smile. "You can call me Elder Hai. As for my identity, you’ll naturally have the chance to find out once you step into the Spiritual Rotation Realm. I have other matters to attend to today, so I shall take my leave now."
With these words, Elder Hai turned to leave.
After taking a few steps, Elder Hai seemed to recall something. He stopped, glanced at the square, then turned back to Luo Feng and said meaningfully,
"It seems you’ve offended someone quite formidable. Be careful."