hhnovel Chapter 981: Spells and Divine Techniques Are Just Hobbies, Fists and Weapons Are True Passions
Chapter 981: Spells and Divine Techniques Are Just Hobbies, Fists and Weapons Are True Passions
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The commotion outside drew some Star-Plucking Tower members out to investigate.
And their gaze landed right on him.
Lu Ding approached through the air.
His signature scholar-warrior sleeves, accompanied by an aura of power fluctuations, black smoke trailing slowly, with investigators following in his wake.
There was no need to guess who had arrived.
It was the pure western knife, gun, and cannon – the Corpse-Shattering Taishui, Lu Ding!!!
The Star-Plucking Tower members hurried forward, offering grand courtesy, kneeling on one knee.
"We did not know the Grand Duke Lu would grace us with your presence. We failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive our negligence, Grand Duke Lu."
Quite polite, actually.Normally, Lu Ding might have spared someone who put on a smile.
But today was different.
Lu Ding reached out his hand, one palm strike!!!
Bam!!!
The kneeling figure was instantly pulverized into mist.
"Can't forgive that."
He strode forward.
Straight into Star-Plucking Tower.
Lu Ding's voice rose from the bottom to the top, surging through this ancient tower.
"Anyone who resists will be deemed a traitor – kill on sight!!!"
Standing with his back to the light, investigators streamed in one by one from behind Lu Ding, as if stepping out from the radiance itself. Though they moved decisively, blades in hand, what they represented was the light!
The unification of the West, economic recovery, more jobs, more opportunities – for the nation and the people, all of this was good.
Anyone trying to stop the West's unification was bringing disaster to the nation and its people!
Nothing more to say!
The slaughter was underway.
A commander shapes their troops.
Lu Ding acted with swift decisiveness.
These investigators, through constant exposure, had picked up his habits as well.
The moment they entered, there were no words, no talk.
They automatically selected targets, matched opponents.
They went straight for those who still hadn't figured out what was happening, who hadn't realized disaster was upon them – and killed them directly!!!
This sudden, unrelenting assault caused immediate casualties in Star-Plucking Tower.
But only for a moment.
These people quickly reacted.
The one-sided instant massacre turned into a life-and-death struggle between both sides!!!
The sounds of battle explosions, impacts, and spells clashing rang out one after another.
Three Dinghai Pearls swirled around Lu Ding as he willed them, and with a thought, the pearls shot forth.
One by one, they shattered the most fiercely resisting Star-Plucking Tower members – those with decent cultivation and considerable combat strength.
Suddenly, Lu Ding and Ying Gou, who was standing beside him, both felt something simultaneously. They looked up.
Above them, on some unknown floor of the tower, two cold-faced figures were staring down, their eyes filled with provocation.
The man with a scar on his face even mouthed the words.
"If you've got guts, follow me."
A smile spread across Ying Gou's face as he suddenly leaped up.
Lu Ding reached out and grabbed him by the ankle, yanking him back down to the ground.
He didn't understand: "Why are you stopping me?"
Lu Ding was also curious: "What's your hurry?"
"It's obvious – they want to split up our main combat power, then use the terrain and arrays here to pick us off one by one."
"We haven't lost anyone yet."
"The ones dying are all Star-Plucking Tower members."
"They're the ones who should be panicking. As our main combat power, we need to stick close to the investigators, constantly finishing off enemies to avoid casualties. Going off for one-on-one fights is what brutes do. Even if we could win, the investigators would take casualties without a strong player controlling the field. Their lives matter too."
This was another thing Lu Ding couldn't understand.
In many movies, TV shows, and novels, there's always that group that could just push through together as a unit, but instead they all run off separately to duel their opponents, causing the weaker characters to get killed.
Then they'd give the dead character a flashback for extra heartbreak.
Isn't that just forcing tragedy for tragedy's sake?
If there's no choice but to split up, that's one thing. But going off to fight solo on purpose is just plain stupid.
Lu Ding looked up. He wasn't about to do that stupid mouthing-of-words thing either. He just said directly: "If you're so tough, come down here and fight. If you don't dare come down, then wait until I've killed them all, floor by floor, and then I'll come find you."
As he spoke.
Lu Ding controlled the three Dinghai Pearls, making them fly even faster. With howling sounds cutting through the air, they smashed through figure after figure.
Every time an investigator was stuck in a stalemate from the fierce fighting, Lu Ding's Dinghai Pearls would always arrive just in time, delivering a devastating blow to their stubborn enemy – smashing them directly into bloody mist, with limbs and severed body parts flying everywhere, shredded flesh and blood spraying out.
The scene was brutal.
But it was overflowing with a sense of security.
This was the first time they had truly experienced the thrill of a strong player who didn't bother with posturing, who just controlled the field!!!
Most of them were from Hanjing.
They had carried out quite a few missions.
But they had never experienced a mission atmosphere like this before.
In the usual team missions, the strong players would face off, not making a move first. While the lower ranks fought it out below, even if they were beating each other's brains out, the top brass were still up there striking poses. Only when one side showed signs of defeat would both sides' strong players start to move.
Showing off just for the sake of showing off.
But working under Lu Ding, although he also cared about style and showing off, he would never use his fellow investigators' lives to strike a pose.
His sense of atmosphere came from the moments when he slaughtered freely, unbeatable, as if entering an empty realm.
His sense of security came from the fact that when he stood there, you knew – go ahead and fight with all you've got, he had everything covered.
For personal missions, Lu Ding charged harder than anyone. For team missions, Lu Ding saw further than anyone.
Coming from the bottom, rising from the grind, Lu Ding couldn't say he empathized with everything, but he would respect everyone who deserved his respect.
Including their lives!!!
In a secret room in Star-Plucking Tower, a man watched Lu Ding on the screen, unmoved by the provocation. He slammed his fist down, costing the table one HP.
"I thought you, Lu Ding, were just a brave fool with no strategy, and since Fu Xinghe wasn't here, a little trick would split you up and let me pick you off one by one. I didn't expect I underestimated you."
"Then let me see just how brave you really are."
The man formed hand seals: "Cui Shan, Zhang Long, Fan Lie, Situ Ying – go give the Grand Duke Lu a proper reception!!!"
As he spoke.
Several doors in Star-Plucking Tower swung open, and figures flew out.
"I've long heard of the Grand Duke Lu's fearsome reputation. Today, I, Fan Lie, will experience your skills firsthand!!!!"
The shirtless man wielded a bronze staff, the staff shadow forming circles, his Spirit Refinement aura surging.
Another voice boomed.
"Lu Ding!!! You're a Tai Sui, and so am I. Let's see today what gives you, Corpse-Shattering Taishui, the right to be more famous than me, Cui Shan, the Mountain-Carrying Taishui!!!"
A giant several meters tall, holding two drumstick hammers in his hands, had a murky yellow aura clinging to his body, forming armor.
Then a figure holding a dagger, wearing a mask, hung upside down between the towers like a ghost.
"Grand Guardian, someone put a flower reward on your head a long time ago, but no one dared to claim it. I was planning to test your skills after finishing my next mission. But since we've run into each other today, might as well make it now?"
The last person held a pair of maces – one long, one short. With sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, dressed in a scholar's robe, he didn't look like someone who used maces at all. He looked more like a scholar.
He spoke politely: "Grand Duke Lu, forgive my offense."
Compared to the others, Zhang Long didn't hold any particular malice toward Lu Ding. In fact, his hometown was in the West. Seeing the West getting better and better, he was quite happy.
But their positions were different, and there was nothing more to say. He ate Star-Plucking Tower's rice!
While they were announcing themselves, Lu Ding didn't stop. He continued slaughtering Star-Plucking Tower's people, only asking after they finished: "Can I attack now?"
In an instant.
The four charged at him!!!
All were strong players, all at Spirit Refinement!
In that moment, staff shadows flew everywhere, cold light flashed, golden hammers howled, and twin maces tore through the air.
Lu Ding pushed Ying Gou aside, stopping the slaughter of the other Star-Plucking Tower members, and said: "In a situation like this, no need to use big moves."
With [Killing Mara Asura] on his body, he had perfect control over his power, wasting not a single ounce.
He dodged, evading the golden hammers, weaving through the staff shadows, spinning and twisting to avoid the cold light, fluttering like a butterfly around the golden maces.
One fist, three variations of Heaven-Upholding Hand – [Mountain-Shaking Earth-Quaking] shattered the golden hammers – [Moon Arc Kick] and [Stinger] – even the cold light had to yield to the moonlight.
[Jingzhu Dan Imprint Robe] – stirred the twin maces, trapping them tight.
Blazing bronze staff in the air – Burning Flame Palm Pushing the Tablet.
[Purple Tenuity Heavenly Fire] carried its own authority without needing to be expressed.
Boom!!!!!!!!
The flames exploded violently, the Fire Pillar surging upward.
Weapons fell, crashing onto the ground.
And there they lay.
Deformed twin maces, shattered golden hammers, melted bronze staff, bloodstained short dagger. As for their owners – four words: dead, without a complete corpse!!!
Lu Ding flicked his long robe, reflecting a spectrum of colors, the red light in his pupils glowing, black smoke slowly curling from the corners of his eyes.
Spells and divine techniques are just hobbies; fists, feet, and weapons are the true passion.
Lu Ding's battle lust had been successfully ignited.
Next, he would go on a killing spree!!
"Star-Plucking Tower – not a single one will be spared!!!"
...
Had to send the elderly back home today – she was worried about her chickens – so the update was late, and there was no time for bonus chapters. Bonus chapters tomorrow.