“Is it her?”
“One of the Sub-Knights’ people?”
“She… is Lu Mo? The one meant to be Cecilia’s knight?”
The crowd could hardly believe their eyes at this moment. This ethereal, beautiful girl was Lu Mo?
Just moments ago, they were comparing the girl’s beauty to Cecilia’s, debating who was superior. Many were already thinking of ways to talk to her and build rapport.
And now, they were being told that this stunning girl was the very person they wanted to insult and crush? The contrast was simply too great.
Gallard, the impulsive youth, began to feel regret. He was also one of those who had been charmed and wanted to approach her.
Now, he had shown such blatant hostility toward her and even uttered insults. The girl’s impression of him must have already dropped to absolute zero!
‘Damn it… if only I hadn’t been the first to rush out…’ Gallard cursed himself internally.
Lu Mo stepped forward, one pace at a time, until she stood directly before him.
“Is something the matter?” Lu Mo asked coldly.
Though her tone was calm and she released not a shred of her cultivation’s power, Gallard felt an immense, overwhelming pressure. Looking at Lu Mo’s cold face, he immediately lost his nerve and shrank back.
“I’m sorry, I was just speaking too loudly… I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Can we just act like nothing happened?”
He frantically wondered if there was still a chance to salvage his image in her heart.
“That guy is Gallard, right?”
“Seems like it.”
At that moment, others recognized his identity.
“Because his talent for Holy Power was too weak, he ended up in the Knight class.”
Seeing Gallard cowering before Lu Mo, the crowd burst into laughter.
“Did you hear? This guy is a total lapdog.”
“Back when he was with his family, he fell for a girl next door.”
“He gave her all his monthly cultivation resources and used his allowance to buy her countless gifts, constantly worrying over her well-being.”
“But they say that girl never even let him hold her hand. When they went out together and ran into friends, she would just say he was her servant, and Gallard would just smile and nod.”
“Guess what happened next?”
“The girl ran off with a Blonde Guy.”
“When his friends tried to comfort him by insulting the girl and the guy, he actually got angry! He told them not to badmouth her, saying it was because he wasn’t good enough that she left!”
“I can’t take it. What kind of ultimate lapdog is this?”
Soon, the square was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
“He’s cowering in front of Lu Mo — he isn’t trying to grovel for her too, is he? Does he think Miss Lu Mo would ever look at him like that?”
Hearing these mocking voices, Gallard’s face turned a deep crimson. He felt his self-respect shattering into pieces. In his mind, it felt as though a string had snapped. Suddenly, his emotions shifted into pure rage.
He didn’t want to be ridiculed like this in public! He wasn’t a lapdog!
Forget about her impression of him. Today, he would defeat Lu Mo right here and prove himself!
“Lu Mo… of course I have business with you today!”
He spoke up, glaring at her with fury.
“I want you to give up on becoming Cecilia’s knight. Someone like you… isn’t qualified!”
He released the fluctuations of his cultivation.
Though his talent for Holy Power was mediocre, he currently possessed the strength of a high-tier, high-rank. He wanted to put enough pressure on her.
However, to his surprise, his aura couldn’t suppress Lu Mo in the slightest. The girl simply observed him with those cold eyes before turning to leave.
She ignored him completely. As if he were an ant.
“Stop! Lu Mo, I’m here to challenge you to a duel! If I win, you get out of here immediately and leave Cecilia —” Gallard shouted.
Lu Mo didn’t even bother to respond. She felt that fighting here would only soil her hands.
“Do you think you are qualified?”
She didn’t even pause. This drove Gallard into a total frenzy.
“Stop! I told you to stop!!!”
He roared, and in the next instant, a heavy hammer appeared in his hands. Holy Power flowed through his arms and into the weapon. He exerted all his strength, swinging the hammer toward Lu Mo in a killing blow.
“This duel — whether you accept it or not, you have to —”
In the next second, a violent wind erupted. It descended from above, slamming into Gallard in an instant. The wind-attributed power was incredibly violent, sending a shock through the hearts of everyone nearby.
Gallard’s figure was twisted within that gale! His Holy Power and his cultivation aura were all shredded by the blow. He was completely suppressed and slammed ruthlessly into the ground!
Boom!
A loud crash echoed. By the time the crowd regained their senses, Gallard was lying on the ground, twitching and drifting in and out of consciousness. Blood slowly seeped from the surface of his body.
“What… what just happened?”
“It was Holy Power… no, it was wind-attributed power that suppressed him…” someone said tremblingly.
“It was too fast. I only saw a gust of wind tear him apart…”
It had happened too quickly. They didn’t even have time to judge what level that strike belonged to. Some looked at Lu Mo in terror.
The girl remained calm, as if nothing had happened, slowly walking back to her original position. It was as if she had truly just crushed an ant.
“Could it… have been her?”
Not only was the crowd in the square shocked, but even the high-ranking members of The Holy Sanctuary were shaken.
“That just now… was a Transcendent aura!”
“That wind… was Transcendent power!”
They couldn’t believe it. If it were one of the top-ranked Heroes or Holy Dragon Knights showing Transcendent power, they wouldn’t be surprised.
But Lu Mo — she had no talent for Holy Power, wasn’t a primary focus of their training, and had been wandering for years. How could someone like her possess Transcendent power? How was that possible?
“Maybe we saw it wrong.”
“That wind was too fast.”
“It’s hard to say if that was her own power.”
Some tried to comfort themselves. Just then, another youth stepped out from the hall.
“Miss Lu Mo, please wait.”
The moment he spoke, Holy Power and the power of destiny intertwined, transforming into pale gold chains that coiled toward Lu Mo.
“I heard you are to become Lady Cecilia’s knight, but I have my doubts about your strength.”
“I hope you won’t avoid the fight and will face me seriously.”
His tone was gentle, carrying a bit of gentlemanly grace. Yet, hidden within the chains was a killing intent.
“It’s Master Nep!”
“He’s part of the Holy Dragon Knight sequence!”
Exclamations rang out. The chains had already surrounded Lu Mo, suddenly tightening. Their power far exceeded that of Gallard.
However, Lu Mo remained calm. She didn’t dodge. Instead, she reached out and grabbed the chains directly. Then, she gave them a violent tug!
A terrifying Battle Qi erupted instantly!
“What?!”
In the next moment, Nep was yanked off his feet and went flying toward Lu Mo.
‘She… she actually caught my chains?!’
His scalp went numb. He couldn’t understand why she was completely unharmed. When he flew in front of Lu Mo, their eyes met. A chill pierced through to his very marrow.
“Your power of destiny… is too weak,” Lu Mo said faintly.
“Eight years ago, someone showed me the true Holy Destiny. You are inferior to him.”
As her voice fell, a sword light suddenly flashed!
The chains and the Holy Power shattered instantly. Nep was sent flying by the slash, crashing heavily into a distant wall. He spat out blood and fainted on the spot.
Silence fell over the entire area. A Knight, then a Holy Dragon Knight — they were both defeated in an instant. The higher-ups of The Holy Sanctuary fell into a dead silence.
“That was… Transcendent sword qi,” someone whispered.
It felt as though the events of eight years ago were repeating themselves. However, it wasn’t over. The sound of footsteps came from the hall once again. It seemed more people were coming out to challenge her.
Lu Mo frowned slightly.
‘The matter of me becoming Cecilia’s knight should only have been known by a few people.’
‘Why did the news spread specifically today?’ she murmured softly.
Suddenly, she felt a gaze. It was cold, condescending, and scrutinizing. She looked up toward the glass high above the hall. The faint silhouettes made her understand everything instantly.
All of this was sanctioned by the higher-ups. It wasn’t convenient for them to act personally, so they leaked the news to have her defeated before everyone’s eyes. They wanted to humiliate her, to shake her resolve, and ultimately make her give up on becoming Cecilia’s knight.
Only… were they not afraid?
Were they not afraid that this plan would have no effect on her? Were they not afraid that no one here could defeat her? Were they not afraid… that her will was unshakable?
Lu Mo’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“Since that’s the case…”
“What if I turn this place upside down?” she said coldly.
Killing intent slowly spread through her icy eyes.