Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on Yang Cheng, waiting to see how he would respond.
Would he leave with his tail between his legs, or stay and face Lu Guan's fury head-on?
Before Yang Cheng could even speak, Lin Shu moved first.
"It seems you're treating my words like the wind passing by your ears."
Her cold voice hadn't even faded when her figure blurred—swift as a phantom, she appeared right in front of Lu Guan. Her right leg swept out with a fierce gust, slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound as it smashed toward Lu Guan's left leg.
"Hmph, ignorant fool."
Lu Guan's face showed open disdain. As a Martial Emperor Fifth Layer, he prided himself on his solid foundation. How could he take seriously a woman who had just rejoined her clan after growing up in some insignificant lower world?
He instinctively lifted his left leg to block, intending to teach Lin Shu a harsh lesson.
However—
"Crack!"
A crisp, bone-snapping sound echoed like an icy dagger piercing everyone's eardrums.
The arrogance froze on Lu Guan's face, replaced instantly by pure agony. A wave of burning pain shot through his left leg—it felt like the bone had been completely shattered. His body buckled, unable to bear the weight.
With a dull thud, he collapsed to his knees, cold sweat soaking through his ornate robe in seconds.
"Ahhh!"
A blood-curdling scream filled the hall, echoing endlessly off the walls.
The entire room went dead silent. The air felt frozen, so quiet that even a falling pin could be heard.
Everyone stared in stunned disbelief.
Lin Shu had actually attacked.
And her strike was vicious—one kick had crippled Lu Guan's left leg.
To think that Lu Guan, a Martial Emperor Fifth Layer, one of the most talented youths in the Southern Domain, could be defeated in a single move—it was unthinkable.
Even more shocking was that Lin Shu, knowing full well the immense influence of the Lu family, had dared to act with such ruthlessness. Her boldness bordered on insanity.
"Lin Shu!"
Even Lin Kun, who always prided himself on being the peacemaker, couldn't stay calm anymore. His expression darkened as he barked harshly, "Are you out of your mind?"
Meng Xuerong covered her mouth, eyes wide with horror.
Lin Jiao stumbled backward in fear, her heart pounding wildly. The terror in her gaze made it clear she regretted ever provoking Lin Shu before. This wasn't some timid girl who had just come home—this was a dangerous, untouchable madwoman.
But Lin Shu didn't even flinch. Her voice was calm, her eyes as cold as a blade. She stared at Lu Guan, who writhed in pain on the floor, and spoke without a hint of emotion.
"I said it from the start—he is my master. I told you to think before you spoke. But you ignored my warning again and again. Did you really think I wouldn't dare to act?"
Before her words even faded, she lifted her right leg once more. Her movement was fast—like a flash of lightning—and she kicked straight at Lu Guan's right leg.
"No—!"
Panic flickered in Lu Guan's eyes. He tried to dodge, but the agony in his left leg locked his body in place.
"Crack!"
Another sickening snap resounded through the hall.
His right leg broke cleanly this time. His entire body curled up on the ground, convulsing violently like a fish flopping out of water, his screams sharp enough to make everyone's scalp tingle.
The arrogance and fury in Lu Guan's eyes were gone—replaced completely by raw, soul-deep terror.
"She's insane… this woman is completely insane…"
Lin Jiao mumbled under her breath, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Lin Shu, stop right now!"
Lin Kun stormed forward in panic, his voice sharp with anger. "Do you even know who Lu Guan is? He's the young master of the Lu family! What you're doing—are you trying to start a war between the Lin family and the Lu family?"
Lin Shu sidestepped him with ease, her cold gaze sweeping over his face. That chilling look made Lin Kun freeze mid-step, his body instinctively stiffening.
Yang Cheng rubbed his nose lightly and sighed to himself. These fools really didn't know what they were asking for. Of all the people to provoke, they had to mess with Lin Shu, the future Empress of the Dark Night. And that woman's temper—she was never known for mercy.
"No matter who he is," Lin Shu's voice rang clear through the hall, calm but unyielding, "anyone who offends His Highness commits an unforgivable crime."
As she spoke, she crouched slightly, grabbed Lu Guan's twisted left arm, and—before anyone could react—snapped it with a vicious twist.
"Ah!"
His left arm hung limply at an unnatural angle, blood quickly soaking through his sleeve. The agony hit him like lightning; black spots filled his vision, and he nearly fainted from the pain.
"You vicious woman! Are you trying to completely destroy him?"
Song Zhen could no longer hold back. He shot to his feet, his half-step Insight God aura bursting out like a storm. A terrifying pressure swept across the hall, knocking tables and chairs over with a deafening crash.
Lin Shu raised her eyes to him, lips curling into a faint, icy sneer. "What? You want to take his side? I saw through all of you long ago. From the very start, none of you harbored good intentions toward His Highness. Since that's the case, crippling him was nothing more than his own doing."
"Outrageous!"
With a furious shout, Song Zhen's figure blurred, his fist surging forward with a roar of wind and killing intent.
He unleashed his half-step Insight God power to its fullest. The force of his strike made the air howl; the shockwave alone drove the young men and women nearby to stumble backward in terror, their faces pale.
Huang Yuan, standing to the side, watched calmly, making no move to intervene. To him, Lin Shu's behavior had crossed the line—she was far too arrogant and cruel. It was about time someone humbled her.
But the next instant, his calm expression froze.
Facing Song Zhen's overwhelming punch, Lin Shu didn't dodge or retreat. She met him head-on, throwing her own punch.
"Boom!"
The two fists collided with an explosive crash, shaking the entire hall.
A wave of violent energy erupted from the impact, shattering nearby furniture to dust.
The crowd's vision blurred as a figure was sent flying backward like a broken kite, slamming hard into the wall with a muffled thud. Blood trickled from his mouth.
That figure was Song Zhen!
Lin Shu stood exactly where she'd been, her expression calm and steady, as if she had done nothing of importance at all.
"This… how is this possible!"
Meng Xuerong's voice trembled as she screamed, her face filled with disbelief.
Song Zhen—a half-step Insight God expert—had been blown away by a single punch from Lin Shu?
Just how strong was this woman who had come back from the Wasteland Realm?
Lin Shu ignored their shocked faces. Her gaze once again fell on Lu Guan. Without hesitation, she raised her foot and stomped down on his remaining right arm.
"Crack!"
The sound of breaking bone echoed once more.
Lu Guan's right arm shattered completely. All four of his limbs were now destroyed. He lay on the floor, his breath ragged, only able to let out weak groans—half dead, half conscious.
The hall fell into utter silence.
Everyone stared at Lin Shu with horror. Her ruthlessness and terrifying strength crushed the air out of the room. To them, she no longer looked human—she was a monster in human form.
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from outside, followed by an enraged shout.
"Who… who dares to hurt my young master!"
The door burst open with a bang.
A gray-robed old man stepped in, his hair streaked with white, his eyes sharp as knives. A suffocating aura of divine might rolled off him like a tide. His presence alone was enough to make everyone's heart tremble.
He was a Ninth-Layer Insight God Realm expert.
It was none other than Lu Feng, Lu Guan's guardian protector.