In the distance, Baichen and the others were looking up, watching the battle unfold.
The woman in white and the woman in green were no exception; they had not left immediately.
Then they saw Zhong Qing wave his hand to clear away the mist and lock eyes with the three-headed spirit wolf. Just as they expected a fierce and earth-shattering battle between Zhong Qing and the beast, the next moment, the three-headed spirit wolf was split straight down the middle.
All of this happened in the span of just a few breaths, so fast that they hadn't even reacted before the three-headed spirit wolf was gone.
"Instant, he instantly killed it?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Their eyes widened, and their jaws dropped so wide a chicken egg could have fit inside.
It was too fast.
The three-headed spirit wolf, mighty in the mid Moon Profound Realm, had vanished in an instant.
It could be said to have ended before it even began.
Was this the power of someone who commanded a Moon Profound Realm follower?
Everyone from Fengtian City looked at the figure standing in midair with a mix of awe and reverence.
Especially those heads of families who had previously clamored to flee; such terrifying power broke them out in a cold sweat.
"The Lin Family has struck absolute gold!"
"Gold or no gold, I just want to know what expression the Murong family will make if they find out Lin Feng has taken such a master!"
"Thank goodness my son was out drinking at that tavern the other day, so I got the news in time to come to the Lin Family and offer my apologies. Otherwise, my Fang family would probably be history today..."
The family heads chattered among themselves.
Meanwhile, Lin Hanyi and the other senior figures of the Lin Family were also on the scene—after all, since Zhong Qing had come to wipe out the beast, how could they not accompany him?
"Is this my son's master?"
"He is simply too powerful!"
The pride on Lin Hanyi's face was completely unmasked, especially as he felt the looks other family heads were casting his way. Thanks to this, the Lin Family was basking in reflected glory.
However, the ones whose hearts were thrown into the wildest turmoil upon seeing the three-headed spirit wolf instantly killed were not these people, but the two women in white and green standing in midair.
Baichen, Lin Hanyi, and the others only knew that Zhong Qing had instantly killed the three-headed spirit wolf, but they had no idea *how* he had done it.
The two women, however, were far more powerful than Lin Hanyi and his peers, allowing them to see the battle clearly. They had witnessed with their own eyes a single leaf drifting from Zhong Qing's hand and slicing the three-headed spirit wolf cleanly in two.
Furthermore, having just fought the creature themselves, they possessed a profound appreciation for its formidable strength and defense.
Given all these factors, the shock that single leaf of Zhong Qing's delivered to the two women was beyond description.
"S-Sister... it seems we've run into a true expert."
In midair, the woman in green said with a slightly parted mouth and a reddened face, looking utterly incredulous.
The woman in white remained silent, but her usually tranquil face was likewise filled with disbelief.
Just then, Zhong Qing stepped through the air and returned.
"Senior Zhong, you are truly too powerful!" Seeing Zhong Qing return, Baichen led the city guards in a collective bow. "On behalf of the million people of Fengtian City, we offer our heartfelt thanks to Senior Zhong for ridding us of this demon."
If Baichen and the others had felt mere respect for Zhong Qing before, now it was a mixture of awe and absolute submission.
"City Lord Bai, there's no need for such formalities. It was merely a flick of the finger," Zhong Qing said with a faint smile.
"Leng Ning and Qingniao pay respects to Senior."
At that moment, the women in white and green in midair hurriedly descended, bowing respectfully to Zhong Qing while saying with nervous expressions, "Forgive us, Senior. We truly were blind to your true strength and spoke foolishly just now. Please be merciful and overlook our ignorance."
The two women offered a sincere apology, their faces burning with embarrassment.
Thinking of how they had looked down on Zhong Qing earlier, both women wished a crack would open in the ground so they could crawl into it.
"No need to stand on ceremony, young ladies. If anything, I should thank you for informing me of the beast's strength," Zhong Qing said with a faint smile, showing no anger over their previous discourtesy.
After all, the women had harbored no ill intent; on the contrary, their warnings had come from a place of kindness.
"Thank you, Senior."
Filled with gratitude for Zhong Qing's easygoing nature, the two women hurriedly expressed their thanks.
"Alright, the spirit wolf is dead. I'll head back first; you can handle the cleanup yourselves," Zhong Qing instructed Baichen and the others. Although the body of a beast of this caliber was packed with treasures from head to toe, Zhong Qing had no interest in them.
"Understood, Senior Zhong!"
Baichen hurriedly acknowledged the order and prepared to lead the city guards to deal with the carcass of the three-headed spirit wolf.
Though he could do nothing against the beast while it was alive, it had plagued Fengtian City for so long. Now that it was dead, Baichen wanted nothing more than to kick the corpse a few times and hack it into a thousand pieces.
However, just as Zhong Qing was about to leave with the Lin Family members, Leng Ning and Qingniao looked at him as if they had something to say but were holding back.
Noticing this, Zhong Qing paused and couldn't help asking, "Is there something else, young ladies?"
"To not keep secrets from Senior, we do indeed have a favor to ask."
Leng Ning quickly cupped her fists and said, "We hail from Wandao Mountain in the Eastern Region. As everyone knows, Wandao Mountain specializes above all in array formations. Our sect has recently been researching a new formation that requires spirit beast eyeballs for spiritual awakening. The sect gave the two of us this mission: to bring back five eyeballs from beasts no lower than the Star Profound Realm."
"As the two of us searched along the way, we heard about this beast outside Fengtian City. Thinking we could complete our mission while ridding the people of a pest, we hurried here. We assumed it was merely at the Star Profound Realm and that the two of us could easily dispatch it, but who could have foreseen that it was actually in the mid Moon Profound Realm?"
"And as Senior witnessed, not only did we fail to slay the beast, but we nearly lost our lives right here..."
"I see."
Hearing this, Zhong Qing nodded, then looked at the two women and asked, "So you want the eyeballs of this three-headed spirit wolf?"
"We wouldn't dare ask for them outright; we are willing to trade items of equal value with Senior," Leng Ning said hurriedly, cupping her fists once more. "We beseech Senior to grant this favor."
"There's no need for a trade. But since you mentioned you are from Wandao Mountain, I actually do want to ask you for a favor."
Zhong Qing raised the corner of his mouth in a meaningful smile.
"Senior, please state whatever instructions you have, as long as it is within our power to help," Leng Ning said quickly.
"I recall that Wandao Mountain earned its name because its disciples, aside from cultivation, are proficient in every sideline art—every single path leads to the Dao, hence Wandao Mountain. Am I right?" Zhong Qing asked with a smile.
"Senior flatters us, but that is indeed the case."
Leng Ning answered with modest restraint, though a clear flash of pride could be seen in her eyes at the mention of her sect.
"And your greatest specialty is array formations. Aside from formations, are you also well-versed in feng shui, spatial layout, and construction?" Zhong Qing asked again.
"That's correct," the two women replied.
"Then you may go extract those five eyeballs right now. Your condition is that you must stay behind to help me construct and lay out a certain place," Zhong Qing said leisurely, naturally recalling the small world the system had just rewarded him with.
If someone proficient in such arts were to lay it out, the level of comfort would increase by several folds.
Construction and spatial layout were precisely the forte of Wandao Mountain disciples. Hearing that this was Zhong Qing's only condition, the two women eagerly agreed.
"Very well, go harvest them now. I'll wait here, and when you're done, you can come back with me," Zhong Qing instructed.
"Yes!"
The two women hurried toward the corpse of the three-headed spirit wolf.
Arriving above the carcass and looking at the cleanly sliced halves, the shock in their eyes still refused to settle.
Who would have thought that the master of this corpse had, just a moment before, been an arrogant mid Moon Profound Realm existence?
Using a specialized method, the two women swiftly extracted the eyeballs, their expressions filled with excitement.
When they set out from the sect, the elders had told them to secure higher-grade spirit beast eyeballs wherever possible while ensuring their own safety, because the higher the grade, the greater the success rate of the formation's spiritual awakening.
And the eyeballs of a mid Moon Profound Realm spirit beast were something they wouldn't have even dared to dream of initially.
They could only imagine the expressions on the faces of those old men back at Wandao Mountain when they brought these back.
"Senior, we extracted six in total. We only need five, so we'll give the extra one to you," Qingniao said, approaching Zhong Qing with a glazed jade bottle containing the wolf monster's eyeballs.
"You can keep the extra one," Zhong Qing said, waving his hand indifferently.
He really had no interest in eyeballs.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Joy bloomed across the faces of both women.
Although they only needed five this time, the extra one would be immensely useful to a sect like Wandao Mountain.
Before long, Zhong Qing brought Leng Ning and Qingniao back to the Lin Family estate.
The very moment Zhong Qing returned, the news of the wolf monster's demise spread back through the city.
The entire city erupted in celebration.
After all, ever since the spirit wolf had dug in half a year ago, the terror it inflicted upon the people of Fengtian City had been far too great.
In an instant, countless grateful citizens flooded toward the Lin Family estate.
Fortunately, anticipating this, Zhong Qing had tucked himself away early, which left poor Lin Hanyi to bear the brunt of it.
Wave after wave of people arrived bearing gifts of gratitude, many refusing to leave and threatening to kneel indefinitely if turned away.
In just a single day, the Lin Family's storehouses were piled high with gifts of all kinds.
Looking at his bedroom piled to the brim with farm-fresh eggs and his courtyard swarming with clucking hens, Lin Hanyi felt a deep, profound despair.
Yet, thanks to Zhong Qing's association, within a few short days the Lin Family became the undisputed, irreplaceable overlord of Fengtian City.
The family's commercial enterprises grew wildly lucrative.
As for the other families, none dared harbor even a hint of resentment.
Having witnessed Zhong Qing instantly slay the beast, those families only regretted not buttering up the Lin Family sooner. Consequently, many quickly sought to become vassals of the Lin Family.
Of course, they would have loved to curry favor directly with Zhong Qing, but they possessed enough self-awareness to know they weren't qualified.
In short, the Lin Family's complete dominance over the city was just around the corner.
In a quiet, secluded corner of the Lin Family estate, Zhong Qing sat at a tea table, leisurely sipping his brew.
Opposite him sat Leng Ning and Qingniao in respectful silence.
"The upcoming construction and layout may require collecting quite a few materials. Whenever you need anything, just hand the list over to Patriarch Lin; I've already spoken with him," Zhong Qing instructed the two women. "As for manpower, I'll assign someone to assist you."
The moment Zhong Qing's voice fell, a figure in black suddenly materialized.
It was Heibai.
Seeing Heibai appear out of thin air, Leng Ning and Qingniao were thoroughly startled.
Neither of them had managed to catch where Heibai had come from.
Moreover, while they couldn't sense Heibai's specific cultivation level, they could clearly tell that he was unfathomably deep.
Clearly, this was yet another Moon Profound Realm expert.
"Heibai, from now on, you will unconditionally follow the instructions of these two young ladies," Zhong Qing ordered.
"Yes, Master."
Heibai replied respectfully.
This form of address startled the two women all over again.
A Moon Profound Realm servant?
What an astonishing display of wealth and power!
"You heard him, young ladies. Feel free to put him to work whenever you need," Zhong Qing said, turning back to the two women.
"We wouldn't dare 'put him to work.' We can only say we might need this senior's help later on," the two women hurriedly stood up.
Though he was Zhong Qing's servant, a Moon Profound Realm expert was right there in the flesh; where would they find the audacity to boss around someone of that caliber?
"There's no need to be so restrained. Just roll up your sleeves and get to work," Zhong Qing smiled.
Leng Ning nodded respectfully, then asked, "Pardon us, Senior, but what kind of place are we actually going to build and lay out?"
"I'll take you there now," Zhong Qing said with a leisurely smile.
Just as the two women were wondering where they were headed, they saw Zhong Qing wave his hand, and a mysterious energy enveloped them.
"Don't resist," Zhong Qing reminded them.
The moment his voice faded, the two women felt the scenery before their eyes abruptly shift.
In the next instant, they found themselves inside Zhong Qing's small world.
"This... what is this?"
The two women stared at their surroundings in astonishment.
At the moment, the small world was completely empty, save for a vast expanse of barren land.
"This is my own personal small world. It is right here that I want you to remodel and lay out a design," Zhong Qing appeared beside the two women, speaking softly.
"What?!"
"Your... your own personal small world?"
The two women widened their eyes, turning their heads to stare fixedly at the man beside them.
It felt as though a thunderclap had exploded in their minds.
Even in the present-day Great World, numerous small worlds existed.
For instance, certain reclusive clans scattered across the continent.
Or ancient clans.
Entire lineages might live within a small world, sealing themselves off behind a boundary and setting up an entrance in a specific location to come and go.
Any single one of these reclusive or ancient clans, if plucked out individually, possessed the power to crush the entire Eastern Region.
Yet even with such formidable strength, the reason they were able to open up a small world was the result of generations of collective effort by their ancestors.
Those who could participate in opening a small world were figures who had already grasped a portion of the spatial laws.
Such individuals were titans whose mere footstamps could cause the continent to tremble.
And yet the Zhong Qing before them had independently opened up an entire small world!!
What kind of concept was that?
For a moment, the gazes the two women directed at Zhong Qing were filled not only with extreme disbelief, but also with an aura of profound mystery.
Never in their wildest dreams had they expected that a routine mission out of the sect would lead them to an existence of this tier—and that they would have the supreme fortune of working for him.
"Is this the place Senior wishes us to lay out?" Leng Ning asked nervously.
"Indeed, it is right here. Well? With your abilities, can you help me transform this place?" Zhong Qing asked with a smile.
"Yes! We definitely can!"
The two women chimed in without hesitation.
How could they possibly say no at a time like this? To work for an existence of this caliber—even if they couldn't handle it on their own, they would summon the entire sect to get it done!
"Very good."
"Then I will tell you my general requirements." Zhong Qing produced a rough sketch he had spent half a day planning and detailed his expectations to the two women.
In short, he wanted mountains, water, and lush greenery.
True to their professional reputation, after learning Zhong Qing's requirements, the two women combined principles of feng shui layout with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams of construction, rapidly producing a comprehensive blueprint.
"Very good."
After reviewing the blueprint, Zhong Qing was very satisfied.
"From now on, this space is handed over to you. You are free to enter and exit this small world as you please. Whenever you need manual labor, just go straight to Heibai," Zhong Qing instructed.
"Understood."
Not daring to stand on ceremony any longer, the two women adopted solemn expressions and set to work on their preparations.
Having handed matters over to the two women, Zhong Qing withdrew from the small world.
He lay back on the courtyard lounge chair and resumed sipping his tea.
The utility of his small world was extraordinary; it could be carried with him wherever he went, meaning the small world was wherever Zhong Qing was.
At the same time, Zhong Qing could anchor it at a specific spatial coordinate and set up an entrance, allowing him to come and go freely just like a house.
Of course, outsiders wishing to enter would naturally need his authorization.
"It would be even better if the area were a bit larger, though."
"And if I could completely master the laws within this small world, that would be ideal."
Zhong Qing gave a slight sigh.
Aside from controlling entry and exit, his control over the small world extended only to the life forms inside it—for instance, the two women currently within the small world could be reduced to ashes with a single thought from him.
Beyond that, however, there was nothing. He couldn't use his thoughts to alter the weather or reshape the terrain of the small world.
He wondered if the system would upgrade this function in the future.
When Zhong Qing had first realized he could control the lives within the small world, he had actually considered an alternative application.
Using it as a lethal weapon.
Whenever he encountered an enemy, he could suck them straight into the small space and use the absolute power of life and death within it to wipe them out.
However, when Qingniao and the other woman entered the space, Zhong Qing sensed that it wouldn't be easily accomplished.
If the opponent resisted and their strength was not inferior to his own, pulling them in would be exceedingly difficult.
It seemed that loophole couldn't be exploited.
For now, the small world could only serve as a mobile back garden and an absolute fallback retreat.
Time slipped by in a blur of days.
The two women worked diligently and conscientiously to remodel the small world for Zhong Qing.
Zhong Qing would drop in from time to time to take a look, and he soon saw that in the center of the small world, the two women had carved out a small lake.
On the far side of the lake, a small mountain had been constructed.
A waterfall cascaded down the mountain, and the lake water wasn't stagnant; rather, a winding stream connected the waterfall and the lake, looping around the entire small world.
A massive waterwheel turned steadily under the impact of the flowing stream, and the kinetic energy generated by its rotation pumped water back up to the mountain to form the waterfall, achieving a perpetual cycle.
It was practically a perpetual motion machine.
The course of the stream didn't follow ordinary paths either; it seemed to form a spirit-gathering array, possessing the function of trapping wind and gathering Qi.
At the very center of this gathering point sat a small cluster of buildings.
The layout was distinct and orderly, containing storage areas, residential quarters, and leisure zones.
It was plain to see that these two women truly knew their craft.
Zhong Qing was thoroughly satisfied.
On this day, Lin Feng respectfully approached Zhong Qing.
"Master, I need to make a trip to the Tianyun Sect," Lin Feng said, his fists clenched tightly. "I'm going to the Tianyun Sect to defeat Murong Xue once and for all!"
"Disciple, I told you—this time when you go down the mountain, do whatever you wish. Your master will accompany you all the way," Zhong Qing said, encouragingly patting Lin Feng's shoulder with a solemn expression.
During these recent days at the Lin Family estate, Zhong Qing had finally unraveled the grievances between the Lin and Murong families.
The Lin Family had once been one of Fengtian City's top-tier clans. Back then, the Murong family was also in Fengtian City, but ranked merely as a third-rate clan.
Neither family were indigenous to Fengtian City; both had fled there from elsewhere to escape disaster, gradually sinking roots and building themselves up through generations of hard work.
One day, Murong Xue's grandfather had provoked a formidable entity outside, and that entity had come seeking to wipe out the Murong family.