Just at that critical moment, a figure in white appeared in front of him, shielding him behind.
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he shattered the incoming fierce Qi attack.
This sudden turn of events made everyone turn their gazes toward the figure in white.
"Who are you?"
Xue Kuang looked at the sudden appearance of the figure in white, shouting with murderous intent.
However, Zhong Qing ignored him entirely.
Instead, he squatted down to wipe away the tear stains on the little boy's face, asking gently, "What is your name?"
Looking at Zhong Qing before him, the little boy's heart was filled with emotion. Not a single person at the scene had spoken up for him; only Zhong Qing had appeared and shielded him.
"My name is Su Ye. Thank you, benefactor, for saving my life."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, he knelt directly before Zhong Qing.
"Su Ye, quite a good name." Zhong Qing smiled softly, then asked, "Su Ye, would you be willing to take me as your master?"
Hearing that Zhong Qing wanted to take him as a disciple, Su Ye's tender face was filled with disbelief.
For him, being able to enter the Flying Blade Sect as a handyman disciple would have been enough; he never dared to dream that someone would take him as a disciple.
Let alone someone like Zhong Qing, who could snap Xue Kuang's attack with a mere wave of his hand.
Without the slightest hesitation, he kowtowed directly and said, "Su Ye is willing. Greetings, Master."
"Hahaha, very well."
With a smile on his face, Zhong Qing helped Su Ye up.
At the exact same time, the system's voice sounded in his mind.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully taking a disciple."
"Successfully activated Waste Material Bond 2/2."
"Waste Material Bond 2/2: The disciple's cultivation speed can have a hundredfold amplification enabled, and the host can obtain ten-thousandfold cultivation feedback."
As the system's voice faded, Zhong Qing clearly felt that because Lin Feng was cultivating, his own cultivation, which had been steadily increasing every moment, had now increased tenfold on top of the original foundation.
This feeling was as exhilarating as riding a rocket.
However, the system's voice did not stop.
"Congratulations to the host for activating Waste Material Bond 2/2 for the first time. The host is rewarded with the Same-Level Annihilation power."
"Same-Level Annihilation power: For those with cultivation at or below the host's level, the host can reduce them to powder using any offensive action."
"Host: Zhong Qing"
"Cultivation: Moon Profound Realm."
"Disciple: Lin Feng, Xiantian cultivation, hundredfold amplification activating."
"Disciple: Su Ye, no cultivation, hundredfold amplification pending activation."
"Activated Bonds: Waste Material Bond 2/2, more bonds awaiting development."
"Acquired Physiques: None."
"Acquired Special Skills: Old Six Halo, Heavenly Eyes, Same-Level Annihilation."
"Same-Level Annihilation?"
"Call it a chicken rib if you will, but at least it saves a lot of trouble."
Zhong Qing slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
"Did you go deaf when this young master was talking to you?"
At this moment, seeing that Zhong Qing had ignored him for so long, Xue Kuang was already driving himself crazy.
Due to his cultivation of demonic arts, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the Chen Profound Realm, crushing the younger generation and rivaling the elders of second-rate sects. Not to mention, his master's name alone allowed him to roam this tens of thousands of miles region completely unchecked.
Not only had the Zhong Qing before him ruined his good deed, but he dared to ignore him like this.
At this moment, in his heart, Xue Kuang had already sentenced Zhong Qing to death.
Chapter 16: Anyone Who Has Ever Hurt You, Don't Let Them Go
Having finished speaking with Su Ye, Zhong Qing finally stood up and turned his gaze to Xue Kuang.
"Zhong Qing, Peak Master of Mufu Peak, Xianjiang Sect."
Holding Su Ye by the hand, Zhong Qing said expressionlessly.
"Mufu Peak's Zhong Qing?"
Hearing Zhong Qing's words, Xue Kuang wore a look of recollection, as did the Flying Blade Sect elders on the spectator stands and the surrounding crowd.
Clearly, everyone was very curious about Zhong Qing's identity.
A moment later, someone remembered who Zhong Qing was.
"He is that good-for-nothing peak master of the Xianjiang Sect, the piece of trash that the Daoist picked up from outside," someone pointed at Zhong Qing and shouted.
Reminded by this, everyone remembered.
After all, being within the same Eastern Region, they all had some degree of understanding of the various sects.
"Ha, so it's you, that piece of trash."
Xue Kuang immediately sneered, mocking, "You don't look as useless as the rumors say, though—you actually managed to block ten percent of my power."
"Still, even the Sect Master of your Xianjiang Sect has to treat me politely when he sees me. You, a mere peak master, who gave you the guts to meddle in this?"
Xue Kuang roared angrily, questioning him in a deep voice.
He had thought Zhong Qing was some kind of ruthless character, but it turned out to be just this?
Up above, the Flying Blade Sect also wore a look of mockery.
Out of respect for the Red-Haired Old Ghost, his Flying Blade Sect had to grant Xue Kuang a favor, let alone the Xianjiang Sect.
Zhong Qing narrowed his eyes and said leisurely, "I suggest that before I change my mind, you crawl back to wherever you came from."
"You've got a lot of nerve."
Xue Kuang was practically laughed to anger.
Many people at the scene burst out laughing as well, especially the Flying Blade Sect elder, who acted as if he had just heard some earth-shattering joke.
"A tiny peak master of Mufu Peak, where on earth did he get the courage to say such things to Xue Kuang?"
"He doesn't actually think that blocking ten percent of Xue Kuang's attack means he can fight him evenly, does he? If they really fought, even this old man wouldn't necessarily be able to match him evenly."
On the scene, everyone looked at Zhong Qing mockingly.
"Brat, I'll give you a chance," Xue Kuang said coldly. "First, bring my medicine primer over yourself, then crawl between my legs and break one of your own arms. This young master can spare your life."
"Otherwise, believe it or not, I will leave your corpse out in the open, and the Xianjiang Sect behind you won't even dare let out a single fart, but will have to respectfully bring gifts to my doorstep to apologize."
"So noisy."
Zhong Qing looked utterly disdainful, completely unmoved. He looked at Xue Kuang as if watching a clown performing on a stage.
Seeing that Zhong Qing still dared to ignore him, Xue Kuang's anger had escalated to the extreme.
"Fine, fine, fine. You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeiture."
With a flick of his hand, Xue Kuang thrust out a palm wreathed in thick black mist, covering the area towards Zhong Qing and closing in on him instantly.
"That kid is dead."
"He deserves to die. Of all people to provoke, he had to provoke Xue Kuang."
Everyone at the scene believed Zhong Qing was doomed.
However, facing this strike, Zhong Qing remained expressionless. As his clothes flapped violently in the fierce Qi, he slowly raised a single finger.
He pressed it toward Xue Kuang as if he were squashing an ant.
With this single point, heaven and earth changed color.
Xue Kuang's attack was shattered like dry weeds and rotting wood, and in the blink of an eye, the pressure crushed down directly onto the top of Xue Kuang's head.
"What?"
"No!!"
The mere power carried by this strike directly shattered Xue Kuang's psychological defense. His face changed drastically in an instant, and he opened his mouth and screamed.
"Stop right now!"
"My master is the Red-Haired Old Ghost! If you kill me, he will not let you go. He will make your nine clans and the entire Xianjiang Sect bury me..."
Yet facing Xue Kuang's final threat, Zhong Qing remained completely unmoved.
With a single finger, Xue Kuang was instantly engulfed.
Then, under the horrified and tongue-tied gazes of everyone present, Xue Kuang was directly vaporized, leaving not even a scrap of flesh behind.
Except for his pre-mortem roar still echoing across the plaza, Xue Kuang had vanished without a trace.
At this moment, the scene fell into a dead silence.
Everyone looked at Zhong Qing as if seeing a ghost, turbulent waves churning in their hearts.
This...
Was this really the good-for-nothing peak master rumored in the outside world?
Xue Kuang possessed cultivation close to the peak of the Chen Profound Realm, and coupled with the cultivation arts he practiced, he was practically invincible within the Chen Profound Realm, and even had a chance to escape from the hands of Star Profound Realm experts.
Yet such strength was casually pressed to death by Zhong Qing with a single finger.
The difficulty was no greater than crushing an ant.
At this moment, those who had been making sarcastic remarks, ridiculing and cursing just now, all shut their mouths and shrank their heads, not daring to meet Zhong Qing's eyes.
However, Zhong Qing had no intention of letting them off.
Most of them were merely at the Xiantian or Houtian realms; Zhong Qing didn't even have the interest to raise a hand. With just a few glances, these people exploded collectively, turning into bloody mists on the spot.
Such was the power of Same-Level Annihilation—killing those at or below your level was time-saving and effortless, requiring only a single action, even just a glance.
This scene terrified the crowd, causing them to retreat one after another.
Who could have imagined that the Mufu Peak good-for-nothing cursed by everyone was actually such an peerless, murderous god.
At the same time, they were secretly rejoicing that they hadn't run their mouths in insult just now.
"Disciple, today I will teach you your first lesson."
Zhong Qing turned his head to tell Su Ye, "We do not actively do evil things, but as for anyone who has ever hurt us, never let them go!"
Su Ye had long been dumbfounded by Zhong Qing's method of crushing Xue Kuang with a single finger.
He also felt an inexplicable sense of vindication.
The tears in his eyes fell in a torrent; for the first time, he experienced what it felt like to have someone have your back.
At this moment, what Zhong Qing said was absolute truth to him.
"Yes, Master, I understand."
Su Ye bit his resolute teeth and nodded solemnly.
Zhong Qing patted Su Ye's head and cast his gaze toward the Flying Blade Sect up above.
Detecting Zhong Qing's gaze, the Flying Blade Sect elder shrank back two steps in fright.
As a bottom-tier elder of the Flying Blade Sect, his cultivation was only at the peak of the Chen Profound Realm, on par with Xue Kuang.
Since Zhong Qing could crush Xue Kuang to death with a single finger, he had no doubt Zhong Qing could crush him to death in the exact same way.
Seeing Zhong Qing approaching him, he couldn't help retreating further, his eyes wide, trembling as he nervously stammered, "I didn't get involved in the business between you and Xue Kuang just now! Even though I said a couple of extra words, I am still an elder of the Flying Blade Sect."
"If you do anything to me, if you do something detrimental to me, that will undoubtedly be a declaration of war against my Flying Blade Sect..."
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Stop right there..."
As he spoke, reaching the end, the elder was actually scared to the point of losing control of his bowels, dropping directly to his knees before Zhong Qing.
The elder, who had been so high and mighty just moments ago, now cut such a figure, instantly causing an uproar at the scene.
And Zhong Qing hadn't expected this person to be such a coward.
His face was filled with disdain.
This was a classic case of bullying the soft and fearing the hard.
In truth, it was hard to blame the man for such fear; Zhong Qing's methods were simply too terrifying.
Xue Kuang had been reduced to nothingness with a single finger, and none of the others who had run their mouths were spared.
If Zhong Qing really wanted to kill him, he didn't think his identity would cause Zhong Qing any hesitation. After all, he had even killed Xue Kuang, showing no regard for the Red-Haired Old Ghost—would he fear adding a Flying Blade Sect to the list?
Chapter 17: Tiannan Calamity Physique
Following the elder's kneeling, the other Flying Blade Sect disciples panicked as well, not knowing what to do, and began kneeling in twos and threes.
"Disciple, look. This is the Flying Blade Sect you wanted to join earlier."
Zhong Qing couldn't help sneering.
Su Ye watched this scene through clenched teeth.
He could not forget how the Flying Blade Sect, ignoring his parents' grace in once saving the Great Elder, had turned around with that ugly expression to forcibly hand him over to Xue Kuang.
Comparing that to how they were now kneeling before Zhong Qing, it was sheer irony.
"I—I am quitting the Flying Blade Sect..."
At that moment, a young man who had originally been accepted as a disciple of the Flying Blade Sect voiced out.
"I quit too."
"I won't join such a sect."
As the first person spoke, a sheep-like herd mentality instantly took hold, and those disciples who had been scrambling to be tested and join the Flying Blade Sect began backing out one by one.
In truth, upon learning the full story of Su Ye and how the Flying Blade Sect elder had still tried to hand Su Ye over to Xue Kuang, quite a few people had felt a chill in their hearts.
Yet back then, no one dared to say a word.
"Scram!"
Zhong Qing had zero interest in this Flying Blade Sect elder and gave him a direct kick.
The elder felt as if granted a reprieve, and scampered off in a disheveled rush, trailing a bunch of disciples behind him.
"Disciple, I'm taking you back to the peak."
Holding Su Ye by the hand, Zhong Qing rose into the air, transforming into a streak of light that vanished from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.
Watching Zhong Qing depart, the crowd took a long time to snap back to their senses.
None of them could have anticipated such a turn of events today.
The high-and-mighty immortal sect in their eyes turned out to behave in such a manner.
Yet Zhong Qing's name shook Tiannan City, becoming the talk of the town for countless people after meals and tea time.
"Master, can you train me to become a high-level expert?"
In mid-air, Su Ye suddenly asked.
"Of course I can."
Zhong Qing smiled.
"Then I want to kill someone!"
"Who do you want to kill?"
"I want to kill the Great Elder of the Flying Blade Sect," Su Ye said with a resolute face. "His life was traded for the lives of my parents. He owes my parents a life, so now I want to take that life back."
Hearing Su Ye's words, Zhong Qing couldn't help being momentarily stunned.
Then, he burst into a hearty laugh, praising him loudly and without reservation, "Good, good, good! As expected of my disciple, Zhong Qing. I guarantee that before long, you'll be able to take that life back."
Zhong Qing patted Su Ye's head, his face full of gratification.
Having experienced today's events, this disciple of his had undergone a metamorphosis.
Living in the immortal cultivation world, one should be just like this!
Soon, the two returned to Mufu Peak.
Upon returning, Zhong Qing transmitted a voice message to Lin Feng at the very first moment.
Lin Feng flew in from the edge of the sky, landing to see Su Ye standing right next to Zhong Qing.
"Master, is this the new little junior brother you found?" Lin Feng asked excitedly.
"Indeed. From now on, your junior brother will be in your care," Zhong Qing said with a soft smile, while introducing Lin Feng's identity to Su Ye.
"Greetings, Senior Brother."
Su Ye bowed respectfully.
"Ah, Junior Brother, you're too polite! Look, you'll be living right next door to me from now on. That place of mine is a blessed geomantic treasure land."
Lin Feng enthusiastically welcomed his little junior brother, personally taking him to get settled in and showing him around everything on Mufu Peak.
"The Tiannan Calamity Physique!"
Lying on the reclining chair in the courtyard hall, Zhong Qing personally selected a cultivation manual for Su Ye.
Through his Heavenly Eyes detection, he saw that Su Ye wasn't suffering from childhood poisoning as Xue Kuang claimed at all; rather, he was born with a physique known as the Tiannan Calamity Physique. Once activated, even a single cell of this physique's body would contain deadly poison.
And even unactivated, it wasn't something a mere Xue Kuang could endure. If Xue Kuang had truly taken Su Ye as a medicine primer for cultivation, not only would he have failed to break through, but he would have suffered a sudden, violent death!
To activate the Tiannan Calamity Physique, however, required a specific cultivation manual.
Ultimately, Zhong Qing picked an Emperor Tier manual called *Abyssal Calamity*. Not only did this manual perfectly fit Su Ye's physique, but crucially, it could also suppress the Tiannan Calamity Physique so that it wouldn't leak outward.
Afterward, he selected an Emperor Tier dark claw as a weapon and had Lin Feng deliver it to him.
He also instructed Lin Feng to pass on the so-called chanting formulas to Su Ye.
Once Su Ye officially began cultivating, Zhong Qing quietly enabled the hundredfold amplification.
Following the activation of the amplification, paired with the Emperor Tier manual, within mere moments, fluctuations of a breakthrough emanated from Su Ye on Mufu Peak.
Body Refining First Layer.
Body Refining Second Layer.
Body Refining Third Layer...
And Zhong Qing received the ten-thousandfold feedback in kind.
Only, the gap in realm between Zhong Qing and Su Ye was far too vast; even though Su Ye broke through multiple layers in one go, Zhong Qing still couldn't break through a single major realm.
Yet Zhong Qing was not in a hurry.
With two disciples undergoing hundredfold amplification, coupled with his own ten-thousandfold feedback, raising his realm was merely a matter of time.
Meanwhile, inside the desolate ring, watching Su Ye improve at the speed of a spatial transmission, Old Jian couldn't stop sighing with emotion.
"Sigh, it won't be long before both of you brats surpass me at my peak."
"By the time I'm resurrected, I'll only end up at the very bottom of the pack."
It was impossible for him to say his feelings weren't complicated.
When he thought about how difficult and awe-inspiring the realm of his own peak had been, only to discover that others could reach it effortlessly simply by meditating and reciting a mental formula in their hearts, it was impossible not to feel a sense of defeat.
At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel once more at the terrifying nature of Zhong Qing's mysterious mental formula.
Just what kind of formula was it to actually be this terrifying!
If only he could one day become Zhong Qing's disciple and learn this formula...
...
Meanwhile, the news of Zhong Qing crushing Xue Kuang with a single finger in Tiannan City also reached the Xianjiang Sect.
When the news reached the ears of the various elders and peak masters, they all rushed to the Xianjiang Main Peak.
"Sect Master, is this true?" An elder couldn't help asking.
"It seems you all know already."
Xuanyuan Hong sighed. "I just received definite word—it is indeed true."
Having received confirmation from Xuanyuan Hong, everyone drew in sharp breaths of cold air.
Originally, they had only thought of Zhong Qing as a piece of trash idling away his days and waiting to die on Mufu Peak, right up until he killed the overbearing Duan Feng in one stroke on the Xianjiang Main Peak last time.
That alone had been enough to shock them.
Yet they never expected Zhong Qing to crush Xue Kuang to death with a single finger as well.
"It seems Junior Brother is truly the formidable one. We were the ones who misjudged him from the start," Xuanyuan Hong sighed with emotion. "Such a genius figure, yet we've been ignoring him all this time."
Chapter 18: My Mufu Peak Master's Self-Defense Is Entirely Reasonable
"Indeed!"
The other elders and peak masters sighed as well.
How old was Zhong Qing? Even now, his real age was only eighteen or nineteen.
Back when Zhong Qing killed Duan Feng, because Duan Feng was at the late Chen Profound Realm, they had guessed that Zhong Qing was probably at the peak of the Chen Profound Realm.
And even that was the most generous of guesses.
After all, reaching the Star Profound Realm at eighteen or nineteen was something they didn't even dare to speculate on.
Because such cultivation, even placed in the sacred lands of the Eastern Region, made one a super standout—unless the ancestral graves of the Xianjiang Sect were smoking with lucky vapor.
Yet now word came that he had crushed Xue Kuang, a peak Chen Profound Realm expert, to death with a single finger—meaning Zhong Qing's cultivation had surely reached the Star Profound Realm.
And not just an ordinary Star Profound Realm, either.
This was far beyond mere smoke rising from the ancestral graves.
You must know...