Even Xuanyuan Hong, the Sect Master himself, possessed a cultivation level of only the mid Star Profound Realm.
As for the elders and peak masters of the Xianjiang Sect, apart from the First Elder, who was also in the Star Profound Realm, most of the others were merely in the Chen Profound Realm.
"How humiliating!"
Not a single person present could help feeling a deep sense of shame.
The Zhong Qing whom they had always assumed couldn't cultivate at all turned out to have a cultivation level higher than all of theirs, rivaling even Xuanyuan Hong the Sect Master.
"However, Zhong Qing did kill Blood-Crazed after all."
"Blood-Crazed has that Red-Haired Old Ghost backing him. What if he comes looking for trouble?" one of the elders said with a solemn expression.
Yet, in this mortal world, coincidences happen.
No sooner had the elder's voice faded than the sounds of battle echoed from the mountain gate.
A red-haired man with a long saber slung across his back cut down numerous disciples guarding the mountain gate and charged toward the main peak of the Xianjiang Sect with an unstoppable momentum.
"People of the Xianjiang Sect, get out here!"
With a roar from the red-haired man, he swung his long saber downward, directly slicing off half the peak of the main Xianjiang mountain.
Boulders tumbled down and the earth shook as if a cataclysmic earthquake had erupted, leaving countless disciples dead or seriously injured.
By this time, Xuanyuan Hong and the others had finally rushed out upon hearing the commotion.
Xuanyuan Hong gazed at the red-haired man with a grave expression.
Never had he imagined that before they could even discuss a countermeasure, the Red-Haired Old Ghost would already have barged in.
Indeed.
The red-haired man before them was none other than the Red-Haired Old Ghost.
Beneath his unkempt red hair was a heavily decayed and ferocious face, with one eyeball completely rotted away and the other oozing disgusting pus.
"Red-Haired Old Ghost, what are you doing trespassing in our Xianjiang Sect?"
Xuanyuan Hong demanded in a grim, booming voice.
"Stop playing dumb! Hand over Zhong Qing from your sect right now." Murderous intent surged within the Red-Haired Old Ghost, making his already ferocious face appear somewhat distorted.
"Red-Haired Old Ghost, what on earth did our Mufu Peak Master ever do to you?"
Xuanyuan Hong's eyes flickered as he played for time.
Secretly, he sent a voice transmission to the elder behind him, saying urgently: "Quickly send a message to Zhong Qing, telling him to leave the Xianjiang Sect temporarily to avoid the brunt of this. The Red-Haired Old Ghost is in the Moon Profound Realm and is simply unbeatable!"
The elder behind him nodded upon hearing this and quietly transmitted the message without a sound.
"Xuanyuan Hong, stop playing dumb!"
The Red-Haired Old Ghost raged, "That little bastard knew full well that Blood-Crazed was my disciple, yet he still dared to kill him! Today, I am going to turn that little bastard into a human stump!"
"Oh, so that's what this is about." Xuanyuan Hong's eyes flashed as he retorted tit for tat, "As far as I know, it was Blood-Crazed who made the first move, wasn't it?"
"What? Only your disciples are allowed to attack, while the people of my Xianjiang Sect aren't even permitted to fight back?"
"Hmph! When my disciple makes a move to kill someone, he naturally has his reasons. A mere peak master of your pathetic Xianjiang Sect should either passively wait for death or kneel and beg for mercy—who gave him the audacity to strike back against my disciple?"
Monstrous rage radiated from the Red-Haired Old Ghost's entire body.
"My disciple inherited my mantle. At barely twenty years of age, he had already reached the Chen Profound Realm Peak. In time, those so-called holy land prodigies would all have been trampled beneath his feet! How could the worthless life of a trash peak master from your Xianjiang Sect ever compare to my disciple?"
"What is most hateful is that such a prodigy of a disciple of mine was actually killed by a mere peak master of your Xianjiang Sect! I hate this! I hate it!"
As he spoke, the Red-Haired Old Ghost was enveloped in billowing black mist. In his towering rage, the space around him became a complete vacuum, and a rapid succession of sonic booms erupted from the ground beneath his feet.
"Bah! What a load of absolute garbage!"
Leining, the Peak Master of Divine Tiger Peak, was a bald, burly man who always spoke his mind. He cursed outright, "If your disciple was really so damn awesome, how come he got squashed to death by our Mufu Peak Master with a single finger? What are you even showing off for?"
"Exactly! Your disciple's life is life, but the lives of our Xianjiang Sect don't matter?"
Another peak master's aura surged as he refused to give an inch.
"Besides, both master and disciple of you are Demonic Cultivators with countless lives on your hands. Our Mufu Peak Master only acted to rid the world of a scourge."
"Hahaha, Third Elder is right! That Blood-Crazed should have died long ago. Countless people cheered when he finally kicked the bucket."
"It's just a pity I didn't see it happen. If I had laid eyes on him, I would've slapped him to death myself."
For a moment, the peak masters and elders of the Xianjiang Sect all chimed in.
Normally within the Xianjiang Sect, they might engage in petty rivalries and infighting over resources and disciples.
Yet when facing an external enemy, they always stood united.
"You are all courting death!"
Beneath his red hair, the Red-Haired Old Ghost forced the words out between clenched teeth.
"Did you send the message to Zhong Qing?" Xuanyuan Hong transmitted his voice to the elder behind him.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, the message has been sent." The elder nodded.
"Very good."
Xuanyuan Hong nodded, then raised his head once more to glare at the lofty Red-Haired Old Ghost.
His voice boomed like a giant bell.
"Red-Haired Old Ghost, I'll make my stance clear here today: your disciple Blood-Crazed started the fight himself, and he only died at the hands of our Mufu Peak Master because his skills were inferior."
"Our Mufu Peak Master acted in self-defense, which is entirely reasonable and justified."
"So don't even think about taking anyone away from my Xianjiang Sect today!"
Xuanyuan Hong's aura erupted as he shouted in a deep voice: "If you dare touch a single hair on Zhong Qing's head, feel free to bring it on and throw down with us! Let's see who's afraid of whom!"
As Xuanyuan Hong's words fell, the numerous elders and peak masters behind him simultaneously released their auras, stepping forward in unison to stand right behind him, instantly fusing into an unbreakable wall.
"Fine, fine, fine! Since you all want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish!"
Enveloped in billowing black mist, the enraged Red-Haired Old Ghost unleashed his formidable cultivation to the fullest. Amidst the spreading black mist, a ferocious saber strike came crashing down from the heavens.
"Everyone, the enemy has already broken through to our doorstep. Please join me in facing him!"
Facing this terrifying saber strike, Xuanyuan Hong stood unflinching at the very front and declared, "As the dignified Xianjiang Sect, we cannot show any weakness in our momentum! Even if we fall today, Zhong Qing will surely grow up in the future to avenge us!"
Chapter 19: The Moon Profound Realm, Is That It?
Facing the Red-Haired Old Ghost's terrifying blade, Xuanyuan Hong and the others employed their respective techniques to meet the attack head-on.
However.
To everyone's shock, they had overestimated the combined strength of their cooperation, while severely underestimating the true might of the Moon Profound Realm.
The moment their attacks collided with the Red-Haired Old Ghost's blade, an overwhelming sense of invincibility washed over them.
Although Xuanyuan Hong and the Red-Haired Old Ghost seemed to be separated by only a single realm, this gap could simply never be bridged by mere numbers.
That blade shattered Xuanyuan Hong and the others' attacks almost like a knife cutting through decayed wood.
Fortunately, it had managed to weaken the power of the blade quite a bit.
Even so, Xuanyuan Hong and his companions were still blasted backward by the remaining force of the strike.
Spouting blood in unison, they crashed heavily against the rock walls of the peak, smashing over a dozen massive craters before finally hitting the ground.
"Hmph."
"A speck of fireflies daring to rival the brightness of the moon."
High in the sky, disdain flickered in the Red-Haired Old Ghost's eyes as he sneered, "A bunch of trash from the Xianjiang Sect like you actually dared to block me? Utterly overestimating your own capabilities."
"I'll give you one last chance: hand Zhong Qing over to me."
"Red-Haired Old Ghost, you can forget about that wishful thinking." Struggling back to their feet from the ground, Xuanyuan Hong and the others spat out a mouthful of blood and declared, "A man fights for his pride just as a tree lives for its bark. There is no way we will hand him over to you, nor will you ever find Zhong Qing."
"Fine, fine, fine! Since you are all so stubbornly unrepentant, I will kill the lot of you first, wipe out the Xianjiang Sect, and then hunt down that Zhong Qing at my leisure!"
Furious flames danced in the Red-Haired Old Ghost's eyes.
The long saber in his hand was shrouded in profound Qi, and the billowing black mist grew thick to the extreme.
"Everyone, join me to take his blade once more!"
Staring fixedly at the Red-Haired Old Ghost in the sky with a grave expression, Xuanyuan Hong shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Understood!"
The peak masters and elders stepped forward together, their faces etched with absolute solemnity.
For anyone could tell that the Red-Haired Old Ghost's upcoming strike would be far more powerful than the last.
However.
Just as they were about to channel their arts, a figure suddenly materialized beside Xuanyuan Hong.
"Everyone, leave this blade to me."
As these words fell, Xuanyuan Hong whipped his head around in surprise, only to discover that Zhong Qing, dressed in pristine white robes, had appeared by his side at some unknown moment.
"You—Zhong Qing, when did you get here?"
Xuanyuan Hong asked in astonishment.
"As soon as I received the Third Elder's message, I rushed right over," Zhong Qing said mildly.
"You!"
With a look of sheer exasperation on his face, Xuanyuan Hong snapped, "Didn't the message tell you to run?"
"Since I'm the one who caused this trouble in the first place, how could I have the face to let you clean up my mess?" Zhong Qing said with an unhurried smile.
This was precisely why he hadn't left the Xianjiang Sect even after his Good-for-Nothing Bond had activated.
Apart from Duan Feng bullying him in the past, the other elders and peak masters had never done anything excessive to him. Especially the Peak Master Xuanyuan Hong, who frequently offered him warm words of concern whenever they crossed paths down the peak.
This sect—
Small though it might be, and merely a second-rate power within the Eastern Region—
Still held a place in his heart.
Especially the scene he had witnessed today, which thoroughly earned Zhong Qing's genuine approval.
"B-But he is in the Moon Profound Realm! Even all of us combined couldn't necessarily stop him," Xuanyuan Hong asked, looking somewhat dazed. "How do you expect to block him all by yourself?"
"The Moon Profound Realm, is that it? You're worrying too much, Sect Master."
"The M-Moon Profound Realm, is that it?"
Xuanyuan Hong and the others stared blankly at Zhong Qing.
With a faint smile, Zhong Qing stepped forward with his hands behind his back, slowly raising his head to look at the arrogant Red-Haired Old Ghost suspended in mid-air.
"Red-Haired Old Ghost, I am Zhong Qing. Your disciple Blood-Crazed is the one I killed."
"Weren't you looking to kill me? Whatever tricks you have, bring them on as quickly as you can."
Gazing calmly at the Red-Haired Old Ghost, Zhong Qing said indifferently.
"You are Zhong Qing?"
The Red-Haired Old Ghost locked a death glare onto Zhong Qing. Upon seeing the murderer of his disciple, his entire face twisted in rage, his bloodshot eyes bulging as he breathed heavily through flared nostrils.
"Good, good, good! You little bastard, I never expected you to have the guts to show yourself."
"Then go down and keep my disciple company in death!!"
A howling gale swept across the sky, stirring up a massive tempest with the Red-Haired Old Ghost at its center.
This storm churned together with his own black mist, resembling the arrival of an apocalypse. Everything in its path—whether buildings or boulders—was ground completely into powder.
Amidst the raging storm, hideous human faces and monstrous apparitions flickered in and out of view, emitting hair-raising screeches that made one's scalp tingle.
"So—so terrifying!"
Seeing this tempest, Xuanyuan Hong and the others felt their legs turn somewhat weak.
So this was the true power of the Moon Profound Realm!
Even an expert like Xuanyuan Hong would undoubtedly perish on the spot if swept up in this storm.
Involuntarily.
They shifted their gazes to Zhong Qing standing at the front.
What could he possibly use to block this?!
Amidst their shock, the Red-Haired Old Ghost moved.
Carrying the howling storm with him, he heavily raised the long saber in his hand. Surrounded by countless vengeful spirits and monsters, the blade came slashing directly down toward Zhong Qing.
The strike fell.
The tempest followed right behind it.
Swallowing the skies and kicking up flying sand and rolling stones, this blade carried the full wrath of the Red-Haired Old Ghost.
Yet.
Faced with this ferocious strike, Zhong Qing merely raised his palm leisurely.
Then.
He extended a single finger.
And gently pressed it forward toward the Red-Haired Old Ghost trapped within the storm.
In an instant.
The tempest dissipated into nothingness, and the phantom images of vengeful spirits and monsters vanished into thin air.
"W-What?!"
The Red-Haired Old Ghost's eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated terror.
The power contained in that single finger made him feel as though he were facing the entire expanse of heaven and earth—an opponent completely impossible to defeat. Even the long saber in his hand began to slowly vaporize.
"No, stop..."
As that finger crushed downward with absolute dominion, accompanied by the Red-Haired Old Ghost's final, disbelieving shriek, both man and blade were directly vaporized, turning into absolute nothingness.
A long, long time afterward.
The lingering combat energy scattering across the sky finally began to subside.
Yet.
Xuanyuan Hong and the others standing behind Zhong Qing remained frozen with their jaws agape, their minds utterly incapable of calming down.
What had they just witnessed?
The Red-Haired Old Ghost of the Moon Profound Realm had actually been squashed to death by Zhong Qing with a single finger?
Without even leaving a single strand of hair behind?
For a moment, everyone looked at Zhong Qing as if they were gazing at a ghost.
"Y-You, you, you..."
Xuanyuan Hong pointed a trembling finger at Zhong Qing, completely speechless for a long while.
The elders and peak masters behind him were in no better condition.
Originally, they felt they had already overestimated Zhong Qing—after all, given Zhong Qing's young age, they never imagined that every time he displayed his strength, he would shatter their understanding all over again.
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Zhong Qing couldn't help rubbing the bridge of his nose and offering an embarrassed smile.
"You brat, are you human or some kind of monster?" Finally regaining a shred of his composure, Xuanyuan Hong glared at him and said, "You hide yourself so deeply! Since you're actually this powerful, why were you acting like a good-for-nothing before? You really are..."
"There was nothing else I could do, Sect Master."
Zhong Qing chuckled helplessly. Naturally, he couldn't reveal the existence of his system, so he simply brushed it off with an excuse: "The world of immortal cultivation is full of deceit and treachery. It's only prudent to keep a low profile and conceal a tiny bit of one's cultivation."
Chapter 20: You Call This Concealing a Tiny Bit, Rather Than a Mountain Full of It?
Zhong Qing could only offer such a flimsy excuse.
Upon hearing this, however, Xuanyuan Hong's face turned a shade of greenish-blue. He gave Zhong Qing a sharp elbow nudge and snapped irritably, "You call this concealing a *tiny bit* of cultivation?"
"Are you sure it's just a tiny bit, and not a whole mountain full of it?"
Zhong Qing couldn't help rubbing his nose once more.
He certainly couldn't tell the truth—that his power had only been boosted over the past month—so he hastily changed the subject and said, "Alright, Sect Master, now that the Red-Haired Old Ghost is dead, you'd better hurry up and deal with this huge mess."
Indeed.
Between the Red-Haired Old Ghost's saber strike and Zhong Qing's single finger, the main peak of the Xianjiang Sect had been battered beyond recognition.
There was indeed plenty of wreckage to clean up.
Thus, Xuanyuan Hong had no choice but to lead the others off to clear the debris and tend to the injured disciples.
Meanwhile, after helping treat some of the wounded disciples, Zhong Qing returned to Mufu Peak.
Half a day later.
With the cleanup completed, Xuanyuan Hong sat in the seat of honor, glowing with radiance.
Below him, the rest of the elders and peak masters were seated once more.
Without exception, every single one of them still wore an expression of lingering excitement.
A peerless expert as formidable as the Red-Haired Old Ghost of the Moon Profound Realm had been squashed to death with a single finger right here atop their Xianjiang Sect. Thinking back on it now, it still felt like a dream.
"Hahahaha..."
Suddenly, Xuanyuan Hong burst into hearty laughter.
An inability to suppress the wide grins on their faces was shared by everyone else present.
Why had their Xianjiang Sect remained merely a second-rate power in the Eastern Region?
Was it not because their sect lacked a Moon Profound Realm expert?
Now that they had Zhong Qing, wouldn't squeezing their Xianjiang Sect into the ranks of top-tier powers be as easy as flipping a hand?
"Everyone, I'd like to discuss another matter with you all." At this moment, Xuanyuan Hong spoke up again: "As you all know, our former sect master obtained a one-time-use talisman within a Secret Realm."
"Inscribed upon that talisman is a King-grade cultivation technique."
"However, because it is a one-time-use talisman that automatically destroys itself upon being opened, the sect unanimously decided back then to bestow this King-grade technique whenever a true prodigy of a disciple emerged within our ranks."
"Now that such a prodigy has appeared, I have decided to immediately hand this King-grade technique over to Zhong Qing. Does anyone have any objections?"
Standing at the head of the hall, Xuanyuan Hong looked around at the gathering.
"I agree with the Sect Master's decision."
"Indeed, I agree as well."
"Zhong Qing was able to effortlessly slaughter the Red-Haired Old Ghost at such a young age. Bestowing this King-grade technique upon him would be like adding wings to a tiger. Therefore, no one is more deserving of this King-grade technique than Zhong Qing."
In an instant.
Everyone present expressed their agreement.
Not a single person raised an objection.
"Good."
Xuanyuan Hong nodded with an expression of great satisfaction, then said, "I'll make a trip over to Mufu Peak later and present this King-grade technique to Zhong Qing..."
Meanwhile, over on Mufu Peak.
An atmosphere of joy permeated the surroundings.
"Master, Master! I've broken through to the Chen Profound Realm."
Lin Feng shared the wonderful news with Zhong Qing, his face beaming with delight.
Looking at the excited Lin Feng, although Zhong Qing had known about it beforehand, he still wore a broad smile and felt genuinely happy for him.
Because the moment Lin Feng broke through to the Chen Profound Realm, Zhong Qing himself had broken through to the mid Moon Profound Realm.
"Well done, my disciple. Keep up the hard work and press on," Zhong Qing said, gently patting his head with words of encouragement.
"Yes, Master."
"Your disciple wishes to express his deepest gratitude once more for Master's gift of a second life."
Tears of joy welling in his eyes, Lin Feng dropped to his knees in respectful kowtow on the ground.
In barely a span of a little over a month, he had gone from zero to breaking through into the Chen Profound Realm. Looking back now, it still felt completely surreal.
In the past, such a dream was something he wouldn't even have dared to imagine.
Deep inside the desolate ring, Sword Elder was also on the verge of wiping tears from his eyes, genuinely and from the bottom of his heart happy for Lin Feng.
Had he not taken Zhong Qing as his master, no one could have guessed what kind of miserable fate would have awaited Lin Feng today.
On the other side, Su Ye had likewise brought good news, having directly broken through into the Xiantian Realm.
Just as the master and disciples were basking in the joy of their breakthroughs, a streak of light appeared from the distant horizon.
Zhong Qing raised his head to look and saw Xuanyuan Hong hurrying over after concluding the sect meeting.
"Greetings, Sect Master."
Zhong Qing stood up and cupped his fists from afar.
Lin Feng, standing behind him, also bowed in salute.
"It's been quite a while since I last came to Mufu Peak."
Surveying his surroundings in astonishment, Xuanyuan Hong couldn't help exclaiming, "How is the spiritual Qi here on your Mufu Peak so dense? It's actually even richer than the spiritual Qi on my main Xianjiang peak!"
"Perhaps because there are fewer disciples here, consuming less, it has gradually accumulated over time," Zhong Qing smiled and said.
"Is that really how it works?"
Xuanyuan Hong blinked. The density of this spiritual Qi seemed to imply a lot more than just that.
However, remembering that he had come with a far more important matter this time, Xuanyuan Hong pushed those thoughts aside and followed Zhong Qing into the courtyard.