"What a fierce girl."
Su Lingchen said, "If it were anyone else offending me like this, the only outcome would be death. But seeing that you have such backbone, I'll spare your life. Still, though you escape death, you won't escape punishment."
As he spoke, he pointed at Xu Qingxue.
Threads of lightning slithered out like snakes and wrapped around her body.
Xu Qingxue instantly felt a surge of unbearable pain.
It was as if countless ants were drilling into her body.
"This is the Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger."
Su Lingchen said calmly, "This power will keep corroding your flesh from within, making you suffer the agony of ten thousand ants devouring your heart. And the longer it lasts, the worse the pain will get."
"After 81 days, if I don't release this finger force, the Thunder Origin energy will completely destroy your life force."
Hearing this, everyone in the Xu clan shivered.
Just the thought of such a punishment was terrifying.
"Within these 81 days, have Yang Cheng come find me. If he comes with sincerity, I may let you live."
With that, Su Lingchen turned and walked away.
The Xu clan members were filled with rage and fear, but none dared to stop him.
It wasn't cowardice.
They knew full well that even if they struck together, they couldn't harm Su Lingchen in the slightest—they'd only throw their lives away.
The tall man in a bamboo hat behind Su Lingchen let out a mocking laugh.
The Xu clan's faces flushed red.
That laugh pierced straight through their pride.
No matter how they explained it to themselves, the truth was—they were scared.
"Qingxue."
Xu Wanhe rushed to her side, his face filled with worry.
But Xu Qingxue had no strength left to speak.
"Hurry, help the young miss back to her room to rest."
Xu Wanhe ordered, "Immediately gather the best doctors and alchemists in the city to diagnose and treat her."
"Master, Su Lingchen has gone too far. We should go to the Crown Prince and ask him to bring us justice!"
"A Martial Sovereign using such a sinister method against a young girl—it's utterly shameless!"
The Xu clan members seethed with anger.
Xu Wanhe fell silent for a moment, then said, "Let's see what the doctors say first."
Others might think that becoming Su Lingchen's disciple was a great blessing.
But from what he knew of the Crown Prince, though Yang Cheng appeared gentle, he was in fact extremely proud.
Would such a person really bow his head to Su Lingchen as a master?
If the Crown Prince refused, then he would never beg Su Lingchen. In that case, even bringing him here would be useless.
Still, words like that—speculating about the Crown Prince—would only crush morale. Xu Wanhe kept them to himself.
That very day, news of Su Lingchen's return to the Wasteland Realm spread like wildfire.
After 17 years, the prodigy of the Azure Jade Realm who once swept across the Wasteland Realm had returned.
This time, what kind of earthquake would shake the Wasteland Realm?
Countless martial artists trembled in shock and fear.
Yang Cheng's name had already spread far and wide.
But compared to Su Lingchen, it was still far behind.
17 years ago, among the younger generation of the Wasteland Realm, he had crushed all opponents and reigned unrivaled.
Now, Su Lingchen had already become a Martial Sovereign.
Would he also sweep away the older generation of strong cultivators in the Wasteland Realm?
If that truly happened, the entire martial world of the Wasteland Realm would be trampled beneath his feet.
At the same time, rumors spread that Su Lingchen intended to take Yang Cheng as his disciple.
Was this disaster actually a blessing in disguise for Yang Cheng?
But in Great Zhou, Su Lingchen was not welcome.
Large military forces began to gather.
Three days later, another major piece of news shook the land.
The Great Zhao Empire appointed Su Lingchen as its National Preceptor.
Back 17 years ago, the Great Zhao Empire already had close ties with him.
Su Lingchen understood clearly. With only his own strength, it would be hard to roam unchecked in Great Zhou.
No matter how strong his personal martial power was, he couldn't fight against Great Zhou's million-strong army alone.
But with the backing of the Great Zhao Empire, he could move freely.
The Great Zhao Empire would shield him from Great Zhou's armies, and in return, he would suppress Great Zhou's martial world for them.
It was mutual benefit.
At Zhen'nan Pass, the border between Great Zhou and the Great Zhao Empire…
Outside, the vast armies of Great Zhao gathered in force.
Beside them stood a mountain known as Old Yin Mountain.
At the mountaintop sat a young man with a free and ethereal air.
That was Su Lingchen.
Behind him stood Zhuang Lin and a young woman.
The young woman's name was Nangong Wan.
She was the elder sister of Nangong Yi, and also the Eldest Princess of the Great Zhao Empire.
To say "elder sister" was only half true. In fact, she was half mother, half sister to Nangong Yi.
She was 15 years older than him.
The imperial family of the Great Zhao Empire had always been chaotic.
When she was 15 years old, the emperor did something unspeakable.
After that, Nangong Wan gave birth to Nangong Yi.
But outwardly, it was said that Nangong Yi was the son of a concubine.
Because of this, Nangong Wan's hatred toward Yang Cheng was bone-deep.
Next came the battle.
Zhuang Lin, wearing a bamboo hat and using the alias "Lin Zhuang," clashed with the experts of Great Zhou.
As Chu Chen's senior brother, and much older than him, his strength was also far greater.
One after another, Great Zhou martial experts stepped forward, only to be defeated by Zhuang Lin.
This made the name "Lin Zhuang" grow louder with each fight.
"This Lin Zhuang's strength is terrifying."
"Just the other day, Liang Hong, a second-level Martial Sovereign of Yuezhou, was defeated by him."
"If even a disciple is this strong, then how terrifying must Su Lingchen be?"
More and more people grew fearful of Su Lingchen.
"Tomorrow, our Martial Sovereign of Wuzhou will go to Zhen'nan Pass to battle Lin Zhuang."
Countless people anticipated this clash.
The following day, Qin Wuya, Martial Sovereign of Wuzhou, personally arrived at Zhen'nan Pass.
He was a third-level Martial Sovereign, a towering figure in Great Zhou's martial world, his strength unfathomable.
"Lin Zhuang, come fight me!"
Qin Wuya stood at the foot of Old Yin Mountain, his voice booming like thunder, shaking rocks loose.
Zhuang Lin walked out slowly with his bamboo hat, saying calmly, "Qin Wuya? I've heard your Mist-Hiding Sword Codex has reached perfection. Don't let me down."
"Arrogant!"
Qin Wuya roared, his longsword leaping from its scabbard.
Clang, clang, clang—
The two fought for dozens of rounds.
Qin Wuya realized he couldn't gain the upper hand and decided to unleash his killing move.
"Mist Locks a Thousand Mountains!"
In an instant, fog surged across a radius of 10 li, with countless hidden sword energies within, striking at Zhuang Lin like venomous snakes.
But Zhuang Lin only chuckled.
"Qingming Finger—Cloud-Breaking Form."
Ssshh!
A streak of azure light shot from his fingertip, scattering the fog and shattering the sword energies wherever it passed.
Qin Wuya's pupils shrank as he quickly shifted his move. "Mist Splits into Myriad Forms!"
His figure scattered into thousands of misty shadows, indistinguishable between real and false.
However—
"Petty tricks."
Nine azure runes floated around Zhuang Lin. "Nine Seals of Qingming—Suppress!"
Boom!
The nine runes turned into a cage, sealing all the misty shadows.
Qin Wuya's true body was forced out, his face pale. "You—"
"Fall."
Zhuang Lin struck with his palm. Qin Wuya was flung away like a severed kite string, slamming into the cliff wall, blood gushing out.
The battlefield fell silent.
Great Zhou's martial artists turned ashen.
A third-level Martial Sovereign… had lost?
And so utterly at that.
At the summit, Su Lingchen nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad."
Nangong Wan sneered. "So this is all the Great Zhou martial world amounts to."