Normally, a cultivator could not kill an opponent with a higher level of cultivation. This held true whether the difference was an entire realm or even a single stage. However, while this rule was generally true, there were occasions when the stronger cultivator succumbed to the weaker. A prime example was the fact that cultivators from the great sects were always stronger than those of the same realm from outside them. The reasons were plentiful, but usually, it was because their cultivation, foundation, and techniques were superior. It was not unheard of for legends to speak of cultivators from outside the great sects defeating those of a higher realm, but this was usually the result of cunning, schemes, or other advantages.

Old man Jiangqi was perhaps such a character. He knew that while the gap in their power was vast, Liu Xing was not invincible. If he successfully destroyed his brain or crushed his heart, Liu Xing would die.

To do that, he lured Liu Xing closer before finally unleashing his attack.

As Liu Xing grimaced, the elder's fist flew toward his heart. He was not grimacing because he was afraid he would die, but rather because of how foolish the old man was. Perhaps blind fury had clouded his mind, because surely he realized that while he could attack, Liu Xing could attack him as well. His index finger was already on the man's forehead, much closer than the incoming fist, and could easily drill a hole through his skull. There was no way in hell the old man could kill him, and he surely knew this. Or had fury truly made him that dumb?

As the punch whistled through the air, getting closer and closer to his chest, Liu Xing, instead of dodging or deflecting, pushed his potent qi out of his index finger and into the old man's forehead. The qi rushed out, and with a firm will, he commanded it to enter the old man's consciousness. He could feel the connection thinning, but the old man was too slow to sever it. Once he felt his qi enter the foreign consciousness, he took control, widening the connection and sending a rush of potent qi inside.

Even before the fist connected, Liu Xing's potent qi had already entered the old man's consciousness. It felt similar to his connection with his gun, yet somehow different. It was more ethereal, like seeing something transparent. Although it was difficult to visualize, he was certain of the connection and that the anchor was there. It was shaped like a little ball. Aside from the fact that it was his target, he knew nothing about the core. When the fist touched his white clothes, his potent qi surrounded the core, and before the punch could do any damage, Liu Xing crushed the core as easily as if it were jelly.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he saw the qi behind the fist dissipate like vapor from boiling water. The fist still connected, and while it was powerful for a normal punch, without qi it was as harmless as a baby's. A small gust of wind whipped around it from the initial momentum, but it did nothing to him. He didn't even take a step back.

The old man, on the other hand, was not so lucky. The destruction of his core was like destroying the foundation of a majestic building. It instantly crumbled, with qi wreaking havoc inside his consciousness and his body. His qi paths were suddenly flooded by raging energy, destroying them as if a flow of magma had entered a small water hose. His internal organs were bombarded by chaotic and wild qi, and since his cultivation was destroyed, he had no means to control it.

Liu Xing removed his finger from the man's forehead and took a step back to see his work. Blood leaked from his mouth, eyes, ears, nose and even the pores of his skin. In an instant, the old man was drenched with blood from head to toe, as if he had been dipped into a well of thick blood. His expression was frozen in agony, and a sound came from his mouth. At first, it was low, but then it grew louder, more guttural, until a roar full of agony reverberated through the city. It was so loud it sounded as if the old man had been dipped alive into lava. His body burned from the inside out, and it was as if molten rock flooded his throat and lungs.

Liu Xing clenched his fists. He intended to make crippling the old man as gentle as possible. He didn't want to cause him any unnecessary pain. However, the old man chose to attack, sealing his fate. Under the circumstances, Liu Xing lost his option to be gentle. After all, he had come there to set an example.

And an example, he made.

Liu Xing wiped the grimace from his face and looked around with a calm, focused expression. He tried as hard as he could to ignore the roaring old man, who had begun to mix sobs with his painful cries, as he looked to the nearest person. It was, coincidentally, the man who had slapped Fang Ruxue.

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"Remember your vow," Liu Xing said.

At his words, the people left standing began to tremble like newborn deer. Sweat flowed down their backs like waterfalls; some even lost control of their bowels and soiled themselves. Liu Xing turned, grabbed his stone blade, and vanished like an illusion, leaving the Qing clan in a state not of ruin, but close to it.

***

Far away from the Purple Moon Sect and the Wild Tide Region, on the border between the Purple Moon Sect and the Burning World Sect, lay a mountain range. It consisted of hundreds of mountains lined up from south to north, their peaks covered by snow. Spirit beasts so strong that even inner disciples from the great sects had to be careful lived there in abundance, lest they be devoured. To the east of this range was a forest so ancient that its trees greedily absorbed the sunlight, leaving the forest floor in perpetual darkness. Night or day, it was all the same for the inhabitants of this forest. To the west, a small forest transitioned into a place called the Shattered Plains. From the sky, the ground looked like the surface of a mirror that had been struck by a hammer, with gigantic crevices and fissures lining the landscape.

On one of the mountains, the tallest one, located in the center of the formation, a battle raged. One combatant was a woman wreathed in white fire, her hair made from flames and gigantic white wings grown from her back. The light that emanated from her was bright and ethereal, forming a pure white dress accentuated by golden and blue fire that would mesmerize anyone who saw her. A bandage covered both of her eyes, but she moved through the air swiftly and gracefully, dodging hundreds of black pillars that looked as if they were made entirely from darkness. After she successfully dodged all the projectiles, she flapped her gigantic wings, creating fire out of thin air that began coalescing into a massive tornado of flame. It melted the snow that covered the tip of the mountain, yet it also caused trees, grass, and flowers to grow and bloom, as if summer had descended upon the snowy peak.

She was Silver Saint. The Heaven Furnace. And she was angry, afraid, and anxious about her situation. As she sent thousands of torrents of fire bombarding a single being that moved swiftly left and right like a flea, she licked her lips and wondered whether she was too late.

"How long would you try to hinder me, kid?" she said as a gigantic wolf made from shadow emerged from the ground and opened its mouth. The sheer size of this dark wolf was enough to swallow a small hill. Silver Saint extended both of her hands. A flower made entirely of white fire bloomed between them. It had twelve petals and was shaped like a sunflower. A moment later, the flower shot a condensed beam of white fire that split the dark wolf evenly in two.

The kid in question had light blue hair and eyes to match. As he saw his wolf split in two, a ringing laugh escaped his mouth. "What a simple yet amazing technique. Its simplicity is what makes it great!"

"Answer my question!" Silver Saint shouted as she directed the condensed fire to follow the kid, but he moved left and right, zigzagging around so swiftly that her attack couldn't land. What infuriated her was that this kid didn't even break a sweat, even though they had been fighting for almost eight hours.

The kid was Hao Yun. He wore a dark blue robe that looked almost too big for him. "I intend to hold you here as long as I need. It was quite a surprise when I realized you were trying to meddle in my business."

Hao Yun, the Devil Kid, replied as he began to form a blade of shadow in his hand. It was short, almost like a dagger, and curved slightly backward. The kid then swung his shadow sword lightly. Instantly, a giant blade made from shadow materialized right above Silver Saint. Its shape was identical to his, but this shadow blade could cleave an entire mountain by itself. Silver Saint gritted her teeth and dodged to the side. This kid was merely a Sun Refining cultivator. By all accounts, she should have been able to swat him like a fly. However, it was not that easy. There was always an anomaly in every era, and it seemed that in this era, it was Hao Yun's turn. As she dodged, she shouted impatiently at the kid. "As I said, I need to meet with Liu Xing. He is, and I need to stress this, a saint candidate! He is in a very bad situation right now. If I don't meddle, he will die, and you don't want him to die. The consequences would be grave!"

"Ah, and therein lies the crux of the problem. Liu Xing is in the middle of a mission, and I cannot let anyone, even you, give him a helping hand."

She growled. After her dream world was shattered, she was stunned by the situation. Since her explanation had been far from complete, she had intended to meet with him directly. She needed to make him a full saint, as well as see with her own eyes a weapon Liu Xing called a "gun," which seemed capable of shattering even her illusion. However, the situation had suddenly spiraled out of control. With her ability, she could see a storm brewing. The Burning World Sect, the Heavenly Thunder Sect, the Verdant Mountain Sect, and the Boundless Sea Sect were all suddenly making a move. Considering that they were four of the five great sects, it was an event that could shake the entire world, and the one in the middle of this conflict was Liu Xing, a pill, and a ruined palace.

Needless to say, it was an urgent matter for her to meet with Liu Xing. But this infuriating kid had been holding her for far too long.

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