You Think I'm Afraid of Your Song Family?

A decisive, forceful palm struck Xu Yitian squarely in the chest!

Amid the muffled impact came the crisp crack of breaking bone. Xu Yitian was sent flying backward, and with a "pfft!" he spat a mouthful of blood into the air, horrifying everyone who witnessed it.

After landing, Xu Yitian staggered backward several more steps. Blood kept gushing from his mouth and nose as he stared wide-eyed at Niu Youdao, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had been far too careless. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late to defend himself—and he had not raised his defenses to their limit.

To the onlookers, the scene was a blur of confusion. Even Shang Chaozong and the others were shaken. One move had left his opponent so badly injured. Could the gap between their strengths truly be this vast? If so, why had this person seemed to underestimate his opponent?

The palm Niu Youdao had thrust out remained suspended for a moment. Only after knocking his opponent back did he slowly lower it. He himself still stood motionless, his expression calm as ever, though he was pondering inwardly. This is the first time I've properly tested my Qiankun Palm on a person. I wonder how it feels to him.

Xu Yitian had kept stumbling backward until Chen Guishuo reached out and caught him, bringing him to a stop. When Song Yanqing and Chen Guishuo saw that blood was still pouring uncontrollably from Xu Yitian's mouth and nose, they knew Niu Youdao's palm had inflicted severe injuries.

The two could not help cursing Xu Yitian for underestimating his opponent and getting injured so badly by a single palm. They both believed he had been far too careless—careless to the point of absurdity. You should at least have been wary of the Protective Talisman on him, shouldn't you?

Little did they know that Xu Yitian was suffering in silence. Within his body, a fierce, masculine force and a soft, feminine force were interacting with each other, one cold and one hot, entangling without end. They had churned his internal magical power into chaos, leaving him unable to cast spells to suppress or harmonize his breathing. His inner energy was a complete mess, and he had been rendered unable even to open his mouth and speak.

The shock Niu Youdao had given him was beyond description. Xu Yitian could be certain that Niu Youdao was definitely not practicing the Shangqing Heart Sutra of the Shangqing Sect. The Shangqing Sect's cultivation method was not this overbearing!

Unfortunately, he could not convey his shock to the two beside him.

Song Yanqing was also filled with regret. He wished he had never persuaded the Shangqing Sect to give Niu Youdao a cultivation method. It seemed that fellow had achieved some results over the years; otherwise, he could never have injured Xu Yitian.

Without waiting for Song Yanqing to say anything, Chen Guishuo released Xu Yitian and strode forward. He leaped into the air, drew his sword midair, and sent a streak of sword light straight at Niu Youdao.

As before, Niu Youdao remained completely unmoved. Just as Chen Guishuo was about to swoop down upon him, he braced himself with the arm holding his sword, using the sword as a pivot to support himself against the ground. His entire body spun and flipped upward, both legs kicking repeatedly through the air.

One foot struck the side of the descending sword, knocking the blow aside. The other kicked away the palm Chen Guishuo slashed at him with his free hand. Then his spinning foot struck Chen Guishuo squarely in the chest. With a resounding bang, while everyone's vision swirled in confusion, Chen Guishuo—who had only just leaped forward and had yet to land—was kicked flying back by Niu Youdao.

Seeing that something was wrong, Song Yanqing had already rushed out. She leaped into the air and stepped on Chen Guishuo as he flew back, avoiding him while using the force to rise even higher. With a ringing sword cry, she drew her sword in midair. Its fierce, flashing radiance descended like a canopy, enveloping Niu Youdao below.

Niu Youdao, who had been flipping through the air while braced against his sword, had not yet landed either. As he spun in midair, his body suddenly bent like a shrimp, then snapped open with explosive force. His backward rotation turned forward. With a ringing cry, a cold gleam left its sheath. He tapped one foot against the sword sheath planted on the ground and shot boldly into the air, swinging his sword to meet the attack above. Fierce shadows of light scattered from the blade. The name of this sword technique was: Taiyi Splitting Light Sword!

With Niu Youdao's cultivation in his previous life, he had been completely incapable of executing this sword technique!

A curtain of sword light swept out, dazzling beneath the sun's reflection.

Song Yanqing, flipping downward through the air, was scared out of her wits. Viewed from above, the fierce sword shadows surging into the sky looked like a blooming lotus. She could no longer distinguish truth from illusion and had no idea how to defend herself. Only now did she realize that Niu Youdao was nothing like the Niu Youdao she had imagined.

With a chaotic clang, one of Song Yanqing's arms was severed and flew away, sword still in hand.

As he passed Song Yanqing in midair, Niu Youdao spun and slashed out a sheet of blood-red light. Then he delivered a flying side kick. With a bang, it struck Song Yanqing squarely in the chest and sent her flying through the air, leaving behind two legs tumbling and spraying blood.

The sword sheath standing on the ground began to topple. Niu Youdao, still airborne, hurled his sword. With a ringing cry, a cold streak shot downward through the air and plunged straight into the sheath, pinning it upright before it could fall.

Chen Guishuo crashed heavily to the ground.

Immediately afterward, Song Yanqing crashed heavily to the ground as well.

Only a moment later did a figure appear, robes fluttering as she drifted lightly down from the sky. After landing, Niu Youdao casually reached out and rested his hand on the sword hilt.

No one saw the blood staining the blade. This lethal weapon remained in Niu Youdao's hand like a walking stick. Its name was: Loyal Heart of Jade Blood!

The two legs, cleanly severed and tumbling through the air, crashed down on either side.

Everyone around them fell silent. The scene just now had truly been a blur. He had defeated Xu Yitian with his palm, Chen Guishuo with his feet, and Song Yanqing with his sword. The first fight had been clear enough for everyone to see, but the latter two had unfolded with the speed of a rabbit darting and a falcon diving, a riot of flowers that dazzled the eyes.

Only after the two severed legs struck the ground did everyone look again at Song Yanqing, who lay there twitching and clinging to life. That was when they realized that one of Song Yanqing's arms and both her legs had been severed by Niu Youdao. Everyone was secretly shaken. A cultivator was indeed a cultivator, utterly beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists!

Previously, countless people had looked down on Niu Youdao because of his age, including Shang Chaozong, Shang Shuqing, and Lan Ruoting. Only now did they realize they had judged him completely wrong. He had defeated three cultivators from the Shangqing Sect in the blink of an eye. Even if the Shangqing Sect sent three cultivators like these to serve them, they still could not match this seemingly young Niu Youdao!

Judging people by their appearance—I've betrayed Father's teachings! Shang Chaozong was secretly ashamed. He had failed to recognize talent and had been rather dismissive in his words along the way.

He recalled the sarcastic remarks that had involuntarily escaped him when he saw Niu Youdao throw away the dry rations. In truth, the other man had simply been magnanimous enough not to hold it against him.

Yuan Gang stood among the crowd, silently watching Niu Youdao. He sighed inwardly. Daoist Master's strength is far greater than before!

A group of staff-wielding monks—especially the abbot, Yuan Fang—wore panicked, uneasy expressions. They wailed inwardly. They had never wanted to be dragged into trouble between such important figures, and now look at them... Yuan Fang wanted to run, but he did not dare!

Supporting himself as he climbed up, Chen Guishuo covered his chest and looked toward Song Yanqing, who lay there in a miserable state. His face grew even paler, and he stared at Niu Youdao in fear as memories surged vividly through his mind.

He had gotten back to his feet, and someone else had fallen. Xu Yitian, who had barely managed to remain standing, suddenly spat out another mouthful of blood with a "pfft!" He could no longer stay upright. His insides churned like an overturning river and sea, and he dropped heavily onto the ground. After vomiting that mouthful of blood, however, his breathing finally became somewhat smoother, and he could barely gather his energy to regulate his breathing and suppress the chaos within.

His fall gradually brought everyone back to their senses. Lan Ruoting sighed inwardly, unable to understand why Niu Youdao had shown mercy to those two men yet dealt such a vicious blow to Song Yanqing. Did he not know Song Yanqing's background? After doing this to her, how could the Song Family let him off? The cultivation sects the Song Family could command were likely more than just the Shangqing Sect.

What they did not know was that, from the moment Niu Youdao saw Song Yanqing here and learned that she had come to kill him, he knew there could be no peace between them. Not to mention the grudge over being imprisoned and humiliated back then, the fact that he had stolen Tang Yi away and married her was already an original sin in Song Yanqing's eyes. Having lived two lives, he understood people like Song Yanqing too well. If he spared her this time, she would not spare him either. She would simply send someone even stronger to cause him trouble. Since the final result would be the same whether he spared her or not, he might as well make sure he got his money's worth first!

In his previous life, Daoist Master had been able to tolerate much in the martial world and swallow his anger when necessary, but he was no innocent who had never seen blood!

Niu Youdao stared coldly at Song Yanqing on the ground, propped himself on his sword, and slowly walked over. Standing over Song Yanqing, he lightly patted her face with the sword sheath. "Hey, I told you, I don't like fighting and killing. Wouldn't it have been better for us to end this peacefully? No one would have lost anything. You insisted on forcing me to act, so why go through all this trouble? You think I'm afraid of your Song Family? In my eyes, your Song Family is nothing but a country bumpkin. You're worth a damn!"

Shang Chaozong and the others were speechless when they heard this. The Song Family was such a powerful household, and in his eyes they were a country bumpkin?

Song Yanqing struggled to raise her head. Her face was twisted with pain, yet she forced a smile. "Junior Brother, Junior Brother, I was wrong. You're a great man who doesn't hold a grudge against a petty person. Let me go, please? Let me go, all right? You can ask for anything you want, as long as you're willing to spare me!"

Niu Youdao could not be bothered with her. He turned back toward Shang Chaozong. "Prince, have your people withdraw. I have something to ask this bastard!"

Shang Chaozong immediately waved for the people around him to withdraw.

Yuan Fang's head shrank, and he turned around to run. Who knew that Niu Youdao would say blandly, "Did I say you could leave? Prince, have these people restrained and interrogated. If what they say later doesn't match what this bastard says, we can settle the score then!" He pointed at Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo as well.

Needless to say, a group of personal guards rushed over and directly bound the twenty-odd monks. Not one of them dared resist. Even Yuan Fang obediently allowed himself to be captured. The monks of Nanshan Temple were taken away just like that. Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo naturally met the same fate. Having witnessed Niu Youdao's strength and carrying injuries, they knew they could not escape.

Once the surroundings had quieted, Niu Youdao lightly tapped Song Yanqing's face with the sword sheath. "Speak. Why did you want to kill me?"

Song Yanqing whimpered, "Junior Brother, I didn't want to kill you. It was Elder Tang's orders. I had no choice!"

She was not the least bit strong-willed. She only knew that staying alive was more important than anything else. Naturally, she would never mention that it was because Niu Youdao had stolen his beloved. She simply pushed the blame away wherever she could.

"Elder Tang wanted to kill me?" Niu Youdao froze for a moment. He did remember that the old woman had never had much goodwill toward him and had nearly killed him the first time they met. "Ever since I entered the Shangqing Sect, I've been confined in Peach Blossom Spring. As far as I know, I've never done anything to wrong the Shangqing Sect. Why would she want to kill me?"

Shang Shuqing and the others were astonished when they heard this. He had been confined the entire time?

"The reason is simple. Anyone could figure it out. Elder Tang wants Tang Yi to secure the position of Sect Master. As long as you're alive, Tang Yi's position as Sect Master lacks legitimacy, and someone might expose the injustice done to you at any time..." Song Yanqing whimpered as she revealed a shocking secret unknown to the outside world.

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