Miao Chengyang

A little more than half a day later, in the Inner Sect of the Chongming Sect, by the Ku Lan Waterfall.

Within a secluded courtyard built by the water, Zheng Jingshan, clad in brocade robes and a jade crown, exuded an extraordinary presence as he instructed several fellow disciples from his pulse on their cultivation techniques.

His tone was gentle and his speech flowed smoothly, his demeanor composed, giving off an aura of supreme confidence and refinement that naturally inspired trust.

Watching this scene, the disciples' reverence grew, their expressions revealing their admiration: "If only I could be like Senior Brother Zheng in the future!"

Zheng Jingshan noticed this with a slight smile, subtly adjusting his posture to appear even more distinguished.

However, at that very moment, the courtyard gate not far away was violently kicked open!

"Zheng Jingshan, get out here and die!" The disciples in the courtyard were startled, and before they could react, a man with a rugged appearance, clad in a green robe, strode in. His eyes blazed, and with a single glance, he threw a punch directly at Zheng Jingshan.

The wind of the punch whistled, accompanied by strange whispers. Mid-flight, the disciples in the courtyard felt dizzy and disoriented, unconsciously moving to block Zheng Jingshan's escape route.

"Miao Chengyang, how dare you?!" Zheng Jingshan was greatly alarmed. He was suddenly attacked, and his opponent was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. He instinctively wanted to evade the blow, but Miao Chengyang's Heart Demon Fist was already nearing mastery. The moment it was unleashed, it controlled the several early Foundation Establishment disciples, effectively blocking his path.

If Zheng Jingshan retreated now, he would inevitably injure his junior brothers.

As the Pulse Master, and having recently made an effort to cultivate these disciples as his confidants, he could not possibly evade now. He immediately gathered his spiritual energy, and a surge of green light emanated from his body. Copper-like patterns rapidly appeared on his arms and neck, instantly activating his Azure Ghost Battle Body.

Activating this battle body with his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation was naturally incomparable to the power Zhou Yi, at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, had displayed against Pei Ling that day. Zheng Jingshan grew two horns on his head, and his exposed muscles gleamed with a metallic cold light, appearing exceptionally powerful!

However, Miao Chengyang let out a cold laugh and suddenly changed his punch into a claw. His fingernails grew rapidly, and a point of cold, faint blue light appeared at his fingertips. With a casual grab, Zheng Jingshan's Azure Ghost Battle Body was ripped open, flesh and blood exposed.

"Miao Chengyang! Are you insane?!" Zheng Jingshan endured the pain, finally seizing the opportunity to summon his weapon from his storage pouch. A blood-red saber in his hand gave him some semblance of confidence. He glared at Miao Chengyang, "We already made it clear between us in front of the Senior Brothers and Sisters of the Upper Three Pulses. From now on, we mind our own business. You are attacking the Jiansang Pulse without provocation today, do you disregard the Senior Brothers and Sisters of the Upper Three Pulses?!"

"I naturally wouldn't dare disrespect the Senior Brothers and Sisters of the Upper Three Pulses," Miao Chengyang glanced at the wound on his chest, not pressing his advantage, but said coldly, "However, since you couldn't defeat me in the Inner Sect, you resorted to despicable tricks and arranged for someone to kill my brother in the Outer Sect... Cheng An is my only full brother! This is an irreconcilable hatred! Never mind the Senior Brothers and Sisters of the Upper Three Pulses, even if this matter reaches True Transmission Elder Li, I am still in the right!!!"

Zheng Jingshan stared, dumbfounded, and shouted, "Wait a minute! What madness is this? When did I ever send someone to kill your brother in the Outer Sect? I don't even know where your brother is in the Outer Sect."

Miao Chengyang sneered upon hearing this, "Zheng Jingshan! Although you ascended by killing your father, we in the Sacred Sect value strength above all else, not methods. I never mocked you for that in the past. Now, you dare to do it but not admit it, which truly disgusts me. I originally thought that even though your cultivation was temporarily lagging, you were at least a rival I had competed with since the Outer Sect. Now it seems you are utterly unworthy!"

"If I had done it, I would admit it!" Zheng Jingshan was spitting blood, and he roared, "You imbecile, you believe rumors and don't even know who you're being used by."

"Are you daring to say you haven't been plotting revenge against me these past few days?!" Miao Chengyang said coldly, "Many people heard it with their own ears, and you still dare to quibble!"

Zheng Jingshan angrily retorted, "I..." It was just talk. After all, he had suffered real losses. If he didn't even utter a few harsh words, how could he stabilize people's morale?

In front of his disciples, he couldn't say it directly, so he only said menacingly, "I think you're deliberately looking for trouble!"

"So what?!" Miao Chengyang had seen the evidence provided by Li Ping's concubines. How could the Zhan Chen Platform, where so many people witnessed Pei Ling disembarking from the Xuan Gu Ling Yin Boat, be fake? Moreover, Pei Hong Nian later brought this clansman into the sect, always referring to him as Senior Brother Zheng.

Now that Zheng Jingshan was vehemently denying it, how could Miao Chengyang believe him?

He only felt that he was despicable and shameless, truly lowly.

Too lazy to argue in detail, he took a step forward and pointed a finger at Zheng Jingshan's brow.

The Inner Sect's thirteen pulses were divided into the Upper Three Pulses, Middle Five Pulses, and Lower Five Pulses. Miao Chengyang and Zheng Jingshan both belonged to the Lower Five Pulses. However, Miao Chengyang was the head of the five Pulse Masters of the Lower Five Pulses, while Zheng Jingshan was at the very bottom. The two had fought from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect. Back then, even though Zheng Jingshan had killed his father to cultivate, he still lost to Miao Chengyang.

Even now, with a weapon in hand, his blood-red saber's dozen or so slashes were all evaded by Miao Chengyang. Within the small courtyard, Miao Chengyang's entire figure was like a dream and lightning, appearing both real and illusory. His hands gradually turned ice-blue, and each time they touched Zheng Jingshan's body, they left a wound that was deep enough to expose bone.

"Ghostly Escape!" Zheng Jingshan's expression turned grim. This Ghostly Escape was one of the top escape techniques stored in the Hall of Many Laws of the Inner Sect. It was rumored that it could be combined with several other top escape techniques to form the sect's signature escape technique, the Five Ghost Heavenly Net Escape! It was said that one could go anywhere, from the highest heavens to the deepest underworld!

However, it was extremely difficult to cultivate alone, and it was also very expensive. He had never considered it before, but he never expected Miao Chengyang to not only purchase it but also master it.

With a slight lapse in concentration, Zheng Jingshan's arm throbbed with pain. Miao Chengyang had suddenly flashed past his saber, closed in on him, and forcefully broke his sword-wielding arm. Following that, Zheng Jingshan, with no ability to resist, was struck in the face by Miao Chengyang's Heart Demon Fist. He felt a buzzing in his head, and his consciousness blurred for a brief moment, during which he seemed to see several scantily clad demonesses dancing alluringly close to him...

Zheng Jingshan was not a man who indulged in lust, but at this moment, he couldn't snap out of it. He remained vigilant in his heart, yet his eyes stared blankly—until a moment later, when the demonesses suddenly vanished. He, dizzy and disoriented, was helped up by several people, only to realize that every inch of his body ached!

He instinctively touched his face, and his hands were covered in blood.

The disciples who had revered him moments ago were now huddled together like quails, looking at each other in fear, not daring to make a sound.

"...Go, go report to the Duty Hall," Zheng Jingshan's face was ashen. Knowing he had suffered a great humiliation today, he coughed twice, spat out a mouthful of clotted blood, and resentfully ordered, "Say that the Pulse Master of the Zhaochuan Pulse openly came to provoke us and ask the Duty Hall to handle it immediately!"

The disciples looked at each other, and finally, the youngest one was pushed forward. He said timidly, "Senior Brother, when Pulse Master Miao left just now, he said he would immediately go to the Duty Hall to pay the fees, so... so please don't worry about it."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jingshan almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

He clutched his chest for a moment, suppressed his anger, and asked, "What else did he say?"

"..." The disciple glanced at him stealthily, then cautiously said, "He also said that if it weren't for Fairy Li's sake, he would have killed you today! To avenge his brother! Even if he doesn't kill you now, in the future... in the future, he will 'spar' with you from time to time!"

Zheng Jingshan: "..."

Who the hell is trying to harm him?!!!