Revenge

Xiao Qing did not immediately go looking for Zi Yan after returning to the Inner Academy from the forest. That girl was too elusive, and he had no idea where she was.

Besides, the Earth Core Tempering Milk was sitting there. He would obtain it sooner or later, so there was no need to rush.

After resting in his dormitory for a few days, Xiao Qing headed toward one of the factions that had tried to cause trouble for him at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower last time.

He was not in the habit of pretending nothing had happened after someone came looking for trouble.

The reason he had not retaliated immediately last time was because he had lacked the strength.

But now that he had cultivated to the three-star Dou Ling level, Xiao Qing had no reason not to act.

Within the territory controlled by the Clear Wind Gang, inside the most central building.

A handsome, carefree young man dressed in green sat in the seat of honor, leisurely sipping tea.

Sitting opposite him was the leader of the Lion Gang, who had gone to the pavilion last time to cause trouble for Xiao Qing.

"Brother Feng, Xiao Qing is now on good terms with the Brute Force King. What should we do?"

The burly Lion Gang leader asked the carefree young man before him.

The carefree young man swallowed his tea, clicked his tongue lightly, and said casually:

"She's only the Brute Force King. She won't stay by Xiao Qing's side all the time."

"We can teach Xiao Qing a lesson while he isn't paying attention and make him see the situation clearly. He'll probably be too embarrassed to tattle to the Brute Force King."

Hearing this, the burly man's face showed some hesitation.

"But what if Xiao Qing grows stronger and retaliates against us?"

"With his talent, it probably won't take long for him to surpass us."

At those words, a trace of jealousy flashed through the carefree young man's eyes as he slowly set down his teacup.

"What are you afraid of? By the time he grows stronger, we'll have long since left the Inner Academy. What can he do to us?"

"And so what if he's a genius? If we cripple his cultivation, what kind of genius will he be then?"

As he spoke, a twisted, vicious look surfaced on the carefree young man's face before vanishing in an instant, as though it had been an illusion.

The burly man hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. He nodded heavily and said, "Everyone in the Lion Gang will follow Brother Feng's orders."

The carefree young man nodded in satisfaction, stood, and patted the burly man's shoulder.

"It's good that Brother Kuang understands. When it's time to make a move against Xiao Qing, Feng will send you word."

Just as the burly man was about to say something, a sudden commotion came from outside the door.

It made the carefree young man frown.

The next instant, the door to the building was kicked open from outside.

The carefree young man looked over in irritation, but when he saw the figure at the doorway, a cruel smile curved his lips.

Xiao Qing slowly walked in from outside.

With his soul realm, he had naturally heard every word of their conversation.

His expression was indifferent as his cold gaze swept over the two men before him.

Seeing Xiao Qing like this, the carefree young man did not care. It was nothing more than a weakling's anger. So what if he had heard them?

"You're Xiao Qing?"

The burly man beside him also turned his gaze over. When he saw Xiao Qing's appearance, he could not help asking.

Having no interest in wasting words on them, Xiao Qing raised his palm and fired off two Scarlet Fire Seals.

Seeing the two crystalline emerald-green palm seals rushing toward them, gloom flashed through both men's eyes.

Attacks of this level were almost on par with what they themselves could unleash. How could Xiao Qing possibly cast them with the cultivation of a one-star Dou Ling?

With that thought, they exchanged a glance. Neither dared hold back, fearing they might stumble in a gutter.

"Heavenly Astral Divine Wind!"

"Lion Earth-Splitting Fist!"

Howling astral winds and earth-yellow fist seals erupted from the two men, striking toward the two blazing emerald-green palm seals.

When the palm seals were neutralized by their attacks, both men could not help releasing sighs of relief.

Yet before they could react, emerald-green flames had somehow already begun to coil around Xiao Qing's body.

At the same time, Xiao Qing raised his hand and unleashed another two even more blazing palm seals.

Feeling the far more terrifying aura of the two palm seals before them, both men's faces filled with horror.

They each used their Dou techniques again to block them, but it was useless.

The astral winds and fist seals that had just neutralized the two emerald-green palm seals could only hold on for a moment against the palm seals Xiao Qing unleashed this time before slowly dissipating into nothingness.

The palm seals continued forward without losing momentum, crushing through the two men's protective Dou Qi and slamming into the chests of the burly man and the carefree young man.

"Boom!"

The two were instantly grievously wounded. They spat blood as they flew backward, their bodies smashing viciously into the wall and making the entire building tremble.

Step! Step! Step!

Xiao Qing approached with an indifferent expression, terrifying the two men into displaying looks of fear as they clutched their chests and crawled backward.

"With just the two of you, you wanted to cripple my cultivation?"

Seeing them in such a state, disappointment flashed in Xiao Qing's eyes.

He had thought their strength was enough to justify such vicious words about crippling his cultivation.

Now it seemed they were merely six- or seven-star Dou Lings, and their actual strength was pitifully weak. They likely could not even defeat him when he had first advanced to Dou Ling.

Xiao Qing reached out and drew the now utterly disheveled carefree young man into his grasp.

He did not consider himself a particularly magnanimous person. Since the two of them had wanted to cripple his cultivation, he would feel he had let himself down if he did not do something to them.

Ignoring the carefree young man's struggles, Xiao Qing gripped his neck with his left hand as if choking an animal, then lightly tapped several points on his body with the index finger of his right hand.

After finishing, he tossed him aside and repeated the same actions on the burly man.

With the alterations he had made, the two would reach the end of their road at the Dou Wang realm in their future cultivation.

Not long after, Xiao Qing walked out of the building. Under the terrified gazes of the Clear Wind Gang members, he strolled toward the territories of several other factions.

A day later, the Inner Academy, which had been quiet for a long time, became lively once more.

As word spread of Xiao Qing charging alone into the territories of factions such as the Clear Wind Gang as though no one stood in his way and defeating their leaders one by one.

The entire Inner Academy once again erupted into heated discussion about Xiao Qing.

As for the protagonist of the incident, Xiao Qing ignored the commotion outside. After returning to his dormitory, he immersed himself in cultivation while waiting for Zi Yan to arrive.

Several days later, just as Xiao Qing was cultivating, the figure of a little girl in white suddenly emerged from a ripple in space.

Seeing Xiao Qing cultivating, Zi Yan did not make a sound to disturb him. She sat down where she was, propping up her chin with both hands in boredom.

Before long, as he finished circulating his cultivation technique, Xiao Qing slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Zi Yan's small figure.

"Xiao Qing, I've finished all my pills. Hurry and refine more for me."

Seeing that Xiao Qing had finished cultivating, Zi Yan hurriedly rose from the floor, walked up to him, and took out stalk after stalk of rare medicinal herbs to hand to him.

"Don't be in such a hurry to refine pills. I'll take you somewhere good first."