Only I am Venerable

An incomparably tyrannical Sword Intent locked dead onto Wang Sheng’s vitals. For someone as arrogant and hot-tempered as him, this was unforgivable. Especially now, with Qin Li’s aura weakening, the idea that someone by his side would dare launch a sneak attack on him sent Wang Sheng into a blind rage. In his overconfidence, he even forgot the most crucial trait a Martial Artist must maintain: composure.

He forgot to consider a simple question: would someone who could lock onto him with Sword Intent really need to resort to a sneak attack? Were they truly not his match?

The moment the words left Wang Sheng’s mouth, a violent surge of energy erupted, accompanied by an icy, mocking voice: "You’re the one courting death!"

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rang out as Wang Sheng’s body was instantly engulfed by the violent force, followed by the sickening sound of shattering bones.

The oppressive heat that had just begun to radiate from Wang Sheng’s towering frame was extinguished without a trace, as if doused by a tidal wave.

His body was sent flying violently, smashing through the already-damaged wall and causing it to completely give way. Unable to bear the strain, the entire room caved in with a thunderous crash!

Everyone in the room shot out at top speed. Looking back, they saw a figure in black had appeared next to Wang Sheng, attacking him with unstoppable momentum!

"Leave him breathing!" Qin Li’s voice was not loud. If one weren’t listening carefully, it would have been hard to hear.

The black figure in the air seemed to let out a cold snort and ceased her attack. Looking at Wang Sheng now, his long, blood-red hair was completely gone. It was unclear how She She had done it, but she had turned him into a bald man.

Only after She She stopped her assault did Wang Sheng fall limply to the ground. He coughed up blood continuously, his enormous eyes staring fixedly at She She, filled with horror and disbelief.

At a glance, Wang Sheng didn’t seem too seriously injured. In reality, however, there were hardly any intact bones left in his body. Most had been shattered or fractured by She She’s ferocious assault. If not for his powerful will, an ordinary person would have collapsed unconscious long ago.

"Who... who in the world are you? How could you possibly... possess the power of the Shattered Void realm?" The now-bald Wang Sheng cut an extremely bizarre figure, though he himself seemed completely unaware.

Wang Sheng’s words caused the spies hidden in the shadows, who still hadn’t recovered from the sudden turn of events, to exchange horrified glances. They had suspected that the black-clad woman with Qin Li might have reached the Celestial Venerable realm; otherwise, she couldn’t have emerged unscathed from the confrontation with the Cui Family’s Shattered Void Martial Artist.

This was also because that incident had happened too quickly for many to see clearly. After that single strike, She She had not revealed her Shattering Void cultivation again. Therefore, while many had been suspicious, no one had been willing to believe she had actually reached the Shattered Void realm.

It was just too unrealistic!

The Shattered Void realm! Not the Celestial Shattering Realm! Across all of Profound Island, over thousands of years, there had only been a hundred or so known individuals who reached this level. The number of them alive at any one time probably never exceeded ten. How could such an expert suddenly appear out of nowhere?

In truth, most people simply couldn’t believe the Qin Family had gained such a powerful ally! According to common understanding, if the Qin Family had a Shattered Void Martial Artist backing them, while they might not dominate all of Profound Island, they certainly wouldn’t tolerate being humiliated by small families and Small Sects.

After all, in this recent period, the Qin Family’s businesses across Profound Island had suffered near-devastating blows. It seemed that any faction, no matter how insignificant, dared to walk all over the Qin Family.

Leng Yao stared at the now-bald Wang Sheng, recalling his arrogant and domineering appearance just moments before with his head of blood-red hair. He desperately tried to stifle a laugh, his lips twitching violently. The Qin Family disciples beside him felt a deep sense of satisfaction, but they were also utterly bewildered.

The spies in the shadows were likely just as puzzled.

Qin Li, however, ignored them and asked She She directly, "A fight is a fight, but why’d you get rid of his hair?"

Instantly, countless people perked up their ears, eager to hear what this ridiculously powerful beauty had to say.

She She curled her lip. "I couldn’t stand the arrogant way he was flipping his hair. So I plucked his feathers. Let’s see how arrogant he can be now."

"Hahaha..."

Countless onlookers could no longer hold back and burst into roaring laughter.

Wang Sheng’s face went from pale to flushed red, then from red to purple, and finally to a livid ashen color. He squeezed a sentence through his clenched teeth: "Senior, why must you be so humiliating!"

"Oh? So *now* you know to call her Senior?" Qin Li sneered, then his expression suddenly turned cold. "Get out! Disappear from my sight. And remember, I’m not killing you today because I fear the Wang Family. I’m sparing you simply to teach you a lesson! To make you understand that if you want to act tough, you need the strength to back it up. Without that strength, don’t you ever show your face in front of me again."

Ignoring Wang Sheng’s venomous glare, Qin Li continued, "And to all you pieces of scum watching from the shadows, you’d all better listen up! The Qin Family will not forget how you’ve treated us. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Either you come forward on your own to admit your mistakes and repay the damages you caused the Qin Family twofold, or you can just wait for me to come knocking on your door! And remember, every family and Sect, big or small, that has looked after the Qin Family has also been noted. So... don’t get any funny ideas."

After speaking, Qin Li finished with a grim expression, glanced at Wang Sheng, and said indifferently, "Still haven’t left? Do you need me to see you out?"

Wang Sheng suddenly roared like a savage beast, "You young whelp! If you weren’t hiding behind this Senior, would you dare be so arrogant? You just remember this—"

THUD!

No one saw how Qin Li moved... no, how he kicked. By the time the dull thud sounded, Wang Sheng’s body was already arched like a cooked shrimp, flying up from the ground and shooting horizontally into the distance.

Qin Li’s kick had sent Wang Sheng flying over twenty meters, where he crashed into a building behind the inn with a tremendous BOOM.

Then, a dozen or so people rushed toward that spot from different directions at extreme speed. They were clearly from the Wang Family.

Qin Li curled his lip. "Remember what? I don’t want to remember anything. My understanding of hatred is simple: I take my revenge on the spot! If you don’t have the ability, then go home and lie low. Stop spouting such useless threats."

With that, he turned to the stunned Feng Ziqi. "Isn’t that right?"

The muscles on Feng Ziqi’s face twitched uncontrollably. Suddenly, with a look of desperate resolve, he charged at Qin Li. Two azure daggers had appeared in his hands as he roared, "Qin Li, just kill me!"

"In your dreams!"

With a cold, disdainful shout, Qin Li charged toward Feng Ziqi as well. The instant before their bodies collided, Qin Li made a casual flick with his hands... Feng Ziqi let out a bloodcurdling scream as his own daggers sliced his hands clean off!

Blood gushed from his arms like fountains!

Then, Qin Li reached out and tapped a point on Feng Ziqi’s body, instantly staunching the bleeding. He ordered the Qin Family disciples, "Don’t let him die. Use our best medicine and take him back to the Qin Mansion!"

Qin Li seemed completely oblivious that his words had infuriated all the hidden observers. Some of the more hot-blooded youths were so agitated they wanted to rush out and challenge him on the spot.

Unfortunately, they were all restrained by their companions. ’Are you kidding?’ ’Didn’t you see the expression on that black-clad woman next to Qin Li? She looked like she was just getting warmed up!’

’How many Venerables would you have to sacrifice just to kill a Shattered Void Martial Artist? Which family could possibly withstand such a loss? Not even a super-faction!’

The members of the Feng Family all gave up resisting. They were bound by the Qin Family disciples and taken back to the Qin Mansion as well.

Watching the triumphant Qin Family disciples lead away the crestfallen members of the Feng Family, only the hidden observers could truly appreciate the complex mix of emotions in the air.

In an instant, the seemingly peaceful Fengsha City had become a volcano on the verge of eruption. The various factions, large and small, gathered to discuss their next move.

The Qin Family’s true strength was beginning to surface. With a powerhouse at the Shattered Void realm backing them, the previous notion of easily taking them down had become a complete joke.

But to have them give up so easily, let alone compensate the Qin Family twofold? Not only was no one willing, but the loss of face would be unbearable.

Nearly every major family and Sect on Profound Island had dispatched their elites, only for it to end like this. Now, one question stood before them all: Who could possibly counter the Qin Family’s Shattered Void powerhouse?

’If only we had a Shattered Void powerhouse on our side, too.’ This... became the shared, extravagant hope of all the factions opposing the Qin Family.

Soon, a massive cheer erupted from the Qin Mansion, so loud that it could be heard throughout Fengsha City. It made countless people take notice, and many even trembled.

Many of the weaker families and Sects were already starting to back down. ’Face is important, sure, but it’s not more important than our lives, is it?’

’If you’re dead, who are you going to show your face to? A ghost?’

Qin Wenxuan felt that he had just had the most peaceful sleep of his life. If not for the deafening cheers, he might have slept even longer. He opened his eyes with a smile on his lips. For the first time in his life, he felt as happy as he did today.

Because his son had finally accepted him.