As the masked man was shredded to pieces, the crimson bird proudly flapped its wings before vanishing into thin air. The surroundings returned to silence. Lü Shaoqing sheathed his sword, looking at the devastation before him with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Pathetic. Can't even withstand a single strike," he muttered, shaking his head. "If I'd known he was such a weakling, I wouldn't have wasted so much energy. What a waste."
After grumbling, Lü Shaoqing strolled casually over to where Zhang Zheng lay unconscious. His injuries were severe, and he had long since lost consciousness. Without a second thought, Lü Shaoqing began rifling through Zhang Zheng's belongings.
"And you call yourself Zhang Conglong's brother? How are you this poor?" he scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. "No decent treasures, just about a hundred spirit stones. What a pauper."
Lü Shaoqing stood up, looking down on Zhang Zheng with disdain. "And you dared to come and provoke me? Pathetic."
With that, he turned to leave. Fang Xiao, watching from her hiding spot, let out a quiet sigh of relief, believing Lü Shaoqing would soon be out of sight.
But suddenly, a sword whistled through the air, slicing past her head and reducing the tree behind her to dust. It felt as if a blazing sun had swept just above her.
The violent surge of sword intent nearly made Fang Xiao cry out.
"Huh, was that just my imagination?" Lü Shaoqing turned around, his eyes scanning the area where Fang Xiao was hiding. After a moment, he shook his head and continued on his way. "That damn senior brother of mine—always getting me into trouble. I told him to be more decisive and not act like a saint. Kill when it's necessary, and none of this nonsense would happen."
Fang Xiao remained motionless, not daring to make a sound. Lü Shaoqing's instincts were incredibly sharp; she had almost been discovered. She hadn't expected to witness the true extent of Lü Shaoqing's power firsthand.
Core Formation Stage.
This level of strength was something that only a handful of young cultivators in all of Qizhou possessed. Among the three major sects, only the top disciples had reached this stage, and none of the young elites from other cultivation families in the region had reached it.
Moreover, aside from the chief disciples of the major sects, it was unheard of for any other young disciple to have attained the Core Formation Stage.
Today, Fang Xiao had witnessed it with her own eyes.
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
What truly astonished her was that Lü Shaoqing had also mastered sword intent—and he had reached the second stage: Manifestation of Sword Intent.
Sword intent had three levels: Sword Intent Heart Shift, Manifestation of Sword Intent, and Sword Mind Union.
Only a few young cultivators in Qizhou had comprehended sword intent, and even fewer had reached the second level.
Ji Yan was renowned for his mastery of the second level, allowing him to challenge and defeat opponents of much higher cultivation levels. It was this very skill that had enabled him to slay a Nascent Soul Stage enemy despite being in the Core Formation Stage.
With his mastery of sword intent, Ji Yan dominated all of Qizhou's young elites, claiming the title of the number one cultivator of his generation. Both Xia Yu from the Shuangyue Valley and Zhang Conglong from the Guiyuan Pavilion, despite their considerable skills, had not grasped sword intent. Many had resigned themselves to competing for second place, acknowledging Ji Yan's superiority.
But now, after witnessing Lü Shaoqing's power, Fang Xiao felt that the title of the second-strongest in Qizhou was no longer up for grabs—anyone else could fight for third.
Only now did Fang Xiao realize that Lü Shaoqing's remark in the restaurant about fearing he might accidentally kill Zhang Zheng and Wu Tianzong was no jest. He truly possessed that level of power.
As Fang Xiao prepared to deactivate her concealment spell and leave, she felt her body freeze.
Lü Shaoqing reappeared from the shadows, his eyes as sharp as blades as he looked directly in her direction.
"So, it wasn't just my imagination?" Lü Shaoqing murmured to himself before slowly vanishing into the darkness once more.
A gust of wind swept through the moonlit forest, sending chills down Fang Xiao's spine. Fear gripped her heart. Lü Shaoqing was far more terrifying than she had imagined.
Not only was he powerful and ruthless, but he was also incredibly meticulous and cautious. His departure had been a ruse to lure out anyone in hiding. Fang Xiao didn't dare move, convinced that if she had made the slightest noise, Lü Shaoqing would have killed her on the spot.
Lü Shaoqing had such strength and yet remained completely unknown, even within the Lingxiao Sect. Many there were unaware of his existence. His secrecy and low profile spoke volumes about his nature.
Fang Xiao realized that stumbling upon Lü Shaoqing's true power could easily cause a misunderstanding—one that might end with her death.
She stood rooted to the spot, not daring to make the slightest move. Only when the sun finally rose, and birds began to chirp, did she feel a shred of relief. She had remained still all night, afraid to so much as shift her position.
As she looked towards the Lingxiao Sect, Fang Xiao whispered silently in her heart.
Just how terrifying is Lü Shaoqing—or is it the Lingxiao Sect itself that's terrifying? She couldn't decide.
At that moment, she noticed figures approaching from a distance. Soon, they arrived at her location.
It was Zhang Jin, along with Xie Chong and Wu Tianzong. They were shocked to see the massive traces of the battle, which looked as if a violent storm had swept through the area.
Spotting Fang Xiao, Zhang Jin's face lit up with relief. "Miss, you're safe! Thank goodness. You didn't return last night, and I was worried sick."
Wu Tianzong, however, anxiously asked, "Miss Fang, have you seen Zhang Senior Brother?"
Fang Xiao pointed to a spot nearby. Wu Tianzong rushed over, finding Zhang Zheng lying unconscious.
With a panicked scream, he shouted, "Brother! What happened to you? Wake up, please!"
Fang Xiao walked over, and when she saw the scene before her, she blushed deeply and quickly turned away.
Zhang Zheng had been stripped of all his clothes, leaving only a pair of undergarments. Everything he possessed had been looted.
However, Fang Xiao's quick glance noticed even the waistband had been tampered with.
That guy! she thought, both exasperated and speechless.
Not only was Lü Shaoqing incredibly powerful, but he was also shameless enough to stoop to such petty theft. What kind of person is he, really?
A growing sense of curiosity about Lü Shaoqing welled up in Fang Xiao.
She looked over at Zhang Jin and said, "Uncle Zhang, return to the Fang family today. There's no need for you to stay here anymore."
"I'll handle the affairs of the restaurant myself."