Chapter 20
Flawless porcelain-like skin, phoenix-shaped eyes with a deep, mesmerizing gaze, and a perfectly sculpted jawline. His black, silky hair cascaded like a waterfall, tied into a high ponytail with a jade ornament.
Dressed in a white robe embroidered with golden patterns, the young man exuded an ethereal and noble presence. He appeared otherworldly, as though he had descended from the heavens, radiating elegance and power.
The disciples present were stunned.
"A banished immortal…" one disciple muttered, wide-eyed. It was the first thought that came to their minds as they stared at the young man.
But contrary to their dazed reactions, Li Wei and the head of the Roaring Lion Sect, Wei Zhen, wore serious expressions.
For Wei Zhen, the shock wasn't just due to the young man's extraordinary looks but also his presence—or lack thereof. As a transcendent cultivator, Wei Zhen prided himself on his sharp senses, yet he hadn't noticed the young man's arrival until he heard his voice.
There could only be two reasons for this: either the young man was more powerful than him—a notion hard to believe since he looked no older than twenty—or he possessed a treasure capable of completely concealing his aura. Considering the former was nearly impossible, the only logical conclusion was that the young man owned an extraordinary treasure, likely of mythical grade, to mask his presence even from Wei Zhen.
While Wei Zhen's thoughts raced, Li Wei stood beside him, his expression shifting from confusion to shock.
"It's you… Xiao Ming?" he stammered, disbelief evident in his tone.
After all, the Xiao Ming he remembered was a skinny boy—handsome, sure, but nowhere near this level. Comparing the Xiao Ming of the past to the figure standing before him now felt almost absurd.
But disbelief quickly gave way to rage.
"You bastard! It was you who killed my family!" Li Wei roared. Without waiting for a response, he charged at Xiao Ming.
Boom!
The aura of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator erupted from Li Wei's body. With a swish, he appeared directly in front of Xiao Ming. His fist, surrounded by raging flames, glowed with terrifying heat, raising the temperature in the hall significantly.
The disciples were shocked.
"So strong! The fire energy is so abundant. What kind of technique is this?" one disciple exclaimed.
"That's the Molten Fury Strike! It's a top-tier king-level technique. If that punch lands, even a mountain would melt into lava!" another disciple explained, awe in their voice.
"A king-level technique? That's insane!"
"Well, it looks like that handsome young man is definitely going to die."
"Yeah, what a pity. That face is about to get burned."
"Well, it's his fault for provoking Brother Wei." The hall buzzed with murmurs as the disciples discussed the inevitable outcome.
But contrary to their expectations, the young man didn't move. He didn't even raise a hand to defend himself. Instead, he stood there, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Li Wei took it as a sign of arrogance. He could already picture the satisfying scene of Xiao Ming's head exploding under his fist.
But reality slapped Li Wei….. well Xiao Ming also did the same
Smack.
Crunch.
Bam.
Thud.
The sequence of sounds left the hall in utter silence.
Li Wei, who had charged forward with unstoppable momentum, now lay lifeless at Wei Zhen's feet. His skull was completely shattered, his body motionless.
All it had taken was a single slap.
The disciples stared, their minds struggling to process what had just happened.
"This… What just happened?"
"Am I dreaming? Did Brother Wei just get slapped to death?"
"You idiot! Forget the slap—did you not hear that sound? His skull cracked!"
"What the hell? Did a simple slap kill a peak Nascent Soul cultivator? Who is this guy?!"
As the crowd murmured in disbelief, Wei Zhen, seated at the head of the hall, slowly stood up. rose from his seat, his expression grim.
"Who is Your Excellency, and what brings you to my Roaring Lion Sect?" Wei Zhen asked, his tone full cautious.
The disciples were stunned.
"Is the Sect Master… being polite? To him?"
"What's going on? Brother Wei just died, and he's not even angry?"
The disciples couldn't understand. Their Sect Master was notorious for his ruthlessness—offend him, and he wouldn't just kill you but your entire family as well. Yet here he was, speaking politely to the man who had just killed his disciple.
Xiao Ming chuckled, his tone light but sharp.
"Does the Sect Master have amnesia, or is he just playing dumb? Didn't Your disciple just call me Xiao Ming? I am the young master of the Xiao family in Moonshade City. You know, the family you just planned to destroy."
His words carried a playful tone, but the underlying menace was unmistakable. Cold sweat dripped down Wei Zhen's forehead.
Wei Zhen's mind was in turmoil.
"This young man… He killed Li Wei with a casual slap. That strength… It's at least Void Essence Realm! At his age such strength, he must be a core disciple—or even a holy son—of some holy land or ancient family."
What truly terrified Wei Zhen, however, were the nine transcendent-level auras outside the hall. He couldn't see them, but he could feel their overwhelming presence. Some of them were even stronger than him.
There was no way this young man was merely the heir of a small family in Moonshade City.
"Oh, does the Sect Master not believe me?" Xiao Ming asked, his tone playful but laced with mockery.
"Believe? Believe! How could Your Excellency lie?" Wei Zhen replied, forcing a smile uglier than a crying face.
But internally, Wei Zhen was cursing.
"You devil! How could I not believe you? With nine transcendent cultivators ready to attack me, I wouldn't dare doubt you even if you claimed to be my father!"
Seeing Wei Zhen's overly submissive attitude, Xiao Ming smirked. He quickly pieced together the reason: the flood dragons outside must have unintentionally leaked their auras, terrifying Wei Zhen into submission.
"Oh, since you believe me, are you not angry that I just killed your disciple?" Xiao Ming asked, his smile widening.
"Angry?!" Wei Zhen laughed awkwardly. "Not at all! It was his honor to die by Your Excellency's hands. He must have offended you in some way. He deserved his fate."
The disciples around him were speechless.
"Is this really our Sect Master? The same man who'd slaughter families over minor offenses? Where's his pride? Where's his cruelty?"
Wei Zhen, sensing their thoughts, sneered internally.
"Pride? Cruelty? What use are those in the face of death? The reason I've survived this long is because I know when to bow. Even if I have to act like Xiao Ming's dog today, as long as I live, I'm still the Sect Master of the Roaring Lion Sect."
"Well, Sect Master, since you're so cooperative, I might just let your sect off lightly," Xiao Ming said with a faint smirk.
Just as Wei Zhan was going to thank him for being Magnanimous he continued
"But ....."