Chapter 45: Chapter 44: All Must Kneel and Apologize
The East Mountain student froze for a moment, then sneered, "When I went to North Mountain, you were nowhere to be found, leaving behind that delicate little disciple of yours. What makes you brave enough to come challenge us now? Not scared anymore?"
"Hahahaha!"
"Haha!"
The surrounding East Mountain students all shot Xiaxia knowing glances. Her face flushed red with anger.
"Judging by your reaction, you must have been there. In that case, we’ll start with you," Wen Qingye said flatly, his expression unreadable, making it impossible to tell if he was furious or calm.
"You really think you’re hot stuff just because you have a little skill? Wen Qingye, you’re too damn arrogant!"
Hearing this, a vicious look appeared on the East Mountain student’s face, and he charged toward Wen Qingye.
THUD!
Wen Qingye caught the fist, then sent a swift kick that forced the East Mountain student to his knees.
Everyone was stunned. They hadn’t expected Wen Qingye to defeat the new student in the blink of an eye; that student was considered quite powerful among their peers.
"Kneel. And apologize!"
The East Mountain student’s face flushed as he spat, "In your dreams, Wen Qingye!"
THUD!
"You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll help you!" Wen Qingye said, grabbing the student’s head and forcing it down.
THUD!
THUD!
Xiaxia stared blankly as the student before her was forced to kowtow again and again. Wen Qingye didn’t stop until the ground was stained red with blood from the student’s forehead.
Wen Qingye looked at Xiaxia and said, "You are my disciple. If anyone dares to bully you, humiliate you, mock you, slight you, belittle you, or harm you, then you will use their blood to show them that you are not to be trifled with. You are Wen Qingye’s disciple. No one gets to make you suffer."
"Yes, Master," Xiaxia replied, nodding quickly.
Luo Tang’s eyes widened when he heard Wen Qingye’s words. He felt his own blood begin to boil with excitement.
The surrounding East Mountain students watched in stunned silence, unable to process what they had just seen.
Wen Qingye kicked the kneeling student aside, then turned to the next one. He pointed casually and asked, "Were you there?"
"N-No, I wasn’t!" the student from East Mountain Academy stammered in terror.
Wen Qingye turned to the person beside him. "And you?" he asked coolly.
That East Mountain student’s eyes widened. He gritted his teeth and roared, "I was there! So what?!"
THUD!
Wen Qingye moved with astonishing speed. Before the student could even react, Wen Qingye had grabbed him and slammed his head down.
THUD!
.....
"Quick, go see! Wen Qingye is blocking the path to East Mountain!"
"Really? I thought Wen Qingye was in hiding."
"I don’t know for sure, but we should go check it out! They say Wen Qingye is at East Mountain, challenging all the new students!"
"No way. Challenging *all* the new students? How is that possible?"
Soon, news of Wen Qingye challenging East Mountain spread like a storm throughout Qig Mountain Academy. Students from the other two mountains all rushed over to see the commotion for themselves.
At the foot of the path to East Mountain, a stone slab in front of Xiaxia was now stained a shocking blood-red, the garish color searing the eyes of every onlooker.
Wen Qingye stood there, clad in white, his expression impassive. Yet, a hint of battle-hardened Evil Qi flickered in his eyes.
The crowd that had gathered watched in shock as an East Mountain student knelt, apologizing to Xiaxia over and over.
’What in the world is going on? Why are all the East Mountain students kneeling and begging for forgiveness?’
"Haiyang is here! Everyone, make way!"
"It’s true! Thank goodness, Haiyang is here! Quick, clear a path for him!"
"Haiyang, you have to get revenge for us! This Wen Qingye is out of control!"
A man with a dark expression emerged from the crowd. He stared coldly at Wen Qingye and said, "Wen Qingye, what is the meaning of this? Do you realize this is East Mountain? Believe me when I say I can make sure you don’t leave this place alive."
"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" Wen Qingye replied with a faint smile.
Haiyang’s eyes narrowed. "Kneel, kowtow, and apologize."
"Did you go to North Mountain to challenge me as well?" Wen Qingye asked, looking at Haiyang.
"I did," Haiyang said slowly.
Wen Qingye looked at Haiyang. "Kneel and apologize to my disciple, and I’ll consider this matter settled."
"Hahahaha!" Haiyang threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Are you an idiot, Wen Qingye? Senior Brother Haiyang is a master at the First Layer Heaven of Refining Essence, and at its peak, no less!"
"But I heard a rumor that Wen Qingye killed Zhao Feng from our South Mountain in a life-and-death duel. Haiyang might not be his match."
"Dude, Sister Xiangyang herself said that was just a distorted rumor. Zhao Feng died from a severe illness."
Wen Qingye frowned to himself. ’So that’s how it is. Yann Xiangyang completely covered up the fact that I killed Zhao Feng, claiming he died of a severe illness. No wonder these people are so brazen.’
’That Yann Xiangyang has certainly gone to great lengths to make things difficult for me.’
Once his laughter subsided, Haiyang stomped his foot. The surrounding Primordial Qi trembled as he appeared at Wen Qingye’s side in an instant.
"Fierce Tiger Palm!"
Haiyang’s palm shot forward, creating a fierce gale. It was like a tiger descending a mountain—lightning-fast and with unstoppable momentum.
"Celestial Hand!"
Wen Qingye extended his own palm. Billowing Primordial Qi roared forth as he met the attack without mercy, a massive Hand Seal crushing everything in its path.
BANG!
Before the eyes of the crowd, the tiger image slammed into the massive Hand Seal. The tiger was instantly crushed to dust, its Primordial Qi dissipating into the air, but Wen Qingye’s Hand Seal continued onward.
Haiyang’s face fell in shock, and he hastily rolled to the side to dodge.
Wen Qingye leaped into the air. His footwork was as elegant as a fluttering butterfly as he landed beside Haiyang, grabbed him with one hand, and dragged him over to Xiaxia.
THUD!
A crisp crack echoed between the peaks, and everyone who heard it felt a chill run down their spine.
"Wen Qingye, I’ll kill you!" Haiyang roared, struggling to his feet and thrusting a palm strike toward Wen Qingye.
BANG!
Wen Qingye met the attack head-on without reservation. A surging wave of Primordial Qi erupted outward. Wen Qingye’s expression remained unchanged, but Haiyang’s face turned pale.
POW!
Before Haiyang could even get up, a massive force struck his knees again, slamming them into the ground and creating two small craters as shattered stones flew everywhere.
The faces of the East Mountain students turned grim as they watched Haiyang’s defeat at Wen Qingye’s hands.
’Wen Qingye is that powerful? Haiyang couldn’t even withstand two of his moves?’
’My god, and I was one of the ones who went to challenge him...’
’This doesn’t match the rumors at all. Wasn’t Wen Qingye supposed to be at the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation?’
The students from the other two mountains sucked in a sharp breath, a lingering fear in their hearts.
Wen Qingye’s expression remained unchanged as he tossed Haiyang down the mountain path. Haiyang scrambled to his feet, stumbling backward and staring at Wen Qingye in terror. Wen Qingye then turned his head to face the other East Mountain students.
When the East Mountain students saw Wen Qingye’s gaze fall upon them, they all scrambled back several steps. Some even turned tail and fled up the mountain.
"What the hell do you want, Wen Qingye?! You’re taking this too far!" one of the East Mountain students roared indignantly.
"Didn’t you all come to North Mountain to challenge me? You injured my disciple, smashed up my home, and stole Primordial Stones and herbs from North Mountain. Now, I’m giving you a choice. Anyone who wasn’t there can leave now." Wen Qingye paused, then pointed to all the remaining East Mountain students. "As for the rest of you... I’ll give you a chance. I will accept a challenge from any one of you. Or, you can all come at me together."
You can all come at me together. The words weren’t shouted, but they landed with heavy impact in the hearts of every East Mountain student.
Wen Qingye stood alone, facing the wind, a solitary figure blocking the entire path down East Mountain. The students looked at each other, fury evident in their eyes, yet not a single one dared to step forward and face him.
At that moment, Wen Qingye seemed like an impassable mountain looming before them. The new students of East Mountain felt their chests tighten, making it hard to breathe. Their hearts were seized by a mixture of terror and awe.
"Let’s attack together! There’s no way he can take all of us on!" someone suddenly shouted from the back of the crowd.
"Yeah, let’s go together!"
"That’s right, together!"
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Wen Qingye threw his head back and roared with laughter, a heroic feeling swelling in his chest as he took a sudden, powerful step forward.
Everyone’s heart trembled as they watched his magnificent, world-shouldering figure.
The East Mountain students flinched and scrambled back several steps. Even the one who had just been shouting retreated, not daring to make a move. The thunderous momentum they had built up moments ago instantly dissipated.
Wen Qingye took another step forward, and the East Mountain students scrambled back four or five more.
With his presence alone, Wen Qingye forced all the East Mountain students to a standstill, none daring to cross the Thunder Pool. The students from the other two mountains watched in utter shock.
’Who else possesses such an aura? Who could possibly match it?’
"Wen Qingye, you have a lot of nerve, daring to cause a scene right at the gates of East Mountain!"
A man emerged from the path up East Mountain. He carried himself with an air of arrogance, a look of utter disdain in his eyes.
"It’s Shii Jie! The second-strongest expert among the East Mountain freshmen!"
"I heard Shii Jie broke through to the Second Layer Heaven of Refining Essence right after he joined the academy. A month has passed; his power must be even more formidable now."
"With Shii Jie here, Wen Qingye is in for a world of hurt. After all, Shii Jie and Haiyang aren’t even in the same league."
Hearing the crowd’s chatter, Wen Qingye frowned slightly and turned to the newcomer. "Your name is Shii Jie?"
"That’s right," Shii Jie replied haughtily.
"Were you the one who injured my disciple?" Wen Qingye asked.
"You’ve got good taste, Wen Qingye, taking on such a beautiful disciple." Shii Jie’s gaze fell on Xiaxia. He licked his lips and addressed her directly, "How about you become my disciple instead? I have everything Wen Qingye has, and I can give you even more than he ever could."
"Go to hell!" Xiaxia retorted with disdain.
Shii Jie chuckled. "Hahaha, so feisty. I like it."
Wen Qingye’s eyes didn’t even blink. Anyone who knew him would have recognized this state instantly: it was the prelude to murder.
Shii Jie sneered, "I’ll play with you for a bit first, Wen Qingye. And after, I’ll have fun ’disciplining’ that little disciple of yours."
"Brother Jie, avenge us!"
"Beat Wen Qingye! Make him kneel!"
"Yeah, make him kneel!"
The East Mountain students reacted as if they had seen their savior, their excitement reaching a fever pitch as they raised their fists in the air.
Shii Jie let out three loud laughs. "Rest assured, I will grant you your wish!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Primordial Qi erupted from Shii Jie’s body. A CRACKLING sound filled the air, and a great RUMBLE echoed across East Mountain. In an instant, he seemed to transform into a walking catastrophe.
"Fierce Beast Assault!"
With a great roar, Shii Jie shot toward Wen Qingye at incredible speed. His entire body radiated a violent, frenzied aura, his eyes were tinged with red, and he threw a devastating punch.
"Tear Monument Hand!"
Wen Qingye’s hand gesture changed as he thrust his palm forward. It moved with the force of a landslide, his Hand Seal pressing forward mercilessly.
BANG!
Wen Qingye felt a vast, powerful momentum slam into him. He had to admit, this Shii Jie had some real skill. Wen Qingye was forced back four or five steps before he could regain his footing.
"Shii Jie really is amazing! He truly is our East Mountain’s second-strongest expert!"
"The Beast Hundred Transformations Fist Technique is a Fifth-Grade Martial Art! I can’t believe Shii Jie actually managed to master it!"
"That Shii Jie is incredible! With an aura like that, he’s truly worthy of being called the genius of East Mountain."
Shii Jie’s opening move left the crowd gasping in awe.
