Chapter 46: Chapter 45: Awe-inspiring Heroism
Wen Qingye’s expression was stern, but a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Shii Jie looked at Wen Qingye and sneered, "Is this all the strength you have? What a disappointment."
All the Primordial Qi in Wen Qingye’s body converged at once, surging restlessly. The Primordial Qi around him began to vibrate, causing the very air to distort slightly.
"Great Heaven-Tearing Monument Hand!"
Wen Qingye leaped into the air and struck down with his palm. A massive Hand Seal seemed to blot out the sky. From the gloom, the seal’s tyrannical and supreme aura pressed down with immense weight.
"Fierce Beast Shocking Sky!"
Shii Jie unleashed his aura as well. The surrounding Primordial Qi condensed, forming what looked like a colossal beast around him. The beast held its head high, its ferocious face lunging toward Wen Qingye.
At that exact moment, Wen Qingye pressed his left palm onto his right. The Hand Seal’s aura surged violently, as if a mountain were collapsing, and the world itself seemed to dim.
BOOM!
The students with lower cultivation levels turned pale and scrambled back, afraid of being severely injured by the shockwave of Primordial Qi.
Wen Qingye’s body shuddered. He took several steps through the air before landing a short distance from Shii Jie.
Shii Jie felt a warmth surge in his stomach. He clenched his jaw, forcing down the blood that had risen in his throat.
"Wen Qingye, your strength isn’t bad," Shii Jie sneered. "But do you really think you can defeat me with just this?"
Wen Qingye took a step forward.
"Immortal Divine Wind Thunder Shock Finger!"
A faint purple light emanated from Wen Qingye’s finger. The Finger Technique was incredibly fast. As it shot through the air, it seemed to trail a cyan glow—the sign of it tearing through the atmosphere.
The crowd had only one thought: Fast!
"Fierce Beast’s Stomp!"
A massive amount of Primordial Qi gathered between Shii Jie’s hands. He flipped them in a full circle, and the immense, rolling Primordial Qi secretly astonished the onlookers. Then, Shii Jie shoved his hands forward.
PFFT!
Wen Qingye’s finger, carrying a supreme sharpness, pierced directly through the momentum of Shii Jie’s Primordial Qi. His index finger tapped Shii Jie’s chest, and Shii Jie could no longer hold it in, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Heavens, Wen Qingye actually defeated Shii Jie!"
"That finger attack... so fast, so powerful!"
"To think the Outer Courtyard of Qig Mountain Academy has such an incredible figure. I had no idea."
Seeing that even Shii Jie had been defeated by Wen Qingye, the East Mountain students grew ashen-faced and dejected.
Wen Qingye suddenly grabbed Shii Jie by the neck. Terror filled Shii Jie’s eyes.
Wen Qingye walked over to Xiaxia, then grabbed Shii Jie’s body and slammed him to the ground.
"Kneel and apologize!"
"Wen Qingye, I’ll kill you! You bastard, I’ll make you wish you were dead!" Shii Jie roared, his eyes bloodshot as he knelt on the ground. When had he, Shii Jie, ever suffered such a humiliation?
THUD!
"Wen Qingye, I’ll kill—"
THUD!
"I’ll skin you alive! I’ll make you wish you were nev—"
SMASH!
Wen Qingye slammed Shii Jie’s head down with force. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground. Shii Jie passed out, unable to utter another word.
The area fell silent. The only sound was the breathing of the crowd.
THUD!
Wen Qingye paid no heed, continuing to slam Shii Jie’s head until it was nearly misshapen, yet he still didn’t stop.
"Master, maybe that’s enough," Xiaxia said, looking at the dense crowd that had formed, several layers deep.
After letting go, Wen Qingye shook his head. "We’ll leave after they apologize."
"Wen Qingye, don’t take it too far! We East Mountain students are not to be trifled with!"
"If you don’t let us leave the mountain, we’ll force our way through!"
The surrounding East Mountain students were incensed, shouting in anger.
SHING!
Wen Qingye drew his sword. He stood at the intersection, facing the several hundred people from East Mountain. With an unchanging expression, he lifted his head, his bangs fluttering in the wind, and said coldly, "I’ll be waiting right here."
The surrounding crowd erupted, staring at Wen Qingye in utter shock.
One person stood there, calmly meeting the gazes of several hundred people. His unwavering eyes reflected a vast, heroic spirit capable of moving mountains and rivers.
An unknown amount of time passed. The East Mountain students stared at the lone Wen Qingye, but not a single one dared to make a move. They just stood there, locked in a silent standoff.
Xiaxia gazed at that proud figure from behind, her heart deeply moved. No one had ever done something like this for her before. She felt that towering back grow even taller, etching itself deeply into her heart.
"The Mountain Master is here! Make way, make way!"
Just then, a voice came from behind the East Mountain students. They quickly parted, revealing an old man followed by a group of people, who slowly walked forward.
This elder was the Mountain Master of East Mountain, Gong Tianshun. When Gong Tianshun saw Shii Jie lying on the ground, the cratered earth, and the bloodstains, his brow furrowed.
"You’re a student from North Mountain?" Gong Tianshun asked.
Wen Qingye replied calmly, "North Mountain, Wen Qingye!"
Gong Tianshun nodded to himself. Such a disposition—neither servile nor overbearing—was truly admirable.
Gong Tianshun said, "You’ve caused quite a scene today. How about we let this matter drop?"
"A scene?" Wen Qingye suddenly laughed. "Let me ask you, when the students of East Mountain went to North Mountain in a mob to challenge me, couldn’t find me, and ended up destroying my residence and ruining my medicinal field—I’d like to ask the Mountain Master of East Mountain, was that also just ’causing a scene’?"
"This..." Gong Tianshun’s brow twitched. A flash of anger rose within him, and his expression turned ugly.
"They were lawless! Shii Jie even injured my disciple and led the others to steal the Primordial Stones and pills given to me by the North Mountain Master. I’d like to ask the Mountain Master of East Mountain, is *that* also just ’causing a scene’?"
Wen Qingye’s words were forceful and resonant, echoing in everyone’s ears.
"The East Mountain students actually stole resources from North Mountain?"
"That’s just shameless."
"Did the East Mountain students really do that? It’s unbelievable. No wonder Wen Qingye is so furious."
The surrounding students from West Mountain and South Mountain began to murmur amongst themselves.
The East Mountain students who had gone to North Mountain flushed with shame, bowing their heads, unable to look up.
"Furthermore, I accepted the challenge issued to me by your East Mountain students. Would you call that ’causing a scene’ as well?"
Wen Qingye’s eyes swept over the Mountain Master of East Mountain, Gong Tianshun, as he spoke with fierce intensity.
"They failed the challenge, so why must you continue to humiliate our East Mountain students?" a middle-aged man behind Gong Tianshun demanded angrily.
Wen Qingye smiled faintly. "Failed? When did they fail? They never admitted defeat."
"You..."
Gong Tianshun pulled the man back, took a deep breath, and looked at Wen Qingye. "Very well. Tell me, what outcome do you want?"
Wen Qingye said coldly, "The ones who challenged me will kneel and apologize!"
The middle-aged man roared, "That’s going too far! It was just injuring your disciple and taking some of your cultivation resources, yet you demand everyone kneel and admit their fault?"
"I’d rather not say what else Shii Jie did. But simply for being my, Wen Qingye’s, disciple, no one is allowed to bully her," Wen Qingye said slowly. "If you have nothing better to do, I don’t mind you watching as I continue to accept the challenge from your East Mountain students. After all, they were the ones who initiated this challenge, not me."
After speaking, Wen Qingye’s gaze fell upon the East Mountain students. When they saw his eyes on them, they were terrified and hastily retreated several steps.
Hearing this, Gong Tianshun’s brow knitted into a tight knot.
"Fine, Wen Qingye, I’ll exchange a few moves with you! I want to see for myself just what kind of strength lets you dare to block all of East Mountain’s new students alone," a young man from behind Gong Tianshun stepped forward and said to Wen Qingye.
"Lu Hongfei, East Mountain’s number one genius!"
"I heard his cultivation has reached the Refining Essence Third Layer Heaven. That’s considered incredible even in South Mountain."
"I wonder who’s stronger between the two of them."
...
