Chapter 206 - Calculations and the Innate Realm

When the gazes of the Innate Realm cultivators fell upon Lu Qing, their expressions turned to shock once more.

This was because they couldn't sense the unique innate essence that was characteristic of the Innate Realm cultivators emanating from Lu Qing's body.

What did this imply?

It meant that Lu Qing was not an Innate Realm warrior himself!

Despite not being an Innate Realm warrior, he had effortlessly slain the old hag of the Zheng family.

For a moment, the Innate Realm cultivators were deeply shaken, and an overwhelming sense of wariness towards Lu Qing arose within them.

Facing the scrutiny of the four Innate Realm experts, Lu Qing maintained his composure.

Unbeknownst to them, he had already activated his ability, discreetly probing the origins and information of the men before him without batting an eye.

Seeing Lu Qing's silence as he calmly returned their gaze without a hint of fear, the wariness in the hearts of the Innate Realm cultivators deepened.

After a prolonged silence, the elderly man with the youthful appearance spoke in a solemn tone:

"May I ask how we should address this young friend? And what grudge do you hold against this old woman of the Zheng family to torture her to death in such a manner?"

"Oh, must I have a grudge against her to kill her? Couldn't it be that I simply couldn't stand the sight of her and decided to cut her down on a whim?" Lu Qing replied nonchalantly.

By this time, Lu Qing had finished probing the information of the cultivators before him, paying extra attention to the elegant old man.

"You!" The elegant old man's eyes widened, and his aura stirred as if he was about to erupt, "If you didn't like the look of her, you could have just taught her a lesson. Why did you have to be so ruthless?"

"What use is there in keeping such a venomous witch alive, old man? Surely you must know how malicious this old hag's heart is?" Lu Qing retorted.

Although the information he had gleaned indicated that the elegant old man was not inherently evil, Lu Qing still held no favor towards him.

He was a muddle-headed old fool who had attacked him without discernment; Lu Qing thought that he had already shown remarkable restraint by holding back until now.

"This old hag, in her rage, wanted to perform a living sacrifice for her despicable dead grandson. Such an act is a heinous crime against humanity and heaven alike. How could I be wrong in slaying her?" Lu Qing continued.

The elegant old man hesitated for a moment but argued, "That is merely a rumor. The Zheng family has not yet committed such a misdeed. To judge someone based on something that hasn't even happened yet—aren't you being overly hasty?"

"Old man, it seems you've been licking this old hag's boots for so long that you've lost your wits!" Lu Qing scoffed.

Seeing that the elegant old man was still trying to make excuses for the old woman, Lu Qing no longer held back and lashed out verbally.

"Given the viciousness of this old hag, can you guarantee that she wouldn't have eventually performed that living sacrifice?"

Being addressed as an "old man" by Lu Qing made the elegant old man's anger surge.

However, Lu Qing's following statement gave him pause.

He wanted to say no, but even he knew that such an assurance would be feeble and unconvincing.

Given the old woman's temperament, it was likely that she would have eventually dared to commit such a taboo act.

Seeing that his words had left the elegant old man speechless, Lu Qing continued, "Moreover, do you think this old hag hasn't performed human sacrifices before?"

At these words, the Innate Realm cultivators trembled.

The elegant old man, in particular, exclaimed, "What did you say?"

The city lord also asked in a deep voice, "Young friend, are you certain about this? Are you saying that this old woman of the Zheng family has performed human sacrifices in the past?"

"If you want to know the truth, go ahead and open the tomb of the Zheng family's eldest son. There, you will find all the answers you seek," Lu Qing said with a cold smile.

The eldest son of the Zheng family.

A thought occurred to the Innate Realm cultivators, reminding them of a major incident from years ago and the crazed state of the old woman at the time.

Unconsciously, they found themselves believing Lu Qing's words to be mostly true.

Given the old woman's intense grief back then, it was entirely possible that she had committed such a heinous act.

"Good! I shall speak frankly. After this, we will go and investigate. If there are no signs of human sacrifice in the tomb of the Zheng family's eldest son, then I shall seek justice from you," the elegant old man said.

"Old man, what gives you the right to seek justice from me? Even if someone were to seek revenge, it should be the Zheng family doing so. Who are you to interfere?" Lu Qing retorted without an ounce of courtesy.

"Moreover, there is still a score to settle between you and me."

"What score is there between us?" The elegant old man was taken aback.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten, old man. You tried to ambush me with three sword auras earlier. Do you think I'm so magnanimous that I would let that slide?" Lu Qing said coldly.

"Then what do you propose?"

The elegant old man, irritated by Lu Qing's constant jabs, replied in a chilly tone.

"It's simple. Since you attacked me with three sword auras earlier, my request is not excessive. Take a sword strike from me. If you can survive it, we shall call it even."

Chapter: A Startling Revelation

"You're quite confident, young man." The elegant elder laughed in anger upon hearing Lu Qing's arrogant tone.

"I don't know what method you used to defeat the old hag of the Zheng family, but do you really think we Innate Realm cultivators are made of mud?"

"Enough chattering. Are you going to take my strike or not?" Lu Qing challenged.

"Very well, then. I shall gladly take your strike!" The elegant elder agreed, his eyes gleaming with battle intent.

"Brother Lin!" The elderly man with the youthful appearance exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise at the elegant elder's decision.

"It's fine." The elegant elder waved his hand dismissively. "I too am curious to see what this young man is capable of, to have defeated Yun'er so effortlessly."

"Then be careful, Brother Lin." The elderly man with the youthful appearance couldn't help but worry for his friend, using an intimate nickname for the elegant elder.

However, seeing his friend's determination, he could only step back with a concerned expression, knowing his words would fall on deaf ears.

As for the city lord and his companion, they were even more eager to see the mysterious youth in action and would never dream of stopping him.

The way they looked at the elegant elder now held a hint of amusement.

Who would've thought that this old man from the Lin family still held such affection for the old hag of the Zheng family? Truly, there were strange things in this world.

"Please show me your move, young friend." The elegant elder held his longsword, standing calmly and gesturing for Lu Qing to make his move.

"Very well!" Lu Qing didn't waste any time.

Golden light flashed around his body, and a formidable aura surged forth as he pounced toward the elegant elder like a caged beast unleashed.

Clang!

The long blade unsheathed, and a dazzling light shone forth, carrying boundless killing intent as it slashed toward the elegant elder.

The sword strike enveloped the area, leaving nowhere to hide.

What a sword technique!

As the elegant elder felt the might of Lu Qing's strike, his heart trembled, and a sense of mortal danger caused his eyelids to twitch uncontrollably.

He never expected that Lu Qing's first move would be so terrifying.

He could sense that Lu Qing's strike was extremely powerful yet simple, seemingly straightforward but filled with endless variations.

In that moment, he couldn't find a single flaw to exploit for a counterattack.

This mysterious youth's sword technique was superior to his own!

Although he found it hard to believe, the elegant elder quickly made his judgment.

He couldn't deflect or dodge Lu Qing's strike.

The only option he had was to take it head-on!

But in doing so, he might very well die!

Facing the prospect of death, the elegant elder's previous composure vanished.

His eyes widened, and he frantically circulated his Innate True Qi, instantly activating a secret technique to boost his power.

He channeled all his Innate True Qi into his longsword and thrust it forward to meet Lu Qing's strike.

Boom!

The collision of the sword and blade sent shockwaves rippling through the air, tearing apart the atmosphere and slicing through everything in their path.

Fortunately, the onlookers were all powerful Innate Realm cultivators. If this had happened in a bustling city street, countless lives would've been lost from the sheer force of the impact.

In the violent clash, the elegant elder's expression changed drastically as he felt an unstoppable force surging from Lu Qing's blade.

Even with all his strength channeled into his treasured sword, he couldn't completely block the attack.

His arm trembled violently, and he stumbled backward, unable to steady himself as he took over a dozen steps back before finally stopping, his back pressed against a large tree.

He lifted his head, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth as he stared at Lu Qing in shock.

It was clear that he had sustained internal injuries from their exchange.

What?!

The other three Innate Realm cultivators were astonished, their eyes wide as they struggled to believe what they had just witnessed.

The elegant elder's strength was among the top two among them.

His cultivation had reached the peak of the Initial Innate Realm, just a step away from the Small Achievement stage.

Yet, this formidable opponent had forced him to use a burst secret technique and still managed to repel him with a single strike.

How could they not be shocked?

More importantly, even now, they couldn't sense the slightest hint of Innate essence from Lu Qing.

They could clearly see that Lu Qing had just used the Qi and blood power of a Post-Natal cultivator.

He had used the physical strength of a Post-Natal cultivator to repel an Initial Innate Realm expert with a single strike.

Who exactly was this mysterious youth?

The elderly man with the youthful appearance and his companions stared at Lu Qing, equally stunned.

"Not bad. To be able to take my strike and still stand, you have some skill. Unlike that old hag, who couldn't even withstand a single blow from me." Lu Qing praised, taking a few steps back himself after the clash but looking far more relaxed than the elegant elder.

He nodded approvingly at the elder, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Puh!"

Upon hearing Lu Qing's words, which sounded as if he were critiquing a junior, the elegant elder could no longer hold back, and a mouthful of blood spewed out.

"Brother Lin! Are you alright?"

The elderly man with the youthful appearance was startled and quickly stepped forward to offer a pill to his friend.

"I'm fine. My insides are just a bit shaken up, and my true qi is in disarray. I'll be fine after I adjust my breath for a while."

The elegant elder took the pill and replied in a low voice.

"That's good."

Hearing his friend's words, the elderly man with the youthful appearance breathed a sigh of relief.

However, his wariness towards Lu Qing deepened.

Brother Lin's strength was slightly stronger than his, yet he had been overwhelmed by Lu Qing's sword and his true qi disrupted.

If it had been him, he might have been directly injured.

"Since you've taken my strike, let's consider our debts settled. If you're still unsatisfied and want to avenge this old hag, I'll accompany you at any time. However, next time, you might not have the same luck as today."

Seeing that the elegant elder had started to adjust his breath and heal his injuries, Lu Qing remained composed and prepared to leave.

"Wait, your cultivation and sword technique are remarkable, and we are truly impressed. May we ask for your name?"

As Lu Qing turned to leave, the city lord quickly spoke up.

"You're not qualified to know my name based on your abilities."

However, Lu Qing didn't hesitate for a moment. With a few agile leaps, he disappeared into the forest.

His speed and agility were astonishing, and his movements were no slower than those of the Innate Realm cultivators.

Throughout this process, the group still couldn't sense even a hint of Innate essence from him.

Watching the direction in which Lu Qing had disappeared, the Innate Realm cultivators remained silent for a long time.

Only when Lu Qing's aura had completely faded away did the middle-aged man with a face like white jade suddenly speak:

"What do you think? Is he truly a Post-Natal cultivator, or is he disguising his realm?"

"Does it matter?" The city lord asked. "He could wound Brother Lin with a single strike. His strength is no weaker than ours. Unless we join forces, we wouldn't be able to stop him. But do you dare to try?"

The man with the face like white jade fell silent.

Indeed, if they had wanted to stop Lu Qing just now, it would have been possible for them to work together.

But they didn't dare.

They had no choice—Lu Qing was simply too mysterious.

His strength was unfathomable.

How could he, with only the physical strength of a Post-Natal cultivator, repeatedly defeat two Innate Realm experts? It was inconceivable.

Such a feat was unheard of, and they had never even heard of anything similar.

As for such a formidable person, they absolutely refused to believe that he didn't have a powerful background.

After realizing this, the city lord and his companions no longer wanted to offend Lu Qing.

If they provoked him and drew the attention of his sect, who knew what terrifying power they would be up against.

Therefore, when Lu Qing wanted to leave, they didn't dare to stop him.

"As expected, the rumors are true. The world will undergo great changes, and monstrous talents will emerge, bringing chaos to the world. I never expected that we would encounter such a monstrous genius today."

After a long silence, the middle-aged man with a face like white jade sighed.

The remaining three cultivators were stirred by his words.

What the man with the face like white jade was referring to was a rumor that had gradually spread throughout the world over the past two years.

It was said that the heavens and the earth would soon undergo great changes, and the world would be plunged into chaos as geniuses and monstrous talents appeared.

They had been skeptical of this rumor until they encountered this mysterious youth, who seemed to confirm that the rumor might be true.

"It seems that old hag was truly unlucky to offend such a terrifying genius."

The man with the face like white jade continued, sounding somewhat pleased by the old woman's misfortune.

Among the group, he was the one who despised the old woman of the Zheng family the most.

Before he had reached the Innate Realm, he had been suppressed by the Zheng family on numerous occasions.

Now that the old woman was dead, his joy was evident.

The other three cultivators knew about his enmity with the Zheng family, and while the elegant elder looked somewhat dejected, the other two showed no reaction.

"What should we do now?"

The elderly man with the youthful appearance asked.

"Naturally, we'll go to the Zheng family and open the tomb of their eldest son to see if what that young man said was true," the city lord replied.

"But..."

The elegant elder was about to say something, but the city lord interrupted him: "Brother Lin, don't forget that live human sacrifices are strictly forbidden by the Holy Mountain. If this old woman of the Zheng family has indeed performed such an act, then as the city lord, it is my duty to investigate and severely punish them!"

The elegant elder opened his mouth, but ultimately closed it again.

He knew that it was only right for the city lord to investigate the matter, and he had no reason to stop him.

However, he also knew that if anything was discovered, the Zheng family would surely face severe punishment.

Recalling the promise he had made to that person years ago, the elegant elder sighed inwardly, unsure of what to do.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end