Outside Ling's Medical Clinic.
Elder Ling pointed a finger into the Void, and Qin Ming, who was on horseback, was struck dead.
An old man who seemed to have one foot in the grave had, with a flick of his finger, killed a brilliant young talent in his prime.
Such a display of power stunned everyone present.
"The young master is dead?" The men from the Qin Mansion were all frozen in place. A cold wind gusted past, and they felt cold sweat drenching their backs.
"Ming'Er!" Qin Yuan's pupils constricted as he let out a cry of grief.
'Is this Elder Ling a Celestial Spirit Realm expert?' Zhang Quan's eyes flashed, his face filled with shock.
In his youth, he had also attended the Divine Academy.
However, he had suffered a severe injury during a training expedition, leaving him with a hidden wound that prevented him from becoming an Innate Realm expert.
Still, he had seen his fair share of powerful experts.
Elder Ling's methods were clearly not something an ordinary person could compare to.
"Uncle Ling is a real powerhouse!" Fatty Wu's small eyes widened. He took a deep breath, his face alight with excitement.
He had long known that Elder Ling was no ordinary man.
But he never could have imagined that with just a single point of a finger, the Innate Realm genius would fall.
The shock was immense, but deep down, he was also incredibly thrilled.
'Is that still the same sickly Elder Ling?' Outside Ling's Medical Clinic, countless gazes were fixed on the old man.
Everyone's eyes were filled with expressions of utter disbelief.
But even more than that, there was awe.
"Th-this is Elder Ling?" Huang Liang was completely dumbfounded, staring at the old man beside him in disbelief.
At this moment, Elder Ling's back was as straight as a spear. The light in his deep-set eyes was as sharp as a sword, striking fear into the hearts of all who saw it.
He just stood there at the entrance, his graying hair dancing in the wind, exuding a supreme aura.
He now looked like a King who had descended upon the mortal world, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if he were looking down upon all of creation.
"Elder Ling is so strong!" Huang Xiaoman was also cowed by that powerful aura.
She even felt her breath catch in her throat, and she fell silent, not daring to make a sound.
His presence was so powerful that even some of the experts at the Divine Academy couldn't compare.
'Foster Father is so strong!' Ling Fei's eyes burned with fervor. He clenched his fists tightly, the blood in his veins boiling.
Elder Ling's previous strike had left him incredibly excited.
Just then, Elder Ling's gaze shifted, locking onto Qin Zhong up ahead.
Pinned by Elder Ling's gaze, Qin Zhong couldn't stop himself from trembling, his face a mask of terror.
"You are an old servant. It's one thing not to guide the younger generation toward self-improvement, but you even fill their heads with wicked ideas. You deserve death!" The low voice came from Elder Ling's lips.
As the word "death" left his mouth, he once again pointed his right index finger into the Void.
SWISH!
A sound of something tearing through the air was heard. A stream of True Qi shot out from Elder Ling's fingertip like an arrow, aimed directly at Qin Zhong's heart meridian.
"How dare you...!" Seeing Elder Ling attack again, Qin Gang flew into a rage out of shame and anger.
He was a dignified Divine Guard, after all. His status was far beyond that of ordinary people.
He had a whole network of connections behind him.
'This old ghost is so brazen!'
"And why wouldn't I dare?" But before Qin Gang could say more, Elder Ling snorted coldly.
At the same time, an immense aura erupted from Elder Ling's body.
This aura locked directly onto Qin Gang.
Instantly, Qin Gang felt as if the True Qi inside his body was being restrained, crushed by the weight of a great mountain.
He couldn't even move.
'He... Is he more than just Celestial Spirit Realm?' The realization made him turn pale with fright.
It was important to note that Qin Gang himself was on the verge of breaking through to the Celestial Spirit Realm.
This Elder Ling was indeed very strong, but he was also injured. If he were merely at the Celestial Spirit Realm, it would be nearly impossible to immobilize Qin Gang and restrain his True Qi with just his aura alone.
It would be far too difficult.
This kind of power was far beyond what a Celestial Spirit Realm Cultivator should possess.
AH!
Just then, a blood-curdling scream rang out.
A bloody hole had appeared in Qin Zhong's chest, and he fell from his horse.
He... was dead.
"Housekeeper Qin!" The men of the Qin Mansion cried out in grief.
At the same time, their eyes filled with terror. When they looked at Elder Ling, it was as if they were seeing a Divine Spirit who held the power of life and death in his hands.
Originally, they believed that with Qin Gang leading them, they had nothing to fear from anyone in Longtan Town.
But now, Qin Gang was completely suppressed, unable to even move.
This filled the men from the Qin Mansion with despair.
'Qin Zhong is dead, too!' The people watching from a distance were shaken.
At this point, Qin Yuan was also terrified.
"Elder Ling, I am a Divine Guard! Many members of my Qin Mansion also serve as Divine Guards! Aren't you afraid that your actions will bring disaster upon your children?" Qin Gang said through gritted teeth.
In the Great Tang Empire, the Divine Guard was revered by all.
Their status was noble and could not be profaned.
If anyone were to kill a Divine Guard, the higher-ups would surely send powerful experts to investigate and mete out punishment.
"Haha, a Divine Guard?" Hearing this, Elder Ling laughed at the sky, the light in his eyes incomparably cold and sharp. "A mere Divine Guard? This old man doesn't give them a second thought. Forget a Divine Guard—even if it were the Divine Guard Commander, or even a Prince of the Great Tang Empire, as long as my son has done no wrong, whoever dares to touch him will be executed." His words were firm and resounding, filled with arrogance, heroism, and an unshakable confidence.
It was hard to imagine that the gentle Elder Ling of the past could ever be so magnificently defiant.
For his foster son, he feared neither the Divine Guard nor any other power.
"Foster Father!" Hearing this, Ling Fei's eyes couldn't help but grow moist.
'As long as my son has done no wrong, whoever dares to touch him will be executed!'
The sentence echoed endlessly in Ling Fei's mind. His heart was suddenly filled with an immense warmth, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
Although his foster father had never explicitly said how much he loved him...
...these words were enough to prove everything.
As long as he, Ling Fei, was in the right, his foster father would fear no one, not even the highest authority in the heavens.
This...
...was family!
This was what it meant to be father and son!
But when these words reached Qin Gang's ears, a chill ran down his spine.
Only now did he understand that he had offended someone he should never have offended.
This was an old man who feared nothing for the sake of his son!
A man who dared to challenge the powerful for his son!
And... he was also a supreme expert.
At that moment, Elder Ling's gaze shifted once more.
The movement of his eyes sent a wave of panic through the men from the Qin Mansion.
It seemed they were all terrified of being targeted by this old man.
After all, a Celestial Spirit Realm expert, with their abundant True Qi, was capable of Flying with a Spiritual Artifact and taking a man's head from within an army of a million soldiers.
Such a figure was invincible.
BUZZ!
Finally, Elder Ling's gaze settled, this time locking onto Qin Yuan.
The father of Qin Hong.
"Qin Yuan? The master of the Qin Mansion." Elder Ling's gaze was sharp, like a Monarch who held the power of life and death. He stared at Qin Yuan and spoke, word by word, "The Qin Mansion is powerful, yet instead of benefiting the region, you throw your weight around and bully others. Worse, you indulge your son in his debauchery and tyranny. For what happened today, you bear an undeniable responsibility. You... deserve death!" As the word "death" left his mouth, Elder Ling raised his hand.
"Fourth Brother, save me!" Qin Yuan cried out in alarm.
But how could Qin Gang possibly intervene?
Under the pressure of that immense aura, the veins on Qin Gang's body bulged, and it felt as if his blood vessels were about to rupture.
Just like that, Elder Ling's True Qi shot forth like an arrow and pierced through Qin Yuan's heart meridian.
The master of the Qin Family fell from his horse, dead.
"The master has fallen too!" The men of the Qin Mansion were now in a complete panic.
"Big Brother!" Qin Gang cried out in grief, his eyes nearly splitting from rage as he glared at Elder Ling. "You old ghost, you've gone too far!"
COUGH! COUGH!
At the entrance to the clinic, Elder Ling coughed twice. His face had grown slightly pale, as if attacking several times had aggravated his injuries.
"Foster Father!" Ling Fei's eyes showed his worry.
But Elder Ling just waved his hand, signaling that he was fine.
Then, his gaze hardened and fell upon Qin Gang, sharp as a sword.
"Qin Gang, as a Divine Guard, you should be working for the good of the people and upholding justice. Yet you allow your relatives to commit evil. When this incident occurred, you didn't even bother to distinguish right from wrong, seeking only to crush others with your power. A Divine Guard like you is nothing but scum. There's no use in keeping you around. Today, this old man will see you on your way." Elder Ling's words were forceful and resonant. As he pointed his finger, he was like a Monarch, capable of commanding life and death.
His aura was so intense that everyone nearby was scared into silence.
As his words fell, Elder Ling pointed a finger into the Void.
SWISH!
A bolt of Powerful Qi, like an arrow, shot straight for Qin Gang's heart meridian.
"No..." Seeing this, Qin Gang yelled, "I am a Divine Guard! You can't touch me!"
At the same time, he desperately tried to circulate the True Qi in his body.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't control his True Qi at all.
He couldn't even move his body.
Elder Ling's aura had him completely bound.
BANG!
Then, under the watchful eyes of the countless onlookers, Qin Gang's heart meridian was pierced.
A dignified Divine Guard, an expert at the Perfect Innate Realm, fell from his horse and breathed his last.
Even in death, his eyes were wide with disbelief.