However…
Just as Zhong Qing was contemplating how to make contact with the Flying Sword Sect and recruit the boy as his disciple, a man stepped through the sky.
The man had long red hair, his eyes glowed with a blood-red hue, and wisps of black mist curled around his body.
“Who goes there?” The elder of the Flying Sword Sect frowned, slapped the table, and stood up, casting a cold, sharp glare at the man.
“Please, Elder, stay calm. I am Xue Kuang.” The man’s eerie eyes flickered as he landed and cupped his hands toward the elder.
“Xue Kuang? That Hongmao Laogui’s disciple?” the elder asked in surprise.
“Elder, you’re indeed knowledgeable. You saw through my identity at a glance,” Xue Kuang said with a faint smile.
“Naturally.” Once the elder confirmed his identity, his tone became much more polite.
Not without reason—after all, Hongmao Laogui was a renowned rogue cultivator within 10,000 kilometers. Although his techniques leaned toward the demonic path, no one could deny his terrifying power at the Moon Profound Realm. Even if the Flying Sword Sect’s ancestor showed up, he might not be able to suppress him.
“I wonder what brings Young Master Xue Kuang here today?” the elder asked with a smile.
“Just a small request.” Xue Kuang’s expression turned cold as his gaze landed on the young boy from earlier. He said slowly, “This child has been poisoned since birth. Although not fatal, the poison has long fused with his blood and body.”
“I’m currently cultivating a technique my master passed down, which requires blood and a heart that contains this very poison as a medicinal guide.”
“Though this kind of constitution can be artificially developed, it would still take a great deal of time. But now that a ready-made one is in front of me, I came to ask the elder to grant him to me.”
“This…” The elder of the Flying Sword Sect looked hesitant.
“Elder, this boy is nothing more than a useless waste. Whether you keep him or not makes no difference to your sect. But if you grant me this favor, that favor will be remembered for life.” Xue Kuang added with both logic and emotion.
The elder was still deliberating.
What he cared about wasn’t the boy’s life—it was the Flying Sword Sect’s reputation. Xue Kuang was a demonic cultivator, and if the sect agreed to his request publicly, wouldn’t that mean they were colluding with a demonic cultivator?
But then again, what Xue Kuang said made sense. It was just a waste—whether he lived or died made no difference.
More importantly, this was a favor from Xue Kuang. And Xue Kuang was the only disciple of that Hongmao Laogui. A favor from him was essentially a favor from Hongmao Laogui himself.
Thus, he made up his mind and said with a calm smile, “Since Young Master Xue Kuang has asked, how could I refuse?”
“No, don’t!” the boy next to them broke down and shouted, his whole body trembling with anger and fear.
He never imagined his turning point in life would be so cruel.
“Elder, I beg you, don’t!” the boy cried. “I’m already a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect! My parents even saved an elder of the Flying Sword Sect!”
The elder hesitated for a moment.
After all, the boy’s parents had once saved the Grand Elder’s life. If the Grand Elder pursued this…
Thinking of this, he immediately took out a jade slip and contacted the Grand Elder of the sect.
“Hmph, just a mortal. You’re asking me about this? The Flying Blade Token was given to his parents, not him. His parents are dead, so the token is void,” a cold and impatient voice came from the jade slip. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
That sentence crushed the boy’s spirit, and he collapsed to the ground.
His parents had risked their lives to save someone just to secure the Flying Blade Token for him, so he could rise above the struggles of ordinary people.
Yet the man they saved turned out to be someone like this…
If he had known, he would never have come here.
Now that the elder had the Grand Elder’s stance, he gave the final command, his voice firm, “Regardless of the Flying Blade Token’s validity, you are now a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect. As a disciple, you must obey the sect’s orders. In matters concerning the sect’s interests, you must offer yourself willingly!”
Though many present felt ashamed of the Flying Sword Sect’s actions, not one of them spoke for the boy.
In the world of cultivation, the law of the jungle ruled all.
The Flying Sword Sect’s cold and ruthless behavior shattered the boy’s heart.
With red eyes, he engraved this hatred deep within him. Then he turned and ran from the crowd.
Seeing the boy try to flee, Xue Kuang sneered but didn’t act immediately.
He let the boy run a fair distance, then lazily raised his hand and sent a burst of energy flying toward him.
Watching the energy approach, the boy’s face filled with despair and unwillingness.
But just at the critical moment, a figure in white appeared in front of him, shielding him from the attack.
With a casual wave, the figure dispersed the incoming energy.
The sudden change stunned everyone, and they all turned their eyes to the white-clothed figure.
“Who are you?” Xue Kuang asked coldly, eyes filled with killing intent.
Zhong Qing ignored him completely.
Instead, he crouched down, wiped the tears from the boy’s face, and asked gently, “What’s your name?”
The boy looked at Zhong Qing, his heart filled with emotion. No one had spoken up for him—but this man stood before him to protect him.
“My name is Su Ye. Thank you for saving my life,” Su Ye said gratefully and immediately knelt before Zhong Qing.
“Su Ye, not a bad name,” Zhong Qing smiled softly. Then he asked, “Su Ye, would you like to become my disciple?”
Hearing this, Su Ye’s young face was filled with disbelief.
To him, just becoming a servant disciple in the Flying Sword Sect was already a dream come true. He had never dared to imagine someone would accept him as a disciple.
Let alone someone like Zhong Qing, who had effortlessly blocked Xue Kuang’s attack.
“Hahaha, excellent.” Zhong Qing smiled and helped Su Ye up.
At the same time, a voice rang in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully accepted a disciple.]
[You have activated Waste Tie 2/2.]
[Waste Tie 2/2: Disciples’ cultivation speed gains a 100x multiplier. Host receives 10,000x cultivation feedback.]
As the system’s message ended, Zhong Qing clearly felt that because Lin Feng was still cultivating, his own cultivation—already rising steadily—suddenly surged tenfold on top of that.
It felt like being strapped to a rocket.
But the system’s voice didn’t stop.
[Congratulations, Host. First time activating Waste Tie 2/2. Reward: Crushing Opponents of the Same Realm.]
[Crushing Opponents of the Same Realm: Host can obliterate any opponent of the same or lower realm with any attack.]
[Host: Zhong Qing]
[Realm: Moon Profound Realm]
[Disciple: Lin Feng – Innate Realm – 100x multiplier active]
[Disciple: Su Ye – No cultivation – 100x multiplier pending]
[Activated Tie: Waste Tie 2/2. More ties pending.]
[Acquired physique: None]
[Acquired special skills: Sixth Sense Aura, Heavenly Eye, Crushing Opponents of the Same Realm]
“Crushing Opponents of the Same Realm, huh? Kinda overkill, but at least it’s convenient.” Zhong Qing raised the corners of his lips slightly.
“You deaf or something? I asked you a question!” Xue Kuang shouted.
Zhong Qing had ignored him for far too long, and Xue Kuang was already furious.
He cultivated demonic arts and had reached the Celestial Profound Realm. His strength was enough to crush the younger generation and rival elders of second-rate sects. Just his master’s name alone allowed him to act with impunity in a 10,000-kilometer radius.
Yet this Zhong Qing not only ruined his plans but also dared to ignore him completely.
At that moment, Xue Kuang had already sentenced Zhong Qing to death in his heart.