Just then, Zhou Yu emerged from the building. She shot a venomous glare at Zhao Dong before rushing toward the young man leading the group. Pointing at Zhao Dong and Zhao Qirou, she wailed, "Young Master Zhang, these two bastards bullied me! You have to get revenge for me!"
The young man frowned. "Xiaoyu, are you mistaken? You're my woman, Zhang Ze's. Who in East Sea would dare to bully you?"
Covering her face, Zhou Yu cried, "Look at my face! They beat me until I look like this."
When Zhang Ze saw her face, his expression hardened. He whirled on Zhao Dong and Zhao Qirou, roaring furiously, "You bastards! You dare lay a hand on my woman? Are you tired of living?"
Zhao Qirou's face turned deathly pale. "You're... Zhang Ze?" she stammered in terror. "Zhang Ze of the Zhang Family, one of the Four Great Families of East Sea?"
Zhao Dong frowned. So he's from the Zhang Family, one of the Four Great Families?
Zhang Ze sneered, "So you know who I am. Good. Now, how do you plan on settling this?"
Zhao Dong stepped forward, shielding Zhao Qirou behind him. "That Zhou Yu has a foul mouth," he said calmly. "She got the beating she deserved. What do you want to do about it?"
Zhou Yu shrieked, "You bastard! You still dare to talk back? I'll see you crippled today!"
Zhang Ze's eyes grew cold. "Kid, don't mistake my patience for weakness. How do you want to settle this?"
Zhao Dong replied coolly, "How do you want to settle this?"
A sinister smile crept across Zhang Ze's face. "Either you get on your knees, apologize, and chop off three of your own fingers, or you let that chick behind you come and have some fun with us today. If you do, I'll let you go."
The moment the words left his mouth, Zhao Dong's gaze turned glacial, and a frigid aura exploded from him. In an instant, the veins on his forehead bulged as he lashed out with a vicious kick aimed at Zhang Ze.
BANG!
Zhang Ze's body shot through the air like a kite with its string cut, flying a good seven or eight meters before crashing to the ground. The crowd stared, completely dumbfounded. Zhao Qirou and Zhou Yu were both frozen in shock.
Zhang Ze's underlings finally snapped out of it, shouting in alarm, "Brother Ze!"
Lying on the ground, Zhang Ze pointed a trembling, blood-stained finger at Zhao Dong. "Get him!" he sputtered, coughing up blood. "Waste him!"
His men turned to Zhao Dong with menacing glares and charged as one.
But how could they possibly be a match for him?
Zhao Dong sent one flying with a kick and launched another over ten meters with a single punch. Casually grabbing one man's wrist, he squeezed lightly, shattering the bone. He slammed a fist into another's shoulder. CRACK! The man's shoulder was completely crushed before Zhao Dong kicked him several meters away.
In less than a minute, all seven or eight men were writhing on the ground. Zhang Ze's jaw nearly hit the floor. He stared at Zhao Dong, his eyes filled with pure terror.
With a grim expression, Zhao Dong strode over to Zhang Ze. Before Zhang Ze could utter a word, Zhao Dong seized him by the collar and hauled him to his feet. He then began slapping Zhang Ze across the face again and again.
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!
By the time Zhao Dong was done, Zhang Ze's face was swollen into a pig-like mess. He tossed him to the ground, planted a foot on his face, and said coldly, "You dare get ideas about my sister? Are you looking to die?"
His face beaten beyond recognition, Zhang Ze could only spit blood and wail in agony.
"Get lost!"
Zhao Dong kicked him away. Zhang Ze's body rolled like a rubber ball, coming to a stop in front of Zhou Yu. The shock jolted her back to her senses. "Ze!" she screamed. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
She turned her head to glare at Zhao Dong, her eyes burning with venom. "You're finished! How dare you hit Ze? The Zhang Family won't let you off!"
Zhao Dong shook his head. In a flash, he appeared before Zhou Yu and delivered a simple, brutal slap to her face. She spun like a top before crashing to the ground, unconscious.
He glanced at the men scattered on the ground. "All of you, get lost," he commanded dispassionately. "If you ever dare to come after my sister again, I guarantee you'll suffer a fate ten thousand times worse than today."
The men trembled as they got to their feet. Not daring to utter a word, they supported Zhang Ze and scrambled away.
As their car sped off, Zhang Ze roared back at Zhao Dong, "You just wait! This isn't over!"
Zhao Dong just shook his head, paying his threats no mind. He turned to Zhao Qirou, who stood pale and trembling.
"What's wrong, Qirou?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Brother," she said, her face ashen with fear, "that's the young master of the Zhang Family! We hit him... we're doomed!"
Zhao Dong smiled. "I'm here. It's nothing. It's just the Zhang Family, don't be afraid."
"The Zhang Family... Brother, do you have any idea what kind of power they have?" Zhao Qirou was on the verge of tears.
Zhao Dong shook his head again, reassuring her, "I said it's fine, so it's fine."
Zhao Qirou sighed helplessly. She glanced at Zhao Dong and finally lowered her voice. "I'm heading to school for class. I'll find you later."
"Alright."
After Zhao Qirou left, Zhao Dong turned his focus inward, assessing his body. Although the Mystic Sky Technique had awakened within him, he had never truly circulated it. It was a spiritual energy-based Cultivation Technique that allowed him to perceive nature's spiritual energy, thereby setting him on the path of a Cultivator. He could now sense where the spiritual energy was abundant and where it was lacking. After a moment's thought, he headed for Zidong Lake in East Sea City.
Zidong Lake was the largest scenic lake in East Sea City, covering hundreds of acres and nestled among mountains and waterways. It was usually sparsely populated, its environment quiet and secluded, making it a perfect spot for a rendezvous.
Finding the area nearly deserted, Zhao Dong located a towering ancient tree by the water's edge. With a few agile leaps, he scaled the trunk, found a comfortable branch, and sat down cross-legged to meditate.
He could feel that the Spiritual Energy here was quite abundant. As he began to circulate the Mystic Sky Technique, invisible streams of Spiritual Energy flowed into his body.
My heart is racing! I can really feel nature's spiritual energy now! I'm truly a Cultivator!
Leukemia... I can definitely beat it!
After cultivating for only a moment, Zhao Dong felt his entire body surge with energy. His governor and conception vessels were unblocked, and a wisp of Spiritual Energy was now circulating in his Dantian.
Zhao Dong's eyes flew open, glinting with a sharp light. From now on, I'm an expert, too!
Just yesterday, he had barely entered the third stage of Qi Refinement, but now, he had already reached its peak.
Zhao Dong clenched his fists, his eyes flashing.
Now, when facing Xiao Hongtian, not only can I hold my own, but I can also overwhelm him. It won't be a miserable fight like before.
Zhao Dong was deeply satisfied with making such progress in a single day. Some people might not make a sliver of progress even after years of training!
He exhaled a breath of turbid air. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. His eyes snapped open, and as he scanned his surroundings, a chill shot up his spine.