The Master of Hidden Sword Manor, seeing the cold glint in Yang Feilong's eyes and his stern words, swallowed nervously. He didn't dismiss the threat as mere bluster, given how easily the other man had just dispatched lives.
"Actually, I serve a top-tier, first-rate cultivation family," the Master of Hidden Sword Manor stated earnestly, looking at Yang Feilong.
"Is that your explanation?" Yang Feilong scoffed. He had expected something more substantial, not just this. "Are you trying to show off your backing to intimidate me?"
"I, I'm not..." the Master of Hidden Sword Manor stammered, unable to articulate further.
At that moment, he found himself speechless. He had intended to reveal his identity to make Yang Feilong hesitate, but it was clear Yang Feilong harbored no such reservations.
"If that's the case, then die!" Yang Feilong declared, launching a punch towards the Master of Hidden Sword Manor. Space seemed to solidify around them.
"You can't, I have the Wang family of Zhongzhou behind me..." The Master of Hidden Sword Manor's words were cut short by a thunderous impact. Yang Feilong's punch had killed him instantly.
The Wang family of Zhongzhou. If the man hadn't mentioned them, Yang Feilong's killing intent might not have been so strong. But hearing their name intensified his resolve. The reason his mother was imprisoned was all due to the Wang family. As for the Li family's involvement, Yang Feilong wasn't sure. The Li family was, after all, his mother Li Xiuzhu's clan. Therefore, before acting against them, he needed to consider his mother's wishes.
"Escape!"
"Quick, flee!"
At this moment, the remaining cultivators of Hidden Sword Manor were overcome with terror. Even their Manor Master, a peak Nascent Soul realm cultivator, had been slain. To remain here meant certain death. But could they even escape alive now?
The answer was no.
Yang Feilong unleashed beams of light that surged in all directions. Not a single cultivator from Hidden Sword Manor who had scattered managed to escape; they all met a tragic end.
Fang Qingxue watched Yang Feilong's rampant slaughter, her face filled with shock. Even now, she couldn't fully process what she was seeing. Yang Feilong had reached the Void Refinement realm. In the Spirit Realm, those who achieved this stage were typically over a hundred years old. Were there any younger than a hundred? Yes, but very few, and most of them were already in their fifties or sixties. Yet, Yang Feilong was only in his early twenties and had reached the Void Refinement realm. It was simply astonishing!
"Hey, wake up," Yang Feilong said, waving his hand in front of Fang Qingxue's eyes.
"I..." Fang Qingxue's face flushed as she belatedly asked, "Are you done?"
She glanced around. Indeed, many were reduced to dust.
Yang Feilong shrugged. "By the way, how do you plan to deal with those people?"
Fang Qingxue understood he was referring to the women forced into doing certain things.
"I'll handle it," Fang Qingxue said after a moment's thought.
"Alright, I'll go pick up Qiao Xi," Yang Feilong replied.
"Qiao Xi? You met Qiao Xi?" Fang Qingxue exclaimed in surprise.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have known you were in danger," Yang Feilong chuckled.
"I'm so lucky," Fang Qingxue said thankfully. She had no idea Yang Feilong had sensed spatial fluctuations and a familiar aura, or she might not have realized the situation Fang Qingxue was in.
Yang Feilong and his father were traveling in a direction that didn't pass through Hidden Sword Manor; it was dozens of kilometers away. While dozens of kilometers seemed far, it wasn't much time for Yang Feilong. His cultivation was too strong, and with his movement technique, "Inch-High Heaven's End," which had reached the third level of "Shadow Like Form," it took him only about ten breaths to cover the distance.
...
After releasing the imprisoned women, Fang Qingxue left Hidden Sword Manor and saw Yang Feilong standing with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. She walked over.
She playfully smacked Yang Feilong's shoulder and asked, "How did your cultivation improve so quickly? Did you take medicine?"
"Do I need to take medicine for this?" Yang Feilong retorted, somewhat exasperated.
"Who knows," Fang Qingxue rolled her eyes.
"You're a bit different from before," Yang Feilong observed, studying Fang Qingxue.
"How am I different? Do I seem less unapproachable now?" Fang Qingxue flipped her hair and looked at Yang Feilong.
"You used to be very cold, but now you're not as cold," Yang Feilong mused.
"It's due to setbacks!" Fang Qingxue chuckled self-deprecatingly. "In the secular world, before I met you, I respected no one. But after meeting you, I suddenly realized I wasn't that special. Later, I encountered many people more talented than me."
"That doesn't sound like you. You should be someone who respects no one, and even if you fall behind temporarily, you'd strive to catch up and surpass them!" Yang Feilong stated.
"Enough, it's only been two years, and you, who was once at my level, have now surpassed me by the height of Mount Everest!" Fang Qingxue said with a touch of frustration. However, she shook her head and quickly dismissed the negative emotions. "Never mind, let's not talk about this. Why are you back in the Spirit Realm?"
"I'm in the Spirit Realm because I have something to do," Yang Feilong replied.
"What is it? Can you tell me?" Fang Qingxue asked curiously.
"This..." Yang Feilong hesitated for a moment.
"Never mind if you don't want to say," Fang Qingxue said, seeing the look of difficulty on Yang Feilong's face.
"It's not that I can't say, it's just that I don't know how to say it," Yang Feilong shook his head.
"Oh?" Fang Qingxue was curious.
"Do you know the Li family of Zhongzhou?" Yang Feilong asked after some thought.
"I know of the Li family of Zhongzhou. It's said they were once comparable to the Wang family of Zhongzhou. Of course, over the years, something has happened to the Li family, and now there's a significant gap between them and the Wang family," Fang Qingxue said after a brief pause. Their Fang family had some territory in the Spirit Realm, but unfortunately, though they were a first-rate family, it was barely so. The family only had one Void Refinement realm cultivator, and that too at the early stage, not even comparable to the Li family of Zhongzhou, let alone the Wang family of Zhongzhou! The nineteen prefectures of the Spirit Realm, Zhongzhou, was the most resource-rich and populated region, a gathering place for many powers, considered the core of the Spirit Realm.
Yang Feilong nodded. Something had happened to the Li family of Zhongzhou. This was something his mother had been imprisoned, and Murong Qingxue had traveled the world, and heard rumors about it, though she didn't know the specifics. Yang Feilong himself didn't know the details, but in any case, it didn't matter. Anyone who dared to obstruct him would have to face his wrath.