AST

1591-1600

AST 1591 - Battle with the Juxtapose Phoenix, Qing Shui's Departure

Yiye Jiange chuckled. "I don't mind."

Yiye Jiange smiled while she said those words but not because she didn't care about Qing Shui. Rather, she knew that some things were out of her control. Since she had chosen him, she would accept everything about him, including his women.

She had basic knowledge about all the women by Qing Shui's side. All of them were stunning and were chosen from millions of others. They were all outstanding, but like all these women who were willing to commit to him, wasn't she the same as well?

Qing Shui could sense Yiye Jiange's emotions from the side and felt a wave of guilt, but there was nothing he could do except send an apologetic look her way.

Yiye Jiange reciprocated with a smile. "Just be yourself. If either of you forsakes the other after this, then they'd have left the other's side anyways. Since it's like this, it just means you've been chosen for who you are."

"To be able to marry you is my reward for eighteen generations of virtue. God has bestowed you to me in this life." Qing Shui said with delight.

"Alright, I wasn't serious about it so both of you don't have to get all mushy on me. Can you consider my feelings too?!" Muyun Qingge spoke up. What she really felt, even she wasn't sure.

"What are both your plans in the near future?" Qing Shui asked, indicating that he was planning on making his departure soon.

"You're planning on leaving already?" Muyun Qingge stated softly while Yiye Jiange remained quiet. Qing Shui had once invited her to leave with him but after much consideration, she decided to stay. She still felt that this was the right choice.

"Mm, perhaps in the next three to five days. Will the Sea King's Palace be expanding in this area? If you're staying here, it'll be easier for me to come back. Oh, that reminds me, you can shift the Sea King's Palace a little to the South—it should be better there than here. Or maybe just build a palace in that area and you can both stay there." Qing Shui said after some thought. He was referring to where the Jade Kirin Dragon Vessel was.

If the two women stayed there, not only was it full of spiritual Qi, but also it'd also be easier for him to locate Yiye Jiange.

"You've found somewhere good?" Yiye Jiange laughed. The two women were both intelligent and could tell that much between the lines of Qing Shui's response.

"I stumbled into a water tunnel previously, and it turned out to be a former Divine Cave. There's ample spiritual Qi there; if either of you stay in there for a period of time, I'm sure it'll be beneficial."

Qing Shui had planned to go into the spiritual cave on his own. With the long period of vacancy, the accumulated spiritual Qi was exceptionally dense.

"You should go instead. Once your might gets stronger, the Sea King's Palace will likewise be safe." Muyun Qingge said with a smile.

"The spiritual Qi there won't be exhausted by just one or two people. It's a spiritual cave and the spiritual pulse should be decent. Its location is concealed too; I had set a formation there. I'll tell you how to go there now. Even if you don't expand your territory, you can still cultivate there." Qing Shui said with a shake of his head. The spiritual Qi there really wouldn't be much use for him. Compared to the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, the latter was much better in terms of returns for the time spent. A day spent in the Divine Cave would be equivalent to ten days outside.

The two women didn't stand on ceremony any further and Qing Shui likewise taught them about the formation before bringing them to their destination.

Once they arrived, Qing Shui smiled at the surrounding mountains. "Building the Sea King's Palace here won't be too bad either. The mountain range here is overflowing with immortal Qi."

"I did think about it. Since it was a Divine who built this, then there must be something special about it." Muyun Qingge said seriously.

She smiled towards Yiye Jiange when she was done. "What do you think, Jiange?"

"It's pretty good since the Sea King's Palace needs to expand its power anyway and it isn't too far away. Regardless of location or other conditions, it's a decent spot." Yiye Jiange scrutinized their surroundings before replying.

"Alright, that's a deal then. We'll build a small palace here and conceal this cave within it. Thereafter, we'll begin expanding out gradually. For now, let's live here with a few others."

Talking as they walked, the two women managed to get into the formation without a hitch. Going through the concealed boundary, they let out an uncontrollable moan just like Qing Shui did upon his discovery. They covered their mouths in haste before flashing shy smiles at Qing Shui.

The soft moan that was caused by a surge of refreshing comfort had Qing Shui's blood pumping. Qing Shui had heard it numerous of times from Yiye Jiange but she was still shy, shooting an annoyed glance at him.

Muyun Qingge swept a glance with her flushed face at Qing Shui but soon enough began measuring up their surroundings.

"This is the cave of the Jade Kirin Dragon Vessel—there's a statue of him inside. There should be some spiritual sense left behind by him downstairs. Although it isn't huge, it isn't tiny in here either; there should be enough space. You won't even have to clean up this spiritual cave—with such overwhelming influx of spiritual Qi, the atmosphere will be cleansed accordingly."

There were a few partitions in this place that Qing Shui found during his previous visit. These should be rooms for the people who were staying here to cultivate. Qing Shui had planned to stay here with the women for a few days to teach them a few formations and while he was at it, a new set of combat skills that he just learned as well.

Juxtapose Phoenix!

The names of both the Phoenix and Kirin were androgynous, when in actual fact, there was a male and female gender for both creatures. This combat skill was the latest technique of the Phoenix, and it was meant for two people to complete.

It was a combat skill designed for a husband and wife pair, but the technique didn't make this a requirement. As long as it was used between a pair of people within a certain distance, they would be able to increase their strength by 10%.

However, if they were husband and wife, it would be increased by 20% and even more if they were of one mind—there wasn't an exact gauge as to how much it could increase by.

"If you could stay with Jiange, then your strength would have increased by a substantial amount—it's a pity you can't." Muyun Qingge said regretfully.

"Actually, it's pretty tough to master the skill, tougher than you'd expect. Even if you're husband and wife, you might only see an increase of 20%, which is why there are many who don't dare to." Qing Shui smiled.

"Why not? Who knows... they might be able to increase by 50% in their strength if they're as one."

"It'd be great if they were of one mind, but there aren't many instances of those in this world. The standards for being of one mind are high: to share the same ideals, to have a love tougher than gold, with alignment in perspective towards life, as well as strength, sentiments towards each other, hobbies, sense of good and evil, judgement and plans for the future... So, it'll be better if the both of you learn this instead, even if you don't increase your strength by too much."

Qing Shui's last sentence had incurred the wrath of the two women who wanted nothing more than to give him a beating. If the two of them got to the point where they were of one mind, then Qing Shui might just cry. Of course, the chance of this was near zero and he was merely joking.

It wasn't difficult to learn, as it was just a technique like any other. The only exception was that they could only use it if they were both in battle together, but at that point, they could unleash it easily.

Qing Shui hadn't mentioned this, but he had never planned to learn this with his women. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that he never planned to use this at all because the technique would only work best between just one pair of husband and wife.

It wasn't an absolute waste though and so Qing Shui kept the skill, planning to teach it to friends or relatives who would need it.

Yiye Jiange was deep in thought when she looked towards Qing Shui. She realized they were still connected by their heart and soul, but it was a pity that the man she loved would never be tied down by just one woman. Even an outstanding woman would be attracted to him like a moth to a flame without hesitation, even after knowing he had other women by his side. She was one of them and it wasn't like she wanted repayment in gratitude—there wasn't such a thing left between them. As long as either of them was reluctant, then neither would force the other.

There were a lot of formations that Qing Shui knew. On the other hand, the two women didn't have an exceptional talent for using them. Still, they weren't terrible at it and could even be considered superior to normal people. During the next few days, Qing Shui taught them quite a number of formations, mainly those that were simpler and could be layered. This way, even if Qing Shui wasn't with them, they could research after understanding the logic behind them and create their own formations.

With a blink of an eye, several days passed and it was time for Qing Shui to go. Yiye Jiange couldn't bear to see him leave and ended up sending Qing Shui off for thousands of miles before hugging him tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Why don't you leave with me?" Qing Shui said with a smile.

"I can't abandon the Sea King's Palace. Be good, we'll have lots of time once the Sea King's Palace is done with its development." Yiye Jiange replied softly.

Qing Shui chuckled. This was the first time he had heard her with such a motherly tone, and it sounded exceptionally comforting. With a tight hold around her, he continued, "I'll find you every time I miss you. It's really convenient. Reunion after a brief parting is as sweet as a new marriage—are you excited for our next meeting? I'll leave you walking on Cloud Nine." Qing Shui left a kiss on her ear.

Yiye Jiange's breathing became increasingly labored as she held his face in her hands. "Alright, Qing Shui. I can't endure you doing that. I really hadn't expected you to have such strong desires."

Qing Shui smiled at her. "Then do you like that my desires are this strong..."

"You're terrible. I do... are you satisfied now?" Yiye Jiange held onto that sly hand of his and said softly.

Before he left, he had already been entangled with her for more than half a day, and he was only teasing her now. With a light kiss to her face, he bid his farewell. "Take good care of yourself."

"I will. You have to take care of yourself too."

......

Even though farewells were heartbreaking, both of them were composed. It was only when Qing Shui disappeared from view that Yiye Jiange exhaled the breath she was holding.

"Why didn't you follow him if you couldn't bear for him to leave?" Muyun Qingge appeared beside Yiye Jiange.

"A woman and a man should always maintain an appropriate distance. While I can't let him forget about me, I can't have him getting tired of my presence as well. I'm afraid he will forget about me, but I'm more scared that he will get sick of me." Yiye Jiange smiled at Muyun Qingge.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, as soon as the novelty rubbed off and she was without a trace of mystery, then she would likewise not feel as cherished anymore—both in action and thought.

"So our Goddess-like beauty has the same fear that she won't be fancied too?" Muyun Qingge froze for a moment before breaking out in a giggle.

AST 1592 - The Blood of the Demon King is beyond Redemption. What creates Love?

Qing Shui was reluctant to part as well but he was determined in not looking back at Yiye Jiange. He could feel her reluctant gaze burning onto his back and fought the urge to turn back out of fear that doing so would cause more grief for Yiye Jiange.

Sometimes, you need to be decisive and unrestrained in your departure. Since she had chosen to stay in the Sea King's Palace, Qing Shui wanted nothing else but for Yiye Jiange to feel at peace in her following days without him. That was why he had walked away in haste and didn't show his attachment.

It was the correct choice for her and Qing Shui was pleased. He truly was. He had immense respect for his woman's decision and of course, he had just as much desire to make her stay by his side but he knew that the probability of it happening was slim.

Reaching the surface above the Ice Ocean Domain, he exhaled a long breath. It was the first time he had ever stayed underwater for this long. Even with his Paragon Water Shield, there was still a phobia of drowning.

The atmosphere above Ice Ocean Domain was still gloomy and cold, and now greeting Qing Shui with the spectacular sight of snowflakes floating across the sky. It was a pity that being alone here brought a wave of sadness instead.

The appreciation of snow was dependant on one's mood as well. With a good mood—for instance, if you had someone you adored watching them with you—a snow day would be beautiful. Now, however, Qing Shui was watching it dance across the sky with little excitement.

Still, he was feeling alright on the grander scale of things. His trip to the Sea King's Palace had increased his might drastically and he had even found Yiye Jiange. Hence, the thought of these accomplishments left him thinking that he ought to be happy about them, and with that, even the snow-clad domain began to look pleasing to his eyes.

North country scene:

A hundred leagues locked in ice,

a thousand leagues of whirling snow...

The mountains dance like silver snakes

and the highlands charge like wax-hued elephants...

Qing Shui recalled a poem from his previous life, illustrating the scenery of a snow-covered land with grandeur. At the sight that embraced him right now, he could finally find a connection with the poem. The scenery, the domain, and even the atmosphere had far surpassed those from his previous life.

Qing Shui strolled idly in the midst of this landscape of the Ice Ocean Domain. The snow would soon enough cover him to turn into the likes of a snowman, but this was deliberate on his part. The snow would not have been able to touch him otherwise.

When the skies had completely darkened, he used the Nine Continents Steps effect to leave in haste. In an instant, he left the snow-clad domain and traveled a great distance with just a single use of the skill.

Linhai City!

Returning to Linhai City, Qing Shui's state of mind shifted again. With age, one would have changes to their experience and ability. Even his heart had gone through continuous changes as well—this was the cultivation of the heart.

The average person would have this as well. Changes to the state of mind could fill a person with charm, vigor, wisdom, and substance. Of course, this was an improvement to the state of mind—it was an experience that was accumulated and rich, and it was also an attitude.

Watching the people around him, Linhai City suddenly felt small and a misfit for the people. The architecture around him was the same as before and the scenery here was decent too. Although it was cold, it wasn't to the extent where it had become a flaw. Here was the picture of a bustling and flourishing scene.

Regardless of his previous life or now, he had loved such a setting. He had never personally witnessed those poverty-stricken images, or of the millions of refugees and neither of countless deaths.

Perhaps many others would claim dislike too, but they were more concerned about themselves and their loved ones and displayed indifference towards those who had no relations with them.

Qing Shui was different. Perhaps it was because of his overwhelming empathy, but even at the sight of those who had nothing to do with him, he would help if he could. If he could stop a massacre, he would.

Qing Shui didn't think himself as noble. The type of massacre he referred to was those that took away innocent lives of residents in conquered cities. However, if it was a fight between two unrelated religious sects, then he had no will to participate. He had witnessed his worth of such in the Nine Continents.

The Imperial Cuisine Hall was still bustling and Qing Shui's appearance spread like wildfire by the people within. Those in the Imperial Cuisine Hall had been made aware of his return, as well as many others within Linhai City.

Lan Lingfeng, Yin Tong, Ling Fei, Ziche Sha, Yu Niang and the others approached him with glee.

Lan Lingfeng and Yin Tong gave Qing Shui a bear hug. Xue Nuo embraced Qing Shui as well and this time, Qing Shui carried her in their hug and spun her around.

Qing Shui was honest. He regarded her as a sister, just like Qing Bei. Aware of this, Xue Nuo's smile masked the trace of gloom hidden behind it.

She was extremely intelligent, sensing from gazes and gestures written in romantic novels. She could already tell that this man didn't regard her as a woman he would love, and treated her much like the little girl next door.

She wondered if perhaps she wasn't pretty enough. She acknowledged she wasn't as pretty as her elder sister but compared to Ling Fei and Ziche Sha, she wasn't the least bit inferior. Turning towards Qing Shui, she spoke up. "Brother-in-law, have you found my sister?"

"I did." He grinned, stretching a hand out to ruffle her hair affectionately. This gesture wasn't exclusive to Xue Nuo either, he had done it to Qing Bei, Luan Luan, and Yuchang as well. In fact, it was precisely why he ruffled her hair—to further reaffirm the notion that he only saw her as a sister.

"Don't ruffle my hair, I'm an adult now. You're not much older than me either. You're not allowed to flaunt your age." Xue Nuo retorted when she pulled his hand away, her heart filled with resignation.

Feelings weren't something that could be forced when one of the parties didn't reciprocate. In fact, Yiye Jiange was also a reason her feelings remained as just a bud which hadn't bloomed, and she would subconsciously restrain herself or even stifle the idea.

Her mood grew happier at the thought. She'll just leave it up to fate. To be able to meet him this frequently and be able to act coquettishly in his presence, even hugging him, was a form of happiness in itself. Besides, nobody would gossip about it because she was his little sister. She'd be fine with just being his little sister.

"Then why didn't my sister return? Are you lying to me?" Xue Nuo eyed Qing Shui suspiciously.

"What do I have to gain by lying to you? She has her own matters to attend to. The fact that I've found her puts my mind at ease. Now I can look for her whenever I miss her." He chuckled.

He swept his gaze towards the people around him. They were standing in line like it wasn't a big deal. Lan Lingfeng laughed. "We're blocking the way. Come on, let's head in. I've already instructed them to prepare some dishes. Let's have a good meal together. Oh right, you won't leave in haste this time, will you?"

"That is, let's spend a good amount of time together this time." Yin Tong chimed in.

Ling Fei and Ziche Sha remained composed. After greeting Qing Shui, they stayed as listeners on the sidelines. Qing Shui, Yin Tong, and Lan Lingfeng were like brothers after the incident with their inheritances. Hence, he was in a pretty good relationship with the two women as well.

Qing Shui and Ziche Sha had a bit of past but it was a good thing that nothing had happened between them. Ziche Sha had even found herself a partner and that fact pleased Qing Shui immensely. Otherwise, the brotherhood between him and Lan Lingfeng would have been a waste of effort.

It goes without saying that Qing Shui hadn't given up on her due to brotherhood—you can't just let anyone have your woman. He didn't give up Ziche Sha for him, and besides, she was an opinionated woman as well. Furthermore, Qing Shui's women were his weakness. If he did develop feelings for anyone, then there was no way he would ever give them up to someone else.

Qing Shui wasn't the type of person who would want just any beautiful woman he laid his eyes on. He loved without discrimination but love came with responsibility, and his was already heavy enough. Even if he didn't discriminate, he still had his own limits. Qing Shui was already at his breaking point.

To add one more would increase his guilt, and he'd feel uneasy as a result.

Since that was the case, Qing Shui might as well shut off his feelings to others. If there was anyone who could break down the walls, then he would let nature takes its course. This way, he would feel more at peace.

Yu Niang's four children were all healthy. The youngest girl was the most active and looked like a porcelain doll. She was only three, still at the stage where her memories were hazy, but she loved sticking with Qing Shui.

Qing Shui took her in his arms when he sat down. He knew this had something to do with his aura—it was the work of his natural aura, and neither did he think he had some sort of unmatched affinity.

"Brother, I think you'll have a pretty good career as a nanny." Lan Lingfeng said with a faint smile.

"Sure, send all your future children to me."

"You rascals. Spouting nonsense is truly your forte." Ziche Sha retorted in haste.

Qing Shui and Lan Lingfeng merely snickered at her reaction.

"Did anything happen in Linhai City while I was gone?" Qing Shui retrieved a bottle of good wine before Lan Lingfeng snatched it away and began pouring a cup for everyone.

"If we're talking about anything major, then there was only one thing." Lan Lingfeng paused after pouring the wine, as though he's trying to create suspense.

No one rushed him, however, and even Qing Shui waited patiently, grabbing a piece of roasted meat for the little girl.

Lan Lingfeng shook his head, then continued. "A family of Demon King Inheritance appeared in the Ice Domain Dynasty."

This time, Qing Shui frowned after Lan Lingfeng was done talking. The three of them had been successors of the Battle God Inheritance, along with Qin Qing. Till now, though, they had only met one person who had a Demon King Inheritance—Tantai Lingyan. That one of a kind, aloof woman who had a kind heart even though she was a successor of the Demon King Inheritance.

During this period of time, Qing Shui gained a new level of confidence. Following the increase of his might, the demon attribute in him would increase as well. Once his personality began to change, a Demon King would eventually head towards another—that news left Qing Shui feeling unsettled.

Now he was greeted with the information about another successor of the Demon King Inheritance, even a family of them. The appearance of the Battle God Inheritance successor had already indicated that successors of Demon King Inheritance would appear at some point. The conflict between the Battle God and the Demon God would continue as well and if it did, it would be on them to do it.

"Do you think those people with Demon King Inheritance would be kind?" Qing Shui asked curiously.

"Conscience. Everything boils down to conscience. However, it's a pity that the might of the Demon King Inheritance would typically increase too rapidly that it would be hard even to retain your own conscience." Ling Fei, who had remained quiet all this while, spoke up.

"Along with the hatred in their heart, it's just a matter of time before they're lost in the blood of the Demon King. This is their instinct. Unless they have the heart of saints, they wouldn't be able to avoid going on a rampage. Killing is the way of the Demon King, but there's another way."

Qing Shui was intrigued. "What way?"

"Love. Only love can change everything and everything has love. Even the wicked and evil or even beasts have feelings and so, only love can redeem them."

Qing Shui felt as though Ling Fei's words had an element of Buddha...

At the same time, it made him think of the saying: love comes from nowhere but lasts forever. It could force the living towards death, and the dead back to life for their beloved ones.

AST 1593 - Successor of the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance: Wrecking the Imperial Cuisine Hall

Qing Shui remained quiet. Thinking back on Tantai Lingyan's aloofness, he didn't know if he could use love to redeem her. The only advantage he possessed was that they had once had an intimate encounter by mistake. This should be deeply engraved in her heart, not to be forgotten, right?

Tantai Lingyan was still fine for now, but the blood of the Demon King would emit a strong energy based on strength and events. He was afraid that she wouldn't be able to control it when the times came, and be taken over by the blood of the Demon King which her body was cultivating.

"Brother-in-law, what are you thinking about? Do you have a Demon King Successor whom you want to redeem?" Xue Nuo asked as she recalled his question.

"I do, but it seems like a difficult feat," Qing Shui sighed. He could only wait and see.

"But brother-in-law, the Demon King Successor in the Ice Ocean Domain is a man. How are you going to sway him? Even if you want to, you should find a female Demon King," Xue Nuo teased.

"Are you itching for a beating, little girl?" Qing Shui laughed.

"Hmph, you're acting mature again." Xue Nuo hated it when Qing Shui treated her like a kid, but what she didn't know was that he was doing it on purpose. He wanted her to accept reality.

"Alright, stop keeping us in suspense. We should talk about this person who got the Demon King Inheritance, is it a family or just one person?" Qing Shui smiled at Lan Lingfeng.

Lan Lingfeng cleared his throat before speaking up with a smile. "They're an aristocrat clan, but only one of them got the Demon King Inheritance. They're the successor to the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance."

Qing Shui was startled. Although he knew that this was just mere coincidence, he had been all too familiar with the Titan Ox Demon King from the mythologies of his previous life. This was a sage they were talking about, an exceedingly mighty existence.

"Is there a problem?" Lan Lingfeng asked, baffled by Qing Shui's reaction.

"It's nothing. I just thought that the name, 'Titan Ox Demon King' sounded powerful." Qing Shui smiled.

"Not just powerful, the Titan Ox Demon King was a powerhouse from ancient times. Not only did it have an extraordinary strength, it was skilled at fire-type attacks. The Titan Ox Strength is terrifying," Lan Lingfeng said as though he had just remembered it.

Titan Ox Strength was brought up again. Qing Shui's own body was one of those with Titan Ox Strength. Who'd guess that the Titan Ox Demon King's expertise was in Titan Ox Strength—he supposed it was a lot stronger than his own.

Qing Shui didn't speak up this time and continued to listen.

"Coincidentally, Niu is also the clan's surname. According to rumors, they're an Inheritor Clan. They have the blood of the Titan Ox flowing in their veins and have suddenly grown forceful in the Imperial City of the Ice Domain. With their great momentum, there's no one who could be a match." Lan Lingfeng didn't go into details.

Qing Shui had wanted to enquire about how strong they were but decided against it eventually. Warriors of the Demon King Inheritance were not only quick at increasing their might, they could improve drastically once as well. The only flaw was that the cultivators could gradually be taken over by the Demon King blood.

The scariest part was that those people whom the blood of the Demon King took over were still conscious. They would begin to have a change in temperament, becoming bloodthirsty and could even kill without hesitation. However, they wouldn't sense a difference in themselves nor would they feel controlled by the blood of the Demon King. They would still be sober.

Just like how one would begin to spend more money as they got richer—they wouldn't think of it as a waste, but a necessity. This applied to the logic of expansion and similarly, to the blood of the Demon King. That was why the successors of the Demon King Inheritance wouldn't find anything amiss.

Good and Evil weren't compatible with each other. Just like how, in the eyes of Evil, those who are Good are mere hypocrites. Maybe there wasn't a right or wrong in this world, just like wolves devouring sheep—were the wolves wrong? Or sheep eating grass—did the grass deserve to be eaten? This was the natural order of things. It's all relative, with no definite right or wrong.

"Have they been up to anything lately?" Qing Shui asked, a smile still evident on his face.

"Yes! One of those fools from the Niu Clan has his eyes set on my woman. Don't you think he is just asking for a beating?" Lan Lingfeng grew furious at the mention of this.

The Ziche Clan was a big clan in the Imperial City of Ice Domain, and the Niu Clan was an Inheritor Clan of the Demon King. Perhaps it was the abrupt appearance of such a strong force within the Niu Clan—their might could overpower the Ziche Clan at this point. It didn't even take very long before a young master of the Niu Clan, Niu Fen, had proposed marriage to the Ziche Clan.

Although Lan Lingfeng and Ziche Sha confirmed their relationship, they had not announced it. With that, Ziche Sha was technically still unattached and their proposal was nothing out of the ordinary.

Old Man Ziche knew about Ziche Sha and Lan Lingfeng's relationship. After all, Lan Lingfeng had been to the Ziche Clan several times. Lan Lingfeng had had plans to propose marriage to the Ziche Clan for a long time, but he was stopped by the Ziche Sha time and time again, saying that they should wait a while longer. Lan Lingfeng knew that she was shy and had naturally chosen to respect her decision. Their marriage was only a matter of time anyway.

As anticipated, Old Man Ziche had told Niu Clan that Ziche Sha had already found someone.

There would always be rumors and news of the engagement spreading around, and so, it wasn't possible for such distinguishable figures like Miss Ziche and Lan Lingfeng to keep mum about it. Hence, there was only one possibility left—Old Man Ziche must have lied.

Despite this, the Niu Clan knew that the old man hadn't lied. Many were aware that Ziche Sha and Lan Lingfeng were always seen together, in the Imperial Cuisine Hall. In addition, the Niu Clan didn't have any disputes with the Ziche Clan. They pointed their spear towards Lan Lingfeng instead.

The Lan Clan was a big clan in Linhai City, but the Niu Clan had never regarded the Lan Clan to be on the same level as them. Niu Fen brought their people straight to the Imperial Cuisine Hall.

Who was Lan Lingfeng? He was the successor of the Battle God Inheritance, and the Lan Clan was a prominent clan in Linhai City. When Niu Fen came to challenge Lan Lingfeng, he was defeated quickly.

Lan Lingfeng's progress was swift these days. With the medicinal pills that Qing Shui left, along with his understanding of the Battle God Inheritance, he was able to advance by leaps and bounds in recent years. Compared to when Qing Shui first met Lan Lingfeng, his might had increased drastically but it still wasn't comparable to Qing Shui.

Niu Fen was also one of the best among the younger generation of the Niu Clan. Although he wasn't the one who attained the Demon God Inheritance, he was still of high standing in the clan. In fact, he might take over the Niu Clan in the future.

Niu Fen might have lost but there were others in the Niu Clan who had issued a duel challenge to Lan Lingfeng. At the mention of that topic, Lan Lingfeng presented one for Qing Shui to see.

The invitation wasn't issued all that long ago. On it stated a two out of three victory; if Lan Lingfeng loses, he would have to give up Ziche Sha, and if the Niu Clan fails, they wouldn't probe into the issue any further.

"The Niu Clan treats you like a fool," Qing Shui said to Lan Lingfeng with a grin.

That's how humans are. It was obvious to everyone involved that this was a deliberate move, this sort provocation has been proven to work many times.

There was an underlying meaning in this as well. First, the Niu Clan was looking down on him. It was a way of saying, "If you know what's good for you, you'll give up Ziche Sha." Second, it was to provoke Lan Lingfeng, banking on his arrogance and pride to anger him into agreeing.

It was a pity that the Lan Lingfeng now was different from before; he wouldn't get agitated over such a small issue. Now that Qing Shui was back, his tolerance was even stronger.

"We don't even know who's the fool. I've never seen such an idiot. How could my woman become an item to wager? I wouldn't even change it for his mother," Lan Lingfeng huffed.

"Rascal, what are you going on about? How vulgar," Ziche Sha scolded in annoyance but she was inwardly pleased. To be cared about by your man was a type of bliss too.

"I said something wrong but I'm simply too angry. That Niu Fen really thinks he's something. I think he's just cow dung."

(T/N: Cow dung is a play on his name, Niu Fen. They sound exactly alike in Chinese.)

Although Niu Fen lost, the challenge was to be fought on his behalf. Three matches, though it was unclear who his opponent would be.

"Have you agreed?" Qing Shui asked.

"The invitation was sent here by a messenger but I've told them to send a message back," Lan Lingfeng laughed.

"What message?" Qing Shui smiled.

"I told them that it's possible for me to accept but there has to be a change in conditions. If I lose, I won't seek any trouble from the Niu Clan, but if I win, Niu Fen's mother will have to sweep the courtyard of the Imperial Cuisine Hall," Lan Lingfeng said calmly.

Those were impulsive words that were said in a moment of rage but while he knew it was rash, he didn't have any regrets. Now that Qing Shui was back, he was even more sure of this.

Qing Shui smiled but didn't say much. He did want to observe the Niu Clan. After all, he would have to fight against the successors of the Demon King's Inheritance at some point in the future; this would be a good opportunity to sound them out.

At this moment, someone from the Imperial Cuisine Hall came and knocked on their door urgently. Lan Lingfeng let him in.

It was a young man, doing odds and ends at Imperial Cuisine Hall. He looked ordinary and was in equally ordinary garb. In spite of how he looked, he was actually stronger than the average person.

The moment he came in, he began speaking in a frantic manner. "Someone from Niu Clan is standing outside. They said they would wreck Imperial Cuisine Hall if you don't go out there within the next ten minutes."

"How dare he!? I would love to see what they plan on doing." Lan Lingfeng grew anxious.

Qing Shui pulled him back. "Why the rush? Drink up. Tell him to wreck the Imperial Cuisine Hall if he has the guts, but tell him this: If he dares to wreck Imperial Cuisine Hall, I will make their patriarch and all his direct descendants repair it for me. Go, tell them exactly what I said." Qing Shui waved with a smile.

Lan Lingfeng sat back down and beamed. "Our Master Qing is still the most courageous. Here, let's make a toast."

Xue Nuo giggled. "This is the first time I've seen my brother-in-law this valiant, and I've always thought you were rational."

"Little girl, are you trying to say I'm irrational?" Qing Shui held up his cup and made a toast.

"I didn't say anything, you said it yourself."

Xue Nuo laughed happily but she was still indicating that he was being irrational with that sentence.

"Little girl, you're bound to act rashly at some point in your life. You can't label me irrational just for this." Qing Shui faked an expression of deep ponder as he said.

"I realize you've been great at acting mature now, huh. Are you trying to provoke me?" Xue Nuo said with slight annoyance.

Bang, bang!

The crashing sound came from the front of Imperial Cuisine Palace. Qing Shui's lips curled into a smile before breaking into a laugh. "Come on, let's go take a look, we don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Brother, whatever you said before, does it still stand?" Lan Lingfeng asked in glee.

"What did I say?" Qing Shui smiled.

"The part about having Niu Clan's patriarch and their direct descendants repair our damage." Lan Lingfeng said in anticipation.

"When have I not kept to my word?" With a smile, he led the group out to the front of the Imperial Cuisine Hall.

AST 1594 - Conflict, Knocked Out Teeth, Another Mystery

There was an excited spark in Lan Lingfeng's eyes when he watched Qing Shui, then followed after him in hurry. They had already regarded Qing Shui as their backbone; as long as Qing Shui was around, they wouldn't have to waste effort worrying and could relax. In addition, his might increased at a swift speed. The only thing that left them helpless was how busy he was, although he did still leave quite a number of items which they could benefit from.

The others followed him out as well. Qing Shui, who had just left Ice Ocean Domain, felt a great change in himself. To his perspective, many of the things in Linhai City and Ice Ocean Domain were not worth mentioning any longer.

Even this Niu Clan that claimed to be successors of Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance weren't much of a threat to him. He just wanted to know how much might the Demon King Inheritance had now, and figure out his own standing against them.

The issue with Battle God and Demon King had always been on his mind. Yin Tong, Lan Lingfeng and Qin Qing were all successors of Battle God Inheritance, but Qing Shui still felt as though they might still be inferior to Demon King Inheritance. Successors of Demon King Inheritance were stronger than those of Battle God Inheritance back in the day, though there could naturally be exceptions too.

Nothing is absolute!

There was already a crowd by the time Qing Shui got to the lobby of Imperial Cuisine Hall. Qing Shui looked around, the people from Imperial Cuisine Hall were in attendance and only a few were injured. Tian Yizheng was healing them.

Many people were pointing their fingers at the scene.

"Can't believe anyone would try to wreck Imperial Cuisine Hall, those people truly deserved death. Imperial Cuisine Hall spoke for itself with their actions—my spouse had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and not only did Imperial Cuisine Hall heal her, they didn't accept a cent from us. They are such great people and yet, they still got attacked? Do these people have any reason left in their bones?" an old man said as his body trembled, his anger evident.

"Exactly. Imperial Cuisine Hall has always been charitable. They must have damaged the business of other medical halls, and those places don't want Imperial Cuisine Hall to continue operation."

"Stop being misled by false appearances. Even though the Imperial Cuisine Hall does not charge the poor, the rich have to pay a hefty amount. Some were even rejected by them despite having the money. You talk about how charitable they are but should there even be such a division between patients?" a skinny, extravagant man said.

"We know that. It's as the saying goes, the most capable people do the most work. I think that's pretty good. The rich are stifling our finances, and it's also an ability that there are people who can make them pay the money. About those who were rejected despite having the money, they definitely deserved it. Don't the rich look down on the poor and love placing themselves on a pedestal? Why the talk about being discriminated against then?"

......

"Look, it's Miraculous Physician Qing and the others!"

"Right! Miraculous Physician Qing is back. Seems like there won't be much of an issue here any more. Miraculous Physician Qing, if there's anything we can do to help, even if it costs us our lives, we will do it!" The person who spoke was one of the commoners Qing Shui had once helped.

"We'll help too! My life was given back to me by Miraculous Physician Qing. At the very least, I'd return it—it has already been a steal to have it back while it lasted!"

The commotion put a smile on Qing Shui's face. You can't ever neglect the power of the crowd, even in the world of martial arts. The crowd was powerful too, words from the crowd could kill a man.

"Don't worry, everyone. No matter how wrecked Imperial Cuisine gets today, I promise it'll continue to operate. As long as I'm alive, the Imperial Cuisine Hall will forever remain in operation," Qing Shui said slowly. He didn't use a loud voice but everyone could still hear him.

"Miraculous Physician Qing, I'll help you chase them out..."

"Everyone, please calm down. Don't be rash. If you trust me, then let me do it." There was a lot of weight in Qing Shui's words, especially when there were so many who were willing to put their lives on the line for him but it wouldn't have been much use. There were many who were also grateful to Qing Shui and would like to do the same, but lacked in courage;life was still valuable.

"You are Qing Shui? The scoundrel from Lan Clan dared to humiliate Niu Clan, so this is just the beginning." A flamboyant man stepped forward and spoke to Qing Shui.

"Little calf, careful not to break your hoof by overstepping your line. Qing Shui, that's Niu Fen." Lan Lingfeng retorted to Niu Fen's words before informing Qing Shui who the man was. Whoever heard his name would definitely mistake it for cow dung.

Qing Shui observed the man opposite him. He wasn't all that tall, perhaps around two metres in height, but he was bulky with muscle. His muscles swelled like steel, filled with a barbaric force, just like a strong Ox.

"Accept the battle if you have the guts." Niu Fen looked at Lan Lingfeng, trying to compel him to fight.

"Who was the one who got defeated so pitifully last time? Didn't word get to you? I challenged you, I even laid out the conditions." Lan Lingfeng wasn't someone who was easy to deal with either. His words were cutting and ruthless.

"Wreck this place! I want Imperial Cuisine Hall razed to the ground!" Niu Fen commanded loudly.

"My brothers, go take a look at who's causing damage inside. Break their legs and throw them out." At the look of Niu Fen's arrogance, Qing Shui gave direct orders.

Lan Lingfeng had been waiting for this, and he wanted more than ever to rush towards Niu Fen and beat him to a pulp.

"Stop them, I must destroy Imperial Cuisine Hall today." Noticing Lan Lingfeng's movement, Niu Fen issued instructions.

There were still several warriors behind him and at the sound of his command, they charged towards Lan Lingfeng.

"Go back!"

Qing Shui's aura erupted. Both his palms connected and a large mountain appeared before them. The mountain of Five Elements Divine Refining Technique—even though it was not huge, it was able to obstruct about eighty adults without issue.

"I'll kill whoever dares to take another step," Qing Shui said calmly, his gaze fixed on their movements.

"Kill him," Niu Fen commanded.

For him to be this obnoxious, Qing Shui didn't know if this calf had someone to rely on, or if he had received orders. The bunch of elderly men pushed towards Qing Shui. With a shake of his head, he took out his Golden Battle Halberd and rushed towards them.

Bang!

He didn't dodge the sword that was stabbed towards his chest but the old man was surprised that it didn't break through his defences. Instead, the Golden Battle Halberd penetrated through his chest and a wail escaped him.

After killing the old man, Qing Shui used his Nine Palace Steps and evaded another attack that came from behind the back of his skull.

Nine Continents Mountain!

Qing Shui couldn't be bothered to play along anymore. The might of these people was nothing in his eyes. With a shift of his thoughts, the Nine Continents Mountain smashed towards the old man.

Nine Continents Mountain was controlled by the mind.

Bang!

The old man spouted mouthfuls of fresh blood from the impact, painting the air around him in splatters of scarlet red, but it disappeared just as soon. The power of Nine Continents Mountain wasn't something that these people could defend against. The disparity in might was simply too large. The shielding force of Nine Continents Mountain was terrifying as well.

Qing Shui controlled the Nine Continents Mountain and began smashing it against their opponents relentlessly. When dealing with his enemies before, Qing Shui had never been courteous, much less towards these servants. Whether it was voluntary or if they had been forced by Niu Clan, they should have seen this coming the day they chose this road.

At the same time, people were getting flung out from Imperial Cuisine Hall; all with their legs broken. With every single body, the crowd cheered. The outlook and understanding of life in this world are all different from those of his previous life. The latter was a society ruled by law but this was the supremacy of martial arts. Force, morals, ethics, benevolence, etiquette and so on, everything was different.

Niu Fen was scared now. He thought that there would be a limitation on how much stronger Qing Shui would be compared to Lan Lingfeng and Yin Tong, but he hadn't expected that the ten old men who had been protecting Niu Clan all this time to be defeated by a single strike. These old men could have defeated Lan Lingfeng easily.

Qing Shui smiled at Niu Fen and walked over to him slowly. He didn't have any inkling of fondness towards such a brainless and arrogant person, but he wouldn't kill him either. He wanted Niu Fen to send a message, however he couldn't let him go back unscathed either.

"What are you doing? Niu Clan isn't a family you want to provoke. Don't do anything reckless if you know what's good for you." Niu Fen said spiritedly, straightening his back as he spoke forcefully but Qing Shui could hear the fear in his words.

He extended the Golden Battle Halberd in his hand.

Crack!

With it, Qing Shui knocked out his teeth. In the midst of Niu Fen's screeching, Qing Shui said, "Bring my message from before back to your patriarch. Tell him to bring his direct descendants here and repair Imperial Cuisine Hall back to its original state. Three days, that's all I'm giving Niu Clan. Scram!"

After that, Qing Shui tipped the Golden Battle Halberd towards Niu Fen's chest and he flew back from the impact. It wasn't fatal, but he had been reduced to the ability of an average person with it.

Qing Shui didn't think he went overboard with his actions. Those who didn't offer others a chance had likewise forfeited it for themselves. Niu Fen had only himself to blame for this. With such an attitude, there was no need for Qing Shui to be courteous. If someone slapped you across the face, would you still put up on a smile in order to please them?

Even though the people of Niu Clan left, Qing Shui knew that this was only the beginning. He really hadn't expected to meet with such an incident upon his return. Qing Shui supposed that if Lan Lingfeng had found out that they were a Demon King Inheritor Clan, they would have likewise realized Qing Shui and the others were successors of Battle God Inheritance.

Whether it was because of Ziche Sha or if it had just been an excuse, this wasn't just a coincidence, it was premeditated. Qing Shui looked at Lan Lingfeng—the latter was outstanding but also proud. He would not tolerate the incident with Ziche Sha; he would much rather die. Which was why Qing Shui was glad he had come back.

Cupping his hand in a salute to the crowd surrounding them, he informed everyone that the Imperial Cuisine Hall wouldn't be open for the next three days. For any emergencies, they could go to their backyard where they would set up a temporary medical hall. A line of people headed there at the news.

"I'm going to take a shower. Everyone, continue drinking, we were rudely interrupted earlier." With that, Qing Shui returned to his room.

Besides Qing Shui, everyone else seemed to have gone for a shower too, although they hadn't fought. Still, even those who witnessed the scene would. Despite being used to the bloody scene, it was precisely because of them being accustomed it that they did it. It wasn't so much a cleansing of their bodies, but more a cleansing of their hearts.

Qing Shui kept thinking about the matter of Niu Clan. They must have a trump card. Qing Shui even dared to make the preposterous deduction that there were others with the skill level of Demon King Inheritance.

Qing Shui's words were meant to provoke the other party. He was afraid that they wouldn't take any actions and that was why he had beaten Niu Fen up. Niu Fen was one of the best in the younger generation of Niu Clan; disabling him would agitate Niu Clan. The words he said would spread like wildfire.

In three days, if without incident, the people from Niu Clan would definitely make their appearance.

Qing Shui wasn't scared, he wanted to use this opportunity to unearth them.

AST 1595 - No Favorable Turn, Two Days, Niu Clan's Arena

It still wasn't late by the time Qing Shui came out from his shower but Lan Lingfeng and Yin Tong were already in the hall. The three of them laughed as their eyes made contact. It was true that women took a long time to shower, it was the same wherever he was. While the husband could take a quick wash, women needed petals, scents and so forth.

After almost half an hour, a few women came back down in succession and the dishes on the table had changed to a new menu.

When Qing Shui returned, the matter at Sea King's Palace had resolved perfectly. Even though he hadn't eliminated the Dark Demonic Jiao straight away, it had vanished from the Imperial City of Sea King's Palace. If nothing went wrong, it wouldn't appear there ever again.

Everyone in this room was a warrior of martial arts and so, the scene from earlier wasn't a big deal, forgettable in just a moment. This was the adaptability of the Main Continent. Since such affairs were normal, you wouldn't feel too shocked or afraid anymore.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to reconcile with Niu Clan. Everyone, be careful," Lan Lingfeng said and sipped his wine.

"Niu Clan must have a backer, or at least, Niu Fen does. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been this obnoxious. The clan should have realized our identity as well, just as we found out about theirs," Yin Tong said after pondering.

The women knew of their background, that they were all successors of Battle God Inheritance. With some consideration, they agreed to Yin Tong's conclusions. The Demon King and Battle God were antagonistic towards each other, if Qing Shui and the others had realized what they were, there was no way they could have remained oblivious.

Qing Shui smiled. He realized that the refinement during this period of time had shown clearly through Yin Tong's improvement. His analysis of the happenings was clearer and sharper. It was no wonder he was the successor of Fox Battle God Inheritance.

"Brother Yin is right. Not only do I think the other party has found out about us, but I think there may be others around. They must have provoked us on purpose and Ms Ziche was just an excuse. They are doing this to aggravate the three of us." Qing Shui smiled.

"Brother-in-law, you can still smile about it?" Xue Nuo said as she watched his easy smile.

"Little girl, will you only be satisfied if you see us cry?" Qing Shui looked at Xue Nuo.

That silenced Xue Nuo. She was easily agitated by Qing Shui's words now and attempted to calm herself down. She had already embraced the facts and didn't expect anything. This was good too, there was always someone to dote on and pamper her.

"It seems that we can only quietly watch for anything stirring these three days and monitor Niu Clan's movements." Lan Lingfeng frowned.

Yin Tong nodded, "That sounds like the best option for us now."

"And if there's no reaction?"

"That won't happen. We have stated our stance today, and Niu Fen did this for Niu Clan's pride. If there aren't any special circumstances, they won't just endure it in silence." Yin Tong smiled.

"We should be more worried about the tactics they will use," Yin Tong continued.

There weren't many people in the hall and the tension was stifling. Yu Niang had left a while ago; she still had her kids to take care of. Besides, it would best to be left out of the discussion regarding this. Even though, with Qing Shui's help, she was also a cultivator, Xiantian cultivators were nothing in those people's eyes.

"Alright, it's getting late, let's disperse. Don't be rash and don't worry. Niu Clan isn't enough to terrorize us, and we aren't easily pushed around either." Qing Shui stood up and yawned.

With that, the others naturally stood up and with a few polite words, they returned to their rooms for the night. Watching them take their leave, Qing Shui sat back down slowly.

Somehow, since leaving Dancing Phoenix Continent and Soaring Dragon Continent, he hadn't been back in a long time. Initially, he could have visited the place soon after his return from Ice Ocean Domain's Sea King's Palace. Yehuang Guwu was at home, so he would be able to return whenever he wanted but the journey would take a long time.

It was different now. Around Sea King's Palace, he had set up location in a Divine Cave and could return here. This way, whenever he wanted to visit Sea King's Palace and return to Linhai City, he could do so with ease.

Ice Domain Dynasty, Great Qin Dynasty and the other dynasties in this region, along with concern over Ice Ocean Domain's Sea King's Palace, had left Qing Shui feeling like he should linger around here for quite a while. So, he thought it might be good to return home for a look.

If it wasn't because of the abrupt incident with Niu Clan, Qing Shui anticipated that he would have been back home in Dancing Phoenix Continent by now. The thought made him hate Niu Clan; even if they had received the Demon King Inheritance, they didn't have to behave like this...

The second day passed by peacefully. The mess in the Imperial Cuisine Hall was as it had been, but the they opened up a temporary medical hall in the backyard.

Qing Shui laid alone in the sun in the courtyard. The weather in Linhai was cold but there was sunlight at times too. There wasn't much warmth in it and it was more for lighting purpose.

Qing Shui closed his eyes, only opening them at the sound of footsteps. He watched as Lan Lingfeng and Yin Tong carried a deck chair each and settled in on each side of Qing Shui.

"Say, what are you both doing here instead of training?" Qing Shui shut his eyes once more.

"Little brother, it's already been so long, why isn't there any stirring from Niu Clan?" Lan Lingfeng grumbled. He wanted to join in the fun; the love of battle flowed in his veins.

"You're already this impatient after half a day. They have three days, what's the hurry? If you don't train properly, I'm not going to bother with you when you're reduced to tears on the battlefield." Qing Shui smiled. Lan Lingfeng was way too anxious.

"Lingfeng, do you wish for them to come or not?" Yin Tong asked with a smile.

"I want to fight, only in battle can I increase my might," Lan Lingfeng said yearningly.

"That's simple, I can battle you," Qing Shui answered with a grin.

"No no, that's fine. I want one who's well-matched in strength." Lan Lingfeng thought of the pathetic state he had been in when Qing Shui trained with him previously and a chill ran down his spine. Still, his improvement was obvious indeed, but the recollection was enough for him to retreat.

"How are you going to be a powerhouse this way? Where's your courage?" Qing Shui laughed.

"Alright, alright. Come on, I'll be your punching bag," Lan Lingfeng spoke through gritted teeth.

"To be honest, you aren't enough to be a punching bag either."

"Brother, would it kill you to leave me some dignity?"

......

Lan Lingfeng was sore from head to toe after being beaten up, complete with a bloody nose and swollen face. The bones in his body seemed to have shattered and he lay gasping for air on the ground. Ziche Sha glared at Qing Shui when she came in to this sight, before heading for Lan Lingfeng.

Qing Shui gently rubbed his nose but didn't say a word.

Even though Lan Lingfeng was sore all over, too tired to even speak, he felt pleased inside. The beating this time round had opened up all his basic acupoints, making it immensely beneficial for him.

"Is my wife's heart aching for me? Don't blame him, he's only helping me." Lan Lingfeng was delighted. Witnessing the expression in Ziche Sha's eyes, he was exceptionally happy; the beating was worth it.

......

The next day was calm as usual, and Qing Shui was patient. There was no need to get anxious when the limit was three days. If Niu Clan could endure it this time round, then Qing Shui would have to properly assess their strength.

Qing Shui had already sent the word out. In three days, Niu Clan's patriarch would have to bring his direct descendants to repair Imperial Cuisine Hall. If Niu Clan did that, it'd be the end of them.

If they didn't, then Qing Shui and Imperial Cuisine Hall's prestige would suffer. If Niu Clan's Niu Fen still decided to come by after the message, that meant that they didn't find Qing Shui to be of any importance.

He wondered if they still didn't care much about them at this point.

When yet another day came around, the news reached Imperial Cuisine Hall. Or perhaps, it was more accurate to say that the news had broken out through Linhai City. Niu Clan had set up an arena in the largest street of Linhai City, challenging Imperial Cuisine Hall, and the news spread like wildfire.

"Brother, what do we do? Niu Clan has bullied us to our door," Lan Lingfeng said in rage, his expression exaggerated.

"Go fight them then." Qing Shui grinned.

"I'm unsure about it if you don't go, I need you there to hold the line." Lan Lingfeng snickered.

"Go inform your clan and Ziche Clan. Tell them that there's no need for them to get mixed up in this but have them be there before us to show off their strength. We'll head over in a bit." Qing Shui said after some thought.

Lan Lingfeng nodded. He trusted Qing Shui. It was the type of faith that was beyond words, like the issue with Niu Clan. The thought of Imperial Cuisine failing had never crossed Lan Lingfeng's mind.

Niu Clan was also diverting attention with this tactic. Qing Shui had released the deadline of three days ago but they didn't make an obvious choice. Now there was still a day left, so technically their time was still not up but they had set up an arena for the challenge.

Imperial Cuisine Hall could choose to refuse this duel and even to ignore it altogether. Of course, they could also choose to accept, but if they didn't, people would start talking. One of the obvious speculations would be whether Imperial Cuisine Hall was scared.

It was already late in the morning and the sun was three poles high. Niu Clan had said that they would wait until afternoon. If Imperial Cuisine Hall didn't accept the battle, it would mean that they had abstained. The meaning couldn't be more obvious; Imperial Cuisine Hall was afraid. If they didn't have the power to meet them head-on, they shouldn't be so arrogant. If they didn't have the might, then were they bluffing just to scare...?

Qing Shui looked around him. Now Ling Fei, Xue Nuo and Ziche Sha were all here but only a few of them would fight. Still, this type of battle wasn't about two victories out of three, or three out of five. Victory went to the last man standing.

When Qing Shui and the others arrived at the arena, there was already a huge crowd. At their appearance, a thunderous applause sounded. Qing Shui could tell that most of these people came in support of him but many came for the show, and so the applause from them was in celebration of the action they were about to witness.

"Brave, Miraculous Physician Qing, we support you, go defeat Niu Clan!"

"They don't know the complexity of things. What background does Niu Clan have? It's said that they're descendants of an ancient battle clan, their bodies flow with warrior's blood."

"I heard that Niu Clan's ancestor is a Demon King, and there's a highly-skilled warrior concealed among them. It's going to be tough for Imperial Cuisine Hall this time."

"That's hard to say. Miraculous Physician Qing should have an extraordinary power. Niu Clan might not be able to get an edge."

AST 1596 - Hundred Flowers Vine Whip, Hundred Flowers Prison, Hundred Flowers Rupture

It was chaotic all around them with words of all sorts being hurled towards the group. However, Qing Shui didn't seem to absorb any of them. He looked to the arena and saw a strong middle-aged man standing upon it.

The man was very muscular and Qing Shui found that he had the distinctive feature of Niu Clan's members; they were all bulky in stature. The middle-aged man's round eyes, thick eyebrows, wide nose and square face made him look upright and honest.

When the others saw the arrival of the group from Imperial Cuisine Hall, Niu Clan, including the middle-aged man, had naturally noticed them as well. They cupped their fists together in a salute towards Qing Shui. "Niu Clan has set up an arena here in an invitation to Imperial Cuisine Hall for a duel. Niu Fen will be the first to duel. I wonder who among the Imperial Cuisine Hall will be first to honor us with this fight."

Such an arena didn't require a referee either, for it didn't have any rules, apart from a surrender. A surrender would usually stop the battle, otherwise, it would last until death, a state of unconsciousness, or even disablement. These would be able to decide a victory.

"Brother-in-law, should I take this fight?" Xue Nuo said to Qing Shui.

Qing Shui didn't respond. The moment they set foot in the arena, it would mean that they had accepted the invitation. The people on the opposing team had more in numbers compared to them, but the situation that unfolded didn't allow for them to reject it either. Even their appearance here had indicated their acceptance.

"Brother-in-law, let me handle this bulky fellow, I won't embarrass you." Xue Nuo pouted. She had assumed that Qing Shui wasn't replying because he had thought that she would be defeated.

Qing Shui laughed, ruffling her hair. "I'm not afraid of you losing. You can accept the fight if you want to but on one condition. You mus surrender the moment you don't think you can win, and you're not allowed to get injured. Otherwise, don't blame me for not letting you fight again."

Xue Nuo nodded her head with a smile. "With brother-in-law holding the line, we won't even need to fear being defeated in all the initial matches. You'll be the last to battle anyway!"

Xue Nuo was delighted to hear Qing Shui's words. No matter how she looked at it, he still cared for her.

"Remember to say this when you win: the situation with Imperial Cuisine Hall hasn't changed. In three days, Niu Clan's patriarch is to bring his direct descendents to repair the damages. Otherwise, they can't pin the blame on Imperial Cuisine Hall." In resignation, Qing Shui instructed Xue Nuo with a smile decorating his features.

Xue Nuo froze, then nodded with a smile of her own. "I'll definitely say that."

"Go. Remember what I said. If you get injured, you're not allowed to participate in any more duels in the future." With that, he waved his hand in indication that she could proceed.

Xue Nuo giggled adorably, then flew towards the arena like a crane.

Xue Nuo was the young mistress of Xue Clan. After being away for so long, her might was several times stronger than it used to be, and she had matured as well. You could see farther if you stand tall—Xue Nuo had gained a lot more insight than before.

Xue Nuo looked at the man who was strong as an ox. "After you!"

"After you!" Niu Fen didn't seem like one with much words either, and it was all he had hoped for when Xue Nuo got straight to the point. After the words of formality, he leapt into the air without another word.

Xue Nuo didn't dare to lag behind either. She pulled open her hundred metre long, Hundred Flowers Vine Whip. Qing Shui had long since passed on the Serpent-Elephant Maneuver to Xue Nuo. Together with the whip, it would be able to achieve a terrifying result.

The Hundred Flowers Vine Whip was crafted by Qing Shui as a gift to her as well. It included elements of poisonous flowers, weeds, vertigo, healing, energizing... It was only that the positive effects were meant for use of the wielder, while the fatal were reserved for her opponents.

While the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip couldn't be considered a legendary grade weapon, its ability and functionality were in no way inferior to such. This was the best whip that Qing Shui had ever crafted.

Qing Shui's ability at forging wasn't something to scoff about either. It had improved greatly within this period of time and he practiced it every day. Many of them were stored in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal; legendary grade weapons, armor and other stuff as well.

The inner armor that Xue Nuo donned was one of them. Combined with her weapon and footwear, her might had increased by several times. The fact that Qing Shui allowed her to battle was because he knew that it wouldn't be easy for Niu Fen to win against her.

Xue Nuo didn't stand on ceremony either. At the sound of Niu Fen's "Go ahead", she charged towards him, her hand holding the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip and struck it towards him nimbly.

Niu Fen was holding a giant axe it his hand, shimmering black. The surface of the axe could cover half his body,

As Xue Nuo's Hundred Flowers Vine Whip entered within the three metre circumference of Niu Fen, a strong gust of energy whipped his hair about, and it emitted a hissing sound. At that moment, the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip produced a pollen-like fog.

Niu Fen had seen much, or at the very least he knew that nothing good could come with the appearance of fog.

Spirit Snake Exits Cave!

Niu Fen's axe blocked Xue Nuo's Hundred Flowers Vine Whip but with a slight move on her part, it went past his block and charged towards his face like a venomous snake.

Spirit Snake Exits Cave's speed was to be feared. In that instant, not many people would be able to evade it. Qing Shui would still used this skill even now. It takes the opponent by surprise and succeeds in every attempt.

Xue Nuo's ability had already been stronger than Niu Fen, and with the straightforward and effective Spirit Snake Exits Cave, it struck him on the forehead. Even though the injury wasn't deep or fatal, it was enough to make him lose consciousness. He fell from the arena.

One strike!

Xue Nuo had defeated Niu Fen with just one strike. Niu Fen spoke only a few words and defended a little, but was never able to completely shield himself. In the end, he was defeated to this degree.

Xue Nuo's strength was in her speed and her agility. Niu Fen was the exact opposite; speed was his weakest aspect. His greatest asset was his strength. Even though he could break through a thousand abilities with one strike, it wasn't enough to break through Xue Nuo's skill. As a result, he was easily defeated.

"Patriarch of Niu Clan, I'm not sure if you are here but I have a message for you. The words we've said previously about having your direct descendents repair the Imperial Cuisine Hall still stand—today is the last day. Don't accuse us of not giving you a chance. Of course you can also assume that they are empty words but one should take responsibility for their actions. Since they dared to wreck our Imperial Cuisine Hall, then they will have to bear the consequences. That is all."

As Xue Nuo's voice rang out, Qing Shui smiled. This little girl had some arrogance to her.

"What an arrogant brat! How audacious of you. I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders!"

The voice came from a white-haired old man who was now standing atop the arena. He glared at Xue Nuo, livid.

"Who do you think you are? Teach me a lesson? You can't even teach your juniors a lesson and yet you have the time to lecture others? You have to first be qualified before you can capitalize on your old age."

Compared to Niu Fen, the old man looked more like a child; skinny in stature with a pair of small eyes and buck toothed. His bulbous nose took up a large area on his face. Although he was furious, his eyes were lecherous, looking all over Xue Nuo's body from time to time.

The old man was an exception to Niu Clan. In their entire clan, he was the only one who was skinny and perverted. There were rumors in speculation that he was not from their blood family but there wasn't any evidence to prove this. Niu Clan had naturally denied the rumor—there was no way they would acknowledge this. If they did, their reputation would plummet.

Xue Nuo noticed the old man's eyes and couldn't express her disdain in words. Not just her, many others who were watching felt the same. Nobody knew why Niu Clan had sent such a character to the arena and even the onlookers were beginning to reprimand them.

"Don't belittle him. He's called Niu She, he's an exception to Niu Clan. The skills he cultivates are also unorthodox. He's proficient in all kinds of styles and always does something unexpected."

"Will the lady from Imperial Cuisine Hall be fine?"

"I think so. She's a member of Imperial Cuisine Hall, Physician Qing will find a way to prevent it."

......

This time, Xue Nuo didn't speak a word. She struck her whip towards Nuo She and watched as her Hundred Flowers Vine Whip lunged towards the man.

Xue Nuo could tell that Niu She's strength and might weren't his forte and so she used absolute power in subduing her opponent. Besides, Xue Nuo's abilities far exceeded Niu She as well. The Serpent-Elephant Maneuver skill was top grade.

Niu She held onto a three-inch baton and an inch-long green dagger, his back hunched. He had developed a unique way of his own, merging both advancing and retreating tactics, looking much like an agile rat.

Niu She was trained in Venomous Snake, Agile Mouse Technique. His body was nimble and could unleash many attacks. He's most proficient in poison and assassination, his solo combat was also strong.

His movements were strange, as though he was dodging her attack by a dangerous range. However, there wasn't a hint of panic in his eyes. He seemed to be confident in evading it.

Xue Nuo was calm. When Niu She moved, she did as well and she was even more agile than him. The whip in her hand began to change.

It was no longer sharp and penetrating like before, instead, its vines were tied up nicely. Her figure was moving rapidly and it seemed that she had woven it into a hundred flowers net.

Hundred Flowers Prison!

The flowers wrapped around the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip transformed into a net and aimed towards Niu She.

At this time, Niu She's eyes flickered and he waved the black baton. A black fog began to form and thicken. The dagger in his hand glowed, and he charged Xue Nuo without warning.

Hundred Flowers Rupture!

The whip in Xue Nuo's hand became straight like a pencil, before plunging towards the flower cage. In that instant, with the resplendence of a hundred flowers, they seemed to compete in their beauty.

Bang!

A loud explosion sounded. The flower cage ruptured and Xue Nuo stayed where she was. On the other hand, Niu She staggered back, the corner of his lips was smeared with blood. The black baton that was on his hand was gone without a trace and all he had left was a piece of broken dagger.

Xue Nuo took a step forward.

"I've lost!" Niu She declared hurriedly. He wasn't surrendering, what he did was deliver the verdict of the match. The effects of both were the same but compared to the former, the latter could save his dignity.

Xue Nuo didn't say anymore and Niu She exhaled a sigh of relief. Dispiritedly, he left the arena. Qing Shui watched Xue Nuo who was in high spirits and laughed. This was just the beginning. It seemed that they'd be able to fight to their heart's content today.

Niu Clan had already lost two matches in succession. If this continued, there would surely be gossip all around. With that in mind, the next person would definitely be able to beat Xue Nuo.

AST 1597 - Xue Nuo's Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre, Yin Tong's Combat Skills

Qing Shui had wanted to withdraw Xue Nuo from the fight but decided it'd be good for her to gain some experience. After all, he wouldn't be able to take care of her forever. Moreover, she was young, growth would only be good for her.

Xue Nuo paused for a moment. The Niu Clan sent another old man again, but this time, the contender looked just like the stereotypical image of a Niu Clan member. His figure was tall and burly, wearing a long purple robe. In his hands were two weapons that looked akin to thick iron bars.

From the way he carried himself, to the aura he was exuding, Qing Shui knew that Xue Nuo was no match for the new opponent. On the other hand, he could see the determination in her eyes—he understood in that moment that if he didn't allow her to continue, it would become a regret that would gnaw at her for a long time.

"Young lady, I don't wish to bully you. You'd be better off admitting defeat. I trust you can sense that you're not my match either." The old man's voice was filled with vigor, but he was unhurried and frank.

Xue Nuo shook her head. "How will I know if I don't try? I won't surrender."

Xue Nuo realized that her opponent was much stronger than herself but there was no way she would admit defeat right off the bat. The Hundred Flowers Vine Whip didn't stop moving, like a snake with a mind of its own.

"Since that's the case, let's proceed. Blades can't see, be careful." The old man's tone was kind, and even Qing Shui couldn't sense an inkling of animosity from him.

Xue Nuo didn't stand on ceremony this time either and rushed towards the old man, unleashing her most powerful attack. As though it was a serpent, the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip lashed at the old man.

Like an elephant, Xue Nuo had steady footing but the whip in her hand was alive with energy. Qing Shui was taken aback by the sight which greeted them. The little girl was pretty talented, she had actually managed to refine the essence of the Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre.

The Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre was as steady as an elephant, with the strength of an elephant's swing, but flexible like a snake. The perfection of this technique was in the combination of its rigidity and flexibility, and along with Laws of Heaven and Earth, its power was even more terrifying.

Shock fleeted across the old man's eyes but the metal bars in his hands blocked her whip calmly. A pair of metal bars weren't that swift as weapons but they contained immense strength. As they moved, they seemed to shift his surroundings. The double bars could block her whip well enough.

The Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre, like an elephant's foundation, standing in the same place without panic, was able to change her situation with a wave.

Bang, bang...

A series of continuous booming echoed and it was as though the sky was covered in lightning; a concentrated sound of thunder struck down. Xue Nuo's face grew paler while the old man was like a raging bull; he looked like he could knock down even a mountain.

Like a river that broke through the dam, Xue Nuo's body began to sway and then staggered back after a while. The weakness of the Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre, was that it couldn't be struck back. Once she was, its effect would be like the tilting of a large mountain.

There were still inadequacies in Xue Nuo's mastery of the Serpent-Elephant Manoeuvre. Agility wise, especially in face of a high-skilled opponent, it was limited and could be swayed easily. If it had been Qing Shui at Xue Nuo's level of skills, he would be able to move about nimbly and advance or retreat as he pleased.

Bang!

Xue Nuo's body flew backwards, her mouth spouting fresh blood. With a flash of a movement, Qing Shui was by her side, stimulating her acupoints as a wave of Yang Qi filled her body.

"Brother-in-law, I'm really useless." Xue Nuo looked at Qing Shui bitterly, her voice filled with regret.

"Did you forget what I told you before? Besides, he is much stronger than you. To be able to fight to this extent is already unexpected enough. Why, did you want to beat him?" Qing Shui smiled at her.

"Really? You don't blame me?" Xue Nuo asked in surprise.

"Rest well, you'll be able to recover to your original state by tomorrow. Our young mistress of the Xue Clan is outstanding. I promise you, your might will be ten times stronger than that guy in future." Qing Shui handed her over to Ling Fei.

Xue Nuo wasn't critically injured. The Hundred Flowers Vine Whip had a few mystical flowers that helped her block the attack and healed some of her injuries. This was the strongest ability of the weapon.

The Hundred Flowers Vine Whip's forte was in the consolidation of power. Not only could it heal, it could also increase endurance and might, or serve as an antidote to toxins, cause paralysis and even vertigo...

Of course, these abilities weren't the strongest but they could help gain an edge over the opponent. Even Qing Shui thought the Hundred Flowers Vine Whip was strong; it was a pity that he was already in possession of a more suitable weapon.

Relieved that Qing Shui didn't blame her, Xue Nuo beamed, "Thank you, brother-in-law."

There were times when she feared her brother-in-law, but it wasn't fear of him as a person; it was fear that he might disregard her.

"Who wants to handle this burly man?" Qing Shui asked with a smile.

"I'll go!" Yin Tong volunteered after some thought.

Qing Shui contemplated before breaking out into a grin, "Alright."

A hint of surprise flashed across the old man's face. At the same time, there was deep animosity. This indicated that he had already identified Yin Tong's background. Otherwise, there was no way he would regard him in that manner.

Yin Tong didn't participate in battles often and so there weren't many who knew of his strength. The only reason one would regard him in this manner was if they found out about his inheritance.

Yin Tong was low profile. Ever since Qing Shui met him, he had only seen him display his skills once out of anger. He did fight thereafter as well, but it was without temper. These days, his might had increased a lot but other than his practice sessions with Lan Lingfeng, he didn't usually fight.

Yin Tong's inheritance was destined to go through many changes and he didn't have a fixed weapon. Qing Shui had customized a pair of Tri-Edged Daggers forged from Yang Stone for him. They could be categorized as legendary grade, albeit barely. The strongest effect was to disregard 20% of an enemy's defense, plus a 1% chance of disregarding up to 90% of defense.

The weapons were sharp in nature and along with their ability were mighty indeed. Yin Tong's battle technique would be to attack in succession and relentlessly so. Not just twice in combo but even more than that—the powers of his inheritance allowed increased damage if they were inflicted at the same spot within a specific amount of time.

In Qing Shui's perspective, Yin Tong's inheritance was sly in nature. Every battle technique was strange, additionally Yin Ting was a master at using toxins, even if Qing Shui had rarely seen him do so.

"After you!" At the sight of Yin Tong, the old man greeted courteously.

"After you!" Yin Tong smiled as he reciprocated. Under such circumstances, he would naturally not forget his courtesy. Whatever situation they were thrust into, they had to regard it with a calm attitude. Only in this way could their potential be unleashed to the fullest.

This time, it was the old man who didn't stand on ceremony and charged towards Yin Tong at once. His footwork was steady and strong, his speed wasn't as fast as others but it gave the impression that he was working steadily, as though every step was imprinted in his mind.

Yin Tong's footwork, on the other hand, was fluid and peculiar; there was no way of predicting where he would step next. The pair of shimmering Tri-Edged Daggers emitted a piercing light.

Hrmph!

With a loud shout, the metal rods in the old man's hands unleashed a Twin Dragon attack towards Yin Tong.

Yin Tong stepped backwards slightly, dodging the attack just in time. Even his clothes rose from the Qi force from the metal rods' attack. If not for the fact that Yin Tong had poured his own Qi force into his clothes, they'd probably have been shattered by that attack.

Golden Jade Chain of Pearls!

Yin Tong slammed his right fist forward, swiftly slamming them against the old man's chest successively.

Bang, bang!

Two clear, metallic sounds emitted from the impact and the old man was struck back by Yin Tong. Even so, his footsteps were not muddled. If one observed carefully, they would notice that every step the opponent took had landed in his previous steps.

This could actually reduce the strength he had to endure.

Qing Shui had an inkling about this. There was nothing too strange in this world and even though this was peculiar, it was still acceptable. The old man rushed towards Yin Tong along his previous steps again.

His speed and strength seemed to have increased.

Demon Ox Mark!

This was the Demon Ox Mark. Qing Shui had gained some of inheritance memories from the Golden Battle Halberd at one point, and one was about the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance. He didn't have time to process the information before but now it floated into his mind ever so vividly.

Qing Shui kept his voice low, enough only for Yin Tong to hear. "That's the Demon Ox Mark. It seems like they're really the Inheritor Clan of the Titan Ox Demon King. The Demon Ox Mark he cultivates is good, you'll have to find a way to mess up his footwork, or it will only get stronger."

Qing Shui had just realized the the Golden Battle Halberd gave him some pretty useful information. The information was messy and Qing Shui hadn't even bothered tidying it up. Now he realized that there was no need to do so, as it would surface when the situation called for it.

Yin Tong understood Qing Shui's word of caution. In all honesty, while it wasn't much, he had still distinctly felt the increase in that old man's might.

Frenzied Golden Jade Slash!

Seizing the opportunity once more, Yin Tong's silhouette was like a flash of light, charging toward the old man. His speed was already significantly faster than the latter and considering he had readied himself for the attack, Yin Tong's speed was undoubtedly beyond the range the old man could evade.

Bang, bang...

The pair of Tri-Edged Daggers pierced towards the old man at an astounding speed. Just like that, even with a decent inner armor, the strong and sturdy old man stumbled backwards ceaselessly from the impact, as blood poured from his mouth and nostrils.

Puu!

The attack disregarded the defense of the old man's armor by a surprising 80%, reducing his health immensely. Yin Tong stopped in his tracks, and the old man fell from the arena.

From beginning to end, Yin Tong didn't take more than five minutes to defeat him—the disparity between them must have been huge. As a successor of the Battle God Inheritance, even if he hadn't been strong enough now, he still wasn't a character whom one would want to provoke.

After meeting Qing Shui, Yin Tong's might had increased drastically. His improvements would happen swiftly in the future, and would remain so for a long time.

Yin Tong didn't expressed much glee at defeating the old man. Instead, he just remained standing on the arena. At this point of the duel, where anger had risen from both parties, no one would show mercy anymore—Xue Nuo had thrown up blood from the fight, as did the old man from before. Even though it was inevitable to get injured in a battle, it was just as easy for rage to manifest in the process, whether from deliberate intent or not.

AST 1598 - Inheritance Battle Technique - Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory, Qin Qing Has Arrived

Yi Tong had always kept a low profile throughout his life. Even then, he had never lost his courage. He was older than Qing Shui and Lan Lingfeng, and his personality was more amiable than theirs. He could also be considered as a mature guy. However, he could never be compared to Qing Shui when it came down to the number of experiences they had accumulated.

Qing Shui had always been observant of Yi Tong's every move. From what he could gather, Yi Tong was now stronger than Lan Lingfeng. However, their cultivation paths were different from each other. Yi Tong's route was solely on softness with a little bit more of agility. Because his route was focused on speed, his attacks would also reduce the intensity of his opponent's abilities, which at most times would result in the defeat of a superior force by a weaker force.

On the other hand, Lan Lingfeng's route was more on the hardness aspect. The more difficult his situation was, the more he would be able to unleash his overpowering battle prowess. After a brief period of time, a man who seemed young and handsome appeared on the arena.

Qing Shui was perturbed when that man went up to the arena because he sensed a familiar aura from this man. This familiar aura stemmed from the consciousness inside that man's body.

This was a consciousness bequeathed to him by the Golden Battle God, which was a sort of perception towards other Demon King Inheritance. The built of the man on the arena wasn't as buff as the other members of the Niu Clan, but he was full of energy. With only his muscular figure, he already exuded a strong explosive force.

He had a handsome appearance and a steadfast expression. His thin lips were pursed tightly together, which showed his temperament as an extremely resolute person. This man exuded a subtle aura that could not be ignored by Qing Shui's senses. From these observations, this man must be the Niu Clan's disciple who had obtained the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance.

Qing Shui knew that Yi Tong would lose this time, yet he didn't urge him to surrender and admit defeat. Instead, he transmitted his voice to him and said, "This man must be the one who received the Demon King Inheritance. You must be extra careful."

Yi Tong nodded his head while remaining calm and collected. Other people may have thought that he was nodding at the man from the Niu Clan but in fact, Qing Shui knew that Yi Tong was actually gesturing to him.

"I will not hold back so you must be careful. Or you can admit defeat to me. You are really not my opponent," the man said calmly. The Niu Clan liked this method of being straightforward with others. When they sensed that their opponent wasn't up to their level and was beginning to regret taking up the fight, they would tell their foe directly of what was on their mind.

"What you sense on the exterior might not be true. Let's begin!" Yi Tong naturally would not admit defeat just because of what his had opponent said. Even though it was certainly dangerous to spar with a stronger opponent, it also presented a great opportunity for him to grow stronger.

That man took out a large club that seemed like a spear but thicker. The weapon was dull and simple without a slight lustre to it. However, this weapon must have been extraordinary, unlike its simple appearance, otherwise this pride of the Niu Clan would not be using it as his weapon.

"Demon Child Niu will definitely win. Perhaps the Miraculous Physician Qing is the only one who can fight him." At that moment, Qing Shui could hear a voice in his ears.

Qing Shui found that quite laughable. The name of this person from the Niu Clan who had received the Demon King's Inheritance was quite something. He was actually named Demon Child Niu. If that was the case, his father might not be called Demon King Niu, but Old Demon Niu instead...

Qing Shui had no mood to listen to the commentary of the people below any further as the fight had already begun in the arena. From the beginning when Demon Child Niu took the first initiative to attack, many people began to notice that the disparity of strength between Yi Tong and Demon Child Niu was too great. Yi Tong who specialized in speed was now inferior in that field to his opponent. This fight was truly a difficult one for him.

Demon Child Niu bashed Yi Tong with the force of thunderbolt with his enormous club, causing the surrounding sky to reverberate with the sound of thunder. The entire sky seemed as if it had become more stifling than ever.

Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory!

Yi Tong's aura suddenly increased. His speed and power had received a significant boost as well. In an abrupt motion, he charged toward Demon Child Niu with his pair of Tri-Edged Daggers, which had become quite daunting in an instant.

Qing Shui knew that Yi Tong's increase in strength wasn't a fabrication, yet it didn't seem like his aura had increased as much. If Demon Child Niu's power was slightly more than Yi Tong's, then his aura would have been completely suppressed. If his aura had been suppressed, then it would essentially be equal to his defeat.

Yi Tong was the inheritor of the Fox Battle God, his Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory was still quite strong. However, if his opponent possessed greater strength than him, he could turn the tables of the battle given that he had sufficient confidence to do so. For example, if a giant rock were to fall from the sky and someone told you that it was made of paper, would you believe it?

The power of Fox Based In Tiger's Glory was as such. Even if the rock was fake, no one would dare use their own life to test it out. Besides, Yi Tong's attack had packed quite the punch as well. This was the esteemed battle technique inheritance of the Fox Battle God.

At that moment, Yi Tong was like a sharp sword as he lashed out continuous attacks against his opponent. Even Demon Child Niu did not dare to go against him with force just in case he could get badly hurt. Even though he was aware that this could possibly be a pretense or illusion, he wouldn't dare use his life to test it out.

Yi Tong was akin to a ferocious tiger running down a mountain. His trenchant attacks were dazzling to the eyes; each offensive move was struck with the intention to hit his opponent's vulnerability. Yi Tong was quite well-versed with his own battle technique, which must be locked at his opponent's weak points at all costs. He could attack other parts of the body but never actually hit them. He must do so to only scare his opponent. Furthermore, Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory has a one-time chance to boost the offensive power of its attack by multiple figures, which could gravely injure or even kill his opponent. Because of that, Demon Child Niu wouldn't dare to try given that death was a possibility.

If not for that reason, Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory would be powerless. The higher the cultivation level of Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory, the more one could unleash a formidable offensive power. Its might would increase as well. Right now, Yi Tong could only use it twice at most.

Luckily, it was effective each time he had unleashed this attack. He could use his strongest attack whenever he wished as the technique itself was extremely flexible. Because of this reason, he would be able to unleash the prowess of the Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory to its maximum.

Bang!

Demon Child Niu grasped the opportunity and managed to use his shoulder to block Yi Tong's attack once. This time, Yi Tong unleashed his strongest attack, but Demon Child Niu had a plan of his own. Even so, he was still knocked back by about ten meters as a result of Yi Tong's attack. Unfortunately for Yi Tong, he didn't manage to unleash the ability to ignore 80% of his opponent's armor protection.

Even though Demon Child Niu was shocked by the prowess his opponent displayed, he was still able to endure his attacks. The powerful attack of Yi Tong's Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory could only be used twice. Despite the satisfactory result, the number of uses was directly proportional to the strength of his attack. In conclusion, the might of this technique was considered impressive. Even if 20% of the armor protection was ignored, the overlying damage of the technique could do nothing more than to knock back Demon Child Niu.

Demon Child Niu could sense that his attacks against Yi Tong were like a mantis trying to obstruct a chariot, yet with the ability to overthrow it. This was the sensation he had from the Fox Basked In Tiger's Glory. If Yi Tong's power wasn't too far off from that of Demon Child Niu, they could continue this fight for about half a day.

However, even if Demon Child Niu didn't use his inherited battle technique, he would be able to defeat Yi Tong easily. Before seven and a half minutes were up, Yi Tong was quickly struck down from the arena. Blood was already streaming down from the corner of his mouth, he was wounded but not very seriously.

"How goes it?" Qing Shui extended his hands and pulled Yi Tong back, suppressing his aura with his divine Qi.

"We are useless. In the end, we still have to rely on you." Yi Tong said, anguished.

"Don't say it like that Tenth Brother. Besides, you have just gotten your inheritance. The path to your future is still progressing. Likewise, I was able to become stronger albeit slowly because of an opportunity. I can guarantee that you will become stronger than him within a year." Qing Shui said with a smile.

"How about me? Why don't I go up and fight him? Can you guarantee that I will become stronger than him in one year?" Lan Lingfeng asked promptly.

"It's better if you don't go up there. Your technique is more on confronting toughness with toughness, which is essentially a path of aggressiveness. You will easily break his thing. It'll be useless if it's broken." Qing Shui said as he shook his head.

The ladies were evidently embarrassed. Everyone was able to interpret the ambiguity of Qing Shui's words. Lan Lingfeng smiled awkwardly, he was speechless as he didn't know what to say......

Demon Child Niu stood above them while Qing Shui and the others were laughing as they talked. In the perspective of others, it was a situation of bewilderment. Evidently, they had treated the Niu Clan as if they were nothing in the Imperial Cuisine Hall.

The surrounding people didn't particularly feel anything of it but the Niu Clan had become furious because of their ignorance, especially Demon Child Niu, who was still standing above them. He had just defeated a triumphant inheritor. Moreover, he also knew that there was one more inheritor who was incapable of being his opponent. That young physician was the only one who was truly fathomless. Despite this, he wasn't scared.

"Aren't people from the Imperial Cuisine Hall always exceedingly arrogant? Saying something like wanting our clan's head and his direct descendants to fix the Imperial Cuisine Hall. Even so, you still have to show us why we should fix your Imperial Cuisine Hall in the first place!" Demon Child Niu said as he gazed directly at Qing Shui's direction.

"No need to worry about it. One Niu Clan can't possibly stir up a fuss even if they tried." Qing Shui smiled and shook his head.

"I will challenge you now then. I wonder if you are brave enough to come up?" Demon Child Niu smirked.

Qing Shui planned on going up either way, but if he were to go up now, it would mean that they have to battle this out until the end. This wasn't a big deal to Qing Shui. Then again, the other party must have hidden warriors amidst their clan. Qing Shui intended to lure them out, but even if he had planned to do that, he didn't have such warriors on his side right now. It would be great if there was someone like that with him before he could battle against Demon Child Niu.

"I will take the challenge for this battle. I am part of the Imperial Cuisine Hall too." A graceful voice of everlasting charm resonated throughout the entire room.

Qin Qing!

Qin Qing had arrived. She didn't wear her palace uniform and instead wore a snow-white pleated dress that heightened her presence beyond this world. Her luscious hair hung on her shoulders and her beauty was like a masterpiece created by the heavens. Her eyes were glistening bright like jade, yet somewhat hazy as well. She didn't wear a veil to cover her face but it was enough to baffle those who gazed at her as if they weren't able to grasp the whole picture of her face.

This woman had a graceful figure as well. Her refined charm was exquisite and her picturesque eyes were quite beautiful to look at. She exuded a divine air of a celestial being that came from within her. Like the crescent moon in the sky, her expression was calm, yet she was able to radiate an overwhelming force akin to the vast sea or the firmament. Her noble elegance was quite compelling too.

She was magnificent, enchanting, cold, mysterious, and also a bit heavenly.

Qin Qing appeared in the sky immediately. The sudden appearance of this woman had made many in to be awe. What kind of person was she to appear celestial-like? Most people—regardless of gender—were filled with passion as they gazed at the graceful figure hovering in the air. They had an indescribable feeling in their hearts when they saw her.

Qing Shui was still happy nonetheless. Qin Qing's arrival allowed Qing Shui to breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't have a superfluous intimacy with this woman, however, their relationship was still a bit unclear. There were some misunderstandings between them before but that had already been cleared up.

"She is Fairy Qing!"

.......

Within a few seconds, more people were beginning to recognize Qin Qing. Even though this place was a bit farther than the Great Qin Dynasty, those who were fond of gathering information about famous people would still be informed of the news, creating portraits of her to propagate news of her presence. They did so because of the profits. This was one of the tactics that these people had utilized in order to survive.

"Fairy Qing, I don't know why you have to get yourself mixed up in all this?" Demon Child Niu calmly looked at Qin Qing. However, deep inside in his heart, he was burning with a fiery affection for her. A strong, young man would always harbor an unnerving lust for a woman.

A woman was considered to be a man's mask, and this fact could be applied in any world. Anyone would want to gain the entitlement to such rare beauty that may not be found again even in a million li of distance away. Even Demon Child Niu wasn't an exception to that yearning.

AST 1599 - Demon Child Niu Has Been Defeated

"Didn't I say this before, I am also a member of the Imperial Cuisine Hall. Am I not allowed to weigh in on this?" Qin Qing said as she unsheathed a long sword of Jasper Quartz.

Ever since Qin Ying died, her entire disposition had changed. Even though she had essentially recovered, she still retained a gleam of aloofness that she never had before. This was a type of aura that rejected everything. Although she was talking now, there wasn't a slight emotion in her tone.

An agonized expression appeared on Demon Child Niu's face. This wasn't his first time knowing who Qin Qing was. The name 'Fairy Qin' was still quite famous in this refined society and dynasty era. Most people only recognized Qin Qing through paintings as the number of people who had seen Qin Qing in real life was scarce. Additionally, she liked wearing a veil to cover her face. Even if she were to walk outside in the public, almost no one would be able to recognize her.

This, however, was Demon Child Niu's first time meeting Qin Qing face-to-face. Despite that, he had heard so much about Qin Qing and even had a collection of Qin Qing's portraits in his room.

On top of that, he even swore to obtain this woman after he had awakened his Demon King Inheritance. He didn't know whether he loved this woman or not, but he knew that he desired to have her and that fact alone was enough for him.

He also didn't expect to meet her in such circumstances. Demon Child Niu took a glance at Qin Qing and said softly, "Since it has come to this, then let us begin. However, I will not harm you and I will definitely make you mine. Only I am worthy enough for you in this world."

There wasn't any changes in Qin Qing's expression when she replied, "Try saying it one more time and see if I will kill you or not."

Demon Child Niu opened his mouth for a while before he said, "You will definitely lose. I really hope you can pull out from this fight. Trust me, you will not be able to withstand against me."

Qin Qing remained silent. Instead, she took a step and brandished her long sword. A tiny emerald-green Phoenix simultaneously appeared on the tip of her sword. It shone brilliantly while emitting a rare glow from its body.

Demon Child Niu's expression shifted to a cautious look. He straightened the dull ancient club in his hand which suddenly became flaming red. There was also a thick layer of dark-red scaled armor appearing all over his body.

Titan Ox Strength!

Instantaneously, Demon Child Niu's power was abruptly boosted. The power he had received was the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance. His physical strength was undeniable, including his power capacity, speed, defense, and endurance.

Go!

A Phoenix with a size of a fist expanded its wings and curved a trail of a blazing streak across Demon Child Niu. Qin Qing's silhouette fluttered upward as well. The long sword in her hand had become translucent and sparkling, revealing a luster that was similar to water.

Clank!

A distinct sound rang out. At that moment when Demon Child Niu managed to land a hit on the little Phoenix's body, a giant red Ox suddenly appeared on his body. The silhouette of this Ox was massive, which was dozens of meters in size. Even though this silhouette could not be compared to some of the larger demonic beasts, its fierce aura and glorious form was supremely appalling.

Wind Blowing Brushing Willow!

The little Phoenix could only destroy the red ox's silhouette by burning it, yet Qin Qing remained steadfast as she swung her sword towards Demon Child Niu. Her movement was light as a feather and the only impression that one could gather from that was beautiful, which matched Qin Qing's silhouette that seemed like an otherworldly celestial. Her movement was mesmerizing as well. Even Demon Child Niu wanted to give up and take a closer look at her beauty. Perhaps it wasn't a bad choice to let her pierce him like this.

However, he knew that letting her stab him wasn't a possible choice. He looked at the slender sword that was approaching fast and realized the lightweight movement of her sword possessed a formidable prowess. He quickly used his red club and violently countered the sword.

Clink!

Qin Qing's sword swiftly tapped on the club for only a moment. She was nimble as if there wasn't any weight to her movement, just like a flower petal. However, she was quick - her movement was graceful yet deadly.

Moo!

Suddenly, a distinct cry could be heard within Demon Child Niu's body. This cry sounded like it was from an ox, yet somewhat different from that. No one thought that the cry was funny when they heard it as the cry was no less inferior than a dragon's shout. This cry had a momentum that could swallow Heaven and Earth.

Qin Qing knew Demon Child Niu was beginning to grow serious about this fight. The moment she shifted her silhouette, a pair of colorful yet clouded wings appeared behind her. If one observed her wings carefully, they would surely recognize them as the wings of a Phoenix. Qin Qing's slender sword also gleamed with brilliant lights, as if it was a shadow of a Phoenix expanding its wings, ready to soar to the sky.

Qing Shui continued to observe her from below the arena. When he thought of Juxtapose Phoenix, he realized that this battle technique might be effective for her. However, when he remembered the condition of this technique, he wondered whether she could use it or not. There wasn't anyone suitable at her side right now.

Qing Shui had been reluctant to learn this technique. It wasn't because he didn't want to face reality but because he didn't want the reality to become awkward for the both of them. Thus, he refused to learn Juxtapose Phoenix, at least for now.

A loud explosion rang out in the sky with occasional Ox roars and Phoenix cries echoing in the surroundings. The silhouettes of a Phoenix and Demon Ox appeared continuously before they were dispersed by the explosion. On numerous occasions, black holes were created and expanded in the sky due to the chaos of the fight, allowing the bright moon and stars to be visible. It was as if Qing Shui were watching television in his past life...

Qing Shui was initially a bit worried but after observing the fight for a while, it was clear that Demon Child Niu was definitely not Qin Qing's opponent. In any case, Qing Shui was still confident in Qin Qing's capability. As of now, the ones around him with the most horrifying power were Qin Qing and Yiye Jiange. Demon Lord Tantai Lingyan was slightly less powerful than these two. He wondered if she had already caught up to their level at this point.

The fight in the arena was extremely fierce while it was extremely quiet below the arena. Qing Shui noticed that everyone on the Niu Clan's side were quite nervous despite their calm appearances as if they didn't care whether Demon Child Niu would win or lose.

Qing Shui was able to surmise that it would be difficult for Qin Qing to kill Demon Child Niu. Moreover, if Qing Shui was correct, the Niu Clan had other strong warriors at their disposal. Perhaps they had a stronger pillar of strength behind their backs too.

Qing Shui wasn't making wild guesses, the human mind was as such. He wasn't proficient in psychology, yet he had some general knowledge of the matter. Through the experiences he had from the past until now, even if he might not be correct when he recalled his experiences, his guess should be pretty close to the truth.

Moo!

The loud cry was accompanied by the appearance of a giant Ox akin to a large rock in the air. This was the Stone Ox that he had inherited from the Titan Ox Demon King Inheritance, which was cultivated using arts, energy, Qi, and spirit. This Stone Ox was congealed through the use of energy.

Qing Shui wasn't surprised by this as he had these inside his consciousness as well. In any case, this Stone Ox was also known as a Demon Ox. The lifeforce and every aspect of a Demon Ox were bequeathed by the inheritor. The more powerful the inheritor was, the stronger the Demon Ox would be consolidated. However, summoning a Demon Ox would consume a lot of energy, Qi, and spirit.

This Demon Ox was approximately 30 meters in size. Qing Shui could sense that the strength of this Demon Ox was almost on par to that of Demon Child Niu. When he recalled the Tiger Form that Yehuang Guwu had cultivated, the Demon Ox that had been coagulated was far less stronger than her tiger. However, Yehuang Guwu still needed some time to build up her strength. With given time, Yehuang Guwu would definitely become a terrifying existence to be reckoned with.

Demon Child Niu had begun to feel that he wasn't Qin Qing's opponent anymore. There wasn't much strength left in him after he had called up a Demon Ox just once. Even with this capability, he still wasn't strong enough. Otherwise, his Demon Ox would definitely be a dreadful battle technique. Allegedly, the more advanced this technique was, the more frightening it would be. Unfortunately, this battle technique was deemed too difficult to cultivate and the progression of the cultivation technique was extremely slow too.

When Qin Qing saw Demon Child Niu calling up a Demon Ox, she knew that the battle was going to come to an end. She didn't dare to make any careless moves, so in a swift motion, she called out her own gigantic Azure Dragon.

Roar!

The blaring dragon shout had caused quite a turbulence. Although the ox shout previously was quite imposing and by no means less blaring than the dragon shout, it still lacked in comparison in terms of its visual impact. On top of that, Qin Qing's Azure Dragon wasn't just an ordinary dragon species, which was nothing that Blue Dragons or Green Dragons could contend against. Those dragons were a mixed breed, thus they were deemed incomparable to the dragon species of Qin Qing's Azure Dragon.

The Demon Ox's consciousness was actually entirely Demon Child Niu's consciousness, which was why the Demon Ox was still quite affected by the dragon's shout. The giant body of the Azure Dragon was less than a thousand meters in length, yet its enormous stature was able to make the Demon Ox seem like a miniature in comparison.

Under the assistance of Qing Shui's outstanding medicinal pills, the Ancient Demonic Fruit, and the Metamorphosis Fruit, the strength of Qin Qing's Azure Dragon had been increased dramatically, albeit without changes to the size of its body.

With a blaring roar, the gigantic Azure Dragon circled the air and charged toward the Demon Ox below it.

Demon Child Niu was truly terrified this time. He didn't think that Qin Qing's Azure Dragon could be this powerful. It was really too unexpected for him.

Boom!

The enormous Azure Dragon rammed into the Demon Ox, whose fundamental cores were its hardness and strength, and was sent flying to the air. The Azure Dragon then swiped its massive tail at the Demon Ox as if it were a monstrous whip.

Qing Shui didn't expect that the built of Qin Qing's dragon would be this remarkable. He had always thought that its supernatural power would be water-based. However, as it turned out, the physical body of the dragon was already overbearing to begin with.

The Diamond Fruit inside the Interspatial Silk Sachet could not be used for the time being as it required a little bit of time before it could be used again. Otherwise, the Azure Dragon could potentially become more terrifying once it had consumed the Diamond Fruit.

Boom boom...

What caught Qing Shui by surprise was that the giant Azure Dragon only used its enormous body as the most primitive method to attack the Demon Ox. After a series of collated loud sounds had passed, the air was beginning to be filled with the smell of gunpowder. The Demon Ox was entirely gone, even Demon Child Niu was taken down by Qin Qing's Azure Dragon as well.

Fortunately, Demon Child Niu had a remarkable ability to save his own life despite being inflicted with light wounds. Demon Child Niu was dejected and upset to have lost against Qin Qing because he really wanted to have her as his woman. In this world, most men would typically be stronger than their opponents when they liked the idea of having such a woman to themselves, especially when that opponent was the woman they desired. Because of that, the chance of getting that woman was highly probable.

Just like the scenario in his past life, if one desired to obtain a wealthy and powerful woman who was stronger and did not have feelings for them, it would be weird if this man would not feel desolated due to not captivating the woman he wanted, despite having a handsome face.

A giant Azure Dragon hoisted Qin Qing and slowly circled around the sky. The magnificent sight at that moment was quite shocking. Those who had feasted their eyes on such sight had a tendency to bow down in worship.

The Niu Clan was still somewhat affected by Demon Child Niu's defeat. He was the Niu Clan's hope for the future and they needed his protection for the years to come. However, he was now defeated at the hands of someone of the same age, or perhaps even younger than Demon Child Niu himself.

Qin Qing remained silent while still being hoisted in the air. She waited silently, for she knew that the matters today were still unfinished. When the time required for half an incense to burn was up, an evil looking middle-aged man appeared in the sky. This man had an air of wealth around him. He had a tall stature and his gestures were graceful. Most people would easily notice his appearance and regard him as a charming man.

AST 1600 - Inheritor of the Thunder Roc Condor Demon King, Qin Qing is defeated

The features across the man's face looked unusually outstanding. He had deep and piercing eyes. His brows were sharp like swords and his nose was pointed like an eagle's beak. This combination had caused the man to look unusually fierce, as sharp as a sword which could cut through anything.

Qing Shui looked through the corner of his eyes. Yet again, the familiar Spiritual Sense appeared in his mind. This person was another person who received the Demon Lord's Inheritance. Since he could have three to four people who received Battle God's Inheritance on his side, it was not surprising that his enemies were also able to have them. Similar things came together, as this saying went, and it was indeed true.

This man had inherited the Thunder Roc Condor Demon King Inheritance. From his body, Qing Shui could feel powerful lightning energy. This man was a lot more powerful than Demon Child Niu. He quickly said, "Sister Qing, this is a warrior who has inherited Thunder Roc Condor Demon King Inheritance. Please be careful."

Qin Qing nodded. Like usual, she was sitting on the enormous Green Dragon. At the moment, Qin Qing still had the powerful Green Dragon to fight with her but despite all that, she was still in danger. The reason being that was her opponent specialized in lightning energy.

The lightning energy surpassed fire attributes in terms of offensive strength. Furthermore, the lightning energy also carried a paralysis effect with it. As to exactly how strong the attack was, it would depend on the user's strength.

"Young lady, you are very good-looking. I don't care who you are, why don't you be my wife? I can promise you anything." The man didn't seem to be in a rush to make his move as he greedily looked at Qin Qing. Luckily, his expression didn't seem that lowly.

For someone at his level, every movement he made would contain some sort of elegance. Even if he was a bad guy, he would still somehow emit some sort of dominant aura off of his body. It was definitely not something which an ordinary gangster could compare to.

Qin Qing remained silent. It seemed like she didn't hear what the opponent was saying. However, a lot of the people below had heard it. Qing Shui got upset and immediately said, "With that turtle look of yours, save it. Only speak if you are the last one to stand later."

Qing Shui wasn't that loud and not many people had actually heard what he said. The man, however, was one of the people who did. He looked at Qing Shui with a disdaining look and asked Qin Qing, "Does this brat like you?"

Roar!

The thing which approached him was a mouthful of thick Water Essence from the Green Dragon. Lightning was under the flame attribute in the five elements and Qin Qing's Green Dragon, on the other hand, was water attributed. Hence, in terms of the five elements, Qin Qing held the advantage.

The man also stopped talking. A pair of indistinct but huge lightning wings appeared behind his back. If one looked closer, they would know that they were the enormous wings which belonged to the Thunder Roc Condor. Traces of lightning flow could be vaguely seen on top of them.

The man only moved slightly to avoid the Green Dragon's attack. The Thunder Roc Condor possessed an extremely fast speed. Among the list of all living things, it was definitely considered as one of the outstanding ones. For the Thunder Roc Condor Demon Lord Inheritance, speed played as one of its most important factors.

Speed was equivalent to strength and could decide everything. With formidable speed, the man was not in the slightest disadvantage. Even people who were slightly stronger in terms of offensive prowess, when in front of him, would become very fragile.

During the moment when the man was trying to dodge the attacks, the pair of wings behind him could be seen flapping. At that instant, the wings looked extremely distinct. A lightning sword formed swiftly and immediately shot its way through the Green Dragon.

The target of the attack was precisely the dragon's reverse scale. The most terrifying thing was the speed of the Lightning Sword. Though it might contain a lot of power, its most terrifying feat still lied in its power. Qin Qing quickly condensed a small azure-colored Phoenix with her consciousness and shot it towards the Lightning Sword.

A layer of water vapor emerged from the Green Dragon's body and it immediately covered up the dragon and Qin Qing entirely.

Once you hit a dragon's reverse scale, you were bound to die.

The Green Dragon seemed to have been enraged as well and let out an angry roar. The enormous dragon immediately unleashed its Divine Dragon Tail move.

This attack seemed very inconsistent. However, it had a wide attack range which was around a thousand meter radius. Divine Dragon Tail was also considered to be a powerful battle technique and was a kind of Heavenly Dao which targeted an entire area.

The man was giving his utmost effort to avoid it but it seemed a bit tough for him to do so. He immediately flapped both of his enormous wings. As he did so, a cloud of Thunder Protection Shield appeared around him.

Peng!

Roar!

The Thunder Protection Shield was broken but despite that, the man wasn't injured. The Green Dragon was aware that it must retreat after it landed a hit as the aura which the man possessed was too fearsome. Luckily, it held the advantage in terms of the elements which it possessed. Otherwise, no one would have known what would happen.

At the moment when the Green Dragon retreated, Qin Qing once again thrust out a blue Phoenix which was a meter in size. It charged its way towards the man like a meteorite falling from the sky.

A two meters, violet-colored blade appeared in the man's hand. There was violet light circling around the blade.

Violet Lightning Sabre!

As the man saw the tiny Phoenix that was approaching him, he didn't hesitate and immediately slashed the sword towards it.

Hong!

A terrifying explosion was heard but the man wasn't affected by it. His figure turned blurry and he disappeared from the original spot he was standing on. After that, he appeared above Qin Qing. While doing so, the Violet Lightning Sword in his hand abruptly enlarged in size and became about a hundred meters long. The formidable violet-colored thunder emerged from the Violet Lightning Sword, giving out crackling and rattling noises.

Water Divine Shield!

A huge wave of water emerged around Qin Qing. The azure water swiftly gathered up and formed an enormous water shield and everywhere above it was filled with whirlpools. They were giving out a powerful water pressure.

All along, Qing Shui was observing the battle above him. It was the first time he saw how the Green Dragon battled. The man was very powerful, he was able to suppress Qin Qing and the Green Dragon with his speed. If it wasn't because of the restraint due to the five elements, it was very likely that they would have long lost the battle.

The Thunder Roc Condor Demon King Inheritance which the man possessed was very formidable. His lightning energy was also extremely terrifying. The Violet Lightning Sword in his hand wasn't a Divine Weapon but it could well be considered to be a tiny Divine Weapon. The terrifying speed and destructive power he possessed was something which even the Green Dragon couldn't withstand.

(Prior to this, it was mentioned that the Green Dragon hadn't eaten the Diamond Fruit, this seemed to be wrong as it had actually eaten it before)

Qing Shui knew that Qin Qing was no match for her the opponent.

Suddenly, Qin Qing jumped down from the Green Dragon's back. In her hand was her Long Phoenix Sword and thrust the sword towards the man. Qin Qing also specialized in her speed, it was just that she was no match to her opponent in terms of her power. In the case of speed, they were almost at the same level.

However, with her Nine Palace Step, though it might not be at Qing Shui's level, she could still fight against her opponent for a short period of time. During this time, the Green Dragon constantly provided her aid from the side. Qin Qing mixed the strength of the Phoenix Finger into her Brushing Willow Sword Art.

Extreme Yang Violet Lightning.

The man's strength once again burst abruptly and a bundle of violet light surrounded him. In a flash, he arrived in front of Qin Qing and slashed at her with the Violet Sun Sword.

Qin Qing was shocked with the surprise attack and quickly moved backward with her Nine Palace Steps. However, the man pursued her tightly like a poisonous ulcer that's grown on a bone.

Qin Qing clenched her teeth and a pair of enormous colored wings appeared behind her back. The wings which appeared this time looked very distinct. As this happened, her speed received a significant boost. Qing Shui, however, let out a sigh; with her strength now, Qin Qing wasn't strong enough to use her battle techniques. After this match, she would definitely need some time for her strength to recover.

The enormous colored wings were like Phoenix Wings of the Nine Heavens as they flapped. They also possessed incredible speed. Even now, the man in front of her was now inferior to her in terms of speed.

"You lost. The longer you try to drag on the fight, the more serious your injury will become. Consider my suggestion earlier on. I will treat you really well." To everyone's surprise, the man stopped and said slowly.

Qing Shui knew that the opponent must have seen through Qin Qing's unique physique. Despite that, it was still more due to her beauty that the opponent wanted her. He immediately moved and appeared next to Qin Qing, "Let me take over."

Seeing that Qing Shui was here, the enormous, colorful wings on Qin Qing's back disappeared. However, her Qi and blood were surging violently. Her meridians were like needles constantly poking her. Qing Shui extended his hand and grabbed her. Following on, he passed some Divine Force into her body to help treat her wounds.

The man could tell that Qin Qing was a virgin. While Qing Shui was holding her in his arms, the man became really furious. He had long since recognized Qin Qing as his woman; he would never allow any men to imprint their hands on her.

Qing Shui could sense the pernicious aura being emitted by the man. Qing Shui said while treating Qin Qing's wound, "Hey you, the guy who is already quite old, what's your name?"

The man was now enraged. Despite this, he still said in an angry tone, "Lei Ming!"

Qing Shui slowly pulled back his hand, as Qin Qing didn't suffer any major injuries. It would take her at most a day for her to recover. Prior to this, she didn't excessively use her inner force, hence, the recoil damage wasn't that significant. The earlier her injury was treated, the faster it would recover.

"Sister Qing, take a break first. I got this." Qing Shui pointed towards the place where he was before.

Qin Qing nodded and said, "Be careful!"

"Don't worry about it. For you guys, I will be fine." Qing Shui said with a smile.

It was at this moment when Qing Shui felt how distant he was from Qin Qing. There was once a time when nothing much had happened between them. However, there existed feelings and ambiguous love from both of them. Though it might have been a lot fainter now, they were still present in the relationship between the two of them.

"Can you answer me one question?" Qing Shui smiled as he gazed at the man named Lei Ming.

Lei Ming knitted his brows. Actually, during this whole time, he had been probing Qing Shui's strength. Though he might be powerful, it was still nothing compared to him. Hence, he wasn't all that worried.

"Ask, but there is no guarantee that I will answer you." Lei Ming said calmly.

"You should be aware of what I am about to ask. Can you tell me how many of you that are like Demon Child Niu are there?" Actually, Qing Shui was trying to ask the man how many people on his side had received the Demon Lord's Inheritance.

Lei Ming smiled, "What's wrong, are you scared?"

"I am just curious to know since when you guys started walking together with the Niu Clan." Qing Shui asked with a smile.

"I find your question very childish. How did you guys get along? Is this still a question which is supposed to be asked?" Lei Ming looked at Qing Shui and smiled. His smile looked really gloomy.

"I understand now. Well then, why don't we solve the issue between us with strength?" Qing Shui took out his Golden Battle Halberd. In an instant, his strength was boosted significantly.

As of now, even Lei Ming didn't dare to look down on the young man in front of him. He realized that Qing Shui was very weird. His aura was changing from time to time and his strength was very unstable. Overall, he felt that something wasn't right about Qing Shui.

Phoenix's Battle Intent!

Battle God's Halo!

Qing Shui's strength was still increasing. At this moment, Lei Ming was no longer able to keep himself calm. He swung the Violet Lightning Sword in his hand and slashed it towards Qing Shui. The enormous Violet Lightning Sword carried the might of both the heaven and earth as it slashed its way towards Qing Shui.

Qing Shui looked extremely calm. He approached his attack with the Golden Battle Halberd in his hand.

The Golden Battle Halberd shot out a few golden lights that were about ten meters long towards the Violet Lightning Sword.

Thousands of golden lights burst out in the sky. There were a few violet lights mixed in it as well. Qing Shui's body only shook for a while and didn't suffer much injuries from the attack. As this happened, Qing Shui became even more confident regarding this match. Lei Ming, on the other hand, was shocked. He was aware of how much power that slash of his should have contained. He was extremely powerful in terms of strength and speed, the only thing he didn't specialize in was his defense. Hence, normally, he would land countless attacks in a battle. For warriors at the same level as him, very few would actually be able to withstand his strike.

Not only did the young physician manage to withstand the attack, he didn't seem to be affected by it in the slightest. Though he had yet to go all out, he had already used up about 80% of his strength.