Chapter 58: The Supreme Elder

CLANG!

The sound of metal-like Spiritual Qi colliding spread in all directions as Qing also materialized his Qi-Sword, but this time, there was something different about it.

His Killing Intent had been condensed directly into the sword, mixing with the dense Spiritual Qi and turning the entire blade a dark red color. The moment the dark-red Qi Sword appeared in his hand, an oppressive sensation spread through the surrounding area.

Even Jin, who was already furious from Qing’s previous actions, felt a sense of dread wash over him as he stared at the sword. His expression twisted in disbelief as the thought appeared in his mind, ’I am feeling scared from someone as weak as him?!’

His anger surged even further as he forced himself to ignore the fear and shifted his stance toward the left. His feet scraped against the floor slightly as he redirected his momentum before swinging his sword from the left side, aiming directly toward Qing.

Qing’s eyes remained closed throughout the entire battle, yet he still raised his Qi Sword at exactly the right moment and parried the attack with a small amount of force applied to the right edge of Jin’s blade.

The two swords slid against each other before Jin’s attack was completely redirected, leaving him unable to understand how Qing had reacted so accurately. He gritted his teeth as confusion mixed with anger, ’How is he able to guess the angle at which my sword is coming?!’

Jin couldn’t understand what was happening because Qing’s eyes were still completely closed. Just as Jin was about to change his stance and launch another attack, Qing’s figure suddenly vanished from directly in front of him.

Before he could even turn around, Qing had already appeared behind him. Qing’s dark-red Qi Sword swung without hesitation, cutting deeply across Jin’s back and causing blood to immediately spray into the surrounding area.

The attack was far from a normal slash because the blade itself was made from extremely condensed Spiritual Qi, while Qing’s terrifying Killing Intent had been compressed into the same sword, making the pain far more intense than Jin had expected.

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

Jin screamed at the top of his lungs as unimaginable pain spread through his body. Before he could even recover from the slash, Qing’s fist came crashing down toward the back of his head with ferocious force.

The attack caught Jin completely off guard, and his body was driven downward as Qing’s fist smashed his head directly into the floor.

BOOOM!!

The impact cracked the ground beneath him as Jin’s consciousness immediately faded, leaving his body motionless against the floor. Qing stood above him for a moment before finally opening his eyes, but the moment they opened, he immediately shut them again as the consequences of using that technique came crashing down upon both his body and mind.

’Fuck! I knew it. I really shouldn’t have used it!’

"GAH! KHUG!!!"

Qing dropped onto one knee and coughed up a massive amount of blood, his body trembling from the strain. The reason he had used that particular move was simple: during his first exchange with Jin, the System had suddenly alerted him that someone powerful was observing the battle.

That immediately made Qing change his strategy because using Void Steps could cause the hidden observer to take an action that Qing would not quite like. At the same time, he had another reason for using the move, as he wanted to test whether he could still execute it properly with this new body after relying on it extensively during his previous life.

’It works, but... damn, it’s painful as hell!’

Qing clenched his teeth as the veins throughout his body began to bulge, while an intense heat seemed to spread through them. His brain felt as though his nerves were being pulled apart, and even the innate healing provided by his Spiritual Qi was barely enough to keep his body functioning under the strain.

The technique clearly worked, but his current body and cultivation were still unable to withstand its full burden without suffering severe backlash. Despite the pain, Qing couldn’t help but feel somewhat satisfied because he had confirmed that his previous-life technique could still be used in his current body. ’Well, I won in the end, so that’s what matters. This bastard was using some good movement techniques, But... which bastard is observing me, though?’

Qing clenched his fist and tried to stand, but his legs immediately gave out and he fell back onto the ground. Just as he prepared to force himself upright again, a strange dome of light suddenly appeared around his body.

The moment the light covered him, Qing felt the pain throughout his body rapidly fading as the damaged nerves began healing at an astonishing speed. The heat inside his veins gradually disappeared, and even the severe strain affecting his mind began to ease.

Qing’s eyes snapped toward the source of the energy, and when he looked upward, he saw the same old man who had been distributing the talismans floating slightly above the ground, "You managed to entertain me quite a bit with that strange and risky move just now. Even I had never considered something like that."

Qing listened to the old man’s calm voice and immediately narrowed his eyes slightly. A small smile appeared on the old man’s face as he continued healing him, while Qing’s thoughts quickly connected the pieces together. ’Is he the person who was observing me?’

The System responded immediately inside his mind.

[Yes, Host.]

Qing arched an eyebrow before turning toward the old man and performing a respectful bow, pressing his fist against his palm as he spoke, "I am honoured that I could entertain you, Senior, but may I know who you are?"

The surrounding disciples were still staring at the scene in complete disbelief. None of them had expected the newly selected Core Disciple to defeat Jin, especially after Jin had challenged him so confidently only moments earlier. One disciple finally broke the silence and asked in disbelief, "H-Hey, he really defeated Jin, right?"

The disciple beside him immediately pointed toward Jin’s unconscious body and shouted, "Y-Yes! Can’t you see his head is smashed into the floor?!" Their voices spread through the surrounding area as more disciples continued staring at Qing and Jin, still struggling to process what had just happened.

The old man floating above Qing didn’t seem bothered by the reactions around him. Instead, he calmly answered Qing’s question, "No need to be so polite, your display deserves a reward." He extended one hand, and a tiny glass bottle appeared before floating toward Qing and gently landing in his palm.

Inside the transparent bottle was a small rolled piece of paper, which immediately made Qing stare at it in confusion because he couldn’t understand why an ordinary-looking piece of paper had been placed inside such a strange container. The old man simply smiled and added, "That is a gift from me, as you showed me such an interesting display."

Qing continued staring at the bottle for another moment before the old man finally answered his earlier question. "As for your question, I am the Supreme Elder of the Sect, Lin Haoran." Qing’s eyes widened slightly when he heard the title, and his thoughts immediately became more serious. ’Supreme Elder? He is even above those Grand Elders?’

Then another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

’Is he another reason why the Sect Master still hasn’t taken any action?’