Wang Qiongxing watched Fu Deqing leave, his face clouded with worry. "I'm afraid he's going to stop Yue Liqun. That guy is just too stubborn."
"Could there be trouble?" Xu Wuwei asked with concern, glancing in the direction Fu Deqing had gone. "That disciple of his is known for being quite rebellious."
"Whatever happens, let the master and disciple sort it out," Wang Qiongxing murmured, also gazing in the direction Fu Deqing had departed.
Fu Deqing had not flown far from the gathering place when he saw a human squad approaching. When they noticed him, they gradually came to a stop.
Standing before Fu Deqing, suspended in mid-air, was a group of sixty people, all radiating the aura of the Heart Realm of the Life and Death Stage. In the Ancient Forest World, this was a force to be reckoned with.
At the forefront of the group was a rotund man, whose figure bore a striking resemblance to Fu Deqing's own.
This man was the strongest among them, and judging by his aura, he was also a Soul Warrior at the Awakening Stage.
Staring at the man who was both his disciple and similarly overweight, Fu Deqing sighed deeply.
He had taken Yue Liqun as his disciple not only because of the latter's talent but also due to their similar physiques. However, his disciple had one major flaw: an inability to think things through properly.
Even though Yue Liqun had become the leader of the human race in the northern gathering place—one of the four major gathering points in the Ancient Forest World—over the years, he had shown little improvement. His leadership relied heavily on his son.
"Master!" Upon seeing Fu Deqing, Yue Liqun didn't dare act arrogantly and quickly bowed in respect.
Yue Liqun was fully aware that without his master, Fu Deqing, he wouldn't have achieved his current status.
"What are you planning to do?" Fu Deqing asked, frowning at the sight of Yue Liqun's group.
Yue Liqun straightened up and replied to Fu Deqing, "Master, I'm here to capture this Lin Qian."
"If you refuse to follow our orders, we won't force you. But on what grounds do you intend to capture him?" Fu Deqing asked, his brow furrowed further.
"Because this Lin Qian is spreading dangerous lies!" Yue Liqun responded earnestly, undeterred by his master's questioning. "I don't understand how you and the other three elders could so easily believe him."
"That's because we saw it with our own eyes!" Fu Deqing retorted loudly, turning to address the humans behind Yue Liqun. "In the gathering place up ahead, the humans have already been restored."
"Not only that, but we four elders have also been restored, and we now possess the power that matches our Awakening Stage!" As he said this, Fu Deqing's eyes narrowed slightly. "If you persist in your stubbornness, I'll have no choice but to take action."
"Hahaha, Master, there's no need to fool your disciple," Yue Liqun laughed off Fu Deqing's words. "Our current condition is the natural state of the human race; it has nothing to do with any 'Strengthening Fruit.'"
"Besides, Master, you've always been stronger than me. Defeating me would be easy for you. So even if you do overpower me and claim we've regained our true strength, how would I know it's true?"
"You and I have fought before; why not just try it again?"
"It's impossible, Master. You don't need to defend this Lin Qian. You've all been deceived by him. Once I capture him, the truth will be revealed." Yue Liqun stubbornly shook his head, remaining convinced of his beliefs.
Fu Deqing took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he spoke to Yue Liqun, "Are you suggesting that all four of us elders have been deceived by this Lin Qian? And that the humans in the gathering place up ahead have also been fooled?"
"Yes, though I don't know how Lin Qian managed to deceive you all, I'm convinced that the human race's power and level of cultivation are just as they should be, and cannot be changed." Yue Liqun sighed. "Master, please stop dreaming. This is who we are as humans. How could we ever compare to the other three races? It's just not possible!"
Fu Deqing pointed at Yue Liqun, his body trembling with rage. "You... you're so stubborn!"
He never expected his disciple to be this obstinate, clinging to his belief that the human race was inherently weak, that Lin Qian was a fraud, and that everything was a lie while insisting that he alone was right.
Fu Deqing had always known that his disciple was stubborn, refusing to change his mind unless he was faced with undeniable proof. But after all these years, he hadn't imagined that Yue Liqun's obstinacy would reach this level.
"Spreading lies and capturing me?" Just then, a voice that sent a chill down Fu Deqing's spine echoed in the air. In the next moment, a figure in white appeared beside him—it was none other than Lin Qian.
After Fu Deqing had left the gathering place, everything that transpired had been relayed to Lin Qian through his surveillance beasts, keeping him fully informed.
Lin Qian, too, was amazed by Yue Liqun's stubbornness. The man was like a stone in a latrine—filthy and unyielding.
"Your Majesty..." Seeing Lin Qian appear, Fu Deqing's face paled. Although his disciple had angered him nearly to death, Yue Liqun was still the student he had raised from childhood. The bond between them ran deep.
Fu Deqing knew exactly how powerful Lin Qian was; the words from Wang Gang and the feeling within the courtyard had made that abundantly clear.
Fu Deqing believed that if Lin Qian became angry and attacked Yue Liqun, his disciple wouldn't stand a chance.
He was just about to plead for his disciple's life when Lin Qian raised a hand to stop him, his gaze fixed on Yue Liqun with interest. "I'm curious. What makes you think that humans are inherently weaker than the other races? On what basis?"
Lin Qian's final word was delivered in a thunderous roar, as his Imperial Yellow Emperor Soul Power enveloped him. The twelve-layered soul rings bore down like a massive hammer on Yue Liqun and his followers, causing their ears to ring and their heads to spin.
The oppressive force of imperial might weighed down on them, making it impossible for Yue Liqun and his men to lift their heads, as if they were mere leaves tossed about in a raging sea, powerless to resist.
Seeing that Lin Qian was angry but hadn't struck out directly, Fu Deqing breathed a sigh of relief.
Indeed, Lin Qian was furious, but not because Yue Liqun had planned to capture him—that notion was laughable to him.
What truly enraged him was Yue Liqun's claim that humans were inherently inferior to other races. This made Lin Qian deeply angry.
As a human, how could Yue Liqun lack faith in his own race? How could he be worthy of being called human?
"I'll show you right now whether humans are weak or not!"