Three days later.
At the foot of Dragon's Hidden Mountain, Su Qingxue slowly opened her eyes. The color had returned to her face. The meridians in her chest, severely damaged by the Black Fiend True Qi, had not only fully healed under the constant nourishment of the Azurewood Longevity Art but were now tougher and broader than before.
Her internal Wood-Attribute True Essence had solidified into a small stream, circulating through her meridians. This power felt easily ten times stronger than her peak Grandmaster True Qi, giving her a completely reborn sense of confidence.
She took out a "Qi Restoration Pill" from the Storage Ring. Though Elder Jing had dismissed it as "low-grade trash," the pill radiated a captivating aroma in Su Qingxue's hand. She swallowed it, and a gentle stream of energy flowed down, instantly replenishing the True Essence she had just finished cycling.
"A low-grade pill, yet it is so miraculously effective." Su Qingxue felt profound reverence, cherishing the "trash" bestowed by Lord Shan Hu even more.
She bowed respectfully toward the mountainside, then disappeared into the forest like a wisp of wind, heading straight for the Su Clan manor in Longcheng's inner city.
Longcheng, the Su Clan Manor.
The Su Clan, a leading martial arts family in Longcheng, had enjoyed great prestige, but for the past half-year, they had faced a severe crisis.
The atmosphere in the main hall was heavy, with dozens of core Su Clan members gathered, their faces etched with anxiety and anger. Seated at the head was the current Patriarch, Su Qingxue's father—Su Xiong.
"Dad, we can't tolerate this anymore! The Wang Clan has gone too far!" one young man in martial attire shouted.
Su Xiong's face was ashen. He slammed his hand heavily onto the mahogany table. "Tolerate? How can I tolerate it? That old fool from the Wang Clan, leveraging the fact that he is on the verge of breaking through to Half-Step Xiantian (Innate Realm), has cut off forty percent of our medicinal supplies!"
"Wang Dingtian of the Wang Clan has issued an ultimatum," a white-haired Elder lamented bitterly. "Either we hand over the ownership of our century-old 'Medicine King Valley,' or they will completely blockade all supply routes for the Su Clan, leaving us to perish!"
Su Xiong leaned back in his chair, exhausted. "If Qingxue were here, perhaps we could deter the Wang Clan. But she has been in seclusion for so long pursuing higher realms. Now Wang Dingtian is pressing us at every turn… are we truly forced to this point?"
Just then, an excessively arrogant laugh rang out from outside the hall.
"Hahaha! Su Xiong, it seems you have made your decision!"
A burly old man with a formidable aura strode into the hall. This was the Wang Clan Patriarch—Wang Dingtian. Behind him followed more than ten elite Wang Clan martial artists, all radiating aggression.
Wang Dingtian stood in the center of the hall, scanning the room with the dismissive air of a victor.
"Su Xiong, your precious daughter, Su Qingxue, is Longcheng's top prodigy, but she is still merely an Intermediate Grandmaster. I, however, have touched the threshold of the Innate Realm! What do you, the Su Clan, possess to fight me?"
Su Xiong stood up abruptly. "Wang Dingtian, the Su Clan and the Wang Clan are equals among Longcheng's top families! Are you not afraid of the Martial Alliance's sanctions for such egregious bullying?"
Wang Dingtian roared with laughter, his voice shaking the rafters. "The Martial Alliance? Those old fossils only care about money. Besides, I hear there's been some activity at their secret training ground recently, so they are likely preoccupied! Hand over the Medicine King Valley, and I will leave the Su Clan a way to survive!"
Just as Su Xiong despairingly reached for his sword, a cold, familiar voice suddenly cut in from the doorway.
"Patriarch Wang, the affairs of my Su Clan are none of your concern."
All eyes instantly turned to the entrance.
Su Qingxue stood there in her white combat suit, immaculate. Her face was still cold, but her eyes now held a deep, unsettling calmness that made everyone gasp.
"Qingxue! You're out of seclusion?" Su Xiong was overwhelmed with shock and delight.
Wang Dingtian's eyes narrowed, viewing Su Qingxue with apprehension. "Su Qingxue, you are even more beautiful after three years in seclusion. But your Grandmaster presence seems weaker? Did you suffer a cultivation deviation?"
He sensed that her aggressive, overbearing aura had vanished, replaced by a gentle, highly contained vitality that paradoxically suggested a regression in power.
Su Qingxue did not answer him. She walked slowly to a spot three paces in front of Wang Dingtian, her tone as detached as if stating a natural law.
"Wang Dingtian. You have two choices: First, immediately take your people and leave the Su Clan, cripple one of your arms, and apologize to my father. Second, die."
Silence descended upon the hall. The Su Clan members were aghast; the Wang Clan martial artists were enraged.
Wang Dingtian's mustache bristled with fury. "Arrogance! Su Qingxue, do you think you are still the top prodigy of three years ago? I will show you today what Half-Step Xiantian truly means!"
He roared, his True Qi erupting. A vast wave of internal energy, seemingly materialized, slammed toward Su Qingxue!
This was Wang Dingtian's full-power strike, enough to instantly crush any martial artist below the Grandmaster realm! The Su Clan members cried out, thinking Su Qingxue had been reckless.
However, facing this terrifying coercion, Su Qingxue simply raised her hand calmly, pressed her index and middle fingers together, and gently tapped the air in front of her!
There was no deafening explosion, no dazzling light.
From Su Qingxue's fingertips surged a tiny, silk-like wisp of green True Essence.
This wisp of Essence looked fragile, yet it carried an invincible vitality and resilience. The moment it met Wang Dingtian's tidal wave of True Qi—
Boom—
Wang Dingtian's wave of internal power met an invisible, resilient net. It was instantly dissolved, absorbed, and disintegrated by the wisp of green True Essence!
Wang Dingtian felt his proud True Qi being sucked dry, completely unable to be recalled, utterly vanishing in an instant!
"No! This is impossible! This is not Grandmaster power!" Wang Dingtian shrieked in terror.
Su Qingxue's green wisp, having annihilated his entire Qi attack, quickly wrapped around Wang Dingtian's arm like a living vine, precisely locking all of his major meridians.
Thud!
Wang Dingtian's knees buckled. His massive body crashed to the floor, all his power gone as if deflated.
Su Qingxue withdrew her fingers, the green wisp instantly returning to her body.
Her expression was serene as she looked down at the kneeling, panic-stricken Wang Dingtian, repeating her demand.
"Patriarch Wang, what is your choice?"
The entire hall, including the Su Clan and the Wang Clan elites, fell into utter silence. They could not comprehend how Su Qingxue, with a single finger, had completely neutralized a powerhouse who had touched the threshold of the Innate Realm!
Wang Dingtian felt his meridians sealed and realized he was no longer facing martial arts, but a miracle.
He looked desperately into Su Qingxue's deep, calm eyes, which no longer held mortal colors.
He lowered his head in utter despair. "I… I choose the first option… I will leave immediately…"