Who exactly was this guy?
Where had he come from, and how much had he overheard?
Shen Qing felt this kid would ruin their plans!
The most unsettling thing was that he couldn't sense any Golden Core Stage cultivator's aura from him!
"...How long have you been here? Who are you?"
Ling Xian jumped down from the rooftop, his hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze locked on Shen Qing. "Since your companion started commenting on the weather today..."
Cold sweat trickled down Shen Qing's forehead beneath the Golden Dragon Mask. This seemingly ordinary high school student... was communicating through mental projection?!
Shen Qing: This guy has to be eliminated!
When cultivators sense danger, they instinctively release waves of spiritual pressure to gauge their opponent's strength.
What the hell am I afraid of?!
With a snap of his fingers, Shen Qing unleashed a torrent of spiritual pressure directly at Ling Xian!
Buzz—! A crushing force descended!
Kneel before me, peasant!
***
In the deathly silence, the second hand ticked. Ling Xian remained standing, completely unscathed.
He merely blinked, bored.
"Damn it!" Shen Qing was utterly stunned.
F**k!, it had no effect! It's like he was repelled...
With this spiritual pressure, I could crush countless bones! The souls and skeletons I've shattered could pile up into mountains! Yet this high schooler has completely shattered my expectations!
How could a mere Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator make me lose my composure like this...?
Whoosh! The iron fist shot toward Ling Xian like lightning, the boy's dark hair whipping wildly in its wake.
Real combat is the best teacher! Perhaps only then will you understand...
So what if your spiritual pressure is weak! This fist is real—it will smash into your face and obliterate your features!
This is a radioactive fist!
Shen Qing felt a flicker of pity for Ling Xian, but this was entirely his own fault! How dare he defy me?! Poor child, he'll never have the chance to work, start a family, or realize his dreams...
"Goodbye..." The fist was about to strike Ling Xian's face...
***
His expression remained calm. In truth, he felt nothing. Ling Xian even felt a pang of sympathy—wasn't this ruining his reputation? To die without even landing a single blow?
Amidst a sigh...
BOOM! The roof trembled violently, and an earth-shattering roar deafened the senses.
Shen Qing's anticipation shattered instantly.
The opponent had blocked the attack with a single finger!
He was stunned. Blocked so easily?!
"What the hell... Who are you?!" Before the words left his mouth, he spun around and kicked at Ling Xian's hair.
The wind tousled his black hair...
As Ling Xian dodged, he accidentally fisted into Shen Qing's groin...
Ling Xian felt a pang of guilt and mentally asked, "Are you alright—"
Before he could finish, a girlish scream pierced the air, and bloody foam erupted from Shen Qing's mouth!
Fucking hell! That hurts like a bitch!
He clutched his crotch and collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, Shen Qing raised his arm and flipped Ling Xian the middle finger. "Go... go... go f**k yourself..."
Then, he died peacefully.
Ling Xian was speechless! What a way to go...
***
The Dragon Linen Assassins of the Eternal Tomb originally consisted of three brothers: Shen Qing, Shen Lu, and Shen Yuan.
These brothers once captivated the world, revered as some of the most influential assassins in Tianxu history.
Yet, tragically, the eldest brother, Shen Qing, met a gruesome end here before reaching the Golden Core Stage...
***
Six hours had passed, and it was now noon at Phoenix Academy. Normally, the cafeteria would be serving lunch at this time, but due to heightened security measures, the lunch break had been replaced with additional classes.
As a result, students in the Prodigy Class, along with those from other grades, were confined to their classrooms, bored to tears.
Teacher Shuang proactively began grading the previous lesson's exam papers.
Zhao Ming listlessly doodled stick figures in his notebook, while Hao Zhen lay sprawled across his desk, fast asleep, with Dandan resting against his back. Zhao Ming seethed with frustration—Damn it... they canceled PE for this?!
He wasn't the only one simmering with resentment; in fact, most of the boys were burning with anger.
Glancing around, he noticed an unusual quiet among his classmates. Perhaps it was due to Teacher Shuang's strict discipline.
Take Xu Yutong, for example, a fellow otaku obsessed with drawing BL fan art. Despite her hobbies, she was academically exceptional, ranking among the top students in the class.
Then there was Wei Huiyuan, the diligent study machine, currently buried in his phone, looking every bit the part of a scientist...
Finally, there was Ling Xian. Perhaps it was personal bias, but this guy always exuded an unsettling aura. Ever since that inexplicable blunder during the VR entrance exam, Zhao Ming had been plagued by questions about him.
He even suspected that the mysterious expert who saved Su Xinyi at Starfall Park was none other than Ling Xian—though, of course, he had no proof.
In short: this guy was probably more than met the eye...
...
...