Volume One, Chapter 16: Outwitting Qi Haoran, Words Carry the Weight of Law
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A spoiled young nobleman was strolling down the street with several attendants. Everyone else who saw him gave him a wide berth, but Chen Xuanting walked straight toward him.
“Are you blind? How dare you block this young master’s path! You’re so ugly that you shouldn’t be out frightening people. Beat him!”
The spoiled heir was arrogant and overbearing. He took an instant dislike to the plain-looking Chen Xuanting and ordered his men to attack.
You’re courting death!
With a single palm strike, Chen Xuanting sent the attacker flying. He seized the young nobleman by the throat, intending to kill him.
“I am the heir of the Wang family of Cloud-Dream City! If you kill me, my father will never let you get away with it!”
Upon hearing that the man had some backing, Chen Xuanting immediately abandoned the idea of killing him. In an instant, a vicious plan formed in his mind, and he released his grip.
Seeing that his opponent had let him go, Wang Teng assumed the man feared the Wang family and became arrogant once more.
“Boy, how dare you lay a hand on me? Kneel down and apologize at once, or you’ll never leave Cloud-Dream City alive!”
Chen Xuanting had never encountered anyone so foolish. He truly wanted to slap him to death, but instead he used the Soul-Seizing Art to capture Wang Teng’s mind and bring him under his control.
“Young Master Wang, I was rather rude just now. Please accept my apology.”
“Get lost!”
Chen Xuanting departed, sneering inwardly. He had secretly taken control of Wang Teng.
Wang Teng led his men toward Qi Haoran and Murong Xue. Blocking their path, he stared straight at Murong Xue with a lecherous expression.
“What a rare beauty. Men, take her back for this young master.”
“Young Master, I’m afraid that wouldn’t be wise. What if the family head finds out?”
His subordinates hesitated.
“I told you to seize her, so seize her. I’ll take responsibility if anything happens.”
With those words, his men threw caution to the wind and attacked Qi Haoran and Murong Xue.
Qi Haoran sent them all flying with a single palm strike. In a cold voice, he said, “You’re remarkably bold, daring to abduct people in broad daylight.”
Murong Xue was filled with disgust toward Wang Teng.
“Senior Brother, teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. Let’s see whether he still dares to run wild after this.”
“You think the likes of you can teach me a lesson?”
Wang Teng attacked Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran formed a sword with his fingers and shot out a streak of sword energy, blasting Wang Teng backward.
Pfft!
Wang Teng spat blood and died.
Chen Xuanting, hidden nearby, let out a cold laugh. Qi Haoran, you’re going to take the blame for this one.
That sword strike from Qi Haoran could never have killed Wang Teng. The true killer was Chen Xuanting.
“Senior Brother, he’s dead.”
“How could he be dead? My sword strike couldn’t possibly have killed him.”
Qi Haoran stared at Wang Teng’s lifeless body in disbelief.
He had merely intended to teach the spoiled heir a lesson. He had never meant to kill him.
The surrounding pedestrians gathered to watch.
“This man is unbelievably bold. He actually killed the Wang family’s young master. The Wang family will never let this go.”
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“Wang Teng ran rampant throughout Cloud-Dream City. His death is hardly undeserved.”
No one felt the slightest pity for Wang Teng’s death.
Murong Xue said, “Senior Brother, he has a powerful background. We must leave now, or we may not get away.”
“Qi Haoran, you have some nerve, slaughtering an innocent man!”
A furious shout rang out.
Qi Haoran looked over and saw Chen Xuanting approaching, his true appearance restored.
“I didn’t kill him.”
“With everyone watching, are you saying I’ve wronged you? You always parade around with an air of righteousness, constantly talking about vanquishing demons and defending the Dao. Who would have thought you were a hypocrite? I misjudged you.”
“Stop spouting nonsense. This wastrel tried to abduct me. Senior Brother only acted to teach him a lesson.”
Murong Xue spoke up in Qi Haoran’s defense.
Chen Xuanting sneered. “So teaching someone a lesson means killing him? How touching—a hero enraged for the sake of a beauty.”
“Who killed my son?”
An enraged voice thundered through the street.
A middle-aged man appeared. Upon seeing his son’s corpse, he stared at Qi Haoran, Murong Xue, and Chen Xuanting with murderous intent. He released his domain, trapping the three of them within it.
A domain—he was a Celestial Human Realm expert.
When Chen Xuanting realized that the newcomer was a Celestial Human Realm cultivator, he remained utterly calm.
“The man who killed your son is him. I had nothing to do with it.”
Wang Tianhua fixed his murderous gaze on Qi Haoran.
“It was you who killed my son?”
Murong Xue said, “We are core disciples of the Supreme Mystery Sect. He attempted to molest me first. My senior brother merely taught him a lesson. He already had injuries on his body, and that was why he died.”
Wang Tianhua roared, “Even if my son had offended you, it was not a crime deserving death! You disgrace the righteous path. Even if you are disciples of the Supreme Mystery Sect, I will make you pay the price.”
Qi Haoran said, “A man should take responsibility for his own deeds. I killed him. It has nothing to do with her.”
Wang Tianhua replied coldly, “Fine. If you can withstand one palm from me and survive, I will let both of you go.”
Murong Xue hurriedly tried to stop him.
“Senior Brother, don’t agree! You’ll die!”
“Junior Sister, I have never slaughtered the innocent. Since I killed this man, I must give him an explanation.”
Chen Xuanting sneered inwardly from the side. Utterly foolish. Even if he survives a palm from a Celestial Human Realm expert, he will be gravely wounded. When that happens, I can devour this fool myself.
Thunder gathered in Wang Tianhua’s palm. The divine technique he used was Palm Thunder, a technique of terrifying destructive power. He struck toward Qi Haoran with all his might.
“Defend.”
Qi Haoran uttered a single word, and an invisible force blocked Wang Tianhua’s palm.
Words Made Law!
Chen Xuanting was startled.
Words Made Law was the supreme divine art of the Confucian Dao.
Qi Haoran had actually obtained this inheritance.
As expected of the future Haoran Great Emperor—his destiny was truly extraordinary.
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Although Qi Haoran possessed a supreme divine art, his comprehension was still shallow, and his cultivation was weak. Wang Tianhua, however, was a peak Celestial Human Realm expert, and this palm strike had been delivered with his full strength. The thunder shattered Qi Haoran’s defense. He was struck head-on, suffered severe injuries, and spat blood before collapsing unconscious on the spot.
“Senior Brother!”
Murong Xue rushed forward and embraced Qi Haoran, overcome with grief.
Knowing that Qi Haoran would not survive, Wang Tianhua gave a cold snort and left with his son’s corpse.
Chen Xuanting spoke up. “He still has a breath left. At present, I am the only one who can save him.”
Murong Xue seemed to have seized a final lifeline.
“You really can save him? I beg you—please save him for the sake of our shared sect.”
Chen Xuanting let out a cold laugh.
“He has always regarded me as a demon and wanted to kill me. Why should I save him?”
“As long as you can save him, I will agree to any condition.”
“Even if I demanded that you become my woman and cultivate with me, you would agree?”
Chen Xuanting did not want Murong Xue to cultivate with him because he had fallen for her. It was simply because she was the woman Qi Haoran loved. Nothing more.
“You’re taking advantage of the situation. You’re despicable.”
“Whether I save him is up to you.”
Chen Xuanting turned and began to leave.
“I agree.”
In the end, Murong Xue could not bear to watch her senior brother die in her arms, and she accepted Chen Xuanting’s shameless condition.
Chen Xuanting smiled wickedly. He had known she would agree. This was love—the deadliest poison in the world, one for which there was no cure.
“I don’t trust you. Swear an oath to Heaven’s Dao, and then I’ll save him.”
“You…”
Murong Xue hated Chen Xuanting so much that she ground her teeth, but with no other choice, she was forced to swear an oath to Heaven’s Dao.
“As long as Chen Xuanting saves my senior brother’s life, I will become his woman and cultivate with him. Should I violate this oath, may Heaven destroy me.”
“Take him and follow me.”
The three of them soon arrived at an inn and rented its finest room.
“Wait outside. No one is to disturb us.”
Murong Xue hesitated, but eventually went outside.
Looking at the unconscious Qi Haoran, Chen Xuanting sneered inwardly.
In the end, you’ve still fallen into my hands. I told you—I would make you wish you were dead.
He had originally intended to devour Qi Haoran, but after discovering that Qi Haoran had obtained the Confucian Dao inheritance, he changed his mind. He would plant a demonic seed inside Qi Haoran. Once the seed matured, he could harvest everything Qi Haoran possessed.
He once again depleted his vital essence, spirit, and soul to condense the demonic seed.
Afterward, Chen Xuanting was severely weakened, his face deathly pale. This demonic seed was even more powerful than the one he had planted in the Emperor of Chu, consuming half of his vital essence, spirit, and soul.
He drove the demonic seed into Qi Haoran’s body. The seed released a vast surge of life force, nourishing Qi Haoran and helping him repair his primordial spirit and heal his injuries.
Qi Haoran’s condition finally stabilized.
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