"Too late, everything is too late! Irreversible!"
"Remember in your next life not to be arrogant and provoke those you shouldn't!"
Those who wished to harm me would not escape without paying a price, how could that be possible?
Mistakes must be paid for, and the price Fang Ming demanded was—life.
It was the only price they could afford to pay!
"Lin Xuan, die!" A young man among the Lei family cultivators, seemingly provoked by Fang Ming's words, charged forward.
He was the strongest among the Lei family cultivators, the one the white-robed youth called "Brother Qing." His cultivation had reached the sixth level of Meridian Condensation. Now, stimulated by Fang Ming's effortless killing and taunts, he had gone mad.
Since there was no retreat and death was certain, with no possibility of negotiation, he naturally wanted to fight Fang Ming to the death!
Before... that sword light was so powerful, it killed the white-robed youth... it was almost comparable to Lei Jian, or even stronger?
No, this must be my illusion. This Lin Xuan is still young, he couldn't possibly be this strong!
"Lin Xuan! Others may believe your strength is immense! I, Lei Qing, do not! You unleashed such a powerful sword strike just now, your mana must be depleted!" The young man named Lei Qing thought it through and even imagined Fang Ming's mana exhausted, him capturing Fang Ming in one fell swoop.
Unfortunately, he didn't know that the sword light Fang Ming used to kill the white-robed youth was merely an ordinary strike, and Fang Ming hadn't even used one percent of his mana.
Not even one-thousandth of his mana had been used.
Fang Ming watched him with cold eyes, a frog in a well, how could it know the vastness of the sky and earth?
There will always be frogs in wells who delusionally imagine the height of the sky and the depth of the earth, mistaking their well for the true world!
Lei Qing was precisely such a person!
Fang Ming channeled his mana, and sword energy erupted from his hand.
The flying sword artifact, the Stellar Sword Art.
This was a profound technique, a spell, and also an artifact!
The systems of both cultivation worlds merged!
An unimaginably vast energy was unleashed!
Several streams of sword light shot up. The highest cultivation among the Lei family cultivators was only at the sixth level of Meridian Condensation, utterly unable to withstand Fang Ming's sword techniques and profound arts.
Blood splattered, dyeing the alley floor red. Several members of the Lei family fell to the ground.
In the span of a flip of his hand, he had killed several people!
"Killing is but a nod of the head."
Fang Ming calmly observed the scene.
Having experienced so much slaughter, he felt no particular emotion at this moment.
He was merely contemplating how to handle the aftermath.
"Use the Corpse Dissolving Water."
After deliberation, Fang Ming arrived at this solution.
The Corpse Dissolving Water was one of the byproducts of his pill refinement, and it was perfect for this purpose.
He poured the concocted Corpse Dissolving Water onto the corpses. With a hissing sound, several bodies instantly dissolved into foul liquid.
"This should temporarily deceive the Lei family."
"For now, this is sufficient."
Fang Ming had no intention of dealing with the Lei family himself. He was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, while the Lei family had as many as twenty cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm. Was he to charge in headfirst?
If he were to act, he would have to request Dao Xuan's assistance. His original plan was, upon Lin Zhuyu's death, to use their favor to ask Dao Xuan, a Golden Core True Master, to annihilate the entire Lei family.
However, the primary culprit, that white-robed youth, had already been dealt with, and Lin Zhuyu was only lightly injured. There was no need for such drastic measures.
Now, by killing these individuals, Fang Ming considered the grievances settled.
Using the Corpse Dissolving Water now was merely to delay, preventing the Lei family from discovering the truth and avoiding direct confrontation.
The Corpse Dissolving Water was not invincible, and with the passage of time, it would not be able to halt the Lei family's investigation.
But Fang Ming didn't need them to be permanently unable to investigate.
He merely hoped that the Lei family would be temporarily unable to investigate, serving the purpose of buying time.
This time bought needed only to last until Fang Ming departed for the Lingxiao Sect.
After that day, no matter how enraged the Lei family became, they would be powerless against Fang Ming, who would have already gone to the Lingxiao Sect.
However...
"There is one more matter. Before I leave, it would be best to make arrangements for Zhuyu."
Fang Ming mused.
He had accumulated quite a few enemies now, from Elder Lin Yao far away to the Lei family nearby. If he were to leave, Lin Zhuyu would have no one to rely on, and problems might arise again.
Just like the incident he encountered today.
One such incident was enough.
Mistakes could only be made once, not twice...
Perhaps...
Should he take her to the Lingxiao Sect?
This thought surfaced.
Fang Ming's eyes lit up.
This idea was feasible with True Master Dao Xuan there!
It was worth a try!
Some things could only be known if one tried them personally!
...
Lin Residence.
In the training ground.
Under the night sky, a girl of sixteen or seventeen years old practiced various sword techniques and profound arts under the moonlight. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, slicing through the heavens.
This girl was Lin Qingwan. After the previous arena competition, facing Lei Jian, she deeply felt her own weakness and inability to help. She could only offer support from the sidelines, while the main combatants against Lei Jian were her elder brother Lin Junjie and Fang Ming.
Therefore, she was diligently practicing profound arts in the training ground, the family's training arena.
It was so that she would no longer lag so far behind Lin Junjie and Fang Ming.
So that she, too, could contribute in battles, rather than relying solely on others.
After practicing several rounds of sword techniques, she suddenly sighed, "Although my sword techniques have greatly improved after that battle, compared to Lin Xuan..."
Her beautiful eyes flickered as she recalled the young man who had shone so brightly in the arena competition.
"Lin Xuan's swordsmanship is truly terrifying."
She sighed softly.
The more Lin Qingwan thought about it, the more she felt Fang Ming was a prodigy. No matter how much her swordsmanship improved, it would never reach the level of swordsmanship he displayed last time.
Superb swordsmanship, rapid cultivation advancement. How could such a genius exist in this world? He had surpassed me so much, and I am also a spiritual body genius of the Lin family! Compared to him, I am nothing.
Lin Qingwan bit her lip, feeling deeply indignant at being surpassed by a young man several years her junior. It was truly embarrassing.
However, speaking of which, younger brother Lin Xuan is truly handsome! So adorable!
Thinking this way, her sense of indignation seemed to lessen.
Appearance, after all, was the greatest justice!
As she was lost in thought.
She suddenly felt something unusual.
"Hmm? Someone?"
Lin Qingwan's ears twitched, and her gaze sharpened. As a cultivator at the seventh level of Meridian Condensation, her eyesight and hearing naturally far surpassed those of ordinary people.
Her ability to sense anomalies was naturally stronger than ordinary people, and at this moment, she clearly sensed someone's presence.
She just didn't know who it was.
"These are footsteps on fallen leaves."
"Who could it be? I specifically chose this secluded spot, there should be very few people here." She felt a bit annoyed. She had chosen a spacious location in the family for quiet practice, why was someone here?
Let me see who it is...
Before she could get a clear look.
A voice rang out, making her understand everything.
"Sister Qingwan."
Hearing this childish voice.
Although it was only four short words, it immediately triggered her memories.
From the memories she possessed, she retrieved the image of the person who belonged to that voice.