A dead beast's projection?
Hearing Ying Chen's words, Zhuang Ruoting looked puzzled.
This immortal crane was clearly alive, so why did Ying Chen call it dead?
Facing Zhuang Ruoting's confusion, Ying Chen couldn't be bothered to explain.
He simply raised his hand and casually struck the beak of the immortal crane hovering above his head!
*Crack!*
With a bloodcurdling cry from the immortal crane, its long beak was snapped off by Ying Chen!
What was bizarre was that the broken beak, upon falling to the ground, did not pierce the earth or cause any significant tremor as one might expect.
Instead, it vanished into thin air like a wisp of smoke upon contact with the ground.
"What's going on?"
Everyone was stunned.
Only Zhuang Ruoting seemed lost in thought.
"Hmm? Your punch intent can actually harm my immortal crane's true form?"
He Chongxu's pupils contracted.
He then made rapid gestures with his hands, and intricate seals formed from his fingertips, one after another.
The seals, like streams of light, surged towards the immortal crane, layering themselves upon its form.
The immortal crane, its beak broken, instantly transformed from a mournful state to one of ferocity.
With a pair of blood-red eyes flashing with malevolence, it stared intently at Ying Chen.
Suddenly, it flapped its wings, and with a thunderous roar, a colossal tornado erupted from the center of the venue!
The origin of this tornado was unknown. Each intensely rotating wind current carried an extremely cold, malevolent aura.
As the tornado spun, the temperature in the entire venue plummeted. Everyone's teeth chattered, and they shivered as if they had been plunged into a sub-zero arctic ice cave.
This was the sensation for those further away from the tornado's center.
Those closer to the vortex, especially Zhuang Ruoting and her companions near Ying Chen, felt it even more intensely!
Their faces turned ashen, their lips purple, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably, as if their muscles, blood, and bones had all frozen solid.
All they could do was gaze with profound despair, as if they were about to perish at any moment!
"Hmph, everyone else wisely kept their distance from that brat like he was a plague, but you few actually didn't know to avoid him. Aren't you asking for death?"
"Therefore, if you die, you can't blame others. You can only blame yourselves for being out of touch!"
He Chongxu looked at Zhuang Ruoting and the others, his eyes filled with killing intent, and said coldly.
Hearing He Chongxu's words, the despair in Zhuang Ruoting and the others' eyes deepened.
Some tried to turn their eyeballs to look at Ying Chen, their hateful gazes seeming to say: It's all your fault! This jinx caused all of this! We should have stayed away from you long ago!
Ying Chen merely cast a brief glance at Zhuang Ruoting and the others, uttering no word.
He then lifted his foot and stomped on the ground.
The next second, a miraculous scene unfolded.
With Ying Chen's stomp, a small, spring-like warm world materialized around him.
This world was not vast, extending only five meters around Ying Chen.
It perfectly enveloped Zhuang Ruoting and the others, who had been caught in Ying Chen's orbit.
Instantly, Zhuang Ruoting and the others, who had been on the brink of death, revived.
They were like fish pulled from a river in the depths of winter; they had been frozen stiff and seemingly dead, but as soon as they were brought indoors, they became lively again!
"We're saved! We're saved!"
Tears welled up in Zhuang Ruoting's eyes as they were overcome with emotion.
The feeling of having walked through the gates of hell was unforgettable.
It was precisely because they had seen death that they now understood the preciousness of life even more.
Thus, their gazes towards Ying Chen were filled with gratitude.
Even the person who had previously harbored hatred towards Ying Chen spoke with a guilty expression: "I'm sorry, young master. I shouldn't have looked at you like that... In fact, even if I had died, it wouldn't have been your fault, but He Chongxu's fault for wantonly killing and disregarding lives. It was I who wrongly blamed you, showing a complete lack of judgment!"
Ying Chen did not reply, merely waving his hand.
Initially, everyone thought Ying Chen's wave was a response to the apologetic person.
But then, everyone realized something was amiss.
Because with Ying Chen's wave, the tornado created by He Chongxu suddenly expanded!
What had initially enveloped only the center of the venue now expanded several times, covering more than half of the entire area!
Instantly, the guests who had earlier been gloating and congratulating themselves on wisely distancing themselves from Ying Chen were dumbfounded.
Before they could utter a word, they felt a bone-chilling coldness descend upon them!
The next second, they all fell into the same state as Zhuang Ruoting and the others.
Their faces turned ashen, their lips purple, and their muscles and blood froze solid.
Let alone escape, they couldn't even speak!
It was as if the moment they opened their mouths, their tongues would be frozen off by the biting cold!
"No!"
"Save me!"
Desperate pleas filled everyone's eyes as they looked towards Ying Chen.
If they had been able to move, they would have rushed to Ying Chen's side in droves!
"The barbarians are beasts; they fear might but not virtue. The ancients truly did not deceive me."
Ying Chen looked at the crowd with a sneer.
The saying Ying Chen quoted was from the *Zizhi Tongjian* (Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance), originally spoken by Emperor Taizong of Tang to mock the surrounding smaller nations. He believed that no matter how much kindness was shown to them, they would not be grateful. Only by suppressing them with force would they submit.
Ying Chen was now equating the prominent figures of Hong Kong present to these "barbarians" and "beasts"!
Did these influential figures have no pride?
Instantly, their eyes flashed with intense anger.
However, after the anger subsided, their expressions shifted to pleading and pitifulness.
Faced with dignity and life, they ultimately chose life and abandoned their dignity.
"Heh heh." Ying Chen chuckled, as if he had anticipated this.
He then lifted his foot and stomped on the ground again.
*Rumble!*
This time, the ground of the entire venue trembled.
Immediately, the warm world around Ying Chen expanded, covering the entire venue!
Those who had been on the verge of freezing to death instantly gasped for air and came back to life.
While they rejoiced at their narrow escape, they looked at Ying Chen with fearful eyes.
Such a terrifying individual, who could send them to their deaths with a mere wave of his hand and bring them back to life with a stomp, was far beyond their ability to offend!
No matter how dissatisfied or resentful they felt towards Ying Chen in their hearts, they absolutely could not show it!
Not only could they not show it, but they had to feign subservience to avoid displeasing Ying Chen!
Otherwise, Ying Chen could send them to their doom with a single finger!
Most crucially, Ying Chen and He Chongxu were present, and at least Ying Chen was willing to spare their lives.
He Chongxu, however, was unwilling to give them any chance of survival!
Otherwise, He Chongxu would not have callously attempted to kill Zhuang Ruoting and the others earlier!
"I didn't realize you were such a benevolent person," He Chongxu said, his expression extremely grim.
"Since you enjoy doing good deeds so much, continue doing them! Let's see if you choose to save them or yourself!"
With that, He Chongxu let out a fierce roar.
Four ancient syllables burst from his throat, transforming into a divine decree.
"Tian! Yue! He! Xue!"