Wen Zhixing’s slap, fueled by days of pent-up resentment, was forceful and heavy!
Qiu Yinger’s neck twisted to the side, and she stood there, stupefied, unable to recover her senses for a long time. She never expected Wen Zhixing to actually dare to hit her!
"My hand slipped, Senior Sister," Wen Zhixing said with an apologetic expression. "Senior Sister, why didn’t you dodge?"
"You... dare... to... hit... me?" Qiu Yinger’s neck slowly straightened, anger and violence surging from her heart.
"Senior Sister, just bear with it; it will feel better soon." Wen Zhixing hurriedly reached out to lightly caress the red mark on her face.
Just rub it, and it’ll be fine.
"Wen Zhixing, you’re courting death!" Qiu Yinger’s eyes widened. Her slender white hands flipped, and she slammed her palm heavily onto Wen Zhixing’s chest.
A dull thud echoed. Wen Zhixing was sent flying by this strike, smashing hard against the wall with a violent crash. The entire house shook, and a large amount of dust fell, leaving them both somewhat grimy.
"Cough!" Wen Zhixing coughed up a mouthful of blood, but a smile played on his lips.
"Senior Sister, didn’t you eat?" he asked, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Wen Zhixing, do you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?" Qiu Yinger looked up at him, the murderous intent in her eyes palpable and alarming.
"Haha, Senior Sister, why are you still angry?" Wen Zhixing, however, pushed himself up against the wall and laughed, acting as if nothing had happened. "Senior Sister, I was just wondering if you hadn’t eaten. Are you hungry? I have some noodles here..."
"Wen Zhixing, stop playing dumb with me!" Qiu Yinger’s eyes flashed fiercely, her chest tight with an anger that felt about to explode.
"It’s my fault. I apologize, Senior Sister." Wen Zhixing immediately bowed in apology.
"Blech!" As he spoke, his face turned ashen, and he vomited blood once again.
"You!" Qiu Yinger’s expression contorted, her fury difficult to suppress. However, in the next moment, Wen Zhixing’s eyes suddenly closed, and he fell straight into unconsciousness.
After all, Qiu Yinger was a cultivator of the Mysterious Might Realm. How could Wen Zhixing withstand such an enraged blow from her? It was only because it was him; anyone else would probably have been killed on the spot by that strike.
"Wen Zhixing!" Seeing him fall to the ground, Qiu Yinger panicked instantly. In her rage, she had forgotten that Wen Zhixing was merely a Shedding Mortal Realm cultivator.
"Wen Zhixing!" Qiu Yinger called out several times and hurriedly bent down to check on him. Thankfully, Wen Zhixing was only unconscious, and his breathing was relatively steady. She let out a sigh of relief. Immediately, she stuffed several elixirs into Wen Zhixing’s mouth.
"Damnable!" Qiu Yinger was utterly exasperated. She had never been slapped in her life! Qiu Yinger couldn’t help but cover her face; even now, her cheek still throbbed with pain.
But now, she didn’t dare to strike again. She was afraid she’d beat Wen Zhixing to death.
Consider yourself lucky! Qiu Yinger lifted her foot, intending to strike him again, but ultimately restrained herself. Looking down, she noticed something odd. For some reason, she felt that the unconscious Wen Zhixing still had a faint smile on his lips. The throbbing numbness on her own cheek persisted.
"Hmph!" Qiu Yinger stamped her foot heavily and stormed off in annoyance.
No sooner had Qiu Yinger left than Wen Zhixing slowly opened his eyes and spat out another mouthful of congealed blood.
"That damn woman! She really went for the kill. Ptui!"
Now that things had escalated, he had nothing left to hold back. Even if he couldn’t truly do anything to Qiu Yinger, that slap had been incredibly satisfying. Now, he was free of fear. The more open the conflict became, the bolder he grew. What kind of bullshit Heart-eating Venomous Worm? He wasn’t afraid of it at all! Trying to control him? As if it could be that easy! The more they wanted to control him, the more it proved they didn’t want him dead. Even a worm will turn, let alone him. Qiu Yinger simply couldn’t do anything to him.
The Heart-eating Venomous Worm... can it really kill me? Wen Zhixing thought, looking at his chest where he could feel some intangible thing pressing on his heart. Suddenly, a curious thought struck him. If I dug out my heart, could I still live? Having undergone nirvana eight times, I don’t even know if my heart is still a vital spot.
Forget it, don’t court death, he thought, ultimately suppressing the reckless impulse. Whether he was certain about his current state or not, he knew that as long as he underwent nirvana one more time, he would surely have no vital spots. By then, this Heart-eating Venomous Worm would pose absolutely no threat whatsoever.
The injuries on Wen Zhixing’s body began to heal rapidly. He had considered cursing Qiu Yinger once, but he didn’t want to waste time. When his nirvana succeeded, that would be when the real fun began.
First, I need to comprehend the Blood Fiend Array! Wen Zhixing reined in his wild thoughts.
「A night passed very quickly.」
[Through your dedicated cultivation, you have successfully comprehended the Blood Fiend Array!]
Success! Wen Zhixing smiled with satisfaction. I’ve finally succeeded!
Unfortunately, it’s daytime now. I must wait until night, when no one is around, to set up the array method, Wen Zhixing thought. He was not in a hurry. He could certainly wait that long.
He began making his initial preparations. He planned to clear everything inside the house, waiting for nightfall to set up the array.
「However, what Wen Zhixing didn’t know was that at this very moment, the news of him becoming a core disciple had already spread throughout the entire Wonderous Palace.」
Being a core disciple meant being a direct disciple taken in by an Elder or the palace master. That status was far higher than that of any so-called inner sect disciples. In other words, most people in the entire Wonderous Palace did not possess a status as high as a core disciple.
If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t have caused much of a stir. But the problem was, Wen Zhixing was merely a lowly furnace disciple. There had never been a precedent of a furnace disciple becoming a core disciple. Forget becoming a core disciple; it was impossible for them to even become inner sect disciples. Wen Zhixing had truly set a precedent.
"What? A furnace disciple has become a core disciple?"
"Are you spouting nonsense? Still half asleep?"
"Seriously! I wouldn’t dream of saying something so preposterous."
Many people sneered when they first heard the news.
"It’s true! I received the news too."
"They’re already announcing it throughout the sect."
"I received it too! It’s true!"
Soon, the entire Wonderous Palace erupted into chaos. Whether they were furnace disciples or other orthodox disciples, all were flabbergasted.
At first, they all thought it was fake news.
Impossible! Utterly impossible! What standing did this furnace disciple have to become a direct disciple?
Only when the news spread throughout the entire Wonderous Palace did everyone have to accept that it was actually true.
Feng Ruoli, clad in a sheer white dress, stood at the edge of a cliff. Her gaze was distant, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her eyes were as clear and pure as two springs. Below, the disciples of the Wonderous Palace bustled about, chattering like sparrows.
Has it begun? Feng Ruoli whispered, her voice very light. I’ve nurtured you for so many years; I hope you won’t disappoint me...
She sighed softly. Facing the wind, her black hair flowed behind her, fluttering along with the hem of her dress—a beauty not of this world.
It was time to start hunting the traitor.