Qiao Yuanfeng and Jiang Qi didn’t leave the courtyard; instead, they turned back to Qiao Yuanting’s room.
"I never expected Su Cheng to be so terrifyingly powerful, holding his own against a Fourth Level Great Grandmaster. We cannot let him leave alive today because the consequences will be endless. Neither of us can withstand the retaliation of a Fourth Level Great Grandmaster," remarked Jiang Qi through clenched teeth.
"Don’t worry! Even if Uncle Yuan can’t kill him, our Qiao family still has our Ancestor. He’s a Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster. Killing him would be as easy as flipping a hand," Qiao Yuanfeng stated.
"I have to thank you, Mr. Qiao. Also, congratulations on becoming the Family Head," Jiang Qi said with a satisfied smile.
"We don’t need formalities between us. If it weren’t for your help, the position of Family Head wouldn’t have fallen to me in my lifetime," replied Qiao Yuanfeng. Looking down at Qiao Yuanting’s corpse, he coldly chuckled, "Big brother, don’t blame me for being ruthless. The position of Family Head should’ve been mine. How could a sickly weakling like you take the Qiao family to greater heights? You weren’t worthy of being the Family Head. I had no choice but to eliminate you."
"By the way, it seems your nephew is suspicious about what happened. After Su Cheng is killed, arrange for his immediate cremation to prevent any clues from being found," Jiang Qi reminded.
"That young whelp, without my big brother’s protection, he’s just a waste, I will drive him out of the Qiao family sooner or later," huffed Qiao Yuanfeng.
After finalizing their discussion, they left the room. The battle outside had not yet ceased.
Su Chengyu utilized the formidable palm technique to make Qiao Xiuyuan retreat repeatedly. In an instant, Qiao Xiuyuan was at a disadvantage and was pushed back nearly a hundred meters by Su Chengyu’s palm strike before he could stabilize himself. His complexion wasn’t looking good.
After all, Qiao Xiuyuan was of advanced age, his energy, spirit, and vitality gradually declining. Although he was a Fourth Level Great Grandmaster, he couldn’t sustain prolonged battles. At this point, he was already feeling that it was hard to sustain his internal energy.
Su Chengyu, on the other hand, seemed to grow stronger the more he fought. He had to admit that he couldn’t defeat this young man.
"Old man, you’re no match for me. I don’t want to hurt you, so just stop this now," Su Chengyu said from his position on the artificial hill.
"I can’t kill you indeed, but you’ve greatly underestimated the strength of my Qiao family. Today, you won’t leave the Qiao household, no matter what," returned Qiao Xiuyuan.
Qiao Xiuyuan also decided not to duel with Su Chengyu any longer, as his internal energy depletion was simply too great, which would only shorten his lifespan.
Once a Great Grandmaster passes eighty, their vitality gradually decays, so they dare not act rashly. Every attack would accelerate the decay of their vitality, shortening their lifespan.
Upon giving his statement, Qiao Xiuyuan turned towards the depths of the Qiao family’s courtyard, loudly proclaiming, "The Qiao family is facing a formidable enemy, and the Family Head Qiao Yuanting has been killed. I am powerless against the intruder, so I respectfully ask Ancestor to come out and fight the enemy!"
His declaration echoed throughout the Qiao Family’s courtyard. Qiao Anran, shaking Qiao Yuxuan’s arm exclaimed excitedly, "Brother, is Ancestor going to take action personally? That’s so rare! In all my life, I’ve never seen him a few times, let alone him moving a finger himself!"
"Ancestor seldom takes action unless the Qiao family is in grave danger. This Mr. Su’s strength is so powerful that even grandfather couldn’t defeat him. That’s truly admirable," said Qiao Yuxuan, who was also helpless during this situation. With Ancestor being perturbed now, he could not interfere in this matter.
"Ancestor is going to take action! This young boy is undoubtedly dead!" stated Qiao Yuanfeng.
Su Chengyu also looked towards the towering building from which the Qiao family’s main courtyard had extended. His pupils contracted slightly as he sensed a strong presence rapidly approaching from the tower. In a moment, he saw a figure hopping among rooftops and artificial hills as if they were on even ground.
It was the Qiao family’s Ancestor, Qiao Jingwu.
Qiao Jingwu, despite of having a head of black hair, had white beard and eyebrows. Clad in white training robes, he stood on top of a pavilion, his hands behind his back.
Among the Qiao family members, Qiao Jingwu was two generations senior to Qiao Xiuyuan.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
Members of the Qiao family knelt in unison to welcome Qiao Jingwu.
"Everyone, rise. How could such a serious incident have occurred?" Qiao Jingwu asked.
Qiao Xiuyuan promptly provided an explanation, and upon hearing him, Qiao Jingwu fixed his gaze on Su Chengyu.
"I have stayed away from the martial arts world for a long time, and I never expected that such a young Fourth Level Great Grandmaster would appear. Quite rare, indeed. However, you shouldn’t have caused trouble in the Qiao family. Today, you will die here."
Qiao Jingwu’s eyes burned brightly. The aura of a Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster was indeed overpowering, and with every move, he radiated dominance.
"Ancestor of the Qiao family... A Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster, truly impressive! As a younger generation, I am ready to learn from your esteemed techniques," replied Su Chengyu. Standing on the artificial hill, facting a Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster, his bearing didn’t change, remaining calm and composed, his demeanor was awe-inspiring!
"You’ve got courage, but you are also foolhardy. I will kill you like a chicken," declared Qiao Jingwu disdainfully.
"Don’t try to scare me. You’re just a shell. I bet that you wouldn’t dare to strike more than five times, or else, even if you kill me, you won’t live more than a few days either," replied Su Chengyu calmly.
Qiao Jingwu narrowed his eyes slightly, surprised by Su Chengyu’s piercing eyesight, he was not to be underestimated! Currently, Qiao Jingwu indeed had the stage of a Ninth Grade, but he wasn’t able to bring out the genuine strength of a Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster.
He didn’t dare to use up too much of his internal energy, otherwise he himself would die sooner. After all, his lifespan was nearing the end. He was using his cultivation to sustain his body.
"Killing you will take three moves at most! If you can block them, I will let you go."
Qiao Jingwu was also confident in his own strength. He believed that attacking three times would not consume much and wouldn’t have a large impact on his body.
Indeed, a Ninth Grade Great Grandmaster killing a Fourth Grade would be more than enough with just three moves.
After saying this, Qiao Jingwu raised his right hand, pointed finger like a sword. He made a swipe in the air towards Su Chengyu and a condensed Sword Qi rapidly attacked him. As the Sword Qi bolted around, Su Chengyu felt as if he was entirely locked down by the Sword Qi. The air around him seemed to freeze, leaving him no room to dodge.
Su Chengyu, however, was not alarmed. He gripped his Dragon Slayer Sword in his right hand and let out a shout, releasing his full-power second move of the Supreme Hollow Swordsmanship. This was his strongest move without employing any spells or inscriptions.
The azure Sword Qi clashed with the white one, like two ropes colliding in the air. Even though the azure Sword Qi was dazzling, it couldn’t withstand Qiao Jingwu’s move.
The azure Sword Qi shattered with a loud bang. Su Chengyu was hit by the white Sword Qi, and the artificial hill he stood on instantly turned into ruins. Dust filled the air as debris flew, burying Su Chengyu under rubble.
"Ancestor, you’re incredibly powerful!"
Excluding Qiao Xiuyuan, this was the first time the Qiao family members got to witness Ancestor’s power firsthand. They were stunned and awestruck by the majesty of Ancestor’s one move.
"The Qiao family’s Ancestor, worthy of being a Ninth Grade Grandmaster, a master who has one foot in the Martial Marquis Realm. Even a casual move from him wields such power: it’s too formidable!" Even Jiang Qi, was awe-struck by this move.
Qiao Jingwu once again stood with his hands behind his back, looking rather complacent, "Three moves may have been too many, indeed. Killing you only took one move."