The Disciple walked up to Wei Zong, blocking his path.
Wei Zong glanced at him, and a memory surfaced. This person was named Wu Quan, a loyal lackey of Zhang Yuan, who had often bullied him in the past.
"Useless, what are you looking at?"
It seemed Wei Zong's disdainful gaze provoked him, and Wu Quan immediately grew furious.
Zhang Yuan, standing nearby, looked at Wei Zong with interest, a playful expression on his Face, as if surprised that Wei Zong could remain calm under Wu Quan's provocation.
Passing Disciples, seeing the conflict, stopped in their tracks, looking on as if watching a good show.
Wei Zong looked around, a bit impatient; he was a person who disliked trouble.
However, from the looks of it, trouble wasn't something he could avoid just by wanting to.
"Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!"
Seeing that Wei Zong's gaze never fell upon him, Wu Quan became enraged and directly threw a punch at Wei Zong.
Wei Zong, however, didn't dodge or evade, casually extending a palm and directly catching Wu Quan's fist.
"How is this possible?" Wu Quan was greatly alarmed; he knew Wei Zong's capabilities. Although this punch didn't use any Martial Skill, with his strength as a Marrow-Tempering Realm Martial Artist, one punch would have been enough to make Wei Zong vomit blood. Yet now, it was easily caught by Wei Zong.
"Nothing is impossible," Wei Zong said indifferently, then gently squeezed.
Crack!
"Ah... my hand!! My hand!!"
Wei Zong let go, allowing Wu Quan to lie on the ground, clutching his hand and wailing incessantly.
His hand bones had been completely crushed by Wei Zong, his palm squeezed into a lump, with bone fragments piercing through the skin and emerging, a gruesome sight.
The surrounding Disciples murmured amongst themselves, some surprised, seemingly not expecting Wu Quan to be incapacitated by Wei Zong in a single exchange.
Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, couldn't maintain his composure. The feigned playfulness on his Face had long vanished, replaced by shock and anger. In truth, Wu Quan had sought trouble with Wei Zong at his instigation.
But what he hadn't expected was that Wu Quan couldn't even withstand a single move from Wei Zong.
What surprised him even more was that Wei Zong would be so ruthless, directly crippling Wu Quan. This was clearly a slap to Zhang Yuan's Face.
Ignoring the still wailing Wu Quan, Zhang Yuan stepped forward and shouted at Wei Zong: "Wei Zong, I don't know what fortuitous encounter you had that boosted your strength so much in a short time. But a slight improvement in strength seems to have gone to your head, to the point you dare to hit my people, Zhang Yuan's people."
"Oh?" Wei Zong looked at him with interest, finding his posturing a bit laughable. "What if I did?"
"It's simple. Either you kneel down now and kowtow three times, calling me 'Grandpa'. Or..." He sneered, "I will crush your legs and feet. You choose."
Upon hearing his words, the surrounding Disciples erupted in discussion, as if a pot had boiled over.
"This Zhang Yuan is too overbearing, isn't he?" A female Disciple said with some discomfort.
"Junior Sister, quiet. Zhang Yuan's uncle is Elder Zhang of the Hall of Punishment, and he himself has reached Major Achievement in the Meridians Connecting Realm, about to enter the inner Sect. He's not someone we can afford to offend," an older Disciple nearby explained.
"Then Wei Zong is finished, isn't he?"
"That's right. If he's sensible, kowtowing would only cost him some Face, which is better than becoming a cripple. Moreover, he crippled Wu Quan first, so even if Zhang Yuan cripples him, the Sect won't do anything to Zhang Yuan."
Listening to the discussions around him, Zhang Yuan's Face showed a hint of smugness again. He tilted his head back and said, "Wei Zong, have you chosen? Is it kowtowing and calling me Grandpa, or being crippled by me?"
"Unfortunately, I choose neither of those," Wei Zong said coldly. "If you want to make a move, then come."
"You're courting death!" Zhang Yuan roared, clenching his fist. He lunged forward, charging directly at Wei Zong, and struck down. His fist was wreathed in powerful Qi, creating a low, whistling sound as it cut through the air, its might astonishing. Compared to Wu Quan's punch, it was immeasurably stronger.
"High Grade Human Rank Martial Skill, Through-the-Back Fist!!"
Before the fist even arrived, the strong gust of wind stung Wei Zong's Face.
However, Wei Zong still didn't dodge or evade. He simply casually clenched his fist, and then... extended it!
Bang!!
The two fists collided, and circles of powerful Qi radiated outwards from the center of their fists.
The imposing Zhang Yuan retreated more than ten steps, while Wei Zong stood as straight as a pine tree, unmoving.
"How is this possible? Zhang Yuan's Through-the-Back Fist has already reached Minor Achievement, yet he lost to Wei Zong!"
"Looking at Zhang Yuan's usual demeanor, I thought he was so strong. Turns out he's just a good-for-nothing."
Listening to the crowd's discussions, Zhang Yuan's Face alternated between green and purple, his features subtly contorted.
"Wei Zong, you forced my hand."
A faint sound of air shattering arose, and a light glow appeared on Zhang Yuan's fist, a manifestation of Spiritual Power adhering to his fist.
"This is... Spirit Rank Low Grade Martial Skill, Mountain Splitting Fist," a knowledgeable Disciple exclaimed.
"That's right. With Zhang Yuan's Major Achievement cultivation in the Meridians Connecting Realm, combined with a Spirit Rank Martial Skill, he can already gather a bit of Spiritual Power. Wei Zong is probably in danger."
"This is where it ends," Wei Zong said in a low voice.
He moved for the first time, rushing forward and lightly pressing his palm against Zhang Yuan's fist.
Then... he released a burst of power... "Ah!"
Zhang Yuan screamed, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Cough!
Spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, Zhang Yuan scrambled to his feet, stumbled a couple of steps, lost his balance, and collapsed, unconscious.
Hiss!
The air was frighteningly silent. The Disciples, who had been watching with relish, were now all dumbfounded, having never expected such an outcome.
Only after Wei Zong had walked far away did the air regain its clamor.
"This Wei Zong is simply a monster; he's so strong."
"Yeah, he didn't even use a Martial Skill, yet he defeated Zhang Yuan like that."
Everyone was both surprised and envious, watching Wei Zong gradually disappear into the distance.
Ignoring the gazes behind him, Wei Zong now only wanted to find a Sword Technique as quickly as possible.
Fighting with fists was not his style.
After all, he was a Sword Master, one who would prove his Dao with the sword, not with his fists.
As for Zhang Yuan, an ant of a character, he didn't even put him in his heart.
He had originally intended to casually crush him after becoming stronger, but he didn't expect him to run into him prematurely.
Before long, Wei Zong arrived at the entrance of the Martial Arts Pavilion.
Stepping into the Martial Arts Pavilion, the first thing that caught his eye was a White-Haired Old Man.
The Old Man had white hair and beard, was dressed in coarse linen, and leaned lazily in a chair, his eyes half-closed like an old man from an ordinary family feigning sleep.
But no one would consider him an ordinary person, because from the Old Man emanated an Aura as vast as the sea, making it suffocating.
"Spiritual Sea Realm, no, he's injured? His true Realm might be even higher." Although the Aura the Old Man exuded was only that of the Tiangang Realm, Wei Zong's discerning eye was sharp enough to instantly perceive the Old Man's true Realm.
However, Wei Zong paid no mind. Whatever the Old Man was plotting or doing, it had nothing to do with him; his current goal was only to become stronger.
Wei Zong didn't think too much and walked directly to where the Martial Skills were displayed.
Behind him, the Old Man opened his cloudy eyes and looked at Wei Zong's retreating back, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.
"This kid is a bit unusual."