"WHERE IS… THAT BASTARD… LI!" the big muscular man shouted, and his group of disciples frantically destroyed the garden of the Soaring Sea Sect.
"I-Isn't he Yan Ming from the Heavenly Sword Sect?" one of the surrounding Soaring Sea Sect disciples asked, recognizing the muscular man.
"WHO??"
"He just started cultivating, yet he is one of the strongest in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Rumor has it that he is a genius who can ascend to the Immortal Realm in just a couple of years."
"I heard that even if he's at the peak of the Core Formation stage, he can defeat his senior who's at the mid of Soul Formation stage."
"WHAT!!"
"Seriously? He's a monster."
"But why is he looking for Brother Li?"
"AHHH! Why does he have to come when the master, Senior Brother Feng, and Senior Brother Qian are not here?"
The disciples spoke to each other as they watched the Heavenly Sword Sect destroy their garden. Among them, Yan Ming stood out as he walked toward Yang Yue and Li.
"Are you Li?" Yan Ming released his domineering aura. Everyone, including his group members, was scared—yet Zheng couldn't even feel his aura.
Yang Yue also released her aura, almost equal in intensity to Yan Ming's. The intense pressure from their aura caused dirt to swirl around them.
Yang Yue gathered Qi around her fist and attacked Yan Ming, who countered her attack by releasing his spiritual energy, pushing her a few feet away.
"Yang Yue, are you okay?" Li rushed to her side.
"Is she the best the Soaring Sea Sect has?" Yan Ming laughed as he stepped toward Yang Yue and Li.
Zheng blocked Yan Ming's path, halting him in his tracks.
The disciples from both sects were shocked at Zheng's action. Who is he? Does he have a death wish? Isn't he the man who was with Brother Li?
"Please leave," Zheng calmly requested, asking Yan Ming to back off.
"YO-YOU… I WILL KILL YOU!" Yan Ming roared, releasing his aura once again.
However, despite his threatening words, Zheng simply stood between them without even releasing his own aura.
"You fucking bastard." Yan Ming gathered all his Qi in the air and released it all at once, intending to finish Zheng in a single swipe. Yet Zheng remained unfazed, taking the attack head-on.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Veins appeared across Yan Ming's arm as his confidence turned into doubt. "YOU! YOU ARE DEAD!!" he shouted, gathering his Qi once again, this time covering his fist, and launched it toward Zheng.
In the midst of his attack, a chill ran down his spine, snapping him back to reality. Suddenly, he found himself lying on the ground under the horrifying gaze of Zheng, directed solely at him.
"Hmph. You are not even worth attacking," Zheng said casually, walking back to help Yang Yue.
As soon as Zheng turned around, Yan Ming scrambled to his hands and knees. The other members of the Heavenly Sword Sect followed him, confused rather than fearful.
"What just happened?" the disciples of the Soaring Sea Sect whispered to each other, trying to understand the situation.
Yan Ming stopped after reaching a safe distance, catching his breath. Zheng's horrifying aura reappeared in his mind, and he murmured to himself: He's not human. I couldn't even feel his energy, yet his gaze was horrifying enough to make me wet myself. All my senses are telling me to run from him.
"Brother Yan Ming? Why did we suddenly run away?"
His body still shaking, sweat running down his face, he said, "He's a monster. There's no way I can fight him."
"Are you okay?" Zheng placed his hand on Yang Yue and helped heal her using his own spiritual energy.
"Thank you."
Yang Yue initially thought that Zheng wanted to start cultivating, but she noticed that he had defeated Yan Ming without even releasing his aura. Her suspicion of him grew even larger after he healed her.
"You are not a beginner… but a master," she thought.
Zheng thought to himself: I'm at the peak of the Immortal God Stage. Considering that in the Mortal Realm, people are scared of some Core Formation Stage cultivators, there aren't many who have ascended to the Immortal Stage, let alone the peak of the Immortal God Stage. Before I reveal myself, I need to confirm something.
"Haha… I just happened to know a few things."
"But you just won against Yan Ming and healed Yang Yue too."
"You are so young. You probably can't be a master, right?"
The disciples swarmed Zheng, asking all sorts of questions and envying his victory over Yan Ming, leaving Zheng confused by their comments.
Yang Yue ordered the other disciples to continue with their practice as she took Zheng to show him his room.
Upon reaching the living quarters within the outer court of the sect, Yang Yue opened a door to a dusty room and handed the key to Zheng.
"Ahh... Sorry. We don't have many students, so it's a mess."
"So, tell me about the sect."
"Soaring Sea Sect was founded by my grandfather 30 years ago. My father took over the sect four years ago after my grandfather passed away."
"This sect has existed for decades, but there aren't many students."
"That's because my father and I moved in after my grandfather passed away, and not many acknowledged my father. At one point, we didn't have any students."
"Why?"
"My grandfather was ranked at the top in Lone State, and my father couldn't reach his level, so one by one everyone left. But a few students gradually returned after Li joined. Even two who left returned."
"Who is Li anyway?"
"Li? He was the first to join after everyone left. My father treats him like a son because he saved our sect from being taken over by the Heavenly Sword Sect. That's why they always target us."
"Cleaning's all done. If you need anything, come find me."
"Yang Yue?"
"Thank you… for letting me in and helping clean the room."
Once he was alone, he sat on the ground and started to absorb spiritual energy. The environment began to shift around him; the sky roared with thunder, trees shook viciously, birds flew in all directions, and the leaders of different sects issued orders to investigate the source of this phenomenon.
The world knew that some extraordinary master had risen