She moved with lily-like grace, her slender waist swaying gently. Like a willow catkin in the wind, she exuded a captivating charm.
Her silken hair fluttered in the air. Her face was like jade, her skin like snow. Every glance she cast was filled with an innate, bewitching charm.
Ouyang Xue was indeed a beautiful woman. No matter where she went, she was bound to become the center of attention.
A young man walked at her side. Dressed in fluttering brocade robes, his long black hair flowed freely. His handsome face was cold and aloof, and a sharp light shone in his eyes, giving him an air of extraordinary martial prowess.
The pair walking together—a handsome man and a beautiful woman—were a perfect match. They looked like a couple of immortal partners, inspiring envy in many onlookers.
"That's Murong Qingshu. Could he be the inheritance disciple chosen by the Five Spirits Sect?"
Some people gasped in soft surprise, as if they had just realized something.
Many knew the story. A year ago, Jiang Jichen had shot to fame in a single battle, defeating the then-number one, Murong Qingshu. He had become Cyan Moon City's top young expert, his name etched in the first-place spot on the rankings. Murong Qingshu could only settle for second.
That was until the news spread that Jiang Jichen's Qi Sea had been shattered and his Spirit Veins severed, turning him into a cripple. Overnight, Jiang Jichen's name was silently erased from the top of the youth rankings, and Murong Qingshu's name reappeared in the number one spot.
...
At that moment, Ouyang Xue walked onto the stage. Her beautiful eyes swept across the crowd, and the entire plaza fell silent.
"Perhaps you have all guessed it already. That's right. Starting today, Murong Qingshu is officially the inheritance disciple of my Five Spirits Sect!"
With just that one sentence, Murong Qingshu became the center of attention, all eyes upon him.
Murong Qingshu, with a steady and polite demeanor, cupped his fists toward Ouyang Xue and said, "Senior Sister Ouyang!"
"You are too polite, Junior Brother Qingshu!"
Ouyang Xue returned the salute, thus confirming their relationship as members of the same sect.
Afterward, Ouyang Xue had someone post a list on the announcement board. The names announced on it were indeed consistent with the rumors that had been circulating.
The five new Inner Sect Disciples were Luuo Sha of the Luuo Family, Shen Yu of the Shen Family, Fang Yunyi of the Fang Family, Jiang Haifeng of the Jiang Family, and a commoner named Xia Yun. All were present in the plaza. The crowd stirred when they saw the Four Beauties of Qingcheng arrive together, causing quite a commotion.
After all, Fang Yunyi, one of the new Inner Sect Disciples, was also one of the Four Beauties of Qingcheng. It was rumored that the four of them were very close, but for all of them to appear together at Cyan Moon Plaza was an extremely rare sight.
With Ouyang Xue also present, Cyan Moon Plaza had become a veritable garden of competing beauties. It was a lively scene and a true feast for the eyes.
However, the line between commoners and nobles was clearly drawn. City Patrol Officers maintained order, keeping the commoners cordoned off below the stage. The noble Cultivators had their own dedicated passageways and platforms, which commoners were forbidden to approach.
Jiang Jichen stood on the outskirts of the crowd, unrecognized. He had always kept a low profile; while many knew his name, few had ever actually seen his face.
He had once shot to fame in a single battle, defeating Murong Qingshu in a ranking tournament for the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card. Back then, all eyes were on him.
Now, his name had been wiped from the top of the youth rankings, his halo of glory stripped away. He had even become an object of ridicule for the entire city, a worthless cripple beneath anyone's notice.
He had fallen from the heavens into the abyss.
That was how others saw it, at least. He, however, just smiled faintly and turned to walk toward the Cultivation Arena.
"Miss Ouyang, I heard a rumor that the Five Spirits Sect's originally designated inheritance disciple was our own Cyan Moon City's top young expert, Jiang Jichen. Is that true or not?"
However, just as Jiang Jichen was about to head to the Cultivation Arena, a commoner Cultivator from below the stage suddenly shouted a question. His voice boomed, instantly silencing the entire plaza.
'That voice sounds familiar!'
Jiang Jichen stopped and looked toward the source of the voice. Sure enough, he saw a familiar face.
It was Han Qing, a friend he'd made in Cyan Moon City. Han Qing was courageous and fiercely loyal. They had met while Jiang Jichen was training in the Moonlight Forest. He'd seen Han Qing being chased by two Cyan Wolves and had stepped in to kill the beasts and save him. They traveled together for a while after that and, before they knew it, had become good friends.
Han Qing was from a commoner background and had very few cultivation resources. He usually had no choice but to come to Cyan Moon Plaza to cultivate, and today was no exception.
When he saw Jiang Jichen's name being heartlessly wiped from the top of the youth rankings, he was furious, and so he had asked the question on the spot.
The gazes of everyone in the plaza focused on Han Qing. When they saw he was just a commoner Cultivator, many of their expressions turned to contempt.
Before Ouyang Xue could even speak, the young nobles on the stage had already started shouting rebukes, shattering the silence.
"A lowly commoner dares to question Miss Ouyang? He must have a death wish!"
"If it weren't Brother Qingshu's big day, and if I didn't want to see blood spilled, I'd go down there right now and erase a plebeian like you."
"Jiang Jichen? A cripple incapable of spirit cultivation, and he thought he could be the Five Spirits Sect's chosen inheritance disciple? Ridiculous!"
...
The young nobles all berated Han Qing with ugly curses. Some even released their killing intent, warning him to say no more.
But Han Qing ignored them completely. Instead, he stepped forward and asked without a trace of fear, "Miss Ouyang, I also heard a secret—that the person at the top of the Cyan Moon City youth rankings would become the Five Spirits Sect's inheritance disciple. Is this true?"
Faced with two direct questions, even Ouyang Xue frowned. But she couldn't very well lash out in front of such a large crowd, so she forced herself to endure it, keeping a gentle smile fixed on her face.
Some of the young nobles could no longer hold back and were about to act. A flash of killing intent crossed Murong Qingshu's eyes as well; he looked at Han Qing as if he were already a dead man.
But Ouyang Xue raised a hand, silencing the crowd. Then she said coolly, "Nothing you've said is wrong. But, as I've also said, Jiang Jichen is now a cripple. He has switched to the Body Refining Dao, but that path is a dead end for him; he will never advance beyond the Body Refiner realm. The Five Spirits Sect does not lack for geniuses, and we would certainly never accept such a disciple. Furthermore, the number one name on the youth rankings is now Murong Qingshu. Jiang Jichen's name is nowhere to be found."
Murong Qingshu then added coldly, "Jiang Jichen is nothing but a cripple now. I can't even be bothered to visit him just to humiliate him. From this day forward, his name will be forgotten in Qingcheng. The only one history is destined to remember is me, Murong Qingshu!"
"That's just your shamelessness talking," Han Qing retorted with a sneer. "Let me ask you, have you *ever* defeated Jiang Jichen?"
The words, however, struck a nerve with Murong Qingshu.
"I'm number one on the youth rankings now, you little plebeian! Are you blind?"
Murong Qingshu was thoroughly provoked, teetering on the edge of an explosion of rage.
Han Qing paid him no mind and continued, "According to the rules, even if Jiang Jichen really is a cripple, you still need his consent to remove his name from the rankings. You, Murong Qingshu, should have challenged him at his home. If he fought and lost, or if he refused the challenge, *then* you could have claimed the top spot honorably. But to just erase his name in secret and write your own? Isn't that a rather underhanded thing to do?"
'A commoner's son, daring to question Ouyang Xue and Murong Qingshu in front of everyone!'
Many of the commoners couldn't help but gasp. They couldn't believe Han Qing was so fearless, daring to say anything.
But almost everyone was certain of one thing: this commoner wouldn't live to see the dawn.
Although many people knew that what Han Qing said was the truth, who would be foolish enough to say it out loud in front of everyone? Wasn't that just courting death?
Now that Murong Qingshu was the Five Spirits Sect's inheritance disciple and the Young Master of the Murong Family, his status was soaring and his future was boundless. Who among his peers *wouldn't* want to curry favor with him?
As for Jiang Jichen, he was just a cripple. What qualifications did he have to compete with Murong Qingshu? Thus, even among the young nobles, those who had appeared to be on good terms with Jiang Jichen never once thought of standing up for him.
Everyone could feel Murong Qingshu's suppressed fury. The full pressure of a Seventh-level Mortal Warrior was unleashed, and a vast killing intent locked onto Han Qing.
SPURT!
Han Qing, at only the Fourth Layer Mortal Realm, was completely unable to withstand Murong Qingshu's killing intent. It felt as if his chest had been punched, and he coughed up blood, injured.
"Jiang Jichen is nothing but a cripple who can't cultivate. I will personally pay him a visit to demand back the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card!"
"As for you, a lowlife no better than an ant, you first question my Senior Sister, then you speak disrespectfully to me. Do you have any idea who I am? I am the City Patrol Chief Officer of Cyan Moon City! You have offended your superior and disrespected a Commander. Your crime is unforgivable! Where are the City Patrol Officers?"
His face a mask of cold fury, Murong Qingshu roared.
"Sir!"
As soon as Murong Qingshu's voice fell, two burly men clad head-to-toe in Black Iron Armor strode forward, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
"Seize this man for me! First, give him one hundred slaps to the face, then throw him in the dungeons to await sentencing!"
Murong Qingshu pointed at Han Qing, his voice grim.
"As you command!"
The two City Patrol Officers acknowledged the order, crossed to Han Qing in a few strides, and hoisted him into the air.
As a Fourth-level Mortal Warrior himself, Han Qing possessed considerable combat strength. He would not normally have been caught so easily by two City Patrol Officers who were also at the Fourth Layer Mortal Realm. However, Murong Qingshu's earlier burst of killing intent had already damaged his Spirit Veins, making it impossible for him to circulate his Spiritual Power.
One Patrol Officer sealed Han Qing's Spirit Veins, while the other lifted him up with one hand and grinned ferociously. "A lowlife like you dares to talk back to our lord? Watch me slap your mouth to a pulp!"
The crowd of young nobles, including Ouyang Xue and the Four Beauties of Qingcheng, all watched on with cold, indifferent expressions. None of them uttered a word to stop it.
As for the group of commoner Cultivators nearby, they fared even worse. They all scurried far away, terrified of being implicated.
"City Patrol Officer? Hah! Nothing but a dog of the Murong Family!"
Han Qing spat a mouthful of bloody saliva right in the officer's face, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You little lowlife! Let's see if you can still be so tough after your mouth is pulp!"
The City Patrol Officer said sinisterly, not even wiping the bloody saliva from his face. He raised a hand the size of a dinner plate and swung it viciously at Han Qing's mouth.
Some people could even imagine the bloody scene that would follow the slap—a spray of blood and teeth flying everywhere.
SLAP!
There was no spray of blood or flying teeth, because the City Patrol Officer's wrist had been gently caught by a fair and slender hand.
"My friend will not suffer humiliation on my account."
A peerlessly handsome young man had appeared by Han Qing's side at some unknown moment.
His voice betrayed no emotion, only a calm indifference. Then, with a light kick, he sent the City Patrol Officer's tower-like body flying.