BOOM!
The ground trembled as the Patrol Officer's body slammed into it. He lay motionless, clearly knocked unconscious.
A shallow footprint had appeared on the Black Iron Armor over his chest. It was a testament to the immense power behind the handsome youth's casual kick.
The other City Patrol Officer snapped to his senses and roared, already lunging forward with a punch.
Four faint, gray Spiritual Power Lines swirled around his sandbag-sized fist. This was the materialization of the Four Spirits Power, the true mark of a Fourth Layer Mortal.
Even among those of the same rank, there were naturally differences in strength. Being able to materialize Spiritual Power Lines marked one as an elite among Spirit Cultivators.
These two City Patrol Officers were Murong Qingshu's trusted men, and their strength was indeed impressive.
The force of that punch was enough to shatter rock. If it landed on a person, it would likely break every bone in their body.
But the handsome youth wasted no movement. He simply raised his foot again. Though he moved second, his kick landed first. Before the City Patrol Officer's fist could even reach him, he was sent flying, following in his companion's footsteps. Another shallow footprint appeared on the Black Iron Armor over his chest as he, too, was knocked unconscious.
The entire area fell silent. The crowd stared, dumbfounded, at the scene, wondering if what they had just witnessed was a dream.
The youth was as handsome as jade, with Spiritual Light glimmering in his eyes. His posture was ramrod straight. Just by standing there calmly, he seemed to become the center of the universe, exuding an air of composure and confidence.
Ignoring everyone around him, he reached out and helped Han Qing to his feet. "Han Qing, you're pathetic. Getting taken down by a small-time punk of the same rank? You're as fragile as a girl!"
Han Qing was still in a daze and didn't react at first. But upon hearing the handsome youth's words, he yelled, "Damn it! That bastard Murong Qingshu is too treacherous! If he hadn't sucker-punched me first, I could take on ten of those useless City Patrol Officers by myself!"
Han Qing had a big mouth and would start cursing someone out immediately, regardless of who they were.
Up on the platform, Murong Qingshu's handsome face had turned ashen. The recent turn of events felt like a massive slap to the face in public—an absolute, utter humiliation.
At that moment, the crowd finally came to their senses and recognized the handsome youth. The faces of many turned pale.
"It's Jiang Jichen! Weren't they saying he's a cripple now? How can he still possess such incredible power?"
"Knocking out a Fourth Layer Mortal with a single, casual kick... even an ordinary Sixth-Level Mortal might not be able to do that. Jiang Jichen is just too heaven-defying."
"I didn't feel any Spiritual Power fluctuations. That must have been pure Physical Strength. But didn't Jiang Jichen just switch to Body Refining? How could he have progressed this far?"
...
Many were shocked, unable to believe that Jiang Jichen possessed such immense Physical Strength.
Apparently, the news of Jiang Jichen defeating Jiang Haijian and the others at the Qingjiang Cultivation Field had not spread. Someone had deliberately blocked the information, only letting out the news that he had switched to the Body Refining Dao.
On the platform, Luuo Sha sneered, "Body Refiners are indeed extraordinary. But just as Senior Sister Ouyang said, the Dao of Body Refining is broken. No matter how strong Jiang Jichen gets, he'll be stuck at the level of a Body Refiner. He has no future. My sister was wise to break off the engagement!"
Luuo Sha was the brother of Luuo Xue, one of Cyan Moon City's Four Beauties. Luuo Xue was currently standing with the other three beauties and naturally heard her brother's words. Her expression was complicated as she watched the high-spirited youth on the field. His face was full of a sunny smile, radiating youthful vigor and confidence.
That person was once her fiancé, but now, they had no relationship whatsoever.
'How could a person like that be a cripple?'
Luuo Xue sighed inwardly. Seeing her lost in thought, Bai Yiyi teased, "Sister Luuo Xue, you can't bear to part with him, can you?"
The other two beauties, Mun Xia and Hex Yao, just sneered. Hex Yao's voice was laced with indifference as she said, "He's just a cripple. Why should you care, Sister Luuo Xue? The four of us have countless pursuers in Cyan Moon City. We could pick any one of them, and they'd be the most outstanding young genius in the city. How could that cripple possibly compare?"
Hex Yao was indeed beautiful. She had red lips, pearly teeth, a charming face, and an alluringly curvaceous figure. Her voice, however, was rather sharp and mean.
Mun Xia also spoke up. "He's from a different world than us now. Perhaps if you meet again in a few years, he'll be staring up at you, but your eyes will look right past him."
Her voice was sweet, enough to stir a man's desires, but it was tinged with disdainful arrogance.
"Stop talking! Look, he's walking up onto the platform!"
Luuo Xue paid no mind to the other three's words, her gaze fixed on the youth. Suddenly, she raised a slender, jade-like finger and spoke.
The three beauties looked and saw Jiang Jichen leading the commoner Cultivator toward the platform where they stood.
On the platform, the four beauties were whispering, their enchanting smiles attracting the gazes of the surrounding Young Masters, their eyes filled with burning desire.
However, Jiang Jichen's actions quickly drew everyone's attention as well.
Although Cyan Moon Plaza was open to the public for free, it was divided into the platform and the area below it. The area below was naturally for commoner Cultivators' activities, while the platform was reserved for posting rankings and for the noble Young Masters and ladies. It was a place forbidden to commoner Cultivators.
Of course, these rules had been established by a group of noble Young Masters, and order was maintained by Murong Qingshu's City Patrol Officers.
In the beginning, some unwitting commoner Cultivators had accidentally walked onto the platform. It was said they were severely beaten by the City Patrol Officers and forbidden from ever setting foot in Cyan Moon Plaza again. Consequently, no commoner ever dared to make that mistake again, and a clear dividing line formed between the commoners below and the nobles on the platform.
"Jiang Jichen is actually bringing a commoner Cultivator onto the platform? This... is he trying to make an enemy of all the noble Young Masters and ladies in Cyan Moon City?" someone whispered, their voice filled with disbelief.
Both the commoner Cultivators below and the noble Young Masters and ladies on the platform were stunned by Jiang Jichen's audacious move.
Of course, Han Qing was unflappable and didn't know the meaning of fear.
"Halt! Lowlifes are forbidden from setting foot on the Cyan Moon Platform!"
Two City Patrol Officers shouted, crossing their Black Iron Spears to block their path.
Jiang Jichen continued forward without pause. He reached out, casually snatched the two Black Iron Spears, and swept them aside. The two City Patrol Officers were knocked off the platform, rolling on the ground and clutching their legs, screaming in agony.
"I recall being labeled a cripple, but I don't remember when I also became a lowlife. Can anyone tell me why?"
Jiang Jichen tossed the two captured Black Iron Spears to Han Qing. His gaze swept over the remaining six City Patrol Officers who were about to block his path as he spoke calmly.
The six Patrol Officers had been about to make a move, but when Jiang Jichen's gaze fell upon them, a wave of terror washed over them, and they involuntarily took a step back.
Forcing back six enemies with a single glance—it was a display of power that likely no one else present could replicate.
"Jiang Jichen, your Cultivation is destroyed. You can't practice as a Spirit Cultivator, so what's the difference between you and a cripple? Besides, everyone in Cyan Moon City knows the Jiang Family's Five Mansions are a mere facade. You have less than ten servants and only one maid left. You're worse off than a wealthy commoner family. If you're not a lowlife, what are you?"
"Now you've stooped to hanging out with lowlifes. It's a good thing my sister broke off the engagement. A cripple and a lowlife like you isn't even worthy of carrying my sister's shoes!"
Jiang Jichen recognized the youth. It was Hex Feng, the younger brother of Hex Yao, one of the Four Beauties. He was fourteen years old and at the Fourth Layer Mortal Realm.
By rights, Hex Feng should have been his little brother-in-law. Before Jiang Jichen was crippled, the boy had often trailed behind him, even boasting to others that his brother-in-law was the number one young expert in Cyan Moon City and was on bad terms with Murong Qingshu.
Now, after only a few short days, Hex Feng had seemingly become one of Murong Qingshu's lackeys. He was even stepping forward to curse at him. It was a rather stark reminder of how fickle the world could be.
Jiang Jichen shook his head. He hated being pointed at. So, he took a single step forward. It seemed casual, yet it was incomparably profound. Even Murong Qingshu, who was right beside them, couldn't react in time, only managing to cry out, "Watch out!"
But Jiang Jichen had already appeared half a meter in front of Hex Feng, and he had already grabbed the boy's pointing finger.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Murong Qingshu, Hex Yao, and the others snapped almost in unison.
Jiang Jichen didn't spare Murong Qingshu, Hex Yao, or the others a single glance. He just squeezed Hex Feng's finger and asked coolly, "You don't remember?"
"Remember what?" Hex Feng asked, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He unleashed his Four Spirits Power, but the finger in Jiang Jichen's grip didn't budge. Instead, a bone-piercing pain shot through it.
"It seems you really have forgotten. There are two things I hate: one, people pointing their fingers at me while they curse me, and two, people insulting my friends."
Jiang Jichen's voice was filled with icy coldness.
"Jiang Jichen, don't you dare!"
"Jiang Jichen, don't you hurt my brother!"
Murong Qingshu and Hex Yao cried out in alarm at almost the same time.
As they spoke, Murong Qingshu and Hex Yao both lunged forward to attack. Even Ouyang Xue made her move. Eight Spirit Power flowed through her, and eight cyan Spiritual Power lines swirled around her body, making her look like a Fairy with flowing green silk. The sight was beautiful, but the palm she aimed at Jiang Jichen was filled with boundless killing intent.
"AHHH!"
But at that very moment, a scream like a dying pig echoed. With a sickening SNAP, Jiang Jichen had broken Hex Feng's finger.
At the same time, instead of retreating, Jiang Jichen advanced, swinging Hex Feng's body like a weapon to meet the trio's attacks.
"Despicable!"
"Shameless!"
Accompanied by Hex Feng's agonized screams, three cries of alarm rang out. Faced with the human shield swinging toward them, they could only pull back their attacks and retreat, staring coldly at the youth in the center of the field.
Jiang Jichen held Hex Feng's body upside down, his gaze sweeping arrogantly over the crowd. "Who else dares to come up and fight me?"