575 The Three Heroes!
âYou certainly are an impressive one,â Qin Huai acknowledged, skirting around the topic.
The little girl beamed as she expanded her list of titles, âNot only am I the leader of the ascetic monks from the Buddhist Sect, Iâm also the eldest disciple of the imperial capital branch of the Confucian Sect, the second Dao Child of the Dao Sect, and a guest elder to the six clansâ¦â
â¦
Meanwhile, in the northern region of Barren State at the Qiong family estate, Qiong Sicheng coughed up blood within a secret chamber.
âAaaaah!!!â With a furious roar, he leaped from the bed and smashed into the ceiling. His outburst startled the young members waiting outside, instantly silencing their playful chatter.
âMy lord, may I ask what angers you?â The servants trembled as they kneeled before him.
With a brutal swing of his hand, Qiong Sicheng smashed the questioning servant into oblivion. The others fell prostrate, pleading for their lives in terror.
Unmoved by their pleas, Qiong Sicheng grabbed another woman, sinking his bloodstained teeth into her, slowly savoring the woman as his vitality gradually returned. âAh! Damn bastard!â
This gruesome scene was nothing new for the Qiong familyâs younger generation. The servants, or more aptly, living sustenance, were carefully chosen by them for their exceptional aptitude and souls. They provided aid during ordinary times but turned into the best tonic when the clansmen hit a cultivation bottleneck or needed recovery.
âWhat happened in the spirit world, Elder? If you share, perhaps we can help,â a few younger members of the Qiong Family offered respectfully. Qiong Sicheng, their elder, had lived for centuries and wielded unfathomable strength. He was the backbone of the Qiong Qi clan.
âHas the sect master arrived?â Qiong Sicheng asked.
âThe sect master and the elders are present. Given the ongoing war, they hold meetings every two or three days in the temple,â a quick-witted young member informed, leading the way for Qiong Sicheng.
The two of them rushed to the temple. Upon entering, Qiong Sicheng announced, âDisciple Qiong Sicheng greets the sect master!â
His sudden entry interrupted the ongoing discussion. The temple, the heart of the Qiong Qi clan, was massive with a twenty-meter tall gate. Though every clansman stood at least five to six meters tall, they seemed reasonably sized in the vast structure.
âSicheng? What brings you here?â The sect master, towering even while seated, asked. He and the other people in the temple were the decision-makers of the Qiong Qi clan, representing the top-tier combat power.
All present were visceral prefecture realm experts, including the Third Young Master Qiong, whom Qin Huai had previously killed.
âTwo intruders breached our encampment in the spirit world,â Qiong Sicheng growled, twisting the truth to a surprise attack to preserve his dignity.
His statement immediately caused a stir among the group, who rose and opened their blood-filled mouths, filling the temple with the strong smell of blood.
âIntrusion into our spirit world equates to declaring war on the Qiong Qi clan! Are these intruders from the Buddhist Sect? Daoist Sect? Or the Confucian Sect?â an elder inquired.
âNone of them⦠One had the aura of the Kun Peng clan,â Qiong Sicheng revealed. He then called for a brush and ink to sketch the images of Qin Huai and the little girl as seen in the spirit world.
âThe Kun Peng clan,â the Qiong Qi Sect Master murmured, deep in thought.
In the temple, mocking laughter echoed.
âThe Kun Peng clan, I havenât heard that name in ages,â someone scoffed.
âI assumed they had been wiped out,â another voice chimed in.
âA bunch of trash. They were obliterated by the Emperor of Qingzhou alone, losing all their foundations. Almost ten thousand years have passed without a single king realm expert emerging from their ranks,â someone recalled.
âCould it be that the Emperor of Qingzhou cut off their luck when he massacred the Kun Peng clan?â one pondered.
âWhy would the Kun Peng clan provoke us now?â another wondered. âAre they hoping weâll help rid them of the shame of the eight royal clans?â
The sneering discussions continued.
âEnough,â the Qiong Qi Sect Master commanded, raising his hand. Silence instantly descended upon the temple. âAre you certain itâs the Kun Peng clan?â he asked, his gaze piercing Qiong Sicheng.
âThereâs no doubt!â Qiong Sicheng quickly lowered his head in a show of deference. âGiven itâs confirmed as the Kun Peng clan, they must be trying to exploit our conflict with the three sects and the Sacred Heart Sect for their own gain.â
âWith the current state of chaos and the Sacred Heart Sect stirring the pot,â the sect master began. âPlus, with the recent emergence of Uncle Dragon Emperor in the spirit blood level, announcing his intent to revive the dragon clan⦠itâs indeed a good time for them to ask for a price. Their plan isnât bad. Iâm just curious about their strength.â His expression remained impassive as he glanced at his hand.
âSiren, Siyao, Simo, the three of you will go meet these two from the Kun Peng clan,â he directed. âIf they can survive, weâll see what price they can offer. If notâ¦â He tapped his finger on the stone bench. âWe will lend a hand in Qingzhou.â
As he finished speaking, three men of differing appearances immediately stood up. âUnderstood!â they said in unison.
Qiong Sicheng, who was standing in the middle, was relieved to see the three men rise. These three brothers were renowned heroes, all top-notch experts at the fifth-level visceral prefecture realm. Their bloodline was already seventy percent pureblood, and they took delight in hunting down rising future kings. Their methods were notoriously brutal.
He had been concerned that his intentional deception might cause the Qiong Qi clan to suffer, but with these three heroes taking action, he felt more reassured.
âThose two might have already fled, but my spirit-gathering balls hit them before. Third Hero can use the spiritual scent I left to track them.â As he spoke, a small light of spirituality blossomed from Qiong Sichengâs palm.
The three heroes of Qiong Qi waved their hands, and the speck of spiritual light instantly divided into three parts, each inhaling a portion.
âWe appreciate your efforts!â Qiong Siren, the eldest of the three brothers, grinned, clapped Qiong Sichengâs shoulder, and strode past him.
They then entered the secret chamber. Inside, Qiong Siren sat on the bed in a cross-legged position, a spirit stone in his hand. His mind was at peace.
At the same time, the sky outside the secret chamber filled with a green glow. A huge shadow of Qiong Qi flashed past, as the breathing of the three heroes in the secret chamber steadied.
Boom!
In the spirit world, the eyes of the three Qiong Qi heroes snapped open.
âSplit upâ¦â
Bang!
Before Qiong Siren could finish speaking, a gory scene unfolded before his eyes.
As his head spun in midair, blood and flesh splattered everywhere. His large head rolled on the ground a few times before his eyes finally found the culprit.
The figure stood in a pool of blood, maintaining his punching posture. Where the fist pointed, a pair of feet seemed to be deeply rooted in the ground.
The scent of spiritual energy that Qiong Sicheng had given him earlier slowly awakened his memory of Qiong Sicheng.
So this was the guy⦠His ambush was extraordinarily fast. âThat scoundrel Qiong Sicheng!â Qiong Siren seethed with rage, swearing to force that bastard Qiong Sicheng to explain how this little fellow from the Kun Peng clan had managed to ambush him.
âBig Brother!â
Meanwhile, Qiong Siyao and Qiong Simo gazed at their elder brother, their pupils constricting. Blood splattered on their faces, causing their eyes to twitch.
Their gaze shifted, almost unwillingly, to the tiny figure. Instantly, rage surged through their veins. âLittle brat, youâre seeking death!â
But before they could finish their sentence, dozens of spirit-gathering balls were already flashing around them. They completely blocked Qin Huaiâs retreat.
âGo!â Qin Huai waved his hand.
Only then did the three heroes notice that Qin Huai was carrying a little fellow in his arms. However, their relationship seemed a little mysterious. The small one was treated like a hidden weapon, directly hurling toward the surrounding spirit-gathering balls. He even had a saint bound to his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One by one, the spirit-gathering balls exploded.