AST 728 – The People From The Zuoshi Clan, He Is Still Unworthy
In a blink of an eye, Qing Shui had already spent two months living comfortably in the Qing Residence. After his Fire Bird and Diamond Gigantic Elephant had a breakthrough, Qing Shui took 20% of the power gained by the Diamond Gigantic Elephant and instilled it to his own strength. Within half a month, he had already refined it thoroughly.
Between the power of the strength of 800 countries, the defense with the strength of 1500 countries, and the astronomical speed of the Diamond Gigantic Elephant, Qing Shui had already absorbed 20% from each. Specifically, the power of the strength of 160 countries, the defense with the strength of 300 countries, and a decent amount of speed.
Qing Shui's overall power had reached to about the strength of 2160 countries, and his defense had reached to a terrifying strength of 3800 countries. Even though the increase in his current strength would not be comparable to his previous one, it could be still considered adequate. After all, it would be extremely difficult for him to increase his strength again, so the bonus he had gained from his Diamond Gigantic Elephant were already quite enough.
Even so, Qing Shui could still reach the strength of 1600 countries and defense with the strength of 2300 countries with his supplementary skills that had crippling effects as well as the boost from the Thunder God.
……..
Today, Qing Shui held the hands of both of his children as he had planned to go outside for a casual sightseeing together with them. He noticed a few people that was apparently led by a middle-aged man and had already walked their way into the Qing Residence.
The man had an imposing countenance and cut a large figure, yet he was still quite handsome. He had straight clean brows and a pair of gleaming eyes that showed the energetic side of his character. He was arguably as handsome as the late Canghai at his prime.
Behind this handsome man were four people, two elderly men and another two who were barely 40 years old. These two fellows had a brawny stature like an antique brass, as if they were made of iron.
On the other hand, the two elderly men appeared normal. Despite their gentle features, they were clearly men of great depth and virtuousness. The men in front of him were all at the level of Martial Saint. Qing Shui was surprised for a brief moment as he recalled about the Zuoshi Clan that Elder Ge had mentioned before.
Now that he had seen a number of Martial Saints throughout his life, Qing Shui would never believe that there wasn't any Martial Saints in the Greencloud Continent before. There were many of those who had kept a low profile in the vast place like the Greencloud Continent, because they don't need to reveal who they really were in the first place.
Pingyang Country was considered a small country of insignificance. Which was why countries like this would most unlikely attract the attention of any visitors in the Greencloud Continent. Despite that, there were currently five Martial Saints that had arrived in front of him right now.
Even so, these people were only at the level ranging from Grade Four to Grade Five Martial Saint. The leader and the two elderly men were at Grade Five Elementary Martial Saints, and the other two tower-like men were at Grade Four Martial Saints.
Qing Shui frowned. Why did the leader felt the need to bring those men who could crush both the Qing Clan and the Heavenly Palace with their raw power? The Martial Saint warriors of the Qing Clan were all Grade Four Martial Saints…..
"You guys are?" Qing Shui slowly picked up Qing Jun and Qing Yin before he began to speak.
"You are Qing Shui?" After the middle-age leader pondered for a while, his eyes brightened up while he locked his eyes with Qing Shui.
Qing Shui had remained silent as he stared at the leader quietly. Just then, Di Chen came by and gave Qing Shui a smile. While she maintained an assuring smile on her face, she quickly and gently took over his two children from his arms and left.
Di Chen's sudden appearance had left the middle-age man baffled. He was captivated by her beauty, as well as her strength – he had only received news that there wouldn't be any powerful Martial Saints like her in the Qing Clan.
Qing Shui placed both of his hands behind his back and silently watched the reaction of the man in front of him. He did had a thought before that he should establish a mutual relationship with this hidden clan, so that during tough times the Qing Clan would be able to receive aid. After all, being well-protected by an ally was much better compared to falling into an abyss of desolation if ever anyone from the other continents came to cause trouble. A good example was that time when the people from the Eastern Palace Aristocrat Clan from the Southern Viewing Continent had made their Old Ancestor to bear a lifetime of burden that would not go away even after the Old Ancestor had died. This incident with the Eastern Palace Aristocrat Clan was a humiliation towards the entire Greencloud Continent.
The middle-aged man seemed to had realized something before he looked towards Qing Shui with a smile on his face. His set of white teeth had increased a few elegance points, which he continued to flashed as he introduced himself. "I am from the Zuoshi Clan of the Pingyang Country. I went to the Heavenly Palace to look for you last time, but I was not able to meet you. So we came here to your residence today to look for you. It seems that luck is on our side."
"Pingyang Country? Zuoshi Clan?" Qing Shui clearly understood where that place was and what kind of clan they were from. However, he wasn't able to shake off the uneasiness in him as he stared at the man with dubious eyes.
"Mr. Qing, I have a feeling that you are not very welcoming towards our Zuoshi Clan, but we didn't come here to look for you with bad intentions." The man gave a gentle smile at Qing Shui.
Even though Qing Shui didn't have a good opinion about the Zuoshi Clan and was suspicious of them, he still guided them into the big living room. He wasn't particularly concerned about their strength, but he was more worried about the secluded clan that supported the Zuoshi Clan in the shadows.
Not long after, the men from the Zuoshi Clan sat down politely. Di Chen brought in some tea for the guests, but Qing Shui quickly took it from her hands because he didn't want her to serve them personally.
"My name is Zuoshi Yi. I will briefly explain our Zuoshi Clan for you." The middle-aged man had looked at Di Chen for the third time. Every time he did so, he did it casually as he swept his gaze at her direction.
Because of this behavior, Qing Shui had completely lost his last hope and interest on them. These people had very poor virtue and character.
Zuoshi Yi didn't look at her openly or brazenly. Qing Shui didn't want to cause a ruckus for the time being, so he didn't feel the need to say something more. He had quickly gestured Di Chen to take a leave from the big living room.
"I was wondering if Mr. Qing knows about those supreme aristocrat families and the secluded clans?" The man turned his attention to Qing Shui after Di Chen had left, his expression was different than before. The way he talked had also changed slightly, especially when he asked this question to Qing Shui.
So it had come to this, Qing Shui thought. Although he knew what was about to happen, he shook his head and said: "I don't know. I have no idea about these things."
In that moment, the man's eyes had showed a brief disdain towards Qing Shui. If one wasn't attentive enough, they wouldn't be able to notice anything. The leader had maintained a refreshing smile as he explained: "Supreme aristocrat families are those of the top prestigious families in the entire continent. These families are categorized into various ranks or grades, even the lowest grade of the supreme aristocrat families have several martial warriors of the strength of one star. Secluded clans, however, are those of the supreme aristocrat families that don't go out often to make themselves recognized. Our Zuoshi Clan is one of the true secluded clan in the Pingyang Country."
Zuoshi Yi was quite proud as he had mentioned his clan. In the World of the Nine Continents, everyone had wished to be related to those supreme aristocrat families or supreme sects. Even though the Zuoshi Clan from the Pingyang Country was just a branch clan of the main Zuoshi Clan, it was enough to prove their worth as a superior clan.
"So where does Mr. Zuoshi stand among your secluded clan?" Qing Shui smiled at Zuoshi Yi.
"Cough cough, we are one of the important branches of the Zuoshi Clan, and the blood flowing inside us are of Zuoshi Clan as well. We are living together right now as one big clan." Zuoshi Yi was caught off guard by Qing Shui's question.
"Oh, how do you categorize the grades of the supreme aristocrat families? Do you know anything about that?" Qing Shui didn't ask if Zuoshi Yi was comfortable to reveal the rankings, but specifically asked if he knew about it. He knew Zuoshi Yi would talk about it because he didn't get the chance to show how great he was from the beginning.
"Supreme aristocrat families and supreme sects have three classes, with the third-class being the weakest and lowest rank. To be qualified for the third-class, a clan should have no less than 20 martial warriors between the strength of one star to three stars, and this is inclusive of their demonic beasts. Second-class should have no less than 50 martial warriors between the strength of four stars to seven stars, which is inclusive of demonic beasts as well. First-class are said to require at least about a hundred martial warriors with the strength of eight stars and above. I am not really sure about the first-class ranking because they are very rare. There are rumors also that an Emperor Grade clan exists, but whether they do really exist is another story." explained Zuoshi Yi slowly.
"It's no wonder that Mr. Zuoshi is a member of a supreme aristocrat family since you are well-informed. I was wondering what class is the Zuoshi Clan at?" Qing Shui could make a guess about their ranking, but he would still rather ask about it anyway.
"Third-class. It is still an honor to be regarded as a third-class supreme aristocrat clan in the World of the Nine Continents. We are still the best that the Greencloud Continent has ever seen." Zuoshi Yi chuckled as he looked at Qing Shui.
"Mr. Zuoshi, I think I have a firm grasp of what you had told me today. Thank you for coming all the way to inform me this." Qing Shui replied with a smile.
"Cough cough, well, we actually have something else to talk about with Mr. Qing." Zuoshi Yi gave two awkward coughs before he continued. The introduction of being a supreme aristocrat family was just an entrée for what was to come next. The following matters would be left for Qing Shui to decide while keeping in mind of the Zuoshi Clan's current status.
"Oh, you still have more things to talk about. Go on, go on." Qing Shui gestured Zuoshi Yi to continue.
"The second master of Zuoshi Clan has his eyes on Miss Wu-shuang. As a proposition, we were told to bring Miss Wu-shuang back to our clan today, so if there is anything the Qing Clan needed help from our clan in the future, you can go to the Pingyang Country to look for us. How about it?" Zuoshi Yi looked at Qing Shui's calm expression and stated his true intention.
Qing Shui was shocked. They actually came to the Qing Clan all the way from the Pingyang Country just for Wu-shuang, and he could feel that they wanted to take Wu-shuang back to their clan after this meeting was over. Qing Shui was furious under the pretense of a smile
"Take away Wu-shuang?" asked Qing Shui while he looked at Zuoshi Yi in the eyes.
"Zuoshi Yun is the direct descendent of the Zuoshi Clan. He is exceptionally talented, and he has a lot of influence in the household. His grandfather is the current head of the Zuoshi Clan, and Zuoshi Yun his favourite. Zuoshi Yun is still quite young, about 30 years old, and he had already reached the Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint stage even before he hit the age of 40. Miss Wu-shuang will have a happy life if she follows the second master." Zuoshi Yi quickly explained.
Indeed, these words had enough significance to persuade anyone to submit to their wishes. A direct line of the supreme aristocrat family who achieved the strength of a Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint at a young age, Wu-shuang would have a glorious life if she were to follow him for the rest of her life.
To had reached the strength of 5,000 countries, this young man could be considered to be outstanding in his generation. This fellow would be one of the best in the Greencloud Continent, and he would have every rights to be proud and arrogant about it. However, a Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint was nothing in Qing Shui's eyes.
Also, Zuoshi Yi said to 'bring' Wu-shuang back, and not 'marry' her, which meant that the second master would most likely make her a play thing. And the part about looking for the Zuoshi Clan if they have any troubles clearly showed how much power they had if they were able to make that statement. However, Qing Shui felt nothing of the third-class supreme aristocrat family like them, so they had no rights to act this presumptuous in front of him.
"Their strongest is no more than the strength of three stars. I can easily display the strength of two stars with an extra strength of 2000 countries. If I have to fight with one who have the strength of three stars, it will not be a problem." Qing Shui smiled as he went through a monologue in his head. However, he was a bit worried because the Zuoshi Clan had about less than 20 martial warriors between the strength of one star to three stars.
"So you came today specifically for this?" Qing Shui retracted his smile. Since they did not put him in their eyes and had shown little significance towards the Qing Clan, then he had stopped being polite naturally towards them as well.
"Heh, that's right. What do you think? The Zuoshi Clan will not mistreat the Qing Clan, so why don't Mr. Qing state your conditions?" Zuoshi Yi quickly lowered his tone when he saw the unhappy expression on Qing Shui's face.
"I have no conditions, so you all may leave now. Go back to that Zuoshi second young master or whatever, and tell him he isn't worthy." Qing Shui stood up. And when he did that, it was already clear that he wanted them to get out from the Qing Residence immediately.
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AST 729 – Kill
Zuoshi Yi was stunned upon hearing Qing Shui's words. The same thing also happened with the others. The reason why they spoke so much before was only to make Qing Shui realize the enormous gap in strength between Zuoshi Clan and Qing Clan.
However, the outcome truly exceeded his expectations. Zuoshi Yi looked quite pale and unsightly. At the time when he came, he had already promised Zuoshi Yun that he would help him achieve his goals by all means.
He was aware of the capability of Heavenly Palace and Qing Clan, which was why he brought four people along. The five of them were more than enough to make both Heavenly Palace and Qing Shui lower their heads.
"Haha, Qing Shui, the youngest patriarch from Heavenly Palace, the Heavenly Palace that is remarkable in your eye is just like an ant to Zuoshi Clan. Even you would be easily dealt with. If Zuoshi Clan had wanted it, we can eliminate Heavenly Palace and Qing Clan in an instant."Zuoshi Yi was really furious. After all, he spoke so much only to be rejected by Qing Shui. This was the first time he met someone so insensible.
Whenever supreme aristocratic clans were mentioned, everyone would try to keep a good distance from them. They would even go so far as to politely allow the supreme clan to take away people from their clan. If the people were to turn down their request, they would do it by force. Often, no one would utter a word in order to protect the entire clan.
"Foolish!" the previous things that Zuoshi Yi mentioned didn't manage to release all the anger in him. He once again opened his mouth and spoke.
Qing Shui didn't say anything. He extended his hand and the next thing that was seen was a one meter grey flame. After that, he shrank and compressed it until it was the size of a baby's head and looked back at Zhuoshi Yi.
"Very soon, you'll find out who's the foolish one." Qing Shui took everything slowly after he finished speaking. He didn't rush to attack them.
"Haha, you still dare to attack me?" Zuoshi Yi stared at Qing Shui with a disdainful look.
"Initially, I was planning to let all of you live. But now, I have changed my mind." When Qing Shui was done talking, he abruptly shot out the Primordial Flame Ball in his hand.
Meteor Smash!
Qing Shui has already locked onto his Qi in advance so that he wouldn't be able to avoid the flame balls even if he wanted to. When Zuoshi Yi avoided it for the first time, he came to realize that the formidable flame balls were able to change trajectories. For a moment, he felt anxious.
"Attack! Cripple him first!" Zuoshi Yi ordered the four men behind him loudly.
Taichi Cloudhand!
Taichi Single Whip!
Pa-pa!
The power that Qing Shui was using now was definitely below that of a Grade Five Martial Saint, yet he was still able to toy with them as he pleased.
Ka……
The entire main hall was filled with mournful cries, noises of bones cracking and loud howling noises. At this moment, Zuoshi Yi felt that the bewildering young man in front of him was getting more and more unreal. The information that he received about him seemed to be inaccurate. Even though Qing Shui once managed to eliminate the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord, but according to the rumors, it was because he had people to assist him with it. Additionally, the people from the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord wasn't really that strong.
The Primordial Flame Ball was getting closer and closer to Zhuoshi Yi. Zhuoshi Yi once again avoided it. As he swung his hand, a huge thing with jet black scales all over its body appeared in front of him.
Copper Black Bull!
The Copper Black Bull was a Grade Six Martial Saint demonic beast. It was fifteen meters long and four meters tall. Its unique features were its incredible strength and the sturdy skin on its body. Additionally, there was three meter long and curvy sharp bull's horns on its head. The appearance of the Copper Black Bull made the main hall looked a lot smaller.
Mou!
The Copper Black Bull stopped the Primordial Flame Balls with its thick horn.
Bang!
Mou! A mournful cry resounded. More than half of the black bull's three-meter horn was burnt despite it being the sturdiest part of the Copper Black Bull's body. The Copper Skin Black Bull madly stomped around the place, not knowing if it was because it was in pain or if it was angry.
Zuoshi Yi was finally feeling panicked. The Copper Black Bull was his ultimate weapon. In addition to that, he also witnessed Qing Shui beating up the four people until their bones cracked. Two of them were already at their last gasp.
"Just what kind of strength does he possess?" In just a short while, Zuoshi Yi had sweat all over his head. His back was also wet with his own sweat.
"If you dare to kill people from Zuoshi Clan, the only thing that awaits you will be the destruction of your sect and clan!" Zuoshi Yi screamed at Qing Shui in an attempt to intimidate him. However, he didn’t know that his action only resulted in Qing Shui's death sentence for him.
Ah!
A mournful scream was heard. Qing Shui immediately broke one of the men’s necks leading to his immediate demise. Qing Shui looked back at Zuoshi Yi with a playful look. After that, he continued burning the corpse on the ground with his Primordial Flame Ball until nothing was left, making it looked as if the person had never appeared before. He also killed and burnt one of the elderly men to death.
Qing Shui's action caused Zuoshi Yi to panic even further. He actually dared to kill two of his men. That just meant that he had no intention of letting any of them survive. Now, the only thing he could do was to try his best to escape from here.
Moo!
The Copper Black Bull let out a loud scream. Its body suddenly expanded slightly. The jet black scale-like skins all over its body turned more jet-black and shiny. It abruptly tightened up its enormous body and charged towards Qing Shui.
Meanwhile, Zuoshi Yi quickly ran outside without showing any concern towards the two injured comrades of his.
Xiu-xiu!
Two silver needles were shot at really high speed. They right away pierced through his brain and killed him. Qing Shui had countless methods of killing someone who was at this caliber. After that, he immediately used the Primordial Flame to burn and clean up the place. Even the entire main hall was burnt to nothing.
In any case, there were still quite a few main halls here. Since this main hall has got dead people before, Qing Shui felt that it’s better to just burn it right away to avoid leaving any evidence.
"Are you alright?"
Di Chen walked up to Qing Shui and looked at him in worry.
"They're just one of the small fries among those rascals. Inform our clan members to not tell anyone that they died in Qing Clan." Qing Shui said after thinking for a while. It would be better if he could drag it out for a while.
"Yeah, but I have a feeling that more people from Zuoshi Clan will come." Di Chen knitted her brows.
"Don’t worry about it, we have been through so many things. You don’t have to be scared of Zuoshi Clan."Qing Shui remembered that they were only warriors with strength ranging from one star to three stars. In fact, there were also only very few people with strength that was worth three stars. Besides, he didn’t want to worry Di Chen.
Qing Shui took a look around Qing Clan. Even though the speed at which they progressed in their cultivation was quite fast, when compared to the supreme clans, the difference was still like comparing a firefly with a bright moon. The outstanding talent of aristocratic clans were an essence accumulated over more than ten generations. It’s something which they earned step by step.
Now in Qing Clan, other than Qing Shui being the stronger one, there were still Di Chen, Yiye Jiange, Canghai Mingyue and Mingyue Gelou. Being a Grade Four Martial Saint, Di Chen was the strongest among them. Qing Shui would think of a way to help her get even stronger. Canghai Mingyue, Mingyue Gelou and Yiye Jiange were all Grade One Martial Saints. Soon, it should be the pinnacle period for them to significantly hone their skills. For Qing Shui had yet to give them a few his medicinal pills and fruits.
Additionally, there was still Luan Luan. Qing Shui had high expectations for her.
On the second day, Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji came. Qing Shui brought the two to another main hall. The old master took a particular liking to the two little brats. Normally, he would visit this place from time to time. It might have been because of the kind heart this old man possessed, the two little brats got along really well with him. But it was different in Fei Wuji's case. Canghai Mingyue walked in with a pot of tea: "Grandpa, Martial Uncle Fei, I’m coming in.
After a while, Huoyun Liu-Li, Mingyue Gelou and the others also joined in. They spent quite a long time with Cang Wuya. Di Chen was also really familiar with Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji.
That’s as far as Cang Wuya could progress with his strength. There was no longer any improvement in it. Fei Wuji on the other hand, he managed to have a considerably significant increase in his strength. He has already caught up to Cang Wuya and became a Peak Martial King Warrior. However, it should be really hard for him if he wanted to break through to Martial Saint. Qing Shui planned to give him some Fruit of Five Elements later on.
"Old Master, I will be going to Southern Viewing Continent with Martial Uncle Fei in a while to settle Old Ancestor's wish before he passed away. Do you still want to go?" Qing Shui smiled and looked towards Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji.
Cang Wuya's eyes turned bright. Fei Wuji on the other hand, was stunned. At the time when Old Ancestor passed away, he told them before that Qing Shui could go there once he became a Grade Five Martial Saint. Fei Wuji knew that Qing Shui's strength had long since exceeded that of a Grade Five Martial Saint but he never said that he wanted to go. He also couldn’t rush him. He failed to live up to his own expectations… he needed to rely on others for his own stuff.
He has also had the thought before that Qing Shui might not go to Southern Viewing Continent since it was located so far away. He would have to climb up mountains and cross rivers in order to go there. Not only so, it would definitely be packed with danger too. Slowly, Fei Wuji no longer had any hopes, even though Qing Shui had promised to go before, he never told him when he would do it.
"I’m old and would not be much of a help. I’ll get Bai Gui to go with you." Cang Wuya chuckled. He was really happy at the moment. Even though Old Ancestor was his master, he couldn't do anything for him. But now, things were different, knowing Qing Shui, Mingyue, the little brat, and everything that he had now, were all given by Qing Shui.
"That’s good too! After we're done running our errands, we will come back and tell you about the good news." Qing Shui smiled.
"Yes, today is a really happy day for me." Cang Wuya's bright laugh rang.
"Martial Uncle Fei, upon finishing Old Ancestor's wish, you are still going to do one more thing. Only after that will Old Ancestor truly be at peace." Qing Shui smiled and looked at Fei Wuji.
"I know, I will get married right away as soon as I’m back from South Viewing Ministry Continent." Fei Wuji replied seriously.
To him, heading to South Viewing Continent was the most important thing. As long as it could help to clear up the burden in his heart, he would go. To him, there was nothing more important that this.
"Alright, then it’s decided. We're about to celebrate new year this year. So, let’s go to Southern Viewing Continent after new year." Qing Shui remembered about Zuoshi Clan. Before he went, there were still some things he would need to sort out.
Three days went on peacefully. Actually, Qing Shui was quite worried but he knew that Zuoshi Clan would definitely not turn up in full force. This way, he could still fight for some time. Around twenty one star to three stars warriors, if they came separately in three times, Qing Shui felt that he would stand a chance against them. This was his worst case scenario.
Qing Shui was also really concerned. He spent these few days cultivating like crazy. He didn’t intend to break through, he only wanted his strength to be more stable and more sturdy.
Yet another three days passed. There was yet to be any news from Zuoshi Clan. Qing Shui thought about it and realized that he was rushing too much. The journey from Green Cloud Continent to Pingyang Country was quite far apart. They wouldn’t be able to rush here in such a time. Moreover, Qing Shui also felt that there was something weird about this incident, for example, Zuoshi Yun sent Zhuoshi Yi to take Wenren Wushuang back. These things may have been done secretly since other people from Zhuoshi Clan weren't aware of them.
There's a huge possibility for that. And also, since the journey is quite long, they will have difficulty coming here too. This is great, if they are far away from us, it would be hard even for them to investigate the incident. There's a chance that this incident will end quietly. Qing Shui was having wishful thoughts
Unfortunately, there's always a huge gap between wishes and reality. After a month, the people from Zhuoshi Clan still showed up. Furthermore, they came to Qing Clan right away.
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AST 728 – The People From The Zuoshi Clan, He Is Still Unworthy
In a blink of an eye, Qing Shui had already spent two months living comfortably in the Qing Residence. After his Fire Bird and Diamond Gigantic Elephant had a breakthrough, Qing Shui took 20% of the power gained by the Diamond Gigantic Elephant and instilled it to his own strength. Within half a month, he had already refined it thoroughly.
Between the power of the strength of 800 countries, the defense with the strength of 1500 countries, and the astronomical speed of the Diamond Gigantic Elephant, Qing Shui had already absorbed 20% from each. Specifically, the power of the strength of 160 countries, the defense with the strength of 300 countries, and a decent amount of speed.
Qing Shui's overall power had reached to about the strength of 2160 countries, and his defense had reached to a terrifying strength of 3800 countries. Even though the increase in his current strength would not be comparable to his previous one, it could be still considered adequate. After all, it would be extremely difficult for him to increase his strength again, so the bonus he had gained from his Diamond Gigantic Elephant were already quite enough.
Even so, Qing Shui could still reach the strength of 1600 countries and defense with the strength of 2300 countries with his supplementary skills that had crippling effects as well as the boost from the Thunder God.
……..
Today, Qing Shui held the hands of both of his children as he had planned to go outside for a casual sightseeing together with them. He noticed a few people that was apparently led by a middle-aged man and had already walked their way into the Qing Residence.
The man had an imposing countenance and cut a large figure, yet he was still quite handsome. He had straight clean brows and a pair of gleaming eyes that showed the energetic side of his character. He was arguably as handsome as the late Canghai at his prime.
Behind this handsome man were four people, two elderly men and another two who were barely 40 years old. These two fellows had a brawny stature like an antique brass, as if they were made of iron.
On the other hand, the two elderly men appeared normal. Despite their gentle features, they were clearly men of great depth and virtuousness. The men in front of him were all at the level of Martial Saint. Qing Shui was surprised for a brief moment as he recalled about the Zuoshi Clan that Elder Ge had mentioned before.
Now that he had seen a number of Martial Saints throughout his life, Qing Shui would never believe that there wasn't any Martial Saints in the Greencloud Continent before. There were many of those who had kept a low profile in the vast place like the Greencloud Continent, because they don't need to reveal who they really were in the first place.
Pingyang Country was considered a small country of insignificance. Which was why countries like this would most unlikely attract the attention of any visitors in the Greencloud Continent. Despite that, there were currently five Martial Saints that had arrived in front of him right now.
Even so, these people were only at the level ranging from Grade Four to Grade Five Martial Saint. The leader and the two elderly men were at Grade Five Elementary Martial Saints, and the other two tower-like men were at Grade Four Martial Saints.
Qing Shui frowned. Why did the leader felt the need to bring those men who could crush both the Qing Clan and the Heavenly Palace with their raw power? The Martial Saint warriors of the Qing Clan were all Grade Four Martial Saints…..
"You guys are?" Qing Shui slowly picked up Qing Jun and Qing Yin before he began to speak.
"You are Qing Shui?" After the middle-age leader pondered for a while, his eyes brightened up while he locked his eyes with Qing Shui.
Qing Shui had remained silent as he stared at the leader quietly. Just then, Di Chen came by and gave Qing Shui a smile. While she maintained an assuring smile on her face, she quickly and gently took over his two children from his arms and left.
Di Chen's sudden appearance had left the middle-age man baffled. He was captivated by her beauty, as well as her strength – he had only received news that there wouldn't be any powerful Martial Saints like her in the Qing Clan.
Qing Shui placed both of his hands behind his back and silently watched the reaction of the man in front of him. He did had a thought before that he should establish a mutual relationship with this hidden clan, so that during tough times the Qing Clan would be able to receive aid. After all, being well-protected by an ally was much better compared to falling into an abyss of desolation if ever anyone from the other continents came to cause trouble. A good example was that time when the people from the Eastern Palace Aristocrat Clan from the Southern Viewing Continent had made their Old Ancestor to bear a lifetime of burden that would not go away even after the Old Ancestor had died. This incident with the Eastern Palace Aristocrat Clan was a humiliation towards the entire Greencloud Continent.
The middle-aged man seemed to had realized something before he looked towards Qing Shui with a smile on his face. His set of white teeth had increased a few elegance points, which he continued to flashed as he introduced himself. "I am from the Zuoshi Clan of the Pingyang Country. I went to the Heavenly Palace to look for you last time, but I was not able to meet you. So we came here to your residence today to look for you. It seems that luck is on our side."
"Pingyang Country? Zuoshi Clan?" Qing Shui clearly understood where that place was and what kind of clan they were from. However, he wasn't able to shake off the uneasiness in him as he stared at the man with dubious eyes.
"Mr. Qing, I have a feeling that you are not very welcoming towards our Zuoshi Clan, but we didn't come here to look for you with bad intentions." The man gave a gentle smile at Qing Shui.
Even though Qing Shui didn't have a good opinion about the Zuoshi Clan and was suspicious of them, he still guided them into the big living room. He wasn't particularly concerned about their strength, but he was more worried about the secluded clan that supported the Zuoshi Clan in the shadows.
Not long after, the men from the Zuoshi Clan sat down politely. Di Chen brought in some tea for the guests, but Qing Shui quickly took it from her hands because he didn't want her to serve them personally.
"My name is Zuoshi Yi. I will briefly explain our Zuoshi Clan for you." The middle-aged man had looked at Di Chen for the third time. Every time he did so, he did it casually as he swept his gaze at her direction.
Because of this behavior, Qing Shui had completely lost his last hope and interest on them. These people had very poor virtue and character.
Zuoshi Yi didn't look at her openly or brazenly. Qing Shui didn't want to cause a ruckus for the time being, so he didn't feel the need to say something more. He had quickly gestured Di Chen to take a leave from the big living room.
"I was wondering if Mr. Qing knows about those supreme aristocrat families and the secluded clans?" The man turned his attention to Qing Shui after Di Chen had left, his expression was different than before. The way he talked had also changed slightly, especially when he asked this question to Qing Shui.
So it had come to this, Qing Shui thought. Although he knew what was about to happen, he shook his head and said: "I don't know. I have no idea about these things."
In that moment, the man's eyes had showed a brief disdain towards Qing Shui. If one wasn't attentive enough, they wouldn't be able to notice anything. The leader had maintained a refreshing smile as he explained: "Supreme aristocrat families are those of the top prestigious families in the entire continent. These families are categorized into various ranks or grades, even the lowest grade of the supreme aristocrat families have several martial warriors of the strength of one star. Secluded clans, however, are those of the supreme aristocrat families that don't go out often to make themselves recognized. Our Zuoshi Clan is one of the true secluded clan in the Pingyang Country."
Zuoshi Yi was quite proud as he had mentioned his clan. In the World of the Nine Continents, everyone had wished to be related to those supreme aristocrat families or supreme sects. Even though the Zuoshi Clan from the Pingyang Country was just a branch clan of the main Zuoshi Clan, it was enough to prove their worth as a superior clan.
"So where does Mr. Zuoshi stand among your secluded clan?" Qing Shui smiled at Zuoshi Yi.
"Cough cough, we are one of the important branches of the Zuoshi Clan, and the blood flowing inside us are of Zuoshi Clan as well. We are living together right now as one big clan." Zuoshi Yi was caught off guard by Qing Shui's question.
"Oh, how do you categorize the grades of the supreme aristocrat families? Do you know anything about that?" Qing Shui didn't ask if Zuoshi Yi was comfortable to reveal the rankings, but specifically asked if he knew about it. He knew Zuoshi Yi would talk about it because he didn't get the chance to show how great he was from the beginning.
"Supreme aristocrat families and supreme sects have three classes, with the third-class being the weakest and lowest rank. To be qualified for the third-class, a clan should have no less than 20 martial warriors between the strength of one star to three stars, and this is inclusive of their demonic beasts. Second-class should have no less than 50 martial warriors between the strength of four stars to seven stars, which is inclusive of demonic beasts as well. First-class are said to require at least about a hundred martial warriors with the strength of eight stars and above. I am not really sure about the first-class ranking because they are very rare. There are rumors also that an Emperor Grade clan exists, but whether they do really exist is another story." explained Zuoshi Yi slowly.
"It's no wonder that Mr. Zuoshi is a member of a supreme aristocrat family since you are well-informed. I was wondering what class is the Zuoshi Clan at?" Qing Shui could make a guess about their ranking, but he would still rather ask about it anyway.
"Third-class. It is still an honor to be regarded as a third-class supreme aristocrat clan in the World of the Nine Continents. We are still the best that the Greencloud Continent has ever seen." Zuoshi Yi chuckled as he looked at Qing Shui.
"Mr. Zuoshi, I think I have a firm grasp of what you had told me today. Thank you for coming all the way to inform me this." Qing Shui replied with a smile.
"Cough cough, well, we actually have something else to talk about with Mr. Qing." Zuoshi Yi gave two awkward coughs before he continued. The introduction of being a supreme aristocrat family was just an entrée for what was to come next. The following matters would be left for Qing Shui to decide while keeping in mind of the Zuoshi Clan's current status.
"Oh, you still have more things to talk about. Go on, go on." Qing Shui gestured Zuoshi Yi to continue.
"The second master of Zuoshi Clan has his eyes on Miss Wu-shuang. As a proposition, we were told to bring Miss Wu-shuang back to our clan today, so if there is anything the Qing Clan needed help from our clan in the future, you can go to the Pingyang Country to look for us. How about it?" Zuoshi Yi looked at Qing Shui's calm expression and stated his true intention.
Qing Shui was shocked. They actually came to the Qing Clan all the way from the Pingyang Country just for Wu-shuang, and he could feel that they wanted to take Wu-shuang back to their clan after this meeting was over. Qing Shui was furious under the pretense of a smile
"Take away Wu-shuang?" asked Qing Shui while he looked at Zuoshi Yi in the eyes.
"Zuoshi Yun is the direct descendent of the Zuoshi Clan. He is exceptionally talented, and he has a lot of influence in the household. His grandfather is the current head of the Zuoshi Clan, and Zuoshi Yun his favourite. Zuoshi Yun is still quite young, about 30 years old, and he had already reached the Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint stage even before he hit the age of 40. Miss Wu-shuang will have a happy life if she follows the second master." Zuoshi Yi quickly explained.
Indeed, these words had enough significance to persuade anyone to submit to their wishes. A direct line of the supreme aristocrat family who achieved the strength of a Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint at a young age, Wu-shuang would have a glorious life if she were to follow him for the rest of her life.
To had reached the strength of 5,000 countries, this young man could be considered to be outstanding in his generation. This fellow would be one of the best in the Greencloud Continent, and he would have every rights to be proud and arrogant about it. However, a Grade Nine Peak Martial Saint was nothing in Qing Shui's eyes.
Also, Zuoshi Yi said to 'bring' Wu-shuang back, and not 'marry' her, which meant that the second master would most likely make her a play thing. And the part about looking for the Zuoshi Clan if they have any troubles clearly showed how much power they had if they were able to make that statement. However, Qing Shui felt nothing of the third-class supreme aristocrat family like them, so they had no rights to act this presumptuous in front of him.
"Their strongest is no more than the strength of three stars. I can easily display the strength of two stars with an extra strength of 2000 countries. If I have to fight with one who have the strength of three stars, it will not be a problem." Qing Shui smiled as he went through a monologue in his head. However, he was a bit worried because the Zuoshi Clan had about less than 20 martial warriors between the strength of one star to three stars.
"So you came today specifically for this?" Qing Shui retracted his smile. Since they did not put him in their eyes and had shown little significance towards the Qing Clan, then he had stopped being polite naturally towards them as well.
"Heh, that's right. What do you think? The Zuoshi Clan will not mistreat the Qing Clan, so why don't Mr. Qing state your conditions?" Zuoshi Yi quickly lowered his tone when he saw the unhappy expression on Qing Shui's face.
"I have no conditions, so you all may leave now. Go back to that Zuoshi second young master or whatever, and tell him he isn't worthy." Qing Shui stood up. And when he did that, it was already clear that he wanted them to get out from the Qing Residence immediately.
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AST 729 – Kill
Zuoshi Yi was stunned upon hearing Qing Shui's words. The same thing also happened with the others. The reason why they spoke so much before was only to make Qing Shui realize the enormous gap in strength between Zuoshi Clan and Qing Clan.
However, the outcome truly exceeded his expectations. Zuoshi Yi looked quite pale and unsightly. At the time when he came, he had already promised Zuoshi Yun that he would help him achieve his goals by all means.
He was aware of the capability of Heavenly Palace and Qing Clan, which was why he brought four people along. The five of them were more than enough to make both Heavenly Palace and Qing Shui lower their heads.
"Haha, Qing Shui, the youngest patriarch from Heavenly Palace, the Heavenly Palace that is remarkable in your eye is just like an ant to Zuoshi Clan. Even you would be easily dealt with. If Zuoshi Clan had wanted it, we can eliminate Heavenly Palace and Qing Clan in an instant."Zuoshi Yi was really furious. After all, he spoke so much only to be rejected by Qing Shui. This was the first time he met someone so insensible.
Whenever supreme aristocratic clans were mentioned, everyone would try to keep a good distance from them. They would even go so far as to politely allow the supreme clan to take away people from their clan. If the people were to turn down their request, they would do it by force. Often, no one would utter a word in order to protect the entire clan.
"Foolish!" the previous things that Zuoshi Yi mentioned didn't manage to release all the anger in him. He once again opened his mouth and spoke.
Qing Shui didn't say anything. He extended his hand and the next thing that was seen was a one meter grey flame. After that, he shrank and compressed it until it was the size of a baby's head and looked back at Zhuoshi Yi.
"Very soon, you'll find out who's the foolish one." Qing Shui took everything slowly after he finished speaking. He didn't rush to attack them.
"Haha, you still dare to attack me?" Zuoshi Yi stared at Qing Shui with a disdainful look.
"Initially, I was planning to let all of you live. But now, I have changed my mind." When Qing Shui was done talking, he abruptly shot out the Primordial Flame Ball in his hand.
Meteor Smash!
Qing Shui has already locked onto his Qi in advance so that he wouldn't be able to avoid the flame balls even if he wanted to. When Zuoshi Yi avoided it for the first time, he came to realize that the formidable flame balls were able to change trajectories. For a moment, he felt anxious.
"Attack! Cripple him first!" Zuoshi Yi ordered the four men behind him loudly.
Taichi Cloudhand!
Taichi Single Whip!
Pa-pa!
The power that Qing Shui was using now was definitely below that of a Grade Five Martial Saint, yet he was still able to toy with them as he pleased.
Ka……
The entire main hall was filled with mournful cries, noises of bones cracking and loud howling noises. At this moment, Zuoshi Yi felt that the bewildering young man in front of him was getting more and more unreal. The information that he received about him seemed to be inaccurate. Even though Qing Shui once managed to eliminate the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord, but according to the rumors, it was because he had people to assist him with it. Additionally, the people from the Residence of the Sky Tyrant Lord wasn't really that strong.
The Primordial Flame Ball was getting closer and closer to Zhuoshi Yi. Zhuoshi Yi once again avoided it. As he swung his hand, a huge thing with jet black scales all over its body appeared in front of him.
Copper Black Bull!
The Copper Black Bull was a Grade Six Martial Saint demonic beast. It was fifteen meters long and four meters tall. Its unique features were its incredible strength and the sturdy skin on its body. Additionally, there was three meter long and curvy sharp bull's horns on its head. The appearance of the Copper Black Bull made the main hall looked a lot smaller.
Mou!
The Copper Black Bull stopped the Primordial Flame Balls with its thick horn.
Bang!
Mou! A mournful cry resounded. More than half of the black bull's three-meter horn was burnt despite it being the sturdiest part of the Copper Black Bull's body. The Copper Skin Black Bull madly stomped around the place, not knowing if it was because it was in pain or if it was angry.
Zuoshi Yi was finally feeling panicked. The Copper Black Bull was his ultimate weapon. In addition to that, he also witnessed Qing Shui beating up the four people until their bones cracked. Two of them were already at their last gasp.
"Just what kind of strength does he possess?" In just a short while, Zuoshi Yi had sweat all over his head. His back was also wet with his own sweat.
"If you dare to kill people from Zuoshi Clan, the only thing that awaits you will be the destruction of your sect and clan!" Zuoshi Yi screamed at Qing Shui in an attempt to intimidate him. However, he didn’t know that his action only resulted in Qing Shui's death sentence for him.
Ah!
A mournful scream was heard. Qing Shui immediately broke one of the men’s necks leading to his immediate demise. Qing Shui looked back at Zuoshi Yi with a playful look. After that, he continued burning the corpse on the ground with his Primordial Flame Ball until nothing was left, making it looked as if the person had never appeared before. He also killed and burnt one of the elderly men to death.
Qing Shui's action caused Zuoshi Yi to panic even further. He actually dared to kill two of his men. That just meant that he had no intention of letting any of them survive. Now, the only thing he could do was to try his best to escape from here.
Moo!
The Copper Black Bull let out a loud scream. Its body suddenly expanded slightly. The jet black scale-like skins all over its body turned more jet-black and shiny. It abruptly tightened up its enormous body and charged towards Qing Shui.
Meanwhile, Zuoshi Yi quickly ran outside without showing any concern towards the two injured comrades of his.
Xiu-xiu!
Two silver needles were shot at really high speed. They right away pierced through his brain and killed him. Qing Shui had countless methods of killing someone who was at this caliber. After that, he immediately used the Primordial Flame to burn and clean up the place. Even the entire main hall was burnt to nothing.
In any case, there were still quite a few main halls here. Since this main hall has got dead people before, Qing Shui felt that it’s better to just burn it right away to avoid leaving any evidence.
"Are you alright?"
Di Chen walked up to Qing Shui and looked at him in worry.
"They're just one of the small fries among those rascals. Inform our clan members to not tell anyone that they died in Qing Clan." Qing Shui said after thinking for a while. It would be better if he could drag it out for a while.
"Yeah, but I have a feeling that more people from Zuoshi Clan will come." Di Chen knitted her brows.
"Don’t worry about it, we have been through so many things. You don’t have to be scared of Zuoshi Clan."Qing Shui remembered that they were only warriors with strength ranging from one star to three stars. In fact, there were also only very few people with strength that was worth three stars. Besides, he didn’t want to worry Di Chen.
Qing Shui took a look around Qing Clan. Even though the speed at which they progressed in their cultivation was quite fast, when compared to the supreme clans, the difference was still like comparing a firefly with a bright moon. The outstanding talent of aristocratic clans were an essence accumulated over more than ten generations. It’s something which they earned step by step.
Now in Qing Clan, other than Qing Shui being the stronger one, there were still Di Chen, Yiye Jiange, Canghai Mingyue and Mingyue Gelou. Being a Grade Four Martial Saint, Di Chen was the strongest among them. Qing Shui would think of a way to help her get even stronger. Canghai Mingyue, Mingyue Gelou and Yiye Jiange were all Grade One Martial Saints. Soon, it should be the pinnacle period for them to significantly hone their skills. For Qing Shui had yet to give them a few his medicinal pills and fruits.
Additionally, there was still Luan Luan. Qing Shui had high expectations for her.
On the second day, Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji came. Qing Shui brought the two to another main hall. The old master took a particular liking to the two little brats. Normally, he would visit this place from time to time. It might have been because of the kind heart this old man possessed, the two little brats got along really well with him. But it was different in Fei Wuji's case. Canghai Mingyue walked in with a pot of tea: "Grandpa, Martial Uncle Fei, I’m coming in.
After a while, Huoyun Liu-Li, Mingyue Gelou and the others also joined in. They spent quite a long time with Cang Wuya. Di Chen was also really familiar with Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji.
That’s as far as Cang Wuya could progress with his strength. There was no longer any improvement in it. Fei Wuji on the other hand, he managed to have a considerably significant increase in his strength. He has already caught up to Cang Wuya and became a Peak Martial King Warrior. However, it should be really hard for him if he wanted to break through to Martial Saint. Qing Shui planned to give him some Fruit of Five Elements later on.
"Old Master, I will be going to Southern Viewing Continent with Martial Uncle Fei in a while to settle Old Ancestor's wish before he passed away. Do you still want to go?" Qing Shui smiled and looked towards Cang Wuya and Fei Wuji.
Cang Wuya's eyes turned bright. Fei Wuji on the other hand, was stunned. At the time when Old Ancestor passed away, he told them before that Qing Shui could go there once he became a Grade Five Martial Saint. Fei Wuji knew that Qing Shui's strength had long since exceeded that of a Grade Five Martial Saint but he never said that he wanted to go. He also couldn’t rush him. He failed to live up to his own expectations… he needed to rely on others for his own stuff.
He has also had the thought before that Qing Shui might not go to Southern Viewing Continent since it was located so far away. He would have to climb up mountains and cross rivers in order to go there. Not only so, it would definitely be packed with danger too. Slowly, Fei Wuji no longer had any hopes, even though Qing Shui had promised to go before, he never told him when he would do it.
"I’m old and would not be much of a help. I’ll get Bai Gui to go with you." Cang Wuya chuckled. He was really happy at the moment. Even though Old Ancestor was his master, he couldn't do anything for him. But now, things were different, knowing Qing Shui, Mingyue, the little brat, and everything that he had now, were all given by Qing Shui.
"That’s good too! After we're done running our errands, we will come back and tell you about the good news." Qing Shui smiled.
"Yes, today is a really happy day for me." Cang Wuya's bright laugh rang.
"Martial Uncle Fei, upon finishing Old Ancestor's wish, you are still going to do one more thing. Only after that will Old Ancestor truly be at peace." Qing Shui smiled and looked at Fei Wuji.
"I know, I will get married right away as soon as I’m back from South Viewing Ministry Continent." Fei Wuji replied seriously.
To him, heading to South Viewing Continent was the most important thing. As long as it could help to clear up the burden in his heart, he would go. To him, there was nothing more important that this.
"Alright, then it’s decided. We're about to celebrate new year this year. So, let’s go to Southern Viewing Continent after new year." Qing Shui remembered about Zuoshi Clan. Before he went, there were still some things he would need to sort out.
Three days went on peacefully. Actually, Qing Shui was quite worried but he knew that Zuoshi Clan would definitely not turn up in full force. This way, he could still fight for some time. Around twenty one star to three stars warriors, if they came separately in three times, Qing Shui felt that he would stand a chance against them. This was his worst case scenario.
Qing Shui was also really concerned. He spent these few days cultivating like crazy. He didn’t intend to break through, he only wanted his strength to be more stable and more sturdy.
Yet another three days passed. There was yet to be any news from Zuoshi Clan. Qing Shui thought about it and realized that he was rushing too much. The journey from Green Cloud Continent to Pingyang Country was quite far apart. They wouldn’t be able to rush here in such a time. Moreover, Qing Shui also felt that there was something weird about this incident, for example, Zuoshi Yun sent Zhuoshi Yi to take Wenren Wushuang back. These things may have been done secretly since other people from Zhuoshi Clan weren't aware of them.
There's a huge possibility for that. And also, since the journey is quite long, they will have difficulty coming here too. This is great, if they are far away from us, it would be hard even for them to investigate the incident. There's a chance that this incident will end quietly. Qing Shui was having wishful thoughts
Unfortunately, there's always a huge gap between wishes and reality. After a month, the people from Zhuoshi Clan still showed up. Furthermore, they came to Qing Clan right away.
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