Upon the grand hall's dais sat Teng Qingshan and the Blind Sword Saint, while Zhao Danchen, Tie Fan, and the captured Zhao Fu stood before them.

"Island Master!" Zhao Fu looked towards the Island Master, 'Tie Fan,' with utter dread.

"Hmph." Tie Fan shot Zhao Fu a cold glance, sternly admonishing, "My Qinghu Island producing a wayward disciple like you..." As the words began, the thought of Qinghu Island losing three Innate experts made Tie Fan’s heart ache even more fiercely. Their island did not boast many Innate experts, and Zhao Danchen was, moreover, among the top ten of the Tianbang Rankings.

All because of Zhao Fu!

Tie Fan grew even more enraged.

"For the sake of a single Flowing Cloud Token, you annihilated an entire family. Ruthless enough," the Blind Sword Saint’s low voice resonated. He had already learned the full account from Zhao Danchen moments ago; it was no wonder the man's master had come storming to their doors.

"I, I..."

Hearing the words 'Flowing Cloud Token,' Zhao Fu’s legs instantly weakened, and he quickly stammered, "No, it has nothing to do with me! It was Zhao Xi who ordered it, it was Zhao Xi."

"Zhao Xi, Zhao Guangzuo—both are dead," a cold voice cut in.

Zhao Fu startled, turning to see the young man in the white robe carrying a sword.

"Island Master, spare my life, please spare my life!" Zhao Fu immediately dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face from desperation, while simultaneously fixing his gaze on Zhao Danchen, "Great Grand-Uncle, spare me."

Zhao Danchen flicked his sleeve, turning his head away, unwilling to look upon Zhao Fu any longer.

"Jing Yi," the Blind Sword Saint looked toward Teng Qingshan. His ashen-grey eyes sent a chill through one's heart. "This little thief Zhao Fu has been brought. He is yours now... Jing Yi, everything should be settled now, right?" The Blind Sword Saint’s meaning was perfectly clear—you, Jing Yi, have killed whom you intended to kill, caused chaos, gained an island, and delivered the captive; it is time for you to leave.

"Mmm."

Teng Qingshan rose and walked toward Zhao Fu.

"No, no—" Zhao Fu’s eyes widened in terror. He did not want to die, but having heard that 'Zhao Xi and Zhao Guangzuo' were both dead, he understood that once he fell into the hands of this white-robed, sword-carrying youth, his death was assured.

Bang!

Zhao Fu suddenly pushed off the ground, darting toward the palace exit like a leopard breaking free.

Teng Qingshan smiled faintly, his steps shifting momentarily, and he instantly appeared in front of Zhao Fu.

"I cannot die, I cannot die." Seeing Teng Qingshan suddenly materialize before him terrified Zhao Fu to the core, but at this moment, Teng Qingshan casually extended his right hand... It appeared slow, yet Zhao Fu could not evade it in time. He was seized by the shoulder, and a terrifying, scorching energy flowed from Teng Qingshan's palm, piercing through Zhao Fu’s entire body.

Zhao Fu’s body shuddered violently, then slumped, lifeless.

His four limbs’ joints had been dislocated, and his inner strength was crippled.

"Tie Wu," Teng Qingshan held Zhao Fu, turning back to the Blind Sword Saint. "The person is secured; I won't linger."

"Farewell."

The Blind Sword Saint stated coldly; he had been hoping Teng Qingshan would depart sooner.

Teng Qingshan grinned widely: "But—Tie Wu, don't forget about the matter of Nine Wolf Lake! Don't make me wait too long... If I wait too long, and I have nowhere to stay, I might just come and stay on your Qinghu Island for a few days, haha..." His laughter still echoed within the palace, but Teng Qingshan himself had already transformed into a streak of rainbow light, vanishing into the distant East.

... Silence. The palace was utterly still.

"Grand-Master," Tie Fan began to speak.

The Blind Sword Saint, however, raised his right hand, halting Tie Fan mid-sentence.

Thus, Tie Fan, Zhao Danchen, and the Blind Sword Saint stood silently in the palace, not uttering a single word.

The Blind Sword Saint remained standing in the hall. Through his domain, he clearly sensed Teng Qingshan rapidly moving away across the surface of Qinghu Lake, soon exiting the range of the Blind Sword Saint’s Domain.

"He is gone now; he cannot hear us," the Blind Sword Saint said coolly.

"Grand-Master, to be bullied like this by that Jing Yi and let it pass so easily?" Tie Fan voiced his discontent. "He deliberately made sure the ordinary disciples of Qinghu Island could hear his words. Many disciples also witnessed you, Grand-Master, conversing with him... I imagine this matter cannot be kept secret; it will surely spread across the world soon."

The Blind Sword Saint was cold. "So what if it spreads? A Void Realm expert causing a scene on Qinghu Island is hardly unprecedented; didn't the Drunken Man cause a huge disturbance at the Ying Clan back then? That incident was far more severe than what Jing Yi did here."

Tie Fan nodded.

Zhao Danchen listened quietly by the side.

"If he weren't a Void Realm expert, I would have killed him already," the Blind Sword Saint said sternly. "But since he is Void Realm... it causes trouble! After all, unattached Void Realm experts are exceedingly rare. Such experts are difficult to provoke, and furthermore, they are not fools. They do not make enemies without reason!"

Tie Fan and Zhao Danchen both nodded in agreement.

"If this Jing Yi had provoked two or even three major sects, then I could have allied with the other sects and eliminated Jing Yi in one blow."

"But, this Jing Yi has only provoked Qinghu Island; he hasn't provoked any other sects!"

"The other Seven Great Sects would probably be happy just watching the show and wouldn't offer any help," the Blind Sword Saint snorted.

The Nine Provinces Continent was filled with countless experts, with the Eight Great Sects reigning supreme above all.

However, there were still unspoken underlying rules.

Unattached Void Realm experts were difficult to cross, but... if such an expert attacked more than one sect, causing the Eight Great Sects to feel threatened, then a majority of the sects would likely unite to eradicate that Void Realm expert!

Of course—

Sects like the Yu Emperor Gate and the Mani Temple—one being the most ancient sect, the other the strongest—were ones that even unattached Void Realm experts dared not provoke! Sects like the Snow Eagle Sect or Sun Shooting Divine Mountain had Void Realm demonic beasts residing within... unattached Void Realm experts would not easily cross them either.

Consequently, there were very few sects a Void Realm expert dared to provoke!

"Tie Fan," the Blind Sword Saint’s voice echoed in the hall. "In this incident, what I fear most is that this Jing Yi isn't here merely to avenge his disciple. He might have come with a special purpose to stir up trouble."

"A special purpose?" Tie Fan started, then his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Grand-Master, are you referring to the Heavenly God Palace?"

"Yes."

The Blind Sword Saint affirmed, "This Heavenly God Palace is incredibly powerful! And there are several Void Realm experts within the Heavenly God Palace whose existence is unknown to the outside world! I suspect... this Jing Yi is one of the Heavenly God Palace’s Void Realm experts. He deliberately uses the guise of an unattached Void Realm expert to cause trouble on our Qinghu Island while simultaneously probing our true strength."

"Grand-Master, are you saying the Heavenly God Palace intends to attack Yangzhou?" Tie Fan was greatly alarmed.

"It is only a suspicion."

The Blind Sword Saint shook his head. "If I could reach the Cave Void Realm, I could safeguard Qinghu Island for another twenty years. But for now... Tie Fan, I will take a trip to the Sun Shooting Divine Mountain. All matters concerning Qinghu Island are left to you... Remember, conquer Nine Wolf Lake swiftly, and then dispatch someone to Wu'an Commandery to notify this Jing Yi. We cannot give him any pretext to cause trouble now."

"Yes." Tie Fan replied respectfully.

Swish!

The Blind Sword Saint immediately flew out of the palace and shot south toward the Sun Shooting Divine Mountain in Yan Province.

In Wu'an Commandery City, at the Jing Residence.

"Zhao Fu, Eldest Young Master Zhao, it seems you don't recognize me anymore?"

Zhao Fu, tossed onto the ground by Teng Qingshan, stared in terror at the burly man before him. Although this man was different from the 'Xue Xin' he remembered, upon closer inspection... Zhao Fu could still discern traces of Xue Xin from three years ago in the man's features.

"You are Xue Xin." Zhao Fu's eyes widened.

"You finally recognized me," Xue Xin's voice was light, yet it contained a surging tide of suppressed fury.

"Disciple, indulge yourself one last time today. Starting tomorrow, you must focus seriously on practicing your martial arts," Teng Qingshan instructed.

"Yes, Master."

Xue Xin replied respectfully. He felt even greater gratitude toward his Master; Teng Qingshan could have commanded him to rush into certain death, and he likely would not have hesitated in the slightest.

... Teng Qingshan arrived at the training ground and practiced his fist techniques several times. The Six-Legged Saber Cicada also let out pleased, low roars.

"The Blind Sword Saint of Qinghu Island truly has restraint," Teng Qingshan chuckled. Forcing the Blind Sword Saint into such a position was indeed satisfying. "But it is fortunate... although this ruckus wasn't quite large enough, what I did today has certainly lodged a thorn in the Blind Sword Saint’s side!"

"The thought of me will probably give him a headache."

Teng Qingshan smiled. "The objective has been achieved!"

Teng Qingshan also knew he couldn't push the Blind Sword Saint into a complete frenzy... Killing two Innate experts today was still within the scope of what the Blind Sword Saint could tolerate. If he had truly killed six or seven Innate experts, or even killed Gu Yong again, the Blind Sword Saint would likely petition the Snow Eagle Sect and Sun Shooting Divine Mountain for aid from Void Realm experts and demonic beasts to hunt down Teng Qingshan.

In the following days, news rapidly spread throughout Yangzhou: a super expert named 'Jing Yi,' who had lived for over three hundred years, had caused massive havoc at Qinghu Island. He had crippled Zhao Danchen and killed two Innate experts. Ordinary martial artists might not grasp the true extent of 'Jing Yi's' power, but some great sects understood clearly.

The world now knew of a newly surfaced unattached Void Realm expert named 'Jing Yi'!

"Haha, satisfying, so satisfying."

"Excellent."

In the study of the Guiyuan Sect in Jiangning Commandery City, Zhuge Yuanhong and Elder Wu were laughing heartily.

"That stinking blind man must be boiling with rage," Elder Wu guffawed. Guiyuan Sect had been suppressed by Qinghu Island for over a thousand years. Over that millennium, countless talents and elites from Guiyuan Sect had been eliminated by Qinghu Island through overt or covert means.

Guiyuan Sect had long harbored immense resentment, and seeing Qinghu Island suffer a setback this time brought them immense pleasure!

Throughout the world, besides Guiyuan Sect, many survivors from the Ironclad Gate, and numerous others who held enmity against Qinghu Island, applauded this turn of events. Even the other sects of the Nine Provinces were delighted to see Qinghu Island humiliated.

... On the ninth day after Jing Yi’s disturbance at Qinghu Island, on the street outside the Jing Residence in Wu'an Commandery City.

"This Jing Yi is actually so powerful that Qinghu Island, one of the mighty Eight Great Sects, had to bow its head before him," General Li muttered while mounted on his horse, still finding it unbelievable as he rode down the street. "Nine Wolf Lake, such a vast place, where many of our soldiers died during the conquest, now we have to hand it over to him."

"General, we have arrived at the Jing Residence," shouted the personal guard behind him.

General Li jolted back to awareness, immediately dismounting and ordering, "You all wait here!"

General Li walked alone to the gates of the Jing Residence. The two guards at the entrance looked smug. One guard extended his hand to block the way. "This is the Jing Residence; who are you!" Jing Yi’s reputation was widespread, and these gatekeepers were extremely proud.

"Please announce my arrival. I am an envoy from Qinghu Island." General Li stated.

"Qinghu Island?"

The two guards startled, exchanging glances. One immediately shouted, "Wait right there," and rushed into the residence.