The afternoon sun was no longer scorching. At the foot of Blood Rain Mountain, crowds gathered—people of distinctly different attires clustered around the young members of the He family, Flowing Cloud Sand Sect, and Star Stone Sect, incessantly asking questions. The base of the mountain was dotted everywhere with Heavenly Masters from Blood Rain Mountain, many of whom knew each other and were engaged in lively conversations.

He Libie and He Zhizhang were quite busy arranging the presence of experts from sects not cultivating on Blood Rain Mountain. On the other side, Baili Xiu and his group, smiling pleasantly, were equally occupied arranging things for the arriving Heavenly Master experts. The foot of the mountain was quite bustling.

“So many people…” When Ji Changkong and his party arrived, he glanced at the scene at the mountain's base from afar and couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. Then, he shook his head and smiled faintly, “The Blood Rain Mountain Sect Gathering seems no less grand than the Spirit Treasure Convention. These people certainly know how to manage affairs according to the local conditions.”

It turned out that right at the foot of Blood Rain Mountain, some Heavenly Masters from the mountain had set up stalls on the spot, displaying their useless cultivation materials, clearly stating their desire to exchange them for specific materials or a certain amount of Origin Stones.

For these Heavenly Masters accustomed to long periods of secluded cultivation, gatherings of this scale were rare. The path of cultivation required extremely specific external conditions, and Spirit Stones and Spirit Treasures were indispensable components.

Spirit Stones and Spirit Treasures that one person couldn't use might be precisely what another most desired, and that other person might, in turn, possess the Spirit Treasure one needed. Usually, there was no opportunity for such exchanges, but with so many people gathered now, it was an excellent chance, which is why some people impatiently set up stalls.

Third-generation disciples of the Ji family, like Ji Changxiao, rarely witnessed such events. They were quite curious and quickly moved forward with a hint of excitement.

Ji Yuxing and Ji Yusheng did not stop them, merely cautioning the few not to wander too far or engage in conflict with anyone.

“Wanyun, come with me to ask about the situation. Changkong, you stay here,” Ji Yusheng instructed, and then walked with Ji Wanyun towards the direction where He Liying and her group were standing.

Ji Yuxing, Ji Haoguang, and Ji Haohong wandered around the mountain base, filled with curiosity, their gazes lingering over the Spirit Treasures and Stones displayed on some of the stalls.

The Ji family had only recently moved to Profound Origin Valley and had never lingered near Blood Rain Mountain before. This was their first time participating in a Blood Rain Alliance Sect Gathering. They didn't know anyone, nor did anyone pay them attention. Compared to those groups chatting and laughing in twos and threes, their party appeared rather solitary and quiet.

“Changkong, why don't you go look around?” After everyone else from the Ji family had left, Mo Yunyi glanced at Ji Changkong beside her and asked curiously.

“Nothing much to see. Besides, I’m not short of cultivation items for the moment,” he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “Compared to the Spirit Treasure Convention, this trade fair is a bit small. I just took a quick look, and I didn't spot any valuable Spirit Treasures.” Ji Changkong acted as if it wasn't worth his time to wander around.

“Such arrogance!” A thin, tall youth beside them, with a few small objects displayed before him, looked at them with considerable disdain. “You all look unfamiliar. You must have only entered the Blood Rain Alliance in the last few years, right? Hmph, newcomers truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to say there are no valuable Spirit Treasures here!”

“That’s right, the inexperienced brat dares to look down upon the Spirit Treasures we display,” a young woman beside the youth, who had a beauty mole the size of a grain of rice near her lip, glared at Ji Changkong in mutual indignation.

This woman was about twenty years old. Her features were not particularly striking, but her figure was petite, while her breasts were full and prominent. When her lips pursed, it gave the impression of a perpetual smile, which, coupled with the well-placed beauty mole, managed to pique some people's interest.

Smiling, Ji Changkong shook his head and ignored them. It was clear that both individuals were at the Three Talents Heaven Realm. Experts at this level were truly unworthy of his extended attention.

“Granny Mo, perhaps we should find a place to rest first. Auntie and the others over there should need some time. There’s nothing much to see here anyway,” Ji Changkong said softly, gently stroking Mo Yunyi’s clothes, preparing to lead her to a more secluded spot for a quiet moment.

“Mm, let’s go,” Mo Yunyi nodded with a smile, also uninterested in the "little things" beside her, and left with Ji Changkong.

“Ignorant things. If the young one is like that, I suppose the old one is too,” the thin, tall youth snorted quietly with disdain, his eyes full of contempt.

“Mm, definitely a small, third-rate sect, with no real experts. They came purely to join the fun. The old fellow can barely walk steadily yet insists on getting involved—truly,” the young woman muttered in agreement, then tossed a flirtatious glance at the youth beside her. The two chuckled softly without restraint.

Suddenly stopping, Ji Changkong, with his back turned to the two youths, spoke quietly to Han Hai, “Uncle Han, take Granny Mo aside to rest first.”

“Don’t stir up trouble! This is Blood Rain Mountain, and the Sect Gathering starts tomorrow. Making too many enemies won't benefit us,” Mo Yunyi frowned, grabbing his arm, and tried to gently dissuade him, preparing to pull him away.

“Changkong, there’s no need to argue with two juniors. Let’s go,” Han Hai also advised in a low voice.

Unfortunately, their dissuasion was a moment too late. While they were speaking, Ji Changkong had already turned back and cast a cold glance at the two flirting scoundrels. If they had only spoken about him, he might not have been so angry, but their words had brought up Mo Yunyi—that crossed his boundary!

“Well now! You dare glare at me? Which small family are you from, young man? How long have you been at Blood Rain Mountain to dare act so presumptuously?” Yao Hai had been manning his stall for ages without a single person showing interest. Feeling bored, he was suddenly thrilled to find a young disciple from a minor family he could bully.

Under the persuasion of Mo Yunyi and Han Hai, Ji Changkong, who hadn't intended to pay them much mind, slowly pulled away from Mo Yunyi’s grasp and turned back to Han Hai and the other, saying quietly, “If it causes a bigger fuss, it’s just minor trouble among the third generation. I have a sense of proportion and won't cause major chaos. Granny Mo, Uncle Han, you two go rest on the side, lest someone says you watched without intervening.”

“Big sister, let’s go. Those two brats deserve a lesson!” Han Hai nodded, supporting Mo Yunyi as they moved aside. Mo Yunyi couldn't overrule Han Hai, and while murmuring her complaint about Han Hai being reckless too, she followed him aside, pretending not to be aware of the situation over there.

Turning back, he slowly walked toward the stall of the pair, though his eyes didn't linger on either of them.

Crack!

As he stood before Yao Hai, he “accidentally” stepped on a piece of jade-green stone. The stone instantly crumbled, and a puff of greenish smoke dispersed. Once the smoke vanished, the shattered stone turned grey, showing no trace of its former nature.

“Oh, sorry, sorry, I stepped on something,” Ji Changkong said, acting clumsy, looking down at his feet. He patted his chest with an expression of feigned relief. “Hehe, you scared me. I thought I stepped on some rare Spirit Treasure, but it’s just an ordinary stone. That was close…”

Saying this, he took another light step toward the stall on the left.

Boom!

A dazzling burst of colorful light erupted from a sphere beneath his foot. The sphere, which had been swirling with varied, brilliant light, suddenly had all its luminescence extinguished, turning into the most common crystal ball, devoid of any exceptional quality.

“Ah, I accidentally stepped on something again! Eh! I have truly good luck; the crystal ball didn't break, it’s completely intact. That’s a relief…” Saying this, he bowed slightly, a smile plastered on his face. “Good thing nothing happened, but I still owe you an apology. Goodbye.”

With that, he turned and walked away, as if nothing had happened… A piece of Green Misty Smoke Stone and a defensive Spirit Treasure capable of emitting a light shield were both single-use items. Once the Yuan power contained within was depleted, they instantly reverted to being ordinary stones or crystal balls, utterly worthless.

With two steps, he had completely ruined both of their Spirit Treasures... Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan’s eyes were nearly spitting fire. They stared daggers at him, and because their rage was so intense, they forgot to speak for a moment, trembling uncontrollably.

The Green Misty Smoke Stone and the Yuan-infused crystal ball were the two most precious items on Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan’s stalls. They both relied on these two Spirit Treasures to exchange for what they needed!

With those two steps, he had effectively crushed both their hopes!

Vicious! So vicious!

A middle-aged man running a stall opposite Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan, who had been holding a jade ruler with a lazy demeanor, suddenly had his eyes flash with a sharp light when he saw Ji Changkong’s two steps destroy the two Spirit Treasures. His languid posture vanished instantly, and he looked at the departing Ji Changkong with a solemn expression.

Neither the Green Misty Rock nor the crystal ball with considerable defensive power were fragile items. Even if he had stepped on them twice, it was unlikely he could have shattered both Spirit Treasures! Ji Changkong’s casual approach resulting in such destruction immediately awakened this cold-eyed bystander!

When did Blood Rain Mountain produce such a young master? Even He Zhizhang did not possess this level of strength! Huang Kun looked astonished, leaning forward, his brow deeply furrowed.

“Stop right there!” Yao Hai’s voice was icy cold. As soon as these words fell, he abruptly stood up and rushed angrily toward Ji Changkong.

Zou Zhilan was no less incensed. The smile on her lips had vanished. Gritting her teeth, she pointed at Ji Changkong, taking several deep breaths. “Bastard, you damned bastard! You… you compensate me for my Spirit Treasures! If you don’t pay, I, I’ll beat you to death!”

Huang Kun’s gaze had not rested on Yao Hai or Zou Zhilan for even a second. He was fixed on Ji Changkong’s back, as if his silhouette was far more captivating than the other two.

Two fools, truly blinded by rage. The person who could casually shatter Green Misty Rock with one foot—aren’t you two just courting death? Huang Kun thought.

“What?” Ji Changkong, who had turned back, still wore an expression of icy coldness. His left hand suddenly shot out like lightning, gripping the neck of the charging Yao Hai with perfect precision, hoisting Yao Hai into the air.

Ignoring Yao Hai’s frantic flailing, Ji Changkong turned his head to look at Zou Zhilan. “Little shorty who hasn’t grown up, who were you calling a bastard just now?”

Yao Hai’s face was crimson from being held suspended by the neck. His hands struck Ji Changkong’s arm wildly, with flashes of strange light—he had exerted all his strength.

However, the arm gripping his neck seemed like the most indestructible iron-stone in the world. No matter how hard he struggled, the arm remained firmly in mid-air, his five fingers tightly clamped around his neck, constricting even tighter!

“I… I…” Zou Zhilan suddenly felt her tongue tie in knots. Under those cold eyes, she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence. “I think it was me who called someone a bastard…” Murmuring softly, he lifted Yao Hai with his left hand while his figure flickered ghost-like to Zou Zhilan’s side. His empty right hand shot out like lightning… Zou Zhilan was also seized by his five fingers around the neck, lifted into the air… Like Yao Hai, no matter how hard she struggled or exerted herself, she could not break free from that demonic hand!

Yao Hai in his left hand, Zou Zhilan in his right, both suspended in the air with their necks gripped. His fingers slowly tightened. Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan’s faces turned bright red, their breathing grew increasingly difficult, and their strength to resist waned.

If this continued, the two would soon be strangled to death by him.

Huang Kun’s expression shifted slightly, and he stood up abruptly, walking directly toward Ji Changkong. “Young man, everything is negotiable. For such a trivial matter, there’s no need to be so absolute, is there?”

Glancing back at Huang Kun, Ji Changkong suddenly smiled faintly but did not release the two in his hands. “Whether to be absolute or not depends on these two.”

He slightly loosened the five fingers on both hands and looked coldly at Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan, who were kicking and gasping for breath. “You two, can you speak now? How does it taste?”

“You! You dare… dare treat me like this!” Yao Hai gasped out.

“You… what do you want?” Zou Zhilan was genuinely terrified. She realized that disputes among third-generation disciples were common on Blood Rain Mountain, but no one dared to cause fatalities. Seeing Ji Changkong’s posture and gaze, she felt he possessed the ruthlessness to actually kill, so she was afraid. “Stop it!” A furious roar echoed. A middle-aged man who bore a marked resemblance to Yao Hai strode over in a rage. His roar was incredibly loud, and many nearby who hadn't been paying attention to this area turned their gazes over.

Then, expressions of horror spread across their faces. They rushed to gather around, and even some vendors who had been manning stalls hastily packed up their goods and surged over, eager to find out what was happening.

“Let him go! No matter who you are! Let him go immediately!” Yao Yue roared like a raging thunderbolt, pointing at Ji Changkong with furious anger. Having his son held suspended by the neck had completely enraged him. If he hadn't feared Ji Changkong acting recklessly, he might have disregarded Blood Rain Mountain's rules and struck out directly.

“Dad…” Yao Hai cried out in relief, but suddenly felt the demonic hand around his neck tighten violently. He could no longer utter the rest of his words, and his hands and feet began to kick desperately. As the fingers continued to clamp down tighter, Ji Changkong smiled nonchalantly and said to Huang Kun, “You saw it. Someone wants to kill me. If I let go, I might lose my life.” Even at this moment, he maintained an air of composure; anyone could tell he hadn't given Yao Yue a second thought.

“Who is this? How dare he treat the father and son of the Yao family so arrogantly?”

“This kid is ruthless! Damn it, he dares to strike so viciously during the Sect Gathering—he must be someone important!”

“Such a young man. When did Blood Rain Mountain get such a figure? Who exactly is he?”

“Wow! Sister, he’s so cool! His eyes are so sharp, but his demeanor is so dashing! Much more captivating than that He Zhizhang!” A young girl blushed, fidgeting with the corner of her dress, adopting a lovesick expression.

The air was filled with discussions. Many people who had been conversing or wandering at the base of the mountain, sensing excitement, converged on the spot. In a short while, Ji Changkong was surrounded by a dense throng of people.

“F-first, put them down. Everything… everything can be negotiated…” Seeing his attitude, and knowing his son was close to being strangled, Yao Yue immediately softened his tone.

“Young man, please… please put them down first. If this continues, someone will surely die,” Huang Kun also urged quickly.

“Please, please let me go…” Zou Zhilan, able to speak, pleaded fearfully. She was truly terrified.

“Changkong! What are you doing? Put them down immediately!” Suddenly, Ji Yusheng roared in anger. He had only been gone a moment, but seeing the crowd here, he glanced over casually, recognized the troublemaker as Ji Changkong, and rushed over in a fright, abandoning the matter he was handling.

Shrugging helplessly, Ji Changkong swung both arms, tossing Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan out. Yao Hai was fortunately caught quickly by his father. Zou Zhilan landed heavily on the ground, tumbling several meters, landing squarely on her cheek, writhing and crying out—her image utterly ruined.

“I will teach you a lesson, you bastard!” As soon as Yao Yue caught Yao Hai, he rushed out without a word, a golden-white light trailing him, pushing a nearby giant boulder to smash violently toward Ji Changkong. He himself stayed behind the boulder, intending to follow up with a punch or kick if the boulder attack failed.

“Hold your hand!” Ji Yuxing also arrived, shouting from afar, and charged forward desperately, attempting to intervene and stop the fight.

“Teach me?” Before the giant boulder reached him, Ji Changkong grinned wickedly.

Under everyone’s watch, he did not retreat but advanced, slamming his body directly into the boulder without any attempt to evade!

With a deafening explosion, the millstone-sized boulder shattered, scattering points of light where the Sacred Beast White Tiger’s power merged with the Five Elements Gold Force.

Crack!

The remaining force, after shattering the boulder, sent his shoulder crashing into Yao Yue’s chest. A crisp sound of breaking bone was heard, and Yao Yue’s face turned pale as he staggered back seven steps.

The entire field fell silent, then erupted into an uproar after three seconds!

“Who is this kid? Too… too monstrous! Yao Yue of the Yao family, at the peak of the Five Elements Heaven Realm, was actually… actually had his bones broken by a single collision! Damn it, what is going on?”

“Could it be that Yao Yue is colluding with him to act? That’s too exaggerated.”

“Wow! So cool, incredibly cool! Sister, look, look! I told you He Zhizhang, that pretty boy, isn't all that impressive.”

He Zhizhang and He Liying rushed over from a distance. Before they could even steady themselves, they heard this remark. Their Yuan power wavered, and they nearly crashed into an old woman standing in front of them, their faces filled with embarrassment.

“Your face is indeed quite pale,” He Liying passed him and added indifferently.

“Uh…” He Zhizhang’s expression grew even more miserable; he wished he could smear mud on his face to darken his pale complexion.

“You, who are you?” Yao Yue stabilized himself, clutching his broken chest, light flowing into the wound. His startled gaze was fixed on Ji Changkong. Having suffered such a loss without knowing his opponent’s identity, he dared not be careless any longer. “Who are you?” Yao Yue voiced the question on everyone’s mind. The eyes of all who had come to attend the Blood Rain Mountain Sect Gathering instantly locked onto Ji Changkong in the center.

The previous clamor suddenly subsided by more than half. The area grew quiet.

“None of your business!” Under the gaze of countless eyes, Ji Changkong smiled casually and swore. Yao Yue’s face flushed red like Guan Gong's, looking as if it might surpass the redness of He Hao-ran, the patriarch of the He family, provoked by these words. Ignoring his injuries, Yao Yue prepared to charge at Ji Changkong again.

“Calm down, calm down…” Ji Yuxing finally arrived, bowing and repeatedly apologizing. “This is a third-generation disciple of my Ji family, Ji Changkong. May I ask what exactly happened just now? If Changkong did anything wrong, I… I apologize to you on his behalf…”

Seeing Ji Yuxing’s cautious demeanor, Ji Changkong felt a pang of sorrow. The Ji family had been in decline for many years, and as its head, he had long become accustomed to lowering his posture; in front of any outsider, it seemed he never truly stood upright. “Ji Changkong!”

The field erupted into pandemonium once more, with more excited discussions breaking out. The onlookers pointed at him, whispering about the recent events he had caused. Those less informed stared at Ji Changkong with noticeably different expressions.

“What is going on?” Just then, a soft, gentle male voice inquired.

A thin middle-aged man, who appeared to be only around thirty, seemed to materialize out of thin air, suddenly appearing between Ji Changkong and Yao Yue. This man had fine eyebrows, thin lips, fair skin, and a slender build, giving off an ethereal, water-like aura, yet he was undeniably a man!

The moment he appeared, the field instantly quieted down.

“Flowing Cloud Sect Master!” “Flowing Cloud Sect Master!” “Flowing Cloud Sect Master!”

After a while, those nearby began bowing respectfully to greet the newcomer, their attitudes marked by deference. Even the enraged Yao Yue momentarily set aside his dispute, nodding and bowing with solicitous obsequiousness toward this individual.

"Yao Yue," the man said, sparing Ji Changkong only a cursory glance before fixing his gaze entirely on Yao Yue, adopting an air of official impartiality, "come and tell me the situation."

The Azure Mist Smoky Stone and the crystal orbs imbued with primal energy were the two most treasured items at the stall belonging to Yao Hai and Zou Zhilan; they relied on these two spiritual treasures to barter for everything they needed!

With those two steps, he had effectively crushed the hopes of both individuals.