As that sharp spear shadow pierced through the dense barrier of spiritual techniques in a single strike, a mist of blood immediately billowed out, and the neck of Hai Hongzhen was utterly broken and pulverized. His fleshy head tumbled through the air. And precisely as the gazes of the onlookers were either averted in distress or drawn inescapably to the spinning head, Zong Yuan’s figure drew back, as swift and spectral as a wraith.

He returned to the side of the bonfire, still seated cross-legged, as if he had never moved an inch. The entire process took less than the span of a breath, missed only by the dozen or so experts present whose cultivation surpassed the Fifth Order.

For the students, it seemed as if one moment Zong Shou had uttered the single command, "Shut up," and the next, Hai Hongzhen’s head had already flown off. The spattered blood even coated Zhong Li-shuang standing nearby.

The few Returning Spirit Masters and the Xuanwu Grandmasters all wore ashen faces. The latter were slightly better composed, but the former showed shock and vigilance, instinctively summoning protective measures—one was not enough; two or more were needed for a semblance of security.

In that single moment, they had barely managed to launch a single spiritual technique, only to have it shattered by Zong Yuan’s blow. Even the two Xuanwu Grandmasters had been unable to impede the attack.

In other words, at that range, if Zong Yuan had unleashed his full power, he could have executed any one of them with a single, instant kill!

Zong Shou’s mouth was also agape, staring at the scene in astonishment. "Zong Yuan, I only told him to shut his mouth... While the original 'Zong Shou' bore considerable resentment towards Hai Hongzhen, there was still an emotional barrier.

Furthermore, in his view, this was merely the petty squabble of children. He wouldn't go so far as to take the life of a mere fifteen-year-old over it. He certainly intended a lesson, but never to the point of killing over a verbal spat. Could it be that Zong Yuan misunderstood his meaning? Killing him to make him shut up... was certainly a very effective way of achieving silence."

"Your subject understands the Sovereign's intent!"

Zong Yuan’s expression was wooden, but his face flushed red for the first time, betraying a hint of awkwardness. "Your subject, just now, failed to maintain control..."

"Uh..."

Zong Shou froze again, then recalled that while Zong Yuan's recent advancements had stabilized, they were far from truly firm. The Inner View Profound Thunder Body Tempering Art was inherently a divine-tier secret technique far exceeding their current ranks. Even he couldn't fully master it, let alone Zong Yuan?

Asking this fellow to kill was fine; asking him to show restraint was asking too much.

As this thought struck him, Zong Shou’s brow immediately furrowed. How was he supposed to clean up this mess? After a moment, he could only heave a faint sigh.

"Forget it, dead is dead! He was certainly an eyesore anyway..."

With that, he stood up straight, preparing to depart. The true essence currently consumed in his body from cultivating the Inner View Profound Thunder Body Tempering Art was far from recovered.

However, having just slain another man's student, lingering here would only cause more aggravation.

But just as Zong Shou mounted his horse, intending to leave, the dozens of people from the Linhai Academy surged with indignation. An elderly man, around seventy, dressed in scholar's robes, stepped out from the crowd.

His face was withered, yet held a trace of stern reproach. He strode forward, subtly blocking their path. "Your Highness Zong Shou, do you perhaps still recall this old man?"

Zong Shou tilted his head, thinking for a long moment before retrieving the memory. He nodded. "I know you, He Yan, the First Class Scholar of Linhai Academy. Ten times out of ten when I sought instruction on spiritual techniques in the academy, I could never find you."

He Yan’s complexion flushed slightly, then quickly returned to normal as he spoke coldly, "My student was merely inexperienced in worldly affairs and spoke without weighing his words; he meant no harm. For a mere disagreement, Your Highness orders his subordinate to kill? What kind of rationale is that? Moreover, Hai Hongzhen was your classmate. Does Your Highness not find this excessively cruel? I ask that Your Highness provide this old man with an explanation today!"

"Then what kind of explanation do you demand of this lonely one?"

Zong Shou was already impatient, and hearing this only irritated him further. Unwilling to engage in verbal sparring, he asked directly, "If I exterminate all of you here, would that satisfy you, Scholar He?"

He Yan's breath hitched, his face cycling between red and white. The entire contingent from Linhai Academy, from the scholars down to the accompanying disciples, felt a chilling cold settle in their hearts.

He Yan opened his mouth several times to speak, only to swallow the words back. After several such attempts, he finally spoke with indignation, "Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! Justice lies in the hearts of the people; do you think threats can silence this old man? Your subordinate may possess peerless spear skills, but if you intend to slaughter us all, Your Highness will surely not leave this place alive?"

As he spoke, his body trembled slightly, appearing genuinely incensed.

"Enough nonsense! If you wish to avenge your student, then make your move!"

At this point, Zong Shou seemed to realize something. "Are you worried about the Hai family causing you trouble?"

Seeing He Yan fall silent, Zong Shou shook his head slightly. "Tell them to come directly to me. This brat spoke disrespectfully, and I have ordered his execution. If they are dissatisfied, they can come seek my theory. If you dare obstruct me again, I will slay you too. If you truly enrage me, I will burn down your Linhai Academy sooner or later!"

With that, he bothered no further with the old man's prattling. He directly spurred his horse and ambled slowly into the depths of the great mountain.

He Yan hesitated slightly, then finally moved aside, allowing them passage. He watched the retreating figures of Zong Shou and Zong Yuan, murmuring to himself with a sense of strangeness.

After a year apart, why had Zong Shou's character changed so drastically? Ruthless and decisive, brimming with sharp spirit, entirely lacking the former cautious humility. Even he felt a touch of apprehension before the sheer imposing presence Zong Shou had exhibited just moments ago.

Zhong Li-shuang and a few others familiar with Zong Shou were equally bewildered.

They knew the former Zong Shou: resolute in character, maintaining unyielding tenacity despite being crippled. When fighting, even when facing certain defeat or death, he would never admit surrender. But he had never possessed this current level of dominance, capable of deciding a life with a single word!

"Senior Brother Hai... he's really dead?"

The speaker dared not look toward Hai Hongzhen's corpse, their voice trembling slightly. "How could Zong Shou become so vicious?"

"Vicious? Hah, this man was bullied daily by Senior Brother Hongzhen. Now that he holds power and has such a strong subordinate following him, it’s no surprise he seeks revenge! Senior Brother Hai was simply too unobservant..."

"But Junior Brother Zong was incredibly domineering just now! Everyone used to look down on him; no one realized he possessed such shrewdness. In just a few months, he has become a powerful overlord commanding a region." The speaker who voiced this was a young woman in her prime years, yet her words caused the surrounding people to frown.

"No matter how great his power or wisdom, he is still just a cripple. A mortal lifespan is at most eighty years. By the time we wander the heavens in our soul form, this man will have long since turned to dust. If fate grants me the opportunity to roam the cosmos in daylight, I will definitely avenge Senior Brother Hai one day!"

"I heard news from Qian Tian Mountain recently. It claimed that Zong Shou killed a Sixth Order demon beast when he was young, and before entering our Linhai Academy, he even forced back an Yin Jiao. He only joined our academy to evade the Xue Clan. Isn't that a joke? I saw Zong Shou's condition clearly during those three years. He doesn't need to embellish his past like this..."

"They say this person is a genius strategist, but I see nothing special. If it weren't for the loyal subordinates left by his father, he would already be dead. I don't think his good fortune will last long; the Hai family certainly won't let this rest."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and even the supervising teachers remained stunned, refraining from intervention.

Zhong Li-shuang collected herself, wiping the blood from her face, with no inclination to join the gossip. Listening to the words around her, she only felt a chill in her heart. Hai Hongzhen was dead, and though many fellow students appeared to be demanding justice for him, not a single one truly cared about his life or death.

Behind the crowd, a few who were more calculating remained silent. Zhong Li-shuang looked behind her again and saw a youth staring in the direction Zong Shou had departed, seemingly lost in deep thought...

After riding for over a hundred zhang, Zong Shou could still faintly hear the chatter behind him.

Some voices sounded indignant, others gloated. Zong Shou paid them no mind, completely sealing them out of his hearing.

This Julong Mountain spanned over five hundred li from north to south, vast in scope, with few major tributaries, resulting in a very gentle slope.

However, after Zong Shou and his companion traversed the dense forest for just over ten li, they felt a faint, almost imperceptible will pressing down upon the area. There were no physical traces, only a continuous, mind-affecting impact.

"It's a Fist Intent!"

Zong Yuan closed his eyes to sense it. Upon identifying the source of this martial will, his gaze flickered towards the mountain summit with alarm.

Zong Shou nodded slightly. "You guessed correctly. The restriction left by that Martial Saint Venerable is none other than this Martial Dao Intent. Whoever can endure it can proceed. Whoever cannot must stop halfway..."

Most martial artists were straightforward like this; they didn't have the elaborate tricks of Spiritual Masters.

Zong Shou then experienced a moment of internal conflict. He now cultivated spiritual arts as well, and his spiritual attainment was even far higher than his martial path.

After traveling several dozen li more, the two Dragon Horned Winged Horses stubbornly refused to advance a single step further, no matter how Zong Shou urged them. They grew extremely agitated and restless.

Zong Shou found this strange. Although these two horses were artificially bred and had long lost their wild instincts, as Fourth Order spirit beasts, they shouldn't display such fear toward a Martial Saint's residual Intent—it was beneath them.

Although the Intent was left by a Saint, its intensity was less than one ten-thousandth of what it was when he was alive, and they were still quite a distance away. These two horses were specifically trained war mounts, too.

Having no choice, the pair had to abandon the horses temporarily and proceed on foot. However, Zong Shou’s previous casual demeanor vanished; he proceeded with caution.

The fact that the Dragon Horned Winged Horses reacted this way suggested that some immense danger lay ahead, which they had sensed, causing them to refuse to go forward. (To be continued)