C9 Killed

Zhuang Shaoying was seething with rage. Zhuang Xing had blatantly disregarded him, and he was determined to teach him a profound lesson.

"Go to hell."

With a thunderous shout, Zhuang Shaoying forcefully amplified his strength. A torrent of Spiritual Force infused his palm force, unleashing an explosive burst of power. His intent was clear: he aimed to kill Zhuang Xing.

Ma Xiaoyan's face paled as she caught the murderous glint in Zhuang Shaoying's eyes.

Yet, Zhuang Xing stood fearless. He cast a chilling glance at Zhuang Shaoying, his body's Spiritual Force swirling. A blistering wave of heat surged forth, morphing into a fiery orb that lunged at his adversary.

The Flame Power was immense and ferocious. Zhuang Shaoying's assault paled in comparison, quickly incinerated into oblivion by the overwhelming Flame Power.

Zhuang Shaoying's complexion turned ashen. The Flame Power radiating from Zhuang Xing was astoundingly potent, far beyond what he had anticipated, capable of reducing even his Heaven Shocking Palm to ashes.

"Go to hell."

In a sudden move, a gleam of light flashed from Zhuang Shaoying's sleeve, his murderous intent laid bare.

"Xing, be careful!"

Ma Xiaoyan's beautiful face contorted with alarm. She hadn't foreseen Zhuang Shaoying's underhanded strike.

Zhuang Xing let out a sinister chuckle. As the Pill God, he had faced myriad challenges. Zhuang Shaoying's petty ploys were no threat to him.

In a blur, Zhuang Xing's figure dashed backward, tumbling away to evade Zhuang Shaoying's blow.

"Think you can escape? Think again."

Zhuang Shaoying's intent to kill was unmistakable. Today, he was resolute in his quest to slay Zhuang Xing and exact revenge for his son.

"If you're courting death, then you can't blame me."

Zhuang Xing's gaze turned icy. His Spiritual Force billowed, igniting a towering inferno around him. The intense heat wave sent onlookers scrambling back, their eyes wide with terror at Zhuang Xing's formidable display.

"Fire Phoenix."

As the flames roared, a phoenix emerged, soaring from the inferno and diving straight at Zhuang Shaoying.

This technique was part of the Fire Phoenix Spell. In his heyday, he could conjure thousands of Fire Phoenixes simultaneously. His formidable Flame Power once evaporated an entire sea, a testament to his unimaginable strength.

Certainly, Zhuang Xing's current strength was modest, making it naturally impossible for him to achieve such heights. Merely summoning a Fire Phoenix taxed him greatly, depleting over half of his inner strength.

The Fire Phoenix let out a melodic cry as it soared upwards, then fiercely charged at Zhuang Shaoying.

Zhuang Shaoying's face paled; he hadn't anticipated Zhuang Xing possessing such a formidable technique. He was utterly incapable of withstanding such might.

"Retreat quickly."

Without a word, Zhuang Shaoying hastily fell back, but he couldn't outpace the Fire Phoenix.

The Fire Phoenix descended in a fury, its scorching heat mercilessly searing him as the fearsome flames swallowed him whole.

Zhuang Shaoying screamed in agony as the Fire Phoenix pierced through his chest. His body was completely charred, consumed by the relentless flames.

The onlookers were stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief.

The great elder, Zhuang Shaoying, had been defeated by Zhuang Xing.

"The great elder is defeated, utterly defeated."

"Zhuang Xing is too fearsome; even the great elder couldn't stand against him."

"With this, the dynamics within the Zhuang family are bound to shift."

Shortly thereafter, the crowd erupted into a buzz of conversation.

"Xing has won. How could this be?"

Ma Xiaoyan's eyes were wide with astonishment, as though she was seeing Zhuang Xing for the first time.

Just yesterday, her husband had mentioned their son had changed significantly. She had been skeptical, but now she was a believer. Her son had indeed transformed, becoming unrecognizable from his former self.

"It seems I need to make a breakthrough to the Spirit Wheel Stage as soon as possible."

Zhuang Xing caught his breath, feeling the limitations of not being at the Spirit Wheel Stage. Without that level of cultivation, many martial techniques were beyond his reach, let alone usable. Only by advancing to the Spirit Wheel Stage could his journey in cultivation truly commence.

Zhuang Xing looked up at the others, who were still wearing expressions of disbelief, clearly not having snapped out of their astonishment. Zhuang Xing understood that his recent display of Thunder Power, which he used to defeat Zhuang Shaoying, had left them profoundly shaken.

"Xing, are you okay? You look so pale."

Ma Xiaoyan's heart ached as she observed Zhuang Xing's pallid complexion.

Zhuang Xing shook his head, "Mother, I'm fine. I just need to rest for a bit."

Indeed, the last technique he used was immensely powerful, but it had drained a significant amount of his energy. His current level of cultivation was still quite weak; he hadn't even reached the Spirit Wheel Stage. Executing such a potent martial skill was truly punishing to his body.

"What's happened here?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out. Everyone looked up to see Zhuang Dou, the Patriarch of the Zhuang family.

"Patriarch."

Zhuang Dou had just emerged from his seclusion. Upon hearing that there had been an incident, he hurried over. Surveying the scene, he inquired, "What happened to the great elder? Who killed him?"

"I did."

What?

Zhuang Dou's eyes widened in astonishment. The great elder was immensely strong, and until now, he and Zhuang Dou had been equally matched. Zhuang Xing having killed Zhuang Shaoying was almost unbelievable.

Ma Xiaoyan approached Zhuang Dou and spoke softly, "Husband, this isn't Xing's fault. Please don't blame him."

"My love, what happened?"

Ma Xiaoyan replied with a smile, "His cultivation has broken through to Qi Refining Stage Level Nine Heaven, and he has defeated the great elder."

"Qi Refining Stage Level Nine Heaven?"

Zhuang Dou's eyes bulged, and his jaw dropped. He stared at Zhuang Xing as if he were seeing a ghost.

If Zhuang Dou's estimates were correct, Zhuang Xing had managed to advance from Qi Refining Stage Level Two Heaven to Qi Refining Stage Level Nine Heaven in just one day and one night. Such an astounding rate of progression was virtually unheard of.

Zhuang Xing smiled, aware of what Zhuang Dou was thinking and the sheer impact of his actions that day. He deftly steered the conversation in a new direction.

"Father, you've made a breakthrough as well, haven't you?"

At that, Zhuang Dou chuckled. His recent period of intense cultivation had paid off, and he had finally advanced to the mid-phase of the Spirit Wheel Stage. Now, he was on par with the most formidable practitioners in Cloud Peak City, who were at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Four Heaven. The disparity in their strengths had been entirely erased.