C7 Chu Qing's Backer!

"Ah! Ling Han, you wretched fiend! You've killed Chu Qing!" The Second Elder couldn't even bother to remain seated; he dashed over to examine Chu Qing's condition. He found Chu Qing barely clinging to life, gasping for his last breath.

"Do you realize what you've done, the magnitude of the consequences you'll have to face?" The Second Elder's beard seemed ready to take flight, his murderous intent emanating without any attempt to conceal it.

"He's the Chief Elder's grandson, did you know? The Chief Elder has only this one grandson!" The Second Elder's voice was menacing as he revealed Chu Qing's identity.

Indeed, ever since his birth in this sect, Chu Qing had been the center of attention, basking in the adulation of those around him, many of whom were allies of the Chief Elder.

Chu Qing's actions were bound to ignite the Chief Elder's wrath.

The Chief Elder was the only master in the entire sect to have surpassed the Qi Refining Realm. What lay beyond the Qi Refining Realm was a mystery, even to Ling Han, who possessed the Earth System.

"Heh! You old fool, you can't even tell right from wrong. I didn't even get the chance to act before you struck me with your palm!" Ling Han, seeing the Second Elder trying to pin the blame on him, refused to swallow his pride. He retorted, "Second Elder, is it possible that you attacked me with the intention of killing Chu Qing, no longer wishing to be under the Chief Elder's control? Is that it?"

Ling Han was aware that if the Chief Elder caught wind of this disturbance, it would be a nightmare to resolve. So, upon witnessing the Second Elder trying to shift the blame onto him, he decided to turn the tables and accuse him in front of the gathered disciples.

In doing so, even if the Chief Elder harbored any ill will towards him, he would likely hesitate to act openly, for fear of disheartening the many disciples.

"What?" The Second Elder, upon hearing Ling Han's biting accusation, was so infuriated that his eyebrows and beard seemed to contort.

"Even if you managed to withstand my palm strike, you're still no match for me. Third Brother, help me capture him." The Second Elder, consumed by malice, was eager to apprehend Ling Han quickly to prevent him from speaking out in front of the disciples any further.

"Let's get out of here fast, the Second Elder is about to clash with Junior Brother Ling!" The disciples who had been gathered around the pavilion with Ling Han quickly dispersed outside.

They had already choked on enough dust from the earlier shockwave, and seeing Chu Qing, who had been at the forefront, seemingly killed by the blast, gave them all the more reason to flee.

"Bring it on!" Ling Han was undaunted. He had been somewhat concerned that he might not withstand the Second Elder's palm strike, but after successfully countering it, he realized that the quality of the Second Elder's genuine energy was no match for his own.

Despite the Second Elder's genuine energy being closer to Perfection, representing 80%, compared to Ling Han's 70% at the seventh level of the Awakening Realm, the sheer quality of Ling Han's genuine energy was in a league of its own.

"Don't push your luck!" Bai Ning'er snapped back to reality and declared, "Chu Qing's injuries were mostly accidental, and considering his underhanded attack on Ling Han, he got what he deserved!"

Bai Ning'er stood tall, positioning herself firmly by Ling Han's side.

"Oh? I wouldn't have guessed Bai Ning'er to be so kind-hearted and lovely," Ling Han mused to himself after taking a closer look at Bai Ning'er.

"Bai Ning'er, this doesn't concern you. Leave now!" The Third Elder rose from his seat, not having anticipated the situation to escalate to the point where even he and the Second Elder would need to intervene.

"Hmph! I refuse." Bai Ning'er's voice carried a defiant tone, and Ling Han could tell she was resolute in aligning herself with him.

"Then don't blame us if you get hurt!" The Third Elder, realizing further persuasion was futile, readied his hand to release a burst of genuine energy.

Ling Han was prepared for battle, his palm already glowing with purple genuine energy.

In the tense standoff, a resonant voice rang out like a bell, "Hold your fire!"

The sound contained a mix of special techniques that compelled listeners to follow its commands immediately upon hearing it.

However, Ling Han was able to mitigate the sound's influence by slightly channeling his purple genuine energy.

As expected, an elderly Taoist priest dressed in a Daoist robe and white cloth shoes soon arrived. It was the Chief Elder.

"I was paying respects to our sect's ancestors with incense when I heard a disturbance. What's going on here?" Each word from the Chief Elder seemed to resonate deeply, dissuading any thoughts of defying his judgment.

As Ling Han was about to come forward and explain, the Chief Elder's attention was drawn to Chu Qing, who was barely clinging to life.

"Why is Chu Qing lying here?" The Chief Elder's gaze was filled with affection and an even greater sense of indulgence towards Chu Qing. His demeanor quickly shifted as he demanded, "Who? Which one of you has so grievously injured Chu Qing?"

The Chief Elder's voice had lost its usual steadiness. His grandson was lying there, and had he not arrived, or had he been delayed, his grandson might have been left to the mercy of the elements.

After administering a healing pill to Chu Qing, the Chief Elder's face could no longer mask his distress. He looked at the Second Elder, the Third Elder, and the other disciples with a visage of sheer fury.

"Chief Elder, it was him, that scoundrel Ling Han who hurt your grandson!" The Second Elder accused, trying to preemptively silence Ling Han's response.

"Very well! Such audacity! Do you realize the consequences of injuring my only grandson?" The Chief Elder bore down on Ling Han with an intimidating presence.

Having long surpassed the Qi Refining stage and ascended to higher realms, the Chief Elder's cultivation was formidable. Despite the remarkable quality of Ling Han's purple genuine energy, a direct confrontation would likely result in the Chief Elder overpowering him with ease, as if catching a mere chicken.

"Oh? So I'm not afforded the chance to explain myself?" Ling Han sensed the gravity of the situation and spoke up, "Chief Elder, your reputation for discernment precedes you. With so many disciples as witnesses, it was the residual effects of my skirmish with the Second Elder that injured your grandson, Chu Qing."

Ling Han spoke with a calm confidence, his demeanor having undergone a significant transformation since he began harnessing the power of faith from Earth.

"Absolutely! Ling Han is telling the truth. And it was the Second Elder who initiated the fight!" Bai Ning'er clapped her hands as she spoke, her gestures reminiscent of a girl not yet fully grown.

"How is it that you possess the skill to confront the Second Elder, yet your name has never reached my ears?" The Chief Elder expressed astonishment that a young man, barely seventeen or eighteen, could achieve such an advanced level.

"I have advanced to the seventh level in my Qi Refining practice, granting me the capability to take on the Second Elder." Ling Han demonstrated this by channeling his genuine energy to seventy percent Perfection, a testament to his level of mastery.