There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 18 is so intense!?

"clang!"

With a crisp crack, Liu Wang's hand went numb.

He looked up in astonishment and saw that Chen Qing had caught his sword blade with just two fingers.

"you"

Before Liu Wang could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a tremendous force coming from the sword. He hurriedly let go and jumped back, only to find that his sword had broken into pieces in Chen Qing's hand!

"Qi penetrating through the bones? Second realm?!" Liu Wang's pupils constricted sharply. "Impossible! Just a few days ago you were still..."

At the same time, many images of battlefield battles and killings surged into Chen Qing's mind, including the experience of "Chen Xu" leading the army to conquer the Western Wilderness Continent. He was stunned for a moment, and before the other party could finish speaking, he casually threw the hilt of his sword, which pierced the air with a thunderous sound.

Liu Wang hastily dodged, but was still grazed on the shoulder, and blood gushed out immediately.

"I ask myself if I have any great enmity with you, and besides, there is the binding force of the South China Sea Blood Tax Alliance between our two families. Yet you try to kill me with a single move?" Chen Qing's eyes were icy. "It seems that this enmity cannot be resolved!"

"Of course it can't be solved! You quietly reached the second realm, yet deliberately came down the mountain to lure us into making a move. With such talent and cunning, if you live, in a few years, I'm afraid my Haiyuan Temple will be suppressed!"

Liu Wang spoke coldly, then suddenly raised his voice—

"Do it!"

Four figures leaped out of the bushes at the same time!
Shi Hong flicked her fingers in quick succession, and the Five Poisons Powder transformed into a green mist that spread outwards. The other three each held a talisman, and lightning and fire intertwined to form a net.

"To be able to stabilize your Dao heart while attacking together with others? What kind of Dao heart do you have?"

A warning bell rang in Chen Qing's heart. He knew that if he let these attacks land, he would be seriously injured even if he didn't die. So he simply stopped testing the waters and directly revealed his trump card!
"Mountain collapse and tsunami!"

With a thought, the power of Taiyue collapsed like a mountain, and the power of Haomiao surged like a raging wave. The two completely opposite forces collided in his meridians, like a tidal wave crashing against the shore, unleashing a terrifying power far exceeding that of the early stage of the second realm!
"boom!"

In an instant, waves of energy surged around him, his robes fluttered, and the rocky ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch. The rubble was swept up by the force of the energy, forming a whirlwind around him, sweeping away the poison powder and lightning that were attacking him!
"Not good!" Liu Wang's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly formed a hand seal, "Form the formation!"

But it was too late.

Chen Qing took a step forward, and his strength rose from the soles of his feet, merging with the Qi of the Yellow Court and condensing into one, reaching his right shoulder and then flowing through his joints!

clap clap clap!
With a right fist thrust, it was like Mount Tai pressing down, aimed straight at Liu Wang's face!
Before the punch even landed, Liu Wang already felt short of breath and hastily raised his arm to block.

"Crack!"

The sound of bones cracking was clearly audible. He was sent flying backward, crashing into three pine trees as thick as bowls before finally coming to a stop.

"How can it be so powerful!?"

Seeing this, Shi Hong hurriedly threw out the Five Poison Powder again, but Chen Qing waved his left hand, and the vast true meaning transformed into a water curtain, blocking all the poison powder. He then changed his right fist into a palm and unleashed a powerful "Mountain Pushing and Sea Filling" strike!
Rumble!
With a surge of mental energy, Shi Hong seemed to see a mountain collapsing in front of her, while all around her were towering waves!
There is no way back!

"puff!"

After enduring the pain, she coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggered backward, and her vision went black.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the other three disciples of Haiyuan Temple turned around and fled. Chen Qing snorted coldly, poured his inner energy into his legs, and his figure flashed like a ghost!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three precise karate chopes landed on the back of the necks of the three men, knocking them unconscious and leaving them sprawled on the ground.

"This is too brutal! We were no match for them at all! They were all wiped out in a single move!"

On the other side, Shi Hong struggled to get up and was about to crush the communication talisman when she suddenly saw a golden light flash by. Her wrist felt cold, and her entire right hand was severed at the wrist. She immediately screamed in agony!
Chen Qing withdrew his hand and suddenly noticed that Liu Wang was quietly getting up, then gathering his strength and leaping away, trying to escape!
"You led the way, but now you want to run away? Do you think you can escape?"

Chen Qing immediately formed a hand seal, and the harmonious energy stirred the earth's veins.

"Mountain range, rise!"

The ground trembled, and soil and rocks rose up, instantly forming a circular stone wall around Liu Wang, trapping him inside.

"Chen Qing!" Liu Wang's face was contorted with rage, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "You have injured us today and disturbed my Dao heart. Haiyuan Temple will not let you go!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Qing had already leaped onto the wall, his eyes icy cold.

"What kind of third-rate villain's words are these? And you call that a Daoist heart? I was going to spare your life, but your words have reminded me that even if I let you go, nothing will change. On the contrary, it will only embolden the Haiyuan Temple to keep escalating their efforts. Since that's the case, I might as well send you on your way..."

He held his right hand together like a sword, and the energy of harmony gathered at his fingertips.

"Be merciful!"

A voice suddenly came from afar!
But Chen Qing ignored him completely, pointing his sword and striking Liu Wang squarely between the eyebrows.

Liu Wang's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth abruptly, but no sound came out. He slowly fell to the ground, unable to believe until his death that he would be defeated by a cultivator who had just entered the second realm.

Chen Qing stood still, his aura receding like a tide. He looked down at his palm, feeling a stinging pain in his meridians, but compared to the horrific state he had witnessed when he first unleashed this power in his dream, this damage was negligible. He had already exerted maximum control over the power of the attack, preventing the explosion from damaging his flesh and meridians; otherwise, he could have increased its power by another thirty percent!
"It's a pity that Liu Wang is only at the second realm. If I had a third realm opponent to practice against, I could more accurately estimate their combat strength..."

"Master, Uncle-Master..."

Beside her, Han Sha slumped to the ground, her face deathly pale.

"You are so brave!"

The shadows of the trees swayed, and an old man in gray robes slowly walked out, his aura as deep as an abyss. With each step he took, the ground rippled like water.

Late stage of the second realm!
“Zhao Shun, the Enforcement Elder of Haiyuan Temple.” He steadied himself and recognized the person. “Having been hiding in the shadows for so long, you’ve finally decided to show yourself?”

"Since you recognize me, how dare you kill my disciple?" Zhao Shun narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. "It's not easy for any family to cultivate a second-realm cultivator, and you just kill them like that? What do you suggest we do about it..."

"You've come at the perfect time!" Chen Qing suddenly interrupted sharply, taking out a crimson jade talisman from his robes. "The various sects of Nanbin have jointly established a blood pact! To advance and retreat together! Yet your people openly ambushed the Hidden Star Sect's leader, setting up ambushes and killing him with every move. What is your intention?"

"Blood tax contract?"

Zhao Shun paused, and the ripples on the ground suddenly froze.

He stared at Chen Qing, recalling the other's ruthless methods just now, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes twitched slightly: "What a sharp-tongued brat, what do you think..."

Zheng!
Before he could finish speaking, a streak of azure light flew in from the sky and landed precisely in front of Zhao Shun's feet, the two characters "Xuanji" on the sword tassel fluttering in the wind.

Zhao Shun's eyes narrowed.

His expression changed repeatedly. Finally, he flicked his sleeve and shot out three water arrows, waking the unconscious disciple. At the same time, he picked up Liu Wang's corpse and said, "Today, I'll give Xuanji Pavilion some face and leave for now, but this blood debt will be settled with you by someone else!"

"I'll be at your service anytime," Chen Qing said, neither humble nor arrogant. "However, once I've recovered, I will go to your esteemed family to seek justice."

"What audacity!" Zhao Shun sneered, his figure disappearing at the end of the mountain path.

After Chen Qing withdrew his gaze, he looked up at the hilltop in the distance and saw a figure standing on it. It was the man who had been behind Mo Huaiyong that day, carrying the sword box.

The two looked at each other from a distance. Chen Qing clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.

"Just let him go like that?"

On the hilltop, a young girl of sixteen or seventeen stood on tiptoe, gazing into the distance, the golden bell on her wrist jingling.

"Senior brother, since you've already made a move, at least let that guy say thank you!"

Beside him, the young man carrying the sword box on his back made a loose fist with his five fingers. The long sword on the ground flew back into its sheath with a "clang". Then, without turning his head, he said, "Even if I don't make a move, he won't suffer a loss."

"How do you know? Zhao Shun is at the late stage of the second realm!" the girl said, recalling for a moment, then added, "But his attacks were indeed ruthless and fierce! His aura was overwhelming!"

The young man finally turned around and said calmly, "This person was still in the first realm a few days ago, but now he can instantly kill someone in the second realm." He looked in the direction where Chen Qing had disappeared, "Why would such a person need someone else to give him a chance at life?"

"Forget it, let's not delve into it. Anyway, as Master said, we should keep a close eye on this person." The girl changed the subject and tilted her head to ask about another matter: "What is the South China Sea Blood Tax Alliance that he mentioned earlier? Zhao Shun seems quite wary of it."

“The land of Nanbin is located at the southernmost tip of Donglingzhou and has never been valued by the thirty-three families of the Central Plains.” The young man gently stroked the sword box with his fingers. “Our Xuanji Chess Academy is nominally in charge of this area, but in reality, it is too far away to do anything and we only come to inspect it occasionally.”

The girl vaguely understood and asked, "Could it be further south...?"

“Indeed.” The young man nodded. “A branch of the Crimson Flame Dynasty in the Southern Flame Continent has infiltrated this region via sea routes. This Blood Tax Contract is their means of winning over the smaller sects of the Southern Coast, and it’s also a standard practice for infiltrating, corrupting, and exploiting these sects. It’s levied every few years. Those who can pay receive nominal protection, while those who cannot…”

The girl clicked her tongue and said, "Isn't that just food for the Crimson Flame Dynasty? Is this so-called protection just a way to fatten them up before slaughtering them?"

"The Blood Tax Covenant is ultimately a stopgap measure; it can only restrain the Sea Abyss Temple on the surface, and the conflict will not disappear as a result."

The mountain path wound its way through the mountains, and Chen Qing walked with steady steps.

He carefully reviewed the battle he had just fought, analyzing its gains and losses.

Liu Wang and Shi Hong were both at the early stage of the second realm, but under their own devastating power, they were reduced to dust and dirt.

"If I go all out, I might be able to rival someone in the later stages!" Chen Qing felt the lingering stinging pain in his meridians, "but it's hard to say against someone in the third realm."

The existence of the Third Realm is like a sword hanging over one's head.

If Haiyuan Temple truly has a newly promoted third-realm cultivator, its own protective mountain array can withstand at most three attacks. While the Blood Tax Contract can delay, it is ultimately an external force and can be easily bypassed.

"not enough!"

Chen Qing looked towards Mingxia Mountain and saw that the mountain peak was shrouded in clouds and mist, just like the stone platform in his dream.

"Once things are stable, we must enter the Dao Evolution Record again! This time, let's see if we can find a way to contend with the third realm!"

　Please take a moment to save this post, everyone! A newbie like me would be very grateful! o(╥﹏╥)o
　　
　
(End of this chapter)