This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

The horrific scene startled Ye Ling'er, causing her to halt her thrusting sword.

Although she really wanted to kill Qi Haoran with a single sword, "fratricide" was a major taboo in the Divine Sword Sect. Even if she was in the right, she could only take him back to the sect and hand him over to the Law Enforcement Hall for processing.

Zheng Zhuang's intervention delighted her, leading her to believe that he couldn't help but intervene because he saw her being bullied.

“Brother, there’s no need to worry. Although he hasn’t been at the Foundation Establishment stage for long, he’s not necessarily my match,” Ye Ling’er said sweetly to Zheng Zhuang.

"You...you dared to break my arm! My father will never let you get away with this!"

Qi Haoran has always acted domineeringly since childhood, relying on his father. Because of his extraordinary talent, most of the higher-ups in the sect turn a blind eye, which is why he dares to be so fearless.

In the past, when he was training outside and encountered a powerful enemy he couldn't handle, as long as he mentioned his father's name, the other party would give him some face.

But this person in front of him broke his arm without saying a word, and in such a bizarre way.

He was momentarily terrified, fearing that he would actually be killed to silence him.

"I... I'm telling you, I've already sent a message to my father, and he'll be here soon. If you kill me, it won't matter if you run to the ends of the earth."

He thought to himself that the other party looked to be about the same age as him, yet possessed such strength; perhaps he was an old man who had mastered the art of preserving his youth.

Such people generally do not want to make enemies with cultivators of the same level.

If he only loses his own arm, there is still room for maneuver. But if he is killed, then it will be a fight to the death.

Thinking of this, he became bolder and made a plan in his mind.

He immediately knelt down in front of Ye Ling'er and slapped himself across the face with his only remaining hand:

"Junior sister, I was bewitched. I'm no good! You are such a beautiful woman, I just couldn't control myself. Ever since I learned that you refused to become my Daoist partner, I have been unable to eat or sleep. That's why I resorted to this. What I said just now was just said in anger. Actually, I really want to treat you sincerely."

Seeing Qi Haoran's attitude change so quickly, Ye Ling'er was dumbfounded and turned to look at Zheng Zhuang, somewhat at a loss.

Zheng Zhuang shook his head speechlessly; this guy was truly shameless.

He knew what Qi Haoran was thinking; he was afraid that he would kill him to silence him.

He did have such thoughts at first, but he had come to visit the Divine Sword Sect, and killing a disciple of the sect as soon as he arrived would be somewhat disrespectful to them.

Even if the other party doesn't react out of politeness, they will inevitably feel resentful.

Furthermore, Ye Ling'er will continue to cultivate in the Divine Sword Sect. Qi Haoran's mysterious death will eventually lead to her being implicated. No matter how she explains it, it will only be one person's opinion and will not convince the public.

Furthermore, Qi Haoran's father holds a high position, and with her current cultivation level, it would be extremely difficult for him to defend against any potential harm from her.

Therefore, the best solution is for me to go to the Divine Sword Sect with her and Qi Haoran. If they handle the matter fairly, that would be ideal. But if they act corruptly, I'll have to make a scene.

As for breaking Qi Haoran's arm, it was because I was angry and couldn't help but teach him a lesson first.

This little girl is only fifteen or sixteen years old. In my previous life, she would have been considered an adult. This guy actually tried to force himself on her now. He's worse than a beast!

Zheng Zhuang snorted and waved his hand lightly. His magic power condensed into a thin golden rope, which bound Qi Haoran.

"Let's go, let's go to the Divine Sword Sect and demand an explanation!"

"'True Power Transformation'? Brother is a Golden Core cultivator! Brother is amazing!" Ye Ling'er exclaimed with delight.

Zheng Zhuang did not refute, but smiled noncommittally. His cultivation path was very different from the mainstream. He did not know many mainstream spells, but he could use them if he wanted to.

"Hmph, what's so great about him? My father is a half-step Nirvana cultivator!"

Qi Haoran thought to himself, but couldn't help feeling a little sour. Judging from Ye Ling'er's attitude towards Zheng Zhuang, the other party was probably not an old monster who looked young, but was actually young.

A Golden Core cultivator of this age is truly a prodigy, having only appeared in the sect's ancient texts.

He silently sized up Zheng Zhuang a few times, secretly amused. Although the other party had an extraordinary temperament, his appearance was indeed very ordinary, and he was still somewhat inferior to himself. At least he had found a point of advantage.

It was clear that Ye Ling'er looked at the other person with adoration in her eyes, yet she felt utterly dejected.

Everyone has their own taste; I never expected Ye Ling'er to like this type!

Just as the group took a few steps, a sword light suddenly appeared in mid-air.

Upon seeing Qi Haoran's miserable state, Qi Zhengqi's eyes widened in anger, and he roared:

"Who are you, daring to harm my son!"

Upon hearing his father's voice, Qi Haoran immediately perked up and burst into tears, saying:

"Father! You've finally come! Come and save me! This bastard broke my arm! You must avenge me!"

"Uncle Qi, things aren't what you think..."

Before Ye Ling'er could explain, Qi Zhengqi turned the tables and said:

"You, Ye Ling'er, how dare you collude with outsiders to harm your fellow disciples? Do you think you can't touch me just because you're favored by the sect leader?"

Qi Zhengqi, filled with rage, came with his sword. The pressure of his half-step Nirvana made Ye Ling'er tremble and feel suffocated.

"Cough cough..."

Ye Ling'er instantly felt a lightness throughout her body, and when she turned her head, she saw Zheng Zhuang smilingly placing his hand on Qi Haoran's head.

"I advise you not to make any rash moves, otherwise..."

Halfway through his speech, he suddenly felt something was amiss. His actions and lines seemed to have a villainous feel to them, which didn't fit his character.

He was naturally not afraid of Qi Zhengqi, but he was currently injured and could not act as easily as before.

If they go too lightly, they might not be able to defeat their opponent, but if they lose control, the Divine Sword Sect will lose an elder.

I'm here to pay a visit, not to make an enemy.

Furthermore, given Ye Ling'er's cultivation level, she might also be caught in the crossfire and injured.

Besides, we are in the right here, and if a fight breaks out, it will be difficult to control the situation.

"How dare you, you youngsters! If anything happens to my son, you will all be executed along with him!" Qi Zhengqi said fiercely, but ultimately refrained from approaching any closer.

"Oh dear, I've already broken one of his arms, what am I going to do now?"

"you……"

Just then, another sword light streaked across the sky, and a middle-aged woman also arrived on a sword.

She looked a little nervous, but she was clearly relieved when she saw that Ye Ling'er was safe and sound.

"Ling'er, are you alright? Elder Qi, you're so imposing. If anything happens to Ling'er, I'd like to see how you explain it to the Sect Leader!"

"Uncle Ye, you've finally arrived!" Ye Ling'er's face lit up with joy upon seeing the middle-aged woman, then she looked at Zheng Zhuang somewhat shyly and said, "This is the brother I've often mentioned who saved me back then..."

"Oh?" The middle-aged woman gave Zheng Zhuang a deep look. She had often heard Ye Ling'er mention him and knew that the little girl greatly admired her savior from back then.

However, she did not look down on Zheng Zhuang because he looked young.

Ye Ling'er's cultivation level has improved rapidly over the years, partly because of her extraordinary talent, and partly because of the peach blossom she wears in her hair.

That peach blossom looked ordinary, but after several years, it showed no signs of withering.

Moreover, that peach blossom can help people calm their minds and concentrate their spirits, making their spiritual practice twice as effective.

What's even stranger is that it only works on Ye Ling'er; to others, it's just a slightly prettier peach blossom.

The middle-aged woman was already at the peak of the Golden Core stage, but she was surprised to find that she could not see through the other party's strength at all, and only felt a faint sense of unease.

This slight feeling of unease appeared intermittently; if it weren't for the profound nature of his cultivation technique, he probably wouldn't have been able to sense it.

“This… fellow Daoist, could you please put Junior Nephew Qi down for now?” She had intended to address him as “young friend,” but sensing that his cultivation was likely no weaker than hers, she quickly changed her address. Then she asked Ye Ling’er, “Ling’er, what exactly is going on?”

Qi Zhengqi secretly gave Qi Haoran a wink.

Qi Haoran understood and cried out before Ye Ling'er could:

"Uncle-Master Ye, you must avenge me! I saw Junior Sister Ling'er chasing a demon and, worried about her safety, I followed her. But when I arrived, she was nowhere to be found; only the demon was there. I initially thought she was inexperienced and had been ambushed, and in my rage, I killed the demon. But I never imagined..."

At this point, Qi Haoran paused deliberately, revealing an expression that was a mixture of anger and sadness, and looked at Zheng Zhuang, saying:

"Unexpectedly, that demon was actually this man's servant. Junior Sister Ling'er didn't come here to slay demons, but to secretly meet with him! When he saw that I had caught them in their affair and that he had killed his carefully trained servant, he became enraged and attacked me, severing one of my arms!"

"You...you're talking nonsense, turning black into white, it's clearly you..." Ye Ling'er's face turned red, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell.

"No wonder you refused my marriage proposal to the sect leader. It turns out you already have a lover, who is actually a demon child. The sect leader has taken in a fine disciple! Ye Qiujin, let's see how you protect her now!" Qi Zhengqi chimed in, directly labeling Zheng Zhuang as a "demonic being."

Ye Qiujin couldn't help but frown slightly. She finally remembered where that heart-palpitating feeling came from—it was a murderous aura.

The malevolent energy can only be condensed through killing. If this person is truly a demonic cultivator, things could get complicated.

Zheng Zhuang surprisingly remained silent, quietly watching their performance. If he had been wronged like this in his previous life, he might have had a heart attack from anger. But now his mindset was completely different. If they really angered him, he would just kill them.

"Ling'er, is what Junior Nephew Qi said true?" Ye Qiujin asked.

Ye Ling'er took a deep breath and said angrily:

"Qi Haoran is completely distorting the truth! He used demons to lure me here, intending to implant a slave mark on me. Fortunately, my brother arrived in time to save me... As for losing his arm, it was entirely his own fault."

Ye Qiujin was furious upon hearing this. She had been devoted to cultivation and had never had a Daoist partner. Ye Ling'er was deeply loved by her and shared the same surname. She had long regarded her as her own daughter.

"How dare you, Qi Haoran! Ling'er's talent is unparalleled in a century; she is the future of our Divine Sword Sect. How dare you commit such a despicable act?"

Qi Zhengqi smiled sinisterly and said:

"Isn't Ye Ling'er's affair with a demonic person despicable? And she even falsely accused my son."

“That’s right. You two conspired to murder me! You were hugging each other back then,” Qi Haoran interjected.

"We...we, my brother and I are innocent, don't talk nonsense." Ye Ling'er was both ashamed and anxious, showing the demeanor of a young girl.

"You're already hugging each other, and you still say you're innocent?"

"you……"

Ye Ling'er was still somewhat inexperienced and was quickly defeated.

Qi Haoran seized the opportunity to run behind Qi Zhengqi, whose face suddenly turned cold, and he shouted sharply:

"You wicked demon, you tricked my prodigy and severed my son's arm! I'll destroy you!"

"Brother, be careful!"

"Qi Zhengqi, how dare you!"

Facing Qi Zhengqi's palm strike, Ye Ling'er stepped in front of Zheng Zhuang without hesitation. Ye Qiujin wanted to stop her, but it was too late...

Qi Zhengqi hadn't expected Ye Ling'er to block his way. It was too late to stop, so he could only hastily withdraw some of his strength. But this palm strike still contained 50% of his power.

"not good!"

He sensed something was wrong. This palm strike was something that even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to withstand, let alone Ye Ling'er who had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

If Ye Ling'er were to die, given the sect leader's protective nature, I fear I would be unable to handle the aftermath.

"Ling'er, how are you?" Ye Qiujin rushed forward, but unexpectedly, Ye Ling'er fell straight into Zheng Zhuang's arms under the force of the palm.

"Brother... I'm already so content to see you again. Your arms are so warm. I wish I could stay in your arms forever!" Ye Ling'er said weakly.

"Ling'er, stop talking, I'll heal you right away." Ye Qiujin hurriedly took out a bottle of pills from her storage bag and was about to pour them into Ye Ling'er's mouth.

Ye Ling'er turned her head with difficulty, refusing to take it.

"Uncle Ye, please let me finish speaking, okay?"

Ye Qiujin was anxious and paced back and forth, but seeing Ye Ling'er's appearance, she really couldn't bear to go against her wishes.

"Say it, say it!"

Ye Ling'er stared intently at Zheng Zhuang with her large eyes and said:

"Brother, do you know? Ever since you saved me last time, I've always thought about you. I was too young to understand anything back then, and I just kept this feeling to myself. But now that you've appeared again, I realize that my whole heart already belongs to you."

At this point, she couldn't help but cough lightly, then continued:

"Actually, I don't hate Qi Haoran that much anymore. If it weren't for him, we might not have met so soon. He said we hooked up... well, I don't like that word, but I actually feel a little secretly pleased... I know that girls should be reserved, but if I don't say some things now, I might never have the chance again. Brother, I really like you... Brother, do you like Ling'er?"

Looking at the weak person in Zheng Zhuang's arms, Ye Qiujin couldn't help but secretly wipe away a tear.

Qi Haoran was burning with jealousy, but seeing Ye Ling'er like this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure. If he couldn't have her, no one else could either.

The beauty in his arms made her dying confession—this was supposed to be an incredibly touching story, but Zheng Zhuang couldn't help but frown and say irritably:

"You drama queen, how long are you going to keep up this act?"