Chapter Thirty: Naturally

Before they could even speak, the three people present felt the world spin and invert. In a moment of disorientation, their vision seemed to pierce through countless miles, sweeping across infinite buildings and traversing untold dimensions. It was as if summer passed into winter, and the seasons flipped in an instant; everything manifested directly within their minds.

An old man stood at the edge of the horizon, yet in that moment, he seemed to be right before them. With just a single step, it felt as though the myriad waters and mountains were manifested within his palm.

Jiang Zhenguang looked at Wang Shiming, who sat wounded on a stone, and smiled. "To possess such cultivation at such a young age is no small feat. I do not know where you hail from; if given time, you might one day reach my level. But that is impossible—you will never see that day. I know not your origins, for among the countless factions in Huming Prefecture, I have no impression of you. I wonder, if I were to beat you to death, would anyone behind you leap out to intervene?"

Wang Shiming said nothing, simply throwing a punch.

Jiang Zhenguang extended a single finger. After absorbing the blow, he did not move an inch, standing as rooted as a pine tree.

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, a vortex of air bypassed Jiang Zhenguang’s sides and struck the firmament. The ten-thousand-mile clear sky seemed to tilt toward the northwest, and a thunderous roar echoed in the ears of everyone in the city.

"Decent technique, but you are too weak."

Jiang Zhenguang applied a slight force. With a violent boom, Wang Shiming’s entire body was sent flying backward.

"The power is insufficient. As a dual cultivator of martial arts and Taoism, your punch is too light. Let us see how refined your Taoist arts are, to have allowed you to reach this state."

As the ancestor of a top-tier sect in the prefecture, his gaze was piercingly sharp; he could naturally discern the entirety of Wang Shiming’s foundation at a glance. Yet, deep within, a layer of mist shrouded the youth's body, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

After speaking, a wisp of blood, resembling flowing air, spilled from the old man's lips. He smiled faintly and swallowed it. "Is my blood something that this Yu'an Prefecture City can retain? But do not think too much; this wound was not caused by your punch. Look at your own paper-thin body—could it possibly achieve such a thing? Still, why do you not manifest your Taoist arts? I am truly curious."

Wang Shiming stood up, though not by his own power. Jiang Zhenguang’s gaze controlled the surrounding flow of the Great Dao, forcibly pinning him in mid-air.

Staring at the old man before him, he spat out, word by word: "None... of your damn business!"

Jiang Zhenguang grinned. "I wonder if you are a practitioner from the Yingtian Taoist Temple. I despise those people most in this life—savages hiding in the mountains. Every one of them loves to show off once they emerge, especially those who cultivate both sword and Tao; they look down on everyone with no self-awareness. I would love to gouge out the eyes of everyone from that temple and stuff them into their own mouths, but how could I ever be so lucky? Those in the three inner halls are even worse, with their constant sour faces. Tell me, is that not hateful? Is it not begging to be killed?"

Wang Shiming exhausted all his strength, still attempting to swing a fist at the man's face.

Jiang Zhenguang tutted and waved his hand. "Forget it, this is boring."

With that, an inexplicable burst of energy knocked Wang Shiming unconscious.

Jiang Zhenguang then turned his head, looked not far away, and smiled. "What kind of wind has blown our Young Master Bai here today?"

Bai Ci walked out from a room in the Hua Nian Apothecary; no one had noticed when he entered. He held a fan in his hand and approached with narrowed eyes.

"Senior Jiang is truly imposing."

Jiang Zhenguang caught the implication in his words, merely arched an eyebrow, and said nothing further, instead turning his attention to Xie Peiling.

"You heard what I said just now. Little one, you are very unlucky. I will never forget the *Xianweng Taiji Chongxuan Zhidao Heart Transmission* technique in this lifetime. With your cultivation, I assume you have only just stepped into the six outer halls. Yet, this profound spiritual energy and the 'Qi' of heaven and earth are nearly on par with the average inner-sect disciple of my Zhengling Sect. Heh... I wonder, if I were to throw you into the Ancestor Hall of the Yingtian Taoist Temple and let Hua Tiancheng see your state, and let everyone know you have violated the sect's rules, would he kill you on the spot?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Peiling shuddered, yet he did not retreat a single step. His expression remained as devoid of emotion as before.

Jiang Zhenguang’s composure shattered instantly. He pointed at Xie Peiling’s face, furious. "That is the very face! You are nothing but a piece of trash! A piece of garbage who couldn't reach my realm even in decades! How dare you give me that look?"

Xie Peiling let out a cold laugh, and before he could speak, he swung his sleeve.

In the next moment, Xie Peiling was sent flying backward. Clearly, the opponent had used strength equivalent to his own realm. As he flew, he flipped his body and landed on the ground, sliding several yards before coming to a halt.

Jiang Zhenguang nodded slightly. "Decent indeed. If it were my sect, others would have long since been pinned to the ground. You have some talent. But since you are from the Yingtian Taoist Temple, it would be troublesome if you were allowed to grow. Once I gouge out your eyes and stuff them in your mouth, and ruin your face, I will toss you back to the Yingtian Taoist Temple so Hua Tiancheng can properly admire this masterpiece."

After speaking, he took a step, as if crossing thousands of mountains and rivers to arrive in another world. The entire heaven and earth seemed to shift.

Every movement and every word he spoke aligned with the laws of heaven. Xie Peiling felt his entire body go limp, stripped of all power to resist. This was different from the woman in plain clothes; back then, there was room to fight back, but this time, he felt as if a whole world lay between them.

Xie Peiling exerted all his effort to circulate the *Xianweng Taiji Chongxuan Zhidao Heart Transmission*, drawing the long sword Chu Xianlü had previously placed in his hands and aiming it at Jiang Zhenguang’s forehead.

Jiang Zhenguang extended a finger, sneering, "Useless struggle."

Xie Peiling knew it was useless, but he wanted to live. He did not want to die like this. He had only just reached the starting point of his life; he did not want to fall here.

Jiang Zhenguang flicked his finger against Xie Peiling. In that instant, it felt incredibly light. Pale red threads drifted away, leaving behind only faint, almost invisible white traces.

Xie Peiling knew his cultivation had been drained, yet in that moment, he felt strangely light. Far from feeling powerless, his entire body was suffused with an ethereal aura.

Naturally and seamlessly.

It faded naturally, and it returned naturally.

After the pale red gas receded, a vague, colorless mist filled his body, bringing him back to his previous realm, and even making it more perfect.

"Oh... what is thi..."

Jiang Zhenguang, curious, was about to grab him to investigate when a sword light and a roar forced him back.

"Get out!"