Chapter 35: How Did It Already Explode?

When Li Mu saw that new golden characters were faintly appearing on the Heaven Dao Treasure Scroll where Zhao Jianfei's name had just vanished.

Li Mu felt a mix of slight excitement and a little nervousness.

He thought.

Which brave warrior is trying to kill me this time?

Under Li Mu's excited gaze, a new name quickly appeared on the Heaven Dao Treasure Scroll after Zhao Jianfei's name.

"Qin Zhixiang?"

"Lin Zehong?"

Seeing those two names, Li Mu couldn't help but shake his head.

It's not...

I'm not at all surprised that Qin Zhixiang made the list!

I've taught this guy both front and back twice; it would be strange if he didn't make the list.

But...

What's up with Lin Zehong!

Are the people of Xuan Yue Feng all this petty?

I only met Lin Zehong for the first time today, and I've said fewer than three sentences to him.

I'm about to forget about this guy.

Turns out, this guy actually wants to kill me behind the scenes!

Sigh...

Tell me, why go through all this trouble?

When will the cycle of revenge ever end?

Do these locals not understand?

Is the effect of force mutual?

"..."

Just as Li Mu was still reflecting on his honor of becoming the new scapegoat on the Heaven Dao Treasure Scroll,

simultaneously.

The results of the martial conference between Xuan Yue Feng and Longtan Peak spread like wings, flying swiftly!

Purple Cover Peak and Little Heaven Peak both learned of it.

When the champion was finally taken by a newcomer from Longtan Peak who had been inducted into the sect for less than ten days, everyone was thrown into a huge uproar.

At the same time, Li Mu's name, having achieved instant enlightenment before the Enlightenment Stele and succeeding immediately, re-entered everyone's view.

However, unlike Purple Cover Peak, Little Heaven Peak's shock and sigh were different.

In a meeting hall of Xuan Yue Feng, a profoundly solemn atmosphere pervaded.

Their agenda today has only one item!

Li Mu!

"Regarding what happened at the martial conference, I think everyone is clear, right?"

Inside Xuan Yue Feng's meeting hall, before a long table of finely carved small-leaf rosewood, a figure with a distant, profound aura sat high at the head.

He wore the signature black Dao robe of Xuan Yue Feng, his hands crossed and placed on his chest, looking at the figures on both sides of the long table, and spoke in a low tone.

"Although I know it's hard for everyone to accept this fact,"

"But Zhao Jianfei was indeed defeated by that newly inducted disciple Li Mu!"

"In other words, Li Mu possesses the power to instantly deal with a Ninth-Grade Qi Refining Realm Peak cultivator."

"Li Mu is definitely the most surprising dark horse of this year's Four Peaks Grand Competition for me."

When the youth said that, the people present were also moved.

This youth is their First person of Outer Peak, the top of the Wind and Cloud Ranking, Yang Yuanwu!

The crucial point is!

Li Mu has only been inducted into Outer Peak for less than ten days!

You damn it!

In ten days he can already beat a Ninth-Grade Qi Refining Realm Peak; if we let him stay longer, it would be disastrous!

Yang Yuanwu looked around, taking in everyone's expressions, and then continued.

"Five days left, then the Four Peaks Grand Competition!"

"Now before us are only two options!"

"First, at the Four Peaks Grand Competition, completely break ties with Longtan Peak led by Li Mu."

"Immediately after entering the secret realm, carry out retaliation, gathering all forces to indiscriminately encircle and eliminate all Longtan Peak disciples as a warning."

"Second, in order not to offend Li Mu, who is destined to become the Ziyang Sect's Heavenly Pride, we choose to cut our losses promptly."

With those words, discussion erupted in the meeting hall.

It's obvious.

Li Mu's potential can be seen by anyone who isn't blind!

His future growth into a regional powerhouse is practically a foregone conclusion; offending such a person is indeed foolish.

But many people can't swallow that.

They say a warrior may be killed, but not humiliated!

Not only must Li Mu make even Longtan Peak pay for this, but also to defend Xuan Yue Feng's dignity!

Both sides held their ground, and for a moment neither could persuade the other.

Senior Brother Yang!

I think there's nothing worth discussing about this matter!

Revenge!

We must take revenge!

Just as the debate between the two sides reached its peak, Lin Zehong, who was closest to Yang Yuanwu, suddenly spoke up.

This Li Mu, he once, under the sect leader's orders, beat Qin Zhixiang savagely!

It caused Xuan Yue Feng to lose all face, not to mention.

Later, at the martial arts forum, he even dealt a ruthless blow to Zhao Jianfei!

If we can't retrieve this case, Xuan Yue Feng will never be able to hold its head up in Ziyang Sect thereafter!

Lin Zehong's words rang out with resonant force, striking the ground like a thunderclap.

In an instant, it caused a huge reverberation throughout the council hall.

All the disciples who supported waging war against Li Mu responded without hesitation, their emotions raging.

But many rational disciples of Xuan Yue Feng harbored doubts about taking revenge on Li Mu.

Anyone with sense knows that Zhao Jianfei was the one who first brought the matter to a dead end!

At that time, the disciple from Longtan Peak explicitly admitted defeat, yet Zhao Jianfei, still in a position of power, showed no mercy and dealt a crushing blow to the opponent, which led to what happened later.

As the senior brother of the Outer Peak of Xuan Yue Feng, Yang Yuanwu, after leaving the sect and learning the whole story, no longer wished to stir things up and intended to stop here.

But just as Yang Yuanwu was about to state his stance, a mournful wail suddenly echoed from outside.

Senior Brother Zhao!

You were fine, why did you suddenly become useless!

In an instant, the disciples in the council hall could no longer argue, and each turned en masse toward the doorway.

Then Qin Zhixiang, wiping his tears, pushed a wheelchair bearing Zhao Jianfei, whose body was wrapped in bandages and gauze like a rice dumpling, forward to the crowd, speaking with voice and tears.

Senior Brother Yang!

Li Mu, that little brute, was truly vicious; he completely disregarded brotherly ties and dealt only deadly blows to Senior Brother Zhao!

The clinic's diagnosis just came out: Senior Brother Zhao suffers from multiple crushing fractures; he has no hope of cultivating again in this lifetime!

I ask you to speak on behalf of Senior Brother Zhao!

Swoosh!

As soon as Qin Zhixiang finished speaking, the Xuan Yue Feng disciples, who had been arguing on both sides, fell silent.

They all turned en masse toward Zhao Jianfei.

But Zhao Jianfei's lips trembled for a long while before he whispered hoarsely, "Senior Brother Yang, please avenge me!"

When those words were spoken,

It was as if a massive bomb detonated instantly on a calm lake!

If one only heard how tragic Zhao Jianfei's experience at the martial arts forum was, the audience would have no concrete picture.

But when they saw Zhao Jianfei's current wretched state with their own eyes, and then heard that he has no hope of cultivating again in this life,

this caused even the Xuan Yue Feng disciples who had opposed the idea to waver, their hearts filling with anger toward the never‑met Li Mu!

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stoked,

Qin Zhixiang's eyes rolled swiftly in their sockets, and then, as Grandfather had instructed him beforehand, he suddenly raised his arm and shouted.

Revenge for Senior Brother Zhao!

Revenge!

Lin Zehong immediately understood.

He strode to the other side of Zhao Jianfei, and the Xuan Yue Feng disciples who supported him also shouted in unison!

One stone raised a thousand ripples!

Under this fervent wave, more and more people joined the ranks of 'revenge against Li Mu.'

Seeing his emergence, the desire for revenge surged throughout Xuan Yue Feng, and almost everyone unanimously stepped forward to avenge themselves!

Zhao Jianfei felt an exhilarating thrill inside!

His eyes lit up with excitement, as if he already envisioned Li Mu being battered by Xuan Yue Feng disciples in the Four Peaks Grand Contest!

In his excitement!

Zhao Jianfei, somehow finding strength, managed to rise from his wheelchair and, with the fervent crowd, raised his arm and shouted.

Revenge!

Everyone, avenge me!!!

But Zhao Jianfei on this side only managed to shout a couple of excited cries.

"Bang!

Zhao Jianfei's head exploded outright!

The red‑white thing splattered onto Qin Zhixiang's and Lin Zehong's faces.

"Gah..."

The once‑fervent atmosphere in the council hall halted instantly, and everyone just stared at each other in silence.

Qin Zhixiang and the Xuan Yue Feng disciples were left stunned on the spot.

Their faces were completely bewildered!

It must be said, Zhao Jianfei's death before them was truly...

It was just too inconceivable, okay!

A living corpse!

A moment ago they were still spiritedly raising their arms, shouting they'd take revenge on Li Mu; the next second their head actually exploded outright!

Such a shocking scene — those Xuan Yue Feng disciples present haven't even heard of it, let alone seen it.

"Qin Zhixiang, come with me for a moment!"

Lin Zehong saw that.

He hurriedly dragged the still dazed Qin Zhixiang into a corner, lowered his voice, and asked in a tone only the two could hear.

"No!"

"This isn't what we agreed on at the start — how is it different?!"

"Is this step part of Qin Zhanglao's plan?!"

"Are you going overboard with this?!"

"You damn it!"

"You've even blown up Zhao Jianfei's head!"

Qin Zhixiang wiped his face with his hand, then looked dazedly at Lin Zehong: "Senior Brother Lin, you're asking me about this, but I wanted to ask you!"

"Wasn't it you who blew up Zhao Jianfei's head?!"

"My great-grandfather said that at the most crucial moment we should push Zhao Jianfei forward to settle things with a single blow."

Saying this, Qin Zhixiang looked Lin Zehong up and down with suspicion, somewhat uncertain.

"Senior Brother Lin, is this really unrelated to you?!"

"It wasn't just a flash of inspiration from you that did in Senior Brother Zhao…"

Lin Zehong wore a bitter smile.

"You want me to have a flash of inspiration?!"

"I have no grudge against Zhao Jianfei — why would I kill him?!"

"Alright, let's not talk about this!"

"His head's blown up — he's completely cold."

"So, what should we do next?!"

"With this, you're making it impossible for me to step down!"

"Let me think it through first…"

Then.

The two then fell into a long silence.

"..."

"..."

Zhao Jianfei's headless corpse sat quietly in the wheelchair.