Chapter 67: The Speculations of Two Elite Disciples

The capital of the Chu State, seat of the emperor, home to martial clans and both major and minor sects alike.

A land brimming with talent and spiritual energy, where high-level martial cultivators are as common as dogs, and cultivation resources lie scattered everywhere.

In Earth terms, the capital was Chu State’s political, cultural, economic, and martial center—on the street, any elderly man you bumped into might be a Martial King or a high-ranking imperial official.

Kong Sheng Academy, as a supreme sect in the capital and indeed all of Chu State, ranked among the very top, even the Xiang imperial clan treating it with due respect.

Its disciples mostly came from martial clans in the capital, already possessing inherited martial lineages and abundant resources; after turning fourteen, nearly all could successfully form their Energy Wheels and become martial cultivators.

Their martial heritage and cultivation resources ensured they always stayed ahead of commoner cultivators on the martial path.

Their starting point was often the final destination of commoner cultivators!

Long Zhantian, born into the imperial-family of the capital, had countless cultivation resources; though his martial talent was mediocre, that was only by capital standards—compared to Zhao Renwu, Wang Fuhai, and others, he was a genius.

Yet he still lost to Cang Luo.

A Peak Ninth-Level Warrior was defeated by a Seventh-Level Warrior with a single palm strike.

Even though he had previously been weakened by Cang Luo’s beast companion, the mutated Flame-Devouring Wolf, it had not affected his true strength.

Even if he stood still and let Cang Luo attack, Cang Luo still had to break through his defenses first.

To everyone’s mind, Long Zhantian, as a Peak Ninth-Level Warrior from an imperial-family, must have bathed in medicinal fluids since childhood to toughen his body—standing still, he should have been untouchable by a Seventh-Level Warrior like Cang Luo.

Yet Cang Luo defeated him—with just one palm strike. Everyone was no fool; all could see Cang Luo’s first two blows were mere probes, deliberately luring Long Zhantian into overconfidence.

This could only mean Brother Cang was clever and deeply strategic.

Moreover, Brother Cang was genuinely strong—or rather, his technique, “Dragon-Slaying Palm,” was truly powerful.

What rank was Dragon-Slaying Palm?

Xuan-level?

Even Di-level?

The crowd speculated wildly about Cang Luo’s strength and the rank of Dragon-Slaying Palm; Xuan Qingqing also asked Cang Luo, who was desperately concocting lies to avoid revealing his true abilities.

At that moment, Long Zhantian, after treatment from Murong Ye, had regained some strength and could speak: “Senior Brother, I can still fight—I will defeat that waste!”

Murong Ye shook his head, ignoring him, and turned toward Xuan Qingqing and Cang Luo; he stared at Cang Luo for several long moments, then suddenly asked: “Are you from the Cang family!?”

He had noticed that when Cang Luo used Dragon-Slaying Palm, his skin reddened, his eyes filled with blood, and his right arm shattered instantly after the strike.

This technique resembled those of the capital’s Cang family—both were self-damaging, one-thousand-for-eight-hundred styles; combined with Cang Luo’s near-identical appearance to Cang Huangwu, Murong Ye grew more certain Cang Luo was from the Cang family.

And not just a branch member—only a direct heir could look so identical.

Could this brat truly be a discarded Cang family scion?

Or did the Cang family even know of his existence?

Didn’t the Cang family’s second young master vanish over twenty years ago? Could this be his offspring?

Murong Ye pondered silently...

Cang Luo froze—what was this guy doing? Earlier he asked if I knew Cang Huangwu, now he’s asking if I’m from the Cang family; Li Haoran had also asked if I was from one of the capital’s four imperial-family branches of the Cang clan.

Again and again, they bring up the Cang family—what are they after?

At this moment, Cang Luo was deeply puzzled, intensely curious about this “Cang family” and Cang Huangwu they mentioned.

We all share the surname Cang—what connection could there be to me?

Cang Luo frowned and shook his head: “Senior Brother Murong, I am surnamed Cang, so naturally I am a Cang person—but not from the capital’s four imperial-family Cang clan you speak of.”

Murong Ye nodded casually; seeing Cang Luo’s respectful reply, he asked no further—if there was a connection, he could investigate upon returning to the capital, perhaps uncovering something interesting.

After a pause, he turned to Xuan Qingqing and smiled: “Young Lady Qingqing, your sect’s disciples are truly gifted, their power terrifying—our academy’s disciples are no match.”

He glanced at Zhao Renwu, Wang Fuhai, and others, then continued: “My mission here was to deliver our academy’s headmaster’s invitation; it has been delivered. We intend to depart immediately.”

Xuan Qingqing furrowed her brows slightly; since they were leaving, she had no intention of detaining them, and nodded slightly: “Your academy’s disciples are the true children of heaven—Brother Cang’s victory was only due to your disciples’ courtesy...”

After exchanging a few polite compliments, Murong Ye led his group away—yet as he left, he cast one final deep glance at Cang Luo.

Cang Luo’s expression turned grave; he resolved to investigate the capital’s so-called “four imperial-family Cang clan” thoroughly—perhaps there truly was some connection to him.

After the Kong Sheng Academy group departed, Xuan Qingqing fixed Cang Luo with a stare, hands on her hips, and asked again: “Brother Cang, tell me—did you have some extraordinary encounter? Where did you learn Dragon-Slaying Palm? What rank is that technique?”

Xuan Qingqing was curious—she had long ago combed through every inner and outer sect manual in the Xuan Tian Men’s cultivation halls and had no memory of a technique called Dragon-Slaying Palm.

There was a similar-sounding “Dragon-Subduing Palm,” but that was only a Yellow-grade middle-tier technique—impossible to possess such power.

Cang Luo scratched his head, unsure how to answer—should I say I invented it myself?

Would she believe me?

After hesitation, Cang Luo awkwardly said: “I found it... picked it up in the beast forest...”

As expected, the moment he finished, Xuan Qingqing gave him a look that screamed “I believe you, ghost!” followed by a sarcastic chuckle.

Cang Luo sighed helplessly: “Really, I found it...”

Xuan Qingqing immediately rolled her eyes—adorably—and was about to press further when Li Haoran suddenly appeared between them.

He glanced casually at Cang Luo, then said to Xuan Qingqing: “Young Lady Qingqing, Kong Sheng Academy came from afar; now that they’re leaving, as hosts we should see them off, lest others say Xuan Tian Men lacks manners.”

Cang Luo quickly chimed in: “Exactly...”

The moment he spoke, Xuan Qingqing seized his ear with her right hand, yanking it hard as she growled: “Hmph! You won’t tell me? I’ll settle accounts with you later!”

Then she dashed off after the departing Kong Sheng Academy group.

Li Haoran followed close behind—but his face was now chillingly dark.

Just now, Xuan Qingqing pulling Cang Luo’s ear and whispering sharply seemed unfriendly.

But any clear-eyed observer could tell their relationship was far from ordinary—no one would act so intimately with a stranger.

Li Haoran trailed behind Xuan Qingqing, pondering Cang Luo’s identity.

Murong Ye mentioned the capital’s Cang family twice—could this waste truly have ties to them?

This waste was brought back by the Sect Master himself—if not for some special status, why would the Sect Master personally intervene?

Yet if his status was special and tied to the Cang family, why hide it? Why make him a mere outer sect disciple in Xuan Tian Men?

“Cang Luo... Cang family!”

Li Haoran muttered under his breath, then added in a low, dangerous tone: “I don’t care who you are or what your identity is—if you dare harbor improper thoughts toward Young Lady Qingqing, you are my enemy!”

I, Li Haoran, will kill you!