Chapter 8: Su Bai Makes His Move — One-Shot Kill Against the Ninth Level of the Qi Refining Stage

"Miss Lingxi slipped away yesterday — you had us quite worried."

A group of five approached, led by a middle-aged man dressed in the manner of a Steward.

He strode forward briskly, his expression cool. "By order of Young Master Baoxiao, we are to escort the young lady safely to the Lingxiao Sect. Miss Lingxi, please come with us."

His tone was ice-cold, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

"I'm not going!" Xiao Lingxi refused.

The middle-aged man cast an indifferent glance at Zhuge Feng and Su Bai, dismissing them entirely.

"Miss Lingxi, the Young Master's orders are absolute. Given your special status, if you were to anger him, I'm afraid it would not bode well for the Xiao family."

He paused briefly, then continued, "The Young Master is the Closed-Door Disciple of Immortal Master Tianxiao — a man of extraordinary talent whose future is boundless."

Hearing these words, Zhuge Feng frowned.

These five were all from the Lingxiao Sect, and the one leading them was even a Steward.

Of course, what made him frown was not the Steward standing before him, but the so-called Young Master Baoxiao the man had mentioned.

Zhao Baoxiao was a disciple of Lingxiao, the Lingxiao Sect's foremost genius. Though he possessed some talent, he was an extreme profligate.

He habitually exploited his status as a disciple of Immortal Master Tianxiao to bully the weak, harm his neighbors, and even abduct women off the streets in broad daylight.

In short, Zhao Baoxiao was not only vicious and erratic in temperament, but also utterly obsessed with women — he was even known to drink the blood of virgins. The word for him was simply: depraved.

No woman he had set his eyes on had ever walked away alive.

Xiao Lingxi's fair face drained of all color, and she seemed to lose her very soul.

If she were to be delivered before Zhao Baoxiao...

The mere thought of that outcome made her shudder.

Perhaps this was the inescapable fate of someone born into a great clan.

For the sake of the family's greater interests, some sacrifices simply had to be made.

She smiled bitterly, turned to Su Bai, and bowed. "Immortal Master, I am sorry to have troubled you. Farewell."

With that, she turned and walked away, her slender waist held perfectly straight.

"Sir, what shall we do with them?"

One of the men stepped up to the Lingxiao Sect Steward, glancing at Su Bai and Zhuge Feng, and asked in a low voice.

"They helped Miss Lingxi run away. Kill them," the Steward said, his expression frigid, his eyes filled with cold malice.

Escorting Xiao Lingxi had already cost them an entire day's delay — who knew what punishment awaited them for that.

He couldn't vent his frustration on Xiao Lingxi, so he'd just have to slaughter two insignificant ants to let off some steam.

"What are you doing?! I'm already going with you — why do you still need to kill people?" Xiao Lingxi cried out in shock and fury.

"Please do not worry, Miss. We know what we're doing."

"Move in!" The Steward waved his hand.

The four men behind him closed in, each radiating Spiritual Energy fluctuations.

All four were Cultivators, and their cultivation was no trifle — they were at the fifth or sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

"Master, be careful!"

Zhuge Feng stepped in front of Su Bai to shield him. Even though he had only just succeeded in Qi Refining, he did not retreat a single step.

It seemed a battle was about to break out.

Then Su Bai, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head. His indifferent voice rang out: "Kneel."

The single word fell like a thunderclap.

The rumbling reverberation was deafening.

The four Lingxiao Sect Cultivators felt an overwhelming pressure crash down upon them.

In a fleeting moment, their knees buckled, and with a resounding thud, they collapsed to the ground before Su Bai.

Their faces were etched with pure terror as they stared up at him, utterly horrified.

Who was this young man? How could he possess such tremendous power?

"A... a Foundation Establishment cultivator?!"

The Steward's pupils contracted sharply. A flicker of panic crossed his face as he asked in a trembling voice.

He himself was at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Stage — for a single shout to make his mind and soul tremble like this, what else could it be but Foundation Establishment?

"Run!"

His instinct screamed at him to flee, but he found his body completely frozen.

Su Bai extended one hand and, from across the distance, seized the Steward by the throat, slowly lifting him into the air. "In the territory of my Heavenly Dao Sect, who exactly do you think you're killing?"

Suspended in midair, the Steward's face turned a deep crimson as he struggled to breathe. Yet rather than begging for mercy, he issued a threat.

"I am... a Lingxiao Sect... Steward... release me... or else..."

Crack!

Without a word, Su Bai delivered a sharp slap that split the corner of the Steward's mouth open, blood streaming freely.

"Or else what?"

The Steward's eyes flashed with venom as he spat out his threat.

"Or else the Lingxiao Sect... will never... let you go!"

Bang!

The moment the words left his mouth, a tongue of flame erupted from his chest.

He let out a wretched scream as his entire body was instantly engulfed in roaring fire, reduced to ash that scattered into the air.

Thud!

A storage ring dropped to the ground, and Su Bai drew it to his hand from across the distance.

He swept it with his divine sense, and was immediately dazzled by a gleaming mass of silver taels.

Silver: 3,024 taels!

Gold: 200 taels!

The disciples' wages — no longer a concern.

Su Bai then raised his hand and swept it through the air. The remaining four were instantly swallowed by flames and reduced to nothing.

These four had low cultivation and carried no storage rings, nor anything of value on their persons.

But with the Steward's storage ring, that was more than enough.

A single strike — and a ninth-level Qi Refining Stage immortal cultivator was annihilated.

Both Zhuge Feng and Xiao Lingxi stood there in a daze, their eyes filled with profound shock and awe.

Though they had suspected Su Bai's strength was exceptional, they had never imagined it reached such a level.

But then Zhuge Feng thought of something and quickly spoke up. "Master, a Lingxiao Sect Steward has died here — they will certainly not let this rest. Should we relocate the sect?"

Su Bai shook his head. "No need."

"If those people dare to come, they'll all be slaughtered."

Hearing Su Bai's utterly nonchalant words, the two were completely dumbfounded.

They both wondered if they had heard wrong.

The Lingxiao Sect was one of the top five hundred in the Immortal Alliance!

"Immortal Master, just how powerful are you?" Xiao Lingxi couldn't help but ask.

"Beneath the heavens, I am unrivaled. Above the heavens, I am equally unrivaled," Su Bai replied calmly.

"Hiss—!"

Upon hearing this, both of them drew a sharp breath.

The more casually Su Bai spoke of such things, the more unfathomably deep they felt he was.

But soon, they let go of their worries.

After all, the Heavenly Dao Sect possessed an immortal art that completed one hundred circulation cycles in two hours — something truly extraordinary.

Even the core immortal arts of Tianmen, ranked first among the Immortal Alliance's top five hundred, likely couldn't reach such a level.

"Well then, why are you still standing there? Aren't you going to bow as a disciple?"

Su Bai smiled and looked at Xiao Lingxi with a teasing grin.

Having already made his move, it meant he had already acknowledged the young woman before him.

"Master above, please accept the bow of your disciple, Xiao Lingxi." Xiao Lingxi was momentarily stunned, then a radiant smile blossomed across her face as she bowed respectfully.

This time, her expression carried genuine reverence and devotion.

"Congratulations, Master!" Zhuge Feng chimed in.

Name: Xiao Lingxi

Age: 16

Cultivation: Mortal

Spiritual Root: Superior-Grade Yin Spirit Root, Primordial Yin Body

Sect Loyalty: 80 (Note: Reaching 100 loyalty unlocks a super reward)

"Primordial Yin Body?"

Su Bai was somewhat surprised.

In this world, beyond Spiritual Roots, there were also distinctions in physique.

Certain powerful physiques could cultivate far faster than ordinary people, and possessed all manner of extraordinary qualities.

For example, the Battle Saint Body — its physical form was peerless, shaking the heavens.

The Innate Dao Body — naturally attuned to the Great Dao, its cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds each day.

And the Primordial Yin Body — through dual cultivation, it could enhance both parties' cultivation aptitude and realm, making it a sacred cultivation physique coveted by countless cultivators.

Simply put, it was the supreme dual cultivation body.

No wonder that so-called Young Master Baoxiao wanted to obtain Xiao Lingxi.

If one could truly cultivate dual cultivation with such a physique, even a complete waste could break through all shackles in one fell swoop and become a peerless genius.

"Go choose an immortal art and begin Qi Refining as soon as possible." Su Bai gave a slight nod.

"Thank you, Master."

Xiao Lingxi was overjoyed and immediately dashed toward the Immortal Arts Pavilion nearby.

An immortal art that completed one hundred circulation cycles in two hours — she had long been eager to begin cultivating it.