Ling Xian knew all too well the consequences of harming the physical body. This body was meticulously protected, meaning even the slightest injury could trigger irreversible repercussions.
More importantly, his fist was as hard as divine iron. That devastating blow to Shen Qing's groin must have been fatal!
Since childhood, Ling Xian's parents had recognized his extraordinary strength, even with just his palm strikes. This awareness had made them exceptionally cautious in raising him.
Ling Xian felt deep remorse toward Shen Qing. Not only had he destroyed his ability to have children, but he had also inadvertently taken his life...
Damn it! This scene is utterly gruesome!
Using his divine sense to assess the damage, Ling Xian discovered that the core of Shen Qing's dantian region had become a mass of blood vessels, transformed into a black, pulpy mess, completely unrecognizable from its original form...
To avoid further scrutiny, Ling Xian decided he needed to find a place to hide the body.
He could accelerate decomposition, but the stench would attract unwanted attention from the authorities, so he abandoned the idea.
Scanning the surroundings, he noticed an unremarkable large tree at the edge of the campus. The shade beneath its branches seemed like the perfect place to conceal the corpse.
He lifted Shen Qing's head with a casual flick of his wrist and arrived at his destination in just five seconds.
Ling Xian deemed the spot suitable. After tossing the corpse into the bushes, he prepared to teleport back near the campus.
But as the purple divine light enveloped him, a sharp shout suddenly rang out from several miles away: "Hey! Stop right there! What are you doing?!"
He hastily retracted his power, not daring to turn around.
An elderly security guard, wielding a shovel as a weapon, cautiously approached him.
Ling Xian recognized the voice immediately—Division Chief Lao Jing of the Phoenix Guard Division of the Academy.
This was precisely the person he had been desperately trying to avoid. More than Teacher Shuang, Zi Xuan, or even the BL fangirl Xu Yutong, he feared encountering Lao Jing.
Phoenix Academy had many exceptional talents, and Lao Jing was one of them.
"Do you attend this school?" Seeing a stranger in the academy uniform, Lao Jing naturally grew wary. This man had once been the Sect Leader of the Eight-Star Sect and now served as its Vice Sect Leader.
Ling Xian remained silent. Any response would only make him appear more guilty.
Lao Jing scanned the half-hidden corpse in the bushes. "This guy... he's the famous assassin, right?" He propped his chin on his hand, scrutinizing Ling Xian. "Did you do this?"
Ling Xian remained silent.
Lao Jing stared back. ...Damn right you did!
"And what's that stuff pooling between his legs? What is that liquid?" Lao Jing pressed, his curiosity piqued.
Ling Xian remained silent. I'd rather not say...
"Turn around!" Lao Jing barked, his voice sharp as a command.
Ling Xian didn't budge. He wanted to knock the old man unconscious with a single punch, but he feared losing control and accidentally punching a hole through his skull.
"Did you hear me?! Turn around now!" Lao Jing gripped his shovel tighter, his voice rising again.
Ling Xian turned only halfway, as if trying to conceal his face.
"I said turn around!" Lao Jing was losing patience. Holy shit! I've interrogated countless murderers, and never once have I had to shout three times! Is this guy deaf?!
Ling Xian finally turned completely around, his face still hidden.
"Lower your hands!"
He sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. There was no point in resisting any further.
***
Lao Jing gasped, "You... you're a ghost! Counselor Ling...?"
Seeing the old man's agitated expression, Ling Xian realized his disguise had been exposed.
Lao Jing wiped his glasses twice before putting them on, afraid he was seeing things. Before him stood the temporary leader of the Eight Sects of Celestial Radiance Spirit Star—the legendary Spirit Immortal Advisor!
Lingxian's dumbest decision in his life was probably serving as Sect Leader for two days four years ago...
What infuriates me most is that he not only remembers my face but also attended the same school as me!
This is fate rubbing salt into Lingxian's wounds.
A Soul Transformation Realm expert working as a guard at this school? Have you paid your tuition, old man?!
An unfathomably powerful figure enrolling as a student? Who are you trying to intimidate?!
Their thoughts were eerily synchronized...
...
After a long silence, Lao Jing stared at the corpse. It was the remains of Shen Qing, one of the strongest assassins from the Eternal Tomb Dragon Silk Assassins.
"Maybe you did kill him..." Lao Jing weakly turned to look at Ling. "You still haven't told me about that substance—"
"Just tell me why you came here..." The deep voice echoed in Jing Ye's mind, startling him.
Having witnessed Ling's abilities firsthand years ago, he was convinced that the fool had struck first!
Just look at the backlash! His balls were blown clean off!
Lao Jing recalled his final mission four years ago—the severe injuries he sustained had forced him into retirement.
At the time, Earth's megastructures were abnormally active, and the overseas cultivation terrorist organization "Silver Armor" seized the opportunity to launch their world-destroying plan. Alerted by the emergency, the Eight-Star Sect—leader before Xue Feng's fame—immediately split up to respond. However, all eight members were trapped, sucked into the dimensional barriers of the cosmic void.
Lao Jing would never forget those four hellish days of torment!
No food, no water, no entertainment...
Poisonous gas permeated the barriers, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. Even more terrifying, countless minions of the Demon Kings lurked within.
In the end, only four survived.
At the critical moment, Ling Xian appeared, slaughtering the Demon Kings and carving a bloody path to safety. He led them all back to safe ground.
Ling Xian had assumed the poison mist would erase their memories, so he hadn't bothered to wipe them.
But Lao Jing would never forget him...
Ling Xian was merely a temporary Spirit Immortal Advisor assigned by higher-ups. Lao Jing and his teammates had always looked down on such advisors, considering them weak and useless.
When Ling joined the team, almost no one spoke to him.
To Lao Jing's shock, it was this very advisor they had scorned who saved them all. To slay hundreds of Demon Lords, to traverse the dimensional barrier between universes without being incinerated... he had never witnessed such power before.
He still remembered the golden, shimmering tendrils that had erupted from Ling's body... though he didn't understand their purpose, they filled him with dread.
By the time Lao Jing was discharged from the hospital, Ling had vanished without a trace...
For Ling Xian, serving as a temporary leader was an experience he would never repeat. The brief display of his power—slaying Demon Lords and freely traversing dimensional barriers—had stemmed from his innate humanity.
Thus, the world remained largely unaware of Ling Xian's supreme might—except for Lao Jing, who was inexplicably overlooked!
Yet Lao Jing merely saw him as a young prodigy... unaware that he was actually an ancient anomaly.
But Ling had already turned sixteen this year...
...