156: Chapter 156 Deputy Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall

Zhou Yao stood behind Li Qing, watching his calm and composed demeanor as he steadily held the upper hand. Her worry gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of complete reassurance and admiration. She stared intently at Li Qing's back, her eyes filled with tenderness; with Li Qing there, she was no longer afraid of anything.

The battle on the Spirit Testing Platform continued. Zhao Haifeng had completely lost the ability to fight back; his aura grew weaker, his body was covered in injuries, and his eyes were filled with terror and despair. He could not fathom how he, a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Sect steward, could actually be defeated by a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Loose Cultivator!

Looking at Li Qing's calm and composed appearance, and seeing the thick Five Elements Spiritual Qi surrounding him, a trace of regret finally arose in his heart. He regretted underestimating this Loose Cultivator, but it was too late now.

Li Qing looked at the now powerless Zhao Haifeng, stopped his Move, and slowly withdrew the Spiritual Qi around him. He stared at him with cold eyes, his tone indifferent yet filled with absolute authority:

"I said it before: judging people by their Spiritual Root and indulging Disciples to humiliate others at will shows that the Luoshui Sect is blind."

"I am sparing your life today only to give the Luoshui Sect some face. If you dare to indulge Disciples in bullying others again, next time, I won't be so merciful."

"Yao'er, let's go!"

Zhao Haifeng slumped on the ground, gasping for air. He looked at Li Qing, unable to say a word. His eyes were filled with nothing but terror; he finally understood that he was no match for this Loose Cultivator at all—even at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he was far inferior to him.

The crowd below the platform automatically cleared a path. Their gazes toward Li Qing were filled with awe, devoid of any contempt. The three Luoshui Sect Disciples huddled to the side, not daring to even lift their heads for fear of being noticed by Li Qing.

During Li Qing's battle with Zhao Haifeng, the Luoshui Sect Law Enforcement Hall Disciples who had rushed over looked at each other in dismay.

They were all Qi Refining Perfection Disciples; since even Steward Zhao, a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, was no match, how could they dare to step forward?

They could only silently call for reinforcements!

Just then, another Cultivator flew in from the distance!

Before the person even arrived, the pressure unique to a Foundation Establishment Master already shrouded the entire Spirit Testing Platform!

Just as Li Qing took Zhou Yao's hand and was about to step off the Spirit Testing Platform, a rapid sound of wind breaking suddenly came from the distant horizon. A streak of cyan sword light streaked over like lightning, several times faster than Zhao Haifeng had been. The Spiritual Qi pressure radiating from it made the air around the entire Spirit Testing Platform congeal.

The onlookers below, who had been whispering to each other, instantly held their breath again. They all looked up, their faces filled with tension and curiosity, wondering what major figure from the Luoshui Sect had arrived.

In just a moment, the figure landed on the Spirit Testing Platform, blocking Li Qing and Zhou Yao directly. Their aura was cold and their gaze sharp—it was clear that this person had come with ill intent.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man around fifty years old with a sinister countenance. He wore a black Law Enforcement Hall robe, embroidered with the pattern of a law enforcement token on his chest, and hung a Deputy Hall Master's waist token from the Law Enforcement Hall at his waist. The Spiritual Qi surrounding him was terrifyingly thick; even though he stood there motionless, he gave people a crushing sense of oppression, like Mount Tai pressing down. It was none other than the Deputy Hall Master of the Luoshui Sect's Law Enforcement Hall, Deputy Hall Master Du Qian.

With a Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was a top-tier expert within the entire Luoshui Sect.

The crowd below instantly erupted in an uproar. A knowledgeable Cultivator recognized Deputy Hall Master Du Qian at a glance and immediately exclaimed in shock, their voice trembling.

"It's Deputy Hall Master Du Qian of the Law Enforcement Hall! My god, why is he here? That's a Late Stage Foundation Establishment big shot who usually never leaves the Sect!"

"Deputy Hall Master Du is from the Du Family of the Luoshui Sect. The Du Family has immense power within the Luoshui Sect; I heard they even have a Core Formation Old Ancestor holding down the fort. That Triangular-eyed Disciple up there is a member of the Du Family—Du Hu, Deputy Hall Master Du Qian's nephew!"

"No wonder that Triangular-eyed Disciple was so arrogant, daring to humiliate people at the recruitment site. So he's the nephew of Deputy Hall Master Du! With such a strong backer, no wonder he dared to act so lawlessly!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the Cultivators present suddenly understood. Their gazes toward the Triangular-eyed Disciple now held a bit more wariness. Before, they had just thought him arrogant and domineering, but now they realized he was acting with complete confidence, backed by the Law Enforcement Hall, the Du Family, and a Core Formation Old Ancestor. On Luoshui Sect territory, of course he dared to act however he pleased.

The Triangular-eyed Disciple, Du Hu, saw his uncle, Deputy Hall Master Du Qian, and was instantly invigorated. The fear and panic from just moments ago were swept away. He immediately scrambled up from the ground, crawled toward Deputy Hall Master Du Qian, pointed at Li Qing, and cried even harder, his tone vicious to the extreme:

"Uncle! You've finally come! Please, you must seek justice for your nephew! It was this Loose Cultivator who ran wild at our Luoshui Sect's recruitment site. Not only did he injure Steward Zhao, but he also insulted our Luoshui Sect and humiliated the Du Family, saying the Du Family just bullies others by relying on numbers. He even said our Luoshui Sect's Core Formation Old Ancestor is nothing special! You must kill him and avenge your nephew and Steward Zhao!"

Du Hu had completely thrown caution to the wind, twisting the truth and splashing all the dirty water onto Li Qing, just to get his uncle to take action and tear Li Qing into pieces. He had almost been unable to breathe under Li Qing's pressure earlier, and had watched with his own eyes as Zhao Haifeng was thrashed by Li Qing. The hatred in his heart had long since boiled over, and now that his uncle had arrived, he was certain that Li Qing would surely die today.

Zhao Haifeng also struggled to stand up, clutching his injured shoulder, and bowed to Deputy Hall Master Du Qian with a face full of grievance:

"Deputy Hall Master Du, this Loose Cultivator is truly arrogant to the extreme. He ignored the Sect's rules, injured me, and even threatened to smash the Spirit Testing Platform. He doesn't hold the Luoshui Sect in any regard at all!"

After listening to his nephew and Zhao Haifeng, Deputy Hall Master Du Qian's expression turned terrifyingly gloomy. His gaze fixed on Li Qing like a venomous snake, and his Late Stage Foundation Establishment pressure erupted without reservation. Like a monstrous wave, it crushed fiercely toward Li Qing, his tone ice-cold and biting, filled with thick killing intent:

"What a lawless Loose Cultivator! With nothing more than the meager cultivation of a Foundation Establishment Early Stage, you dare to injure people on my Luoshui Sect's territory, insult my Du Family, and show contempt for the Sect? Even if you had wings today, you wouldn't be able to fly away!"

"My Du Family has been established in the Luoshui Sect for over a hundred years, and never has anyone dared to be so presumptuous. Today, I will cripple your cultivation, throw you into the Sect dungeon, and ensure you never see the light of day again!"

Instantly, Deputy Hall Master Du Qian's powerful Foundation Establishment pressure formed a terrifying vortex of Spiritual Qi, shrouding the entire Spirit Testing Platform. The Cultivators below were forced to retreat repeatedly by this pressure, their faces deathly pale, not daring to even breathe for fear of being caught in the aftermath.

Everyone felt that Li Qing was doomed this time!

Having defeated a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Steward Zhao earlier was already Heaven-Defying; now, facing a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Deputy Hall Master Du Qian, Li Qing absolutely had no hope of winning.

Zhou Yao was trembling all over, her face as pale as paper. She gripped Li Qing's hand tightly, filled with despair:

"Li Qing, let's run! He is a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator; you can't defeat him. I don't want you to die, please, go!"

Looking at the Deputy Hall Master Du Qian before them, she was terrified to the extreme. No matter how powerful Li Qing was, he was only Foundation Establishment Early Stage. She would rather be bullied herself than have Li Qing lose his life for her sake.