Stone, who was squatting on the ground and getting beaten, heard the words "Immortal Master" and a gleam flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pushed forward with both hands, causing two buckets to roll across the ground, blocking the Chen mother and son. Using both hands and feet, he crawled out of the courtyard and locked the gate from the outside with a bang.
Turning around, he frantically waved at the green light in the sky, shouting with all his might:
"Upper Sect Immortal, Upper Sect Immortal!"
A year ago.
After failing to attend the Immortal Ascension Assembly, he was already disheartened and wanted to leave this Demon Cave called Qili Village. Unexpectedly, he was caught by the Chen mother and son, who broke his leg, completely igniting his desire for revenge.
He was unwilling to let this mother and son go just like that.
So, it seemed he lost courage and didnāt attempt to escape, but in reality, he was waiting for this day. Even if he didnāt detect a Spiritual Root himself, he wanted the Upper Sect to uphold justice. He didnāt believe the Village Chief could truly hold up the sky single-handedly:
"Upper Sect Immortal, Upper Sect Immortal!"
Fu Changsheng on the flying ship heard the shouting from afar.
After maneuvering the flying ship closer,
he saw the young boy covered in blood.
Fu Changsheng instinctively swept his Divine Sense.
The boyās wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Recalling the information provided in the report, he asked:
"Are you the son of Fu Yuntai?"
"Exactly!"
Stone never imagined he would actually bring the Upper Sect Immortal right in front of him. At that moment, he held back his excitement and forced himself to calm down, clearly recounting the grievances he had rehearsed countless times in the night.
At the end,
he bowed to the ground:
"I implore the Upper Sect Immortal to uphold justice for Stone."
Inside the courtyard, the Chen mother and son were already pale with fear, their legs trembling.
The Village Chief had conveyed that the Upper Sect Immortal was supposed to come the day after to take people for Spiritual Root detection. Why did they arrive two days early, right after they had just beaten this short-lived wretch:
"Itās over, itās over"
They knew.
The Village Chief could only be king in Qili Village.
Outside of Qili Village, he was nothing.
Trying to deceive the Upper Sect Immortal would be a foolās dream!
Had they known earlier,
last year, they should have beaten this short-lived wretch to death and thrown him into the Chaotic Burial Mound to feed the wolves.
...
Outside the courtyard.
Fu Changsheng landed the flying ship, waved his sleeve, and a stream of Spiritual Qi lifted Stone from the ground. The child had a determined, yet chilling look in his eyes, with a hint of hostility. If his inner conflict wasnāt resolved, it would inevitably affect his future cultivation path:
"The Chen mother and son have repeatedly assaulted you, which is a capital offense. Today, Iāll make an exception and let you personally deal with them. Whether to spare or kill them, follow your heart."
Stone stared blankly at Fu Changsheng, his nostrils flaring. A wave of unprecedented emotions surged in his heart, and he bowed heavily to the ground once more:
"Thank you, Upper Sect Immortal."
After speaking,
he opened the courtyard gate and went in.
Madam Chen kept retreating, trying to appeal to his emotions:
"Stone, I married into this family when you werenāt even a year old. Even though Iām not your birth mother, weāve shared a mother-son bond. In our Great Zhou, benevolence and filial piety have always been esteemed. Moreover, if you detect a Spiritual Root, then you definitely canāt kill recklessly. Iāve heard immortals despise karma. No matter what, Iām still your mother, right? Kangāer is also your biological brother, sharing flesh and blood, donāt you think!"
As she spoke,
Madam Chen tugged at Fu Kangās sleeve, signaling him to show some submission to calm Stoneās anger.
But Fu Kang understood Stoneās nature; survival was not possible today. It was better to strike first. He immediately grabbed the broken end of a wooden rod from the ground:
"Short-lived wretch, even if I die, Iāll take you with me!"
He shouted, thrusting the rod accurately and swiftly towards Stoneās throat.
This scene,
happened too suddenly.
Even Madam Chen hadnāt expected her son to be so ruthless:
"Itās over!"
To resort to violence in front of an immortal, isnāt that foolish?!
Now Stone is even less likely to spare them.
The fear of death caused a pool of yellow-white substances to spill between her legs.
The sharp rod was about to pierce Stoneās throat, who couldnāt evade it. Yet, a bolt of Spiritual Power suddenly struck Fu Kang, making his once forward-charging body freeze instantly.
Narrowly escaping death, Stoneās eyes were filled with even greater killing intent.
Without a moment of hesitation,
he seized Fu Kangās weapon and, with a decisive reverse stab, thrust it into the opponentās throat with all his might.
Blood splattered all over his head and face, but amidst the bloodshed, his joyful laughter could be faintly heard.
With a thud, Fu Kang fell dead next to the Chen Family member, his eyes unclosed even in death. Fu Kang was the very life of the Chen Family member, and seeing her beloved son, whom she had cherished and protected, die right before her own eyes, her very soul was shattered. Letting out a howl, she found strength from somewhere and crawled up, pouncing at Stone like a Yaksha:
"You wretch, what kind of creature are you to dare harm my son? Die for me, die, die!!"
Stone had clearly been beaten often, but this time he deftly sidestepped.
The Chen Family member missed her target and fell flat on her face, shattering a tooth, but she couldnāt care less. She turned around and with claws bared, lunged at Stone again:
"Wretch, thirteen years ago, I shouldnāt have softened my heart; I should have let you and your damned mother join King Yama!"
"My mother didnāt die of illness; you killed her?!"
"So what if I did, you wretch!"
The Chen Family member missed her target a second time and fell to the ground.
Stone didnāt speak but limped into the kitchen. He emerged carrying a kitchen knife in his hand.
The Chen Family member showed no fear, straightening her neck, appearing mad: "Come on, come on, if you have the guts, kill me too. I want to see how far you can go carrying the sins of matricide and fratricide!"
"Death would be too easy for you!"
Blood still fresh on his face, Stone held the kitchen knife in a manner far more vicious than his young age should allow. With a flick of his wrist, the knife flew towards the Chen Family memberās right leg, and Stone himself jumped onto her.
Next.
The courtyard continued to echo with the Chen Family memberās heart-wrenching screams.
A full cup of tea time passed.
Only then did Stone, stained head-to-toe in blood, drop the kitchen knife. The Chen Family member, lying on the ground, had her limbs tendons severed, and her tongue cut out.
Coldly, he turned his head towards his father, who had been cowering in the corner from the beginning.
Stoneās father shook his hands in terror:
"Stone, I truly didnāt know your mother was poisoned by the Chen Family member. Over the years, I havenāt even touched a finger on you, nor have I uttered a word of blame at you. You... you canāt just refuse to spare your own father. Your mother, before she passed, said..."
"You are unworthy to mention my mother!"
"Alright, alright, I wonāt say, I wonāt say anything!"
Stoneās father trembled like chaff, never expecting his usually silent son to kill without even batting an eye.
What sins did he commit in a past life to produce such a demon, who ruined a perfectly good family!
...
At this moment.
The Village Chief, who heard the commotion, also hurried over.
Seeing it was the Patriarch of Fu Changshengās lineage personally arriving, his legs went weak:
"Itās over."
According to clan rules, clan members who havenāt undergone Spiritual Root testing are to be especially protected. Their diet and daily life are not to suffer any neglect. This family rule was emphasized repeatedly by the first Patriarch, but with no Immortal Ascension Assembly held for seven consecutive years, the Village Chief had turned a blind eye towards the actions of his cousin from the Chen Family.
Little did he expect the day of reckoning to come.
Fu Changsheng, before coming to Qili Village, had already informed the town mayor that he would personally handle this child abuse case, and the Village Chief would naturally face his due punishment.
With a wave of his sleeve.
A thread of Spiritual Power enveloped Stone, carrying him onto the Flying Ship. Due to extreme emotional agitation from great sadness and joy, coupled with the recent severe beating, Stone fainted on the ship after thanking Fu Changsheng.
Fu Changsheng examined Stoneās body.
His brows furrowed.
This child had severe developmental issues and could only be well cared for back in the clan.
He steered the Flying Ship towards the abandoned temple at the back mountain of Seven Miles Mountain.
At this moment.
A familiar mechanical voice sounded from his Sea of Divine Sense:
"Ding"
"You have saved a young boy with Spirit Seeker talent for the clan, earning thirty-six Clan Contribution Points."
In the next instant.
The clan contribution points on the panel soared from zero to thirty-six.
This was indeed an unexpected joy.
Reaching the back mountain.
From a distance, the abandoned temple that had stood for years came into view, within which lay a decapitated Divine Statue. It appeared to be forged from ordinary Qiu Yang wood and was mottled and aged, yet after so many years, strangely, it hadnāt decayed nor had it been infested by insects.
According to reports.
Eight years ago, it was here that Stone consumed something that caused a mutation.
Therefore.
Before coming here, he had specially gone to the county government office in town to review records of Qili Village; this ancient temple had already existed when the Fu ancestors migrated here:
"I wonder if there might be unexpected gains."
Fu Changsheng stepped into the ancient temple.