Qin Lu shot out of Lu Xian’s courtyard like a rocket, soaring directly toward the Tao estate.

His face was a mask of cold fury, his hand gripping the hilt of the Seven Star Sword until his knuckles turned white. Since arriving in this world, he had adhered to a simple principle: every debt has its debtor. When Tao Xi murdered Chu Xiaoyi, Qin Lu balanced the scales by taking his life. He had considered the matter closed.

But the Tao family refused to let it rest.

Leveraging Kong Mengli’s formidable reputation, they had launched a campaign of harassment against Qin Lu’s innocent friends, targeting their livelihoods and dignity. This crossed a line Qin Lu would not tolerate.

If you have a problem, come at me directly. Bullying my friends behind my back? That is lower than dirt.

Lu Xian and the others were simple refugees trying to scrape out a living in a foreign city. Against a local power like the Tao family, they had no recourse but to flee in disgrace.

Qin Lu refused to let that happen.

So what if Kong Mengli was a Mid-Foundation Establishment expert? He had avoided conflict with her out of prudence, not fear. Since mastering his spells to their absolute limits, he had never truly tested the ceiling of his own power. Even he didn’t know how strong he was now.

If they wanted to force his hand, he would give them a war.

Whoosh!

He tore through the sky above the market, the sonic boom drawing the gaze of every cultivator below. Flying directly over the city was a blatant act of disrespect, a provocation that usually invited immediate retribution from the ruling powers.

“Hey! Isn’t that Qin Big Mouth?! Since when can he fly?!”

“Wait, I thought he was Late-Stage Qi Refining! Did he ascend without anyone knowing?”

“Look at his trajectory—he’s heading straight for the Tao Mansion!”

“Quick! Let’s go watch the show!”

Qin Lu’s high-profile flight instantly became a spectacle. His full Heavenly Eye Technique sensed countless gazes locking onto him, including the probing senses of several other Foundation Establishment experts hiding in the city.

He ignored them all.

Arriving above the Tao estate, Qin Lu arrested his momentum, then dove. He became a streak of lethal light, crashing directly into the mansion’s defensive barrier.

BOOM—!

The cheap, low-grade formation shattered instantly under his full-force impact. Qin Lu landed in the main courtyard with a crater-forming thud, dust and debris exploding outward. He stood amidst the ruin, sword in hand, his killing intent so palpable it sent the mortal servants screaming in terror.

“Found you.”

His Heavenly Eye scan locked onto Tao Meng’s aura. Without hesitation, Qin Lu charged.

Unlike his previous stealthy infiltration, this was a frontal assault. He moved in a straight line, smashing through walls, doors, and any guards unfortunate enough to stand in his path. Nothing slowed him down for even a breath.

Crash!

Qin Lu kicked a wall into rubble and stepped into the master study.

Inside, the dark-skinned patriarch, Tao Meng, stood frozen by his desk, his face a portrait of panic.

“It’s you!” Tao Meng pointed a trembling finger, disbelief warring with terror.

Qin Lu stared at him, his eyes devoid of mercy. “Why do you people insist on playing dirty tricks in the shadows?”

“You… you’re Foundation Establishment! How is this possible?!”

Tao Meng tried to run, but an invisible pressure locked him in place. Qin Lu walked up to him slowly, leaning in to whisper a truth only the dead needed to hear.

“This look of fear… it’s carved from the exact same mold as your cowardly son.”

Tao Meng’s pupils dilated. The hatred in his eyes flared—this was the confession he needed. Tao Xi had been murdered by this man!

He opened his mouth to curse, but no sound came out.

Shing!

A sword light flashed. Tao Meng’s head separated from his shoulders as easily as tofu, blood spraying in a crimson arc.

Qin Lu’s expression didn’t change. He stooped, picked up the head still frozen in a rictus of terror, and walked out the door.

“Family Head!”

A squad of Tao guards rushed into the courtyard, freezing at the sight of the intruder holding their master’s severed head.

“Avenge the Family Head!” one loyalist screamed, charging forward.

“I remember you,” Qin Lu said coldly. “You were shouting quite happily at the gate that day.”

He blurred into motion. The Seven Star Sword became a dancing butterfly of death, weaving through the ranks of the Qi Refining guards. They fell in droves, unable to even track his movements, let alone defend against them.

“Run!”

“He’s a monster! Go!”

Seeing the slaughter, the remaining guards broke and fled. But Qin Lu was in no mood for mercy. He chased them down, his sword flashing, until the courtyard was silent, littered with bodies in a scene resembling a hell on earth.

“Pah!”

Qin Lu spat on the blood-soaked ground and launched himself into the sky.

Outside the estate, the crowd of spectators had just arrived, breathless from their run. They skidded to a halt as Qin Lu flew overhead, the severed head of Tao Meng dangling from his hand for all to see.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd. The Tao patriarch was dead.

Qin Lu didn’t stop. He flew to a nearby mansion, descending into the courtyard where a woman in a white dress stood waiting, a faint smile on her lips.

He tossed the head. It rolled across the stones, coming to rest at her feet.

“I killed him,” Qin Lu said calmly. “Kong Mengli will likely be here soon. Do we fight?”

Gu Yue’s smile widened into a brilliant grin. She reached out, and a crimson spear materialized in her hand. Her fighting spirit flared, matching his own.

“Of course!”