Only I am Venerable

In the end, Hu left alone. After throwing Elder Hong into a cesspool and drowning the formidably powerful master, he refused Qin Li’s repeated entreaties and departed by himself. However, this didn’t mean Hu was disheartened or had lost the will to live now that his revenge was complete.

He was returning to Yellow Sand City. A vast enterprise Qin Li had left for him was there, and he wanted to tell everyone that he, Hu, was still alive! And living well!

He wanted his parents in the afterlife to see that their son was a strong man who would absolutely carry on the family bloodline.

Although Hu’s grief for his departed wife and son was profound, he was an indomitable man. Therefore, he had to... live on, strong!

Qin Li said little about this. He knew that since Hu had chosen not to follow him to Profound Island back then, he was unlikely to stay by his side now. A sense of guilt filled Qin Li’s heart, so he could only entrust Zhao Xinghai, the Cyan Dragon Monarch, with looking after this brother of his in the mortal world.

Zhao Xinghai naturally agreed without hesitation. He wouldn’t care in the slightest even if Qin Li killed all of the Tributors!

Other emperors might have liked these Tributors, viewing them as a group of god-like, otherworldly experts who guaranteed the nation’s security. In Zhao Xinghai’s eyes, however, these Tributors were nothing more than a swarm of vampires! They fed on the nation’s very essence, rendering the royal family’s existence purely symbolic!

Wars between nations were won by invincible, battle-hardened armies! Not by these high and mighty Tributors!

In recent years, the Cyan Dragon Kingdom had already gathered many powerful experts. To Emperor Zhao Xinghai, the kingdom’s own royal Tributors—led by Elder Yi, who had successfully broken through to the Celestial Level—were far more reliable than the even more tyrannical masters from the Mysterious Land.

Besides, with Zhao Qianqian in the picture, Qin Li would surely feel obligated by their fated bond; he could never stand by and watch the Cyan Dragon Kingdom be plunged into disaster. This incident, in particular, had shown Zhao Xinghai the truly terrifying power possessed by this illegitimate son of a Noble Family, a boy who had emerged from the Cyan Dragon Kingdom’s own Yellow Sand City.

To be able to annihilate an entire group of experts from the Mysterious Land, all of whom possessed earth-shattering power, all on his own... For a man like that, who in the entire world could possibly be his match?

Of course, that was just the perspective of a mortal emperor like Zhao Xinghai. But even on the mystical Profound Island, there were truly few who dared to underestimate Qin Li!

But the news that Qin Li was no longer on Profound Island had spread far and wide long ago.

Thus, Profound Island was now a scene of surging undercurrents, a hotbed of activity.

Fengsha City. The Qin Family.

The Golden Eagle, the Spiritual Eagle, and the Ink Eagle were all meditating in their respective chambers. Lately, it felt as though the Qin Family was once again in a precarious position, swaying in a brewing storm. Many families and sects, large and small, were beginning to stir.

The Qin Family’s own strength was, admittedly, not great. If not for the three of them holding down the fort, the family would likely have ceased to exist by now.

It was worth noting that half a month ago, Shen Le, the new Sect Leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect, had arrived in Fengsha City with ten of his sect’s top masters. He had entered the Qin Family estate and declared that the Thousand Mechanism Sect would stand with the Qin Family through thick and thin!

This move caused an uproar. Many people simply couldn’t understand why Shen Le thought so highly of Qin Li. So what if Qin Li was powerful? So what if he reached the Venerable Realm at the age of twenty... he was still just one man!

In their eyes, any high-level family or sect could eliminate Qin Li without much difficulty, provided they were willing to disregard the costs and consequences.

Even Lin Heng, who had previously been on excellent terms with Qin Li, had fallen silent. He distanced himself from the Qin Family and went into secluded cultivation.

So why would Shen Le, the leader of a major power, dare to bet so heavily on a twenty-year-old?

Then, the Wealthy Qian Family dispatched five Supreme Powerhouses to the Qin Family estate, announcing that their family would also stand with the Qin Family through thick and thin!

Shen Le’s wife, Leng Fangfei, representing Ice Edge, declared to the world that Ice Edge would unconditionally support the Qin Family!

The Cui Family had already been destroyed. Sword Concealment Manor, a major power on Profound Island, had suffered considerable losses in the Cui Family affair and had since remained silent, keeping an absurdly low profile. They did not participate in the current plot against the Qin Family.

The attitudes of the Fire Sword Wang Family, the Anger Sword Xiao Family, and the Sword Killing Lin Family were all equally ambiguous. While they didn’t send anyone to participate in the encirclement of the Qin Family, they were certainly doing their fair share of stirring up trouble, secretly backing other factions, and providing resources from behind the scenes.

To major powers like them, which had existed for over ten thousand years, friendship was ephemeral. It would eventually fade like smoke. Only interests were eternal!

In their eyes, the current Qin Family was a fat sheep ripe for the slaughter, left without a pen for protection!

The Qin Family now sat upon the wealth the Cui Family had amassed over millennia, yet they lacked the Cui Family’s profound heritage and shocking power. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Qin Family had three supposedly formidable masters of unknown origin guarding them, or by the strong support from the Wealthy Qian Family and the Thousand Mechanism Sect.

In the eyes of many, the very motives of the Thousand Mechanism Sect and the Qian Family were suspect!

As the saying goes: when someone offers you unsolicited kindness, they’re either a villain or a thief!

Almost no one believed they were doing it for the sake of friendship!

How much is friendship worth in silver? To an ordinary person, friendship may be priceless. To measure it in terms of money and profit is an insult and a desecration of the very concept of friendship.

But to the scions of truly great clans, friendship was a commodity rarer than even the world’s most precious Heavenly and Earthly Treasures!

So, even though Shen Le clung to his theories about friendship, in the eyes of the great powers of Profound Island, he was nothing more than a fledgling, destined never to soar, and thus, not worth worrying about!

The Qian Family, on the other hand, was a rather tricky problem for many. The true depths of the Qian Family’s power had gradually come to light over the course of several incidents in recent years.

In the past, the Qian Family had always kept a low profile. But with Qin Li’s rise over the last two years, the Qian Family had suddenly become active, baring its ferocious fangs and making many Tremble.

The strength of this wealthy family, which had lain low for so many years, was absolutely not to be underestimated!

But the families and sects that were dead set on devouring the Qin Family didn’t care. Even if the Qin Family were a ferocious beast, they were confident they could consume it piece by piece.

Besides, the Qin Family wasn’t yet strong enough to be truly intimidating!

Moreover, the Patriarchs of the Wang, Lin, and Xiao Families had every reason to believe that as soon as the Qin Family’s defenses were breached, the perpetually silent and low-key Sword Concealment Manor would likely rush out to claim a piece of the pie!

Given Sword Concealment Manor’s power, if they were to force their way in for a share of the spoils, the weaker families and sects wouldn’t dare to utter a word of protest.

Still, the thought of that happening left a bad taste in their mouths. So, a few days ago, the Wang, Lin, and Xiao Families simply announced that they had formed an alliance and would act as one!

This was a direct declaration to all the powers of Profound Island: the three families were united in their stance on the Qin Family. It was a message to Sword Concealment Manor—if you want to get involved, do it now. Otherwise, you’ll miss your chance!

Unfortunately, while the three families were making a grand show of their alliance, there wasn’t the slightest stir from Sword Concealment Manor, much to the disappointment of the many watching from the sidelines.

All of Profound Island was now like a pot of boiling water. It was already at a rolling boil, and now someone was stirring it furiously, making the situation even more volatile and unpredictable, and placing everyone under immense pressure.

Shen Le, his wife Leng Fangfei, and the ten top masters of the Thousand Mechanism Sect were staying in a separate villa within the Qin Family estate. Sun Zhong, Li Tai, Huo Feng, and the others were all among them.

They wanted to cause trouble for Shen Le, to turn his mission to support the Qin Family into a complete disaster, even making him the laughingstock of Profound Island. But Shen Le was no fool. He hadn’t brought a large contingent, but had instead handpicked an elite force: ten of the most powerful individuals in the Thousand Mechanism Sect. This included the three Supreme Elders who were most eager to cause a ruckus—he had brought them along as well.

Although they desperately wanted to defy his orders, the three senior Supreme Elders could only pinch their noses and endure it for the sake of one day being able to legitimately claim the Sect Leader’s seat for themselves.

They endured it, yes, but they still had to stir up a bit of trouble. They couldn’t let a little brat like Shen Le get too smug.

The hot-headed Huo Feng was the perfect person to act as the front man for this, as his habit of talking back to the Sect Leader dated all the way back to the generation of Shen Longxing’s own father!

Everyone in the sect knew he was an unpredictable hothead with an explosive temper that could be set off by the smallest spark. On top of that, his seniority was undeniable. While this was a world where strength reigned supreme, that wasn’t always the whole story. At least, within major powers with deep-seated foundations, factors like connections, reputation, and seniority were all crucial in determining a person’s status.

As a result, no one had ever really bothered stooping to his level.

However, Huo Feng, who for hundreds of years had perfected the art of reckless abandon and used it with unfailing success, was destined to be thoroughly rebuffed by Shen Le this time.

Shen Le and Leng Fangfei were still in their honeymoon phase. Moreover, Leng Fangfei had brought back a dual cultivation Secret Manual from her sect!

The two were inseparable all day, their affection for each other as sweet as honey. Outwardly, Leng Fangfei seemed unchanged, but in the privacy of their chambers, she was gentle, understanding, and incredibly amorous. In Shen Le’s own words, she was ’inwardly enchanting’!

Therefore, even after arriving in Fengsha City, the two of them hadn’t stopped their dual cultivation. For one, it deepened the harmony of their relationship. For another, this particular Secret Manual was immensely beneficial for increasing one’s power, at least until one reached the Shattered Void realm!

Shen Le, whose power had long been stalled at the Celestial Integration Realm, had recently felt the faint stirrings of a breakthrough. This filled him with excitement and solidified his resolve to see their dual cultivation through.

Just as Huo Feng ignored a serving girl’s protests and barged into Shen Le’s private courtyard, the couple was just about to undress... And as everyone knows, when interrupted at such a moment, the flames of fury will burn brightly in anyone’s heart, man or woman.

--------------

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!