Only I am Venerable

At this point, Feng Ziqi was utterly scared witless by Qin Li. Such is human nature. If you can muster your courage, it’s not so difficult to face life and death without fear. But once your spirit is broken, clawing your way back becomes a near-impossible task.

Feng Ziqi was a prime example. No one knew the immense pressure he was under, nor the bitterness, shame, and humiliation that churned in his heart.

But it was this very feeling that gave rise to a reckless thought: ’Things are already this bad. How much more face can I possibly lose?’

"How do you want to settle this?" Feng Ziqi lifted his head. As he gazed at Qin Li’s young, handsome face, his vision blurred. A strange thought flashed through his mind: ’Is this person really only twenty? Not some old monster who’s lived for hundreds, or even thousands, of years?’

"Whichever hand you used to strike my father, cut it off," Qin Li said flatly, his expression as casual as if he were remarking, ’What fine weather we’re having today.’

Feng Ziqi’s head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot. A flush of color finally returned to his deathly pale face, and his lips trembled with rage. "Qin Li, you—you’re going too far! I’ve already admitted defeat! I’ve yielded! How can you be so cruel! You... You’ve gone too far!"

Shen Le, Leng Fangfei, and the other Martial Artists from the Thousand Mechanism Sect watched, dumbfounded. This scene gave them a deeper understanding of Qin Li’s character. ’It seems his family is a line you just don’t cross,’ they thought. ’Anyone who touches them is just asking for disaster!’

"Cruel? For trash like you, I’m already being generous by letting you keep your pathetic life! You call this cruel? Heh... When you were tormenting others, did it never once cross your mind that you... would one day face the same?"

"I... I..." Feng Ziqi gritted his teeth, looking as if he were about to make a final, defiant stand. But instead, he uttered words so shameful they made the other members of the Feng family wish they could just die on the spot.

"Can I... not cut off my hand?"

"No!" Qin Li’s reply was as sharp as steel, leaving no room for negotiation.

All color drained from Feng Ziqi’s face once more. He knew that today, he would not only lose his reputation but also be utterly crippled. If he was lucky, he might keep his life, but the Feng Family... Would they ever accept such a disgraceful, spineless coward back into their ranks?

Just as Feng Ziqi fell into utter despair, his thoughts even turning to suicide, an old man’s voice suddenly drifted in from outside. "Young Master Qin, could you do this old man a small favor and spare this worthless coward? After I return, I will personally speak with the Feng Family’s Patriarch and ensure the Qin Family receives a satisfactory explanation!"

As the voice fell, an old man drifted in from outside.

The many onlookers hiding in the shadows couldn’t help but buzz with excitement, because nearly all of them recognized the newly arrived elder!

Fire Dragon Wang Sheng of the Fire Sword Wang Family—an Earth Venerable from seven hundred years ago and the former Patriarch of the Wang Family!

Even those who had only ever heard of Wang Sheng by name could recognize this legendary figure of Profound Island on sight. The reason was simple: his hair was entirely red!

His full head of long hair cascaded over his shoulders like a burning flame, an impossible scarlet! It was like liquid blood, so vibrant it stung the eyes!

Wang Sheng’s hair had not always been red. The most profound technique that the Direct Descendants of the Fire Sword Wang Family could cultivate was known as the Fire Dragon Combat Skill!

It was somewhat similar to the Only I am Venerable combat skill. And while the Fire Dragon Combat Skill lacked that technique’s fatal flaw, it placed extremely high demands on the Cultivator. In the Wang Family’s history, spanning more than ten thousand years, only twenty-some people had ever managed to cultivate it!

Those who achieved mastery all became towering figures in their own right. Moreover, the higher one’s realm in the Fire Dragon Combat Skill, the deeper the color of their hair would become. It was said that at the final stage, it would turn the color of blood!

"It’s actually Elder Wang Sheng! Haha, what’s he doing out of seclusion? Now things are really getting interesting!"

"That’s right. It looks like Elder Wang’s strength has grown a lot. Look at the color of his hair, eyebrows, and beard—it’s like fresh blood!"

"Mhm, after all these years, Elder Wang’s strength must have reached the Celestial Venerable realm by now, right?"

"I bet he might have even reached Shattering Void!"

"That’s not likely... Shattering Void? How many of those are on the entire Profound Island? The Wang Family only has that one old ancestor, but he fought too fiercely with the Cui family at the Thousand Mechanism Sect last time, and now they’re all in seclusion..."

"Heh, speaking of which, that ancestor from the Thousand Mechanism Sect is the one who’s truly formidable. He actually appeared here just now to back up his descendants. It’s a shame we missed the Thousand Mechanism Sect’s internal strife!"

As the hushed discussions of the hidden onlookers continued, Wang Sheng, whose hair and beard were the color of blood, came to stand before Qin Li.

A vast and ancient aura radiated from the towering Wang Sheng, pressing down on Qin Li.

Wang Sheng shot a cursory glance at the nearby Feng Ziqi, a flicker of disgust in his eyes.

Qin Li’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the tall, bizarre-looking, red-haired elder. ’Here to put me in my place?’ he thought. ’So you people... finally couldn’t resist making a move?’

When Feng Ziqi saw the red-haired elder, he couldn’t help but tremble as that blade-like gaze swept over him. Others might not know who the elder was, but as a legitimate son of the Feng Family, Feng Ziqi knew exactly who he was, and he was even more aware of the relationship between the Feng Family and the Wang Family.

Qin Li glanced at the restless She She beside him and asked flatly, "Are you with the Feng family?"

"I am not." Wang Sheng regarded Qin Li with an arrogant expression, though a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes. He had just tested the young man with his aura, yet it had failed to make him retreat even half a step.

This... was proof enough that the young man’s formidable reputation on Profound Island was not just baseless rumors; he had real substance!

For someone like Wang Sheng, to hold a young man like Qin Li in such high regard was already quite something.

However, he still underestimated Qin Li.

And he underestimated Qin Li’s... audacity.

"You’re not?" Qin Li’s voice suddenly rose, laced with indignation and bewilderment. "Then what are you sticking your nose in for? Do you a favor? Who do I even know you are? If someone beat up your father, and I asked you to do *me* a favor and let the assailant go, would you agree?"

"Boy, for one so young to speak so brazenly, aren’t you afraid of shortening your own life?" Even while in seclusion with the Wang Family, Wang Sheng had heard plenty about this Qin Li. While people grudgingly acknowledged Qin Li’s personal strength, they couldn’t help but attach a few choice descriptors to his name.

For example: arrogant, prideful, tyrannical, and insolent.

Therefore, Wang Sheng had felt he had some understanding of Qin Li’s character. But upon meeting him today, he discovered that those descriptions didn’t even capture one percent of the reality. For this boy to dare speak and act with such an attitude in front of a respected and venerable elder like himself... it was clear just how boundless his arrogance was.

"Heh, old-timer, drop the venerable, otherworldly master act and state your name. Which family are you from? Did you come here just to save a good-for-nothing piece of trash?" Qin Li suddenly seemed to be in no rush to deal with Feng Ziqi or settle accounts. He folded his arms, watching Wang Sheng with keen interest.

Since he had already decided to establish his dominance and make some people hurt, Qin Li no longer bothered to hide his intentions, nor could he be bothered to feign civility with them.

’Was there any point? If you were polite, humble, and obedient, would they stop trying to walk all over you?’

’On the contrary, they would just see you as weak and an easy target, and they would only become more aggressive!’

’And here was the proof. The three great families were already getting impatient. Even Qin Li couldn’t gauge the depths of this old man; he had likely reached the realm of a Celestial Venerable, or perhaps even higher.’

But with a super-powered enforcer right by his side, Qin Li wasn’t the least bit afraid. He was even pondering if he should use this old fossil to establish his dominance!

Wang Sheng’s blood-red hair gave him an imposing aura, even without a trace of anger. His eyes, sharp as daggers, fixed on Qin Li’s. When he saw the other man meet his gaze without fear, Wang Sheng suddenly laughed. He glanced at Shen Le and Leng Fangfei, who were standing by and watching the show, and said coolly, "Shen Le? You little whelp, are you going to pretend you don’t recognize this old man?"

Shen Le rubbed his nose, a look of resignation on his face. He gave Wang Sheng a slight bow and cupped his fist. "Junior Shen Le pays his respects to Elder Wang."

"Hmph. Then you can tell this arrogant little whelp Qin Li who I am!" Wang Sheng seemed quite pleased with Shen Le’s attitude and couldn’t help but say.

Before Shen Le could say a word, the expressions of Leng Fangfei and the seven Supreme Martial Artists from the Thousand Mechanism Sect all darkened.

Wang Sheng’s action was a clear sign of his contempt for Shen Le. No matter what, Shen Le was the Sect Leader of a superpower. According to the customs of Profound Island, Wang Sheng should have been the one to show a degree of respect. But now he was ordering Shen Le around, showing that in his heart, he didn’t regard Shen Le’s position as Sect Leader in the slightest.

Shen Le was no fool. He gave Wang Sheng a cool look and said in a heavy voice, "Elder Wang Sheng, I respect you as a famous figure on Profound Island and treat you with the courtesy of a junior. However, you seem to have forgotten one thing, Elder. I am the... Sect Leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect!"

"Hahahaha!" Wang Sheng threw his head back and roared with laughter. He laughed for a long time amidst the ashen faces of the Thousand Mechanism Sect members before finally letting out a sigh. "Profound Island truly has changed! The new generation has supplanted the old! It seems an old fossil like me should have just stayed quietly in seclusion. It’s just laughable... that anyone at all can become the leader of a sect these days. Ha, hahaha!"

Leng Fangfei flew into a rage. An astonishing aura erupted from her and the seven Supreme Martial Artists of the Thousand Mechanism Sect standing behind her.

The air once again grew thick with... tension.

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