Chapter 62: Red Jade's Breakthrough, Extermination of the Sect

Divine Arrow Peak.

When Zhou Chen returned home, he remained completely unaware of his master Li Changfeng's romantic escapades.

Upon returning, he immediately began guiding Qin Hongyu in her cultivation.

With his silent and unwavering support behind the scenes, Qin Hongyu's cultivation progressed rapidly, and she was now on the verge of completing her skin-tempering phase.

"Hongyu, let's push a little harder and strive to get you to the Second Layer of Body Tempering within the next two days!"

Though Zhou Chen had just left Fairy Tianxiang, leaving his pockets rather light and empty, he remained entirely unsparing.

His wealth-generating ability was extraordinary; money was never an issue.

It flowed in endlessly.

"The Second Layer of Body Tempering..."

A brilliant gleam flashed in Qin Hongyu's eyes. This was something she would not have dared to imagine in the past, yet now she was on the verge of stepping into this realm to become a truly extraordinary martial artist.

To possess the strength to lift a thousand catties, skin as tough as oxhide, impervious to swords and sabers—she would no longer be an ordinary mortal.

At this thought, Qin Hongyu instantly felt her entire body surge with boundless strength.

At this moment.

She only wanted to cry out at the top of her lungs: Let the storm rage even more fiercely!

Rumble!

Thunder exploded, gale-force winds whipped up, and a torrential downpour lashed down from the skies.

Such a night was destined to be turbulent.

Qingyun City.

The Zhao Family.

The Law Enforcement Team of the Qingyun Sect stormed in.

Originally, Xiang Kui had intended to investigate further, but the Law Enforcement Elder had delivered the final verdict.

Assassinating a Qingyun Legacy Disciple, regardless of the motive, warranted the eradication of the entire clan.

"Zhao Yao attempted to assassinate a sect legacy disciple, and according to the law, he deserves death!"

"Ah, you unfilial wretch!"

"We are wronged!"

The Zhao family could be considered a moderately sized clan in Qingyun City, boasting three powerful experts at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering.

Yet, in the presence of the Qingyun Sect, they were instantly crushed to dust, annihilated without a trace.

From that night on, the Zhao Family was erased from Qingyun City.

That night.

Countless families in Qingyun City trembled with anxiety. Those pampered young scions who had visited the Heavenly Immortal Tower met with miserable misfortune; subjected to harsh punishments, they were placed directly under strict confinement to prevent them from stepping out to stir up trouble and bringing disaster upon their families.

That night.

The Heavenly Immortal Tower grew uncharacteristically desolate, with patrons numbering less than half of the usual crowd.

Even those who were poorly informed sensed the oppressive atmosphere and hastily departed, not daring to linger for long.

The night quietly slipped away.

Following the fierce storm came a boundless expanse of clear skies and brilliant sunshine.

Watching Qin Hongyu, who was still fast asleep, Zhou Chen slipped out of bed feeling refreshed and invigorated. He raised his arms and stretched lazily.

"Another bright and sunny day."

In high spirits, Zhou Chen couldn't resist drawing his General-Slaying Saber to practice his saber techniques in the courtyard, loosening his muscles and bones.

"How impressive!"

Qin Hongyu slowly woke up, rubbing her sore and tender abdomen. Gazing through the window at Zhou Chen practicing with his saber, the tenderness and affection in her eyes seemed fit to overflow.

She dressed, got out of bed, and followed along to practice her swordplay.

As she completed a full set of forms, Qin Hongyu felt a sudden tremor throughout her body. Her skin tingled with a pleasant warmth, and her entire being felt as though a butterfly were breaking out of its cocoon, undergoing a profound metamorphosis and sublimation.

She had broken through!

Having completed her skin-tempering, she had advanced to the Second Layer of Body Tempering.

"I've broken through!"

Trembling with excitement, Qin Hongyu cried out in triumph.

"Congratulations!"

A smile graced Zhou Chen's face as he felt genuinely happy for her.

"Brother Chen, thank you!"

Qin Hongyu suddenly stepped forward, wrapping her fair, lotus-root-like arms around Zhou Chen's neck, standing on tiptoe, and tilting her head up to kiss him.

She owed all her achievements today entirely to Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen lowered his head to return the kiss, reaching out to lift her supple hips, and strode straight into the bedchamber.

Past noon.

Zhou Chen rose from the bed, and at the thought of Fairy Tianxiang, a deep longing stirred within him.

"Just in time to take a stroll in the city!"

Zhou Chen immediately mounted his beloved Flood Dragon Steed. Riding off in a cloud of dust, he arrived back at the Heavenly Immortal Tower in less than half an hour.

Upon entering, Zhou Chen noticed that the crowd had thinned considerably, likely due to the fallout from the killings he committed the day before. Many of the surrounding onlookers cast gazes filled with awe and reverence toward him.

"Master Zhou, you've arrived!"

Sister Xing hurried over to greet him with a radiant smile.

"Is Master Zhou here to see Tianxiang?"

"Mn!"

Zhou Chen nodded, extracted a silver ingot, and slipped it into Sister Xing's bosom while casually appraising her assets by hand.

Magnificent.

"Master Zhou, please head upstairs."

Sister Xing escorted Zhou Chen upstairs and led him to Fairy Tianxiang's chamber.

"Tianxiang, Master Zhou is here!"

Cuiyu opened the door and welcomed Zhou Chen inside.

Stepping into the room, a faint, lingering fragrance drifted over, brushing against the nose and instantly refreshing the spirit.

Fairy Tianxiang approached amidst a gentle breeze of perfume. Compared to their initial meeting just yesterday, she now possessed an additional three-part allure of a mature woman.

Zhou Chen's heart fluttered all the more; this was all the result of his tender nourishment.

"Tianxiang pays her respects to the young master."

"No need for formalities."

Zhou Chen grasped her soft, delicate white hand, lifted her to her feet, and sat down nearby.

Fairy Tianxiang used her slender fingers to pick up the flagon and pour the wine.

"The young master was truly majestic yesterday. That Zhao Yao actually dared to assassinate you; he was truly courting death."

Fairy Tianxiang smiled brilliantly, her sweet and gentle voice possessing an inexpressible, crystalline clarity that was thoroughly bewitching.

"That's only because the fairy's charm is simply too overwhelming."

Pulling Fairy Tianxiang's soft, slender waist toward him, Zhou Chen parted her legs so she sat upon his lap, and laughed:

"As the saying goes, to die beneath the peony blossom, one remains romantic even as a ghost. His death cannot be considered entirely unjust."

"Indeed."

Fairy Tianxiang offered a delicate, shallow smile and said with a note of regret:

"It is only a pity that while this concubine has long admired the renown of the Divine Yi Archery, I failed to witness the young master's formidable archery skills in person yesterday. It is truly lamentable."

"Why use a butcher's cleaver to slaughter a chicken? Yesterday, I merely employed ordinary archery."

Zhou Chen chuckled and kissed Fairy Tianxiang's smooth, fair forehead:

"Later on, I shall personally teach you advanced archery techniques, move by move!"

"You wouldn't be trying to trick me, would you, young master?"

Fairy Tianxiang cast a sidelong, alluring glance at Zhou Chen, brimming with boundless charm. How could she possibly fail to catch the hidden meaning in his words?

"I'll teach you right now!"

"Ah, the young master is truly... Mmh..."

Zhou Chen devoted himself to teaching, imparting all his knowledge without reservation, and before he knew it, night had fallen.

A bright moon hung high in the sky.

Zhou Chen left a message for Qin Hongyu stating that he would not be returning tonight.

Stepping out to grab a meal, he happened to overhear news that was both unexpected and entirely within reason.

The Zhao Family—belonging to the young man Zhao Yao whom he had shot dead the previous night—had been utterly wiped out.

Zhou Chen possessed no excessive saintly compassion, nor did he feel any sympathy; he merely felt a deep sense of detachment at how fragile human life often proved to be.

Not to mention those ordinary peasants whose lives hung by a thread, even a clan like the Zhao family in Qingyun City could be extinguished in the blink of an eye.

Regardless of whether Zhao Yao had acted in a momentary impulse or premeditated assassination, the moment he dared to raise a hand against Zhou Chen, his fate was already sealed.

Assassinating a legacy disciple was something the Qingyun Sect had always handled with extreme severity.

Furthermore, once Zhou Chen killed Zhao Yao, would his parents, brothers, wives, and children harbor deep resentment and seek revenge against Zhou Chen?

To thoroughly eliminate future troubles.

Naturally, the only course of action was the complete annihilation of the clan.

"As expected, it is good to rest under the shade of a big tree."

Zhou Chen sighed inwardly. If this followed the tropes of the novels from his past life, a scenario like this would have dragged on for dozens or even hundreds of chapters!

He killed Zhao Yao, so Zhao Yao's parents and kin would seek revenge.

Then he would kill them.

Then others would come.

Then he would kill again.

Killing all the way, leveling up all the way.

Only after finally eradicating the Zhao family would a minor climax conclude.

Yet now, backed by the Qingyun Sect, he didn't even need to lift a finger; overnight, the Zhao family to which Zhao Yao belonged was completely eradicated.

"I'm in high spirits today. I think I'll take on ten!"

A full belly breeds romantic thoughts.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Zhou Chen summoned ten top courtesans of the Heavenly Immortal Tower.

And cultivated immortality and ascended to transcendence with them.

The next day.

The sun was high in the sky.

Zhou Chen took his leave, fully satisfied.

Returning to Divine Arrow Peak, Zhou Chen bumped into Li Changfeng and Li Changhen. The latter wore a characteristically aloof expression, giving a slight nod in acknowledgment as Zhou Chen approached.

Li Changfeng patted Zhou Chen on the shoulder, laughing heartily in praise:

"You rascal did well! You didn't bring shame upon your old master!"

"Back in my day, anyone who dared to compete with me for the courtesan, I'd simply draw my bow and shoot his mother!"

Zhou Chen rubbed his nose, a strange expression crossing his face:

"Master, shooting someone's mother with an arrow... is that even proper?"