Silence.
A deathly silence.
Everyone present stared at Gu Qingfeng sitting in his chair, then at Li Zhengshi kneeling on the ground. Perhaps this scene was too bizarre, so bizarre that no one's thoughts could keep up, their consciousness failing to react. They all stood there dumbfounded, as if struck stupid.
They simply couldn't understand. This nouveau riche had only uttered a few casual words, and then Li Zhengshi had suddenly been sent flying and forced to kneel.
And it didn't seem to be just kneeling. Li Zhengshi showed no reaction at all. When the crowd extended their divine sense to investigate, their expressions changed drastically in fright, for they discovered Li Zhengshi had lost consciousness and fainted.
No!
It wasn't just fainting.
Because they saw blood beginning to seep from Li Zhengshi's mouth, ears, eyes—all seven orifices of his body.
Not only did their expressions change, their scalps began to tingle, their legs growing so weak they could barely stand.
Soon, faint wisps of immortal mist began to rise from Li Zhengshi's entire body.
Why was immortal mist appearing?
Could it be...?
With hearts filled with unease and terror, they sent their divine sense probing into Li Zhengshi's body. This investigation caused not just the others, but even Qianling and Xuan Yun to stagger, nearly falling.
For they discovered Li Zhengshi's immortal spirit had dispersed. That mist was none other than his scattered immortal spirit!
Heavens above!
How could this be?
That nouveau riche had only said a few words, and not only had Li Zhengshi been forced to kneel and lost consciousness, bleeding from all seven orifices, but now even the immortal spirit within his body had inexplicably dispersed.
They didn't know.
No one understood.
Such a thing was not only unheard of, it was utterly unprecedented, more bizarre than a dream!
If Gu Qingfeng blowing away a fierce immortal martial technique like the Vajra Earth Fiend Tiger with a puff of Spiritual Tobacco smoke had shocked and horrified everyone before...
Then now, his few casual words causing Li Zhengshi himself to bleed from all seven orifices and his immortal spirit to scatter had moved beyond shock and horror into sheer terror, making their hair stand on end!
Within the area, the four Taibai Golden Immortals all wore ashen faces, scared out of their wits.
The over thousand followers loyal to the Jinwu Li Clan retreated as if they had seen a ghost, terrified.
Even Xuan Yun's expression shifted repeatedly, alternating between pale and livid, his eyes fixed on Gu Qingfeng in horror.
"Well then? Still think I'm just blowing hot air, playing with you?
I told you, back in the day I swallowed a mouthful of Primordial Chaos Qi. I can blow away the mysteries of heaven and earth above, and the primordial chaos of the universe below. Killing little ants like you is child's play. Go back and tell the Jinwu Li Clan to behave themselves. Consider today a lesson. If they dare strut around again, I'll blow their ancestral graves to dust. Now get lost."
The over thousand members of the Jinwu Li Clan looked at each other, then scattered, none daring to stay.
They were truly afraid.
Indeed.
Facing such a mysterious and bizarre individual—one puff of Spiritual Tobacco smoke could disperse an immortal martial technique, a few casual words could make a Great Perfection Taibai Golden Immortal bleed from all seven orifices and scatter his immortal spirit—who wouldn't be afraid?
Everyone was afraid!
Moreover, these thousand-plus people were just hangers-on following the Jinwu Li Clan for scraps. Cheering from the sidelines or joining a brawl was one thing; there was no need to sacrifice their lives for the Li Clan.
As for the other four Taibai Golden Immortals, though equally terrified, they did not leave. Not only did they not leave, they even sent out a message talisman, as if notifying other members of the Jinwu Li Clan.
"Well, well. There really are some who aren't afraid to die."
Gu Qingfeng looked at the four Taibai Golden Immortals. "Seems like if I don't kill a few people today, I won't be able to intimidate you, huh?
You think I can't scare you to death with just a shout?"
Opposite him, the four Taibai Golden Immortals stared at Gu Qingfeng, manifesting their Taibai Ninefold Aura, holding flying swords, continuously retreating.
"Heh."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled, watching the four retreating Taibai Golden Immortals, then suddenly let out a mighty shout.
This shout was like a thunderclap, too fast for the ear to follow. The others felt nothing—at least Qianling didn't—but when she looked over again, the four retreating Taibai Golden Immortals stood frozen like statues, eyes wide, mouths agape, expressions of utter terror. Then, all four stiffly collapsed to the ground.
What happened to them?
Trembling, Qianling extended her divine sense to investigate, and to her horror discovered all four Taibai Golden Immortals had lost all signs of life.
Dead?
Yes.
Dead.
But!
How did they die?
Their bodies bore no wounds, their immortal spirits hadn't scattered, their internal organs were intact... so how had they died so inexplicably?
Suddenly, Qianling realized everything about the four Taibai Golden Immortals was perfectly preserved except for one thing: their minds had shattered.
Instantly, she remembered Gu Qingfeng's words: he said a single shout could scare these people to death.
Could it be...
Had these four Taibai Golden Immortals truly been scared to death on the spot by Gu Qingfeng's shout?
Heavens!
Qianling's heart could bear no more. She slumped onto the grand chariot.
When the crowd realized the four Taibai Golden Immortals had been scared to death by Gu Qingfeng, not only did the over thousand Jinwu Li Clan members flee madly, but even the onlookers gathered on the floating island dared not stay, fleeing the area without regard for anything else.
The floating island, originally packed with a dense crowd, was completely emptied within a few breaths, leaving only the grand chariot pulled by nine Firecloud Crimson Flame Tigers.
On the chariot, Horse King, Qianniao, and the dozen or so people from the Xiaoluo Secret Realm were already petrified with fear, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, not even daring to breathe.
They were like this.
And Qianling, too, sat slumped on the chariot, her beautiful face devoid of all color, staring at Gu Qingfeng as if he were a monster.
She knew Gu Qingfeng was no ordinary person.
She had always known.
She also knew Gu Qingfeng's lack of fear towards the Jinwu Li Clan was no act.
But.
She didn't know what abilities Gu Qingfeng possessed, nor did she understand what he meant by "deterrence" or how he planned to achieve it.
Even if she racked her brains, she never imagined Gu Qingfeng could blow away a fierce immortal martial technique like the Vajra Earth Fiend Tiger with a puff of Spiritual Tobacco smoke. She never imagined a few casual words from him could make a Great Perfection Taibai Golden Immortal like Li Zhengshi bleed from all seven orifices and scatter his immortal spirit. And what she least expected was Gu Qingfeng scaring four Taibai Golden Immortals to death with a single shout.
Just what kind of person was he?!
Qianling's mind went completely blank.
Perhaps tired of sitting, Gu Qingfeng stood up and stretched lazily. Glancing at Qianling slumped on the chariot, he shook his head but said nothing.
Then he looked at Xuan Yun, who stood not far away, already scared out of his wits, and smiled. "Young Master Xuan Yun, so how was the show? Not disappointing, I hope?"
Xuan Yun stared at Gu Qingfeng, eyes filled with terror, not even daring to take a deep breath, let alone utter a single word.
"Little Qianling, I'll be off now. Next time we meet, drinks are on me."
Gu Qingfeng raised the Firecloud Whip and cracked it in the air. The nine Firecloud Crimson Flame Tigers roared, leaping into the sky and galloping away.