As soon as Evan Lin finished speaking.
Zane Zhen's smile froze completely.
A hint of shock flashed in his eyes, tinged with fear.
Zane Zhen lowered his head slightly, glancing at his chest.
There, a surge of inner force suddenly erupted.
Standing in place, Zane Zhen detonated in an instant. He was like a powder keg ignited, his whole body bursting with countless sprays of blood. His skin cracked, and in less than a second, Zane Zhen was completely blown apart.
He exploded into a cloud of blood mist on the spot, leaving only scattered remains everywhere. Only his head stayed intact, dropping to the ground, its expression frozen forever in those final moments of shock and terror.
"What just happened?"
"Where's that Medicine King Valley guy, Zane Zhen? How did he... how did he suddenly explode!"
Over there, the scene was a bloody mess.
No one in the stands understood what had just happened.
It had all occurred the instant that young man onstage uttered the word 'Break!'
"Zane Zhen!"
Seeing this, Elder Mark Mu—who had been seated the entire time—could no longer remain calm. He leapt from his chair and in a flash appeared before Zane Zhen, lowering his head, trying to help him up from the ground.
But all he saw were lumps of ruined flesh and shattered skin—there was nothing left to pick up!
"Zane Zhen!"
Elder Mu's eyes widened, staring dead at the only thing left of Zane Zhen—his severed head, lifeless and still.
He crouched down, reaching out with a trembling hand to gently close Zane Zhen's eyes.
The entire hall fell silent.
An unspeakable aura radiated out from Elder Mu.
Pressure.
The overwhelming pressure made everyone's heart skip a beat.
"That kid even dared to kill someone from Medicine King Valley!"
"He actually did it. What the hell just happened?"
"I guess it was some kind of Vajra-level technique. He must've sent inner force into Zane Zhen's body and detonated it from within!"
Amateurs watch for fun; experts look for the technique.
A man who knew a thing or two about Vajra experts made a guess.
His words drew another round of gasps.
At that moment, Evan Lin stood on the stage, his face cold and indifferent.
Below the stage, Elder Mu stood with his back to everyone, cradling Zane Zhen's head in his hands, his face hidden from view.
"Zane Zhen was a child I found on a barren mountain outside the Valley when he was just three months old."
"For eighteen years, I've poured my heart and soul into him. I watched him grow, saw his first smile, heard his first words, and witnessed his first steps."
Elder Mu's voice sounded low and heavy.
Every word, every syllable he spoke was unusually cold and desolate.
"At ten, he mastered Outer Strength; at fifteen, he broke through its shackles and grasped the essence of Inner Strength; at eighteen, he reached late-stage Inner Strength, just one step from the peak. He drank Medicine King Water and mastered the Verdant Undying Art. His future was destined to make him the pride of Medicine King Valley."
Elder Mu spoke slowly, but anyone could hear from his simple words the honors Zane Zhen had once achieved.
Ten years old, Outer Strength; fifteen, Inner Strength!
Such talent was truly terrifying!
"Given time, reaching the Vajra Realm would not have been difficult."
Elder Mu slowly rose, his back to the crowd. In that instant, his posture seemed even more upright and imposing.
With every movement he made, the pressure around him grew stronger, almost tangible, weighing on everyone's heart.
"Old Madam, what now?"
Ding Shanhe sensed something was wrong and approached the Ding family matriarch, asking in a low voice.
"Both Elder Mu and Zane Zhen are from Medicine King Valley. Now that someone from the Valley has been killed on Ding territory, our family can't escape responsibility. If Elder Mu wants to kill that boy to vent his anger..."
At this, the Ding matriarch fell into thought, then grew more resolute: "Then our Ding family will help Medicine King Valley."
"Since this happened on our turf, if we don't make up for it, Medicine King Valley will at least owe us a favor!"
Having made up her mind, the Ding matriarch glanced down at Carter Cheng, who sat below with a pale face, her eyes flashing with a hint of disdain before she asked, "Carter's uncle, Gavin Cheng, still hasn't arrived?"
"I got word earlier; he's already on his way. He should be here soon," Ding Shanhe nodded.
"If a fourth-grade Vajra joins forces with Elder Mu, that boy onstage will be utterly doomed," the Ding matriarch said coldly. "Luckily, he never gave his name. If his family comes looking for revenge later, we can just push all the blame onto Medicine King Valley."
"Such a young Vajra, with his grasp of externalized inner force, must have incredible talent. Just that move—sending inner force into Zane Zhen's body—was far beyond an ordinary Vajra expert."
"It's a shame," the Ding matriarch shook her head. "He was gutsy enough to provoke Medicine King Valley. Now, nobody can save him."
"Grandma, what if he's stronger than even a fourth-grade Vajra?" Wendy Ding blurted out.
"His talent is impressive, but the gap between a fourth-grade Vajra and a fifth-grade isn't small. Gavin Cheng spent over a decade breaking through that barrier. That boy, at most, is a fifth-grade Vajra at his age." The Ding matriarch shook her head and continued, "Besides, Elder Mu is still here."
Her gaze landed on Elder Mu, full of awe.
"Is Elder Mu's cultivation also in the Vajra Realm?" Wendy Ding's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
In fact, she'd always been curious about the strength of Medicine King Valley's elders. After all, Elder Mu didn't seem like a typical martial artist at all.
"Not quite. He's called Elder Mu because he can control plants. In this world, martial arts aren't the only path."
The Ding matriarch sighed. "There's also the path of mystic arts. If you want to practice divine abilities, talent is everything. Without it, you might never even touch the threshold in your whole life."
"There are several gates on the path of mystic arts. The first is called Mystic Arts Adept. Only after becoming a Mystic Arts Adept can you wield truly wondrous powers."
"Elder Mu became a Mystic Arts Adept decades ago. After all these years, even if he hasn't improved, he's likely at the peak of that realm by now."
As she spoke, the Ding matriarch's face was full of longing.
"Even a beginner Mystic Arts Adept, given enough time, can kill an Inner Strength peak expert!"