43: This is his favorite punishment!

The news spread like a whirlwind.

The newly appointed Palace Master's Personal Disciple!

Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer at twenty years old!

Comprehended Destruction Sword Intent!

Suppressed Xiao Ce with a single punch!

Any one of these titles would be enough to draw attention, let alone all of them combined in one person!

Wang Ming instantly became the most sought-after figure in Qingxin Palace.

From afternoon to evening, the threshold of Listening Bamboo Pavilion was nearly worn down.

Envoys sent by the Elders of various peaks, prominent Inner Sect Disciples, and even some influential Deacons from the Outer Sect... they came in an endless stream.

Ostensibly, they came to congratulate Wang Ming on his promotion to Personal Disciple.

In reality, they all brought gifts of varying significance.

Rare medicinal herbs, Medicinal Pills with special effects, and even some decent Spiritual Artifacts and Precious Armor... a dazzling array of items.

Although they were giving gifts, everyone was beaming with smiles.

Fearing that their gifts might not be accepted.

Anyone could see that as long as Wang Ming didn't perish prematurely, he would at least become an Elder-level figure in Qingxin Palace in the future, and might even go much further.

They had to curry favor with him while he was still on the rise!

As for Wang Ming, he refused no one and accepted everything.

"You're too kind."

"I accept your kind intentions, and as for the gifts... it would be impolite to refuse."

Wang Ming laughed it off.

After seeing off the last wave of visitors, he closed the courtyard gate.

Looking at the various gift boxes filling half of the side hall, the smile on his face never faded.

He did a quick inventory.

Their values varied, but together, they amounted to a considerable windfall.

People in this world usually tried to avoid entangling themselves in Karma as much as possible.

But Wang Ming didn't think that way.

Only when there is both a cause and an effect does it truly become Karma!

These gifts were given voluntarily; he hadn't asked for them.

There's only the cause, no effect!

As for them wanting him to do things for them in the future, that would be a different thread of Karma, and a different price!

He categorized the inventoried items and stuffed them into the System space.

By the time he finished, it was already completely dark.

Wang Ming walked to the window and pushed it open.

The night breeze was slightly cool, carrying the fresh scent of bamboo leaves.

He gazed at the heavy night sky outside, but his eyes gradually grew cold.

"It's dark..." he whispered to himself, "Time to kill."

With a slight thought.

Concealing his aura, his figure flickered and vanished into the night... Inside a Quiet Room in Yaoguang Hall.

"Kneel properly!"

At this moment, Xiao Ce was kneeling upright in front of Zhang Wanyi.

Zhang Wanyi had a look of disgust on her face. "You don't know how to kneel? Then crawl for me!"

Xiao Ce didn't dare say a word and hurriedly sprawled on the ground obediently.

However, there was no sign of fear in his eyes.

Instead, they carried an indescribable excitement.

"Even after using a blood-burning pill, you still couldn't beat someone at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer. What a waste!"

Zhang Wanyi stomped down with her foot.

"Ceer is incompetent, please punish me, Auntie!"

Xiao Ce couldn't help but let out a strange cry.

The disgust on Zhang Wanyi's face deepened. "Just like your useless father."

Saying so, she raised her foot and stomped down hard several more times.

Xiao Ce seemed to be in great pain, his face flushing red.

At this time, outside the Quiet Room, a dark shadow suddenly flinched.

This shadow was none other than Wang Ming.

He had first gone to Xiao Ce's residence but didn't find him there.

So he turned to Yaoguang Hall.

Sure enough, he saw Xiao Ce here.

Wang Ming's stomach churned. "At her age, she's actually using her mouth? Isn't she afraid of dead skin?!"

Alright buddy, I admit it, you're the real warrior!

He originally wanted to leave and wait outside for Xiao Ce to come out.

It was indeed quite sickening.

But on second thought, he stopped.

He took out a Recording Stone and secretly recorded everything happening in the Quiet Room.

"Sharing joy is better than enjoying it alone!"

Wang Ming chuckled wickedly, deciding to give everyone in Qingxin Palace a little shock!

Zhang Wanyi and Xiao Ce's punishment lasted until late at night.

Only then did Xiao Ce leave Yaoguang Hall, still wanting more.

He failed to notice that a figure had already followed him silently.

Between Xiao Ce's private courtyard and Yaoguang Hall, there was a secluded path.

Beside the path was a cliff.

When Xiao Ce stepped onto this path, a flash of killing intent appeared in Wang Ming's eyes, and he suddenly shot out a silver needle!

"Who's there!"

Xiao Ce truly lived up to someone who had fought through life-and-death battles; the moment the silver needle was about to hit him, he instinctively dodged to the side, avoiding the fatal blow.

He wasn't stupid either; since the opponent could approach him silently, their strength was definitely beyond his match.

After dodging the fatal strike, he didn't hesitate for a moment, turned around, and ran.

Wang Ming looked at the needle in his hand and thought it was a pity.

"I originally planned to frame Ye Chen, but whatever, I don't really understand how to play with needles. I'll stick to the sword."

With that, Wang Ming put away the silver needle, and a qinggang sword appeared in his hand.

"Shattering Moon!"

A flash of sword light passed by!

Xiao Ce's fleeing figure suddenly froze.

He stared blankly down at the sword tip emerging from his heart, his face filled with absurdity.

"Am I dying just like this?"

This was his final thought.

Wang Ming withdrew the sword, and Xiao Ce's corpse collapsed.

Looking at the corpse, Wang Ming shook his head slightly.

He hadn't used his full strength in the first move.

Precisely because he was afraid of leaving the aura of Destruction Sword Intent on Xiao Ce's body.

But now, it was left behind anyway.

He had no choice but to dispose of the body.

"Good thing I have the Recording Stone, otherwise, I'd probably be the first suspect in Xiao Ce's death."

A gleam flashed in Wang Ming's eyes as he swung his sword, hacking Xiao Ce's corpse into several pieces.

He took special care of the heart and brain.

Mangling them into a bloody mess.

After ensuring Xiao Ce was thoroughly dead, he kicked the remains off the cliff.

Then, he cleaned up all the bloodstains on the ground and vanished into the night in a flash.

"Xiao Ce is dead. Zhang Wanyi, don't worry, I'll let you live for a few more days."

...The next day.

Everything in the Sect proceeded as usual.

Disciples who wanted more cultivation resources had to go down the mountain to perform missions.

Therefore, Xiao Ce's disappearance didn't attract much attention.

Except for Zhang Wanyi.

At this moment, she was inside the Quiet Room of Yaoguang Hall, her brows furrowed.

"I made an appointment with Ceer to continue yesterday's unfinished punishment today, yet he still hasn't arrived. He's not in the Sect either. Did he go down the mountain, or..."

Zhang Wanyi had a bad premonition.

In other matters, Xiao Ce might indeed break an appointment.

But this was his favorite punishment!

"Something definitely happened!"

Zhang Wanyi stood up abruptly.

Xiao Ce carried a Jade Pendant with her aura; through this pendant, she could sense his approximate location.

She walked out of Yaoguang Hall and followed the aura all the way to the edge of the cliff.

"The aura suddenly vanished here?"

As if possessed, Zhang Wanyi looked down the cliff. "Could it be..."

...