After hearing Kong Dou Moyuan's words, everyone present was both shocked and amazed.
They had all confirmed something — something they had long suspected.
And that was the reason why Chu Feng, Zhao Hong, and Wang Qiang had been able to do as they pleased in the Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm, performing so many earth-shaking, inconceivable feats.
It was because behind them stood a powerful backer — a mysterious expert who had very nearly destroyed the Kong Heavenly Clan.
As for who this expert was, none of them knew. But what they could be certain of was that this person's strength was extraordinary — quite possibly among the very few in the entire Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm who had no equal.
"Brother Moyuan, since you know full well that the three of them have an expert backing them, you really mustn't oppose them in the future. Otherwise, you might find yourself in terrible trouble," someone advised with good intentions.
"Hmph. When I dealt with that Zhao Hong and Wang Qiang before, their so-called backer couldn't do a thing to me. Presumably, even he has his own concerns," Kong Dou Moyuan said.
"What kind of concerns could that be?" The crowd speculated amongst themselves.
"Those concerns, naturally, are my Kong Heavenly Clan," Kong Dou Moyuan said.
"But didn't that person nearly wipe out your Kong Heavenly Clan? And you're saying he'd still be wary of you?" someone remarked.
"Idiots." Upon hearing this, Kong Dou Moyuan shot to his feet, his face darkening with displeasure as he raised his voice. "Do you people actually believe that person nearly destroyed my Kong Heavenly Clan?"
"Tell me — if it were you, and you had the power to destroy your enemy, would you really stop halfway and let the tiger live, only to be devoured later?"
"Well… no, we wouldn't," the crowd admitted.
"If even you wouldn't make such a foolish mistake, do you think he would?" Kong Dou Moyuan pressed.
"Then what really happened?" the crowd asked.
"The truth is, he didn't stop on his own. He was driven back by my Kong Heavenly Clan," Kong Dou Moyuan declared.
"So that's how it was. No wonder," the crowd nodded, as though the truth had suddenly become clear to them and all had been made right.
But then again, the people present were all old foxes. Despite their outward reactions, deep down they were only half-convinced by Kong Dou Moyuan's account.
After all, even the Kong Heavenly Clan itself had never come forward to explain the matter.
For a power of the Kong Heavenly Clan's stature, the things they chose not to explain were usually matters that cost them face.
Of course, they also couldn't be certain whether Kong Dou Moyuan's words were false, so they could only split the difference — believing half of the rumors and half of what Kong Moyuan had told them.
"Then may I ask, Brother Moyuan — what is the true cultivation level of that Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong?" someone suddenly asked with curiosity.
And when this question was posed, the others all showed eager, curious expressions. After all, the rumors surrounding Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong over the past two years had been numerous beyond measure.
Yet their true strength remained known to very few. All people knew was that the two of them had already become among the greatest geniuses in the entire Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm.
So as to their actual cultivation levels, everyone was extremely curious.
"The two of them? Eighth Grade Martial Ancestors, nothing more," Kong Dou Moyuan said with undisguised disdain.
"Eighth Grade Martial Ancestors?" The crowd's expressions turned somewhat complicated.
Eighth Grade Martial Ancestors — at first glance, that didn't sound like much, especially since many of those present were no slouch in cultivation themselves. A good number of them had already reached the peak of the Martial Ancestor realm.
For those who possessed Heavenly Bloodlines in particular, once their cultivation reached the peak of the Martial Ancestor realm, the addition of that Heavenly Bloodline's power made them truly fearsome.
So at the very least, for these people present, the level of Eighth Grade Martial Ancestor was not something that would leave them stunned.
But upon further reflection, Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong were still the younger generation — incredibly young, in fact.
To have cultivated for merely a dozen or twenty years and already reached the Eighth Grade Martial Ancestor realm — now that was something far from ordinary.
After all, when those people had been the younger generation themselves, many of them had been pathetically weak. Forget the Eighth Grade Martial Ancestor realm — even reaching the Martial Ancestor realm at all had been a distant, unattainable dream.
Comparing it in this way, one could truly appreciate just how terrifying Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong's talent for martial cultivation and their speed of progress really were.
"Brother Moyuan, the cultivation of Wang Qiang and Zhao Hong may not be cause for concern at the moment. But for them to have achieved such a level at their young age is quite frightening in its own right."
"Besides, they are both disciples of Master Kai Hong. Their barrier techniques are far from ordinary. In the future… you would do well to be more careful," someone advised Kong Dou Moyuan.
"Be careful of them?"
"Ha ha…"
"Ha ha ha…"
"Ah ha ha ha!!!"