"Phat..." A loud slap sound followed as Eric made an abrupt move.
The lakeside was suddenly engulfed in a stunned silence as Eric's hand connected with the face of Yao Ling's main servant.
The sharp sound of the slap echoed, and the servant girl collapsed to the ground, her lips bleeding. Everyone, including Ria and Lily, stared at Eric in shock. His action, slapping a prominent member of the Autumn Wind Sect, was unprecedented and bold.
Yao Ling, who had been meditating by the riverbank, was jolted out of her concentration by the commotion. Her eyes snapped open, immediately taking in the scene.
"You..." A disciple from the Autumn Wind Sect, a core formation 9th-stage practitioner, lunged at Eric with a furious punch. But with Eric took a small step back and dodged the attack, which inadvertently struck another servant from the sect.