Only I am Venerable

Chapter 274: Chapter 272: Cliffside Pursuit

Shangguan Shiyu blinked her pair of incredibly beautiful, lively eyes as she stared at Qin Li. After a long moment, she slumped into her seat and mumbled, "Fine, don’t take me. What’s the big deal?"

Qin Li chuckled and sat beside Shangguan Shiyu. He took her delicate hand, lacing his fingers through her slender ones, and said, "What’s this? Are you really angry?"

"Of course not!" Shangguan Shiyu turned her head away, then suddenly said in a low voice, "My love, do you think we can really get out of here in one piece?"

Qin Li paused for a moment, then pulled Shangguan Shiyu’s soft body into his arms. He rested his chin on her delicate collarbone, nuzzling it gently. Her skin was flawless and smooth as jade.

Shangguan Shiyu’s face flushed crimson. She leaned into Qin Li’s embrace and said softly, "I’m so scared..."

"Don’t be afraid. It’s not like they’re going to eat you," Qin Li said calmly, a powerful confidence swelling in his chest. "As long as I’m here, everything will be alright."

"I believe you," Shangguan Shiyu murmured as if in a dream, her voice tender and soft. Only in front of Qin Li did she ever reveal this side of herself.

The Supreme Competition was still ten days away, so the young people from the various families and sects took the opportunity to visit one another. This competition, held only once every seventy years, was the perfect occasion for them to network and socialize.

The arrival of Lin Heng and Shen Le interrupted the sweet, romantic moment between Shangguan Shiyu and Qin Li.

"Hehe, Qin, you’re a lucky man, landing a beauty like her. I’m seriously jealous!" Shen Le teased as he walked in.

Lin Heng spoke up from behind him. "Want me to relay that to your fiancée? I believe... she’s here for this event as well, isn’t she?"

"No, don’t you dare! Lin, you’re the boss! I was wrong, okay?" Shen Le turned, shooting Lin Heng a look of pure misery.

Shangguan Shiyu stifled a laugh, then stood up and said gently, "You all can chat. I’ll go get some tea and snacks."

"Please, don’t trouble yourself on our account. We just came to chat with Qin," Lin Heng said graciously. The two of them then sat on the soft couch and turned their gazes to Qin Li.

Being stared at by the two of them made Qin Li’s skin crawl. He gave a wry smile. "Why are you both staring at me like that?"

Shen Le sighed, a gloomy expression on his face. "We’re trying to figure out just how old you are. We need to know if you’re like that detestable guy Cui Leng—secretly an old man!"

"Cui Leng is an old man? How old is he?" Qin Li genuinely didn’t know and couldn’t help asking.

"Take a guess." Shen Le’s eyelids drooped. Before Qin Li could answer, he scoffed, "That old fossil is over seventy! You think everyone’s a freak of nature like you?"

Lin Heng chuckled from the side. "Qin, don’t mind Shen. The guy’s just jealous that you’re so young and already so skilled, and also..."

"Don’t you say it!" Shen Le cut in. "Or you’ll be sorry!"

But Lin Heng clearly ignored Shen Le’s weak threat and continued with a grin, "...and that all your female companions are so stunningly beautiful!"

"Damn you..."

Shen Le’s face was a mask of indignation as Lin Heng’s voice continued, "...In fact, I’m quite envious myself..."

"Hahaha!" Shen Le burst out laughing. "And here I thought you were such a proper gentleman. Turns out you’re just another rake!"

"Get lost. I simply have an appreciation for beauty, a sentiment shared by all. That’s different from you!" Lin Heng retorted disdainfully.

Qin Li shrugged, looking on helplessly at the two of them. They bickered every time they met. Or more accurately, they couldn’t help but bicker with each other whenever he was around.

"Qin, we came to warn you about something." The joking atmosphere vanished as Lin Heng’s expression turned serious. "According to our intelligence, the Thousand Kills Sect has sent people this time. We don’t need to elaborate on your history with them. You have to be careful. Those old-timers from the Thousand Kills Sect are extremely powerful."

Shen Le nodded gravely. "That’s right. Those old guys from the Thousand Kills Sect are incredibly strong. If they confront you openly, we wouldn’t need to worry. My Thousand Mechanism Sect and Lin’s family both have several Venerable-level ancestors here this time. The real danger is that they’ll be so blinded by hatred they’ll stoop to anything. So, before the Supreme Competition starts, you must be extremely careful. Don’t give them any openings."

"Shen is right," Lin Heng added. "And besides those three old-timers, the Thousand Kills Sect also brought a middle-aged man who looks to be quite formidable. Our investigation revealed his name is Pang Wen. He’s the eldest son of the Thousand Kills Sect Leader, Pang Weiran, and he’s also the older brother of Pangqi, the one you killed!"

Qin Li stood and cupped his fist in salute to Shen Le and Lin Heng. "Thank you both for this information. I will be careful."

Lin Heng and Shen Le rose as well, smiling. "Don’t mention it. We consider you a dear friend, Qin. Your problems are our problems!"

The three of them chatted casually for a little longer about the upcoming Supreme Competition before the two visitors took their leave.

After they left, Qin Li sat alone, lost in thought. He had considered the possibility that some remnants of the Thousand Kills Sect still existed. ’And as a High Level Sect, it would be unrealistic for them not to have a single Martial Artist in the Venerable Realm.’

’But I never expected there to be three of them! And they were hidden so well that I didn’t sense a thing. If it weren’t for Shen and Lin’s warning, I might have really fallen into their trap!’

’But now that I know, it’s not a huge problem. I doubt they have the guts to attack me openly, since the Lin Family and the Thousand Mechanism Sect are camped right next to the Qin Family. The residences of those two major powers are only two or three li away. If anything happens, they can both get here in an instant.’

’Besides, just based on the Qin Family’s current mastery of Elixirs, neither the Thousand Mechanism Sect nor the Lin Family would allow anyone to move against us.’

The Cui family had been remarkably quiet these last few days. Not a single disciple had come looking for trouble, likely out of fear of Qin Li’s ruthlessness. Qin Li had crippled their Seventh Young Master, Cui Yuwen, with a single kick, and had choked to death the Cui family member who’d attacked a Qin Family disciple. The Cui family had probably learned its lesson and wasn’t about to send anyone to stir up trouble at the Qin Family’s camp again.

The Thousand Kills Sect! Qin Li’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint in their depths. ’The Thousand Kills Sect most likely only has these few members left. If there really are three Martial Artists in the Venerable Realm, I won’t be able to handle them alone. But relying on the Thousand Mechanism Sect and the Lin Family isn’t what I want, either.’

’Owing someone a favor, even a small one, is an uncomfortable burden. Owing a massive one is a debt you might never be able to repay in a lifetime.’

The Innate Purple Qi within Qin Li’s body began to circulate slowly as he calmed his mind and immersed himself in his cultivation.

「By midnight」

The Xuanwu Platform had fallen completely silent. Nearly everyone was asleep.

Qin Li opened his eyes. He changed into a set of black martial attire and slipped out of his tent as light as a feather. The Innate Purple Qi circulated through his body, and the Purple Crystal Core in his Dantian provided a perfectly steady, unending supply of energy.

Instead of choosing another direction, Qin Li stood his ground, facing the cliff that towered dozens of li into the air. He tapped his toes on the ground and shot skyward!

Like a great roc taking flight, Qin Li soared over three hundred meters high in the blink of an eye. As his momentum began to fail, he reached out and caught hold of a slightly protruding stone. But just as he was about to push off and continue his ascent, he suddenly sensed an incredibly powerful aura surging up from below, heading straight for him!

Qin Li couldn’t help but curse inwardly. ’Old bastard. Couldn’t wait, could you?’

The newcomer’s aura was profound and steady; this was clearly no ordinary Martial Artist. It was most likely one of the three old immortals from the Thousand Kills Sect. What surprised Qin Li was that he hadn’t detected the person’s presence beforehand. ’Clearly, this person’s concealment skills are first-rate!’

’However, you want to have a climbing competition with me?’ A sneer touched Qin Li’s lips. He took a deep breath, and his Innate Purple Qi began to circulate rapidly. With a slight push from his hand, his body shot upward like an arrow!

The person behind him probably hadn’t expected Qin Li to be this capable, able to move so quickly up a sheer cliff face that was as smooth as if it had been carved by a knife.

But he didn’t give up. Relying on his own formidable power, he clung to the cliff face like an agile gecko, scrambling upward at incredible speed.

Qin Li’s own speed was simply astonishing. Using both hands and feet on the sheer cliff face, with nothing to aid him, he had already climbed a full one-tenth of the cliff’s total height in a short amount of time!

This cliff was fifty li high!

One-tenth of that was five li!

The ground below had long since vanished from sight. Wisps of mist drifted past him in the fluid, dark night. The mist was rich with Spiritual Qi, which rapidly replenished Qin Li’s enormous expenditure of energy.

What annoyed Qin Li was that the pursuer’s aura remained locked onto him, never falling more than a li behind!

’Are you a gecko, you old fossil?’ Qin Li was only able to move this fast because of his miraculous Lightweight Skill. Otherwise, he would never have dared to scale the cliff directly. A fall from this height would smash even a Martial Artist of the Venerable Realm to a pulp!

’Forget about flying. Even a Supreme Martial Artist could only fly at an altitude of seventy or eighty meters, and they couldn’t cover more than a hundred li in one go!’

’After all, even a Supreme Martial Artist’s stamina has its limits!’

Just then, a sinister, aged voice drifted up from below. "You can’t escape, you little beast! Stop and accept your death, or I’ll see to it you fall and are smashed to a pulp!"

-------------------