Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Who Are You Talking About?
"I didn’t expect to see you in such a sorry state after only a few days." A cool voice drifted over as a figure in a white robe appeared. His steps were neither rushed nor slow, his demeanor calm and composed as he walked up to Xiao Yunchen and took hold of the black spear.
The newcomer was handsome. He wore a white robe embroidered with a landscape ink painting, and his eyes shone brightly. His aura was gentle and scholarly, making him look like a well-read student. But the spear in his hand—the very one that had nearly taken Xiao Yunchen’s life—flashed with a cold light, warning the disciples of the Vast Sea Divine Palace not to let their guard down for even a moment.
"Heh, Teacher Qin!"
Xiao Yunchen barely managed to lift his head. He glanced at Qin Ya, a flicker of surprise and joy in his eyes, and said slowly, "I never thought we’d meet again with me looking like this. I’ve completely disgraced myself. I’m so ashamed!"
"Qin Ya!" Lu Yin stared at Qin Ya with a complicated expression. He never imagined that at his most desperate moment, he would be saved by the very rival who had once defeated him.
Qin Ya gave a faint, cool smile. "You two just wait here. Let me take care of this trouble."
Han Ling’s eyes were fixed on Qin Ya, a wary glint flashing within them. He spoke coldly, "Who are you, sir, and why do you interfere with the affairs of my Vast Sea Divine Palace?"
"Besides Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain and the Vast Sea Divine Palace, the only other power in Hidden Dragon Valley is the Yunxiao Empire. Who do you think I am?" Qin Ya said indifferently, holding the spear.
A vein throbbed on Han Ling’s forehead, and his expression turned colder. "I am naturally aware that you’re from the Yunxiao Empire," he said icily. "I am asking for your name, and whether you truly intend to meddle in the affairs of the Vast Sea Divine Palace."
"Qin Ya," he stated coolly. "If you retreat now, you might be able to keep your lives. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless."
’Looks like this won’t end peacefully.’
"Brother Han, why waste words on him? Just chop him to pieces!" Lan Xin, who was beside Han Ling, said viciously. They had been just about to seize the two secret manuals, but an obstacle had appeared out of nowhere. One could only imagine his frustration.
Qin Ya shot Lan Xin a cool glance, his eyes filled with a chilling intent. "The others might be able to leave," he said indifferently, "but you... are a dead man."
Even before he had arrived, he had seen from a distance how Lan Xin was torturing Xiao Yunchen. For a person like that, he felt not a single shred of mercy.
In Qin Ya’s eyes, Lan Xin was already a dead man!
"You..." Lan Xin’s expression faltered slightly, then he barked coldly at the Vast Sea Divine Palace disciples behind him, "What are you all waiting for? Get him!"
The disciples hesitated, looking toward Han Ling. Lan Xin gritted his teeth, only then realizing that Han Ling was the actual leader of their group. He turned to him and said, "Brother Han, what are you hesitating for? Kill this man now!"
Han Ling’s brow furrowed. He stared at Qin Ya, a persistent sense of unease creeping over him. He had realized he couldn’t see through Qin Ya’s cultivation at all.
Usually, there were only two reasons for such a situation: either the opponent’s cultivation was far higher than his own, or they possessed a special technique to conceal their cultivation.
Han Ling ruled out the first possibility. Due to the restrictions of the Hidden Dragon Valley Secret Realm, Extraordinary Strong Persons couldn’t enter at all. At most, Qin Ya’s cultivation should be the same as his own—a Martial Artist at the Celestial Essence Realm. Therefore, he concluded it had to be the second case.
He was sure his guess was correct. Although such cultivation-hiding techniques were rare, they didn’t have much of an impact on one’s actual combat power. Thus, in his eyes, Qin Ya’s strength should be equivalent to someone in the Celestial Essence Realm.
And yet, for some reason, he had a strange feeling that made him deeply uneasy. It was a feeling he had only ever experienced when facing those few monstrous prodigies back in his Sect. He never thought he would feel it again today, from Qin Ya.
’Could he... really be compared to those few from the Sect?’
Han Ling shook his head, casting the unrealistic thought aside. He then gave a cool wave of his hand, and the crowd behind him charged toward Qin Ya, ready to kill.
"Kill him!"
"Mountain-Opening Heaven Palm!"
"My Illusory Infinite Sword, Tenth Form!"
"Flowing Fire Saber Technique!"
Numerous Martial Skills howled toward Qin Ya. The immense power caused the very space around him to twist. An attack of this magnitude would likely kill even a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist on the spot.
Lan Xin let out a cold laugh, a vicious glint in his eyes.
Facing such an onslaught, Qin Ya didn’t even bother to look up. With a stomp of his feet, a surge of True Essence shot from the soles of his feet into the ground. It then transformed into a soft, yielding force that sent Xiao Yunchen flying dozens of yards away, while Lu Yin also retreated with haste.
Lu Yin stared at Qin Ya, his eyes wide with shock.
’That stomp seemed so effortless, but the level of control over True Essence it displayed was terrifying! Even a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist whose True Essence has reached the Perfection Realm would find it difficult to manage. It’s only been a few short days, and he’s already improved this much!’
’Wait, what is he doing? Does he have a death wish?’
Lu Yin and Xiao Yunchen’s pupils suddenly contracted. They stared in disbelief at Qin Ya, who stood there completely motionless, a look of horror flashing in their eyes.
’Why isn’t he doing anything? Is he trying to get himself killed?!’
"Teacher Qin, stop standing there in a daze!"
When they saw that Qin Ya had no intention of even dodging, their hearts leaped into their throats. They knew that Qin Ya was their last and only hope. If he died, they wouldn’t survive either.
"Haha, this brat is far too arrogant!" Lan Xin roared with laughter upon seeing this, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt. ’Hmph. Even a Celestial Essence Realm Martial Artist wouldn’t dare be careless when facing an attack from so many Vast Sea Divine Palace disciples. Yet this greenhorn is so arrogant he won’t even dodge.’
’He must think he has too many lives to spare!’
Han Ling also breathed a sigh of relief. ’It seems I was overthinking things,’ he thought. ’This kid is all talk. How could he possibly compare to those monstrous prodigies?’
BOOM! A world-shaking explosion erupted. Dust and sand filled the air as the very ground trembled!
Despair filled Lu Yin and Xiao Yunchen’s eyes. They had both clearly seen that as the attacks were about to land, Qin Ya hadn’t dodged at all. He had just stood there, motionless, allowing the Palm Qi and Sword Light to strike him.
In their minds, there was no way Qin Ya could have survived.
"Dammit, why was he so overconfident?" Lu Yin said fiercely, his eyes filled with extreme indignation. "His power is clearly so immense, so why would he do something so stupid?"
"Why...?" Xiao Yunchen was also completely bewildered.
Meanwhile, the disciples from the Vast Sea Divine Palace roared with laughter, their faces full of mockery and contempt. "Haha, and he thought he could save them? That’s hilarious! I think he just came here to die!"
"Tch. And here I thought he was supposed to be some big shot."
"He might as well have just offered up his neck to be cut."
"What an idiot."
The dust gradually settled, and a cool, indifferent voice cut through the air.
"Oh? And who might you be talking about?"
Instantly, the laughter of the Vast Sea Divine Palace disciples died in their throats. Disbelief flashed in their eyes as they stared at the settling dust, their eyes bulging so wide it seemed their eyeballs would fall out.
The scene fell into an eerie silence.
