Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Fusion of Wind and Fire
"Sister Lii, why did you drive Brother Qin away?" Shangguan Yue puffed out her cheeks, her voice filled with dissatisfaction as she spoke to Lii Yunge. She was pure-hearted and had felt an instant kinship with Qin Ya. Now that the Sister Lii she regarded as family had sent him away, she was understandably aggrieved.
"You’re naive and don’t understand how the world works," Lii Yunge said. "Let me ask you, does he know you’re the daughter of the Vast Sea Divine Palace’s Palace Master?"
"Yes, but I was the one who told him."
Anger flashed across Lii Yunge’s face. "See? I was right when I said you were naive. You casually reveal your identity to strangers. Don’t you realize how dangerous that is? And another thing—I didn’t force him to leave. He left on his own."
"But after you said those things, how could Brother Qin possibly stay?"
"I was doing it for your own good," Lii Yunge said, her delicate brows knitting together. ’I can’t believe Qin Ya has had such an impact on her after just a few days.’
Shangguan Yue huffed. "You say I’m naive, but at least I can tell the good guys from the bad. And for one thing, that Chu Lingfeng is definitely not a good person." Suddenly, she pointed right at Chu Lingfeng.
Chu Lingfeng was exasperated. ’I didn’t even say anything this time! How did I end up getting dragged into this again?’
Lii Yunge shot Shangguan Yue a glare. "Watch your manners!"
Shangguan Yue playfully stuck out her tongue. "Whatever. I believe Brother Qin is a good person. He would never have any ill intentions toward me."
.........
After leaving, Qin Ya did not depart from the Ten Thousand Treasures Dojo. Instead, he wandered about, observing the martial techniques carved into the mountain walls. Soon, he came to a stop before a deep palm print.
The palm print was sunk deep into the mountain wall, surrounded by gouges and scorched marks.
The palm print held the distinct auras of the Mysteries of Fire and the Mysteries of Wind.
Qin Ya sat down beneath the palm print, cleared his mind, and focused completely on comprehending the two Mysteries contained within it: Fire and Wind.
This palm print fused the Mysteries of Wind and Fire. The resulting power was far greater than either Mystery alone, which gave Qin Ya a flash of inspiration.
After all, he himself possessed four different Great Trends.
’If I can figure out this fusion method, it will be a huge boost to my combat prowess.’ He immediately fell into a state of comprehension, and three days passed in a flash.
Wind, fire...
Wind fuels fire; among the many possible combinations, fusing these two Mysteries was not considered exceptionally difficult. Even so, given Qin Ya’s current Realm, he had only grasped the barest rudiments after three days.
Suddenly, a ball of purple flame ignited in Qin Ya’s palm. With a thought, a miniature hurricane formed alongside it. He tried to merge the two forces, but either the wind was too strong or the Flame was too fierce.
Shaking his head, Qin Ya continued his contemplation. Another two days passed.
On this day, Qin Ya’s eyes snapped open.
He rose, raised his palm, and as his True Essence surged, he struck!
The Palm Power slammed into the mountain wall. Shattered rock flew everywhere, and countless new gouges appeared. Then, with a BOOM, a ball of fire erupted from the center of the impact. The area touched by the Flame was instantly scorched black, leaving a huge crater in the rock face. Seeing this, Qin Ya smiled faintly, a hint of delight in his eyes.
’The Great Trends of Wind and Fire are finally starting to fuse.’
"Did you hear? Senior Brother Chu is clashing with Fang Yu from Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain."
"Yeah, I heard they’re about to duel."
"What? A show like this is about to start? Let’s go watch!"
"Oh, Chu Lingfeng? What’s going on between him and Senior Brother Fang?"
...Suddenly, hushed discussions drifted over from a nearby crowd.
"Vast Sea Divine Palace, Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain?" Qin Ya murmured to himself. The image of the young Shangguan Yue flashed in his mind. ’She’s the daughter of the Vast Sea Divine Palace’s Palace Master. With the two Sects clashing, could she be in trouble?’
’She has plenty of senior brothers and sisters to look after her. She should be fine.’
Qin Ya mulled it over for a moment before murmuring, "I should go take a look anyway. A clash between Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain and the Vast Sea Divine Palace... this ought to be interesting."
With that, he walked toward the crowd.
.........
In a wide, open area within the Ten Thousand Treasures Dojo, two men faced each other.
One was dressed in a blue robe, the other in purple. Though neither had moved, their auras were already locked in opposition. The air crackled with tension, and the faces of the surrounding crowd were alight with excitement.
"Go, Senior Brother Chu! We’re rooting for you!"
"Hmph. As if some piece of scum from the Vast Sea Divine Palace is worthy of fighting Senior Brother Fang."
"Haha! Senior Brother Chu reached Celestial Essence Realm Perfection long ago. Beating Fang Yu will be a piece of cake! In the end, Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain is just no match for our Vast Sea Divine Palace."
"Don’t be so quick to boast. Senior Brother Fang reached Celestial Essence Realm Perfection three years ago and has been in closed-door cultivation comprehending the Great Trend ever since. Chu Lingfeng is sure to lose!"
In the crowd, the disciples of the Vast Sea Divine Palace and Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain argued back and forth, each supporting their own champion. Meanwhile, those from the Yunxiao Empire remained silent, quietly observing how things would unfold.
"Cousin, who do you think is stronger?" Amid the crowd, the Lu Family disciple Lu Chen gazed at the two men in the spotlight, his eyes flashing with envy. How he wished he possessed such talent and strength.
The one he called "Cousin" was none other than the Lu Family’s own prodigy, Lu Yin.
Lu Yin watched the pair, a look of wary resentment in his eyes. "Their Cultivation is about equal," he said. "As for who is stronger, it will come down to who has the deeper comprehension of the Great Trend. This will be a battle between a dragon and a tiger."
"Peiyi, what do you think?"
Elsewhere, the three women—Feng Ling, Muu Xue, and Li Peiyi—were gathered. They watched the two men about to fight, their eyes filled with amazement. Both men were true prodigies; among the three women, only Li Peiyi could be considered their equal.
Li Peiyi stood there, robed in white like snow, her ink-black hair cascading down like a waterfall. She cradled a longsword in her arms. Her aura was no longer as sharp and conspicuous as it once was; it had gained a touch of simplicity, like a peerless Divine Sword returned to its sheath, merely waiting for the next kill.
"Their Cultivation is comparable. The deciding factor will be their comprehension of the Great Trend."
The other two women nodded in complete agreement with Li Peiyi’s assessment.
Qin Ya, hidden within the crowd, shared the exact same opinion.
Fang Yu had delicate, almost feminine features and long, narrow eyes. The corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile. "You must be Chu Lingfeng," he said. "I hear you’re the Disciple with the highest Cultivation from the Vast Sea Divine Palace this time around."
Chu Lingfeng gave an indifferent smile, his expression full of pride. "And what if I am?"
"Oh, nothing. I’ve been meditating here in the Ten Thousand Treasures Dojo for a few days and made a little breakthrough. I was just looking for someone to test it out on." After speaking, Fang Yu made an effeminate gesture with his fingers, lightly twirling a lock of his hair. He purred, "Do *you* have what it takes?"
"Strength? Feel free to find out!" Chu Lingfeng gave no ground, snorting coldly as he took a step forward. His aura flared, and the True Essence throughout his body began to roil like a sea of fire.
