Why Won't You Believe Me?

The Purple Crane spread its wings three zhang wide. As it flew, its posture was elegant and incomparably steady. Though it was not as fast as one enhanced by Golden Light Ink Talismans, it had the advantage of being able to fly...

Qin Yang had coveted this thing for a long time. Although he could fly with a weapon after Foundation Establishment, he had neither the method nor a suitable Magical Artifact. The only treasure he could count as decent, the Blood Lama, was classified as a secret treasure rather than an ordinary magic treasure.

Riding the Purple Crane, he flew out along a great rift and indeed emerged beyond the secret realm.

Looking out, he saw the phantom of the secret realm hanging upside down in the sky. From countless densely packed cracks, things from within the secret realm fell like rain—mountains and rocks, green waters, grass and trees, demon beasts, everything imaginable.

Amid those fragments filling the sky, spiritual light occasionally flashed. The surviving cultivators within the secret realm rode Magical Artifacts out through the cracks.

From high above, the mountain ranges looked like dirt mounds, the great rivers like streams, and densely packed human figures like ants covered the earth.

They had all come to pick up trash—no, to pick up treasures...

The things falling from the innumerable cracks in the sky came in all kinds. Most were useless rocks, grass, and trees, but quite a few still had value.

There might be ore within the rocks and Spirit Herbs among the vegetation. The secret realm had been sealed for many years; in terms of abundant resources, it was certainly richer than Three Mountains.

But Qin Yang could not be bothered with such low-grade goods now. He had become rich and overbearing...

The Yi Wood Essence crystals alone had filled seven entire Storage Bags. Taking out any one of them would be enough to make people fight until their heads bled.

Riding the Purple Crane, Qin Yang concealed his aura, lay low on its back, and headed away from this place.

The original Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb had been more than half destroyed. Just one glance at the three experts suspended in midair, their auras deep and vast as the sea, had nearly blinded him. For hundreds of miles around, chaos reigned everywhere. Only where those experts stood was there calm weather and still waters.

With such experts present, whatever happened had nothing to do with him. He had already gotten the greatest benefit, so fleeing was the pressing matter.

After flying dozens of miles, all remained calm. The experts within the Nether Acacia Ghost Tomb had not noticed this side at all...

Qin Yang secretly let out a breath of relief, then laughed at himself. He was merely an ant who had just forged a Dao Foundation. It was only natural that they would not pay attention to him...

Just as he was thinking this, spiritual light flickered from a crack ahead. A somewhat bedraggled figure rode a flying sword out of it.

Looking carefully, who else could it be but Steward Qiu...

"Hm? You little thief still aren't dead!" Steward Qiu's eyes widened, and he immediately rode his flying sword toward him.

"Hehe, what a coincidence, Steward Qiu." Qin Yang gave a dry laugh and rubbed his fingertips together. A wisp of cloud vapor and electric light flickered at his fingertips.

He really could not resist the urge to test his new secret method on this fellow.

But after thinking it over, the experts from Ten Thousand Eternity Commerce were too close. If one of them casually pointed a finger at him, would he not die an unjust death?

Without stopping, Qin Yang continued riding the Purple Crane away...

Yet for some reason, Steward Qiu had gotten the wrong end of the stick. He bore grudges fiercely and pursued him on his flying sword.

"Little thief, hand over what you obtained, and I will let bygones be bygones. Do not think I am that idiot Bai Yutang, unable to see that you and that little thief Zhang Zhengyi impersonated disciples of Boundless Dao Academy. Hand over your Storage Bag, and all past matters will be wiped clean with one stroke."

Steward Qiu chased close behind, growing faster and faster. Divine light flickered in his eyes as he stared at Qin Yang's back. A smile was forced onto his gloomy face, but inwardly, he grew ever more shocked.

He had been toyed with in the swamp and let this slippery little thief escape. He had not expected him to survive, much less encounter some opportunity and successfully achieve Foundation Establishment. The vitality on him was so vigorous it was outrageous. Who knew what Spirit Herb he had eaten? What a waste of heaven's gifts.

And this Purple Crane—its form and spirit were both complete, its bearing ethereal. With every movement, it could actually match the speed of Sword Flight. Ink Talismans of such high quality were simply not sold in Tongqu Prefecture. Only among the commerce houses across all of Huliang might one find the work of such a master.

This brat had definitely gained no small harvest! Steward Qiu's eyes burned with envy. Then he thought of how he had endured endless hardships, gained nothing good, and nearly lost his life several times. He could not help but shed a handful of bitter tears.

"Little thief, I shall give you one more chance. Let me tell you the truth: of the three great powers above, one is the Great Shopkeeper of Ten Thousand Eternity Commerce in Huliang. Another is the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Platform Holy Sect, and she is also the backing of Boundless Dao Academy. If what you did before is exposed, you will surely die without a burial place. Hand over what you obtained, and I will pretend I never saw you and spare your life..."

Steward Qiu chattered on endlessly, his tone gentle, as though he were offering kind words, yet his figure kept drawing nearer.

"Steward Qiu, if I said this Shape-Shifting Ink Talisman was made by me, would you believe it?" Qin Yang asked probingly...

"Hehe..." Steward Qiu broke into a smile full of mockery...

"Steward Qiu, we have known each other after all. Why must you do this? We do not have any blood feud that demands one of us die. Look, I am not even holding the previous matter against you anymore. Why are you still so stubborn?"

"Hehe, what a sharp tongue."

"Fine, I will tell you the truth. We have already left the range covered by the secret realm's phantom. Those great powers surely have no time to care about us. Even if you died here, no one would spare you a glance. Why insist on this? Think carefully—I should actually thank you. I really do not want to kill you." Qin Yang let out a faint sigh.

Previously, he had truly felt indignant. But now that he had obtained the greatest benefit and the secret realm was collapsing, everything inside would be destroyed. This little nobody had become the greatest winner.

Had Steward Qiu not taken him to collect corpses back then, he would never have learned what happened afterward. And if Steward Qiu had not pursued him in the secret realm, he would never have met that little brat Bao Yu.

So Qin Yang was in a fine mood right now. He truly did not want to kill Steward Qiu. Though the man was no good and certainly no decent bird, he had, when all was said and done, helped Qin Yang along several times.

"Steward Qiu, I learned a new secret method with considerable power. I cannot even hold back its strength myself. Could you stop chasing me? I truly do not want to kill you." Qin Yang spoke earnestly, sincerity filling his heart.

However...

"Heh, little thief, do not try such petty tricks. Use whatever methods you have. Since we have torn off all pretense, do not dream of leaving alive today."

"Steward Qiu, you forced me to do this."

"Come, come, come, you sharp-tongued little thief! I am waiting right here!"

Qin Yang said nothing, sighing secretly to himself. This was simply courting death. He truly could not control the strength of the Shangqing Cloud Piercing Lightning Guiding Secret Method...

He formed Hand Seals and silently circulated his True Essence. In an instant, as Heaven and man responded to one another, clouds gathered in the sky. Threads of lightning flickered within them, and the white clouds seemed like countless scattered grains of sand gathering into a mass, suspended overhead.

After more than ten breaths, the accumulated power had reached its limit...

"Steward Qiu, you see it now. This secret method of mine is quite powerful and can draw down heavenly lightning. Once the lightning falls, I will be unable to control it. I truly do not want to kill you, so could you stop chasing me?"

"Hehe..." Steward Qiu's face was full of disdain, his gaze gloomy. He seemed too contemptuous to even bring out a Magical Artifact for protection...

"Ah, why does no one ever believe the truth?" Qin Yang let out a long sigh. With a thought, a bolt of lightning as thick as a zhang flashed from the snow-white clouds, instantly piercing heaven and earth as it struck Steward Qiu head-on.

Only then did a clap of thunder explode with a roar.

After the blinding radiance faded, a scorched black figure trailing smoke fell from midair, crashing onto the ground with a boom and falling still.

"See? I told you I could not control the power. Why won't you believe me?"

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