High Profound World

The sun sank in the west, and the slightly cool evening breeze carried the lingering smoky scent of the street vendors' fires through the bluestone-paved alley.

Lin Qing strolled leisurely toward his little courtyard. The bowl of chicken giblet noodles in red broth he had just eaten by the roadside left him refreshed, his steps exceptionally light.

This alley lay in a remote area and was usually deserted, yet today, an indescribable tension hung in the air.

The moment he turned into the alley entrance, Lin Qing keenly noticed several hurried sets of footsteps. Looking up, he saw three martial artists in fitted clothes with long sabers at their waists, spread out along both sides of the alley. Their sharp gazes swept over the corners and the end of the alley as they moved lightly, clearly searching for something.

Faint Qi and Blood Realm fluctuations emanated from them. Though not particularly powerful, they already counted as skilled fighters in Azure Mountain County. Lin Qing instinctively slowed his pace, intending to slip past them sideways, but one of the stern-faced martial artists still stopped him.

"Kid, stop!"

The martial artist spoke in a low voice, quickly sizing Lin Qing up. Seeing his ordinary clothes and the complete absence of a martial artist's Qi and Blood Realm circulation around him, his tone softened slightly, though it remained urgent.

"Did you see someone in white pass through here just now? If you dare hide anything, don't blame us for being rough!"

Lin Qing shook his head and replied calmly,

"I just came back from the restaurant ahead. I didn't see anyone dressed in white along the way."

His tone was frank, his gaze devoid of the slightest evasion. These martial artists carried hostile auras, so he naturally had no intention of stirring up trouble. Besides, he truly had not seen the person they described.

The martial artist stared at Lin Qing for a moment. Seeing that he truly did not seem to be lying, he impatiently waved a hand.

"Go. If you spot anything unusual, shout immediately!"

Lin Qing nodded in response and said no more. He quickly passed through the alley and returned to his little courtyard. Only after shutting the courtyard gate, shutting out the noise and tension outside, did he let out a soft breath. Though he did not know whom those martial artists were searching for, it had nothing to do with him, and he had no desire to involve himself further.

Inside the courtyard, Lin Qing cast aside his distracting thoughts and began practicing the Bedrock Stance Art again. The muscles throughout his body tensed and relaxed, while sweat gradually soaked the loose strands of hair on his forehead. Only after an hour did he slowly finish.

After training, Lin Qing washed up and headed toward his bedroom to rest. But just as he reached the door, his steps abruptly halted, and every hair on his body instantly stood on end.

The room was pitch-black, yet that faint, almost imperceptible presence and the pressure concealed in the air registered clearly in his senses.

Someone! Lin Qing's heart jolted. His first reaction was to retreat without betraying anything, pretend he had noticed nothing, and quietly leave, avoiding a direct clash with whoever was inside.

He was not even a First-Tier Martial Artist yet. No matter who was in the room, he currently had no power to resist.

Yet his uncontrollable heartbeat abruptly quickened. The thump, thump, thump rang especially clearly in the silent night, thoroughly exposing the panic in his heart.

Before he could react at all, an icy dagger gleaming with chilling cold light instantly pressed against his neck. Its sharp edge lightly touched his skin, and bone-piercing cold seeped straight into his heart. With the slightest exertion from the other party, his throat could easily be slit.

Lin Qing's entire body stiffened. He did not dare make the slightest rash move, even unconsciously quieting his breathing for fear of angering the person before him.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked ahead.

The other party was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, standing tall and straight like a pine tree. His plain white robe was somewhat disheveled, yet even so, it could not conceal his outstanding aura.

The man was extraordinarily handsome, with sword-like brows slanting into his temples and deep eyes like cold pools. His nose was high, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and he naturally carried an air of aloofness. A sharp aura flowed around him; merely standing there made the surrounding air incomparably oppressive.

Before Lin Qing could speak, the man in white slightly tightened his wrist, bringing the dagger closer. Then he yanked Lin Qing into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

Inside, the man slowly raised his left hand before Lin Qing's eyes, then suddenly clenched it into a fist. A powerful wave of air spread through the room from his left hand, making the tables, chairs, and bed curtains shake violently.

The man's voice carried a flippant note, and the room's chilly atmosphere seemed to gradually disperse.

"Kid, see that? Third-Tier Peak. Behave yourself!"

As he spoke, he withdrew the dagger, turned to light a candle, then picked up the teapot from the table and poured himself a cup. He said casually,

"That's right, those people outside are looking for me. Though I'm stronger than most of them, I don't want to start a massacre and create more trouble. If anyone comes here to search later, just act as if you know nothing."

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly turned cold again, his tone carrying a deadly threat.

"If you dare leak a single word about my whereabouts, I'll kill you at once and still leave calmly. Those chickens and dogs outside can't stop me."

Every hair on Lin Qing's body stood on end, and he hurriedly nodded with all his strength.

Seeing that Lin Qing knew what was good for him, the killing intent in the man in white's eyes faded. With a slight turn of his wrist, the dagger shining with cold light instantly vanished from his hand. Lin Qing clearly saw a barely noticeable dim gleam flash across the ancient, pitch-black ring on the man's right ring finger.

The instant he saw that ring, Lin Qing's heart began pounding wildly out of control once more. It was not that he lacked composure; the sight before him made it impossible for him not to be excited.

Lin Qing had transmigrated into this world nearly a month ago. During that time, he had gained a certain understanding of it.

The martial artists here primarily cultivated by tempering their bodies. Fights between martial artists were nothing more than contests of physical strength, speed, and the techniques of fists, kicks, and saber arts; everything depended on a powerful body. He had never heard of anyone being able to release Sword Qi or fly through the air with an Airborne Technique.

Thus, Lin Qing had always believed he was in a low-martial world, where the path of cultivation was limited to honing the flesh.

But at this moment, the dagger that had vanished from the man in white's hand and the ring that had flashed with dim light made him realize at once—what low-martial world was this? This was clearly a High Profound World!

That was a Storage Ring! Lin Qing was utterly certain!

His emotional fluctuations were far too obvious. His heartbeat grew more hurried, and his face faintly reddened; he could not hide it at all.

The man in white naturally noticed his abnormality. One brow lifted slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. "No, brother. A man who can take your life whenever he pleases is sitting right here. Why is the emotion you're showing not fear, but excitement?"

He had intended to ask, but the disorderly footsteps and hushed voices outside reached them again. The man asked no more. His gaze swept across the room, then his figure moved, and he silently hid inside the large wooden cabinet in the corner, leaving not the slightest trace.

Lin Qing suppressed the excitement in his heart and worked hard to steady his breathing, trying to make himself appear calmer.

Over the next stretch of time, martial artists continually came to his door to question him, each one aggressive and menacing. But seeing that Lin Qing did not even possess the Qi and Blood Realm fluctuations of a First-Tier Martial Artist, and that he looked sleepy-eyed, dazed, and utterly ignorant, they did not grow overly suspicious. After asking a few simple questions, they turned and left.

Wave after wave of martial artists came knocking. Lin Qing dealt with them again and again until the latter half of the night, when the footsteps outside finally began to dwindle.