Instant Kill

Chen Tianyu turned at the sound of footsteps, a gentle smile already on his face.

"This must be Junior Brother Qin. I've long admired your name."

He stepped forward warmly. "I'm Chen Tianyu, senior brother of Fifth Peak. I witnessed Junior Brother's divine might during yesterday's grand competition and was utterly astonished. Now that I see you in person, you truly possess extraordinary bearing."

Qin Yuan watched his performance and replied blandly, "Senior Brother Chen overpraises me."

"Not at all, not at all." Chen Tianyu smiled. "It is our honor that Junior Brother chose Fifth Peak. Come, sit. Elder Xu will arrive shortly."

The two sat in the hall. Chen Tianyu took the initiative to brew tea, carrying himself like the host.

"Junior Brother has only just arrived. Is there anything you're unaccustomed to?" he asked with concern. "If you need anything, just tell Senior Brother. On Fifth Peak, I still have a little influence."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother." Qin Yuan lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Everything is well."

"That's good." Chen Tianyu nodded, seemingly casually asking, "By the way, I heard that Junior Brother and Junior Sister Lin Qing'er are from the same hometown?"

Qin Yuan raised his eyes at him. "We are."

"Then you must be very close." Chen Tianyu smiled. "Junior Sister Qing'er has decent talent and is also a key disciple being cultivated on Third Peak. But the competition on Third Peak is fierce, so life there is probably not easy. If Junior Brother is willing, you could speak to Elder Xu and bring Junior Sister Qing'er to Fifth Peak as well. Our peak has few people, so we are more united."

His words sounded lofty and righteous. If Qin Yuan had not overheard their conspiracy earlier, he might truly have taken him for a good senior brother who cared about his fellow disciples.

"I'll consider it." Qin Yuan neither agreed nor refused.

The two chatted idly, and time slowly passed.

After roughly the time it took for an incense stick to burn, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall, accompanied by a girl's panicked cry:

"Brother Qin Yuan! Brother Qin Yuan, save me—!"

The hall doors were violently shoved open. Lin Qing'er stumbled inside, her hair disheveled, several tears in her pale yellow dress, and a bloody gash on her face. The moment she saw Qin Yuan, tears surged into her eyes as she threw herself at him.

"Qing'er?" Qin Yuan rose and caught her, his gaze instantly turning icy. "What happened?"

"Th-there are people chasing me!" Lin Qing'er's voice trembled. "I had just come up Fifth Peak when two people stopped me. They said they wanted to 'invite' me to sit in the back mountain. When I refused, they attacked..."

Before she could finish, two young men in Fifth Peak disciple robes chased in. Seeing the scene in the hall, they froze for a moment.

Chen Tianyu rose at just the right moment and said solemnly, "Wang Hu, Li Bao, what is going on? Why are you pursuing Junior Sister Lin?"

The two exchanged a glance. Wang Hu cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Chen, this woman trespassed onto Fifth Peak. We suspected she was a spy from another peak, so we wanted to take her to the back mountain for questioning."

"Nonsense!" Lin Qing'er took out a jade token from her robes. "I have a Fifth Peak visitor's pass! Brother Qin Yuan gave it to me yesterday!"

The words "Listening Bamboo Garden" were carved on the jade token. It was the mark of Qin Yuan's courtyard. Anyone holding it could travel freely through Fifth Peak.

Qin Yuan took the jade token and inspected it, confirming that it was genuine. Then he looked at Wang Hu and Li Bao. "The pass is right here. What else do you have to say?"

Wang Hu's expression changed as he looked toward Chen Tianyu.

Chen Tianyu frowned. "Since she has a pass, it was a misunderstanding. Wang Hu, Li Bao, you were far too reckless. Hurry and apologize to Junior Sister Lin."

"Apologize?" Qin Yuan suddenly smiled.

He released Lin Qing'er and took a step forward. His gaze swept over Wang Hu and Li Bao before finally settling on Chen Tianyu's face.

"I had just arrived on Fifth Peak, and Qing'er had just come up the mountain, when someone 'happened' to want to take her to the back mountain for questioning. Isn't that misunderstanding a little too convenient?"

Chen Tianyu's expression darkened slightly. "Junior Brother Qin, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting I ordered this?"

"Whether you ordered it or not, you know best." Qin Yuan said blandly. "Still, I never expected Fifth Peak to have scum like this too. Fine. Today, I'll help clean house."

As soon as the words fell, he moved.

Wang Hu and Li Bao only saw a blur before Qin Yuan appeared before them! The two turned deathly pale and tried to retreat, but a terrifying aura locked onto their bodies, leaving them unable to move!

"Junior Brother Qin, calm down!" Chen Tianyu shouted as he moved to stop him.

He was, after all, at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. With a palm strike, spiritual power formed a cyan palm imprint that shot straight for Qin Yuan's back! The strike looked like an attempt to restrain him, but it concealed murderous intent. If an ordinary sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator took it head-on, they would be severely injured even if they did not die!

Qin Yuan did not even turn around. He threw a backhanded punch with his left fist.

"Boom—!!"

Their fist and palm collided, and the cyan palm imprint instantly shattered! Chen Tianyu suffered a heavy blow, grunting as he staggered back three steps. Each step left a deep footprint in the bluestone floor!

"You..." He stared at Qin Yuan in shock. "You broke through again?!"

The power in that punch was absolutely beyond the sixth level of Foundation Establishment!

Qin Yuan ignored him. His right hand shot out, clamping around Wang Hu's neck like iron pincers and lifting his entire body into the air.

"Talk. Who ordered you?"

Wang Hu's face turned red as his legs thrashed wildly. With difficulty, he looked toward Chen Tianyu.

Chen Tianyu's face was livid. "Qin Yuan! How dare you! This is Fifth Peak's main hall. How can you administer punishment here without authorization?!"

"Punishment?" Qin Yuan sneered. "I'm merely taking out the trash."

He tightened his grip. A crack sounded from Wang Hu's neck. His eyes bulged, and he was on the verge of suffocating.

"Stop!" Chen Tianyu roared, attacking again.

This time, he held nothing back. Spiritual power from the seventh level of Foundation Establishment erupted at full force. His hands formed seals, and a cyan sword radiance shot from his fingertips—the high-grade Yellow-rank spell, Azure Origin Sword Qi!

The Sword Qi was razor-sharp, tearing through the air as it stabbed toward Qin Yuan's brow!

At the same time, Li Bao broke free from the aura's restraint and lunged in from the side, a dagger thrusting straight toward Qin Yuan's waist!

A pincer attack from both sides!

Qin Yuan's eyes turned cold. He used Wang Hu as a sandbag and viciously hurled him at Li Bao!

"Bang—!!"

The two collided, the crack of breaking bones clearly audible as they both spat blood and fell to the ground.

At the same time, Qin Yuan clenched his right hand into a fist. A faint golden light glimmered over it as he met the cyan Sword Qi with a punch!

"Break!"

The instant the Sword Qi collided with his fist, it shattered inch by inch like glazed glass! Chen Tianyu's pupils contracted sharply. Before he could react, Qin Yuan's fist had already pierced through the broken Sword Qi and slammed heavily into his chest!

"Pfft—!!!"

Chen Tianyu sprayed blood wildly and flew backward, crashing into a hall pillar before sliding to the floor.

He struggled to rise, only to find that at least three ribs in his chest had broken, his internal organs had shifted, and his spiritual power was in chaos. He had already lost the ability to fight again.

All of this had happened within three breaths.

From the moment Qin Yuan struck to the complete defeat of all three men, it had happened so fast that no one could react.

Lin Qing'er stared blankly at the scene, her small mouth slightly open. She knew Qin Yuan was strong, but she had never imagined he was this strong—Chen Tianyu, at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, had been as helpless as a child before him!

"Now," Qin Yuan said as he walked over to Chen Tianyu and crouched down, his gaze cold, "can you tell me? Who ordered it?"

Chen Tianyu coughed blood, his eyes filled with venom. "Qin Yuan... you dare injure me... my grandfather won't let you off..."

"Your grandfather?" Qin Yuan raised a brow.

"My grandfather is Chen Changqing, Fifth Peak's Enforcement Elder!" Chen Tianyu rasped. "You're just a brat who recently entered the sect, yet you dare lay hands on the Enforcement Elder's grandson. You're dead!"

"Oh." Qin Yuan nodded, then slapped him across the face.

"Smack—!!"

The sound was crisp and resounding.

Chen Tianyu's head snapped to the side. Half his face instantly swelled, and two teeth fell out.

"You..."

"Smack!"

Another slap.

"I asked who ordered it." Qin Yuan's voice was calm, but the chill in his eyes made Chen Tianyu feel as though he had fallen into an ice pit. "One more word of nonsense, and I'll cripple your cultivation."