A Small Test of Skill

The mountain path wind picked up, stirring up dust from the ground.

Zhao Hu stood ten feet away from Qin Yuan's small hut, arms crossed, like a wall of iron-grey.

His thick brows furrowed as he saw the three of them returning. The girl in the goose-yellow dress was at Level 10 Qi Condensation; the woman in white had a contained aura like an abyss, at least Foundation Establishment.

But then he remembered Liu Feng's dismissive tone in his message yesterday: "A good-for-nothing who crawled out of a mine, does he deserve me to make a move personally? Cousin, go give him a lesson and let him know that people from Seventh Peak aren't someone he can cling to."

Zhao Hu's heart settled. That's right, he was doing this for his cousin. What was there to be afraid of? This was a perfect opportunity to establish his authority in the outer sect and show those fence-sitters that following Seventh Peak was the way to get ahead.

"Qin Yuan!" he boomed, "Get over here!"

Qin Yuan didn't stop walking.

Lin Qing'er, however, spun around abruptly, her almond eyes wide. "Who the hell are you? Yelling like that!"

Zhao Hu saw the Seventh Peak token on her waist and cursed inwardly, but forced a fake smile. "Junior Sister, I'm looking for Qin Yuan to discuss some personal matters."

"How is it not relevant?" Lin Qing'er stepped in front of Qin Yuan, blocking him. "Brother Qin Yuan is my friend!"

Friend? Zhao Hu's eye twitched, but he couldn't back down with everyone watching.

"Qin Yuan!" he raised his voice. "Senior Brother Liu Feng was magnanimous yesterday, only giving you a minor punishment. Yet you're ungrateful, stirring up trouble everywhere, trying to get a Senior Sister from Third Peak to stand up for you? You pathetic leech!"

As his words fell, the mountain path fell silent.

Qin Yuan slowly turned around, his expression unreadable.

"What did you say?" Lin Qing'er's fingertips glowed with green light in her anger.

Zhao Hu's heart leaped. "Sect rules! Inner disciples are not allowed to attack outer disciples without reason! Do you want to break the sect rules?!"

The green light on Lin Qing'er's fingertips flickered.

Liu Han let out a soft sigh. She could see it clearly: Zhao Hu was a dog sent by Liu Feng. If Qing'er made a move, Seventh Peak would definitely use it as an excuse.

"Qing'er," Qin Yuan suddenly said.

Lin Qing'er turned back.

"Let me handle it myself," he said.

Zhao Hu sneered. "Who can't talk big hiding behind a woman? If you have the guts, stand up!"

Qin Yuan strode forward, stopping three feet in front of Zhao Hu.

Just then--

"Quite lively."

A voice echoed from above the mountain path.

A stream of green light arrived on a sword, transforming into Liu Feng as he landed. He glanced at the scene, his gaze lingering on Liu Han for a moment, a smile curling his lips. "Junior Sister Liu is here too."

Liu Han nodded slightly. "Senior Brother Liu."

Liu Feng looked at Zhao Hu, his tone casual. "Cousin, what's going on here?"

Zhao Hu quickly bowed. "Cousin, this Qin Yuan disrespected you yesterday and is now trying to involve a Senior Sister from Third Peak. I was just about to teach him a lesson for you."

"Nonsense," Liu Feng chided lightly, but without any real blame. He then turned to Liu Han. "Junior Sister Liu, Seventh Peak and Third Peak have always been on good terms. It's not worth damaging that harmony over such a small matter."

Liu Han remained silent.

She understood his implied meaning—Liu Feng was reminding her that the relationship between the two peaks was more important than an outer disciple.

Lin Qing'er said urgently, "Senior Sister Liu, Zhao Hu was the one who provoked us first!"

Liu Han looked at Qin Yuan. The young man in the grey robe stood straight in the wind, his eyes calm to the point of being unsettling.

"Qing'er," Liu Han finally spoke, her voice very soft. "Come back."

"Senior Sister!" Lin Qing'er couldn't believe it.

Liu Han offered no explanation, only saying to Liu Feng, "Senior Brother Liu is right. It's indeed not appropriate for us to interfere in the squabbles of juniors."

Liu Feng's smile deepened. "Junior Sister Liu is reasonable."

Seeing this, Zhao Hu's courage swelled. He glanced at Qin Yuan, lowering his voice to sneer, "See? Third Peak can't protect you either. A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing, even if they climb onto a high branch, it's useless."

Qin Yuan didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on Liu Feng's face.

Liu Feng was also looking at him, the condescending contempt in his eyes exactly the same as it had been in the great hall yesterday.

"Qin Yuan," Liu Feng said, as if addressing a dog, "Kneel down and apologize to Zhao Hu, and this matter will be dropped."

The mountain path was so quiet you could hear the faint clamor from the distant mess hall.

All eyes were on Qin Yuan.

Lin Qing'er clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Liu Han lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking her sword hilt.

Qin Yuan suddenly smiled.

A faint smile, like a fine crack appearing on the surface of ice.

"Senior Brother Liu," he said, "What if I don't?"

Liu Feng raised an eyebrow.

Zhao Hu roared, "How dare you!" He strode forward, his right fist already wrapped in earth-yellow spiritual light, smashing towards Qin Yuan's face—Yellow Grade Low Rank Mountain Splitting Fist, a full-power strike!

He had calculated it. With Liu Feng present and Liu Han having declared she wouldn't interfere, this was the perfect opportunity to establish his dominance!

The wind from his fist howled.

Qin Yuan moved.

No charging up, no fancy moves, he also threw out a punch.

Fists collided!

BANG—!!!

A dull thud like a heavy drum.

The smirk on Zhao Hu's face froze instantly. He felt like he wasn't hitting a fist, but a mountain! Savage and domineering spiritual energy surged back along his arm's meridians, shattering them wherever it passed!

"Urgh—!"

A scream tore through the silence.

Zhao Hu flew backward, crashing through a scholar tree as thick as a man's embrace by the mountain path. He rolled seven or eight times before stopping. His right arm hung limply, the elbow joint bent backward, white bone piercing flesh and skin, blood pouring out.

Qin Yuan retracted his fist, standing in place, his robes undisturbed.

Dead silence.

The smile on Liu Feng's face froze.

Liu Han looked up, a faint trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Lin Qing'er covered her mouth.

The disciples peeking from behind the window gaped, forgetting to close their mouths.

Zhao Hu, at Level 6 Qi Condensation... crippled with one punch?!

Qin Yuan turned, looking at Liu Feng. His gaze was calm, as tranquil as a deep pool, yet something churned beneath the surface.

"Senior Brother Liu," he said, his voice not loud, but each word clear, "Is this apology enough?"

Liu Feng stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly smiled, "Good, very good."

His laughter was cold.

"It seems I misjudged you," Liu Feng said slowly. "But Qin Yuan, when the Outer Sect Competition arrives, I hope your fists are still this hard."

He flicked his sleeve, gathering the unconscious Zhao Hu from the ground, and flew away like a streak of light on his sword.

Only three people remained on the mountain path.

Lin Qing'er let out a long breath and ran to Qin Yuan's side, "Brother Qin Yuan, are you okay? You scared me to death just now!"

"I'm fine," Qin Yuan shook his head and looked at Liu Han. "Thank you, Senior Sister Liu, just now."

Thank her for what? For not interfering? Or for... giving him the chance to strike?

Liu Han looked at him deeply. "Did you use your full strength with that punch?"

Qin Yuan was silent for a moment. "Seventy percent."

Seventy percent.

Liu Han's fingertips tightened slightly. Level 7 Qi Condensation, seventy percent strength, crippling Level 6 Qi Condensation with one punch... this wasn't the combat power expected of someone with a mixed elemental spirit root.

"I'm leaving," she turned.

Lin Qing'er looked at Qin Yuan, then at her senior sister's retreating back, and hurriedly said, "Brother Qin Yuan, be careful! Liu Feng definitely won't let this go!"

The two left.

Qin Yuan walked back to his small hut and closed the door.

The room was dim. He spread open his right hand. His knuckles were stained with a bit of Zhao Hu's blood, dark red.

He wiped away the bloodstains and sat down cross-legged.

The system panel appeared:

[Host: Qin Yuan]
[Cultivation: Level 7 Qi Condensation (Peak)]
[Extractable Cultivation: 0 years]
[Next Refresh: Midnight tomorrow]

With the punch just now, he had indeed only used seventy percent of his strength. But the moment he threw it, spiritual energy surged within him like a river—the ten years of cultivation accumulated by the system's infusion, though transformed, still contained its "momentum."

He closed his eyes.

He understood the look in Liu Feng's eyes as he left.

It was killing intent.

Good.

Qin Yuan opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing and disappearing within them.

The Outer Sect Competition was still two and a half days away.