Broken Temple

The temple was gloomy and decrepit. The open ground before the main hall was choked with weeds, and a ruined incense burner lay toppled nearby.

Desolate, blackened, uncanny.

In such an environment, coupled with what had happened before, it was enough to make one's skin crawl.

Yet some people were born bold and had always scoffed at tales of ghosts and gods.

Zhao Jiu of the Hun Yuan Yi was one such person.

After committing a bloody massacre in Linjiang City, he had remained hidden in this Broken Temple.

He looked vicious and menacing, his face covered in flesh, and he was snoring loudly against the wall.

Whoosh, whoosh~~

Suddenly, two poisoned darts shot into the main hall, flying straight at Zhao Jiu.

"Where did these little thieves come from?!"

Zhao Jiu abruptly opened his eyes and swept out with his right hand, sending both poisoned darts flying away.

"Hun Yuan Yi!"

"Tonight is the night you die!"

Two agile figures rushed inside with longswords in hand.

The two were bounty wanderers from around Linjiang City. Having learned Zhao Jiu's hiding place, they had decided to join forces and capture him.

After all, Zhao Jiu had killed far too many people in the city. Besides the bounty offered by the County Office, quite a few Lineages had put up rewards as well. Combined, the bounty was exceptionally generous.

"You two think you can take my head?"

Zhao Jiu grinned savagely and sprang to his feet!

Whoosh.

A flash of sword light stabbed toward Zhao Jiu's chest.

Zhao Jiu neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the sword light to fall upon him!

Bang~~

The sword tip could not pierce through. The wanderer felt as if he had stabbed a block of hardened iron.

"How is that possible?!"

The wanderer's face drained of color in shock.

Bang!

The next instant, Zhao Jiu's palm struck him heavily on the head, sending him flying.

Seeing this, his companion hurriedly swung his sword at Zhao Jiu's neck!

Bang~

Once again, it was fiercely blocked by a surge of force.

At the same time.

Splurt!

Zhao Jiu's right hand plunged into the wanderer's heart like a scalpel.

Despair filled the wanderer's eyes. He spat out mouthfuls of blood and died.

"Hmph, two stinking fish and rotten shrimp dared to trouble me!"

Zhao Jiu smiled disdainfully.

Looking at the two corpses on the ground, he felt no discomfort whatsoever and intended to go back to sleep.

The instant he turned around, a chill suddenly ran through his entire body.

The decrepit Buddha statue deep within the main hall was smiling, staring straight at him.

Normally, Buddha statues in temples were solemn and dignified. They would never have such an expression.

And amid the pitch-black darkness, the statue appeared all the more strange and sinister.

"Strange. Did it look like this before?"

Zhao Jiu frowned.

During the days he had hidden in the temple, he truly had not paid attention to what the Buddha statue looked like.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Smile again, and I'll smash your head to pieces."

Zhao Jiu spat fiercely, apparently angered that he had been frightened by a mere Buddha statue. Just as he was about to act—

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the main hall.

A young man with regular features and bright, spirited eyes entered, carrying a Great Chopper on his back.

Zhao Jiu turned around, somewhat surprised. "Why are there so many people looking to die tonight?"

Qin Yang looked at the two corpses on the ground, then at Zhao Jiu, and immediately understood.

It seemed the wanderer who had sold the information to Luo Jian was dishonest, eating from two bowls with one message.

"You are Hun Yuan Yi?"

Qin Yang did not rush to attack.

"My name does not change standing or sitting. I am your grandpa."

Zhao Jiu grinned.

"Then that's fine. Remember this."

"The man killing you is called Qin Yang."

Qin Yang smiled.

"Hahaha!!"

"So there's someone even more arrogant than me!"

Zhao Jiu burst into laughter, stomped with both feet, and swung out a large hand amid howling currents of air.

Qin Yang wore a smile. The instant Zhao Jiu moved, his Martial Arts uniform swelled as if inflated, stretched taut by the explosive expansion of his powerful muscles.

He did not even draw his saber. His five fingers clenched into a fist, his knuckles cracking as he punched forward!

Boom!

The terrifying force compressed the air in an instant, producing a sound like thunder.

The moment fist and palm collided, Qin Yang took a slight step back, while Zhao Jiu staggered back three steps in a row, his breathing clearly thrown into disorder.

"How is this possible?"

Zhao Jiu was stunned.

In terms of Blood Qi Force, he had actually lost to this young man.

"The Hun Yuan Yi doesn't seem like much."

Qin Yang shook his head slightly.

The Canglang Seventh Level had long surpassed the limits of ordinary people.

"You're courting death!"

Zhao Jiu had a violent, irritable temper. The slightest provocation sent him into a fury.

With a loud shout, he crossed his hands, as if gathering some kind of force.

Then, in the next instant.

His hands shot out like two short blades, weaving howling afterimages.

Thousand Blade Instant Shadow!

This was likely the ultimate essence of the palm technique Zhao Jiu cultivated. Qin Yang felt as though countless sharp blades were attacking him, carrying terrifying killing intent.

"Now that's more like it."

Qin Yang's gaze finally turned serious. He drew the Fine Iron Great Saber from his back, gripped it with both hands, and his entire body erupted with a wild, violent aura.

Po Jun: Fierce Fire Stance!

Fierce fire emphasized heavy offense. The saber stance had to be as swift and domineering as blazing flames, leaving no room for retreat—an ultimate eruption!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Swift, feverish saber light filled the entire main hall of the Broken Temple, colliding madly with Zhao Jiu's hands and producing deafening booms.

Both sides possessed immense explosive power. Their offensive tempo was incomparably fast, and the roaring air currents burst apart.

They fought all the way from the main hall to the open ground outside.

Flying sand and rolling stones; weeds and fragments of rock were crushed and blown away by the compressed air currents.

At last, they fought their way back from the open ground into the main hall.

Qin Yang's strength was too enduring, like the surging waters of a mighty river, gradually suppressing Zhao Jiu.

Clang, clang, clang~

Zhao Jiu's Hun Yuan Yi nickname was well deserved. His hands were wrapped in resilient force, and even the Fine Iron Great Saber could only leave shallow wounds.

"Hahaha!!"

"You can't kill me!"

Zhao Jiu mocked him madly.

He continuously guarded his vital points, intending to drag Qin Yang to death.

He believed such terrifyingly explosive moves could not possibly be sustained for long.

But he did not know just how abundant Qin Yang's blood qi was.

"Can't kill you?"

"Then I'll crush you to death."

Qin Yang's expression did not change.

He did not want to drag this out either.

That was because this fellow was too noisy, and it irritated him.

The next instant.

The aura around Qin Yang changed.

From aggressive as fire, it became immovable as a mountain.

Horror crossed Zhao Jiu's face.

It was as if he saw a massive mountain pressing down upon him.

Po Jun: Mountain Fall Stance!

Qin Yang roared madly.

Gripping the saber with both hands, he hacked viciously down at Zhao Jiu with the weight of a mountain.

Mountain Fall—the saber stance was heavy as a mountain, using force to crush the opponent!

"Useless!"

Zhao Jiu roared with a red face, unleashing all the force in his body as he crossed his hands and raised them sharply to block!

Bang!

The saber came crashing down!

Terrifying mountain-like weight bore down.

It forced Zhao Jiu's knees to bend uncontrollably!

He had erupted for so long just now. Why did he still have such terrifying strength?!

Zhao Jiu was terrified out of his wits.

This young man was practically a prehistoric monster wearing human skin.

Qin Yang laughed wildly. Muscles all over his body writhed and knotted, and like a demon possessed, he slashed out a second time!

Boom!!!

Zhao Jiu screamed. His knees suddenly split apart, and he crashed heavily to the ground on them!

This time.

Fear finally flashed through his eyes!

"Spare me beneath the blade!"

Zhao Jiu begged loudly!

Qin Yang paid him no heed.

No matter what, he was still human. After training bitterly in Qin Manor for three months, he had accumulated some lonely, dreary emotions.

This battle with Zhao Jiu allowed him to vent all the frustration, loneliness, disgust, and other emotions buried in his heart!

His muscles erupted, compressing into terrifying force.

Splurt!

The Fine Iron Great Saber finally tore completely through Zhao Jiu's protective force.

From his head, down into his abdominal cavity.

The horrifying force of the Mountain Fall Stance split Zhao Jiu bloodily in two.