The Inner Sect Martial Competition: Qin Chuan Wants to Face Gu Xiran

"Number twenty-three." After taking his number plate, Qin Chuan chatted with Jin Pang off to the side as they waited for the martial competition to begin.

"Brother Qin, why did you say we shouldn't touch Xie An for the time being?" Jin Pang returned to their earlier conversation.

"First, if you make a move against Xie An, the Xiao Family certainly won't let the matter rest. I'm afraid they'll retaliate against you."

"Second, I received word that the Land of the Fallen Phoenix is about to open, and all cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage can enter." Qin Chuan conveyed this to Jin Pang through a voice transmission.

Jin Pang immediately lost his composure and seized Qin Chuan's hand. "Is that true!?"

"Absolutely. The Land of the Fallen Phoenix will open within five years at most. My master told me about it and told me to prepare in advance. If you want to enter, Brother Jin, you'd best prepare early too."

Of course, Shen Qingyuan had told Qin Chuan no such thing. He had learned it from reading the story, but naturally, he had to wave Shen Qingyuan's banner.

Huh??? When did I ever say the Land of the Fallen Phoenix was about to open? Is Chuan'er using my name to fool him? How clever. Shen Qingyuan gazed at Qin Chuan dotingly and couldn't help praising him.

"Thank you, Brother Qin. I know what to do." Jin Pang bowed solemnly to Qin Chuan. This news was incredibly important to him.

As long as he prepared in advance, he was confident he could obtain a Fire Phoenix Fruit from the Land of the Fallen Phoenix. Then his older cousin's cold poison could be purged.

"Then I'm relieved. There will be plenty of chances to kill trash like Xie An, but chances to enter the Land of the Fallen Phoenix are rare. You need to know which to prioritize, Brother Jin." Qin Chuan reminded him once more.

"I understand! Thank you, Brother Qin. I'm endlessly grateful for your immense kindness." Jin Pang bowed to Qin Chuan again.

He and his older cousin Xiao Yi were closer than brothers. Back when he learned alchemy, Xiao Yi had taught him personally, guiding him every step of the way. Now that there was a chance for his cousin to recover, how could he not be excited? He wished he could go back right now and prepare for the Land of the Fallen Phoenix.

"Don't let word get out, Brother Jin, or someone with ulterior motives might try to sabotage you." Qin Chuan helped Jin Pang upright and reminded him once again.

"Yes, yes, yes. Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qin." Jin Pang's expression immediately calmed.

"Don't thank me anymore. If this information proves useful to you, then when you become an alchemy grandmaster and I come asking you to refine pills for me, you mustn't turn me down." Qin Chuan spoke jokingly to ease the atmosphere.

"I would never refuse to refine pills for you, Brother Qin." Jin Pang's tone was utterly serious. It was his promise to Qin Chuan.

"Then thank you, Brother Jin." Qin Chuan and Jin Pang exchanged smiles and said no more.

Qin Chuan had warned Jin Pang to repay him for saving his life. He had thought carefully back over the story, and Jin Pang had never appeared in it.

The alchemy grandmaster's own grandson, the evil alchemist Yang Yi's younger cousin, and an alchemist of considerable talent himself, who was also at odds with the protagonist's group-how could Jin Pang have no role in the story?

There was only one truth: Jin Pang had been killed by the protagonist's group early on, before he could reach the key events.

That also explained Yang Yi's frenzied revenge against the protagonist's group later on. His father was the chief culprit behind what had happened to him, his family had all died, and his only younger cousin had been killed by the protagonist's group. In his place, Qin Chuan would have killed them at any cost too.

Jin Pang wouldn't make a move against Xie An for the time being, so he probably wouldn't run into danger. Qin Chuan could also get in touch with the evil alchemist Yang Yi through Jin Pang. If he made good use of such a ruthless man, surely he could kill one or two of the male supporting characters.

At that thought, Qin Chuan was in an excellent mood. Next, he would take the second step in his counterattack against the Heavenly Dao. He turned his full attention to the martial arena.

"Number twenty-three versus number twenty-four."

Hearing his number called, Qin Chuan leaped straight onto the platform. His opponent this time was an Early Golden Core Stage cultivator with a square face who looked to be in his thirties. Judging by the beauty standards of female-oriented fiction, he would have been an utterly ordinary passerby A.

Shen Qingyuan also watched Qin Chuan's platform intently. This was her young disciple's first arena match, and she was truly looking forward to it.

"Martial... Martial Uncle Qin, if I injure you in an arena match, you can't very well say I'm disrespecting my elders, can you?" The Golden Core cultivator's tone was contemptuous, and disdain showed on his face.

He couldn't stand people like Qin Chuan, who had no ability and could only use their backing and status to lord it over others. Besides, he was a disciple of an elder from Yun Yao's faction and had been ordered to defeat Qin Chuan.

"Of course not." Qin Chuan already held the Tianquan Sword in his hand. He couldn't be bothered wasting words on an idiot like this and went straight for his ultimate move.

"Thunder shakes the nine heavens, the sword sweeps the eight directions!"

Qin Chuan's opponent had no time to react before he was taken down in a single blow. One sword strike cleaved away a third of his body. Fortunately, the elder overseeing the platform was quick-eyed and quick-handed, feeding him a healing pill just in time to save his life.

"I won, didn't I?" Qin Chuan asked the elder tending to the man, smiling.

"Number twenty-three, Qin Chuan, wins!" After administering the pill, the elder returned to the platform and announced the result loudly.

Qin Chuan walked off the platform without looking back. Jin Pang immediately came forward to congratulate him. "Impressive, Brother Qin. That man was probably a small fry from the sect master's faction, sent to test you."

"Brother Jin, how well do you know the great elder?" Qin Chuan reasoned that if the sect master could arrange an opponent for him, the great elder could surely arrange one too.

"My grandfather can speak to him. What do you want to do, Brother Qin? I'll go tell my grandfather."

"I want Gu Xiran to be my next opponent. Could that be done...?" Qin Chuan asked tentatively.

"No problem. I'll take care of it right away. Wait for the good news." With that, Jin Pang turned and left.

Meanwhile, Gu Xiran and her companions had also seen Qin Chuan's performance. Xie An had been ambushed back then and had no idea how strong Qin Chuan really was. He asked Pei Xuan, "Eldest Senior Brother, are you confident you can beat Qin Chuan?"

"He's only an Early Golden Core Stage cultivator. I could slay him with a flick of my hand." Pei Xuan looked cold and arrogant, utterly confident.

Gu Xiran hesitated, but finally spoke. "Eldest Senior Brother, Qin Chuan has a very powerful sword move. I was almost killed by him once. Don't underestimate him."

When Qin Chuan attacked Xie An, Gu Xiran had also realized that he was the person who had tried to kill her. After leaving the secret realm, she had thought about it for a long time but still had no idea how she had offended Qin Chuan. Yun Yao was currently investigating.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister. I won't underestimate him." Pei Xuan looked at Gu Xiran dotingly.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you have to avenge me and slay Qin Chuan." Xie An's eyes were filled with hatred for Qin Chuan.

"He's the Glazed Glass Immortal Venerable's disciple, so I can't kill him. But if I fail to hold back and cripple him on the platform, that would be an accident. Even the Glazed Glass Immortal Venerable couldn't trouble me over it," Pei Xuan said self-importantly.

"Then stab him hard a few times, Eldest Senior Brother. Don't let him off easy. I want to make him wish he were dead." Xie An grew so worked up that he coughed several times.

His injuries had not yet healed. He had only forced his badly injured body to accompany Pei Xuan and Gu Xiran because he knew Qin Chuan would be taking part in the inner sect martial competition and wanted to see Pei Xuan deal with him.

Gu Xiran's third senior brother, Jiang Lin, had remained silent the whole time. Now he reminded Pei Xuan, "Eldest Senior Brother, don't underestimate him. Master added a Spirit Ascension Fruit to the prize for first place in the competition. That spirit fruit is just right for Junior Sister to use for a breakthrough."

"Rest assured, I'll take first place." Pei Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, fully confident.

Just then, Jin Pang returned to Qin Chuan's side. Judging by the smile on his face, he seemed to have succeeded.

"Brother Qin, your opponent in the next round is Gu Xiran. With my grandfather and the great elder there, you can play however you like, as long as you don't kill her."

Qin Chuan coughed lightly twice at the word "play." Jin Pang's choice of words was all too easy to misinterpret. Before he could speak, the elder's call rang out from the platform once more. "Number twenty-three versus number thirty-eight."

"Brother Jin, I'll go up first. We'll talk when I get back." Once again, Qin Chuan flew gracefully onto the platform.