By the lake.
Uncle Yuan leaned against a willow tree, his eyes closed in rest. Next to him, a bonfire burned fiercely.
Qin Feiyang rushed back from his journey. Seeing Uncle Yuan resting, he put down Blue Snow and the Qiankun Bag, then tiptoed into the lake to wash the blood off his body.
Uncle Yuan opened his eyes, gazing at Qin Feiyang in the lake, and murmured to himself, "Such a heavy scent of blood... Ever since he purged the poison of the Elixir of Misfortune, this boy hasn't rested for a single day... But he grows stronger with each passing day."
A smile gradually crept into his eyes. He then closed them again, continuing to rest.
"Refreshing!"
Qin Feiyang emerged from the water. The cool lake water seeped into every cell of his body, making him feel invigorated and immensely comfortable.
He quickly went ashore, changed into clean clothes, sat by the bonfire, and began to take stock of his spoils.
Gold Coins: three thousand!
Healing Pills: fifty.
Bone-renewing Pills: fifty.
Body-refining Elixirs: three hundred.
Qi Gathering Pills: eighty.
Various weapons, such as sabers, spears, swords, and halberds—over thirty in total.
These were all the savings the Black Demon Fortress had accumulated over the years!
Looking at these treasures before him, Qin Feiyang was overjoyed. If it had been five years ago, he wouldn't have given them a second glance. But things were different now. To him, this pile of treasures was nothing short of a real treasure trove!
"Whew!"
He took several deep breaths to calm his surging excitement, then stored all the treasures in the Qiankun Bag. After that, he sat cross-legged and began to attempt his breakthrough to Nine-Star Martial Artist.
「Time flew by.」
「Early morning.」
The air was exceptionally fresh, and the weather was particularly cool. Early in the morning, some hunters left Iron Bull Town and headed into the deep mountains to hunt.
The pit lay on their path. Therefore, the bodies of Cao Lang and Bao Chuan were quickly discovered, and news of their deaths spread rapidly through Iron Bull Town.
As expected, it caused a huge uproar! Within moments, a sea of people had gathered around the pit.
"Make way!" a cold shout rang out.
The crowd parted, and Ma Hongmei walked to the pit. Her face darkened as she looked at Bao Chuan inside.
Not long after, another middle-aged man arrived at the pit. He was dressed in a purple robe, his black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his sharp eyes glinted with an astonishing coldness. This man was the Hall Master of the Martial Palace!
The fact that the Hall Master himself had come personally demonstrated Cao Lang's considerable importance within the Martial Palace.
The Hall Master of the Martial Palace looked up at Ma Hongmei, his gaze sharp and intimidating, and asked, "Ma Hongmei, what is your explanation for this?"
"What do you mean by that?" Ma Hongmei frowned.
The Hall Master said, "I just questioned the guards. They told me that your disciple, Bao Chuan, went to the Martial Palace to find Cao Lang yesterday. Now, they've died together. Do you dare claim this has nothing to do with you?"
Ma Hongmei's pupils constricted. She lowered her head and remained silent.
"Elder Ma, Hall Master," several hunters ran over, panting heavily. "We found another corpse beside that large rock over there!"
The Hall Master asked, "Who is it?"
"It seems to be someone from the Black Demon Fortress," one of them said, his voice tinged with panic.
Ma Hongmei's body trembled, and she quickly ran towards the large rock. The Hall Master's eyes flickered, and he quickly followed.
"Xiang Wu!" Ma Hongmei cried out, her face instantly paling when she reached the large rock and saw the corpse.
The Hall Master examined the corpse carefully, then frowned and said, "The blade wound on his back is identical to the blade wounds on Cao Lang's and Bao Chuan's chests. They were likely caused by a dagger."
Ma Hongmei murmured to herself, her eyes filled with disbelief, Could it be him... Impossible. Cao Lang told me himself last night that he had already killed him...
"Who are you talking about?" the Hall Master of the Martial Palace asked, looking at Ma Hongmei.
Ma Hongmei said, "Qin Feiyang!"
The Hall Master replied, "Tell me the details."
After Ma Hongmei finished speaking, the Hall Master pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself, Anyone who dares to set fire to the Black Demon Fortress... This boy is definitely not as simple as he appears. It seems necessary to confirm whether he's truly dead or not.
WHOOSH!
With a single step, he vanished into the jungle. After a moment of hesitation, Ma Hongmei also followed. Qin Feiyang was a thorn in her side. If he wasn't removed, she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace. Thus, she had to go and verify it herself.
「Meanwhile.」
In the Lin family's main hall.
Lin Baili held a teacup and asked, "Uncle Lin, how do you think Cao Lang, Bao Chuan, and Xiang Wu died?"
"Let's set Bao Chuan aside for now; he was only a Nine-Star Martial Artist," the Lin Family Head said, frowning, equally bewildered. "But Cao Lang and Xiang Wu were both one-star martial masters. In all of Iron Bull Town, there are no more than ten people capable of killing them. As for who exactly did it, I wouldn't dare to jump to conclusions."
Lin Baili smiled faintly. "Although Iron Bull Town is just a small town, it's rife with undercurrents and not peaceful at all."
"No." The Lin Family Head shook his head. "Iron Bull Town has been very peaceful all these years. It's only in the last few days that incidents have occurred one after another. Could it... be related to Qin Feiyang?"
"Qin Feiyang?" Lin Baili was slightly taken aback, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.
CLOP CLOP!
Suddenly, with a series of footsteps, an old man in white robes strode into the hall and bowed. "Greetings, Young Master Baili."
Lin Baili laughed. "Steward Lin, there's no need for such formality."
The old man in white was Lin Yong, the steward of the Lin family and also a trusted confidant of the Family Head.
The Lin Family Head asked, "Did you find them?"
Lin Yong shook his head. "I've searched all the nearby areas but found no trace of Lin Guo or Lin Gu. No one has seen them for the past two days. I suspect they might have fallen prey to demonic beasts."
"Impossible!" the Lin Family Head exclaimed. "With their strength, the demonic beasts in this area shouldn't be able to harm them. Unless... they went to Iron Bull Ridge. But Iron Bull Ridge is a forbidden zone in this region; its fearsome reputation is well-known. They wouldn't dare to venture in rashly. Go and investigate again! You must find out what happened!"
"Yes, sir." Lin Yong responded respectfully and quickly departed.
"What on earth has been happening these past few days?" The Lin Family Head, thoroughly annoyed, turned to Lin Baili. "Baili, when do you plan to return?"
Lin Baili replied, "Tomorrow is Yiyi's fifteenth birthday. I'll take her back after she has enjoyed her birthday."
The Lin Family Head smiled. "After you return, I'll have to trouble you to look after Yiyi more."
"Naturally." Lin Baili smiled, though a thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.
「By the lake.」
Uncle Yuan was as usual, sitting in a shady spot, fishing. Qin Feiyang, on the other hand, was engrossed in cultivation.
Suddenly, Uncle Yuan looked towards the entrance, a sharp glint in his eyes. He muttered, Didn't catch any fish, but I've attracted two big ones.
He put down his fishing rod, stood up, and walked over to Qin Feiyang. "Feiyang," he said with a smile, "let's move."
"Move?" Qin Feiyang opened his eyes, a puzzled look on his face.
Without explaining, Uncle Yuan grabbed Qin Feiyang and, to Qin Feiyang's astonishment, soared into the air, transforming into a streak of light that shot towards the mountains behind them.
Flying? Qin Feiyang was dumbfounded as he watched the mountains and land rapidly recede below. Uncle Yuan can actually fly?
WHOOSH!
Eventually, Uncle Yuan landed with Qin Feiyang atop a mountain.
"Continue cultivating," Uncle Yuan instructed. He then turned and went back, positioning himself on the branch of a large tree overlooking the lake below.
At this moment, the Hall Master of the Martial Palace and Ma Hongmei were standing by the lake, scanning their surroundings.
Seeing no one around, Ma Hongmei chuckled. "It seems they really are dead."
"They are not dead," the Hall Master of the Martial Palace said, shaking his head.
"What?" The smile on Ma Hongmei's face froze.
The Hall Master of the Martial Palace glanced at the dying embers of the bonfire, then strode to the willow tree. He picked up the fishing rod, and his eyes instantly glinted.
"See this?" the Hall Master of the Martial Palace said. "The bait is still on the hook. The bonfire hasn't completely died out. And nearby, there are two distinct sets of footprints. It's clear they left only a short while ago. It seems your guess was correct—the one who killed Cao Lang and the others was indeed Qin Feiyang."
Ma Hongmei examined each point, her expression growing increasingly grim.
A cold glint flashed in Uncle Yuan's eyes. Ma Hongmei, tomorrow is your death day! He turned, streaked across the sky, and landed on the mountaintop. Seeing Qin Feiyang still in a daze, he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. "Hurry up and cultivate. I'll tell you the truth tomorrow."
"You will really tell me?" Qin Feiyang was skeptical.
Uncle Yuan affirmed, "I will. But on one condition: you must break through to the Extreme State of Martial Artist before dawn tomorrow."
"Extreme State of Martial Artist!" Qin Feiyang's body shuddered.
Uncle Yuan asked, "What? No confidence?"
Qin Feiyang gave a wry smile. "The Great Qin Empire boasts tens of millions of Martial Artists, and prodigies are countless. Yet, from ancient times to the present, only one person has ever broken through to the Extreme State of Martial Artist. Isn't it normal for me to lack confidence?"
Uncle Yuan said, "Every Martial Artist yearns to break through to the Extreme State of Martial Artist. Don't you?"
"Of course, I do, but..." Qin Feiyang trailed off. Memories sealed deep within his soul began to surface. At the age of seven, after reaching the Nine-Star Martial Artist realm, he had believed that with his outstanding aptitude and talent, he could surely break through to the Extreme State of Martial Artist. And the result? No matter how hard he tried, no matter what methods he employed, he ultimately failed.
Uncle Yuan said, "Feiyang, since someone in the Great Qin Empire has done it, you have to believe that you can too. You can't be a coward!"
"Who says I'm a coward!" Qin Feiyang straightened his back, the fighting spirit and competitive drive latent within him thoroughly ignited. "Uncle Yuan, rest assured, I will strive with all my might!"
Then, he sat cross-legged and resumed his push towards the Nine-Star Martial Artist realm.
A faint smile touched Uncle Yuan's lips as he muttered, Silly boy. Don't you think that if I, Uncle Yuan, wasn't confident, I would push you to break through to the Extreme State of Martial Artist? Relax, Uncle Yuan will help you.