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The moon was pale, the stars were few, and the dawn was hazy.
Silver moonlight cascaded across the land, casting dappled shadows that swayed through the forest with the wind.
Two figures walked slowly between the gaps in the foliage, their shadows gradually lengthening.
"Are you going back to Mount Shu?" A slightly nervous female voice asked softly.
Qin Yi shook his head. "I will return, but not yet."
He walked beside An Yi, scanning their surroundings.
After parting ways with Jiang Qing earlier that day, he had unexpectedly encountered forces from the Demonic Race. Despite killing fifteen of them, one had managed to escape.
They were currently tracking this survivor with An Yi.
"The martial world seems restless lately. These people appear to be targeting Mount Shu disciples specifically," An Yi observed. Her gaze sharpened as she shifted her attention to the other side.
Indeed, the Demonic Race members they had encountered earlier had targeted only Mount Shu disciples. The moment they saw Qin Yi, they attacked without hesitation.
"It doesn't matter," Qin Yi said with a smile. "All I know is they've crossed us."
As they walked slowly, Qin Yi suddenly stopped, and two sword-shaped glimmers flashed in his eyes.
Cangsheng, the sword at his waist, hummed and vibrated, sensing the enemy's presence and seeming eager for battle.
"Patience," Qin Yi murmured, pressing his hand against the sword hilt. "Enemies like these aren't worthy of your attention."
With a single step, he covered ten zhang... a distance that seemed to vanish in an instant, like teleportation.
This was the Shrinking Earth Technique. After reaching the Ninth Layer, Forgetting the Dao, one's body and spirit become connected to the natural order. Combined with innate talent, this connection gives rise to a series of Divine Abilities that are beyond comprehension.
Qin Yi took ten such steps, crossing a hundred zhang in the blink of an eye.
He stopped abruptly, clenching his right hand into a fist and reaching out into the empty space ahead.
"Come out," He said.
With a low growl, Qin Yi unleashed a powerful gravitational force, pulling the enemies hiding in the grass into the open.
"Did you think hiding in the grass would keep me from finding you? Do you think you're Garen?" Qin Yi sneered.
His other hand conjured a Qi Sword, its intent razor-sharp.
Enemies at the fourth or fifth layer of cultivation were mere fodder for his strikes.
Truth be told, Qin Yi's current ninth-layer cultivation, combined with his formidable sword skills, Cangsheng sword qi, and a host of other techniques, already made him a peerless expert in the mortal realm.
"No, don't kill me! I can give you information about the Venerable Devil!"
The Demonic Race member's face was marked with bizarre patterns, and his features were cruel and cunning. Yet now, facing Qin Yi, he trembled in terror.
Originally, their fifteen-person group had mobilized based on intelligence from Jiang Qing, seeking Yue Rouxia. They never expected to encounter Qin Yi. What began as a casual mission turned into a nightmare when they realized the extent of his terrifying power.
"Venerable Devil?"
"I have no interest in finding him!"
With a flick of his wrist, sword qi erupted, instantly decapitating the demon.
After casually disposing of the corpse, Qin Yi returned to An Yi's side.
This pursuit had merely been a way to alleviate their boredom. Having successfully refined their sword artifact and comprehended the Dao, Qin Yi and An Yi planned to wander the world and seek out children with exceptional talent to recruit as disciples for the Magnificent Qin Faction.
They traveled on foot and made campfires to rest and sleep. When hungry, they could abstain from food through Bigu. At their level of cultivation, sustaining themselves on morning dew and spiritual qi for months without eating was commonplace.
…
Half a month later, they arrived in Anxi Town.
The town was nestled against a towering mountain range and was bisected by a crystal-clear river flowing east to west. The river's waters were so clear that one could see the bottom. The air was thick with spiritual qi, leaving visitors feeling refreshed and invigorated.
"This is quite a pleasant place," Qin Yi remarked.
They decided to rest there for a while.
An Yi didn't understand the purpose of Qin Yi's aimless wandering, but she didn't ask about it. She simply accompanied him quietly, sensing that her husband was waiting for something.
Seven days later, a group of Mount Shu disciples arrived at the inn.
An Yi froze at the sight of them, her eyes flickering with understanding. She realized that Qin Yi had been waiting for these very people from Mount Shu.
The group was small, totaling only five members: an elder who appeared to be over fifty years old and four disciples. They entered the inn, sat down quietly, and glanced at An Yi as she descended the stairs before falling silent again.
Fifteen minutes later, another group of ten arrived: two Elders and eight disciples.
Six minutes after that, a third group appeared: three Elders and twelve disciples.
An Yi's expression shifted as she sensed trouble. She hurried into her room and locked the door tightly.
"Husband, people from Mount Shu have arrived!" she anxiously said to Qin Yi, who was meditating with his eyes closed. Her fists clenched tightly.
Six Elders and twenty-four disciples, such a formidable force, was overwhelming. Even the innkeeper and his staff sensed the ominous atmosphere and trembled with fear.
"Immortals! Has a great demon come to my inn?" The innkeeper asked, his voice shaking.
"There is a Great Demon, but it's nothing to worry about, Innkeeper," A Mount Shu disciple reassured him. "We'll be leaving shortly."
The disciples escorted the innkeeper and his staff out, effectively taking over the entire establishment.
They settled in quietly without ordering drinks or announcing their purpose. Each member simply found a seat and waited.
On the second floor, Qin Yi opened his eyes.
"Yiyi, don't panic. Your husband has been waiting for them for a long time!"
Compared to Jiang Qing, their tracking methods are truly disappointing."
"If Mount Shu is only this capable..."
He shook his head, leaving the thought unfinished.
Though seated on the second floor, Qin Yi's powerful divine sense allowed him to see everything clearly.
To the six Elders and Qin Yi, the small inn's partitions and wooden walls seemed to vanish, allowing them to see through everything with a single glance.
The seven remained silent, neither speaking nor acting, as if waiting for something.
The atmosphere was eerie. The Mount Shu disciples felt uneasy but dared not act presumptuously in the Elders' presence.
An hour later, Qin Yi suddenly spoke.
"Are you only six?"
Though he spoke only in his room, the six elders downstairs heard him clearly.
One of the elders glanced upward and smiled faintly. "There are still two more."
Qin Yi nodded. "Then let's wait until everyone's here."
An elder raised his eyebrows, his expression peculiar. "Junior Brother Chang Yi is quite confident."
"It's not about confidence," Qin Yi replied indifferently. "I simply believe that some things are best explained once to avoid having to explain them multiple times."
The six elders exchanged glances, amusement flickering in their eyes.
They all recognized the confidence in Qin Yi's words. He clearly understood their purpose in coming. His decision to wait until all eight elders were present rather than speak multiple times revealed his intention to face them all alone.
This man wasn't just confident; he was arrogant!
"Heh heh."
The Elders chuckled softly, offering no further response.
As seasoned cultivators and mature adults, they had long since abandoned idle chatter.
(End Of This Chapter)