Twists and Turns!

Qin Huai sought to engage his king’s force. A soft white glow ignited in his eyes, yet it was rapidly extinguished by a blinding green light.

“It’s pointless, futile. Here…I am the god!” Yang Tianhan roared. “I claim the inheritance of the emperor!”

Without uttering a word, Qin Huai began channeling the divine qi within him, as well as the guardian spirit item he had acquired from the old man from Wuji Mountain. In a contest between the semi-divinity realm and the emperor realm, who would prevail?

Gradually guiding the divine qi, he found it began to move. A sliver of energy surged from his dantian.

Buzz…

!!

Suddenly, a green beam of light shot from Yang Tianhan’s palm, piercing Qin Huai’s abdomen.

Puff!

Coughing up blood, Qin Huai felt his abdomen and the precious bit of divine qi within it get obliterated.

Overjoyed by this, Yang Tianhan’s grin widened. “Hahaha! Brother Zhou, you’re running out of tricks,” he taunted. action

His previously pale hand slowly regained its color. His trembling fingers began to tighten around the bronze pendant in his hand, as he could feel a surge of untamed energy coursing through his body — an age-old blessing from the emperor of Qingzhou. In the distance, onlookers like Xiang Mingfeng quickly grasped the sudden shift in the situation. Gou Jie, previously perplexed, mused, “So it seems… destiny is indeed invincible.”

“That Yang Tianhan belongs to your Ghost Ox sect, right?” Fang Huo asked Le Ji ‘an.

They and other young prodigies remained still, having learned from Wang Gang’s earlier demise. They knew they didn’t stand a chance in this illusion realm — any attempt to engage would lead to instant death. Despite their reluctance, they were reduced to mere spectators, eager to see which of the two formidable contenders would come out on top.

Le Ji ‘an nodded. “I vaguely remember… He was somewhat renowned in the Ghost Ox sect a few decades ago, but not greatly.”

In large sects like theirs, only those who had comprehended the king’s force or advanced to the visceral prefecture realm would have their achievements chronicled. These records were kept in the sect’s library for future generations to learn from.

Although Yang Tianhan had reached the visceral prefecture realm at a young age, he had only broken through when he was on the verge of death. Soon after, he entered the bronze realm, and as a result, his fame was limited. Only Le Ji’an, known as the Little Cattle King — a title hinting at future leadership of the Ghost Ox sect — knew about him. It was crucial for potential sect masters to be well-versed in the sect’s history.

“He hails from a small city, hardly even a county city, named Qingshui City… It’s said to be the birthplace of the legendary emperor of Qingzhou, but sadly, the city has long been lost to the demon onslaught,” Le Ji’an recounted.

“Yang Tianhan is from Qingshui City?” Fang Huo exclaimed, his voice echoing surprise. “No wonder…”

Suddenly, it all made sense to everyone why Yang Tianhan was considered the chosen one.

“The bronze realm is likely a test left by the Qingzhou Emperor for his successors,” surmised She Wanshan. “We’re just fodder for training.”

Xiang Mingfeng mused, “That’s not necessarily true. For us, who are not descendants of the Qingzhou Emperor, receiving this inheritance is just more challenging.”

“This seems like an impossible challenge,” said Fang Huo, recalling the conditions he and Qin Huai had hypothesized earlier. He shook his head with a wry smile. She Wanshan slowly added, “Regardless, Yang Tianhan obtained the key due to his direct lineage to the Qingzhou Emperor.” There was no disagreement on this point.

“Brother Zhou, I fear we’re facing defeat.” Gou Jie sighed. “Possessing the key is akin to being blessed by the heavens. Despite Brother Zhou’s remarkable abilities, this may be as far as you can go.”

Le Ji’an chuckled. “Reaching the fourth-level bone pattern realm… truly unexpected. As a member of the Thousand Divination Tower, shouldn’t you be pleased?”

“Indeed…” Gou Jie sighed again, but there was no joy on his face..

All eyes were on the heart of the battlefield where Qin Huai was clearly struggling. His strength and speed were failing — the tables had turned.

“Brother Zhou, wouldn’t it have been better if you had taken my advice earlier?” Yang Tianhan’s expression was one of triumph.

With his internal organs trembling under the onslaught of punches, Qin Huai felt his strength draining rapidly, especially after his chest was pierced by the green light. He couldn’t activate his blood heart technique, and his decline suggested he might not hold on much longer. Could he really be headed for defeat? The thought echoed in his mind.

No, he wasn’t done yet. He still had one move he had yet to use.

Boom!

An explosion of rich longevity power started to seethe within his body. His eyes sparkled — it was effective after all.

“Brother Zhou, your hand!” Fang Huo called out from a distance.

Both Qin Huai and Yang Tianhan looked down simultaneously to see Qin Huai’s left hand disintegrating from the fingertips. Qin Huai felt a jolt of fear, realizing this was probably the price for using the flame longevity technique in the illusion realm.

“Brother Zhou, it seems you’ve used a secret technique to enhance your cultivation level.” Yang Tianhan finally relaxed, but his cautiousness grew.

He hoped for Qin Huai’s immediate demise. That way, he wouldn’t have to take any risks. After Qin Huai’s death, the rest would be trivial.

Suddenly, a streak of golden flame shot out from Qin Huai’s body.