Chapter 5

Winning was something Qin Feng had expected! After all, the two brothers, Qin Yuang and Qin Jixi, had only just advanced to the Sixth Rank of the Mortal Qi Realm. The gap in strength gave him an absolute advantage. However, Qin Feng had already held back. Breaking an arm was like a daily occurrence for cultivators. If one couldn't endure such a minor injury, they might as well not cultivate at all. Taking advantage of everyone's shock, Qin Feng had quietly left. The bloodthirsty and combative desire within him was still rising. If he stayed any longer, he feared he might lose control and kill them. This was the Qin Family Compound. Although he and Qin Yuang and the other collateral disciples didn't get along, they were still of the same blood. Defeating and injuring them was one thing, but killing them would be wrong. Moreover, defeating these two was largely due to the Hardening Divine Ability. Although this secret would eventually be known, Qin Feng naturally hoped it would be as late as possible. Besides, his current overall strength was only at the mid-Sixth Rank of the Mortal Qi Realm. If he encountered a powerful junior like Qin Ba, he would still be defeated with a single punch. This news spread like an explosion, quickly reaching every corner of the Qin Family Compound and soon reaching the ears of the Qin Family Patriarch, Qin Tianzheng. However, at this moment, Qin Tianzheng had no time to deal with Qin Feng, as he was carefully entertaining a distinguished guest. Taking a sip of tea, Qin Tianzheng secretly observed the mysterious guest sitting in the guest seat, who was actually a woman. This woman appeared to be around thirty years old, but Qin Tianzheng knew she was at least a hundred years old. Anyone who cultivated Mystic Qi would look much younger than their actual age, even without taking any youth-preserving pills. The woman had a dignified and beautiful appearance, with an extraordinary aura, clearly indicating she was from a prestigious family and had seen the world. Although she wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, her clear, insightful eyes were a rare gem in the Yun Kingdom. Her skin, smooth like sheep's fat jade, and her slightly cold demeanor, made even the experienced Qin Tianzheng secretly admire her. Of course, this wasn't the main point. The crucial thing was that this woman's cultivation was actually higher than his. She didn't deliberately hide her cultivation, but Qin Tianzheng still couldn't discern her true level, which could only mean one thing: her cultivation was much stronger than his. Qin Tianzheng had been stuck at the Tenth Rank of the Human Qi Realm for a hundred years. This meant that this woman's cultivation was at least at the Earth Qi Realm, or even higher! Thinking of this, Qin Tianzheng's expression became somewhat solemn. How many years had it been since a cultivator of the Earth Qi Realm had come to Luoyang Town? This time, one had come quietly and directly sat in his main hall. However, he didn't know the purpose of this woman's visit to the Qin Family. If she was here for revenge, the Qin Family might not be able to resist her, even if they used all their resources. Therefore, the elderly Qin Tianzheng had to be extremely cautious. The atmosphere in the hall was very oppressive. In just a short while, sweat had already appeared on Qin Tianzheng's forehead. There was no way around it; facing a powerful person and waiting for them to give orders was not a comfortable feeling. But this was the world, where the strong ruled, and the one with the bigger fist had the say. Fortunately, the woman didn't like to play games. After taking a sip of tea, she opened her mouth slightly and said, "Old man, you don't need to be so nervous. My name is Han Qingxue, and I am... a friend of your son, Qin Xiaosheng." "Han Qingxue..." Muttering this name, Qin Tianzheng couldn't find any information about her in his mind, but hearing his son's name made his eyes flash with excitement. "Xiaosheng, is he well?" Qin Tianzheng's tone was urgent. After all, Qin Xiaosheng was his most accomplished son. If anything happened to him, it would be the end of the old man. Seeing Qin Tianzheng's reaction, Han Qingxue nodded slightly and said, "The last time I saw Qin Xiaosheng was three years ago, when we were exploring an ancient cultivator's tomb together..." She paused for a moment, as if recalling the scene, her beautiful eyes slightly moist. "Xiaosheng... was injured while saving me..." Sighing, Han Qingxue finally revealed the outcome. "What?" Hearing this, Qin Tianzheng immediately stood up from his chair, his eyes wide open, his face full of concern. He seemed to forget that the woman opposite him was a cultivator of the Earth Qi Realm, and he leaped to her side, grabbing her arm and asked anxiously, "What about Xiaosheng? Why didn't he return with you?" Although her arm was grabbed painfully, Han Qingxue didn't mind, knowing it was the old man's unconscious action due to his anxiety. "He... is very stubborn. After entrusting me with two tasks, he continued on to the forbidden place, the 'Yellow Spring Ghost-Inducing Gorge,' to search for the Shoreless Mystic Leaf... I haven't seen him since." The worry in her voice made Qin Tianzheng completely stunned. It was like a bolt from the blue! Although Luoyang Town was small and remote, it didn't mean that the name of the Yellow Spring Ghost-Inducing Gorge, one of the ten great mysterious forbidden zones in the Eastern Domain, was unknown to the locals. On the contrary, it was well-known. The Yellow Spring Ghost-Inducing Gorge was a place from which even cultivators of the Heaven Qi Realm would not return. "Xiaosheng, why do you have to do this?" Upon hearing this news, the old man seemed to age ten years instantly. He released Han Qingxue's arm and fell back into his chair, looking utterly dejected. The proudest thing in Qin Tianzheng's life was having Qin Xiaosheng as his son. At eighteen, Qin Xiaosheng had awakened a Dragon Soul of the Mystic Quality. Although this talent was only slightly above average in the entire Qin Family, it was a once-in-a-century genius in the Qin Family Compound of Luoyang Town. The Qin Family's return to the main clan and becoming the legitimate lineage depended on this son. Moreover, from what Han Qingxue had said, it wasn't hard to guess that his son Xiaosheng had at least reached the Earth Qi Realm! Qin Tianzheng firmly believed this. He always believed that Qin Xiaosheng would achieve great things and lead the Qin Family of Luoyang Town out of this remote town to glory. But at this moment, all his dreams and hopes seemed to be shattered. Seeing Qin Tianzheng's reaction, Han Qingxue was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding what he was so persistent about. "Old man, don't be sad. Although the Yellow Spring Ghost-Inducing Gorge is a forbidden place, I don't think Qin Xiaosheng will necessarily perish there." "Oh?" Hearing this, Qin Tianzheng's eyes lit up again. "Why do you say that?" "Just a woman's intuition!" Sighing softly, Han Qingxue seemed to be thinking of something, her eyes subtly concealing a hint of worry. She then skillfully changed the subject, saying, "Let's put his matter aside for now. I want to see Qin Xiaosheng's precious son, Qin Feng!" Realizing his loss of composure, Qin Tianzheng tried to calm himself. When he heard that Han Qingxue wanted to see Qin Feng, he was once again taken aback. It wasn't the words themselves that were the issue, but the tone seemed to carry a hint of... jealousy! Yes, jealousy! Although he was old, Qin Tianzheng wasn't senile. He quickly understood the reason. This woman, dignified and beautiful, seemed to be a perfect match for Xiaosheng. However, Xiaosheng's heart was likely tied to his son, who had been ill since birth...