Chapter 7

Qin Ming leaned against the stone vat, his injuries more severe, breathing heavily. The chest where he was hit by the Fire Snake Palm emitted the smell of roasted meat, and the bones in his chest seemed to be cracked. But he did not cry out in pain, did not show any weakness, and a wicked smile curled at the corners of his mouth. "Sister Zhao Min, don't shout so loudly, it might cause a misunderstanding."

"Madman! Bastard! You bastard!" Zhao Min screamed in shame and anger. Just as she was about to attack again, she pulled at her shoulder wound, causing her face to turn pale from the pain.

"If you're going to do it, do it; if not, get lost." Qin Ming spat out a mouthful of blood, pulled out the flying knife from his waist, and despite the pain, gathered his strength, assuming a strange posture, focusing all his power in his right hand.

This was his life-saving flying knife technique, which he would not easily reveal if Zhao Min's realm was not so much higher than his.

"Does he know the flying knife technique?" Zhao Min could not hide her resentment towards Zhao Lie. This flying knife technique was not something that could be mastered in just two or three years, and it was very cunning. Combined with his strength, it was incredibly powerful. It did not seem like something he had casually practiced, but rather a martial technique. However, the Qingyun Sect did not seem to have any flying knife techniques.

"I really didn't know." Zhao Lie was both depressed and alarmed, also noticing the unusual nature of the flying knife.

"Hey, Sister Zhao Min, your skirt is showing." Qin Ming whistled.

"Shameless!" Zhao Min hurriedly pulled at her skirt. Qin Ming's eyes narrowed, seizing the opportunity to swing his hand and prepare to throw the flying knife. At that moment, a sound of breaking wind echoed, and a young man with an iron sword on his back rushed over. The iron sword was entirely golden, and from a distance, one could feel the sharp sword aura and the intimidating light.

"Golden Sword Cheng Mu? Damn, how did he get here?" Zhao Min's face changed, immediately tightening her tattered clothes and rushing into the dense forest, giving Qin Ming a resentful look before leaving.

"Big Sister! Wait for me." Zhao Lie also recognized the newcomer and hurriedly fled, no longer caring about Qin Ming.

Qin Ming frowned, putting away the flying knife.

Soon, a black-clad young man appeared before Qin Ming, extremely handsome, not in a delicate way but with a masculine beauty. His features were sharp and well-defined, his gaze sharp and profound, giving an unintentional sense of oppression.

His black clothes could not hide his outstanding appearance, and the most eye-catching feature was the golden feathers embroidered on both sides of his collar, a special symbol representing a noble identity—Golden Feather Disciple!

The Qingyun Sect had a strict hierarchy, divided into ordinary disciples, elder's personal disciples, and Golden Feather Disciples.

Ordinary disciples were further divided into lower, middle, and upper disciples.

Among the eight thousand disciples of the Qingyun Sect, the vast majority were ordinary disciples, with only six hundred elder's personal disciples, and a total of thirty Golden Feather Disciples, of which only five were in their teens.

The person before him was a Golden Feather Disciple, one of the five great talents of the new generation, Golden Sword Cheng Mu.

He had exceptional talent and had created many miracles for the Qingyun Sect. The golden sword was personally forged by the sect's leader, capable of emitting a sharp sword aura on its own.

Qin Ming was an ordinary disciple, and among the ordinary disciples, he was a lower disciple, and even a punished lower disciple, belonging to the lowest tier. Compared to the person before him, one was a majestic eagle in the sky, the other a sparrow on the ground.

"What happened?" Cheng Mu's tone was cold. He was going to the Medicine Mountain to get some spiritual herbs, and only came over after hearing the sounds of a fight. The scene was in disarray, with flames still on the ground, clearly indicating a recent struggle.

Qin Ming was severely injured, but Cheng Mu had no intention of helping, instead looking at him with a hostile gaze.

"Nothing, thank you for your concern." Qin Ming suppressed the intense pain and weakness, turning to leave.

"Stop!" Cheng Mu coldly shouted.

Qin Ming, holding his chest wound, turned his back to Cheng Mu. "Speak!"

"I've warned you more than once, the stronger you are, the more severe the punishment. You will never leave the Qingyun Sect. You should obediently serve as a servant, showing reverence to everyone, lowering your head when you can, and bending your waist when you can. Only then might you be pardoned. If you want to return to your Thunder City sooner, follow my advice sooner."

"Thanks for your concern!" Qin Ming did not turn his head, leaving the mountain top.

"Ungrateful!"

"It's none of your business."

"Don't think that entering the Spirit Martial Realm will earn you recognition. Your parents are sinners of the Qingyun Sect, and their sins will be repaid by you for your entire life. Without a martial technique to guide your spiritual energy, you won't be able to advance further in the Spirit Martial Realm. I predict you will stop at the Sixth Level of the Spirit Martial Realm." Cheng Mu sneered. He was a Golden Feather Disciple, the object of everyone's admiration and envy, and would not normally pay attention to a lower disciple like Qin Ming. However, there was a special connection between them—Yue Qing!

Yue Qing was one of the five Golden Feather Disciples of the new generation of the Qingyun Sect, with a beauty that could topple a nation, a talent recognized by all sects and schools, and a transcendent and ethereal demeanor, making her the goddess in the hearts of all disciples of the Qingyun Sect.

Cheng Mu loved and pursued Yue Qing passionately.

But Yue Qing's heart was not with him.

Qin Ming did not pay him any more attention, dragging his tired and injured body, leaving the mountain top. His face carried a light and easy smile, but this smile was heart-wrenching. Over the past eight years, he had encountered too many such struggles. He understood that as his strength increased, the threats and schemes against him would also increase, but he was not afraid and would not lower his head and live in fear.

As long as he was alive, he would stand.

As long as he stood, he would stand with attitude.

It started drizzling in the afternoon.

Qin Ming returned to the warehouse, made lunch, greeted the old man, took some food, and hid himself on the hillside behind the warehouse.

The place was rugged with strange rocks and old trees intertwined, and no one usually noticed it, let alone came over.

This place became Qin Ming's private training ground.

Here, he had no smile, only seriousness.

From noon to midnight, Qin Ming absorbed the life energy of heaven and earth, restoring his vitality and alleviating his injuries.

Perhaps because he had started practicing the second stage of the Life Creation Technique, his injuries recovered much faster this time.

"Spirit Martial Sixth Level, indeed not something I can challenge now. Strength, strength, I need strength."

Qin Ming gently touched the palm print scar on his chest, knowing it would take some time to fully heal.

His strength was still too weak, and he must become stronger, much stronger.

After so many years of ups and downs, he finally entered the long-desired Spirit Martial Realm. It was time to work hard to break through, even harder than before.

"Upper Disciple! Personal Disciple! Golden Feather Disciple!"

Qin Ming silently recited the ranks of the Qingyun Sect's disciples. Different ranks meant different treatments and influences. If he could become a Golden Feather Disciple, it would be equivalent to being a half-elder. He was previously at the Spirit Refinement Realm and could not aspire to a high status. Now that he had broken into the Spirit Martial Realm, his primary goal was to shed his lower disciple status. Only by improving his status could he access more martial techniques, grow faster, and possibly secure more benefits for the people of Thunder City.

"For myself, for my family, for Thunder City." Qin Ming leaped up, his mind calm and focused, his feet slowly spreading, his hands bending and extending, assuming a wondrous starting posture.

Who said he didn't know martial techniques? This was the starting posture of the martial technique 'Vajra Power,' a technique mastered by the personal disciple Di Yun of the Qingyun Sect.

According to the strict rules of the Qingyun Sect, martial techniques could not be privately taught. Any disciple borrowing martial techniques from the Martial Technique Pavilion had to register and note the return time, and elders teaching martial techniques to disciples also had to register clearly.

Qin Ming had not read martial technique books; this was something he had risked to learn. By observing Di Yun's battles and training during his deliveries, he had memorized them in his heart, studying the inner workings from the surface, and after years of hard practice, he had perfected and integrated them, essentially creating his own variant of Vajra Power.

This martial technique belonged to the upper-grade spirit level, capable of increasing a person's explosive power by up to five times, with an extremely powerful and domineering force. However, it had extremely strict physical requirements, first requiring the body to be forged into steel and iron bones to use it forcefully, otherwise, it could easily injure oneself.

Qin Ming had secretly learned many martial techniques, such as the personal disciple Sima Yao's Wind Splitting Sword, the personal disciple Weichi Bin's Azure Cloud Spear, and the personal disciple Leng Ming's Six Harmonies Palm, ultimately deciding to focus on Vajra Power.

His body was already special, and after years of refining with the Life Creation Technique, his physical condition far exceeded that of others, allowing him to easily master this Vajra Power that others dared not attempt.

Vajra Power was divided into five levels of power, and Qin Ming had independently researched the first three levels. The fourth and fifth levels were too profound, and he had not yet succeeded.

However, the first three levels were enough for him to fully unleash his strength.

"First Level, Vajra Subdues the Tiger!" Qin Ming stepped forward, swift and agile, dashing through the forest, punching a massive tree in front of him.

"Crack."

The ancient tree, thick enough for two people to encircle, trembled violently, a black hole appearing, penetrated by Qin Ming's Vajra Power.

Qin Ming's strongest punch could reach six hundred pounds, and this punch definitely exceeded a thousand pounds.

Qin Ming stepped and moved, dust flying, withered leaves dancing, and a howling wind rising.

Bang! Boom!

Deafening booms echoed continuously on this remote hillside, Qin Ming fully releasing himself, immersed in the arduous practice of the martial technique. The giant trees and strange rocks were all his targets, many of the large stones he had carried over himself.

He had no right to practice in the training