Chapter 90: Earth-Shattering Secret
Chapter 90: Earth-Shattering Secret
Qin Hengtian’s body slowly descended.
A lion uses all its strength even to catch a rabbit. As a martial artist possessing Heavenly Rank strength and immensely rich experience, Qin Hengtian understood this principle well. Though he cursed viciously, he never underestimated Qin Li. Could someone who evaded two Heavenly Rank martial artists for an entire day be a simple character?
“Come out, you coward! You little bastard! You little scoundrel! You little animal!”
Qin Hengtian had reached the Heavenly Rank over a hundred years ago. His strength now was at the sixth tier of the Heavenly Rank, making him a genuine powerhouse. However, his temper had never changed. A century of seclusion hadn’t mellowed him; on the contrary, he only grew more stubborn and fierce!
His angry shouts echoed throughout the dark, silent forest. After chasing nearly a thousand miles over the day, the temperature here was considerably higher than in Huangsha City. Even within the forest, the humid, hot air lingered everywhere, making Qin Hengtian, who had no hair, feel distinctly uncomfortable.
How could this be? How could this be? Qin Hengtian’s mind was full of question marks. How could this low-level martial artist, whose Yuanli fluctuations were incredibly weak, suddenly vanish right before his eyes?
Lost in thought, Qin Hengtian stood still. He unleashed his formidable Spiritual Sense, scanning the area within hundreds of meters. Even the faintest rustle of an ant couldn’t escape his awareness. Yet, there was not the slightest trace of another human presence.
This sent a chill down Qin Hengtian’s spine. It wasn’t fear. This old man who had lived over two centuries wouldn’t be so weak-willed as to fear a martial artist far inferior to him. But a living person just disappearing into thin air? That… was far too bizarre!
It was like a stone thrown into a mud pit, not even making a bubble before being utterly devoured.
After who knew how many years untouched, the sword at his back was finally drawn out slowly by Qin Hengtian.
The night was calm as water. The cold flash of the treasured sword matched the fierce coldness in Qin Hengtian’s eyes!
A sudden feeling welled up inside him – he felt like a pitiful clown, being played for a fool by a whelp who might not even be a fraction of his age, and then left standing dumbly in the middle of this irritating forest, looking foolish.
He channeled his Yuanli into the sword and swept it horizontally!
A fiery red light instantly erupted from Qin Hengtian’s blade, stretching several feet long. As he spun fiercely, the light followed his body, cutting a wide circle!
The silent night, the damp forest, was suddenly shattered by a cacophony of crashing sounds. Ancient trees, hundreds of years old… collapsed instantly!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Qin Hengtian truly unleashed the full extent of his abilities, the majestic power of a Heavenly Rank martial artist was fully displayed. Within mere moments, everything within a hundred-meter radius was reduced to utter shambles!
Even the ground was blasted into deep pits!
“Come out! Show yourself!” Qin Hengtian bellowed, each roar punctuated by a vicious sword strike.
Qin Li finally witnessed with his own eyes the immense difference Advanced Combat Techniques made when wielded by a Heavenly Rank powerhouse compared to just a Profound Rank martial artist.
The sheer might was… utterly earth-shattering!
Qin Li was currently perched within a thick canopy a little over five hundred meters away. He was employing the Turtle Breathing Art, sealing off all his meridians. Had he not desired to observe Qin Hengtian’s movements, he could have stopped his heartbeat entirely. As it was, his heart only pulsed faintly once every half day. Unless the searcher was someone in the Heaven-Breaking Realm, it would be impossible to detect his presence!
Qin Li resorted to this technique out of pure necessity. The Turtle Breathing Art was imparted to him in his past life by that Old Taoist Priest. Using it, Qin Li had narrowly escaped death on several occasions. This was the first time he had used it in this life, and the target he was hiding from was a superbly powerful Heavenly Rank martial artist!
Qin Li had zero confidence in confronting Qin Hengtian head-on. If it had been an Earth Rank martial artist, Qin Li would likely have already jumped out, letting his Drinker of Blood Sword truly taste blood.
Qin Hengtian meticulously searched through the areas he had ravaged for a long while, yet still found no trace of Qin Li. Anxiety began to prickle him. Under his Spiritual Sense scan, Qin Li couldn’t possibly have gotten far. Therefore, he had to be hiding right here somewhere nearby!
Since you hide so well, Qin Hengtian thought grimly, I’ll draw you out. Grandfather Qin’s skill in telling stories is unparalleled! I refuse to believe you’ll show no emotional reaction upon hearing my tale!
“Hey, kid,” Qin Hengtian called out while continuously scanning his surroundings, letting out a grating cackle. “Shall I tell you a story? Do you know what your Grandfather Qin’s family used to do?”
“Our founding Qin Patriarch, my father, was but an ordinary butcher. He ran a small tavern in Huangsha Town, serving the hunters who passed through. One time, a formidable hunter, possessing Heavenly Rank strength, ventured into one of the Four Perilous Lands – the Absolute Killing Ground. Against all odds, he emerged barely alive, bringing with him several ancient Combat Techniques and Yuanli Heart Methods. However, he had suffered severe internal injuries. Upon his return, he sought lodging at our Qin household.”
“That hunter met his end at the hands of my father, that seemingly simpleton butcher,” Qin Hengtian said, his voice thick with morbid delight. “My father used a dose of exceptionally potent knockout drug followed by his boning knife… he skinned him alive. Ha ha ha!”
Qin Hengtian laughed heartily. “I was very young then. My brother and I watched. We watched our father work the knife, stroke by stroke, just like he did when skinning a pig. He slowly peeled the flesh off that powerful man. Heh heh, I remember wondering at the time. Father usually skinned pigs quickly, done in a few strokes. Why did skinning this martial artist take so long? I understand now – the body of a Heavenly Rank martial artist is incredibly tough, ordinary blades can hardly pierce it. Yet… he still died. A mighty warrior of his generation didn’t perish in the perilous land. Instead, he met an ignoble end beneath a butcher’s knife! Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Qin Hengtian burst into fits of wild laughter, though not a hint of amusement touched his face.
His Spiritual Sense peaked to its absolute limit in that very instant. If his target showed the slightest flicker of emotion, he would detect it immediately. However, the target’s patience proved far greater than he had anticipated.
Unfazed, Qin Hengtian continued. “Do you know why my father killed him? An ordinary butcher had no clue how valuable Combat Techniques and Heart Methods were. And back then, Huangsha City was still desolate, with few households. That Heavenly Rank expert, upon arriving, stayed at our home. Yet, he mocked my father, calling him an idiot! He ordered my father around like he was a slave! So… he died. Young man, tell me… isn’t that karma? I swear, if you come out right now and hand over the treasures you gained from the Phoenix Lake ruins, I won’t harm you. In fact, I’ll bestow upon you immense wealth and status!”
Qin Hengtian licked his lips and began deliberately walking toward the direction where Qin Li was hidden.
“If… you obstinately refuse, thinking you can evade my search,” his voice dropped menacingly, “the moment I find you… heh heh… just like that Heavenly Rank martial artist became, you will be the next example! I will strip the flesh from your body… piece by piece, inch by inch. Ah, don’t underestimate my skill; I studied under my father for twenty years! Besides, I carry salt with me… Ha ha ha!”
Hidden within the tree, Qin Li cursed inwardly: You perverted old beast! Filthy animal! Ancient rotten bastard!
If Qin Li hadn’t been employing the Turtle Breathing Art, Qin Hengtian’s words would likely have genuinely sickened him enough to reveal himself. What he described was utterly revolting. Any normal person hearing it would show at least some emotional disturbance. To lacerate a man alive purely out of resentment… Only a cold-blooded perverted killer or the dead could remain utterly unmoved by it.
Qin Hengtian finally seemed weary from pacing and searching. He made his way to the base of the colossal tree where Qin Li was concealed. He leaned back against the thick trunk, retrieved a water skin, and gulped down several mouthfuls loudly. His eyes darted around, still hoping to catch the faintest hint of something abnormal.
To his bitter disappointment, apart from the eerie stillness of the forest after his rampage, there was nothing. Even the insects had fled.
“Heh heh, seems you found my last story unpleasant,” Qin Hengtian chuckled darkly. “Fine, I’ll share another secret with you. I suspect you must be from one of the families in Huangsha City? Though I’ve never seen you before, your familiarity with Phoenix Lake suggests you’re no outsider. Since that’s the case… what should I tell you about? Ah yes. Over thirty years ago, when I emerged from seclusion by chance…”
His voice took on a lower, almost hypnotic cadence, smooth as velvet, befitting the master storyteller he claimed to be. Qin Li, perched invisibly above, didn’t mind listening to his fabrications for the moment.
“I discovered my Qin Family had become immensely prosperous, possessing vast wealth and influence. Should my father see our present stature, he would close his eyes in peace even in the nine underworlds. Moreover, I found countless young children within our Qin Family! It delighted me! A house full of descendants is a blessing indeed!”
“Ah,” his voice deepened, adopting a storytelling rhythm, smooth and resonant. Qin Li, hidden above, didn’t mind listening to the lies for the moment. “But upon inquiry… I learned most of those children were… stolen! Qin Hongyuan, that young rascal, had truly inherited the fine traditions of our Qin Family! Among them… was one little girl.”
Qin Hengtian paused, a predatory smile forming as he simultaneously stretched his Spiritual Sense out again, probing for any reaction. Surely, someone from Huangsha City wouldn’t be indifferent to this!
Still… no movement. Qin Hengtian cursed inwardly and pressed on.
“This little girl,” his tone grew distinctly lecherous, “she was like smooth, carved jade… simply too adorable! I took an instant liking to her… Heh heh heh! Don’t think me a doddering fool just because I’m over two hundred! Capabilities in that area… remain vigorous!” He uttered several crude, suggestive chuckles, releasing his Spiritual Sense again. If his target was indeed from Huangsha City, they couldn’t remain utterly indifferent to such a revelation!
Still… nothing stirred. Swallowing his frustration, Qin Hengtian resumed.
“I decided,” he spoke with disturbing covetousness, “this girl, she’d grow into a peerless beauty by her twenties! So I demanded Qin Hongyuan hand her over to me. To keep her… reserved. To my astonishment, that insolent little bastard actually refused! Claimed she was intended for the Emperor! Said he’d searched high and low to find a girl of such exceptional talent specifically to give to the Emperor so that our Qin Family could soar! The ungrateful wretch! Finding a treasure like that and not saving it for the family Ancestor? Trying to gift her to the Emperor!”
Qin Hengtian didn’t know it, but his inadvertent words had just struck Qin Li like a thunderbolt. Hearing the vile lechery in the voice of a two-hundred-year-old monster musing over his mother ignited a fiery rage within Qin Li. A fierce impulse surged – to break the Turtle Breathing Art, leap down, and cleave this ancient beast in two with a single sword blow.
His tone took a sour, resentful turn. “When I emerged this time, Qin Hongyuan, that damnable little mongrel, dared to tell me the bitch had eloped! Ran off with a man! And even produced an ill-bred whelp!” Fury simmered within his words. “His manner, however… oh, he seemed sympathetic! Pleading for the little slut? Pathetic! Acting as if she were his actual daughter? Ah! The gall! The sheer insult! It infuriates me! Had I known… had I known back then… I should have taken the bitch for myself when I first s—”
“USE YOUR MOTHER!”
A deafening, explosive roar tore through the silence. A blade of peerless Sword Qi split the air, striking downwards from high above with annihilating force, aimed squarely at Qin Hengtian’s skull!