The Qin Family ancestral grand hall.
Led by Qin Fengwu, Qin Xuan arrived.
Inside the grand hall, most of the direct descendants of the Qin Family, and even several high-ranking elders, had already gathered.
Countless juniors cast disdainful and contemptuous glances straight at Qin Xuan.
"Is he that Qin Xuan?"
"Hmph, a mere trash, yet he dares to challenge Big Brother Qingfeng?"
"He's simply courting death!"
"I heard he even stole the monster core that Big Brother Qingfeng prepared to extend the Old Patriarch's life. Disgusting!"
"Someone like him deserves a thousand cuts!"
A wave of discussion rippled through the crowd.
Yet Qin Xuan acted as if he heard nothing, his gaze ignoring these people entirely from start to finish.
At the high seat of the grand hall, Qin Lie, the current patriarch of the Qin Family, sat squarely in the primary position.
Seated just below him was Qin Qingfeng with a calm expression.
Seeing Qin Xuan arrive, Qin Qingfeng cupped his fists in a salute and smiled faintly. "Father, Qin Xuan has arrived. I will go accept the challenge."
"Mm."
Qin Lie's expression remained calm as he raised a hand. "Silence."
As his words fell, the previously noisy crowd instantly quieted down.
Qin Lie's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Qin Xuan. "Qin Xuan, I heard you want to contend for the title of the Qin Family's Heavenly Fate?"
"That's right."
Qin Xuan's expression was as calm as water, his indifferent gaze sweeping across Qin Lie. "Can we begin?"
This patriarch of the Qin Family shared a seven-tenths resemblance in appearance with Qin Qingfeng, though by comparison, he appeared much more mature and steady, his face carrying the inherent dignity of someone who had held a high position for a long time.
*Tongxuan 9th Layer.*
Qin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Tongxuan Realm was the realm above the Zhoutian Realm. After a martial artist enters the Dao, they pass through the Qi Condensation Realm, Zhoutian Realm, and Tongxuan Realm, and further up is the Origin Pill Realm.
A martial artist in the Origin Pill Realm was already a formidable expert capable of shaking entire regions.
Qin Lie's vital energy was full and abundant, far stronger than an ordinary Tongxuan 9th Layer martial artist. Clearly, half his foot had already stepped into the ranks of the Origin Pill Realm.
"Audacious."
Qin Lie's face sank as the spiritual energy fluctuations around his body surged. A powerful pressure of vital energy, like a small mountain, bore down directly upon Qin Xuan's head. "Having seen this lord, why do you not quickly kneel and pay respects?"
Qin Xuan's expression remained entirely ripple-free. "What, is this about severely injuring me before the fight even starts?"
"You..."
Qin Lie was momentarily stunned. His expression shifted uncertainly a few times before he suppressed his anger. "Hmph, such a sharp-tongued little bastard. Since you are courting death, this lord will grant your wish."
"Qin Xuan, Qin Qingfeng, you shall engage in a life-and-death duel in accordance with family rules. I, current patriarch Qin Lie, shall act as witness."
"The martial competition will officially begin after the time it takes to burn a cup of tea."
With those words spoken, Qin Lie said no more, only staring at Qin Xuan with a chilling gaze.
On the other side, the crowd quickly retreated, clearing a space several dozen zhang wide in the center.
Qin Qingfeng strode to the center of the grand hall, looking at Qin Xuan with a calm gaze. "Kneel down now and kowtow to the patriarch to confess your crimes. My words still stand, and I can spare your life."
"Unnecessary."
Qin Feng's expression was incomparably indifferent. "You can kneel down now and kowtow to confess your crimes, and I can also spare your life."
*Swish—*
As soon as Qin Xuan spoke these words, the crowd on the scene instantly boiled over.
"How utterly arrogant! What gives Qin Xuan, a piece of trash, the right to speak to Big Brother Qingfeng like that?"
"He's seeking death!"
"I reckon this Qin Xuan has simply given up and is letting himself go. Since he's dead either way, he's just spouting harsh words for a moment of satisfaction before dying."
The crowd whispered among themselves.
Qin Fengyi, the eldest sister of the Qin Family, even raged, "Qin Xuan! You unbridled scoundrel, you are far too impudent! You really are a bastard with no parental upbringing!"
The second sister, Qin Fengting, chimed in, "Go, Big Brother Qingfeng! This Qin Xuan is already beyond saving; don't show him any mercy at all—beat this trash to death!"
Qin Fengwu's expression was somewhat heavy. "Big Brother Qingfeng, be careful. That Qin Xuan used some unknown crooked and evil ways, and now he has actually become a Zhoutian Realm martial artist! Watch out for any treacherous schemes he might use to harm you!"
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Qin Qingfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. He glanced at Qin Xuan and smiled mockingly. "No wonder you dared to make a three-day agreement. I didn't expect you to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Breaking through to Zhoutian in three days... hmph, Qin Xuan, it seems that apart from stealing my monster core, you've stolen plenty of other things from people in the Qin Family, haven't you?"
Qin Xuan's expression remained indifferent and unmoved.
Qin Qingfeng's smile froze.
The opponent's utter disregard for him instead made him look like a clown dancing on a beam.
Right at this moment, the time for a cup of tea had arrived.
*Clang—*
The sound of gongs and drums rang out, proclaiming the start of the life-and-death duel.
The next instant, Qin Qingfeng suddenly stepped forward, taking the initiative to launch an unhesitating preemptive strike. Spiritual energy surged around his body as the full strength of the Zhoutian 9th Layer erupted completely!
"Die!"
A fierce look flashed in his eyes as spiritual energy gathered in his fist. "Heaven-Shaking Fist!"
In a flash, tyrannical and majestic spiritual energy condensed a huge fist shadow at his palm. That fist shadow was over three feet tall, resembling a giant bell as it smashed down fiercely toward Qin Xuan's head!
"It's the Yellow-grade superior martial skill, Heaven-Shaking Fist!"
"Big Brother Qingfeng has actually comprehended this martial skill!"
"Fist wind like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth—Big Brother Qingfeng's Heaven-Shaking Fist is already nearing Great Completion!"
"Qin Xuan is dead for sure!"
Seeing this, the crowd let out cries of alarm.
Qi Condensation Realm martial artists could not completely detach spiritual energy from their bodies and could not yet trigger martial skills. Only upon reaching the Zhoutian Realm, where the martial artist's internal spiritual energy formed its own circulation and could project beyond the body to fight, could they drive martial skills.
Martial skills, much like cultivation techniques, were divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang.
Yet even in a prominent family like the Qin Family, a Yellow-grade superior martial skill was not something just anyone was qualified to learn.
*Whoosh—*
With Qin Qingfeng's punch, the air compressed by the fist wind emitted a sharp, explosive roar.
Just when everyone thought this single punch was enough to instantly kill Qin Xuan, at this very moment, a trace of disdain flashed across Qin Xuan's eyes.
"What?"
As Qin Qingfeng threw his punch, he suddenly caught sight of Qin Xuan's expression.
In the split second of lightning and flint, a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind: *Why is his reaction so calm? Could it be... that he has something else to rely on?*
Amidst these thoughts, Qin Qingfeng felt his vision blur.
The next moment, his fist wind slammed into the ground, causing the grand hall to tremble slightly.
However, Qin Xuan's figure had vanished without a trace, goodness knows when.
Qin Qingfeng's sure-hit punch...
Missed completely!!
"How is this possible?!"
"Qin Xuan, that piece of trash, actually dodged it?"
"Such fast reflexes..."
A burst of exclamations arose from the surrounding crowd.
Yet at this moment, Qin Qingfeng suddenly felt that something wasn't quite right.
"Where is he?!"
Suddenly snapping to his senses, Qin Qingfeng swept his gaze rapidly around the surroundings, yet Qin Xuan's figure was still nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly!
*Whoosh—*
A muffled, ferocious gale descended from the sky!
"Above?!"
Qin Qingfeng's expression shifted slightly.
Before he could even react, Qin Xuan's figure dropped out of mid-air, his knee leveraging the momentum from on high to slam viciously toward the former's face!
This strike was extremely fast.
Even Qin Qingfeng, at the Zhoutian 9th Layer, had no time to execute another martial skill.
In the flash of lightning, he crossed his arms in front of his face to block.
*Bang—！！！*