Qin Yun's eyes narrowed as he watched the incoming palm strike barrelling toward him. With barely any time to think, he did the only thing he could to resist. While he knew it was mostly futile as the strength gap was much too wide for him to overcome through strength alone, he would still try to struggle. At least, he was confident he could survive this strike.

Qin Yun's feet dug into the soft ground as he braced himself for the impact. While most would only passively receive this strike, his best bet was to counter it. Qin Yun clenched his fist with all the strength he could muster, creating space fluctuations as if his hand could crush space itself.

Yet, none took notice of it as they were much too absorbed by the magnificence of that palm strike. It wasn't every day that a Nascent Soul Expert took action, much less against a man who hadn't embarked on the path of cultivation. It was the very definition of overkill. Not expecting Qin Yun to survive this blow, some even turned away, unwilling to witness his end.

Yun Jingfei watched from the threshold of their house. While she had disobeyed his wishes to hide with Feng Xia, she couldn’t bring herself to abandon him. Somehow, she had resolved herself to live and die by this man’s side. While the time they had spent together was short, it was more than enough for her to create a bond with him. Still, she remained immobile as her legs refused to move under the oppression of the incoming palm strike.

With a calm and clear gaze, Qin Yun watched the giant palm made of wind come closer as if in slow motion. Then, just when he was about to unleash his own strike, a flickering light barrier appeared a metre before him. Taken aback, Qin Yun stopped his blow dead in its tracks, yet the world crumbled slightly merely from the residual momentum of it.

Once the palm collided with the barrier, a massive storm emerged from the top of the hill as the palm collapsed, scattering the wind contained within in its surroundings. Even those stationed at the bottom felt the residual wind blowing past them, making their garments flutter.

Lian Huiling couldn’t help but pale, knowing that since the wind she experienced was already so fierce, what Qin Yun experienced was at least a thousand times stronger. Even if she knew he possessed some unknown means, she couldn’t possibly envision him surviving this. She already grieved his demise in her heart. While they had their differences, Qin Yun was still someone she cherished.

A cloud of dust and dirt scattered from the collapse of that palm, obscuring the audience’s vision. None saw the barrier of light appearing in front of Qin Yun; none but Ma Yongzheng. Using his divine sense, nothing could escape his sight. He even saw the spatial fluctuation as Qin Yun clenched his fist, yet only attributed it to a fluke or the result of his incoming strike.

Honestly, he was merely in denial, refusing to acknowledge that Qin Yun could pose a threat. Besides, he had a much more pressing matter to ponder. That barrier of light wasn't some natural phenomenon but the result of using a defensive artifact. While many artifacts in Jin City could produce something similar, only one could stop the strike of someone at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

“Lian Qian! What’s the meaning of your actions?” the old man said as a frown was evident on his face.

Hearing this name, most of the Ma Clan soldiers tensed as they knew who the man was. They had been assured by Old Man Ma that Lian Qian wouldn't dare to intervene in this matter. In fact, since the black token incident, the Ma Clan thought that the Lian Clan was wary of opposing them as they hadn't suffered any repercussions. Most of the clan members were of the opinion that the Lian Clan had lost its edge and that it was time for the Four Great Clans to become three.

Yet now, the Lian Clan Patriarch had personally taken action to protect someone exiled from the Qin Clan, the same man who had been in possession of the black token. What was his identity for the Lian Clan to hold him in such high regard?

As the cloud of dust and dirt fell back to the ground, all eyes turned toward Qin Yun. More than the fact that Qin Yun was uninjured by that strike, what left them truly stunned was the barrier of light hovering in front of him. In fact, it was no barrier at all but a transparent bell.

The bell's surface flickered as it dispersed the remaining power of that strike in its surroundings. All around Qin Yun, the ground caved in, leaving only the area under the bell unscathed, resembling a single pillar of dirt with Qin Yun on top.

The bell flickered between ethereal and tangible as if its existence was undefined. Yet, Qin Yun could clearly see its surface separating two realities from one another as if an unbreakable border. Even the full-powered strike of a Nascent Soul Expert couldn't leave a single blemish on its surface. Qin Yun would be utterly safe underneath as long as the bell existed.

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As the spectators were stunned by the bell's appearance, a middle-aged man appeared next to Lian Huiling. No one saw how he appeared in the middle of a crowd, not even Lian Huiling, who was right next to him.

Unlike Ma Yongzheng, who exuded strength from his every pore, the man radiated a calm aura reminiscent of a still lake. Still, no one dared to probe its depths. Not even Ma Yongzheng would be foolish enough to do so. At least not without extensive preparations.

“Ma Yongzheng, you sure have the guts to trespass on our territory. Does my Lian Clan's prestige mean nothing to you all anymore?" the man said calmly, yet his words were laced with murderous intent.

Even from afar, Qin Yun could feel their power prickle his skin as if they were comprised of countless tiny daggers ready to render him asunder. Qin Yun judged the man to be close to the Soul Formation Realm; only an expert of that level could project his intent as he did unless he cultivated it from the start. Still, Qin Yun rejected that idea as it was much too unorthodox for someone of such a prestigious clan to do so. Only himself and his wife were brazen enough to attempt such a thing.

“You would risk a war between our clans only to protect an outsider?" Ma Yongzheng said as he motioned to Qin Yun with his hand, yet his gaze wouldn't leave the middle-aged man; doing so would be akin to seeking death.

While they were both at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, Ma Yongzheng had been stuck at this stage for many years, while Lian Qian was a rising star. None of those below a century old could hope to match him.

Lian Huiling's heart thumped in her chest. She had been nervous seeing the palm so close to Qin Yun, and then her father's appearance had been a surprise. She hadn't expected him to respond so quickly to her request for help. If anything, she expected him to abandon Qin Yun since no actions had been taken since the black token incident.

While Qin Yun had helped the Lian Clan greatly, as Ma Yongzheng had mentioned, he was an outsider. Furthermore, their relationship was purely business-related. The Lian Clan had no reason, other than the loss of face, to risk a falling out with the Ma Clan. It simply wasn’t worth it. Yet, it seemed her father had already chosen which path to follow. Lian Huiling could only hope that her father’s actions represented the entire clan.

Lian Qian wasn't very tall, especially compared to Ma Yongzheng's towering physique. Yet, his presence alone made him feel imposing. None of the Ma Clan's soldiers dared to meet his gaze. Furthermore, without even being ordered, they parted in the middle, offering a path for Lian Qian to reach Ma Yongzheng.

Some even chose to retreat as far as they could, anticipating a clash between the two. They knew they couldn't hope to survive if they were caught in a battle. Qin Yun could only shake his head at this display, knowing how futile it all was. No matter how far they were, they couldn't hope to avoid the destruction the two would bring to this area. This also seemed to be the reason they were reluctant to resort to violence.

In normal circumstances, Ma Yongzheng wouldn't have cared about the soldiers beside him. They were merely the progeny of some distant branches barely related to the main clan. Their deaths would be inconsequential. If anything, their families might rejoice, knowing that their demise might benefit the main family.

No, what gave Ma Yongzheng pause wasn't even Lian Qian himself. They were both at the Peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. If they were to clash, the victor would be up in the air. Ma Yongzheng was confident he could emerge victorious.

What truly troubled him was the small bell hovering over Lian Qian's hands. Despite his gaze being fixated on him, Ma Yongzheng hadn't even realized when the bell had departed from Qin Yun's side and returned to its owner. With this bell in hand, Lian Qian was invincible in the same realm. Ma Yongzheng had no way of piercing its defences.

Seeing the greed in Ma Yongzheng’s gaze, Lian Qian couldn’t help but scoff. His usual gentle and clear eyes were now filled with disdain and a cold fury.

"If not for your clan disrespecting mine at every turn, would it have come to this?" he asked. His voice was full of contempt for his opponent, which couldn't help but surprise those in the audience. Never had they seen Lian Qian be so overbearing.

He was usually a proponent of diplomacy; he believed all conflicts could be averted through negotiations. Yet here he was, taunting his opponent with his every word. Even his daughter barely recognized the man, as he was a far cry from his usual persona.

As it was well known, Lian Qian wasn’t a fan of violence, preferring to use benefits to steer conflicts the way he wished to. No man was immune to desires, after all. Yet, due to the recent blows to the Lian Clan's face, Lian Qian had no choice but to respond in kind. Being disrespected in this way would only lead the other clans to think of them as pushovers, further reducing their negotiation power. Lian Qian needed to put the Ma Clan in their place, and this was a perfect opportunity.

Without another word, Lian Qian showed the extent of his power. A bright blue lotus appeared over his head. The structure itself was no different from Ma Yongzheng's, except the man sitting on the lotus platform seemed even more full of energy and vigour, as if in the prime of his life. His features were a match for Lian Qian's, yet he seemed just a little bit younger, resembling him as he was in his mid-twenties.

As Lian Qian's might exploded, a dark cloud formed overhead. Yet, unlike with the earlier heavenly tribulation, there were no signs of lightning, only a significant increase in humidity. Soon, rain fell from those clouds, drenching the earth below. While most could use their Qis to resist being soaked by this liquid avalanche, it all proved futile. Nothing could resist its might except for one.

Ma Yongzheng stood opposite of him, summoning his own avatar. Both towered high in the sky, visible for miles around the city. As the rain fell, Ma Yongzheng prompted his own Qi to revolve, creating strong gales that originated from the green avatar. For the second time today, the clear sky over Jin City had become nothing more than a tempest of rain and wind.

“I'll give you one last chance to walk away from this," Ma Yongzheng said, yet his voice betrayed his uneasiness. "Think carefully! Do you think your Lian Clan can resist my Ma Clan's might if we go to war? You still have the choice to stop all this before it is too late!”

Lian Qian's earlier display of contempt was gone, washed away by the rain. All that remained was a calm look of indifference as if his heart were but a peaceful lake. Despite his opponent's words, Lian Qian only had one thing to say, yet his words shook the hearts of all those present. All he said was, "Make me."