Ma Yongzheng's expression was grim, to say the least. He hadn't expected Lian Qian to be so overbearing in his stance. He couldn't help but think that the recent silence of the Lian Clan over the incident with the black token was just a ruse to lure them into a sense of complacency.
Still, Ma Yongzheng couldn't back down from this blatant provocation—at least, not before this audience. After all, he was an elder of the Ma Clan, the brother of the current Patriarch; he represented the face of the whole clan. They couldn't be seen as weak and afraid lest their business be impacted.
Without another word, Ma Yongzheng moved just like Lian Qian wished him to. He extended a finger, circulating a hint of Qi within, probing the ring around said finger. Then, a gauntlet appeared around his hand.
The gauntlet seemed metallic, yet it pulsed with some intrinsic energy reminiscent of a heartbeat. If not for the coldness Ma Yongzheng felt on his skin, he could have easily misunderstood as it being alive.
In an instant, Ma Yongzheng punched with all his strength, filling the gauntlet with a massive amount of Qi. The gauntlet glowed as the Qi flowed through it, making runes appear on its surface. While Qin Yun could make out the runes even from his perch in the distance, they seemed ancient, and many of them had faded with time.
If that artifact was at its peak, it would be a force to reckon with. Yet now, it could only be likened to a High-Grade Profound Rank artifact. While not common, most clans possessed one or two, while the Four Great Clans possessed countless, enough to equip each of their elders with one.
Ma Yongzheng's artifact was one most suited to him. As his Spiritual Roots were of the wind element, the gauntlet worked as a conduit for his strength. Wind wrapped around the gauntlet, increasing the pressure of his already powerful punch.
A torrent of wind emerged from the aftermath of his blow, ripping apart everything that stood in its place. Chaos ensued as those who couldn't flee in time were slaughtered by the merciless winds flowing towards Lian Qian.
If it were anyone else, they might be intimidated by how cruel and ruthless Ma Yongzheng's attitude was, even toward those of his clan. Yet, Lian Qian remained indifferent. Why should the life and death of those of the Ma Clan matter to him? Still, it wouldn't do for all those witnessing these scenes to die. Lian Qian needed people to spread the sights of the Ma Clan's cruelty.
With a wave of his hand, Lian Qian brought out another artifact. While the small bell was the one he mainly used as the Patriarch of the largest conglomerate within the Western Region, how could he be poor enough to possess only one artifact?
A giant flag emerged from his sleeve. With the support of his large reserves of Qi, Lian Qian prompted the flag to divide itself into countless parts. Then, with only a thought from him, those small flags quickly flew and attached themselves to all the spectators around. While they all possessed but a fraction of the whole flag's might, it was enough to resist the residual wind of Ma Yongzheng's strike.
As for the main punch aimed at Lian Qian, it was even less a cause for concern as the ethereal light of the small bell enveloped Lian Qian's whole body, leaving no opening for Ma Yongzheng to exploit. The wind collided with the bell, making it flicker slightly, and then the hurricane simply died upon the bell's surface, leaving no trace of its fury.
Ma Yongzheng's expression only grew uglier. While he possessed the edge regarding Qi reserves, as his cultivation was slightly better than Lian Qian's, he had no hope of breaching the bell's defence. In fact, out of all of those in Jin City, only those ancestors at the Soul Formation Realm might overcome its defence... maybe. At least, none had ever tried for fear of losing face.
The best Ma Yongzheng could hope for was a stalemate. Still, the odds of such a thing happening were relatively high as no news of Lian Qian possessing an offensive artifact comparable to the bell was ever unearthed. He could only hope that the information he had was accurate.
Still, he had no reason not to go on the offensive, as his only advantage was depleting his opponent's Qi reserves. Without waiting for the wind to completely die down, Ma Yongzheng charged forward, shrinking the distance between the two with every step.
All those who had survived the first onslaught soon gave way to Ma Yongzheng, hoping not to be its latest victim. Fortunately, Lian Qian’s flag was still firmly attached to them, protecting them from the waves of Qi crashing down around them.
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Qin Yun couldn't help but appreciate Lian Qian's method. It was true that wisdom came with age, at least for some people who cultivated such a mindset. Public opinions had already shifted in the Lian Clan's favour with only this simple move of protecting the people around.
At the start, Qin Yun noticed that the audience seemed to favour the Ma Clan, wishing to see a good show. Yet, once they had been involved in all this, they couldn't help but resent them. After all, public opinions were as shifty as a man's mood. Nothing was absolute, and one needed to learn to ride the wave and to get off at the right time.
Lian Qian was an expert in this matter. He had bided his time, not rushing to punish anyone for the black token fiasco. Instead, he waited for the opportune moment to get even with the Ma Clan, even slapping them in the face, proving that the Lian Clan wasn’t afraid of anyone and had the strength to back it up. Those who had lost faith in the clan would stand corrected. After all, strength was paramount of all else.
While Ma Yongzheng was on the offensive, Lian Qian was in control of the pace of this conflict. Each blow from Ma Yongzheng's fists was filled with his Qi as it wrapped around his hands, creating sharp and deadly winds that propagated outwards. Lian Qian smoothly dealt with them, using his small bell to diffuse most of it, even taking the time to protect the onlookers with his flag.
Uneasiness grew inside Ma Yongzheng's heart as he saw how effortlessly Lian Qian thwarted his efforts at every turn. He could only grit his teeth and pour more Qi into each strike, knowing full well how futile his struggles were. He had no way of breaching that bell's defence. Still, he was comforted to know that the same applied to Lian Qian. He, too, had no way of breaching the toughness of Ma Yongzheng's hard skin. Especially since Lian Qian specialized in defence.
Still, Lian Qian wouldn’t let this battle devolve into a stalemate. Once he noticed that all onlookers had evacuated the battlefield, Lian Qian retracted his flag, retrieving the Qi he had imbued within. With this expenditure over with, Lian Qian could finally show his true strength.
The avatar above his head suddenly grew brighter and more defined, spewing light and waves of Qi into its surroundings. Despite the distance, Qin Yun could feel its oppression on his skin. It displayed its authority and wished all creatures to bend their knees. While Qin Yun could suppress it, most of the audience members could not, and they fell to their knees, unable to raise their heads and gaze at the avatar’s magnificence.
Moments later, the avatar's eyes opened, glowing with an incandescent blue light that bathed the world in its glow, transforming the storm surrounding the duo into a blue shade. As if to counter him, Ma Yongzheng did the same, turning half the world green.
Both colours battled for dominion as their Qi clashed against each other, prompting the storm to grow stronger. Soon, the wind and rain grew so violent that not even the surrounding buildings, which had been reinforced with formations for such an event, could hope to hold against it.
The walls began to erode as their formations lit and dimmed in quick intervals, in futile attempts to resist this natural disaster. Yet, it was all in vain, as they weren't designed to withstand the might of two Nascent Soul Experts, even less those two who were at the peak.
Some buildings crumbled, and their structures were picked up by the fierce winds, obscuring the sight of the battlefield. The audience stood outside the affected area, eagerly awaiting how this battle would end. While most had chosen to stand on one side or the other, all agreed that this was an awe-inspiring sight. Most had never seen what a Nascent Soul Expert was capable of!
On the other hand, Qin Yun was long past the age of being excited by such a display. While both were strong compared to his current state, the most they could do was topple a few buildings. It was indeed a far cry from the peak he had once seen. If anything, he couldn't help but be dejected by his current powerlessness, but more than that, he hated that he had to be saved by someone else.
The hint of fighting spirit that had once been extinguished had begun to smoulder once more. While it couldn’t be called a flame, it was something he hadn’t felt in a long time; his apathy slowly gave way to his ambition. Still, Qin Yun would need much more than that to regain the youth he could barely remember anymore, yet it was a start.
Uninterested in how all this would end, as it was all too predictable, Qin Yun chose to be daring and reckless. In fact, he believed that only by doing so could he recover what he had once lost. He had been mistaken to think only by living forever and breaking the cycle could he regain his emotions. In truth, only by acting like the youth he was could indeed grant him the future he wished to see.
With the birth of a small flame in his heart, Qin Yun took action. Ignoring the storm raging overhead, Qin Yun dove into the maelstrom, seeking the blade he had let go previously. He regretted doing so; he should have never let it go. In fact, he should have stood his ground and slaughtered anything that came his way, even if it would have come at a cost, maybe even his life.
Indeed, he had been unsure whether he could have survived if someone of Ma Yongzheng's calibre truly wished him dead. While he could have resisted using all his means for a while, he would have lost in the end. Yet, this new blade offered him an opportunity to go beyond his current means. It was unlike most of what he had ever seen.
While Qin Yun possessed many weapons of superior strength within his black box, none could be used with his current strength. After all, they all required strict conditions to activate them, most of which couldn't be found in this world.
As Qin Yun couldn't depend on Qi to shield himself from the deadly winds, they ripped his robes apart, yet couldn't cut through his skin. While most of it was because of Qin Yun's refining of his body, some were also attributed to Lian Qian bearing the brunt of those winds.
While Qin Yun couldn't see much in that storm, he remembered where the blade had landed and could find his way even with his eyes closed. Besides, he could feel that blade calling to him as if it were a part of his body, something he had never known existed yet was now reunited.
Qin Yun dashed through the storm, quickly locating the hole. While Ma Yongzheng noticed him, he was much too preoccupied with Lian Qian to divert his attention. What could a minor character like Qin Yun do anyway?
As Qin Yun reached the bottom, he saw the blade he remembered waiting for him, still encased in the stone. Yet, before he could go for it, he only saw the glint of a blade reach for his throat.