Xuanyuan Quanlong

"Haha, you might not remember me, but I remember you. The Great Philosopher Qin that the outer sect disciples speak of. I saw you fighting Deacon Xiong outside just now, and even crippling that bully Wang He in front of him. I believe that your deeds will spread throughout the outer sect soon. I saw Senior Brother Qin on the way here, but I saw that you were packing up, so I didn't go up to disturb you." 

Xuanyuan Quanlong sighed emotionally. There was practically no one in the outer sect who could fight to a draw with Xiong Tie. Even he could not guarantee that he would be able to obtain an advantage in Xiong Tie's hands.

Since what Xiong Tie was most proud of was not that barbaric staff technique, but that defensive power that was like a turtle shell. Ordinary disciples were completely unable to move him in the slightest, and it was even extremely likely that they would be injured instead.

However, Qin Shu was able to break his iron rod with a punch, forcing him to retreat straight back. It could be seen that his strength was already on par with Xiong Tie, and might even be slightly higher.

"It is just my luck."

Qin Shu was sweating profusely. It had only been a while, but his glorious deeds had already spread. Presumably, Wang Ho should also know that Wang He had been crippled.

Soon, the two of them became familiar with each other. Qin Shu learned that Xuanyuan Quanlong came from the Great Martial Dynasty and was the sixth prince of the dynasty. Because he could not stand the constant scheming, he took the initiative to go to the Blackheaven Sect to practice martial arts and left the dark dynasty.

Like the princes and princesses from other dynasties or the disciples of large families, he cultivated in his courtyard and rarely went out.

On the other side, two disciples dressed in outer sect uniforms gathered together and were discussing something. Their gazes swept over Qin Shu from time to time. If Qin Shu was here, he would recognize the two of them, Li Wen and Li Wu.

The two of them were not only Wang He's loyal thugs, but they were also Qin Shu's sworn enemies. Back then, because of Qin Shu's report, the matter of the two of them robbing the servant disciples was exposed, and they suffered a lot of torture.

Therefore, they had always harbored hatred toward Qin Shu. When they learned that Xiong Tie had gone to look for Qin Shu, they were also happy for quite a while.

Now, it seemed that Xiong Tie had also fallen into Qin Shu's hands.

Li Wu looked at Qin Shu and felt his aura. Then, he looked at Li Wen with a puzzled expression and asked, "Brother, do you think that Qin Shu is really that strong? I see that his arms and legs are thin. It's already not bad if he can withstand one move from me."

"Aren't you talking nonsense? If he wasn't powerful, he wouldn't have been able to fight Xiong Tie to a draw. However, although we can't fight him head-on, we can do this..." Li Wen pulled Li Wu over and whispered a few words into his ear. Then, Li Wu walked to a disciple in the corner with a confused expression.

"Them?"

Qin Shu happened to see Li Wu at this moment and did not react for a moment.

"Oh, you mean the two brothers of the Li Family, Li Wen and Li Wu. I heard that they went out and got an opportunity. Both of them broke through to the Level 4 Qi Refinement. Now, one of them plans to train his body and the other is training his internal strength," Xuanyuan Quanlong explained when he saw Qin Shu looking at Li Wu.

"I see," Qin Shu pretended to be enlightened.

He did not care about the Li brothers. He just wanted to know what kind of divine opportunity it was that allowed two Level 2 Qi Refinement disciples to break through to the Level 4 Qi Refinement in an extremely short period.

This was much more useful than the Burning Blood Technique.

"I remember that they had some grudges with you, Senior Brother Qin. For this test, Brother Qin should be on guard to prevent this lowly one from harming you." Xuanyuan Quanlong seemed to recall something as he was reminded.

"No worries. I won't go looking for trouble, but if trouble comes knocking, I'll make sure they regret it so much," Qin Shu remarked casually, though he remained vigilant.

The two of them sat at the side and chatted. Pang Yuan also brought many disciples over. However, a few of them were surprised to see Qin Shu. In a short while, Qin Shu's deeds spread in this small room.

Suddenly, a loud, clear voice pierced through the room, attracting a gathering of people who watched intently, occasionally murmuring with restlessness.

"Let's check it out, Senior Brother Qin," Xuanyuan Quanlong suggested. He pulled Qin Shu along, and together, they joined the crowd.

"Who's involved now?"

They noticed a burly man seated at a table. Across from him was a sturdy-looking disciple whose wrist was pinned beneath the burly man's hand, and he seemed to be conceding defeat repeatedly.

"Oh, that's Zhao He challenging someone again," Xuanyuan Quanlong explained to a puzzled Qin Shu.

"Challenging in strength?" Qin Shu inquired further.

"Yes. Junior Brother Zhao comes from an Iron-armored Sect and now works as an instructor in the Zhao Family's dojo. He mentioned that he has been honing his physique since childhood, claiming that he could lift a thousand pounds by the age of seventeen. He's truly a Hercules of Black Dragon City."

Xuanyuan Quanlong glanced back at Zhao He, admiration evident in his eyes.

[Beep, the first form of the Great Strength Art has been detected. Do you want to spend five years of your lifespan to simplify it?]

"Great Strength Art?" Qin Shu muttered, gazing at the burly man engaged in the challenge.

"Brother Xuanyuan, does Senior Brother Zhao He practice the Great Strength Art?" Qin Shu asked, turning to Xuanyuan Quanlong.

"Huh? Yes, Zhao He indeed practices the Great Strength Art. Did Senior Brother Qin practice it too?" Xuanyuan Quanlong was lost in thought, and it was only when Qin Shu asked a question that he snapped back to reality. He gazed at Qin Shu with a contemplative expression and inquired.

"No, Brother Xuanyuan, you overestimate me. I've only heard of it and seen others practicing it. After seeing it again today, it just felt somewhat familiar," Qin Shu quickly clarified.

"I see. If you find it intriguing, feel free to stay and watch. I'll go observe the Origin Pattern Art. If you get bored, just come find me." 

Then, Xuanyuan Quanlong took strides and walked to another corner of the room. There, a few young men and women were gathered, drawing talismans. Among them, there was a slender young woman with an exceptionally enchanting figure and a captivating face. She delicately sketched something on a piece of paper.

"As expected, everyone is fascinated by beauty."

Qin Shu mused, shaking his head in amusement. He then accessed the system interface to review his progress.

[Name: Qin Shu]

[Lifespan: 21/35 years (4/365 days)]

[Realm: Level 5 Qi Refinement (102/500)]

[Cultivation Technique: Level 8 Life-Preserving Technique (Master-771/2000)]

[Level 9 Space-Breaking Fist (Proficiency-107/1000)]

[Level 9 Burning Blood Technique (Beginner-75/100)]

[Level 7 Great Strength Art, First Form (Can be simplified)]

"Simplify"

[Beep, Great Strength Art, First Form is undergoing simplification.]

[Great Strength Art, First Form is simplified. Great Strength Art → Bending Arms]

Qin Shu proceeded without hesitation, allowing five years of his lifespan to be deducted, leaving him with 30 years.

"It looks like I'll need some proper rest once I enter the inner sect. Otherwise, if I encounter a formidable cultivation technique in the future, I can only learn it rather than rely on these shortcuts." Qin Shu sighed as he reflected on the lifespan deduction.

"But what on earth is this 'Bending Arms' technique?"

Qin Shu couldn't help but look awkward as he reluctantly followed the system's instructions and began to bend his arm. To his surprise, "Great Strength Art Proficiency +1" appeared before his eyes.

"Hmm, it's quite something."

To divert his attention, Qin Shu shifted his body and continued to practice Space-Breaking Fist and review the Great Strength Art he had just learned.

"None of you can compare. In this outer court, aside from Xiong Tie, who can match my strength? I dare say few can even contend with me!" declared Zhao He, who had secured 11 consecutive victories. He shook his head confidently, gazing at the crowd.

"That's right, Senior Brother Zhao, you're unmatched."

"If it weren't for Brother Zhao's mercy, my arm would have been broken."

The onlookers engaged in lively discussions. Suddenly, someone recognized Qin Shu and appeared surprised.

"Isn't that Qin Shu? I heard he crippled Wang He's arms with his strength. He took on a group of Law Enforcement Hall disciples single-handedly and even snapped Deacon Xiong's iron rod in two!"

"Really? When did this happen?"

"Just now, didn't you see? When he threw that punch at Deacon Xiong, even Deacon Xiong seemed to take it seriously!"

"Seriously? If Senior Brother Qin were to challenge Senior Brother Zhao in strength, who do you think would win?"

"It's hard to tell. I heard Senior Brother Qin Shu is incredibly strong. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to break Deacon Xiong's iron rod."

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, and the chatter grew louder. 

Zhao He, seated at a table, stood up curiously upon hearing about Qin Shu's deeds and walked toward Qin Shu.

"What is Senior Brother Zhao planning to do?"

"Do you think he's going to attack Senior Brother Qin?"