13: Chapter 13 Han Qianqiu

The Origin Qi pressure of a Peak Guiyuan Realm expert descended like a physical weight, making the air feel as if it had solidified. Tie Yue's legs buckled, and he fell to one knee, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth to avoid collapsing. The Disciples behind him fared even worse; several at the Early Stage of the Ningyuan Realm collapsed directly to the ground, their faces pale and their breathing labored. Chen Yuanlang knelt on the ground, trembling all over, his eyes filled with terror. He stole a glance at Chen Yuanji, only to find the youth in green still standing where he was, his back straight and his expression unchanged.

How was this possible? Even Tie Yue, at the Middle Stage of the Guiyuan Realm, couldn't withstand Han Qianqiu's pressure. How could Chen Yuanji, a useless waste with withered yuan pulses, remain standing? Chen Yuanji stood with his hands behind his back, his internal Hidden Jin circulating and his blood surging to dissipate the external pressure layer by layer. While the Origin Qi pressure of a Peak Guiyuan Realm was formidable, pressure was ultimately just 'compression'—an outward force. As long as he could 'neutralize' this force, he would remain unaffected.

The core philosophy of Taiji—Neutralizing Jin. At his current level of Hidden Jin, he couldn't achieve complete neutralization, but he could still dissipate a portion of the pressure. The rest he endured with his Physical Body. A flash of surprise crossed Han Qianqiu's eyes. He had expected this youth, who lacked any Origin Qi fluctuations, to kneel immediately under his pressure; he hadn't expected him to remain motionless. This left him both surprised and annoyed.

“Interesting,” Han Qianqiu sneered. “No wonder you could kill a second-rank Yao Beast. But do you think this bit of skill is enough to stand before me?”

He raised his right hand, fingers splayed, and a blinding orb of Origin Qi condensed in his palm. The orb wasn't large—only the size of a fist—but the energy contained within caused Tie Yue's expression to change drastically.

“Yuanji, run!” Tie Yue roared.

Chen Yuanji didn't run. He stood his ground, calmly watching the orb in Han Qianqiu's palm while rapidly calculating the power gap between them. At the Peak of the Guiyuan Realm, the other's Origin Qi density was dozens of times his own; there was no chance of winning in a direct clash. But if he could get close...

“You refuse the easy way, so have it the hard way.” Han Qianqiu snorted and waved his right hand. The light orb whistled through the air, heading straight for Chen Yuanji's face. The orb's speed was incredible, reaching Chen Yuanji almost the instant it left Han Qianqiu's hand. Chen Yuanji moved; instead of retreating, he took a step forward. This step seemed risky, yet it landed him exactly to the side of the orb's flight path. Simultaneously, he raised his right hand, fingers spread, and used the 'Pengjin' of Taiji to lightly touch the side of the orb. Pengjin is the first of the eight Taiji techniques, an outward-expanding elastic force. It wasn't a head-on collision but rather using softness to overcome hardness, redirecting the opponent's power to the side. The light orb grazed Chen Yuanji's shoulder and exploded against a large tree behind him.

“Boom!” The thick tree, wide enough for three men to embrace, was blasted to splinters. Wood chips flew everywhere as a crater about a chang wide was blasted into the ground. Tie Yue sucked in a breath of cold air. If that hit a person, any Martial Artist below the Guiyuan Realm would surely die. Yet Chen Yuanji was unscathed. Han Qianqiu's pupils constricted slightly. He saw clearly that the youth hadn't taken the hit directly but had used a strange technique to lead the orb away.

“What Martial Skill is this?” Han Qianqiu asked in a low voice.

Chen Yuanji didn't answer. Without stopping, he closed in on Han Qianqiu. Bagua Zhang · Footwork · Mud-Wading Step. His feet glided across the ground, his pace as steady as if he were wading through mud—seemingly slow, but actually extremely fast. Within a few breaths, he had closed within three zhang of Han Qianqiu.

Han Qianqiu sneered, “Close combat? You're seeking death.” He flipped his right hand, and a longsword appeared. The blade was entirely silver-white, emitting a piercing cold light. Origin Qi from the Peak Guiyuan Realm flooded the blade, causing the sword glow to surge by three feet as he lunged at Chen Yuanji's chest. This strike was fast and ruthless, sealing off all of Chen Yuanji's paths of retreat.

Chen Yuanji didn't retreat. He turned sideways to avoid the sword's point, his left fingers hooking like a claw to catch the blade. Hidden Jin · Eagle Catch. The moment his fingers touched the blade, the Hidden Jin erupted, sending a vibrating force along the sword to Han Qianqiu's wrist. Han Qianqiu's wrist went numb, nearly causing him to lose his grip. Startled, he hurriedly surged his Origin Qi to suppress it, only to find the vibrating force like a maggot in his bones, crawling up through his Meridians.

“Damn it!” Han Qianqiu retreated abruptly to create distance, simultaneously forcing the Hidden Jin out of his body with his Origin Qi. He only stabilized himself after backing away five zhang, looking down at his right hand. There was a bruise on his wrist that throbbed with pain. His expression turned completely dark. A waste without Origin Qi had actually managed to injure him? “You're dead!” Han Qianqiu was enraged. His Peak Guiyuan Realm Origin Qi erupted fully as he charged at Chen Yuanji like a meteor. A sword glow over a chang long condensed on his blade, radiating a terrifying momentum.

Chen Yuanji's eyes narrowed. He couldn't block this strike. No matter how strong his Hidden Jin was, it couldn't pierce the full-power Origin Qi protection of a Peak Guiyuan Realm expert. Taking it head-on would only result in being torn apart by the sword glow. Just as he was about to dodge, an elderly voice drifted down from the sky.

“Since when has the Tiandao Sect become so shameless?” The voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. It was followed by a pressure as vast as the sea, many times stronger than Han Qianqiu's.

Han Qianqiu's body stiffened instantly, his sword glow dissipating immediately. He was pinned down as if by an invisible giant hand, unable to move. A gray figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Chen Yuanji.

Elder Xuan! He was still wearing that same dusty gray robe, his hair white and his face thin, looking just like an ordinary old man. But at this moment, the aura he radiated turned Han Qianqiu's face deathly pale.

“Se... Senior, who are you?” Han Qianqiu's voice trembled. Someone who could immobilize a Peak Guiyuan Realm expert like him had to be at least at the Shentong Realm or higher. Such beings were Elder-level figures even within the Tiandao Sect.

“Who I am is not for you to know,” Elder Xuan said indifferently. “Go back and tell your Tiandao Sect that I am protecting this boy. Anyone who wants to touch him must go through me first.”

Han Qianqiu gritted his teeth. “Senior, this person is suspected of practicing an evil art. My Tiandao Sect...”

“Evil art?” Elder Xuan laughed. “When your Tiandao Sect wiped out the Martial Dao Divine Court, you used the same excuse of 'evil arts.' It’s been over a thousand years, and you’re still using the same old trick. Don't you get tired of it?”

Han Qianqiu's face changed drastically. The matter of the Martial Dao Divine Court had long been forgotten by ordinary Martial Artists, but it remained a taboo among the high-ranking members. For this old man to dare mention it publicly, he was either a madman or someone who didn't fear the Tiandao Sect at all.

“I will certainly convey Senior's words,” Han Qianqiu said, sheathing his sword and bowing with cupped hands. “Farewell.”

He turned and flew away as a streak of light, not once looking back. He had arrived arrogant and overbearing, but he left in a pathetic state. Elder Xuan turned around and looked Chen Yuanji up and down. “Are you injured?”

“No,” Chen Yuanji shook his head. “Thank you, Elder Xuan.”

“No need for thanks; I promised to protect you,” Elder Xuan waved him off. “But you've got some nerve, kid, daring to challenge a Peak Guiyuan Realm head-on. That claw strike wasn't bad; you gave him quite a bit of trouble.”

“It's a pity I couldn't pierce his Origin Qi protection,” Chen Yuanji said with some regret.

“It's normal that you couldn't; it would be strange if you did,” Elder Xuan rolled his eyes. “Hidden Jin is strong, but your Realm isn't high enough yet. Once you reach Neutralizing Jin, a Guiyuan Realm's Origin Qi protection will be as thin as paper.”

Their conversation reached the ears of Tie Yue and the others, leaving them all dumbstruck. This seemingly ordinary old man was actually a powerhouse at least at the Shentong Realm? Moreover, he called Chen Yuanji 'kid' with such familiarity; they were clearly well-acquainted. Tie Yue recalled the mysterious old man in the Marquis's back mountains and realized the truth. No wonder Chen Yuanji had become so strong in such a short time; he had the guidance of such a master. Chen Yuanlang knelt on the ground, his face pale. He had originally hoped to use the Family's power to deal with Chen Yuanji, but now that thought seemed utterly ridiculous.

“Elder Xuan, what about the matter you were investigating?” Chen Yuanji asked.

Elder Xuan's expression became solemn. “I found out. But first, let me ask: did you enter a stone palace and take a scroll of silk and a black stone from inside?”

Chen Yuanji's heart skipped a beat. “How did Elder Xuan know?”

“Because I entered that stone palace three hundred years ago,” Elder Xuan sighed. “That black stone you took is called a 'martial dao source stone,' a supreme treasure of the Martial Dao Divine Court. When the Martial Dao Divine Court was destroyed, all the martial dao source stones were seized by the Tiandao Sect. Only this one remained because it was hidden in the ruins.”

“What is the use of the martial dao source stone?”

“It has many uses,” Elder Xuan lowered his voice. “It allows you to directly absorb the Origin Qi of heaven and earth to temper your body without cultivating Origin Qi. In other words, it can accelerate your Guoshu cultivation.”

Chen Yuanji's eyes lit up. His Guoshu cultivation speed was already three times faster than in his previous life. If he added the martial dao source stone...

“Don't get excited too soon,” Elder Xuan doused his enthusiasm. “The Tiandao Sect has been searching for martial dao source stones. By taking this, you have effectively made yourself a mortal enemy of the Tiandao Sect. Once Han Qianqiu returns, the Tiandao Sect will surely send even stronger people.”

“Then what should I do?”

“What to do? Run,” Elder Xuan said. “Leave Qingzhou, leave Great Yan, and go somewhere beyond the reach of the Tiandao Sect's influence.”

Chen Yuanji was silent for a moment. “Where to?”

“The Eastern Desolate Region.” A sharp light flashed in Elder Xuan's eyes. “That is the territory of the Yao Race, where human factions cannot easily penetrate. No matter how strong the Tiandao Sect is, they won't dare to act recklessly in the Eastern Desolate Region.”

“Eastern Desolate Region...” Chen Yuanji repeated the words.

“Furthermore, I have an old friend in the Eastern Desolate Region who can give you temporary shelter.” Elder Xuan patted Chen Yuanji's shoulder. “Kid, your path in Qingzhou has reached its end. It's time to go and see the wider world.”

Chen Yuanji looked up toward the distance. In the direction of Qingzhou City, smoke rose from kitchen chimneys, peaceful and serene. But he knew this peace would soon be shattered. The Tiandao Sect would not let him go. The Marquis's Estate would no longer be his sanctuary; it was time to leave.

“Give me three days,” Chen Yuanji said. “I will leave after I've handled the matters at the Marquis's Estate.”

“Very well,” Elder Xuan nodded. “I will wait for you here in three days.” His figure blurred and he disappeared into the sky.

Tie Yue stood up and walked to Chen Yuanji, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Enshrined Master Tie, please speak your mind.”

“Yuanji, are you really leaving?” Tie Yue asked.

“Staying here will only bring trouble to the Marquis's Estate,” Chen Yuanji said calmly. “The Tiandao Sect's target is me. Once I'm gone, the Marquis's Estate will be safe.”

Tie Yue was silent for a long time before finally sighing. “As for the Marquis...”

“I will go and tell him personally.”

Chen Yuanji turned to look at Chen Yuanlang. Chen Yuanlang was kneeling on the ground, trembling, not daring to meet his eyes. “Chen Yuanlang,” Chen Yuanji called his name. Chen Yuanlang looked up, his eyes full of fear.

“I won't settle past accounts anymore,” Chen Yuanji said indifferently. “But from now on, if you ever bully the innocent again, I will not show any mercy.” With that, he stopped looking at Chen Yuanlang and turned to walk toward Qingzhou City. The setting sun stretched his shadow very, very long.