The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Outside the Wang Family’s main gate, Nanle, dressed in tattered armor, had a clearly anxious expression on his face. His gaze was fixed on the gate. As time slowly ticked by, Nanle grew more and more agitated, pacing back and forth.

’Benefactor, why hasn’t he come out yet? Don’t tell me...’

Nanle’s expression changed. ’I know Qin Ya is formidable, but the Wang Family is a renowned family in the Imperial Capital, with countless experts. At the end of the day, Qin Ya is just a young man about my age. How powerful can he really be?’

"Why do you think this Qin Ya hasn’t come out after being in there for so long?"

"Heh, don’t tell me he was killed by the Wang Family."

"That’s impossible. Even if there’s a deep-seated hatred, given Qin Ya’s status, the Wang Family wouldn’t dare to openly make an enemy of His Majesty."

.........

Listening to the crowd’s discussion, Nanle was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Qin Ya to be so well-known in the Imperial Capital. Just as he was growing restless with anxiety, a figure in white walked out of the Wang Family’s main gate.

"Benefactor, are you alright?"

Nanle immediately rushed up to him and asked.

Qin Ya smiled faintly and said, "I’m fine."

Hearing this, Nanle finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, his expression turned serious as he knelt, kowtowed three times, and said, "I, Nanle, thank you, Benefactor. I am willing to offer my humble self to serve you loyally, to toil for you like a horse or an ox."

"Heh, just follow me for now." Qin Ya gave a faint smile.

At his words, Nanle quickly got up and followed closely behind Qin Ya.

.........

「Inside Ningxiang Pavilion, by the lake.」

Nanle had changed into a clean, cyan long robe. With his handsome features, he looked rather gentle and frail, very much like a well-read scholar.

"Saving you was just something I did along the way. Besides, I don’t need any servants." Qin Ya looked at the stubbornly determined Nanle before him and said with a hint of resignation, "You are a free man now."

"No! How can I not repay the kindness of saving my life?"

"And you think toiling like an ox and horse is repayment? I could go to the Black Market and buy a maid who would do a better job than you. You should just leave," Qin Ya said flatly.

Hearing this, Nanle’s face turned pale. ’He’s right. I’m just a Martial Artist at the Human Element Realm. What could I possibly do to help my benefactor?’ At this thought, Nanle couldn’t help but feel dejected. ’I really am useless.’

Seeing Nanle’s spirits fall, Qin Ya gave an indifferent smile and paid him no more mind.

The wind rustled through Ningxiang Pavilion time and again. Evening arrived as the sun sank in the west.

Qin Yuxiang looked at Nanle, who had been standing by the lake all day, and said to Qin Ya, "Xiaoya, that boy has been standing there for a whole day. What exactly are you planning to do?"

"He’s a diamond in the rough, just a bit stubborn." Qin Ya took a sip of wine, his gaze on Nanle filled with admiration. He continued, "His aptitude is extraordinary, but he doesn’t know it himself. If he dedicates himself to Martial Arts, he will surely achieve great things in the future."

"Ah, extraordinary aptitude?" A hint of doubt appeared in Leng Ningshuang’s beautiful eyes. "Brother Qin, you’re not mistaken, are you? From what I can see, his Cultivation is only at the Human Element Realm. You call that extraordinary aptitude?"

"Heh, you little rascal. Don’t you trust my judgment?"

"It’s not that, I’m just a little surprised."

Qin Ya smiled faintly. "His Talent is like yours; he possesses a special bloodline, it just hasn’t awakened yet. Once it does, his Talent will likely be no less than yours. The world will have another genius then."

"That’s not necessarily true," Leng Ningshuang pouted.

Qin Ya gave a helpless smile. "Ningshuang, you possess the Profound Yin Bloodline, and your Talent already surpasses most people in the world. But you’re not the only one with such Talent, so you must work hard."

"I know," Leng Ningshuang said playfully, sticking out her tongue.

After long contemplation, Nanle’s gaze grew firm. He walked into Ningxiang Pavilion, greeted the two of them, and then said to Qin Ya, "Benefactor, I know my strength is insufficient to be of any help to you. Please, give me a chance."

"What kind of chance?"

"A chance to become stronger! Please, Benefactor, show me the way!"

The path of Martial Arts was treacherous and fraught with peril; one careless step could lead to eternal damnation. Nanle had no connections, no Cultivation Technique, and no resources. It was easy to imagine the difficulty of advancing far on this path, yet he had no regrets.

In this world, strength reigns supreme!

Without strength, one could not control their own destiny.

He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to grasp his own destiny. And without strength, he would have no way to repay Qin Ya’s kindness.

Qin Ya smiled faintly, took a simple, ancient book from his robes, and handed it to Nanle. "This is a Celestial-Level Technique, the Supreme Yang Divine Technique. You possess a special Bloodline Power. If you can awaken it, your future achievements will certainly not be low. This is all I can do to help you. From now on, you’re on your own!"

A Celestial-Level Technique!?

Nanle’s mind reeled. Although his Cultivation was low, he still had some common knowledge. He was well aware of how precious a Celestial-Level Technique was. You might not even be able to find a single one in the entire Yunxiao Empire.

He never expected Qin Ya to just hand it to him like that.

Taking the secret manual, Nanle looked deeply at Qin Ya and said, "Wait for me!"

With that, Nanle turned and left.

In the setting sun, his shadow stretched long behind him. Qin Ya suddenly had a feeling he had just set a future, supreme expert on his path...

’Just how high will you climb, Nanle?’

Muttering to himself, Qin Ya then sank back into his Cultivation.

「Two days passed in the blink of an eye.」

On this day, Qin Ya sat by the lake, the True Essence in his body surging through his meridians like a great river, letting out a series of whistling sounds. Suddenly, Qin Ya took a deep breath. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, drawn in by some unknown force, swarmed into his body. It transformed into vast True Essence and poured into his Qi Sea.

The incredibly dense Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi actually formed a visible vortex around Qin Ya. At the center of the vortex, Qin Ya was like a whale, continuously absorbing the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi as his aura grew stronger and stronger.

Abruptly, Qin Ya’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. His aura reached its peak. Suddenly, a deafening BANG erupted from within his body, as if some shackle had been broken. His aura surged explosively once more.

’The Earth Element Realm... I’ve made it.’

His True Essence surged. With a simple clench of his bare hand, he created a sonic boom in the air.

Just as Qin Ya was reveling in his delight, a burst of cold energy suddenly erupted from Ningxiang Pavilion not far away. The intensity of this cold energy was almost on par with Qin Ya’s own.

Wherever it passed, the grass and trees withered, and the air itself seemed to condense into frost.

"Heh, that little rascal finally broke through to the Spiritual Element Realm. It seems Nanle’s situation spurred her on a bit." Qin Ya gave an indifferent smile, then stood up and walked into Ningxiang Pavilion. The endless cold energy had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Brother Qin, I finally broke through!"

The moment he stepped into Ningxiang Pavilion, an overjoyed Leng Ningshuang leaped at him, throwing her arms around his neck and exclaiming excitedly, "Brother Qin, I broke through to the Spiritual Element Realm!"

"Alright, alright, you’re amazing. Now hurry up and get down. You’re about to break my neck," Qin Ya said with a helpless sigh.