The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

「Five days later...」

On an island in the Vast Sea Divine Palace, Shangguan Yue sat on a reef by the shore, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes, clear as autumn pools, watched the distant silhouette of the young man operating the Profound Vessel. She let out a long sigh and said, "I knew you would leave one day, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon..."

Her feelings for Qin Ya ran deep, but it wasn’t the romantic love others might have assumed. It was more of a reliance, a feeling so warm and comforting, just like when her father used to hold her and carry her everywhere as a child.

Suddenly, the Profound Vessel in the distance burst with a flash of light.

A pale blue curtain of light enveloped the Profound Vessel. Qin Ya stood at the bow, his expression solemn. His hands moved in a blur, True Essence surging as he wove one spell after another.

"It’s done."

The corners of Qin Ya’s mouth turned up slightly. After five days, he had finally grasped full control of the Profound Vessel. The blue curtain of light before him was a product of the vessel’s Defensive Array. It looked flimsy, but its defenses were not to be underestimated.

Even most Extraordinary Strong People would be unable to breach it.

"Brother Qin, you succeeded!"

Shangguan Yue waved at Qin Ya from outside the barrier of light.

At the sight of her, Qin Ya formed another spell to dismiss the barrier. He leaped down from the bow and landed in front of Shangguan Yue. "The Profound Vessels of the Vast Sea Divine Palace are truly marvelous," he said. "It took me five days, but I’ve finally managed to master this one."

Shangguan Yue gave a small laugh. "You truly are a genius, Brother Qin."

Her smile faded slightly as she asked with some hesitation, "Now that you’ve mastered the Profound Vessel, Brother Qin... when will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Oh."

A sudden silence fell between them. The usually cheerful and lively Shangguan Yue lowered her head, not saying a word, and Qin Ya found he didn’t know what to say either.

The two of them walked along the shore for a while.

Shangguan Yue suddenly stopped. "You will come back, right?" she asked.

"I will."

That simple answer was enough to make Shangguan Yue’s face break into a radiant smile.

The next day, Qin Ya left the Vast Sea Divine Palace.

There was no grand send-off, no sorrowful parting—just one man on one Profound Vessel. With Shangguan Yue and a few others watching, Qin Ya departed.

The sea breeze blew gently. Qin Ya looked out at the endless ocean and smiled faintly.

"This next part of the journey should be interesting."

"Yes, it will be very interesting!"

A cold voice suddenly cut in. A figure had appeared in the sky above the Profound Vessel, dressed in a black robe and radiating a cold, sinister aura.

His icy eyes, fixed on Qin Ya, held boundless killing intent.

"Heh. Island Master Lan. I trust you’ve been well."

A flicker of astonishment crossed Qin Ya’s face upon seeing the man, but it was quickly replaced by a nonchalant smile. Even so, his hands were already a blur, weaving the spells to activate the Profound Vessel’s Defensive Array. In an instant, the pale blue curtain of light enveloped the vessel once more.

"I didn’t expect you to master the Profound Vessel so quickly." A flash of surprise showed in Lan Qijin’s eyes before his expression turned cold again. "If I’m not mistaken, that batch of Profound Soldiers from a few days ago was your handiwork, wasn’t it?"

"Profound Soldiers? I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Island Master Lan."

"Hmph. Still playing dumb." Lan Qijin sneered, a hint of greed in his voice. "Chu Lingfeng from Guhong Island told me you had an incredible stroke of luck in the Hidden Dragon Valley Secret Realm. He said that besides this Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, you possess countless other priceless treasures. Those must be the Profound Soldiers he mentioned."

"Chu Lingfeng? Heh, so that’s who it was."

Qin Ya gave a cool smile. In his eyes, Chu Lingfeng was nothing more than a petty scoundrel who had made trouble for him at every turn back in Hidden Dragon Valley. To think he was still scheming in the shadows even here at the Vast Sea Divine Palace... It really brought a certain saying to mind.

’It’s easier to face a king than to deal with his lackeys.’

"So, what brings you all this way to see me off, Island Master Lan...?"

"Don’t ask what you already know," Lan Qijin sneered. "A Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, three hundred thousand catties of Primordial Stones... Qin Ya, you’re a walking Treasure Vault."

"And more importantly..." Lan Qijin’s eyes closed for a moment, then snapped open, blazing with boundless murderous intent. "Today, I will avenge my son’s death at your hands!"

With that, Lan Qijin thrust his palm down!

BOOM! The pale blue curtain of light around the Profound Vessel rippled violently.

"As expected of a Profound Vessel that costs tens of thousands of Primordial Stones to build. Its defenses are truly astonishing. However," he mused aloud, "this Defensive Array can only stop an average Extraordinary Strong Person, and it runs on Primordial Stones. How many of my attacks can it possibly withstand?"

Qin Ya understood Lan Qijin’s meaning perfectly. ’Once the Defensive Array’s Primordial Stones are depleted, I’ll have to replace them. The brief moment it takes to do so will be more than enough time for Lan Qijin to board the Profound Vessel and kill me.’

’Even with my Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, I wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.’

"Wait..." Qin Ya suddenly said.

"What, scared of dying already?" Lan Qijin sneered. He struck down with his palm again, making the Profound Vessel rock, but the blue barrier still shone brightly.

"Annoying!"

Lan Qijin’s brow twitched in annoyance. A heavy rain of palm strikes descended.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

The pale blue barrier, like the surface of a calm lake struck by a ten-thousand-catty boulder, began to fluctuate violently, looking as though it might shatter at any moment.

"I just have one question," Qin Ya said over the noise. "That member of the Demon Race who was hunting me... you sent him, didn’t you?"

Lan Qijin’s palm strikes paused, and his expression shifted. Then, he roared with laughter. "Fine, I’ll let you die with your answer! It’s true, I was the one who sent Ying San after you."

"No, no, no."

Qin Ya suddenly shook his head. "Ying San’s power was no less than your own. Why would he willingly take orders from you? There must be another reason."

"Correct. It wasn’t an order. It was a transaction."

"In exchange for my help in acquiring the Reversing Needle and releasing the Female Demon, he agreed to kill you. I never imagined you’d actually survive his attempt."

"You really are full of secrets!"

As he spoke, Lan Qijin’s hand curled into a claw. Boundless Primordial Qi surged, and his attack technique now contained a strange, corrosive aura—an aura Qin Ya recognized instantly. It was the same one he’d felt from Ying San.

This was a peculiar power: the Erosion Mysteries.

He struck, and the Palm Qi clung to the defensive barrier like a festering disease, eating away at it.

Immediately after, Lan Qijin struck again.

BOOM! Unable to withstand the relentless assault, the pale blue defensive barrier finally spiderwebbed with cracks and shattered. At the same instant, a crunching sound echoed from several points on the Profound Vessel—the sound of the Primordial Stones powering the array breaking apart.

"Sigh. It costs two hundred catties of Primordial Stones to run this Defensive Array. Thanks to you, I’ve just lost two hundred catties’ worth." Qin Ya picked up a dull, spent Primordial Stone that had rolled to his feet and sighed.

"With three hundred thousand catties of Primordial Stones in your possession, surely you aren’t crying over a measly two hundred, Master Qin," a laughing voice suddenly called out from inside the cabin.

Seeming utterly unsurprised, Qin Ya replied without turning around, "Every little bit counts, doesn’t it? You can compensate me for those two hundred catties of Primordial Stones."