The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Twelve days. Twelve days had passed since the end of the Ancient King’s banquet. However, a large number of the Martial Artists who attended had yet to leave. Some of them coveted the Spiritual Artifact and Primordial Stones in Qin Ya’s possession, while others were simply lingering on the small islands outside Liubo Island, waiting for a show.

"Heh, so much happened at this year’s Ancient King’s banquet. And every single thing was enough to shake the entire Celestial Dragon Sea Region." On a small island outside Liubo Island, numerous Martial Artists gathered in small groups, chatting idly.

A Sky-Controlling Martial Artist chuckled as he spoke, and his companion replied, "Indeed. Setting aside the Spiritual Artifact, that fluctuation of Pill Qi a few days ago... it was definitely a Spirit Pill materializing. The appearance of a Pill King is sure to shake the entire Southern Domain."

"A Pill King... Who knows how many years it’s been since one has last appeared."

"There are a few Quasi-Pill Kings in the Southern Domain, but we’ve never seen a true Pill King," a Martial Artist said with a sigh. "Now that one has emerged on Liubo Island, I’m sure the news will spread throughout the entire Southern Domain before long."

"Compared to the Pill King, I’m more interested in what fate awaits that brat, Qin Ya," another Sky-Controlling Martial Artist said, his face full of mockery, clearly eager for some drama.

"Tch, his fate is already obvious. He’s carrying a priceless treasure. The moment he steps off Liubo Island, he’s a dead man." At this, the Martial Artist sighed. "It’s just a shame our strength is so meager. We can’t compete with those powers backed by Celestial Human experts."

"Yeah, I wonder who the Spiritual Artifact will ultimately go to."

A shifty-eyed Martial Artist chuckled sinisterly. "From what I’ve seen, there are thirteen factions lying in wait outside Liubo Island. But the three strongest are the Yun Family, the Shangguan Family, and the Brocade Cloud Palace. These three are the most powerful."

"Aside from them, there’s also the Lion Palace, the Purple Luo Family, and a few other formidable factions. Still, they’re a notch below the Brocade Cloud Palace and the other two."

"Everyone, look!!"

At that moment, a Martial Artist’s pupils constricted. He pointed toward Liubo Island and shouted.

The crowd followed his gaze. An unmarked Profound Vessel was sailing out slowly, and at its bow stood a slender figure dressed in white.

「On the coast of Liubo Island.」

The Ancient King and Yur Piaoyun stood side-by-side, facing the sea breeze. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Master Qin, I wish you a safe journey," the Ancient King said with a smile, cupping his fists in a farewell gesture.

As for Yur Piaoyun, his face was filled with reluctance. ’He’s a true Pill King! Receiving guidance from a Pill King is every Alchemist’s dream. After only a few days with him, I can already feel the bottleneck in my Alchemy Dao starting to loosen. It’s obvious I’m on the verge of another breakthrough!’

After Qin Ya’s vessel had sailed some distance away, the smile on the Ancient King’s face gradually faded. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he said icily, "I hope those people know what’s good for them. Otherwise, the waters around Liubo Island are about to be filled with a great many corpses."

"I really don’t understand why Master Qin refused our help."

"Perhaps it’s the pride every genius Martial Artist possesses."

「Meanwhile, the waters outside Liubo Island had descended into chaos.」

"Look, the kid’s leaving the island!"

"Damn it! After waiting more than ten days, he’s finally decided to come out."

"Haha, this is hilarious. He actually dared to show himself."

The crowd of Martial Artists stared at the Profound Vessel, their eyes filled with a mixture of mockery, regret, and pity. Not a single person believed Qin Ya could possibly keep the Spiritual Artifact.

WHOOSH! Suddenly, a black shadow erupted from the surface of the sea with the speed of a thunderclap, too fast to be seen. Kicking up a spray of water, it lunged toward Qin Ya in the blink of an eye. A jet-black dagger in its hand cut through the air like a dark glint, aimed straight for Qin Ya’s neck. The speed, precision, angle, and timing of the attack were all executed to perfection.

This assassination attempt was, without a doubt, a masterwork of the highest caliber.

"Damn it, who is that?!"

"This won’t do! That Spiritual Artifact belongs to our Shangguan Family, and no one is taking it from us!"

The many Martial Artists who had been eyeing Qin Ya like prey were startled by this sudden turn of events. Immediately, they burst from their own Profound Vessels and shot toward Qin Ya.

An uninformed observer might have thought they were worried about Qin Ya’s safety.

But everyone there knew they only cared about the priceless treasure.

The jet-black dagger glimmered with a dark light as it closed in on Qin Ya’s neck. He could practically feel the chilling intent emanating from the blade.

A flash of excitement crossed the assassin’s face. He could already picture Qin Ya’s blood spraying through the air. ’The Spiritual Artifact and Primordial Stones are all mine!’

’Wait. He’s smiling. How can he possibly be smiling?!’

Suddenly, the assassin saw the corners of Qin Ya’s mouth curl into a slight smile, and an intense chill shot through his heart. The next moment, his dagger sliced through Qin Ya’s neck without any obstruction. That was right—no obstruction. He hadn’t felt the slightest bit of resistance.

He spun around, only to see Qin Ya’s figure slowly fade away.

"This is... an afterimage!" The assassin’s pupils shrank in disbelief. ’How fast does someone have to be to create an afterimage?!’

’Escape! I have to get out of here immediately!’

If the first strike fails, flee a thousand miles. This was the assassin’s code, something he had always lived by, especially when his target’s strength proved to be far greater than he had imagined.

"Leave your life behind."

A phantom-like voice drifted into his ear. A cold sensation touched his neck, and his consciousness began to recede. His body went limp, as if boneless, and slumped to the ground.

There was no trace of blood on his neck, only a faint layer of Frost. A moment later, a tiny, ice-blue Flame flickered within the Frost, incinerating the body to ash in the blink of an eye. Standing to the side, Qin Ya apathetically retracted his finger.

The wisp of cold qi on his fingertip slowly dissipated.

Admittedly, the assassin’s attack had been nearly impossible to defend against. However, Qin Ya had been on full alert from the moment he left the island. Moreover, having comprehended the Mysterious Speed up to the First Heaven, his own speed was several times greater than the assassin’s. Therefore, despite the suddenness of the attack, Qin Ya was able to counter without the slightest panic.

After killing the shadowy assassin, Qin Ya’s expression remained indifferent. He looked at the dozens of Extraordinary Martial Artists who had now arrived before him, a bone-chilling light glinting in his eyes.

The crowd arrived just in time to witness Qin Ya kill the assassin, and looks of sheer horror flashed in their eyes. They knew that if they had been the ones to face that seemingly perfect sneak attack, none of them were confident they would have survived.

Let alone turning the tables and killing the attacker. This young man’s strength was terrifyingly high!

However, they showed no signs of fear. ’So what if he’s strong?’ they thought. ’There are so many of us here. We could overwhelm him with sheer numbers alone.’

"Qin Ya, hand over the Spiritual Artifact, and we’ll spare your life!" a Sky-Controlling High Rank Martial Artist shouted, stepping forward with a stern expression.

"That’s right! With so many Extraordinary experts gathered here, there’s no way you can hold onto it."

"Exactly! Hurry up and hand it over!"

The weaker Extraordinary Martial Artists knew they had no chance of vying for the Spiritual Artifact, so they stood aside to watch the drama unfold. The ones now confronting Qin Ya were almost all Sky-Controlling High Rank experts. Their combined presence created a colossal aura, crashing down on Qin Ya like a mountain collapsing into the sea.

Any Martial Artist with a weaker will would have already fallen to their knees, begging for mercy.

Yet Qin Ya’s expression remained unchanged, a faint, detached smile gracing his lips. To him, the formidable pressure from the crowd of Extraordinary Martial Artists felt as gentle as a spring breeze.