The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Leaving the study, Muu Yao’s brow was furrowed with worry. Though Qin Ya’s name had spread throughout the Imperial Capital, he held out no hope that a teenager could cure a bizarre poison that had stumped countless Pill Masters.

’No, I have to go see for myself just how capable this kid is.’ Muu Yao muttered, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He was a prodigy himself, having reached the Earth Element Realm at a young age—a cut above the likes of Wang Yan.

He was quite curious about this Qin Ya, who had recently shot to fame.

「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」

A young man with a resolute expression, dressed in a tight black robe, strolled along a path in Mingxin Academy. A faint smile touched his lips as he murmured, ’It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Academy. I kind of miss it.’

Like Muu Xue, Muu Yao had also studied at Mingxin Academy for a time. He left five years ago, however, to take command of a Red Flame Army unit and has been on campaigns ever since. His rank of Major General was not merely from his background; more importantly, it was earned through the combat merits he had accumulated through years of struggle.

Stopping a student, Muu Yao asked, "Excuse me, do you know where Teacher Qin Ya lives? I have some business with him."

"Ask someone else..." The student waved his hand impatiently, but as he turned to leave, a crushing pressure suddenly bore down on him. He stared at Muu Yao, his eyes filling with terror. The man before him seemed to have transformed into a ferocious, domineering tiger. A cold sweat broke out on his back, and he stammered, "I... I-I don’t know either."

"You don’t know?"

"That’s right, I’m not one of his students. But you can try asking at the Inquiry Pavilion. They have information on all the teachers there."

Muu Yao suddenly recalled that the Academy did indeed have such a place. He remarked with a sigh, ’All these years of fighting must have addled my brain. My memory’s getting worse and worse.’ Patting the student on the shoulder, Muu Yao smiled and said, "Thanks for the help."

Watching Muu Yao depart, the student finally breathed a sigh of relief. ’Who was that?’ he wondered, his heart still pounding. ’His presence was terrifying.’

After inquiring about Qin Ya at the Inquiry Pavilion and learning his address, Muu Yao headed straight for Ningxiang Pavilion.

With his swift pace, he arrived in no time, just in time to see Leng Ningshuang meditating by the lake. A flash of awe crossed his eyes. ’What a beautiful woman. I’d heard Qin Ya had an era-defining beauty with him, and it looks like the rumors were true. That kid sure is lucky.’

Just then, Qin Ya walked out slowly, his gaze landing on Muu Yao in the distance. Muu Yao happened to look up at the same moment. Their eyes met, and both men began to size the other up, each inwardly surprised.

One was as aggressive as fire, like an unrivaled general on the battlefield.

The other was as deep as an abyss, a bottomless void whose depths were impossible to fathom.

"You must be Teacher Qin Ya," Muu Yao said, slowly walking over. His tone was firm. Though they had never met, Muu Yao knew at first glance that this was the man.

It was a baseless, yet completely accurate, intuition.

"And you are..." Qin Ya was puzzled. This man seemed faintly familiar. After a moment’s observation, he realized the man’s features bore a slight resemblance to Muu Xue’s, but his aura was entirely different.

The young man before him looked ordinary at first glance, but he radiated an immense, powerful aura—a subtle pressure laced with faint, almost imperceptible traces of... Evil Qi!

This was a man seasoned by the slaughter of the battlefield.

This was Qin Ya’s first impression, and it made him wary. A Martial Artist forged in real combat and slaughter possessed combat strength far beyond that of an ordinary practitioner of the same Realm.

"My name is Muu Yao. Muu Xue’s brother."

"No wonder there’s a resemblance. Is there something you need?" Qin Ya asked.

At that moment, Leng Ningshuang also sensed Muu Yao’s arrival. She exited her meditative state and slowly opened her eyes, a frigid glint flashing within them. As she let out a soft breath, the very air before her condensed into frost.

’Such potent cold energy.’ Muu Yao was surprised. He hadn’t expected that Leng Ningshuang, whose Cultivation only seemed to be at the Profound Origin Realm, could possess such a frosty aura. ’It seems the people around this Teacher Qin are anything but simple.’

Leng Ningshuang glanced at Muu Yao curiously, then, accustomed to such visits, she walked back into the pavilion. ’So many people have been looking for Brother Qin lately,’ she thought. ’I’ll have to work even harder if I want to be able to help him.’

"There is indeed something I need to confirm."

Muu Yao smiled faintly. In the next instant, his figure erupted forward, appearing before Qin Ya like a sudden gale as he thrust a claw-hand toward his shoulder.

"Hmph..." Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed. Just as the claw-hand was about to seize his shoulder, his Chasing Wind and Shadow Technique flared to life.

WHOOSH...

Qin Ya’s figure vanished in an instant. A glint flashed in Muu Yao’s eyes as he let out a low chuckle, his own form blurring into motion.

Immediately after, BANG, BANG, BANG...

Two figures flickered through the air, their movements sending out endless ripples. Thunderous booms echoed as if two ancient Fierce Beasts were clashing, their speed so incredible they were nothing but blurs.

Their battle raged from the clearing beside Ningxiang Pavilion to the lakeshore and then into the forest, leaving devastation and clouds of dust in their wake. The commotion naturally drew the two women out of the building to see what was happening.

All they could see were two flickering black shadows. Even with their Cultivation, they were unable to track the figures’ movements. And it wasn’t as if their own progress had stalled; Leng Ningshuang’s aptitude could only be described as demonic, as she had already reached Profound Origin Perfection in a short time. Qin Yuxiang was no slouch either, now at the Fourth-Grade Spiritual Element Realm—a level that would have made her the undisputed top expert in Anxing City.

Furthermore, because they practiced high-level Cultivation Techniques, their combat prowess far exceeded that of typical Martial Artists at the same Realm. Even so, faced with two fighters moving with phantom-like speed, they were utterly unable to track their movements.

"What’s going on? Why is Xiaoya fighting someone?"

"I’m not sure. Someone came looking for Brother Qin just now. He didn’t seem to have any ill intent, but I don’t know why they started fighting."

"Honestly, that Xiaoya... he’s always getting into trouble," Qin Yuxiang said with a helpless sigh.

BOOM...

The two clashed with a palm strike, and the powerful shockwave obliterated the nearby trees. Then, their battle moved from the forest out onto the lake.

The lake churned and the waves surged as if a Flood Dragon were wreaking havoc within its depths, sending hundred-zhang columns of water into the air. In the span of a dozen breaths, the two had already exchanged several hundred palm strikes.

With one final palm strike, they were both sent flying back.

Qin Ya tapped his feet on the emerald water, skipping across the surface like a dragonfly to land on the shore in an instant. Muu Yao was no less impressive, his body streaking across the water like a rainbow to land opposite Qin Ya, his expression radiant and full of fighting spirit.

They had only fought for a moment, but a searing War Intent was already rising in his heart. It was the same feeling as charging into an army of thousands to take the enemy general’s head—an excitement so intense it made his blood boil.

Muu Yao stared at Qin Ya, his voice tinged with excitement. "You truly are the genius who killed Wang Yan. Your reputation is well-deserved."

"What was that all about?" Qin Ya asked coolly. Though he sensed no malice from Muu Yao, the inexplicable fight still annoyed him—especially since the man before him was clearly far more powerful than the likes of Wang Yan.