Qin Feiyu's words and actions left Zhao Long seething with rage. His entire body trembled with barely restrained fury, and he wanted nothing more than to rush forward and tear Qin Feiyu apart. If it weren't for Lin Qian's strict order not to act rashly, he wouldn't have been able to hold back this long.
At that moment, Lin Qian seemed unfazed by Qin Feiyu's insults, calmly cupping his hands and addressing the surrounding crowd, "Everyone, I have something important to share. This so-called 'ancient relic' in this small world is actually a trap set by the Swift Shadow Clan and the Formless Clan."
"These two alien clans infiltrated this small world long before we arrived. They have already altered both the human and sea clan fortresses. Once we enter, they'll activate their modified formations to refine us into blood essence. However, if we don't step inside, we'll be safe."
Lin Qian's sudden announcement caught everyone off guard. The news was so unexpected that it left many stunned, unable to immediately process what they had just heard.
As Lin Qian finished speaking, many of the gathered cultivators fell into deep thought, carefully weighing the possibility of his claim.
"Is this true?" one of the young talents cautiously asked, clearly uncertain.
Without saying another word, Lin Qian waved his hand, and two figures dressed in green armor suddenly emerged from the forest.
The appearance of the two Gales surprised the crowd, especially when they saw that the Gales were carrying two corpses. The corpses, with their pale, almost translucent skin and long, transparent hair, were distinctly non-human, which made many start to believe Lin Qian's words.
"In this forest space, there are four fortresses: one for humans, one for sea clans, one for the Swift Shadow Clan, and one for the Formless Clan. We previously visited the Swift Shadow Clan's fortress and found that it was merely a resting area, not a place storing treasures," Lin Qian explained.
"You might want to cross-check with others to see when they received the notification that there were treasures here. If this truly is a trial set by the small world, everyone should have received the notice at the same time."
Lin Qian's words prompted the crowd to start verifying with one another. After they compared their notes, many of them wore dark expressions.
If it weren't for Lin Qian's suggestion, who would have thought to ask others when they had been informed of the treasures in the fortress? Indeed, if this were part of the small world's trial, the timing of the notifications should have been synchronized, not staggered.
Some speculated that the order in which they received the messages might have depended on when they passed through various trials. However, this theory was quickly debunked when they realized there was no correlation between when they entered the forest and when they received the messages.
"Do you seriously believe some random nobody who just showed up?" Qin Feiyu's voice cut through the murmurs, silencing the crowd as they turned their attention to him.
Qin Feiyu raised his sword-like brows and sneered at Lin Qian. "Only someone as weak as you would resort to such tactics."
With all eyes on him, Qin Feiyu spread his arms confidently. "Think about it. If we listen to this lowlife and back off from entering the fortress, won't he just seize the opportunity to take everything for himself?"
Many in the crowd nodded in agreement, their expressions growing hostile toward Lin Qian. Compared to Lin Qian, who had just appeared, Qin Feiyu's words carried far more weight.
"Besides, these so-called 'alien' corpses look suspiciously similar to humans," Qin Feiyu continued, pointing at Lin Qian with a sharp accusation. "How dare you mutilate human remains to deceive everyone here, you scum!"
"Even though you insulted my sister, I was willing to let it slide and just tell you to get lost. But you had to go and spread lies, trying to lead everyone astray."
Qin Feiyu cupped his hands toward the crowd and suggested, "Everyone, let's deal with this liar first, then we can discuss what to do with the fortress."
"Well said!"
"Thanks to the Third Prince for pointing that out; we could have been fooled."
Many of the young talents from lesser powers eagerly thanked Qin Feiyu, their gazes toward Lin Qian now filled with hostility. Those from powers on par with the Qin Dynasty, however, continued to scrutinize the bodies, still unconvinced.
They wouldn't let Qin Feiyu's words sway their judgment so easily. In fact, they had already noticed some irregularities.
"If you lay a hand on him, Qin Feiyu, I won't hesitate to challenge you." At that moment, a figure stepped forward from the crowd. The appearance of this person caused many to look on with apprehension.
Even Li Yunfeng and Yang Tianhao, who stood by Lin Qian, had their expressions change upon seeing the newcomer.
Noticing their reaction, Lin Qian quickly deduced that they recognized this young man.
As the young man walked closer, Lin Qian realized he had seen this person before. When the scouting beasts had surveyed the surroundings, Zhuge Ming had reported this man's exceptional performance.
He had effortlessly killed every soul beast he encountered and even fought off a group of human talents, killing three out of six and forcing the other three to flee with serious injuries.
The young man, clad in a black-and-white robe, long hair flowing down his back, approached with a gentle smile and calm eyes. He looked at Lin Qian before glancing at Qin Feiyu with a challenging gaze.
"Fang Ziqian, are you trying to provoke me?" Qin Feiyu's voice was low as he stared at the young man who had approached Lin Qian. "Your Twin Extremes Hall has been quite bold lately, haven't you?"
Twin Extremes Hall, Fang Ziqian! Lin Qian quickly connected the dots. No wonder Li Yunfeng and Yang Tianhao recognized him. The Three Great Emerging Powers of the Southern Region were Xiaoyao Sect, Blood Spirit Valley, and Twin Extremes Hall.
As the top talents of Xiaoyao Sect and Blood Spirit Valley, it made perfect sense that Li Yunfeng and Yang Tianhao knew Fang Ziqian, the top talent of Twin Extremes Hall.
Fang Ziqian, now standing beside Lin Qian, casually flicked open a folding fan and smirked. "Provoke you? What makes you think you're worth the effort? I simply don't like you."
With a laugh, Fang Ziqian addressed the crowd, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Do you all really think that every word that falls from Qin Feiyu's mouth is gospel? You're supposed to be the best of the best, yet you can't tell the difference between a modified human corpse and a genuine alien? Are you all blind?"