Wei Yu fought with growing vigor, but deep down, he knew he had lost long ago.
Though wielding the peerless power of a top-tier Profound Stage Fang Tian Halberd, even his full strength couldn't overwhelm Qin Yang's bare hands. The two remained locked in stalemate, leaving no doubt as to who held the true advantage.
More crucial still - Qin Yang hadn't even exerted his full power!
"Haha! Thrilling!" Wei Yu reveled in the battle's intensity. Were they not enemies, he might have considered Qin Yang a worthy friend.
Qin Yang smiled in return. So this is what they mean by "no quarrel without a fight"?
He'd already resolved not to kill Wei Yu. No deep grudge existed between them.
Nangong Ling strained to seize an opening. As the duel intensified, with figures blurring in the clash, he found himself utterly unable to target Qin Yang.
Qin Yang's movements proved more fluid, while Wei Yu found himself pinned in place, unable to retreat.
If I fire now, I might not kill Qin Yang - but I'd certainly hit Wei Yu...
A peculiar light began to glow in Nangong Ling's eyes as he contemplated this dilemma.
"Other than Qin Yang, Wei Yu is the only one who knows I killed my own brother..."
"Qin Yang has already been hunted by the Qin Family. In this secret realm, he has no hope of survival."
"Moreover, there's the Eight Divine Clans' Ultimate Kill Decree. Even if Qin Yang somehow escapes with his life, his future is sealed."
A devil seemed to whisper in Nangong Ling's heart. As the foremost among the younger generation, bearing his family's great expectations, he commanded instant obedience wherever he went. If people discovered he had killed his own brother, not only would his reputation be ruined, but his family would never forgive him...
Gradually, a wild gleam surfaced in Nangong Ling's eyes. The arrow's tip shifted slightly, now aimed directly at Wei Yu!
"This?" Qin Yang, who had been watching Nangong Ling intently, tensed at the slight movement.
"Could it be the fifth arrow of the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique? After the fifth arrow, the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique's trajectory becomes completely unpredictable..."
"No, with his current strength, even if he took some stimulant, he couldn't possibly shoot the fifth arrow of the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique..."
"So the redirection of this arrow is..."
Qin Yang's eyes widened as a realization struck him - he had guessed Nangong Ling's intentions.
This Nangong Ling was truly ruthless and venomous!
He actually intended to kill Wei Yu?
Needless to say, after killing Wei Yu, Nangong Ling would undoubtedly flee, and the blame for Wei Yu's death would inevitably fall on Qin Yang's head.
Though Qin Yang wasn't afraid of trouble, he deeply despised such underhanded tactics. If he let Nangong Ling succeed, he'd never be able to rest easy!
"You're still too weak to face me in battle! You should spend a few more years cultivating!" Qin Yang laughed heartily at Wei Yu. But then he suddenly paused. "No wait, even after a few more years of cultivation, you'd probably still be far weaker than me..."
"Don't underestimate me!" Wei Yu roared, his spear moving with dragon-like ferocity.
Qin Yang chuckled, already predicting Wei Yu's attack trajectory. He twisted his waist and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, his leg whirling through the air.
Though just a simple leg strike, it carried the true essence of the Boulder Crushing Hand technique. When executed through a kick, its power proved even greater than the hand technique itself!
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the Fang Tian halberd was driven deep into the earth by a single kick, burying itself far deeper than before until only the handle remained visible. Extracting it now would require considerable effort.
The fierce recoil forced Wei Yu's hands from the weapon, leaving his palms numb and his thumb joints split open, blood seeping from the wounds.
Weaponless and completely exposed, Wei Yu became an easy target.
Qin Yang seized the opportunity, delivering a swift kick that sent Wei Yu flying.
The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye - precisely the moment Nangong Ling had chosen to strike down Wei Yu!
Nangong Ling never anticipated Qin Yang's combat prowess to be so formidable, his speed so terrifying!
He had assumed Wei Yu's frozen state left him completely defenseless, the perfect moment for his shot. Yet in that instant, Qin Yang had already dispatched Wei Yu with a kick.
The arrow meant for Wei Yu now aimed squarely at Qin Yang!
Qin Yang snorted derisively, his gaze filled with contempt for Nangong Ling. Having already expended energy to stop mid-air by kicking the halberd handle, he'd used his remaining strength to send Wei Yu flying. Now, with his body still suspended in the air, he lacked the momentum to activate his Dragon Soaring Steps for evasion.
Qin Yang pressed his palms together and squeezed with all his might. He mustered every last ounce of his remaining strength.
But this was the fourth arrow of the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique! The tremendous, violent force sent Qin Yang flying through the air.
The arrow didn't wound Qin Yang, but with his feet off the ground, he had no way to regain control.
His body shot straight through the hole in the arena's wall, flying all the way to the center before the momentum finally began to fade.
As the arrow's trajectory dipped downward, Qin Yang's feet touched the ground. He stomped hard, bringing his body to a steady stop.
"Hey, kid, are you that pathetic? Getting blown away by a single arrow?" came a familiar, annoying voice. The Tian Swallowing Beast stood not far away!
"Hm? You finished your fight with the Fire Dog? Who won?" Qin Yang asked curiously.
The Tian Swallowing Beast clicked his tongue in surprise, seeing Qin Yang completely unharmed. How could an unscathed fighter have been sent flying so far?
The panda raised a paw to his eye, adopting a dramatic pose as he gazed at the hole in the arena's wall where Qin Yang had been blown through.
Something was off. This didn't make sense...
Qin Yang stared at the panda's mischievous antics and suddenly realized this creature was cut from the same cloth as the Treasure Rat.
"Of course I won," the panda boasted. "But that Fire Dog refused to admit defeat. It kept whining about some bastard stealing its Flame Ruby Crystal, leaving it powerless and weakened... So I released it to seek out precious herbs and treasures. It can regain its strength and challenge me again later."
Qin Yang's expression darkened. Wasn't this exactly what he'd done?
The panda continued, "Oh, and that Fire Dog also said I only won because it was weakened. It claimed any other fully-powered spirit beast with proper spirit medicines would crush me."
"And then?" Qin Yang pressed.
"And then I went around beating up every spirit beast I could find!" The panda's chest puffed with pride. "I fought over a dozen of them! You wouldn't believe how docile they were after being trapped so long. They refused to fight properly." The panda's eyes gleamed mischievously. "So I told them I'd help them escape if they'd just spar with me!"
Qin Yang's heart skipped a beat. "And... and then what?"
The panda thumped its chest. "What else could come after that? I naturally beat them all black and blue! They weren't a match for me at all! They begged for mercy and promised to proclaim the Tian Swallowing Beast as the world's greatest whenever they saw the Fire Dog! That's when I released them."
Qin Yang stared in disbelief, then snapped, "You idiot! World's greatest? They just played you!"
The panda, which had been preening with pride, bristled at this. Its face darkened with threat. "Don't think being my master gives you immunity from my fists!"
Qin Yang felt utterly bewildered. What was going on? His magical artifact, the Dragon Jade, wanted to grant him a swift end, while his contracted beast wanted to beat him up?
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Qin Yang said, "You know their strength as well as I do. How could you have beaten over a dozen in such a short time? The total duration of those battles probably didn't even match the single fight with the Fire Dog!"
Qin Yang observed the panda's stunned expression and continued, "They knew you wanted to fight. They also knew that within this secret realm, only you could help them escape! That's why they deliberately let you take the bait. I never expected you'd fall for it over ten times!"
"You little bastards! This old man will make you pay! I'll beat you down completely - the Tian Swallowing Beast is truly the world's strongest! No exaggeration!"
The panda, unable to contain his fury, vanished in a blink.
"This..." Qin Yang sighed deeply, his face a mask of helplessness.
The surveillance artifact slowly approached. Qin Yang glanced at it, his eyebrow twitching.
Given the artifact's previous behavior, it should have immediately broadcast the scene of him being blown away. Why had it taken so long to arrive? Could it be...
"Oh no, Wei Yu!"
Qin Yang rushed toward Kitchen 3.