Qin Yang was sent flying by an arrow, and Nangong Ling burst into laughter.
What a lucky shot!
Wei Yu was kicked into a pile of stoves. Though the force wasn't great, several stoves collapsed under the impact.
Covered in soot and dust, Wei Yu stared at Nangong Ling in shock. "Did you succeed?"
Nangong Ling looked at Wei Yu, feeling a pang of guilt. He nodded and said, "Yes, I succeeded. The arrow hit me squarely. He's definitely dead."
Wei Yu took a deep breath, his expression tinged with regret.
This victory over Qin Yang isn't fair.
What Wei Yu truly desired was to defeat Qin Yang through his own strength in a fair, one-on-one battle! Even if he couldn't win, he would continue to train diligently.
Now that Qin Yang was dead, his heart felt strangely empty.
"What? You developed feelings for him?" Nangong Ling looked at Wei Yu with cold eyes.
Wei Yu smiled bitterly. "A person's will never lies. In the short time we fought, I could sense he wasn't evil."
"Oh?" Nangong Ling cast Wei Yu a penetrating glance. "The Wei Family's cultivation techniques and martial arts emphasize battle intent. Your sensitivity to this aspect is indeed keen. The profundity of these principles rivals even the Heavenly Secrets Sect's secret arts."
Wei Yu shook his head gently. "How can we compare to the Heavenly Secrets Sect? Truthfully, a person's will isn't so mysterious. It permeates every word spoken, every action taken. Every move, every strike carries the imprint of one's will."
"Then what do you perceive of my will?" Nangong Ling's gaze turned frosty.
Wei Yu chuckled without responding. He kept his eyes averted from the screen, where the surveillance artifact projected every detail of Nangong Ling's movements.
The porcelain bottle reappeared in Nangong Ling's hand with a silent materialization. He poured out a pill and swallowed it.
Through the cavern's opening, Wei Yu observed the arena. Qin Yang appeared not to be dead - a massive demonic beast stood beside him!
Wei Yu frowned. Though the distance blurred details, he could discern Qin Yang remained standing!
Just as he considered warning Nangong Ling about the demonic beast's presence, he felt a sudden pain in his chest.
Wei Yu looked down in horror, a gaping hole in his chest bleeding profusely.
"You... you..." Wei Yu coughed up blood, his face twisted in anguish. "I should've realized... I should've been... careful..."
As his vision blurred, Qin Yang and the demonic beast faded from view. One last thought flashed through Wei Yu's mind:
He refused to accept this outcome. He desperately wished for Qin Yang to survive and avenge him!
"I hope I'm not too late," Qin Yang thought as he sprinted toward the wall. "Nangong Ling was aiming to kill Wei Yu from the start..." He reached the wall and disappeared through the hole.
On the ground lay Wei Yu's cooling corpse, his eyes frozen in a permanent stare.
Though they were enemies, Qin Yang couldn't help but sigh in sympathy. He gently brushed Wei Yu's cheek.
"I'll make sure the world knows how you died," Qin Yang vowed. "And you'll remain the only opponent I never truly defeated in my lifetime."
He gave Wei Yu the respect he deserved.
"Nangong Ling..." Qin Yang glared at the small door leading outside from Kitchen 3, his heart burning with murderous intent.
Such a despicable, venomous person—willing to kill even companions and close friends just for his own reputation!
What wouldn't someone like that do?
Keeping him alive would be a massive threat! Even if Qin Yang himself wasn't afraid, there was no guarantee Nangong Ling wouldn't target those close to him!
"Nangong Ling, I will kill you!" Qin Yang stood up, ready to chase after him, but the Treasure Rat suddenly appeared from nowhere, jumping around excitedly.
"I don't have time to play treasure hunt with you right now," Qin Yang said, frowning.
The Treasure Rat's eyes, like black agate, darted around before it pointed a tiny paw at Wei Yu's corpse.
"You're right, I can't just leave him lying here," Qin Yang said, looking at the small door leading outside. "Nangong Ling can't escape anyway!"
He picked up Wei Yu's body and carried it to the center of the arena.
Standing in the middle, he looked around. This place must have been magnificent once, bustling with people. Standing here felt like being at the center of the world.
"I can only bury you here. May you rest in peace."
Such a worthy opponent, dying so unfairly. Qin Yang couldn't help but feel deep sorrow.
On the other side, at the perimeter of the Demon Hunter's Field, everyone stared at the screens in stunned silence.
They were shocked by Nangong Ling's ruthless methods, but even more astonished by Qin Yang's displayed strength—having been shot so far yet remaining completely unharmed.
"Nangong Ling's future knows no bounds," declared an elder of the Qin Family. "A man must be unscrupulous to achieve greatness—he possesses the talent of a true leader!"
"One day, he'll undoubtedly shake the world. You should all cultivate good relations with him..." another elder advised the Qin Family members.
The Qin Family members wore complex expressions. They'd witnessed firsthand the fate of those who followed such a ruthless man—yet they were being told to befriend him?
Contrastingly, Qin Yang's standing in their hearts gradually shifted.
The surveillance artifact provided close-up views, magnifying every subtle movement.
Qin Yang had been constantly vigilant against Nangong Ling. Only after detecting his intent to kill Wei Yu did he deliver that decisive kick!
That kick saved Wei Yu, though it sent Qin Yang flying himself. As bystanders, they saw everything clearly.
They hurried back, though late, to bury Wei Yu.
Such an opponent was both fearsome and worthy of respect!
"If Qin Yang won't die even now, we must take action ourselves!" commanded an elder of the Qin Family. "Everyone, enter the Demon Hunter's Field immediately and surround him!"
The group poured into the passage through the small door.
"Where's Jin Wanshan? Why isn't he with us?" someone asked curiously.
"I saw him leave earlier. He probably found another entrance to the Demon Hunter's Field."
"He's friends with Qin Yang. He must be going to warn him. We need to get there first..."
"Don't worry. Our surveillance talisman is still monitoring Qin Yang. We'll know his every move."
As they conversed, the group advanced through the pitch-black passage. Someone produced a magical lamp to illuminate their path.
The sound of hurried footsteps made the Qin Family members pause.
Nangong Ling rushed over, his face appearing even more pallid under the magical lamp's glow.
He gasped for air, pointing toward the other end of the corridor. "Qin Yang's in there! He killed all my men—even Wei Yu! You've got to go get him and tear him to pieces!"
The Qin family elders and their descendants wore strange expressions.
The senior elder stroked his beard with a smile. "Don't worry. We'll take care of it. Let's go!"
The group continued on their way, but Nangong Ling frowned.
The peculiar expressions and meaningful glances left him utterly confused.
He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. His immediate priority was to tend to his injuries.
After exiting the corridor, Nangong Ling glanced back at the building. These memories would never fade, and his hatred for Qin Yang ran deep.
Much of this resentment stemmed from jealousy of Qin Yang's power!
If only I were that strong... Nangong Ling suddenly froze. He'd spotted something on the outer wall of the Demon Hunter's Field—a massive glowing array screen!
The image showed Qin Yang burying Wei Yu!
"So the entire Qin family knows as well..." Nangong Ling's face darkened so completely it seemed rainclouds might form. "Yet they act as if nothing's wrong..."
"Strength! I need strength!" Nangong Ling gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with a murderous intent that far exceeded his current capabilities.
A piercing cry shook the heavens as the recently freed Windhawk spread its wings, reveling in the boundless sky.
Another thunderous screech echoed across the horizon as the Silver-backed Great Peng shot forth like a lightning bolt.
The two avian beasts immediately locked onto each other, their aerial battle erupting across the firmament.
Nangong Ling narrowed his eyes. He knew this Silver-backed Great Peng was the contracted beast of the Qin family's patriarch...
Rapidly increasing his strength was impossible in the short term. Therefore...
His gaze settled on the Windhawk.
Beyond the Demon Hunter's Field's perimeter, concealed behind massive trees, the Jadeblood Mantis watched Nangong Ling with sinister compound eyes. Its blade-like forelegs trembled with restrained hunger, yet the sky's raging battle kept it frozen in place.
The compound eyes shifted to focus on the glowing screen, and the creature's shadow vanished in an instant.