Endless Ascension

Chapter 18: fainted again.

Qin Ze felt a twinge of emotion.

From the tremors in Yun Man's body, Qin Ze knew that she was deeply afraid and panicked, yet she didn't flee.

If she had used her 'Cloud-Leaping Strength' to escape, Qin Ben wouldn't have been able to catch up.

Despite her fear, she remained steadfast.

"This silly girl has a kind heart indeed," Qin Ze thought to himself. Meanwhile, the Dragon Elephant Void Scripture quietly activated within his damaged dantian, dissipating a powerful aura...

With Yun Man shielding him, Qin Ze's actions were concealed from Qin Yang's view. Qin Yang had just sensed a strong aura, which momentarily startled him, but he dismissed it, thinking Qin Ze was nothing but a waste of space. Even if Qin Ze had defeated Qin Kun with a single move on the training ground, Qin Yang was not Qin Kun and wouldn't give Qin Ze any chance to strike.

"My little beauty, I'm coming for you..."

Qin Yang grinned wickedly as he swung his steel broadsword horizontally, aiming not at Yun Man but at Qin Ze behind her.

He was always meticulous in his actions, leaving no room for complications. Eliminating Qin Ze and seizing the Spatial Wooden Badge was his ultimate goal. Everything else could come later...

"Ah!"

Yun Man screamed, suddenly clutching her head and crouching down like a frightened child, shivering uncontrollably...

Yun Man's sudden crouch caused Qin Yang to laugh maniacally. The qi-infused blade was about to cleave Qin Ze's head, but suddenly, Qin Ze was nowhere to be seen!

Shock.

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Qin Yang's mind reeled, and an inexplicable fear arose.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Three consecutive punches, delivered with all Qin Ze's might, landed on Qin Yang's back.

A magnificent ambush, timed and calculated to near perfection.

Qin Yang's back bore the brunt of those three punches, turning his face pale. It wasn't due to pain but rather Qin Ze's speed. Looking at Qin Ze, full of vitality, he fumed, "You were poisoned! Your legs... Have you been faking it all along?"

"Surprised?" Qin Ze chuckled, patting the thigh bitten by the ceiling spider. The black blood continued to pour out relentlessly, staining his entire leg and spilling onto the ground. "The blood of beastly monsters, didn't you notice?"

Just moments ago, Qin Ze had deliberately retained some of the beast's blood when collecting their heads, a detail even Yunman had failed to perceive. How could Qin Yang, hiding in the tree, have known?

Qin Yang was secretly shocked. He never expected someone to be more cunning than him. Looking at Qin Ze, he felt a simmering anger building inside him. He was always the one who calculated and manipulated, never the one being manipulated.

The feeling of being outsmarted was unbearable, and Qin Yang's eyes blazed with fury. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a pill, and swallowed it whole. Immediately, his steel broadsword sliced through the air, leaving a trail of dazzling arcs as he charged fiercely forward.

"Barbarian Eight Blades!"

Qin Ze didn't dare underestimate the situation. His previous three punches had already inflicted damage on Qin Yang, as evidenced by the halved health bar hovering above Qin Yang's head. But when Qin Yang swallowed the pill, the health bar was restored to full.

It seemed that attacking others was akin to battling beastly monsters, where both possessed health points.

"Let's see how many pills you have to replenish."

Qin Ze shifted his stance, stepped forward with his right foot, and transformed his fists into palms. His qi condensed on his palms, shifting and changing like invisible hands.

"Looking for death."

Qin Yang growled, surprised that Qin Ze dared to confront his 'Barbarian Eight Blades' head-on. This was an advanced technique treasured by the Qin family, and Qin Yang only had the opportunity to learn it because he was favored by the Elders' Council.

Among the younger generation of the Qin family, Qin Yang was the only one who had mastered an upper-grade cultivation technique.

The 'Barbarian Eight Blades' was indeed fierce, and an upper-grade technique was never simple.

With a single strike, gale-force winds swirled around, and the knife qi raged. Qin Yang's steel broadsword sliced through the air, its arc so bright it seemed to cleave the very fabric of reality. It carried a powerful momentum, akin to a tangible blade, but its arc was sharper and wider, sealing off all escape routes for Qin Ze.

Qin Ze's expression changed, realizing his mistake.

The Dragon and Elephant Great Void Scripture in his dantian seemed to sense Qin Ze's peril, suddenly spinning furiously like a mini-hurricane within him. The dragon and elephant roared, causing even the heavens to tremble.

His palms felt like they grasped two massive hammers, which he slammed down with all his might.

The air erupted with a deafening, muffled explosion, making ears ring.

The immense blade qi dispersed violently, shattering into pieces like the sound of steel breaking, scattered everywhere.

Qin Yang couldn't believe it. How could his unstoppable 'Barbarian Eight Blades' be shattered by Qin Ze's bare hands? Shock and disbelief overwhelmed him. Just moments ago, he had channeled his full qigong into the blade's edge, forming a massive arc of blade qi. As a peak Seventh-Rank Martial Artist with Seventh-Stage Qigong, he ranked among the top five among Qin Family's younger generation, yet his technique had been shattered by Qin Ze's palms.

Not dodged, but shattered—it was an insult, a blatant humiliation.

Retaliation was the only thought in Qin Yang's mind.

To brutally defeat Qin Ze, or his twisted psyche couldn't bear the shame.

Qin Yang wasn't foolish. His qigong was now depleted, taking hours to recover, and Qin Ze's momentum was undiminished. He knew he couldn't match him in a direct confrontation.

Glancing at Yun Man, who was trembling on the ground beside them, Qin Yang donned a sinister smile.

Suddenly pointing his steel broadsword, he charged forward, his target—Yun Man!

In the blink of an eye, Qin Yang ignored the incoming qi behind him, laughing maniacally, "I'll slice her in half with one strike..."

Qin Ze was incensed.

Yun Man was in grave danger. If Qin Yang's broadsword descended, it would undoubtedly cleave her head from her body.

Panicked, Qin Ze momentarily lost his bearings, only fury rising in his chest, propelling his body forward with renewed speed, instantly accelerating severalfold...

"Keep coming, I have no mercy for pretty faces, haha..."

Qin Yang laughed almost maniacally, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, his expression ferocious.

"Yun Man, there's a snake behind you!"

Desperate and knowing he couldn't catch up, Qin Ze suddenly remembered Yun Man's intense fear of snakes. Without hesitation, he shouted out, hoping it would work.

"Snake?"

Yun Man's eyes widened, and she let out a loud scream. Seeing Qin Yang charging towards her, she abruptly unleashed the silk ribbon hidden in her sleeve.

Qin Yang was stunned.

The silk ribbons shot out like sharp swords, aimed directly at his shoulders, leaving him nowhere to dodge.

"Pffft..."

Two sprays of blood erupted into the air as the silk ribbons pierced through Qin Yang's shoulders, sending a gush of crimson blood splattering out...

"Ah..."

Yunman let out another scream and immediately retracted the silk ribbons. It was purely a reflex action out of fear; she never would have dared to do such a thing otherwise. Now, seeing Qin Yang's shoulders drenched in blood, she panicked, her legs shaking, and her body feeling light and unsteady. This was her first time attacking a human, and the emotions were overwhelmingly complex. But now, her mind was a blank slate, and her vision grew increasingly blurry...

Gritting his teeth through the pain in his shoulders, Qin Yang's face turned pale as he summoned the last remnants of his qi, leaping into the air and dashing into the dark forest within a few breaths. With several bounds, he disappeared from sight.

Qin Ze tried to give chase but was too late. Yunman had already fainted again, frightened beyond measure...