Qin Nan had no ill will towards Qin Yu, but he was taken aback when Qin Yu met him with derision upon their first encounter. Naturally, he no longer felt inclined to show any consideration.
“You struck my brother?” Qin Yu’s face darkened as he processed the accusation.
“Indeed,” Qin Nan replied indifferently. “Your brother not only disregarded past affections by kicking in my door and insulting me, but also attempted to seize my pills. I merely gave him a beating.”
“Merely a beating?” Qin Yu’s anger flared. “Qin Nan, what fault is there in my brother taking your pills? For someone as worthless as you, possessing the Body Tempering Pills is a sheer waste!”
Qin Nan’s expression hardened. He was astonished that Qin Yu could utter such shameless words.
Since Qin Yu had stooped to such baseness, Qin Nan felt no need to hold back. “You and your brother are truly of the same ilk—shameless and despicable.”
“What did you say?”
Qin Yu’s rage erupted completely. He hadn’t anticipated that this worthless individual would dare to be so audacious. He roared, “Seek death!”
With those words, Qin Yu strode forward, unleashing his Body Tempering realm aura. The yellow light behind him flared as he activated his Martial Soul to launch his strongest attack at Qin Nan.
At that moment, Elder Ying’s cold voice rang out in the second level of the Martial Technique Pavilion, “Fighting is strictly prohibited within the Pavilion. Qin Yu, if you dare to violate the rules today, you will be barred from stepping into the Pavilion for the rest of your life!”
Elder Ying’s words struck Qin Yu like a bucket of cold water.
“Elder Ying, I apologize. I will not breach the Pavilion’s regulations,” Qin Yu said hurriedly, his anger dissipating.
He knew Elder Ying was serious. Even though he was one of the family’s prodigies, he would face severe punishment for breaking the rules. Being permanently barred from the Pavilion would be an immense loss.
Having said this, Qin Yu turned his gaze back to Qin Nan with a vengeful glare. “Today, you’re fortunate. Next time, if I catch you again, I’ll break your limbs and destroy your dantian, rendering you more useless than you are now!”
“Is that so?” Qin Nan showed no fear, replying coldly, “I return those words to you. You’d better hope you don’t cross paths with me again. And if you do, don’t beg me for mercy, as I will not spare someone as shameless and ungrateful as you!”
“You… you… you…”
Qin Yu trembled with rage, pointing a finger at Qin Nan, unable to articulate a single word, his face flushed red.
Since awakening his Martial Soul of the Yellow Tier 4, he had been treated with respect and favor by elders and disciples alike. Now, being repeatedly humiliated by someone with only a Yellow Tier 1 Martial Soul was intolerable.
“Wait for it!”
After struggling to contain his anger, Qin Yu managed to utter this threat before storming off, unable to bear another moment, lest Qin Nan provoke him further with more exasperating words.
Qin Nan remained unperturbed, dismissing Qin Yu’s threats with indifference.
“Let’s see the techniques.”
Regaining his composure, Qin Nan turned and began examining the ancient texts one by one.
“Lingyun Steps—when performed, the body moves like clouds, elusive and shadowless, difficult to capture.”
“Jade Stone Palm—when mastered, the palm is as impervious as jade, immune to water and fire, indomitable against blades and spears. One strike is as formidable as the strength of nine oxen.”
“Solitary Mountain Flying Sword…”
“Peak Cutting Spear Technique…”
Qin Nan scrutinized each text carefully. As expected, the power of intermediate techniques far surpassed that of low-level ones.
However, after browsing through a dozen ancient texts, he had yet to find the technique he desired.
“Hm? Thunderclap Sword Technique?” Qin Nan’s gaze was immediately drawn to an aged tome, its cover emblazoned with the four characters written in an elegant, almost carved script.
Intrigued, Qin Nan picked up the tome and read, “Thunderclap Sword Technique—one strike of the sword unleashes thunderous might, swift as lightning…”
After reading for a full half-hour, Qin Nan nodded in satisfaction. “This is the one!”
He had always favored sword techniques and had even created his own sword technique at the age of sixteen. However, that technique was merely of low-level potency.
Now, this Thunderclap Sword Technique perfectly matched Qin Nan’s aspirations.
At this time, several figures had appeared in the Pavilion. These were talented disciples of the Qin family who had reached the Body Tempering realm and came to select techniques.
Under the curious and astonished gazes of these disciples, Qin Nan calmly took the tome and left.
……
Upon returning to his courtyard, Qin Nan found that the gate had been repaired. He was somewhat surprised, as he was currently regarded as the Qin family’s top “waste,” and expected no one to care.
As he pushed open the gate, a deep voice resonated, “Back already?”
Looking up, Qin Nan saw a middle-aged man with a kind gaze. Though simply dressed, the aura of authority emanating from him was formidable.
This man was none other than Qin Tian, the current head of the Qin family and the only one to have reached the “Innate Realm.”
Seeing the ancient text in Qin Nan’s hand, Qin Tian’s eyes widened slightly before he scrutinized Qin Nan with surprise. “Nan’er, you’ve broken through to the Body Tempering realm?”
“Yes,” Qin Nan replied with a smile. “It’s all thanks to the pills Father provided.”
“This…” Qin Tian’s expression remained puzzled. Although ten Body Tempering Pills were powerful, Qin Nan’s Martial Soul was only of the Yellow Tier 1. How had he broken through so quickly?
Sensing his father’s confusion, Qin Nan quickly changed the subject. “By the way, Father, what brings you here today?”
As the head of the family, Qin Tian was usually occupied and rarely met with Qin Nan, instead providing silent support and care from behind the scenes.
“You allowed your door to be kicked in, and I’m supposed to ignore it?” Qin Tian said with a hint of irritation. “If you encounter such situations in the future, just inform me. No one dares to bully my son, Qin Tian’s child!”
As he spoke, an overwhelming aura of murderous intent surged from Qin Tian, fierce and domineering.
Qin Nan’s heart warmed as he observed his father’s fierce demeanor. “Father, I can handle these matters myself.”
Qin Tian nodded affirmatively. Given Qin Nan’s current Body Tempering realm, he was indeed formidable among the Qin family disciples.
“Nan’er, there is something else I need to tell you. Do not be disheartened or give up,” Qin Tian’s voice was filled with deep affection. “In your future cultivation, if you need any pills, come to me directly. I believe in you, and you will undoubtedly become a strong individual capable of standing on your own.”
As he spoke, Qin Tian’s face showed a trace of pride.
What of the Yellow Tier 1 talent? Qin Nan was his son, and he took great pride in him.
Qin Nan was momentarily taken aback, then nodded solemnly, committing every word to memory.
Seeing Qin Nan’s reaction, Qin Tian felt a sense of relief. He had come to check on Qin Nan’s condition, knowing that few could endure the drastic fall from genius to waste.
Now that he saw Qin Nan had not lost his fighting spirit, he was reassured.
“Father, I have a request,” Qin Nan suddenly said.
Qin Tian was taken aback, then nodded. “Speak, what is it?”
“I know this request is quite excessive, but I ask that you believe in me…” Qin Nan carefully chose his words, his face serious. “I need pills—one hundred Body Tempering Pills. If possible, two hundred or even five hundred would be even better!”
After making the request, Qin Nan anxiously watched his father’s reaction.
This request was not a small one; it was indeed excessive. The entire Qin family’s monthly resources amounted to only one hundred Body Tempering Pills. Qin Nan was asking for five hundred, which would put even Qin Tian under significant pressure and face opposition from many.
However, Qin Nan needed such a quantity due to the War God Soul, which could consume pills to increase its level. Acquiring Body Tempering Pills on his own would be insufficient, so he had no choice but to ask Qin Tian for a large amount to rapidly elevate the War God Soul’s level.
Yet, he faced a dilemma—he hadn’t disclosed the War God Soul’s existence, not out of fear of disbelief, but because it was too astonishing.
Had he revealed the War God Soul, even if he had asked for a thousand or ten thousand pills, Qin Tian would have found a way to procure them.
Qin Tian’s expression indeed showed a trace of shock. He had not expected such an audacious request. After several moments of silence, he finally nodded.
“Very well!”
