The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Enveloped by the chains of killing intent, Zhao Tieshan felt a chill sweep over him. It was as if every inch of his flesh and bone was being pricked by icy needles.

"I surrender!!" No matter how unwilling or resolute he had been before, he still chose to submit when truly faced with a life-or-death crisis.

Seeing this, Qin Ya withdrew his killing intent. Without a second glance at Zhao Tieshan, he turned and left. Only then did the spectators snap back to their senses, gasping in shock.

Heavens, two strikes.

One strike to sunder the wall of blades, a second to shatter the Divine Armor!

To defeat Zhao Tieshan with just two strikes... such strength was beyond everyone’s imagination. Even Leng Qiushan and Luox Xinyu were shaken to their core.

This was especially true for Leng Qiushan. He knew that if he were to face Zhao Tieshan himself, he could never have won so easily. A bitter struggle would have been inevitable.

But for Qin Ya, it had been effortless.

The gap between them was suddenly clear.

His War Intent toward Qin Ya instantly diminished, even giving way to a hint of defeat. Startled by this, he gritted his teeth, and an unparalleled Sword Intent erupted from him!

’No, I can’t admit defeat.’

’How can my Martial Arts Heart be so fragile!’

’He may be strong, but I, Leng Qiushan, am no pushover!’

He roared inwardly, forcefully severing the sense of defeat in his heart. In its place was an even more resolute Martial Arts Heart, and the Sword Intent emanating from him grew sharper.

Seeing this, Luox Xinyu, who was standing nearby, smiled softly and said, "Congratulations, Brother Leng. Your path in Martial Arts has become smoother. You are one step closer to becoming a King."

"Heh, I nearly lost my composure. I am still quite green."

"You can’t be blamed. Anyone who meets a monster like Brother Qin would be scared out of their wits," Luox Xinyu said with a faint, wistful smile.

The people standing beside them nodded in deep agreement.

Just then, Qin Ya slowly walked over and smiled at Leng Qiushan and the others.

Following that, Leng Qiushan, Luox Xinyu, and the others took their turns on the stage.

To Qin Ya’s surprise, Leng Qiushan was actually defeated. He lost to a swordsman in black named Gu Lin. The Sword Dao he cultivated was sinister and bizarre. Every time he struck, it was as if an all-consuming darkness descended, which was truly terrifying.

High above, Ming Yue showed little surprise.

As the master of Kunyun Palace, he had a general understanding of his disciples.

He had noticed this Gu Lin ten years ago. His Talent was indeed astonishing, and he had comprehended a first-rate Mystery. Ming Yue had paid him some extra attention and had a rough idea of his strength. It was only natural that he could defeat Leng Qiushan.

"This person is usually unheard of, yet he possesses such strength."

"I never expected that kid Gu Lin to be hiding his abilities so well."

"I can’t believe Leng Qiushan lost. How unexpected."

"The Dark Mystery is a first-rate Mystery. It’s truly formidable."

"Among all the disciples in Kunyun Palace—no, even among the disciples of the Four Great Sects—Gu Lin is the only one who has comprehended the Dark Dao to this extent."

"That’s not necessarily true. You have to remember that among the Four Great Hidden Sects, Divine Sword Mountain’s main focus is the Sword Dao. Who’s to say there isn’t someone there who cultivates it even better than Gu Lin?"

Leng Qiushan sheathed his sword, his tone carrying a hint of burning intensity. "I never imagined Kunyun Palace had another genius like you. I am impressed."

"Mm. You are strong. I won this time mostly due to luck."

A young man in black robes with a cold expression spoke before Leng Qiushan. He was the biggest dark horse of this competition... Gu Lin!

He was cold by nature and a loner. It had been ten years since he joined Kunyun Palace, but he was usually taciturn and spent most of his time in Cultivation. Thus, many people didn’t even know he existed. If not for the great reputation of the Void Mausoleum piquing his interest, he probably would have continued living like that.

"Luck is also a part of strength."

"However, I will not lose to you so easily next time."

Leng Qiushan said, then turned and leaped off the arena stage.

Qin Ya took out an Elixir and handed it to Leng Qiushan. After a moment’s hesitation, Leng Qiushan thanked him, took the Elixir, and swallowed it. He then circulated his True Essence to recover from his injuries.

Qin Ya said, "Brother Leng, the slots haven’t been finalized yet. As long as you can defeat one of the ten victors from this tournament ten days from now, you can still get a spot."

"Mm."

At that moment, Ming Yue waved his large hand. An invisible ripple instantly enveloped everyone. When they came to their senses, they found themselves outside the grand hall.

Outside the hall, many of the eliminated Martial Artists had not left.

When they saw Qin Ya and the others emerge, all eyes immediately turned toward them.

Ming Yue’s figure also appeared before the crowd. He announced, "I declare that the ten victors of this tournament are... Qin Ya, Luox Xinyu, Gu Lin..."

After the announcement, the crowd erupted in discussion.

"Ha, what did I tell you? I knew Qin Ya would definitely get a spot."

"What surprises me is that Zhao Tieshan didn’t get a spot."

"Yeah, he and Leng Qiushan are extremely strong Martial Artists. To think neither of them secured a spot... this competition was really intense."

"Latest news! Zhao Tieshan had the misfortune of running into Qin Ya in the final round. He was defeated in two strikes and lost his chance at a spot. Ha!"

"What? Two strikes?"

"That’s terrifying. It really was just two strikes."

"Hahaha." At that moment, a loud laugh rang out. Ling Zhan had walked up to Zhao Tieshan, a playful look on his face. "Well now," he said, "the famous turtle shell got cracked in two strikes. That’s a little pathetic, don’t you think?"

Zhao Tieshan’s expression turned incredibly grim. He already considered this matter the greatest humiliation of his life, and now Ling Zhan was rubbing it in his face. His fury was palpable. Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly saw Qin Ya slowly approaching. His face changed slightly, and he immediately turned and left.

"Heh, Brother Ling, why must you give him such a hard time?"

Ling Zhan was wondering why Zhao Tieshan had left when Qin Ya’s voice reached his ears. He instantly understood and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Ha, Brother Qin, you really scared the daylights out of that turtle shell."

"I didn’t really do anything."

The disciples who had twice witnessed Qin Ya force Zhao Tieshan into submission felt a shiver run down their spines. ’You scared him half to death, and you call that "not doing anything"?’ they thought. ’If you actually did something, the man probably wouldn’t be left alive.’

Just then, Leng Qiushan and his group also walked over. Ling Zhan, Bai Li, and the others went up to him and asked directly, "Peak Master, who did you run into? How did you lose?"

"A Swordsman named Gu Lin. He’s very strong."

"A Swordsman? Among the Martial Artists in Kunyun Palace under sixty years of age, there’s actually someone with a higher Sword Dao Cultivation than the Peak Master? I thought you’d only find someone like that in Divine Sword Mountain."

"Heh, never underestimate others."

Leng Qiushan shook his head and said, "Gu Lin’s main focus is the Dark Dao. His strength is immense. If you were to face him, I doubt you’d last three moves."

"That ferocious?" Ling Zhan cried out, somewhat shocked.