The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

After Qin Ya appeared, the group lost all interest in hunting and returned to the city. When Bai Haichen learned that Huang Yanrou was taking Qin Ya back with her, he ground his teeth in hatred. The entire way, the fiery loathing in his eyes looked as if it could burn Qin Ya to a crisp.

Heifeng City, one of the thirteen major cities of Chu Province!

Upon returning to Heifeng City, a flash of arrogance appeared in Bai Haichen’s eyes. His gaze toward Qin Ya grew more condescending, like a great dragon looking down upon an ant.

He was the son of the Heifeng City Lord, a dragon among men!

’This fellow popped up out of nowhere. Even if he has some secrets, how could he possibly compare to me? The difference between us is like that between the clouds and the mud!’

Qin Ya had no interest in the source of Bai Haichen’s arrogance. All he wanted was to find a place to properly heal, recover his strength, and then return to Kunyun Palace.

After entering the city, the group parted ways.

Huang Yanrou took Qin Ya back to the Huang Mansion. The Huang Family was the largest Martial Arts Family in Heifeng City, which was one of the reasons Bai Haichen was pursuing her.

Qin Ya had but one assessment of Huang Yanrou.

She was a kind and extremely intelligent girl.

’Her willingness to help me isn’t just due to her kind nature; it’s also a product of her quick mind. She could tell I was no ordinary person, so she repeatedly offered assistance. The cost to her was pitifully low—just a few words of support and a spare room in this vast mansion for a couple of days.’

’And just like that, she earned my goodwill and put me in her debt.’

Just as she herself had said.

It was just an act of goodwill. Even if it ultimately went unreciprocated, she wouldn’t mind.

After entering the Huang residence, Qin Ya sensed several powerful auras spread throughout the premises. These auras all belonged to the Celestial Human Realm, and there was even one from a Half-Step King. For a Martial Arts Family, this was quite impressive.

"Uncle Qing Shui, please take this young master to the Elegant Pavilion in the rear courtyard to rest. Please fulfill any request he may have," Huang Yanrou said to a stooped, gaunt old man. Upon hearing this, the old man gave Qin Ya a long, hard look.

’This old man... is interesting.’ Qin Ya smiled faintly. He could tell that this elder had once been a powerful expert, with a Cultivation of at least the Celestial Human Realm. But he had suffered a severe injury that left behind a lasting ailment. Not only had his Cultivation stagnated, but it was even continuously regressing.

Now, even his Celestial Human Apertures had closed.

"I must thank you, Miss Huang," Qin Ya said calmly.

"Think nothing of it. Please rest easy here, Young Master Qin."

With that, the old butler, Qing Shui, led Qin Ya away. On the way, he glanced at Qin Ya with curiosity and couldn’t help but speak. "Heh, I’ve been a butler for the Huang Family for a very long time, and it’s rare for the Young Miss to bring anyone home, let alone a man. Furthermore, your face is unfamiliar, and your accent doesn’t sound like you’re from Chu Province. If I may ask, how did you come to know our Young Miss?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ya chuckled softly. "I was injured, and the Young Miss was kind enough to help me. She invited me here to recuperate, so I’ll be imposing for a short while."

"You are too modest, Young Master," the old butler said. "But forgive an old man’s curiosity for prying. May I ask how you received your injuries?"

"I was being pursued by enemies."

"Oh, I see."

The old butler had once been a Celestial Human Martial Artist. Though injured now, his discerning eye remained. He could tell that Qin Ya’s injuries were so severe that they would have been fatal even to him in his prime. Yet, not only was Qin Ya alive, but he was also chatting amiably. The butler was inwardly shocked. Concerned for the Huang Mansion’s safety and fearing they might be inviting disaster, he had asked a few more questions. Fortunately, Qin Ya showed no displeasure and answered everything without reservation.

Arriving at a quiet courtyard, the old butler said, "This will be your residence, Young Master. If you require anything, you can find me at any time. Please rest and recuperate well. I wish you a speedy recovery. This old servant will take his leave now."

"Thank you for your trouble."

"You are too kind, Young Master."

After entering the room, Qin Ya sat down cross-legged, placing the Ting Xiao Sword across his knees. "That battle was truly perilous," he said calmly. "I nearly lost my life."

The Ting Xiao Sword’s blade trembled slightly. "But the rewards were also enormous," it said. "Not only did you break through to the Celestial Human Realm, but you have also mastered the move that severely injured Qian Feng. If you can use it properly, it could even become a Mysterious Technique."

"A Mysterious Technique?"

"Correct. You can think of it as a type of Martial Skill, but one specifically designed to channel a ’Mysterious.’ Mysterious Techniques are extremely rare, and each one requires a specific ’Mysterious’ to unleash its full potential."

"In my opinion, even though Kunyun Palace is a great Hidden Sect, I doubt they have more than a handful of something as exceedingly rare as a Mysterious Technique. And yet, that move of yours has already touched upon the realm of a Mysterious Technique. Wouldn’t you say that’s an enormous gain?"

"In that case, it seems I really should thank Qian Feng and the others."

Qin Ya smiled faintly and began to inspect his internal injuries. Even though he had braced himself, he couldn’t help but sigh. His Qi and Blood were depleted, the bones in his chest, waist, and legs were shattered, and many of his internal organs were ruptured. Moreover, having drifted in the river for days, a deep chill had invaded his body. And this was only a fraction of his injuries.

More importantly, his True Essence Qi Sea was empty and had shattered in multiple places. Not only was he unable to gather True Essence normally, but his Qi Sea was also gradually collapsing. If he didn’t treat it soon, the damage would become irreversible. For any other Martial Artist, a body in this condition was no different from a corpse. If Qin Ya hadn’t used the power of an Elixir at the last moment to preserve a final shred of life force, he would have died long ago while drifting in the river.

"Sigh, this is even worse than I imagined."

"I’ll have to start with the easy parts first."

Qin Ya took out a pile of Tier Eight and Nine Elixirs. After careful selection, he consumed a Qi Blood Elixir and a Nourishing Essence Elixir to slowly recover his physical body and stabilize his gradually collapsing True Essence Qi Sea. He remained in seclusion to recuperate for a full seven days.

During this period, Huang Yanrou would occasionally come to visit.

She wanted to offer some help, but Qin Ya’s injuries were beyond her ability to assist with. And besides, he already felt indebted to her and didn’t want to impose any further.

Seven days later, Qin Ya emerged from his seclusion.

Standing in the quiet courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, Qin Ya’s expression showed neither joy nor sorrow. Suddenly, a terrifying light erupted in his eyes, and he threw a punch!

In that instant, a deafening sonic BOOM tore through the air. The Fist Wind from his attack slammed into a massive tree nearby—one so thick it would take three people to encircle it. The giant tree trembled, and leaves rained down. A clear Fist Seal now marked its trunk.

"My physical body has recovered, but my True Essence Qi Sea is still a problem," Qin Ya muttered to himself, gazing at his pale fist. "I wonder if the Worldwide Business Association has a branch in Heifeng City. I need to get some herbs from them to refine a batch of Replenishing Yuan Creation Pills."

Just then, Huang Yanrou and the old butler walked in.

Seeing Qin Ya standing in the courtyard, Huang Yanrou smiled softly. "You’ve been recovering for seven days. It seems your injuries have healed, Young Master Qin. Congratulations."

Suddenly, she noticed the Fist Seal on the giant tree in the distance.

A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. ’That’s no ordinary tree; it’s a Bronze Iron Tree, incredibly hard and impervious to blades. To leave a mark on it, one would need a Cultivation of at least the Celestial Essence Realm. This Young Master Qin... he truly is extraordinary.’

If she had known that the mark was caused simply by the Fist Wind from a punch thrown using Qin Ya’s pure physical strength, she would likely have been stunned speechless.