The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

"Look. That’s where you two will be living from now on."

Qin Ya and Muh Qing looked over to see two somewhat dilapidated pavilions on a cliff’s edge, swaying in the wind as if they could collapse at any moment.

Muh Qing glanced at the other disciples’ exquisitely crafted, magnificent pavilions, then back at their two. The contrast was like that of a mansion and a thatched hut.

"Are there no other pavilions?"

Although practitioners of Martial Cultivation shouldn’t care about such things, it was clear these people were provoking him. Even with his good temper, Muh Qing couldn’t help but grow angry.

"Want a better pavilion? Then go take one."

The Kunyun Palace disciple pursed his lips in a disdainful sneer, then turned and left.

Upon hearing this, the corner of Qin Ya’s mouth curled up. ’Take one?’

He glanced at the dilapidated pavilion on the cliff, then smiled in contempt. His True Essence gathered, and with an indifferent wave of his palm, the pavilion instantly disintegrated into a shower of splinters. Rocks tumbled down the cliff, and the massive disturbance inevitably drew the attention of the others.

"Brother Qin, what are you doing...?" Muh Qing asked, confused.

"Heh. We don’t want this one. My sister wouldn’t be comfortable here."

Qin Ya chuckled softly and turned to leave. Muh Qing stared at his retreating back, gritted his teeth, and with a rush of hot blood, followed after him.

’Since when have I, Muh Qing, been such a coward?’

Naturally, their actions drew the attention of the others.

The onlookers stopped what they were doing, all of them eager to watch the show.

"Heh heh, looks like those two pavilions really set them off."

"I told you. These so-called geniuses can’t take a bit of ribbing. The second you poke them, they fly off the handle."

"See? Now we’ve got a good show to watch."

"I can’t wait to see who’s lucky enough to get picked by them."

"Hey, new guys! Hurry up and pick me!"

Just then, Muh Qing’s sharp gaze swept across the area. He zeroed in on a pavilion, and with a flash, he shot toward it. He called out coldly to its master, "Pavilion challenge!"

He was mild-mannered by nature, but he was also proud. After arriving here only to be humiliated, a good deal of anger had built up inside him. Naturally, he was in no mood to be pleasant.

"A pavilion challenge, eh? Welcome, welcome."

Far from being angry, the pavilion’s master was all smiles, as if he’d been hoping Muh Qing would challenge him. In the next instant, the two shot high into the sky.

BOOMING sounds echoed through the sky. A short while later, Muh Qing landed, covered in injuries. His eyes were filled with shock, and a wave of dejection washed over him.

The pavilion master’s Cultivation was about the same as his own, yet he hadn’t lasted twenty breaths against him. The gap between them was simply too great.

At that moment, Qin Ya walked over. "Brother Muh," he said, "while that man’s Cultivation is on par with yours, his mastery of the Mysteries is far superior. It’s only natural that you lost. But don’t be discouraged. This is an opportunity."

Muh Qing didn’t stand on ceremony. He took the Elixir from Qin Ya and swallowed it. As his True Essence began to circulate, he asked in surprise, "An opportunity? Brother Qin, what do you mean?"

"The people of Kunyun Palace put us here simply to dull our edge and break our pride; they have no intention of killing us. So, while these people may humiliate us, they wouldn’t dare defy the Sect’s orders. Think about it—if our lives aren’t in danger, where else could we find so many training partners?"

Upon hearing this, a light flashed in Muh Qing’s eyes. He burst out laughing. "Brother Qin, you’re right! This is an excellent opportunity indeed!"

When the crowd heard this, their expressions soured.

"Training partners? This guy actually sees us as his training partners?"

"Fine. In a minute, I’ll show him what a ’training partner’ is. Hey, kid, you wanted a pavilion challenge, right? Come on! Challenge me! I’ll ’train’ with you."

"The nerve of that kid. ’Training partners’?"

"Hmph. We have to teach him a lesson."

After taking Qin Ya’s Elixir, Muh Qing’s injuries had mostly healed within a dozen breaths. He then charged toward the same pavilion master as before.

"Back for more!"

The pavilion master snorted and shot into the sky. A battle even more ferocious than the last began, with thunderous booms echoing through the air. Not long after, Muh Qing fell, his injuries even more severe than before. He winced in pain at Qin Ya’s slightest touch, all traces of his initial suave and elegant air gone.

"Heh heh, I’ll be back once I’m healed,"

Muh Qing grinned, his eyes gleaming.

"I’ll be waiting," the pavilion master snorted from within his residence.

Then, he turned his gaze to Qin Ya. "What’s wrong?" he sneered. "You’re the one who called us training partners. Why don’t you come over and let me train with you?"

Qin Ya shook his head and said indifferently, "You’re too weak."

"Arrogant!"

The pavilion master’s face turned livid with rage. Muh Qing, however, tugged at Qin Ya’s sleeve with an expression that was halfway between tears and laughter. "Brother Qin," he pleaded, "if you say he’s weak, what does that make me? Even weaker? Give me a break, please."

"My apologies."

Qin Ya smiled apologetically. His gaze then softened as he looked down at the girl in his arms. "Little Jing’er," he murmured, "tell me, which pavilion do you like?"

But Jing’er lay unresponsive in his arms, as if she hadn’t heard him.

Though he had expected as much, Qin Ya still sighed in disappointment.

"Well then, I’ll just choose one at random..."

Suddenly, there was a stir in his arms. He saw Jing’er slowly raise her small hand and point toward a magnificent pavilion not far away. A flash of delight crossed Qin Ya’s face. "Alright," he said. "If Jing’er likes it, then we’ll take that one."

His figure blurred, and before anyone could react, he had appeared inside the pavilion. Its master, a young man in yellow robes, saw Qin Ya and a vicious grin spread across his face. "Kid," he said coldly, "I won’t be holding back. You’d better have your Elixirs ready."

With that, he prepared to shoot up into the sky, but Qin Ya stopped him.

"Right here is fine."

The yellow-robed youth heard him and said coldly, "I have no intention of wrecking my own pavilion."

"Don’t worry. This will be quick."

The others who heard this all showed expressions of contempt and disdain.

"So arrogant. He doesn’t know his own limits."

"Huang Fei is one of the top masters in our Lower Seven Peaks. His Cultivation has reached the level of a Half-Step Celestial Being! How can a mere Sky-Controlling Perfection practitioner—and one from the outside world, no less—possibly compete? I bet this fight will be over in three moves."

"Hah, I’ll bet it’s over in two."

Meanwhile, inside the pavilion, Qin Ya held up a single finger. "You have one move," he said indifferently. "After that, this pavilion is mine."

"Insolent!!"

At these words, the yellow-robed youth’s face darkened. The aura of a Half-Step Celestial Being erupted from him, surging toward Qin Ya like a flash flood. His True Essence exploded forth, gathering the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi and condensing it on his fist. He stepped forward and unleashed the punch!

But Qin Ya only chuckled softly. His figure moved. It was fast—so fast the yellow-robed youth didn’t have time to react. Two fingers, imbued with a ripple of utter Destruction, instantly shattered his Fist Force and grew larger and larger in his pupils...

In that instant, it was as if the two fingers replaced everything in the world, leaving him with no way to dodge. A chill rose from the depths of his soul. WHOOSH—the fingers slicing through the air stopped abruptly, less than a centimeter from his face. It was only then that he realized his back had become drenched in sweat in that brief moment.