"Hidden weapon?" Qin Yang couldn't help but find this amusing.
How could the same martial technique be considered a hidden weapon when he used it?
"You just wait here! I'll be back to fight you after I treat my wounds!" Qin Lie said before hastily leaving.
Qin Yang continued to ponder the copied martial technique. The more he thought about it, the more miraculous the Shocking Sword Finger seemed.
"System, what rank is the Shocking Sword Finger?"
"Divine Rank."
Qin Yang felt his breath quicken. How could Qin Lie have learned a Divine Rank martial technique? Though he was certain Qin Lie wasn't a member of the Qin Family, who exactly was he? Why was he pretending to be one?
"Wait... The Qi Sea Realm can only cultivate Profound Rank martial techniques. This Shocking Sword Finger..."
Qin Yang frowned, recalling Nangong Ling's Nine Shocking Arrows.
In the Qi Sea Realm, one could unleash the power of three arrows; in the Zongshi Realm, six arrows; and in the Stellar Realm, all nine arrows.
When all nine arrows' power could be unleashed, the martial technique naturally reached Heaven Rank.
But was the Shocking Sword Finger also a progressive technique like this?
Having mastered the Shocking Sword Finger, Qin Yang quickly deduced its progression.
In the Qi Sea Realm, one could wield fingers as swords, their true qi sharp as blades. At the Zongshi Realm, true qi transformed into swords, rivaling the power of same-tier magical artifacts. In the Stellar Realm, a single sword finger could summon hundreds of true qi blades, sweeping across all obstacles...
But this was far from the pinnacle!
"Upon careful consideration, this Shocking Sword Finger proves no less formidable than the Ten Shocking Arrows!" Qin Yang marveled, tongue-tied. To think he'd already mastered two such extraordinary martial arts!
"Qin Yang, what's on your mind?" Jin Wanshan waved his chubby hand before Qin Yang's face, snapping him out of his reverie.
Qin Lie's figure remained conspicuously absent.
"What hidden weapon did you use earlier? Let me examine it!" Jin Wanshan rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Qin Yang shrugged, approaching a nearby stone. He formed his fingers into a sword-like gesture and gently tapped the rock.
The stone, as pliable as tofu, bore a perfect hole where his finger had touched it.
Jin Wanshan nearly bit through his tongue, then nearly popped his eyeballs out of their sockets.
The stone seemed almost artificial—could Qin Yang truly draw patterns on it with his bare fingers?
"See?" Qin Yang spread his hands in exasperation. "I've no hidden weapon."
"What martial technique is that?" Jin Wanshan asked. "Is that the Shocking Sword Finger we saw earlier?"
"Exactly," Qin Yang nodded.
Lou Mengyu suddenly spoke up, "Each of the Eight Divine Clans possesses a unique supreme art. The Nangong Clan has their Nine... Ten Shocking Arrows, our Lou Clan wields the Celestial Sealing Palm, and the Qin Family uses the Shocking Sword Finger..."
A peculiar expression crossed Jin Wanshan's face. "This Shocking Sword Finger you're using clearly mimics your opponent's technique—a learned response. But where did he acquire his version of the Shocking Sword Finger?"
Lou Mengyu pressed, "Is he truly not of the Qin Family?"
Qin Yang found himself cornered once more. Having endured the Dragon Jade's relentless interrogation, he now stood certain. "He's not of the Qin Family."
"If he's not one of them, then he must be..."
"...Their enemy!"
The trio spoke in unison.
Only an enemy could know their opponent so intimately! Moreover, only an enemy would dare impersonate them! Their purpose was clear—to uncover the true heir of the Qin Family!
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Steel pillars erupted from the earth, transforming Qin Yang and his companions' position into an instant cage.
The training ground of the Qin Family's ruins seemed to have more than just mechanical traps in its wooden post array.
"What's wrong? Can't win fair and square, so you're resorting to dirty tricks?" Qin Yang sneered at Qin Lie, who was slowly approaching from a distance.
Jin Wanshan slammed his palm against a steel pillar with all his might, leaving no mark behind. His hand turned crimson from the impact.
The pillars stood two fists apart, making escape impossible. The smooth surfaces made climbing futile - the columns rose too high for that.
For a moment, there was no way out!
"I never expected this! I truly never expected this!" Qin Lie shook his head repeatedly, then laughed. "The fake has met the real deal!"
"Ah, so you admit you're the fake?" Qin Yang's interest waned. He'd hoped to see what tricks Qin Lie might have up his sleeve.
Qin Lie's face burned with humiliation. In this short time, he'd been thoroughly made a fool of!
After several deep breaths to regain composure, Qin Lie cut straight to the chase. "Take it out."
"What?" Qin Yang's face showed pure confusion.
"The super-grade treasure - the key to the God Realm," Qin Lie stated.
Jin Wanshan drew in a sharp breath, while Lou Mengyu turned her gaze toward Qin Yang.
Qin Yang frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Everything could be laid bare, but not the Dragon Jade. Though the Dragon Jade remained silent, Qin Yang needed no reminder—the Qin Family's downfall a millennium ago had been its doing!
Pride ran deep in Qin Yang's bones, but arrogance was foreign to him. The Qin Family's past had ended in ruin, and now only one remained—a mere Qi Sea Realm cultivator...
As long as he didn't reveal possession of the Dragon Jade... No, none knew the Qin Family's Heavenly Realm Secret Key was the Dragon Jade itself. By admitting his lineage without disclosing the key, he'd be safer.
"Hmph!" Qin Lie glared at Qin Yang, a smirk curling his lips. "Already trapped like a fish in a jar, yet you still play dumb?"
"How do you know I'm truly of the Qin Family?" Qin Yang demanded.
"Shocking Sword Finger! I only possess fragmented knowledge, but you wield it completely."
"What was your original plan?" Qin Yang pressed.
"To impersonate a Qin descendant. When the true heir appeared, they'd inevitably seek me out."
"And if no true heir came?" Qin Yang's brow furrowed.
Qin Lie chuckled, "If no true Qin descendant appears, then none will ever come. That makes me the true heir. By allying with the Lou family, I'll restore the Qin Family's glory!"
Lou Mengyu's face paled, while Qin Yang's teeth itched with fury.
Qin Yang drew a deep breath before asking, "What's the power backing you? You couldn't possibly execute this plan alone! And why do you know the Qin Family's ruins so well?"
Qin Lie burst into laughter. "I've said enough. Hand over the Heavenly Realm Secret Key now! I might grant you a swift death instead of letting you suffer here."
"Answer my final question, and I'll give you the key," Qin Yang replied slowly.
Jin Wanshan's eyes widened, nearly choking on his own saliva. "You actually have it?"
Lou Mengyu's breathing grew uneven.
Qin Lie's face flushed with excitement. "I'm just following orders! I don't know who's truly behind this. Someone orchestrated everything, teaching me the Qin Family Martial Arts..."
"You don't know the true mastermind?" Qin Yang frowned.
Qin Lie extended his hand. "I've revealed all I know. Give me the key now."
Qin Yang chuckled. "Go find it in your dreams. Dreams contain everything."