Divine Continent Country, Imperial City.
Outside the quiet courtyard where Qin Huai’an was recuperating, several guards silently fell to the ground.
Inside the courtyard, Qin Huai’an, who was resting in his room, suddenly opened his eyes and got up alertly to investigate.
Several sounds of tearing through the air came.
A few figures landed in the courtyard, with Zhang Huairen from Dragon and Tiger Mountain leading them.
Ever since Zhang Wenfeng was expelled, Zhang Huairen had been invited to the Imperial City to assume the position of Martial Alliance Leader.
There had always been a friendly relationship between Zhang Huairen and Qin Huai’an. After arriving in the capital, Zhang often visited to drink tea and play chess with Qin Huai’an, and their friendship became even closer.
"Huai’an, every time you come over, you knock on the door; today, however, you let yourself in uninvited," said Qin Huai’an, his gaze flashing as he stared at Zhang Huairen, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery.
Seemingly calm, Qin Huai’an’s heart was in fact shocked beyond measure.
What on earth had happened that Zhang Huairen would make such a move?
Could it be that he, like Zhang Wenfeng, was ambitious and attempting to unify the Martial World of the Divine Continent?
But with only the backing of the Martial World, that was not enough; against the formidable national machinery, the Zhang Family of Dragon and Tiger Mountain couldn’t stand firm without the substantial support of both military and political spheres.
"I’m sorry, Brother Huai’an; the world has changed, and for the sake of Dragon and Tiger Mountain’s continued lineage, I have to do this," said Zhang Huairen as he faced Qin Huai’an’s mocking gaze, a trace of shame appearing on his face as he sighed.
Qin Huai’an nodded his head as his gaze swept over the several people standing beside Zhang Huairen, his heart sinking.
All of them were of Innate Realm strength.
And crucially, they were all unfamiliar faces; he did not recognize any of them.
Normally, he would have heard of the Divine Continent’s Innate Realm Martial Artists; it was impossible for him to be completely unfamiliar with them. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel★fire.net
Even the military’s handful of experts who were equivalent to the Innate Realm were well-known to him.
But these individuals before him definitely did not belong to the Martial World of the Divine Continent, nor were they the experts cultivated by the Military Department.
"Looking to kill me?" asked Qin Huai’an.
Zhang Huairen shook his head and said, "If Brother Huai’an could just cooperate a little, you could avoid some suffering. The order from above was only to detain you, they didn’t intend to take your life."
Qin Huai’an chuckled, "It seems I’m still of some use to you all."
As he spoke, his profound eyes emitted two cold lights, and his aura changed dramatically: "Though I may be old bones now, my spine is still far from bending. Having spent a lifetime in the limelight as a hero, how could I bow down in submission in my old age?"
Zhang Huairen felt a heaviness in his heart, and deep within, a greater sense of shame.
Both of them being old National Guardian Level powerhouses, he could not muster the same readiness to face death as Qin Huai’an.
"Brother Huai’an, they really just want to control you, they haven’t thought of harming you," Zhang Huairen urged earnestly.
Qin Huai’an sneered, "Dream on if you think you can use me to threaten my girl."
He knew all too well that the enemy was not that benevolent.
Claiming just to want to control him now was nothing more than not yet being fully confident on some fronts, wanting to leave a way out.
He didn’t care whether the opponent had any other plans or not, but the thought of being used as a hostage was out of the question!
An explosive aura burst forth from his body, and Qin Huai’an took the initiative to attack.
A fierce wind blew throughout the courtyard as Qin Huai’an’s figure turned into a blur, charging towards Zhang Huairen.
Zhang Huairen was shocked; seeing that the Hidden Sect experts who had come with him didn’t seem to want to take action, he felt both alarmed and angry and had no choice but to forcefully defend himself.
Palms clashed, and violent True Yuan spilled out, the shockwave causing all those around to scatter.
Zhang Huairen was greatly startled.
He had always seen his Cultivation as just slightly superior to Qin Huai’an’s, but to his surprise, Qin Huai’an’s power was so profound and his True Yuan so pure and fierce that he himself was at a disadvantage.
Qin Huai’an repelled Zhang Huairen with a palm and at the same time, his gaze locked onto a person to the left, raising his hand and sending a fist power through the air towards him.
The fierce wind howled, and the power elements in a free state between heaven and earth converged into an invisible fist power, smashing harshly towards that person.
The man’s expression changed, and he snorted coldly, swinging his fist out to break through Qin Huai’an’s move.
However, just as he relaxed, he suddenly met Qin Huai’an’s sharp gaze.
It was as if thunder exploded in his mind, causing the man to briefly fall into a daze.
For a brief moment, as he regained his senses, he heard his companion’s cry of alarm, "Watch out!"
Simultaneously, several forces descended from the sky, striking towards Qin Huai’an’s back.
Qin Huai’an had already charged in front of this man, raising his hand and slapping it onto the opponent’s head.
This expert, who was at the Innate Realm, was actually killed by a palm strike from Qin Huai’an!
It was not that his realm was much lower than Qin Huai’an, but rather, he did not anticipate that Qin Huai’an had cultivated a certain degree of Divine Soul Power.
Just a moment ago, Qin Huai’an first attacked him with a fist power from afar, then took advantage of his unpreparedness to launch a soul attack.
In the instant he was struck by the soul attack, Qin Huai’an rushed to attack, catching him completely off guard with a palm to his head, ending his life.
All these seemed like lengthy words, but in reality, they happened in the blink of an eye.
Qin Huai’an might be old, but he came from a military and martial background, a battlefield warrior who had participated in countless life-and-death wars in his early years. When he fought with all his might, not caring for his own life, the lethality he produced far exceeded that of a normal expert at the Innate Realm.
Not to mention, he had also grasped a bit of the mystery of Divine Soul Power.
With Yang Fei, his outstanding grandson-in-law, how could he not have received guidance on cultivating the soul?
Having solidified his foundation in the Innate Realm for decades, Qin Huai’an might not have the physical strength of his vigorous years, but his spirit was at its peak, especially his will and mental strength, which had reached an excellent state, barely a step away from entering the Divine Travel Realm.
Previously, without knowledge of the trick, he might never have broken through that barrier, but after witnessing Yang Fei’s Divine Soul Power and hearing his explanations to Qin Yanyang on methods for nourishing the soul, the elder’s daily silent cultivation at home was bound to have some breakthroughs.
"Damn it, he has mastered Divine Soul Power, he’s already at Half-step Divine Travel or even the Divine Travel Realm!" One man’s complexion changed drastically, and he couldn’t help but step back, a retreat in his eyes.
To kill an expert at the Innate Realm, it would take at least three of the same realm joining hands.
And to capture an expert at the Innate Realm, even more experts of the same realm were needed.
This time, Zhang Huairen had come prepared. In addition to himself, he had brought four others.
With five people working together, he was confident he could suppress Qin Huai’an.
One could say they had already greatly overestimated Qin Huai’an’s strength, paying him enough heed.
What he did not expect, however, was that Qin Huai’an’s combat power was so formidable.
Moreover, by killing one at the start, not only did they lose a formidable ally on their side, but they were also overwhelmed by the fighting ability and momentum displayed by Qin Huai’an!
"Don’t be afraid, we still have four people, and he’s probably just at Half-step Divine Travel, if not less. Let’s attack together, we can’t delay any longer, otherwise his fighting spirit will keep soaring, and his momentum will become unstoppable," the eldest looking man by Zhang Huairen’s side said in a deep voice.
"Hmph, come at me then, I, Qin Huai’an, fear nothing," Qin Huai’an retorted, after having slain an opponent of the same realm, feeling his fighting spirit soar as if he had returned to the battlefield in his youth, reaching a height of fervor he had never experienced before.
He flashed forward, charging directly at the man who had spoken.
The man had spoken of working together to suppress Qin Huai’an, but upon seeing Qin Huai’an charging at him, fear instinctively rose, and he retreated.
He was wary of Qin Huai’an using Divine Soul Power to launch a surprise attack, following in the footsteps of his fallen comrade.
Seeing the man dodge, Qin Huai’an’s eyes flashed with contempt as he reached out to grab at Zhang Huairen instead.
His target was this old friend who had backstabbed him!
Compared to enemies who were openly opposed, it’s often the friends who deliver a stab in the back that truly deserve to be killed!