"Who's selling the formula for a second-grade premium Face-Preserving Pill? What kind of joke is this? Can such a backwater place even produce a formula for premium-grade pills?"
A voice echoed, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.
A young, rotund man with a large head and prominent ears approached, his face contorted with disbelief.
Behind him trailed a middle-aged manager, who fidgeted nervously - clearly this fat man held some status.
"Ah! My God!" The man's eyes locked onto Lou Mengyu, and he lunged forward in ecstatic excitement.
Lou Mengyu's expression also showed surprise. Before she could react, a figure flashed before her.
"Get lost!" Qin Yang roared, blocking Lou Mengyu's path.
The fat man's brow furrowed as he assessed Qin Yang. "Where did you spring from, boy? You're the one who should scram!"
He swung his palm in a sweeping motion.
Copy: Opponent's cultivation technique - City-Connecting Art. Technique: 8/10.
Copy: Opponent's martial art - Mountain-Shifting Palm. Martial Art: 8/10.
"Hmph!" Qin Yang snorted angrily, meeting the attack with an identical palm strike.
His force flowed with unending momentum, like a mountain collapsing from above.
Surprise flashed across the fat man's eyes as he mustered his true qi.
Qin Yang didn't back down either, mobilizing his true energy with equal intensity.
The two clashed like rival bulls locked in a horn-wrestling match, neither gaining the upper hand.
A Qi Gathering Realm expert at its peak? Martial technique proficiency reaching the zenith? This fat guy's no ordinary fighter! Qin Yang marveled inwardly.
The system's lack of proficiency gain notification confirmed that the opponent's martial skill mastery was equally extraordinary.
Meanwhile, the portly combatant was internally fuming, "Where did this brat come from? He's my age yet wields such power. Why didn't I recognize him? I thoroughly vetted all potential rivals for Celestial Academy's intake—how did I miss this one?"
Lou Mengyu stood frozen to the side, utterly bewildered by the sudden brawl.
Fortunately, their Qi Gathering Realm strength meant this clash wouldn't escalate to mutual destruction. The current exchange merely drained their energy reserves without causing serious harm.
Yet Qin Yang's ability to hold his own against Jin Wanshan was completely beyond Lou Mengyu's expectations.
Indeed, Lou Mengyu and Jin Wanshan were acquaintances—friends, even.
As the stalemate continued, beads of sweat now glistened on Jin Wanshan's forehead.
Qin Yang appeared more relaxed. His cultivation technique was the Yin-Yang All-Embracing Art, which had integrated the strengths of all copied techniques. Yet even with this advantage, Jin Wanshan's Liancheng Art proved nearly equal in this prolonged clash.
"The principles of mutual generation and suppression exist within all things," Qin Yang thought. "No martial art is absolutely perfect. By continuously copying and mastering every technique, one can naturally find a way to overcome any opponent."
The system had provided Qin Yang with the answer to victory from the very beginning.
"Breeze Brushing Willows!" Qin Yang shouted, his palm sweeping diagonally as a massive force surged toward Jin Wanshan's face.
Jin Wanshan staggered, his entire body lunging forward. The sudden shift left him unable to retract his strike in time!
Lou Mengyu stood frozen in shock. The entire sequence unfolded in an instant, leaving her breathless. It seemed as though Qin Yang would be struck squarely on the face, ending his life in that very moment.
"No!" Lou Mengyu screamed in panic.
Could Qin Yang truly be hit? Impossible! This was his own improvised maneuver - the Breeze Brushing Willows technique!
As he shifted his stance, Qin Yang leaned sideways, guiding Jin Wanshan's palm aside with one hand while intercepting the force with the other. With a fluid motion, he deflected the attack.
No extraordinary strength was required - merely a gentle push that amplified the momentum. Jin Wanshan's body flew backward of its own accord.
Boom! A wall was blown open, sending dust flying everywhere.
This result left Lou Mengyu speechless again, her alluring lips gaping wide.
"Young master!" The middle-aged manager wailed, leaping through the wall's breach.
"Were you actually worried about me?" Qin Yang chuckled mischievously.
Lou Mengyu regained her composure and retorted, "You're overthinking it! Impossible!"
Ahem! Jin Wanshan coughed. "Don't help me, I'm fine!"
He returned through the hole with the middle-aged manager.
Jin Wanshan's eyes darted between Qin Yang and Lou Mengyu. When his gaze settled on her, he feigned exaggerated pain. "I never thought... you'd actually teach him the Breeze Brushing Willows technique!"
Lou Mengyu flushed, realizing something. "I didn't teach him!" she protested.
Qin Yang blinked. "You two know each other? Aren't you enemies?"
"Nonsense!"
"Of course not!"
Both answered simultaneously.
So it had been a misunderstanding all along... Qin Yang had assumed this fat man was some kind of pervert...
Jin Wanshan clasped his hands in salute. "I am Jin Wanshan, heir to the Wanshan Chamber of Commerce."
Qin Yang returned the courtesy with a bow. "I am Qin Yang, currently a rogue cultivator."
"Your strength is formidable," Jin Wanshan said politely. "I, with my exceptional talent, was defeated by you."
"Flatterer," Qin Yang smiled. "You're too kind."
The two immediately launched into a ritual of mutual praise, each extolling the virtues of the other.
Lou Mengyu and the middle-aged manager watched this display with visible exasperation, their faces contorted as if they'd swallowed bitter herbs.
"Lou Mengyu, I never expected to find you here," Jin Wanshan said. "No wonder I haven't heard from you recently—you came early."
Lou Mengyu's brow furrowed. "Is this Wanshan Auction House also part of your family's enterprises?"
Jin Wanshan puffed out his chest, his head tilting back in pride. "Naturally. The Wanshan Chamber of Commerce spans the entire continent, our wealth rivaling that of nations. We're among the top powerhouses on the continent."
He glanced at Qin Yang. "What can I say? My exceptional talent aside, my true calling card is money!"
The shift from courteous flattery to blatant boasting was as abrupt as a changing tide.
Qin Yang shrugged. "I have my own calling card too."
"Oh? Do tell," Jin Wanshan urged.
Qin Yang raised his thumb. "My strength is my brand. The jianghu calls me 'Returning the Way Against the Body.' If I'm the second best in the world, then no one can claim to be the best."
Lou Mengyu stared at Qin Yang in stunned silence, feeling embarrassed on his behalf.
Qin Yang and Jin Wanshan locked eyes, sparks of tension crackling between them.
This brat's actually walking with Lou Mengyu? I must overpower him in this standoff! Let Lou Mengyu see who's truly the best! Jin Wanshan seethed inwardly.
Qin Yang was equally contemptuous: Money makes you think you're so special? Who can't talk big?
Lou Mengyu, caught between them, whispered to Qin Yang, "The Wanshan Chamber of Commerce is indeed as wealthy as a nation. They have a close partnership with Celestial Academy. He wasn't exaggerating."
"Really? His family's that rich?" Qin Yang's jaw dropped.
At the same time, Lou Mengyu explained to Jin Wanshan, "I never taught him any martial techniques. He learned by observing our sparring matches. As for being called the second best in the world, I'm not sure about that. But 'Returning the Way Against the Body' is his true ability."
Jin Wanshan's mind reeled. Could such a prodigy exist? Recalling their earlier clash of palm strikes, he realized that very move had been his own Mountain-Relocation Palm!
"My apologies!" Jin Wanshan bowed again.
Qin Yang mirrored the gesture with a smile. "No need for apologies!"
"You two..." Lou Mengyu fumed, utterly exasperated by these two eccentrics.