Qin Fang came to a stop. Chen Shanhe didn’t pursue him, just watched him with a cold smile.

At that moment, a clamor of hurried sounds erupted from the surroundings.

"What’s that noise?"

"What’s going on?"

"Master?"

Only then did the disciples, who had already been asleep, come rushing out of their rooms, blades in hand.

The moment they emerged, they were greeted by a horrifying sight... their master’s thatched hut had collapsed.

Qin Fang had barged in by smashing through the front door, and Chen Shanhe had retreated by crashing straight through the back wall. This caused the already flimsy hut to immediately disintegrate and come crashing down.

The disciples of the True Martial Boxing Hall stared, dumbfounded, at the two men facing off against each other.

They were stunned for a moment, but quickly snapped out of it. Shouting, they raised their blades and surged forward, surrounding the valley in layers.

Qin Fang didn’t even spare them a glance...

Having reached Huajin, these disciples—some at Mingjin, some not even there yet—posed no threat to him whatsoever...

Their numbers were irrelevant.

Because their every move was within his Perception. He could react instantly to the slightest stir.

Combined with a Physique and speed that far surpassed those at the Mingjin realm, how could they possibly hope to fight him?

"Stay back."

Chen Shanhe was clearly aware of this. Seeing his disciples swarm in, he spoke with indifference.

His voice wasn’t loud, yet it echoed through the valley, causing every True Martial Disciple to halt instinctively.

Chen Shanhe looked at Qin Fang while saying calmly, "All of you, leave the valley. Don’t come back in until I call for you."

The disciples exchanged glances, but after a brief hesitation, they obeyed the order and slowly retreated from the valley.

Qin Fang didn’t attack during this time, and Chen Shanhe simply watched him, his eyes narrowed, a strange glint flashing deep within them.

Only after everyone had left did Chen Shanhe narrow his eyes and say, "Shall we talk first?"

Qin Fang paused but didn’t refuse. "What is there to talk about?"

"Since you know who I am, shouldn’t you introduce yourself?"

Chen Shanhe squinted at Qin Fang and sighed. "Such a young Huajin Martial Artist... If you were a True Martial Practitioner, I would surely know you. And those Hidden Weapon skills are unlike anything I’ve ever seen among True Martial Practitioners. So... you’re not one of us?"

’I can’t believe he figured out my origins so quickly.’

After a moment of silence, Qin Fang said, "That’s right. I’m not a True Martial Practitioner."

"What is your name?" Chen Shanhe asked.

After a brief silence, Qin Fang finally said slowly, "Qin Fang."

’He’s a Huajin Martial Artist, a Mortal Martial Grandmaster. Even if he’s an enemy I must fight to the death, an expert of his level deserves to know my name.’

"Qin Fang..." Chen Shanhe nodded, a look of admiration on his face. "From the looks of you, you can’t be more than twenty, can you? To grasp the True Intent of the Pile Method and reach Huajin at such a young age... truly extraordinary... Was it the Treasure Fish that brought you this Epiphany?"

He asked, feigning casualness.

Qin Fang’s eyes twitched slightly. "Is that a question you really need to ask?"

"Hm?" Chen Shanhe froze for a second, then shook his head. "I’ve never eaten a Treasure Fish, so how would I know?"

"Is that so?" Qin Fang said coolly. "Did you not have an Epiphany after eating Xu Ran?"

Those words made Chen Shanhe’s pupils contract sharply as he stared at Qin Fang.

But how could such a subtle shift in expression escape the keen perception of someone at the Huajin level?

"What a good master you are... When did you decide to eat him? Was it when you saw his rapid progress, reaching Anjin in just two months? Or... did you already have this in mind from the moment you took him as your disciple?"

Chen Shanhe fell silent. After a long moment, he finally spoke slowly. "All things have a rightful owner, and they belong to the worthy. For Xu Ran to enter my sect and serve as my resource for reaching the Profound... it was, in fact, his great fortune."

He paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Qin Fang. "And now, so are you."

With that one sentence, he laid his intentions bare!

’...So he really did kill Xu Ran.’

’And he ate him!’

Qin Fang was silent for a moment before he slowly asked, "What’s the matter? Wasn’t Xu Ran’s flesh and blood enough for you to succeed in Breaking Through?"

"He was not the Treasure Fish itself, after all... Though I ate him down to the very bones, a significant portion of its potency was lost in the process."

Chen Shanhe shook his head and sighed softly.

Yet his words were utterly bone-chilling!

Qin Fang’s pupils constricted slightly. Then, he calmly asked one last question.

"Is the Divine Domain really that hard to reach?"

This question seemed to strike a chord deep within Chen Shanhe. He froze for a moment, then let out a long sigh of lament. "The path to Divine Techniques is harder than scaling the heavens... But it matters not. Your death will not be meaningless. You and Xu Ran will become the stepping stones for my ascension. I will remember your name... Qin Fang."

The moment his voice fell, a pang of alarm shot through Qin Fang’s heart. He retreated explosively without a second thought, and a whip-like kick grazed right past the tip of his nose.

’There was no warning! None whatsoever!’ Qin Fang was inwardly shocked.

"Not bad. Not many at the Huajin level can dodge my Shadowless Divine Wind Leg. But how many times can you manage it?"

Chen Shanhe’s figure blurred. The world swam before Qin Fang’s eyes, and his enemy’s voice echoed from behind him.

That intense sense of dread washed over him again. This time, Qin Fang didn’t evade. He trusted the feeling, swung his long saber horizontally, and met the attack with its edge!

WHOOSH!~

It felt as if a gentle breeze had brushed past. The next moment, with a resounding THUD, a heavy blow struck Qin Fang’s back!

He let out a muffled grunt, feeling a terrifying Force burrowing violently toward his internal organs!

But with a mere tremor of his skin, he instantly shattered the invasive Force.

He whipped his head around to see Chen Shanhe frowning slightly.

"Your Physique is astonishing... The effects of the Treasure Fish are truly remarkable. It seems the one you consumed was even more potent than Xu Ran’s..."