Chapter 11: It Turns Out I’m Quite Strong

Long Chen, with a composed and arrogant expression, walked up to the platform and poured a glass of wine.

"I won’t take advantage of you. Your cultivation level is low, so prepare yourself first."

He swirled the glass slowly, watching Qin Changsheng opposite him with a playful gaze. Qin Changsheng channeled his power, his eyes brightening as his vision pierced through the wine glass and into the liquid within. He saw a water dragon manifesting inside the cup as it swirled.

Qin Changsheng had read enough books on cultivation over the years to immediately recognize that the mystery within the cup was no simple matter. This was a technique beyond the reach of the Qi Refining stage, or even the Foundation Establishment stage. Only the methods of the Golden Core realm could command such a space within a vessel.

In reality, while Long Chen appeared to be giving him a chance, his primary objective was to build up power. Long Chen never intended to duel him with Qi Refining strength; from the very start, he had been looking for an opportunity to kill him.

"Since the Holy Son is so generous, I shall prepare myself."

Qin Changsheng’s expression turned solemn. He began to ignite his own power, as his one-thousandth layer of Qi Refining slowly awakened. His vast dantian and sea of energy, akin to a small universe, began to simmer.

Then, Qin Changsheng burned his cultivation. He burned a portion of his own lifespan. This sacrificial technique was something he had learned from Nangong Ruoxi’s study; it allowed one to ascend to the next realm of strength by burning years of life. Qin Changsheng understood that Nangong Ruoxi could not be relied upon, that no one would come to save him, and that today, he had to depend on himself.

As he burned his energy, his power and aura climbed steadily. Nearby, Nangong Ruoxi recognized the secret technique and stared at him in astonishment. "What are you doing? Why are you performing a sacrifice?"

Although she saw his intention, she made no move to stop him. Instead, she frowned and looked toward Long Chen, noticing that the Holy Son’s glass was trembling slightly. The onlookers were stunned.

"This is no debate of the Dao; they clearly intend to kill each other!"

"Come, Qin Changsheng. Let me see what gives you the right to be Ruoxi's companion." Long Chen remained poised and arrogant, as if everything were under his control. Yet, he failed to notice that Qin Changsheng had prepared for a fight to the death.

"In that case, allow me to show you the power of a thousand layers of Qi Refining."

As the crowd held their breath, Qin Changsheng suddenly drew his sword and charged like lightning. His blade flashed with a chilling light, as if tearing the very space asunder. Long Chen did not hold back; the water dragon in his glass soared out, whistling toward Qin Changsheng. The dragon was so lifelike, brimming with vitality, that no one dared underestimate it.

"Something is wrong! This is no Qi Refining battle! Even a Golden Core struggle wouldn't have this much intensity!"

The bystanders suddenly realized that Long Chen’s aura had not weakened; it had grown even stronger. Their faces paled as they realized Long Chen had never suppressed his cultivation at all. "And he’s breaking his promise—he’s using Golden Core power!"

"How despicable!"

The crowd murmured, but it was too late to stop the clash.

"Shameless!" Nangong Ruoxi’s face changed as well. She wanted to intervene to save Qin Changsheng, but it was too late.

At that moment, Qin Changsheng had only one thought: kill Long Chen and escape in the chaos. It was his only chance; otherwise, he would continue to be used by Nangong Ruoxi without gaining anything. Burning his cultivation and lifespan, his strength surged to an unprecedented height. His sword became sharper, and with a single strike, he severed the water dragon in two. Two powerful shockwaves erupted, blinding the onlookers.

"Impossible! How can you, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, possess such terrifying power? Were you hiding your strength?" Long Chen was dazed when he saw his water dragon cleaved in half.

"I find it impossible too. I never realized I was quite this strong..." Qin Changsheng stared at his own sword in shock. He had always thought himself a lowly Qi Refining trash, forgetting that he had reached the thousandth layer and possessed a treasure like the Longevity Monument. He had also ignored that Wang Yuyan had been an ordinary girl he raised, only to become a prodigy. The source of it all wasn't her innate talent, but the fact that she was raised by him.

Understanding this, Qin Changsheng’s eyes shone bright. "I just happened to carve a monument for you... in that case, I might as well put it to use."

He struck again. In his eyes, Long Chen’s movements were agonizingly slow, and his techniques were full of flaws. He realized his eyes were extraordinary. He realized he was not weak. He realized he had simply suffered from a lack of cultivation knowledge. Having lived timidly for decades, he finally discovered that the true monster was himself.

"I’m done pretending..."

*Slash!*

Long Chen saw only a sword strike, fast as a beam of light. He couldn't dodge. He wanted to, but only despair remained. His neck felt cold.

Blood sprayed out. Qin Changsheng snatched the storage ring from his finger, flashing a grin of white teeth. "You’re a decent fellow. Not only did you use your entire fortune to buy my stone monument, but you also used your own blood to help me find my confidence."

Long Chen stood blankly, wanting to speak, but found that his neck was leaking air. He couldn't help but think of the flying sword he had lost contact with years ago. Looking back now, why had he been so stupid not to understand?

"Gurgle, gurgle..." Long Chen opened his mouth, trying to speak, but only heard the young man, now brimming with confidence, recite: "White feathers float on green water, red palms stir the clear waves."

Then, the terrifyingly powerful youth burned his lifespan once more to cast a simple "Blood Escape Art." The youth vanished.

Long Chen’s final thought was: *If you were this strong, why did you have to burn your lifespan to fight me? That’s just bullying!*

Long Chen... died.

When the dust settled, Long Chen was seen clutching his neck, collapsing to the ground in horror. His eyes were filled with disbelief, unable to accept that he had been defeated by Qin Changsheng.

Qin Changsheng was nowhere to be found. He had used the power of his burning lifespan to successfully escape. He knew he had to leave this place of trouble immediately; otherwise, once caught, there would be no way out.

"Long Chen is dead? This... how is this possible?"

"Qin Changsheng actually killed Long Chen? Who is he really?"

"Where is he? Where did Qin Changsheng go?"

The crowd cried out in shock, unable to believe what they had witnessed. Nangong Ruoxi stood frozen, looking at the fallen body, filled with shock and confusion. "How could this happen?"

She had expected Qin Changsheng to die, but he had反杀 (counter-killed) Long Chen. Even more shocking, his strength was such that even a Golden Core cultivator like Long Chen was no match for him.

The elders of the Mountain-Backing Sect finally reacted. "Men, mobilize everyone! We must capture Qin Changsheng! And save Long Chen! Spare no cost!"