Quinn Shepherd looked at the other two. One was a man, the other a woman, both striking in appearance. Warren Moran had mentioned before that there were few his age in Little Jade Capital Sect—these two must have grown up alongside him, though they were a bit older.
The girl was seventeen or eighteen, already graceful and quietly beautiful. She wore blue-green robes, with blue embroidery at the cuffs and collar, and her flowing sashes—one green, one white—trailed behind her. On her forehead, a chain of jade beads hung, one side draping across her brow, the other tying up her hair.
She clearly liked jade—the ornaments in her hair were all jade as well.
Whether it was the mountain wind or her own qi, the sashes behind her fluttered and danced—long green and white ribbons swirling like spirit snakes.
"A bit skinny, but not as pretty as Lynn Ling—Lynn's chest is much fuller than hers."
Quinn withdrew his gaze and looked at the young man. He was a bit older than the jade-girl, and his attire was less elaborate—just long robes and a jade pendant at his waist—but he still carried a faint air of an immortal.
His eyes were lively—sometimes sparkling like starlight, sometimes blazing like a burning sun, radiating fire.
“Little Jade Capital Sect stands at the top of all holy lands. Their cultivation arts seem to differ, but each is no less than the Great Thunderclap Temple or Dao Gate.” Quinn mused inwardly.
"Brother Quinn."
Warren Moran saw him, a spark of life flashing in his dark eyes—clearly remembering Quinn. Then his gaze dimmed, obviously reminded of his own master, Zane the Hermit.
Back then, he and Zane the Hermit came to the Everpeace Empire to block the Imperial Preceptor from heading south to suppress the rebellion. It was at that time that he met Quinn.
Quinn, along with Shen Wanyun, Yue Qinghong, and the others, were all about his age. Though their time together was brief, the impression they left on each other ran deep.
Zane the Hermit was killed by the Imperial Preceptor. Warren Moran carried his master's body back to Little Jade Capital Sect, and after that, they never met again.
"Brother Moran."
Quinn greeted him and asked, "Who are these senior brother and senior sister?"
"This is Senior Sister Cindy Mu, and this is my senior brother, Ronnie Long."
Warren Moran said, "Senior Sister Mu is the disciple of Elder Dina Dean, and Ronnie Long is the disciple of Sage Skycloud."
Quinn was slightly moved. Little Jade Capital Sect had so many lineages—he guessed they could easily bring out a dozen techniques on par with the Grand Buddha Mahayana Scripture of Great Thunderclap Temple or the Innate Supreme Profound Art of Dao Gate.
Every so-called 'immortal' in Little Jade Capital Sect was a master of one or several arts, but did Little Jade Capital Sect possess a supreme technique that surpassed all others?
If not, then no matter how many top-tier arts there were, no one could master them all—after all, not everyone was an Overlord Body like himself.
Suddenly, Sage Nicholas Tranquil's voice came: "Victor Bloom's skills are extraordinary. Cindy Mu lost to him in twenty-seven moves, Ronnie Long in twenty-four, and Warren Moran in twenty-three. But don't think Moran is weaker—the strongest among them is actually Moran. Yet, when facing Victor Bloom, the stronger you are, the quicker you lose."
Quinn was taken aback. He looked down and saw that Sage Nicholas Tranquil was no longer at the bottom of the pit.
At that moment, Sage Nicholas Tranquil and Village Chief stood off to the side, looking perfectly fine—no injuries, no dirt, no wrinkles on their clothes. It was as if Quinn hadn't just beaten him up.
"The old immortal really is something—far too fast."
Quinn praised, "I didn't even see when you got up, or when you fixed your robes."
Sage Nicholas Tranquil's face was a bit green. Quinn added, "Why do you say, Sage, that the stronger you are against Victor Bloom, the faster you lose?"
Sage Nicholas Tranquil glanced at Warren Moran. "Moran, you explain."
Warren Moran nodded and said, "Victor Bloom's techniques are strange. The stronger his opponent, the stronger he becomes. His divine arts are also peculiar—he adapts on the spot, as if creating them in the moment. The more refined your skills, the more refined his become."
Quinn's expression grew serious. "Has he already transcended technique and reached the realm of law?"
Warren Moran replied, "I can't tell. It seems related to his arts, but it also feels like he's entered that realm."
Quinn stared, lost in thought. If there really were a cultivation art designed to develop creativity, that would be quite the marvel. Such arts are exceedingly rare—in the past, his own Overlord Three-Core Art was incomplete, forcing him to devise and innovate on his own, and the Woodcutter Sage’s teachings were also a method for cultivating creativity.
But that was only because the true Overlord Three-Core Art was preserved solely by the Keane clan in Carefree Haven. Once Quinn received the complete art from his father, Hansen Keane, he no longer needed to invent or patch it himself.
If Victor Bloom’s technique truly cultivates creativity, then it stands at another level entirely.
Facing an opponent like that, how many moves would it take to decide the winner between us?
One move?
Or dozens, or hundreds?
“He really is a terrifying opponent—no wonder they call him a fake Overlord Body,” Quinn murmured.
Sage Nicholas Tranquil’s expression froze. He glanced at Village Chief and whispered, “Brother, I get the Overlord Body part, but what’s this about a fake Overlord Body?”
Village Chief’s face darkened slightly. He snorted, “You’re too inexperienced—best not to ask.”
Sage Nicholas Tranquil gave a dissatisfied grunt, then turned to Warren Moran, Cindy Mu, and Ronnie Long. “Quinn Shepherd is both Cult Master of the Heavenly Saint and Human Emperor, inheriting two great lineages. His cultivation arts and divine abilities are all extremely bizarre, and his mana is overwhelming. If you face him, don’t try to match raw power—you’ll just get crushed.”
At this, he couldn’t help feeling embarrassed—he’d just tried to pit his own mana against Quinn and been steamrolled, unable to even show off any of his intricate moves.
Warren Moran, Cindy Mu, and Ronnie Long immediately listened with utmost attention, committing every word to memory.
“His attacks are all over the place, his movement and footwork are uncanny, and he’s incredibly fast. Don’t let him get close or you’ll never shake him off.”
Sage Nicholas Tranquil continued, “His fists are the Thunder Chant Eight-Form from Great Thunderclap Temple—Indra Heaven–level divine arts, extremely powerful. If you try to trade blows, his mana and strength will overwhelm you. He’s also trained in the Ling clan’s Nine-Dragon Emperor Art, so his divine arts are just as fierce. And he even weaves forging arts into his combat—you must be on guard!”
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What frustrated him most was Quinn’s ability to rip up copper pillars and wield them as spears—his attacks were brutally domineering, and he could even melt the copper with yuanqi, forging it into swords mid-fight.
That move had completely defeated him.
And the method Quinn used was precisely a forging art.
To forge treasures in the heat of battle, turning the act of forging into raw attack power—he’d never seen anyone fight like that in his entire life!
Cindy Mu looked troubled. "Master-uncle, then how are we supposed to fight him?"