Each strike from his opponent landed with a clang like hammered bronze, sometimes even throwing off sparks.
To refine the body to this degree with White Tiger yuanqi was truly impressive—no wonder he dared compete in the City Lord's Manor.
His opponent was young too, about Quinn's age—fourteen or fifteen—but fought with ruthless skill, wielding eight swords, each controlled by a 'hand' of yuanqi.
The 'hands' weren't real—they were formed from his yuanqi, letting him control eight blades at once.
"Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art?" Quinn murmured.
This youth's Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art wasn't quite the same as Felix Fu's—Felix had already manifested the godly apparition with eight arms.
The youth hadn't reached that level yet, but his use of yuanqi followed the same lineage as Felix Fu.
Lynn Ling explained, "That's Felix Fu's son, Terry Fu. Poor kid—lost his mother young, and Felix raised him all by himself..."
Thwack—
Terry Fu drove both swords into his opponent's eyes, then twisted them, shredding the boy's sight.
This woman was impossibly beautiful—so stunning that even the finest brush could never capture her features, and no artist could ever hope to paint the aura and grace she possessed.
Is she really Granny Sue?
Quinn couldn't help but shiver at a dark, absurd thought: Had Granny Sue killed such a beautiful woman and was now wearing her skin?
"Hey! Cowherd!"
Suddenly, a girl's voice called out behind him. Quinn turned, but saw no one—until he looked up and spotted her perched on the edge of a temple roof, skirt draped to her ankles, exposing skin so pale and delicate it seemed almost luminous.
Her bare feet nearly dangled over Quinn's head, toes curling and uncurling playfully, swaying back and forth in the air.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she grinned, "Hey, cowherd, come up here! The view's much better from here—you can see everything clearly."
Quinn leapt onto the eaves and sat beside her, catching a whiff of a familiar fragrance from her, which left him puzzled.
She wore two locks of hair framing her cheeks, making her round face look like a sunflower seed. Her bright eyes and white teeth flashed as she smiled, her eyes curving into little moons. "Do I look fat?" she teased.
Quinn nodded, blunt as ever. "You part your hair on both sides to make your face look slimmer, but if you pull it back, you're still pretty chubby underneath."
The girl huffed, annoyed, and kicked him with her bare foot. She set her shoes aside, protesting, "Fat cheeks are just how I was born! What can I do about it?"
Both of them dangled their legs over the temple eaves. Quinn propped himself up with his hands, still puzzled by the girl's familiar scent and sense that he'd seen her somewhere before.
Across the square, the gates of the City Lord's Manor of Dragoncrest swung open. A hundred imposing figures strode out, each emanating powerful auras and bearing distinguished appearances—every one a famed divine-ability user of Dragoncrest City, their presence overwhelming.
At their head was Felix Fu himself: tall, broad-shouldered, tiger-eyed and barrel-waisted, his stride that of a dragon-tiger. His bristling beard flared out to either side—he wasn't handsome, but radiated a rugged masculinity.
Behind him loomed a yuanqi phantom—a god-demon with eight arms, each gripping a different weapon. It was a manifestation of his qi, and its aura was extraordinary.
"The Cult Mistress stole the Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra, escaped the pursuit of the elders and Patriarch of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon, and vanished into the Great Ruins without a trace."
Felix Fu laughed heartily. "I worried for your safety day and night, but seeing you safe and sound is a great relief. You hid away for forty years, so I imagine you've mastered the Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra by now. Surely, you're no longer afraid of the elders and Patriarch of the cult?"
The Cult Mistress responded with a bright, easy laugh, chatting with Felix Fu like an old friend from years past.
Felix Fu, however, kept a respectful distance. "Madam, my humble manor is hosting a banquet for honored guests. When I heard you were coming, I rushed over so as not to keep anyone waiting. Would you care to join us at Town-River Pavilion?"
The beautiful woman smiled lightly. "Very well. I too would like to meet your distinguished guests—thank you for your hospitality."
"You're too kind—please, after you." Felix Fu replied, gesturing politely.
"That's Felix Fu's Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art. It's a really powerful technique," the girl explained, eyes bright with admiration.
Beside Quinn, the girl whispered, "They say Felix Fu, the City Lord, has already broken through to the Life-and-Death Realm and succeeded in opening the Life-and-Death Treasury. He's one of the rare top experts in the Great Ruins."
Quinn studied Felix Fu, impressed by his Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art. "If he unleashed it fully, the eight heavenly aspects could see and attack in all directions. It really is a formidable technique," he praised.
The girl perked up, suddenly curious. "Cowherd, you're pretty strong yourself. What cultivation art do you practice?"
"Overlord Three-Core Art," Quinn replied.
"My name's Quinn Shepherd. What's yours?" he asked.
The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "I'm Yuxiu."
"Yuxiu—as in the idiom 'Zhong Ling Yu Xiu'?" Quinn joked.
The girl looked surprised. "How did you know my surname is Ling?"
"Lynn Ling? That's a lovely name," Quinn said, genuinely admiring it.
He added, half-joking, "If your face were a bit slimmer, you'd really live up to that name."
Lynn Ling huffed, kicked him again, slipped on her shoes, and hopped off the eaves. "I'm not talking to you anymore!" she declared.
She landed, walked a few steps, then turned back, puzzled. "Why aren't you following me?"
Quinn shrugged. "You said you weren't talking to me. Why should I follow?"
"You're so petty!" Lynn Ling teased.
She waved him over, grinning. "I've got a way into the City Lord's Manor. It's incredibly lively inside right now—don't you want to see what all the big shots of the Great Ruins are up to?"
Quinn, curiosity piqued, jumped down and hurried after her. "How do you get into the City Lord's Manor?" he asked.
"By walking in openly, of course!" Lynn Ling replied, full of confidence.
Lynn Ling led the way, heading straight to the manor gates. Four divine-ability guards stood watch, but when they saw the two of them, they didn't even ask a question—just let them walk right in.
Quinn stared in shock, whispering, "Are you the City Lord's daughter?"
"He wishes!" Lynn Ling snorted. "My father's background is way greater than his. In Dragoncrest City, I can come and go from the City Lord's Manor whenever I please. Up ahead is Town-River Pavilion—Felix Fu is hosting his banquet there."
Quinn looked ahead and saw a shimmering lake, its clear waters dotted with pearls the size of buckets, each glowing softly and reflecting on the surface. Along the shore, rows of maids stood motionless, lanterns in hand, illuminating the lake until it gleamed like crystal.
Town-River Pavilion rose halfway up an artificial hillside beside the lake, shaped like a soaring bird. From a distance, its halls blazed with gold and jade, the aura of sudden wealth everywhere—Felix Fu seemed determined to gild the whole building, a monument to extravagance.
Inside, dancers spun in the central hall, sleeves and skirts swirling to the music of zithers and drums—a mesmerizing sight.
On the lake, a massive square platform floated, a hundred zhang wide, held up by a single colossal pillar. Above it, dead-qi lanterns hung in the air, bathing the platform in ghostly daylight.
From the platform came the booming sounds of battle—two young men were locked in fierce combat, and Quinn stopped to watch, amazed by their skill and strength.
One of the youths was the boy lured in earlier with the promise of a hundred Dragoncrest coins per fight. His White Tiger Spirit Body was so refined that his skin gleamed gold and bronze, the colors rippling across him as he fought.
Blows landed with the clang of bronze Buddha bells, sparks flying from his body each time. To refine White Tiger qi to this degree took rare skill—no wonder he dared enter the City Lord's arena.
His opponent was about Quinn's age—fourteen or fifteen—but his attacks were vicious. He controlled eight swords at once, each wielded by a separate "hand" of yuanqi.
These weren't real hands, but manifestations of his qi—he manipulated eight swords simultaneously with pure energy.
"Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art?" Quinn murmured.
This boy's Eight-Aspect Heavenly God Art was different from Felix Fu's. Felix had already achieved the full manifestation, with the eight-armed god behind him.
The youth was far from that level, but the way he wielded his qi clearly followed Felix Fu's lineage.
"That's Terry Fu—Felix Fu's son," Lynn Ling whispered. "He's a bit pitiful, really. Lost his mother young, and Felix raised him alone..."
With a sickening sound, Terry Fu's twin swords stabbed into the White Tiger youth's eyes, twisting hard and shredding them.
The boy's body was hard as steel from his White Tiger qi, but his eyes were unprotected. Now blinded, he shrieked in agony. Terry Fu didn't kill him outright or let up—instead, he sliced off the boy's fingers one by one, a look of excitement in his eyes.
Quinn frowned and turned to Lynn Ling. "Is he really a pitiful orphan?"
Lynn Ling, startled, grabbed Quinn's hand and hurried toward Town-River Pavilion. She forced a laugh, "I'm starving—let's go find something delicious! I'm just a guest here, so I can't meddle too much..."
Both put their legs over the eaves; Quinn props up the eave with his hands, feeling the girl's scent is familiar. Render with smooth, cinematic description and Quinn's curiosity.
Both put their legs over the eaves; Quinn props up the eave with his hands, feeling the girl's scent is familiar. Render with smooth, cinematic description and Quinn's curiosity.
Both put their legs over the eaves; Quinn props up the eave with his hands, feeling the girl's scent is familiar. Render with smooth, cinematic description and Quinn's curiosity.