Endless Ascension

Chapter 19: Alliance

In the afternoon, inside the cave.

Yun Man opened her eyes and woke up, relieved to see Qin Ze sitting by the entrance of the cave.

"You're awake," Qin Ze turned his head and smiled.

Yun Man blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. She silently scolded herself for being so weak. Wasn't it just a duel? And a little bit of human blood? Why couldn't she control her fear?

Every time she dueled with someone, she worried about hurting them. Seeing someone injured always caused her heart to ache inexplicably, and this had been the case since she was young. She couldn't pinpoint the reason.

In this world where the strong reigned supreme, no one held back against their opponents, yet she couldn't bring herself to strike. Even facing life and death, all she could think of was not to harm others.

After a day of being with her, Qin Ze realized that Yun Man's hesitance wasn't due to any psychological trauma but was innate—she feared others getting hurt and feared hurting them herself. He couldn't fathom the reason behind it, but one thing was certain: he could trust her not to stab him in the back.

"Let's go hunt some beastly creatures," Qin Ze stood up, stretching his arms and cracking his neck with a 'creak' before stepping out of the cave.

"Wait for me..." Yun Man quickly got up and followed.

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"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

"Qin Ze, I won't let you off the hook," Qin Yang panted, leaning heavily against a tree stump, sweat dripping from his forehead, his shirt stained red with blood, looking utterly disheveled. His eyes blazed with fury.

He had fled relentlessly, not daring to rest, the wounds on his body constantly spurting blood, the white bones visible through the gashes. It was only when he exhausted the last remnants of his qigong that he finally stopped, looking like a defeated dog, unprecedentedly wretched.

Never had he been so humiliated in his life. The anger in his chest almost made him forget the pain of his injuries, replaced only by a deep sense of hatred.

Qin Yang fished out a healing pill from his robe and swallowed it before starting his meditation to heal and restore his qi as quickly as possible. In this forest infested with monstrous beasts, being without qi was akin to being a bird without wings, rendering one helpless.

"Ah, isn't this Qin Yang?"

Suddenly, Qin Yang's eyes snapped open, his heart jolted, and he gritted his teeth against the pain in his wounds, standing up stiffly. "Qin Kun," he said coldly.

The arrival was indeed Qin Kun, who had been relentlessly searching for Qin Ze to seek revenge.

Accompanying Qin Kun were five outer disciples of the Qin Clan, whom he had bribed before entering the forest. If they succeeded in killing Qin Ze this time, each of them would receive a low-grade martial arts manual and gain entry into the Qin Clan's elite group.

This was a significant temptation for the outer disciples. Six against one, they believed killing Qin Ze would pose no difficulty.

Glancing at Qin Yang's disheveled state, Qin Kun chuckled. "How rare, to see you so disheveled for the first time. Who did you encounter? Not that freak Qin Feng, I hope?"

Both their fathers were elders of the Qin Clan, yet their interactions were few and far between, each minding their own business. Seeing Qin Yang covered in blood, Qin Kun couldn't resist taunting him. He found it strange; others might not know, but he was well aware that Qin Yang's cultivation and qi were superior to his, and Qin Yang was cunning and ruthless, never leaving room for error. It was beyond comprehension how he could be in such a state.

The only person on the hunting competition list capable of inflicting such damage on Qin Yang was Qin Feng. Could it be that Qin Yang had truly encountered that freak?

Qin Yang remained silent, unsure of Qin Kun's intentions and whether he posed a threat to his life.

Killing during the Autumn Hunt was commonplace, and even if his father found out, there was nothing he could do. It was an ancient rule set by their ancestors that nothing that happened during the Autumn Hunt could be interfered with.

"Rest assured, I won't kill you," Qin Kun said, knowing Qin Yang's concerns. Before eliminating Qin Ze, he wouldn't waste his qi. Qin Yang might appear injured, but who knew if it was a ruse; cunning individuals like him were capable of anything.

Despite Qin Kun's words, Qin Yang didn't let his guard down; instead, he grew even more cautious. He didn't intend to make the same mistake twice.

"Won't disturb you further," Qin Kun said with a hint of disdain before commanding, "Let's go."

"Wait."

Qin Yang felt a sense of relief. Now that he was certain Qin Kun wouldn't harm him, and since they shared a common goal, they could temporarily form an alliance.

Qin Yang was aware of being defeated by Qin Ze in a single move on the training ground. Knowing Qin Kun's nature, he wouldn't let such an insult go unavenged. Coupled with Qin Xiangtian's constant harassment of Qin Ze, it was clear that their sole objective in this Autumn Hunt was to eliminate Qin Ze.

"Evidently, Qin Yang's hatred for Qin Ze is no less than Qin Kun's."

Qin Kun turned around and asked, "What else do you want?"

"I know where Qin Ze is," Qin Yang revealed with a sinister smile, his face lit up with excitement. With Qin Kun's current strength combined with his own, taking down Qin Ze would be a cakewalk.

He had intended to recover and seek an opportunity for a sneak attack, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Qin Kun's prowess was on par with his, and with the addition of five other outer disciples at the Martial Practitioner 5th stage, he was confident that killing Qin Ze would be a mere formality.

Hence, he proposed an alliance.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. They shared the same target, and forming a formidable alliance to ensure success was the best course of action for both of them.

However, for Qin Ze, this posed a significant threat.

Soon, the two struck a deal, and Qin Kun took on the role of protector, allowing Qin Yang to swiftly regain his strength...

Among the disciples participating in the Autumn Hunt, their cultivation levels were all below the Spirit Realm. An alliance between two Martial Practitioner 7th stage peak warriors would undoubtedly be the strongest force in the competition.

Not far from Qin Yang, hidden in the hollow of a towering tree, two eyes darted around briefly before disappearing into the darkness.

Qin Feng, a Martial Practitioner 9th stage warrior with an 8th level Qi Gong, was the strongest among the Qin clan members below the Spirit Realm.

He preferred to rest during the day and hunt beastly creatures at night.

He had overheard Qin Kun and Qin Yang's conversation and, though he found it contemptible, had no intention of interfering.

His aim was to win first place in the Autumn Hunt. Currently, his score had already surpassed a thousand points, and he believed that by hunting more beastly creatures to accumulate another thousand points in the remaining time, no one could surpass him.

He had no interest in other matters.

"The Qin clan... sigh..."

In the darkness, Qin Feng shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile on his face. He was deeply dissatisfied with the current state of the Qin clan, but he knew that to change it, he needed to be strong. Without formidable strength, one had no say in anything.

He had three years. Three years to reach the Forging Qi Realm, or he would lose his chance.

Three years later, Qin Feng turned eighteen and faced the final test of his coming-of-age ceremony. The individual who emerged victorious in this exam would gain the privilege to challenge the current patriarch of the Qin Clan.

Success in the challenge would see him ascend to the position of the next patriarch.

This was his goal.

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Cultivation Levels:Warrior,Spiritual Agility,Spirit Condensation,Steel Refinement,Void Entry,Rebirth Cycle,Sky-Splitting,Universe Manipulation,Perfection