Endless Ascension

Chapter 25: All Must Die

The divine skill of Frenzy unleashed, causing a drastic shift in momentum.

The Dragon and Elephant Void Scripture whirled within Qin Ze's dantian like a rapidly spinning top, blasting forth the essence of dragons and elephants.

This was what it meant to exude overwhelming presence; Qin Ze embodied it now.

With two fists thrusting out, a cloud of dust erupted around them, making Qin Kun feel as if the end was upon him. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to meet the attack head-on.

"Roar..."

A deafening boom echoed through the night sky.

Under the dark canopy, birds took flight in alarm, and the forest grew oppressively still. The five outer disciples surrounding the burly man stared blankly at Qin Ze...

The burly man was deeply shocked, never expecting Qin Ze to wield the divine skill of a beastial demon, let alone one that doubled in power. A huge question mark formed in his mind: Who was this person? How could he unleash the divine skill comprehended by beastial demons?

Having cultivated martial arts for decades, he knew all too well the might of divine skills and the arduousness of comprehending them. Even with his vast experiences, he couldn't fathom how Qin Ze had managed to grasp the divine skill of a beastial demon.

The intense shock kept pounding against his heart, building up until it became a raging sea, churning violently.

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

Qin Ze panted slightly, secretly marveling at the absurdity of Frenzy.

He had unleashed the skill, depleting more than half of his qi reserves. Such a technique demanded immense qi to sustain, and Qin Ze had felt it as he released it.

However, Qin Kun had escaped in the training grounds before; this time, Qin Ze wouldn't give him another chance.

Death was inevitable.

Lying on the ground, Qin Kun was consumed by despair. He never imagined that even after taking the Pill of Blazing Sun, he would still be no match for Qin Ze. That last blow had shattered his internal organs, and unless he consumed a superior pill for cultivating the foundation, he had little chance of survival.

"I have a question for you. What exactly is our enmity? Why does your father insist on killing me?" Qin Ze was puzzled, a question that had plagued him for a long time. He searched his memories in vain, unable to recall any offense he had committed against Qin Xiangtian.

He couldn't comprehend how such deep hatred could exist between members of the same clan, driving them to such lengths to eliminate each other.

Qin Kun's pained laughter echoed coldly, "Ha... ha..."

The laughter intensified, causing him to cough violently, spitting out blood as he glared darkly at Qin Ze. "Want to... know why? Ha... ha... Because you're a disgrace to the Qin family, always bringing shame wherever you go, ha... ha..."

Qin Ze's lips curled into a faint smile as he stepped on Qin Kun's chest, leaning down to whisper softly in his ear, "Rest assured, your father will come looking for you soon..."

With that, Qin Ze pressed down with all his might, causing a series of cracking sounds as Qin Kun's ribcage shattered. Qin Kun's eyes widened, a look of agony etched on his face.

His body convulsed a few times before going rigid...

Dead.

The five outer disciples, seeing Qin Kun's demise, had no desire to continue fighting. They were merely mercenaries hired by Qin Kun, and with his death, there was no reason for them to stay.

In an instant, they leaped repeatedly, attempting to flee into the forest.

However, Qin Ze would not let them escape. He didn't want his strength to be exposed, especially not to the Qin family yet. He wasn't strong enough to defeat Qin Xiangtian, and if he knew of Qin Ze's true power, it would only cause trouble.

Thus, Qin Ze roared, "Trying to run? You'll all die."

In his Frenzy state, Qin Ze moved like lightning, making short work of the fifth-rank martial artists among the outer disciples. They didn't stand a chance against him.

Five jumps, five instant kills.

With each death, Qin Ze's mind echoed with the system's notification, "Guilt Points +1..."

Six in total, including Qin Kun.

Qin Ze paid no heed to what the guilt points meant. His gaze fixed on one spot, fury simmering within, as he spat out coldly, "Release her, and I'll spare your life."

Qin Yang never expected the situation to turn so swiftly against him. Seeing the overwhelming aura emanating from Qin Ze, he instantly realized he wasn't a match for him. He pressed a knife to Yun Man's throat, flashing a sinister smile, and said, "Give me the crystal core, or I'll have no choice but to hurt her."

"I won't ask again. Let her go, and I'll let you live."

Qin Ze shifted slightly, his eyes locked on Qin Yang, fury boiling within him as he saw Yun Man trembling in fear.

"I... I'm scared," Yun Man's eyes welled up with tears, her body trembling uncontrollably. She had suffered severe injuries from being slammed into the air by the violent Golden-Rigid Ape, and her back was bleeding profusely. Just as she tried to meditate and heal herself, Qin Yang appeared.

"Did you hear that? She's scared, ha-ha... Qin Ze, I won't repeat myself for the third time. Dig out the crystal core, or else..." Qin Yang paused, his voice cold as ice, "Or else, with just a flick of my wrist, her head will roll."

"Girl, look at me, trust me..." Qin Ze exhaled softly, standing approximately fifty meters away from Qin Kun. It would take him at least a second to charge at them.

One second, too long a time for anything to happen.

Qin Ze dared not take the risk, yet he had to.

Qin Kun buried his head next to Yun Man's ear, his voice sinister and twisted, "He told you to look at him, look at him, look at him!"

By the end, he was practically snarling, causing Yun Man's tears to flow freely and her face to turn ashen.

The more frightened Yun Man became, the more exhilarated Qin Yang felt. He taunted, "See, see, she's really scared, ha-ha..."

"Qin Yang, you'll die miserably. I promise."

Qin Ze walked towards the violent Golden-Rigid Ape, his gaze fixed coldly on Qin Yang. At that moment, his aura was so intense that even the burly man, who had experienced countless life-and-death situations as a Refining Qi cultivator, was startled by the profound killing intent emanating from Qin Ze.

With each step Qin Ze took, he exuded a pressure that made Qin Kun's forehead bead with sweat, as if his spiritual essence was being crushed under the weight of it.

Arriving beside the Golden-Rigid Ape, Qin Kun pulled out a small knife and extracted a crystal core the size of a thumb from beneath its skull. It was crystal clear, emitting intense energy auras in concentric rings, flawless like a piece of fine crystal, truly beautiful.

The burly man's eyes widened at the sight of the crystal core. It was something they, the thirteen of them, had been chasing for half a month without success. His eyes filled with intense longing, only to turn desolate in an instant.

For this single crystal core, they had lost twelve of their brothers.

He felt immense guilt, which was why, after unleashing his Condensed Qi into Weapons to severely injure the Golden-Rigid Ape, he had smiled and awaited death, believing it to be the only way to redeem himself.

But Yun Man had saved him. Now, as he gazed upon the crystal core once more, his eyes were filled with self-reproach.

"The crystal core, from a fifth-rank beastial demon... ha-ha..." Qin Kun swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with greed, completely consumed by excitement.

The fifth-tier crystal core could propel him to the Realm of Spirit Condensation within just three years. By then, at the tender age of nineteen, Qin Ze would shock not only Qinghe City but the entire Da Li Dynasty.

"Give it to me, quickly!" Qin Kun's excitement bordered on maniacal as he watched Qin Ze approach, suddenly shouting, "Stop, stop there! Throw it to me, now, throw it!"

Qin Ze took a couple more steps forward, now within thirty meters of Qin Yang. This distance, he could cover in half a second... half a second...

He shifted his weight slightly, planting his right foot firmly and leaning forward. With Qin Kun's eyes locked on him and the steel blade pressed against Yun Man's throat, Qin Ze halted, smiled at Qin Kun, and then gently tossed the crystal core into the air...

Qin Kun's gaze was immediately drawn to the shimmering crystal core in the night.

Simultaneously, Qin Ze roared, "Die!"

His legs propelling him forward like unleashed steeds, he charged at an incredible speed.

Qin Kun felt a gust of wind slam into him, startling him. He tried to swing his blade, but found it immobilized.

The tip of the blade was pinched between two fingers. Qin Ze looked at Yun Man calmly and said, "Close your eyes, it'll be over soon."

Yun Man obeyed like a well-behaved child, closing her eyes and feeling a warmth rise within her, as if grasping a lifesaver in the middle of a raging ocean.

"I told you, you'd die miserably, very miserably."

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. With one hand gripping the blade and the other clamping down on Qin Kun's right arm, Qin Ze exerted a tremendous force. "Crack, crack..."

Qin Kun's right arm bones shattered, his face turning pale as he let out a howl, his left hand summoning all his strength to strike Yun Man's back...

"Looking for death."

As Qin Ze disabled Qin Kun's right arm, he pulled Yun Man into his embrace and countered with a single palm. The veins in his arm bulged, and powerful qi condensed into a fierce strike that met Qin Kun's left palm head-on.

"Snap!"

Qin Kun's left arm bone burst out of his shoulder socket, spurting blood in all directions.

A piercing scream erupted from Qin Kun's lips, his eyes rolling back in agony.

Without giving Qin Kun any chance to react, Qin Ze swiftly flipped the long knife in his right hand, gripping the hilt firmly, and delivered a fierce downward strike.

Qin Kun's body was cleaved in two, ending his life instantly.

"Sin Value +1, current Sin Value: 7..."