The crowd stood frozen, struck dumb by the revelation. Words failed them.
Is the sky over the Northwest Five Nations about to change?
With forty-five disciples passing the assessment, Great Qi seemed poised to snatch the title of foremost power from Great Liang.
"Lord Wei Tianming, could there be a mistake in the announced figures?" a voice called out, echoed by murmurs of agreement.
"These numbers—they're too abnormal!"
The survival assessment's results were staggering: Great Wei with only eight qualifiers, the Ghost Immortal Sect with eleven, and Great Qi with an astonishing forty-five.
Such figures were not just unusual—they were an anomaly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Wei Tianming said with a wry smile, "Great Liang has meticulously verified the data. The figures are accurate, with all materials available for review."
Even he found the results hard to fathom, half-suspecting an error. But the evidence was preserved, ready for scrutiny—his word alone couldn't dismiss it.
Boom!
The crowd erupted, exchanging stunned glances.
If Wei Tianming of Great Liang vouched for the data, it had to be true, untainted by fraud. But how had Great Qi propelled so many disciples through? The question baffled them.
Great Qi's disciples were competent, with perhaps thirty or so late Earth-level prodigies capable of passing. Yet not only had they succeeded, but numerous mid Earth-level martial artists had also qualified—an outcome that seemed fantastical.
What confounded everyone further was Great Qi's heavy eliminations in the trial's early days. This sudden, explosive triumph left them grasping at straws, lost in confusion.
Among Great Qi's ranks, the disciples cast grateful glances at Qin Chen and his companions. They alone knew the true reason for their success.
Heh.
A soft chuckle cut through the murmurs. The one-armed youth, the last to register, approached Great Qi's group with a smile.
"Who are you?" Zhang Yi, a Great Qi disciple, frowned.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Zhang Yi?" The gaunt youth chuckled, peeling off a human-skin mask to reveal a handsome face.
"It's you—Qin Feng! How…" Zhang Yi's voice faltered, shock rendering him speechless. The other disciples mirrored his astonishment.
It was indeed Qin Feng, disguised by a mask, explaining his altered appearance.
"Qin Feng, your arm…" Their gazes fixed on his severed limb, hearts surging with disbelief.
Qin Feng was Great Qi's top genius, one of only three to break through to mid-Heavenly Level in the Blood Spirit Pool. With his cultivation, he should have dominated the trial grounds. How had he lost an arm?
"Oh?" Qin Feng's smile was faint, his voice oddly high-pitched, a fleeting glint of malice in his eyes. "I crossed paths with a blood beast in the trial grounds. It was cunning and despicable, catching me off guard. Fortunately, the heavens spared me, allowing me to escape. Perhaps it's so I can seek vengeance one day. Don't you think, Brother Chen?"
His gaze settled on Qin Chen, his smile warm but his eyes venomous, like a scorpion's sting.
The group was stunned, jaws dropping. What blood beast could injure Qin Feng so severely?
"Heh, Brother Qin Feng, that's not necessarily true," Qin Chen replied with a chuckle. "You were too ostentatious before. Perhaps the heavens meant for you to keep a low profile, as you did just now, and stay humble. Don't misread their intent."
Since Qin Feng wanted to play games, Qin Chen was happy to indulge.
In the trial's final days, Qin Chen had hunted for Qin Feng, intent on finishing him. Strangely, Qin Feng's presence had been expertly concealed, as if he'd vanished, leaving Qin Chen empty-handed. But even at his peak, Qin Feng had posed no threat. Now, missing an arm and stripped of his treasures, he was even less significant.
"Hahaha, you jest, Brother Chen," Qin Feng laughed heartily, his smile unwavering. "I disguised myself to stay discreet, unlike you…"
"Oh, by the way," he added, his tone suddenly bright, "Great Qi owes much of its success this time to you, Brother Chen. If you hadn't cunningly killed Cao Heng and Nian Wuji, how could so many of us have passed? Great Wei and the Ghost Immortal Sect suffered heavy losses, and you've earned great merit. I'm sure His Majesty will reward you handsomely."
"What?"
"Cao Heng and Nian Wuji were killed by Qin Chen?"
"No way!"
Boom!
Qin Feng's words detonated like a bomb, igniting the crowd with fervor.
"Qin Feng, what nonsense are you spouting?" Princess Zixun snapped, her brow furrowed.
"It's what I saw with my own eyes," Qin Feng said, feigning confusion. "Weren't you there, Princess Zixun? Cao Heng and Nian Wuji set an ambush for you, but Qin Chen was prepared. He poisoned them in secret, catching them off guard, and killed them, allowing you both to escape. Isn't that what happened?"
He blinked innocently, then, as if realizing his error, glanced at the surrounding factions and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh, I must have seen it wrong. Cao Heng and Nian Wuji were surely killed by a blood beast. Yes, that's it."
His dry laugh and hasty correction only deepened suspicion, appearing as a clumsy cover for a slip.
"No way, could Qin Chen really have killed Cao Heng and Nian Wuji? With his strength, that seems unlikely."
"Didn't you hear Qin Feng? Qin Chen used poison to catch them unaware."
"If that's the case, it's not impossible."
The crowd buzzed with speculation, voices rising.
"You—" Zixun fumed, glaring at Qin Feng, about to retort when—
"So, it was you, Qin Chen, who killed my Great Wei's Third Prince! Pay with your life!"
Boom!
A deafening roar shattered the air, rattling eardrums. Wei Chicheng, snapping out of his daze, surged forward, eyes blazing with fury as he charged at Qin Chen.
"Qin Chen, you murdered our Young Sect Master! Your life is mine!"
Boom!
Beside him, Ling Zhong erupted, his killing intent surging as he thrust a palm toward Qin Chen.
Their eyes burned red, offering no chance for explanation. In full view of the crowd, they struck, intent on slaying Qin Chen on the spot.