Chapter 297: Fooled Crippled

Young Master Qin, who had initially seemed unconcerned, changed his expression upon hearing Lu Yang's words. Whether Lu Yang was an ancient genius or from the Heavenly Court Sect, it had nothing to do with him, nor was he qualified to interfere.

But Lu Yang's claim of finding Qin Haoran's reincarnation was unacceptable. If the other party had found Qin Haoran's reincarnation, what did that make him?

Young Master Qin had a clear understanding of himself: his purpose was to naturally inherit Qin Haoran's legacy. Although he was the same age as Lu Yang and the others, he was already in the late Foundation Establishment stage, cultivating faster than Lu Yang's junior disciples.

In reality, his cultivation talent was far from what it appeared; the Nine Nether Sect's higher-ups had instilled spiritual power in him and raised his cultivation level to make him outwardly display a talent matching Qin Haoran's. This was a case of forcing growth, leading to endless future troubles. His cultivation would be fraught with difficulties, and advancing to the Integration stage would be incredibly hard; he might even be stuck in the Void Refinement stage or lower for his entire life.

"Who did you say was my reincarnation?" Young Master Qin asked, staring intently at Lu Yang, his voice deep, as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

"Who are you?" Lu Yang asked, puzzled. Xiao Qi had said that for safety, Elder Mi always traveled alone. Why had he not only brought a late Foundation Establishment cultivator this time but also hidden a Soul Transformation stage bodyguard behind him? Whose illegitimate child was this powerful figure?

"I am Qin Haoran's reincarnation, Qin Tian!"

"Oh?" Lu Yang looked at Qin Tian, initially a little surprised. Then a half-smile appeared on his face as he quickly understood the key point. Excluding the possibility of Qin Haoran's soul splitting into three pure ones, Li Haoran must be Qin Haoran's reincarnation. This person claiming to be Qin Tian was likely a fake, put forward by someone with ulterior motives. Perhaps it was to inherit Qin Haoran's legacy, or perhaps the Nine Nether Sect's higher-ups were trying to preemptively prove their legitimacy in the struggle for the Sect Leader position. Regardless of which it was, it was nothing to be feared and wouldn't affect the overall situation.

"Nonsense!" Qin Yanran exclaimed upon hearing Qin Tian say this. She immediately bristled like an angry cat, pinching eight thunder talismans between two fingers and shooting them towards Qin Tian like arrows aimed at the sun! Although Qin Haoran was an extremely unreliable father, she would not tolerate anyone impersonating his reincarnation in front of her!

The talismans flashed instantly, and a startling thunderclap erupted from the ground. Milky-white lightning burst forth, flying like flood dragons, and crashed thunderously into the opponent. Qin Tian hadn't expected Qin Yanran to suddenly erupt in rage and attack. He hastily responded, the magical array beneath his feet spinning rapidly, sending up beams of light to intercept the lightning. The lightning and beams continuously collided.

Qin Haoran was most skilled in array formations, and coincidentally, so was Qin Tian. The milky-white lightning turned into a thunderous pulp, emitting deafening explosions. Qin Tian truly almost lost his footing.

Qin Yanran pressed her advantage, with enhanced talismans affixed to her body, instantly boosting her strength and speed to her body's limits. She moved with the Seven-Star Steps, her figure as elusive as a ghost, and swept her right leg across. Qin Tian formed hand seals with both hands, and the array beneath his feet suddenly changed, erecting a barrier of light in front of him.

"Hmph!"

*Crack!*

Qin Yanran let out a soft cry, adding more force to her leg, and actually kicked through the barrier with one strike. Seizing the moment the array failed, Qin Yanran bit her finger and drew a talisman in the air. A blood-red rune appeared between them, transforming into a ribbon of light that struck towards Qin Tian's neck. Qin Tian didn't have time to set up an array; he raised a hand to block it, immediately letting out a cry of pain as blood streamed from his palm.

Qin Yanran took a step forward, closing the distance and engaging Qin Tian in close combat. Last night, with nothing else to do, Li Haoran had refined Qin Yanran's clothes from head to toe. Her clothes, though seemingly light and airy, had in fact become a set of armor, difficult for Foundation Establishment cultivators to penetrate. Li Haoran had originally suggested Qin Yanran follow his example by shaving her head and refining the hair into a wig, which would have miraculous effects in battle, but Qin Yanran firmly refused.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Elder Mi was about to intervene and stop them when Lu Yang instantly appeared and seized his wrist. "Elder Mi, do you have so little confidence in Sect Leader Qin's reincarnation?"

Qin Tian and Qin Yanran quickly exchanged blows. Although Qin Tian's array formations were somewhat exquisite, he was ultimately not skilled in close combat and gradually fell into a disadvantage under Qin Yanran's fierce offensive. Qin Yanran was skilled in talismans, and like her mother, she enjoyed close combat.

Qin Tian coughed up blood continuously, retreating repeatedly, his entire body trembling uncontrollably, his internal organs feeling churned. This was a hidden internal force Qin Yanran had struck into him during their fight. Qin Tian pressed his palm against a tree, causing the tree to explode, and only then did he manage to dissipate this strange internal force.

"Who are you!" Qin Tian cried out, having suffered a great loss in their brief exchange. He hadn't expected such a vast difference in combat power, even though they were both in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

"Qin Yanran," Qin Yanran coldly uttered her name, without another word.

Seeing that Qin Yanran still wanted to fight, Lu Yang sent her a telepathic message, telling her that a Soul Transformation stage cultivator was hidden nearby, and if she continued to attack Qin Tian, that cultivator might intervene. Only then did Qin Yanran stop, returning to the back, puffing with anger. Li Haoran kindly comforted his former daughter, telling her not to be so angry.

Meng Jingzhou sent a telepathic message to Qin Yanran: "Niece, why did you give your real name? Didn't we agree to use a fake name for yourself?"

"I was too angry just now, I forgot," Qin Yanran said, a little embarrassed. Her experience in the martial world was still insufficient, and she was easily swayed by emotions.

Lu Yang looked at Qin Tian with a smile. "You claim to be Sect Leader Qin's reincarnation, what evidence do you have?"

Qin Tian, still shaken from Qin Yanran's attack, had completely lost his previous arrogance, but he still stiffened his neck and said, "I have successfully comprehended reincarnation and recalled clues about the treasure hidden in Guhuai Town."

"Let me guess," Lu Yang said. "Could it be that you recalled the location where Sect Leader Qin buried the treasure is related to the pagoda tree?"

Elder Mi, Qin Tian, and the Soul Transformation stage cultivator behind Qin Tian were all startled. How did the other party know this as well? Could it be that the other party was truly from the Heavenly Court Sect and had found Sect Leader Qin's reincarnation? A mysterious smile hung on Lu Yang's lips, making the three of them feel uncertain and suspicious.

This was actually easy to guess. If the Nine Nether Sect truly knew where the treasure was, they would have sent people to retrieve it long ago; why would they wait until today? The only explanation was that the Nine Nether Sect knew a clue, but it was quite vague. What was the clue? It was nothing more than the pagoda tree. Even if Lu Yang had guessed the clue the Nine Nether Sect possessed incorrectly, the clue he spoke was still a real one.

Seeing Qin Tian's reaction, Lu Yang knew he had guessed correctly. Elder Mi was an experienced veteran whose expression wouldn't easily reveal his thoughts, but Qin Tian was inexperienced in the world, and a little bluff would reveal the truth.

Elder Mi feigned composure. "This doesn't prove anything. Guhuai Town is most famous for its pagoda trees. If the clue isn't related to the pagoda tree, could it be related to a female ghost? Anyone can figure out such a clue with a little thought!"

"It seems you only know this much about the clue," Lu Yang said, shaking his head regretfully. "I didn't expect that the Nine Nether Sect, once on par with the Heavenly Court, would have declined to such an extent today. As I said, our Heavenly Court Sect has found Sect Leader Qin's reincarnation and long ago learned the treasure's location from his reincarnation."

"What?!"