"Young Master, you are arrogant."
Luo Feng's words instantly displeased the elder in black. He said, "You are at the peak of the Heavenly Realm, and so are we eight. Furthermore, you have been at the peak of the Heavenly Realm for less than half a month, while we have been here for decades. Let alone all eight of us, even any one of us is not someone you can contend with. Why do you think you can defeat us one hundred percent?"
The elder in black stood with his hands behind his back, his expression arrogant. "I know you are a prodigy born once in a millennium, but unless you can reach the legendary Innate Realm, you will never defeat any one of us."
"No, I don't need to reach the Innate Realm. The current level is sufficient."
Qin Cangjing looked at the elder in black and said lightly, "Eighth Elder, you are a retainer of the Qin family, and you have contributed much over the years. I will not kill you, but I will also not let you stand in my way of becoming the Patriarch."
"Next, I will draw my sword only once. This strike will not take your lives, but it will render you incapable of fighting for a considerable time. This can be considered my repayment for your years of loyalty to the Qin family."
"I am about to draw my sword. Are you ready?"
After speaking, Qin Cangjing's right hand had already gripped the hilt of the Minghong Saber, and he spoke to the elder in black.
"Everyone, the Young Master is not joking. He has never been one to joke. Everyone, give it your all."
The eldest among the eight elders sensed that something was amiss and shouted to the others, reminding them not to underestimate their opponent.
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Cangjing drew his sword.
There were no fancy moves in this strike; it was direct and straightforward. However, the moment the sword was drawn, it unleashed a world-destroying pressure. Majestic killing intent and saber energy erupted simultaneously, slashing down towards the eight elders.
Although Qin Cangjing only executed one strike, it felt like thousands of swords, stretching endlessly from all directions.
The eight elders in black were all peak Heavenly Realm experts, yet they had no power to resist this strike. All eight were simultaneously struck in the chest, spewed a large mouthful of blood, and collapsed to their knees on the spot.
In less than a moment, the victor was decided. The eight great elders were completely incapacitated, their eyes wide as they stared at Qin Cangjing, unable to utter a single word.
"What? How is this possible?"
Qin Tianxia had expected the worst-case scenario to be Qin Cangjing taking one of the elders down with him and then being killed by the remaining seven. He never imagined that Qin Cangjing could defeat all eight Qin family elders by himself, and with just one strike, crushing them with overwhelming force.
"Qin Cangjing... is too terrifying."
Qin Chunqiu and Qin Lianxing, who had knelt to Qin Cangjing earlier, were also shocked by this scene. They were fortunate that they had knelt and surrendered quickly, otherwise, they would likely be dead by now.
"Brother..."
Qin Lianyue knew her elder brother was powerful, but she never imagined he had become this powerful. It seemed the hardships her elder brother had endured over the years had also forged his strength.
"Qin Cangjing... truly worthy of being the Son of Heaven... truly worthy of being a prodigy seen once in a millennium. With such a person as the Qin family's Patriarch, the Qin family will have hope, to regain its former glory, and even ascend to greater heights."
The Qin family members, who had been hesitant about whom to choose, all made their decision after witnessing Qin Cangjing defeat the eight Qin family elders with a single strike. As if rehearsed, they all walked before Qin Cangjing and said respectfully, "Greetings, Patriarch."
"Thank you for your kind regard. I shall accept it without politeness."
Seeing this, Qin Cangjing smiled faintly at the crowd and then signaled for them to stand aside, clearly intending to settle his score with Qin Tianxia.
The crowd understood that there were too many grudges between the brothers Qin Cangjing and Qin Tianxia to settle, so they quickly moved to the side, making their stance clear.
"As expected of Brother. After more than twenty years, I thought you had become useless. I never imagined that not only did you not fall into despair, but you have also reached the pinnacle of martial arts."
Qin Tianxia looked at Qin Cangjing and smiled faintly. "I have also been cultivating diligently for the past twenty years and have received guidance from countless renowned masters, yet I could only break through to the mid-stage of the Earth Realm in my forties. Compared to you, I am merely a clown."
"Compared to me, everyone in this world, except for a select few, is a clown. You don't need to feel anything."
Qin Cangjing spoke, "Qin Tianxia, your intelligence is inferior to mine, and your talent is inferior to mine. However, your ruthlessness and scheming far surpass mine. At least, it took me over twenty years to uncover the Star-Picking Tower's conspiracy and the truth of my father's death."
"I do not oppose political maneuvering and scheming, but you have gone too far. Therefore, you may die now."
Upon hearing the words "Star-Picking Tower," Qin Lianyue was already shocked. When she heard the truth of her father's death, Qin Lianyue's eyes widened in astonishment, and she exclaimed, "Brother, what is going on?"
As soon as Qin Lianyue finished speaking, the corners of Qin Tianxia's mouth curled upwards, revealing a sinister smile. "That girl from the Star-Picking Tower who plays an invisible guqin, I prepared her for Qin Cangjing. No, I prepared her for Qin Cangjing and Father."
"An eight-year-old girl, pitiful and lovely, every man in the world could not resist her gentle smile. First, I made Qin Cangjing fall for her, and then I gave her to Father. Under her instigation, the once close father and son became suspicious, eventually escalating into a battle."
Qin Tianxia continued, "On the day Father married that girl, Qin Cangjing came to snatch her away. He transformed the city's wind and snow into a sword, killing over a hundred Qin family powerhouses. Father was also struck by the terrifying sword energy, spat blood, and died of grief."
"Actually, he didn't die of grief; I poisoned him."
Qin Tianxia looked at everyone present. "A woman caused the death of one and the crippling of another of the Qin family's strongest two men. This should be the most successful honey trap in the world. I even feel that even Wang Yun's honey trap was not as good as mine."
"Qin Tianxia, you beast! How could you use such a poisonous scheme to plot against your own father and brother? Are you even human?"
Upon hearing Qin Tianxia's words, Qin Lianyue became furious and exclaimed.
"Yes, Qin Tianxia, you are simply a disgrace."
After Qin Lianyue's words, the other Qin family members also began to speak.
Even Qin Chunqiu and Qin Lianxing were filled with immense anger, clearly unable to condone Qin Tianxia's bottomless scheming.
"Hmph, curse me all you want. I don't care, because all I want is success. As long as I succeed, even if I am reviled by thousands and infamous for eternity, I will not care."
Qin Tianxia looked at everyone. "Furthermore, let me tell you a secret. I am telling you this because you are all about to die."