Qin Hanchu had long been aware of their existence, so he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
At the same time, a large number of men in black emerged from the abandoned workshops behind the old man in the black robe.
A rough estimate put their numbers at over two hundred.
"Quite a few people," Qin Hanchu remarked.
"I thought you would bring the Pingluan Army, but I didn't expect you to come alone."
"Your Grandmaster realm has made you overly arrogant,"
the old man in the black robe stated.
"You know I'm a Grandmaster?" Qin Hanchu asked, astonished.
"Didn't you just display your Grandmaster abilities this morning?"
"To be honest, your strength is truly shocking."
"But it is precisely because of this that the value of the Tai Gu Yi Jing can be proven."
As he spoke, a short blade appeared in the old man's hand.
Clearly, he was prepared to make a move.
"Make your move, and let me see the strength of your Sun God Temple!"
With that, Qin Hanchu strode towards the old man in the black robe.
The old man's palm suddenly tightened around the hilt of his blade. He charged at Qin Hanchu like a phantom.
*Swish!*
As the short blade swept horizontally, fierce blade energy flew towards Qin Hanchu.
Qin Hanchu sidestepped to avoid it, chuckling, "Only Grandmaster Mid-stage?"
"Enough to defeat you!" The old man turned and lunged, his short blade glinting as it slashed at Qin Hanchu.
Qin Hanchu lightly tapped the ground, retreating backward.
"You're quite cautious."
"True powerhouses hide in the shadows, letting minor figures like you show their faces."
From their brief exchange, it was evident that the enemy knew Qin Hanchu very well.
They wouldn't have sent only a Grandmaster Mid-stage to charge into battle.
Therefore, stronger martial artists must be lurking in the shadows.
These individuals were likely waiting for the powerful figures around Qin Hanchu to make a move.
However, Qin Hanchu had no escorts by his side.
"Survive my attack first!" the old man in the black robe charged again.
"In that case, I'll send you on your way first!"
Qin Hanchu stopped dodging and stood still.
With a sudden flash of cold light, the old man's short blade stabbed towards Qin Hanchu's chest.
"How can this be!"
The next moment, the old man's eyes widened in disbelief.
His short blade was caught between Qin Hanchu's fingers!
As the old man was still reeling in shock, Qin Hanchu suddenly unleashed a palm strike.
The terrifying palm force slammed heavily into the old man's chest.
The old man stood rooted to the spot, but his back suddenly bulged.
*Cough, cough...*
Blood spewed from his mouth as the old man in the black robe collapsed onto the ground in terror.
At this moment, the surrounding men in black were petrified.
A Grandmaster Mid-stage expert had been so easily killed.
Qin Hanchu grasped the old man's blade hilt and then swung it three times in reverse.
The formidable blade energy directly sliced the enemies near Meng Qianqian and the other into pieces.
Meng Qianqian and the other's mouths were sealed, their eyes filled with fear.
As ordinary people, they had never witnessed such a gruesome scene.
"Not coming out, huh? Then you can collect the bodies of these people!"
Blade energy erupted from the short blade in Qin Hanchu's hand.
Under the rampage of this blade energy, the enemy's men in black were reaped like leeks.
Even though these men in black were all martial artists above the ninth rank, they still had no chance to resist.
"Stop!"
Qin Hanchu's actions finally drew out the hidden enemies.
Three old men appeared, clad in grey robes, with surges of protective energy around them.
One Grandmaster Peak, and two Grandmaster Late-stage!
Such a lineup was quite formidable.
He hadn't expected such powerful martial arts forces among foreigners.
Possessing a Grandmaster Peak expert meant that this Sun God Temple was by no means simple.
Their strength was even comparable to the ancient clans of the Dragon Gate.
He had never even heard of such an organization!
"Is that all?" Qin Hanchu asked, unleashing another blade energy attack.
Seeing this, one of the old men immediately intervened, shattering Qin Hanchu's blade energy.
"Grandmaster Late-stage!"
"Your strength is truly astonishing!" the leading old man exclaimed.
Qin Hanchu smiled, "You're mistaken! I'm not actually Grandmaster Late-stage, but Grandmaster Peak!"
Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions became even more stunned.
"Is that so?" the leading old man asked with a hint of doubt.
Qin Hanchu didn't reply. Instead, he suddenly charged forward.
With a sweep of his short blade, a blade energy more than ten meters long slashed towards the three of them.
This strike fully displayed Qin Hanchu's Grandmaster Peak combat power!
The leading old man hurriedly stepped forward, meeting the attack with his own blade.
*Boom!*
The collision of the two forces created a terrifying explosion, kicking up dust that spread outwards.
The two Grandmaster Late-stage old men were forced back a step by this explosive force.
"Indeed, Grandmaster Peak!"
"The Tai Gu Yi Jing is truly extraordinary. No wonder the eight ancient clans are joining forces to seize it,"
the leading old man said in shock.
"You know quite a bit. Now I'm starting to become interested in your organization."
As he spoke, Qin Hanchu delivered his second blade strike.
The leading old man hastily countered.
"Join us, and you will see a broader world."
While fending off the attacks, the leading old man continued to converse with Qin Hanchu.
Qin Hanchu, however, remained silent, his attacks growing more ferocious!
Initially, the two could fight evenly.
But as time went on, the old man felt immense pressure.
His protective energy was depleting rapidly, while Qin Hanchu's seemed inexhaustible.
"Attack together!" The old man, realizing he couldn't defeat Qin Hanchu alone, began to call for reinforcements.
The two Grandmaster Late-stage experts standing by immediately rushed forward.
The three of them surrounded Qin Hanchu from different directions, but Qin Hanchu still held his ground.
Qin Hanchu was only a hair's breadth away from the Martial King realm.
If he hadn't been concerned about an unstable foundation, Qin Hanchu could have forced a breakthrough in his realm.
It could be said that Qin Hanchu was already the strongest individual below the Martial King realm.
The battle between the four of them had transcended the mortal level.
The surrounding men in black had already retreated dozens of meters in fear.
As for Meng Qianqian and the other, they were deathly pale.
They had already been knocked to the ground by the blast wave earlier.
Fortunately, they were far from the battlefield, or they would have been killed by the shockwave!
This battle raged on for a full hour.
Even now, Qin Hanchu remained steadfast!
As for the three old men, they were gradually weakening!
They were already advanced in years; how could they match the stamina of a young man?
*Pfft!*
At this moment, Qin Hanchu suddenly created an opening.
His opponents, eager to win, attacked without hesitation.
Qin Hanchu feinted, and his short blade tore through the opponent's protective energy shield.
The short blade pierced through the old man's heart, and he collapsed onto the ground in his final moments of disbelief.
"Damn it!" Seeing his comrade killed, the remaining two were enraged.
"If you don't surrender now, we will kill these two women!"
the Grandmaster Peak old man roared.
Upon hearing this, Qin Hanchu seemed to hesitate.
Seizing the moment of Qin Hanchu's distraction, the Grandmaster Late-stage old man quickly launched an offensive!
However, a cold glint flashed in Qin Hanchu's eyes.
He didn't care about the old man's threat at all.
His momentary daze was merely a trap!