This Man Shanyue actually used his fist to block the blade edge.

However, Man Shanyue’s state at this moment was not good.

He not only had to endure the formless, colorless Void Essence, but also the aura of Reincarnation and killing intent, as well as the power formed by the overlap of those five kinds of origin.

Although his body-forging cultivation was exquisite, at this moment it was as if he had run into a high wall he could not cross.

Qin An said blandly, "Your strength is very strong, and your body-forging skill is also very impressive. At least among the people I’ve met, your horizontal training is among the very best, but it’s a pity—you’re still one step short in the end."

As he spoke, Qin An suddenly increased his strength.

The Void Essence became even more refined.

Another thunderous boom rang out.

The power of Three Blades Unite erupted atop Cold Star.

Man Shanyue’s expression changed drastically, and he even wanted to retreat.

This was also the first time since he had achieved success in his horizontal cultivation that he had the urge to retreat.

But that endless Saber Momentum was like mountains and seas crashing down, drowning everything around him, making even retreat a distant, unreachable dream.

Man Shanyue was sent flying backward, and a crack appeared on his fist.

He felt that terrifying saber energy rampaging through his body. Blood spewed from his mouth and fell heavily to the ground.

Man Shanyue not only lost, he lost completely.

He didn’t even manage to receive a single saber from the other party.

The murmurs around them started up once more.

"He actually lost, and he lost right at the start. I thought they’d fight until the heavens collapsed and the sun and moon lost their light."

"This is completely a crushing kind of attack."

"Is this Qin An really that terrifyingly strong?"

"Not only terrifying, that Blade Skill is too complicated. Change it to anyone else, and they’d probably lose the moment they first made contact."

"For Man Shanyue to hold on this long is already pretty impressive."

Man Shanyue listened to the discussions around him as though hearing nothing.

He silently climbed back to his feet, cupped his fists to Qin An, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Qin, for holding back. I, Man Shanyue, am convinced this time."

Qin An shook his head slightly and said, "There is no enmity between us, and this isn’t a life-and-death battle. Naturally, there’s no need to take a life."

Man Shanyue released his hands and said solemnly, "No matter what, Mr. Qin’s restraint just now gave me face. I won’t come again to obstruct Mr. Qin. Mr. Qin’s righteousness—if fate allows, we will meet again another day."

He did not say anything extra.

The people of Hundred Barbarian Mountain all had straightforward temperaments.

A win is a win, a loss is a loss.

Of course, his defeat today did not affect his mindset. He would return and train even harder.

Hundred Barbarian Mountain would also definitely not cause Qin An any further obstruction.

Man Shanyue did not hesitate in the slightest and turned to leave the crowd.

At this moment, the gazes everyone cast upon Qin An already carried a hint of shock.

If the news about Qin An before had only been rumors, then this battle today likely cemented his prestige.

Inside the pavilion.

Ouyang Xun folded his arms, the corner of his mouth slightly lifted. "That blockhead’s temperament is indeed a bit dense, but his strength is the real deal."

"To defeat him in a single move, Qin An’s strength is truly unfathomable. Do you two have any thoughts?"

Chen Wuming tapped his fingertips on the table, then shook his head after a long moment. "Nothing much to think about. It’s just a very powerful Blade Skill. Even if that blockhead ran into me, it would be impossible for him to win."

Ming Ruxin suddenly said, "But for you to win, you’d still need time. Can you defeat him in one strike like Qin An?"

As soon as these words came out, Chen Wuming’s face suddenly stiffened, then he fell silent.

They could indeed defeat Man Shanyue, but to do it in a single strike like Qin An was very difficult.

Ouyang Xun suddenly said, "You two are probably seeing it wrong."

At these words, the other two turned their gazes to him, their eyes filled with doubt.

Ouyang Xun spoke calmly, "That saber just now looked like a single strike, but in truth, it used the power of a Secret Technique. The Secret Technique was very well concealed, giving people the impression that it was just one casual slash."

"I could tell just now that Qin An’s saber contained the might of Three Blades Unite. In other words, he used a Secret Technique to defeat Man Shanyue."

"Therefore, he can’t use that saber form again right now."

They were all very clear on Qin An’s intel, so they also knew exactly what Qin An’s Three Blades Unite was about.

"But he still has that blood-burning method." Ming Ruxin said.

"That Secret Technique seems like it can be used without limit." Chen Wuming followed up, "So we just have to find a way to force him to burn his blood one more time before we make our move against him."

Ouyang Xun, however, slowly stood up. "We can’t wait that long. Even if he has that blood-burning method, I still want to fight him."

"If you two are unwilling to make a move together with me right now, then if I really do take care of him in a bit, don’t even think about sharing my credit."

Chen Wuming frowned. "What do you mean by ’together’?"

Ouyang Xun turned his head, the corner of his mouth lightly raised. "We go up together, just like he said at the post station when he told those people to come at him all at once. If we defeat him, the fame he earns will be split three ways between us. How about it?"

Ming Ruxin’s Liu Mei brows knit tightly. "This kind of method is not something a hero should do."

"I only want notoriety." Ouyang Yun gripped the longsword at his waist. "The Celestial Dao Sword Sect has a long history, but there is always only one Holy Son."

"And that Holy Son position has already been taken by Jian Wuxin. I’m not reconciled to that. I want those Elders and the Sect Master of the Celestial Dao Sword Sect to see me."

"I have the qualifications to compete for the Holy Son position as well."

"If you’re not going, I’ll head out now. Of course, you should be very clear what kind of awkward position you’re in within the sect. This is a great opportunity."

At this point, Ouyang Xun said no more.

Ming Ruxin and Chen Wuming exchanged a glance.

The two of them took a deep breath, then rose and followed behind Ouyang Xun.

Their circumstances were similar to Ouyang Xun’s.

But they were not resigned to it.

Now was a chance to overturn the situation, and they didn’t want to let it slip by.

At this moment, Qin An was talking with Yu Feng.

Seeing that no one had appeared yet, he planned to find a place to stay with Yu Feng first.

But just then, three figures flashed out from the pavilion.

At the same time, from within the crowd came a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.

"It’s Ouyang Xun of the Celestial Dao Sword Sect, Ming Ruxin of the Bright Moon Sacred Sect, and Chen Wuming of the Lie Mountain Sect. Why are these three appearing together?"

"Something’s off. Look at the three of them—they seem like they want to challenge Qin An together."

"Is this some kind of joke? Challenging Qin An together—how could Qin An possibly agree?"

Qin An swept his gaze back over them, but didn’t speak.

Under everyone’s gaze, Ouyang Xun stepped forward slowly and cupped his fists. "Greetings, Mr. Qin. The three of us know we can’t defeat Mr. Qin one-on-one, so we intend to join forces and fight Mr. Qin together."

"Back at the post station, Mr. Qin also said those people could come at you together. I wonder if you’d be willing to accept this bout now?"

Ming Ruxin said nothing.

Chen Wuming only fixed Qin An with a gloomy stare. Clearly, he had already tacitly agreed with Ouyang Xun’s words.

Yu Feng had been standing at the side all along. After hearing this, he couldn’t hold back anymore and said, "Truly shameless! The three of you are all standouts of the younger generation, yet now you intend to team up against Qin An. In that case, how about adding me to Qin An’s side?"

He had just started to step out when Qin An pressed a hand on his shoulder.

Yu Feng said, "Mr. Qin, this is no joke. They’re not like those people at the post station—they won’t be easy to deal with!"

Qin An shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across Ouyang Xun and the other two as he said calmly, "You’re very clever, letting that Man Shanyue exhaust one of my Secret Techniques before you make your move, so that I can’t be in peak condition."

Ouyang Xun didn’t speak, but he had clearly admitted it.

Qin An said, "It takes brains to fight as a team, but unfortunately, even with such cleverness, you’ll still end up failing."

He didn’t waste words. He stepped forward slowly, his aura surging to the limit.

"You want to come at me together? Fine, come together. I’ll take you all on. But before that, you have to clear one hurdle first."

With that, Qin An reached into his robe and took out the Replica Jade.

The Replica Jade shone with a gleaming light that made it impossible to look away.