An Extraordinary Martial Artist, and not even twenty years old!

Such talent sent shockwaves through every Extraordinary Martial Artist present.

But even more stunned than them were the young Martial Artists. They stared at the disheveled Cangshu, their hearts churning. A complex mixture of disbelief, shock, and jealousy washed over their faces, leaving them speechless.

That was an Extraordinary Martial Artist, a being they could only look up to.

Yet now, this very same Extraordinary Martial Artist had been defeated in a single blow by a young man their own age. The sheer disparity was like watching an ant topple an elephant; it felt like a dream.

"So... am I qualified to be seated here now?"

Qin Ya stood tall and straight as a spear, exuding an invisible, sharp aura. In the face of his cool words, no one dared to argue.

Qin Ya had proven with his power that he was more than worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with these Extraordinary masters.

At that moment, Cangshu slowly got to his feet. Bits of vegetable, meat, and soup broth dripped from his clothes. His fair face was terrifyingly grim. He hadn’t expected Qin Ya’s power to have reached such a level. By not attacking with his full strength, he had given Qin Ya an opening, but that only proved he’d let his guard down and underestimated his opponent.

’This world was home to some truly incomprehensible geniuses.’

Cangshu shook himself, and as he circulated his True Essence, white steam billowed from his body, drying his clothes in an instant. However, the stench of food clung to him, making him seem like a walking platter of food.

"Brat, I’ll take your life!"

Cangshu’s face was ashen, his eyes blazing with fury and killing intent. He crouched slightly, then launched himself toward Qin Ya like a cannonball.

But Qin Ya merely gave an indifferent smile and, with a wave of his hand, sent a cyclone spinning out.

"Using the same old trick!"

Cangshu sneered and struck out with his palm. Like a monstrous wave, his full-powered strike instantly shattered the cyclone. But at the exact moment it shattered, the corner of Qin Ya’s mouth curled up. He clenched his fist, and the scattered wind reformed into countless Wind Blades that swarmed Cangshu from all directions.

Many of the Martial Artists present were secretly astonished. ’Such masterful Wind Control.’

’They had assumed that even though the youth’s Cultivation had reached the Extraordinary Realm, it must have been propped up by a large number of Secret Treasures. His comprehension of the Mysteries should have been far inferior to their own.’

’Who would have thought this young man’s comprehension of the Mysteries of Wind was so profound?’

’It had at least reached the First Heaven.’

Cangshu’s eyes narrowed. Primordial Qi surged and gathered around him, forming layer upon layer of True Essence Qi Force that rippled outward like massive waves.

Not a single Wind Blade could get within three steps of him.

Cangshu puffed out his chest and stood proudly. He was, after all, a Sky-Controlling High Rank Martial Artist. He had been careless before and was defeated in a single move, but now that he was using his full power, Qin Ya, relying only on the Mysteries of Wind, was unable to defeat him quickly.

"Hmph! Brat, there are levels even among the Extraordinary!"

Cangshu snorted coldly, his tone lecturing. He raised his hand, and boundless True Essence surged. A fierce wind whipped up around him as a whistling Palm Qi rushed forward.

This palm strike contained an extremely powerful Mysterious Power.

’My comprehension of the Mysteries of Wind still needs improvement.’

Wind was a conventional Mystery. While its power couldn’t compare to Ice and Fire or Speed, it was not to be underestimated. If used well, it would be a great boon to Qin Ya’s combat strength. In the Martial Arts Realm, a saying was passed down: there are no useless Mysteries of Heaven and Earth, only useless Martial Artists.

An ice-blue Flame danced on his fingertip, emitting a biting chill. The ambient temperature plummeted, and all the Martial Artists felt it, their bodies shivering involuntarily.

’That Flame... it’s dangerous. Extremely dangerous!!’

Just then, a loud shout suddenly rang out. "Stop!"

The voice, like a great bell, reverberated through the palace. Simultaneously, an incredibly domineering Qi Force swept in, shattering Cangshu’s Palm Technique. It then transformed into a massive shockwave that erupted between Qin Ya and Cangshu, throwing them dozens of yards apart.

Everyone looked to see the Ancient King, dressed in magnificent golden robes, sitting on the main throne. His expression was indifferent, but an invisible pressure emanated from him, suppressing the entire hall.

He had resolved a conflict between Extraordinary masters from hundreds of yards away with a mere gesture.

The extent of the Ancient King’s power was clear to see.

"Heh." Qin Ya chuckled softly as the flame dancing on his fingertip vanished.

"Ancient King, this boy humiliated me! If I do not avenge this insult, I am unworthy of the title of Extraordinary! I implore the Ancient King not to interfere," Cangshu said, bowing slightly to the Ancient King, his face contorted with resentment.

Hearing this, the Ancient King spoke indifferently, "This is my banquet. Indulge me and let this matter drop. How about we all sit down and have a glass of wine?"

A Martial Arts King had asked for face; who would dare refuse?

The Ancient King himself had spoken. No matter how much resentment Cangshu felt, he had to swallow it. If he offended the Ancient King, things would not end well for him.

"Yes."

Cangshu ground his teeth and shot a glare at Qin Ya before replying respectfully.

The Ancient King then turned to Qin Ya and said, "For a young friend to reach the Extraordinary Realm at such a young age is the mark of a peerless prodigy. May I ask where you hail from?"

"I am Qin Ya. A humble Loose Cultivator, just wandering the world."

’A Loose Cultivator was a Martial Artist who belonged to no faction. Strictly speaking, he was still a teacher at Mingxin Academy. But these were all high and mighty figures; they probably had never even heard of the Yunxiao Empire, let alone Mingxin Academy.’

’To them, a power like that was no different from some mundane, mortal faction.’

After some consideration, Qin Ya had decided it was simpler to just claim he was a Loose Cultivator.

However, upon hearing his words, everyone revealed strange expressions.

’A Loose Cultivator? They were the lowest rung of the Martial Arts Realm. To put it nicely, they were ’free and unrestrained.’ To put it bluntly, they were a pack of vagrants.’

’They had to fight for every resource, every Cultivation Technique, and every Martial Skill on their own. Sometimes, they would even lose their lives over a single Martial Skill manual.’

’Meanwhile, in the major factions, such Martial Skills were a dime a dozen—so common that no one would even bother to practice them. The disparity was simply too vast.’

’That was why in the current Martial Arts Realm, there were very few truly powerful Loose Cultivators.’

’And a peerless genius like Qin Ya was claiming to be one of them?’

Suddenly, a thought seemed to strike everyone at once. They looked toward the Ancient King. They all remembered—hadn’t the Ancient King himself started out as a Loose Cultivator?

It was said that the Ancient King had been born into a common family. He later received the inheritance of a powerful Martial Arts expert by a stroke of great fortune. He had joined two different Sects, but for various reasons, he left them both and ended up a Loose Cultivator. Relying on his extraordinary willpower and luck, he became a famous Martial Arts King in just over four hundred years.

Upon hearing that Qin Ya was a Loose Cultivator, the Ancient King couldn’t help but feel more favorably toward him. He laughed heartily and said, "Heh, for Little Brother Qin to break through to the Extraordinary Realm at such a young age, and as a Loose Cultivator no less... such Talent is beyond anything we could imagine."

"Ancient King, you flatter me."

Then, the Ancient King said, "Come, Little Brother Qin, come sit here with me."

Qin Ya walked past the numerous guests until he was less than ten steps from the Ancient King. He saw the representative of the Merfolk Royal Family beside him and smiled faintly. "Your Highness, we meet again."

"Heh, so we do."