The scar-faced man and his companions, as well as the frail young boy, stared at the smiling young man in white robes with deep fear in their eyes.
Especially the scar-faced leader, who had just seen his strongest subordinate, a soul martial practitioner at the ninth stage of the Nirvana Realm, get beheaded in an instant. That man was second only to him in strength, and yet he hadn't even seen how the young man struck. The subordinate was dead before anyone realized what had happened.
There was only one possibility: the young couple in front of them wasn't as weak as their auras suggested. In fact, they were incredibly powerful.
The white-robed young man and woman were none other than Lin Qian and Ye Xin, who had traveled from the Eastern Continent to the Violent Star Sea.
They had been leisurely making their way across the sea in a small cloudship, unhurried despite their mission to rescue the three elders. According to the Wood Spirit Clan, Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang were hiding in an ancient underground relic. The underground world they had taken refuge in was the Wood Spirit Clan's home, where they had been forced to live due to their lack of status, confined to subterranean realms rather than the surface.
The relic would only open again in three years, so there wasn't much point in Lin Qian rushing to get there. Instead, he and Ye Xin decided to explore the scenery along the way and enjoy their time together.
That's how they came to witness the events on this small island. Seeing injustice and lending a hand was a scene Lin Qian had always envisioned. Since it was a trivial effort, he decided to intervene to pass the time and uplift his spirits.
"Forgive us, esteemed seniors, for being so blind as to offend you," the scar-faced man hastily apologized, bowing to Lin Qian.
Amused by the apology, Lin Qian's lips curled into a playful smile. "Forgive you? Let me tell you something: this island is mine, that tree over there is mine, and if you want to live, you'll have to pay the price. Consider yourselves robbed!"
"Pffft!" Ye Xin couldn't help but laugh at Lin Qian's words. "Xiao Qian, why did that come out so smoothly? Have you been robbing people regularly?"
"Well, there was a time when I did it often," Lin Qian admitted after some thought.
He recalled his past life playing games, where he often used phrases like that to start fights. It had always been entertaining.
The scar-faced man and his companions looked even more uncomfortable after hearing Lin Qian's words. "Esteemed senior, this little bit of wealth we have surely isn't worthy of your attention. Perhaps you could find it in your heart to let us go as though we were nothing but a passing breeze?"
"If you don't want to part with your possessions, then you can part with your lives," Lin Qian said, his eyes narrowing. As his voice dropped, the overwhelming pressure of a transcendent cultivator surged from his body, sweeping toward them.
In an instant, the invisible wave of force washed over the scar-faced man and his crew. Their faces froze, and the life drained from their eyes at an alarming rate. One by one, they collapsed onto the island's sandy beach.
The young boy, who had been standing nearby, stared in terror at the scene before him. The enemies he had despaired of ever escaping from had been eliminated in the blink of an eye. The young man hadn't even moved—he'd merely glanced at them.
The boy shuddered, realizing the man's strength far exceeded that of Elder Liu, someone he had considered powerful.
Gripping his storage bag tightly, the boy eyed Lin Qian warily, torn between the desire to flee and the fact that his legs had turned to jelly, rendering him immobile.
"Fourteen years old, Nirvana Realm, ninth stage, and you've already undergone nine cycles of Nirvana without starting to mend the cycle yet. Quite an impressive talent," Lin Qian remarked, standing before the boy and looking down at him. "Xin'er, if this kid were in the Central Region, wouldn't people be fighting over him?"
Ye Xin, who was beside him, nodded after studying the boy. "Indeed, but it looks like something is sealing his power, preventing him from using his full strength."
Hearing their casual conversation, the boy's eyes widened in disbelief. According to what they said, he was already at the ninth stage of the Nirvana Realm, having completed nine Nirvana cycles. He had always believed he was only at the first stage of the Nirvana Realm. Could it be that his realm had collapsed multiple times without him knowing, completing those cycles in the process?
"Are you unaware of your own situation?" Lin Qian asked, intrigued by the boy's confused expression.
Ye Xin observed the boy closely for a moment before suddenly realizing something. "Ah, I understand now. Did you ever consume a purple spiritual herb with faint lines on it, one that contained a lot of spiritual energy?"
The boy hesitated before replying, "I… I did find such an herb once, growing in the forest on a small island. The spiritual energy was so rich that I couldn't resist consuming it. It immediately boosted my realm to the Formation Stage."
Ye Xin smiled, enlightened. "You ate a plant called 'Locking Grass.' No wonder."
"Locking Grass?" Lin Qian asked.
"Yes, it's a rare herb. When consumed, it creates chains that lock away the consumer's true realm, leaving them sealed in a suppressed state. In this state, it's much harder to break through, and the person can't access their full power. However, each breakthrough will yield greater rewards than usual."
"But it's crucial to remove the chains before reaching the Void Shattering Realm. Otherwise, you won't be able to complete the Nirvana cycle. With your talent, you could complete the ten Nirvana cycles and establish a perfect foundation."
After hearing Ye Xin's explanation, Lin Qian smiled. "Indeed, it would be a shame if he missed out on that. I suppose we should help him break the chains."
With that, Lin Qian extended his hand toward the boy.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The sound of metal scraping echoed as Lin Qian reached out. The boy was shocked to see purple chains, formed from spiritual energy, emerge from his body. The young man grasped them firmly.
"Break!" Lin Qian whispered. With a sharp tug, the thick purple chains shattered into countless pieces, disintegrating into faint purple light.
The boy stumbled backward, collapsing onto the ground. He stared at the fading purple light and the young man standing before him, who was smiling calmly.
"Congratulations, you're reborn, young man!" Lin Qian clenched his fist, crushing the remaining purple chain fragments, and flashed the boy a grin.