Qin Ya's brows furrowed at his words. "So what if I am!" he said coldly.
"Qin Yuxiang... I remember she offended me when I returned two years ago. I believe I struck her with a palm and ground her under my heel. I never thought you'd make the same mistake she did. You two, aunt and nephew, are a truly foolish pair."
Qin Yunlong toyed with the jade pendant at his waist, his tone nonchalant. But his words were like a barrel of oil dumped on Qin Ya's heart, igniting a blazing inferno of fury.
"Say that again!" His rage peaked, transforming into a glacial killing intent. The temperature of the air plummeted, sending a shiver down the spine.
"Heh, it was because she was defending you, wasn't it? My younger brother, Qin Yuncheng, called you trash, and she refused to accept it. I couldn't stand by and watch. Ants like you, with no talent, destined only to grovel before us—what right do you have to defy me?" Qin Yunlong sneered, his expression unchanging.
A shock went through Qin Ya's mind, the boiling killing intent threatening to consume his very reason.
But, through sheer force of will, he held it back.
He knew that to rush forward now would be nothing short of suicide.
The gulf in power between the Human Element Realm and the Spiritual Element Realm was simply too vast.
"Clan Leader, if there is nothing else, please allow me to leave," Qin Ya said in a cold voice, his fists clenched so tightly the veins on them bulged.
"Hmph. Leave? You think you can just walk away after defying the Clan Leader?" Qin Hai sneered. "Take one palm strike from me. If you live, I'll let you go."
A practitioner in the Human Element Realm taking a palm strike from a Profound Origin Ninth Grade expert? How was that any different from a death sentence!
"Xiaoya, don't agree to it!"
Just then, Qin Yuxiang's anxious voice came from outside the door. She strode in quickly and planted herself in front of Qin Ya, confronting Qin Hai without yielding an inch.
"Sixth Elder, are you defying me?" Qin Hai asked, his cold voice laced with killing intent.
Qin Yuxiang's face filled with disappointment. "Clan Leader, I was born into the Qin Family, and I can say with a clear conscience that I have never done anything to betray it. My own husband died in battle for our clan. So why must you hound my nephew so relentlessly?"
"Enough. It's time for this farce to end," Qin Yunlong suddenly interjected from the side, his words like a sentence from Yama himself. "Heh. Qin Yuxiang and Qin Ya, for plotting to assassinate the Clan Leader, you shall be judged according to clan rules. The punishment... is death!"
Qin Yuxiang glanced at Qin Yunlong, her elegant brows furrowing slightly. "Qin Yunlong, cease your nonsense. You may be the clan's Young Master, but you have no right to make such slanderous accusations. When have we ever plotted to assassinate the Clan Leader?"
A chill went through her. She turned her gaze to Qin Hai, a final glimmer of hope in her eyes. However, his next words plunged her into absolute despair.
Qin Hai paused for a moment before speaking coldly, "Qin Ya, Qin Yuxiang, you coveted the position of Clan Leader, betraying the years the family invested in nurturing you. I will now pass judgment according to clan rules. You shall both be... executed!"
"Heh... To think that my many years of service to the clan would end like this."
Qin Yuxiang was utterly despondent. She glanced at Qin Ya beside her, then let out a cold laugh as a heroic resolve returned to her features. "Today, I don't care who tries to harm Xiaoya. Even if my body is shattered and my bones are ground to dust, I'll drag you all down with me!"
The aura of a Profound Yuan Eighth Grade expert erupted from her, at once ethereal and indistinct, yet as vast as mountains and seas. This change was a result of her cultivation of the Void Formless Technique.
Qin Hai's expression changed. "Profound Yuan Eighth Grade?" he said in disbelief. "You actually broke through two grades in a row. So the Sixth Elder has been hiding her strength well."
"Today, anyone who stands in my way will die!"
Looking at Qin Yuxiang at that moment, Qin Ya had a million things to say but didn't know where to begin. This was his aunt, his closest family.
The one person who stood by his side no matter the time or place, the one who would defy the entire clan for his sake without a second thought.
Qin Ya smiled faintly. "Aunt, we'll fight our way out together!"
"Good, very good! What a touching display of devotion between aunt and nephew! Cloud Shattering Palm!"
Qin Hai suddenly unleashed a palm strike. In his hands, the Yellow-Level High-Class Martial Skill, Cloud Shattering Palm, was countless times more powerful than when Qin Yuncheng used it—the difference was like that between heaven and earth.
Instantly, a devastating force that seemed to tear through the clouds rushed straight toward Qin Ya and Qin Yuxiang.
Qin Yuxiang immediately shielded Qin Ya behind her. Mobilizing all the True Essence in her body, she thrust out a palm, unleashing a Cloud Shattering Palm technique identical to Qin Hai's.
The Cloud Shattering Palm was a Yellow-Level High-Class Martial Skill stored in the Qin Family's Library Pavilion. Few were qualified to learn it, but as a clan Elder, Qin Yuxiang was one of them.
As the two palm forces collided, a violent gale erupted within the grand hall, obliterating tables, chairs, and teapots. With a loud CREAK, the pillars and beams gave way. Bricks and tiles shattered as the Qin Family's grand hall was utterly destroyed by the aftershock.
Sand and stone flew as dust filled the air.
Qin Yuxiang seized the opportunity, pulling Qin Ya out of the ruined hall and into the Qin Family courtyard. Numerous clan disciples had heard the commotion and rushed to the scene, staring in horror at the devastation.
"What's going on? Why did the grand hall collapse?"
"Could the Zhang and Li families have joined forces to attack our Qin Family?"
"Look, isn't that Qin Ya and the Sixth Elder?"
As the crowd stood stunned and confused, Qin Hai's furious voice roared from the ruins of the hall. "Qin Yuxiang and Qin Ya have betrayed the clan and plotted to assassinate the Clan Leader! Disciples of the Qin Family, hear my command! Seize them! If they resist, kill them without mercy!"
His words sent an even greater shock through the clan disciples.
Treason!
The word echoed in their minds—a term that hadn't been heard in the clan for decades.
While they were still at a loss, the Fifth Elder stepped before the crowd. With a cold sneer, he bellowed, "Men of the Qin Family, seize the traitors!"
His words jolted everyone back to their senses. They drew their weapons and charged toward Qin Ya and Qin Yuxiang. "Traitors, prepare to die!"
"Qin Ya, you piece of trash! How dare you betray the clan! Haha, die!"
"Kill them! The two of you can die!"
Looking at the faces of her clansmen, a flicker of sorrow crossed Qin Yuxiang's face, only to be replaced by firm resolve. 'No one will stop me from getting Xiaoya out of here!'
"Cloud Shattering Palm!"
With a furious roar, she unleashed an unstoppable torrent of Palm Power. The disciples charging at them had looks of terror in their eyes as the force sent them flying, leaving them wailing in agony on the ground.
Qin Ya could tell that none of the clansmen on the ground were dead, merely injured and unable to continue fighting. He sighed. He knew that for Qin Yuxiang, being forced to kill them would be an exceptionally cruel ordeal.
"Qin Ya, face your death!"
Several men, weapons in hand, charged at Qin Ya, their faces brimming with killing intent.
"Hmph. Fourth-Layer Overlapping Waves Palm!" Qin Ya snorted, mobilizing his True Essence. The Overlapping Waves Palm Power surged forward like a great ocean tide.
They were merely Martial Artists of the Human Element Sixth and Seventh Grades; how could they possibly withstand his palm technique? Blood sprayed through the air as they were sent flying like withered leaves. Qin Ya was not as soft-hearted as Qin Yuxiang. His opponents either suffered shattered bones and ruptured organs or died on the spot.
"Such vicious methods, Qin Ya!"
Seeing this, a Qin Family Elder roared in fury and leaped into the air. Erupting with True Essence, he lunged at Qin Ya, bringing a palm down toward him.
"Rock-Breaking Palm!"
"Xiaoya!" Qin Yuxiang's True Essence flared as she moved to help him.
"Qin Yuxiang, you bitch! Die!"
Seeing this, the Fifth Elder laughed. His figure flashed, and his palms, glowing with an eerie black light, shot out to intercept Qin Yuxiang.
"Qin Bao, get the hell out of my way!" Qin Yuxiang roared, her eyes nearly splitting with rage.