Chapter 18: A World Within a World

Cangyuan's body trembled violently. He struggled to prop himself up with his arms and turned his head toward Qin Guan.

"Don't think that just because you beat me, you're something special. I'm telling you — the might of our Spirit Sword Academy far surpasses anything you can imagine!"

"And then what?" Qin Guan replied with a calm smile.

"Kneel and slit your own throat before me right now to atone for your crimes, and there may still be time. Otherwise, you, the Nan Family, and every last person you hold dear will be buried alongside you!"

At those words, Qin Guan's expression darkened instantly.

"Do you know what I hate most?"

"I hate it most when people threaten me!"

Bang!

The moment he finished speaking, Qin Guan brought his foot down and crushed Cangyuan's throat.

At the sight of this, every person present felt their heart seize. Qin Guan had actually killed Cangyuan — he had killed an Elder of the Spirit Sword Academy!

Killing an Elder of the Spirit Sword Academy was tantamount to declaring open war against them. Just as Cangyuan had said, the fury of the Spirit Sword Academy was not something a Martial Artist at the Fourth Gate could withstand!

This young man had burned every bridge behind him. It was over!

"Qin Guan, how dare you — you actually killed an Elder of our Spirit Sword Academy!"

More than ten disciples of the Spirit Sword Academy erupted in furious outrage, their eyes locked onto Qin Guan with burning hatred. The Spirit Sword Academy had never suffered such humiliation in all of Qingzhou.

Qin Guan paid them no mind. He turned his gaze toward Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun's aged face had gone deathly pale. The moment Qin Guan's eyes fell on him, his scalp prickled with dread. Had he known Qin Guan was this powerful and this reckless, he would never have provoked him in a million years.

He had originally planned to curry favor with Yang Ao to forge a good relationship for the Xiao Family, but instead he had brought disaster upon them. Now his most promising son had been crippled, and he himself would likely not escape death. The Xiao Family teetered on the brink of ruin.

At that thought, Xiao Yun looked toward Qin Guan and pleaded, "Young Hero Qin, I was blind to your…"

Bang!

Before Xiao Yun could finish his words, Qin Guan's foot shot out and shattered his Dantian — not even giving him the chance to beg for mercy.

"Aagh!"

Xiao Yun curled in on himself, writhing in agony. As the Spiritual Energy within him dissipated, his already aged face shriveled and crumpled like dried paper. He convulsed a few times, then went still.

"Father!"

"Patriarch!"

Watching their patriarch cut down by Qin Guan, the Xiao Family members cried out in anguish, their eyes wide with grief and fury.

"Qin Guan, your life is forfeit!"

One of the Xiao Family Elders charged at Qin Guan like a man possessed.

Bang!

The Elder had barely raised his palm into a fighting stance before Qin Guan's fist punched clean through his chest.

The Xiao Family members who had been about to rush forward immediately froze in their tracks.

"No one is to act rashly — everyone, leave!"

Xiao Yeshan clutched his abdomen and roared.

At the family head's command, the Xiao Family members exchanged glances and then departed en masse. Nan Shunda, Nan Yuantong, and the others who had defected to the Xiao Family also scrambled away in hasty retreat.

The disciples of the Spirit Sword Academy left as well, though with great reluctance. The Ancient Relic no longer mattered — what mattered now was returning to the Academy immediately to report what had happened.

Elder Cang had been killed. This was a matter of the gravest consequence!

With the Xiao Family and the Spirit Sword Academy gone, the area fell silent once more. Everyone present stared at Qin Guan, their eyes filled with fear. This man truly showed not the slightest hesitation when it came to killing!

"Husband, are you alright?" Nan Rou hurried to Qin Guan's side.

Qin Guan flicked the blood from his hand and smiled. "I've killed people — are you afraid of me?"

Nan Rou shook her head. "If you hadn't killed them, they would have killed you."

"Good." Qin Guan smiled faintly, then turned to look at Nan Yunqi and the others. "Father-in-law, take everyone over to that tree and begin cultivating."

"Oh — right!"

Nan Yunqi snapped out of his daze and quickly led everyone toward the spot where the Spirit Sword Academy had been stationed. Truth be told, Qin Guan had frightened them all.

Nan Qiao and Yang Hongmei in particular — thinking back on how they had mocked and belittled Qin Guan at every turn, constantly teetering on the edge of death without realizing it, both women felt a chill settle deep in their hearts.

After a while, Nan Yunqi calmed himself down, though worry still gnawed at him. He had no idea how they would deal with the Spirit Sword Academy's wrath when it came.

He thought it over, then drew a deep breath. Worrying was useless now. The deed was done, and all they could do was take things one step at a time.

After the confrontation, the scene grew unusually tranquil. No other family or faction dared to fight over positions any longer — everyone sat down obediently and began to cultivate.

Night fell, and darkness slowly seeped through the mountain forest. The entirety of Ten Thousand Demon Valley was suffused with a quiet, eerie stillness.

At this moment, every cultivator present was frantically absorbing the pure, dense Spiritual Energy radiating from the great tree.

From time to time, a cultivator would achieve a Breakthrough in this environment. Cultivating here felt like a dream — an opportunity one might never encounter again in an entire lifetime.

The night passed, and dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

Hum! Hum!

The space around the great tree suddenly began to tremble violently, and rippling distortions appeared in the air.

The crowd immediately grew restless. No one continued cultivating — all eyes locked onto the tree, and feet began shuffling steadily toward it.

Just as the excitement reached its peak, a massive gate of light materialized out of thin air beneath the great tree.

In an instant, the crowd erupted into chaos. Everyone surged madly toward the light gate.

If the Spiritual Energy outside was already this pure and concentrated, they could scarcely imagine what wonders lay within the Secret Realm — rare treasures and Cultivation Techniques scattered everywhere, surely!

In moments, Qin Guan's group and the various other factions, being closest to the light gate, rushed through first.

The instant Qin Guan stepped through the gate, everything before him went dark. Then a tremendous force seemed to seize his body and drag it into the void.

His entire form twisted and distorted. The Nan Family members who had entered alongside him were violently torn apart from him, sent flying off in different directions.

Just as Qin Guan thought something had gone terribly wrong, the darkness before him suddenly blazed with light — and in the next moment, he found himself standing in a small, self-contained world.

Qin Guan looked around urgently. There was no one else — only him.

"Where is everyone? Where did they all go?" Qin Guan frowned.

"This is a world within a world, partitioned by cultivation level."

Just as Qin Guan was puzzling over this, the Little Black Pagoda drifted out from within his mind.

Seeing the Little Black Pagoda, Qin Guan quickly said, "Little Bl— so this space is divided and people are transported based on individual strength?"

Bang!

Before Qin Guan had even finished speaking, the Little Black Pagoda suddenly launched an attack at him, sending him flying backward.

"Fuck, I've been putting up with you for a long time!"

Inexplicably attacked by the Little Black Pagoda again, Qin Guan was furious. He activated all four battle gates and charged straight at it.

Bang!

He didn't even last two exchanges before his body went flying again…

"A rookie Martial Artist dares to raise a hand against me? You're courting death!"

The Little Black Pagoda finished speaking, and then its body shuddered violently, releasing surges of strange, powerful black energy.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Little Black Pagoda swayed left and right, firing three beams of black light at Qin Guan in rapid succession — each one blindingly fast!

Qin Guan was alarmed. He crossed his arms in front of him to block.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The three beams struck one after another, driving Qin Guan back with each hit. The final beam sent him hurtling dozens of meters through the air.

Qin Guan picked himself up off the ground, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were wide with shock — both arms had gone completely numb from the impacts.

"Do you submit?" The Little Black Pagoda appeared before Qin Guan.

Qin Guan looked at it and swallowed his pride. "Big bro, I submit."

"Do you know why I struck you?" the Little Black Pagoda asked.

Qin Guan's expression darkened as he replied helplessly, "I don't…"

"You just called me 'Little Black' — you deserved to be hit. If you ever speak so disrespectfully to me again, I will drive your head straight into your stomach." The Little Black Pagoda said in a stern voice.

Qin Guan: "…"

"Let alone you — even your master would not dare… would not treat me with such disrespect."

The Little Black Pagoda rapped Qin Guan on the head as it lectured him, though when it mentioned Qin Guan's master, it felt a flicker of unease inside.

But that old man had already gone to the Upper Realm. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

"Pagoda Lord, I'll call you Pagoda Lord from now on!" Qin Guan quickly bowed toward the Little Black Pagoda.

The Little Black Pagoda's power was genuinely monstrous. Even with all his battle gates open, Qin Guan doubted he could be its match. His master's letter had said this pagoda was of great importance to him — it surely had another purpose. Better to bow his head for now.

"That's more like it." The Little Black Pagoda sank back into the space between Qin Guan's brows.

"Pagoda Lord, what did you mean just now when you said this space is divided by cultivation level?" Qin Guan asked.

"Your strength is the greatest among all those who entered the Secret Realm. The gap between you and the others is vast, so a separate chamber was opened for you alone," the Little Black Pagoda replied.

"Pagoda Lord, why would this Secret Realm be set up this way?" Qin Guan asked again.

"Naturally, to filter for those with superior aptitude to receive the Inheritance. Being strong does not mean you have good aptitude. If you were placed in the same space as those weaklings, it would interfere with the selection process — do you understand?" The Little Black Pagoda sounded somewhat impatient.

At those words, Qin Guan felt a surge of excitement. Perhaps this Secret Realm truly did hold Yang Tianni's Inheritance. With that thought, he broke into a run toward the distant mountain peak ahead.