Young Master Qin, who had previously watched on as if none of this concerned him, suddenly had a drastic change of expression upon hearing Lu Yang's words.
Whether Lu Yang was an ancient genius or a member of the Heavenly Court Cult was none of his business, nor did he have any right to meddle in such affairs.
Yet Lu Yang claimed he had found Qin Haoran's reincarnation—and that was something he could not accept.
If the other party had found Qin Haoran's reincarnation, what did that make him?
Young Master Qin had a very clear understanding of his own situation: his sole reason for existence was to provide a legitimate, seamless pretext for inheriting Qin Haoran's legacy.
Though he was the same age as Lu Yang and the others, he had already reached late Foundation Establishment, progressing even faster than Lu Yang's fellow junior disciples.
In reality, his cultivation talent was nowhere near as remarkable as it appeared. The upper echelons of the Nine Nether Cult had forcibly elevated his cultivation through direct spiritual empowerment simply to make him present an outward genius matching Qin Haoran's renown.
Forcing growth like pulling up seedlings to make them grow brought endless future troubles. Future cultivation would be fraught with insurmountable bottlenecks, ascending to the Body Integration stage would be as difficult as scaling the heavens, and he might very well remain stuck at the Void Refining stage—or even lower—for the rest of his life.
"Who did you say is this seat's reincarnation?" Young Master Qin fixed a grim glare on Lu Yang, wishing he could swallow him whole.
"Who are you?" Lu Yang asked in genuine confusion. Xiao Qi had said that for the sake of safety, Lord Mi always traveled alone. Why had he brought along not only a late Foundation Establishment cultivator this time, but also a Soul Formation stage bodyguard lurking in the shadows behind them?
Which powerhouse's illegitimate son was this?
"This seat is the reincarnation of Qin Haoran—Qin Tian!"
"Oh?" Lu Yang looked at Qin Tian. After a momentary flicker of surprise, a faint, knowing smirk appeared on his face as he quickly figured out the inner workings.
Ruling out the possibility of Qin Haoran transforming one soul into Three Pure Ones, Li Haoran was definitely Qin Haoran's reincarnation. Therefore, this fellow calling himself Qin Tian was in all likelihood a fake propped up by people with ulterior motives.
Perhaps it was to inherit Qin Haoran's legacy, or perhaps the upper echelons of the Nine Nether Cult were vying for the position of Cult Master and sought to establish their legitimacy in advance.
Regardless of which it was, it posed no real threat and would not affect the overall situation.
"You're spouting pure nonsense!" The moment Qin Yanyan heard Qin Tian's claim, she bristled like an enraged cat. Pinching eight lightning talismans between two fingers, she loosed them toward Qin Tian like arrows meant to shoot down the sun!
Even if Qin Haoran had been utterly unreliable as a father, she would never tolerate anyone impersonating her father's reincarnation right to her face!
The talismans flashed in an instant, unleashing sudden thunder from the flat earth. Milky-white lightning burst forth, soaring like flood dragons as it crashed violently toward her opponent.
Qin Tian had not anticipated Qin Yanyan's sudden, furious onslaught. Scrambling to respond, he rapidly spun the formation beneath his feet, sending up pillar after pillar of light to intercept the thunderbolts. Lightning and light beams continuously clashed in midair.
Qin Haoran had excelled at formations; as it happened, formations were also Qin Tian's forte.
The milky-white lightning liquefied into a pool of thunderous plasma, detonating with a deafening roar that shook Qin Tian so violently he nearly lost his footing.
Qin Yanyan pressed her advantage. Slapping an enhancement talisman onto herself, her strength and speed surged to the absolute limits of her physical tolerance. Stepping through the Seven Star Steps, her figure turned elusive as a phantom as her right leg swept across in a vicious kick.
Qin Tian formed hand seals with both hands, causing the formation beneath his feet to shift abruptly, raising a barrier of light before him.
"Hah!"
*Crack—*
With a sharp cry, Qin Yanyan added thirty percent more force to her strike, remarkably shattering the barrier with a single kick.
Taking advantage of the split second when the formation collapsed, Qin Yanyan bit her fingertip and drew a talisman in midair. A blood-red glyph materialized between them, transforming into a sweeping bolt of silk that lunged straight for Qin Tian's throat. Lacking the time to lay down another formation, Qin Tian raised a hand to block. A shriek of agony tore from his throat as blood instantly poured from his palm.
Qin Yanyan stepped forward in an instant to close the distance, engaging Qin Tian in close combat.
The previous night, Li Haoran had found himself with time to spare and had refined Qin Yanyan's garments from head to toe. Though her clothes looked light and flowing, they had in fact become a suit of armor virtually impenetrable to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Li Haoran had originally suggested that Qin Yanyan follow his example by shaving her head and refining her hair into a wig, which would yield miraculous surprises in battle. Qin Yanyan had flatly and resolutely refused.
Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Lord Mi was just about to intervene when Lu Yang flickered in front of him, pressing down on his wrist.
"Lord Mi, do you truly have so little confidence in Cult Master Qin's reincarnation?"
Qin Tian and Qin Yanyan traded blows at blinding speed. Although Qin Tian's formations possessed some ingenuity, he was ultimately unsuited for close-quarters fighting. Under Qin Yanyan's ferocious offensive, he steadily fell into a disadvantage.
Qin Yanyan specialized in talismans, but took after her mother in temperament, having a strong fondness for close combat.
Coughing blood unceasingly, Qin Tian retreated again and again. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, his internal organs churning in agony—a consequence of the insidious internal force Qin Yanyan had driven into him during their clash. Only by pressing his palm against a nearby tree and blowing the trunk apart did Qin Tian manage to dispel that bizarre force.
"Who are you?!" Qin Tian had suffered a major loss within mere moments of exchanging blows. He had never imagined that the gap in combat prowess between two people who were both at late Foundation Establishment could be this vast.
"Qin Yanyan." Qin Yanyan coldly spat out her name, refusing to waste another word.
Seeing that Qin Yanyan still wanted to fight, Lu Yang sent her a voice transmission, warning her that a Soul Formation cultivator was still hiding on the scene. If she continued beating Qin Tian, there was no guaranteeing that the Soul Formation cultivator would not step in.
Only then did Qin Yanyan give up, returning to the rear with puffed cheeks. Li Haoran kindly comforted his former daughter, telling her there was no need to be so upset.
Meng Jingzhou sent a voice transmission to Qin Yanyan: "Eldest Niece, why did you give your real name? Didn't we agree to use pseudonyms?"
When discussing their strategy the previous night, Lu Yang had proposed that when dealing with demonic cults, they could not use their real names or true appearances, as that could easily leave loose ends. Thus, the four standing before Lord Mi today were all in disguise, without a single flaw for outsiders to spot.
"I was too angry just now and forgot." Qin Yanyan felt rather sheepish. She still lacked experience in the martial world and was easily swayed by her emotions.
Lu Yang looked at Qin Tian with a beam on his face. "You claim to be Cult Master Qin's reincarnation. What proof do you have?"
Still shaken from the beating Qin Yanyan had delivered, Qin Tian had lost all of his prior arrogance. Yet he still stiffened his neck and said, "This seat has achieved enlightenment in samsara and recalled a clue regarding the treasure hidden in Guhuai Town."
"Let me guess. Could it be that you recalled Cult Master Qin's buried treasure had something to do with a locust tree?"
Lord Mi, Qin Tian, and the Soul Formation cultivator hidden behind him were all thoroughly shocked.
How could the other party know this as well?
Could it be that they truly were the Heavenly Court Cult, and had truly found Cult Master Qin's reincarnation?
A mysterious, fathomless smile played at the corners of Lu Yang's lips, leaving the three of them gripped by suspicion and uncertainty.
In truth, this had been very easy to guess. If the Nine Nether Cult truly knew where the treasure was, they would have sent someone to retrieve it long ago instead of waiting until today.
The only explanation was that the Nine Nether Cult had learned of a clue, and a rather vague one at that.
What could the clue possibly be, if not a locust tree?
Even if Lu Yang had guessed wrong about the clue held by the Nine Nether Cult, the clue he stated was nonetheless genuine.
Judging by Qin Tian's reaction, Lu Yang knew he had hit the mark.
Lord Mi was an old hand in the martial world whose expressions were not easily revealed on the surface. Qin Tian, on the other hand, was green and naive; a simple bluff was all it took to draw him out.
Lord Mi feigned composure. "That proves nothing! The most famous thing about Guhuai Town is its locust trees. If a clue isn't related to a locust tree, could it possibly be related to female ghosts? Anyone could come up with such a clue with a moment's thought!"
"It seems that's all the clues you have, then." Lu Yang shook his head with an air of regret. "To think that the Nine Nether, which once stood alongside the Heavenly Court, has decayed to such an extent today."
"As I said, our Heavenly Court Cult has found Cult Master Qin's reincarnation, and we learned the treasure's exact location from his lips long ago."
"What?!"
Chapter 304