Chapter Five: Elder Qin

Yang Qi looked coldly at the bald man and said, "Now you can tell me, who sent you?"

The bald man’s face showed pain, but he dared not say a word. Yang Qi’s expression darkened; he applied a slight pressure to his injury, and the bald man immediately winced in pain but still gritted his teeth in silence.

Quite stubborn, huh? Yang Qi was slightly taken aback and calmly asked, "Was it Hou Lei who sent you?"

The bald man lowered his head upon hearing this but said nothing.

Judging by the bald man’s demeanor, Yang Qi already had his answer.

"Don’t let me run into you again," Yang Qi snorted coldly and turned to leave the alley.

...

Although Yang Qi knew Hou Lei was the mastermind behind this, he was at a loss for the moment. The reason was simple—he knew nothing about Hou Lei.

"I hope this time he understands that I’m not someone to be trifled with," Yang Qi could only hope that once Hou Lei knew he had martial skills, he would not provoke him again. Otherwise, he wouldn’t hesitate to teach him a harsh lesson next time to make him remember it well.

After slowing down his cultivation pace, Yang Qi found nothing wrong and no longer deliberately suppressed his speed of cultivation.

In just two days, his cultivation broke through again, reaching the level of Five-Star Martial Disciple. However, after reaching this level, he clearly felt his cultivation speed slow down considerably. Even so, compared to cultivators on the Tianwu Continent, his progress was still incomparably faster.

"Young man, you’re finally awake." Just as Yang Qi finished cultivating, a hoarse voice came to his ear.

Under a nearby tree’s shade stood an old man with silver hair, his gaze fixed on Yang Qi.

"You weren’t asleep just now, were you?" the silver-haired elder suddenly asked.

At this, a flash of surprise crossed Yang Qi’s eyes. When meditating, his mind was empty and his spirit sank inward, almost indistinguishable from sleep.

"How can you be so sure I wasn’t asleep?" Yang Qi looked at the elder curiously.

"Your breathing," the old man smiled faintly.

His breathing?

Yang Qi’s expression shifted slightly. His breath was regulated to perfectly synchronize with the Haotian Technique, absorbing the vital energy of heaven and earth in an extremely rhythmic pattern. A sleeping person could never maintain such a breathing rhythm.

---

"Old sir, you have a sharp eye!" Yang Qi sincerely admired.

"It’s just age and paying attention more, nothing special," the silver-haired elder chuckled and shook his head. "Don’t call me old sir either—I’m Qin. Just call me Elder Qin, that’s what my juniors call me."

"Elder Qin, I’m Yang Qi," he quickly introduced himself.

"Qi, I see your kung fu is no simple matter. How about I lend you a hand?" Qin suddenly proposed.

Yang Qi was stunned and looked at Elder Qin in surprise.

Qin’s eyes widened proudly. "What, don’t think much of this old man? I’ll tell you, not just anyone can get close to me."

Naturally, Yang Qi did not believe this. Qin showed no sign of aura, and at his age, how could he handle three or five opponents?

However, as soon as they exchanged a move, Qin lightly brushed his hand, and Yang Qi felt an immense force strike him, causing him to stagger back two steps.

"This..." Yang Qi stared in shock at Qin. Now a Five-Star Martial Disciple, even without using his aura, his body was no ordinary one. To be pushed back like this, the power must have been at least three or four hundred pounds of force.

"Not bad, still standing. Qi, old hands hold more tricks!" Elder Qin laughed at Yang Qi’s expression.

Caught off guard!

Regaining his composure, Yang Qi began to take Qin seriously. Qin’s strength wasn’t overwhelming, even a bit less than the force Yang Qi had endured during his past extreme training, but for a man in his sixties to maintain such power was eye-opening.

Learning from his previous experience, Yang Qi focused his spirit and launched a punch at Qin’s face.

Qin cupped his hands, feeling a tremendous force that seemed to slip beyond his control. He prudently stepped back, dissipating the terrifying power.

Yang Qi’s punch landed as if on a sponge, offering no solid impact. Missing his chance, he quickly tried to seize Qin’s vital pulse points.

"Not good!" Qin, having practiced Tai Chi for many years, knew well the consequences of having his pulse points seized. He abandoned caution and transformed his palm into a fist, colliding head-on with Yang Qi.

A dull thud resounded. Qin was shaken back two steps by the immense force, while Yang Qi stood firm as if unaffected.

---

"Old age, old age, you can’t resist it," Qin chuckled bitterly. After a brief exchange, he was utterly defeated by Yang Qi.

"Elder Qin, you flatter me. If this is old age, then few remain young," Yang Qi smiled.

As the saying goes, a fist fears youth. When one grows old, the power of one’s fists and physical function cannot compare to youth. If Qin were at his prime, his strength would be at least fifty percent greater, enough to handle seven or eight strong men with ease. Among ordinary people, that would be quite formidable.

"You brat!" Qin laughed and scolded.

Martial achievements had long been Qin’s pride. He wouldn’t mind praise from ordinary people, but receiving it from a master like Yang Qi genuinely pleased him.

"I see you practice internal martial arts, don’t you?" Qin suddenly said. From the start, he had guessed this about Yang Qi, and their fight confirmed his suspicions.

"Unfortunately, I’ve practiced Tai Chi for decades but have yet to truly master it," Qin sighed and asked, "Qi, who is your master?"

"Well..." Yang Qi hesitated. Haoyang was not of this world. He couldn’t very well say his master was an alien.

"If it’s inconvenient to say, that’s fine," Qin said, noticing Yang Qi’s hesitation and assuming his sect had rules against disclosure. He didn’t press further.

Yang Qi smiled wryly, about to reply, when he noticed Elder Qin’s face suddenly change from regret to pain. Clutching his chest, Qin’s expression twisted in agony as he collapsed weakly.

"Elder Qin!" Yang Qi’s face changed drastically as he rushed forward to support him.

"Sorry to embarrass you. It’s an old battlefield injury," Qin forced a smile.

Hearing this, Yang Qi felt a deep respect. Regardless of modern society’s state, elders like Qin who had shed blood on the battlefield deserved utmost reverence. Without them, there would be no peace today.

Suddenly, two figures rushed in and surrounded Yang Qi.

"Commander!" Seeing Qin’s painful expression, their faces changed instantly.