Chapter 265

Snap!

Amidst the woman's look of disbelief, the man slammed his palm onto her head.

Blood splattered, the woman's face instantly burst open, becoming a bloody mess, and her entire body was sent flying, crashing down ten zhang away.

"You bitch, you still wanted to harm me!"

Qin Yan, standing to the side, saw this scene; a trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes, but it was immediately followed by terror.

Since this person could deal such a ruthless blow to his own Xiao Xiao Shimei, it was even less likely he would spare him.

"It was this bitch who swore the oath; I didn't swear anything."

Just as Qin Yan expected, the man's gaze now fell upon him, a look of mockery in his eyes: "You've been ordering me around like a servant for this entire time; we need to settle this account properly."

"Liu Hong... ah!"

Before Qin could finish, the man cruelly tore off his other arm. Having lost both hands, Qin Yan collapsed to the ground, his whole body convulsing.

Bang!

Liu Hong stepped on Qin Yan's head, directly peeling off half of his scalp.

"Anything else you haven't said? I'll give you one last chance!"

A look of deep resentment appeared in Qin Yan's eyes; he knew very well that even if he told him everything, this person would not spare him.

Seeing Qin Yan's resentful gaze, a cruel smile appeared on Liu Hong's face: "There was one thing that bitch said that wasn't wrong: very few people can keep their mouths shut under my torture."

Liu Hong raised his foot once more. Qin Yan saw Liu Hong's raised foot, a flash of panic in his eyes, and just as Liu Hong's right foot was about to descend, he finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Wait, I'll talk!"

A look of mockery appeared on Liu Hong's face; this Qin Yan was no tough nut to crack.

"Inside the Canglan Mansion, besides the Canglan Token, there is also a secret technique left behind by the True Person Canglan from back then. Relying solely on the Canglan Token is not enough to join the Canglan Sect; one must also cultivate that secret technique. Only after cultivating the secret technique and then using the Canglan Token does one have the qualifications to enter the Canglan Sect."

Qin Yan said it all in one breath. A look of contemplation appeared in Liu Hong's eyes, and just at this moment...

Whoosh!

A sound like a dragon's roar resonated from behind.

The moment he heard the sound, Liu Hong reacted instantly; without even turning his head, he flashed toward the left.

Pfft!

A breath later, the man ten zhang away clutched the bloody hole in his chest in disbelief, turning his head to look at the young figure walking out from the side of the palace.

What he didn't understand was why, even though he had reacted at the very first moment, he still hadn't been able to dodge this arrow.

Or rather, if he had just stayed put, this arrow wouldn't have hit him at all.

"You... who are you?"

"Haha, and you called me a fool? You don't even know who he is. He is Lin Chen of the Canglan Wu Yuan."

Lying on the ground, Qin Yan saw Lin Chen walking out from the side of the palace holding a bow and arrow. Although he wouldn't survive, seeing Liu Hong meet the same fate as him brought a look of satisfaction to his face.

"Lin Chen?"

Liu Hong's pupils contracted. Of course he had heard this name; he was the most prominent genius of the younger generation among the Nine Nations in the Liang Guo recently.

That's right, it was rumored that in Lingxiao City, this Lin Chen had used a single bow and arrow to fire three consecutive shots, leaving the three Yu Beichen brothers with no power to fight back.

Whoosh!

Lin Chen drew his bow again. His sneak attack had succeeded, but that didn't mean the person before him had no combat power left.

Three arrows in a row!

Extremely fast!

Liu Hong only saw three streaks of golden light flash past, and when he looked down, three bloody holes had already appeared on his body.

"Lin Chen, don't kill him, torture him for me! As long as you torture him, I will tell you everything about what's inside the Canglan Mansion."

Seeing Liu Hong, who had no power to resist under Lin Chen's arrows, Qin Yan immediately shouted. He felt endless hatred toward Liu Hong in his heart; since Liu Hong wanted to torture him, now he wanted to torture him back.

Lin Chen glanced at Qin Yan from the corner of his eye, ignoring him completely, and nocked another arrow.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Seven arrows!

Liu Hong's entire body was like a sieve; blood gushed out continuously from the bloody holes in his body, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.

Having finished off Liu Hong, Lin Chen then walked toward Qin Yan carrying the Long Yinggong. The reason he hadn't paid attention to Qin Yan earlier was that he knew clearly that the words of someone like Qin Yan could not be trusted.

Even though he had only heard a few words about these people turning against each other, Lin Chen could still deduce the general gist of the whole situation.

This Qin Yan had obtained the notes left by True Person Canglan, learned the method to enter the Canglan Mansion, and made a deal with the powerful figure behind Liu Hong. But he hadn't expected that Liu Hong and his Xiao Xiao Shimei would choose to swallow the treasures of the Canglan Mansion all for themselves.

In the eyes of someone like Qin Yan, he probably considered everything in the Canglan Mansion to be his own from the moment he obtained the notes. Now that it had changed hands several times, he probably harbored resentment toward everyone.

Even if Qin talked, he wouldn't dare to fully believe him.

"I don't need you to tell me what's inside the Canglan Mansion. I just want to know how you got in, and what it has to do with my Canglan Wu Yuan."

Lin Chen looked down at Qin Yan from above. A bitter smile appeared on Qin Yan's face: "Don't worry, you killed Liu Hong, so that counts as getting revenge for me. I will tell you everything I know; I won't hide anything from you."

Lin Chen was noncommittal. He didn't help Qin Yan up because of these words, just looking at him faintly.

"We were able to get in because the notes of True Person Canglan left behind the method to enter the Canglan Mansion. To enter the Canglan Mansion, one must either enter from the bottom of Canglan Lake, but True Person Canglan placed a restriction: it is guarded by Canglan energy, so powerful experts cannot enter, and Ranked Martial Practitioners would likely find it hard to withstand the Canglan energy."

Qin Yan looked at Lin Chen: "You entered from Canglan Lake, didn't you? You truly deserve to be number one on the Human Ranking, to be able to withstand the Canglan energy."

Seeing Lin Chen didn't respond, Qin Yan didn't mind and continued: "The other path is to enter here through the Canglan Sea, but the Canglan Sea belongs to the Sea Demon Clan. To get the Canglan Sea Demons to cooperate and lend the path, the person behind Liu Hong reached an agreement with the Canglan Sea Demons to jointly slaughter your Canglan Wu Yuan. If I'm not mistaken, they are probably already fighting by now."

"Slaughter my Canglan Wu Yuan?"

A sneer appeared on Lin Chen's face: "What a big mouth they have."

"This time is different. Liu Hong and the others are from the Wu Guo. This time, the Wu Guo sent two Second-Rank experts, and with the strength of the Canglan Sea Demons, it is enough."

"I'm already like this; there's no need to lie to you about this, especially since you already got revenge for me."

Second-Rank experts from the Wu Guo?

And two of them.

Lin Chen's expression also became serious. The Wu Guo and the Daliang have no border, and because of this, the Daliang is very unfamiliar with Wu Guo martial practitioners. At the very least, Lin Chen hadn't heard much about the Wu Guo.

But for the Wu Guo to collude with the Canglan Sea Demons to attack the Canglan Wu Yuan, weren't they afraid that the Daliang would find out and go to full-scale war with the Wu Guo?

Qin Yan seemed to know what Lin Chen was thinking and explained: "Your Daliang is currently in a decisive battle with the Northern Border Demon Clan. If you still had to spare the strength to deal with the Wu Guo, I'm afraid you would be overstretched. Moreover, those two experts from the Wu Guo did not appear with their true identities. They only need to hold back the experts of the Wu Yuan, and the rest can be left to the Canglan Sea Clan."

"Furthermore, as long as they can obtain the Canglan Token, even if the matter is exposed and they become enemies with your Daliang, it doesn't count for much to the Wu Guo. With the Canglan Token, they will have a chance to join the Canglan Sect." Qin Yan looked deeply at Lin Chen: "You were hiding behind the palace earlier; you should have already heard what I said. This True Person Canglan is an existence that transcends the First Rank, and this True Person's status in the Canglan Sect is indeed that of an ordinary instructor."

"If someone from the Wu Guo can join the Canglan Sect, let alone the Daliang, even the Han Guo would have to be polite to the Wu Guo from then on."

Lin Chen understood what Qin Yan meant. The Canglan Sect is a behemoth to the entire Nine Nations, and being able to obtain the Canglan Token means having a chance to become a disciple of the Canglan Sect. This point alone is enough to make the Nine Nations hesitate.

"Only the four of you came in this time?"

"That passage in the Canglan Sea, although it doesn't have the terrifying Canglan energy of the bottom of Canglan Lake, it also has restrictions on those who enter. Sending the four of us in was already the limit. If it weren't for that, why would I have cooperated with the Prime Minister of the Wu Guo?"

A bitter look appeared on Qin Yan's face. He was from the Wu Guo, and by chance, he obtained the notes left by True Person Canglan, so he found the Prime Minister, who held great power in the court, to cooperate. However, he didn't come without a backup plan; before meeting the Prime Minister, he burned the notes.

As long as he died, no one would be able to enter the Canglan Mansion.

Fortunately, the Prime Minister of the Wu Guo didn't force him to reveal the contents of the notes, even taking him as a foster son and promising directly that when he came out of the Canglan Mansion, he would marry his daughter to him.

It was precisely because of the Prime Minister's attitude that he let his guard down a bit. Now that he thought about it, he was afraid he had been tricked.

Liu Hong and that bitch dared to try to kill him; it was absolutely impossible that it happened without the Prime Minister's approval.

"Lin Chen, I don't ask you to save me, but I hope you can promise me one thing: if you grow to become a First-Rank martial practitioner in the future, I hope you can get revenge for me and kill that Prime Minister of the Wu Guo!"

Qin Yan looked at Lin Chen with a look of hope. He knew it was impossible to ask Lin Chen to save him.

The Canglan Wu Yuan was under siege by the Wu Guo and the Canglan Sea Demons, and he could be considered the instigator. Moreover, his hands were crippled, and he would be a cripple after going out.

"If what you say is the truth, when my strength is sufficient, I will get this revenge for you."

Lin Chen spoke slowly. If what Qin said was true, then the Prime Minister of the Wu Guo also had a share in the crisis the Canglan Wu Yuan was facing this time. He naturally had to get this revenge.

"Thank you."

"Actually, what I just told Liu Hong was the opposite. There is indeed a secret technique left behind by True Person Canglan inside the Canglan Mansion, but only after cultivating the secret technique first does one have the qualifications to touch the Canglan Token. Otherwise, the Canglan Token will erupt with energy and devour the holder."

"To use the words left by True Person Canglan in the notes: if one cannot even cultivate the Canglan secret technique, then one has no qualifications to become a disciple of the Canglan Sect, and yet dares to covet the Canglan Token—death is deserved!"

This secret technique was a test.

Cultivating it successfully meant having a chance to become a disciple of the Canglan Sect.

Failing to cultivate it meant having no chance to become a disciple of the Canglan Sect, and thus not being worthy of possessing the Canglan Token.

Lin Chen stared closely at the changes in Qin Yan's expression. From Qin Yan's tone and expression, he could be certain that Qin Yan was not lying this time.

"Lin Chen, give me a quick end."

A smile appeared on Qin Yan's face. He turned his head to look at the palace in front, his eyes dazed. His trip to the Canglan Mansion, which he had planned for two years, imagining himself joining the Canglan Sect, becoming a super expert, and holding sway over the Nine Nations—it was all like a fleeting dream.

Whoosh!

Lin Chen didn't refuse Qin Yan this time, but he didn't use his bow and arrow. He struck out with a palm from a distance, the palm wind directly shattering Qin Yan's heart meridian.

The action was so fast that Qin Yan didn't feel any pain, and the final smile still hung on his face.

Looking at the four corpses on the ground, Lin Chen didn't hesitate and walked toward the palace gate.

He placed his hands on the door, but before Lin Chen could push, a surge of energy repelled his hands.

There was an energy defense on this palace door.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and circulated his cultivation technique. This time, there was an ice-blue light between his palms. He pushed the palace door again, and this time the repelling energy did not appear again; the palace gate slowly opened.

He had guessed right: the Canglan Mansion left behind by this True Person Canglan could not be pushed open by martial practitioners who had not absorbed and refined Canglan energy.

The gate opened, and Lin Chen stepped inside. Afterward, a streak of brilliant ice-blue light pierced into his eyes, forcing him to narrow his eyes slightly as he looked toward the center of the main hall.

There, a palm-sized jade tablet was floating, and this brilliant light was emanating from the token itself.

The Canglan Token!

Lin Chen observed for a while, then moved his gaze away from the Canglan Token. According to Qin, to collect the Canglan Token, one needed to first find the secret technique left by True Person Canglan and cultivate it successfully.

His gaze swept through the empty main hall, and very quickly he discovered a scroll placed on the only jade platform in the hall.

If there were no surprises, this scroll should be the secret technique Qin mentioned.

After carefully observing the surroundings of the jade platform for a moment and confirming there was no danger, Lin Chen picked up the scroll and opened it.

The moment the scroll was opened, ice-blue light rushed toward him like a tide. Lin Chen's pupils contracted, but he did not retreat.

After the tide passed, Lin Chen looked at the scroll. On this scroll, ancient characters were continuously emerging.

"Canglan Finger!"

The ancient characters were actually glowing. Before Lin Chen could look closely, a surge of energy rushed toward him from the surface of the scroll.

More handwriting appeared on the scroll.

A few breaths later, these characters slowly floated out from the scroll and condensed into a finger before Lin Chen's eyes.

This finger was simple and unadorned, pressing toward the center of Lin Chen's brow.

At this moment, Lin Chen's first thought was to retreat, but in the end, he stopped his movement and stood where he was, not moving.

The words of a dying man are good.

Qin Yan had no reason to lie to him, and more importantly, he didn't feel any danger from this finger.

With his current five senses, he would be able to perceive danger.

The finger touched the center of his brow, and a surge of information flooded into Lin Chen's mind.

Thirty breaths later, the finger dissipated, and a look of contemplation appeared on Lin Chen's face.

Canglan Finger!

The basic cultivation technique for the entrance examination of the Canglan Sect. Anyone who wants to enter the sect must cultivate the Canglan Finger.

Moreover, don't look at the Canglan Finger as just an entrance exam technique for the Canglan Sect; it is also one of the three great town-sect techniques of the Canglan Sect.

(End of chapter)