Chapter Twenty-Six: Ye Keqing’s Scheme

"It seems the rumors from the outside world were true; Qin Lang's strength has indeed reached the seventh level of the Martial Apprentice realm!"

From Qin Lang's performance in slaying the Green-Arrow Snake moments ago, Ye Keqing had roughly gauged his current level of power. Always cautious, she never trusted rumors, believing only what she saw with her own eyes.

"If that is the case, then I can rest easy!"

Ye Keqing’s heart settled. With her own strength as a fully-fledged Martial Artist, she could easily crush Qin Lang; she had no fear of him putting up a fight. Now that everything was in place, the only thing missing was the perfect moment to strike. Once they were deep enough into Skywind Mountain and there were no other examinees around, she could make her move.

"Congratulations, Brother Qin Lang, on your massive increase in strength!"

After calculating her plans, Ye Keqing wore a face full of joy, skipping up to Qin Lang as if she were even more delighted than he was.

"It’s all thanks to the Soul-Condensing Pill you gave me. Otherwise, I could never have cultivated so quickly."

Qin Lang offered a faint smile, though he felt extreme disdain deep down. If Ye Keqing were on Earth, her acting skills would have easily won her an Academy Award.

"With your current strength and my help, making it into the top hundred in this trial should be no problem. Once that happens, you can join a sect and gain access to even better cultivation resources!"

As she painted a bright future for him, Ye Keqing chatted with Qin Lang while they carefully made their way forward. Several hours later, the number on Qin Lang’s wristband had changed to six. They had ventured deep into the heart of Skywind Mountain, and for a long time, they had not seen any other young men or women participating in the trial.

"Is the mask finally coming off?"

Seeing Ye Keqing constantly scanning the surroundings, her expression shifting, Qin Lang scoffed inwardly. Perfect! I have also broken through to the ninth level of the Martial Apprentice realm, and I have been eager to test just how strong a real Martial Artist is.

"Howl!"

Suddenly, a beast’s roar echoed from ahead. A giant wolf, at least three meters long, dashed past them. Its sharp, bone-white fangs reflected a blinding, icy glint. Its body was covered in pitch-black scales, and its massive tail dragged across the ground, creating a rustling sound.

It was a Tier 2 demonic beast—a Great-Toothed Wolf!

Whether the wolf was chasing prey or simply judged Qin Lang and Ye Keqing to be too powerful, it merely swept a glance at them with its long, narrow eyes and, without stopping for a moment, bolted into the distance.

"Brother Qin Lang, wait for me here for a moment. I’ll go slay that Great-Toothed Wolf and be right back!"

Slaying a Tier 2 demonic beast could earn ten points, equivalent to ten Tier 1 beasts—a very significant gain. The strength of a Great-Toothed Wolf was comparable to a peak ninth-level Martial Apprentice, so it was not a difficult task for Ye Keqing.

After tossing a word of caution to Qin Lang, Ye Keqing felt a spark of light in her beautiful eyes and gave chase to the wolf.

"Is my charm really less than that big-tailed wolf's? Ye Keqing actually went after it instead of making a move on me?"

Watching Ye Keqing vanish into the distance in an instant, Qin Lang was speechless. He had been fully prepared for a battle, but she had run off instead.

"Perhaps she thinks she has me in the palm of her hand and isn't in a hurry," he mused. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. "No, the expression she had when she left was off."

The flicker of light in her eyes as she departed had been brief, but Qin Lang had caught it.

"There are demonic beasts approaching."

He realized that two massive beasts were silently closing in on him from behind. Two tigers, each three meters long and burning with an aura like fire, appeared behind him.

Tier 1 demonic beasts—Crimson-Flame Tigers!

These were incredibly powerful Tier 1 beasts, each equivalent to a peak seventh-level Martial Apprentice. If two of them joined forces, even an eighth-level Martial Apprentice would find them difficult to handle. While Ye Keqing had been there, they hadn't dared to approach, only watching from afar. Now that she had left and Qin Lang was alone, they had revealed themselves, ready to kill him.

"Heh, I see!"

Qin Lang understood why Ye Keqing had rushed off to chase the Great-Toothed Wolf. Obviously, she wanted these two tigers to fight him. In her view, with his seventh-level strength, he would certainly be no match for them. Once he was on the verge of death, she would return to slay the tigers and then easily seize his Martial Soul.

"Trying to drive the wolves to devour the tiger and then reaping the benefits from the sidelines? Nice try."

A playful smile touched Qin Lang’s lips. Ye Keqing’s calculations were clever, but she didn't know that his strength wasn't at the seventh level—it was the ninth!

"Fine. If you want to play, I’ll play along!"

As the two tigers lunged at him, Qin Lang charged toward one of them, spiritual energy surging into his longsword, which reflected a chilling, blinding light.

"Splat!"

The sound of the blade slicing through flesh rang out, and blood sprayed everywhere. With a single strike, Qin Lang cleaved one of the tigers in two, its head and body separated. The beast, with strength equivalent to a peak seventh-level Martial Apprentice, hadn't even been able to block a single move!

The second tiger, seeing its companion instantly killed, was filled with shock. Its massive tiger eyes widened as it scrambled to stop its momentum, sliding across the ground before turning and fleeing without a second thought. Though its intelligence was low, it wasn't stupid; it knew that while the boy looked weak, he was terrifyingly strong.

"Want to run?"

Qin Lang utilized the Dragon-Glide Step, his speed explosive. After the tiger had fled only twenty meters, Qin Lang caught up and blocked its path.

"If you wanted to kill me, you should have been prepared to be killed yourself!"

Qin Lang swung his sword again. An icy flash passed, blood splattered, and a mournful howl echoed through the forest.

In the distance, Ye Keqing, who had just sliced open the belly of the Great-Toothed Wolf to finish it off, heard the tiger’s roar. A flash of anxiety crossed her eyes. She hadn't expected the wolf to be so cunning and tenacious, wasting so much of her time.

The two tigers working together were a handful even for an eighth-level Martial Apprentice. If Qin Lang lost and was killed, his Martial Soul would dissipate, and all her efforts would be for nothing.

"Qin Lang, I hope you aren't too pathetic and can hold on until I get back. I’ll be sure to see you off properly!"

Filled with worry, Ye Keqing raced back at top speed. Soon, the sight before her left her stunned. Both Crimson-Flame Tigers had been cleaved in two, their blood pooling on the ground.

Qin Lang had actually killed them both!

Ye Keqing had been worried he would be slain, but the result was that both beasts had died at his hands. Even an eighth-level Martial Apprentice might struggle against two of them, yet Qin Lang, with his seventh-level strength, had wiped them out in such a short time!