For Qin Xiao, choosing Tianyuan City as the venue was a matter of sheer necessity. Within the sect, if he were to kill Yao Kainan, Grand Elder Yao Tiansheng might well go mad and attack him outright. Yet choosing a distant location risked refusal from the Grand Elder, leaving him no other option than Tianyuan City.
The City Lord of Tianyuan City was undeniably in cahoots with the Grand Elder, especially since Tan Wang was stationed right in the Grand Elder's preparation area alongside the Li Family. Even a fool could see through the arrangement.
On Qin Xiao's side stood Ye Qiuyue and Lin Tiancheng, while the remaining elders and external factions chose neutrality, content to watch from the spectator seats.
Second Elder Yao Yongzhi served as the referee for the duel. Since Qin Xiao's side offered no objection, the appointment stood, giving the Grand Elder absolute confidence that Qin Xiao would perish upon the dueling platform.
"I am the referee for this match. Since both parties are prepared, please take the stage."
Second Elder Yao Yongzhi stepped up first to make the announcement.
He had originally wished to avoid this messy affair, but his elder brother had personally sought him out, leaving him unable to refuse.
Moreover, his role required little effort-he merely needed to hesitate by half a beat when Qin Xiao faced a fatal blow, allowing him to be killed by 'accident.' Anything beyond that was none of his concern.
As for Qin Xiao's victory over Gong Yuankui during the quota trials, the Grand Elder had naturally received the intelligence. Though surprised at first, upon learning that Gong Yuankui had held back and ultimately conceded the victory, all his misgivings had evaporated.
If Qin Xiao could not even defeat an empty-handed Gong Yuankui, he stood no chance against Yao Kainan, who was armed to the teeth with treasures. The Grand Elder was supremely confident.
This time, the Grand Elder had spared no expense, borrowing and renting a full set of Middle Grade Dharma Treasures for Yao Kainan to ensure Qin Xiao's certain death.
"If not for Second Brother Kaixi remaining in closed-door cultivation, I wouldn't have had to go to such lengths."
Yao Tiansheng stared malevolently at Qin Xiao as he mounted the platform.
As for Yao Kaibei, he was already beyond command since reaching the Soul Formation stage; any attempt to summon him would be blocked by the Grand Supreme Elder. Thus, the Grand Elder had no choice but to rely on Yao Kainan, who had just emerged from seclusion.
Following Qin Xiao onto the stage, Yao Kainan locked his gaze onto his opponent, his eyes burning with the desire to tear him apart.
"Since this is a Deathmatch, there are no rules. Naturally, you are both fellow disciples, so I trust you will know when to stop."
With those words, Yao Yongzhi retreated to the edge of the dueling platform, clearing the space.
Though formal protocols dictated that sects intervene in Deathmatches to prevent fatalities and spare lives, this time he intended to make things easy for himself. There would be no timely intervention; Life and Death Are Up to Fate.
Realizing the match had begun, Yao Kainan dispensed with threats and charged straight at Qin Xiao with his sword, intent on ending him.
Qin Xiao did not wait passively either, accelerating to meet Yao Kainan head-on. He needed to resolve this swiftly.
Though Yao Kainan's sword techniques were vicious, Qin Xiao's speed was superior. With a agile sidestep, he evaded the blade and delivered a fierce Whip Punch directly toward Yao Kainan's Dantian.
Caught off guard by the sheer velocity of the attack, Yao Kainan frantically channeled his protective treasure, instantly enveloping himself in a barrier of blue light.
It was a Middle Grade defensive Dharma Treasure bestowed by the Grand Elder. Seeing it activate brought a surge of reassurance.
Yet the next moment, a terrifying impact slammed through the barrier, the force threatening to breach the defense entirely.
Desperate to dissipate the momentum, Yao Kainan lashed out with a kick.
Qin Xiao, however, refused to let him off. He caught Yao Kainan's ankle with a swift counter-grab and drove another punch straight into the sole of his foot.
The resulting shockwave drove Yao Kainan back more than ten steps before he managed to steady himself. Numbness radiated from his sole up through his entire leg, leaving the limb severely injured.
"How can this brat possess such speed and strength? Is this truly just Body Refinement? I am at the late Nascent Soul stage!"
Regaining his composure, Yao Kainan abandoned his contempt. That single punch had nearly crippled his leg.
"Is this the extent of your strength? Hardly impressive for someone who claimed he would kill me."
Sensing that Yao Kainan fell far short of Gong Yuankui, Qin Xiao realized a single blow had already sapped the opponent's reckless arrogance.
"Brash words won't save you, brat."
Yao Kainan whipped out a pill and swallowed it whole.
Instantly, his aura surged violently, breaking through straight to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
"You've got to be kidding me. Aren't things like that supposed to be rare? Why does everyone seem to have one?"
Recognizing the familiar signs of a Spirit-Burst Pill, Qin Xiao muttered internally. Were these things truly so common?
A late Nascent Soul opponent was manageable, but a peak Nascent Soul Yao Kainan demanded absolute caution. Having fought Gong Yuankui-who had discarded his treasures for hand-to-hand combat and still given him a hard time-Qin Xiao knew better than to underestimate an adversary bristling with Dharma Treasures.
"Are you serious? How shameless can one get? A peak Nascent Soul fighting a Body Refinement cultivator, and he still needs to pop a Spirit-Burst Pill?"
"That Qin Xiao isn't your average Body Refinement cultivator. I hear ordinary late Nascent Soul experts can't even handle him."
"No way! Since when can a Body Refinement practitioner best a proper cultivator? Did you just wake up?"
"You must be out of the loop. Haven't you heard the results of the Pure Yang City quota trials? Qin Xiao won first place for the Tianyuan Sect."
"He wins first place for his sect, and this is how they treat him? The Tianyuan Sect is a joke."
Two rogue cultivators from a neighboring prefecture seated in the audience murmured amongst themselves.
Not bothering to lower their voices, both possessed mid-stage Soul Formation cultivation and cared little for the Tianyuan Sect's displeasure. Though rogue cultivators, they had powerful backing.
Murmurs quickly rippled through the spectator stands.
The Grand Elder heard the talk clearly enough, but he dismissed it entirely. Today, Qin Xiao had to die.
On the platform, Qin Xiao remained on high alert, choosing to respond to movement with stillness rather than pressing the offensive.
Unwilling to let Qin Xiao draw breath, Yao Kainan relied on his temporary peak Nascent Soul strength to force a quick resolution. If he failed to execute Qin Xiao swiftly, his adoptive father's wrath would be severe.
Vanishing from his spot in a blur, Yao Kainan reappeared directly above Qin Xiao, thrusting downward with lethal intent to end the match in a single stroke.
Qin Xiao's reaction was instantaneous. His Divine Sense had been blanketing the area, tracking every twitch of Yao Kainan's movement. Finding the space before him empty, he knew the enemy was overhead.
The moment the blade descended, Qin Xiao sidestepped, leaped upward, and positioned himself directly above Yao Kainan.
Everything unfolded too quickly for Yao Kainan to alter his momentum. Forced to twist mid-air, he threw a backhanded slash downward with his back to the ground.
"Old fellow, have you ever witnessed a palm technique that descends from the heavens?"
Qin Xiao called out as he descended.
"What nonsense are you babbling about?"
Yao Kainan felt a flash of confusion, but dismissed it instantly, pouring every ounce of Spiritual Power into his Middle Grade sword. The weapon hummed with stored energy, ready to unleash a fatal strike.
While Yao Kainan lacked the ability to freely maneuver mid-air, Qin Xiao suffered no such restriction. With a series of rapid shifts, he left multiple afterimages hovering around Yao Kainan's periphery.
As every phantom image converged on him simultaneously, panic spiked in Yao Kainan's chest. How could anyone possess such terrifying speed?
His sweeping slash cut through empty air. Landing heavily on the platform, he realized the figures were mere illusions and scrambled to locate his target.
Before he could spot him, a crushing impact descended upon his skull.
The afterimages had been a deliberate distraction to draw his strike. The moment the sword energy spent itself, Qin Xiao had looped back directly above.
Relying on the inertia of his own attack, Yao Kainan had naturally assumed the space above him was completely safe and left it unguarded. Exploiting this blind spot, Qin Xiao delivered a devastating palm strike straight to the crown of his head.
The massive shockwave surged through Yao Kainan's entire frame, turning his brain to pulp. He remained standing upright for a fraction of a second before all signs of life vanished entirely.
Landing gracefully with a backward flip, Qin Xiao swept his hands behind his back.
"That move was the Tathagata Palm."