CRACK!!

The sound of bones shattering echoed, exceptionally crisp and loud.

The Red Flame Maiden was obedient to Qin Heng's command. After receiving his affirmation, she showed no hesitation and directly crushed Gao Yue's neck as if snapping that of a little chick. Effortlessly, Gao Yue's eyes widened, his eyeballs almost falling out. Even in death, he looked at the Red Flame Maiden in disbelief. Gao Yue never expected that this woman before him, alluring and as beautiful as a flower, would be so ruthless as to actually kill him!

BANG!

The Red Flame Maiden casually threw Gao Yue's corpse onto the ground without giving it a second glance, then turned and returned to Qin Heng's side, respectfully saying, "Immortal Venerable, Gao Yue is dead."

Qin Heng nodded slightly, not uttering a word. His gaze then turned to the old man who had appeared just before and said indifferently, "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

At the same time, the Red Flame Maiden's figure flashed, and she immediately appeared behind the old man. Terrifying flames converged and swept around, causing even the air above the sea to become dry!!

Previously, the old man had made it clear he was there to protect Gao Yue. Now that Gao Yue was dead, the old man would definitely take action. It was better to strike first.

"Qin Xuantian, you dare to move against me?" The elder, however, was not panicked. He looked at Qin Heng and said, "I know this girl by your side is also a Soldier Master, but compared to a true Martial Saint, a Soldier Master's strength still falls short."

Although a Soldier Master is comparable to a Martial Saint, they ultimately rely only on the power of Spiritual Treasures. This results in many weaknesses, and they do not match the prowess of a Martial Artist who has truly cultivated to the Saint realm. A junior Soldier Master is essentially equivalent to a half-step Saint.

"I'm asking you, how do you want to die?" Qin Heng, ignoring the old man's words, asked with an unchanged expression, "Do you choose to commit suicide, or be burned to death by her?"

This old man was merely an Innate Great Grandmaster. Qin Heng didn't need to act personally; the Red Flame Maiden could easily handle him.

"You! Qin Xuantian!!" The elder's eyes blazed with fury as he looked at Qin Heng. "Qin Xuantian, do you know who I am? I am Elder Jiuhe from the Tianshi Sect! I know too many secrets. Gao Yue's background is not simple; him, you cannot afford to provoke! Indeed, now that you have killed him, there won't be any significant consequences. Even the Soldier Master from Chongming Island might not be able to do anything to you. But behind Gao Yue stands a Ruins World! Once the Spiritual Energy revives to a certain extent, the Ruins World will open! The people from the Gao family will descend. Then you will have to confront Martial Saints. No matter how strong you are, you can't compare with Martial Saints; they are truly at the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. By then, you will only have one path left—death!!"

Dozens of Martial Saints?!?

Upon hearing Elder Jiuhe's words, the Red Flame Maiden's body stiffened slightly. A trace of panic showed on her face as she subconsciously looked towards Qin Heng. But she found that Qin Heng remained very calm, his expression not changing much. He just smiled lightly and said, "Martial Saints? What are they? Mere ants, that's all. No matter how many come, I will kill them all!"

"Presumptuous! You have no idea how powerful a Saint is!!" Elder Jiuhe still appeared disdainful towards Qin Heng. Suddenly, his aura underwent a change, soaring wildly as if reaching directly to the heavens!

BANG!!

An invisible force instantly sent the Red Flame Maiden flying. Throughout the process, this Soldier Master, comparable to a Martial Saint, had no chance to resist!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

The surrounding void began to explode, the air seeming to collapse, a phenomenon as if all the Laws and rules of the world were to follow this old man's will! Waves began to churn. The vast sea seemingly solidified into two incredibly large palms, which harshly lifted the entire ship into the air, sending it flying into the sky!

Unbelievable!! It was as if witnessing a miracle!

How could ordinary tourists on the deck withstand such an overbearing aura? They all immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Jiuhe and begging for his forgiveness. Clearly, they were worshipping Jiuhe as if he were a God!

Even a Soldier Master like the Red Flame Maiden couldn't help but step back a few paces. She looked at Jiuhe with shock and disbelief, unable to fathom that he could possess such overpowering strength. He was merely an Innate Great Grandmaster!

"See?" Jiuhe looked at Qin Heng with icy eyes. "This is the power above the Innate realm, a more perfect control over the Laws. And this is only the power of a single drop of a Martial Saint's blood! With just one drop of a Saint's blood, I can possess the power to crush you in a short time. Now, do you still have the confidence to say you can kill a Saint? Qin Xuantian, you're a promising youngster. Follow me back to the Tianshi Sect. The power of the Tianshi Sect is beyond your imagination. Even Martial Saints wouldn't dare to provoke the Tianshi Sect lightly. Only with the Tianshi Sect will you be safe and not be killed by Saints."

"So that's it! Your true intention wasn't to protect Gao Yue, but to force the Immortal Venerable into a desperate situation, compelling him to join the Tianshi Sect!?" The Red Flame Maiden looked at Jiuhe incredulously. "Despicable! Shameless!!"

"Hehe! I am using an upright and honorable method. Where is the despicableness and shamelessness in that?" Jiuhe scoffed lightly, shaking his head and looking down at Qin Heng with an air of superiority. He sneered, "Qin Xuantian, kneel down now, take me as your master, and enter my Tianshi Sect. I might spare your life and ensure you don't die!"

"Immortal Venerable, if we work together, we might be able to defeat this old codger!" the Red Flame Maiden said gravely. She had already felt Jiuhe's power—it was indeed strength that only a Martial Saint-level Martial Artist could possess. He's so strong! Alone, it would be impossible to overcome him! A Soldier Master... compared to a true Saint, is still far too weak. Even a Martial Artist who has temporarily gained Saint-level power through Saint's blood is just as formidable!

"It doesn't matter." Qin Heng waved his hand dismissively, looked at Jiuhe, and chuckled. "Gao Yao must have been mind-controlled by you to provoke me initially. Later, Gao Yue also came because of your instigation. One trap leading to another... Was this your plan to unwittingly lure me into your scheme?"

"Qin Xuantian, you are strong, but in the end, you are still young. You should know, the older the ginger, the spicier it is!" Jiuhe looked at Qin Heng smugly. "Even if you see through it now, what does it matter? You've entered the trap; you're like a turtle in a jar, with no choice but to agree to my demands. Otherwise, when the Gao family's Saints arrive, you'll undoubtedly die! Even now, once the Soldier Master from Chongming Island arrives, I can join forces with him and kill you!!"

Jiuhe was brimming with confidence. In his view, Qin Heng had no choice but to agree to take him as a master and join the Tianshi Sect.

"So you're this eager for me to join the Tianshi Sect. Is it for the so-called inheritance of the Mid-Age Star Palace?" Qin Heng looked at Jiuhe with a sly smile. "Actually, I realized from the start that there was something off with Gao Yao and Gao Yue."

"It's useless to say these things now, Qin Xuantian. Don't entertain any false hopes," Jiuhe scoffed coldly. "I advise you to kneel immediately, take me as your master, and swear an oath never to betray or defy my orders for life. Otherwise, your death is imminent!!"

SIGH!

Qin Heng suddenly let out a sigh and spoke softly, "I knew they were amiss, but I did nothing. It's because people... never care about ants!!"

WHOOSH!!

Qin Heng's figure flickered. He vanished instantly, appearing directly behind Jiuhe. He raised his palm, a cyan glow gathering within it, and slammed it down towards Jiuhe's crown!!

"Qin Xuantian! You are so naïve! I have Saint's blood in my body. At this moment, I am like a Saint himself! Your palm will not only fail to harm me, but it will also recoil and badly injure you!"

Jiuhe neither dodged nor evaded, an expression of disdain on his face. He simply didn't care about Qin Heng's attack!!

"Merely an ant!" Qin Heng sneered!

His palm rose high. In its center, a shadowy depth appeared, like a heaven-supporting pillar pressing down, seeking to crush everything! This boundless power concentrated entirely in his palm!

With a thunderous CRASH, he struck down!!

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