Volume 1 Chapter 24 Receiving the Task

  Out of the Tian Nan Fang, Qin Hao did not take the main road, but instead walked into a narrow alley, turning seven times and eight times, making himself dizzy. After confirming that no one was following him, he found a place to discard his black robe and mask.

  Anyway, this kind of thing is sold in almost every store, it's not hard to find. If I need to go to Tiān Nán Fāng again in the future, I can easily buy another set.

  After settling these matters, Qin Hao patted the animal skin pouch hidden in front of his chest and suddenly felt a few more points of confidence. Three hundred first-grade Xuanjing crystals were indeed a considerable fortune for him at this time.

  Qin Hao hurriedly walked towards the Qin Mansion, he didn't have much time to slack off, as the day of the Grand Competition was less than a month away.

  After entering the Qin Manor, Qin Hao rushed to the cultivation stone room. When passing by the martial arts arena, Qin Hao felt that something was strange. The family children who had participated in the Grand Competition did not need to gather in the martial arts arena again, but at this moment, those familiar faces appeared in the martial arts arena again. Except for Qin Shan and Qin Yu Xian, the other eight people were all gathered here. Even the three elders of the clan, who were obsessed with martial arts and spent their days practicing martial skills without knowing where they were hiding, were here, as if they were training those family children.

  "What's going on? Is it because of the disadvantage in the martial arts competition with the Lin family a few days ago, and now they're re-gathering to train again?"

  With such a guess, Qin Hao quickly returned to the stone room, hid the animal skin bag in a secret place, closed the door of the stone room and went back to the martial arts arena without stopping.

  As soon as he entered the martial arts arena, Qin Hao stood in a corner and quietly observed.

  In the center of the martial arts arena, eight young men in uniform stood proudly, facing off against eight members of the family guard.

  As for the rest of the family members, they formed a large circle around these sixteen people on the periphery, gazing intently at the situation in the middle.

  One of the three elders waved his hand, and the sixteen people immediately formed pairs and began to compete against each other.

  The brothers and sisters, as soon as they took action, were all out of strength, with full force, fists and feet flying everywhere, the sound of breaking through the air constantly coming, in the blink of an eye, almost everyone had performed a set of flat-level martial skills.

  "Mountain-breaking palm, three consecutive gold-smashing moves, mountain-opening style, extremely fierce and majestic techniques that flow continuously, magnificent and powerful."

  The members of the family guard were even more imposing than the eight people in front, with upright postures, calm faces, and even their breathing frequencies were consistent.

  With a wave of the three elders' hands, the eight people simultaneously let out a loud shout, their fists and feet shrouded in a layer of faint mysterious energy halos, red, blue, gold, various colors of mysterious energy halos looked dazzlingly extraordinary, and even more so made their momentum stronger.

  It's clear that these eight are all martial artists of the Congxuan Ten Layers.

  Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, the sixteen people were like two groups of beasts colliding with each other, fierce and powerful, with absolute strength, crashing into each other decisively, and then a wave of air rose from them, like ripples, spreading out from the center, stirring up clouds of fine dust.

  The dust and sand that came rushing in made his face ache, Qin Hao narrowed his eyes, staring straight at the center of the field, his gaze not daring to move even a little.

  They clashed and then went all out.

  Guard members exert their full strength, with a hint of mysterious energy and sharp whistling sounds when punching and kicking. The eight family children were suppressed.

  And their opponents, although much weaker in strength, were not afraid at all. That fierce and powerful momentum, as well as the strong and brutal martial arts, repeatedly created opportunities for them to counterattack.

  It was just a difference in strength, and it was very clear that the gap was there. Gradually, those young men were already exhausted, struggling to cope with their opponents' offense. Even when they occasionally clashed head-on, they were at a disadvantage.

  Bang! A family guard member blocked his opponent's punch but was caught off guard and kicked in the leg by another person, falling to the ground.

  Bang! A family member went all out and clashed with someone, after a stalemate of several breaths, he was exhausted and directly blown to one side, falling to the ground in disarray.

  Bang! Another family member was punched in the abdomen, turned pale, stumbled back a few steps and sat down on the ground with a thud, without even having the strength to stand up.

  More and more people were thrown out from the center in a very sorry state, and the number of people standing in the arena was decreasing. However, most of those who were thrown out were young men wearing training uniforms, making it clear who was stronger and who was weaker.

  A moment later, nine people fell around him. Qin Hao looked at their clothes and identified seven who could still stand up, all of whom were members of the family guard. Moreover, six of them seemed to be a bit out of breath, but they quickly recovered, and their clothes were also clean as usual, as if they hadn't spent too much energy.

  Qin Hao shook his head: Indeed, their cultivation in martial skills seemed to have reached a dead end. Overemphasizing rigid and hard martial skills made their attacks like a three-board axe, which would inevitably collapse after the initial momentum was over.

  The three elders took a step forward, their eyes scanned the scene, and suddenly some people understood what was happening. They went forward in pairs to help up more than ten people who had fallen to the ground.

  "Members of the Family Guard, withdraw first." The aged and majestic voice came from the mouth of the Third Elder.

  Seven members of the Imperial Guard heard this and immediately helped up the beaten guard, quickly leaving the martial arena.

  The three elders coughed again, and on that face which was always stern and rarely smiled, a smile actually appeared out of the blue. He seemed to be somewhat satisfied as he said: "With an average strength of seven layers of Condensed Mystique, you can defeat a family guard member with ten layers of Condensed Mystique. This level is much better than your performance three days ago! Three days ago, you could only barely hold on and didn't even have the power to counterattack!"

  He was extremely pleased in his heart. The gap between the Seventh and Tenth Orders was unimaginable, just like a weak young man compared to a strong and sturdy big man, the former should be completely hopeless. But now these Seventh Order cultivators could actually cause trouble for the family guard in a ten-on-ten confrontation, it really made him happy.

  "The martial skills taught by the three elders are indeed extraordinary. The transformation after just three days of training is so great."

  It goes without saying that the three elders in the Qin family are the most profound in their mastery of martial arts, and even the rest of the family and the other elders cannot compare to them.

  "It seems that the big competition among various families a month later will not be as embarrassing as in previous years. Our Qin family is the most powerful in the city, but we have been at the bottom of the rankings several times. It's time to turn things around."

  "Hmph, no need to say more, this time they will have a taste of bitterness."

  The people around were discussing it, and the eight boys who were being supported had pale and disheveled faces, but they all wore a few strands of smile on their faces, either obvious or secretly.

  Their hard work over the past few days has been recognized, and more importantly, a month later, they will personally wash away the infamy of "Qin family's incompetence" with their own hands. The significance of this to them is self-evident.

  The three elders looked at the crowd with a gentle expression, and a hint of relief flashed across their eyes.

  "Being too rigid will lead to breaking! In this way, facing Lin and Lan families, the chances of winning are still not great."

  A discordant voice swept across the scene, and in an instant, countless eyes focused on a calm-faced young man at the outer edge of the martial arts arena. The owner of that voice was naturally Qin Hao.

  Qin Hao watched for a long time in the martial arts arena, and when the dust settled on the spot, he felt some uncontrollable disappointment in his heart, shook his head, and muttered to himself.

  It seems that these people have gone astray in their pursuit of cultivation and are now trapped in a state from which they cannot extricate themselves.

  The voice was not loud, the tone was not urgent, but in this environment, it was particularly eye-catching. Qin Hao's keen sense told him that as soon as he finished speaking, he became the tragic object of everyone's attention.

  He scratched his head and walked into the middle of the martial arts arena, bowing respectfully to the three elders.

  The three elders' eyebrows were tightly locked, their faces slightly displeased as they sized up Qin Hao, asking with a hint of doubt: "Qin Hao?"

  He has been devoted to martial arts for many years and rarely appears in front of people, so he doesn't know the younger generation of the Qin family one by one. He can only vaguely identify the person's identity based on the impression of having seen him a few times before.

  "Yes, Third Elder." Qin Hao replied politely.

  "Hmm! Not bad, steady and calm, with a solid foundation. Although I don't know much about what's been happening outside, your performance a few days ago has reached my ears." The old man seemed to be praising Qin Hao somewhat, but soon he changed his tone, speaking slightly sternly: "But what did you mean by what you just said? I didn't quite catch it."

  "The three elders, Qin Hao merely thought that being so obsessed with martial skills might not necessarily be a good thing." Qin Hao replied humbly and politely without being servile.

  The three elders' faces suddenly turned several shades darker, and they said in a stern tone: "Are you doubting my abilities? You little brat, I know that at the age of fifteen, you've already reached the tenth level of Condensed Mysteries, your innate talent is very good, perhaps even surpassing mine when I was younger. But with your current strength, you're not qualified to point fingers at me. Having ambition is a good thing, but don't be too arrogant."

  The Third Elder's words were laced with anger. Although he was only the third elder of the Qin family and rarely participated in family affairs, his strength was not inferior to that of the first and second elders. Moreover, the number of years he had spent secretly cultivating his martial skills was long, and the variety of techniques he had mastered as well as the level at which he could wield them were unmatched within the entire Qin family.

  Don't mention Qin Hao, this arrogant young man, even his father Qin Feng is not qualified to teach him.

  "Qin Hao, don't forget that your grandfather Qin Yi brought the Qin family to its current position by relying on what." The three elders sighed again and said with a heavy heart.

  Qin Hao let out a long sigh, feeling somewhat powerless.

  How could he not know that when his grandfather, Qin Yi, took over the Qin family, it was just a medium-sized family and far from its current status? But Qin Yi relied on his own talent and strength to bring the Qin family step by step to its current position.

  After the Qin family became a well-known big family in Tianlang City, Qin Yi went out for travel and never appeared again.

  However, his grandfather became a legend in the Qin family, and many people in the Qin family idolized him and aspired to surpass him. It can be said that his grandfather was the faith of most people in the Qin family.

  The golden-style Xuanjin that Qin Yixiu practiced was characterized by its strong and powerful, precise and fierce, and bold style. The several martial arts he mastered were all strong and aggressive types. When fighting with others, there was only one principle: to break through with force, to counterattack with attack, to destroy everything in front of him with absolute strength.

  Naturally, many Qin family members became obsessed with this fighting style due to Qin Yi's influence. They practiced techniques like the "Mountain Opening Palm", which emphasized brute force and direct confrontation, without considering any room for maneuvering or retreat. With their inner energy circulating wildly, they would unleash a flurry of attacks, disregarding all else.

  But there is only one Qin Yi after all.

  The premise of breaking through the Ten Meetings with one force is to have the strength to thoroughly suppress the opponent, but at this moment, most of the children standing on the field do not possess this condition. Moreover, too much time has been spent on these aggressive martial skills, and although many members of the Qin family are not low in their Xuanqi realm, aspects such as body techniques and Xuanqi application are inferior to those of the same level by several points.

  This flaw is not only that young masters can't see clearly, but even the three elders are also deeply immersed in it and cannot extricate themselves. Because Qin Yi's influence in the Qin family was too great, once, Qin Yi represented the entire Qin family.

  If it weren't for Qin Hao's ten years of tempering outside, jumping out of the situation, he wouldn't be able to see through this thin layer of fog.

  After a moment's thought, Qin Hao finally made up his mind that this problem should be thoroughly resolved. Moreover, the only way to solve it was to intervene directly with a tough attitude.

  Qin Hao raised his face, with a relaxed smile, but in an unyielding and determined tone: "Three Elders, according to the clan's rules, among the younger generation, the strongest can guide others in their cultivation. Why don't I take over from now on?"

  As soon as the words came out, the whole scene was in an uproar. The three elders were usually very mysterious and had come out to guide their martial arts training during these three days, which had greatly increased their strength, a fact that everyone could see. However, Qin Hao had now publicly proposed to take over his task?

  It is stipulated in the clan rules that there is such a clause, but this is only to motivate. If the stronger elder of the clan is willing to point out to the crowd, I believe no one will object. But why would Qin Hao come up with such an outrageous request at this moment?

  Everyone involuntarily glanced at the position of the three elders with the corner of their eyes, secretly guessing what reaction this most powerful elder in the clan would have.

  "Alright, very well." The three elders' faces first turned iron-blue, then swelled red, and finally burst into laughter in extreme anger: "The clan rules are like this, and I have nothing to say. But Qin Hao, think carefully, a month later, it's the competition between several families, do you really want to make a joke of your family's honor?"

  With his temper, if an ordinary junior had said this to him, he would have taught him a lesson long ago.

  It's just that this matter is related to the big comparison in January, and Qin Hao's words are enough to occupy a sufficient reason, so he doesn't even have room for rebuttal.

  "The three elders have their own measures." Qin Hao replied firmly.

  "Hmph." The three elders let out a cold hum, swung their sleeves and turned to leave, while sending over an icy sentence: "You're on your own."

  That icy voice made many people's hearts feel a wave of unease. The scorching sunlight was shining down, but some people's palms were already sweating profusely.

  Qin Hao gazed at his back, shaking his head with a bitter smile. Things that are deeply rooted and need to be eradicated are ultimately not simple matters.

  The three elders left, and those who had been keeping silent and dared not speak much before all gathered around.

  "Qin Hao, you've brought trouble upon yourself." A pale-faced young man who was being supported by others said with a bitter smile.

  "Qin Hao, it's rare for the three elders to appear, yet you've managed to offend them and drive them away like this."

  "Qin Hao, offending the three elders is not a good thing."

  "Hey! Qin Hao, you don't know that in these three days, under the guidance of the three elders, our mastery of martial skills has become more proficient and we've reduced the awkwardness when using them. Now that you've caused such a commotion, it's better to report back to the master."

  All sorts of words poured into Qin Hao's ears, although the tone was different, but most of them carried a strong accusatory meaning.

  Qin Hao's stern gaze swept across the semi-circle, and he suddenly revealed a serious expression. He pressed his palm down, and the noisy voices in the field slowly quieted down.

  Qin Hao's face was solemn as he said, "What I have done is in accordance with the Qin family rules, no need to say more. You all disperse for now, and gather here again tomorrow, I will guide you."

  Qin Hao's tone was crisp and decisive, without any hint of compromise. His expression was solemn and serious, and his entire being seemed to emanate an aura that was both captivating and intimidating, like a precious sword suddenly drawn from its scabbard, shining brightly and cutting through the air. This sudden change in Qin Hao's demeanor, so different from his usual gentle and reserved image, made everyone's heart skip a beat.

  "Didn't you hear?" Seeing that everyone seemed to have no reaction, Qin Hao's tone became even more severe.

  "Yes." The crowd was momentarily stunned, unable to recover from Qin Hao's sudden change in tone. But the Qin family's long-standing rules still made many people subconsciously nod in agreement.

  Qin Hao nodded and immediately walked out of the martial arts arena. Since he had decided to take responsibility, some preparations still needed to be made. Moreover, he also needed Qin Fenglin's help with something.

  Time is pressing, no delay can be afforded!