The voice was icy, like ancient glacial ice.
The Nangong Clan's magical warship had lifted the veil of death.
"Ah!"
Screams erupted as sword energy sliced through bodies, some split at the waist, others torn into pieces. Some burned to charred remains, while others froze instantly into ice sculptures.
Painful wails and cries filled the air.
The golden-armored middle-aged man's expression shifted. Every sound provoked an arrow, but he couldn't detect Qin Yang's position, resulting in countless friendly casualties.
The Nangong Clan's warship descended into chaos. Despite numerous Zongshi Realm cultivators present, they proved utterly incapable against Qin Yang!
When another arrow struck a comrade, the golden-armored man halted. His aura crackled like a volcanic eruption, transforming him into a golden-armored war god.
"Brat!" the armored man roared. "Is sneaking around all you can manage?"
"Trying to provoke me into showing myself?" Qin Yang laughed, materializing in a flash.
The golden-armored man locked eyes with Qin Yang, yet made no move to attack.
Qin Yang regarded the golden-armored middle-aged man with detached indifference. He casually pointed at someone nearby. "Within a single breath, I'll kill him."
The moment his words faded, Qin Yang's sword severed the man's neck. The head arced through the air, suspended in mid-flight.
Before the terror-stricken head could strike the deck, Qin Yang materialized in the cleared space, standing face-to-face with the armored man.
"That's not a sneak attack now, is it? Though this might prove troublesome." Qin Yang shrugged.
The deck held more corpses than soldiers. The remaining warriors collapsed in panic.
This method of naming targets before killing them instilled primal fear in their hearts.
Noticing numerous deaths from arrows, Qin Yang shook his head. "The Nangong Clan truly shares the same blood. Nangong Ling used the same tactics to kill his subordinates."
The armored man gritted his teeth, spitting through clenched jaws: "Blaming the dead? You can make any claim you please!"
"I merely state facts." Qin Yang shrugged. "My actions follow my will alone. When I kill, I owe no explanations."
Silence descended upon the Heavenly Star Path.
Everyone gazed at the defiant youth aboard the Nangong Clan's magical warship, their hearts surging with conflicting emotions.
Old Gongsun stroked his graying beard and murmured, "Ming'er, avoid making him your enemy."
Gongsun Ming nodded repeatedly, though inwardly he scoffed: Need he remind me? If I hadn't fled at the sight of him, Lou Qinru and I would have died countless times in the secret realm...
The middle-aged man in blood-red armor kept exclaiming, "With such a son, the Qin Family has hope."
The azure-robed elder from the Lou Clan frowned repeatedly. This brat causes too much trouble... Even if he's strong, he's dealing with the Nangong Clan. Will this drag our Lou Clan into trouble...?
Only Qin Yang of the Zongshi Realm could push a Stellar Realm cultivator to this point, Martial Heaven mused.
"The Celestial Academy has truly taken in an exceptional student," the golden-armored man said, drawing in a deep breath. His expression turned cold. "What a pity. What a waste!"
"What's a pity?" Qin Yang asked curiously.
The golden-armored man's treasure bow suddenly erupted with dazzling light, a golden arrow nocked on the string.
Qin Yang's heart skipped a beat. His figure distorted momentarily, yet he remained rooted in place. He had activated the Mi Tian Art, entering a hunting stance.
The difference now was that while they could see him, their divine sense still couldn't lock onto him!
The golden-armored middle-aged man froze. Qin Yang was clearly standing before him, yet he seemed like a phantom.
The arrow emitted terrifying vibrations, yet failed to launch.
Martial Heaven's face paled. This arrow would be difficult even for him to block...
Gongsun the elder frowned. "It seems they're going all out now!"
The blood-armored middle-aged man snorted disdainfully. "To think he'd unleash his full power against a mere Zongshi Realm brat?"
The green-robed man observed from the sidelines, sighing inwardly. Such a prodigy, yet he still can't escape this fate.
At that moment, Qin Yang's voice rang out with a mocking tone.
"The ninth arrow of the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique: The End of the World Fatal Arrow," Qin Yang said, as if reciting from memory. "Once divine sense locks onto the target, they'll die regardless of how far they flee. In fact, the further they run, the stronger the attack becomes, as the arrow continuously absorbs spiritual energy from the environment to enhance its power."
The middle-aged man in golden armor shuddered, his eyes widening. This boy didn't just know their Nangong Clan's Shocking Feather Arrow Technique—he had mastered it!
The Yanhai Fatal Arrow was known for its extraordinary power, but few understood its true secrets.
The middle-aged man in blood-red armor looked enlightened, while Martial Heaven wore an "Ah, so that's how it works" expression.
Clearly, both had crossed blades with the golden-armored man before and found ways to counter this move.
"No wonder! So this technique can't be evaded at all!" Martial Heaven nodded to himself.
"Damn it! I can't let you live!" the golden-armored man roared. His words exposed the technique's weakness—the Nangong Clan's Shocking Feather Arrow Technique's intimidation factor would plummet. Even enemies they could have easily slain now knew how to counter it!
"If I can't be spared, then shoot me!" Qin Yang spread his arms wide.
Jin Wanshan, Lou Mengyu, and the others stared in disbelief. Was this boy actually taunting a Stellar Realm expert?
The students tensed up, while the Eight Divine Clans members on the other three warships remained utterly confused.
If you stand there like that, won't you die the moment he lets go?
Why are you so calm?
Sweat beaded on the golden-armored man's forehead. He'd poured all his strength into this arrow, yet still failed to lock onto Qin Yang.
Qin Yang burst into laughter. "What's wrong? Can't shoot?"
He paced leisurely back and forth, continuing, "The Yanhai Fatal Arrow may be powerful, but that power comes with a fatal flaw! As long as your divine sense can't detect me, this arrow is useless. Without imprinting your divine mark on me, how can it track me?"
"Enough! Stop talking!" the golden-armored man roared, releasing his grip.
But before his hand fell, Qin Yang had already vanished to the side.
Heaven-Defying Divination!
Ever since the golden-armored man began casting the ninth arrow of the Shocking Feather Arrow Technique, Qin Yang had sensed it. He'd concealed his aura, making his physical form visible yet undetectable by divine sense.
When the man finally loosed the arrow, Qin Yang had already evaded.
The golden beam pierced through the entire magical warship. Without a target, the arrow dissipated into nothingness, proving less effective than ordinary arrows.
"Is this all a Stellar Realm cultivator can manage?" Qin Yang sneered, his figure flickering.
"Half-Moon Beheading Strike!" Qin Yang materialized behind the golden-armored man, unleashing a dazzling crescent-shaped sword aura.
The man swung his golden treasure bow, blocking the lethal strike.
Clang!
Qin Yang vanished again, leaving the golden-armored man staring in horror at the severed bowstring on his prized weapon.