Thud!
"You shameless scum, if you have the guts, put down my clan's sacred artifact and fight me properly!"
"Fight your sister!"
Thud!
"I..." Bai Lingli tried to say something, but before he could get another word out, Lin Qian rushed forward, kneeing him in the chest and knocking him to the ground.
In the next moment, Lin Qian pressed his knee onto Bai Lingli's chest, pinning him down. He grabbed the sacred artifact and began smashing it repeatedly against Bai Lingli's head and face.
"Trying to pull a cheap trick on me? You bastard!"
"Are you out of your mind? Let me knock some sense into you!"
"You're so tough, huh? Does your family know what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into? Damn it!"
At this moment, Lin Qian had nearly lost all rationality. The curses from his previous life flowed out of his mouth in an endless stream as he used the sacred artifact like a brick, smashing it down on Bai Lingli's face over and over.
Ye Xin and the others stood by, stunned, watching Lin Qian's outburst. They couldn't understand half of what he was saying.
What was this "thousand years of pain" he mentioned?
What did Bai Lingli being "tough" have to do with his family?
And what did it mean to "damn it"?
They were curious, but none of them dared to approach. It was obvious to everyone that Lin Qian was extremely angry right now.
The more Lin Qian smashed, the more satisfying it felt, and soon he found a rhythm to it.
After a while, when Bai Lingli finally stopped breathing, Lin Qian slowly stood up, tossing the sacred artifact in his hand as he turned his gaze toward the other Swift-Hidden Clan members.
As soon as Lin Qian's eyes fell on them, a shiver ran down their spines. It was as if they were staring at a demon.
"Do any of you want to give it a try?" Lin Qian asked with a bloody grin.
The moment Lin Qian spoke, the Swift-Hidden Clan members immediately shook their heads like rattles and fell to their knees, crying and begging for mercy.
They had finally realized that this human youth was someone they could not provoke.
Their captain, Bai Lingli, had been beaten to death with their clan's sacred artifact. This manner of death had left a deep psychological scar on them, and they would rather die than be the next Bai Lingli.
Seeing the fear in their eyes, Lin Qian nodded in satisfaction.
His earlier outburst wasn't just because Bai Lingli had tried to use a dirty trick on him. It was also a calculated move to intimidate the remaining Swift-Hidden Clan members.
They weren't fools. Lin Qian's ability to subdue their sacred artifact and suppress the will within it already demonstrated his strength.
The fact that Bai Lingli's signature soul skill had been blocked by Lin Qian's hand, shattering his soul weapon and leading to his death by being smashed with the sacred artifact, made it clear to them that resisting was futile.
They couldn't even defeat their captain, Bai Lingli, yet he had been beaten to death by a mere Life and Death Realm, Body Stage human.
"This human youth is probably on par with our young master," thought the twin brothers of the Swift-Hidden Clan as they looked at Lin Qian.
When Lin Qian had uttered the word "I" with such majesty, it had left a lasting impression on the two brothers, making them regret ever participating in this mission and encountering such a formidable enemy.
Even their every move couldn't escape this human's surveillance. He knew everything about them as if an invisible eye was constantly watching.
Their thoughts were mostly accurate, though they didn't realize that it wasn't just one eye watching them but countless scouting beasts observing them from every angle, leaving them with nowhere to hide.
Next, Lin Qian approached the twin brothers, the sacred artifact disappearing from his hand as it was sent to the Celestial Works Department of the Hua Xia Empire.
Zhuge Ming was particularly interested in this inherited artifact.
Seeing the artifact vanish, many of the Swift-Hidden Clan members' faces turned pale.
Their sacred artifact, the pride of their clan, had not only been subdued by a young human but had now been stored in a storage soul tool?
It was common knowledge that inherited artifacts couldn't be stored in such tools. The only way to contain them was to merge them into one's body.
Lin Qian wasn't of the Swift-Hidden Clan; he was human. Even if he could suppress the artifact, there was no way he could merge it with his body. So how had he made it disappear?
Of course, they couldn't figure out the reason, but Ye Xin guessed that Lin Qian had probably sent the artifact to the Hua Xia Empire.
A moment later, Lin Qian's now-empty hand produced two crystal vials filled with liquid. Shaking the vials, he smiled and said, "If you want to live, it's simple: drink this. And I promise to spare your fellow clan members as well."
The twin brothers exchanged a glance, sighing in resignation. They reluctantly took the vials from Lin Qian, and after a brief hesitation, their desire to survive made them comply.
They uncorked the vials and gulped down the liquid.
Seeing them drink the potion, Lin Qian nodded in satisfaction. The truth serum worked best when taken willingly.
From the moment Lin Qian had laid eyes on Bai Lingli, he knew that getting him to drink the serum willingly was nearly impossible. Instead, he had decided to use Bai Lingli as an example to intimidate the others into compliance.
And now, his plan had succeeded.
As soon as the twin brothers drank the potion, its effects took hold. Under Lin Qian's questioning, they revealed everything he wanted to know.
Lin Qian had created a soul barrier around them, ensuring that no one else could see or hear what transpired. He didn't want the truth serum to be exposed, as it could lead to unnecessary conflicts and greed.
The others didn't object to Lin Qian's actions, as everyone had their secrets, and they understood his caution.
After extracting the information he needed, Lin Qian kept his promise and allowed the Swift-Hidden Clan members to leave the stone chamber.
The Swift-Hidden Clan members opened a tunnel themselves, carrying Bai Lingli's body as they left, their spirits crushed.
They had followed Bai Lingli with enthusiasm, hoping to make a name for themselves, but they had never expected to encounter such a terrifying human youth.
As they slunk away, Lin Qian's expression darkened as he turned to the others. "Now I understand what really happened with that Blackblade Fish Clan member earlier."