Chapter 128: Pressed at Every Turn

"Huh!"
"Is that Jiang Haotian?"
"That's him, no mistake!"
"He's been missing for three months. I thought he had left Yan City; I never expected him to still be here."

As soon as Qin Feiyang appeared, the Pill King Hall was thrown into an uproar. The news quickly reached the ears of Jia Hei and Elder He.

"Decided to stop hiding?"
"I thought you had some backbone, but it turns out you're just a spineless wretch."
"Hand over the Netherworld Demonic Flame, go to the pigpen for fifteen days of reflection, and I might let bygones be bygones regarding your past insolence."

The two rushed over, blocking Qin Feiyang's path with sneers and mockery. However, Qin Feiyang merely gave them a faint glance, walked right past them, and kept going without looking back. Seeing his attitude, the two bristled with rage.

"Where are you going?" Jia Hei barked coldly.
Qin Feiyang remained silent.
"Wait, he's walking toward the main gate. Is he trying to leave the Pill King Hall?" Elder He asked in surprise.
"Leave?" Jia Hei was furious.
They had waited for three full months, and not only did the boy refuse to apologize, but he was actually planning to quit the Pill King Hall. It was preposterous!

Elder He shouted, "Jiang Haotian, if you dare step out of the gates of the Pill King Hall, you will no longer be a disciple of ours from this day forward. You had better think this through carefully!"

Qin Feiyang still didn't say a word. When he reached the gates of the Pill Hall, he walked out without a moment's hesitation. Elder He finally lost his composure and roared, "You scoundrel, are you staging a rebellion?"

Lu Hong also hurried out from the reception hall, stepping forward to persuade him, "Jiang Haotian, let's talk this over. There's no need to take things this far."

"Jiang Haotian?"
"Wow, finally seeing him in person."
"Let's go take a look."
"Let's see if he has three heads and six arms."

Passersby on the street immediately crowded around, their eyes filled with curiosity as they whispered among themselves. Qin Feiyang smiled at Lu Hong, turned to the crowd, and said lightly, "Pardon me, please make way."

"He can still smile?" The people were stunned. Had he not seen that Elder He and Jia Hei were livid? Seeing is believing; this kid’s audacity was truly shocking. The crowd blocking his way quickly parted to form a path.

Qin Feiyang took a step forward and finally spoke, his voice calm, "The Pill King Hall? I never really cared for it. From this moment on—no, from three months ago—I have had no ties with the Pill King Hall, so this is hardly a rebellion."

These words were like an invisible slap to the faces of Jia Hei and the Elder. Qin Feiyang then took out his identity token.

"What are you doing?" Elder He demanded, alarmed and angry.
"Since I have left the Pill King Hall, this thing no longer needs to exist."
Qin Feiyang gripped his hand, and with a crisp *crack*, the token was crushed into powder.

This meant he had officially severed all ties with the Pill King Hall. The act caused an uproar. Everyone looked on in disbelief. Others dreamed of entering the Pill King Hall, yet this youth crushed his token without the slightest hesitation. Was the Pill King Hall truly so worthless in his eyes?

Elder He and Jia Hei were trembling with rage. Never in history had anyone dared to be so arrogant in front of the Pill King Hall! No disciple had ever voluntarily quit; usually, it was the Hall that swept out unwanted disciples. Today, however, the roles were reversed. The way the youth looked at the Pill King Hall was as if he were looking at a pile of filth—with extreme disdain and utter disgust. It was a slap in the face to the entire institution.

"Want to know where I'm going next? I'll tell you: I'm heading to the Martial King Hall. Anyone who wants to see if I can successfully join them is welcome to follow along for the spectacle," Qin Feiyang said without looking back.

"What?"
"Going to the Martial King Hall!"
"Isn't that clearly trying to embarrass the Pill King Hall?"
"He must be doing this on purpose."
"I'm going to follow him. I want to see what kind of ability he has to be this confident."
"I'm going too."

Most of the crowd followed Qin Feiyang. Those who stayed watched the Pill King Hall with amused expressions. If this youth truly succeeded in joining the Martial King Hall, they would lose more than just a monstrous talent and the Netherworld Demonic Flame; they would lose their face and dignity. The Martial King Hall would become the biggest winner.

Jia Hei and Elder He finally realized that the situation had escalated beyond their control. They took to the air to consult the Hall Master, as only he had the authority to settle this. Shortly after, having received the Hall Master's instructions, they soared into the sky, flying toward the Martial King Hall at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

In a great hall within the Martial King Hall, a middle-aged man in purple robes sat on the main throne. His brows were like swords, his posture upright, and he radiated the aura of a king. Beside him were two others: Elder Wan and a beautiful woman in a purple-gold dress, her dark hair pinned up in a graceful, noble style.

The man in purple looked at them and asked, "You've received the news, I presume?"
Elder Wan and the woman nodded.
"Then tell me your thoughts," the man said.
"I'll go first," Elder Wan said. "Frankly, when I went to pick them up that night, I wanted to invite Jiang Haotian to join the Martial King Hall, but Elder He was present, so I didn't speak. Now that such a good opportunity has presented itself, we naturally cannot turn him away."
The beautiful woman added, "I agree. This youth is not just a monster in the path of alchemy; according to Ling'er and Yunfei, he is also exceptional in martial arts. We have no reason to refuse such a comprehensive talent."

The man in purple nodded. "I know all that, but it is clear he is using us to embarrass the Pill King Hall. If we accept him, the Pill King Hall will likely be very displeased."
The woman retorted, "To put it plainly, you just hate that he's using us."
The man’s expression stiffened, and he gave a wry smile. "You know it, so why point it out?"
The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Let him use us. Gaining such a talent is worth it."

Just then, Elder He and Jia Hei descended from the sky and rushed into the hall.
"What are you doing here?" the man in purple frowned.
"The Hall Master sent us," Elder He said. "He hopes you will ignore Jiang Haotian."
The man in purple chuckled. "Do you think that's possible?"
"The Hall Master anticipated this," Elder He replied. "If you insist on poaching him, we will have to report this to the Prefecture Government and let the lords there decide."
Jia Hei added, "Jiang Haotian’s talent for alchemy far exceeds his martial talent. We are certain the final outcome will be that he belongs to our Pill King Hall."

The man in purple laughed. "You really are unscrupulous. But if you were so eager for him to stay, why did you drive him away in the first place? Isn't that just creating trouble for yourselves?"
"We never imagined he would have such a volatile temper," Elder He said with a helpless look.
The woman sneered, "Things have reached this point; it will be hard to make him change his mind now!"
Jia Hei replied dismissively, "Don't worry about that. Once he hits a wall at the Martial King Hall and realizes he has nowhere else to go, he will naturally come crawling back to us."
The woman scoffed, "A clever scheme, but I fear it will only backfire."
"We know what we're doing," Jia Hei said. "You don't need to worry about it."

The woman frowned and looked at the man in purple. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Fine, have it your way. Elder Wan, you handle this."
"Me?" Elder Wan’s face twitched. "I refuse to be the villain. Besides, if I do this, Ling'er and that boy Yunfei will hate me to death."
"Then I will go," the woman said with a sigh.

By the time Qin Feiyang reached the Martial King Hall, it was already afternoon. The layout was similar to the Pill King Hall. Inside the reception hall, the beautiful woman had been waiting for some time. But when she walked out and saw the massive crowd behind Qin Feiyang, she frowned. It seemed this boy wouldn't stop until he had turned the whole city upside down.

She looked at Qin Feiyang and said bluntly, "Jiang Haotian, the Martial King Hall cannot take you in. You should look elsewhere."
"Oh?" Qin Feiyang raised an eyebrow. He quickly realized what was happening—the Pill King Hall was definitely pulling strings behind the scenes.
A slight smirk played on his lips. "I never expected the Martial King Hall to listen to the Pill King Hall. How laughable. How is this place any different from them?"
The woman frowned.
"Don't worry, I'm leaving immediately. But from now on, I'm afraid this Martial King Hall will become a laughingstock," Qin Feiyang said with a loud laugh, turning to stride away.

The crowd in front parted automatically.
The woman’s frown deepened. "Wait. It's not impossible to join, but you must pass two assessments."
Qin Feiyang stopped and turned back. "What assessments?"
"The first is strength. The second is combat," the woman replied.
"Fine," Qin Feiyang nodded.
"Strike me with all your might," she said.
"Then forgive me."
"Heart-Locking Killing Fist!"
Qin Feiyang clenched his fist, charging forward like a wild bull. With True Qi coating his fist, he threw a fierce punch! The woman simply reached out and blocked it. However, her expression changed instantly, and she asked in shock, "The strength of ten wild elephants? Have you broken through to become a Six-Star Martial Master?"
Qin Feiyang pulled back and smiled faintly. "I just broke through recently."
The woman gasped inwardly. She had inquired about his status from Ling Yunfei not long ago; he had only just reached the Five-Star level before leaving Black Bear City. This meant he had improved an entire realm in just over three months. Such speed was elite even by the standards of the Martial King Hall. Her heart began to race with excitement.