Chapter 143: A Lesson

A sudden, domineering roar echoed through the air as a burst of primordial force shot out from Li Tianquan’s mouth, aimed directly at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye felt a sharp ringing in his ears and everything turned black before his eyes. His entire body trembled, his internal organs shook, and the two vortices of primordial force within him surged violently. The newly formed vortex spun rapidly, with its edges beginning to show signs of dispersion.

However, Qian Ye’s reaction was instantaneous. As the primordial force struck him, his powerful physique absorbed over half of it, and the burning golden blood within him continued to circulate, quickly crushing and incinerating all the invasive forces.

Seeing that Qian Ye did not spit blood and only turned pale momentarily, a peculiar expression flashed across Li Tianquan’s eyes.

Qian Ye immediately recovered, his eyes now filled with murderous intent. He placed his hand on the twin flowers at his waist and said coldly, “Elder Li, are you trying to kill me?”

Li Tianquan glanced at the twin flowers on Qian Ye’s waist and sneered, “If I truly wanted to kill you, you would already be a corpse. Do you really think that little gun can penetrate my skin? This is just a lesson to remind you that the Li family of the Jing Tang does not tolerate such arrogance.”

Qian Ye smiled coldly, “That’s quite a lesson, targeting my primordial force vortices. Should we go to the Imperial military headquarters and see which military law or discipline sanctions attacks on one’s cultivation foundation?”

Seeing that Qian Ye had not been intimidated but instead grew even more defiant, Li Tianquan’s eyes turned icy, and he said darkly, “General Qian Ye, you are indeed too young. This is the front line, and I am the battlefield commander. I have the authority to act as I see fit. Even if you appeal, what can you do? Will the military take your words seriously based on your empty claims?”

Qian Ye narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “Whether the military takes it seriously or not is irrelevant. There are others who are interested in how the Li family handles military merit rewards.”

The two men glared at each other, and the atmosphere in the room grew so tense it seemed to freeze.

Everyone knew that the “others” referred to the free powerhouses who came for the bounties. They did not need solid evidence to judge a matter; if they could doubt Qian Ye’s treatment based on rumors, they would also worry about whether the rewards would be honored. Could the Li family possibly admit that they were singling out Qian Ye alone?

After a long moment, Li Tianquan gently placed the teapot he had been toying with on the table, and his expression slowly softened. Then, he said, “Since you insist, the Li family is not unreasonable. I will give you another month. All conditions remain the same, but if your performance still doesn’t rank in the top three, don’t blame me for being harsh. Not only will our previous agreement be nullified, but I will also confiscate all your military supplies, and all the rewards you’ve received will be reclaimed as compensation. What do you think?”

Qian Ye sneered, “Elder Li, you certainly have a good plan! But what if I succeed?”

“If you do, I will increase your reward by thirty percent. And if you manage to top the military merit list in three months, not only will I give you a Heavenly Wind and Cloud Pearl, but I will also provide an additional Mirror Water Life Cleanser.”

Hearing these terms, Qian Ye was momentarily stunned, realizing that Li Tianquan did not believe he could succeed and was being generous out of sheer confidence.

Qian Ye immediately replied, “Since Elder Li places such high importance on this, I won’t rush to leave. I’ll take two more months of military merit, as the Mirror Water Life Cleanser would be very useful to me.”

Li Tianquan smiled and said, “You are quite confident.”

Qian Ye didn’t say more, and immediately stood up, sneering, “Then it’s settled. I hope Elder Li won’t regret this.”

Before Li Tianquan could finish his sentence, “I never regret my actions,” Qian Ye had already slammed the door and left, leaving Li Tianquan seething with anger.

After Qian Ye left, a bookshelf on the side suddenly turned, revealing a secret door from which a young man emerged. He looked in the direction Qian Ye had gone and frowned, saying, “Why didn’t Second Elder cripple him when he was so arrogant?”

Li Tianquan slowly shook his head and said, “This boy has a complicated background. Causing too much trouble in our Li family base would be troublesome.”

The young man dismissed this with, “The Zhao family is in chaos themselves. Otherwise, why would he run to the Misty Forest? He couldn’t stay there.”

Li Tianquan cautiously said, “We still don’t know why he came to our Li family’s war zone. Letting him stay a few more months shouldn’t cause any major problems. Besides, the environment of the Misty Forest is unique. If he leaves, it will be difficult to track him down.”

The young man furrowed his brows and finally said, “I hope Elder Li doesn’t forget the arrangement.” Then, he withdrew.

After the young man left, Li Tianquan slowly sat back in his chair, unconsciously stroking the armrests, and recalling the recent events.

With no one around, Li Tianquan no longer hid his emotions. He gritted his teeth, his veins bulging, clearly showing his fury. This was his true state, far from the calm and composed demeanor he had displayed in front of Qian Ye and the young man.

The brief exchange with Qian Ye had left Li Tianquan feeling like a thorn in his back, with a sword hanging over his head. In his sixty-odd years, he had never felt such a sense of complete loss of control.

Qian Ye’s identity was complex, and his intentions unclear. Li Tianquan initially did not want to get personally involved, intending only to injure Qian Ye subtly. In the chaotic battlefield, a lone, injured soldier would have a grim fate.

However, after seeing Qian Ye, Li Tianquan repeatedly felt the urge to kill, but a vague sense of danger lingered. The Li family had generations of experience in the Heaven Derivation Technique, and even non-practitioners had a keen sense of foreboding. With this ominous feeling, the cautious Li Tianquan ultimately did not act.

Now, reflecting on it, the sense of danger became clearer, sending chills down his spine.

Li Tianquan was shocked. This threat had shaken his Dao heart. He immediately focused to suppress his fear, carefully recalling every detail, but found nothing particularly unusual. The only image that kept replaying in his mind was Qian Ye’s hand always on his pistol after their confrontation.

“What use is a fifth-grade pistol?” Li Tianquan was puzzled. His roar hadn’t achieved its intended effect, but it did reveal Qian Ye’s true strength, estimated between standard grades three and four. This cross-level combat ability was on par with martial geniuses like Li Qingyun and Li Kuanglan, and only slightly inferior to Zhao Jundu.

However, cross-level battles usually occurred at lower and middle ranks. As levels increased, cultivation potential diminished, and combat effectiveness relied more on technique, experience, and luck. At the Divine General level, the grade gap was nearly insurmountable.

Li Tianquan himself had been at level seventeen for years, and even against old monsters like the Nan Gong family’s Nan Gong Yuanwang, he could still defend himself. Qian Ye, despite his strength, was only at level eleven, and would be completely suppressed in a real fight. So, where did this dangerous feeling come from?

Deciding to improve his Heaven Derivation Technique, Li Tianquan vowed to prevent such disruptions in the future.

Leaving the main camp, Qian Ye let out a long, stifled breath, but a heavy weight remained in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable.

He wasn’t afraid, but thoroughly disgusted. Li Tianquan’s failure to attack was unexpected. Qian Ye couldn’t help but constantly touch the twin flowers at his waist, resisting the urge to return and blast Li Tianquan with a shot of Origin Gun.

Recalling his confrontation with Li Tianquan, Qian Ye just sneered. He had been prepared to leave, but now he decided to stay. He wanted to see how Li Tianquan would handle it if he actually topped the military merit list in three months.

The Heavenly Wind and Cloud Pearl was never publicly sold, but the Mirror Water Life Cleanser had a set price. Even as an elder, Li Tianquan would be pained to part with it from his private treasury.

In a small building within the main camp, a pair of eyes watched the path to the gate. When Qian Ye exited, the observer immediately reported. Li Qingyun’s expression remained unchanged, but he tapped the armrest and asked, “From the craftsman’s workshop, is the armor he sent for repair a product of the Bai family?”

“Yes, it’s not only from the Bai family, but also crafted by Bai He Nian,” the attendant added, “Bai Lao’s works are well-documented. Tracing the source should not be difficult.”

Li Qingyun smiled, “The Bai family, the Zhao family, ha, I haven’t seen such an interesting person in a long time.” After a moment, he asked, “Does Second Elder know about this?”

“Even if he didn’t, he will know by this afternoon,” the attendant replied.

Li Qingyun laughed again, “Could it be that the old man really held onto someone else’s belongings?”

The attendant, a bit uneasy, asked, “Young Master, what should we…?”

Li Qingyun’s smile faded, and his expression became indifferent, “Let’s watch for now. Second Elder is selfish but not stupid. The military merit is one thing, but he wouldn’t dare touch that armor.”

Pausing, he smiled again, “Although I’m curious if Zhao Jundu would leave the Zhao family’s war zone because of this, it’s not a good way to lose face.”

The attendant, a close confidant, remained silent, waiting until Li Qingyun finished before retreating, sweating profusely.

As Qian Ye exited the main camp, he sensed several gazes watching him. This was not unusual, and he ignored them, walking briskly forward.

Suddenly, someone rushed out, deep in thought and unaware of Qian Ye, colliding straight into him.

The person, with significant combat power, realized the obstacle too late and, seeing Qian Ye, cursed and accelerated, stomping his foot.

Already in a foul mood, Qian Ye stopped and braced himself, waiting for the collision.

A loud thud echoed, and a burst of primordial force light lit up the entrance of the main camp.