Song Xianming, having taken the elixir, grinned.

He had consumed a Minor Rejuvenation Pill, which was highly effective for healing injuries. After swallowing it, the burning sensation caused by the Heavenly Secret Sword Technique quickly subsided.

His injured right leg also began to regain feeling. He swiftly got up and moved to the side of the man.

The man sneered, looking at Qin Yi with interest, then glanced at Xu Xinran and asked Song Xianming, "Is it him?"

Song Xianming replied, "Yes, that's the guy. His strength is not insignificant. To be able to use the Nine Stars Shining Together with the Heavenly Secret Sword Technique, he must be the prized disciple of Dripping Water Sword Gu Yanshan."

Everyone knew that on Emerald Bamboo Peak, Dripping Water Sword Gu Yanshan, as the Seventh Elder, had never personally recruited any disciples.

The disciples currently on Emerald Bamboo Peak were all assigned by the sect.

However, Qin Yi was the only exception, so he could be considered Gu Yanshan's personal disciple, completely different from the other disciples.

But for someone as proud as Gu Yanshan, with his discerning eye, ordinary disciples wouldn't catch his attention.

It seems that Qin Yi indeed has the qualifications to be valued by him.

In less than a month since joining, he already possesses the cultivation level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Moreover, it's said that the first time he touched the Enlightenment Stone, he reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, making him an innate genius.

Presumably, Gu Yanshan took him in to let him shine and bring glory to Emerald Bamboo Peak.

"Unfortunately, what is the crime for seducing a fellow disciple's wife?" the man asked Song Xianming with a smile.

Song Xianming gritted his teeth, "The woman should be subjected to the wooden horse punishment, and the man should be castrated."

An unfaithful woman would be subjected to the wooden horse punishment. As for the man, it was simple—castration, like a eunuch.

This was a clearly stated rule in the Famous Sword Sect.

As the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order. In many aspects, the rules of the Famous Sword Sect were extremely strict.

The man put away the Memory Pearl and then said to Qin Yi, "Originally, I heard from Xianming that you were quite an eyesore, so I planned to come over and teach you a lesson so you'd learn how to behave. But I didn't expect you to do something like this. Since you've done such a thing, it's not as simple as just a lesson."

The man blew the dust off his palm. He cherished his hands, which were slender and looked like a woman's hands.

"Xianming, do you still want that woman?" he suddenly asked.

Song Xianming said angrily, "A cheap woman who meets someone and immediately cheats—what do I want her for?"

The man nodded, "Since you don't want her, then forget it. In that case, if the two of them disappear, under what pretext should we report to the sect?"

Song Xianming glanced at the man, understanding his intention. He intended to kill the two of them.

"Naturally, they were attacked by a fierce beast and died, and we couldn't save them in time, so we can only lament."

The man smiled approvingly, "Exactly, attacked by a fierce beast, leaving no corpse."

Xu Xinran was trembling all over at this moment. She clutched Qin Yi's sleeve tightly, her face pale as if it were a taut string ready to snap at any moment.

"Don't be afraid," Qin Yi comforted her.

She whispered, "He... he is Xiahou Tai."

So this is Xiahou Tai?

Although Qin Yi was seeing this person for the first time, the name was not unfamiliar to him.

When he was on Emerald Bamboo Peak, Gu Yiyi had mentioned that among the younger generation of the Famous Sword Sect, there were two most dazzling geniuses.

The first was Hua Yunfeng, the senior disciple of the first peak, Snow Maple Ridge.

The second was Xiahou Tai, the senior disciple of the second peak, Willow Leaf Peak.

Unlike Hua Yunfeng, Xiahou Tai, although not an innate genius, cultivated at an incredibly fast pace. He and Hua Yunfeng were about the same age, and their cultivation levels were also comparable.

If it weren't for his violent and unlikable personality, he would probably be the most valued person in the entire sect.

Because, despite not being an innate genius, he managed to cultivate to a level comparable to Hua Yunfeng, making him a role model and study object for all ordinary disciples.

Unfortunately, personality determines everything. This person's violent, impulsive nature and excessive killing intent made the sect's higher-ups have slightly lower expectations for him compared to Hua Yunfeng.

When Qin Yi first saw this person, he noticed something different about him.

—[Chosen One · Reverse]!

(This person is destined to be Hua Yunfeng's strongest opponent in the early stages and will be defeated by the Chosen One Hua Yunfeng in the later stages.)

So Xiahou Tai is also a Chosen One, but with a "Reverse" character, indicating he's a natural antagonist.

He's destined to take a wrong path and eventually be completely defeated by Hua Yunfeng, who embodies justice.

'With the fortune of a Chosen One, it's no wonder he can keep up with Hua Yunfeng's progress.'

Qin Yi observed him carefully and suddenly noticed a small line of text above his head, describing his realm.

(This person primarily cultivates the [Heavenly Demon Dao], using human hearts as sacrifices, progressing rapidly, currently at the minor completion stage of the Golden Elixir Realm.)

'So he's cultivating a demonic cultivation method. No wonder he's so fast, keeping up with Hua Yunfeng.'

Having gathered this detailed information, Qin Yi instructed Xu Xinran to retreat, preferably to the depths.

Once a fight breaks out here, the cave might become unstable and collapse, with boulders falling.

Xu Xinran wasn't a timid woman. Although traditional, she was very smart.

She knew that staying would only be a burden. At this moment, Qin Yi showed no fear, but rather a confidence radiating from his face.

Xu Xinran didn't know why he was so confident at this moment, but out of love for him, she absolutely trusted him.

"This Xiahou Tai is at the minor completion stage of the Golden Elixir Realm, husband... you..." she hesitated.

The other side clearly wouldn't spare the two of them.

Since they wouldn't spare them, pleading would be useless.

"It's okay, you go hide in the back first," Qin Yi waved his hand.

Xu Xinran hesitated for a moment, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.

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Because previously, her kiss had given Qin Yi strength, she felt it was the only way she could help him now.

"Thank you, I feel empowered again," Qin Yi smiled slightly, a bit surprised.

After kissing him, Xu Xinran quickly ran to the depths of the cave.

"Cheap woman," Song Xianming couldn't stand it. Facing death, that cheap woman still dared to be unfaithful and kiss Qin Yi.

"Senior Brother Xiahou, I want this Qin to die a miserable death."

"Rest assured, since I promised to help you, I won't give up halfway. In any case, after today, there will be no more Qin Yi in this world."

Xiahou Tai looked at his slender hands, and suddenly, the nails on his ten fingers grew wildly.

Each one extended about half a foot, emitting a chilling gleam.

At the same time, the aura of the Golden Elixir Realm spread, and the powerful pressure made the entire cave tremble.

Qin Yi suddenly felt as if the gravity on the ground had increased tenfold.

His feet sank into the soil, and his shoulders felt as if they were bearing a heavy burden of hundreds of pounds.

'So this is the pressure of the Golden Elixir Stage? It's indeed strong.'