Chapter 28: The Three Supreme Secrets of Taiyi

At this moment, atop a hill not far from Fish-Dragon Fort, two figures in black robes walked beneath their umbrellas in the rain, heading directly toward the fort.
“Brother, there’s a fortress ahead. Let’s take shelter from the rain there,” one of them suggested.
“Alright,” the other nodded, and continued forward. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, gazing toward Fish-Dragon Fort from afar. “There’s movement inside.”
“Shall we take a look?” the first asked.
“Let’s go see,” came the reply, and they pressed on.
…
On the street, Qin Yi had reached the Zhang family wine shop. Jiang Yao and Wang Weixue were still locked in their skirmish, neither truly committing to the fight.
Wang Weixue retreated to the wine shop, slapped the table, sending the wine jug on it into the air, then snatched it deftly, took a drink, and laughed, “Little girl, seems your only goal is to keep me occupied.”
“Senior truly lives up to his reputation—keen sight,” Jiang Yao said with a smile, Cold Plum Sword held at an angle.
Qin Yi approached Jiang Yao and asked, “How is it?”
Jiang Yao’s gaze was grave. “He’s strong.”
“As long as you can hold him off,” Qin Yi replied.
“Are you really up to this?” Jiang Yao eyed him skeptically.
“Never ask a man that question,” Qin Yi said with mock seriousness, then grinned, “If you want to know if I’m up to it, why not try for yourself?”
“Get lost…”
Jiang Yao hadn't caught the innuendo in the first sentence, but the second was clear enough. She glared at Qin Yi’s cheeky grin, coldly uttering just one word: “Out.”
“So you’re holding me off just for him?” Wang Weixue, sipping his wine inside, watched their banter and chuckled, then shook his head. “Not worth the trouble.”

“I am Qin Yi. Greetings, elder,” Qin Yi gave a courteous bow.
“Oh! Qin Yi?” Wang Weixue raised an eyebrow, then burst into laughter. “You—Qin Yi? Are you joking?”
“I never change my name, nor my seat. I am Qin Yi of Fish-Dragon Fort,” Qin Yi repeated, then glanced at Wang Weixue and the four cultivators of the Divine Transformation Realm standing across the street. “You all came to my doorstep, yet none of you know that someone like me exists in the Qin family? How little respect you show.”
One of the Divine Transformation cultivators sneered, “Respect? You aren’t that Qin Yi. What respect do you deserve?”
Wang Weixue and the others said nothing, but their silence spoke louder than words—the highest form of contempt.
Qin Yi smiled, “You’ll not harm the Qin family.”
“That’s not for you to decide,” all six replied in unison.
Facing the five Divine Transformation experts, Qin Yi stretched lazily. Today, it seemed, he’d have to reveal a bit of his true ability; otherwise, his current cultivation was nowhere near a match for the Divine Transformation Realm, let alone five at once.
He angled the Flying Snow Sword in his hand, tightening his grip until the blade emitted a mist of snow.
The five Divine Transformation cultivators eyed the snowy mist rising from Flying Snow, a flicker of admiration in their gaze. No matter how fine the sword, for Qin Yi to wield such sword intent at the Bone-Washing Realm was truly impressive.
“Zhang Bu Cheng, why are you so slow—are you ready or not?” Qin Yi shouted to his surroundings.
But the reply did not come from Zhang Chen. Instead, the area around the five Divine Transformation cultivators shifted; a mass of strange runes appeared, encircling them.
At that moment, Zhang Chen was hiding in a place only he and his parents knew—the wine cellar in their courtyard. Upon his arrival, he found his parents already there, which eased his mind. Peering through layers of earth toward the street, he murmured, “Qin Yi, it’s up to you now.”
“A Divine Transformation rune master,” Wang Weixue noted, watching the runes encircle the five.
The five surrounded by runes showed no panic. One laughed, “A Divine Transformation rune master and a mere Bone-Washing brat—overestimating yourselves.”
“Well, whether we’re overestimating ourselves, we’ll see after a bout,” Qin Yi replied, and in the next instant, sword energy erupted from Flying Snow, surging toward the five.
“Good lad! Let’s deal with you first, then drag out the one hiding in the shadows,” someone laughed, golden light radiating from his body as he struck at Qin Yi with his palm.
Curiously, in the rounds that followed, all five attacked Qin Yi together, but he remained lively as ever. On the contrary, each of them suffered minor wounds from the sharp edge of Flying Snow.
After all, Qin Yi’s skills extended beyond exquisite swordsmanship; his movement techniques were equally masterful. Each time the five pressed in, he slipped away like a slick eel, controlling the rhythm perfectly, never giving them a chance to catch him. Instead, he would occasionally strike as they attacked.
Not far off, Jiang Yao observed with relief. Though Qin Yi’s current moves lacked the power he once wielded, they were more than sufficient against these foes.
“Excellent swordplay, excellent movement, excellent combat awareness,” Wang Weixue exclaimed, repeating the word “excellent” thrice. Then he turned to the five Divine Transformation cultivators from the Eastern Ridge Wang Clan and bellowed, “A bunch of incompetents! Five Divine Transformation cultivators, bullied by a rune master and a Bone-Washing child. Can’t you use your advantage?”
The five, stung by Wang Weixue’s rebuke, looked grim, but his words snapped them to attention. One shouted, “Close in on me!”
The other four moved to join him, reciting the same incantation and forming identical hand seals. Above their heads, a golden spear condensed into existence.
“The Great Luo Golden Spear!”
With a whoosh, all five shouted, and the golden spear accelerated, shooting toward Qin Yi at blinding speed.
Qin Yi watched the spear streak toward him, then rose slowly into the air, raising Flying Snow skyward. Thunder and wind roared in the heavens.
“The Three Slashes of Taiyi!” Jiang Yao cried out in concern for Qin Yi.
“The Three Slashes of Taiyi—remarkable,” Wang Weixue praised. The Three Slashes of Taiyi were one of Taiyi Mountain’s three great true techniques; he hadn’t expected a mere Bone-Washing youth to not only know them, but to wield them so well.
“The Three Slashes of Taiyi?” The five from the Eastern Ridge Wang Clan exclaimed in shock, but soon laughed it off, “So what if it’s the Three Slashes of Taiyi? You barely managed to wield it.”
Despite their words, the five stood at full attention, expending all their strength. After all, it was the Three Slashes of Taiyi.
“Three Slashes of Taiyi—Demon Severance!” Qin Yi swept Flying Snow, the blade tracing a semicircle in the air. When the stroke was complete, only a thin strand of sword energy separated from the blade, meeting the Great Luo Golden Spear head-on.
Needle tip against wheat awn.