Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Miserable Qin Longyue

Moreover, Qin Longyue was indeed a prodigy, so from childhood onward, he always overshadowed Xiao Shuihan in everything. Of course, Xiao Shuihan was only sixteen, having started cultivating two years after Qin Longyue; in the world of geniuses, two years could decide many things. Even though Xiao Shuihan was already outstanding, it was not a pleasant feeling to be constantly suppressed by Qin Longyue. Therefore, whenever he had free time, he would go to Xiao North City to clear his mind, or head to Flying Snow City or Thousand Capital City to drink with his close friends, staying there for months at a time. As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind!

“Oh? I wondered who it was—it turns out to be Xiao family’s good-for-nothing!” As Qin Longyue stepped onto the prow, he glanced at Lin Fan and then looked toward Xiao Shuihan, his eyes filled with contempt. “I was just wondering whose dog had such audacity as to belittle the young powerhouses of the entire Qingsnow County. So what, you advanced to the Qi Attraction Realm and now think you’re invincible? Did you forget how I beat you up every year so badly you dare not even look at me?”

“Qin Longyue, cut the crap! If you weren’t born two years before me, if you weren’t backed by the Long family, I’d beat the crap out of you!” Hearing Qin Longyue’s words, Xiao Shuihan instantly flew into a rage, like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on, bristling all over.

“Call me Qin Long. The name Qin Longyue comes from the Qin and Long families. As for ‘Yue’—my elder brother is called Qin Yang, and the family hoped we’d shine like the sun and the moon, but I believe I’ll surpass him one day, soaring like a dragon across the nine heavens!”

“Besides, even if you were born before me, you’d still be a loser all the same!” When Qin Longyue first appeared, his words were refined and courteous, but now his speech carried a sharp edge, showing disdain for everyone, even his own elder brother, the late-stage Qi Vein Realm Qin Yang.

“Enough talk. Let’s see what you’ve learned these past months!” Finally, Qin Longyue barked coldly, raising a finger and pointing at Xiao Shuihan.

At that instant, the others felt nothing, but Xiao Shuihan’s hair stood on end as a terrifying sense of danger surged toward him, as if the very air was being compressed, his whole body immobilized, utterly unable to resist.

Though he was strong, Qin Longyue had grown even stronger than before!

Bang!

However, before he could struggle free, there was a dull thud. Qin Longyue’s energy-infused finger had just shot toward Xiao Shuihan when a large hand emerged from the side and crushed it midair.

Xiao Shuihan was stunned and looked up. Somehow, Brother Fan was already standing before him.

That somewhat slender figure now stood like an unbreachable mountain, shielding him from all harm.

“You say your name isn’t Qin Longyue, but Qin Long, is that right?” Lin Fan lifted his head calmly, looking at Qin Longyue with eyes as still as dead water, gazing at him without expression.

Qin Longyue narrowed his eyes slightly. Lin Fan’s hand had just crushed his energy finger, which surprised him. Though he hadn’t used his full strength, even a perfect Body Temperer or a late-stage Qi Attraction Realm expert couldn’t withstand that finger.

He was not only a Qi Vein Realm expert but also a perfect Body Temperer. That was one reason Xiao Shuihan and the others were so wary, for their ability to fight across realms meant nothing in front of him.

But then he relaxed—so what if this Lin Fan was a perfect Body Temperer, even at the peak of the Qi Attraction Realm? His own strength left him fearless. In the whole of Qingsnow County, only eight young talents were worth his attention.

Qin Longyue raised his head arrogantly, looking down at Lin Fan. “What if I’m Qin Longyue? What if I want to be Qin Long?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a palm rapidly enlarging before his eyes. His pupils contracted, but it was too late to react.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed across the Lantern Street. Instantly, the whole street fell silent—you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared, even Xiao Shuihan and his friends gaping in disbelief.

Qin Longyue was sent flying by Lin Fan’s powerful slap, five clear finger marks swelling red across his cheek.

“If you call yourself Qin Long, you deserve to die!” Lin Fan barked coldly, and in a flash, he shadowed Qin Longyue midair before he could regain his balance.

With fists clasped together, Lin Fan swung down like a thunderous axe, as if performing a devastating slam dunk or a finishing move in a brawl.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, Qin Longyue was smashed down from midair, his body reversing direction and plummeting straight toward the water below.

“Pfft!” As Qin Longyue crashed down, he spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. With such overwhelming strength, how could he not even react?

He tried desperately to control his falling body, but Lin Fan’s blow was so immense he couldn’t manage it. As Qin Longyue was about to hit the water, Lin Fan appeared beneath him and lashed out with a fierce kick.

Like a tiger’s tail, his leg became a black blur, slamming hard into Qin Longyue’s chest.

Crack—a chilling sound. Qin Longyue screamed in agony, his waist arching, limbs dangling limply like a cooked shrimp as Lin Fan’s kick sent him flying skyward.

He could clearly feel that Lin Fan’s kick had broken four of his ribs. The searing pain drained the color from his face.

A heavy sense of powerlessness and humiliation filled his chest. It was as if a volcano was erupting inside him, his fury boundless, but he was utterly helpless.

His whole being was like a sandbag, feeling nothing but pain from every blow, completely unable to fight back.

“How is this possible?”

“This guy’s so strong—he’s thrashing Qin Longyue!”

“Yeah, the gap is just insane; it’s like beating up a child...”

On both banks, people stared in shock. They had thought that with Qin Longyue’s arrival, he could curb the arrogance of Lin Fan and Xiao Shuihan’s group on the boat.

But the situation flipped in an instant. Lin Fan struck out suddenly, and the ninth-ranked young powerhouse, Qin Longyue, was sent flying.

Then Lin Fan kept intercepting him in midair, pummeling him mercilessly, giving him no chance to fight back.

Up to this point, Qin Longyue hadn’t even managed a single attack before facing utter defeat!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lin Fan kept catching Qin Longyue in the air, raining down fists, palms, kicks—using every possible move—beating him like a human punching bag, never letting him hit the ground.

“Damn you! Qin Longyue was a fine name, but you just had to change it to Qin Long in front of me. If I don’t beat you up, I’ll never vent this foul mood!” Lin Fan shouted as he thrashed Qin Longyue.

With his strength, beating a Qi Vein Realm expert who hadn’t even opened a single acupoint was as easy as teaching a lesson to a kindergarten child.

So what if I’m called Qin Long?

I just don’t want to compete with my brother, and want to surpass him—is that such a crime?

Just because I’m called Qin Long, you have to beat me up?

If you don’t, you can’t vent your anger—what did I ever do to you?

Sure, I always beat up Xiao Shuihan, and I’m arrogant, looking down on everyone, but I never did anything truly evil!

Is this really necessary?

At this point, Qin Longyue had already been beaten into a swollen mess, his bones broken in who knew how many places, unable even to speak, blood frothing from his mouth.

Yet when he heard Lin Fan’s words, he just felt a stifling frustration in his chest that he desperately wanted to vent!

He screamed inside, his expression like a wronged widow...

“Negative emotion value from Qin Longyue, +999!”

“Negative emotion value from Qin Longyue, +999!”

“Negative emotion value from Qin Long...”

After a while, Lin Fan finally stopped, but by now Qin Longyue’s appearance had completely changed.

Not only was he swollen like a pig’s head, but bruises of blue and purple covered his face, and his eyes were so puffy they were barely slits.

Qin Longyue was gravely injured and fell straight toward the water from midair.

Facing downward, five meters above the surface, he saw how miserably he’d been beaten—probably even his own father wouldn’t recognize him now.

This was the first time in his life he’d been so thoroughly thrashed; he couldn’t help but smile bitterly. The first time is always the hardest.

He never imagined his first defeat would come at the hands of Xiao Shuihan’s friend—how humiliating.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan had landed on the prow, which was just three meters above the water. He looked up and caught Qin Longyue’s bitter smile, and the anger he’d just vented surged up again.

“You dare to smile—?”

Lin Fan glared, stomped the prow, and leaped up, kicking Qin Longyue full in the face, sending him flying once more.

Qin Longyue: “???”

Was that a smile? That was a bitter smile—come on, brother!

“Negative emotion value from Qin Longyue, +999.”

“Negative emotion value from Qin Longyue, +1002.”

“Negative emotion value from Qin Longyue, +1016, +1114...”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Without caring about Qin Longyue’s feelings, Lin Fan unleashed another round of pummeling, then finally kicked him onto the riverbank.

Whoosh!

Lin Fan let out a long breath, feeling completely refreshed.

Turning, he saw the dumbfounded Xiao Shuihan and the others, and suddenly sang with a grin: “Out at night to see the lanterns, my mood’s soaring high; thrashing young powerhouses, my mood’s soaring high!”

“Negative emotion value from Liu Shuang, +1542.”

“Negative emotion value from Zhan Beiyu, +1240.”

“Negative emotion value from Boya, +...”

Hearing Lin Fan’s self-satisfied tune, the crowd on both banks was speechless.

As for the young powerhouses, there was no need to mention it—the flood of negative emotion values surged toward Lin Fan like a tsunami, as if to drown him in negativity.

Thank goodness this was the Ascension System; if it were a computer, it would probably have crashed on the spot...!

“Brother Fan, you’re amazing!” After a long time, Xiao Shuihan and the others recovered, not caring what Lin Fan had said or sung; after all, Brother Fan often came out with things they didn’t understand anyway.

The way they looked at Lin Fan changed again—from respect to outright worship.

That was Qin Longyue!

Eighteen years old, Qi Vein Realm expert, perfect Body Temperer, master of the Nine-section Divine Demon Finger, cultivator of the renowned Qin family’s Primal Energy Gathering Art—the ninth-ranked young powerhouse.

All these titles together made him a prodigious young powerhouse with a formidable background and powerful techniques.

But in front of Brother Fan, he was so utterly helpless. They could believe Brother Fan could thrash a Qi Attraction Realm expert, leaving them no chance to resist.

After all, Brother Fan possessed Intent—a peerless power among his peers—and the mighty Wind and Thunder Force, so crushing Qi Attraction experts was child’s play.

But now, Brother Fan had defeated a prodigy-level Qi Vein Realm young powerhouse!

Most importantly, what did they just witness? Brother Fan not only fought across a whole major realm, defeating his opponent without resistance, but he hadn’t even used Intent or Wind and Thunder Force.

Viewed in this light, it was truly terrifying...!