Chapter Thirty-Four: The Eightfold Wave

As the words fell, Ye Keqing flicked her slender hand and struck violently toward Qin Lang. A formidable surge of spiritual energy roiled upon her palm, pressing down on him with overwhelming force. She had used fifty percent of her power for this strike, confident that it would be more than enough to deal with Qin Lang, who was only at the seventh level of the Martial Apprentice realm.

Qin Lang immediately activated his Black Eye Wheel Martial Soul. In an instant, Ye Keqing’s movements slowed in his vision, and the vulnerabilities in her attack were laid bare. Facing her onslaught, Qin Lang did not retreat. Instead, he stomped his foot hard against the ground and, to the astonishment of Qin Yue and Qin Jian, lunged directly toward her, his spiritual energy surging as he unleashed a palm strike.

"Five-Fold Waves!"

A powerful wave of spiritual energy billowed from his palm, howling as it struck out. A flicker of surprise crossed Ye Keqing’s beautiful eyes. Faced with her attack, not only did he not dodge, but he had charged straight at her. To resist her strike head-on with the strength of a seventh-level Martial Apprentice? It was nothing short of suicide. A look of pity crossed her eyes as she gazed at him. Truly, the ignorant were fearless.

*Boom!*

The two forces of spiritual energy collided violently, producing a piercing roar. Gusts of wind howled as the volatile energy scattered in all directions. Ye Keqing took a single step back, while Qin Lang stumbled back more than ten paces before barely steadying himself.

"You are actually at the ninth level of the Martial Apprentice realm!"

The pity in Ye Keqing’s eyes was completely replaced by astonishment. Not only had Qin Lang withstood her blow, but she now realized his strength was not the seventh level, but the ninth. To go from the first level to the ninth in just half a year! She had spent nine full years reaching the ninth level from the first. A chill ran down her spine at the thought—what a terrifying, insane rate of cultivation! Regardless of anything else, she had to kill him today. A flash of ruthlessness crossed her gaze; his explosive growth made her feel deeply uneasy. Only his death would bring her peace.

Driven by her malicious intent, Ye Keqing lunged at Qin Lang again. With violent energy swirling around her palm, she struck out when she was a meter away.

"Five-Fold Waves!"

The raging energy howled, sweeping toward him. This time, she not only used her full strength but also deployed the Ye family’s ultimate martial technique, determined to kill him in one blow. No matter how fast his cultivation was, he was still just a ninth-level Martial Apprentice; he remained defenseless against her full-powered strike.

Qin Lang gritted his teeth, pushing his spiritual energy to the limit as he also unleashed a palm strike.

"Eight-Fold Waves!"

When their palms collided, Qin Lang felt a massive force slam into him, forcing him to retreat step after step. Simultaneously, five distinct inner forces erupted within his body, each one stronger than the last. He only had time to use his spiritual energy to resist the first four; the final force exploded internally, causing a heart-wrenching pain. His insides felt as if they were churning and tearing apart, and with a metallic taste in his throat, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ye Keqing stepped back five paces, using her energy to neutralize the five inner forces that had surged into her. She looked at him with disdain. "You are truly impressive! To have cultivated the incomplete 'Five-Fold Waves' to the point of producing five inner forces! But do not forget, the Five-Fold Waves is the secret art of our Ye family; using it in front of me is like displaying one's meager skill before an expert."

She shook her head, convinced that Qin Lang’s technique could never compare to her own.

"Oh no! Qin Lang is no match for her!" Qin Yue, watching from afar, gripped her hands tightly, her worry evident.

"No, I don't think so," replied Qin Jian, his eyes lighting up as he saw Qin Lang use the Eight-Fold Waves. Having fought Qin Lang before, he remembered well that Qin Lang’s palm could unleash eight inner forces, far superior to the Ye family’s technique. Ye Keqing likely had no idea that what Qin Lang was using was several times more powerful than their strongest art. It seemed she was about to suffer a bitter, hidden loss.

When Qin Yue looked at him in confusion, Qin Jian smiled mysteriously and gestured for her to watch Ye Keqing.

"Heh, displaying meager skills? I don't think so!" Wiping the blood from his lips, Qin Lang wore a mocking smile. Seeing that expression, Ye Keqing’s elegant brows furrowed, and for some reason, a deep sense of unease welled up from the depths of her heart.

The next moment, shock flashed across her face as she realized a sixth inner force was erupting inside her body—and it was twice as powerful as the fifth! Then, the seventh and eighth forces followed, each one stronger than the last. In her haste, she only managed to neutralize the sixth; the seventh and eighth rampaged through her body without restraint.

*Boom! Boom!*

Two dull thuds echoed within her. The violent energy surged unrestrained, damaging her internal organs wherever it passed. She coughed up a large mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of her internal organs, her face turning deathly pale.

"How! How could there be eight inner forces!" She stared at him in disbelief, utterly shaken. Qin Lang had taken her family’s secret art and manifested eight layers of force! Each additional layer increased the power exponentially; his version was more than ten times stronger than the Ye family’s original. Her own family’s secret art had been turned against her, causing her severe injuries. The thought filled her with such frustration that she spat out more blood, her complexion turning even paler.

"Great!" Qin Yue cheered as she saw Qin Lang injure his opponent.

"Is there anything more depressing than being wounded by your own family's secret art?" Qin Jian gloated.

"How did you do it?" Ye Keqing’s eyes, fixed on Qin Lang, turned greedy. If she could master the Eight-Fold Waves, her strength would skyrocket, allowing her to easily crush any opponent at her level.

"Heh, so now, not only do you want to steal my Martial Soul and kill me, but you also want to take the Eight-Fold Waves technique from me?" Seeing the greed in her eyes, Qin Lang’s mockery deepened.

"I never expected you to have so many good things on you! It was well worth the effort to move against you!" Ye Keqing moved, rapidly attacking him again. Once more, she struck with a palm overflowing with violent energy and air-shattering force.

"Eight-Fold Waves!"

Qin Lang met her strike with his own. The two forces of energy collided violently once more, a deafening roar erupted, and the two figures recoiled, separating as quickly as they had met.