"What? Beat me to death?"

Chu Yuanlang froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. Pointing at Qin Heng, he said, "It seems there really is something wrong with your brain!"

In Chu Yuanlang's eyes, Qin Heng was nothing but a talentless weakling who knew no martial arts, while he himself had reached the peak of Open Force and would soon break through to the Hidden Force realm.

Moreover, he was the eldest son of the Chu family of Suzhou-Hangzhou, their young master, and the future heir highly regarded by the elders. He controlled assets worth at least tens of billions.

To him, ordinary people were no more than ants, to be crushed whenever he pleased!

"Ladies, please step aside. Don't make things difficult for us," a guard said to Shang Ying and Li Jiao, who were blocking Qin Heng. "We are on official duty."

"Official duty? You're just acting as the Chu family's lapdogs!" Just then, a woman's clear, crisp voice rang out, "Chu Yuanlang, I've warned you before! If you bother my two sisters again, I'll make you pay dearly!"

A woman in a white, close-fitting outfit walked over. She had a lithe figure and stunning looks, but her demeanor was exceedingly cold. Appearing to be in her twenties, she was youthful and beautiful, her jet-black hair tied simply in a ponytail, exuding a heroic and valiant aura.

"Yun Lingsu!" Chu Yuanlang's expression turned somewhat panicked. He quickly waved his hands, saying, "You're back too? You've misunderstood! I wasn't harassing them. I... I was just here to say hello, that's all! I had no other intention!"

"Sister Yun!"

"Sister Lingsu!"

Li Jiao and Shang Ying also cheered, visibly relieved. They rushed over, exclaiming, "You're back from the Divine Sword Sect! We've missed you so much!"

Qin Heng also looked over. He noted Yun Lingsu's aura was incredibly sharp. A seemingly indomitable power coursed through her, making her resemble a divine sword.

A Sword Cultivator? Qin Heng was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Earth to still possess such potent cultivation legacies. But then he shook his head, pondering, No, not the type of Sword Cultivator whose foundation is based on flying swords. This person has cultivated Sword Qi. This is Earth's Martial Dao, not immortal cultivation.

In this parallel world, Earth's Martial Dao was a cultivation method no weaker than immortal cultivation.

If its subsequent lineage was complete, one might even achieve immortality through it.

This woman, Yun Lingsu, had already reached the cultivation level of a Grandmaster of Transcendence.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

At that moment, a bell on the nearby lecture platform chimed three times.

Chu Yuanlang quickly said, "The lecture by the Grandmaster of Transcendence from the Sun Temple is about to begin! I won't disturb your reunion any longer. I'll be going now, I'll be going now!!"

Saying this, he scrambled away, fleeing as if for his life.

His guards also beat a hasty retreat.

After all, with Chu Yuanlang gone, they dared not linger.

"Yingying, Jiaojiao, I'll be staying in the secular world for a while," Yun Lingsu said with a smile. "If Chu Yuanlang dares to bother you again, I'll break his legs."

Her words clearly showed she held no regard for the Chu family, the foremost family in Suzhou-Hangzhou.

"Okay!" Shang Ying and Li Jiao both nodded.

"Is this person your friend?" Yun Lingsu noticed Qin Heng standing to the side. She glanced at him, a hint of disdain in her eyes, though well-concealed. "He isn't a Martial Artist?"

"Ah?" Shang Ying was startled, then quickly said, "He's... a Martial Artist, I suppose. A martial arts enthusiast. Um... the Xue family brought him in."

"Mhm," Li Jiao also nodded. "Even though he might not have any martial skills, he's a really nice person. Yingying and I both get along quite well with him."

"Is that so?" Yun Lingsu gently shook her head. Looking at Qin Heng, she said, "It's normal for an ordinary person like you to admire martial arts; after all, it's natural for the weak to look up to the strong.

However, you must understand that in the world of Martial Artists, strength is paramount. For an ordinary person like you, coming to a place teeming with Martial Artists is far too dangerous. If I hadn't appeared just now, you likely would have died at Chu Yuanlang's hands."

"If you hadn't appeared, Chu Yuanlang would already be dead by my hand," Qin Heng chuckled lightly. "To me, the Martial Artists here are mere ants, easily crushed with a wave of my hand, hardly worth mentioning. My presence here should be an honor for them."

"Qin Heng, you're spouting nonsense again!" Shang Ying and Li Jiao shook their heads and sighed. "Qin Heng, Sister Lingsu is a disciple of the reclusive Divine Sword Sect. Her understanding of the Martial Dao far surpasses ours; don't speak so recklessly!"

"Heh, all the Martial Artists here are ants to you?" Yun Lingsu sneered. "What arrogance! Weakness isn't a sin, but to be weak, ignorant, and yet utterly arrogant is to court death.

Jiaojiao, Yingying, let me give you two a piece of advice: don't get too close to this fellow. His arrogance will sooner or later bring harm to you both. The Martial Dao world is on the verge of tremendous change, with powerful experts emerging one after another. If you happen to encounter some reclusive master, someone like him wouldn't even know what hit him!"

"You needn't worry about that," Qin Heng said with a light laugh. "In today's world, not a single person exists who can kill me."

Yun Lingsu was rendered completely speechless. She could only shake her head and say, "For someone like you to have survived this long is truly a miracle. I hope you watch your step in the future."

With that, she turned and left.

Qin Heng, however, shook his head. These days, no one believes the truth. How times have changed, he mused.

As a dignified Immortal Emperor, he naturally disdained fabricating lies. He always spoke the truth. Yet, he hadn't expected Yun Lingsu to disbelieve him, instead considering him arrogant.

"Qin Heng, that's not good. There are many powerful figures in the Martial Dao world," Shang Ying sighed. "Sister Lingsu is actually right. In this world where strength commands respect, it's best not to say certain things if you lack the power to back them up."

"My strength is unparalleled in this world," Qin Heng stated, his expression unchanged.

"Ah?" Li Jiao was momentarily stunned, then said helplessly, "Let's go, Yingying. We should take him to listen to the lecture by that Martial Arts Grandmaster from the Sun Temple. It should cover a lot about the Martial Dao world, which might enlighten Qin Heng a bit."

"Yes, that sounds right," Shang Ying nodded in agreement.

Clearly, both of them regarded Qin Heng as an ordinary person unfamiliar with the Martial Dao world, lacking basic knowledge about it, which they felt explained his arrogance.

Qin Heng remained noncommittal and accompanied the two to the lecture platform.

By this time, the place was already teeming with people.

Several thousand people had gathered, all eyes fixed intently on the young man standing on the distant platform.

He appeared to be in his twenties, yet his aura was as vast and profound as the ocean.

Merely standing there, he resembled a great sun having descended, its brilliant radiance illuminating everything. His strength was not much inferior to that of Huangfu Taiyi, the Sun God's son.

"Hey, have you heard? The Grandmaster on stage is actually Huangfu Zhenyang, the elder brother of Huangfu Taiyi, the Sun God's son! He came out of seclusion with his master, supposedly to go to Tianhai to kill Qin Xuantian and avenge his younger brother!"

Qin Heng, Shang Ying, and Li Jiao overheard the surrounding discussions.