Chapter 0684 Want to Get Stronger?

**Chapter 0684: Do You Want to Grow Stronger?**

The Demonic Sects like the Rune Hall and the Totem Pavilion had originally assumed their disciples would easily rise to the forefront.

But now, they discovered that other sects also harbored hidden powerhouses.

Initially, they had only been concerned about Jian Nanhu’s strength. But now, Qin Yun and Xiao Yuelan had displayed frighteningly strong power.

This meant their disciples now faced three formidable opponents!

After Qin Yun eliminated Bai Duzi, the other disciples in Group Fifteen were all terrified—after all, their strength wasn’t much greater than Bai Duzi or Leng Huan’s.

Yet both Leng Huan and Bai Duzi had been taken down by Qin Yun.

If this continued, facing Qin Yun in battle would result in either death or a brutal defeat.

Qin Yun, who hadn’t even reached the mid-stage of the Spiritual Martial Realm, was still frighteningly strong.

Previously, many believed Qin Yun had relied on underhanded methods to kill the Immortal Disciples in the Demon Martial Island. But judging from those two battles, he truly possessed overwhelming power.

This left many elders from various sects completely baffled.

Qin Yun had no Immortal Body and was merely at the Early Spiritual Martial Realm, yet his power surpassed even late-stage Immortal Disciples.

It defied all logic!

While Qin Yun remained in seclusion, purging the poison from his body, discussions about him continued outside.

“That guy Qin Yun must have the Sky Lion lineage—his physical body must be incredibly strong… He originally had dual martial souls, but now only a single one can be detected. What exactly is going on?”

Tu Tiandi’s disheveled purple hair fluttered in the wind, but he paid it no mind, his expression grave as he pondered the matter.

“It seems he’s mastered some special method to strengthen his body. Remember, there’s an immortal inside the Immortal Armory—and that immortal is extremely protective of Qin Yun.”

“From what I’ve heard, Qin Yun frequently enters the Immortal Armory Hall in the Immortal Armory to receive guidance from that immortal!”

Grand Master Ye of the Rune Hall said, jealousy dripping from his voice.

Receiving guidance from an immortal was something they all dreamed of. Many had been stuck in the Quasi-Immortal Realm for years, unable to break through—making an immortal’s guidance invaluable.

That was also why Bao Changshou was so protective of Qin Yun—he knew Qin Yun shared an unusual relationship with Bingxing.

By now, disciples from various sects had learned that Qin Yun possessed the Sky Lion Totem and Sky Lion lineage, though few had seen him use these powers.

This left those disciples even more astonished, as it was clear Qin Yun had been concealing this aspect of his strength.

“Qin Yun is poisoned with a deadly toxin—he’s doomed! What good is his Sky Lion lineage?” The Poison Valley’s sect leader snarled. “That bastard killed Bai Duzi—he’ll die horribly for it.”

Bao Changshou, overhearing this, sneered coldly. “Bai Duzi had it coming—who told him to threaten Qin Yun? Haven’t you idiots learned your lesson yet?”

“If you want the Star Monarch Rune Soul, try asking Yang Shiyue properly! If you scheme against Qin Yun, the only outcome is death!”

Bao Changshou’s words sent a chill through the hearts of many sect leaders.

Especially those who had once tried to capture Qin Yun—they had suffered greatly for it.

“That woman Yang Shiyue—what right does she have to possess the Star Monarch Rune Soul? It belongs to all of us! No matter what it takes, I will obtain it!” the Poison Valley’s sect leader spat venomously.

“Then ready your grave!” Bao Changshou retorted.

At this moment, Qin Yun and Jian Nanhu returned.

Qin Yun looked completely unfazed, even changing into a clean white robe, and approached with a smile.

He was in a great mood because he had fused with the Serpent Martial Soul, which meant he could now wield many different kinds of poison.

When the Venomous Palm Patriarch saw Qin Yun arrive, he was both shocked and furious!

Bai Duzi’s poison had actually been counteracted.

The disciples of the Venomous Valley were stunned—they all knew just how terrifying Bai Duzi’s poison was.

Qin Yun had purged the poison himself without any help from a Demi-Immortal, astonishing everyone.

Seeing that Qin Yun was fine, Bao Changshou also felt relieved.

"Qin Yun, don’t get cocky! Once you face me, you’ll get a taste of defeat!" Jian Nanhu laughed heartily, glad to see Qin Yun was no pushover.

Earlier, he had worried that Qin Yun might be eliminated too soon, but now he no longer needed to be concerned.

Several arenas were still holding battles.

Jian Ruyan had also pulled off a win, but barely—it had become increasingly difficult for her.

"Sis Yan, at this rate, you might not make it through tomorrow morning’s round!" Jian Nanhu frowned when he noticed Jian Ruyan’s injuries.

"I’ll take every round I can get. After all, our Immortal Armament City still has Brother Yun to rely on!" Jian Ruyan had made her peace with the situation—she could only accept things as they were.

She was in Group Thirteen, where her next opponents would be Immortal Disciples and Demon Disciples. Surviving today’s two rounds was already a miracle.

By the end of the afternoon round, half of each group had been eliminated.

In Qin Yun’s Group Fifteen, only one Demon Disciple and two Immortal Disciples remained. It had to be said that the Demon Disciples were no match for the Immortal Disciples.

By evening, the major factions had escorted their disciples back to rest.

"Brother Yun, you might face that Demon Disciple tomorrow morning!" Jian Ruyan said. "That guy’s been cruising through victories!"

Qin Yun was in the hall, discussing with Jian Ruyan and the others, who had been scouting other competitors throughout the day.

"How strong is Jian Nanhu?" Qin Yun asked. "I haven’t paid much attention to his matches."

"Very strong. His opponents, even Immortal Disciples, get wrecked in under ten moves!" Yue Bufeng replied.

Bao Changshou smiled. "Qin Yun, whether our Immortal Armament City can secure a second Immortal Essence rests on your shoulders!"

If Qin Yun won first place, he would not only receive Divine Arts as a reward but also an Immortal Essence—an item even more precious than Divine Arts.

"All of you head back now. Tomorrow morning’s matches will surely be even tougher!" Bao Changshou said.

The disciples dispersed, with Jian Ruyan’s room right next to Qin Yun’s, so they walked back together.

On the way, she trudged along, head hung in gloom.

"What’s with the long face?" Qin Yun teased.

"I’m toast. There’s no way I’ll survive tomorrow morning’s match!" Jian Ruyan muttered, pouting. "I can’t blame anyone but myself—I just didn’t work hard enough."

"Nah," Qin Yun said. "You’re just a step behind in cultivation."

"Your cultivation is lower than mine, yet you're stronger than me." Jian Ruyan grew even more upset at the thought.

Qin Yun suddenly had an idea, his eyes lighting up as he smiled. "Yan, I have a way to make you stronger! I can't promise it'll work, though. If it fails, just treat it as an experiment."

"What method?" Jian Ruyan frowned.

"We need to talk privately!" Qin Yun whispered, glancing around.

"Come to my room!" Jian Ruyan thought for a moment, then hurriedly pulled Qin Yun inside.

Qin Yun chuckled. "If others find out I'm in your room, people might talk."

Jian Ruyan snorted. "Who cares? Hurry up and tell me—what’s this way to make me stronger?"

"There's some risk involved. I haven’t tested it much before," Qin Yun admitted.

"Just tell me!" Jian Ruyan couldn’t wait.

"It involves engraving sword totems into your Martial Soul... Not just that, but also carving sword totem runes onto your arms. If time allows, ideally we’d carve them into your bones too." Qin Yun’s face grew serious. "I suspect Jian Nanhu suddenly gained an Immortal Body because of sword totems."

Jian Ruyan gasped. "Brother Yun, you know how to carve sword totem runes?"

"Of course!" Qin Yun grinned.

"How come you know so many totems?" Jian Ruyan, being from the Jian family, knew well how rare sword totem runes were—and how difficult they were to master.

Even in the Sword Immortal Pavilion and the Jian family, there were only a few Runes Masters capable of carving sword totem runes.

Qin Yun’s sword totems came from Jian Nanhu’s Dao Sword. The sprite Mo Mo had effortlessly extracted them, allowing Qin Yun to master them.

During his time in the Sun-Moon Spacetime Realm, Qin Yun had ample time to familiarize himself with sword totem runes.

"Yan, you already have the sword bloodline and a sword Martial Soul. The only thing missing is sword totems. If everything goes smoothly, once all three come together, you might form a Profound Body. Then, by absorbing large quantities of immortal energy to temper your body, you could cultivate an Immortal Body!"

"Are you willing to try it?"

Qin Yun had previously tested this on Long Qiaofeng, successfully helping her comprehend the Heavenly Dragon Art.

Now he saw another opportunity to test his theory.

If he could make Jian Ruyan stronger, it would prove his methods effective.

"Brother Yun, you seem more excited than I am—why? Are you just using me as an experiment?" Jian Ruyan asked.

"Sort of! If it succeeds, I’ll gain a lot from it too." Qin Yun rubbed his hands, smiling. "If you agree, we should aim to finish by morning."

"Fine, let’s do it!" Jian Ruyan gritted her teeth and agreed.

Qin Yun quickly produced his Spirit Rhino Profound Brush, wishing he had a Totemic Runesoul—it would make carving totem runes much easier.

Fortunately, he was very familiar with sword totems.

"Yan, do you want the totems carved comprehensively or just on your Martial Soul?" Qin Yun asked.

"What’s the difference?" Jian Ruyan felt a surge of excitement. She’d wanted sword totems for ages.

In the Jian family, one had to wait in line to get totem runes carved—only one disciple per year. If a Runes Master was unavailable, the wait could stretch for years.

She was scheduled over two hundred years out.

"Comprehensive carving means engraving them into your flesh, skin, and bones, integrating your body with the sword totems. This might actually help you cultivate a Profound Body!"

Qin Yun scratched his head awkwardly. "But... this would require you to undress... Please look into my righteous eyes and trust me—I won’t peek!"