The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Yunhai Sect was indeed powerful in the context of Linhai Prefecture, having controlled an entire state. However, it was ultimately just one of the many vassal forces under the Xiaoyao Sect, and nothing particularly special.

The human territories on Soul Martial Continent were vast, making humans the largest race on the continent. The southern region alone was divided into 3,600 states, with Linhai Prefecture and Yunhai Prefecture being just two among many.

Xiaoyao Sect had forty-six vassal sects similar to Yunhai Sect. As the only son of Xiaoyao Sect's leader, Li Yunfeng had the authority to deal with the life and death of Yunhai Sect's vice leader.

Moreover, Yunhai Sect had been embroiled in internal strife recently, with various factions vying for power, especially Wu Chunshan, who was known for his ruthless methods, having eliminated many of his enemies within the sect.

Li Yunfeng was aware of this because a disciple in Xiaoyao Sect, who had grown close to him, originally came from Yunhai Sect. That disciple's old friends in Yunhai Sect had suffered due to Wu Chunshan's schemes, so Li Yunfeng had already considered that such a person might be better off dead.

When Lin Qian mentioned wanting to eliminate Wu Chunshan, Li Yunfeng thought it wasn't a big deal. After all, why not get rid of such a troublemaker?

However, Du Ziyue was stunned, unable to grasp the situation.

"Wow, this place is lively!" A curious voice suddenly rang out as a figure approached.

Seeing who it was, the crowd's expressions changed.

"Zhang Zide, the top talent of the Eight-Armed Sea Clan."

"The grandson of the Great Clan Leader. It's not surprising he'd be here at Houhai Street, given his love for treasure hunting."

As Zhang Zide made his way through the crowd, he headed straight for Lin Qian and Li Yunfeng. "Hey, Li Madman, Lin bro, what are you two doing here? Looks like you're the center of attention."

"A woman, so ugly she could scare eight sea monsters, is making trouble for me," Lin Qian shrugged nonchalantly.

Zhang Zide's cheerful expression darkened instantly as he turned to glare at Du Ziyue. "Based on what Lin bro said, you must be the one who's that ugly, huh?"

"…." Li Yunfeng was speechless for a moment, then leaned toward Lin Qian and whispered, "That was slick."

Lin Qian grinned, "Naturally."

Zhang Zide's taste leaned toward Eight-Armed Sea Clan's standards, where pink-skinned Eight-Armed women were considered attractive. In his eyes, someone like Du Ziyue wasn't appealing at all.

"Picking on my bro, huh? Didn't see that coming?" Zhang Zide snapped at Du Ziyue, then waved over two Eight-Armed guards. "Get her out of here. She's an eyesore."

The two Eight-Armed guards, members of the main clan, complied immediately, dragging Du Ziyue away. She didn't dare resist—after all, both Li Yunfeng and Zhang Zide were far beyond her reach.

As Du Ziyue was taken away, she couldn't comprehend how Lin Qian, of all people, had managed to gain the protection of both Li Yunfeng and Zhang Zide.

Du Ziyue wasn't the only one puzzled—many onlookers were also left wondering the same.

After displaying his formidable strength in the earlier competition and now showing his close ties with Li Yunfeng and Zhang Zide, no one dared underestimate Lin Qian anymore.

"Tell your master that I was taught by Wei Wushuang," Lin Qian called out as Du Ziyue was dragged away. His words lingered in her mind.

With that, the commotion ended.

"Alright, everyone, move along. There's nothing more to see here," Zhang Zide announced, and the crowd began to disperse.

Once the crowd had gone, Zhang Zide proudly pulled out an item, waving it in front of Lin Qian and Li Yunfeng.

Lin Qian inspected it closely, noticing that it was a bronze furnace, covered in verdigris and looking quite shabby. Despite its worn appearance, Zhang Zide seemed convinced it was a treasure.

"That old junk? You're seriously showing that off?" Li Yunfeng laughed.

Zhang Zide scoffed, shaking his head. "You just don't get it. This is a broken alchemy furnace. If I restore it, it'll be at least a mid-tier soul artifact."

"Don't kid yourself. Your track record speaks for itself. Nine out of ten times, you strike out, and the one time you don't, you still end up losing money."

"Bullshit! You're just jealous that I found a treasure."

"Jealous? Please. I already got a great deal with the water-breathing device Lin bro gave me."

"Actually…" Lin Qian interrupted, placing a comforting hand on Zhang Zide's shoulder. "You got ripped off."

"What?" Zhang Zide blinked in confusion. "Lin bro, what do you mean I got ripped off?"

"That furnace is indeed a failed alchemy furnace, and the original maker did aim for a lower-grade soul artifact," Lin Qian explained, his expression regretful. "But the forging process failed, so it's only lower-grade now."

Zhang Zide was dumbfounded. He carefully inspected the furnace and soon realized Lin Qian was right. The internal materials were mismatched, indicating a failed forging process.

Despite his disappointment, Zhang Zide's eyes lit up as he turned to Lin Qian. "Hold on, Lin bro, didn't you say earlier that you're terrible at alchemy, forging, and formations? How did you spot the problem with this furnace so quickly?"

Lin Qian sighed, "I have the eye for it, but when it comes to doing it myself, I'm just clueless."

Zhang Zide and Li Yunfeng exchanged glances, finally understanding. However, the real reason behind Lin Qian's sharp eye wasn't as simple as he let on—it was thanks to his new ability linked to the Empire.