Stellar Transformations

by I Eat Tomatoes

  Lian Yan’s eyes brighten: “Reaching the Xiantian level through external practice?” There has never been anyone who could reach the Xiantian level via external practice but, seeing Qin Yu’s eyes, Lian Yan knows Qin Yu does not deceive him. As a dying person, this news is also a consolation to him, and he calms down very fast.

  “Ah!”

  A miserable cry is heard. The black-clad old man, who was badly injured earlier, has been killed by 4 Xiantian experts.

  “Ha-ha, old geezer, who could’ve thought you’d kill my father? I’ll definitely cut you into pieces alive. I won’t let you die a nice death,” says Yi Feng to Lian Yan with extreme hatred. His entire handsome face becomes ferocious.

  At the moment, Lian Yan’s face starts to go pale. Qin Yu’s face changes color. He knows Lian Yan can no longer hang on so he embraces Lian Yan.

  “Shut up!” All of a sudden, Qin Yu coldly shouts at Yi Feng and his men. The coldness in his eyes is focused on Yi Feng like a sharp knife. He does not want Lian Yan to be disturbed in his dying moments. Yi Feng is startled by Qin Yu’s shout, and that look in Qin Yu’s eyes even makes him freeze with stupefaction.

  Qin Yu looks at his Grandpa Lian. At this moment, all he can do is let Grandpa Lian leave this world in peace.

  Lian Yan looks into the sky but his eyes see hallucinations. He remembers the 1st time he and his beloved met each other at Lake Jinfeng: “露花倒影，烟芜蘸碧，灵沼波暖。金柳摇风树树，系彩舫龙舟遥岸。千步虹桥，参差雁齿，直趋水殿。绕金堤， 曼衍鱼龙戏，簇娇春罗绮，喧天丝管……炎京城，金凤池，伊人倩影依旧……” His voice gradually lowers.

  When Lian Yan dies, there is even a smiling expression on his face.

  Qin Yu is still young and inexperienced so he does not understand Lian Yan’s feelings. But he can feel that his Grandpa Lian was calm and relaxed at the moment of his death and was not grieved at all.

  “Grandpa Lian,” says Qin Yu in a shaky low voice.

  Since he was little, the person Qin Yu has actually spent the most time with was Lian Yan. When he was still living in the princely mansion, Lian Yan looked after him. After he moved to Misty Villa, Lian Yan looked after him as well. It can be said that Lian Yan even spent much more time with him than his father Qin De has.

  “Brat, are you done with mourning?” says Yi Feng with a cold laugh.

  Qin Yu simply cannot bear looking at this Yi Feng. However, Yi Feng is extremely furious. Just now he was unexpectedly stupefied by Qin Yu’s thunderous shout so naturally he has become furious out of embarrassment. But he is not a useless profligate son and, moreover, the person he currently hates the most is Lian Yan.

  This is because Lian Yan killed his father!

  “Father, I’m an undutiful son. Now I’m avenging your death!” says Yi Feng while kneeling in front of Yi Qing Yu’s body. He then stands up and coldly orders: “Kill that brat. That geezer killed my father so I must cut him into pieces and torture his corpse to the utmost to avenge my father’s death!!!”

  “Yes!” The 3 middle-phase Xiantian experts immediately bow and say. In their eyes, Qin Yu is no more than a brat who is unworthy of their attention.

  “What did you just say?” Qin Yu gently puts Lian Yan’s body down and slowly stands up. He fixes Yi Feng with an ice-cold fierce look.

  Yi Feng slightly narrows his eyes: “Cutting that geezer into pieces, so what?” There is a hint of an evil, strange smile on his face. He then stares at his 3 subordinates: “The 3 of you let that brat know the consequences of messing with other people’s business!”

  “My 2 brothers, there’s only one bloke, I alone can handle him,” says a short man with a ha-ha laugh.

  Qin Yu slightly narrows his eyes, which then glitter with coldness.

  “Die, brat!” With a shake of his body, the short man slashes the long knife in his hands at Qin Yu. He is much faster than the Nalan brother and sister. Too bad, Qin Yu has improved a lot since the day he killed Zhen Xu.

  A dark red pair of gloves suddenly appears on Qin Yu’s fists. They are middle-grade holy weapons -- the Flaming Gloves!

  Qin Yu makes a movement with his body. 3 afterimages appear instantly. At the same time, a metallic bang rises and that Xian-grade battle knife is unexpectedly shattered. The fist which has just shattered that battle knife is then thrusted directly at the short man’s throat like a beam of light.

  Piercing spear hand strike!

  The short man, who is still shocked by the disintegration of his battle knife, simply has no reaction. Qin Yu’s spear hand strike concentrates the force equivalent to the weight of several thousand jin completely in one point. “Bang!” With a bang, a hole appears instantly on the short man’s throat.

  “Thud!” With a loud sound and eyes protruding, the short man falls on the ground for good. His wide opened eyes show that he still cannot seem to believe what happened is real.

  Yi Feng’s and the other 2 middle-phase Xiantian experts’ jaws drop for the present. They look at Qin Yu in shock then look at the middle phase Xiantian expert on the ground, who is already dead. In their minds, they are replaying Qin Yu’s shocking speed and his great might when he shattered the Xian grade battle knife just now.

  “The 3 of you prepare to be buried with my Grandpa Lian!” Qin Yu unleashes the entire power of his body. Even the power in the depths of his cells starts to surge forth. As he is a Xiantian external expert, how devastating his most powerful attack will actually be?

  Chapter 7: Buried with the dead (2)

  Qin Yu’s eyes are cold and radiating killing intent. He stares at the 3 people in front of him.

  Lian Yan’s death has filled his heart with bitterness and unwillingness. And now the 3 people people in front of him have obviously become the targets for him to give vent to his feelings on. Moreover, these 3 people are also on the same side as Yi Qing Yu, the murderer of his Grandpa Lian.

  “Phew, he’s merely a brat. Just now Shorty was too careless. Don’t be scared by him.” Yi Feng suddenly tosses his head then stares firmly at Qin Yu like a viper. “Thinny, Ugly, the 3 of us must charge together and kill this brat directly.”

  Hearing Yi Feng’s order, his 2 subordinates also coldly nod at once. Just now they were shocked by the fact that Qin Yu had killed their comrade with 1 blow. Now, only by joining forces can they have enough courage. Yi Feng and his 2 comrades all stare firmly at Qin Yu. The Xiantian energy in their entire bodies starts to be activated.

  The auras of the 3 of them all expand and engulf Qin Yu, who at the moment is like a turtle trapped in a jar.

  Thud! Thud!

  The black iron arm guards and leg guards have been taken off and tossed casually to one side. As they fall on the courtyard they produce heavy sounds. The faces of Yi Feng and the other 2 changes color. Just now Qin Yu’s speed was already so fast, yet he was even carrying weights.

  “Grandpa Lian, please wait for a while. After killing them all, Xiao Yu will take you home,” says Qin Yu sadly.

  Qin Yu’s mind cannot help remembering the occasions when he was with Lian Yan from his childhood to his adulthood. When he was a little child, he stayed by Lian Yan’s side all day long, asking Lian Yan to tell him stories. Time after time Qin Yu entered his dreamland while listening to Lian Yan’s stories.

  “Once upon a time, there was a gifted scholar. He studied very hard for 10 years …”

  Every time Lian Yan told a story, he always started with “once upon a time, there was a …” Even with his eyes closed, Qin Yu can still remember the scenes of Lian Yan telling stories beside his bed until he fell asleep. Those scenes are so warm and sweet, but from today onwards, he will never see that kind Grandpa Lian again.

  Qin Yu’s eyes cannot help becoming somewhat moist.

  “Phew!”

  With a shake of his body, Qin Yu disappears without any sounds of wind.

  “Ah!”

  Qin Yu clenches his teeth and smashes a punch on Thinny’s stomac
h with all his power. Currently Qin Yu can lift 2000 to 3000 jin with one arm but this punch thrown by him carries a force equal to the weight of over 10,000 jin, which is a terrifyingly strong offensive force. “Bang!” Thinny’s stomach gets a violent shake but unexpectedly does not burst. However, his eyes protrude and blood starts to flow out from his ears, eyes, mouth and nostrils. In fact, his internal organs have been completely pulverized by the impact force of this 10,000-jin punch from Qin Yu.

  Under the attack of a near 10,000-jin impact force, not even Thinny’s Xiantian energy could resist.

  With a punch, a middle-phase Xiantian expert has been killed.

  Qin Yu’s mind, however, cannot help remembering those warm, sweet and familiar scenes one after another. From now on, he will never forget them in his lifetime.

  “‘Grandpa Lian, hurry up and open the door. I’m Xiao Yu. I have something to talk to you about. Quickly open the door,’ shouts Qin Yu hurriedly. After a short while, there is lamplight in the room. ‘Xiao Yu, your grandpa fell into sleep just a moment ago, but you already woke him up,’ says a benign voice. Then the door opens.

  A kind old man in his sixties wrapped in a coat appears before Qin Yu.”

  That night, his Grandpa Lian talked to him carefully about the difference between internal practice and external practice, and between Houtian experts, Xiantian experts and Shangxian. That night, Grandpa Lian’s kind words revealed to Qin Yu the world of practice.

  A hint of a smile appears on Qin Yu’s face. He looks as if he has travelled back to that night in the cabin wherein there is kind Grandpa Lian.

  “Be careful, Ugly!”

  Yi Feng shouts loudly. A cold shaft of light shoots at Qin Yu directly from his hand. Qin Yu simply does not avoid it. He throws a punch and, with a metallic clash, that embroidery needle is shattered. Then his body arrives at Ugly’s side like a gust of wind.

  “Die.”

  Ugly fiercely slashes his knife at Qin Yu.

  “Ah!” Ugly suddenly utters a miserable cry. Just now Qin Yu executed a straight kick, whose terrifying force snapped Ugly’s knee violently. He then formed a claw with a hand and grabbed a vital point of Ugly’s backbone directly. The force of his fingers went through the Flaming Glove and affected that vital point squarely.

  Ugly, with a miserable shrill cry, falls on the ground powerlessly. His entire body convulses nonstop and many streams of blood ooze out of his mouth.

  The scenes of the times Qin Yu was with Lian Yan from his childhood to his adulthood keep flashing through his mind one after another. He cannot help giving a smile which looks like that of a child meeting an elderly close relative. It is a smile from the bottom of his heart.

  Qin Yu raises his head and looks at Yi Feng with that smile: “You’re the only one left.”

  Seeing Qin Yu’s heartfelt smile, Yi Feng, however, gets a chill down his spine. In mere moments, 2 middle-phase Xiantian experts have been killed with such ease, but Yi Feng himself is no more than a middle-phase Xiantian expert as well. Therefore, Yi Feng’s reaction is --

  To run!

  Before long, the mental image in Qin Yu’s mind suddenly changes. He now remembers that scene a short while ago in which, from the black of the black eagle, he saw the 10 terrifying holes on Lian Yan’s chest. His face immediately changes color. He then stares at Yi Feng before him.

  With a movement of his body, Qin Yu creates several afterimages.

  “Die! Don’t chase me! Die!” shrieks Yi Feng in terror. At the same time he shoots one embroidery needle after another at Qin Yu.

  Looking at the cold-light-radiating embroidery needles which are coming at him, Qin Yu’s eyes suddenly glitter with coldness, as if he is seeing how his grandpa Lian Yan was pierced so many holes in the body by needles.

  “Ah ~~~”

  A hoarse yowl rises. Yi Feng, however, instantly quivers because he can feel clearly that the yowl is approaching him extremely fast. Even if he activates more Xiantian energy in his body, his will still be far slower than the person who is chasing to kill him.

  Because Yi Feng cannot run, he ferociously utters a piercing cry then suddenly turns around and thrusts the embroidery needles in his hands at Qin Yu.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! ……

  The needles are shattered!

  The arms are smashed!

  There are also those two eyes which are wide opened with disbelief!

  ……

  A continuous series of bams can be heard along with Yi Feng’s miserable cry.

  After destroying the embroidery needles, Qin Yu’s fists smashed Yi Feng’s 2 arms. Qin Yu then slightly opens his right hand, forms a spear hand, and hits Yi Feng directly in the midpoint between the eyebrows. The powerful penetrating force goes inside the head immediately.

  He then withdraws the hands, turns around and goes to Lian Yan without looking at Yi Feng.

  “Thud!” Yi Feng falls down with a loud sound. Various streams of blood slowly come out from his mouth and nose. He is already dead.

  In mere moments, 4 middle-phase Xiantian experts have been annihilated by Qin Yu.

  Since he started to practice the 1st Trans-Heaven diagram Qin Yu has improved a lot in power, but even with his middle-grade holy weapons, he is only equal to Zhen Xu at most. Because there were 4 middle-phase Xiantian-level opponents, theoretically he should not have won so easily.

  However, Qin Yu’s strongest point is … fighting multiple opponents. He is simply unafraid of being outnumbered by the enemies. Even though there were 4 opponents, thanks to Qin Yu’s body maneuvering skill, every time he really attacked, he faced only 1 of them.

  “Grandpa Lian, I’m taking you home now.” Qin Yu goes to Lian Yan’s side and says tenderly. The way he talks is just like how he usually talked to Lian Yan. It looks as if he still thinks that Lian Yan is alive.

  Chapter 8: One man, alone (1)

  At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly rise outside the courtyard. Along with wind sounds, a blue-clad old man leads a group of people into the courtyard. As this blue-clad old man looks at the scene in the courtyard, his face changes color. Qin Yu slightly raises his head and gives this blue-clad old man a cold look. Seeing Qin Yu’s face, the blue-clad old man instantly kneels and says: “Third Prince, your subordinate has come late.”

  “Come late?” Qin Yu repeats in a low voice, but his heart is full of indignation.

  If they had come a bit earlier, perhaps his Grandpa Lian would not have died. However, the fact that they are late cannot be changed. Moreover, Qin Yu has seen this blue-clad old man beside his father before so he knows this old man is one of his father’s trusted subordinates.

  “All of you take everything here back to the princely mansion. As for Grandpa Lian, I’m taking him back myself.” Qin Yu says coldly without any emotion.

  After putting on the black iron arm guards and leg guards, he embraces Lian Yan to his bosom. Following a long whistle by him, the black eagle dives down like a black beam of light. With a shake of his body, Qin Yu gets on the eagle’s back.

  “Xiao Hei, let’s return to the mansion,” says Qin Yu softly.

  The black eagle seems to feel that Qin Yu is sorrowful and not playful as usual so, with a shake of the wings, it rushes to Yan City with its fastest speed.

  After watching Qin Yu disappear together with the black eagle on the horizon, the blue-clad old man slightly frowns then orders his subordinates: “Quickly lift the saber-toothed tiger up and hurry it to the princely mansion immediately.” The blue-clad old man however gets the 2nd Trans-Heaven diagram himself.

  “Lian Yan is already dead but Yi Qing Yu is also dead so it’s not too bad. But His Highness has a deep affection for Lian Yan …” The blue-clad old man frowns deeply. He obviously feels that things are not too encouraging.

  ……

  In the princely mansion in Yan City,

  Qin De and Xu Yuan are sitting facing each other under an old tree, quietly playing the game of Go.

  “Y
our Highness, you’ve lost.” Xu Yuan lightly puts a chess piece down and says smilingly.

  Qin De looks for a long time then shakes his head and says with a smile: “Xu Yuan, your chess skill has become more and more profound. Even I am no match for you.” Xu Yuan looks at Qin De then says with a shake of his head: “It’s not that my chess skill has improved but that today Your Highness can’t calm your mind down.”