Walking out of the barbecue shop, Qin Ye patted his full stomach, glanced at the barbecue shop behind him, then looked into the distance.
His actions, it seemed like just a casual glance.
In the distance, at another barbecue shop, Guan Xinghe was sitting at an outdoor table, eating barbecue while occasionally peeking at the shop where Qin Ye was.
Because of this, the moment Qin Ye stepped out, Guan Xinghe immediately took notice.
'Still following me?' Qin Ye smiled, muttering in his heart.
Then, without looking back, he headed toward the next Earth God Temple.
Guan Xinghe got up to pay the bill. He didn't follow Qin Ye immediately but instead glanced at the slowly departing figure. After a moment's thought, he turned and entered the barbecue shop.
"Boss, that person earlier—was he here for barbecue? Did he do anything?" Just like with the temple guardian before, Guan Xinghe took out his police badge and asked.
But just as he was learning the details from the boss, "Hmm?"
From the corner of his eye, Guan Xinghe froze, unable to resist looking at the three women in the shop. More precisely, at Xiaoqi and Rou Rou among them.
"A soul dog?" His deep eyes, like a vast galaxy, flickered as his gaze instantly sharpened.There was a glow on Rou Rou's forehead.
"This is... the Reincarnation Mark?" Guan Xinghe stared, recognizing the light on Rou Rou's forehead.
This was a forbidden art of the underworld—extremely powerful, involving the cycle of reincarnation through the Six Paths of Yin and Yang.
Those who bore this mark could choose their reincarnation freely and retain memories from their past life.
Even ordinary people knew that reincarnation was a major taboo of Yin and Yang. Even the underworld had to handle it cautiously, requiring the judgment of the Ten Yama Kings before determining a soul's reincarnation.
And the Reincarnation Mark—such a technique—was an absolute taboo among taboos.
"A living person... how can he use a forbidden underworld technique? He really is connected to the underworld!"
Guan Xinghe's eyes immediately lit up. A truly unexpected discovery. Investigating the Earth God led him to stumble upon an underworld matter.
At once, Guan Xinghe stopped questioning the shop owner. He glanced at Rou Rou but ultimately did not take action to erase the Reincarnation Mark.
Not that he didn't want to, it was just too troublesome.
The Reincarnation Mark was a forbidden technique that Guan Xinghe had only seen in ancient texts. It belonged solely to the underworld, and removing it in a short time was nearly impossible. If he tried to do it here, he risked losing track of Qin Ye.
'Since it will enter reincarnation, the underworld will probably take care of it themselves.' Guan Xinghe muttered in his heart, then left the barbecue shop, following Qin Ye's trail.
Not long after, because of Qin Ye's strikingly handsome appearance, he stood out even in a crowd. Guan Xinghe effortlessly spotted him again.
At this moment, they were about ten meters apart.
'He's heading for another Earth God Temple?' As time passed, Guan Xinghe realized that Qin Ye was indeed heading toward one. Seeing this, Guan Xinghe finally decided to stop tailing him and capture him at the temple instead.
'Are you planning to make a move on me?' Walking ahead, Qin Ye sensed the restless intent behind him but wasn't surprised.
If he put himself in Guan Xinghe's shoes—he'd make a move too.
After all, whether it was the Reincarnation Mark on Rou Rou and Xiaoqi or his search for the missing Earth Gods, any one of these things was enough to justify capturing him.
Very soon, Qin Ye arrived at the Earth God Temple. This temple was different from the previous ones. Rather than a temple, it was more like an Earth God Urn Platform under an old pine tree. It was small, with visible cracks on its surface, clearly weathered by time.
'Now!'
The moment Qin Ye reached the small temple, the location was a secluded old alley, with no one around. Guan Xinghe struck like lightning. His speed was too fast, his eyes burned like torches, like a ferocious ghost emerging from hell to sweep across the mortal world.
With a single step, his body was like an unsheathed sword. The ten-meter gap between them closed in the blink of an eye. He raised his hand without hesitation and struck toward Qin Ye's back.
Buzz!
A faint glow surged in Guan Xinghe's palm, upon which an ancient and profound rune appeared. Though it didn't seem imposing, if a Guardian Elder or a Grandmaster Daoist were here, just seeing it with the naked eye, they would be shaken.
This palm strike carried the power to seal demons and imprison gods.
Not to mention hitting a human—even if it struck a Zombie King or a thousand-year-old demon, it could seal and restrain their entire cultivation.
Even against an immortal-ranked deity, Guan Xinghe was confident that he could trap and imprison them, comparable to the legendary Immortal-Binding Rope.
Clearly, to capture Qin Ye, Guan Xinghe was going all out. Additionally, he wanted to test Qin Ye's strength.
A living person who could use a forbidden underworld technique must be strong. This was an opportunity to gauge his abilities.
In his mind, going all out—if Qin Ye could react in time, he was at least at Guardian Elder level. If he not only reacted but also dodged, then his strength was no less than Grandmaster-level.
Guan Xinghe planned to capture him while testing his power. But, even though the plan was great, reality was something else entirely.
'Huh?!'
Guan Xinghe's palm struck, yet Qin Ye neither defended nor dodged. He just stood there. As if he hadn't reacted at all. He didn't even turn his head.
Bang!
The Sealing Spell landed on Qin Ye's back.
"Huh?" Guan Xinghe was stunned.
He had expected Qin Ye to dodge or counterattack—but none of that happened. Even the effect of the spell itself—Qin Ye should have been instantly paralyzed, unable to move.
Yet Qin Ye stood there, completely fine. Like nothing had happened. He turned around and looked at Guan Xinghe.
Their eyes met.
Guan Xinghe was dumbfounded. Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
Until, the next second, Guan Xinghe snapped out of it, exclaiming in disbelief, "Why are you fine?!"
'This shouldn't be possible. Once hit by the Sealing Spell, any being would be immobilized, unable to even blink.' But this man, not only turned around, he was now staring at him, examining him up and down.
Guan Xinghe's eyes widened.
At the same time, seeing Guan Xinghe's shock, Qin Ye smiled slightly and said, "You've got eye gunk. Right here in your left eye."
As he spoke, he pointed at his own left eye, indicating the location.
"…" Guan Xinghe froze, momentarily unsure whether he should wipe his eye or question Qin Ye further.
But he had no time to think. Because the next moment, Qin Ye raised his hand. Seeing this, Guan Xinghe instantly vanished from his spot.
When he reappeared, he was five meters away.
'This man is extremely dangerous!!'
Though he still didn't understand why his spell failed, from just this alone, Guan Xinghe knew that Qin Ye's strength was far beyond his expectations.
Grandmaster-level?
No.
Even among Grandmasters, he's at the top!
Guan Xinghe quickly adjusted his assessment, raising his guard higher than ever. The guitar case on his back opened, from within, an ancient bronze sword flew out.
It circled around him. The moment Qin Ye made any threatening move, Guan Xinghe would strike without hesitation.
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