This slap silenced the surrounding crowd. There were quite a few people there, and everyone could sense Qin Chuan's strength and cultivation level.
Qin Chuan didn't deliberately hide his abilities, nor was there any need to. After all, his cultivation level was relatively low here; what was terrifying was his combat prowess. Openly displaying his strength and cultivation level was actually more advantageous.
For example, this old man had become careless and relaxed during the fight with Qin Chuan, completely underestimating him.
Qin Chuan's cultivation and speed were already superior, and the old man hadn't even used his full strength, so it was perfectly normal for him
to be defeated. One slap left the old man stunned. He had considered a thousand possible outcomes, but he hadn't imagined losing, as this was a battle he saw as without any suspense.
Qin Chuan didn't continue hitting him. For someone like him, one slap was enough. He had almost no hope of recovering or changing his mindset.
One slap was equivalent to killing him. Killing isn't always the best way; some people must be killed, but some can be spared.
Revenge isn't always one-dimensional. Everyone knows that living is worse than death, so sometimes punishment is better for them.
However, some people feel uncomfortable living, find it an eyesore, and see it as an insult to the world and themselves; these people must die.
Qin Chuan's figure didn't seem particularly fast; many people could see it clearly, but some noticed something strange.
Many others felt that the old man's strength had declined, that he had been careless, and had been caught off guard.
"Something's not right. Although I find it unbelievable, such a scene is rare. Not bad, not bad."
"This young man is finished. Old Duan isn't someone to be trifled with. After suffering such a great loss, he'll definitely get his revenge. If he doesn't kill this young man, Old Duan's face will be completely ruined."
"What if he can't beat him? If he can't beat a young man, won't he be furious?" someone laughed.
"Can't beat him? Impossible! Elder Duan was careless before. This young man is strange. Now that Elder Duan has woken up, this young man is definitely no match for him."
"That's right, this young man is going to be in trouble. So young, and he doesn't even seem annoying. What a pity."
"Doesn't anyone believe that Elder Duan can't beat this young man?" someone asked, unwilling to give up.
"Wake up! What is Elder Duan's strength? This young man is only a half-step Immortal Emperor. Do you think Elder Duan can't beat him?"
...
The surroundings were like a boiling pot. The previous surprise and silence had turned into a commotion. The old man had finally come to his senses.
At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Qin Chuan. If there was one person he wanted to kill most right now, someone he would kill at any cost, it would definitely be Qin Chuan.
A martial artist's cultivation is the most important thing, even more important than life itself. Besides that, reputation is also important, even more important than life.
Of course, this is relative. For this old man, if he couldn't wash away the humiliation of this slap, he would be filled with worry. His cultivation would not improve in this lifetime, and he would be talked about by others, even written into the annals of history.
This would cause him immense pain, unbearable pain. Bearing such shame is a burden few can bear; many choose death as a way out in such situations.
Duan Lao walked towards Qin Chuan, his steps heavy and powerful. He was determined to kill Qin Chuan, absolutely. He felt his life would be over if he didn't.
If he couldn't kill Qin Chuan and restore his prestige, many would come to cause trouble for him and his family, wanting to test their strength.
Martial artists and their families often rely on reputation and family prestige; no one would easily take that step.
But if someone like Duan Lao were to be slapped in the face by a young upstart, a half-step Immortal Emperor,
people wouldn't care about Qin Chuan's actual combat strength or how monstrous he was. They would focus on how incompetent Duan Lao was—a renowned Immortal Emperor, with such a illustrious reputation, yet it was all empty fame…
Qin Chuan wore a faint smile, watching Duan Lao approach without speaking, but Duan Lao's steps grew slower and slower.
Elder Duan was no ordinary man. He had been blinded by anger earlier, but after taking a few steps, he had regained some composure.
He had been careless before; even without using his full strength, he was still more than a half-step Immortal Emperor could dodge.
Besides, even if a martial artist relaxed their guard, their cultivation level meant they could easily dodge attacks from a much lower-level martial artist.
His current situation seemed to be a result of his carelessness, a mishap, but for some reason, he felt it wasn't entirely that simple.
He looked at Qin Chuan; the young man was very calm. Only now did he realize that this young man was quite different.
Calm, indifferent, as if he didn't see anything here, like an outsider observing the scene. This feeling gave him a jolt.
If it were the previous Lord Renjun, he wouldn't be surprised, but this was a young man, a very young man.
He wouldn't have paid attention before, but this slap made him feel something others couldn't.
His steps slowed, but his gaze never left Qin Chuan, finally stopping three meters away, without taking another step.
His eyes regained their focus, and he lowered his head slightly, unwilling to accept the situation, before turning and walking back the way he came.
Everyone around him anticipated the ensuing storm, but this outcome completely surprised everyone.
Even Long Yuanchong was bewildered, glancing at Elder Duan and then at Qin Chuan, but saying nothing.
"What's going on? Can anyone tell me what's happening? Has Elder Duan gone mad?" Finally, someone couldn't bear it any longer and asked, confused.
"Keep your voice down, don't let Elder Duan hear. I don't know either. Are we just going to let this go?"
"Elder Duan looks very strange. Could he really have been driven mad by that slap?"
"Elder Duan is a man of character. To endure such an insult, this matter is definitely not as simple as it seems."
"What do you see?" someone asked.
The man who had spoken earlier said mysteriously, "This young man must come from an extraordinary family. Elder Duan must have recognized his background."
Those around him were taken aback, many lost in thought. Someone else asked, "Then, sir, did you discern this young man's background?"
The man shook his head, still speaking in a deep voice, "I can't tell either, but I vaguely sensed that his previous movements were somewhat familiar."
This ambiguous answer confused many, and quite a few began to speculate.