Translation:
The blade struck like wild lightning, its roar thunderous.
A towering figure, over nine feet tall, strode forth with the gait of a dragon and the power of a tiger. With each step, the stone tiles beneath his feet groaned in protest, cracking beneath the sheer force.
His long blade dripped blood, slung casually over his shoulder. Blood had soaked into his lightweight boots, and each step left behind a stark, crimson footprint on the ground.
The Thunderblade God had arrived—Qin Lei!
In one hand, he held his blade. In the other, the freshly severed head of a man, eyes still wide in defiance. Amid the gaze of thousands, Qin Lei marched straight into the center of the grand arena.
"With wrath I drew my blade and severed the traitor's head. Behold—I stride through blood with steel in hand!"
Qin Feng's eyes lit up. He stared at Qin Lei, and a rare, warm smile crept onto his usually stoic face.
Qin Ren smiled too—a smile unlike any he had ever worn before. It was clear and unrestrained, a smile that none would forget.
Qin Lei returned the smile. His rugged, blood-smeared face broke into a hearty, bold grin as he looked at his two brothers.
"Second Brother!" "Brother Lei!" "Big Brother! Little Brother!"
With casual greetings, the three brothers finally stood side by side for the first time.
Words were unnecessary. One glance, one smile—between brothers, that was enough to convey everything. Men were never good with fancy words, but in silence, they held the deepest truths. And it was in that silence that their loyalty and warmth could be felt most strongly.
Tie Jian and Tie Xuanxuan joined them, eyes scanning Qin Lei from head to toe. Tie Jian chuckled. "Ah Lei, you're built tougher than ever! Weren't you half-dead? You look just fine now… wait, your inner strength—?"
Tie Xuanxuan chimed in, "Brother Lei, you seem even more powerful than before!"
Qin Lei burst into laughter. "Break down to rise again! Life from death! Haven't you heard—those who survive calamities are destined for fortune?"
The siblings nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, though Qin Lei had once teetered on the edge of death, he now radiated a force more formidable than ever. That was the essence of rebirth through destruction.
Nearby, Lianzhou Luo'er, Qin Nier, Zhen Luo, Li Xiaoye, and Du Xiaoyan observed the trio, comparing them quietly in their hearts.
Qin Feng was like a deep, silent well—still waters with unfathomable depth. His presence had become so restrained that if tossed into a crowd, he'd vanish completely. He was a man of calm depths.
Qin Lei, by contrast, was a bolt of thunder rolling through the clouds. Every inch of him radiated motion and strength. He was a divine weapon laid bare, flaunting his power with unrelenting pride—untamed and unyielding.
And Qin Ren? He was the hardest to define. Among the brothers, his temperament was the most fluid, the most elusive. If anything, he was like a lump of muddy clay—able to shift, adapt, and mold himself into any shape as needed.
What kind of aura does muddy clay have? Stick it to a wall, and it slides down… in short, lowly.
But within that mud, specks of gold shimmered. And when the moment called, the clay sparked like molten metal, radiating a light all its own.
Despite their wildly different auras, when the three brothers stood together, they formed a perfect, fearsome unity—a sense of invincibility.
Watching this, Lianzhou Fenghua shook his head and sighed, "The matter's settled."
He whispered to Lianzhou Tianxiong and Lianzhou Tianying, "Get our people out of Tianping Manor. Remember, Du Gongfu, Dugu Hongjian, the Moon Worship Sect, Blade Alliance, Zhao Clan of Beihai, and the Zhou Clan of Lianyun are allies—do not provoke them."
Tianxiong looked puzzled. "Why retreat? We've so many here. Surely we can handle the Qin brothers?"
Fenghua shook his head. "You think all these people will truly fight the Qins? Many came here under the guise of justice. Now with Qin Lei's appearance, half the accusations against Qin Ren have crumbled. The so-called righteous sects will not strike. Worse, the three Killing Gods are here, along with the Iron siblings. That alone could wipe out most of this gathering.
"And…" He glanced at Qiao Wei and Uncle Li. "Those two—Time Spares No One and Phantom Demon Lord—either could match me in battle. If they joined forces, I wouldn't last ten moves."
Tianxiong gasped. "They're that pair? But how do you know—"
"Because if I didn't know, I'd be dead already," Fenghua cut him off. "I'll signal Du Gongfu and Dugu Hongjian to stir the pot. When the chaos starts, get our people out. We must preserve our strength.
"Hmph… This whole Tianping Manor is rigged. Thirty thousand pounds of explosives beneath us. Once triggered, everyone except the top masters will die.
"And the Qin brothers? Standing at the epicenter. They'll be lucky to survive—wounded at best. And wounded prey is far easier to slaughter."
His sons nodded in awe and left to prepare.
Others shared the same ruthless hopes. Certain sects, long allied with a hidden puppet master, began issuing secret orders. Many prepared to vanish before the fireworks began.
Meanwhile, righteous sects, still oblivious to the trap they had walked into, had begun to murmur amongst themselves.
The Thunderblade God had returned unharmed, and his reunion with his brothers bore no signs of betrayal. Thus, the worst accusation against Qin Ren—that he had tried to murder his own brother—no longer held water.
As for the so-called crimes of seduction, those had already been dismissed by the women involved.
A few muttered: "We came to uphold justice. But if the victims themselves deny wrongdoing, what can we say?"
And the killings? Those were all self-defense. In the martial world, taking up a sword meant accepting the risk of death. If one died, it was because their skills weren't good enough.
Qin Lei now addressed the crowd, his voice booming:
"Fellow warriors! We are gathered here today because of the many accusations against my brother. Chief among them—the charge that he attacked me, his own kin. Today, I, Qin Lei, swear on my life—my brother was framed!
"The one who injured me was someone else—someone who had no choice. That person had fallen victim to the Puppet Needle of the Demonic Sect's Marionette Hall. They were being controlled—used as a pawn to strike me down. Later, they fell to the Mind-Charming Spell of the Demonic Sect's Heart Whisper Sect, and were manipulated into slandering my brother.
"But Heaven is just! Our father, Qin Xiaoyao, once studied demonic arts with an old master of the sect. It was he who saved me and purged the evil magic from that person's body.
"So I swear—my brother is innocent! The real culprits are the Demonic Sect, who seek to plunge the martial world into chaos, hoping we turn against one another so they can seize control!"
His words rang with conviction. Among the righteous sects, many now believed him.
Yet in the face of truth, the schemers made their move.
Du Gongfu stood from the podium, his voice sharp with outrage. "Do not be fooled! This man is a fraud—an impostor wearing a human-skin mask! You all heard it yourselves—he admitted Qin Xiaoyao consorted with the Demonic Sect! How can a man like that raise a righteous son? This is a farce, a plot to clear Qin Ren's name and protect the reputation of the Xiaoyao Manor!"
At this, those with ulterior motives jumped in, stirring chaos. The crowd erupted into shouts and accusations.
Even the righteous ones, who moments ago believed Qin Lei's words, began to waver.
After all, Du Gongfu held great respect in the martial world. Known as the "Number One Champion of Justice," surely he would not lie.
Qin Lei laughed bitterly. "So I, a living man, am the impostor? You hypocrites! My father was right—there are heroes in the Demonic Sect, and cowards in the righteous path!"
He threw the severed head toward the podium. "You know this man well, don't you, Du Gongfu?"
Du Gongfu flicked his finger. A burst of energy shattered the head midair into a cloud of blood. "How should I know who he is?"
"You destroyed the evidence!" Qin Lei roared. "But it's too late. I fought him for three moves. I know who he is.
"He was none other than Wu Zhenhai, one of the Four Great Guardians of the Demonic Sect—known as Thunderclap in the Nine Heavens!"