Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator

by Stayrr

Chen Fan, the great cultivator, failed to transcend the Tribulation of Heaven: the final stage of his cultivation. Little did he know that this accident would bring him back to Earth and turn back time to five hundred years ago when he was just a teenager. 'I had once reached the precipice of power in the known universe and could look down on the ten thousand realms with pride; I

2. 33

Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 33 - Jade Marrow - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 33 - Jade Marrow Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 33: Jade Marrow

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What is it?"

Seeing Chen Fan was no longer speaking, she looked along the direction where Chen Fan was staring and saw a gray-colored jade in the corner.

Except for being really old, this piece of ragged jade couldn't really compare with the scintillating Dzi bead.

"Oh, yeah! Jackpot!" Chen Fan exclaimed in his mind.

A gleeful smile broke over Chen Fan's face. He turned around and said to Wei Ziqin. "How much is this jade, I want to take it."

He had brought the bank card that Zhou Tianhao had gifted him, so he didn't hesitate and asked for the price.

"If you like you, just take it." Wei Ziqin said with a smile.

Her grandfather had already gifted the boy a mansion that was worth over tens of millions of yuan. What would be the harm in adding this ordinary looking jade into the package?

"What do you say, Uncle Lin?"

Uncle Lin plastered on an unctuous smile and then replied, "Of course. Please, Mr. Chen, help yourself."

Uncle Lin was still stunned by Chen Fan's display of power, having learned his lesson; his tone became much more respectful.

"Very well; I owe you one."

Chen Fan nodded and grabbed the jade. His eyes were lit up with glee.

Wei Ziqin felt a mix of surprise and joy after seeing that the Transcendent Master finally started to open up to her family.

She remembered Chen Fan's placid face and ungracious look after he had received a mansion from her grandfather. But who would have thought that he would become so ecstatic after receiving a worthless piece of jade? A piece of bauble for a grand master's favor: the deal just could not get any better.

Could it be that this jade was worth more than a mansion?

"What is so special about this jade?" We Ziqin asked curiously.

"Haven't you just asked me to show you a real Dharma Artifact?" Chen Fan paused a second and then asked slowly.

"Yea."

Wei Ziqin and Uncle Lin exchanged a confused glance.

"Mr. Chen, could this be the real Dharma Artifact you were talking about?" Uncle Lun asked cautiously.

This ancient jade looked unremarkable, and anyone could tell that its body was filled with impurities. It was a far cry from many precious gemstones at display in the hall. What would be so special about this jade?

"Well, it's... not quite a Dharma Artifact yet. " Chen Fan said slowly as he carefully placed the jade into his pocket.

"It still has some rough edges, but once I have finished refining it, it will be a powerful Dharma Treasure."

Both Uncle Lin and Wei Ziqin were taken aback by his words. Never had they thought that anyone could simply create a legendary Dharma Artifact?

Sensing that Chen Fan didn't want to disclose too much, the two decided not to press him with more questions.

"There is nothing else to look at here, let's go" Having obtained the precious jade, Chen Fan was satisfied.

After he had returned the reception hall, he noticed that everyone looked at him strangely. Nearly all the teenagers had witnessed Chu Minhui's embarrassing defeat at the hands of Chen Fan, and therefore no one dared looked down on him.

"You are back?" Jiang Churan greeted him; her voice was slightly awkward.

"Yea." Chen Fan held an indifferent face as he nodded.

He walked past Jiang Churan to Xu Rongfei, and he rubbed Xu Rongfei's cute and surprised face.

"Thank you for your help! If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me."

Of all the participants of the reception, only Xu Rongfei had helped him when he was cornered by his opponent. Chen Fan would never forget that.

Xu Rongfei was willing to stand up for him even though she thought he was just a helpless country boy. Chen Fan was touched by Xu Rongfei's genuine concern; it made him feel that other than Auntie Tang, Xu Rongfei was the most caring person in his life so far. He couldn't help but consider her a younger sister and wanted to protect her like how she protected him.

Chen Fan's intimate pat on Xu Rongfei's head made her blush. She lowered her head and was suddenly lack of words.

"Haha!" Chen Fan laughed before he started off.

Wei Ziqin nodded at the two girls with a smile before she left the room.

Uncle Lin picked up the cue almost immediately. He ordered the workers to rearrange the seats so that the two girls would have the front-row seats. He reminded the workers to tend to the two girl's needs, particularity the girl called Xu Rongfei.

The special treatment made Xu Rongfei's other friends' eyes turned green with jealousy.

Someone had recognized the old man as soon as he appeared in the reception hall. He was the second most influential person in the Fang Sheng International Group and was sitting on a much more senior position than Manager Zhu.

The fact that even Uncle Lin had to fawn over Chen Fan told everyone the clout of the boy.

After Wei Ziqin had dropped Chen Fan off, he took out the ancient jade right away.

"Who would have thought that I would encounter a piece of Jade Marrow on earth? I couldn't have gotten a more valuable treasure than this!" Chen Fan beamed from side to side. He had thought that there would be no more numinous treasures left on earth considering its lack of Spirit Qi.

The Jade Marrow was the rarest form of jade. It was not a worldly object and could be classified as a Sentient Object.

I have thought of purchasing a few precious jades to create a Jade Talisman. However flawless a piece of jade stone was, it couldn't compare with the Jade Marrow. All Jade Talisman made out of ordinary jade stone can only be used once. However, a talisman made out of Jade Marrow could be used and reused indefinitely.

He was only at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment level, and therefore he still has to live with his fragile worldly body. If he were hit by a bullet, depending on where it landed, the wound could be fatal.

However, with the protection of a Dharma Artifact, such as a Jade Talisman, Chen fan should be able to ward off any harm from small caliber firearms.

"This is the first sentient object I have obtained; I need to use it wisely. Who knows how long I will have to wait until I can lay my hands on another one ?"

So thinking, Chen Fan initiated the art and summoned an True Fire to help him remold the ancient jade.

After a short while, the ancient jade started to make crackling noise as it shed its outer shell, revealing a brilliant piece of gem, the size of an infant's fist.

The texture of the jade was smoother than the purest of the Mutton-fat-jade, and its surface held a warm luster.

"I bet It would fetch a good price at the auction."

It was simply a fleeting thought. Chen Fan knew that even if someone offered him a trillion yuan, he would not sell it.

"If I can successfully create a jade talisman, I might as well have gained a second life. No money could buy that.

"Once I am finished with this one, I will make a few more. Two for my parents, one for sister An, and one more Xiao Qiong." Chen fan thought to himself. Those were the people he really cared in this world.

The thought of Xiao Qiong filled his heart with poignant emotions. He looked up toward the southern sky.

At the end of the stars was the Jin City where the love of his life lived. He figured that Xiao Qiong should be attending grade twelve just like him. In his past life, they didn't see each other again until they were at the University.

Although he had only been reborn for just over a month, he already missed Xiao Qiong badly.

"Xiao Qiong, wait for me.

"I will never back down again!

"I will become stronger so that I can protect you for the rest of your life. I want to say this to you loud and clear in front of you: I love you! "

Chen Fan swore in his mind.

In his last life, his cultivation couldn't keep up with the speed at which his life had fallen apart, and therefore, he failed to save his loved ones. However, now he had entered the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment, making a Jade Talisman was the least he could do for his family.

After he gathered himself, he was finally ready to create the very first Dharma Artifact he would own in this life.

Unlike brewing the elixir, only the high-level cultivators could be successful in creating a Dharma Artifact. Usually, the Ethereal Enlightenment Level was the jump-off point for successfully creating artifacts, but Chen Fan decided to give it a try anyway.

Only three students in the class knew what had happened at the auction; they were Si Yinxia, Chang Wen and Ji Xingyu.

Ever since that day, Ji Xingyu had given up his harassment while Si Yinxia seemed to have transformed his indignation and jealousy into motivation for studying.

Chang Wen, on the other hand, had a 180-degree change in her attitude toward Chen Fan. She started to strike up short conversations with Chen Fan from time to time and attempted to break into Chen Fan's small circle of friends.

Chen Fan carried out the refinement of the artifact slowly but surely.

Due to Chen Fan's relatively low power, he could only rely on patience. Every day, he chipped his way through the daunting task by etching small inscriptions and runes onto the Jade Marrow one strike at a time.

After a few days, the body of the Jade Marrow was covered with cryptic Daoism symbols and inscriptions. These words and symbols were so tiny that they might be as well invisible to naked eyes. Without using any tool, Chen Fan had etched these symbols using his arcane energy. The perfect execution of the etchings spoke loudly of Chen Fan's incredible control over his power.

After a few nights of hard work, Chen Fan was finally close. He set the Jade Marrow aside and then heaved a sigh.

"Step one, complete! The next step is to grow its spirit using my True Essence by simply wearing it as much as I can."

Before him, the jade talisman floated in the air and gleamed brightly.

Upon close inspection, one might find countless golden symbols constantly flowing and moving about on the surface of the jade. It was as if the jade was alive.

"I am still not strong enough to do the more powerful spells. So far, I have only three low-level spells: 'Spirit Gathering Array,' 'Diamond Art' and the 'Arcane Bulwark of Thunder' " Chen Fan thought to himself as he knotted his brows. "Fortunately, I still have enough space left on the talisman to engrave more spells at a later time."

The Spirit Gathering Array was what he needed the most right now.

The Numinous Abode under the willow tree was no longer adequate for his cultivation at his current stage. The Spirit Gathering Array could significantly boost the amount of Qi he could gather during each session. This spell should be useful until he reached the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment level.

"With this jade talisman, I should be able to speed up my cultivation at least three times if not more."

A satisfying smile finally broke over Chen Fan's tired face.

Both the Diamond Art and the Arcane Bulwark of Thunder were the most rudimentary spells: one focused on protection, while the other focused on offense.

"Since I have already created the artifact, I really should test it before I put it to use. "

Chen Fan thought as he rubbed his chin.

Before he had come up with a method to test his talisman, someone knocked on his door.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 34: Third Lord Of Wei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Hello?" Chen Fan said, when he saw the visitor.

"Mr. Chen, I apologize for not giving you a heads up." The visitor was Uncle Lin that Chen Fan had met a couple of days ago at the auction house.

Uncle Lin bowed slightly to Chen Fan and then said, "My master had heard what had happened that night, and he is very interested in meeting you to discuss more about the Dharma Artifacts."

"The Third Lord of Wei wants to see me?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

From Zhou Tianhao to the Auction, Chen Fan did not like anything that had Third Lord's hands in it.

"That's right, my lord had spotted a real Dharma Artifact, but he did not entirely trust the seller, and therefore, he wishes that he could have a second opinion from you." Uncle Lin said with a smile.

Chen Fan was going to refuse whatever Uncle Lin was going to propose. However, the topic quickly piqued his interest.

Although most of the collections from the Third Lord of the Wei were junk, he had gotten the Jade Marrow from him; therefore, Chen Fan wagered that there could potentially be another real deal waiting to be discovered.

"Fine, let's go take a look." Chen Fan said. He was curious to see the difference between the Dharma Artifact in this world than that was created by him using the art from the world of cultivation.

As soon as Chen Fan arrived at the community gate, he saw a Bentley Continental Flying Spur parked by the gate. It was evident that only the Third Lord of the Wei could afford this luxury car that was worth over a few million.

After Chen Fan had secured himself in the car seat, Uncle Lin started to fill him in the details.

"A seller from Zhong Zhou City showed the Third Lord a filigree of the sort, and ever since then, the Third Lord had been ranting about how all of his other collections were junk, and he wanted to sell them. "

Chen Fan nodded. No wonder The Third Lord of Wei wanted to auction out all of his collections a few nights ago.

"As you know, my lord was not the only powerful magnet in the Chu Zhou City; everyone at his level will go head over heels for anything that claimed to be able to ward off the evil eyes and protect their wealth and family. Even many powerful buyers from the Tian He City had joined the race. They had already met three times, as they say the third time's the charm, so I bet the seller is finally going to let this piece go this time." Uncle Lin said and then heaved a sigh.

"This Dharma artifact is starting at ten million yuan; the stake is not small. Therefore, Third Lord wanted you to be the appraiser, and if it really is as powerful as the seller purported, he will buy it no matter how much it will cost."

Chen Fan nodded.

These super-wealthy businessmen would spare no expense at gaining one of those so-called "Feng Shui Dharma Artifact," or anything that was blessed by old monks. However stupid it sounded, that was the way it was back then, and it all started by the superstitious rich people from coming to mainland China from the province of Taiwan.

Although the third lord of Wei was from a prominent family, there were at least ten other businessmen who were as rich as he was in the Chu Zhou City. Therefore, competition for a piece of real Dharma Artifact would be fierce.

Soon Uncle Lin pulled the car over to a modest courtyard-style building in a quiet suburb village. This house looked ordinary from the outside; however, once Chen Fan pushed the gate open, he was greeted by a charming view of ponds, creeks and elegant pavilions.

Chen Fan entered the main hall and saw two rows of Chinese armchair was set in a traditionally decorated space. It was as if Chen Fan had gone back in time to the early 19th century.

The person who was sitting at the center of the two rows of chair greeted Chen Fan with a smile.

"Mr. Chen is here."

Chen Fan wagered that the speaker was the Third Lord of the Wei. His face was lifelessly pale with two large bags under his eyes. He looked tired yet restless. Despite wearing expensive clothing from head to toe, he could scarcely pull them off.

Chen Fan shook his head as he remembered Xiao Qi's loathed look when he mentioned this third lord to him. The third son simply could not compare with his father even when the elderly man was suffering internal injury. Chen Fan still had Mr. Wei's image in his mind when he first saw him: stately and headfast, from time to time, his eyes glinted with the wisdom of a veteran businessman.

"Nice to meet you." Chen Fan nodded a reply.

Before Chen Fan could say anything more, a person sitting in another armchair sneered at him.

"Third Lord, did you find a kid to be your appraiser? Is there not a single capable expert in the Chu Zhou City? I can loan you one if you want. "

The Third Lord of the Wei pulled a taut pace and flung back at him. "Xin Zhong, why don't you shut your mouth, or else I will kick you out! This is Chu Zhou City, not Tian He City."

"Oh, give me a break! If the Second Lord is here, I promise I will shut up, and if it was the First Lord, I might as well pack up and go back to Tian He. But you are neither of them, you are the third lord, and you are weak."

Sitting right beside the pompous man was a white-haired senior in a traditional white suit. His half-closed eyes were motionless and didn't even shift toward Chen Fan when he came in.

"You!" In a fit of anger, the third Lord of Wei slammed the table and snarled at Xin Zhong hotly. Xin Zhong was unfazed; he continued to sit comfortably in the armchair and let disdain and contempt crawl all over his face.

"Quit it." An old man in the traditional suit said with a scowl. "Don't mind him, Third Lord. We knew that Xin Zhong had no filters, he never changed after so many years.

"Ah, please, young sir, grab a seat."

Hearing the old man's words, the Third Lord of Wei finally suppressed his anger and sat down. It was evident that the old man in the tradition suit was an influential person in the group.

Uncle Lin closed in onto Chen Fan and whispered a few explanations.

The pompous man called Xin Zhong was a rich businessman from the Tian He City. He ran an international trading company and stayed abroad for most of the time. He was extremely resourceful in the Tian He City and quite influential even at the Chu Zhou City.

The Third Lord Wei also had an international trading company and was a competitor of Xin Zhong. The two's business ventures were often at odds against each other while they competed for contacts. The pretentious white-haired old man was invited by Xin Zhong to provide insight on the quality of the artifact.

The old man in the traditional suit was called Zhen Jiulin, and he was one of the magnates in the Chu Zhou City. His portfolio covered all kinds of industries such as hotel, construction, health care, transportation, and even convenience store chains. His nickname was "Half-city" because of how much property in the Chu Zhou City had his name on them. He was the second richest person in the city only next to Sheng Ronghua. People usually call him "Old Man Zhen."

Compared to Zhen Jiulin, Third Lord of Wei's wealth was peanuts. If he were not from the mighty Wei family, the third lord would not even be able to sit at the same table with Zhen Jiulin.

"Thank you." Chen Fan nodded. He looked past Xin Zhong and studied the white-haired old man who seemed to have fallen into a reverie.

After Chen Fan had sat down, Zhen Jiulin said slowly but confidently.

"Everyone is here now. Boss Gu, would you please be so kind as to show us the item?"

Sitting across from the old man was a chubby man who looked like the fat buddha one would find in temples. Boss Gu furrowed his brows and complained, "This is the third time you guys want to see it. I want to know how committed you are to this deal."

"Rest assured; this will be the last time. One of us will buy it as long as it is the real deal." One of the rich men said loudly while pounding his chest.

He was a businessman from the development district, and he owned a few textile manufacturing plants.

"We are all busy men. so if we are not interested, why would we waste our time and come here?" Someone else put in.

"Very well." Boss Gu nodded and ordered one of his servants to bring out an old box

Inside the box was a wooden filigree shaped like a flat plate depicting the Eight Trigrams. It looked heavy and solid in its construction despite the wear and tear on its edges. The plate immediately caught everyone's attention.

"Huh?"

The moment the box was opened up, Chen Fan suddenly wrenched his attention from the white-haired old man to the plate.

When he saw the pattern of the Eight Trigrams on the plate, he couldn't help but gasp.

"What do you think of it, Mr. Chen?"

Third Lord was still in a bad mood after the confrontation, and therefore, his voice was laced with impatience.

Even now, he regretted, inviting Chen Fan. He never believed that a high school kid could know anything about artifacts. However, in a fit of desperation, he accepted his subordinates suggestion and invited Chen Fan. A huge mistake.

The boy looked nothing extraordinary, and couldn't compare with that white-haired old man brought along by Xin Zhong.

His miscalculation had spurred his rival, Xin Zhong, to jump at the golden opportunity to insult him.

Even as the Third Lord lamented his mistake, he heard Xin Zhong speak out again.

"What does a little child know anything about Dharma Artifact? Come one, how many times do we have to do this. Let's just bid on it now!"

Chen Fan smiled, but he had kept his silence.

Chen Fan was indeed shocked when he lay his eyes on the plate. He was impressed not by the plate itself, but by what was on it. The plate was covered with inscriptions that formed a Dharma array. Its function was very similar to the Spirit Gathering Array he had cast on the jade talisman. However, it's power was much inferior to that created by Chen Fan.

"Who would have thought that such artifact would exist on earth? It's sort of like a crude prototype of Dharma Artifact."

Chen Fan shook his head and was disappointed by the power of the artifact. In addition, this plate clearly had seen better days. Decades, if not centuries of usage had taken a toll on its construction. Any more usage would completely break this artifact into pieces.

Seeing the greediness in everyone's eyes, Chen Fan decided to keep the secrets to himself. None of them took him seriously anyway.

Seeing Chen Fan didn't speak, Third Lord said.

"Mr. Qi. Please."

"Will do. "

Another appraiser stood up and came over to the artifact. Everyone watched him expectantly as he would be one of the arbiters of the quality of this magical item.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 35: The Ignorant Master Wu

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Master Qi fished out an old compass out from his pocket, and he circled around the wooden box three laps. All the while, he murmured something to himself with a solemn face.

Everyone's heart was caught in their throat as they stared at the old man expectantly.

Mr. Chen was the only one managed a smile and said, "Master Qi was one of the most respected antique appraisers, anything from Feng Shui Dharma Artifacts to the Artifacts that were blessed by revered monks, nothing was able to escape his scrutinizing eyes."

After he had said that, most people in the Hall nodded in agreement.

However, Xin Zhong didn't agree with the rest, he smiled disdainfully and then said, "He is just an amateur compared to our Master Wu!"

Xin Zhong's words didn't sit well with most people in the Hall. Master Qi snorted and said, "My power is meager. Although I can tell that this artifact has magic properties, I can't put the finger on its exact functions.

"I wonder if Master Wu will be able to shed some light on it?"

The white-haired Master Wu slowly opened his eyes, and he gave Master Qi a contemptuous look. Master Qi's face flashed red by Master Wu's glance.

"You are not experienced; that's why you wouldn't be able to see what is going on."

His words were laced with conceit and arrogance. Many wealthy and powerful men's faces blackened after hearing he openly insulted their appraiser: Maser Qi.

However, Master Qi linked his hands behind his back while wearing a cold sneer; it was as if he couldn't wait to see Master Wu being embarrassed by his incompetence.

He had used his ancestral compass to probe the filigree, and he was able to tell that this artifact was indeed powerful. However, it was still in a dormant state, and he had no clue how to reactivate its power. He doubted that the pretentious Mr. Wu could have done any better than him.

Under everyone's expectant eyes, Master Wu rose from his chair and walked to the Eight-Trigram-Plate. He closed his eyes while his fingers shifted through a few hand signs

Suddenly, everyone was shocked to discover that Master Wu's long and flappy sleeve started to move in the windless air. It was as if he had hidden a blower inside of that enormous-sized sleeve.

"This is? Master Qi's face paled at the sight. His eyes glued to the old man as he murmured "Transcendent Dao?"

"Hur!"

Master Wu stomped the ground as he grunted with a deep booming voice that startled everyone.

He then pointed two fingers at the Eight-Trigrams-and blew at it. A strand of white mist streamed out from his mouth and touched the Eight-Trigrams-Plate. Suddenly, the plate trembled as if it had come back alive. Eight sets of inscriptions appeared on the surface of the plate.

As soon as the eight Dao inscriptions revealed themselves, the temperature in the hall seemed to have dropped a few degrees, and people can feel a light breeze kissing their cheeks. It was as if they were in the middle of spring.

"This. This.."

Everyone in the hall could not believe that they saw. They fixated their eyes on the shaking Eight-Trigrams-Plate.

"A Dharma Artifact. This one is real!"

Boss Yan, the textile magnate, shouted with excitement.

The Third Lord of Wei slapped his thigh in excitement as he gawked at the artifact unblinkingly.

Even the calmest of them all, Old Man Zhen, was seized by trepidation as greed flashed in his eyes.

However, the excitement around Master Wu seemed to have rubbed him the wrong way. With even more conceit than before, he grunted, and then ended the spell that revealed the true power of the artifact. The Eight-Trigrams-Plate suddenly stopped fighting and lay motionless in the box.

The temperature inside the hall climbed back up, and then everything seemed to have returned to normal.

"So now you know who the real master is, don't you?" Xin Zhong smiled smugly.

The wealthy men from Chu Zhou looked at Xin Zhong and Master Wu with much more respect and admiration. Some even decided to befriend the mighty Master Wu.

He is the real master, and was much more powerful and experienced than Master Qi.

Master Qi smiled wryly and then bowed to Master Wu.

"I have never expected to meet a grandmaster who was enlightened by the way of Dao. My apologies for my insolent behavior. "

Master Wu sat down in his seat without a word, and he quickly returned to his previous state of half dozing-off and half awake. He left Master Qi hanging there for a while and then replied, "So you do know 'Transcendent State'? you didn't waste your life after all."

Master Qi managed a smile and didn't rise to Master Wu's contemptuous remark. After all, the white-haired one was much more experienced than him. He heaved a sigh and then returned to his seat. As he sat down, he felt that he was getting too old for this line of work. All the reputation he had built up in Chu Zhou would all be thrown out of the window after today.

The moment Chen Fan saw Master Wu performed his art, his interest was piqued almost immediately.

"This man possessed Dharmic powers?"

"Although his Dharmic power lacked both quality and quantity, it was quite an achievement for a Martial Artist. I wager he should be at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment level. So he was the so-called 'The Follower of the Dao' in this world?"

Chen Fan was excited and shocked at the same time.

However, Although Master Wu had reached the same level as Chen Fan, their power was significantly different.

The power of a Martial Artist to a same-leveled Cultivator was like the third-tier university to a first-tier university. They were both universities, but everyone knew that only the first tier university was the real deal.

In other words, although they were at the same level, Master Wu's power was drastically inferior.

"It appears that the people on the earth had scraped the surface of cultivation. Let it be the Internal Force or the Dharmic powers in Master Wu, they all came from the same source: the True Essence in Cultivation Technique. However, they have missed too many components in the technique, and therefore, their power was incomplete as well."

So thinking, Chen Fan shook his head.

He had expected Master Wu to be a real cultivator, but he had disappointingly failed to tap into the full potential of the power he possessed. It was as if he had used an AK-47 as firewood.

Third Lord of Wei pulled a taut face as anger festered inside of him.

His rival Xin Zhong had invited a real master. And even if he put everything down and won the auction, he would still have to beg Master Wu to reactivate it.

Suddenly, the owner of the artifact, the Boss Gu broke the silence.

"Since you have all seen the power of the artifact first hand, it's time for the bidding."

Before he had finished his words, Boss Yan hurried to put in his offer, "Ten million!"

"Twenty million!"

"Twenty-five million."

Everyone present at the auction was the richest of the rich in Chu Zhou. Most of them owned billions of assets.

It was an opportunity that they couldn't pass up and therefore they were determined to buy this artifact.

However, even though they were determined to purchase this Dharma Artifact, they didn't let irrationality claim them. When the price had reached twenty-five million, the offered increased only one million at a time.

Boss Gu beamed from side to side; his puggy face had nearly concealed the two narrow slits.

The Third Lord of Wei's mind raced. He wanted the Dharma artifact badly, but he was also afraid that his rival would take advantage of his desperation and drag him into a bidding war.

"Hold on!"

Suddenly, Xin Zhong interrupted the auction.

He pointed a finger at Chen Fan and then said: "The other two masters already put in their two cents, but Master Chen didn't tell us what he thinks of this artifact yet."

"Why don't we start the auction after we have heard what Master Chen had to offer?"

As soon as he finished his words, the participants boiled over.

Master Wu had already activated the Dharma Artifact and revealed its power to everyone. No one would argue that they had felt such an exhilarating and refreshing feeling when the artifact summoned those light breezes. It was like steeping themselves inside of a hot tub. Everyone was convinced that if they exposed themselves under the beneficial spell, they would never get sick again.

The conclusions were final, so there was no need to hear what a young boy had to say.

However, everyone knew that Xin Zhong's request had nothing to do with the artifact; he simply wanted Third Lord of Wei to lose face.

Third Lord of Wei pulled a taut face and kept his silence.

"Hehe."

A girl standing behind Old Man Zhen suddenly blurted out laughter.

"Xiao Yun, what's going on?" Old Man Zhen asked displeased.

She was a distant niece of Old Man Zhen. She and her parents were at odds against each the because of the parent's approval of her boyfriend. Old Man Zhen had decided to take the girl as his ward to guide her. When she was ready, the Old Man would assign her a manager position in one of his many companies.

She had always been polite behaved respectfully at social occasions and seldom made faux pas such as bursting into a laugher in front of her uncle's guests.

The woman was in a business suit, and she was the eldest member of Xu Rongfei's clique: Han Yun.

The moment Chen Fan walked into the Hall, Han Yun recognized Chen Fan and had been wondering why Chen Fan would show up as an appraiser.

Hearing her faux pas and caught Old Man Zhen's attention, Han Yun explained with a quiet voice.

Despite her thin voice, everyone could hear what she said loud and clear.

After having learned that Chen Fan was just a high school student from the Ivy League High School and he worked at the bar as a waiter, everyone looked at Chen Fan with contemptuous looks on their faces. A broad smile broke over Xin Zhong's face, and then he started laughing. Third Lord of Wei's face flushed red, and he glared at Uncle Lin, castigating him for bringing him such a loser.

"What a mess." Old Man Zhen shook his head.

The Old Man might have some respect for a friend of Wei Changgen, but this boy was just a friend of Wei Changgeng's daughter. He lamented the recklessness of the Third Lord of Wei for bringing with him a no-account laborer with him to such a high profile meeting. It was a disgraceful act to the Wei Family.

"I doubt Xin Zhong would let it slide so easily." Old Man Zhen furrowed his brows and thought to himself.

Lo and behold, Xin Zhong laughed a said, "Who says a master shouldn't work at a bar? I believe in the Third Lord's judgment.

"Don't mind them, Master Chen, I believe in you. Just do your work and show us what you know."

He said sarcastically. His act didn't sit well with the other wealthy magnets from the Chu Zhou City. They were on the same team with the Third Lord. If the Third Lord loses face, they would too.

Han Yun finally regretted her actions.

She shouldn't have blown Chen Fan's cover since it seemed to have backfired on her.

Before everyone's scornful look and sneers, Chen Fan looked at Xin Zhong calmly and said, "Are you sure you want me to test the artifact?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 36: Thunder Arise!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Why? You seem to be hesitating." Xin Zhong's smile evaporated as he frowned at Chen Fan.

He planned to use this high school student merely as an instrument to humiliate the Third Lord, but never did he expect the boy to speak up before so many influential and powerful people.

"What do you think, Master Wu?" Feeling slightly uneasy, Xin Zhong asked the white-haired old man under his breath.

Master Wu glanced at Chen Fan and shook his head in disdain.

"He is just a boy, who doesn't even measure up to that Qi fellow. He wouldn't recognize anything even if a real Dharma Artifact were right in front of his eyes."

Chen Fan stood up and walked around the wooden box as he murmured to himself, "The Eight-Trigrams-Plate contained eight different kinds of spells, and they form a small Dharma Array. We have all experienced the beneficial effect of the spell array first hand. Also, it could form an area where Spirit Qi congregate; it was the so-called 'Feng Shui Field.' in layman's terms. Anyone within the field would benefit from the presence of the Spirit Qi and improved health."

By then, it was evident to Chen Fan that the so-called Feng Shui Dharma Array was a knock-off of the Spirit Gathering Array.

The Spirit Qi gathered inside of the array was beneficial to any living entity inside its area of effect. In some extreme cases, such as on those Life-Stars where Spirit Qi was abundant, a human could have lived over two hundred years old without even cultivating. The wild beasts on those planets were huge in size and formidable in their strength. Some could grow up to a few hundred feet and be as old as time itself.

"Oh? Go on; I am all ears." Master Wu's stared at Chen Fan attentively.

Seeing Chen Fan's incredible knowledge on the matter, the others gave each other a surprised glance, and they wondered if this boy was also an expert.

"So you agree that this is a Dharma Artifact?" Boss Yan asked impatiently.

"Yes, but..." Chen Fan paused and turned around to look at Xin Zhong

"But what?" another rich man hurried a reply.

"But this Dharma Artifact had been used too many times that it is near its due date." Chen Fan pointed at the Eight-Trigrams-Plate and said.

Everyone was shocked after hearing Chen Fan's words.

Once they gave the plate a second look, and they noticed that the surface was covered with minor fractures and it was too intrusive to pass for ordinary wear and tear due to age.

It seemed that this plate was not going to last too long before it breaks.

"You bastard! How dare you!"

Master Wu slammed the table hard as he pushed himself out of the chair. His glared at Chen Fan angrily.

No longer did he care to keep up appearances as the grandmaster; he glared at Chen Fan and regretted ever letting the teenage boy speak up.

Even Master Wu had failed to notice that the boy was a fellow-martial-artists. If he wasn't a master in martial arts, he wouldn't be able to see the minor fractures on the wooden plate.

"Mr. Xin, Boss Gu, what is really going on?" Old Man Zhen furrowed his brows and asked.

Xin Zhong's face paled while the chubby face of Boss Gu was already drenched in sweat.

Most people from Chu Zhou City had noticed something was amiss; they looked to the three suspiciously.

"Isn't it obvious? You have been conned by Mr. Xin, Master Wu, and Boss Gu." Chen Fan said with a cold sneer.

Chen Fan had felt something was fishy about Master Wu. He had already reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Level, and therefore, it was impossible for him to have missed those obvious cracks on the wooden plate.

Not only did he hide the truth from everyone, but he also initiated the power of the Eight-Trigrams-Plate and pushed it one step closer to its destruction. The knowing glances between Xin Zhong and Boss Gu didn't escape Chen Fan either, and it had finally made him realize what was going on.

Master Wu, Xin Zhong, and Boss Gu were con artists, and they were in it together to scam the deep pockets of the Chu Zhou City. Chen Fan wagered that their main target was The Third Lord of Wei.

"Xin Zhong, is this true?"

As soon as Chen Fan had finished his words, Third Lord of the Wei stood up and shouted at Xin Zhong.

As realization finally dawned upon the other attendees, they looked to the three people with suspicion in their eyes.

Boss Gu was drenched in cold sweat and was trembling uncontrollably. Xin Zhong's face also paled. His shifty eyes glanced at Master Wu from time to time.

By then, Master Wu's face was contorted by anger as he nailed his gaze on Chen Fan. He hoped to leave the Chu Zhou City with at least fifty million yuan, but all his planning and hard work to pull the scam off had gone down the tube.

"You little prick, how dare you spoil my plan!"

Master Wu managed to squeeze a few words out from his tight-clenched jaws. The air about him started to turn colder and darker.

"Oh. You want to settle this the old way with me?"

Chen Fan was not afraid of Master Wu's threat. He looked at the old man with a great degree of levity.

Ever since he was reborn, he hadn't fought with Dharma Spells yet, and although Master Wu only knew the most rudimentary spells, Chen Fan was eager to test his power.

"Wu! This is Chu Zhou City, show some respect!" Old Man Zhen slammed the table and shouted at the white-haired man.

As soon as the old man spoke, his bodyguard closed in and glared at Master Wu and his two other companions.

Xin Zhong's face blackened. He had only brought with him seven or eight bodyguards. There was very little chance that he would be able to walk out of Chu Zhou City alive if he let the situation spiral out of control. Boss Gu from the Zhong Zhou City had fallen off of his chair and collapsed on the ground.

"Hehe" Master Wu was unfazed by the group of intimidating bodyguards. He spoke to Chen Fan with tempered hatred, "Kiddo, you have ruined my plan, I won't let you get away with it.

"Didn't you want to see a real Dharma Artifact? Why don't you take a look at this!"

Master Wu produced a small clay urn from his pocket, and as soon as he lifted the cap, everyone felt a gush of chilly wind blowing out from the mouth of the urn, reducing the temperature in the room by a few degrees.

"Chen boy! Taste the power of my numinous treasure!"

Before his words faded, a dark fog emerged out from the clay urn, and with it, a wave of ear-piercing shrieks like that of anguished demons and lost souls from the ninth forbidden hell.

"HELP!" The mortals in the room fled the scene as soon as they saw the terrifying sight. Some of them clambered to hide behind the bodyguards. Although most of these bodyguards were retired veterans and champions of national martial arts competitions, none of them had experienced such a ghastly sight before. Bound by their duty, many of them managed to hold their grounds with fear on their faces.

"The Art of Ghost Reining?" Master Qi gasped.

"Alas! I could behold the power of a transcendent master; what more should I ask for?" As Master Qi said so, he shook his head with the sorrow of knowing that he might not be able to see such power ever again.

"Not too shabby. You can even recognize my Dharmic Formulation!" Master Wu nodded approvingly.

He scanned around and was pleased by the fear written all over people's faces. However, he soon realized that Chen Fan was still sitting in his chair and was sipping on a cup of tea.

"Aren't you afraid of me, kid?"

Hearing Master Wu's question, Xin Zhong, Third Lord of the Wei and Uncle Lin both looked to Chen Fan as if they were looking at an idiot.

"He is not concerned at all? Is he a half-wit?"

The other's asked the same question in their minds.

As soon as Master Wu used the Art of Ghost Reining, everyone, except for Chen Fan and Xin Zhong and Old Man Zhen had remained in their seats; the rest guests had either hid behind the bodyguards or under the furniture. Even the bodyguards trembled uncontrollably at the sight of the supernatural power.

Han Yun shivered with tears in her eyes.

"Chen Fan, what the heck are you doing? Run!"

She couldn't stop blaming herself for exposing Chen Fan's real identity. If she had kept her lips sealed, Xin Zhong would not think of using the boy to humiliate the Third Lord, and none of this would have happened.

However, Chen Fan sat casually in his chair, holding a calm cast in his eyes.

"I will have to do away with you, aren't you afraid?" Master Wu's mind was seized by anger, and he was ready to do anything it took to quell the fire in him.

As he started the Dharmatic Art, his white hair swirled up from his head, and he pointed two fingers at the dark smoke. The plum of darkness responded with a shiver and with a great measure of reluctance, the darkness moved slowly toward Chen Fan

Seeing the dark mist formed by undead ghosts was coming at Chen Fan, everyone's hearts were caught in their throat. They were convinced that the boy's fate was sealed.

"Afraid?" Chen Fan laughed out loud as he shook his head.

"I had expected much better from you. Look at you; you can barely control your power.

"And you call it a Dharma Artifact? You don't feel ashamed of yourself, do you?

"Fuck it; I will show you what a real Dharma Artifact is all about."

Chen Fan took the Jade Talisman off his neck and held it in one hand.

Under everyone's curious and surprised look, he spoke two loud and clear words.

"Thunder Arise!"

Suddenly, thousands of lightning appeared in the hall; they tore the space apart and showed the dimly lit hall with blinding brightness.

Chen Fan stood in the middle of the hall, a lightning bolt in his hand, the loose folds of his clothes moved as the wind came up, outlined nobly against the web of thunder for all to see.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 37: Fear Me

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Of the three spells held in the Jade Talisman, the Arcane Bulwark of Thunder was the most powerful. It was able to ward off harm from Yin Soul, Spirit Entity, Malice Qi, and Immortal Will.

As soon as Chen Fan summoned the thunder, the dark spirit in the mist let out a pained shriek before it turned on its heels. However, a cultivator's spell could not be easily outran.

Chen Fan held the lightning bolt and hurled it at the dark mist.

"Boom!"

The lightning bolt snaked through the air and hit its target. The dark mist was defenseless before such power and disappeared into thin air the moment it was dealt a blow. However, the lightning didn't disappear; it passed through the mist and hit the clay urn clutched in Master Wu's arms.

"AHRR!"

Master Wu screamed and collapsed to the ground. The lightning bolt had pulverized the clay urn, turning it into a puff of dust.

The roaring of the thunder swept through the room as windows and the glasses on the table shivered into pieces. It was as if a wild typhoon had just ravaged through.

"The Thunder Art of the Heavenly Master Sect?" Master Wu exclaimed, his hair stood upright due to the static current; soot smeared all over his face and hands.

Fear flickered in Master Wu's eyes as they looked at Chen Fan like rabbits would to a tiger. Seeing another thunderbolt had already formed in Chen Fan's hand, Master Wu ditched any plan of counterattack as he clambered onto his knees and started to kowtow to Chen Fan.

"Master, master! Please, forgive me! I will never do it again. Please!"

Master Wu was terrified by Chen Fan's display of power and fear had rendered him defenseless. The only thing he could think of was to kneel and beg for forgiveness.

Under everyone's fearful eyes, Chen Fan took a step forward and said:

"I have broken your spell; do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no, no! I have no problem!" Master Wu said in a shaky voice.

Chen Fan took another step and announced:

"I have destroyed your Dharma Artifact. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No! No Problem!" Master Wu nodded vigorously.

One more step. Chen Fan towered above Master Wu and shouted down at him: "I have ruined your reputation, spoiled your business and forced you to beg me on your knees. Do you think you deserve that?"

"I do! I deserve everything one hundred percent!" Master Wu's forehead was already bleeding from kowtowing too hard. His voice was desperate and saddening.

"Since you have realized your mistake, I will spare your life for now.

"Now Fuck off! If I ever see you again in the Chu Zhou City, I will pulverize you just like I did to that clay urn!" Chen Fan said as the cracking lightning bolt in his hand finally disappeared. He looked down at Master Wu like looking down at a worthless worm.

"Yes. Yes. Yes."

Master Wu pushed himself to his feet and fumbled through the exit.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind him and looked to Xin Zhong and Boss Gu.

Although Xin Zhong was a business tycoon in the northern bank of the Yangtze River, Chen Fan's seemingly calm gaze unnerved him. He felt icy sweat slide down his back as both legs started to tremble.

Master Wu was not just a nobody, he could kill people from afar, and his skills had earned him a great reputation. However, Chen Fan's power had dominated Master Wu so completely that Master Wu didn't have a chance to fight back. Xin Zhong was just an unenlightened mortal, and he knew he would be easily crushed by an opponent who could summon thunder on a whim.

"Master... Master Chen... In a ... civilized society, killing is against the law."

Blood drained from his face. Xin Zhong pushed against the table with both hands to support his body as he stammered out a few words.

"What happened to Mister 'I-am-so-full-of-myself'?" Chen Fan asked sarcastically.

The question made Xin Zhong's hairs stand on end, and he thought his swelling heart was going to jump out of his chest.

"Master Chen, please forgive me! I will give you anything you want." Xin Zhong lowered his head and pleaded for his life.

A moment ago, Xin Zhong was still on his high horse, but a moment later, he was begging a sixteen-year-old high school student to spare his life. The sudden turn of events had filled the other attendees' hearts with contradicting emotions.

No one had taken Chen Fan seriously when they first saw him. When they had learned that he was just a high school student working in a Bar, many of them even laughed at him as if he was a joke.

However, then and there, they saw Chen Fan command the power of thunder, defeat Master Wu and then forced Xin Zhong to beg him, yet, no one in the hall dared to speak out against Chen Fan.

Despite the hundreds of millions of yuan each of these tycoons had, they were worthless before Chen Fan.

"Now, that is what I call a powerful man."

Old Man Zhen clutched the chair as he was deeply impressed by the boy.

He had seen people with more illustrious achievements on paper than Chen Fan —some of them were even on Forbes's List—but none of them had Chen Fan's bearing and demeanor.

Only those who had the real power at their disposal would have those imposing and overbearing qualities about them. The real power was beyond money and politics since, during the crucial moment of life or death, neither of those could be counted on.

Han Yun gaped at Chen Fan. A minute earlier, Master Wu was swollen with arrogance and thought he could never be defeated. Then, he was on his knees and begging for his life. Even the Kingpin of the Tian He City had lowered his head and pleaded to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan swelled with pride, and no one dared to look at him directly in his eyes.

"I had always thought that it was your friendship with Wei Ziqin that lent you your courage to stand up against Chu Minhui. But I finally see your real power. You didn't need a protector at all!"

Han Yun exclaimed in her mind. She could not believe that the ordinary boy stood before her, was the same lightening wielding immortal who she saw just a moment ago.

With such power, no wonder he dealt with Chu Minhui and Li Yichen with such a degree of levity.

No wonder he didn't even show the slightest concern before powerful magnates such as The Third Lord of Wei, Old Man Zhen, and Boss Yan.

No wonder he was able to remain calm when Master Wu was swelling with arrogance and contempt.

It turned out that his protector was his power. With the lightning bolt in his hand, he held the life of his enemy in his palm. By then, Han Yun felt that Chen Fan was more charming than the most handsome looking boy she had ever met.

"It is true that fortune favors the fools. That silly girl, Xu Rongfei, had somehow stumbled upon a piece of real gold. Why didn't I see through his facade and snatch him before Xu Rongfei could sink her claws into him? Nonetheless, I still have time, and there is still hope."

Han Yun lamented. She knew that after today's event, Chen Fan would no longer live as an ordinary teenager; he would become one of the most influential people in the Chu Chou City.

His power was under full display before the tycoons of the Chu Zhou City. The amazed looks on their faces was a telltale sign that they were already enthralled by Chen Fan's incredible abilities.

Chen Fan turned around and asked Boss Gu:

"What is the highest bid for that, Eight-Trigrams-Plate?"

Boss Gu's lips quivered uncontrollably and failed to form a single word. Boss Yan finally answered for him.

"Master Chen, the highest offer is forty-five million."

"Forty-five million?" Chen Fan murmured.

"Give me that forty-five million, and I will spare your life." Chen Fan said to Xin Zhong.

A pained expression flashed across Xin Zhong's face.

Although his assets were in the billions, most of it was locked up in one way or another. Therefore to spit out forty-five million cash right away meant he would have to make some financial sacrifices.

However, he realized that he had no other options.

The thought of Chen Fan's lightening pulverizing him into dust sent a chill down his spine.

"Yes, yes! I will give you the money!"

Xin Zhong said reluctantly.

"Very well; now get lost."

Chen Fan waved and dismissed Xin Zhong as if the latter was a fly.

Both Xin Zhong and Boss Gu heaved a sigh of relief, and they turned around, hurrying for the exit.

Han Yun gritted her teeth and walked over to Chen Fan. She batted her lashes at the boy, making herself look docile and cute and then she braved a question:

"Master Chen, are you letting them off just like that?"

Han Yun paused for a second and continued: "I am not worried about Xin Zhong and Boss Gu, but that Wu looked like a conniving and heartless person. The Dharma Spell he had used can speak for itself. Aren't you afraid that he would seek revenge?"

Chen Fan answered lightly: "It's all right, I have scared him, he won't even think of making a move.

"Instead of revenge, he would fear me like he would a god."

Despite Chen Fan's calm voice, the words carried immeasurable confidence.

Han Yun's heart skipped a beat as her desire for the young man became even stronger.

Suddenly, a gleeful voice chimed in.

"Master Chen, I knew you were mighty and powerful. Defeating that Wu dude was just a piece of cake for you!"

The Third Lord of Wei emerged from behind the bodyguards and hurried to Chen Fan. He stared at Chen Fan with the admiration of a lap dog to his master.

"How could someone as successful as the Elderly Man Wei have such an idiot son?"

Chen Fan lamented in his mind.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 38: Meaning Of The Transcended

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When everyone had finally gathered themselves, Old Man Zhen ordered the servants to clean up the mess. The guards and workers stared at the mess left by the battle with disbelief. However, no one dared to ask a question, so they started to clean the room right away.

The event continued in another courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard was a table filled with food. Chen Fan sat down at the head of the table. Although most people around him were wealthier and more influential than Chen Fan, everyone thought that was a rightful place for Chen Fan.

After everyone had settled down in their seat, Chen Fan asked Han Yun: "Do I know you?"

He was very surprised when the girl told everyone about his past. The way she looked at him also suggested that it was not the first time the two had met. After Chen Fan had defeated Master Wu, she was also the first person to have spoken to him.

Han Yun gave Chen Fan an alluring smile and answered, "I grew up with Fei-Fei. We are tight like sisters."

Chen Fan nodded and said:

"Well, since you are Fei-Fei's friend, why don't you sit beside me?"

A broad smile broke over the Old Man Zhen's face. He nodded at Han Yun and willed her to oblige. With a smile, Han Yun sat down beside Chen Fan. She was a beautiful woman, and the tight suit she was wearing invited more fantasy than just usual business.

Sensing Old Man Zhen's subtle advance, the other business tycoons cursed in their mind.

"The fox is honey trapping again!"

Their minds raced. Already, they were thinking which ones of their nieces or daughters they could sell to Master Chen in exchange for his support. Master Chen looked like he was in his early teenage years. Therefore he was the most vulnerable to soft words and luscious body.

Unbeknownst to them, Chen Fan didn't have any lewd intent by inviting Han Yun to sit next to him. He did so only because he wanted to acknowledge her connection with Xu Rongfei.

After everyone had settled in their seats, Chen Fan looked to Master Qi and asked.

"Master Qi, you mentioned that Master Wu was 'transcended,' would you please explain what that means?"

Hearing Chen Fan addressing him as "master," Master Qi felt the honor was almost too great to bear.

"Master Chen, please, I am not worthy of the title 'master.'"

His defeat at the hands of Master Wu had taken the wind out of his sails. After seeing Chen Fan's ability to command the thunder and lightning, he had already revered Chen Fan as an immortal.

Since Master Qi's practice had exposed him to the realm of cultivation and therefore, he knew that Master Wu's Art of Ghost Reining could not compare with Chen Fan's Lightning Art. Chen Fan was at least a few magnitudes more powerful than Master Wu.

Nonetheless, Chen Fan had asked a question, and so he shall oblige." The so-called 'transcended' was a phrase used in the small circle of Cultivators. Once we have transcended into the realm of Dao, we would start to possess Dharmic powers which we could use to activate Dharma Artifacts and cast Dharma Spells.

"From the perspective of Taoism, it was called 'Refine the Aether and Form the Qi,' while Buddhists call it 'Solidify the Zen in the Realm of Womb.' However, to a martial artist, it was simply the process of projecting the external strength inward to form the Internal Force."

"Every school and sect had their own name for it, but they were essentially the same thing."

As Master Qi explained to Chen Fan, he couldn't help but wonder why someone, as experienced as Master Chen, would ask him these most basic questions. At his current level, there should have been tomes compiled to commemorate him and his power.

Despite his doubts, he decided to keep his silence and not to raise any question.

"Ah, that makes sense now!" Chen Fan nodded.

"The so-called 'Transcendent Master' or 'Refine the Aether and Form the Qi' were all just ways of calling the 'Foundation Establishment' Level. There were many schools of cultivation in China and therefore, many different ways to call the same thing. "

"It seemed that the method of Immortal Cultivation had been passed down to some different sects and groups on Earth. From the skills and techniques used by Master Wu, Elderly Man Wei, and Linbao, I can tell that what they have learned was a far cry from the power of the real cultivators. What a shame."

Chen Fan lamented.

Master Wu looked like in his sixties, yet he had just reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment level. Master Qi was even worse. After having wasted half of his mortal life, he had barely reached the early-stage of the Foundation Establishment level.

If such incompetence was a common theme in the Dao Cultivation on earth, Chen Fan doubted that he would ever find a cultivator who could have reached Ethereal Enlightenment much less the Divine Sea.

He scowled and then asked:

"Wu had shouted 'The Thunder Art of the Heavenly Master Sect,' what is that?

"Is he talking about the Heavenly Master Sect of the Dragon Tiger Mountain?"

Chen Fan was dumbfounded when he heard Master Wu calling his Arcane Bulwark of Thunder the Thunder Art of the Heavenly Master Sect. The first thing that came into Chen Fan's mind was the allusive ancient sect founded by the Heavenly Master Zhang at the Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Chen Fan had heard that there were people who claimed to be the descendants of Confucius. Could it be that someone from the Zhang Family had survived the first Heavenly Master and was spreading the Heavenly Master's Dharma Spells again?

Master Qi cracked a smile and then replied:

"House Zhang Of the Dragon Tiger Mountain was founded a thousand years ago; their art had long been lost.

"This Heavenly Master Sect was different; it is a major sect in the Dao Branch. Although it was also located at the Dragon-Tiger Mountain, it had nothing to do with the Zhang Family. My teacher had told me that this sect was well known for its Thunder Art of the Immortal Clouds. It was used to counter any demonic and fiendish yin-spirits. It was said that a few hundred years ago, a grandmaster descended from the mountain and banished countless nefarious occults. However, no one had heard of the sect within the recent half-century.

"Based on Master Wu's accent, I deduced that he was from the Dong Du area of the Zhong Zhou Province. The cultivators living in that area were notorious for their Ghosting Reining and Blood Bending abilities. Their hatred and fear toward the Thunder Art of the Heavenly Master Sect were ingrained in their collective memory, and therefore, Master Wu had blurted out its name when he saw the similarities."

Master Qi said. By then, he could no longer hold back the curiosity, and so he asked:

"Where does Master Chen hail from? Who is your teacher?

"My master had told me that the only sect that had the ability to bend the natural elements such as thunder was the Heavenly Master Sect. So, are you..."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then shook his head.

"I have been focusing on my cultivation ever since I was a child, and had learned very little about the current goings-on in the cultivation realm

"But my sect was unrelated to the Heavenly Master Sect."

Although Chen Fan's Arcane Bulwark of Thunder was the most rudimentary spell in the realm of Immortal Cultivation, it was far ahead of the most powerful Dao Cultivation Art.

Master Qi had a lot more questions in his mind, but he had kept them to himself. He nodded and praised Chen Fan:

"Master Chen was able to achieve such a high level of attainment at such a young age. I am confident that you will become a god-like existence when you are my age.

"Compare to you and your teacher, I feel that I have wasted all the fifty-six years of my life. "

Master Qi heaved a sigh.

To Master Qi, Chen Fan's current level of attainment was even higher than that of a Transcendent Masters. It would be difficult to find another person whose power was on par with the boy. Master Qi couldn't help but wonder how powerful Chen Fan's teacher had to be in order to produce such an incredible disciple.

Chen Fan kept his silence and didn't reply.

His teacher Cangqin the Immortal Cultivator had lived more than eight hundred and forty thousand years. He was considered old even among those Perfected Immortal who had achieved Dao Reunion Level. In the eyes of these mortals, he might as well be an Immortal God; after all, only the gods were able to swallow the sun and create matter out of nothing.

As the two conversed on the topic of cultivation, the rest of the guests simply listened, despite the fact that they understood nothing. Nonetheless, they listened quietly and didn't interrupt.

Before today's event, everyone thought the stories that involved Reining Ghosting, or Commanding Thunders were high tales. If anyone talked about such a topic in front of them, they would have thought that the speaker was a lunatic.

However, now, they believed in every word that came out from the mouth of Chen Fan and Master Qi.

"These incredible stories about gods and immortals are all real! What an eye-opener!"

A lot of the guests exclaimed in their mind.

Old Man Zhen always kept an open mind on this subject and therefore he was not as shocked by the revelation as most other guests.

Old Man Zhen chimed in and said

"Master Chen and Master Qi!

"We are so proud and fortunate to have both of you here at the Chu Zhou City. Master Chen had achieved such unthinkable attainment at a young age; no doubt he was a rare talent in the field of cultivation. Master Qi, on the other hand, was knowledgeable and highly respected for his sense of honor."

As an experienced public speaker, Old Man Zhen knew exactly what to say to praise both masters equally without hurting the ego of either one of them.

Master Qi knew that he was not worthy of being named alongside with Master Chen, but a proud smile broke over his face nonetheless. Although he was not as powerful as Master Chen, he was more knowledgeable than the boy and was better connected.

"No kidding! Master Chen, you can summon the thunder when you are just in high school. I bet you that when you graduate from university, you would be a... a god!" Third Lord of Wei smiled ingratiatingly at Chen Fan.

"It was my honor and my niece's fortune to have you as a friend!"

Chen gave the Third Lord a sidelong glance as he was surprised by his ability in brown-nosing.

The Third Lord's words reminded the rest of the guest to pledge their loyalties and heap their praise onto Chen Fan. Soon, Chen Fan was surrounded by a dozen business magnates of the Chu Zhou City who tried to outdo each other in praising the young genius.

The bodyguards and servants looked at Chen Fan with a great measure of jealous.

He was only sixteen years old, yet he had already achieved the unthinkable. He was the very definition of a diamond in the rough

Han Yun studied Chen Fan with an expectant smile on her face. Soon, he would be hers.

After some time, Old Man Zhen spoke again.

"Master Chen, What do you think we should so with the Eight-Trigrams-Plate?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 39: Reunion

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Old Man Zhen's words suddenly reminded everyone of the reason they were here in the first place.

The fraud had been exposed, but what's next? What were they going to do with the Eight-Trigrams-Plate?

They came here to bid on the Dharma Artifact, and so they did. Xin Zhong had purposely jacked the offer to forty-five million yuan: it was enough to buy an entire residential community or a three-star hotel back in 2007.

However, it turned out that the Eight-Trigrams-Plate was not exactly what they were hoping for, and it was on the last leg of its shelf life. Although it contained magical power, the power was nearly depleted; in other words, this plate was just one use away from being useless.

Chen Fan said lightly: "At most, it could be used twice."

Hearing his words, everyone heaved a sigh of disappointment.

Everyone had felt the magical effect of the Eight-Trigrams-Plate first hand, and they all agreed that this type of effect was more palatable to businessmen than Chen Fan's combative art.

"Xin Zhong is an asshole! How dare he fool us with such a piece of junk!" Third Lord of Wei slapped his thigh and complained vengefully.

Of all the people that attended the auction, he was the most determined to claim the "piece of junk."

Although he had just celebrated his fortieth birthday, over drinking and debauchery and taken a toll on his health, by then, even the sixty year old Zhen looked healthier than him.

"It's alright." Chen Fan said calmly. "The Dharma Array in the Eight-Trigrams-Plate was hastily made, and its effects are mediocre at best. I can create a much better version of the Dharma Artifact."

Everyone gaped at Chen Fan after he had dropped the bomb on them.

Boss Yan almost shouted at him. "Master Chen, Did you just say that you can make a Dharma Artifact?"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and unhitched the jade talisman from his belt and placed it on the table.

The Jade Talisman had immediately caught everyone's attention. They knew that it was the tool that Chen Fan had used to defeat Master Wu. This was the real deal.

Guests had noticed the tiny inscriptions that sprawled over the surface of the jade gleamed with a golden luster. The golden glow brightened and dimmed repeatedly like waves in the ocean. It was as if the jade was alive, and the flashes of the golden glow were its pulse. When Chen Fan initiated the Spirit Gathering Array, a white mist permeated the entire courtyard and was getting thicker by the second. Slowly, those guests who were surrounded by the mist felt exhilarated as if their body was being recharged with energy.

"This jade talisman was made from one of Boss Wei's collection. I spent a few days to refine it into its current state."

Chen Fan spoke.

Everyone was deeply shocked by what they have heard. They looked toward the Third Lord of Wei and were perplexed as to why this idiot would let such a treasure go. More importantly, where did he get it from?

Uncle Lin stepped in and explained in detail what had happened at the auction.

Everyone was very impressed by Chen Fan once again after they have heard what Uncle Lin had to say.

Even though Chen Fan had demonstrated that he could control lightning, the rich tycoons of the Chu Zhou City conceded that they would rarely have a use for Chen Fan's violent ability. Plus, without learning the abilities themselves, they could not directly benefit from Chen Fan's art. However, it was an entirely different ball game if Chen Fan was able to produce these artifacts so that they, too, could benefit from his spells.

"Master Chen, please tell me your offer. I want no more than a replica of the Eight Trigrams Plate." Boss Yan was the first one to speak up. He looked at Chen Fan expectantly as if his life rested on the boy's decision.

The other businessmen also joined in as they topped each other's offer. Soon, it had turned into a bidding war, and Chen Fan didn't have to wait long before the offer reached five hundred million.

"Well, I don't need your money. If you can find me a top-quality jade, I will create a Dharma Artifact for you for free." Chen Fan finally broke his silence and interrupted the squabbling businessmen.

After hearing Chen Fan's decision, they all nodded appreciatively.

"Don't worry, Master Chen. I promise I will find you the best jade the world has to offer!"

The other wealthy gentry of the Chu Zhou City chimed in to boost their determination to find the jade. A piece of perfect jade would be an insignificant price for a magical Dharma Artifact. Even The Old Man Zhen joined in and swore that he would be the first person to bring Chen Fan the jade.

Chen Fan cracked a smile.

Money meant nothing to him. However, a supreme-grade jade was extremely useful. Even if he had the money to buy one, most of these jades were locked up in the safe of the rich families and would never be sold on the market.

However, most of the attendees were business tycoons, and therefore, they knew where to look and could reach their hands into places where others couldn't.

When Chen Fan started creating the jade talisman, he thought of making a few more for his family. However, that was impossible without crafting material. He would be very pleased if this group of rich men were able to help him solve the problem.

After Chen Fan had made a deal with the local gentry, he left the banquet. As soon as Chen Fan was gone, the guests started making calls to solicit for the supreme-grade jade.

After a few days, The October 1st National Holiday arrived. Chen Fan decided to go back to Si Shui County and visit his parents.

However, after he talked to his dad, he was told to stay at Chu Zhou City and focus on his studies since neither mother nor Sister were going to be home during the holiday.

Chen Fan then received a phone call from Sister Yin. Sister Yin wanted him to work at the bar due to a large number of customers visiting the bar during the holiday.

He had been thinking about quitting his job at the bar since he had already secured a few hundred million yuan plus a mansion in the mountain.

However, before Chen Fan officially gave Sister Yin the resignation letter, Chen Fan had to work.

The Coco bar was jam-packed during the holiday, and one night, when he was delivering a bottle of wine to a customer, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Chen Fan?"

He turned around and saw his desk mate Jiang Taniu staring at him with surprise.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 40: I Will Kick Your Ass

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Nice to see you here." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

This was the second time he had met one of his classmates at the bar. Since the bar was very close to high school, Chen Fan expected to see his schoolmates from time to time.

"Yeah." Jiang Tanqiu said as his eyes flickered up.

He was unaware of what had happened at the auction, and neither had he gotten the memo on Chen Fan's job at the bar.

Therefore, when he found out that his desk mate was working at the bar, he was quite shocked. He had always known Chen Fan as a proud although reserved popular kid and never had he thought that Chen Fan worked at a bar.

"Xiao Qiu, is this your friend?" A girl stood up from her chair and asked.

"Yes, Sister Qian-Qian. he is my deskmate, and his name is Chen Fan." Jiang Tanqiu spoke under his breath; clearly, he was embarrassed by Chen Fan's low wage job.

It wasn't until then that Chen Fan realized that there was a boy and a girl sitting right next to Jiang Taniu. They both looked to be in their twenties. The male was tall and handsome while the girl was of above average looks.

Chen Fan's eyes glinted surreptitiously the moment he saw the girl.

"Hi, I am Xiao Qiu's neighbor; my name is Xiao Qian." The girl reached a hand out to Chan Fan as she spoke.

Chen Fan ignored her and turned around to Jiang Taniu and said: "You guys have fun, I need to work."

After he said that, he turned on his heels and started back without even glancing at Xiao Qian.

Xiao Qian pulled a taut face as displeasure surfaced on her face.

Jiang Tanqiu felt even more embarrassed, and he stammered, "Sister Qian-Qian, don't mind him. He is always like that."

"Just forget about him, Qian-Qian. Come sit right here," the man said with a warm smile.

Hearing the other man's words, Xiao Qian finally gathered herself and sat down reluctantly.

The man then gave Jiang Taniu a look and then spoke in a patient voice, "Xiao Qiu, I know this is our first time meeting each other, and I really shouldn't poke my nose into your business.

"However, as your senior, I felt the need to remind you of what makes a good friend. Your friend, for example, his job aside—after all, being independent is a good thing— his action was extremely rude and inappropriate. Have you asked yourself if such a person could be trusted as your friend?"

"Touche! Xiao Qi, you need to heed the words of your senior!" Xiao Qian chimed in.

Jiang Tanqiu felt indignant; however, he lacked the words to protest for himself, so he could only smile and nod his head.

Deep down, he blamed Chen Fan for this unpleasant experience. He had always treated Chen Fan like one of his best friends, but Chen Fan didn't seem to appreciate his good gesture. Otherwise, he wouldn't embarrass him in front of the girl he liked and his rival in love. The least a friend could do was to help each other, but Chen Fan had been a hindrance rather than a help so far.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Taniu, Chen Fan had recognized the girl at first sight.

She was Xiao Qian, the daughter of Jiang Tanqiu's neighbor. She was one year older than Jiang Taniu and studied at the Chu Zhou University. Jiang Taniu had been her secret admirer ever since Jiang Taniu was a boy.

In Chen Fan's past life, Jiang Tanqiu had got himself into trouble because of her. In the end, Jiang Taniu was thrown behind the bar for seven years and therefore ruined his otherwise promising life. Xiao Qian, on the other hand, had a new boyfriend as soon as Jiang Tanqiu went to jail. She didn't visit Jiang Tanqiu even once during the seven years of incarceration.

Why would Chen Fan be nice to such a shameless woman?

"Hey, your friend seemed to be in some kind of trouble." Jiang Tanqiu heard Senior Qi say.

They both looked over their shoulders and saw Chen Fan was arguing with a man with a pasty complexion.

"I know that guy; he is the manager of the bar, we call him Boss Yang. I have heard that he is an inlaw of Brother Dong; not someone you want to mess around." Senior Qi shook his head and said, "It's not looking too good for your friend."

"Who cares? I hope he got his ass kicked. Let's drink up; don't let him spoil our fun." Xiao Qian said indignantly.

Hearing Xiao Qian's words, Jiang Taniu hesitated for a second and then sat down reluctantly.

If not for the previous unpleasant run-in between Chen Fan and Xiao Qian, Jiang Tanqiu would have already joined Chen Fan. However, Jiang Tanqiu was unimpressed by Chen Fan's uncouth behavior that embarrassed him at the most inconvenient time.

"Senior Qi, who is Brother Dong?" Xiao Qian asked curiously.

Senior Qi cracked a smile and said, "Brother Dong is the one calling the shots in the University district. He had a share in almost all the venues around here. "

"Oh? So the Boss Yang is also quite a champ, I take it?"

Jiang Tanqiu's pulled a taut face as he heard that. Driving by the urge to save his friend, his body jerked forward slightly, but he didn't get up in the end.

Xiao Qian put in again, "However resourceful this Brother Dong was, he was just an underling compare to our Senior Qi.

"Ah Xiao Qiu, I haven't told you about Senior Qi yet have I? Senior Qi's father is a business magnate at the Yun Shan District. I bet that if Brother Dong saw Senior Qi, he might have to drop his knees and kowtow to him." Xiao Qian introduced Senior Qi to Jiang Tanqiu with a smug smile.

Jiang Tanqiu managed a smile back.

"Don't listen to her, haha. But I am sure that Brother Dong would do me a favor if I asked him."

Hearing that, Xiao Qian's eyes lit up with a mixture of infatuation and admiration.

Jiang Tanqiu didn't miss the subtle change in the girl's expression. The light in his eyes diminished as he conceded the gap between him and Senior Qi. Not only was Senior Qi better looking than him, but he was also slightly older than the girl. His calm and mature demeanor was what attracted the Xiao Qian the most.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan stared at Boss Yang indifferently. Standing beside him was Ziqi who was already breaking down into tears.

"Why? I can't even talk to my employees?"

Boss Yang pointed a finger at Chen Fan; spittles splattered everywhere from his contorted mouth.

"Chen Boy! Don't you think that you can just hide behind Sister Yin's shirts! I am the manager of the bar, and you are just a fruit boy! It is my job to tell you what to do! Do you hear me?"

"Move your hand away," Chen Fan said lightly.

"What if I don't? Are you going to hit me?" Boss Yang said hotly.

The boy had interrupted him when he was castigating Ziqi. As the manager of the bar, it was his right and duty to reprimand any employee as he saw fit. How could he let a waiter step on his toes and tell him what to do?

"Quit it, Xiao Fan. It's all my fault." Ziqi nudged Chen Fan's elbow and said apologetically.

Even as she spoke, tears streaked across her red face, and her voice was filled with indignation.

"You can reprimand her if you have a legitimate reason. But can you tell me what Ziqi had done wrong? She was just a bit late when delivering wine to a customer, but you have been at it for five minutes. If that wasn't enough, you have deducted her one week's worth of salary. Do you know what those eight hundred yuan meant to her?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"That's one month's living expenses.

"Ah, right, you don't care."

Before Boss Yang could reply, Chen Fan continued.

"In your mind, you are the lord of the place, and you also have a powerful protector. Therefore you don't care what other people think of you. You know she won't fight back because she still wants the job, don't you?"

"You nailed it! My protector is Brother Dong, and I AM the manager. So what are you planning to do?" Boss Yang asked rhetorically.

He kept on pointing at Chen Fan and said contemptuously:

"Kiddo, let me be clear. I don't like you and I have never liked you, and I have been patient enough with you for too long. If not for Sister Yin, I would have kicked you out of here!"

"Is that right? well, then there's nothing to talk about." Chen Fan said as he heaved a sigh.

"Why, are you backing down now? That's fine, but you need to apologize to me, then and only then, I will think about forgiving you." Boss Yang's voice swelled with arrogance.

Sensing the situation was finally cooling down, the waitress around Chen Fan heaved a sigh of relief.

Although no one liked Boss Yang, they knew better than to raise up against him. Backing down and apologizing was Chen Fan's best option.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan cracked a smile and then said: "Apologize?"

"What I meant is since I can't talk sense into you, I will have to whip your ass until you find them yourself."

"Hit me? Haha!" Boss Yang laughed out loud, and before his laughter had faded, he punched at Chen Fan.

No one had dared to threaten him in his bar, and Boss Yang intended it to remain that way.

However, just half a second later, Boss Yang was sent flying. His body spun around before it thudded heavily on a coffee table, knocking and smashing the glasses and bottles on the table.

"Ah!" A female customer sitting next to the coffee table screamed.

Before the waiters and waitresses figured out what had happened, Chen Fan zeroed in on Boss Yang and started to slap his face heavily.

"This one is for Sister Yan-Yan; you deducted half a months worth of salary from her paycheck for no reason."

"This one is for Xiao Dong; you bullied the sixteen-year-old almost every day!"

"This one is for Ziqi, so that you will learn the meaning of respect!"

"The last one is for Sister Yin. You have spoiled the reputation of the bar that she had worked so hard to maintain."

Every time Chen Fan landed a slap on Boss Yang's face, he made the manager know why he was getting it.

After a dozen slaps, Boss Yang's cheek was swollen to the size of a pork bun, and he could barely form a word in his mouth. Blood seeped out from the wounds and dripped to the floor.

Everything happened so fast that when people finally realized what was going on, Chen Fan had already finished the punishment.

Suddenly, a voice shouted at Chen Fan: "What the hell are you doing, Chen Fan? Quit it, now!"

Everyone turned toward the voice, and they saw a man and two women walking out of the manager's office on the second floor. One of the women glared at Chen Fan while her face was contorted with anger.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 41: The Third Lord's Invitation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The girl who called Chen Fan out was the star of the bar: Sister Ding-Ding

Chen Yin stood right beside Ding-Ding. Her face was overwrought when she saw the trouble Chen Fan was in.

Having watched the development from the beginning to the end, Xiao Qian exclaimed incredulously: "Xiao Qiu, your friend is so... boorish. I have never seen an employee beat up a manager before."

Jiang Tanqiu smiled smugly and said: "You bet. This friend of mine was good at nothing but fighting. He had defeated a Taekwondo black belt at school."

When Senior Qi saw the man on the second floor, he pulled a taut face and shook his head. "Things are about to get more complicated. Did you see that man on the second floor?"

"Yeah?" Jiang Tanqiu paused for a second and then replied.

The man was behind the two girls. However, he stood right in the middle of the two. It was evident that the man was the one calling the shots. He wrapped one arm around Ding-Ding's waist and looked down at the commotion with an angered face.

"That is Brother Dong." Senior Qi said under his breath.

Jiang Tanqiu and Xiao Qian were taken aback by the revelation. They had just spoken of the devil, now there he was.

"Good, that rude brute will finally learn a lesson." Xiao Qian gave Jiang Tanqiu a look as she gloated at Chen Fan's impending doom. Jiang Tanqiu's face paled as hesitation gleamed in his eyes.

Boss Yang struggled to his feet and hurried to clamber up to the second floor as if those three people on the landing was his saviors.

"Brother Dong, help me!

"This asshole had slapped me a dozen times. Look at my face!" Boss Yang sobbed.

Displeasure etched onto Brother Dong's hard face as he saw how much Bosses Yang's face had swelled up.

The crowd on the first floor filled with surprise when they heard Boss Yang call the man "Brother Dong."

"Is he Brother Dong?"

"Brother Dong of the University District? He is the real boss of all business around this area."

"Shit, shit! What is going to happen to Xiao Fan?"

Some waitresses who were friends with Chen Fan shuffled their feet nervously.

"Sister Yin, It is all my fault, please leave Xiao Fan out of this," Ziqi spoke out bravely after taking a deep breath.

All of her friend's faces darkened. One of them tugged her sleeve and said, "What are you doing? You are going to get yourself killed!"

"Xiao Fan hit Boss Yang because of me. I can't let him be responsible for everything. He is just a student." Resolution flickered in Ziqi's eyes, despite her shaky voice.

Before Chen Yin could utter a word, Brother Dong spoke up.

"Are you Chen Fan? I have heard of you from Sister Yin.

"You see, If you had hit anyone else, I wouldn't get involved since you have saved Sister Yin's life. However, Xiao Yang is my inlaw, and also my man in the Coco Bar. He is your manager for god's sake, how could you beat him up like this? Tell me, what do you think I should do with you?"

Blood drained out of Sister Yin's face after she heard Brother Dong's words, she managed a smile and then said:

"Brother Dong, Xiao Fan is still a kid; please give him one more chance."

"One more chance?" Sister Ding Ding said in a sharp voice. "Everyone knew that Boss Yang is Brother Dong's man. Therefore, Chen Fan didn't just beat up Boss Yang, but he also slapped Brother Dong in the face.

"Am I right, Brother Dong?"

After she was done, her body seemed to have melted into Brother Dong's arms. An approving smile broke over Brother Dong's face.

Brother Dong's name is Liu Zhengdong. He was well known for his revengefulness and inflated ego.

Chen Yin's heart sank once she saw the sadistic smile on Brother Dong's face. She kept her silence and regarded Chen Fan helplessly.

Although she owned the bar, without the "protection" of Brother Dong, she would not be able to run a business in this district.

"Xiao Fan, just lower your head and apologize. That way, at least I can save your life!" Sister Yin screamed in her mind.

However, the situation took a bad turn very quickly.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked at Liu Zhengdong with a cold smile.

"What should you do?"

"It's very easy, just apologize to me, Ziqi as well as all the other workers in the bar, and then get the fuck out of Coco. "

"What did you say?"

Brother Dong thought his ear had played a trick on him. He smirked at Chen Fan incredulously.

The girls around Chen Fan were terrified by what they heard. Ziqi threw herself at Chen Fan and shouted.

"Are you crazy? That is Brother Dong!"

"Xiao Fan, Apologize, NOW!"

Chen Yin chastised Chen Fan immediately, and then she gave Brother Dong an imploring look.

"No, go on. I want to hear what he has to say." Brother Dong waved a dismissively at Chen Yin as he smiled at Chen Yin sarcastically. "What else? Do tell. I am a reasonable man, you know."

Everyone squeezed their eyes at Chen Fan, warning him not to fall for the trap.

Chen Fan ignored the warning and played along.

"Other request?

"Why-of course! You can give up your shares in all the bars right now and sell it to me."

Chen Fan said lightly

"You want to kick me out of the business?"

Brother Dong pointed a finger at himself as he stared at Chen Fan as if he was looking at a deranged madman.

"That's right. You better do it before I change my mind. If I were you, I would get the hell out of the University District while you still can."

Chen Fan was already planning to quit his job, so he decided to give Sister Yin and all of his friends at the bar one last gift that will keep on giving.

By then, not only Brother Dong but nearly everyone in the bar was convinced that Chen Fan had gone mad.

Liu Zhengdong could no longer hold back the anger inside of him, so he slammed the railing of the landing with a giant palm and grinned.

"Kid, I wanted to spare your life for the sake of Sister Yin. However, it appears that I will have to teach you a hard lesson after all.

"I, Liu Zhengdong had never met anyone who dared to talk to me like this after I pledged my liegance to Zhou Tianhao."

"Yes, yes! Brother Dong, this kid is getting out of control, kick him out of here!"

Boss Yang said vehemently.

Seeing all hopes were lost, Sister Yin closed her eyes and didn't want to witness what was going to happen next.

That's it, Chen Fan had asked for it himself. Brother Dong was never going to let it slide because it was going to make him look weak. He needed to make an example of the Chen Fan and let others know what would happen to his challenger.

"Why are you so full of yourself?"

Sister Yin lamented in her mind.

Suddenly, Jiang Tanqiu stood up and said: "I can't let Chen Fan do it alone!"

Xiao Qian hurried to stop him from walking over to the commotion.

"Sister Qian-Qian, he is my friend!" Jiang Tanqiu said with a pained face.

Xiao Qian didn't reply; she turned her head to look at Senior Qi.

Senior Qi thought for a while and then shook his head. "I might be able to rescue your friend if he didn't challenge Brother Dong openly. It's too late now; no one can help him."

"Did you hear that, Xiao Qi? Sit down and shut up!"

Xiao Qian put in. She didn't like Chen Fan, and therefore she was relieved that Senior Qi was not going to get involved.

Jiang Tanqiu stood still and was not sure what to do.

Suddenly people heard loud din came from the entrance of the bar. A man pushed his way through the crowd and walked over to Chen Fan.

He was an ordinary looking man with a buzzcut.

Brother Dong hurried to the first floor and welcomed him.

"Oh my, brother Xi, what has brought you here?"

Seeing Brother Dong's unctuous smile, everyone wondered who was this mysterious guest.

Even as everyone wondered about the identity of the man, he pushed Brother Dong to the side, walked over to Chen Fan and then bowed deeply.

"Mr. Chen, The Third Lord invites you to a banquet."

Brother Dong could only stare as his mind reeled.

"What the heck is happening?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 42: Over Sea Hong Sect

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Brother Xi, why are you..." Brother Dong's face turned black. Brother Xi was an influential assistant serving under The Third Lord of Wei.

"Mr. Chen is The Third Lord's guest. Why? Have you offended Mr. Chen?" Brother Xi asked with a big frown.

Brother Dong lowered his head and murmured, "Er..."

Compared to The Third Lord of Wei; Brother Dong was so low on the totem pole that The Third Lord of Wei wouldn't even grace him with an audience. If Chen Fan really was The Third Lord's guest, Brother Dong was in big trouble.

"I am sorry Mr. Chen. I am so ignorant that I didn't even recognize Mountain Tai."

"Remember, if I hear anything unpleasant happening in the Coco bar, I will come to find you." Chen Fan said thinly.

"Yes, yes. I got it!" Brother Dong felt icy sweat slid down on his back as he cursed his luck in his mind.

However, at this point in time, he scarcely dared to breathe much less protest against Chen Fan.

Seeing Brother Dong had shriveled like a worm, Sister Ding-Ding and Boss Yang were so scared that their legs started to tremble. They didn't speak a word, fearing to catch Chen Fan's attention.

Little did they know that Chen Fan didn't want to waste any more time on these petty grievances. He nodded to Sister Yin and then was through the exist under many incredulous stares.

As soon As Chen Fan left the bar, the crowd boiled over.

"OMG! What did I see? Brother Dong apologized to a high school student?"

"That guy is so bad-ass! I saw him many times working here as a waiter; I never thought that he would have such powerful connections here in the city."

"No kidding! I had been his coworker for nearly a month now; never did I see that in him."

Customers and the employees of the bar exchanged their opinion excitedly. They had just witnessed a rare and exhilarating sight of the weak overcoming the strong. A moment ago, Brother Dong was swollen with pride, and a moment later, he was on his knees and pleading for his life.

Brother Dong's face flushed red as embarrassment and anger roiled inside of him. He gave both Boss Yang and Sister Ding-Ding an accusatory look before he was through the door.

Chen Yin was going to call out to Brother Dong and offer some solace, but she thought better of it. She realized that the power dynamic between the two of them had changed. If Chen Fan really was The Third Lord of Wei's friend, then she doubted that Brother Dong would ever come to her bar again.

"Xiao Qian, are you sure that is your friend?" Xiao Qian glanced at Jiang Tanqiu suspiciously.

Jiang Tanqiu was taken aback by the development as well.

Sitting beside the two, Senior Qi pulled a taut face as his mind raced.

Being an honored guest of the Third Lord Wei was not a small feat for someone seemingly so ordinary.

So thinking, he glanced at Xiao Qian and Jiang Tanqiu with knotted brows. Senior Qi knew Jiang Tanqiu was also interested in Xiao Qian. However, he had never taken the fledgling seriously.

However, he felt a sense of threat after learning that Jiang Tanqiu had such a powerful friend.

Chen Fan was led into a black Benz, and a few minutes later, they arrived at the Hidden Dragon Villa.

He found a group of people were already there waiting for him at the entrance, among them were the Third Lord of Wei.

He was in a cab the last time he came to his villa, and no one was at the front gate to receive him. However, this time, not only he was in an expensive vehicle, but his host had also rolled out the red carpet for him.

"Master Chen, you are finally here!"

As soon as Chen Fan emerged from the car, he was greeted by the Third Lord of Wei's ingratiating smile. Another familiar face was behind the Third Lord of Wei: Guo Wei from the Wei Shen Martial Arts School.

Chen Fan greeted them with a warm smile.

The two were flattered by Chen Fan's friendliness, and their fake smiles softened into that of a sincere welcome.

"Master Chen, please come in."

Even as Chen Fan walked over the threshold, he asked curiously, "Why is Mr. Guo with the Third Lord?"

Guo Wei bowed slightly and then replied, "I am here to learn the update on Brother Hao's research on Linbao's background. Well, the Third Lord just happen to be here. We brief the Third Lord about what had happened at the Lake Heart Island. He was mad at us for not informing him about it as soon as possible, and he insisted on including you in today's meeting. "

The Third Lord of Wei chimed in. "No kidding, I blame Xiao Hao! If he had told me about you as soon as possible, I would have met you much earlier."

"It's my bad, sorry everyone. I will buy everyone a drink !" Brother Hao confessed.

Greetings over, everyone walked to the banquet table and sat down. Chen Fan looked to Guo Wei and asked.

"Mr. Guo, what's the update on Linbao?"

Guo Wei nodded, and then said, "Ever since Brother Hao asked me to investigate Linbao, I had to pull some strings from inside of the Xin Yi Sect. In the end, I finally learned something valuable from a sect member who used to run a sect branch overseas.

"Linbao was a lay disciple of the grand master Lei Qianjue from the Oversea Hong Sect."

"The Oversea Hong Sect, Lei Qianjue?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"I thought the Hong Sect had been disbanded a long time ago?"

"They have disappeared in China, but they are still the number one underground organization overseas." Guo Wei lamented.

"The friend I was talking to also practiced the Hong Fist. He wanted to open a Martial Arts School overseas, and he learned that he would need the permission of the Hong Sect. Not only that, he later found out that nearly all-powerful leaders in the overseas Chinese community are members of the Hong Sect."

"Really?" Chen Fan exclaimed incredulously.

"Indeed! My overseas connection also told me that back in the early days, Chinese immigrants were discriminated against by their host country, and therefore, they needed a powerful protector. Hong Sect happened to be the most powerful organization at the time, and everyone sought protection under its wings." The Third Lord of Wei said as he nodded.

"What is the rank of Lei Qianjue within the Hong Sect?" The Third Lord asked.

Guo Wei smiled wryly and then said, "This is where things get complicated. Lei Qianjue is well respected overseas and was considered one of the very few grandmasters outside of China. I have heard that even the Chairman of the Hong Sect would have to address him as 'Brother Lei' respectfully. "

Everyone's face darkened once they have heard Guo Wei's words.

VIEW ALL COMMENTSRate this chapterVote with Power Stone

Chapter 43: Grand Master Lei Qianjue

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Is Lei Qianjue really such an admirable figure overseas?" Third Lord of Wei asked incredulously.

He found it inconceivable that a martial artist would achieve such a high social status.

"He is a Transcendent Master; it will make him an admirable person even in China much less in the Chinese community overseas. " Guo Wei lamented. "I have told the martial artists at the Xin Yi sect about you, and no one would believe me that a sixteen-year-old boy has the power of a transcendent master.

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I didn't see it with my own eyes."

After saying that, Guo Wei gave Chen Fan a respectful nod. Seeing Chen Fan's aloof and casual expression, a wave of admiration and reverence swept through his body.

Lei Qianjue was not only a Transcendent Master but also had the same level of authority as the chairman of the Hong Sect. On the other hand, although Chen Fan was much younger than Lei Qianjue, he had already attained the same level of prowess as the old man. The achievements of Lei Qianjue spoke loudly of Chen Fan's stunning feat.

When Zhou Tianhao and the Third Lord of Wei finally realized that Chen Fan and Lei Qianjue were on the same level, their admiration for Chen Fan had grown to a whole new level.

They only knew that Chen Fan was a powerful fighter, but they were oblivious as to exactly how powerful he was.

If Lei Qianjue could garner such respect and authority using his martial arts skills, so could Chen Fan.

After a while, the banquet started. They were presented with many delicacies as well as all kinds of expensive drinks. The dishes didn't stop coming until midnight, and The Third Lord suggested that they should go to the clubs next.

Chen Fan was not in the mood of clubbing with a group of middle-aged men, so he left for home once he was done eating.

When he got home, he made a phone call to Sister Yin and told her that he would not come to work due to the increasingly heavy load of assignments. Sister Yin knew it was an excuse, but she accepted his resignation without pressing for more answers. After Chen Fan hung up the phone, he heaved a sigh of relief for not needing to explain his relationship with Zhou Tianhao to Sister Yin.

The next day, Xin Zhong wired the forty-five million yuan to Chen Fan's bank account. By then, Chen Fan's bank account had swelled to sixty million, with such a strong financial backing, Chen Fan decided that it was time to take a leap forward in his cultivation.

Ever since he was reborn, he had only spent a little over a month on cultivation. He was still three months away from entering the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment Level. Although the Void Mortal Refinement Art was powerful, it required a huge amount of Spirit Qi. Furthermore, as Chen Fan progressed through his cultivation, the Qi required to run the Void Mortal Refinement Art would increase exponentially.

The Spirit Qi around the numinous abode had long since fallen short. Chen Fan was able to maintain his rate of progressing all thanks to the Spirit Gathering Array on the Jade Marrow Talisman.

Therefore, Chen Fan decided to put his money to good use and speed up his cultivation process.

"There are only two feasible methods to speed up the cultivation process; one is to find another Numinous Abode, and the other was to use Spirit Stones and Elixirs.

"I should forget about the elixirs for now, and focus on the first method. "

"Over the past month, I have traveled all over the city and its suburbs but wasn't able to locate an area where the Spirit Qi pooled together. I wager that I will have to brave deeper into the mountains in order to find the hidden veins where the Qi flowed. However, even if I can find such a place, it would be so far away from Chu Zhou City that it would be impossible for me to cultivate and go to school at the same time.

"That being said, if I can't find one in nature, I can create one for myself."

A confident smile surfaced on Chen Fan's face.

Many schools of cultivations had their own Spirit Land for the convenience of their disciples. At its core, a Spirit Land was a Spirit Gathering Array on steroids. It could be as small as a few square kilometers or as big as a small galaxy.

The sacred cultivation land of the True Martial Immortal Sect was a huge Celestial Array made up of countless stars and planets.

In order to create a Spirit Land, Chen Fan would have to find a secluded location. The noisy and densely populated area would not do.

"Lucky for me that Mr. Wei had given me a villa high up in the mountain."

Chen Fan fished out the key to the villa and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I have visited the villa once since I got the key. It was located at the very top of the highest peak of the Yunwu Mountain, at the head of the serpentine mountain range. From there, I could have a bird's eye view of the Yan Gui lake and the Yun Wu Mountain. I wager that this Villa would cost at least fifty million yuan.

"As such, Mr. Wei really had given me a great present. That being said, I still think my gift for him: the Secret Art of the Wei was better."

Chen Fan didn't waste any time as he began to plan his next step.

"If I could cast a large Dharma Array up in the mountain, I should be able to gather the Qi that spreads across the mountain and the lake to the Villa and create a small Grotto-heaven Spirit Land. By then, I should have enough Spirit Qi to last until I reach Ethereal Enlightenment.

"This Dharma Array needs not only to gather Qi but also serve as a defense. I don't want to be sneak attacked while I am cultivating at home."

Guo Wei's warning about Lei Qianjue and Linbao had raised Chen Fan's guard.

Although Lei Qianjue wouldn't come after him personally, he could have sent his disciples. Plus, the number of resources from the Hong Sect that was under his disposal should not be taken lightly. Chen Fan was not afraid of vengeful martial artists, but he would be in trouble if those martial artists played nasty and brought modern weapons with them.

Although the Jade Marrow Talisman could provide him some measure of protection, it was no match against high caliber ballistic weapons such as the .357 magnum.

Plus, modern weapons had evolved greatly, and Chen Fan was convinced that there were weapons specially designed for killing Internal Force users.

"Finally, the last piece of the Dharma Array was the Stabilizer, also the most crucial component. I can use the Jade Marrow talisman, but that would mean that I have to walk around without any protection."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows as he could not find a solution to the problem. However, he reckoned that it would take him a while to build the Dharma Array and therefore, he still had time to think about it.

He decided to let the matter rest for now and worry about it when he has to. Perhaps the answer would turn up by itself.

With newfound determination, Chen Fan carried on.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 43: Grand Master Lei Qianjue

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Is Lei Qianjue really such an admirable figure overseas?" Third Lord of Wei asked incredulously.

He found it inconceivable that a martial artist would achieve such a high social status.

"He is a Transcendent Master; it will make him an admirable person even in China much less in the Chinese community overseas. " Guo Wei lamented. "I have told the martial artists at the Xin Yi sect about you, and no one would believe me that a sixteen-year-old boy has the power of a transcendent master.

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I didn't see it with my own eyes."

After saying that, Guo Wei gave Chen Fan a respectful nod. Seeing Chen Fan's aloof and casual expression, a wave of admiration and reverence swept through his body.

Lei Qianjue was not only a Transcendent Master but also had the same level of authority as the chairman of the Hong Sect. On the other hand, although Chen Fan was much younger than Lei Qianjue, he had already attained the same level of prowess as the old man. The achievements of Lei Qianjue spoke loudly of Chen Fan's stunning feat.

When Zhou Tianhao and the Third Lord of Wei finally realized that Chen Fan and Lei Qianjue were on the same level, their admiration for Chen Fan had grown to a whole new level.

They only knew that Chen Fan was a powerful fighter, but they were oblivious as to exactly how powerful he was.

If Lei Qianjue could garner such respect and authority using his martial arts skills, so could Chen Fan.

After a while, the banquet started. They were presented with many delicacies as well as all kinds of expensive drinks. The dishes didn't stop coming until midnight, and The Third Lord suggested that they should go to the clubs next.

Chen Fan was not in the mood of clubbing with a group of middle-aged men, so he left for home once he was done eating.

When he got home, he made a phone call to Sister Yin and told her that he would not come to work due to the increasingly heavy load of assignments. Sister Yin knew it was an excuse, but she accepted his resignation without pressing for more answers. After Chen Fan hung up the phone, he heaved a sigh of relief for not needing to explain his relationship with Zhou Tianhao to Sister Yin.

The next day, Xin Zhong wired the forty-five million yuan to Chen Fan's bank account. By then, Chen Fan's bank account had swelled to sixty million, with such a strong financial backing, Chen Fan decided that it was time to take a leap forward in his cultivation.

Ever since he was reborn, he had only spent a little over a month on cultivation. He was still three months away from entering the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment Level. Although the Void Mortal Refinement Art was powerful, it required a huge amount of Spirit Qi. Furthermore, as Chen Fan progressed through his cultivation, the Qi required to run the Void Mortal Refinement Art would increase exponentially.

The Spirit Qi around the numinous abode had long since fallen short. Chen Fan was able to maintain his rate of progressing all thanks to the Spirit Gathering Array on the Jade Marrow Talisman.

Therefore, Chen Fan decided to put his money to good use and speed up his cultivation process.

"There are only two feasible methods to speed up the cultivation process; one is to find another Numinous Abode, and the other was to use Spirit Stones and Elixirs.

"I should forget about the elixirs for now, and focus on the first method. "

"Over the past month, I have traveled all over the city and its suburbs but wasn't able to locate an area where the Spirit Qi pooled together. I wager that I will have to brave deeper into the mountains in order to find the hidden veins where the Qi flowed. However, even if I can find such a place, it would be so far away from Chu Zhou City that it would be impossible for me to cultivate and go to school at the same time.

"That being said, if I can't find one in nature, I can create one for myself."

A confident smile surfaced on Chen Fan's face.

Many schools of cultivations had their own Spirit Land for the convenience of their disciples. At its core, a Spirit Land was a Spirit Gathering Array on steroids. It could be as small as a few square kilometers or as big as a small galaxy.

The sacred cultivation land of the True Martial Immortal Sect was a huge Celestial Array made up of countless stars and planets.

In order to create a Spirit Land, Chen Fan would have to find a secluded location. The noisy and densely populated area would not do.

"Lucky for me that Mr. Wei had given me a villa high up in the mountain."

Chen Fan fished out the key to the villa and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I have visited the villa once since I got the key. It was located at the very top of the highest peak of the Yunwu Mountain, at the head of the serpentine mountain range. From there, I could have a bird's eye view of the Yan Gui lake and the Yun Wu Mountain. I wager that this Villa would cost at least fifty million yuan.

"As such, Mr. Wei really had given me a great present. That being said, I still think my gift for him: the Secret Art of the Wei was better."

Chen Fan didn't waste any time as he began to plan his next step.

"If I could cast a large Dharma Array up in the mountain, I should be able to gather the Qi that spreads across the mountain and the lake to the Villa and create a small Grotto-heaven Spirit Land. By then, I should have enough Spirit Qi to last until I reach Ethereal Enlightenment.

"This Dharma Array needs not only to gather Qi but also serve as a defense. I don't want to be sneak attacked while I am cultivating at home."

Guo Wei's warning about Lei Qianjue and Linbao had raised Chen Fan's guard.

Although Lei Qianjue wouldn't come after him personally, he could have sent his disciples. Plus, the number of resources from the Hong Sect that was under his disposal should not be taken lightly. Chen Fan was not afraid of vengeful martial artists, but he would be in trouble if those martial artists played nasty and brought modern weapons with them.

Although the Jade Marrow Talisman could provide him some measure of protection, it was no match against high caliber ballistic weapons such as the .357 magnum.

Plus, modern weapons had evolved greatly, and Chen Fan was convinced that there were weapons specially designed for killing Internal Force users.

"Finally, the last piece of the Dharma Array was the Stabilizer, also the most crucial component. I can use the Jade Marrow talisman, but that would mean that I have to walk around without any protection."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows as he could not find a solution to the problem. However, he reckoned that it would take him a while to build the Dharma Array and therefore, he still had time to think about it.

He decided to let the matter rest for now and worry about it when he has to. Perhaps the answer would turn up by itself.

With newfound determination, Chen Fan carried on.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 44: Mountain Defensive Array

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Such a large Dharma Array required meticulous preparation; first, Chen Fan would need to create many small fragments of the array, then he would have to painstakingly piece all the fragments together. Much of the process also required a detailed survey of the topography of the mountain; it soon became clear to Chen Fan that in order to pull it off, he would need some help.

The first person Chen Fan thought of was The Third Lord of Wei.

Although the Third Lord of Wei knew nothing about cultivation, he had a wide network of contacts, which could be useful to Chen Fan.

When Chen Fan explained what he was trying to do, The Third Lord of Wei was taken aback. "Master Chen, you mean you want to create a 'Dharma Array' in at the top of the Yun Wu Mountain?"

He was so confused yet intrigued that he had forgotten the fact that his father had re-gifted his present to him to Chen Fan.

"What the heck is a 'Dharma Array'?"

Third Lord of Wei was unfamiliar with the jargon of the cultivators, and the only thing he could relate to the Dharma Array was the military formation called the Eight Trigrams Array. That was described in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Before Chen Fan could explain what a Dharma Array was, Master Qi stormed into the room. He received a notice from Chen Fan, asking him to attend the meeting.

"Master Chen, you are planning to cast an array?"

"Indeed. I wanted to use the Yun Wu Mountain as the base and cast a large Dharma Array around it." Chen Fan said.

Master Qi gaped at Chen Fan, his eyes wide open with disbelief. He had never heard of anyone casting a Dharma Array the size of a mountain.

Such a large scale array was only described in ancient legends, and it was given a name, "Mountain Defensive Array."

This was said to be the magnum opus of the most powerful cultivation families. It took hundreds if not thousands of years to complete, and the last time it happened was a few dozen thousand years ago, as stated by books that were half as old. In the present day, even a micro-sized array was rare, much less the large scale ones. Nonetheless, some people believed that there were still a couple of Mountain Defensive Array's that had survived the test of time and were kept as top secrets by the most ancient Dao sects.

However, without seeing it with his own eyes, Master Qi was convinced that those were just high tales.

After listening to Master Qi's explanation, the Third Lord of Wei was stunned by the magnitude of the work. A Dharma Array the size of a mountain. Was that even possible?

Chen Fan knotted his brows and said, "It's not as big as you think."

A Mountain Defensive Array was used to protect an entire mountain, but his spell would focus on just the house at the mountain peak. As for the rest of the area, he designed to patch it up with less demanding arrays such as the Spirit Gathering array, the Spirit Channeling Array and the Mist Array.

The real Mountain Defensive Array not only called for a tremendous amount of numinous treasures but also required the cultivator to reach the level of Divine Sea.

Since Chen Fan only need to focus on one area, the difficulty in creating the array decreased drastically.

Even though the array was only a fraction of the original version, Chen Fan still needed to take baby steps.

"Even if it's just a watered down version, it will still be an impressive feat!"

"Channeling the Spirit Qi around the Yan Gui Lake and the Yun Wu Mountain and then to reroute them into one reservoir. The scope and vision were unprecedented." Master Qi exclaimed.

He suddenly thought of something and then asked curiously. "Master Chen, there are not many people left in the world who are versed in the art of casting arrays. I wonder who you would ask to join you for the project?"

"Oh? no one else in the field of cultivation knew how to cast an array?" Chen Fan was staggered by the question.

Dharma Array, Talisman Inscription, Elixir Brewing and Artifact Crafting were all the basic training of a cultivator. Any Foundation Establishment Level fledging would recite at least one hundred different kinds of methods of the art.

"We don't even have many cultivators, much less, ones that could cast arrays." Maser Qi gave Chen Fan a wry smile.

"Master Wu who you had defeated, was already considered one of the most powerful experts."

"Even that snake oil salesman?" Chen Fan couldn't believe his ears.

"It seems like cultivation had fallen out of fashion in this world." Chen Fan frowned slightly and then said, "Doesn't matter, I will do it myself."

"You will do it all by yourself?" Master Qi was stunned.

The sheer scale of the project made Master Qi believe that it was Chen Fan's teacher who had envisioned the array. However, when Chen Fan announced that he was going to build the array by himself, Master Qi realized that it was Chen Fan's idea all along.

"Yes. The reason I decided to meet up with you two was that I need you to buy something for me." Chen Fan produced a list from his pocket.

The list included most of the material needed to cast the array.

The Qi on the earth is near depletion, and therefore, Chen Fan would have to be creative and use alternative materials.

"This array will need thirty-six small Dharma Artifacts, and five of them will be used by the Spirit Gathering Array at the center. You can help me find the jade I need to create these five Dharma Artifacts.

"If you could bring me those jade stones, I will create a Dharma Artifact similar to the Eight Trigrams Plate for each of you."

The Third Lord of Wei and Master Qi's faces lit up with glee after hearing the reward.

They don't care what kind of Dharma Artifact it was, as long as they could have one.

After the meeting, the three of them started to work towards their goals.

Chen Fan used the free time during the national holiday to work on the first Dharma Artifact.

Since the array would be cast over the misty mountain, Chen Fan decided to name it the "Misty Mountain Array."

The Misty Mountain Array consisted of four main components, at the center of the array, inside the Villa, was a Spirit Channeling Array; around the villa was a Guardian Array which connected to the Spirit Channeling Array; Lastly, high above the mountain peak was the Misty Mountain Array.

By combining the mountain mist with the Mist Array, not only was the effect of the array amplified, but the constant thick mist also concealed the villa from the view of the public.

The Yan Gui Lake had a large amount of Water Spirit Qi, and they would be channeled towards the villa. This Qi could not only be used for cultivation; it could also be used to fuel the Dharma Array.

At the center of the large yet complicated system of arrays was the Spirit Gathering Array. It was the pulsing heart that drove all of the other components. Without it, all the other components would stop working and fall apart.

The most crucial material for creating this Spirit Gathering Array was supreme-grade jade stones.

Only the flawless jade could hold a massive amount of Spirit Qi. In order to purchase these Jade Stones, Chen Fan had spent a third of his money in just a couple of days.

He sat in a quiet room of the villa while a piece of emerald-colored jade floated in the air in front of him. The jade was suffused with a green glow and with every pulse, energy erupted from inside.

Chen Fan closed his eyes and let out an ancient sound. The sound formed a shape in the air and turned into a golden symbol.

Chen Fan made a few more sounds, and with it, a few different golden symbols appeared out of thin air. These symbols drifted toward the jade and left a slight but precise impression of its surface.

"Hur!"

Chen Fan suddenly opened his eyes and puffed out a white gas from his mouth. This was Raw True Essence in its purest form. The gas merged into a writhing white light as it shot at the jade.

The white light agitated the Jade plate and made it hum. Inside the jade, in between the pulses of the green glow, Chen Fan can see energy roil and tumble like the powerful undercurrent of the ocean. All the while, the jade started to glow brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, the golden symbols surfaced on the Jade Plate. The strokes of the symbols formed a golden chain that confined the pulsing energy that threatened to break free. The struggle between the confining power of the symbols and the tumultuous green undercurrent made the Jade plate shake violently. After a while, the struggle finally subsided.

Chen Fan heaved a sigh and reached for the jade plate.

By then, the jade plate was no longer glowing. However, its surface was covered with countless small symbols made out of hair-thin strokes.

"Finally, the first Spirit Gathering Plate was completed! Four more to go! With these five plates, I should be able to construct the large Spirit Gathering Array in no time!" Chen Fan cheered in his mind.

He wished he could have more than just one piece of Jade Marrow since it was much more convenient to work with, and it was much more powerful. He wagered that he could have completed the entire project with just five Jade Marrows.

Without the Jade Marrows, Chen Fan had to separate the array into small segments and use inferior Dharma Artifacts to support each one of them.

"The jade stone for the Spirit Gathering Array was the easiest to find. I can gather enough of them as long as I have abundant funding. However, the materials required for other arrays are going to be difficult to find. I shouldn't just sit and wait for Third Lord of the Wei to find them for me; I need to work on it as well."

Chen Fan rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully.

Since the purpose of the Spirit Gathering Array was to gather and hold Spirit Qi, it called for the highest grade of jade. Jade was the most compatible with Spirit Qi since there were already small amounts of Spirit Qi inside of a high-grade jade.

However, the other three arrays were a whole new ball game.

In order to channel the Water Spirit Qi, Chen Fan will have to find material with a natural affinity with water. He didn't expect to find high-grade water class numinous treasures on earth, so he had asked Third Lord of Wei to purchase rocks from the deep sea.

Being buried a few thousand kilometers under the sea, a rock would attain some degree of affinity with water even if it was just an ordinary rock. That should be enough to keep the Spirit Channeling Array going.

The Mist Array called for the thousand-year-old Pine Driftwood. The pine wood was of yin attribute by itself, and the thousand-year-old Pine Driftwood would be as effective as the "Yin Crystals." However, Chen Fan was not hopeful that the Third Lord of Wei would be able to acquire such rare material.

The Guardian Array required even more special material, and Chen Fan decided to worry about it later.

By the last day of the National Holiday Season, Chen Fan had finished all five Spirit Gathering Plates. He had also used the leftover materials to create two more jade talismans which contained a lesser version of the Spirit Gathering Array. Although the effect of the lesser version was inferior to that of Chen Fan's Jade Marrow Talisman, it was much more powerful than the Eight-Trigrams-Plate.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 45: Enemy At the Gate

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Once Chen Fan had finished creating the Dharma Artifact required for the Spirit Gathering Array. He moved into the Villa on the mountain.

Although Chen Fan had already visited here once, he only walked around the perimeter of the building. Once he got inside, he was stunned by the lavish decorations. Many pieces of furniture inside the building were imported from overseas. The refrigerator alone would cost well over tens of thousands of yuan. Chen Fan cleaned the place up a bit and started to focus on his task at hand.

He set the five Spirit Gathering Plates in the five chosen corners of the house.

And then, he walked to the center of the hall and initiated the Dharma Art to link his energy with the five plates.

Suddenly, he stomped the floor and shouted, "Start!"

Five rays of emerald light lanced up from five corners, each measuring half dozen meters long. Once the five rays converge above the roof, they started to spread out until they formed a green umbrella covering the entire building.

Chen Fan closed his eyes as he felt the power of the Spirit Gathering Array.

Although Chen Fan didn't turn on the air conditioner, the temperature inside the villa dropped drastically. As the Spirit Qi was attracted to the house by the Spirit Gathering Array, it formed white mist around and inside the house. Chen Fen could feel the Spirit Qi gather around him and was contained safely inside the green umbrella.

"That's what I am talking about. It's at least three times more efficient than the Spirit Gathering Array in my Jade Marrow talisman due to its scale."

Chen Fan opened his eyes and was very pleased with the results.

The outcome had exceeded his expectations as it couldn't have been better. It occurred to him that the cause of the success was not only the size of the Dharma Array but also the fact that the density of the Spirit Qi this far in the mountain was much greater than that at the foothill.

"Once I finish the Misty Mountain Array and connect the Spirit Qi of the mountain with that of the lake, this place is really going to turn in to a Spirit Land!"

The thought filled Chen Fan's heart with anticipation.

However, not just any place with abundant Spirit Qi could be called a Spirit Land. What made a Spirit Land was the so-called "Spirit Qi Mist."

Such a mist would only form when the air was saturated with Spirit Qi. No longer able to dissolve into the air, these Spirit Qi would seep out from the air and form mist. On occasions where the concentration of mist was high enough, it would come even from Spirit Dew. Once collected and used by the cultivator, these Spirit Dew could help prolong the user's life. Its effect was even better than that of using Spirit Stones since it practically had no side effects.

The highest form of the Spirit Qi was called the "Crystallized Spirit Qi" or "Spirit Stones." Nearly all natural Spirit Lands that were capable of producing the Spirit Stones were occupied by one of the major Cultivation Sects.

And that was only the case for normal grade Spirit Lands. In the sacred ground such as the Spirit Land of the True Martial Immortal Sect, the cultivator could directly absorb Spirit Qi from the realm of the immortals. Therefore, the effect and level of the Spirit Qi in those areas was much more powerful than that of a normal Spirit Land.

Chen Fan was quite content with Spirit Qi Mist considering the lack of Spirit Qi on Earth. He didn't expect to ever see liquified or crystallized Spirit Qi.

He sat down cross-legged inside the villa and tested the Dharma Array; satisfied, he stood up and stopped the Dharma Array.

Since the Spirit Gathering Plate was not made out of Jade Marrow, it would eventually break after a period of use just like that Eight-Trigrams-Plate did.

Chen Fan walked out of the villa and started down the path that led to the foothills.

It was early in the evening, and many wealthy families were having their after-supper-walk on the mountain path. Seeing a young boy descending from the mountain top, confusion was written all over their faces. They knew there was only one villa at the mountain top, could that be this kid's home?

When Chen Fan was halfway to the end of the path, he heard someone calling his name. "Chen Fan?"

Chen Fan turned to the side and saw Jiang Churan and her family of three were staring at him with astonishment.

"Why are you here?"

Jiang Churan asked as he looked over Chen Fan's shoulder to where the boy was coming from.

She knew that the path led only to the mountaintop where the mysterious villa was located. She was halfway to the mountain top, and right at the threshold of that Villa owner's private property. This was where most people's daily evening walk ended as well, since from here forward would be the private property of the villa's owner.

"Auntie Tang, Uncle Jiang, and Ra-Ran, nice to see you all." Chen Fan greeted them with a warm smile.

Auntie Tang must have sensed something between him and Jiang Churan, and therefore she had stopped inviting him over for supper. Nonetheless, she had never stopped talking to him over the phone, asking how he was doing nearly every other day. Chen Fan was very appreciative of her care and attention.

After a while, Chen Fan answered, "I live up there."

"You live in Villa Number One?" Jiang Churan was taken aback, and she asked incredulously.

"Yes." Chen Fan nodded.

Jiang Haishan burst out laughing.

"The villa number one was the first villa built in this development, and it was a gift from the richest man in Chu Zhou City: Sheng Ronghua, to the founder of the Fang Sheng International Group: Mr. Wei."

He gave Chen Fan a look of disdain as he spoke.

"So are you telling me that you are Mr. Wei's family?"

"He gave this villa to me." Chen Fan said lightly. Without wasting any more time on Jiang Haishan, he looked toward Auntie Tang and said.

"Auntie Tang, thank you for looking after me ever since I arrived here. Can I invite you to visit my new home?"

Auntie Tang hesitated as her eyes met Chen Fan's candid gaze.

Reason told her that Chen Fan had to be lying. Why would The Third Lord of Wei give a high school kid a mansion that was worth over tens of millions?

However, the sincere look on Chen Fan's face tugged at her heart. She didn't want to hurt the boy's self-esteem, especially when her daughter was present.

So thinking, she forced a smile and then said, "I am still very full from my supper, maybe next time?

"Why don't you have an evening stroll with Ran-Ran. You two youngsters must have a lot of talk about. Your Uncle Jiang and I will excuse ourselves."

After she said that, she started down the path, dragging Jiang Haishan behind.

Jiang Haishan managed to blurt out a few more words before he was dragged away, "The kids nowadays are all pretty little liars!

"Don't you think that you can have my daughter using just lies!"

"Shut your trap; let's go!" Auntie Tang flung back at her husband.

It wasn't until her parents had disappeared, Jiang Churan turned toward Chen Fan and asked.

"Why are you here?"

"Did you come here for me?"

Chen Fan paused a second and then said with a smile, "I really do live in Villa Number One.

"I can prove it to you; just come with me."

Jiang Churan's pulled a taut face as soon as she heard Chen Fan's words.

"Chen Fan, we are alone now, why are you still lying to me?

"I know you are a friend of Wei Ziqin, but so what?

"I hope you realize that a real princess like Wei Ziqin would never have a true friendship with ordinary people like you and me. Your friendship with her was built on her pity for you."

Even as she spoke, her eyes seemed to have lost focus.

She was stunned by the turn of events at the Hidden Dragon Villa. However, when she got home and gave the incident more thought, she realized that she had overestimated Chen Fan. However, powerful Wei Ziqin was, Chen Fan was just her friend, a poor friend while at it.

Most rich people would have one or two poor friends at some point in their lives.

However, those friendships were often short-lived. Sooner or later, the rich and powerful would get tired of helping the poor.

After the auction, Jiang Churan had gone to the Coco bar again to see if anything had changed with Chen Fan. She was disappointed. Chen Fan was still doing the hard work a labor would.

Impatience flash across Chen Fan's face, and then he said, "I have told you the truth. I own this mansion now. It has nothing to do with Wei Ziqin."

Slightly frustrated, Chen Fan turned around and started down the path, leaving the girl all by herself.

She could not believe that Chen Fan had left her hanging for the second time. Anger rose inside of her, and she shouted at the arrogant boy:

"Chen Fan, you can't rely on Wei Ziqin forever!"

Although Jiang Churan looked disappointed, many other feelings clashed together in her heart.

She didn't believe Chen Fan's claim, but deep down, she wished that he had told her the truth.

And then, she was mad at herself for being riled up by Chen Fan, and she asked herself why did she care about him so much?

Meanwhile, unknown to Chen Fan, there was a ship cruising toward Tian He City a few thousand miles away from China.

"Lord Hu, we are only ten miles away from the coast; we need to anchor down right now before we hit the rocks."

"I will lower a boat and ferry you across to the cost."

The captain spoke to a middle-aged man fearfully.

The middle-aged man stood upright with his hands linked behind him. Despite the swelling waves that rocked the ship, he stood still steadily without a word.

Everyone in the captain was staring at him like he was a freak.

He had been standing like this for 24 hours and didn't move a muscle.

"No need for the boat."

The middle-aged man finally broke the silence.

His eyes seemed to be able to pierce through the gloomy sea and see the coastline ten miles away.

"Lower the anchor; I will go there myself."

Everyone was shocked by what they heard.

They were still a dozen miles away from the coastline; how could he reach the shore by himself? Without the knowledge of the sea, hidden rocks would surely destroy his boat.

Even as the captain was going to speak up, he watched as the middle-aged man hopped over the rail and jumped into the rolling sea.

"Lord Hu!"

Everyone's hearts were caught in their throats. They leaned over the rail and looked down, and what they saw would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

They saw the middle-aged man run on the broken surface of the sea as if it was solid ground. He darted toward the coast with incredible speed, trailing behind a line of gleaming back-waves.

The captain collapsed to the deck; trembling uncontrollably, but he still managed to say a few words: "Is he... the Dragon Lord of the sea?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 46: Walking On the Sea

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Around ten o'clock, the coast of the Tian He City was lit up by the headlights of many jeeps.

Xin Zhong linked his hands behind his back and looked out into the gloomy darkness of the sea far away with knotted brows.

He was surrounded by his most trusted bodyguards as well as Master Wu.

Master Wu glanced at his watch from time to time as an impatient look crawled onto his face.

"When the heck is Lin Hu going to be here? We have been waiting for over four hours."

"Even the Hong Sect cannot be trusted nowadays. That Linbao they sent here a few weeks ago outright disappeared, and then this Lin Hu, he can't even be punctual! No wonder the Hong Sect had been kicked out of China."

Xin Zhong forced a smile and didn't refute the white-haired one.

Although Master Wu was defeated by Chen Fan, he was still a force to be reckoned with.

After a while, even Xin Zhong's patience was wearing thin, he looked to one of his bodyguards and ordered him to radio the ship. The bodyguard glanced at his cell phone and shouted out:

"He is here; he is here!

"The message said that the ship was only ten miles away from the coast.

"And Lin Hu is coming by himself."

"What do you mean he is coming by himself? Is he going to ride a speedboat to here?" Xin Zhong asked with knotted brows.

Xin Zhong and his men lived off the sea, and therefore they were all experienced sailors. He knew that without a thorough knowledge of the sea, it was suicide to sail alone in the dark.

This was particularly true for this area. Many hidden rocks lurked under the water, waiting for ships to stumbled upon them.

"This is suicide to sail alone in this weather!" Master Wu shook his head.

By then, the wind had come up, and the waves were as high as a meter. Only a large ship guided by an experienced captain could survive this angry sea.

Realizing the danger, Xin Zhong's face looked troubled.

They had been expecting this martial artist for a long time, and he didn't want him to die before they even met.

Spurred by his concern, Xin Zhong was going to call the ship and ask again. Suddenly, one of his men shouted:

"Boss, look! What is that?"

Everyone looked toward the direction the man was pointing. They saw a line of churning water coming toward the cost.

"Is that a speedboat? It's too fast to be a speedboat."

As Xin Zhong wondered what he was watching, he was quickly shocked by what he saw.

As the white line drew close, they could vaguely trace the outline of a human running on the water.

"Impossible!

"How could anyone run on the water?

"Did our eyes play tricks on us?"

Everyone was shocked by what they saw. They watched as the white line got closer and closer until it was only a few hundred meters away from the shore. By then, they could not only see the person running on the sea but also hear the din of splashing and churning water. Suddenly, the man kicked the water under his feet, causing a huge slash. Meanwhile, the force lifted his body up, and like an eagle, the man glided in the air for a few seconds before he gracefully landed on the sand.

Everyone gaped at him without speaking a word; only the howling of the wind filled the silent voice.

The headlights outlined an image of a middle age man. Although he was drenched by splashing water, he stood proudly with his back straight.

"Lin Hu?"

Xin Zhong asked with a shaky voice.

"I'm here." Lin Hu shot Xin Zhong a piercing glance. Although Xin Zhong thrived in his rough and tumble life, the ability of the man in front of him scared him nonetheless.

"I guess you are Xin Zhong? Good!"

Lin Hu scanned around, and none of Xin Zhong's elite bodyguard had caught his attention. Instead, his eyes locked onto Master Wu.

"I never expect to see another Transcended Cultivator here," Lin Hu said with a calm voice.

"Me either. I bet you have almost reached Immortal Enlightenment level, haven't you?" Master Wu smiled wryly.

Master Wu had been a well-respected master at the Dong Du area. However, the recent setback at Jiang Bei region had taken the wind out of his sails.

His skills paled under comparison with Chen Fan's Thunder Art and Lin Hu's ability to walk on water.

"What happened to my brother Linbao? Have you guys figured it out?" Lin Hu asked abruptly.

Xin Zhong gathered himself and replied, "Linbao was wounded by Zhou Tianhao from the Chu Zhou City."

"Impossible!" Lin Hu refuted.

"Linbao had already achieved phenomenal success, and therefore he wouldn't be injured even by regular weapons, much less a mortal!"

"Well, there is another possibility." Xin Zhong gave Master Wu a knowing glance and then said hesitantly, "We have met someone, a boy at Chu Zhou City who could use the Thunder Art. If Linbao was defeated at Chu Zhou, it has to be because of him."

"Thunder Art?" Lin Hu's interest was piqued as his eyes lit up. He asked doubtfully, "There is still someone in China who know how to use the Thunder Art? I thought it was long gone!"

Master Wu announced with a deep voice, "I suspected him of being a disciple of the Heavenly Master Sect. Everyone around him calls him Master Chen."

The thought of the thunder boring down on him made Master Wu tremble slightly. Ever since his defeat, the mentioning of Chen Fan's name would send a chill down his spine.

"The Heavenly Master Sect, Master Chen? Humph!" Lin Hu snorted, eyes glinting. "However powerful he was, as long as he hasn't perfected the Dao, my fellow martial artists and I can kill him as easily as squashing a worm."

Every one of his words carried a chilling intend to kill, which made the listener's hair stand on it's end.

Master Wu had a gut feeling that Lin Hu could strike his opponent down before the opponent could materialize their plan of attack.

"No wonder the spellcasters had gone nearly extinct while the martial artists were still thriving. Without perfecting the Dao, no caster would stand a chance against a martial artist who was only one step away from the Transcendent State."

Master Wu lamented.

"Lin Hu, are you going to Chu Zhou City to avenge your brother right now?" Xin Zhong asked cautiously.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Hu shook his head and said, "There is no hurry. In addition to avenging my brother, I am here to consolidate the powers at the Jiang Bei region."

Xin Zhong's face lit up with glee; he exclaimed, "Are you going to stay in China?"

"Indeed." Lin Hu nodded. Then he said wistfully, "My master wanted to come as well, but his defeat at the hands of Ye Nantian had stopped his plans cold in their tracks.

"After decades of preparation, my teacher is ready to fight Ye Nantian once again. As his disciple, I need to come here to make the process of his return smoother."

Hearing that, Xin Zhong beamed from side to said.

Due to the nature of his overseas trading business, he had to deal with Lin Hu very frequently. He learned from the earliest stage of his business to lean toward Lin Hu for support. With a strong protector, he was able to establish himself at the coastal city of Tian He and grow his business steadily.

However, the fact that Lin Hu lived overseas had somewhat limited his influence. Xin Zhong was convinced that if Lin Hu lived in China, he would have already become the most powerful man in the Jiang Bei Region.

Years of waiting had finally bore fruit. Lin Hu's decision to stay in China left Xin Zhong feeling ecstatic.

"If that is the case, I would recommend you to wait half a month for the annual Martial Arts Tournament. This was an annual event for all the magnates of Jiang Bei to settle scores and redistribute the pie based on the new balance of power. Zhou Tianhao will be there as well.

"If we can make Zhou Tianhao believe that the competition this year was going to be fierce, he would very likely bring Master Chen with him.

"Then, the stage will be all set! Once Lin Hu defeated Master Chen, you would be able to claim dominance over the entire Jiang Bei region."

Xin Zhong went onto explain the details of his plan. Words formed from his mouth quicker than his mind could forget. Meanwhile, Lin Hu nodded approvingly from time to time as he listened.

"Very well. We will let Zhou Tianhao and his boy-champion live for another half month."

Lin Hu said; his eyes were brimming with hatred.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 47: Xu Rongfei's Birthday Party

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When the national holiday was over, and Chen Fan was back to school, he found that other than Jiang Tanqiu's insistent questions about what had happened at the bar on that night, nothing else had changed at school. His classmates no longer looked down on him and neither did they admire him.

Si Yinxia was still studying like there was no tomorrow. Teachers were very impressed by his newfound enthusiasm, and they were convinced that if Si Yinxia kept at it, he could potentially be admitted into the best university in China.

One day, Xu Rongfei came over to look for Chen Fan. Chen Fan went out of the classroom to meet her as a swell of murmurs rose around him.

"It's my birthday next week. Can you make it?" Xu Rongfei asked as she batted her lashes at Chen Fan.

"Of course!" Chen Fan cracked a smile. "You are my sister, remember?"

He said, indulging the girl with his attention.

Although he would not date her, she could be his sister he always wanted.

Chen Fan had cultivated among the stars for over five hundred years. Other than his teacher Cangqin, he had no one to talk to and confide in. It wasn't because he didn't have anyone around him, but it was because of his unwavering dedication to his cultivation that had forbidden him to waste his time on sentiments.

"Am I just a sister?" The light went out from Xu Rongfei's eyes for a split second before the smile returned to her face.

She turned around and sauntered off. After a few steps, she turned back and shouted, "Seven o'clock next Saturday. Don't forget about it!"

Chen Fan cracked a smile. After he made a mental note of the time, he put the matter to the side to focus on his real business.

Of late, he had spent all of his time on creating the Dharma Array. Third Lord Wei had brought him a piece of stone that was found at a few thousand miles down in the ocean, but its effect was mediocre. After all, it was just a rock, regardless of how many centuries it stayed underwater, it contained little to no water element in it.

"If this is the only material we get, the Spirit Channeling Array could only release less than ten percent of its intended effect."

Chen Fan lamented.

However, even at ten percent, the huge amount of Spirit Qi meant that there would be more than enough Qi for him to use until he reached the Ethereal Enlightenment Level.

When Chen Fan walked back to the classroom, he found himself the target of many jealous glares. From time to time, he even caught a glimpse of Si Yinxia's chilling gaze.

Time flew by, and soon it was Saturday.

When it was nightfall, Chen Fan found Xu Rongfei's home based on the address she had given him. It was called the "Golden Kang Community Villa."

The Golden Kang Community Villa was a mid-range residential development and a two-story house that would cost only two or three million yuan. It was more affordable and modest than the Yun Wu Mountain Villa. This was where most of Chu Zhou City's middle-class family lived.

"Welcome, welcome!"

The birthday girl stood at the entrance and welcomed him with a charming smile.

She was dressed up from head to toe tonight. She was in a white slim fit maxi dress that accentuated her tiny waist and elegant legs. She wore makeup but not too heavily, and her delicate earrings complemented her egg-shaped face. She wore her hair down with wavy curls. She looked nothing like a student, but an elegant and gorgeous white-collar city girl.

"Brother Chen, you are finally here!

"I was worried that you were going to bail on me."

Xu Rongfei said as she gave Chen Fan a warm smile.

"I told you that you are my sister; what kind of brother would miss his sister's birthday?"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then handed a small gift box to Xu Rongfei.

"Happy birthday, this is your gift."

Inside the box was an earring made out of jade. Chen Fan had cast a Dharma Array on it that was no less powerful than what he offered Third Lord Wei. Once the earring was close to its wearer, it would protect the wearer from all kinds of ailments.

"A gift? Thank you, Brother Chen Fan!" Xu Rongfei was elated. She accepted the gift box and started to unpack it. However, she was stopped by Jiang Churan with a cold face.

She reminded Jiang Churan that it was uncouth to unpack a gift in front of the guests.

"Get in here; don't block the way."

Jiang Churan's face was hard as stone. She glared at Chen Fan with a great measure of rancor.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and let Jiang Churan's insult slide off of his mind. He walked into the house and started to greet other school mates.

The house was already packed with guests, some of them were Xu Rongfei's childhood friends, and some were friends she met at high school. Chen Fan saw many familiar faces: Li Yichen, Zhang Yumeng, Yang Chao, and even Han Yun.

"Master... Mr. Chen?" Han Yun's eyes lit up as soon as she saw Chen Fan. She walked to Chen Fan with a glass of red wine.

She was the oldest member of the group and was already working for her grandfather. She was wearing a custom fit dress and heavy makeup. She looked like a rich princess straight out of one of those Korean Soap Operas.

"Miss Han." Chen Fan nodded.

Han Yun's lips curled into a smile. "Why so formal! Just call me Xiao Yun. I have heard the Old Man Zhen calling you brother, so technically, I am one generation younger than you."

"I will call you Han Yun, and you can call me whatever you want." Chen Fan shook his head and said.

Chen Fan had lived over five hundred years; even the Old Man Zhen was a child in his eyes.

However, since he was reborn as a teenager, he needed to act like one. Plus, he would choose to be a happy go lucky high school kid over a lonely and gloomy old cultivator at any time of the day.

"Fine, no fun. I will call you Chen Fan then. I was hoping to make Fei-Fei jealous of me. Oh well." Han Yun battered her lashes and gazed at Chen Fan with a pair of mesmerizing eyes.

Of all the people attending the party, only she knew who Chen Fan really was. She alone knew that even the most powerful tycoons in Chu Zhou City had to call him Master Chen respectfully. He was not simply "a friend of Wei Ziqin."

"Humph! Look at her; she is going to melt before Chen Fan. Can she be any more desperate?" Zhang Yumeng grunted.

At first, Zhang Yumeng was shocked by the development at the auction like everyone else. However, after she had talked to some friends, she learned that Wei Ziqin had a habit of making friends who were not in her league. That being said, none of her friends had any notable achievements either, so she wagered that Chen Fan was one of those lucky few who happened to be Wei Ziqin's friend by chance.

In other words, being Wei Ziqin's friend didn't change the fact that Chen Fan was a useless no-account.

Zhang Yumeng wagered that if Wei Ziqin weren't put on the spot as she happened to be there when Chen Fan was on his last leg, she would not offer her help so readily.

Convinced that there was nothing extraordinary about Chen Fan, Han Yun's unctuous and submissive attitude toward the boy made Zhang Yumeng feel sick.

"Don't stress out about it. Han Yun is the oldest, and she knows what she is doing. "One of Zhang Yuemeng's friends put in.

Li Yichen stood beside the girl and was also observing Chen Fan attentively.

Ever since his plan failed to bring down Chen Fan, he decided to take this opponent seriously. After much research, he found out that Chen Fan's mother was a successful businesswoman in the Zhong Hai City.

It was highly unusual that the son of a real estate magnate would labor inside of a bar.

He registered that Chen Fan was hiding something.

"OK, I think everyone is here; let's start the party!"

A beautiful woman in her forties came down the stairs. She and Xu Rongfei looked very similar, and although being old, she was not any less attractive than the girl.

Everyone greeted her in unison, "Hi Auntie!"

Auntie Xu nodded with a smile. Behind her was a buff young man. It was Chu Minhui. It appeared that Chu Minhui and Auntie Xu were very close as they talked and laughed with each other.

"Minghui, would you please tell Fei-Fie to come here?"

Auntie Xu spoke to Chu Minhui with a warm smile.

"Yes, Auntie Xu."

Chu Minhui strode out, and when he passed by Chen Fan, he paused a fraction of a second as the hook of his cold glance caught Chen Fan. He let out a snort full of disdain before he carried on.

All the while, Chen Fan held a clam and indifferent face.

He had given him warning before. If Chu Minhui dared to offend him again, he would make him pay dearly.

A Celestial Lord always kept his word. Even if the most powerful man on earth protected Chu Minhui, Chen Fan would not hesitate a second before he rained down punishment on him.

After a while, Xu Rongfei was brought into the room, and the birthday party finally started.

Chu Minhui pushed out a cart, and on it was a seven-layer-cake. It was decorated with seventeen candles for Xu Rongfei's seventeenth birthday.

Everyone sang the birthday song and then they waited for the birthday girl to blow out the candles and make a wish.

Xu Rongfei folded her hands and half-closed her eyes. She gave Chen Fan a surreptitious glance.

"This is my wish...

"I wish I could live with Chen Fan happily forever after."

Although she had made the wish in her mind, Chen Fan had heard every word of it loud and clear. Seeing the infatuated expression on the girl's face, Chen Fan smiled wryly.

He had thrived in his rough and tumble life for five hundred years, and never once was he defeated. Countless goddesses fell for him because of his invincibility, and therefore, he was no stranger to a girl's loving gaze.

"I am sorry; I think you will be disappointed."

Chen Fan lamented in his mind.

"I have waited for five hundred years for this new life. But I didn't come back for you..."

After Xu Rongfei had made the wish, everyone jumped at the cake at once.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a handsome, refined middle age man crashed the party with a group of brawny bodyguards.

"What are you doing here?"

As soon as Auntie Xu saw the man, she pulled a taut face.

On the other hand, Xu Rongfei's face was lit up with surprise, she shouted gleefully, "Dad!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 48: Xu Ao Of Hai Dong

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Fei-Fei, I have heard that it's your seventeenth birthday. I had come all the way from Hai Zhou to celebrate with you." The middle age man spoke scholarly like a university professor.

He smiled to his daughter apologetically and then gave his wife a warm smile. "I am the father, of course, I need to be here for her birthday."

Auntie Xu's face softened a little and then said wistfully: "Do you still remember us?"

The middle-aged man rushed to her and embraced her firmly as he whispered some placatory words into her ear. Auntie Xu struggled to break free, but she didn't try very hard. She then rested her head on the man's shoulder and started sobbing quietly.

Tears gleamed in Xu Rongfei's eyes, and she threw herself into the arms of the man and started crying as well.

"He is Fei-Fei's father? I thought she only lived with her mom."

"I have heard that her father had abandoned both her and her mother and married another rich woman in another city. Who would have thought that he is back now."

"Judging by his entourage, he is doing pretty well for himself. I wonder if he is going to help out his ex-wife and daughter."

A swell of murmurs rose among the guests after seeing this development.

Chen Fan had kept his silence; he looked over the shoulder of Fei Fei's dad and saw a grizzled old man.

This old man had two muscular arms. His blue veins ran across his forearms, looking like withering dragons in the clouds. His eyes were half closed and glinted from time to time. All the brawny bodyguards looked at the old man with a great measure of fear and respect.

"Another Internal Force user who had reached Phenomenal Success. He is at least as powerful as Linbao and Elderly Man Wei."Chen Fan exclaimed in his mind. Who was Xu Rongfei's father? Why would he need the protection of a powerful Internal Force user?

Suddenly, Chen Fan heard someone exclaim incredulously: "Is it just me or Fei Fie's father looks like Lord Ao."

"Lord Ao? Who the hell is Lord Ao?" Everyone gaped at the speaker, and none of them had heard of such name in Chu Zhou City.

Having followed Old Man Zhen around for many years, Han Yun knew a lot more than her younger friends. She suddenly exclaimed with a quiet but excited voice:

"Xu Ao of Hai Dong"

Han Yun's words shocked everyone.

Although no one had heard of Lord Ao, Xu Ao of Hai Dong was a household name in Jiang Bei region.

Hai Dong was a city under the jurisdiction of Hai Zhou City. Hai Zhou was close to other cities such as Zhong Hai and Jin and was one of the most developed and largest cities in the Jiang Bei region. Xu Ao was the richest man in Hai Zhou City if not the entire Jiang Bei Region.

Just like Xin Zhong of Tian He City and Third Lord of the Chu Zhou City, he was one of the most powerful tycoons in the region. Compared to him; Zhou Tianhao was nothing but a pawn.

"I have heard that Xu Ao's protector was a powerful family from Southern China who had deep roots in the Chinese industry. Because of the powerful backing, No one dared to ruffle Xu Ao's feathers. I had never thought that Xu Ao was Xu Rongfei's father!" Li Yichen's face hardened as he started to see Xu Rongfei as a very different person.

He always considered Xu Rongfei a beautiful doll—beautiful but powerless. She was popular solely because of her looks.

However, if her father was indeed Xu Ao, she had more influence than most of her classmates. No one in Chu Zhou City would even dare lay a finger on her.

"But I know that Xu Ao had his own wife and kids. Is Fei-Fei his... bastard daughter?" Zhang Yumeng spoke quietly under her breath.

"Not likely. I have heard that Xu Ao's son is only ten years old. He must have had Fei-Fie first, got divorced and remarried again." Han Yun said as she shook her head.

Bastard or not, it didn't change the fact that she was Xu Ao's daughter and it must have been a well-kept secret. Should Zhou Tianhao know that he would never dream of making such a racket in the bar and demanded Xu Rongfie to drink with him.

After a while, the tears on the mother-daughter pair's faces were replaced with joy. The family of three finally walked to the guests together.

"Welcome to my daughter's party. I think some of you might have already known who I am. I am Xu Ao of Hai Zhou. Thank you all for looking after Fei-Fei over the past few years."

Everyone stood up from their seats after they have heard Xu Ao's name.

Xu Ao looked to Chu Minhui and asked, "Minhui, how is your father?"

"Thank you for asking, Uncle Xu. He is doing well." Chu Minhui stood up and spoke in a respectful voice.

It was evident that Chu Minhui had known who Xu Rongfei's father was all the while.

Xu Ao nodded approvingly.

He looked around and asked. , "Who is Chen Fan?"

Everyone was taken aback by the question. They searched for Chen Fan and found him in a corner.

Everyone was convinced that Chen Fan was in knee-deep trouble today.

Chen Fan stood up readily and nodded at Xu Ao, "Nice to see you, Uncle Xu. I am Chen Fan."

Xu Rongfei pulled an unnerved face and then jerked at her father's arm "Daddy! Don't be mean. He is a nice person."

"I haven't spoken yet. Haha. I wanted to see him in person because I have heard so much about him that my ears are about to bleed." Xu Ao jested. He turned to the other guests momentarily and then said:

"I didn't mean to crash the party; please continue!"

Xu Ao walked to the dining table and sat down at the center seat.

After Xu Rongfei sat to his left, Xu Ao called Chu Minhui to sit next to his daughter. Although he didn't speak a word to Chen Fan, everyone knew that he was sending a clear message to the boy.

No one spoke a word, and many people hoped for more drama to surface.

Xu Ao was a scholarly man, and he spoke with an even and refined voice. Soon, everyone relaxed and forgot that he was the most powerful man in the entire Jiang Bei region.

"Auntie Xu, I have heard a mysterious Master Chen had shown up in the Chu Zhou City. Is that true?"

As the discussion at the table touched upon recent news, Zhang Yumeng raised a question curiously.

Auntie Xu worked at the TV station, and therefore she would be the first person to know the ins and outs of recent developments in the city.

She nodded and said, "Indeed, I have heard of him.

"I have heard that Old Man Zhen and The Third Lord of Wei respected him immeasurably. Even the experienced Master Qi vouched for his ability. He is said to be even more powerful than the grand masters from Hong Kong."

"Is there really such a thing as Dharma Spells?" Some teenagers asked curiously.

"I am not too sure either." Auntie Xu answered with knotted brows. "However, those who had met Master Chen all claimed that he could cast spells and is very good at it."

Suddenly, Xu Ao spoke up, "As for this Master Chen, I think I can shed some light on the topic."

Silence fell to the dining table as everyone looked to Xu Ao. He was the most resourceful person at the table, and therefore, it was not surprising that he knew much more than Auntie Xu.

"Have you guys heard of Xin Zhong of Tian He City?" Xu Ao spoke slowly.

"Yes, he is the boss of the Yuan Hai Group. He runs a shipping fleet and owns some assets overseas as well. Quite a resourceful man at least in Tian He City." Chu Minhui chimed in to show off his knowledge.

"That's him." Xu Ao nodded approvingly.

Chu Minhui shot Chen Fan a smug glance.

Chen Fan lowered his head and pretended that he didn't even see Chu Minhui.

Xu Ao continued: "Xin Zhong had brought with him some hot shot master and set up a con for Third Lord of Wei. However, one of the Third Lord's men, Master Chen, had seen through the fraud and defeated Xin Zhong's grandmaster in a battle. "

"Xin Zhong ran back to Tian He City and lost forty-five million yuan to Master Chen."

"Forty-five million!" Everyone gasped.

At their age, the most amount of money they had used was in the tens of thousands. They found it hard to comprehend what it was like to suddenly gain so much money. It was nearly half of Zhang Yumeng family's entire assets.

"So the master Chen really is the real deal. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to kick Xin Zhong out of Chu Zhou and extort forty-five million from him."

"Touche!"

Everyone nodded as their eyes were filled with respect for Master Chen.

On his debut appearance, he had driven the powerful Xin Zhong back to his city and earned a tremendous amount of money. It was as legendary as a legend could get. Even these teenagers powerful fathers and grandfathers paled in comparison with what Master Chen had achieved.

"I wonder what Master Chen is like. Oh, it would be so nice to marry him?" Zhang Yumeng said with an infatuated face.

"What if he is an old man? Plus, what are you going to do with Yang Chao?" Jiang Churan jested.

"Humph, if Yang Chao can be less of a loser, I might stay with him." Zhang Yumeng said as she gave Yang Chao a hot glance.

Yang Chao let out a stupid smile and scarcely dared protest for himself.

Even as everyone was marveling at the mysterious Master Chen, Han Yun looked surreptitiously to Chen Fan, who was sitting in the corner and lamented.

"How would you react if you knew that Master Chen is among us right now.

"However, I will keep this a secret from everyone. This is the opportunity of a lifetime; I cannot let it slide away."

The thought had lit up the eagerness and desire in Han Yun's eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 49: Xu Ao At The Door

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The remainder of the party was uneventful, and then it eventually ended on a pleasant note. Chu Minhui didn't provoke Chen Fan even once, as he designed to keep up appearances before Xu Rongfei's parents.

Han Yun offered a ride to Chen Fan, which the latter politely refused.

The next day morning, Chen Fan was walking along the lakeside path to school when a few black jeeps pulled over next to him. A brawny man with a pudgy face wearing a black suit walked over to Chen Fan and said, "Mr. Chen, our boss wants to have a word with you."

"Your boss?"

Chen Fan looked to the direction where the pudgy face was pointed at. He saw a familiar figure standing next to the lake.

"OK."

When Chen Fan closed in, He realized that it was Xu Rongfei's father who he met last night.

Xu Ao!

He stood by the lake, hands linked behind his back, and he was looking into the distance where the lake became the sky. Around him were a few bodyguards, including the old man Chen Fan saw last night.

"You want to see me, Uncle Xu?"

Chen Fan paused a few paces away from the man and asked calmly.

Xu Ao face was indifferent and severe. Unlike the scholarly and tender father that he had been last night, he looked more like a powerful boss that ruled the city of Hai Dong.

"What do you see from here?"

Xu Ao asked faintly.

Chen Fan looked into the distance and saw only the vast expanse of the lake. He thought about the answer for a moment and then replied, "I saw the Yan Gui Lake."

"Indeed. Misty, vast and makes one feel so small, doesn't it?" Xu Ao lamented. Suddenly, his voice grew cold and sharp.

"It might look big, but did you know that it is only the tenth largest lake in Hu Dong Province and was considered a small pond among all the lakes in China."

After he said that, he looked to Chen Fan and said: "Just like you. Although you can stand out in Chu Zhou City, you are insignificant on the stage of the Hu Dong Province. Just a tiny drop of water in the vast lake in front of us."

Chen Fan remained calm and asked. "Can you be more specific please, Uncle Xu?"

"You know what I mean." Xu Ao linked his hands behind his back and said contemptuously, "I need you to leave Fei-Fei alone."

"I agree you are an outstanding young lad in the Chu Zhou City, but you couldn't compare with the brightest minds of the Hu Dong Province. "

Chu Minhui said faintly, "Do you think Chu Minhui is up to snuff?"

"Humph! Even Chu Minhui has to prove that he is worthy of my daughter." Xu Ao's lips curved into a smile. "I would consider him only if he could rise to power in five years all by himself. Otherwise, I will not allow him to see my daughter."

Xu Ao turned to look at Chen Fan and said, "I know that you despise Chu Minhui and rightfully so.

"Your father is from the Chen Family of the Jin City, while your mother ran a company at Zhong Hai city that's worth a few hundred million. Plus, you were able to save Fei-Fei from the clutches of Zhou Tianhao.

"Therefore, I agree that you are a better choice than Chu Minhui.

"You have investigated me?" Chen Fan asked.

Xu Ao laughed out loud and then said, "Why shouldn't I. Fei-Fei is my only daughter, and I can't just let her date anyone!

"I know that you not only have a knack for martial arts but also are a friend of the Princess from Wei Family of the North Bank. In theory, you should have been a rightful candidate to date Fei-Fei.

"However, things have changed since last night." Xu Ao said firmly. "Now everyone knows she is MY daughter.

"That makes you unworthy of her."

Xu Ao said the words slowly and firmly. He was convinced that he was right.

"Oh? So how could I prove myself to you?" Chen Fan looked down and asked.

"Your family needs to have at least a few billion yuan." Xu Ao said calmly "As for ability, you can set a small goal first, for example, earn 100 million to start with!

"But I don't see that in you." Xu Ao shook his head.

"Although you appear to be very modest, deep down, you are arrogant to the extreme. Stubborn, inflexible, and unaccommodating. Your personality means that you are destined to fail when you enter the real world.

"Now, you tell me, why would I be comfortable letting someone like you have my daughter's hand?"

After Xu Ao had finished what he had to say, he gazed at Chen Fan as if he had already seen through the boy.

Chen Fan burst out laughing and then said, "Mr. Xu, that is all just your wishful thinking.

"I have always treated Fei-Fei like my own sister, but no more.

"You are right about one thing. I am a very proud, if not arrogant person. I not only look down on worldly power but also money."

Chen Fan's face was calm; nothing could have disturbed his inner peace.

"Really? What made you think so? Your family or your martial arts skill?" Xu Ao asked with a sarcastic smile.

The real reason that he wanted to meet this young man was to pin him under his thumb so that he could recruit his talent. When the time was right, he would not only give him great responsibilities but also his daughter if he performed well enough.

However, after talking to Chen Fan, he realized that the boy was even more arrogant than he had expected.

"My power is beyond your imagination. My father-in-law was the former boss of Chu Minghui's father.

"Everyone in Hai Zhou is at my command. When I say jump, everyone shouts how high!

"Master Gu, for example. He is the old gentleman right next to me. He is a descendant of one of the oldest martial arts family. He could easily defeat ten of you at one time."

Xu Ao said slowly.

"I know you wouldn't be able to imagine what it is like; after all, you are just a sixteen-year-old boy. What could you have achieved?"

Xu Ao ended his rant with a cold grunt.

He was angry at Chen Fan for being unwilling to admit his limitations. Although The boy insisted that he had more tricks up his sleeve, Xu Ao quickly dismissed him with hard facts.

If he were really more powerful and resourceful than he seemed, he wouldn't need Wei Ziqin to rescue him when he was embattled at the auction.

Chen Fan replied calmly, "Mr. Xu, all those things you have mentioned were troubles that I could solve with one single sweep of a blade. "

"A sweep of a blade?" A broad smile broke over Xu Ao's face.

He shook his head as he gathered himself "Chen Fan, you are not the first teenage boy to dream that you could solve everything using violence. I did too. However, let me tell you something. The world follows the rules and if you don't follow them, you will very quickly be abandoned and forgotten.

"Anyways, you still have a long way to go. If you manage to think it through, come talk to me. "

Xu Ao waved a dismiss at Chen Fan before he started off.

None of his bodyguards had moved while they were talking, much less interrupted their conversation. It was evident that Xu Ao's men were better trained than that of Zhou Tianhao. After all, Xu Ao was the top boss in the entire Jiang Bei region.

When the old man named Gu walked passed Chen Fan, he shot Chen Fan a glance and then shook his head.

"What happened to the kids nowadays? Lord Xu was going to offer you an opportunity of a lifetime, but he had ruined it all.

"If you came under Lord Xu's protection, it would further your status by at least twenty years.

"If I had the same opportunity as you did, I would not just be a bodyguard now."

Chen Fan replied with an even voice:

"We are different. His offer might seem like a life-changing opportunity, but to me, it's worthless."

"Humph! How arrogant!"

The old man's face hardened and walked away after he let out a snort.

After everyone was gone, Chen Fan shook his head and looked to the Yan Gui Lake.

"Your limited vision only makes you see China, and therefore you knew that the Yan Gui Lake was a small pond when compared to all lakes in China.

"However, I can see far further than you. I can see China, the earth, and the entire universe. Your puny power was less than a grain of sand in my eyes..."

"You might be rich and talented, but you are a mortal, and in my eyes, a mortal does only one thing: die. But I am different; I will live until the end of time."

The old man pulled open the car door and hopped in.

"Hasn't he change his mind?" Xu Ao asked calmly.

"This kid is as stubborn as a mule!" The old man heaved a sigh and shook his head.

"Never mind then. I have already extended an olive branch, but he had refused it, Fei-Fei should not blame me in the future for objecting to her relationship with him " Xu Ao pulled a taut face, and then said, "I have heard that Xin Zhong was going to bring a tough fighter to this year's Martial Arts Tournament, is that true? "

"Yes, Lord Xu." One of the men sitting in the passenger seat replied. "We have confirmed it with our source at Tian He City."

"Xin Zhong had invited a champion from overseas. He is fawning over this martial artist as if he was the high lord of the la la land. This fighter has sworn to win all fights during the tournament."

"Humph! What an arrogant fool!" Xu Ao sneered in his mind. He looked to the old man and said. Master Gu, I will have to count on you during the tournament. "

"Rest assured, Lord Xu. Although I am old, I will teach these youngsters a lesson before I finally kick the bucket."

"Thank you, Master Gu." Xu Ao nodded approvingly.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 50: Jade Bone Complete!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan called Zhou Tianhao to ask about Xu Rongfei's father.

"Xu Ao? Why did he come to Chu Zhou City?" Zhou Tianhao was shocked by the revelation.

"Is he one of the top most powerful people?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

"Master Chen, he was at the very top of the food chain in the Jiang Bei region." Zhou Tianhao answered.

"How does he compare with the Third Lord of Wei? "Chen Fan asked.

"Third Lord is way less powerful." Zhou Tianhao shook his head. "Xu Ao runs a very successful outfit in Hai Zhou City. Third Lord's business was less than half the size as his."

"Master Chen, what is going on? Did he mess with you?" Zhou Tianhao asked nervously.

"Nah. I just found out that he is the father of one of my friends." Chen Fan said lightly.

"That's good; you don't want to be in his way. Even Third Lord dares not to cross Xu Ao."

"Really? I thought the Wei Family was the most influential family in the Jiang Bei region. Why is the Third Lord afraid of Xu Ao?"

"Well, Xu Ao is, of course, no match against the collective might of the Wei Family. However, The Third Lord and his family are not... very close if you know what I mean. If the Third Lord has a feud with Xu Ao, his old man might not even stand up for him."Zhou Tianhao smiled wryly.

"And Xu Ao's father in law is also a force to be reckoned with." Zhou Tianhao paused a second and said, "Anyways, all you need to know is that no one in Jiang Bei dares cross Xu Ao."

"That makes much more sense now." Chen Fan nodded as he realized that Xu Ao had risen to power thanks to his father in law's protection.

Judging by his interaction with Xu Rongfei and Auntie Xu last night, he didn't seem to want to cut ties with his first family. However, he also needed to tread carefully since it was impossible for him to divorce his second wife either.

"Master Chen, I want to ask a favor of you." Zhou Tianhao said consciously.

"What is it?" Chen Fan asked.

"There will be a martial arts tournament in half a month. This tournament is crucial to our business, and the outcome is tied directly to our next year's profit. Thanks to A'Biao, I was able to get by last year's event. However, I have heard that this year's competition is extremely fierce, and there is going to be Internal Force users too." Zhou Tianhao heaved a sigh.

"A tournament?" Chen Fan's interest was piqued.

"Indeed." Zhou Tianhao nodded.

"You are not talking about underground cage fighting, are you?"

Zhou Tianhao grinned and said, "Dear Master Chen, look at me. Do I look like a criminal scumbag to you? It's a normal tournament; everyone plays by the rules. No one has been seriously injured ever since its conception. "

"These martial artists had trained many years just for this opportunity to put their training to work. We have strict rules, and no funny business was allowed. Each businessman will pick his champion, and the outcome of the fight would determine the share of influence one would get in the coming year.

"You know better than me how powerful those Internal Force users are. Just Linbao alone had nearly killed me. How am I supposed to maintain my businesses for the next year if more Linbaos show up?"

Zhou Tianhao said with bitterness in his voice.

Every year around this time, he had to stomach the humiliation from business rivals who happened to be more resourceful than him. Many of his rivals invited world renowned Muay Thai kickboxers, Taekwondo masters or Baji Fist masters, but he had only one champion: A'Biao.

If the Internal Force users were going to enter the race this year, A'Biao would definitely not be enough to ensure the smooth operation of business next year.

"You want me to help you fighting at the tournament?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"Of course I want to, but I wouldn't dare ask you." Zhou Tianhao hurried an explanation.

"I have already invited Master Guo as my champion. Master Guo was also an Internal Force user. However, he hasn't partaken in the tournament for many years, so I want to invite you to come with me just in case.

"If you are with me, at least people from outside of the city wouldn't look down on us."

"Fine, I can see sense in that. " Chen Fan nodded."Might as well. I want to meet more Internal Force users anyways.

"I will go with you; just let me know when to leave."

"Yes, yes," Zhou Tianhao answered excitedly.

After he had learned more about Xu Ao, Chen Fan started to focus on building the Dharma Array.

By then, one of the four components of the Misty Mountain Array: the Spirit Channeling Array, was completed. The Spirit Channeling Array had been underway ever since Third Lord of Wei had delivered the last shipment of deep-sea rocks. As for the Mist Array and the Guardian Array, Chen Fan was still waiting for the material to be collected.

"While I wait, I should hurry up and finish the Spirit Channeling Array. The other two are not that important anyway."

Chen Fan finally made up his mind to finish the second array.

In the next two weeks that followed, he rushed home as soon as he was done school and started to work on those rocks from the deep sea.

These rocks were huge; each was the size of an elephant and weighted a few tones. They were just ordinary rocks and could only absorb a small amount of Water Qi per unit volume. In order to meet the requirement of the array, Chen Fan had to rely on size.

The method of refining a deep-sea rock was also different than that of refining the Jade Marrow.

Chen Fan held a dagger in one hand as he awakened the arcane energy inside of him. He channeled the energy into the sharp blade and then started to carve countless cryptic symbols onto the surface of the rock. There was a primitive and raw nature in those scraggly strokes that made up the symbols. A faint golden light glinted in the deep grooves of each stroke.

It would take Chen Fan at least a few hours to cover one of those rocks with symbols and to complete the array, Chen Fan needed sixteen rocks. There was no time to waste; Chen Fan worked day and night industriously and eventually finished the work.

"Finally!"

Chen Fan heaved a sigh. He stood at the mountain peak and looked down. He saw dark rocks stood in the path that connected the lake to where he was standing every few hundred meters or so. Symbols and inscriptions covered all of those rocks. Upon closer look, one could even see the flowing golden light hidden in the tiny grooves on the surface of the rocks.

"The next step is to turn the Spirit Channeling Array on."

Chen Fan sat down with his legs crossed. He faced the vast expanse of the lake and close his eyes, extending his soul energy to the void dimension.

Inside the void, Chen Fan was surrounded by impenetrable darkness. However, he could vaguely trace out sixteen flickering dots in the distance: those were the sixteen deep-sea rocks.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan shouted and connected his soul energy with the first dot.

The dot flickered for a second before it cranked up its brightness. A barely visible thin ray of light shot out from the first rock and when it landed on the second rock, the second rock also lite up just like the first one.

Two, three, four... At last, all sixteen rocks were lit up.

These sixteen rocks shined brightly inside the dark void like sixteen torches. Inside the Void Dimension, their energy could be felt even from far away.

In the real world, the sixteen rocks only gave a faint golden glow that was easily overpowered by the sunshine.

"Almost there!"

The moment that all sixteen torches were lit up, Chen Fan became alert and was ready to finally kick start the array.

The first few seconds was the most critical moment of the entire process. As soon as the array was started, the flood gate would be open, and all the Spirit Qi inside of the Yan Gui Lake would be dumped upon the Array in a matter of seconds. If the array was not strong enough to hold the Spirit Qi, Chen Fan would not only have to start all over again but also risk jeopardizing his own life.

Lo and behold, a powerful wave of Water Spirit Qi gushed into the array through the channel created by the sixteen sea rocks. The immense power agitated the five Spirit Gathering Plates as they quickly reached their holding limit.

Chen Fan was at the forefront of the array and had taken the brunt of the force from the powerful pulse of energy. Luckily, the Void Mortal Refinement Art had significantly strengthened his bones and sinews, and therefore, he was able to hold his ground. That being said, Chen Fan could feel the pressure in his body increasing as his system accommodated more and more energy.

"Excellent!"

The steadily increasing pressure inside of Chen Fan didn't unnerve him. Instead, he was excited by the deluge of surging energy inside of him.

He allowed an immeasurable amount of energy to rush into his body, colliding against every single piece of muscle and bone. Chen Fan doubled down on the Void Mortal Refinement Art and dug in to absorb as much Spirit Qi as possible.

After a while, his bones started to glow with the color of jade.

Soon, the glow started to spread until all 206 bones in Chen Fan's body were suffused with the creamy glow. A mysterious and profound change was happening inside of Chen Fan's body.

Before he knew it, he had reached the second level of the Void Mortal Refinement Art: Jade Bone.

After a while, Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes, and then heaved a sigh of relief.

By then the flood of the Spirit Qi from the lake had also subsided. The deluge had reduced to a trickle, and all the energy was safely contained within the Spirit Gathering Array. As Chen Fan had expected, the high concentration of the Spirit Qi had caused the mist to form inside and around the house, making it all that more fitting for a home of a cultivator.

"The sea rocks are not nearly as effective as I expected. I should find a better replacement soon." Chen Fan lamented.

Despite the slight hiccup, the array was a success.

Unlike many other Foundation Establishment Arts, The Void Mortal Refinement Art was divided into five levels.

Ice Skin, Jade Bone, Silver Blood, Golden Eyes and Dao Body

Once he reached the fifth level, he would be able to reach the physical requirement for completing the Connate Spirit Level. He should be able to connect his soul energy with all types of Qi on the earth without any difficulties.

However, even among the members of The Sect of the Grand Dao, only a handful of cultivators had reached level five.

"I had already reached the Ice Skin level when I breached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment. However, If not for the help of the Spirit Channeling Array, I would still be stuck with level one. It's going to be an uphill battle for the rest of my cultivation on Earth. " Chen Fan lamented.

He slowly stood up and felt like his body was charged with energy. He could feel that his bones were fortified and were nearly unbreakable.

"I have gained more power; all I need is to test it." Chen Fan said as he shook his head.

He wished that Lei Qianjue would come knocking on his door to seek revenge right now.

Suddenly, his phone rang, and it was Zhou Tianhao on the other side of the line.

He called to inform Chen Fan that the Martial Arts tournament was about to start.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 51: Martial Arts Tournament.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Sunday morning, Zhou Tianhao's vehicle was parked right at the entrance of the Lake Side Community.

Other than Chen Fan, Master Guo and Zhou Tianhao, A'Biao and ten other bodyguards also tagged along. They drove five cars in total. A'Biao was driving the car that Chen Fan and Zhou Tianhao were in.

"Are we going toward Dong Jiang Province?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

"Yes, the land there is expansive, and therefore our event is always hosted in the Dong Jiang Province." Zhou Tianhao explained. "The Qin Yang County was the border town between Dong Jiang Province and Hu Dong Province. People there adored martial arts. Every year around this time, the villagers will host a wrestling competition.

"Every year around this time, people from all the other villages and counties will flock to join the competition. It was quite a sight to behold."Zhou Tianhao said yearningly. "We had chosen this time to host our Martial Arts Tournament in order to honor their tradition.

"The business aspect aside, the tournament is a competition for the best martial artist. There will be many wealthy people from as far as Dong Jiang Province coming to spectate the tournament.

"The large crowd the tournament drew to the country helped the local economy significantly. After so many years, it had become one of the major income sources for the local people. "

"I see." Chen Fan nodded.

The Chu Zhou City was only two hours away from Dong Jiang Province. Once they drove across the border, the scenery outside of the car window changed drastically.

Chu Zhou City was located in the northern part of the coastal province: Hu Dong, and therefore its economy was not as developed as those cities in the south. Dong Jiang Province was even less developed due to its land-locked location. From the narrow gravel roads to the dingy shacks along the side of the road, Chen Fan felt that the quality of life here in this small county was five years behind that of Chu Zhou City.

As for Qin Yang County, Chen Fan found it very similar to the countryside that he visited when he was a child. Time seemed to have stopped here, and everything looked exactly how they were in the '80s

Once they entered the Qin Yang County, they pulled over beside a luxury three-story building.

"Boss Zhou, you are finally here!" Someone was already waiting for them at the entrance.

"Master Chen, Master Guo, this is Boss Zhang From Qin Yang County." Zhou Tianhao introduced the owner of the house lazily.

"Oh my. Don't call me boss. Just call me Xiao Zhang." Boss Zhang hurried a reply.

To a local gentry from a small village, Zhou Tianhao was considered a powerful magnate. As such, Boss Zhang fawned over him to gain his favor. Even a small favor from Zhou Tianhao would be so beneficial to a local gentry that he would laugh in his dreams.

"Is this Master Chen?"

Boss Zhang glanced at Zhou Tianhao's entourage, and he quickly spotted Chen Fan and noticed the authority the boy commanded.

"Yes. Master Chen is the Third Lord's friend." Zhou Tianhao said thinly.

Excitement flashed across Boss Zhang's face. He reached out both hands and pumped Chen Fan's hands vigorously. "Oh my! Third Lord's friend! I am so honored!"

The Wei Family was a household name across China, and therefore, Boss Zhang was familiar with the Third Lord and his clout.

Seeing how young Chen Fan was, Boss Zhang was even more convinced that Chen Fan came from a prestigious family. Otherwise, he would not befriend the Third Lord. So thinking, Boss Zhang's smile broadened and became even more enthusiastic to please Chen Fan.

"It is Master Chen's first time visiting your village; please take good care of him." Zhou Tianhao said.

"You can count on me!" Vice Mayor Zhang ponded his chest and announced.

Once they entered the three-story building, Chen Fan was greeted by a few attractive young girls. The beauty of their youth was evident on their smooth face that was devoid of any makeup.

One of the girls sat beside Chen Fan. She was the youngest and the most attractive.

While waiting, Chen Fan started a short conversation with her.

Her name was A'Xiu, and she was from a large family and had many siblings. Her parents couldn't afford for all the kids to go to university, and therefore, A'Xiu was forced to quit school ever since junior high. Because of her good looks, she was hired by the local government to be a waitress in the local government-owned hotel.

After they had lunch, Chen Fan suggested walking around the village and explore.

Boss Zhang hurried to caution him that the local residents of Qin Yang ware quite ill-mannered and short tempered. If he walked alone, the locals might pick on him over a stare. He suggested Chen Fan bring A'Xiu with him. The locals were less likely to stir up trouble if they saw one of them was among the visitors.

As he offered his suggestion, Boss Zhang shot a knowing glance at A'Xiu.

A'Xiu blushed and then she lowered her head.

The tournament stretched over a few days, and only on the last day would the audiences see the competition among bosses from Jiang Bei Region. After all, only the wealthiest businessman would have afforded the best fighters who would last until the end.

Wealthy men and women who could afford the tickets flocked into the county to see the matches on the last day.

As Chen Fan strolled in the streets of the small village, he saw groups of visitors pass him on many occasions. Their fine dress and pale complexions were a telltale sign that they were from the city and had never worked one day in the field.

Among these city visitors, Chen Fan saw newly-wed couples, school mates, and beer-bellied middle age men walking beside their young mistress with a group of bodyguards following them. All of them came to see the tournament.

"What is the schedule of the tournament like?"

Chen Fan asked.

A'Xiu was a shy girl; she spoke quietly, "The tournament is usually hosted in the evening. The stage was used by the locals for their wrestling competition. After the tournament, we have a bonfire party every night.

"The wrestling competition was just for fun, and therefore, the rewards are not very high.

"But the tournament was the real deal. The participants were no ordinary fighters."

After she said that, her eyes lost focus for a second.

She wanted to get out of this village and go study in the city, get a job and marry a city boy. However, since she was a girl and her grades were nothing to brag about, her family had decided to prioritize her brothers' education and let the girls quit the schools.

Chen Fan noticed her sudden silence. He shot her an indifferent glance.

Having lived for five hundred years, Chen Fan had become insensitive to humanity's suffering. He knew that time would wash away everything, so why should he care for the mortals and their troubles. If he were a sixteen-year-old boy, he would have felt so bad for the girl and would give her a ticket out of the small town then and there.

A'Xiu quickly gathered herself and led Chen Fan to other parts of the village.

As they walked on the main street of the town, a large group of people were heading toward the opposite direction. Their confident and imperious strides suggested the immense power of their leader. At the center of the group, Chen Fan saw Xu Ao.

The group had blocked the road, and Chen Fan had to stop.

After Xu Ao noticed Chen Fan, he paused a second and looked at the boy with a frown.

"Why are you here?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 52: An Encounter In The Village

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Mr. Xu. "Chen Fan nodded and didn't answer his question.

Xu Ao's face hardened as he was not pleased by Chen Fan, ignoring his question. However, he didn't want to press the boy for an answer in public. He simply told Chen Fan, "Come find me at the Qin Yang Hotel tonight."

He then walked past Chen Fan without a word.

Chen Fan and A'Xiu stepped aside to make way for the large crowd. He felt many watchful eyes staring at him, some of those belonging to powerful Internal Force users. However, Chen Fan was not concerned at all.

A brawny bald man was walking side by side with Xu Ao, and he asked, "Lord Xu, who is that kid?"

"A distant nephew. I have no clue what is he doing here." Xu Ao said with a dark face.

"Hehe, the tournament is very popular among the kids nowadays." The skinhead smiled and said. "That little girl beside your nephew looked so damn hot. If she were not with your nephew, I would have already made a move on her."

Xu Ao snorted displeasedly.

This skinhead was a rich magnate from the city of Clear Water, and he was well known for his appetite for women. However, he wouldn't make a fool of himself while Xu Ao was here.

"This boy gets around. He was courting my daughter at the Chu Zhou City while flirting with another girl at the Qin Yang County. I will be blind if I trust my daughter with him."

So thinking, Xu Ao furrowed his brows as his impression of Chen Fan deteriorated further.

After the big group of people was gone, A'Xiu patted her chest and stuck out the tip of her tongue.

"They are scary people. Especially that Mr. Shiny Head. The way he looked at me is scary."

She said as she gazed at Chen Fan, batting her lashes.

"Brother Chen, do you know them?"

"I have met the leader once; his name is Xu Ao." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Lord Ao of Hai Dong?" A'Xiu exclaimed, drawing many people's attention. She grabbed Chen Fan's arm and urged him to walk away as she asked under her breath. "Do you know Boss Ao?

"Ah, what am I thinking. You are an honored guest of Boss Zhang; It makes sense for you to know Boss Ao."

"Do you know Xu Ao as well?" Chen Fan asked lightheartedly.

Was Xu Ao really that famous that even a country girl had heard of his name?

After hearing Chen Fan's question, the smile on A'Xiu's face disappeared.

"I know a lot of people working for Boss Ao."

A'Xiu led Chen Fan through an old district and arrived at a plaza just outside of the village.

The plaza was already packed with spectators. There was an equal amount of villagers and visitors. A large stage was set at the center of the plaza for the wrestling competition.

The stage was huge, enough for three competitions to be carried out at one time.

On the stage, a few combatants were wrestling each other. Cheers and applause came from the audiences in fits and starts.

Chen Fan lost interest in the wrestling game very quickly. These were all amateurs, and there were no skills involved in their contest. Most of the combatants had inferior skills to A'Bian much less to the Internal Force users such as Linbao.

As he was about to tell A'Xiu to head back, a girl among the crowd spotted Chen Fan and called out to him.

"Chen Fan?"

Chen Fan paused a second after he saw a girl wearing a broad-brim hat and a pair of sunglasses. He couldn't recall who this girl was

"Do I know you?"

"I am Yang Li! Your cousin's best friend plus roommate. Don't you remember me?" The city girl took off her sunglasses, revealing a small face with fine features. She was at least as attractive as Chang Wen.

"Ah, Sister Li-Li!" Realization finally dawned up Chen Fan.

The girl was Chen Fan's cousin, Chen Ning's roommate. When Chen Fan visited Jin City, his cousin, Chen Ning introduced her to him before. However, that was a good five hundred years ago, and therefore, it took Chen Fan a while to recall the piece of memory.

"I wonder how is my cousin Chen Ning doing." Chen Fan thought to himself.

Chen Ning was his cousin on his dad's side of the family. She went to Jin City for university, and she should be in her fourth year as of now.

Although Chen Fan's father's family could not compare with the Wang Family, the Chen Family had a reputable name in the city of Jin.

All children of the Chens had outstanding grades in school. Chen Ning, for example, was admitted to one of the top ten universities in China because of her exceptional grads. In Chen Fan's distant memory, Chen Ning worked at Wall Street after she graduated and became a successful Investor consultant. She married a hedge fund manager and lived an opulent life; a stark contrast with Chen Fan's tragic fall from grace.

However, those were the stories of another life; Chen Fan was reborn to rewrite a new chapter in the book of fate.

"The last time I saw Yang Li was two years ago. Surprisingly she still recognized me." Chen Fan felt lighthearted by the encounter. He shook his head and asked, "Sister Li-Li, why are you in the Qin Yang County?"

"Hey! That is my question for you!" Yang Li rounded her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school right now? Did you come here by yourself?"

"No... I came with my friends."

Yang Li's reprimand had rendered Chen Fan wordless. He might be a five-hundred-year-old cultivator, but in the eyes of ordinary people, he was still a child.

Amused by Chen Fan's embarrassed expression, A'Xiu covered her mouth to suppress her sniggers.

"Hum? Who is this girl? Your girlfriend?"

Yang Li was astonished by A'Xiu's beauty as her eyes were lit up with surprise.

Although A'Xiu was wearing plain and ordinary clothes, her natural beauty made her stand out among the crowd. Her skin was smooth, and her eyes were wide and cutesy-looking.

"No." Chen Fan answered lightly.

A'Xiu lowered her head and was blushing. Her embarrassed look made Chen Fan's denial powerless.

"Ok... I see."

Yang Li gave Chen Fan a knowing look and then shook her head.

"The kids nowadays are beyond me. Not only did you start dating way too early, but also traveled so far to such a dangerous place!"

By then, some of Yang Li's friends had also gathered around her.

One of the men who looked like Yang Li's boyfriend furrowed his brows and asked.

"Xiao Li, who are these two?"

There were five of them, three men and two women, all from big cities. All of the three young men looked around at A'Xiu, and their eyes were brimming.

"This is Xiao Fan and his girlfriend." Yang Li introduced. "Xiao Fan is the cousin of my best friend."

"Why don't they tag along with us?" A young man asked.

Judging by the way he talked, he seemed to be Yang Li's boyfriend. He was wearing brand name clothes from head to toe. Wrapped around his wrist was a piece of Vacheron Constantin and a BMW key chain was also hitched at his belt.

"Brother Zhang was a member of the Provincial Sanshou team. I bet you that he is going to kick everyone's asses."

Brother Zhang was the tallest young man among the three.

He was wearing a small black tank top, exposing his incredible pecks. His callused hands were an indication of years of training behind him.

Brother Zhang shook his head and said

"I am here only for the tournament, not for the wrestling during the day."

"They can bluff all they want; I will defeat them regardless." Brother Zhang said contemptuously.

The others nodded in agreement.

However, Chen Fan disagreed, but he kept his opinion unspoken.

Brother Zhang was too full of himself. He thought Sanshou was all there was in the vast world of martial arts. He had the delusion that he would be victorious because he had been living under a rock so far.

Yang Li's boyfriend urged Chen Fan and A'Xiu to follow them to watch Brother Zhang's match.

Chen Fan knew they wanted them to tag along because of A'Xiu, but not because they wanted to befriend him.

Chen Fan was going to refuse the invitation, but Yang Li insisted on him going, so he eventually caved in and followed them.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 53: Tournament Start.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Brother Zhang was a member of the provincial team; as such, he defeated his opponents with ease. One young man collapsed to the ground after just one sweep kick. After a few rounds of victories, no one dared challenge Brother Zhang any longer.

"Boring."

Brother Zhang hopped off the tournament stage; he shook his head and lamented.

"You are too powerful for them."

Yang Li's boyfriend praised Brother Zhang

Yang Li's boyfriend was called Xiao Wang, and he was from Jin City. His family owned at least a few dozen million since otherwise, he would not be able to find a girlfriend as beautiful as Yang Li. Rich friends such as Xiao Wang practically surrounded brother Zhang.

After all, someone had to clean the mess after these rich brats. Whenever they were in trouble, they would ring Brother Zhang up for help. In most cases, the fight was over once Brother Zhang arrived and told his opponents that he was from the provincial Sanshou team. Most of these opponents were ordinary high school kids, and therefore no one dared to butt heads against a professional.

Due to the protection Brother Zhang could offer, Xiao Wang was resolved to be on his good side. He never knew when he would have to give the big brother a phone call to fish him out of troubled water.

As such, Xiao Wang had planned this trip to the Qin Yang County, specifically for Brother Zhang. He had told his other friends to invite as many attractive teenage girls as possible for Brother Zhang to choose. However, the timing was bad, and therefore, only one girl had come with them besides Yang Li. The girl was only average looking, and therefore Brother Zhang was not all that interested in her.

Xiao Wang had been lamenting his back luck, but his eyes lit up as soon as he saw A'Xiu. If Brother Zhang didn't want her, he might dig his claws into her.

As soon as Brother Zhang saw A'Xiu. His eyes were glued to the girl's face. Seeing Brother Zhang's interest, Xiao Wang formed a plan in his mind and spoke to Brother Zhang, "Since there is nothing else to do, why don't we make it to the tournament stage right now."

He then looked to Chen Fan and A'Xiu and said, "Xiao Fan, you two are too young, and this county is too dangerous. Why don't you come with us? We have the protection of Brother Zhang; no one would dare lay a finger on you."

"I agree! Xiao Fan, come with us. If I leave you alone here, your sister is not going to let me get away with it." Yang Li nodded in agreement.

"There is no need." Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

He had felt a bad vibe from the group except for Yang Li, who was oblivious of her friend's true nature. He wondered what had spurred these young men's nefarious intent after meeting him for the first time.

"Of course, you are coming with us! Haven't you see that someone had just broken their head on the stage? This place is dangerous; you better follow us, another wise I will call your sister and tell her what you are up to." Yang Li put her hands on her hips and refuted Chen Fan firmly.

"Er..." Chen Fan suddenly felt at a loss for words.

Yang Li's threat worked. If she snitched on him to his cousin Chen Ning, his mother would also know that he had skipped classes to go to Dong Jiang Province. Then he would be in knee deep trouble.

"Fine, fine." Chen Fan agreed lightly. He was here for sightseeing anyway, what difference did it make who he toured the town with.

The seven of them drove two cars towards the outskirts of the Qin Yang County.

The stage for martial arts tournament was much bigger than that of the wrestling competition, and therefore it had to be set up outside of the city.

When they arrived, they already saw a few vehicles parked by the stage. Besides a little lake erected a huge circular wall made out of tarp. The wall marked the perimeter of the tournament event, and the stage was just inside of it.

The entrance fee started at one thousand per person, and the ticket booth only took cash.

Xiao Wang paid for everyone's front row ticket at double the price. As he produced a thick stash of cash from his jacket, he glanced at A'Xiu, and he was satisfied to see that the girl's eyes were filled with admiration.

After they entered the threshold, they felt a heat wave sweep across their faces.

Chen Fan studied the enclosure and noticed that the seats were already half full. There were at least a few hundred attendees here. The stage was set, and a few dancers and a singer were performing while the rest waited for the tournament to start.

There were many waitresses with bunny ears and bikinis walking about while carrying a platter.

On the platters were drinks, fruits, and snacks. One could call a bunny girl over and pay for the food or drink directly with a credit card. Credit was not an issue here since most of these men and women were super rich.

Chen Fan shook his head.

"Anyone want to make a 'donation'?" Xiao Wang asked his friends while wagging a slip of a betting form.

Brother Zhang betted a hundred thousand yuan on a retired Sanshou fighter. Other people in the group also "donated" a dozen thousand here and there.

By then, A'Xiu and Chen Fan were the only ones who hadn't filled out their forms.

Seeing that the donation started at ten thousand, A'Xiu shook her head and backed away from them.

Xiao Wang cracked a smile and said, "Don't worry, I can lend you some money now, and you can pay me back later."

As he spoke to A'Xiu, he gave Chen Fan a look.

Xiao Wang knew that the fledgling would not be able to stomach such humiliation and therefore, he would have to borrow from him.

To his surprise, Chen Fan didn't even grace him with a glance as he kept his placid and indifferent expression on his face.

Xiao Wang cracked a smile and let the matter rest.

Yang Li asked curiously, "Isn't it kind of like those illegal underground cage fights?"

Xiao Wang shook head and said, "Are you kidding me? They are totally different.

"A Cage fight's reward was astronomical, and a cage fight had no rules.

"The tournament, on the other hand, was a public event, and the reward was only a fraction of a cage fight.

"It followed strict rules, and no one was ever hurt on the stage.

"As you can see, the tournament and a cage fight are very different.

"So stop being so silly. This is nowhere close to a cage fight.

"Only girls like you would believe that this is a cage fight."

Ashamed at herself, Yang Li nodded slightly.

After a while, the match finally started. The first two contestants were two tall and brawny men. One had learned professional boxing, and the other was a self-taught martial artist. The two fighters were at each other right away, and their aggressive advances lit up the enthusiasm of the audiences.

As the match progressed, the fights were getting more and more entertaining and thrilling to watch. Some attendees had already taken off their shirts and waved them in the air to cheer for their fighter. After each fight, there were elated cheers as well as hateful curses and lamentation. Many "donations' were at stake.

"He won again! Good pick, Brother Zhang!"

As soon as one of the fighters fell to the ground, Xiao Wang jumped out of his chair and waved his fists in the air excitedly.

Brother Zhang let out a smug smirk. As a professional fighter, he had more insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter. He had helped his friends place their bets and so far, none of the fighters he picked had lost a fight.

Even A'Xiu was excited by the promise of making a huge return on bets.

Xiao Wang came up to the girl again and asked.

"Xiao Fan, A'Xiu, are you guys going to place your bet or not?"

"Don't worry; we have Brother Zhang. You won't lose a nickel! I can lend you some money right now, and you can pay me back once you have made more money."

"Sure."

A'Xiu agreed hesitantly. She looked to Chen Fan and seeing he didn't object to her participation, she gritted her teeth and agreed to Xiao Wang's offer.

Xiao Wang's eyes flickered, and then he exchanged a knowing glance with Brother Zhang.

The girl had finally risen to the bait.

Chen Fan watched from the side, and he knew exactly what was going on. However, he was too lazy to intervene in the trivial drama of these mortals.

He was a cultivator, and freedom of body, mind, and soul was his ultimate goal. Therefore, he wouldn't let worldly morals and values to weigh him down.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 54: Gathering Of Super Rich.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The first bet that A'Xiu had made was a win. A'Xiu's face blushed for winning a huge amount of cash. She looked at Brother Zhang and Xiao Wang excitedly.

"Brother Chen, why don't you have some fun too?"

Xiao Wang wrapped his arm around Yang Li and asked Chen Fan with a cold smile.

The moment that A'Xiu rose to the bait, he had already forgotten about Chen Fan. He invited Chen Fan to join the group only to lure the girl into his trap.

The excitement was written all over A'Xiu's face. However, her mind was calm and clear. She spoke quietly under her breath, "Mr. Chen is a powerful man; he wouldn't bet on such small games."

"Powerful man?" Xiao Wang pouted his lips as he tried to suppress a peal of laughter.

"You mean him?"

Chen Fan was so stingy that he would not even give his girlfriend ten thousand yuan for some fun. What kind of powerful person would do that?

However, seeing the sincerity in A'Xiu's eyes, he let the matter rest and didn't say anything more.

In the next few days, Xiao Wang guided Chen Fan and A'Xiu around the village in the day and went to bet on the tournament matches in the night. A'Xiu had borrowed a lot of money from Xiao Wang, but she had won even more. Despite her excitement for her streak of luck, she didn't let herself get carried away. For most of the time, she stayed close to Chen Fan and only bet on the matches once or twice in a night. Seeing his advance was slowing down, Xiao Wang started to loath Chen Fan and wanted to remove him out of the picture.

Chen Fan was not interested in the tournament at all. It was still very early in the game, and therefore, most of the fighters were not very powerful as those who survived until the final.

At last the final match was going to draw back its curtains.

Chen Fan arrived at the outskirts of the village in the afternoon, and right away, he noticed the stage set up was different. There were no more enclosures. Instead, the wall had been taken down to make space for a tall platform beside the stage.

The platform was surrounded by buff and brawny bodyguards who looked like very powerful fighters.

The audience sat in their chairs and waited in silence.

This was the day when all the bosses in Jiang Bei region came to gather around. To these tycoons, this event was like an annual conference.

"There they are."

A murmur rose from the audience as a group of people walked to the platform.

"That one is Boss Xin Zhong from my home town: Tian He City."

"Humph, Baldy Liu had come as well."

"Wait a minute, I only see Zhou Tianhao, where is the Third Lord of Wei?"

Every time a businessman appeared at the platform, a swell of murmurs rose from the audience. Some voices were packed with jealousy, and others loathing.

"How come Lord Wu of Jiang Zhou City had sent a girl to come in his stead?"

Some visitors from Jiang Zhou spoke under their breath.

After a while, the last tycoon appeared on the stage. The entire arena fell into a reverential silence as everyone gazed at the middle age scholarly looking man.

"The Greatest Lord of the Jiang Bei Region.

"Xu Ao of Hai Dong"

Of all the people on the platform, Xu Ao was the most powerful one.

Not only did he control the biggest city in the Jiang Bei region, but he also owned a majority share in a public company that was worth tens of billions of yuan. Thanks to his powerful protectors and immense financial capability, he overwhelmingly dominated the power dynamic with the other tycoons.

Seeing Xu Ao's imposing demeanor, some business magnates snorted.

Xu Ao let their jealous insults slide off his mind and sat stately in the center seat of the table. Master Gu, however, gave the scorner a cold and sharp glance.

The scorner was none other than Xin Zhong.

To Master Gu's surprise, he only saw Master Wu sitting beside Xin Zhong, but didn't see the overseas master that everyone had been talking about.

"Humph! Laugh while you still can." Master Gu thought to himself.

After everyone had sat down, Baldy Liu stared at the only woman among the bosses and said with a smirk,

"Is there really no one else in the Jiang Zhou City that they had to send a girl?"

The person who represented Jiang Zhou City was a girl in a green shirt.

She was not the drop-dead gorgeous kind but looked dainty and refined. She wore a green Qipao dress and a pair of silk slippers with delicate embroidery. Her snow-white arm was decorated with a pair of wrist bands made out of green jade. Her unique style of antiquity and culture made her look like a beauty from ancient times.

The girl didn't even grace Baldy Liu with a glance, but a middle age bodyguard stepped forward angrily.

"Calm down, both of you. Lord Wu is not feeling well and therefore, had asked Miss Lu to come in his stead. Lord Wu had informed me about it ahead of time. " Xu Ao explained slowly.

Baldy Liu murmured something under his breath and kept his silence.

The buff middle age bodyguard looked to Miss Lu for any instructions, and the latter waved a dismiss at him.

Everyone was shocked by the authority held by Xu Ao. Without his consent, no one at the table dared to cross the line.

"Nice to see everyone gather here at this corner of China.

"As we all know, today is the day that gentlemen across all cities of Jiang Bei gather here to settle past scores, in our own way and on our own terms. We will fight all we want on that stage, but off that stage, no one should stir up disorder, at least not under my watch. "

Xu Ao sat in the armchair and announced firmly. No one dared to say a word while he was speaking.

After Xu Ao was done talking, Baldy Liu was the first one who piped up.

He sneered at Zhou Tianhao and asked, "Zhou Tianhao, why didn't I see your protector, The Third Lord of Wei?

"I had spared you many times for the sake of House Wei, and today I won't let get you to get away with it again."

Baldy Liu waved a hand as a short and dark-skinned man stepped forward and darted toward the stage.

When he was about ten paces away from the stage, he jumped, and carried by his momentum, he leapt across the guard railing and landed firmly on the stage. He looked contemptuously at the representative's form Chu Zhou City.

Zhou Tianhao's face darkened as he clutched the armchair.

The City of Clear Water was adjacent to Chu Zhou City, and therefore the two factions had frequent run-ins. The Baldy Liu had been Zhou Tianhao's longtime rival.

"Master Guo, can you handle it?"

Zhou Tianhao looked at the sharp young man on the stage and answered.

"He is an expert of Muay Thai. They started training when they were kids. They hit rocks with their fists until every single bone in their hands were broken. When those wounds were healed, their fists were as if they were made out of iron." Guo Wei studied the young man cautiously. And then he said confidently.

"As long as he didn't practice the ancient school of Muay Thai, I am confident that I can defeat him."

Before his words faded, Master Guo had already flown into the air and landed on the stage.

"Bravo!"

Master Guo's entrance won a wave of cheers from the audience.

Since the other combatant didn't look Chinese, the audience had already chosen their side. Seeing Master Guo's dressed in classical Chinese Kung Fu outfit, the audience heaped their patriotic support on him.

"Please!"

The short man's Chinese sounded a little bit strange to the ear but was understandable.

As soon as he finished the necessary courtesy, the man sprang forward like a loaded spring as he threw a punch at Master Guo.

His attack was not only sneaky but was also packed with force from his waist and hip. His fist traveled at incredible speed as it wheezed across the air. The audiences' hearts were suddenly caught in their throats.

Master Guo was an Internal Force user who had achieved initial success; as such, he was unflinching before the surprise attack. He pulled a taut face and pushed both hands out to block the punch.

Seeing his first attack had been blocked, the Muay Thai fighter followed up with more strikes. In a blink, Master Guo was embattled by a downpour of assaults from all directions. If he slipped up once, he might as well have lost the match.

Finally, he was dealt a blow, and right away, he felt the incredible weight in the attack.

Master Guo's heart sank after having the first taste of his opponent's power. He knew he had met a real Muay Thai master.

By then, he had already lost the initiative and was forced to defend himself. His only hope was to wait for his opponent to make a mistake so that he could unleash a counter strike.

The audience held their breath and watched as Master Guo was being forced into a corner by the foreign young man.

"How about that!" Baldy Liu scanned around him and smirked smugly."Although Master Song Tao was young, he is one of the most powerful Muay Thai masters in southeast Asia. People call him the 'Eighth-Armed Arhat' "

The other magnates furrowed their brows after hearing Baldy Liu's words.

The word Arhat held much more respect in southeast Asia than in China. In southeast Asia, the Hinayana school of Buddhism revered Arhat as the highest enlightenment a mortal can achieve. It was not a nickname that could be easily tossed around from mouth to mouth.

Only the most accomplished Muay Thai fighter could be called an Arhat.

On the stage, the young Muay Thai fighter moved his arms and legs with lightning speed. He attacked with fists, legs, elbows, knees and turned his body into a walking death machine.

No wonder they called him the Eight-Armed Arhat.

Everyone's face paled at the development.

Brother Zhang's face was bleak. Although he was from the provincial Sanshou team, he had never expected such power from a Muay Thai fighter.

Even Guo Wei's power had exceeded his expectations, much less the Muay Thai fighter.

Brother Zhang tried to put himself in Guo Wei's shoes and realized that he might not even be able to block one of Song Tao's furious blows.

Chen Fan also furrowed his brows as he worried that Guo Wei was going to lose.

Lo and behold, in a matter of minutes, Guo Wei was defeated.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 55: Lin Hu Arrived

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Master Guo's lack of initiative had eventually become his downfall.

Although Master Guo had lasted as long as he could, hoping that his opponent would slip up and give him an opportunity to fight back, he had underestimated Song Tao's ability. The Eight-Armed Arhat had poured attacks on him, in a blink, he had unleashed thirteen punches, six kicks, five elbows strikes, and seven knee strikes. The fourteenth punch had finally hit home and destroyed Guo Wei's defense. The lightning-fast fist landed solidly on Guo Wei's chests.

"Urhh!"

A gush of blood spilled out form Guo Wei's mouth, and the punch sent him stumbling back until he fell off the stage.

"Bam!"

Master Guo collapsed to the ground beneath the stage.

By then, the audience had finally noticed that there was a depression at the center of Guo Wei's chest. His shirt was in tatters around a fist-sized area on his chest.

The gruesome sight sent a chill down everyone's spines.

With only one punch, Song Tao had driven Guo Wei off the stage. If the blow landed on more of a vital point of Guo Wei's body, he might as well be dead.

"I submit!"

With a smear of blood at the corner of his lips, Guo Wei pushed himself to his feet. He could barely stand straight.

Song Tao's contorted face suddenly returned placid after he heard his opponent's surrender. He folded his hands and bowed slightly to Master Guo and started off the stage.

Baldy Liu sneered at Zhou Tianhao and then said, "How about that, Brother Hao?"

"Well, I have lost. Until next year, I will not compete with you in business."

Zhou Tianhao's face was bleak and overwrought, and he managed to let out a few words

"Great!

"I will take you up on it." Baldy Liu laughed and then announced with joy. A waitress carried a piece of paper on a platter to Zhou Tianhao. Without examining the contents of the contract, Zhou Tianh signed the document and transferred his share to Baldy Liu.

Seeing that deal was sealed, Baldy Liu's face was lit up with glee.

Zhou Tianhao wanted to dig a hole and hide. He didn't care for the share he had just given away; however, by doing so, he had also given away his place in one of the richest villages around this area. The village of Lin Fu bordered of three cities and therefore was an important transportation node. Due to its large amount of visitors from nearby cities, the entertainment industry had boomed there and was Zhou Tianhao's main source of income.

Losing the share in those companies located in the village of Lin Fu directly translated to losses of over a few dozen million yuan of profit, nearly half of his annual cash flow.

Zhou Tianhao managed to gather himself and asked one of his men, "Where is Master Chen?"

"Master Chen said he had met a group of friends, so he was out with them. There are simply too many visitors in this small place so we couldn't find him." A'Biao said. "Don't worry, if Master Chen had promised to show up, I believe he will.

"As long as Master Chen Shows up, he will defeat Song Tao with ease."

Zhou Tianhao nodded after realizing that he had no other option but to wait.

He had invited Master Chen as a contingency measure, thinking that Master Guo should suffice. However, he didn't expect his fellow businessmen to invite much stronger fighters than they used to. As such, Master Guo was defeated in the first round.

Master Guo's defeat had also exposed his weakness. Zhou Tianhao wagered that Baldy Liu would not be the first one to challenge him.

He had sat at the table representing the Chu Zhou City; as such, he had to accept any challenge thrown at him and admit any losses.

Lo, and behold, another few factions challenged Zhou Tianhao. Guo Wei was injured, and Master Chen was absent, the only person who could fight was A'Biao. However, Zhou Tianhao was convinced that if he let A'Biao get on that stage, he might as well send him on a suicide mission.

Having no champion at his disposal, Zhou Tianhao had to submit to the challenges and gave up more shares that he owned.

"Just wait.

"When Master Chen shows up, I will let you spit out what you take."

Zhou Tianhao cursed the vouchers in his mind.

By then, Chu Zhou faction was nearly picked clean, and the powerful factions had already ignored Chu Zhou faction and focused competing against Baldy Liu from the city of Clear Water.

The girl in green said thinly, "Fourth Uncle, Guo Wei is an Internal Force user who had achieved Initial Success, is he not? How come he was no match against a Muay Thai fighter?"

"Your ladyship, he was not just any master of Muay Thai." The middle age man standing behind the girl said with a pair of glinting eyes. "His power and speed have exceeded that of a normal person. I bet he is a practitioner of the ancient Muay Thai.

"The Ancient Muay Thai had a method to stimulate human's strong growth, and it was only passed down to the closest disciples. Those who were chosen to carry down the secret art were not any less powerful than an Internal Force user. The power of the strongest Ancient Muay Thai fighter was on par with that of a Transcendent Master.

"Nonetheless, there are too few people who practiced this ancient form of Muay Thai. Song Tao was only slightly stronger than Guo Wei. Master Guo would not have lost the fight if he didn't underestimate his opponent. "

"How does he compare to you?" The girl in green asked under her breath.

"Hehe." The middle age man smiled smugly. "Of all the fighters, only that old bone from the Gu family is my worthy opponent.

"As for that Muay Thai fighter...

"I can defeat him in ten moves. "

The middle age man spoke with a great measure of confidence and assuredness.

Miss Lu nodded approvingly; everything was still under control.

"Since Uncle Wu had invited my family to help out, I will uphold my family's honor and reputation. It's not a big deal for us to claim the number one title of the Jiang Bei region."

"Touche, Our Lu family had deep roots in martial arts, and no ordinary fighter could challenge us." The Fourth Uncle agreed. "That old man from the Gu family was also from an ancient martial arts lineage. However, he had sustained some serious injury when he was young, and therefore, I should have an advantage when fighting against him. "

Meanwhile, Xu Ao was also conversing with Master Gu.

Old age had carved deep lines into Master Gu's face and his voice were husky. "Rest assured, Lord Xu. Song Tao is no match against me.

"The most powerful contender had reached only Initial Success in their cultivation. They stand no chance before me."

"Thank you for your reassurance. I am relieved." Xu Ao nodded.

Meanwhile, Master Gu glanced surreptitiously at Miss Lu and the middle age man behind her. They looked very family to Master Gu, but the old man could not pinpoint where or when he had met them.

In an hour, five more matches had finished.

So far, Song Tao had achieved a smashing success. His last opponent was a Karate master. However, he had defeated the Japanese master with one kick.

All the bosses, except for Xu Ao and Miss Lu had started to feel unnerved by Song Tao's display of strength.

He was simply too powerful!

Most of the tycoon's champions were no match against the Muay Thai fighter. Baldy Liu wore a smug face as he scanned the table, looking for his next victim.

Everyone at the table looked to Xu Ao for rescue.

Xu Ao furrowed his brows as he reckoned that he had put a stop to Baldy Liu's act. Even as he was going to order Master Gu to prepare for the fight, a loud and contemptuous voice came from the stage.

"Humph! Is there really no one can stop this dude from Thailand? What a shame!"

Everyone looked toward the voice, and they saw Xin Zhong sprawled inside a large armchair. Disdain and contempt were written all over his face.

Xin Zhong's words riled up Baldy Liu; he shouted at him, "Xin Zhong, are you courting death?"

"Very well. I can help you fulfill your wish."

As he spoke, Baldy Liu scanned around Xin Zhong. A contemptuous smirk appeared on his face as he said, "Is that all you brought with you?"

"Haven't you invited some hotshot from overseas? Where is he? Was he scared of Song Tao's power?"

Baldy Liu's question resonated with many other magnates as they furrowed their brows in confusion.

Other than half a dozen normal bodyguards, only Master Wu sat beside Xin Zhong.

Master Wu looked like in his seventies, and therefore people doubted that he would go on to the stage and fight against a young man in his prime.

"No kidding. Where is the overseas martial arts master that Xin Zhong had claimed to have invited?"

Everyone was asking the same question in their mind.

Xin Zhong rounded his eyes and flung back at Baldy Liu vehemently, "Baldy Liu, how dare you talk down about Lord Hu. You will pay for your conceit!

"Lord Hu has just arrived. I can't wait to see your reaction."

After Xing Zhong had finished his words, he stood up and bowed toward the small lake, and then he shouted.

"Welcome, Lord Hu!"

Xin Zhong's bodyguard followed his lead as they shouted out in unison. "Welcome, Lord Hu!"

The development dumbfounded everyone. There was not even a boat on the late, much less a living person.

Suddenly, Chen Fan gasped under his breath. He fixed his gaze on the flicking surface of the lake and smiled. "Interesting. I think I have underestimated the Martial Artists on Earth after all."

However, most people were still oblivious of what was going on. Some audiences were ready to stand up and question Xin Zhong.

Suddenly, Master Gu and Fourth Uncle both stood up abruptly and looked into distance incredulously

"Master Gu(Fourth Uncle), what is going on?" Miss Lu and Xu Ao asked almost simultaneously.

The Fourth Uncle didn't utter a word, but his body was tense as if a powerful opponent was going to descend upon him. Meanwhile, Master Gu's face looked bleak and gloomy.

"Lord Xu, I think we have some trouble."

Even as Xu Ao was wondering what Master Gu meant, he heard loud cheers by the shore of the lake. He traced the source of the din, and then he was shocked by what he saw.

On the placid surface of the lake was a line of white broken waves extending from the other side of the shore to the shore by the stage. The leading head of the wave traveled at incredible speed. Upon close look, Xu Ao saw a man running on the lake, kicking up the water creating the line of turbulent water on the lake.

"Is that.. a human?"

Someone asked with a shaky voice.

Everyone was asking the same question in their mind.

Not only was the man running on water, but he was also traveling as fast as a speedboat. How did he do that?

The Fourth Uncle gaped at the scene and finally managed to let out a few words:

"Walking on the water... Gosh... he had reached the ultimate state of the Internal Force. "

The person on the lake had reached the Perfected stage in his Internal Force cultivation. He was only one step away from being a Transcendent Grand Master.

A powerful grandmaster like him would have dominated the current martial arts landscape with ease.

Xin Zhong's lips curled into a smile. He bowed deeply again and shouted.

"Welcome, Lord Hu!"

While many pairs stared incredulously, Linhu kicked the water under his feet forcefully and flew himself into the air. A second later, he landed on the stage. He linked his hands behind his back and said lightly to Song Tao.

"You are my opponent?"

Song Tao's face paled almost instantly.

This was the first time since he stepped onto the stage that he felt afraid.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 56: Who Is Master Chen?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ever since he was accepted by his master as a disciple and started practicing the ancient Muay Thai, he had never lost a fight. Therefore, not until he saw Lin Hu's incredible power of running on water, did he think that there could be someone more powerful than him.

However, Song Tao quickly turned his fear into motivation. His dedication to martial arts had made him eager to fight against such a powerful opponent.

"Please!"

He bowed to his opponent.

"You first."

Lin Hu put one arm behind his back; the other reached out toward Song Tao.

Song Tao was angered by his opponent's stance. "Did he think that he could defeat me with only one arm?"

Although this man seemed to have incredible abilities, Song Tao himself had been invincible across southeast Asia. Who would emerge victorious was yet to be seen.

Song Tao snarled at his opponent and started the secret art of the Ancient Muay Thai. Suddenly, his skin turned coal black as his body drastically increased in size. In a blink, he had become a seven-foot tall giant.

"The Secret Art of Sacrifice? That's what I am talking about."

Lin Hu nodded.

The Fourth Uncle spoke under his breath, "Song Tao is going all out. The Secret Art of Sacrifice could only be used three to four times in a lifetime before the user spent his life energy. After each and every use, the fighter will have to rest for a few months before they could fight again."

Miss Lu didn't speak a word; her eyes were glued to Lin Hu.

Song Tao howled a few more times before he threw himself at his opponent.

Song Tao's speed had slowed down significantly; however, the power in his fist was immeasurable.

Guo Wei's face paled. He wagered that if Song Tao had used the secret art against him, he wouldn't last longer than three moves.

Meanwhile, Lin Hu stood on stage unflinchingly. He didn't counter the attack until Song Tao's fist was only a few inches away from him.

His counter-attack was quiet but precise.

"Kacha!"

After the two fists collided, Song Tao's body flew back like a lifeless rag doll.

Silence fell to the arena as everyone gaped at the man who had defeated a seven feet tall giant with one punch. Lin Hu shook his head and said:

"You are too weak. Maybe we can fight a bit longer after you have trained for another twelve years."

Lin Hu linked his hands behind his back and turned to look at the audience.

"Who else wants to challenge me?"

Although all the businessmen sitting at the platform had brought their champions, no one had answered Lin Hu.

The businessmen were shaken after seeing Lin Hu 's dramatic entrance from the lake. Their champions couldn't even defeat Song Tao, much less the man who had crushed Song Tao with one punch.

Baldy Liu's smile curdled on his face; he wished that he could hide in a hole so that Lin Hu would never notice him again.

Miss Lu seemed less confident as well; her face looked concerned.

Lin Hu's involvement had spoiled her plan. The fighter was too powerful even for the Fourth Uncle.

"No one else?"

Lord Hu scanned the audience until his gaze landed on Xu Ao. He was not the only person who looked to Xu Ao; everyone else also wanted to know how Xu Ao was going to handle the situation.

Xu Ao took a deep breath; he knew that he could no longer keep quiet.

He was the most powerful and influential tycoon of the Jiang Bei region, as such he would have to carry the burden of confronting Lin Hu. He asked Master Gu under his breath, "Master Gu, can you handle him?"

Master Gu stood up solemnly and bowed deeply to Xu Ao. "Lord Xu, I appreciate your care over the years.

"I am halfway to my grave, so what the heck, let me fight for you one last time."

Master Gu was ready to fight with abandon.

Xu Ao regarded Master Gu with a concerned look. "Don't force yourself. We can admit defeat for now. "

Master Gu nodded slightly and started off toward the stage. He straightened his back and looked as if he was 20 years younger.

Seeing Master Gu walking onto the stage, the smile evaporated from Lin Hu's face. He looked at the old man suspiciously and asked:

"As someone who had achieved Phenomenal Success, you should be a worthy opponent. However, it's a shame that you had sustained an injury a long time ago and it affected your power significantly.

"Based on your combat stance, I wager you are from the Gu family. Do you know Gu Shitong."

Master Gu furrowed his brows and said, "You know my family?"

"Haha. When my teacher came to China seventeen years ago, Gu Shitong was the first person who had tasted defeat at the hands of my teacher." Lin Hu said lightly.

"How is that possible?" Master Gu's face turned bleak.

The Gu family was a two-hundred-year-old martial arts family. The family's head, Gu Shitong was a legendary figure who had reached the top level in Internal Force cultivation. During his entire life, he was defeated only once. He was gravely injured in that battle, and the wound had greatly impeded his cultivation. If not for those wounds, he would have already entered the Transcendent State.

Master Gu felt a nagging fear inside of him, and he asked reluctantly:

"Who is your teacher?"

Lin Hu linked his hands behind his back and gave him the name.

"Lei Qianjue of the Hong Sect!"

The name of his teacher stirred the audience as a swell of surprised murmurs rose around him.

Although not a lot of people had heard of Lei Qianjue, Hong Sect was a household name. It was an ancient organization that spread across the globe. It was the largest organization among overseas Chinese. Compare to the behemoth might of the ancient secret organization, the power of these businessmen and women from Jiang Bei was near non-existent.

Even if Xu Ao was the most powerful man in Jiang Bei, he was nothing before he became a member of the Hong Sect.

Someone gasped as realization finally dawned upon him.

"Lin Hu? He was the 'Alaskan Tiger' from the Hong Sect"

Some audience members who had lived overseas were surprised by the revelation.

Although no one had heard of Lin Hu, that was not the case for the name Alaskan Tiger. Rumor had it that he was a rich Chinese man from Alaska. He controlled the shipping route near the Arctic, and all shipping fleets would have to pay a toll directly to his family should they wish to cross the Bering Strait.

His company was as powerful as a small country; these businessmen from Jiang Bei simply couldn't compare.

Xu Ao's heart sank after hearing the revelation as he lost all hope.

He knew right away that Linhu was not after the reward; he came here to fry a much bigger fish.

Linhu was richer and more resourceful than most people at the tournament, and he also had the support of the mighty Hong Sect. If he planned to stay in Jiang Bei for a long time, he would be able to consolidate the fragmented local power in no time.

The Fourth Uncle remarked under his breath.

"He is Lei Qianjue's disciple. No wonder he is so powerful."

"Who is Lei Qianjue?" Miss Lu asked.

"Your ladyship, you are too young to remember him. When Lei Qianjue became famous, you were only ten years old." The Fourth Uncle smiled wryly. "Lei Qianjue was a hermit grandmaster from the Hong Sect. Rumor had it that he had reached enlightenment on the arctic tundra and he had created a secret art called 'Thousand Trickeries' that had otherworldly powers."

"When he first came to China, he had defeated sixteen grandmasters in a row and quickly made a name for himself. "

"That's insane!" Miss Lu gasped. Her illustrious families achievement was what had lent her strength and confidence, especially the fact that there was a Transcendent Master among her ranks.

However, since Lei Qianjue was the number one grandmaster in and outside of China, she wagered that he was more powerful than any Transcendent Master.

"What happened later?" Miss Lu asked curiously.

"Fortunately, Master Ye Nantian intervened and put a stop to Lei Qianjue's rampage. He made Lei Qianjue swear to never to step on Chinese soil again." The Fourth Uncle said and then heaved a sigh.

"Ye Nantian from Yan Jin city?" Miss Lu gasped again. The surprise was written all over her face.

Compared to Lei Qianjue, Ye Nantian's name was all too familiar to her.

He was regarded by everyone as a martial arts genius and was thought to be the most likely martial artist to enter the immortal state. He was the pillar of the martial arts community in Northern China. Even Miss Lu's father, the transcendent master of the Lu family admired Ye Nantian greatly.

"Indeed, Master Ye had become a household name after his duel with Lei Qianjue." The Fourth Uncle nodded.

By then the fighting on the stage had already finished.

Despite the disadvantages, Master Gu had to face his opponent. After all, the honor of Xu Ao and the entire Jiang Bei business community was at stake.

However, the gap between him and Lin Hu was too great. His old age and the old injuries had taken a toll on his performance.

Mater Gu was dealt a blow on his opponent's seventh move. He was sent flying by Lin Hu's palm strike.

Fortunately, Lin Hu had held back his power.

He was here to consolidate the factions, and not to kill anyone. As for now, he only wanted to display his strength and didn't meant to gravely injure Master Gu.

"Do you want to keep going?"

Lin Hu glared at the businessmen on the platform and asked.

Xu Ao's face was contorted by fear; he lowered his head and admitted defeat, "We submit!"

"Bravo! BRAVO!"

Xin Zhong jumped out of his chair and waved his fists in the air excitedly.

Xu Ao had been sitting in the number one position for too long, and things were finally about to change.

Everyone felt the silent beating of war-drums as the former number one's position being challenged by a rising new power.

Lin Hu surveyed the faces of the businessmen and women sitting on the platform; everyone lowered their heads and dared not to hold Lin Hu's gaze. Despair and fear were written all over Zhou Tianhao's face.

"Lin Hu? That's him! Linbao's brother!

"He came to avenge his brother!"

However, Lin Hu simply glanced over him. It was evident to Lin Hu that Zhou Tianhao was too weak to have defeated his brother.

Lin Hu announced: "My brother Linbao had disappeared in Chu Zhou City. I have no issue with anyone defeating him in a fair fight, but I need to find him. He is my brother and a disciple of my teacher Lei Qianjue.

"If no one knows where my brother is, I will have to take one of you so that I can report back to my teacher."

Lin Hu rounded his eyes and announced vengefully.

"Master Chen! I know you are here!

"You defeated my brother and tainted my teacher's reputation. Do you think you can get away with it?'

"I, Lin Hu have come for you. Show me what you got!"

No one dared to speak a word, and only Lin Hu's booming voice reverberated in the open space.

All the audience asked the same question.

"Who is Master Chen? What had he done to stir the ire of such a renowned and powerful fighter?"

Someone among the audience murmured:

"Is he talking about Master Chen from Chu Zhou City?"

Everyone was shocked after hearing the question. They recalled the news about a certain Master Chen from Chu Zhou City who was able to control the lightning. However, would he come out and face the challenge of such a terrifying opponent?

Most people didn't think so.

"I am afraid that Master Chen had long since run away from Jiang Bei. Now we have to bear the consequences of his actions."

Lin Hu stood still like a flag pole on the stage after he had asked the question.

One minute, two, three...

Master Chen was still nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Tianhao's legs were trembling as he was about to lose the last sliver of hope.

"Did Master Chen really run away?"

Xu Ao shook his head and let out an ugly grin.

"What am I thinking? Do I really expect to see an all mighty Master Chen to show up and stand against Lin Hu and save the day?"

"Stop daydreaming; Mater Chen is probably a charlatan at best "

Suddenly, someone among the audience stood up slowly.

"Are you talking about me?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 57: One Punch Does It

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Everyone looked at Chen Fan.

"Are you crazy? Sit down!" Xiao Wang growled at Chen Fan.

"Haven't you seen that none of the tycoons of the Jiang Bei dare to speak a word, you are courting death!"

Xiao Wang was convinced that if Chen Fan ticked off Lin Hu, not only would Chen Fan be in trouble, but people around him would also suffer collateral damage.

So thinking, Xiao Wang glared at Chen Fan and wished that he could make the boy disappear.

Yang Li and the other girl's faces paled. As they wondered if it was too late to pull Chen Fan back to his seat, they saw Lin Hu looking toward their direction.

Xiao Wang and his friends felt a chill down their spines after being glared at by Lin Hu's murderous gaze. They looked down and didn't even dare move a finger. Meanwhile, they hoped that Lin Hu would not drag them into his conflict with Chen Fan.

Suddenly, people around Chen Fan took a step away from him, as none of them wanted to appear to be related to him.

Brother Zhang was the first to distance himself from Chen Fan and stood the furthest away from him.

Song Tao's performance had robbed him of his confidence, while the arrival of Lin Hu had shattered whatever ambition he still harbored to become the victor of the event.

Chen Fan was surrounded by onlookers and had become the center of the event.

Only A'Xiu stood beside him. Despite the girl's destitute life, she was kind and had a heart of gold.

A'Xiu tugged at Chen Fan's shirt and pleaded, "Brother Chen, sit down, I beg of you. That guy on the stage is too terrifying."

"Fear not, I can handle him." Chen Fan gave the girl a reassuring smile.

And then, he rubbed the top of A'Xiu head and said:

"Thank you for standing with me. You have my promise that I will give you an opportunity in the future, as long as you can catch that opportunity first."

Without offering any explanation to his words, he brushed away A'Xiu's finger on his shirt and walked toward the stage with his hands linked behind his back.

A'Xiu was left among the crowd. The image of Chen Fan's caring and warm smile stayed in her mind and would not go away.

Out of the blue, she felt a sense of unnamed regret and sorrow as tears welled in her eyes.

Chen Fan sauntered toward the stage, and the audience quickly made way for him.

Most people glared at him as if he was a nut job. Some who still had a conscience urged the boy concernedly, "Hey, little guy. He is looking for Master Chen, not you. Stop!"

Everyone thought Master Chen was a middle age man in his forties, like Master Wu. However, this boy was only seventeen, and people found it hard to believe that he was Master Chen.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and kept his silence as he sauntered on.

When he arrived at the foot of the stage, he looked up at the deck of the stage above his head and started clambering onto the stage. His entrance was the least flattering compared to previous fighters who had leapt onto the stage heroically.

When Xu Ao saw the boy clambering onto the stage, he felt the boy looked very familiar, and therefore he narrowed his eyes and looked carefully. When he realized that it indeed was Chen Fan, he was seized by a fit of unease.

Although he was not pleased by the boy's arrogance, his girl was infatuated with him, and as Xu Rongfei's father, he couldn't just sit around and watch the boy perish. Lin Hu's nickname was Alaskan Tiger, and little did the boy know that the nickname carried countless unfortunate souls who once made the same mistake as he did.

"What the hell are you doing here? Get off the stage!"

Xu Ao shouted at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan said sarcastically, "He is looking for me."

Xu Ao wished he could walk to the stage and slap the boy's face. Instead, he shouted hotly, "He is looking for MASTER Chen, not you!

"Do you think anyone who has the last name Chen is a Master?"

Like most of the audience, Xu Ao couldn't make the connection between the young boy and the image he had of Master Chen.

Chen Fan blinked dumbfoundedly and said, "Yes, I am Master Chen."

Xu Ao's mind reeled. He felt that he was barking at a tree stump.

By then, Master Gu had clambered onto the stage and walked over to Chen Fan and scolded him hotly, "Get lost, young boy. You can't even defeat me, much less Lin Hu.

"Get back now! Lin Hu is an honorable fighter; he wouldn't hold a grudge against an arrogant child."

So saying, he squeezed his face at Chen Fan, willing him to get off the stage and save himself.

Lin Hu crossed his arms in front of his chest and regarded the boy perplexedly.

Based on his experience, he could tell that this boy had never undergone a full day of martial arts training.

He couldn't even defeat any of the bodyguards, much less Linbao. In addition, it took a long time to cultivate Inner Force and therefore an Inner Force user would have to be at least as old as Master Gu.

However, the boy in front of him did match Xin Zhong's description of Master Chen.

"Regardless, since he had the audacity of challenging me, I should make an example out of him and show everyone what will happen is they rise against me."

Lin Hu thought to himself as his eyes darkened.

The other businessmen on the platform looked at Chen Fan with equal measures of lament and admiration.

They admired his mettle for rising against Lin Hu. However, they also lamented his short-sightedness due to his young age.

Miss Lu said under her breath:

"Fourth Uncle, can you save him? We can't just sit around and watch a boy being killed."

The Fourth Uncle shook his head helplessly.

"Rescue is unlikely to do any good. Lin Hu is determined to consolidate power in the Jiang Bei region. If we stand up right now, we will be the first faction to be eliminated."

Miss Lu's eyes dimmed as she lamented helplessly in her mind.

She had been very optimistic about the outcome of this year's tournament and didn't have a shred of doubt that they would emerge victoriously. However, the arrival of Lin Hu had completely ruined her plan.

Lin Hu was not what she really afraid of; it was the power behind Lin Hu, the power that had even more clout than all the factions at the table combined.

"It appears that I had been living under a rock all the while." Miss Lu lamented.

Many audience members were thinking the same thing:

"This boy is a nut job, if he wanted to court death, then let him."

A'Xiu was so distressed by the situation that she might break down into tears at any moment.

Suddenly, Lin Hu said thinly:

"I am looking for a Master, not just anyone whose last name is Chen. But of course, I will oblige if you really wanted to fight me. But I warn you; it's going to hurt a lot."

Chen Fan was unfazed by the water-walking and near invincible martial arts grandmaster. He rubbed his nose and said lightly:

"If you are looking for Master Chen who had defeated your brother, then you are looking at him right now."

Everyone was taken aback by what they have heard.

"What did he say? Did he say that he is Master Chen?"

The business tycoons sitting on the platform were also shocked by the revelation.

"For real?"

Lin Hu was stunned and didn't speak a word for a while.

Chen Fan said again, "Your brother, Linbao's martial arts were laughable. I scared him with just one move, and he spun his tail, so I had to follow up with another one. "

Chen Fan ignored the severe expression on Lin Hu's face and continued: "I thought your teacher Lei Qianjue would come to avenge him, so I had prepared a few coups de grace just in case, but since it's only you, I guess I didn't have to prepare after all.

"Nonetheless, you have quite a creative mind. I have never thought of walking on water before, good for you!"

He had been mulling over the technique Lin Hu had used to walk on water and therefore was late to reply to Lin Hu's challenge.

Although Chen Fan was impressed by the water-walking skill when he first laid eyes on it, once he thought it through, he realized that it was just a gimmick and lacked practical use.

Zhou Tianhao finally gathered himself and jumped out of his armchair.

"Master Chen, you are finally here!

"Master Chen, please teach Lin Hu a lesson on behalf of all the residence of Jiang Bei region."

At first, the audiences couldn't believe what they had heard, but after a while, they had finally come to terms with the fact that the young boy really was Master Chen.

He was the one who had defeated Linbao and caused the racket that spurred the overseas grandmaster to come to China and seek revenge.

So shocked was Xu Ao that he could only gap at Che Fan.

"Chen... Is Chen Fan, Master Chen? How is that possible?"

He had looked into all the details of Chen Fan's background and found out that other than being a solid fighter, he was nothing extraordinary. He found it hard to believe that underneath Chen Fan's ordinary appearance was a mighty, lightning-wielding grandmaster.

Xu Ao wagered that Linbao's power should not be too far than Lin Hu. If Chen Fan could so easily defeat Linbao, how powerful exactly was the boy?

Yang Li and her friends stood with their mouth open in sheer surprise. None of them could form a word. After a while, A'Xiu seemed to have remembered something, and she shouted:

"No wonder Boss Zhang called him Master Chen. I thought that's just some weird custom of the Chu Zhou City.

"So you really are Master Chen."

A'Xiu gazed at the powerful Master Chen who smirked casually at his deadly opponent. She conceded that she was wrong about this boy.

"So it IS you!"

Lin Hu murmured to himself. Then he shouted with a booming voice.

"I don't give a damn about who you are!

"You have defeated my brother and humiliated my sect! I will avenge my brother today!"

Before his voice faced, he stomped the ground as his body surged in size. All the while, a white mist formed around his burgeoning frame. He reached out both arms and brushed the mist with surprising deft fingers. In a blink, the shapeless mist had formed many thin threads.

The threads lanced about around Lin Hu. They were so sharp that they could pierce through metal with ease. If one such thread landed on a human body, it would almost definitely kill the person outright.

The surprised look on Fourth Uncle evaporated and was replaced by grave concerns.

"He had unleashed Internal Force and formed Qi threads. This was the infamous coupe de grace of the Hong Sect."

"Thousand Trickeries! "

Chen Fan smiled light-heartedly and then said:

"You have just reached the Perfected state, so in theory, you wouldn't be able to project your internal force outward just yet. I bet you are using a Secret Art of your sect.

"Fine, fine. I guess I will show you the real power of Martial Arts." Chen Fan lifted both hands and closed his fingers. It was as if he had grabbed hold of the very fabric of time and space.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms"

"First Form: Skyfall Hammer!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 58: Famous In Jiang Bei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Fourth Uncle, how is the power of the Thousand Trickeries?"

Miss Lu asked.

"His Power?" The fourth Uncle grunted wryly and continued, "Lei Qianjue had reached enlightenment on the arctic tundra and gained the ability of the Thousand Trickeries. He had been invincible ever since."

Rumor had it that he had shredded a polar bear that weighed a few hundred pounds into pieces with a wave of a hand.

"So... Is that boy in big trouble now?" Miss Lu paused. She covered her mouth to suppress a cry.

"Even if Lin Hu didn't use the Thousand Trickeries, the boy was no match against him nonetheless." Fourth Uncle shook his head and said.

In the eyes of Fourth Uncle, Lin Hu had already reached the precipice of Internal Force cultivation. Even if he was facing a Transcendent Master, he should be able to escape unharmed. Judging by Chen Fan's appearance, Fourth Uncle was convinced that the boy had never undergone martial artist training. Even if he were a powerful caster, he would be no match against a martial artist in close range.

Despite spellcasters' unimaginable power, they needed to play their ability in the right circumstances. In a close quarters tournament stage such as this, the casters were in a severe disadvantage since the martial artist would be able to take the initiative and finish off the caster before the latter had a chance to unleash his or her power.

Therefore, Fourth Uncle was convinced that Master Chen was going to lose the fight.

Fourth Uncle was not alone, as his worry was shared by all the bosses that sat around the table. The difference between Lin Hu and Chen Fan was unbridgeable. One was a renowned fighter overseas, and in China, the other was a no account.

They watched as Chen Fan waved a hand and drew all those deadly stringy energies into his arms as easily as a professional noodle maker would to flours.

"Impossible!"

Lin Hu's face darkened.

The energy inside the Thousand Trickeries was highly concentrated Internal Force and lacked any physical substance. Therefore, it was impossible to be drawn into Chen Fan's arm.

"I have already told you, you haven't seen real martial arts yet."

Chen Fan moved his hands about before his chest as if he was holding a giant ball.

"Humph! What you used is not martial arts; it was just a spell!" Lin Hu was still in denial. He granted and decided to ditch the Thousand Trickeries and use one of his most powerful abilities instead.

Suddenly, Lin Hu snarled at Chen Fan, and his frame increased in size again. As his body grew bigger, his muscle also increased in volume. Without any warning, he charged out and slid past Chen Fan. With an abrupt about-turn of his body, he hurled a fist at the back of Chen Fan 's head.

The fist traveled at lightning speed and boomed in the air as a fighter jet would. The execution of the punch was the epitome of the Internal Force's deadliness.

"Ah!"

Chen Fan heaved a sigh. He turned around, raised both hands, and bore down onto his opponent.

Chen Fan's move seemed ordinary. However, Lin Hu's face paled at the sight of the incoming attack. He could feel the immeasurable power carried by Chen Fan's strike. It was as if a powerful immortal had lifted the Pillar of the World above his head. He knew right away that he should avoid a direct impact.

"Sh*t!"

Lin Hu was startled by the power of the blow; he was forced to retreat his punch to defend himself.

Even as everyone was wondering why Lin Hu wouldn't finish his opponent off, they watched as Chen Fan pressed one hand on the ground.

"Kaboom!"

It sounded like a meteor striking the earth, and the loud din was followed by a shock wave.

The earth trembled, and many audience members were tossed out of their chairs by the shock wave, A large crack appeared on the stage, originating from where Chen Fan's fist had landed.

"Is this real Martial Arts?"

Lin Hu, Fourth Uncle, and Master Gu were all stunned by the display of power.

Nothing seemed to make sense. The Thousand Trickeries was Lei Qianjue's most famous art, yet it was countered easily. Furthermore, Chen Fan was supposed to be a spellcaster, but not a martial artist. Where did he learn such a belligerent and mighty fist technique?

Although his punches appeared to carry a measure of levity, its blows were as heavy as a mountain. There was no doubt that such power was beyond the ability of a mortal.

Lin Hu's mind reeled after seeing the development.

Master Chen was not a spellcaster, but a Martial Artist, a mighty one while at it. Chen Fan's physical strength and inner force cultivation were not any less powerful than his. He wagered that even his teacher, Lei Qianjue could not defeat the boy without struggling, much less him.

"What should I do now?"

Lin Hu hesitated.

Chen Fan opened his arms abrupted like a crane stretching its wings

"The second From, Humble Cloud Hand."

"Shit! That's enough!"

By then, Lin Hu had lost all appetite for fighting, so he retreated. Even as he pulled back. Chen Fan waved both hands in front of him and caught up with Lin Hu in a heartbeat

"That's impossible!"

Anger and fear spurred Lin Hu to attack again as he threw one last punch at Chen Fan.

This punch was his coup de grace as he had channeled all of his Internal Force into his fist. It would be able to crush a granite boulder much less human flesh.

Chen Fan's counter-attack seemed almost lazy. He swept his finger gently across the air and reached Lin Hu's chest.

"AHRR!"

Lin Hu shouted, and his attack was halted cold in its tracks.

Lin Hu stumbled but managed to stand up. When everyone had seen the damage done by Chen Fan, they gasped.

On Lin Hu's body was a large wound that opened up his chest. The wound was so deep that one could see the white rib bones.

Chen Fan was able to devastate his opponent with only a gentle sweep of fingers. If he had used a fist or a palm strike, Lin Hu might as well be dead by now.

"He is too powerful.

"Pull back; I need to get out of here."

Lin Hu could only think of escaping; time is running out. Ever since he became a martial artist, he had never met anyone this powerful. Let it be the Sky Hammer or the Humble Cloud hand; he could not withstand the power in either of them.

Desperate, he channeled out his last remaining energy and started the water walking secret art to help him run away.

He turned on his heels and ran toward the lake.

Lin Hu's plan was simple: get to the lake first. If Chen Fan happened to be able to walk on water as well, he would have to deal with him then. But now, the lake was his only hope.

In a blink, Lin Hu had arrived at the lakeshore, and when one of his feet touched the water surface, he nearly let out a sigh of relief. However, a booming voice came from behind.

"Third form: Void Dimension Shockwave!"

Everyone watched as Chen Fan closed his fingers, and with a great measure of levity, he threw a punch at the air. His movement seemed almost lazy.

No one felt anything after Chen Fan's punch; not even the air was stirred.

However, far away from the stage, Lin Hu's body trembled, and his back was dealt a blow. The force in the blow rippled through his body from the back as a fist-sized relief suddenly burgeoned on Lin Hu's chest. He wished to take another step, but his feet were too heavy. After a few seconds, Lin Hu finally collapsed to the ground.

Chen Fan had dealt a solid blow to his opponent at a few dozen paces.

"The Hundred Paces Fist of Immortals?"

Fourth Uncle gasped as he jumped out of his seat.

This was the staple technique of a Transcendent Master! None of the previous techniques, let it the Thousand Trickeries or the Sky Hammer, had directly unleashed the Internal Force without any aid like the Chen Fan's last attack. Therefore, only the last blow was the true indicator of Chen Fan's power.

Only a Transcendent Master could kill from a hundred paces away, and he could do it as quietly as a ghost.

Lin Hu managed to push himself to his feet, trembling. He smiled wryly and asked:

"What kind of technique is it call?"

"The first three forms of the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms."

Chen Fan gathered himself and said lightly, "I have prepared seven forms thinking that I will fight your teacher. What a shame that I couldn't show you the rest four I have prepared. "

"Hehe, the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms? Is it an art of the Immortals?" Lin Hu's voice was waning.

"I have been wrong from the outset. How could I fail to see that Master Chen was a Grand Master of Martial Arts? I thank you for opening my eyes to the real power..."

Lin Hu's feeble voice faded, and he collapsed to the ground again. This time, he didn't get up.

A renowned fighter and businessman, the confidant and disciple of Lei Qianjue was finally defeated.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and asked lightly:

"Is there anyone else that wants to try me?"

The field suddenly became pin-drop quiet.

The audience and businessmen alike kept their silence.

Chen Fan had pulled the rug from under everyone by defeating Lin Hu in less than ten minutes. However powerful and mighty was Lin Hu, he was no match against Chen Fan's god-like abilities.

Chen Fan's power didn't belong to a mortal.

Chen Fan's casualness and levity had also added into the theatrical effect when he defeated Lin Hu — making his power all the more terrifying to the audience.

Yang Li and the people around her gaped at Chen Fan incredulously.

A'Xiu covered her mouth and looked at the stage with joy and disbelief.

Miss Lu was shocked by the development. This was the first time she had misjudged the power of a fighter. She felt ashamed for being shortsighted at the beginning of the match.

Brother Zhang's eyes were filled with regret as he lamented his foolish thoughts earlier.

Xin Zhong collapsed in his chair, and despair was written all over his face. If Master Chen were able to defeat his champion, he could dominate the stage for the rest of the event.

A broad smile broke over Zhou Tianhao's face. He hadn't felt so relieved for a long time.

"Master Chen... Master Chen Fan

"No wonder you didn't listen to Master Gu's warning."

"If I were you, I wouldn't care for money nor power either. As you said, you can overcome any problem with a sweep of your blade. I didn't believe you, but now I do."

Xu Ao watched the boy and recalled their conversation by the Yan Gui Lake. He had thought the boy was unbearably arrogant; now the joke was on him.

He knew from that moment that the boy was going to be a dominating figure in the entire Jiang Bei region if not in the Hu Dong Province.

Most importantly of all, Xu Ao could stop hoping that he could bend the boy's will to work for him.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 59: Hail To You, Master Chen

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan stood indifferently on the stage, while his audience was stunned by the development.

To the audience, Lin Hu was an illustrious martial arts tycoon that had glorious titles. He was the Alaskan Tiger, the disciple of the Hong Sect's Grand Master, and he was also revered as an expert in Internal Force.

However, Chen Fan had defeated him like squashing a bug.

Lin Hu was right about Chen Fan's technique; it does not belong to mortals.

The True Martial Thirty-Six Forms was a fighting technique used by the True Martial Sect's disciples when they were in the Qi Refinement stage. This fighting technique was more powerful than any other martial arts technique in the mortal's world.

After Chen Fan had achieved Jade Bone, he was able to use seven out of the thirty-six form; enough even to deal with Lei Qianjue.

Once a cultivator of Qi Refinement level had mastered all thirty-six from, he or she was able to defeat a grand cultivator at Connate Spirit level easily. However, Chen Fan was only at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment, and in order to master all thirty-six form, he would need to be at least the level of Divine Sea.

That being said, the first three forms had already stunned the mortals watching his fight, particularly the last form, the Void Dimension Shockwave.

Chen Fan scanned the crowd and noticed that all the businessmen, except for Xin Zhong on the platform had lowered their heads and didn't dare to hold his gaze. Xin Zhong's face was pale, he gave Chen Fan an ugly grin and said:

"Master Chen, would you let me go?

"What do you think?" Chen Fan linked his arms behind his back and took a step forward. In a blink, Chen Fan had flown himself to the edge of the platform.

He walked slowly toward Xin Zhong and then said, "I have given you a chance during our last run in at the Chu Zhou City. But you had to spit on my goodwill and had invited Lin Hu to seek revenge on me. Now, why don't you tell me what I should do with you?"

Xin Zhong's body trembled as Chen Fan inched closer toward him. Finally, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Chen Fan's head.

"Don't come any closer! I will shoot you!"

"Do it." Chen Fan didn't stop.

"I am going to shoot you! I will!" Xin Zhong's hands were shaking, and so was his voice.

Fourth Uncle shook his head and gloated at Xing Zhong's impending doom. The gun would be a threat to anyone but Chen Fan.

Chen Fan was not just any normal martial artist; he was a Transcendent Master!

Even if he had not reached the Transcendent State, the power in his last move was not any less than that of a real one. What would a gun do to a Transcendent Master?

Suddenly, Chen Fan shouted at Xing Zhong.

"DO IT!"

Xin Zhong was startled and he accidentally pulled the trigger.

Surprised by the turn of events, everyone looked to Chen Fan to see if he was harmed.

Most of them had never heard of anyone who could dodge a bullet.

However, they would never forget the scene they saw next as if it was tattooed into their mind.

They saw Chen Fan was covered with a faint golden glow, and even though the bullet hit the layer of golden energy, it was unable to penetrate the barrier. Instead, the elastic energy in the bullet caused a ripple on the energy shield.

"Not even the gun can hurt him?" Those who still had a sliver of hope that they could defeat Chen Fan using modern weapons finally gave up.

Fourth Uncle announced slowly, "Release the Internal Force, Fortify the Internal Strength! Such was the way of a Transcendent Master!

"A Transcendent Master fears no guns."

Chen Fan brushed away the bullet that lodged into the barrier and said lightly:

"How dare you?

"I was going to let you live, but not anymore."

"No, NO... it was an accident!" Xin Zhong's face was contorted by fear as he begged Chen Fan for his life.

Chen Fan's shot out one of his arms and threw the bullet back at Xin Zhong. The bullet landed squarely at the Xin Zhong's head, like hammer delivering a death blow to a cattle.

Master Wu could no longer hold back his fear. He dropped both knees in front of Chen Fan and implored:

"Please, Master Chen. Spare me!"

Chen Fan didn't even grace him with a glance. He scanned the businessmen at the table again.

Knowing they could no longer avoid acknowledging Chen Fan's power, they reluctantly held Chen Fan's gaze.

Finally, Xu Ao broke the silence. He stood up and saluted to Chen Fan, "Thank you so much, Master Chen."

"From this day on, the gentlemen in the Jiang Bei Region will be at your service."

After Xu Ao had finished his words, Baldy Liu spoke up, "Hail to you, Master Chen."

"Master Chen, Master Chen!"

One after another, the magnates at the table stood up and joined the chant.

Some of them had reserved their respect for Chen Fan, thinking that modern weapons could easily kill the boy. However, after they had watched Chen Fan blocked a bullet, they couldn't help but admire Chen Fan's power.

The world was big, but they doubted that they could find a second person who could do what Chen Fan had just done.

They had no qualms with Xu Ao's proposal of letting Chen Fan be their leader.

Seeing all the powerful tycoons bowed to a young man, the audience beneath the platform was convinced that they would never forget what happened today for the rest of their lives.

"He is a real man!"

Many people heard the same voice in their mind.

They knew that from now on, there would be only one dominant figure in the Jiang Bei region, and his name was Chen Fan.

After the tournament was over, the tycoons and the audience left the stage for home. Accompanied by Yang Li and her friends, A'Xiu walked toward the village.

Their hearts were filled with strong yet contradicting emotions.

They were amazed by Chen Fan's power, but they also feared Chen Fan's revenge.

Fear was particularly strong in Brother Zhang. He hated Xiao Wang for dragging him into this mess.

Without Xiao Wang's foolish encouragement, he would never have made a move on A'Xiu.

However, it turned out that A'Xiu's boyfriend was not just a no account; he was Master Chen, who was able to bend the will of powerful tycoons such as Xin Zhong. It would be as easy as squashing a worm for Chen Fan to deal with Brother Zhang: a lowly provincial Sanshou fighter.

The promise of Chen Fan's revenge hangs over Xiao Wang's head like a sharp knife. He trembled from time to time and looked at his girlfriend with shifty eyes.

His only hope in saving himself was the connection between Yang Li and Chen Fan's cousin. He would have to beg his girlfriend, who he often sneered at for her uselessness, to save his life.

Yang Li was taken aback by the development and started to take a long hard look at her boy friend's motivation. It wasn't long before she saw through Xiao Wang's ruse. He was trying to set up Brother Zhang and Chen Fan's girlfriend all along! What a fool! If Chen Fan was just an ordinary high school student, the worst harm he could do was a fall out in a relationship with Chen Fan.

However, he was revealed to be the all mighty Master Chen, and he wouldn't react too kindly to Xiao Wang and Brother Zhang's scheme.

Suddenly, a body of black suits stopped them, one of them said with a stoic face: "Master Chen wants to see you."

Struck by fear, Xiao Wang and Brother Zhang nearly collapsed to the ground.

Yang Li managed to keep calm and replied, "Take us to him, please."

They met Chen Fan in a small courtyard.

He sat in a chair and was fidgeting with a grey crystal between his fingers. He looked relaxed, and one would be hard pressed to see a mighty master in this teenage boy.

Around him were the bosses from Jiang Bei. They all held a solemn cast on their faces and listened to Chen Fan's airy remarks with a great measure of respect.

Yang Li and her friends walked into the courtyard quietly, scarcely daring to breathe.

Chen Fan said lightly.

"Although A'Xiu was not my girlfriend, you had made a move on her nonetheless. What do you think I should do with you?"

Xiao Wang and Brother Zhang quivered. Without much thought, they both dropped their knees and started begging for their lives.

Yang Li also put in, "It's all our fault, but please let them live for Yang Li's sake!"

"Let them live?" Chen Fan smiled. "Sure. But you are not allowed to tell my cousin what had happened today.

"If you break your promise, I will see to it that you and your family will suffer. Do you understand? "

"Yes." Yang Li answered. She knew that the lives of her entire family were at stake. Xiao Wang and Brother Zhang looked to Yang Li appreciatively.

"Fine, you can leave now." Chen Fan waved a dismiss. Everyone hurried out of the courtyard except for A'Xiu.

"Master Chen, you are just going to let them leave?" Xu Ao asked incredulously.

"I don't want to waste my time on them. It isn't worth it." Chen Fan said lightly.

After all, he didn't care all that much about A'Xiu either.

If it were Xiao Qiong whom they were scheming against, he would not let them leave alive.

Afterward, He looked at another person kneeling on the ground in front of him.

"Master Wu, how do I know you have told me the truth?"

"My lord, if I had told you one single lie, I will be hit by a bus as soon as I walk out of here. Oh.. and so will my teacher and his teacher." Master Wu swore, and then he continued, "It's true that The Yin Dragon Pond in my sect produces Yin Crystals. However, due to its powerful Yin spirit, these crystals are only suitable for Ghost Reining and nothing else."

"Fine, I will let you live in exchange for this piece of information." Chen Fan looked at the grey crystal in between his fingers and smiled. "I was worried that I would never be able to complete the Misty Mountain Array. But look what I found! Haha."

"Well, it looks like I will have to leave Chu Zhou City for a while."

He looked into the distance with glinting eyes. The meaning of his words escaped everyone around him.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 60: The Glance That Took Five Hundred Years

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Of all the Numinous Treasures, the Yin Crystals were perfect for replacing the deep sea stones and the pine driftwood in the Misty Mountain Array. With these crystals, Chen Fan could finally finish the array and speed up his progress toward the Ethereal Enlightenment stage.

One might ask, what was the Ethereal Enlightenment? Although its exact nature was convoluted, its effects were clear: unlocking the Immortal Enlightenment.

Once Chen Fan reached the Ethereal Enlightenment, he should be able to face off against any Transcendent Masters in the world easily. Then and only then, Chen Fan would have the ability to protect his loved ones from harm.

"Your sect is located in Zhong Zhou Province and Dong Du City?" Chen Fan asked Master Wu.

"Yes, yes." Master Wu nodded vigorously.

Chu Zhou City nodded slightly. There was no time to waste, as soon as he finished up his personal business at Chu Zhou City, he would leave for Zhong Zhou.

Everyone watched as Chen Fan stood up, and no one dared to ask him where he was going.

As soon as Chen Fan went through the exit, he was greeted by Miss Lu outfitted with an alluring smile on the other side. Behind her stood a brawny middle-aged man.

"I am Lu Yanwu from the Lu Family. Nice to meet you, Master Chen."

Miss Lu put one leg ahead of the other and curtsied like a well-mannered lady from the antiquity period.

Chen Fan nodded a reply and walked past her. His mind was preoccupied with the Yin Crystals and had no time to talk. Having been given the cold-shoulder by Chen Fan, Lu Yanwu stood speechless as shame and embarrassment crept onto her face. Never once had she been ignored by anyone.

Even those high born ladies and lords would have to greet her back, because of her illustrious family's ancestors.

Plus, with her attractiveness, she didn't even need her family's influence to catch the young men's attention.

The Fourth Uncle comforted the girl, "My lady, please don't mind him.

"Master Chen had reached an impossible height in his career at such a young age; we would expect him to be a bit difficult to work with."

Lu Yanwu pondered a moment and then sighed.

Since she was from a martial arts family, she knew better than anyone else the power of a Transcendent Master.

Ye Nantian was a perfect example of a Transcendent Master and what they are capable of. He was able to dominate the entire Northern China during his prime. However, Chen Fan's power was not any less than that of Ye Nantian.

Unbeknownst to Chen Fan, his audience had mistaken his Diamond Art as the signature protective energy of the Four True Righteousness used by the Transcendent Masters.

Although Chen Fan was not a real Transcendent Master, he was able to hold his ground against one.

Chu Zhou City, Yun Wu Mountain...

Jiang Churan walked toward Chen Fan while the latter stood by a cliff drop with his hands linked behind his back. He looked into the distance where the clouds sprawled across the vista.

She paused a second and then asked, "Why do you want to see me?"

"I want you to know that I am going to leave the Chu Zhou City for a while, I need you to deliver a message to Auntie Tang." Chen Fan said lightly.

"You are... leaving?" Jiang Churan was taken aback. She hurried a question, "Where, for how long?"

"I am going to Zhong Zhou Province, Dong Du City. I could be as long as four months." Chen Fan said.

Jiang Churan felt fire burst inside of her.

"Dong Du City? What are you doing there? So you won't be back until the Chinese new year?"

Jiang Churan continued with a sharp voice, "Your mother had sent you here to study and look what you have been doing? Working in the bar, and taking vacations for days on end!

"And what is this now? Leave for four months? What about your study?"

There was a sharp edge in her voice. "If you don't put yourself together, you will never be good enough for Fei-Fei! You won't even get into a university, much less keep on providing for Fei-Fei. Are you planning to mooch off Miss Wei for the rest of your life?"

Then, her face softened a little, and so did her voice. "Don't go, Chen Fan. Don't be stupid."

Chen Fan shook his head and replied, "I have to. I have my reasons. "

Afterward, he handed a key to Jiang Churan.

"This is the key to the mansion at the top of the mountain.

"I knew Auntie Tang always dreamed of living in that mansion. It will be hers for the time I am gone. I said I would get her one of these mansions, and I always keep my word."

Chen Fan turned around and started off.

"Chen Fan?

"Come back, you!"

Jiang Churan shouted at Chen Fan. Seeing Chen Fan had outright ignored her, she stomped the ground in frustration.

She looked at the key and then cursed.

"Are you still trying to fool me, loser?"

However, she paused with the key in her hand for a while, hesitating.

Reason told her that Chen Fan was just bluffing. However, she heard another voice from deep down, telling her to try to use the key.

"I guess I could go up there and see for myself."

However, after much contemplation, Jiang Churan gave up with a sigh; she put away the key and started down the mountain.

There were no talking frogs in the real world, and neither was she a princess.

Magic kisses belong only in fairy tales, and in the real world, there was only one kind of magic: hard work. So far, she didn't even see a tad bit of effort from Chen Fan to change his future for the better.

Once Chen Fan reached the end of the mountain path, he pulled open the door of a black Mercedes and got in.

Master Wu was already waiting for him inside the car. He asked respectfully,

"Master Chen, are we going to Dong Du City right now?"

Chen Fan had already bid farewell with Jiang Tanqiu and Wei Ziqin before he came to talk to Jiang Churan. He had asked Old Man Zhen to call the school and ask for a long vacation on his behalf. Since Old Man Zhen was one of the stakeholders of the school, the teachers gave Chen Fan the green light without raising an eyebrow.

"No, not now, there is somewhere I need to be before we leave." Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and said wistfully.

They arrived at the entrance of the Foreign Language Academy in Jin City.

Chen Fan got off the car and walked to a large tree beside the entrance. He stood and watched the boys and girls come out of the school.

They were all his age, energetic and blessed with a bright future. They prattled and laughed with each other as they walked and frolicked out of the school.

After a while, a graceful and elegant girl walked through the gate. She was no more than sixteen. However, her beauty was already budding.

She was accompanied by a few attractive boys and girls. They surrounded her as worker bees would to their queen.

The elegant girl didn't notice the young boy under the tree; she bid farewell to her classmates and walked away.

A luxurious race car pulled out of the school gate, and a young boy with a face that was tattooed into the dark side of Chen Fan's brain emerged from the car. He offered a ride to the girl.

The girl refused with a graceful smile. After exchanging a few words, they parted ways.

The handsome young man didn't seem upset by the girl's rejection. Under many infatuated gazes of the other teenage girls, he got into the car and revved the engine before he was gone.

Chen Fan didn't pay attention to anyone else. He had dedicated this moment to the girl.

He watched as she walked out of the school, waved goodbye to her friends, and refused the ride with the smile.

As quietly as he had been so far, he watched as she eventually disappeared among the flood of people in the street.

"Master, do you want me to catch up with her?"

After a few cautious moments, Master Wu braved a question.

"No need. I just wanted to see her face. "

Chen Fan shook his head and walked away.

"Let's go."

"I have waited for over five hundred years for this moment; I can wait a little more.

"The next time I see you, I will have the power to protect you until the end of the time."

— I am back after five hundred years; There you stand with the same smile I loved.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 61: All The Way To The West.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Along the outskirts of the Zhong Zhou Province, on a luxury bus, two men and a woman were conversing. The older man looked spirited and energetic despite his old age while the other younger man's expression suggested he possessed a sharp mind and sound judgment. The girl beside them was young; she watched the two men with a pair of witty eyes.

They were Chen Fan and his entourage.

Chen Fan had politely refused Zhou Tianhao's offer for a ride. He was not in a hurry, and therefore, he had decided to take a bus so that he could enjoy the view on the way. The bus was slow, it had been three days, and they had just crossed the border into Zhong Zhou Province.

The girl next to him was A'Xiu.

A'Xiu sat quietly with determination written all over her face. Regardless of how many times Chen Fan had asked her to leave, she just stared back with a pair of watery eyes, begging to stay with him.

Master Wu took pity on the girl and braved a request for her to travel with them. Chen Fan kept his silence, which Master Wu took as permission.

However, the girl quickly proved to be quite a helper.

Both Chen Fan and Master Wu were used to having everything done for them. Therefore, they asked the girl to handle most of the chores, such as buying train tickets, booking a hotel, and asking for directions.

Chen Fan looked at Master Wu with a half smile.

Master Wu's real name was Wu Shanhe.

The smile on his face frozen in place when he noticed Chen Fan was studying his face intensely.

"Why are you looking at me like this? I have already told you everything I know. "

"Really?" Chen Fan fished out the grey crystal from his pocket and asked, "What really is going on at the Yin Dragon Pond? Don't try to fool me again. I know more than you about this Yin Dragon Pond."

Yin Crystals only formed around areas where Yin Qi conglomerated.

Such a place was practically a heaven for sentient beings that cultivated the Yin Qi. Calling it a sacred ground was not overstating it, particularly on earth where most of the Qi had already dried up. It was like a lush oasis that would attract all kinds of animals, big and small.

Not all sentient beings cultivated the Spirit Qi. Some felt a closer affinity for the Malice Qi, Yin Qi, and even Fiend Qi.

If Master Wu and his sect were really in charge of such a sacred ground for cultivation, he would have at least reached the Ethereal Enlightenment level. However, Chen Fan knew that that was far from reality.

Master Wu's smile evaporated from his face; his body quivered as he stammered... "Master Chen, you already knew about that place?"

"Know what?" Chen Fan's face was placid and calm.

The old man no longer dared lie to Chen Fan, so he shared it all. "Actually... this pond indeed belongs to my sect.

"My sect is called the Yin Ghost Sect, and our founder was an infamous Captain of the Tomb Raiders—Yes, it was a thing ever since back in the Han Dynasty. Our founder lived during the Qin Dynasty, and he stumbled upon an ancient tomb of the Tang period, and it turned out to be a treasure trove. From the tomb, he had gained a secret art of the ancient Tang dynasty family, and he started cultivating following the method outlined in the art. After a while, he started up his own sect. "

"I am the third-generation disciple of our founder. I have two more sect brothers. Their powers were both on par with mine. My teacher had passed away many years ago, and the three of us had been managing the sect since.

"The Yin Dragon Pond was a sacred ground discovered by our founder. My grandmaster realized that the area was filled to the brim with Yin Qi, and therefore would be beneficial for cultivation. He went into the pond for a long period of cultivation before the tragedy struck suddenly."

Master Wu's eyes suddenly lost focus as fear surfaced on his face.

"What kind of tragedy?" Curiosity spurred A'Xiu to ask.

"Unknown to our founder, there was a.., monster living inside the pond." Master Wu gathered himself and then said, "It was a half snake and half water dragon with a mouth that breathed deadly Yin and Malic Qi. Our founder fought with the monster but was wounded and defeated. Those wounds eventually took his life a few years later."

"Luckily, the monster still lived deep inside the pond and didn't seem to want to wreak havoc in the world.

"My teacher led my two sect brothers and me to the pond to investigate a few years ago. The monster came right at us. We didn't even think of fighting back, so we snatched a few crystals from the pond and ran away."

After Wu Shanhe had finished his story, he looked at Chen Fan fearfully.

"Master Chen, I really didn't mean to lie to you. I didn't tell you the truth because I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me.

"That monster looked like a water dragon, and therefore, our founder had named the place the 'Yin Dragon Pond.' My grandmaster was the only person who saw it with his own eyes. That monster had outlived two generations of disciples and should be over a hundred years old by now."

"Really?" A'Xiu gasped incredulously.

Chen Fan and Lin Hu both possessed incredible abilities, but their power was still comprehensible to a normal human. However, a hundred-year-old water dragon sounded straight from mythical tales.

"Well, it's not a water dragon, just a Yin Snake." Chen Fan said lightly. "The real water dragon could summon wind and rain on a whim, and controlling the flow of air with ease. That little snake would need at least five hundred years to achieve such power."

"Master Chen, you seem to know such a monster?" Wu Shanhe was taken aback.

"Of course." Chen Fan replied lightly, "It's just a snake."

If Wu Shanhe was right, the Yin Snake had grown to a dozen meters long and was able to breathe out Yin and Malic Qi; it must have reached Ethereal Enlightenment level in its cultivation.

However, the power of such cryptids were no match against a cultivator even though they were at the same level.

A cultivator had the help of various Dharma Treasures and was aided by immortal arts, while the animals had no such advantages.

"Nonetheless, I have reached only the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment level. It might be challenging for me to take on the snake right now."

So thinking, Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"I should wait until I reach the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment level and try to use the Immortal Enlightenment level spells. Either that or I should further refine the Jade Marrow Talisman and increase its damage."

Chen Fan had named the talisman the Talisman of Thunder ever since he had used the Arcane Bulwark of Thunder to defeat Master Wu. This was the first Drahma Artifact he had owned on earth.

Finally, Chen Fan decided that they would halt their travel to Dong Du City, to start focusing on refining his talisman for now.

He asked Wu Shanhe, "Is there anywhere suitable for cultivation? I also need some herbs to aid in my progress."

"Herbs for cultivation?" Wu Shanhe mulled on the question for a while. Suddenly, he slapped his head and said, "Yes! there is one of the largest medicinal herb markets in the Jiu Ding City."

"Oh?" Chen Fan's eyes lit up with interest.

He had heard of the Jiu Ding City before; it was a famous distribution and warehouse center for traditional Chinese medicine.

Chen Fan had searched hard for precious herbs to help him with his cultivation; however, Chu Zhou was a small city and therefore had a very limited supply of herbs. Even thirty-years-old ginseng would cost a fortune.

Chen Fan was confident that once he could find enough high-grade herbs, he would be able to improve his cultivation further.

He could also leverage other unique Dharmic Formulations to improve the power of the Talisman of Thunder further.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 62: Herbal Auction

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

As soon as the party reached Jiu Ding City, they smelled the pungent scent of Chinese medicine.

"Master Chen, What kind of medicine are you planning on purchasing? Ginseng, Astragalus, Lingzhi mushroom, Saussurea, Dong Quai or Solomon's-seal? They have everything."

"It doesn't matter what kind of herbs they are, as long as they are old, preferably ancient." Chen Fan said lightly.

He was not going to use the herbs themselves, but to extract the Spirit Qi that was absorbed in the herbs.

Wu Shanhe was taken aback by Chen Fan's words. The key to using Chinese medicine was a good combination of different herbs. A thousand-year-old Ginseng was useless without the aid of some of the most common ingredients. That, however, was the conventional way of using herbs. Considering Chen Fan's otherworldly power, Wu Shanhe decided to keep his doubts unspoken.

"I think we will have the best luck finding old herbs at those older shops." Wu Shanhe pondered for a second and then said, "Master Chen, follow me."

He led the way since he was familiar with the city. Soon, they arrived at a shop with a grand storefront.

The store's name was the Hall of a Hundred Medicines.

"Although merchants from all over China flocked to the Jiu Ding City, the business was dominated by a few families. The Hall of a Hundred Medicines was owned by one of those hegemony families. It had over three hundred years of history, one of the oldest in China."

The three walked into the store, and they were greeted by the salesperson.

A sales representative was necessary for the Hall of a Hundred Medicines since their customers were not herb wholesalers, but people coming to seek precious herbal ingredients.

"I want to see your chief apothecary."

Master Wu announced proudly. He sounded like a different person when he was speaking to Chen Fan.

"May I know who am I speaking to?"

The sales person was caught off guard by Master Wu's request.

At places like the Hall of a Hundred Medicines, the one who called the shots were not the managers, it was the Chief Apothecary. Most of these apothecaries were renowned Chinese medicine doctors and were invaluable to the store.

"My name is Wu Shanhe."Master Wu brushed his long beard and said proudly.

"Ok, please wait for a second."

Despite his confusion, the salesperson went to the back of the store to find the chief apothecary.

Chen Fan and Master Wu sat down at the waiting area, and an employee of the store served them two cups of high-grade tea. They didn't have to wait long before they heard quick footsteps coming from the back of the store. An old man in his sixties with a snowy beard walked into the waiting area.

"Ah-ha! Master Wu! Why didn't you give us a heads up before you came so that we could serve you better." The old man walked over to Master Wu and said respectfully.

Seeing the surprise in the eyes of A'Xiu and the salesperson, Master Wu hung a smug smile on his face.

He might be a nobody in the Jiang Bei region; however, he was considered a grand master here in the Zhong Zhou Province and was a frequent guest of honor at the houses of the rich and powerful.

Chen Fan gave Master Wu a glance, which quickly brought things into perspective for Master Wu. The smug smile on his face disappeared, and he hurried to ask about the medicine.

"My... young friend wants to buy some old herbs. I wonder if you have any?"

"Um..." The chief Apothecary paused a second and then said hesitantly, "I am sorry, but a young lady has just bought up all the precious herbs from the entire city. I don't even have a fifty-year-old ginseng, not to mention ones that are over a hundred-year-old."

"Really? She's got some deep pockets." Master Wu was shocked.

Ginseng that was over a hundred years old was sold by the gram. It could fetch as much as a few tens of thousands of yuan per gram, as such, one single ginseng would cost over a few million. If the buyer had purchased all the ancient ginseng in the city, she must have spent an unimaginable amount of money.

"Rumor has it that she was from a prominent family in Hong Kong. But that's just the rumor." The old man shook his head.

Master Wu paused a second and gave Chen Fan a helpless look.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and then said, "There is nowhere else I can find old herbs in the city?"

"Well, yes, and no..." The old man hesitated and then shot Master Wu a glance. "Have you heard of the auction?"

"The auction for precious herbs? I thought that was just fake news." Master Wu asked.

"It's real. It is held every few months, and the bidder buys the herbs directly from local herbalists. If you are lucky, you might be able to find something really rare there. You would never see those herbs on the market since they were auctioned off to the rich people before they reached the store counter. The auction is invite based, and cash only."

Most auctions like this were held in secrecy, and therefore no a lot of people had heard of it.

"When does it start." Chen Fan didn't care if it was a private auction or not. His goal was to get precious herbs, and he would do anything to get it.

"The next one is in three days, seven o'clock at the Clear Lake Manor." Chief apothecary announced under his breath.

"Very well." Chen Fan stood up, and so did Master Wu, and they both left the store after waving the old man a farewell.

After they were out of the Hall of a Hundred Medicines, they found a hotel and settled in.

Three days later...

Chen Fan and his entourage took a taxi and arrived at the Clear Lake Manor. The manor was heavily guarded, and a group of security stood guard at the entrance.

"I am sorry, this is private property. Please turn back if you don't have an invitation." A security guard walked over the Chen Fan and said annoyedly.

"We don't have an invitation." Master Wu said lightly. "Please let your boss know that Wu Shanhe from the Dong Du City came to visit him."

The security noticed the unusual calmness in Master Wu and started to think that he was an influential person.

Suddenly, a black Mercedes pulled over to the entrance, and a plump middle age man waddled over to Master Wu.

"Master Wu! What brings you here? I thought you went to Jiang Bei."

"Haha, it's you, Boss Hu!" Master Wu said. The memory of what happened in Jiang Bei made Master Wu blush a little.

He had planned to make a fortune in the Jiang Bei region; however, he was brought down by a young boy. It was an embarrassing matter; as such, he quickly changed the topic.

"Are you here to join the auction? Very well then, we need a ticket to get in."

"Oh-why, follow me. But please help me judge the quality of the herbs when we are in there." Boss Hu reply.

Since the items for sale in the auction were from private owners, it was not uncommon to encounter scammers during the sales event. The host of the auction assumed no responsibility for the quality of the product; it was all "Caveat emptor" inside the auction house. Although Master Wu was not a skilled Traditional Chinese doctor, no one in the Zhong Zhou Province would dare sell any fake herbs to him.

The security let them pass without any protest.

As they filed through the gate, they found the manner was huge inside. A hostess had guided them through many lobbies until they arrived at a quiet courtyard.

The small courtyard was already packed with well-dressed men and women. From their accents, it was easy to tell that these buyers were from all over China.

"Nice to see you here, Master Wu."

"Hi, Master Wu."

"How are you doing Master Wu?"

As soon as Chen Fan and Master Wu walked into the courtyard, many greeted the latter like an old friend.

Some started to introduce Master Wu to those who were not familiar with him. He was the jewel of the Dong Du City and was able to summon the ghost and command the spirits.

Chen Fan was amused by the popularity of Master Wu. He found it hard to imagine that someone who kneeled in front of him, begging for his life was revered so much here.

Suddenly, he heard a cold snort.

"Master Wu? More like Swindle Wu."

Wu Shanhe's face hardened, and then he looked toward the speaker.

It was a woman of tall stature and a face harder than rock with chiseled features, making her look like a mix of Asian and White. She glared at the old man contemptuously.

"That is Miss Zheng From Hong Kong." Boss Hu explained under his breath. "She has bought all the rare herbs in the city. Rumor has it that her father was dying and needed as many rare herbs as possible to extend his life."

"The Zheng Family of Hong Kong?" Master Wu gasped.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 63: Lesser Spirit Herb

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Although they shared a common last name, the Zheng family of Hong Kong was not the same as that of the Chu Zhou City.

During the heydays of the Zheng Family of Hong Kong, they were on the top ten of the Forbes list. Even now, they were around twentieth to thirtieth. Not even the richest person in Zhong Zhou Province could compare with the might of the Zheng Family.

During the eighties and the nineties, such prominent families were able to talk directly to the Federal Political Bureau. As such, if the head of the family came to visit Zhong Zhou Province, the provincial government would greet him with someone in the government with equal political clout.

Although Wu Shanhe had some influence in the Zhong Zhou Province, he was no match against heavyweight such as the Zheng Family.

Master Wu looked at Chen Fan for help. Seeing Chen Fan was indifferent to his embarrassment, Master Wu stepped back and out of the women's way.

The half Asian, half white girl snorted at Master Wu and walked into the courtyard.

None of the bosses and tycoons from Zhong Zhou city dared to stand up for Master Wu. They knew that even their combined might could not reach a fraction of the Zheng Family's influence.

"The Zheng Family from Hong Kong?" Chen Fan mulled on the name for a while.

The old man of the family was a household name among the Chinese community in China and abroad. He was in his eighties; the same age as Superman Li. Chen Fan scrapped the memory of his past life and remembered that he had seen on the news that the old man passed away this year.

"No wonder they are buying up all the precious herbs." Chen Fan shook his head.

In his eighties, the Old Man Zhen had reached the end of his life, as he suffered multiple organ failures. There was no cure for him. Even these rare herbal medicine could only temporarily boost his vitality but would not be able to halt the unrelenting beckoning of death.

As a cultivator, Chen Fann knew that the best medicine for prolonging life was the Essence Enhancing Pill. Too bad that Chen Fan couldn't gather enough material to make more, otherwise, he could sell them to the Zheng Family for a hefty price.

"Master Chen, let's go in." Wu Shanhe spoke under his breath.

"Very well." Chen Fan nodded.

This was an underground auction and as such, committing to a transaction here was risky business. Neither the host nor the seller offered a guarantee that the items were authentic.

The first item of the auction was a one-hundred-and-thirty years old Mountain Ginseng.

It weighed 127 grams and started at three million. The half-white girl eventually bought the ginseng with a whopping seven million.

"Deep pockets!" A lot of people exclaimed.

Ever since the start of the auction, the half-blood girl had bought off nearly all the items with skyrocket offers. In the end, most people scarcely dared to bid against her. Most of the bidders were here to purchase their business inventory; therefore, it was not absolutely necessary for them to compete against the girl.

Chen Fan was only able to get a ninety-year-old Black Hair Herb. Most of the other herbs were snatched up by the half white girl.

"The next one requires some judgment; you have been warned: buyers beware."

The host brought out a platter; he removed the black cloth that covered it and revealed a gnarly bough.

"What is going on?"

"I have no clue, is it also herbal medicine?"

"It looks familiar."

The bidders narrowed their eyes, tiring to get a better view of the item.

"Uh?" Chen Fan gasped lightly.

"Master Chen, have you recognized what it is?" Wu Shanhe asked.

"Not really."Chen Fan shook his head and then continued, "I don't think this is an herbal medicine, but I can sense a strong presence of Spirit Qi inside. It was ten times stronger than what was in the hundred-year-old ginseng."

"A herb like this is close to Spirit Medicine; as such, it can be called Lesser Spirit Medicine."

"Lesser Spirit Medicine?" Master Wu was at a loss.

"Indeed." Chen Fan nodded. Since he was in the mood to talk, he continued to fill Master Wu in. "The so-called Spirit Herbs are anything that contained enough Spirit Qi, let it be rare herbs or just a blade of grass. Only Spirit Herbs could be used to make real Spirit Pills."

"However, the Spirit Herbs were extremely picky in terms of their growing environment. On the earth, right now, there are probably less than half a dozen such herbs, and most of them were hidden deep in the mountains."

"It would take a regular herb over a thousand years to harness enough Spirit Qi to become a Spirit Herb. However, this bough had lived over half a millennia and therefore was halfway to become a real Spirit Medicine, hence the prefix in its name, 'lesser.'"

Master Wu listened attentively and wished that he had a pen and paper so that he could write the knowledge down.

He had never heard of Spirit Herbs. All he knew about Chinese Medicine was that the older they were, the more potent their effect were.

"Although it possessed only half the effect of a real Spirit Medicine, I should be able to use it and create some lesser version of the Spirit Pills."

Master Wu was elated by Chen Fan's words. He asked, "Should we bid on it?"

"Of course." Chen Fan nodded.

This seemingly ordinary tree bough possessed the highest concentration of Spirit Qi he had ever seen since he was reborn. If he didn't get it this time around, he might have to wait for another decade to lay eyes on its equal. He could not pass up this opportunity.

"Great!"

Master Wu's face was lit up with excitement.

If they were successful in their bidding, he could watch and learn while Master Chen made the Spirit Pills.

The skill of Elixir Brewing so far had only been a legend to Master Wu, and he could not wait to witness it with his own eyes.

Some ancient schools had recorded the art of Elixir Brewing; however, the art had long since been lost. The modern technology of extracting the medicinal components of the natural herbs couldn't compare.

"This unknown herb starts at five million."

The host announced, and then there was a pin drop silence in the courtyard.

Five million was not a small amount to be spent on something that they couldn't even recognize.

"Five million and five hundred thousand."

Master Wu raised the stake.

Seeing it was Master Wu who had first spoken up, the rest of the bidders wagered that this bough did not have any medicinal use but could only be used to enhance Dharma Spells.

With this in mind, even fewer people were willing to join the bidding.

Even as the host hesitated if he should strike a deal with the only bidder, a clear voice came up.

"Ten million!"

Everyone was taken aback by the development. They looked to the speaker, and it was the half white girl.

"How dare you!"

Master Wu was riled up by the turn of events. He has been angry with the girl ever since the beginning of the event when she slandered his name; this last provocation was the last straw.

"Eleven million!"

Master Wu shouted.

"Twenty million!"

The half white girl said lightly.

Most bidders were stunned by the rate at which the price was increasing. Master Wu had raised his offer by a million, yet the girl had followed up with ten million.

The sudden surge in the offer had also quelled Master Wu's enthusiasm.

He had worked hard all his life and had accumulated a few hundred million worth of the assets. Twenty million was all the cash he could afford. So thinking, Master Wu looked to Chen Fan for help.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and pondered.

Although he had over six hundred thousand cash in his bank account, he had used more than half of those on purchasing supreme-grade jade to construct the Misty Mountain Array. By then, he had less than fifteen million yuan left on his account.

After a while, Chen Fan said, "All I could afford is thirty million."

"Oh well." Master Wu gritted his teeth and gid in for a bidding war.

"Twenty-one million!"

"Thirty million." The half-blood girl raised her offer by another then million. She gave Master Wu a sidelong glance after she had put in her offer.

Everyone was speechless by how quickly the situation and escalated.

Such was the financial clout of the Zheng Family that the girl didn't even hesitate when she raised her offer by the tens of millions. To her, money was nothing but a string of numbers.

Having reached his budget, Master Wu sat down into his chair slowly and begrudgingly.

"Master Chen, this mix-blood lass is a jerk! Why don't we..." As he spoke, he glided a finger across his neck.

"There is no need." Chen Fan said calmly.

Although Chen Fan was pissed off by losing the precious Spirit Medicine, he was curious as to why would the Zheng Family even need the seemingly useless tree branch.

He believed that the Zhengs were not idiots, and they would not dump thirty million yuan into something that had no return.

"Unless someone in the Zheng Family had also recognized that this bough as a Less Spirit Herb."

Chen Fan thought as his eyes glinted.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 64: The Mysterious Mr. Shi

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Hmph! Some country hillbillies living under a rock dare to compete with me?"

The half white girl lifted her chin and shot Master Wu a contemptuous look.

By then, the worker at the auction house had carried the item to the girl. The girl lifted the cover and asked the middle age man beside him with a frown. "Mr. Shi, is this the miracle cure you were talking about?"

The man opened his half-closed eyes as green light lit up in his eyes.

After he had examined the tree branch, he shut his eyes and bemoaned.

"What a shame, this Essence of Thousand Pinewood is so close to being the miracle cure. But it was harvested a few hundred years too early."

"Essence of Thousand Pinewood?"

The half white girl asked in confusion. She had never heard of such herb before.

"The Essence of Thousand Pinewood was a sentient organism that lived off of the essence of pine wood. It looks just like an old tree bough." Mr. Shi said.

"It was a well-kept knowledge in our sect, and therefore not a lot of people know about it."

"Since it was not what we were looking for, what should we do now?" The furrow on the girl's face deepened.

Before she arrived at Jiu Ding City, she had already been to the other three centers of Chinese medicine and failed to obtain anything useful for her grandfather's ailment. Jiu Ding City was her last stop, and if not for Mr. Shi's advice, she would never have thought of buying a shriveled useless tree branch with thirty million yuan.

"My grandpa can last at most three more months.

"The other households had already been eyeing our assets. Jiu Ding City is my last stop if I can't find anything here, I don't know what I should do next. I am on my last leg here."

So thinking, fear glinted in the girl's eyes.

"Don't worry; there is another place where I can guarantee to find something useful." Mr. Shi said confidently.

"Where is that?" The girl's face was lit up with hope.

"Based on the chronicles of my sect, the founder of my sect had found a would-be miracle herb somewhere near the Dong Du City a few hundred years ago. Our founder had marked the location but left the herb untouched." Mr. Shi said lightly. "However, our fonder later fled to Hong Kong and was never able to retrieve that herb."

"Really? Why don't we go there now!" The girl asked excitedly.

"It had been a hundred years; many things have changed. I am afraid that finding it wouldn't be that easy." Mr. Shi shook his head. "Twenty years ago, I went back and attempted to locate the herb. I was only able to spot a few likely spots, but wasn't able to continue my search."

"What should we do now?" Miss Zheng was at a loss again.

If they couldn't find it, the miracle cure might as well not exist.

Mr. Shi smiled confidently and then said: "Was that old man we met earlier from Dong Du City?"

"Him?" Miss Zheng paused a second and hurried to dispatch an employee to ask.

Master Wu was a household name in Zhong Zhou Province, and therefore, the servant came back very quickly with confirmation.

Miss Zheng nodded and then said, "Indeed, he is from Dong Du City. He is quite popular there too; people call him Master Wu and he was able to Reine Ghost and Bend Blood."

She said with a contemptuous tone. "I think those are just high tales he wanted others to believe."

"Not necessary." Mr. Shi stood up and said, "Come, let's go meet this Master Wu."

Miss Zheng was taken aback at first, but she quickly followed Mr. Shi.

After seeing that there was nothing to purchase at the auction, Chen Fan and Master Wu left the auction before it was over.

Thanks to the Zheng Family, Chen Fan was only able to get a hold of three-hundred-year-old herbs. Also, he had missed the opportunity of obtaining a Spirit Medicine. Despite his calm expression, a knot of fire was burning slowly inside of his belly.

He could have taken the bough for himself by force; however, as a Celestial Lord, he had a reputation to keep.

After all, the bough was only a lesser Spirit Medicine and therefore had a very questionable effect. Should the bough be the real deal, he could do whatever it took to obtain the Spirit Medicine.

"The Zheng Family is a bunch of fools! They are lucky that you are so tolerable." Master Wu was not very pleased by the run-ins with the Zheng Family either.

He was humiliated by a girl in front of his acquaintances.

So saying, he sneaked a peek at Chen Fan's face, hoping anger would spur Chen Fan to stand up for him. However, he was disappointed by Chen Fan's impenetrable and stoic expression.

"Who are you talking about?"

A sharp voice came from behind them.

Chen Fan and his companions turned around the saw the girl coming toward them.

"You again?"

Master Wu said with a massive frown."What do you want? We have other business to tend to."

Miss Zheng's face was hard, and she said in a cold voice, "Are you Wu Shanhe from the Dong Du City?"

"Yes, so what?" Master Wu narrowed his eyes and asked.

His scalp prickled as he registered hostility. They had dug into his background, but what for?

Master Wu pulled a taut face and then shouted:

"What do you want? Spit it out; I am busy!"

Anger flashed across Miss Zheng's face, but she was able to hold it back. "I want to hire you to locate something for me; it's near the Dong Du City."

"What are you looking for? A tomb?" Master Wu's knee jerk reaction was that the girl was going to hire him as a grave robber. After all, the founder of his sect used to be the captain of tomb raiders. In addition, Dong Du city was well known for the countless and nameless mounds that scattered its suburbs such as the famous Beimang Mound.

"It's none of your business what we are looking for, Mr. Shi will fill you in later. " Miss Zheng pointed at the middle age man beside him and said.

The man was holding a paper fan, and wearing a pair of thin copper rimmed glasses, making him look like a scholar.

"Master Shi? Are you that Feng Shui in Hong Kong?" Master Wu exclaimed. "I have only heard of Zhou Daoji, Master Zhou who resided in Hong Kong, how do you compare to him?"

Miss Zheng's face turned red.

Zhou Daoji was the most famous master in Hong Kong, and Mr. Shi simply couldn't compare.

Even as she was about to say something, Mr. Shi took a step forward and said: "You will find out soon about how I compare to Master Zhou."

Before he finished his sentence, he shot a wave of energy at Master Wu.

"Excellent!"

Master Wu reacted quickly and started his Dharmic powers.

"Kaboom!"

As the two energy collided, a huge explosion erupted in the Void Dimension.

After one brief exchange of fire, they had a taste of each other's power. Mr. Shi's body was shaken at first, but he quickly gathered himself. Wu Shanhe, on the other hand, stumbled a few feet back and his face blushed out of embarrassment.

"Do you still question my power?" Mr. Shi asked slowly.

Master Wu's face paled, but he had to concede defeat.

"What are you looking for? Spit it out!" Master Wu granted.

"I am looking for a hidden pond. It was somewhere inside the mountain or near the Dong Du City. The water in the pond was icy to the touch regardless of the season, and it was about a few dozen meters wide and ... "

As Mr. Shi described the pond, Master Wu's face turned dark.

"Isn't that the Yin Dragon Pond?"

Mr. Shi's eyes were lit up with glee. "I knew it; you know where it is!"

Wu Shanhe's face was contorted by anger. The pond was the sacred ground of his sect, not a shared public park.

Even as he was about to refuse the task, Chen Fan put in abruptly.

"Why are you looking for Yin Dragon Pond?"

"You can leave that concern to me. I just need you to find it. Once you have finished your job, we won't short you on your payment." Miss Zheng said impatiently.

To her surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and said, "We don't need money."

"You can pay us with that tree branch you have gotten from the auction."

"How dare you!"

Miss Zheng glared at Chen Fan.

Although the Essence of Thousand Pinewood was not as effective as she had hoped for, she had spared no expense at acquiring this herb; she couldn't just let it go so easily.

"Fine, I agree to your terms."

To Miss Zheng's surprise, Mr. Shi readily accepted the term.

Seeing Miss Zheng's confused stare, Mr. Shi waved the paper fan confidently, willing her to agree.

Although the Essence of Thousand Pinewood had incredible healing ability, for those who didn't know how to use it, it was as useless as a dead tree branch.

"Very well, I will lead you to the Yin Dragon Pond in a week."

Chen Fan nodded.

Mr. Shi smiled, and without raising any questions as to why he had to wait for a week, he turned around and sauntered off.

Miss Zheng gave Chen Fan and Master Wu a vehement glare and left with Mr. Shi.

After they were both gone, Wu Shanhe asked Chen Fan perplexedly: "Why are we helping them?"

"That Mr. Shi is a powerful cultivator, well, at least more powerful than me. You are not afraid that they are up to something more sinister?"

"Don't worry; I have a plan." Chen Fan said lightly.

Seeing how confident Chen Fan was, Master Wu decided to keep the doubt to himself.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001