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

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Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 161 - Invitation From the Lu's - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 161 - Invitation From the Lu's Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 161: Invitation From the Lu's

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Hey young man, how many of those pills do you have? I will take them all for ten thousand yuan a pill."

"Dream on! Do you expect to buy this high-grade physique Refining Pill for your dirt cheap offer? I will pay three times your offer!"

"Fifty! fifty thousand per pill here!"

Once the pill had gained the stamp of approval from the Li Family of the Green Vines, the prospective buyers flocked toward Chen Fan like housewives in the farmers market would to a discount section. They held out their cash on display for Chen Fan while staring greedily at the boy.

the biggest challenge for a martial artist was lack of resources. Internal Force cultivation was very difficult and also had a high minimum requirement for the practitioner's talent. Even an internal force user could not guarantee that their offspring would be able to succeed in gaining the same power as they did.

However, the physique Refining Pill was able to practically infuse the human body with Internal Force; this was everything that a martial artist could dream of.

"I have to warn you that this pill has a high requirement for the user's physique and will power. In addition, it is only useful for people who had only been practicing external force exercises." Chen Fan explained slowly.

Chen Fan's announcement had caught everyone by surprise. If this pill's usefulness was limited to only the external-force-martial-artists, then its value would take a significant hit. After all, most powerful martial arts masters had transformed into internal force users since practicing the internal force had much greater potential than practicing the external force. Master Cui from southwest China, for example, was able to refine his external force and eventually gain the powerful internal force and reached its peak level. Because of his achievement, Master Cui was considered an unprecedented genius, however, it would be very difficult for him to improve his power any further.

However, the drawback didn't seem to quell the bidding war. After all, internal force was simply too difficult to obtain and no external force users would want to pass up such an opportunity.

"A million, I will pay a million per pill. It's the highest price so far."

A muscular man with a greasy face shouted out and looked around him.

The crowd slowly quieted down. To obtain internal force, one would have to consume a large amount of these pills, therefore, once the price had reached beyond most people's financial capability, the offers dwindled down.

"He is from the Diamond Temple. His sect is well known for their External Force abilities. No wonder they are willing to pay so much for these pills."

Someone recognized the muscular man.

Rumor had it that the Diamond Temple Sect originated from the Great Glacial Mountain. A few years ago, they even sired an External Force Grand Master. They were usually considered one of the toughest sects in the physique Refinement category.

Seeing his offer was final, the brawny man turned around to Chen Fan and asked excitedly: "Bro, how many of these pills do you have? I will take them all!"

To his surprise, Chen Fan said: "I don't need money. You can exchange the pill with thousand years old Ginseng or some herbs of equivalent effect. I can offer you as many Phsyic Refining Pills as you'd like."

"Urh..." The big man was taken aback.

In this day and age, even a hundred-year-old ginseng was hard to come by much less that of a thousand year old one. It was nearly impossible to find.

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However, the exchange had caught the attention of the Li Family of Green Vines.

One-Needle-Li's eyes lit up and said: "I have a couple of those thousand year old herbs back in my home. However, those are extremely rare and kept as family heirlooms. However, if you are willing to exchange those herbs with your Physic Refining Pill's recipe, we might be able to come to an agreement."

Chen Fan hesitated. He had handed over Physic Refining Pill's recipe to the military and therefore the contents had become classified information. If he gave the information off to the public, he might be opening a can of worms that he didn't want to deal with.

"I have already given the recipe to others." Chen Fan shook his head.

"Well, that's... unfortunate." One-Needle-Li heaved a sigh.

Although he was convinced that the Physic Refining Pill was a top grade elixir, he could tell that the ingredients used in the pill were readily available. Therefore, it was viable for mass production once they had gained the recipe. With their connections overseas, they might even be able to export these pills to the overseas martial arts communities, such as the sects that practiced Ancient Muay Thai.

The potential for profit of this little pill was unimaginable by most people.

"Can I buy it with money?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows and asked.

"Hehe." One-Needle-Li smiled haughtily. "You might not have heard of our Lis Group. We control over ninety percent of the high-end herb market and thirty percent of the medicine production capacity in China. We manage over five publicly traded pharmaceutical companies. Those thousand year old herbs are a family treasure and only a family elder is able to use it. May I ask how many billions you are going to pay for them?"

Chen Fan kept his silence but lamented in his mind.

He was in the same boat as the Zhen Family of Hong Kong. The deal was grossly in favor of the seller and therefore the seller could set the price at will. Those thousand year old herbs were able to prolong people's lives and therefore the Li Family would never have to worry about the lack of buyers.

One-Needle-Li shook his head and was about to turn around and leave. Without the recipe, these pills were far from being able to satisfy the Li Family's expectations.

Suddenly, he heard Chen Fan speak up again.

"Although I can't sell you the recipe for the physique Refining Pill, I have other elixirs' recipes for sale."

So saying, Chen Fan fished out another white and blue china bottle and produced a green pill from within. A green pellet hit the display plate and made a crisp clink. Suddenly, the air around Chen Fan was infused with a strong aroma of spring, and life.

"What is that?"

One-Needle-Li was shocked by the development, and the little pill also arrested the attention of the girl from the Medicine God Vally Sect.

"This elixir is called Lesser Essence Enhancing Pill. It can help an ordinary mortal ward off all kinds of ailments and prolong their lives. If consumed by an Internal Force user, it can help to boost the user's Internal Energy and cultivation attainment significantly." Chen Fan explained slowly.

The best kind of elixirs he had refined so far was the Essence Gathering Pill. They were made from Lesser Spirit herbs and the supply was limited.

The second best pills were Arcane Pills. They were made by refining the Yin Snake's flesh and bones. It was sold at the price of one hundred million per pill and it was as effective as a thousand year old ginseng.

The third best pills were the Lesser Essence Enhancing Pills. These were the same pills that were used by Elderly Man Wei. In less than half a year, these pills were able to help the old man recuperate his old injuries and significantly improve his cultivation. By then, the old man was only one small step away from reaching the peak of the Internal Force cultivation.

As for the Body Tempering Pill, they were of the lowest grade and could be produced in large quantities at any given time. In addition, It had only one use: improving one's physical condition.

"Allow me to take a look please." One-Needle-Li carefully picked up the small green pill and brought it closer to his eyes. Suddenly, a rush of refreshing air wafted into his nose and it energized each and every cell in his body. He scratched the surface of the pill with a nail to produce some powder and tasted it. Afterward, surprise and shock were written all over his face.

"This pill was filled to the brim the vital essence. It's of supreme-grade no doubt!"

The crowd boiled over as they heard One-Needle-Li's words.

The elixirs were classified into different grades. The low-grade elixirs were only a little better than run-of-the-mill herbal regimes that were readily available on the market. Medium grade elixirs were where elixirs started to differ from conventional medicines. The healing salves from the Ba Ji Sect, for example, were able to cure external wounds almost instantly.

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Not a lot of people had ever heard of supreme-grade elixirs much less seen them.

"It really is supreme-grade. Young sir, are you willing to sell us the recipe? The Medicine God Vally Sect also had numerous thousand year old herbs for you to choose from." The girl wearing wooden beads spoke up.

"Miss Jin Yi, we have a line up going on here. The Li Family had been talking to this young gentleman before you." One-Needle-Li rounded his eyes in displease.

Supreme-grade elixirs were so hard to come by that even the Li Family had only a few incomplete recipes of them.

Everyone looked to Chen Fan enviously.

Both Li Family and Medicine God Vally Sect had always been high on their horses due to their monopoly in the herbal medicine industry. However, there and then, they had to compete with each other to make a deal with a young boy. Second Lord Xin's eyes were green with envy. He had never imagined that Chen Fan had carried so many treasures on him.

"There is no need to fight for it." Chen Fan said lightly: "I can give the recipe to both of you, but only I can make the pills. Neither of you can."

The lesser Essence Enhancing Pill was technically considered Spirit Pills, and therefore, to create these pills called for methods that stemmed from immortal cultivation.

"Really?" One-Needle-Li asked curiously.

Miss Jin Yi was also taken aback and asked: "Only you can refine it? Are you Alchemist?"

Having heard Miss Jin Yi's question, everyone's respect toward Chen Fan turned up a few notches.

Elixirs were consumables, and therefore, anyone who gained the skills as an alchemist could make a huge fortune off of his trade. If a martial artist family acquired the service of an alchemist, it would secure the number of Internal Force users among the family members for decades. However, in this day and age, Alchemists were extremely hard to come by. Most of them worked for either the Li Family or the Medicine God Vally Sect. On very rare occasions one or two alchemists would quit their job from those two families and serve someone else.

Even Lu Haixuan who had been observing the development from the side was set back on his heels by the revelation. He looked to Chen Fan but could not see through his thoughtful expression.

"Indeed." Chen Fan admitted.

One-Needle-Li and the others still had their doubts. However, Chen Fan carried himself with such a level of levity and assuredness that they were hard pressed to think he was a fraud. Nonetheless, they wagered that if the boy was an impostor, the pills were real and someone else, perhaps a powerful alchemist was behind this young man's confidence and was pulling the strings from a metaphorical backstage.

"Providing you have been truthful, the Li family is willing to pay a one thousand-year-old Ginseng and hire you as our house guest," One-Needle-Li said respectfully with a cupped fist.

"The Medicine God Vally Sect will offer the same, plus unlimited access to our medical library." Jin Yi announced.

Everyone looked to Chen Fan expectantly. If Chen Fan could make his way into either one of these two powerful families, he could make a name for himself at a very young age.

Chen Fan remained silent. It appeared that he was not sure which offer to accept.

Suddenly, Lu Haixuan let out a burst of laughter. "Brother Chen, if you would accept to become one of the Lu Family's guest employees, we would offer five percent of the shares of the Lu's Group. In addition, we will promise to do you three favors in any matter of your choosing."

The crowd sizzled with excitement after they heard Lu Haixuan's words.

The Lu family was located in Lin City. They were one of the richest families in the region and controlled countless companies. Their assets were in the tens of billions. Therefore five percent of their shares meant over one billion in wealth.

Plus, the last offer was even more appealing than money.

The lord of the Lu family was a grandmaster in martial arts. His favor would carry much further than a billion yuan.

One-Needle-Li and Jin Yi wavered after hearing Lu Family's offer. Despite their monopoly in the medicine industry, their power was a far cry from the combined might of the Lu Family. Everyone looked toward Chen Fan and waited expectantly for his decision.

Lu Haixuan was confident that Chen Fan would accept his offer. The Lu family had been one of the most dominant martial arts family in China for three hundred years. With the recent surge of the family influence, thanks to the Grand Master in his family, Chen Fan would have no choice other than to join them.

To his utter surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and said: "I only need thousand-year-old herbs, and none of the others."

A surprised murmur rose from the crowd. Chen Fan had refused not only the offer from the Lu Haixuan and the Medicine God Vally Sect but also that of Lu family. Despite the rigid smile on Lu Haixuan's face, he felt disappointed and annoyed.

This was the first time in his life that anyone had ever refused him.

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Chapter 162: Ambush

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Light glinted in Lu Haixuan's eyes. In the end, he let out peals of laughter. "Well, since Brother Chen had already made up his mind, I will not press you. However, I want to let you know that the Lu family's offer is always open for you."

One-Needle-Li and Miss Jin Yi shook their heads and heaved sighs.

Without the recipe, it would be difficult for them to reach a deal with Chen Fan. Although the Lesser Essence Enhancing Pills was a supreme-grade elixir, it was not impossible for the Li Family or the Medicine God Valley Sect to create them on their own.

From then on, Chen Fan outright ignored buyers trying to bargain with him with money. By now, money meant very little to Chen Fan. Ever since he started selling the Yun Wu Spirit Water, the number in his bank account had long since surpassed 10 digits. However, so far, Chen Fan had withdrawn none of it, instead; he had wired the money to Sister An, to fund her acquisition of vacant city plots.

The suspicious transactions had caught the attention of his mother, but Chen Fan was able to make excuses each time his mother asked him about the money. Wang Xiaoyun knew her son was hiding something from her, however; she also saw the bigger picture: her son was not an ordinary average joe, instead, he was a powerful martial arts grandmaster. Therefore, she was not entirely surprised by large amounts of money her son had amassed.

"Well, since they had confessed that they have Spirit Medicine. I think I am in the right place." Chen Fan thought to himself.

He had imprinted One-Needle-Li and the girl with his Immortal Will so that he could follow them to their base. Then, he would have to take the thousand-year-old medicine by force.

A Tribulation Celestial Lord could do whatever his heart desired.

The reason that Chen Fan didn't resort to the more direct method earlier was simply that there was nothing that had even caught his interest. However, he was in great need of spirit herbs now and therefore, let it be the Li Family or the Medicine God Valley sect, he would take whatever he wanted from them without a second thought. If law and order would apply to a former Celestial Lord, why would anyone ever be motivated to cultivate?

Even as Chen Fan planned his next actions, people looked at him and sighed out their lamentation.

"This kid is in trouble. The Lu family is not going to let him get away with publicly refusing their offer." Many people thought to themselves.

Lu family started as a small family Lin City, and by then they had become the dominating martial arts family in Tian Nan. They had overcome countless unimaginable difficulties, and they would be hard-pressed for people to think that their hands were clean as well. Chen Fan was a meek teenage boy in possession of something hugely valuable, the Lu family would not pass up the opportunity to further their power.

Second Lord Xin lamented in his mind.

He had been eyeing Chen Fan's treasures for a while, but he didn't put his plan into action due to his fear of Tong Shan's strength. However, he suddenly gained much more powerful competitors, and he wagered that his chances of getting anything from Chen Fan had been reduced to zero.

After a few hours, the sun was setting behind the courtyard walls. Seeing no one was interested in his elixirs, Chen Fan gathered his bottles of pills and walked away. Many martial artists made way for him as if Chen Fan carried a deadly contagious disease.

Chen Fan didn't pay much attention to the fearful or greedy glances around him. He was confident that he would be able to do away with anyone who dared to mean him harm.

"Ah-Ha! You are finally here! We have been waiting for you, and we are starving!" As soon as he returned to his room, he saw Lu Yanxue, and Miao Xiaoqian sat on his bed, looking at him.

"What are you two doing here?" Chen Fan was pleasantly surprised.

"Humph! You are such a reckless fool. If we didn't come to check on you, you might have been swallowed whole by some of the bad people out there." Lu Yanxue rolled his eyes at Chen Fan.

Miao Xiaoqian covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Don't listen to her. Xiao Xue is just concerned about you. She cares about you, you see?"

Lu Yanxue blushed and yanked her tiny smooth-skinned fist up as if she was going to hit Miao Xiaoqian. Miao Xiaoqian squirmed and hurried to get out of harm's way.

Chen Fan cracked a smile. He didn't think that Lu Yanxue would have already fallen for him, after all, they had just met. However, Chen Fan could tell that the girl was kind and friendly by the fact that she would come to check on his well being.

"Fine, fine. That's enough talking. Let's go have some food!" Lu Yanxue opened her arms and suggested in her musical voice. "You should leave the manor after dinner. There are many... unsavory characters here, and they might mean you harm if they so much as don't like the way you look at them."

"I am a Grandmaster, why would I avoid these lowly scum?" Chen Fan said proudly.

"Yea, yea. You are a little prick, not a Grandmaster." Lu Yanxue scoffed. "I wonder where you heard of this conference and how you found your way here. I purposely didn't bring you in here, but little did I know that you got in nonetheless."

"Just so! I have seen a few people sparring with each other. Their fight looks just like the ones on the TV. You know, stones flying everywhere and dangerous." Miao Xiaoqian said as she stuck the tip of her tongue out.

"But Xiao Xue's cousin, he... he is so HANDSOME! Much more handsome than even Korean Pop Stars."

"Of course, Brother Haoxuan and Sister Yanwu were two of the most outstanding members of the younger generation in my family. The girls who wanted to be Brother Haoxuan's girlfriend would line up from here to Chu Zhou City." Lu Yanwu said with a smug smile.

"Sound like you are already in the line." Miao Xiaoqian jested.

"Oh shut up!" Lu Yanxue shouted hotly.

The four of them left Lu family Manor and arrived at a night market. They found a bench and sat down.

They met each other in Chu Zhou City on the bus and went through unexpected trouble together. In the end, they met again at Lin City. If it wasn't fate, they didn't know what it was.

Seeing Chen Fan was much younger than them, the two girls lowered their guard and let themselves lose. They ordered a few cases of beers and swore to make Chen Fan drink until he dropped.

Chen Fan cracked a smile. He was an immortal cultivator, and therefore, no beer was going to make him drunk. Chen Fan rose to the challenge and taught the two girls a lesson in drinking.

In the end, Miao Xiaoqian finally regained some sense of time and said: "That's enough guys, it's almost midnight, we should head back."

Lu Yanxue was still shouting in her drunken voice. She swore that she was not drunk yet and was going to see to it that Chen Fan pass out tonight.

In the end, Chen Fan and Miao Xiaoqian carried the stumbling girl away from the night market and walked toward the Lu family's manor. The manor was about three kilometers away and the path was empty.

The four of them plodded on the path that hugged the lake shore. Except for the murmurs of waves kissing the stones on the shoreline, there was no other sound around them. Suddenly, Miao Xiaoqian had a premonition that something terrible was going to happen; fear seized her and made her shiver a little.

"Xiao Fan, Big Cousin, don't you think it's... too quiet?" Miao Xiaoqian asked.

"Yes, I agree. I have walked this way before and I don't remember the path to be so empty." A cool breeze from the lake had woke up Xiao Xue.

"That is because we have visitors." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Visitors?" The two girls asked dumbfoundedly.

Suddenly, a shadow emerged from behind a street light pole. The man was holding a dart knife and his lips curled into an ugly grin. "Mr. Chen noticed us." The shadow said.

"Sounds like my elixir is highly sought after." Chen Fan shrugged. "Are you Ding Peng?"

The shadow shivered a little and retreated deeper into the darkness. He was a gangly young man in his early twenties. His fingers played with a glinting throwing knife restlessly. "You have a good memory, Mr. Chen. I only introduced myself once, and you remembered my name."

"Second Lord Xin, Mad Sun, come out now." Chen Fan said lightly.

A pin drop silence fell over the path; no one answered Chen Fan's summon.

However, Chen Fan had detected a half dozen people hiding behind the bushes. Among them were Second Lord Xin and Mad Sun.

"Haha! Chen Beixuan, hand over the recipe for the Physic Refining Pill and the Essence Enhancing Pill!" With a string of sinister laughter, another few shadows emerged behind the bush.

The leader of the pack was Second Lord Xin, Mad Sun and the brawny man from Diamond Temple.

"Xiao Fan, what is going on? Why are they in our way?" Miao Xiaoqian asked fearfully.

Miao Xiaoqian nearly fainted when she saw these menacing faces. She hid behind Lu Yanxue. Lu Yanxue announced hotly at them: "I don't care who you are. This is the Lu family's territory, leave or I will tell my cousin Haoxuan. You won't get away with this!"

"Haha!"

The group of ambushers laughed out loud. Second Lord Xin shook his head and said: "Silly girl, do you think we would take action before we knew who we are dealing with? Your father Lu Shixun was from an off shot branch of the Lu family. Therefore, your complaints are as good as nothing. They only let you into the event because you are friends with some of the main family's third generation kids. What would the Lu family do even if I did away with you today? Will they risk offending all of us just to avenge you?"

Lu Yanxue's face paled after she heard the hurtful, yet to the point, remark.

Her biggest benefactor was the Lu family, it was a ruse she played all the time. However, having her ruse seen through by these ambushers, she felt helpless and naked.

"Second Lord Xin, I have told you that if you help me, I will not short you on the Body Tempering Pills. Why are you still doing this?" Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

"Hehe, because you are a useless kid in possession of something very precious. Chen Beixuan, you are not a martial artist, we all knew it. Why do you carry so many precious elixirs while you know you are defenseless? This is not stupidity, this is a sin! Plus, why would I have to work for it while I can just take it away from you by force?"Second Lord Xin sneered.

Such was the rule of Martial arts: the survival of the fittest.

"Indeed. Kiddo, we will let you go alive if you hand over your recipes and the elixirs. Otherwise..." Mad Sun wagged his head and said.

"Stop wasting our time, let's do it! Break his leg and take him somewhere far from here. We are too close to the conference venue, and I don't want trouble." Ding Pen said with knitted brows.

His beady eyes scanned Lu Yanxue from head to toe, and the intent behind his glare scared Lu Yanxue.

"I call dibs on the Physic Refining Pills! "The big framed man from the Diamond Temple announced firmly.

"Very well." The other replied.

In their minds, Chen Fan would not escape even if he was an incarnation of an immortal.

"What should we do? Xiao Fan... Xiao Xue..."

Miao Xiaoqian was shaken by the turn of events. Tears welled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. Meanwhile, Lu Yanxue managed to appear calm. However, life was draining very quickly from her overwrought face, and her legs were about to give in. A pang of despair suddenly came over her as she realized that no one would come to their rescue.

Suddenly, Chen Fan heaved a sigh. "I had thought that the mortals would play by the rules this time around. However, in the end, a strong fist is still more useful than anything else."

"Thus it is, power is the only truth in this world."

"Stop mumbling!" A few shadows shouted at Chen Fan.

Ding Pen threw the knife at the boy. Moonlight ran down from the shiny blade as the knife traced an arc in the air. It was flying toward Chen Fan's feet.

Chen Fan shouted under his breath.

"Tong Shan!"

A huge figure emerged in front of Chen Fan all of a suddenly. It was as if a large Buddha statue was airdropped there to block the attacks.

Before the hulking frame, even the brawny man from the Diamond Temple looked like a small boy.

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Chapter 163: Crush Them All!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Ding!"

With a crispy clink, the silver blade hit Tong Shan's foot and bounced off. It was as if it had landed on an iron pipe.

"Shit!"

Ding Pen was set back on his heels.

He was well known for his skills in throwing knives. He could have penetrated a wall with just a regular fruit peeler, much less the silver blade he used. That blade was made from a special alloy that combined iron with zinc, nickel and many other elements. It was extremely sharp and was able to slice through even a few layers of metal sheets. However, the fact that it bounced right off of Tong Shan's foot proved the giant's power.

The set back made Ding Pen waver. He took a few steps back and retreated back into the shadow.

However, Second Lord Xin and Mad Sun didn't mind Ding Pen's failure. Second Lord Xin shouted: "Let's do away with this big guy. He is an Internal Force user or an External Force master at the best. Once he is dead, Chen Beixuan will be defenseless."

It turned out that he didn't have to spell their tactics out loud as everyone else had already focused their attention on Tong Shan.

Tong Shan stood still, his large body loomed before everyone like an iron pagoda. It was hard not to take him seriously.

"Shit, shit! Big Cousin is not going to ward them off." Lu Yanxue's face paled.

She knew the power of these martial artists. However, strong an ordinary person was, he could not withstand a blow that was infused with internal force. Having grown up in a martial arts family, she had seen many cases where a Sanshou champion was defeated by an internal force martial artist with ease.

"Don't worry, Tong Shan will take care of them." Chen Fan remained calm as he spoke lightly.

By then, Mad Sun was already at Tong Shan.

He punched at Tong Shan with abandon. His belligerent fist rumbled across the air. Halfway through his punch, he suddenly changed the direction and swept his attacking hand sideways like swinging an ax at a tree. Then, his attack sped up and a trailing gust was created behind. In the end, he took advantage of the built-up force and momentum and changed his sweep attack into a jab. His fists transformed into the venomous mouth of a drake that threatened to pierce into Tong Shang's chest.

By then, Mad Sun had displayed all four basic forms of the Xing Yi Fist: Pao, Pi, Heng, Beng. The final transformation, the jabbing attack was the epitome of everything that made Xing Yi Fist a legend. If any ordinary Xing Yi Fist practitioner had witnessed his moves, they would bound to be impressed.

"This attack should hurt him."

Mad Sun thought to himself confidently.

The very last jabbing attack was particularly effective against people with extraordinary external force attainment. It focused all the force onto a small impact area and thereby increasing the depth of penetration.

"Bang!"

To Mad Sun's utter surprise, his fisted landed on Tong Shan's chest but caused not even a dent. Instead, his fingers were hurt by the force that bounced back.

"Impossible!"

Mad Sun was shocked by the development.

Even as he tried to gather himself, Tong Shan had delivered a punch at him.

Tong Shan's attack seemed ordinary and mundane. It looked no different than a punch from an average person. However, Tong Shan's immeasurable strength made up for his lack of fitness. His punch was so powerful that it was able to go through a minivan.

It was too late for Mad Sun to evade completely; therefore he spun sideways to avoid a frontal impact.

Tong Shan's blow caught Mad Sun's side, and the latter immediately let out a painful howl. His body was blown away and landed a half a dozen meters away. "He is... strong..."

Second Lord Xin and the others were taken aback by Mad Sun's defeat.

Mad Sun was a Xing Yi Fist master with Initial Success in Internal Force cultivation. He had mastered the art of Xing Yi Fist, yet he was still no match against Tong Shan.

"Move!"

Ding Pen shouted, trying to alert Second Lord Xin.

Second Lord Xin was startled by the shout at first when he finally gathered himself, he saw Tong Shan was already charging at him.

Seenly, he opened up all pores on his skin as his heart raced and thumped heavily in his chest. He mustered all the energy in his body and pushed himself backward a few dozen meters. As soon as his body left the ground, Tong Shan's large body filled up the space right away.

"Kaboom!"

The ground where Second Lord Xin was standing crumbled under Tong Shan's weight and then caved in. The pavement cracked, creating many fissures that spat pebbles and rocks in all directions.

"This dude is terrifying."

Second Lord Xin's back was drenched in sweat. If the attack had landed on him, he would have turned into a pulp. He didn't dare to underestimate Tong Shan and therefore he had brought help with him. However, it occurred to him that even his conservative estimate of Tong Shan's power was a far cry from his real strength.

"Ah!"

Another painful howling came up from somewhere in the darkness.

Even as Second Lord Xin tried to steady himself, one of the martial artists that followed him here was snatched up by Tong Shan like a little chick and Tong Shan slammed the poor guy on the ground repeatedly.

"Peng! Peng!"

The ground was fractured by the repeated impact, while the man in Tong Chan's clutch was already reduced to a featureless stump.

"This is crazy! let's get out of there!"

The last martial artist who was unharmed trembled at the terrifying sight as the life drained away from his face.

Tong Shan didn't use any fancy techniques. His moves were simple but effective and extremely deadly.

These Martial Artists were all dominating figures in their local area and owned sizeable fortunes. However, before Tong Shan, they were as fragile as clay dolls.

"Let me try him."

The brawny man from the Diamond Temple shouted as the air around him started to hum. In a blink, his body increased the size and his height reached two meters, the same height as Tong Shan's shoulder.

Golden sparkling lights bounced off his body, it was as if he had dipped himself in a pool of gold glitter.

"The Diamond Body of the Diamond Temple?"

A sliver of hope flashed in Second Lord Xin's eyes.

The Diamond Temple was well known for its external strength since that was all they practiced day and night.

Once a martial artist reached the highest level in the Art of Diamond Body, he would be unharmed by bullets nor blades. Even ten years after he was dead, his body would be perfectly preserved.

The brawny man was one of the most powerful martial artists among the ambushers. He had dedicated his entire life to strengthening his body, by then, his power could have rivaled a Phenomenal Success level Internal Force user. Therefore, no one protested when he demanded the Body Tempering Pill for himself.

However, during the time it took for the brawny man to muster his energy, Tong Shan had caught up with the fleeting martial artist and stamped his feet on his body. The poor soul was crushed to death like a balloon.

"Pop."

Tong Shan made one more hole in the ground and another big bloody mess.

In less than thirty seconds, the five perpetrators were reduced to only two: The brawny man and Second Lord Xin.

"Bravo! I never expect anyone outside of the Diamond Temple could achieve such a powerful External Force."

The brawny man smiled broadly.

After he finished his words, he charged at Tong Shan.

Every step of the brawny man left a sizable dent on the pavement as the hulking frame charged out like a mad beast. During a confrontation of two external force experts, techniques played a much smaller role than pure strength. Whoever threw the hardest punch would win the match.

"He is a mad man!"

Second Lord Xin cursed in his mind, however, the sight had also given him hope. If the brawny man was able to defeat Tong Shan, he wouldn't have to run away like he had been planning to. However, what he saw next made his heart dropped to the bottom.

He watched as Tong Shan shot out two giant hands and seized the brawny man's shoulder, holding him fast. Then Tong Shan jerked his arms in opposite directions.

"Kacha!"

The brawny man's skeletal frame was split in half from the middle.

Second Lord Xin was paralyzed by the turn of the event. The thoughts about the Diamond Body and the Diamond Temple melted together in his mind and turned into a big joke. The Diamond was crushed and kneaded like a piece of dough.

In less than one minute, four out of five martial artists that followed Second Lord Xin here were either dead or passed out; no one knew where Ding Peng was.

Second Lord Xin was all by himself now, standing in the middle of the road, suddenly, the path became pin-drop quiet.

Miao Xiaoqian and Lu Yanxue huddled together and covered their mouths in surprise. They thought their eyes had deceived them.

They had been terrified by the six martial artists who surrounded them, but Tong Shan had come in and saved the day with ease. Large holes were scattered all over the paved path, and near them, a large frame erected before them like a demon god. The sight was surreal, and Lu Yanxue was no longer sure if she was in reality or a dream.

What the heck happened? Wasn't Chen Fan just an ordinary boy and his Big Cousin an average joe with a slightly challenged mind? How did they become so powerful?

"Bam!"

Even as the girls tried to make sense of things, Second Lord Xin dropped to his knees before Chen Fan.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen! I am sorry! I won't do this again! Please, for old times sake, forgive me! I will be your dog for the rest of my life..."

He pleaded as he kowtowed to Chen Fan, hitting his forehead vigorously at the hard pavement until it let out a dull thump. It wasn't long before his skin was cut open and blood started to drip. However, the pain and the blood didn't slow down his kowtows. He was terrified by Tong Shan's power. He swore that it was the most horrible thing he had ever seen during his career as a martial artist.

"Bang!" "Bang!"

Heavy and imperious footsteps approached him. Second Lord Xin didn't even dare to look up at the person before him, instead, he kowtowed even faster. The blood that seeped into the cracks in the pavement had filled the hole up and started to pool.

"I have told you that if you worked for me, I would give you the Physic Refining Pill, didn't I? Why would you still do this?" Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

"Mr. Chen... I am sorry.. sorry..."

Second Lord Xin dared not to explain himself, the best thing he could do was to kowtow repeatedly.

"Well, you do have a better attitude than most of the others, plus, you do have some use for me." Chen Fan's tone softened a little.

Second Lord Xin finally found a shred of hope. Even Lu Yanxue thought that Chen Fan would let him go.

However, Chen Fan continued: "But that doesn't mean I won't punish you."

"What?"

Second Lord Xin was set back on his heels again.

Before Chen Fan finished talking, Second Lord Xin sprung up like a loaded spring and darted away. However, before he took a second step, his vision turned black.

Tong Shan's giant hand wrapped around Second Lord's head and covered his eyes.

"Bang!"

With a slight clenching of the giant's fingers, Second Lord Xin passed out.

Then and only then, Chen Fan continued: "No one would get away with offending me: Chen Beixuan!"

Lu Yanxue couldn't believe her eyes.

She had never thought the night would end like this

The path that hugged the lake was now riddled with holes. A demon like giant stood in the middle of the path with a lifeless stare. Two girls huddled together, shaking uncontrollably. It was a sight of an eerie nightmare.

Chen Fan stood under a wash of street light, linking his hands behind his back. In his eyes, the scene was not all that bad, in fact, he thought it was rather quaint.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 164: Physique Refinement Master!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Hew!"

Ding Pen's shoulder brushed against the low hanging branches as he darted forward with lightning speed. He channeled all of his energy to his legs, and therefore, he was practically skipping long distance with each step he took.

"That's terrifying, how is that even possible?"

Fear still lingered in his heart despite the distance he had put from Chen Fan.

The moment his throwing knife failed him, he retreated into the shadows and observed quietly. However, he was scared shitless by what happened next. Second Lord Xin, Mad Sun and Wang Qinian, they all had achieved Initial Success in their Internal Force cultivation. Ding Pen doubted that he would have the upper hand while fighting anyone of them.

However, before Tong Shan, they were nearly as fragile as plastic toys.

"And that Tutuli. He is the guardian of the Diamond Temple, a master of External Strength. He would be a headache for even a Phenomenal Success level cultivator. However, Tong Shan had —"

His thoughts were interrupted by the terrifying scene in his memory. Ding Pen shivered.

What kind of freak is he? I wager he is about as powerful as a Transcendent Master. The thought of duking it out with such a powerful fighter gave Ding Pen the jitters.

"Fortunately, I escaped quickly. Otherwise, I would have been quashed to death just like Second Lord Xin." Ding Pen heaved a sigh. His internal energy had helped him put on some speed and it wasn't long before he could see the Lu family's manor in the distance.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from the side of the road.

"Ding Pen, how did it go?"

"Ah, it's you, Miss Jin Yi."

Ding Pen slowed down and examined the person in front of him. He recognized her as the girl from the Medicine God Valley Sect.

"Don't even start! Second Lord Xin was wrong about everything. We got our asses handed to us." Ding Pen let out a painful grin.

"What happened?" Jin Yi asked with knitted brows. "Tutuli is a Master External Force martial artist, and no one should be able to defeat him other than Transcendent Master.

"That Chen Beixuan is just an ordinary boy, but his guard. That Tong Shan... he was a ... demon!" Fear flickered in Ding Pen's eyes. "Tutuli didn't last more than one second during the fight against Tong Shan. I bet Tong Shan is a ... Master External Force Martial Artist."

Ding Pen's words shocked Jin Yi. However, she managed to keep calm. "Are you sure?"

"That's just a guess. But I am not planning to go after that giant freak any time soon. It was a close call and I am lucky that I can escape that wretched place—" As Ding Pen shook his head while cherishing his near escape. His face turned black and he cupped his chest with both hands.

"Ah! Ah! Shit. Something has my heart! It hurts..."

Life drained away from Ding Pen's face as he slowly slumped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

There and then, Jin Yi watched as an Internal Force user who had reached Initial Success passed out without any reason.

Jin Yi finally realized something; she looked distressed as she looked toward the end of the road. She knew there was going to be a Master Dharma Spell caster waiting for her out there.

"This is a curse, although I don't know what kind of curse it is, I am sure it is a curse. Who would have thought that Chen Fan was a Transcendent Master?"

A pang of panic seized Jin Yi. She knew that she had acted too quickly this time. However profitable the Body Tempering Pill and supreme-grade elixirs were, they were not worth the ire of a Transcendent Master.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan finally looked away from the distance.

In his hand, a silver blade danced from finger to finger. Chen Fan had cast the spell using the blade as a surrogate and paralyzed Ding Pen. Just as he had said before, he would not allow anyone to insult a Celestial Lord and get away with it.

"It seems that the Curse of Heart Piercing Blade worked pretty well."

It was the first time Chen Fan had ever tried to use the curse, and he was impressed by the results.

"Xiao Fan, what are you mumbling about?" Miao Xiaoqian asked.

Fear still hadn't left the girl. She huddled against Lu Yanxue, eyes wide open and darting left and right like a startled kitten, threatening to flee at the slightest disturbance. On the other hand, Lu Yanxue appeared to be much calmer thanks to her upbringing. Although she was also shocked by the bloody scene, she was able to gather herself.

"What should we do with this... blood?" Lu Yanxue asked with a pale face.

"Don't worry, someone will help us clean everything. Let's head back now." Chen Fan said. It was evident that he was alluding to something or someone.

After the four left the battleground, two people emerged from behind the bushes. One of them was Lu Haixuan from the Lu family.

"Call the cleaner and clean this mess up. And call Boss Zhang. Make sure no one else knows what happened here tonight." Lu Haixuan spoke under his breath.

"Yes, young master." The old man beside him replied.

"So he is a Physique Refinement Master! We all have underestimated him." Lu Haixuan lamented as worry gleamed in his eyes.

The so-called Physique Refinement Masters were Martial Artists who had reached the peak of External Force cultivation. To be called a master, such a martial artist must be only one step away from entering the Transcendent State.

They were able to channel their External Force in and out of their bodies to turn their skin into iron and increase their strength by ten folds. These Martial Artists were headaches for even the Transcendent Masters.

The Physique Refinement Grand Masters were one of the toughest Martial Artists in the Grand Master Category. Other ordinary Grand Masters would choose to avoid them at all costs. However, it was much more difficult for an External Force user to reach the Grand Master Level than an Internal Force user. Over the centuries, only one person from the Diamond Temple had reached such status.

"We will have to report what happened here to our family elders. Who would have thought that we nearly had a brush with a Physique Refinement Master over a recipe."

Lu Haixuan shook his head and heaved a sigh. He wagered that no one in the Lu family, except for the family elder was able to overcome Tong Shan.

The next day, when Chen Fan arrived at the conference, he registered that everyone looked at him with newfound fear and respect.

The Martial Arts community was a small circle. There had been less than a hundred martial artists who attended this conference, yet six of them had perished last night not very far from the venue. News traveled fast and by then, everyone knew what had happened.

Tong Shan became known as a Physique Refinement Master, and no one dared to think lightly of him and his master.

"Master Chen, I apologize for the ill-treatment. We will move you and Master Tong Shan to the lakeside mansion right away." A white-haired old man walked over to Chen Fan and said politely.

His name was Lu Tianlong and he was also an internal force user who had reached the peak attainment.

Behind him was a cautious Lu Yanxue.

The Lu family was a martial arts family and therefore, its most important asset was internal force martial artists; companies and connections were much less of a concern to them.

Lu Tianlong had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation, and he could be the backbone of any household. Even in the mighty Lu family, he was counted as a significant figure.

"Ok" Chen Fan dipped his chin slightly as a reply.

No one protested the decision; Tong Shan was a Physique Refinement Master, and other than a Grand Masters, no one would dare to speak up against them.

"Ah, and there is my niece Xiao Xue. "Lu Tianlong turned around and said: "Xiao Xue, come greet Master Chen and Master Tong Shan."

The girl had been sassy and had given Chen Fan all kinds of attitude, however, there and then, she was as meek and coy as a kitten.

She hesitated a second as humiliation filled her heart. She plodded toward Chen Fan and greeted them: "Master Chen, Master Tong Shan."

"I have heard that you two are acquaintances, why don't you accompany Mr. Chen for the rest of the day?" Lu Tianlong let out a lewd smile.

Lu Yanxue blushed, as a sense of shame and embarrassment festered inside of her.

However, she knew she had no other choice. Her parents were from the offshoot branch of the Lu family and therefore, she was not taken seriously. On the other hand, Lu Tianlong was an important figure of the family clan and controlled over a billion yuan of assets. Worse, he was also an elder of the family. Therefore, Lu Tianlong must oblige his orders unconditionally.

"They are honey trapping me." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

Lu Yanxue was charming beyond description. As the most popular girl at the Chu Zhou City University, her skin was as fair as the first snow in November. She was wearing a casual outfit, but she still was able to look like a goddess. The Lu family had offered such a drop dead gorgeous lady to Chen Fan.

Let it be Chen Fan's Alchemy skills or Tong Shan's Physique Refinement level, Chen Fan had things that the Lu family really wanted. As for attractive girls such as Lu Yanxue, they were expendable in her family's eyes.

"Very well, Thank you." Chen Fan nodded.

A broad smile broke over Lu Tianlong's wrinkled face. He laughed out loud as if Chen Fan was his old friend.

After Lu Tianlong left the room, Chen Fan and Lu Yanxue were left alone. An awkward air loomed about the two.

"How is Xiao Qian?" Chen Fan asked.

"She was scared last night and didn't fall asleep until midnight. She is still in bed right now." Lu Yanxue replied. Then she looked into Chen Fan's eyes and asked: "Chen Fan, who the hell are you? How could you have someone so powerful as your servant? And why did my family elder try so hard to suck up to you?"

"Don't try to lie to me again, I know Tong Shan is not your cousin... Those lies only work on Xiao Qian."

She fixed her gaze on Chen Fan, threatening to see through his ruse.

"Who am I?" Chen Fan cracked a smile. "If I tell you that I am a martial arts GrandMaster as well as a Perfected Dharma Cultivator. Tong Shan was just a Golem I have created. Would you believe me?"

Lu Yanxue batted her lashes at him and hesitated for a while. In the end, she let out a beautiful smile and then said: "I do."

"Oh?" Chen Fan was taken aback.

Lu Yanxue gently stamped her feet on the ground and said with faint indignation: "I don't really care who you are, I am sold to you by my family now anyway. I don't get a choice.

"To be frank with you, I didn't want to come back home at all. My family is going to marry me to a man from a rich family against my will.

"My parents are powerless in the family. They don't know martial arts and neither are they rich. They work as managers in the family company. No one treated me as one of their family members, ever since I was a little girl, I envied my cousins' pretty dolls and imported snacks, but I had nothing. I don't have good grades either, the only thing good about me is my looks."

"I figured that it would be much better to marry you than some snippy playboy."

Chen Fan was touched by the girl's complaint.

"I wonder if Xiao Qiong felt the same when she was forced to marry Shen Junwen."

He held Lu Yanxue's gaze, and let his face grow softer.

"Fine, since fate has brought us together, I will promise you a happy ever after." Chen Fan thought to himself.

That being said, he still wouldn't marry this girl.

To make an ordinary mortal happy for the rest of her life was a walk in the park to the North Mystic Celestial Lord.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 165: Devotion Energy

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Oh, why? Were you so touched by my words that you decided to fall in love with me?" Lu Yanxue looked up and jested.

"Fell in love with you?" Chen Fan let out laughter and then shook his head.

Despite his cheerful denial, he wagered that if he had met her during his last life, he might have fallen in love with her.

Jiang Churan, Xu Rongfei, Yu Wenjin, and Lu Yanxue, every one of them were outstanding members of society. However, Chen Fan in his last life was just a no account, and therefore, he would have been attracted to anyone of them.

Unfortunately, there and then, the boy in front of Lu Yanxue was no longer an inexperienced average joe; instead, he was the North Mystic Celestial Lord. He had long since surpassed worldly sentiments, such as that of joy and love. His goal was to achieve immortality, to become one with the very fabric of time and space. Anyone Chen Fan met during his new life would not have any chance of capturing his heart.

Chen Fan kept his thoughts to himself. He could register the sadness behind the girl's joyful mask. She was a living and breathing human, and no human would feel happy go lucky after being offered to a stranger as a gift.

"That's enough talking, let's go, I will show you around the ancient Lin City."

Lu Yanxue gathered herself and threaded her hand through Chen Fan's arm while smiling.

After the two were gone, Lu Haixuan emerged from a shadow and said: "Grandpa Long, what do you think of Chen Beixuan?"

"He said he is from Chu Zhou City and knew Yanxue on the way here. We might have to take his words with a grain of salt. "Lu Tianlong heaved a sigh and then said: "I have never heard of any famous martial arts families in Jiang Bei, much less Dharma Spells casters or Physique Refinement Masters."

"If the Lu family was not bound to Tian Nan Region, we might be able to solve the mystery." Lu Haixuan heaved a sigh.

"There is no need to worry, HaiXuan. I have already sent a delegate to Chu Zhou City to investigate. We should gain a handle on the situation pretty soon." Lu Tianlong furrowed his brows and said: "Your first and foremost task is to reach the peak of Internal Force cultivation. We are a martial arts family, and therefore, nothing would trump personal strength. If our family could sire another Grand Master, even that high lord at Zhong Hai wouldn't be able to confine our influences."

"Yes, Grandpa Long." Lu Haixuan answered with a somber face.

Lu Tianlong nodded back in approval.

Lu Haixuan and Lu Yanwu were both cream of the crop among the younger generation of the Lu family. Despite their different skill sets, they had achieved illustrative achievements in their own fields. It was a sign that the Lu family was about to rise to power.

More Martial Artists arrived at the conference on the second day compared to the day before.

The number of participants had exceeded two hundred. Chen Fan had never thought that there could have been so many powerful warriors hiding in plain sight. So much so that he felt lucky that he had been able to live past thirty without a serious run in with one of these deadly fighters.

He set up his kiosk during the day and in the night, he planned to accompany Lu Yanxue and Miao Xiaoqian to the Lin City.

Chen Fan was not in a hurry since he had already achieved his objective of finding Spirit Medicine. As he had learned yesterday that what he was looking for was hidden inside of the Li Family and the Medicine God Valley Sect, waiting to be claimed by him—and he would. Whatever Spirit Medicine he could scour from the event would be icing on the cake.

"Shoot! There is someone selling body-tempering type of pills? I am in luck!"

A man with dusty clothes and a long fluffy beard saw Chen Fan's banner and exclaimed. He came up to Chen Fan's kiosk and slammed the desk. "Hey, kiddo! How many of those Physic Refining Pills do you have? I will take them all."

So saying, he produced a suitcase with a coded-lock. The suitcase popped open as he punched in the code. The man pulled the lip back, revealing a suitcase full of green money, they were American Dollars.

There must be at least a couple million in that case.

Chen Fan sat still and didn't even waste a glance on him.

"Hey, did you hear me?" The middle aged Martial Artist squinted at Chen Fan as annoyance danced in his eyes.

Martial Artists were well known for their bad tempers. After all, if they could do things the easy way, why would they have to wait and be patient?

Chen Fan sat still unflinchingly.

The people around them looked to the middle aged martial artist with pity. By then, a friend of the martial artist finally pulled him to a side and warned him: "Blood Blade, can't you read? He is only asking for thousand-year-old herbs or Special artifacts. He is not interested in any other form of payment."

"That's absurd!" Blood Blade snorted."Thousand year old medicines are family treasures at some of the most powerful households."

He looked at Chen Fan and studied him more carefully. Chen Fan was of average looks and he found it hard to make the connection between this ordinary boy with any resemblance of power. However, the big man standing behind the boy caught his attention. Nonetheless, he wagered that the hulking frame, despite its size, should not be able to withstand a few punches from him.

That being said, as an experienced warrior, Blood Blade refrained from making any moves for now. Instead, he asked his friend.

"If he won't accept money, are we going to just watch him and do nothing?"

"Someone already tried." The other martial artist grinned at him. "This boy carried not just a superior-grade Body-Tempering Pill, but also supreme-grade elixirs. The Lu family, Li Family and the Medicine God Valley Sect were interested in hiring him, but they all got turned down. Last night, six martial artists had ganged up on him, including Tutuli from the Diamond Temple. Guess what happened?"

"The guardian of the Diamond Temple? Isn't he a Physique Refinement expert?" Blood Blade was shocked slightly, so he asked: "What happened?"

Even though he lived overseas, he had heard of the Diamond Temple. Although he was confident that his power was greater than the guardian of the Diamond Temple, the guardians were the last people he would think to tick off.

"They were crushed, like little chicks. I mean literally crushed! Only one out of the six escaped the murder scene, rumor had it that he was finished off by a spell right in front of Miss Jin Yi."

"What?" Blood Blade gasped.

"The Medicine God Valley Sect is not well known for their spell casting skills, but Miss Jin Yi reached the mid-stage of the Dao-Reaching level at the very least. Plus, she also had powerful Dharma Artifacts at her disposal. Yet the boy still was able to kill someone right under her nose? And what did you say? Someone had murdered a Physique Refinement Expert from the Diamond Temple? What?"

"I told you so, don't piss him off." The other martial artist shook his head and said: "I know you think that young man looks nothing extraordinary, we all did. However, he must be a master of the Dao-Reaching Level. The man behind him must be a rare Physique Refinement Master."

"Physique Refinement Master?" Blood Blade's face turned pale.

The more powerful one becomes, the better they understood the power of a Physique Refinement Master.

Compared to a normal martial artist on the battlefield, a Physique Refinement Master only required some metal armor in order to storm the battle scene like an unstoppable tank. They were invincible before regular weapons and firearms. The Physique Refinement Masters were some of the toughest opponents one would find and therefore, everyone wanted to be one of them. That in part explained the popularity of the Body Tempering Pill.

The thought of a Physique Refinement Master's power made his hair stood on end. He bowed to his acquaintance who might have just saved his life thankfully.

After Having gotten the memo, Blood Blade returned to Chen Fan's kiosk. This time, he plastered on a respectful look and smiled: "Mr, Chen, I don't have a thousand-year-old medicine, but I have something else that might be of your interest."

"OH? Bring it on." Chen Fan looked up and saw the object Blood Blade held out for display. His interest was piqued immediately.

In Blood Blade's hand, he saw a golden figurine of a humanoid with an eagle head and a pair of wings on his back. The craftsmen ship was nothing special if not crude, however, the little statue carried an otherworldly quality that would make one's head spin if staring at it for a long time.

"Amazing Soul Energy... Ah not.. This is Devotion Energy." Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

As soon as his Immortal Will came into contact with the statue, many pictures appeared in his mind. In those pictures, he saw many men and women kneeling before a statue with the likeness of the figurine.

"Kaboom!"

Suddenly, the energy inside the statue exploded, rippling out toward Chen Fan.

The world around Chen Fan changed. In a blink, he was sitting in the scorching desert, surrounded by foreign men and women wrapped in white robes. These men and women kneeled before a large golden entity that had a man's body and an eagle's head, holding a golden stave.

"Impurity!"

Chen Fan was the only person standing, sticking out like a sore thumb, therefore, The eagle-headed entity picked Chen Fan out very quickly. It made a squeaking sound.

Suddenly, the entity lifted its leg and pressed his golden foot, the size of a basketball court onto Chen Fan.

"A puny Soul Remanent, how dare you offend me!"

Standing before such a terrifying sight, Chen Fan was not flinching at all. Instead, he snored with contempt. He knew he was in a constructed reality and the presence of the powerful entity was no more than an illusion.

"Arise!"

Suddenly, he charged up his power and started the Soul Refining Art. A few streaks of Immortal Will shot out from his body and materialized in this world in the shape of a large silvery blade.

"Kill!"

Chen Fan snarled and threw the blade at the entity.

The silvery blade traced a long arc as it flew toward the target when it finally landed on the statue, the large blade was only the size of a toothpick.

However, the blade sliced through the golden Staude like butter. It even tore a large gush in the constructed space, scarring the sky with a long and ugly wound, revealing the dark abyss in between layers of realities.

"Swoosh!"

The constructed world shattered and Chen Fan was once again sitting in the Lu family manor.

It took a few seconds for the flood of clamor around him to reclaim his ears. Once the golden figurine came back into focus, Chen Fan realized that time had not passed since his trip to the other world. He registered that the energy coming off from the statue had diminished slightly.

"A Soul Remnant... I should be more careful next time."

Chen Fan sat still, but his face had paled ever so slightly.,

Materializing the Immortal Will into physical form was a technique used for cultivators who had reached Ethereal Enlightenment or Divine Sea. Although Chen Fan had shattered the constructed reality, he had sustained a minor injury by forcing himself to use the high-level technique.

"However, the injury was worth it if I can gain energy inside the figurine."

Chen Fan looked to the golden figurine with great interest.

"Mr. Chen, what do you think of my offer?" Blood Blade asked cautiously after a long pause.

"It will do." Chen Fan nodded readily. He produced a china bottle and siad: "There is fifty Physique Refining Pill, is it enough?"

"Of course, of course!" Blood Blade took over the bottle and twisted the cap open. Suddenly, a refreshing fragrance filled his nose. He knew it was the real deal, so he nodded joyously.

He set down the golden statue and was about to leave, Chen Fan shot out a hand and grabbed his arm.

"I will give you one more bottle if you tell me everything you know about this... thing."

"Really?" Blood Blade was pleasantly surprised.

He didn't think that Chen Fan would be so interested in this tacky trinket.

He obtained this figurine while he was on a mission in the middle east. A local tycoon had used it as a pledge for his loyalty. Blood Blade was told that the figurine had uncanny properties, but so far, he had found none. He had kept it simply because of the amount of gold that was used to create it.

"No problem, I will fill you in." Blood Blade pounded his chest and siad.

After Blood Blade disclosed what he knew about the statue, Chen Fan finally learned the story behind it.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 166: Lord God of Alien Races

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"An ancient figurine of a deity? An eagle head humanoid... hum... This is Horus, Guardian of the Pharaoh."

Chen Fan nodded. Since the figurine was in Chen Fan's possession, he studied it and found out where it came from.

The figurine was from a temple in the delta of the Nile River; it was used by the locals for worshiping their god. It wasn't until the 18th century when the French conquered the lower Nile, ransacked the temple and looted the golden figurine along with other treasures. After passing from one owner to another, it finally got into the hands of a tycoon from the middle east.

"This object has extremely strong Devotion Energy. However, I can also sense the source of energy: the subject of worship that either fell from grace or had fallen out of love with his devotees."

Chen Fan rubbed a finger on the small figurine.

Devotion Energy was one of the byproducts of cultivation. It was a type of Soul Anomaly Energy that attracted the Soul Energy from the faith and prayers of the devotees; it concentrated them until they were so thick and dense that Godhood started to form which would then be used as fuel and set aflame to create God Flame. A cultivator could use God Flame to cultivate a God Body or even a Divine Kingdom.

This was a very popular method among cultivators. In North Mystic Celestial Lord's past life, he had fought against many Perfected Gods. Or even Lord Gods of alien races, and therefore he was familiar with Devotion Energy.

"Although I can't cultivate Godhood, I can use that energy to my own benefit. Using the Soul Refining Art, I should be able to convert the Devotion Energy into something that I could supplement my Divine Sense." Chen Fan was pleased with the promise of gaining more power.

In his eyes, this figurine was the best kind of supplement for his cultivation.

As of now, his Divine Sense could only project outward about a hundred meters. However, the amount of Devotion Energy in the statue could not only break even the losses he had sustained while fighting against the Remanence of the old god but it could also further boost his Divine Sense ability and allow him to project his Divine Sense to upwards of a thousand meters. With such power, he might be able to materialize his Divine Sense in the real world.

"This statue looked primitive and crude in construction. It was evident that this god was born on earth and had never been exposed to immortal cultivation." Chen Fan further examined the statue with his Divine Sense for a while and concluded in the end.

The primitive worshiping created a breeding ground for deities, backward planets that Chen Fan had visited were riddled with minor gods, some of them even connected to a complete pantheon. However, these lesser deities were not aware of the cultivation realm and were no match against cultivators.

When the legion of human cultivators went on their interstellar expedition, they had ransacked numerous planets with primitive civilizations.

Once the gods and deities of other civilizations were captured by the cultivators; they were used as a Surrogate for Conveying the Essence of the Dharma Treasures, some were even trained to be Sect-guardians. There was one Sect in the cultivation realm that specialized in such arts, and the Sect was called the God Reining Sect. Cultivators of the Sect commanded their deities on the battlefield to do their bidding. It was more or less like controlling robotic soldiers.

"I was right, there had been a cultivation culture on the earth a long time ago." Chen Fan thought to himself.

A primitive deity who had gained Godhood had to be of the Connate Spirit Level at the very least. Chen Fan had seen enough evidence, from the Ghost Witch Sect to the Yin Ghost Sect, and all the other martial artists that had Internal force to prove the existence of a cultivation system on earth.

However, as the environment worsened on earth, these deities and cultivators must have either left earth or had perished over time.

"The ever-changing law of the universe is that things are constantly changing. Even an ancient star that was as old as time itself would have its ups and downs." Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

The acquisition of the golden figurine reminded Chen Fan of the bigger picture and made him take a long hard look at his cultivation progression.

The eagle head deity had already fallen from grace; he was so weak that Chen Fan's Foundation Establishment level attack had shattered the reality he had constructed. That being said, the deity himself might have hidden somewhere in the world using a secret art, or he could have concealed his true form in another Divine Kingdom, licking his old and new wounds.

It was evident to Chen Fan that his current level of attainment was not enough for him to face off against the real form of the deity. If the deity had just obtained Ethereal Enlightenment, Chen Fan wouldn't fear him. Once the power of his enemy had reached Divine Sea, Chen Fan might still manage to guarantee his safe escape, but for an enemy more powerful than the level of Divine Sea, he was not so sure.

"In that situation, I would have to use the secret art either to force the formation of the Golden Core, or I would have to burn my soul to fuel a killing blow. There were no other ways."

Chen Fan shook his head as he pondered on.

Either way, he would have to pay a great cost to come out alive in such a battle.

The Golden Core formed using his secret art was far more inferior than the one formed through cultivation, so much so that it would be impossible to further his cultivation with such a weak foundation. The golden core might be able to boost his power during the moment of life and death, afterward, Chen Fan might as well reincarnate into a different life and start all over again. Boosting his power by consuming his soul would also greatly damage his Primordial Essence and would set him back at least a few hundred years in his progression.

"Fine, fine, once the conference is over, I will retrieve the spirit medicine from the Li Family and the Medicine God Valley Sect. After that, I will set myself in seclusion to focus on cultivating. I won't come out of self-seclusion until I reach Ethereal Enlightenment." Chen Fan thought determinedly. "When I finally reach Ethereal Enlightenment, I will fly to Egypt and get more of these statues. Maybe I would be able to enter the Divine Sea much earlier than I thought."

Seeing Blood Blade's success in getting the elixirs, the crowd started to become uneasy.

Although no one had thousand-year-old herbs, some of them were in possession of a few other treasures. They moved closer to Chen Fan and started to tout their wares.

"This is just an ordinary gemstone."

"Humm... This one looks like a Dharma Artifact, but I have no use of it."

"This... might be useful, how about ten pills."

Most of these treasures were useless to Chen Fan. However, he had purchased a few treasures that could barely pass for borderline Spirit Treasures. He would have to use the refining art on them to extract Spirit Qi from them.

"Mr. Chen, what do you think of this?"

A musical voice drifted in and as the crowd dispersed in the middle, making way for Miss Jin Yi. She was wearing white casual pants and a handmade fisherman's sweater on top. She didn't wear any jewelry other than a bracelet made out of wooden beads.

Jin Yi held out a gnarly scorched twig for display.

"What is it? It looks like a chunk of charcoal."

"It's a piece of Thunder Stricken Wood used by spellcasters. Why does she want to sell a spellcasting artifact? Could the rumors be true that Mr. Chen is a Dao-Reaching Level master?"

A swell of murmurs arose.

Chen Fan was taken aback by the object, and he exclaimed in his mind: "It's a piece of Connate Spirit Wood!"

The so-called Connate Spirit Wood were chunks of wood that were taken off from the Connate Spirit Trees. These Connate Spirit Trees were able to cultivate for thousands of years to form Primordial Spirits. Over time, these Primordial Spirit would get more powerful until they were able to detach themselves from the Connate Spirit Trees and become Immortal Spirits, or Ghost Deities.

"It seems that this particular Connate Spirit Trees had failed his cultivation during the Tribulation Transcendence of Thunder. However, its body was still filled to the brim with Spirit Qi, enough to allow me to complete one-fifth of my Dao Body progression."

Despite himself, Chen Fan pushed the Spirit Wood aside and said lightly: "I am sorry, not interested."

Jin Yi cracked a smile and said, "This piece of Spirit Wood is a gift. The Medicine God Valley Sect would love to befriend a young hero like yourself."

"Really?" Chen Fan gave the girl a cold look and said: "Thanks but no."

Jin Yi tried to hold in her anger, but the flames danced in her eyes nonetheless.

The Medicine God Valley Sect was a prestigious group and never had one refused a gift from them. However, should she know that her connection with the group of ambushers was discovered and was not a secret to Chen Fan, she might understand Chen Fan's cold and distant attitude.

As soon as Chen Fan learned the Medicine God Valley Sect's true colors, he made up his mind to plunder the Sect. When he conquered their sect base, Chen Fan would have all their sect treasures, including this piece of Spirit Wood.

Everyone was shocked when they heard Chen Fan refused Miss Jin Yi's offer.

So far, Chen Fan had pissed off nearly all the powerful players in the conference: the Li Family, Lu Family, Medicine God Valley Sect and the Diamond Temple. Even a Physique Refinement grand master would fear the combined might of these powerful groups.

After Jin Yi left, people started to become hesitant to trade items with Chen Fan. The boy was already in the Medicine God Valley Sect's bad book and that made him a dangerous person to be associated with. Although the Medicine God Valley Sect did not have a particularly powerful martial artist, everyone relied on them to produce remedies and elixirs.

Chen Fan sat back into his chair and started the Soul Refining Art. He slowly transformed the Devotion Energy into pure Soul energy and infused the fresh energies into his Divine Sense.

Two days later, during the Martial Arts Conference...

A wave of loud commotion erupted near the entrance.

"The elder of the Medicine God Valley Sect is here?"

"Oh my gosh! That's Elder Qi! He is a Dao-Reaching Level spellcaster!"

"Elder Qi had been living in seclusion for over eight years, who would think that he would show up here today? He must be invited here by the Lu family."

The crowd made way for Elder Qi. Lu Tianlong accompanied the old man who wore a traditional Taoist robe and a long white flowy beard. As the elder of the Medicine God Valley Sect, he was an honored guest, and his prestige was no less than the lord of any martial arts family.

The old man's eyes were half closed, but a glinting light flashed in the slits.

The strange light in his eyes was the telltale sign of the extremely concentrated Dharmic energy inside of him. He was only a half-step away from reaching the Dharma Cultivation level. There was only a very small number of these cultivators remaining in China. Although their combat ability was not as strong as a martial artist, they possessed unimaginable powers that could kill a Martial Artist with ease.

As soon as Elder Qi entered the manor, he walked over toward Chen Fan.

"I smell trouble."

"Spellcasters are cunning and tricky fighters, they had a natural advantage over Physique Refinement Grandmasters."

"I think this boy is in knee deep trouble."

People around Chen Fan gloated at his impending doom.

The battle at the lakeshore path had already been a public secret and everyone knew that Miss Jin Yi was involved. Just yesterday, Chen Fan had refused Jin Yi's gift, it was a clear sign that Chen Fan had no intention in mending their ties.

Lo and behold, walked over to Chen Fan and asked lightly: "Are you Chen Beixuan?"

"That's me." Chen Fan looked up.

"Did you know that that the Body-Refining-pill and the Essence Enhancing Pill you sold were actually stolen from the Medicine God Valley Sect?" Elder Qi shook his head and lamented: "Not long ago, we found a traitor in our sect. He had stolen countless elixir recipes, including the recipe for the Body-Tempering-Pill and the Essence Enhancing Pill."

"What?" Everyone was shocked by the revelation.

People looked to Chen Fan with pity. Most of them knew that Elder Qi was lying.

However, as an elder of a prestigious sect, and a Dao-Reaching Level caster, his word was the truth. After all, in a martial artist's dictionary, strength was always before truth.

"Oh Really?" Chen Fan asked with surprise.

"Sigh! Yes, it's very unfortunate." Elder Qi faked a mournful look and continued: "Luckily, my disciple Jin Yi had met you at this event so that we could recover our treasures. Don't worry, young lad, we will reward you heavily if you cooperate with us."

"What if I don't give them back?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"Well, then you are the enemy of the Medicine God Valley Sect!" Elder Qi's benevolent look disappeared as he raised his voice. "We will punish you according to our sect rules. For those who steal from the sect, death shall be the final verdict!

"Those who helped him will meet the same end!"

Despite his deity-like appearance, his words had brought out the murderer in him.

Suddenly, a deadly silence fell over the hall. None of the martial artists dared to speak up for Chen Fan. Even Lu Tianlong who had been cozying up to Chen Fan just one-day ago had crossed his arms over his chest and kept his gloating silence.

Chen Fan and Tong Shan were left alone to face the ire of the Medicine God Valley Sect.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 167: Besieged

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"So you want me to give you whatever you want?" Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and asked.

"Mr. Beixuan, we have been patient with you and offered you heavy rewards in exchange for OUR recipe. You could have worked in our sect and been treated with more respect than even a sect elder. Plus, you could access the medical library and learn the art of elixir brewing to your heart's content. We could even ask the Sect Master to guide you personally." Jin Yi said with a soft voice.

Elder Qi stood aside and pretended to listen agreeably. It was a typical game of good cop, bad cop. Both of their end goals were the same: make Chen Fan join the Medicine God Valley Sect and gain the recipe of the Body-Tempering-Pill and the Essence Enhancing Pill.

"Treated better than elders? Personal guidance from the sect maser?"

A surprised murmur rose from the crowd.

The Sect Master of the Medicine God Valley Sect was called "King of Elixirs". His alchemy skills were unmatched by anyone in the world. Countless martial arts families and even Grandmasters depended on him for their supply of supplements. In addition to his alchemy skills, he was also a powerful spell caster.

To have such a powerful figure as a personal trainer was a priceless offer that money simply couldn't compare.

"If I were him, I will just hand over the recipe. That's a small price to pay to become the future King of Elixirs."

Someone put in.

"I agree, anyone with a brain knows what to do."

Someone else chimed in.

It then became evident to everyone that Chen Fan happened to lack a brain. He cracked a smile and said: "If you hand over all the Spirit Medicine you have hoarded over the years, I might consider teaching you guys the proper way of Elixir Brewing."

"Arrogant fool!"

Elder Qi's face flushed red as a pang of anger came over him.

Jin Yi heaved a sigh, it was as if she felt sorry for Chen Fan demise.

"Fine, fine, since you are so adamant, I will have to do it the hard way." Elder Qi shook his head. "You have helped a traitor who stole our secrets, and so I will have to capture you."

"You wish to fight me right here right now?" Chen Fan asked incredulously, but he was not the slightest worried.

Behind Chen Fan, Tong Shan had taken a large step forward. His body was reinforced with bronze and strengthened by the Qi from the west. By then, his weight had nearly doubled. The floor cracked under his heavy step, sending a large cloud of dust billowing upward.

"He is a Physique Refinement Master!"

Many martial artists looked at him fearfully.

His attainment put him just below Grandmasters and was able to face off with any ordinary martial artist. Of all the members of the Lu family, only the family lord would be able to overcome this hulking giant.

Elder Qi was a spellcaster of Dao-Reaching Level and not a lot of people thought he would emerge victorious in the confrontation. After all, in order to use his spells, he needed to put some distance with his opponent. However, he was only ten feet away from Tong Shan.

"Haha, so this is what makes you think you can get away with it?" Elder Qi was unfazed by the hulking frame, he let out a laugh instead. "If I were not a hundred percent confident in my mission, I would not have claimed that I could capture you. "

"Oh?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows. It occurred to him that Elder Qi had more tricks up his sleeves.

Lo and behold, a booming voice erupted from outside: "Brother Qi, are you talking about me?"

"Kaboom!" "Kaboom!"

A series of heavy steps came up and the ground shook after each thud. Everyone thought that another giant the size of Tong Shan was about to emerge from the entrance.

However, the one who walked through the threshold was a scrawny old man of medium build.

This old man was bald and his face was riddled with wrinkles. Despite his smaller frame, he was muscular. His burgeoning muscles looked as hard as steel. His footsteps crushed the pavement under his feet, leaving a trail of broken surfaces all the way from the outer gate to the entrance to the inner compound.

Trailing behind the old man were a few brawny men. Just like their leaders, they were all bald. They were much bigger in size than the old man and their vein-riddled muscles were either dark green or gold in color. All of their physiques were similar if not better than Tutuli from the Diamond Temple.

"Grand Guardian of the Diamond Temple, Master Hen Tian!"

Someone gasped.

Only the experts in spell castings or those who had mastered the art of Physique Refinement could be called a "Master." By his title, it was evident that the old man was also a Physique Refinement Master.

"Even Master Hen Tian is going to join the battle? He is the most powerful fighter of the Diamond Temple!"

"That kid is dead! I heard that Master Hen Tian is extremely vengeful. I wager he is here to avenge Tutuli."

Many people shook their heads and sighed, but more watched the development unfold gloatingly.

The tag team of a Spell Caster Master and a Physique Refinement Master had the assistance of many Dao-Reaching Level spell casters and External Force experts. Chen Fan's days appeared to be numbered.

Jin Yi shook her head and lamented Chen Fan's stubbornness and lack of an eye for opportunity.

"Are you Chen Beixuan?" Despite Master Hen Tian's small size, his voice was loud. "You killed my disciple Tutuli, what do you want to say about your crime?"

"I have nothing to say." Chen Fan asked with a stoic face.

"Well, I will avenge him today and make you pay with your life." Master Hen Tian announced firmly.

"Tong Shan killed your disciple, but has your disciple ever killed anyone? Have you? What about your crimes?" Chen Fan flung back.

"Well, Tutuli is my disciple, his life is much more valuable than no accounts." Master Hen Tian announced.

"Ah... That's right, in your eyes, my life is as worthless as an ant." Chen Fan heaved a sigh and waved dismissively at the old man. He had talked enough, it was time for actions. Picking up on the cue, Tong Shan stepped forward and threw a punch at Master Hen Tian. His punch stirred up a gust in the air.

Although Tong Shan's attack lacked finesse, the immense power in his punch made it no less deadly than Master Gao Baoshen's skillful execution of the "Ba Ji Cross Punch." Everyone's faces paled after seeing the deadly attack, even Elder Qi and Lu Tianlong were taken by surprise. However, Master Hen Tian shouted excitedly: "Good! Come at me, boy!"

Everyone watched as the scrawny old man closed his fingers into a fist and backhanded his attacker's fist. It was a duel of pure strength.

"Bang!"

After a blare, Master Hen Tian was sent flying back, his body went through a dozen tables and then rammed into a few martial artists, passed them and was finally pinned onto a wall. His impact with the group of by martial artists had resulted in a few fractured bones of three innocent bystanders.

However, the old man was unharmed. Instead, he let out a thrilling cry.

"Awesome! It's been a long time since I fought someone who is my equal. Those Internal Force users were slimy and slippery like eels!"

The scrawny old man pushed against the wall and dislodged himself from the depression that held him in place.

Many onlookers backed away from the two fighters and retreated to safety. The conflict between the two Physique Refinement masters was too dangerous and could easily make an onlooker collateral damage. In contrary, the Physique Refinement masters who were fighting each other had bodies as strong as iron. What did they care if their fight injured a few?

"Uh? The old man could withstand a punch from Tong Shan?"

Chen Fan was slightly impressed.

Tong Shan was a Bronze Armored Cadaver created by the Ghost Witch Sect. After ten years of refinement with molten bronze using secret Cadaver-refining art, his physique could rival a Physique Refinement Master. Later, Chen Fan used the "Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art" on him to further refine his body.

The Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art was a secret art passed down from the royal family of the Tiger Demon people. Once one mastered the art, he could live in the vacuum of space for thousands of years. In addition, it also gave one the ability to walk near the scorching sun unharmed.

Tong Shan had just started the art, therefore, Chen Fan had only taught him the first level. However, even at such an early stage of his cultivation, Tong Shan's physical strength was already on par with Chen Fan. Chen Fan wagered that only those who had reached Dao Body would have a chance overpowering Tong Shan.

"It seems that I underestimated the Physique Refinement arts on earth. I wager that this old man must have reached beyond the level of a typical Physique Refinement Master, and transcended his physical existent to the realm of Ethereal Enlightenment, or at least very close to it."

"Come again!"

By then, Master Hen Tian shouted at Tong Shan as he stormed towards him.

When the two collided again, the old man was sent flying again as if he was a fly being flicked off from the back of one's hand.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The scrawny old man turned into a wrecking ball and smashed anything or anyone that was in his way, driving the crowd to retreat further. Then, he stuck once again on a wall.

"Is he... even a human?"

The martial artists felt a chill down their spines.

The two fought like vicious primordial beasts. If they kept at it, they would tear the entire building down in no time.

The spectators were enamored by Master Hen Tian's physical toughness, however, they were completely caught off guard by Tong Shan's power. Many wondered if Tong Shan was already a Physique Refinement Grandmaster considering he had so far dominated the fight with Master Hen Tian.

"You want to catch me with that pathetic power of yours?"

Chen Fan said as he pointed the finger at Master Hen Tian who was in the process of being sent flying for the third time.

Elder Qi was a brave and powerful man. He was probably the only person who dared to stand close with the two fighters. Seeing Tong Shan had gained the unquestionable upper hand in the battle, a hint of embarrassment crawled onto his face.

"Hehe, Chen Beixuan, we will see who is the last one laughing."

Elder Qi cleared his throat and asked: "Brother Sun. How long are you planning to hold back your power?"

"Haha! Brother Qi, I was actually waiting for your cue." Suddenly, a wizened voice drifted out from the crowd. A large middle age man emerged from the spectators.

The middle-aged man had a red face and looked like he was in his forties. However, his glinting eyes suggested that he had lived a much longer life than his appearance suggested.

"Elder of the Xin Yi Sect, Su Wudi— the invincible!"

Everyone gasped.

He was a legend among the martial artists. He had been a trouble maker ever since his adolescence and he often challenged other sects into duels. Over the years, he had defeated countless sects and only failed once in the hands of Ye Nantian, the most powerful man in China.

Even a martial artist who had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation would have to take Sun Wudi very seriously.

"Su Wudi should be in his sixties, but he looked at least twenty years younger than his real age. It must be the effect of his Internal Force cultivation. I wager he is only one step away from reaching the Grandmaster level."

Someone murmured.

Su Wudi strode into the courtyard, and his overbearing quality quickly arrested everyone's attention. Behind Elder Qi, a previously reticent man with a cold and menacing face straightened his back and stepped forward with him.

A fire grew brighter in his eyes, as he channeled out his Internal Energy. He, too, was a martial artist who had mastered Internal Force.

Suddenly, Chen Fan was besieged by two peak level Internal Force cultivators and a master spell caster.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 168: Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"The Mad Sun you had murdered was Elder Sun's great nephew.

"Elder Sun is not here for revenge, he is simply excited to meet a Physique Refinement Master. Beside him is the elder invited here by the Medicine God Valley Sect. My Sect has deep connections with many sects around the world, it was easy for us to request one or two martial arts masters."

Elder Qi said confidently. He made it sound like they had already defeated Chen Fan." Chen Beixuan, hand over your recipes and maybe I will consider sparing your life. Otherwise, I will make you suffer so much that death is a mercy."

The two Internal Force experts closed in onto Chen Fan.

Behind the two was a peak level spellcaster as well as many martial artists from Diamond Temple and Medicine God Valley Sect. Even Grandmasters would not be able to escape unharmed from such a crisis.

"What does the Lu family say about this?"

Chen Fan looked to Lu Tianlong and Lu Haixuan, who were standing by watching everything.

Lu Tianlong looked up into the sky to avoid eye contact with Chen Fan. Lu Haixuan let out a warm smile and said: "Master Chen, part of my offer still stands. If you had over your recipes, we would give you the elder title in the Lu family. However, the other offers, such as the company shares and our family lord's favor, would have to be rescinded."

"So at the end of the day, you, like the others, only care about the recipes!"

Chen Fan exclaimed.

He finally reckoned that he had underestimated the importance of his recipes to mortals. To be precise, he had underestimated the importance of the Body-Tempering-Pill, while The Essence Enhancing Pill required many rare ingredients, and it also required specialized skills to create them.

On the other hand, the Body-Tempering-Pill called for only the most commonly available ingredients, and anyone could have created it according to the recipe. Even though it only worked on External Force users, it was highly sought after on earth where External Force users were abundant.

Of all the Martial Artists from the Lu family, ninety-nine percent of them were of initial success in their Internal Force cultivation. If they could add a few more Physique Refinement cultivators who also achieved initial success, they would improve their overall strength by leaps and bounds. So much so, Chen Fan wagered that by then, the might of the Lu family should be comparable to that of a Physique Refinement Master.

Chen Fan had given the recipe of the Body-Tempering-Pill to the military, and they knew better than Chen Fan how valuable it was. That explained why the military had thought so highly of him.

"What made you so confident that you would be able to capture me?" Chen Fan asked calmly

"Well, let's see." Elder Qi cracked a smug smile.

The situation was well under his control. He had orchestrated this attack, pulling everyone and getting them to the right place at the right time. Let it be the Diamond Temple, Lu family, or the Xin Yi Sect, they were all after the recipe. Whoever got the recipes would end up on his doorstep, asking him to help them brew the elixirs. The Medicine God Valley Sect would win regardless of who gained those pieces of paper.

"Your only protector was Tong Shan. Let's see if you will still be so confident after we do away with him first." Elder Qi gave the people around him a commanding look.

The Medicine God Valley Sect Elder and Su Wudi picked up on the cue and threw themselves at Tong Shan.

They were confident that victory was already in the bag for them. Chen Fan was trapped with nowhere to escape. Even if the rumors were true that Chen Fan really was a Dao-Reaching Level master, they should still be able to defeat him with the support of Lu Tianlong. Already, Lu Tianlong linked his hands behind his back and was on alert, ready to lash out at Chen Fan should the situation call for his assistant.

"In less than ten moves, I will make you into history!"

Such was the pride of an Internal Force expert.

Jin Yi heaved a sigh. She liked Chen Fan and thought of introducing him to the Medicine God Valley Sect. If she was successful, not only the sect would gain two more elixir recipes, but also a future alchemy Grandmaster. However, Chen Fan had been refusing her invitation ever since the ambush. That piece of Spirit Wood she planned to give Chen Fan as a token of her goodwill was also the final warning, an ultimatum. She eventually gave up and called in the muscle after Chen Fan refused her gift.

However, Jin Yi was taken aback by the confidence in Chen Fan. Standing before Chen Fan were three internal force experts, one Physique Refinement Master, and a powerful Spellcaster. In her estimation, the force that surrounded Chen Fan would even be a headcase for her Sect Master.

"What is your trump card? Use it now before it is too late." Jin Yi murmured to herself.

By then, Su Wudi and Tong Shan were already at each other's throats.

When Su Wudi was still a few paces away from Tong Shan, he shot a jabbing fist out at Tong Shan. The force in his punch compressed the air, turning it into liquid. His fist came at Tong Shan like a loaded crossbow being released at point blank, it landed squarely on Tong Shan's back. For the first time, Tong Shan stumbled.

"Direct Internal Force attack?" Lu Tianlong exclaimed. "No wonder Su Wudi was considered the strongest person below the Grandmaster level. He was only a small step away from Transcendent State."

"I wonder if he dukes it out with grandpa Long, who would win?" Lu Haixuan asked.

"Haha, I am quite a long way away from him. I wager that only the Semi-Grandmaster from the Gu family would be his worthy opponent." Lu Tianlong heaved a long sigh and changed his tone." However, powerful Su Wudi is, he is no match against our family lord. A Grandmasters's power was beyond any ordinary people's imagination. His power was transcendental, like the power of a formidable dragon. No ordinary Internal Force user would be able to overcome the power of a Grandmaster."

"I still haven't got a chance to see our family lord in action yet." Lu Haixuan lamented.

"The time will come, I promise you. By then, you will finally understand the definition of invincible." Lu Tianlong said longingly.

Meanwhile, the battle was turning up the heat.

The arrival of Master Hen Tian's helpers had freed up his hands. By then, the scrawny old man was bleeding from his nose, and his internal organs had shifted and turned upside down. However, he still threw himself at his opponent repetitively as if he was enjoying the battle.

Su Wudi and the Medicine God Valley Sect Elder worked in lockstep, one engaged Tong Shan in close range, while the other shot spells at the boy from afar.

Su Wudi's fist came at Tong Shan belligerently like angry waves of the sea. His fist transformed in between many forms: Beng, Pi, Heng, Zuan, in the end, all forms became one, the Cannon form. When he delivered the attack, it made a defining blare that startled many spectators.

"Boom!"

It sounded like cannon fire at close range. The force compressed the air around the fist and turned it into almost liquid-like. Suddenly, a downpour of punches came at Tong Shan. Around the hulking frame, tables, chairs, vases all shattered into pieces, some attacks even landed on the wall, leaving many deep holes.

He was still half a step away from becoming a Transcendent Master, yet he already commanded such deadly force. It was hard to imagine what a Transcendent Master, the earth equivalent of a Grandmaster was capable of.

The Medicine God Valley Sect Elder, the man with a menacing air, swam amidst this teammates attacks, weaving in and out like a sea snake. With a final sprint, he leaped to the back side of Tong Shan and suddenly, as if out of nowhere a dark dagger appeared in his hand. The edge flashed in the air as the dagger landed on Tong Shan's back.

"Clank!"

Despite Tong Shan's iron-like body, the dagger was able to cut through his skin.

"Huh?"

The menacing looking man was taken aback at first. He had attacked with full force; however, the dagger was able to able to cut through Tong Shan's skin but didn't cause any life-threatening damage. He quickly gathered himself, and channeled more energy into the glinting edge and started to slash to Tong Shan's back like a mad dog. In a blink, Tong Shan's back was covered with small but painful wounds. The man attacked with near surgical precision as every attack landed right on Tong Shan's spine.

"Arrrr!"

For the first time, Tong Shan snarled out his pain and anger.

He spread out his arms and swept at his attackers. Master Hen Tian was right in front of him and was caught by the sweeping attack. The old man was sent flying once again. Su Wudi was about ten paces away from Tong Shan and had been attacking him with his internal energy, so he was unharmed by the sweep. The menacing looking man was slippery as a fish, and he had easily evaded Tong Shan's simple counter-attack.

"How's it now, Chen Beixuan? Do you still think you can escape?" Elder Qi asked confidently.

By then, Tong Shan was on the brink of succumbing to his attackers. Meanwhile, Lu Tianlong stared at Chen Fan watchfully, ready to tie him down if the boy decided to help his big friend.

"Mr. Chen, just surrender already." Jin Yi muttered.

The audience was convinced that Chen Fan was going to lose. They shook their heads and lamented Chen Fan's foolish decision of butting heads with the Lu family and Medicine God Valley Sect in the first place. The tide of the battle was clearly not in favor of Chen Fan, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"He is ramming into a brick wall." Someone lamented with a long sigh.

The development gave everyone a fearful look. It showed them how helpless an individual was before the combined might of powerful family clans.

"Who said that I am going to lose?" To everyone's surprise, a strange smile surfaced on Chen Fan's face.

He looked to Tong Shan with a great measure of confidence. The Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art was a secret art of the Tiger Demon's royal family, its power was unimaginable.

Lo and behold, Tong Shan grunted heavily, and then a tiger's roar suddenly came out of his throat.

"Arrrr!"

A phantom in the shape of a human with a tiger's head appeared behind Tong Shan. As the phantom plunged into Tong Shan's body, many dark streaks covered Tong Shan's face, making him look like a real tiger.

"Tiger Demon Claw!" Tong Shan's fingers curled into claws, and he racked them in the air.

"Sssth-Wack!"

Creating powerful gusts of wind, his claw tore open every fabric of reality. The air became a blur where his claw whizzed through. Tong Shan's attack was ten times faster than his previous attacks, and it was as fast as the speed of sound.

"Ah!"

Before the menacing looking man realized what had happened, he was dealt a blow by the claw. The claw caught his side and went through his body like butter. An Internal Force Master was laid low by Tong Shan with ease.

Tong Shan followed his first attack with another one.

Su Wudi shrieked and hurried to get out of harm's way.

Master Hen Tian had already made his way to the forefront. There was no time for him to evade, so he raised both fists to cushion the blow. He was still confident that his iron-like body should protect him from this attack. He had sustained so many blows from Tong Shan, what made this one different?

However, to his surprise and dismay, his arms, previously unbreakable, were wrung out like clothes.

After a serious of stomach-churning snaps. Master Hen Tian's limbs were twisted into soft strands of cheese. He was then tossed onto the ground like a discarded plaything.

The courtyard suddenly became quiet again.

No one had expected such an outcome.

Lu Haixuan rounded his eyes in disbelief.

Lu Tianlong gasped, his body trembled uncontrollably. The confidence on Elder Qi's face was gone, Tong Shan had ruined his master plan.

Jin Yi heaved a sigh in her mind as she lamented her elder's miscalculation. It was the biggest mistake he ever made

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 169: The Power Of A Grandmaster

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Master Hen Tian, a peak level Internal Force cultivator, such as he was, was killed by Tong Shan with one blow! Lu Tianlong and the others felt a chill down their spines.

"Arrrr!"

Tong Shan roared again after he laid Master Hen Tian low, and then he threw himself at Su Wudi. The Phantom Tiger Demon glowed all around him and enhanced his strength and speed significantly.

Su Wudi fought back with a Cannon Fist punch. His fists landed on the phantom that hovered before Tong Shan and caused the phantom to shimmer slightly. Then he realized that the phantom had absorbed all the force in his punch.

"What is going on?"

Su Wudi rounded his eyes and gaped in surprise. He reckoned the similarity between the Tiger Demon Phantom and the Four Righteousness Protection Aura. He wondered if the big man was not a Physique Refinement Master but a Martial arts Grandmaster?

He had little time to ponder such questions. He tapped the ground with the tip of his toe and sprung backward. Meanwhile, he shouted: "Old Man Qi, are you going to go after him? If not, I am going to call it quits."

The words reminded Elder Qi of the quickly escalating situation. He turned his palm down as a bell appeared in his hand out of nowhere. He started to chant something under his breath as he tolled the bell rhythmically. The bell's sound formed an invisible soul energy wave that rippled toward Tong Shan.

"Bell of Misguided Heart"

The bell arrested Miss Jin Yi's attention. She recognized it as her Master's most prized Dharma Artifact.

This Dharma Artifact required a great deal of energy to be activated. However, once it was activated, it would release illusions that would beguile the enemy, numbing their senses with imaginary debauchery until they were practically immobilized. Elder Qi had defeated countless powerful martial artists using this artifact. Those martial artists who fell victim to the spell had powerful physical strength but were weak in their mind.

"Arrrr!"

To his surprise, when the sound wave infused with energy reached the Tiger Demon, it seemed to breathe new life into the previously flickering image, giving it more substance than it ever had obtained in this world. It let out another roar, this time, it seemed to come from right next to everyone's ears.

Yet, this roar was silent to the audience, it only affected his enemies that were within a ten-meter radius. Everyone within the spell's effective range felt a giant hammer fall upon them, stupefying them with the deafening blare. The bells in Elder Qi's hand broke into pieces as blood started to seep out from his ears, nose and all other holes on his face. Elder Qi stumbled back a few feet and collapsed to the ground.

Soul Energy Bite Back!

Elder Qi had used his Dharma Artifact on Tong Shan, however, The Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art was a dual-cultivation technique using one's nature and fate. It was not only an effective art for aggressive and defensive purposes, but it also had the unique Bite Back effect to any soul energy attack that landed on the cultivator.

"Master!"

Miss Jin Yi was under the protection of the wooden beads on her wrist and therefore she was barely affected by the roaring attack. As soon as he noticed Elder Qi's defeat, she hurried to help him to his feet. By then, the peak level Spellcaster was bleeding all over his contorted face, making him look like a tormented soul from hell.

Su Wudi was hurt even worse than the old man since he stood the closest to Tong Shan.

The shock wave from the tiger roar had temporarily immobilized him before he could regain control of his body, Tong Shan threw a Tiger Demon Claw at him. At the last moment, Su Wudi forced his body to turn sideways.

"Sthla!"

Tong Shan's attack caught the side of Su Wudi's arm and tore it right off from his body.

"Fuck! Asshold Qi! Liar!"

Su Wudi let out a painful cry as he darted out of harm's way. After he quickly steadied himself, he turned around and ran toward the exist. He was well known for his fist techniques, so losing his arm would put a dent on his abilities.

In just one minute, all the powerful martial artists were either dead or had ran away. There had been Master Hen Tian, The menacing looking man, Elder Qi, and Su Wudi, but now none were still standing.

Everyone was rendered speechless.

No one had expected such an outrageous outcome.

"Lu Haixuan, does your offer still stand? Can I still be the elder of your family?" Chen Fan asked languidly.

The Young Master of the Lu family pulled a taut face and kept his fingers clutched tightly. He dared not move a muscle as he registered the death star from the giant Tiger Demon.

Lu Tianlong was a peak level Internal Force cultivator, and therefore he was able to pull himself together quickly and replied: "Mr. Chen, the fault was mine. For the sake of your friendship with Xiao Xue, please, forgive us for once."

"You want me to let it slide?" Chen Fan smiled a little. "You stood right near me with your body tense and energy charged up, ready to strike at me if I so much as moved a finger. It's true that you didn't attack me, but you are in it together with all the other perpetrators. How dare you ask for my forgiveness?"

"Then what do you want?" Lu Haixuan's voice had an icy edge to it.

As the young lord of the Lu family, he had never been talked down to like this.

"Well, if you want to make a deal with me, you will have to be worthy of sitting at the same table with me." Chen Fan waved a hand.

Tong Shan charged out like a primordial beast. Lu Tianlong's face darkened, he self-estimated his power to be on par with the man with a menacing face, but weaker than Master Hen Tian. If Tong Shan could so easily do away with Master Hen Tian, defeating Lu Tianlong would be a stroll in the park.

"Whatever, If I die then I die!"

Lu Tianlong let out a burst of helpless laughter as he tightened his muscles and launched out for a counter attack.

Suddenly, a faint sound drifted into everyone's ears: "That's enough."

A figure hidden behind a blurry whiteness flashed into view right before Tong Shan. Tong Shan snarled at the white figure and attacked him with the Tiger Demon Claws.

The man in white cloak blocked with one arm, his movement was almost lazy.

When his block came into contact with the Tiger Demon's Apparition, it was unaffected by the phantom's interference. The arm went through the apparition and landed on Tong Shan's chest.

"Bang!"

The sound was deep like the morning bell toll of the ancient Buddhist temple.

The man in white looked small in size compared to Tong Shan, however, Tong Shan was staggered by the man's counter attack. Tong Shan wasn't able to regain the balance of his hulking frame until he stumbled back a few dozen feet.

On Tong Shan's chest, a clear impression with the shape a palm was pressed deeply into the surface. If Tong Shan was a normal human, such a wound would have fractured his rib cage and busted his heart. Fortunately, Tong Shan was a Bronze Armored cadaver and therefore he was not decommissioned immediately.

"Such power! Who the hell is he?"

Everyone rounded their eyes in disbelief.

Just a moment ago, Tong Shan seemed nearly invincible. Of all the weapons they threw at him, none could have caused any serious damage. His attacks were so powerful that he would crack open a boulder. The dead bodies on the ground were a testament to his immeasurable strength. However, he was staggered by a languid counter-attack from the man in white.

"Family Lord!"

Lu Tianlong and Lu Haixuan both tightened their face and cupped their fists in the uttermost respect.

"The family lord of the Lu family, the Martial arts Grandmasters, Lu Tianfen!"

Suddenly, the crowd boiled over and countless elated martial artists looked to the man in white ardently. By then, they could finally make out the features on his face. He was a middle-aged man in his fifties, and he was wearing a loosely fitted martial artist exercise shirt, the kind one would find in the morning on old people who practices Tai Chi.

Everyone knew Lu Tianfen's name. He was of similar age as Lu Tianlong and should be at least sixty or seventy years old by then. It was evident that the Transcendent Masters could slow down their aging. Some Transcendent Masters looked young even when they were over a hundred.

"Another Grandmaster!"

Someone exclaimed with a trembling voice.

In the martial arts world, Grandmasters were the stuff of legends. They existed beyond any ordinary people's comprehension. To have a Grandmaster in a family meant an instant rise in power for the entire family clan.

Just like Ye Nantian, Lei Qianjue was a dominating figure in his own territory: Lu Tianfen was the one calling the shots in the Tian Nan region while sitting on his seat of power in Lin City.

Lu Tianfen stood in the middle and didn't pay anyone any attention. He heaved a sigh and lamented: "Tianlong, Haixuan, you two have disappointed me."

"My lord!" Already, sweat appeared on Lu Tianlong's forehead. Even Lu Haixuan looked troubled and embarrassed.

"Our family lords over the Tian Nan region, then act like lords. If you want that recipe, you should just take it. Why do you have to conspire with lowly sects such as the Medicine God Valley Sect or the Diamond Temple? Do you really think that we are beneath Su Wudi and Elder Qi? "Lu Tianfen said lightly.

"You are right my Lord. It was my fault. I should have reported back to you." Lu Tianlong said in fearful respect.

"What a pompous family. Do you mean that I should just give away my recipe?" Chen Fan asked coldly.

"Shut up you little shit. Where are your manners?" Lu Tianfen waved a hand and shot out a white wave of palm-shaped energy toward Chen Fan. In a blink, it appeared right in front of Chen Fan.

"Pa!"

Tong Shan shot out an arm to block the attack for Chen Fan. The strike landed on Tong Shan's arm and created a shallow but discernible impression. This meant that Lu Tianfen was able to unleash his Internal Force to hurt his enemy.

"Not bad. Your servant seemed to have achieved the Grandmaster level of the Physique Refinement cultivation. And what was that? some kind of Four Righteousness Protection Aura? Interesting." Lu Tianfen remarked lightly. "However, it was still a mistake for you to defy the Lu family."

"You have never seen the power of..."

Before he finished talking, Tong Shan threw himself at him. The air crackled as the Tiger Demon Claw tore it open, sending powerful gusts in all directions.

"The power of a Grandmaster!"

Lu Tianfen closed in unhurriedly like a puff of cloud on a windless day. When Tong Shan's attack came, he dodged and was successful.

Suddenly, countless strands of white smoke billowed up from his body and with a wave of a hand, he somehow gathered the smoke into his palm. When he folded his hands, the smoke turned into a white glow and shot out at Tong Shan.

The white glow looked harmless, however, when it landed on the Tiger Demon's Phantom, it nearly tore it apart. The impact then sent Tong Shan flying back. On Tong Shan's shoulder a crack appeared, it was as if someone had stabbed a sharp knife through a tin can and slashed at it.

"Is this the Cloud Hand of the Lu family?"

Someone gasped.

Cloud Hand was a renowned secret technique from the Lu family. When it was used by the Grandmasters, it would create a splendid view of cloudy mists around the user. It was powerful yet extremely adaptable; flexible yet unyielding when it had to. Rumor has it that the infamous art of Thousand Trickeries used by Lei Qianjue from the Hong Sect was inspired by the Cloud Hand.

"Kaboom!"

Tong Shan's hulking frame thudded into the wall and created a two-meter wide hole.

The family lord had dominated his confrontation with Tong Shan and displayed his unmatched power as a Grandmaster.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 170: One Punch Match

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Is that the true power of a Grandmaster?"

The development shook many of the spectators, including Lu Haixuan and Jin Yi. A Grandmaster in action was truly a rare sight. There was only a very limited number of Grandmasters in the world, and even fewer were willing to showcase his or her power in public.

Tong Shan had killed a couple of peak level Internal Force cultivators with ease, however, before a Grandmaster, he was thrown away after the first exchange of fists.

"Arrrr!"

Tong Shan went through the wall, but quickly gathered himself and charged toward his opponent like an armored tank. The Tiger Demon seemed to be gaining more substance by the second. The Tiger Demon threw his massive head back and snarled while Tong Shan's hands and fingers slowly turned into tiger claws.

These deadly claws were able to rack through a few inches of thick metal sheets.

"I told you, you don't understand how powerful Grandmasters are." Lu Tianfen linked his hands behind his back and said unhurriedly.

By then, clouds and mist started to rise around him, and were increasing in thickness by the second. The clouds twisted and turned into countless threads as they billowed upward around Lu Tianfen, cocooning him within an egg-shaped white shell. looking from afar, Lu Tianfen was nowhere to be seen, in his place, stood a white egg-shaped object that seemed to be made out of white misty air.

"Urhh!"

Tiger Demon Claw racked the surface of the giant egg, however, the deadly claws were only able to penetrate a few inches. Tong Shan shifted his weight to claw at the egg even harder, his claws outright slipped off the egg's shell, pulling off a few strands of mist. These threads of mist quickly lost their stringy form and drifted toward Tong Shan and attached to the giant's body. As Tong Shan continued racking the eggshell with his claws, more and more mists surrounded his body and slowly start to restain his movement. After a while, Tong Shan was completely covered with the mist and it was impossible for him to deliver any more attacks.

"The Cloud Hand of the Lu family. It is powerful and adaptable. The first attack that cracked Tong Shan's shoulder was a perfect display of its strength, but what's going on now shows its ability to change forms."

Elder Qi said bitterly.

To defeat someone as powerful as Tong Shan, one needed to know how to conquer the unyielding with the yielding. Elder Qi had thought that victory was already in the bag for him, however, the hulking frame nearly killed him. Although the appearance of the Lu Family master had saved his life, he knew that the Medicine God Valley Sect would not get the recipes as he had hoped.

"Grandmasters are too powerful, I don't think even our Sect Master could overcome him."

Jin Yi thought to herself fearfully.

The internal force users might have superhuman strength, lightning reflexes, the ability of an Internal Force users were more or less within the bounds of physical laws; however, the same could not be said about a Transcendent Grandmaster. Unimaginable powers of refining the air and turn them into the protective bulwark of the Four Righteousness, or reshaping the mist into strands of air that were filled with energy, these were the elements of high tales and fantasies. No wonder every Grandmaster was considered invincible by the people around them.

"Our Sect Master is a perfected cultivator, he does not fear Grandmasters." Elder Qi shook his head and said.

People such as the Sect Master of the Medicine God Valley Sect and the lord of Lu Family do not get involved in fighting very often. Standing at the precipice of power, rarely anything could have stirred them to get too involved personally.

By then, Tong Shan was covered with thin white stands of mists; it was as if he had dipped himself in tar and rolled around in a field of cotton. Tong Shan collapsed on the ground helplessly, unable to move even a finger.

"Do you finally see the power of a Grandmaster, and how weak you are?" Lu Tianfen dusted off his shoulder and looked back at Chen Fan.

Everyone else traced his gaze and looked to the boy.

Lu Tianlong regained his confidence while Lu Haixuan had already started to gloat at Chen Fan. Elder Qi heaved a sigh and Jin Yi's eyes were filled with disappointment.

When Chen Fan was besieged by so many powerful attackers, he didn't even flinch and turned the situation around with ease.

However, the tide had turned again. Without a Grandmaster of the same level or a perfected cultivator, Chen Fan was doomed. Where could he find a perfected cultivator on such a short notice?

"What a shame, you should be victorious today, but not that cease to be the case since Lord Lu had intervened."Jin Yi heaved a sigh.

To most people, Chen Fan's defeat was already set in stone. He had only one option: surrender. To everyone's surprise, he shook his head slowly and said: "What a joke, you call that the power of a Grandmaster?"

...

"Sister Yanwu, move aside please!"

Worry and concern were written all over Lu Yanxue's face. He knew something bad had happened.

This morning, Lu Yanwu who had kept a distance with her suddenly visited her at her apartment and conversed with her for the entire morning. Right away, Lu Yanwu knew something was amiss.

"Sister Yanwu, tell me the truth, please. Are you going to kill him?" Lu Yanxue's face tightened.

Lu Yanwu, who was as attractive as her younger cousin heaved a sigh and said: "Xiao Xue, this is the family's decision. It is our duty to obey orders."

"You just handed me over to Chen Fan like a gift, now you want to do away with him? Have you even considered my feelings?" Lu Yanxue let out a helpless smile.

"Don't worry. Once we have gotten the information we need, he would be useless to us. By then, the family will arrange another dashing young lad for you." Lu Yanwu touched the girl's smooth face and said with a placatory tone.

She knew that the girl had tried hard to prove herself ever since she was little. However, she had neither Lu Haixuan's martial arts talent, nor Lu Yanwu's wits. Her only merit was her beauty; without it, she would be completely useless to the family.

"Tong Shan was a Physique Refinement master, if our family lord doesn't intervene, no one could subdue him, so I have heard." Lu Yanxue tightened her face a little and explained.

"You might have not known this, Elder Qi from the Medicine God Valley Sect brought two powerful fighters with him, together with a Physique Refinement Master from the Diamond Temple, and a semi-transcendent state Su Wudi of Xin Yi Sect, they still could not overcome Chen Fan." Lu Yanwu cracked a smile.

"Before I came here, I heard the news that our Lord had finally finished his seclusion cultivation. So I reported the development to him immediately and suggested that he should intervene. With our family lord there, Chen Beixuan would achieve nothing regardless of his abilities."

"The family lord has finished his seclusion cultivation?" Lu Yanxue's face paled as her heart sank to the bottom.

As a family member of the Lu family, she venerated the family lord like a saint. She knew that with the family lord's involvement, Chen Fan's fate was sealed.

"Why do you call him Chen Fan? I thought his name is Chen Beixuan?" Lu Yanwu furrowed her brows and asked.

The name rang a bell, but she couldn't remember where or when she had heard of it.

"Chen Fan... Chen Fan... Chen Fan"

"Isn't that the name of Master Chen from Jiang Bei?"

Suddenly, her memory of the boy who stood with his hands held behind his back came into her mind. Her face darkened and said: "Shoot! Chen Beixuan is Master Chen! I don't think family lord knows about it."

Of the entire Lu family, only she and Fourth Uncle had witnessed Chen Fan's real power on display.

She alone knew that the boy was a Grandmaster!

With that thought in mind, Lu Yanwu sprung back to her feet and stormed out, leaving confused Lu Yanxue by herself.

...

"In my opinion, a Grand Masters is not even a big deal."

Chen Fan's words surprised a lot of people around him. However, most people kept their displeasure unspoken. They stared at Chen Fan as if he was a dying man. Anyone who had practiced martial arts knew the rule: Never Insult a Grandmaster.

Grandmasters were reverential beings that existed beyond the comprehension of mortals. Whoever sullied their name would get severely punished.

Lo and behold, the Lu family lord pulled a tight face and furrowed his brows. "You are courting death!"

Clouds bubbled around Lu Tianfen once again and already, a white glow had formed in his hands. With a wave of hands, the white glow traced an arc in the air, creating the illusion of a white rainbow.

The spectators had already seen the white glow in action. It had cracked the shoulder of a Physique Refinement Master. What could a wimpy teenage boy do to defend himself against its power?

"Grandmaster is mad, he no longer cares about the recipe."

Elder Qi shook his head and heaved a sigh.

Jin Yi lowered her eyes and didn't want to witness another tragedy. However, powerful Chen Fan was, he would almost certainly perish under the wrath of a Grandmaster.

A hit of pleasure flashed across Lu Haixuan's face: justice served. Chen Fan had humiliated him and his family, it was time for him to pay, with his blood.

The audience around the battlefield felt either regret or lighthearted. However, no one thought that Chen Fan could escape his doom.

Suddenly, a glamorous woman rushed into the courtyard. She was Lu Yanwu. Seeing the on-going battle, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Be careful my lord, he is Jiang Bei's—"

"What?" Lu Tianfen didn't get the chance to finish listening to the warning. Through the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Chen Fan's fist hurtling toward him.

The force in the punch looked questionable. It was no more than a desperate attempt to fight off a bully by a wimpy young boy.

However, as soon as Chen Fan's fist met the white glow, an explosion erupted. Suddenly, columns of white clouds billowed up toward the sky and then plunged down toward Lu Tianfen.

"Impossible!"

Lu Tianfen exclaimed. He could no longer remain calm. He launched himself up and countered the incoming attack with a number of countermeasures. Before he could take a breath, a callous-less fist emerged out from one fluffy cloud.

"Bang!"

The punch tore open Lu Tianfen's regular protection aura and landed on his Four Righteousness Protection Aura. The second layer of aura was powerful enough to hold the impact of a pickup truck, yet under the unimaginable force, it started to shatter and turned into mist that quickly disappeared into thin air.

Lu Tianfen backed away faster than he charged forward. However, that smooth-skinned fist was even faster and caught up with him.

"Urhh!"

Under everyone's surprised stares, the fist landed squarely on Lu Tianfen's face. Lu Tianfen lost his balance and was sent flying back like a homerun baseball. He went through a few walls and finally thudded back onto the ground outside the manor.

A deadly silence fell over the manor. Everyone was stunned by the turn of events.

Lu Haixuan rounded his eyes in disbelief. Jin Yi had been so nervous, she pulled on the wooden bead bracelet until the string broke and beads scattered everywhere. However, she didn't seem to care.

By then, Lu Yanwu finally finished uttering her warning: "He is Master Chen from Jiang Bei!"

The courtyard was covered in dust and mist, outside the courtyard, the Grandmaster picked himself up with great difficulty. Terror and shock were written all over his face.

A young man plodded through the dust with his hands held behind his back. He looked to Lu Tianfen and smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Who said that you are the only Grandmaster here?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 171: Beat Up A Grandmaster

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Lu Tianfen was blown away by the boy's punch!

No one expected such an outcome. To most people, a Grandmaster should be invincible. Unless the military and their heavy artillery were deployed, no one would be able to beat them. The only individual who was able to defeat a Grandmaster was another Grandmaster. Along that line of thinking, people started to wonder if the sixteen year old boy was also a Grandmaster.

"Hold on, he is Master Chen from Jiang Bei, the Young Grandmaster!"

After Lu Yanwu's warning finally came in, someone exclaimed.

The crowd quickly boiled over. Before seeing the boy in action, everyone thought that the Young Master from Jiang Bei was simply an exaggerated rumor. However, there and then, everyone has seen the proof right before their eyes. The Young Grandmaster was real!

Lu Haixuan stumbled back a few steps in disbelief. He felt that his pride and confidence that he had been wearing over twenty years had all been thrown out of the window by Chen Fan's display of strength. Lu Haixuan had reached Phenomenal Success in his Internal Force cultivation when he was twenty-five, and that had always been his bragging rights. However, his achievement seemed pathetic compared to a Grandmaster who wasn't even twenty years old.

"Chen Beixuan!"

Lu Tianfen rose to his feet slowly. His gaze on Chen Fan was icy cold, however, inside of his heart, the angry flames burned belligerently. At his level, nothing was more important to him than his reputation. To have suffered such a huge defeat at the hands of a young boy was something that he could not come to terms with easily.

"Looks like you still want to fight. Well, I shall oblige then." Chen Fan cracked a smile, revealing a row of white teeth.

After he finished his words, he took a large step forward, covering over ten meters of distance at once. It was as if he had folded the space so that he could warp himself into the vicinity of Lu Tianfen. When he suddenly appeared before his opponent, he punched at Lu Tianfen again.

"Bang!"

Having learned his lesson and raised his guard, Lu Tianfen was better prepared this time. He folded his hands and summoned the white glow. As the size and the intensity of the white glow grew, he reshaped the wash of light it into a giant glowing hammer and used it to counter Chen Fan's punch.

The impact sent the Lu Tianfen stumbling back.

"Such power, he is even more powerful than Tong Shan!"

Lu Tianfen was shocked by his opponent's raw strength. His hands trembled after they were numbed by the powerful impact.

"How could he be so strong at such a young age? Is he already a Physique Refinement Grandmaster?" Lu Tianfen thought incredulously. Becoming a Physique Refinement Grandmaster was much more difficult than becoming a regular Grandmaster. In the recent century, only Chen Longxiang from the Diamond Temple had pulled off such a feat.

However, this was not the time for pondering. Before he could put his questions aside, Chen Fan was already coming at him again...

"Cloud Hand of the Lu family: Thousand Threads!"

Lu Tianfen decided to change his tactics and avoid direct confrontation. As his fingers danced in the air like playing an air guitar, countless silky threads fell from the sky like the drizzling rain of the Jiang Nan region that not only soaked up the land but also wrapped melancholy around one's heart. In a blink, Chen Fan was entangled in a web formed by countless stringy threads. These threads were made out of True Essence. They might look easy to break—and they were, but their ability to reconnect and reform after being severed was what made the web nearly impossible to escape. Even Tong Shan was wrapped tight in a cocoon made from these threads, despite his immense strength.

"How is he going to deal with this?"

Everyone rounded their eyes and watched the fight attentively. Lu Tianfen had used this same move and successfully subdued Tong Shan, what would happen to Chen Fan?

"It's the same art as the Thousand Trickeries."

Chen Fan cracked a smile. He spread out his arms as a crane would to his wings. He looked like a large bird of prey swooping down from the sky.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, the second form: Humble Cloud Hand!"

The last time Chen Fan used this art, he had only reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment level, and his opponent was Lin Hu who was a peak level Internal Force cultivator. Since then, Chen Fan had progressed to late-stage in his Foundation Establishment and was only half a step away from reaching the Ethereal Enlightenment. Meanwhile, his opponent was a Grandmaster level Transcendent cultivator, the Lord of the Lu family: Lu Tianfen.

In the void space, two golden flashes of sharp edges appeared for a fleeting second. Chen Fan's hands turned into bird wings and then the wings into blades made out of True Essence. As he waved both of his arms as a birk fanning out wings, two blades criss crossed each other in the air.

"Sssth-Wack!"

Everything, let it be the glowing white strands or pieces of furniture within three meters around Che Fan were severed in half. The attack had torn through the fabric of space and even created a sliver of a vacuum along its path. As the air rushed to refill that vacuum, pressure change forced the air to quickly shed the moisture creating a spectacular sight of a ring of white mist.

The two golden flashes had cut through everything in its way.

"What kinds of technique is this?"

Lu Tianfen was staggered by the counter-attack. His face turned dark.

He was convinced that Chen Fan was able to counter his first blow using the element of surprise, however, his second failure proved him wrong and had taken the wind out of his sails.

Lu Tianfen's chest was also dealt a blow by the golden flashes. His clothes tore along two distinct lines that formed a cross. Blood already seeped through his skin under the torn cloth. If he had pulled back a second later, Chen Fan's attack would have gone through his Four Righteousness Protection Aura, and outright severed his body from the middle.

The terrifying power of an Immortal cultivator appeared once again on the earth, and it shocked everyone who saw it.

The Four Righteousness Protection Aura could have protected a Grandmaster from attacks of most modern weapons. Because of that, the Grandmasters were able to uphold their status even in this day and age. However, Chen Fan's attack with condensed Qi could not only shred apart the Four Righteousness Protection Aura on a Grandmaster but also sever a car.

"Come again!"

Chen Fan let out a peal of laughter. The fact that someone could have survived his attack had made him heartened.

Ever since he was reborn, he had been busy with his cultivation and paid little attention to other cultivators around him. The most powerful martial artist he had met before today was Lin Hu and he could not last longer than three exchanges of punches. It occurred to Chen Fan that Grandmasters did indeed hold up better than the others.

He stamped on the ground and shot out both arms to embrace the energy in the Void Dimension. As he channeled more True Essence from the voice space, the clouds and mist that loomed over the battlefield started to converge toward him.

"Union of Mortal and Heaven!"

Lu Tianfen squinted, he could register the immeasurable power that was stirred up by his opponent. Many Grandmasters created their own arts, but those arts could rarely be used by mortals. They could only be wielded by a powerful cultivator who understood the true nature of reality and who could commanded the Spirit Qi around them.

Let it be the Cloud Hand of the Lu family or the Thousand Trickeries, only those who had reached Grandmaster level could have pulled them off. A normal martial artist couldn't even project their Internal force outward, much less reshaping them.

Chen Fan doubled down on his art and suddenly robbed his surrounding of all Spirit Qi. Compared to slowly channeling the Spirit Qi, Chen Fan's technique was much more direct and difficult to control.

"Try to counter this! Skyfall Hammer!"

Chen Fan pulling both arms in slightly before shooting them out, turning his body into a trebuchet. He hurled a large ball of True Essence toward his enemy.

Lu Tianfen hurried to get out of harm's way. His heart thumped heavily in his chest as he became increasing alert by a nagging sense of crisis. He knew that he could not and should never block the attack. The amount of power in the Arcane energy ball was able to shatter his body into countless molecules.

"Kaboom!"

He dodged out of the way and the True Essence Ball landed on a building behind Lu Tianfen before it exploded. After the dust settled, people were surprised to find out that the explosion had taken off half of the building. Everyone could only stare at Che Fan. The boy's attack was as powerful as modern artillery.

"Bang Bang!"

Chen Fan charged out and engaged with Lu Tianfen once again.

Chen Fan's moves were less refined and easier to follow; however, it had a promotional vastness in its intent. His punches and kicks were direct and to the point, but each attack carried enough weight to topple a mountain. On the other hand, Lu Tianfen's moves made him look like a butterfly dancing among flowers of death. It was elusive and unpredictable; strong yet adaptable all at the same time. As the two traded blows, splashes of white glowing mist spilled out in all directions.

"Awesome!"

Chen Fan punched again and shattered a curved white glow that sneaked up on him from behind. He then folded his hands and summoned a meter long golden light and executed the art of Mountain River Cut. The blow nipped a piece of cloth off Lu Tianfen's shirt and cut a privacy screen —a solid wall of two feet thick —into two halves.

"It has been a while since I could fight such an exhilarating battle!"

Chen Fan conceded that Grandmaster's power did hold up even before his unrelenting attacks. Lu Tianfen commanded the white cloud around him using powerful True Essence and was able to stand his ground.

Chen Fan was heartened by his opponent's surprising strength. He had longed for such a fight for a long time. None of his previous opponents could give his such thrill.

If Chen Fan used his Dharma Artifact, and released the power of his Li Fire Golden Eyes, he should be able to burn his opponent to a crisp, however, he hesitated and tried to enjoy every passing moment.

As Chen Fan dragged out the battle, Lu Tianfen felt his energy was ebbing away and he was on the brink of collapsing.

"He is a freak! Not only he is strong and tough, but he also had impeccable skills in using his Internal Force. Let it be projecting his Internal energy or condensing the Qi into Four Righteousness aura, he was more than proficient in those techniques. Worse, he was only eighteen, so I have guessed. How did he gain such level of attainments?"

Lu Tianfen felt that he was fighting against a Grandmaster who had mastered both Internal Force as well as Physique Refinement cultivation.

He could not find a single weakness in Chen Fan. Once, he was able to sneak a blow on Chen Fan's shoulder. The force of the blow was reduced to half when it passed through the boy's True Essence Bulwark. The rest of the force was easily absorbed by Chen Fan's ice skin and jade bones.

Lu Tianfen was finally on the brink of giving up. Not only he could not harm the boy, but so much as a gentle nudge from Chen Fan could have put him out of the battle for good.

Try as he might, Lu Tianfen was slowly pushed to a corner and was on his last leg.

"Boom!"

Under everyone's shocked gazes, the two collided again. They had been fighting from one end of the manor to the other, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Let it be the house structures or furniture, they were all in tatters.

"Is he... a human?"

Someone swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice.

Before seeing this fight, everyone has only a vague concept of a Grandmaster's power. People knew they were powerful and deadly, but had never seen such power with their own eyes. The fight between Chen Fan and Lu Tianfen put the Grandmaster's abilities in the spotlight and it was a terrifying sight indeed.

"No wonder they say that Grandmasters are invincible. They were venerated even in the modern age."

Jin Yi gasped and then said: "He is so powerful that I don't even think Sect Master could have beat him."

"Sigh... it's all my fault." Elder Qi furrowed his brows and said: "I will ask for Sect Master's forgiveness when I get back."

By then, everyone could tell the clear upper hand Chen Fan had in this battle. Chen Fan was the aggressor for most of the time. All it took was a minor slip up from Lu Tianfen for Chen Fan to win the battle and it was just a matter of time for that to happen.

"However powerful he is, I doubt he would do anything to our sect." Elder Qi said proudly. "Our sect is well connected in China, and therefore is much stronger than the Lu family. That being said, I am sure that the Sect Master will reprimand me for my foolhardiness."

The old man thought to himself.

Lu Tianlong and other members of the Lu family stared at the two fighters intensely while keeping their fists tightly clenched.

They hoped that Lu Tianfen was able to turn the situation around. Otherwise, the entire Lu Family would be doomed.

"Finally!"

A calm voice drifted out from a plume of dust. A smooth-skinned hand reached out toward one direction, changed its position and readjusted several times in lighting speed until the movement turned the hand into a blurry shadow. Finally, it got hold of Lu Tianfen's leg.

"Shit!"

Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 172: How Dare You?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan snatched up Lu Tianfen's left leg with one hand and threw the Grandmaster out like lobbing a grenade. Lu Tianfen smashed into a building, and the impact created a hole on one side of the wall.

"Urhh!"

Despite his Four Righteousness Protection Aura, the damage was severe. His felt the impact had shaken up his internal organs and dislodged his joints. Suddenly, a gush of blood spilled out from his mouth.

Before he could gather himself, Chen Fan had already flashed into view again. He kicked heavily at Lu Tianfen.

Lu Tianfen was sent flying again like a deflated basketball. He smashed into and through the other wall at the far side of the building before he thudded back to the ground. Momentum carried his slumped body a few feet on the ground until his lifeless body came to a full stop.

"Do you still want to fight?"

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and slowly made his way through the large holes on the building. When he emerged from the other side, his clothing did not have a speck of dust on their fabric. He looked nothing like a fighter but a young boy on a field trip.

"Thud... thud..."

A pin drop silence had fallen over the courtyard and only Chen Fan's footsteps could be heard. Everyone hardly even dared to breathe. Let it be the Medicine God Valley Sect, Diamond Temple or the Xin Yi Sect, no one spoke a word in this shocking and suspenseful moment.

The all-powerful Grandmaster who had been invincible just ten minutes ago slumped on the ground lifelessly. No none knew if he was still alive.

Who else would dare to test the power of the Young Grandmaster after this?

"He won!"

Lu Tianfen looked up at Chen Fan, his eyes were brimming with hatred and poison. In the end, he was defeated by Chen Fan. This boy's terrifying ability had far exceeded his estimations. If Lu Tianfen were given another chance, he knew the outcome wouldn't change.

Lu Tianfen hated Lu Tianlong for misinforming him, but he hated Chen Fan even more.

"As long as I can pass this tribulation, I will make you pay."

Lu Tianfen lowered his eyelids to hide his vengeance. His plan was simple, surrender and survive the day. However powerful Chen Fan was, he was just a teenager, and contentment was an all to common poison for someone who had become powerful at an early age. When Chen Fan's guard was lowered, he could strike at him again with the element of surprise.

"Hehe, you might be a Grandmasters, but we live in the 21st century. I doubt your body would have withstood armor-piercing bullets." Lu Tianfen calculated in his mind.

With the financial backing of the Lu family, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain specially made bullets and firearms.

"Family Lord!"

Many Lu family members shouted at him grievingly. Some had lowered their heads to sob. Their Family Lord was defeated, and their reputation was in tatters.

"If you are not fighting anymore, then you should be on your way now."

Before Lu Tianfen realized what was going to happen, Chen Fan stomped a foot on Lu Tianfen's chest. Chen Fan's foot went through Lu Tianfen's rib cage and crushed his heart.

"How dare you!"

Faces around Chen Fan were contorted by anger. Lu Tianfen had already conceded defeat, why would Chen Fan kill him?

Lu Tianlong took a step forward, fist clenched tightly. It looked like he was no longer able to hold back his anger.

"You are courting death."

Chen Fan pulled a taut face and yanked an arm up, shooting out an energy wave toward Lu Tianlong. The energy wave turned into a white streak in the air and landed on Lu Tianlong's chest. Lu Tianlong collapsed to the ground immediately and died on the spot.

A peak level Internal Force martial artist was so easily killed by Chen Fan's punch from afar.

The courtyard suddenly became quiet again.

Everyone in the Lu family felt a chill down their spines that quelled their sprouting fire and rage. They reminded themselves that the person before them might look like a meek boy, but he was the powerful and coldhearted Grandmaster, Chen Beixuan.

If he was able and dared to kill Lu Tianfen on a whim, he would kill anyone without a second thought.

The disciples of the Diamond Temple kept their silence fearfully.

Elder Qi was the only person who could still pull himself together. He furrowed brows and questioned Chen Fan's brashness in his mind. Anyone else would have hesitated before killing two important members of the Lu family. Their retribution was not a joke.

"I asked if he would surrender, but I didn't promise to spare him." Chen Fan linked his arms behind his back and said lightly.

He wasn't sure if Lu Tianfen would be fully under his control and therefore he thought he might as well do it the easy way. Without Lu Tianfen, the Lu family would never be able to threaten him again.

By then, an elder from the Lu family said with a trembling voice.

"Grandmaster Chen, you have finished off my Family Lord as well as Tianlong, how many more innocent lives are you going to take."

Everyone felt the weight in the speaker's words.

The Lu family was an influential and powerful family clan. They controlled over tens of billions of assets and the family was linked to each and every aspect of life in Tian Nan region.

"If you as a group still think of revenge, I might as well kill all of you." Chen Fan scanned the crowd and his gaze gave people the goosebumps.

His eyes held the cold and indifferent luster that belonged to a mass murderer. However, upon closer look, it also resembled that of an immortal who was so detached from worldly sentiments that remorse or regret meant nothing to him. In his eyes, the humans were no more important than ants.

"The Lu family will surrender and will never ever stand in your way."

The old man slowly lowered his head.

"Great-Great Grandpa!" Lu Haixuan shouted heartbrokenly. His painful emotion was shared among other family members.

The old man was in his nineties and was one of the oldest men in the Lu family. He would be the one in charge of the family now since Lu Tianfen was dead. His surrender obligated the other family members to do the same.

Many martial artists watched the development unfold in fear.

The Lu family of Lin City, one of the most prestigious martial arts families was crushed by a young boy. Without Lu Tianfen, the Lu family would soon fall apart. Their influence would dwindle and at the end, they might not be able to control a territory any larger outside the Lin City.

A wry smile flashed across Lu Yanwu's face.

She had anticipated the fight, but the ending was far from what she had guessed. The young man from Jiang Bei region was not a green babe in the woods, but a dominating arbiter of life and death of any human. After he had done away with Lu Tianfen and Lu Tianlong, the Lu family had lost any hope in avenge today's humiliation.

"What about the others?"

Chen Fan looked toward the other sects.

A brawny man from Diamond Temple stepped forward and hurried to put in. "The Diamond Temple will never be at odds with Master Chen."

"Same with Xin Yi Sect."

"Same with the Xin family."

"Same here, Flying Knife Sect of Lin Nan"

All of Chen Fan's enemies put down their weapons and surrendered without any rancor.

At last, Chen Fan's gaze landed on the people from Medicine God Valley Sect.

Elder Qi mustered as much courage as he could and announced in a deep voice: "Master Chen, we acknowledge your power but I also want to remind you that our sect master is a Perfected Cultivator. If the gloves come off between you and my sect, neither of us will benefit from such confrontation. Why don't we call it fa day and let's be friends?

"Of course, since we have offended you, Grandmaster Chen. We will apologize to you formally when we are ready." The old man added.

The Medicine God Valley Sect Elder was much better connected with the powerful family than the Lu family. They knew nearly all the Grand Masters and Perfected Cultivators in China. Elder Qi was confident that despite their brush up with Chen Fan, the boy would not dare to test the might of the Medicine God Vally Sect."

"Call it a day?"

Chen Fan gave the old man a half smile.

He lifted a hand and sent another wave of condense Qi toward Elder Qi.

"How dare you!"

Elder Qi was riled up by Chen Fan's attack. He charged up his energy and the beads on his bracelet burst into countless golden paper talisman floating in the air. In the void space, these talisman let out a bright golden light that had a similar tone with that of Chen Fan's Diamond Protection Art. When Chen Fan's attack landed on these golden paper talisman, the light was able to block out most of the force in Chen Fan's attack.

"Humph, you wish to block my attack with that?"

Chen Fan sneered at the old man and extended two fingers while the other hand wrapped around the two fingers and pulled away slowly. As if out of nowhere, a sword grew from the tip of the two extended fingers. Chen Fan used the illusionary blade to execute the Mountain River Cut.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The beads popped and unleashed more paper talisman. These talisman let out nine layers of lights that protected the old man from the coming attacks. Elder Qi was confident that he should be able to drag out the battle for at least half an hour. The only regret he had was the loss of these beads. These were heaven beads that he had exchanged with a monk using elixirs.

There were seventeen Heaven Beads in total and each one was infused with a protection spell that could ward off normal attacks from blades or firearms.

In the past decade, Elder Qi had only used seven of these beads, and they saved his life precisely on seven occasions. By then, he had used up all ten remaining beads at the same time, and once their effect wore off, he would be defenseless.

"Kiddo! I will report everything to my sect master when I get back and he will come after you with his perfected cultivator friends." Elder Qi glared at Chen Fan viciously.

As an elder of the Medicine God Valley Sect Elder, he had never been humiliated by anyone like this.

Even the family lord of the Lu Family dared not to attack him on a whim.

"Pathetic."

Chen Fan didn't waste any more words. He held onto the golden blade and hacked. Under Elder Qi's horrified watch, the blade went through the nine layers of protections as if going through butter. The blade finally entered the old man's body from his scalp and existed from under his groin, slicing the old man in half from the middle.

"You!"

Elder Qi rounded his eyes and let out a final word.

He was an elder of the Medicine God Valley Sect, a sect that was as powerful as the Lu Family if not even more so. Even a Grandmaster dared not to get in the way of the Medicine God Valley Sect. No one would know for sure when they would be knocking on their door to ask for their favor.

However, Chen Fan killed an elder from the sect as if it was no big deal.

"Master!"

Jin Yi let out a heart-wrenching cry. She could not believe her eyes.

Many Martial Artists were frightened by the turn of events. They were shocked when Chen Fan killed the Grandmaster from the Lu Family, however, seeing the brutal way he had finished off Elder Qi, everyone became scared for their own lives.

He was a demon, a cold-hearted demon. He operated on a set of rules that did not belong to the human world. Money, power and influence, nothing could quell or satisfy his savagery other than blood and spilled innards.

"Anyone else?"

Chen Fan pulled back his sword and scanned around him.

This time, everyone kept their heads low and no one dared to look up at him.

Even Lu Haixuan looked down, devoid of any sense of honor or pride. The Lu Family's power and reputation had all crumbled under Chen Fan's feet, together with the lives of two powerful warriors from the Lu family. The young master of the Lu family would never think to rise up against Chen Fan.

One-Needle-Li from the Li Family of Green Vines felt fortunate that they refrained from getting involved in this hot mess from the outset. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but considering their meager power, they had decided to back out of the murderous ambush at the last moment. However, it turned out to be a wise decision.

"This young man is going to be famous very soon."

Lu Yanwu gave Chen Fan a long glance.

No one in her family had believed her report on what had happened during Jiang Bei's tournament. However, in no time, everyone would learn the name of Chen Beixuan and his unimaginable power.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 173: Fifteen Seconds Of Fame

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

As Lu Yanxue made her way toward the courtyard, she found herself amidst faces with strange and sometimes contradicting emotions. Some pretended that they didn't know her, some were confused, and some gave her an ingratiating smile. She heard people murmur:

"She is Chen Beixuan's woman."

Then the people who were unsure of her looked at him with fear and respect.

Three days ago, no one had ever heard of the name Chen Beixuan, three days later, it became synonymous to martial arts. A not even twenty year old boy from Jiang Bei had risen to power by killing the family lord of the Lu Family and the Medicine God Valley Sect Elder. News of the fight went viral and spread throughout the world of martial arts.

Lu Yanxue was offered to Chen Beixuan as a gift, because of that, her status in her family also rose with the reputation of Chen Beixuan. By then, even the family elders, her great-great Grandpa would speak to her with respect.

Lu Yanxue was not sure what to make of this change, should she feel happy? or sad?

Chen Fan had killed the Lu Family's master as well as Lu Tianlong; they were only bound by blood, but not connected by relationship. Chen Fan had risen to power and everyone from the Lu Family wished to cozy up to him and his woman. Therefore, the powerful warriors and her great uncles started to treat her with respect.

The Lu Family had lost their Grandmaster and was deemed to decline. However, many people also noticed that the Lu Family could have made up the loss of the family lord by gaining a powerful family son-in-law. The family would live and prosper as long as they could set Chen Beixuan up with Lu Yanxue.

Because of that, Lu Yanxue's status in the family had increased significantly, so much so, that many believed she was vying to become the most influential person in the family.

When Lu Yanxue made her way to the meeting hall, the sight of two brawny martial artists wrenched her mind out of her reverie. The two men moved away for her and bowed slightly.

Inside the main hall, Chen Fan was sitting at the main seat and was surrounded by elders from the Lu family. Sitting right across him was an old man with a thin face. Lu Yanxue knew the old man, he was the family lord of the Gu family, Gu Shitong. He was near the Transcendent State and was revered by many martial artists for his skills and abilities. Both the Lu Family and the Gu Family were two of the biggest martial arts families in China.

"Come closer, Xiao Xue." Chen Fan let out a smile.

Lu Yanxue bowed slightly and shuffled toward Chen Fan. Gu Shitong looked up at the girl while she passed him, and right away he was swept off his feet by her beauty.

Lu Yanxue put on some of her best clothes today. She was in a blouse that tightly hugged her upper body; around her spinner waist was a broad black waist brand that accentuated her curves. On her feet, she wore golden stilettos that matched with her makeup with cold and muted color pallets. She gave off the quality of unreachable glamorous goddess.

"What a beautiful girl! No wonder the Young Master would fall for her." Gu Shitong thought to himself. "Grandmaster Chen, only your girlfriend's extraordinary beauty could match your extraordinary abilities."

"Thank you, Lord Gu." Chen Fan nodded slightly and didn't deny Master Gu's presumptions of his relationship with the girl.

Lu Yanxue's lips curled into a smile; she took Chen Fan's reticent on the matter as acquiescence.

Having confirmed Chen Fan's relationship with the Lu Family, members of the Gu Family quickly recalculated the situation in their mind. They had been certain that without a Grandmaster, the Lu Family would quickly fall from grace. However, with Chen Fan's support, the Lu Family's power and influence shouldn't differ that much from before.

Greetings over, Gu Shitong rose from his seat and was about to leave.

Chen Fan's battle against the Lu Family lord had put the Martial Arts Conference on hold. However, Martial Artists still poured into the Lu Family manor to meet the new Grandmaster. Chen Fan only gave audience to the most influential guests, and when he did that, he always had Lu Yanxue beside him.

"Did you know that ever since they were convinced that we are together, they treated me very differently. They used to curse at me and call me names for betraying my family, but now, they treate me like a princess. My father was promoted to the position of a deputy CEO of the Lu's Group, a few days ago, he was just a small manager." After everyone was gone, Lu Yanxue spoke up abruptly.

"Oh, really?" Chen Fan replied lightly.

"Why don't you tell them the truth?" Lu Yanxue turned her head over to Chen Fan and looked him in the eyes.

Only three days ago, she knew this boy as an alchemist from Jiang Bei; an insignificant passerby in her life. Three days later, he was transformed into the world's most renowned young master called Chen Beixuan, a persona that was so powerful that even the Gu Family Lord and the richest man in the province would have to bow to him respectfully. It was every little girl's dream to be the woman a such a powerful man.

However, Lu Yanxue knew that the young man never had and would not like her. If there was anything between them, it was his pity toward her.

"Explain to them?" Chen Fan spread his hands and said: "I told you that I would promise you a happy ever after life, didn't I? The first thing I had to do is to break the shackles they placed on you and I have done just that. The Lu Family will treat you like a princess and you can do anything as you please."

"If you ever fall in love with anyone you can just marry him. Don't you worry your pretty head about me."

Lu Yanxue kept her silence and looked at Chen Fan intently.

She lamented in her mind for Chen Fan's lack of understanding of a woman's mind. He was the reason for her freedom and prestige, plus, how could she ever fall in love with anyone since Chen Fan had stolen her heart. She used to fancy Lu Haixuan, but he simply couldn't compare with Chen Fan.

It was difficult to be water for one who had seen the great seas; Lu Yanxue wondered if she would ever fall in love again.

Zhong Zhou, the ancestral ground of the Ba Ji Sect...

A young man with an arm wrapped in bandages was doing rehabilitation exercises. Slowly and with great pain, he lifted the heavyweights. despite the sweat on his forehead and the pain in his hands, he held the position steadily.

Beside him was a handsome looking woman and a middle-aged man in wheelchairs.

"Baisheng recovered well. His broken hand was fully healed in just a few days. He should be ready for regular training at any time now." The middle-aged man said slowly.

"Uncle-Master Mu, you have given the only healing salve to Sect Brother, what about you?" The woman's voice was filled with remorse.

"Xiao Mang, don't feel bad for me. Baisheng is the future of our sect. He is very likely to become a Grandmaster. If his career ended here, so would the future of our sect." Mu Shan said with a smile. "Plus, I am a peak level Internal Force User, and I can recover much faster than him even without using any elixirs. A few more months, you will see."

"Uncle-Master Mu..." Guo Xiaomang was still disheartened by the situation they were in. "Damn that Chen Beixuan, I curse him!"

The thought of that culprit for her family's misfortune made her grit her teeth.

"Thou shall never insult a Grandmaster. The rule is the rule. Lesson learned. "Mu Shan shook his head and lamented.

"I don't believe he is a Grandmaster. He is so young! I think you are all scared of him for nothing. He could have just been a Physique Refinement expert for all we know." Guo Xiaomang refuted.

Mu Shan had his own doubts as well, but he decided to keep his doubts unspoken.

The more he recalled the event, the more holes he found in his previous conclusion. From the beginning to the end of the battle, Chen Fan had only attacked once and was dealt a blow once. It wasn't impossible for some of the Physique Refinement masters to pull it off either.

The girl was right, the boy could very well be a Physique Refinement Master.

"Was I really wrong?" Mu Shan lowered his head and muttered.

The power between a Physique Refinement Master and a Grandmaster was nearly incomparable since Grandmasters were the clear winner. If Chen Fan had really tricked him into thinking that he was a Grandmaster while in reality, he was just a Physique Refinement Master, the Ba Ji sect would have to avenge their failure much sooner.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang.

Mu Shan answered the call and listened. When he put down his cell phone, his face was dark and serious.

"What's going on Uncle-Master Mu?"

Xiao Mang asked concernedly. Guo Xiaomang put down the weight and looked to Mu Shan as well.

Light flickered in Mu Shan's eyes a few times as he hesitated. In the end, he heaved a sigh and let go of the information. "Just a moment ago, Chen Beixuan killed the Family Lord of the Lu family in front of all the other martial artists."

"Lord Lu?" Before Xiao Mang figured out who that was, Guo Baisheng's face paled. "Isn't Lord Lu a Grandmaster?"

"Indeed." Mu Shan said bitterly.

Gao Baisheng was stunned by the news. His face changed colors as a pang of emotion seized him. In the end, he threw the weight on the ground and stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Guo Xiaomang shouted after him but Gao Baisheng didn't listen. Mu Shan heaved a sigh and said: "Let him be."

"This is a test for him. If he can't pass this test, he would never have a chance of becoming a Grandmaster"

"Uncle-Master Mu, is Chen Beixuan really a Grandmaster?" Guo Xiaomang asked in disbelief. He was just a kid, how could he be a Grandmaster?

The more powerful a martial artist was, the more they understood the difficulties in making progress. Every seemingly insignificant improvement came at the price of countless hours of training. Even some of the most talented martial artists were stuck at the level just below the Grandmaster level. Try as they might, the bottleneck persisted and the only thing they could do was to keep at it decades after decades.

However, Chen Fan appeared out of nowhere and reached the Grandmaster level with incredible ease.

"Lu Tianfen is a real Grandmaster. He dominated the martial arts world in Southern China for decades. The fact that Chen Beixuan was able to do away with him spoke loudly of Chen Beixuan's power." Mu Shan muttered as his eyes lost focus slightly.

When he first returned from his humiliating defeat, he was hopeful that Chen Beixuan was just a Physique Refinement master and if he had used the secret art, he might be able to counter Chen Beixuan's killing blow. However, when the news of the Martial Arts Conference reached him, he knew he was wrong.

"I don't think me and Baisheng would ever surpass Chen Beixuan in our lifetime. Our only hope for revenge now rests on Zhentang."

Mu Shan looked into the distance wistfully.

The news quickly spread to Ba Ji sect, the Gu family, the Xin Yi Sect and many other martial arts families. Everyone was talking about the same topic.

"Have you heard of the Young Grandmasters from Jiang Bei?"

"You mean that Master Chen? Not him again, someone told me already. I say he is a fraud!"

"I think not. Have you heard that Lord Lu was killed this morning?"

"What? The Lord of the Lu Family, Lu Tianfen? He.. he is a Grandmaster, isn't he? By who?"

"Chen Beixuan from Chu Zhou City!"

Chen Fan suddenly rose to the center stage and became the dominating power of the martial arts landscape. He transformed himself from a young kid to the youngest Grandmaster and a legend in history.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 174: Gone Fishing

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territory, Country of the Maple Leaf.

The Northwest Territory was a near-arctic province in Canada. The land was vast, one million and seventy square kilometers in total and thanks to its extreme altitude, it's average temperature was 40 celsius below 0 and the total population was only forty-two thousand.

The Great Bear Lake was one of the biggest lakes in Canada. It was thirty-one square kilometers with an average depth of 400 meters. The lake was permanently covered by a layer of jagged ice, making maritime navigation impossible. looking from a bird's eye' view, it looked like a giant mirror made out of ice.

On the island in the middle of the lake sat an elderly man.

Despite the old man's white hair that suggested his real age, his face was youthful. He was wearing a white parka, which made him blend into his surroundings perfectly. From afar, he looked like an ice sculpture on the lake. Before him by his feet was a little hole that he had drilled into the ice for ice fishing.

However, the old man's method of ice fishing was very different than the conventional method.

He carried no rods nor fishing lines. One of his hands hovered over the hole, holding onto a shimmering line as thin as hair. The white background made it impossible to tell if the shimmering line was a trick of the eyes or if it was real. The line reached into the hole and kept going for some unknown depth.

If Lu Tianfen was still alive to see this old man's fishing line, he would have been impressed.

The Cloud Hand of the Lu family was powerful yet adaptable. They could condense the Qi into a thin thread; however, these threads could not contain its shape for long. The old man had been sitting on the lake, holding the same thread for over a decade, and the white hair-thin thread hadn't wavered yet. To pull it off, the old man must have incredible control over his Internal Force that could easily outshine even the Grandmaster Lu Tianfen.

"Huw!" "Huw!" "Huw!"

A helicopter could be heard coming toward the island. It was lowering its altitude as it approached. When it was only a few dozen meters above the ground, a shadow jumped out.

When the man was still falling, he swept out his arms like a bird and shot out a puff of white cloud from his back. These clouds congealed quickly and formed a parachute and carried the man safely and softy onto the ground.

The man came closer. He was a middle age man in his thirties. His hair was as dark as midnight and his handsome features were chiseled onto his face. He had a pair of deep-set eyes that glinted in the sunlight, gloomy but irritably charming. It was obvious that he was of multiracial heritage. If the fangirls of boy bands saw his face, their eyes would turn into hearts as they would scream at the top of their lungs.

Any elite from Northern Canada would have recognized this face that belonged to the leader of the Chinese community in Canada. He held many honorary titles as well as functional positions in the government. Rumor had it that he was the boss of the underground criminal ring. He was also the head of the Hong Sect and was in charge of numerous shady businesses that were carried out under the table. The money that passed through his hands amounted to over a few billions of US dollars each year.

However, this man walked over to the old man with a great measure of respect. He said in fluent Chinese: "Master Lei."

"Hi."

The old man opened his eyes.

"Sthththla!"

A flash of lightning shot through the void space as the old man landed his gaze on a flake of snow before him. The heavy snowflake evaporated almost instantly. The old man was powerful enough to turn his gaze into a weapon.

The middle aged man noticed the energy coming out from the old man's eyes, so he set his head even lower.

He knew that the old man's system was so full of soul energy that it started to spill out. With that knowledge in mind, he bowed to the old man and said: "Master Lei, you are getting closer to the Immortal State each day."

"I am still quite away from my goal." The old man's voice was dry and hoarse, it was as if he hadn't spoken for ages. "The Immortal State is an elusive and slippery thing. Of all the martial artists in the world, only a very few of them were able to obtain the Immortal State. So far, I have only completed my True Qi cultivation and was nearing the peak of the Transcendent State."

"To reach Internal Force, one will need to strengthen their physical condition, to reach the Transcendent State, they need to refine the Qi, and to reach the Immortal State, one would need to cultivate the essence of immortality."

"Physical Strength and True Qi will not be enough for reaching the Immortal State. To reach the godly Immortal State, one would have to cultivate one's Soul energy until it was powerful enough to summon lighting in the void space and obtain the ability of telekinesis in the real world. Even after gaining those abilities, one could only finally have a glimpse of the power of the Immortal State."

The old man said slowly, while the middle aged man stood respectfully and listened attentively, fearing to miss even a word out of the old man's mouth.

What the old man had to offer were top secrets of the martial arts world. No regular Grandmaster were able to come to such a conclusion and even fewer were willing to share the wisdom.

"What do you want from me this time?" The old man asked after he had finished his lesson.

He had kept himself in seclusion in the northern tundra for over a decade. For most of the time, he simply sat around the fishing hole and cultivated his Qi while fishing. He drank the icy water from the lake and killed animals for food. Thanks to the loneliness and the quietness around him, he was able to dedicate all of his attention into his cultivation. Slowly, as his True Qi merged with the Arcane energy in nature, he became one with nature and started to understand the deepest meaning of life.

This middle aged man was one of his best disciples. He was in control of the entire North American Chinese community and unless absolutely necessary, he would not disturb his master's peaceful cultivation.

"Master Lei, Lin Hu is dead." The middle age man lowered his head and spoke under his breath.

"Hum." The old man answered readily.

Lin Hu was one of his countless disciples, and not a very particular outstanding one either. So, he wouldn't care less if Lin Hu was dead. If he had to moan the passing of each and every one of his disciples, and his disciples' disciples, he would never have time for his cultivation.

The old man knew that his chief disciple would not disturb him for such frivolous matters. So he waited for the real news patiently.

"The man who killed him was seventeen year old boy." The middle aged man continued.

"Oh?" The old man raised an eyebrow, his interest was piqued.

Although Lin Hu was a far cry from his best disciples, he had reached the peak level of Internal Force cultivation, plus, he had learned the powerful Art of Thousand Trickeries directly from the old man himself.

The old man was taken by surprise to learn that a seventeen year old young man could have killed Lin Hu. However, surprise was all he felt, and his reaction stopped there.

He was at the precipice of power in the world. Only a very few people who were practically the stuff of legends would have rivaled his prowess. He had met a few young heroes like the boy who killed Lin Hu throughout his life and some of them ended their lives while combating him.

"That boy's name is Chen Beixuan, and he must have reached the Transcendent State lately. So people are calling him the Young Grandmaster." The middle age man put in.

"Young Grandmaster!" The old man's face hardened more if it was even possible.

To achieve the level of Grandmaster required a lot of dedication. Even the old man himself didn't have what it took to work on it until he was thirty. It was unthinkable that a seventeen-year-old boy could have already achieved such power. That being said, the old man was aware that there were a few well-hidden mystic arts and special elixirs that could boost one's attainment straight to the Transcendent State. He knew at least one Daoism Sect that practiced hermeticism that might have possessed such mystic arts.

If that was how the boy achieved his Transcendent State, he had no chance of advancing his cultivation any further since the rushed progress would have spent his potential.

"Indeed. We heard news from China three days ago that he had killed the family Lord of the Lu Family, Lu Tianfen in front of a large crowd of martial artists." The middle aged man's voice trembled a little. Hearing the news coming out from his mouth, he still found it surreal.

"Some of the witnesses claimed that Lu Tianfen looked like a plaything in his hands. During the brief confrontation, the boy was unharmed. Someone suggested that the boy was both a Transcendent Master, as well as a Physique Refinement Grandmaster."

"snap!"

The white line in the old man's hand was suddenly broken from about two inches above the water surface. The loose strand fell to the calm water, like a lock hair.

"Master Lei!"

The middle age man was shocked by the development.

He knew that his master had been holding on the same fishing line ever since he started cultivation on the tundra. He fused the line with his True Qi every morning, strengthening it and extending it just so slightly. Over time, the quick-dissipating Qi had materialized into a solid form and reached miles long under the ice cover.

However, it was suddenly snapped after the old man heard the news. The nearly inaudible snap spoke loudly of the old man's distraught mental condition.

"That's fine." The old man remained calm. However, a light started to glow in his eyes. "Lu Tianfen was not a powerful man. Despite his reputation as a Grandmaster, his performance was disappointing during our secret duel. To bad that I couldn't kill him myself back then."

The middle aged man's face changed color when he heard the old man's words.

The old man was regarded by the world as the most powerful Grandmaster whose needs had already transcended the worldly matters. It was hard to imagine that a boy could have done something that even the old man conceded that he couldn't just a few years ago.

"Grandmasters are the true dragons. Defeating a Grandmaster is one thing, but killing one is entirely a different matter. It should have been impossible." The old man suddenly sprung to his feet as he spoke.

In his previous haunched position, he looked scrawny and thin. Now he stood upright and pushed his chest out, looking like a sky-bound spruce tree or an unsheathed long sword that shone through the night.

"Our fight happened seventeen years ago. Now, I won't even need both hands if I want to do away with Lu Tianfen."

The old man stamped on the ground as he said so.

Suddenly, a wave of explosions rippled out from under the old man's feet. The thick ice covers were blown off the lake, revealing bubbling water underneath.

From the broken ice cover, a hundred-meter long web made out of thin white threads rose into the air. In the net were countless trout, pikes and white fish. They jumped and thrashed around in the net, trying to break free. Among the fish was a two-meter-long seal. It writhed and wiggled its plump body in the net but to no avail.

"It. It.."

The middle aged man was stunned by sight. He knew that the large net was not made out of any material of this word, instead, it was formed by condensed True Qi. The fish in the net would weight over a few tons, yet the old man could hold them by just using his True Qi. How powerful exactly was he?

"Ten years ago, I had a single strand of thread, now, I have a huge net that can capture a dragon and cut through metal. With his deadly weapon, I wouldn't need to lift a finger should I want to kill Lu Tianfen."

The old man let out a peal of laughter.

Suddenly, the Qi Net folded into itself like a shrinking cage.

"Sthththtla!"

The fish and the marine mammals that were trapped in the net were sliced into countless chunks of bloody flesh, each the size of a pinky finger and were surprisingly uniform in shape. Blood poured down like a summer storm, turning the lake into a sea of blood. Looking from afar, it looked like a flower of death had bloomed a few hundred meters above the silent lake.

"Master Lei."

The middle aged man dropped to his knees in sheer awe.

The old man's power had exceeded his wildest imagination. What was the difference between his master and an immortal? He asked himself.

Lei Qianjue linked his hands behind his back and sauntered away, without wasting one more glance at the place where he had spent his last ten years of life. From the void dimension, a voice drifted in. "Let's go. I will go to China and meet Chen Beixuan."

"Yes, Master Lei!"

The middle aged man looked up, eyes glinting with joy.

It has been seventeen years since his master returned to the safety of seclusion to recuperate his injury. But now, he was back and was more determined than ever to change China.

"Chen Beixuan and Ye Nantian, just wait. This time, the Hong Sect will finally even the score with you."

The middle aged man said as murderous intent burned in his eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 175: Heading For The Medicine God Valley

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"The Diamond Temple offers its Mystic Arts: the Diamond Body"

"Noted."

"The Li Family of Green Vines offers a hundred-year-old herb."

"That could be useful."

"Su Wudi from the Xin Yi Sect waits for your audience to apologize and repent his crime."

"He can wait a bit longer..."

Lu Yanwu announced the gifts and read out loud the letters of apology for Chen Fan, she left the decision to Chen Fan's discretion. The Diamond Temple, Xin Yi Sect and the Xin family all had insulted a Grandmaster, and therefore they all handed in their pledges and their sincere apologies.

"The Flying Knife Sect handed in a yacht that was worth seventy million US dollars..." Lu Yanwu couldn't help but chortling while she read it out loud.

Din Yidao was Ding Pen's master. He was a Phenomenal Success Internal Force cultivator who was best known for his knife throwing skills. He claimed that he could make a throwing knife fly faster than the speed of sound. After he realized that Chen Fan was a new Grandmaster, he handed over his newly purchased luxury yacht as a pledge of his loyalty.

"Humph! What's next? Some supermodels?"

Jin Yi stood aside and snorted coldly.

Her words had been bitter ever since her master was severed in half before her naked eyes. After Chen Fan had delivered his punishment to the Medicine God Valley Sect, Jin Yi was convinced that Chen Fan was going to send her after her master. However, to her surprise, Chen Fan spared her and kept her close at all the time.

Jin Yi's real name is Zhou Jin Yi. There and then, she was neither confined physically or mentally to be close to Chen Fan. She still had her personal freedom and even a few pieces of Dharma Artifacts at her disposal, however, she never once thought about running away.

It would be futile to run away from Chen Fan.

Zhou Jin Yi's master, Elder Qi was a Dao-Reaching Level caster who was in possession of powerful protection artifacts. The wooden beads contained seventeen protection spells and each required over a month to be woven into the Heaven Beads. To finish all Seventeen of them would take a year and a half.

In fact, even that number was a gross underestimation of the time that went into creating the artifact. The beads took well over six years to complete and therefore were extremely precious. An artifact like that was reserved only for the moment of life and death.

However, even a Perfected cultivator such as Elder Qi with his powerful artifact could not ward off Chen Fan's attack. This made Zhou Jin Yi doubt that even the Sect Master would be able to handle Chen Fan.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't like it." Lu Yanxue flung back at her.

Lu Yanwu stood aside and dared not to speak a word. The two women in front of her were both Chen Fan's confidants, or so it would appear. One was rumored to be Chen Fan's girl, the other was his prize after the battle. It would not end well if she got herself involved with the two's quarrel.

Lu Yanwu was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but her power was a far cry from that of Chen Fans.

"Chen Beixuan, can you have even a shred of decency in you? Why do you want me here? Are you going to make a mistress out of me?" Zhou Jin Yi looked directly at Chen Beixuan and chided.

Lu Yanxue looked to Chen Fan, Jin Yi was not the only one who wanted to ask the same question.

Chen Fan lolled in a rosewood armchair and was savoring a cup of tea. He put down the teacup after he heard the question. However, he didn't offer an answer. Instead, he announced: "I think I am done here, time to get on to my real business."

"What real business?" Lu Yanxue was taken aback. She then asked: "Are you leaving?"

Chen Fan didn't answer. He looked to Zhou Jin Yi and said: "Well, aren't you wondering why I didn't kill you? Here's why. I need you to lead me to the Medicine God Valley Sect. Your sect insulted me and I think the thousand-year-old herbs should be enough to wash your sin away."

"How dare you!" Zhou Jin Yi rounded her eyes in shock and anger. "You killed my master, now you want to pillage my sect?"

"Just kill me, I won't lead you to the sect." Zhou Jin Yi shut her eyes and lifted her chin. She was ready to be martyred.

The cousins from the Lu family furrowed their brows in disapproval; of Chen Fan's coldheartedness as well.

Zhou Jin Yi was not nearly as pretty as those girls from the Lu family, but she was attractive in her own right, carrying an air of serenity with her at all times it would be a shame if Chen Fan killed such a fair young lady.

"Fine." Chen Fan said lightly. "You are not the only person who knows where the Medicine God Valley Sect is. I just thought that you could be a guide, but you are not irreplaceable."

"You!" Zhou Jin Yi gave Chen Fan a vengeful glare.

Chen Fan stood still and looked indifferent to the girl's distressed emotion. Neither did he sound like he was joking about killing the girl.

As a Celestial Lord, once he had given his word, he would never take them back.

"Fine, I agree to your terms." Zhou Jin Yi's face changed color as she lowered her head.

She believed that Chen Fan would kill her without any hesitation. Let it be Lu Tianfen, Lu Tianlong or Elder Qi, any one of them had a much heftier impact on the world than her. If Chen Fan could kill them with a cold heart, so he could to her.

"Then Let's go. "

Chen Fan turned around and started off. The two cousins paused for a second before they tried to catch up with him. Zhou Jin Yi was left alone in the room still trying to come to terms with the humiliation. She clenched her fists tightly as helplessness and shame gleamed in her eyes.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan left Lin City with Zhou Jin Yi and Tong Shan without notice.

They thought that Chen Fan would squander the Lu family's wealth while he sat in the seat of power as a victor. To prepare for the foreseeable increase in expenses, the Lu Family had even set aside a few billion yuan just so that Chen Fan would enjoy his life. The family had decided that Lu Yanwu should also serve Chen Fan personally and to mend the rift between the Grandmaster and the Lu Family.

However, Chen Fan left everything behind without a word. He had withdrawn zero yuan from the Lu Family's account.

Even Zhou Jin Yi was perplexed by Chen Fan's action. "Do you have any idea about the amount of wealth you could take with you? Just what is registered on the book was worth over a few hundred billion. Are you going to forsake all of that and leave here for good?"

It was difficult for even Grandmasters to make over a hundred billion.

In this day and age, knowing how to fight was no longer an essential skill.

"You think too lightly of me." Chen Fan lolled in his chair, eyes half closed.

Money was nothing to him. The only thing he cared about right now was the thousand-year-old herbs from the Medicine God Valley Sect. With these powerful herbs, he might be able to form the Dao Body and enter the Ethereal Enlightenment level. By then, he could walk the earth freely unchallenged.

"How arrogant!" Zhou Jin Yi lowered her head and murmured under her breath. "Humph! We will see. I can't wait to see my Sect Master make you pay for what you have done!"

As the disciple of the Medicine God Valley Sect, she was confident in her Sect Master's power. After all, the Sect Master was a Perfected Cultivator, the crowned King of Elixirs. Plus, the Sect Master was not the only person who was strong enough to stand up against Chen Fan, there were also many elders and disciples who were as powerful as Elder Qi. Even a Grandmaster would waver before the combined might of all warriors from the Medicine God Valley Sect.

The three took a train and headed further south.

Thanks to Lu Family's connections, they were able to get train tickets for everyone, including Tong Shan.

Tong Shan's hulking frame took up an entire row of seats, forcing Zhou Jin Yi to sit back with Chen Fan in the same section.

"Why don't you take a plane? Just check in this big guy as your luggage."

"It's not safe."

Chen Fan uttered three words and became silent.

Although the plane would be much faster than trains, Chen Fan could not guarantee his safety just yet should the plane crash. Chen Fan was not in a hurry and therefore, a train was a much better option safety wise.

Having been brushed off by Chen Fan, Zhou Jin Yi felt anger bursting in her again. So she, too, put up a silent protest.

The three sat in the train without talking to each other as the train drove south.

The Medicine God Valley Sect was hidden in the mountains and was very difficult to find. Most people knew only a rough area where the sect was located, but not the exact location. This was where Zhou Jin Yi came in. He could have searched the mountain by himself, but he was too lazy to do that, so he decided to bring Zhou Jin Yi with him. He would knock on the door, get the Spirit Medicine and bug out.

A group of cab drivers swarmed them as soon as they were out of the train station. Tong Shan took a step forward and scared them off.

"How far are we from the Medicine God Valley Sect?"

Chen Fan asked lightly

"Take a bus to Dragon Head City and then transfer to Shao Shan County. From there, we could enter the mountain from the Lin Shan village. It's about three days of hiking in the mountain." Zhou Jin Yi answered.

"That far? How long does it take you to get out of there and get back every time you decided to leave?" Chen Fan asked with knitted brows.

"Humph. If we don't hide well, our sect would be flooded with people like you trying to ask for a cure." Zhou Jin Yi refuted.

"I am not going to ask for a cure, I'm just fetching something I need." Chen Fan said. Zhou Jin Yi felt that she wanted to strangle the arrogant teenage boy there and then.

When the night fell, the three of them stayed at Dong Hua City for the night. Zhou Jin Yi picked the hotel and it was a president suit in a five-star hotel. A night would cost Chen Fan over ten thousand yuan.

Chen Fan swiped his bank card and paid the expanse without a second thought.

He had given most of his money to Sister An, but he still had a few bank cards with him. Each card should have a few hundred million in them.

On the second day, they decided to rent a car and drive to Lin Shan village by themselves to save the headache of transferring from one bus to another.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 176: The Zhu Siblings

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan and his companions checked with the front desk and got a number of the best car rental company in the city. Chen Fan made the call, and as soon as the manager heard that these customers are heading toward Dragon Head City, he booked a vehicle for them on their system right away.

Right before noon, Chen Fan arrived at the Far Sale car rental company. They were greeted by the manager at the door. He recognized the number Chen Fan called from was the front desk number of the five-star hotel, and therefore he wagered that these customers could afford the most luxurious line of rental cars he could offer. The car would have to be worth at least fifty thousand Yuan, so he thought.

Lo and behold, Chen Fan had asked something that was big and spacious with good off-road capability. They were heading toward the Medicine God Valley Sect set deep inside the mountain, it was highly likely that they would traverse through treacherous paths. If the car sat low to the ground, it would not be able to survive the potholes or stubborn gnarly roots. Plus, they had Tong Shan with them, therefore, the interior had to be spacious.

"We sure have something that you will like. I have a sports version of the Land Rover, fully decked out inside. It's much bigger than a normal SUV inside. However, the rental fee is on the steep side. It will cost ten thousand yuan a day." He studied the three customers carefully, measuring their financial capability in his mind.

Chen Fan didn't waste a word and fished out his bank card.

"A platinum card?" The manager was elated as he swallowed down his doubts.

This young man looked seventeen, however, he had a platinum level credit card. That means he has at least over a hundred million yuan saved up at the bank.

"He must be a playboy from a super-rich family or what not." With that thought in mind, the manager walked away lightheartedly to have someone pull out the Land Rover. Since the vehicle was huge in size and difficult to control, the manager had assigned a Chauffeur to his customers free of charge.

Chen Fan accepted the offer and was on his way. The Chauffeur was a very experienced driver and he drove among places in Lin Xi Province all the time. Dragon Head City was one of his most frequent stops. Although he never heard of the Lin Shan village, he should be able to find it by following the GPS.

Once the car hit the toll road, Chen Fan spoke to Zhou Jin Yi again: "Can you tell me everything about Medicine God Valley Sect now?"

"Humph! Fine, I might as well make you feel hopeless in your mission." Zhou Jin Yi snorted. "The Medicine God Valley Sect can trace our lineage to the ancient Daoist set of Tripod Cauldron Elixir. Although creating elixirs was our main business, our Sect Master had reached Dharma Cultivation level five years ago. We also have at least four elders who just like my master, had reached the peak level of the Dao-Reaching Level, and another twenty who were of the same level but haven't reached the peak yet.

"In addition, the Sect also had many sect-servants. Three of them had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation. The rest, about thirty in total, were all of the Phenomenal Success in their cultivation."

"There are that many people in your sect?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

So far, he had only met two Dharma Spell sects: The Ghost Witch Sect and the Yin Ghost Sect. The Ghost Witch Sect aside, Yin Ghost Sect was puny in its power. Other than Wu Shanhe and his sect brothers, none of the sect's disciples had reached the Dao-Reaching Level.

However, in the Medicine God Valley Sect, just the number of Dao-Reaching Level cultivators had reached more than thirty, not to mention a large number of martial artists. It must be a super sect in the eyes of other sects.

"I hope it makes you think twice about your plan. The Medicine God Valley Sect is a force to be reckoned with." Zhou Jin Yi lifted her chin and snorted. "Without so many powerful fighters, our sect would have long since perished amidst the fierce competition. By then, the only two sects that knew the art of Elixir Brewing are the Medicine God Valley Sect and the Li Family of Green Vines."

"The Li Family's customers are mainly the rich and powerful, therefore, they had strong backings to avert any crisis. However, the Medicine God Valley Sect was hidden deep in the mountains and lacked the connections with the world to protect itself. Therefore, we must rely on our own strength."

Chen Beixuan said lightly: "Well, you guys are indeed stronger than I had thought. But it's an annoyance at the most, not impossible. The Medicine God Valley Sect will never be able to stop me from doing what I want."

"You!" Zhou Jin Yi felt the anger burning inside of her once again.

She had always had a quiet and calm demeanor, however, she found it increasingly hard to hold in her emotions ever since she met Chen Fan. Although she was aware that Elder Qi had brought his own destruction, she hated Chen Fan for killing him.

After a while, the silence returned to the car.

Chen Fan took out the Connate Spirit Wood he had taken away from Zhou Jin Yi by force and started to harness the Spirit Qi inside of it. This Connate Spirit Wood was from the Connate Spirit Tree, and therefore the Spirit Qi contained in it was much purer than those in normal jade stones.

"The Spirit Qi in this wood should help me finish about one-fifth of my Dao Body. The rest of my progress would have to rely on the Spirit Medicine in the Medicine God Valley Sect. Once I have gained the Dao Body I should be able to reach Ethereal Enlightenment right away." Chen Fan thought to himself.

Ethereal Enlightenment and the Foundation Establishment were not only the name of two levels but also two entirely different states of existence. Once one reached the Ethereal Enlightenment, the Immortal Enlightenment would not be too far.

By then, he would no longer need to use physical force in order to kill, he simply needed to think about it, and the Immortal Enlightenment would do the job for him.

The car rolled toward Dragon Head City and no one spoke a word inside. Around noon, the driver pulled the car to a stop so that the passengers could get off to have some lunch.

Chen Fan didn't need lunch since the Essence Gathering Pill had provided his daily sustenance. However, the same cannot be said about the chauffeur and Zhou Jin Yi. Their bodies needed mortal fuel.

The million yuan vehicle, the Chauffeur, a bodyguard, and the gorgeous faces, everything around Chen Fan suggested that he was a blue-blooded son of a super-rich family; it looked gaudy and conspicuous.

Chen Fan didn't mind the attention, he had long since gotten used to it after five hundred years of playing a galactic hero. however, Zhou Jin Yi was not used to so many gazes on her. She couldn't help but suspecting that people actually thought she was the mistress of an arrogant little shit.

Therefore, she put on an elegant looking hat and lowered the bill to cover her face. After that, she felt much more comfortable.

"No one is looking at you, why do you need the hat?" Chen Fan's casual remark nearly brought out the tears in Zhou Jin Yi's eyes. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself: "I am beautiful, no matter what they say, words can't bring me down, I am beautiful."

Suddenly, a fleet of cars pulled over beside Chen Fan's car. The car at the front of the fleet was an S series Mercedes-Benz. A couple emerged from the car and then a few bodyguards in black suits followed from the jeep behind them.

"Shoot, these guys are more conspicuous than the rich boy. Look at those bodyguards!" Someone exclaimed.

"Waifu, come see the super-rich. One day, If I am rich, I will drive a Mercedes-Benz as well and bring a dozen muscle men with me." Another man said as his eyes turned green with envy.

Among everyone's impressed stares, the couple entered the restaurant, trailing behind a group of bodyguards.

When the men in black entered the restaurant, they all looked at Tong Shan. Tong Shan was too out of place among normal people. His size screamed threat at everyone around him. After a while, the newcomers finally noticed Chen Fan and Zhou Jin Yi.

Chen Fan had an average look and therefore didn't catch as much attention as Zhou Jin Yi. Zhou Jin Yi's hat was not able to hide her pointy chin and the touch of rosy red on her lower lip. Although she lacked a coy charm, her presence had arrested the attention of the young man leading the group.

"Brother, stop ogling! We need to hurry."

The girl beside the young man complained.

"Oh what? I am not ... ogling." The young man cracked an embarrassed smile.

The two groups sat on either side of the dining hall and started ordering dishes. However, the young man kept on glancing at Zhou Jin Yi surreptitiously. As a member of a large family, he had his fair share of sightings of beautiful girls. A charming and glamorous beauty like Zhou Jin Yi had always been his favorite. Driven by his young and restless curiosity, he wanted to know what Zhou Jin Yi looked like under that hat. However, he had little time for such frivolous matters; he was on a mission.

Chen Fan and his companions left the restaurant as soon as they finished eating.

It was a long ride. They passed half a dozen cities and stopped to eat and rest. Along their way, they met that group of strangers again during one of the breaks.

In the night, they pulled over for dinner and met the group for the third time. The young man could no longer withhold his curiosity so he approached Chen Fan and the girl. "I wager you guys are heading toward Dragon Head City?"

"Dragon Head City, Shan Yang County." Chen Fan replied lightly.

"Ah-Ha! What a coincidence! I am heading to Shan Yang County as well!" The man's eyes lit up with joy. He pressed on again: "Are you traveling with your wife?"

"I am not his wife, I have nothing to do with him." Zhou Jin Yi cut in.

"Ah, my apologies." A broad smile broke over his face. For the remainder of the conversation, the man mainly talked with Zhou Jin Yi.

The man was called Zhu Yuntao and the girl was her sister Zhu Ruohan. They were both from the Zhu family: a reputable family in Zhong Hai. The family had over billions of assets. They were on their way toward Dragon Head City to look for a cure for their father illness.

Zhou Jin Yi was in his early thirties. His clothes were custom fit to his body shape, and despite his average looks, he had a warm smile. His upbringing and also given him a gentle air. Even Zhou Jin Yi who always been very judgmental of man felt a slight approval of him.

"Looking for a cure at the Shan Yang County? Are you going to the Medicine God Valley Sect?" Chen Fan asked abruptly.

"So you have heard of it too?" Zhu Yuntao exclaimed.

The Medicine God Valley Sect was a well-hidden secret among only a few selected groups. Even the Zhu family didn't know its existence until they heard it from a family friend. The family friend was treating his father at the time, but after the friend's attempt failed, he suggested them to look for help at the Medicine God Valley Sect.

Zhu Yuntao had thought that only an heir of a prestigious family such as himself was worthy of the information about Medicine God Valley Sect, so realizing that a random seventeen-year-old he met knew the sect surprised him. He wagered that there were more than what meets the eye of Chen Fan and his companions.

With that thought in mind, Zhu Yuntao asked abruptly: "So... are you guys going to ask for a cure from the Medicine God Valley Sect as well?

"That will be fantastic! we can travel together!" Zhu Yuntao clapped his hands excitedly and said.

Chen Fan kept his silence while Zhou Jin Yi sneered at the young man in her mind.

The little shit in front of him was not going to ask for a cure, he was going to take medicine by force.

After learning that Chen Fan was heading toward the Medicine God Valley Sect as well, a broad smile broke over Zhu Yuntao's face and was ready to cozy up with the attractive girl. He heard his sister chide him.

"Brother, why do you disclose our mission to strangers? What if they mean us no good?"

Zhou Jin Yi was visibly irritated by her words, and Zhu Yuntao let out an embarrassed smile.

Chen Fan sat still and pretended that he didn't hear anything.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 177: A Hidden Paradise

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"My apologies, Mr. Chen and Miss Zhou. My sister has been upset about our father's sickness and therefore is a little edgy. please forgive him."

Zhu Yuntao apologized.

Zhou Jin Yi was touched by his fumble words, and even Chen Fan nodded in approval. Such was the right attitude of an heir from a powerful family. Only those who lacked forbearance and abilities would act disdainfully and presumptuously.

"What kind of ailment does your father have? Why do you have to look for medicine here?" Chen Fan asked.

At Chen Fan's level, if he was not interested in a matter, he would never speak a single word. The fact that he asked the man a question meant that he was open to help him out. If Zhu Yuntao knew Chen Fan's power, he might be ecstatic by now. Zhu Yuntao shook his head and said with a wry smile: "It's not an ailment; it's some kind of unknown poison. The Daoist Elder Xian from the Purple-Gold Daoist Temple is our family friend, and he suspected that our father had been cursed by a spell from the Miao's Land or worse, it could be a Magus Poison. Due to its otherworldly nature, he suggested us to look for help at the Medicine God Valley Sect."

"It is poison then." Zhou Jin Yi nodded.

No wonder that girl was so cautious. Her father was not poisoned by any ordinary venom, it sounded more like a curse spell or some kind of Magus Poison. It was obvious that someone wanted to harm their father, and her caution was justified.

"I wonder where Mr. Chen and Miss Zhou come from? And what brings you two to the Medicine God Valley Sect?" Zhu Yuntao suddenly asked with a more serious tone.

"I am from Chu Zhou City and as for my reason to visit Medicine God Valley Sect..." Chen Fan kept his silence and didn't say more. Zhu Yuntao noticed Chen Fan's reluctance and therefore decided to leave it at that. He asked again: "Chu Zhou City? The same Chu Zhou City from Jiang Nan Province? I know a guy called Boss Yan from there; he owns a textile company."

"Fatty Yan." Chen Fan nodded.

"That's right, that is the same Boss Yan. So you are indeed from the Chu Zhou City." Zhu Yuntao heaved a sigh.

Fatty Yan was a reputable businessman in Chu Zhou City, but rarely anyone outside of Chu Zhou City knew his name. The fact that Chen Fan could blurt out his nickname meant that he was really from Chu Zhou City. Fortunately, the Zhu family had only allies, but no rivals in Chu Zhou City.

Zhu Yuntao put on an even warmer smile after he had cleared up the suspicions.

He was a well educated young man with great attention to detail and had a greater sense of humor. Even Chen Fan felt relaxed enough to chime in on the conversation. However, his sister still crossed her arms over her chest and was sullen and quiet. Although she didn't speak a word, the sharpness in her gaze was hard to miss.

"They are brother and sister. One is candid and gentle; the other was disdainful and arrogant. They must have had very different upbringings." Chen Fan lamented.

Zhu Yuntao was brought up as the heir of the family; his eloquent and articulated words, as well as his breadth of knowledge, were impressive even among the elites.

No family heirs Chen Fan had met on his second life, such as Li Yichen or Chu Minhui would compare to the dashing young man in front of him. Even in his distant memory, only Shen Junwen could have rivaled his overall competency.

His sister Zhu Ruohan was above average looks. Her white Channel dress complemented the meticulous makeup on her face. Although she was brought up in the same family, neither her wits nor personality even came close to her brother. Chen Fan reckoned that the Zhu family didn't put too much attention on the girl's upbringing and their only hope for her was to form an alliance with another powerful family using her marriage.

"Well, since we are heading toward the same place, why don't we travel together?"

After dinner was over, Zhu Yuntao asked abruptly.

Zhou Jin Yi was down for it. She had enough of Chen Fan's cold shoulder and Tong Shan's stoic and expressionless face. It would be nice to have some new faces to travel with. Plus, the young man was well learned and had excellent manners; it was a delight to chat with him.

Zhu Ruohan pouted sullenly, and she kept her silent protest.

Chen Fan nodded distractedly. Therefore they drove the Land Rover to join the Zhu family's convey and headed toward Shan Yang County. It was midnight when they finally arrived at the Shan Yang County.

The Zhu family had booked the best luxurious hotel at the Shan Yang County, and Zhu Yuntao even booked rooms for Chen Fan and his companions. Although the money he saved was nothing to Chen Fan, he noticed Zhu Yuntao's social skills and his ability to influence others using small favors.

On the second day, the convoy rolled out of the parking lot toward the Lin Shan village.

When they finally got there, Zhu Yuntao started to look for a travel guide to lead them into the mountain. Chen Fan dismissed the Chauffer and returned the Land Rover back to the rental company. The path in the mountains was not suited for motor vehicles. Even the car with the best off-road ability wouldn't be able to make it far in the woods.

Due to the frequent need for guides, many locals had taken up the job to meet the demand. Therefore, it wasn't long before they had hired a guide.

"I have walked this way many times, and every time it was with rich people from the city like you bunch! They all say that they are here to ask for a cure from Sages living in the mountain. However, most visitors did not have what the sages were looking for in exchange, and therefore, they had to return empty handed."

The guide was a wizened man called Old Li.

He muttered as he drew a cloud of smoke from the expensive cigarette that the Zhu had given him as a token of goodwill.

"There are... sages in the mountain?" Zhu Yuntao asked curiously.

"Why, of course! The elders of the Medicine God Valley Sect are powerful sages. They can summon fire and commanding the flow of water, and of course, they are sages." Old Li said enviously.

"One year, one of those sage elders came into our village, and he said the young lad of my neighbor, Old Wang had the innard— or was it Inner Talent for cultivation. So the elder took him into the valley. There were over a dozen villages scattered in the mountains between here and yonder, any family who had a lad that was chosen by the sages would suddenly become well off."

Chen Fan was not surprised by the information Old Li had offered.

As a prestigious sect that controlled the art of Elixir Brewing, the Medicine God Valley Sect would not lack wealth. The rich families would line up to offer them tributes in order to get on their good side. A tiny fraction of this huge fortune would make any ordinary village family an epitome of opulence.

"So these sages will only help me if I have something they want?" Zhu Yuntao asked with furrowed brows.

He had hoped that the Medicine God Valley Sect would be much more of an altruistic sect, much like those traditional Chinese medicine doctors who cure patients for free.

"Of course. They are sages, so don't think you can attract them with money and what have you." Old Li said as he waggled his head.

"Humph! I don't believe you. If one million is not enough, we will offer ten million; if ten million is not enough, we will offer them a hundred million. We will bring them a hundred million in cash and put it right in front of their doorstep; then we will talk." Zhu Ruohan said with a cold smirk.

"Hehe... you can take your hundred million and go home right now." To her surprise, Old Li snorted and said: "There was a rich man from Hong Kong... what was their name?... Zhen or Zhong... I can't remember. But they hired me just like you bunch did and they offered the sages a billion for one of their cures. Guess what? The sages kicked them out nonetheless."

"From Hong Kong and their last name is Zhen? Could it be the Zhen Family of Hong Kong?" Zhu Yuntao asked abruptly.

"That's right. That's their name. They said their old grandpa is dying, so the granddaughter came to ask for a pill to save the old man. She had the same idea as this young lady here and tried to impress the sages with money and the like. But she was driven out of the valley and was forbidden to ever set foot into the Medicine God Valley Sect again." Old Li said.

Zhu Ruohan was suddenly at a loss for words and even Zhu Yuntao face changed color.

The Zhen family of Hong Kong was the real top dog in China. Lord Zhen was a reputable member of the Chinese community across the globe. The few billion-dollar businesses of the Zhu family could not compare.

Chen Fan was taken aback as well. He didn't think that the Zhen family would have come this far to look for a cure. He looked to Zhou Jin Yi and noticed the pride in her eyes and her smug face that read: "I told you so, Don't mess with the Medicine God Valley Sect!"

Chen Fan was lighthearted by her look. Why would he be even the slightest concerned if the Zhen family had to beg the Medicine God Valley Sect for what they wanted? All he had to do was to show up at their doorstep, take what he wanted, and leave. There was nothing the Medicine God Valley Sect could do to stop him.

Seeing the distressed face of his usually proud sister, Zhu Yuntao turned down a notch from his sister's braggy tone and asked: "Elder Li, in your opinion, what should we bring into the mountain to please the elders?"

It was the first time anyone ever called Old Lin elder, and this person was the heir of a powerful family. Such honorable treatment made his face bloom.

"You asked the right person! Based on my experience, I don't think the sages are at all interested in money. However, if you offer them jade, or precious herbs or antiques and Dharma Artifacts, they will most likely accept them."

"Antique, herbs, jades, and Dharma Artifacts... Ok..." Zhu Yuntao heaved a sigh.

Although Dharma Artifacts and herbs were hard to come by, antiques and jade were readily available on any market. Thanks to Daoist Elder Xian's suggestion, he had brought with him many precious jade stones on the trip. Now he felt lucky to have asked Daoist Elder Xian about more details before he left for his mission, otherwise if he thought only as much as his sister did, he would end up being thrown out of the sect's gate.

After everyone had was ready for the trip, they started toward their destination.

There was only one way that led to the Medicine God Valley Sect. It was a very torturous path that was riddled with patches of poisonous mist. Without a good guide, they would easily get themselves into trouble. Worse, many deadly beasts and poisonous snakes lurked behind the bushes, without Old Li's cautious eyes and their perceived strength in numbers, someone on the team might have already been injured.

"I wager only a martial artist could have traveled on this path. It's deadly for any ordinary person." Chen Fan thought to himself.

The perfect hideout deep in the woods and a large number of martial artists, such as those dozen Dao-Reaching Level cultivators, had given the Medicine God Vally Sect an unmatched defensive advantage. No wonder they could have survived centuries and still thrive.

After two days of trudging through the mountain path, they have finally arrived at the entrance to the Medicine God Vally Sect.

Old Li pointed to the valley in the distance and said: "There! That's the Medicine God Valley. I won't be able to get in with you. You have to ask permission first."

Everyone looked toward the direction where Old Li pointed. A cliff shear drop blocked their way, and only a small entrance was chiseled into to the cliff, serving as the entrance. However, even the entrance was blocked by a large wall made out of stones.

The stone wall was about five meters in height, and it encircled the entire valley. On the other side of the wall was a peaceful paradise.

"It's breathtaking." Zhu Ruohan exclaimed.

Suddenly, a few shadows appeared on the top of the wall. They jumped off the lip of the wall and then charged toward the visitors like galloping horses.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 178: The Rule Of The Medicine God Valley Sect

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Master Sage, these people are here to ask for your help."

Old Li bowed and then announced respectfully.

The people who came to them were wearing black gym outfits. Although they lived a hermit life, they were very much connected with the modern way of life. Therefore, their clothes were not the traditional styles that people would expect a "Master Sage" would be wearing.

The leader of the pack was a young man. His face was hard and proud. He snorted. "Haven't I told you that the Valley is closed off for the time being? Why did you bring them here?"

"Um... um... Old Li was at a loss for words. He wished that he could tell the sage how generous these guests were, but thought better of it."

"Fine, I will let it slide." The young man knew Old Li well and guessed the answer to his question by himself. He turned his head to scan the visitors. His gaze paused for only a brief second when it passed Zhou Jin Yi and the giant frame beside him.

Despite Tong Shan's huge size, the young man didn't take him too seriously, thinking he would just be a big target. Zhou Jin Yi's face was still concealed behind the bill of her hat, and therefore, the young man only thought the girl was slightly familiar but didn't recognize her as one of the sect members.

"You wish to ask for a cure?" The young man asked unenthusiastically.

"Yes, Master Sage. I am Zhu Yuntao from the Zhu family of Zhong Hai. This is my sister. Over there, that is Mr. Chen and Mis. Zhou. "Zhu Yuntao quickly gathered himself and introduced everyone.

"I am not a Master Sage. I am just a doorman. You can call me Meng Tian."

Despite Meng Tian's words, his voice was laced with pride and contempt.

Zhu Yuntao didn't believe him. He had watched as Meng Tian hopped off the five meters tall wall unharmed. Plus, even if he really was just the doorman, Zhu Yuntao would have to pass him first in order to get into the Sect anyways.

"You are too humble, Master Sage." Zhu Yuntao came closer to him with a smile and then produced a bank card which he shoved surreptitiously to Meng Tian's hand. There was a note that consisted of two lines of numbers on the bank card; the first line was the password, and the second was the number of cash available in the account. The second line was a six-figure number.

Meng Tian accepted the card expressionlessly.

It's the elders and alchemists who really didn't care for money; he was just a sect-servents, and one day he would be released from his service and live a normal life. Money could be a very useful thing for him.

Seeing Meng Tian had accepted the money, Zhu Yuntao felt a weight was off his mind.

A little smile also broke over Meng Tian's face.

"You have come at a bad time. The Elders and Alchemists were in a long meeting for a few days, discussing some important matters. Therefore, I doubt they would have time to help you."

"OH? What matter could have disturbed the peace of the elders?" Zhu Yuntao asked curiously.

Meng Tian smiled and kept his silence.

Chen Fan wagered that they were moaning for Elder Qi's death and trying to grasp the repercussions. A Dao-Reaching Level master was killed and their disciple Zhou Jin Yi was still missing. The elders of the sect must be shocked by the series of blows.

However, the sect members wouldn't mention these things easily to any outsiders.

"Fine, I will take you guys in and let you settle in first. You will have to wait for the elders and the alchemists' decisions." Meng Tian hesitated for a second and then said while gritting his teeth.

Zhu Yuntao was elated, and so he pressed another bank card into the doorman's hand.

Meng Tian accepted the second card with a nod. He reminded everyone. "Be quiet when you are in there and speak carefully while talking to a Alchemists. Otherwise, they will throw you out."

"Of course, of course!" Zhu Yuntao and his companions nodded.

The Medicine God Valley Sect's entrance was sealed off by a large stone wall, blocking the view of the sect from outsiders.

Once they passed the threshold, they found out that the valley was huge inside. It was as big as ten football fields, and it was sprawling with buildings. Many of them were two to three-story houses that looked like built a hundred years ago.

Unlike Chen Fan's imagination of this place, there were many ordinary people living inside the valley. Chen Fan wagered that they were the alchemists and the elder's families or friends. The population must have grown naturally over the centuries they had stayed in the valley.

At the very center of the valley was a large temple-like structure that was chiseled into the side of the mountain. The temple was mammoth in size and nearly covered the entire cliff.

"That is the Temple of the Medicine God. That's where the Sect Master lives. The elders and alchemists also meet there to discuss important matters. The area down here is where everyone else lives."

"I wonder if the Sect Master could help me?" Zhu Yuntao asked under his breath.

"Hehe. Sect Master is a powerful man. You can think of him as a Celestial Immortal. You would be lucky if you could have one of the elders lend you a hand." Meng Tian smirked.

Suddenly, a group of people rounded a corner and appeared at the other end the road. The leader of the pack was a somber-looking middle-aged man. Everyone moved away to the shoulder of the road to make way for them. Many lowered their heads submissively while the middle-aged man passed them.

Meng Tian hurried to the middle-aged man with a smile.

"Alchemists Hu, these people are here looking for cures."

Within the valley, the Sect Master was at the top of the food chain, and below him were sect elders and then the so-called alchemists. These were ordinary people or spellcasters who were skilled in brewing elixirs. Their skills had made them even more respectable than Dao-Reaching Level Martial Artists.

Alchemist Hu was in charge of the greeting and reception of guests.

"Oh?" Alchemists Hu furrowed his brows. "Haven't you received the order? Why did you bring them in?"

"Um..." The young man smiled awkwardly.

"Humph!" Alchemists Hu knew the door men's habit for collecting bank cards, so he snorted at Meng Tian but let the matter slide. He turned toward Zhu Yuntao and said:

"Gentlemen, the valley is off limits while the elders and alchemists discuss important issues. I wonder if you are willing to stay here for a few days and wait until this is all over?"

So saying, he pointed toward a group of people behind them.

"They are here looking for cures as well, and they have to stay here for a few more days."

Zhu Yuntao looked back and saw a group of people wearing fashionable clothing that made them stick out like a sore thumb among the residents of the valley. They are all rich businessmen and government officials from the city.

"But... my father is suffering as we speak. I don't think we can wait too long."

Zhu Yuntao's pulled a taut face.

It had taken him three days to get to the valley and add another three days back; it would be at least seven to eight days even if the elders could see them in two days before he could deliver the cure to his father. Daoist Elder Xian had promised to prolong his father's life for only ten days, after that, the venom would spread all over his body, and the ailment would be untreatable.

"sigh... I don't make the calls." Alchemists Hu shook his head.

"Alchemists Hu, can you please help us." Zhu Yuntao stopped forward and pressed something into Alchemists Hu's hands as he did to the doorman. To his surprise, the middle-aged man yanked his arms in displeasure, and he chided him.

"I have everything I need in the valley, even if you hand in your entire family fortune, I would not change my mind."

Zhu Yuntao was taken aback at first, but he quickly gathered himself and produced a mutton fat jade to replace the bank card. Almost instantly, a smile broke over Alchemists Hu's face.

"Fine, I am moved by your sincerity. There might be something I can do to help you."

Alchemists Hu pointed at a cobbled path that branched off from the main road. Chen Fan noticed that the path was connected to the Temple. Alchemists Hu said: "Our first Sect Master had set a rule that we have to cure anyone who is able to prove his dedication to his task. To do so, you would have to kneel and kowtow for each step you take along this path all the way to the Temple of the Medicine God."

Everyone looked at the path and realized that it was at least a few hundred meters in length, and it was covered with stone with jagged edges. If one had to kowtow all the way through the entire length of the path, their knee caps and forehead would be ground to the bones. The promise of getting hurt paled Zhu Ruohan's face.

However, Zhu Yuntao remained calm. He gritted his teeth and said.

"Very well, I can do anything for my father."

So saying, he dropped to both knees with a thud.

Alchemists Hu nodded approvingly as his lips curled into a smug smile.

The reason for the exception was to boost the prestige of the sect. Having the members of important families kneel and kowtow all the way to the residence of the Sect Master just to ask for a pill was a perfect display of power that would bring the sect even more respect and honor. For someone who was willing to lower themselves and put on a show for the sect, the sect would more than gladly to reward him with what he wanted.

"What a filial young lad."

"Indeed, not everyone could have done it."

"Isn't that Zhu Yuntao from the Zhu family? I met him in Zhong Hai. The Zhu family is lucky to have such an heir."

Everyone heaped praise onto the young man.

Hearing the approving remarks around her, Zhu Ruohan let out a smug smile. Two things in her life had always been her bragging rights: one was her own beauty, and the other was her brother.

However, Chen Fan furrowed his brows and lamented.

"He is just asking for a cure, not asking to be your slave. Why do you have to torture him like this?"

"Humph! This has always been the way, and it will always be. How dare you question our methods? "Alchemists Hu's face hardened. Inside the valley, no child dared to question an Alchemist.

"Only the purest of hearts can get the surest cure.

"If you are not dedicated to your tasks, you will never get anything. I will report your insolence to the elders to make sure of that!"

Many people had overheard Alchemist Hu's castigation, so they looked toward Chen Fan questioningly.

"Stop talking so disrespectfully before an Alchemist; If not because of Alchemist Hu's tolerance, you would have already been kicked out of there."

Zhu Ruohan pouted and took a jab at Chen Fan: "Even my brother didn't complain at all, what do you care?"

Chen Fan was a thorn in Zhu Ruohan's side ever since they met. She particularly disliked the girl with the hat who had been secretly flirting with her brother. One of Zhu Ruohan's BFF had a crush on her brother, and she had already promised her friend dibs on her brother.

"Sigh... this youngster is too brash. The alchemists are influential figures in the valley; he should have thought twice before he opened his mouth."

"He will learn the lesson the hard way."

"Yea... hehe... make it all the way to here for nothing."

A murmur rose among the crowd, many onlookers shook their heads and sighed.

The response of the crowd lent Alchemist Hu more confidence. He rubbed his beard and tried to look like wise Master Bak Mei in Kill Bill.

As the most prestigious sect in China that specialized in elixirs, the Medicine God Valley Sect should have the rules and attitude that befitted such a role; they had quite an appearance to keep up. Therefore, they wouldn't allow just anyone to ask for their favors.

"Who said I am here to ask for a cure?"

Chen Fan said abruptly.

Everyone was taken aback at first, but Alchemist Hu quickly gathered himself and asked with furrowed brows: "What is your business here? Trying to cause a racket?"

"I don't think so. I don't think he would even dare to think about challenging so many elders in our sect." Meng Tian said with a smirk.

Even Zhu Yuntao and Zhu Ruohan were surprised by Chen Fan's announcement. If he was not here for medicine, then what for?

Chen Fan took a step forward and shouted: "Chen Beixuan of Chu Zhou City, comes to greet the Sect Master of the Medicine God Valley Sect."

His booming voice rippled out from him and filled up the valley. The sound hit the cliffs and echoed back, further amplifying Chen Fan's voice. In a blink, Chen Fan's announcement had turned into a cacophony of disorienting noises.

"How dare you!"

Everyone was stunned by the sound and the development. Alchemist Hu pointed his finger at Chen Fan in disbelief.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 179: Besieged

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Great Hall... Medicine God Valley Sect...

Many sect elders and alchemists sat cross-legged in a circle, engaging in a heated deliberation. A few peak level Internal Force sect-servants also sat with them, putting in their two cents from time to time. This meeting had been going on for over a few days.

Ever since they learned the news of what had happened at the Lu Family of Lin City, the peace and serenity in the valley were broken.

Elder Qi was an influential elder in the sect, the third on the power rank list. The Medicine God Valley Sect could not come to terms with the fact that their third most powerful elder was killed by Chen Fan with one finger.

"Let's stop wasting our time. Let's request the sect master rally our warriors and in solidarity, we will overcome Chen Beixuan regardless of his power." An elder in a black robe growled.

"Hehe, Fifth Elder, who do you think you are? Are you Lu Tianfen or Ye Nantian? Chen Beixuan had killed even Lu Tianfen, what do numbers mean to someone that powerful?" A sultry woman said with a cold smirk.

"Zhou Ziyu, don't you forget that your sister is still in the hands of Chen Beixuan! We don't even know if she is still alive. Why don't you worry about your sister instead of snarking at me?" The elder in the black robe flung back at her.

"I snark at you exactly because I know that he has Jin Yi! We all know that a Grandmaster would not fear our advantage in numbers. Plus, even if we were able to rally a significant crowd, don't you think Chen Beixuan could just run away?" The sultry woman chortled.

"You..." The elder in black was at a loss for words.

"That's enough. Fifth Elder and Ziyu, both of you be quiet please." An old man with a wizened face spoke up.

The old man was the Grand Elder of the Medicine God Valley Sect. He was in charge of the sect during the absence of the sect master. Hearing his words, both Fifth Elder and Zhou Ziyu kept their silence and scowled at each other.

"We can't let Third Elder's death go unavenged. However, I don't think the Medicine God Valley Sect could pull it off alone. Chen Beixuan was constantly in transient therefore, if he so much as got a whiff of our plan, he could easily escape."

"Grand Elder, what are you getting at?" The elder in the black robe rounded his eyes at Grand Elder.

"What I'm trying to say is clear: it's impossible to capture Chen Beixuan with an army. The Grandmasters are true dragons, and they have the ability to escape any situation at will. However, if the Sect Master could call upon a couple of Grandmasters and Perfected Cultivators, and carry out the plan in secrecy, they might trap Chen Beixuan and capture him."

"Just so! Regardless of how powerful Chen Beixuan was, he would not be able to face off more than three Grandmasters at the same time. Plus, our Sect Master is a Perfected Cultivator and was no less powerful than a Grandmaster. The combined might of top martial artists and spellcasters should be able to bring down any individual" Someone chimed in.

"However, do you really think we could rally that many Grandmasters to our side?" Someone asked.

"Seventh Master, your concern is unwarranted. We had been creating elixirs for centuries and rallying a few Grandmasters or Perfected Cultivators shouldn't be a problem. "The Grand Elder laughed out loud as he waggled his head proudly.

"Indeed! I can't wait to see the death of Chen Beixuan!" The elder in the black robe smirked.

Everyone nodded in agreement—everyone, except for Zhou Ziyu.

Concern flickered in the woman's eyes as she found out that no one seemed to consider the fact that her sister was still held hostage by Chen Fan.

"If Chen Beixuan had any wits about him, he would come to us and apologize. He should have realized that the Medicine God Valley Sect could squash him as easily as a bug under our boots."

Even as a young alchemist remarked contemptuously, a booming voice rolled into the main hall from outside.

"Chen Beixuan has come to visit the Sect Master of the Medicine God Valley Sect!"

"Snap! pang, pang!"

The glass windows that surrounded the main hall cracked and shattered. Everyone was stunned by the sudden development and no one knew what was happening. Suddenly, the elder in the black robe shouted in disbelief: "That ass hole is here! Is he going to challenge the entire Medicine God Valley Sect all by himself?"

Chen Fan used the Art of Thunder Words and Dao Voice while he announced his arrival.

As his voice echoed throughout the entire valley, it seemed to have woken up the valley from its slumber. Such resurrections came up from all corners of the streets and many people poked their heads out of windows, unsure of what they saw .

Zhu Yuntao kneeled on the ground and looked up at Chen Fan in shock and surprise.

He watched as Chen Fan linked his hand behind his back and transformed from an average joe to a powerful Grandmaster, it was as if a sharp blade was suddenly unsheathed revealing the glinting, and deadly edges that threatened to kill

"You... you... you are Chen Beixuan?"

Alchemists Hu stammered. He was so shocked that he was unable to form a sentence.

"That's right, that is him." Zhou Jin Yi heaved a sigh and finally removed her hat, revealing her dark hair and elegant face.

"Jin Yi, it's you? So... he really Is Chen Beixuan!" Alchemists Hu knew Jin Yi since they had been living together in the sect for a few decades.

Zhou Jin Yi was rumored to have kidnapped by Chen Beixuan, and her appearance was the proof that the boy was indeed Chen Beixuan.

By then, Chen Beixuan had become the most infamous character of the outside world to the sect members. He infamy rose just recently but hatred toward him quickly spread among the sect members. People spat at his name while he was deeply jealous of him at the same time.

A young boy less than twenty years old had already reached the Grandmaster level and rose to power.

The Medicine God Valley Sect was a reclusive sect, but they didn't completely sever connections with the Martial artist or spellcasters from the outside world. Although Alchemists Hu had ranted his loathing toward Chen Beixuan from time to time, when he saw the devil in person, his legs trembled uncontrollably.

This was the person who had killed the family lord of the Lu family with ease. Elder Qi was the third most powerful elder in the sect, revered by everyone in the sect, yet he was laid low by Chen Beixuan with ease. To have someone so deadly standing so close to him made Alchemists Hu very uncomfortable. The fact that he had just castigated him a moment ago didn't help to ease his mind either.

He was not the only person who was stricken by fear. Meng Tian was also trembling uncontrollably.

Zhu Ruohan batted her lashes as she was not sure what had happened. However, she registered the overbearing demeanor that came off from Chen Fan all of a sudden. It reminded her of her father when he dominated the commerce landscape of her hometown.

Meanwhile, many elders had stormed out of the main hall toward the voice. They covered the few hundred meters in mere seconds.

"Chen Beixuan, how dare you to enter the Medicine God Valley Sect?" The elder in a black robe was at the forefront of the group. He chided at Chen Beixuan as soon as he saw the boy.

"Why? Does this mountain belong to the Medicine God Valley Sect and no one else can enter?" Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and asked lightly.

"Fifth Elder, mind your manners in front of the Grandmaster!" The Grand Elder castigated hotly. He then turned to Chen Fan and said in a soft voice: "Grandmaster Chen, I wonder what brought you here?"

"Qi Zhenyan from your sect set me up and attacked me with his allies. The Medicine God Valley Sect needs to apologize to me." Chen Fan demanded.

"Elder Qi attacked you, but haven't you done away with him already? Isn't that enough to redeem whatever crime he had committed?" Many people thought in their minds.

"I wonder what kind of apology Grandmaster is referring to?" Grand Elder spoke slowly, his face was an enigma.

He was not sure about Chen Fan's goal just yet, and neither did he know if Chen Fan was alone or if he had any helpers. Therefore, his objective, for now, was to contain the situation and drag out the conversation as long as possible until the Sect Master arrived.

Ever since the Medicine God Valley Sect Master learned what had happened at the Martial Arts Conference, he had been cultivating in seclusion, tiring to refine a powerful artifact. Without the Sect Master, Grand Elder was not very confident in dealing with Chen Fan.

"Well, all I need is the thousand-year-old herbs and Spirit Artifacts." Chen Fan said casually.

"Yea, why don't you just rob us all under broad daylight?"

Before Chen Fan had finished talking, the elder in a black robe was riled up and he snarled.

Everyone's face changed colors as well.

Thousand-year-old herbs were precious medicines that could prolong one's life. It was even rarer than supreme-grade elixirs. The sect had been keeping an eye on such treasures over the centuries, and by then, there were only able to collect a handful. If Chen Fan took away all the thousand-year-old herbs from the sect, it was no different than robbing the sect of all of their wealth.

"Well, you sound like you don't want to apologize." Chen Fan let out a half smile.

"Grandmaster Chen, we do want to apologize, but your demand is... too much." Grand Elder lamented with knitted brows.

"That's enough talking Grand Elder. He showed up at our doorstep where we have the advantage in numbers. I say it's time to avenge Third Elder!" The elder in the black robe smirked at Chen Fan and waved his hand, signaling a group of martial artists and spell casters to step forward.

Zhu Yuntao and his sister could only stare.

What the heck was going on? Chen Fan felt less and less like someone in need of the sect's help, instead, he looked more like a trouble maker. They learned from the murmuring crowd that it was the Sect Elders standing before Chen Fan. He simply couldn't wrap his mind around the crime that Chen Fan had committed. What kind of crime would be able to catch the interest of so many powerful elders?

Chen Fan's face was filled with disdain.

"I don't want to hurt any of you. Now tell your Sect Master to come out and greet me."

"You are courting death. How dare you insult our Sect Master!" The elder in the black robe pulled a tight face and he cast a hand sign in the air. Suddenly, a flaming fireball lanced toward Chen Fan

"Humph! Small tricks." Chen Fan shot out a hand and clenched his fist. Suddenly, the fireball shivered into pieces.

"Telekinesis?" Many spellcasters were stunned by the development.

Despite the short temper of the elder in a black robe, he was a Dao-Reaching Level spell caster. His fire bending skills were particularly deadly. The same fireball he had unleashed was able to sever a tree trunk the size of a man's waist. However, the fireball was shattered into pieces with a simple move of Chen Fan's fingers. This was proof that Chen Fan was a Grandmaster.

Everyone knew that when a martial artist faced off against a spell caster, he should refrain from using his own flesh to cushion the power of the spells. The energy in spells could be so great that it was beyond the physical limits of the human body. Only a Grandmaster knew the correct method of countering a spell using martial arts technique. That was also why a Grandmaster could have easily defeated a Dao-Reaching Level caster.

"Let's move, all of us, now!" Seeing the situation was out of control, the Grand Elder went all in as he let out a hoarse command under his breath.

Chen Fan was too powerful for any one of them to deal with him alone. They should move in to engage the Grandmaster as soon as possible and gain the initiative. Otherwise, if they let Chen Fan get the upper hand, he could slaughter each and every one of the sect members without any difficulties.

Hearing Grand Elder's words, everyone started their arts and attacked Chen Fan. In a blink, smoke and poisonous gas billowed up as glinting edges in the Wind Blade, the Drama Beads and Golden Blades hurtled toward Chen Fan. A dozen or so Dao-Reaching Level spell casters let loose of their power at once, creating a downpour of attacks onto Chen Fan. Suddenly, Chen Fan found himself under the bombardment of different attacks. The attacks also covered a large area around him.

The combined power of these spells was able to remove a mountain, much less destroying an armored vehicle.

However, Chen Fan was not the only person who was affected by the attack, beside him , stood the Zhu family brother and sister pair, Tong Shan as well as Zhou Jin Yi.

"Jin Yi! " Zhou Ziyu squirmed. However, her warning was too late. The spells were already cast and the girl's fate sealed. Many spellcasters tried to keep a calm face as they lamented. "We don't have many choices, and I hope Jin Yi would understand where we came from."

The elder in the black robe smirked coldly and said: "Hehe, I have overestimated Chen Beixuan's power. He was nothing but a foolhardy young man. This is the punishment for insulting the Medicine God Valley Sect..."

Before he finished talking, he caught a glimpse of a shadow rising to the sky like a large bird taking off in the hands of the shadowy figure turned into two washes of golden light. The light quickly gained more intensity and in a blink, it cast a dome over the people below.

Inside the golden dome, Zhou Jin Yi's face was pale as despair gleamed in his eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 180: True Martial's Dharmic Blade

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ever since Chen Fan had given the Jade Marrow Talisman to Xiao Qiong, he was no longer in possession of any protecting Dharma Artifact. However, he had already reached the late-stage of Foundation Establishment and was only half-step away from reaching the Ethereal Enlightenment. Therefore, he no longer needed the Jade Marrow to cast any protection spells.

He launched himself into the air, both hands rose above his shoulder while holding the large dome in place. The dome encompassed everything, including Chen Fan's enemies as well as his enemy's spells.

"Boom!"

The Essence Qi exploded, turning into countless rainbows. This was the effect of two spells clashing against each other. Chen Fan's powerful spell was of an Immortal Cultivation spell and therefore it was far superior to the spells in the mortal world. Lo and behold, the large dome held up despite the violent explosions. When the energy inside the dome finally fought back, the dome only flickered once or twice and remained intact.

"Impossible!"

Many elders of the Medicine God Valley Sect Elder could only gape at such amazing power.

Their eyes didn't deceive them. It was true that Chen Fan didn't use any Internal Force, instead, it was pure Dharmic Dao energy. The large dome was a majestic sight to behold and extremely robust protection. It was similar to the effect of a protection spell from a Dharma Cultivation level art. Without its protection, even a Grandmaster would have been reduced to ashes after being hit by so many spells.

"Isn't Chen Beixuan just a Grandmaster of Martial arts? How come he can command the Dharmic Dao energy?" The elder in the black robe gasped.

"Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation! It's Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation!" The Grand Elder exclaimed as life ebbed away from his pale face.

His words stunned everyone.

Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation meant one would focus on both Martial arts as well as Dharma Spells during his cultivation. Let it be the obtaining of Internal Force or the reaching of Dharma Cultivation level, either one of them would take a cultivator a long time to achieve—that is if they could achieve it at all. Therefore, Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation was the stuff of legends. Try as one might, the Dual Cultivation was almost definitely unachievable.

It was one of those things that everyone knew was impossible, but it kept on being brought up simply because of reasons. In reality, no one would ever want to try the Dual Cultivation.

"Rumor had it that the Wu Dang Sect had invented such a technique in the first place and named it Union of Dharma Spell and Martial Arts. Is he from the Wu Dang Sect?" Second Elder asked incredulously.

"That's just a rumor. Plus, Wu Dang Sect had declined a long time ago, their sect base had long since turned into a tourist destination. Only some rap band in America still venerated them with their songs. They are history now." The elder in the black robe couldn't help but guffaw stupidly.

"Stop that nonsense, we have the fight to finish!" The Grand Elder refuted.

His warning startled many other elders and alchemists. Then they realized that Chen Fan had risen to the sky as high as the clouds. Like a dragon, he swooped down on his opponents on the ground as many talisman inscriptions appeared around his hand out of thin air. They converged toward Chen Fan's palm and formed a three-meter-long golden blade. Chen Fan held the godly blade with both hands as he bore down on the sect elders with the same might and righteousness of a Heavenly Guard.

"Together, NOW!"

Under the Grand Elder's command, a few Internal Force Cultivator stepped forward while the elders and the alchemists started to channel out their energies.

"Kill!"

Chen Fan hacked the golden blade at his enemies. Suddenly, a golden ray shot out from the tip of the blade and beamed toward the ground.

"Ah!"

The martial artists didn't even have time to finish their screams and they realized that their bodies were detached from their waist.

Such was the power of the True Martial's Dharmic Blade!

Chen Fan had used the same blade to kill the Yin Snake. While the Yin Snake had reached Ethereal Enlightenment, these martial artists were merely regular Internal Force users.

"You fool!"

Seeing three Internal Force users being reduced into six chunks of bloody messes, the leaders of the martial artists could no longer hold back their anger as their face twisted into a hideous scowl. Some of the internal force cultivators were their longtime disciples.

"Fist of Dragon Fury"

One of the leaders stamped the ground with one foot as he charged up his Internal Energy. Energy coursed through his body and increased the size of his frame. As his clothes ripped at the seams, his back arched and his spine cord convulsed, letting his body tense up in an unnatural curl. It looked like something huge was inside of his body, trying to get out. Suddenly, his spine flexed again, straightening his back as force transferred from his feet to the waist and then to his fist. He launched himself up into the sky, flipping sideways in midair like a dragon swimming against the current. Belligerent energy poured out from his fists, and they clung to his body, forming a shape that closely resembled a dragon's head.

At that moment, the middle age man had breached his cultivation bottleneck and reached the semi-transcendent state. His power was at least on par with Su Wudi and Gu Shitong.

"Bravo. Sect-servent Wu's Dragon fist is superb!" The elder in the black robe exclaimed.

"Sect-servent Wu was from northwestern China. The Fist of Dragon Fury was a secret art of the Wu Family. It was as powerful as the Cloud Hand of the Lu family. He should have a chance holding his ground now since he had unleashed the full power of his art." A peak level Internal Force cultivator said with furrowed brows.

Sect-servent Wu was also very confident in the damage that his punch could cause.

Even if he was facing against Ye Nantian, he should be able to drag out the fight for a while so that the other martial artists and spellcasters could swarm their enemy again.

"Blade, arise!"

Chen Fan's face was indifferent. He lifted the golden blade with both hands and swung it around in a flat sidearm slash. The air was instantly infused by the energy emanating from the pulsing blade and turned into a thin thread. It looked as if the blade had cut through the fabric of space. Sect-servent Wu's body, together with the energy around him was severed in half like a piece of butter.

"Ah!" "Ah!"

The middle age man let out two brisk painful howls before two sections of his body thudded heavily on the ground.

The valley became pin-drop quiet.

With one sweep of his blade, Chen Fan quelled the suspense and settled the debate once and for all. In everyone's mind's eyes, they watched as the power of the Wu family, the semi-transcendent master, and the secret family art all congealed into a lump of butter and was sliced through by Chen Fan's blade.

"It's outright terrifying! This boy is too powerful!"

Many Martial Artists trembled in fear and no one thought of rushing to their deaths again. Sect-servent Wu was one of their best, and if Chen Fan could have done away with him so easily, so would he to them.

"Kaboom!"

The spellcasters struck again as they tried to overwhelm Chen Fan with their countless spells.

The downpour of spells came after Chen Fan again. The countless fireballs, ice spears, and golden arrows were so dense that they nearly blotted out the sun for a brief moment before they fell down onto Chen Fan from above. The power of these Dao-Reaching Level cultivators varied greatly. However, when they cast spells at the same time, the synergy effect between spells kicked in and further boosted their powers.

"Blade, Arise!"

Chen Fan spoke under his breath. The blade shot out and then turned around, tracing a perfect golden circle in the air that surrounded Chen Fan, leaving a few meters in between the shimmering wall of light and Chen Fan. The energy emitted from the blade and formed ripples along the length of the sharp edge, threatening to cut through anything in its way, including Essence Qi.

Suddenly, Chen Fan unleashed the Art of True Martial Sword Realm.

The art would destroy anything within three meters radius of where the attack landed.

This art was the epitome of the True Martial's Dharmic Blade's power. As the secret immortal spell of the True Martial Immortal Sect, the True Martial's Dharmic Blade could cut through anything in the known universe and it could also counter any Dharma Spells. The Immortal Cultivators of the True Martial Immortal Sect could travel around the vast universe using his blade as the only weapon and be invincible.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A great number of Dharma Spells come down at Chen Fan, but they disappeared as soon as they entered the radius of the circle.

Chen Fan and his art were like a giant combine that cut through whatever fell within its range.

"Shit!"

Seeing the ineffectiveness of their spells, the elders were at a loss again.

The first round of attack had shown Chen Fan's ability to counter the elders spells by using Dharma Spells, then the second round was the display of the power in Dharma Spell and Martial Arts Dual cultivation. He had countered the Dharma Spells using a blade that itself was forged out of Dharma Spells. This was a level of attainment that no one on Earth could have imagined.

"Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!"

Before all the Dharma Spells had landed on Chen Fan, Chen Fan had broken through the golden circle and hacked at his enemy. Suddenly, the blade traces countless semicircles in the air.

These semi-circles were extremely sharp and they flew in all directions, they cut through whatever was in their path.

"Arrgh! Arrgh!!"

A wave of painful cries and desperate howls came up from the valley.

Many Martial Artists and spellcasters who tried to stop Chen Fan were either amputated or outright sliced in half by the golden light. In a blink, Chen Fan had already made his way to the elders.

"Chen Beixuan, you are a cruel man!"

The Grand Elder Shrieked. In less than a few minutes, most of the martial artists and casters were dead, those who were still alive were either missing an arm or a leg. It was a terrifying sight to behold.

The Grand Elder snarled and a dark rock in his hand burst, sending a bolt of lightning the size of a baby's arm at Chen Fan, zigzagging in the air like a silver chain.

"Thunder Stone of the Heavenly Master Sect!"

Many elders gasped.

Everyone knew that the ThunderStone was the Grand Elder's most prized treasure. He had obtained this stone as a reward for helping a Perfected cultivator from the Heavenly Master Sect to create the Thunder Evading Pill.

Rumor had it that the Thunder Stone had absorbed over ten years of lightning strikes at the top of Dragon Tiger Mountain; once it was cracked open, it could unleash the power on par with that of a perfected cultivator from the Heavenly Master Sect

"Kill!"

Facing the crackling thunderbolt that sizzled with heat and energy, Chen Fan shouted under his breath and hacked the True Martial's Dharmic Blade again.

"Bang!"

The lightning bolt exploded, unleashing its power. Unlike ordinary attack spells, the Thunder Art was well known for its aggressiveness and belligerence. One strike from such an art unleashed by a perfected cultivator would kill even a Grandmaster.

Everyone looked toward the point of impact expectantly.

This was the Grand Elder's last ditch effort in changing the tide of the battle, failing this, only the Sect Master Himself could have handled the boy.

"Phew!"

Amidst the flash of fire and lightning, Chen Fan charged out. Other than the slight dimming of the glow of the blade, Chen Fan was unharmed.

"He is... too strong.., too strong..."

By then even Grand Elder started to tremble. The boy had withstood an attack with the same amount of intensity as that of a Perfected cultivator from the Heavenly Master Sect. Even a Perfected cultivator would think twice before rushing into a lightning bolt head on. However, Chen Fan had used his Dharmic Blade and cut through the thunderbolt. Not even a perfected cultivator could have pulled that off.

"Ha!"

Two men tried to stop Chen Fan were reduced into bloody stumps.

By then, he had closed onto the Grand Elder. With nowhere to go, Grand Elder gritted his teeth and pulled his shirt back, revealing a necklace on his neck. The pendant of the necklace burst, sending out a wash of golden light that surrounded him.

This was another Protection Dharma Artifact he had acquired from a Tibetan monk.

The artifact only provided one layer of protective light, much weaker than the nine-layer of lights cast by Elder Qi. Nonetheless, it was one of the most prized treasures of the Tibetan Buddhist temple, and it had cost Grand Elder a great fortune to acquire it.

"Humph, you wish to block my attack with that?"

Chen Fan snorted, and swung the blade in a flat sidearm slash.

He didn't even need to use the Mountain River Cut. The True Martial's Dharmic Blade alone was able to slice through the layer of light. Chen Fan rested the blade on the Grand Elder's neck and was going to deliver the final execution. The Grand Elder let out helpless laughter. He knew he would not be able to counter Chen Fan's killing blow; his fate was sealed,

"Stop it!"

A booming came toward the battlefield from the Temple of the Medicine God. Despite the great distance, the voice sounded like someone was speaking right next to Chen Fna's ear.

"Sect Master, you are finally here."

Chen Fan shook his head and cracked a smile.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 181: Seven Malice Poison Array

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Grand Master Chen Beixuan, why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

A shadowy grey figure strolled down to the ground from the sky. Every step he took covered at least half a dozen meters. He covered the few hundred-meter long distance in a snap of a finger. When the figure was close, everyone finally saw that he was an old man in a dark green Daoist robe

Despite the white hair that covered his head, his face was glowing with life. His skin was as smooth as a baby's that underscored his otherworldliness: a quality of a Celestial Immortal.

"Sect Master." Members of the Medicine God Valley Sect cried at their Sect Master.

The man was the Sect Master of the Medicine God Valley Sect, the King of Elixirs. He was a Perfected cultivator.

The Medicine God Valley Sect had never seen so many casualties ever since its conception. The True Martial's Dharmic Blade could cut through anything, let it be a Alchemists or a talented Martial artist, all it took for Chen Fan was one sweep of his blade to do away with them.

Zhu Yuntao could only stare. He found it hard to reconcile the godly power of Chen Fan with the image of a rich playboy that traveled with him. Zhu Ruohan hid behind her brother, only poking her head out to watch the development in fear.

"When Qi Zhenyan led a group of people to gang up on me, he thought that I was just a helpless kid, but he didn't care either. Why should I?" Chen Fan said lightly.

"Zhenyan is already dead, why can't you just let it go and call it off?" The King of Elixirs said in a deep voice.

"Sure, I can call it off, but will you? Will your sect members call it off?" Chen Fan cracked a smile sarcastically.

He traced a sign in the air with two fingers and murmured a spell. Suddenly, two loud voices carrying out a conversation came up somewhere in the valley. The voices sounded hollow as if it was a replay of a recording.

"We are wasting our time. We still have so many Dao-Reaching Level cultivators and Internal Force martial artists, we should be able to bring him down!"

"It's impossible to capture Chen Beixuan with an army. The Grandmasters are true dragons, and they have the ability to escape any situation at will. However, if the Sect Master could call upon a couple of Grandmasters and perfected cultivators, and carry out the plan in secrecy, they might trap Chen Beixuan and capture him."

Hearing the two voices, members of the Medicine God Valley Sect's faces darkened. They lowered their heads, fearing to meet Chen Fan's gaze.

These voices were easily recognizable, they belonged to Fifth Elder and the Grand Elder. Somehow, Chen Fan had recorded their conversation while the group of elders were discussing ways to deal with Chen Fan.

The recording justified Chen Fan's severe punishment to the sect. There is no need to show mercy to somehow who wanted to harm a Grandmaster.

"How's the Art of Illusive Sound? I'm open to criticism." Chen Fan cracked a sarcastic smirk.

Ever since he was let into the valley, his Immortal Will had reached straight into the Medicine God Hall.

Thanks to the energy in the golden figurine, he could extend his Immortal Will over a few hundred meters out now. It just so happened that the elders were discussing methods of killing Chen Fan when Chen Fan probed the main hall.

Grand Elder and Fifth Elder's faces flushed red. The other members of the sect also lowered their heads in shame. They were caught red-handed while conspiring a murder. They were at fault from the outset and brought down the wrath of a Grandmaster by themselves.

The Medicine God Valley Sect Master remained calm. "Excellent skills, Grandmaster Chen Fan. I have never seen such a spell in action before. It appears that everyone had underestimated you. You are not only a Grandmaster Martial artist but also a Perfected cultivator who had reached Dharma Cultivation."

He paused a second and then said with furrowed brows: "As far as I know, only the Wu Dang Sect practiced Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation. Do you happen to come from the Wu Dang Sect as well?"

"You would have never heard of the name of my sect, and neither is it for your ear." Chen Fan said readily. "I need all the thousand-year-old herbs in your sect, and I will leave as soon as I get what I want and will never return again."

"Hehe, Chen Beixuan, you are an arrogant fool!" King of Elixirs scowled. "If we met anywhere else, I might have to think twice before I confronted you, but this is my turf, and my predecessors had settled here for centuries to build it up. I would not allow you to do whatever you want in here."

So saying, he fished out a turtle shell, and shouted: "Array, Arise!"

Suddenly, a plume of seven-colored smoke billowed up from the ground. It started with a thin wisp of smoke, and quickly grew into the size of a forest fire and covered the entire valley. Looking up at the smoke from below, it was as if a colorful blanket had fallen over the sky above the valley.

"Seven Malice Poison Array!"

The Grand Elder exclaimed.

This was the most powerful array of the Medicine God Valley Sect. It was cast here by a powerful figure who came to ask for help over a few centuries ago. The powerful cultivator was said to have reached beyond the Dharma Cultivation. The array had only limited use and therefore, over the few hundred years, it had only been activated three times.

Realization gleamed in Grand Elders eyes. The Sect Master was not refining an artifact in seclusion, he was preparing the array formation.

A shred of hope lit up on the faces of other members of the sect.

The Seven Malice Poison Array had always been the stuff of legend. Everyone had heard of it but none had seen it in action. Legend had it that a demon beast used to invade the sect a few hundred years ago. The beast had reached the Dharma Cultivation level and was more powerful than even the Sect Master at that time. In the end, the sect members activated the array and finally killed the beast.

"Dharma Array? Interesting."

Chen Fan looked at the colorful cloud with great interest.

The Medicine God Valley Sect's array was quite different than the Misty Mountain Array or the Yin Dragon Pond array. The latter two were less advanced and could only be used once. However, Chen Fan noticed that the array was barely holding up after a few hundred years of use. This might as well be the last time it would be activated.

"They buried Artifacts in the choke points of the valley to draw out the poisonous mists and Malice Qi from underground. To activate the array, the center artifact needs to be turned on. These poisonous mists had been gaining potency over the centuries, and even a Grandmaster would perish if he so much as touched it." Chen Fan said.

"You have good eyes." King of Elixirs praised. Then he pulled a taut face and asked: "Chen Beixuan since you know the power of the array, why don't you just surrender? Are you planning to test the godly power of this array with your mortal coil?"

Compared to the power of an ordinary cultivator, the energy inside the array was directly from nature. It wasn't an overstatement to call it the godly power of Heaven and Earth since no Grandmasters or Perfected cultivator could rival its power.

Zhu Yuntao and many other onlookers were stupified by the development.

He was stunned by the confrontation between Chen Fan and the elders. However, the terrifying, yet irresistibly mesmerizing sight of the array truly amazing.

"What a shame... I bet you didn't cast this array yourself, worse, the array is on its last leg. It will fall apart after this usage." Chen Fan shook his head and lamented: "Do you really think that this Dharma Array can harm me?"

"You are right! This array was cast by the Great Magus from the Dark Witch Sect in Miao's Land. The Dark Witch Sect was the most powerful sect that uses the Gu Poison Curse. They excelled at using Gu Worm and Poison Mist. The Great Magus had reached beyond Transcendent State and reached the God Reining State. No one would be able to cast such a powerful array other than him." King of Elixirs said proudly: "Chen Beixuan, you have keen observation, however, you are just too arrogant to see the truth. Even if this is the last time the array will be in use, it should be enough to kill you."

Zhou Jin Yi said with a trembling voice: "Chen Beixuan, you are just a mortal and are no match against such godly power. Surrender now, the Sect Master will show you mercy."

"Listen to Jin Yi, young man. It would be a shame for me to kill a brilliant young lad like you. If you surrender, I can guarantee you a seat among the elders." King of Elixirs chimed in.

However, he didn't mention his plan to curse Chen Fan with the "Gu of Solidarity" should the boy decide to surrender.

The Sect Master's offer slipped off Chen Fan's mind like a drop of water on oiled canvas. He knew that the Medicine God Valley Sect had many spells and curses under their sleeves that could control his mind.

He let out a half smile and said: "What makes you think you will win?"

"Sounds like you won't give up." King of Elixirs heaved a sigh and shook his head. He wagged the turtle shell in his hand as he channeled energy into it.

Lights started to glow in the countless cracks of the turtle shell. In a blink, the shell was suffused with a creamy white glow that seemed to attract the colorful mist in the sky. The smoke started to bubble as they were siphoned into the turtle shell, creating a twisty whirlwind. It's long tail writhed downward and reached the turtle shell.

King of Elixirs held the turtle shell high above his head. The shell had become the base of a misty tornado. The old man shouted as if commanding the spirit of the wind.

"Chen Beixuan, do you wish to live or die?"

Many onlookers lay flat on the ground, scarcely dare to look up. The godly power of the array formation had far exceeded their wildest imagination. Many outsiders who came to ask for a cure kneeled on the ground and prayed for their lives.

Many ordinary residences of the valley started to feel the air getting thicker as their faces turned dark green. The Seven Color Poison Mist had been gaining potency underground for more than a few centuries, and therefore was extremely deadly. Even the slightest amount that got into a human's system would cause death. By then, only a few martial artists and Dao-Reaching Level cultivators were still able to hold up.

"I wager that this mist tornado is all you can do." Chen Fan said lightly. He was not at all frightened by the deadly mist.

"Hehe, this should be enough for you." King of Elixirs pulled a taut face and then sneered." Even if you are a Grandmaster who had reached Union of Dharma Spell and Martial Arts, you are no match against the godly power of Heaven and Earth!

"Stop wasting my time, are you going to fight me or not?"

"Sigh... Do you really think this pathetic Dharma Array can stop me?" Chen Fan Shook his head and heaved a sigh.

"How arrogant!" King of Elixirs's patience finally wore off. He swept one of his arms in the air.

"Boom!"

The whirlwind came at Chen Fan like a misty dragon. Everything in its path, be it houses, or humans were lifted up and shredded into pieces. The tail of the tornado touched the ground and ground at the pavement creating a long deep gash all the way from King of Elixirs to Chen Fan's feet.

"Careful!" Zhou Jin Yi squirmed.

Fifth Elder and the other onlookers sneered at Chen Fan."Asshole, this will teach you a lesson about the power of the Medicine God Valley Sect!"

Zhou Ziyu kept her silence as she shot a glare at her sister Zhou Jin Yi. She noticed that her sister had changed a lot. Her sister cared so much for anyone outside of the sect.

Life drained away from Zhu Ruohan's face. Her legs were about to give in as her body trembled in fear.

The Power of Heaven and Earth wrapped tightly in that twisting whirlwind was beyond anyone's imagination, so much so, it made people feel their insignificance in the world as if they stood facing an apocalyptical tsunami.

Before the misty dragon, Chen Fan stood alone. He raised the golden blade slowly above his head.

Suddenly, countless inscriptions surfaced on the long blade as the golden blade increased its size. In a blink, it had grown to over ten meters long as golden lights flickered on its surface. Chen Fan swung the blade unhurriedly as he uttered under his breath: "Mountain River Cut!"

For a brief second, all that one could see was a thin golden line appear out of nowhere as the rest of the world turned into a wash of white. The golden line seemed to go one forever, slicing the empty world into two. It was as if a Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning had swung his ax and cracked open the egg that contained the primordial emptiness.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, the seventh form: Mountain River Cut!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 182: Fire In the Sky

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When Chen Fan unleashed the Mountain River Cut, the world was turned into a white emptiness, except for the golden line that cut through it in the middle. The strike had sliced through the fabric of reality, severing time, space, Essence Qi and the lingering essence of Dharma Spells.

Infused with the Power of Heaven and Earth, the misty dragon stormed toward Chen Fan. Its tail racked the paved ground, leaving a trail of crumbled pavement in its wake. It seemed to have taken the world around it with it as it slammed into Chen Fan.

However, the Dharmic Blade was able to slice through the whirlwind from the middle. The belligerent whirlwind lost its momentum as energy spilled out from the cut. When it finally reached Chen Fan, it had been reduced to two Gusts of deluge flowing toward opposite directions.

"Water Severing Cut!"

Much like a legendary Japanese Sword Dao Master who had severed the flow of a waterfall, Chen Fan's strike had cut through the wind, turning it into two separate pulses of energy. The two deluges of mist diverged right in front of Chen Fan, not affecting the boy in the slightest.

"Impossible!"

The Grand Elder could only gape.

This was the Dharma Array cast by a God Reining Level Cultivator. It had the godly power of Heaven and Earth, no mortal should be able to withstand it. However, there and then, the twister was cut into half by Chen Fan, a feat that had completely thrown them off guard.

Even the Sect Master was stunned by the turn of events.

He had never imagined such an outcome. The Seven Malice Poison Array tapped into the seven deadly Malice Qi from the underground and combined it with poison mist. It's poisonous nature aside, the amount of raw power it packed could easily topple a tall building. Therefore, it was inconceivable that Chen Fan was able to overcome such an overbearing blow and cut it open.

"What kind of art is that?" Sect Master asked in shock.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, the seventh form: Mountain River Cut."

"This is the art of the immortals, not anything you would ever understand. Your array might look terrifying, its energy was too spread out and therefore was harmless to me. I have only used one-tenth of my power to counter your attack. Well, that just shows you our difference."

Although True Martial Thirty-Six Forms was a martial arts meant for the lowest rank disciples from the True Martial Immortal Sect, it was created by Immortal Cultivators. Therefore, it was much more deadly than the worldly Dharma Spells. Once the art was Combined with the True Martial's Dharmic Blade, it could cut through anything or anyone.

The Seven Malice Poison Array was infused with the Power of Heaven and Earth but before Chen Fan, it was riddled with weak points. Like a tree, the taller it grew, the harder it falls.

The face of the Medicine God Valley Sect Master changed colors.

He understood exactly how Chen Fan had done it. He had focused all of his force at one point to break his spell. It was one of the most fundamental, yet difficult to pull off techniques in cultivation. He was too content with the immeasurable power of the Dharma Array, and therefore he had outright overlooked technique finesse. However, even if he had thought of refining his tactics, he wouldn't be able to wield the Dharma Array since only someone as powerful as the Great Magus of Dark Witch Sect could have the ability to move things around in the array.

After a few silent moments, the Sect Master's gaze landed on Chen Beixuan's right arm. He chortled."Chen Beixuan, you almost fooled me. You have countered the godly power with your mortal coil, so you must not have much energy left in you. However, I can release as many of those whirlwinds as I want. What about you? How long can you keep on swinging the blade?"

After he said that, he started to shake the turtle shell violently.

The turtle shell shivered slightly, and another crack appeared on its broken surface. The light came up again and started to siphon the colorful mist in the sky. It looked all too similar to the last attack. A whirlwind appeared as the mist spiraled down toward the turtle shell. The tail of the tornado touched down and landed in the palm of Medicine God Valley Sect Master.

Chen Fan heaved a sigh and let go of the flickering True Martial's Dharmic Blade. The energy in it was nearly spent anyways.

The Medicine God Valley Sect Master had hit the mark. Chen Fan had spent a significant portion of his True Essence when he unleashed the Mountain River Cut. Plus, to the True Martial's Dharmic Blade also constantly drained his True Essence.

Ever since he entered the valley, he had killed over a dozen people and used many powerful spells. After he had cut the misty whirlwind into half, the Dharmic Blade was having a hard time maintaining its physical form.

"Oh, why? Are you going to surrender now? It's too late!" Medicine God Vally Sect Master snorted.

Then he hurled the colorful tornado out at Chen Fan.

"Boom!"

A gust came up as the whirlwind flew out. It followed its predecessor's track on the ground, keeping the groove. Along its path lay many dying innocent residences who got hit by the Poison Mist spilled out from the previous tornado. Many of them cupped their chest or held their neck tightly, trying to breathe but failing.

Even the martial artists' faces were growing darker and greener by the second. Only the elders and the Alchemists had spent decades working with toxic fumes were able to resist the effect of the mist and kept a calm countenance.

The Seven Malice Poison Array was a spell of mass destruction. After all, it was cast by the Great Magus of the Dark Witch Sect, someone who was practically immune to poisons. Because of this, this array was reserved until the last moment, when the fate of the sect was hanging on a thread.

"Fine, I think I will just finish all of this." Chen Fan lamented.

Those who got affected were innocent. Although North Mystic Celestial Lord would take a person's life without a second thought, he didn't design to harm the innocent.

"Oh? What else do you have?" The Medicine God Valley Sect Master asked in disbelief.

The Mountain River Cut was an overwhelming art, it was the epitome of the unison between Dharma Spell and Martial Arts. Even the elders from the Wu Dang Sect would not be able to pull it off. Therefore, the Sect Master doubted that Chen Fan had anything even more impressive than that.

Even as the Sect Master put on a smug smile, he saw something that both shocked him and confused him.

He watched as two fires burst into life inside of Chen Fan's pupils.

The fire was gold in color, and it danced as it grew brighter. In less than a second, it filled up Chen Fan's entire eye, yet its intensity was still growing. Finally, it golden energy shot out from Chen Fan's eye sockets and beamed at the colorful poisonous tornado like lights coming out from two flashlights.

"Swoosh!"

As soon as the golden light touched the mist, the mist started to burn. After consuming the whirlwind mist in a blink, the fire kept going and spread to the mist in the air toward the direction of the Medicine God Valley Sect Maser.

"What is going on?"

The Sect Master was set back on his heels.

What kind of human can spill fire from his eye sockets? Was he really a human? Even if he was a Perfected cultivator, I have never ever heard of such art before!

The golden flame spread in the air very quickly. It was as if the air was saturated with gasoline vapors. In a blink, the fire gained ten meters length and turned into a long fire drake. Meanwhile, after the mist was burned out by the fire, the tornado had turned into a column of blazing golden fire.

"Snap! pang, pang!"

The Sect Master acted quickly as he threw the turtle shell at the fast approaching flame. When the ancient crack-ridden turtle shell met the fiery tongue, the flame burst into an explosion, and then silence as the fire dimmed down a little. However, just a few seconds later, the turtle shell was reduced to ashes and the fire also came back to normal.

"Ah!"

Someone squirmed. Everyone looked to the voice and found out it was Fifth Elder.

Somehow, a speck of cinder landed on one of his arms and burst into flames instantly. As the fire grew hotter, Fifth Elder's charred flesh fell off, revealing startling white bones. Worse, the flame was spending upwards toward Fifth Elder's neck.

"Fifth Elder!"

The Grand Elder gasped. One of the sect-servents acted quickly as he drew a blade and outright served the burning arm off of Fifth Elder.

The left arm landed on the ground, barely making any noise. It was then quickly engulfed by the flame and reduced to a pile of grey ashes. Then and only then, the flame finally died out after sputtered out a few more cinders.

"What kind of fire is this? It sticks to anything that it latched onto. It reminded me of the Samadhi Fire in the legends!" The Grand Elder exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the Medicine God Valley Sect Master said solemnly:

"It's not the time for guessing, look up!"

Everyone threw up their heads and looked. They saw the rainbow-colored smoke in the sky seemed to have turned into a liquid as it moved up and down like waves. As the movement gets more violent, it was obvious to everyone that something had gone wrong in the array.

"Sect Master, what is going on?" Zhou Ziyu screamed.

"The core artifact is destroyed and the array is useless now." The Sect Master smiled wryly.

Everyone was taken aback for a second, and when the reality finally set in, their faces turned lifeless.

The seven malice poison array was infused with the Malice qi underground and Poison Mists. It was harmless when it was inactive since the deadly poisons were buried underground. When it was activated, it was controlled by the turtle shell and the poisons were elevated above the ground for the safety of sect members. If the core artifact was destroyed, the array would bust as well. That meant all those poisons and the Malice qi would spill down into the valley.

If that happened, other than the King of Elixirs, Chen Fan and a handful of high-level Alchemists, everyone would perish in the toxic fumes. Even ordinary Martial Artists and Alchemists wouldn't be able to survive such a catastrophe.

"Chen Beixuan, look what you have done! Do you really want to drag all these innocent souls with you down to hell?"

Zhou Ziyu's face was contorted with horror and anger as she flung at Chen Fan.

If Chen Fan didn't stir up trouble, King of Elixirs would never initiate the Dharma Array. If Chen Fan didn't burn away the turtle shell, the Dharma Array would never go out of control. It was all of Chen Fan's fault.

The Grand Elder and the Fifth Elder gritted their teeth and they wished that they could execute Chen Fan on the spot. Among those who resided in the valley were their families and friends. By then, their beloved ones couldn't even escape since the Dharma Array had sealed off the only exit.

"Such is the stupidity of mortals." Chen Fan shook his head and lamented.

Golden flames spilled out of his eyes as they lanced forward in two straight beams. Chen Fan looked like the Demon God in high tales, shooting fire from his eyes.

"Mortals always blame others for their mistakes while the real powerful being was always fearless and invincible."

As he said that, he suddenly looked up.

"Kaboom!"

Two golden lights shot out from his eyes and became two fiery dragons up into the air. They writhed toward the rainbow-colored smoke. In the eyes of Zhou Ziyu, it was as if two golden light beam had extended out from Chen Fan's eyes and reached the limits of the sky.

As soon as the golden flame came to contact with the smoke, a series of explosions occurred. Under everyone's incredulous watch, half of the sky was lit up by the fire as the golden color slowly taken over other colors.

"It... it... it..." King of Elixirs was dumbfounded by the development. He wondered if his eyes had tricked him.

Li Fire Golden Eyes could ignite anything and was the perfect counter for Malice Qi, Fiend Qi, and Yin Qi. It was called the Bane of the Heretic and Sinister after all.

The sight of the Immortal Enlightenment at full display had terrified everyone.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 183: Kneal, Perfected Cultivator

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Brother, am I going to die?"

Zhu Ruohan slumped on the ground and asked him feebly

They were both poisoned by the mist and although Zhu Yuntao was an outstanding member of the elite class, the limits of his abilities remained inside the government lobby room and fancy receptions. The poison mist had knocked him right out, turning his vision into a blurry shadow.

Zhu Yuntao felt something burning in his throat, it was as if the very air he breathed was choking the life out of him. However, he still managed to comfort his sister.

"No, we won't die. The elders of the Medicine God Valley Sect were sages. They will not only cure us but also give us the cure for our father. The Zhu family relies on us."

As he said so, he caught a sight that suddenly jerked his mind out of the jumbled state.

he would never forget the sight he saw next. He watched as two fire beamed out of Chen Fan's eyes and shot out toward the rainbow-colored smoke in the sky. Then, as if the sky had caught on fire, flames engulfed the smoke and the entire valley was overcast by a splendid golden flame.

"This is the Might of Heaven."

Tears welled in the Grand Elder's eyes, as his hand trembled. He had long since forsaken the worldly pursuit of money and power, instead, he had devoted his life to his cultivation. What Chen Fan had displayed was exactly what he dreamed of: the state of assistance that transcended mortals!

"Pda!" "Pda!"

One after another, the Martial Artists and the Alchemists of the Medicine God Valley Sect dropped to their knees and lowered their heads before such mighty power.

"How could this little shit be so powerful? How? How is it possible?" King of Elixirs's eyes lost focus as he murmured stupidly.

Chen Fan'a attainment had reached Dharma Cultivation. He could conjure up any kind of spells at will and command something as powerful as the Seven Malice Poison Array using the Might of Heaven. However, commanding the array was one thing, to destroy it was entirely another. Only someone as terrifying and powerful as a demon god could have done what Chen Fan just did.

"I think even the Great Magus of the Dark Witch Sect would be impressed by the boy had he survived to see his power." he lamented in his mind.

The Great Magus had been a force to be reckoned with in China. Rumor had it that he had dominated China for over a decade and greatly boosted the fame of the Dark Witch Sect, so much so, the Dark Witch Sect was at a time the main competitor of the Heavenly Master Sect. Although that was a three hundred year old tale, it was still being told nowadays.

The so-called God Reining State was one level above the Dharma Cultivation Level. Not even the King of Elixirs knew if there were still people of such power in the present day world, that changed when he saw Chen Fan's display of might.

"Huuuulalala!"

The golden flame quickly consumed all the colors in the sky. As soon as the fire found the source of the poison, it plunged down into the earth. As soon the Dharma Array was destroyed, a refreshing breeze swept across the valley, blowing away the remaining poison mists. The martial artists finally took in large gulps of air. Despite their strong bodies, they wouldn't live without air, neither could they ward off the deadly effect of the mist.

However, those ordinary people were in much worse condition. By now, the poison had started to speed up and even their necks and arms had turned to the same green color as their faces.

Chen Fan pulled back his Immortal Enlightenment as the fire retreated. In the end, the belligerent flame reduced to two feeble fires the size of a sewing pin in their eyes. To many people, the two little dancing flames looked exactly the same when they first started, but Chen Fan knew it was not.

He had Forced the Li Fire out of his system in order to destroy the dharma array. By now, his energy was spent.

"I bet I wouldn't be able to use the Li Fire Golden Eyes for the next few months." Chen Fan thought to himself. Despite the setback, he was not at all worried.

He had broken the Seven Malice Poison Array and most of the sect members except for the Sect Master were in no condition to fight any further. He should be able to handle the remaining forces with only his Martial prowess and get the Spirit Medicine and get out With it, he would be able to achieve Dao Body and enter Ethereal Enlightenment. By then, he would be truly considered invincible.

Once he entered the Ethereal Enlightenment, the Immortal Enlightenment would form by itself. The Immortal Enlightenment mentioned here was a much broader concept than just the art of Li Fire Golden Eyes.

Chen Fan scanned the crowd kneeling before him. The members of the Medicine God Valley Sect lowered their heads fearfully, no one dared to hold Chen Fan's gaze.

The Li Fire Golden Eyes was so powerful that it was able to break the Dharma Array. The King of Elixirs conceded that he had no chance of winning the fight. He heaved a sigh and lowered his head as well.

"I concede defeat. I never thought that I will be one day fight against an Immortal Master."

The level beyond Immortal Cultivation was called the God Reining State. An Immortal Cultivation level cultivator was called a Perfected cultivator, while someone who had reached one level beyond was addressed as the Immortal Master. This so-called Immortal Master was different than Master Sage in the mouth of Old Li. These were the true demi-gods. In the ancient times, the emperor would announce a personal edict to honor such powerful cultivators with the title of the Guardian of the Realm.

"Immortal Master?"

The Grand Elder and the others shivered slightly after hearing the name.

This title hadn't been evoked for centuries. Even for the well learned and well-informed members of the Medicine God Valley Sect, such titles were only an elusive term that existed in long forgotten tomes. There might be a few of them still alive in Sects that were as old as time, but no one had heard of them for decades.

However, there and then, a God Reining State Immortal Master was standing right in front of them in the form of a young man.

"Oh? Didn't you say that you are going to kill me? Why do you surrender now?" Chen Fan looked to King of Elixirs with great interest.

"If I knew you are an Immortal Master, I would never make such a mistake." King of Elixirs let out a wry smile.

"So you won't seek revenge later for killing so many of your sect members and elders?" Chen Fan gave him a half smile.

King of Elixirs's face looked troubled. However, he announced in a deep voice: "They deserve what they got. One shall never insult Grandmasters, much less an Immortal Master."

Each and every Immortal Master had lived at least a few hundred years. Three hundred years ago, the Great Magus of the Dark Witch Sect wreaked havoc in the world, picking off innocent sects one after another and eliminated countless family clans. Yet, no one complained about his brutality. Such was the way of the cultivation world: strength was the only ultimate truth. If the Medicine God Valley Sect hadn't realized that much, they would have already been squashed by the Great Magus.

Chen Fan looked around him and saw the faces of the elders and alchemists were riddled with fear and sadness. They were terrified of him: an Immortal Master.

Even the power of a Dharma cultivator was too great for an average person to comprehend, much less that of an Immortal Master.

Chen Fan was caught off guard by his opponent's misjudging him as the Immortal State cultivator. Chen Fan knew that was an overstatement. However, he was confident that once he had reached Ethereal Enlightenment, even if he happened to brush up with an Immortal State Cultivator, he should emerge victoriously.

"Save these innocent people first."

Seeing the Medicine God Valley Sect has surrendered, Chen Fan furrowed his brows and didn't execute them.

Member of the Medicine God Valley Sect might be the last group of people who knew how to brew elixirs. Their special ability was what made them such a rare resource to Chen Fan. He wagered that he might need some assistance in brewing elixirs once he started to cultivate his Connate Spirit. After all, he couldn't do everything by himself.

"Immortal Master Chen, these people are gone I'm afraid. The poison has taken them."

Having heard Chen Fan's order, the sect members acted quickly. The Seven Malice Poison Array covered every nook and cranny of the ally and therefore, thousands of people were affected by its deadly venom. Most of the victims were the Medicine God Valley Sect Elder's disciples and relatives.

After testing the pulse of few that were inflicted, the Grand Elder's face paled.

"The Seven Malice Poison Array was too potent. It had been festering underground for centuries and god knows how deadly it had gotten. If an ordinary people so much as sniffed in a whiff of the poison mist, he would be beyond help."

The Grand Elder bemoaned. The other elders also look grim as they heaved out their sadness.

"We have some vials of antidote in the temple, bring them out." King of Elixirs announced with furrowed brows.

"Sect Master, we only have a few dozen vials of antidote that we have accumulated over the years. But the number of inflicted was in the thousands. What use would these antidotes be?" Grand Elder shouted in heartbreaking voice.

Having heard the Grand Elder's words, even the King of Elixirs was at a loss.

There were many innocent souls in the valley, and many of them were his relatives and friends. If he didn't come up with a solution soon, all of them would be dead, Although he was named the King of Elixirs, he could create at most a dozen antidote at a time. That was like spitting on the fire.

"Is this my punishment?" King of Elixirs smiled wryly as he shook his head.

The Medicine God Valley Sect had isolated themselves in the mountain for so long that they had grown content. First, it was Chen Fan who brought the sect to its knees, and then this. The thought made King of Elixirs feel helpless. Compared to an Immortal, a Perfected cultivator was only slightly stronger but was still a long shot from the God Reining State.

Everyone lowered there head and sobbed quietly. Zhou Jin Yi's joy after seeing the conflict finally subsided was brief. She had many close friends and family in the valley.

Then, she saw Chen Fan sauntered toward the Zhu family's brother and sister pair.

They were closest to him when the whirlwind was split into two gushes of deadly poison. Therefore they had inhaled a large amount of toxic gas. By then, they were on the brink of death, breathing laboriously but unable to draw any air into their lungs. A dark green blotch surfaced on Zhu Ruohan's cold and aloof face, making the rest of her face look as pale as an ice sculpture.

As for Zhu Yuntao, he was robbed of his confident and capable demeanor and couldn't even lift a finger. He mustered all the will power in him and let out a wry smile.

"I never thought that my life will end like this...

"Too bad... I can no longer party with you..."

"Don't worry, you are not going to die." Chen Fan said calmly.

He fished out an Essence Gathering Pill and fed it to Zhu Yuntao.

"PeeleePaaa..."

As soon as the Essence Gathering Pill entered his mouth, it let out a wave of refreshing energy that swept through Zhu Yuntao's system. He felt a thump somewhere deep in his body and then every joint and bone started to crackling in a joyful symphony. Countless tiny strands of colorful mists started to seep out from his pores and disappeared in the air.

"Hew!"

Zhu Yuntao heaved a deep sigh. He looked like a drawing man being brought back to life.

He looked at his hands in disbelief as energy surged inside of him. He suddenly exclaimed:

"I am not dead? Am I alive?"

He stared at his hand stupidly, stunned by the lack of dark green blotches.

The Medicine God Valley Sect were stunned by the development as well. This was unprecedented. Even the best medicine wouldn't be able to bring a dying man back alive so quickly. Healing was a long process regardless of what medicine one took. That, however, was the conventional wisdom. The pill produced by Chen Fan was the kind of stuff of legends. It had brought Zhu Yuntao back to life in mere seconds.

"Immortal Master Chen. I am truly impressed."

King of Elixirs suddenly dropped both knees and kowtowed.

The other elders and alchemists quickly followed suit. They kowtowed to Chen Fan with the uttermost respect and fear. Even Zhou Ziyu and her sister Zhou Ziyu looked to Chen Fan with great emotions.

The power of destruction could make others fear Chen Fan, while the power of life would reward Chen Fan with respect.

Chen Fan killed many people yet saved more. He could end or save a Mortal's life with a snap of fingers. With such power, no one would dare to rise up against him.

"Immortal Master Chen?"

Zhu Yuntao looked to Chen Fan and found out how fitting the title was for this godly young man.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 184: Treasures in The Valley

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Unlike the Body Tempering Pill and the Essence Enhancing Pill, the Essence Gathering Pills that Chen Fan fed to Zhu Yuntao were the real immortal elixirs. For cultivators, it was mainly used to replenish one's Spirit Qi, but to ordinary people, it could greatly boost their vitality.

Resolving the harmful effect of the venom was only the tip of the iceberg of what the elixir was capable of. After Zhu Yuntao swallowed the pill, not only did he come back alive, but his physique was also strengthened so much so, that he was very likely to live over a hundred years.

If he ever embarked on the martial arts journey, his attainment would not be lower than Gao Baisheng or Lu Haixuan.

Such was the power of the Essence Gathering Pill. Chen Fan had created over a hundred of them in total and after half a year of usage, there were only half left. If not because he liked Zhu Yuntao, he would have given him a lesser Essence Enhancing Pill at the most.

Afterward, Chen Fan ordered someone to fetch him a large bucket of water and then he dumped in ten Essence Gathering Pills into it. A single pill was overkill for curing the ailment, therefore, by diluting it in the water, he should be able to make the cure available to many more people while still keeping the effects of the pill.

"Immortal Master Chen, what kind of elixirs are these?"

King of Elixirs came over to him and asked respectfully.

As his title suggested, he was an expert in Elixir Brewing. However, he had never seen such magical elixirs during his career, not even during his research in the medical library. He wagered that the effect of this pill was at least on par with the Dragon Tiger Golden Pills from the Heavenly Master Sect.

However, Dragon Tiger Golden Pills were the stuff of legend. Rumor had it that only the first generation Sect Master of the Heavenly Master Sect had successfully created one batch, but none of his successors had succeeded ever again.

"This is called Essence Gathering Pill."

Chen Fan gave one pill to the King of Elixirs. The latter held the pill close to his eyes and finally found out that the pill had the texture and the color of green jade. Inside its near translucent wall, he noticed wisps of white mist moving about. A whiff of fresh fragrance drifted into his nose, making him feel exhilarated.

"This pill is beyond supreme-grade, this is of immortal elixirs grade or celestial elixirs." King of Elixirs exclaimed.

"What a shame that I still missed a few ingredients in the original recipe. Otherwise, I need only one of these to cure all of them." Chen Fan heaved a sigh and said.

The Essence Gathering Pill was used to replenish one's Spirit Qi and to clean up one's system even down to the bone marrow.

On the other hand, the Essence Enhancing Pill was used for curing ailments and strengthening one's Essence Qi. Its main function was to prolong life and energy. One pill could help a mortal prolong at least ten years of his life. It was packed with life essence and therefore, curing the poison was not a problem.

"What kind of elixir is the Essence Enhancing Pill? It sounded more powerful than the Essence Gathering Pill." the King of Elixirs asked curiously like a three-year-old.

Chen Fan hesitated only a fraction of a second before he disclosed the recipe and the effects of these two elixirs. The Essence Enhancing Pill required the Immortal Cultivation method to refine and therefore, even if he gave the King of Elixirs the recipe, the latter would not be able to create it.

One of the main goals of his trip was to collect as many ingredients for Essence Enhancing Pill as possible. After all, his grandpa, Chen Huaian was still waiting for his return.

"I have never even heard of these ingredients." King of Elixirs exclaimed. The Elders also shook their heads and lamented their lack of knowledge. They had thought that they were the experts after having spent their entire life creating elixirs. However, they just found out that they had been living under a rock all the while.

"Immortal Master Chen, we do have a thousand-year-old Ginseng if you need one." King of Elixirs said. "I want to offer it to you as a sincere apology for our mistake."

Even as he said so, a pained expression flashed across his face.

These thousand years herbs were the treasures that had passed down to him over generations. However, Chen Fan was clearly a God Reining State Immortal Master who had possessed unimaginable Elixir Brewing skills. The Sect Master knew from the get-go that Chen Fan came here for those precious herbs.

"Very well, after I have created the Essence Enhancing Pill, I will give you some." Satisfied by King of Elixirs's offer, Chen Fan nodded approvingly.

After he said that, he gave the Fifth Elder a half smile and said: "The effect of the Essence Enhancing Pill is beyond your imagination. To prolong one's life is only the most basic function, it could also help one grow a new arm if the pill was done correctly."

"Really?" The elder in a black robe asked in elation.

He had lost his left arm during the fiery mayhem. Despite the fear of Chen Fan, he could not help feeling a sense of animosity toward the boy. However, after hearing his words, the animosity was no more.

By then, Zhu Ruohan had drank a sip of the Spirit Water. Already, the poison in her system was dissipating as she gradually returned back to life. After she had recovered. Zhu Yuntao led her to Chen Fan and apologized: "I am sorry Immortal Master Chen. We have eyes but failed to see Mountain Tai. Thank you for your mercy and kindness for saving my sister's life. I will forever remember your help and so would the Zhu family!"

Zhu Ruohan still looked sick, however, her knitted brows somehow made her look cuter than she ever had been. She looked up and connected her gaze with Chen Fan and was stunned by Chen Fan's godly demeanor.

"No harm is done." Chen Fan waved a hand.

At his level of attainment, even billions of yuan were worth nothing to him, much less an apology and thanks from the Zhu family.

The Grand Elder had caught on the subtle friendliness in the exchange, so he asked someone to fetch an All-Purpose Antidote. It was used to counter any poison including Magus Poison or curses.

Zhu Yuntao was taken aback by the offer at first, and then he was elated. This was exactly what his father needed. He then heaped thanks to the Grand Elder.

After Chen Fan saved the innocent crowd of the valley. He was lead to the main hall. A man was already kneeling at the center of the main hall, his head pressed hard against the floor, asking for forgiveness.

"Alchemists Hu?"

This was the man who had chided at Chen Fan. His haughty and contemptuous air was gone as he knelt on the floor and shaking uncontrollably.

"Immortal Master Chen, he deserves to be put to death." Grand Elder cupped his fist and suggested.

Everyone looked to Alchemists Hu grudgingly. If he didn't instigate Chen Fan's hatred toward the sect, he would have resorted to a much more peaceful way of subjugating the sect. Perhaps the innocent lives could be saved from the outset.

There and then, even the elders seemed to have forgotten their discussion about how to kill Chen Fan.

"It's OK." Chen Fan shook his head.

Alchemists Hu was nothing but a worm. He could have done away with him with a lazy sweep of his blade while he was fighting. There was no need to get caught up by these insignificant people.

"Hu Zhiyuan, Immortal Master Chen has forgiven you, but the Sect rule is clear and has to be followed. From now on, you will no longer be an alchemist and you are not allowed to use spells for twenty years. Do you understand that clearly?" Grand Elder announced hotly.

"I understand." Alchemist Hu kowtowed.

Chen Fan watched the show they put on for him indifferently. However, he decided to leave it at that, after all, the Medicine God Valley Sect still has some use to him. The base of the Medicine God Valley Sect was located in a secluded location and it would be perfect for him to revamp it into a bastion of cultivation.

"The journey of cultivation was difficult and lonely, especially under such deprived conditions on earth. My life will be easier if I have some help."

Chen Fan didn't plan to teach them any real Immortal Cultivation methods, he merely wanted to further their talent in Elixir Brewing so that he wouldn't have to brew the elixirs by himself as these alchemists should be able to handle it for him.

Afterward, King of Elixirs led Chen Fan to a building behind the temple. This was medicine storage that contained all kinds of herbs one could imagine.

"This is our medicine storage." A smug smile appeared on King of Elixirs's face. "These are all herbs we have collected over the centuries. Just the thousand-year-old herbs, we have half a dozen of them.

"The rule of thumb was that only a precious herb or anything that was over a few hundred years old could be brought to the storage. As for regular herbs, we have a nearly unlimited supply of them."

Although Chen Fan had better Elixir Brewing skills than the Medicine God Valley Sect, the King of Elixirs wagered that he still had a much deeper knowledge of herbs than Chen Fan.

"Very good..."

Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction.

To the King of Elixirs, these were just ingredients for making elixirs. However, to Chen Fan, this was a treasure trove. It was filled to the brim with potential. Many seemingly useless herbs in the eyes of a mortal could be quite useful to a cultivator.

He closed his eyes and drew a large gulp of air into his nose, letting the mix of herbal smells fill up his nose as he probed the room with his Immortal Will.

"Green Phoenix Fruit. Three hundred years. Not a Spirit Medicine, but its juice was an essential ingredient in creating a wind elemental talisman."

"Thunder Stricken Wood, seven hundred years. It would be a waste to use it as an ingredient. It should be made into an artifact."

"Vitality Sap, a thousand year old! I would never think that the earth would produce such a powerful herb! So I wouldn't need the thousand year old Ginseng after all. With this sap, I could create the real Essence Enhancing Pill!"

As Chen Fan identified each and every herb in the room, a broad smile broke over his face.

Even elders of the sect knew nothing about many of these herbs. All they knew was that these were precious and were meant to be kept in the storage. However, Chen Fan had five hundred years of memory as a Celestial Lord, therefore, he knew all kinds of herbs from all over the universe.

Even though the herbs might be named differently on earth than other places, he was able to identify them very easily.

"So the decision to come to the Medicine God Valley Sect was right." Chen Fan smiled.

Inside the storage, Chen Fan had found over five different varieties of Spirit Medicine similar to the Vitality Sap. Although three of them were less than a thousand-year-old, they were powerful ingredients nonetheless. Many other herbs were not Spirit Medicines, but they could be used to create talismans and artifacts.

Chen Fan even stumbled upon the precious "Spirit Beast Fruit" here.

The Spirit Beast Fruit could not used for Elixir Brewing, but it was essential for training Spirit Beasts. With enough Spirit Beast Fruits, one could even tame a Connate Spirit Beast. An Ethereal Enlightenment beast was already deadly, much less a beast of the Connate Spirit level. If such a beast was let loose on earth, no one would be able to control it.

"Wait... what is this?"

Even as Chen Fan was about to pause his Immortal Will, he felt the presence of a chunk of black wood with powerful Life Essence coursing through it.

"Is this, the Connate Spirit Wood's Spirit Core?"

Chen Fan rounded his eyes in elation.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 185: Connate Spirit Wood.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"A Connate Spirit Wood? Spirit Core? What are those?" King of Elixirs heard Chen Fan's murmur and was confused.

The so-called Connate Spirit Trees were trees that lived for over ten thousand years. After they had passed their Thunder Tribulation, they could shed their mortal coil and exist in the world as a Connate Spirit, or sometimes it even took up a human form and possessed many unimaginable Immortal Enlightenment abilities.

Chen Fan waved a hand as he explained.

The Spirit Core was buried under countless herbs, however, it rose into the air as if it was snatched up by an invisible hand. As it slowly made its way toward Chen Fan, King of Elixirs could finally see what had sent Chen Fan into elation.

The so-called Spirit Core looked like a dark charred wooden chunk. However, the surface of the wooden chunk was smooth like rocks on the river bank, making it look like a wooden egg.

King of Elixirs had no time to marvel at Chen Fan's telekinesis ability. Surprise and confusion was written all over his face. "Ten thousand year old tree? What kind of tree can live that long? Plus, you were saying that the tree can exist in its spirit form and can transform into a human shape? Do you mean like the Tree Sprite in folklore? Could it be considered an Earth Immortal?"

"Sort of, Any Connate beings would definitely be considered deity in their own rights."

Chen Fan said lightly

After some time, the wooden egg had made its way to Chen Fan and it fitted nicely in Chen Fan's palm. Despite its small size, it was surprisingly heavy. It was at least ten times heavier than the heaviest wood such as ebony, making it denser than even iron.

"I believe whoever found this Spirit Core had found it with the Spirit Wood that Zhou Jin Yi had offered me. However, they must not have noticed the energy inside the core, therefore they had thought it was a regular piece of wood and had chucked it at the corner of the storage and forgot about it." Chen Fan thought to himself.

When Zhou Jin Yi showed Chen Fan the Connate Spirit Wood, he had already suspected that the Medicine God Valley Sect had collected more than just one piece of wood from a Connate Spirit Tree. A regular Connate Spirit Tree could grow up to a few hundred meters tall and the crown itself could cover over a few thousand square kilometers.

If the Medicine God Valley Sect had stumbled upon the remains of such a mammoth tree, they must have collected more than just a small chunk of wood. However, Chen Fan didn't think that the Medicine God Valley Sect would have also collected the Spirit Core by accident.

"The tree was a deity?" King of Elixirs was stunned by the revelation.

If a tree was really able to live over tens of thousands of years, it must have passed numerous trials and tribulations. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that it had long since become sentient and gained immortality. The Tree Sprite in the legends could even fight against heavenly guards and generals.

"Mr. Chen, what is a Spirit Core?" King of Elixirs asked cautiously.

He registered that Chen Fan cared a lot about this Spirit Core. He wagered that the Spirit Core was worth more than the combined value of all the herbs in this room.

"Spirit Trees can live for tens of thousands of years and can reach over a few hundred meters tall. At the center of its trunk was the Spirit Core. Inside the Spirit Core, was half of its Spirit Qi as well as vitality. In other words, it's the life source of the Spirit Tree. Even if the tree was destroyed, as long as the core was replanted into the earth, the Spirit Tree would quickly grow back again." Chen Fan explained patiently.

"So this Spirit Core contained the essence of the Tree Sprite?" King of Elixirs exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, you can say so." Chen Fan nodded.

Any being that had reached the Connate Spirit level, let it be a human cultivator, a tree, a beast or a cultivator of an alien race, they would have formed a vitality core inside of them during cultivation. This core contained half of their energy and vitality. Only by destroying this core, could one really kill a Connate Spirit being.

For the cultivators, this core was called an Essence Core. After countless refinement, the Essence Core could transform into a nearly indestructible Golden Core. By then, a cultivator would finally reach the Golden Core level. With the Golden Core, one could travel in space without any spacecraft and demolish space ships with their bare hands. They could also live thousands of years without falling ill.

"So it was the Demon Core of a ten-thousand-year-old Tree Sprite!"

Envy burned in King of Elixirs's eyes. He wished he could take back the gift from Chen Fan's hands.

He had been sulking ever since Chen Fan made it clear that he was going to plunder the sect of its thousand-year-old herbs. Now he was dealt another blow after knowing he had to give away a ten-thousand-year-old Demon Core. His heart was filled with regret and remorse.

"Very well, you can get out now. I need to cultivate alone in peace." Chen Fan put away the wooden egg to conceal it from King of Elixirs glare. He said lightly, "During my seclusion-cultivation, do not disturb me for anything, or anyone."

"Yes, Immortal Master Chen. "

Despite the remorse that filled up the heart of King of Elixirs, he dared not defy Chen Fan. Therefore, he lowered his head and backed out of the room after he answered Chen Fan obediently.

When Chen Fan was alone in the medicine storage, he picked a random spot and sat down to start the Void Mortal Refinement Art. Slowly, the Spirit Qi was drawn out of the herbs and pour into his system. The Void Mortal Refinement Art refined it and sent it right into his Dao Body.

"There are over a few thousand precious herbs and the amount of Spirit Qi could even rival that of the Yun Wu Mountain." Chen Fan cracked a smile and then took out the wooden egg.

Still, the sight of the Spirit Core made him feel light-hearted.

He had expected to find a few thousand year old Spirit Medicines to help him lick off the Dao Body formation. Just like any cultivation progression, the Dao Body was separated into many levels. A Connate Cultivator would have reached the initial success of Dao Body, and was able to withstand military bombardment. However, Chen Fan didn't expect even to achieve initial success since it would require much more Spirit Qi than those in thousand year old herbs. He had expected to reach the Introductory level at the most.

However, things were looking better than he had expected since he had obtained a Connate Spirit Wood's Core. It made him hopeful that he could make it to the Initial success of the Dao Body

"The Connate Spirit Wood had gathered Spirit Qi for over ten thousand years, and therefore its core contained ten times more Spirit Qi than even most Connate Spirit Beings. Despite the slow leak of Spirit Qi over the ages, it should still have enough Spirit Qi to recharge a Connate Cultivator's system." Chen Fan examined the wooden egg carefully with his Immortal Will.

The owner of the wooden egg must have been long gone, otherwise, he or she would never allow Chen Fan so much as to touch it. He was hard pressed to believe that the previous owner would not fight to the death to retrieve the core and replant the Connate Tree if he or she was still alive.

"This much Spirit Qi should help me to achieve Initial success of my Connate Body. Since the core was from a Connate Spirit Tree, I should follow the same wood element while I cultivate my Dao Body."

Chen Fan started to recall all the previous cultivation techniques he had learned that related to the Wood Element.

The Connate Body or, Dao Body was divided into different categories based on the type of elements. A normal cultivator could only achieve a normal Dao Body of no element attached to it. These Dao Bodies could greatly strengthen the cultivator's physique, prolong their life for over hundreds of years and allow them to connect to the Essence Qi of Heaven and Earth. However, once one reached beyond the Dao Body, they would form Spirit Body and that was where the different types of elements came to play. A Spirit Body of a certain element would excel at bending and manipulating such element.

"The Dao Body was a jack of all trades and master of none. On the other hand, the Spirit Body was like an expert who specialized in only one area. For example, the sentient beings formed by Essence Qi would always have a certain elements attack to them, and thus when they use the art of the same element, they could become extremely powerful."

Chen Fan knew that there were as many stars as there were different kinds of Spirit Bodies in the universe.

A billion different kinds of Essence Qi would give birth to a billion unique Spirit Bodies. He knew in total a hundred and seventy thousand and two hundred different kinds of methods to cultivate the Spirit Body. The most common branch of the cultivation method was the Method of Five Elements. Under the Method of Five Elements, there were seven hundred and eighty-nine different methods specifically for the wood element.

"Wood Element was one of the most popular elements of choice. A different cultivation technique would result in a very different Spirit Body. These differences even affected the Immortal Enlightenment abilities. Just like the Spirit Body, the Immortal Enlightenment abilities also came with numerous ranks and levels. The most powerful Spirit Body that was cultivated using divine cultivation technique would be much stronger than those formed using run of the mill methods."

Chen Fan recalled that he had followed the most popular cultivation method, the Art of Seventh Gold in his past life. The Dharma Body formed by the Art of Seventh Gold was one of the lowest grades among Spirit Bodies. However, Chen Fan was still able to dominate the Cang Min World and remained invincible. In the end, he emerged from the Cang Min Realm and became Immortal Cultivator Cangqin's seventh Inner Circle Disciple.

Once he started to cultivate under the True Martial Immortal Sect officially, he formed the True Martial Sacred Body.

As one of the most powerful Immortal Sects, the True Martial Sacred Body was one of the most powerful forms in the universe, and therefore it was given the name "Sacred Body"

"However, the amount of Spirit Qi required to achieve the True Martial Sacred Body was more than the total amount of Spirit Qi on earth. That wasn't just any Dao Body, it was the invincible Sacred Body!" Chen Fan lamented.

Luckily, he knew a method to switch his art to another one. Therefore he wagered that he still has a chance to form the True Martial Sacred Body as he did in his past life.

Right now, his priority was to find an Art that was best in the wood element category.

"Yi Wood Body...it's a low-grade Spirit Body. It is formed by Yi Wood Art. It would spur the growing plant and boost the cultivation speed. Capable of self-healing and healing others."

"Green Flower Sword Body; one of the Green Flower Sect's Sword type Spirit Bodies. It would increase the physique of the cultivator as if the cultivator was using a Dharma Treasure. It came with the Art of Green Flower Blade Aura. It was a Blade Aura formed by True Essence inside of cultivator and could be projected outward for a distance up to a few hundred meters. Sort of like the Art of Flying Sword. "

"The Body of Wax and Wane. It is a Buddhism Art. In order to achieve this body, one would need to grasp the real meaning of the riddle 'Wax and Wane and Everything in Between' People who cultivate this art often had shriveled skins since they would tend to hide their True Essence inside of their body saving them for the last moment. They were much more powerful than cultivators of similar levels and were granted one chance to resurrect. Even if their physical body had perished, they could be reborn amidst the fire. It also came with special Immortal Enlightenment ability: Eyes of the Wax and Wane. It could see through any lies or deceit."

"The Spirit Body of Forever Spring formed by the Art of Forever Spring. It doesn't have any special Immortal Enlightenment abilities but it could make the cultivator live three times longer than their counterparts. Making them as long-lived as a Golden Core level cultivator."

Chen Fan recalled each and every Wood Element Art. Some were from traditional and righteous Immortal Cultivation Sects, some were from more unsavory and unorthodox covenants. There were even arts for Spirit Beasts and for the mystic race of Wood Spirits.

He studied each and every one of them, paying attention to their requirements. Most of them required the cultivator to be in specific locations or obtaining specific cultivation resources or have enlightenment over a specific aspect of life.

"I think the Green Flower Sword Body suits my needs the most. It's quite similar to the Seventh Gold Dharma Body that I have cultivated last life. Maybe I should go with it." Even as Chen Fan thought to himself, he caught a glimpse of something interesting: "Azure Thearch Longevity Body. The most powerful art in the Branch of Five Elements. Need to follow the Art of Azure Thearch Longevity Art. One of the Sacred Body in the Branch of Five Elements."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 186: Azure Thearch Longevity Body

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"The Azure Thearch Longevity Body was formed by cultivating the Azure Thearch Longevity Art, one of the best arts of the Five Elements Immortal Sect which itself was one of the nine Great Immortal Sects. After it was completed, the cultivator would gain natural affinity with Connate Spirit Yi Wood and boost the power of wood element spells to the point that it could rival that of the Divine Child of the Wood Sprites. It would allow the cultivators to cast any wood element spells at will and eventually form one of the Sacred Body in the Five Elements Branch."

"It came with the Immortal Enlightenment ability 'Yi Wood Spirit'. When cast, the cultivator would be able to control all wood element sentient beings around him.

"It came with the Immortal Enlightenment ability "Indestructible Longevity" which would prolong the life of the cultivator ten times longer than their normal counterpart.

"It came with the Immortal Enlightenment 'Three Lives Incarnations' As long as the cultivator's Primordial Essence was still intact, the cultivator could resurrect three times after his physical form has perished.

"It came with the Immortal Enlightenment ability 'Out of Body Experience' which allows the cultivator to attach his Primordial Spirit to any Spirit Wood.

"It came with the Immortal Enlightenment ability 'Dharma Eye of the Green Drake'... "

The art came with over a dozen different kinds of Immortal Enlightenment abilities. Like the best art of the Five Elements Celestial Branch, it was no doubt far superior to any art of other Immortal Cultivation Sects. A normal Spirit Body would only come with a couple of Immortal Enlightenment abilities, but this one had a dozen of them. This was unheard of.

"Did I snatch this art from the 'Son of the Azure Thearch' from the Five Elements Immortal Sect, or was it from somewhere else?" Chen Beixuan furrowed his brows. As the North Mystic Celestial Lord, he had fought against countless powerful fighters from the world of the Immortal Cultivation as well as cultivators of other alien races.

The Son of the Azure Thearch was one of the Divine Cultivator of the Immortal Sect. His father was Azure Thearch himself, a mighty figure in the field of Wood Element cultivation. As a Perfected immortal of Dao Reunion level, he had fought with Cangqin the Immortal cultivator many times without a clear winner. The Son of the Azure Thearch was the son of a Perfected Immortal and therefore he had gained a Connate Nascent Soul and reached the Nascent Soul level at birth. For a cultivator, he could be considered to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

However, he was killed by Chen Fan in the end. His Azure Thearch Longevity Body was taken as well.

"The Art of Azure Thearch Longevity Body was nothing spectacular. I have learned over a few dozen arts that could have done the same thing. However, achieving the Five Elements Sacred Body was a very different thing altogether." Chen Fan thought to himself as his eyes glinted.

The Sacred Body was one of the most powerful Divine art of the Five Elements Immortal Sect. Once a cultivator had mastered such an art, he should be able to conjure any spells belonging to the Five Elements.

The Sacred Body of Five Elements was formed by five powerful Spirit Bodies which included the Azure Thearch Longevity Body. Its power was on par with that of the True Martial Sacred Body.

"I have only one of the five Sacred Body of Five Elements. It is impossible to complete it for now."

However, Chen Fan was not deterred.

Compared to the Yi Wood Body or the Green Flower Sword Body, the Azure Thearch Longevity Body was the much better option. From here, he could either further the art by completing the Sacred Body of Five Elements, or he could transfer to cultivate the True Martial Sacred Body, either was possible.

"If I choose the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, the amount of Spirit Qi in the Spirit Core will only be enough for me to reach the Introductory Level."

Chen Fan grinned.

Azure Thearch Longevity Body was a powerful art and therefore was very difficult to master. It required a huge amount of resources and just one Spirit Core simply won't do.

"At any rate, I think the Introductory Level should be enough for me for now. This was one of the most powerful Spirit Bodies in the world of Cultivation, so even at Introductory Level, it should be more powerful than the Initial success level of the Yi Wood body."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan finally made up his mind to cultivate the Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

"Huu! Huu!"

He sat cross legged in the middle of the medicine storage and rose both hands to his chest. It was as if he held an entire world in between the crooks of his elbows. He started the Void Mortal Refinement Art, stirring up the wood elemental energy inside the Spirit Core.

A few strands of green smoke rose from the core, they looked like mist formed by moisture in the air. Every tiny droplet in the mist contained pulsing True Qi of Life and Wood Element Spirit Qi. If an average person so much as touched a tiny droplet, these energies would instantly turn his mortal coil into a giant tree. However, once the mist was processed by the Immortal Cultivator, it should help mortal prolong ten years worth of life, its effect was equivalent of swallowing an Essence Enhancing Pill.

In other words, these little droplets were countless Essence Enhancing Pill and Essence Gathering Pill.

"Kaboom!"

As soon as Chen Fan started to refine these grey greenish droplets, one of the droplet burst, spilling out powerful essence of vitality and True Essence of the Green-Wood.

Suddenly, many shriveled up herbs unfurled its leaves as green color started to surface. Even the wooden shelves that were used to hold the herbs grow many branches with green new shots on them.

This Spirit Core contained over ten thousand of such greenish droplets. I can at the most refine ten drops a day, so three hundred drops a month. In order to finish all the droplets, It will take me three years.

"That being said, as I progress further, the process will speed up eventually. I am confident that I should be able to refine over a hundred drops a day in the end."

This was the first time Chen Fan felt that he truly lived like a king ever since he was resurrected.

The effect of these droplets made him feel like he was feasting on Essence Gathering Pills every day. Over the last half year, he had only used half of those a hundred or so Essence Gathering Pills. However, now he enjoyed the same effect as swallowing ten pills a day.

The second drop, the third drop, the fourth drop.

Before sunset, he had finished refining ten of those greenish droplets.

By the end of the day, the entire Medicine storage was awash with Wood Element Spirit Qi. The previously dried up herbs not only turned green, many even started to grow again. It reminded Chen Fan of his Immortal garden, where herbs sprout out almost every half an hour.

Thus it was. It would take ginseng over a thousand years of absorbing enough Qi to become a Spirit Medicine, however, in the Cang Min Realm, the process would only take a few decades. If the ginseng was planted in the heartland of the True Martial Immortal Sect, it would grow into a Sprite Herb in less than a few months. In ten years, it would grow to become a Connate Spirit Tree.

The amount of Spirit Qi in the environment made a huge difference. By then, the Medicine storage was filled to the brim with Wood Element Spirit Qi, it was practically a Spirit Land of Wood Element. If Chen Fan didn't cast the Spirit Gathering Array, the Qi would have already permeated into the entire valley, turning the valley into a spring paradise of life and flowers.

However, Chen Fan couldn't care less about the world outside of the Medicine Storage. He focused his attention solely on his cultivation. As his Dao Body grew, his cultivation started to speed up. He finished ten drops on the first day, eleven on the second, thirteen on the third, seventeen on the fourth...

By then, Chen Fan's skin, muscle, eyebrows, and even his pupils were tainted with a green hue. The powerful Wood Element Spirit Body had claimed every cell in his body, slowly changing it and transforming it to be more compatible with the Wood Element.

He turned his mind inward while cultivating and he felt that even his nearly spent Golden Li Flame deep inside of his eyes was nurtured back to life by the Wood Element Spirit Qi.

Such was the Dao of the Five Elements, their coexistence relied on the fragile balance of elements. However, if such balance could be achieved, the elements would work in a perpetually lock step until the cultivator achieved the most powerful Sacred Body in the universe.

May 2008... International Air Port of Zhong Hai

Around this time of the day, the airport was packed with white collar elites and businessmen waiting to board their plane. There were even many foreigners coming in and out of the waiting area.

A grandfather and grandson pair sat in the waiting room and were chatting with each other.

"Grandpa, tell me another story about Chen Beixuan please"

The grandson was only seven or either years old, however, he was already a competent martial artist. His movement was quiet but agile like a cautious cheetah. He rested his chin on a palm and looked at his grandpa expectantly.

The old man was wearing a traditional Chinese outfit and his wizened face was riddled with wrinkles. Despite his old age, his eyes glinted sharply, suggesting that he was a powerful martial artist.

He could kill a brawny young man who tried to take advantage of the old man with one single slap in the face.

"I have told you many times, why are you still not satisfied?" The old man complained. However, he gave up in the end and started telling the story one more time. "No one at the Martial Arts Conference had thought that Chen Beixuan was less than a twenty years old boy! When the family lord of the Lu family finally got involved..."

A group of men emerged from the tarmac as the old man went on with his story. The leader of the group was an old man in a white coat. His hair was as white as snow but the features on his face looked surprisingly young, especially his clear and sharp eyes.

Beside him was a dark-haired man of multiracial heritage. Behind the two stood a row of brawny and muscular men in black suits.

These brawny men were snappy in their movements and it was obvious that they were not only Internal Force users but were also well trained and highly disciplined. A team of such powerful fighters could defeat any Martial Artists.

The men and women averted their eyes as soon as they saw the group of newcomers.

"Grandpa, who is stronger? You or Chen Beixuan?" The boy asked curiously.

"What a silly question! Of course not your grandpa. I am nothing but an old man who runs a martial arts club. I am old and useless now, and the only thing I am still good for is to babysit you." The old man cracked a smile and he shook his head. A hint of remorse flickered in his eyes.

In the good old days, he was one of the dominant figures in the world of martial arts. He had achieved the peak of the Internal Force cultivation at the age of fifty, and right before he could reach the Transcendent State, he met one of the most powerful opponents in his life. He lasted less than one second before he was gravely injured. Try as he might, he could no longer recover his body to the same level as he had been before the injury.

"I wager that the only two people who would be able to overcome Chen Beixuan was the man in Yan Jin and my nemesis who injured me." Even as the grandpa lamented his misfortune, he saw the white-haired old man coming toward his direction. His body froze into a statue.

"What's going on Grandpa? " his grandson asked curiously.

The old man in a white coat walked past him as if he didn't even notice the boy's grandpa.

"No... nothing, I just saw someone that I used to know." The old man looked down at his grandson as a fear suddenly shot through his body.

"Why is he here? Didn't he swear never to enter China? "

"Is he here for Chen Beixuan?"

He thought of the indifference in the white-haired man when he walked past him and the thought made him feel even worse. He felt that he was drifting further and further away from his goal of avenging his defeat.

"He is back, and I am afraid that he is going to turn the world upside down this time."

The old man lamented.

Those who knew what the old man was talking about would agree with him.

Because that man with white hair and white coat was Lei Qianjue, the most powerful martial artist outside of China.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 187: Carry the Cauldron

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Tian Nan Province, Lin City, In front of the Lu family mansion.

Lu Dayong was working his shift in the security room and yawned from boredom. He was a member of the offshoot branch of the Lu family and knew only a few martial arts, a long shot from being an Internal Force user. However, that was enough for him to bully ordinary people from time to time. Thanks to nepotism, he gained a position in the Lu family as a captain of the security team.

This was the headquarters of the dominating family in Tian Nan. Therefore, no one in their right mind would think of coming to the mansion to cause a racket. Ever since the Martial Arts Conference was over, those two internal force doormen were dismissed and returned to their real duty elsewhere in the family.

Both of the doormen were Internal Force users and not only were they dominating figures in their own region but, they were also in possession of billions of assets. If not because of the Martial Arts Conference, they would never be doormen in their life. Since the conference was over, they returned home and left only Lu Dayong and his team guarding the entrance to the property.

"Brother Yong, our life is so boring. Just a few days ago, there were fights to watch almost every day. Now? Nothing." A skinny man yawned and complained.

Despite the speaker's scrawny look, he was one of the infamous fighters in the streets of Lin City. He used to chase off half a dozen muscular men in the street using nothing but a butcher's knife. He managed a bus station and owned shares in a few entertainment venues in the city. However, while back in the family, his rightful place was at the entrance.

Nonetheless, the skinny man seemed to be proud of his post.

He bragged about his position all the time. "I work for the Lu family of Lin City. They are the legendary martial arts family, a dominating power in the Jiang Nan Province. Everyone around here relies on them to make a living. It is an honor to watch their door for them. If not because of my connection with Brother Yong, I might not even be able to do even that."

"Bug off! Both family lord and Grandpa Long were dead. There is nothing to be excited about." Lu Dayong flung back at him.

"Hehe, Brother Yong, to be frank with you. I am nothing but a lowly scum in the eyes of your family lord and Grandpa Long, so far, I have never met them even once. So, really, do you think I care about them?" The scrawny man said with a mischievous smile.

Lu Dayong snorted and kept his silence.

He was from the offshoot branch of the family and was not even an Internal Force user. He had only seen the family lord from afar on the ancestral memorial ceremony every ten years. As for Lu Tianlong, he might be able to catch a glimpse of him once in a while but not very often either. After he heard of their death, Lu Dayong simply nodded and felt nothing except for concern for the future of the family.

"On that note, Chen Beixuan is quite something else, isn't he! I didn't see the battle with my eyes but Holy Shit! When I got back to the courtyard to clean up. It was such a mess! Holes everywhere on the wall and even a few large enough to fit a man through. Many structures had collapsed and, it was as if a Typhoon had swept through the courtyard. It's hard to describe how bad it is." The scrawny man tutted.

"Brother Yong, someone can really be that powerful?" Another security guard put in.

A hint of contempt surfaced on Lu Dayong's face. "Humph! I have seen it with my own eyes. I watched as Chen Beixuan and my family lord fought like two monsters. They fought from here to yonder across the yard. If they miss and the attack landed on the building, the wall just crumbles. It's terrifying."

"How strong do you think they really are to be able to topple a wall? Especially those thick concrete weight-bearing walls. Ramming into it is like hitting a stone with an egg." The scrawny man asked incredulously.

"You are a mortal, but they are Grand Masters." Lu Dayong snorted. "Do you know what Grand Masters are? They were like the dragons in the legends. They can shoot their Internal Force out and kill you from a distance."

"Brother Yong, the family lord, is also a Grand Master, how come he ended up getting killed by Chen Beixuan? The family lord is over seventy, so in theory, he should be more powerful than a boy, don't you think? I have seen Chen Beixuan in person, and he is no more than twenty years old, even younger than my son. How is that even possible?" The scrawny man asked questioningly.

The other security guards looked to Lu Dayong confusedly.

"Hum... this... is... because of... of... Um..." A pang of embarrassment shot through Lu Dayong. In the end, he managed to fling back: "Chen Beixuan is one in a hundred-year genius in martial arts. A young Grand Master, not just anyone's son."

"In my opinion, no other Grand Master could have defeated him. Chen Beixuan is practically the most powerful Grand Master in the world."

In fact, Lu Dayong had never met any other Grand Masters. However, in order to make his family —however distantly related he was—look better, he decided to exaggerate Chen Fan's ability. To be defeated by the most powerful man in China was not that much of a defeat after all.

"The most powerful in China? Shit!"

Everyone exclaimed, seemingly buying Lu Dayong's lies.

Just so! If Chen Beixuan was the most powerful man, it would make sense that even the family lord could not overcome him. That even meant that the family lord could have been the second most powerful man in China.

Seeing the relieved expression on everyone's face, Lu Dayong let out a smug smile. Suddenly, a voice drifted toward the entrance. "Who said that Chen Beixuan is the most powerful Grand Master in China? Have you asked the opinion of other Grand Masters?"

"Who said that?"

Lu Dayong looked to the speaker with furrowed brows.

He saw a white-haired old man standing right in front of the entrance. The old man was wearing a white peacoat and stood upright. He linked his hand behind his back. Standing behind him was a black-haired man of multiracial heritage.

"Who are you?" Lu Dayong had many questions in his mind, but he chose his words carefully. "Even if it was not a consensus among Grand Masters, the fact that Chen Beixuan could defeat my family lord speaks loudly of his power."

"Hehe, you mean defeating Lu Tianfen?" The old man's voice was filled with contempt and disdain. "He was probably the weakest of all Grand Masters. It was not that big of a deal to be able to defeat him."

"How dare you insult my family lord's name!" Lu Dayong glared at the old man.

Although Lu Tianfen was already dead, he had been the family lord of the Lu family. Therefore, to insult the deceased family lord was to insult the Lu family.

Suddenly, the scrawny man and other security guards stood up, some holding batons, and a few even produced firearms. As one of the most powerful martial arts family, it was not difficult for them to obtain firearms.

"Insult him, you say? I am just honest." The old man answered lightly. "Seventeen years ago, I fought with Lu Tianfen. I defeated him with only nine moves."

"What did you say?" Anger froze on Lu Dayong's face as he studied the white-haired old man incredulously.

Lu Tianfen was the dominating figure in China's martial arts landscape. If the old man could have defeated Lu Tianfen, he must be a Grand Master as well. However, Lu Dayong could not tell anything extraordinary from this old man, except for his incredibly sharp eyes.

That being said, he noticed energy emanating from the man standing behind him. There was an overbearing quality about him that suggested he was a powerful fighter. He wagered that the black-haired man was even more powerful than Su Wudi and the family lord of the Gu family.

The old man didn't mind the security guard's glare. He walked over to the Tripod Cauldron.

The Tripod Cauldron was made out of pure bronze and was about one meter in height. A few blessings were inscribed on the surface. It was used to adjust the Feng Shui for most of the time, but under certain circumstances, it was a tool to measure the power of a martial artist.

It took at least an Internal Force user to move this Tripod Cauldron.

"What a handsome looking Tripod Cauldron!"

The old man walked around the Tripod Cauldron and studied it. He nodded satisfyingly.

"What are you going to do?"Lu Dayong asked confusedly. Then, he saw something incredible.

He watched as the old man reached out a hand to the underbelly of the Tripod Cauldron and lowered himself into a Horse Stance. Then he lifted the Tripod Cauldron with one hand, holding it high above his head.

"Holy Mother—"

The security guards were so stunned that they dropped their weapons on the ground, yet they didn't even notice it. They could only gape at the old man.

If they haven't been staying just a few paces from the Tripod Cauldron 24/7, they might be convinced that someone had switched the metal Tripod Cauldron to a plastic one.

"Bang!"

The old man took a step forward, still holding the Cauldron. The hard surface of paved granite caved in as the old man's foot thudded on it. The earth seemed to tremble lightly.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

The white-haired old man walked into the mansion while holding the Tripod Cauldron. Lu Dayong swallowed hard and dared not to stop him. He wondered if the old man was a human or a Terminator sent by machines in the future to wipe out mankind.

"What's going on? Is there an earthquake?"

The old man's heavy steps sent tremors to the group, and many residences of the mansion ran out of the house, fearing it was an earthquake. However, what they saw outside stunned them.

They knew how heavy that Tripod Cauldron was since they passed it nearly every day.

"Who is he? That's insane! He can lift the Tripod Cauldron? Is he superman? " A swell of surprised murmurs rose among the family members. Finally, someone recognized the old man. "Lei Qianjue! Why is he in China?"

"What? He is the Grand Master of the Hong Sect, Lei Qianjue?"

The crowd boiled over.

Unlike Chen Fan, Lei Qianjue was a household name.

Lei Qianjue had dominated the martial arts world for over twenty years. In China, everyone knew that he was the most powerful martial artist outside of China. Now he was back, but what did he want? Revenge? If so, shouldn't he head toward the Military to look for Ye Nantian? What was he doing here?

Questions rose in everyone's minds.

However, everyone was certain that the return of the Grand Master of the Hong Sect was going to cause a racket in China.

"Grand Master Lei, what brings you here to the Lu family?"

No one dared to stop Lei Qianjue. In the end, the great-great-grandpa of the Lu family walked out of the building, accompanied by Lu Yanwua and her sister.

"Where is Chen Beixuan?" Lei Qianjue asked calmly.

"Grand Master Chen had left a few days ago." Surprise glinted in great-great-grandpa's eyes. However, he answered obediently to the old man.

"Oh, really?" Lei Qianjue scanned around him. Everyone quietly lowered their heads.

Lei Qianjue's eyes were so sharp that his gaze looked like two lightning flashes. There was unmistaken intent to kill hidden in those gleaming eyes.

"Bam!"

Lei Qianjue hurled the Tripod Cauldron over his head. The giant cauldron whizzed through the air and landed on top of the building, crushing it to rubble instantly.

"Chen Beixuan killed my disciple, and therefore, he is my enemy. Anyone who helps him or is related to him would end up like that house." Lei Qianjue announced lightly.

Despite his calm demeanor, the Lu family members were frightened. They lowered their heads, daring not to hold the old man's deadly gaze.

However, to everyone's surprise, Lu Yanxue had kept her chin up bravely.

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Chapter 188: Frigid Qi Energy

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Xiao Xue. Are you crazy?"

Lu Yanwu tugged the corner of Lu Yanxue's shirt and urged her.

Everyone else in the Lu family had lowered their heads obediently before the visitor. From the corner of their eyes, they caught a glimpse of Lu Yanxue who had held her chin up proudly. They couldn't help but sneer at her. "Lu Yanxue, do you really think you are Cinderella? Chen Beixuan's enemy is here now, and we can't wait to see how you handle them."

Many of the Lu family members had been jealous of Lu Yanxue's special treatment due to her connection with Chen Fan. Even though they were from the same family, they looked at the girl as if she was their enemy.

Lu Yanxue was unfazed by the development; instead, she lifted her chin slightly up.

Lei Qianjue had noticed the pride in the girl, so he examined her with great interest. "I wager you are the girlfriend of Chen Beixuan? Aren't you afraid of me like the rest of your family?"

"Of course not." Lu Yanxue said firmly, her voice was laced with confidence. "As you said, I am Chen Beixuan's girl, and how could I be scared of you? If I was, I would be giving everyone the wrong message that Chen Beixuan is not as powerful as you."

"Very Good!" Lei Qianjue clapped and exclaimed. "I have never expected a young girl to have more backbone than the entire Lu family of Lin City. Chen Beixuan has picked the right girl, and I have to give him that."

Faces of the Lu family members flushed red as soon as they heard the insult. Many young people from the third generation of the family clenched their fists, trying to hold back their bursting anger and shame.

"Backbone aside, you have to face reality sooner or later. Chen Beixuan killed one of my disciples. He will have to pay for what he did." Lei Qianjue suddenly changed his tone as his gaze grew cold.

"If I really can't find him, I will have to lure him out."

Everyone watched as Lu Yanxue flicked a finger and shot out a gleaming white line from the tip of his finger. The line writhed in the air and covered the dozen meters distance between Lu Yanxue and the old man in a blink.

Lu Yanxue was terrified by the spell. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the color from ebbing away from her face. However, she managed to stand still and didn't evade the attack. Tears and indignation flickered in her eyes.

"Shuuu!"

The clear and glittering lines turned nearly invisible right before it buried into Lu Yanxue's body.

Despite the white silken blouse she was wearing, the fear inside of Lu Yanxue made her feel so cold that her body couldn't stop shivering and her teeth chattering. Lu Yanxue's pale skin looked even paler under such fear, so much so that the skin looked like ice that was covered with a thin layer of frost. Her cute face was robbed of life as fear turned her into an ice statue. Even the people standing beside her could feel the coldness emanating from her body.

"The Qi from the Art of Thousand Trickeries was formed from the frigid winds of the northern tundra. Just one lash of the Frigid Qi attack would be able to freeze a polar bear in place. I have injected one into your body, and it will release its Frigid Qi slowly into your system, turning you into an ice sculpture." Lei Qianjue explained calmly.

His even tone didn't help to ease the minds of his listeners.

He had shot out a Qi energy into the girl's body to turn her into an ice block slowly? What kind of savagery was that? Some onlookers still found it hard to believe that such a technique existed in the first place. However, as soon as they saw the shivering Lu Yanxue, their doubts were gone.

"Don't even try to cure her. Modern medicine wouldn't help her, either. If you wish to resolve the effect of the Thousand Trickeries, you will have to find a Grand Master, such as Chen Beixuan. Tell him that I will wait for him at the shore of West Lake."

As soon as Lei Qianjue finished talking, he turned around and sauntered away.

The middle-aged man of multiracial heritage gave the Lu family a contemptuous glance, shook his head and then followed his master, leaving a group of stunned and humiliated Lu family members glaring at his back.

The Lu family was a prominent Martial Arts Family. Never once have we endured such humiliation twice in a row. However, let it be Chen Fan or Lei Qianjue, they were both powerful Grandmasters that could bring any martial artist to their knees. Chen Fan was able to kill a Grandmaster as if butchering helpless chickens. Lei Qianjue, on the other hand, had defeated Lu Tianfen seventeen years ago. In the last seventeen years, he must have furthered his martial arts so that by then, his skills had become unimaginable that he could kill a person by injecting a strand of Frigid Qi.

The Lu family would never be able to rival those two incredibly powerful Grandmasters.

So thinking, many people looked to Lu Yanxue with a mix of gloating and pity. To freeze to death slowly was a horrible way to go, yet, the punishment was especially cruel since it was used on a twenty-year-old girl.

"Xiao Xue, are you alright?" Lu Yanwu hurried to steady her sister,

"I am fine." Lu Yanxue managed a pale smile. However, her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Where is the doctor? Call the doctor!" Seeing everyone's stupefied looks, Lu Yanwu shouted at them.

Lu Yanwu's voice finally woke up the Lu family members. They hurried toward the two girls to help out. Some cradled Lu Yanxue in a blanket and brought her into a heated room; some poured hot water for her. Even in the heated room, Lu Yanxue's body was turning colder by the second.

"Great-great Grandpa, we need to call Chen Beixuan here! Xiao Xue is not going to last long." After the doctor had exhausted his tests and was still unable to improve Lu Yanxue's condition, Lu Yanwu came to her Great-great Grandpa and pleaded.

"The doctor said Xiao Xue had the most bizarre ailment. Her temperature is already a few degrees lower than that of a normal person, and it was still dropping. In less than a few months, her organs, blood, marrow, and muscles will all freeze over, killing her in the process."

The thought of such a terrible death made Lu Yanwu shiver. A pang of terror suddenly seized her.

"As a Grandmaster of a renowned sect, how dare he do such a crude thing to a girl!" She cursed under her breath.

"Sigh... you don't understand, do you. The Grandmasters are the true dragons." The old man heaved a sigh and shook his head. "At his level, he is already on his path toward immortality, and therefore, he sees the world very differently than us mortals. In his eyes, we are nothing but foolish monkeys. Do you really expect him to feel bad for a dead monkey?

"But you are right about calling Chen Beixuan for help, I will send a messenger to the Medicine God Valley Sect to deliver the news."

Even after Great-great Grandpa had left, Lu Yanwu stood still as she mulled over the old man's words.

"In the eyes of the Grandmasters, we are like monkeys... Does that mean Chen Fan also sees Xiao Xue and me in that way as well? If that's the case, will he still come to her rescue?"

Lu Yanxue was suddenly at a loss.

She was not sure if the Young Grandmaster would risk falling into the trap of another powerful Grandmaster for a woman he didn't even care about.

Lei Qianjue had returned!

The news of Lei Qianjue's return swept across the world of martial artists and cultivators.

Compared to Chen Fan, Lei Qianjue was much more popular. Seventeen years ago, he had dominated the landscape of Martial Arts in China and defeated many powerful opponents, including two Grandmasters. If not because of Ye Nantian who had stopped him cold in his tracks, he would still be in the seat of power in China.

Despite his victory, Ye Nantian was only able to win the fight with Lei Qianjue with a very small edge. In fact, the two's levels of attainments were on par with each other seventeen years ago. How powerful would Lei Qianjue be after seventeen years of hard cultivation in seclusion?

No one knew the answer to that question. Meanwhile, they had all heard that Lei Qianjue came back to China to avenge his disciple, Linhu. He is staying at the West Lake in Lin City, waiting for the Young Grandmaster to rise to the challenge.

Every day, Lei Qianjue could be found in a small fishing boat on West Lake wearing a white coat and a straw hat and looked relaxed as if he was on vacation.

The middle-aged man of multiracial heritage that followed him everywhere was called Romon. He had departed from his master and started to challenge all sects in China.

"May 20, Romon challenged the Xin Yi Sect, and defeated Guo Yuntao."

"May 27, Romon challenged Ba Ji Sect, and defeated Mu Shan."

"Jun 1, Romon visited the Gu Family and sparred with Gu Shitong. After half an hour, Gu Shitong conceded defeated."

"Jun 15, Romon reached the Wu Family of Northwest China..."

In less than two months, Romon had become a household name. As the Final Disciple of Lei Qianjue, his master's most proud protege, Romon's martial arts skills were extraordinary. He had fought over nineteen battles in the two months and always emerged victorious. Worse, when he defeated Gu Shitong, a semi-transcendent state martial artist, he didn't even use his most powerful art: the Thousand Trickeries.

The entire martial arts community could feel the tension and the smoke in the air. Many people had claimed that Romon was the most powerful man below the Grandmaster Level.

However, Romon's fight on August 3 had stunned the entire community for a very different reason.

"August 3, Romon challenged Tai Chi Sect's Grandmaster Chen Jiuyang. After three hours, the match ended in a draw."

Rumor had it that Romon displayed such power that nearly outshone Chen Jiuyang. Despite Chen Jiuyang's powerful Qi that was so carefully manipulated and amplified by Tai Chi techniques, Romon was able to counter the Tai Chi master with belligerent attacks. Each jab and kick carried such force that could crack open a mountain. Roman also demonstrated his incredible endurance since he was able to fight with full force and speed from the beginning to the end.

"He must be a Grandmaster! Lei Qianjue's disciple is a Grandmaster!" Many people were shocked by what the fight had revealed.

"I had heard that Romon was not a Grandmaster yet. However, he was well learned and versed in all kinds of martial arts techniques that existed not only in China but also all around the world. Let it be Aikido, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Ancient Muay Thai or Sambo, he was an expert in all fields. Plus, he has a superb physique that would even pose a threat to the Grandmasters. There was a term for a person like him in this world. They call it Mixed Martial Arts Master. Their abilities were on par with that of a Grandmaster." someone put in.

Needless to say, Romon's sudden rise to power had been sensational news of late.

"If Lei Qianjue's disciple was as powerful as a Grandmaster, what about Lei Qianjue himself?" Many people have asked themselves, as their attention returned to the little fishing boat on the West Lake.

Many people had thought of challenging Lei Qianjue as soon as they heard he was back, but his disciple's display of power made them think better of it.

"It had been two months, and Chen Beixuan was still nowhere to be seen. I wager he had chickened out." Some people could help but sneer at Chen Beixuan.

Meanwhile, in the Medicine God Valley Sect, Chen Fan's cultivation had reached the most critical moment.

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Chapter 189: Dao Body, Complete!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Nine thousand and ninety-ninth drop."

A lush green droplet of water suddenly burst, releasing a shower of Wood Element Spirit Qi. This Spirit Qi was quickly absorbed by a shadowy figure of a young man. The young man's hair was vibrant green in color, and even his eyes gleamed like two pieces of emeralds. His skin was covered with ancient and mysterious inscriptions, making the boy look less like a human and more like a Wood Sprite.

This was what Chen Fan looked like after three months of cultivation in the medicine vault.

He sat cross-legged in the medicine vault, arms wrapped around the Spirit Core of the Connate Spirit Wood. The immense Wood Element Spirit Qi inside the core had nearly dried out, rendering the wooden egg a hollow husk that floated in Chen Fan's palm.

If anyone happened to enter the medicine vault and catch the sight, they would be shocked.

Other than the fact that Chen Fan now looked like a Wood Sprite, the entire medicine vault had transformed into a green paradise of lush trees and undergrowth. Precious herbs were everywhere in the room. There were Lingzhi mushrooms tucked in the corner under the branches of Ginseng and Astragalus. Atractylodes and the Black Hair Herb either hang low from branches or were buried under the ground. There were many other unknown plants scattered all over the vault. The vaulted ceiling was also covered with Green Vines with lush green leaves.

What is even more amazing about the scene was that none of the plants were rotting in the soil, and Chen Fan never watered them during the three months. They simply grew on anything and everything. The air was infused with green mist that carried strong Wood Element Spirit Qi as well as the Essence of Life. Just one whiff of such air in a mortal's system could have warded off all ailments. Its effects were not any worse than a thousand-year-old herb.

The Spirit Qi in the Spirit Wood was so abundant that even though Chen Fan had used up over ninety-nine percent of the Spirit Qi, the last one percent was still able to transform the vault into a Spirit Land for Wood Element Cultivation.

"Hew!"

Chen Fan took a long breath and stirred up the air in the room. Suddenly, a whirlwind swept across the room; it wrapped the green mist around itself and channeled into Chen Fan's mouth.

"BOM! Kaboom!"

Chen Fan's bones cracked, joints popped, and his muscles convulsed as his body let out a cacophony of strange noises. In a blink, Chen Fan grew to two meters tall, looking like a green giant among the trees and plants.

"The Azure Thearch Longevity Body is very challenging indeed." Chen Fan heaved a sigh and opened his eyes slowly. "I thought that I would be able to complete the Initial Success level of my Dao Body cultivation; however, it seems that I am still a half-step away from reaching Introductory Level."

"If not because of the experience and knowledge in cultivating Spirit Bodies I had obtained in my past life as a Celestial Lord, I would have achieved even less."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"Fine, this will have to do. I will try one last time."

So thinking, he folded his hands and started the Void Mortal Refinement Art. The elliptical wooden egg let out a long screech. A droplet that was a few hundred times larger than the average size of all previous droplets was squeezed out from its body.

This droplet was about the size of a thumbnail. The wooden egg shivered for one last time, and finally give up its luster.

The large drop of water glistened much brighter than its normal counterparts, making it look more like a chunk of emerald. It floated and twirled in the air slowly, letting out a powerful wave of Wood Element Spirit Qi. The wave of Qi breathed more life into the flowers in the room, making them bloom even more joyfully.

"This was the last shred of Spirit Qi inside of the core. One drop of this Spirit Water was worth the effects of over a hundred pieces of Essence Gathering Pills. I am going to swallow this last drop and let fate decide the rest." Determination flashed in Chen Fan's eyes. He opened his mouth and swallowed the drop of water.

"Kaboom!"

A booming sound came up from somewhere deep inside of Chen Fan's body. Then suddenly, his belly bloated up like a large balloon. Something moved and thrashed against the underside of his belly, threatening to burst out.

"Arise!"

Even at this suspenseful moment, Chen Fan remained calm. He charged up the Void Mortal Refinement Art to its limits to contain and refine the sudden burst of Wood Element Spirit Qi.

"Bang!"

The skin on his puggy bloated fingers burst, splattering flesh and skin tissue everywhere, revealing sections of finger bones that scintillated. Chen Fan was not at all disturbed by the slightly morbid development, and he kept on refining the Qi.

"Peng! Peng!"

The flesh on both palms flew off with the two sudden explosions. As soon as the bloody blob of flesh reached the air, it turned into countless wisps of green smoke. Thus it was, The Dao Body was entirely different than the mortal coil. A human's body was made out of flesh, organs, and sinews. However, a Dao Body of a Connate Cultivator was made up of powerful Essence Qi that was similar to the Essence Qi of Life. The ultimate goal of any Connate Cultivator was to master the Dao Body and to turn his physical existence into that of unsubstantial yet powerful Essence Qi.

From here, they could form a vast Essence Qi Sea using their mortal body as a nearly limitless source of power. Although Chen Fan was still a long shot from mastering the Dao Body, his physical form was quickly integrated by the powerful Wood Element Spirit Qi, turning his flesh into Essence Qi.

"Bang!" "Bang!"

Two more explosions, his arms were reduced into two gleaming white bones that looked like two pieces of smooth jade. On the surface of the bones were ancient inscriptions that were as old as time itself. Its origin can be traced back to the beginning of the universe before the earth and heaven were separated, and all the knowledge of the universe was wrapped up tightly in a few symbols.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Chen Fan's feet, calves, shoulders, and finally, his chest burst.

Every inch of his boy was turned inside out, and the pain was worse than even the cruelest torture one could conceive. Chen Fan had a will that was stronger than iron. However, his will could not alleviate the pain in the slightest. Such was the tortuous path of cultivation, in order to transform from a mortal to a Connate Being, Chen Fan had to endure the pain of death and rebirth to shed his mortal body and exchange his bones.

What exactly did the process mean?

It meant on had to shed every inch of flesh, sinew, and bones and replace them with Essence Qi.

The Introductory Level of the longevity body he was trying to achieve didn't require him to replace his bones, but he needed to replace his flesh nonetheless. Otherwise, he would never meet the physical condition of reaching the Longevity Body.

In the end, even Chen Fan's skull bloated up and exploded, leaving only a ghastly looking skull that was loosely connected to his spine. All the while, Chen Fan didn't move an inch and remained the seated position. An apparition flickered in and out of view in fits and starts amidst the green glow of the white bones. This apparition was Chen Fan's soul. This was Chen Fan's most vulnerable moment ever since he was reborn back to earth. If he couldn't obtain the Longevity Body after forsaking his mortal coil, he might as well reincarnate again or forcibly possess someone else's body.

Let it be rebirth or rob others of their bodies; neither was the ideal solution.

In Chen Fan's past life, he had seen many powerful cultivators who were forced to abandon their level of attainment and reincarnate because of a slip up during such a critical moment. Although the second life was supposed to possess all the memories and experiences the cultivator had accumulated in a previous life, some ended up stuck in a perpetual limbo of death and rebirth without getting anywhere.

"However, I am Chen Beixuan, the North Mystic Celestial Lord. If I didn't know what I was doing, I would not have picked the Azure Thearch Longevity Body. "

The skeleton opened his mouth; despite its lack of substance to convey any expression, it clearly represented a smile. In the two empty sockets, flames of determination and confidence burned.

"Form, NOW!"

Chen Fan finally stated the last segment of the Void Mortal Refinement Art: Dao Body, as the Dao Body slowly started to build up.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a gale came up in the medicine vault. The gust carried powerful Wood Element Spirit Qi that came to Chen Fan like a deluge of biblical proportions. The green mist created by Chen Fan's flesh suddenly all converged toward Chen Fan in countless long and stringy strands. It was as if a whale had drawn a large gulp of water.

The mist that shrouded Chen Fan's body started to wrap itself around the bones, forming layers of plasmic substance where flesh, nerves, blood and organs started to grow. After some time, Chen Fan's body started to take form.

The organs and innards started to appear first, and then the blood vessels and nerves surfaced on the squishy flesh. Then everything was covered by layers of muscles, skin, and hair. As soon as his scalp solidified in the thin air, a dark hairy bush puffed out in a blink, the hair didn't stop growing until the end of his dark hair reached his shoulders.

Chen Fan's appearance didn't change much at first glance; however, upon closer look, one would notice the significant improvement in his complexion and in the finer details of his features. It was as if his face was created by design as everything was placed with a strong aesthetic intention.

A cultivator, regardless of the look of his birthday suit, was able to reform his mortal coil once he had reached the Connate Spirit Level. It was much more convenient and safer than plastic surgery. Therefore in the world of cultivation, one could rarely pick out anyone who was an eyesore.

"The Azure Thearch Longevity Body. Complete!"

Chen Fan opened his eyes slowly.

His pupils were as dark as midnight and as innocent as a newborn baby. Slowly, a small flame appeared at the center of his eyes. After a few months of recuperation, the Li Fire Golden Eyes was finally fully charged again.

Chen Fan rose to his feet and looked at his hands.

The skin on the back of his hands was so smooth and tender that it felt like the skin of a newborn. Such was the pureness of the Connate Body. From now on, Chen Fan was able to live on Qi alone for a long time and without eating any food that would sully his pure body.

"It's a pity that I have only reached the Introductory Level, and I am still a long shot from the Phenomenal Success. So I can only live on Qi for at most fifteen days before I have to replenish my mortal body with mortal food." Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

However, even at the Introductory level, his eyes shone brighter than they ever had.

The Void Mortal Refinement Art had five levels: Ice Skin, Jade Bone, Silver Blood, Golden Eyes, and Dao Body. The first four levels were easy to obtain, but the Dao Body was extremely difficult to form. Even among the members of The Sect of the Grand Dao, only the Inner Circle Disciples could have formed Dao Body during their Foundation Establishment level. In Chen Fan's case, his success was even more rare considering he had not just formed any kind of Dao Body, but one of the most powerful Spirit Bodies of the Five Elements Immortal Sect: the Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

Despite the nascency of Chen Fan's body, his smooth skin was harder than even steel. It was formed not by carbon, but by Essence Qi. Even a bullet wouldn't be able to leave so much as a scratch on it.

"I have formed the Dao Body and mastered the Foundation Establishment level. My next goal is to reach the Ethereal Enlightenment stage."

A light glinted in Chen Fan's eyes.

The Azure Thearch Longevity Body might look not that much different than a mortal body by itself. However, it would start to show its true power once Chen Fan possessed Divine Powers.

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Chapter 190: Enter the Ethereal Enlightenment

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Dao Body was the body of the Connate Cultivator. A Connate Cultivator could live over centuries among the clouds. They could tap into the energy in nature to fuel their body, and their body was able to withstand attacks from even the most powerful weapon of modern-day technology.

Although Chen Fan had not yet reached the Phenomenal Success in his Dao Body cultivation, the Dao Body he cultivated was the powerful Azure Thearch Longevity Body. Even at the Introductory Level, it was already far more powerful than most Dao Bodies at their Initial Success stage.

Even without using his Divine Sense, Chen Fan could feel that his perception of the world around him had changed significantly.

Chen Fan could precisely discern every facet of the smell in the vault. There were over thousands of different kinds of herbs in the vault, and each had its own unique smell. Chen Fan was able to pick out each smell and trace it to its source. The smell also gave him information on the herbs' names and effects. His vision could focus on even the tiniest crevices on the wall and see everything as bright as day even in pitch-black darkness.

His hearing was also greatly improved, offering a much wider range of audible frequencies than normal human hearing. He could hear everything from the chirping of birds and insects to the nearly inaudible sound of plants growing.

"What a familiar feeling."

Chen Fan threw his head back and drew a large gulp of air. The senses of his Connate Body were much more acute than that of a normal human. Before this point, he always felt that someone had put a sack over his head, dulling his senses. Now the sack was finally removed.

He slowly clenched his pale and smooth-skinned fist as he felt the powerful energy coursing through his body. The sensation was exhilarating, so much so that he felt he had enough energy to punch a hole through the planet earth.

He knew that such delusional thought was the effect of the sudden surge of his power. Nonetheless, since he had completed the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Chen Fan's body had become unimaginably tough; it was at least a few times tougher than the physique of the top Physique Refinement Grandmaster. Even a high caliber sniper rifle wouldn't be able to penetrate Chen Fan's skin.

"I could have turned a tank into a pile of junk with my bare hands" Chen Fan smiled proudly.

He had reached such a high level of attainment that he could be invincible on the earth without even using any True Essence or Dharmic powers. He could kill a Grandmaster such as Lu Tianfen with one effortless punch.

"I have completed the Dao Body and finished the Foundation Establishment level, and it's time to cultivate the Ethereal Enlightenment level."

Chen Fan sat down cross-legged once again.

Having obtained the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, it would be a stroll in the park for him to obtain the Ethereal Enlightenment. He was already close to the Ethereal Enlightenment three months ago, and he would have already reached Ethereal Enlightenment if not because he wanted to obtain the Dao Body first.

This time, he didn't start his cultivation with the Void Mortal Refinement Art. Instead, he used his newly gained Azure Thearch Longevity Art.

"Huuulla!"

As soon as Chen Fan started the Azure Thearch Longevity Art, a gale that was fused with countless wisps of green mist came up. The whirlwind made its way to Chen Fan's head as it continued to draw Spirit Qi from not only the vault but also all around the valley.

"Is Immortal Master Chen still cultivating in seclusion?"

Lu Yanwu looked to the vault urgently. However, disappointment and despair had already crawled onto her face.

Three months had passed since Lei Qianjue injured Lu Yanxue with the Art of Thousand Trickeries. In the three month time, the world had turned upside down.

Lei Qianjue resided by the shore of the West Lake and did nothing but fish. Despite his inactivity, his fame was rising by the day.

Many martial artists from all over China—some even visiting from overseas—came to pay tribute to the Grandmaster. Everyone waited for the showdown between the two most powerful Grandmasters in China expectantly.

In less than two months' time, Lei Qianjues's disciple Romon had fought nearly all sects in China. Of the twenty battles he had fought, he had lost none. The only fight that he didn't come out as a win was the one with the Grandmaster from the Chen Family, which had ended with a draw.

Even Chen Jiuyang confessed after the fight that although Romon lacked the tenacious and adaptable Internal Force as that of a Transcendent Grandmaster, he made it up with his incredible raw strength, speed, agility, combat skills, and physique condition. He fought like a machine and could keep at it, seemingly forever. Chen Jiuyang conceded that if the fight dragged on any further, he might have been defeated due to exhaustion.

Chen Jiuyang's approval of Romon's ability meant that he had acknowledged that Romon was as powerful as a Grandmaster, if not even more so.

Ever since then, Romon became known as the most powerful fighter of the young generation. As for his teacher, Lei Qianjue, he had only shown his power once when he unleashed the Frigid Qi upon Lu Yanxue. A renowned Grandmaster was silent for a long while after he heard the news and he said: "It required a great deal of control to plant the Frigid Qi into another's body. I wager Lei Qianjue is not very far from the Immortal State."

By now, there were already people calling Lei Qianjue the most powerful Grandmaster in China. His fame grew so fast that it threatened to rival that of Ye Nantian. As for Chen Fan, he had been absent for over three months, and people were convinced that he was afraid of Lei Qianjue's power. In just three months, Chen Fan had turned from the Young Grandmaster to a laughing stock.

"What kind of Martial Artist is he? He called himself a Grandmaster, yet he hides away from the challenge for three months."

"Chen Beixuan was young and inexperienced after all. It is understandable that he is afraid."

"I have heard that Lei Qianjue had cast a Stealth Energy on this woman and it is slowly turning her into a chunk of ice. Yet, this coward was still too scared to rise to the challenge."

People either sneered at Chen Fan or were outright disappointed.

Lu Yanwu could relate to those sentiments the most. In the beginning, the Lu family had treated Lu Yanxue with care after she fell ill. They spared no expense and hired the best doctors around to world to cure Lu Yanxue. They even commissioned a cultivator who specialized in the fire element to transfer warm energy into the girl's system. Needless to say that all the leaders of the family came and visited the girl on a daily basis.

However, as Lei Qianjue's fame grew, and Chen Fan's absence dragged on, the Lu family's attitude toward the girl changed as well.

By then, the entire martial arts world seemed to question Chen Fan's credentials. Members of the Lu family started to distance themselves from Lu Yanxue and treated her like a contagious plague and avoided her at all costs. However, Lu Yanwu never blamed those people. She knew that this was the norm in the world of martial arts.

That being said, if Chen Fan still refused to show up, sooner than later, Lei Qianjue would punish the only family that publicly supported Chen Fan. The Lu family was a powerful family, but they also needed to be careful and avoid risk whenever possible.

In a few months' time that Lu Yanwu spent with Lu Yanxue, the bond between the two strengthened.

Seeing the girl in the bed grew thinner and colder by the day until frost started to form on her dry and dull hair, Lu Yanwu could no longer sit in her chair and pretended everything was going to be alright. She drove to the Medicine God Valley Sect to beg Chen Fan to save Lu Yanwu. However, she was stopped by the King of Elixirs.

"Immortal Master Chen had told me that no one is allowed to disturb his cultivation. He would kill anyone that dared to interrupt him." King of Elixirs said coldly. He shook his head at the girl that kneeled before him, begging him to let her in.

King of Elixirs had heard the news about Lei Qianjue. King of Elixirs was convinced that Chen Fan had already reached the God Reining State, and could be considered a demi-god, or a semi-immortal. However powerful Lei Qianjue was, he was but a mortal and his mortal body would simply melt before the powerful Li Fire Golden Eyes. Therefore, he didn't take Lei Qianjue's rise to power too seriously.

"But Xiao Xue could no longer wait."

Tears glistened in Lu Yanwu's eyes. The news came from the Lu family worried her gravely.

The message she just got said that Lu Yanxue was on the brink of death and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit. A few doctors were working in shifts beside her bed, 24/7 in case of emergencies.

"Immortal Master Chen said no one should interrupt his cultivation." King of Elixirs shook his head.

The order of a God Reining Immortal Master was the law sent down from heaven. If he defied Chen Fan, the Immortal Master could have removed the entire Medicine God Valley Sect from the map with a snap of fingers.

"Hehe"

Lu Yanwu let out an ugly grin and gave the entrance to the vault a long hard final glare. She gritted her teeth and started off.

"Chen Beixuan, you have claimed Xiao Xue as your girl, and promised her to live happily ever after. Well, so much for your promise. She is dying for you while you hide your head in the sand!"

Disappointed, Lu Yanwu decided to wait no longer.

She had waylaid here for long enough, and by then her only thought was to return to her sister, who was in her final moments of life.

Before Lu Yanwu could make too far, she heard a yelp from the King of Elixirs. She turned around in a hurry and saw something she would never forget.

She watched as a large whirlwind formed above the vault. The whirlwind was over a few hundred meters in diameter, and it looked like a low-pressure cyclone from afar. As the air in the whirlwind moved about, it funneled a powerful presence into the center of the whirlwind and down to the vault.

"What the heck is that?" Lu Yanwu gapped.

"Look around you!" The King of Elixirs said with a shocked expression.

Lu Yanwu paused a second and then quickly scanned her surroundings. To her surprise, all the trees and plants seemed to bow toward the direction of the vault as if a group of subjects had come to greet their lord. The plants let out countless glowing green streams of mist which was quickly absorbed by the whirlwind. In the end, the whirlwind also turned green and slowly turned into a strange-looking green cloud in the sky above the vault.

"Condense the Qi to form clouds. This was a sure sign of Immortal State!"

King of Elixirs muttered. He thought Chen Fan had already reached God Reining State, so he wondered why did Chen Fan reach Immortal State again? Could the level he had reached was the Immortal State in martial arts instead of cultivation? After all, Immortal Master Chen had followed the Martial-Dharma Dual Cultivation, didn't he?

"Immortal State?"

Lu Yanwu could only gape.

Although not a martial artist herself, as a member of the Lu family of Lin City, she knew the names for different levels of martial arts attainment by rot. The Immortal State was beyond the Transcendent State, and it was the stuff of legends. No one had seen an Immortal State martial artist for decades.

However powerful Lei Qianjue was, he had not reached the Immortal State. Therefore, everyone considered him as the most powerful man below the Immortal State.

Lu Yanwu found it hard to imagine that a twenty-year-old boy could have reached the Immortal State only a few months after he had reached Transcendent State.

Suddenly, a long shriek wrenched her mind out of her reverie.

The shriek started with a low hum and gradually built up intensity and pitch. Right before it reached the peak, the pitch of the sound surged like a hawk that soared above the clouds. The voice reverberated throughout the valley and shook the ground. Many heads poked out of their windows, looking toward the voice.

"As fate would have it, I finally reached Ethereal Enlightenment! "

Suddenly, the gate of the vault burst open as a green shadow emerged from within.

What Lu Yanwu noticed first was a pair of glinting eyes that shone with the light of divine indifference.

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Chapter 191: Divine Power, Go!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Swoosh!"

A bolt of green lightning crackled in front of everyone and forcing them to close their eyes. They dared not open their eyes even after the thunder had subsided for a while. When they did, they noticed that the intense light around them had died down so that they could finally see Chen Fan standing in the wash of brightness.

"Are you Chen Beixuan?"

Lu Yanwu gaped at the shadowy green figure in disbelief.

Standing before her was a young man in a black outfit.

The young man's dark and thick hair tumbled down to his shoulders, his eyes let out an azure light, and his skin was so pale and lustrous that it resembled a piece of illuminating Mutton Fat Jade. The most striking change in Chen Beixuan's appearance was his facial features. Lu Yanwu reckoned that there were still parts of the boy that she knew a few months ago in this gorgeously put-together face. Not only was Chen Beixuan a head taller than he used to be, but he also looked far more handsome and charming. It was as if someone had designed his entire body with an obsession for perfection. He looked like the glorified image of the Sun God Apollo in Greek Mythology.

"Yes, it is me." Chen Fan said lightly.

His voice didn't change much, except for a hint of huskiness that soothed Lu Yanwu's ears and nerves as the most beautiful music would.

"So you really are Chen Beixuan." Lu Yanwu was stunned.

Chen Fan had changed into a new person in less than three months, transforming himself from a croaking frog to a dashing prince. Although from time to time, Lu Yanwu could register a faint otherworldliness in Chen Fan, for most of the time, she found Chen Fan's looks mediocre at best. However, Chen Fan now looked like the embodiment of prince charming, making people believe that he should have belonged in the fairy tales.

"He had turned over a new leaf."

Lu Yanwu thought to herself in amazement.

Chen Fan indeed had improved himself by leaps and bounds. Other than his Primordial Essence and the Jade Bones, everything under and including his skin had been reshaped and reinforced according to Azure Thearch Longevity Body. By then, he already had the Connate Body, and therefore, he could live over a hundred years even if he halted his cultivation altogether.

"Congratulations on reaching the God Reining State, Immortal Master."

King of Elixirs cupped his fist and bowed reverentially.

The elders and alchemist who were attracted by the commotion gathered around Chen Fan and was stunned by the development. They dropped their knees before Chen Fan as the most fervent devotees would before their god.

"Congratulations, Immortal Master!"

Everyone around Lu Yanwu kowtowed to Chen Fan, leaving the girl standing among them awkwardly. She was not sure if she should follow the others and kowtow to Chen Fan.

The change came so fast that in her mind's eye, she still saw Chen Fan as the Young Grandmaster. Although Chen Fan had proved his power by subjugating her entire family, it was still admirable for her to see that the group of Medicine God Valley Sect members worship him like a god.

"Did he really reach the Immortal State?"

Lu Yanwu thought incredulously. She was born and raised in a Martial Artist family, but she was not a martial artist. She knew of the Immortal State, but she had no idea exactly what it meant.

"Immortal State?" Chen Fan crocked his head to a side and said: "No. I am not in the Immortal State yet."

"Not Immortal State?" King of Elixirs was taken aback.

"No. But I should be able to hold up in a fight against an Immortal State cultivator." Chen Fan stepped forward as the azure light in his eyes receded, revealing a pair of clear and innocent eyes.

Chen Fan's voice was light and calm when he spoke of an Immortal State cultivator. It was as if he didn't think an Immortal State cultivator was a big deal. The thought of Chen Fan's power made King of Elixirs tremble all over again, so he knelt and kowtowed one more time.

He believed in Chen Fan's power. Let it be the fire spilling out from his eyes, the flame that burned away the sky, or his elixirs that could cure even the deadliest poison in the world, everything about Chen Fan screamed loudly of his uncanny abilities. King of Elixr had a gut feeling that Chen Fan was not an ordinary mortal, instead, he was a cultivator who had long since surpassed the Transcendent State.

"Immortal Master, this woman claims to be your old friend. She had been waiting for you outside of the vault for over thirteen days." King of Elixirs rose to his feet and reported.

"Oh? What brings you here?" Chen Fan's gaze landed on Lu Yanwu.

Lu Yanwu held Chen Fan's gaze, and right away, she shivered uncontrollably. Chen Fan's eyes were two pools of the dark abyss; if she gazed too long into them, the abyss also gazed back into her"

After a while, she finally managed to gather herself, but anger quickly reclaimed her: "Chen Beixuan, Lei Qianjue had planted a Frigid Qi inside of my sister's body because of you. She is getting closer to death every day, and they have already transferred her into an intensive care unit. She could die at any moment now.

"Didn't you call yourself the Young Grandmaster? Didn't you promise her a happy life? Go save her NOW!"

"Is that true?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows and looked to King of Elixirs.

King of Elixirs bowed and said: "Indeed it is. Three months ago, the Grandmaster of the Hong Sect, Lei Qianjue had returned back to China. He carried a Tripod Cauldron into the Lu family in an attempt to terrorize the Lu family. He also planted the Qi inside of a young lady as a punishment for siding with you. He had announced a challenge to you publicly and is currently waiting for your reply at the shore of the West Lake."

"Since everything happened when you were still in seclusion, I didn't dare to alert you. Neither did I dare to leave the entrance since I was afraid that someone else would disturb you during my absence. Our fire element elixirs were used up before the girl even got ill, so the only thing I thought I could do was to wait for you to come out of seclusion." King of Elixirs paused a second and then apologized. "Immortal Master Chen, If I knew she is related to you, I would have gone straight to Lin City and saved her. I don't think Lei Qianjue is so stupid as to clash against the Medicine God Valley Sect."

"No harm is done." Chen Fan waved a hand.

After all, Lu Yanxue was just an acquaintance of him. King of Elixirs had done the right thing, ensuring Chen Fan's cultivation in seclusion was the uttermost important task to him at this moment.

However, he wagered that if he had revealed his personal connection to the girl, King of Elixirs would have hurried to save the girl three months ago, leaving the entrance to the vault unguarded.

"Lei Qianjue had not only broke his oath and set foot in China again, but he had also hurt my friend. It is a blatant taunt. Very well, I think I will use him as a test target for my new gained power of Ethereal Enlightenment."

A sharp green light flickered in Chen Fan's eyes as he thought so.

"So are we heading back to Lin City right now?" Lu Yanwu asked.

She was not familiar with cultivation jargon, but she knew that since Chen Fan had come out of his seclusion, Xiao Xue could finally be saved.

"There is no hurry. I have just completed my Ethereal Enlightenment, and I still need to improve it. We will leave tomorrow." Chen Fan said calmly.

Fire burst out from Lu Yanwu's mouth as she shouted at the top of her lungs hotly.

"Chen Beixuan, you are an asshole! Do you want to wait for another night? Xiao Xue is dying! haven't I been clear?"

Then, she plastered on a sulky and indignant look and pleaded with a softer voice: "Chen Beixuan, let's leave now. It will take us at least two days to reach Lin City. I don't know how long Xiao Xue can wait."

"At most two days." Chen Fan replied, inviting a hot glare from Lu Yanwu.

Unknown to her, Chen Fan had planted his Divine Will inside of Lu Yanxue's body so that he could monitor Lu Yanxue's condition at any time. He noticed that despite Lu Yanxue's weakening vitality, she would still last a few more days, enough time for him to make it to her.

Seeing Lu Yanwu was about to refute again, Lu Yanwu held her in place with a restraining hand. She knew she wouldn't do anything so she stamped the ground, shook her head and put on a sulky look to protest silently.

The Medicine God Valley Sect had long since cleaned up a room for Chen Fan to meditate.

This time, he only intended to reflect on what he had learned over the three months, so he didn't care about how much Qi was available to him.

"In these three months, I had used up all the Wood Element Spirit Qi in the Spirit Wood. It was the equivalent of all the Spirit Qi inside of a Connate Cultivator." Chen Fan thought to himself as he fiddled with a piece of wood.

The wooden egg used to hold a green sheen on its surface, but now it looked dull like any piece of ordinary wood.

"It is a Spirit Core of a Spirit Tree. Although I have spent its Spirit Qi, it would grow into a Connate Spirit Tree once again if I planted it at the right place." Chen Fan thought to himself.

However, since the Spirit Qi was spent, the tree will start out as an ordinary tree, and will eventually turn into a Connate Spirit Trees after tens of thousands of years.

That was clearly too much waiting for Chen Fan. Nonetheless, Chen Fan wagered that this tree didn't grow to be a Connate Spirit Tree randomly, it must have been a sapling from a tree from the immortal world that possessed magical abilities.

Even if Chen Fan decided not to plant the core, he could turn the core into a Dharma Artifact that was no less powerful than the Jade Marrow talisman.

"At any rate, I should find out what kind of Ethereal Enlightenment abilities I have unlocked first."

Chen Fan closed his eyes and felt the pulsing energy inside of him.

The True Essence in his system was at least a few times more powerful than it used to be, better, they had been converted to the Azure Wood True Essence. The powerful energy coursed in his veins like the turbulent flow in a large river.

Chen Fan suddenly had a thought. He wagered whether he could continuously shoot out over hundreds of Blade Auras. If he unleashed the True Essence out of his body as he did before,

"Such a surge in True Essence was not unexpected. What really made the Ethereal Enlightenment so important was the Divine Powers that came with it. I wonder what kind of Divine Powers the Azure Thearch Longevity Body would have unlocked for me?" Chen Fan thought expectantly.

What made the Ethereal Enlightenment so much more powerful than the Foundation Establishment was the Divine Powers. They were much more potent than Dharma Spells. The Li Fire Golden Eyes, for example, was one of the most powerful divine power that could be wielded by cultivators who had reached the peak of the Ethereal Enlightenment.

As for lesser Divine Powers, they were not as potent as the abilities that came with the Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

"I don't care about Indestructible Longevity, nor do I care about Three Lives Incarnations. I just want something practical, such as the Azure Dragon Divine Eyes. "So thinking, Chen Fan started the Azure Thearch Longevity Art to initiate the divine powers.

"Kaboom!"

When he started the divine spell, a wave of vitality energy poured out from his body. He then flicked a finger in the air and sending green energy through the Void Dimension. The energy landed on the wall across the room.

The wall was made out of bricks and a small blade of grass managed to squeeze its root in between two bricks. The tiny grass quickly absorbed all the energy and started to spread all over the wall.

"Damn it, it's the most common power: Yi Wood Spirit Qi! "

Chen Fan was very disappointed.

The Yi Wood Spirit Qi was the most basic Divine Power of the wood element cultivation. He could speed up the growth of plants and trees and it could also be used to cure any ailment. In other words, this divine power was about as useful a Magical Cure Immortal Elixir. He would be able to cure even terminal diseases with one dose of the Yi Wood Spirit Qi. This divine power was even more effective than Essence Enhancing Pill.

However useful the Yi Wood Spirit Qi was, it was not meant for combat.

"Fine. This is not entirely useless. I was going to make an Essence Enhancing Pill for grandpa anyways, and now I have a better alternative." Chen Fan let out a wry smile and shook his head. However, he found that something was amiss.

The Azure Thearch Longevity Body was the most powerful Spirit Body of the Five Elements Immortal Sect. It's unlikely that it only came with one basic divine power.

"Could be that the art had also awakened another divine power in me?"

Chen Fan's eyes lit up with hope as he thought so.

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Chapter 192: You Won't Die

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The next afternoon, inside the Number One People's Hospital of the Lin City in Tian Nan Province.

Outside of the ICU stood a man and a woman. The man was in a black outfit and wore his hair loose over his shoulders. He had a handsome face and a pair of eyes that shone with azure-colored flames.

The charm of the young man was scintillating, making his appearance glow like the nascent sun, arresting the bypasser's attention. Many young nurses pretended to have a need to pass by him a few times, just to take a few more glimpses at his handsome features.

"He is so handsome! Much better looking than members of the K-Pop band!" An attractive looking nurse said as she ogled the young man.

"Indeed. He looked much more handsome than the actors on TV. It would be so awesome if he was my boyfriend." Another nurse with a large bosom was nearly drooling.

"Tsk... You? Didn't you see that pretty girl standing beside him? She is quite famous in Lin City: an attractive young CEO. She managed over billions of assets, although she is not even thirty yet. You think you can snatch her pretty boy?" Someone recognized the girl standing beside the young man, so she sneered at the girl with large bosoms.

It was Chen Fan and Lu Yanwu they were gossiping about.

Chen Fan had spent one night reflecting on his achievements and then left Lin Xi Province with Lu Yanwu first thing in the morning. They arrived in Lin City on the same day. Lu Yanwu still found it hard to believe that they could have traveled such a long distance in such a short time.

The Medicine God Valley Sect was far from Lin City and was separated by treacherous mountain paths. It would take her at least two to three days to get out of the mountain. However, Chen Fan had carried her on her back and got out of the mountain in less than half an hour. Each step Chen Fan took seemed to have covered a few dozen meters.

Afterward, Chen Fan didn't take a plane to get to Lin Zhou, instead, he kept on carrying the girl on his shoulder and ran on the highway. He ran as fast as an F4 formula race car and was able to cross any hurdle on their way with ease. In less than half a day, he had trekked across a few provinces and arrived at Lin City.

"He is definitely not a mortal. Running over thousands of kilometers in half an hour, yet he is not at all out of breath." So thinking, Lu Yanwu looked to Chen Fan in surprise.

She didn't know that covering such distance was simply a stroll in the park for someone who had gained a Connate Body. One with a Connate Body didn't need to breathe nor eat, instead, he absorbed Spirit Qi from nature to sustain his physical form. Therefore, Chen Fan could keep going for days without feeling any exhaustion. If not because of the dead weight on his shoulders, he should have arrived at Lin City a few hours ago.

"But this guy had really improved his looks a lot in three months." Lu Yanwu recalled the warm and fuzzy feeling she felt when she was held tight in the arms of Chen Fan. She had always been labeled as a strong and strident woman, but the thought had brought out the fangirl in her. She couldn't help but glance at Chen Fan surreptitiously, blushing.

Chen Fan felt the girl's infatuation toward him and he was not impressed. "Seems like I have underestimated how attractive the Connate Body was to the mortal's simple eyes. I will have to adjust a bit on my face, or cover it up with spells."

Features on a Connate Body were perfectly shaped and perfectly arranged. Even an average looking girl in the world of cultivation could be considered stunningly attractive in the mortal world. Having gotten used to so many gorgeous faces, none of the girls Chen Fan met on earth after his rebirth were able to pique his interest.

"Miss Lu, Yanxue's condition has stabilized. You can come in now."

The door to the ICU swung open and a group of exhausted doctors emerged. The head of the doctors said to the girl.

"Ok, thank you. Chief Physician Liu." Lu Yanwu managed a smile while Chen Fan stormed into the room.

He had been probing the situation inside the infirmary using his Divine Sense. He couldn't help furrowing his brows after he saw Lu Yanxue for the first time in three months. Her blooming beauty gone and her body had been reduced to a bag of bones. Although she was covered under layers of thick duvets, her hair was frost ridden.

Her round face had shriveled and looked like someone had stretched a piece of thin skin over a skull.

Lu Yanwu followed Chen Fan into the infirmary. Tears welled in her eyes as soon as she laid her eyes on the sister who she spent so much time with when they were children. Although they went their own ways after they grew up, the bond between the two never weakened.

"Xiao Xue, look who has come to see you."

Lu Yanwu lowered her head to the bedside and called out to her sister quietly.

Despite the difficulties, the scrawny girl managed to open her eyes. When she saw Chen Fan, her eyes lit up with joy first, and then she panicked. "Sister Yanwu, why did you bring him here? I am so ugly right now..."

"You wouldn't be like this if not for him! Why do you care what he thinks of you!" Lu Yanwu flung back at her.

Lu Yanxue kept her silence and tucked her chin under the blanket to hide her bony face. All the while, her eyes didn't leave Chen Fan, it was as if she tried to imprint the boy's image in her mind so that he will forever stay within her mind.

Chen Fan stood beside the thick back and looked indifferent. He watched the poor girl quietly and intently.

She had been alive and active, bursting with energy and sometimes full of attitude. Even when she was given as a gift to Chen Fan, she managed to plaster on a smiley face and told him that it was much better to be his mistress than be the wife of a douchebag playboy.

Chen Fan didn't have any feelings for her back then and didn't intend to accept her into his life. Therefore, he had opted to promise her a happy life and to give her an edge in her family so that she could finally make a decision for herself, getting married, have kids and live a normal life.

However, Chen Fan's promise seemed to have fallen through the cracks. Lu Yanxue looked like a dying old hag, her life hung on by a thread. It was a far cry from living a happy life.

Chen Fan had never liked this girl, and neither did he care about her, therefore, he had taken his time to get here. However, when he finally met Lu Yanxue in person, he felt a fit of anger start to burn inside of his chest.

The anger was all too familiar to Chen Fan.

He felt it when his dignity was trampled on, and he had to watch his friends and family suffer yet couldn't do anything.

"I want all of you out of here."

Chen Fan said lightly.

"The patient is in critical condition, she could die at any moment. We need to have doctors on duty in this room —"Chief Physician Liu refuted.

"Get Out!"

Chen Fan's tone was still even and calm, but he had raised his volume a few notches.

Before Chief Physician Liu could waste more time, Lu Yanwu grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him out of the room. She knew that Chen Fan was going to cure Lu Yanxue. She wouldn't have believed in Chen Fan's power if she had not seen Chen Fan's display of godly power at the valley and experienced Chen Fan's incredible running speed first hand.

"King of Elixirs said he had reached the Immortal State. Could that be true? It had to be... that would explain his sudden improvement in his appearance." Lu Yanwu's mind raced.

Even as she stepped out of the room, she heard Chen Fan's voice come up behind her:

"Three days later, I will accept Lei Qianjue's challenge and fight him at the shore of West Lake."

"What?" Lu Yanwu was startled by the announcement. She turned back to look at Chen Fan and saw Chen Fan had already put a palm over Lu Yanwu's dry scalp. She didn't want to interrupt the treatment, so she managed to rein in her curiosity and left the room.

"He said he would fight Lei Qianjue in three days, does that mean he can cure Xiao Xue in less than three days?"

After Lu Yanwu reminded the doctors not to interrupt Chen Fan, she hurried home. She was to deliver Chen Fan's announcement to her family and to the entire Martial arts world in China.

Meanwhile, inside the ICU...

Chen Fan stroked Lu Yanxue's forehead gently. Lu Yanxue was shy before Chen Fan. She said with a disheartened voice: "You must think I am ugly now, you will never like me again..."

"The appearance is only skin deep. Don't think too much about it." Chen Fan said lightly.

"But... but I hope that you will forever remember me as a beautiful girl." Lu Yanxue suddenly found the courage to hold Chen Fan's gaze and she said: "I had felt it! You already love someone else and you will never be with me. But... I wager that if I die for you, at least you will remember me for the rest of your life.

"At least, I will have a spot in your memory and in your heart, will I?"

Chen Fan was touched deeply by the girl's words. A hint of a tear flashed in his eyes and disappeared. "Is that why you riled up Lei Qianjue on purpose?"

"Lei Qianjue will not let me get away with being your girlfriend even if I hid in a hole. The entire Lin City knows that I am your girl." Lu Yanxue cracked a smile. "Well, enough of this sad talking. I want to tell you that I am happy to see you before I die."

So saying, her gaze on Chen Fan grew soft. "Did the illness wreak my vision? You seem far more handsome and even taller than three months ago. You look just like my prince charming! That's just perfect! I will leave the world with a perfect image of you in my mind. You know, you always looked handsome to me ever since we first met. "

"You are not going to die." Chen Fan's voice changed a little as his face grew more serious.

He locked his eyes with Lu Yanxue and said with all the seriousness he could muster: "As long as I, Chen Beixuan is here, you will not die. Even if you did, I will find your soul and bring you back alive with another body.

"That is my promise to you. I promised you to live happily ever after, and I will not break it."

So saying, he started his Dharmatic Art and Divine powers.

A powerful wave of Yi Wood Spirit Qi shot out from his hands and they formed symbols in the air. These symbols were ancient and carried the primordial energy that was as old as time. This symbol rearranged in themselves the air and formed a green Talisman Inscription.

The Talisman was covered by countless jittering symbols that haphazardly layered on top of each other. It was as if there was a whole new world teeming with life and energy among the countless horizontal and vertical strokes.

"Wood Element Talisman Inscription!

"The Inscription of Perpetual Life!"

This was the highest rank wood element spell a cultivator could unleash. It could heal any damage and grow tissues and flesh on a bone. Chen Fan had gained the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, and therefore he could unleash any Wood Element spells at will. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to use this spell until he had reached the Divine Sea level.

"I told you, you won't die!"

Chen Fan pressed both hands down on the girl. Under Lu Yanxue's incredulous stare, The Inscription of Perpetual Life let out a green glow that channeled the energy of creation into her body. She felt she was dropped in a hot tub and was surrounded by comforting warmth that only a loving mother could offer.

The shriveled up muscles on her body started to regain volume, as life and color slowly returned to her face.

A green light loomed in the ICU, rendering it a green heaven of life and creation.

Meanwhile, explosive news came out of the Lu family and it quickly became viral in the martial arts world.

"Chen Beixuan is back."

"He will fight Lei Qianjue at the West Lake in three days, on August fifteenth."

The Martial arts world in China was shocked!

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