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 257 - A Thousand Year Old Secret - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 257 - A Thousand Year Old Secret Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 257: A Thousand Year Old Secret

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"A Blade Strengthening Gourd?" Chen Fan was taken aback by the answer.

"Indeed. I suspect that used to belong to an Earth Level Deity called Sword Secret the Exalted who was a Cultivator that lived a few thousand years ago." Yuan Hen said with a trembling voice. Blood squirted out from the wound where his leg was severed from the trunk and splattered all over. The terrifying sight had scared the secretary so much that she fainted. Zheng Anpin hid his head under a desk and scarcely dared to look up.

"OK."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and summoned a beam of Yi Wood Spirit Qi energy.

This emerald colored light wrapped around Yuan Hen's amputated leg like a layer of shiny thermograph and stopped the seemingly unstoppable bleeding. Seeing the situation was improving, Yuan Hen heave a sigh and filled Chen Fan in.

"The Exalted Cultivator Sword Secret was a renowned Sword Immortal a few thousand years ago. Legend has it that he had lived over hundreds of years on earth and had reached the God Reining State. Some scholars even suspected that he had surpassed the God Reining State and became an Earth Level Deity. Ancient records said that he had a Blade Strengthening Gourd that he carried with him all the time. Whenever he was in need of it, a blade would fly out from the gourd and fly to its target miles away."

"He became famous in China thanks to his flying sword skills and remained undefeated for hundreds of years. However, later he just disappeared from records." Yuan Hen breathed heavily and said with a pale face.

"Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator had nine flying swords and each one was created using numinous treasures and refined using the aether of the sun and the moon. Each one of them had different abilities but they were all deadly. They were stored inside the Blade Strengthening Gourd and only flew out of the gourd when they were summoned. When all nine blades appeared at the same time, they could annihilate anything that was in their way."

"When I first saw the Jade Gourd at my friend's place and registered a great measure of similarity with the Blade Strengthening Gourd. The craftsmanship was ancient, which added more credibility to my suspicion. It is either the real deal or a forgery fashioned after the real one. If it was the real one, there might still be some of the Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator's mojo left in it for me to learn from." Yuan Hen let out an ugly grin and said: "what a shame that my goal had to lead me to lose one of my legs."

"Flying sword?"

Chen Fan was slightly impressed.

He had never thought that that the school of Sword Cultivation would have a presence on earth. The Sword Cultivation techniques were some of the most aggressive and deadly cultivation methods. Of the nine major Immortal Sects, one of them specialized in Sword Cultivation and they were also the deadliest sect of the nine.

However, Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator still needed a Dharma Artifact to strengthen the sword, it was obvious that he had not yet even entered the introductory level of the Sword Cultivation. The real sword cultivation refined the flying sword using the user's own vital energy. It would conceal the flying sword inside of his Dantian, the so-called Purple Chamber and refine it using Connate Essence Qi and infuse it with the user's own soul and consciousness in order to wield the flying sword at will and with ease.

What Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator practiced was an art that used the Dharma Artifact to control a flying sword, instead of controlling it directly.

"That being said, to be able to control a flying sword using a Dharma Artifact meant that he had already entered the Connate Spirit level. If that was the case, it was proof that there had been a Connate Cultivator on earth. However, a connate cultivator could live only up to five hundred years, and if this Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator was alive a few thousand years ago, he must be dead by now." With that thought in mind, Chen Fan didn't think Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator would pose any threat to him.

Plus, the earth was deprived of Spirit Qi therefore, even if there was still Connate Cultivators alive on earth, they must be on their last leg, struggling to get by each day.

It was impossible for them to be like Chen Fan and cultivate both the Void Mortal Refinement Art and the Azure Thearch Longevity Body. With those two arts, even if Chen Fan was thrown into the ninth level of hell, he would still thrive. Spirit Qi to cultivators was water to fish. Without it, the cultivators would slowly die.

"So this is a Blade Strengthening Gourd?"

Chen Fan examined the gourd and asked curiously.

"Yes, but... the Blade Strengthening Gourd in the legend was not made out of jade. Therefore, I am not 100 percent sure. "

Chen Fan didn't speak a word, and then he waved a hand, summoning a powerful force.

Suddenly, the shell of the Jade Gourd was fractured and revealed its inner surface.

It was a small gourd with yellow skin. It was the size of a human's palm and covered with scuff marks accumulated throughout the age. It was as if it had been in existence for eons. As soon as the yellow skin of the gourd was revealed, it floated in the air without any force supporting it. However, its appearance looked so otherworldly that it would make one believe being airborne was its natural state.

"It... it..."Yuan Hen could only sare. "This really is the Blade Strengthening Gourd!" He managed to utter a few words in a trembling voice.

He regretted vehemently for his previous doubt about the treasure's authenticity. As soon as he saw the little yellow-skinned gourd, he knew right away that this was the Dharma Treasure that belonged to Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator.

"If I was more sure of my guess, I would have bought this already."

Yuan Hen couldn't be more regretful about his doubts. Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator was the stuff of legends, and even a shred of his mighty wisdom could have enlightened him and brought him into the Dharma Cultivation level, if not the God Reining State. By then, he would be at least as powerful as the most renowned Feng Shui Master of Hong Kong, Zhou Daoji.

However, Yuan Hen dared not move a muscle while Chen Fan was guarding the treasure. He didn't even dare to let his gaze linger too long on the gourd.

"I knew from the beginning that there was more than what meets the eye about the Jade Gourd, I had never thought that it was this!" Chen Fan waved a hand and commanded the gourd to fly to his hand. He snorted after he examined the gourd with his divine will.

"Blade Strengthening Gourd my ass! Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator knew nothing of Sword Cultivation. This is nothing but an ordinary fruit of the Void Dimension Vine."

"The fruit of the Void Dimension Vine?"

Yuan Hen hazarded despite himself.

"The so-called Void Dimension Vine was a plant grew on the Void Dimension Crystals. The Void Dimension Crystals contained the energy of dimensions and most dimension altering dharma artifacts were made out of such crystals. I wager that the seed of a gourd rooted in one of those crystals and absorbed the energy in the crystal. Eventually, it bore a fruit that was called the Void Dimension Fruit." As Chen Fan explained to Yuan Hen, memories started to come back to his mind.

"In other words, this was not a Blade Strengthening Gourd, it was a natural Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure."

"Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure?"

Yuan Hen was confused and understood very little of what Chen Fan had said.

Chen Fan didn't continue to waste time explaining it to Yuan Hen. He was pleasantly surprised by the discovery. Ever since he was reborn, he was troubled by the lack of useful Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure such as Meru Ring, Storage Bracelet and Qian Kun Bag. Without such Dimension Altering Dharma Treasures, it was extremely inconvenient for Chen Fan to carry all the Spirit Pills, bank cards, cell phone, keys, and the Bone Whip of Malicious Yin.

Only a cultivator who had reached beyond the Connate Spirit level could have successfully refined a Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure. It also required Void Dimension Crystals which were difficult to come by. The Void Dimension Crystals only form near a Dimensional Strom. In order to get in and out of a Dimensional Strom unharmed would require at least the level of Golden Core. It would take Chen Fan at least ten years to reach that level of attainment.

To his surprise, he stumbled upon a Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure in Hong Kong.

"The main difference between Dharma Artifacts and Dharma Treasures were their potential for growth. A Dharma Treasure might be less powerful in the beginning, but its power would grow with the user. Many Dharma Treasures of the Dao Reunion level cultivators had been with them ever since they entered Qi Refinement stage. Over time, they were as powerful as divine powers."

This yellow-skinned gourd's power might be insignificant in the beginning, but as Chen Fan leveled up, it would become increasingly more powerful and space inside the gourd would increase as well. In the end, it would be as big as the Cang Min Realm created by the Immortal cultivator Cangqin.

"There were many miraculous usages of this Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure, it was such a shame that Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator used it to store his sword. If anything, he should have at least used it to store spirit medicine." Chen Fan smirked.

Without using special arts to preserve Spirit Pills, they would lose their effectiveness over time. Therefore, it was nearly impossible to find any spirit pills that were over a thousand years old. However, spirit pills could be stored inside of Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure practically forever.

In addition, these Dimension Altering Dharma Treasures could also be used to raise Spirit Beasts as pets, or storing Dharma Spells or Divine powers, etc.

Chen Fan had seen one mighty figure in the immortal cultivation world who had preserved a hundred thousand years worth of energy from the sun in a Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure. In the end, the mighty figure unleashed the stored power at once and destroyed an entire galaxy. It had so much potential, yet it was used to store a flying sword. What a waste!

"I will have to refine it first."

Chen Fan channeled his true essence into the yellow-skinned gourd. Chen Fan noticed that there was no signature of other cultivators that they always placed on the surface of the Dharma Treasure after they refined it. Therefore, Chen Fan wagered that Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator didn't even know how to refine a Dharma Treasure.

As Chen Fan's true essence slowly branded the gourd, he felt a connection start to build up between him and the gourd.

From now on, this gourd would forever belong to him. No matter how far they were apart, he could sense its presence with ease. After this gourd was further refined, Chen Fan should be able to summon the gourd with a wave of a hand.

After he had branded the gourd, Chen Fan charged up his energy and started to probe the inside of the gourd.

The space inside the Gourd was small; about three square meters in size, equivalent to that of a small SUV. It could at best fit a few men.

There were also a few random items and books strewn around in the space. All of these items looked ancient. Chen Fan wagered that these items used to belong to Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator. After he left the mortal world, his successors must have failed to crack open the gourd and therefore, were unable to retrieve these items.

"I can go through these things later. Despite the small space inside, it is perfect for me. As I gain more power, its space will expand." With that thought in mind, Chen Fan decided to test it. He charged up his energy and made a Buddhism Statue on the coffee table disappear for a fraction of a second.

"What is that?"

Yuan Hen and the others rounded their eyes in surprise. They had seen the Buddhism statue disappear and reappear in front of them but failed to understand how that had happened.

"It indeed is a Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure!"

Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction. From now on, he would no longer need to carry so many items with him. All he needed was just a little gourd.

"Since I have obtained the Blade Strengthening Gourd, I wager I can finally do away with you." Chen Fan turned around and looked to Yuan Hen. Yuan Hen had been scheming to kill him, and therefore, he would not allow Yuan Hen to live.

Yuan Hen panicked, and he kowtowed to Chen Fan to plead for his life. Chen Fan didn't even spare a glance at him. He flicked a finger and shot out a golden flame at Yuan Hen. Yuan Hen's body caught fire and was reduced to nothing in a blink.

Yuan Hen disappeared from the room before everyone's eyes, it was as if he had never been here.

After he had killed Yuna Hen, Chen Fan looked to the terrified Zheng Anpin.

"You said you are from the Zheng family of Hong Kong, do you happen to know Zheng Anqi?"

"Bring me to her."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 258: Zheng Anqi

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Zheng Anpin had never been so afraid before.

He was the heir of the Zheng family and a direct descendant of Zheng Zhongming. His father was the CEO of a publicly-traded jewelry company. he and his family owned this city, and even someone as influential as Yuan Hen had to respect him.

However, there and then, he was just a nobody before the young man.

His name was Chen Fan!

That was about all that Zheng Anpin knew about him. He had no idea where he came from and what his family background was. He just appeared out of nowhere on the 21st floor of a high rise building and killed a spellcaster Yuan Hen with one strike. Yuan Hen had called him a Transcendent Grandmaster before he died.

Although he didn't know what a Transcendent Grandmaster was, he could tell from the terror on Yuan Hen's face that it was something extremely powerful. The sight of Yuan Hen being reduced to ashes exacerbated his fear.

"OK... I know where she is. I will take you to her right now."

Zheng Anpin hurried to his feet and rushed toward the exit without even sparing his secretary a glance. Despite his trembling legs, when he finally arrived in the elevator, he started to think of ways to escape.

"There are security guards who are equipped with tasers. I can also call the police. I will start running as soon as I see any guards, maybe, just maybe I will be able to escape this ordeal."

However, as soon as he stepped outside of the elevator and met the first guard, he knew his plan B wouldn't work.

"Young Lord Zheng, are you heading out by yourself?"

The security guard bowed respectfully and said. Zheng Anpin was the heir of the Zheng family of Hong Kong and was the love child of the media. All the guards of the apartment building knew him and fawned all over him whenever they saw him.

"myself?"

Zheng Anpin was shocked, so he turned around and saw Chen Fan stood right next to him as he had expected. However, for some reason, he was invisible to the security guard.

"Ah... yes... Can you please bring my car to the front?"

Zheng Anpin managed a smile despite the cold sweat running down his back.

"What kind of trickery is this? Invisibility Spell? Ghost? Phantom?"

He had no clue how Chen Fan could avoid being seen by the young security guard. However, this development reminded him how useless it would be even if he called the police. The police might have thought that he had gone mad.

Zheng Anpin reckoned how terrible it would be to have an invisible enemy. He could be killed at any moment without even knowing what had happened. By now, Zheng Anpin had finally given up any hope of running away. He started the Ferrari F12 and started driving. He had a few luxury cars, but this F12 Berlinetta was his favorite. It had cost him over five million yuan. However, right now, Zheng Anpin didn't feel like he was sitting in his favorite car, instead, he felt he was sitting in an icy cell.

"Are you afraid of me?" Chen Fan asked casually.

Zheng Anpin felt his heart nearly skipped a few beats after hearing the question.

After a while, Zheng Anpin managed to gather himself and steady the wheel. He squeezed a smile and said: "No... no...You... you know Anqi?"

"She owes me some money, I am here to ask her to pay up." Chen Fan said calmly. Seeing the young man's confused look on his face, he cracked a smirk and said: "Zheng Anqi didn't bring up her debt ever? I wager she never thought of paying me back from the outset."

Despite his fear, the promise of Zheng Anqi getting in trouble made Zheng Anpin lighthearted.

"Anqi had never mentioned you to us. I don't know if you know it or not, but she and her family have been controlling the entire family clan for half a year now. No one dares to ask them about the family business since even the old man seems to be on their side."

Zheng Anpin went on to complain about Zheng Anqi and her family. A strong sense of indignation and anger rose inside of him as he brings up the old unpleasant memories.

"Mr. Chen, may I ask how much money does she owe you?" Zheng Anpin hazarded.

"Ten billion."

Chen Fan's calm answer scared Zheng Anpin so much that he accidentally swerved the car to the side and nearly hit a traffic sign.

"Ten billion? How is that possible?" Zheng Anpin could only gape. He stammered: "She... she is just a teenage girl. Why did she need ten billion for? Even her father wouldn't need that much money."

Ten billion was an astronomical number. It could buy any luxury car, yacht, plane or mansion and would still have some left. Under most circumstances, only a large corporations debt would amount to such a huge number.

"Are you sure she never mentioned it?" Chen Fan narrowed his glinting eyes."She bought the elixirs that saved your grandpa from me. Each pill was worth a hundred million and I sold her a hundred pills in total and that is ten billion."

"Elixirs?"

Zheng Anpin finally remembered something. He clapped his hands and shouted: "Ah-ha! Yes, indeed! Anqi bought back a bottle of medicine from the mainland and cured the old man. We have asked her many times the source of the medicine, but she refuses to tell us, saying that it was her own secret. We had never thought that..."

Zheng family looked to the teenage boy with an indifferent face and suddenly felt worried for his cousin.

She had crossed the wrong person and the entire Zheng family was going to pay for her stupidity. She had used the bottle of medicine to take control over the family clan but when it came down to paying the debt, the entire family would have to suffer.

Zheng Anpin knew that his uncle's good days were numbered. He wagered if he could somehow capitalize on the ensuing conflict between Chen Fan and the Zheng family he could reclaim control of the family clan. With that thought in mind, Zheng Anpin's eyes lit up with glee. He pressed down the gas pedal and revved up the engine as the car vroomed toward the Victoria Bay.

Meanwhile, in a well-lit building beside the Bay of Victoria, a small banquet was being carried out.

This building was called the Shore Diamond and was made entirely out of glasses. One side of the structure was on the shore, the other half dipped into the water. The entire building was lit up by bright golden lights from inside of the building, making it a shiny beacon of opulence. From the top floor, one could have a terrific bird's eye view of the Victoria Bay.

This was a private club that only accepted guests who were either rich or dazzling movie stars. Tonight's party was to celebrate the 25th birthday of Zheng Anqi.

Zheng Anqi was wearing a white blouse. Small silvery plates were attached to the dress to support her ample bosom. She wore stiletto high heels and a silver tiara. Adding on her tall statuesque body, gorgeous curves, a face that looked like it was chiseled out of white marble and the cold demeanor, she looked just like a queen that lorded over the city.

"Happy birthday Miss Anqi!"

Many celebrities and elites attended the party.

Among them were the sons and daughters of CEOs from large corporations, billionaires who made their own fortune from nothing and investment bankers from Wall Street. All of them were well dressed and spiffy. Many of them had scandals with famous actresses and actors who were also present at the party.

Zheng Anqi wore a white silky glove and took a small sip out of her wine glass. No one dared to press her to drink more since she was officially the heir apparent of the Zheng family.

By now, Zheng Anqi's status had risen beyond any ordinary rich heir. Not only was she about to inherit the most powerful family in Hong Kong, but her beauty was also craved by many young men present at the party.

"Anna, how do you like everything?"

A young man walked over to her and said with a smile.

He was wearing a cream-colored tuxedo. His long dark hair hung loosely over his shoulders. Although he was not handsome, he carried an otherworldly indifference with him that made him look like a Buddhist monk.

Registering the young man's appearance, the other guests backed away to make way for him. They all watched the young man with great measure of respect.

He was not just any ordinary young man, he was the personal disciple of Zhou Daoji

Zhou Daoji, the master of Hong Kong was considered the most skilled practitioner in the field of Feng Shui. He was skilled at Dharma Spells, Fortune Telling, Face Reading and Feng Shui. His abilities were boundless and unimaginable. Zhou Daoji had been dominating Hong Kong for over a decade and had weathered many challenges from other Spellcasters, Witchdoctors and Daoist Monks from outside of Hong Kong. By now, Zhou Daoji lived in seclusion somewhere in Jiu Long District and only the top richest of Hong Kong would be able to invite him to any event. In other cases, he dispatched his disciples to attend events in his stead.

This young man was the youngest disciples of Zhou Daoji's three disciples. He was the master's final disciple and his favorite

The young man also didn't let Zhou Daoji down. He had made a name for himself at the young age of thirty and was given the nickname "Little Perfected Cultivator." He was not only well known in Hong Kong but also in entire Southeast Asia. He also made frequent appearances on fashion magazines for scandals with numerous actresses.

"Tiancheng, I feel uneasy lately. Thank you so much for organizing everything." Zheng Anqi managed a smile.

As her grandfather's health recovered, her family, the ninth branch quickly expanded its influence and claimed the seat of power. However, this favorable development didn't bring Zheng Anqi any joy, instead, she became increasingly agitated.

She alone knew the source of her unease: over half a year ago, she had obtained the bottle of Arcane Pills from Chen Fan using trickery.

Zheng Anqi had never thought of paying for the pills in the beginning. Ten billion was a huge number even for the Zheng family and she knew it would be nearly impossible for the other family branches to spit out a dime even if the money was for the old man's health.

"I think you have been working too hard. I have created an elixir that would be perfect for you to recuperate and de-stress. I will bring it to you next time." Nin Tianchen said with a tender smile.

The caring words gave Zheng Anqi a fuzzy warm feeling inside.

The young man before her met all of her criteria, let it be his abilities, appearance, and status, he scored ten out of ten in all of those categories. She wondered if she should give him a chance?

So thinking, she saw a middle-aged man wearing a silk traditional dress hurry toward him.

"Mr. Shi."

A smile surfaced on Zheng Anqi's face.

Nin Tianchen also nodded at Mr. Shi. Little was known about Mr. Shi but everyone knew that he was a peak Dao-Reaching Level spell caster. There were only a handful of other spell casters who could rival his skills.

However, Nin Tianchen was unfazed by Mr. Shi's appearance; after all, he was the personal disciple of Zhou Daoji and had reached Dao-Reaching Level when he was only thirty. He was confident that he would eventually surpass Mr. Shi 's level of attainment and became a Perfected Cultivator. His apparent respect for Mr. Shi was only a show for Zheng Anqi.

Mr. Shi furrowed his brows and said: "Miss Anqi, I have new information about the matter you asked me to investigate."

"It is... very bad... That Chen Fan is not an ordinary person at all."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 259: She Owes Me Ten Billion

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Of course he is not an ordinary man." Zheng Anqi replied vehemently.

The memory of Chen Fan flying high into the sky and severing the giant snake into half still gave Zheng Anqi the shivers.

The snake was as big as a seven or eight story high building and even a dozen elite bodyguards wouldn't be able to subdue it. The gunshots landed on its thick scaly skin felt no more than a few scratches and even Mr. Shi who was well versed in the art of spell castings could not bring it under control. However, powerful as it was, Chen Fan killed it using one strike.

Zheng Anqi had never seen such power in any of the masters she had met in Hong Kong. The person she knew whose power was the closest to Chen Fan was Zhou Daoji, the number one master of Hong Kong. Although she had only visited him once with her grandpa, she could sense that his power was not nearly as deep and overwhelming as that of Chen Fan. That could also because Zhou Daoji had been hiding his real power before the public.

If Chen Fan was not an incredible master, no one else would be.

"That is not what I meant. I mean he has another identity." Mr. Shi furrowed his brows and said: "and if that identity turns out to be real, I wager that there is going to be more trouble ahead of us."

"May I ask who you guys are talking about?" Nin Tianchen stood and listened to the two's conversation with glinting eyes. Then he asked abruptly.

"Tianchen, this is my family business, so..." Zheng Anqi gave Tianchen an apologetic smile and continued. "But this person is very dangerous, and therefore I had asked Mr. Shi to investigate more details about him."

"I understand Anqi." Nin Tianchen cracked a gentleman's smile but the cold light in his eyes didn't dim down. "Please, feel free to let me know if you need any help in the investigation. I am quite well connected in the grey area of the world and could be of help."

So saying, Nin Tianchen let out a smug smile.

His teacher, Zhou Daoji's influence coupled with his own level of attainment could persuade any tycoons of the underworld in Hong Kong to disclose any information he wanted to know.

Zheng Anqi finally let out a joyful smile.

She had been waiting for Nin Tianchen's offer for a while. Although she wouldn't get direct help from Zhou Daoji himself, his personal disciple should suffice. After all, she doubted that Chen Fan would be able to hold himself against Zhou Daoji. Chen Fan was a green babe in the woods compared to Zhou Daoji the veteran.

The girl's expectant look made Nin Tianchen feel even more pride..

However, Mr. Shi was still not very optimistic about the situation. Ever since he came back to Hong Kong, he had been contemplating Chen Fan's power and the odds of surviving a conflict with him. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he was. No ordinary Perfected Cultivator was able to kill the snake with one strike as Chen Fan had done. Even Zhou Daoji, who purportedly had the ability to form a Dharma Array in less than seven incantations might not be able to stand against Chen Fan.

The news he got from his friends from the mainland had been particularly disturbing to him and had kept him sleepless at night.

If the news was real, then even Zhou Daoji would have to bow respectfully before Chen Fan. After all, he would be the most powerful Grandmaster in China. Although Mr. Shi had no clue how Chen Fan transformed from a Perfected Cultivator into a Grandmaster, it was his deadliness that mattered to Mr. Shi.

There was only a little connection between the world of Dharma Spells and that of the Martial arts. Compared to the Martial arts world that was more visible to the public, the world of dharma spells was much more discreet and clandestine in their actions. The masters of Dharma Spells either live in seclusion inside of caves deep in the mountains or hidden in plain sight among the public as frequent guests of the rich and powerful

In a one on one physical fight, a Martial artist had a decisive advantage. As soon as a Grandmaster got within ten paces away from a Perfected Cultivator, his chance of killing the Perfected Cultivator would be very high. A Grandmaster such as Chen Fan would require the combined might of an all-powerful Perfected Cultivators in China to counter.

With that thought in mind, he was about to tell Zheng Anqi something else, suddenly, a clamor from fireworks erupted as many colorful fiery flowers bloomed in the sky.

Under a wave of "Happy Birthday", a two-meter tall, twelve level birthday cake was wheeled out on a cart. It was decorated with truffles, chocolates, and other expensive fruits.

"Anna, go cut the cake now."

Under everyone's urging request, Zheng Anqi gave Mr. Shi an apologetic look and dove back into the birthday party crowd. She would rather enjoy her birthday right now than think about the threat of Chen Fan.

Mr. Shi stood there by himself and shook his head after studying Zheng Anqi who was already surrounded her friends. He heaved a sigh and said: "Little summer birds would never understand the harshness of winter."

He had tried to persuade Zheng Anqi and her family to disclose the information about their debt owed to Chen Fan to the entire family. However, not only Zheng Anqi's father but also the old man Zheng Haochang had chosen to ignore the threat. They wagered that Chen Fan would never be able to take ten billion yuan back anyways.

Hong Sect had put up a bounty of one billion dollars on the life of Chen Fan. Under so much danger and threats, any ordinary Grandmaster would have already hidden away from the public, but that was not the case for Chen Fan.

"It would all come down to Old Man Zheng and his decisions." He recalled that the Zheng family had been secretly hiring many elite bodyguards and kept close contact with deadly mercenaries. However, Mr. Shi was not at all confident in their ability to protect the Zheng family from Chen Fan.

The decision-makers of the Zheng family were all ordinary mortals and knew very little about the power of a Perfected Cultivator. Although they were familiar with Zhou Daoji and other Feng Shui masters, they simply couldn't measure up to Chen Fan's deadliness and power.

Meanwhile, a red Ferrari pulled over to the entrance of the Shore Diamond.

Chen Fan stepped out of the car and looked into the shiny jewels along the shore of Victoria Bay. He cast out the Divine Will and covered the entire building.

It wasn't long before Chen Fan registered Zheng Anqia and Mr. Shi's presence. In addition, he also reckoned the life signal of a few spell casters. However, even the most powerful one among them had only reached the peak of the Dao-Reaching Level and would be no match against Chen Fan.

"Let's go."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and sauntered on with a smirk.

He trailed behind Zheng Anpin who was following a guard of Indian heritage and slowly made his way into the birthday party. He was in no hurry any longer since he had already located Zheng Anqi. As long as the girl was tagged by his Divine Will, she would never escape his radar ever again.

He casually took a glass of Champagne from an attractive waitress and walked toward Zheng Anqi with great measure of leisure.

Compared to half a year ago, Zheng Anqi looked even more scintillating. There was no doubt that she was the center of the entire party. Standing among a group of elites in spiffy business suits, she was able to control the ebb and flow of the conversation with ease, while creating an inescapable gravity around her personality to pull all attention closer to her. These men and women were managers and bosses of large corporations or elites of Wall Street; before the goddess-like Zheng Anqi, they competed with each other for her attention and show off their wealth as they heaped praises on to Zheng Anqi.

"What a social butterfly."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

However indifferent to attention Zheng Anqi had claimed to be, her action right now was borderline attention-seeking.

Chen Fan didn't want to waste any more time so he took a step forward and called out her name: "Zheng Anqi."

Chen Fan had kept his voice low but everyone around Zheng Anqi had heard him.

His voice had taken everyone by surprise. It was a social faux pas to call a girl by her name. Under such a formal situation, most men would address Anqi "Miss Anqi", "Lady Anqi", or straight up "Anna." The full Chinese name of a girl was reserved only for the elder generations to use on her.

"Who is barking?"

Many men shot a hostile glared at Chen Fan. They saw a young man holding a glass of Champagne standing outside of the circle of conversation.

He didn't follow the dress code of the event at all and stick out like a sore thumb among other formally dressed guests. Regardless of their appearance, all the elites were encased in spiffy looking suits. Their shoes were polished, hair waxed and they smelled wonderful as well. However, Chen Fan was wearing a casual outfit and his hair was unkempt as most college students were. It was evident that he didn't belong here.

"Who are you and who let you in here? You are trespassing on private property!"

No one had recognized Chen Fan and some people started to question Chen Fan harshly.

Chen Fan didn't mind the scolding. He took a sip of the Champagne and locked his gaze on Zheng Anqi, enjoying the subtle changes in her emotions.

Zheng Anqi had never felt any emotion stronger or more complicated than what she was experiencing right now.

She was shocked, surprised, panicked and terrified, all at the same time when she recognized Chen Fan. She was rendered motionless and was not sure what to do.

Zheng Anqi didn't expect to meet Chen Fan so soon and neither did she think that she would meet him under such circumstances; she was not prepared at all. Chen Fan and caught her when she had no legal assistance, no background research, no planning, and above all, no protection of elite bodyguards.

However, as the queen of Hong Kong's elite circle, she calmed herself down and said in a cold voice: "Sir, I have no idea who you are."

"Did you hear that, dip shit? Miss Anqi said she doesn't know you! Now bug off!"

"Just so! Where are security guards? How on earth did he get in here?"

The ones that complained about Chen Fan were respectable local gentries. However, the most they could do was call the security guards to escort Chen Fan out of the room. Or, they would seek assistance from the police and accuse Chen Fan of transpassing.

However, many other guests were convinced that the young man was Zheng Anqi's fan. As a world-renowned supermodel, Zheng Anqi had a large number of frenetic fans. She was particularly popular among teenage boys.

"Anna, your male fans are too crazy! He has stalked you all the way to your private party!"

"He looks young. Anna, I didn't know you are so popular among kids too."

A few girls wearing ballroom dress giggled as they made fun of Zheng Anqi. They were Zheng Anqi's best friends and all of them were heirs of Hong Kong's major families. One of them was the daughter of the Casino King in Jin Men Island and none of the girl's net worth was lower than ten billion yuan.

Even as Zheng Anqi was about to refute, Chen Fan took a step forward toward her. Some guests attempted to stop him, but they were knocked to the ground by a gentle wave of Chen Fan's arm. Chen Fan continued forward, stepping on guests who had fallen to the ground and quickly made his way to Zheng Anqi. He locked his eyes into the dazzling girl before him.

"Sir, Miss Anqi does not know you, please leave."

Nin Tianchen blocked Chen Fan's way with an icy glare.

"She doesn't know me?" Chen Fan let out a burst of light laughter, however, his face was indifferent. "She owes me ten billion, yet she said she doesn't know me?"

Ten billion?

The announcement shocked everyone as silence fell over the room.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 260: Dragon Taming Array

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Bull shit!"

Even as a wave of surprised murmur rose from the crowd, a middle-aged man with golden rim glasses stepped forward and said with a serious face: "Sir, do you have any proof that she owes you ten billion?"

"Do you have any legal documents?"

"Transaction records? Witnesses?"

The serious-looking man poured questions at Chen Fan. Seeing Chen Fan didn't have an answer, a distant look surfaced on his hard face: "So you have nothing to prove that Miss Zheng owes you ten billion. So does that mean I can claim that Superman Li owes me a hundred billion? What's the big deal anyway?"

After he had said that, the entire room was filled with laughter.

The ladies in the room still managed to keep their elegant demeanor so they simply covered their mouth and giggled. Some of the girls were wearing a low cut dress and their giggling shook their half-exposed bosom. Even Zheng Anqi was amused by the man's remark.

"Mr. Hu, no wonder you are one of the most famous lawyers in Hong Kong! What a sharp tongue! This guy has nothing." Someone shouted.

"Just so! Mr. Hu used to even point a finger at the judge during a court session and had forced the judge to apologize. What does a teenage boy mean to him in a debate?" Someone else said proudly.

The serious-looking man was called Hu Zhicheng and he was one of the most famous lawyers of his generation. He worked as an associate in the famous Jade Law Firm, the fourth-best law firm in Hong Kong. His illustrious record touted thirteen consecutive successful cases, and he was well versed in nearly all law systems.

"Sir, I will have you know that I can sue you for defamation and blackmailing. You will have to stay behind bars for at least three years."

Hu Zhicheng took his glasses off and cleaned it with a piece of velvet handkerchief and then carefully placed them on his nose again.

"Oh, really?" Chen Fan replied distractedly. He didn't even spare him a glance and fixed his gaze on Zheng Anqi.

"I told you that I can give you some time, but don't make me wait. I am not very patient."

"But you took my goodwill for granted." Chen Fan looked down a little as if heaving a sigh of disappointment. "Well, now my patience had worn out."

Zheng Anqi's heart sank to the bottom as fear gripped her heart. She felt regret and sorrow roiling inside of her.

"Sir, have you been listening to me?" Hu Zhicheng furrowed his brows and said: "You have transpassed a private property and injured an innocent guest. Then, you tried to blackmail Miss Zheng for ten billion and verbally threatened her. These are your crimes and there are plenty of witnesses around. Prepare to stay in jail for the rest of your life, punk!"

Hu Zhicheng was convinced that if Chen Fan was indicted, he would be able to persuade the judge to give him a life sentence in jail.

After all, this room was packed with the rich and the powerful. Their combined might was equivalent of half of Hong Kong's wealth. It wouldn't take much to convince the judge to throw Chen Fan into jail for what he had done.

Most people believed in Hu Zhicheng's words and they looked Chen Fan pityingly.

The boy had ruffled the wrong feathers, he should have never messed with tycoons. They just needed to whisper one word into the judge's ears, and Chen Fan would have to stay in jail for the rest of his life.

"Shameless!"

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and waved a hand.

"Bam!"

Hu Zhicheng was dealt a blow by an invisible force. The force sent the man flying and knocking over a dozen banquet tables on his way until he thudded back to the ground. The golden rimmed glasses which he custom ordered from Italy for a hundred thousand US dollars were smashed into pieces. A red mark in the shape of a man's palm was branded on Hu Zhicheng's left cheek.

A pin-drop silence suddenly fell over the room.

No one had ever thought that Chen Fan would hit people without any warning.

Did he know that Hu Zhicheng was one of the top lawyers in Hong Kong? No one dared to so much as swear at him, much less hit him, fearing the legal repercussions.

Of everyone who has seen it happened, Nin Tianchen was the only one who was alarmed.

He didn't even register Chen Fan's movement when the lawyer was dealt a blow. It was as if the force was invisible. How was that possible? Could the boy cast out his Internal Force? If so, this boy would be at least semi transcendent state. But he looked so young. How could anyone at this age become a Martial Grandmaster?

As soon as Chen Fan showed up, Mr. Shi was frozen like a statue as if he had seen a ghost. He knew very well that this seemingly ordinary-looking young man was the most powerful Grandmaster in China. He could even kill the lawyer if he wished, much less hurting him. The Hong Kong government would not seek justice for a lawyer at the risk of offending a Grandmaster.

"You... How dare you!"

Mr. Hu searched his face with trembling fingers and finally found the remnants of the shattered glasses that was still on his face.

"One more word, I will kill you."

Chen Fan said with a stoic expression.

Mr. Hu suddenly became quiet. However sharp his tongue was, he scarcely dared to utter a word and provoke Chen Fan further.

Seeing the development, most other guests backed away from Chen Fan. Most of them lived a peaceful life and had never seen such action in real life. Fearing their safety, some had already started yelling for security guards.

Chen Fan didn't pay any attention to the panicked crowd. He locked his eyes on to Zheng Anqi and said: "You have two choices, money or your life."

Zheng Anqi had the face of an angel, the body of a devil, adding on her family background, she could be the dream girl of nearly all men in the world. However, to Chen Fan, she was nothing but an ant, although a pretty looking one. Therefore, Chen Fan's determination to get his money back would not be swayed by the girl's appearance.

"Chen... Mr. Chen..."

Zheng Anqi managed a smile.

Chen Fan had shattered her hope of getting off the hook with his violent actions. She knew then that legal contracts or rule of law meant nothing to the boy. If he wanted it, he would take it by force. Therefore, despite the resources at her disposal, she was not sure what to do with Chen Fan's threat.

Wait.. there was one more hope.

She watched as Nin Tianchen stepped forward and refuted Chen Fan: "I don't care if Anqi owes you ten billion or not. I, on behalf of the spell caster society, will not tolerate your actions!"

To his surprise, Chen Fan didn't even spare him a glance. The boy's eyes kept on locking on to Zheng Anqi.

Nin Tianchen snorted and then said hotly: "You think that as an Internal Force user, you can do anything you want, don't you? I would like to remind you that nearly everyone here has an internal force user as their bodyguard. Also, don't you forget about the other masters in Hong Kong! Hong Kong is the capital of Spellcasters, we will not allow you to just walk in and disrespect everyone!"

"Indeed! the head of the security guards in my house is an internal force user. His name is Zhen Qishan, and he is a master in Praying Mantis Fist. Look kiddo, even some of the best internal force users have to work for us, that should make you think twice about messing with us!"

Someone said hotly.

"This kid is just a fledgling, yet, he thinks he is invincible. Doesn't he know that there will always be someone better than him? I am not a Martial Artist myself but have learned my lesson as a businessman. With the huge fortune I have built up, I can hire any martial artist to work for me." Someone else lamented as he shook his head.

These men were either tycoons whose wealth was worth over a few billion, or the heirs of powerful families. Although they knew very little of the Martial Artist world, they had to deal with Martial Artists from time to time.

They agreed that the Internal Force users were powerful fighters. However, they would not outrun a bullet. Therefore, these tycoons had very little respect for these martial artists.

Nin Tianchen nodded in agreement with the crowds' sentiment.

However, Mr. Shi couldn't stop shaking.

This young man was not an ordinary Internal Force user, he was a Grandmaster who had reached the peak of Transcendent State. He could be invincible around the globe, much less in Hong Kong. What could weapons do to him?

"They are right, young man. Time to stop this folly." Nin Tianchen said haughtily: "My name is Nin Tianchen, and my master is Zhou Daoji. If you know who I am you would stop your reckless action right now."

"Zhou Daoji? Who's that?"

To his surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and flashed out of view and reappeared right next to Zheng Anqi.

One of his hands had already wrapped around Zheng Anqi's neck and then he yanked his arm up, lifting the queen of fashion into the air. Although Chen Fan was shorter than Zheng Anqi in her heels, the girl looked like a little helpless bird before Chen Fan's brute force.

"STOP!"

"Let her go!"

"You are courting death!"

Chen Fan's action angered everyone in the room. Numerous security guards rushed toward him, brandishing clubs and tasers. They pointed a finger at Chen Fan and yelled at him.

"Get out of my face."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and snorted. Then he waved his left arm almost lazily.

Suddenly, a huge wave of invisible energy swept across the room, knocking the guards, and tycoons onto the ground. The area within ten meters away from Chen Fan had turned into a vacuum.

"Projecting the Internal Force?"

Nin Tianchen murmured. He was alarmed by what he saw.

He had never thought that this young man could be a Grandmaster who could project out his Internal Force. Although it was easier for Martial artist than spell casters to achieve the Grandmaster level, the fact that Chen Fan had done it before he reached twenty years old was very impressive.

However, Nin Tianchen was unfazed. Even if Chen Fan was a semi transcendent state Grandmaster, he would be no match against the personal disciple of Zhou Daoji, the genius who had reached the peak of Dao-Reaching Level at thirty years old.

"Hehe, so you are a semi transcendent level martial artist, so what? My teacher has killed a Grandmaster before, and a semi transcendent martial artist shouldn't be a problem for me."

Everyone watched as Nin Tianchen cracked a cold smile and shot out two pale arms. The two arms waved in the air and formed a few signs. Slowly, Dharmic powers started to form around his fingers and palms and it wasn't long before the energy became sizzling.

Arcane Finger of Southern Sect, Finger Palm Array!

Nin Tianchen had cast an array spell in less than ten seconds; he was at least three times faster than Yuan Hen. Rumor had it that Zhou Daoji could cast a spell in less than seven incantations and that ability had earned him the title as the most powerful Feng Shui master in the Southern Sect.

"Void Dimension Array, Tame the Dragon!"

Nin Tianchen shouted.

Everyone watched as the array formed out of thin air. Wave after waves of energy descended upon Chen Fan and Zheng Anqi from above and a Spellcaster would be able to register countless Malice qi converging together and form three ropes that were bonded by Dharmic powers. These three ropes wrapped around Chen Fan tightly, confining his movement.

This was Zhou Daoji's famous spell: "Dragon Taming Rope"

This array was able to tame a Cang Dragon.

Zhou Daoji had used this spell on the entire Jiu Long District to locate and confined a Grandmaster before he killed him with one finger jab.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 261: Kill With a Flick of a Finger

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Dragon Taming Dharma Array was created by the most powerful Feng Shui Master of Hong Kong, Zhou Daoji by combining all the secret arts of many different sects, such as the arts of Shooting Stars of the Nine Palaces, Dragon Quelling Qi Point, Eight Trigrams and Six Cardinals. This Dragon Array needed to be cast using Finger and Palm methods, and channel the Power of Heaven and Earth through the Dharmic powers and summon endless Malice Qi. In the end, the Malice Qi would form chains to tie down the enemy. These chains were invisible but stronger than the hardest steel in the world.

An ordinary Dao-Reaching Level cultivator could only unleash one Malice qi chain. However, Nin Tianchen was a genuine spell caster and therefore was able to summon three Dragon Taming Ropes at the same time. His teacher, Zhou Daoji purportedly was able to chain down nine dragons at the same time by unleashing nine chains. Even a Grandmaster would not be able to escape the web of confining malice qi chains.

Once upon a time, there was a Grandmaster of Chinese descent from Southeast Asia that arrived in Hong Kong and threatened the local peace. Zhou Daoji unleashed nine Dragon Taming Chains at the same time to contain his movement and killed him with one finger jab. That event shocked everyone in Hong Kong and Zhou Daoji also quickly rose to fame and was granted the title: the Number one Arcane Finger Master in Southern Sect.

Nin Tianchen was confident that even without using the art his teacher had taught him, he should be able to render the Semi transcendent martial artist defenseless.

To his surprise, Chen Fan broke the confinement with a shrug of shoulders, sending a wave of explosion as the Malice Qi Ropes snapped one after another. In a blink, Chen Fan had regained his movement.

"Remarkable power!"

Nin Tianchen's face suddenly darkened.

He had to restained a peak level Internal Force user using two Chains. A semi transcendent level Martial artist was more powerful than a peak level Internal Force user, but not by this much.

"Maybe I am wrong... He is not semi transcendent level at all, he is a Grandmaster."

An obscure idea came into Nin Tianchen's mind.

The idea was so ridiculous that even Nie Tianchen quickly brushed it out of his mind. Grandmasters were the immortal dragons who lived in heaven. Even though his teacher, Zhou Daoji had killed a Transcendent State Martial artist, he would not dare to mess with a Grandmaster. Not all grandmasters' powers were equal, and some could be much deadlier than others.

Despite discrediting his new evaluation of Chen Fan's power, he didn't let his guard down.

He quickly stopped the Dharmic Seal and pulled out a sharp blade from behind his back. This blade was only ten centimeters or so in length. It was made out of black unknown material and looked primitive in craftsmanship. On its sharp glinting edges were mysterious inscriptions painted with red pigment. It emanated a primordial power that was ancient and dangerous. The handle of the blade was made out of some kind of horn and was carved into the shape of a snarling beast. Nin Tianchen brought the blade to his chest, charged up energy and slashed in the air.

"Sthla!"

The slash seemed to have sliced open the very fabric of space. Sending a gust of wind down the Void Dimension. Suddenly, a sharp Blade Qi shot out from the tip of the blade and tore open the thick carpet on the ground. The tear extended from under Nin Tianchen all the way toward Chen Fan, looking like an ugly scar.

"Blade of the Spring Immortal! The LIttle Perfected Cultivator is going all out."

Some bystanders who had recognized the technique exclaimed.

The Blade of the Spring Immortal used to be Zhou Daoji's Dharma Artifact before he became a master. Rumor had it that he had used it to slice a car into half. After he had become a Perfected Cultivator, he had never used the Dharma Artifact ever again. Little did people know that he had given the Dharma Artifact to his youngest disciple, Nin Tianchen.

Legend had it that this blade used to belong to the Ancient Witch Sect. It was their ceremonial blade during the offering ceremony to the Spring Immortal. Once used by a powerful Dharma Spells user, it could unleash as much power as a Grandmaster. It would also allow a spell caster to project their Internal energy outward.

However, in Chen Fan's eyes, this seemingly deadly Blade Qi was very different in nature with the Energy of Four True Righteousness unleashed by Grandmasters. The Grandmasters used only the True Qi stored in their system that had been refined to perfection. However, this Blade Qi seemed to come from the Essence Qi in the environment.

The power of the Blade Qi was a far cry compared to the Azure Wood Qi Blade.

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan snorted and shot out a hand. He closed his fingers and snatched the deadly Blade Qi with a bare hand.

"Kacha!"

The powerful Blade Qi that could slice open a piece of steel was shattered in Chen Fan's hands into countless small pieces. These dust-sized particles were blown away by the shock wave that came after the impact. The ground trembled and cracked open.

"Shit!"

Nin Tianchen's face paled. He had tested the power of Blade of the Spring Immortal on a huge tree and the Blade Qi went through the wide tree trunk as if going through butter. He was convinced that not even a Grandmaster was able to stop the Blade of the Spring Immortal with their bare hands. However, Chen Fan had first broken free from the Dragon Taming Rope and then shattered the Blade of the Spring Immortal. Although Nin Tianchen couldn't tell Chen Fan's exact level of attainment, he was extremely impressed by Chen Fan's unimaginable physical strength.

"Is this guy an S level Extraordinary One what had exemplary physique? Or is he a practitioner of ancient Yoga? Or is he a Grandmaster in Physique Refinement?" Many questions rose in Nin Tianchen's mind. Even as he contemplated the answer, he sent out more Blade Qi energy. Meanwhile, he stomped the ground and grumbled.

A piece of ornamental jewelry made out of bone that hung from his waist suddenly exploded.

A ball of fire appeared in the sky and attached itself on the invisible Blade Qi. This flame was green in color and looked like the ghost lights that one could find in cemeteries. Green lights run down from the wall and the window, painting everything in the hall with an eerie green. Suddenly, three flaming Blade Qi appeared in the air and attacked Chen Fan from three different directions.

This time, Nin Tianchen no longer held back his power and attacked with all he had. He had been cautious in his last attack since he didn't want to hurt Zheng Anqi. Despite him confessing his affection for Zheng Anqi, he loved himself the most. He couldn't allow a girl to slow him down when his life was hanging on by a thread.

"Cursed Ghost Light?"

Mr. Shi's face suddenly darkened.

He had heard rumors that when Zhou Daoji obtained the Blade of the Spring Immortal, he had also gained access to some of the ancient Witch Sect's secrets.

The modern Dark Witch Sect, Blood Witch Sect, and the Ghost Witch Sect could all trace their lineage to the Ancient Witch Sect. The Witch Sect excelled at the art of Insect controlling, Ghost Reigning, and killing people using curses. Although the ball of green flame looked benign, it was infused with vicious and deadly curses. Once it came to contact with a mortal, it would continue to burn, eating away the flesh until there was nothing left.

It was evident judging by the method used by Nin Tianchen that he wanted Chen Fan dead.

Nin Tianchen was confident that if he gave all he had, he would be able to kill even a Semi transcendent martial artist. However, Mr. Shi knew full well that the boy in front of him was the most powerful Grandmaster in China. The tricks used by Nin Tianchen were simply child's play to him. He could have punched a hole in the ocean with ease if he wanted to.

Lo and behold, Chen Fan simply looked up and waved his arm lazily.

The room was meant to host a birthday party, therefore, the club owner decorated the walls with countless birthday candles. Looking from afar, the hall looked like a sea of twinkling lights.

However, there and then, these dancing flames suddenly converged into Chen Fan's palm and formed an orange fireball.

"Impossible!"

Nin Tianchen panicked.

He finally realized that he had been underestimating Chen Fan's ability from the very beginning. He had initially guessed that Chen Fan was a Semi transcendent martial artist after seeing Chen Fan project his internal force outward; later, he thought Chen Fan was a Physique Refinement Grandmaster. But there and then, after seeing Chen Fan's ability to command so many flames to converge into his palm so effortlessly, he started to suspect that this young man was a Master Fire Bender.

"Dharma Cultivation! He is a Perfected Cultivator of Dharma Cultivation!"

Nin Tianchen screamed his mind as he fell into utter disbelief.

Regardless of the level of attainment of a spell caster, casting a spell would take time and a medium would always be required to channel the powers between the Heaven and Earth. However, Chen Fan had summoned a ball of fire without using any tool within a split second. It was a telltale sign that he was a Perfected Cultivator who had reached the Dharma Cultivation level.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan pushed the large glowing fireball and turned it unto a long fiery drake. After the fire drake devoured the three green Blade Qi, it increased inside and its scale started to gain a green undertone.

"Damn!"

Nin Tianchen pulled back while brandishing the Blade of the Spring Immortal in the air. The blade sent out a few more Blade Qi as the Bead Bracelet in his first exploded, sending out a few puffs of dark clouds.

However, it was already too late. Chen Fan's unstoppable attack was already on its way.

"Kaboom!"

An explosion erupted in the hall as if a grenade had been thrown in the hall. Nin Tianchen's body was swallowed by the fire as the explosion send out countless fiery projectiles in all directions. The rich and powerful guests scrambled to get out of harm's way. Those who reacted too slow were burned by the fire.

Nin Tianchen didn't reappear until the fire finally died down.

His custom-fitted suit was in tatters and even his handsome face was covered with black soot and dirt. His hair was burnt and clamped together, and burn marks were all over his body. He no longer looked like a member of the elite class, instead, he looked like a bum on the street. If not because of the protection talisman given to him by his teacher, he would have already lost his life.

Even though he was still alive, Nin Tianchen was so badly injured that he barely had enough energy to lift a finger.

"Padata."

Chen Fan carried Zheng Anqi and walked to Nin Tianchen. Although this room was packed with elites from all over Hong Kong who were surrounded by their bodyguards, no one dared to say a thing. Even Zhou Daoji's personal disciple, Nin Tianchen was defenseless before Chen Fan, much less these mortals.

Chen Fan came over to them and looked down at the young man who was burned to a crisp. Under his panicked watch, he flicked a finger on Nin Tianchen's forehead and poked a hole in it.

"Urhhh!"

Nin Tianchen rounded his eyes and could not believe that he would die in the hands of Chen Fan.

Nin Tianchen's shock was shared by the others around him, including Zheng Anqi.

Nin Tianchen was the final disciple of Master Zhou Daoji. Master Zhou Daoji treated him as one of his sons. To kill Nin Tianchen was to start a war with the mighty Zhou Daoji who had been dominating Hong Kong for decades.

However, Chen Fan had killed him like squashing an ant.

"Tell the Zheng family that they have to pay what they owe me in full, otherwise, they will die." Chen Fan said with an indifferent expression and then he left the hall while clutching Zheng Anqi in one arm. Everyone watched as Chen Fan left with Zheng Anqi as his hostage and none dared to stop him.

He had come all by himself, killed Nin Tianchen, and kidnapped Zheng Anqi.

Chen Fan had displayed his power before the elite members of Hong Kong. He had taught them the real power of a Grandmaster and why they were so feared by others.

"Sigh! The Zheng family won't listen to me, now it's too late!"

Mr. Shi had watched everything unfolding before him. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Zheng Anpin hid in the order as a gleeful light came up in his eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 262: Shake The Zheng Family

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Anqi was taken away in front of everyone during her own birthday party.

This news quickly reached the leaders of the Zheng family. The Zheng family was one of the elite families in Hong Kong and had dominated Hong Kong for many years. Despite the recent slipping in their ranking, they were still the top ten most powerful family in Hong Kong. They owned billions of assets and were well connected in every area in Hong Kong.

When they heard that Zheng Haochang's daughter was kidnapped in broad daylight, they were first shocked, and then they were furious.

"Who did that? Who dared to kidnap my daughter?"

In a luxury mansion by the Repulse Bay, a middle-aged man shouted at the people around him furiously. He was surrounded by his brothers, sisters, and many other family members, none of them dared to say a word to the angry man.

Over the recent half year, Zheng Haochang had taken the seat of power in the Zheng's Financial Group. His dominance lent him an overbearing demeanor even when he was among his family. Even his elder brothers dared not to talk back at him during the day to day company meetings, much less when Zheng Haochang was in a fit of rage after knowing that his daughter was kidnapped.

"Ninth Uncle, we have already called Minister He from the Law Enforcement department. Mr. He had dispatched Law Enforcement units toward the Shore Diamond to investigate."

A young man stood next to Zheng Changming said.

This young man was called Zheng Anyi, and he was one of the most outstanding members of the Zheng family, and a trusted assistant of Zheng Haochang.

The Law Enforcement Department dealt with the most serious crimes and if not because the case's victim was a member of the Zheng family, they would not be dispatched for a simple kidnapping case.

"You have informed Minister He?"

Zheng Haochang's face softened a little after hearing the news.

Even as he spoke, a clamor rose drifted in from outside.

He rushed out and saw a gorgeous looking woman holding an old man's arm as they both slowly made their way toward the meeting room. A scholarly- looking middle-aged man wearing a pair of circular rimmed glasses tailed behind the old man. The old man was in the nineties, but he looked like a healthy man in his early sixties.

"Dad, sorry to disturb you."

Zheng Haochang hurried to offer his arm to the old man to hold on to.

This old man was the founder of Zheng's Financial Group, the legendary Zheng Zhongming.

Zheng Zhongming said in a booming voice: "If I didn't come here, I am afraid you are going to tear this mansion down."

"Dad." Zheng Haochang gave the old man an awkward look. "I am just too worried about Anqi. She was kidnapped in broad daylight. She is my baby girl, I can't let anything bad happen to her."

He paused and then said vengefully: "If they catch that kidnapper, I will kill him myself!"

"Sigh... This is what I am worried about." To Zheng Haochang's surprise, the old man heaved a sigh then made his way to the sofa. "Mr. Shi, please tell Haochang what you saw at the party."

"What?"

The promise of more information shocked Zheng Haochang and the other members of the family.

As soon as he heard that his daughter was kidnapped, he rushed to the mansion, so he was not entirely sure what had happened at the party. All that Zheng Haochang knew was that the culprit had even killed a couple of people before he took his daughter away.

"Yes, Lord Zheng." Mr. Shi bowed slightly and then took a step forward. "The man who kidnapped Miss Zheng is called Chen Fan. He not only kidnapped Miss. Zheng, but also killed Mr. Nin Tianchen."

"Nin Tianchen? You mean Zhou Daoji's disciple Nin Tianchen?"

A young man wearing a Gucci outfit exclaimed.

The other young generation of the Zheng family were also shocked by the news. Nin Tianchen was nicknamed the LIttle Perfected Cultivator and was extremely popular among rich heirs of Hong Kong's powerful families. Many people knew that he was courting Zheng Anqi, however, they had never thought that such a powerful and talented spell caster would be dead.

"Indeed. It's that Nin Tianchen." Mr. Shi nodded.

"Nin Tianchen is a powerful spell caster who has Divine powers. Who is the killer? Is he also a spellcaster?" Another girl who was wearing Prada and heavy makeup asked while she distressingly clutched her Chanel handbag.

The girl was in her late twenties. Although her face was not as attractive as Zheng Anqi, she has an extremely hot body. She wore her eyeliner way past the length of her eyes and made her look as seductive as a little fox.

Her name was Zheng Anna, and she was Zheng Anqi's sister. She used to have a fling with Nin Tianchen and knew his prowess both under the sheets and during a fight very well. Most people would not last longer than one of Nin Tianchen's attacks.

The crowd boiled over again. Many leaders of the Zheng family became gloomy and concerned after hearing the news. The kidnapper was not just an ordinary criminal, he was a spellcaster. Spellcasters were well known for their deadliness and cunningness, and therefore, not even the Zheng family would easily mess with them.

"Chen Fan?"

Zheng Haochang was taken aback by the familiar name.

"Haochang, have you already forgot? He is the person who sold Anqi the medicine." Old Man Zheng knocked on the floor with his staff and reminded his son.

"Him? That asshole who wanted ten billion for the medicine?" Zheng Haochang exclaimed flames of anger danced in his eyes. "He failed his blackmailing, so now he is trying kidnaping? He thought that I would capitulate to his savagery just because he has my daughter? I will never give him ten billion, dream on!"

Despite the trillions of assets that the Zheng family owned, most of their assets were in the company's stocks. The total amount of liquid assets they owned was around thirty billion yuan. Ten billion yuan was one-third of all the money the family possessed; it would be a huge blow to the family's financial status and cause grave consequences.

"What ten billion? What are you talking about?"

Many youngsters of the family looked at each other in confusion.

Most leaders of the Zheng family suddenly looked troubled as they remembered what happened half a year ago. Despite Zheng Anqi's depiction of Chen Fan's power, no one had taken the threat seriously, and none of them believed that there was a snake as tall as a building, that Chen Fan had killed the snake with one blow. They simply thought that Zheng Anqi had made up those stories to glorify her success in obtaining the medicine.

It was as if someone told them that the aliens were coming to earth with a ten-mile long battleship. Even if it was their family member who said that they would still disregard it and consider it absurd.

Seeing is believing. Even if they got hold of a picture, they would still think the photo was photoshopped.

The Zheng family had been living in their bubble in the modern world for too long and knew nothing of Chen Fan's power.

"He is not blackmailing. Miss Anqi had agreed to give him ten billion, I am the witness." Mr. Shi heaved a sigh.

"Even if that is true, Anqi had no rights to make a deal that was worth ten billion. He could have talked to me! Plus, that doesn't make kidnapping right! He is a criminal, a CRIMINAL!" Zheng Haochang said hotly.

"Just so!" Many other leaders of the Zheng family nodded in agreement.

They would be more than happy to sit down with Chen Fan and negotiate, but they wouldn't allow themselves to be scared by Chen Fan's brutality and hand over the ten billion willingly.

"I don't think we have a choice now. If we don't give him the money, not only Miss Anqi will be in danger, so will the entire Zheng family."Mr. Shi said with an ugly grin.

"He wishes to topple the Zheng family my himself?"

Third Lord Zheng laughed.

The other leaders didn't seem to take the threat seriously either. The Zheng family had been dominating Hong Kong for decades and was one of the most influential families in Hong Kong. Not even the Hong Kong government dare to mess with them, much less a single person.

"The problem is, I think this man might be able to do just that." Mr. Shi said with a serious face.

"Was he from one of the top families in China? Or is he a member of an international group?" Zheng Anyi asked curiously.

She was not alone in her curiosity. Everyone was convinced that it would take at least a superpower in China or the Hong Sect to threaten the Zheng family, no one else could.

"No."Mr. Shi shook his head as fear flickered in his eyes. "He is more powerful than both of them. "

"He is called Chen Fan, but he also has many other identities. One of them is Chen Beixuan, the most powerful Grandmaster in China, according to the Heaven roll."

"Chen Beixuan? The Heaven Roll of China?"

Everyone was confused and was not sure what Mr. Shi was talking about.

The world of Martial Arts was too distant from that in which the Zheng family lived. The name Chen Beixuan was only known by the martial artists and a few bosses of underground organizations, but not those who had nothing to do with martial arts. It was the same way as some people who do not watch TV might not even know the most popular TV star right now.

However, the man stood behind Zheng Haochang was shocked and terrified by the revelation.

"What's going on, Qinhe? Do you know this Chen Beixuan?" Zheng Haochang noticed the fear on the man's face, so he asked.

This man was called Cui Qinhe. He was the leader of the security guards in the Zheng family and Zheng Haochang's personal bodyguard. He was a powerful Internal Force user from Southwest China and had saved Zheng Haochang more time than Zheng Haochang could count. Because of that, Zheng Haochang trusted him a great deal and brought him wherever he went.

"Yes." Cui Qinhe nodded. "He is very well known."

"So is he a good fighter?" Zheng Anna asked contemptuously.

"He is not just a good fighter." Cui Qinhe paused a then said heavily "He is... invincible."

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Chapter 263: The Challenge Arrives

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Invincible?"

Everyone in the Zheng family was shocked by the revelation.

Most people who weren't Martial artists might have a hard time understanding the meaning and the weight carried by this word, nor would they understand how much blood and how many lives were behind every syllable. However, that didn't prevent them from registering the message of Chen Fan's terrifying power.

"So, you mean he is very deadly?" A light came up in Zheng Anna's eyes as she licked her upper lip unconsciously. In her logic, the better a fighter a man was, the more prowess he would possess in bed.

Cui Qinhe had ignored the girl and looked to Zheng Haochang. He had no time to waste on a teenage girl's lustful fantasies.

By then, Zheng Haochang was getting confused. Although Cui Qinhe claimed that Chen Fan was invincible, it was not a quantitative measurement of his exact power. A fighter who would defeat ten men at the same time and the other who could defeat the entire nation at the same time could both be called invincible, but their power was drastically different.

If this man was only a little bit stronger than Cui Qinhe, Zheng family would not fear him the slightest. After all, however strong Cui Qinhe was, he was still a mortal, and so was Chen Fan.

"That's bullshit! I think he is too high on himself." The third lord of Zheng family, Zheng Haomin guffawed.

Zheng Haomin had never thought too highly of Martial Artists. He considered them boorish brutes who sell their muscles for money.

Many of the younger generations of the Zheng family nodded in agreement, including Zheng Anna. They didn't think a martial artist would pose much of a threat in modern society with the rule of law.

Anger flashed in Cui Qinhe's eyes after he heard the remarks. He lowered his head and laughed at these arrogant fools. They had no idea what it meant to be the first place on the Heaven roll.

"Mr. Shi, based on your understanding, how powerful exactly do you think is Chen Beixuan?" Old Man Zheng finally broke the silence.

Mr. Shi hesitated for a while and then said: "I am not too sure either. However, I know that he killed Grandmaster Lei, Lei Qianjue from the Hong Sect as well as Blacksnake from The Blood Skull."

"Lei Qianjue of the Hong Sect!"

Everyone was surprised by what they heard.

Although not everyone knew who Lei Qianjue was, they had heard of Hong Sect. Lei Qianjue operated only in Canada, but the Hong Sect was well known by all the Chinese communities around the globe and was well connected with powerful Chinese families. Zheng family, for example, maintained an amicable relationship with one of the leaders in Hong Sect.

"How does this Lei Qianjue compare to Zoro the Thunder King?" Second Lord Zheng Haoxun asked curiously.

The underboss that the Zheng family was in good relation with was Zoro, the Thunder King. He was the underboss of the United Kingdom since Hong Kong used to be a British colony, the Zheng family had to deal with Zoro quite often.

"That's enough." Even as Mr. Shi was going to talk more, Old Man Zheng spoke up and cut everyone short. "Lei Qianjue was the Grandmaster of the Hong Sect and was considered the most powerful Grandmaster. Even Zoro was his junior and needed to pay a tremendous amount of respect to him. He was revered even by the leaders of the Hong Sect."

Hearing the old man's words, everyone was deeply shocked.

If Lei Qianjue was the most powerful fighter in Hong Sect, then his influence must be no less than that of Old Man Zheng. If all the rich and powerful men in Hong Kong, only a very few of them were able to compete with him. The fact that Chen Fan was able to get away with killing one of Hong Sect's most powerful leaders spoke loudly of his strength.

Then and only then, members of the Zheng family finally understood the meaning of "invincible."

"He... he must be insanely powerful!"

Zheng Anna covered her mouth, as fear flickered in her eyes. She doubted that there would be anyone in Hong Kong that would be able to bring Chen Fan down if the Hong Sect had failed to do so.

"I had never thought that Lei Qianjue would be defeated by anyone much less being killed." Old Man Zheng lamented. "Twenty years ago, I had met Brother Lei in person. I was so impressed by his spirited and dominating demeanor, and never had I thought that he would perish before me."

For a while, no one in the Zheng family spoke a word.

After he learned Chen Fan's prowess, tension started to hang in the air, nagging everyone's nerves insistently. Even Zheng Haomin had to admit that Chen Fan might have been the most threatening opponent the Zheng family had ever faced.

"What should we do?" Despair and panic surfaced on Zheng Haochang's face.

He was just one of the many heirs of the family when the shit really hit the fan, he quickly turned into a bundle of nerves.

"Don't worry! Your dad is still alive." Zheng Zhongming rose to his feet and knocked the floor with the walking stick. "Powerful he might be, but the Zheng family is not a pushover either. Worst comes worst, he will just take my life. If he wants to insult my family name, well, over my dead body!"

"Dad!"

Feeling ashamed of themselves, many second-generation leaders exclaimed with a guilty expression. Even Mr. Shi was deeply touched my Old Man Zheng's determination.

Zheng Zhongming grew up during a tumultuous time and started an enormous enterprise from nothing. He was determined and full of gusto, his sons and grandsons simply couldn't compare.

"Haomin." Zheng Zhongming cleared his throat and said: "Contact the seventeen factions of Hong Kong's underworld, I need to have a word with their bosses."

"Yes, dad!" Zheng Haomin stood up and said.

"Haochang, please formulate a letter to the Hong Kong Governor on my behalf."

"Yes, dad!"

"Haoun..."

Zheng Zhongming assigned tasks to all the family members and finally got everyone going. The Zheng family had been building up their strength in Hong Kong over a decade and by now, it had accumulated unimaginable resources and influence. Even the Wei family of the Northern Bank would pale in comparison with the Zheng family much less the Sheng family or the Chen family. Over the century, the Zheng family had built an unshakeable foundation and its power was beyond the measure of money. As long as the Old Man Zheng was still alive, the Zheng family would not fall apart.

After he had finished assigning the tasks, Zheng Zhongming turned around and looked at Mr. Shi.

"Would you be so kind as to send a message for me to Master Zhou Daoji? I wish to pay a visit to him tonight."

"You mean...?" Mr. Shi was taken aback by the request.

"Nin Tianchen was his personal disciple. I doubt he could simply sit around and let Nin Tianchen die in vain." A sly smile surfaced on Zheng Zhongming's face."Thirty years ago, I watched with my own eyes as he trapped a Grandmaster using nine dragons and killed the Grandmaster with one finger. I wonder if Zhou Daoji still has it thirty years later."

"Yes, understood."

Mr. Shi lowered his head.

Old Man Zheng rarely got involved in outside business, but if he did, he could always avert the crisis with decisive and swift actions. Although Mr. Shi was still doubtful that the old man was able to make Chen Fan pay for what he had done, the promise of retaliation should have scared off any ordinary Grandmaster.

Afterall, Grandmasters were all mortals and had friends and families who were vulnerable. Any Grandmaster who disregarded the rule of law and murdered innocent people on a large scale would have been dealt with by the government. Most Grandmasters knew not to mess with local tycoons because once the local tycoons joined forces, they would pose a threat to any Grandmaster.

"However, Chen Beixuan was not just any ordinary Grandmaster..."

A pang of concern rose inside of Mr. Shi

Meanwhile, Chen Fan didn't return hotel, instead, he carried Zheng Anqi to the top of a small hill nearby.

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Chapter 264: A Ten Billion Yuan Bet

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan sat on a flat rock on the top of the hill and let go of Anqi. He didn't even stop the girl when Anqi started to walk around. Anqi rubbed her neck, her fear was written all over her face. Despite herself, she asked Chen Fan:

"You don't care if I run away?"

"I can find you and kill you even if you ran to the end of the world." Chen Fan said stoically. His eyes were half-closed.

He had covered the entire hill with his Divine Will and therefore, Zheng Anqi would have no chance of escaping. Even if she did, he would be able to trace her presence from miles away and get to her and kill her.

Zheng Anqi was quiet for a while and then asked again: "What are you going to do? Keep me here as a hostage so that my family will give you the ten billion?"

"Ten billion?" Chen Fan cracked a faint smile. "You have given me so much trouble, I think I will need more than just ten billion that you owe me."

"I have warned you when we first met that you don't get away with not paying me." Chen Fan said as a cold light lit up his eyes. "I want to see you and your family suffer, in order to quell the anger in me."

"Well, what if we don't give you the money?" Zheng Anqi protested.

"I will destroy the Zheng family and kill everyone." Chen Fan said calmly, but his words scared Zheng Anqi. She knew that Chen Fan words were not empty threats. He had killed Nin Tianchen with a flick of a finger, of course, he could and would kill everyone in the Zheng family.

The thought gave Zheng Anqi a pang of anxiety. She needed to rush home and warn her family, but how?

Chen Fan sat still like an old monk meditating.

His Divine Will had crossed the hill and reached the Zheng family's mansion miles away along the Repulse Bay. Chen Fan knew that the Zheng family would retaliate but he was not worried at all. Not only was he unfazed, but also wished that the Zheng family would give him a chance to feel the satisfaction of sweet vengeance and the thrill of violence. Without those two elements, his rebirth experience would be much less interesting.

The evening was over very quickly

Chen Fan could drink the morning dew and swallow elixirs if he got hungry, but that was not the case for Zheng Anqi. She was not only just a mortal but also a mortal who had never lived one second of hardship in her life.

The insistent blowing of wind from the ocean had nearly frozen her into an icicle.

The Zheng family had sent a couple of negotiators to Chen Fan, hoping to calm the situation, but Chen Fan had refused to talk.

This standstill lasted until the third night when Chen Fan finally received an invitation to a duel.

"The number one Master Zhou Daoji of the Southern Sect, invites Chen Beixuan, the first ranking Grandmaster on the Heaven roll to a duel at the top of the Jiu Long mountain."

The peak of the hill was only a few dozen square meters in size. Chen Fan sat on a flat rock, facing everyone motionlessly like an old monk meditating. Zheng Anpin sat on a blanket while half leaning against an old tree. The ground beside her was littered with a bottle of water and kleenex.

She was still wearing the same silver party dress, long lace gloves and a silver tiara on her head. However, after three days of torture by the elements, she looked like a princess in distress.

"My name is Zhang Ziru, and I am the first disciple of Zhou Daoji of the Southern Sect. Nice to meet you Grandmaster Chen Beixuan."

"I am here to hand over an invitation. My master will wait for you at the peak of the Jiu Long mountain as soon as the dawn breaks tomorrow for a duel."

The young man stood stately before Chen Fan. The ocean wind tousled his long hair and puffed up the loose sleeves on his traditional robe. His voice boomed in the air, threatening to shake the rocks and trees on the hill.

It was evident that the first disciple of Zhou Daoji had inherited most of his teacher's power and was already at Dharma Cultivation level.

"Zhou Daoji.. he wants to challenge me?"

Chen Beixuan finally opened her eyes. "Does he think that I, Chen Beixuan, could be challenged by just anyone?"

Zhang Ziru was unfazed and replied: "The Zheng family had agreed to use the ten billion they owed you as a pledge for your victory. You can take the ten billion if you win the fight, but if you fail, please leave Hong Kong as soon as possible."

"Ten billion?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "That's too boring. Let's spice things up a bit, how about we throw in the lives of Zhou Daoji and the entire Zheng family?"

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Chapter 265: The Duel Begins

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"The battle of Dharma power is a battle of honor and life"

"If Zhou Daoji wishes to bet on the fight, then let's make it a fight for his and the Zheng family's lives."

Zhang Ziru walked off the peak of the hill with heavy footsteps. He could not make a decision on such a significant matter; he needed to take the matter to the old man himself. He was confident that since both his teacher and the Old Man Zheng possessed decisive characters that were filled with gusto, they would agree to the terms without a blink. If other people learned that the number one master of the Southern Sect was scared off by a youngster, how would anyone expect him to continue holding onto the seat of power in the Lin Nan region? The same logic applied to the Zheng family as well.

"However, could my teacher really defeat him?"

Zhang Ziru had never doubted the skills of his master. Thirty years ago, Zhou Daoji shook the entire Hong Kong by killing a Grandmaster with one finger jab. In the thirty years that followed, Zhou Daoji rarely displayed his strength, therefore, the exact power of Zhou Daoji remained a mystery to many. It wasn't until Zhang Ziru entered the Dao-Reaching Level very recently did he start to comprehend the depth and breadth of his teacher's dharmic powers and soul energy.

He was convinced that his teacher could defeat any Grandmaster who challenged him.

However, Chen Fan was quite different than most other Grandmasters.

He was the number one Grandmaster in China and had killed Lei Qianjue with his hypersonic blow. When Kunlun, the publisher of the Heaven Roll commented on his abilities, he said something like this: "Peak of Transcendent state, Peak of Dharma Cultivation, Peak of Physique Refinement." That meant Chen Fan had reached the top in all three categories of cultivation Martial arts, Physique Refinement, and Dharma Spells. No one, other than an Immortal State cultivator could rival him.

However, the thought of his teacher's thirty years of experience and the careful preparation over the three days eased Zhang Ziru's mind slightly. However great Chen Fan's achievement in Martial Dao was, he was no match against the Heavenly Dao.

After the crowd left the hill, Chen Fan and Zheng Anqi were alone by themselves again.

Zheng Anqi examined the boy with complicated expressions. She had never thought that her oversight could lead to such a grave consequence. Zheng Anqi had thought that even if Chen Fan came to Hong Kong to ask for the debt, he would have to obey the rule of law. The Zheng family was a powerful force in Hong Kong and therefore, could bend the rules and twist the laws to their benefit. Even if Chen Fan had a proof of the debt, the lawsuits could drag on decades, much less when Chen Fan had nothing to prove his statement.

To her disappointment, Chen Fan didn't care twat about the rule nor the laws. He simply kidnapped her and gave the Zheng family an ultimatum.

Suddenly, realization finally dawned upon Zheng Anqi.

She understood now why Chen Fan would hold her hostage here on the hill while he could simply rob the Zheng family's treasury. He was clearly building up the fear inside of the Zheng family as a lion prowling toward its prey. He made the Zheng family feel that a knife was constantly hanging over their heads and could be coming down on them at any moment. The fear was far worse than death.

"I wonder what Grandpa would say."

Zheng Anqi thought to herself.

Meanwhile, the entire elite society as well as the Feng Shui community were shocked by the recent development.

Chen Fan first crashed a birthday party and killed Nin Tianchen before everyone. He had then kidnapped Zheng Anqi. The news had quickly spread throughout Hong Kong and anyone who was even remotely related to the elite class would have heard of it.

Even as everyone discussed the latest news they heard, another explosive piece of information grabbed their attention.

"Zhou Daoji had challenged Chen Beixuan to a duel at the top of the Jiu Long mountain."

So far, no one knew who exactly Chen Beixuan was. However, that was not the case for Zhou Daoji. He had been a dominating force in Hong Kong for many years and was revered at the number one master of the Southern Sect. Everyone knew he was a truly powerful spellcaster who possessed the Dharmic powers. He had been a frequent guest in the house of the rich and the powerful. Of late, he had retreated to the Jiu Long District and meet only the top dogs of Hong Kong on very rare occasions.

It was shocking to everyone that such a mighty figure would have challenged a kidnapper. By now, it became evident to everyone that there were more than what met the eye about the whole thing.

Most tycoons in Hong Kong had no stake in the event, and therefore their interest in this duel was simply driven by their curiosities. However, when the news reached the Lin Nan International Conference for Chinese Esotericism, it had caused a sizable unrested.

"Zhou Daoji is going to fight again? He has challenged someone to a duel at the peak of the Jiu Long mountain?"

Many Dao cultivators who came to attend the Lin Nan Chinese Esotericism conference were shocked by the news.

Zhou Daoji was the most powerful Feng Shui master in Hong Kong and was one of the very few Perfected Cultivators of Dharma Cultivation level. He had killed a Grandmaster from southeast Asian thirty years ago and rose to fame. Who was this Chen Beixuan that deserved so much of his attention?

"What? It was Chen Beixuan? Master Zhou is in trouble."

A few of the conference attendees who had heard of Chen Fan's name suddenly pulled a tight face and said.

"Who is this Chen Beixuan? Is he really that powerful?" Someone questioned. The spellcasters were a small circle and they rarely talked to anyone outside of the community.

"He was recognized as the most powerful Grandmaster in China. He has already killed three Grandmasters and was ranked number one on the Heaven roll. So yes.. he is very powerful." Someone replied with a wry smile.

Hearing the revelation, many people's faces darkened.

Although they rarely bothered themselves with news in the martial arts community, they knew that once an Internal Force user reached Transcendent State and became a Grandmaster, his power was on par with that of a Perfected Cultivator of Dharma Cultivation level. Chen Beixuan was not only considered the most powerful Grandmaster in China, but he had also already slaughtered three of his Grandmaster peers. That was unheard of. Could Zhou Daoji really defeat him?

Despite their concerns, most people were still confident in Zhou Daoji's victory.

Zhou Daoji was the top spellcaster of the Southern Sect. His status among the spellcasters was the same as Ye Nantian among the martial artists.

Worse, a Perfected Cultivator such as Zhou Daoji possessed many tricks, such as Dharma Artifact, Dharma Array, and Talisman Inscription under his sleeves to surprise his opponent. On the other hand, a Martial arts Grandmaster relied only on his physical strength. If a Perfected Cultivator was well prepared, he could be able to hold himself against attacks of multiple Grandmasters at the same time. Zhou Daoji was a seasoned spell caster and had accumulated an incredible amount of resources in Hong Kong, both factors would make his power very unpredictable.

No one could fall asleep that night as they kept on thinking about the coming duel.

Before the dawn break, many people had already arrived at the Jiu Long mountain and picked a good spot to enjoy this fight of the century.

The number one Spell Caster of the Southern Sect against the number one Grandmaster Martial Artist on the Heaven roll.

It was a battle between a veteran Perfected Cultivator against the most powerful Grandmaster.

The world of spell casters hasn't heard of such big news for ages. Everyone was curious as who would eventually emerge victoriously. If the fight were to take place a few days later, allowing more people to hear about it, even the top spell casters in southeast Asia would fly in to watch the battle.

Chen Fan's reply finally arrived at Zhou Daoji and the Zheng family. He had agreed to the duel.

Jin Junxi was the man who delivered Chen Fan's message. Even when he left the hill, he still couldn't believe that he was about to witness the battle of the two most powerful men with his own eyes. Everything about this battle was so dramatic that it seemed like the stuff in a TV drama. People started to bet on each side and the amount of money that poured into the bets was too much to count.

Chen Fan still sat still on the peak of the mountain as he projected his Divine Will into the void dimension. No one knew what he was after.

Meanwhile, Zheng Anqi lay in a sleeping bag under the tree. Fear of losing everyone in her family kept her sleepless at night. Meanwhile, if Chen Fan was defeated, her troubles would be gone once and for all. That being said, every time she thought of the moment when Chen Fan killed the giant snake, her heart would be taken over by fear all over again.

"Zhou Daoji, is he going to win?"

She was not the only person who asked this question, it was shared by practically everyone who went to watch the battle.

Chen Fan's illustrious battle record was recent, but Zhou Daoji hasn't fought for many years, and no one was certain that he still had it. Could he unleash the same power that allowed him to kill the Grandmaster with one finger thirty years ago?

As time passed by, a sliver of light finally appeared at the eastern horizon. The dawn was about to break.

When the sun finally appeared, Chen Fan rose to his feet slowly. The motion startled Zheng Anqi. She looked toward Chen Fan and was shocked. Every step Chen Fan took seem to make his body grow a few inches. After he had finished his seventh step, he was about one meter and eighty centimeters tall with long hairs that reached his waist. His statuesque body and handsome features made him look like a god.

If Zheng Anqi didn't see the transformation with her own eyes, she would never believe that this handsome godly looking young man was Chen Fan.

"Follow me."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and sauntered off the hill. Winds from the ocean puffed up the loose sleeves of his robe and tousled his silky long hair as a glinting light shone in his eyes. Stunned by Chen Fan's godly demeanor, Zheng Anqi hurried to catch up with him.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 266: At the Peak of the Jiu Long Mountain

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Jiu Long Mountain of Hong Kong was formed by eight continuous rolling hills and one main peak that jutted out among the other gentler slopes. These hills formed a windy mountain range that looked like dragons that had coiled their serpentine bodies. Therefore, this mountain was named Jiu Long Mountain, aka, The Mountain of Nine Dragons.

Before the dawn break, many local residences, as well as tourist, had already arrived at the foothill.

The sunrise at the Jiu Long District Mountain was a famous tourist attraction at the Jiu Long District. A lookout post was constructed at the top of the mountain for that specific purpose. Every year, countless tourists flocked to the Jiu Long District to enjoy the marvelous view of the sun rising from the sea.

This tourist attraction spot was also on the list of Zhou Qinya and her classmates. They got up early and had a quick breakfast and hurried to the foothill. To their disappointment, the Jiu Long Mountain was closed today. Qian Lulu complained: "What is going on? We have woken up so early but without any notice, we can't even go to the mountain."

"Could there be big wiggs who are going to climb the mountain, or may some crew is shooting a movie?" Liu Xiaojin asked in confusion. Hong Kong used to be a famous base for movie production, however, the movie industry went downhill ever since the 90s. That being said, it still wasn't uncommon to find movie crews shooting some scenes that required shutting down of an entire street or a district.

Qi Wangsun shook his head and said: "This looked like something much more serious than shooting a movie. I wager there must be some important things going on at the peak of the mountain."

Even as everyone discussed what was going on at the foothill, someone pointed to a person in the distance.

"How come he could get in?"

Qiu Yilun and the others looked toward the direction the man was pointing and saw a tall, handsome young man in black outfit slowly making his way along the mountain path.

"Uh? He looks just like Chen Fan." Zhou Qinya exclaimed as she covered her mouth to suppress a cry.

"Just so! He really looked like him." Liu Xiaojin and the others also nodded in agreement.

"I wonder where the boss has been. He had left us a written message and then disappeared. We agreed to stick together in the beginning." Qiu Yilun complained. Qi Wangsun, on the other hand, lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

His family used to hire a retired special agent to teach him human behavior and how to read people's expressions and movements.

Therefore, he was able to judge a person's identity based on expression, motions, and demeanor. Those who had mastered the art could have recognized people they knew based on a glimpse from behind.

The first time Qi Wangsun saw the person making his way to the mountain top, he noticed a lot of similarities between the stranger and Chen Fan, although it was evident that this man was much more handsome than Chen Fan. That being said, when he started to examine the man from behind, he noticed that other than his height was taller than Chen Fan, the way he walked, and the placement of his hands behind his back was a spitting image of Chen Fan.

"Interesting. Could there really be two individuals who shared the exact same walking motion?"

Qi Wangsun asked himself in confusion.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had slowly walked toward the top of the Jiu Long Mountain.

The peak of the Jiu Long Mountain was about 500 meters above sea level. Each step Chen Fan took covered the exact same distance. Although the steps didn't seem to cost him any effort, he approached the mountain top very quickly.

Along the way, he had met many cultivators. Only a small portion of these cultivators were local residents of Hong Kong, the rest were from all over China. They happened to be in Hong Kong for the Chinese Esotericism Conference. However, the fight between the Perfected Cultivator and the Grandmasters quickly took the spotlight from the conference and attracted all the spellcaster to gather at the Jiu Long Mountain.

"That's him! He is Chen Beixuan!"

Only a very few people had seen Chen Fan's photo, however, those who ran into Chen Fan along the mountain path recognized him right away as the number one Grandmaster on the Heaven roll.

Chen Fan had revealed his Dao Body and looked as sharp as an unsheathed legendary blade. A light came up in his eyes, and his dark silky hair was covered with a pearlescent sheen. His body was in perfect proportion and he even smelled good, like fresh-cut grass. What really made him stand out, aside from his attractiveness, was the overbearing belligerence he carried all the time. It was a sure sign of his power.

"Chen Beixuan is here, the battle of the century is finally about to start."

Many people looked up at the peak of the mountain, where a hundred or so square meter platform was set. Although they were unable to climb any further, most martial artists and spellcasters were able to see the fight clearly from a couple of hundred meter distance. Some of them could make out the motions on the platform just by listening to the clamor.

The closer Chen Fan was to the top of the mountain, the more powerful the spectators were.

When he almost reached the peak, he saw an old man resting on a chair. The old man was in his nineties but looked healthy and strong. However, his pale face suggested that he had been overworked and was exhausted.

"Zheng Zhongming?"

Chen Fan recognized the super-rich man of Hong Kong. As a renowned tycoon, he often appeared on TV. Although Chen Fan's elixirs had saved this old man's life, Chen Fan didn't care to waste any time on him.

In his eyes, Zheng Zhongming was as significant as an ant.

Chen Fan needed just one legitimate reason to do away with the Zheng family without the government's interference. He had found that reason already.,

He would defeat Zhou Daoji and kill everyone in the Zheng family.

Standing behind Zheng Zhongming was a few stately looking elderly men. Pulsing Dharmic power emanated from every one of them. Anyone spellcaster would have recognized them since they represented all the master spellcasters in Southern China.

Zhang Ziru was one of them. He was standing on the third to the left. The first and third one to the left both possessed deadly energy in them. Chen Fan wagered that both of them were Perfected Cultivators of Dharma Cultivation level. Their power was on par with that of the King of Elixirs.

Including Zhang Ziru, there were at least three Perfected Cultivators, and then masters who had reached the peak of the Dao-Reaching Level. Chen Fan even saw Huang Wenze who he had encountered at Dong Du City.

Chen Fan cared very little of these spectators. His attention was attracted by the man waiting for him at the top of the mountain.

"Mr. Chen, if I give you the ten billion right now, would you give up the duel?"

Old Man Zheng suddenly heaved a sigh and then said.

He was confident in Zhou Daojis' victory before he saw Chen Fan in person. However, as soon as he met Chen Fan eye to eye, he started to waver. The old man couldn't sense the slightest anger or fighting spirit in the young man, instead, it was a terrifying void and a godly indifference inside of Chen Fan. He never even felt such indifference even in Zhou Daoji. The emptiness and the difference in the boy's eyes made him look like he was a god looking down at his own creations from above.

Zheng Zhongming had felt an unprecedented fear and lost all of his hope in Zhou Daoji.

"Too late."

Chen Fan uttered two words and became silent.

Zheng Zhongming had expected such an answer from Chen Fan, however, when the weight of the words came down on him, the old man suddenly felt that his days were numbered.

Chen Fan didn't waste any more time with these top dogs in Hong Kong. He picked up speed and ascended to the top of the Jiu Long Mountain.

When Chen Fan finally reached the peak, the sun leaped out of the clouds, showering the world with brilliant golden rays. The east-facing slope of the mountain was covered in iridescent light.

"The beauty of nature was eternal, but our fight will be only a fleeting moment in history."

An old man wearing silk traditional Chinese dress turned around and announced.

This old man's wizened face was covered with wrinkles deep and shallow. However, his eyes were incredibly clear. Upon closer look, the darkness in his pupils were as deep as the abyss.

He was the number one Feng Shui Master, the top spellcaster of Southern China, Zhou Daoji.

He had in the past trapped a Grandmaster with nine dragons and killed him with one finger jab. There and then, before the fight of the century, he talked to Chen Fan as if he were his long-time friend. He cracked a warm and welcoming smile and said: "You are finally here. I thought you would find another place to settle the score with me."

"Humph! Why would I show so caution while I'm just fighting you with your puny power?"

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked haughty as ever.

While standing face to face before Zhou Daoji, Chen Fan used his divine will and detected Zhou Daoji's level of attainment with incredible clarity. Zhou Daoji's power was still a far cry from the Divine Sea. He could be considered at most a peak Dharma Cultivation cultivator, making him as deadly as Lei Qianjue.

The Ethereal Enlightenment and the Divine Sea had a wide gap between them. Without entering the Divine Sea level, Zhou Daoji would never be able to defeat Chen Fan.

That being said, Chen Fan was aware of the unpredictability of dharma spells. Therefore, he was interested to see the difference between the Dharma Spells on earth and that of the Immortal Cultivation World. Plus, he had registered a hidden power lurking behind Zhou Daoji's presence. It could be the power signal of a certain Dharma Treasure or Dao Spell. Although Chen Fan was far from being alerted, the presence of the hidden power caught his interest nonetheless.

"Are you using Divine Sense on me?"

As Chen Fan started his Divine Will, surprise surface on Zhou Daoji's face.

Compared to a Grandmaster, a Perfected Cultivator's soul energy was much more active and sensitive. Although Zhou Daoji was not able to capture the exact movement of Chen Fan's Divine Will, he could detect its presence nonetheless.

"I have seen a Soul Energy Master from western Europe who could materialize his Soul Energy in the mortal world and attack his opponent. However, even his energy lacked the depth and breadth as yours." Zhou Daoji shook his head and said: "But... what a pity! If you, my friend had already reached Immortal State, it would be you who would walk out of here alive."

"You are too full of yourself." Chen Fan said calmly.

Although Zhou Daoji had killed a Grandmaster thirty years ago, Chen Fan was convinced that it wouldn't be difficult for him to defeat him.

"I have dominated Hong Kong for thirty years. I would never challenge you, the number one Grandmaster on Heaven roll without any confidence in winning. Even if you have already reached Immortal State, I would still not be afraid of you." Zhou Daoji laughed and said: "However, I doubt you are. I haven't heard of any new Immortal State cultivator for fifty years."

"You will not be able to walk out of here alive as long as you are still below the Immortal State."

"Is that so?" Chen Fan cracked a smile and was unfazed.

He lifted his clean and unmarred palm and charged up his energy, summoning a few small whirlwinds to appear above his palm. Suddenly, these whirlwinds converged and formed a violent tornado with sharp edges. It spun like a top threatening to shred anything in its way into pieces.

"Haha, Chen Fan, you think too lightly of me."

Zhou Daoji laughed out loud as his long sleeves puffed up. Suddenly, the golden rays of sunlight changed direction and converged toward his body, granting the old man a godly halo.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 267: Nine Mountains of Jiu Long, Please Lend Me Your Powers

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Despite Zhou Daoji's disdain and putting Chen Fan down, he gave all he had in the first round of exchanges. He murmured something in this mouth and formed a Void Dimension Dharma Seal in a blink. Then, two dragons formed by deadly Malice Qi shot out from under his puffed sleeves.

Huang Wenze used to mention that Zhou Daoji was able to form a Dharma Array in under seven incantations and that ability had earned him the first place among Southern Sect's Arcane Finger branch. There and then, Zhou Daoji had formed a Dharma Array in just one incantation.

"Boom!"

The Malice Qi Dragon swept across the stage and stormed at Chen Fan. Zhou Daoji's hair flowed in the wind and his sleeves flapped. The two Malice Qi dragons twisted and braided their bodies together to form a thicker and more powerful Malice Qi. It lanced out at Chen Fan and the tip of its spinning top was pointing directly at Chen Fan's heart.

Faced before the belligerent and world-devouring Malice qi Dragon, Chen Fan remained calm.

The tornado in his hand seemed small in comparison with the dragon, however, it was formed by True Essence and was spinning at an incredible speed. The edge of the gyrating whirlwind was sharper than a blade, and as it sliced through the air, it created countless slivers of vacuum that quickly disappeared with a fantastic explosions of blue flames.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan gave the tornado a gentle push, sending the blue tornado flying across the air, tracing out a long tail in the air. As it whistled through the air, it rammed directly into the incoming Malice qi Dragon.

Despite its small size, the blue tornado buried itself into the belly of the dragon and came out from the other end without any reduction in speed. It was as sleek as a knife going through a piece of Tofu.

"Shit!"

Zhou Daoji's face suddenly darkened.

His array was formed using the Finger and Palm technique that gathered the Malice qi in between the Heaven and Earth. However, Chen Fan's technique was very different. Not only the tornado was much smaller, and hence the energy was more concentrated, the tornado was formed using Chen Fan's own True Essence. The Malice qi dragon's energy was too far spread out to counter the concentrated attack at one point and therefore was easily pierced through.

"Form!"

Zhou Daoji let go of the Malice qi Dragon and folded his hands before his chest. His finger moved with incredible speed until they turned into a blurry shadow. As he shifted through numerous Dharma Seals, a Yin Yang Dharma Array appeared before his chest. The array was fused with the Yang Energy of the nascent sun as well as the Yin Energy that connected to the core of the earth. The two powerful energies blended inside the Dharma Array and formed a pulse of energy that was shaped like a Yin Yang Fish. The Yin Yang Fish suddenly increased in size in a spinning motion and formed a Tai Chi diagram in the air.

"Bang!"

The tornado sizzling with blue energy smashed into the Yin Yang Dharma Array. This Yin Yang Dharma Array was supposed to be able to stop a bullet, however, it was only able to slow down the tornado slightly before it crumbled. That being said, the spell had given Zhou Daoji a few precious moments to react. He fished out a turtle shell and shot it into the air above his head. The Turtle shell didn't fall down, instead, it floated in the air while shooting a ray of yellow light onto Zhou Daoji.

When the tornado finally reached the yellow light, the light flickered but held itself in the end.

"My friend, you are really worthy of being at the top of the Heaven roll. No wonder Kunlun would consider you at the peak levels of Martial arts, Dharma Spells and Physical Refinement. I had initially thought that you are just a martial arts Grandmaster, and didn't expect you to have such a high level of attainment in dharma spells as well." Zhou Daoji exclaimed.

Although he had been extra cautious and tried to be as conservative as possible while estimating Chen Fan's power, he had still underestimated the boy's power. In the end, he was forced to use his protection Dharma Artifact just to escape Chen Fan's first attack.

He quickly registered that the tornado Chen Fan used was not a Martial Artist skill. Instead, it was an Air Element Spell with a twist of Thunder Element.

"If that is all you are capable of, you might as well concede defeat and let me kill you right now."

Chen Fan said indifferently.

He had only used a simple art called the Art of Explosive Qi, and had already forced Zhou Daoji to a corner. If the fight continued this way, Zhou Daoji would be defeated very soon.

Compared to Martial arts, the power of Dharmic Dao was much greater, but it also needed a much longer time to prepare. Therefore, when Chen Fan was fighting Lei Qianjue, Lei Qianjue had forsaken Dharmic Dao spells and focused on martial arts. Zhou Daoji, on the other hand, would be a perfect opponent for Chen Fan to peer into the secrets of Feng Shui and compare the power of Dharmic Dao on earth with that in the Immortal Cultivation world to see which one was more powerful.

That being said, Chen Fan already had the answer even before the fight.

"I am starting to regret my decision of challenging you" Zhou Daoji gave Chen Fan a wry smile. Suddenly, he locked his eyes onto Chen Fan's and said in a saddening tone: "You have killed my disciple and tried my honor. I couldn't just sit around and let you disgrace me and my dear disciple. If I don't avenge him, I will have wasted six decades of hard training."

As he said that, his hair was blown into the air and his eyes glinted an electrifying light. Sadness and sorrow were written all over his face as a wave of powerful energy loomed around him.

He had finally revealed his true colors as the deadly spellcaster feared by everyone in Hong Kong. The previous exchange was simply a warm-up, what was going to come next would be the real battle, and it was a battle of life and death.

"I have studied many schools of cultivation and added in a unique touch of Feng Shui arts to create the Arcane Feng Shui Art of the Zhou. I will show you its power in its full glory."

Zhou Daoji slowly extended two palms.

Despite his age, his skin was as smooth as that of a sixteen-year-old girl.

In the traditional Tantric Buddhism; a finger represented one of the cardinal directions of East, West, South, North, Up, Down, History, Present, Near and Far. Zhou Daoji's Dharma Spells were similar to the secret ars of Tantric Buddhism as well as that of ancient Witch Sect.

The Dharma Seal changed forms as he kept on the chanting words with primordial sounds. He had only chanted one incantation to summon the Malice Qi Dragon, but by now, he had already uttered more than a dozen incantations.

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan snorted and grasped something in the Void Dimension.

An explosion erupted in the Void Dimension as a large whirlwind appeared as if out of nowhere. This whirling tornado was at least one time larger than the last one and it spitting out countless sparks at the center which quickly turned into blue lightning which trained the entire tornado blue.

The Art of Explosive Qi was part of the Wood Element Dharma Spells with the addition of Air Element and the Thunder Element. Despite it being an entry-level spell, without the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Chen Fan would not be able to use it.

Chen Fan yanked an arm and threw the two deadly whirlwinds out. They spun like the metal spin wheels wielded by the legendary Dharma-rāja of Golden Wheels. The whirlwinds shot at Zhou Daoji with incredible speed. Zhou Daoji was convinced that if the two deadly whirlwinds so much as grazed his body, it would grind his flesh into a pulp. No protection Dharma Artifact would be able to protect him from such power.

However, Zhou Daoji was not concerned at all, instead, he cracked a smile.

"Finally!"

He folded his hands abruptly.

Nine Malice Qi Dragons suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Each dragon was a dozen meters in length. The twisty Malice qi was visible to the naked eye. They came down at Chen Fan from all sides, trapped him into a cage made out of Malice Qi. Two of the Malice Qi Dragons rammed into Chen Fan's whirlwind and the dragon crumbled immediately. However, it wasn't long before the Malice Qi converged together and regained its shape.

"The Art of Arcane Finger, Dragon Taming Dharma Seal."

This was Zhou Daoji's coup de grace, the Art of Dragon Taming.

He has used this exact same move to trap a Grandmaster and then killed him with one finger.

While Nin Tianchen executed the same art, he was only able to summon three-week chains that were shattered by Chen Fan with ease. However, while the art was used by Zhou Daoji, each and every chain was as hard as steel. They could hold an armored vehicle in place, much less Chen Fan's mortal coil.

Seeing Chen Fan was trapped, Zhou Daoji produced a short blade from behind.

This short blade was identical to Nin Tianchen's Blade of the Spring Immortal. It appeared that it was returned to its former owner after Nin Tianchen was killed. Zhou Daoji raised the blade with both hands and hacked. The red inscriptions on the blade glowed in the air as countless trickles of blood channeled into the Blade of the Spring Immortal. As the blade started to soak up the blood, it started to hum. Suddenly, a Blade Aura shot out from the tip of the glowing blade.

The Blade Auras possessed unprecedented power and as it shot through the air, it sliced open the two blue while winds and went straight for Chen Fan.

After Zhou Daoji executed this move, he seemed to have gained a few more wrinkles on his face and his eyes also dulled slightly.

Chen Fan finally realized why a Perfected Cultivator would look so wizened. The cause was the use of the Blade of the Spring Immortal. This blade was a ceremonial blade of the Ancient Witch Sect. Its power could only be awakened by drawing blood. That explains why Zhou Daoji had eventually given it away to his disciple instead of keeping it for himself. It was a powerful weapon, but also double-edged.

"Pathetic!"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and shot out both hands. Suddenly, an azure-colored hand sign formed before him.

The two azure-colored hands break the position that formed sign and grabbed hold of the Malice Qi Chains instead. With one forceful yank, the cage was open. The hands then blocked the Blade Qi, shattering the deadly Blade Qi in an instant.

"Yi Wood Connate Spirit Grand Qin Na Hand!"

This was a Divine power used mostly by Immortal Cultivators. If it was used by a Connate Cultivator, he could outright crack open a mountain. Although Chen Fan had not yet reached the Connate Spirit level, he was able to shatter the Dragon Taming Dharma Seal and the Blade of the Spring Immortal's Balde Qi with ease.

"Die, NOW!"

Chen Fan didn't want to waste any more time on his test subject; he had seen enough and it was time to send Zhou Daoji on his way/

In addition to the Divine powers, Hypersonic attack, the Qin Na Hand was his third most powerful technique and it was able to squash anything.

"Sigh"

The Blade of the Spring Immortal let out a sigh-like sound as its Blade Qi was shattered. A crack appeared on its body. The Blade of the Spring Immortal was a sentient weapon and like anything that has life energy, it could be injured by force.

Having exhausted his methods, and was still no match against Chen Fan, Zhou Daoji became uneasy and his troubled look made him look much older.

"Fine, fine... I had never thought that I would have to use this move. I thought I could keep this art a secret for the rest of my life." Zhou Daoji let out a wry smile as he looked up at the Turtle shell

The turtle shell was glowing with yellow light, suddenly, as if powerful energy had gone through it, it started to shiver.

"Old pal, thank you for being with me for so long."

Zhou Daoji said wistfully. His eyes were filled with regret and sadness.

"Kaboom!"

The turtle shell suddenly shattered into pieces, unleashing nine bright lights that shot into the nine peaks of the Jiu Long Mountain. Meanwhile, Zhou Daoji stomped the ground and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Nine Mountains, please lend me your powers!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 268: Who Won?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Nine Mountains of Jiu Long, please lend me your powers!"

When Zhou Daoji shouted out his spell, the mountain groaned. The spectators who gathered at the foothill felt the earth trembled like an earthquake. The source of the tremor was deep within the mountains.

"Was it an earthquake?"

Everyone looked at each other in shock. The development robbed the audience of the color on their faces and made their bodies tremble. If it really was an earthquake, they would all die from a landslide.

"It's not an earthquake, it's an array formation"

A white-haired old man with a youthful-looking face said seriously.

The rest of the audiences were taken aback by the remark.

Array formation?

Array formation and Dharma Arrays were two different things. Despite the Arcane Finger Branch's ability to form a Dharma Array using only hand signs, their ability was the same as that of an Immortal cultivators use of Talisman with inscriptions and that of Witch Dao cultivators use of Dharma Curses.

However, Array formations were an entirely different ball game. It relied heavily on the layout of the mountain range and its underlying flow of Yin Qi of the Malice Earth. The array formation could be as small as a room, or as big as an entire mountain.

The Array formation leveraged the Power of Heaven and Earth and therefore was much more powerful than any individual's power. The Immortal State cultivator had disappeared sixty years ago, and so did the Array formation. Even the Seven Malice Poison Array at the Medicine God Valley Sect was cast by the Great Magus of the Dark Witch Sect three hundred years ago.

"Where did this Array formation came from?"

Someone shouted out a question.

"I am afraid that Mr. Zhou had spent decades working on it." The white-haired old man said in surprise.

No one questioned his statement. Judging by the overbearing demeanor emanated from the old man, he must be a Perfected Cultivator. The energy around him was even more powerful than that of Zhang Ziru. It was evident that he had reached the Dharma Cultivation state for years. If he thought it was an Array formation, then it must be an array formation.

"Indeed. Just as Perfected Cultivator Soaring Cloud had stated, this is the Grand Array of Nine Dragons prepared by my teacher. To be more precise, it is not an Array formation, it is a Feng Shui Dharma Array." Zhang Ziru bowed slightly to the old man and said: "My teacher had been cultivating in the Jiu Long Mountain for thirty years. Within the thirty years, he walked every inch of the mountain. He cast a Feng Shui Dharma Array in the mountain wherever he saw fit and eventually linked all the nine peaks together using a Dharma Arraya to form a larger Dharma Array. It is as powerful as any Array formation."

"What a shame. After this use, the Dharma Array will no longer be effective. "

Zhang Ziru said disheartened.

The Grand Array of Nine Dragons was placed in such a way that it would slowly affect the Feng Shui of the Jiu Long Mountain to benefit the Zhou Family. It was meant to last a few generations, but Zhang Ziru's teacher had squandered it on his opponent. The thought of losing such a precious tool took the wind out of Zhang Ziru. Worse, he also knew that at the core of the array was a protection Dharma Artifact that had been carried by his teacher for sixty years. By now, it was linked to Zhou Daoji's life force. Therefore, if the Dharma Artifact was shattered, Zhou Daoji would also be gravely injured if not outright die.

"Junior Apprentice-Brother, our teacher has given all he has to avenge you. I hope you could rest in peace now."

Zhang Ziru murmured to himself.

Waves of Earth Qi rose from under the nine peaks. They appeared to be yellow lights that slowly rose up and converged toward the main peak of the Jiu Long Mountain. The nine rays of light stretched out for miles and looked like nine writhing dragons.

"Nine Dragon Spell Chain! Nine Dragon Spell Chain!"

"So this is Zhou Daoji's trump card."

Daoist Elder Soaring Cloud heaved a sigh and shook his head. His eyes were filled with respect. "He had used Feng Shui to channel the Dharmic powers to form an array and using the array as a basis for his spell. Bravo! Bravo! I am impressed!"

Everyone was shocked by the sight.

The nine lights lanced into the sky and could be seen from as far as the city's downtown area. It looked so fantastic that it made people believe for a second that it was no longer an Arcane Feng Shui Art, but the art of an Immortal.

Zhou Daoji had invoked the power that had been lost for decades. He could no longer be defeated by any mortal. However strong a mortal was, he was no match against the Power of Heaven and Earth. Zheng Zhongming and other members of the Zheng family finally saw a sliver of hope in winning their high stake bet.

Meanwhile, on the top of the mountain.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and watched as the nine yellow lights started to come at him. The glowing energy had been gathering strength inside the Dharma Array for decades by absorbing the Earth Qi inside the mountains. Once these energies were released, they quickly took on a physical form in the real world. Each energy was a few hundred meters in length and looked like yellow glowing mist. They were formed by Earth Qi and therefore was much heavier than they appeared to be.

Just like the Seven Malice Poison Array of the Misty Mountain Array, the array formation used the Malice qi and the Poisonous Mist under the earth. It worked on the same principle as Chen Fan's Misty Mountain Array which channeled the Water Qi from the Yan Gui Lake. The Array formation would not be so powerful if it didn't use any Power of Heaven and Earth.

However, Zhou Daoji was not a cultivator and therefore his array was crude and unrefined. Worse, his array could only be used once. Once the energy in the array was spent, Zhou Daoji would have to cast the array again and wait for another thirty years for it to recharge. Chen Fan's Misty Mountain Array was much more advanced. Not only could it be used multiple times, but it was also guarded by an Array Spirit that could kill any careless Grandmaster who trespassed into the array. The Array Spirit could even ward off the attack of an Immortal State cultivator.

"It's a pity that you didn't meet me half a year earlier, if you did, I might have to use my Divine powers to counter your Dharma Array."

Chen Fan linked his hand behind his back and heaved a sigh.

When he had to face the Seven Malice Poison Array, he had not yet reached Ethereal Enlightenment, therefore, he had to use one of his Divine powers: the Li Fire Golden Eyes to quell the Array formation. After that battle, Chen Fan had to recuperate a few months before he could use the Li Fire Golden Eyes again.

However, there and then, Chen Fan had not only reached Ethereal Enlightenment, but he had also gained the Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

Chen Fan had grown so powerful that not even the Misty Mountain Array could have harmed him, much less the Grand Array of Nine Dragons.

"Nine! Dragon! Spell! Chain!"

Zhou Daoji didn't care about Chen Fan's remark. He tightened his face and crossed both arms before his chest to form a Dharma Seal as he used all his power to channel and guide the Earth Qi energy. It wasn't long before his body started to tremble, and give off a series of popping noises. It was evident that the spell was overloading his body. However, Zhou Daoji didn't mind his crumbling body. Despite the blood that trickled down from the corner of his mouth, he locked his eyes on Chen Fan and slowly pressed his crossed arms against his chest.

The moment his arms touched his chest, the nine yellow lights suddenly came alive. They twisted and twirled in the air and formed a large tornado before they slammed down onto Chen Fan.

Before the whirling energy was anywhere near Chen Fan, he felt an overwhelming pile of energy bearing down on him.

The force pressed down on to anything beneath it, bending the trees so hard that the branches were touching the ground. The Earth Qi was extremely dense, and even though Zhou Daoji had only harnessed a tiny fraction of all the Earth Qi stored in the mountain, it was heavy enough to smash an armored tank.

"Chen Beixuan, give me all you have to counter my Array formation!" Zhou Daoji shouted abruptly.

Zhou Daoji's life ebbed away by each word he spoke. He spat out a wad of blood as the color drained from his face. His chest was already a bloody mush, but he didn't look sad, instead, his eyes were lit up with glee.

"Tianchen, our teacher is going to avenge your death. You can rest in peace now!"

Zhou Daoji believed that no one in the world, except for Immortal State cultivators would be able to escape the Grand Array of Nine Dragons. And he was convinced that Chen Fan was not an Immortal State cultivator.

He mustered all the remaining strength in him to open his eyes. He wanted to see Chen Fan being squashed into a pulp by the deadly Earth Qi. However, what he saw shocked him and would forever remain in his mind.

He watched as azure-colored energy lanced up into the sky and pierced into the yellow whirling Earth Qi.

Among the azure-colored energy, he saw a man; a man who looked like Chen Fan, but more like a god.

"Kaboom!"

An explosion that was as powerful as a few dozen tons of TNT erupted at the top of the mountain, sending out a shock wave that swept through the Jiu Long District. Many people in downtown Hong Kong had heard the noise and they paused their commuting and looked to the Jiu Long Mountain.

"What's going on? Is there an explosion in the Jiu Long Mountain?"

"Maybe they are blasting the rocks. No way! Jiu Long Mountain was a tourist attraction, who would be so stupid as to open a quarry there?"

"Could it be the Bodhisattva?"

The citizens of Hong Kong murmured to each other in confusion.

The loud blast was not the first strange development of the day that came from the Jiu Long Mountain. There had been sightings of yellow rainbows and then a ray of Azure-colored light. The explosion came quickly after the sighting of the azure light.

Most citizens far from the mountain were only curious and would forget about the strange sight and sound by lunchtime.

However, to the people who arrived at the mountain, they knew that a fight of the century was happening at the top. Its results would affect the course of Hong Kong's Feng Shui and Chinese Esotericism development for decades to come.

Which was stronger? Dharma Spells or Martial arts?

Chen Fan was well known as the most powerful Martial arts Grandmaster in the world. Everyone had heard of his killing of three Grandmasters. Zhou Daoji hasn't been fighting for thirty years and no one was certain if he still had it. Therefore, more people initially believed Chen Fan would win the match than those who believed in Zhou Daoji's victory. However, after Zhou Daoji unleashed the Nine Dragan Chain Spell, everyone thought that the old man was going to win. He had evoked the power of Heaven and Earth, and therefore no mortal would be able to defeat him.

"My teacher has finally done it!"

Zhou Daoji's disciples were elated by the sight. Many spellcasters also cracked a relieving smile. Most spellcasters were supporters of Zhou Daoji.

"Even an Immortal State cultivator would have to fear Master Zhou's Array formation!"

"Chen Beixuan is not an immortal state cultivator, I am sure of it. He won't survive the Power of Heaven and Earth using his mortal coil."

"Just so! As we had expected, the Dao Spells are much more powerful than Martial arts!"

"Grandpa, we did it!"

Anqi looked to Zheng Zhongming and shouted gleefully.

Zheng Zhongming heaved a sigh of relief. Even as he was about to nod his agreement, he noticed the panicked expression on Zhang Ziru. He turned around and looked at the stone path that leads to the mountain top, and he saw a man slowly making his way down with his hands linked in his back.

The man was in a black outfit, with a flowy long black hair. He looked as statuesque as a god.

He was Chen Fan!

Suddenly, the crowded foothill became deadly silent.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 269: The Fall of the Zheng Family

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Chen Fan?"

Everyone looked to the black-haired young man strolling down the path with surprise in their eyes. No one could believe that even after Zhou Daoji unleashed the Art of Nine Dragon Spell Chain, Chen Fan could still emerge victoriously.

"Chen Beixuan, where is my master?"

Zhang Ziru asked with a contorted face. He didn't care to address Chen Fan properly and called out his full name.

"Huh?"

Chen Fan tilted his head slightly and snorted. Suddenly, two azure-colored lights burst from his eyes and shot at Zhang Ziru with a crackling sound. It was his Divine Will.

Zhang Ziru was suddenly dealt a blow. He stumbled and was nearly knocked to the ground.

Although he was Perfected Cultivator of Dharma Cultivation level, his soul energy was a far cry from that of Zhou Daoji and Lei Qianjue. He was immediately gravely injured after he sustained one strike from Chen Fan's Divine Will.

Chen Fan had completed the Soul Refining Art and therefore, he was able to project his Divine Will outward over a hundred meters. Although he was not able to form it into physical shape in the real world, the Devotion Energy he had obtained from the golden figurine had helped him to project his divine will as far as a few kilometers. If Chen Fan really wanted, he could have covered the entire Hong Kong island under his Divine Will. Such unimaginable amount of energy would overload any mortal's system. Zhang Ziru survived the attack only because he was a Perfected Cultivator.

Many other spellcasters were stunned after seeing the development.

Zhang Ziru was Zhou Daoji's disciple, a Perfected Cultivator. However, Chen Fan's deadly stare had already injured him. Does that mean Chen Fan could have killed anyone of them just by thinking about it?

Perfected Cultivator Soaring Cloud heaved a sigh and then charged up his energy before he walked over to Chen Fan and bowed.

"Grandmaster Chen, Ziru is Brother Zhou's disciple and cares about his master. Please forgive his insolence."

The azure light in Chen Fan's eyes dissipated and revealed his indifferent eyes. He linked his hands behind his back and said: "Zhou Daoji is dead."

Hearing the news, Zhang Ziru finally collapsed to the ground and broke into tears. Zhou Daoji had treated him like a son and had shown him the ropes and guided him with love and care. The news of Zhou Daoji's death took the wind out of his sails, and robbed his mind of all thoughts, leaving only sadness.

The other surrounding people also fell silent.

Zhou Daoji had used the Array formation to cast the Nine Dragon Spell Chain, he should have an edge over Chen Fan. How did he die? Despite the questions in everyone's mind, no one spoke a word. The battle of Dharma powers was a battle of life and death. There could only be one combatant coming down from the peak of the mountain alive, and it was not Zhou Daoji.

Little did everyone know that Zhou Daoji was not killed by Chen Fan. He had given all he had in summoning the Earth Qi to cast the Array formation, and one careless misstep and made him suffer from serious blowBack effect of the energy he had summoned. Before Chen Fan could strike back, the old man had already overloaded his system and died. That being said, Chen Fan knew that no one was going to believe it if he told people the true story. He would forever be remembered as the murder of Zhou Daoji, but Chen Fan didn't mind.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and suddenly, a powerful and overbearing power shot out from his body and swept down the steps to the other spellcasters.

Daoist Soaring Cloud, Zhang Ziru, Huang Wenze, and many other powerful Feng Shui masters and spellcasters lowered their heads as the powerful energy swept past them.

Some stubborn spellcasters didn't lower their head and still locked their indignant gazes with Chen Fan. The azure light came up in Chen Fan's eyes again and the few spellcasters who still defied Chen Fan's dominance collapsed to the ground. Even Zhang Ziru couldn't handle his Divine Will, much less a few ordinary spellcasters.

In the end, everyone lowered their heads before Chen Fan as they capitulated to his power.

"Zheng Zhongming."

When Chen Fan's gaze landed on the Zheng family, Old Man Zheng shivered and let out a wry smile. "Fine, fine... I have been gambling for my entire life and never lost one. Who would have thought that I would lose the very last gamble in my life?"

The other family members, including Zheng Haochang all trembling uncontrollably.

Zheng Anqi felt a pang of despair, as her heart sank to the bottom.

They had never thought that Chen Fan would be the winner in the end. If even Zhou Daoji who possessed godly power had failed to subjugate Chen Fan, who else could do that?

"Mr. Chen, I have lost the bet. I only hope you would show mercy and take only my life and spare the rest of my family." Zheng Zhongming leaned on his walking cane and rose to his feet slowly.

"Dad!" Zheng Haochang and the others were so saddened by the development that their words caught in their throat.

Zheng Zhongming didn't mind the wordless pleading of his children. He ordered Cui Qinhe to hand over a document to Chen Fan.

"This is my will. I will give you 30% of Zheng's Financial Group to exchange for the lives of my family." Zheng Zhongming coughed and then said slowly.

Old Man Zheng had been preparing for the worst from the very beginning.

It would be wonderful for the Zheng family if Chen Fan lost the battle. However, if Chen Fan was victorious, he would give up the Zheng's Financial Group in exchange for the lives of his family.

The Zheng's Financial Group was worth over a few dozen billion and the Zheng family owned just over 50% of it. The rest of the shares were in the hands of smaller investors. 30% of the shares were worth twenty to thirty billion on the market; it was much more than the ten billion Chen Fan had initially asked for.

That being said, losing that much stake in the company would be a devastating blow to the Zheng family. That also meant that Chen Fan would become the biggest shareholder of the Zheng's Financial Group. From then on, the Zheng family would be thrown out of the top ten richest list of Hong Kong.

Despite the sorrow and sadness in everyone's heart, no one spoke a word. After all, they valued their lives more than half of their family assets on any given day.

"That's not enough."

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan refused.

Zheng Zhongming didn't seem to be surprised by Chen Fan's answer. He let out an ugly grin and then asked: "So, you are not going to let any of us live?"

The other people looked to Chen Fan with fear. Although the stakes of the bet were set in place before many witnesses, when the moment of life and death really came, no one could easily come to terms with the outcome in which all the members of the mighty Zheng family were going to perish.

Chen Fan took a step forward and said: "I, Chen Beixuan have killed many people in my life, but none of them were innocent."

"Zheng Anqi had prolonged your life using my medicine; that was a debt you and Zheng Anqi owed me. It had nothing to do with anyone else in the family."

Chen Fan raised his hand and grabbed hold of Zheng Zhongming's collar.

"Your life belongs to me, and I am taking it back now."

After he had said that, life suddenly ebbed away from Zheng Zhongming's face. In a blink, his legs gave in and he collapsed into the chair, body trembling lifelessly. His skin became wrinkled and blotchy and other than the faint wince, he could not form a word. After a while, he finally closed his eyes and stopped breathing.

A tycoon of Hong Kong was dead after Chen Fan had taken his life away.

After that, Chen Fan turned around to Zheng Anqi and met the girl's terrified stare. He folded his hands and formed an array.

"You shouldn't have lied to me. Today, I am going to take fifty years of your life as a punishment."

As a gust of energy blew through Zheng Anqi's flowy dress, her dark silky hair turned grey and white. Her tender and porcelain-like face quickly lost its youthful appearance as wrinkles started to crawl all over it. Her statuesque body shriveled until her back was bent forward. In a blink, she had transformed it a coughing, white-haired crone.

In disbelief of what she had become, she let out a terrified shriek. She covered her face and stumbled down the path. Everyone watched the development with fear and sadness. It was crueler to turn an attractive young girl into an ugly hag than outright killing her.

After a while, Chen Fan turned to face the other members of the Zheng family.

"Zheng family owes me ten billion, and attacked me, hoping to get away with the debt. Now I am going to claim all the family assets of the Zheng family. Do you think its fair?"

No one protested Chen Fan's decision no matter how indignant they felt. Chen Fan had killed Zhou Daoji, so he had the ability to slaughter the entire Zheng family if he wanted to. Not even the Hong Kong government would say a thing about his mass slaughter since Chen Fan was simply fulfilling the terms of the bet. In the end, Zheng Haochang nodded his consent on behalf of the family with tears in his eyes.

All the other spectators were shocked by the development.

Chen Fan had toppled the Zheng family with three deadly blows.

Zheng Zhongming got to prolong his life using Chen Fan's elixirs, so Chen Fan simply "reclaimed" his life.

Zheng Anqi prided herself on her beauty and youth. Chen Fan had taken fifty years of her life, having her take the bitterness of aging.

The other members of the Zheng family were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and never had to live a day of hardship. Chen Fan had taken away their fortune and turn them into ordinary citizens.

After everyone had understood Chen Fan's methods, they were terrified by Chen Fan's viciousness and cruelness. Instead of killing them, Chen Fan simply took away the things they loved the most and made them feel that even death was sweeter. Such as it was, Chen Fan had punished the Zheng family without killing all of them.

The Zheng family eventually signed the document of transferring the ownership of the company to Chen Fan. Chen Fan gave them three days to move out of their mansions. He was not at all worried that some members of the family would ignore him, he was looking for some target practice for his new arts anyways.

The development shocked everyone in Hong Kong. From then on, there would be no more Zheng family. The foundation of the Zheng family's power was their wealth, without it, they were just ordinary people.

After Chen Fan signed the document, he looked to the spellcasters.

Zhou Daoji and Huang Wenze were terrified by Chen Fan's gaze. They wondered if Chen Fan was going to punish everyone related to Zhou Daoji as well. Zhang Ziru cranked up his energy and was ready to battle.

To his surprise, Chen Fan said calmly to them: "I came to Hong Kong not only to collect my debt but also to gather material for my array formation. If you have any material that you think would be useful for me, I would exchange them with supreme-grade elixirs, martial arts techniques, or even the method of casting an array formation."

By now, the Jiu Long Mountain was packed with spellcasters, Feng Shui masters and scholars of Chinese Esotericism. If Chen Fan had made the same announcement before the fight, these masters would simply brush Chen Fan off and tell him this.

"Who the hell are you? Why would we exchange items with you?"

However, Everyone was stunned by his power and skills after watching him killing Zhou Daoji and toppled the Zheng family. The spell he used to take youth out of Zheng Anqi spoke loudly of Chen Fan's power. There was no doubt that he was a Transcendent State Grandmaster as well as a mighty Spellcaster.

The crowd boiled over after hearing Chen Fan's words. Chen Fan must have possessed some incredible martial arts techniques or elixirs to help him achieve such a high level of attainment at a young age. These spellcasters would be more than satisfied if they could so much as catch a glimpse of his secret arts. They were not Chen Fan's enemy and would be more than happy to befriend this young Grandmaster through business.

"Cast Array formations? Are you planning to cast an Array formation somewhere? And you said you can teach us to do the same?"

Someone exclaimed as Chen Fan's words finally set in.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 270: The Excited Spellcasting Community

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The most powerful art was neither the Thunder Art of the Heavenly Master Sect, nor wasit the Elixir Brewing art from the Medicine God Valley Sect or the Ghost Reining art of the Ghost Witch Sect.

It was the art of casting Array Formations.

Array formations could tap in the source of energy inside of mountains or rivers to support itself. Since it was connected to the Power of Heaven and Earth, it was much more powerful than any individual. Legend has it that the brilliant strategist Kongmin of Shu Kingdom had stopped a hundred thousand strong army of Wu nation using an Array Formation during the three kingdom period. Although the effect of the array could have been exaggerated later by fictional portrayal, it was still a gleaming example of the Array formation's power.

the Dao cultivators cultivated the Heavenly Dao. The higher their level of attainment, the closer they were to become one with nature. There was nothing in the world that could be more effective in utilizing the Power of Heaven and Earth. It was a pity that the art of casting Array Formations had disappeared in the mortal world, and by now, only a few remnants of the Array formations remained in deserted temples of a bygone age.

The Feng Shui Dharma Array was inspired by the Art of Array Formation

Feng Shui Spellcasters could use the geomantic compass, Feng Shui Dharma Artifact to cast a Dharma Array over a structure based on the position of the structure in relation to the surrounding environment. These array formations could be used to bring fortune or ward off evil spirits. However, these were of the most simple category of Array Formations. A good example of the real Array formation was the Seven Malice Poison Array from the Medicine God Valley Sect or the Grand Array of Nine Dragons cast by Zhou Daoji.

These Array Formations mostly used the Poison Mist or the Malice Qi from under the ground, therefore, they could even destroy an Immortal State Cultivator much less a mortal. The promise of learning to cast such art was too tempting for the spellcasters to pass up the opportunity.

Therefore, everyone was shocked when Chen Fan announced that he was going to teach everyone the art of Array formations.

"You heard me right. As long as you can bring me useful materials that I think are worth my effort, I wouldn't mind teaching you the art of Array formation." Chen Fan said calmly.

Array formation was an extremely advanced art that was unreachable for most cultivators on earth. However, it was a part of the foundation of cultivation for the Immortal Cultivators such as Chen Fan. It was used practically everywhere, from the small-sized Spirit Gathering Array to the mid-sized Mountain Defensive Array, and the large-scaled Grand Array of Starry Sky. Chen Fan didn't mind allowing them to catch a glimpse of such a mundane art. Even if they learned the art, they could at best cast arrays on par with the Seven Malice Poison Array and the Grand Array of Nine Dragons which could be easily countered by Chen Fan.

Nonetheless, Chen Fan's announcement had stirred up even the more powerful spectators such as the Perfected Cultivator Soaring Cloud. He praised.

"Bravo, bravo!"

"Master Chen's generosity really makes him stand out as the most powerful Grandmaster the world had ever seen."

After Chen Fan was gone, the crowd close to the mountain peak finally dispersed. However, the real impact of the battle had just started to be felt by the world.

To most Hong Kong people, the death of Zhou Daoji was nothing. However popular and famous he was, he only rubbed his shoulders with the rich and the powerful. That being said, the death of Zhou Daoji was shocking news to the elite class of Hong Kong as well as the Chinese Esotericism society.

Zhou Daoji had dominated Hong Kong for over a decade and his influence had been extended far and wide into nearly every facet of Hong Kong society. He was friends with all the top ten wealthiest men in Hong Kong as well as all the Governors. He had also accumulated incredible fortune which his children would not inherit.

Everyone in the Chinese Esotericism community fell into disbelief.

Only the elite spellcasters were able to make it near enough to the battle, and most of the spellcasters were in the conference venue when they heard the shocking news.

"Zhou Daoji is dead? How is that possible?"

"It's true. My master saw it happen with his own eyes. They have already located the old man's body."

"So even Zhou Daoji could not bring down Chen Beixuan? Does that mean that from now on, the Martial Artist community is going to look down on us?"

Many people lamented vehemently.

Zhou Daoji was the most powerful spellcaster in the Southern Sect, he had dominated the cultivation world in southern China for years. Therefore, it was understandable that a lot of people were having a hard time coming to terms with his death.

Their shock and disbelief were exacerbated after they have heard that he had even used the Grand Array of Nine Dragons which he had been hiding for thirty years, but his desperate attempt was to no avail, Even the Earth Qi he had summoned from the nine peaks of Jiu Long Mountain was shattered by Chen Beixuan.

The further one went on their journey of cultivation, the more they feared the Power of Heaven and Earth. To summon and control the Power of Heaven and Earth was no simple feat. However, if even that was not able to defeat Chen Fan, they spellcasters were at a loss as to what would.

"I have heard that Chen Beixuan was not only a powerful Martial artist but also a Perfected Cultivator."

"Indeed. He also announced that he would teach the art of Array formation to whoever brings him a satisfactory array-building material."

"I have heard that too. Rumor had it that a few Perfected Cultivators had already sent him invitations to join the Chinese Esotericism conference to offer some tips about cultivation."

The drift of the conversation subtly changed from that of opposing Chen Fan to adoring and praising his handsome appearance and skills. After hearing that Chen Fan was an incredibly good looking young man, many female spellcaster's eyes turned into hearts immediately.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was finishing up the paperwork to take over the Zheng family's assets.

The Zheng family was one of the top ten wealthiest families. During its heyday of the Zheng's Financial Group, it was worth over a few hundred billion on the market. Although that number had shrunk quite a bit, it was still worth over a few dozen billion. Changing hands of such a giant entity was a significant event that affected many people.

Under normal circumstances, the death of Old Man Zheng would quickly escalate into a war for heirlooms between brothers and sisters. Lawsuits would have been filed, and insults hurled. However, there and then no one in the Zheng family was in the mood of fighting with each other. They simply stayed home and looked at the luxury houses with sorrow and sadness.

Chen Fan didn't kill them, but he had taken their wealth. It was worse than outright killing him.

"Get out now! This mansion belonged to Master Chen now."

A group of brawny young men stormed into the mansion and shouted at Zheng Haomin and his family.

Zheng Zhongming was Zheng Zhongming's third son, the CEO of Zheng's Financial Group. He was a man of great prestige and never had he ever experienced such insult in his life.

His son Zheng Anyuan jumped out of his seat and shouted back: "Who the hell are you? Why are you in my house? Security? Where is Security? Throw them out!"

"Humph! Do you still think you are the Young Lord of Zheng family?" The leader of the group was a large man with an angry tattoo on his arm depicting a tiger. "Everything belonging to you and your family are now the possessions of Mr. Chen. Look at the paper yourself. Here is the signature of witnesses. They are officials in the government. What do you say now?"

"But... But..." Zheng Anyuan was suddenly at a loss for words.

Although he hadn't seen the battle in person, he has heard the devastating news from his father.

Zheng Anyuan had thought that the transaction of the property wouldn't happen for a few years since it would have to go through all kinds of red tape in the government. However, to his surprise, it only took a day for the debt collectors to show up at their doorstep.

"That's enough!" Zheng Haomin slammed the table and flung at the young men. "We are down on our luck, but that doesn't mean we have to let you punks step on our toes!"

As the CEO of a powerful company, the group of haughty young man's attitude didn't sit well with him. Then he saw another group of men walking into the house. Zheng Haomin suddenly furrowed his brows as he noticed the leader of the second group. He rose to feet and called out:

"Master Qiu?"

Zheng Haomin had recognized that this man was one of the top ten Spellcasters in Hong Kong and his name is Qiu Yulin. Although he was not as powerful as Zhou Daoji, Qiu Yulin was a peak Dao-Reaching Level cultivator and was a frequent guest of the rich and the powerful households. Zheng Haomin was taken aback by his visit.

"Compared to Master Chen, I am not early as worthy of the title 'master'." Qiu Yulin waved a hand and said: "From today on, everything in this house belongs to Master Chen. Third Lord, please leave the area with your family right now before someone gets hurt."

Zheng Haomin's face darkened.

He had never thought that Qiu Yulin was hired by Chen Fan to collect his debt. Most Zheng family members were convinced that it would take at least a few months to half a year before Chen Fan could even start to slowly take over the tremendous wealth of the Zheng family. Little did they know that Chen Fan was well prepared and had hired Hong Kong spellcasters to work for him as debt collectors.

It was a brilliant move. Qiu Yulin and the other spellcasters were a powerful local force and had a connection with all departments in the Hong Kong government. No one could have short them even a penny and resistance was futile since they were all deadly spellcasters.

With that thought in mind, Zheng Haomin's face turned pale and finally left the room reluctantly with his family.

This scene played out not only in the house of Zheng Haomin but also in his brother's house.

Chen Fan's promise of teaching them the art of array formation was too tempting for these spellcasters to resist. Plus, his display of power and the overbearing demeanor had invited much admiration among spellcasters. One of his biggest fans was Master Qiu.

Not all acquisitions of the Zheng family's property went smoothly and some Zheng family members resisted. However, they were just ordinary people and were no match against deadly cultivators. Some had their legs cut off and some lost their ears. These people used to be the prince and princesses of the Zheng family, but not anymore. They were nothing but a group of useless and defenseless hobos.

The Zheng family's property and the Zheng's Financial Group changed its owner very swiftly.

What happened to the Zheng family was quickly heard all over Hong Kong and stirred up people's interest. Although the public was indifferent to Zhou Daoji's death, the fall of the Zheng family had grabbed their attention. The entire story sounded like an urban legend.

"Zheng Zhongming died of cardiovascular disease."

"The Internationally acclaimed model, Zheng Anqi had fallen ill from a strange disease that made her look forty years older."

"Zheng's Financial Group had changed hands. The new owner remained a mystery. Zheng family is piling on debt and forced from their homes."

Numerous newspapers from Hong Kong reported the news and the event happened to the Zheng family quickly became one of the most-watched news on Tv aside from celebrity gossip. The sudden collapse of the Zheng family had invited many people to have their imagination run wild.

Who was the mysterious tycoon that had toppled the powerful family? What does he look like?

He had acquired over a few dozen billion yuan worth of assets and was in direct control of the Zheng's Financial Group. That would make him a member of the Forbes Rich List, and one of the richest young men in Hong Kong.

Despite the fervent interest in the topic, most elite families of Hong Kong became increasingly fearful of Chen Beixuan's power. He could topple the Zheng family with ease and not even the governor's personal intervention in the matter could save them. No one in their right mind in Hong Kong would ever think of messing with Chen Beixuan again.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had returned to the Hilton Hotel and the National Holiday was about to end.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 271: Banquet Party on the Cruise Ship

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Hilton Hotel resided on the eastern side of the city. A larger limousine swimming across traffic like a large sleek blackfish pulled to a stop before the hotel. A door boy hurried to open the back seat door and a refined-looking young man in a white outfit emerged.

"He must be an heir of some rich family." The doorman thought to himself.

"Mr. Chen, do you want us to follow you?" Two men stood beside the young man, both looking serious and stately. One of them was wearing round-shaped glasses. They were Cui Qinhe and Mr. Shi.

Although Chen Fan had kicked all the Zheng family members out of their houses, he had treated their former employees very well. After all, it was these former employees who had kept the company going. Although Chen Fan was the enemy of the Zheng family, none of the Zheng family's employees felt that way. They simply had a change of bosses.

Mr. Shi and Cui Qinhe felt honored to work for the most powerful Grandmaster in China. If Chen Fan was in a good mood and showed them a thing or two about his skill, their cultivation would improve significantly.

"There is no need. You may leave now." Chen Fan ordered.

"Yes."

Mr. Shi and Cui Qinhe both bowed slightly and returned to the car.

As soon as Qiu Yilun saw Chen Fan, he complained: "Boss, where have you been? We have been waiting for you in the hotel for days! We agreed to stick together once we got here, didn't we?"

Liu Xiaojin and Qian Lulu also complained to Chen Fan. Zhou Qinya looked upset and the most indignant. She was convinced that Chen Fan had left the group because he didn't want to share a room with her.

"It's all my fault. I will spend more time with you guys tonight." Chen Fan surrendered immediately and gave everyone a wry smile.

If Mr. Shi saw his reaction right now, he might fall into utter disbelief. Why did a Grandmaster listed on the Heaven Roll have to apologize to a bunch of teenagers?

Little did Mr. Shi know that Chen Fan was a Curmudgeon who had been alive for over five hundred years and had experienced nearly anything in the world there was for him to experience. He knew that he had nothing to hide before his old friends and therefore, he would lower his guard and act like a normal person. Qiu Yilun and Qi Wangsun were both his best friends in his past life. They had spent over four years together, sharing the same room. Even Immortal Cultivators were mortals once and therefore enjoyed company as much as a mortal would.

Chen Fan had apologized many times before Qiu Yilun finally dropped the matter.

Everyone gathered in Qiu Yilun's room, discussing where to go to spend the last day of the national holiday.

"Qiu Yilun got a few tickets to a fancy banquet from his friends. We should go there tonight." Qian Lulu suggested.

"What's so fun about this Banquet?" Zhou Qinya yawned.

Her parents' wealth was worth over a hundred million, even her allowance was enough to buy her a BMW mini. As a frequent guest of expensive banquets, she was already sick of them.

"This banquet was different. It was on a luxury cruise. The ship would cruise around the Victoria Bay so that we could enjoy our meal while looking at the splendid view of the bay. There will also be exquisite food and shows to watch on the cruise." Qian Lulu said longingly.

"Indeed. I have heard from one of my friends that this party was thrown by one of the richest heirs in Hong Kong. Many actors and actresses are going to attend as well." Qiu Yilun nodded.

His announcement caught everyone's attention.

Movie stars were a rare sight for most ordinary people.

"Wow, you are so awesome Yilun. How do you know someone so powerful in Hong Kong?"

Liu Xiaojin exclaimed with admiration. Even Zhou Qinya was impressed and gave Qiu Yilun an approving glance.

Qiu Yilun cracked a smug smile.

He was bad at almost everything but has a knack for looking for somewhere fun to go. Regardless of where he was, he could always find a friend or two who could lead him to a fun venue.

The promise of seeing a celebrity was too tempting for girls to pass up the opportunity. Therefore they turned down the other two suggestions— street food at Causeway Bay and Science museum at the Hong Kong Technology University—and decided to go to the party on the cruise ship.

In order to match the party's dress code, Qiu Yilun drove everyone to the downtown shopping district. Hong Kong's downtown shopping district was well known for its comprehensive luxury brands.

Qiu Yilun walked into a Chanel outlet with Qian Lulu in his arms. Qian Lulu's face was lit up with excitement, she knew her boyfriend was going to spoil her today. Qi Wangsun quietly browsed a few shops with Liu Xiaojin in tow and finally entered a Parada outlet.

In the end, Chen Fan and Zhou Qinya were walking by themselves.

"Do you need help? You can't wear a hoodie to a party you know." After a long silence, Zhou Qinya finally broke the awkward spell.

"Sure." Chen Fan shrugged and said indifferently.

Zhou Qinya knew Chen Fan was rich after seeing him buy the Dharma Artifact for thirty million. She knew Chen Fan could afford to splurge so she led him straight into an Armani outlet.

"Sir, Madam, what can I help you?"

"We are going to a banquet party and we are looking for formal party dress." Zhou Qinya said.

"Ok, please come this way." The retailers were used to customers such as Chen Fan. However, the other customers in the shop were taken aback by the odd couple: one was a drop-dead gorgeous the other an ordinary-looking college student.

"The changing room is there."

Zhou Qinya had a wealthy upbringing and therefore was good at picking out clothing that were appropriate for the occasion. She handed the outfit to Chen Fan and asked him to try it on. Chen Fan couldn't care less about what other people thought of him. To him, all the people around him were simply ants. However, in order to get the full experience as an ordinary mortal, Chen Fan had to oblige.

He entered the changing room and changed his outfit with a snap of a finger.

Then he was impressed. He admitted that Zhou Qinya had a very good taste in terms of clothing. With the outfit she picked out for Chen Fan, he no longer looked like a fledgling who had just entered university, instead, he looked like a mature and confident rich heir.

"So you are going to the party at Swan Princess as well? What a small world!"

As soon as Chen Fan walked out of the changing room, he saw a young man talking to Zhou Qinya. Despite the smile on Zhou Qinya's face, it was obvious that she was annoyed by the young man's small talk. She saw Chen Fan emerged out of the change room and said: "Oh, my boyfriend is done."

Then she came up to Chen Fan and put her arm through the hole by Chen Fan's elbow and looked as joyful as ever.

The young man was taken aback by the development but managed to maintain his gentlemen's courtesy. He extended an arm to Chen Fan.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Lu Zhengyu. Your girlfriend told me that you two are going to the party at the Swan Princess as well? Why don't we go together? I am a local Hong Konger and know a few friends there. I could introduce them to you at the party. It would be more fun than hanging out by yourself."

So saying, he seemingly inadvertently showed Chen Fan the Patek Philippe on his wrist.

Chen Fan grumbled a consent and then shook his hand.

Seeing there was nothing on Chen Fan's wrist, a hint of disdain flickered in Lu Zhengyu's eyes. However, he managed to hide his contempt under his fake smile and started to introduce the history of the Swan Princess Cruise ship to the couple.

Slowly, the topic of the conversation drifted to the young man himself. He claimed to be the heir of a large family in Hong Kong that opened three publicly-traded firms. He was working as a CEO in many large corporations. He also owned a luxury mansion in Repulse Bay that was worth over a few hundred million, blablabla.

"They are not only going to have many already famous celebrities at the party, but also many new rising stars such as Yun Qianqian. This party was hosted by Young Lord Nie of the Hua Yi Entertainment. I know him pretty well, so I will introduce you to him."

Lu Zhengyu said proudly and then he gave Zhou Qinya a glace.

The moment he saw Zhou Qinya, Lu Zhengyu knew that this aloof hottie has an opportunistic spirit. She would latch onto any opportunity that could make her famous.

"I can't pass up such a hottie!" Lu Zhengyu thought to himself.

Lu Zhengyu couldn't care less about the boy and neither did he think Chen Fan would pose any threat to him. Soon, they met up with the group. Even Qiu Yilun was impressed by Lu Zhengyu's family background and demeanor. After all, Qiu Yilun was only an ordinary heir of a wealthy family in a small town, while Lu Zhengyu was a member of the super-rich in the Metropolis.

"Too bad, Zheng Anqi won't be at the party. I really liked her style."

Zhou Qinya lamented after knowing the list of guests attending the party.

Although Zheng Anqi was born into a powerful family, she had made her own career as a supermodel and a fashion designer without the family's help. She was Zhou Qinya's number one idol.

"Miss. Zhou, didn't you hear the news? Zheng Anqi had gotten a strange sickness and had become as ugly as a crone. The entire Zheng family is in knee-deep debt now and were all kicked out of their houses. Even the Zheng's Financial Group has changed ownership. The new owner is a mysterious young man. The Zheng family is history now." Lu Zhengyu said with a smirk.

"What?"

Everyone was shocked by the announcement.

They had been focusing on their trip and paid little to no attention to the news.

"I remembered that the Zheng family was a renowned household in Hong Kong and owned over a few hundred billion assets. Whoever took over the family wealth must be super-rich now." Qiu Yilun exclaimed.

"Just so! His wealth must rank at least within the top thirty among all the Chinese communities." Lu Zhengyu cracked a faint smile and then said mysteriously. "I am actually a friend of this young man. I could introduce you guys to him."

"Really?"

Qiu Yilun and the other's faces were lit up with joy. Even Zhou Qinya seemed to be interested.

Most tycoons they had met were billionaires. These billionaires might be a big deal in Jinlin City or Lin City. However, they were ordinary rich men when compared to all the businessmen in China. That young man, on the other hand, owned hundreds of billions and could be on the list of Forbes Rich List. Those local tycoons simply couldn't compare.

"Of course!" Lu Zhengyu said proudly.

Chen Fan was amused by the conversation. He wondered how this show was going to end.

It was evident that Lu Zhengyu had made up most of his family wealth. It was questionable that he knew Young Lord Nie. However, Lu Zhengyu's demeanor and pretty words had beguiled Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 272: Meeting Yu Qianqian Again

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When it was nightfall, everyone drove toward the marina where the cruise was docked. Lu Zhengyu drove a silver Maserati with a sleek profile, befitting its title as the queen of sports cars.

The Swan Princess was a large luxury cruise ship with a ship weight of over fifty thousand tons. It can hold up to 2000 people at the same time. There were over 99 sauna spas and over ten cafeterias that served food from all over the world. On its deck was a meticulously cultivated garden of about 450 square feet in size. Beside it was a large swimming pool and a few Imax sized screens. At the center of the ship was a large ballroom that took up over 5500 square feet, the largest ballroom on a cruise ship in East Asia. Many important banquets were booked here inside the Swan Princess.

Everyone was stunned by the opulence on the luxury cruise ship. Even though Qiu Yilun and Zhou Qinya were both from wealthy families, they had never seen such an extravagant cruise ship. The cost of this ship would be worth the combined wealth of both of their parents.

"Follow me, I will take you guys to the banquet hall."

Pride and arrogance flashed in Lu Zhengyu's eyes as he led the way toward the banquet hall.

As they walked along the deck, they noticed that despite it being fall, there were many girls wearing bikinis in the swimming pool. All al them had attractive faces, hot and fit bodies. Some of them were as pretty as Zhou Qinya.

"These are fresh meat for the modeling agency. Feel free to talk to them. If you can get them a ticket into the Banquet, they would let you do whatever you want." Lu Zhengyu said as if he had done that many times. "I mean WHATEVER you want."

This banquet was hosted by the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment, and it wasn't open to the public. The host had only invited celebrities and famous men and women and without an invitation, no one could get into the event even if they were able to get on to the ship. These models had bought a boarding pass and waited at the deck for any lonely rich heir to bring them in as a companion.

"I'm good. I'm good."

Qiu Yilun refused the invitation. These models looked tempting enough, however, his girlfriend was right next to him.

Lu Zhengyu looked to Chen Fan was surprised to see the calm expression on Chen Fan's face. It was as if Chen Fan was already used to things as fancy and gorgeous as these frolicking bikini girls. However, he quickly brushed his surprise aside. After all, how could a lowly mainlander compare to a young lord from the international metropolis of Hong Kong?

Lo and behold, there was a group of bouncers guarding the entrance to the banquet.

Lu Zhengyu walked straight in, but Chen Fan and his friends were stopped by the bouncers.

"We have tickets, why don't you let us in?" Qiu Yilun asked indignantly.

"I am very sorry sir. Your ticket was just a boarding ticket for the ship, but in order to get into the banquet, you will need an invitation." A large black bouncer announced.

Qiu Yilun's face flushed red for making such an embarrassing mishap.

Lu Zhengyu smirked at Qiu Yilun as disdain crawl onto his face.

"I was wondering who they were toget be able to get invited to the Banquet. It turned out that they were just a bunch of nobodies from the mainland."

Many rich and powerful men and women walked through the entrance and examined the group of teenagers with a strange look. Qiu Yilun hurried to call his friend who got the ticket for him. However, what he heard didn't please him.

"Come on Yilong. Who do you think I am, Jackie Chan? I can only get you the ticket to the ship, not the banquet. Not even I can be invited to the banquet, much less you. That was Young Lord Nie's party, and only celebrities and the super-rich were invited and could bring guests to the event."

When Qiu Yilun disconnected his phone with embarrassment was written all over his face, Lu Zhengyu knew that it was his moment to shine. Lu Zhengyu clapped his hands to attract the attention of the bouncers. "These are my friends, can I bring them in?"

"Why of course, young lord Lu." The black bouncer moved out of the way.

Words could not express Qiu Yilun's gratitude for Lu Zhengyu. Any doubt in his mind evaporated after the latter saved his face at the last moment.

He was indeed an heir of a rich family in Hong Kong.

Both Qiu Yilun and Zhou Qinya were impressed by the mature and reliable Lu Zhengyu. Compared to the Young Lord of Hong Kong, Qiu Yilun and Chen Fan acted like a brash fledgling.

As soon as they entered the banquet, they immediately felt the guests inside were much more prestigious and high profile than that outside.

Every one of them was well dressed. Men wore spiffy tuxedos and women wore dazzling jewelry and painted their face meticulously. Although none of them were particularly pretty, their elegant demeanor spoke loudly of their impressive status in the society. Many of them looked very familiar to the teenagers as they might have seen their faces in movies or Tv shows.

"You guys enjoy yourself, I will have to meet Young Lord Nie first."

Lu Zhengyu left the group as soon as he entered the banquet.

Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers were not even from Hong Kong, much less belonging to the local elite circle. Therefore, that came off as self-conscious and nervous before the presence of so many influential men and women. However, Chen Fan was unfazed by the fancy crowd. He took a glass of Champagne from a waiter and started to work on the drink.

Such a banquet was a networking event for people who were involved in a small circle. Without the induction of a member of the right clique, it was very difficult for an outsider to break into the circle.

"That's fine, we will enjoy ourselves nonetheless."

Chen Fan said lightly.

"Hey, isn't that Yun Qianqian?" Liu Xiaojin shouted quietly.

The teenagers looked across the room and saw a beautiful girl surrounded by a large crowd. She was the most popular celebrity of the day, Yun Qianqian.

Yun Qianqian was wearing a white strapless ballroom dress that hugged tightly against her busty bosom. The dress was decorated with a few pieces of silver plates that looked like mermaid scales. Adding on her meticulously painted face, she could melt any man's heart in the room. Not even Zhou Qinya's youthful beauty could compare with hers.

"You are right! That is Yun Qianqian!"

Qiu Yilun and the others nodded. Although Yun Qianqian had been inactive recently, she was still an A-list actress in the entertainment industry. Her charm and influence were evident by the large crowd of men gathered around her.

"Yun Qianqian is my idol! I wish I can ask her for an autograph." Qian Lulu said cheerfully.

The group of teenagers huddled together in a corner. Anyone in this room would have wielded more power and prestige then all of them combined.

Qi Wangsun had been quiet ever since he boarded the cruise ship. It was evident that he didn't care to brush his shoulders with the rich and the powerful and the same went for Chen Fan.

Suddenly, a wave of exclamation and cheers came up from the entrance that caught everyone's attention. They looked over and saw a couple walking into the hall.

The man was wearing a white suit with a handsome face and an upright body. Despite the pale face, his steps were energetic and snappy. The woman was wearing a flaming red dress with a bold low-cut back. Her porcelain-like skin on her back scintillated under the stage lights. The dress's deep V neck at the front accentuated her breathtaking curves. She was as attractive as Yun Qianqian if not more sultry. The two women on each side of the room quickly started to compete for attention without them even trying to do so.

"That's Li Xinru. She is here as well!" Liu Xiaojin exclaimed.

Li Xinru was one of the most famous actresses in China. She was a sexy symbol on TV and all her roles were seductive and dangerous women such as Empress Wu Zetian and Concert Daji. She was technically a coworker of Yun Qianqian since they work for the same company. On the screen, the two were often portrayed as BFFs.

Chen Fan was taken aback by Li Xinru's face. She looked very familiar with the girl he saw in the illusion created by the Buddhism bracelet.

"Could it be that Li Xinru was the one who gave the bracelet to Yun Qianqian?"

Even as Chen Fan contemplated, Lu Zhengyu came up to them and said: "Young Lord Nie is here now. Qinya, come with me to meet him."

So saying, he grabbed hold of Zhou Qinya's arm. Zhou Qinya hesitated. "I thought everyone would go with me."

"Don't be a silly girl. Young Lord Nie will not grant just anyone audience." Lu Zhengyu suddenly flung back at the girl. "I can bring you there and that's all. We need to hurry, don't let Young Lord Nie wait for us."

Seeing Zhou Qinya was still reluctant to go with him, he pressed on. "Young Lord Nie is the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment. There are many other owners of entertainment companies in the party. If they like you, you might have an easy way into the entertainment business."

Zhou Qinya finally wavered. Although her parents had over a few hundred million, their wealth was insignificant and had to treat even a minor official from the government with respect. If she was able to break into the entertainment industry and get to know people such as Young Lord Nie, she would make her family proud. After all, this would not be the first time she befriended someone in order to further her status. She had befriended Brother Long and Chen Xu to get ahead in life a long time ago. so why stop now?

Plus, all the girls had dreamed of being a celebrity, otherwise, she wouldn't choose performance arts as her major at university.

But... Zhou Qinya looked up at Chen Fan with complicated feelings.

She had come to Hong Kong for Chen Fan. Ever since she learned that Chen Fan was a member of the Chen family of Jin City and saw Seventh Lord Huang chauffeured him around, she made up her mind to win this man over. Just recently, Chen Fan had further impressed Zhou Qinya by buying a useless filigree for thirty million. It was a clear sign of his incredible wealth.

However, as Lu Zhengyu and Young Lord Nie presented themselves before her, she felt she had found even better options.

"Come on, Qinya. This is a rare opportunity for you." Qian Lulu pushed gently at her friend.

Zhou Qinya presented to have lost her balance as she fell towards Lu Zhengyu. Lu Zhengyu hurried to grab hold of her smooth arms and steadied her. Then, he pulled her toward the middle of the hall to meet Young Lord Nie. Before Zhou Qinya was pulled away, she looked back and gave Chen Fan an apologetic glance. Lu Zhengyu didn't seem to mind the subtle exchange of glances between Chen Fan and the girl. After the two left the group, Qiu Yilun lamented.

"That's Bullshit!"

So saying, he gave Chen Fan a consolatory look.

If he didn't insist on coming to the cruise, Zhou Qinya wouldn't run away with another man.

"Don't worry." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

He had never liked Zhou Qinya. Not only did she have a boyfriend before, but her sitting on the fence between her boyfriend and other men really irked Chen Fan. Despite her innocent looks, she was calculating and selfish.

"Don't worry boss, I will introduce my cousin to you next time. She is young and cute as a button. Very innocent too." Qiu Yilun said as he pounded his chest.

"I have a girlfriend, remember?"

Chen Fan shot his friend a glare and chuckled.

Even as the two threw banter at each other, a surprised voice came up next to Chen Fan.

"Mr. Chen, what are you doing here?"

Chen Fan looked over and saw it was Yun Qianqian calling out to him. Yun Qianqian looked at him with surprise and glee on her face. It was as if she had reunited with a long lost lover.

Qiu Yilun and Qian Lulu were so shocked by the development that could only gape.

Chen Fan knew Yun Qianqian?

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 273: Unspoken Rules of the Industry

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Mr. Chen." Yun Qianqian looked at Chen Fan, eyes glistening with surprise.

Chen Fan was her savior. Chen Fan had saved her the last two times she met him. He had also told her about the curse in the Buddhism Bead Bracelet. The second time she met him, Chen Fan had saved her from two assassins from the Heavenly Kill. Having met Chen Fan again, Yun Qianqian's heart was filled with excitement, appreciation, and expectation.

It was a pity that they couldn't spend more time together the last two times they met and therefore, Chen Fan's background and his power was still shrouded in mystery to Yun Qianqian. She had thought that Chen Fan was just a tycoon from the Jiang Bei region, however, later, she overheard the assassins from Heavenly Kill call him "Grandmaster Chen Beixuan." Yun Qianqian had brought the name up to many of her good friends in the entertainment industry, but no one could tell her who he was.

"Long time no see" Chen Fan replied as he held a cup of Champagne.

Yun Qianqian was nothing but a passerby in his life. He had saved her twice, but he didn't do it for her. The first time he did it for his best friend Lin Weiwei and the second time he did it because he thought the Heavenly Kill were after him.

Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers were rendered speechless as they watched Chen Fan chatted with the famous actress.

She was Yun Qianqian, the most popular A-list actress in China. Qiu Yilun wagered that he could at most flirt with a C-list model or an actress no one would recognize. It would take someone as powerful and rich as Shen Junwen or Gao Zhengbang to be able to acquaint Yun Qianqian.

Based on the two's interaction, Qiu Yilun noticed that Yun Qianqian seemed to have known Chen Fan before. She talked to Chen Fan respectfully and gazed at Chen Fan with a pair of watery and innocent eyes. It was as if Chen Fan was an idol and Yun Qianqian a fan.

Even Qi Wangsun was taken aback by the development.

He had been evaluating and reevaluating her roommate's social status. He first thought Chen Fan was an ordinary member of the Chen family, then he turned out to be the heir of the Chens Group. However, there and then, Chen Fan surprised Qi Wangsun again by revealing his connection with the superstar Yun Qianqian

"Boss, can you introduce us please?" Qiu Yilun demanded excitedly.

Chen Fan couldn't refuse, so he introduced all of his teenage friends to Yun Qianqian.

"Hi, there. I am Yun Qianqian, and I am Mr. Chen's friends and also his fan. Nice to meet you." Yun Qianqian said humbly, all the while, a blooming smile didn't leave her face.

"You said you are a fan of my boss?" Qiu Yilun asked incredulously.

"Why of course! Mr. Chen is a mighty hero. He saved my life." Yun Qianqian covered her mouth as he giggled. Her eyes suddenly became softer and sultry as she thought to herself: "If not because of his lack of interest in me, I would love to marry him."

"He saved you? OMG! Boss, you are badass!" Qiu Yilun slammed a hand on Chen Fan's shoulder. Meanwhile, Qiu Yilun and the others seemed to regard Chen Fan in a new light.

Yun Qianqian's words were brimming with her admiration toward Chen Fan. However, Chen Fan didn't react to it, he lowered his head and sipped her drink in silence. Seeing Chen Fan's lack of interest, Yun Qianqian was disappointed.

"Chen Fan is becoming more and more impressive as we get to know him. Do you think Qinya should have chosen him instead?"

Qian Lulu thought to herself with a hint of regret.

She had thought that Qiu Yilun was the wealthiest among his roommates and never had even thought that Chen Fan would suddenly rise to her attention. Based on what she knew of Chen Fan so far, she could sense that Chen Fan's family background and wealth were both superior to Qiu Yilun. That being said, Lu Zhengyu was an heir of the rich family in Hong Kong and a tycoon in a mainland city couldn't compare. Therefore, she wagered that it was still too early to say if Zhou Qinya had made the wrong decision going off with Lu Zhengyu.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhengyu had led Zhou Qinya to the man in a white suit. Lu Zhengyu lowered his head and plastered on a toady smile.

"Nice to meet you, Young Lord Nie."

"Ah, it's you, Xiao Lu." The man in the white suit was called Nie Shunchen. He was the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment. He carried a cup of wine in one hand and embraced the actress Li Xinru in the other. He exchanged greetings with the rich and powerful men that surrounded him and only spared Lu Zhengyu a barely noticeable nod as a greeting. He looked haughty and arrogant.

"Young Lord Nie, this is my new friend. Her name is Zhou Qinya. She is your fan, and wanted to meet you in person." Lu Zhengyu suddenly pushed Zhou Qinya forward.

By now, Zhou Qinya already started to regret her decision.

Based on Young Lord Nie's attitude toward Lu Zhengyu, it was evident that Lu Zhengyu was not his friend as he had claimed. He could be one of Young Lord Nie's goons at best. It was a far cry from what Lu Zhengyu had boasted about himself. However, she was before the presence of a powerful heir, so she quickly gathered herself and greeted the man in the white suit.

"Young Lord Nie, my name is Zhou Qinya and I am from the Jin City of Jiang Nan Province in the mainland. I study performance arts at Jin City University."

Zhou Qinya played a ruse and omitted the name of the Business School and only mentioned the Jin City University. This would suddenly make her academic achievement much more impressive.

"Performance Arts faculty at the Jin City University?" Young Lord Nie's interest was piqued.

He examined Zhou Qinya from head to toe.

Zhou Qinya was not the prettiest girl in the room and there were many other young models outside of the banquet room who were equally attractive, if not more so. Her appearance also paled in comparison with the superstar Li Xinru.

However, the performance art department of Jin City University was a renowned institution. Nie Shunchen could tell that under Zhou Qinya's clothing, she had a damn hot body. Not only that but the way she walked and talked also suggested that she grew up with a wealthy upbringing. Based on his brief interaction with her, he already confirmed that the girl was still a virgin.

A well-educated campus flower with a decent family upbringing... It was too tempting even for Young Lord Nie to pass up the opportunity.

"How on earth did Xiao Lu the loser get his hands on such a pretty little thing?" Young Lord Nie thought to himself. Meanwhile, he put on a warm and welcoming smile and introduced Zhou Qinya to his friends around him.

Zhou Qinya was suddenly flattered by all the attention given to her.

People standing beside Young Lord Nie were either bosses of large corporations or directors and investors of major movie production firms. Some of them even looked familiar to Zhou Qinya as she used to see these faces on TV.

"Qinya, I have other matters to attend to, maybe we should continue the conversation tonight?" After a while, Nie Shunchen suddenly suggested.

Zhou Qinya's heart suddenly sank to the bottom.

She was a smart girl and knew what Nie Shunchen was alluding to. Even though she was eager to get ahead in life, she didn't want to do it by sacrificing her body. Let it be Brother Loong or the other boyfriends she had, she never allowed them to touch her on the bed. Growing up in a decent family, she understood the importance of virginity to a girl. It was one of her most precious assets and she wouldn't easily give it up.

Suddenly, the men around Nie Shunchen stopped talking and looked at her in silence, waiting for her decision. They no longer looked warm and welcoming, instead, there was lewd glints in their eyes.

Feeling helpless, Zhou Qinya looked to Lu Zhengyu for help.

To her dismay, the so-called heir of the Lu family avoided her gaze and pretended that it was none of his business. Zhou Qinya finally understood that Lu Zhengyu was not a rich heir, instead, he was a pimp for the rich and the powerful.

"I am sorry, Young Lord Nie. I came here with my friends, and I have to go home with them." Zhou Qinya refused politely with a placating smile.

She wouldn't mind seeing Nie Shunchen and becoming his girlfriend. Nie Shunchen was the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment, one of the most famous entertainment company in China. Therefore, if she was dating Nie Shunchen, she would have no trouble breaking into the entertainment industry. However, she would refuse to become an escort and to be used by anyone.

Zhou Qinya knew the art of playing hard to get. If she fell for Nie Shunchen's temptation too easily, he would quickly get bored with her and forget about her.

"Silly girl. Do you know how many girls are waiting in line to meet Young Lord Nie in private?" A middle-aged man put in.

He was called Boss Gu by the men around him and was an owner of an Entertainment company. One of the actors working for him got a break and became an A-list actor. However, his company was a far cry from the mighty Hua Yi Entertainment. Nonetheless, he was a reputable figure in the industry.

"Just so. Xiao Zhou, you need to latch on to opportunities when you see one." Clad in a tight dress, Li Xinru wiggled her waist slightly and said.

Li Xinru knew Young Lord Nie's appetite for fresh meat and in order to please him, she, too, often sought out prey for him.

"Humph! College students like you are by the thousands. They will line up to be used by Young Lord Nie. This is the reality, girl. If you want fame, you will have to pay for it!"

Another reputable director said with a smirk.

Despite his obscenity, no one seemed to care.

The entertainment industry was a cesspool of moral degradation and corruption. The handsome actors and pretty actresses disguised as the bright and shining examples of society during the day, but at night, they conducted many sordid and unspeakable transactions. The entire industry was laced with hidden rules that outright trampled human decency.

Pressured by everyone around him, Zhou Qinya finally wavered

She knew that this might be her only chance of getting a foot into the industry. Maybe it would worth it to pay with her most precious prize. That being said, she still couldn't make up her mind.

Seeing Zhou Qinya's hesitation, Nie Shunchen laughed in his mind.

"She is definitely a virgin. She thinks she is so special because of her pretty face and decent upbringing."

Nie Shunchen decided to press on and claim the prize. He cracked a smile and said: "You said you came with your friends, where are they now?"

Zhou Qinya was taken aback by the question, so Lu Zhengyu hurried to answer for her.

"Young Lord Nie, Qinya's friends are over there."

They looked toward the direction where Lu Zhengyu was pointing. To everyone's surprise, they saw Yun Qianqian was among her friends as well and was chatting with them. One of her arms even rested on the shoulder of a young man. Even Young Lord Nie and Yun Qianqian and never been so intimate before.

"They know Yun Qianqian?" Young Lord Nie in surprise.

Yun Qianqian and Li Xinru both work under Hua Yi Entertainment. They had very different styles both on stage and in real life. One was innocent and cute as a button, the other hot and seductive. He had been courting Yun Qianqian for many years but to no avail. Yun Qianqian was an A-list star, so he couldn't force her to do things that she didn't want.

The sight of Yun Qianqian and the young man's intimate interaction immediately angered Young Lord Nie.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 274: One More Word From You, I Will End Your Life

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Who the hell is that little shit?" Nie Shunchen lowered his wine glasses and asked with an icy voice.

"Er..." Everyone looked at each other in confusion. No one had recognized Chen Fan.

Everyone at the banquet had heard of Chen Beixuan's name. He had toppled the Zheng family and rose to power in Hong Kong. However, only a very small number of people had ever seen Chen Beixuan in person.

The only group of people who had met Chen Fan was the small number of tycoons during Zheng Anqi's birthday party, the Zheng family members and a few people who had made it to the peak of the Jiu Long Mountain.

The Hong Kong city was very small in size but it was huge in terms of population.

On this less than 1000 square kilometer area, there were over a few hundred publicly traded firms and countless billionaires. A few decades ago, the wealth in Hong Kong would take up a third of the total wealth among Chinese communities. Even nowadays, there was enough money flowing in Hong Kong to rival the combined might of all riches in mainland China. Even in the more developed areas such as the Jiang Nan Province, there were only a few hundred publicly traded companies, a fraction of what Hong Kong had.

Zheng Anqi's only invited friends in her close circle to her birthday party and therefore was only a small fraction of the total number of tycoons in Hong Kong. On the other hand, those who had made it to the Jiu Long Mountain were the very few top dogs in Hong Kong, they were the elites among the elites. Therefore, only very few people had seen Chen Fan in person.

However, even if they had seen Chen Fan before, their attention right now would have been attracted by Zhou Qinya.

"He is my classmate at Jin City University."

Even as Zhou Qinya said that she also couldn't wrap her mind around how Chen Fan and Yun Qianqian knew each other.

Not only did they know each other, but they also looked like good friends.

If she knew that earlier, she wouldn't leave the group with Lu Zhengyu in the first place. Although Yun Qianqian was not as rich and powerful as Nie Shunchen, she was an influential character in the entertainment industry nonetheless. If she could have Yun Qianqian's blessing and support, she would have a much easier time during her career. Once she made a name for herself in the industry and then when she met Nie Shunchen, she would be seen in a very different light. They would think twice to exploit her as what they were trying to do now.

With that thought in mind, Zhou Qinya regretted her decision again.

"A student from Jin City University?" Nie Shunchen snorted.

He wouldn't take a student from Jin City University seriously. There were at least a dozen young men and women currently working for his company who were graduates from the Ivy League.

"Young Lord Nie, is it just me or Qinqian too close to that young man? I wonder where she met him. Urgh.. he is so ugly." Li Xinru put in, trying to rub salt into Young Lord Nie's injury.

She had always been envious of Yun Qianqian.

They were both famous actresses, but for some reason, everyone liked Yun Qianqian much more than her. Let it be investors or rich heirs, they flocked to Yun Qianqian and fawned over her even though she was also present. Worse, most men who flirted with her only wanted to have a taste of her body, but that was not the case for the devotees of Yun Qianqian: most of them wanted to marry her for real.

After knowing that Nie Shunchen was also one of Yun Qianqian's fans and wanted to marry her, Li Xinru's jealousy was exacerbated. She had tried all she could to please this rich heir of the company, however, in the end, Nie Shunchen was still on team Yun Qianqian.

"Humph!!"

Nie Shunchen could no longer hold back his anger. He pushed a couple of men before him to the side and walked over to Chen Fan.

Li Xinru trailed behind the young lord as a gloating smile surfaced on her face.

Lu Zhengyu was furious. He stomped the floor and grumbled at Zhou Qinya hotly: "Look what your friends have done! They pissed off Young Lord Nie. They are dead now, I tell you."

Zhou Qinya's face darkened and kept her silence.

By now, Nie Shunchen had already made his way to Chen Fan's group. Suddenly, everyone's attention was on this small corner of the room. After all, two of the most attention-worthy men and women —Yun Qianqian and Nie Shunchen were both here.

"Qianqian?"

When Nie Shunchen called out to Yun Qianqian, she had one hand on Chen Fan's shoulder and the over rubbing her belly, trying to calm the ache in her stomach from laughing too hard. She looked up and met with Nie Shunchen's icy glare.

"Young Lord Nie?"

A pang of panic flashed in Yun Qianqian's eyes.

She was aware of Nie Shunchen's desire for her, but she was even more aware of the rich heir's behavior. There was no way that she would trust an heir of an entertainment company with the rest of her life. Nie Shunchen would always be surrounded by younger bodies and more attractive faces and it wouldn't be long before he got bored of Yun Qianqian's aging appearance. Such a relationship would be unfair to her, in her mind's eyes, she could see Nie Shunchen divorcing her and marrying a new eighteen year old girl after they got married.

That was how she felt even before she met Chen Fan. Now she was even less likely to look back.

"Qianqian, Director Zhang is still waiting for you. Let's go to have a drink with him." Nie Shunchen managed to squeeze a smile onto his face and shot out an arm to grab Yun Qianqian.

Yun Qianqian acted out of instinct and hide behind Chen Fan.

Suddenly, Nie Shunchen's smile froze no his face as a flame started up in his eyes.

"Qianqian, is this your new friend? Why don't you introduce us?" Li Xinru arrived at the table. Her languid casualness was so seductive that it immediately grabbed Qiu Yilun and the other men's attention.

"Young Lord Nie, Xinru, this is my friend Mr. Chen Fan. These are his classmates." Yun Qianqian quickly gathered herself and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears. "Mr. Chen. This is Young Lord Nie. He is the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment."

Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers were shocked by the announcement.

They have never thought that they would meet in person the famous heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment. Hua Yi Entertainment was one of the biggest publicly traded entertainment firms in China. It was worth over a few dozen billion. Due to the nature of its business, Hua Yi Entertainment was even more well connected with the upper class of the society than any other company of equivalent size.

"Chen Fan?" Nie Shunchen paused a second as he found the name very familiar.

Then he faked a smile and said: "I know that Qianqian doesn't make friends with just anyone, I wonder what's Mr. Chen's story?"

"I have no stories to tell. I am a student at the Business School of Jin City University." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Business School of Jin City University?" Nie Shunchen's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.

Zhou Qinya made him believe that they were from the real Jin City University, but it turned out that they were from an inferior college that was only related to the Jin City University by name, but not in terms of administration. What a joke! He suddenly felt he had even overestimated Zhou Qinya earlier.

"I thought you guys are from the Jin City University, but you are actually from the business school." Nie Shunchen shook his head and said connivingly: "I don't remember ever inviting you lot here. How did you get in?"

"We came in with Young Lord Lu." Qiu Yilun answered defensively.

They could tell that Nie Shunchen was up to no good, and his target was Chen Fan.

"Young Lord Lu?"

Nie Shunchen was taken aback by the title and then burst out laughing. Qiu Yilun and the others were dumbfounded by his strange reaction.

"Xiao Lu, did you bring them in here?" Nie Shunchen waved a hand at Lu Zhengyu and summoned the pimp to his side. An unctuous smile hung on Lu Zhengyu's face, but it was unable to mask his embarrassment, trailing behind him was an equally embarrassed Zhou Qinya.

Lu Zhengyu nodded and said: "Young Lord Nie, they are together with Qinya, so I decided to let them in. I didn't mean to cause trouble, Young Lord Nie. I will tell them to leave right now."

After he had said that, Lu Zhengyu lengthened his body a little and then chided at the teenagers.

"You bunch of backward country bumpkins! How dare you offend Young Lord Nie! Get the heck out of here. NOW! "

Lu Zhengyu was in a hurry to correct his mistake to please Nie Shunchen. Although he was a member of the Nie Family, he belonged to the offshoot branch. There were many among his family who had a much bigger stake in the family business. If he didn't try so hard to please Nie Shunchen, and constantly supply him with new girls, he would never live such a comfortable life. As Nie Shunchen's lapdog, when his master told him to jump, he only asked: "how high."

Qiu Yilun and the others were riled up by the insult, but the words caught in their throats as they realized that they were in a disadvantageous position.

They didn't have an invitation and if Lu Zhengyu wanted them out, they had to oblige.

Qiu Yilun and the others looked to Zhou Qinya behind Nie Shunchen and saw the girl's face was flushed red. She lowered her head in utter embarrassment.

Nie Shunchen held a cup of wine in one hand and a hot girl in the other, looking smug as ever.

He could do anything he wanted to a few college students from the mainland. He could even send them into jail for crashing his party, much less kicking them out.

"Young Lord Nie!"

Yun Qianqian looked troubled and was about to plead for the teenagers.

Suddenly, a loud snap sounded out.

"Pa!"

Lu Zhengyu was slapped on the face and the force and sent his body flying out, spinning like a top. He crashed into a few banquet tables, knocking food and drinks all over the floor. When he finally thudded onto the ground, people noticed his face was distorted—a fractured cheekbone if he was lucky.

Everyone looked to Chen Fan in disbelief.

They watched as Chen Fan picked out a piece of kleenex and cleaned his hands.

"Pathetic pest. How dare you yell at me."

"Did you just hit him?" Li Xinru asked incredulously.

Lu Zhengyu was not an official heir of the Lu family, but he was Nie Shunchen's trusty sidekick. Hitting Lu Zhengyu was the same as challenging Nie Shunchen.

Everyone gave Chen Fan a stunned and impressed looks.

Nie Shunchen pulled a taut face and said with a cold voice.

"Very well, Qianqian. Your friend has some gusto in him."

He was seized by a fit of rage and no longer cared about Yun Qianqian's feelings. Yun Qianqian turned into a bundle of nerves. She knew that if the teenagers really pissed off Nie Shunchen, there would be grave consequences for them. Many people would latch onto the opportunity of pleasing the rich heir. A large number of tycoons and famous people in this party spoke loudly about his influence.

She also knew that Chen Fan was not an ordinary man. He was the Master Chen of Jiang Bei who used to defeat the Heavenly Kill.

Yun Qianqian had never found it more difficult to choose a side in a conflict. On one hand, was her boss, and the other was her crush. She thought long and hard, trying to find a way to ease the tension.

Then, she heard Chen Fan said lightly: "One more word from you, I will end your life."

Everyone became silent after hearing Chen Fan's words.

Zhou Qinya was so shocked and terrified that she could only stare.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 275: Mr. Chen?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"One more word, I will kill you."

Chen Fan uttered his threat with such nonchalance that it was as if he had asked the Young Lord how his day was.

However, the slap on Lu Zhengyu's face was decisive and to the point, revealing his overbearing methods. The fact that it was the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment on the receiving end of the threat made his threat even more stunning and unexpected.

Nie Shunchen was the chief of the Hua Yi Entertainment. As one of the biggest entertainment firms in China, its influences ran deep into every facet of society. Rumor had it that the Nie family's influence reached as far as the mainland. Thanks to its connections to the rich and the powerful, the Nie family was able to pull the large enterprise together and rally a great number of tycoons and celebrities to attend the banquet.

That being said, despite the luxury venue on the world-class cruise ship, this was far from the most high profile party. None of the top twenty richest were present. Those magnates of Hong Kong had long passed the age of chasing after celebrities. At most, their grandsons might show up on their behalf.

A deadly silence fell over the room after Chen Fan uttered his warning.

Everyone in the room, including Nie Shunchen couldn't believe what they just heard. How did anyone dare to openly threaten the heir of Hua Yi Entertainment? Chen Fan's friends were beyond shock, they hoped Chen Fan's bold if not reckless comment would not backfire on them.

Li Xinru suddenly let out a peal of laughter. She laughed so hard that her breasts jiggled as she struggled for air.

"Qianqian, your friend is so funny."

Yun Qianqian shivered a little.

Of all the people here, she knew that Chen Fan really meant what he said. If he really got riled up, he could have killed Scorpion, the member of the Heavenly Kill with ease much less a defenseless young man.

Yun Qianqian didn't care about the snickers from her former BFF turned rival. She grabbed hold of Chen Fan's arm and said: "Please calm down, Mr. Chen."

Little did she know that her action rubbed Nie Shunchen the wrong way. Nie Shunchen snorted and said: "My friend, you have not only crashed my party, injured my friend but also threatened to kill me. I can put you behind the bars for ten years for that."

"Oh really?" Chen Fan said slowly "The last person who said the exact same time to me still had a bruised face from my slapping on his face. What was his name? Lawyer Hu? he said he will bring me to justice and make me sit in a jail. Well, look at me now."

"What lawyer Hu?" Nie Shunchen was taken aback.

Boss Gu who was wearing a fancy suit flung back at Chen Fan.

"Young Lord Nie, why are we wasting time with a northern bumpkin from the mainland. Call the security guards and kick him out."

"Over my dead body!"

Qiu Yilun shouted out in a fit of anger.

"Insolence! This is my party and I have the right to decide who should stay and who should leave." Nie Shunchen had gathered himself and said: "Not only I am the host of the banquet, but also the long term tenant of the cruise ship. I have the right to ask you to get off the ship."

"And don't worry, we will give each one of you a floaty so you can float back to Hong Kong." Nie Shunchen jested with a shrug of the shoulder.

His joke invited laughter from everyone. Many tycoons and lesser well-known celebrities rubbed their bellies as they struggle for air.

"Young Lord Nie.. you are too funny."

"Yes, yes! Let them swim back!"

"Hey dipshit, it's time to put your swimming skills to use. Don't drown."

Everyone hurled insults at Chen Fan and his friends. Most of the guests of the party were friends and employees of the young heir, therefore, they were all on Nie Shunchen's side. Not only that, some of them would even view this as a golden opportunity to show Nie Shunchen their loyalty.

"How dare you!"

Qiu Yilun rounded his eyes in anger and disbelief. Even Qi Wangsun's eyes started to grow cold and hard.

Nie Shunchen is planning to kill them all. The cruise ship by then had already sailed to the middle of the Victoria Bay and despite the mild temperature in Hong Kong, it was nearly impossible to swim all the way back to shore, especially when there were a few girls in their group.

"Is that how the Nie family shows their hospitality by throwing their guests off the deck?" Qi Wangsun asked harshly.

"It doesn't have to be like that. As long as you apologize to my friend, providing that he forgives you, you can still remain on the ship for one more night." Nie Shunchen said with disdain written all over his face.

"I want to see him kneel before me and apologize!" Lu Zhengyu covered his injured face and struggled to his feet. He glared at Chen Fan with hatred burning in his eyes.

Chen Fan had used less than one-thousandth of his power and had already destroyed half of Lu Zhengyu's face. Lu Zhengyu had never been assaulted like this before. Even when he was fighting with his family member for the inheritance, no one had ever landed a finger on him. This was the first time he had ever slapped in the face in public. Words couldn't describe his anger and eager for revenge.

"Kneel and apologize?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and gave him a half-smile.

"That's right. I will let the matter slide if you kneel down and apologize to my friend." Nie Shunchen announced.

Flanked by Li Xinru, he had the support of all the rich and powerful men and women in the room. Plus, they were on his turf, he had rented the cruise ship for crying out loud. Nie Shunchen had never thought that he would end up losing the conflict. He was convinced that he could get away with killing a group of mainland college students by pulling some strings.

"Young Lord Nie!"

Yun Qianqian shouted at the top of her lungs.

Nie Shunchen didn't even spare a glance at Yun Qianqian. To solidify her victory, Li Xinru pressed her red lips onto Nie Shunchen's cheek and gave Yun Qianqian a smug smile.

"Your luck has finally run out, bitch! Although I have failed to bring you down myself, I am certain that after Young Lord Nie had completely lost interest in you, I will quickly rise to replace you like the most successful actress in the company."

Meanwhile, everyone else looked at the group of teenagers gloatingly.

They were either tycoons or famous celebrities and considered themselves above everyone else. Although they wouldn't let their emotions out of control and bully a group of helpless students, they enjoyed watching the show nonetheless.

"Yilun, what should we do?" Qian Lulu held onto Qiu Yilun's hand and was on the brink of tearing up.

Qiu Yilun's face turned black and had nothing to say.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qinya's elegant face also looked troubled. She knew that Chen Fan was from the Chen family of Jinlin City and never had to endure such humiliation before.

Everyone looked to Chen Fan expectantly and waited for his decision.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes as a slight hint of coldness rose in his pupils. Suddenly, a wave of commotion rose from the entrance.

"Boss Nie, Did you rent the entire Swan Princess? Your generosity knows no bounds! I have already met so many celebrities and elites, it's going to be the most successful party of the year." An old man wearing a traditional suit walked alongside with a stately looking middle-aged man.

"Master Qiu, you have thought too highly of me."

The middle-aged man laughed out loud.

Anyone from the entertainment industry would have recognized the middle-aged man. He was the owner of the Hua Yi Entertainment, Nie Yuanhu

Nie Shunchen used to work for the recreation section of the military. He left the military when he was twenty. Together with his wife, they started the Hua Yi Entertainment and over the years, he managed to amass a huge wealth. Ever since the Hua Yi Entertainment's conception, there had been a dozen or so A-class actresses and actors in the company, making Nie Yuanhu the godfather of Hong Kong's entertainment industry. Those who received an invitation to the banquet simply couldn't refuse his offer. No one refuses a god-father's offer.

"I apologize ahead of time for troubling you to introduce me to Master Chen." Nie Yuanhu said.

"Sigh... It's difficult. Mr. Chen is not only a powerful man but also very mysterious. I have just got to know him myself, and therefore, I might not be able to help you." Master Qiu said as he heaved a sigh.

Master Qiu was the Qiu Yulin who met Chen Fan at Zheng Haomin's house.

Qiu Yulin was one of the top ten most powerful masters, a frequent guest in the home of the rich and the powerful. Rumor had it that he is now working for Mr. Chen, which made his own fame even higher.

"Of course, of course. Mr. Chen is a mighty figure. Of course, he won't just meet anyone." Nie Yuanhu nodded.

At his level, he had a better understanding of Chen Fan's power.

He had kidnapped Zheng Anqi and warded off three days of attack from the Law enforcement Unit. He had then killed Zhou Daoji and claimed the life of Old Man Zheng, robbed Zheng Anqi's of her youth and toppled the Zheng family of Hong Kong.

None of these deeds were easy to pull off and anyone of them could have help one make his name in Hong Kong. However, Chen Fan was able to achieve all of these deeds all by himself, it was evident that the young man was really a force to be feared.

Although the failed hostage rescue mission was covered up by the Hong Kong government. What happened at the top of the Jiu Long Mountain was circulated among the elites and the spell casters. Nie Yuanhu was a well-connected man and therefore, he heard the details of the attack from his sources. He had even seen Chen Fan's picture. His pictures were top secret and were only circulated among the top dogs in Hong Kong. No one dared to spread these images fearing Chen Fan's retribution.

Nie Yuanhu also heard that Chen Fan had a close tie with the military, and was an officer with general rank.

Nie Yuanhu knew that he had to tread carefully around such a mighty figure. He was just an owner of an entertainment company and he couldn't even rival the might of the former Zheng family. At its heyday, Hua Yi Entertainment was worth about a dozen billion, while the Zheng's Financial group was worth a hundred billion. Old Man Zheng was also a Justice of the Peace appointed by the Queen herself. Zhou Daoji. Meanwhile, Zhou Daoji had been dominating not only Hong Kong but also the entire Southeast Asia for decades. Chen Fan had even done away with those two powerful figures with ease, much less Nie Yuanhu.

After a while, Qiu Yulin said slowly: "Mr. Chen is going to join the International Chinese Esotericism conference, I will try to arrange a meeting between you and Master Chen. "

Qiu Yulin then paused a second and said under his breath.

"Although Mr. Chen is a powerful man, he is young and passionate. I bet he likes pretty looking faces like everyone at his age."

"I see... I see..." Nie Yuanhu replied appreciatively.

The entertainment industry never lacked pretty looking girls. Hua Yi Entertainment was one of the biggest firms in the industry and had countless pretty looking girl working in his company. As he made up his mind to befriend this mighty figure, his mind raced as he considered which goddess level actress to bring with him during his meeting.

Finally, Nie Yuanhu found his answer.

"Yun Qianqian!"

Yun Qianqian was the most popular actress in the company and Nie Yuanhu had also worked hard to construct her persona that made her even more attractive yet unattainable. He never forced her to do any tasks that she didn't like, but this time, she would have to suck it up and obey the order.

"It might be a good thing for the girl if she could befriend Mr.Chen. No one in China would ever think of messing with her again."

With that thought in mind, Nie Yuanhu made his way into the Banquet Hall. Suddenly, he saw Chen Fan and Nie Shunchen were standing in a corner face to face. He shouted out his surprise:

"Mr. Chen, what are you doing here?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 276: You Will Die For Insulting Me

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A pin-drop silence fell into the room after Nie Yuanhu shouted out "Mr. Chen."

People were confused as to who he was calling out to. Even Nie Shunchen was taken aback as he scraped his mind to think which superstar or super-rich he had invited tonight who had a last name of Chen.

He watched as Nie Yuanhu came over to Chen Fan and extended both hands to the young man.

"Mr. Chen. I had never thought that you would come to our banquet. I have never been more honored before."

Chen Fan didn't even spare Nie Yuanhu a glance much less shake hands with him, leaving Nie Yuanhu's hands hanging. Nie Yuanhu was surprised by the cold shoulder and looked to Master Qiu in embarrassment. Qiu Yulin picked up the cue and stepped forward and bowed to Chen Fan.

"Perfected Cultivator Chen, this is the owner of the Hua Yi Entertainment, Mr. Nie. He admired you and wanted to meet you for a while."

"Yes, yes. Mr. Chen, please just called me Xiao Nie." Nie Yuanhu put on a toady smile and said.

Chen Fan was an untouchable mighty figure to Nie Yuanhu. He would even hand over his virgin daughter to Chen Fan much less plastering on an unctuous smile.

Little did Nie Yuanhu know that his action had stunned everyone in the room. Nie Shunchen was so shocked by the development, he rounded his eyes in disbelief.

How was that possible? How did Chen Fan get to know my dad? Why was Nie Yuanhu so ingratiating toward Chen Fan? What was going on?

Zhou Qinya, Qiu Yilun, Qian Lulu and Yun Qianqian were all shocked as well.

"Dad?" Nie Shunchen called out to his dad in confusion.

By now, Nie Yuanhu finally remembered his son, so he pulled Nie Shunchen over to him and said: "Mr. Chen, this is my son Nie Shunchen. Shunzhen, this is the new owner of Zheng's Financial Group, and the new billionaire of Hong Kong, Mr. Chen Beixuan. You can call him uncle Chen."

A new billionaire in Hong Kong?

Chen Beixuan?

Although the name of Chen Fan was unheard of by anyone in the room, Chen Beixuan was a household name in Hong Kong. The crowd boiled over as they had never thought that they would meet the legendary man that had shaken up Hong Kong's power dynamic recently.

"He is the one who toppled the Zheng family and taken over the billions of assets from the Zheng family?"

"I have heard that even Zhou Daoji was killed by him. He is a deadly and powerful spell caster."

"That's him! I haven't seen his picture, but I don't think Boss Nie could have been mistaken. Chen Beixuan is a very young man, so I have heard, just like him."

A surprised murmur rose from the crowd. Many pair of eyes stared at Chen Fan, trying to imprint the rare sight of such a legend permanently in their minds.

Chen Fan's achievement was unprecedented. Any billionaire would have at least decades of hard word behind them. Even during the Information Age, the success of companies such as Facebook took its founder, Mark Zuckerberg a few years to achieve.

However, Chen Fan had taken over the wealth of the Zheng family and became one of the top ten richest men in Hong Kong before he had even reached twenty. Hong Kong was a capitalist society through and through. Anyone with that much wealth would determine the course of Hong Kong's future. Superman Li, for example, had such a heavy influence on the city that people called Hong Kong the "Li's City"

Compared to Chen Fan, the wealth of the attendees of this banquet were only around a few hundred million, a far cry from that of Chen Fan and Superman Li.

"He is Chen Beixuan?" Nie Shunchen pointed at Chen Fan and asked incredulously.

"Nonsense, he is your uncle, so stop called him by name and call him Uncle." Nie Yuanhu slapped on Nie Shunchen's head and chided him hotly.

Nie Yuanhu's slap on Nie Shunchen's face was a wake-up call. The young man's face darkened as he locked his gaze on to Chen Fan and grew gloomy.

He had been convinced that these teenagers were just college students from the mainland and was ready to see Chen Fan bend his knees if not just to throw them off the deck and make them swim back. However, the tables had turned as Chen Fan turned out to the infamous Chen Beixuan. Nie Shunchen found it hard to come to terms with the reality of the situation and his shock and disbelief were shared by everyone, including Qiu Yilun, Qian Lulu, and Zhou Qinya.

Li Xinru couldn't feel more regret for insulting the young man earlier. She had never thought that Yun Qianqian's friend was such a powerful man.

Yun Qianqian, on the other hand, covered her mouth to stifle a surprised cry. She finally remembered why the name of Chen Beixuan sounded so familiar to her. He was the one who everyone had been talking about of late. Although the name made her think of Chen Fan, ultimately, she didn't make the connection between the two.

"What's happening? Have you offended Mr. Chen?"

Nie Shunchen finally registered the tension hanging the air. He pulled a taut face and looked to Nie Shunchen questioningly.

Nie Shunchen kept his silence and pressed his thin lips together.

"He just told me that if I don't bend my knees and apologize to him, he will kick me off the deck and let me swim back to Hong Kong." Chen Fan picked up a glass of Champagne and leisurely took a sip.

"You... you idiot!"

Chen Fan's words made Nie Yuanhu's hair stand on end. Suddenly, he felt his heart skipped a beat as the world slowly started turning dark. He scrambled to hold on to a table to steady himself before he collapsed to the ground.

What a fool Nie Shunchen was! Look at what had happened to people that dared to stand up against Chen Fan: Nin Tianchen had blocked his way so Chen Fan killed him; Zhou Daoji tried to avenge his disciple, Chen Fan killed him as well; the Zheng family owed him ten billion and refused to pay, Chen Fan had taken the Old Man Zheng's life as well as the entire family wealth. Who in the right mind would mess with such a deadly and powerful mighty figure? Nie Shunchen was courting death.

"Mr... Mr. Chen. Please for my sake, forgive Shunchen." Nie Shunchen managed to stand still as he pleaded to Chen Fan. Even as he talked to Chen Fan, he kicked Nie Shunchen's leg.

"You fool! Kneel before Mr. Chen and apologize! NOW!"

Nie Yuanhu meant to save his son's life, but Nie Shunchen didn't appreciate it.

Nie Shunchen grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth and had never encountered any challenge in his life. He had been used to fancy cars and fancy asses and thought he was born to be envied by others.

Therefore, it was worse than killing him to ask him to bend his knees and apologize.

Nie Shunchen defied his father's command and shouted out.

"Dad! Why should I? Because he had robbed the Zheng family? So what? The Zheng family's business had nothing to do with Hua Yi Entertainment. What harm could he possibly do to us? I am not going to apologize to this asshole!"

"You... you... YOU!"

Nie Yuanhu pointed a finger at his foolish son and felt his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

Seeing the situation was beyond saving, Nie Shunchen turned around and gave Chen Fan a disdainful glare. "Chen Beixuan, I didn't know who you are earlier, so I have offended you. But you have also hurt my friend, and taken my chick from me. We are square, how about that?"

Nie Shunchen thought his words were quite reasonable.

Hua Yi Entertainment was one of the biggest entertainment firms in China. Although there were other more influential firms out there, if they don't cross paths in business ventures, they couldn't pose much of a threat to the Nie family. As a dominating force in the industry, Nie family had deep roots in the key sectors of the business. It would be suicide for outside business to venture into their territory. The lopsided competition between Sony and Columbia was a good example.

However, Nie Shunchen had no idea who he was standing up against.

"Square?"

Chen Fan gave the young man a half-smile and said stoically: "I have said that if I heard one more word from you, I will end your life. Do you think I was joking?"

It was not uncommon to have an accident while people were on the open sea and Nie Shunchen knew it. Therefore, Nie Shunchen had come up with the conniving idea of throwing them off the deck and watch them struggle like some kind of plaything. His outright ignorance of human's life had angered Chen Fan, and he wouldn't get the jerk to get away with it.

"You really are going to kill me?"

Nie Shunchen nearly laughed at the idea.

He was the heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment, an influential man in the entertainment industry. Who in their right mind would kill him in broad daylight while he was surrounded by his peers? Although he had heard rumors of Chen Fan killing people in the Zheng family, he didn't believe for one second that it was real.

Little did he know, as soon as Chen Fan mentioned killing the young man, Nie Yuanhu's face suddenly darkened and was about to plead for his son's life.

"No one can stop me here if I want to kill you."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and shook his head. An azure-colored light came up in his eyes.

"Oh, really? Do it then! I knew you wouldn't dare..."

Even as Nie Shunchen put on a smug smile, the last words froze in his mouth and his smile turned into a rigid contortion. Nie Shunchen's life force was taken away from him, turning him into a lifeless standing statue.

"Shunchen, what happened to you?"

Nie Yuanhu panicked and hurried to hold onto his son's rigid body. He shook his son's arm but didn't get a reply.

"Boss Nie, your son is dead."

Qiu Yulin said with a heavy voice.

He could tell that Nie Shunchen's life force was empty, his heart had stopped beating, he was as good as dead. However, he couldn't figure out how Chen Fan had done that. If he had cast a spell to kill the young man, why didn't he use any hand sign or incantation?

"Will Power Array, that's Will Power Array "Qiu Yulin exclaimed. "Could be true that he had already reached the God Reining State?"

By now Nie Yuanhu finally realized that he had surely lost Nie Shunchen. His face was as pale as paper as he stood still in the middle of the room.

The other onlookers felt a chill go down their spines.

Nie Shunchen was dead!

The young heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment, Nie Shunchen was dead!

One minute ago, he was high on his horses, one minute later, he was already dead.

No had had even seen how he died. Life simply drained from his body the moment Chen Fan said he was going to kill him. Did Chen Fan do that to him?

The development reminded everyone of the rumors about what had happened to the Zheng family. Rumor had it that Chen Fan was a deadly spell caster with a hot temper. Nin Tianchen, Zhou Daoji, and Old Man Zheng were all killed by him. No one believed those rumors, but now they do. That would be the only explanation for Nie Shunchen's sudden death.

Everyone looked to the indifferent young man, then they quickly lowered their heads to avoid eye contact.

His power was beyond that of the rich and the powerful. He could dictate a man's life and death just as the feared emperors in ancient times who could kill a man with one word.

"You shouldn't even offend a Grandmaster, much less me." Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said slowly with a stoic expression.

A deadly silence suddenly fell over the room as no one dared to speak a word.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 277: The Ambition of An Overlord

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

To Chen Fan, Nie Shunchen was just a small crawling insect. He had a million different ways to make Nie Shunchen's life hell. The simplest method, for example, Chen Fan could make a phone call to the Zheng's Financial Group and order the CFO of the company to start hedging against the stock of Hua Yi Entertainment. In terms of market worth, the Hua Yi Entertainment was just a drop in the bucket when compared with the Zheng's Financial Group.

However profitable and valuable an entertainment group was, its financial clout was a far cry from that of an investment firm such as the Zheng's Financial Group.

Nie Yuanhu and the Shareholders of Hua Yi Entertainment would be unnerved by their losses, but Chen Fan wouldn't. If he wanted to, he could squander all of the Zheng's Financial Group on making Hua Yi Entertainment's life hell.

Chen Fan was also backed by many influential forces in Hong Kong, including powerful spellcasters, high-level officials in the mainland, Lu family of Lin City, Medicine God Valley Sect, and the military. The combined might of all these forces could easily crush Hua Yi Entertainment. However, Chen Fan had chosen the most direct and quick method.

Kill.

When Nie Shunchen demanded him and his friends to bend their knees and threatened to throw them off the ship, Chen Fan had already had the urge to kill him. Although he would like to continue pretending and play the life of an ordinary college student, he wouldn't let these dogs step on his toes and do nothing.

The number one rule in the Martial arts community was not to mess with Grandmasters, let along the North Mystic Celestial Lord.

In the known universe, Chen Fan would display his strength for the entire planet to see by killing a large group of cultivators who dared to insult him. To claim supremacy, Chen Fan not only needed strength, but also the will power to put such strength to use.

The necessity of having the willpower to use destructive force was evident during the Cuba Nuclear Crisis. The American president threatened to use nuclear warheads, and finally scared off the Soviet Union.

The detail of what Chen Fan had done to the Zheng family was a well-kept secret among very few individuals. Therefore, most of the tycoons in Hong Kong only considered Chen Fan a new rising star. Even though they had heard bits and pieces about the event that occurred at the Jiu Long mountain, no one really believed in it. Therefore. Nie Shunchen was not scared of him even after Chen Fan's identity was revealed and hoped to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. He was not alone in his delusion, many investment groups had planned to hedge against the Zheng's Financial Group when it was rudderless.

However, after they saw Chen Fan had killed Nie Shunchen with such decisiveness, they were all shocked to the core.

From then on, no one in the entire Hong Kong would ever flaunt their dominance over the Zheng's Financial Group.

That was why Chen Fan killed the young man.

"Perfected Cultivator Chen, I am afraid that the party has ended. I will accompany you back to your accommodation." Qiu Yulin bowed slightly and said.

"There is no need." Chen Fan waved a hand at him.

He had already achieved his goal here, and there was no need for him to linger.

Chen Fan scanned the crowd and noticed that everyone, including Lu Zhengyu and Li Xinru, were shaken by the development. The color drained from their faces as they registered Chen Fan's gaze landed on them. Li Xinru's legs trembled in fear and finally gave in, bringing the actress down to the ground.

None of the tycoons and magnates dared to look Chen Fan in the eyes. Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers were more surprised than afraid compared to the other people. The unimaginable power of their roommate had stunned them. They finally realized that Chen Fan was not only just a new rising billionaire in Hong Kong, but he could also take other's life on a whim.

"Let's go."

Chen Fan slapped Qiu Yilun's shoulder and walked toward the exit. The crowd made way for him, making a path in the crowded room. Everyone looked to Chen Fan with complicated yet strong feelings. There were shock, doubt and fear. However, no one dared to protest against his display of brutality.

Qiu Yilun and the others finally gathered themselves and caught up with Chen Fan. Zhou Qinya paused a second as a light flashed in her eyes before she hurried to follow her friends. Yun Qianqian hesitated for a while, unsure if she should leave or stay.

On one side was the CEO of her company, the other was Chen Fan. She was at a loss as to what to do.

"Qianqian, please look after Mr. Chen for me."

A voice rose behind her, she looked back and saw it was Nie Yuanhu who call out to her.

Despite the immeasurable pain and sadness in his husky voice, he was able to remain calm. He was one of the most influential men in the entertainment industry and had lived a rough and tumble life before he rose to power. Therefore, he was able to hold back his anger and sorrow and remain relatively clear-minded.

"Yes, Boss Nie." Yun Qianqian was taken aback at first and then nodded her consent. She turned around and caught up with Chen Fan.

After Yun Qianqian was gone, Nie Yuanhu finally rose to his feet. Despite himself, he squeezed out a smile and said: "I apologize for the accident, my son had a stroke and needs medical care."

Even as Nie Yuanhu apologized, he called out to the manager of the banquet hall. "Xiao Nin, please look after the guests for me."

"Will do, Boss Nie." Manager Nin nodded.

Many people hurried to offer their condolences: "Boss Nie, no one wanted to see this happen. Don't worry about us, please take good care of your son."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Nie Shunchen carried Nie Shunchen's lifeless body and plodded out of the banquet hall.

As soon as Nie Yuanhu was gone, the entire hall boiled over.

"No one should mess with Chen Beixuan, he is too terrifying."

Someone shook his head and lamented. Their voices were laced with fear.

Chen Fan's methods were unconventional since the struggle between upper-class families rarely involved violence. The battle was usually carried out invisibly in stock markets or in the court. Chen Fan's brutal and no-nonsense methods had shaken most people to their cores.

No ordinary men or women could be unfazed by such savagery and outright disregard of rule of law.

Chen Fan's unforgiving methods deterred a lot of opportunists who had hopped to carve a piece of pie for themselves by attacking the Zheng's Financial Group during its weakest state.

No one could guarantee that they could be immune to Chen Fan's brutality. They had been blinded by their ignorance and thought that they would get away with taking advantage of Chen Fan. However, after today, they finally realized that they were wrong. Chen Fan had killed the chicken to warn the monkeys, so to speak. The death of Nie Shunchen was a loud and clear warning to opportunists who lurked in the darkness, waiting for their chance.

"What does Nie Shunchen mean? He said his son passed out from a stroke, but we saw it with our own eyes how lively he had been..." Some young guests who had been close friends with Nie Shunchen asked indignantly with angry red faces.

"Shut up!" Some senior guests flung back at them.

"The reason Boss Nie said so, was that he didn't wish to further the bad blood between him and Master Chen. Hua Yi Entertainment is a powerful player in Hong Kong, but it was no match against Master Chen." Someone explained. "Plus, didn't you see Master Chen didn't even lift a finger on Nie Shunchen?"

Nie Shunchen's friends were suddenly at a loss for words.

Chen Fan had only verbally threatened Nie Shunchen and no one had seen him attack Nie Shunchen. They wagered that even after a full examination of the forensic doctor, the cause of death would be something along the lines of a cardiovascular disease.

Everyone at the banquet knew that Chen Fan had used some kind of spell to kill Nie Shunchen, but no jury would believe such witness claims.

"Boss Nie is a smart man. He knew not to fight a losing battle; therefore he could hold back his sadness and remain rational. He was the founder of the Hua Yi Entertainment and you can see why." An old man nodded approvingly and remarked.

Meanwhile, some other guests snickered in their mind and muttered: "Mr. Nie Yuanhu's appetite for young girls was well known in the industry, and he had slept with nearly all actress who wished to have a head start in their career. Therefore, he had sired quite a few bastard sons and daughters. He might not even moan the death of one son as badly as everyone thinks."

"Plus, if Nie Shunchen hadn't modeled after his dad, he wouldn't have become the loser that he was."

Despite the person had spoken under his breath, his harsh remark was heard by many guests around him. Despite the inappropriateness of the comment, many people agreed with him.

It was impossible for a tycoon of the entertainment industry such as Nie Yuanhu to remain loyal to marriage. Even if he didn't actively seek prey, the young girls who wished to get ahead of their peers would throw themselves into his embrace by themselves. Worse, if they could bore a son for the magnate, they would simply live on the billionaire's child support checks and never have to work for the rest of their lives.

Those were many young managers in the Hua Yi Entertainment who called Nie Yuanhu father when they were in private. Therefore, many people believed that Nie Yuanhu was not as shaken by the death of Nie Shunchen as he appeared to be.

Lo and behold, as soon as Nie Yuanhu walked out of the banquet hall, the saddened expression on his face suddenly disappeared.

With a calm face and great measure of levity, he threw the body of his dead son to the bodyguards around him.

"Boss Nie, what should we do next? Are we going to avenge Young Lord's death?" One of the managers at Hua Yi Entertainment hazarded.

"Revenge?" Nie Yuanhu's face twitched and chided the man: "This good-for-nothing idiot had nearly destroyed all that I have build-up, including my life for a woman! I say it's a good thing that he died before he caused any real damage to his family."

Nie Yuanhu grieved the death of his son, however, his grieving was overtaken by fear.

In addition to the three legitimate sons and one daughter, he also sired a dozen or so bastards. The death of one son was not a big deal to him. The Entertainment industry was a cesspool of intrigue and unsavory actions. if Nie Yuanhu had been naive and innocent, he wouldn't have risen to dominate the industry. He had even hired assassins to kill his first wife, so he could cope with the death of a useless son pretty well.

What Nie Shunchen did that had really irked his father was to drag him and the Nie family into his stupid feud with Master Chen.

If he lost a son, he would just have another one. However, if Hua Yi Entertainment became the victim of Nie Shunchen's doomed war with Chen Fan, Nie Yuanhu would suddenly lose everything he had and became a worthless nobody. That was an outcome more terrifying than death for Nie Yuanhu.

"I can't just sit around. I don't think Yun Qianqian alone would be enough to quell the anger of Chen Beixuan."

Nie Yuanhu thought as a light came up in his eyes.

He tried to put himself in Chen Fan's shoes and thought that if anyone had threatened to throw him off the ship, he wouldn't stop the retribution until all members of the Nie Family was dead.

"I think I would have to visit Mr. Chen myself and apologize in person."

"If I can manage the situation well, I might be able to turn the disaster into a blessing."

Nie Yuanhu gritted his teeth and called out to one of his assistants. "Go fetch Li Xinru, I need to see her."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 278: They Call Me Master Chen

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan didn't return to his room right away; instead, he walked along the hallway and made his way to the top deck. The Swan Princess was a multi-layered behemoth that weighed over a few thousand tons. The sun had set a few hours ago, so no one was walking about on the deck at this hour. People were either conversing in private quarters or engaging in intimate activities under the bedsheets.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked at the distant shining jewels on the shore of Victoria Bay. The sight would be more gorgeous up close, but Chen Fan's vision was ten times sharper than an ordinary person, therefore, he could see everything: from the neon lights to the bustling dock hands, people finishing their jobs at the dock.

Sweat glided down from their foreheads; scorched by the sun, their skin was darker than the night, a symbol of their low social status. However, in Chen Fan's eyes, they were much more respectable and honorable men and women than Nie Shunchen.

Chen Fan was a man of the people, despite his wealth and power, he felt related to those who worked hard and lived a humble life. He had always wanted to revisit earth during the five hundred years of cultivation and to be reunited with the working-class people on earth who had labored and sweated. People such as Nie Shunchen had no place in Chen Fan's heart. He was just an insect, and he would kill as many of these worthless parasites as he could.

"I understand you guys have questions, you may ask me now." Chen Fan looked back and saw Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers. Confusion and questions were written all over their faces. He managed to squeeze out a smile and said: "Don't worry, you guys are my friends, I won't treat you like Nie Shunchen."

Qiu Yilun and the others were shocked by what they heard.

Liu Xiaojin hazarded: "So... you are saying that you killed Nie Shunchen?"

"Yes, and no." Chen Fan shrugged. "He was about to die pretty soon, but I have saved him from waiting."

Chen Fan recalled that in his past life, he had met the young heir of the Hua Yi Entertainment as the new owner of the Jin Xiu Group at banquets. By then, Nie Shunchen had also inherited the Hua Yi Entertainment and became an ever more influential heavyweight in the entertainment industry.

Rumor had it that a new rising called Xu Rongfei had offended a few top dogs in the industry and Nie Shunchen was one of them. After Xu Rongfei was blacklisted by the industry, the paparazzi magazines heaped groundless slander on her. In the end, the girl chose to end her life after being unable to handle the stress. Nie Shunchen was one of the vile men who orchestrated the death of the beautiful and innocent girl. Karma was a bitch, After a while, Nie Shunchen's luck finally ran out and many scandals such as his sexual abuse of actresses and murdering of his rivals were exposed by the media. In the end, he was thrown in jail and remained there for the rest of his life.

Since Chen Fan was quite removed from the entertainment industry in his last life, Chen Fan was not sure if Nie Shunchen really was involved in Xu Rongfei's death. However, he still didn't feel bad about killing Nie Shunchen. After all, Nie Shunchen had threatened to throw him and his friends off the ship.

If Chen Fan was an ordinary man instead of an immortal cultivator, he might have no other option other than bending his knees and to apologize.

"But we didn't see you even lifting a finger." Qian Lulu exclaimed.

"There are many things in this world that might seem inexplicable to you, but it doesn't mean they aren't real." Chen Fan cracked a smile. "Yuan Hen, for example, he is a powerful spell caster and had cast an illusion on all of you. If wouldn't be much harder for him to kill all of you using the illusion spells."

So saying, Chen Fan gave Qi Wangsun a knowing look.

When Yuan Hen used the Illusion Dragon Bracelet to unleash the deadly illusions, Qi Wangsun was unfazed by the terror before him. It was as if he had seen such spells before. Therefore, Chen Fan was convinced that there was more than what met the eye about his best friend.

"Really?"

Qian Lulu, Liu Xiaojin and Zhou Qinya were set back on their heels

"Boss, do you mean you can cast spells?" Qiu Yilun was incredulous.

They were from well-off families of a small city, therefore, their level of attainment and achievement hadn't broadened their views wide enough to even catch a glimpse of the spellcasters' powers.

"Of course."

Chen Fan shot out a finger and pointed at a table on the deck.

A dozen or so candles were placed on the wooden table. They wouldn't be lit unless guests chose to use the patio. However, as soon as Chen Fan's fingers pointed at them, fire burst out and lit up the entire patio. Despite the howling wind from the sea, the flames didn't die down in the slightest.

"Ah!"

Qian Lulu and the others covered their mouths to stifle a surprised cry. They couldn't believe the unimaginable scene.

They felt it was a frame by frame reenactment of a scene in Harry Potter where the lights in the academy suddenly went on with a wave of the wand. It was an impressive scene in the movie even though people knew that the scene was created using special visual effects, but to see the stuff of fiction in real life was a much more stunning experience.

"There are many powerful spellcasters in real life. I am just one of them." Chen Fan pulled his fingers back and said lightly.

"Boss told us the truth. I remembered that when my family first moved into our house, we were harassed by a ghost in the house. My mother hired an exorcist and I remember that night, the house was turned into a battleground and things were knocked around by some unseen force. After the exorcist claimed that he had captured the ghost, we never encountered a single supernatural event since." Qiu Yilun slapped his thigh and said abruptly. "However, I was too young to understand what was going on. But now that I think of it, that exorcist might have been a master spellcaster."

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing Qiu Yilun's story.

Many people had encountered inexplicable supernatural phenomena such as ghosts and what have you. Although the teenagers had often heard stories of supernatural elements, they had never believed in them since none of them had encountered any supernatural force in person.

"I see, so you are one of those masters who possessed the Dharmic powers. Why do they call you Chen Beixuan instead of Chen Fan? And why did they say that you are the new rising billionaire in the city?" Qiu Yilun asked in confusion.

His question had piqued everyone's interest and they all looked to Chen Fan expectantly.

Chen Fan's ability to cast spells was too remote for them to care, however, that was not the case for Chen Fan's wealth. Zheng family had been one of the top ten families in Hong Kong. They had unimaginable wealth at their disposal. Even the family fortune of Sheng family and the Chen family couldn't compare much less that of Qiu Yilun and Zhou Qinya.

The only person in the entire Jiang Nan Province who could have challenged the Zheng family might be Zhang Donghai, the richest man in the province.

However, such a powerful player in Hong Kong was destroyed by a young man. It was unheard of.

"The Zheng family owed me money. I simply took it back." Chen Fan shrugged his shoulders and said: "As for the name, you must have heard of the third name they used for me."

Chen Fan paused a second as a smirk surfaced on his face. "They call me Master Chen."

"Master Chen?"

Everyone was caught by surprise.

Finally, Zhou Qinya remembered something and then in her utter shock, she pointed a finger at Chen Fan and exclaimed: "So you are the Master Chen everyone had been talking about?"

Zhou Qinya's exclamation was a wake-up call to everyone else. They looked at Chen Fan with disbelief and shock. The Sheng family's downfall had occurred not long ago, so everyone remembered Master Chen who toppled the mighty family.

Finally, Che Fan's friends started to connect the dots together.

"No wonder! It makes so much sense now!" Qiu Yilun clapped his hands excitedly. "You are the Master Chen of Jiang Bei, that explains your spellcasting abilities. You are a key member of the Chen family, and that was why Chen Xu was so afraid of you. You didn't go home after Sheng Ronghua's banquet you must have gone straight to Sheng Ronghua's house. That also explains why you would buy that useless trinket for thirty million."

"That's not a trinket, that's a Dharma Artifact." Chen Fan corrected him.

The yellow-skinned gourd was a Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure. It was worth much more than thirty billion, much less thirty million.

"Fine, fine, It is a useless Dharma Artifact." Qiu Yilun smiled mischievously.

Realization finally dawned upon Zhou Qinya.

If Chen Fan truly was Master Chen of Jiang Bei, that would explain why Seventh Lord Huang would be his chauffeur. The revelation unnerved her as she became increasingly afraid of Chen Fan.

She belonged to the elite class of Jin City, therefore, she had heard a lot about Master Chen's power. Master Chen had not only dominated Jiang Bei, but even Tang Yuanqin had to obey his orders. The Sheng family was the only family who dared to offend him and the entire family was brutally murdered. Many members of the Sheng family died of inexplicable causes; their fates were very similar to that of Nie Shunchen. Then she thought about what happened to the Zheng family, the death of Old Man Zheng and the wrinkled face of Zheng Anqi. Suddenly, Zhou Qinya felt a chill down her spine.

The seemingly ordinary and harmless young man was a deadly murderer who had trampled over the Sheng family.

Then, Zhou Qinya felt a hint of excitement mixed in her fear. It was the excitement of meeting someone with great power. She adored powerful men and out of all the men she had met, who could be more powerful than Chen Fan?

"When I arrived home that day, my mom had a car accident." Chen Fan said, and then he fell into silence.

Everyone looked at him sympathetically after knowing what he meant in between his words.

They lamented the viciousness of struggles between large families. Sheng family had brought their downfall on themself. If they didn't piss off Chen Fan by attempting to kill his mother, they might still be alive.

Qi Wangsun stood quietly and listened to Chen Fan's explanation. He knew Chen Fan had omitted many details. Chen Fan had been frank about his second identity as the Master Chen of Jinagn Bei, but never did he explain his connection with the third name, Chen Beixuan, and why the name had instilled so much fear into Nie Yuanhu. There ought to be secrets behind the Zheng's Financial Group's changing of hands.

Qi Wangsun also recalled that Zhou Qinya said Shen Junwen was courting Fang Qiong, Chen Fan's girlfriend. He wagered that the love rival between Chen Fan and Shen Junwen might also have contributed to the fall of the Sheng family.

Nonetheless, Qi Wangsun had kept his thoughts to himself.

Qi Wangsun was moved by Chen Fan's friendship despite the young man's incredible power and social status. He had met with some of his father's friends, and none of them could have lowered themselves to befriend ordinary people as Chen Fan had.

"Boss, from now on, you are a billionaire. A member of the Forbes Rich List. You are going to become the most popular guy in our school. Are you ready for all the flowers and attention?" Qiu Yilun asked. His words sounded bitter and jealous.

Although his family owned over a few hundred million assets, those belonged to his father and wouldn't be his for another few decades. However, every penny of Chen Fan's tremendous wealth belonged to himself.

Qiu Yilun then stood quietly and he was flanked by an equally reticent Yun Qianqian whose eyes were filled with admiration.

Chen Fan's achievement was so great that it was terrifying in the eyes of his friends. What girl did not like a successful and powerful man?

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 279: A Midnight Meeting

The party on the deck was over very quickly.

After an entire day of ordeals, Qiu Yilun was not in the mood for eating. Exhausted, he only wanted to go back to his bed and fall asleep. There were hundreds of rooms on the Swan Princess and each one of them were furnished according to the standards of a four-star hotel.

Chen Fan lay on his bed and was reading a paperback called "Shushan knight-errant swordsman biography." Chen Fan had experienced everything the universe had to offer during the five hundred years of cultivation, and therefore, nothing could have piqued his interest anymore. His only pastime was reading. He found himself revealed in fictions and legends as mortal's imagination never ceased to amaze him

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Come in."

Chen Fan answered without even turning his head. His Divine Will had already detected the stately presence of a middle-aged man and another presence of a young and sultry woman.

"Mr. Chen..."

Nie Yuanhu pushed the door open and heaped a smile onto his face, looking nothing like just losing a son. On the contrary, Li Xinru who stood behind him was still shaken by the event that happened earlier. The man inside the room had killed the young heir of Hua Yi Entertainment by simply uttering a threat. If not because of Nie Yuanhu's persistent threats and encouragement, she would never go anywhere near Chen Fan ever again.

"What can I do for you?"

Chen Fan flipped a few pages and asked distractedly.

However furious and angry Nie Yuanhu was, he did not have what it took to challenge Chen Fan. Chen Fan could kill Nie Yuanhu with a slap on the face. Therefore, he didn't care about what had brought Nie Yuanhu here.

Nie Yuanhu came closer and bowed.

"Mr. Chen. I am here to apologize for what happened today."

He didn't seem to mind the fact that Chen Fan had killed his son, and apologized to Chen Fan with great sincerity.

"I see."

Chen Fan nodded and then became quiet.

Nie Yuanhu's face twitched slightly and then said: "I have just learned from Qianqian that you two knew each other. I admit that Qianqian had met some headwinds in her career. If I knew that she is your acquaintance, I would spare no expense to help her out of the rut."

A green flame of envy burst out from Li Xinru's eyes. Both she and Yun Qianqian were top actresses in the company, however, only because Yun Qianqian was acquainted with Chen Fan, the company had decided to spend all of its resources on promoting Yun Qianqian. From the sound of it, her boss was going to groom Yun Qianqian into an international star.

She knew what that meant: she had lost utterly in the competition with Yun Qianqian. Gigs would pour toward Yun Qianqian from now on, and it would be difficult for Li Xinru to not to be jealous.

"Oh?" Chen Fan still looked indifferent.

What does Yun Qianqian mean to him? He knew that Yun Qianqian had a crush on him, but Chen Fan had only treated her as a passer-by in his life. However, Chen Fan didn't deny that he found Yun Qianqian very likable. He would love to see Yun Qianqian benefit from their relationship.

Seeing Chen Fan's reaction, Nie Yuanhu gritted his teeth and took a step forward. He bowed so deeply that his head was nearly touching the ground.

"Mr. Chen, I wonder what would it take for you to forgive me and Hua Yi Entertainment?"

"Why do you think I am after you and your company?" Chen Fan was taken aback by the question he put down the book in his hand and gave Nie Yuanhu a smirk. "Boss Nie, as long as you stay away from my friends and family, I will stay away from yours. I killed your son because he deserved it. But that doesn't mean I want to harm you or your company unless you are thinking of harming me first."

"Of course not!" Nie Yuanhu shook his head vigorously.

He would never even think of messing with Chen Fan and testing his terrifying power.

"Then why are you still here?" Chen Fan picked up the book and kept on reading. Nie Yuanhu knew that he shouldn't press on tonight. It would take more than one night to change the mind of someone so powerful.

Before he left, he gave Li Xinru a wink and then walked out of the room by himself.

Inside the small room, Chen Fan and Li Xinru were alone by themselves.

Chen Fan could smell the faint perfume on Li Xinru's body. If his memory served him right, it was Chanel number five. This perfume was highly sought after around the globe and it cost 300 US dollars per ounce. Chen Fan had smelled its unique fragrance many times in his past life when he was a rich playboy.

However, this was the first time in his current life smelling it.

This perfume had a strong personality which only was matched with a more seasoned and mature women. Any ordinary teenage girl wouldn't be able to pull it off.

"Mr. Chen..."

Li Xinru purred.

She put on a look that went against the grain of her usual strident and seductive persona. Instead, she looked meek and sheepish, like a shy handmaiden who had just entered the emperor's palace on the first day of duty.

"Are you Li Xinru?"

Chen Fan put down the book and examined her from head to toe.

Li Xinru felt a chill down her spine. Chen Fan's gaze on her was very different than that of other men. The other men's gazes were laced with lewd intend and focused on her thighs, chest, and waist. However, Chen Fan looked at her as if looking at an old acquaintance.

"Have you met me before?" Li Xinru asked.

Then she regretted her silly question immediately. She was a movie star, of course, Chen Fan had seen her on the silver screen.

"Yes." Chen Fan nodded. "I have seen you kneeling before a statue of a Demon God. There is an old man wearing a necklace made out of bones. Ah-right. You must have gotten that cursed bracelet from there. Later you had given that bracelet to Yun Qianqian."

Li Xinru's legs gave in and she collapsed to the ground. She managed to sit up on her legs, supporting her weight with the cushion of her palm. Fear seized her body, making her tremble and her teeth chatter.

"How... how... how did you know?" Li Xinru asked in a thin wispy voice.

That was her deepest secret. Yun Qianqian had not only surpassed her in her acting career, but she had also charmed her boyfriend at the time. Being pushed into a corner, she sought unconventional methods to gain an edge. One of her friends introduced her to a powerful master. She braved the scary-looking temple herself to ask for help. The monk in the temple gave her a Buddhism bracelet and told her that the wearer of the bracelet would quickly lose soul energy and die of delirium.

Lo and behold, Yun Qianqian had fallen sick soon after she got the bracelet and missed many contracts. However, that Yun Qianqian seemed to have lost the bracelet and ever since then, Yun Qianqian's attitude toward her also turned 180 degrees.

"I saw you in the illusion created by the Buddhism bracelet." Chen Fan answered. "Who gave you the bracelet? Who is that monk in the temple?"

Li Xinru lowered her head and said in a trembling voice: "I am not sure either. One of my BFF introduced them to me. I remember that he was called the Grandmaster Famine of the Skull Temple"

"Skull Temple, Famine?" Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully.

Although the curse imbued in the beads were worthless, the method of which it was cast was much more legit and professional than the Dharma Spells of the Yin Ghost Sect, or the Ghost Witch Sect. It was evident that it was cast by someone from an ancient traditional sect.

That being said, Chen Fan didn't think the Skull Temple would pose any threat to him. He asked the girl for the name of the caster simply out of curiosity. After he got the answer, he waved a dismissal, willing the girl to leave the room.

The drama between Li Xinru and Yun Qianqian was their business, and Chen Fan didn't intend to get involved.

However, to his surprise, the short conversation with Li Xinru had emboldened the girl. She walked softly toward Chen Fan and kneeled down before the bed. Then, she put on a pitiful face and said with a crying voice: "Mr. Chen, can I stay here for one night? If Boss Nie finds out that you want me to leave now, he is going to kill me."

As tears ran down her cheeks, she looked more attractive and alluring than any he had met on earth. Although Jiang Churan and Xu Rongfei were both gorgeous girls, they lacked the sultry seductiveness in Li Xinru. Decades of the tumbling life in the entertainment industry had forged her skills to perfection. The distance between her and her target was perfect, just enough to let the sexually charged fragrance fill up the boy's nose. Chen Fan felt a ball of fire came up in his lower belly and slowly made its way to his groin. Chen Fan still had to put up with the inferior mortal body before he regained his Divine Body.

Despite the burning desire, Chen Fan charged up his will power and easily quelled his body's rebellion. He then let out a half-smile.

"You are afraid of him, but not me?"

Li Xinru was the sex symbol of many young men. If this happened during Chen Fan's past life, he would have already thrown himself toward the girl and enjoyed a happy ending. However, after having seen countless goddesses and otherworldly beauties, he had developed an immunity to Li Xinru's earthly beauty. Even if he wanted to reap the pleasure of his youthful body, he would seek pleasure with other girls such as Li Xinru, Tang Yifei, or Yun Qianqian who were more his type.

Chen Fan's words didn't have any effect on Li Xinru. The girl inched toward Chen Fan and straightened her back a little to push her round butt out.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then said: "I know why you are here. How about this: instead of fucking me, you can do me a favor. I want you to look after a girl called Xu Rongfei in the entertainment industry. If you can do that, I will make sure that you will have the same amount of attention from your boss as Yun Qianqian."

"Really?" Li Xinru's eyes lit up with glee.

"Yes."

Chen Fan didn't think of that idea on a whim. Li Xinru's act had reminded him of the bitterness and trails that Xu Rongfei had to go through during his last life. She was the nicest person to Chen Fana and therefore, Chen Fan didn't want to see her suffer again during this life. With Li Xinru's help, she should have a much easier time on her journey to become a shining star.

"Please accept this as my appreciation for treating me like your brother."

Chen Fan looked up thought to himself.

After Li Xinru was gone, Chen Fan quickly fell asleep.

The next day, Qiu Yilun and the other teenagers left Hong Kong since the national holiday was about to end. However, Chen Fan planned to stay for a few days to attend the International Chinese Esotericism conference. Meanwhile, he would also collect more materials for the Array formation and finalize the transaction of the Zheng's Financial Group.

Running a multi-billion dollar financial group was no small feat. If Chen Fan lowered his guard in the slightest, the employees would quickly find ways to benefit their own accounts at the expense of the company's profit. Killing those who denied him was not the solution when it came down to running a company.

"I really need a manager to run the Zheng's Financial Group for me. But who?"

Chen Fan rubbed his chin and pondered.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 280: The Besieged Zheng's Group

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The death of Nie Shunchen didn't stir up any news. Other than some chintzy girly magazines that had reported the death of the young heir, none of the other major news outlets did. The Nie family didn't even report the death to the police and neither did any guests at the banquet dare to speak about what had happened fearing Chen Beixuan's retribution.

However, the news had spread quickly across the elite class of Hong Kong. After the death of Zhou Daoji, and the falling of the Zheng family, any news related to Chen Beixuan would quickly catch the elite class's attention.

"It seems Mr. Chen has a lot of attitude."

Inside a luxury golf course, a man was swung his club and hit the ball off the tee. Hong Kong has very limited space for land development and to be able to build such a huge Golf Course spoke loudly of the owner's prowess. However, only those insiders knew that this golf club was not open for business, it was a private leisure venue for a certain rich heir to pass his time.

"He is killing the chicken to warn the monkey."

A young man with a cold expression said in a deep voice.

"Not the monkeys, he is warning us." The man who spoke up first shook his head and smirked. "Despite Nie Shunchen's fame, his power is insignificant; therefore, killing him wouldn't cause much damage. Chen Beixuan was very smart to use him as an example to teach the entire Hong Kong a lesson."

The man was in his forties. He was wearing beach sandals and a gold hat, looking relaxed and confident. No one would have known based on his clothing that he was the owner of a public firm that was worth over ten billion.

"Are you afraid?" The cold-face young man asked with a frown.

"Why of course." The middle-aged man blurted out a laugh.

"Chen Beixuan has unimaginable power and is not afraid of killing people. I am just a businessman, why shouldn't I be afraid? I have so little precious time left in my life, so many more gorgeous asses to sit on my lap while I enjoy my delicious food. I am an idiot if I butt my head against him."

"However, did you know that brute force could kill people but it wouldn't be able to run a business. Even if he has incredible power to use Dharma Spells, he is still a rookie when it comes down to business." The cold-face young man said.

"The Zheng's Financial Group has four firms under its banner and was worth over a dozen billion yuan. His savagery alone wouldn't help him to command over ten thousand employees. When he finally feels the pressure, he would have to compromise with us."

"Little Stock God, you are right!" The man clapped his hands and said with a broad smile: "Dharma Spells and Financial Investments are two very different things. If Chen Beixuan wishes to run the Zheng family's business, he would have to play by the rules, our rules. I doubt that he would dare to destroy us Loong family right after he has done away with the Zhengs. If that is the case, he wouldn't be able to stay anywhere in China much less Hong Kong."

So saying, the man lengthened his body slightly as the light started to glint in his eyes. Suddenly, he transformed from a lazy middle-aged man leisurely stroking golf ball to a powerful tycoon that controlled mighty power.

"The Zheng's Financial Group's board meeting will be held in three days, I am looking forward to seeing how he fares among the grilling of the stakeholders."

The two attractive ball girls that flanked the middle-aged men were wearing revealing sports shorts and tank tops. Their eyes glinted as they gazed at the middle-age man as they would a shiny precious diamond.

The man's name was Loong Jun

He was the owner of the Xin Hai Investment bank and had been on the top thirty rich list in Hong Kong as soon as he reached forty. As a tycoon in the financial sector, his wealth was well over a few dozen billion. Worse, Loong Jun was backed by the mighty Loong family of Hong Kong, equal to the former Zheng family.

The young man stood beside him was called Liu Yuze, the Little Stock God. He was the Chief Securities Officer and Dealer for the Xin Hai Investment Bank. A renowned genius who had graduated from the business school of Harvard at the age of 16. He then went on to get two masters degrees from MIT and worked at Goldman Sachs as the Senior Securities Officer for a few years. After he returned to Hong Kong, he joined Xin Hai Investment Bank and quickly became Loong Jun's most trusted assistant.

To most magnates of Hong Kong, the turmoil at the Zheng family was an opportunity they couldn't miss. An astronomical amount of money flooded the market, trying to hedge against the four companies under the Zheng's Financial Group.

These stock prices of these four companies had been falling ever since yesterday.

The vicious attack from competitors aside, the news about the death of the Old Man Zheng and handing over of the Zheng's Financial Group to a new owner didn't help with the stakeholder's confidence in the company. Most people didn't think that they could rely on the young owner of the company to lead the Zheng's Financial Group to weather the financial storm.

Many stakeholders requested a board meeting to choose another CEO.

Although Chen Fan's deadly methods had made many alligators think better of their actions, Loong Jun was not one of them. He waited patiently for an opportunity to lash out a killing blow at the Zheng's Financial Group.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was sitting in a Lincoln limousine and across from him sat a nervous Zheng Anpin. The former heir of the Zheng family shivered in the car seat and trembled before Chen Fan

Zheng Anpin had never thought that Chen Fan would request a meeting with him

When Cui Qinhe delivered the message to him, he nearly wet his pants. Chen Fan had toppled the Zheng family and cast Zheng Anpin to a living nightmare. Although he hated Chen Fan for what he did to him, he didn't have the courage to actually meet face to face with Chen Fan.

"Chen... Mr. Chen... What do you want from me?" Zheng Anpin shivered and asked in a shaky voice.

He was wearing a wrinkled suit and his hair was matted and greasy. Exhaustion and stress were written all over his face. He looked nothing like the playboy who had countless scandals with young and attractive actresses, instead, he looked like a hobo that struggled to make ends meet.

The reality was often cruel and unforgiving.

The Zheng family had fallen so swiftly that none of the Zheng family members had a chance to transfer any of their assets. Before they knew it, their bank accounts were frozen, and they were kicked out of their mansions. Zheng Anpin was lucky to have acquired a few properties in the city under his mistress's name so that he still had a roof on top of his head. However, the drastic change in people's attitude toward him had taken a toll on his mind and soul. He had been hiding inside bars, using all kinds of poison to numb the pain of other people's put downs and snickers.

"I need a manager. One from the Zheng family."

Chen Fan knocked the armrest with a knuckle and said lightly.

The Zheng's Financial Group included four public companies and countless smaller privately owned firms. There were hundreds of departments and over tens of thousands of employees. Such a large enterprise could not be easily taken over by one man. It would cost any outsider countless time and resources to break into the company's team and consolidate his power. During that time, the Zheng's Financial Group was bound to make some sacrifices under the attack of vicious alligators of the financial sector.

"Manager?" Zheng Anpin was taken aback.

"Indeed. I can't stay in Hong Kong for too long. The Zheng's Financial Group was nothing but a pile of cash for me, so I don't want to spend too much time on it. I would love to sell it and cash in before I leave Hong Kong." Chen Fan said.

To most people, to build a finance enterprise such as the Zheng's Financial Group was a lifetime goal. However, Chen Fan was neither interested nor did he have a lifetime to spend. He only wanted some quick cash and therefore, selling the company was the way to go.

The money could be used to build the Green Dragon Grand Array and develop the Spirit Herb Cultivation Plant. Once Chen Fan had reached the Connate Spirit Level, he would acquire trillions of wealth with ease, the Zheng's Financial Group would mean nothing to him.

"What? sell it?" Zheng Anpin was taken aback. He jumped out of the seat and urged.

"No, please don't! That's the result of generations of Zheng family's hard work."

Although Zheng Anpin was a spoiled brat who was a good-for-nothing, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing his family's generations of hard work being carved up into pieces and sold. Chen Fan was the new owner of the company, but the Zheng family still had some influence among the employees. So much so, that It wasn't impossible for the Zheng family to reacquire the Zheng's Financial Group from Chen Fan in the future. However, if Chen Fan sold the company to other powerful magnates, the company would be completely dissolved and absorbed.

That was the last thing that Zheng Anpin wanted to see.

"If I don't sell it, I will need a manager to help me with the day to day operation of the company." Chen Fan cross his legs and took a sip of wine. "What do you think?"

"Uhh..." Zheng Anpin hesitated.

He would recommend himself to be the manager in a heartbeat, but he also knew that Chen Fan would not accept him into the company. Plus, all his life, he had never bothered to look after the family business and had wasted his time on debauchery. He would be lying to himself if he thought that he could manage a multi-billion corporation.

"What about my third uncle Zheng Haomin?" Zheng Anpin asked cautiously.

"He is an old brat, incompetent and unworthy." Chen Fan glanced at Zheng Haomin's profile handed over to him by Mr. Shi and then said.

"What about my ninth uncle Zheng Haochang? He used to be in charge of the Zheng's Financial Group." Zheng Anpin suggested.

"He is a competent manager but lacks ambition. Plus, he had been in charge of the company before, so I can't choose him again. I am not going to instigate a mutiny for myself." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

He had already made up his mind to exclude the members of the second generation Zheng family.

Those men were well connected in the Zheng's Financial Group, and once they were let loose, they would quickly form an alliance with their former subordinates to either beguile Chen Fan or disenfranchise him. Therefore, a member of the Zheng family's third-generation heir was a much better option as Chen Fan's manager.

"What about Zheng Anyi? He is the most outstanding member of my generation." Zheng Anyi aked.

"He is too ambitious."

Chen Fan crossed out a name on the paper.

Zheng Anpin went onto to make another few suggestions, but they were all rejected by Chen Fan for being either too ambitious or lack of talent. In the end, there was only one name left on the list of potential candidates.

Chen Fan circled the last name with a red pen.

"Zheng Anqi."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 281: From Hell to Heaven

"Zheng Anqi?"

Zheng Anpin couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the name chosen by Chen Fan.

She was the one who dragged the Zheng family down to the living hell by messing with the wrong man. In the end, the Old Man Zheng was dead, and their family assets were taken away. Countless rich heirs of the Zheng family clan lost their privileges and wealth. Zheng Anqi herself was robbed of her youth and turned into a wizened crone.

Why would Chen Fan choose her after doing so much harm to her?

"You think I hate her?" Chen Fan laughed out loud

What did Zheng Anqi mean to Chen Fan? Nothing. All that Chen Fan had done was punish her for trying to get away with not paying the debt. Chen Fan had nearly forgotten about her if not because of his need of a manager.

"Based on the information I got, she is the best candidate for the job." Chen Fan flipped through the paper and said.

"Ever since she was kicked out of the Zheng family for what she did, her mother, the royalty from England moved in with one of her lovers. Her father, Zheng Haochang was the one who made the decision to denounce her as his daughter after the harm she had caused to the family. The paper also showed that Zheng Haochang had sired three bastards with three different mistresses."

Chen Fan continued.

"After Zheng Anqi was kicked out of her own family, no other family members were willing to look after her. In the end, she ended up living with one of her BFFs. However, her nightmare had just begun. The so-called BFF invited all of her friends to her house to see the hideous condition Zheng Anqi was in. Zheng Anqi couldn't stomach the insulst, so she ran out of her BFF's house and settled in the home of one of her former subordinates."

The description of Zheng Anqi's condition sounded horrible, but Chen Fan knew that reality was much worse than that.

Zheng Anqi used to be the princess of the Zheng family, a drop-dead gorgeous of royal heritage. She was spoiled by both her family as well as countless rich suitors. However, one misstep, she had caused the death of her grandpa, ended her family's fortune and was turned into a hideous looking hag. She quickly fell out of love with her parents, hated by her family members, and being laughed at by her former friends, practically turning herself into a laughing stock of Hong Kong.

Only Chen Fan's past life could have rivaled what she was going through right now in terms of despair and regret.

Helpless and hapless, Zheng Anqi was at the lowest point of her life.

Her vulnerability would make her easily controlled by Chen Fan. Chen Fan was convinced that if she was given a chance, she would be too afraid of screwing up again and give all she got. With her in control of the Zheng's Financial Group, even the Zheng family members would think twice before trying funny business.

Only those who had lived in hell knew to appreciate heaven.

"She had already turned into a hag, are you really going to choose her?" Zheng Anpin rounded his eyes and asked in surprise.

"hehe, you have no idea what I am capable of."

Chen Fan closed the folder and cracked a cold smile. His eyes were filled with confidence and pride.

Meanwhile, inside a barricade looking apartment building in the LC district of Hong Kong.

"Zheng Anqi, are you done with that draft yet? Boss Yu and the others need it by tonight." A woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and a collared shirt stood by the door and uttered a question coldly.

"Ok, ok, ok..." An old woman with silver hair hurried to nodded her consent.

This old woman was the focal point of the public's attention, Zheng Anqi. Her hair was as white and dry as old silver and her skin was covered with deep wrinkles. Although her body still retained the shape of a drop-dead gorgeous in her prime, no one would be turned on by her appearance.

Zheng Anqi was wearing a pair of thick glasses. She lamented her sorry state as she drafted the design drawings on the computer.

She had never thought that it was the skill she had learned during her college in England that had helped her survive during the hardest time in her life. If not because of her proficient drafting skill, her former subordinate would never have accepted her.

"Pay attention to your work! I am not running a charity here. Do you think it's easy for me to pay for the bills and put food on the table? You just have to draft, it's not rocket science." The other young girl in black-rimmed glasses chided. "You need to understand that you are no longer the heir of the Zheng family any longer. If you don't like the work here, the door is right over there. I am interested to see who would take you in."

"Yes."

The old woman answered as her hand became shaky.

She used to be a scintillating beauty and every outfit she designed could fetch a huge amount of money. However, there and then, she had to work non-stop just to feed herself.

The young girl looked at the obedient Zheng Anqi and felt a euphoria rush through her body.

She used to be one of this old woman's insignificant assistants and had to put up with her bad temper and castigation. Even when she accompanied her to banquets, no one had ever noticed her beside the Zheng Anqi's shining beauty.

"Why? I am not any less attractive than her, why did no one ever pay attention to me? Is it because she was born into the right family? Am I destined to be her slave?"

For a large part, what drove the young woman to take in Zheng Anqi was revenge.

"din..din..."

The doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" The girl asked annoyingly. She opened the door and saw an ordinary-looking young man. Behind the young man stood the manager of her company.

"Boss Yu, what brings you here?" The girl welcomed them into the room.

"Ninqin, this is the CEO of our company, Boss Chen." Boss Yu was a chubby man and the stress and the heat had already made him drenched in sweat.

"Boss Chen?" Ninqin shivered.

She realized that this ordinary-looking young man was the one who had defeated the Zheng family and recently took over the Zheng's Financial Group.

Under Ninqin's stunned look, Chen Fan pushed her to a side and walked into the room.

Zheng Anqi heard the commotion at the door, she struggled to rise to her feet and finally saw Chen Fan. Her eyes were filled with strong and complicated emotions as she stared at the culprit of her downfall.

Zheng Anqi used to hate Chen Fan to the core. However, after she was kicked out of her family, and being laughed at by her friends, she somehow no longer hated Chen Fan. Without Chen Fan, she would have never known the true color of the family and friends around her.

"Are you here to make fun of me?"

Zheng Anqi lowered her head and asked defiantly.

"No, I am here to offer you a chance. I need someone to manage the Zheng's Financial Group, will you do it?" Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and asked lightly.

"What?" Zheng Anqi looked up at the young man in utter disbelief.

"I can not only restore your power but also return youth back to you." Chen Fan continued. His words were as tempting as the whispers of a devil.

"What do you want?"

Zheng Anqi shivered. She thinned her lips to a line and asked.

"Loyalty, absolute loyalty." Chen Fan narrowed his eyes as cold light glinted within. "If you betray me, I will make sure you will perish both physically and your soul."

"I agree."

Zheng Anqi answered without a second hesitation.

She had nothing to lose, and this was her last ticket out of this living hell.

"Good."

Chen Fan nodded and then folded his hands. An azure-colored light spilled out from between his hands and shot at Zheng Anqi, covering the old woman's body.

Under Ninqin and Boss Yu's stunned watch, Zheng Anqi's white hair slowly regained color and the wrinkles on her face also disappeared as her skin became firm and smooth again. In a blink, the old hag was transformed back to her former glorious state, if not even more attractive. Magical energy seemed to flow around her sublime presence.

Thus it was, Divine powers could take one's life and dictated one's fate.

Three days later, the Zheng's Financial Group's stakeholder meeting finally began.

The directors, managers, CEOs of all the four publicly traded companies gathered together in the meeting room of the Zheng's Palace in downtown Hong Kong.

The large meeting room was packed and everyone talked to each other about today's agenda.

Loong Jun sat cross-legged in the room. The Xin Hai Investment Bank had been hedging against the Zheng's Financial Group's stock and had acquired a sizable share of the company. Therefore he attended the meeting as a major shareholder.

Loong Jun scanned the room and recognized a few bosses of other investment banks. Those bosses registered Loong Jun's gaze on them, so they smiled back at him knowingly. These men were loaded with ammunition for Chen Fan.

No one had thought of expelling Chen Fan out of the management, but many of them were vying to fill in key positions in the Zheng's Financial Group.

"If Chen Beixuan is smart, he should know that it is impossible for him to run the Zheng's Group all by himself, he will need our help. By then, we can each take up key positions in the company and collect money. That will be wonderful!"

Loong Jun rubbed his chin and let out a smug smile.

He didn't think that Chen Fan had any tricks up his sleeves to keep the Zheng's Financial Group under his boots. Running a large corporation was not an easy task even for the founder of the company, much less an outsider. No matter who Chen Fan appointed to those key positions, the board members are going to vote the candidate down. Therefore, in order to calm the resistance of the board members and stakeholders, Chen Fan would have to compromise.

Loong Jun calculated the possibility of Chen Fan inviting Zheng Haochang back to run the company. With Zheng Haochang's deep roots in the company, he should be able to placate the stakeholders. Plus, he was a seasoned manager and used to run the Zheng's Group for many years. However, Loong Jun was convinced that Chen Fan wouldn't hire him back fearing his former victim would plot against him.

"Chen Beixuan, you have finally exhausted your tricks."

Even as Loong Jun let out a smug smile, a wave of surprised murmurs rose in the room. He noticed that everyone looked to the entrance with surprised looks, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"What is it?"

Loong Jun wondered.

He turned around and saw a tall woman in a custom-fitted suit. Her hair was platinum blond and features on her face breathtaking. She wore a pair of high heels that made her stand out among the crowd around her. With each step she took, a cold light glinted brighter in her eyes. She nodded to hither and thither, offer her charming greetings like that of a queen.

She was Zheng Anqi who had been missing for a few months.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 282: One-Eyed Naga King

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"This is... Impossible!"

Loong Jun lowered his head, trying to hide the shock and disbelief in his eyes.

He knew Zheng Anqi well and had thought of making a move on this princess of the Zheng family and international supermodel. However, based on the paparazzi news he had read, Zheng Anqi should look like an ugly crone. The picture of her wizened face had been published all over Hong Kong's news outlets.

However, there and then, the Zheng Anqi standing before Loong Jun was even more attractive than she had been before the downfall of her family. Her porcelain skin scintillated under the bright light.

"Mr. Chen just signed a contract with me and named me his assistant. When he is gone, I will be sitting in his place as the Board Director. He put forward the motion of electing me as the new CEO of the Zheng's Financial Group, anyone have a different opinion?"

She didn't mind the shocked glares around her and made her way toward the director's seat. Her heels clicked against the hard floor, making her steps sounded imperious and confident. She put the documents on the table and scanned the people around her.

Everyone was still stunned by the development, therefore, no one spoke a word.

Half of the board of directors were people related to the Zheng family, the other half consisted of the Zheng's Financial Group's former employees who used to work for Old Man Zheng. Therefore, if Chen Fan had nominated a family member of the Zheng family, no one was going to be against it.

Loong Jun and the other alligators that wished to use the power struggle between Chen Fan and the Board members to force Chen to forsake direct control over the company. He had been talking secretly with many board members and had formed a consensus that if Chen Fan had chosen anyone outside of the Zheng family as the new CEO, they would vote Chen Fan's proposal down, organize strikes and pull their investments out.

To his surprise, Chen Fan had nominated Zheng Anqi as the next CEO.

Zheng Anqi was the heir of the Zheng family and therefore had the support of Old Man Zheng's former employees. She had exceptional talent and had been considered the official third-generation heir of the Zheng family. Her sudden transformation from an old hag to her youthful and attractive former self was a telltale sign of Chen Fan's support for her. Her drastic transformation also spoke loudly of Chen Fan's unimaginable power.

Therefore, with everyone's acquiescence, Zheng Anqi became the new CEO of the Zheng's Financial Group and took over the driver's seat of the company. Loong Jun heaved a sigh, rose from his chair and left the room.

From the moment he saw Zheng Anqi appear in the room, he knew that he had lost the battle.

"Boss Loong, what do we do now? Do we still hedge against Zheng's Financial Group's stock?"

A pretty-looking Columbia University grad trailed behind Loong Jun. She was Loong Jun's secretary. She wore black high heels, back stockings and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses.

"No, let's stop for now."

Although Loong Jun had lost in the first round of the competition with Chen Fan, he was unfazed. He paused in a hallway of the Zheng's Place and looked out through the glass windows down at entire Hong Kong Island.

"Although Zheng's Financial Group had capitulated to Chen Beixuan, I won't."

"Chen Beixuan has made too many enemies in Hong Kong."

"We need to find a new Grandmaster in Hong Kong."

A light came up in Loong Jun's eyes.

Zheng Anqi's effective and strong-handed leadership had the support of all the former employees of Old Man Zheng. After a few weeks of consolidating power, the Zheng's Financial Group was finally on the right track. Although the company was bound to experience more uncertainty in the future, it had more or less recovered from the turmoil. By now, there was only one last thing left for Chen Fan to do in Hong Kong: collect materials for Dharma Array.

The Green Dragon Grand Array required a tremendous amount of raw materials.

Hong Kong was the capital of spellcasters and the Chinese Esotericism Conference had attracted even more spellcasters to Hong Kong. They should have some raw materials that could be put to better use by Chen Fan. These raw materials could be used to cast a Feng Shui array or refine a Dharma Artifact in the hands of ordinary spellcasters, however, in the hands of Chen Fan, they could be turned into a gigantic Dharma Array that covered over an area of a few square kilometers.

What Chen Fan offered to the spellcasters in exchange for what they had was also very tempting.

Yun Wu Spirit Water, Lesser Essence Enhancing Pill, Arcane Pills, Body Tempering Pill, Essence Gathering Pill, and many small scale dharma arrays. Chen Fan had even promised them that if they could offer him a supreme-grade material, he would teach them the real art of Immortal Cultivation in exchange.

However, so far, no one had brought him a numinous treasures yet.

"Jaundice, Earth Essence, Yin Crystals, Bones of Malice Beast, Arcane Azure Wood, and the scales of Naga..." As Chen Fan had expected, these spellcasters had many precious materials. Some of them had been passed down generations and were the sole survivor of its kind. He had even collected a few pieces of material whose rarity was similar to that of the Yin Snake Bones. One of the pieces was no doubt the scale of a Connate Bone Spirit Beast.

Soon, Chen Fan had collected enough material to cast a dozen Green Dragon Grand Arrays. Pleasantly surprised by the results, a broad smile broke over Chen Fan's face.

Chen Fan had paid for these precious materials with elixirs and some basic spells that cost him nearly nothing.

"I have been collecting materials for three days, I wager I should be able to head back in three more days." Chen Fan calculated in his mind. He had been staying at the Zheng family's mansion along the Repulse Bay.

The amount of material he got was similar to that inside of the Medicine God Valley Sect's vault.

Although the spellcasters were able to sense the incredible energy in a lot of the materials, they were clueless as to how to use them. Chen Fan capitalized on that and bought them from the spellcasters' hands. These materials would be put to great use in the hands of a powerful Array formation master.

"Mr. Chen, here is your tea."

A girl with breathtaking beauty and tall stature set a cup of superior-grade Sejak tea before Chen Fan. She was wearing a casual outfit and pulled her hair back and up in a bun that was fixed with a wooden hair stick. She looked like a meek and obedient housewife before Chen Fan.

"I didn't ask you back to be my servant girl, I need you to run the company for me."

Chen Fan let out a remark after taking a small sip of tea.

"You have asked for absolute ;loyalty from me. I am just showing you that you are my master now." Zheng Anqi stood still and said calmly without any rancor. She locked her gaze on the young man before her and her heart was filled with complicated yet strong emotions.

This was the young man who had pushed her into the living hell. He had taken the life of her grandpa, robbed her of youth and beauty, turning her into a helpless and hapless hag.

However, this was also the young man who had restored her appearance and made her the manager of a multi-billion corporation.

Did Zheng Anqi hate him? Of course.

However, her hatred was only on the surface. Old Man Zheng was near the end of his life span and without the hundred Arcane Pills she had obtained from Chen Fan through trickery, Old Man Zheng would have already died of natural causes by now. In other words, Chen Fan had gifted the old man an extra year of life and there was nothing wrong with him taking the gift back. Plus, Chen Fan had given her the rare opportunity to see the true colors of people around her and to taste a much-needed dose of reality. She had never thought that the kindest person to her ended up being Chen Fan, who she thought was the cruelest man in the world.

The moment Chen Fan restored her appearance, Zheng Anqi had made up her mind to trust her life to this young man. She was abandoned by her family and friends, and Chen Fan was all she had.

"I will be leaving for Jin City in three days. Call me if you need anything. As you said, I am your master now, so no one should dare harm you." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Yes."

Zheng Anqi shivered a little and then lowered her head and replied.

She stood there for a while in silence and didn't leave the room until Chen Fan was back to his study to sort all kinds of strange things he had collected over the days.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Esotericism Conference carried on.

The death of Zhou Daoji was just being felt by the spellcasting society. Zhou Daoji was the most powerful spellcaster in Southern Sect, an accomplished Feng Shui master of peak Dharma Cultivation level. He had dominated Hong Kong for a few decades and had defended the honor of Hong Kong many times.

Hong Kong is an international metropolis, the shining jewel on southern sea. It had been the focal point for the South East Chinese community, if not the entire overseas Chinese community. Many international corporations set up their HQ in Hong Kong. Zhou Daoji had been protecting Hong Kong from the malicious process that had been eyeing on the incredible social wealth of Hong Kong. With the death of Zhou Daoji, things were bound to change.

Thailand, Chiang Mai, China Town...

A statue of a one-eyed naga was set inside of an ancient temple. This One-eyed Naga King had a hideous face and was covered with glinting scales that were darker than ink.

Under the statue sat a thin old man in a black robe.

The old man was meditating, the space all around him was infused with an invisible force that seemed to bend the fabric of space. A fly stumbled into the contorted space and was crushed by the invisible force instantly.

"Master, Zhou Daoji is dead."

A wave of heavy footsteps brought in a small dark-skinned man. Despite his small frame, he was covered from head to toe with hard muscles. Every inch of burgeoning muscle seemed to pack an incredible force. He only wore a bandana on the head, a tank top and a pair of shorts with no shoes.

Every step he took sounded like a giant walking.

The dark-skinned man entered the temple and bowed 45 degrees to the thin old man. If any top fighters of Muay Thai was here, they would be shocked by what they saw. This dark-skinned man was a renowned Grandmaster in Ancient Muay Thai. Rumor had it that he was able to lift an elephant and his power was on par with that of the Grandmasters in China.

However, such a mighty figure stood respectfully before the old man as a pupil would to his master.

"Alodi, you are unnerved."

The thin old man's eyes remained closed. However, a red dot appeared in between his eyes on his forehead. Then, the dot turned into a line and the line became a third eye. It was golden in color and gave a cold, icy glare to the dark-skinned man.

Alodi lowered his head and looked even more fearful and respectful than before.

Although he was a Mixed Martial Arts Master, a Grandmasters in Ancient Muay Thai, and was able to kill a galloping elephant, he would not even think of challenging the old man.

Alodi knew that this old man was the most powerful Dharma master in Thailand, if not the entire Southeast Asia,

He was the Grandmaster of the oriental back magic, Gong Tau, and his name was Dashava Kunloon.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 283: The Mystery of Immortal State

Dashava Kunloon.

He was the renowned Dharma Spell master in the Chinese Community of South East Asia. Of all the Gong Tau masters, he was the only one of Chinese descent. He was one-fourth Chinese and was considered one of the two most powerful Chinese dharma spell grandmasters, the other being Zhou Daoji. However, unlike Zhou Daoji who used Feng Shui Dharma Spells, Kunloon excelled at the black magic of Gong Tau and Curses.

He resided in the northern territory of Thailand and wielded as much power and influence as the Thailand King himself. Many leaders of northern Thailand militia groups were Dashava's disciples. The residence of Chiang Mai called him the One-eyed Naga King.

Alodi knew that the title of One-eyed Naga King was not easily given to just anyone.

The old man had become blind a while ago, however, he had used dharma spells to create a third eye on his forehead. This third eye not only had much sharper vision than that of normal eyes, but it could also quickly unleash powerful and deadly Dharma Spells.

Alodi had challenged the old man, thinking he was invincible. However, his iron fist that could stun a big tiger seemed as week as tofu. The old man had used many curses on Alodi and weakened him significantly. After the battle, Alodi was deeply impressed by the old man's power and decided to become one of his disciples. Later, he became the Guardian of the One-eyed Naga King.

"Thirty years ago, I traveled to Hong Kong with a great martial artist from Malaysia called Ma Yanxiu. We planned to take over Hong Kong for ourselves, but we were stopped by Zhou Daoji. He used the Nine Dragon Spell Chain and killed Ma Yanxiu. Zhou Daoji's power was on par with me, so I didn't think I would emerge as the victor in a conflict with him." Kunloon rose to his feet and walked on the stone floor barefooted. He continued to tell his memory in a husky voice.

"After I have returned to Chiang Mai, I have dedicated all my time in cultivation and finally achieved the One Eye Dharma Spells. I braved Hong Kong again but was once again stopped by him. This time, he had cast a huge Dharma Array over the Jiu Long Mountain and I am not certain I could get past. So I wavered at the last moment and returned Thailand empty-handed."

Alodi listened quietly.

He knew that the information he had just heard was a secret war between two of the most powerful masters in SouthEast Asia. They had both reached the peak of the Dharma Spells and possessed unthinkable techniques that could turn the tables in a blink.

"Over twenty years, I have focused on cultivation and gained power each day. I am confident that other than the only Ancestral Patriarch, no one in Thailand could stand against me. Even Zhou Daoji was no match against me." Kunloon said lightly. "I never thought that as soon as I finally thought of a counter for Zhou Daoji's Dharma Array, he is already dead."

"He had kept me at bay for thirty years, but he was killed? What does that say about my power then? What have I been doing over the thirty years?"

"Teacher." Alodi shivered. He lowered his head until his forehead was almost touching the floor.

"Who did it?" Kunloon linked his hands behind his back and stood underneath the statue of the One-eyed Naga King.

"A Chinese Martial arts Grandmaster, his name is Chen Beixuan." Alodi said fearfully.

"Chen Beixuan?" Kunloon furrowed his brows and said: "I know the names of all top Martial artists in China. Lin Tatian, Hua Yunfeng, Ye Nantian and even Lei Qianjue from the Hong Sect. I have never heard of Chen Beixuan."

"Teacher, he is a new rising star in the Chinese martial arts community. He made his name by killing Lei Qianjue. People say that he is the most powerful Grandmaster in China." Alodi explained as an expectant light appeared in his eyes.

He was a Master in Ancient Muay Thai in Thailand and was excited to spar with such a powerful foe. At his level, unless he was fighting the Grandmaster-level Martial artists, he rarely got excited about fighting anymore.

"Lei Qianjue died in his hands?" Kunloon paused a second and didn't seem to be alarmed by the news.

"I saw Lei Qianjue's strength ten years ago. I admit that he is powerful, but he was not nearly as powerful as me. I was more surprised by Chen Beixuan's victory over Zhou Daoji than that over Lei Qianjue."

Kunloon lifted his chin as proud flashed in his eyes. "Cultivators who had reached my level could feel how difficult it was to reach the Immortal State from Transcendent State. Of all the Immortal State cultivators in history, only one was a Martial artist and rest of them were spellcasters. For most martial artists, the gap between the two levels was unbridgeable."

"Who was that one Martial Artist who made it?" Alodi asked curiously.

"The one from the Lin Family. The most powerful man in China a hundred years ago." Kunloon said slowly and cautiously. Each word that came out of his mouth seemed to carry a heavyweight.

"Lin family of Southeastern China?" Alodi lowered his head.

Although The Lin Family had been mostly keeping to themselves lately, their name still instilled fear into the hearts of those who evoked it. Twenty years ago, the traitor of the family, Lin Tatian nearly dominated SouthEast Asia. Even Alodi had seen the power of Lin Tatian. However, such a mighty figure was stricken down by the Lin family swiftly. It was evident that despite the Lin Family's reticence, they still harbored great and unimaginable power.

"I have rumors saying that Chen Beixuan was a master in both Dharma Spell and Martial Arts," Alodi said in confusion.

"I see." Kunloon nodded.

"But, isn't the key to perfecting martial arts dedication? If he dabbled in both Martial arts and Dharma Spells at the same time, wouldn't that cause a distraction?" Alodi asked dumbfoundedly.

He had dedicated his entire life to Ancient Muay Thai, he must follow the way of the Muay Thai regardless of the activity he was engaging in. Let it be walking, sitting, sleeping, eating, and even having sex, all of those activities had to be carried out in a manner that benefited his training. Therefore, the fact that Chen Fan had cultivated in both Martial arts as well as Dharma Spells perplexed him as it seemed inefficient to him.

"You don't quite understand it yet." Kunloon linked his hands behind his back and replied as a light of wisdom flickered in his eyes.

"Martial arts are easy to get started but much harder to master, while spell casting was the other way around. That is why you have seen so many more Martial artists than Spellcasters in the world. Let it be the art of Internal Force originated in China, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Indian's Ancient secret art of Yoga or the Ancient Muay Thai in Thailand, they all belong to the category of Martial arts and had much more followers than spellcasting. There were even more Mixed Martial Arts Masters than there were master spellcasters."

"However, Dharma Spells were hard to get into but easy to master; the exact opposite." Kunloon looked up and said proudly. "Although there are only a few master spellcasters, each and every one of them is able to reach the peak of the Dao-Reaching Level, if not Immortal State. Many people had misunderstood the meaning of Immortal, in the name of Immortal State. It referred to one's soul energy. Over the last hundred years or so, there was only very few martial artists who were able to achieve soul energy by practicing Martial arts. Nearly all Immortal State cultivators had reached their level by focusing on Dharma cultivation."

"Therefore, let it the art of Gong Tau, Feng Shui, Ancient Witchcraft, Ninjitsu or Dharma Curse, the longer one stuck with it, the easier the cultivation became. Plus, when they finally became a grandmaster level Dharma Spell user, they were much more potent than a Martial arts Grandmaster."

"Therefore, even a martial artist would have to seek the path to a higher level in Dharma Cultivation. The end of the Martial Arts cultivation was the start of Dharma Spells. The two were essentially the same thing with a slight difference in the lower levels. Once one had reached the Immortal State, the line between the two would disappear."

Alodi was shocked after hearing the old man's knowledge.

This was secret information that was hidden from him until now.

It turned out that there were so many connections between Martial artists and Dharma Cultivation. He had been focusing on practicing Muay Thai kickboxing, but little did he know that he was drifting further away from his ultimate goal. He wagered that only someone as powerful as Kunloon would have known the secrets about Immortal State.

With that thought in mind, Alodi dropped both knees and kowtowed to the old man reverentially.

"Chen Beixuan could counter Zhou Daoji's Array formation and kill Zhou Daoji it meant that he had achieved an unimaginable level of attainment. One more step, he would reach the Immortal State. I think our power must be on par with each other." Kunloon lamented.

Alodi was stunned by the old man's remark, then he felt a hint of indignation.

He had never thought that Kunloon would think so highly of Chen Fan. Alodi was also an accomplished martial artist and hadn't expected too large of a gap between his strength and that of Chen Fan.

Suddenly, a barefooted girl wearing bangles on both her wrists and ankles walked into the temple. She announced cautiously.

"Grandmaster. The family lord of Loong family from Hong Kong wishes to see you."

"Haha, it appeared that the top dogs of Hong Kong are already on the move." Kunloon laughed out loud.

The old man linked his hands behind his back and sauntered out of the temple.

"Follow me Alodi, let's meet this old friend of mine. I have been waiting for this opportunity for thirty years. This time, I am going to claim supremacy in Hong Kong, turning it into the land of the One-eyed Naga."

"Teacher, this is your moment!" Alodi exclaimed in elation.

Thailand's political landscape was complicated, to say the least, and therefore, it was difficult for an outlander such as Kunloon to exert his influence. Without any strong political backing, he retreated to Chiang Mai where people of his own race congregated. However, Kunloon's ambition was much bigger than Chiang Mai, he wanted to claim Hong Kong and replace Zhou Daoji as the dominant figure. There, he could gather strength and pass down his secret arts as well as his bloodline.

"But, teacher... what about that Chen Beixuan?"

Alodi asked with furrowed brows.

If Kunloon wanted to dominate Hong Kong, then the conflict with Chen Beixuan was inevitable.

"Fret not. Fighting in real life is much more complicated than comparing power on paper." Kunloon let out a proud smirk. "Although I wouldn't be able to kill him, I can drive him out of Hong Kong. Plus, don't forget that I have inherited the secret arts of Gong Tau from the Grand Magus of the Ancient Witch Sect. I am much more powerful than Zhou Daoji when it comes down to purely spellcasting."

Alodi nodded his agreement. He had never lost faith in the power of the Grandmaster of Gong Tau.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was sitting in front of a table, staring at a pile of documents.

Although he was a stranger in Hong Kong, he was well connected in every level of the society through spellcasters such as Huang Wenze, Zhang Ziru, and Qiu Yulin. These men knew the ins and outs of the power dynamic in Hong Kong since they were frequently invited to the houses of the rich and the powerful. Meanwhile, they never lost touch with their low life origins and had the streets and back alleys in Hong Kong filled with their ears and eyes.

The Spellcasters working for Chen Fan formed a large web of information that covered every inch of Hong Kong. There was no information, however small it was, that could slipe under their radar.

The pile of documents beside Chen Fan was collected by Qiu Yulin.

"The Loong family?"

Chen Fan slipped through the paper as a light came up in his eyes.

Many forces were behind the recent attack on the Zheng's Financial Group, and the Loong family seemed to be the one carrying the banner at the forefront.

"I might have to visit the Loong family before I leave Hong Kong. I thought what happened to Nie Shunchen should have scared off these greedy bastards." Chen Fan let out a cold smile and thought to himself.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 284: Are You Talking About Me?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After Chen Fan had tied up the rest of the loose ends, he was ready to leave Hong Kong.

All the material for building the Dharma Array was stuffed by him into the Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure. The Dharma Array material, like most Spirit Material, didn't take up much space at all. Chen Fan didn't end up going to the Chinese Esotericism conference since he had already gotten what he was looking for.

Meanwhile, the Zheng's Financial Group was also finally on the right track, the last remaining issue yet to be resolved was the Loong family.

"People would die for money just as birds would for food."

Chen Fan stood at the top of the mountain and looked into the distance. On the sparkling shore of Deep Water Bay, the Loong family's mansion was well lit, shining like a jewel.

People would always risk their lives for money. They could engage in all kinds of dangerous activities such as murder, arson, robbery, drugs and so on. For money, the would trample the rule of law under their feet. The Zheng's Financial Group looked like a tender mutton chop, luring the alligators to prowl about, waiting for their opportunity to lash out. Chen Fan was convinced that as soon as he left Hong Kong, they would unsheathe their fangs and bury their teeth and dig them into the Zheng's Financial Group.

However competent and talented Zheng Anqi was, she was just a girl.

Without the same rough and tumble experience as her grandpa had, she lacked prestige and connections. Even her father had worked from the bottom of the Zheng's Group and therefore had earned the trust of many employees.

Even now, rumors were spreading that Zheng Anqi had capitulated to Chen Fan both mentally and physically. Without offering pleasure to Chen Fan during the night, she would never be able to sit in the CEO's position. Sometimes even Zheng Anqi felt the rumor seemed more plausible than reality.

A girl such as her would be able to run a company when everything was smooth sailing, but would quickly be overwhelmed once the other magnates swarmed at her.

"There were over a few dozen billion at stake. If I were them, I would do the same."

Chen Fan shook his head.

In his past life, the Sheng family had orchestrated his mother's car accident for the Jin Xiu Group. It wouldn't be hard to imagine what people would do when the stakes were as high as a corporation that owned four public companies. Chen Fan might have successfully projected a large shadow in others' minds, in reality, he had only killed four men in Hong Kong so far.

They were Nin Tianchen, Zhou Daoji, Zheng Zhongming, and Nie Shunchen.

The Chen's Group had forgiven Zhang Ziru, the Zhou Family, the Zheng family, and the Nie family. Chen Fan was not surprised at all that the Loong family would brave the risk to get a piece of pie from the Zheng's Financial Group due to his benevolence. Even a superpower such as America has enemies who dared to hijack planes and crash them into their national symbol of pride and wealth.

"But I wager that after today, there should be no one who dares to challenge me again."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and made his way toward the mansion of the Loong family.

The Loong family was one of the top ten family clans in Hong Kong and most of their business was in the financial sector, such as banks, insurance, and stock shares. In part, that was what drove the Loong family to vie for a share from the falling Zheng's Financial Group.

The Loong family mansion was lit up with bright lights.

The Old man Loong, Loong Jun and many other leaders of the Loong family gathered around an old man.

The old man was wearing a plain colored robe that reached his bare feet on the expensive wool blanket. He wore no trinkets nor was there any decorative elements on his clothing, making him look like a mendicant monk. This monk's eyes were closed shut as if he was blind; on his forehead, a red line wiggled about.

A short and small man stood behind the old man, he was the Muay Thai Grandmaster, Alodi.

"Master Dashava, your presence honors us."

The Old Man Loong, Loong Jianxin slapped the armrest and said with a broad smile on his face.

At the age of seventy, he was the youngest of all the top dogs in Hong Kong. He made his first pot of gold in the finance sector and rose to power. His profession had given him a shrewd mind and a sharp vision for the future. Even as the other top dogs were dithering about whether they should accept Chen Fan or rise against him, Loong Jianxin was the first to notice the power vacuum left by the last Feng Shui Master and sought to fill that vacuum with one of his allies.

That vacuum was left by Zhou Daoji. No one dared to think of challenging him when he was still alive. However, as soon as he was dead, opportunity arose, particularly when most of the elites in Hong Kong had yet to accept Chen Fan.

Therefore, Loong Jianxin acted decisively and went to Chiang Mai to personally invite one of the four deadliest Gong Tau master Dashava Kunloon to Hong Kong. Kunloon was of Chinese descent, therefore could be easily accepted by the elites of Hong Kong compared to other candidates. Many rich and powerful people had already visited this powerful master during some point in their lives.

"Lord Loong can just call me by my Chinese name 'Zhang Qinhuan' or Kunloon"

Kunloon looked very humble.

He had just arrived in Hong Kong and still need to rely on Loong family's power to slowly exert his influence. Unlike Chen Fan, he understood the importance of building an amicable relationship with the elites of Hong Kong. Chen Fan had chosen fear as a tool to bring the elites to their knees, but Kunlong had adopted a different method.

He had designed to plant his roots in Hong Kong, hire a large number of disciples and eventually become the next guardian of Hong Kong.

"You are too humble, master." Lord Loong's face bloomed.

"Master Kunloon, we are all curious as to how you are going to deal with Chen Beixuan?" Loong Jun asked impatiently.

The Chen's Group was what's stood in between the vultures such as the Loong family and Zheng's Financial Group. Without striking him down, no one would have a share of the pie. The Loong family was not stupid and therefore they would never confront Chen Fan directly. All they had been doing before this point was simplifying opportunistic probings that were not enough to invite Chen Fan's ire.

"Chen Beixuan?" Kunloon smiled faintly. "You guys have thought too highly of him. He is just a young man, powerful as he is, but he doesn't quite understand how to use his power yet."

"If I were him, I would publicly challenge Zhou Daoji and after the victory was secured, I would treat the Zheng family much more fairly than he had. What does ten billion mean to me when I can replace Zhou Daoji's position in Hong Kong?"

"He is reckless. He killed the Old Man Zheng, and toppled the Zheng family. That made him an enemy of all Hong Kong elites. Without the support of the Hong Kong people, he would never go far on this island."

Everyone nodded in agreement with what Kunloon had said.

The elite society hated one kind of people the most: the reckless rebellers.

Peace and opulence were what everyone wished to see. However, Chen Fan had displayed a gruesome scene that showed neither peace nor promise for opulence. Therefore, he turned himself into a thorn in the side of most well-educated professionals as well as elites of Hong Kong. They might not be able to drive Chen Fan away, they would resist him nonetheless.

"Just so! I have gone all the way to Thailand and invited you to Hong Kong exactly because I can't stomach Chen Beixuan's disregard for other people's life." Kunloon folded his hands and bowed slightly.

"Don't worry, my Lord. I have promised to defeat Chen Beixuan, so I will."

Kunloon spoke in fluent Chinese. "Please draft a challenge letter to Chen Beixuan. I will meet him at the Jiu Long Mountain in ten days. This will not be a battle of life and death. Whoever loses the battle would simply leave Hong Kong."

"Very well!" Loong Jianxin slapped his thigh and said: "We will invite all the rich and powerful of Hong Kong to watch the battle. It would be a perfect chance for you to display your strength in front of everyone while you defeat Chen Fan."

Loong Jun nodded.

"Chen Beixuan is just a babe in the woods, he is no match against Master Kunloon. "

Once Chen Fan was defeated, the Zheng's Financial Group would be within the Loong family's reach. That little girl Zheng Anqi would not be able to hold herself before their assault on all fronts.

Even as everyone reveled in the promise of their success, a voice came up from the entrance.

"Are you guys talking about me?"

Repulse Bay, the Zheng family's manor...

Zheng Anqi sat beside a small desk, her long and elegant fingers danced on the keyboard of her Thinkpad T personal laptop. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing rimless glasses. She wore a Prada's business suit and a matching knee-length skirt, under which she wore black nylon pantyhose. Her carefully pedicured feet stepped on a heated wooly blanket, her toes twiddled mischievously.

She was still in her business attire since she barely had the time to change ever since she arrived home.

"din..din..."

the doorbell rang.

"Auntie Wang!" Zheng Anqi shouted at her maid. Then she remembered that she had let go of Auntie Wang so that she would give Chen Fan a good impression. She had been cleaning, mopping, and cooking every day, looking after her master with the greatest care.

Zheng Anqi could feel that Chen Fan's attitude toward her was changed by the day. They had both become much more comfortable with each other than before.

"Must be that Lazy bum!"

The more Zheng Anqi knew Chen Fan, the more convinced she became that Chen Fan was the laziest person alive. He would rather eat the tasteless Essence Gathering Pill than cook a meal for himself. However, as soon as Zheng Anqi prepared a meal, he would give up the Essence Gathering Pill in a heartbeat.

"It's almost impossible to win his heart. However, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to rely on me."

So thinking, Zheng Anqi answered the door. She was greeted by Mr. Shi and another middle-aged man.

"Mr. Shi, Master Qiu, what brings you here at this hour?"

Zheng Anqi was taken aback.

She recognized the middle-aged man; he was the renowned spell caster in Hong Kong, Qiu Yulin. Qiu Yulin had been visiting Chen Fan on a daily basis, delivering all kinds of weird stuff. Of all the spell casters, he was the closest to Chen Fan. Chen Fan had also trusted him with the task of looking after the Zheng family after he was gone.

"Where is Master Chen?"

Qiu Yulin got to the point.

"Master had already left Hong Kong. But I remembered that he said he will visit the Loong family on his trip back." Zheng Anqi paused and then asked. "What's going on?"

"We are in trouble!"

Qiu Yulin slapped his thigh and said: "I have just got the news that one of the deadliest Gong Tau masters of SouthEast Asia, One-eyed Naga King had just arrived in Hong Kong. He had also brought with him his most powerful disciple: the Muay Thai Grandmaster: Alodi. Kunloon was a powerful Gong Tau Grandmaster in South East Asia and was well known for his unpredictability and deadlines. His spells alone could rival Zhou Daoji. With the help of Alodi, the Muay Thai Grandmaster, they might pose a serious threat to Master Chen!"

"What?"

Zheng Anqi was shocked at first and then she panicked. She stormed out of the room without even putting on a pair of shoes toward the Loong family's residence.

"Urh...what the..."

Qiu Yulin and Mr. Shi looked to each other with a knowing grin.

The two quickly ran toward Zheng Anqi to catch up with her.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 285: Kill You With One Slap

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Who is that??"

Alodi was the first to react to the voice that came from the entrance before the Loong family members did. He dashed forward with the speed of a panther and arrived before the gate. He stood between the threshold and the people in the room. He stood with legs bent slightly and bare feet. His glinting gaze locked on the closed door, as an air of belligerence emanated from his tensed-up body. Suddenly, the Loong family felt a chill down their spines.

"creak"

The heaven wooden door swung open, as a young man walked into the house. He hitched his thumbs in his pockets and carried a great measure of levity. The numerous bodyguards and guard dogs were nowhere to be seen behind the opened door.

"Who are you?"

Alodi asked with in broken Chinese.

Alodi could sense no sign of cultivation in this young man, but his sixth sense kicked his body into overdrive as if he was standing before the biggest threat of his life. Alodi had relied on his sixth sense many times to get out of harm's way and therefore he trusted it greatly.

"He is Chen Beixuan!"

Loong Jun nearly shouted.

Chen Fan had used his normal appearance, but since Alodi had only seen Chen Fan's picture when he was in his Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Alodi was clueless as to who the young man was. However, Loong Jun had picked up similarities in this boy's face and that of Chen Beixuan's picture, so he recognized him immediately.

"Are you Chen Beixuan?"

Alodi tensed up his body a little bit more as he felt his heart pounded in his chest, pumping blood and energy into every cell of his body. He felt that he had gathered enough force to punch through a one-meter thick steel plate.

Alodi was getting increasingly excited and agitated; the steam was building quickly inside of him.

He was one of the most powerful Ancient Muay Thai Grandmaster and had unbeatable match records. He was undefeatable until he had faced Kunloon's deadly spells. Although he knew that China was well known for its Martial Arts Grandmasters, and Chen Fan was one of them, he was not at all afraid. He totally despised the use of Internal Force by the Chinese Martial Artists and thought it was a disgrace to the Martial arts.

The real Martial arts was the arts of pure strength. Every strike must be sure and deadly, so much so that they could kill a galloping horse if not a raging tiger.

"What makes you think that you can call me by name?"

Chen Fan snorted and took a step forward. He opened up his palm and shot out an arm at Alodi.

He was here to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, so to speak. However, he was surprised to find two Thais among his original targets. Chen Fan didn't think too much, whether they were from Thailand or Hong Kong, they were all chickens.

"Excellent!"

Alodi's eyes lit up with excitement. He let out a deep growling that sounded like the wet croak of fog on steroids. His chest also puffed up to unnatural proportions, just as a frog's belly would. He then stomped the ground, generating enough force to tear apart the wool blanket and to create a depression on the floor at his feet. If he was wearing any shoes, the soles of the shoes would have been gone by now.

"Chakravarti's Fist Seal!"

Alodi's fingers dances in the air and formed a great number of hand signs, the motion turned his fingers into blurry shadows, making his hands look like blooming lotus. In the end, he ended the movement in a fist, representing the greatest and fullest enlightenment of power. In the void dimension, a turning golden wheel appeared. The power in this attack was so deadly that he threatened to disrupt the time and space. A wave of explosions came up in the air due to the eruption of heavily condensed energy packets.

Chen Fan had meet another martial artist from Thailand called Song Tao, the Eight-Armed Arhat. He was able to use hand, elbow, knees, and legs at the same time, raining his attack onto his opponent.

Alodi's understanding of strength was beyond any boxing technique. It had enlightened him to the way to Dao and Dharma. The Chakravarti's Fist Seal was a secret technique from Theravada Buddhism. It was the core component of Ancient Muay Thai. Each and every hand sign he used would unlock one of Circle of Chakra to unleash the secrets of flesh. Once he was completed, he would pose enough strength to wrestle with an elephant.

"This punch of Alodi should be able to defeat a peak level Grandmaster."

Kunloon calmly sat in his seat and said with an approving nod.

Alodi had dominated Thailand, however, when it came down to his level of attainment, it was about as high as a mid-stage Transcendent State Grandmaster in China. Suddenly, the punch which he threw at Chen Fan with abandon exploded with such ferocity that even Lei Qianjue or Lin Tatian would have to get out of harm's way if they were standing before it.

Kunloon was convinced that the spell would make Chen Fan scramble for safety, so he had already started to prepare for the next spell.

Everyone, including the members of the Loong family, rounded their eyes in surprise as they watched the development unfold. Alodi's punch had filled the entire house with a deadly fury of the fist. Under everyone's incredulous watch, the Thai fighter's small body increased in size until his head reached the ceiling. Chen Fan seemed small and fragile before his hulking frame and looked like an egg that was about to hit the giant wall.

"That's incredible! Is that the power of a Grandmaster?"

Liu Yuze, Loong Jianxin, and Loong Jun were all stunned.

They knew about Grandmasters, but this was the first time they had ever seen one with their own eyes. They simply couldn't believe the crushing force that came from that man who was half the size of an average Chinese. His hulking presence instilled fear and admiration into these men's minds.

"If even Alodi was this powerful, how powerful exactly is Kunloon going to be?"

Everyone was terrified by what they saw.

However, Chen Fan was unfazed. He lifted a hand and slapped at his opponent with nearly lazy movements.

"Courting death!"

A vicious light came up in Alodi's eyes as he doubled down on his attack. The muscles on his arms and shoulders bulged up and looked like they were filled with molten iron. It was so hard that even a bullet landed on it would be ricochet away.

"Bang!"

A clank erupted that sounded like a wood stick hitting a bronze bell.

Under everyone's expectant watch, the two finally collided.

Alodi's mighty fist that was able to crash an armored vehicle landed squarely on Chen Fan's chest. However, Chen Fan's body barely moved by the attack. Under Alodi's incredulous watch, Chen Fan's slow slap landed at the top of his head.

"Pa!"

A loud snapping sound shot through the room.

Alodi's head was squashed into his chest and his body was driven into the ground by the impact, filling up the hole created by Chen Fan using his body. Alodi was nowhere to be seen, only a little lump on the ground where he was just standing remained.

A pin-drop silence suddenly fell over the room.

Everyone was dumbfounded and the only thing they could do was stare.

Even Dashava Kunloon, the deadly Gong Taun master nearly fell from his chair.

No one had thought that the powerful Muay Thai Grandmaster who had a body as hard as diamond was killed by Chen Fan with a slap on the head.

Using the One Eye Divine Spell, Kunloon was able to observe the battle more keenly than others. His acute soul energy sensed that not only was Chen Fan unharmed by Alodi's punch, but Alodi's hand was also injured by the hard impact. The moment Chen Fan's hand landed on Alodi's head, Alodi's brain was shattered in an instant and fragments of his skull penetrated through his chest cavity and embedded in his lungs. In the end, Chen Fan drove Alodi's body into the ground like driving a stake.

"How is that possible?"

Kunloon couldn't believe what he had sensed.

He knew first hand the power of Alodi and was convinced that even a male elephant during the mating season would be easily killed by Alodi's punch. Even Kunloon himself did not dare to counter Alodi's attack using his body, instead, he had to carefully and patiently weaken the fighter's body and then he constrained his movements using his soul energies.

However, Chen Fan had taken the brunt of the attack and was unscathed.

Alodi's punch didn't seem to have any effect on the young man, which made Kunloon wonder how powerful exactly was Chen Fan's body? It has to be harder than steel since Alodi's punch should have at least left a dent on a steel plate.

With that thought in mind, Kunloon's heart was seized by an overwhelming sense of threat.

He had never felt more scared in his life, not even when he had to stand before the Grand Array of Nine Dragons. At that time, he was more amazed by Zhou Daoji's Array formation than scared by it. After all, the power in Zhou Daoji's Array formation did not belong to the spell caster since it was borrowed from nature. However, Chen Fan's indestructible body was very much his own ability, and it outright terrified Kunloon.

"I finally understand how Zhou Daoji lost the fight."

Kunloon let out an ugly grin. Chen Fan's physical strength was so overwhelmingly strong that Zhou Daoji must have already been killed before he could cast any spells. Any Array formation or Dharma Spells were jokes before someone who could tear apart an armored tank barehanded.

"Foolish kid, he shouldn't have tried to fight me with his bare hands."

Chen Fan dusted his shirt and shrugged.

Alodi's power was not that much weaker than Lin Tatian. Lin Tatian had lasted much longer during his fight with Chen Fan, however, Alodi was killed with only one strike. His weakness compared to Chen Fan contributed only part of his downfall, the other factors was his overconfidence and ignorance.

Chen Fan loved the thrill of killing using such brute force.

Not even an immortal state cultivator couldn't harm him through his Azure Thearch Longevity Body, much less Alodi. The best method to fight with Chen Fan was to keep distance and kite him with long-distance spells or True Qi to weaken him.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to challenge me in ten days? Why don't we do it now?"

Chen Fan looked over his shoulder toward Kunloon. He gave the old man a broad smile, revealing a row of healthy teeth. "If you can survive one punch from me, I will leave Hong Kong."

"Chen Beixuan, you think too lightly of me!"

Kunloon pulled a taut face and shouted at Chen Fan as he slammed the table. Suddenly, the red line on his forehead turned into an eye with golden pupils. it looked like an eye of a giant dragon. A golden light shot out from the eye and surrounded Chen Fan.

This was the Art of One-eyed Pupil Art which Kunloon had perfected over three decades. In order to master this art, he even has forsaken his real eyes, so that he could focus on this eye born out of his mind.

Kunloon was convinced that no martial artists, other than an Immortal State cultivator could survive his Pupil Art. The golden light that shot out from his eye was pure soul energy and regardless of how strong one's body was, their soul would be shattered by Pupil Art, leaving only an empty husk.

This was the trump card that gave Kunloon the confidence to challenge Zhou Daoji and Chen Fan.

"The last one trying to attack me using brute force, now you wish to fight me using Divine Will?"

To Kunloon's surprise, Chen Fan let out a lighthearted smirk.

His soul energy was far more powerful than mortals on earth. The difference was even greater than that in their level of attainments of Dharma Cultivation

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 286: Kneel and Plead

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The so-called Divine Body was a highly concentrated form of Soul Energy.

A normal person's soul energy was insignificant and fragile, and therefore, Chen Fan was able to put out the flame of soul energy in Nie Shunchen with a glare. The soul energy of a cultivator was a different story. Not only were they more powerful, but they could also be projected outward as a weapon. Those Soul Energy Masters could even pose a threat to Chen Fan. Some Soul Energy Masters could use their soul energy to hypnotize their victims or kill them from miles away. There were many different schools of soul energy cultivation, and almost every country on earth had their own unique methods.

Kunloon's One-eyed Pupil Art, for example, required him to forsake his own eyes in order to open his Mind Eye. He can then condensed his Soul Energy and shot it out from his Minds Eye in a beam of deadly light. This light was as powerful as Kunloon's most deadly spells and could have annihilated the soul energy of any living person.

However, little did Kunloon know that Chen Fan's level of attainment in Soul Energy was far greater than that of Dharma Spells.

Chen Fan was only at the early-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment level, therefore, his Dharmic powers and Divine powers were only a few notches deadlier than Kunloon. However, he had gone much further in his soul energy arts, and he was able to form Divine Will from his soul energy a while ago.

Comparing the Soul Energy to the Divine Will was the same as comparing a steel blade with a wooden stick. However, solid a wooden stick was, it would be severed in half by any steel blade. Ever since Chen Fan obtained the golden statue, his Divine Will had strengthened at least ten times. Therefore, he was already able to unleash as much power as he could in the Divine Sea level.

"Hur!"

Kunloon's Mind Eye opened up as a golden light lanced out, making him look like the three-eyed Erlang Shen in Chinese mythology. His soul energy had taken physical form in real-life: a clear sign that he was as powerful as an early-stage Ethereal Enlightenment level cultivator. However, to Kunloon's surprise, he watched as an azure-colored light flashed in Chen Fan's eyes and then an azure flame, more powerful than his golden energy lanced out from Chen Fan's eyes.

This azure-colored flame danced around unequivocally in the real world just as a real flame would.

Suddenly, the azure-colored Divine Light turned up the intensity and it started to crackle, creating countless azure tendrils of sparks.

Any ordinary mortal who connected eye contact with Chen Fan would have been blinded by the sizzling energy. Even a cultivator would be terrified by the presence of deadly power. However, Kunloon didn't back down. Instead, he locked his gaze onto Chen Fan's and doubled down on his attack.

The two pulses of soul energy clashed together, creating a giant explosion in the void dimension.

"Ah!"

Kunloon howled out a saddend cry.

If he didn't open his Mind Eye to cast out his soul energy, Chen Fan might not have had the chance to deliver a blow to him. After all, Chen Fan's Divine Will would not be able to outright kill a spellcaster who had reached the peak of the Dharma Cultivation. However, since Kunloon had attacked with abandon, Chen Fan was able to negate his defense and strike where it hurts.

Kunloon's golden light was washed away as soon as it came in contact with the azure-colored flame. The flame barraged into Kunloon's Mind Eye and destroyed it in a blink, turning it into an ordinary-looking line of red ink.

Kunloon stumbled back a few feet and collapsed into a chair. the Chair was made out yellow-rosewood and was crushed by Kunloon's weight and momentum. Two lines of red blood trickled down Kunloon's cheeks.

In a fraction of a second, his Pupil Art was crushed by Chen Fan's overbearing Divine Will. His spirit shattered and soul damaged. Even an ordinary man could have killed him much less a powerful cultivator.

Such was the danger of battling with soul energy.

Unlike normal spell battles, fighting using soul energy was a risky business. A person's soul and spirit was the most vulnerable aspect of life and although they could be turned into a deadly weapon, they also positioned the users into a very dangerous situation. It was not uncommon to have both cultivators gravely injured after a battle. Because of that, there was rarely any direct confrontation among Immortal Cultivators.

"Why, why are you so strong!"

Blood running down from Kunloon's eyes and his Mind Eye unresponsive. He collapsed on the ground in a half death state as he asked in a feeble and shaky voice.

The moment he came into contact with Chen Fan's Divine Will, he could sense the immense breadth and depth of his soul energy. It was ten times stronger than his. The Soul Energy was as hard as steel and it hammered squarely on his soul and spirit. After taking the brunt of the attack, Kunloon had survived thanks to his decades of cultivation. However, it was a near escape. His Pupil Art was countered, his soul and spirit shattered. It would take him a few years to recuperate.

Kunloon simply couldn't imagine that Chen Fan at such a young age was able to master not only the Martial arts, Dharma Spells and Physical refinement, but also Soul Energy. That was unheard of and outright impossible. Not even a cultivation prodigy could have pulled that off.

"You are too weak."

Chen Fan waved a hand and looked up at the Loong family members.

Although the azure-colored lights had mostly dissipated, there was still a hint of blue in his eyes. Suddenly, he sent out a fiery Divine Will that swept across the room. The Loong family members were ordinary mortals and therefore they were shaken to the core by the wave of immense energy. Their hearts skipped a few beats and then all of them collapsed to the ground.

"Chen Beixuan... I... will never... surrender!"

Loong Jun gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet. Blood seeped out from his gums and welled in his mouth. He glared at Chen Fan indignantly.

"Kneel!"

Chen Fan snorted as the light in his eyes surged.

"BaaDa!"

Loong Jun's legs gave in as he kneeled down before Chen Fan. The momentum carried his head down until it touched the floor.

Was this Chen Beixuan's true power? If so, he could have dominated any mortal in the world.

The members of the Loong family were terrified by the development. They had never thought that anyone could be so unimaginably strong. They would never have believed in Chen Fan's power if they haven't seen in with their own eyes. And after they had seen it once, it could never be unseen.

Thus it was, without seeing Mount Tai with one's own eyes, one would never appreciate the grandiose of its range; without seeing the Eastern Sea with one's own eyes, one would never understand its vastness.

It wasn't until they met with Chen Fan and were stunned by Chen Fan's power, did they realize how naive they were to think they could rival him. Chen Fan could have killed them with one thought. Even their immense fortune wouldn't help them when they were faced before such a deadly foe. Neither could they take these worldly possessions with them after they die.

"Do you believe me now?"

Chen Fan walked over to Loong Jun and looked down at the Financial Magnate of Hong Kong. Loong Jun had long since lost his stately demeanor; he collapsed on the ground lifelessly like a toad. He kowtowed to Chen Fan vigorously.

"I believe in you, I believe in you!"

Every word he spoke hurt his heart like a knife stab.

Loong Jun was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had he suffered such humiliation. However, looking around him, he saw his uncles and unties, even his father Loong Jianxin kneeled before the devilish young man, his will to fight back suddenly evaporated.

"Starting from today, the Loong family will be responsible for making sure nothing will happen to the Zheng's Financial Group. If the Zheng's Financial Group collapses, I will kill every one of you." Chen Fan Linked his hands behind his back and said plainly.

His voice was as cold as the icy wind from the tundra, it made all the Loong family members feel a chill down their spines.

"Does that mean the Loong family will become the guardians of Zheng's Financial Group?"

Many people thought of the same thing in their mind.

No one dared to protest and even Lord Loong, Loong Jianxin kowtowed respectfully and said: "Please be rest assured, Mr. Chen. The Loong family will take good care of the Zheng's Financial Group, and will not let anyone harm it."

Chen Fan nodded and then looked to Kunloon.

He came to the Loong family to scare them but not to kill. He had killed everyone in Sheng family and a few in the Zheng family, if he recklessly murdered all the members of the Loong family, he wagered that not even General Li would be able to help him. The Chinese government simply would not tolerate his killing spree.

However, Kunloon was not Chinese, so the Chinese government would not care less about his life.

However, Kunloon had lived a rough and tumble life before and knew the right action at the right moment. He managed to get up and said in admiration: "I have eyes but failed to see mount Thai. Please spare my life, Grandmaster Chen. I will become your disciple and obey your orders from now on. If I betray you, I will perish in both my body and soul."

He kneeled before Chen Fan, body shivering uncontrollably. After waiting for about as long as a century, he finally heard a reply.

"Good."

When Zheng Anqi finally made her way to the Loong family's manor, the fight had already been over for ten minutes.

She was a supermodel, so she kept her body in good shape. Although she didn't wear any shoes, she was still able to run with incredible speed. However, the soles of her feet were grazed by the rocky path and were riddled with small scratches.

Zheng Anqi didn't care about the pain in her feet and barged into the Loong family's manor.

When she made her way to the meeting hall, she found Chen Fan sitting on a high chair and was surrounded by Lord Loong, Loong Jun, and a thin old man.

"It..."

Zheng Anqi was perplexed by what she saw.

She had been expecting a fight between Chen Fan and a Muay Thai fighter, but the meeting hall seemed too peaceful to be a battleground.

As soon as Mr. Shi and Qiu Yulin saw the thin old man, their face darkened and exclaimed: "The one-eyed naga king! Dashava Kunloon?"

"From now on, there was no more One-eyed Naga King. I am but an old servant of Master Chen and my name is Zhang Qinhuan." Kunloon bowed slightly and said humbly.

Although his eyes were shut, they could still tell the fear and respect on the old man's face.

God Reining State

Chen Fan was a God Reining State Cultivator!

He had to be, otherwise, his soul energy would not be so powerful. Even the most potent Soul Energy Master could not reach one-tenth of his attainment. The thought of Chen Fan's vast and dense soul energy gave Kunloon the jitters again.

He had never imagined that he would meet a God Reining State Immortal Master before he died. Wrose, Chen Fan was so young and so much more powerful than he had imagined.

Kunloon didn't think he overreacted when he kneeled before Chen Fan. After all, Chen Fan was an Immortal State master, the title Immortal State said it all.

"Anqi, Mr. Shi and Yulin, you guys are here."

Chen Fan sat at the table and was savoring a cup of supreme-grade Maojian tea. He said faintly: "From now on, the Loong family is the Zheng family's ally. Feel free to ask them for help if you need anything."

"Yes, master."

Despite the questions in their minds, Zheng Anqi and the others lowered their heads and replied.

Meanwhile, no one in the Loong family appeared to be disheartened by what had happened. However, deep down, they cried for their loss. Little did they know that they had loaded a gun and shot themselves in the foot.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 287: Covenant of Soul and Spirit

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan was not afraid of the Loong family going back on their word.

The difference between humans and beasts were a sense of dignity and respect. The loong family had been jumping up and down, challenging him because they didn't quite understand his power. However, after seeing Chen Fan's ability first hand, and knowing that whatever they did would not affect Chen Fan, they would behave obediently like Chen Fan's lap dog.

However, Kunloon was a different story.

Kunloon was one of the four deadliest Gong Tau masters, a Perfected Cultivator at the peak of the Dharma Cultivation. He was even slightly more powerful than Chen Fan when he was still in the early-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment level. Such a mighty figure might have treated Chen Fan with respect now after he had recovered and regained his Pupil Art, he would seek to harm Chen Fan again.

After all, Kunloon had dominated Northern Thailand for many years. He sat in the seat of power in Chiang Mai and projected his power to the entire Thailand. Many warlords of northern Thailand were his disciples. If he was go back to Thailand, he would reconnect with the military that supported him, he would quickly throw his respect and fear toward Chen Fan out of the window. He might have thought that Chen Fan was an Immortal State cultivator, but he might backtrack later and regret the fact that he had surrendered so quickly.

However, Chen Fan had mastered the art of manipulating powerful cultivators during his past life's cultivation.

When he had the run-in with the Lu family, he was only at the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment level. He had to kill Lu Tianfen since he lacked the means of controlling a Grandmaster at that time. However, now Chen Fan had already reached the Ethereal Enlightenment and had many Divine powers at his disposal.

On Earth, even a Grandmaster was a rare sight much less a Perfected Cultivator. Therefore, Chen Fan didn't want to outright kill him, instead, he sought to placate and enlist him as his assistant.

Chen Fan called out his name.

"Kunloon."

"Yes, Master." Kunloon came up to Chen Fan and bowed deeply.

"Since you wish to become my disciple, and serve me, I have to warn you about my rules." Chen Beixuan sat stately on a high chair as awe-inspiring energy generated from his majestic demeanor making him look like a god.

"I would love to hear the rules of Immortal Master Chen."

Kunloon shivered a little as a sense of foreboding rose inside of him.

He had been using his obedience as a ruse to lower Chen Fan's guard. However powerful Chen Fan was, he was just a young man and lacked the shrewdness and meticulousness in his calculation. Like all young man, he must love complements and Kunloon hoped to capitalize on that. He hoped that Chen Fan would one day release him back to Thailand after his ego was bloated enough.

Kunloon had risen to power a few decades ago, and therefore would not be satisfied with forever being a servant.

"If you wish to serve me, you have to give me your life."

Chen Fan said slowly.

"Give you my life?"

Everyone quickly understood what Chen Fan meant. He wanted to turn the old man into his slave and Chen Fan would have the right to dictate his life or death.

"I understand."

Kunloon plastered on a calm face and then replied.

However, deep down, he had already made up his mind to run away to Thailand as soon as he got the chance and never set foot in Hong Kong ever again. If Chen Fan even went to Chiang Mai to look for him, he would have the support of an army a thousand strong. Even an Immortal State cultivator was no match against a modern army.

"Let's seal the deal then."

Chen Fan rose to his feet abruptly.

Everyone watched as he formed a Dharma Seal in the air and drove his True Essence into the seal to form a True Essence. In the Void Dimension, countless rays of azure symbols appeared and they converged toward each other. In the end, they formed a complicated web of True Essence that emanated primordial energy.

"Go"

Chen Fan pointed a finger at Kunloon and the azure-colored talisman turned into a light and lanced into Kunloon's body.

"What is that?"

Kunloon's face darkened and was not sure what had happened to him. However, he felt a strong sense of foreboding rise up in his heart and his sixth sense screamed at him about the danger of the Talisman Inscription.

"This is the Covenant of Soul and Spirit, it bound your soul and spirit to our deal. From today onward, if you disobey me, I can destroy your physical body and soul with a thought regardless of how far away you are." Chen Fan said in an icy voice.

"What?"

Kunloon panicked. He charged up his energy and started to search inside of his soul energy; it wasn't long before he noticed that something wasn't quite right. Since he was blind and used only his Mind Eye, he was very sensitive to the presence of Soul Energy. He registered a layer of azure light that suffused over his soul. This layer of glowing energy seemed benign, but it would be deadly once charged up.

Having realized his situation, Kunloon looked disheartened.

He reckoned that from now on, his life was in the hands of Chen Fan. He had to act carefully around Chen Fan every day; an act he only meant to put on for a short while. If he angered Chen Fan, the young boy could kill him with a thought.

The members of the Loong family were also shocked by the development.

Loong Jianxin and Loong Jun felt a chill down their spines. He would rather be dead if they were in Kunloon's shoes. Who would be able to sleep soundly at night knowing that there was a blade hanging constantly over your head?

"Fret not. I will not harm you as long as you don't betray me. You are a valuable asset to me because of your level of attainment." Chen Fan said slowly.

"Yes."

Kunloon's face paled and he uttered a reply reluctantly.

Chen Fan flicked a finger and a pill suddenly popped out from the yellow-skinned gourd. The young man snatched the pill in the air and rubbed it in both hands. Suddenly, an invisible energy formed around Kunloon's body, and slowly made its way into Kunloon's depleted soul, recharging it. Kunloon's Mind Eye also regained its shape and opened up, revealing the golden pupils. The light in the pupil was even brighter than it had before.

"What is that?"

Kunloon looked up at Chen Fan shocked.

"This is Soul Forming Pills. I have made it from the Seana from the Yin Dragon Pond. It helps to reform damaged soul energy. Even if your physical body had perished in this world, I can use this pill to bring your soul back to this life and slowly refine it until it gains substance." Chen Fan said slowly.

The art of management could be summarized into one phrase: Carrot and Stick

The combination of punishment and reward would turn anyone into a loyal subject.

Kunloon was a Perfected Cultivator and he dreamed of further improving his cultivation to reach the Immortal state. Chen Fan had given him an opportunity. Let it be the God Reining State on Earth or the Divine Sea Level of Immortal Cultivation, they both had high requirements for Soul and Spirit. The main signature characteristics of a Divine Sea Level cultivator was his use of Divine Will.

"Thank you, Immortal Master Chen."

Kunloon dropped both knees and kowtowed to Chen Fan with genuine reverence.

He knew how precious these elixirs were since they only existed in legends and ancient scrolls. However, Chen Fan had given one to his servant. Chen Fan's generosity had genuinely impressed Kunloon and strengthened his loyalty. In order to achieve Immortal State, a strong soul and spirit were a must. With his soul and spirit fortified by the pill, Kunloon felt that he had inched even closer toward his goal.

Mr. Shi, Qiu Yulin and the members of the Loong family were shocked to see a powerful mighty figure of SouthEast Asia bend his knees and kowtow to Chen Fan.

Loong Jun, in particular, was terrified by the development. The promise of Chen Fan using the Covenant of Soul and Spirit on him made him shiver.

Little did he know that it had cost Chen Fan a great deal of Divine Will to cast such a powerful binding spell. It was a waste to use this powerful spell on someone as insignificant as Loong Jun. At most, Chen Fan would only plant a Fire Lotus Seed in him.

The Fire Lotus Seed was one variation of the Li Fire Golden Eyes. It could be buried inside one's body waiting to be detonated. When the actual spell was activated, the fire seed would turn into a blooming flower of flame that engulfed its victim. Both Kunloon and Lu Tianfen have Perfected Cultivation and therefore were practically immune to regular fire damage. Another downside of this spell was that once planted, the fire seed would lose its effect after a few weeks. Chen Fan had planted a fire seed in Zhong Yaoyao's body and that seed had long since expired.

"After I leave Hong Kong, Kunloon will be my representative here. He will be in charge of protecting Zhen's Financial Group and Zheng Anqi." Chen Fan announced. "As for the Loong family, you will be responsible for providing me with cash and collect materials for me."

The situation at the Zheng family had just been stabilized and therefore couldn't yet subsidize Chen Fan's activities. However, that was not the case for the Loong family, the leader in finance and stock market investments. The Loong family even owned a bank with ample cash to spare.

"Of course, I wouldn't let your money go down the drain for nothing. After the East Mountain project is finished, the Loong family will have a share in the profit from the sale of the Catalyst Essence Serum. Plus, Loong family would have the exclusive rights to sell Yun Wu Spirit Water overseas."

Chen Fan used the carrot and the stick once again.

"Catalyst Essence Serum? Yun Wu Spirit Water?" Even as everyone was dumbfounded by the jargon, Loong Jun suddenly remembered something. "Are you talking about the secret project undertaken by Aid International and other pharmaceutical companies in Jin City?"

"You have heard of it?" Chen Fan gave Loong Jun a surprised glare.

Loong family lowered his head and said in a quieter voice: "I ran an investment company, so I know all kinds of business secrets. I have noticed many top dogs in the pharmaceutical sector are buying back their stocks, so I wagered that they must have been working on a new product that they are betting on to drive their stock higher. It had to be some kind of miracle cure to have that effect. These insider traders would buy in as much stock as possible and once the price rises, they would sell them out."

Loong Jun gave Chen Fan a surprised look and asked: "Do you mean you are the owner of the project?"

"Aid International had only provided some technical support, and I have the rights to the Catalyst Essence Serum's ownership. Once the project is completed, I can sell it to anyone I want." Chen Fan said calmly.

Chen Fan's announcement had made the Loong family elated. If they could have their skin in the game, and carve out a piece of the pie, the reward wouldn't be any smaller than going after the Zheng family.

Seeing the respect in Kunloon, Loong Jianxin, and Loong Jun, Zheng Anqi's gaze on Chen Fan grew much softer and was filled with admiration. This young man never ceased to impress her. His impressive achievements and godly demeanor were deadly charming to her. Not even the heroic acts of her grandfather, whom she admired the most could compare with Chen Fan, much less the rich heirs of Hong Kong, such as Nin Tianchen. She knew that it would be worth it even if she had spent her entire life pursuing his affection.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan rubbed his chin and pondered.

He wagered that the Catalyst Essence Serum project should have been wrapped up by now.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 288: The Fang Family's Banquet

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Catalyst Essence Serum would be the bread and butter of Chen Fan's cultivation toward Ethereal Enlightenment.

After Chen Fan had gained the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, every step he took toward the next level required a tremendous amount of Spirit Qi. Of course, he could have taken his time and accumulated it slowly over time, but the earth was so deprived of Spirit Qi that it would take him at least three years or so to progress to the next level. That would mean at least ten years before Chen Fan could reach the Connate Spirit level.

However, the Catalyst Essence Serum could greatly speed up the process.

Catalyst Essence Serum was the diluted version of the Yun Wu Spirit Water, it could be used to speed up the growth of many of the Spirit herbs he found in the Medicine God Valley Sect's vault. That, coupled with the Green Dragon Grand Array, Chen Fan fan would have a large number of Spirit Pills in his hands in no time. With these pills, he would be able to reach the Ethereal Enlightenment and enter the Divine Sea Level in less than two years. By then, he would no longer need to be so careful in certain situations. Even if he had to contend with an army, he should escape unscathed.

"Is this Stock Solution number one?"

Chen Beixuan stood inside the Biology lab at the Jin City University. He had changed his appearance into that of Chen Beixuan. He wore a white lab coat and let his hair fall loosely over his shoulders. He held out a test tube full of a blue solution and murmured to himself.

The liquid's color was the deep blue of a sapphire.

Chen Fan could sense the Essence Qi floating around in the solution. This Essence Qi was very weak, and was only one ten-thousandth the strength of Essence Gathering Pill and had only one hundredth of the Yun Wu Spirit Water's effect. Chen Fan's breath contained more Essence Qi than this entire vial of solution. Despite that, a smile finally broke over Chen Fan's face.

The trace amount of Essense Qi meant that Catalyst Essence Serum could finally be mass-produced.

As long as he had gathered enough of the stock Serum, he could then start to refine them using yeast. The special bacteria in the yeast would consume the Essence Qi and other nutrients to make more Essence Qi.

Although this one vial of serum would do nothing to a human, if it was consumed over a long period of time, it would help to strengthen one's body and making one more suitable for cultivation. However, the effect would need twenty years or so to show up, by then, Chen Fan might not even be on this planet any longer.

"It can be mass-produced now."

Chen Fan nodded and said. Xue Jiao and the other researchers were elated by their boss's acknowledgment.

"Professor Chen, this is one of the greatest inventions in human history. We have never even seen such active yeast. Although the effect of the serum was undetectable by modern equipment, test results on rats suggested that the specimens with a daily injection of the serum had much stronger physique than the control group." Xiao Xue took out a few pieces of paper and said.

Her excitement was shared by many people in the lab, and their eyes lit up with glee.

This liquid possessed unimaginable power and could be used on any organism, let it be animal or plant. Once it was mass-produced, it could change the course of human history and help the humans make a leap in their evolutionary journey.

"Because it was not created using science." Chen Fan shrugged.

Other than a few pieces of equipment offered by the Aid International, the key equipment used to create this serum was a few Dharma Artifacts refined by Chen Fan. These artifacts created an environment that highly concentrated Spirit Qi for the production of the yeast serum. The birth of the Catalyst Essence Serum was the combined effort of science and cultivation.

Chen Fan didn't have time to savor his victory, he announced.

"From now on, we need to work double as hard to stabilize our formula and increase production."

"Professor Chen, what should we call it?" One of the third-year college girls asked.

"Name?" Chen Fan tilted his head to the side and let out a mysterious smile.

"Let's call it the Vitality Serum"

It wasn't until the Vitality Serum was finally headed onto the production line, that Chen Fan felt things were turning around. The Zheng Family and the Loong family from Hong Kong had invested heavily in the development of the East Mountain project and the Green Dragon Grand Array was progressing by the day. Chen Fan had brought back with him countless Dharma Artifacts and materials for casting the array formation, which also helped to speed up the project.

Chen Fan planned to plant all the herbs into the ground the day the grand array was finished.

However, before he got to do that, Fang Qiong came and visited him.

"While you are away, my parents wanted to invite you over for dinner many times." The elegant looking girl looked annoyed. "They invited you for dinner tonight, it will be just you and my family. It's nothing special, don't let it get to your head."

"Oh? I guess my inlaws want to meet me?" Chen Fan smirked.

"Oh... stop ... you! What are you talking about?" Spurred by her embarrassment, Fang Qiong landed her cute fist on Chen Fan's chest. Chen Fan barely felt the strike, however, he played along and shouted out a painful cry.

"Fine, fine, you win!"

After a while, Fang Qiong tucked a few strands of loose hair behind her ear and gathered herself. "Ever since my mom heard that you are also attending Jin City University, she has wanted to meet you. Don't come to my house empty-handed, bring some gifts for my parents, that's basic etiquette."

She said patiently like an older sister trying to show the ropes to a little brother.

"Ok, I got it." Chen Fan let out a warm smile. However, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"Finally, I am going to meet you again, Su Susu."

Su Susu was Fang Qiong's mother and the person who contributed to the break up of Chen Fan and Fang Qiong.

Chen Fan still remembered that when he and Fang Qiong were planning to take things to the next level, they even had the support of Fang Qiong's father Fang Mingde. However, Su Susu remained unconvinced that Chen Fan would make her daughter happy. Shen Junwen must have something to do with it, but the root cause of Su Susu's disdain was from Chen Fan's family background.

"Although our families were friends when we were little, and our dads were classmates, Su Susu never liked us. She never showed her contempt on her face, but deep down, she looked down on the Chen family and laughed at my father's seemingly meager power. She had nagged Uncle Fang to move into the city, away from his husband's loser friends."

"I think it was her presumption about me and my family that had driven her to protest so fiercely against my relationship with her daughter."

Whatever happened in the past life was in the past and Chen Fan didn't want that to affect his current life. In this life, he only wanted to stay with Xiao Qiong and help her achieve her life goal, and then accompany her on the journey of cultivation. However, he couldn't stop wondering what his mother in law was going to think of him during this lifetime.

That being said, Su Susu's opinion was irrelevant in this lifetime, no one could stop Chen Fan this time.

The Fang family resided in a high-end residential development along the shore of Jin City River. Their neighbors were either rich tycoons or powerful politicians. So the Fang family frequently rubbed shoulders with the elites of the city and rightfully so.

Over the decade, Fang Mingde had grown the Ming De Group into a multi-billion yuan corporation and became one of the elite class.

Chen Fan found his way to Fang Qiong's house easily. He rang the doorbell and was greeted by Fang Qiong's excited smile behind the door.

"Come on in."

Fang Qiong took over the fresh fruits Chen Fan had brought with him and got a new pair of slippers for Chen Fan to change into.

As soon as Chen Fan passed the threshold, he saw a woman wearing light makeup and Qipao standing in the living room, with her hands on her hips. Despite her slumped shoulders that had shown some languidness in her, a sharp and shrewd light glinted in her eyes.

She was in her forties, however, she looked like she was in her early thirties and could very well be Fang Qiong's sister instead of mother.

"Auntie Su, nice to see you."

Chen Fan bowed at the lady.

This lady encased in Qipao was Fang Qiong's mother, Su Susu.

Su Susu smiled faintly and nodded a reply. She had the soft tenderness of a Jiang Nan woman, as well as alertness that kept her mind sharp. Chen Fan knew that Fang Qiong had inherited many of her traits from her mother, forbearance, dedication, and patience just to name a few. Although Su Susu was a good mother and a smart woman, Chen Fan couldn't agree with everything she did.

"The last time I saw you, you were only in junior high. It has been six years! " Su Susu was tall in stature and was about the same height as Chen Fan even without wearing high heels.

She ordered Fang Qiong to make tea and walked into the kitchen. "There are still some dishes to be made, excuse me for a moment." She said.

"OK."

Chen Fan nodded.

Chen Fan spotted the familiar sofa he had seen in his last life and sat down. Seeing Fang Qiong fumbling around to make tea, he became light-hearted.

Fang Qiong was a perfect girl in the eyes of others. She had a good personality and good grades; Later, when she finally took over the Ming De Group, she managed to grow it into one of the top pharmaceutical companies in China. However, she lacked any skills in daily chores, such as making tea, cooking, and cleaning. Su Susu had scolded her many times but to no avail.

Seeing Chen Fan's smirk, Fang Qiong gave him a hot glare.

When her mother emerged from the kitchen, she had proved that she was much better at housework than her daughter. She had created eight delicious dishes all by herself, and each one looked as tantalizing as the dishes prepared by a master chef.

"Uncle Fang, you are so lucky to be able to eat Auntie Su's cooking every day." Chen Fan complimented.

"Uncle Fang is rarely home for dinner. He is busy, always."

Su Susu said lightly. Even the way she moved her chopsticks was straight out of the book of etiquette. Fang Qiong seemed much more casual and uncouth in her actions, and had invited Su Susu's scolding glare many times during the dinner."

"Xiao Qiong told me that your mother is now in charge of the Chens Group? Maybe it's time for our two families to have a reunion. It's been a while." Su Susu said

Despite the casualness in her tone, her voice sounded condescending and almost like a command.

"Will do, Auntie Su"

Chen Fan obliged, for now.

He could feel that whenever she mentioned her mother, Wang Xiaoyun, a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face. It was as if the two of them had some old drama that still needed to be sorted out.

The dinner was quickly over with a heavy and silent mood.

After the dinner, Fang Qiong saw Chen Fan out the door, at the behest of Su Susu. Even as Chen Fan stepped out onto the threshold, he could feel the icy gaze from Su Susu on the nape of his neck.

As the two walked along the rushing river, Chen Fan suddenly laughed and said: "Do you think your mother like me?"

"Why do you care?" Fang Qiong linked his hands behind his back and paused. She walked to the lip of the pavement and stood on her toe to for a stretch.

"If she doesn't like me, I might not be able to marry you." Chen Fan half jested

Fang Qiong suddenly became quiet and didn't offer a reply.

After a long awkward silence, she finally said: "Xiao Fan, to answer your question, I really have no idea what she thinks. I mean, I have been living with her for 18 years, but still, I just can't read her."

Chen Fan walked up to the girl and said.

"Don't worry, it doesn't matter what she thinks, I will never give up."

Fang Qiong quivered but didn't speak. She moved her body closer to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulder and then squeezed her lightly. Fang Qiong didn't back away and inched closer toward Chen Fan. Just like so, the two quietly watched the river rushing by them, as reflections of the neon lights danced on the waves.

"This is why I came back after five hundred years. For a moment like this, with you."

"I had lost you in my last life, so please let me have you again."

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