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 513 - Singapore's Astonishment - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 513 - Singapore's Astonishment Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 513 Singapore"s Astonishment

Even as Chen Fan fought with the three Immortal State Warriors in the Valley of No Return, a man in military fatigue was watching the screen attentively in a secret military base only a few dozen kilometers away from the battlefield. A banner of a golden lion hangs on the wall; it was the standard of the Singapore military.

"The target is in position. Dragon Lord is on his way."

"All three Ancestral Patriarchs have arrived at the designated location, the trap is set."

"Battle is about to start. Initiating number, 4, 5, and 6 aerial drones to record the battle."

These military staff looked at the screen as they exchanged information. Aerial drones flew out of the base one after another toward the Valley of No Return.

Unknown to Chen Fan, his fight was under the surveillance of the Singapore military.

"Drones are in position, record start. Initiate Galaxy One Satalite's imaging system."

A few kilometers away from the battle, six drones hovered just above the tree line and pointed their cameras at the Valley of No Return. Meanwhile, the Galaxy One Satellite also snapped high-resolution images of the battleground using its powerful imaging system.

This data was sent directly to the National Defense Department of Singapore.

Although Singapore was a small city-state with only a few million population, its economy and technology were extremely advanced. Therefore, it was a force to be reckoned with in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, inside the Singapore's National Defense Department, many political heavyweights in Singapore had gathered before a screen and looked at it expectantly. They included the president, the minister of National Defense, the chief General, and the current Dragon Hall's Hall Master.

"Just as we thought, Chen Beixuan was lured to the valley by the Earth Level Deity's treasure."

The president guffawed as soon as Chen Fan arrived at the valley.

"Hall Master Wu, your prediction was right. I believe that the Dragon Lord will award you heavily for this!"

The Xie Family Lord praised.

The Singapore government was intrinsically linked with the Dragon Hall as well as the four great family clans: the Li Family, Xie Family, Wu Family, and the Guo Family.

Members of these four family clans filled up the government positions in Singapore and projected their influence to the entire Southeast Asia. The Guo Family which Guo Nuannuan came from was also a branch of the Guo Family in Singapore.

Among them, the Li Family has a slight edge in politics, since one of them was the current president of Singapore. Meanwhile, the Xie Family were the offspring of the Dragon Lord. The Wu family was also a big family affiliated with the Dragon Hall but the Guo Family was a merchant family that controls the tremendous wealth.

The four family clans were the epitome of Chinese society in Southeast Asia.

"Chen Beixuan was the living legend, the youngest Immortal Level Overlord. Therefore, I wagered that nothing except for the Earth Level Deity's treasure could have attracted his attention. In order to lower his guard, I have even leaked the news to other overlords in Southeast Asia."

Hall Master Wu said confidently.

No other organization other than the Dragon Hall could have spread the news to all the Transcendent Grandmasters. Even if they could, no one would have believed in the legendary tales without the backing of the Dragon Hall.

"The Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect has arrived, and so has the Dragon Lord. I think the Sword Immortal from the Lin Family must be on his way."

The Singapore president looked at the screen with a smile. Then Something caught his attention.

"Strange. This Sword Immortal of the Lin Family didn't look at all like his picture."

The Dragon Hall and the Lin Family were traditional allies. The President of Singapore had seen a picture of Lin Shuming with a few other Immortal State Warriors from the Lin family.

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"That's not Lin Shuming, that's his Sword Bearer, Lin Langya"

The Xie family lord said lightly.

"So there are two Immortal State Warriors in the Lin Family?"

Everyone in the office was shocked after the realization set in.

The Dragon Hall had risen to fame because it had one Immortal State Warrior, but Lin Family has two! Did that mean the Lin Family was at least two times more powerful than the dragon hall?

"It's nothing special. Mr. Lin Shuming is the oldest known Immortal State Warrior, and he used to be the most powerful man in the East. It's not unlikely that the Lin family would produce another Immortal State Warrior in the hundred years."

The Xie family lord said lightly.

"I heard that Lin Langya had always been Lin Shuming's servant boy. He had even accompanied Lin Shuming when he entered the Qin Chen Mountain to cultivate. He had remained at the side of Lin Shuming for over a hundred years, so the two of them were closer than father and son. Lin Shuming had taught Lin Langya everything he knew and the latter finally reached the Immortal State a few decades ago. However, his assertion to the Immortal State was rarely known by the public. I wager he wouldn't have revealed himself if not because of Chen Beixuan."

The revelation shocked everyone.

"I wager that Mr. Shuming must be on the brink of becoming an Earth Level Deity, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to train an Immortal State Warrior. But even with such power and might, they couldn't defeat Ye Qincang. How powerful exactly is Ye Qincang then?"

The president exclaimed.

A silence fell over the room.

The Dragon Hall was kicked out of China by Ye Qincang. They eventually arrived in Southeast Asia and created the city-state of Singapore.

"Look! The battle is about to start."

The National Defense Minister shouted.

Everyone stared at the screen and scarcely dared to breathe.

They were about to see a fight among four Immortal State Warriors. If Chen Fan didn't make himself a public enemy, they wouldn't have the fortune to witness such a momentous battle.

"Tsk… Chen Beixuan was indeed powerful. He is fighting three Immortal state warriors at the same time yet he still has the upper hand. "

As the fight went on, the smug smile on the Singapore president's face quickly faded away.

Chen Fan's power had far exceeded their expectations.

It had finally occurred to them that even the combined might of the three Immortal State Warriors was not enough to stop him.

"They are going to use a combined attack!" The Xie family lord said in a deep voice.

"They invented this combined attack after their defeat at the hands of Ye Qincang. They meant to use it against Ye Qincang but never had they thought that they would test it on Chen Beixuan first."

However, the audience's heightened spirit quickly was crushed by what came next.

Their faces turned sour as Chen Fan unleashed the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms and many other Immortal Martial arts.

Chen Fan looked like a mighty god on the screen.

His movements carried a tremendous force that threatened to turn the world upside down. The audience were shaken to the core once they saw the inexplicable sight, that was the result of the Wheel of Sun and Moon.

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"This is it! Lin Langya had imbued this attack with his vitality. If this couldn't harm Chen Beixuan, they might as well call the quits. "

Hall Master Wu fixed his gaze on the screen and said anxiously.

With their hearts in their throats, they watched as Lin Langya unleashed the power of Art of Blood Sword at Chen Fan.

However, to everyone's surprise, Chen Fan didn't evade the attack at all and took the brunt of the attack directly. This had given him time to use the Fist Seal to kill Lin Langya. In the end, he was only injured slightly on his shoulder.

"How is that possible?"

Everyone in the room was astonished by the development. The president jumped out of his chair and exclaimed: "The combined attack can sink a battle cruiser. How could Chen Beixuan hold out against such a terrifying attack? What is he made out of?"

"He has Ice Skin and Jade Bone. He is an Earth Level Deity!"

The Xie family Lord said with trembling hands.

"The rumor was right. The Earth Level Deity has an indestructible body and can live for five hundred years. No wonder he could escape from the attack of the Russian Father of All Bombs."

The spectators were so stunned by the turn of events, they gazed at the screen but forgot what they were looking at.

After Chen Fan had done away with Lin Langya and the Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect, he followed the Dragon Lord into the misty bowel of the Valley of No Return

The picture on the screen cut froze when there was no one left in the sight. A deadly silence fell over the room as the weight of the development started to set in. The development had even stupefied the most battle-hardened general in the room.

"We just got a request for assistance fire that covers the entire Valley of No Return."

A voice drifted out from the radio.

Singapore purchased all their military equipment from the United States of America and most of them were even more advanced and deadlier than the Russian arsenals.

"No, the Dragon Lord is still inside the valley, we are going to kill him."

Before the president could issue an order, Lord Wu and Lord Xie hurried to put in. Even Immortal State Warriors couldn't withstand bombardments of ballistic missiles. They might be able to injure Chen Fan at the risk of killing the Dragon Lord.

Plus, no one could say for sure that a missile was enough to kill Chen Fan. Should they fail to end Chen Fan's life, they will end up bringing down Chen Fan's ire onto themselves.

"Hew!"

Once the attack was halted, the family lords heaved a sigh of relief and looked at each other in fear.

"It's unimaginable! He had defeated three Immortal State Warriors. How did he become so powerful?"

The President asked while his hands trembled uncontrollably.

The thought of Chen Fan's might had taken the wind of his sails.

"I think he is more powerful than Lin Shuming and Ye Qincang."

Lord Wu said with a wry smile.

Lord Xie replied to his remark with a grimace.

The Dragon Lord was the backbone of the Xie Family. Without him, the Xie Family would quickly become irrelevant in the Dragon Hall as well as in Singapore.

Already, Lord Xie felt many gloating eyes on the nape of his neck.

"I pray that the Ancestral Patriarch would make it out alive."

Lord Xie said warily.

The battle and footage shot by the drones were soon going to shake the entire world.

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Chapter 514 The Most Powerful Immortal State Warrior

The Lin Family's Immortal State Warrior was dead!

The Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect had escaped death by forsaking his mortal coil.

The Dragon Lord was forced into a corner and chose to head into the Valley of No Return as a last-ditch effort to save himself. Chen Fan had followed him into the valley, and by now, no one knew if he was still alive or not.

The fall of the three Immortal State Warriors had stunned everyone, even the top dogs in powerful nations such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

Even the superpowers such as the United States of America or the Soviets had to use weapons of mass destruction and the lives of thousands of soldiers in exchange for the life of a single Immortal State Warrior. However, Chen Fan had easily done away with three Immortal State Warriors. Did that mean Chen Fan was already more powerful than any Immortal State Warriors in the world?

What made this battle so special was the precious footage shot by the drones.

The CIA had gotten this footage only a few minutes after it was shot.

Once the contents of the footage was revealed, even the American Military was shocked.

"Chen Beixuan's power far exceeded our estimate, so it seems. We need to treat Chen Beixuan as a special case and pinpoint his exact degree of threat."

A general from the Pentagon issued an order.

"I need all the brains from MIT and Stanford. Give them access to the supercomputers and a high level of clearance to analyze this footage frame by frame. I need to know if we should act now and kill him with an N-bomb."

Once the order was issued, the American Tech Machine was quickly put to use.

Renowned professors and experts were sent to a base in the American West Coast to investigate Chen Fan's case.

The same thing happened all over the world, as Chen Fan's conspicuous display of power had finally caught the powerful nation's attention.

Meanwhile, inside Kunlun's base…

Director Xiao heaved a sigh after he had gotten the latest news.

"What a trouble maker!"

Director Xiao was rendered speechless by Chen Fan's audacity and ability. The Hong Sect, Dragon Hall and the Lin Family were the prime targets of the Special Case Departments for decades, but so far, they had failed to bring them to justice. However, Chen Fan had brought them to heel so effortlessly that it was as if it was child's play.

"Lin Langya's death is a huge blow to the Lin Family. Lin Shuming is nearing the end of his life so I don't think the Lin Family is as big of a threat as it used to be."

Black Tortoise calculated calmly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Lin Shuming was the oldest Immortal State Warrior and by now he must be over a hundred and fifty years old. If he takes the risk and gets involved in the fight, he might lose his last chance of reaching Earth Level Deity.

"As for Hong Sect, the Ancestral Patriarch was significantly weakened since he had lost his body."

Black Tortoise went on.

Although the Immortal State Warriors could survive as Divine Souls, their power without their corporeal forms was significantly reduced. Therefore, he would become much less of a threat than he'd been.

"As for the Dragon Lord, I don't think he could survive the ordeal either. So our biggest threat right now is Chen Beixuan."

Black Tortoise said.

Hearing the words being spoken out loud made everyone feel a heaviness in their chests.

While the Dragon Hall, Lin Family, and the Hong Sect were Special Case Departments' prime targets, they needed Chen Fan's support to deal with the ever-mounting threat. However, once the old threats were dealt with, a new and unexpected target had arisen.

The thought of Chen Fan defeating three Immortal State Warriors in one fight terrified everyone.

Even Ye Qincang could hardly pull it off.

"General Chen is a Chinese citizen and has an amicable relationship with Kunlun and the military. He has done our nation a great service, and that is it. No more talk of that nonsense."

After a long pause, Director Xiao said firmly.

"Yes!"

Everyone lowered their heads and replied.

Meanwhile, in southeastern China, the entire Lin Family was stunned by the news.

Some people said that they had seen a white light that flew up into the sky but came back to the Lin Family's residence before it went too far. The members of the Lin Family lined up before the Ancestral Shrines and heard waves of long and saddened sighs.

Ever since then, the Lin Family of Southeastern China had retreated to their traditional territory and grew increasingly silent..

As for Hong Sect, they closed many branches all over the world and disappeared. Someone claimed that they saw a crimson shadow that rose from the east and flew into the Island where the Hong Sect's headquarters were.

The entire Dark World was silent for a long while.

Overlords from all over the world: Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, all became silent.

Many had believed that Chen Fan's defeat of Oleg was fake news while some claimed that killing the Grand Magus God was not as incredible of a feat as it appeared to be. No one had voiced their question this time about Chen Fan's supremacy status in the Dark World.

"Is this for real?"

After a while, someone finally broke the silence.

"Many Overlords in South East Asia have seen the fight with their own eyes. The Singapore military also provided footage of the fight to all major nations. It is as real as it gets."

Someone else replied.

"Not even a hundred years ago, when Immortal State Warriors freely roamed the earth had the world seen such terrifying power." A wizened spell caster said wistfully.

"Killing Transcendent State Grandmasters is one thing, killing Immortal State Warriors was another."

"These Curmudgeons lived over a hundred years and had many deadly spells and arts at their disposal. They could even live outside of their body. The difficulties in ending the life of an Immortal State Warrior was what kept them from fighting against each other directly. However, the old rules were about to be rewritten after Chen Beixuan entered the picture."

By then, the CIA's private forum was already filled with heated debates.

"He had defeated three Immortal State Warriors! This is unprecedented. Chen Beixuan must be the most powerful Immortal State Warrior in the world!"

Someone posted on the forum.

"Chen Beixuan's achievement was on par with Lin Shuming's victory over Watanabe or Ye Qincang's rise to power. It was obvious that Chen Beixuan deserves at least the third spot on the old Divine Roll."

"Neither Ye Qincang nor Lin Shuming could compare with Chen Beixuan. Not even the top contenders for the number one spot of the Divine Roll could have done what he had just achieved.

Someone posted a different opinion right away.

The two posts were just the tip of an iceberg as many more opinionated comments poured in.

Some claimed that Chen Fan was stronger than anyone else and backed their claims with facts. After all, Ye Qincang had only killed one Immortal State Warriors: the Ancestral Patriarch of the Green Gang, while Chen Fan had done away with three.

The opposing size quickly responded with another post, stating that since Ye Qincang had survived the combined might of seven Immortal State Warriors, he was undoubtedly tougher. Plus, that happened fifty years ago, and Ye Qincang surely had grown even stronger since then.

Even as everyone deliberated with each other with no consensus in sight, a pinned post caught everyone's attention.

"Don't waste time discussing the pointless subject. Did any of you think about the implication of the fight to the world we live in?"

Everyone who saw the post stopped arguing and waited patiently for the update.

The ID of the pinned post was The Observer.

The Observer had accurately pinpointed Chen Fan's abilities many times, and by now, he had become the authority on any matter related to Chen Fan. Even many powerful national intelligence agents heeded his opinions.

"Sir, what do you mean by that?"

Someone replied.

"A hundred years ago, Immortal State Warriors could not only roam the world freely but also make or break a nation on a whim. However, even the most powerful one of them, such as Ye Qincang had only killed one Immortal State Warriors at a time."

The Observer continued.

"Compare that to our situation at hand, we can easily see the drastic uptick in the death toll. Chen Beixuan had killed Galdan and then the Grand Magus God. Now he has done away with Lin Langya, Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect and possibly the Dragon Lord. That is five Immortal State Warriors in total."

The observers' revelation had made everyone let out a gasp of cold air.

They were so blind-sighted by Chen Fan's unimaginable victory that they forgot that he had already killed five Immortal State Warriors. This was unprecedented even among Immortal State Warriors.

"The latest battle had proven that Chen Beixuan could easily crush any Immortal State Warrior. I don't even think any Immortal State Warrior had a chance of escaping their death in a fight against him. That is what kept me awake at night."

The tone of Observer's comments then took a slight turn as he wrote.

"Each Immortal State Warrior was no less powerful than a small nation. These Immortal State Warriors were also allied with each other one way or another, so a full-on war among Immortal State Warriors was rare. Plus, not even Ye Qincang or Lin Shuming could guarantee to slay other Immortal State Warriors. That puts Chen Beixuan under the spotlight as the perhaps the deadliest Immortal State Warrior "

"His dominance over the other Immortal State Warriors were similar to that of the superpowers of the world over the rest of the counties. Their nuclear capability and military might mean they could crush any nation just as Chen Fan would to any Immortal State Warrior."

"He is the king of Immortal State Warriors. There is no doubt about that!"

The Observer paused a moment and then announced: "That's it! We should list Chen Beixuan as the King of Immortal State Warriors!"

"King of Immortal State Warriors!"

The Observer's last comment took everyone's breath away

On this day, Chen Fan was being officially recognized as someone who had reached beyond the Immortal State. He wielded the same amount of authority, if not more, than a major superpower in the world.

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Chapter 515 Meeting The Earth Level Deity

While Chen Fan became the flashpoint of the world, outside of the valley, in the valley he had ventured far in with his sword in hand.

He couldn't afford to let such a powerful foe get away. He might be saved from future retaliations, but the same can not be said about his family and friends. Therefore, Chen Fan was determined to seal the Dragon Lord's fate before he could get out of the valley.

"Kaboom!"

As soon as Chen Fan stepped inside of the valley, the low hanging clouds started to blow about.

Then mist started to rise as if steam from hot water. They converged into the sky and transformed into countless Mist Dragons that swooped down on Chen Fan from all directions. The Mist Array was not only a defense array but also had powerful aggression capabilities.

These Mist Dragons were over a hundred meters in length and were made out of pure Malic Qi. Their long stringy bodies made them look like chains that tied the sky to the earth. The array was still filled with deadly traps that could instantly kill a grandmaster. However, the Dragon Lord seemed to know these traps well as he darted hither and thither gracefully without triggering any traps.

"He must have been in here many times, so by now he knew exactly what to avoid."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

Chen Fan could have broken the array in no more than fifteen minutes, but if he did so, he would risk letting the Dragon Lord loose.

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan narrowed his eyes as a light came up in his eyes.

"Arise!"

"Boom!"

The Blare of Thunder and the Qi of My Blade!

With a crack of thunder, the Sword of Essense Restoring landed forward to meet the Mist Dragons.

The Valley of No Return was so deep that Chen Fan could not see the end of the path created by the Blade Qi. The thick mist made out of Yin Malic Qi smothered the valley like a thick blanket, blocking Chen Fan's Divine Will. Chen Fan could project his Divine Will out for a hundred meters at the most.

"Break! Break!"

True Essence poured out from Chen Fan as he commanded the sword to hack at the mist.

He had refined the Sword of Essense Restoring for over a year and adding on his powerful True Essence, the blade was as powerful as a Spirit Artifact. Each and every blow came with a thunderous blare as it broke the Mist Dragons one after another, creating a path amidst the web of deadly mist.

"Shu!"

Chen Fan's body flickered and was through the path and emerged on the other side of the Mist Array.

He was immediately stunned by the serene and peaceful scene presented before him. It was a peaceful valley filled with blooming flowers and curious critters. Many pairs of inquisitive eyes peered from behind thick lush bushes at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan looked back and noticed that the path had already disappeared. The entire valley was surrounded by a ring of mist.

"The Earth Level Deity had cast three arrays in total. I have gone through the first array, the second one is…."

Chen Fan looked up and examined the valley more carefully.

He saw a large tree that pierced into the sky to the east, blades lodged into the ground to the west, sizzling lava to the south and a deep pool of water to the north. At the dead center of the valley was a formidable mountain and looked over the four cardinals.

"This is … The Array of Five Elements?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes.

The force of Five Elements was the most abundant in the world and was widely used by cultivators all over the universe. Despite the crudeness of this particular array, it spoke loudly of the Earth Level Deity's skills.

"Well, it makes things easier for me then. The Array of Five Elements is right up my alley."

Chen Fan cracked a smile.

The Azure Thearch Longevity Body was one of the most powerful Arts of the Five Elements Immortal Sect, and the Five Elements Immortal Sect was the most powerful sect that excelled in the usage of the Five Elements. Chen Fan could easily break the array using his Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

With that thought in mind, he ambled into the Array of Five Elements.

"Huuuloommmmm!"

As soon as Chen Fan stepped into the array, the ground started to tremble and countless fireballs rained down onto Chen Fan.

These fireballs were made out of pure fire Essence Qi and could easily melt down metal much less human flesh.

However, Chen Fan was unfazed. He turned on a protective screen of True Essence to ward off the rain of fire as he kept moving deeper into the array.

"KOM!"

The valley let out an even louder boom as if it was angered by Chen Fan.

Five rays of lights beamed up from different directions as a tsunami of dark energy poured into the valley. The Dark Qi was a condensed form of the water element and each droplet weighed over a few hundred kilograms. The sheer weight of the deadly deluge made the earth groan.

"Bang!"

Wave after wave the dense aether of water smashed into the azure screen but couldn't break it. Chen Fan kept ambling forward without changing his pace even a little. Then the array showered him with more deadly attacks in the forms of blades, spears, and fallen boulders.

"Donn Donn Donn"

Chen Fan's protective shield had kept these attacks far from Chen Fan as he made his way deeper into the valley.

The further he went, the more powerful and vigorous the attacks became. These attacks were formed by the energy inside the Dharma Array and it was so deadly that it could undo any Immortal State Warrior with ease. Even Chen Fan's azure shield started to shrink in size the closer he got to the heart of the array. When the shield was only half a meter away from Chen Fan, the array finally unleashed its killing blow in the form of countless Yi Wood Aether Qi.

"There you are!"

Chen Fan let out a burst of laughter and started an art.

"In the name of The Primordial Azure Thearch, and with his Yi Wood Talisman, I command you!"

Powerful Azure Thearch Longevity True Essence gushed out from Chen Fan's hands and poured into the wood element attack. The Azure Thearch Longevity Body was the most powerful wood element art and could command all Wood Elements in the universe.

The Yi Wood Energy suddenly disappeared and the entire Wood Element Array quickly fell under Chen Fan's control.

All five elements were interconnected in the Array of Five Elements and breaking one meant breaking the entire array.

"Break!"

Chen Fan stomped the ground and grunted.

"Kaboom!"

A tremor shot through the valley and banished the deadly array. Chen Fan found himself right in front of a cave. The Dragon Lord was standing by the entrance.

The Dragon Lord turned around and was startled by Chen Fan.

"You have already finished the Mist Dragon Array and the Array of Five Elements?"

The Dragon Lord asked with disbelief and shock written all over his face.

It had taken him and a few other Immortal State Warriors a few decades to find out a way to get past the first two arrays. Therefore, he was stunned and terrified by Chen Fan's incredible efficiency.

"It might take you a couple of decades, but for me, it's a child's play."

Chen Fan waved a hand and said lightly.

Chen Fan had trapped the Dragon Lord in the valley, so he was not in a hurry to kill the Dragon Lord right away, instead, he examined the cave carefully.

"So this is the third Dharma Array?"

There was a stone altar by the entrance, and on it were nine miniature swords. Each sword had a name engraved on its body.

"Pixiu, Rosemallow, Asura, and Red Skirt"

After identifying the names on the blade, Chen Fan had already guessed their owner.

Dragon Lord let out a wry smile and then explained.

"As far as we know, this Cave Abode was the residence of the last Earth Level Deity in China: 'Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator'. These swords were the famous Nine used by him. You need to pass this sword array in order to get into the cave."

"These nine swords had helped the Exalted Cultivator dominate the entire China. I wager that it will take nine Immortal State Warriors to break this array. But where are we going to find nine Immortal State Warriors?"

Dragon Lord said as he shook his head.

"I see."

Chen Fan nodded.

He could sense immense energy rippling out from these nine flying swords. Despite their ordinary appearance, each one of them was as deadly as Lin Langya's Art of Blood Sword. However, the riddle could not deter Chen Fan.

Suddenly, Chen Fan felt a slight tug on his belt. The yellow gourd was somehow agitated.

"This Blade Strengthening Gourd also belonged to the Exalted Cultivator, could it be…"

Chen Fan's mind raced as he unhitched the gourd from his belt and started the art that he used to summon his flying sword back into the gourd.

"Clank Clank"

Under the Dragon Lord's disbelieving eyes, the nine blades started to hum and slowly elevated to the air and then flew into the yellow gourd.

After a while, the Dragon Lord exclaimed.

"Isn't that the Blade Strengthening Gourd of the Exalted Cultivator? I thought it was missing."

Once he had gained the nine flying swords, Chen Fan was in a good mood. So he replied readily without much thought: "Yea, I got it from Hong Kong."

After he said that, Chen Fan waved a hand and walked into the cave.

"Follow me, and don't even try to run away."

The Dragon Lord's face changed a few colors, but in the end, he heaved a sigh and followed Chen Fan disheartened.

He didn't want to risk his life by trying to run away, and he was also very curious about the Earth Level Deity's treasure.

The interior of the cave was nothing like the Dragon Lord had imagined. It was largely empty except for a couple of pain shelves with scrolls piled on top. Some of the scrolls were already turned to grey dust.

Right in the middle of the cave was a Cultivator sitting on the ground with his eyes closed. His face radiated life and energy.

"The Exalted Cultivator is still alive?"

The Dragon Lord exclaimed.

"Not even a Golden Core Cultivator could live over a thousand years." Chen Fan snorted. "This is just his body. He had a Connate Body so his flesh would last thousands of years. However, his Divine Soul is long gone."

Dragon Lord examined the cultivator more carefully and noticed that he couldn't hear any heartbeat. It was just as Chen Fan had said, an empty husk.

"Uh?"

Chen Fan noticed that the cultivator was holding a scroll in his hand.

Chen Fan pried the scroll out of the dead cultivator's clutch and unfurled it. He was shocked as soon as he read the first line.

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Chapter 516 The End is Night

"The Gate of Heaven is closed, and the path beleaguered. The end is nigh!"

The first line of characters was written in bloody red ink.

The scroll was made out of a special material that was neither fiber nor metal. It was still in immaculate condition after thousands of years. The calligraphy on the scroll was infused with the vehemence and fervor that possessed the writer. Chen Fan reckoned that these words were written onto the scroll using Blood Qi.

"The Gate of Heaven is Closed, and the path beleaguered... What does it mean?"

Chen Fan was also shocked, so he looked further down.

"Since I was a boy, I have learned the way of Dao. Fate had brought this Sword Art to me during my sojourn in Mount Shu. With great trepidation and horror, I followed the instruction of the Art. A hundred and thirty years later, I became an Earth Level Deity. Nine Flying Swords I have, and one reputation I kept: Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator."

The remainder of the scroll was a detailed account of the writer's life.

It included many interesting events: that he traveled to the famous mountains, that he pilgrimed to the nine heavens, that he refined the nine flying swords, that he dominated ancient China, this, and that. In between the lines, Chen Fan noticed that the Exalted Cultivator was a confident cultivator when he was young, thinking he had all the time in the world.

However, the tone of the words changed once the Exalted Cultivator reached three hundred years old. There was a trace of bitterness and resentment as he increasingly saw the world as nothing but a prison. His writings started to fill with accounts of his failed attempt to escape this world.

He was close a few times but was unsuccessful in the end.

"... now I am four hundred and ninety-two years old with only a few more years to spare. I lived a fool for failing to see my demise earlier, and I will die a fool as well. The Gate of Heaven is Closed, and the path beleaguered. The end is Nigh! The end is Nigh!"

As the Exalted Cultivator repeated his opening sentences, those words seemed to carry much more weight than it had.

Even Chen Fan was gripped by the sense of helplessness and despair. He put down the scroll and turned his mind inward.

"Exalted Cultivator must be the last Earth Level Deity. There must be a couple of other Earth Level Deities on earth, but they must have met the same fate as Exalted Cultivator."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

The earth was deprived of Spirit Qi and was practically a dead planet in the eyes of cultivators. Even with all the arts and techniques at Chen Fan's disposal, he could at the most reach the Golden Core level.

Therefore, he had been thinking ways of leaving the planet ever since he reached the Divine Sea level.

"There are three methods I can choose."

"The first method is to find an Immortal Portal. I think it is what the Exalted Cultivator meant by the Gate of Heaven and the Path of Heaven. These must be portals left by ancient cultivators when they left earth. If I can find one, I should be able to reactivate it."

"The second method is to reach Golden Core Level and physically fly away from Earth. However, this method was not without difficulties and perils. Not only was it nearly impossible to reach Golden Core, but Space was also an extremely dangerous place for Golden Core level cultivators. "

"The last method is to simply wait for ten years when my teacher came to visit earth. Then I can leave with him."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

Of the three methods, the first one was the most plausible, although it might take him some time to search for the Immortal Portals.

Chen Fan was not entirely confident about the second option, but he decided to do it alongside the first option nonetheless.

As for the third option, it was Chen Fan's last resort. He would not even consider it unless absolutely necessary.

"I am getting ahead of myself now. I don't have to deal with it until I reached Connate Spirit Level. I am only at the early-stage of the Divine Sea, and it will take me at least a couple of years to reach Connate Spirit." Chen Fan cracked a smile and shook his head.

As he continued reading the scroll, he realized that the scroll was the same one discovered by Exalted Cultivator at Mount Shu.

The name of the scroll was called the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments

It was an ancient art of Sword Immortals.

Lin Shuming and other Immortal State Warriors would put the scroll on a pedestal, treating it like the apple of their eyes. It was an authentic Immortal Cultivation Art and could elevate any Immortal State Warrior to a higher state.

However, for Chen Fan, it was just a small trick.

He had tens of thousands of such arts at his disposal.

"But the existence of the Sword Art meant that the Immortal Cultivators that used to occupy Earth was far from competent. If they were really powerful like those of void returning and Dao Reunion level, they could easily change the landscape of this planet."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan put the scroll back into the gourd.

All the while, Dragon Lord had glued his eyes on the scroll. He guessed what it was but was deterred to claim it for himself because of Chen Fan.

It had only been fifteen minutes since the battle, and the wound on Chen Fan's shoulder was already healed. The Dragon Lord knew he had no chance winning a fight against such a formidable opponent.

"It is your time to make a decision now. Do you choose life or death?"

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and asked the Dragon Lord.

The Dragon Lord's face changed colors as his mind raced. In the end, he cupped his fist and bowed deeply. "My servitude is yours. I would use my soul and spirit as the pledge for my loyalty."

"Very well."

Chen Fan replied readily.

He had decided to spare the Dragon Lord, but he didn't expect to gain another servant, so he was pleasantly surprised by the Dragon Lord's offer. The Chen Family would be doubly safe under the protection of Hua Yunfeng and the powerful Immortal State Warrior.

Chen Fan quickly finished the Covenant of Soul and Spirit with Dragon Lord. Since the Dragon Lord had wanted to kill Chen Fan, Chen Fan had made the terms of their contract extra stringent, turning the Dragon Lord into a slave.

As soon as the contract was signed, the Dragon Lord kowtowed and announced.

"My real name is Xie Yan and it is an honor to serve you, my lord. I wish you live long and prosper."

"Xie Yan?"

Chen Fan nodded and produced the scroll from the gourd and tossed it to Xie Yan.

"This is my gift to you as a token of goodwill. From now on, you will be the Sect Guardian of the North Qiong Sect. "

"What?"

Xie Yan looked down at the scroll and saw the word on its spin that read: "Sword Art of Nine Abandonments." He was immediately overtaken by disbelief and excitement.

"Master, you... you are giving this to me?"

"Yea, yea. Keep your shirt on. If you serve me well, I might give you even more powerful arts."

Chen Fan smiled derisively.

"Yes, my Lor— I mean.. yes, Sect Master."

Xie Yan kowtowed to Chen Fan while his body shook uncontrollably in elation.

By then, Chen Fan had finally won the Dragon Lord over to him. Reigning by fear was never as effective as by reward and mutual understanding.

Chen Fan had communicated his ungodly power to his subject by tossing away the Sword Art. Nothing spoke louder about Chen Fan's power than a simple action.

"This is the Exalted Cultivator's source of power. Even Lin Shuming would hold it and claim it for himself. However, Chen Beixuan didn't even care and tossed it away as if it was useless. I think the rumor does hold some truth. Maybe Chen Beixuan is indeed a reincarnation of an ancient Curmudgeon."

The thought that Chen Fan was not a twenty-year-old teenager, but a mighty curmudgeon who had survived eons filled Xie Yan's heart with more fear than respect.

Meanwhile, Curmudgeon Chen looked around the room, nodding from time to time approvingly.

"Sect master, I say the Exalted Cultivator is overrated. All he had left for us was this scroll, and nothing else. No Dharma Treasures nor Elixirs. What a letdown."

Xie Yan complained.

"Hehe, you just have to know where to look,"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and started an art

"Hur!"

A ray of azure light shot out from Chen Fan's hand landed at the opposite wall.

The wall flickered under the light and then disappeared, revealing a sizable stone chamber.

Within the chamber was a gurgling spring a few meters in length and width. The water deep, sealing in a tremendous amount of Spirit Qi inside. It wasn't until they came close to the spring did they realize that the water was actually made out of condensed Spirit Water.

Against the spring were a few patches of garden plots that were filled with strange-looking plants.

"It is..."

Xie Yan rounded his eyes in utter disbelief.

"This is the real Cave Abode. It's a Spirit Source that was a few times more powerful than that at the Warg Valley. I wonder how long it takes an Exalted Cultivator to find it."

A smile surfaced on Chen Fan's face.

The Spirit Water at the Warg Valley had helped him reach the peak of Ethereal Enlightenment, and now with this new Spirit Source, he should be able to reach the Divine Sea very soon. Unlike Spirit Water, the Spirit Source had a nearly unlimited supply of Spirit Qi.

"Plus, the plants around the source were all superior-grade Spirit herbs."

Chen Fan examined the roomful of herbs eagerly.

"Fire Fruit, Rainbow Lotus, Silver Grain... each and every one of them were well over a thousand-years-old. With the help of the Earth Magus Tripod Cauldron, I can finally create a batch of real 'Grand Pills'."

There was no time to waste, Chen Fan jumped into action right away.

At his level of attainment, he could survive months without any sustenance. He drank the Spirit Water and ate the Essence Gathering Pill when he was hungry.

As Chen Fan worked industriously to improve his cultivation, the world outside was changed rapidly because of his battle against the Immortal State Warriors.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 517 The Restless Curmudgeons

Chen Fan's battle had far-reaching consequences.

The Curmudgeons who had been hiding behind the curtain for decades were more disturbed by the development than the rest of the world.

The Immortal State Warriors dominated the world and except for the superpowers of the world, no one else could have brought them down. Not even Ye Qincang or Lin Shuming could guarantee to end the life of an Immortal State Warrior without the latter sneaking away.

However, Chen Fan's performance caught them by surprise. However powerful his opponents were, he had brought them to heel with a single sweep of a blade. It was evident that Chen Fan had dominated the fight.

"This lad reminds me of the Great Magus who lived three hundred years ago, Zhang SanFeng who lived five hundred years ago, and the Exalted Cultivator who lived a thousand years ago."

One Immortal State Curmudgeon exclaimed.

"Humph! I don't understand what the big deal is. We will join forces and deal with him the same way we did with Ye Qincang."

Someone inside the Dragon Tiger Mountain grunted.

"Lin Langya's death was a huge loss to the Lin Family of Southeastern China. I wonder how Lin Shuming is faring without his most trusted assistant." Many people focused their attention on the Lin Family and waited expectantly for the hundred-year-old Sword Master to show up.

Lin Shuming was the oldest Immortal State Warrior in the world. He was one of the only people, other than Ye Qincang who could possibly rival Chen Beixuan.

"People told me that they heard the humming of Lin Shuming's blade a while ago. But the old man faltered in the end. I wager the next time he comes out of hiding, he would have reached the Earth Level Deity Level."

Someone put in.

"Earth Level Deity. Tsk..tsk.."

The thought made everyone quiet.

Although no one had reached that legendary state for a thousand years, it remained the ultimate goal for generations of Immortal State Warriors. The nuclear powers of the present-day world had forced the Immortal State Warriors into hiding, but it also gave them plenty of time to focus on their cultivation.

Ten days, twenty, thirty...

Chen Beixuan had disappeared for a month ever since he entered the Valley of No Return. Many people started to suspect that he was killed by the divine spells of the Earth Level Deity.

However, they learned their lesson from what happened after the battle of the Warg Valley. Chen Fan had reappeared after he was missing in action for over a year and utterly crushed the Russians.

That being said, Chen Fan's absence did have some effect on the world.

"Kaboom!"

A crack of lightning erupted at the top of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The legendary Heavenly Master, Yao Daoyi, who had banished the many evil creatures from the world, finally finished his seclusion cultivation.

Yao Daoyi rose to fame during the most tumultuous time in Chinese history around the turn of the 20th century. As war and famine ravaged the land, many sadistic and unscrupulous sects climbed the ladder of chaos and rose to power. As the Bearer of the Thunder Seal, Yao Daoyi had taken upon himself to banish evil from China. In the end, he was forced to retire after being confronted by Ye Qincang with an army of a hundred thousand strong.

However, Yao Daoyi was not the only one.

A few months ago, some tourists had claimed to see a white-haired old man with a surprisingly youthful face walking in the clouds.

Old Taoist monks from the Temple of Violet Cloud claimed the old man had been there when he was a young lad. They insisted that the old man lived somewhere at the side of the mountain and looked just the same as when the monk was a child.

"He is Li Changsheng from the Wu Dang Primordial Dao Sect. He practiced Dharma Spell and Martial Arts dual cultivation and was only a few years younger than Lin Shuming."

Someone online recognized the old man on the grainy image.

The news had become the flashpoint in Chinese media. Both Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng were legendary warriors active a few decades ago. To everyone's surprise, they aged exceptionally well and were full of vigor.

"They must have been disturbed by Chen Beixuan's killing the three Immortal State Warriors."

Someone on the internet pointed out.

Right after that, many more strange things happened all over the world.

In Thailand, people reported the sightings of an old man riding on a snake-like beast with a large horn sticking out from its scaly forehead.

In Japan, the Ise Grand Shrine's empty hall was filled with ghastly apparitions and nerve breaking noises.

In India, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, similar events also unfolded.

Many of these strange developments were recorded and that footage and images were uploaded to the internet.

Chen Fan's battle against the Grand Magus God had shown the Myanmar public his godly power. As a result, the Myanmar public worshipped Chen Fan as a god.

That was only the beginning of a larger awakening of the public to the supernatural elements of the world. More and more videos and images of astonishing sightings spread on the internet like an infectious disease despite the government's effort to discredit these sightings. More and more people started to take a second look at the reality they knew of and created many websites dedicated to such discussions.

Websites such as the Vampire's Den, Super Human Forum, Castle Wolfenstein, and the Covenant of the Venerable One were some examples.

Although the sightings of the Super Humans were rare, studies and art projects related to the subject started to garner a cult following. It found its way even into the upper-class society and universities.

Although most people were drawn to the subject by curiosity and participated in the discussion as a way to pass the time, It was not the case for the people in the Dark World.

"Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng, Dharma-rāja Sakya, Gong Tau King and the Demon Gods from the Ise Grand Shrine..."

A list was kept on the CIA's private server and was updated daily.

The list was then scrutinized by the forum users to root out those names that were made-up.

"What is happening to the world? Why are these Immortal State Warriors exposing themselves like there was no tomorrow? Aren't they afraid of the American's nuclear bombs?"

Someone asked.

"They are getting anxious."

Someone replied.

"Although they had been in hiding, it didn't mean that the rest of the world, including the United States of America, did not fear them. The balance of power had always been subtle: they had traded their silence for the safety of their friends and families."

"However, Chen Beixuan's appearance disturbed this balance and made these Curmudgeons feel insecure. So, they all came out of hiding, and are trying to seek safety in numbers."

"I agree." Someone else replied.

"These Immortal Level Overlords had been living in seclusion for way too long and they also eagerly wanted an excuse to come out from their hiding. Chen Beixuan was the perfect excuse. In a way, they are testing the bottom line of the superpowers. If Chen Beixuan is allowed to freely roam the earth, why should they be confined in a hole?"

"You mean Chen Beixuan had become their common enemy?"

Someone asked in surprise.

"Why of course. He is the strongest Immortal State Warrior so he has a target on his back."

The same person replied.

"If the United States of America would intervene soon and do away with Chen Beixuan to re-exert its dominance, these Immortal State Warriors would also retreat back to their hiding places. Otherwise, these Immortal State Warriors are going to wreak havoc."

Someone added.

However, most people on the forum were indifferent to politics, and they were more interested in what had become of Chen Beixuan.

One month, two, three...

In the third month, many people started to lose their patience.

Many claimed that Chen Beixuan had died in the Dharma Array in the valley and was gone for good.

"Kaboom!"

On the rainy night of August 3, 2010, a blaring crack of thunder erupted above the Jin City. Many citizens claimed that they had seen an azure dragon amidst the dark clouds. It seemed to be fighting with someone or something.

A few days later, news about a mysterious fight spread all over the forum.

An unheard of Immortal State Warrior had attempted to break into the Chen Family's residence, but was injured by the Green Dragon Grand Array and escaped.

A few days later, many people in Zhong Hai claimed that they had seen an explosion erupting in the sky. It happened very quickly but was seen by many citizens.

Someone said that it was another Immortal State Warrior who tried to invade the Jin Xiu Group's headquarters, and was confronted by Hua Yunfeng. As soon as the intruder realized that Hua Yunfeng had reached the Immortal State, he fled the scene in a hurry.

These two developments shocked the Dark World.

"Chen Beixuan had cast an array in East Mountain powerful enough to injure an Immortal State Warrior?"

"Hua Yunfeng had reached Immortal State without anyone knowing it? Why him? He is not even that outstanding among his former peers. Azure Dragon, Ye Nantian and even Odin used to be more powerful than him."

The members of the dark world were stunned by the developments.

However, as they delved deeper into the news, they became even more shocked.

They learned that Hua Yunfeng had already become Chen Beixuan's disciple and was an official member of the North Mystic Sect.

Although it was the first time that people ever heard of the North Qiong Sect, they were already impressed by its might.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 518 Red Flame Spirit Pills

North Qiong Sect was a side project of Chen Fan which he intended to use to protect his family. However, the sect had become the focus point of the world.

When people learned that Hua Yunfeng had become one of Chen Fan's disciples in the North Qiong Sect, they were shocked.

By now, the North Qiong Sect had two Immortal State Warriors and has become much more powerful than the Lin Family of Southeastern China.

Some rumors even said that without Chen Beixuan's help, Hua Yunfeng would never have been able to enter the Immortal State. Although this news was quickly brushed away by many people, the fear it evoked lingered.

"Clank!"

Right after the unknown Immortal State Warrior attempted and failed to enter the Chen Family, the Fire Snake Lord was killed by a girl in a white outfit in Indonesia. Even though the Fire Snake Lord had lost his pet monster during the fight against Chen Fan, he was still considered one of the most powerful Gong Tau masters. However, the girl in the white outfit had killed him in just one stroke.

People in Indonesia were set on their heels.

As more details about the fight slowly came to light, people learned that the girl was called Yukishiro Sa, and she was Chen Beixuan's servant girl. She killed Lin Puojun in Zhong Hai. In addition, she was also the family lord of the Yukishiro Family in Japan.

The underground world sizzled with excitement as soon as they heard the news.

"How's that possible? She is only twenty years old."

Someone asked incredulously.

She had become a Kendo Grandmaster at an unprecedented young age of twenty. Even Erika hadn't become a Grandmaster until she was thirty-five. Some people claimed that the publisher of the Heaven roll had already started to consider enlisting her onto the list.

However, this was only the start of a whole slew of events.

Another girl named A'Xiu from the Yin Ghost Sect of Zhong Zhou had arrived at the doorstep of the Tai Chi sect and defeated its sect master Chen Jiuyang.

The fight had earned her the thirteenth spot on the Heaven roll.

Rumor had it that the girl was Chen Beixuan's senior disciple and even Hua Yunfeng had to address her as the Senior Martial Sister. Soon after that, the Yin Ghost Sect claimed that they will also join the North Mystic Sect.

A few days later, news arrived from the Southwestern corner of China saying that the Medicine God Valley Sect had also joined the North Qiong Sect and became the Elixir Brewing Chapter.

The Chapter leader was a girl named Zhou Jin Yi. She not only possessed otherworldly elixir brewing skills, but she also was the only female Perfected Cultivator in the world.

However, this was not the most shocking news yet.

The Dark Witch Sect in Myanmar had also announced to the world that they would join the North Qiong Sect and became the Dark Witch Chapter. They would lord over Southeast Asia from Myanmar in Chen Fan's stead. This development had pulled the rug from under everyone.

Everyone knew that the Dark Witch Sect was an influential sect no less powerful than the Hong Sect or the Dragon Hall. They presided over Myanmar for decades and had the Myanmar government on a tight leash. The sect had over a hundred disciples and four Perfected Cultivators. Yet, however powerful it was, it had also capitulated to the North Qiong Sect.

The current sect master of the Dark Witch Sect was also a girl with extraordinary beauty.

"Chen Beixuan must be a pervert. All of his servants and disciples are drop-dead gorgeous."

Someone put in bitterly.

However, most people were so shaken by the development that they simply missed these subtle details.

After a few weeks, the North Qiong Sect surfaced to the public's attention, it's rank had already swelled tremendously. It had one Immortal State Warrior, two Grandmasters on the Heaven roll, and seven Perfected Cultivators. It's three chapters dominated three provinces or regions and it quickly outshined the fame of the Hong Sect and the Lin Family.

That didn't even include the most powerful Immortal State Warrior, the living legend, Chen Beixuan.

The name of North Qiong quickly caught the attention of all nations in the world.

The rise of the North Qiong sect had deterred those who wished to strike at the Chen Family while Chen Fan was absent. Two Immortal State Warriors had tried and failed so far, so no one in their right mind would test the Chen Family again.

As the world changed and the balance of power was broken and restored, Chen Fan was sitting inside the Cave Abode with his legs folded. Before him was a large Tripod Cauldron. Images of primordial beasts such as the Tao Tie, Jiu Yin, and the Jun Ni were carved all over the Tripod Cauldron. The Tripod Cauldron was made out of a hunk of ancient bronze, therefore, its metallic surface had a mysterious luster that seemed to hold the key to many untold secrets of the ancients.

This Tripod Cauldron was the Earth Magus Tripod Cauldron, one of the seven Magus Artifacts. The other six Magus Artifacts were broken by Chen Fan during the fight, but Chen Fan had purposefully preserved the Tripod Cauldron after realizing it's an extraordinary utility for elixir brewing.

"Pa!"

While the giant Tripod Cauldron floated in the air, a dark flame erupted under its belly.

The source of the dark flame was a small pile of black crystals. From time to time, a crystal would erupt into flame, keeping the fire going.

Xie Yan would then fish out the consumed crystal from the pile and replace it with a new one. He kept a watchful eye on the intensity of the flame. If the fire was getting too hot, he would start to cool the air turn it down a notch. The Dragon Lord turned out to be a fairly capable fire keeper.

"These Black Fire Crystals had been burning under the Earth Magus Tripod Cauldron for eighty-one days, the elixirs should be completed any time now."

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and gazed into the cauldron.

There were Fire fruits, rainbow lotus, silver grain grass just to name a few.

These herbs were the Exalted Cultivator's prized collections and it would take Chen Fan at least ten years to get half of them. Therefore, Chen Fan had only one shot at making these elixirs, if this batch was spoiled, he would have to wait for another decade.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, the Earth Magus Tripod Cauldron shivered and Xie Yan exclaimed at the top of his lungs "MASTER!"

"The pill!"

Chen Fan remained calm and started an art steadily.

"Kaboom!"

The Earth Magus Tripod Cauldron shook more violently, almost pitching the lip off its top. There seemed to be great energy inside the belly of the cauldron that struggled to get out.

"Master, what is going on?"

Xie Yan asked incredulously.

He had seen how elixirs were made many times, but none looked like this. It was as if they had trapped the Monkey King inside the Cauldron to turn him into a pill, but the mighty monkey was not having any of it.

"Easy now. Remember that we are making a superior-grade Spirit Pill, not just any ordinary elixirs."

Chen Fan started an art to exert more control over the cauldron.

"These herbs had absorbed so much Spirit Qi that they were near sentient. Turning them into elixirs would distort the balance of nature. That is why some Golden Core Immortals would have to deal with Heavenly Tribulation after they created powerful elixirs. As for even more powerful herbs, such as the Immortal herb, Divine Herb or Sage Herbs, they could even transform into the shape of a human and live thousands of years."

"What?"

Xie Yan was stunned by the revelation.

He had never thought that there was so much more about elixir brewing that he simply didn't know.

He had lived over a hundred years, but never once did he learn any of what Chen Fan had just told him. It reinforced his belief that Chen Fan was not a twenty year old man.

"It's a shame that I am only powerful enough to create superior-grade spirit pills. I wouldn't even start to attempt to make the Treasure Pills, Divine Pills or the Sacred Pills"

Chen Fan shook his head.

"KOM!"

Suddenly, a puff of energy shot out from the Tripod Cauldron and blew the lid off. A ray of iridescent light flew out from the cauldron and attempted to escape the cave.

"Easy, easy!"

Chen Fan let out a peal of laughter and unleashed a pulse of energy.

The energy reined in the rough light and brought it back to Chen Fan.

"One, two, three... Ha! Terrific! I thought I could make six pills at most, but there are nine here."

Chen Fan said as he beamed from side to side.

He quickly put away these pills inside the gourd. This gourd was also a Connate Spirit Artifact, so the longer those pills were kept in there, the more potent their effect would get.

"Master, what kind of elixirs are those?"

Seeing Chen Fan's excitement, Xie Yan hazarded.

"These are called the Red Flame Spirit Pills. It was one of the most effective Spirit Pills." Chen Fan replied readily.

"How is it different from the normal elixirs we use?"

Xie Yan asked cautiously.

"Haha, you mean those mud pellets you eat? Those are not elixirs." Chen Fan snorted derisively.

"Real Spirit Pills required thousand-year-old materials. A good example is the Essence Enhancing Pill and the Essence Gathering Pill. However, those two are inferior-grade Spirit Pills. In order to create higher grade pills, you not only need more precious and potent raw materials but also extremely stringent procedures and required a Divine Sea Level cultivator to perform. One of these pills could make a Transcendent State Grandmaster out of ordinary people instantly."

"What?"

Xie Yan was stunned.

One of these pills could make ordinary people into a Grandmaster? That's unbelievably powerful!

"Hehe, but those are just mid-grade Spirit Pills. The creation of superior-grade Spirit Pills is even more difficult. It requires more powerful materials and perfect conditions during the entire brewing process. They are much more potent than the mid-grade stuff as well."

Chen Fan continued. "All you need to know about the superior-grade spirit pills was that one pill was enough to turn an ordinary mortal into an Immortal State Warrior."

"What?"

Xie Yan was floored.

The revelation had utterly astonished the hundred-year-old Dragon Lord.

Immortal State Warriors were so rare that there were only a couple of them on each continent. If what Chen Fan said was true, then the nine pills he was holding could mean the addition of nine more Immortal State Warriors in the world.

The thought had drained color from Xie Yan's face.

"Sigh"

Chen Fan shook his head.

So powerful were the real Superior-grade Spirit Pills that using it to turn a mortal into Immortal State Warriors was practically a waste. In theory, it required the power of a Connate Cultivator to make these spills, but Chen Fan had pulled it off at Divine Sea level thanks to his immense knowledge of his past life. However, these pills were only half as strong as they should be.

"It was a success nonetheless and my labor over the three months was not wasted. With these Red Flame Spirit Pills, I can finally put some of my earlier plans into action."

Chen Fan thought to himself as his eyes glinted.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 519 Defensive Divine Power

Ever since Chen Fan had reached the Divine Sea Level, he had gained very little improvements in his cultivation.

The amount of Spirit Qi required to make any advance after the Divine Sea Level was enormous. Worse, the Azure Thearch Longevity from the Five Elements Immortal Sect was practically a black hole for Spirit Qi. On the flip side, Chen Fan's combat ability was a few times stronger than most other cultivators.

Without those deadly arts, he would not be able to defeat three Immortal State Warriors while at the early-stage of the Divine Sea Level.

Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect and Xie Yan, in particular, had reached mid-stage of the Immortal State, so the combined force of theirs was even more potent.

"The amount of Spirit Qi in the Spirit Source should be enough to carry me to the mid-stage of Divine Sea level. I think it's time to think about improving my defense arts."

Chen Fan thought to himself while sitting with his legs folded.

Lin Langya's blow had not only injured him but also served as a wake-up call.

Although he had achieved initial success in the Azure Thearch Longevity Body cultivation, he could still get injured. The power in Lin Langya's strike had reached the peak level of the Immortal State, so Chen Fan wagered that Lin Shuming and Ye Qincang must be around that level of attainment as well. The strike had only left a small dent on his shoulder which was healed in an instant, the injury still didn't sit well with him.

"If a Peak Immortal State could hurt me, then what about Earth Level Deity? If I ever have to stand face to face with an Exalted Cultivator, do I have to run away? What about those weapons of mass destruction?"

Chen Fan's eyes dimmed a little.

Although he had gained the Connate Body, he lacked the Connate level divine powers and spells.

Before he upgraded True Essence to as powerful as that of a real Connate Cultivator, he wouldn't be able to survive a nuclear explosion. At his current state, even Armor Penetrating Shells could have wounded him.

Chen Fan still has a diplomatic relationship with the superpowers of the world and most of the extremely deadly experimental weapons were still locked behind the gates of research labs. However, sooner or later, they would throw the gloves off, and Chen Fan needed to be ready.

"It's a miracle that I have found the Sword of Essense Restoring on this accursed planet. I don't think I will be that lucky all the time."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh.

In order to completely ward off the attacks of Immortal State Warriors, Chen Fan needed a spirit artifact at the very least. However, he doubted that he could be so lucky to stumble upon another Spirit Artifact.

"It's nearly impossible to improve the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, and without a dharma artifact, I think my best bet is in gaining some Divine powers."

A light glinted in Chen Fan's eyes, as he looked at the nine Red Flame Spirit Pills inside the gourd.

Of the three-stage of the Qi Refinement level, the Ethereal Enlightenment and the Divine Sea levels were combined and called the Immortal Enlightenment phase. Once the cultivator had completed both levels, he or she could summon even more arcane power to unleash powerful spells. They could call upon the natural elements and turn dirt into golems who would fight to the death. In the eyes of an ordinary human, these cultivators were no different than a god, although they were technically not gods yet.

By now, Chen Fan had gained access to three arts: Li Fire Golden Eyes, Yi Wood Spirit Qi, and Passage Of Time. Of the three arts, the Li Fire Golden Eyes was an attack spell, the Yi Wood Spirit Qi was a buff spell and the Passage Of Time was an ultimate spell that should be saved for the last moment.

Chen Fan reckoned that it was the right time to gain another spell that he could use to protect himself.

"The nine Red Flame Spirit Pills should help me to gain any protection divine powers, but which one should I choose?"

Chen Fan rubbed his chin and started to reflect on the spells he used in his past.

"The Protection of the Chi Emperor? No... this spell required the divine blood of the Chi Emperor."

"Black Gold Dharma Robe? No, it wouldn't work either. I will need the aether and blood of three-legged Black Gold Beast. Plus, even if I got the material, I will need to cultivate inside the son for thirty years. At my current level, I will be reduced to ashes before I can even get close to the son."

"Bulwark of the Fire God? It's still too difficult, I am afraid. I need the spirit of the Fire God anyways."

Chen Fan went through one after another Divine power, winnowing out the ones that were impossible to pull off right now.

In the end, Chen Fan had settled on one.

"Armor of Red Flame. Inferior-grade protection divine power. It can form a fiery armor around the user. It is one of the least powerful divine powers in all of the fire element spells."

"Fuck me.."

Chen Fan let out a wry smile.

The Defensive Divine Power was much more difficult to pull off compared to ordinary powers due to their extraordinary power. The Protection of the Chi Emperor, for example, could help a Void Returning level cultivator easily escape the wrath of a much more powerful cultivator.

The nine Red Flame Spirit Pills could help Chen Fan to forge the Armor of Red Flame at the most.

In fact, most cultivators wouldn't worry about the Defensive Divine Power until they had reached the Connate Spirit level. Most cultivators below the Connate Spirit Level only resorted to Spirit Artifacts as their means of protection.

"Fine, fine... it's better than nothing. Luckily, these divine powers are not only upgradable, but it could also be transformed into The Protection of the Chi Emperor."

Chen Fan shook his head and gave in.

Despite the inferior rating of the Armor of the Red Flame, it should make Chen Fan nearly invincible. His only threats would come from nuclear weapons and Earth Level Deities.

"Let's start now!"

Chen Fan fished out a Red Flame Spirit Pills from his gourd.

The Red Flame Spirit Pills were pea-sized translucent pellets. It was suffused with an iridescent light and within it was a small dancing flame. If an ordinary human consumed it, he would be burned alive from inside.

However, the pill had a very different effect on Chen Fan.

As soon as Chen Fan swallowed the pill, he felt a fire start in his belly, working its way up to his throat and came out from his nose, ears, and mouth, turning Chen Fan into a fire breathing monster.

"Refine!"

Chen Fan held back the pain and started the art.

Slowly, an inscription formed in Chen Fan's Dantian. Each and every stroke of the inscription was forged by Arcane Fire to form the archaic lexicon created by the Primordial Emperor of Chi.

"KOM!"

The inscription quickly tamed the fire sprouting out from Chen Fan and transformed them into an illusionary armor. The scally armor was smoldering red, making Chen Fan look like a general from the Heavenly Court.

"Hew, that was a rough start. Now I need to slowly refine it with the help of the elixirs and complete the art."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh of relief and swallowed a second Red Flame Spirit Pill.

For the days that followed, Chen Fan consumed the pills at a steady rate of one per three days. He didn't complete the art until he had used the sixth pill.

Chen Fan had finally bent the will of the fire that surrounded him and turned it into a suit of armor. The armor had red scales and was an outlandish style that didn't seem to belong to Earth. Chen Fan indeed had fashioned the armor based on the True Martial Divine Armor that he used to wear.

"Boom!"

As the fire solidified into armor, the inscription in Chen Fan's Dantian also crumpled into a ball, granting Chen Fan even more control over the suit of armor over his body.

"Finally, after fifteen days of hard work, the Armor of the Red Flame is complete!"

Chen Fan nodded.

Suddenly, two balls of golden fire shot out from Chen Fan's eyes and they circled about Chen Fan, licking the red armor with their golden tongues, painting the armor gold. Once the scales on the armor were painted gold, they started to glow with energy.

Even the golden inscriptions increased in size as more energy was channeled into it.

"Err..."

Chen Fan was taken aback at first, but then he quickly realized that the Li Fire Golden Eyes had taken control over the Armor of Red Flame and increased the power of the Armor of Red Flame by a fold. Chen Fan finally realized that he forgot the fact that the Li Fire Golden Eyes, as a mid-grade fire spell would naturally overpower its inferior-grade counterpart.

"So... it's no longer the Armor of Red Flame, it's the Armor of Golden Flame?"

Chen Fan was pleasantly surprised and felt doubly secure now with the Defensive Divine Power at his disposal.

By now, Chen Fan had spent a hundred days on elixir brewing and crafting a Defensive Divine Power, it's finally the time to start cultivation.

"I hope I can at least pass the mid-stage of Immortal State."

Chen Fan put away the remaining spirit pills and started to focus on his breathing.

"Huu! Huu!"

His breath drew a large amount of Spirit Qi from the Spirit Source into his body. Slowly, Chen Fan's body started to let out an azure glow that illuminated the entire cave.

Xie Yan bowed slightly and then retreated to the corner of the cave in silence.

Three months, five, seven...

As time flew by, fewer and fewer people came to the valley in an attempt to find Chen Fan and Xie Yan. However, after a year passed, the two were still missing.

Many people claimed that Chen Beixuan was killed in the Dharma Array.

However, Chen Fan's enemies learned their lesson from last time and none of them dared to make a move without the confirmation of Chen Fan's death. The immeasurable power of the North Qiong Sect was deterrent enough for most people.

There had been a couple of Immortal State Warriors who dared to cross the line.

They avoided the Green Dragon Grand Array and tried to pick on the less defended Chen Family's residence. However, the Immortal State Warrior was defeated by an unknown Overlord.

They said Immortal State Warriors claimed that it was a three-meter tall iron-skin giant that had driven him away. The Immortal State Warrior swore that the giant's Physique Refinement attainment was on par with that of Galdan, the Snowwolf King.

The revelation had shaken the world.

No one had expected to see yet another Immortal State Warrior in the Chen Family. Worse, this one seemed to have reached Immortal State Level by taking the Physique Refinement route. It meant that the giant was much more powerful than most other Immortal State Warriors

Ever since then, no one dared to even get near the Chen Family's residence.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had also arrived at a critical moment in his cultivation.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 520 Surge in Power

"Hew!"

A current of white energy flew into Chen Fan's nose. This flow of energy was made out of condensed Spirit Qi. By now, each and every breath Chen Fan took could consume enough Spirit Qi to fill a bottle of Yun Wu Spirit Water.

After each day of cultivation, he drained so much Spirit Qi that it would take the Green Dragon Grand Array an entire month to accumulate. Only a Spirit Source that had been gathering Spirit Qi for thousands of years could meet Chen Fan's consumption.

However, just a year later, the Spirit Dew inside the pond had gotten visibly lower.

Xie Yan examined the Spirit Spring and noticed that nearly half of the Spirit Dew was already consumed by Chen Fan,

"What art does Sect master cultivate? How could he consume so much Spirit Qi in such a short period of time."

Xie Yan was taken aback.

Xie Yan had been cultivating alongside Chen Fan in the Cave Abode. Chen Fan had given him enough Essence Gathering Pills so that he wouldn't have to worry about things like food or water. While Chen Fan focused on his cultivation, he turned his mind on to the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments.

The cultivation had breathed new life into his aging appearance. His white hair started to turn dark and his wrinkled skin smoothened. Xie Yan registered that his power had quickly passed the mid-stage of Immortal State and, by now, he was not very far from the late-stage of Immortal State. This one year of cultivation was more effective than the combined effort of the last ten years.

That was merely the benefits of the overflow of Spirit Qi from Chen Fan's system. Chen Fan had been absorbing a hundred times more Spirit Qi than Xie Yan, so his improvement was even much greater.

The thought of how powerful Chen Fan had gotten scared Xie Yan.

"Kaboom!"

Suddenly, a powerful wave of energy shot out from Chen Fan's body and quickly filled up the entire cave. The energy was overwhelming even to Xie Yan and forced the Dragon Lord to back a few steps.

"Did the Sect Master level up? To what level though? Did he reach the peak level of Immortal State or is he an Earth Level Deity now?"

Xie Yan's face changed a little.

Chen Fan's overbearing presence made Xie Yan's hair stand on end. Not even Ye Qincang nor Lin Shuming could match Chen Fan's level of attainment.

What happened next shook Xie Yan to his core.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A few strange things happened around Chen Fan.

The two golden flames in Chen Fan's eyes grew in size and intensity as a pulse of vigorous Wood Element Spirit Qi sprouted out from under Chen Fan's feet, forming countless twisting vines. One small blade of grass that had grown out from the stone wall suddenly multiplied its size and created a giant hole where it lodged its root.

Then a golden flame set Chen Fan's body ablaze. Slowly, the fire morphed into a suit of armor, making Chen Fan look like a powerful invincible general on the battlefield.

What stunned Xie Yan the most was an operation behind Chen Fan.

Despite the illusionary and blurry image, Xie Yan could tell that it was a statuesque man in the emperor's garb, complete with a crown. Time and space seem to have lost their perspectives around the appreciation, as the figure weaved itself in and out in between the future and the past.

Xie Yan watched as a fast-growing vine approached the apparition, but quickly withered as if an entire season had passed.

"What is going on?"

Xie Yan let out a gasp of cold air.

Each one of the incredible sights: Fire in the eyes, Wood Element Spirit Qi, Armor of Golden Flame and the apparition of the man in the emperor's outfit represented one of Chen Fan's four Divine powers. Unlike Dharma Spells, the potency of Divine power grew with the level of attainment of the cultivator.

Once Chen Fan had reached the Dao Reunion level, he could have annihilated the entire world with a gaze and turn back time with a snap of fingers.

As Chen Fan reached the mid-stage of the Divine Sea Level, his divine powers also became much more powerful.

"Huhuhu."

The energy flowing around Chen Fan's body finally abated.

A smile surfaced on Xie Yan's face. He knew Chen Fan had finally finished his cultivation and it wouldn't be long before they could leave the cave.

Although cultivation had kept Xie Fan busy, he could really use some fresh air after being stuck in the cave for a year.

However, after a month had passed, Xie Yan saw no sign of Chen Fan ending his cultivation any time soon.

"Does Sect master want to level up twice in a row?"

Xie Yan was stunned.

The last breakthrough had brought Chen Fan enough power to dominate the world and bring down Lin Shuming and Ye Qincang. However, Chen Fan was not satisfied and he wanted more. If he was successful, he should be powerful enough to fight face to face against an Earth Level Deity.

Xie Yan simply couldn't wrap his mind around how powerful Chen Fan would have gotten, but what he was certain was this: Lin Langya's Art of Blood Sword wouldn't even make a dent on Chen Fan once Chen Fan leveled up again.

For the days that followed, Xie Yan watched as Chen Fan's became observably stronger by the day. It wasn't long before the air in the cave became so saturated by Chen Fan's energy that it was outright impossible for Xie Yan to channel his own force. Therefore, Xie Yan had to move out of the cave and waited for his sect master outside.

One month, two, three...

Half a year had passed since Xie Yan moved out of the cave.

By now, Chen Fan had disappeared into the Valley of No Return for a year a half.

It was just another ordinary day and Xie Yan was cultivating the sword art as usual.

"Shu!"

He commanded the ebony blade as the latter swooshed across the sky, making a high pitch sound.

"Kaboom!"

The ebony blade landed on a cliff and cracked open the rocks.

"I have finally achieved the initial success of the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments."

Xie Yan pulled back the ebony sword and heaved a sigh of relief.

The deeper he delved into the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments, the more in awe he was with the great sword art.

Although his progress was much slower than he had expected, his True Essence was strengthened greatly. Even a casual wave of the hand was deadlier than Xie Yan's most powerful attack in the past. If Chen Fan had seen his level of attainment he had achieved, he would know that Xie Yan had indeed reached the early-stage of the Divine Sea level.

Although on paper, Xie Yan seemed to be not too far behind Chen Fan, in reality, his power was much more inferior compared to Chen Fan. Plus, Chen Fan made leaps and bounds each day and would soon be ungodly powerful.

"The power of the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments is already unbelievable, I really can't imagine how powerful Sect master's arts are."

Xie Yan lamented.

Suddenly, he registered a powerful gush of force that rose from the cave straight into the firmament. It churned the misty clouds that loomed over the mountain.

"Here we go!"

Excitement contorted Xie Yan's face.

He had never sensed anything more powerful than that gush of energy. Already, Xie Yan knew that Chen Fan had reached a level of attainment that was as powerful as Earth Level Deities, if not more.

However, to Xie Yan's surprise, Chen Fan's energy didn't maintain that level, instead, it quickly diminished.

"What happened?"

Xie Yan was confused.

By now, he could no longer register any trace of Chen Fan's energy. Xie Yan walked into the cave and saw Chen Fan sitting still on a large rock.

Before Chen Fan was an empty pond with only an inch thick of Spirit Dew left in it. Somewhere in the pond was the source of the Spirit Qi where creamy Spirit Dew continued to drip out. It would take another thousand years to fill up the pond at this rate.

"Sect master."

Xie Yan moved closer to Chen Fan and bowed.

Even at close range, Xie Yan could not register any sign of Chen Fan's unimaginable power. He just sat there like an ordinary person. However, Xie Yan knew that the absence of Chen Fan's energy in the air was the true sign of his great enlightenment and attainment.

"Sigh"

Chen Fan heaved a sigh and then asked.

"What year is it now?"

"Master, you have been at it for a year a half. So it's almost 2012 now." Xie Yan replied.

"A year a half, already?"

Chen Fan looked down at the empty pond, regret and disappointment were written all over his face. He expected to reach the late-stage of Divine Sea level, but he only made it to the mid-stage.

He was very close to his goal, and if he wanted to, he could force himself to make the breakthrough. However, he had learned the importance of building a solid foundation, so he had chosen not to rush through the earlier levels. In addition, even at his current level, he could easily defend himself against an Earth Level Deity with the four powerful divine powers at his disposal.

"I think it's about time to leave a cave."

Chen Fan rose to his feet and said.

"Yes.."

Xie Yan replied.

Chen Fan packed the remaining Spirit Dew, and the Spirit herbs into the gourd, he had saved them for his parents and Xiao Qiong.

Before he left, Chen Fan also found five Dharma Artifacts that the Exalted Cultivator used to cast the Array of Five Elements.

"Golden Edge Blade, Li Fire Banner, Kui Water Pearl, Yellow Earth Deal, and Divine Wood Emblem."

Each one of these artifacts was Spirit Artifact, and they were the source of the Five Elements Array's power. Chen Fan thoroughly searched the valley and salvaged anything that he could use.

On January 3, 2012, two men emerged from the Valley of No Return on the Island of Borneo.

One was a young man with black hair and dark eyes, and the other was a scholarly looking middle-aged man wearing an azure outfit.

"Hew, we are finally out of the valley."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh as the chilly autumn wind kicked up a pile of fallen leaves. The tree branches were scrawny and gnarly, and the forest dark and foreboding.

"It's been a year a half, I wonder if the world has forgotten about me?"

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back as a cold smile surfaced on his face.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 521 Meeting With an Acquaintance

"Sect Master, the Dragon Hall has a liaison in the City of Pontianak not far from here. Once we reach the branch of the Xie Family living in Pontianak, we should be able to get hold of Dragon Hall. Please, Sect master, allow me to be a good host."

"Fine, I will visit the Dragon Hall before I leave for China."

Chen Fan said.

The entire southeastern Asia was in Dragon Hall's tight control. It wouldn't be too difficult for the Dragon Lord to acquire news about the Chen Family in China.

Both of them had reached Divine Sea Level, so they could fly to their destination. Although they were not as fast as hypersonic jets, they were traveling at the same speed as that of a helicopter.

The people of the Island of Borneo saw two glowing dots, one azure, and the other black, streaking across the sky. In less than three hours, they covered over a hundred kilometers and reached the City of Pontianak.

Xie Yan led Chen Fan to the branch of the Dragon Hall located on the outskirts of the Pontianak. However, before they were through the entrance, they heard intense commotions inside the residence.

"Uh? I register a very familiar presence. Is that Guo Nuannuan?"

Chen Fan was taken aback.

Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Hall's branch...

"Bang!"

Two shadowy figures exchanged blows.

They both backed away as soon as they delivered their strikes. One of them was a middle-aged man. He was winded by the attack. He covered his chest with one hand to hold back the pain as blood seeped out from the corners of his mouth. He was Guo Nuannuan's bodyguard, Uncle Xie.

His opponent was a handsome young man and he was throwing himself at the middle-aged man again.

"STOP!"

Guo Nuannuan screamed at the top of her lungs.

The handsome young man paused as a playful smirk surfaced on his face. "Have you changed your mind?"

"Over my dead body! I will never go back with you, Leng Tong!"

Guo Nuannuan hissed.

She then scanned the rich heirs standing behind Leng Tong. The sight of one of them took the wind out of her sails.

"Huang Jin, are you on his side as well?"

A flicker of shame flashed in Huang Jin's eyes. However, he was not in the position to defy the Leng Family. He swallowed a wad of spit and said: "Sister Guo, you and Brother Leng are engaged. Even your dad agreed to it. Why do you bail on him?"

"Humph! My dad agreed to the engagement because that's his only option. They threatened to strip him of his property and inheritance rights. Plus, what does my dad's opinion have anything to do with my life?"

Guo Nuannuan snorted and said coldly.

"Leng Tong, you will never get what you want! I have misplaced my trust in you because I was stupid enough to believe that you are a decent person. Little did I know that you are the worst, the most despicable scumbag that ever existed!"

Leng Jianfeng was the heir of the Grandmaster Leng Jianfeng.

He used to be one of Guo Nuannuan's admirers, but for some reason, he resorted to violence to get what he wanted.

"Yuanyuan, you are wrong. We didn't force your dad, he promised you to me willingly."

Leng Tong folded his arms across his chest and gave the girl a smug smirk. "Otherwise, we would never find you here inside the Xie Family's residence, don't you think?"

"What?"

Guo Nuannuan's face paled and gaped at the young man incredulously.

"Guo Nuannuan, your family is not as powerful as it used to be. Am I right?" Leng Tong cracked a cold smile and continued.

"The Guo Family was one of the four great clans of the Dragon Hall. However, with the Dragon Lord's dead body lying inside the Valley of No Return, and the Dragon Hall on the verge of collapsing, the Guo Family's influence was diminished. Your dad is a smart man to seek the Leng family as his benefactor before his enemies pick his bones clean. "

Life ebbed away from Guo Nuannuan's face as Leng Tong went on.

"Bullshit! The Dragon Lord is not dead!"

Uncle Xie covered his chest and struggled to squeeze a few words from his mouth.

"Hehe, bullshit you said?"

Leng Tong let out a peal of laughter.

"We saw the Dragon Lord enter the Valley of No Return with our own eyes, and he had been in there for a year and a half now. He was either killed by Chen Beixuan or by the elements."

Leng Tong's words stupified Guo Nuannuan and Uncle Xie. Despair and hopelessness crept onto their faces.

Huang Jin heaved a sigh and said: "Sister Guo, the world has changed. Without the Dragon Lord, the Dragon Hall members are rudderless and powerless. Brother Leng Tong's father is one of the most powerful Grandmasters in Southeast Asia, so he is our best option right now."

Guo Nuannuan lowered her head in silence. She bit on her lower lip as she strengthened her resolve.

"Nuannuan, I promise that if you marry me, I will guarantee your family's safety. Even the new leader of Dragon Hall would have to rely on my father to lord over his territory."

Leng Tong's face softened a little and tried to placate the girl.

Uncle Xie pressed on his chest as his face grew increasingly solemn.

Leng Tong was still young but he was already much more powerful than Uncle Xie. He had also brought a few cronies with him and all of them had reached the phenomenal success of Internal Force cultivation. They were all in black outfits and carried large broadswords on their backs. Uncle Xie wagered that they were members of the Dragon Hall's elite unit, the "Hacking Blades." He conceded that the chance of defeating these powerful foes was very slime.

"It's a good day to die for me, but Lady Guo must escape here."

With that thought in mind, Uncle Xie drew a deep breath as determination and resolve glowed in his eyes.

Suddenly, a voice drifted in from outside.

"Who told you that I am dead inside the Valley of No Return?"

The voice startled everyone. They looked toward the entrance and saw a young Chinese man ambled into the residence linking hands behind his back. Behind him was a scholarly looking man in the azure outfit.

The sight caught everyone off guard

"Chen Beixuan, and Dragon Lord? Are you both dead?"

Huang Jin stammered.

Guo Nuannuan covered her mouth in disbelief as an exhilarating sensation gripped her heart.

Fear contorted Leng Tong's face while Uncle Xie struggled to kneel and kowtowed in near ecstasy. Tears welled in his eyes as he said: "It's so nice to see you again, Ancestral Patriarch. God bless the Dragon Hall!"

"You may rise."

Xie Yan said readily.

His impassive expression intensified the mood in the air. Everyone felt their hearts were caught in their throats and dared not to make any sudden moves. The Dragon Lord could easily kill anyone of them with ease, so they better stay put.

"Xie Yan, looks like you got into more trouble than me."

Chen Fan was seemingly light-hearted by the situation. He scanned the group of men in black outfits and noticed that their shirts bore the Dragon Hall's emblem. However, these warriors of the Dragon Hall were standing behind Leng Tong, opposite of the Dragon Lord.

"Sect Master, I apologize for this... farce."

Xie Yan's face flushed red with embarrassment. He bowed to Chen Fan and said with great respect: "Please allow me to end this nonsense."

"Knock yourself out. You are the Sect Guardian so that means the Dragon Hall is also part of the North Qiong Sect now. If I see anything I don't like, I will intervene as well." Chen Fan said lightly as he linked his hands behind his back.

Xie Yan nodded and stepped forward to cast an icy glare at the group of men before him.

The group of fighters suddenly felt a bone biting chill down their spines and. Xie Yan had cast out his Soul Energy at them, outright paralyzing these warriors.

"What is going on? I thought the Dragon Lord and Chen Beixuan were at each other's odds. But it seemed that the Dragon Lord is under Chen Beixuan's service now?"

Guo Nuannuan was confused by the turn of events.

"Bang!"

Before Xie Yan did anything to the group of fighters, they had all dropped to their knees to beg for their lives in shaky voices.

"Please forgive me, Dragon Lord. Please!"

Most of the Dragon Hall members had never seen Dragon Lord in person, but by then, they had all guessed that the man in black was the all mighty Dragon Lord.

"Your father, Leng Jianfeng also serves the Dragon Hall. Your ancestor had sworn his loyalty to me in person. So explain to me why are you attacking the Xie Family residence and taking advantage of your sect brothers and sisters?"

Xie Yan asked slowly.

"I..."

Words caught in Leng Tong's throat.

"You have attacked my family and betrayed the Dragon Hall. You will get what you deserve!"

Before anyone realized what the Dragon Lord meant, a dark light shot out from behind Xie Yan and plunged into Leng Tong's neck.

With a heavy thud, the heir of the Malaysian Grandmaster was decapitated on the spot. An incredulous expression was frozen on his face even in death.

Leng Tong's cronies were all shaken to their cores by the development. Leng Tong was the son of a Grandmaster and a powerful Internal Force user in his own right. However, he was killed by Xie Yan without even giving him a chance to explain himself.

Guo Nuannuan and Xie Jintang were both relieved after seeing the death of the young man.

"Arrh!"

The rest of the Dragon Hall fighters kowtowed to the Dragon Lord and pleaded: "Please don't kill us. We are just following the Leng Family's orders."

"Humph! The Hacking Blades are the elite force that are loyal only to the Hall Master. Since when did you take orders from Leng Jianfeng?" Xie Yan snorted.

By then, Chen Fan finally noticed that the huge blades strapped on these warriors back. He wagered that the Hacking Blades was an elite force in the Dragon Hall similar to the Dark Moon of the Hong Sect.

"Err..."

The Dragon Hall Warriors looked at each other in fear without answering the question.

Leng Jianfeng was never close to the center of the Dragon Hall's power. The governing body of the Dragon Hall was the council of the four clans. Without a unanimous decision of the four clans, no one could order the Hacking Blades to do their bidding.

"Tell me what happened while I was away."

Xie Yan said calmly.

"Yes!"

The warriors had no choice but to fill him in on the details.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 522 Mutiny At The Dragon Hall

It wasn't until the Dragon Hall disciples finished talking that Chen Fan and Xie Yan realized how much had changed in the Dragon Hall in the past a year and a half.

Only a few months after Xie Yan disappeared into the Valley of No Return, his disciples were convinced that he was already dead.

The Dragon Hall was able to keep up the appearances in the beginning, but as more and more Immortal State Warriors surfaced to the world, they felt the noose tightening around their necks. Without the protection of an Immortal State Warriors.

A year ago, many factions of Southeast Asia arrived at the Dragon Hall and demanded it to recall its agents from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The Dragon Hall refused their demands and a battle quickly ensued.

The Dragon Hall had more than half a dozen Grandmasters in its headquarters and many more over the entire Southeast Asia. Therefore, it was not afraid of fighting back.

However, the involvement of the King of Gong Tau had changed everything. He had pulled the rug from under the Dragon Hall by killing one of its most powerful Super Overlords. It didn't end there, the head priest from the Temple of Sea God in Indonesia also summoned a deadly tsunami upon the Dragon Hall's military base, significantly weakening the Dragon Hall's forces.

"Damn that Daxin and Sohabi!"

Xie Yan growled after he learned what had happened.

The anger in his voice sent a chill into the members of the Hacking Blade.

"Who are those two men?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

Chen Fan was from China, so he was not sure of the situation in Southeast Asia.

"The King of Gong Tau was Daxin, and he is the uncle of the current ruling monarch of Thailand. He is an accomplished Gong Tau master and was considered the guardian of the Thailand Royal family. Without him, the royal family would have already perished under the British colonial rule."

Xie Yan explained.

"Sohabi is a priest from Indonesia, a self-acclaimed prophet of the Sea God. I fought him many years ago when I retreated from China to Southeast Asia and had brought him to his knees. I had never thought that he would walk back on the trucewe had both signed."

"Is it normal? He abides by the pact when you are alive, but as soon as he learned that you are dead, the pact is nothing but a piece of paper." Chen Fan shook his head. "I was gone for a year a half, but so many Immortal State Warriors had surfaced into this world already."

Chen Fan had no idea that it was his victory against three Immortal State Warriors that had rendered the other Immortal State Warriors restless.

"What happened after that?"

Chen Fan asked curiously.

The Dragon Hall was a mighty faction and could hold out against the combined force of all the other Southeast Asian factions. However, the involvement of the two Immortal State Warriors had tipped the balance of the battle. The fate of the Dragon Hall was hanging by a thread, and not even the Singapore military's involvement could save them since the other factions also had the militaries of their countries at their disposal.

The end result of all that was the complete retreat of the Dragon Hall from South-Eastern Asia back to Singapore.

"You should be safe in Singapore with the military's protection, so why would you listen to Leng Jianfeng? Who is that 'Lord' mentioned by Leng Jianfeng?"

Xie Yan asked coldly.

The captain of the Hacking Blade dropped to his knees and explained.

"As we got hammered by our opponents, someone named Wu Guanchao came to the headquarters. He is an Immortal State Warriors and also Chinese. He told us that he could protect us from King of Gong Tau and the Priest of the Sea God if we surrender to him."

"The Wu family was the first to support the proposal, then the rest of the four families followed. Lord Wu Guanchao then became the de facto master of the Dragon Hall."

The captain of the Hacking Blades shook uncontrollably as he spoke.

Xie Jintang started to weep.

"Wu Guanchao demanded complete obedience from everyone. My family lord spoke out against him and was killed on the spot. He said the death was to avenge the harm you have done to him. Afterward, he had turned the Xie Family into a bloodbath. Only me and a few others had survived the slaughter. Please, Ancestral Patriarch, please help us!"

Xie Jintang kowtowed fervently.

Chen Fan shook his head as he listened.

He reckoned that the Dragon Hall did not have a choice. While under the attack of two Immortal State Warriors, they desperately needed new protection. However, Chen Fan was surprised by the little resistance the Dragon Hall's four families had put up.

"Wu Guanchao... It's HIM!"

A dark light came up in Xie Yan's eyes.

"Do you know him?"

Chen Fan asked curiously.

"He used to be the most powerful man in Southeast Asia, a brilliant general from the Wu family. The Wu family used to be one of the three greatest families of the Malacca Strait. Wu Guanchao had challenged me when I first arrived in Southeast Asia, but he was defeated by me. He had disappeared since then and the Wu family then became one of my most loyal subjects. But I had never thought that he would appear at this moment to slaughter my kin."

Xie Yan said with a cold smirk on his face.

"No wonder the Wu family capitulated to him so quickly. But..."

Confusion flashed across Xie Yan's face.

"When I fought him sixty years ago, Wu Guanchao had only reached the peak of Transcendent State. I had never expected him to have reached the Immortal State in just sixty years. Something's not quite right. Plus, why didn't the Lee Family and the Guo Family put up any resistance? I think he had been planning this for many years."

The thought brought a solemn expression onto Xie Yan's face.

Daxin, Sohabi and Wu Guanchao were all Immortal State Warriors. Even though Xie Yan's cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds while he stayed in the valley, he was not confident that he could have warded off the combined might of all three of them.

"Don't worry, I will help out. I don't have any pressing matters right now anyway."

Chen Fan said.

"Thank you, Sect master!"

Xie Yan's face bloomed and he bowed to Chen Fan.

Xie Yan might not be able to handle three Immortal State Warriors at the same time, but Chen Fan could easily wipe out the Immortal State Warriors if he wanted to. Having spent a year and a half alongside Chen Fan, Xie Yan knew that Chen Fan was invincible against anyone who was not an Earth Level Deity.

After clearing a few more questions with the members of the Hacking Blade, Xie Yan snorted and said.

"As soldiers, it is your duty to obey your orders, so I will spare your life for now. I will give you an opportunity to redeem yourself. Don't fail me again, or else, death is your only option."

"Thank you, Dragon Lord! We will not let you down."

The members of the hacking blade were elated and they hurried to kowtow to Xie Yan.

Huang Jin and the others had shriveled up in a corner, scarcely daring to make any sound.

Neither Chen Fan nor Xie Yan cared to pay any attention to him or the other rich heirs of Malaysia. They were cannon fodder.

"Sect master, what should we do next?"

Xie Yan asked.

"Let's head to Singapore to meet with our guest. We have to be careful not to disturb Wu Guanchao. We can't let him run away before we get to him."

Chen Fan said.

Xie Yan reckoned that Chen Fan's words had hit the mark.

An Immortal State Warrior out in the open was not nearly as deadly as one lurking in the shadows. That was why Chen Fan insisted on killing the Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect during the battle at the Valley of No Return.

Xie Family ordered the Hacking Blades to cordon off the entire Xie Family residence and confiscate everyone's telecommunication devices. Huang Jin and Guo Nuannuan had to remain in the residence until the mutiny was handled.

Everyone knew Wu Guanchao's days were numbers once they saw Chen Fan and Xie Yan were back. However powerful Wu Guanchao was, he was no match against the mighty Chen Beixuan.

"Mr. Chen, can you bring me with you? My father is in Singapore as well and I worry for him." Guo Nuannuan came to Chen Fan and pleaded.

"Why should I?"

Chen Fan gave the cold and aloof princess a sidelong glance.

"I..." Guo Nuannuan gritted her teeth and swallowed down her pride. "I beg you.. please."

Guo Nuannuan had never begged anyone for anything and those words tasted bitter and sour in her mouth now.

"Stay here and don't go anywhere."

Chen Fan shook his head and started off.

Guo Nuannuan's face changed colors and suddenly, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Chen Beixuan, I have a private jet at the city of Pontianak. I can give you a ride so that you will not alert the Wu family."

"A private plane?"

Chen Fan and Xie Yan paused and then looked at each other.

If they could fly to Singapore directly, they could easily evade the Dragon Hall's checkpoints at public airports portals. Plus, private planes can be boarded at any time, so that they don't have to worry about a flight delay.

"She is right, Mr. Chen. The plane is under the Guo Family, I don't think it would raise the Dragon Hall's suspicions."

Xie Jintang said quietly.

"Very well then "

Chen Fan nodded.

He conceded that taking the private jet was indeed the most convenient and clandestine method to sneak into Singapore alerting Wu Guanchao. Once they landed in Singapore, the chance of Wu Guanchao escaping was zero.

Seeing Chen Fan was persuaded, Guo Nuannuan's face finally softened.

As soon as they boarded Guo Family's private jet, they flew directly toward the Malacca Strait.

It wasn't long before the jewel of the Malacca Strait, the city-state of Singapore appeared on the horizon.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 523 Enter The Dragon

The city-state of Singapore had millions of residents inside its seven hundred square kilometer land. Its population was mostly of Chinese descent. Back in the 80s, it was one of the Four Asian Tigers and to this day, it was still the most important center hub of economy and world maritime transportation largely due to its control over the Malacca Strait.

The headquarters of the Dragon Hall was located just on the outskirts of the city in a skyscraper called The Dragon Plaza.

This seventy-story skyscraper was the tallest building in Singapore. It rose three hundred meters into the air and pierced the sky like a sharp sword. It's hulking presence dwarfed all the nearby structures.

"Creak..."

A Gulfstream G650 landed on the tarmac of the Singapore International Airport. A girl with breathtaking icy beauty elegantly emerged out from the plane.

The girl was wearing oversized coffee-colored sunglasses and a beige jacket. Adding on her perfectly-fitted jeans and pair of cowboy boots, she looked commanding and confident as ever.

A large group of guards followed the girl, hiding among them were Chen Fan and Xie Yan wearing disguises.

"Sect master, are you sure Wu Guanchao is in Singapore?"

Xie Yan asked Chen Fan using his Soul Energy.

The Immortal State Warriors were extremely perceptive to soul energy. They could quickly sense the presence of any other Immortal State Warrior in the vicinity. It was usually considered an affront to even trespassing onto the territory of another Immortal State Warrior, so Xie Yan had not projected his soul energy out to search for his target.

"He should be here. But something is off about his presence. I don't want to alert him, so I am not going to pry too hard."

Chen Fan said calmly.

His Divine Will was much more potent than Soul Energy. However, an Immortal State Warrior could still sense its presence when it is too close.

"Let's head to The Dragon Plaza."

A fleet of black Mercedes-Benz SUVs had lined up outside of the airport, waiting for their arrival.

Once Guo Nuannuan gave them the go-ahead, the bodyguards got into the car and drove away. Chen Fan and Xie Yan both got into the same vehicle with Guo Nuannuan.

As soon as the doors were closed, Guo Nuannuan took off her sunglasses and batted her lashes.

"What's the plan? Guns blazing, pincer attack or are we going to draw them out?"

"There is no 'we', it's only me and Xie Yan. You are not coming with us."

Chen Fan answered distractedly.

"You..."

Guo Nuannuan's temper was going to flare, but words got stuck in her throat as soon as she remembered that Chen Fan was a murderous overlord.

She changed her tone and said: "I can help with locating Wu Guanchao for you. I am from the branch of the Guo Family of Singapore, I can find out where Wu Guanchao is easy."

"Thank you, but no. He is inside The Dragon Plaza—that, I already know. I am just unfamiliar with his presence and unsure if that really is him."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"We might as well head in directly. You can take on much more powerful foes than Wu Guanchao."

Xie Yan said calmly.

Xie Yan lived up to his reputation as a veteran Immortal State Warrior. He was slightly taken aback at first by the turn of events, but by now, he had already gathered himself.

The fleet quickly arrived at The Dragon Plaza. Being the Headquarters of the Dragon Hall, the security was extra stringent here. There was a checkpoint for every a hundred meters, each was guarded by soldiers in black uniforms with a dragon emblem. Chen Fan had even noticed a few Internal Force Users among the soldiers.

"I am from the Guo Family and I am here to meet my father, Guo Shoukang."

Guo Nuannuan spoke through the open window.

Guo Shoukang was one of the leaders of the Guo family. Guo Nuannuan had visited the Dragon Hall a few times alongside her father, so her name was registered in the security system. She was allowed into the building with only two guests: Chen Fan and Xie Yan.

"It's quite splendid here."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and ambled into the building.

He had used a disguise of sixteen years old while Xie Yan wore the disguise of a hunch-backed old servant.

"We paid dearly for all of this. Many of my friends who fought alongside me are dead, but they had laid the foundation for Dragon Hall in Southeast Asia. I couldn't bear the thought of someone from the inside dismantling all that we had fought and died for."

Xie Yan exclaimed vehemently.

"Isn't that Guo Nuannuan? Why are you here? Ah... I guess you have finally agreed to become my daughter-in-law?"

A group of men emerged from the building as soon as Chen Fan's party was through security. A middle-aged man suddenly spoke loudly to Guo Nuannuan.

Chen Fan recognized that this man was the Grandmaster from Malaysia: Leng Jianfeng.

However, Leng Jianfeng couldn't see through Chen Fan and Xie Yan's disguise, instead, he gazed at Guo Nuannuan with a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, Uncle Leng."

Guo Nuannuan replied with an aloof nod.

Someone among Leng Jianfeng's entourage suddenly caught her attention. She blenched and let out a stifled cry.

"Dad!"

"Nuannuan, you are finally back."

Regret and embarrassment were written all over Guo Shoukang's face.

Without his consent, Leng Tong would never be engaged with Guo Nuannuan. However, the family's future was at stake, so he must do what was best for the clan even if it meant selling out his daughter.

Complicated and strong emotions roiled inside Guo Nuannuan as she glared at her father.

"Good timing. I was just discussing with Uncle Leng about your marriage. As you know, the new Overseer of the Dragon Hall is facing some challenges to get things back online after the change of leadership. Uncle Leng was nice enough to secure two positions in the caucus of the Dragon Hall for both you and your fiance. It's a good opportunity for you."

Guo Shoukang's eyes darted left and right, but his voice was firm.

"Nuannuan, please don't blame daddy. You are going to get married sooner or later anyway, and it is not like Leng Tong is not good enough for you. Your marriage could bring us closer to the Leng family, as well as the new Overseer."

"Congratulations!"

"Nuannuan's renowned beauty is only matched by Leng Tong's exceptional talent in Martial Arts. It's a match made in heaven and a sign that the Leng family is going to rise to prominence within the Dragon Hall."

"Indeed, indeed! Make sure you invite us to the wedding!"

Many leaders of the Dragon Hall congratulated them on the marriage.

There were also a few people who glared at Guo Nuannuan jealously, hoping their daughter could be as attractive as she.

Leng Jianfeng had quickly risen to power recently and was the third in command right next to the Hall Master and Lord Lee.

Guo Shoukang heaped smiles onto his face and thanked everyone for their blessings. Although he was one of, if not the richest man in Malaysia, he was nothing in the eyes of the leaders of the Dragon Hall.

Guo Nuannuan's heart sank to the bottom when she saw her father's cowardice.

Leng Jianfeng nodded with a smug smile. Meanwhile, a question rang in his mind.

"Where is my son, Leng Tong?"

Suddenly, Leng Jianfeng heard a booming voice.

"I never knew that the Dragon Hall has an Overseer."

The crowd was taken aback and they looked to the speaker, only to find an old servant wearing azure clothing.

"Who are you? Mind your manners, old man."

One of the leaders of Dragon Hall chided the old man for his interruption.

Leng Jianfeng's face also crumpled and said:

"Nuannuan, you should teach your servant some manners. Overseer Wu is the new leader of the Dragon Hall. If this old man keeps on barking at us, I will have to force him to shut up."

"Just so, Nunanuna, tell him to mind his own business." Guo Nuannuan's father hurried to put in.

Guo Shoukang stood silently, but her eyes were filled with disappointment.

Suddenly, everyone watched as the old man shook his head and said: "Leng Jianfeng, you disappoint me. Brother Leng had fought bravely alongside me and sacrificed his life for the Dragon Hall. You are an utter disgrace to your heroic family!"

"Who are you?"

Leng Jianfeng's face changed as he shot a surprised glare at the old man.

"See it for yourself."

Xie Yan said as he straightened his back.

"Pee' lee Paa'laa..."

His bones snapped as his body lengthened. The slacked skin regained firmness and color, transforming the old man into a scholarly looking middle-aged man.

"Dragon Lord?"

The leaders of the Dragon Hall were shocked beyond belief as soon as Xie Yan revealed himself. Leng Jianfeng was shaken to the core and gaped at the Dragon Lord in utter disbelief.

"Are you not dead in the Valley of No Return?"

Leng Jianfeng asked in a shaky voice.

"I have lived for a hundred years, and will not die so easily."

Xie Yan snorted as a dark light brightened in his eyes.

"Leng Jianfeng, you have betrayed the Dragon Hall, and death is your final sentence."

"NOOOO!"

Leng Jianfeng shrieked and backed away. He spun around and zigzagged across the hallway at lightning speed.

"Kill!"

Xie Yan grunted.

A dark Blade Qi rose from his back, arced across the hallway and landed squarely on top of Leng Jianfeng's head, severing it from his neck. Leng Jianfeng even attempted to block the attack, but he was far too slow.

"Bang!"

Leng Jianfeng's dead body thudded onto the floor heavily.

A Transcendent State Grandmaster was dead in a blink of the eye.

"Pahda!"

The leaders of the Dragon Hall dropped to their knees and lowered their heads. No one dared to connect gazes with the mighty Dragon Lord.

Xie Yan barely graced them with a glance. He flew into the sky, painting a streak of bright light against the white clouds as he shouted: "Wu Guanchao, come out and meet your death!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 524 The Gathering of Immortal State Warriors

Xie Yan had already reached the early-stage of the Divine Sea, so his voice pierced through the sky and could be heard from miles away.

The dust had already fallen. Therefore most people were going about their lives inside their homes. The enormous size of The Dragon Plaza also muffled the voice, otherwise, the entire city not far from The Dragon Plaza would have heard the sound of Xie Yan's voice.

"Who is that? Who dares to address the Overseer by his name?"

"You are courting death! How dare you challenge the Dragon Hall!"

"Where are the guards? Where are the Hacking Blades? Seize that man this instance!"

Xie Yan's voice startled everyone inside The Dragon Plaza.

"Clank!"

Someone cracked open the window and saw a man in a black outfit floating in the air. He stood on top of the world against a backdrop of the gleaming sea where the moon was slowly rising from. The sight gave people the illusion that Xie Yan was an immortal who resided on the moon.

"He is..."

The man who opened the window was shocked by what he saw.

His peers who were standing beside him exclaimed in disbelief.

"Dragon Lord?"

The crowd inside the building started to seize with excitement as soon as they heard the name.

"Dragon Lord is back? Really?"

"Look for yourself! I will be damned if that isn't Dragon Lord!"

"Yes, indeed he is! Brothers and sisters, our true master, has finally returned!"

Many people exclaimed in elation.

Many more people kneeled on the ground and kowtowed to Xie Yan as tears streaked across their cheeks.

There were over a hundred guards inside The Dragon Plaza, and every one of them looked up into the sky at the man in the black outfit with strong emotions. That man had dominated Singapore for hundreds of years, so his authority could not be so easily replaced by Wu Guanchao, who had only been in power for a few months.

"Dra... Dragon Lord"

Guo Shoukang was stupefied by the revelation. He stammered while gaping at the incredible turn of events.

"Dad, you were wrong."

Guo Nuannuan gave her dad a long glance then shook her head disappointedly. She had nothing else to say to a father who would willingly trade his daughter as a commodity in exchange for safety and wealth.

"Even if he is indeed Dragon Lord, it doesn't mean Overseer Wu is defeated. Overseer Wu has many supporters."

Guo Shoukang's face darkened and refuted.

Guo Nuannuan shook her head and remained silent. Then she cast a sidelong glance at the young man beside her and thought to herself: "No one would be able to defeat him, not even Immortal State Warriors."

Suddenly, a few grandmasters broke through the window from inside the building and knelt before the Dragon Lord.

"Welcome back, Dragon Lord."

Among them were half a dozen Grandmasters, a dozen or so Internal Force users. They formed the backbone of the organization

Chen Fan nodded slightly after he saw this group of men.

It was evident that Wu Guanchao was having a hard time reining in these powerful warriors. Otherwise, he would not have to rely on a foreigner such as Leng Jianfeng to run the organization.

"Wu Guanchao, what are you waiting for, come out now!"

Xie Yan linked his hands behind his back and glared at the building.

Xie Yan's appearance alone was enough to re-install loyalty into the hearts of defectors. He had already killed Wu Guanchao's most trusted assistant, and by then, he was fighting by himself.

"Hehe, I had never thought that you would survive the Valley of No Return."

A flash of light appeared on top of The Dragon Plaza, lighting up the dark gloomy night sky. A man with a sullen face appeared in the sky. His body was surrounded by cracking lightning that spat out sparks from time to time. He must be an expert in the Thunder Art.

This middle-aged man was Wu Guanchao, the incredibly talented heir of the Wu family.

"Wu Guanchao, what is the meaning of this? I have treated your family well, haven't I? Why did you use such violence against the Xie Family?"

Xie Yan asked.

"Humph! Xie Yan! You have robbed the Wu family of its wealth and power, and gravely injured me. How could I forget such a crime! This is only the beginning of your suffering."

Wu Guanchao said derisively.

"Don't waste your breath then, come meet your death!"

Xie Yan shook his head slightly and started the sword art.

The Ebony sword strapped on his back suddenly shot out a ray of dark light toward Wu Guanchao.

Xie Yan was still new to the Sword Cultivation, and neither did he have time to finish creating his flying sword using his blood such as Lin Langya did. Therefore, he had resorted to using the wood blade as the vessel for his power. Although the blade was made out of wood, it was created by Chen Fan himself and was as deadly as the Feathered Wing.

"Clank!"

Lightning flashed in the air; it was dark and incandescent at the same time.

Wu Guanchao's pulled a taut face and punched at his opponent. His fist sent a tremor through the air and stirred up countless white flashes of lightning around his knuckles. It rammed into the flying sword with incredible speed.

"Bang!"

The impact shook Xie Yan's body a little, but Wu Guanchao was winded by the attack and had to back away a few dozen meters.

Everyone could already tell who the winner was going to be after only one round of attacks.

"Impossible! Why are you so much stronger in just one and a half years?" Wu Guanchao was taken aback by his defeat.

He was convinced that Xie Yan had been fighting against Chen Fan and without spending any time on his cultivation. Therefore, Xie Yan's increase in power had caught him by surprise.

"Now die!"

With an impassive expression on his stone-cold face, Xie Yan started another art and summoned three blades. These blades quickly gained a corporeal form and flew toward their target with a high pitch whistle.

"Shooshooooshooo."

Each of the Blade auras were a few meters in length, and the combined force of these three blades was as potent as that of three Lin Langya.

This was one technique in the Sword Art of Nine Abandonments called the Art of Multiplying Blade Auras. At its highest level, one could form nine-blade auras from one blade. However, it was incredibly difficult for each such a high level of attainment. The Exalted Cultivator had created his version of the art by using nine blades, instead of just one.

"Kaboom!"

Wu Guanchao's solemn face darkened as the lightning surrounding him became agitated.

Deadly lightning force sizzled about his body, waiting for his command. Every attack he hurled at his opponent carried an immeasurable amount of electric energy that could zap a living being into smithereens.

Wu Guanchao practiced the Art of Five Thunder Fists, which originated from the Heavenly Master Sect. Rumor had it that an unnamed Heavenly Master had blended martial arts with Thunder Art and created the unique Art of Five Thunder Fists. It required the cultivator to follow Dharma Spell and Martial Arts dual cultivation, but the benefit was that the cultivator could use the thunder spell as he fought an intense physical battle. There was no need to pause and cast any spell since the physical attacks naturally carried the power of the spells. No one knew when or how Wu Guanchao had learned this advanced art.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Wu Guanchao unleashed three counter-attacks at each of the three-blade aura. His body shook violently after each impact, and after the third impact, Wu Guanchao was winded. However, the defense didn't seem to stop the blade auras, as the three deadly energies plunged at Wu Guanchao as soon as they regained their course and speed.

"Damn it! What happened while he was gone? I thought he used sound wave attacks, and since when did he learn to use flying swords? I am no match against him unless I can reach the level of Heavenly Thunder."

Wu Guanchao exclaimed in his mind.

The Art of Five Thunder Fists has five levels: Heaven, Earth, Clouds, Water, and Martial. He had reached the second last level, the Earth Thunder. He was told that once he reached Heaven Thunder, he could tap into the power of heaven and become invincible.

"This is the life and death moment; I have to give it a try."

Wu Guanchao gritted his teeth as he gained more resolve.

The wind came up, shoveling a massive dark cloud toward inland from the sea, a storm was coming. Even as Wu Guanchao punched heavily at one Blade Aura, knocking it to the side, he started an art and summoned lightning that zig-zagged from the dark clouds to the ground.

"Break!"

Wu Guanchao took the brunt force of the lightning strike, forcing his mind to accept the pain as nature's unrelenting power charged up his energy. Then he punched.

"Boom!"

Caring the deadly force of a lightning bolt, his fist roared like a dragon as it went across the battlefield toward Xie Yan.

Xie Yan's face tightened a little as he adjusted his tactics. He merged the three-blade auras into one, making it as deadly as the blade that injured Chen Fan's body.

"Go"

With a wave of a hand, the blade aura clashed into the thunder fist.

"Shit!"

Many grandmasters of the Dragon Hall were stunned when they saw Wu Guanchao's thunder art. Only the Heavenly Master could have unleashed so much energy while using the Thunder Seal.

"I hope the Dragon Lord can make it."

Guo Nuannuan said nervously.

"Don't worry; he will be fine. He should be able to handle an early-stage Immortal State Warrior." Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said lightly.

His attention was not on the battle, instead, he landed his gaze on the roiling sea in the distance.

The calm sea had suddenly become violent with rough waves that gnawed at the shoreline.

"Who is that?"

Guo Shoukang gave Chen Fan a fretful glance and then quickly shifted his eyes toward the battle.

"Kaboom!"

An ear-deafening blare had announced the outcome of the battle between Xie Yan and Wu Guanchao.

Xie Yan stood formidably in the air, loose folds of his shirt flapped against the wind. Meanwhile, Wu Guanchao's body was scorched, and the Blade Qi had also left a deep gash on his shoulder.

It was obvious that the Dragon Lord had won this round.

"Hail to the mighty Dragon Lord!"

Many members of the Dragon Hall shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Your energy is spent; accept your death now!"

Xie Yan started the sword art once again.

A dark light shot out from the ebony blade and lit up the light drizzle that had started to fall.

Wu Guanchao's face changed colors, and then he burst out laughing.

"Are you really that naive to think that I will be fighting alone? We have lived long enough to know the importance of prudence, haven't we?"

"You mean..."

Xie Yan's face paled a little.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in the distant sea. The shadow was over a dozen meters long and was in the shape of a large python. A white-haired elder sat on top of the python and he was flanked by a long-haired woman.

"It has been a while, Brother Xie."

The white-haired elder cracked a smile.

"Daxin, King of Gong Tau and Sohabi, the Sea God's prophet?"

A cold light came up in Xie Yan's eyes.

A deadly silence suddenly fell over The Dragon Plaza. Both the King of Gong Tau and the Prophet of the Sea God showed up. They were both as ancient as the Dragon Lord.

Xie Yan was in grave danger if he had to take on three of them at the same time.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 525 Chen Fans Attack

The King of Gong Tau and the Priest of Sea God were both veteran Immortal State Warriors. Before Xie Yan showed up, they had dominated the entire Southeast Asia.

Xie Yan eventually arrived in Southeast Asia and brought both of them to heel. They had been waiting for a few decades for revenge and they finally found the opportunity.

"Three Immortal State Warriors. This is going to be a hell of a fight."

A Grandmaster from the Dragon Hall murmured to himself.

The other Grandmasters were all terrified by the impending battle.

Killing any Immortal State Warrior was easier said than done. Even Lin Shuming and Ye Qincang could not guarantee to kill Immortal State Warriors. A large part of the reason behind Chen Fan's fame was his ability to kill Immortal State Warriors.

However, facing three Immortal State Warriors at the same time was a very different story. They wouldn't even give their opponent the opportunity of escaping using Divine Soul.

"Brother Xie, we have expected you to make it out of the Valley of No Return since you have always been such a smart guy. However, we didn't expect you to take so long. We almost lost our patience."

The white-haired elder let out a peal of laughter.

He sat cross-legged on the head of a ten-meter long snake who had submerged most of its huge body underwater. The python was over fifty meters long, and its head was the size of an average house. Its eyes glowed like two lanterns, and in between his eyes was a wart-like bulb.

Many people let out a gasp of cold air once they saw the snake.

"This beast is very close to transforming into a Naga."

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and was taken aback by the sight of such a powerful beast. He wagered that this snake must be more powerful than the Yin Snake in the Yin Dragon Pond.

"But we are right about you since not even Chen Beixuan could do away with you. By the way, where is Chen Beixuan, is he still stuck in the array?" Wu Guanchao asked with a smirk.

The Prophet of the Sea God remained silent. Her hair was the color of an emerald and had the weight of feathers. Even her skin seemed to glow green from time to time. Her reticent appearance was contrasted by the roiling sea under her feet.

Xie Yan's face became as hard as an anvil as the reality set in.

"Brother Xie, if you can promise us that Dragon Hall will forever remain in Singapore, we will head back right away." The prophet finally broke her silence. Her voice was clear and almost musical.

The combined force of three Immortal State Warriors was terrifying indeed, but Xie Yan was not a pushover either. The three Immortal state warriors must pay dearly if they want to do away with him.

"Southeast Asia belongs to the Dragon Hall, this will never change. If you leave now and swear never to rise against me, I will spare your lives." Xie Yan's lips curled into a cold smile.

"What did you say, tough guy?"

Daxin guffawed.

Wu Guanchao laughed and said: "Xie Yan, what makes you think that you can handle three of us at the same time? Show us what you got."

The Prophet of the Sea God also shook her head dismissively. She didn't think that Xie Yan stood a chance against three Immortal State Warriors.

The members of the Dragon Hall were stupefied by the development.

However powerful Xie Yan was, he could at the most handle two Immortal State Warriors. He had put his life on the line by taking on three Immortal State Warriors at the same time. Worse, Daxin's snake was equally as powerful as an Immortal State Warrior, effectively making the battle even more unfair.

"Is the Dragon Hall going to be destroyed today?"

Some leaders of the Dragon Hall wept.

Other than Wu Guanchao's supporters, most Grandmasters from the Dragon Hall were troubled by where the development was heading towards.

"Nuannuan, what did I tell you? Overseer Wu has really powerful friends. The Prophet and the King of Gong Tau both showed up to join his fight. It's going to be the end of the Dragon Hall!"

The turn of the event had elated Guo Shoukang. He spoke to his daughter with animated gestures.

"Sigh"

Guo Nuannuan shook his head and looked toward the young servant boy next to her.

"You guys have all forgotten about me!"

Under Guo Shoukang's incredulous glare, Chen Fan flew up and reached the zenith of the sky.

"It. It.."

Guo Shoukang was shocked beyond belief. He had never thought that such an ordinary-looking young man could be an Immortal State Warrior.

"Dad, I don't think I have told you this, but the Dragon Lord had become Master Chen's disciple and is the Sect Guardian of the North Qiong Sect. In fact, the Dragon Hall is also a part of the North Qiong Sect as well."

Guo Nuannuan heaved a sigh and said.

"What are you talking about? The North Qiong Sect? Is he Chen Beixuan?"

Guo Shoukang was stupefied by the revelation.

"Hooo!"

Under everyone's terrified eyes, Chen Fan ascended higher as if walking on invisible stairs. It wasn't long before he reached the same altitude as the other four Immortal State Warriors.

"Who are you?"

Wu Guanchao and Daxin both shot a surprised glare at the young man.

The Immortal State Warriors had a small circle, so everyone knew each other. However, the teenager's face was unfamiliar to them. Unsure which side he was on, the three Immortal State Warriors waited for Chen Fan's reply cautiously.

"What? You don't know me? You were just talking about me."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said lightly.

Before his words faded, the features on Chen Fan's face became more refined and his skin started to glow.

"Chen Beixuan!"

Daxin shouted at the top of his lungs.

Wu Guanchao and the Prophet of the Sea God were both taken aback.

Meanwhile, the crowd on the ground watching all of this let out a wave of cheers. By now, Chen Beixuan's name had become a household name. Members of the Dragon Hall were particularly familiar with him since the Dragon Lord was involved in the battle at the Valley of No Return.

"He is Chen Beixuan? He seems very close to the Dragon Lord. I thought they were enemies."

The crowd was confused.

"Immortal Master Chen, what is the meaning of this? We have never intended to harm you, while it was Xie Yan who had rose up against you before"

Daxin was stupefied by Chen Fan's presence. He asked in trepidation and confusion.

"Sect master."

To Daxin's surprise, he watched as Xie Yan bowed to Chen Fan and addressed the young man as his master.

"Xie Yan has agreed to join the North Qiong Sect, and so did the Dragon Hall. Attacking them is the same as attacking me."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and let out a half-smile.

"What?"

His words shocked everyone.

The members of the Dragon Hall quickly gathered themselves and cheered loudly. The North Qiong Sect Sect recently rose, but it was already the most powerful sect in Asia, so joining it was a piece of great news to the Dragon Hall at such a trying time.

However, Daxin and the other two Immortal state warriors were not happy at all with the revelation.

None of them had expected Xie Yan to join Chen Fan's sect.

"Let's move."

Without saying anything else, Daxin commanded the snake to turn around and head towards where he came from. The Prophet of the Sea God also disappeared in a blink, leaving a whirlpool in the sea where she had been standing. Meanwhile, Wu Guanchao glanced back at The Dragon Plaza, gritted his teeth and turned into a flash of lightning and disappeared.

"Haha, you think you can escape from me?"

Chen Fan let out a peal of laughter and waved a hand.

Suddenly, he summoned three barriers, blocking the Immortal Warrior's paths. The snake couldn't stop in time and rammed its head into the barrier and was winded by the impact. Wu Guanchao tried to pierce through the barrier using the Thunder Art but failed. Even the Prophet of the Sea God was forced to emerge from under the sea.

"What kind of spell is that?"

Daxin was stunned.

Chen Fan had summoned unbreachable barriers before three Immortal State Warriors. Such an ability would make him as powerful as ancient gods who could create a new dimension on a whim.

"This is Divine Power, I don't think he can keep it up for long. We just have to wait until the spell wears off."

The Prophet of the Sea God hurried to put in.

A light came up in Chen Fan's eyes. The Prophet of the Sea God had hit the mark. The ability he had used was called the Dimension Seal. It was a Connate level spell that could create another dimension in the real world to distort the very fabric of space.

Chen Fan's current level could allow him to maintain this spell for less than ten seconds.

"But that is long enough."

Chen Fan attacked Wu Guanchao immediately with a push of a palm.

Wu Guanchao scrambled to charge up the Art of Five Thunder Fists, summoning countless tendrils of lightning around his body which then merged into one sizzling bolt. The lightning bolt shot out at Chen Fan.

"You have no idea what the real power of Thunder looks like."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then shook his head.

"I will open your eyes today."

With a blaring explosion, a red lightning ball appeared in Chen Fan's palm.

The Palm Lightning was one of the most common Thunder Art among the Immortal Cultivators. Its damage output scaled directly with the user's power. It has several levels and each was denoted by the color of the lightning ball: blue, white, red, golden, azure, violet, and black.

To use the red lightning ball, the cultivator had to reach Connate State and only the Soul Formation level cultivators could use the most powerful variant: the black lightning ball.

Chen Fan had consumed part of his True Essence to use the Red Lightning ball. Despite the ball's small size, it annihilated everything in its path before Chen Fan pushed it into Wu Guanchao's chest.

"What is going on?"

Wu Guanchao glared at Chen Fan's hand on his chest and was clueless about what had happened.

He watched as the red energy cut through his thunder art, his Four Righteousness Protection Aura, his protective Dharma Artifact and buried deep into his chest.

"This is what a real Thunder Art looks like."

Chen Fan replied readily.

Wu Guanchao opened his mouth to say something, but before any sound came out of his throat, his body was swallowed by the red sizzling energy, reducing his flesh into ashes.

Chen Fan had killed an Immortal State Warrior with only one strike!

The development had taken the winds out of Sohabi and Daxin's sails. Meanwhile, a tsunami of cheers erupted among the crowd.

By then, only one second had passed since Chen Fan summoned the barrier, so he still had nine more seconds to deal with the remaining two enemies.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 526 Death Punch

In his moment of enlightenment, the Buddha had famously said: "A flickering of a finger contained sixty most basic units of time. In each of that unfathomably short moment, nine hundred lives were lost and another nine hundred were born."

Chen Fan had killed Wu Guanchao using just one strike and try as he might, Wu Guanchao could not break free from the iron hold of the mighty palm strike. Even his Divine Soul melted away under the deadly energy.

Daxin and the Prophet of the Sea God were both shaken to the core after seeing the development.

Although Wu Guanchao had just entered Immortal State not long ago, his peers had expected him to last longer than that.

"This curmudgeon had increased his power by leaps and bounds over the years."

Daxin gave Chen Fan a long glance and then patted the giant snake python his feet. The python slammed the invisible seal with its tail as if it had understood its master's command.

"Kaboom!"

With an ear-deafening blare, the python's tail stirred up huge waves.

This python was well over fifty meters long and two men could wrap their arms around its girth. His tail could crush an armored vehicle with ease. However, when it slammed into the invisible barrier, the barrier only flickered and held its ground. Meanwhile, the hard impact shredded many scales off of the python's body.

"Don't even bother. We wouldn't be able to break the Divine Force unless you have become an Earth Level Deity." The Prophet of the Sea God put in.

"Bang!"

Even as she spoke, Chen Fan had already charged forward.

Chen Fan had gathered the Power of Heaven and Earth to freeze the very fabric of reality in place.

These tactics consumed a tremendous amount of Divine Will and True Essence, therefore, the effect could at the most last at the most ten seconds. Since time was of the essence, Chen Fan didn't hold back his power even the slightest. His True Essence had transformed into scintillating Fist Aura that illuminated the dark sky.

"Naga!"

Daxin shouted as a wet noise came out from his throat.

Hearing its name, the giant python opened its mouth and spat out a ray of emerald-colored light.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Fan found out that this ray of light was made out of a moving mist of the same color. This plume of green mist was the python's Inborn Divine Powers. It was extremely poisonous and a drop of this deadly substance could kill tens of thousands of people. The python had been devouring many poisonous herbs and insects for centuries to strengthen the potency of the mist.

"KOM!"

The green light darted toward Chen Fan at lightning speed and surrounded Chen Fan in a blink.

Daxin's face finally softened a little as a faint smile crept onto the corner of his lips.

As the most successful Gong Tau master of Southeast Asia, Naga was one of his most proud possessions.

Naga didn't always belong to him, instead, it used to be a Guardian Spirit Beast of Daxin's sect. After Daxin took over the sect business, he started to feed the python poisonous plants and the python's power started to grow rapidly and reached Immortal State. Daxin was confident that no one could survive Naga's deadly poison mist. It was not only poisonous but also extremely corrosive and could melt away steel in a matter of seconds.

"Be careful, Chen Beixuan is not an ordinary foe."

The Prophet of the Sea God pushed a Sapphire spear from the roiling seawater as she warned her peer.

"Bang!"

Her warning turned out to be quite necessary. Chen Fan rushed through the poison mist and hurled a fist at Daxin.

"What?"

Daxin gaped in utter surprise.

The poisonous mist didn't cause any harm to Chen Fan, it didn't even taint Chen Fan's shirt. Chen Fan had reached mid-stage of the Divine Sea Level, so his power was well beyond the imagination of Daxin. Not even a direct impact from a field cannon could make a dent on Chen Fan's body, much less the mist. Chen Fan didn't even need to use his Azure Thearch Longevity Body to ward off the poisonous mist.

"Gu Worm of Ten Thousand Poisons!"

Daxin scrambled to put up some defense. He waved both arms and summoned two plums of dark smog from under his sleeves.

The dark smoke was made out of tiny Gu Worms. Daxin had collected these Gu Worm over the decades and each one of them could kill a man with one bit.

"Void Dimension Shockwave!"

Chen Fan was unfazed by the deadly retinue of worms as he charged up his Fist Qi.

Suddenly, a shock wave rippled through space, turning the air into liquid and annihilated all living things within its radius of effect.

The True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, Void Dimension Shockwave!

It wasn't until now that Chen Fan could finally start to unleash the real power of the technique. An accomplished Immortal Cultivator from the True Martial Celestial Sect could shatter the space and annihilate an entire dimension using this technique. Chen Fan had only reached the Divine Sea level, but his attack was destructive nonetheless.

"Arrh!"

The shockwave shot through the air and reached Daxin, ripping apart Daxin's hands, arms, shoulders, and even his head. In a blink, only Daxin's lower body remained intact.

So powerful was Chen Fan's attack that it threatened to tear a hole through the fabric of reality.

The other overlords were stunned beyond belief by what they saw.

Even Xie Yan's face became heavy as he contemplated what he would do if he was in Daxin's shoes.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a flicker of panic lit up in the giant python's eyes as it turned tail and was going to dive deep into the ocean. Before it did that, the beast spat out a ray of green light from its mouth at Chen Fan.

"Does that beast carry the second Primordial Essence of Daxin?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes as he registered Daxin's presence inside the python.

Content and incompetence had driven the cultivators on earth to focus on protective measures rather than striving for real immortality. Many Immortal State cultivators on earth had one or two life-preserving last-ditch measures up their sleeves.

Just as Grand Magus God had his way of preserving his mortality, so too did Daxin.

"You call that a Primordial Essence? Now that's rich. Try to dodge this!"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and punched.

"Kaboom!"

The sky seemed to have fallen around everyone's ears, and even the passage of time had lost its meaning.

This punch was so unimaginably powerful that it carried the weight of Mount Tai as it swooped down on the giant python.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A series of explosions erupted from the python from its head to tail.

The explosion ripped open its head, neck, body, spine, and tail, turning the creature into a bloody pulp, and tossing its scaly bits and pieces into the air. It was as if a hundred cannons fired at once at point-blank range, reducing the snake's body into smithereens.

"Bam!"

Chen Fan's Fist Qi went through the python's body and reached the bottom of the ocean and caused a sizable explosion on the ocean floor.

The explosion stirred up huge waves that were over a dozen meters in height. The chance of any Divine Soul surviving such a deadly blow was zero.

Everyone gasped and was speechless by the turn of events.

"Incredible! It's at least ten times more powerful than the Cannon Fist of the Xing Yi Fist Sect."

Xie Yan let out a gasp of cold air.

Unknown to him, this was only the tip of Chen Fan's glacial power.

Chen Fan had abandoned any fancy techniques and only used his True Essence to output raw damage. Over the last year and a half, Chen Fan had improved his level of attainment significantly. Then he had gained enough True Essence to hold out against ten Immortal State Warriors.

"Five seconds."

Chen Fan pulled back his fist and looked to the side at the Prophet of the Sea God.

His first attack had killed Wu Guanchao and the second one killed Daxin. From the beginning of the onslaught, Chen Fan remained calm if not aloof. The victory came so easily to him that he didn't even need to use any Divine powers.

The Prophet of the Sea God turned into a frozen statue once she felt Chen Fan's icy glare on her face.

She was not sure what to do with the spear in her hand. Should he attack Chen Fan with it? Her heart said yes but her head said no.

"My Lord, I am willing to serve you as Xie Yan did."

The Prophet of the Sea God let out an alluring smile and said.

"There is no need."

Chen Fan reached out his hand and garbed something in the air.

"Boom!"

A deep rumbling noise came up in the sky and was getting louder by the second. In a blink, everyone could feel the Essence Qi in heaven and earth start to grind against each other.

Then an azure apparition of a palm appeared in the sky.

This palm was the size of a basketball court. Everyone could feel the weight it had carried with it. The air suddenly became heavy, and many people bent double to gasp for air. All the air was gone, and their minds onto the impending strike.

"Connate Grand Qin-na Hand!"

This was the first time Chen Fan used a Dharma Spell ever since he reached the mid-stage of the Divine Sea. Its power was beyond even the wildest imagination.

"Arrh!"

The Prophet of the Sea God pleaded and pleaded, but the azure palm didn't stop. It came down on the prophet with a great measure of decisiveness.

Even before the palm landed on its target, the surface of the sea was pressed in by the unbearable weight.

In the end, the attack had left a large depression on the ocean bed and as for the Prophet of the Sea God, she was reduced into food for fish,

"The so-called Prophet of the Sea God who could summon a tsunami is... dead?"

Stunned and speechless, everyone tried to wrap their heads around the event.

Chen Fan had killed three Immortal State Warriors without using any Dharma Treasure. He had killed them with brute force alone. His might and power were every bit as real as the reality itself.

"Ten seconds."

Chen Fan murmured lightly.

"Bang!"

The Dimension Seal suddenly disappeared, loosening its grip on the movement of air and the water. Everything returned to its former normality without any trace of the battle that had taken place a second ago. The distorted ocean bed was the only proof of the battle.

Members of the Dragon Hall lowered their heads to pay their deep respect to Chen Fan

"Chen Beixuan is back! The world is going to be shocked once again."

A leader of the Dragon Hall murmured fearfully.

His fear was shared by other grandmasters who looked at each other in confusion and shock. Chen Fan had killed three Immortal State Warriors as soon as he emerged from the valley. His ungodly power is bound to instill fear into the hearts of the other Immortal State Warriors.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 527 The Strongest Enemy

When Chen Fan and Xie Yan descended to the ground, they were greeted by all members of the Dragon Hall kneeling on the ground with their heads lowered. They were completely enamored by Chen Fan's power.

"How is that possible?"

Guo Shoukang was shaken to the core.

With a few punches, Chen Fan had ruined his plan of marrying his daughter into the leadership of the Dragon Hall.

"Father, you have been wrong from the beginning."

Guo Nuannuan heaved a sigh.

The supporters of Wu Guanchao knelt on the ground, bodies shaking uncontrollably.

"Master Wu."

Xie Jintang landed his searing gaze on Wu Jinxuan, the twelfth Hall Master of the Dragon Hall. He shriveled on the ground, hands shaking with fear and looked nothing like a Hall Master.

"Wu Jinxuan, you have betrayed the Dragon Hall and worked with our enemy. I should have killed you."

Xie Yan said coldly.

"I am sorry, Dragon Lord! Please spare my life for old-times sake!"

Wu Jinxuan pleaded desperately.

"I am not the one to decide your fate." Xie Jintang shook his head and waved a dismissive hand. A few guards came forward and took Wu Jinxuan away.

Xie Yan then turned around and bowed to Chen Fan.

"Please, sect master, allow me to be your host."

"Welcome, Immortal Master Chen!"

The members of the Dragon Hall announced in unison.

Many people had a feeling that today would be the last day for the former Dragon Hall. After today, it would become part of the North Qiong Sect just as the Dark Witch Chapter did. However, the annexation was not a bad thing since the members of the Dragon Hall had long since gotten tired of defending themselves against powerful Immortal State Warriors.

Everyone knew that Chen Beixuan was extremely protective of his own subjects.

Chen Fan and the others walked right into The Dragon Plaza and arrived at the main meeting room on the seventh floor. Many leaders of the Dragon Hall, as well as the president of Singapore, had already been waiting for them.

Chen Fan walked over to the huge curtain window and looked down at the sleepless city-state of Singapore, the jewel of Southeast Asia.

"We are glad that the Dragon Lord has returned safely. I have already told my man to search and delete any footage of the fight that occurred earlier. We will just tell people that it was a military drill."

The president said.

Xie Yan nodded a reply. Unlike the Guo Family and the Wu family, the Lee Family wielded powerful political clout. Even the Dragon Hall had to rely on the Lee Family to manage Singapore.

"Is that Mr. Chen Beixuan"

The president asked as he cast a sidelong glance at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and stood by himself next to the curtained window. No one dared to walk near him as if there was an invisible force field around his body.

"The Dragon Hall will become a chapter under the North Qiong Sect and Mr. Chen is our Sect Master." Xie Yan said.

"But, do you think the United States of America will allow that?"

The president wanted to say more, but he kept his words unspoken.

America was one of Singapore's biggest benefactors and contributed to the founding of the nation.

Other than Singapore's military prowess, the American's support was also a significant factor that had solidified its position at the Malacca Strait. The Malacca Strait was important for the American's dominance of the pacific, so they needed an ally to safely keep the passage. The Americans were not going to like it when they learned that Chen Fan had pinned the state of Singapore under his thumb.

"The Americans..."

Xie Yan became quiet.

The United States of America had claimed the seat of power ever since the fall of the USSR. She had eleven aircraft carrier fleets that flexed her military muscles all over the seven seas. She was undoubtedly the most powerful nation in the world.

"The nation of Singapore doesn't have to be involved in Dragon Hall's business."

Chen Fan said lightly.

Despite the United States of America's might, Chen Fan was powerful enough to handle the threat. After all, it was very unlikely that the United States of America would use nuclear weapons against Chen Fan. The United States of America was not the only country that had nuclear weapons.

"Have you learned anything about my family's latest status?"

Chen Fan turned his head over his shoulder and asked.

"The latest update is on its way. Please be rest assured that no one would dare to rise up against the mighty North Qiong Sect." Xie Yan replied with a smile.

"What have you learned so far?"

Chen Fan asked.

A couple leaders of the Dragon Hall filled Chen Fan in about what had happened in the last year and a half.

Chen Fan snorted when he heard that three Immortal State Warriors had attempted to raid the Chen Family. Chen Fan was certain that the man who protected his family from the harm was Tong Shan.

Tong Shan had cultivated the Tiger Demon's Physique Refinement Art for three years and by then, he had reached an incredible level of attainment. An Immortal State Warrior wouldn't be able to harm him even if he stood still and didn't fight back. However, the timeliness of his protection made Chen Fan believe that someone more intelligent, such as Yukishiro Sa, was ordering Tong Shan behind the scenes.

"There are so many Immortal State Warriors?"

Chen Fan was taken by surprise when he learned the number of Immortal State Warriors that had reemerged.

There was Yao Daoyi from the Dragon Tiger Mountain, Li Changsheng from the Wu Dang Sect, Dharma-rāja Sakya from the Buha Temple, and Daxin from Thailand, just to name a few. Most Immortal State Warriors were from regions rich with history and ancient civilizations.

"Hum... there is no one from the United States of America?"

Chen Fan went through the list again and confirmed that none of the Immortal State Warriors were from America. Although the United States of America was only two hundred years old, Chen Fan had expected to find at least one Immortal State Warrior there.

"The United States of America does not need any Immortal State Warriors."

People looked at each other in silence, until Xie Yan finally broke the silence.

"They don't need one?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes.

Nothing spoke louder than that answer about the extreme confidence of a nation. Slowly but surely, Chen Fan started to have a better picture of the mighty nation.

The United States of America had brought numerous nations to heel, she might as well be one of the most powerful nations on earth. Although she was nowhere near as powerful as she used to be, she was still a force if not the only force to be reckoned with on earth.

Fear flashed across people's faces when they heard the name of the powerful nation.

The United States of America was so powerful that her name alone would inspire fear.

"Humph. It's just a human nation. I will teach her a lesson once I have reached Connate Spirit State."

Chen Fan snorted as a cold light came up in his eyes.

Chen Fan might be powerful, but nuclear arms were still his Achilles heel.

"The world had never seen such a dominant sect as the North Qiong Sect. It has four Immortal State Warriors and twenty Perfected Cultivators. Already, it is much more potent than Kunlun if not the Christian Church back in the days."

A Grandmaster from the Dragon Hall exclaimed.

The rest of the grandmasters nodded in agreement.

It was not a small feat to have four Immortal State Warriors. Even during the peak of the Church's power, it had only nine Cardinals, and none of them were as powerful as Chen Fan.

"As long as we have Sect master, we can take on any foe, even the Christian Church if it were still around."

Another Grandmaster exclaimed.

Chen Fan had killed three Immortal State Warriors in a row and such a feat would shock the rest of the world. More importantly, the death of Sohabi and Daxin would leave a power vacuum in Southeast Asia, giving a precious opportunity to the Dragon Hall to claim dominance.

"We can claim the entire Southeast Asia! Hundreds of millions of population and over a dozen nations. Just imagine the wealth!"

The thought had inspired enthusiasm in everyone's mind. From then on, the dozen or so nations in Southeast Asia would all report to the Dragon Hall, making the Dragon Hall the only master of the land.

Guo Shoukang stood by himself quietly in a corner of the room. He looked at Chen Fan and then back at his own daughter.

No one had bothered to talk to him. Everyone knew that he had picked the wrong side and if not for his daughter, he might as well be dead.

"He is Chen Beixuan... How would I know that?"

Guo Shoukang lamented.

Meanwhile, strange things happened in the sky above the Lin Family's residence. Rainbows appeared seemingly out of nowhere above the empty mansion. The servants and many residents of the mansion moved out a few months ago. However, sightings of strange phenomena near the mansion started to surface around the same time and had become more frequent over time.

"Ancestral Patriarch is trying to become an Earth Level Deity."

One of the Lin Family's elders said with a shaky hand.

As days passed, members of the Lin Family became increasingly concerned about their situation.

Over the last two years, Chen Fan had risen to fame and so did the North Qiong Sect. It had put a huge strain on the Lin Family of Southeastern China and forced it to retreat from all over China.

The death of Lin Langya was a huge blow to the family. He was the Lin family's future, so his death had left the Lin Family heirless.

"After the death of Puojun and Langya, the Lin Family is doomed."

Lord Lin used to lament painfully in despair.

But what could the Lin Family do? They tried to fight against Chen Fan but failed miserably. There and then, they have only one last hope.

With that thought in mind, everyone looked to the direction of their ancestral residence.

If Lin Shuming could become an Earth Level Deity, they might have a chance to avenge their defeat.

One day,the Lin Family Lord wandered to the old residence to see if there were any new developments.

Suddenly, a brilliant Blade Qi shot out from the old house and pierced into the sky. It traced a white line against the backdrop of deep blue sky that could be seen from miles away.

"What the..."

The incredible sight had caught everyone's attention.

"Clank!"

With a clear and crisp clank of metal on metal, a stone gate that had remained closed for decades finally cracked open. A young man with refined features emerged from within.

The young man was wearing a traditional outfit, completed with a scholar headpiece on top of his head and a long sword on his back.

"Long live the Ancestral Patriarch!"

The Lin Family Lord broke down into tears as he dropped to both knees to kowtow to the young man.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 528 Bully the North Qiong Sect.

"Ancestral Patriarch is finally out of seclusion?"

The development had attracted the attention of many members of the Lin Family. They rushed to the Ancestral Shrine at the back of the residence and saw a long-haired young man with refined features and a sword strapped on his back standing outside of the shrine. He looked like he had time traveled from the ancient world to the present day.

"That's our Ancestral Patriarch!"

An elder of the family shivered a little and hurried to kneel down on his knees. "I am Lin Xinzhi, it is an honor to meet you, Great Grand Uncle."

Lin Shuming was well over a hundred and fifty years old, and his sons and grandsons were all but dead, and only the third and fourth generation descendants were still alive.

"You may rise," Lin Shuming said slowly.

Despite being one of the oldest Immortal State Warriors in the world, his voice lacked the condescension and severity that was typical in seniors. His appearance resembled a fragile scholar that could be blown away by a gust of wind, but his eyes held a luster that illuminated otherworldly scenes where reality and insanity met.

"Ancestral Patriarch, have you reached Earth Level Deity?" the lord of the Lin Family asked expectantly.

The other Lin Family members also looked at Lin Shuming as if he were their last hope. If Lin Shuming had entered the Earth Level Deity, the Lin Family would rise up again and dominate the country for another hundred years.

Lin Shuming nodded and then shook his head.

What does that mean?

Everyone was confused by his response.

"Where is Chen Beixuan?" Lin Shuming asked in a deep and suppressed voice. It was as if he was trying to cope with some hard reality.

"Ancestral Patriarch, Chen Beixuan entered the Valley of No Return with the Dragon Lord a year and a half ago. He has been missing since then. But he has created the North Qiong Sect, and it is still around and has recently gained two Immortal State Warriors. I have heard that even the son of the Green Gang's leader, Hua Yunfeng, had also joined them," the Lin Family Lord replied respectfully.

A light flickered in Lin Shuming's eyes and then he said firmly, "Let's go to North Qiong Sect."

Mount Bajin, Zhong Hai..

The former Hua Family's residence had changed its name to North Qiong Pavilion.

The entire building was given a fresh look based on the design and style of the real North Qiong Pavilion. Looking from afar, the building at the cloud-shrouded mountain looked like a cave abode of some hermit sage.

The North Qiong Sect had grown from an unknown sect to a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Not only did it have two Immortal State Warriors and ten grandmasters, but it also had incredible financial prowess.

The North Qiong Corp was a newly risen financial behemoth.

Its subsidiaries included Jin Xiu Group, Azure Talisman Pharmaceutical, Zheng's Financial Group, Huas Group, Lus Group, and Ans Group, just to name a few. Each one of these companies was worth billions of dollars. The combined financial prowess of these companies could rival that of the Samsung group.

"It has a dozen publicly traded firms under its umbrella. Incredible! It has to be the most influential cooperation in China."

When travelers passed Mount Bajin, they would often look up at the North Qiong Pavilion and exclaim fervently in their minds. The North Qiong Corp had just entered the world's top five hundred list and had become the most powerful private company in China.

The main product of the North Qiong Corp was the Vitality Serum

It had taken the world by storm and was considered a miracle cure for almost all ailments known to man.

Despite the small production capacity, the serum's outrageous retail price had made it extremely profitable. If the Chinese government didn't take a commission for each serum sold, the North Qiong Corp could quickly grow to be as powerful as Apple.

The North Qiong Pavilion was having a banquet today and was filled with guests from the country.

These guests were all elite top dogs from all major cities. They saw the opportunity to enter the North Qiong Pavilion as the highlight in their life.

"Boss Li, nice to meet you!"

"Same here. I heard that we would be able to meet with the goddesses of the North Qiong Corp. How exciting!"

A group of tycoons chatted with each other.

By then, the chairman of the company was still a mystery. He was never involved in any of the company's major decisions and had been missing in action since the inception of the firm.

"Who do you think is the chairman? It has been a year now, and we still haven't met the chairman yet. Boss Fang always handles everything on his behalf," a tycoon from East Mountain asked curiously.

"Hehe, I have heard a rumor saying that the chairman of the company is a young man named Chen Beixuan. He is quite a character, and his disciples are all proponents of the company since day one," another tycoon said mysteriously.

"Chen Beixuan? The name sounds familiar," the East Mountain tycoon said with furrowed brows.

Chen Fan used to be a household name, but since he had disappeared for a while, memories about him had either faded or had been replaced by the emergence of new Immortal State Warriors.

"Hey, look! The goddesses are coming!"

Someone shouted.

Everyone looked to the distance and saw a few drop-dead gorgeous women ambled toward the stage.

An Ya, the Chief Manager of the Jin Xiu Group.

Lu Yanwu, Manager of the Lus Group.

Zheng Anqi, Chief of Staff of the Zheng's Group.

Fang Qiong, CEO of the North Qiong Corp.

These four girls came from different departments of the company, but they all had one thing in common—breathtaking beauty. They used the Vitality Serum and the Essence Gathering Pill every day, and as a result, their skins were smooth, soft and radiated charm.

"Welcome, everyone. The main agenda for the meeting today is to conclude and summarize last year's business and plan for next year's success."

Fang Qiong spoke up. Her voice was confident and commanding without being strident.

Her words quickly caught everyone's attention as the guests straightened their back and listened attentively.

Yukishiro Sa and Hua Yunfeng were both proponents of the North Qiong Corp, but Fang Qiong managed the day to day operation of the firm all by himself. Neither Hua Yunfeng nor Yukishiro Sa knew anything about running a business.

Fang Qiong had taken upon herself to shoulder the daunting task of consolidating Chen Fan's powers and unite them under one system. Although she was only twenty-one years old, her leadership skills had started to shine through her beauty already.

Even as the tycoons of the North Qiong Corp discussed their business tactics, the overlords of the North Qiong Sect were also having a meeting upstairs.

Hua Yunfeng, Tong Shan, Cheng Danqin, Yu Wenjin, Yukishiro Sa, A'Xiu and many perfected cultivators from Hong Kong and the Dark Witch Chapter all gathered in the second floor of the North Qiong Pavilion. There were two Immortal State Warriors and at the least a dozen grandmasters.

"I wonder when I can see my master again," A'Xiu said worriedly.

Although the cute appearance had stayed with the girl over the years, inside of her, she had transformed into a grandmaster and earned a spot on the Heaven Roll.

She had defeated Chen Jiuyang and established herself as one of the most powerful females in China.

"Don't worry. Master is a god. An Earth Level Deity's Dharma Array wouldn't pose any threat to him. I wager he is just cultivating somewhere in seclusion," Yukishiro Sa said.

She was wearing a white outfit that complimented her cold and aloof demeanor. People in China had called the four of them—Zhou Jin Yi, A'Xiu, Yu Wenjin, and Yukishiro Sa—the four goddesses of the North Qiong Sect.

"Indeed. Master was only half step away from Earth Level Deity a year and a half ago. Not to mention the powerful divine powers at his disposal," Hua Yunfeng nodded and said.

Of all the people at the gathering, Hua Yunfeng knew Chen Fan's power the best since he had seen Chen Fan's almost unimaginable abilities.

The thought of Chen Fan's ungodly power still gave Hua Yunfeng the chills. By now, he was certain that Chen Fan was a reincarnation of a curmudgeon who had reached the sky-immortal state.

Suddenly, a clear and loud clanking could be heard from outside, and it interrupted the group's deliberation.

Clank!

Then a voice with a candid timbre drifted into the North Qiong Pavilion.

"I am Lin Shuming, here to visit the sect master of the North Qiong Sect."

Despite the great distance between the speaker and the listeners, the voice was clear in everyone's ears without being too loud. It was a sure sign of the speaker's incredible power.

"Lin Shuming? The Sword Immortal from the Lin Family?"

Everyone looked at each other in fear.

Hua Yunfeng led the disciples of the North Qiong Sect out of the pavilion to greet the visitor. They saw a young man in a traditional outfit standing by the entrance, looking up at the sign that said: North Qiong Pavilion.

"That's him!"

Hua Yunfeng pulled a taut face when he recognized the young man. He cupped his fist and said, "Welcome, Lord Shuming, I am the second disciple of the North Qiong Sect. May I ask what brings you here?"

Lin Shuming turned around and said lightly, "Brother Hua used to dominate China, he would never have thought that his son would be Chen Beixuan's lap dog. You are a disgrace."

Hua Yunfeng furrowed his brows and tried to hold back his anger.

"Lord Shuming, I respect you for being my senior. But please don't take my goodwill for granted."

"Is that so? Then why don't you indulge me with what you have learned from Chen Beixuan?"

Lin Shuming cracked a smile and pointed a thin finger at Hua Yunfeng.

"Puhh!"

Suddenly, a white Blade Qi shot out from Lin Shuming's fingertip.

The Blade Aura was a dozen meters long, and it flew into the air at first, turned around, and then plunged into Hua Yunfeng. So deadly was the Blade Aura that people standing a few dozen meters out of its path still felt its energy in the air that threatened to tear their skins open. The energy inside the Blade Aura was so condensed that it had gained some degree of solidity.

Bang!

Hua Yunfeng unleashed the Cloud Burning Palm to counter the Blade Qi. However, he was winded by the impact.

The turn of the event suddenly unnerved everyone.

Lin Shuming had overcome Hua Yunfeng with just one finger!

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Chapter 529 The World in Shock

"Shhh."

Everyone let out a gasp of cold air after seeing the development.

Hua Yunfeng had dominated Zhong Hai and exerted his influence all over China for decades due to his incredible power. As soon as he entered the Immortal State, he should be able to hold out against any other veteran Immortal State Warriors. On top of that, the Art of Burning Clouds was passed down to him from his ancestor. Its belligerent attack could melt steel in an instant. However, he couldn't defend himself from Lin Shuming's finger jab.

"Come again!"

Hua Yunfeng shouted and took a step forward. The wind came up around him, puffing up his long sleeve. His white hair stood on ends like a thousand needles. Waves of white-hot energy rippled about him, forcing the crowd to back away.

"He is going to use his coup de grace."

Yu Wenjin's face changed a little.

The development unnerved all the leaders of North Qiong Sect. Hua Yunfeng was the second most powerful fighter in North Qiong Sect, right next to Chen Fan.

"You might be able to block my attack in another sixty years. "

Lin Shuming looked down and turned his mind inward for a moment before he suddenly jabbed a finger forward.

The Blade Qi burst out from the tip of his finger, forming a streak of incandescent light and illuminating half of Mount Bajin. Many guests of the North Qiong Corp poked their heads out of the windows to find out what was happening.

Hu!

A current of energy pooled under Hua Yunfeng's feet as he reached out both arms slowly and steadily as if exercising Tai Chi moves.

The powerful Burning Cloud Qi Energy spread across the land. Looking from afar, the energy looked like a blooming red flower.

The area within ten meters away from Hua Yunfeng was filled with Four Righteousness Protective Qi. Not even a bullet could pass through this barrier, much less a mortal.

Bang, bang, bang!

However, Lin Shuming's Blade Qi didn't seem to be affected by the Burning Cloud Qi Energy as they landed squarely on the protective energy. Hua Yunfeng's body shivered a little after each impact with the Blade Qi. In the end, the seventeen rays of Blade Qi merged together and formed a single ray of white glow.

As soon as the transformation was completed, a shockwave swept through space.

Shu!

The white glow lanced up toward the sun and then swooped down at Hua Yunfeng. It pierced through the red energy that surrounded Hua Yunfeng and landed a blow on Hua Yunfeng's shoulder.

"Humph!" Hua Yunfeng winced and stumbled back. He finally steadied himself after he had taken a few dozen steps back. The audience found out that the blow had left a sizable puncture wound on his shoulder.

Hua Yunfeng had failed to defend the second jab of a finger.

A deadly silence fell over the North Qiong Pavilion.

The development had uneased Fang Qiong and An Ya and outrightly terrified the guests.

"Who is that guy? How could he defeat Mr. Hua?"

"Mr. Hua is the most powerful fighter of North Qiong Sect and was also listed on the Heaven Roll. "

"He said his last name is Lin. Is he from the Lin Family?" some people exclaimed.

"Teacher, are you alright?"

Cheng Danqin rushed to Hua Yunfeng and steadied him.

Yukishiro Sa and the others pulled a taut face when they realized that the North Qiong Sect had arrived at a moment of life and death. The fact that Lin Shuming had defeated Hua Yunfeng with two jabs of fingers meant that Hua Yunfeng had become much more powerful and deadlier than he had been sixty years ago.

"Lin Shuming, you are revered as the most powerful swordsman in China, why don't you pick on someone of your own size, such as our sect master?" Yukishiro Sa unsheathed her blade and asked coldly.

"Are you Yukishiro Sa, the one who killed my grandson Puojun?"

Lin Shuming landed his gaze on Yukishiro Sa, and a strange light flickered in his eyes. With a gentle flicker of a finger, Lin Shuming sent out a powerful force at Yukishiro Sa.

This force was much weaker than what attacked Hua Yunfeng. However, it should be enough to kill due to Lin Shuming's outrageous power.

Clank!

Yukishiro Sa readied the sword and charged up her True Essence.

The Green Flower Blade Aura glistened on the body of the sword as Yukishiro Sa pointed the tip of the sword at the incoming force. However, she was overcome by the impact and lose grip on the sword. The force carried on after knocking the sword away and crashed into Yukishiro Sa.

"Puuth!" Yukishiro Sa spat out a mouthful of blood as she stumbled back and rammed into a stone pillar.

"You survived my attack?"

Lin Shuming was taken aback by the outcome.

Yukishiro Sa's defense had told Lin Shuming that the girl was powerful enough to be listed on the Dark Roll. However, Lin Shuming didn't give Yukishiro Sa a chance to catch her breath as he lashed out again at her.

"Stop!"

Yu Wenjin, Zhou Jin Yi, and A'Xiu all rushed to protect Yukishiro Sa, but they were all too slow.

Suddenly, a hulking giant appeared in the sky. He landed right in front of Lin Shuming and punched.

The giant stood three meters tall, and his skin was the color of bronze. Molten iron seemed to pump throughout his ripped body, making him look like a primordial giant. His punch carried the weight of a mountain and made a series of explosions in the air as it inched closer to its target.

"So you are that mysterious Physique Refinement Master. Very well, try to block this!"

A light came up in Lin Shuming's eyes as he waved a hand.

Shu!

Yukishiro Sa's sword flew right into her hand. With a blade in one hand, Lin Shuming suddenly transformed his appearance from a scholar into a Sword Immortal. The Blade Qi surged along with the sword and lanced up into the sky.

Kacha!

Lin Shuming hacked.

A silver flash of lightning appeared in the sky and temporarily blinded all audiences.

In everyone's eyes, the world seemed to have been reduced to only the silvery Blade Aura. From within the otherworldly light, another world was born.

Kabom!

The attack landed squarely on Tong Shan's body and sent the giant flying back.

Tong Shan lost control of his body as he rammed into the North Qiong Pavilion and couldn't regain balance until he was through half a dozen walls. The attack had left a large gush on his body, extending from his shoulder to his chest.

No one dared to speak a word before such terrifying power.

No one had thought that Lin Shuming could overcome Tong Shan in just one attack. Tong Shan had reached Immortal State by cultivating the External Force, which meant that he was much stronger than other Immortal State Warriors. However, he was no match against Lin Shuming and his potent sword art.

"Such power! He had defeated two Immortal State Warriors in a blink. What level of attainment is he at right now? Is he an Earth Level Deity?"

Everyone was terrified by Lin Shuming's display of strength.

"Lin Shuming! This is not over! My Sect Master will slaughter you and your family when he finds out what you had done!"

Hua Yunfeng shouted at the top of his lungs. His face flushed red, and he was ready to attack with abandon again.

Many perfected cultivators and grandmasters of North Qiong Sect also charged up their energy. Tong Shan also gathered himself and walked out of a pile of rubbles, ready to join the foray.

Lin Shuming was unfazed by the threat. Instead, he seemed much more confident than the retinue of deadly warriors.

Unsure of what kind of destruction was going to come, the onlookers were shaken to their cores.

"That's it for today. Tell Chen Beixuan to meet me at the shore of the East Sea. If he fails to show up, I will kill every single one of you!" Lin Shuming waved a dismissive hand and said.

Clank!

He hurled the sword out like a spear and nailed it on the plaque that read: North Qiong Pavilion.

Then he disappeared into thin air, leaving the members of the North Qiong Sect looking at each other in fear.

November 3rd, 2011...

Lin Shuming came out from his seclusion and went to Mount Bajin. He defeated Hua Yunfeng and Tong Shan and challenged Chen Beixuan to a duel at the shore of the East Sea.

The news spread quickly and shocked everyone.

"Lin Shuming is finally out of his seclusion?"

"He had defeated a Physique Refinement Immortal State Warrior, the toughest level of enemies one could ever find."

"How powerful exactly is Lin Shuming? He reached the peak of Immortal State sixty years ago. Is he an Earth Level Deity now? Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to defeat Hua Yunfeng so easily."

Everyone deliberated with each other about the development.

The news spread outside of China, and it turned out that it was equally sensational in Japan, Europe, and North America as it was in China.

Lin Shuming was at the top three of the Divine Roll, and his resurgence had naturally attracted much attention.

"Lin Shuming should be the most powerful Immortal State Warrior in the world. His last performance displayed the same degree of strength and skills as Chen Beixuan. Did Chen Beixuan finally meet his equal?"

Someone posted a question on the CIA's website.

However, no one knew enough about Lin Shuming to answer this question.

"North Qiong Sect is in danger!"

Many people gloated at the North Qiong Sect for the challenge ahead of them.

The North Qiong Sect had risen to power and fame over the short period of the last two years. It had quickly become the most powerful sect in China and the main benefactor of all forces in Jiang Nan Province.

Chen Fan had many enemies, and they all took pleasure in the North Qiong Sect's impending downfall.

"If Chen Beixuan keeps on hiding, Lin Shuming is going to kill all of his little birds."

"Hehe, I say he is afraid. He must be turtling inside the Valley of No Return right now. "

"Lin Shuming had defeated Hua Yunfeng without even using his powerful divine sword. If I were Chen Beixuan, I would hide from him as well."

People who had a taste of Chen Fan's medicine openly gloated at him on the Internet.

Meanwhile, the spirit was low inside the North Qiong Sect.

Lin Shuming's display of power had taken the wind out of everyone's sails. He had defeated Hua Yunfeng and Tong Shan without even using his renowned sword art, which was Lin Shuming's life achievement and was what he was well known for.

"I wonder when will the teacher show up," Yu Wenjin murmured.

No one answered her question. A'Xiu sat beside Yukishiro Sa, tending to her wounds.

Chen Huaian, Chen Ning, and Wang Xiaoyun rushed to Mount Bajin from Jiang Nan Province to help out. However, they quickly realized that their only option was to ask help from Ye Qincang.

However, Ye Qincang rarely involved in other people's personal matters. He only cared about the event that could threaten Chinese society.

Hope and spirit slowly ebbed away from everyone's face, and the empty space in their heart was quickly filled up by despair.

"Is Lin Shuming going to bring the end to the mighty North Qiong Sect?"

Yukishiro Sa thought to herself indignantly.

November 3, 2011...

News about Chen Beixuan finally reached China, and everyone was stunned! Chen Beixuan had left the Valley of No Return and killed three Immortal State Warriors in Singapore.

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Chapter 530 The Battle of a Century

Lin Shuming and Chen Beixuan were both the most powerful overlords of the world, and they were going to have a showdown.

Most people who heard the news were shocked beyond belief. Lin Shuming had been cultivating in seclusion for sixty years, and as soon as he was out of his seclusion, he had proven his power by crushing an Immortal State Warrior during a fight. Based on his performance, a lot of people believed that he could take on at least three Immortal State Warriors at the same time.

On the other hand, Chen Beixuan was no slouch on the battlefield either.

The news from Singapore indicated that Chen Beixuan had only unleashed two punches and two palm strikes.

The first palm strike had killed Wu Guanchao, and the two punches ended the lives of Daxin and his pet snake. The last palm strike had quashed Sohabi into smithereens.

His incredible abilities gave him the appearance of a divine sage.

He had brought the Immortal State Warriors to heels so easily as if they were insects.

"Not even Ye Qincang had such incredible powers fifty years ago when he faced off seven Immortal State Warriors," someone exclaimed.

For the longest time, Ye Qincang was considered the most powerful man in China.

He had dominated China and forced many Immortal State Warriors into hidings. He had used the Kunlun Units and expelled many powerful sects out of China. In the end, seven Immortal State Warriors joined forces to rose up against him, but their counter strike was quashed by Ye Qincang.

Both Lin Shuming and Chen Fan had displayed more power than Ye Qincang fifty years ago.

"This is going to be one of those momentous events that happen once every hundred years. It is going to be even more stunning than that between Lin Shuming and Watanabe, or the Ancestral Patriarch of the Hua Family. History will forever remember this fight."

Many grandmasters could no longer hold back their excitement, so they rushed to Zhong Hai to witness this fight of the century.

Lin Shuming had barged into the Chen family to seek to avenge for the death of Lin Langya and Lin Puojun. This was going to be a fight to the death, and there should be only one fighter living at the end of the battle.

Kaboom!

Someone claimed that they had seen a flash of lightning at the top of the Dragon Tiger Mountain.

From the flash of lightning, an old man wearing an outfit with a symbol of Eight Trigrams printed on it emerged. His hair was messy and unruly, and he was holding a Thunder Seal tightly as he charged toward the East Sea.

Many people also saw another old man dressed in a Daoist outfit at the peak of the Wu Dang mountain. The old man stepped over the edge of a cliff but instead of falling to his death, he continued ambling forward while walking on air. Meanwhile, a Tibetan monk with a kind face boarded a plane, leaving his entourage staring at him on the tarmac; some of them were chanting an ancient sutra.

The fight had not only caught the attention of grandmasters and martial artists but also the curmudgeons.

Meanwhile, the users on a martial arts forum had all boiled over.

[OMG! I feel like history is repeating itself. What happened a hundred years ago is happening again in the exact same way. Only a couple of years ago, even a grandmaster was a rare sight.]

[This battle is as momentous now as it would have been if it happened a hundred years ago. Chen Beixuan and Lin Shuming would have been strong contenders for the top three spots on the Divine Roll a hundred years ago.]

[One was the most powerful swordsman in China and the other... an outright freak. Who would win?]

Posts and comments such as these sprouted out all of a sudden.

[The winner must be Chen Beixuan. He had killed six Immortal State Warriors by now. That's more than the average number of Immortal State Warriors on each continent.]

[Not necessarily. Lin Shuming had been cultivating in seclusion for sixty years, and he must have already reached Earth Level Deity. I think he had purposefully held back his power in front of us.]

[Does Earth Level Deity really exist? I thought it was just a myth.]

Everyone deliberated with each other about the development.

The focus of their discussion was whether or not Lin Shuming had reached Earth Level Deity.

Earth Level Deity had always been a myth. The only written record of such a level of attainment was a thousand years old.

The only proven case of an Earth Level Deity was Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator. The mighty warriors came after him, such as Zhang Sanfeng from Wu Dang Sect, the Great Magus from the Dark Witch Sect, Lin Shuming, and Chen Beixuan, and none of them was proven to be Earth Level Deity.

The last Earth Level Deity in the west was St. Augustine, who died almost two thousand years ago.

Therefore, not a lot of people believed in the existence of the Earth Level Deity.

Meanwhile, inside the base of Kunlun.

"Humph! Not even the Great Magus could reach Earth Level Deity, I doubt Lin Shuming was able to pull it off. "

An old man wearing military fatigues snorted. He linked his hands behind his back and kept his back as straight as jack pine.

Director Xiao stood beside the old man and forced a smile onto his face. The energy flowing around the old man was much more powerful than that of the Ancestral Patriarch of Hong Sect.

Meanwhile, a man wearing an azure outfit with dragon images on it stood behind the old man and chimed in from time to time. He called the old man "Teacher."

Meanwhile, at Mount Foguang at Taiwan Province...

A girl with refined features wearing all white walked out of an intricate building. Although her face suggested that she was in her thirties, her eyes seemed to hold the secrets of century-old stories.

She was greeted by many tycoons of Taiwan, as well as politicians. They stood obediently before the building and waited for the woman.

The building had a plaque that read: Square Tower. The person who signed at the bottom was none other than the founding father of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Zhongshan.

Japan, the Emperor's palace...

An old samurai walked out of the place. He wore his hair in the traditional Sawaki style and hitched his katana and wakizashi about his waist. He looked up toward the west, basking his scarred face under the soft moonlight. A sharp light came up in his eyes, as an icy atmosphere permeated the air around him.

Behind him stood many lords and princes of Japan. They came to see him off to China, giving him the same degree of respect as they would to the greatest samurai of all Japan.

The news of the duel quickly gripped the whole world. Overlords from all over East Asia flocked to Zhong Hai to witness the fight.

Many powerful nations recalibrated their satellites and focused their lenses at the shore of the East Sea.

They also sent many special agents into China. They were trying to tape the fight as they wanted to use the footage to better estimate the powers of Chen Beixuan and Lin Shuming.

Many youths who were interested in martial arts or super humans had spent hours on the Internet, trying to find an answer to the strange things happening under the plain sight.

"Anyone from Zhong Hai? Something big must have happened. Many overlords are heading there."

"Indeed. My martial arts teacher mentioned something about the battle of a century. He said he couldn't miss the fight, it's once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Demogorgon? Or was it a duel between the two mightiest warriors of China?"

These teenagers were not professional martial artists; therefore, they could only guess.

However, curiosity drove these amateurs to Zhong Hai, to find out what was going on.

The Chinese government had responded to the movement of people into Zhong Hai by blocking the seaport using battleships. However, it was unlikely for these battleships to stop the overlords since they could easily conjure a storm to force the ships to hunker down in the bay.

"Teacher is back?"

The entire North Qiong Sect was caught off guard by the news. A'Xiu patted her lashes and exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes. Immortal Master Chen had killed three Immortal State Warriors in Singapore last night. He had also brought the Dragon Hall to heels. So now, we have a chapter in Singapore," Wu Shanhe said with a broad smile.

Master Wu used to serve the Yin Ghost Sect, but now he was among the loyalists of the North Qiong Sect.

The news had lightened the mood and heightened everyone's spirit. Hua Yunfeng heaved a long sigh of relief, knowing that their current crisis had been averted with Chen Fan's return.

Without Chen Fan, he would have no option but to risk his life and take on Lin Shuming. Should he fail, he would send the North Qiong Sect on a very dangerous course.

Despite the good news, Yukishiro Sa lay in her bed with a scowl.

She had worked hard to strengthen the North Qiong Sect, hoping to earn some respect from Chen Fan. However, now, she only wished that Chen Fan wouldn't be disappointed at her for unable to contain the situation.

"I am still worried about Xiao Fan," Wang Xiaoyun said hesitantly.

"You have nothing to worry about. Master's power is beyond our imagination," Hua Yunfeng assured Wang Xiaoyun.

Although he didn't know the exact power of Chen Fan, he could register his unimaginable and boundless power. He was convinced that Lin Shuming had picked the wrong opponent this time.

"What if Lin Shuming is now an Earth Level Deity? Could Teacher still defeat him?"

A flicker of concern flashed across Hua Yunfeng's face.

Three days later,

The fight was finally happening.

The day was November 6, 2011, and the battleground was on the shoreline of Zhong Hai, right beside a large rock outcrop.

This rock outcrop had stood here for eons, and carved on its surface were many praises for the incredible scene of the sea looking from its top. There and then, it had become the focus of thousands of people around it.

A scholarly looking man sat on the top of the rock, waiting.

This had always been a quiet spot along the shore, but today, mighty warriors from all over the world had gathered here.

"The deadliest Kendo Master Erika is here as well?"

"Oh wait, isn't that Adam? I didn't expect to see him here."

"Nearly all the grandmasters on the Heaven Roll are here. It's incredible!"

Someone exclaimed.

There were over ten grandmasters on this beach and nearly all the overlords of East Asia. Many people were on the verge of tears after seeing such an impressive assembly.

The crowd boiled over when the North Qiong Sect arrived.

"North Qiong Sect is finally here? Where is Chen Beixuan?"

Everyone looked at the newly-arrived group expectantly.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 531 Gathering of Overlords

All members of the North Qiong Sect seemed to have attended the event.

Zhong Hai was the base of North Qiong Sect's operation. This was also the first fight after Chen Fan's return; therefore, the North Qiong Sect had sent out nearly all of the disciples, including Fang Qiong, An Ya, and Wang Xiaoyun.

Hua Yunfeng led the way at the front of the group. His steps were energetic and confident.

A large hulking frame brought up the rear. This giant's skin was the color of bronze, and everyone recognized that he was the physique refinement master from the Chen Family.

"There is no sight of Chen Beixuan. "

Many people were disappointed.

"Still, look at the party they have brought."

The sight of the large group of deadly warriors was hard to miss.

The North Qiong Sect had brought with them more than ten Grandmasters and two Immortal State Warriors. If the rumor about the Dragon Hall's capitulation to Chen Beixuan was correct, the total number of Immortal State Warriors would be four and the Grandmasters twenty.

Such power was equivalent to the combined forces of all other warriors in China and rivaled the overbearing dominance of the Christian Church during its peak. Worse, the North Qiong Sect also had Chen Fan, a warrior of unprecedented might.

"The North Qiong Sect brought many deadly warriors with them, I hope Lord Shuming can handle it."

The sight of North Qiong Sect's overwhelming assembly of warriors had made many onlookers sympathetic toward Lin Shuming.

Crack!

A flash of lightning scarred the dark night.

An old man wearing a Taoist robe with Eight Trigram symbols appeared on the beach. He was holding a large seal in one hand and wore a scowl on his face. His appearance startled many onlookers, especially the unsavory kind.

"The Grand Heavenly Master, Yao Daoyi?" someone exclaimed.

Yao Daoyi was a legend. Rumor had it that he had reached the mid-stage of Immortal State sixty years ago. In his hand was the famous Dharma Treasure—Thunder Seal. Its potency was so renowned that even the sight of it instilled fear into many people's hearts. It had been a while since he was last shown in action, so no one knew how powerful he had gotten over the years.

Even Ye Qincang couldn't bring him to heels, and their battle ended in a draw.

"I see."

Yao Daoyi cast a quick glance at Lin Shuming and cracked a smile.

He then found an empty spot on the beach and sat down. A bright light flashed inside the Thunder Seal from time to time as if proclaiming its fame to everyone. It was passed down for generation in the Heavenly Master Sect and was as powerful as all seven Dark Witch Magus Artifacts combined.

The gathering of four Immortal State Warriors was a terrifying yet exciting sight for many people.

Suddenly, the crowd heard a man singing from far away.

"Immortality is your soul's desire, money and fame drive you further from God."

The crowd found the singer in the sky. He was an old man wearing a Taoist robe, descending slowly from the sky. The loose folds of his enormous rob flapped against the wind as he made his landing.

"Li Changsheng from Wu Dang's Primordial Dao Sect?"

The appearance of another Immortal State Warrior stirred up the crowd again.

The Wu Dang Sect was well known for its Dharma Spell and Martial Arts Dual Cultivation. Li Changsheng was believed to be only slightly younger than Lin Shuming and not any less powerful. The only time he was seen in action was when Ye Qincang attacked the joined forces of seven Immortal State Warriors.

"Brother Lin, why do you force yourself to do this?"

Li Changsheng gave Lin Shuming a look and shook his head.

Lin Shuming sat motionlessly on the top of a flat rock and didn't offer a reply.

However, Li Changsheng's question had many other people guessing.

Clank!

Suddenly, a glint of something sharp flashed in the sky.

This time, a Japanese warrior wearing a samurai outfit appeared some distance off the shore, walking on the angry broken waves. There was a constant stream of energy bursting out from his body that broke the waves in front of him. As he treads confidently across the sea, he left a trail of foamy seawater behind. From a distance, it looked as if he had split the sea into halves to make way for himself.

"Who is that?"

Many were astonished by his dramatic entry. There was no doubt that this Japanese stranger was an Immortal State Warrior.

But no one had ever heard of any Immortal State Warriors in Japan.

"He is Watanabe, the former Sword Sage of Japan. I didn't expect him to still be alive."

Many old martial artists recognized the Japanese man and were startled by his appearance.

"Watanabe?"

The name had taken the crowd by surprise.

Last time Watanabe visited China, he had defeated a dozen Grandmasters and was eventually driven away by Lin Shuming after their historical fight at the peak of the Emei Mountain.

That fight was considered the fight of that century.

However, almost a hundred years later, Watanabe had appeared in China again.

"Mr. Shuming, I wish that your opponent were me today. The thought of being unable to finish what we have started sixty years ago deeply saddens me," Watanabe said with a husky voice.

Lin Shuming opened his eyes and cast a knowing glance at the Japanese warrior in silence.

The Japanese nationals among the audience rushed to greet the Sword Sage. Watanabe stood motionlessly on top of the foamy seawater, looking cold and distant as ever.

By then, six Immortal State Warriors had gathered at the beach. It was an unprecedented sight.

"The battle is going to destroy the city of Zhong Hai. How could the government let them do this?"

Many people exclaimed fearfully.

Meanwhile, the Chinese navy ships a few miles away had their firing system loaded and ready to fire. A large convoy of armored vehicles filled with soldiers also approached the beach.

"They are from Kunlun. Finally!"

"I have seen Red Sparrow, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger. The Four Generals of Kunlun are all here."

"Who is that old man in front of the Azure dragon? Is that Ye Qincang?"

Many people asked curiously.

The presence of Special Case Department had always been an indication that something big. The dispatching of all four generals meant that the leaders of China had taken this battle very seriously. What shocked the audiences the most was a stately looking old man at the forefront of the retinue.

The old man strode confidently and imperiously toward the breach.

Even as he got closer to Yao Daoyi and Watanabe, his confidence didn't even wane the slightest.

"He is not Ye Qincang."

Some older Grandmasters shook their heads.

"Azure Dragon, I didn't expect to see you alive," Li Changsheng said slowly.

"Hehe, I am not going to die before you freak."

The old man guffawed.

Yao Daoyi snorted at the old man and remained silent.

"He is the first generation Azure Dragon. Not only is he alive, but he has also reached the Immortal State?"

Someone shouted in surprise.

When Ye Qincang established the Kunlun, he had four most trusted associates. As time passed, some of them were killed and the Azure dragon also retired. However, their titles remained and were passed down.

The return of the former Azure Dragon made many people reevaluate the power of Kunlun.

"Lin Shuming, General Ye had settled the score with you sixty years ago, why do you go back on your promise and cause such a racket in China?" Azure Dragon fumed.

"Chen Beixuan had killed my disciples and ended my Lin Family's bloodline. I have nothing to lose, why should I care about my promises," Lin Shuming said faintly.

"Humph! Lin Langya had asked for it. He attacked Chen Beixuan first and died because of his stupidity and weakness. There's nothing about him that was worth your remorse, let along with such extreme measures," Azure Dragon shouted.

"He needs to pay with his life."

Lin Shuming ended the conversation with a firm announcement.

Azure Dragon shook his head and gave up. No one was sure about Lin Shuming's power right now, and no one wanted to test it, not even Azure Dragon. They waited expectantly to see how everything would unfold.

Without Lin Shuming, who would stop Chen Beixuan?

Many more warriors joined the crowds of audiences, but none of them appeared to be Immortal State Warriors. There might have been a few Immortal State Warriors lurking from afar. Even Watanabe and Azure Dragon kept a safe distance from the battleground.

"Where is Chen Beixuan?"

The crowd waited from noon until evening, but Chen Fan was nowhere to be seen.

While the crowd started to become increasingly restless, the Immortal State Warriors were waiting patiently.

"Did Xiao Fan get the invitation?" Wang Xiaoyun wondered.

"Don't worry, Auntie Wang. I am sure Xiao Fan will be here soon," Fang Qiong said.

Fang Qiong had been working closely with Wang Xiaoyun, supporting her in many capacities. By then, she had earned Wang Xiaoyun's full trust.

Hualalala...

The forecasted downpour finally arrived.

The Grandmasters shielded themselves with Four Righteousness Protection Energy, but the others were drenched.

"There!" Hua Yunfeng suddenly exclaimed.

Watanabe, Yao Daoyi, and Li Changsheng all looked to the direction where Hua Yunfeng was pointing.

Dark clouds gathered and painted the sky black. Underneath the thick shelf of the cloud were a violent storm and an angry sea. Amid the misty chaos was a waterspout.

A winding and twisting waterspout writhed up and reached the dark clouds like a white finger.

"That is that?"

The sight astonished everyone.

They watched as a young man in azure outfit stood at the top of the waterspout as the waterspout moved toward the beach. His shirt flapped against the wind, and his eyes were dark and incandescent all at the same time. His body was illuminated by an azure glow that came from within, making him shine against the dark and gloomy backdrop.

He was Chen Fan.

"Chen Beixuan, you finally arrived. "

Lin Shuming opened his eyes and rose to his feet.

Two rays of white energy shot out from his eyes, and they collided with the azure energy that came out of Chen Fan's eyes. The impact immediately caused a shower of sparks.

The audiences felt their heart caught in their throats, wondering what was going to happen next.

They knew that the battle of the century had finally begun.

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Chapter 532 The Beginning of the Showdown

"Yes, Master. "

A'Xiu jumped up in excitement. Her eyes stared at the sky without blinking. She hadn't seen Chen Fan for many years, and despite the huge changes in Chen Fan's appearance, she was still able to recognize him.

"I am relieved that Xiao Fan is safe."

Wang Xiaoyun rubbed her chest and heaved a sigh of relief.

"That indeed is the sect master, he is finally back!"

The Perfected Cultivators from the Dark Witch Chapter, Hua Family, and the Lu Family all looked toward the man in the sky. He was the backbone of the North Qiong, and with him around, no one could defeat the North Qiong Sect.

Xiao Fan...

An Ya and Fang Qiong both cast a longing look at Chen Fan.

Fang Qiong had been separated from Chen Fan for three years and had only seen him once during that time. She missed him greatly. The long-overdue reunion and Chen Fan's show of divine strength had filled Fang Qiong's heart with joy.

In contrast to the ecstatic members of the North Qiong Sect, the other warriors were shaken to the cores.

Chen Fan had ridden on a hundred-meter tall waterspout and arrived at the battlefield. Such a display of power terrified even the Immortal State Warriors.

"Tsk... He reminded me of the Sea God."

Many warriors were stunned by the development, and they let out a gasp of cold air. The Grandmasters' faces paled. None of them could pull off what Chen Fan had done since the most they could achieve was to cut open the wave or a waterfall.

However, Chen Fan was able to command the waves with ease, bending its shape according to his will.

Dark clouds gathered behind Chen Fan with frequent and intense flashes and lightning. Under the dark clouds, tempestous waves rose a few dozen meters, and the roar of the sea could be heard even at the shore. Such power only belonged to the sages and deities.

"Chen Beixuan has borrowed the power of the wild sea storm. To do that, he would have to at the least reach the Earth Deity level. Otherwise, he would not be able to pull it off," Yao Daoyi said coldly.

"He has forged a new-self based on heaven's will. Impressive! I have been contemplating the truth of our world for a hundred twenty years, yet I have still fallen behind a youngster!" Li Changsheng ran his fingers through his long beard and lamented.

"Sect Uncle, are you sure Chen Beixuan is as powerful as you think he is? If so, does it mean that he has become invincible?" Red Sparrow asked.

"Humph! This storm covered a few hundred square kilometers and not even a real Heavenly Being could have wrapped it around their little finger. Chen Beixuan must have drawn only a small portion of the storm's force," the old Azure Dragon said as a light came up in his eyes.

"That being said, what Chen Beixuan had done was no small feat for a mortal. This meant that he was able to draw the Power of Heaven at an incredible scale. His power rivaled that of Zhang Sanfeng and the Grand Magus God."

Meanwhile, many warriors from Japan were stultified by the scene.

Watanabe glared at Chen Fan as he charged up his Blade Qi, trying as much as he could to hold it in.

Kaboom!

The storm finally reached the shore.

Amid the foamy and roiling sea, giant waves rose a few meters tall before they crashed ashore. Seawater mixed with rain was carried by wild gales and slammed down onto the sand and rocks. The wind was so strong that it pressed down on the trees, bending its trunk.

"Pull back!"

Many martial artists and ordinary people were forced to pull back.

They had backed a few hundred meters to get out of harm's way. When they looked to the shoreline again, they could only vaguely trace an outline of a man standing on top of an undulating waterspout.

The Grandmasters and the Immortal State Warriors remained where they were to bear witness to the battle.

"Lin Shuming?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and examined the scholarly looking man.

Chen Fan had never registered such power in another cultivator ever since he was reincarnated. The Blade Qi at the tip of his blade was clearly linked to the Essence Qi of Heaven and Earth. His physique was impeccable, and every inch of his skin was covered by impenetrable qi. If Chen Fan didn't know who he was, he might think that he was standing face to face with an Earth Level Deity.

"No, he is not an Earth Level Deity. He would have to reach the Connate Spirit level before he could become an Earth Level Deity. That meant he would have the ability to blend perfectly into the Essence Qi of the world and use it at will. It was like a fish being released into a pond of water. He is very close to that level of attainment, but not quite yet. It wouldn't be easy to make that final leap of faith and bridge that gap. Some people are stuck at being so close to the Connate Spirit level for their entire life. "

Chen Fan shook his head.

"However, I still sense something threatening about him. Could he have any Dharma Treasure?"

"Chen Beixuan, I have been waiting for you for three days. "

Lin Shuming rose to his feet and opened his eyes.

"I have to agree that you are one of the most talented and capable youngsters I have ever met. Not even Ye Qincang had reached such a high level of attainment at your age. I think you are very likely to become an Earth Level Deity in just ten years. "

"Save your breath! Lin Shuming, you barged into the North Qiong Sect and injured my servant girl, you will pay the price today. "

A cold light came up in Chen Fan's eyes as he spoke.

Lin Shuming might be a force to be reckoned with for warriors on Earth, but Chen Fan was a celestial lord who had traversed billions of galaxies and seen everything the universe had to offer, so he was not at all fazed by Lin Shuming's threats.

Most members of the North Qiong Sect were Chen Fan's closest friends in his past life, and messing with them was a death sentence.

"So be it. We were deemed to fight each other to death since the day Langya passed away," Lin Shuming said with a sad look on his face.

Lin Langya was his most talented disciple. He had granted him the title of sword-bearer and treated him more dearly than his own son. Lin Langya had even followed him when he went into seclusion to cultivate. During that time, he had taught the young man his life-worth of knowledge, hoping that Lin Langya would carry on his legacy and protect the Lin Family. The death of Lin Langya was a devastating blow to the old man.

"I expected Ye Qincang to be my first opponent once I came out of my seclusion. This world never ceases to surprise me. "

Lin Shuming let out a peal of laughter.

Kacha!

A flash of lightning as thick as a tree trunk scarred the night sky.

The moment that the lightning faded, both Chen Fan and Lin Shuming attacked each other at the same time.

Kaboom!

Chen Fan punched his opponent with abandon.

His belligerent Fist Qi shattered the curtain of rain droplets and created a dry path that was over a hundred meters long and two meters wide. So powerful was his punch that it had scared even the Immortal State Warriors who were watching from a safe distance.

"He had shot his True Energy out a hundred meter without even using the Power of Heaven and Earth! How powerful exactly is he?"

Watanabe's face changed a little.

Any Immortal State Warrior could have cast their Qi Energy out for a hundred meters; however, by the time their Qi Energy reached their target, the Qi Energy would have all but depleted.

However, the deadliness in Chen Fan's punch remained constant from beginning to the end.

It spoke loudly about the quality of his True Qi. It was so powerful that it was nearly solid and was much deadlier than Blade Qi and Blade Auras.

"Blades, FORM!"

Lin Shuming's attack was drastically different than that of Chen Fan. He traced an arc in the air with his thin index finger and transformed the rain droplets into countless small blades. Each blade was a few centimeters in length and was extremely sharp.

Shu!

As Lin Shuming thrust his finger at the air, countless water swords charged out at Chen Fan. As they traveled across space, they draw energy from Heaven and Earth and started to grow in size and multiply in power.

Bang, bang, bang!

Countless water swords rammed into the Fist Qi.

Chen Fan's Fist Qi was powerful enough to kill the Immortal State Naga with one punch, so these water swords were too weak to stop it. After a series of explosions, the Fist Qi didn't even slow down a little.

"Twist!"

Lin Shuming curled his finger a little as he shouted out a command.

The water swords suddenly changed forms and became fast-moving twisters. The spinning motion added speed to these projectiles as they slammed into the Fist Qi. Each impact was able to slow down the Fist Qi slightly. After a while, the Fist Qi had gotten observably slower than before, and eventually stopped moving a few inches before Lin Shuming.

The first round of the fight had already shocked everyone.

Although both fighters had only unleased one strike each, the display of power and might was already terrifying.

Chen Fan's Fist Qi carried the weight of a mountain and could kill an Immortal State Warrior.

Meanwhile, Lin Shuming had summoned thousands of water swords, each deadlier than the other. The combined forces of these water swords made the strike more dangerous than a few thousand fully armed soldiers.

They were only warming up, and a more deadly confrontation was coming.

It would truly be a terrifying sight to behold when they started to raise hell on earth.

"Try to counter this!"

Chen Fan let out a burst of laughter as he zigzagged across space and threw a punch. A flash of lightning slammed down and crossed paths with Chen Fan. Instead of electrocuting Chen Fan, the electric energy was tamed by Chen Fan and was used to charge up his punch.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Fan's shadow had changed into the shape of a soaring Naga.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, Naga's Transform!"

The punch fused both the True Essence as well as the Power of Heaven and Earth together.

The punch carried enough energy to turn the world upside down. It created a white foamy line on the surface of the sea even as it hovered a dozen meters above the water. The lines curved naturally from time to time, making it look as if an invisible dragon was gliding across the sea close to the surface of the water.

Kaboom!

A Fist Aura with azure and white energy slammed down on Lin Shuming.

Lin Shuming pulled a taut face as his hand reached for the blade strapped on his back.

"Arise!"

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Chapter 533 Defeated After One Punch

Pure Jun Sword!

In 1874, Lin Shuming entered Mount Shu for selection cultivation. He obtained a secret Sword Art as well as a sword left by an unknown ancient Sword Immortal. This sword was over three meters long and weighed a hundred kilograms. It was forged in a simplistic and crude style with a heavy set frame. Ever since Lin Shuming obtained this sword, he had been refining this blade using his True Essence, and since then, it had been over a hundred and thirty years.

Kacha!

The infamous blade of Pure Jun that had slain countless Immortal State Warriors was finally unsheathed.

An intense white flash arced across the sky, zig-zagging a few dozen meters in the sky, tracing a perfect curve. It was the Blade Aura from the Pure Jun Sword.

Lin Shuming lifted the hundred-kilogram sword with only one hand and started swinging it as if it weighed as much as a needle. In a blink, he had cast a Sword Domain around him. The circular Sword Domain was a few dozen meters in diameter, and it was filled with Four Righteousness energy from the sword. The energy seemed insubstantial, but it was even tougher than steel in reality.

This Sword Domain was the pinnacle of Lin Shuming's cultivation, his final magnum opus.

He had enhanced his Sword Art with Divine Powers, making himself nearly invincible. Not even a cannon shell shot at point-blank could penetrate layers of Blade Qi.

The sect master of the Tai Chi Sect, Chen Jiuyang, was stultified by Lin Shuming's incredible ability.

"Not even our Ancestral Master could blend the elements of Yin and Yang more seamlessly than him. Lin Shuming truly lived up to his reputation as the Sword Immortal!"

The rest of the Immortal State Warriors who were watching the fight also pulled taut faces.

Lin Shuming wouldn't use Pure Jun Sword until he was fully committed to a fight. So powerful was the sword domain that Watanabe doubted the combined force of all the other Immortal Warriors could penetrate it.

"I would have to use my coup de grace, the Thunder Seal, if I were Chen Beixuan. I wonder what he would do to ward off such terrifying power?"

Yao Daoyi furrowed his brows.

"Very well then."

Chen Fan's fist seemed to have a will of itself. It led Chen Fan through the clouds, turned around, and bore down onto the Sword Domain in order to force it open with raw energy.

Everyone watched as Chen Fan's body transformed into an azure Naga that was over a few dozen meters long. The head of the Naga rammed into the Sword Domain.

Kaboom!

Flashes of lightning erupted from the point of impact. Qi Energy gushed out and swept across the sea. The gravels and pebbles on the shoreline tremored as if announcing the coming of a tsunami.

The impact gave birth to a blinding point of light, which quickly expanded and reached out to its scintillating tendrils, creating a blooming flower of electricity that assaulted the visions of the audience. Following that was a wave of Fist Qi that rippled out from the point of impact.

The Qi Energy swept across the sea and reached the shoreline with great ferocity.

The Immortal State Warriors were the only ones who were unaffected by the shockwave. The Grandmasters all hurried to turn on their Four True Righteousness Protective Qi, but some were still forced back by the unrelenting shockwave.

Once everyone gathered themselves, they looked into the distance where the two fighters had been and were shocked to see that the two warriors were surrounded by a vacuum in space where physics ceased to exist. The bellow of the vacuum pressed hard against the sea waves, flattening them and shaping the surface of the sea into a bowl.

"Who won this round?"

Everyone gasped in expectation.

"Hahaha!"

Chen Fan let out a burst of laughter. His body flickered as he backed away a few dozen meters before he charged up energy and punched at his opponent once again.

"Break!"

Lin Shuming's face was impassive. He swung the Pure Jun Sword around elegantly and created another Sword Domain to block Chen Fan's attack.

Kaboom!

Kaboom!

A series of explosions erupted on the sea.

Each explosion sounded as loud as cannon shots and kicked up large splashes of water. They forced Chen Fan back a few dozen meters but was unable to stop him from attacking again.

"Brother Shuming is nearing his limit," Li Changsheng suddenly said.

His comment had left many of the audience dumbfounded until one of them noticed the tattered surface of the giant rock on which Lin Shuming was standing.

"I see. Chen Beixuan's attack was too much for Lin Shuming to handle, so he has been transferring the load to the rock under his feet. I see where Immortal Maser Li is coming from now."

The observation finally shed some light on the situation.

"The tenth punch!" Chen Fan shouted at the top of his lungs as his Fist Aura surged in length.

The Fist Aura was so powerful that it froze the time, allowing Chen Fan to fuse more energy to it. In a blink, the Fist Qi had grown so intense and large that it had completely surrounded Chen Fan's body. Within the white glow, a dragon seemed to be swimming.

Even the Immortal Cultivator who had created the Naga's Transform must be impressed by Chen Fan's execution of the art.

Even at a low level, Chen Fan was able to unleash at least thirty percent of the Naga's Tranform's true power.

"KOM!"

Chen Fan's attack shattered the Sword Domain instantly, and it carried forward before plunging into Lin Shuming. Lin Shuming remained calm as he swung the ancient blade in a simple arc. With each inch the blade covered, a different sword art was unleashed from its tip; each more potent and rare than the one that came before.

However, it was not enough to counter Chen Fan's Divine Art that belonged to another realm.

Lin Shuming's countermeasures were unable to stop Chen Fan's attack, and the latter landed on the body of the Pure Jun Sword.

Bang!

The rock on which Lin Shuming was standing finally gave in and exploded into pieces.

Lose pebbles flew off of the rock like a spray of bullets. One such pebble even penetrated a Grandmaster's Four True Righteousness Protective Qi and killed the Grandmaster on the spot.

Meanwhile, Lin Shuming was forced to back off. His body darted backward with lightning speed near the surface of the water.

He rammed through numerous objects; boulders, dikes, railings, just to name a few.

He also grazed a few bystanders, killing them there and then. Lin Shuming didn't stop until he was a few hundred meters inland where he could dig his toes into the dirt to slow him down.

"Come again!"

Chen Fan's spirit was heightened as blood boiled in his vein.

He flashed out of view and reappeared a few hundred meters in the air right above Lin Shuming. Lin Shuming wore the same stoic expression and brought his sword around to block the attack.

"Boom!"

The impact hurled Fist Qi and Blade Aura in all directions, hitting and killing many audiences.

"Let's get out of here!"

"Holy shit! They are beasts!"

"We will have to stand at the very least a thousand meters away from them to be safe."

The audiences pulled further back toward the inland.

When they finally felt safe, they were so far away from the battle that they could no longer see Chen Fan and Lin Shuming. Instead, they could only recognize two glowing lights, one azure and the other white, flying back and forth in the air, crossing each other's paths. That being said, the destructive energy from the battle was still palpable at such great distance as they toppled trees and highway signs around the audiences.

Red Sparrow heaved a sigh of relief.

Luckily, she had the foresight to cordon off a section of the highway ahead of time. Otherwise, more innocent lives would be lost as collateral damage.

"So this is the power of an Immortal State Warrior?"

Fang Qiong and An Ya were both stunned.

It was the first time they saw Chen Fan use his full power.

His overbearing dominance and divine indifference had taken the girls by surprise.

"No wonder Xiao Fan never seemed to care about wealth and fame. Why would he if he has such incredible power at his disposal?" Fang Qiong exclaimed in her mind. Her admiration for Chen Fan also gave her a sense of unworthiness.

Meanwhile, A'Xiu and Yu Wenjin looked at the battle nervously.

"Teach that old Curmudgeon a lesson, master!"

The two combatants fought on the sea, in the air, and then on the ground. The world was their stage, and the sky was the limit. So far, Chen Fan had an upper hand in the battle, and he pinned Lin Shuming under his boots.

Bang!

The white glow bounced back and plummeted into the sea after another impact, kicking up waves that were over ten meters tall.

"Lin Shuming, stop holding back your power. I know you are better than this!"

Chen Fan floated in the air haughtily as lights flickered in his eyes.

"Very well then."

A ray of intense light beamed up from under the sea, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Shuming appeared in the air. His clothes were in tatters, and his face was expressionless.

"The Sword Cultivation I practiced is called the Sword Sutra of Haoran. It was created by an ancient Sword Sage who had reached enlightenment through his study of Confucianism. The teaching of Confucius was entrenched in the Sword Sutra of Haoran and only a fellow student of the holy man could master the art," Lin Shuming said candidly.

The timbre of his voice had an unyielding quality that befitted a Sword Immortal.

Clank!

Lin Shuming darted forward, transforming his body into a streak of Blade Qi. The path of the Blade Qi was unpredictable; its intent was lethal. As it plummeted toward Chen Fan, the intensity of the Blade Qi multiplied with an unprecedented degree.

"Art of Qi Sword!"

Prior to this point, Lin Shuming had been holding back his real power and concealed his most deadly Sword Art.

This was the Sword Art that marked his entry to the realm of Immortal Cultivation.

"Perfect!"

Chen Fan's black hair flowed in the wind as he punched again.

His punch seemed ordinary but something about it had stunned all the Immortal State Warriors.

Chen Fan's technique had no official name, and if one really wanted to give it a name, it could be called "Dao Fist".

Dao was the absolute principle underlying the universe. Therefore, even a fraction of its power was enough to shatter realms and defy reality.

Tried as he might, Lin Shuming's sophisticated sword arts were unable to defend him against the raw power of the absolute force in the universe.

Bang!

Lin Shuming's sword was knocked out of his hand while his body was sent flying before plummeting into the sea.

"Is Lin Shuming defeated?"

Everyone was stunned by the turn of the event.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 534 The Might of Mortal Deity

"Has Lin Shuming been defeated?"

Everyone saw how Lin Shuming was pinned under Chen Fan's boots ever since the start of the match. He was driven from the sea to the highway, and after that, he was pushed back to the sea again. He had even used his coup de grace, but he was still no match against Chen Fan's overwhelming force. With his sword knocked to the ground, he was utterly defeated.

Lots of martial arts families were stultified by the development.

If North Qiong Sect was powerful enough to defeat Lin Shuming, who would be able to bring them down? Was the North Qiong Sect really going to become the most powerful sect in China?

The Japanese martial artists were shaken to their cores.

Chen Fan was the enemy number one in Japan. He had toppled the Five Major Temples, killed Takemiya Hiro, and crushed the Fourteenth Brigade. He alone had forced the nation of Japan to its knees, and Japan would remain weak as long as he was alive.

"My teacher had finally done it!" A'Xiu shouted excitedly.

She had forsaken the usual facade of the Queen of the Underground World in Zhong Zhou and revealed the innocent and giddy little girl inside of her.

Hua Yunfeng shook his head and said, "Lin Shuming has reached the peak of Immortal State, so he is much more powerful than Immortal State Warriors in the late-stage of their cultivation. However, his level of attainment is still far from that of our teacher."

Of all the audiences, he was the only one who had the knowledge and experience to comment on this battle.

Hua Yunfeng registered that Lin Shuming had reached the peak of Immortal State in all aspects of cultivation—Divine Soul, Physique Refinement, as well as True Energy. He should be able to handle six Immortal State Warriors at the same time with ease. In addition, his sword art was incredibly powerful.

However, Chen Fan was much more powerful than him.

Chen Fan had the upper hand ever since the beginning of the battle. Chen Fan's style of martial arts had an otherworldly and transcendental quality to it. It was as if he had learned his moves from a divine sage. The last punch was the quintessential of his divine style—simple but powerful. Hua Yunfeng couldn't find a proper word to describe Chen Fan's last punch, and the only words he could think of was "invincible".

So it was, that punch was invincible indeed!

Any attempt to counter that punch would seem weak and was ultimately ineffective. Therefore, Lin Shuming had to take the brunt force of the punch. Unfortunately for him, he was too weak.

Chen Fan had reached initial success in his Azure Thearch Longevity Body; his True Essence had reached mid-stage of Divine Sea. Therefore, he was truly invincible on this planet in any shape or form.

"So, that's it?" Red Sparrow asked incredulously.

White Tiger and Black Tortoise also found it hard to believe.

This was Lin Shuming's first battle since he finished his sixty-year-long seclusion. And he was already defeated by Chen Fan. If Chen Fan was able to bring Lin Shuming to heels, could he do the same to Ye Qincang?

"Not likely."

Azure Dragon narrowed his glinting eyes and said, "The battle has just started. "

"What?"

Even as everyone was trying to understand the meaning of Azure Dragon's words, a ray of white light lanced up from the sea, and within it was Lin Shuming.

His tattered clothing was drenched. He had summoned so much power and will to defend against Chen Fan's mighty punch that he had no energy left to keep the seawater away from him.

"Chen Beixuan, you really live up to your reputation as the one-in-a-thousand-year genius. You have the body of an Earth Level Deity and the physique of an Azure Jade Bodhisattva. With ample supply of True Qi and incredible Fist Art, you are indeed a force to be reckoned with."

Despite Lin Shuming's tattered clothes and pale face, his voice was firm and confident.

"Unfortunately, you still have not reached the Earth Deity Level. So you will die right here, right now."

"Oh?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and gave his opponent a long glance. He then smirked.

"Ah-ha, so THAT is your coup de grace. No wonder you dare to challenge me."

"What is going on?"

The audiences were perplexed by the development.

"Brother Lin is able to command the Heaven's Will. He finally did it!" Li Changsheng exclaimed.

"Mortal Deity. Humph."

Yao Daoyi snorted, but the jealous look on his face betrayed him.

"Brother Lin has reached Mortal Deity? Sugoi! Oh, I really wish I could exchange a few blows with him now!"

Eyes brimming with excitement, Watanabe lamented at the top of his lungs.

Kaboom!

Lin Shuming attacked.

He didn't use any divine powers, nor did he command flying swords. He simply clapped his hands and summoned a tsunami of Essence Qi. These Essence Qi converged toward him and formed the shape of a palm.

The palm was over ten meters wide. Without tapping into his True Qi, Lin Shuming waved a hand and commanded the large palm to attack Chen Fan. As the palm bore down onto Chen Fan, it released shockwaves that tore open the heavy curtain of rain.

"What?"

Everyone was stunned by the revelation.

Lin Shuming's face was pale, and his clothes were in tatters; he was clearly on his last leg. How could he still be able to unleash such unimaginable power?

"Such is the power of Mortal Deity; he could command the Power of Heaven and Earth at will," Azure Dragon said lightly.

"Break!"

Chen Fan was unfazed by the overbearing attack.

He charged up his True Essence and punched forward.

The punch churned the energy in the air and turned the world upside down, warping the reality. The audiences watched as the Sun and the Moon hung in the sky at the same time and heard countless explosions amid the roaring storm. Slowly, rain droplets converged together and formed a fist seal that landed on the large energy-palm.

The fist and the palm crashed into each other, and both were shattered.

Was it a draw?

This was the first time Lin Shuming was able to completely block off Chen Fan's attack.

"How did that happen? I was certain that he was going to be defeated just a second ago."

A'Xiu gasped in disbelief.

The others shared her confusion. After a while, Hua Yunfeng suddenly pulled a taut face as a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Lin Shuming must have become a Mortal Deity! No wonder he could counter Master's attack."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone was shocked.

For most of them, it was their first time they heard of the words "Mortal Deity. "

"As its name suggested, a Mortal Deity is a divine being among mortals. According to legends, the Mortal Deity State was the next step after the Immortal State. It is an intermediate state between the Immortal State and the Earth Level Deity. Once reached that state, one could fully tap into the power of heaven and earth and crush even an immortal state warrior without using a fraction of his own energy," Hua Yunfeng explained.

"Really?"

Everyone was stunned by the revelation.

"However, their abilities are a far cry from that of an Earth Level Deity. Their lives would reach the end in about a hundred fifty years, but the Earth Level Deity could live up to five hundred years without falling ill."

Hua Yunfeng shook his head.

"So, is Master in danger?" Yu Wenjin asked, eager to get an answer.

Regardless of how many years a Mortal Deity could live, Lin Shuming at his current level had only half the strength of an Earth Level Deity. That being said, he was strong enough to rise from the ashes and started to attack Chen Fan again.

The development had shocked many other disciples of the North Qiong Sect.

"Go."

Lin Shuming pointed a finger at the sea as a pulse of energy sliced the sea into halves, revealing the rugged seabed. Above the sea, the force also opened up the curtain of rain droplets.

"Break!"

A light shone in Chen Fan's eyes as energy rippled about him, puffing out his flapping sleeves. He punched directly at the incoming attack. After the impact, Lin Shuming stood his ground firmly, but Chen Fan stumbled back a few feet.

"Come again!"

Chen Fan was not concerned by the setback. Charging up his energy, he attacked again.

Lin Shuming's face was impassive as his hands waved back and forth, commanding the seawater to swell. Invisible energy drew the water up and formed it into the shape of a huge hand that closed its fingers around Chen Fan.

"The Great Magus who lived three hundred years ago and the demigod Zhang Sanfeng didn't even reach such a level of attainment," Azure Dragon exclaimed after seeing Lin Shuming's incredible display of power.

The development excited the audiences. Lin Shuming could tap into the Power of Heaven and Earth; he had infinite energy to spare. However powerful Chen Fan was, his energy was limited and would be spent sooner or later.

The thought made A'Xiu and the others start to worry about Chen Fan.

KOM!

Three milliseconds later, Chen Fan had broken free from the confinement using the Azure Wood Qi Blade.

Meanwhile, Lin Shuming had already finished another spell, turning the countless rain droplets into sharp blades and making them rain down onto Chen Fan.

There were well over thirty thousand blades swooping down onto Chen Fan like a shower of death. This attack was even a few times deadlier than the last one. Chen Fan stood still in the air and let his protection aura take the brunt of the attack.

Bang, bang, bang!

The water blades clashed with Chen Fan's Arcane Energy Bulwark, shattering into a puff of mist.

Chen Fan didn't mind the attacks, and he looked at Lin Shuming with a smirk.

"Do you think it's really that easy to command the Power of Heaven and Earth? I wonder how long you could last in this state... Three hours, or maybe two? You are squandering the remaining three years of your life on this useless spell."

Chen Fan had never met a Mortal Deity before, so he was not sure what a Mortal Deity was capable of.

However, he could tell based on Lin Shuming's performance that the so-called Mortal Deity was a much weaker version of the Connate State.

Throughout his cultivation, Lin Shuming had gained enough inner enlightenment to reach Earth Level Deity, but the lack of Spirit Qi on Earth had hindered his progression.

Even though he had spent sixty years cultivating in that cave, he was still unable to gain a Connate Body. Without a Connate Body, he would have lacked a Connate Body Divine Soul; therefore, despite his enlightenment, he was much weaker than a real Connate Cultivator. Although his mind had reached enough clarity to allow him to tap into the Power of Heaven and Earth, his body was far from ready for such a huge burden.

His remaining three years of mortal life would allow him to sustain the current state for no more than three hours.

"That's enough to kill you," Lin Shuming replied with a calm voice.

Already, his hair and skin had started to lose the youthful luster. However, the fire in Lin Shuming's eyes burnt brighter by the second as he started to harness even more power from his surroundings.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 535 The Earth Level Deity"s Sword

Even though Chen Fan didn't think a Mortal Deity would pose any threat to him, he had taken the fight much more seriously.

As a cultivator who had reached Heavenly Tribulation straight from Connate Spirit, Chen Fan knew better than anyone about the power of a Connate Cultivator. Although Lin Shuming had only less than three hours of life, he could unleash enough power to rival an Earth Level Deity.

Even though he didn't possess any Earth Level Deity's Dharma Treasure, neither did he gain the invincible physique of an Earth Level Deity; the fact that he was considered a deity meant that he was going to be a tough nut to crack.

Qi Refinement and the Connate Spirit marked the line between mortals and immortal cultivators. No one could be called an Immortal Cultivator before they reached Connate Spirit. Only after they did so, could they start to form Golden Core and Nascent Soul and embark on the journey in space in order to seek higher enlightenment.

So powerful were Connate Cultivators that not even a hundred Qi Refinement-level Cultivators would defeat one Connate Cultivator without the help of legendary Dharma Spells. That was the reason that a Connate Cultivator was often considered a god on most planets.

"Hualala."

Chen Fan stretched his body and shook his arms.

The movement seemed to have stirred something heavy inside of Chen Fan. With a cacophony of deep rumbling and growling, an azure light came out from within Chen Fan's belly. The light quickly shone through Chen Fan's skin and highlighted his scintillating bones.

Powerful True Essence gushed out of Chen Fan's body and blew the rain droplets to the side. Another pulse of Divine Will roared out of his belly and started to compete against Lin Shuming for the Essence Qi in their surroundings.

"Wow!"

Supported by a swirling draft, Lin Shuming floated in the air, standing still with a great measure of confidence. He reached out both arms and started to draw the Essence Qi in the vicinity toward him, creating a whirlwind of energy around him.

Kacha!

Flashes of lightning pierced the dark sky and illuminated the roiling clouds.

The Power of Heaven and Earth poured into his system and reached an incredible level that could overwhelm any ordinary cultivator. Lin Shuming started to sweat, but so focused was he on his task that he barely noticed the trickle of sweat running down his cheeks.

"Go."

With incredible power at his disposal, Lin Shuming waved a hand and attacked.

"KOM!"

He had gathered an extraordinary amount of Essence Qi, all built up and confined inside of his system before he lashed out. The attack had offered a release for the immense energy, allowing them to gush out like the pulse of a great flood.

The release of the energy created a huge shockwave that slammed into the curtain of rain and sliced open the sea, creating a path that was flanked by two walls of moving seawater as tall as a few dozen meters. It was quite a sight to behold.

Seeing Lin Shiuming's ability to split the ocean with one wave, the audiences all gaped in utter surprise and shock.

The strength of both combatants had far exceeded the audience's expectations. The destruction and chaos could be seen by the Chinese naval officers who were miles away. When the waves stirred up by the battle reached them, it rocked even the heaviest battleship from side to side.

"Break!"

Chen Fan punched to counter the attack.

Suddenly, an immeasurable amount of True Essence poured out from his body as azure lights illuminated half of the sky. He had charged up his energy to the fullest amount. He doubled down on his attack and tapped into the power of the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, transforming himself into a fast-moving shooting star as he rammed into the deadly waves.

Kaboom!

Chen Fan's fist landed on the tsunami of Essence Qi and was able to pierce through the first layer of the Qi wave. However, he was quickly pushed back by the second wave and stumbled back a dozen meters before he could steady himself.

Meanwhile, the attack had caused a three hundred meters long cut on the ocean bed.

Their exchange of blows had ripped open the seabed for three hundred meters!

The incredible sight made Watanabe jealous of Lin Shuming's power.

"Earth Level Deity, so this is the true power of Earth Level Deity! I have been seeking such power for my entire life!" Yao Daoyi exclaimed as a fire burned in his eyes.

"It was such a pity that Brother Lin can only last a few hours in this form. After that, he is going to become history. Sigh... I have never thought that Brother Lin could be so obsessed with his revenge. He might be successful in the end, but at what cost?" Li Changsheng lamented as he shook his head.

"Lin Langya was the future of the Lin Family. Losing him was a devastating blow to the Lin Family. Lin Shuming could live three more years at most. Who could protect the once-mighty family once he's dead? So revenge is his only option," Azure Dragon said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, the fight had everyone in the North Qiong Sect worried for their master.

Lin Shuming had proven to be as powerful as a god, so even if Chen Fan didn't show any sign of weakness, it begged the question as to who would eventually emerge victoriously.

Bang!

After a while, Chen Fan finally shattered the last Qi wave. He smiled coldly and said, "You would never beat me. You lacked the understanding of the Connate Spirit, so your arts were not only ineffective against me but also detrimental to your own health. You are wasting your time, literally. Yes, you can summon an incredible amount of energy, but what good are they if you can't concentrate them into something useful?"

The fight between most Connate Cultivators relied on Physique Refinement, Dharma Spells, or Dharma Treasure.

Although nearly all Connate Cultivators could control the Essence Qi in nature, it would take a long time to actually get the spell going. Therefore, most Connate Cultivators would not use the Essence Qi during a fast-paced battle.

However powerful Lin Shuming was, he would never be able to pass any damage through Chen Fan's Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

By then, even Lin Shuming had realized that he was in a pinch.

Boom!

He hurried to summon lightning from the sky to smite Chen Fan.

However, the Azure Thearch Longevity Body was so resilient that not even the bolts of lightning could make a dent on it. Chen Fan seized an opportunity to break the hypersonic barrier and charged toward Lin Shuming. Lin Shuming reacted quickly and cast layers of Essence Qi screens to block Chen Fan's counter-attack.

Bang!

Chen Fan's fist broke the hypersonic barrier and arrived a hundred meters away from Lin Shuming where he met the resistance of the Essence Qi.

The Essence Qi was as tough and solid as a piece of steel plate. Chen Fan started to lose his speed right away. When he was finally close to Lin Shuming, he no longer had hypersonic speed. Lin Shuming rushed forth and attacked Chen Fan with a palm. Losing his edge, Chen Fan was forced to back away and wait for another opportunity.

Looking from afar, Lin Shuming looked like a brawny brut wielding a huge battle hammer. However, all of his powerful blows had missed the target.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan's fighting style resembled that of a sinewy rouge with a poisonous dagger in his hand, patiently betting his time to deliver a lethal blow.

Whoever could land the first blow would win the battle.

"Wow!"

The fantastic battle had excited the audiences. However, Chen Fan knew he should finish this show as quickly as possible.

"Time to end all of this."

Chen Fan flew to the sky and tapped the gourd hitched around his wrist gently.

"Lin Shuming, everyone calls you a Sword Immortal, so I wonder how you would fare against my sword art?"

Lin Shuming was taken aback, and he looked up.

He saw small swords of about five centimeters long flew out of the gourd one after another. There were nine of them in total, and they formed a formation in the sky.

"Pixiu, Rosemallow, Asura, Red Skirt, White Drake, Black Tortoise, Yellow Peony, Azure Snake, Violet Clouds."

The presence of the nine swords suddenly added a biting coldness to the air.

"These are the nine flying swords of the Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator?"

Lin Shuming narrowed his eyes, trying to mask his shock.

Meanwhile, many martial artists among the audiences gasped.

Exalted Cultivator was the last Earth Level Deity in China, and he had left many incredible legends. Among those legends, the most famous ones were those about his nine flying swords. Each flying sword had a story behind it.

"Let me test your Sword Art using these nine swords. "

Chen Fan waved a hand.

The nine swords lined up in a row, pointing directly at Lin Shuming.

"Will do."

Lin Shuming cracked a smile and started his sword art. Everyone watched as countless ice blades shot out from the sea. These ice blades were made out of seawater, and there were three thousand of them in total. Each ice blade was about the length of an average human. Its glinting edges were incredibly sharp and were able to slice through the toughest metal with ease.

The three thousand or so flying swords flew into the sky in unison and formed a huge sword array.

The swirling blades easily severed the curtain of rain and created an area where no rain would fall.

"This sword array was made out of seawater blades and was enhanced by the Power of Heaven and Earth. Its name is the Grand Myriad Sword Array."

Even though Lin Shuming wielded as much power as an Earth Level Deity, to summon three thousand ice blades had taken a toll on his vitality. His breath started to become heavy, and his hair suddenly turned ashen pale.

"Go."

Lin Shuming shouted a command as the three thousand ice blades plunged toward Chen Fan all at the same time.

The development had terrified the audiences.

Each of the three thousand ice blades could easily carve up a vehicle. The three thousand of them formed a shower of death as if a volley from three thousand Roman Scorpios.

Bang, bang, bang!

Chen Fan was unfazed by the threat. He commanded the nine swords to form a circle of light that surrounded him in the middle. The ice blades hit the protective circle and were knocked aside.

Although these nine flying swords were not as powerful as the Sword of Essense Restoring, they were Spirit Artifacts nonetheless and were much stronger than the ice blades.

These nine blades were no less powerful than any divine powers. When used properly, their damage output could even exceed that of the Sword of Essense Restoring.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan flew to the air while surrounded by a whirlwind of sharp edges. It protected him from the incoming ice blades as he charged toward Lin Shuming. By then, it was apparent that the Grand Myriad Sword Array had no effect on Chen Fan.

The turn of the event shocked everyone.

They were convinced that Chen Fan had reached the same level of attainment as the Exalted Cultivator who lived a thousand years ago.

Chen Fan had been a mighty tribulation cultivator, and the powers of his sword arts were beyond a mortal's imagination. Surrounded by the nine circling blades, he glided across space elegantly. Not even Lin Shuming's overwhelming Essence Qi could stop him.

However, even as the situation turned grimmer by the second, a sinister smile surfaced on Lin Shuming's face.

Suddenly, Lin Shuming let loose the immense energy inside of his system. As the unbridled energy multiplied and struggled to break out of Lin Shuming's body, it sent rays of intensely white lights out from Lin Shuming's eyes, mouth, and nose, and turned Lin Shuming's hair into a color that was as white as snow.

Despite the perilous condition he was under, Lin Shuming let out a burst of laughter.

"I have refined this art for sixty years, and finally, I got to use it on you today! Chen Beixuan, try to counter this!"

Before his words faded, a powerful Blade Qi shot up from his body and pierced the dark clouds in the sky.

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Chapter 536 The World Grows Silen

The great Mencius used to say, "I am skillful in nourishing my spirit of Haoran."

Thus, the key to the Sword Sutra of Haoran was the word "nourishing".

Lin Tatian had nourished the Blade Qi for over a decade; he was able to command the blade with his Qi and force Chen Fan to use the Grand Qin Na Hand. Lin Shuming had harnessed the Blade Qi much longer than Lin Tatian, and therefore, he was much more powerful.

In the last sixty years, his mind, body, and soul were occupied by only one thing—cultivation.

Lin Shuming had cultivated in seclusion for sixty years, during which time, he had devoted every single second on achieving the status of Earth Deity.

However, the task was much harder than he had imagined.

Even with Lin Shuming's extraordinary talent, he could only achieve enlightenment but failed to bring his physical condition to the same level. The fault was not entirely on him since there was simply not enough Spirit Qi on Earth to support his cultivation.

However, he had never given up on his cultivation. Instead, he doubled down on nourishing the Blade Qi. As time passed, the Blade Qi started to gain solidity in the real world and took the form of shiny crystals. Should Lin Shuming be on another planet, he could have marched right into the state of Connate Spirit if not Golden Core.

Kakaka...

Countless tiny Blade Aura with the width of a hair spilled out from Lin Shuming's nose, eyes, and ears. Under everyone's shocked eyes, the intense light slowly spread all over his body, until his skin was suffused with a creamy white glow. A glow from inside of Lin Shuming stretched his skin, rending his internal organs into pieces and shattering his bones.

"What the..."

The audiences were speechless.

"He really lived up to his reputation as the most powerful Sword Master in China. He had nourished this Qi Blade for sixty years, hoping to use it on Ye Qincang, but it was used on Chen Beixuan instead. "

Li Changsheng heaved a sigh.

"Lin Shuming has concentrated sixty years of his hard work on this one blow. Using the power of a Mortal Deity as a catalyst, he could unleash explosive energy on par with an Earth Level Deity," Yao Daoyi said with a heavy expression. However, his voice was filled with admiration for Lin Shuming.

Azure Dragon was taken aback by the development. He exclaimed in his mind, "I wonder if General Ye could handle this attack."

Meanwhile, the North Qiong Sect members watched the battle with great trepidation. They worried about Chen Fan's life despite their unswerving confidence in his abilities.

Although Lin Shuming commanded the Essence Qi in nature earlier, the energy was spread over a large area. The effect of the art was similar to that of a Fuel Air Explosive. Despite its large area of effect, it couldn't harm Chen Fan. In contrast, a large caliber armor-piercing bullet could cause much greater damage to Chen Fan.

Lin Shuming had packed all of the energy he had harnessed over the last sixty years in this one attack. It would be able to crack open mountains and was even deadlier than missiles.

"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"

Chen Fan cheered for his opponent as his battle will surged.

He curled a finger and then flicked it out.

"Pixiu, Rosemallow, and Asura !"

Three small swords appeared in front of Chen Fan. They were created by the Exalted Cultivator using the most exotic metals he could find on Earth, and each of them carried a memorable story with it.

Chen Fan flicked his fingers again.

"Red Skirt, White Drake, Black Tortoise!

"Yellow Peony, Azure Snake, and Violet Clouds!"

The three sets of flying swords formed a triangular formation right before Chen Fan's chest. Chen Fan's expression grew heavier as he flicked his finger one last time.

"Essense Restoring!"

With a loud clang, a golden ray of light shot out from the Blade Strengthening Gourd. It soared up and around until it reached the back of the other nine swords. Inside the ray of light was a small sword with tiny inscriptions on it that read: Essense Restoring.

This was Chen Fan's famous sword of Essense Restoring.

The energy of the Essence Restoring Sword breathed new life into the other nine blades, and all ten swords were connected by a humming current of energy. Then, a ray of golden light shot out from the tip of the Essence Restoring Sword, and it spread across space and covered the other nine blades, painting them gold.

"Sword Formation, arise!"

Chen Fan closed his fingers.

Suddenly, the ten blades lined up in a horizontal line that divided the sea and the sky. It was as if a golden thread separated the Earth from heaven.

"This Sword Array is called Autumn's Deluge of Ten Lands. It will crush your Sword Art," Chen Fan said in a deep voice.

"We will see!"

The moment Lin Shuming finished his sentence, his body had completely succumbed to Blade Qi. Energy gushed out from his body and shot up with a great degree of ferociousness. It dispersed the rain and the dark clouds, revealing the cold moonlight.

Kaboom!

In that moment of great enlightenment, Lin Shuming committed his corporeal body to the power of his attack. The Blade Qi surged up, turned around, and then plunged into Chen Fan.

The pale blade aura was over thirty meters in length and looked like a thread that connected the Moon with the stars. It swooped down with unstoppable force.

Even the audiences who stood a few thousand meters away were assaulted by the belligerent energy coming off from the Blade Qi. Many Grandmasters were so overwhelmed by the incredible sight that they broke down into tears.

"I would give up anything to see such a splendid display of power!"

The development even shocked the Immortal State Warriors as they fixed their gazes on the attacker.

Some members of the North Qiong Sect prayed for the safety of their sect master in desperation.

"Go."

Chen Fan waved a hand.

The three-meter long golden thread suddenly darted out toward the incoming Blade Qi.

Chen Fan's blades were a hundred times smaller than Lin Shuming's Blade Qi.

In most people's eyes, the exchange of blows looked like a small motorcycle crashing into a semi-truck. However, to everyone's surprise, the smaller golden energy easily sliced open the large white Blade Qi and created a ten-meter long crack before it finally slowed down.

Chen Fan's Sword Aura was cast using Immortal Sword Arts that were much more powerful than any arts on Earth. Even the Exalted Cultivator would be impressed by Chen Fan's art.

Bang!

One of the nine tiny swords reached its limit and was knocked to the side.

Then the second, third, fourth... After a while, all nine swords were knocked off course, leaving the Sword of Essense Restoring alone fighting against the white Blade Qi.

By then, the thirty-meter long Blade Qi had only one meter left, but the Sword of Essense Restoring was still going strong. It was apparent that the Sword of Essense Restoring was going to shatter the last fragment of the Blade Qi and end the fight.

However, the situation quickly pulled the rug from under everyone.

The remaining Blade Aura somehow lost its solidity and flowed like water until it reached the hilt of the Sword of Essense Restoring. From there, the energy gained a solid form once again. Someone had even noticed a human figure inside the glowing Blade Aura.

"Commanding Sword using Primordial Essence! That's the real power of Brother Lin's Sword Art!" Li Changsheng shouted.

Physical strength alone was not enough to rival the power of an Earth Level Deity. As a Mortal Deity, Lin Shuming could only match an Earth Level Deity's power by committing his mortal coil and Divine Soul to the attack.

Lin Shuming had hidden most of the energy in the last section of the Blade Qi. The first twenty-nine meters of the Blade Qi was simply a ruse, and the coup de grace was concealed in the final meter.

"KOM!"

Meanwhile, Lin Shuming had already lashed out at the Sword of Essense Restoring with the newly-formed Blade Aura. The Sword of Essense Restoring turned around, but it was already too late to shore up any defense.

Facing this world-shattering attack, Chen Fan's expression was heavy. He slowly spread out the glowing Arcane Energy Bulwark until it reached ten meters in width. When the deadly white Blade Aura clashed with the Arcane Energy Bulwark, it easily sliced open the azure energy screen and closed into Chen Fan with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, the white energy was only a meter away from Chen Fan.

Bang!

Bang!

Countless protective spells were triggered, but none could slow down the Blade Aura.

Finally, the Blade Aura that was infused with Lin Shuming's Primordial Essence finally reached Chen Fan.

Chen Fan could even see Lin Shuming's haughty expression inside the flash of blinding white light.

Huuuloommmmm!

Everyone watched as the white energy and the azure energy clashed into each other. The impact made an ear-deafening din that sounded as if the sky were falling around the audiences' ears. The impact also created a bright light, where the intensity multiplied by the second. The sound and the light assaulted the senses of the audiences, turning them blind and deaf.

Then came the shockwave. A violent pulse of energy erupted from the point of impact, forcing the sea surface to cave in as it passed. When it finally made it to the land, it ravaged the shoreline by uprooting trees and tossing giant boulders around. Many Grandmasters were forced to retreat to safety, leaving only the Immortal State Warriors standing amid the violence.

"Who won?"

Most people believed that Lin Shuming could at least injure Chen Beixuan if not outright killing him. After all, he had been cultivating in seclusion for sixty years and had reached the level of Mortal Deity.

Even the Immortal State Warriors had placed their bets on Lin Shuming.

So powerful was Lin Shuming's last attack that he could demolish an aircraft carrier. Not even the combined might of all Immortal State Warriors among the audiences could ward off this attack.

"What is that?"

Suddenly, Watanabe's face turned pale.

His expression of shock and horror was quickly shared by Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng, and Azure Dragon.

"What the heck?"

Everyone squinted their eyes, trying to make sense of what they saw.

Once the dust settled and the intense light finally diminished, they saw a truly unimaginable sight.

A young man wearing a suit of flaming armor stood at the center of the battlefield. He folded his hands, holding a wisp of light in between his palms. The white light wiggled and tried to break free but to no avail. It was so close to landing a blow on the young man, yet he was so far away.

"I am defeated. Langya, I am sorry."

Inside the white light was Lin Shuming's face with a disheartened expression.

Suddenly, the white glow exploded into countless tiny light fragments, which quickly disappeared into thin air, leaving the young man standing proudly by himself with a flaming suit of armor.

A deadly silence suddenly fell over the battlefield.

November 3rd, 2011...

Chen Beixuan had defeated Sword Immortal Lin Shuming without a scratch.

The world grew silent with shock and disbelief.

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Chapter 537 The End of the Battle

"Chen Beixuan has won the battle!"

A woman in a white outfit said as she watched the battle from afar.

She looked sixteen or seventeen from a distance, but up close, her features resembled a young lady in her thirties. She gazed into the distance. Her eyes were dreamy, yet they had a great degree of perspicacity and discernment. Trying to read her expression was like reading a mysterious scroll that contained great wisdom.

"Pray to the Glorious Amitābha Buddha."

A kind monk standing right next to the woman exclaimed. Then he said calmly, "Patron Lin had cultivated his Blade Qi for sixty years, but he was still no match against Chen Beixuan. What a shame! If Patron Lin were alive a thousand years ago, he could at least reach the status of a Bodhisattva instead of Mortal Deity. "

"Hehe... Mortal Deity."

The woman in the white outfit snorted. "It sounds fancy but cultivators in that stage had to exchange power with their own lives. One year's worth of vitality could last at most an hour on the battlefield. What use is Mortal Deity?

"On another note, Chen Beixuan would finally claim dominance over all of us after this battle. That is why I asked all of you to come here to come up with a countermeasure," the woman said as a flicker of concern flashed across her face.

"Pray to the Amitābha Buddha."

The old man lowered his head and agreed.

Meanwhile, the audiences near the battlefield were speechless about the outcome of the battle.

They gaped at Chen Fan stupidly. None of them had expected Chen Fan to not only defeat Lin Shuming but did so without getting harmed.

If Lin Shuming had failed, who else could bring Chen Fan to heels?

"He is invincible now!"

A Grandmaster from the Xin Yi Sect exclaimed with an equal mix of surprise, fear, and admiration.

The rest of the Immortal State Warriors kept their silence and didn't speak a word.

Let it be Yao Daoyi, Li Changsheng, or Azure Dragon, they all looked extremely troubled.

None of them, not even the ones who thought they had been overly generous in estimating Chen Fan's ability, had expected to see Lin Shuming's final coup de grace fail to make a dent on Chen Fan. Lin Shuming's attack should have broken an aircraft carrier into two halves, but it was easily countered by Chen Fan's Armor of Red Flame.

"I think Chen Beixuan is much more powerful than Ye Qincang fifty years ago."

Yao Daoyi put in a deep voice.

"When the seven of us joined forces to take on Ye Qincang, I knew exactly how powerful he was. But I still have no clue as to the full extent of Chen Beixuan's ability. It's unbelievable."

Li Changsheng shook his head and lamented.

Both Ye Qincang and Lin Shuming had reached the peak of the Immortal State and the limit of their power was a clear cut line to everyone. They could take on a few Immortal State Warriors, but that's all.

On the other hand, Chen Fan's power clearly belonged to an Earth Level Deity even though everyone was convinced that Chen Fan had not reached Earth Level Deity yet.

"He was not an Earth Level Deity, but he was as powerful as one. I just can't wrap my head around it."

"Wummm."

Watanabe's Blade, the infamous Kikumon Cross vibrated as if it, too, had sensed a powerful enemy and was eager to drink some blood. Watanabe shook his head and murmured.

"Samurai's spirit is about sacrifice, but no samurai should sacrifice themselves for no reason."

Even the haughty Watanabe had succumbed to Chen Fan's display of power.

"Master Chen had won!"

A smile finally broke over Hua Yunfeng's face.

Meanwhile, the other members of the North Qiong Sect also let out a sigh of relief.

Wang Xiaoyun and An Ya felt both jolted by the sudden relief and nearly fell to the ground. They had been highly focused on the battle, and the sudden ending of the fight dazzled them.

"This battle would make Teacher not only the most powerful man in China but also the entire world."

A'Xiu clenched her fist and said excitedly.

"I wager that Ye Qincang was no more than Mortal Deity level just like Lin Shuming. I have no doubt that the Master could defeat him."

Yukishiro Sa put in with a cold smirk.

The outcome of the battle disheartened the other warriors. Chen Fan's victory marked his rise to power and dominance over the East.

"Huaalaaa!"

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and slowly descended toward the land.

The audiences lowered their heads to show respect to this incredible warrior. Even the four veteran Immortal State Warriors bowed slightly at Chen Fan despite the obvious dislike in their eyes.

"Lin Shuming is dead, but he didn't die without honor. To show my respect, I will protect the Lin Family from today onward. Anyone who dares to harm the Lin Family will face my wrath."

Chen Fan said calmly.

"Yes.."

The North Qiong Sect disciples replied.

The other martial artists and grandmasters all nodded in agreement.

Chen Fan never liked the Lins. They had tried to kill him and harm his family many times.

However, Lin Shuming had lived up to his noble spirit by injuring only Yukishiro Sa and spared the rest of the Chen Family. Chen Fan was grateful for that. In addition, Chen Fan had never expected Lin Shuming's last killing blow to force him to use the Defensive Divine Power.

"I have underestimated Lin Shuming's power. I had never thought that he was able to fuse his own life with the sword to amplify the energy he harnessed over the last sixty years. It's a shame that his potential was hindered by the lack of Spirit Qi on earth."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan's eyes dimmed a little.

By then, he had already reached the mid-stage of Divine Sea and could make the breakthrough into the late-stage at any moment.

However, Chen Fan had no clue as to how to level up to the Connate Spirit. The number of resources required for reaching that stage would be more than the sum of that during the entire Qi Refinement Phase. It would take Chen Fan a long time to achieve his goals unless he was able to find another cave abode of a former Earth Level Deity.

"No wonder the earth had not produced an Earth Level Deity for thousands of years. "

That being said, Chen Fan wagered that it would take him at most five years to reach Connate Spirit without any help. Plus, he was optimistic about finding another Spirit Source on earth.

"Xiao Fan, are you alright?"

Wang Xiaoyun rushed to her son and asked.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and said.

"I am fine, mom."

Fang Qiong and An Ya also came forward and gazed at Chen Fan with a troubled look,

Chen Fan comforted each and everyone's them, reassuring them that he was unharmed. Afterward, he was greeted by the members of the North Qiong Sect, led by Hua Yunfeng. Behind them stood sect masters of all major sects in China.

"Humph!!"

After confirming Chen Fan's victory, Yao Daoyi snorted and transformed into a flash of lightning and phased out.

Li Changsheng shook his head and flew away. Watanabe also walked over to the sea and headed back toward Japan. However, the Azure Dragon stayed.

Once Chen Fan had finished catching up with his disciples and families, Red Sparrow walked over to him and said:

"General Chen, this is the vice-captain of the Kunlun unit: Gu Chenghe, Lieutenant General Gu." Red Sparrow introduced the old man in a somber tone.

"You can just call me Old Dragon"

Azure Dragon waved a casual hand and said. He was wearing a faded military uniform. His spin was as straight as a lance and his face was filled with pride and confidence. It was evident that this old man used to be a battle-hardened commando.

"My pleasure, Mr. Gu."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and nodded.

"General Chen, your victory has huge implications. It has stirred up no only the organizations in the Dark World, but also many Curmudgeons who had been lurking for ages. Worse, you have become a prime target for most superpowers in the world, such as Russia, the USA, and the UK. I bet they are working diligently right now to pull together special units that will be used to deal with you specifically."

Azure Dragon's face grew darker as he continued. "You have proven yourself as the most powerful individual in the world, therefore, can not be tolerated by... you-know-who."

"You mean the United States of America?"

Chen Fan asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"Indeed. The United States of America is the real master of the planet. Even the combined might of China and Russia wouldn't be able to challenge her position. Many years ago, when the Christian Church was still a powerful force, the Americans had stationed a million troupes in Europe and barged right into Vatican City and forced the Christian Church to its knees. Just imagine that."

Azure Dragon lamented.

"I don't understand. Even though the United States of America has nuclear weapons, they couldn't just use it as they please. However powerful she was, can she really take on all the Immortal State Warriors at once?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"Hehe."

Azure Dragon shook his head and cracked a mysterious smile. "You will find out the answer in due time. Just remember, don't mess with the US, unless you are ready to face nuclear punishment."

After he said that, Azure Dragon turned around and flew away. Before he disappeared behind the clouds, his final words drifted down from the sky:

"You are welcome to visit me whenever you are in Yan Jin."

"Will do."

Chen Fan answered.

After Azure Dragon was gone, Chen Fan turned around, and he was greeted by many fearful eyes.

After this battle, Chen Fan had finally become the strongest man on earth.

Except for the world's superpowers, no other forces could bring him to heels.

The Martial Artists left the battlefield carrying a piece of sensational news. When the intelligence departments and forces in the Dark World learned about Chen Fan's victory, they were rendered speechless.

Chen Beixuan had won!

He had defeated Lin Shuming.

One specific detail about the battle was particularly shocking to everyone. Lin Shuming's final attack could match the power of an Earth Level Deity, but it didn't even make a dent on Chen Beixuan. It proved that Chen Beixuan's power was truly terrifying.

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Chapter 538 Invincible!

"Invincible! He's truly invincible!"

Everyone exclaimed.

"Lin Shuming used to be one of the top five on the Divine Roll and was a mighty figure back on Earth. Sixty years later, his power has increased to an unimaginable level and has entered the Mortal Deity State. Yet, he's still unable to defeat Chen Beixuan. Why is Chen Beixuan so terrifying?"

An old grand master heaved a sigh.

Once the news got out, an earth-shattering roar was said to have resounded at the Hong Sect Headquarters; everything went back to silence after that. Many people at the shrines in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia were as pale as ghosts. The whole world was disappointed.

Chen Fan was too aggressive.

He had dominated the world ever since he became a martial artist, never losing a single battle.

Lei Qianjue, Zhou Daoji, Takemiya Hiro, Snowwolf King, many other Immortal State Warriors and that day's Lin Shuming. Every time when they thought they were winning, Chen Fan always showed some tricks up his sleeves.

"What's that golden flame armor Chen Beixuan was wearing when he blocked Lin Shuming's last attack? Is it a special high-tech armor? Or is it a new artifact Chen Beixuan created?"

Many wondered.

Unfortunately, even though there were satellites, plus many spies and agents from different nations trying to film the battle, it was raining buckets and the fight between them had turned the world upside down. There was no way to capture it clearly.

An expert could still reconstruct the facts based on the blurry footages and the audience's detailed descriptions.

An experienced analyst gave a review on the CIA private forum. "Chen Beixuan was undoubtedly at a disadvantage once Lin Shuming used the Mortal Deity power. At last, he was forced to use the nin flying swords, which are said to be the treasures of the 'Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator' from a thousand years ago. It was supposed to be his last attack. Although Chen Beixuan isn't an Earth Level Deity, we can glean from the battle that his power has become incomparable. Not even eight Immortal State Warriors fighting together would be able to defeat him."

"Looks like we can only rely on the nuclear weapons of the superpowers or other high-tech weapons if we want to get rid of Chen Beixuan."

Many grunted.

People had started to think about resorting to nuclear weapons so they could kill Chen Fan.

"It's impossible. Which superpower would dare to drop a nuclear bomb on a big city? That's thousands of millions of lives! No leader could bear the pressure like this. It could be possible if Chen Beixuan escaped to a wild and deserted place."

An Oriental Martial Artist answered sarcastically.

"You're underestimating the modern nuclear power. The United States of America and the Soviet Union developed thousands of nuclear weapons in the 80s, including nuclear mines, portable nuclear bombs and individual rocket launchers, narrowing their range of impact within a small town. These weapons may be powerful, but they cause very little destruction."

The western Dark Overlord replied, "Besides, almost thirty years have passed now, who knows if America has developed some new nuclear weapons or other advanced weapons, like electromagnetic guns, space-based weapons or the Rods from God."

Everyone was entangled in a bitter dispute.

Those were all top secrets of a nation. Only a few knew about them and the rest could just guess.

"It's useless to talk about the superpowers on our planet."

The Observer appeared and commented, "If we want the United States of America and other superpowers to get involved, the only way is for them to have suffered major damages because of Chen Beixuan's actions. The Russian leader didn't do anything, even after he murdered the general of the Russian North Division and destroyed seventeen KGB branches. So, America won't step in unless there's another emergency, or if Chen Beixuan threatens its position."

Other netizens asked quickly, "Mr. Observer, what level do you think Chen Beixuan's power has reached?"

There was no doubt, the Observer was the most authoritative person on the forum. Rumor had it that even the CIA's Special Case Department wanted to recruit him and had sent agents to track his address.

"On the Divine Roll at that time, the difference between the top five was actually very small and Lin Shuming was basically the most powerful of them all. Now that Chen Beixuan won the battle, it means that nobody else in this world can threaten him."

The Observer added, "Unless the Saints of the Christian Church, the Princes of the Kindred and the Earth Level Deities of China are still alive..."

Many shook their heads and replied, "That's impossible. There would have been some news about them over the last thousand years if they were still alive."

The Observer gave a decisive conclusion. "So, we can say that Chen Beixuan is the strongest martial artist in the universe. If we rearrange the Divine Roll, he should be in first place."

"Not even one of the top three on the Divine Roll, like Ye Qingcang, and the adjudicators of the Christian Church are able to beat Chen Beixuan?" Someone doubted.

The Observer said with certainty, "They're the same as Lin Shuming, maybe a bit stronger. As long as they reach the Earth Deity level, they can fight against Chen Beixuan. Chen Beixuan is now an invincible Earth Level Deity. His strength has exceeded the Immortal State limit, becoming unbelievably powerful."

"From the data, we can see that Chen Beixuan's physical strength, internal energy and soul energy—including the spells he used—all surpassed Lin Shuming's. He wasn't able to defeat Chen Beixuan, even when he used his Mortal Deity power. Ye Qingcang can become a Mortal Deity... so what? The result would be the same."

After listening to what the Observer said, the entire forum was immediately at a loss for words.

Invincible!

What was that? Even hundred years ago during the times when Immortal State Warriors were all powerful, nobody dared to claim anyone invincible. At the moment, Chen Beixuan was on the road to invincibility.

Many listed a few examples and said that Ye Qingcang or other powerful martial artists could fight against him.

But they eventually gave up.

Chen Fan astonished the world with that battle, making every Immortal State Warrior on Earth submit to him with his power alone.

"Of all the beings on Earth, only one can do that!" The Observer said emotionally in the end.

...

In Europe, North America, the Middle East, Northern Africa and Latin America.

Countless martial artists were focused on the battle with their eyes wide open. When the news came, many old cultivators were dumbfounded. Lin Shuming was one of the strongest a hundred years before. If he lost, who else could beat Chen Fan?

An Immortal State Warrior said with despair, "Invincible. Chen Beixuan is truly invincible."

"From now on, our family members aren't allowed to mess with Chen Beixuan. Better be polite when you see the Chinese."

Countless organizations in the Dark World, supreme powers and prominent families all started to send out orders.

No matter how famous and how powerful Chen Fan was, he wasn't fearsome enough to intimidate everyone. He was as strong as America and had a lot of enemies at the same time. However, after that day's battle, even the leaders of the top corporations in England would have heard about Chen Fan.

"After this battle, Chen Beixuan should have surpassed all the Immortal State Warriors, standing on an equal footing with the superpowers in the world," Someone said.

"He's not there yet. A normal Immortal State Warrior is comparable to a small nation; a top Immortal State Warrior is on par with a mid-level country. As for the superpowers, they all have competitive nuclear capabilities and can easily exterminate humankind. He's still not qualified to be compared to the superpowers, unless he has the power to destroy a country."

The other one shook his head and said, "Ordinary forces can't compete with Chen Beixuan. Any country should submit to him, except the five permanent members of the United Nations. Chen Beixuan right now can be regarded as 'the sixth most powerful nation on Earth,' perhaps?"

This comment rapidly went viral throughout the Dark World.

"Sixth-nation Chen."

"The sixth strongest in the world."

"I'm the sixth on Earth. In front of me are my five brothers, USA, Russia, China, England and France."

Countless netizens started to make fun of Chen Fan's nickname, but at the same time, they felt completely terrified. Since nuclear weapons were used for dominating the world, even the strongest martial artists were afraid of the superpowers.

Yet, Chen Fan used his own power to establish a nation, which ranked right after the superpowers. What did that mean?

Many international corporations and leaders of nations in the world had ordered their men and intelligence divisions to start a special assignment related to Chen Fan. Once Chen Fan entered their borders, they had to treat him like a state guest, just like they did for the presidents of other countries.

That implied that the president of that country would roll out the red carpet when Chen Fan visited them. They would send out the honor guards to welcome Chen Fan the same way they did when leaders of other nations arrived. However, these were only the rules set by the small nations. The real superpowers didn't care about them.

But when the news spread to China, Director Xiao, Red Sparrow and the others looked at one another in astonishment, not knowing what to say.

A nation with only one person.

The sixth in the world?

"Director, should we promote Chen Beixuan's military rank?" White Tiger asked softly.

"Promote his rank? How?"

Director Xiao was speechless. "The highest military rank in our country is General. Other countries might have something like Supreme General, Five-star General or Marshal. Do we have to create one for him?"

Then, Director Xiao left right away.

"The impact of this incident has way passed our control. I must report to our leader."

Looking at Director Xiao, Red Sparrow and the others stood gazing at one another with an incredulous look.

After a while, Black Tortoise sneered and said, "Hehe, who would have thought a person could be equal to a nation before today? Even the extremely wealthy billionaires on the Forbes List aren't as influential as Chen Beixuan."

White Tiger lamented, "Being wealthy is nothing. No matter how powerful money is, how can it compete with powers? Chen Beixuan is truly ruling a country on his own!"

Everyone looked at each other and were completely speechless. The whole Kunlun base went silent.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 539 Visiting the North Qiong Sec

While the entire world went crazy about the battle...

Chen Fan had arrived at the headquarters of the North Qiong Sect on Mount Bajin, surrounded by his family and friends.

"North Qiong Pavilion?"

Chen Fan stared at the new plaque on the pavilion, then cracked a smile and turned to Fang Qiong. The name 'North Qiong Pavilion' was made after taking a word from each of their names.

Fang Qiong gave him a gentle gaze, with a bit of gloominess in her eyes.

Hua Yunfeng said politely, "Master, please come in."

Once Chen Fan entered the pavilion, he noticed that the interior decorations were almost the same as those in the Green Dragon Grand Array. Apparently, they had reproduced the design with reference to the original. Chen Fan then sat on the center seat and glanced through the pavilion.

A'Xiu, Hua Yunfeng, Yu Wenjin, Yukishiro Sa, Zhou Jinyi and the perfected masters of the Dark Witch Sect.

Fang Qiong, An Ya, Lu Yanwu, Zheng Anqi, Wang Xiaoyun and others.

These people almost made up the core of the entire North Qiong Sect.

"I established the North Qiong Sect without any expectations in the first place. I can't believe how all of you really made it thrive," said Chen Fan with a smile.

"Thanks to Yukishiro Sa. Ever since you disappeared last year, she traveled everywhere to gather all of us, then officially set the rules to form the North Qiong Sect."

A'Xiu covered her mouth and giggled.

Yukishiro Sa looked as cool as the Goddess of Blizzard, but there was still a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"You did a great job."

Chen Fan nodded at the servant girl.

At first, he took Yukishiro Sa in just because she was homeless. Since she had a unique physique and could be trained, Chen Fan casually passed on a low-grade cultivation art to her. He had never expected to see Yukishiro Sa rise and eventually become one of the best in the North Qiong Sect. Right then, she even led the others like a queen and consolidated the entire North Qiong Sect.

"Psst."

Chen Fan cast a spell and created a green spirit qi.

The powerful Yi Wood Spirit Qi ran through Yukishiro Sa's body and immediately healed her. She used to pant even when she walked, but at the moment, her body had fully recovered and seemed to have exceeded its best condition.

Yukishiro Sa knelt down on one knee and said with excitement, "Thank you, master."

"You may rise."

Chen Fan nodded and said,

"Now that the North Qiong Sect is fully established, we should have to maintain a standard. The North Qiong Sect is an official cultivation sect. I'll pass on a few arts to each chapter later on. If you focus on your cultivation, you might be able to reach the Immortal State."

"Thank you, sect master."

The perfected masters of the Dark Witch Sect, Wu Shanhe and the others knelt.

Laws of the Dark Witch Sect, traditional techniques of the Yin Ghost Sect and the Medicine God Valley Sect couldn't compare to Chen Fan's arts. Chen Fan was on the top of the world. Even Lin Shuming from the Lin Family lost to him.

Chen Fan then gave each chapter a secret art. He created them when he was in the Valley of No Return. Even though they weren't the real cultivation techniques, they were much stronger than the ones on Earth.

"Alchemy Secrets" to the Medicine God Valley Sect.

"Heaven Witch Secrets" to the Dark Witch Sect.

"The Thirty-six Spells of Ghost Reining" to the Yin Ghost Sect.

Chen Fan gave the final one, "Art of Martial Dragon," to the Dragon Hall. All those techniques were the road to the Immortal State. Once fully cultivated, they would be comparable to Lin Shuming. To go beyond the world and become an Earth Level Deity, they would need a bit of luck and talent.

After distributing the scrolls...

Chen Fan continued, "Not everyone can cultivate the arts. I'm planning to establish a Discipline Chapter for setting up rules and recording each of your contributions. Every disciple will need to contribute to the North Qiong Sect, so that they can be authorized to start their cultivation, and receive both elixirs and artifacts."

Chen Fan then turned to Yukishiro Sa and said, "Yukishiro Sa, you'll be the head of the Discipline Chapter."

"Okay, master."

Yukishiro Sa was extremely confident.

Seeing this, Fang Qiong's expression became gloomy.

After confirming the main details of the Discipline Chapter, Chen Fan left everything else to Yukishiro Sa. He took out a large pile of elixirs and spirit medicines so they could be used as the rewards for the chapter. The elixirs were all from the Medicine God Valley Sect and the Green Dragon Grand Array; many of them had been made more than hundreds of years ago, including the Physique Refining Pill, the Arcane Pills and a small portion of Essence Gathering Pills.

The disciples left emotionally afterwards.

Only Wang Xiaoyun, Fang Qiong, An Ya, A'Xiu, Yu Wenjin, Yukishiro Sa, Hua Yunfeng and a few others were left in the main hall. The rest, including Lu Yanwu, Zheng Anqi and Zhou Jinyi, also left since Chen Fan didn't ask them to stay.

Then, Chen Fan said solemnly, "The techniques I taught the other disciples are only ordinary techniques. You're qualified to learn the real techniques since you are the core members of the North Qiong Sect."

As he spoke, he took out a scroll.

"North Qiong Qi Refinement"

They took the scroll and looked at one another.

"Teacher, what's the difference between this 'North Qiong Qi Refinement' and the normal techniques?" A'Xiu wondered.

"They are very different."

Chen Fan shook his head slightly and said, "Using a normal art, you can only reach the Immortal State. This 'North Qiong Qi Refinement' is an immortal art. It can lead you to the level of Earth Deity level and make you stronger than ordinary martial artists."

If someone from the True Martial Celestial Sect saw that, they would surely find it ridiculous.

The "North Qiong Qi Refinement" should be called "True Martial Qi Refinement." It was an art the True Martial Celestial Sect gave to their disciples for building up their Qi Refinement foundation.

Even though it was an art from an outer sect, it was a real cultivation art. It came from one of the nine great celestial sects, the True Martial Celestial Sect, and was more powerful than any other art from an ordinary sect.

"Straight to the Earth Deity level."

Everyone's eyes brightened, including Fang Qiong's.

They didn't know what exactly an Earth Level Deity was until the battle that day. The power Lin Shuming displayed was exceptional, as if he could summon the wind and move the mountains.

If they became Earth Level Deities, even the president of the United States of America had to respect them.

"This art is only for the few of you. Don't show it to anyone else. It's the core of the North Qiong Sect," Chen Fan said.

"Yes, teacher (master)."

Everyone agreed.

A'Xiu, Yu Wenjin and Hua Yunfeng were Chen Fan's disciples; Yukishiro Sa was his servant. That was the reason why Chen Fan would teach them techniques, but limited to the ones from the outer sects. He would never pass on the secret arts of the True Martial Celestial Sect to them.

When the disciples left, Wang Xiaoyun, An Ya and Fang Qiong were the only three people in the North Qiong Pavilion.

They were the most important people to Chen Fan in his two lives.

Fang Qiong was a bit anxious. She then got up and said, "Auntie Wang, Sister An, Xiao Fan, it's getting late, so I'll be going first. See you tomorrow."

"Why are you leaving? You've already married him, and he even used your name to establish a sect. Why are you feeling shy now?" Wang Xiaoyun rolled her eyes and teased her.

Fang Qiong blushed.

But the three of them had known one another since they were young, so Fang Qiong soon got herself back together and acted like she didn't mind at all.

"Mom, Sister An and Xiao Qiong, thank you for your hard work over the years," Chen Fan said.

"Hm, you're finally back. Xiao Qiong worked the hardest during the past year when you were gone. The whole North Qiong Corp has over a hundred billion in assets and there are many branches and powers that need to be dealt with. If Xiao Qiong didn't go to negotiate with them and retrieve their power, how would the North Qiong Corp achieve such a huge development?" Wang Xiaoyun glared at him and said.

"I'm fine, Sister An and Auntie Wang were here with me. Besides, Anqi and Yanwu also helped me out. I'm just the coordinator." Fang Qiong quickly waved it off.

Wang Xiaoyun shook her head and said, "It's exhausting enough to manage a company with ten billion in assets, not to mention a large corporation with more than hundred billion. I thought you wouldn't have withstood the pressure, but you made it this far on your own, step by step. Xiao Fan has indeed found a great wife"

Fang Qiong lowered her head with a blush on her cheeks.

Chen Fan smiled and nodded. Fang Qiong had always been tough and indomitable in her previous life.

So, after entering the realm of cultivation, Fang Qiong cultivated much faster than Chen Fan. If it wasn't to protect Chen Fan from his enemies, there might have been another Perfected Immortal in the universe.

"I know. That's why I asked you to stay behind, so that I can give you this."

Chen Fan took out a jade bottle and poured three elixirs out.

Those three elixirs were about the size of a thumb. They were translucent and red as if they were on fire.

"What is that?"

Their eyes popped out.

"These are the Red Flame Spirit Pills, and they might be the last three superior-grade spirit pills on Earth. After taking them, a Transcendent Master can enter the Immortal State directly," Chen Fan answered.

"What?"

The three of them were stunned.

They definitely understood what it meant to be an Immortal State Warrior. There weren't a lot of them on each continent, perhaps one in every country. Even though Chen Fan defeated them as easily as if he were cutting vegetables, nobody else on Earth could do the same.

Chen Fan continued, "You don't have a rich foundation. Although you won't be able to become Immortal State Warriors, it'll be easy for you to reach the Transcendent State. Most of the pills' effects will remain inside your bodies, so your cultivation will proceed faster and you can enter the Immortal State within five years."

An Ya waved her hands and said, "No, no, Xiao Fan. These elixirs are too valuable. You should keep them for Yukishiro Sa and A'Xiu. They've already become Transcendent Masters. Once they take it, we'll have two new Immortal State Warriors and the North Qiong Sect will be even more powerful. You can also give them to the perfected masters of the Dark Witch Sect, or to Cheng Danqin."

Wang Xiaoyun and Fang Qiong nodded in agreement.

Chen Fan said slowly with a serious look, "Sister An, you three are the closest to me. You're a thousand times more important than them in my heart. Besides, these three elixirs affect the destiny of the rest of your entire lives. I must give you the most solid foundation before you start the Immortal Cultivation journey, so you can always be by my side."

The journey of Immortal Cultivation?

Fang Qiong looked confused, not knowing what he was talking about.

Wang Xiaoyun and An Ya looked at each other. They kind of understood what Chen Fan meant.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 540 The Sage Returns

Ever since Chen Fan learned about the Gate of Heaven from the writings of the Exalted Cultivator, he had made up his mind to look for it once he completed the Connate Spirit Level and left the world. At his current pace, he would be able to achieve his goal in no more than four years. It might take for him to return from his quest for the ultimate enlightenment.

Therefore, it was necessary to make sure that Fang Qiong and An Ya both had a solid Immortal Cultivation foundation, so that they could reach the Ethereal Enlightenment before he left them. Once he reached the Golden Core or the Nascent Soul stage, he would return to Earth to pick them up.

Such was Chen Fan's plan, but things could turn out wildly different in reality.

Seeing Fang Qiong was somewhat confused, Chen Fan asked, "Xiao Qiong, what do you think is the difference between me and Lin Shuming?"

Fang Qiong answered slowly after she pondered for a while, "Lin Shuming seemed strong, but all of his power was borrowed from nature. On the other hand, your power was from your body and therefore it was purer and ...more potent."

"Very good. You can now see the difference between the Immortal State and an Earth Level Deity," Chen Fan nodded approvingly and said.

Chen Fan continued, "Lin Shuming had actually achieved a higher level of attainment than me. Mentally and spiritually, he was ready for the Earth Deity Level, but his body was still too weak. Meanwhile, I am still at the Mid-stage of the Immortal State."

"What?"

Fang Qiong was taken aback.

An Ya and Wang Xiaoyun were both shocked. This was the first time they heard Chen Fan being so brutally honest. They had all been convinced that Chen Fan had already reached the Earth Deity level.

Even Hua Yunfeng had reached the early-stage of Immortal State.

"The level of attainment and enlightenment doesn't directly translate to strength," Chen Fan shook his head and said, "Lin Shuming has a high level of attainment, but he has accumulated far less power than me during each level of his progression. While I was in the mid-stage of the Immortal State, I could have dominated the world with Physique Refinement skills alone. Now I have reached the late-stage; I can easily handle an Earth Level Deity. This is the difference between conventional cultivators and immortal cultivators."

"Immortal Cultivators?" Fang Qiong batted her lashes and asked.

"Indeed."

Chen Fan then filled Fang Qiong in on the details about Immortal Cultivators.

"Do you mean that you could kill a peak Transcendent State Grandmaster while you were still in the early-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment? And the same would happen to a Mortal Deity while you were in the mid-stage of Divine Sea?"

Fang Qiong finally started to understand a little.

"Pretty much. The arts I cultivated were extremely powerful and I also have many dharma treasures at my disposal. Therefore, given the same level of attainment, an immortal cultivator will always be more dangerous than a cultivator on Earth. If you use the elixirs I gave you, you could reach the Ethereal Enlightenment in no time. By then, no one under the Transcendent State would be able to threaten you."

Chen Fan nodded.

"Now I don't know if I want to use such precious pills."

Fang Qiong shook her head and said, "What about your grandpa and dad? Did you leave them any?"

"I don't want it either," An Ya hurried to add.

"Don't worry your pretty heads about it. I have many in stock. My Dad is only interested in his career, and my grandpa has already reached a higher level of attainment than both of you combined. All three of you will be very busy taking care of all kinds of things for the family. Without these supplements, it's going to take a toll on your health," Chen Fan looked to Fang Qiong as he said so.

He noticed that Fang Qiong's appearance was more composed and her demeanor more mature than the last time they met. However, living a high-pace and stressful lifestyle had made her gaze look tired.

"Fine then."

After Wang Xiaoyun chimed in to persuade her, Fang Qiong finally gave in.

"The Art that I am about to show you is meant for your eyes only. It's the secret key to grasping the Heavenly Dao. You should never teach this art to anyone, it could bring a disaster to the whole world," Chen Fan said with a heavy expression.

He was about to teach one of the most powerful arts in the True Martial Celestial Sect.

"True Martial Divine Art: Qi Refinement Chapter."

This art had only been taught to the core disciples of the True Martial Celestial Sect. It was so dangerous that even Fang Qiong had to practice it in secret. If the disciplinary members of the True Martial Celestial Sect so much as caught a whiff of the art's presence, they would rain death upon the planet to avoid further disasters.

Fang Qiong hurried to agree once she saw the seriousness in Chen Fan's eyes.

Afterward, Chen Fan started to link with their consciousness and started to transfer the knowledge about the art to them. The True Martial Divine Art covered the entire progression of their cultivation and its power was unmatched.

The Qi Refinement Chapter was written in a very concise manner.

Each word that came out of Chen Fan's mouth had an incorporeal glow that drifted into the girl's consciousness. The entire chapter contained three hundred and sixty-five words, each contained more knowledge than a library. Those words were Divine Inscriptions created by Immortal Emperors of a bygone era; they encompassed the most powerful mystic arts.

"Clank!"

The mortal consciousness of the girls glowed like beacons of wisdom once the whole chapter had been transferred to their minds; the chapter gave them newfound insights about reality.

Chen Fan commanded in a gentle voice, "Focus and relax, get ready for your cultivation."

His command cast a spell over the minds of the three girls, sending them deeper into their consciousness.

Tendrils of budding Essence Qi sprouted out from their bodies as they followed the instructions of the art. A few seconds later, a golden glow rose from their bodies and with it were chantings of Brahmā Sutra.

Among the three of them, An Ya had the highest level of attainment prior to this point, having already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Wang Xiaoyun was slightly weaker than An Ya while Fang Qiong was a complete beginner. However, the improvement of their cultivation was so great that their initial level didn't matter. All their True Essences were taken in and transformed into True Martial Essence.

"Break!"

Chen Fan fished out three Red Flame Spirit Pills and ordered each of them to take one. Then he forced the stored energy out of the Spirit Pills using Dharmic powers, drawing out the Spirit Qi of Flames. Using his own True Essence, Chen Fan tamed that wild Spirit Qi and channeled it into his disciple's system.

Without taming this energy, the three girls would have been reduced to ashes in an instant.

Superior-grade Spirit Pills could only be used directly by cultivators who had reached the Ethereal Enlightenment level or above.

"BOM! Kaboom!"

They started to shake violently as the True Fire entered their bodies.

That was the test of their will and mental strength.

Fang Qiong held out the best, followed by An Ya and then Wang Xiaoyun. Unlike Wang Xiaoyun and An Ya, Fang Qiong was the reincarnation of the Zi Qiong Goddess. She was the second most powerful disciple of Cangqin in the Cang Min Realm right after Chen Fan.

"Hooo!"

Once they had finally brought the energy under control, their True Essence surged, giving Chen Fan some time to take a rest. Helping three disciples during their cultivation was a much more onerous task than even fighting Lin Shuming.

All three women were close to Chen Fan's heart, so he had to be extremely careful and not harm anyone of them. He wouldn't be as cautious if he was helping Hua Yunfeng.

"Shu!"

Chen Fan phased out of the room and reached the roof of the North Qiong Pavilion.

From there, he could have a bird's eye view of the City of Zhong Hai. The quietness in the valley contrasted the view of a bustling metropolis.

"Who goes there? Why don't you show yourself?"

Chen Fan waved a hand and conjured a wooden table with an arrangement of delicate teapots and cups on top of it. Chen Fan sprinkled a few loose leaves into a pot and filled it with Spirit Water. He then heated up the pot using True Fire until the fragrance of the tea permeated the valley.

"Wonderful Tea, and even better tea-making skills. I thought I knew everything about tea-making, but I was wrong."

An elder wearing a Taoist robe with large flappy sleeves had emerged on the sky; then he descended from an invisible stair.

The elder reached Chen Fan and sat across the table. He picked up the teacup and smelled its content.

Chen Fan gave the elder a quick glance. The man said lightly, "I am Li Changsheng of the Wu Dang Sect."

"Each and every Immortal State Warrior in China is well known for different things: Yao Daoyi for his pride, Dharma-rāja Sakya for his reticence, Ye Qincang for his aloofness, Azure dragon for his candid demeanor, and you for your bravery."

"Haha. Everyone is afraid of you, but I knew for a fact that you wouldn't harm anyone unless provoked. That's the code you lived by."

Li Changsheng let out a peal of laughter.

"Well said. Let's drink to your discernment."

Chen Fan downed the content of his cup and then said, "Li Changsheng, what brings you here? You might be able to fool others, but not me. I know that you've already reached the Mortal Deity Level."

Li Changsheng was taken aback at first, then he said with a wry smile, "No wonder they call you the Curmudgeon. How did you find out?"

The seemingly light banters they threw at each other could be shocking revelations to the world.

Who would have thought that the quietest and most modest Immortal State warrior Li Changsheng had reached the Mortal Deity level? If that was true, he would be as powerful as Lin Shuming.

Li Changsheng shook his head and lamented, "It's not just me. There are still a few more Mortal Deities out there. Ye Qincang reached the Mortal Deity level much earlier than me, but what use was that?

"Only after reaching this level did I realize that any form of power would be weak without becoming an Earth Level Deity. Even Mortal Deities had to be extremely cautious while using their power since it consumes their vitality. Therefore, realistically speaking, we are no different than Immortal State warriors."

Chen Fan nodded slightly.

Spirit Qi was so scarce on Earth that it was simply impossible for them to prepare their physical conditions for the Earth Deity Level, unless they could find a solid Spirit Source.

On the other hand, although Chen Fan had yet to reach the Connate Spirit level, the Azure Thearch Longevity Body would allow him to live for the following five hundred years.

In other words, he wasn't an Earth Level Deity yet, but he was already more powerful than a warrior at such a level.

"Let's get down to business, then. I have to be honest with you. I'm not an Earth Level Deity, but my Arts are much more powerful than the ones on earth, allowing me to defeat an Earth Level Deity," said Chen Fan in a candid manner.

By then, Chen Fan was only wary of a handful of individuals on earth, so there was no need to conceal his secrets. Even if he disclosed all of them, no one could do anything to him anyway.

Even if the other Immortal State Warriors joined forces with a couple of Mortal Deities, they still wouldn't be able to harm Chen Fan.

"I guessed that much. "

Li Changsheng nodded. "I entered the Wu Dang Sect a hundred and forty-two years ago. But I'm still far from my goal of reaching the Earth Deity level. I have come to terms with the fact that I may never be an Earth Level Deity. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Chen Fan asked

"Unless I leave this world!" said Li Changsheng with a firm tone.

He fixed his eyes on Chen Fan and asked with a solemn face,

"Chen Beixuan, have you heard of the Gate of Heaven?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 541 The Secret Gate

"The Gate of Heaven?"

A light came up in Chen Fan's eyes and his face changed a little.

That was the second time he had heard of the name ever since he left the Exalted Cultivator's cave abode.

Li Changsheng slammed the table and shouted, "Just as I suspected! You knew about the Gate of Heaven as well. I used to suspect that you were actually from the other side of the gate, considering how fast your cultivation has progressed. However, later I thought it was impossible."

Chen Fan toyed with the wine up and asked with a faint smile, "Oh? What made you change your mind?"

Li Changsheng said solemnly, "However powerful an Immortal cultivator is, he wouldn't be able to defeat an Earth Level Deity, such as Brother Shuming while he was delivering his killing blow. If it were me or Ye Qincang, we could at the most make Lin Shuming die with us. However, you survived the attack unscathed. This is impossible. It went against the iron law of cultivation: an Immortal State Warrior would never be as powerful as an Earth Level Deity."

Chen Fan asked readily, "Sounds like you know a lot about this Gate of Heaven, don't you?"

It might be an iron law on earth, but in the realm of Immortal Cultivation, it was not uncommon for a Divine Sea Level warrior to defeat a Connate Spirit Level opponent.

If the Divine Sea Level Warrior has a Spirit Treasure at his disposal, he might even be able to kill a Golden Core Level cultivator.

"Let me share a secret with you: The Wu Dang Sect was founded based on the legacy of a great cultivator from the Gate of Heaven. It's a shame that our sect has been going downhill ever since its conception. Not even our Ancestral Master Zhang Sanfeng was able to enter the Earth Deity Level," Li Changsheng said with a wry smile.

"In the end, before our Ancestral Master left us to seek the Gate of Heaven, he told us that it was no longer possible to reach Immortality on Earth."

"Do you know where the Gate of Heaven is located?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

He was only a step away from reaching the Connate Spirit stage. If he was able to find the Gate of Heaven, he would be able to leave earth and seek opportunities in the vast space. Chen Fan had enough experience to help him navigate the dangerous environment. If he could do so, he would break through to Golden Core or Nascent Soul in no time.

"There were no records of it, but it should be some unreachable place, like the inside of the Kunlun, the eastern edge of the East Sea, Mount Shu, or among the ridges of the Qin Mountain."

Li Changsheng furrowed his brow and said, "My Ancestral Master sought out the Gate of Heaven for a long time, and he was certain the gate had to be located in one of those areas."

"Kunlun Mountain, East Sea, Mount Shu, and Qin Mountain?" Chen Fan murmured to himself.

All of those names had occurred frequently in Chinese legends about sages and they say every legend had some truth in it.

Each of these four locations covered a huge area; most people would spend their entire lives searching for the Gate but to no avail. However, Chen Fan was not an average joe. Once he reached the Connate Spirit stage, his Divine Sense would be able to cover a few hundred miles and could pick up signals even the most advanced machines failed to register.

Chen Fan felt relieved after knowing the general location of the Gate. He would venture out to seek the gate once he was ready.

With a serious face, Li Changsheng said, "Although I don't know exactly where the Gate of Heaven is located, we do have records mentioning cultivators who have come to our world through the gate."

"Really?" Chen Fan was taken aback.

If cultivators from the other side of the gate could reach this world, it not only proved that the Gate of Heaven was open on either side, but also that the portal could be used multiple times. This would save Chen Fan a lot of time.

"Indeed. Ancient Records show that our Ancestral Master made the first contact with cultivators from the other side of the gate. Those visitors were all wearing plain and simple garb of ancient appearance, and all of them possessed great power that was disproportionate to their level of attainment. Even an average Transcendent State Grandmaster could bring down an Immortal State Warrior on earth. Their Cultivation techniques were extremely effective, and their arts were potent, just like yours."

Li Changsheng paused a moment and he locked his gaze on Chen Fan.

"And they call themselves... Immortal Cultivators!"

"Immortal Cultivators?"

A smirk crept onto Chen Fan's face.

He had been looking forward to hearing this name for years. Finally, the day came.

As Chen Fan suspected, the earth used to be a major hub for cultivators. The remnant of the cultivation culture lingered as Martial arts, Dharma Cultivation and Magus Arts. Li Changsheng's revelation had confirmed his suspicion.

"I knew you were one of them," Li Changsheng lamented.

"But what does it matter to me now? I might have been able to wrest the secret from you while you were still weak, but now you have fully grown your feathers and rose to power; no one would dare to take advantage of you."

"You can still try." Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and gave him a half-smile.

"You're kidding me. My legs are worn out and my arms are weak. It would be suicide to go against you," Li Changsheng shook his head and lamented.

If Chen Fan was still at the Ethereal Enlightenment or the Foundation Establishment stage, Li Changsheng might very likely manage to subdue him.

Chen Fan held the holy grail of cultivation: the key to immortality. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. That being said, Li Changsheng was not an unscrupulous cultivator such as the Grand Magus God; he would at the most coerce Chen Fan into disclosing his secret, but he wouldn't harm him.

Alas, Chen Fan had risen to power and Li Changsheng had lost his chance to even coerce him.

Afterward, Li Changsheng said with a concerned look, "My Ancestral Master estimated that the Immortal cultivators on the other side of the portal would visit our world every hundred years or so. I did a little bit of calculation and found out that the gate would open again very soon."

After he said that, Li Changsheng heaved a long sigh of resignation.

"The Gate of Heaven will open?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brow as a name suddenly came to him. "Have you ever heard of a sect called the Snow God Palace?"

"You have heard of them as well?" Li Changsheng was caught by surprise.

"The Snow God Palace was indeed formed by sages who came out of the portal. They are mostly female. Each generation, their Sect Master would be at the Immortal State as a minimum. My Ancestral Master used to know one of their sect masters. He said the members of the sect were extremely aloof and powerful."

"I see." Chen Fan sneered.

Lu Yanxue was taken away by members of the Snow God Palace. Lu Yanxue's Spirit Root was so subtle that an average cultivator would have never taken notice of it.

The Elder from the Medicine God Valley Sect told Chen Fan that the Snow God Palace was located deep in the Great Glacial Mountain, but now it seemed that the piece of information was likely to be false. He figured that Li Changsheng had to know much more than an elder of a small sect.

"One of my friends was taken away by the Snow God Palace two years ago."

"What?"

Li Changsheng was elated by the news.

"They have shown up? Does it mean that the Gate of Heaven is indeed open? The time to reach immortality has come!"

Li Changsheng's face bloomed like a flower despite his stately and impassive demeanor moments before.

"Immortal Master Chen, we must find this gate. The next time it opens up would be a hundred years from now," Li Changsheng urged.

Chen Fan remained silent.

At his level, as soon as he found the Gate of Heaven, he could force it open at any time.

His initial goal of seeking out the Gate of Heaven was to reach another planet for cultivation, but now the task gained a new meaning. He had to find the Snow God Palace and rescue his friend.

Chen Fan snorted under his breath, "I don't care who you are and where you are from... if you dare to harm a hair on Lu Yanxue's head, I will annihilate your entire sect!"

"I wonder, why didn't your Ancestral Master coerce the visitors from the other side into revealing the location of the portal?" Chen Fan asked.

"They tried," Li Changsheng said, grimacing.

"Most visitors were in the Immortal State. The weaker ones were all accompanied by their senior counterparts. Despite their lower level of attainment, they were as powerful as Earth Level Deities. Worse, they possessed deadly Dharma Artifacts that helped them during combat."

Chen Fan nodded slightly.

These descriptions matched the characteristics of Immortal Cultivators.

Chen Fan had brought Immortal State Warriors to heel while he was only in the early-stage of the Divine Sea. He had just defeated an Earth Level Deity while he was only at the mid-stage of the Divine Sea a few days before. Although these visitors from the realm of Immortal Cultivators were weaker than him, they were invincible for the average cultivators on Earth.

"Since you already knew about the Gate of Heaven, I have nothing else to say. Please give me a heads up if you wish to seek out the Gate of Heaven. I would really appreciate it," Li Changsheng said.

"Will do." Chen Fan nodded slightly.

After Li Changsheng had left, Chen Fan pondered for a long time, only to shake his head in the end.

He reckoned that he shouldn't get ahead of himself; reaching the Connate Spirit stage should be his priority before seeking out the Gate of Heaven. He would be able to handle the Earth Level Deities from the Gate of Heaven once he attained that stage.

He sat down on the North Qiong Pavilion's roof and started to cultivate.

The True Essence inside of his system increased slowly but surely. Even without the aid of another Spirit Source, he should be able to reach the Connate Spirit stage soon.

"Donnn!"

Soon after, Chen Fan heard a commotion inside the pavilion.

He rose to his feet, then drew a large gulp of air before he flashed out of sight, to then reappear inside the pavilion. He saw An Ya standing in the middle of the room as energy coursed through her veins. It dawned on him that she had reached the mid-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment. She had been testing her newfound strength and made a huge dent on the wall.

"Xiao Fan..."

An Ya looked at Chen Fan, eyes filled with joy and surprise.

"Congratulations, Sister An." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

An Ya had previously achieved the Foundation Establishment stage, so she was the first to finish her cultivation. After a while, Wang Xiaoyun and Fang Qiong also completed their cultivation.

Both of them had reached the early-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 542: Back to Chu Zhou City

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Bang!"

Wang Xiaoyun threw a punch and the shimmering golden fist aura that traveled eight feet; it made a hissing sound as it flew through the air, as if a tire had been punctured, then it finally struck on the wall.

"Donn Donn."

The ten-meter North Qiong Pavilion shuddered and an enormous hole appeared on the wall. The wind flushed in from the hole, producing roaring sounds.

"Why did I become so powerful?"

Wang Xiaoyun sized up her fist. She couldn't believe that such a powerful punch was struck by her hand.

Although Wang Xiaoyun had practiced martial arts for three years, she had only reached the early stage of the Foundation Establishment level. Apart from being stronger and faster than normal people, she didn't have any other abilities.

But once he achieved the Ethereal Enlightenment level, everything would be completely different.

"This is the power of Ethereal Enlightenment. Mom, Sister An, you're both the best martial artists of the North Qiong Sect now. No one other than Hua Yunfeng can defeat you," Chen Fan smiled and said.

An Ya and the others looked at one another.

Of course, it wasn't just that. Divine powers would emerge once a martial artist entered the Ethereal Enlightenment level.

But the three of them relied on elixirs to reach the Ethereal Enlightenment level, so they would need to develop divine powers slowly. Chen Fan would then stay at the North Qiong Pavilion to teach them some spells.

For example, the Invisibility Spell, the Breath-Control Method, the Illusion Spell, and so on.

These powers were really useful in modern society. They immediately started cultivating once they learned the spells. As for the real attacking spells, such as the Dharma Spells of the Five Elements and the Sword Art, An Ya and Wang Xiaoyun weren't interested at all.

Fang Qiong was very focused so she learned really fast.

Even Chen Fan couldn't help but exclaim, "Xiao Qiong is indeed a cultivation genius."

After staying in Zhong Hai for a few days, Chen Fan left for Jin City. He hadn't seen his grandpa Chen Huaian since he returned. Chen Huaian ruled Jin City at the moment so he probably wouldn't go anywhere else.

The old man was practicing when Chen Fan arrived at the East Mountain Villas.

"Huhuhu."

Chen Huaian was wearing a white shirt. His hair and beard had become grey and his cheeks were ruddy. Every move he made seemed effortless and natural, like a monkey hanging on a tree, a turtle hibernating and a dragon flying.

The leaves around him were rustling because of his moves and nobody could go near him.

"Grandpa's martial art skills are getting more extraordinary," Chen Fan though.

Chen Huaian had reached the last stage of the Foundation Establishment level, which completely surprised Chen Fan. Chen Huaian's mind seemed to be much stronger when compared to normal people. By applying decades of experience in life, he progressed rapidly and was fully committed to the journey of Immortal Cultivation.

"Xiao Fan, you're back."

Chen Huaian acted calm while excitement flashed in his eyes.

Chen Huaian washed his hands and asked, "Have you seen your parents?"

"I've just come back from Zhong Hai. I'll soon go to Chu Zhou City to see dad," Chen Fan answered.

"The North Qiong Sect and the North Qiong Corp have been thriving in the last few years! Your little girlfriend Fang Qiong and your servant Yukishiro Sa are both impressive. They're only twenty years old but are able to manage two big organizations."

Chen Huaian spoke with emotion. Then he suddenly suggested, "Xiao Fan, you're already twenty-two this year. You can't just ask the girl to follow you everywhere for nothing. Shouldn't you find an opportunity to settle the engagement?"

"Engagement?"

Chen Fan was a bit startled.

He had never been engaged in his whole life, but when he thought of Fang Qiong's skinny figure, he nodded. "Sure, let's choose a good date to settle the engagement."

"Very well."

Chen Huaian felt pleased.

Chen Fan was the most outstanding member of the Chen Family. Since he was going to get married and make a family of his own, Chen Huaian wouldn't even mind dying right then.

But Chen Fan's engagement was a big deal, since he wasn't an ordinary person anymore.

He was the top grand master on the Heaven roll, a Major General, a legend of the times, Sixth-nation Chen, the master of the North Qiong Sect, the CEO of the North Qiong Corp...

Each title alone was enough to astonish the world; the whole universe would be shocked to know that all of them were granted to a single person who was comparable to a nation. Being the case, his engagement would surely stir up the world and they had to make the necessary preparations.

Chen Huaian waved his hands and said, "Go and see your dad. I'm good here."

"Okay, grandpa." Chen Fan nodded. Before he left, he gave him a considerable amount of milky Spirit Dew.

Chen Fan had brought it from the Cave Abode. Although it wasn't enough to cause effects on him, Spirit Dew was the best spirit medicine for somebody like Chen Huaian; it could even help him reach the Ethereal Enlightenment level.

After leaving the East Mountain Villas, Chen Fan first stopped by the Jin City Business School.

As to news about his few roommates, Qi Wangsun went back to the North, Qiu Yilun was in Lin City and Zhang Mu was the only one who was still studying. Zhang Mu was tall and humble, and he had found a beautiful girlfriend.

Chen Fan looked at their happy faces from afar. He left quietly without interrupting them.

Normal living was way too distant from the current Chen Fan. Before he left, he placed a letter under Zhang Mu's pillow, telling him that he could go to the North Qiong Corp if he needed anything; he would only need to show the letter to get help.

Chen Fan drove around Jin City and found that no one was the same anymore, so he decided to start his journey to Chu Zhou City.

Chen Fan was absentminded. "Chu Zhou City. How long have I been away?"

The last time he came, he killed Zhou Tianhao and exterminated everyone at the Hong Sect.

Chen Fan stayed only for a night, then he went back to Jin City.

"Jiang Churan, Xu Rongfei, Jiang Tanqiu, Zhang Yumeng, Yang Chao, Li Yichen, Si Yinxia and the Wei Family..."

All the people Chen Fan knew when he was young appeared one by one in front of his eyes. His eyes became misty when it came the turn for the Wei Family.

The Wei Family was the first family Chen Fan met after he was reborn.

Old Man Wei and Wei Ziqin used to be his good friends, and the Third Lord of the Wei used to be one of his subordinates.

But one and a half years ago, the Wei Family occupied the Yun Wu Spirit Water and surrendered to the Hong Sect while Chen Fan was away. Chen Fan had no idea if it was a decision made by the Third Lord of the Wei or if everyone had agreed, but no one could get away easily after taking things that belonged to the North Mystic Celestial Lord.

"Now, it's time for the Wei Family to give me an explanation."

Chen Fan sneered.

Jin City was just a few hours drive away from Chu Zhou City. Rather than taking a flight, Chen Fan drove there in An Ya's silver grey Lamborghini, which he had won from Chen Xu.

"Huu! Huu!"

After a two-hour drive, the silver grey Lamborghini entered Chu Zhou City.

Chen Fan didn't go straight to the villa on Yunwu Mountain. Instead, he drove to the Ivy League High.

"Hm, why are there so many cars?"

Chen Fan looked over and saw a row of luxury cars at the entrance of Ivy League High, including brands like Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz S650, Ferrari, and so on. Many of them had license plates issued in Jin City, Zhong Hai and even other provinces. Chen Fan's outdated Lamborghini instantly became inconspicuous.

Seeing Chen Fan get out of the car, one of the girls in checkered school uniform who was walking past suddenly wondered, "Senior, are you also here for the 10th anniversary celebration?"

"It's the anniversary celebration today?"

Chen Fan was stunned.

Chen Fan was thinking about dropping by to take a look and leave, but it just so happened that it was the anniversary celebration. So, would many of his former classmates be back as well?

Thinking of this, Chen Fan hesitated.

The girl's face bloomed and said, "Senior, come with me. I'll lead you to the hall."

Until then, Chen Fan noticed that those girls were only about sixteen years old and they were all dressing in cute outfits.

The one who talked to him was the most beautiful among them. She was a petite girl with a pair of bright round eyes and fair skin, very much like a porcelain doll. Speaking of appearance, she was definitely comparable to Xu Rongfei and Jiang Churan, and should be one of the top school beauties.

"Sure thing."

Chen Fan nodded.

His appearance didn't change at all.

But the powerful aura he emitted from conquering the world—together with the Lamborghini and the high-end clothes An Ya had bought for him—made him seem exceptional. He was standing head and shoulders above all the other men around him.

The girl was brave. She came forward and held Chen Fan's arm.

Although her face was blushing and her friends were making fun of her, she didn't let go and even asked Chen Fan excitedly, "Senior, I'm Lin Lulu, a tenth-grade student. What's your name?"

The girl was very young. Chen Fan felt like he was looking at his own sister, Chen Guoguo, so he smiled and answered, "I'm Chen Fan from class of 2008."

Lin Lulu covered her mouth and repeated with astonishment, "Class of 2008."

"A lot of extraordinary people graduated that year, Senior Si Yinxia who was one of the top students at the National University Entrance Exam, Senior Yang Chao who joined the National Basketball Youth Team, Senior Ji Xingyu who was the Taekwondo champion at the University Athletic Meet, and many more..."

Lin Lulu counted using her fair fingers.

"The most famous among all would be Senior Xu Rongfei. She had already been cast in a couple popular dramas while she was still studying and has become a superstar. She's my idol. Senior, do you know them?"

Lin Lulu's eyes widened and she glanced over.

"Si Yinxia, Yang Chao, Ji Xingyu, Xu Rongfei."

Chen Fan was shocked.

He didn't know his former rivals or friends had achieved so much as time passed, but even if any of them became the president, they were still weaker compared to Chen Fan.

Chen Fan felt sorry, especially for Xu Rongfei.

He had been busy with his cultivation in the past three years. He planned to visit her in Yan Jin but ended up delaying the trip for a long time.

"I guess."

Chen Fan smiled.

Then, a girl around eighteen years old suddenly came.

"Lin Lulu, I asked you to welcome Senior Si Yinxia at the door. Who's this?"

The girl looked at Chen Fan suspiciously.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 543: Reunited with Jiang Churan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The eighteen-year-old girl who spoke was tall and had piercing eyes, as if she was used to commanding people. She had a pretty face, large breasts and a slim waist. A beautiful and capable girl like her had to be an influential person at school.

As expected, Lin Lulu said weakly, "Senior Han, this is Senior Chen Fan. He's also here for the celebration. He graduated the same year as Senior Si and they know each other."

"Senior Chen Fan? We don't have his name on the invitation list."

Senior Han was shocked and she showed a slight hesitation. Chen Fan looked ordinary, but the clothes he was wearing were exceptional and decent.

The alumni invited to the Ivy League High anniversary celebration were always successful people. Although Chen Fan had become famous, the level of Ivy League High was so low they wouldn't know it. Students from Class of 2008 would probably be the only ones who could remember his name.

Chen Fan had a glimpse at Senior Han's name card. "You're Han Ming, this year's president of the Student Council? Do you know Li Yichen?"

"Yes." Han Ming nodded.

"Senior Li Yichen was the president of the Student Council in 2008 and is the best president throughout the Ivy League's history. He went to Yan Jin University and has been my idol and goal. Senior Li Yichen is also coming today. Are you a friend of his?" Han Ming said as her eyes twinkled.

No matter how capable and fierce she was, she was still a twelfth-grade student so Chen Fan soon got the lead.

"Li Yichen got admitted to Yan Jin University." Chen Fan wondered.

In his previous life, Li Yichen and Jiang Churan were both admitted to Zhong Hai University. He didn't expect such a great change in this life.

Chen Fan shook his head, thinking about how fickle the world was.

"I'm sorry, Senior Chen Fan, you're not on the list. I'm afraid you can't go in," Han Ming said with a bit of sympathy in her eyes.

She was observant, so it wasn't difficult for her to notice the brands Chen Fan was wearing. Even though he looked indifferent, he was apparently a decent and upper-class figure, so he might be a friend of Li Yichen.

Han Ming immediately gave a suggestion, "How about I ask the principal to arrange a seat for you?"

Chen Fan shook his head. "No, I'm just here to have a look. Save the trouble."

He had only studied at Ivy League High for six months anyway, so there was nothing he missed other than Xu Rongfei and Jiang Tanqiu. As for Li Yichen and Si Yinxia, they wouldn't be able to fight against Chen Fan even when he was just reborn.

When Chen Fan was about to leave...

A clamor of voices suddenly came from the entrance. A group of young people then walked inside with the principal and the teachers surrounding them; they were all wearing a bright and proud smile on their faces.

The students around were all thrilled to see them.

"Senior Si Yinxia is here. He's really here. They're all our pride!"

"I saw Senior Yang Chao. He was chosen for the National Team not long ago."

"It's a shame Senior Xu didn't come. She's my idol."

All the students present were in a heated discussion.

The eyes of many girls brightened.

Top students at the National University Entrance Exam, members of the National Basketball Team and students at Yan Jin University were all goals ordinary people spent their whole lives on. For a student in a small city, being like them would definitely bring honor to their families.

"Senior Li and the others are here."

Han Ming quickly greeted them with a bright smile, leaving Chen Fan behind.

The girl Lin Lulu tried to cheer Chen Fan up. "Don't mind her, Senior Chen. You'll be just like them one day. I bet you're incredible, already driving a fine roadster at such a young age."

"It's my sister's."

Chen Fan cracked a smile.

"Ahrr!"

Lin Lulu was speechless. Chen Fan didn't seem to have many big achievements when compared to Si Yinxia and Yang Chao. It wasn't difficult to make that conclusion since the school didn't invite him to the anniversary celebration.

"I'm okay, girl. Go and enjoy the celebration."

Chen Fan patted Lin Lulu's head and turned away.

"So, when can we meet again, Senior?" Lin Lulu asked anxiously.

"We'll see."

Chen Fan waved at her and walked past his former classmates.

They were all indulging in their honor and were talking happily with the teachers, so no one noticed Chen Fan.

Except for Yang Chao, he took a glance at Chen Fan's back view and said, "That guy looks familiar."

"Who?"

Li Yichen, Si Yinxia and Ji Xingyu looked behind them and saw Chen Fan leaving with hands in his pockets. They began to wonder who that was.

Chen Fan only interacted a few times with them, and he had been away for so many years... how would any of them recognize his back view?

"I don't remember, but I feel like we know him."

Yang Chao shook his head.

"You're now an official member of the National Basketball Team. Anyone you see might look familiar since you meet lots of people everyday."

The others burst into laughter.

"Maybe it's another classmate. I guess his career is not going not so well if he doesn't want to meet us. We shouldn't force him," Zhang Yumeng said.

After four years, Zhang Yumeng seemed to be even more gorgeous.

She was Yang Chao's girlfriend, so she surely would follow Yang Chao back to his alma mater to share the honor.

"Right, Meng Meng, is Churan coming?" Li Yichen asked.

"She came back to Chu Zhou City with me but she's not here. I think she went home," Zhang Yumeng said.

"We should go to lunch together if Meng Meng and Churan are back. We haven't seen each other for so many years, it's time for us to gather and catch up. It's a pity Xu Rongfei can't make it. She must be busy after becoming a superstar."

Ji Xingyu clapped.

Han Ming beside them had an idea.

She wanted to tell them that the guy said his name was "Chen Fan" and that he was a former classmate.

But she didn't after pondering for a while.

"I guess Senior Chen isn't doing very well at the moment, so he feels ashamed to meet his classmates. I better not tell them." Han Ming thought.

Chen Fan had no idea what they were thinking.

He just didn't want to see those people. Compared to Chen Fan, Yang Chao and the others were like ants under his feet.

Chen Fan left Ivy League High and drove to Yunwu Mountain.

Chen Fan dropped by Auntie Tang's place, but nobody seemed to be there so he didn't go in.

"Auntie Tang was very nice to me in my previous life. I must repay her while I'm capable."

Chen Fan then remembered his promise to Auntie Tang: to buy her a villa on the mountain. Now that he didn't need the mansion on Yanwu Mountain anymore, he was thinking of giving it to her.

He arrived at the top of the mountain.

Chen Fan had already destroyed the array at this mansion the last time he came to Chu Zhou City, but it was an area full of spirit qi after all and the form of the mountain didn't change, so there was still a little spirit qi; the place was surrounded by clouds and fog.

"It's been almost four years."

Chen Fan opened the doors.

The villa should have been dusty and full of spider webs, but he found that it was completely clean, as if someone had just tidied it up.

"Who cleaned the villa? The housekeeper? Someone from the Wei Family? A new resident?"

Chen Fan wondered.

This was the house of Master Chen of Jiang Bei!

The fear Chen Fan had spread in Jiang Bei one and a half years ago was still there, who would dare to come in without permission? Then, he suddenly sensed somebody familiar on the rooftop.

"Is that her?"

Chen Fan was shocked.

"Pada, pada."

As Chen Fan approached the top floor, he started to feel the other party's pounding heartbeat. Once he reached the balcony, he saw a girl standing there, looking over to him with a mop in her hands.

"Chen... Fan?"

Seeing Chen Fan, the girl was so surprised that she dropped the mop. She was frightened, startled, shy, and a troubled look appeared on her gorgeous face.

"Hey, Jiang Churan." Chen Fan smiled and greeted her, just like in the past.

The beautiful girl who was holding a mop and was drenched in sweat was Chen Fan's former classmate, Jiang Churan.

After three years, Jiang Churan looked the same but she was no longer cold and arrogant. She was now pure and pretty like a girl next door.

"Yeah, it's been a while."

Jiang Churan was frightened. She explained with an embarrassed voice, "You haven't been here for a long time, so I came to clean it for you after the fog lifted. It would be a shame if the villa became grimy."

"I'm planning to give this villa to Auntie Tang. I made a promise in the past that I would buy a villa for her when I had money."

Chen Fan cracked a smile.

"You still remember the promise."

Jiang Churan covered her mouth, feeling unbelievable.

When Chen Fan and Jiang Churan had gone there for the first time, they promised to buy Auntie Tang a villa.

Jiang Churan thought Chen Fan was just bluffing and she despised him that time. Even Auntie Tang didn't take it seriously. She couldn't believe that after all these years, Chen Fan really kept his promise.

"Yeah, you're an important figure in Zhong Hai and Jin City now, so you don't visit us so often," Jiang Churan said as she turned to Chen Fan with an indescribable feeling.

Even though what she knew about Chen Fan was just the tip of the iceberg, it was already enough.

Master Chen of Jiang Bei, Major General of Cang Dragon, Grand Master of the Heaven roll, Master of the North Qiong Sect and CEO of the North Qiong Corp... these titles were all unreachable to Jiang Churan. Ordinary people would never have what he had achieved in their entire lives.

"Maybe."

Chen Fan remained silent.

He wasn't sure when it would be the next time they met.

Right when they were at a loss for words, Jiang Churan's phone suddenly rang. She picked up the call and said.

"It's Meng Meng. I'm going to the alumni gathering. Are you coming?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 544: Death Trap

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"An alumni gathering?"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and kept his silence.

He was out of league and out of touch with those... kids. Si Yinxia, Yang Chao and Li Yichen might appear to be dashing young elites, but they were insignificant in Chen Fan's eyes.

By then, Chen Fan had become as powerful as a nation, lauded by the public as the sixth superpower in the world, aka Superpower Chen.

Despite the obvious satire in the name, it was obvious that everyone saw Chen Fan as a significant player in the world.

What did it mean to be as powerful as a superpower in the world? Chen Fan's power could translate to more GDP than nations such as Japan or Germany. Not one individual could have achieved such a feat before.

The richest man on earth was worth only sixty billion US dollars, a hundred times fewer than Chen Fan. Even the mighty corporations and bankers owned no more than a trillion US dollars of wealth.

Jiang Churan flashed an awkward smile after seeing no reaction from Chen Fan.

"It's up to you. I understand if you decided not to go."

Jiang Churan spoke a few more words into the phone before she hung up.

Jiang Churan changed the topic, "You disappeared for a few years. Fei Fei told me that she couldn't get a hold of you."

Xu Rongfei's name finally caught Chen Fan's attention, so he replied, "If I wasn't cultivating in seclusion, I was on my way to it over the last couple of years. I only learned about the death of Fei Fei's father until much later. Although I have avenged his death, I still owe Fei Fei an apology," Chen Fan heaved a sigh and said.

"I believe Fei Fei would understand. She is head over heels about you," Jiang Churan replied.

Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, "I have heard rumors about the appearance of sages in Myanmar, was that you? I have seen the videos, the person recorded looked like you. He also called himself Chen Beixuan."

Chen Fan gave her a playful look and said, "I didn't know that you were that interested in me."

Meanwhile, Yang Chao, Li Yichen and many other graduates of the Ivy League had gathered in a private club along the shore of the Yan Gui Lake. Han Ming and Lin Lulu had also arrived at the alumni gathering as representatives of the freshmen.

Yang Chao egged her on, "Meng Meng, Call Churan now and tell her to come over."

"Ok, ok."

Zhang Yumeng turned on her cell phone.

"Senior, who is Churan?" Han Ming asked curiously.

"Her name is Jiang Churan. She used to be one of the two most popular girls in our school. The other was Xu Rongfei. The two were close friends. For some reason, Jiang Churan had gone to an ordinary college in Jin City despite her straight A grades. She could have gone to Yan Jin University if she wanted to," Ji Xingyu shook his head and lamented.

A light flashed in Li Yichen's eyes, but he didn't say a word.

"Oh? Which university?" Han Ming asked.

"Jin City University's Business School... It's a third tier University. Jiang Churan had even gotten admission letters from Zhong Hai University, but she insisted on going to Jin City University. Her parents were livid after failing to persuade her to change her mind," Yang Chao said and heaved a sigh.

"We are all responsible for our past decisions. There is no turning back," Si Yinxia said lightly.

Si Yinxia was admitted into the best university in China and currently was preparing his advanced education at Harvard. He was going to be a graduate student under a prominent economics professor. Once he graduated from there, he would be a member of the Wall Street elites.

Therefore, his comments were shored up by his impressive list of achievements.

"What a shame. I really thought Jiang Churan and Brother Yichen were going to get together."

Ji Xingyu shook his head and said, "Brother Yichen is way out of Jiang Churan's league now."

"Senior Li, Is it true that you have already been drafted into the federal government?" Han Ming asked, batting her lashes.

"Brother Yichen's in-law was a leader in the federal government. His position in the government was reserved for him long before he graduated," Yang Chao replied with jealousy.

He was going to be an athlete, so he couldn't compare with Li Yichen.

Li Yichen was groomed to be a future leader, but as an athlete, he would retire at an early age and live the rest of his life in mediocrity.

"Xiao Chao, don't think too little of yourself. You, Yinxia, Xinyu and Meng Meng are all very successful in your own rights. But I wish I could say the same about Churan."

Li Yichen shook his head.

Li Yichen had secured a position in the government because of his current girlfriend's father. Although his current girlfriend was not nearly as attractive as Jiang Churan, her family was much more powerful and could offer greater help to Li Yichen.

Lin Lulu watched as the seniors heaped praise on each other. Suddenly, she thought about the senior she had met that morning and wondered why she didn't see him here. Could it be that he was not successful enough to join the circle?

"Pahda!"

The cell phone suddenly slid out of Zhang Yumeng's hand.

Her face was awash with shock and fear.

"What's going on? What did Jiang Churan say?" Yang Chao asked impatiently.

"She's not coming," Zhang Yumeng murmured in trepidation.

"So what? What are you afraid of?" Ji Xingyu asked.

"She must feel too embarrassed to see how successful we are in comparison," Si Yinxia said directly.

The development stirred strong emotions inside of Han Ming and Lin Lulu.

"Xiao Lu, the moral of the story is to always make the right decision by following the right example," Han Ming said to Lin Lulu.

"What?"

Lin Lulu was confused.

"Did she actually say why she's not coming?" Li Yichen asked.

"Ran Ran said she met an old friend and had to accompany him," Zhang Yumeng replied mechanically.

Yang Chao furrowed his brows and complained, "What kind of friend is more important than the Class Reunion? Is it Xu Rongfei?"

"No, it's... Chen Fan." Zhang Yumeng nearly lost her voice as she spoke the name.

Chen Fan's name cast a spell over the room and made it pin-drop quiet. Yichen, Ji Xingyu, Si Yinxia and Yang Chao were all shaken to the core.

"Who?" Yang Chao asked incredulously.

"Chen Fan." Zhang Yumeng repeated.

The answer was followed by a long silence.

Most people in the room knew more or less about Chen Fan.

He was the famed Master Chen of Jiang Bei, Major General of Cang Dragon, the family head of the Chen Family; each title more prominent than the other. He returned to Jiang Nan Province a year and a half before and killed countless men and women in Jin City. Even now, his name would evoke fear in the hearts of many people.

"I thought he had disappeared. Why did he show up now?"

Yang Chao's smile curdled on his face.

"Are you sure? We haven't seen Chen Fan for years." Ji Xingyu asked.

"Maybe Jiang Churan was pulling your leg," Mo Hill chimed in.

"Ah! Chen Fan? I think I saw him this morning at school," Han Ming exclaimed.

A pin drop silence suddenly fell over the room.

Everyone's hearts were caught in their throats; no one dared to make a comment.

Even Ji Xingyu kept his lips tightly sealed.

Did the Butcher of Jiang Bei return Chu Zhou City? Worse, he was right next to Jiang Churan right now?

"I think I get it! Chen Fan went to Jin City University, so that was why Ran Ran went there as well," Zhang Yumeng said quietly.

Li Yichen's face was impassive, but his fingers clenched so tight that he snapped a pair of chopsticks.

"Is he some kind of bid deal?" Lin Lulu asked.

"He is a legend," Yang Chao shook his head and said with a grimace, "He is not an ordinary person like you and me. Compared to him, we are insects. We wouldn't be able to match his ability in a thousand years."

"What?"

Both Han Ming and Lin Lulu looked at one another in confusion.

"Who would have thought that Senior Chen was such a badass?" Lin Lulu thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan and Jiang Churan were chatting at the peak of Yun Wu Mountain.

Jiang Churan tucked the loose hair behind her ears, trying to mask her embarrassment.

Jiang Churan fixed her eyes on Chen Fan and said, "Of course I'm interested in you. You are the most special one out of all the classmates. I am still surprised that it was really you in Myanmar. Governments around the world had caught on and started to delete those videos everywhere. However, that couldn't stop the flow of information. A group of people have even formed a cult around you, called God Worshiping Cult. I am also a member."

"I am not a God nor a Sage. Not yet."

Chen Fan shrugged.

He walked over to a lounge couch, and produced some tea making equipment seemingly out of nowhere.

"How did you do that? Some kind of magic trick?" Jiang Churan flung back at Chen Fan.

"Yeah, sure," Chen Fan replied, then he suddenly changed the topic, "It seems that you have been paying attention to me for a while, what else do you know about me?"

"I also know that you go by the name Chen Beixuan and that you are a member of the Chen Family of Jin City. You ranked number one on the Heaven roll and have a Major General rank at the Cang Dragon. And something about you and the Divine Roll," Jiang Churan said.

Then she asked, "What is the Divine Roll anyways? I couldn't find it anywhere."

"It's a list made by the Americans. The Grand Magus God from Myanmar ranked number fifteen. You must think that I am godly powerful because I am on the Divine Roll," Chen Fan answered.

"Really?"

Jiang Churan rounded her eyes in surprise. "What is your rank on the Divine Roll? If you can defeat someone ranked fifteen, you must be on the top five."

"Maybe."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and looked into the distance.

Jiang Churan looked into the same direction and only saw a thick mist that shrouded the mountain. "What are you looking at? By the way, where is that Mist Dragon? I haven't seen it ever since you left."

"Jiang Churan, go home right now, as far away from the Yun Wu Mountain as possible," Chen Fan rose to his feet and said in a heavy voice.

"What?"

Even as Jiang Churan tried to wrap her mind around the sudden end of their conversation, she heard a loud voice coming down from the mist.

"Pray to the Amitābha Buddha. Miss, you might as well wait a few minutes as I talk to Patron Chen. It won't take long."

Jiang Churan watched in shock as seven figures emerged from the cloud.

Those seven men and women all possessed powerful physiques and floated in the air like gods. The overbearing energy rippling about them were telltale signs that they had all reached the peak of the Immortal State.

"They are Dharma-rāja Sakya, Yao Daoyi, Watanabe, and..."

Chen Fan scanned the group and rested his surprised gaze on one of them.

"Li Changsheng?"

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