The Strongest System - Chapter 166

Chapter 166: You. F*cking. Kidding. Me?

p>Mie Qiongqi followed closely behind Lin Fan with his heart thumping furiously. The only things he felt were elements of fear and nervousness. What was master going to do to him? He harbored intentions of running away. But the presence of master’s forceful aura melted away any courage he had.

Mie Qiongqi had wanted to ask himself why he was this afraid of this man before him. But no matter how he racked his brains, he could not find an answer. On the other hand, Lin Fan was filled with excitement, as though he was anticipating something great to happen soon.

Within the house…

Lin Fan and Mie Qiongqi gazed at one another. Those all-seeing eyes filled with motives made Mie Qiongqi ever more nervous.

“Mas…master! Is there any issue?” Mie Qiongqi asked carefully.

Now that he was alone with master in an enclosed space, his mind was only flooded with memories back in the locked cell. He did not ever want to go through the same experience ever. That shameful, tragic and horrifying experience. Never again.

“Come on. Hit me.” The moment Lin Fan opened his mouth, Mie Qiongqi was stunned.

What. The. Fck?

“Hit me with 10% of your strength.” Looking at Mie Qiongqi’s stupefied expression, Lin Fan repeated once more.

Now that he had a disciple with a Lesser Celestial Upper-Level cultivation base, naturally he had to make full use of this fella. Otherwise, he’d be a fool to let such a gem go to waste.

At this point, ‘Eternal Demon Body’ was hard leveling up anymore.

Lin Fan was determined. He was not going to head down the peak until this boy leveled up his ‘Eternal Demon Body.’

“Mas…master! No…I’m…afraid…!” Mie Qiongqi quivered in fear. He did not dare to imagine how badly he would be hung to be whacked if he landed a punch on master.

Looking at Mie Qiongqi’s cowardice, Lin Fan got frustrated. Standing up, he looked around the room, as though in search of something.

“Master, what are you looking for?”

“A whip, obviously. If you don’t whack me, I’ll hang to whack you.” Lin Fan replied coldly.

“NO! I’LL WHACK!” Mie Qiongqi almost broke down at the words ‘Hang to whack’.

“Ok, hurry up. 10%.” Lin Fan hurried him. With Mie Qiongqi’s powers, 10% should be just right. If he ordered Mie Qiongqi to whack with full force, he himself might just die at Mie Qiongqi’s hands.

Mie Qiongqi was utterly confused at this point. He had seen all sorts of people. But this was the first time he saw someone who begged to be whacked.

Against the master who had tortured and whipped him …to land a blow back at him… Mie Qiongqi could only swallow his courage and do as ordered.

“C’mere.” Lin Fan was ready. Whether or not ‘Eternal Demon Body’ could level up was up to this boy here.

“Master, here I come.” Mie Qiongqi raised his hands and pushed his palms onto Lin Fan’s chest. Looking at Mie Qiongqi’s oncoming palms, Lin Fan was extremely gleeful and excited. Come on, let the waves of experience points flood Yours Truly!

The palm came across like a dragon sieving through the seas, ferocious and domineering. While the speed was somewhat slow, Lin Fan could feel the energy behind the palm strike.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +10.’

Lin Fan smiled, awaiting his tidal waves of experience points. But these savage 10 points awarded nearly crushed Lin Fan’s heart. Mie Qiongqi shirked his body timidly and continued to gently slap palm after palm on Lin Fan’s chest.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +10.’

…

Initially ecstatic, Lin Fan was now squinting his eyes and glaring at Mie Qiongqi sternly. His intent to kill flooded the air.

“You. Fcking. Kidding. Me?” Lin Fan’s voice was firm yet gentle. But this soft voice was enough to roar like thunder in Mie Qiongqi’s ears. In this gentle aura emitted by Lin Fan, Mie Qiongqi could sense something else. It was danger. It was a feeling of dissatisfaction.

“Mas…master! I was wrong! Please forgive me! For real now, 10%!” That very second, an explosive force exploded from within Mie Qiongqi. The initially ordinary strike of Mie Qiongqi now landed on Lin Fan’s chest after slicing through thin air.

“I…!” Just as Lin Fan was about to speak, the heavy strike landed on him, and he was knocked back flying. A spit of blood flew through the air.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

“Master…!” Looking at Lin Fan flying through the air, Mie Qiongqi was absolutely horrified. He had caused his master to bleed! What sort of cruel punishment awaits him after this?!?

“F*ck….!” Lin Fan took a spin in midair and landed back gracefully, a wide smile on his face.

“Good! Just like that, bring it on!” Lin Fan could truly feel the experience points about to flood his world. ‘Eternal Demon Body’ was definitely going to level up thanks to this boy!

Towards Lin Fan’s behavior, Mie Qiongqi couldn’t help but shudder.

‘What’s up with master? Why would he keep asking to be whacked? Furthermore…why does he look like he’s enjoying this thoroughly!’

‘Unless…unless…!’

Mie Qiongqi did not dare to ponder any further. Everything seemed to be treading on danger grounds. But since master asked for the beating, in order to please his master, he had to accede to the request.

“Master, be careful.” Mie Qiongqi struck again.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

…

“Hurry it up!” Lin Fan steadied his body as he took in blow after blow.

“Yes.” Mie Qiongqi raised his palms. After that, the only things which could be seen in the air were the shadows of Mie Qiongqi’s swift motions. Lin Fan felt like he was in heaven. This feeling of pleasure came so quickly that he was hardly ready for it.

…

Nameless Peak. On the path up…

The skies had turned grey.

“Junior Sister, what were you talking about with Sister Yulan?” Zhang Ergou asked.

The only reason why Zhang Ergou and Feng Bujue could enter Jialan Peak was due to Lin Fan. If not for him, the two of them would have long been tossed off the peak.

Riding on Zhang Ergou’s shoulders, the bright eyes of Cai Zhiqiao gleamed in the evening skies, “Nothing much! Sister Yulan said that Senior Brother is very handsome and she likes him a lot!”

The casual expression of Zhang Ergou took a change as he stopped on the spot. With a look of disbelief in his eyes which turned into happiness, he carried down his Junior Sister from his shoulders.

“Junior Sister! Is that true?!!?” Zhang Ergou could not believe that he could feel such happiness.

Zhang Ergou had long harbored some feelings towards Yulan. But he too knew that he did not have what it took. So, he was just satisfied in being able to see her every now and then.

The tender hands of Cai Zhiqiao reached into the small pouch she was hanging on her waist and took out something. It was a bronze mirror, given as a gift by the sisters of Jialan Peak.

“Senior Brother, you can check it out yourself with this!” Cai Zhiqiao stretched the mirror in front of Zhang Ergou. He did not understand, but still took hold of the mirror. Looking at it, he couldn’t help but rub his chin.

“Indeed, I do look somewhat handsome I suppose.” Zhang Ergou muttered to himself confidently. Standing at the side, Feng Bujue couldn’t help but feel a sorry heartache in his heart.

Cai Zhiqiao blinked her eyes and took back the bronze mirror before carefully placing it in her small little pouch. She then climbed back onto Zhang Ergou’s shoulders.

“Junior Sister, do you think I’m handsome?” Zhang Ergou asked.

“I don’t know!” Cai Zhiqiao replied innocently.

…

Chapter 167: Yet Another Sleepless Night

p>‘Ding…congratulations on leveling up Eternal Demon Body.’

‘Physical Body State: Pericelestial Middle Level.’

At the point of leveling, Lin Fan felt a wave of heat energy surge through his body. ‘Eternal Demon Body’ was the upgraded version of ‘Titanium Grade Demon Body, ’ and it was the only defensive skill Lin Fan possessed as of now.

His body glowed brightly, being much stronger than before.

Mie Qiongqi, who was busy beating up Lin Fan fanatically, was shocked at what was happening as well. He too could feel the surge of energy being emitted from Lin Fan.

‘20% now.’ Lin Fan was extremely joyous. The best thing about having trained Mie Qiongqi under him was the fact that he was now able to make use of him as a free leveling up tool!

“Yes!” Mie Qiongqi was no longer afraid of hurting Lin Fan as before. This man had something about him. Even a piece of steel would be smashed into smithereens with him smashing it repeatedly even with just 10% of strength. But yet, master only grew more energetic the more he was hit.

The only thought in Mie Qiongqi’s heart was this: Not only did master enjoy torturing others, but he also enjoyed being tortured as well. But of course, he was not dumb enough to say this out loud. Else, he was sure he’d suffer an extremely terrible fate.

Just then, Mie Qiongqi’s aura increased as well, as he built up another 10% of his strength. With the throw of his fist, the air crackled with the force of his fist breaking through the thin air.

When one was a Lesser Celestial Upper-Level being, one was able to break through the void easily. In that blow of his, the power of the void was added within his own aura, strengthening the force of the blow.

Even though Mie Qiongqi had suppressed his full strength, the power of this fist was still not to be underestimated.

BAM!

A fist landed on Lin Fan’s chest fiercely, echoing a loud thumping sound.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +200,000.’

‘Eh…?’

Not right. How could the experience points go down after Mie Qiongqi had increased his power level? Was this guy slacking off yet again?

But looking at Mie Qiongqi’s fearful eyes, he doubted that possibility. Could it be that after leveling up, even 20% strength was not enough to satiate ‘Eternal Demon Body’?

Hmm, that seemed like the only plausible explanation.

…

“Use 30%.” Lin Fan ordered.

“Yes!” Mie Qiongqi was unable to defy Lin Fan’s wishes as he threw yet another heavy punch over.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

Each time a fist landed, Lin Fan could feel the blood within his body vibrating tremendously. This was probably the max he could handle right now.

But fair enough, there was no hurry. Slow as things might be, he was bound to level up eventually as well.

…

“Junior Sister, what do you want to eat tonight?” The meals of Nameless Peak were all prepared by Zhang Ergou usually. With the inclusion of this junior sister, especially one whom the great Master Lin had taken such a liking to, naturally he had to take good care of her.

And what was more important was the fact that whether or not he could continue heading to Jialan Peak depended on her.

“Eh? Where is this loud thumping sound coming from?” Zhang Ergou frowned as he could not find the source of it.

“It sounds like it’s coming from Master’s side.” Feng Bujue replied.

“Perhaps master is just cultivating his pills…” Zhang Ergou could not figure out what the sound was. But he supposed that it could be from Master Lin’s pill cultivation process.

“Senior Brother, I want to take a look!” Cai Zhiqiao, who was on Zhang Ergou’s shoulders, voiced out.

When she had just left Sky City, Cai Zhiqiao would still cry and throw tantrums occasionally. But after Lin Fan and the rest’s patient care and communication with her, they eventually helped this young kid accommodate to this place.

By the looks of it, if she were to stay here for a couple of years, or even tens of years, she might eventually forget about the Cai Family.

“Senior Brother, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. If master were to find out…” Feng Bujue commented from the side. If Master were to find them sneaking around, they’d be in for a rough time.

Zhang Ergou was undecided at first. But after looking at his junior sister’s look of anticipation, he relented. It was a give and take situation. After all, if he were to displease her, it would threaten his future at Jialan Peak.

…

“We’ll just take a quick peek, and no one is to make a sound.” Zhang Ergou said determinedly.

“Senior Brother is the best! Zhiqiao will not make a single peep!” Cai Zhiqiao opened her eyes widely.

“Alright, then we’ll just take a quick look!”

…

Shiftily and sneakily, the three of them made their way over to Master Lin’s place. They crouched down in a corner and peeked in through a gap.

When Zhang Ergou and the rest caught sight of what was happening inside, their originally curious faces turned into looks of dumbfoundedness.

The master, who was so revered and so…admirable in their eyes! How could this be happening!

“Mmm! Yes! Not bad, more!” Lin Fan was thoroughly enjoying the increment of his experience points with his eyes closed. This feeling was simply fabulous.

The look of ecstasy on Lin Fan’s face was the scariest thing to Zhang Ergou and those peeping outside.

Could it be that…Master had such fetishes?!

Suddenly, Zhang Ergou’s face turned into one filled with fear. If master were to catch them peeping like this…especially at such a sight of his new disciple doing…this to him… They’d all be dead meat!

No no… The thought of the consequences was simply horrifying.

“Senior Brother, what is Master doing!” Cai Zhiqiao asked inquisitively.

“SHH! Lower your volume!” Goosebumps raised all over Zhang Ergou’s body. Even though Cai Zhiqiao’s voice was not loud, it was crisp and clear.

While Lin Fan, who was immersed in his experience points farming, did not realize the presence of anybody outside, the soft voice of Cai Zhiqiao did float into his ears.

Lin Fan’s expression changed slightly. Why the f*ck was anybody peeping from the outside? But by the sounds of it, it should be that young disciple of his.

Zhang Ergou and Feng Bujue must definitely be around as well. Which meant that they must have caught sight of his pleasured face while being walloped. As the sixth Grand Master of Saint Devil Sect, how could he let his image be destroyed in the eyes of his disciples?

Deep in his thoughts, Lin Fan had a spark come to him. Throwing out his palm, he landed a strike on Mie Qiongqi’s chest.

Flicking his robes, he opened his eyes with a calm and firm look, “That fist technique you just used did not have enough strength. It was full of gaps. You need to continue working on it.”

He then looked at the door and said softly, “You guys. Enter.”

Zhang Ergou and Feng Bujue looked at each other helplessly. At the end of the day, they were still discovered.

“Master, what are you doing!” Cai Zhiqiao’s little frame hopped over the door’s sill and ran towards Lin Fan, her head raised and looking at Lin Fan with an innocent expression.

Lin Fan smiled gently and fondled her little head. Without a change in his expression, he continued, “Master was teaching your Junior Brother some martial arts. You’re back so early today?”

Cai Zhiqiao nodded her head as though she understood what Lin Fan had just said and went on, “Nope, Master. It ain’t early anymore! The skies are already dark!”

Lin Fan was stunned as he looked outside at the pitch-black skies. He had not realized that time had passed so quickly.

“Qiongqi, this palm technique of yours, you still need quite a bit of working on. Stay here and carry on practicing through the night. I’ll train you up well.” Lin Fan ordered.

“Yes.” Mie Qiongqi did not dare to say anything more. But those helpless eyes of his seemed to be welling up with tears as he had an urge to cry.

Seemed like, it was going to be yet another torturous and sleepless night.

Chapter 168: Touched To Tears

p>As their master, naturally his words were law to them. Thankfully, Lin Fan’s brain was sharp enough for him to come up with an excuse quickly.

Looking at their awed faces, Lin Fan couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He could turn any situation from dirt to gold in his hands, and he had never ever lost face because of any misunderstandings so far.

After Zhang Ergou prepared the food and everyone had their fill, Lin Fan had them all return to their houses to rest. At the same time, he thought of what a responsible master he was to burn the midnight oil so that his disciple could level him up.

Back in the house, silently…

Mie Qiongqi was extremely nervous. It wasn’t because master looked scary. But the very idea of being alone with master always had him on his toes.

Lin Fan looked at Mie Qiongqi and smiled. The more he looked, the more he liked this guy. If he were to recruit disciples in the future, they had better be of similar standards as him as well.

“Alright, continue.” Lin Fan waved to Mie Qiongqi.

If he did not utilize Mie Qiongqi’s potential to the max, then what sort of a failure would he be as a master?

BAM!

BAM!

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

Experiencing the massive and rapid gains in experience, Lin Fan’s heart bloomed like a flower. In Lin Fan’s eyes, fighting strength was only one factor, and not the most important one. The most crucial point was being able to stay alive.

In layman’s terms, even the strongest bodybuilder was afraid of a gun. Same went for martial artists. Even if one were the strongest ever, there would still be times where one would let his guard down.

As long as he could upgrade his body to one which was indestructible and impenetrable, that was the safest way to go about it.

Mie Qiongqi was getting somewhat tired. He had been raising his fists and striking nonstop for the entire day. Every time he tried to stop, he would be scolded by master for slowing down the pace.

Even though he was a lesser celestial upper-level being, he was a human nevertheless, and needed rest as well.

But looking at master’s insatiable look on his face, no matter how tired Mie Qiongqi was, he dared not give it a rest. If he were to get on the wrong side of master, he would definitely be in for a rough one.

And just like that, time passed.

Lin Fan laid down on the ground to rest, back facing up.

“Come, continue landing blows on my back while I take a rest. Once I wake up, you can then go and have a break.” Lin Fan ordered.

Mie Qiongqi looked at his master with pitiful eyes, as though begging master to let him off. Lin Fan took a look at Mie Qiongqi. Even though he had trained this guy well, he was not someone devoid of emotions after all.

Sitting up, Lin Fan took a deep breath and looked at Mie Qiongqi with a deep, concerned look. Patting his shoulders, he continued, ‘Qiongqi, Qiongqi… You have to understand that it’s all for your own good. When the heavens bless you with such superior powers, you have way more responsibilities than most humans. Yours Truly is trying to build up your character and perseverance. You have to understand that Saint Devil Sect cannot do without successors. While your seniority may be low today, Yours Truly has high hopes for you.’

“Master…!” Even though Mie Qiongqi had been trained well by Lin Fan with the seed of fear planted deep within his heart, he still had other emotions like any other human beings. He too yearned for affection, thoughtfulness, care, and concern from others.

Lin Fan’s words seeped deep within his heart, and he was deeply touched by Lin Fan’s thoughtfulness, as tears brimmed in his eyes.

“Qiongqi, so don’t blame Yours Truly for being harsh on you. After all, it ain’t easy to be a successor. You have to convert these feelings into motivation for you to push even further and higher for your own character building and cultivation base. Do you understand?” Lin Fan carried on.

“Yes!” Mie Qiongqi nodded repeatedly.

“That’s good, that’s good. As long as you do, Yours Truly is heartened.” Lin Fan too was feeling tired. After all, now that he was feeding so many mouths in the sect, he needed to shower each of these children with care and concern from time to time. But at the end of the day, it was all worth it.

After all, it was only his own fault for being such a respectable man.

“Carry on then.” Lin Fan waved his hands and laid down once more, falling into slumber. As to whether Mie Qiongqi had newfound motivation, Lin Fan need not worry anymore.

After all, no one could escape from his sweet nothings.

They just had no idea how many times he had repeated the same words to everyone else.

…

Looking at his master fall into slumber, Mie Qiongqi’s initial restlessness and despair were all converted to newfound strength. Lin Fan’s words had thoroughly cleared up the drought in Mie Qiongqi’s heart, and he was now a new fountain of energy.

“Master, I will not let you down!” Mie Qiongqi’s lifeless eyes were revitalized once more.

BAM!

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +300,000.’

…

Zhang Ergou and the rest were finding it difficult to fall asleep. After all, the thumping sounds continued from over master’s place, as if something was being rammed.

Deep. Solid. Continuous thumping.

“There’s no way I can sleep like this.” Zhang Ergou sat up and stared over at Master’s house. Eventually, he deferred thoughts of wanting to kill his master for it and sat down cross-legged, entering cultivation state.

Even though Zhang Ergou had been on Nameless Peak for quite some time, his cultivation base had yet to increase. But with Lin Fan’s help, his innate potential and wisdom had gone through a tremendous change.

He was definitely much stronger than before.

Entering cultivation, Zhang Ergou could feel a solid energy coursing through his blood veins all around his body.

Postcelestial cultivation was something he could enter anytime he was ready. But, he obeyed his master’s words to not rush head on into it. He was to build up his foundation properly first before he broke through to postcelestial level.

To Zhang Ergou, it was every single bit of luck in his lifetime to be able to meet Lin Fan.

Zhang Ergou’s innate talent was actually just like shit. No matter how much effort he put in to train or cultivate, he would definitely never be able to reach anywhere if he had not met someone like Lin Fan.

After meeting Lin Fan, now that his potential and wisdom had improved tremendously, it was like setting a strong foundation within himself. From here on, at the very least, he would not lose out to anyone else if he continued training hard.

That night, Cai Zhiqiao was the only one who was able to fall asleep on Nameless Peak. Zhang Ergou, Feng Bujue and Tianyu were all kept awake by the solid thumping noise.

They had no idea what master was up to training this new junior brother this late at night. Couldn’t it wait till the day?

Next day…

Lin Fan opened his eyes gently. What a good night’s rest it was, and he fell asleep all the way. The moment he opened his eyes, he could feel blows continue raining upon his back.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +1.’

When Lin Fan heard this from the system, he panicked momentarily. What was up with this? Why was it only 1 experience point? But upon checking the panel, Lin Fan understood. Eternal Demon Body had leveled up, but he did not realize while he was deep in his slumber.

‘Physical Body State: Pericelestial Upper Level.’

When he took a look at Mie Qiongqi, he could not help but let out a sigh.

Indeed, what a silly boy he was.

He was thoroughly out of energy, with his eyes sunken haggardly.

“Head back to rest. We’ll continue tonight.” Lin Fan waved his hands.

“Yes…”

Chapter 169: One Can Only Be Strong If One Can Endure Loneliness

p>In the span of half a month, Lin Fan had barely left Nameless Peak. By his side was Mie Qiongqi, who was leveling up Lin Fan’s Eternal Demon Body relentlessly.

At the same time, Zhang Ergou and the rest of the disciples could hardly fall asleep at night due to the constant thumping. So, they took the spare time to cultivate more. As such, their cultivation bases had improved significantly as well. Especially for Zhang Ergou, who had chosen to not break through and stay within the precelestial level, his energy was firm and culminated. His blood moved easily with every breath he took, like a volcano awaiting eruption.

But as time passed, Zhang Ergou and the rest made careful and wary suggestions to Lin Fan regarding his night training. After all, it was fine for a couple of days. But for an extended period, it was pretty tiring to endure.

Looking at their pitiful and haggard faces, Lin Fan relented with the night training. After all, he was a loving Master who did not live solely to torture his disciples.

‘Huff…’ Lin Fan breathed out deeply.

Within his body, energy circulated like a powerful dragon coursing through his veins to every part of his body.

‘Ding…congratulations on leveling Eternal Demon Body.’

‘Physical Body State: Lesser Celestial Upper Level’

Looking at the figures on the panel of the system, Lin Fan smiled. This was the result of the hard work of the past half a month. Now that his body state was that of a Lesser Celestial Upper Level, next up would be full cultivation state.

Actually, just this body alone was unparalleled within the entire sect. Other than the Grand Master and Senior Elders, who could ever break his defense?

But looking at the huge experience points required for the next level of Eternal Demon Body, Lin Fan’s heart took a leap as well.

Vicious. This was way too vicious.

If he did not have a dedicated professional feeding him experience points, it was definitely going to be hard leveling up from here on.

But as it stood, Lin Fan was still pretty satisfied. To any martial artist, attaining such a body was still a pretty satisfying thing to have.

Even though Mie Qiongqi was a Lesser Celestial Upper-Level being, his physical body state was far lower than the state Lin Fan was at currently.

But even so, when his cultivation base was sealed up, he could only depend on the toughness of his body to get through the years in the punishment hall.

As of today, Mie Qiongqi’s fists no longer had much of an impact on Lin Fan’s body. Lin Fan was very grateful for this. If not for Mie Qiongqi, he would have spent dozens of donkey years and not even then attained this level of physical body state.

“Ah, Qiongqi. You have finally passed the trial of Yours Truly. From this day on, you’re free to do what you want and no longer have to report to my place daily.” Lin Fan looked at the haggard Mie Qiongqi and commented.

When Mie Qiongqi heard these words, those sunken eyelids of his opened immediately with a face of excitement. Even though this was a test set for him by the master, he too was tired after the course of half a month. If not for his sheer willpower to just carry on, Mie Qiongqi would have broken down mentally a long time ago.

Repeating the same actions every single day. Anyone would go insane doing it.

“Master, can I?” Mie Qiongqi asked in disbelief.

“Yes, you can.” Lin Fan chuckled.

In the past half a month, Mie Qiongqi was not the only one tired. Lin Fan too was pretty burnt out. After all, sitting there to be whacked every day was not something the average man could endure either.

If not for his sheer willpower to raise the level of Eternal Demon Body, Lin Fan too would have collapsed mentally long ago.

“Then your disciple will take his leave.” Mie Qiongqi greeted politely. To him, the most important thing now was to catch a well-deserved break. He no longer wanted to open his eyes anymore. Even though he could get to rest every night, the moment he closed his eyes, he was filled with visions of his fists.

…

A few thousand miles away, a gigantic ark was floating in the skies and rushing towards Glory Sect. This ark was bigger and more majestic than the one Glory Sect had deployed for the previous expedition.

A red flag hung in the middle of the ark as the disciples on the ark surveyed the grounds below.

“Elder, we are only a few thousand miles away from Glory Sect now. We should be able to arrive by noon.” A disciple greeted an old man courteously.

“Hmm.” The elder’s face was calm and expressionless as he gazed into the distant skies, those eyes seemingly able to pierce through anything.

Nameless Peak…

Lin Fan was filled with excitement. After half a month of not leaving the peak, he wondered if his young junior disciples below missed him.

The point where Nameless Peak started growing was due to the cultivating of pills. But in this half a month of training, Lin Fan had not cultivated pills for anyone.

And after the previous incident, Danding Peak too had gotten their shit together. Their pill efficiency had gotten much higher compared to before. While still incomparable to Lin Fan, at least there were some decent results, and the outer sect disciples were no longer exploited as before.

Since Lin Fan had stopped cultivating pills for the time being, some of the disciples headed up to Danding Peak to check out what the situation was around there right now.

And what they found out was that compared to before, Danding Peak had undergone a thorough transformation.

Danding Peak disciples were no longer haughty or arrogant. Coupled with the improvement in efficiency yield, the disciples slowly began to regain some trust in Danding Peak.

And so, even though Junior Master Lin had stopped cultivating pills, his image in their hearts have never changed. After all, they all knew that he was the only reason why Danding Peak had undergone this change for them.

Lin Fan walked through the outer sect disciples’ quarters.

After a period of not seeing him, all the outer sect disciples greeted him exuberantly. Lin Fan nodded his head in return to their greetings. But he was puzzled over something: Why did all of them look so busy?

“Is something happening? Why do you guys look so busy?” Lin Fan asked curiously.

An outer sect disciple looked at Lin Fan and took a deep breath, “Junior Master Lin, the men from Jiuxiao Sect are about to arrive today! We’re all getting busy to prepare for the banquet!”

Jiuxiao Sect?

This was the first time Lin Fan had heard of such a sect.

“What’s up with this Jiuxiao Sect? Do they have some sort of relationship with us Glory Sect?”

“Yes, Junior Master Lin! Jiuxiao Sect resides at the extreme western lands and is far away from Glory Sect. Every 3 years, we will have an exchange of sorts. That is, we will pick out our most excellent geniuses from each side to take part in a series of sparring. This tradition has been going on for thousands of years, and it is always very grandiose!” The outer sect disciple laughed as though this was the happiest period of time they had always been waiting for.

Lin Fan nodded, somewhat excited. To think that Glory Sect had such events lined up as well.

Strongest genius disciple?

After pondering for a moment, Lin Fan continued forward, wondering if he would be allowed to partake in the sparrings.

But if he were to take part, wouldn’t he be accused of bullying the young ones? After all, he was the sixth Master of Saint Devil Sect. But if he was to not take part, then they should at least save him a seat at the table of judges.

Chapter 170: One Must Not Be Too Cocky In Life

p>Entering the inner sect disciples’ quarters, Lin Fan found that it was much quieter, unlike the bustle out at the outer sect quarters. Some disciples could be seen working hard at cultivating on top of peaks or at the bases of waterfalls.

Looking at these diligent disciples, Lin Fan did not head forth to disturb them.

As Lin Fan headed towards the peak of the Grand Master, he was greeted by the sight of Zong Hentian.

“Junior Master Lin!” Catching sight of Junior Master Lin, Zong Hentian broke into a smile. He had not seen Junior Master Lin ever since the expedition had ended.

“Junior Disciple, looking at your relaxed demeanor, I suppose you have quite a bit of confidence in the sparring of the geniuses?” Lin Fan chuckled.

Zong Hentian smiled awkwardly, “Haha, don’t tease me, Junior Master. It’s because I have no confidence that I’m out here taking a walk to calm my mood.”

“How could you have no confidence when the sparring had yet to start?”

“It’s true, Junior Master. I truly am lacking in confidence.” Zong Hentian was under immense pressure. For the sparring event, he was the hope of many Junior Brothers to perform well. But Zong Hentian clearly knew that he was not in the least bit confident or ready for this sparring.

He had partaken in the sparring 3 years ago, and he was utterly toyed with and dangled like a puppet by the genius of Jiuxiao Sect. Even though he had trained fervently for these 3 years and had grown tremendously, he was still unable to claim that he’d take victory in it.

“As long as you try your best… But yes, right, could you explain to Yours Truly what’s the whole thing about this sparring between the geniuses?” Lin Fan walked with Zong Hentian to a bench, and sat down to chat.

“Well Junior Master Lin, this goes way back. It started 3000 years ago. Back then, Jiuxiao Sect and Glory Sect were bonded to the point of life and death. When our ancestors were still disciples themselves, they got to know one another through a forbidden ground expedition, and grew to be really close from there on. However, they once got into an argument over whose sect had stronger disciples. Since they couldn’t come to an agreement, they settled with this series of sparring, and it has lasted to this day.”

“So, does anyone get any prize of any sorts for winning this?”

“Nopes.” Zong Hentian shook his head.

Lin Fan was stunned momentarily. Why were these guys trying so hard for something without a prize? He shook his head, “Then, what’s the meaning of all this? Where do our disciples get their motivation from without any prizes?”

Listening to Lin Fan’s question, Zong Hentian shook his head fervently to correct him, “That’s not it, Junior Master. While there’s no prize, this is an extremely important event for the sect. Therefore, we must not lose!”

Looking at Zong Hentian’s determined face, Lin Fan could only shake his head helplessly. Seemed like this sparring was all just a pointless argument by some old fogies years ago.

To think that it had lasted to this day. What a chore!

“Alright then, give it your best. I’ve got high hopes for you.” Lin Fan patted Zong Hentian on the shoulders and stood up, preparing to leave.

“Yes, Junior Master. That’s all I can do as well.”

…

Afternoon…

A gigantic ark appeared above the skies of Glory Sect.

Glory Sect disciples who caught sight of the ark below were all deep within their own discussions.

While this may be the first time some of the disciples had caught sight of Jiuxiao Sect, the rest who had taken part in the sparring every three years just found these guys to be a nuisance.

Standing amongst the crowd, Lin Fan couldn’t help but sigh as well. Whoever said that no sect would keep up with their reputation was definitely wrong. Just look at these guys. Their ark was tens of times larger than Glory Sect’s. If Glory Sect’s ark were to float up there side by side, it’d be like a parent and its child.

This time round, the person in charge of welcoming them was Senior Elder Wuya.

“Long time no see, Wuya. Seems like Glory Sect’s grounds have been getting smaller in size, hasn’t it? There’s hardly even any room for us to park our ark anymore!” On the ark, an old man with a long white beard chuckled.

Looking at the situation, Lin Fan couldn’t help but wonder. What a cocky old man! The first words he said were already so daring!

“Long time no see too, Brother Yichu. You seem like you’ve aged considerably as well. Well, since you’re here, how about you come on down and we can catch up?” Senior Elder Wuya shook his head gently and smiled calmly.

“Alright.” Senior Elder Liang Yichu of Jiuxiao Sect swept back his white robes and swiftly floated down in front of Senior Elder Wuya.

This was the first time Lin Fan could clearly make out the appearance of this guy.

Neither tall nor bulky, he was somewhat stumpy with a rotund face. With a big belly in front of him, he seemed like he was kind of pregnant as well.

As the senior elders exchanged glances, their looks seemed to be filled with a thousand emotions.

After a long stare, the both of them hugged each other and gave out a hearty laugh, as though they had been through thick and thin.

Glory Sect and Jiuxiao Sect went way back. Since their ancestors made friends 3000 years ago, naturally they had got a pretty sturdy relationship over all these years.

But this was only true for those of the previous generation. Somehow, the feeling was somewhat different for the current generation.

“Alright, come on down.” Liang Yichu beckoned at the ark. It grew smaller, and his disciples descended down as well one by one. Each of them looked high and mighty, and glanced at Glory Sect with sharp eyes.

“Brother Wuya, what do you think of this?” Liang Yichu smiled and laughed. Towards this generation’s disciples, he was pretty pleased with their growth and powers. Now that he brought them over to Glory Sect, naturally he had to show them off as well.

Senior Elder Wuya took a quick glance and stroked his beard without saying anything for a long time. Finally, he replied laughingly, “Not bad, not bad. There are quite a few good seeds over here.”

“Brother Wuya, isn’t that not too generous? I’m sure they’re pretty much better than just a few good seeds!”

Senior Elder Wuya chuckled and did not reply. He did feel somewhat uncomfortable within his heart. Indeed, he couldn’t deny that some of these disciples were pretty extraordinary.

But compared to Mie Qiongqi of three years ago, they were far from him. Just that Mie Qiongqi…sigh.

Lin Fan looked at the numerous disciples and couldn’t help but sigh as well. Indeed, these guys were pretty something.

But what the hell was wrong with them?

Each and every one of them stood with their noses facing the skies, as though they owned the place. Furthermore, their hands were all placed behind their backs, exuding authority and arrogance.

That haughty demeanour of theirs made anyone who looked at them want to give them a thorough whacking.

The surrounding Glory Sect disciples were deep in gossip as well.

“Look at that guy’s gaze. Goodness, how I wish I can throw a punch at him!”

“Right! And the other guy too! He looks as though Glory Sect is nothing much to him! Bloody hell!”

“Hmph, let them continue to put on airs for now. When the genius sparring begins, I’m sure our senior brothers from the inner sect would put them in their place!”

…

“Brother Wuya, let me introduce you to my own personal disciple. Xinfeng! Come over and greet Senior Wuya!” Liang Yichu shouted to a disciple behind him.

From the front row of the Jiuxiao Sect disciples, a jade faced disciple, who looked extremely elegant, headed forth. Even though every step of his was slow, he was in front of Liang Yichu in an instant.

Shrinking distances instantaneously, that was an extremely high-level skill.

“Xinfeng, greet Senior Wuya.”

“Hmm.” Xinfeng looked at Senior Elder Wuya and nodded his head, passing that off as a greeting.

“My apologies, Brother Wuya. His temperament has been as such no matter how much I’ve been trying to change him.” Liang Yichu laughed gently, but his meaning was clear, ‘So what if my disciple is arrogant? That’s the way it is.’

Senior Elder Wuya shook his head and laughed. He did not put the incident in his heart at all.

But on the other hand, Lin Fan, who had witnessed the entire incident, felt like a pack of horses had stampeded over his heart. What the hell? How could this fella be even cockier than him?

This guy needed to be taught a lesson.

He needed to understand that one must not be too cocky in life.

Chapter 171: You’re Wrong

p>Liang Yichu had spent a ton of effort in grooming this disciple of his. To him, this guy’s innate potential was comparable to that of Jiuxiao Sect’s ancestor. Now that he had brought him out, especially in front of an old friend, he had to naturally flaunt this disciple of his even more.

“Brother Wuya, how are the geniuses of Glory Sect doing? Where’s that Mie Qiongqi guy? Three years ago, my disciple had forced himself into a retreat to reach a higher cultivation base. Hence, he missed out on the sparring. I would love to have him match up with Mie Qiongqi for a bit.” Liang Yichu rubbed his belly while laughing.

Upon hearing this, Senior Elder Wuya was somewhat displeased as well, “Ah, Brother Yichu… Why do I get the feeling that you’re out to bicker with me?”

How could Senior Elder Wuya not know what sort of character his old friend was? Three years ago, Mie Qiongqi had defeated Jiuxiao Sect’s disciples with ruthless methods, entirely throwing Jiuxiao Sect’s face.

By the looks of it, Jiuxiao Sect had prepared themselves thoroughly to reclaim victory once more.

“Ah, don’t think that way, Brother Wuya. After all, we’ve got over a 100 years of ties. How could I be so rude as to bicker with you? Given our close relationship, I’m just trying to show some concern.” Liang Yichu smoked out as though every word was the truth.

Wuya scanned the surrounding Glory Sect disciples. Indeed, he could not find someone who was more capable than the other party’s genius.

The moment Wuya caught sight of this disciple of Liang Yichu, he knew clearly in his heart that if there were no accidents, this Xinfeng would probably take the crown for this year’s sparring.

Just then, Wuya’s gaze fell upon Lin Fan. This fella had always been mysterious. Even the Lesser Celestial Upper-Level Snow Lion was defeated by him. He must have plenty of tricks up his sleeves.

Now that the sect’s reputation was at stake, as a disciple of the sect, he naturally had an obligation to stand up for the sect.

Furthermore, the look of arrogance on Liang Yichu’s face was something Wuya could not stand. Since this guy couldn’t defeat Wuya himself, he was banking on his disciple to earn him back some face. How could Wuya let this happen that easily?

Wuya’s calm face let out a smile, “Since Brother Yichu is so eager, then let me introduce to you one of our sect’s geniuses. Lin Fan, come and greet your senior.”

Standing at his original position, Lin Fan was initially deep in his thoughts. He was still contemplating on how to get at this Xinfeng guy.

This guy whose nose was pointing above everyone else haughtily, who did not bother to look at anyone in the eyes… What a cocky fella! Those arrogant eyes of his made anyone want to give him a good punching.

But upon hearing Elder Wuya call himself, Lin Fan momentarily felt a life-threatening danger. A surge of energy rose through his heart at the same time.

To be remembered by the Elder in times of Glory Sect’s needs, it must mean that he held a certain degree of impression within their hearts.

Raising his head, Lin Fan was determined to be even cockier than Xinfeng. His head was raised so high he was no longer even looking ahead. He was just looking straight up at the clear blue skies.

Putting his hands behind his back, he strut forwards as well. He took every step slowly. To create a further lasting impression, he toggled ‘Stealth’ on and off, flickering his presence every now and then.

Every disciple of Glory Sect was now in an exuberant mood. They were already deeply attracted by Junior Master Lin’s suaveness. Whispers started flying around.

“How could Junior Master Lin be so imposing as a man?”

“I can’t take it anymore, it’s making me blind! Junior Master Lin’s demeanor is way too dazzling! Every step he takes… It’s sending off a repressing aura! I can’t take it any longer!”

“Hmph! That’s what I said! That’s all the Jiuxiao Sect’s genius can pull off! In front of Junior Master Lin, he’s squash!”

…

Looking at Lin Fan’s display of attitude, Wuya was lost for words as well within his heart. But his face let out a gentle smile in acknowledgment of Lin Fan.

Indeed, what Glory Sect was lacking was a disciple as such who could bring up the morale like this with such grandeur within him.

Those slow, shifting steps of his.

That flashing, intermittent image of his.

That raised, arrogant head of his.

Each of those points symbolized Glory Sect’s very dignity.

“Elder.” Lin Fan said as he arrived beside Wuya.

“Yes. Greet Senior Liang here. Senior Liang is Yours Truly’s long-sworn friend.”

Lin Fan lowered his head ever slightly. But since he had pulled it so far back initially, he still had to lower his gaze all the way down before he could make out a single strand of hair on Liang Yichu’s head.

Lin Fan did not snort like Xinfeng. To him, that would diminish his ability to show off his unique style as a person.

“Sniff… Sniff.”

Lin Fan’s nose trembled as he gave off two sniffs. That should suffice as a greeting.

Wuya looked at Lin Fan. The more he looked, the more he was fond of this man before him. He then continued apologetically, “My apologies, Brother Liang. His temperament has been as such no matter how much I’ve been trying to change him. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Liang Yichu looked at Wuya, then squinted at Lin Fan, somewhat displeased. This disciple here was indeed bloody cocky!

Xinfeng too frowned and glared at Lin Fan, unhappy as well. To think that this guy was even cockier than him? Unless… was this guy somehow even stronger than him?

The disciples of Jiuxiao Sect stared at Lin Fan, annoyed as well. How impudent could this guy get!?

Facing all of them with only his two nostrils, wasn’t that way too much!

Everyone took extra notice to burn the face of this man into their memories. During the sparring, they must let him understand what the consequences of being way too impudent were.

“Haha, Brother Wuya, quite something ain’t he, this disciple of yours? But his cultivation base seems to be…” Liang Yichu laughed as he stared at this disciple. He could not sense any flow of True Energy within his body, nor could he tell what his cultivation base was.

He could not figure out what method this disciple used to hide away his cultivation base from his very eyes. In the end, he concluded that this guy did not have any cultivation base at all.

How could Wuya not understand this fatty’s meaning? But at times, Wuya wondered as well. Just what was up with Lin Fan? There was not a single trace of energy coming out from him. Even the Grand Master himself could not make out what this man’s cultivation base was. He was indeed pretty strange.

“Let me ask you then, Elder Liang. What is the purpose of us training up our cultivation bases?” Lin Fan said gently, referring to himself.

“What an interesting disciple you have, Brother Wuya, to think that he’s testing me out. But fair enough! In the presence of so many young ones, let me share some knowledge as a Senior.”

“The purpose of us training up our cultivation bases? Of course, it is so that we can transcend everything before us, and conquer everything between Heaven and Earth. Only as such can we attain eternal freedom as humans, the freedom to do anything we wish to…” Liang Yichu’s face was smiling with confidence in every word he spoke. He had to give these young ones a good lesson about why they had to work hard to build up their cultivation bases.

“How?” Liang Yichu laughed and asked.

Listening to their Elder’s explanation, all the disciples of Jiuxiao Sect nodded in agreement, doused in the wisdom of their Elder. Even some disciples of Glory Sect nodded their heads as well. What he said made sense…to transcend everything before them.

But at that moment, Lin Fan stared straight at the man before him. An aura of dominance exuded from him as he spoke in a deep and low voice, “You’re wrong.”

“That is not our purpose for cultivating ourselves.”

The moment Lin Fan’s words left his mouth, there was an outrage within the crowd. Every single disciple of Jiuxiao Sect gripped their fists tightly. This guy…!

How could he be so bloody overbearing! Damn it. God damn it!

Chapter 172: Dare To Receive A Brick From Me?

p>”Transcend everything… Conquer everything freely… Eternal freedom… Who can easily claim eternity as eternity or freedom as freedom? In Glory Sect’s grand history of tens of thousands of years, we have tons of ancestors above us. Which of them could have claimed eternal freedom? Elder Liang, could YOU claim to live on for eternity? If so, why do we cultivate ourselves then? Of course, it’s to push the limits of our body… to be able to repay gratitude and seek vengeance for ourselves as and when required, to protect anybody who we care about. Your freedom is gone the moment you enter a sect. However, no matter if you’re a genius or a servant disciple, you’re still a part of the sect. If the sect is strong, you’re strong. If the sect dies, you die. As a member of the sect, you then have you use your life’s efforts to glorify the sect. What sort of freedom were you talking about then?”

Lin Fan just smoked as hard as he could. It didn’t matter if anyone understood a word. The most important thing was to first have the other party be at a loss for words.

Of course, Lin Fan agreed with what he said about eternity and freedom whatsoever. If one didn’t seek out those things while cultivating, what the f*ck else would they seek out?

But since this old fella was being so cocky, he naturally had to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. Even though this might irk the old man, Lin Fan could not care less. After all, he was a disciple of Glory Sect, not Jiuxiao Sect. It wasn’t like the old man could make things difficult for him anyway.

“Bravo! Junior Master Lin’s speech is the best!”

“That’s right, Junior Master Lin! It’s to protect people and things we care about! Since my cultivation base isn’t that high anyways, how can I ever attain eternal freedom anyways!”

…

Even though the Glory Sect disciples were on Junior Master Lin’s side to begin with, his words still gave them a big morale boost within their hearts nevertheless.

It was especially true for some of the disciples who had low potential and could never level up their cultivation bases even after diligent hard work; eternal freedom was just a fool’s dream.

But through Lin Fan’s words, they now had a newfound goal in life: to glorify the sect.

Naturally, as disciples, the only way the sect could make it big was through their efforts and dedication in building it up.

…

Liang Yichu too was dumbfounded by Lin Fan’s speech. To be at a loss for words after this junior’s rebuttal…

Especially what he said about ‘could YOU claim to live on for eternity?’, he could not find a way to answer that. Throughout the long history of Jiuxiao Sect and its ancestors, which of them could claim to be capable of doing that? Truly none.

Could he do the same? To gain eternal freedom? Of course, he couldn’t. It was a fool’s dream.

Even if he wanted to get back some face, he could not claim eternal freedom.

“Sigh…mere mortals would think that being able to cultivate is a good thing. But little do they know that it is a never-ending abyss… Nothing as simple as they would expect.” Lin Fan continued while he shook his head like an old soul.

This act was blown right through the skies at this moment.

Even Wuya looked at Lin Fan in surprise. To think that this fella could come up with such a speech of such quality. Furthermore, the logic was somewhat sound as well.

“Hmph!”

Just then, a sharp and violent Sword Will erupted through the air.

VING!

A long sword appeared out of thin air and the luminous edge seemed to rip through the thin air. The air it passed by was vibrating, as though it would be ripped apart at any moment.

“The worth of creatures is determined by the Heavens, as the strong devour the weak. Only the weak constantly seek excuses to escape from everything. The strong remain resolute within their hearts. Thus, eternal freedom is the highest state one could ever hope to achieve. To live a life without regrets, even if one were to fail, at least they would live up to their conscience. Do you dare to take a receive a sword from me?”

The sword stopped on Xinfeng’s hand as he pointed it at Lin Fan.

“Do you dare to receive a sword from me?” Xinfeng asked coldly.

He was thoroughly incensed in his heart. Not only was this guy cockier than him, he even caused Elder Liang to be speechless in front of such a large crowd. As a genius of Jiuxiao Sect, he had an obligation to win back some face for his sect.

He would use his strongest Sword Will to let this man understand the disparity in power levels. He would be made to realize that no matter how sound his logic was, he would still bend and kneel down in the face of absolute power.

Liang Yichu was actually gloating within his heart, but none of that showed on his expressionless face as he commented, “Dear disciple, how could you behave as such? If you were to give these Glory Sect disciples a shock, then you’d be committing a grave mistake!”

Xinfeng did not waver from his mentor’s words as his gaze was still fixated on Lin Fan. After following Elder Liang for tens of years, he already knew the hidden meaning behind his words.

While in the open, he asked Xinfeng to keep his blade, his actual meaning was closer to this, ‘Let loose. Show them your true strength.’

Some of the disciples of Glory Sect with lower cultivation bases were pale, and their foreheads were filled with beads of sweat under this repressive aura of Xinfeng. It was as though a gigantic buddha statue was crushing down on their soul.

Furthermore, the razor-edged blade seemed to be ripping their hearts apart, causing them to be extremely fearful.

On the other hand, Jiuxiao Sect disciples were breaking into a smirk.

Now that Senior Brother was enraged, it was time to show them the distinct difference in their strength.

Before they had arrived, Elder Liang had long laid things out for them: The genius of 3 years ago, Mie Qiongqi, had been imprisoned for killing one of their own, and Glory Sect no longer has any strong support of their own. While Zong Hentian could be considered strong, he was nothing compared to Xinfeng.

Xinfeng continued to expand out his Sword Will to encompass the entire surrounding area, forcing it upon every single disciple present.

“This sword seems extraordinary. What is it?” Hands behind his back, Lin Fan stepped forward as his calm eyes slowly surveyed the gleaming Xinfeng.

“A sword is a sword…” Xinfeng replied coldly as two swords appeared within his pupils, emitting strong aura of their own.

“Hmm, no harm receiving a sword of yours anyways. Give it to me.” Lin Fan’s aura exploded with dominance, as though nothing in this world could faze him.

Xinfeng snorted coldly as the sword left his hand and flew towards Lin Fan’s hands.

“The sword has only one master in a lifetime. Do take care of your hands.” Xinfeng stared at Lin Fan fixedly. The sword was filled with unparalleled Sword Will. In the hands of anyone other than its master, the wielder of the sword would suffer immense mental torture from the Sword Will emitted by it. But even then, Xinfeng did not care. He just had to show Lin Fan some pain.

Lin Fan held onto the sword and smiled.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +1.’

Upon touching the sword, Lin Fan could feel the powerful Sword Will surge through his body. But alas, it was of no use to someone like him.

Looking at someone other than Senior Brother Xinfeng holding his sword, all the disciples of Jiuxiao Sect were completely dumbfounded.

The smile on Elder Liang’s face gradually vanished. There was something wrong with this disciple of Glory Sect. How could he wield the sword which was infused with the Sword Will of his own disciple after countless years of being together with him?

Furthermore, he wasn’t even experiencing any adverse effects at all?!? Something was not right!

Just then, something even more shocking happened.

Lin Fan lifted the sword and swung it towards his chest.

CLANG.

The sound of metal breaking rose, silencing the entire crowd.

The moment Xinfeng’s sword touched Lin Fan’s body, it shattered into pieces, and only the handle dropped onto the floor.

This…!

Everyone dropped their jaws. Even Wuya and Liang Yichu were somewhat stunned.

“Do you dare to receive a brick from me?” Lin Fan pulled out his right hand holding onto a red, shiny brick.

The brick looked extremely ordinary, without anything special about it.

But a normal brick as such coupled with Lin Fan’s imposing aura was enough to give everyone a repressive feeling.

Chapter 173: Did We Think Too Much?

p>Xinfeng’s haughty face had yet to recover from the shock of what just happened.

His sword was gone…just like that?

That was the sword he had painstakingly infused all his Sword Aura into. How…how could this be possible?

While Xinfeng was burning inside, he knew he had to endure. He could not show it. If he did, where would Jiuxiao Sect’s face go? His heart was undergoing a turbulence. But he had to endure. He had to!

He. Must. Not. Let. It. Out. NO!

No matter how painful it was, he had to swallow it in. He had to let the other party know that he could do with or without this sword.

Xinfeng smiled, withstanding the terrible pain within his heart.

The disappearance of Xinfeng’s Sword Will aura woke all the Glory Sect disciples up. But looking at the sight before them, they fell into yet another trance.

Everyone then started discussing excitedly.

“Junior Master Lin is simply too strong!”

“Just looking at that sword was enough to feel it’s immense power! To think that Junior Master Lin could shatter it with just a touch! What a man!”

“So, this is what Jiuxiao Sect’s disciples are capable of! Even their toys are broken by Junior Master Lin! What a feeling!”

“When he took out that scary looking sword, I thought we were pretty much done for! But when Junior Master Lin slapped it down just like that, I knew I was thinking too much hahaha!:

“Look at those pale faces of the Jiuxiao Sect disciples!”

…

“Do you dare to receive a brick from me?” This was Lin Fan’s 3rd time repeating it.

Under the bright sun, the red brick shone ever more brightly scarlet.

The skies changed, and the winds stopped blowing.

Time stood still as Lin Fan stood there, gazing at Xinfeng fixedly.

This little kid trying to put on such a farce? Lin Fan could not take it at all.

One could be scared.

One could cower in fright and run.

All these were things that Lin Fan could endure and dismiss with a flick of his robes.

But to act strong in front of Yours Truly?

No chance, my friend. No chance.

How could anyone not know that in Lin Fan’s entire life, there was only one kind of person he hated the most: people who acted strong.

Xinfeng looked at Lin Fan with his heart thumping furiously, somewhat suffocating within. He hated this feeling. The man before him was a genius of Glory Sect. How could he lose to someone like Lin Fan!

He looked at the brick in Lin Fan’s hands. It was just a normal looking brick without any trace of True Energy.

It was neither a Light weapon, nor was it a Legendary weapon.

Unless…

A thought flashed through Xinfeng’s head. This man before him did not intend to do anything to him. All he wanted to do was to provide a pedestal for Jiuxiao Sect to step down from by using a normal brick.

What was to happen if he were to slap himself with the brick? One need not think much to know that it would naturally shatter just the same way his sword had shattered when Lin Fan swung it on his chest.

And just like that, everything would end peacefully, both sides even as everyone would go back happily to prepare for the sparring.

“Haha!” Xinfeng laughed as he finally understood it all. Seemed like this man was pretty gracious to provide them with a pedestal to save face after all.

To retain Jiuxiao Sect’s face, what was a slap with a brick?

Wuya and Liang Yichu glanced at each other. They too had the same conclusion that Xinfeng had.

Even though Wuya and Liang Yichu liked to bicker with one another, their ties with each other were still sturdy and dated back for a long time after all. Now that things had come to this, while both sides had their fair share of snide remarks made, it’d be best for things to end on a good note.

Wuya looked at Lin Fan and couldn’t help but nod his head in approval as well. What an interesting fellow! Not only that, he knew how to sustain the ties of friendship.

A man who knew how to cherish relationships, these were the type of characters that Wuya liked within his disciples, even if this man was not directly under Glory Sect, but the sixth Grand Master of the Saint Devil Sect.

But nevertheless, the Saint Devil Sect was a part of Glory Sect. If this guy were trained well and could eventually take over the post of Grand Master one day, that’d be a good thing as well.

Wuya did not say anything. He was waiting for the brick show to be over. But he told himself that he must take good care of this man from henceforth. Perhaps he should even recommend him up to the Grand Master.

While a talented disciple was essential to a sect…to have a disciple who was both skilled and wise, that was even rarer to find.

Not only must a Grand Master possess immense strength, but he must also possess a gracious and generous heart.

“Brother Yichu, since my disciple has received the sword. Let’s both make do and let this be done with.” Wuya said.

Liang Yichu looked at Wuya’s expression and smiled warmly as well as he put up a big thumbs up, indicating that it was Glory Sect’s fortune to be able to own such a wise and capable disciple.

“Disciple, receive his brick then.” Liang Yichu laughed.

“Yes.” Xinfeng did not hesitate nor fear at all. After all, what was it to receive a brick? It was just like any other brick anyways.

At this point, Xinfeng also had a feeling of appreciation towards Lin Fan as a man. Not only were their personalities alike, but their thoughts and actions under tough circumstances were also similar as well. Once this was over, Xinfeng would not mind having this man as the first friend in his life.

Xinfeng surveyed Lin Fan. Those haughty eyes of his etched Lin Fan’s face deep into his heart.

‘Buddy, I’m befriending you for life.’

“Come on.” Xinfeng raised his head high. Trembling slightly, he pushed forward, as though to give Lin Fan an easier time.

Lin Fan chuckled coldly in his heart. Looking at the Nine Five brick in his hand, he was heartened that it finally had its place in the battlefield once more.

“Good. Do not fear, it will not cause you any harm.” Lin Fan said.

Xinfeng lowered his head as he broke into a grin. Of course, there wouldn’t be any harm. He was a genius of Jiuxiao Sect. How could he be harmed by just a mere brick?

‘Don’t worry, buddy. Your thoughtful actions, I’ve already seen through it. Thanks, bro.’

Lin Fan’s hands quivered slightly, as though he barely had any strength.

The surrounding disciples who were watching were puzzled as well. Just what was happening?

But the next second, everyone understood instantaneously.

Bam.

A light touch.

Lin Fan turned around. Without even looking back, he kept the brick within his storage.

“What a disappointment. Not even worthy of a single blow…” Lin Fan raised his head up into the air and sighed.

He placed a finger on Xinfeng’s forehead.

PLOP.

Something unbelievable happened. Xinfeng’s body just collapsed onto the ground instantaneously.

The air was silent. No one could understand what was happening.

Lin Fan looked at Senior Elder Wuya and nodded.

Walking off into the distance, a voice came from his direction after a moment, “And that’s all that Jiuxiao Sect disciples are capable of…”

Even though he had long disappeared, the voice lingered on, booming through both sects’ disciples like thunder.

Wuya looked at Lin Fan’s disappearing back view, then at Xinfeng, who had collapsed lifelessly on the ground.

He was entirely stupefied.

‘Did we…think too much?’

Chapter 174: The Road To Zhang Ergou’s Rise

p>Without looking back even once, Lin Fan continued heading forward. Once he was confident he was far enough from the rest of them, he came to a stop.

Instantaneously, that solemn expression of his turned into joyful glee.

Thinking back at what happened, Lin Fan couldn’t help but burst out in laughter continuously.

From that haughty entrance he made to how he crushed Xinfeng spectacularly, especially the part where he broke Xinfeng’s sword with no effort truly brought the atmosphere to a new high. And just at that climax, he brought Xinfeng down with a single tap. Oh my, he was getting embarrassed just recalling these memories.

There were only two words that could describe this: F*ck Yeah.

Recalling Senior Elder Wuya’s dumbfounded expression, he must have been so impressed by Lin Fan’s actions that he was lost for words. Lin Fan wondered how much Senior Elder Wuya must be leaping with joy within his heart.

Especially at such a critical moment, Lin Fan managed to salvage Glory Sect’s face in one fell swoop. He must definitely be in for a big reward when he got back.

But Lin Fan wondered as well about why there weren’t any loud cheers of exuberance. Were they still in a state of shock?

But oh well, so be it. Happy as one could be, he leaped with every step back to the Nameless Peak.

…

Glory Sect’s entrance…

Wuya looked at Liang Yichu helplessly with a hint of apology in his look, as though he was apologetic that Jiuxiao Sect had to go through this.

But now that things had come to this, there was no salvaging it.

Liang Yichu’s rotund belly trembled slightly. He looked somewhat lost, somewhat stunned. Every single Jiuxiao Sect disciple kept their mouths shut. They were in complete disbelief.

Senior Brother Xin… He lost…just like that?

Where was the promised dominance? Where was the promised victory?

When Jiuxiao Sect disciples exchanged glances with the Glory Sect disciples, all of their eyes were somewhat embarrassed as well.

They had guessed the start right. But they had not expected this outcome.

…

“Wow…”

Just then, Glory Sect disciples erupted in cheers.

Junior Master Lin was simply too strong. His level of strength was unbelievable! With just the simple tap of a brick, their so-called genius disciple collapsed to the ground instantly!

If they had already idolized Junior Master Lin for his pill cultivating skills, they now thoroughly worshipped him for his strength as well.

None of them felt a single trace of True Energy within the brick. That was to say, that is just any other normal brick.

In their minds, there was only one possibility. Junior Master Lin was worried that he would injure the opponent with any other weapon. Thus, he had to resort to using a brick.

But what a display of strength that was! Just a simple brick was enough to knock out the other party. Indeed, what a man he was.

…

One minute later, Xinfeng woke up. He was lost. What had happened?

Looking at the surroundings, he realized something was off. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to recall what had happened.

That puzzled expression turned into one of rage.

He had never expected himself to lose. And to think that he caused Jiuxiao Sect to lose face!

“Master…I…!” Xinfeng felt ashamed. He had disgraced his sect and his master’s teachings. He had lost at this crucial moment.

Liang Yichu was extremely depressed within his heart. Looking at his old friend, one who he had known for hundred plus years, would Heaven never give him a chance to one-up this old buddy ever?

“Brother Yichu, fellow geniuses, Glory Sect has prepared a great feast to welcome your grand arrival. Please follow me.” Wuya did not know what else he could say to diffuse the awkward situation, so he changed the topic entirely.

“Ah, Brother Wuya. Bravo. Bravo…” Liang Yichu stood in front of Wuya, commenting downheartedly.

“Brother Yichu, you can’t entirely blame it on us Glory Sect either. After all, you were the one who started it…”

Liang Yichu looked at Wuya and waved his hands, motioning for the latter to forget about it. He no longer had anything to say.

Lin Fan, who was approaching Nameless Peak, finally heard the commotion coming from the distance behind him. He grinned once more. While these cheers might have come somewhat late, it was still a series of recognition.

…

“Master…!” Cai Zhiqiao, who was holding onto her little pouch, bounced around Lin Fan.

Lin Fan fondled his loving disciple’s head. The pain of separation was the most forgettable for young kids. After all, they were not as sentimental as adults.

“Master, is my pet ready!”

“Alright, I’ll hand it over to you now.” After merging with the essence blood of its ancestor, the Snow Lion cub had completely absorbed it within its body. How it would grow from now on was entirely up to the Heavens.

Lin Fan retrieved the cub. It was already able to open its eyes as it sprawled on Lin Fan’s palms, wailing gently.

The moment the cub came out, it attracted Cai Zhiqiao’s attention immediately.

“Master! It’s so cute! Can I hug it please please please?” Cai Zhiqiao tugged on Lin Fan’s sleeves happily.

“Yes, yes. Master will impart onto you a beast taming manual. If there’s anything you don’t know in the future, come and ask me.” Lin Fan did not dare to impart any mental skills nor martial skills to Cai Zhiqiao.

After all, she was still a young kid. If he were to impart such stuff to her, she might end up on the wrong side due to curiosity.

Hence, Lin Fan decided to take it one step at a time. When she grew older and wiser, he’d impart them to her one by one.

As Lin Fan was imparting the Beast Taming Manual to her, he asked, “Eh? Where is your Big Senior Brother?”

With a slightly stunned expression, she replied, “Over there…”

Looking at where she pointed, Lin Fan frowned. Wasn’t that the cliff? What the hell would he be there for? Could it be that he was contemplating about his worthless life…?

After he was done with Cai Zhiqiao, Lin Fan headed to the cliff immediately. He had to see what Zhang Ergou was up to.

At the cliff of Nameless Peak, the scenery was beautiful. With white clouds all around, it was like Heaven on earth.

Two figures stood there still.

“Yu…Lan. I really…like you.” Zhang Ergou’s face was flushed red as he stuttered with all his courage.

Lin Fan, who was walking over, came to a halt. That calm heart of his was suddenly experiencing turbulences all over.

Lin Fan did not believe that Zhang Ergou would dare to confess to someone.

This…this was earthshattering news.

Just then, a soft female voice bobbed over.

“Brother Zhang, you’re a great person. Your tenderness has always been within my heart. If only we’ve known each other earlier.”

“Yulan, it’s not too late that we know each other now.” Hearing Yulan’s praises of himself, Zhang Ergou was fuzzy all over. He was hopeful now that she was praising him.

Under the guise of his invisibility, Lin Fan stood nearby and shook his head helplessly.

Ergou, why are you so stupid? Can’t you make out her meaning already?

Lin Fan could easily comprehend her meaning behind her words: ‘Ergou, I truly do not wish to be with you. Just tenderness is not enough. Your cultivation base is simply too low. You should have realized it on your own earlier.’

…

“Brother Zhang, I ought to head back. If not, Senior Sister will give me a good scolding.” Yulan said softly. Without a care for Zhang Ergou’s pleas to stay, she left cruelly.

And just like that, the place was left eerily silent.

Zhang Ergou stood there alone at the cliff. From those beady eyes of his, beads of tears came dripping.

Looking at Zhang Ergou’s downcast state, even Lin Fan felt somewhat heartbroken.

A master was like a father.

How could he allow his own disciple to lose face like this?

At that very moment, Lin Fan came up with a new plan…

‘The Road to Zhang Ergou’s Rise.’