The Strongest System - Chapter 209

Chapter 209: The Mysterious Tuodi Shrine

p>‘Ding…congratulations on defeating Greater Celestial Middle Level: King of Spirits.’

‘Ding…Experience Points +600,000,000’

‘Ding…Congratulations on leveling up.’

‘Ding…Congratulations on smelting success.’

‘Ding…Congratulations on discovering Spirit Crystal.’

…

‘Ha?!’ Lin Fan was dazed by the numerous notifications by the system. Overwhelmed with joy, he burst out laughing. Lin Fan had initially thought that he wouldn’t gain anything from this smelt. In fact, the kill of the spirit may not even be granted to him. To think that he would gain both the sumptuous feast of experience points and the smelt product.

He had earned it big time now. Big time!

Seemed like Yours Truly was a blessed, lucky man indeed. No matter what he did, it all went right in the end!

At this point, Lin Fan was no longer pissed at the spirit for trying to take over his body. After all, its death was pretty worthwhile.

Seemed like even though this expedition of Tuodi Shrine was fraught with dangers, the rewards were pretty fulfilling! At the same time, he even had a deeper understanding of the Heaven and Earth Smelt and as a bonus, increased his cultivation base!

Pericelestial Lower Level.

Even though his cultivation base wasn’t that high, he was sure that just based on fighting strength alone, he was comparable to a lesser celestial by now.

‘Spirit Crystal: Formed from the essence of the King of Spirits. An item which allows you to communicate with the 9 spiritual realms.’

The crystal was around the size of his fist, purple in color. Lin Fan looked at it somewhat puzzled. Just how was he supposed to make use of this thing?

Lin Fan did not want to think too much about it for now and threw it within his storage sack.

Even though the Big BOSS was defeated, this Tuodi Shrine still seemed to be filled with mysteries.

One gaze across and Lin Fan could take in everything about the shrine with one look. But he was sure that there was more to this than what met the eye.

The Tuodi Shrine had existed for so long, and he was sure that there must have been tons of people who have explored this place before him. Why had none of them met these spirits who had been sealed in these altars?

That was weird.

Lin Fan turned his gaze up to the altars on top of the fingers, wondering if these things still had any use.

‘Ding…congratulations on discovering Sealed Altar (Broken)’

He took down one of them and looked at it. It seemed pretty useless and looked extremely normal. Furthermore, it was broken. But coming to think of it, these things were treasures in the past.

Lin Fan threw it within his storage sack as well. Perhaps, he might be able to find a use for it sometime in the future.

Lin Fan continued scouring Tuodi Shrine. Looking behind the gigantic statues, he did not find anything unusual. He even smashed one of the statues to check if there were anything hidden within.

This behavior of his could be attributed to poisoning by all the novels he had read in the past. Treasures could be found in all sorts of inconspicuous locations, and he would rather be sure not to miss any of them. After all, wouldn’t he reap a big fortune if he managed to find something rare?

When he truly couldn’t find anything within the Tuodi Shrine, he then turned around to leave.

Even though this Tuodi Shrine seemed like there was more to it, based on the situation right now, perhaps the time just wasn’t right yet. Maybe he should return at a later time to see if there were any changes to this place.

Sha Dulong and the other bandits were awaiting outside. Lin Fan had entered for an entire day and night, but yet had not returned. This was a worrisome fact.

“Big Brother, do you think that anything might have happened inside?” Sha Miexiong was fanning a bonfire as he sat on the floor. This Tuodi Shrine’s surroundings were extremely creepy. During night-time, there would be some eerie sounds coming from time to time.

If their Big Brother had not asked them to stay around, perhaps they might have even decided to run off from this place.

They all knew that they had gotten a good deal by following Lin Fan around. But now that he was gone for an entire day and night, no one knew if he were still alive or dead. They couldn’t be waiting around here for the rest of their lives, right?

Sha Dulong frowned and did not reply. Eventually, he let out a sigh, “We’ll wait for two more days. If sir does not come out two days later, we’ll leave.’

Sha Dulong did try to check out what was happening from outside the entrance. But the inside of the shrine was so dark that he wouldn’t even be able to see his fingers outstretched, let alone what was happening.

Even just by standing at the entrance, Sha Dulong could feel an intimidating and evil aura emitting from within the shrine.

Just then, a sound came from beyond.

The fourteen Sand Bandits were alerted immediately. Sha Dulong even pulled out his curved saber, ready to fight should anything go wrong, staring cautiously ahead. But by the time he could make out the figure, he let out a sigh of relief and headed forth, “Sir, you’re out!”

“Yes.” Lin Fan nodded his head. But when he saw the presence of a bonfire, he was quite startled, “How long have I been inside for?”

“An entire day and night.”

Lin Fan was pretty astonished. He had not expected time to pass by so quickly. He had barely felt the moving of time inside!

“Alright, let’s prepare to move out.” Lin Fan did not want to think too much about this Tuodi Shrine anymore. Even though he had wiped the spirits within, the place still gave him an uneasy feeling.

“Pack up and prepare to move out!” Sha Dulong did not ask much and just relayed the order to his brothers.

Lin Fan’s carriage slowly left the area…

Tuodi Shrine was once again shrouded in a creepy aura, as the entire place returned to its desolate and silent state. Occasionally, weird noises would come from the surroundings.

As night fell, the moonlight tried to pierce through the night and shine directly upon Tuodi Shrine, but it was blocked by the thick tree covers.

But just then, a beam of light broke the darkness.

A crow flapped down from the far distance. It was covered with a stench of dead bodies as those glowing ruby red eyes of its surveyed the surroundings.

The crow flew slowly into the Tuodi Shrine, through its dark entrance, and made its way slowly into the hall. The crow stopped on the biggest and most imposing statue as its ruby red eyes let out a shining bright red light.

Suddenly, the black feathers of the crow were filled with blood, gushing out like a stream.

The crow cawed terribly until it finally became a corpse and disappeared.

As though it had a life of its own, the blood flowed downstream from the statue. Continuously, it flowed and seeped into the ground.

A black stone sarcophagus laid quietly beneath the entire shrine. Thick chains coiled around the sarcophagus while above it was a golden skeleton sitting cross-legged on it. The skeleton gave off an ancient aura, evidently being an extremely powerful being.

On the walls surrounding the chamber were runic markings etched all around it.

Just then, a puff of red smoke slowly emitted from within the black sarcophagus. However, the runes on the walls immediately gave off a bright glow. The moment the smoke touched the glow, it retreated back into the sarcophagus.

Drip by drip, the crimson blood dripped onto the skeleton from the ceiling.

As every drip touched the skeleton, it began to darken bit by bit.

On the walls, one of the runes dimmed and disappeared entirely.

The chambers then returned to complete darkness…

Chapter 210: Robbery Once More

p>From a distance, the meandering mountain peaks curved and bent like dragons traversing the skies. Mountainous paths of varying sizes existed between cliffs, lined with luscious trees and forests. From time to time, the melody of birds chirping would ring in the air. Indeed, this was a picturesque scenery.

Within one of the mountain paths, a group of figures gradually appeared.

“Senior Brother, why are we not using the sect’s ark for this expedition? We’ve been out for so many days that my feet are blistering!” Within this group of people clad in blue robes, a young girl was grumbling to a man walking in front of her.

“Junior Sister, crossing mountains and seas is also a form of training. Along our way here, you’ve increased your cultivation base by a level, and all our Junior Brothers have benefitted from this experience as well. Even though using the ark would be convenient, would we still have such encounters had we used the ark?’ The man who was leading the pack was suave and elegant, with a sharp v-shaped face. On that stern face was an air of haughtiness.

The young lady nodded in agreement at her Senior Brother’s words. “Senior Brother, the Fiery Hell seems like a treacherous place. Would we be in any danger? And also, I’ve heard rumors that the mysterious beast has appeared once more. Would we bump into it?”

Lei Yifeng stopped his footsteps. “Junior Sister, we aren’t here to play in this expedition. The Fiery Hell is a training ground. Even right where we are now, we cannot afford to even let our guards down now and be careless.”

Regarding this Junior Sister, Lei Yifeng was somewhat helpless. Even though she had entered the sect not too long ago, she had an extremely high potential. Within a short span of 8 years, she had already climbed to be a pericelestial middle-level warrior. But what frustrated Lei Yifeng was her character. If she could endure all the training given, with her potential, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to hit full cultivation of pericelestial as well.

“Got it. But then again, with Senior Brother here, how could there be any dangers for us? Furthermore, the scenery here is so beautiful! How could this place be dangerous!” Xing Yueyu stuck out her tongue and said cheekily. Senior Brother only knew how to be serious all day and night, not even cute in the slightest manner.

“The more beautiful a place, the more dangerous it is. You must remember this in your heart, junior sister.” Lei Yifeng shook his head.

He did not know if it were the right decision to bring this Junior Sister along for the expedition this time around. Even though their purpose here was to train up these Junior Brothers, the main motive was actually to check out the situation of the Fiery Hell.

The vicinity of the Fiery Hell was expanding over time, burning more area as time went by. Furthermore, the temperature was steadily increasing as well. They had to check out just what was going on.

“Chey! I refuse to believe it. How could such a beautiful place be dangerous? In MY opinion, Senior Brother, you, are just making a mountain out of a molehill. You need to know how to enjoy life!” Xing Yueyu said mischievously.

The surrounding disciples chuckled. Towards this cute little Junior Sister, they have taken quite a liking as well.

But their Senior Brother’s serious expression did keep them on their toes as well.

…

“Young girl, what your Senior Brother said is right. The more beautiful a place is, the more you should be wary of it.” Just then, a gentle voice came from the distance. Everyone was startled.

Lei Yifeng turned around cautiously as well. Xing Yueyu was rooted on her spot at first, but moved to stand beside her Senior Brother.

“Who is it? Come out!” Lei Yifeng said sternly.

Lin Fan stepped out with his hands behind his back. Following closely behind him were the fourteen Sand Bandits.

“Now, calm down, ladies and gentlemen. I mean no harm. This is just a small robbery.” Lin Fan’s face was extremely calm, bringing about a pleasant smile. This was going to be decent robbery.

In the past two weeks, Lin Fan had lost his carriage.

When they were passing by a danger ground in the middle of their journey, they met with a stampede of beasts by chance. As these beasts ran towards them, it felt like there was an earthquake.

Lin Fan was initially excited by the scene. If he killed all of these beasts in one swoop, that would be a sh*t ton of experience points!

But when Lin Fan spotted a few beasts of lesser celestial cultivation bases within the beasts, he changed his mind immediately.

Hiding along with Sha Dulong and the other bandits, he could only watch helplessly as the carriage they did not manage to hide in time got drowned within the stampede of beasts.

Therefore, Lin Fan, who was enjoying his journey in comfort, could only rely on his legs to travel along with Sha Dulong and the rest of the bandits.

And just like that, ten days had passed, and they had exhausted all their provisions. They could only rely on hunting beasts for food daily. What a terrible life that was!

Now that they were approaching the Fiery Hell, Lin Fan had intended to just briefly check out the location indicated in the ‘Seven Saints Treasure Map’ before heading to a nearby town to replenish their stocks. But at that very moment, Sha Miexiong, who was casually strolling outside, hurried over, reporting that he had found a group of people.

Initially resigned to life, Lin Fan was revitalized the moment he heard this. If he did not grab this piece of meat that had dropped right before his mouth, there would be no other chance for this golden opportunity!

Ever since Sha Dulong and the bandits had followed Lin Fan, the thoughts of robbing anyone had entirely vanished from their minds.

But when Lin Fan gathered them to have them prepare for one, they were nevertheless excited.

“Senior Brother, are these what do they call them, bandits? Don’t they know who we are?” Xing Yueyu was not in the least bit nervous as she let out an excited smile.

But Lei Yifeng continued surveying them warily.

Sha Dulong and the other bandits were of pericelestial cultivation base. Therefore, they naturally let out a strong aura. This, Lei Yifeng could sense. But if this were the only thing, he wouldn’t be so worried. What he was concerned about was Lin Fan. This man did not give off any sort of aura at all. Silent and deadly.

“Who are you guys?” Lei Yifeng held back his Junior Sister and asked.

Looking at this bunch of disciples, Lin Fan was also pondering in his heart. By the looks of it, they looked pretty wealthy. They should have plenty of resources available on their rich selves.

But as a celebrity of Glory Sect, Lin Fan would not do anything underhanded such as killing people and looting their dead bodies. However, everyone had their times of needs. Now, seeking some help while one was in dire straits wouldn’t be too much now, would it?

“Who we are isn’t important. What’s important is that you guys, please stand still and cause no fuss. I’m only here to rob you. I don’t want to take your lives.”

Lin Fan had three rules for robbing.

No killing. No raping. Only robbing of wealth.

“Insolent! We’re the disciples of Daozhong Sect. You dare to rob us?” A disciple shouted from within their midst.

This was the first time they had encountered something like this. If they were to head back and let their Senior Brothers know that they had been robbed while on an expedition, wouldn’t they be the laughing stock of the sect?

“Haven’t you heard what our honorable sir had said? Stop creating a fuss and leave your valuables!” Sha Miexiong had been a bandit for a long time. Thus, he was at his happiest when he was conducting a robbery. Now that he had followed a strong man and was still able to go back to his old trade, he was naturally overwhelmed with joy.

This was the way a true robbery should go, full of intimidation and fearsomeness. He had to be so intimidating that the other party would not even dare to resist.

“Senior Brother, what are we even doing wasting time with them? Let’s just kill them.” A disciple whispered.

Lei Yifeng was hesitating in his heart, unable to make a decision. The man before him gave off a really dangerous feeling.

“HAHA! Lei Yifeng! To think that you guys from Daozhong Sect would be robbed one day!” Just then, the leaves of a tree nearby ruffled as a sharp, high pitched feminine voice came from within.

A man who was clad in white, with long, wavy hair, was standing on top of his long sword. That handsome face coupled with his arrogant expression made him look like a top sword master, causing anyone who looked at him to feel ashamed of themselves.

“Liu Linfeng.” Looking at who it was, Lei Yifeng’s expression changed, somewhat displeased.

“Well, these bandits seem to have quite a decent cultivation base. But they’re still nothing much. Let me send them to the Heavens with my sword then.” Liu Linfeng laughed coldly and sharply. With the flick of his finger, the long sword beneath his feet flew up into the skies, danced in a circle before sheathing itself back onto the scabbard on his back.

His clothing was white as snow, and he landed without a single sound. Indeed, he gave off the very air of a pseudo-man.

Lin Fan sized this guy up, nodding his head repeatedly.

Not bad.

He could train this man with a good lesson.

Chapter 211: Born In The Land Of Women

p>What an arrogant fella!

Not only was he feminine in his demeanor, that action of flicking his finger was gentle and tender, sending off a girly aura.

Liu Linfeng was a disciple of Xuanjian Sect. Now, the entire Xuanjian Sect was made up of females, and he was the only male disciple within it. Growing up there since he was a boy, naturally, he was groomed accustomed to the mannerisms of women. Today, he wouldn’t even leave the sect without rouge and makeup.

“Liu Linfeng, why are you here?” Lei Yifeng asked curtly, as though he wasn’t too pleased with this person before him.

Glancing at Lei Yifeng, Liu Linfeng laughed, “Why not? Does this place belong to Daozhong Sect?”

“Hmph!” Lei Yifeng snorted coldly.

…

Lin Fan was quite displeased at this point. Come on now, he was holding a robbery here! Why were these people ignoring him? Could it be that people these days weren’t even afraid of robberies anymore?

Or were they implying that he did not have what it took to be a robber!

Lin Fan coughed gently and stepped forward, “Please pay attention, guys. This is robbery time. Please cooperate.”

How could people these days be so careless! Even standing right before a group of bandits and they could be chatting as though they had got nothing to fear! This left Lin Fan completely speechless!

Especially Sha Dulong and the other bandits who had hideous and scary faces, one should already be scared witless just by looking at them!

But now that this group of people were acting so nonchalantly, Lin Fan couldn’t take it anymore. Hence, he had to give off gentle hints to remind these guys of the current situation.

Furthermore, with the unique aura that Liu Linfeng was giving off, Lin Fan had a good mind of giving him a good round of training. After all, there were few that he would take an interest in training up.

The moment Lin Fan opened his mouth, Liu Linfeng’s sharp eyes frowned gently, “Get lost! Killing you guys would dirty my sword!”

Just then, Liu Linfeng’s aura expanded rapidly. It emanated around him with a mixture of the Yin and Yang Sword Will. The forest seemed to have frozen still as well in the presence of his aura.

Against this aura, Lei Yifeng and Xing Yueyu, along with the other Zhongdao Sect disciples, felt somewhat uncomfortable as well.

The disciples were cursing within their hearts.

Liu Linfeng was doing this on purpose, repressing them down with his aura. Furthermore, the path of his cultivation was one of the strongest Sword Will in this world.

None of their cultivation bases were as high as Liu Linfeng’s. Therefore, they could naturally not withstand this aura. Beads of sweat were dripping furiously from their forehead, but they could only grit their teeth and hang on.

Taking a step forward, Lei Yifeng stood in between his juniors and Liu Linfeng, as though he was blocking the aura for them.

“Don’t go overboard!” Lei Yifeng warned sternly.

Liu Linfeng glared at Lei Xinfeng, then shrugged his shoulders. He then turned around to Lin Fan and the bandits, “I’ll give you guys three seconds. If you don’t scram within this time, then you bear the consequences on your own.”

Liu Linfeng stared at Lin Fan and the bandits as though they were mere ants.

Lin Fan was about to explode by this point. He had not expected this man before him to act so imposingly with a repressing aura. Looking like a girl, Lin Fan could let that pass. But to think that he would give off such an arrogant aura!

“Insolent! Watch how you’re speaking to my honorable sir!” Sha Dulong took out his saber and barked threateningly.

How dare this man be so insolent in front of Lin Fan! He was just courting death!

Even though Lin Fan himself did not say anything, as his underlings, they could not just sit still and let this pass by.

Right at that moment, Sha Dulong felt his heart clench. It was as though an aura had locked itself onto his heart, and he froze as though he had fallen into the depths of hell.

“Annoying.” Liu Linfeng glanced from the side of his eye, dashing with his sword tip pointed towards Sha Dulong at lightspeed.

Sha Dulong was frozen at this point by this. Even though he wanted to dodge, the sword was extremely fast like lightning, and it was as though his body was rooted to the ground and he couldn’t move.

This man struck without giving any warning just because he was displeased.

“Don’t be brazen.”

Sha Dulong had thought that he was about to die. But at that very moment, the incoming force stopped. The sword was caught in between two fingers, stopping still in the air.

“That’s good. Since you presented yourself here, then I’ll rob you along with them.” Lin Fan said casually. Even though this Liu Linfeng wasn’t weak, he still wasn’t Lin Fan’s match. What a pity!

Liu Linfeng was dumbfounded. He had not expected his sword to be stopped so easily, let alone by just two fingers.

This…this…!

A sword flashed within Liu Linfeng’s pupils. He twisted his wrist, wanting to slice off Lin Fan’s fingers. But no matter how much strength he exerted, his sword refused to budge.

Lei Yifeng stood at one side silently, his heart thumping furiously within. He knew of Liu Linfeng’s strength. In fact, he may not even be a match for Liu Linfeng. Even though he was an irksome guy, Lei Yifeng had to acknowledge his strength nevertheless. But now, this man before him could easily stop Lei Yifeng’s sword, with just two fingers.

This was terrifying!

This difference in strength was like heaven and earth.

Who WAS he? He couldn’t just be any ordinary bandit now.

“You guys better wise up and get your sh*t together! Otherwise, I’ll slice all of you up!” Lin Fan flicked his finger onto the sword tip, sending a vibrating shockwave down into Liu Linfeng’s entire body.

Liu Linfeng stumbled back quickly, his face entirely stupefied. He couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Looking at these guys and their insolent behavior, Lin Fan understood one thing; he had been too kind. If he weren’t fiercer, these guys might really take him for a pushover.

Lin Fan took out his Eternal Axe and slammed it on the ground.

A domineering aura was exerted onto the entire crowd.

With Lin Fan’s outburst, Liu Linfeng started to shudder slightly. That farce he had put on to appear stronger seemed to be breaking down in front of Lin Fan, as his fragile heart took a double take.

“Senior’s strength is extremely powerful. I’m sure you shouldn’t be doing something like this, right?” Lei Yifeng said cautiously. He was extremely alert now. This man’s strength was beyond his expectations.

“What nonsense are you rambling on about! Men on the left, ladies on the right! Hold up both of your hands behind your heads and place all your valuables on the ground before you!” Lin Fan’s aura was exploding by this point. He gave off the perfect impression of a peerless bandit this world had never seen.

Sha Dulong and the other bandits looked at Lin Fan, their looks of shock slowly turning into admiration and awe. This man was the bandit of all bandits! This was the real way one should be conducting a robbery!

Thinking back at how they used to do it…man, they seemed like amateurs now compared to him. With just one single sentence, Lin Fan has managed to shock the entire place, leaving them with nothing to resist against him. Impressive indeed!

“Don’t touch anywhere inappropriate!” Liu Linfeng’s chest was huffing and puffing, somewhat indignant. Looking at this, Lei Yifeng headed up to restrain Liu Linfeng. No one should lose their lives over a moment of impulse!

“Senior Brother…!” Xing Yueyu stood alone at one corner, her face looking terrible as though she could cry at any moment.

“Everyone squat down!” Lin Fan roared.

Everyone squatted down immediately. Xing Yueyu’s tears were brimming in her eyes. She had not expected things to turn out this way in the expedition.

Before they had even done anything, they were robbed along the way. This was a terrible feeling!

Looking at these once haughty disciples, the fourteen Sand Bandits could not help but grin as well.

‘Look at this. Disciples of a sect, squatting down helplessly….’ They had never seen such a scene for themselves.

“Get to work.” Lin Fan flicked his robes, announcing the start of the confiscation exercise.

Lin Fan looked like a ruler upon the masses, standing with hands behind his back while looking at these rows of squatting disciples.

Chapter 212: Sinful And Mysterious Forest

p>While the robbery was pretty fruitful for Lin Fan, it was quite a tragedy for the Daozhong Sect disciples.

“Senior Brother…those are all my life savings!” A disciple cried out, tugging tightly onto his storage sack. That tragic face of his was heartbreaking, as though someone was snatching away every single thing he loved in this life.

Lei Yifeng squatted there with a tormented look as well. As an inner sect disciple of Daozhong Sect, encountering something like this while bringing his junior disciples out for an expedition made him feel pretty miserable as well.

Looking at the pitiful looks of his Junior Brothers, Lei Yifeng consoled them gently, “Junior Brothers, let’s just give in to their requests. It’s fine. When we get back, your Senior Brother, me, will try to help you guys compensate for your losses.”

As a Senior Brother, he had an obligation to protect these guys from the dangers of the expedition. But due to his lack of strength, they were held at bay and robbed. As a Senior Brother, he felt a sense of responsibility towards this issue.

As such, Lei Yifeng gritted his teeth and bore with everything. Once they returned to the sect, he would take out all his belongings from his own pockets to try to minimize the losses of his Junior Brothers.

Upon hearing Lei Yifeng’s words, all the Junior Brothers who were crying their hearts out had a streak of glee on their faces. Without any further hesitation, they took out all their storage sacks and handed them over obediently.

Senior brother said that he would compensate them for it when they got back. That was a gift from the heavens!

After all, would Senior Brother give them anything worthless as compensation?

Looking at these disciples who had a change of heart and handed their belongings over nicely, the fourteen Sand Bandits felt relieved as well.

“As a man, why are you carrying so much of this stuff!” Sha Dulong exclaimed as he came across Liu Linfeng.

Bloody hell! As a man, what the hell was he doing carrying rouge, makeup, and all that girly sht! This was thoroughly shameful!

Looking at the items taken from Liu Linfeng, the disciples of Daozhong Sect had to hold in their laughter to resist from bursting out loud, as they all looked at Liu Linfeng with a weird look in their eyes.

All of them knew that Liu Linfeng had grown up under the care of Xuanjian Sect. And they too knew that in Xuanjian Sect, every single person within, even a mere cook, was female.

And for Liu Linfeng who had resided in this place for his entire life, naturally, his habits were those of women as well. To change him was probably an impossible task.

“I can give you my storage ring. Could you leave this stuff behind?” Liu Linfeng raised his head while squatting on the ground, looking at Sha Dulong.

Losing the storage ring was nothing much to Liu Linfeng. To him, the rouge was the most important thing. After all, he had gathered a wide variety of flowers and plants before he could create this rouge.

Just that fragrant scent itself was worth everything in the world to him.

Furthermore, the Grand Master and other elders in the sect treated him really nicely, especially his own master. Even though she was strict to him, they were never stingy on him. He had always gotten all the best things. Thus, he was never lacking in any treasures during his life in Xuanjian Sect. So, he could make do with the loss of treasures.

Sha Dulong looked at Liu Linfeng. This man had just tried to kill him moments earlier. But looking at the state he was in now, Sha Dulong no longer felt as pissed as he was.

“All this girly sht, you can have it back. A man using the stuff that only women use… Disgraceful!’ Sha Dulong looked at him in disdain and confiscated the other belongings without saying anything further.

This was the best feeling ever for these fourteen Sand Bandits. They had not expected that this day would come by.

After they were done with everything, Lin Fan gathered all the belongings together. He intended to slowly go through them once they were at a quiet spot later on.

“You guys can leave now.” Now that he was done with the robbery, there was nothing more to gain from keeping these people here any longer.

Lei Yifeng stood up and beckoned towards his Junior Brothers to leave quickly. Even though this man had just robbed them, he had no killing intent towards them. To this, Lei Yifeng was very relieved.

If this man were bent on killing them, these Junior Brothers he had brought with him would definitely stand no chance against someone like him.

“You, stay.” As Liu Linfeng prepared to leave along with Lei Yifeng and the others, Lin Fan called out.

Liu Linfeng was puzzled. “Why can I not leave? I’ve given everything as you’ve told me to.”

“Senior, this person here is a disciple of Xuanjian Sect. Please do not make things difficult for him, Senior.” Lei Yifeng stood in to plead.

“Unless ALL of you do not wish to leave…” Lin Fan’s expression grew stern. He did not wish to drag this on for too long.

Lei Yifeng pondered for a moment before casting an apologetic look to Liu Linfeng, indicating that this was the most he could have done.

He could not possibly sacrifice the lives of his Junior Brothers here just for Liu Linfeng…

…

After Lei Yifeng and the others had left, Liu Linfeng felt a little nervous. He had noticed that the man’s gaze towards him did not bear goodwill.

Growing up in the midst of women, Liu Linfeng was naturally gentler in his demeanor. But once he was out, he had to put on a strong front, or he’d be taken as a pushover. Hence, Liu Linfeng would normally give off a feeling of superiority, as though he was the best in this world.

Lin Fan stepped forward, sizing up this man from top to toe. From time to time, he would let out an evil laugh as well.

Not bad, not bad.

Liu Linfeng was the first person Lin Fan had met who could wield both Yin and Yang Sword Wills.

As a man who was able to produce an aura of both Yin and Yang, that was interesting. By the looks of it, this guy could perhaps be one of the geniuses recorded in legends.

Towards talented people, Lin Fan had always maintained the same approach. Those he could recruit, he would recruit. Those he couldn’t, he’d train them up well.

“Follow me.” Lin Fan grinned and beckoned towards Liu Linfeng.

Liu Linfeng swallowed his saliva in a gulp. A look of worry flashed past his eyes. Just what was this man up to?

No. He must definitely not follow this man in.

Liu Linfeng’s senses were all ringing warning bells as a small little voice in his heart cautioned him, “Don’t go…don’t go!”

With a startled look, Liu Linfeng flicked his finger and unsheathed his sword. He planned on riding his sword into the clouds to escape from this place.

But before he could take off, his heel was held in place tightly by the other party’s hands and pulled down back onto the ground.

“What’s your hurry? I’m not after your life. Follow Yours Truly into that clearing in the woods.” Lin Fan grinned sinisterly with a look of anticipation.

“No please…!” Liu Linfeng tried desperately to grab onto the sand and the ground beneath him as he was dragged away. Horror spread across that tender face of his.

But Lin Fan’s grip on his heel was firm as he dragged this man with him towards the clearing.

“You guys wait here for me. Yours Truly will be back in a bit.” Lin Fan said to Sha Dulong and the other bandits.

“Yes!” Sha Dulong and the rest of them were equally dumbstruck at this scene.

Gradually, Liu Linfeng’s yelps grew softer and they both disappeared into the woods, silent.

“Big Brother! Do you think that, sir, he will….?” Sha Miexiong asked, gulping down his saliva as well. That look of fear in his eyes was full of disbelief as well.

Sha Dulong looked at his brothers in equal bewilderment.

“Probably…not?”

Just then, a cold breeze blew past.

Sha Dulong and the other bandits felt their anuses clenching up.

Even though that man did seem pretty feminine, but Lin Fan should not have fetishes like that…right?

For a long time, all of their gazes turned towards that sinful and mysterious forest, wondering what was going on within it.

Chapter 213: Whip On Your Body, Pain In My Heart

p>”Senior Brother, do you reckon that he’ll be alright?” Xing Yueyu asked apprehensively. She was still immersed in the mood of being robbed. This was the first time she had encountered something like this.

Back in the sect, she was always protected by her Senior Brothers. But now that she was out on an expedition and encountered such a shocking affair, it was quite an experience for her.

Indeed, just like the Senior Brothers had said, only when one was out of the sect could they experience a different sort of life. They were right.

“He should be.” Lei Yifeng said. But frankly, he wasn’t too sure of that himself as well.

Even though Liu Linfeng was somewhat irksome, the relationship of their sects was pretty fine. In the past, one of the ancestors of Daozhong Sect had married one of the ancestors of Xuanjian Sect. Even though thousands of years had passed since then, the two sects had maintained this harmonious friendship and relationship.

“Eh, Senior Brother…look at that!” Xing Yueyu pointed over to a big flag hanging majestically in the distance.

Lei Yifeng raised his head and looked over. Far in the distance, above a mountain top was a flag blowing along with the winds.

Lei Yifeng pondered for a moment, and he came to an exciting realization, “Hurry, let’s head over! That’s the flag of Xuanjian Sect! They would only plant that if they had set up camp or base somewhere!”

…

Within the sinful and mysterious forest…

A series of cries could be heard ringing from beyond.

“What are you doing! Let me go!” Liu Linfeng was deep in struggles. But by now, he realized how small he was in the face of all this. That death grip on his heel was unbreakable as the man continued to drag him into the deep parts of the forest.

Looking at Lin Fan’s imposing back view, Liu Linfeng was only filled with fear. Coupled with the dead silence of the forest, everything seemed even more menacing.

“I am a disciple of Xuanjian Sect! My Master will not let you off!” Liu Linfeng was on the brink of tears. At this moment of despair, he was in regrets. Why did he choose to act so arrogantly earlier on?

Couldn’t he have just camped in silence within the trees? Why did he have to come out? Now that he was wrapped within all this, how was he to get out of it?

Suddenly, Lin Fan came to a stop. Surveying the surroundings, he nodded in approval. Not bad, a quiet place it was. Pretty far from Sha Dulong and the rest as well. This way, nobody should hear any screams or shouts from here.

Saint Devil Sect was expanding smoothly. However, even though he had two talented geniuses, Mie Qiongqi and Tian Yu, this was far from enough.

Even though Lin Fan felt that Liu Linfeng’s strength was pretty low, what he was interested in was Liu Linfeng’s ability to wield the Yin Yang Sword Will.

Although this Yin Yang Sword Will wasn’t fabulous right now, Lin Fan knew that if this man were to continue cultivating it, he would be able to unleash an extremely powerful Sword Will by the time it had reached a certain stage.

Greater Celestial Cultivation Base, understanding the Energy grid lines, controlling the Energy grid lines… Within these grid lines existed Yin Yang grid lines as well. If he could control such grid lines, then his powers would definitely not be that low either.

Today, even if he had to be harsh about it, he would definitely train Liu Linfeng.

The moment Liu Linfeng felt the grip on his heel loosen, he stumbled backward immediately, retreating as fast as possible.

“Don’t come any closer! My Master is nearby!” Liu Linfeng claimed frantically.

Lin Fan looked at Liu Linfeng with a calm expression, holding a black whip in his hands.

PSSSSSCH!

The whip cracked as Lin Fan swung it on the ground, swinging up mud along with it.

Not bad, this was a decent whip indeed. Ever since Lin Fan obtained the side profession of being a Trainer, he always brought a whip wherever he went.

Just in case.

And the moment Liu Linfeng caught sight of the whip, he was scared out of his wits.

“No…!”

Liu Linfeng did not want to think about anything anymore. Turning around, he broke into a run to escape. But with the flick of his wrist, Lin Fan’s whip curled like a snake towards Liu Linfeng’s direction, coiling around him and pulling him back.

“Do not worry. Yours Truly does not seek your life. You must remember, this is all for your own good.” Lin Fan said naturally.

He then took out some leather straps and hung Liu Linfeng up on a tree.

“What…what are you doing…!” Liu Linfeng was extremely horrified. He was praying within his heart for salvation.

“Master!!! Please come and save me!”

Lin Fan swung the whip a few times in his hands. Not bad, he was pretty used to the feeling of this whip by now. On his face revealed a big, wide smile.

First, he had to adjust the level of shame. Perhaps he should start by hanging him bare.

PSSSSCH!

A loud crack of the whip rang through the air as the whip aimed for Liu Linfeng’s clothes, seemingly growing eyes of its own. The moment the whip touched Liu Linfeng’s clothes, they split apart on its own.

Lin Fan was stunned.

Other than the rouge that he was keeping within his clothes that fell off, something else was startling.

Liu Linfeng was wearing an…an undergarment!

Furthermore, it was pink in color!

Lin Fan was so stunned that he yelped in shock.

Lin Fan took in a deep breath. Seemed like this time round, the target to train was not so easy after all. But he should have expected this from someone who could wield the Yin Yang Sword Will. This person should have been far from ordinary to begin with.

After continuous thinking and research, Lin Fan had come up with various ways of training someone. Since things had come to this, he might as well try some of them on Liu Linfeng.

Lin Fan’s expression changed. That calm face of his turned extremely stern in an instant.

When Liu Linfeng met this gaze of Lin Fan, he felt a new chill shiver down his spine. From Lin Fan’s eyes, he saw whips dancing within.

“What do you think about following Yours Truly from henceforth?” Before he started the training, Lin Fan had to state the objective and theme first. This was for the other party to start preparing himself mentally. Finally, after a thorough training, he could then conform the other party to him.

“Impossible!” Liu Linfeng yelled.

The moment Liu Linfeng replied, Lin Fan grinned. This was the reply he was waiting for.

“Wild Whips.”

Lin Fan was not a demented man, but for the sake of Saint Devil Sect’s future, he could only resort to such techniques.

“NO…!” Just then, the air was only filled with the long whip’s dance. Whip after whip, they landed on Liu Linfeng’s body, leaving marks of inerasable shame. These deep red marks were deeply embedded in that snow white skin of his.

Liu Linfeng was wailing sorrowfully. Even though every whip was inflicting a lot of pain on his body, there was also an unspeakable sense of shame encompassing his very body.

“Will you follow Yours Truly?” Lin Fan asked again.

“No!” Liu Linfeng was sweating from head to toe. Those crystallized sweat dripped all over his snow white body. Under the reflection of the glaring sun, he was sparkling like diamonds in the skies.

At least such perfect skin did justice to all that rouge that he was always using.

“Alright then. Ultimate Hidden Skill: Air Flower Style Whipping.”

Lin Fan was ready to unleash his ultimate ability. This was the strongest skill for him as a trainer. With this one move, Heavens and Earth would move, humans would cease to exist, and the world would no longer have any morals to speak of.

Air Flower Style Whipping consisted of merging one hundred and eighty-eight different moves into one.

Back then on Mie Qiongqi, he had only used 20. He would use 30 this time round on Liu Linfeng. Hopefully, this man would able to bear it all.

One whip to the anus…

One whip to coil around his manhood…

…

After god knew how long, Lin Fan let out a breath of relief, gently wiping the sweat away from his forehead.

“Will you follow Yours Truly?”

“Yes.”

…

Looking at Liu Linfeng who was curled up on the floor, Lin Fan walked forth helplessly and patted his head gently. Giving a long sigh, he continued, “Hais. While the whip touches your body, the pain is inflicted in the heart of Yours Truly. One day in the future, you will truly realize that this is all for your own sake.”

After more than thirty minutes of training, Lin Fan finally had this wild horse submitting to him. To Lin Fan, there was still much, much more that he needed to do to fully understand this side profession of being a Trainer.

Within the forest, a white figure appeared, floating like a ghost.

“Thief! How dare you harm my disciple!”

Just then, a soft yet sharp roar erupted beside Lin Fan’s ears.

Lin Fan raised his head and took a look.

His face changed.

The other party’s fighting strength was way too high.

F*ck.

Chapter 214: Where’s The Trust Between Humans?

p>Xuan Yunxian was furious. She had rushed over here immediately upon receiving the news from those Daozhong Sect disciples, extremely worried.

Liu Linfeng was the son of her elder sister. Ever since that incident, her elder sister entrusted Liu Linfeng to her. Even though she was young and did not know what had happened, all she understood till this day was that Liu Linfeng was the only remaining bloodline of her sister.

Ever since then, Xuan Yunxian had begged the Grand Master earnestly to allow her to keep Liu Linfeng in the sect, bringing this boy up.

But now that he was abducted, Xuan Yunxian was naturally enraged. Even more than anger, she was anxious about him. Thus, she rushed over immediately.

Looking at Liu Linfeng’s current state, Xuan Yunxian was incensed. On that distressed face of hers was a strong killing intent.

“Take care of him.” Xuan Yunxian ordered the disciples she had brought along with her and chased after the direction Lin Fan fled in.

Lin Fan was utterly frustrated in his heart. Why the fck was he so unlucky yet again?!? This woman, who was so impossibly beautiful, turned out to be so strong as well. They were on completely different levels!

Lesser Celestial Full Cultivation… Goodness, even that strong body of his might not be able to withstand her blows.

Lin Fan streaked immediately in the direction ahead of him, flying off. Now, once someone reached pericelestial cultivation base, they gained the ability to fly through the air. However, the woman who was chasing him was a lesser celestial full cultivation being. Comparing flying speed, would she lose out to him?

But Lin Fan was grateful to himself for his hard work and effort in mastering his streaking skill, leveling it so high that his speed was even faster than that of someone flying.

Xuan Yunxian chased tightly behind. Her face was huffed with anger as well, hardly able to believe that there was someone who could surpass her flying speed.

“Stop right there!” Xuan Yunxian shouted fiercely.

“Sister there, I was just playing a prank! You don’t have to get this serious!” Lin Fan ran away while he lamented in despair.

The one thing Lin Fan was most afraid of in this life was to be targeted by a woman.

A woman was an illogical creature, unable to be comprehended. The moment she was displeased with oneself, she will pick a fight with you. But then again, a fight was nothing much. The worst thing was when she would decide to cling onto one until both the parties perished into the depths of hell.

“HEY! What have you done to my disciple!” Xuan Yunxian roared angrily as her speed increased once more. She was so fast now that she was barely a specter in the forest. She could only remember the state she saw her disciple in: Shirt torn in tatters, breathing weakly as though he had been through some sort of trauma.

“Nothing! I was just having a heart to heart talk with him!” Lin Fan started streaking in a zigzag manner, forming an S shape. This crazy woman’s speed was too damn fast! If he didn’t run in a zigzag manner, he would definitely be caught by her.

“ARGH!” Xuan Yunxian roared angrily. Stretching out her hand, she sliced through the void and immersed herself within it, increasing her speed even more.

As Lin Fan was frantically escaping, he snuck a peek behind. The moment he realized that Xuan Yunxian had entered the void and moved even faster as though she was teleporting, he exclaimed in shock as well.

“Hey…hey! Don’t…don’t go overboard now! Anymore and you’ll…you’ll be forcing my hand, okay?” Lin Fan gritted his teeth and pushed himself even faster. Why did Liu Linfeng not speak up for him earlier on? Did he fail to train that guy properly?

But that couldn’t be right either. The side profession of being a Trainer could never possibly go wrong.

Then, it must be because it was way too rushed. He must have dashed off before Liu Linfeng could even get a chance to speak up for him.

“Alright then, show me your ‘forced hand’ then! Injuring my disciple? I’ll make you pay today!” Xuan Yunxian replied coldly, the killing intent even stronger in her voice.

Lin Fan cried out sorrowfully. This was a tragic example of failing in the realm of being a Trainer. He had turned the stubborn Liu Linfeng into an obedient child. Not only was the parental adult figure not grateful towards him, she was on her way to kill him off. What sort of logic was this?

Suddenly, Lin Fan felt an astral wind surging towards him from the back. In shock, he dodged without even turning back.

BOOM!

The ground vibrated as a deep trench appeared where Lin Fan seconds ago.

“Bloody btch! You for real?” Lin Fan cried out in trepidation.

‘HMPH!’

…

And just like that, both of them carried on this chase of cat and mouse. Lin Fan was like butter burning on a hot pan. How the hell was he to shake off this woman?

If this were to carry on, he would definitely be caught by this woman. Even though he had trained this skill of escaping up till a pretty decent level, the difference in his cultivation base with this woman was still pretty significant. As such, the disparity in speed would only grow less with time.

Just then, Lin Fan saw a patch of flaming grounds before him. He knew that he must be near the Fiery Hell by now.

Gritting his teeth, Lin Fan dashed towards the direction of the flame; he had to take this gamble. Fiery Hell was a forbidden ground after all. Therefore, there must be a certain degree of danger to it. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage to shake off that bitch.

“Sister! You’ve got a lovely face with sharp features. How is it that your temper does not match your appearance? We should have a peaceful talk to come to a resolution! Furthermore, I’ve got a pretty good relationship with your disciple! If you don’t believe, you can head back and ask him yourself!” Lin Fan shouted over.

“Alright, then YOU stop running and we can talk properly.” Xuan Yunxian replied.

Bloody hell1 How was this guy so bloody fast on his feet? Even after she employed her secret technique, she still couldn’t catch up to him. Furthermore, she knew that the Fiery Hell laid right ahead. There was no need to take on this additional risk for no reason at all.

If this fella were to run in and attract the beast, he’d spoil all of their plans.

“Alright then. We’ll both keep the promise to talk it out!” Lin Fan called out.

“Sure.”

…

As Lin Fan came to a halt, Xuan Yunxian followed suit.

The both of them began to size each other up.

“I really didn’t do anything to your disciple. You can check with him if you doubt my words.” Lin Fan was still trying to catch his breath. This high-speed chase had left him pretty breathless.

From the start of his journey out of the sect, he had not met with anything good. Tuodi Shrine aside, he was being hunted down for his life. Goodness, what sort of luck was this?

On the flawless face of Xuan Yunxian was an authoritative look. The way she looked at others was as though she was a queen looking down at all her subjects in this world.

But just at that moment, her eyes burned furiously. Her jade smooth hands were filled with True Energy as she channeled that towards Lin Fan’s direction.

“As though I trust your bullshit!”

The moment Lin Fan saw this, his face grew pale as he dodged immediately once more.

“Btch! You went back on your word! Goodness! What happened to the trust between humans?!” Lin Fan yelled angrily. What a despicable and sneaky btch! Compared to a righteous man like him, where were her morals?

By now, Lin Fan had arrived in the Fiery Hell’s vicinity. What he was stepping on was no longer mud on the ground. The ground was charred black with cracks all around it and flames bursting from the cracks themselves.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +100.’

Wow! To think that these flames that were shooting out from the ground could actually increase the experience points of his Eternal Demon Body! What a treat!

But what left Lin Fan speechless was the fact that the shoes on his feet had instantly turned into ashes once he stepped into this place.

When Lin Fan looked over at Xuan Yunxian, he realized that she was walking comfortably on these burning grounds. She had covered her feet with True Energy like a barrier protecting them against the fiery flames.

Fiery Hell looked just like a scene from an apocalypse. The entire place was charred black and looked absolutely desolate and deathly. The entire place was blazing with flames dancing around the cracks and gigantic sharp rocks protruded from all around the ground as well. A lava river in the center of the place divided Fiery Hell into two.

At the same time, Lin Fan saw some beasts with fire blazing over their entire bodies strolling casually in these charred lands.

Suddenly, the whole place shook.

Xuan Yunxian, who was chasing after Lin Fan all the way, came to a stop, her expression changing. She tried to turn around to leave, but it was too late.

At the boundaries of Fiery Hell shot out a fire wall, surrounding the entire Fiery Hell and separating it from the outside world.

Just then, Lin Fan realized that Xuan Yunxian no longer bothered about him. Instead, she was flying off somewhat hurriedly into the distance.

“Eh? What’s happening?” Lin Fan shook his head, confused.

He did not understand why the btch who was bent on taking his life moments earlier was now disregarding him entirely.

Could it be that his imposing aura had scared her off?

But when Lin Fan looked around him, his face changed as well.

Fck…sh*t just got flamin’ real.

Chapter 215: Ancient Beast

p>The flames which shot up from the boundary surged up to form an impenetrable firewall, tearing away at the ground as well, caging Fiery Hell like a tsunami.

Lin Fan raised his head to look at the skies, and saw that there was no way out anymore. The once clear skies were also encompassed by this fiery cage, as the heat waves slammed onto them like the tides crashing onto shores.

Lin Fan’s face was extremely shocked. This was like being inside a bloody volcano! At the same time, he finally understood why the btch Xuan Yunxian had gone to hide herself nervously.

Stinky btches! How could she not inform him after realizing what the situation was? Did she just want to watch Yours Truly melt in these flames?

Lin Fan surveyed his surroundings, trying to look for a place where he could seek cover.

Even though Fiery Hell was a forbidden ground, some disicples came here to train up. If that were the case, then there should be places to hide and tide this through.

Otherwise, if something like this were to happen to them from time to time, who could survive this sht?

Lin Fan leaped rapidly forward towards the center of it all. His eyes focused, determined to find a suitable hiding spot.

However, none of the beasts who were covered in flames seemed to be worried at all. They were all raising their heads towards the skies and howling, as though they were welcoming something.

The moment these beasts caught sight of Lin Fan, they pounced towards him furiously, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

“Head aside! Yours Truly has no time to play with you guys!” Lin Fan did not know if his Eternal Demon Body could handle the attacks of these things. Even though the flames were bright red, some mysterious black flames were flowing within a few of them. Lin Fan did not dare to risk his body with this unknown flame.

If he could not withstand it, wouldn’t his death be too tragic and helpless?

The moment one of the beasts reached him and attacked, Lin Fan waved his hands and desecrated it immediately.

‘Ding…congratulations on defeating precelestial upper-level beast.’

…

These beasts did not have a high cultivation base and were of not much use to Lin Fan’s experience. Thus, he did not pay them much heed as he hurried to the center of Fiery Hell.

Lin Fan’s eyes gleamed as he caught sight of a cave on a wall.

At lightning speed, Lin Fan sped and entered it immediately. The cave extended upwards, as though it was created for the sole purpose of dodging this fiery torrent that was happening.

…

The fourteen Sand Bandits had been faithfully awaiting the return of their honorable sir. But no matter how long they awaited, there was no trace of sound coming out from within the forest. Just when they were about to use their imagination to imagine what was happening, the ground beneath them vibrated violently.

Sha Dulong and the bandits looked in the distance with an astonished look. The skies were flushed red from the flames, and a heat wave passed by them.

Everyone was stunned, wondering just what had happened.

At Xuanjian Sect’s campsite, Liu Linfeng had long been retrieved back. He didn’t suffer much bodily harm, just that his mind seemed to be in a daze. It was as though he had tons of stuff he needed to come to terms with.

Just then, the skies changed color and Fiery Hell vibrated, attracting the attention of Xuanjian Sect.

“What’s happening over there? Why’s Senior Sister not back yet?” One of the higher-ranking disciples of Xuanjian Sect asked with an apprehensive look.

Just then, a slightly older woman walked out of the campsite. Looking at the skies which seemed to be burning, she frowned.

“You guys come with me. The rest of you, guard the campsite.” Immediately afterward, she flew into the skies, leaving a rainbow behind her towards Fiery Hell.

…

Lin Fan camped within the cave, patiently waiting for the fire torrent to pass by.

This place was deserving of being called a forbidden ground. Giving such surprises from time to time, impressive indeed!

Out of the seven locations in the ‘Seven Saints Treasure Map’, the first was already so imposing. He wondered what the rest would be like.

Lin Fan decided that he would hide a little longer even after this fire torrent had passed. That btch was way too vicious, she would probably not rest till he was dead.

The cave started to heat up as the temperature rose rapidly.

Lin Fan wondered what the rocks of this place were made up of. Even after he pushed his finger at them, he didn’t even leave a single scratch. Even though he did not exert his full strength, had it been any normal rock, it would have turned into dust with his push.

A forbidden ground was a forbidden ground indeed. Even the rocks here were so high class.

Just then, a red light appeared at the entrance of the cave. A series of hot air rose up, as though it was trying to penetrate into the cave.

But, the red light disappeared instantaneously as quickly as it came.

Lin Fan waited for a long time, wondering what was happening outside. The flames that rose up at the boundaries was simply way too majestic.

Suddenly, a loud cry pierced into the skies, bringing with it boundless authority.

This was the cry of a wild beast.

And this cry was so strong that it seemed to pierce through one’s heart, bringing shivers into it.

Lin Fan moved down along the tunnel sneakily, hoping to catch a glimpse of what sort of beast it was to give off such an imposing presence.

Approaching the entrance of the cave carefully, Lin Fan took a quick peek at his surroundings. When he found out that the crazy b*tch wasn’t around, he let out a sigh of relief.

But when he saw what was ahead of him, he was dumbstruck.

From within the lava river which divided the Fiery Hell into two rose a bird-like beast spreading its wings.

Head of a goose.

Bum of a kilin.

Neck of a snake.

Tail of a fish.

Scales of a dragon.

…

THIS WAS A PHOENIX!

Lin Fan stared in bewilderment. During his life on Earth, he naturally had some knowledge of these auspicious creatures. But he had never ever seen one in real life.

Those spread out wings were broad and glorious, extremely breathtaking. The four tails of the phoenix were burning with a boundless flame on each of them.

Lin Fan gulped. This was the bird-like creature Sha Dulong was talking about. To think that it had taken residence within the Fiery Hell.

Just by looking at it, Lin Fan had lost all will of resistance. Just by the sheer size alone, the beast had him intimidated. That imposing aura of it sent down waves of authority, shaking the hearts of anyone present. Who would even think of anything more?

…

A group of people stood on a peak some distance away. Looking at the scene unfolding within the Fiery Hell, they were all pretty shaken up.

“How could an Ancient Beast still exist…?”

“A phoenix who had been through Nirvana four times…”

“An unkillable and indestructible Ancient Beast…!”

The group of people from Xuanjian Sect stared at this, chills shivering down their spines. They came to look for an item in the Fiery Hell, but they had not expected to see an Ancient Beast present. Furthermore, it was a phoenix who had been through Nirvana four times.

The phoenix was one of the Ancient Beasts. From birth, it had been through Nirvana once, thus the formation of its tail.

Each time it went through Nirvana, it would grow one more tail.

And the phoenix before their very eyes had four.

At that moment, the skies changed. A force seemingly able to break through the Heavens encompassed the entire Fiery Hell. From the skies, a black vortex appeared. Within the vortex, a whip with a golden glow swung out.

Feeling this repressive aura, everyone’s faces could not be more terrible. Against it, all of them had the intention of cowering down in their hearts.

Who was this? Was this person going to try to capture and tame the Ancient Beast?

Lin Fan was looking at everything with his jaw agape as well.

Everything… Every single thing just seemed to be getting way more outrageous.

Chapter 216: Yet Another Breakout Act

p>The golden whip glimmered brightly, covering the entire sky in its golden shade. Like an agile snake, it coiled around repeatedly in the skies. The 4-tailed phoenix cried out, shaking the heaven and earth, and filling them completely with flames.

Lin Fan retreated slightly in shock. This whip was so darn strong! How could anyone survive from that?

Lin Fan looked towards the black vortex. It was as though there was a divine being housed within it, looking at all of this with cold eyes.

And that domineering whip was the representation of that divine being.

‘???’

His cultivation base was only represented by question marks. This must mean that he had transcended beyond Greater Celestial. This was the first time Lin Fan had encountered anyone like this.

The thought of this made Lin Fan shudder. If he had come to Fiery Hell brashly like he intended to, encountering this Phoenix and acting out all his bullsht as always, wouldn’t he be dead meat if this divine being had appeared just like this?

The battle between the whip and the Phoenix was extremely fierce as their aura exploded everywhere. Lin Fan felt as though he was caught within a tornado, and he could be ripped apart at any moment.

The Xuanjian Sect disciples on the peak nearby retreated immediately, extremely shocked as well. Even just standing there felt way too dangerous, as the pulsing shockwaves made their hearts throb.

“What about Senior Sister Xuan?” One of the disciples asked.

“This situation is no longer within our control.”

…

Lin Fan retreated hastily. This four-tailed phoenix was simply way too strong, as though it could singlehandedly manipulate the power of all the flames within Fiery Hell. All of the beasts stood where they were, howling into the skies without any fear.

But suddenly, all these beasts exploded into dust by a sudden shockwave.

Seeing this, Lin Fan was shocked out of his wits. This person was simply way too terrifying! He could destroy them without even moving a single bit!

At the same time, Lin Fan caught sight of the btch who had tried to kill him. But now that things were like this, who was in the mood to bother about what had happened earlier.

“Leave now! It’s too dangerous!” Lin Fan shouted over.

When Xuan Yunxian looked at what happened to the beasts, she was in a momentary state of shock as well. However, upon seeing Lin Fan, she calmed down. Once more, she was agitated and angered, wanting revenge on this man who had harmed her disciple.

But just as she was about to strike at him, something unexpected happened.

The four-tailed phoenix’s battle with the whip had reached its climax. The Phoenix flapped its flaming wings furiously as the entire Fiery Hell shook violently. It was similar to what happened earlier, but way more intense.

One by one, flames shot out from the ground, forming fire tornadoes of their own. The number of fire tornadoes increased over time, threatening to burn over the entire Fiery Hell.

Eventually, Xuan Yunxian gritted her teeth and continued to look for somewhere else to hide.

Lin Fan was following behind Xuan Yunxian. Suddenly, a fire tornado shot out from beneath his feet, scaring the guts out of him.

But at that moment, Lin Fan’s expression changed.

‘Ding…Eternal Demon Body experience points +100.’

…

Lin Fan stood around in bemusement. Whew! Nothing happened to him! Even though his clothes were burning, his physical body had no damage or anything to it. In fact, he even gained some experience points.

By now, the flames were like a tsunami of fire, threatening to swallow the entire Fiery Hell.

“Here! There’s a cave here!” Lin Fan shouted over to Xuan Yunxian, who was busy looking for a hiding spot. Upon hearing Lin Fan’s call, Xuan Yunxian turned around. Glancing at Lin Fan once, she then proceeded into the cave.

“Why aren’t you coming in?” Xuan Yunxian realized that Lin Fan was standing outside the cave without budging an inch and hurried him.

Just then, Lin Fan gave off a resigned laugh. “The cave only fits one.”

Xuan Yunxian’s face changed upon realizing this fact. Looking at Lin Fan in disbelief, she could not believe that this man would…!

“You…”

Lin Fan looked at Xuan Yunxian with a smile on his face. “To be able to pass on the hope of living to a beauty like you is an honor of mine. Ever since I first caught sight of you, I was captivated by your grace. I hope that you do not forget about me ever…”

Xuan Yunxian wanted to reply, but she was further interrupted by Lin Fan.

“Do not speak any further. To be able to just stare at you like this before I die is a lavish demand to the Heavens. Farewell.” Lin Fan lifted a rock from the side and proceeded to slowly seal up the cave.

Just then, a burst of flame burnt against his back, circling around Lin Fan’s body. Lin Fan squeezed tears out of his eyes, showing an extremely pained look, as though he was struggling to move that rock to seal up the cave.

Xuan Yunxian, who was hidden in the cave, did not say anything. She couldn’t; Lin Fan’s words and actions had stunned her speechless.

…

By now, Lin Fan was prancing and leaping around the Fiery Hell casually. The clothes he was wearing had already long been burnt to a crisp.

“Hehe! Yours Truly is a genius indeed! Seems like my skills at picking up chicks had improved quite a bit. Seems like, in the near future, there would be yet another maiden in this world whose heart will be filled with the radiance of Yours Truly!”

The moment Lin Fan realized that these flames did not cause him any harm, a thought had already come to his mind.

Even if he were to hide in the cave and tide this through, he would still need to run for his life after this was all over. If things were to go south, he might even get caught by the other party.

Also, how could he miss out on this fantastic battle between the four-tailed phoenix and the whip! If any treasures were to drop from the phoenix’s defeat and he were to pick them up ‘accidentally’, wouldn’t he be in for some big profits?!?

Lin Fan was like a fish swimming in this pool of fire as he stared up at the skies.

The battle between the phoenix and the whip was getting so heated up that the flames were burning white. But one could tell that the phoenix was no match for the whip, as it slowly lost its advantage over time.

Just then, something shocking happened. The whip glowed golden once more, unleashing an ancient aura and coiling the phoenix within it.

The whip repeatedly coiled without stopping, trapping the phoenix within it. The glow seemed to have some sort of restrictive properties, catching onto the phoenix tightly.

Looking at this, Lin Fan was somewhat disappointed. Was the phoenix going down just like this?

Yours Truly was waiting for a situation where both parties would suffer greatly, and he’d just sneakily reap the rewards. He had already prepared his popcorn to watch this fantastic show, and this was it?

But yet another unbelievable thing happened; from within the black vortex, stretched out a gigantic arm.

Looking at this arm, Lin Fan no longer had words to describe this bullsh*t.

Lightning was crackling at each of its fingertips as the gigantic hand itself was covered densely in runic symbols and runes. The speed at which the arm was moving was slow, as though something was holding it back.

And the direction the arm was heading towards was the lava river.

The trapped phoenix shrieked out loudly at the sight of this and struggled intensely to try to break free. It beat its gigantic wings furiously and dashed towards the vortex.

BOOM!

Just then, a blinding light shot out from the vortex. The ground shook as though the skies were going to collapse at any moment.

Lin Fan stood dumbfounded. He did not know what had just happened.

The skies returned to its clear blue state. The vortex was gone, the phoenix was gone… Everything was gone, and silence returned to the earth.

The lava river was the only thing flowing amidst this silence.

Lin Fan was stunned for a while. Suddenly, his eyes gleamed.

There must be something inside…

Without thinking, Lin Fan dove headfirst into the lava river.

Chapter 217: Living Forever In A Maiden’s Heart

p>The battle which had struck phobia into everyone’s hearts had finally ended. One of the top ten beasts, the phoenix’s presence had disappeared entirely. The flames encompassing the entire Fiery Hell vanished instantly as well.

A few rainbows streaked through the skies as a group of people landed.

These were the disciples of Xuanjian Sect.

They had all witnessed the scene that had just happened. It was impossible for any of them to not be shocked by it. The appearance of a top ten beast had already gotten them into disbelief, but the appearance of the vortex was even more shocking than that.

The aura of that vortex did not feel like it belonged to Dongling Continent, or any place in fact. It was way too strong. So strong that none of them could even feel like resisting against it.

Xuan Yun frowned. Even though peace had returned to Fiery Hell, her heart had yet to subside.

She was an elder of Xuanjian Sect, and her cultivation base was of a Greater Celestial. Even though she was not the strongest in Dongling Continent, her presence was never to be scoffed at either. But the pressure that came from the aura beforehand had even her feeling a sense of death within it.

If she were the target of that black vortex, she probably wouldn’t have lasted even a second.

She had to head back and inform the other sects. This was the first time something like this had happened in Dongling Continent.

A mysterious power which did not belong within Dongling Continent had appeared. And it appeared in Fiery Hell. Perhaps its objective was the Ancient Beast.

And just then, from within the now silent Fiery Hell came a sound.

Xuan Yun’s expression grew alert as she looked around. But upon seeing who it was, she was filled with joy.

“Yunxian, are you alright?” Xuan Yun hurried ahead.

The other disciples revealed a wide smile of relief on their faces as well. They had thought that Yunxian might have perished here.

Xuan Yunxian’s expression was stoned, as though she had just gone through a trauma. Those lost eyes of hers were frantically looking around, as though she had lost something.

But gradually…she revealed a look of disappointment.

“It’s alright.” Xuan Yunxian shook her head.

The only thing on her mind was the last image she saw.

That man’s face, and his final words.

When the flames surrounded that man, she felt her heart tighten. And when she witnessed the man using all his strength to seal up the cave for her, she felt a momentary suffocating feeling.

She had never thought that she would experience this feeling in her entire life.

“Yunxian, it’s good that you’re alright. This place is too suspicious… Let’s get out of here.” Xuan Yun realized that something was amiss with Yunxian and thought that the shock of the battle must have gotten to her.

Not only Yunxian, even she herself was feeling the lingering fear of that battle.

Xuan Yunxian took a final look at the place, her heartstrings pulling at her. Eventually, she nodded.

On that beautiful face of hers was a look of sorrow.

Halfway down the mountain…

The fourteen Sand Bandits had been apprehended by Lei Yifeng and his disciples. When Fiery Hell was bustling, Lei Yifeng had headed in this direction. Bumping into the fourteen Sand Bandits, Lei Yifeng naturally captured all of them since he was still burning with hatred for them. The fourteen Sand Bandits were all squatting on the ground, hands covering their heads from behind, looking terrible.

Now that they did not know where their new leader was, they were easily captured by these people. Looking at one another, perhaps this was truly their end now.

“What are you doing?” Xuan Yun, who was passing by, asked.

“Senior Xuan, these people had robbed us! And their leader was the man who had harmed Brother Liu Linfeng!” Lei Yifeng replied.

Xuan Yun looked at these 14 Sand Bandits and frowned. “The nature of these men are impure and evil. Kill them then, so that they can no longer harm the masses.”

“Yes.” Lei Yifeng nodded his head. But just as he was about to strike, Xuan Yunxian spoke up.

“Let them go.” Her face was calm.

Lei Yifeng stunned. “This…”

Xuan Yunxian did not reply. She snorted, expressing her displeasure.

Lei Yifeng shuddered in fear. He then replied hurriedly, “Yes…!”

But Lei Yifeng did not understand why Senior Xuan had wanted him to release these guys.

“Your leader has passed away. You guys head on your own ways.” Xuan Yunxian told them. She could naturally tell of their impure natures. In fact, countless people must have died at their very hands. But since their leader had saved her, this was the least she could do.

“What…?!?” Sha Dulong let out a face of disbelief. But he could tell that the other party wasn’t deceiving him. Eventually, he let out a sigh. Nodding to his fellow brothers, they left the area.

“Yunxian. What was that all about?” Xuan Yun asked, puzzled.

“Senior Sister, I would have died in the Fiery Hell if not for their leader.” Xuan Yunxian replied quietly. But her eyes gave off a look of sorrow.

Xuan Yun looked at Yunxian and did not pursue the matter.

…

Within the lava river, Lin Fan looked at these flames. Diving all the way down, he did not expect Eternal Demon Body to be this strong. Was this what everyone meant by being immune to both heat and cold?

As the heat brushed by his body, they could only be transmuted to small amounts of experience points. Even though it was little, this still seemed like a good place for gaining experience to Lin Fan.

The idea of leveling up using the Heaven and Earth Smelt had crossed Lin Fan’s mind. But it was simply unbearable. The pain of it was equivalent to having to chop off his little manhood. If it were not a matter of life and death, he would choose not to experience that pain ever again.

On the other hand, it was so comfortable within this lava river, as though he was in a hot spring.

Lin Fan’s physical body state was pretty darn strong by this point. A lava river like this was no problem for a Greater Celestial master as well, but that was only because they had boundless True Energy within their bodies as support for it.

Therefore, for a body like Lin Fan’s to exist was simply incredibly rare.

Just then, Lin Fan spotted a soft, red glow flashing intermittently at the bottom of the river, as though something was lying there.

Lin Fan was excited immediately. Using all his strength, he dove towards it hurriedly

His objective to come to Fiery Hell was naturally to search for the treasure indicated within the ‘Seven Saints Treasure Map’. This Fiery Hell was so bloody huge and yet there was no indication of the exact location on the treasure map.

He had expected to stay in this place for quite some time.

But based on the actions of the gigantic arm just now, Lin Fan was sure that it was about to grab something within this river, just that it was stopped by the phoenix. By the looks of it, the treasure should be somewhere here.

The deeper Lin Fan went, he found out that this river seemed to have been partitioned and divided by something. Losing his attention for a split second, he tumbled all the way down to the bottom.

Raising his head, he realized that there was a glow of light above him preventing the river from flowing down. He could still see the flow of the river as though he was looking through a screen, but yet not a single drop of lava came down.

Incredible. This was incredible indeed.

Looking at his surroundings, this place seemed to be underground, and he could not feel any pressure from within.

Looking at his bare a*s, Lin Fan took out a fresh set of clothing from his storage to put them on. He then headed forth to continue exploring this mysterious place.