[Have you lost it?]
Everyone watched Zhuo Fan in shock. [The damn punk doesn't give a rat's ass about anything! Doing and saying whatever he wants.]
[Those right there are Ethereal Stage experts while you're just a fresh Radiant Stage laborer. Is death that enticing?]
"Zhuo Fan…" Venerable Bai started, but Zhuo Fan chuckled.
"These poor elders just lost their kin. The least I can do is get their hopes up."
Venerable Bai sighed, "You're not giving them hope, but your life."
"It's fine. Besides, everyone here can attest to my integrity and kindness. It all comes down to having what it takes to take it."
Zhuo Fan grinned, "I just love getting these pesky coots'—who always keep butting in my affairs—hopes up. Then crushing them, ha-ha-ha…"
No matter how much Venerable Bai and Qi were against it, there was no point crying over spilled milk. Since he was so cocky in his skills, why not just let them sort it out themselves?
The fiends were still annoyed that Zhuo Fan went over them and challenged the elite area. It was a wonderful contradiction with their fondness for talent as they hoped he'd grow up to his potential.
However, the sect's rule left them hopeless once the challenge was made. None could interfere in this battle.
All watched on with eager looks.
In one corner were two very influential elders, in the 2nd and 3rd layer of Ethereal Stage that could pop a Radiant Stage cultivator with a snap of their fingers.
The challenger was the ineffable founder of the Elite Labor Office, Steward Zhuo. He had them wondering what act he was playing this time.
From the moment he threw the heads at the elders, some astute oldies noticed he was taunting the two to this exact moment.
But what good would getting them berserk do? Which made this fight all the more interesting.
"He-he-he, against a pipsqueak, two is overkill." Second Elder spat. "Seventh Elder, may I take revenge for your granddaughter? Having you join in will give him too much credit."
Seventh Elder was totally against this idea, but he still nodded, "Fine, just make it quick."
"Obviously."
Second Elder saw Chi Feng's head once more and roared, "Feng'er, I will have your revenge!"
Second Elder flicked his hand and unleashed a terrible soul wind.
The audience tensed. [That's an Ethereal Stage expert's soul attack which no Yuan Qi or body could withstand.]
Kui Lang's group knew what Zhuo Fan could do, but even that fell short against a soul attack of this magnitude.
Then again, Zhuo Fan didn't care. He just gave a dismissive wave like swatting a fly and the attack was no more.
Second Elder was dumbfounded, "H-how the hell…"
The audience even more so.
[Since when could a fresh Radiant Stage cultivator just shirk off a high and mighty Ethereal Stage expert's soul attack?]
[Unless he has a soul form too. That's the only explanation he's still alive. But that's even more impossible!]
[He just reached the Radiant Stage!]
Everyone peered at Zhuo Fan to find his secret.
The two elders noticed Zhuo Fan's creepy smile and their hearts jumped.
"Seventh Elder, this kid's strange. While I attack again, you take his head!" Second Elder sent.
Seventh Elder nodded as Second Elder shot for Zhuo Fan with an even bigger soul pressure.
Common sense dictated a Radiant Stage cultivator would've died by now from having their soul crushed.
Yet Zhuo Fan took it like a champ. He just stood there, as if Second Elder's soul pressure was but a cooling spring breeze.
Second Elder turned serious as he waved his hands and a fire sea ignited around Zhuo Fan.
Inferno!
Venerable Bai cried, "Second Elder's soul is the fire element and that is soul fire, nothing physical can affect it. The only way to withstand it is with a strong soul!"
"What do we do? Isn't Steward Zhuo just a Radiant Stage cultivator? How can he withstand a soul fire?" Yue Ling panicked.
Kui Lang's side was tense.
Just as a cool voice came from within the raging fire, "Divine Eye of the Void's 4th stage, Space Crusher!"
Hum~
The shockwave ensued, clearing up a hundred-meter sphere around him with a bang, everything crushed to nothing.
The soul fire stood no chance in this absolute domain.
Second Elder faltered two steps, shocked and blood coming out of his mouth.
The appearance of Space Crusher annihilated his soul fire and in turn, gave his soul a deep scar.
Yet he could hardly believe a punk was capable of such a feat.
[H-how did he…]
The rest were too out of it to react. [A fresh Radiant Stage cultivator just wounded an Ethereal Stage expert. That's unheard of!]
They gulped as they watched the smug Zhuo Fan within the fire.
[He's a monster with total confidence in dealing with the elders!]
[That means the challenge was made on purpose to target them. He's after…]
Everyone shivered. [The Labor Office's steward didn't do it to get back at two disciples, but to get the elders' heads!]
Sss~
With a gasp, the audience realized the sheer scope of his ploy. Everything had been done to bait them, including this so-called apology banquet, to kill the elders in plain sight.
They saw Zhuo Fan's right eye glowing with four golden halos and shook.
Since they were elders, not any challenge would be accepted on the spot. These two were victims of circumstances, forced into a corner without realizing that gave Zhuo Fan the moral high ground in dispatching them for all to see.
All held Zhuo Fan in fear and respect. Not just disciples, but elders and venerables as well.
The kid's mind was more twisted than the oldies'…
Grinning from ear to ear, Zhuo Fan only cared about one thing, killing. His right eye shined golden once more.
[Divine Eye of the Void's 1st stage, Shift!]
He bamfed right in front of his quarry and unleashed a palm attack.
With a draconic roar, the palm felt like a dragon claw of outstanding might clawing at Second Elder's chest.
His attempt at using his soul fire to defend proved feeble as the sheer pressure left him gasping.
[H-how am I feeling soul pressure? Y-you formed your soul?!]
Second Elder's heart cried out in disbelief. Just a Radiant Stage laborer and yet had a soul form like an Ethereal Stage expert.
And to make it worse, the soul form was even stronger, putting pressure on his own.
"7th grade demonic treasure, Soul Eater!"
Second Elder figured out he was getting the short straw when it came to using his soul to attack, which rendered the Ethereal Stage's defining ability useless.
Left with no choice, he'd fight the old-fashioned way. There was no way his larger Yuan Qi, thanks to his Ethereal Stage cultivation and the help of the 7th grade demonic treasure, couldn't chop the punk up.
Fighting with fists against a Radiant Stage cultivator was utterly ridiculous for an Ethereal Stage expert. However, everyone here knew he was forced by circumstances.
But if there was one thing Zhuo Fan prided himself on, it was his body. Coupled with his sturdy Qilin arm that no tool could scratch, that 7th grade toy was nothing but a toothpick.
Grinning from ear to ear, Zhuo Fan said, "Second Elder, allow me to send you off to your grandson. Hi-hi-hi, Ghostly Dragon Claw!"
Roar!
The draconic roar added to the Qilin's glowing arm, amplifying the strike.
Suddenly, dozens of wind blades came for Zhuo Fan's back.
The soul vibe from them spoke volumes. The attacker was an Ethereal Stage expert as well.
Glancing beyond the wind blades at Seventh Elder, Zhuo Fan smirked, uncaring as his claw continued.
Clang!
The claw and sword clashed, letting out sparks, followed by the sound of the sword cracking.
With a bang, the 7th grade demonic treasure broke like a twig under Zhuo Fan's attack, and as it reflected in Second Elder's horrified eyes, it struck home.
Pff!
A simple groan came as blood and gore spurted from smashing Second Elder into a pulp. The area reeked of blood within seconds, staining the ground and sending a shiver down the audience's spine.
It was one thing to guess Zhuo Fan's master plan and another to see it executed with such ease.
[The brat went and frickin' done it…]
Whoosh!
A blaze came from the pile of red goo, flying as fast as it could from here.
Having cooled down, Second Elder knew he'd been duped. Everything Zhuo Fan did was a meticulous effort to take their lives.
It hadn't even been five exchanges, and he was already down one body. He was filled with regret now for his raging temper.
It only spoke volumes of how insidious and cunning the kid was. Now, his only chance was to get the hell out of here and under Venerable Shi's wing.
One day, he would have his revenge.
He noticed Zhuo Fan's cold eye behind, his intent to chase, though the wind blades had to be addressed first.
[He'll have to choose between getting wounded and chasing me or defending himself.]
Second Elder's soul regained his confidence, finding the time to monologue, "You haven't seen the last of me, brat!"
"Oh, but I have."
Zhuo Fan smirked and fixed his eyes on that red flicker flying away as his right eye shone golden, "Divine Eye of the Void's 2nd stage, Void Annihilation!"
Whoosh!
Second Elder was struck by something invisible, piercing his soul and tearing him apart from the inside. He was gone before he could even announce the agony he was in.
The red flicker was gone from this world.
[Second Elder's dead!]
Thanks to having formed his soul, Void Annihilation affected the metaphysic as well, soul included.
Follow current novels on Freeᴡebnovel.cᴏm.
Zhuo Fan's pearly white smirk was chilling to the core.
Rip!
The sounds came from his surroundings as the wind blades found their target. They tore his clothes and were just a hair's breadth from striking his body.
With Second Elder taking his focus, he had no time to spare the attacks any attention before they were upon him.
Second Elder's death came as a great surprise for Seventh Elder; of joy.
He used this tactic to attack while the kid was busy with Second Elder so there'd be no way to cope with two sides coming at once. Yet the brat was so vicious he forwent the sneak attack and went to deal with Second Elder for good.
Though in this way left himself open for the soul wind blades. No matter how tough he was, it was bound to hurt him good.
[Second Elder, die knowing you helped me get revenge for you, he-he-he…]
A bit too soon to celebrate however, since Zhuo Fan was still alive. He wasn't about to let the guy have his way, or the great steward would be ridiculed to no end.
Zhuo Fan spoke, "Blood blade."
Hum!
The sharp wind blades and their sharp ringing stabbed him with pain, but then a red light came from his body and crushed the wind blades before they touched him.
It then sped straight for Seventh Elder with impunity.
[What the hell is that?]
The old man was startled by it and sent another wind blade.
Yet it just kept coming.
It entered his body and made him shiver as blood leaked from his mouth.
[This isn't a soul form, just a Radiant Stage soul attack.]
He never knew such an insidious soul attack existed, so strong it matched his soul form.
[What kind of monster is this kid?]
Seventh Elder was wracked with fear. Zhuo Fan was an abomination shrouded in a thick fog of mystery.
Everything he got from Zhuo Fan till now only scratched the surface, and he bet it was all bait to lure the fools and conceited idiots.
Seventh Elder shook at the sight of Zhuo Fan and ran.
Second Elder got done in like nothing even in the 3rd layer of the Ethereal Stage. He stood no chance only in the 2nd layer.
Without any preamble, Seventh Elder threw away his dignity and bolted, all to save his life.
It always paid to live and die another day. He understood this saying the best, especially now, caring about nothing but fleeing.
Didn't he just see Second Elder monologuing in his flight only to get cut short? Respect mattered, sure, but even that paled in favor of keeping one's poor little life.
So he ran.
Though Zhuo Fan was even faster.
Whoosh!
Zhuo Fan was barring him in a flash, thanks to a nifty little golden halo in his eye.
"Ha-ha-ha, Seventh Elder, aren't we fighting? Why are you running away?" Zhuo Fan grinned and struck his chest.
Seventh Elder put up a tough front, "Zhuo Fan, you dare kill an inner sect elder?"
"I got the sect's rule on my side. Killing you is nothing, so take it like a man! Besides, I already killed one, so what's one more?" Zhuo Fan sent another Ghostly Dragon Claw to splatter him on the ground.
Seventh Elder learned from Second Elder's misfortune and knew resistance was futile, so he abandoned his vessel as the attack came. He used his meat suit as a shield to fly away unharmed in soul form.
Bam!
While Seventh Elder was fleeing, he smacked into something out of the blue.
It was a bloody infant, though the creepy aura and the faded body made him shiver.
[What the hell is this?]
Seventh Elder sent dozens of blue wind blades in response.
A fierce whirlwind formed, one that could rip a soul apart, and it shot for the Blood Infant.
Blood Infant's only reaction was contempt.
"Hi-hi-hi…"
With a burst of creepy laughter, Blood Infant glared back at the incoming attack.
Hum!
A sharp blood ripple shot forth and crushed the wind blades like they were nothing.
Seventh Elder's blue soul shook.
[This is the thing that helped Zhuo Fan last time! But what is this thing? How precious must it be to unleash soul attacks? The kid has many tricks up his sleeve.]
Seventh Elder got nowhere in figuring it out as the Blood Infant charged for him.
Blood Infant was as fast as lightning, swallowing him under the shocked eyes of everyone.
He scrambled around Blood Infant's stomach to get out, but each time he made the skin bulge, it would just return to normal.
Blood Infant was a spirit of this world and capable of unimaginable things. Seventh Elder was now in it, and even as a soul, he had no way out. It was just like a soul prison.
The audience was freaked out.
Some of these demonic cultivators reared their own demonic creatures, but they were all physical beings and unable to harm one's soul.
But Zhuo Fan's Blood Infant showed them how mystical demonic creatures could be and what gave him confidence.
It was like having an able partner all the time, with both him and the demonic creature unleashing deadly attacks.
This display earned everyone's envy. [Just how many gadgets is this guy hiding? How is it he keeps taking out greater and greater things?]
[With a freak like him, the only thing he'd come with is freak demonic creatures…]
Whoosh!
Blood Infant flew back to Zhuo Fan, and like a good hunting dog, it spat out Seventh Elder's soul before going into Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan grabbed the blue glow and snickered, "Run, run as fast as you can. That's why I let my demonic creature out earlier, to intercept you. So, did you get far even after ditching your body?"
"Steward Zhuo, please let me go. I will never come at you again…"
"Ha-ha-ha, I'm sure you won't."
Seventh Elder was at his mercy, and he could do nothing but beg. Though not like it worked on Zhuo Fan.
At the kid's killer smile, Seventh Elder resorted to threats, "Do this, and you'll make an enemy of the inner sect!"
"Enemy? Humph, you're sadly mistaken. It's you who made an enemy of me!" He paraded the soul before the Labor Office's people, "This is our turf and this old coot is threatening me with that? Tell me, are we pushovers?"
"No, no, no!"
Venerable Qi and Bai shouted, taken by the mood as all the resentment dripped off them.
The entire Labor Office roared with one purpose, one mind. This was their steward, Steward Zhuo of the Labor Office! A disciple with more testicular fortitude than anyone, killing elders and anyone in his path!
[This is a hero to follow!]
The oldies from the inner sect alternated from blue and green, about to flip against Zhuo Fan. But the sight of the entire Labor Office roaring had them threatened.
Zhuo Fan's victory brought back the dignity and glory the Labor Office lost. Attacking now when morale was high was suicide.
To say nothing of the devious Zhuo Fan playing by the rules, or more like making sure the rules were on his side.
All they could do was walk away in silence, engulfed in the flood of shouts coming from the Labor Office.
The outer and inner disciples were stumped.
The Labor Office was like a dead fish just now, yet Steward Zhuo injected them with courage with just one win.
They watched Zhuo Fan in awe at how he flounced Seventh Elder's soul around, a mocking smile on his lips. It was one image they wouldn't soon forget.
Zhuo Fan faced the soul again, "Seventh Elder, what do you think, is the inner sect reliable? Ha-ha-ha, all of us are selfish. The Labor Office now has enough people to stand up to you all. None of them would stand up to fight for you either. Do you know why? They fear me."
"Today I challenged you and killed you, and tomorrow I will go for them. I am just a laborer and the rules are on my side. Tell me something, do you think they'll accept my challenge?"
Zhuo Fan's smile turned sinister, "Ha-ha-ha, you two were fated to die to make a statement. Now those fools won't be so jumpy. Inner sect elder is just an empty title, it won't protect you at all. Once it loses its worth, you'll be thrown away."
The blue wisp shuddered and fell in abject despair.
Inner sect elders were respected, but that applied only when alive. They lost everything the instant they died.
At the end of it all, the only one reliable was yourself.
Unable to understand this simple truth, these two were sent to the slaughter. Not that anyone foresaw this apology banquet would turn bloody or that a fresh Radiant Stage laborer would kill them like lambs.
[Demon Transformation Art!]
At the downcast blue wisp, Zhuo Fan knew Seventh Elder had lost all motivation. Zhuo Fan enveloped the wisp in black energy and refined him.
It was then the prismatic heaven dragon in his mind opened its dazzling eyes.
By forming his soul, Zhuo Fan could use Demon Transformation Art on souls to increase his own.
It would speed up his cultivation a lot.
Easing a breath, Zhuo Fan watched his empty palm and revealed a grin. He turned to the Labor Office's people, "Are you still down now?"
They all shook their heads, bearing excitement on their faces.
"Ha-ha-ha, you're on my side. Your loss is my loss. And I am one who will get back at them for it." Zhuo Fan nodded.
The people looked at Zhuo Fan with starry eyes.
"However…"
Zhuo Fan changed tunes, "You're weak. You just got challenged once and look at you, crying all over like children. I've decided that all laborers shall do what a laborer does, sweep and clean. Don't think about running, not even the ones from the Elite Labor Office. For god's sake, you got too cocky after just a few days and forgot who you really are!"
"Eh?"
The disciples were startled, but their smiles still remained.
Venerable Bai's group chuckled.
An expert should know when to retreat, lose, and win. They wouldn't achieve anything losing their heart after one setback.
Especially now when some of them wanted to leave the Labor Office. It had to be removed and not let it fester.
Zhuo Fan had them learn humility and determination, to not break in the face of adversity. Though it only worked after Zhuo Fan's pep talk.
No one would've listened to him before his win, not even the Elite Labor Office.
The venerables saw the inner and outer disciples watching the thrilled laborers and smiled.
[Zhuo Fan has great charm and is meant to do great things. He will become the next Sect Leader…]