Chereads / The leader learns / Chapter 20 - 19-22

Chapter 20 - 19-22

Chapter 19. Expediting The Inevitable (Part 1)

It was a normal sunny afternoon in the Azure Profound Sect.

The usual bullies would be seen spawn camping outside the affairs hall, patiently laying in wait for any young and unsuspecting daoists to ambush and wholeheartedly 'request' of them to 'donate' their monthly spirit stone rations.

The occasional hidden elder unburrowing himself from his seclusion could be seen comfortably laying down on a rocking chair with their eyes shut, basking in the gentle rays of the sun, waiting in anticipation for an unsuspecting MC to...well...catch their eye.

And of course, the bog standard swarms of disciples in identical robes were shuffling along the roads of the sect, some hurrying on with their tasks at hand hoping to quickly get it over with so that they could get back to doing some sweet sweet cultivation, others rushing to the lecture hall to receive teaching, some even complaining to another about the price of spirit cheese, and so on and so forth.

The common point here was that almost everything was going as would be expected, normally, so to speak.

...Almost.

Incongruous to the scene, and sticking out like a sore thumb, was a valiant-looking young man who elegantly and steadily swaggered through the bustling sect with a rigid posture that made him as straight as a sword, as well as an indifferent expression that seemed to project as if he was above all.

He had a certain suffocating aura around him that commanded respect, leading to the floods of people parting and giving him way instinctually.

But perhaps the strangest thing about the boy was that, although nobody seemed to notice or pay any attention, he was speaking to himself!

Loud, clear and unabashedly, the young man complained in a solemn tone tinged with slight nervousness,

"Old man, is this dragon bloodline meant to change your personality as well?!

"I-I'm not sure how to accurately describe it, but it's as if certain things I once perceived as meaningful, such as treating people as equals, not acting like a stuck-up prick, and the likes, have dulled in importance!

"Not only that!

"If I don't walk in a dignified manner at all times like I've got a stick up my ass, and permanently keep an unwaveringly expressionless expression on my face, then my body instinctively seems to ache as if my muscles were doing such a thing for the first time!"

Hearing the worries of Lin Fan, the boy he was currently soul-bound to, Old Man Yi responded in a careless tone,

You dumb brat, dragons are intrinsically a prideful and dignified race!

Obviously, some of your previous ideologies and feelings will be altered slightly due to the bloodline's influence. However, this is but a mere drop in the ocean compared to the innumerable benefits!

Plus, once you adapt to the bloodline better I'm sure its influence will dissipate to some extent.

So stop fretting about the small stuff and focus on finding out clues on where this spontaneous increase in demonic ki has arisen from, because, let me tell you now, it doesn't just appear from thin air!

In the worst-case scenario, this may even lead to the doom of this sect and by extension, us!

So, as someone who is perfectly capable enough of traversing through a forest that is riddled with rampaging beasts, get yourself out there and find something!

Hearing how blatantly his pseudo-mentor had dismissed his woes, internally, Lin Fan's anger flared due to the fact that the old man seemed to undermine the importance of his own psyche and he couldn't help but curse the old man's lack of sympathy.

Externally, however, a disgruntled scowl could be seen adorning his face and his eyebrows were furrowed to the extreme- Seemingly, the draconic bloodline was having none of the fact that it was receiving orders and being told what to do.

After a few grumbles and a couple of deep breaths, Lin Fan calmed down and reluctantly admitted to himself that what the old man was saying had some substance to it. Therefore, he squandered time no longer and spearheaded towards the entrance of the sect ready to seek out the source of all this.

...

*BANG*

"Fuck you, Zhang Wei!

"We're around chapter 58 currently, ten chapters away from 'The Demon Sovereign Awakens', and now is the time you've come to tell me we should abandon our previous plan and follow your revised plan?!

"Is this some joke to you?!"

The sonorous sound of a fist slamming a table reverberated throughout the spacious living room of Fan Lin's abode, as his azure blue eyes stared daggers whilst looking down at the boy who was sitting opposite him in a lackadaisical manner, with one leg over the other and his back leaning comfortably on the backrest.

Glancing up at his partner-in-crime, his collaborator, Zhang Wei's relaxed expression couldn't help but turn into a smirk as he said with sarcasm tinging every word,

"Wow, I didn't realise I had to report everything instantly to Elder Fan, please do forgive this impudent one for his presumptuousness."

Hearing the witty reprisal, Fan Lin's eyes narrowed and he sat back down whilst saying,

"So let me get this straight.

"You want me to somehow subtly disseminate the fact that imminent death is upon all of us, in the form of a bloodthirsty demon, throughout the entire sect, and then you want me to ensure that this information reaches the ears of that insufferably brainless Sect Elder, Wang Fu?

"Then under the assumption that he does, in fact, hear of this, he would then take the bait and head off in search of this sealed demon in order to free him and try to take control of him by using his long-time concealed forbidden technique, Demon Entrancing Scripture.

"After which he finds the demon, just as depicted in the novel, the technique would fail to take control of the half-step transcendent realm being and then the demon would be completely freed, effectively speeding up the awakening.

"And meanwhile all this is happening, you are going to bait the second boss of the novel over to the battlefield and make it duel the demon sovereign to the death."

After he finished talking, Fan Lin stared at Zhang Wei with a deadpan look in his eyes and said with complete seriousness,

"Are you insane?

"Do you not understand how unbelievably flawed this entire plan is?

"First of all, even though Wang Fu is dumb enough to attempt to subdue the demon sovereign, it's not a certainty that he'll actually believe that such a being exists until there is proof. Even in the novel, that man was absurdly sceptical about the existence of the demon sovereign until the bastard was knocking on his front door!

"Secondly, how in the high heaven's name are you ever going to survive baiting a spiritual beast on the level of a Fourteen-Yin Netherworld Fox?

"I know that the novel provides the location of the fox and what types of herbs or items can garner its attention, but I'm pretty sure one misplaced sigh from the thing and your soul would dissipate!

"Even in the novel, the organisation that succeeded had ended up frenzying the beast whilst trying and had to sacrifice numerous Nascent Soul Realm and Soul Transformation Realm cultivators to get it to where the organisation wanted it!"

The more thought Fan Lin put into the whole plan, the more issues and uncertainties he popped up!

Doomed. They were absolutely doomed if they followed that plan! Fan Lin believed.

But even as he persistently continued on listing the innumerable number of problems, Zhang Wei seemed to be unmoved and unphased as if this didn't concern his life in the slightest!

Zhang Wei only ever responded in two ways to his cries for answers:

-One, be dismissive about the point and say that it will all come in place.

-Two... bring up the common-sense defying protagonist of fate- Lin fan.

Until...

"You know, Zhang Wei, even the damn objective you are trying to achieve is flawed!

"No matter who it is, no one, and I mean no one, can control the beast into brawling a demon sovereign that is bordering ascension!

"So even if you refuse to fill me in on anything else, at least answer me about how you are planning on handling the fox, or else, it'll be impossible for me to trust you on this!"

Fan Lin, realising nothing he was saying to Zhang Wei would make him budge, set his bottom line as the answer to this one question.

Even though there were one hundred and one things wrong with this plan in his eyes, it could still be somewhat plausible, but this one segment had to have flawless execution and strategy!

He had to know how Zhang Wei planned on subduing the fox, how he planned on making it do his bidding, and how reliable this was.

Otherwise, even though their previous plan was a cowardly retreat into a hidden area with their tails tucked between their legs, it would at least keep them, their friends, and some other disciples safe. Which was a whole lot better than getting directly involved in the fight recklessly and dying meaningless death.

Seeing that Fan Lin was serious, and knowing that without his assistance the plan would be difficult, Zhang Wei gave in and said casually,

"See, Fan Lin, you really need to use your listening ears better because you've got it all wrong.

"Although I said I would bring the fox to the demon, via you bearing a tracking pendant and keeping track of the guy, I never said I'd be the one to subdue the thing, did I?

"No.

"Now, what I might say to you now may make you think I'm spouting bullshit, but hear me out.

"We both have read the novel and know Lin Fan has awakened his draconic bloodline that had buffed it an insane amount, however, what hasn't been shown definitively in the novel is that there is another perk to it.

"The dragon, the epitome of beasts, can dominate and influence other beasts to an incredible degree.

"It wasn't obvious, but many times during the Lin Fan vs Furious Fox battle, the only reason he was able to reach victory was that despite the outraged fox's desperate attempts to kill him, it couldn't as every time it got such an opportunity the bloodline suppression forced it to remain passive.

"If a fox of that level wasn't drunk in rage then it would have never even dreamed of fighting Lin Fan!

"This is all because of the bloodline!

"So if I'm able to bring in the fox whilst Lin Fan is participating in battle, it wouldn't be so far-fetched to say that it could help Lin Fan deal with the demon if he is able to utilise his bloodline ability properly!"

Hearing what Zhang Wei had to say, Fan Lin brought his fingers to his chin and pondered for a moment before blurting out,

"What if he doesn't utilise it properly?"

This reply only elicited a long, deep stare from Zhang Wei which seemed to scream...

'Was that really a serious question?'

To which Fan Lin couldn't help but hang his head in shame, as he forgot for a second that the one in question here, was someone even the heavens bent over backwards for.

Since the discussion had finally come to a wrap, Zhang Wei stood up from his seat and patted Fan Lin on the shoulder then walked towards the exit. As he opened the door leading outside, Zhang Wei turned back one last time and said with a meaningful grin on his face,

"I'll throw you one last bone of assurance, something to keep the blood pressure down.

"Did you happen to know that the protagonist has already conquered heroine no.1?

"If I remember correctly, wasn't that meant to happen a few chapters later?"

Listening to the seemingly random words of his friend, and the indecipherable meaning behind that smile of his, Fan Lin could only squint his eyes in confusion and say with annoyance,

"If you're going to give me some more assurance here, then tell me where I can get life-saving items in bulk instead of whatever that's supposed to change.

"Preferably, the kind that can block the blows of a demon sovereign that's half a step from ascension!

"If not, then fuck off and let me figure out how I'm going to do my part the best I can!"

Zhang Wei's mouth curled upwards upon hearing Fan Lin's reply, and he scurried off, slamming the door behind him.

Upon his exit, the seated Fan Lin couldn't help but slump down over the table and ask himself if he was still in his right mind for agreeing to whatever plan that bastard had concocted!

...

Yes, finally!

With this, I can now escape the fox's senses with ease.

In the grassy back garden of his abode, Zhang Wei was ecstatic and couldn't help but glance over at the magical scripture once more with absolute awe in his eyes.

'Heavenly Concealement'

As its pompous name suggested, the technique was sublime.

It was simple and incredibly easy to learn, to such an extent that even the untalented Zhang Wei could get a hang of it in a short span of time- Add on the cultivation boost invested and he'd made some substantial progress.

Its ways of use varied broadly, spanning from being able to freakily erase the presence of your pinky- It wasn't only once that Zhang Wei forgot he even had a pinky, and walked around with one finger down.

To it being able to even affect intangible areas such as the soul, or even one's future- As in, in the unlikely scenario that someone with the means to divine his future tried to do so, he would unremarkably fail or be given a false result.

At the highest level of manipulation, it can even hide someone from concepts like fate and luck!

Of course, Zhang Wei wasn't anywhere near the epitome of the technique, however, he had been able to reach his goal of learning how to hide his soul!

This was vitally important, as in order to not get decimated the instant he even tried to approach the ridiculously powerful demon, he needed to hide his presence completely.

Now, this may beg the question, 'Can't the fox just use its eyes?'

Ha!

That's the joke!

The poor bastard doesn't have any eyes!

One reason for the Netherworld Fox species not having eyes is that they have the innate ability to directly sense the souls of every living being around them as a cosy substitute.

Yes, even those spiritually aware strands of grasses, that normally one would not give even a fleeting glance, are fully exposed underneath the fox's senses.

Although this does leave them prone to the aforementioned, veiling of the soul, even foregoing the fact that techniques regarding the soul are quite rare in this realm, the number of techniques which can fool the innate ability of the Netherworld Fox could be counted on one hand- So this weakness basically wasn't an issue.

But Zhang Wei was keen on the fact that if this technique couldn't hide him from some soul-seeing fox, no technique could.

Wasting no more time, Zhang Wei rushed back into his abode and shoved some necessities into his spiritual ring, then resolutely headed towards the entrance gates with the intention to leave.

Before taking a step beyond the archway, signifying that he'd exited the sect grounds, Zhang Wei's head cranked back towards the sect and he couldn't help but let out a gulp.

Though Zhang Wei loved to joke that he was a well-prepared and cautious person, deep down he knew he was actually just a bit of a coward.

In honesty he was scared.

He didn't want to set out to try and guide a terrifying fox over here, just so it could stop the demon which was out to destroy the sect.

But... he had to.

In a novel he read in his past life, Zhang Wei remembered a certain monologue which had always struck a chord in him every time he revisited it.

Though my standing in this world's hierarchy, inconsequential.

My understanding of the world's vastness, shallow.

My words hold not but a candle to a single hymn of the world.

This one's ambitions are boundless!

Unrestricted by consequentiality, broadness, rhyme or reason, it clashes against the tides of time creating a resplendent ring that confronts the world!

Shaking off the jitteriness, Zhang Wei took a step forward leaving the sect and didn't turn back.

...Oh wait.

Didn't I leave my spiritual compass back at home?

Fuck!

After all that set-up, I was vaguely feeling an underdog MC aura starting to condense over here, but this just had to ruin it!

Seems like I have no choice but to go back and get it!

While I'm at it, I might as well grab a few more things for the trip and say goodbye to my neighbours for good measure.

...Like that, Zhang Wei's foot unhesitantly breached the archway back into the sect for the second time today, marking the end of his arduous journey for today.

Chapter 20: Expediting The Inevitable (Part 2)

"Huff.

"Huff.

"Huff.

"Haaaaaaaaah!"

In a vegetation-dense forested area, surrounded by rows of gigantic trees that seemed like bridges connecting the ground to the sky, Zhang Wei could be seen kneeling on the ground, wheezing intensely seemingly trying to force as much oxygen as he could into his lungs.

After a few moments of recovery, Zhang Wei regained the facility to think straight and the first thing that came to his mind was,

Fuck this shit!

Fuck it all!

What do you mean I run into a pack of starving spiritual wolves every godforsaken turn I make in this forest?

What do you mean every time I stop for a reinvigorating munch, some hungry ass bear that I'm sure has a super fancy name, just so happens to be lurking around me like some chump who has nothing better to do with their day?!

Honest to god, I am aware that your usual xianxia forest ought to be fraught with danger, but to this extent?

Can't a man at least have a moment to himself over here, without having to be in constant crippling fear of becoming beast chow?

As Zhang Wei's rant went on and on inside his head, his annoyance was reaching levels that they had never before, yet he knew better than to vocalise it after having lived through these past five days of travel- which felt more like five years.

From the pains of having to find a safe and sheltered spot for the night, since the bastards over in this world apparently hadn't deigned of even thinking to invent something like a tent to ease the common people's plights, to having to navigate his way through the disgustingly maze-like forest with but a map and some words from the novel that Fan Lin transcribed for him.

And to top it all off, the staggering number of vicious, bloodthirsty beasts scattered throughout every inch of the forest as if they were easter eggs for an easter egg hunt, made his days all the more agonising.

It wasn't just once that Zhang Wei considered popping the luck booster there and then, and it was a miracle that he hadn't at this point.

Honestly, although he had basically never gone travelling in the wild before and therefore wasn't as smart about hiding his traces and such, with the help of the knowledge contained in all the adventurer's anecdotes he had read in the library whilst searching for another 'OP hidden technique', he wasn't doing all that bad for a first timer.

He also had the 'Heavenly Concealment' technique, which somewhat covered his ineptitude as well.

Unfortunately, though, the technique wasn't utterly foul-proof as it could only veil one aspect at a time due to the level he had reached with it.

So in exchange for his decision to focus on veiling his physical body from sight, his scent and the sounds of his movements weren't so hidden-Though he did try and alternate between areas, things seriously just did not want to work out for him.

Add on the fact that the beasts he just so happened to come across were variants that had an exceptionally acute sense of smell and hearing- ones that surpassed common variants of the species- trouble was inevitable.

But thankfully, there was a silver lining to all his suffering.

Just a few hundred meters away from Zhang Wei, an almost clear view of a gigantic cave entrance could be seen.

Yep, it was the Netherworld Fox's residence.

The cave itself from the outside, looked like a massive rocky dome with each small crack on it being filled with a thick layer of deep green moss. It was incredibly conspicuous in comparison to its surrounding environment, and could be spotted a mile away, as it was quite literally a detached stone dome- the size of a stadium- plopped in the middle of a forest!

In fairness though, why would it ever need to be hidden?

Just what lunatic spirit beast would even consider approaching the dwelling of an apex predator- A suicidal one, perhaps?

Shaking off any unnecessary emotions, Zhang Wei mentally willed the 'Heavenly Concealment' to prioritise veiling the soul, as Zhang Wei didn't quite want to test how potent the fox's wall hacks were.

Then he carefully tip-toed towards the cave, cautiously surveying his surroundings with each step to ensure no monkey business was going on in the vicinity, and soon he arrived in front of the cave.

Standing toe to toe with the cave entrance, Zhang Wei finally got the opportunity to truly take in and marvel at the sheer size that this rock dome was... Well, that would've been the case if there wasn't a particular mountainous beast laying down in plain sight just minutes ahead.

The moment Zhang Wei's eyes locked onto the monstrosity, his eyes widened to the size of saucers and he instantly began to regret everything that led up to this very moment.

W-What the fuck is that?!!!!!

I mean, seriously?!

I know I usually did not give two fucks what that pea-head of a teacher spouted in biology class, but surely this thing is violating some laws of nature!

Just how much protein does this bastard consume to be the size of a mini apartment complex?

Rightfully so, Zhang Wei was freaked out.

The beast that was in front of him was beyond any form of common sense, and with the dawn of this unprecedented realisation, he couldn't help but recall some of the descriptive sentences he had read before.

Although the descriptions did make the beast sound scarier than the one that was in the land of dreams in front of him, Zhang Wei couldn't help but curse the novel's nine generations as they had grossly undermined how fear-inducingly huge this fox was.

Okay, okay, okay!

Calm down, Zhang Wei!

Panicking right now will just lead to an early grave.

Although I'd give my left testicle to the devil right now in order to renege my involvement in this plan, I can't do that anymore.

If I give up here, there will be no time to warn Fan Lin to proceed with the old plan and everyone will die without the fox taking aggro away from the sect.

Gritting his teeth, Zhang Wei mustered up every ounce of courage he had and carefully trodded forward.

By the time Zhang Wei had reached the point where he was an inch away from touching the fox, his legs were very much quivering and he was feeling dizzy from all the stress.

He was in such close proximity that he felt his skin tingle from the fox's rotten breath breeze by him which each exhale, regardless of the fact that he was standing near the fox's backside.

Wait... never mind.

It farted.

Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, Zhang Wei's mind was too preoccupied with planning out his next moves to come to realise that he had been farted on.

Anyways, after doing a few silent prayers to every god conceivable and mentally collecting himself, Zhang Wei firmly gripped the fox's fur and...

...began scaling up the fox!

As Zhang Wei steadily climbed the fox with both his hands and feet on the fox's body at all times, looking like a four-legged creature or a hunchback, he roared prayers and self-assuring words in his mind.

Please!

I beg of all that is holy, that my conjecture holds true and that this bastard fox treats me as the dust particle I aspire to be!

Surely if those massive whales back in my old world were cool about a bunch of smaller organisms living their lives on their backs, then this guy will be A-okay with me going up its sleeping body for a hike!

I mean, realistically, it shouldn't even be alarmed by me!

With my soul hidden, in its 'eyes', I should at most qualify as some debris falling from the centuries-old cave ceiling!

Another issue Zhang Wei had with what he was doing, was that the fox was long.

Very long.

Even after what felt like half an hour, he had barely arrived at the fox's torso!

But there was also salvation in this long journey, as after getting used to stepping on the fox's skin, Zhang Wei's paranoia eased and felt this was a more feasible task than he first thought.

As the hill-sized hump, that signified the fox's head, entered his vision, Zhang Wei felt a sense of liberation and self-gratification that he hadn't ever before, his thoughts went from pleading for success to blowing his own trumpet!

Hahaha, seems like this indomitable fox that brought demise on multiple nascent soul and soul transformation cultivators, wasn't all that after all!

Why was I even so nervous?

With something like 'Heavenly Concealment' in my grasp, with a sprinkle of boldness, why would I not be able to achieve something like thi-

Then he felt it.

As if he'd been jolted by a bolt of lightning, or a glacial gust had just passed him, Zhang Wei's body locked still.

The rhythm of which the mound of flesh he stood on rose and fell, due to its breathing pattern, abruptly changed.

Zhang Wei knew.

How could he not?

But even though he knew, an itch to rotate his head just that slight bit to make sure had risen.

And like an animal following its desires, the throbbing curiosity overwrote his rationality, and he slowly but surely twisted his neck a few centimetres only to be greeted by...

...A pair of purple orbs gazing at him unblinkingly.

...

"You presumptuous pest!

"How dare you try and use a domination technique made for mere beasts on a demonic sovereign, such as I?!

"I'll dismantle your limbs from your body, one by one, then extract your soul and bathe it in the most horrifying hellfire the nine heavens has ever seen for all eternity!"

Within an inconspicuous corner of a forested area, a slender man with a pale complexion and a sinister expression could be seen directing an unimaginable amount of killing intent towards a middle-aged bearded man who was grovelling on the ground with his face on the dirt floor.

The bearded man kowtowing was trembling from the other man's words and he responded with a frantic plea but almost stumbled over his own words,

"P-Please spare this ignorant one, oh mighty sovereign!

"If I had known it was your esteemed self I was about to encounter, I would have never dared, even if I had twice the guts!

"I beg of you for mercy!"

Hearing the bearded man's response, the sinister-looking man seemed slightly appeased as his vicious frown turned into a light smile as he said in a contemplative tone,

"Hmmm, that old fossil, Azure Profound Patriarch used to always babble about ignorance not being a sin, and now, after being sealed by that damn old man for hundreds of years I've come to realise that there was a hint of truth behind his words!

"Very well, I won't revoke your right to reincarnation due to this transgression, however, as a dignified sovereign, I can't possibly let an act like this go unpunished!

"After all, I've got a reputation to maintain as a demonic overlord who will rule this era!

"Can you see my difficulties here, ignorant junior?"

After recognising the fact that a miserable fate won't befall him, the tension in his shoulders seemed to be relieved by quite a lot, and he hurriedly took this chance to profusely thank the man for sparing him, spittles of spit left his mouth as he spoke,

"Junior Wang Fu, graciously thanks sir sovereign for his boundless broad-mindedness!

"This one understands senior's plight, and will accept any and all punishment that becomes of my ignorance!

"Please punish me as you see fit, oh venerable one!"

After seemingly half-heartedly listening to the strings of sentences, that were more like hymns, the sovereign's thoughtful facial expression twisted to a toothy grin as he flicked his finger.

The instant he flicked, a miserable shriek resounded throughout the forest!

Fire!

An eerie, purple flame seemed to have appeared out of nowhere on the bearded man's face and grew at an exponential rate, causing the bearded man to go into a panicked frenzy!

Wang Fu desperately tried putting out the fire by rolling around the ground like a dog, yet this just seemed to excite the embers that seemed to want to consume him, as it only grew faster and faster.

Wherever the flame touched, his flesh seemed to melt away like a hot knife to butter, and the agony that came with the melting was incomparable to anything else!

Soon, silence reigned.

The only remnants left of Wang Fu became nothing more than a puddle of organic matter.

Then, like a master at work, the demon efficiently leaned over the puddle and started shovelling the pool of liquid human down his throat without a hint of hesitation!

And after the deed was done, ensuring not to leave a drop behind, the demonic sovereign heaved a sigh of immense pleasure and began hysterically laughing!

Witness to this entire grotesque rollercoaster of events, was a young man with a horrified look in his eyes hiding behind a tree.

He had a hand covering his mouth to prevent even the slightest noise from his exhales escaping, and drops of sweat trickled down his cheeks as he thought to himself,

W-What sort of ungodly act have I just witnessed?!

A full-grown man, an influential sect elder no less, being subjected to inhumane torture until his last breath?!

Then getting slurped up like some sort of fine wine?!

T-This wasn't how it was described in the novel!

It was only mentioned Wang Fu's death in a passing conversation between the demon and Lin Fan, and therefore I thought that, at worst, he had just been decapitated or something!

But this?

As he recalled the haunting image of the demon unhesitantly ravaging the human remains, he couldn't help but tremble in terror.

Z-Zhang Wei better get here quickly, because there is no way I'm ever appearing in front of that demonic bastard, let alone following him!

What I need to focus on now, is to hide and not get notic-

"Insolent!

"Whichever insect is hiding behind the tree over there, present yourself in front of this sovereign, this instant!

"And have no fear!

"As for a limited time only, If you kowtow now and break both your arms and legs, I'll give you some consideration and leave you with an intact corpse!

"So be quick, otherwise, once my patience runs dry I can't guarantee you won't end up as my soup!"

Ah...fuck this shit!

Chapter 21: Expediting The Inevitable (Part 3)

Zhang Wei was human.

Humans sometimes make erratic mistakes that can devolve into misery or evolve into a major boon.

As for Zhang Wei popping the only luck-booster in his possession after coming eye to eye with a despair-inducing behemoth, now that could fall under the category of a happy mistake.

It had the benefits of him not being munched, but unfortunately, came with a side of 'Oh fuck, that was not according to plan'.

But thankfully, Zhang Wei followed the belief that no plan was perfect, so after the fox lowered its huge head and ignored him, he stopped dwelling on it and made his way up the fox with some haste.

Then, at last, he had managed to reach his goal- The fox's head!

Feeling a tinge of relief, a small sigh left Zhang Wei's mouth and, wasting not a minute longer, he scoured through the contents of his spatial ring and retrieved the essence of his plan!

The item which felt like it shaved off ten years of his life to attain, and the key to the entire situation, looked like a plain and simple wooden stick with a strange peach-coloured fruit attached to one end with a string!

The reason it looked like such a crude piece of equipment was...

...because it was just a stick with a fruit attached to it.

Hehehe, who needs some fancy telekinesis skill and a bunch of high-level cultivators to herd the fox, when you've got a trusty old stick and bait?

As he approached the peak of the fox's head, he tightly clenched onto the beast's fur and carefully cast the stick aiming it such that the fruit was near the fox's nose.

It may be within question why a being so powerful couldn't catch the scent, or soul, of the fruit the moment it was pulled out of the ring, but the reason for that lay in the peculiarities of the fruit.

This peach-coloured, apple-shaped fruit was a Phantom Core Apple.

The phantom part of the name denoted the fact that the apple was almost undetectable unless you saw it with your own two eyes- Just like a phantom.

Now, as a creature with no eyes, this task was almost an impossibility. So the fruit had to be right within its nostrils for it to pick up on it- After all, it was fundamentally a fruit and not a real phantom, therefore it still had a very weak scent.

Incidentally, and ironically, the Phantom Core Apple was a Fourteen Yin Netherworld Fox's favourite food as its effects centred around enhancing the soul of the consumer and purifying it, which was right up the fox's alley.

So the moment it realised that such an unlikely treasure had graced it with its presence, the fox immediately leapt up from its sleeping position and tried to bite the fruit.

Unfortunately for it, every time it raised its head the fruit would also be raised higher preventing it from ever being able to get it!

Soon it stopped its actions and concluded that it simply wasn't close enough to eat it, so it began following the direction from which the scene came.

Seeing the fox's braindead actions, relief swept past him once more and he thought to himself,

Thank god fate specifically designated this creature the role of a mindless beast, otherwise the plot to capture this being in the original story would have been squelched the moment they tried, and similarly, I'd never even dare to think of doing something like this!

...

"So be quick, otherwise, once my patience runs dry I can't guarantee you won't end up as my soup!"

As an authoritative voice resounded throughout the forested area, Fan Lin's heart was thumping louder than drums.

The voice was essentially a death sentence, and Fan Lin was about to fall into despair as this murderous, cannibalistic, demonic sovereign was out for him!

Fan Lin was about to try dashing away from the vicinity, but he inwardly knew it was going to be a futile action so he was delaying doing so as much as possible.

However, the rough steps of the demon were getting louder and louder, making him increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked by.

To hell with it!

As if this lunatic would spare my soul if I revealed myself!

It's now or never!

Fan Lin was about to take the first step to run, but a sudden heroic shout stopped him in his tracks!

"You demonic wretch!

"Know humility, less you end up forcing my hand!

"How dare you even fathom a noble being like me kowtowing to you!

"I kowtow only to my parents, and no one else!

"Not even the high heavens!"

As the voice resounded, a tall, fiercely handsome young man with sky-blue eyes revealed walked out from behind a tree.

After turning around and facing the source of the sound, the demon sovereign's eyes were wide from shock and he said astonishedly,

"You...Are you even aware of how thin the ice you are walking on is, Junior?!

"Even back when all sorts of righteous path sects hunted this sovereign down for days on end, not once did they dare to ask me to humble myself!

"My name brought terror to all in this realm, and everyone but that Old Bastard Azure Profound Patriarch made way for me!

"I was the epitome of power, and no matter what I desired, I always acquired it!

"Though I, Demonic Sovereign Sha Jin, can commend your foolish courage, I simply would not be able to sleep another day if I do not extract your soul and torture it for a minimum of a thousand days and nights!

"Now hurry up an-!"

*BANG!*

Before he could finish his words, a gigantic fist made of glorious red spiritual energy smashed down onto the location where the demon was!

Before the dust and dirt filling the area could clear, an enraged roar could be heard screaming,

"How dare you!

"A mere Spirit Tempering rodent baring its claws at this sovereign is unparalleled treachery!

"Come here and let this sovereign skin you this instant!"

Though that palm was something that even some Spirit Refining cultivators would find difficult to block, and was powerful enough to leave a huge mark in the surrounding ground, the terrifying demon was unscathed!

Charging out from the smog of dust, and hastily approaching Lin Fan, the demon channelled copious amounts of spiritual energy into his fist ready to return what had rudely been sent his way until...

*BANG!*

Another sudden explosion, this one of greater magnitude than the last, occurred but from the confused expression drawn on his face, it was clear that Lin Fan had nothing to do with it this time.

Soon, a cacophony of throaty coughs loudly resounded, accompanied by an enraged, hate-filled roar,

"AZURE PROFOUND!!

"How dare you continue to hinder my path to true domination, even millennia after your death!

"I swear on my dao heart that if you have any descendants, disciples or remnants of your legacy in this era, I will mutilate and torture them all to the point they will be cursing your name!"

While this tirade was happening, from another angle, still stationed behind the same tree- which was thankfully just outside the area of impact- Fan Lin realised it was a do-or-die moment.

Clenching his fists tightly, he took this opportunity to start sprinting away from the scene with all his efforts focused on trying his best to get as far away as possible!

However, moments after starting, his purpose of being there flashed in his mind.

Damn, if I escape now everything will go to shit!

Zhang Wei will be unable to lead the fox over to the demon, and I know for a fact that Lin Fan, though he is incredibly busted, wouldn't be able to defeat that monstrosity at his current level all by himself!

Even if that bastard hasn't fully recovered yet, and is in some buffer period, it is still futile.

He's an ancient demonic cultivator who has reached an unimaginably high cultivation level!

In the novel, the only reason the protagonist was even able to live on after encountering such a calamity, was due to the hidden ancestor sacrificing his remaining lifespan to delay the demon and allow the protagonist and other disciples to escape using the fragmented ancient portal!

Fuck!

Biting his tongue, Fan Lin resolutely dove into a nearby bush and focused his attention back on the fight between the demon and Lin Fan!

Though, as a person, he was a fuck-up, he wasn't about to be a coward who runs away from his responsibilities!

He'd already done enough wrong to his family, there was no chance he was going to betray Zhang Wei and the lot!

Back to the fight.

Although it was clear that the demon was not using any form of spiritual energy or technique, as there were no horrendously terrain-destroying attacks being lobbed around, his overpowering advantage was as clear as day!

No matter how much of his mind-blowing spiritual reserves Lin Fan infused into his incredible techniques, not one was able to penetrate the flesh of the demon nor was able to withstand a simple punch.

At this point, Lin Fan was just getting rag-dolled around the forest without a chance of light back, it was blatantly obvious he was going to lose at this rate- It would be a speedy loss at that!

And all the while he fought this losing battle, the ancient spirit screamed inside his head,

Lin Fan, you damn brat!

What in the nine heavens compelled you to make such a suicidal decision?!!

Praise be the heavens that his spiritual energy and soul essence seem to have some issues and the seal seemed to have significantly deteriorated his body, otherwise, we'd be dead meat!

Do you hear me?

Dead meat!

But even so, the physique of a half-step Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator is way beyond your greatest fantasies...

...So we're still dead meat for heaven's sake!

Stop being stubborn here you brat, and hand over the reigns to your body for a moment!

The instant Lin Fan blocked what felt like the hundredth punch, and was once again sent flying away, he took the chance to shout in his mind,

God damn it, you old bastard!

I told you this dragon blood was something to be concerned about, but it was you who just played it off as nothing!

Now that it's stuck us in this situation because of pride, my goddamn bloodline is also refusing to hand over my body to anyone but me, the original soul!

It will work against my body the moment I hand it over!

Before he could think of anything else, another huge palm came flying over alongside an irritated snort,

"Junior!

"You seem to be adept at shocking this sovereign, as this is quite possibly the first time I've seen such a resilient rat!

"Regardless of what my current state is, this sovereign genuinely cannot help but commend you on your resilience and endurance!

"As a sign of respect, from one talented Daoist to another, allow this sovereign to give you the honour of being the first to witness the technique I comprehended and consolidated over this long period of isolation!

"A technique which combines the pinnacle of soul essence suffusion and this sovereign's very own enlightenment regarding the realm laws that fundamentally uphold the world around us!

"HAHAHA, this sovereign grants it the moniker, Granular Tremor!"

The moment he called the name, the general vicinity of where Lin Fan was flashed piercingly white for a split-second as if a flashbang had gone off!

Then, the moment white gleaming vanished, a shocking sight laid bare for all who could see!

The area where the light had hit turned discoloured, almost as if it were a scene from a black-and-white movie!

Even more shockingly, everything that was discoloured seemed to stay still, even the things midair, as if time had stopped. However, if you focused on the area closely, and let your eyes get sucked in, then you would gradually be able to see that every single thing in the scene was minutely tremoring!

From within the warm embrace of the bush, Fan Lin's face turned pale as he witnessed the nonsensical scene in front of him!

W-What has just happened?!

I-It's completely colourless, a part of the world has just lost colour!

How is this possible...no... what was I ever thinking ever staying near this heaven-defying monster?!

Fan Lin had never valued the colours that made him, more in his life, than at this moment.

In a strangely timely manner, the demon exclaimed to himself,

"HAHAHA!

"This is fantastic. This is great!

"This sovereign knows you can't hear me, oh ignorant junior. But please do tell, what does it feel like inside my realm-breaking domain?!

"If it works as this sovereign imagined, each time you tremor a minute fraction of yourself should be shaved off and re-integrated back into the realm!

"And slowly, but surely, your entire being will be shredded, your skin, teeth, heart, soul, consciousness, everything!

"The fun thing here is that throughout this entire process, you will not be able to move at all and basically nothing and no one will be able to interfere, meaning you cannot be saved!"

After letting out another hysterical laugh, the demon sovereign decided to give it no more thought and abruptly began to trod back to the formation where he was initially sealed- Clearly planning on destroying it or taking some of the insanely valuable materials used to create it.

As he got there he spotted something out of place, causing one of his eyebrows to raise.

"A stalk of Violent Sapphire Startgrass, hmph, very good you old bastard!

"Scales of a Nine-Clawed True Lizard, truly worthy of restraining this soon-to-be venerable for so long!

"The blood of Hunchback Spiral-Tortoise with a sliver of True Turtle blood, no wonder I'd always get nauseatingly dizzy at full moon!

"And a...

"...a Phantom Apple Core?!

"What's this over here for, and why would such a great treasure be cut in half?

"Wouldn't that just reduce its phantom-like properties, and expose its succulent and soul enchanting properties?

"Had Azure Profound truly added this component to enhance the formation camouflaging abilities?

"Perhaps it could have been to protect it from soul-warding...Or does it assist with another aspect?

"How interesting!

"I never knew you could implement such a peculiar fruit into a formation, I must research this when I get ba-?!"

Once again, before the demon sovereign could finish his thought process- he was interrupted.

This time though, it wasn't a fist that got to him.

...It was the maws of a voracious fox.

*CHOMP!*

Chapter 22: Expediting The Inevitable (Final Part)

(A few minutes prior to the chomping)

Riding a colossal fox, which just so happened to be near the pinnacle of this realm's cultivation level, wasn't as simple as it first sounded.

In fact, the space-shattering speed of a ravenous beast that desperately wanted a particular fruit put a tremendous toll on Zhang Wei's body. The fact that the fox's fur, which was currently acting as the reigns for this peculiar steed, was silky smooth also didn't help the situation as Zhang Wei constantly felt a slip in his grasp.

However... there was some light at the end of the tunnel!

He didn't know whether it was due to the mystical effects of the {Luck Booster} or if the System foretold the future, but the {Emergency Jade Plate Mk.1} seemed to, just, be able to withstand the immense current brought about by the sheer pace they were moving at.

Even better yet!

The sparse few fragments of light which could reach his eyes reflected the fact that the fox was indeed spearheading towards the sect!

How could he possibly know that from just a few images of the forest?

Well, that could be easily summed up by the fact that the Azure Profound Sect's mountain peaks were already in the distant background.

Yes, Zhang Wei's five days of painful navigation were basically trivialised by the fox's sense-shattering speed!

But at this point, he couldn't afford to ponder that, as all Zhang Wei could think of was that it was a god-given miracle the string hadn't snapp-

NOOOOOOOOO!

As if a deity from above were bent on teasing him, the fruit suddenly, and violently, swung backwards. And, in the process, was sliced perfectly in half by the thin string and was sucked away into the abyss known as the background.

Foolishly, the moment he realised what had occurred, Zhang Wei let go of the fur, extended his arm out and tried to lunge for it out of desperation!

The resultant reward being a warm welcome, face-to-face, with a healthy dose of the ground floor- Alongside a slight tinge of pain as the {Emergency Jade Plate Mk.1} wasn't able to block the impact of the fall fully.

However, the soreness of the fall was meagre compared to the daunting feeling of shame and despair which loomed over him the instant he regained his wits.

Fuck!

Fucking fuck!

I...I can't believe that I fought through all that shit just for it all to be crushed mere moments before the finish line!

What do I do now?

How can I even proceed?

AHHHHHHHHH, GOD DAMN IT!

Zhang Wei's frustration was nigh palpable, as he raised his fist and repeatedly brought it down onto the dirt-laden forest floor.

After he finished venting his rage out on the innocent ground floor, he crawled into a fetal position and started to reminisce about all the great times he's had...

...well, that would've been the plan had an eyebrow-raise-worthy System notification not forced itself in Zhang Wei's face.

[Congratulations Host.]

[Protagonist: Lin Fan(Master-Disciple Variant 83.2), has successfully been assisted to 2nd Step-Greater Realm No.173.]

{In accordance with the Universal Dao of Rules and Regulations, and the Ultimate Background Character System's karmic bypass, a choice between three, grade 2 remunerations will be provided.}

[A further congratulations, from System to Host, for accomplishing an incomparably meritious deed within the halls of 'Ultimate Background Character' history!]

[Not only have you been able to assist the protagonist in his path to glory, but you've also succeeded in an unprecedented fashion!]

{Host has gained achievement, [Acension Beyond Current Comprehension]}

{Host's remunerations are increased by a grade!}

Bombarded with this avalanche of information, Zhang Wei could only emptily blink and let out a bewildered,

"Huh?"

...

Cutting to the almighty fox's perspective.

After the apex predator realised that its juicy snack had suddenly vanished, just like its father, it immediately concentrated all two of its brain cells into focusing on the task of locating the missing snack.

And, may lady luck have it, the bugger caught a whiff of its tantalizing scent within the nearby vicinity.

MINE!

Taking not more than a gulp of desire, the fox eagerly followed the scent trail it had picked up and, at last, got into a bite's width proximity once again.

This time though, it wasn't going to let it vanish.

Never.

Pre-pounce, however, its acute soul sense was able to snag a peak at an approaching entity nearing its meal.

One that's soul fluctuations were of a quantity and quality the fox had never encountered before!

Unfortunately though, even if the fox may not have realised its mistake, due to its reckless tendencies built up over many years of complacency due to being uncontested in the forest, the soul fluctuations of this entity had even surpassed the fox's very own by a margin!

But greed was a veil that blinded the foolish, and therefore, the fox only recognised this unknown entity as another consumable- An appetiser, so to speak.

*CHOMP!*

As the gigantic mouth of the beast devoured the fruit, as well as the surrounding landmass as a whole, a euphoric feeling swept over it and its entire being felt reinvigorated!

Tasty fruit. Yes!

The earthy, and dry, texture of the forest dirt seemed to be overwhelmed in a landslide by the delightful juices of the Phantom Core Apple, and the fox was in pure bliss.

But as pleasurable feelings usually do, it didn't last.

The fox's emotions were akin to experiencing the fantastical feeling of digging into a nice bag of buttery popcorn in the cinema, only to then desparingly crunch on the unbreakable menace known as an unpopped seed.

As it turns out, the tough, impenetrable exterior of the demonic sovereign was not quite chewable.

Realising this, the fox promptly prepared to spit the demon sovereign out, however, just as it was about to do so a rebellious roar of indignation and rage boomed from within the fox's mouth,

"NO!

"How dare a lowly beast like you attempt to devour this sovereign!

"Worse yet, you've encroached upon this sovereign's belongings and swallowed all my precious formation materials!

"UNFORGIVABLE!

"If I don't gut a pest like you, and retrieve all my belongings, then how could I possibly continue to walk with my head high?!"

The current appearance of the demon that proclaimed himself to be invincible was, ironically, quite pitiful.

The black robe he donned had been ripped to shreds, and all along his chest was a deep gash that oozed crimson blood- Seemingly, even the demon couldn't receive the fox's bite and remain unscathed.

Though, no matter how terrible he looked, the vicious gleam and bloodthirstiness present within his eyes had only intensified from when he was fighting Lin Fan, and without a second to spare he channelled his soul essence and unabashedly shouted out loud,

"Granular Tremor!"

Upon the move's activation, the same blinding white light flashed inside the mouth of the fox and the same terrifying discolouration began. This time though, as opposed to last time when it only kept one area discoloured, the discolouration expanded and grew as if it were exploring the inside of the fox.

Regardless of how dim-witted this fox was, with this unknown energy field spreading down its throat, the fox's senses were going haywire!

Being a pinnacle existence itself, the fox wasn't just going to sit still and accept this, so it chose the simplest way to deal with it.

Fight fire with fire!

Gathering and concentrating an ungodly amount of spiritual energy at the back of its throat, the fox began charging up a realm-shattering energy breath.

The density of spiritual power present between the expanding discolouration and the condensing energy beam was so high that if anyone was nearby they would've been crushed under the sheer pressure!

Thankfully, no one else was within the vicinity-

Suddenly, within the eye of the storm, a discoloured, statue-like boy popped up alongside a background of black and white trees, hedges and vegetation.

It was as if someone had just cut the area which had been under the influence demon's first ultimate attack, and then carelessly plastered it back into this chaotic scene!

And that is, in fact, what had transpired.

One must know, that the ultimate ability of the demon was a huge no-no in a minor realm like this one!

It absolutely violated the natural laws of the realm!

Just how could it be possible for a realm of this level to allow something as unhinged and preposterous as time dilation, with a sprinkle of matter corrosion, for such an extended period of time and over such a large area?!

To fix this issue, the idea the realm laws had 'cooked up' was to stick all these glaring issues into one pot, otherwise known as the fox's throat, and let the problem sort itself out. And, on the off-chance, that there were any troublemakers left, then they were to be promptly and forcibly ascended!

Unfortunately for the realm laws that were trying to keep order and balance, the untethered and uncontestable strings of fate finally descended and tugged the metaphorical leash around the realm laws, forcing it to give Lin Fan a way out.

Acting as was 'instructed', the realm laws did the very thing they loved to do when presented a chance and mercilessly materialised a 'Heavenly Tribulation', then brought it down upon the area of chaos!

After all, in the eyes of the realm laws, the bastard that was doing this whole time-freezing shenanigan was long overdue for his share of 'Heavenly Tribulation', and with him could go that rampart fox that was illogically senseless!

By doing this, it let the realm laws kill two birds with one stone, as it would get rid of these two overly powerful nuisances by forcing them to ascend, as well as return peace and order to the realm!

And after they had ascended?

These two annoyances were no longer under its jurisdiction, and it was up to the next-in-line realm's laws to deal with the mess!

How great!

As for the human protected by fate?

Let him tag along as a package bonus!

Fate only dictated that it was to give Lin Fan a way out, not specifying how it was to do so!

Soon, the visions of the tribulations striking down at lightning speed appeared.

Followed by the subsequent scene of a big fox, an angered demon, and a shell-shocked young man disappearing from the realm boundary, never to see even a speck of grass in this realm ever again!

Satisfied that the balance had returned, the tribulation lightning stopped raining down and everything returned to silence.

...

Just a few hundred meters away from this horrifying turn of events, a boy could be seen curled up in a ball shivering as if he was lying bare naked in the icy north!

The expression behind the hands that were covering his face was one of incomparable terror, and if one paid attention to the floor underneath him a stream of liquid could be seen.

Completely ignoring the fact that he'd wet himself, a booming and resolute thought appeared in Fan Lin's head.

NEVER!

I will never, ever, EVER, do something like this!

No, in fact... I'll quit!

Yes.

I'll retire from cultivation!

This whole... whatever this was, has made me realise I'm not cut out for this shit and that I should just head back to my family and live the rest of my life as a filial son!

Maybe invite Zhang Wei, Tan Lin and the rest around occasionally and catch up with them, but that's the most connection I'll have with the world of cultivation!

That's what I'll do, and I, Fan Lin, swear by it!

Perhaps the dear thoughts of his family and friends helped him regain his clarity, as he soon started to think straight and came to notice that he had begrudgingly pissed himself.

No matter. Clothes can be changed, and truths can be twisted, thought Fan Lin calmly.

However, just when all was getting better, and he was beginning to stand back up on his own two feet, the appearance of a singular, small rectangular-shaped object caused all his built-up sanity to collapse.

Upon beholding the item's trauma-inducing visage, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he instantly toppled over and fainted with a loud thud.

What was this thing, one may ask?

A novel.

It was a thick novel, titled,

Interlude: Lin Fan's Sufferance

"NOOOOOOO!

"You cannot do this to me!

"YOU CAN'T!"

A treacherous roar of indignation was the first thing to grace Lin Fan's ears when he regained his facilities.

Stunned by the sudden harsh stimulus, Lin Fan immediately came to his wits and whisked through his memories trying to piece together his current situation. However, it wasn't long until a deep frown painted his face.

Where was he?

What had happened?

Wasn't he in the midst of tussling with the host of this pain-struck voice mere moments ago?!

Whilst Lin Fan was dealing with his confusion, the anguished screech of the enraged Demon Sovereign continued.

"I've waited millennia in a forsaken box for this chance to establish my sovereignty, my very own invincibility!

"With my main obstruction 'Azure Profound Emperor' biting the dust at last, the fruits of my patience were almost certainly to be within my grasp!

"...But now."

As his speech seemed to have reached its emotional crux, the demon's face scrunched up to the extreme and a manic look appeared in his eyes.

"But now... NOW EVEN THE HEAVENLY LAWS STAND IN MY WAY!

"DAMN FOX, DAMN REALM, DAMN HEAVENS!"

Lin Fan still understood nought.

He couldn't.

Everything was a blur, yet racking his brain and deciphering the meaning within the horrid voice's sentences, he came to realise that the demon had reached some sort of blockade. Therefore his threat had now been rendered null, leaving Lin Fan to feel somewhat better and fall into some sense of security.

Taking this chance he decided to scout his surroundings only to see that he was encased by moist, grimy walls- Seeing his peculiar surroundings, Lin Fan couldn't help but become shocked.

However, a voice suddenly popped up in his head and screamed at a head-ache inducing pitch,

Lin Brat!

This is no time to be tarrying around!

Hurry...quickly find a route to escape else we'll be turned into a bloody pulp within moments!

The ever-reliable old man's voice echoed, snapping him out of his stunned state and prompting him to follow the orders of the voice- Strangely enough, this time the always rebellious draconic bloodline seemed to not refute this order either.

Unfortunately, no matter where he searched- left, right, up or down- there seemed to be no escape route, causing the bewildered Lin Fan to want to call out to the old expert in his head for some advice.

Sadly, such an opportunity did not present itself once more, as instead of hearing the fastidious response of the old man, what greeted him was an earth-shattering jolt of heavenly thunder!

Unable to react or resist, Lin Fan could do nothing more than scream to himself.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

H-HELP MEEEEE!

The instant after, a powerful suction dragged him in against his will- as if he were a marionette- leaving him to helplessly flail his arms in desperation.

Then he sunk into the darkness dubbed, unconsciousness... Again.

...

Uhhhh!

My head's throbbing!

W-What happened?

Where even am I?

The scene of a young man sitting up on a bed holding his head with an expression of agony could be seen. The surroundings could be chalked up to a minimalistic wooden room with a single bed and a couple of pieces of furniture littered throughout.

On the bedside where Lin Fan had been laying, a roll of bandages and a lantern could be seen sitting atop a small drawer.

Seconds after awakening, the creak of a door could be heard as well as a subsequent high-pitched squeal and a loud thud, as if something had been dropped, resounded throughout the room causing Lin Fan to spin his head over to the source.

"Up?!

"Sir immortal has awakened!"

The source of the commotion was none other than a cute-looking woman with long chestnut brown hair, rosy cheeks and an enticing body- She gave the vibes of a village girl.

Seeing such a refreshing beauty, Lin Fan's mind couldn't help but spring up with some unsavoury thoughts, however, such thoughts were quickly repressed as the face of another fairy-like woman flashed in his mind.

Before having the opportunity to even mutter a word, another thud resounded- This one resulting from the girl suddenly falling to her knees and kowtowing down to Lin Fan!

Seeing such a scene would normally cause Lin Fan to be quite flustered, however, the draconic blood flowing within his veins seemed to quell any sense of embarrassment- Forcing Lin Fan to take people bowing their heads to him, as a matter of course!

So instinctively he donned an apathetic expression and kept a chillingly calm demeanour whilst saying,

"You may rise, mortal girl.

"Such courtesies are unnecessary at the present, rather, I'd appreciate it much more if you could fill me in on where I am and the situation that which led me to be here."

Hearing his own flamboyant words, Lin Fan couldn't help but feel a tinge of embarrassment, and curse this damn bloodline and its side effects.

Fortunately, though, the young lady seemed to understand his words and quickly grabbed the bottle she dropped earlier, then hastily stood back up and looked at Lin Fan with sparkling eyes filled with excitement and reverence.

She then hurriedly spoke up, replying to Lin Fan with an accent he had never heard before.

"Responding to Sir Immortal, the place we are currently located in is called Blooming Flowers Village located on the very outskirts of the Huanyi Empire.

"As for your question of what led up to you being here..."

The young lady suddenly paused for a moment, and then said with a tinge of nervousness.

"...This mortal doesn't know much about anything before, however, what I do know is that we found you after a sudden tear in the sky eclipsed the village.

"And out of that spatial tear, you flew out and crashed down in Old San's catato fields!

"As we approached you, you were unconscious and riddled with grievous injuries leaving us no choice but to carry you in here and tend to your wounds, and since the time you fell from the sky, it's been approximately two weeks."

Hearing the lady's words, Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat.

Spatial tear?

Huanyi Empire?

After taking in the information completely, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes and a cold seat trickled down his cheek.

Although Lin Fan couldn't say he knew everything, he still considered himself quite knowledgeable about the continent's geography- As from a young age Lin Fan had always been immensely curious about the world around him.

And in his knowledge, a place like the Huanyi Empire... did not exist.

Forcing back the intrusive negative thoughts, Lin Fan gulped loudly and decided to stay positive.

Perhaps it's just a tiny, new mortal empire that hadn't been included in the maps he had studied before?

Yes, that is definitely it!

As he let out a brief sigh of relief after convincing himself that things weren't anywhere near as bad as some of the conclusions and assumptions he had conjured up in his mind, the young woman hesitantly spoke again,

"Sir Immortal, I've just brought some of our medicinal concoction that we've been using to treat your wounds, would it be alright if I change your bandages and apply the medicine?"

Hearing the question, Lin Fan simply gave a nod of affirmation and said,

"Please, go ahead.

"I also have some more questions that need to be answered, and I'm wondering if you could help me."

Although his injuries were basically healed, Lin Fan still decided to opt for accepting the medicine as he felt it would relieve the tension a bit and allowed him to ask more questions in a more natural manner.

Hearing the positive response from the handsome and mysterious immortal, the lady said with a respectful expression,

"Of course, Sir Im-"

Interrupting her response in an un-immortal-like manner, Lin Fan said with slightly red ears,

"It's Lin Fan.

"Call me Lin Fan, not 'Sir Immortal'."

The young lady's eyes widened slightly after hearing such an uncharacteristic response from an immortal, but she also felt it was quite cute that this mighty character would get embarrassed just from a name.

With a stunning smile on her face, the young lady said in a happy tone.

"Of course, Lin Fan!"

...

As the sound of the door closed, and the sound of footsteps drained by the second, Lin Fan was left alone in the tiny wooden cottage.

With the advent of the young lady, who Lin Fan found out was called Cai Yi, leaving, his composed expression crumbled and he couldn't help but throw his head back down to the pillow and lay in silence.

After a bit, he heaved out an emotional sigh and began summarising the general information he had gathered through his conversation with Cai Yi.

Xuan Continent...huh.

So, at the very least, I'm on a different continent.

Worst case scenario, I'm in another realm.

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!

How is this possible?

What about my revenge against the Lin family that abandoned me?

What about my promise to Xiu'er to stay by her side and protect her in her times of need?

What about that fancy restaurant me and Brother Bao were going to dine and dash at?

What about... wait!

Old Man Yi!

A spark of hope arose in Lin Fan.

Honestly, he never thought there'd come a day when he'd miss the old fogey yet if there was anyone who could help him with this situation, it'd be him.

But after minutes of shouting for Old Man Yi in his head, there was not even a whisper, causing his excitement to wane and despair came once more.

Things just kept getting worse and worse.

The more he thought about it, the more Lin Fan realised he had lost, and the more he lost, the worse he felt.

But who would Lin Fan be, if he were to give up here and accept the situation?

Deciding he'd explore his new environment first and gather more information before making any intricate plans, Lin Fan got out of his bed and started stretching- After all, two weeks of being bedridden wasn't the best for his joints and tendons.

In the midst of doing that, the booming sound of someone's voice entered his ear causing Lin Fan to raise in eyebrows in confusion.

To be able to talk so loudly without shouting or screaming, this person is surely a cultivator infusing spiritual energy into their voice!

But how could a village that even treated a Spirit Tempering Realm cultivator like me as a revered existence, contain another cultivator that can control spiritual energy?

After all, one is only considered a true cultivator once they reach Spirit Tempering Realm and gain the ability to manipulate the spiritual energy more freely and also be able to manipulate it outside their body, without the need of a medium such as a talisman or formation.

This guy is definitely an outsider like me!

Why is someone like that in a mortal village like this?

The moment the first word rang out, these thoughts and questions had already flashed through Lin Fan's mind due to the influence of the unnamed technique.

In an arrogant and disdainful tone, the scruffy voice of the man entered everyone's ears, saying,

"Old village head, our young master has given face to Lady Cai's woes and allowed her to spend time with her family for two weeks!

"This is already enough magnanimity to fill entire oceans and drown mountains!

"Now that the two weeks have passed, I have come to collect Lady Cai and bring her to my young master!

"Please don't make things difficult, otherwise, you may be stepping on the toes of our Coiling Canopy Sect!"

His conjectures were indeed proven to be right.

However, a grim frown still etched itself on Lin Fan's face.

Coiling Canopy Sect?

I remember Cai Yi mentioning it is one of the local overlords in this region, and is the subsidiary of one of Xuan Continent's top sects, the Resplendent Dragon Sect!

I wondered why she had such a rueful expression when talking to me about the topic, it seems this is why.

As he began thinking about the situation, he started to clench his fist and a flash of rage appeared in his eyes.

Although he hadn't known Cai Yi much at all, he had already felt positively about her when she meticulously changed his bandages and happily answered all his questions - Therefore allowing him to feel more at ease with his current dilemma.

Even putting emotions aside, just the fact that she had been taking care of him for the past two weeks made him indebted to her.

So, naturally, seeing the person he was indebted to being forced do to something against their will, Lin Fan couldn't sit still!

After all, if he were to let this injustice happen, his name wouldn't be Lin Fan!

Storming out of the cottage, Lin Fan spearheaded towards the source of the commotion, only to be invited to a scene where a wrinkly old man could be seen kowtowing and begging an arrogant-looking middle-aged man to spare the young lady behind him- All the while a crowd of villager could be seen in a line watching with saddened expressions.

The main character of this farce, Cai Yi, could be seen trying to pull the old man up from the ground whilst saying in a distressed and sorrowful tone,

"Grandpa Hu, you don't have to do this for me!

"Cai Yi is already immensely grateful for everything you, and everyone else in the village, have done to raise me!

"You can't risk offending a force like the Coiling Canopy Sect, so I don't mind making this sacrifice if it means everyone here gets to live well!"

Hearing the beautiful young lady's words, the expressions of the villagers seemed to become even worse- Some even covering their eyes, or wiping their eyes.

In contrast to the scene, the middle-aged man with a goatee and an arrogant expression burst out with laughter and said with joy,

"Hahaha!

"Yes, old village head, just listen to the young lady's words and stop doing such meaningless actions!

"It is her honour of a lifetime for her to have caught our great young master as a stupid mortal, you should be rejoicing and jumping in joy!

"Plus even if none of you agreed, between the vast heavens and earth, there is nothing that our mighty Coiling Canopy Sect cannot get out hands on!"

After saying his bit, he scornfully glanced at all the surrounding villagers as if they were disgusting worms and went over to grab Cai Yi and get this task over and done with.

However!

Just when he was about to grab onto her, another grabbed his arm and stopped him!

Shocked by the fact someone in this measly village dared to do such a thing, his eyes immediately darted to see which impudent mortal was acting suicidal.

As he looked over, a relatively tall young man, with dashing facial features and a strong gaze was looking at him with disdain.

Seeing this kid dare to overstep his boundaries the man was no longer in the mood to waste time there, so without a second thought he struck with a spiritual energy-infused punch using his other hand whilst scoffing and saying the words,

"Courting death!"

The man had not a shred of doubt that the kid would die at his hands, yet suddenly the feeling of his punch coming to an abrupt stop as if his fist had just connected with an indestructible wall!

Giving the situation a proper glance, the man comes to realise that his other fist had been caught by the kid!

Impossible!

He, a servant of the Coiling Canopy Sect's young master, and also a disciple of the sect, has had his punch blocked by some nobody?!

He could not accept such a result, as if word of it had spread around, then it would not only affect his reputation but also affect the sect's reputation.

"AHHHH!"

Just as he was about to spew another sentence worth of nonsensical arrogance, a vivid pain came upon him causing him to be unable to think straight- Let alone talk.

Amidst the howling, the man was able to peer at the source of the pain only to witness the places where the kid's hands were placed had been scrunched like an empty plastic bottle!

The understanding of what the source of this anguish was, only made him scream louder.

And before he could do anything else, he was sent tumbling sidewards as he was kicked by that devilish kid.

As the man was sprawled on the dirty ground floor seemingly unable to move, cheers began to cry out from the crowd behind and Cai Yi and the old village head both had expressions of shock and joy.

However, the cheers were soon put to rest as the man on the ground seemed to have successfully grabbed onto a string of sanity between the agonising pain, and shouted out with unhinged fury,

"How...How dare a vermin like you treat an esteemed disciple of the Coiling Canopy Sect, such as I, with such impudence!

"Can your filthy commoner mind not understand the grave mistake you have just made by moving against a disciple of the Coiling Canopy Sect?

"By doing this you've not only infringed on my young master's authority and face, but you've also besmirched the name of our mighty Coiling Canopy Sect!

"Kowtow, break all your bones, ruin your cultivation base, hand over that girl, then, and only then, will I consider not reporting this village's transgressions against the Coiling Canopy Sect!

"Coiling Canopy Sect..."

As the young man who injured the man, Lin Fan stared down at the man who was waffling on about his sect and couldn't stop his lips from twitching.

This guy... is he a spiritual parrot in human for, or what?

No, perhaps that may even be an insult to all the parrots of the world.

Anyways, regardless of his brain deficiencies, I must shut him up!

Thinking like that, Lin Fan approached the man who was still babbling on about the Coiling Canopy Sectand quickly whacked him on the head knocking him unconscious.

After letting out a small sigh of relief after regaining peace from all that rambling, he turned around only to see all the villagers chatting amongst themselves and Cai Yi running towards him with a concerned expression.

As she reached Lin Fan, she hastily jumped at him and hugged him tightly as if not wanting to ever let him go.

Although a bit shocked, he also reciprocated the hug whilst thinking to himself.

...Maybe this new place isn't so bad after all!