"OVER HERE!"
"AHHHHH!"
"DIEEEE!"
A cacophony of screams and shouts filled the air wherever Chen Fan and Bai Mulan passed. Against Golden Core cultivators, Chen Fan faced no difficulty cutting them down, while even Nascent Soul cultivators only required a bit more effort to dispatch. However, he knew they would soon be overwhelmed, so he didn't waste time looting the fallen enemies. Instead, he focused entirely on reaching the door they had encountered earlier. Before they teleported, they had to kill as many opponents as possible and extract any crucial information.
The slaughter continued unabated. Without the need to be stealthy or cautious, Chen Fan could unleash his full power, cutting through enemy after enemy without restraint.
From ten to fifty, from fifty to a hundred—he roughly estimated his kill count. Soon, he detected no other presence except Bai Mulan's, but he remained on high alert. There were still many enemies outside, and his breath grew heavier. After all, he relied mostly on his physical strength and qi-efficient techniques to eliminate large numbers of foes. He needed time to digest an energy pill and only consumed one when no enemy was nearby. However, his physical condition was another matter. The longer the battle dragged on, the more the exhaustion set in, putting him at a disadvantage. Without hesitation, he swallowed an energy pill and pressed forward toward the door.
Before long, they reached the door. Chen Fan could still feel the menacing aura beyond it, a clear sign that the Holy Son was present. Without hesitation, he stepped through, and immediately, the ominous aura thickened, filling the air with an oppressive weight. Even Bai Mulan shuddered, goosebumps rising all over her skin as she entered.
Scanning the room, Chen Fan noted its emptiness. Four massive pillars stood within, framing an ominous-looking door and a pool. In front of the pool stood a lone figure, his back facing them as he gazed silently into the still waters.
"Foundation Building, Eighth Stage," Nie Mingjue murmured, his tone carrying a hint of surprise as he sensed Chen Fan's aura. Slowly, he turned to face them, his eyes locking onto Chen Fan as if evaluating a threat. Though Bai Mulan was present, he paid her no mind—his focus was solely on Chen Fan.
Chen Fan and Bai Mulan tensed, watching him warily.
Strong.
A tremendous power radiated from the man before them. Compared to the other Nascent Soul cultivators they had fought, he was on an entirely different level. As Chen Fan glanced at the pool behind him, his gaze shifted to his right hand. A familiar aura pulsed from it.
"Hm." Nie Mingjue narrowed his eyes as he sensed an unusual aura emanating from Chen Fan, particularly from his right hand. The energy felt eerily similar to the power he had absorbed from the blood, and the two forces seemed to resonate, subtly pulling toward each other. It only heightened his curiosity about the man before him.
"Where did you get that arm?" Nie Mingjue asked, his voice calm as he took slow, deliberate steps toward Chen Fan. His casual demeanor spoke of absolute confidence in his strength.
Observing this, Chen Fan felt certain that the man before him had no fear of him whatsoever. He subtly signaled Bai Mulan to prepare herself while he, too, began moving forward, closing the distance.
"From my mother, of course," Chen Fan replied with a smirk.
Nie Mingjue chuckled softly, realizing that the man standing before him had neither fear nor hesitation in facing him.
"I could let you leave if you tell me the truth," Nie Mingjue offered, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"Let me guess—if we pass through that door, your elders will be waiting for us?" Chen Fan countered.
"Oh? So you already expected that. No… it would be stranger if you hadn't considered the possibility," Nie Mingjue said, his expression as composed as ever.
As they came within a meter of each other, their eyes locked in a silent exchange.
"It seems there's no room for negotiation, is there?" Nie Mingjue remarked with a faint smile.
"Would you trust an enemy?" Chen Fan shot back.
Nie Mingjue chuckled once more. "I suppose you're right."
Despite being from opposing factions, Nie Mingjue found himself admiring Chen Fan. His strength, which had allowed him to slay Nascent Soul cultivators, his intelligence, which had led him deep into enemy territory, and his unwavering composure in the face of overwhelming odds—this man was no ordinary foe.
Both warriors began concentrating their qi, their muscles tensing as the air around them grew heavy with the pressure of their impending clash.
Chen Fan struck first, his fist imbued with annihilation qi, aiming straight for Nie Mingjue's face. However, his opponent effortlessly dodged, sidestepping the attack with ease. In response, Nie Mingjue unleashed a dozen blood-red arrows from his palm, all hurtling toward Chen Fan's abdomen.
Yet before they could make contact, the arrows abruptly vanished into nothingness, leaving Nie Mingjue slightly surprised.
Without hesitation, Chen Fan summoned a black orb in his other hand. The moment it appeared, Nie Mingjue felt an immense suction force pulling at him, trying to draw him toward Chen Fan's grasp. Though he resisted, the effort required him to remain rooted in place. Deciding on a counterattack, he fired multiple blood orbs, each one instinctively homing in on Chen Fan's hand.
Chen Fan immediately dismissed the black orb and instead coated his arm in annihilation qi, causing the incoming blood attacks to disintegrate upon contact. However, just as he was preparing to defend again, he caught sight of Nie Mingjue unleashing a much larger blast of blood qi, aimed directly at his chest.
Reacting swiftly, Chen Fan raised his right arm to block, yet the sheer force of the attack still sent him skidding several meters backward. Halting his movement, he straightened, his expression now tinged with slight solemnity as he analyzed his opponent.
"Hm? The poison doesn't affect you? Or is it because of that arm?" Nie Mingjue mused aloud, watching Chen Fan, who had only sustained minimal damage. His gaze flickered with intrigue. "And that strange power of yours… you're certainly no ordinary cultivator."
He could feel it—if he took a direct hit from Chen Fan's attack, it would be dangerous.
Chen Fan immediately signaled Bai Mulan. Without a moment's hesitation, she activated the red token in her hand, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished from sight.
"That token…" Nie Mingjue's eyes darkened as he stared at the empty space where Bai Mulan had just been. His gaze fell on the token she had used, and a wave of recognition surged through him. It was unmistakable—one of the tokens their sect had spent years searching for, yet never found a single clue about. His expression turned serious for the first time as he recalled t that Chen Fan had only reached the fourth level of Foundation Building and had barely managed to secure victory against his opponent in the tournament. However, seeing his current cultivation level now. A troubling possibility formed in his mind.
Previously, Nie Mingjue had dismissed Chen Fan as merely a cunning individual who had concealed his true strength during the competition. But now, it would be sheer foolishness to think that was the full extent of it.
"Let's meet again later." Chen Fan's lips curled into a teasing smile as he glanced at Nie Mingjue, his expression filled with amusement. Before Nie Mingjue could react, he activated his own token, vanishing into thin air just as Bai Mulan had.
Nie Mingjue's face darkened further. The fact that Chen Fan possessed such a token—and more importantly, that he understood its function—unlocked countless terrifying possibilities. If they had knowledge of this secret realm's mechanics, if they had access to other tokens, or worse, if they could control the realm itself, then the implications were far beyond what he had initially assumed. His mind raced, weaving together potential scenarios, and each one led to a singular conclusion—this threat could not be ignored.
Previously, he had seen Chen Fan as nothing more than an overconfident fool, someone who relied too much on his own abilities. That arrogance had led Nie Mingjue to believe he could overpower him at any time, rendering him irrelevant. But now, he realized the truth—Chen Fan hadn't come here to fight. He had come to gather information. And he had succeeded.
Nie Mingjue's grip tightened into a fist. Without a moment's delay, he sent out an urgent command to every member of the sect—find Chen Fan and Bai Mulan at all costs. The matter of devouring the so-called genius could be postponed for later. Right now, the potential danger Chen Fan posed outweighed everything else. If he had truly uncovered the secret behind this realm, it could completely cripple their plans. In the worst-case scenario, their entire hold over the secret realm could be rendered useless—a devastating blow to the Devil Sect's ambitions.
For the first time that day, regret gnawed at Nie Mingjue. He had been far too arrogant, too dismissive, playing with his prey instead of eliminating him outright. If only he had used his full power from the very beginning and killed Chen Fan on the spot, none of this would be happening.
Pushing aside his frustration, Nie Mingjue moved swiftly toward the exit leading to the outside world. Communication was impossible within this secret realm, meaning he had no choice but to leave and personally report the situation to the elders. They needed a plan—and they needed one immediately.