Wang Fuchen’s corpse fell from a high altitude, landing heavily on the sand with a dull thud.
Zhuo Bufan and the others’ hearts shook when they witnessed the scene through the primeval mirror.
Wang Fuchen—a first-level Yuanfu realm expert—had died
A resonant hum filled the air as the sword intent from Leng Feng and the other Floating Cloud Sword Sect elders surged uncontrollably toward the heavens.
The Dragon Mountain Peak echoed with the chilling whistles of sword qi, accompanied by mournful sounds.
Wang Fuchen, the foremost disciple of Floating Cloud Sword’s outer sect and the genius renowned as the second Jian Chen, had met an untimely end.
The loss of such a promising disciple stirred anger and frustration among those present—an understandable response.
“Damn it, he really deserves to die!”
The handful of outer sect elders from the Floating Cloud Sword Sect behind Leng Feng couldn’t help but curse out loud, staring at Chen Fan. Icy killing intent flashed in their eyes, wishing they could rush into the blessed land immediately and avenge his death.
Zhuo Bufan harrumphed abruptly, his cold aura permeating the air.
While the grief of the Floating Cloud Sword Sect elders over Wang Fuchen's death was understandable, expressing that with killing intent was the same as a direct threat.
In Dragon Mountain Blessed Land, such displays were ill-advised.
After all, these same elders had been strangely silent when Wang Fuchen had forced Chen Fan and Qin Yao to leap off the Scarlet Cliff earlier.
“Shut up!” Leng Feng sensed the cold intent coming from Zhuo Bufan and quickly turned to shout furiously at the elders behind him.
Zhuo Bufan said coldly, “Elder Leng Feng, disciples training in the Dragon Mountain Blessed Land aren’t prohibited from killing others. You can’t blame others if one of your disciples loses their life.
“I can understand your anger, but as an elder, openly deeming one of our Spring Autumn Sect disciples worthy of death is unacceptable. Should anything untoward happen to Chen Fan after this, I will consider it the Floating Cloud Sword Sect's responsibility.”
Leng Feng furrowed his brow but was immediately interrupted by Zhuo Bufan. “No need to say anything more. I remember your stance when Wang Fuchen forced Chen Fan to leap off the cliff.”
Leng Feng's expression darkened at the stark reminder.
The loss of both Wang Tengfei and now Wang Fuchen, once promising geniuses of the outer sect, weighed heavily on him, leaving a somber realization of their untimely demise.
Although they really wanted to tear Chen Fan to pieces, they could only gnash their teeth and swallow their anger.
Now on the ground, Chen Fan released a heavy sigh of relief. The intense tension that had gripped him suddenly dissipated, and he trembled, involuntarily spewing out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Despite defeating Wang Fuchen with formidable momentum, Chen Fan had incurred severe injuries.
For his final all-out attack, Wang Fuchen had brought forth his primeval vessel and burned his primeval force to unleash Hatred for Heaven. His sword intent, full of hatred, had darted toward Chen Fan, trying to wreak havoc on his vitality.
Fortunately, Chen Fan had condensed the Heaven Seizing Furnace embryo and refined the hatred. Otherwise, even if he hadn’t died, he would have been left half-dead.
Not only that, if he hadn’t refined the residual sword intent of hatred inside him, it would have been difficult for him to progress in his cultivation.
“Wang Fuchen... He was much stronger than the Devil-Faced Spider King. Twice as strong, at least.”
Chen Fan swept his gaze across Wang Fuchen’s corpse, feeling incomparably exhilarated in his heart.
Although he was injured, he managed to exact revenge. The heavy burden weighing on his heart was lifted, making him feel much more relaxed now.
Killing Wang Fuchen prevented the latter from becoming a haunting obsession, a looming obstacle that could impede Chen Fan's martial arts progression.
Maintaining a clear mind was the most important thing for a cultivator.
Qin Yao approached swiftly after the battle concluded. Concern etched her features as she inquired, “How are you feeling, Xiaofan?”
Chen Fan shook his head. “I’m fine. No need to worry about me, Senior Sister.”
“How can you say you’re fine? Just take a look at yourself. There are wounds everywhere.” Qin Yao took out some Recovery Pills from her storage ring and offered them to Chen Fan.
“Mere minor injuries, Senior Sister.” Chen Fan said nonchalantly, “I’ve avenged you, Senior Sister and I've also taken my revenge.”
He extended his fingers and removed Wang Fuchen's storage ring. Glancing inside, he discovered a wealth of valuable items befitting the status of the Floating Cloud Sword Sect's top outer sect disciple—now all rightfully his.
“Come here,” he beckoned, and a streak of primeval qi shot out, encircling the Ice Jade Snow Lotus like a delicate silk thread.
Examining the exquisite flower in his hand, Chen Fan marveled at its purity. "So, this is the Ice Jade Snow Lotus? What incredible energy."
“This is indeed the Ice Jade Snow Lotus. It has eight lotus leaves in total, which means it has grown for eight hundred years. Even Core Formation realm experts would want to seize it if we bring it out,” Qin Yao explained.
“Even Core Formation experts covet it?” Chen Fan’s heart jumped.
Their mission in Dragon Mountain Blessed Land was centered around obtaining the Ice Jade Snow Lotus, and it also served as the final reward. They might invite trouble upon themselves if news of it spread.
Anticipating his concerns, Qin Yao added, “While the Ice Jade Snow Lotus is a precious treasure, it poses a threat to us at our current cultivation levels. We cannot harness its power to advance our cultivation. Consuming it would lead to an energy overload, potentially resulting in us exploding.
“The final rewards in the previous training sessions have been similar precious treasures. Regardless of their sect, those who obtained such treasures would sell them to their sect in exchange for practical resources like primeval stones, elixirs, and other useful items.
“So, Xiaofan, after we leave this place, you’d best hand over the Ice Jade Snow Lotus to the sect in exchange for equivalent value in primeval stones, elixirs, and other items suitable for your current level. This way, you can avoid bringing unnecessary trouble upon yourself."
Even Core Formation experts valued the Ice Jade Snow Lotus, so it could be exchanged for many Yuanfu or Core Formation realm demon cores.
Chen Fan nodded and said, “That’s the only thing I can do.”
He understood the risks associated with having something beyond his current capabilities.
Having the Ice Jade Snow Lotus in his possession was like holding onto a hot potato. He didn’t have sufficient strength to handle what came with it.
Could he possibly protect something even Core Formation realm experts covet and would want to snatch from him?
Even if he stayed put in the sect, who could guarantee the sect experts with high positions wouldn’t make their moves in secret?
One might be driven to take desperate risks in the grip of greed, only to end up blaming the world for its cruelty.
“Xiaofan, what should we do about those two?” Qin Yao asked, looking at the two severely injured Floating Cloud Sword Sect disciples.
Chen Fan replied indifferently, “Of course, we can’t let them go.”
Then, Chen Fan grabbed at the air with his hand and directly threw them, along with Wang Fuchen’s corpse, into the Black Sea Demon Cave.
Plenty of demon beasts resided there; ultimately, not even their skeletons would remain in this world.
Chen Fan was never one to show mercy to his enemies.
“Let’s go, Senior Sister!”
Chen Fan called Qin Yao and sped off, holding the Ice Jade Snow Lotus and rushing to leave the desert.
Because of the rules, he couldn't store the Ice Jade Snow Lotus in a ring or pouch, so he had to carry it openly, which felt a bit like showing off.