“Who can possibly save you now?” Chen Fan looked at Zhong Li’s group, his voice indifferent.
Caught in the aftermath of the attack, Zhong Li’s group was heavily injured, their breaths labored. Fear surged in their eyes upon hearing Chen Fan's killing intent-filled words.
Senior Brother Duan Jingtian’s attack through space couldn’t kill Chen Fan. How was that possible?
Chen Fan's claim of having killed Wang Fuchen now carried a weight of authenticity.
Seeing the fear-stricken trio, Chen Fan relished the pleasure of absolute control pulsating within him.
In this world, only power could confer such honor.
“Who exactly are you? What miraculous encounter granted you such prowess? A mere Qi Grandmaster dismantling Senior Brother Duan Jingtian's attack? Reveal yourself! How can a commoner have such strength?! A demon or a devil must be possessing you. I'll report this to the sect for a thorough investigation!
Zhong Li couldn’t accept that Duan Jingtian’s attack failed. Even he, a Yuanfu realm powerhouse, couldn’t have resisted it.
“You’re still delusional? Can’t you understand the current situation?” Chen Fan retorted, stepping forcefully upon Zhong Li. Primeval qi surged, penetrating Zhong Li's meridians, eliciting intense pain as he screamed, akin to a pig being slaughtered.
“Are you in despair, consumed by shame? Once, you regarded me as no more than an ant, yet you couldn't bend me to your will. Now, you’re struggling under my feet. How does it feel? Do you feel like vomiting blood? Do you feel like killing yourself?”
Chen Fan’s gaze was cold, and his voice icy. “Do you believe I have the power to cripple your cultivation, rendering your life's efforts futile?”
Zhong Li sensed Chen Fan’s primeval qi wreaking havoc inside him again. Fear finally crept up to his face, “Let’s talk this over! Let’s talk this over! I’m a member of Heaven’s Alliance. Aren’t you afraid of Senior Brother Duan Jingtian?”
“Duan Jingtian? If I was afraid of him, I would have stood there and let his palm hit me without resisting! Moreover, will he not find trouble with me if I’m afraid of him? I had no grudges with your Heaven’s Alliance, yet you wanted me to end up in a miserable state all the same! In that case, I see no reason not to be more ruthless.”
Chen Fan’s gaze turned grim.
“I promise! I promise to never find trouble with you again in the future," Zhong Li pled earnestly.
Chen Fan said coldly, “Your promise means nothing to me. I've spoken at length to make one thing clear—you brought this upon yourselves.”
“I, Chen Fan, abide by the principle of not interfering if left alone, but if crossed, I will not hesitate to eliminate the threat! You shouldn't have provoked me, thinking you could act as you wish by relying on Heaven’s Alliance’s name. Must everyone bow to your authority?”
A surge of primeval qi rushed into Zhong Li.
A sound akin to firecrackers echoed within Zhong Li, his meridians crumbling under the force.
Zhong Li’s eyes went deathly gray.
He finally realized that Chen Fan was really about to cripple his cultivation, turning him into a waste. It was worse than dying.
In this world where martial arts were honored and the strong preyed on the weak, he would be more miserable than a slave without his cultivation.
Zhong Li felt a blend of hatred and regret.
If he had known he would end up , he wouldn’t have relied on his status and cultivation to bully and humiliate Chen Fan. Or perhaps he would have killed Chen Fan before he grew to eliminate all future troubles.
Meanwhile, Yang Feng and Bing Ye wore expressions of sheer horror. They immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed profusely, begging for mercy. “Please let me go, please let me go. Don’t cripple my cultivation. Don’t cripple my cultivation. I’m willing to work like a slave for you. I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
These two were truly scared for their lives.
They thought they were safe when Duan Jingtian had attacked. However, they never expected Chen Fan to be strong enough to destroy Duan Jingtian’s attack.
If they had been outside, they would have been arrogant instead of being paralyzed by fear.
With Duan Jingtian unable to intervene, Chen Fan held absolute power over them. And being without cultivation was a prospect scarier than death itself.
“Now that fear grips your hearts, you seek mercy? It's too late!”
Chen Fan’s heart didn’t soften, and he struck out with two palms.
Primeval qi rushed into them, crippling their cultivation. Instantly, their complexions paled, and they became dazed.
“Impressive, truly impressive! Makes one look at you in a new light!”
Suddenly, laughter resounded.
Chen Fan saw Chu Qing and Xuan Feixue flying over, with the latter holding Qin Yao captive.
Qin Yao’s eyes were filled with tears.
She hated her incompetence, dragging Chen Fan’s feet time and again by becoming a hostage the enemies used to threaten Chen Fan.
“Don’t be scared, Senior Sister. I’ll save you.”
Chen Fan’s icy gaze settled on Xuan Feixue and Chu Qing. A cold killing intent emanated from him, chilling those who felt it to their very core.
Having expended all his efforts on thwarting Duan Jingtian's attack earlier, Chen Fan had neglected to assess his surroundings. He didn’t expect Xuan Feixue and Chu Qing to have captured Qin Yao.
“Let go of my Senior Sister. I can give you the Ice Jade Snow Lotus,” Chen Fan said coldly.
Aware that the captors sought the lotus, he was willing to surrender it to ensure Qin Yao's safety.
“Haha, how straightforward!”
Xuan Feixue laughed out loud. However, he immediately said coldly, “I might release her, but how can we be certain you'll deliver the Ice Jade Snow Lotus afterward? And whether you’ll try to kill us?”
Chen Fan said, “I presume you must have seen what happened. I exhausted almost all of my primeval qi trying to stop Duan Jingtian’s attack. I am also heavily injured. If you join forces, I would be no match for you. Aren’t you holding my Senior Sister captive because you’re afraid I might risk my life to fight back, dragging you down with me?! I guarantee I'll hand over the Ice Jade Snow Lotus once you release my Senior Sister. I’m a man of my word!”
“Haha, you saw through that. Smart.” Xuan Feixue chuckled, “But I still don’t believe you.”
Chen Fan’s eyes gleamed. “What must I do for you to release my Senior Sister?"
Xuan Feixue replied, “Give us the Ice Jade Snow Lotus first.”
Chen Fan threw the Ice Jade Snow Lotus over without hesitation.
Xuan Feixue and Chu Qing sent out a wisp of primeval force almost simultaneously, wrapping the Ice Jade Snow Lotus.
Although the two had formed a temporary alliance, they didn’t trust each other and were on guard against one another.
“Now that I’ve given you the Ice Jade Snow Lotus, you can let my Senior Sister go!” Chen Fan looked at them coldly.
Xuan Feixue said, “No hurry. You still need to receive an attack from each of us. We’ll let her go once we confirm you have no power to resist us.”
Chen Fan’s gaze suddenly turned cold as he said, “Fine, but you must let my Senior Sister go first. Otherwise... Senior Sister, are you afraid of death?”
Qin Yao shook her head and said, “I’m not afraid!”
“You heard her.” Chen Fan stared at Xuan Feixue and Chu Qing coldly.