The journey back was exceptionally smooth, as though the ferocious beasts of the Black Mire Mountain Range had all avoided the group. Lin Xiaohu cradled the newly acquired "Qi and Blood Condensation Art" in his hands, asking Chen Fan questions about cultivation from time to time. Li Mo led the way ahead, his vigilant gaze sweeping the surroundings—yet the calmer it was, the stronger the unease in his heart became.
"Mr. Chen, that's Falling Star Valley ahead. Once we pass the valley entrance, we'll be able to see the Seven Stars Sect's mountain gate." Li Mo pointed toward the narrow valley ahead, a trace of relief in his voice.
Yet Chen Fan suddenly stopped, his brows tightly furrowed. The cliffs on both sides of Falling Star Valley stood sheer as walls, and the valley was so quiet that only the wind could be heard. Three different spiritual energy fluctuations faintly permeated the air, circling along a bizarre trajectory—this was the sign of an array activating!
"Something's wrong, fall back!" Before Chen Fan's words had even faded, two curtains of light rose at the valley entrance, completely sealing off both their retreat and the road ahead. At the same time, countless runes emerged across the cliff faces, and three golden pillars of light shot from the rune arrays, converging in midair into a massive triangular array diagram. The diagram contained an overwhelming suppressive force, slowing the circulation of everyone's qi, blood, and spiritual energy.
"The Three Talents Immortal Trapping Array!" Li Mo's expression changed drastically. "It's a trap set by the Xianyun Sect together with the Profound Ice Sect and the Poison Dragon Cult! This array specifically restrains the mortal body and spiritual energy, suppressing the trapped person's strength by thirty percent!"
Three figures stepped out from the array diagram. The leader was none other than the Xianyun Sect's Acting Sect Master—Zhang Xuan, a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator! Beside him stood the Profound Ice Sect's Ice Soul Elder and the Poison Dragon Cult's Myriad Poisons Old Freak, both top-tier fighters at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
"Chen Fan, I never expected you to come out of Dragon Burial Abyss alive. You've made me look at you in a new light." Zhang Xuan sneered, his gaze falling upon the Dragon Bone Flower in Chen Fan's hand as greed flashed in his eyes. "But Falling Star Valley will be your burial ground! Hand over the Dragon Bone Flower and the inheritance from Dragon Burial Abyss, and I can grant you a quick death."
"Just the three of you think you can stop me?" Chen Fan shielded Lin Xiaohu behind him as True Energy and qi and blood circulated through his body at once. Pale golden True Qi flowed around him, attempting to resist the array's suppression. Yet the power of the array far exceeded his expectations. The moment his True Qi condensed, it was weakened by the suppressive force within the array diagram. Fist force that could once easily shatter boulders could now barely maintain its form.
"Hahaha! Within the Three Talents Immortal Trapping Array, your martial strength will be continuously suppressed, while our spiritual energy can be amplified by the array!" Myriad Poisons Old Freak cackled sinisterly, producing a black poison pouch in his hand. "This is the Bone Dissolving Poison Mist I refined. Inhale even a trace of it, and your flesh will melt into pus. Let's see whether your martial body can withstand such venom!"
The poison pouch was thrown out, and black poisonous mist surged toward Chen Fan like a tide. The corrosive power within it made even the surrounding rocks begin to smoke. Chen Fan did not dare let down his guard. Forming seals with both hands, he followed the insights of the Blazing Spear Art and condensed his True Energy and qi and blood into an invisible Qi and Blood Spear, thrusting it toward the poison mist—"Blazing Spear Art: Break the Array!"
The pale golden spear shadow pierced through the poison mist, but failed to disperse it entirely. The remaining mist still spread toward them. Taking the opportunity, Ice Soul Elder struck. A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground and smashed toward Chen Fan. The cold contained within it froze the very air into ice crystals.
"Sky Shattering Fist: Burn the River!" Chen Fan launched both fists. His flaming fist force collided with the ice pillar, melting it instantly into water, but the flaming force was exhausted as well. He could clearly feel that under the array's suppression, his power was being depleted twice as fast as usual. If this continued, he would soon be drained of strength.
"Brother Fan, I'll help you!" Lin Xiaohu suddenly shouted. Following the method of the Qi and Blood Condensation Art, he gathered the power of qi and blood at his fingertips and drew the fire-pattern runes he had learned in Dragon Burial Abyss. Though his qi and blood were weak, the runes still lit up with a faint red glow. A thin flame burst from them. It could not harm the enemy, but it temporarily held back the spread of the poison mist.
"You overestimate yourself, little brat!" Myriad Poisons Old Freak snorted and fired a poison needle at Lin Xiaohu. Chen Fan reacted with lightning speed, shoving Lin Xiaohu away. The needle grazed his arm and flew past, leaving a small black hole in his sleeve. The cloth instantly corroded into ash.
"Xiaohu, stay behind me. Don't move recklessly!" Chen Fan said in a low voice. A stabbing pain came from where the poison needle's aftereffects had brushed his arm. Poison was seeping into his body through his pores. He circulated True Energy to suppress it, only to discover that the array's suppression had made its circulation sluggish. The poison was slowly spreading instead.
Seeing Chen Fan under the double suppression of poison and the array, killing intent flashed in Zhang Xuan's eyes. "Attack! Kill Chen Fan first, then wipe out the Seven Stars Sect disciples!"
Three attacks came at once: Zhang Xuan's Xianyun Palm bore heavy spiritual energy as it pressed down on Chen Fan like dark clouds; Ice Soul Elder's Ice Seal Ten Thousand Miles sent the surrounding temperature plummeting as countless ice spikes shot toward Chen Fan; Myriad Poisons Old Freak's Poison Dragon Drill condensed into a black drill bit that blasted toward Chen Fan's chest.
Chen Fan knew this was the moment between life and death. He took a deep breath and crushed the Dragon Bone Flower in his hand. Its pure medicinal power instantly merged into his body, resonating with the Martial Saint Realm insights from Zhao Lie's inheritance—the sensation of the Mortal Body Shackles loosening reached its peak. True Energy and qi and blood within him boiled like molten lava, madly battering against the shackles!
"Ah—!"
Chen Fan let out a long roar, and an aura far beyond his usual strength erupted from his body. Pale golden True Qi intertwined with pale red qi and blood, forming an enormous cocoon of light. Within it, his bones gave off crisp cracking sounds, while the Dragon Bone Flower's medicinal power rapidly enhanced the strength of his body. The array's suppressive force was actually driven back for the moment by the momentum of his breakthrough!
"He's breaking through to the Martial Saint Realm! Stop him!" Zhang Xuan's face changed drastically. If Chen Fan succeeded, the suppression of the Three Talents Immortal Trapping Array would become meaningless before the power of the Martial Saint Realm. The three of them might not even be his match!
The three attacks intensified once more and crashed toward the cocoon of light. Just as they were about to strike, the cocoon suddenly split apart, and a pale golden spear shadow shot out from within—this spear contained both the opportunity of a Martial Saint Realm breakthrough and the array-breaking force of the Blazing Spear Art. Wherever it passed, the spiritual energy attacks, ice spikes, and poison drill were instantly shattered!
"Pfft!"
Zhang Xuan and the other two were blasted backward again and again by the spear shadow's aftershock, blood spraying from their mouths as disbelief filled their eyes. They had never imagined that Chen Fan could forcibly trigger a Martial Saint Realm breakthrough in the midst of battle, then use the power of that breakthrough to launch a counterattack!
The cocoon of light completely dispersed, revealing Chen Fan within. A faint golden aura surrounded him, mixed with a trace of red qi and blood. His gaze had become sharper, and the aura radiating from him was several times stronger than it had been in the Martial Venerable realm—though he had not fully broken through to the Martial Saint Realm, he had used the Dragon Bone Flower and the inheritance to touch its threshold!
"Now, it's my turn." Chen Fan slowly raised his right hand, gathering qi and blood and True Energy into the Qi and Blood Spear once more. Its tip pointed at Zhang Xuan and the others, cold killing intent flashing in his eyes. "You set a trap to kill me. Today, I'll make you pay for everything the Xianyun Sect has done!"
Zhang Xuan and the others exchanged glances, each seeing fear in the others' eyes. They knew that Chen Fan was no longer someone they could contend against. Continuing this battle would only lead to certain death. Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. "Retreat! We'll find another chance for revenge later!"
The three turned to activate the array and flee, only to discover that Chen Fan had already blocked the array's core. The Qi and Blood Spear in his hand thrust out again—"Blazing Spear Art: Pierce the Clouds!" The spear shadow flashed like a meteor, instantly piercing through the array's light curtain and shattering its core.
The Three Talents Immortal Trapping Array collapsed with a thunderous crash, and its suppressive force vanished. Chen Fan's aura became even more violent as he strode toward Zhang Xuan and the other two. Every step made the ground tremble, and the killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible. "You want to leave? Too late!"
A life-and-death decisive battle erupted once again in Falling Star Valley. This time, Chen Fan was no longer the suppressed side. Having touched the threshold of the Martial Saint Realm, he would use the might of martial arts to launch his fiercest counterattack against the top forces of the cultivation world!
Before you continue