The morning mist dispersed, and golden sunlight illuminated the horizon.
Lin Fan had not slept all night, yet he felt not the slightest discomfort. A cultivator's body was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The two women were sleeping soundly and would not wake for a while yet.
A thoughtful look appeared in Lin Fan's eyes.
The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect had attacked the Blood Demon Sect, so the demonic sect was certainly at a disadvantage. Otherwise, it would not have disbanded its low-level disciples and let them hide on their own.
If Lin Fan had guessed correctly, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect certainly would not let these fleeing demonic sect brats off either.
After all, as a righteous sect, once they had made their move, they would surely exterminate them down to the last one.
The struggle between good and evil had always been a fight to the death.
Of course, the Blood Demon Sect had not yet been defeated, and the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect could not spare too much strength to hunt down small fry like them. However, it would most likely send its disciples after them.
They would be treated directly as targets for training.
He was still within the Blood Demon Sect's territory, so he could barely be considered safe.
But less than a few dozen li farther east lay Dangyang City, which Master Ruan had warned was dangerous.
"Avoiding Dangyang City will require traveling more than a hundred extra li, but for the sake of caution, we should avoid it if we can."
"Once we enter the Eastern Territory, perhaps things will improve considerably."
Lin Fan was deep in thought.
Earlier, several Feudal Princes of the Eastern Territory had raised troops for the Royal Rescue, but they had all been forcefully suppressed by the New Emperor of Great Jin. Even the Feudal Princes' descendants and family members had been sent to the Blood Demon Sect.
Now, the remnants of the Feudal Princes in the Eastern Territory were still at war with the Great Jin court, and the region was in enormous turmoil.
It was precisely because he had considered this that Lin Fan was willing to send the two women to the King of Linzi's City. He could also use this opportunity to hide in the chaotic Eastern Territory. Unless the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect turned the entire region upside down, it should be very difficult for them to find even a trace of him.
"Going to the Eastern Territory has two goals: sending the two women back to the King of Linzi's City and choosing a suitable place to hide. The second is solving the problem of being unable to continue copying and obtaining lifespan."
A sharp glint appeared in Lin Fan's eyes. He then looked toward the two women leaning against the familiar carriage.
The two women slept soundly. Even though they were exposed to the elements, they felt more at ease than they had in the demonic sect's cavern dwelling.
It had already been a day or two since Lin Fan had last given them Infatuation Pills.
Half an hour later, as the sunlight grew increasingly brilliant, the two women finally woke up groggily.
Zhou Wanqing rubbed her bleary eyes, and her complexion looked excellent.
Her skin was as white and delicate as snow. As she stretched, her already graceful curves appeared even more prominent.
Her expression was exceedingly relaxed, something she had never experienced in the demonic sect before.
Wang Yuyao yawned. Her figure was even fuller than Zhou Wanqing's, and her legs were straight and long, faintly visible beneath her flesh-colored gauze dress.
She glanced at Lin Fan and asked softly, "Lin Lang, are we leaving now?"
She could hardly wait to return to the King of Linzi's City. Her dreams the previous night had all been scenes of her returning there.
Lin Fan had treated her rather well on the mountain before, but no matter how much he cared for her, that kind of life had been just like hell.
In the past, Lin Fan had been her protective umbrella. Now, he was the "jailer" watching over her.
As for feelings, she might have had some to a greater or lesser degree, but without the influence of the Infatuation Pill, it was probably nothing more than a dispensable physical relationship.
"Brother Lin..."
At that moment, Zhou Wanqing also looked toward Lin Fan.
"Then let's set out," Lin Fan said.
The two women were delighted and quickly gathered their things before climbing into the carriage.
Lin Fan drove the carriage at an unhurried pace. Under normal circumstances, they would be able to leave the Blood Demon Sect's territory completely in another hour. However, to avoid Dangyang City blocking their path, they had taken a detour of more than a hundred li.
The sky suddenly darkened. At some point, a layer of dark clouds had shrouded the sky that had originally been calm and sunny.
Just then, the sound of hooves suddenly came from behind.
Lin Fan's heart tightened, but he did not slow the carriage.
Inside the carriage, the two women also heard the approaching hoofbeats.
Zhou Wanqing's pretty face remained calm. By contrast, a fleeting tension appeared deep in Wang Yuyao's eyes.
Several swift horses caught up. The leader was a man dressed in a white sword robe.
"They're people from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect."
Lin Fan's eyes shifted slightly, and the muscles throughout his body tensed as he prepared for battle at any moment.
But in the next second, several swift horses roared past. The white-robed swordsman leading them did not even spare him a second glance before quickly riding away with his men.
Lin Fan let out a breath of relief and continued driving the carriage forward.
"It seems that the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect has arranged quite a few disciples to search in other directions as well, not just around Dangyang City, to prevent the Blood Demon Sect's disciples from escaping."
Lin Fan thought to himself.
A powerful sense of crisis welled up inside him.
With a thought, Lin Fan immediately connected to the panel.
Would you like to consume sixty years of lifespan to advance Advanced Demonic Arts to minor mastery?
A line of text that only he could see appeared before Lin Fan.
"Agree to the advance."
He answered without hesitation.
In the next moment, more insights into Advanced Demonic Arts surged into Lin Fan's mind from thin air.
An image emerged. A youth with features resembling his own was practicing a palm technique.
Both palms struck together, the force sharp and ruthless. The movements seemed simple, yet they contained astonishing power.
A palm cleaved out with the force of thunder, capable of toppling mountains and overturning seas!
"After sword techniques comes palm techniques!"
"Use palm techniques to promote the refinement and absorption of the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth."
Lin Fan shuddered.
Sitting upright on the carriage, he struck with both palms according to the youth's movements.
At first, his motions were awkward, but after a moment, they already possessed a hint of a grandmaster's bearing.
The surrounding spiritual power seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, pouring endlessly into Lin Fan's body.
The six strands of Internal Breath within him surged at a speed visible to the naked eye, giving rise to a seventh and an eighth strand.
The eight strands of Internal Breath took shape and stabilized. Lin Fan's body suddenly trembled as surging power filled his limbs and bones.
At that moment, he felt stronger than ever before.
Lin Fan immediately summoned the panel and quickly examined the changes within himself.
Name: Lin Fan Lifespan: 1325 Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (Fourth Grade) Cultivation Arts: Advanced Demonic Arts (Minor Mastery), Blood Gathering Art (Major Mastery), Talisman Secret Manual (Beginner), Sword Control Technique (Beginner)
"Only this kind of powerful feeling can make a person feel steady and at ease."
Lin Fan spoke softly to himself.
After coming down the mountain, without the Blood Demon Sect's protection, his own strength was his greatest source of confidence.
The carriage continued forward and soon traveled several more li.
At that moment, the horses suddenly stopped dead and let out an urgent whinny.
A cold gleam shot over, rushing straight toward Lin Fan's brow.
Lin Fan's expression changed slightly, and he instinctively twisted aside to dodge.
But before he could land, the ground suddenly exploded. Countless iron spikes shot out, intending to nail Lin Fan in midair and kill him.
"Demonic sect brat, today is the day you die."
A man in a white sword robe revealed himself. Several figures followed behind him.
These people were none other than the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect forces that had passed the carriage not long before!
At the critical moment, the Azure Gavel Sword flashed from Lin Fan's sleeve. As Sword Qi swept out, it shattered more than a dozen iron spikes in an instant.
Lin Fan steadied himself, but the Azure Gavel Sword flew from his hand once more, roaring toward the flying sword rushing at him head-on.
The two swords collided, erupting in dazzling sparks.
"How is this possible..."
The white-robed swordsman's expression changed drastically. His opponent had actually used the Sword Control Technique that only Flowing Cloud Sword Sect disciples knew!
Moreover, his technique appeared even more practiced than the man's own!
He stood dumbfounded, and the other followers were likewise frozen in place.
Lin Fan, however, took one step and vanished from where he stood.
By the time the white-robed swordsman reacted, Lin Fan had already charged before them, and the Azure Gavel Sword swept mercilessly across.
Bang!
The white-robed swordsman instinctively drove his flying sword forward to block, but the terrifying force sent him staggering several meters backward. The other followers could not dodge in time.
As a burst of Blood Mist exploded, several followers who were only at the Spirit Gathering Realm perished on the spot.
"You... damn you!"
The white-robed swordsman's eyes turned bloodshot. He formed hand seals, and the might of his flying sword surged, roaring toward Lin Fan like an arrow.
Yet it was blocked once more by the Azure Gavel Sword. At the same time, a Snow Demon Wolf transformed from a talisman had appeared behind the white-robed swordsman without anyone knowing when.
"Awooo!"
Before he could react, the Snow Demon Wolf opened its enormous bloody maw and viciously bit down on his head.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed. The white-robed swordsman did not even manage to scream before his head and body separated, and he collapsed into a cold corpse.
Lin Fan recalled the Azure Gavel Sword and shook his head. "I could have been a good person. Why did you have to keep pressing me so hard?"
As he spoke, he kicked the opponent's flying sword aside, then stepped forward and began searching the corpse.
A moment later, several cloth bags had appeared in his hands.
Lin Fan then punched out a large pit and buried the several mangled corpses inside.
After finishing all this, Lin Fan looked toward the back of the carriage. Black ashes had been scattered all along the road behind them, and his expression turned somewhat cold.
After thinking it over, he remained silent and drove the carriage away at high speed.
Inside the carriage, Wang Yuyao lowered the curtain. Her delicate, pretty face had turned somewhat pale.
"Sister, what's wrong?" Zhou Wanqing asked gently.
"Nothing..." Wang Yuyao forced a smile and said.
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