The battlefield had been noisy, but when Shen Fan arrived, it suddenly fell silent. No one knew who this young man who had appeared out of nowhere was.
But with one move, he had killed Chang Yuchun, a Peak Viscera Refining expert. That alone proved his strength was peerless.
Everyone waited to see what Shen Fan would do next, because their lives depended on it.
When Shen Fan's gaze swept over them, all the Viscera Refiners present lowered their heads, afraid of angering this sudden, fearsome presence!
"Junior Brother Shen, is that you?" A familiar voice suddenly rang out. It was Liu Zhen, the man who had watched Shen Fan become an entry-level disciple with his own eyes.
As soon as Liu Zhen spoke, the people from Kaishan Martial Arts School immediately looked grim. They realized this man had to be a powerful reinforcement from Ox Demon Martial Arts School!
The three men from City Lord's Mansion tried to flee at once, but the moment they moved, Shen Fan struck them. Like great birds, they tumbled from the air.
The three landed nearby, their lives uncertain. But as the rise and fall of their chests gradually weakened, everyone present understood.
Their gazes turned to Shen Fan, filled with terror.
Liu Zhen was also frightened. But after his reminder, the Ox Demon Martial Arts School disciples present all recalled the junior brother they had once considered a weirdo—
That Junior Brother Shen who had once trained Three Yuan Art so diligently!
"What? It really is him—Junior Brother Shen!"
"How can this be? How could Junior Brother Shen be so strong? Those were all Viscera Refining Masters!"
"Even Viscera Refining Masters are utterly helpless against Junior Brother Shen. So just how strong is he?"
At those words, everyone drew in a sharp breath.
They all realized one thing: Viscera Refining was already the pinnacle of the Qi and Blood Great Realm, yet those experts were still pathetically weak in Shen Fan's hands. Did that mean this mysterious Junior Brother Shen was already a Xiantian Expert?
The thought startled quite a few of them. Looking at that young face, they found it hard to imagine that someone so young could be a Xiantian Expert!
But just then, Shen Fan suddenly spoke.
"Drop your weapons and surrender, and I'll spare your lives!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the elite fighters from Kaishan Martial Arts School threw down their weapons and obediently crouched on the ground.
Shen Fan glanced at Zhang Yunhu, who was still dazed, and said gently, "Steward Zhang, I'll leave these people to you. If anyone refuses to comply, let me know!"
Shen Fan turned and left, paying no mind to the heated gazes fixed on him.
It took Zhang Yunhu quite a while to recover from what had just happened. He quickly organized the disciples and had them tie up the surrendered enemies. Not one of the Viscera Refiners dared to resist.
It was all because of the words Shen Fan had left behind as he departed.
Shen Fan alone had cast a shadow over their lives that would never fade.
The people of Ox Demon Martial Arts School watched as their far more numerous enemies were captured without a hint of resistance. They felt as if they were dreaming.
But when they put themselves in their enemies' shoes, they realized that if Shen Fan had been their opponent, they probably would have made the same choice.
Liu Zhen and the others who knew Shen Fan stood rooted to the spot, watching their solitary junior brother walk farther and farther away, until he gradually vanished from sight.
"Senior Brother Liu, you know Junior Brother Shen—oh, no, Senior Brother Shen, right?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything!" Liu Zhen suddenly remembered how, when he had gone out to gather herbs, he had chosen not to team up with Shen Fan—and how he had said nothing when people mocked Shen Fan.
It all came back to him. Liu Zhen felt that he had been incredibly selfish, incredibly foolish, and incredibly regretful!
But the commotion around him continued unabated.
"Do you think Senior Brother Shen is even stronger than the Top Ten Prodigies of our Laiyang City?"
Everyone nearby immediately looked at the speaker as if he were an idiot.
"Isn't that obvious? Which prodigy could beat a Viscera Refining expert? And you're comparing Senior Brother Shen to those people? Are you stupid?"
"Exactly! I reckon even the Hall Master couldn't last more than a few moves against Senior Brother Shen!"
It might have sounded a little disrespectful to the Hall Master, but no one present disagreed.
Zhang Longyun stood where he was, watching the several experts who had surrounded him die one after another. For a moment, he couldn't help feeling wistful.
"Shen Fan, are you really a disciple of my Ox Demon Martial Arts School?" Zhang Longyun gazed at the dim sky and murmured to himself.
Zhang Yunhu had heard his elder brother's question. He walked over and said calmly, "Big Brother, I can say for certain that Shen Fan is a disciple of our school—and he hasn't even been an entry-level disciple for a year!"
As the steward in charge of these matters, Zhang Yunhu knew Shen Fan extremely well. In fact, if so many things hadn't happened afterward, he might have recommended Shen Fan to his elder brother as a disciple.
Hearing Zhang Yunhu's words, Zhang Longyun wasn't reassured. Instead, his doubts only grew.
"He reached this level in less than a year. Is this guy some kind of monster?"
Though puzzled, Zhang Longyun didn't ask anything more.
Whatever the case, Ox Demon Martial Arts School had won this battle and preserved its strength. That was enough.
As for Shen Fan's identity, it didn't really matter. As long as he could protect the school, that was all that counted.
After escorting the large number of fighters to a prison cell, most of the martial arts school disciples headed back.
And when they returned, the first thing they did was go see Shen Fan, Senior Brother Shen, who had miraculously turned the tide all by himself!
As the spectators spread the news, Shen Fan was instantly hailed as a heavenly deity descended to earth. Countless people listened in open-mouthed amazement, and their admiration for Senior Brother Shen grew even stronger.
Even Bai Shan and Zhang Kuang, the two prodigies of Ox Demon Martial Arts School, couldn't help feeling jealous. They wanted that kind of fame too, but they simply weren't strong enough.
They could only watch helplessly as the graceful, handsome man in blue robes ascended the altar in everyone's hearts.
But to Shen Fan, none of this mattered. He turned away everyone who wanted to visit or curry favor with him.
He shut his door, steadied himself, and prepared for the battle ahead.
Those turned away were annoyed at first, but Liu Zhen stepped forward.
"Brothers, don't disturb Senior Brother Shen. Do you realize this is no time to celebrate? The real enemy of Ox Demon Martial Arts School hasn't been dealt with yet!"
"Our true enemy is City Lord's Mansion, with a Xiantian Expert at its command!"
His words jolted many people awake. They immediately remembered how aggressively City Lord's Mansion had been acting lately.
"Senior Brother Shen is now the strongest in our school. He'll have to face the strongest enemy when the time comes. Do you want him to lose because he's not in the right condition?"
Liu Zhen looked stricken with grief as he spoke. Everyone present bowed their heads, and even those who had been resentful came to their senses:
"That's right. Senior Brother Shen must be steadying himself so he can face the great enemy. If we disturb him, aren't we helping the enemy?"
The disciples who had wanted to visit Shen Fan felt thoroughly ashamed and left at once. Seeing them go, everyone else also dispersed, leaving behind a quiet calm.
Liu Zhen gazed at the faint lamplight in Shen Fan's room and murmured, "Junior Brother Shen, this time, I won't make the wrong choice!"
With that, Liu Zhen took up a position fifty meters from Shen Fan's room. He stood there like a sentry, stubbornly guarding the peace of the area.
Liu Zhen supported Shen Fan through his actions.
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