Conceded

Li Fan, taking advantage of being a newcomer unfamiliar with the area, rampaged through Penglai Island, 'crashing' everywhere. He provoked any guardians of the Spirit Race he encountered, and challenged any guest elders from the Outer Sect to a fight. In short, whoever got into trouble with him would immediately be beaten up before they could even back down. He only showed courtesy and deference to the Inner Sect disciples of the Nine Truth Sect; otherwise, he would confront everyone, whether they were servants, mounts, attendants, or guest elders, ensuring fairness and impartiality, and never cheating anyone, even if they were young or old. He would throw punches at their faces, and he wouldn't kill them as long as they knelt down and admitted defeat.

So within a day, the entire Penglai knew that a red-haired lunatic had arrived on the island, attacking anyone he saw. No, it couldn't be called lunatic; this country bumpkin seemed to be trying to establish his position in the sect through a beast-like, direct fighting style...

The Xuanmen sect is full of elites, and even the servants aren't stupid. They could tell that this madman was just a newcomer who was deliberately feigning madness to try and stand out and attract the sect's attention and favor. The bigwigs probably also enjoyed the competition among the Outer Sect members, which is why, despite Li Fan's rampage across the entire island, not a single Divine Lord jumped out to stop him. After all, prioritizing 'order' is a guiding principle of the sect.

Soon, no one in the Outer Sect dared to be provoked by Li Fan anymore. Whether they were from the Spirit Race or the Human Race, anyone who saw this red-haired man from afar would give him a wide berth. They were joking, weren't they? Didn't they have any other jobs? Besides, what was the point of fighting a Martial God? He even cultivated the Dou Department Cultivation Method; beating him up was just a form of training, okay?

However, the Inner Sect disciples of the Nine Truth Sect quite liked Li Tang. Because of the chaotic times and the turmoil within the sect, the core cultivators had all been sent out, leaving only some newly initiated disciples of the 'De' generation still studying. Spending all day grinding through practice questions and exams inevitably led to depression, and the novelty of the island was a welcome relief. Moreover, this Martial God knew his place, showing deference to the Inner Sect disciples and respecting intellectuals' manners, which greatly satisfied their pride. By the end of the day, quite a few 'De' generation Inner Sect disciples had befriended Li Fan, exchanging WeChat contacts, learning their names, lineages, and even arranging to drink together...

And so, Li Fan toured the entire island right under the noses of the gods. It was obvious that someone was watching his every move. He was so close to some forbidden areas that he could even hear the gods' voices telling him that there was no one ahead to fight for him and that he should take another route.

Amao and the Huan family shouldn't be worth such attention, so why bother a god-level figure to send him a message? This way, a large number of secret bases that the big shots of Penglai don't allow into can be eliminated, and the number of places where they might be imprisoned will probably be reduced to single digits.

The reconnaissance is progressing well. Let's check the drone's progress later. Maybe we can find them tomorrow and escape the day after...

By the way, speaking of getting out, that's also a hassle. There's a magic array blocking our way outside. One option is to team up with an Inner Sect disciple, like Zhou Chengxue, or find someone with the character "De" (德) to join, but having someone with you around might be inconvenient. Another option is to see if there are any missions the sect sends out on its own. Of course, to get those kinds of missions, you'd probably need to grind, make some contributions, and gain their trust before triggering them. It might take a few more days...

Li Fan suddenly stopped, frowned, and turned to look at the two tall, beautiful Spirit Race girls who had been chasing him from behind and then performed an exaggerated triple somersault over his head to block his path.

"Swift as the wind and thunder! Slay the evil and dispel its foes!"

"Lightning flash! Demons shattered!"

"Supreme Zhenzhen Palace Ling Bingyu!"

The one on the left has long, ice-blue hair, blue eyes, white teeth, and skin as smooth as frost and snow. A pointed tip protrudes from her forehead, like an icicle.

"Ling Liuying of the Zhenzhen Palace!"

The one on the right has a wine-red ponytail, rosy cheeks and red lips, beautiful wheat-colored skin, and a rounded corner between her eyebrows, resembling coral.

"Exterminate evil spirits! Slay Devil Seed! Supreme Truth! Ice Jade Liu Ying!" x2

Then, one of them bent over with one leg extended, blowing out a shard of ice, while the other stood still, chest out and elbows bent, forming a pair of fiery fists.

Li Fan, "..."

"Hey! Say something! We've already given out nicknames!"

"Now it's your turn! Don't run! Don't laugh!"

Li Fan took a deep breath. He had to finish the performance, even with tears in his eyes, because of the mess he had created...

So he braced himself, casually found a horse stance, and imitated Master Huang's starting posture, saying, "So it's the renowned one! Supreme True One! Ice Jade Liu Ying! I am Li Tang of the Supreme God True Palace! Known as the Red-Haired Ghost! Please enlighten me!"

Whether it was psychological or not, Li Fan thought he heard a group of old men bursting into laughter, chuckling and raucous.

The two Spirit Race girls were quite satisfied, so they each changed their pose.

"Red-Haired Ghost Li Tang! I've heard you underestimate the Spirit Race's strength!"

"Provoking trouble Fourth Department! Stirring up trouble! Injuring my clansmen!"

"Today, we, Bingyu Liu Ying, will represent the Spirit Race and have a match with you!"

"I'll teach you a lesson, you arrogant newbie! I'll show you what it means to be outmatched!"

"Oh... really? Just the two of you? I mean, really just the two of you?"

Li Fan was genuinely surprised. Although judging by appearances was wrong, no matter how he looked at them, they were both big-breasted, brainless weaklings, probably the kind who had just transformed into human form...

Ling Liuying was furious upon hearing this, "Extremely rude! It's one thing to do it behind our backs, but to look down on us to our faces!"

Ling Bingyu coldly replied, "We know you possess the cultivation of Martial God, and are invincible among the Outer Sect disciples! Therefore, defeating you will prove the strength of our Bingyu Liu Ying!"

Then Ling Liuying waved her hand and threw a jade slip over.

Li Fan took the document and glanced at it. He saw that it was a demon-slaying mission issued by the Supreme Zhenzhen Palace. It said that East Sea had requested help. Three deep-sea monsters had been discovered to have mutated and turned into Devil Seed, causing chaos. The mission required the disciples to patrol the sea and eliminate them as soon as they were discovered.

"Let's have a demon-slaying contest! Best two out of three! If we win, you'll have to admit at the mountain gate that your strength is inferior to our Ice Jade Liu Ying!"

"You'll have to serve us tea and water, and be our lackey for three months! Do you dare?!"

Li Fan stared speechlessly at the jade slip. Well, it was like a pillow being delivered to someone who was sleepy. It seemed he was really lucky; the exit pass was handed to him right away.

Li Fan then threw his head back and laughed heartily, "What kind of contest is it to fight a three-headed monster? Fine! I accept!"

Ling Bingyu Ling Liuying overjoyed. "It's a deal!" "A promise is a promise!" they shouted. Then, with an exaggerated three-and-a-half-turn mid-air leap over his head, they headed straight for the outer sea to snatch the monster.

Li Fan wasn't in a hurry at all. Watching the two figures leap and bound across the palace rooftops and disappear into the distance, he shrugged, put the mission jade slip in his pocket, and went straight back to the Shenzhen Palace.

These two Spirit Race girls have an odd style, and they're from the lineage of the Zhenzhen Palace's leader. Who knows if they're even pets kept by the Dao Lord? He doesn't want to provoke them. Anyway, with this prop, he can sneak out of the Penglai Grand Array and should be able to complete this main quest.

As for the side quest involving the annihilation of the Huan family, that won't happen so quickly. Li Fan has already figured it out after his rounds. Although all nine palaces have palaces in Penglai, generally speaking, a single immortal mountain can accommodate disciples from three Daoist Tradition for cultivation. Penglai is for the Supreme True, Divine True, and High True; Fanghu is for the Spiritual True, True True, and Heavenly True; and Yingzhou is for the Profound True, Supreme True, and Upper True. The ones who destroyed the Huan family were the three Nascent Soul Stage of the True Palace, Taizhen Palace, and Supreme True Palace, along with their Outer Sect Golden Core. They are not currently in Penglai, but Li Fan has noted their names on the list. He can come back to find them after settling the Huan family. They may run away, but they can't hide.

Back at the entrance of the side hall of the Shenzhen Palace, Li Fan stopped again. It really was true that he could run away, but he couldn't hide...

A Nascent Soul Stage cultivator from the Inner Sect, with a mustache, appeared to be in his early twenties. His attire was quite simple, consisting only of a clean and tidy Daoist robe, without many flashy decorations. He was accompanied by a patient lying on a stretcher, waiting for him outside the courtyard. This man must be Cheng Qianlong's grandfather, Cheng Chengzhi, the Grand Supreme True Sect Master. He arrived quite quickly; it seemed he had been waiting for a whole day.

"I've kept you waiting, Master. Enough with the small talk, let's get started." Li Fan didn't waste any words, cupped his hands in greeting, and prepared to fight.

"Alright, please enlighten me." Cheng Chengzhi didn't waste any more words. He made a gesture, then with a flick of his wrist, he revealed a gleaming blue sword and thrust it towards Li Fan's chest and abdomen! In an instant, the sword tip swayed, flashing blue light, and he unleashed four consecutive strikes!

Li Fan had been thinking about how to fight with Qi Sword all the way, so he didn't panic when he saw the situation. He didn't directly confront the sharp sword blade that could cut through iron like mud. With quick eyes and hands, he protected his body with Qi, swung his claws horizontally, and used the wind generated by his fists and claws to strike Cheng Chengzhi's torso and arms from a distance.

As expected, Cheng Chengzhi, like Zhou Chengxue, also had the Five Truth Lotus Technique protecting his body. However, his lotus petals seemed to be more solid. Even after five layers were shattered by the gale, three layers still protected his torso!

But Li Fan had already achieved his goal. The moment the opponent's sword strike came, he used his fierce internal energy to strike left and right, breaking through Cheng Chengzhi's five layers of protective true qi in one go, disrupting his center of gravity, pulling the sword's momentum to the side, and effortlessly dodging the most fierce sword slash of the Penglai Qi Sword. A dazzling blue Sword Light grazed past his face, blooming like a crescent moon from the sword tip, directly severing the main beam and sweeping down half of the side hall!

Cheng Chengzhi's sword fell off course, but he didn't hesitate at all. He didn't care that his protective true qi was broken. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward again and raised his hand to strike Li Fan's face with another palm!

Li Fan was surprised that his opponent would actually come up for close combat. He immediately sensed something was wrong. His eyes narrowed, and in a flash, he clearly saw a talisman drawn on Cheng Chengzhi's palm. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He knew he couldn't take this attack head-on. He stomped his foot and jumped up, dodging Cheng Chengzhi's palm strike!

The moment he leaped into the air, Li Fan clearly saw a blue-green fiery dragon burst forth from the courtyard beneath his feet. With a whoosh, it blasted through half of the palace, setting several palace walls ablaze. The surrounding Spirit Race children and fairies were so startled that they scattered and fled in a clamor.

Damn, this guy unleashed his ultimate move without even setting up a protective barrier!

Cheng Chengzhi blasted half a mountain with a single slap, then sheathed his sword, glanced at Li Fan had leaped into the air, and without pursuing him, formed a hand seal and bowed to Li Fan, saying, "You flatter me."

Concession? What kind of concession are you talking about? Did you even touch a hair on my head?

Cheng Chengzhi ignored him and turned to Cheng Qianlong on the ground, saying, "The cause and effect are settled."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve and smashed the Golden Core cultivator on the stretcher to pieces with a single palm strike, splattering blood and flesh everywhere. Then, ignoring the bloodstains all over his body, he expressionlessly pulled something out of his pocket, held it in his palm, and waved it. A burst of light appeared, and the thing in his hand also shone. It moved, spread its wings, and chirped.

Then Li Fan saw clearly that it was a golden cicada.

Cheng Chengzhi bowed deeply towards the main hall of the Shenzhen Palace on the mountain, saying, "This disciple has been unruly and made a mistake, damaging Shenzhen Palace. Please punish me, Palace Master."

After a moment of silence, a voice came from the hilltop. "Never mind."

"Thank you, Palace Master. This disciple will come to apologize again another day."

Cheng Chengzhi bowed again, and then his human form instantly lengthened, rising from the ground. His entire body transformed into a sword rainbow, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the deep space in an instant, heading straight overseas.

Li Fan landed, frowning as he looked at the mess on the ground. In the courtyard, only a mangled humanoid figure remained, its body shattered into pieces and covered in blood. He was speechless with bewilderment.

Sword Rainbow, and just now it was... a reincarnation of a warrior? Holy crap, is a warrior's self-destruction really this scary...?

That Cheng Chengzhi, on the overall ranking list, seems to be only ahead of Xiao Zhou, ranked eighth, cough cough, now he's seventh. Who would have thought he'd be so ruthless when he gets serious... Is Xiao Zhou too weak, or is this Cheng guy's combat power calculation wrong...?

After Cheng Chengzhi came knocking on his door and pulled this stunt, Li Fan couldn't help but become wary.

After careful consideration, he realized he had indeed lost a move this time. If Cheng Chengzhi's sword rainbow had been aimed directly at his head when he jumped into the air, with the sword and man as one, Qingyue, with her true abilities and three escape techniques at her disposal, could have continued to entangle him. However, given the character of 'Li Tang' as Martial God, unaffiliated cultivators who focus on body refinement usually haven't learned advanced escape techniques and would absolutely not be able to dodge this sword rainbow that revealed its killing intent.

The melee protector he played was forced to jump up and dodge during the fierce battle. The moment he chose to distance himself from the sword immortal, he lost.

As expected, the Xuanmen sect should not be underestimated. Although Li Fan was confident that he could kill a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator of the same realm in one strike, they were also capable of inflicting fatal damage on Li Fan.

Especially in life-or-death battles, the combat power estimates on the rankings are completely meaningless. Even the slightest underestimation or carelessness could lead to defeat and death.

Moreover, the disciples of the Xuanmen sect grow up in an extremely competitive environment. While there are certainly those like Zhou Chengxue who become complacent and lazy, there are also those like Cheng Chengzhi, who, despite being born into a low-ranking Daoist palace, still maintain a strong desire to compete for the Dao.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. Li Fan discovered that losing to Cheng Chengzhi might not be such a bad thing after all. He could clearly feel that the scornful gazes he felt towards Cheng Chengzhi had completely disappeared.

If I'm not mistaken, the bigwigs of Penglai have probably already distinguished between Cheng Chengzhi and Li Tang in terms of their 'order'. This way, they no longer need to keep a close eye on him and examine his background, and Li Tang's identity is temporarily secured.

Even better, the patrol drone returned ahead of schedule, which means it has found the whereabouts of the Huan family!

Li Fan checked the records and indeed found a matching target.

Besides the three members of the Cheng generation, there were also six Golden Core cultivators who went to exterminate the Huan family. Their appearances were recorded. The drone discovered their trail during its patrol and tracked them to their place of confinement.

Li Fan carefully reviewed the video. This time, it was the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators from the Taizhen Palace who brought the six Golden Core cultivators, transporting the Huan family members from Yingzhou to Penglai by boat. Besides the Huan family members on board, there were also many Jin Qing, Golden Scale Fish, and treasures. The Golden Core cultivators themselves had also plundered their own possessions, apparently intending to transport them to Penglai for trade with the Spirit Race. It was during the retrieving of the goods that they were discovered by the drone.

Li Fan was also surprised. It seemed that his luck was inexplicably good today. He had found the hostage, the kidnapper, and the escape route was secured. So why not seize the day and get to work now?

So he changed his gear, putting on the anti-detection protective suit from the cult underneath, and then his battle armor. He took out the deer antlers he had broken off and gnawed on, attached them to his helmet, and disguised himself as Spirit Race before setting off for his destination.

The Daoist palace where the Huan family was imprisoned was near the port. It was more like a warehouse than a prison. It seems that Penglai also knew that these people were not really part of the Demonic Sect. After verifying that there was no connection, they did not kill them all. Instead, they put them in the warehouse along with the looted goods for trade with the Spirit Race.

After all, the Spirit Race helped Penglai Mountain mine many resources from the seabed. After handing them over to the sect to complete their mission, they could trade with cultivators and become very wealthy. Therefore, apart from Li Fan, a newcomer who knew nothing, other cultivators needed to exchange resources with them and naturally dared not offend them.

Li Fan used his Gu Guan Method to probe outside the warehouse for a while and discovered that the six Golden Core cultivators were busy trading with the Spirit Race and hadn't sold all their goods yet. There were no Inner Sect disciples nearby, only a few Spirit Race merchants and guards that he could kill at will.

Taking advantage of the situation, Li Fan stealthily infiltrated the warehouse and found several unconscious girls in the dungeon... Huh? Why are they all girls?