Chen Jinu

Chen Jinu...

Wasn't that eunuch who almost chopped off his head back then named Golden Core Chen Jinu? He was the first person Li Fan had personally killed; Li Fan clearly remembered him vividly. Could it be just a coincidence of sharing the same name?

No, the eunuchs kept in Taiping Temple have infiltrated Ink Bamboo Mountain and secretly carried out so many crucial tasks. I'm afraid this Chen Jinu is just a confidant, assassin, puppet, vessel, experimental subject, or something similar that Chen Jinu kept.

If he hadn't died before reaching the Golden Core, he would probably have been given a number sooner or later, a demonic offspring...

Seeing Li Fan become solemn and deep in thought, Luo Feng Patriarch, the former head of the Six Doors and leader of the organization, naturally noticed this.

"What? It really was him. I knew there was something fishy about him."

You don't know, but back then, the Beichen Sword Sect was renowned throughout the world. Not to mention the Sword Ancestor, his three disciples were also outstanding individuals.

Huangfu Yi was the vanguard of the Northern Expedition, a fierce general who was always the first to break through enemy lines and a hero who swept away the demons of the north. Unfortunately, he was too badly injured on the battlefield and his body was damaged, leading to his death.

Yan Xingyun, you've probably heard about what he did. The Luo Sect stirred up waves across the world, and he was at the heart of those waves. So many young masters of the Xuanmen died at his hands back then, almost wiping out an entire generation of Xuanmen, and he became famous throughout the world.

Compared to the other two, Chen Jinu was not well-known in the mortal world, and few ordinary people had seen him. However, he was the disciple of the Sword Ancestor, and everyone in the cultivation world knew that his cultivation was unparalleled and that he was a leader in the Xuanmen sect. However, he rarely fought with others, but instead traveled over mountains and across the Devil Domain to hunt down the ancient demons who were suppressing various forbidden areas.

Despite being only at the Nascent Soul Realm, he suppressed many demon lords and demon gods who had plagued the region since ancient times. This achievement is truly astonishing.

Much of the reputation of the Beichen Sword Sect for eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path today is earned by him. If you see any ruins with the legend of the "Sword Immortal Exorcising Demons," it most likely refers to Chen the Sword Immortal.

Therefore, Chen the Sword Immortal was highly respected within the Xuanmen (Daoist sect). Later, he died silently. The Sword Ancestor's comment about being "bitten to death by a dog" was probably just an angry outburst. People generally speculate that Chen the Sword Immortal failed in a demon-slaying operation, which is why it's considered such a loss.

But that one really was bitten to death by a dog, right...? No, that's not the point...

Li Fan frowned. "Is he really... slaying demons...?"

The patriarch nodded. "You thought of that too? We did suspect him at first that he was using the guise of exorcising demons to actually travel the world, colluding with and recruiting ancient demon gods who were being suppressed by the Three Great Sects, inviting them to join Nangong Wubu's rebel army. Perhaps the matter was exposed later, or perhaps he faked his death to escape after the matter was completed."

It's possible. Didn't the Death Gate Dao have many demons who secretly contacted the Nangong Family? And after the rise of the Luo Sect, they disappeared without a trace, hiding within the Buddhist sect. Could it be that they were the ones who made the connection back then, secretly carrying out their plan...?

Li Fan was still somewhat puzzled, "But why the Sword Sect...?"

The old ancestor grinned, "Of course it's the Sword Sect! What right do you think those ancient demons and sealed-off demon gods have to linger on until now? Those are opportunities left by the Xuanmen for their own disciples to gain experience! You others who want to exorcise demons probably don't even have the qualifications!"

Do you think it's easy to enter the Xuanmen sect? Every other Xuanmen sect is overflowing with people; you have to fight for even a seat in the morning prayer session. And each sect is extremely guarded, for fear that its secret manuals will be stolen by other sects.

But back then, a Sword Ancestor Xuantian emerged from Nine Yin Mountain. He slaughtered the entire mountain, and his vision was too high. After his eldest disciple died, he didn't have a single disciple left. Moreover, he probably didn't really understand how to manage a sect. It is said that after passing on his teachings to Chen Jinu, he entrusted the sect directly to his disciple, leaving him to train alone in the Central Plains, while he went to Kunlun to fight against the Divine Sect. So, who in the Sword Sect cared about what this Chen the Sword Immortal was doing?

"Hmph, this guy really knows how to hold back; he really hasn't shown up using that identity again."

Alas... Xuan Tian...

Li Fan thought for a moment and said to Luo Feng Patriarch, "If Zhi Jingzi of Hengshan, Chen Jinu of the Beichen Sword Sect, and the Seventh Thief of the Nangong Immortal Thief are actually the same person, then the scheme he has set up is far too big."

The Nangong Family, Hengshan, and the Demon Race clan have allied to besiege Guishan. Furthermore, as far as I know, the eldest son of the Grand Tutor, the Guardian General of the Immortal Palace, and the Changping Xianghou, Sima Shijing, also claims to be the eighteenth generation leader of the Beichen Sword Sect, having received its direct lineage, and he keeps many of the Sword Sect's assassins under his command. Perhaps he has also used an identity similar to Huangfu Jing to collude with..."

Luo Feng Patriarch seemed indifferent. "Isn't this normal? He's a sword immortal, not some king or nobleman. Whether it's the Grand Tutor or Nangong, it doesn't matter to him who wins the world. As long as the Daoist Tradition is passed down or there are cultivation resources to offer, that's enough. In any case, no matter which side wins, he's invincible."

Besides, the Grand Tutor also knew about the matter of the immortal thief Nangong and the celestial demons from beyond the heavens. Who knows, that cunning old fox might be betting on both sides as well."

Li Fan felt utterly powerless. He'd only wanted to roam the Immortal Realm freely and cling to powerful figures, but why were his opponents all so treacherous and cunning? Couldn't he at least be matched with some easy-to-follow idiots to fight...?

"Hmph, looks like you're in even more trouble than I, Luo Feng. Don't look at me like that; I can barely keep my own doorstep open, let alone meddle in your next generation's affairs. Solve your own problems, and get lost with your disciples."

Li Fan understood the other party's meaning: they didn't want him involved in the calamity that would destroy the Luo Feng Sect. After thinking about it,

"I've memorized the Heavenly Book I promised the Ancestor. I have many more new copies here; would you like to take a look?"

The old ancestor waved his hands repeatedly, "Don't! My cultivation is different from yours, which is focused on physical refinement. I need to adjust my body to its best condition to prepare for battle. Don't give me any fancy tricks that might cause me to go into a qi deviation!"

"Ha, the Heavenly Book is not as useful to me as understanding the weakness of their Shangqing Protective Qi right now."

Li Fan nodded, understanding. "Oh, then I'll write down the <Shangqing Jiangzhen Fumo Gong> for you right now. Oh, and there's also <Hengshan Dabei Shou>, <Heavenly Pillar Sword Technique>, oh, and a Dou Department protective qi technique, I wonder if you'd be interested?"

Luo Feng Patriarch: "... So, were you a disciple of Hengshan in your past life?"

Li Fan: "No, I'm from Emei. I'm not familiar with Hengshan."

Luo Feng Patriarch, "..."

So Li Fan sparred with Luo Feng Patriarch, casually practicing the <Shangqing Jiangzhen Fumo Gong> and giving Luo Feng Patriarch a simulated demonstration of the circulation of Shangqing protective true qi through the meridians and its weak points.

Don't let his burly, rough appearance fool you. Unlike the mountain lord, he's an exceptionally sensitive and delicate man. Cough, cough, he's a skill-based type. For example, his Dalu Jing Tian Finger actually evolved from the spear and halberd fighting style of Luo Feng Army. It specializes in attacking acupoints and weaknesses, making it an extremely difficult skill.

However, both Li Fan and Luo Feng Patriarch were martial arts masters with extremely high skill levels. Moreover, the two of them discussed the Dalu Jing Tian Finger and the Great Luo Spear Technique in a targeted manner. They quickly practiced and deduced the way to counter and restrain the <Shangqing Jiangzhen Fumo Gong>.

Of course, although the Hengshan Cultivation Method has been technically cracked, it still requires practical application in battle, but Li Fan is not worried about that. After all, since Luo Feng Old Lord came down to guard the gate of the Heavenly Demon Cave, he probably hasn't had a single day of peace, and in terms of combat experience, probably no one is more experienced than him.

Seeing that the old ghost had already grasped the essence of things and had begun to meditate and regulate his breathing, adjusting his physical condition while simulating the battle in his mind, Li Fan did not disturb his preparations and took his leave from Luo Fengtian Palace.

Then, as soon as he stepped outside, the Jueyin Shenjun appeared and said, "Hey!"

"Uh, you're still here. The Ancestor has made some progress and is currently cultivating his divine skills diligently. I think dealing with Lord Hengshan shouldn't be too much of a problem."

The figure above the Jueyin Shenjun smiled and performed a spell, inviting Li Fan to get into the carriage. "I understand the Ancestor's temper. God Lord, please don't mind, please come with me."

No way, what exactly did you prepare? You didn't even show me! Maybe I could have given you some pointers and tricked Hengshan again...

However, Li Fan didn't say much. Perhaps because of the relationship between the abbot and the mountain lord, Luo Feng Patriarch treated Li Fan like a nephew or disciple, but his disciples didn't have much of a connection with Ink Bamboo Mountain, so it was normal that he didn't trust them. Nevertheless, Li Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Don't you need me to escort some of your sect's disciples out to seek refuge?"

The Jueyin Shenjun simply chuckled, "No need to trouble yourself. We have already arranged a way out for the younger generation. He will also be in seclusion tomorrow morning. But speaking of which, he has entrusted his adopted son to you, hasn't he?"

Those are Divine Beast passed down from the Xie family, said to be descendants of the immortal moths brought from the Three Enclosures. It's a pity that our mountain doesn't have enough spiritual materials to raise them. The space in the Heavenly Demon Cave is limited, so they can't survive there, but at least they can produce some spiritual silk. It would be a pity if they died, and there's no reason for them to benefit Hengshan. So please take them with you... You didn't lose the precious pearl, did you?"

"No, no," Li Fan said, sweating profusely. He took the Kun out and rummaged through it for a while, finally managing to pry the treasure pearl that summoned the moth out of the fish's mouth. "Here it is, here it is. The spirit silk is great, we were just about to run out of silk, thank you so much."

The Jueyin Shenjun, "... tsk."

So the two of them went around in circles again, first picking up Xiang Xiaoyu and Nie Feilian, who were being fostered in Luofeng, and then borrowing a large boat from Luofeng. They placed the pearl on top of the flying boat, attracting moths from all over the mountains to land in the cabin. They then bid farewell and flew out of Luo Feng Cave Heaven in a grand manner.

"Greetings, immortal." The two girls, who had inexplicably spent a year studying abroad, were quite happy to be able to return home.

"How have you been in Luofeng? Has no one bullied you?"

"No, it's all thanks to the care and guidance of the senior brothers from the Luo Feng Immortal Palace," Xiang Xiaoyu replied obediently.

"Immortal, you're finally back! We missed you so much, afraid you'd forgotten us," Nie Feilian said with a playful grin.

Well, to my shame, Li Fan almost forgot about these two disciples. But honestly, their cultivation in Luo Feng conveniently spared them from the calamity that befell the new disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Perhaps that's a kind of blessing?

Moreover, although Luo Feng wouldn't teach them the mountain's secret manuals, he did send someone to carefully instruct them on the basics of Daoist arts, pointing out the meridians and key points for cultivating Qi and refining the body, giving these two unruly disciples time to hone their foundations. So they didn't waste their time.

At this moment, Li Fan glanced around and realized that after more than a year of cultivation in Luo Feng Cave Heaven, both of them had reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage and were ready to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Nie Feilian likely has a background in Peking Opera, having learned some body-refining techniques from the Luo Feng Immortal Army. With guidance, she focused on cultivating Divine Hardness Qi and even acquired a flower spear. Xiang Xiaoyu, on the other hand, originally possessed a family-inherited Qi-refining technique, but later obtained the Purple Radiance Divine Cultivation Method from the academy. Li Fan, upon observing her, deduced that she must have borrowed the Purple Radiance Qi-refining technique from Nie Feilian and diligently honed her Qi, achieving a considerable level of proficiency.

"Well, your basic skills are not bad. Go back and find two great treasures to help you Foundation Establishment, then you can follow my Moshan Academy to cultivate. Although your aptitude is a bit lacking, as long as you study diligently and practice hard, you may have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm in the future."

Before he could even let the two of them spar and see their physical skills, Li Fan suddenly had a thought. He sensed an uninvited guest entering the range of his Divine Sense. After a quick calculation, he realized that he had already figured out the cause and effect when the person appeared in his field of vision.

Well, that guy Jueyin Shenjun is truly a master of cunning. He's so polite on the surface, sending me moths and a boat, but he's actually up to no good.

If Li Fan had only taken two disciples back himself, then leaving would have been fine. But these Xie Family moths were clearly already on Hengshan's radar, so they wouldn't be so easy to take away; it would probably require a fight. Even if they were taken back and painstakingly raised to a higher cultivation level and produce more silk, it would still be considered taking care of them in lieu of their care. Later, when the Luo Feng Tribulation was over, the Xie Family would have a reason to take them back. It would be a free win; this was quite a clever plan.

As you can see, he has attracted four Divine Lord-level figures from Hengshan. They are hiding far away on the other side of the clouds and are probably preparing to ambush him.

Sure enough, after only a moment, Li Fan felt himself being locked onto by four Divine Sense at the same time. The Daoist robe formed from the dust of Daoist Dao Breath on his body moved without wind, rippling across his body like waves on a lake surface blown by the wind. It was as if something was hitting him from a distance, and the runes of talismans could be faintly imprinted on his body.

Oh, they're starting to suppress and cast curses right away.

Li Fan flicked his sleeves, brushing away the evil curses on his body, and sent a telepathic message to negotiate amicably.

"Please make way, everyone, thank you."

Then, from the clouds, seven or eight magical weapons, including swords, spears, clubs, flying knives, and jade bowls, came crashing down.

"Tsk, you can't understand my politeness, huh...?"

Li Fan raised his hand and unleashed a powerful "Pifeng Biyue Palm" attack, blasting all the magical treasures away.

"Are you blind?! Didn't you see the flag I was flying that said Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

Then, the blue fire dragon and ice unicorn formed from Dao Breath Qi, along with a mountain, crashed down.

"Third time's the charm, you know!"

Li Fan's Pifeng Biyue Palm directly scattered the Fire Dragon, shattered the Qilin, and collapsed the mountains.

Immediately afterward, a flash of silver light appeared, and a sword shadow stealthily approached, skimming through the sand and moisture. Suddenly, it burst forth, its Sword Light sweeping across, aiming straight for Li Fan's neck!

However, the sword's speed suddenly slowed down as it slashed towards Li Fan, eventually stopping right in front of Li Fan, where he caught it with two fingers.

This is a gleaming silver short sword, clearly made in the style of Hengshan flying swords, roughly a high-grade item for the Golden Core realm.

Li Fan flicked his sword, "Tch, trash..."

Nie Feilian's eyes lit up. "Wow! Master, you're amazing! Not only are you so elegant and extraordinary, but you can even wield a flying sword with such ease! Your movements are so graceful and free! When will I be able to learn your skills and capture a flying sword myself!"

"Oh, you want it? Here you go."

Li Fan casually brushed the sword away, stripping it of its Divine Sense, and handed it to Nie Feilian.

"However, you are still Outer Sect now. To become Inner Sect disciples of my Moshan Sect, you must at least reach the Nascent Soul Realm. Make that your goal and work hard."

"Thank you for the gift, Immortal! We will cherish it and study diligently to live up to your expectations!"

Nie Feilian beamed with joy. Xiang Xiaoyu clutched at her clothes, her eyes glued to the viewer with envy.

"Well, their coming to deliver magical treasures is also an opportunity for you. So stay in this circle and don't move around."

I wonder if anyone else understands the guilt of forgetting to pick up their kids after work. Li Fan certainly doesn't think sitting in the gatehouse for two hours is a pleasant experience. So, after leaving the two little girls at someone else's house for so long, he felt bad about not giving them some small gifts. Since someone had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep and refused three times, he figured he wouldn't be polite anymore.

So Li Fan locked onto the Divine Sense of the cultivator who was assassinating with a sword, calculated with his fingers, and made a leap.

Li Fan's plan was this: if nothing unexpected happened, just like Bilibili, he would teleport behind the opponent, then smugly say, "You're already dead!" and finally snap the opponent's neck with a snap, turning their astonished face around to look at him.

However, an unexpected incident still occurred. Perhaps Li Fan hadn't mastered the breakthrough well enough, or perhaps his hand slipped and he miscalculated, or perhaps he calculated it too accurately. In any case, BIU's coordinates deviated slightly, causing his plan to fail.

In the next instant, the body of the Divine Transformation cultivator who had been assassinating with his sword suddenly exploded from his chest and lungs without warning. Bright red blood was blown away like a volcanic storm, and his entire body shattered into eight pieces with a crack. His head and thighs spun and flew away!

Li Fan was projected exactly into the body of the Sword-Controlling Divine Lord, his internal organs and flesh fitting inside him like a sheath.

"Huh..." Li Fan tore off the pieces of corpse stuck to his body and brushed the intestines off his robe.

The three deities beside them, some having just unleashed their magical weapons and others still casting spells, turned their heads and saw this scene, and were immediately horrified, and then...

And that was the end of it.

Li Fan lunged forward, Ghost Bone Hand swung out a claw, directly tearing through the second Divine Lord's Shangqing Protective True Qi, pulling his head and ribs out together.

Then he swung his palm out in a backhand strike, exchanging blows with the third person from a distance. With the added power of the overwhelming Dao, the Obscuring Moon Palm unleashed a tidal wave of energy that crashed down like a wall of Qi, shattering the opponent's arms and crushing them into a pulp.

The last person screamed "Aaaaaah---!!" and flew away in a streak of light.

Li Fan glanced at him, locked onto him with his Divine Sense, calculated with his fingers, and then leaped onto the membrane.

Far away, with a "plop," the light vanished into the wind, and a cloud of blood mist burst into the clear blue sky, like a small crimson flower blooming on the sea.

Yes, four Divine Transformation were killed.

However, they all seem rather weak; they're probably affiliated sects under Hengshan.

Li Fan shook his sleeves, absorbing the blood and flesh from his body to avoid frightening the child. He then casually picked up some trash dropped by the gods and flew back to cheer the child up.