Marrow Cleansing

Chen Fan paid no heed, striding forward on his own, while extending his spiritual sense outward, keeping a wary eye on the Black-Veiled Woman behind him.

If she dared to approach, Chen Fan would strike without hesitation.

But to his surprise, after letting out a soft laugh, the woman simply stood there, never moving.

Chen Fan didn't dwell on it and headed toward his next destination, though this time, he was far more careful about concealing his tracks.

Only after Chen Fan had completely vanished did the Black-Veiled Woman's amused gaze slowly fade.

"His talent isn't bad—comparable to that brat at Qi Refining Layer 2 in the Heavenly Court," she murmured to herself.

Soon after, a Burly Man led several disciples of the Earth Ghost Sect out from the depths of the forest, walking up to the Black-Veiled Woman's side.

"Sect Master, why let him go again?" the Burly Man asked in a low voice.

"This child's talent is extraordinary. Even you might not be his match. He's a fine chess piece. You can cancel the bounty. Also, any news from the Heavenly Court?" the Black-Veiled Woman inquired.

"Still nothing. Over a dozen Foundation Establishment Realm experts have been asking about that person as well."

"A One-Star Heavenly Soldier at Qi Refining Layer 2—how interesting." The Black-Veiled Woman spoke, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"But the Immortal Sect seems to be searching for him too," the Burly Man said with a frown.

"Cause them some trouble. This chess piece belongs to This Seat, and no one else may touch it," the Black-Veiled Woman said in a low tone, carrying an air of queenly authority.

"Understood."

The next day, relying on his map, Chen Fan found another forest and concealed himself completely.

Along the way, he had spotted many cultivators holding portraits—and the person in those portraits was him.

He didn't act rashly, instead observing from the shadows. At his current cultivation level, if the White-Robed Woman appeared, it would be a difficult and dangerous battle—one in which he might very well fall.

The gap between the Qi Refining Realm and the Foundation Establishment Realm was simply too vast.

"Search carefully, don't miss a single clue. The Immortal Sect has put out a big reward this time—capturing him alive nets ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones," a middle-aged cultivator barked.

"Boss, what if we can't take him alive?" a young cultivator asked in a low voice.

"If not alive, then five Low-Grade Spirit Stones. You'd better keep your eyes peeled—that kid's only at Qi Refining Layer 4. If you can't bring him in alive, I'll skin you alive."

"Don't worry, Boss. The Immortal Sect's experts are nearby too. I heard they're here to dig up a treasured sword," the young man said furtively.

"Mind your own business. We earn our spirit stones," the middle-aged cultivator snapped.

"You said... the Immortal Sect is digging for a treasured sword?"

Just as the young cultivator nodded, a chilling voice sounded from behind them.

"Who's there?" The middle-aged cultivator and his men spun around in alarm, then froze.

"It's you?" The young cultivator recognized Chen Fan, then grinned at the middle-aged cultivator:

"Boss, the spirit stones just walked right up to us."

"Where are the Immortal Sect people?" Chen Fan asked with a frown.

"Kid, if you want to find them, then come quietly, and I'll take you there myself," the middle-aged cultivator said darkly.

"Whoosh"

A sharp sound cut through the air as Chen Fan's sword, gleaming with cold light, instantly pressed against the young cultivator's throat.

The sudden shift made everyone's expressions change. The young cultivator gulped hard, his legs trembling with fear.

This was no Qi Refining Layer 4—he was practically on par with Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

The middle-aged cultivator's face darkened as well. He knew his own limits—he was no match for Chen Fan.

"Where are the Immortal Sect people, and what do you know about that treasured sword?" Chen Fan asked in a low voice.

Trembling, the young cultivator raised his hand and pointed toward the eastern part of the forest, speaking cautiously: "At the foot of the mountain over there."

He swallowed again and continued: "I only heard rumors about the sword. It seems one appeared last night, but it was snatched by a mysterious person."

At that, the young cultivator glanced at Chen Fan, clearly guessing that the mysterious person was the very man before him—why else would the Immortal Sect be hunting him everywhere?

"There's also talk that the sword is the Immortal Sect's ultimate treasure, and some say it's deeply connected to the Immortal Palace. That's all I really know."

Immortal Sect, Immortal Palace, the sword!

Chen Fan's heart jolted. How did his sword get tied to the Immortal Palace?

Though the young cultivator was repeating hearsay, where there's smoke, there's fire. Judging by the Immortal Sect's reaction, they valued this sword far too much.

With that thought, he frowned slightly, cast a cold glance toward a certain corner of the forest, then sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

The young cultivator, drenched in sweat, let out a long sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, as if he had just circled the gates of hell.

The middle-aged cultivator also stepped back, letting Chen Fan go. He liked spirit stones, but only if he lived long enough to refine them.

In a corner of the forest, several cultivators were watching the scene unfold.

"Hall Master, is this person really only at Qi Refining Layer 4? His strength is terrifying to this degree," a disciple dressed in Earth Ghost Sect attire asked.

"No wonder the Sect Master thinks so highly of him. With skills like that, even I would have to fight seriously. But defeating me? Impossible." The burly man shook his head. He had been ordered by the Black-Veiled Woman to cause trouble for the Immortal Sect's people, but he hadn't expected Chen Fan to come out on his own.

"Hall Master, he just glanced this way. Could he have spotted us?"

"That shouldn't be possible. At this distance, an ordinary Qi Refining Realm's divine sense can't reach here. Keep watching, and see what he does next." The burly man finished speaking and turned to leave.

"Hall... Hall Master, he's gone. He's heading toward where the Immortal Sect is digging for the sword," the disciple said in shock at that moment.

"What?" The burly man spun around sharply. After confirming the direction Chen Fan had taken, he shook his head. "An ungrateful brat. Does he really think he walked away safely last night on his own strength? If the Sect Master hadn't blocked Mu Yunshui for him, he'd have been captured by now."

"Hall Master, what now? Should we stop him?"

"No need. The Sect Master is already there. I'll use a secret technique to send her a message later. That kid is just asking for trouble by going there." The burly man narrowed his eyes.

An hour later, Chen Fan had concealed all his aura and hidden himself among the forested mountains, watching a group of robed disciples digging into a large mountain.

What surprised him was that the White-Robed Woman was also guarding the site, clearly placing great importance on the sword about to be unearthed.

"Disciple, stop hiding."

At that moment, the sultry voice came softly from behind Chen Fan. His expression shifted drastically, and he silently cursed his carelessness.

He immediately flew to the right, and with a hum, a sharp sword had already left its sheath.

"That sword was stolen by me long ago. If you alert my senior sister, we'll have to go on the run again."

"Where is the sword?" Chen Fan stared coldly at the Black-Veiled Woman.

"Oh? You're interested in this sword?" The Black-Veiled Woman was taken aback. She had thought Chen Fan was after the Marrow Cleansing Pill, but it turned out to be the sword.

"Didn't you snatch one last night?" she asked, a hint of playfulness in her tone.

"That one was a replica," Chen Fan said.

"A replica? What do you know?" The Black-Veiled Woman's attitude shifted instantly, her voice turning cold, though Chen Fan found it less grating than before.

"All I know is that it's my sword," Chen Fan said with a shake of his head.

"Your sword? Then you're in for disappointment. This sword is almost identical to the one you grabbed last night." As she spoke, a bracelet on her wrist turned, and a sword appeared before the two of them.

"A Storage Bracelet?" Chen Fan was slightly startled but didn't dwell on it. His gaze fell on the sharp blade.

"You're young, but you know quite a bit." The Black-Veiled Woman glanced at Chen Fan.

"It's still a replica." After examining the sword the Black-Veiled Woman had produced for a few moments, Chen Fan lost interest.

He could already conclude that the sword from his past life was definitely closely tied to the Immortal Sect.

"Have you seen the real one?" the Black-Veiled Woman asked suspiciously.

"The true Wuya is one of a kind, forged by my own hands," Chen Fan said coldly.

"Wuya? This sword is called Wuya?" As the Black-Veiled Woman said this, she suddenly tapped Chen Fan on the head, and he failed to dodge.

"Bragging isn't a good thing, understand?"

"You..." Chen Fan nearly struck out at the Black-Veiled Woman, but he held back. If he caused a commotion, it would surely draw the White-Robed Woman's attention, and then he'd be outnumbered two to one.

A Qi Refining Layer 4 facing two Foundation Establishment Realm experts—no matter how extraordinary he was, he wouldn't escape death.

Chen Fan shot the Black-Veiled Woman a furious glare, then continued to stay concealed as he slowly retreated.

"Angry? Where are you going?" The Black-Veiled Woman's eyes were full of amusement. Even though half her face was hidden by black gauze, Chen Fan could still tell she was smiling.

"To cultivate, then go to the Immortal Sect and reclaim Wuya. If you follow me again, I won't be polite." Chen Fan finished coldly, then stepped with an eerie gait and vanished into the depths of the forest.

"What an interesting kid. Won't be polite? If This Seat didn't have important matters to attend to, I'd love to see just how impolite you'd be." The Black-Veiled Woman murmured to herself as she watched Chen Fan disappear once more. Then she too concealed her form, turning into a black shadow and heading in the opposite direction.

After nightfall...

"Senior Sister, the sword has been stolen," a robed cultivator said to the White-Robed Woman, Mu Yunshui.

Mu Yunshui nodded slightly in response, showing no surprise, and softly uttered a single word: "Junior Sister."

At that moment, Chen Fan was sitting cross-legged in a hidden Monster Beast cave. The cave entrance was extremely hard to find; if he hadn't accidentally spotted a strange Monster Beast skeleton outside, he wouldn't have discovered it.

This beast had died years ago. It seemed to have gone out hunting decades earlier, been gravely wounded, and fled back, only to die before it could crawl into its lair.

Chen Fan had simply taken over the place. Its level of concealment made it an ideal spot for his breakthrough.

In the past few days, he had slain many Monster Beasts, most of them at Qi Refining Seventh Layer. Combined with this body's excellent bone structure, he had reached the physical realm he sought even faster than he'd anticipated.

Originally, after seizing this body with his Foundation Establishment divine sense, his physical form had never been able to match the seamless control of his past life.

But now, he had truly elevated both body and divine sense to the same level. Wherever his divine sense reached, his body no longer lagged behind. This gave Chen Fan a slight boost in strength, but more importantly, his foundation was now thoroughly solidified.

What he needed to do now was to push his cultivation level up in one go.

Among the pill bottles he'd snatched from the Tomb, there were four Marrow Cleansing Pills. This type of pill had a heaven-defying effect on cleansing the marrow and purifying the body, expelling impurities and making True Qi more condensed and pure.

However, such pills were typically used by Foundation Establishment experts to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Chen Fan thought that was a complete waste of a treasure.

He had read in ancient texts that if one took a Marrow Cleansing Pill before reaching Foundation Establishment and refined it with a special secret method, it could elevate one's entire skeletal structure to a higher level, bringing immense benefits to the future path of immortality.

He poured a single Marrow Cleansing Pill from the bottle, gently placed it in his mouth, and slowly closed his eyes...

Moments later, his body suddenly began to glow. His entire form turned translucent, and the meridians within his body became clearly visible to the naked eye.