You're Too Weak

The voice wasn't loud, but every word reached the ears of the Yellow-Robed Woman and the others. A wave of shock surged through them, and when their eyes fell on Chen Fan again, they stared at him as if they'd seen a ghost!

Qi Refining Layer 6? How was that possible?

He'd crossed two whole levels in just one day...

"He must have been hiding his strength. He was already hiding it when he first came in." The male cultivator's eyes widened. Then his expression turned to a bitter smile. "I knew it. There's no way someone at Qi Refining Layer 4 could have 500 Immortal Qi points."

The Yellow-Robed Woman pressed her lips together. Looking at Chen Fan's handsome, cold expression, she remembered him taking the Demon Core from the White-Haired Lone Wolf.

"He refined that Demon Core in just one day?" Astonishment filled the Yellow-Robed Woman's eyes. If that were true, it was simply unheard of.

The White-robed Scholar shook the Underworld Bone Fan in his hand. A ball of ghostly blue flame appeared at its tip, radiating a chilling cold.

"Underworld Fire? A crooked, evil technique." After scattering the blue skull-shaped flames, Chen Fan's ink-black eyes gleamed with a cold light.

"Qi Refining Layer 6. Interesting!" The White-robed Scholar flicked his fan twice, then looked back at the three of them, his eyes lingering on the Yellow-Robed Woman. A cold smile touched his lips before he turned back. "I'm curious. What sort of schemes did a mere cultivator at Qi Refining Layer 6 use to kill four of my junior brothers, all at Qi Refining Seventh Layer?"

"One sword was all it took." Chen Fan's voice was cold.

"One sword was all it took? With that broken sword of yours?" the White-robed Scholar said slowly.

"Foolish." Chen Fan gave a slight shake of his head at the mockery on the White-robed Scholar's face, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. With a low snort, his figure blurred, then shot forward like a streak of black lightning. The blade in his hand dragged out a long line of yellow Sword Qi.

The black-and-yellow lightning flashed in an instant, appearing before the White-robed Scholar. The sword's shrill ring and the scorching Blazing Heaven Sword Qi slashed fiercely toward him.

"A mere cultivator at Qi Refining Layer 6—how arrogant. Let me teach you: a glimmer of light from a grain of rice can never rival the bright moon." The White-robed Scholar looked at the Sword Qi sweeping toward him from all sides and smiled faintly.

He flicked the Underworld Bone Fan in his hand twice. A ball of icy blue flame burst forth, winding along Chen Fan's sword tip like a python. The frigid flames instantly froze the Blazing Heaven Sword Qi.

"Look out!" the Yellow-Robed Woman cried. That Underworld Fire could burn a person's Divine Soul. Even the slightest touch could be fatal.

The male cultivator's expression changed, too. No matter how weak Chen Fan might be, he was their only hope of surviving now.

The Green-Robed Woman's eyes gleamed with malice as she glared at Chen Fan. "What an idiot! If he'd taken the two thousand Immortal Qi points and hidden until tomorrow, we would've won. But who does he think he is, rushing over here to die and completely destroying our chance of winning?"

"Our chance of winning? He's the one who gave us that chance. What right do you have to stand there complaining and making snide remarks?" The Yellow-Robed Woman furrowed her brows, snorted, and turned back to the fight.

Chen Fan gave his wrist a slight shake. With a bang, the frozen Sword Qi and flames shattered at once, scattering across the ground. But the blue flames sprang back to life like poisonous snakes, stubbornly coiling around his sword and racing toward his wrist to bite.

"Wasn't one sword all it took? I'll make sure you can't use a sword at all." The White-robed Scholar laughed coldly. Underworld Fire covered Chen Fan's entire sword. He would either have to abandon it or be burned by the flames.

Chen Fan's gaze sharpened. Blazing Heaven Sword Qi surged through his body once more, rushing from the hilt toward the blade. With a crack, it forcibly held back the Underworld Fire.

"It's no use." The White-robed Scholar smiled coldly. He swung his folding fan from side to side, then flicked it toward Chen Fan. Two blue fire serpents shot out straight at him.

"Afterimage Sword Shadow!" A chill flashed through Chen Fan's dark eyes. His finger twitched, and another intact sword appeared beside the one wrapped in Underworld Fire and Sword Qi. He swiftly released the first hilt and gripped the intact sword. The entire movement took less than a breath, and the sword wrapped in Underworld Fire abruptly vanished.

While the White-robed Scholar was still stunned, Sword Qi surged through Chen Fan once more. He stepped forward with Formless Step, the sword tip aimed straight at the White-robed Scholar's throat.

"What was that just now? How did two swords appear?" the male cultivator cried.

"Afterimage Sword Shadow. His sword is moving so fast it's outpacing our eyes. The afterimage of the sword tricked the Underworld Fire—and our eyes, too." The Yellow-Robed Woman's eyes shimmered as she watched Chen Fan turn into a black shadow and thrust his sword at the White-robed Scholar.

A flicker of panic crossed the White-robed Scholar's eyes. No matter how abundant his True Qi was, he was beginning to struggle after using the Underworld Bone Fan three times in a row. He'd thought three moves would be enough to make Chen Fan abandon his sword. A sword cultivator without a sword was like a tiger without its teeth. He hadn't expected Chen Fan to wield his sword at such a level.

He suddenly remembered Chen Fan's words: "One sword was all it took." His face flushed with shame and anger, and a ruthless look rose in his eyes. He slammed his palm against the Underworld Bone Fan, pouring all his True Qi into it. A curtain of Underworld Fire appeared before him in an instant. Chen Fan's sword tip struck the center of the fiery barrier, sending ripples spreading in every direction. With a whoosh, dust and fallen leaves rose from the ground and whirled through the air.

Rumble!!!

A muffled boom rang out. The fiery barrier began to shudder, and the Underworld Fire above it surged wildly, yet Chen Fan's True Qi pressed it down, preventing it from winding around his sword.

Hong Yu's expression changed at the sight. This was the first time she'd seen her senior brother losing ground, and his opponent was only a sword cultivator at Qi Refining Layer 6. Her eyes turned cold, and she was about to throw the Talisman in her hand when she saw the White-robed Scholar's face twist with savagery. He bit down on his finger, then swiftly pressed it against the Underworld Bone Fan. A stream of bright red blood arced through the air and dripped onto the ground.

"Bone Summoning." The White-robed Scholar gave a cold snort. The blood in his hand was greedily absorbed by the Underworld Bone Fan like True Qi. His already fair face instantly turned even paler, draining of all color.

With another cold snort, the Underworld Bone Fan slipped from the White-robed Scholar's hand, its ribs writhing and separating.

"Click." "Click." "Click."

After several sharp cracks, the ribs of the Underworld Bone Fan extended one section at a time, like bamboo stalks, transforming back into an actual skeleton. Even human skin clung to its body. Its skull's eyes were deep and hollow, utterly lifeless. The curtain of Underworld Fire locked in combat with Chen Fan suddenly drew back at high speed, rushing toward the skeleton and pouring into its empty eye sockets.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows. True Qi surged through his body, and in an instant, he drew it up to its absolute peak.

"Vmmm!"

As his sword blade vibrated at high speed, its clear ringing pierced the ears. Chen Fan lunged toward the skeleton, his long sword trailing a long ray of light. With one strike, he severed the Underworld Fire as it flowed into the skeleton. The flames instantly clung to Chen Fan's sword, and the skeleton could no longer move, reduced to a useless heap.

"No..." The White-robed Scholar cried out at the same time. He tried to rush forward and stop him, only to discover that his True Qi was already completely spent.

Seeing things go awry, Hong Yu fired the Talisman in her hand at Chen Fan.

With a hiss, the Talisman transformed into several flying swords, all aimed at Chen Fan's back.

"Look out!" the Yellow-Robed Woman cried in warning.

A cold glint flashed through Chen Fan's eyes. He used his True Qi to keep the Underworld Fire away from his wrist, gripped the sword hilt, and leaped high into the air. Then he swung down fiercely in Hong Yu's direction.

Some of the Underworld Fire clinging to the blade flew off. Its icy tongues instantly swallowed the flying swords, burning them to nothing. The flames didn't slow, continuing to surge toward Hong Yu.

Hong Yu's expression changed at once. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the male cultivator from the ground and held him in front of her.

"Ah..." Before the male cultivator could react, a ball of Underworld Fire had already darted into his body. The agony inflicted on his Divine Soul drew an involuntary scream from him.

He clawed at himself all over, his face twisted in pain as he writhed on the ground, as if enduring the most brutal torture. His screams drained the color from Hong Yu's face. Fear flickered in her eyes. If the Underworld Fire had struck her just now, she would be the one suffering this torment.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan swung the sword wreathed in Underworld Fire, bypassed the skeleton, and charged at the White-robed Scholar.

"Damn it!" the White-robed Scholar cursed when he saw Chen Fan coming. He hadn't expected Chen Fan to sever the Underworld Fire with a single sword strike. The skeleton couldn't be awakened at all. At last, the White-robed Scholar understood just how terrifying this sword cultivator at Qi Refining Layer 6 really was.

His True Qi was completely spent. He had no way to resist the Underworld Fire sword coming straight at him.

"I underestimated you. Otherwise, I never would've given you this opportunity!" The White-robed Scholar showed no fear, only frustration and defiance.

"I overestimated you. You're too weak." Chen Fan's voice was cold. At the same time, he swung his sword, opening a bloody line across the White-robed Scholar's throat. The Underworld Fire immediately turned on him.

"Ah..." Even as he died, the White-robed Scholar had to endure the torment of his Divine Soul burning. He roared, "One day, I, Wang Ming, will cut you into a thousand pieces..."

Before he could finish, he collapsed into the Underworld Fire and vanished in a flash of white light.

A cultivator at Qi Refining Eighth Layer—dead!

"Bang!"

With the White-robed Scholar's death, Chen Fan swept his sword across the skeleton. It instantly broke apart into a pile of scattered bones, which then transformed back into a worn-out bone fan. With a crack, Chen Fan stepped on it and crushed it to pieces.

Hong Yu knew she was no match for Chen Fan. But when she thought of her beloved Wang Ming, her senior brother, dying at his hands, anger rose in her heart. A look of disdain flashed through her eyes as she stared at Chen Fan. "This place is only the Heavenly Court. If you'd met my senior brother in the Cultivation World, you'd have died for sure."

As she spoke, Hong Yu took the Jade Token from her waist. She knew there was no way to keep those 500 Immortal Qi points.

With a smack, she tossed the Jade Token at Chen Fan's feet.

"Hmph, this Jade Token..." Hong Yu raised her head with a cold snort, but before she could finish, a sword ray flashed past her. It was gone in an instant, like a shooting star.