Daoist Magic

When Chen Fan opened his eyes again, two Demon Cores he had retrieved from the Heavenly Court were floating before him. Both were at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, their blue halos radiating a trace of violent spiritual energy as they hovered slowly in front of his gaze.

Chen Fan raised his hand slightly and flipped his palm, causing the two Demon Cores to instantly fly into his grasp.

BOOM!!!

A majestic and ferocious surge of energy immediately poured into his palm, crazily sweeping through every meridian in his body.

Following this, the spiritual energy of the Earth Cultivation World and the Pseudo Immortal Qi from the Heavenly Court slowly began to seep into his pores.

Three different grades of spiritual energy surged into his body simultaneously, converging into a tri-colored stream of power. The violent force originally contained within the Demon Cores became even more frantic at this moment.

Chen Fan frowned slightly as waves of tearing pain began to radiate from his meridians. Fortunately, he had previously consumed a Marrow Cleansing Pill and had already been tempered by the impact of a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Demon Core, making his meridians far tougher than they had been in the past.

The tri-colored spiritual energy roared through his meridians like a rushing river, colliding everywhere until it was finally guided by his Divine Sense. It followed the path of the major and minor heavenly cycles, gradually refining that violent force into gentle True Qi that flowed into his Dantian.

Slowly, Chen Fan was enveloped in a dense cluster of spiritual energy. Viewed from afar, he resembled a divine cocoon, as if a new god were about to break through the shell and emerge!

A day passed. Chen Jingjing walked to Chen Fan's door, hesitated for a moment, and then left. Chen Fan had told them he needed to go into seclusion for a few days.

On the second day, Chen Jingjing received a secret letter from Elder Li, asking her and Chen Fan to meet him on the outskirts of Heavy Sword City at the hour of the Rat tomorrow night. In the letter, Elder Li stated clearly that the matter of the inheritance was of great importance and could not be known by anyone else; furthermore, because the stakes were so high, both of them had to be present.

After reading it, Chen Jingjing silently slipped the secret letter into the gap of Chen Fan's door. Although Zhang Rumeng felt a bit suspicious when she saw this, she did not ask any questions. The two had been close for many years; if Chen Jingjing wanted to say something, she would naturally tell her.

Chen Jingjing did not pay much attention to the oddities in the letter. Subconsciously, she trusted those whom her father had trusted, and she did not doubt Elder Li's motives in the slightest.

Moreover, judging by the letter, Elder Li seemed very anxious. However, Chen Fan remained in a state of cultivation and could not be disturbed. If he still hadn't emerged by tomorrow, Chen Jingjing decided she would go to meet Elder Li alone, as she was constantly worried that the Chen Clan's inheritance might meet with an accident.

By the night of the second day, near the hour of the Rat, Chen Fan's wooden door remained tightly shut. When Chen Jingjing leaned against the door to eavesdrop, she could faintly hear the sound of spiritual energy flowing within the room. A moment later, Chen Jingjing stuck out her tongue, quietly returned to her own room, changed into light clothing, and headed out.

Inside the room, Chen Fan, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes. The cocoon of spiritual energy on his body suddenly cracked, transformed into a mass of turbid air, and dissipated with the wind.

He turned his head slightly and extended a palm; the letter at the door was instantly sucked into his hand. After a brief glance, a cold glint flashed across Chen Fan's eyes...

On the outskirts of Heavy Sword City, two dark shadows stood in a corner, coldly watching the gates of Heavy Sword Peak.

"Hall Master Lin, don't be in a hurry to act later. Wait for my signal," Elder Li said indifferently.

"Elder Li, Sect Master Su told me to assist you, not to take orders from you," Hall Master Lin narrowed his eyes and sneered coldly.

"Then you are welcome to try. If you ruin the Sect Master's plans, I wonder if you can bear the consequences," Elder Li also laughed coldly, sounding nothing like a member of the righteous path.

"A fine Elder Li indeed," Hall Master Lin said, staring deeply at Elder Li upon hearing this.

"You flatter me, Hall Master Lin. I hope you won't be careless later; this brat is no ordinary person," Elder Li finished indifferently and continued to watch the city gate.

"A mere Qi Refining Sixth Layer—you are all being too cautious." Hall Master Lin shook his head with a sneer, stuck out his tongue to lick his lips, and added, "As for that girl, I intend to dote on her quite thoroughly."

Not far behind Elder Li and his companion, two figures sat in the darkness, their eyes coldly observing the scene.

"Sect Master, I never expected the Heaven Ghost Sect to have planted a mole in Heavy Sword Peak," a Burly Man whispered. If Chen Fan were here, he would certainly recognize him as Li Tieniu, and the "Sect Master" he addressed could be none other than Qin Xian'er.

"We have Lin Shang to thank for bringing us here. In just a few dozen days, this piece of trash has stepped into the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. The Heaven Ghost Sect must have some secret; it seems we might have a big harvest tonight," Qin Xian'er was still dressed in black gauze, a glimmer of brilliance flashing in her eyes.

"They dispatched a Qi Refining Ninth Layer and a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator—who exactly are they waiting for?" Li Tieniu asked, puzzled.

"Wait patiently, and you shall know," Qin Xian'er sneered coldly.

"Elder Li, the hour of the Rat has arrived. We haven't come all this way for nothing, have we?" Hall Master Lin, also known as Lin Shang, looked up at the sky and grinned.

"There is no need to stir up trouble; the person is here." Elder Li narrowed his eyes slightly. Seeing the figure appearing at the city gate, a smile appeared on his face. Based on his understanding of the siblings, they would surely do as he asked after reading his letter.

But a moment later, his expression sank: "Why did only one come?"

Lin Shang also looked at the figure at the city gate, then turned his head to gloat: "Elder Li, this makes things difficult, doesn't it? I hope the one who came is the girl. Heh heh."

With that, following his bone-chilling laugh, his entire body slowly vanished into the darkness. In the end, only Elder Li remained in place, watching the approaching figure with a gloomy expression.

Under the faint moonlight, Elder Li finally saw the person clearly.

"Chen Fan," Elder Li muttered to himself. His heart skipped a beat, and a sense of unease washed over him. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he knew he couldn't show any flaws now, and he hurriedly wiped the unnatural expression from his face.

Behind him, Qin Xian'er and Li Tieniu were also startled; they had not expected this matter to involve Chen Fan.

"Tieniu, be ready to save him if the situation calls for it," Qin Xian'er narrowed her eyes, watching Chen Fan's face with a strange smile on her lips.

"Sect Master, although this person has extraordinary talent, there is no need to save him time and again. Last time, you negotiated with the Senior Martial Sister just to keep this brat alive," Li Tieniu said, confused.

"He is an interesting chess piece. Trading a sharp sword that originally belonged to the Immortal Sect to save this boy's life is not a loss for me," a flash of wisdom crossed Qin Xian'er's eyes.

Li Tieniu looked at Qin Xian'er and wanted to say something more, but ultimately swallowed his words. He knew that the decisions made by his childhood friend would not be easily changed, especially given the deep-seated enmity between her and the Immortal Sect.

"Chen Fan, why did you come alone? Where is Jingjing?" After Chen Fan approached, Elder Li asked.

"I am the one who inherited the Chen Clan's legacy. It is late, and she needs to sleep and rest," Chen Fan said, looking at Elder Li with indifference. He had intercepted Chen Jingjing halfway and sent her back home.

"I see..." Elder Li nodded, though his mind was racing with thoughts of his next move.

"But I stated in the letter that this matter is of great importance and requires both of you siblings to be present," Elder Li said, putting on a thoughtful expression and furrowing his brows.

"Oh?" The corners of Chen Fan's mouth suddenly curled into a smile. He glanced at Elder Li and said indifferently, "This inheritance is a possession of the Chen Clan. I wish to take it back—must I also follow your orders to do so?"

"Chen Fan, what do you mean by that?" Elder Li's expression sank instantly. He pointed at Chen Fan and rebuked him angrily, "Your father entrusted the inheritance to me back then because he trusted this old man. What is your status now? How dare you question me?"

"Trust? You tricked my sister and me into coming here precisely to exploit that trust and slaughter us, didn't you?" Chen Fan sneered coldly.

"You..." Elder Li pointed at Chen Fan, furious, but was interrupted by him.

"The helper you brought doesn't look like much. He only knows the basics of concealment techniques, yet he dares to show off here?" Chen Fan looked toward the dark corner to Elder Li's right and said in a cold voice.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Elder Li was stunned.

Almost simultaneously, the black shadow Chen Fan was watching stirred, and a figure stepped out from within.

"No wonder Elder Li spoke so highly of you; it seems you do have some tricks up your sleeve." The man walked toward Chen Fan while emitting a strange, cackling laugh that sounded bone-chilling in the dead of night.

"Idiot, he was just bluffing you," Elder Li snapped, glaring at him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shang's figure froze instantly; no one could see him in the darkness, but his face had turned as red as blood.

Chen Fan watched them with a mocking smile. He did not explain; with his Foundation Establishment Realm Divine Sense, it was not difficult at all to detect this Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator with such an unstable foundation.

"Qi Refining Eighth Layer?" At this moment, Lin Shang saw Chen Fan's cultivation level clearly and couldn't help but frown.

Elder Li's expression changed as well. He finally realized where that trace of unease in his heart had come from. In only three days—a mere three days—since the boy had left Heavy Sword Peak, he had actually climbed to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, crossing two levels once again. Even with heaven-defying talent, it was impossible to possess such a frantic cultivation speed.

Li Tieniu, hidden in the shadows, was also astonished once again. After a strange look flashed through Qin Xian'er's eyes, the smile on her lips grew even more pronounced.

"Even if he is at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, he couldn't possibly be a match for that Lin Shang; that guy is a Dao Cultivator," Li Tieniu exclaimed, wanting to remind Qin Xian'er that it was time to save him.

"No rush. I want to see how many rounds this boy can last. As long as he can exceed five rounds, I will truly take him as my disciple," Qin Xian'er said indifferently.

"Hall Master Lin, kill him! This boy cannot be left alive!" Elder Li suddenly roared in a deep voice while his figure retreated rapidly.

But clearly, Chen Fan would not give him that chance. With a sharp, ringing hum of a sword, Chen Fan transformed into a black bolt of lightning, and a sharp blade instantly appeared before Elder Li, cutting off his retreat.

Lin Shang was startled by Chen Fan's speed, but then he reminded himself that he was already at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Without further hesitation, he decisively struck, launching several Talismans from his hand while simultaneously condensing True Essence Power. He roared, "Earth Sinking Technique!" As the True Essence Power was poured into the ground, the soil beneath Chen Fan's feet suddenly softened, and several large hands reached out from within, firmly gripping Chen Fan's feet.

"Dao Cultivator spell?" A cold smirk appeared at the corner of Chen Fan's mouth. Ignoring the soil beneath his feet, he swept his blade horizontally, the Blazing Heaven Sword Qi lashing out toward the incoming Talismans.