Ambush

Li Linliu's voice was not loud, yet it rang through the surroundings.

The instant he spoke, an incomparably terrifying pressure erupted around him.

Yu Xingzheng's face turned deathly pale. Facing this youth, who was smaller and shorter than himself, he felt a mountain-like pressure crushing down upon his entire body.

"I, I..."

His legs went weak, and he staggered back several steps, unable to utter another word.

His previous arrogance and resentment vanished completely, leaving behind only fear!

At this moment, the dozens of fellow sect disciples behind Yu Xingzheng were also pressed down until they did not dare raise their heads. Not one of them could summon the courage to speak!

Li Linliu smiled disdainfully and looked once more at Gao Yi, the master of the Four Symbols Sect. "Do you have any objections?"

Cold sweat had already begun to trickle down Gao Yi's forehead. He gritted his teeth. "N-No..."

The stronger one was, the more clearly one could sense Li Linliu's terror!

Li Linliu sneered again, then turned and sat down.

Whoosh!

Only then did everyone around them feel as though a heavy burden had been lifted. The mountain-like terrifying pressure slowly faded away.

Everyone looked at Li Linliu with fear on their faces.

"This..."

Chen Fan was deeply shaken.

Li Linliu had merely revealed his aura, yet the protesters had lost even the courage to object.

Not even the leading figures of Flying Spirit County dared say another word. Just what kind of strength was this?

Of course, beyond his shock and astonishment, what rose in Chen Fan's heart was an even stronger yearning.

A true man ought to be like this!

One day, I'll become that strong too!

No, even stronger!

After several grueling rounds of battle today, the top eight had been decided, and then that incident had occurred. By the time everything settled down, the sun was already gradually setting.

After offering Chen Fan a few words of encouragement, Li Linliu left.

The academy masters and gang leaders who remained looked at one another in dismay.

"Li Linliu can almost draw upon a trace of the world's might. It seems his realm has already reached Unity, perhaps even perfection. At this stage, he can borrow a trace of heaven and earth's power. Before long, he'll break through to Grandmaster..."

Their faces were filled with amazement and complicated emotions.

"How could there be such an unparalleled figure in this world? Li Linliu is only in his twenties..."

"Li Linliu isn't a disciple of the Martial Academy. How can he be so terrifying? Even within the Martial Academy, no one his age can compare to him. And he only emerged in the past few years. Could he be from some reclusive sect nearby? But I've never heard that Master Dong of the White Cloud Martial Academy came from a reclusive sect."

They discussed and speculated among themselves.

Although Li Linliu was famous, these people knew nothing of his identity or background.

Meanwhile.

Among the departing disciples of the Four Symbols Sect, Yu Xingzheng remained silent, his face frosty.

His gaze remained fixed on where the White Cloud Martial Academy disciples were, his eyes filled with hatred.

Li Linliu's strength had driven him to despair, and he did not dare resist. Naturally, he focused all his resentment on Chen Fan!

However, he did not dare make a move at the martial competition grounds...

He gave Chen Fan's position a deep look, then turned to the back and quietly grabbed a fellow disciple. "Help keep an eye on them..."

That disciple stepped forward in surprise. "Xingzheng, don't do anything foolish..."

Yu Xingzheng said coldly, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing!"

In truth, the conflict between Yu Xingzheng and Chen Fan could be resolved in different ways depending on one's perspective.

Both sides had their own reasons!

But after Li Linliu stood up for Chen Fan and displayed such terrifying strength...

No matter what excuse Yu Xingzheng and the others had, it no longer meant anything.

In this world, strength was everything!

If Yu Xingzheng had been a smart man, he would not have continued making an enemy of Chen Fan. Unfortunately, not only was he not clever, he was also an extreme and spoiled young master!

After his match ended, Chen Fan did not immediately return to the martial academy. Instead, Bao Tianyou, Meng Qi, and several fellow disciples he was close with dragged him to Jiangshan Tower again.

Perhaps they all privately believed Chen Fan had simply been lucky, but no one said so to his face.

They all praised Chen Fan's talent and exceptional comprehension.

Previously, the others had thought Bao Tianyou's spending spree—providing a house and giving away paintings—was hardly worth it.

But after seeing Chen Fan enter the top eight, they no longer thought Bao Tianyou's gifts amounted to much.

Even Bao Tianyou himself felt that he had not done enough to win Chen Fan over!

Even if Chen Fan had only been lucky, for a boy from an ordinary family to reach this point at thirteen or fourteen was already unheard of.

Putting aside his strength, the future value and influence brought by his reputation alone were more than enough to justify Bao Tianyou's investment!

Thus, gritting his teeth, Bao Tianyou actually raised Chen Fan's monthly stipend by another five taels!

Ten taels a month!

Chen Fan was still an Internal Breath martial artist and had not cultivated true arts, so he could not yet fulfill his duties as a retainer. Yet Bao Tianyou was offering him ten taels of silver a month, nearly more than the stipends of ordinary second- or third-realm martial artists!

Chen Fan had already broken through repeatedly and needed to replenish his nutrition, so naturally, he did not stand on ceremony.

Bao Tianyou and the others drank and chatted, while Chen Fan did not touch a drop of alcohol. After all, he still had matches tomorrow.

Chen Fan had now become the second most important person in this small circle, surpassed only by Bao Tianyou. Even Meng Qi fell short of him!

By the time the banquet ended, the sky had gradually darkened.

Chen Fan declined Bao Tianyou and the others' offer to escort him and headed home alone.

Bao Tianyou had given Chen Fan a house in the county town, but Chen Fan had only inspected it and had yet to move in.

However, Chen Fan's physique was now powerful. Though the journey was not short, traveling posed no problem at all.

After leaving the county town, the surroundings became increasingly remote. When Chen Fan reached a desolate intersection, he abruptly stopped.

Even for the outskirts, this was one of the most secluded places. There were no residents nearby, and few people passed through here.

He turned around. "Come out."

Rustling sounds suddenly came from the deep, dark road. Then three sturdy figures emerged one after another.

They closed in on Chen Fan in a triangular formation.

All three were tall and broad, their bodies brimming with murderous air. They were covered in scars as well, clearly not people to be trifled with.

"Tsk, tsk. Your senses are sharp indeed. You truly are an outstanding disciple of the White Cloud Martial Academy..."

Chen Fan's eyes narrowed.

These men had come with ill intent. They knew who he was and still dared act this way, so they were definitely not ordinary street thugs who knew nothing of martial arts!

He spoke directly. "Did Yu Xingzheng send you?"

The bald, burly man at their head sneered and cracked his fists together. "No need to guess. No one sent us. We just don't like the look of you and came to teach you a lesson!"

There was no such thing as hatred without cause.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. "So it really was Yu Xingzheng. That guy is truly narrow-minded, coming after me so quickly..."

Of course, Chen Fan was merely probing. He was not certain. He even suspected that perhaps the Black Tiger Gang had discovered that he had killed Pi Liu.

The bald man continued sneering, showing no reaction at all to the name "Yu Xingzheng."

"If you say so, then sure."

Chen Fan frowned. Knowing his probing was pointless, he said directly, "Are you crazy? I'm a disciple of the White Cloud Martial Academy and highly valued by the academy master. If you dare harm me in the slightest, the White Cloud Martial Academy will not let you off!"

"Heh heh!"

The bald man's face was full of mockery.

"We know you're an outstanding disciple of the White Cloud Martial Academy, but the question is... do you know who the three of us are? As long as we don't kill you outright, why would the White Cloud Martial Academy go to such lengths over something so minor?"

Chen Fan's heart sank.

The outskirts were chaotic to begin with, crawling with gangs.

These three knew his identity and still dared attack him. Clearly, they had something to rely on and feared nothing.

As soon as the man finished speaking, he charged forward in rapid strides and threw a fierce punch at Chen Fan.

Smack!

Chen Fan sidestepped and turned, his blood and qi surging within him as he effortlessly evaded the bald man's punch.

Whoosh!

The wind from the fist grazed past Chen Fan's face.

"Worthy of being called a genius. I'm a second-realm martial artist, and even with my full strength, you actually dodged it so easily!"

The bald man narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised. But soon, a bloodthirsty glint flashed across his face.

"Unfortunately, you haven't cultivated true arts in the end. Even if you can stand against me, can you fight all three of us? Why not obediently come over and take a beating?"

At that moment, the other two circled in from the sides, eyeing him like tigers watching prey.

Chen Fan's eyes shifted. He bent low and stepped forward, looking as though he was about to unleash his full strength—then abruptly turned around and ran!

Whoosh!!

He moved incredibly fast.

This was already the outskirts. He traveled through the area every day and was exceptionally familiar with its terrain.

The three men froze in astonishment.

"Didn't they say geniuses are proud and won't easily choose to flee..."

The bald man looked embarrassed. Then he turned toward Chen Fan's direction. "The Black Tiger Gang's territory is up ahead. We might be noticed at any moment... Hurry, chase him!"

All three had cultivated true arts, and each was faster than the last. They immediately raced after Chen Fan.

Though the sky was dark and the surroundings desolate, these three were martial artists who had cultivated true arts. Their strength was formidable, and they were extremely fast.

The three pursued him at full speed.

Before long, they reached a fork in the road.

"This way! I saw him turn this way! Don't let him get away!"

The three charged toward the intersection, but the moment they poked their heads around the corner, they suddenly saw a cloud of white powder and a puddle of liquid flying toward their faces.

"What is that? A hidden weapon?!"

"Careful!"

The three reacted quickly enough and hurriedly raised their hands to shield their heads, but it was already too late.

They felt a burning, stinging sensation rise across their faces and in their eyes. Then the burning turned into agonizing pain. They clutched their eyes with both hands, no longer able to endure it.

"Argh!!"