Investigation

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"That's right. If someone really was targeting me, they wouldn't dare do it openly... This is the Sword Sect, after all."

Chen Fan had rivals in the Sword Sect, and there were certainly plenty of people who disliked him. But anyone with even a little sense would not target Chen Fan openly.

Especially at the critical moment of Chen Fan's disappearance.

And this sort of underhanded trick had been aimed at someone as weak as Zhang Fan. If Chen Fan had not returned, then given enough time, even if Zhang Fan did not die because of it, his cultivation would have been unable to advance. Stuck at the sixth level, he would not have had long to live under the limits of his lifespan.

Even if Chen Fan had returned early, he might not have noticed such well-hidden "Intent of Annihilation."

And even if he had noticed it, it would have been difficult to drag out the mastermind behind it.

Chen Fan's eyes turned icy as he understood inwardly, That person's goal wasn't to strike at me. They only wanted to test me—to disgust me a little...

He shook his head, somewhat helpless.

"My strength has advanced too quickly. The people who can count as my enemies are not foes that Senior Brothers can withstand at all..."

His fellow disciples and relatives had gained quite a few benefits and rewards because of him, but because of him, they would inevitably suffer calamities they had done nothing to deserve.

While he was around, there was naturally nothing to fear. But once something happened to him—even if he merely disappeared temporarily—it would trigger a chain of uncontrollable consequences.

There were only two ways to solve this. One was for him to become strong enough that