Going Up by Myself?

After a round of discussion, the three slowly approached the mountain peak. According to what the other two had said, there should have been several low-level black-clad cultivators here—the people they had been tracking all the way. Chen Fan remained alert to the front while also keeping an extra eye on the two beside him. After all, they were not fellow disciples. Even among fellow disciples, the hearts of those in the cultivation world were unfathomable, and one could not afford to let down one's guard.

A butterfly led the way ahead, with the three following behind. Yang Dawei silently cast a spell to sense and control the butterfly, his expression grave. He too guarded himself against Chen Fan. What a joke—his natal butterfly did not possess the slightest desire to attack this man. To him, that was simply terrifying. If not for Junior Sister Hua being beside him, he might have fled long ago.

"This is truly strange. The Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies are usually so imposing—why do they wilt the moment they see you? At first, I thought they were merely throwing a little tantrum, but now it really does seem to be your problem. Just what is so unusual about you?" Hua Yuewu spoke as she curiously examined Chen Fan. Along the way, she had also been sensing his aura. He truly was an ordinary Second Realm cultivator. Every Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterfly possessed the strength of the third rank, yet now they seemed to regard Chen Fan as though they had seen the plague. At this moment, Yang Dawei could only barely keep one butterfly under control even while exerting all his strength, and it could not get too close to Chen Fan. Once it did, it might immediately flee back into the gourd.

Just as they were about to reach the foot of the mountain, Yang Dawei suddenly said, "We're here. Those people should be somewhere nearby."

The three stopped and looked around, but saw nothing.

"Senior Brother, could you have gotten it wrong? These little butterflies haven't been themselves today. Could their sensing ability have been affected?" Hua Yuewu asked.

Yang Dawei fell silent for a while upon hearing this, clearly displeased. His Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterfly had only barely made it here with the support of his cultivation technique all along the way. Yet no matter how he urged and drove it afterward, the butterfly refused to move even half an inch farther. Left with no choice, Yang Dawei withdrew his technique. The butterfly seemed as though it had been granted a pardon, shooting back into the gourd with a whoosh.

Chen Fan ignored the two of them and instead walked toward a patch of weeds to the side, seemingly searching for something. Nor was he rummaging about without purpose. Little West on his wrist was currently guiding him in a direction. The butterfly could sense pollen, and Little West had likewise been carefully raised since childhood, so it possessed that ability as well. Moreover, it could communicate with Chen Fan's heart. Could those butterflies have sensed Eastern Evil and Western Poison, causing them to become so fearful? Chen Fan had such doubts, but now was not the time to pursue them. Yang Dawei losing his combat strength was not necessarily a bad thing for him.

A little farther? It should be here. Chen Fan sensed Little West's meaning, pushed aside the grass, and looked down—only to see a person lying within. He was startled badly. The person wore black, and his face was exposed, but it had suffered severe damage, making his features completely unrecognizable.

What was this? Silencing them and destroying their faces? Chen Fan suddenly thought of that possibility, then began inspecting the surrounding ground. Sure enough, he discovered five more corpses in quick succession. Every one of them wore black, and every face had been utterly ruined.

The commotion Chen Fan had caused while searching also drew the two from Myriad Blossom Valley over. When they saw the corpses on the ground, they too were horrified.

"Ah! How are all these people dead?" Hua Yuewu could not help crying out. She then realized something was wrong and immediately covered her own mouth. She had been sheltered within the sect since childhood and had never experienced any great storms or waves. This was her first extended journey outside the sect in many years, and now she had encountered such perilous events. She simply could not conceal the panic in her heart.

Yang Dawei beside her was clearly faring better. His attention was instead focused on Chen Fan, and he was deeply puzzled. His three Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterflies had all gone on strike. How had this kid managed to find these people? If someone claimed it was merely luck, he would not believe it even if beaten to death. This kid definitely had secrets! But now was not the time to investigate them. Besides, even if he wanted to investigate, he had basically lost his combat strength, while his junior sister lacked experience in facing enemies in battle. Even if the two joined forces, they might not be able to take down Chen Fan. It was better not to provoke him for now.

"We encountered these people before. Each of them possessed the strength of the Second or Third Realm, yet they were all wiped out just like that. And it is obvious they were silenced," Yang Dawei said after examining the corpses one by one.

"It must have been the work of an expert. The three of us are probably no match for them..." Hua Yuewu's voice was full of fear.

"Don't panic yet. If that person were nearby, they would have attacked us long ago," Chen Fan said calmly, though his gaze was fixed upon the mountain peak.

The mountain's cliffs were extremely steep. Ordinary people could not easily climb it at all. Perhaps only cultivators whose Soaring Art had reached the Mountain Ascending Realm or higher could make it up.

"What is it? Do you suspect someone is on the mountain?" Hua Yuewu asked when she saw Chen Fan looking upward, deep in thought.

Chen Fan was just about to say something when a voice suddenly came from behind them. "Whether there is someone on the mountain or not, wouldn't you know by going up to take a look?"

Then, in no more than the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before the three of them. This person had arrived at an unbelievable speed, as though he had crossed dozens of miles in the very instant he spoke.

All three were greatly alarmed. They secretly circulated their cultivation techniques, ready to strike at any moment.

"Save your strength. You aren't qualified enough for me to make a move against you." The speaker was a middle-aged man who looked to be around forty, dressed in white robes with long silver-white hair draped over his shoulders. The moment he steadied himself, he casually waved a hand. Chen Fan and the other two immediately felt that the Origin Qi within their bodies could not gather at all.

This man's cultivation was far too terrifying. If he wished to kill them now, it would be as easy as crushing ants. The last time Chen Fan had felt such suppression from someone's cultivation had been when facing Liu Wushuang. Could this man also be a cultivator above the Seventh Realm?

Just as the three were filled with terror, their entire bodies suddenly relaxed. The previous sensation of their cultivation being sealed vanished without a trace. It seemed this man had no intention of targeting them.

"May I ask which eminent master you are, Senior? Have you also come to investigate the disappearance of the children?" Hua Yuewu hurriedly asked respectfully. She could tell that this middle-aged man was not an accomplice of the black-clad people.

"You need not know. Nor need you concern yourselves with what comes next," the middle-aged man said to the two from Myriad Blossom Valley. Then his gaze shifted to Chen Fan, examining him from head to toe several times, as though some confusion showed in his expression. "As for you, come up with me."

"Huh?" Chen Fan was instantly shocked. Why did he have to go up? And with his current lightness skill, he had no way of climbing this mountain.

The two from Myriad Blossom Valley did not dare raise any objections, but neither did they leave immediately. They simply remained where they were. They had finally tracked this matter to this place; at the very least, they needed to bring some useful information back to the sect. Since they could not go up, they could wait for the two to come back down. With this senior's cultivation and divine abilities, even if there truly were an expert among the black-clad people on the mountain, he should be able to handle it.

Seeing that the two remained in place, the middle-aged cultivator understood their intentions. He looked at Hua Yuewu and said, "You are from Flower Old Devil's branch, aren't you? Your talent is quite good, but you still lack experience. Since you wish to wait, remain here for now. I have already searched everything within a hundred miles of this place. There is no danger for the moment."

Hua Yuewu was startled upon hearing this. This man had seen through her identity so easily. Yang Dawei beside her, meanwhile, felt ignored and said resentfully, "Since Senior knows that we are disciples of Myriad Blossom Valley and recognizes Senior Hua of Fragrant Wind Cave, why will you not take us up and instead take this person?" In his view, taking Chen Fan up meant protecting him at his side. Such treatment was far too generous, was it not?

However, the middle-aged man ignored him. The two did not dare say anything more.

The man said to Chen Fan, "Let's go. Do you wish to go up yourself, or shall I take you up?"

Go up myself? How? Chen Fan was stunned. "Senior, you must be joking. This junior's Soaring Art is shallow. How could I possibly climb this mountain on my own?"

"Oh? Is that so?" The middle-aged man said dismissively, "You indeed lacked the ability before. Why not learn it on the spot?"

What did he mean? Chen Fan was utterly confused. At that moment, a series of intricate formulas suddenly entered his ears. He looked at the middle-aged man in shock and saw his lips moving slightly. He was clearly transmitting his voice from afar. So he truly was an expert of the Spirit Wandering Realm. Chen Fan understood instantly. He immediately steadied his mind, closed his eyes, and continuously comprehended the formulas. Yet these formulas were extraordinarily complex, clearly no simple technique. Chen Fan remembered most of them, but could not fully grasp them all at once. He only knew that it was a form of Soaring Art performed by combining it with one's own Internal Qi.

After the time it took half an incense stick to burn, the transmitted voice finally stopped. Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes. He had not completely comprehended the formulas, but he had at least memorized seventy percent of them. He did not know whether he could use them to perform some Soaring Art techniques. The two from Myriad Blossom Valley had also discerned some clues by now. Though astonished, they secretly envied Chen Fan as well. To receive such guidance from an expert—such an opportunity was rare indeed.

"How is it? Can you do it? If not, forget it. I'll take you up instead," the middle-aged man said.

"Though this junior has not mastered it completely, I would like to give it a try." A trace of excited anticipation appeared in Chen Fan's eyes.

"Good. Then go up first." The middle-aged man did not say more and directly prepared to head up the mountain.

Chen Fan took a deep breath and followed the method of circulating energy described in the formulas, continuously gathering the Origin Qi in his body into his legs and feet. He felt as if the meridians in his lower body had been completely opened. His blood and Qi surged, and Origin Qi swelled within him. Chen Fan immediately felt as light as a swallow. He pushed off the ground with both feet and flew more than ten zhang into the air. Then he stepped upon empty space, as though he had landed on something solid, and leaped several more zhang upward. His other foot lightly tapped the void again, carrying him several more zhang higher.

Step after step, his feet landed upon empty air as Chen Fan gradually made his way up the mountain. Whenever he felt he could no longer hold on, he would lightly step against the mountainside for support. The peak was not completely vertical after all, but had some slope, so he would not simply fall.

This felt incredible. Chen Fan experienced for the first time the thrill of soaring straight upward, and his heart was filled with exhilaration. This was only a relatively low-level Soaring Art. If one day he could cultivate to the Cloud Soaring Realm, what kind of experience would that be?

Seeing that Chen Fan was somewhat unsteady but still steadily making his way up the mountain, the middle-aged man also leaped into the air and vanished. When he appeared again, he was already on a distant part of the mountain peak, seemingly not far from Chen Fan.

The two from Myriad Blossom Valley, left behind, were once again stunned. How had he done that? Even the highest-realm cultivators of Myriad Blossom Valley likely did not possess such attainments in Soaring Art, did they?