Qing Yao returned

After counting everything in the Heaven and Earth Bag, Lin Fan finally put the contents back, but fastened the bag to his own waist.

"You've taken my things. Can you let me go now?" Yue Chan said calmly, forcing down her anger.

"Did I ever promise to let you go?" Lin Fan picked at his ear and grinned brightly, his two rows of white teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

"You..." Yue Chan exhaled heavily. His shamelessness was practically driving her mad!

Never in her life had she met such a shameless little brat. He was an out-and-out scoundrel, a despicable wretch. That devilish smile made her tremble with rage.

Normally, whether within the sect or outside it, she was the center of attention wherever she went, treated with courtesy and respect. Those eager to curry favor with her were beyond counting.

But everything had changed today. Someone had ruthlessly trampled her underfoot without the slightest pity. Even she found it hard to accept, and a profound sense of defeat washed over her.

Yet now, she had no choice but to...

"Junior brother... I was wrong. I shouldn't have ambushed you earlier. Could you let your senior sister off this once...?" Tears filled Yue Chan's large, limpid eyes as she rubbed them with one hand, looking utterly pitiful.

The corner of Lin Fan's mouth twitched. He had never imagined Yue Chan had this side to her. It was simply... spectacular!

Was this really the same breathtaking fairy who would one day be so pure and otherworldly, untouched by the smoke and fire of mortal life?

Right now, she was just a rosy little girl carved from jade, adorable with a touch of comedy.

Something's wrong. Very wrong... Has a witch possessed her?

Intrigued, Lin Fan wanted to tease her a little more. Better still, if he could record all this, it would surely become a shameful chapter in Yue Chan's past. Bringing it out now and then to mock her should be quite entertaining.

But a cool voice suddenly rang out, interrupting his thoughts.

"Let her go."

"Pretty Big Sister." Lin Fan paused, then looked up.

Qing Yao had appeared nearby in a pale blue dress. Her figure was slender, her curves striking, and her face dignified and beautiful. She was as flawless as ever, peerless and standing apart from the world.

Lin Fan immediately stood and dusted himself off. No longer pinning Yue Chan down, he stepped aside. Even the smile on his face faded considerably as he assumed a respectful air.

Yue Chan naturally climbed up from the ground, but her first thought was not how to take revenge. Instead, she lowered her head, looking embarrassed, and stood there at a loss.

Unlike Yue Chan, Lin Fan rolled his eyes in thought, then immediately put on an aggrieved expression. "Pretty Big Sister, you have to stand up for me... As soon as she arrived, she ambushed me while I was cultivating, and she even wrecked this place..."

"You little brat..." Yue Chan stared, tongue-tied and wide-eyed. She had never imagined he would pull something like this, tattling on her and blowing things out of proportion.

You call that cultivating? When did I ever scare you into cultivation deviation? You were obviously sleeping and slacking off! Besides, you had a hand in wrecking this place too.

"You have no shame! You're despicable!!!" Yue Chan cursed. Normally so well-mannered, she truly could not think of anything else to call him.

"Look, Pretty Big Sister, senior sister is yelling at me. She hit me so hard too... My hand and my waist still hurt." Lin Fan put on an agonized expression, clutching Qing Yao's dress with his little hand and wiping away two nonexistent tears.

"Ah..."

Yue Chan's little chest heaved. On the verge of exploding with anger, she stamped her foot hard. This boy had no shame whatsoever. He was utterly vile.

I was the only one getting beaten, humiliated, and injured, yet you, the villain, complain first!

"Master, it wasn't like that. I..." Yue Chan had just started to explain when Qing Yao's icy gaze stopped her short, giving her a fright.

"Who told you to come here?" Qing Yao asked. Her voice was as lovely as celestial music from the heavens, but a little cold-a chill that pierced straight to the heart.

"I'm your disciple too. Why can't I come here?" Yue Chan lowered her head and spoke very quietly, her voice filled with helplessness and confusion.

Qing Yao sighed. After hesitating briefly, she said, "Go back. Stop playing around so much, and learn from your junior brother. Quiet your mind and devote yourself to cultivation. Your own strength is what truly matters."

Yue Chan wanted to protest that she worked hard at cultivating every day too. But when she raised her head and saw Lin Fan, who was even younger than her, she closed her mouth again.

"I understand, Master." She nodded like a child who had done something wrong, then turned and headed out of the pure land.

But when she glanced back and saw Lin Fan's smug, faintly mocking smile, anger and frustration surged up again, and she shot him a vicious glare.

It was as though she were saying, Just you wait. Next time, I'll definitely defeat you and pay you back for everything.

You hateful junior brother, I'll be back!

After Yue Chan left, Qing Yao looked at Lin Fan again, but said nothing. She merely waved a hand to sweep the dust from his face and clothes, then wielded a mighty art to restore the place to its original state.

The Heaven Mending Art! Lin Fan was startled. Everything around him seemed to rewind, and space itself warped.

The cracked earth closed up, the blasted craters filled themselves in, and the broken purple bamboo grew back. Everything returned to how it had been before the battle.

Even the black stone platform where Lin Fan usually lay, which had been blasted into countless pieces, returned to its original state. Its fragments fitted together perfectly, leaving not a single crack.

Clearly, this effect was only possible when someone had comprehended the Heaven Mending Art to an extremely high level.

Quite some time had already passed since his battle with Yue Chan, yet she could still turn back time for the surrounding objects by a full two hours. It was incredible.

Of course, the art also had a flaw. It only reversed things on a physical level. It could not "undo" the depletion of one's inner essence, energy, and spirit.

Otherwise, it would be far too monstrous. Who could possibly beat it? Imagine fighting an enemy to the death until both sides were nearly exhausted, only to return to your peak condition. Wouldn't your enemy die of rage?

But I seem to have a way to make up for this art's flaw. The innate divine ability nurtured within the Supreme Bone can restore a person's essence, energy, and spirit, bringing them back to their peak.

"If I could fuse these two Precious Arts, they would surely become an invincible art!" Lin Fan could not help musing. It seemed highly feasible.

As long as he resolved the issue of assimilation, removed the offensive methods from the Heaven Mending Art, and retained its "undoing" and profound mysteries of time, he really could turn it into an unsurpassed support divine ability.

Beside him, Qing Yao was mildly surprised to see Lin Fan immersed in comprehending the Dao. To gain an insight merely from watching her use the Heaven Mending Art-his talent was exceptional.

In fact, she had returned long ago, arriving just as Yue Chan entered this place. But she had not intervened, instead watching quietly the whole time.

Even when the two fought, and Yue Chan was defeated and straddled, she had not stepped in to stop them.

For one thing, it was not good to keep leaving a seven-year-old child alone. For another, she wanted to see which of them was stronger. Combat was the best practical test of cultivation.

But Yue Chan had clearly suffered a complete defeat. Her combat skills, her mentality, and her understanding of her own abilities were all insufficient, with glaring shortcomings. Lin Fan, by contrast, had done very well.

He had stayed calm, reacted swiftly, disrupted his opponent's mindset, played to his strengths, and unleashed a decisive strike, securing victory at minimal cost.

Yet Qing Yao also felt a deep ache for Lin Fan. To fight like this at such a young age, he must have experienced life-and-death struggles very early on and worked exceptionally hard at cultivating.

At least, that must have been the case before he came to the Heaven Mending Sect. He was also remarkably sensible in daily life, never troubling her and taking care of himself like a little adult. He was nothing like a child his age.

"I don't know what your mother was thinking. You're still only a child..." Qing Yao sighed.