Chapter 152: An Appointment with 3 Sect Leaders

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: An Appointment with 3 Sect Leaders

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Zao Ying Mountain.

Chu Fan had arrived early in the morning. Three years had passed, and the place had returned to its original state. After the Divine Statue collapsed, it formed a small hill in the valley, which was now covered in dry, gray moss.

Chu Fan was on the highest peak. A small tea table was set before him. He sat on the north side of the table, with small stools placed on the east, south, and west sides.

A pot of tea was brewing on the table, steam wafting from its spout. Chu Fan, unhurried, held a teacup and sipped from it slowly.

"Sect Leader Cheng, since you’ve arrived, why not show yourself?" Chu Fan said softly, setting down his teacup.

The moment his voice fell, Cheng Shimo flew over, his gaze fixed on Chu Fan in shock.

"Chu Fan? You’re Chu Fan? You’re not dead?"

Chu Fan smiled and gestured to the stool opposite him. "Sect Leader Cheng, why not sit and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself? I can slowly clear up your confusion."

Cheng Shimo said coldly, "Enough with the theatrics. I’d like to see what tricks you have up your sleeve."

With that, he sat down directly opposite Chu Fan. As he reached for the teacup before him, his hand had just touched it when he realized it was imbued with Dark Power. To lift the cup, he would have to use some force.

But the teacup was fragile. If he used force, the cup would surely shatter.

If he didn’t take it, wouldn’t he lose face in front of this junior?

If he did take it and the cup shattered, he would lose even more face.

In the end, he applied some force with his fingers. With a CRACK, the teacup shattered. The tea spilled onto him, but he instantly vaporized it with his True Qi.

"A mere parlor trick. Why don’t I pour you a cup of tea as well?" Cheng Shimo said as he picked up the teapot and one of the two other empty cups on the table.

"Sect Leader Cheng, you are the guest today. Having you pour tea for me would be a sign of my own poor hospitality, wouldn’t it? But for the other half of the Sword Manual, I suppose I can drink this cup," Chu Fan said slowly, a faint smile on his face.

Cheng Shimo’s expression changed at his words, but he quickly masked it with a smile. He filled the teacup, secretly imbuing it with power, and handed it to Chu Fan.

Chu Fan slowly reached out and took the teacup with ease, drinking from it without spilling a single drop.

Seeing this, Cheng Shimo was deeply shocked.

’Doesn’t this mean the kid’s control over True Qi has already surpassed his own?’

"You said earlier you would clear up my confusion. Why don’t you start by telling me why you asked me to come here today?"

"To present you with the other half of the Saber Technique, of course."

"And the conditions?"

"Let’s wait for the other two to arrive before we discuss it."

"The other two? Who?" Cheng Shimo instantly became wary.

"No need to be alarmed, Sect Leader Cheng. The other two are Sect Leader Lü of the Xuandao Sect and Sect Leader Shi of the Dark Moon Sect," Chu Fan said.

"So, the fact that only halves of the three Martial Techniques were available at Mr. Hong’s auction... that was your arrangement?" As a Sect Leader, if Cheng Shimo couldn’t figure that out by now, how could he be worthy of his title?

"If I told you that I also had a hand in the resurgence of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that began two and a half years ago, would you believe me, Sect Leader Cheng?"

"Bullshit! Do you take me for a fool?" Cheng Shimo immediately cursed.

Chu Fan shrugged, offering no explanation.

"Didn’t I hear that you died in the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain?" Cheng Shimo asked, curious again.

"The ten-li restricted line of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain is indeed a forbidden zone for humans, but who said I would definitely die after crossing it? As you can see, not only did I survive, but I also had a great fortuitous encounter, didn’t I? A twenty-seven-year-old in the Divine Separation Realm. Surprising, isn’t it?" Chu Fan said.

"So this is the source of your arrogance, you junior, standing before me?" Cheng Shimo asked dismissively.

"How about this? The three of you Sect Leaders can face me at the same time. If you win, you can do as you please. But if I win..."

Before Chu Fan could finish, a woman’s voice cut him off: "Arrogant junior! To challenge the three of us alone, and even dare to speak of winning... Do you have any sense of reverence at all?"

"Sect Leader Shi, eavesdropping is not a good habit. And Sect Leader Lü, how long do you intend to stay hidden?" Chu Fan first glanced at Shi Yindi, then turned his gaze to the sky in the distance.

A thin, gaunt old man flew over with a cold laugh.

"Chu Fan, back then, outside the ten-li restricted line of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, you killed so many disciples of my Dark Moon Sect. You don’t actually think I will spare your life today, do you?" Shi Yindi said angrily.

Chu Fan remained seated. In front of the three Sect Leaders, he leisurely poured himself another cup of tea and drank it. Only after slowly setting the cup down did he speak.

"Sect Leader Shi, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Back then at the Celestial Derivation Sect, members of the Red Blood Mansion insulted my senior brother, and people from the Celestial Derivation Sect tried to kill me. Was I, Chu Fan, not allowed to resist? That whole affair was a grudge between me and the Celestial Derivation Sect. When did I ever offend any other Sect? But what did your people do? While I carried Yun Xi, you hunted me all the way to Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. So tell me, Sect Leader Shi, when you were hunting me down, was I supposed to just accept my fate and let you kill me without fighting back?"

The anger in Chu Fan’s heart flared up, and by the end, he was roaring.

"If I followed my heart, half of the Six Sects and Eight Gates of the Eastern Domain would already be my mortal enemies, your Dark Moon Sect included! But for the sake of the countless citizens of the Eastern Domain, I was willing to make peace. I took the initiative to invite you here, to give you the other half of the Martial Technique, and even to discuss a major deal. And how do you repay me today?"

"Have your minds grown rigid after decades as Sect Leaders? Or have you been sitting on your high horses for so long that you think everyone else is beneath you? Today, I, Chu Fan, am right here. If the three of you have what it takes, then defeat me. I’ll submit to any punishment. But if you can’t even harm a hair on my head, then you will either listen to me, or—believe it or not—I, Chu Fan, will annihilate all three of your Sects!"

"Hah! Such big talk. Annihilate our three Sects?" Cheng Shimo sneered. "Believe it or not, if I simply spread the news that you’re alive, you’ll become the common enemy of the entire Eastern Domain Cultivation Realm. There will be no place left for you here!"

"Then let’s stop wasting words. Me against the three of you. We’ll talk after we fight."

"Boy, swords have no eyes. If you die, you’ll have brought it on yourself," said Shi Yindi.

Chu Fan stood up, drew his Juntian Sword, and pointed the long sword forward. "Make your move!"

"If the three of us were to fight you, there would be no honor in our victory. I alone am enough to deal with you," Shi Yindi said, drawing her sword instantly.

Her Horizontal Concealment Sword, suffused with a heaven-piercing Sword Qi, slashed down towards Chu Fan.

"Is that all?" Chu Fan sneered, executing the second form of the Dream-Breaking Meteor Sword: Broken Dreams, Falling Stars, Scattered Clouds.

With his enhanced Cultivation and Sword Dao, his Sword Intent was far more restrained when he executed this move.

Under Shi Yindi’s tyrannical Sword Qi, Chu Fan weaved and dodged with ease. A Sword Aura, as brilliant as a field of stars, manifested around him. As he pointed his Juntian Sword downward, these points of starlight rained down upon Shi Yindi like a meteor shower.

"Sect Leader Shi, watch out!" Cheng Shimo shouted.

But he was too slow. The points of starlight pierced directly through her Sword Qi, leaving dozens of bloody holes in her body, though all of them avoided her vital points.

A look of terror spread across Shi Yindi’s face...