Chapter 76: Not Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Not Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

Dai Tingxiang seemed to have a keener eye than the others. He said to a Nascent Soul Realm Steward Elder from his sect, "Elder Qiu, Chu Fan is bluffing. When we arrived, Yun Xi was fighting a Level 3 Falcon while Chu Fan just stood by and watched. He’s completely useless."

The moment Dai Tingxiang finished speaking, nearly all the Nascent Soul Realm Martial Artists turned to size up Chu Fan.

Chu Fan’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a faint smile. He shot Dai Tingxiang a meaningful look, neither denying nor refuting the accusation.

Yun Xi was quick to react. She put on a dismissive air and retorted, "A mere Level 3 Profound Beast was just a bit of practice for me. If Chu Fan is useless, then pardon my bluntness, but every single one of you here is less than useless."

Hearing this, Cheng Dingzhi’s face turned livid. "You wretched girl, believe me when I say I’ll tear that mouth of yours to shreds!"

"You old bastard, I dare you to try!"

Chu Fan’s gaze froze, his eyes, fixed on Cheng Dingzhi, radiating killing intent. ’If I had the power to kill him right now, he would have been a dead man the moment he uttered those three words.’

As far as Chu Fan was concerned, Yun Xi was his one untouchable weakness.

Cheng Dingzhi shuddered under Chu Fan’s gaze and spat resentfully, "You insolent whelp, how dare you be so arrogant!"

Chu Fan chuckled. "Heh, so what if I am? What are you going to do about it? I’m twenty-three years old, and killing Divine Separation Realm experts is as easy for me as slaughtering chickens. A mere Nascent Soul Realm cultivator like you isn’t even worth a second glance."

Chu Fan’s current demeanor made the disciples who had previously mocked him feel a pang of retroactive fear.

’No wonder he was silent when he was mocked earlier,’ they thought. ’He never even considered us disciples worthy of his attention.’

Cheng Dingzhi was so enraged by Chu Fan’s words that he was sputtering, yet he didn’t dare make a move.

Si Shujun, a Steward from the Fiery Fire Sect, whispered in Elder Cheng’s ear, "Elder Cheng, I’m certain that that Chu Fan boy is bluffing. He’s only twenty-three, after all. Do you really believe someone in their twenties can contend with an Integration Realm expert based on their true cultivation alone? Think about it. Didn’t he swallow an elixir before taking action at the Celestial Derivation Sect?"

The words seemed to jolt Cheng Dingzhi. "You’re saying that elixir was one that forcibly unlocks one’s potential?"

"Exactly. I’m afraid its effects have already worn off. Even if they haven’t, it won’t be long now. Once an elixir like that loses its effect, the user enters a period of extreme weakness. Otherwise, why would he be running? And why run toward Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain of all places?"

Hearing this, Cheng Dingzhi’s eyes narrowed.

Their voices were so low that even the nearest disciples on their trial couldn’t hear them, but Chu Fan heard every single word.

He had never expected to be able to bluff his way out of this.

Anyone who treats the rest of the world like fools is the biggest fool of all.

"Elder Cheng, I think Elder Si has a point. Why don’t we stall for a while and probe him a little?" The speaker was Shu Yunhua, the Ninth Elder of the Dark Moon Sect and the only woman among the dozen-plus Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

Cheng Dingzhi nodded, his cold gaze shifting to Chu Fan. He sneered, "Chu Fan, I don’t know what kind of dumb luck you’ve stumbled into, but I’ll be watching to see just how long you can keep up this arrogant charade."

Chu Fan burst out laughing. "A coward is a coward," he said mockingly. "Why dress it up in such high-and-mighty language? Aren’t you all just thinking I must have taken some potential-unleashing elixir and are waiting for the effects to wear off? But don’t forget, even if I did take some elixir, I was already at the Golden Core Realm six months ago. With my fortuitous encounters since then, do you really think you can handle me at my current Nascent Soul Realm cultivation? Even if you all gang up on me, how many of your disciples below the Nascent Soul Realm do you think I can kill before you take me down?"

At his words, the crowd was once again struck speechless.

Chu Fan took Yun Xi’s hand. "Enough. I don’t have any more time to waste on you. Are you going to fight or not? If not, I’m leaving for real."

With that, he feigned a departure.

Sure enough, the moment he moved, the dozen-plus cultivators immediately surrounded him and Yun Xi.

"Thinking of leaving?" Shu Yunhua said. "Wouldn’t that mean we ran hundreds of miles for nothing?"

"Elder Shu, I’m very disappointed in you today. Of all the Six Sects and Eight Gates, I actually had a somewhat favorable impression of your Dark Moon Sect. I never thought you’d also be the type to forsake all principle for profit. Don’t try to make your filthy intentions sound so noble and righteous. You chased me relentlessly for hundreds of miles, wasn’t it just to find out how I recovered after my Golden Core was shattered and my meridians were destroyed?"

"Isn’t it because you want to understand how, in just six short months, I could heavily wound an Integration and a Divine Separation Realm expert in a combined assault? Isn’t it because you want to get your hands on the Sword Manuals I used at the Celestial Derivation Sect?"

"Frankly, I’m disappointed in all of you. The Six Sects and Eight Gates of the Eastern Domain... how could you let yourselves be overshadowed by the Red Blood Mansion, a group founded a mere two hundred years ago? It’s because the Red Blood Mansion are true villains, while you are all a pack of hypocrites."

"When the Red Blood Mansion wants something, they take it openly. But you? You desperately want it, yet you have to pretend your hand is forced, always painting yourselves as the righteous party."

"Don’t you find it all laughable?"

Though Chu Fan’s tirade caused the expressions of the dozen-plus Nascent Soul Realm cultivators to sour, not a single one of them showed the slightest hint of shame or embarrassment.

The words took longer to sink in for the disciples on their trials. After hearing Chu Fan, their expressions varied—some were lost in thought, some were filled with doubt, while others maintained their unshakable faith in their sect’s Elders.

"Chu Fan, I never realized your mouth was even more impressive than your talent. You truly have a silver tongue," Si Shujun retorted, reacting faster than the others. "You’re the one who has been committing all sorts of evil in the Eastern Domain lately, and now you’ve twisted it to make us the villains. But it doesn’t matter what you say today. You’re not leaving."

"Hah, haha!" Chu Fan let out a few cold, mirthless chuckles and, taking Yun Xi’s hand, made to leave again.

The people directly in his path nervously took several steps back.

Chu Fan said with contempt, "This is your last warning. If you try to stop us again and I’m forced to act, I’m afraid a lot of people are going to die."

"Attack!" Cheng Dingzhi drew his sword and lunged at Chu Fan from behind.

"You’ve forced my hand! Disciples of the Lingyun Sect, fall back two miles!"

At his words, many people froze for a moment. Cheng Dingzhi even pulled back his sword. A small number of disciples from the other sects retreated along with those from the Lingyun Sect.

Chu Fan turned, pulling Yun Xi into his embrace. His right hand formed an incantation seal as he began to chant.

Cheng Dingzhi snorted. "Empty posturing!"

Just as he was about to strike again, Chu Fan finished his chant, and a Lion Shadow the size of a small hill leaped forth.

The Lion Shadow opened its massive maw, and a roar shook the entire valley.

The disciples who had retreated watched, dumbfounded, as dozens of people closest to Chu Fan were caught in a daze and sent flying by an immense force.

Each one of them vomited blood as they were flung through the air.

After unleashing the Divine Technique, the color suddenly drained from Chu Fan’s face. He urgently said to Yun Xi, "Quick, help me! We have to get deeper into the forest."

Just as he had been unleashing the Lion Seal Divine Techniques, he had sensed five powerful experts speeding in their direction.

If his guess was correct, it had to be Qu Lingce, Dong Congzhang, and the others who had intercepted him earlier.