128 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 128 - Rampage of the Dragon Lady Yan Yang Shang Zhen hadn't expected Bai Fan to be from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Usually, members of the alliance arrived with pomp and grandeur, unlike the travel-worn figure before him. "So, it's the alchemist from the Heavenly Dao Alliance," he remarked, his face showing respect, though his heart dismissed it. Just an alchemist, he thought. On this battlefield, real power lay with the cultivators. The prestige of the Heavenly Dao Alliance in the South Continent was far less than in the East. Still, the elixirs she brought were extraordinary, including the famous Nine-Rotation Reviving Pill, which offered reassurance to many present. As Yan Yang Shang Zhen was observing Bai Fan, she was assessing him too. His aura was restrained and his steps steady, befitting a disciple of the Pure Yang Palace. Yan Yang Shang Zhen, in turn, noticed Bai Fan's graceful bearing and elegant attire. She seemed reminiscent of the legendary Shui Miao Yuan Jun. "I've heard that Shui Miao Yuan Jun initially had only two disciples. It's impressive you've added another to your ranks. Your skills must indeed be remarkable." Bai Fan sensed his superficial courtesy and perceived his underlying disdain, not bothering to mention that alchemy was merely her sideline. "Your praise is unwarranted, Yan Yang Shang Zhen." She then turned and instructed the Little Child, "Go, give this elixir to Yan Yang Shang Zhen." The Little Child solemnly carried the elixir over. An attendant promptly took it, and the Little Child returned to Bai Fan's side. After the elixir was received, Yan Yang Shang Zhen offered a formal salute to Bai Fan. Although customs dictate that only those of lower cultivation offer salutes to their superiors, Bai Fan represented the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Shui Miao Yuan Jun; the gesture was obligatory. Initially unaffected, Bai Fan felt a sudden oppressive weight as he bowed. Almost brought to her knees, she barely held her stance until he left, beads of sweat forming, her legs weakening. Er Chun and the Little Child rushed to support Bai Fan. "Boss, are you okay?" After a moment, Bai Fan, still pale, said, "I'm fine. Just a little demonstration of power." Er Chun's eyes widened with shock. "How could Yan Yang Shang Zhen do that?" "Is he really someone significant?" Looking at the young, prematurely graying Yan Yang Shang Zhen, Bai Fan mused that he must be formidable. "He's the chief disciple of the Pure Yang Palace, appointed by three major sects' elders to oversee this conflict between good and evil. He began cultivating at six, reached Foundation Establishment at eight, Golden Core at twelve, and Nascent Soul at twenty. Now, at barely twenty-five, his mastery of the Pure Yang Sword Technique is unparalleled." Hearing that he was only twenty-five and already at Nascent Soul stage, Bai Fan compared herself and wondered at his unnaturally young age. Of all the Nascent Soul cultivators she'd met, none were under a century old. This one barely over twenty seemed otherworldly. "So formidable?" Er Chun nodded, exclaiming, "I heard Elder Zuo Yun of the Floating Palace was heavily injured and forced to self-destruct his Nascent Soul by him." Chilled by the story, Bai Fan recalled that He Yi Man's master had also been forced to self-destruct a Nascent Soul. Could it be him? This revelation painted a picture of blood feud between Yan Yang Shang Zhen and the Floating Palace. Their conversation was interrupted by a distant sound of battle. "I must go; they're calling for me on the battlefield." Er Chun said urgently. Though their reunion was brief, Bai Fan accepted that Er Chun had found her path. It fulfilled Bai Fan’s duty as a mentor. "Go ahead." Er Chun, with permission, transformed into a beam of light and disappeared, leaving Bai Fan to marvel at her swordsmanship talent. Just as Bai Fan was about to leave, she instinctively glanced towards Xuan Ming's direction. "I hope Master and the others are well. Are Ying Yue and Huan Ri still in the cave?" Suddenly, a figure cloaked in black appeared nearby. Missing an arm but glaring at Bai Fan with shock, he charged at her in a frenzy. Bai Fan, startled at the Magician's presence, barely evaded, pulling the Little Child aside and instructing him, "Stay back!" The Little Child nodded and retreated, observing anxiously from a distance. Bai Fan, seeing the Magician, refused to let killing intent pass unchallenged. After long hours of alchemy, it was high time she tested her cultivation progress. The Magician held a blood-red orb, exuding a sinister aura that fogged the air. Feeling sluggish, Bai Fan quickly raised a defensive cyclone with a stomp, evading a fatal strike, her Sword Marbles transforming into a blade above her. Frost radiated from the blade, freezing the blood mist into shards that rained down and stained the ground red. The clash between Bai's sword and the blood hand caused a shockwave that briefly separated them. Surprised by Bai Fan's prowess, the Magician snarled at the sight of the white sword. "Roar!" As he summoned another blood hand, Bai Fan met it with her white sword fiercely aiming to pierce it. Infusing her sword with spiritual energy, Bai Fan intensified its cold aura, the sword qi wildly whipping her hair. The Magician, pooling his remaining blood essence into the blood hand, solidified its grasp with a nauseating aura. The gleaming sword and the immense blood hand collided again, excavating a massive pit from the resulting blast. The struggle appeared evenly matched, terrifying the Little Child into a shout. "Bai Alchemist!" Standing only meters apart, Bai Fan could now see the Magician clearly, though the black cloak obscured much, only his empty sleeve flapping in the wind. The Magician dismissed the ice and blood-soaked ground with a snort. Blood reformed into sharp needles, flying at Bai Fan with a fierce momentum. Glaring, Bai Fan inhaled deeply, leaping high and exhaling a blazing breath that incinerated the blood needles into a red rain below. The Magician blinked, appearing behind Bai Fan with a blood hand reaching for her back. Shocked by his speed, Bai Fan turned sharply, countering with her sword, plummeting into the pit with a swirl of dust. Upon landing, she glimpsed the uncovered head of the Magician—a pale, trembling face of rage. "Er Huai Uncle!" But Li Er Huai's eyes, bloodshot, regarded Bai Fan with unbridled animosity, bellowing through clenched teeth. "Die!" A powerful force pressed down as her sword slipped to her chest, its icy edge grazing her skin. As her arms numbed, she realized her peril, understanding neither why Er Huai sought her life nor his descent into darkness. In an instant, Bai Fan's arm transformed into a pair of fierce dragon claws, the grip on her sword strengthening exponentially, launching Li Er Huai's blood hand away. Propelled backwards, Li Er Huai hovered mid-air, glaring at Bai Fan standing in the crater below. Bai Fan soared upwards, leveling with him, her dragon claws wielding the white sword directed at Li Er Huai. "Why do you want to kill me?" With hatred etched on his face, Li Er Huai spat out, "Because you kept that damned Li Liansheng alive." Bai Fan, bewildered by the accusation, was unaware of the events at the Qingxu Sect. Yet, in his confused state, he seemed relentless. He lunged at her again, blood hand extended for another strike. Bai Fan's white sword suddenly gleamed with intensified brilliance, its sword energy surging to pierce through everything in its path. A dense flurry of sword shadows swirled from the techniques Bai Fan had learned from the jade slip. In an instant, a blizzard erupted in the void, the temperature plummeting as countless snowflakes materialized out of thin air. They roared towards Li Er Huai, threatening to engulf him entirely. As the snowflakes accumulated, Li Er Huai's position gradually solidified into a massive block of ice. Yet, at that very moment, a blood hand burst from the frosty vortex. A thunderous crash resounded as the ice block shattered into pieces. The blood hand broke through the gale of snow, targeting Bai Fan's heart. She shouted, her white sword expanding several feet in length as it collided with the advancing strike. Bai Fan could feel a dull ache in her claws, puzzled at how Li Er Huai had become so powerful. However, Bai Fan was no longer the naive little white serpent of the past. A burst of lightning erupted from her sword tip, lancing through the blood hand to strike at his chest. With a cacophonous crackle of electricity, Li Er Huai's form turned to charred blackness, and the blood hand disintegrated, leaving only a blood bead rolling to the ground. "Ah." --- ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ I had a stomachache today o(╥﹏╥)o. Thank you to the lovely readers who bestowed votes or nourished me with nutrient solution, you are angels ~ Thanks to those who provided [nutrient solution]: 10 bottles from Zhang Yu Zhou; 1 bottle from Xiao Qiang; Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!