Chapter 23 of 100

Chapter 23

24 min read5,983 words

Ximen Shuai looked at Lin Fan, who was joyfully wielding a bamboo sword under the bright moon, feeling extremely conflicted. If he teamed up with Lin Fan to overthrow Xue Ji, Lin Fan would definitely refuse, and he would surely be captured and used as a stepping stone. But if he let Xue Ji get the Bloodstone, he might not be able to escape either. Should he leave and ignore it? Xue Ji had already promised to give him the Bloodstone, and leaving now would be too frustrating.

The Blood Shadow Sect was not easy to deal with. Xue Ji was from the Bamboo Sword Hall and did not practice the Heart Blood Shadow Technique, so he could still run away in a fight. If a Blood Shadow Sect expert of the same cultivation as Xue Ji appeared, it would be...

Life and death, gain and loss, these thoughts troubled Ximen Shuai as they approached the small town. Xue Ji asked, "Lin Fan, are you sure the item is in the land temple?"

Oh no, Ximen Shuai thought, his guess was correct. Xue Ji's accomplices had already searched the land temple. Fortunately, this kid had a backup plan, otherwise he would be meeting the King of Hell now.

Lin Fan smiled and asked, "Xue Enforcer, why are you sure the item is not in the land temple?"

"..." Xue Ji was taken aback: "I'm just telling you not to lie to me."

Lin Fan asked, "Could it be that Xue Enforcer's helpers have already searched the land temple?"

"Of course not!" Xue Ji replied without changing her expression.

Ximen Shuai was puzzled. Could this kid have a backup plan? His three companions were still waiting on Lotus Mountain. Could there really be a high-ranking expert from the Yunqing Sect accompanying them? If so... Ximen Shuai broke into a cold sweat. He had not discovered anything in the past few days, indicating that this expert's cultivation was already at an unfathomable level.

...

The Bloodstone, like yellow paper, was ordinary to cultivators, who could not sense its location and could only observe it with their eyes. The three landed in the land temple, where everything was silent. Inside the temple, only two candles flickered with a faint light. The land temple, being the lowest-ranking minor deity, was small, about one-tenth of an acre, with the land deity enshrined at the front and nothing else.

"Go get it," Xue Ji said. She gently pulled up her right sleeve, revealing a fine bracelet that was neither gold nor silver. Ximen Shuai knew this item; it was a treasure of the Blood Shadow Sect. Once the designated materials were obtained, it could be refined according to the records. This treasure was called the Immortal Lock Chain. Once locked, as long as the cultivation difference was not too great, it could not be broken, penetrating the bloodstream and killing the target.

Lin Fan bowed before the land deity: "No blame, no blame!" He picked up the wooden statue and retrieved the Bloodstone from the bottom. Lin Fan asked, "Who should this be given to?"

"Me," Xue Ji said.

Lin Fan smiled at Ximen Shuai, one stone to kill two birds. There was only one item, but two buyers. Let them fight it out. However, Ximen Shuai's attitude surprised Lin Fan: "Since Xue Enforcer likes it, you can keep it. Goodbye!"

With that, he flew diagonally into the sky. A blood net appeared out of nowhere, covering an area of about half an acre. Ximen Shuai was prepared and took out a triangular flag, waving it: "Break Evil!" A white light shot out from the flag, breaking through the blood net, and Ximen Shuai flew away.

Xue Ji watched Ximen Shuai flee and sneered, "I didn't expect this guy to have the Seven Break Flags."

The Seven Break Flags—Break Sword, Break Technique, Break Water, Break Evil, Break Illusion, Break Qi, Break Ghost—were the signature treasures of Ximen Shuai's master, the former Demon Lord. Now, Ximen Shuai used these treasures, though he could only use about one-tenth of their power, but it was enough to break through the blood net and escape. This showed the power of the Seven Break Flags. It also confirmed that the former Demon Lord was indeed dead; only with the Demon Lord's death and the treasures becoming ownerless could Ximen Shuai have refined them.

However, a man without sin but with a treasure is guilty. Ximen Shuai could have escaped, but revealing the Seven Break Flags would not let Xue Ji's helpers give up. A blood-colored figure quickly chased after him from outside the land temple. Xue Ji turned to look at Lin Fan, who still had a puzzled look on his face. Xue Ji smiled inwardly, thinking that Lin Fan was trying to create a rift between her and Ximen Shuai, but she had already received help, and Ximen Shuai would find it hard to protect himself. Xue Ji asked, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Hmm... According to the rules, outsiders cannot practice the Bamboo Sword Technique. There are two ways to solve this. The first way, you die."

Lin Fan shook his head: "That's not a good solution."

"The second way, leave the Yunqing Sect and join the Blood Shadow Sect."

This is how evil sects recruit... Lin Fan was puzzled: "But you said you would let me go if I got the Bloodstone."

"Yes, you can choose the second way."

"I won't choose the second way."

Xue Ji shook her head: "Then you are seeking death. I can only help you achieve it." A silver chain flew out from her arm.

Lin Fan lowered his head, his fingers in front of his mouth, and shouted, "Quick!"

As he spoke, Xue Ji felt a heavy blow to her back, and she was thrown out, crashing through the wooden wall of the land temple and the stone wall of the courtyard. She gathered her true qi, but it was chaotic and hard to concentrate. Lin Fan jumped onto the wall and spread his arms: "Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Fire!"

Fireflies flew up, countless fireflies emerging from the land temple, surrounding the two. Xue Ji stood up and looked around. They were not fireflies but the faint light of activated talismans. How many?

Lin Fan said, "This trap was originally set for Ximen Shuai. After you left in the daytime, I spent half an hour drawing three hundred talismans and storing them in the incense money box. No need to gather true qi, Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire are essential techniques for Yunqing Sect disciples, specifically to break through the protective true qi of evil people."

"Isn't that the Taiyi Divine Thunder?" Xue Ji asked.

Lin Fan was surprised: "You actually know."

Xue Ji was furious. You are already in the upper hand, and you are still trying to deceive me. The Taiyi Divine Thunder is indeed the nemesis of evil sect disciples, not only breaking through protective true qi but also destroying evil sect treasures, with immense power. However, if it were really the Taiyi Divine Thunder, the entire town would have been blown up, and she would have been reduced to dust. The Taiyi Divine Thunder is not something just anyone can use. Even in the Yunqing Sect, including those old immortals, it is unknown if anyone can use it.

Lin Fan was bluffing. The Taiyi Divine Thunder is recorded in literature, but it is absolutely not something a Foundation Establishment or even a Nascent Soul cultivator can control. Ximen Shuai was taken aback when Lin Fan stuck dozens of earth thunder talismans on Xue Ji's back while she was distracted. Despite being a high-level expert, Xue Ji was distracted by the Seven Break Flags and fell for it. The five types of thunder—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—are considered basic techniques. Metal thunder is sharp, wood thunder is resonant, water thunder is heavy, fire thunder is fierce, and earth thunder is explosive. Controlling the five types of thunder is considered the entry level, while the Taiyi Divine Thunder is the highest level of the righteous sect's thunder techniques as recorded in literature.

"Since you've seen through it, I'll run quickly." Lin Fan smiled and mounted his bamboo sword.

"Why don't you kill me?"

Lin Fan was taken aback and then said, "Because I don't want to kill you!" With that, he turned and left. Is that true? Of course not. Good and evil cannot coexist. But these talismans have expired... True qi injected into the talismans puts them to sleep, and the true qi gradually dissipates. When called upon, they immediately respond. However, there is a time limit; otherwise, Lin Fan would not carry yellow paper but a basket of pre-drawn talismans, completely saving the time to draw them.

Lin Fan had already activated them once and immediately found it ineffective. Strictly speaking, they were not expired, but their power had dropped to the lowest level. Lin Fan, of course, would not tell Xue Ji the truth, as she still had a helper.

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