Chapter 67

As Lin Fan questioned, the fiery-tempered Yang Xuernao flew up, raising her hammer in mid-air. The hammer transformed into a massive size and came crashing down. Seeing Wuer beside him, Lin Fan didn’t dare to dodge. The Green Jade Buddha Blade flew out and collided with the hammer. Yang Xuernao spun in the air, saying, "Not bad, take this!"

Zhao Luoyan was enveloped in flames, the iron hammer turning into a fire dragon that roared towards Lin Fan. Lin Fan sighed, "Why must it be this way?" He used the technique to shrink the sky and disappear on the spot.

Yang Xuernao was taken aback. A fiery meteor fell from the sky, and she hurriedly sent out a treasure sword to resist it, flying towards the ground. Cold light shot out from the ground, and four arrays of embroidery needles activated. This was the only method Lin Fan had discovered in the Heavenly Light Heart Method that had lethal power. The weapons controlled by the Heavenly Light Heart Method needed to be numerous, the more the better, but in actual combat, Lin Fan hadn’t reached that level. What to do? Use the needle array, embedding the embroidery needles in the true array.

Sixty-four embroidery needles burst forth, the hissing sound continuous. Yang Xuernao saw several streams of blood gushing from her body. Lin Fan landed beside her, gasping, "You won’t die, right? Why don’t you have any protective treasures?"

You blame others for not having protective treasures when you hurt them? Yang Xuernao wasn’t without protective treasures; her abilities were more than that. Unfortunately, this was the Purple Bamboo Grove, and using them would be like setting a forest on fire. She had only wanted to give Lin Fan a taste of his own medicine, to vent her anger, but Lin Fan turned out to be stronger than she thought. If the embroidery needles weren’t ordinary, they would have pierced her body and attacked her internal spirit energy.

Yang Xuernao stubbornly said, "I’m fine, no need to worry about me."

"Are you sure you won’t die?"

"Yes."

"Then go die somewhere else." Lin Fan was about to speak when Ye Wushuang arrived, shouting, "Thunder Shocking Light Technique!"

"Spicy Chicken Shreds!"

...

In the Purple Bamboo Grove’s main hall, Yang Xuernao readily admitted that she had initiated the attack.

Lin Fan glared at Ye Wushuang, who turned her head away, feeling uneasy: "I’ve made a mistake again. What if Lin Fan retaliates? What should I do?"

Zhenren Miejue said, "You used fire in the Purple Bamboo Grove and initiated the attack. Do you know the rules?"

"Yes!"

Zhenren Miejue said, "Prepare the lightning whip."

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Zhenren Miejue, you’ve wronged me twice. Can you do me a favor?" The lightning whip was a unique punishment in the Purple Bamboo Grove. The punished could not use protective true qi, and each whip would penetrate the flesh, causing unbearable pain.

Zhenren Miejue asked, "Are you pleading for mercy?"

"We are all disciples of Yunqing Sect. If you punish her, she might blame me."

Yang Xuernao said seriously, "I won’t."

"I’m worried you will." This person deserved a beating.

"I won’t." Yang Xuernao raised her voice.

"Alright, alright." Zhenren Miejue thought for a moment, "Xuernao, the Zhengyi Sect has just taken in new disciples, some of whom are quite young. The sect leader is worried they might fall off the cliff due to mischief. The mountain protection array hasn’t been maintained for thirty years. You are a craftsman and know a lot about arrays. As punishment, you will repair the mountain protection array."

"Yes!" Yang Xuernao answered with a straight back.

Zhenren Miejue said, "Then..."

Yang Xuernao turned and bowed, "Junior Brother Lin Fan, it was my fault. Please forgive me."

"Do you have to be so serious?" Lin Fan asked, then said, "It’s fine, it’s a small matter."

After leaving the main hall, Lin Fan didn’t look for Wuer again. Yang Xuernao packed some things, and Lin Fan led the way to the Zhengyi Sect. Zhenren San San listened to their account and felt quite ashamed. As the sect leader, he hadn’t maintained the mountain protection array and had to rely on outsiders. Zhenren San San said, "Lin Fan, don’t you have the Qiankun Ring? Help Miss Xuernao transport materials, so she doesn’t have to run back and forth."

"Okay."

The Zhengyi Mountain array had eighteen array mouths and four array eyes. The array mouths were mainly set up with cold iron. Yang Xuernao checked the cold iron and asked, "How long has this cold iron been here?"

"..." Lin Fan thought, "Fifty years? Or seventy years?"

"The cold iron has long lost its spirit. Eighteen array mouths need thirty-six pieces of cold iron... go get them."

"Where?"

"Retrieve the cold iron from the cold pond."

"How?"

"Never done it before?"

Lin Fan shook his head, "No."

"I’ll go with you."

...

The spiritual mountains and blessed lands have natural advantages. For example, the cold pond of Yunqing Sect contains countless pieces of cold iron, which are inexhaustible. After casting the water-repelling spell, the two descended into the cold pond, all the way to the bottom. Yang Xuernao pointed to a piece of cold iron and said, "Cold iron is metal, and it needs to be extracted with fire, but the water in the cold pond is icy. So, only the life fire can be used."

Lin Fan thought for a moment, "You mean to take it directly with your hands?"

"Yes!"

Lin Fan looked at the depth of the pond, nodded, and dispelled the water-repelling spell. He then dug out a piece of cold iron and put it into the Qiankun Ring. The Qiankun Ring could hold countless ordinary items, but it was limited when it came to spiritual items. Yang Xuernao also dispelled the water-repelling spell and helped Lin Fan dig out the cold iron.

Yang Xuernao was wearing a white silk dress, which, when soaked, clung to her body. She didn’t seem to notice, but Lin Fan, who hadn’t noticed at first, brushed past her abdomen when he took the cold iron. He then looked at Yang Xuernao, feeling a burning sensation in his dantian. He quickly lowered his head and continued digging. Yang Xuernao felt something strange and, after a moment’s thought, understood. She glanced at her body and saw that her flesh was visible through the wet silk.

Yang Xuernao’s cheeks turned red, and she turned her head away, trying not to see Lin Fan. After a while, Lin Fan pointed upwards, indicating he couldn’t hold on any longer. Yang Xuernao nodded, and the two rose to the surface, swimming to the edge of the pond. Lin Fan got out first and pulled Yang Xuernao up. Their hands lightly touched and immediately separated. They chatted intermittently as they returned to the Zhengyi Sect.

Yang Xuernao started repairing the array, and Lin Fan urgently pulled the sect leader to the mountaintop, recounting what had happened.

Zhenren San San listened and said, "Let me ask you something. You couldn’t use the water-repelling spell to retrieve the cold iron, but why didn’t you use it to float up after retrieving it?"

"Ah..." Lin Fan thought for a moment, "I didn’t think of it."

It’s normal for you not to think of it, but Yang Xuernao, who often goes to the cold pond, didn’t think of it either? Zhenren San San frowned, "Lin Fan, there’s a difference between affection and desire. Affection is like when you met Shangguan Feixue. Desire is different; it’s about the other person being a woman, and her body makes you feel desire."

Lin Fan asked, "Like the charm technique used by the thousand-year-old fox in the Vast Wasteland?"

"Not exactly. The fox’s charm wasn’t strong enough to attract you." Zhenren San San asked, "Xuernao is quite good. How about I help you propose?"

"Propose?" Lin Fan shook his head, "No, I’m still young, no proposal."

Zhenren San San said, "I thought the same when I was young, but I’m still alone after becoming a zhenren. What do you think of Xuernao?"

"Um... I won’t get married."

"I understand. You haven’t fully recovered from Shangguan Feixue. How could you fall in love so quickly?" Zhenren San San thought for a moment, "Yunqing Sect doesn’t prohibit marriage and children. Whether you are a child or not has little to do with cultivation. As the sect leader, I should let you see the world."

Lin Fan thought for a while and asked, "Brothel?"

"You know a lot." Zhenren San San was surprised.

"No." Lin Fan refused.