25. The Seventh Floor

"Bastard, you bastard..."

Seeing Huang Qiushan reduced to an unrecognizable heap, Qin Fen finally felt a sense of relief.

Huang Qiushan was finally dead. Lin Fan let out a long, weary breath; the anger and killing intent that had consumed him vanished without a trace. During these days on the Nether Ghost Ship, countless compatriots had perished at Huang Qiushan's hands. He was, without a doubt, the greatest evil of them all.

"Lin Fan, how did you recover? Huo Yuxiao, Ma Shouyi... were they killed by you?" Qin Fen suddenly realized something, his expression filled with disbelief.

It had only been five days since Lin Fan woke from his coma. How could his injuries have healed so rapidly? Furthermore, how had his strength become so formidable?

The memory of his duel with Wang Xingbing—his fists and kicks moving like a dragon, bold and sweeping—still left Qin Fen feeling thunderstruck.

"The training I did on the mountain came into play here."

Lin Fan could not bring himself to mention the Golden Crow blood. He had consumed it and suffered no ill effects, but that did not mean others would be so fortunate. After all, Lin Fan had opened three silver meridians to withstand the energy of the Golden Crow blood. An ordinary person would likely explode and perish instantly. The one percent of the blood he had managed to synthesize was not yet suitable for their consumption.

"How are your injuries?" Lin Fan looked at Qin Fen, whose face was bruised and swollen. His injuries had not fully healed, and this ordeal had only made them worse.

"I'm fine," Qin Fen shook his head, then added, "These are just superficial wounds from the beating. Chen Cunyuan is the most severely injured. Huang Qiushan broke all four of his limbs."

Hearing this, Lin Fan turned to look at Chen Cunyuan. His limbs were bent at impossible angles, his bones shattered and blood staining his clothes a shocking crimson. His knees were swollen like two buns, filled with massive amounts of coagulated blood, and Chen Cunyuan had already fainted from the agony.

"This beast... killing him like that was too easy."

Seeing Chen Cunyuan’s miserable state, Lin Fan was deeply troubled. If his injuries were not treated soon, his life would be in danger.

"What should we do?"

Lin Fan had no medical training; he only knew that Chen Cunyuan was critically wounded. Just as he was feeling overwhelmed, Fan Yijun walked over and examined the injuries.

"He is in a critical state. His limbs are ruined; he is no longer worth the effort to save..." Fan Yijun shook her head.

In this environment, what did it mean for someone to have their limbs crippled? Even if they wasted precious medical supplies to keep him alive, he would only be a burden. Perhaps, if Chen Cunyuan woke up, he would not even wish to see this day.

"Can you save him? If you do, I will owe you a favor!"

Fan Yijun was a medical student; she was the only one here who could potentially save him. Lin Fan pleaded urgently. Chen Cunyuan had ended up this way because of him; if he stood by and did nothing, his conscience would never be clear.

Back when Lin Fan had fallen into the Forest of Steles, it was Chen Cunyuan who had disregarded his own safety to carry him out.

"I will try, but the chances are slim. It depends on his fate," Fan Yijun said indifferently. She did not understand why Lin Fan was so insistent on saving Chen Cunyuan, but since Lin Fan had promised her a favor, Chen Cunyuan was worth the effort.

"Thank you!" Lin Fan looked at Fan Yijun with gratitude.

"You killed Huang Qiushan; that was a relief for all of us." Fan Yijun pulled out a scalpel and pierced Chen Cunyuan's swollen knee. With a splash, black-red blood flowed out. She continued her work without pause, saying, "The one you truly need to find a way to deal with is Huang Dongshan. If he finds out, he will never let you go. Compared to Huang Qiushan, he is even more cruel. Most of what Huang Qiushan did was at his instigation."

...

*How did Fan Yijun master the bell of the Purple Spirit Girl? Did she make contact with her after I left? And how did she manage to survive?*

At the stern, descending to the eighth level, Lin Fan pondered. Many of Fan Yijun's actions were too bizarre and incomprehensible. She had dared to venture into the Forest of Steles alone; perhaps it was just a coincidence that he ran into her, and she claimed to be looking for him.

He did not know what kind of entity the Purple Spirit Girl was, but she was certainly no weaker than he was. He dared not imagine what would happen if such a menace remained by his side.

Fan Yijun had not revealed her true form, and Lin Fan could not confront her, so he had to pretend to know nothing.

The deeper they descended into the ancient ghost ship, the more obstructed their vision became, accompanied by chilling winds that cut into their skin like knives. Lin Fan decided to eradicate all the tumors on the ship, leaving no hidden dangers behind. After walking for a while, he came upon a dungeon-like palace, where a few nearly spent candles flickered at the edges.

This was the sixth level, the Nether Palace. As Lin Fan examined the environment—

"Boom!"

A hard, mace-like object struck toward him. The iron weapon moved with terrifying speed, aiming for his head. Fortunately, he dodged the blow with a sidestep. Watching it hit, he saw the mace shatter the dungeon’s iron railings into pieces.

"Creak, creak!"

The iron groaned, bathed in the flickering, elongated light of the candles.

"A little brat from the guard squad?" the man wielding the mace suddenly spoke. His voice was rugged, his appearance hulking and powerful, and he wore a suit of unknown armor that left only his face exposed.

"Laboratory 701, Yao Chenxuan?"

Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise. The research team was divided into several laboratories, and this man belonged to 701, the primary group researching the relic. They had come into contact with the relic earlier than Lin Fan, so naturally, they knew where to acquire magical artifacts.

Yao Chenxuan was vastly different from when he had seen him on Changbai Mountain. He was much taller now, and where he had once been clean-shaven and fair-skinned, he now sported a thick, full beard, his eyes shining with the intensity of lightning.

"You know me?" Yao Chenxuan retrieved his mace, resting it on his shoulder as he looked at him with curiosity. "I've never seen you in Huang Qiushan's squad. Wait... you're Lin Fan?"

Suddenly, Yao Chenxuan gasped. He immediately realized who it was, put some distance between them, and regarded him with a wary gaze.

"It is I!"

As the words left his lips, Lin Fan lunged forward with his sword, striking at Yao Chenxuan’s left shoulder. *Clang!* A shower of sparks erupted, as if he had struck solid iron. The impact sent a jolt of pain through Lin Fan's wrist; he had not left even a scratch on him.

*Where did this guy find such armor?* Lin Fan was momentarily stunned; his Pure Yang Sword had only left a faint white mark.

Earlier, he had cut through Huo Yuxiao, Ma Shouyi, and Zhuo Qirui like he was slaughtering livestock, usually finishing them in one strike. Facing Yao Chenxuan felt absurd, like a sudden spike in difficulty.

"You dare deliver a meal to my doorstep?" Yao Chenxuan laughed with delight. He hadn't expected Lin Fan to deliver the Pure Yang Sword that "Brother Dong" had been coveting. He swung the mace; at over five hundred pounds, a single touch would turn a man into a pulp. As he swung, it sounded like a truck rushing past.

"Hum!"

Furthermore, the mace crackled with dark blue lightning, as if imbued with the power of thunder, smelling of ozone and accompanied by a violent gust of wind.

The lightning was faster than the mace. Caught off guard, Lin Fan felt a sharp, needle-like pain drill into his body, leaving him numb. His Pure Yang Sword nearly flew from his grasp; this lightning was a hundred times stronger than a stun baton.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Fan immediately channeled his breathing technique, feeling a gentle force flow through his limbs. In the blink of an eye, he recovered his mobility and dodged the attack. The mace landed just inches from his head—a hair's breadth away from making him the "meal" being delivered.

"Kid, you're fast!"

Yao Chenxuan gripped the mace with both hands and pulled back, swinging it like a meteor hammer. *Boom! Boom!* The mace smashed through walls and iron bars with overwhelming destructive force, its momentum undiminished.

"Clang!"

This time, Lin Fan did not dodge. The Pure Yang Sword met the mace head-on, and the shrill, sharp sound of their collision echoed through the palace.