37. Slaying Yu Nanfei

Qin Fen’s calls were of no avail. Fan Yijun frowned slightly, as if two annoying flies were buzzing by her ears; the noise only made her movements sharper, and she launched an even more ferocious assault.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

"Fists ringing like heavenly drums, palms pushing against the逆water."

Lin Fan wielded his sword in one hand and struck with the other. Unexpectedly, the girl in purple possessed immense power, and every move she made was exquisitely refined—it was as if he were sparring with a seasoned sword cultivator, while he was merely a child who had just learned to hold a blade. The force left his arms trembling and his wrists in unbearable pain.

"You dare to challenge me with only the first spring of magical energy open? A mantis trying to stop a chariot! If I were in my prime, I could crush you with a single finger!" Fan Yijun’s voice was as sharp as a mountain peak. To her, a mere first-spring opening was pitifully weak; if she hadn't just awakened, would Lin Fan even have been able to trade blows with her at all?

Another hand-blade strike swept toward him.

She was right; the gap in their strength was too vast. However, Lin Fan would not allow these people to take Senior Sister Qi away.

The mountain-and-sea-like pressure left him gasping for air. Suddenly, Lin Fan brought out the Ghost Camel Bell and shook it gently. As the melodious chime rang out, Yu Nanfei appeared. His figure was upright, and his long spear swept toward Fan Yijun with momentum. With a soft *puff*, Fan Yijun raised her hand to block, but a red, thread-like wound appeared on her wrist.

"Clack, clack, clack!" Fan Yijun’s expression darkened. She said, "Yu Nanfei, didn't you hide in the Ghost Camel Bell just to find an opportunity to ambush him and seize that sword? Now is the perfect chance! The Pure Immortal Body is mine, and the sword is yours!"

"Jiang Yuelan, you underestimate my character. Do you think I would hide in the shadows to strike?"

Yu Nanfei looked disdainful, pointing his spear at Fan Yijun. However, the moment he finished speaking, he lunged toward her. Just as Lin Fan thought Yu Nanfei had resisted her seduction, the man suddenly pivoted his spearhead, executing a back-turning thrust toward Lin Fan.

Yu Nanfei had always harbored the intent to betray his master, and hearing her words, he found them perfectly reasonable. They shared a common goal: Fan Yijun wanted the Pure Immortal Body, and he wanted the magic sword. Their interests did not conflict.

"This is the perfect chance to kill him!" Yu Nanfei had been observing Lin Fan from the shadows. The boy's growth rate terrified him—swallowing Golden Crow blood without a hint of pain, as if it were merely drinking water. If he waited a few more days, would he still be able to subdue him?

"Kill!"

Wearing his immortal armor and riding his ghost camel, Yu Nanfei leaped forward like a mountain torrent, his spear shadows filling the sky and pressing down upon Lin Fan. Lin Fan’s expression grew grim; he had not expected the summoned Yu Nanfei to turn on him, though he had been guarding against it all along.

"Today, I will kill you all here!"

His chest burned with rage. As he spoke, he pulled out a jar of Golden Crow blood and gulped down a mouthful. The hundreds of drops of blood felt like swallowing magma; smoke billowed from his throat, and his esophagus felt as if it were pressed against a red-hot iron rod. Simultaneously, the Yuxu Breathing Technique began to refine the Golden Crow blood. Surging power boiled like a river, and a massive amount of magical energy erupted within him.

When Lin Fan had examined the Golden Crow corpse earlier, he had harvested a hundred pounds of its blood for such an emergency.

"Swish!"

Lin Fan swung his sword with a sudden, violent force. The blade unleashed a terrifying wave of magical energy. With a crisp *ding*—a sound like metal and jade colliding—Yu Nanfei was stunned. He had not expected Lin Fan to be capable of such a massive surge.

The terrifying force vibrated from the spear through Yu Nanfei's arms, causing black mist to rise from them. As a soul-body, he lacked human flesh and blood, and his spectral form seemed to dim significantly.

Unexpectedly, Lin Fan’s follow-up was even more violent. He clenched his fist and struck; terrifying magical energy surged between his knuckles. His power continued to climb, delivering a blow as heavy as a mountain.

"Thud!"

Yu Nanfei was knocked off the camel. As he rolled, he thrust his spear, the tip tracing a star map toward Lin Fan. Lin Fan ignored the attack, his movements carrying a momentum as if the power of heaven and earth were channeled through his limbs.

"Are you insane? If you drink that much Golden Crow blood, you’ll explode!" Yu Nanfei roared, retracting his spear to defend. He could clearly see that Lin Fan’s fist technique carried the weight of the universe, and the terrifying power filled him with both humiliation and fear.

Lin Fan paid no heed. He could no longer hear the outside world; his ears hummed, as if he had gone deaf. The energy of the Golden Crow blood consumed him, leaving no room for distraction. His only thought was to kill them.

"Puff!"

Yu Nanfei took another blow. He looked at Fan Yijun anxiously and shouted, "Attack together, or your plan for the Pure Immortal Body will surely fail!"

A dog will bite when cornered, and a man will fight to the death when desperate. That was exactly Lin Fan's state. He was a lone wolf, and anyone who laid a hand on those close to him was seeking their own demise.

Meanwhile, the number of silver meridians in Lin Fan’s body increased to thirty-six. The magical energy in his Laogong acupoints grew more abundant, and his attacks sharpened through the heat of battle.

"That clan produces nothing but lunatics. He has opened thirty-six silver meridians; the plan for the Pure Immortal Body is ruined. We must retreat and wait for another opportunity." Fan Yijun’s expression was ghastly. She hadn't expected Lin Fan to swallow such a large quantity of Golden Crow blood and not only survive but open so many meridians. Moreover, they were essentially providing him with training; his improvement was visible to the naked eye.

"Let's go! Abandon Yu Nanfei!" Fan Yijun vanished into the ninth floor in a few leaps. Her desire for the Pure Immortal Body had ultimately failed, and lingering would only invite mortal danger. As for Yu Nanfei, they had no intention of standing by his side.

This man was too cunning; keeping him around meant being backstabbed sooner or later.

A strange look flashed in the eyes of the woman in the wedding dress, and she slowly vanished from sight.

"You two bitches! I swear..." Yu Nanfei cursed, never expecting this group to be so fickle in their determination. If they had worked together, killing Lin Fan would have been easy.

Yet, they had all chosen to run at the first sign of trouble.

Sacrificing a teammate like this?

Yu Nanfei cursed their entire lineages, but before he could finish, Lin Fan was upon him again. Having swallowed so much Golden Crow blood, Lin Fan’s body burned like a raging fire, his skin glowing with a faint rosy light. His circulation flowed with unprecedented smoothness; he felt as if he had been reborn, his body light and agile.

The thirty-six silver meridians surged with magical energy, providing him with a ceaseless source of power.

However, the Golden Crow blood was becoming unbearable, and Lin Fan desperately needed an outlet. Yu Nanfei, with his considerable strength, was the perfect target.

"Fists ringing like heavenly drums, sword cutting through mountains and rivers..."

The sweeping sword qi vowed to pierce the heavens, tearing a rift in the dark, gloomy sky.

"Lin Fan, I am willing to submit! Just let me return to the Ghost Camel Bell to recover!" Yu Nanfei was terrified. With the two women gone, he had lost all will to fight. If he could just return to the bell, his spectral body could heal, and he could find another chance to ambush him later.

"You had better just die..."

Seeing Lin Fan’s assault continue, Yu Nanfei’s face turned pale. He had not expected Lin Fan to be so cold-hearted and immune to his deception. His spectral body grew weaker, showing clear signs of collapse.